The First Spark

by T J Trapp

  “You saved me again, my Dear Wizard. What would I do without you?”

  “I don’t want to know,” Alec whispered into her hair. They sank into their bed, concealed from the stars and the rest of their camp, and lay in each other’s arms enjoying the peace and freedom they had. Finally, they settled into a deep and contented sleep.

  For the next few days, they rode across Theland. At every village and town, Erin’s couriers announced her arrival. News of their feats had spread ahead of them, and most of the towns were jubilant to greet them. The sight of the Great Warrior Princess, the Dragon Vanquisher, the Greatest Hero of all times – as well as her Consort, a true Great Wizard – was more than enough reason for a parade and village feast. They rarely encountered any of the sentiments of dissatisfaction against the former queen, Queen Therin, that Commander Kirkdar had expressed. Instead, the people were awed. They were looking at the hero of the Grasslands War; the only person in their memory who had confronted the elves in the elf lands and returned; and, greatest of all, a hero who had single-handedly stood in front of a dragon with her magic sword and driven it away. Never in their lives had there been such a person in their village and everyone wanted to see her.

  After her lead riders clattered through on their trogus, Erin’s standard-bearer would ride through with her banner. Then Erin would follow, holding aloft her gleaming sword. “I am your Princess Erin, returning from the Grasslands War to avenge the death of my mother, Queen Therin, to reclaim my rightful place, and to mete justice on those who have abused their responsibility during my absence.”

  Even though Erin was the center of attention, often the real hero turned out to be Alec. In almost every town there was a pressing project that needed to be accomplished, and Alec left each town improved – whether it was providing a water distribution system, fixing a backed-up sewage system, or repairing a washed-out road, Alec gamely tried his best to help each village.

  After several days they reached the Ryn River. At the first village along the river road, a group of village councilmen came out to meet them, obviously in a state of high anxiety.

  “Welcome, your Highness, Lady Erin. We are so glad that you have arrived, and we beg your help. We have been left without guardsmen since ours were conscripted by Queen Amelia for her forces, and are now we are in a defenseless position here by the Ryn. We fear that we are in great peril!

  “Queen Amelia’s riders from the highlands have been fleeing down our river road towards Freeland City. We have heard of the disturbances in the Grasslands and near the Elf Mountains, and now the Queen’s riders tell us that a large and fearsome force is coming down the river towards our fair village. They told us our only hope is to flee also!

  “But we do not wish to leave our fields, so close to the time of early harvest, and we hear that Freeland City is overrun with riders and the Queen’s people. We sit here in the face of this great force, without allies, and defenseless. Can you help us? When the marauders come, will you defend us from their wrath?”

  Erin smiled at the news of a force on the river road. “It will be my honor to ensure that the approaching force does you no harm. We will ride towards it today and determine its intentions.” The councilmen looked at her gratefully.

  “Be careful! We have heard you are a Great Warrior, and your Consort a Great Wizard, but the fleeing riders have left tales of horrors too terrible to describe.”

  Erin nodded in acknowledgment and led her riders along the banks of the Ryn. She cautioned her riders that they were approaching another band of warriors, but they were not to take any hostile actions without her explicit directions. Then she sent out trusted scouts. Within several hours her scouts reported back that they had encountered the scouts of the approaching force.

  One of the scouts returned with a smile. “My Princess, I have great news. I met the opposing scout, and she is my cousin! We greeted each other warmly. The approaching force is our comrades, led by Ferd!”

  Erin, Alec and Thom rode forward under Erin’s banner to greet their long-separated riders. The caravan of Theland riders and their wagons was a welcome sight. Ferd rode out to greet her. The four dismounted and clasped arms in greeting, smiles all around.

  “Greetings, my noble rider,” Erin said to Ferd. “I see that you have timed your journey well; we meet you as we planned so many days ago. I hope your people have fared well on the journey.”

  “My Princess, we are so very glad to see you! Our scouts have been looking for word of you for a week or so, and we recently heard of your travel across our uplands and the accomplishments of Consort Alec in improving our people’s villages. We delayed our departure from the last town, and spent a few additional days there, hoping to encounter your contingent. We knew we were getting close to you.”

  “And your mission? Did you encounter my sister’s wrath?”

  “There have been a few encounters. But you? I hope you accomplished your quest. We have heard stories of great accomplishments! Stories of besting elves, and dragons, and of course the stories of your triumph in the Gott War on the Grasslands have travelled far.” Erin smiled in acknowledgement.

  “Our exploits have not been as exciting,” Ferd continued. “We have had a relatively uneventful and leisurely trip along the Ryn. When we came back into Theland from Gott, some of Amelia’s riders thought to stop us at the border, but they were all bluff. I told them I was returning on orders of the Royal Princess and did not want to be impeded. I must report that they did question your authority to command riders. A couple of their riders tried to bully us and attacked. We dispatched them, and the rest ran. They have been running ever since.”

  “We are happy to see you,” Erin said, with more than a touch of relief. “I feared that harm would befall you, where I could not help you, separated as we were.” She smiled nonchalantly.

  “We have had some adventures, but the stories are more exciting than the truth. Join your force with mine. We have adopted some of the ‘riders’ impressed by Amelia’s commanders. Some of them, like Hank, were riders under my mother’s banner, and others seem to have been conscripted. I want you to integrate the new riders into our structure. They are good but lack proper discipline.

  “Tonight, we celebrate our reunion, and tomorrow we continue along the river road.”

  ✽✽✽

  From the hill where they were camped, Erin could see the distant glow of Freeland City as evening turned into night. The evening lights of nearby villages outlined the twisting river as it snaked through the green lowlands. The familiar sight told her that she was home. Erin viewed the road to the city with a feeling of nostalgia. Freeland City was her home, and her family had always been its heart. Queen Therin had ruled Theland wisely – for all of her life, Erin’s mother had ruled with truth and compassion for its people.

  Erin’s thoughts turned to her mother. She had not been able to truly mourn her mother ever since they had received the bitter news of her death. She wished her mother were here. She wasn’t ready to rule. There were too many decisions and the lives of too many people hinged on her decisions.

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the approach of a rider, “Princess, pardon my intrusion, but there is a man who would like to talk to you.”

  “Oh?” It seemed odd that a lone man would approach her camp at this time of night.

  “He claims he has important information about Amelia,” the messenger said. “However, he insists that you must promise you will not harm him until after you hear what he has to say. If you cannot promise, then he will not talk to you, but he says he has much that you will want to hear.”

  Erin sighed. “Tell him that I will talk to him and promise that I will not harm him until after I give him a chance to speak. We will hear what he has to say. Bring him to my tent, and ask my Consort to join us.”

  ✽✽✽

  Erin sensed the visitor approaching long before he arrived. She muttered to Alec, “I wish I had not made that promise, but I will honor my wor
d.”

  A tired, dusty man walked into the light. “Greetings, Princess.”

  Erin snorted in recognition of the voice, and the large figure.

  “Greetings, Brun.” The two looked at each other warily.

  “If I had known it was you, I would not have made any promise about your well-being. I will hear you out – but know that I fully intend to punish those responsible for my mother's death. Why are you here?”

  “Well, my step-daughter, I think you will want to hear what I have to say. I am here because I am escaping from Amelia.” He shook his head. “She has become a mad Queen.”

  “I sense that you speak the truth.” Erin continued to glare at the man standing before her. Then her rage boiled over. “Why did you kill my mother?”

  Brun raised both hands. “I did not kill her! I did not have anything to do with your mother's demise. She was far more valuable to me alive than dead.” He took a step closer to Erin. and spoke in a low voice “But you presume that she is dead. What if I told you she is alive?”

  Erin took a deep breath. “I have always felt Mother was alive. I never sensed her death. You don’t surprise me with that news.” She leaned forward in the lantern light.

  “Where is my Mother?”

  “I think I know where she is located, but I don’t know how to reach her,” said Brun.

  “I am interested, so tell me more,” said Erin “but make sure it is the absolute truth. One falsehood, and you will taste my sword.”

  “Before I tell you any more, I want an agreement from you,” Brun said. “I want you to grant me a complete pardon for all crimes that I may have committed.”

  “Why should I grant that?”

  “Because if you don’t then I will not tell you any more information; and then my Amelia will kill your mother.”

  “Amelia? Amelia is too inept to do anything on her own,” Erin said, and spat in contempt.

  “My little Amelia is not as forceful as you,” Brun said, “but she has a friend … an advisor … who is her inseparable companion. Pequa is her name.”

  “I have heard of Pequa. Where did she come from? I don’t recall anyone in Freeland City with that name.”

  Brun smiled ruefully. “Pequa showed up about four years ago. I don’t know where she came from. She is lovely, and became one of my … lady friends. She was intoxicating! I desired to please her at all costs.” He shook his head and smiled, remembering. “She was very interested in your family. It was at her urging that I poisoned your father and attempted to have you killed. She urged me to consort with your mother.” Brun scowled. “But then, Pequa befriended Amelia and no longer sees me, except when she wants something. And now Amelia has cut me out also, and only listens to Pequa. ‘Pequa says this!’ ‘Pequa says that!’” he said, imitating Amelia’s whiny voice.

  “I was happy with my arrangement with Therin. I could make her do what I wanted, as long as it seemed like what I wanted was for the good of the people. She could sense the truth, so I had to maneuver carefully, but it was possible to do.”

  “Do you still do favors for Pequa?” Alec asked.

  “Yes, sometimes. I miss her, now that she spends all her time with Amelia. But if Pequa asks me to do something, I want to do it. I must admit that I have a weakness for her. When Pequa touches me, I have no choice except to do what she wants.”

  Erin gasped and thought to Alec, Pequa sounds like an elf.

  That makes sense and would explain a lot of things, thought Alec back to her. It sounds like Pequa has the powers of the elf coercers – both Brun and Amelia do everything that she wills them to do.

  “What hold does she have over Amelia? Why does Amelia want to please Pequa?” Alec asked.

  Brun sighed. “Amelia is addicted to purple mushrooms. That is hard to admit. I didn’t think that could happen to my child. But it did. I think Pequa keeps her supplied and does something to enhance the effects.”

  “But enough of Pequa. What happened to Mother?” Erin asked impatiently.

  “Pequa has three bodyguards with her most of the time. One night, Amelia let Pequa and her three men into the Residence. They killed Therin’s personal guardsmen. Then Pequa captured Therin and took her away. Next, she came to my residence. She told me to make it look like Queen Therin had been assassinated. I did what she wanted. The Residence was a bloody mess, and I couldn’t disguise the blood and dead guards! I invented a story about attackers from the Grasslands attempting to kill the Queen and Amelia. No one believed the story, but the riders close by were loyal to me and they suppressed any opposition. Most of the riders loyal to the Queen were still with you out in the Grasslands.”

  “So no one questioned Mother’s ‘death’?” Erin asked. “How could that be?”

  “As head of the Council, I wrote a Proclamation stating that Queen Therin was dead, and pronounced Amelia Queen. Of course the Council approved it!” He paused, and coughed. “I may have added a provision that anyone who questioned the Proclamation was subject to imprisonment. Of course no one did.”

  “So that’s how little Amelia became Queen,” Erin spat.

  “Well, she sure wasn’t going to get there on her own,” Brun replied angrily. “At first, I could manipulate Amelia, and she behaved. She did what the Council directed. But, over time she became more and more irrational. One day she turned on me and dissolved the Council. The riders who I thought were loyal to me turned out to be loyal only to Pequa! They would not support me! In fact, they captured me and brought me in chains to Amelia, and she ordered them to behead me! Fortunately, Pequa intervened, and Amelia postponed the sentence. I haven’t seen her since.”

  “Now, Amelia does whatever she wants. She rules only to benefit herself and her friends. Some of them have moved into the Residence with her and all they do is have parties and partake of purple mushroom and gamble. Pequa lets Amelia run wild and rarely pays any attention unless she wants her to do something specific. I cannot influence Amelia anymore. Occasionally Pequa will come to me and give me instructions; as long as I do what she wants, my life is pretty good. Pequa makes me tell her what I have been doing. If I have not done what she wants the pain is awful. If I have carried out her will, then the reward is ecstasy.”

  “So, I repeat,” said Erin, “Why are you here?”

  Brun continued, “You want to know why I am here? Because Pequa told me to come here. She told me to come and tell you about your mother.”

  “There is only one reason she would do that,” said Alec.

  “I agree,” said Brun. “There is only one reason. She is using Therin as the bait in a trap. They want me to send you into that trap. They assume you will be so interested in rescuing your mother that you will go readily.”

  “So, again, where is Mother?” asked Erin.

  “First, the agreement.”

  “And if I don’t agree?”

  Brun shrugged his shoulders. “Then I will not tell you where the Queen is. I cannot return to Amelia, and you will not have me, so I will die and keep her location secret. I know that you can sense the truth like your mother could, so you know that I am ready to make that choice.”

  Erin closed her eyes. He is right, she thought to Alec. I do not see another way.

  “All right! I must rescue Mother.”

  “This does not make any sense. Why would Pequa merely capture and imprison Queen Therin instead of killing her?” interjected Alec.

  Brun looked at him and scowled. “I struggled with that also, and decided that it is not the Queen’s fate that concerns Pequa. It is Erin.” He looked directly at his step-daughter. “I have seen how you can make fire come from your sword, and can make the Truth Stone turn almost clear. I think that means you have abilities greater than your mother’s – even greater than your grandmother’s. I think that Pequa, whatever her intentions are, is afraid of you.”

  Erin could sense that Brun was speaking the truth.

  “Pequa and her guardsmen thought they had eliminated you. If
your Consort here had not appeared out of thin air, with your father dead no one would have ever rescued you – you would have been a mindless nomad slave or dead. Either way, you would not be a concern to her.”

  Erin sat in the flickering lantern light and thought a long time as everyone watched her. Finally, she said, “I will meet your terms – but only if we are able to rescue Mother and she is alive. Also, I want you to promise never to be involved in governing Theland in any way, and I want you out of my family. I want you to renounce your consort with Mother, and get out of her life.”

  Brun also took his time to think over Erin’s offer, staring at his hands. After a few long moments he spoke. “You give me a poor option, but I guess I’m not going to do any better.” He threw his head back. “I don’t know precisely where your mother is, but I can venture a sound guess. You may not know that I have a hillside grotto outside the walls of Freeland City. It used to be a mine, back in the days of my grandmother’s mother. I showed it to Pequa – we used to tryst there occasionally. Since Amelia has ascended the throne Pequa has made several trips to the grotto without me, and now has forbidden me to travel to it. I am reasonably certain your mother is being held there. I built a deep dungeon in the hillside years ago to hold special prisoners. That is where I would have put Therin.

  “But I have heard from my friends that Pequa has had her guardsmen and some other workers modifying the dungeon – I doubt that now you could escape it, even if you reached it and found your mother there. I have heard that one of her guardsmen now lives at the grotto, and that she has spies watching your riders, as well as watching me. She and her henchmen will have plenty of warning if you choose to approach that area.”

  “Tell me where it is,” said Erin sternly, “and I will determine the risk.”

  ✽✽✽

  Erin held a long discussion with Alec. “We should leave tonight to rescue Mother.”

  “That is what Pequa and her clutchmen want us to do, and I think they are ready to stop us if we do that. We don’t know how many more elves she has brought to the grotto. If they know that you listened to Brun tonight, then they know you will try to rescue your mother.” Alec was quiet for awhile, stroking his beard and thinking. Then, he spoke. “We need a distraction. We will put out a rumor that you had Brun beheaded for killing your mother, and that you acted without even taking the time to listen to his worthless plea for your leniency. Then you will stay here and be very visible, while I take Brun and free the Queen.”