Ariella and the Blood Curse

by Owen Crane

  Hakeem studied her, unspeaking. Ariella tried so hard to fight back the

  tears. She failed and they came thick and fast. She was ashamed. She never

  meant to say those things to her mother; she never meant to hurt her, not really.

  Talking to her was just so difficult.

  Hakeem pulled a beautiful, scarlet handkerchief from his chest pocket and

  dried her tears.

  “Stand up child. I believe you. No more tears today, you have packing to

  do.”

  Hakeem drew Ariella to her feet and smiled his big, generous smile. She

  managed to return his smile, the first hint of excitement beginning to build

  within her.

  “Tomorrow you make your way to Stonegard and the start of the Journey.

  It"s going to be a long five years. Are you sure you can handle it? I don"t think

  there"ll be much chocolate to find in Trevena.”

  Ariella laughed and threw her arms around Hakeem.

  “You"ll just have to send some gargoyles. I"m sure that"ll cause a stir in

  Stonegard, I bet they"ve never seen a living gargoyle, oh the fun I could have

  with that!”

  Hakeem laughed his deep, belly laugh.

  “Before you go I have something for you, a small gift from my homeland.”

  Hakeem took out a small leather pouch with a delicate cord securing the top.

  He untied it and tipped something into his hand. It was a smooth, crystal cube.

  In the centre of it Ariella could see a soft, pale yellow glow.

  “It"s wonderful,” she gasped. “What is it?”

  “It"s a Sun Cube. If you find yourself in darkness and you need the light of

  the sun just crush a cube in your hand and let the light shine. It won"t last

  forever so use it well. Now go child, you don"t have long. You have an early

  start. Try to stay out of trouble, at least for the first year!”

  Ariella stood on tip toes and gave Hakeem a kiss on his cheek and turned on

  her heel towards the gap in the garden wall.

  “Ariella!” Hakeem called after her. “You"ve forgotten something”

  Hakeem took his hand from his pocket and flicked a small marble shaped

  object from his thumb high in the air towards her. She caught it easily and

  smiled. Her Echo Orb.

  “Do try not to leave it lying around the place, you could hear all sorts of

  things.”

  Hakeem smiled as he turned to watch the eagles soar in the late afternoon

  sun.

  Chapter 4

  Ariella had planned to rise early this morning, just not this early and not in

  this fashion. The sun was barely above the horizon and already her emotions

  had swung wildly. On one extreme, missing her brothers madly and the other,

  madly wanting to stab them with a fork. She had woken just before dawn, with

  a pang of sorrow realising that she was leaving today, possibly for good. She

  had started to pull the covers from her bed when it felt like her room exploded.

  The door had burst open, swinging hard on its hinges and crashing back into

  the wall. In marched Osias, banging a saucepan with a wooden spoon.

  Following behind was Calixto slamming two saucepan lids together as hard as

  he could.

  “Get up! Get up! Come on you big sloth, rise and shine it’s a beautiful day!”

  Osias ducked as a pillow went flying threw the air towards his head.

  “There"s no need to be like that dear sister!” chirped Calixto still slamming

  the saucepan lids together “We"re just here to make sure you aren"t late for your

  big day!”

  “Get out!” screamed Ariella from under the covers were she had buried

  herself.

  “Never!” Osias shouted back, grinning. He dropped the saucepan and

  grabbed the covers by Ariella"s feet. With one swift movement he yanked them

  clean off the bed. Ariella was up on her feet and swinging a pillow at her

  brothers driving them out of the room. She slammed the door shut behind them

  and leaned her back against it, trying to get her brain into action after the early

  morning assault.

  Just think Ari, tomorrow morning you’ll be able to wake up without the nervousness

  of an impending attack from Thunder and Lighting. It’ll be a sweet, sweet day.

  The rest of the morning was a blur. Packing, unpacking, then packing again.

  Hakeem came to see her just after breakfast and had been direct with his advice

  on what to take and what to leave behind.

  “Travel light child” He instructed. “There"ll be no romantic balls or state

  dinners to attend. The Journey is five years of intense training. The Guardians

  will give you the basic equipment and weapons you need to survive so take only

  what you think you can"t live without. But make sure you can carry it on your

  back.”

  Ariella finally pulled the strap on her backpack tight and closed the opening.

  That’s it. I’m done. If I need anything else I’m sure I can pick it up in Stonegard.

  She took a final look around, slung her pack over her shoulder and strode

  from the room.

  She continued down the palace hallway. She passed her brothers’ bedroom

  and went down the sweeping staircase. The place was so familiar to her. For

  fifteen years this had been home, but now, it all felt different. As if she had left

  something of her past in her bedroom and everything in front of her was

  becoming new. She felt the excitement build up in her chest and she quickened

  her pace, anxious now to get on the road. She was keen for a swift exit, no long

  goodbyes, and no questions for which she didn"t have answers.

  She went through the rest of the palace, not stopping, her focus on the long

  trip to Stonegard. Just around the corner was the grand staircase above the

  magnificent entrance hall. She was almost running now, the anticipation

  growing. She sped around the final corner and was nearly floored.

  The noise erupted from the floor of the entrance hall. Hundreds of people

  were shouting „Goodbye, farewell!" at the top of their voices. It seemed that the

  entire staff of the Palace was there, as well as Hakeem and her brothers. And

  there in the midst of it all, standing still, with a composed look on her face, her

  mother.

  Ariella tried to compose herself.

  So much for a quick, quiet get away. I wonder who set this up? Hakeem? Maybe

  Thunder and Lightning as a final brotherly goodbye?

  The only times she had walked down the grand staircase with a crowd to

  greet her was on occasions of state or lavish parties. For those she would have

  been decked out in the finest dresses of Lightharbour, silks and satins. Not

  today. She looked down at the simple clothes she was wearing, soft black leather

  riding boots with plain cotton trousers. A simple cotton shirt and a heavy jacket

  her father had given her for when he took her hunting. The jacket still smelt of

  the woods and fields, smells that always reminded her of him.

  He would’ve let me go on The Journey. Wouldn’t he?

  She reached the bottom of the stairs to a multitude of bows and curtseys

  from the many servants of the Palace, old and young. Many of these had

  watched Ariella grow up and had served in the Palace for years. There were

  some misty eyes around the room as people reminded each other of stories from

  her past.

  Osi
as and Calixto were grinning the same broad grin, their masses of curly,

  black hair looked even more unruly than usual.

  “The real question today” began Calixto “Is what we"re going to do with

  your room? Osias wants to turn it into an experimentation lab for some of his

  more colourful ideas but mother killed that one.”

  “She was afraid I was going to burn down the palace,” Osias said with

  genuine hurt in his voice.

  Ariella smiled and threw her arms around both of their necks and pulled

  them roughly to her. She planted a huge kiss on each of their cheeks as they

  struggled against her.

  “Get off!” they shouted together but the crowd cheered in appreciation.

  Ariella kissed them again much to their disgust.

  She finally let them go and turned to Hakeem. Her dear Hakeem. She tried

  to control her tears but her eyes filled up. She squeezed him as she closed her

  eyes and let the tears flow.

  “Your father loved you so much, my dear child,” said Hakeem. “He would

  have been so proud of you today.”

  “Yes, he would,” answered the Queen.

  Ariella turned at her mother"s voice and let go of Hakeem. It was the first

  time she had seen her since their argument in the library and overhearing her

  conversation on the Echo Orb. Queen Susanna looked her usual regal self, her

  long dark brown hair flowing down her back, braided with fine golden thread.

  She was taller than Ariella. The same slender build, but she carried with her an

  air of unquestionable authority. She could silence whole rooms when she

  entered and end arguments with a tilt of her head. She was every inch the

  Queen.

  “He would have been immensely proud of you.”

  It was then Ariella noticed the slight redness around her eyes. It was

  something she had seen only a few times before. Her mother was a master of

  disguising what was happening behind those emerald eyes. But Ariella knew.

  Her mother had been crying.

  Right then, Ariella remembered how much she loved her. She skipped the

  two steps towards her and embraced her like she would never let go. Taken by

  surprise the Queen seemed uncertain at first. Then she embraced her daughter

  with equal zeal.

  “I love you, Ariella”

  She looked up at her mother. “I know… I’ll always be yours.”

  The Queen kissed her softly on the forehead, and then let her go.

  Hakeem stepped forward, “It’s time to go, child”

  “Not a child anymore,” the Queen corrected. “She’s a Sojourner”

  The word stopped Ariella in her tracks. Sojourner. Suddenly it was all very

  real. She turned and looked past the gathered crowd to the Palace doors. They

  were standing open, inviting her.

  With a final smile at her mother, she turned towards the open doors. The

  crowd parted for her as she made her way into the bright morning sunlight.

  Her horse was saddled and ready, the groom holding the reins, stroking the

  horse"s forehead. She skilfully swung up into the saddle. Her horse whinnied

  affectionately at her. He was a stunning bay, fifteen hands with a striking white

  star on his face. He had been a birthday gift from her mother three years ago and

  every opportunity Ariella had to ride him she jumped at. She loved the freedom

  the horse gave her. Whether galloping through the surf beneath the Eagle Cliffs

  or hunting through the woods and fields that bordered Lightharbour. She had

  named him „Crispin", a named she laughed at now.

  Beside her were five more horses, ridden by four men in the armour of the

  palace guards.

  “Your Highness,” acknowledge the lead rider.

  “Captain, do we need you this many?”

  The captain nodded “I wanted an escort of twenty”

  “Twenty!”

  “That was my recommendation. The road to Stonegard is long and there

  have been, um, difficulties.”

  “You mean Highwaymen captain.”

  “As I said Your Highness, difficulties. The Queen has made it clear that she

  is content with a close escort of five.”

  “Then you"re one short captain”

  The captain nodded in the direction of the guardhouse, over Ariella"s

  shoulder. “He"s on his way now. I needed him to finalise some details for the

  journey.”

  Ariella pirouetted her horse as the fifth guard approached. Her heart

  skipped and her mouth went dry.

  Oh no, not him, why him?

  The young guard strode towards the riders, his helm in his right hand, his

  left resting on the pommel of his longsword. Ariella ran her fingers through her

  hair, sat up straighter in her saddle and lifted her chin. Trying all the while not

  to look at him but to catch his eye.

  “I’ve arranged everything as you instructed Captain.” The young guard

  announced as he approached the riding party.

  “Excellent. Now mount up, we"ve a long way to go today.” The captain

  turned to Ariella “Are you ready Your Highness?”

  “Of course” she replied curtly. She was trying to sound like she was in

  control. Unfortunately she sounded spoilt.

  Nice one Ari, that was classy.

  Frustrated with herself, she kicked her heels and spurred her horse forward

  at a canter. They cut across the Palace courtyard. Her escort were taken by

  surprise, but recovered quickly and were level with her by the time she was

  through the gates.

  The city was alive with noise. Everywhere she looked there were people,

  carts, and animals. Lightharbour was the major trading port of Dawnhaven and

  all around her she could see people from the other Kingdoms. Trevanan nobles

  decked out in their finery. Woodsmen from Darcian, dressed in green with long

  bows slung across their backs. Horse lords from the great plains of Erestia with

  their feathers strung through their hair. She spotted the artisans of Khan, long

  haired and bearded, their fur clothes making them stand out in the morning sun.

  Intermingled with the people of Dawnhaven were travellers from across the

  Southern Sea. They were dark skinned traders, their silks adding a splash of

  colour wherever they went. Ariella loved the streets of Lightharbour. She loved

  the vibrancy, the smells, the mixing of so many cultures and customs.

  Her small escort led her through the crowded streets. Two rode behind and

  the captain rode alongside her. In front were the final two, including the young

  guard. Ariella tried not to stare at him as he rode. He was a capable horseman,

  as were all the Palace Guards. His eyes swept the crowds back and forth, up to

  the rooftops and back again, searching for anything out of place.

  His name was Micah. He had only joined the Palace Guards last year. His

  father was a merchant, who ran a small shop in Lightharbour that imported

  clockwork treasures from Khan. She had noticed him on his first day in the

  palace. He was on sentry duty at the gates when she had left with her mother to

  buy presents for the twins. She remembered staring, without any subtlety, as

  they rode past. She nearly brought her horse to halt in front of him. Thankfully

  her mother caught her reins and led the horse onwards. That would"ve been

  embarrassing, staring like a child in a swee
t shop. She wasn"t surprised when

  the next week"s lessons with her tutors comprised of the intricacies of royal

  courtship. She learnt all about arranged marriages and the importance of

  succession.

  I get the message mother. I was only looking.

  But you’re still looking, aren’t you Ari?

  She shook her head and tried to concentrate on something else. The crowds

  on the streets parted like water before the Palace Guards. They didn"t draw any

  undue attention; they were a common sight on the streets of Lightharbour. They

  were liked by most and respected by the rest, the more shadowy elements of

  Lightharbour.

  The crowds grew as they approached the towering gates that stood open,

  dead in the centre of the high city walls. Built into the thick walls were whole

  houses and lines of shops. The gates were of oak, brought in from the Darcian

  Forest many years ago. They were weathered now, but still as strong as they

  had ever been. As they passed through, for a moment they were in shadow, then

  blazing sunshine.

  All around them were gentle, rolling farms. The wheat and barley was

  growing well, deep green shoots emerging from the fertile soil. Surrounding

  Lightharbour where many farms like this. Not enough to sustain the entire city

  but enough to ward off starvation if a famine struck. If always seemed strange to

  Ariella that Lightharbour didn’t grow enough food to feed all of its people. Such

  was the nature of Dawnhaven. Five Kingdoms, all independent yet forever

  linked. Each needed the other to survive, to flourish. It was what her

  grandfather, King Haldor, had always intended when the Kingdom was divided

  more than twenty years ago.

  They rode on through the day, stopping briefly for lunch. Then riding long

  into the evening, spending the night in a comfortable inn on the roadside.

  Ariella guessed that word of her leaving had gone ahead of them as the

  innkeeper was expecting them. He went to any length to make sure that she was

  comfortable. Ariella smiled to herself.

  Enjoy it while it lasts Ari, there’s no way you’re getting this treatment on The

  Journey.

  It was an early start the next morning. The Captain was particularly efficient

  at rousing his guards and Ariella, ready for the trip ahead. They would cross the

  border to Trevena later that day.