by K. T. Webb
"Unfortunately, I know only marginally more than you do at this point. I am simply following orders. I was told to find you. I did. I was told to protect you. I am."
Honor closed her eyes; nothing was more frustrating that heading out on a journey with so little information. "I guess we need to look at what we do know. We know we are to end up in Pallisaide, correct? Then we need to continue to head south."
"Before we infiltrate Pallisaide, we must find a new representative for the Kingdom of Earth. There must be a triumvirate. We cannot hope to restore Alderwood without a delegate from each kingdom."
"So, you are the representative for the Gildi. Does that make you the representative for the Kingdom of Creatures?" Honor asked.
Harcos nodded. "I never asked to be thrust into a position such as this, but I cannot avoid it."
"Do not pretend to be so modest, Harcos. You were raised to lead. Your father saw to it," Eirny spoke from her perch.
"Tell me more about where you come from, Harcos. Tell me about the Gildi," Honor practically begged.
Harcos did not seem pleased to entertain her request, but she could tell she would get the story she hoped for. As each piece of the puzzle fell into place, Honor felt more like she was on the right path. Maris' mark, their shared vision of her death, the existence of both Harcos and Eirny. It was nearly impossible to figure out where it all fit within the scope of her destiny. The only way she would ever find out how it all fit together was to continue to learn as much as she could.
"I will share my story with you, but I believe we should prepare to rest for a few hours. It will be quite some time before the shops in the next village will be open. We may as well take a few hours to rest before then."
They stepped off the edge of the road. Honor led them to a small clearing just beyond the tree line. It was clear the area had been used for camp in the past by other weary travelers. Rowan set to work lighting a fire while Eirny continued to perch on his shoulder. Honor and Harcos ventured into the trees. If they could find a rabbit or squirrel to kill for food, they would not have to dig into their stock too soon. Harcos would eat whatever he found, no need to cook it for him. He wandered off on his own to hunt as Honor crouched down to listen for her prey. It didn't take long for a rabbit to hop across her path. Honor prepared her arrow, released her breath and held her position. With a satisfying thunk, her arrow sank into the animal’s neck. Honor quickly gathered the remains. She gave herself another few minutes to see if anything else happened upon her. The rabbit was plump enough to feed both Rowan and her. She was not discouraged when nothing else entered her range of view.
When she returned to the clearing, Rowan had a small fire started and was rifling through his pack for something. Honor laid the rabbit at his feet.
"Good one, Honor. I will get that roasting in no time."
Honor leaned against a tree as Rowan began skinning the creature. He had just skewered it on a stick and thrust it above the fire when Harcos came lumbering back into sight. As the rabbit cooked, Harcos licked his fur. Honor hadn’t noticed how much it had changed in the course of one day. As the morning dawned, and the fire offered its light, she was able to see that nearly all his fur had transformed into the piercing white of his winter coat. The orange, red, and brown had grown out to the very tips of his hair. He was a beautiful creature.
“I suppose now is the time for my story. I feel you need to know the history of the Gildi before I can tell you how I came to be part of your destiny.” Harcos sat straight up.
Chapter 10
“Many, many years ago there were three kingdoms—intertwined, perfectly balanced, and fully reliant upon one another for survival. Alderwood was teeming with magic. Today, the woods are a barren place compared to the life they once supported. Your friend, Delta, is one of very few nature spirits who remain in the open. These things did not happen overnight. The Kingdom of Man was once a fierce ally to us and a crucial part of the Gildi. For every canthion warrior, there was a human soldier. Understand that where we are today is the result of many years of declining relationships between the three kingdoms.
“The last great King of Alderwood was Tarquin. I am sure you know that your King does not age or die unless he has a successor. This is a very old magic. A gift bestowed upon the most powerful person in Alderwood by the Oracle of Kilgore. She wields the deepest, purest magic of the land. King Tarquin lived hundreds of years before he married and produced a child. Their first child, a princess named Karenna, was set to be the first Queen to rightfully rule Alderwood. She was said to be a sweet child with a heart of gold. The King began aging upon the birth of the young princess. It was part of the magic. The oracle wanted to ensure that the Kingdom of Man would always have a ruler. If there was no one to take over for the king, the King would live forever. For centuries, it was viewed as a gift, a way to ensure a just ruler would sit on the throne at Pallisaide,” Harcos explained.
Honor had heard the stories about the untouchable King Junius. It was common knowledge that the King was considered immortal. Some drunken Makt soldiers would tell tales that spread like wildfire. Stories that told of the King sustaining a mortal wound that had no effect on him. She had always assumed they were exaggerations to make the King sound invincible. Honor had a feeling the actual source of his immortality was unknown to many.
Harcos continued. “The King and Queen had a second child. A prince. Prince Leonitus was not particularly noteworthy as a child. But as he grew older and approached his teen years, he began to change. One day, he told his parents he could hear someone whispering to him, someone who was not really there. At first, they thought he would become a seer, but things changed quickly. Something about him was darker. He was forceful and arrogant. He determined that if his sister was Queen, he would continue to be nothing to the people of Alderwood. Leonitus was simply not satisfied being the king’s ‘other’ child. He wanted the throne; he wanted the power. He made the decision . . . his sister would have to go.”
“That’s terrible. I have never heard this before. What happened to him? Did he kill his own sister?” Honor demanded.
Harcos nodded sadly. “It is believed he did. No one even considered it at the time. She was not yet an adult and still trusted her brother implicitly. Her death in the river near the castle was tragic, but no one in the Kingdom of Man suspected foul play. Naiads began to tell the story of their killer prince, holding his sister underwater while shadowy figures surrounded him. Whispers became serious conversations within the other two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Man would not entertain the thought. King Tarquin lived until Prince Leonitus was old enough to transition into his role as King. That was when things truly began to shift for Alderwood.”
“What were the shadowy figures?” Rowan asked from his position on the edge of the log he was perched on.
“Many believe they are the Shadow Mages, beings who were corrupted by the power offered by magic. They chose someone who would help them gain the upper hand in Alderwood. Someone who would help them twist the gift given by the oracle into something they could control.”
Honor did not like the sound of that at all. She shivered with the chills rolling over her body. “What are the Shadow Mages? Are they men?”
Eirny chimed in. “No one truly knows if they are real or if the darkest parts of us manifest as shadows when we commit terrible acts.”
“Why have we not been told about the three kingdoms? It seems like a story made up to tell children at bedtime,” Rowan interrupted.
“That is a question I cannot entirely answer. I believe the simplest response I can offer is . . . fear. Tension had reached a level synonymous to imminent war. The Kingdom of Creatures and the Kingdom of Earth had begun to withdraw from the alliance as they recognized the beginnings of a tumultuous rule. Coronation day for King Leonitus meant the beginning of the end. The Gildi began to self-destruct as human soldiers refused to see what the canthions knew. Some defected from their posts to join the building res
istance and live amongst those taking refuge in the north. Others held their posts and became members of the newly named Makt.” Harcos paused to allow Eirny to catch up as she whispered in Rowan’s ear, then continued. “The new King and his father were very different men. King Junius is a terror to all of Alderwood, but his father was far worse. King Leonitus was full of schemes, he ruled for nearly two centuries before he met the woman who became his Queen. Leonitus was many things, but we must not forget what he was, from a very young age, a murderer. When his wife bore him a son, he was fully prepared to smother the infant in his cradle. If he had no heir, he would be King forever. However, the only person he ever loved was his Queen and her desperate pleas kept Prince Junius alive and safe from harm.”
“But with Junius alive, surely King Leonitus recognized the end of his rule. Did he truly love his Queen enough to sacrifice himself and give up power?” Honor questioned, finding it hard to believe.
Harcos made a movement that would have been a shrug if he had more prominent shoulders. “I cannot speak to his love or devotion to his wife. The stories I tell are not my own. It is said he truly loved her, but how can someone who would murder without thought or remorse feel an emotion as deep and true as love?”
Honor thought on that as Eirny whispered to Rowan at a furious pace. His face was pale. Honor wondered if it was the information he was taking in or the thought of the history they had yet to uncover. Hundreds of years had been spent keeping the people of Alderwood in the dark regarding their past. Harcos had mentioned a resistance that began all those years ago. Honor wondered if that resistance was the seed that had grown into where they were sitting in that very moment. She thought about her family, the outlaws, and wondered if the life they led was part of that movement against the king. Was living outside the boundaries of his villages a way to rebel against the things that had changed since his father had taken the throne? Honor did not think she would ever know the answer to that. If King Leonitus loved his wife, did he also love his son? Junius had been born of their love.
Harcos must have been following her thoughts. “I have been told that Leonitus’ final words were to tell his son that letting him live was his only regret. The Queen had passed just days before the King took ill. It only proved to King Leonitus that his love for his wife had done nothing to keep her or him in this world. Prince Junius went to his coronation knowing his own father wished he had never been born. And as you know, his coronation only served to cement his hatred for his father and ensure that he, himself, would never allow a child to be born that came from him.”
Honor perked up. “But, King Junius is aging.”
Rowan furrowed his brow at her. “How would you know that?”
She dropped her head. Admitting that she had seen the Makt soldiers could also mean she may have been able to prevent the massacre at Milltown and subsequently the deaths of their family and friends. “When I was on the hunt, the day I met Harcos for the first time, two soldiers were traipsing through the woods. I hid from them, but I overheard their conversation. Apparently, it has not been widely publicized, but somehow, somewhere, they believe there is a child who belongs to King Junius.”
“Those rumors have been floating around the Gildi ranks. It has been kept secret just how long he has been aging, so I do not know the age of the child they are seeking,” Harcos mused.
Honor tried to recall if the soldiers had given any indication as to how much he had aged. From what Harcos had told them, he should not look to be a day over sixteen. But her visions came rushing back as she recalled the crown sitting on the head of a girl not much older than she was. The girl in her vision was the daughter of the king. She was certain of it. “If there is an heir out there, we have to find her. That has to be the key to restoring the balance. Obviously, this child has been hidden from the king. Once we make it to Goldenlark, we will begin our search for the future Queen.”
“I believe you may be right, but you seem certain we are searching for a princess. Why?” Harcos muttered.
“It has to do with the visions we get when we receive our mark. I cannot fully explain it, but I am certain we are looking for the girl who will become our first Queen.”
“This is one of those times when knowing more about our destinies would be extremely useful,” Rowan muttered, then turned to the canthion. “Harcos, you said the Gildi was renamed to the Makt? Why did that happen?”
“What is now called the Makt was once a proud brotherhood of knights prepared to serve not only their King but also their people. The Gildi are what is left of that brotherhood. The Gildi was both human and canthion. When my kind defected, all that was left was Man. The King decided it was time for a change.” Harcos paused for a moment before continuing. “The Makt was born of the power hungry and sculpted by the hatred of man.”
“People hate what they do not understand,” Rowan whispered. “My mother always told me that when I asked how she wound up in our encampment. I never really understood what she meant.”
“Your mother came from the north, correct?” Eirny interjected.
Rowan nodded in response. Honor was busy thinking about what a time without the Makt would be like. People would not live in fear of the arrival of a ruthless army. They would not face the wrath of an unjust king. It was impossible for her to imagine that world. She had never lived without the constant fear of being found guilty of some imaginary wrongdoing. That world was gone, how could anyone expect that she would be able to bring it back?
“The people of the north are the most untouched by the hand of a king. His forces are either too lazy or too afraid to venture into the unforgiving Ice Forest, let alone climb to the top of Mount Crystalline,” Eirny explained in her thick accent.
“Not to mention, the inhabitants of The Ice Forest have been largely uninvolved in the many plights faced by those of us in Ternion Forest,” Harcos continued. “While we are all part of Alderwood, those who live in the north are not governed by the same rules because no one from Pallisaide has pushed the boundaries enough to enforce their rule. At one time, the north followed the throne without issue. That time has long passed and will only be reborn through the journey we now embark on.”
Honor was trying desperately to follow along with everything she heard. Of course, she had known there was an unofficial boundary that separated what had become known as The Ice Forest and Ternion Forest with which she was so well-acquainted. She had heard about the gradual shift from the greenery she was accustomed to, to the barren, ice-coated trees that stood at the foot of Mount Crystalline. It just did not make sense to her that the Makt had not forced their way into those woods and asserted dominance over the population. She had never known the King to back down from a challenge, particularly one that he himself would have little involvement in. He could easily have ordered the Makt to march upon The Ice Forest and lay waste to any village that resisted. What was stopping them?
Harcos stared directly at her, willing Honor to hear him. Patience. The word echoed in her mind as the canthion continued his tale. “Hundreds, maybe even thousands, of years ago, all of Alderwood was united. Our only foes presented themselves in the form of factions from one or another of the kingdoms rising against us in an attempt to overthrow the King or Queen. Magic is always a driving force for those seeking power. Magic could be the ruin of anything. And so, it was during the reign of King Leonitus that a bit of magic became the undoing of all that we knew.
“I have been told the stories many times, but none of these are my own memories. You see, I am but a fledgling myself. Barely more than an adolescent, much like the two of you,” Harcos nodded at Rowan and Honor. Rowan sat up straight as if he were planning to negate the statement but thought better of it upon seeing the look in Honor’s eyes. “My father, like his father before him, and so on for as long as anyone can recall, is the general of an elite force within what is left of the Gildi. They have been working to return the balance to our world. They have been working toward this time i
n our lives. As we sit here, we are already weaving together the threads that will end this era for Alderwood.”
“I know your kingdom has a prophecy delivered by the Kilgore Oracle many years ago. The Oracle was one of the few who remained dedicated to bringing back the old ways. Her life had been dedicated to a magic far older than anything Man can now find in Alderwood. But magic is everywhere in Alderwood. There is magic in the wind rustling the leaves, in the changing of seasons, in the birth of a baby, in the heart of a young woman just beginning to find her destiny.” Harcos paused to look directly at Honor. “There is magic in every living thing, and even magic that can be harvested from the dead. The Oracle understood that magic—all of it. She recognized it and appreciated each tiny particle. It is why she was able to tap into Alderwood itself. Every single thing in our world is dependent upon the words of her prophecy. Time is running out for Alderwood. It is up to us to restore the balance.”
Honor blinked. “I hate to sound so ignorant, but why? How? How am I supposed to help? How are you going to help? There is absolutely nothing special about me. I’m an orphan. My mother was unwed, my father died before I was born. I was raised in the forest. Until the day I killed your mother and found you in the woods, nothing out of the ordinary had ever happened to me. How can I possibly be the one to help reunite the three kingdoms?”
Harcos considered her words carefully before offering an answer. “We all have a destiny. Sometimes, that destiny is simple. Sometimes, it requires your whole life to change. We do not choose our destiny, it chooses us. Yours was etched into your side on the eve of adulthood, mine was given me before birth. There is something about you that the spirit of Alderwood needs to live, and I have been chosen to guide you on your way. In the Gildi, humans and canthions worked together. Their souls were connected from birth. For every human soldier, a canthion soldier stood by his or her side.”
“But I am not a soldier. You were born for this. I cannot think of a single reason why I would be the person chosen for such a mission,” Honor sighed and buried her face in her hands.
