Knights: Defenders of Ollanhar

by Robert E. Keller

  ***

  The only members of the Council of Ollanhar present for the meeting were Aldreya, Lannon, Dallsa, and Jerret. Early that morning, Furlus had taken the others on a mission to investigate claims of a Goblin attack on a nearby village and it was not known when they would return. Vorden, of course, remained in his bedchamber, still deeply wounded.

  They gathered in the Entrance Chamber, where Dallsa served drinks and snacks. The Lawkeeper seemed impatient, wanting to get on with the discussion. His Knights and Thallite Giants filled the room, muscular warriors adorned with gleaming weapons and armor, their faces cold in the sunlight that streamed in through the windows. Also present was a scribe. They all stood like statues while the Lawkeeper sat at the table indulging in wine and cheese.

  "Have some food and drink," said Lannon, to the scribe and the warriors. He motioned for them to sit.

  "It is not allowed," said the Lawkeeper. "Our kingdom is not like Dremlock. Our warriors follow a strict and precise routine that they do not deviate from unless forced to. They will eat later."

  "If they must," said Lannon, feeling grateful he wasn't a Knight of Bellis. "There is plenty of food and drink, though."

  The Lawkeeper gave a mocking smile. "Yes, the Divine Knights love to indulge and make merry. Softens both the will and the belly."

  Jerret tapped his stomach. "Hard as stone, Lawkeeper." He gazed at the Lawkeeper with open contempt.

  "But no brain inside the skull, barbarian," came a whisper from Bellis' Knights. That prompted some grins and quiet laughter.

  Jerret rose from his chair, hand on his broadsword. Aside from the Thallite Giants, he was the largest and most muscular warrior in the room. He gazed at Bellis' elite fighters. "Who speaks?"

  No one answered. Sneering, Jerret sat down again.

  The Lawkeeper waved at Jerret dismissively. "I have no time to debate the differences in our kingdoms." He sipped at his wine, looking displeased with the flavor, and then motioned Lannon to sit. "Let us proceed."

  Reluctantly, Lannon sat down. He was hoping the others would return in time for the meeting. He especially wanted Furlus present. Furlus was second in command at Dremlock and would know how to deal with a fellow like this Lawkeeper. Also, Ollanhar Tower was nearly deserted, and with some of Bellis' mightiest warriors crowded into the room, Lannon was left feeling a bit nervous. Aldreya's face was stony, but he sensed she was anxious as well.

  "I shall get right to the point," said the Lawkeeper.

  "Before you do that," said Lannon, "would you prefer to wait for a bit? Furlus and the others should be back before long." In truth, Lannon had no idea how long Furlus would be gone, but he wanted to give the Tower Master a chance to return. If this meeting was as important as Lannon suspected it was, then Dremlock Kingdom would need to be directly involved.

  "I suggest we wait," said Aldreya.

  The Lawkeeper plopped his satchel onto the table. "Waiting does not appeal to me. I have a very long journey ahead. Are the two of you not in charge here?"

  "We are the leaders," said Aldreya.

  "And do you represent both Ollanhar and Dremlock?" he went on. He lit up a pipe, took a puff, and made a gagging noise.

  "To some degree," said Aldreya. "But we are not on the High Council of Dremlock. We do not speak for the Divine Kingdom. If you want Dremlock to be a part of this, you'll have to wait for Furlus."

  "Is this your best tobacco?" the Lawkeeper asked. "I find it appalling! Is this some wretched Olrog smoke? Or even worse, Norack leaf?"

  "Norack," Lannon replied. "The best we have, currently."

  The Lawkeeper glowered. "Is this how you treat respectable guests? The wine is bland, the cheese worthy of contempt, and the tobacco enough to choke a man with its foul aura. I am extremely disheartened, and the discussion has yet to begin. If you want this tiny kingdom to be taken seriously, you need to make some major improvements. At the moment, Ollanhar is simply pathetic."

  "Pathetic?" Anger gripped Lannon. "Is that why Bellis sends four Guardians, two Thallites, and a number of elite Knights?"

  "Calm yourself, Lannon," Aldreya whispered in his ear.

  "I'm fine," he mumbled back.

  The Lawkeeper pounded the table with his fist, spilling his wine. "Serving girl!" he bellowed. "Clean up this mess!"

  Dallsa's teeth clenched in anger.

  "Take care of it, Dallsa," Aldreya commanded.

  Reluctantly, she did as ordered. She poured him more wine and plopped it down. "Anything else, your lordship?" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm. When the Lawkeeper didn't respond, she sat down.

  "By the way, your lordship," said Dallsa, ignoring a warning glance from Aldreya, "since I am on the Council of Ollanhar and not just your average serving girl, I think I better refrain from fetching drinks for the remainder of the meeting so I can pay attention to the discussion and record it properly!" She slammed a stack of papers down before her and began writing on them furiously.

  The Lawkeeper raised an eyebrow as he gazed at her. "You are a strange one. If you have nothing important to say, perhaps you can keep quiet." He turned his gaze toward Lannon. "I see you lack proper servants as well--and a proper scribe."

  Lannon shrugged. "We do what we can here." He didn't bother to explain that Ollanhar's servants were currently busy in town or that Dallsa often volunteered to perform duties such as cooking, delivering messages, record keeping, or serving drinks when she wasn't required to do so.

  The Lawkeeper ran his fingers through his spiked hair, looking dismayed. "Perhaps King Verlamer has overestimated Ollanhar, in which case I am utterly wasting my time. Nevertheless, we shall proceed." He removed a scroll from his satchel and opened it for Lannon to see. "Do you recognize this?"

  Lannon nodded. "It's the agreement I signed concerning my duel with King Verlamer. I have my own copy." He read it again anyway:

  Honorable Duel

  Participants: Verlamer the Just (King of Bellis) and Lannon Sunshield (Divine Knight of Dremlock and famed Dark Watchman).

  Location: The North Tower Courtyard, Dremlock Kingdom.

  Time and date: Noon, 1219, Year of the Hawk

  Until death, submission, or inability to rise.

  Rewards:

  King Verlamer's life and Lannon Sunshield's goods and, if slain, his remains.

  The liberation of Lannon Sunshield's Kingdom of Dremlock, including the return of all seized items, for an indefinite time period (provided that Dremlock not interfere with the affairs of Bellis).

  Signed... Verlamer the Just

  Signed... Lannon Sunshield

  "Does Dremlock honor this agreement?" asked the Lawkeeper. "A simple question that demands a simple answer. Yes, or no?"

  "Yes," said Lannon.

  "Yes," said Aldreya.

  "Indeed." The Lawkeeper looked amused. "Then why is Dremlock seeking to expand into territories owned by Bellis?"

  "I wasn't aware," said Aldreya, "that Bellis owned any land in this region. Ollanhar Tower has always belonged to Dremlock."

  "King Verlamer disputes that," said the Lawkeeper. He opened one his thick books and proceeded to read a few complex passages regarding kingdom law that Lannon didn't understand. He jammed his finger against the page periodically as he read, as if pointing out some fact that could not be disputed.

  Aldreya listened carefully but said nothing.

  "Sounds like a bunch of sly statements," Jerret muttered, "designed to support Verlamer's tyranny. "Why should Ollanhar care what your book says, Lawkeeper? We don't follow Bellis' rules."

  The Lawkeeper snapped the book shut and slammed it down. "These laws are ancient and have proven themselves sound again and again throughout the ages. But I wouldn't expect a common warrior to understand that. I would, however, expect someone to understand it who holds the title of High Watchman--or a Birlote from the Royal Family of Borenthia."

  "I understand it well enough," said Aldreya. "There is some truth there--but it has been twisted in
favor of your kingdom, either deliberately or by careless misinterpretation."

  "That's your opinion, Green Knight," said the Lawkeeper. "Others throughout Gallamerth do not share that view."

  "Because they're enslaved," said Jerret.

  The Lawkeeper scowled. "Hardly. They have never been more liberated. Regardless, I have done my best to convince you--in the clearest manner possible." He rested his hand on the book and sighed.

  "But what does it mean?" asked Lannon, yawning. "In simple terms." Lannon knew very little about the laws of the land. His recent official appointment as High Watchman had come as a surprise. In fact, such topics bored him deeply. But he didn't want to appear lazy or disinterested to this arrogant Lawkeeper.

  The Lawkeeper raised a silver eyebrow, apparently surprised at Lannon's lack of comprehension. "Simply that King Verlamer rightfully interprets this agreement to mean that Dremlock must stay on its mountain and stay out of Bellis' affairs. By occupying this tower, you have invaded land claimed by Bellis. Therefore, you are interfering with our affairs. Thus, the expansion is not legal."

  Jerret laughed, and raised a mug of ale. "Your king interprets things however he wants, to serve his own goals. I wondered how long it would take before Verlamer started complaining that we had violated the treaty."

  "He has every right to complain, barbarian," said the Lawkeeper. "In fact, he has every right to make war on your little kingdoms--both Ollanhar and Dremlock. It is only by his amazing generosity and love of peace that he currently refrains from doing so--in hope of a better solution."

  "Love of peace?" Jerret grinned. "He doesn't love peace anymore than I do. He lives to conquer. Are you speaking in jest?"

  "Perhaps you've had too much ale, barbarian," said the Lawkeeper. "Peace is what King Verlamer lives for. His goal is to stop all of the wars that rage across Gallamerth, to make it one unified kingdom. Dremlock is seeking to disrupt that goal, and that is why I have come here--to insist that you stop this illegal expansion, abandon this tower, and return to your mountain. If you do so, you will be given more freedom to trade with the cities of Silverland. It will work to your advantage. Otherwise, I'm afraid another war is inevitable, and all of you know how the last one turned out for Dremlock."

  "That is not our decision," said Aldreya.

  "It doesn't matter," said the Lawkeeper. "You will report this to Dremlock, and Taris Warhawk and his High Council can decide."

  "Then why didn't you go directly to Dremlock?" asked Lannon.

  "Because I am assigned to another task," said the Lawkeeper. "King Verlamer has requested that I place you under observation, Sunshield. So henceforth, I will be watching you and reporting what I observe."

  "That's ridiculous," said Lannon. "The agreement never allowed for that. You are forbidden to remain at Ollanhar."

  "Is it worth starting a war over?" asked the Lawkeeper.

  "You cannot threaten us with that," said Aldreya. "Dremlock does not yield to the demands of a tyrant. If you go to war, then you break the treaty--and I assure you the Birlotes and Olrogs will be most displeased. Such agreements are considered sacred throughout Gallamerth."

  "You have been living a lie," said the Lawkeeper. "Believing in nonsense. The Birlotes and Olrogs will do nothing. Dremlock's only hope is to withdraw from Ollanhar immediately and sign a new treaty stating that it will never seek to expand again. It's as simple as that, and peace will result."

  "We have your message," said Lannon. "We will deliver it to Dremlock, and the High Council will decide. Is there anything else?"

  The Lawkeeper produced a leather pouch and laid it on the table. He fixed his gaze on Lannon. "I understand that you have made claims that King Verlamer stole from you. Is this true?"

  Lannon nodded. "He took my Glaetherin throwing star. It was an extremely rare and valuable item."

  The Lawkeeper opened the pouch and took out a gleaming star blade. It looked exactly like the one Lannon used to own, but a quick scan with the Eye of Divinity revealed it was a fake--a replica made of Thallite steel.

  The Lawkeeper bore a smug look. "Our great king is no thief, so you can cease your complaining and smearing his reputation. The star blade was taken by accident."

  Lannon took the throwing star and weighed it in his hand. It was roughly the same weight and the metal was quite durable--though certainty not as strong as pure Glaetherin. "It's not my blade, but I'll keep it anyway."

  The Lawkeeper looked appalled. "Not your blade? But you'll keep it?" He seemed speechless for a moment, his mouth hanging open.

  "Did you think Lannon wouldn't know?" asked Aldreya. "He bears the Eye of Divinity. A foolish effort on King Verlamer's part."

  The Lawkeeper shook his head. "Such disrespect and arrogance! That is indeed your blade, Sunshield. I personally oversaw the testing of the metal. Either your precious Eye is mistaken, or you are not being truthful."

  "There is no mistake," said Lannon. "My throwing star rests in your king's trophy collection, along with several other valuable items from Dremlock."

  "Like Vorden's sword," said Jerret, with a laugh.

  "We have returned your blade, Sunshield," said the Lawkeeper. "My scribe has witnessed and recorded the act. You can say whatever you want, but be assured that Bellis will dispute your claims. You will no longer be believed."

  Lannon knew a response was pointless.

  "Is there anything further you would like to discuss?" asked Aldreya.

  "Not today," said the Lawkeeper. "I'm a busy man, and I like to keep my meetings brief. I should inform you, though, that I fully intend to do my duty and place you under observation, Sunshield. I will leave the tower but remain camped nearby. If you travel, I will travel with you."

  "If you must," said Lannon. "However, if you intend to meet with me again, you should give notice in advance. Otherwise I won't be available."

  The Lawkeeper's face turned crimson. "I'm going to loosen my tongue a bit here and speak what's on my mind." He glared at his scribe. "The meeting is officially ended."

  The scribe bowed and closed his record book.

  The Lawkeeper again fixed his gaze on Lannon. "You're no High Watchman--just a weak puppet leader that should never have been appointed. You're probably in league with the Deep Shadow."

  "If the meeting is over," said Lannon, "then leave." He fought down the rising anger. The Lawkeeper seemed to know how to get to him.

  "If you haven't fallen to Tharnin," the Lawkeeper went on, "you will do so soon enough. Your kind always does. And that is exactly why King Verlamer has placed you under observation. A Dark Watchman...a monster..."

  The words stung Lannon, but he remained passive.

  Dallsa leapt up, pointing at the door. "Get out of here before..." She was shaking with rage.

  "Before what?" The Lawkeeper rose, and his warriors pressed closer. "Do you want to start a war here and now?"

  Jerret stood, knocking his chair over in the process, and drew his sword, his muscles tense and bulging beneath his armor. "I wouldn't mind."

  Weapons were drawn or raised throughout the chamber.

  Lannon remained seated, however. He rarely drew his blade unless he intended to use it--and he was hoping it wouldn't come to that. Another war was the last thing he wanted, and at the moment, Ollanhar Tower was without most of its fighters.

  "Sit down, Dallsa and Jerret!" Aldreya commanded. "That's enough of this nonsense. This will be settled in a calm and rational manner."

  Dallsa sat, her eyes smoldering, but Jerret didn't move.

  Aldreya gazed at him sternly. "Sheath your sword, Jerret."

  Reluctantly, Jerret did as ordered.

  Lannon folded his arms across his chest, appearing relaxed. He forced a smile. "Have a pleasant day, Lawkeeper."

  For an instant, hatred flickered in the Lawkeeper's green eyes. Then he gathered his books, turned, and bellowed, "Make way!" As his warriors parted, he strode from the chamber. The warriors followed, until the last Thall
ite Giant had lumbered through the doorway.