Fall of a Kingdom

by Michael Greenfield

  “Just remember one thing.” Marig smiled, and it was not a pleasant sight. “If I were to find that you were the traitor I would carve your heart out myself.”

  Luda returned the smile, but there was a hint of humour to his own. “Were that the case then I would gladly lie flat for you to carry out your oath,” he paused, “because that would be the only way you would be able to reach far enough up my chest to accomplish such a feat.”

  The attempt did not completely dispel the tension, but the laughter felt good nonetheless.

  “So we head east.” Farsighter decided to steer the conversation back on course.

  “Yes we do.” Surprisingly the answer came from Tamala.

  “We?” Marig looked bemused.

  “We.” She turned to face Dorrin again. “I don’t know why, but I have to be with you on this.”

  “You didn’t stick to scrying what we had already done did you?” his face showed concern.

  “No. I will not speak of it, but I’m going with you.”

  “Then I must travel with you also.” Luda stepped from behind his father’s chair and around the side of the table. “I will not allow my niece to travel without protection.”

  Dorrin and Farsighter both smiled at the response. “Friend Luda, it would be an honour to have you at my side.” Dorrin raised his hand to grip that of the larger man.

  “I have often wondered how people can fight with such a large and cumbersome weapon.” Farsighter allowed his eyes to drift to the great sword that Luda carried. “Perhaps I will now get the chance to study the technique up close.”

  Luda grunted. “I don’t think that I’ll be giving classes whilst we travel.”

  Farsighter looked at Dorrin at the same moment as the King’s nephew turned to him, then they both turned their gaze to Cal. The pair grinned before adding in unison, “I think you will.”

  The King

  The meeting lasted only half an hour longer before Cal was escorted, along with Dorrin and Farsighter, to the keep’s guest rooms. The corridors were well lit as they walked through them and Cal was able to see through several windows as they passed them. The views were magnificent and he commented as much to the others.

  “Aye, it’s some of the most beautiful country in the kingdom, especially during the autumn months. The colours you can see across the grasses and the trees in this area are amazing to behold.” Farsighter’s eyes took on a vacant expression for a moment as long forgotten memories flowed back to the front of his mind’s eye for a fleeting second or two.

  Dorrin chuckled. “You’re turning into an old man Farsighter; next you’ll be looking for a cottage and a wench to settle you down some.”

  Cal couldn’t help but laugh at the image conjured up. There was no possible way he could picture Farsighter whiling away his time in front of some log fire whilst some woman looked after his needs in his twilight years.

  The banter continued right to the doors of the rooms that Lord Marig had ordered prepared for them before they each separated to get some rest and prepare for the evening meal. Outside the sun was finally setting on what for Cal had been one of the most exciting, and at the same time most boring, days of his life. The ride up to Holdur had contained a nervous tension, despite the brief conversations that had been held. The initial excitement of entering the town itself had seemed to die a little as he observed that life here was not all that different from home.

  Then had come the Keep and the meeting. For a boy that only a few days before had been youngest son to the village smithy, to find himself in the company of a Lord and Lady had been almost too much. Being treated as an equal by them had been almost as unnerving as standing on the trail facing the attacking Shalers. Now he finally had the chance to relax a little and prepare himself for the evening’s ordeal of dining with nobility.

  On the plus side, he thought, at least he would be getting to see a lot of the Lady Tamala. That was a compensation he could readily accept. The relative peace afforded by his room allowed him to contemplate the daydream a little further before he was shocked out of his reverie by the sound of horns in the distance. It wasn’t just the horns that stirred him to full wakefulness, but the reaction he could hear from the courtyard. It sounded almost as if the entire keep staff had decided to race out at exactly the same moment.

  From the room next to his own he heard shouted cursing as Farsighter roused from the sleep he had only dropped into moments before. Doors could be heard slamming open all throughout the keep.

  Cal didn’t think twice but just grabbed his hunting knife, sliding it into his belt. He had not removed his bracers so they still adorned his arms. A moments thought and he grabbed the bow and quivers from where they had been placed along with his other possessions. He had no idea as to why he had felt the urge to grab all of his weapons before moving from the room, but whatever the feeling was, he could not seem to shake it.

  His own door slammed open and he saw Farsighter stood with his own sword and scabbard being worn in plain view. No word was spoken, but the look from Farsighter could only be described as approving.

  Dorrin appeared behind the older man and the three of them set of silently down a corridor that had rapidly filled with people. Following Dorrin they quickly retraced their steps down to the main entrance of the keep and then out into the courtyard.

  Luda could be seen screaming at any visible guards, although Cal noted that several soldiers nearer the rear of the yard were obviously about their own work and were for all intents and purposes ignoring Lord Marig’s son. Cal pointed them out to Dorrin.

  “They’re Royal Guardsmen. Only Lord Marig can order them about within the walls of the keep, and then only with respect.” He winked at the young man as he spoke. “It would not be unnatural for them to make ‘suggestions’ to his Lordship if they felt the situation warranted it either.”

  Cal looked back to where the men were still preparing several items but could not decide at this distance as to what they were actually doing. Further contemplation on the issue was cut short as the others started to cross the yard briskly toward Luda.

  Despite the noise Luda appeared to hear their approach. Either that, or he just happened to turn enough to catch the movement of the trio out of the corner of his eye.

  “The King approaches!”

  Dorrin stumbled to a halt. “How? He can’t possibly have heard quickly enough to have got himself to Holdur this soon.”

  “I know not how, but he approaches with the bulk of the Bor’a garrison. Even some flags from Joorat and others.”

  Dorrin was looking pale. Farsighter looked confused for the first ever time in Cal’s recollection. His own naivety helped him at this moment because he did not realise the implications of what was actually happening. For Dorrin the implications were scaring him. What could possibly have caused the King to march the army only a week or so after he had left the capital himself.

  A scream pierced the air. All activity in the courtyard ceased for a heartbeat as the people looked sharply about for the source, but Cal instinctively knew who it was.

  “Tamala!”

  Sprinting along the corridor, the youngster from Fallon’s Glen almost bowled one of Marig’s guards over as he flew to the door of Tamala’s room. He didn’t wait to knock, but instead crashed the door open with his shoulder.

  Lying on the floor was the Lady Tamala, unconscious. In front of her was a small bowl from which several strands of smoke were still twisting their way toward the ceiling. Cal didn’t recall drawing his knife, but as it appeared to be in his hand he self-consciously returned it to his belt.

  He stepped to the prone figure on the floor and bent to check that she was still breathing. She was.

  Dorrin and Farsighter arrived in the room but stood silently as Cal lifted the limp body of the Lady and placed her carefully on the bed by the far wall. Dorrin thoughtfully studied the bowl whilst Farsighter moved to Cal’s side.

  “She’s still breathing, but so slowl
y.” Cal looked up into Farsighter’s eyes. “What’s happening?” the plea was quietly spoken, and had more impact because of it.

  Both men could only stare helplessly until the silence of the room appeared to be shattered by a weak voice from within Cal’s cradling arms.

  “The north. Trap.”

  All looked to Tamala but she had lost consciousness again.

  “The north?” Cal looked confused but Dorrin’s face had changed to a look of pure fear.

  “The bowl, she was scrying. God’s, we’ve assumed that the party of Shalers that attacked myself and the Princess was the only united group in the area. What if it wasn’t?”

  Farsighter’s eyes took on a faraway quality as he recalled all that had happened in the last few days. “The patrols.” Without a further word he was out of the door and racing for the courtyard.

  Luda looked up as he heard a call to see the former Ranger running across the yard toward him. Farsighter had just sprinted up the keep staircases in first one direction and then the other so even a man as physically capable as he was found that he was out of breath when he reached Lord Marig’s son.

  “To the north,” he gasped, “Shalers.”

  “What?” That was as long as it took him to grasp the knowledge that Dorrin and Farsighter had just arrived at themselves. “Guards!”

  The shout brought several uniformed soldiers running but it was not them that he wanted. His eyes were locked firmly on the men over by the far side of the courtyard. His shout had also caused one of them to raise their head. As soon as their eyes met the Royal Guardsman stood erect. His action caused the others to take note before he started to move swiftly to where Luda and Farsighter were stood.

  “My Lord?”

  “Send a rider to His Majesty. We have reason to believe that there may be a Shaler force to the north.”

  The Guardsman’s expression was one of disbelief, but he immediately turned back to his comrades and motioned for them to join him. Luda had already turned his attention back to Farsighter.

  “I need you to check out the hills to the north.”

  “I know. Dorrin!”

  In Tamala’s room Dorrin heard the call and immediately moved to the window. Below he could see Farsighter stood with Luda looking back up at him. A curt hand signal beckoned him down to the courtyard below.

  “Cal, I’m going outside. Stay with Tamala.” Dorrin’s expression darkened. “If you let anything happen to her you’ll have me to answer to.”

  Cal’s face registered no emotion at all as he replied. “If you have cause to question me then I will have already passed beyond your reach.”

  Dorrin studied the young man for a moment before reaching to the inside of his left boot. He smoothly withdrew a short dirk, the blade flashing in the light entering through the window.

  “This belonged to my father, the King’s brother. Use it with honour.”

  Cal silently accepted the weapon with a brief nod of the head.

  Dorrin arrived in the courtyard in time to see Farsighter emerging from the stables with two of the horses they had arrived with that morning. Both taken from the three that had been rested during their final ride into Holdur.

  An itch had been troubling the back of Dorrin’s mind for the previous few minutes and now he finally brought the matter to light.

  “Luda, where’s your father?”

  The giant warrior turned at the question. “Father?” It was only then that he realised that since the sounding of the horns to warn of the approach of the King he had not seen Lord Marig. It was extremely unlikely that he would have managed to fall into a deep enough sleep to have not heard the noise in the short time between the end of the meeting and the time they had been startled into action.

  “Damn them.” Luda looked to Farsighter as he brought the pair of horses up to them. “You and Dorrin must ride. I don’t like the feeling that I’m getting here at all. I’ll check on the whereabouts of my father whilst you ride. What have you done with young Cal?”

  Dorrin answered. “He’s watching over Tamala.”

  “Understood. Is he really as good as you think Farsighter?”

  Farsighter watched the larger man’s face for a moment before replying. “I would not be taking him to join the Rangers unless I thought he was better than that. Rest assured Luda, Cal will be able to look after the good Lady.”

  Luda accepted the answer gratefully. “I’ve few childhood friends and Dorrin and Tamala were the best of them. I would be deeply upset if anything happened to either of them.”

  Surprisingly Dorrin chuckled. “I have already made that fact abundantly clear to our young friend upstairs. Don’t worry Luda, go and check on your father.”

  Dorrin saw the Royal Guardsman leaving through the gateway just as he mounted the horse that Farsighter had presented to him. “Do you think that Tamala is right?”

  “I hope not. Gods, with the King still marching they’ll have no time to deploy if it does turn out that there is an ambush imminent.

  Running for it is not an option, there’s too far to go before they can reach a defensible position. If I was leading the Shaler force, I would have to take into account the fact that the Royal party might head south with added protection and I would already have placed a force to the southwest, near to the old fording point. There’s plenty of cover for a harrying force to use whilst the main party rides past on the opposite side of the river. Damn!” The curse was because he had realised that he had already decided in his own mind that the threat was real.

  “We ride then. What do you plan to do if we find the enemy where we think they are?”

  “The only thing that we can do. Force them to commit whilst the King is still a distance from the castle.”

  “Split their forces?”

  “I hope so, otherwise.” He didn’t need to add any more as Dorrin knew full well what would happen if they were unable to split the enemy. Between the Keep and the King’s forces they might have a chance at crushing them in the middle. If not, then both Holdur and the King were in a great deal of trouble.

  Luda swept toward the door of his father’s room on the third floor of his home. Strangely there appeared to be no guard outside of the stout oak entrance. His instincts lit up as he realised with an instant to spare that he was not alone in the corridor.

  Spinning he took the force of the blow on his shoulder. A strike that would have incapacitated any other men, it was still enough to drive a giant like Luda to his knee. His head came up to face a tall figure clad entirely in a smoky grey smock. His leggings were tightly wrapped around the top of his soft skinned boots and from several locations about his person Luda took in the outline and glimpses of hidden weaponry.

  It was all he had time to see before the left boot of the attacker smashed into his stomach, driving him backward to the floor again. He rolled, trying to gain enough room to stand upright. As he faced away from his opponent in mid-roll his hand reached inside his leather jerkin and came away with a small knife. Nothing more than a letter opener really, but it was enough to allow the giant to fight back.

  His hand flashed outward as he sent the small blade whistling through the air. Instinctively the figure in grey flinched sideways to dodge the projectile, not realising how relatively harmless it actually was.

  Luda wasted not a second as his left leg explosively straightened, forcing him upward and forward. His fist balled as he put all of his considerable weight behind the blow. A rush of air erupted from the assailant’s lungs as Luda grabbed hold of his shoulder and roughly jerked him forward.

  A sharp head butt brought tears to his eyes, but the effect to the other combatant was much worse. Under Luda’s course black hair he had forgotten that he wore his ringlet of office. The metal edge had had disastrous consequences for his opponent.

  Blood poured from the wound cutting deeply across his forehead, where it trickled into his eyes it cut off his vision, leaving him completely open to the enraged warrior from Hol
dur. Luda opened his palm a fraction as he slammed it’s heal into the base of the attacker’s nose. The wet, crunching noise signalled the end of the struggle as the figure dropped lifelessly to the stone floor.

  In the darkened alcove from which he had been attacked Luda saw a prone figure. No doubt the guard from the door. He didn’t waste time checking, but instead raced through his father’s door and into his bedchamber.

  Lord Marig was lying for all intents and purposes in a restful posture on the bed. If had not been for the slight blue colouring of his face it would have appeared as if he was simply asleep, but Luda knew better.

  Cal heard a howl of anguish echo down the corridor outside. Beside him he saw Tamala stir slightly where she lay, but she did not achieve full wakefulness. Alertly, he held the dirk that Dorrin had given him and continued to maintain his watch over the fallen magic user.

  The slightest sound of her breathing was the only noise that came from the room. Outside he could hear the local and Royal Guardsman racing to prepare for the arrival of the King, although only the Royal Guard knew that there was a potential enemy waiting for that exact same thing.

  A brief flicker of her eyes betrayed the fact that she was finally regaining consciousness. Cal moved from the side of the bed to the small table nearby and filled a glass with water from the pitcher that stood next to it. He returned to the bedside just as Tamala’s eyes opened.

  She sat bolt upright, screaming and flailing her arms as she did. The glass went flying as Cal struggled to wrap his arms around her and calm her down.

  “It’s alright. Tamala, shush!” he realised that she was sobbing as he held her. “You’re fine, you’re safe.”

  The words brought her eyes up to face him. “We’re not. They’ve already killed Lord Marig.”

  Cal’s blood turned cold.

  Dorrin and Farsighter crested the first hill to the north of the keep and scanned the horizon as far as they could see. As far as they could tell the countryside appeared to be peaceful, no sign of the disturbance associated with a large force transiting the area.