War's Ending

by A J Park

  “Nor was I,” he agreed. “I might have refused to let you come.”

  “You wouldn’t,” she protested. He wasn’t entirely joking. He was protective. She knew it and was grateful because it meant he cared deeply for her. She knew he wouldn’t be excited about leaving her behind. “I would like to stay a little longer, Uncle,” she said.

  “You are sure?”

  “Yes.”

  He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I will agree to this because your brother is already staying behind here in Newport. He is supposed to be learning more about the opportunities here for me, while I go to meet with the other colonies. I trust him to keep an eye on Galenor, and he can keep you safe.”

  She threw her arms around his neck, “Thank you,” she exclaimed.

  “We will get all the specific details worked out, but I will be sailing southeast toward Elleniath and the other colonies. After we’re finished, we will sail back up the coast and return here. It will be several weeks before I am back, and it might be difficult to get any message to me during that time.”

  “I understand,” she said.

  “You are still an official representative of the crown,” he looked at her sternly, “and I expect you to behave as such.”

  She stepped back and curtsied with mock sincerity.

  “Stop that,” he grumbled. “You know what I mean. I’m not really worried about that. You’ve always behaved in a way that reflected well on your family and your position. But don’t do anything while I’m gone that you wouldn’t do while I’m here.” He seemed to be having a hard time putting his thoughts into words.

  Finally, he sighed and opened his arms. She hugged him. “Just be careful,” he said. “Don’t move too fast. Take the time you need to be sure of your feelings.”

  “I will, Uncle.”

  Sooner than she thought possible, the King’s fleet was sailing out of the harbor. Shalyrie watched them go from the top of the wall. Olthorin and Galenor stood on either side of her.

  They spent the next several days touring the city and the lands outside. Galenor had a dozen different projects in progress, and he seemed excited to show his visitors his work.

  “You’re doing so many interesting things here,” Shalyrie said.

  He looked at her warmly. “I’m glad you approve. I want to do great things here. So far, you’ve seen only the smaller ventures. Tomorrow, I want to show you our greatest work.”

  “What is it?” Shalyrie asked, intensely curious. What could be his greatest work?

  He smiled again. “It will be a surprise—one that I’m sure will be memorable.”

  When Shalyrie woke the next morning, she felt a tingle of excitement. This was the day that Galenor would show them his biggest venture here. What could it be? He’d said the surprise would be memorable. He’d told them to wear walking shoes. From what she’d seen of Galenor so far, it would probably be spectacular. She selected a pale green dress and a soft gray cloak. The mornings here were cooler than she was used to.

  When Shalyrie and Lorelei had dressed, they met Olthorin at the door.

  “Are you ready, Ree?” Olthorin asked, smiling.

  “Yes,” she said. “We wore comfortable shoes and we’re ready to walk.”

  “Good. Let’s go see Galenor’s project. We’ve already seen a lot of surprising things from him. I wonder what it could be?”

  They went down across the courtyard to the gates. A wagon pulled by two sturdy oxen stood waiting, surrounded by an escort of Galenor’s soldiers. The soldiers all seemed to be smiling.

  “Good morning,” Shalyrie wished them.

  One of them took her hand and kissed it. “Good morning, Lady Shalyrie,” he said, very warmly. It was Finn, who had been so determined that she remember him. Galenor himself appeared just then, and the soldiers were instantly standing in neat lines waiting for him. Shalyrie was impressed by how quickly they moved. Finn was standing at the end and, before Galenor was near enough to see anything, he winked at her.

  “You look lovely this morning,” Galenor said, smiling at her. “Are you ready?” He offered his hand to help her into the wagon.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, her curiosity burning.

  “Farther than we have traveled yet,” he said. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “I think so,” she said.

  “We’ve prepared food for a midday meal and I believe we have anything else you might require.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’m excited to see more of the land.” She sat down, and looked back to see three soldiers assisting Lorelei into the wagon. Her friend’s cheeks were very pink, but she smiled at each of them and thanked them in turn.

  They followed the road as it wound its way into the hills. There were beautiful patches of forest and meadows of lush grass. They crossed several little rivers. The mountains grew nearer as they went, and Shalyrie could see the hills begin to rise higher and higher, until they met the mountain slopes.

  “It’s a beautiful day,” she said to Galenor.

  “Yes,” he agreed. “Never as warm here as on Almoria, though.”

  It was indeed a lovely day. The sun was climbing into a clear blue sky and the air was fresh and crisp. The trees were beginning to turn orange and red as the weather cooled.

  “The leaves are so colorful,” she exclaimed. “Are they always like this?”

  “No,” he explained. “The winters here are cold, and the trees drop their leaves. When spring returns, new leaves grow. As it grows colder, they turn these bright colors. Not like Almoria, where the weather is much the same all the time.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it,” she said. She looked around with great interest. Out here, she could really see the land, the open spaces, and the hills. She imagined what horses looked like, running across the grass.

  “I hoped you would enjoy the trip,” Galenor said.

  The sun was almost directly above them when the wagon stopped near the top of a hill.

  “We’ll go the rest of the way on foot,” Galenor said.

  They got down from the wagon. He took her hand and they walked the last few paces to the top of the ridge, with Olthorin following behind. Shalyrie gasped. She looked down onto a wide river sparkling in the sun. Beyond it, on the other side, the hills climbed swiftly up to meet the mountains. The white peaks looked so much closer from here. She looked down again and saw a large bridge spanning the water in several graceful arches.

  “Do you like it?” he asked, pointing to the bridge.

  “That is your secret project?” she asked.

  “Yes,” he answered. “We’ve been trying to complete it for years.” He reached into his pocket and drew something out. Leaning very close to her, he showed her something in his hand: a lump of unrefined gold. “The gold is up there. We can use the bridge to transport supplies, equipment and anything else we need.”

  “Couldn’t you do that by boat?” Olthorin asked.

  Galenor shook his head. “It’s calm here, but there is very rough water between here and the sea. You couldn’t get a boat through.”

  Olthorin nodded. “You must have had a lot of men working on this.”

  “We have. It’s been our dream to complete it. It will give us easy access to all the lands on the other side. We will greatly increase our profits. And we are nearly done. All that’s left is finishing the railings. Would you like a closer look?”

  “Yes,” she agreed.

  Hand in hand, they walked down the hill and onto the bridge. Lorelei was right behind them, on the arm of a very pleased-looking soldier. The sound of the water was louder here and, even though it flowed calmly, Shalyrie could sense the size and power of the river. She looked down, off the edge of the bridge.

  “Be careful,” Galenor warned her. “When the railings are f
inished, you’ll be able to look down without fear of falling.”

  There were several men working there and Shalyrie watched them with interest for a few moments. Then they walked across the bridge to the other side. The road went on into the hills, and Shalyrie found that she was curious to see where it went. She and Galenor walked a little farther along it. There were lots of rocks there, broken pieces of crumbling hills.

  Shalyrie looked back. She could see most of the soldiers still there on the bridge. Lorelei and Olthorin were among them. Four of the soldiers had stayed with them and were just behind Galenor. One of them was Finn.

  Without warning, one of Finn’s companions collapsed. In horror, Shalyrie saw a black-feathered arrow sticking out of his body. She stood rooted, frozen in shock. Galenor seized her hand and pulled her with him, running back toward the bridge. Finn was behind her, with the others guarding their retreat.

  Shalyrie realized that more arrows were flying and that many of the soldiers were running back the way they came. They reached the near end and followed the others out onto the bridge.

  Something struck Shalyrie and knocked her face down onto the stones. She felt a great weight on her back and suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She looked up desperately, reaching out for Galenor. He was there, just ahead of her.

  “Galenor!” she gasped. She couldn’t find the breath to call any louder.

  He turned back, reaching for her. Just then, an arrow struck his arm. He stumbled off balance and then disappeared.

  “Galenor!”

  All of a sudden, there was no one near her. No soldiers, no king’s guard. No Galenor. The weight on her back was growing more painful with every moment. She couldn’t get up. She reached back with her hand and found the shaft of an arrow.

  No. No! This couldn’t be happening. It had been a beautiful, peaceful day with no sign of danger. She had been surrounded by armed men, protecting her.

  She heard running feet and voices calling her name. Lorelei knelt beside her. “Shalyrie! Shalyrie!” Her voice was trembling with panic.

  “Lorelei,” she gasped, still trying to breathe. “Get away. Run! It’s not safe!”

  “I won’t leave you,” Lorelei said.

  A moment later, she heard Olthorin’s voice. “Ree!”

  “She’s hurt!” Lorelei cried.

  “How bad is it?”

  “Horsemen!” one of Galenor’s men yelled. “We have to get out of here now!”

  “Help me carry her,” Olthorin said.

  “There’s no time! They’ll kill us if we stay on the bridge,” the man said. “Our only chance is the river. Now, we have to jump!”

  “She’s hurt. She can’t jump!” Olthorin protested. “Lorelei, go!”

  “No!”

  Shalyrie heard Olthorin say, “You have to!” And then she heard Lorelei’s fading scream.

  Another sound was growing louder above the noise of the river. What was it? She raised her head a little and saw something running toward her. Horses? They must be. But they were bigger and more powerful than she had imagined, and each one had a figure dressed in black on its back. Their hard hooves on the bridge sounded like hammers on stone. They were coming fast. In a moment, they would be upon her and she would be crushed. She saw a rider knock one of the guards off the bridge. She couldn’t see the others. She tried again to get up, but pain shot through her shoulder.

  The horses never slowed, but somehow, they passed her by and ran along the bridge.

  “Shalyrie,” Olthorin’s voice said. She could feel his hand on her good shoulder. “Hold on. It will be all right.”

  She couldn’t do anything but breathe in and out. How could he say it would be all right? She was going to die any moment. She saw him tear a piece of fabric from the hem of his shirt and felt him hold it against the wound. She heard the horses returning. Some of them passed and others stopped, surrounding them. The riders wielded long spears, now pointed at them. Olthorin and the soldier got slowly to their feet, holding their empty hands open to show they were unarmed.

  Shalyrie felt hands seize her and pull her to her feet. She cried out as the motion pulled at the wound.

  “Leave her alone! She’s hurt!” Olthorin yelled, trying to help her.

  The riders closed in until he couldn’t move at all without the spearpoints cutting into him. Shalyrie met his eyes and he looked back helplessly. One of the spearpoints cut into his arm and blood soaked through the sleeve of his white shirt.

  Don’t struggle, Olthorin. Don’t move. Don’t give them a reason to hurt you.

  One of the horsemen dismounted and came to look at her. Shalyrie was upright now to face him. He wore black armor that looked like the pieces on Galenor’s wall, except that the metal band on the shoulder was silver instead of gold.

  Everything about him looked deadly. He was at least a head taller than she was, and he was covered with weapons. His features were concealed by a black mask that fit his face closely, covering it entirely, except for his mouth and dark eyes. But she didn’t need to see his expression to know he was furious. If she had been able, she would have backed away from him. Slowly, he approached her.

  Please don’t kill me. She wasn’t sure if she said it aloud or just thought it. He asked her a question in his language.

  “I… I don’t understand,” she gasped. She saw his eyes fall on the blue stone that Galenor had given her. He looked even angrier.

  He took another step forward, bringing him terrifyingly close to her, and seized the stone. He shouted another furious question. As if she would suddenly understand?

  “No, no…” She turned away from his hostile gaze. He pulled the chain over her head and stuffed it into the pouch at his belt. He nodded to the others and they began to pull her away.

  Where were they taking her? Where was Olthorin? Where were their guards?

  She heard Olthorin yelling, “Leave her alone! She needs help! Ree!”

  She heard the sounds of fighting. Olthorin! No! He couldn’t fight all of them. They would kill him and she’d be alone. She didn’t want to die alone. The sounds were distant now, and everything seemed dark. Olthorin! Why couldn’t she see him?

  Then she couldn’t see anything at all.

  CHAPTER 2

  Lady Shalyrie Almorin

  The pain woke her. By that, Shalyrie knew she must still be alive. Her shoulder throbbed viciously. She lay face-down on something hard. Gradually, she realized it was rock. She could see very little, even when she raised her head slightly. It took her a moment to realize that the light was very dim—red and flickering. Firelight, and it was reflecting off more rock. Rock all around. A cave?

  A pair of heavy boots walked right by her face, startling her. A hand that felt as unyielding as the stone floor seized her good arm and pulled her to her feet. She cried out as the motion sent searing pain from the wound.

  “Leave her alone!” Olthorin yelled from somewhere nearby, followed by the sounds of a struggle.

  “No! Please don’t hurt him!” Shalyrie pleaded.

  The hand was still on her arm and the man asked her another angry question. Nothing had changed since yesterday. She still couldn’t understand what he was asking. It was the same man from the bridge—the one who had taken her necklace. Her stomach clenched in terror at the sound of his voice.

  He held out his hand and she saw the blue jewel. He repeated his question, but she still didn’t know how to answer him. He probably couldn’t understand her either.

  On the other side of the cave, she could hear Olthorin begging his captors to let him help her.

  Out of the darkness, another voice spoke.

  The angry man quieted and turned to face the speaker, holding out the blue jewel in his black-gloved hand. A sudden silence fell. Shalyrie saw the man who had spoken walk forward and slowly reach out to take the gem from the a
ngry man. He looked at her and said a few more words, and the angry man released his hold on her arm. She half-fell, half-pulled away from him in terror. She crawled as far away from them as she could, huddling against the rock wall.

  They must have taken her away from the bridge while she was unconscious. She had no idea where they were now, only that she was a prisoner of the horsemen. Galenor had said they would rather fight than communicate. He had said they were violent and ignorant. There was no way to know what they were going to do.

  She drew all her limbs together as tightly as she could, and tried to disappear into the wall. The man who had spoken came slowly nearer. His clothes were black and it made him disturbingly invisible in the faint light. She couldn’t see his face or hands or anything.

  What were they going to do? What would happen to her and her brother?

  The man came nearer, moving very slowly. He bent to one knee and looked at her intently. She didn’t want to look into his dark eyes and his masked features, so she turned her face away. He spoke in that same calm voice and slowly reached out to touch her. She pulled away from his hand, shrinking further against the rock, but the motion pulled at the arrow in her shoulder and she gasped sharply.

  He left then, disappearing into the darkness. Shalyrie tried to slow her breathing and calm herself. It was impossible to think while her shoulder was so painful.

  She heard his voice again and felt hands grasp her. She struggled, trying to get away, but there were several of them this time. They picked her up and carried her toward the middle of the cave, where the fire was.

  “Let me go!” she gasped. Struggling hurt even more, so she stopped. They set her on the ground near the fire. Now she was sitting, and the hands released her. One of them sat beside her. He pointed to the arrow and said something.

  “Don’t touch it!” Shalyrie ordered him. “Don’t touch me.” She was the king’s niece and when she used that tone, people obeyed.

  But he wasn’t obeying. He gestured that she should lie down.