War's Ending

by A J Park

  “I’m sure they would have, but the king stopped them. He is hurt, but able to ride. The girl…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what they did to her, but they weren’t kind. She was alive when we left them, but delirious. I don’t know if she will survive.”

  Kellji was shaking her head in disbelief and sorrow. “Shalyrie…”

  “We will get news of them when we get back,” Tarkan said. He offered his hand to Addia and helped her into his saddle. Then he got on behind her and put his arms around her. They rode slowly back toward the city.

  CHAPTER 36

  Hannal, Second Guardian of the Yalkur

  Hannal rode west. Kallia had said she would go that way, toward the Aranak Valley. He never thought he would be riding with sea-folk to find her. They passed through hills and valleys, and silent, empty villages. They climbed steadily until they came to the edge of the mountains. They began to find more companies of Galenor’s men, and the captain gathered them together and ordered them to stop their attack.

  There were signs of fighting. They passed some groups of crumpled black figures on the ground. He did not stop to examine them.

  Please, Kallia! Don’t be there. Don’t be dead. Meli, Cinna, don’t be dead.

  They went on, following Galenor’s men.

  They came to the top of a rise and looked down. A flood of blue Almorian uniforms met his gaze. And in the center of them, backed up against a ridge of rocks, was a small group of Yalkur. They were still fighting. He could hear the clash of weapons. But the uneven skirmish couldn’t go on much longer. Even as he watched, some of the black figures were struck down.

  The king’s captain was shouting at them. Galenor’s men turned in surprise at his voice. They began to pull back, to make a path, and Hannal rode into it, heading straight for the Yalkur in the center.

  The Almorian riding with Hannal was still yelling. The men at the front took the longest to obey since the conflict was most intense there.

  Hannal drove his horse between them with Adak beside him. The Second Guardian drew his sword and held it to the throat of one of the still-fighting soldiers. The man lowered his sword and carefully backed away. With agonizing slowness, Galenor’s men moved back from the Yalkur.

  Hannal looked at the Yalkur who had been leading the defense. Answering the question Hannal hadn’t even asked yet, the man looked toward one of the crumpled figures on the ground. Desperate, Hannal jumped from his saddle and ran to her.

  “Kallia!”

  Her face was covered and her eyes were closed, but she blinked and looked up when she heard his voice. “Hannal?” she gasped in fear. “The children!”

  “I’ll find them,” he assured her. “They’ll be all right. How bad is it?”

  She didn’t answer him. Her hands were clenched over her side, and blood was running from beneath them. Hannal ran back to the horse and found some bandages in the saddlebag. He took them back to her.

  “The fighting is over,” he told her. “Let me help you.” He pulled her hands away from the wound and held the cloth against it. They needed to slow the bleeding.

  He felt small arms clutching him. “Papa?”

  He held his daughters with his free hand. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, Papa,” Meli said. “Mama?”

  “She’s hurt,” Hannal said. “We have to take care of her now. Will you bring me some water?”

  “Yes, Papa.”

  Meli went to bring water. Little Cinna just clung to him without saying anything.

  “We’re all here, Kallia,” he said. “We’re safe now.”

  Kallia nodded without speaking or opening her eyes. Hannal gently bathed the wound with water from his flask and helped her drink some of it.

  Adak came and stood over Hannal. “The sea-folk have already started back. I’ve sent some scouts out, but we think these soldiers were the last. I will report to you if they find anything.” He looked down at Kallia. “How bad is it?”

  “It’s bad,” Hannal said. “I need Kern. I don’t know what to do for her.”

  The sun was sinking quickly, and it was getting colder. Kallia was shivering.

  “Blankets,” Hannal demanded. Adak found some and brought them to him. He wrapped her warmly. “Just stay still, Kallia,” he said. It would be dark soon, but she needed help. Should he try to make it back to the city in the dark or stay where he was until morning? He looked down at her. What do I do?

  Even if he rode out now, it would be very difficult to get there in the dark. And he had ordered everyone to leave the city. Kern might not even be there yet. The others were setting up a makeshift camp under the shelter of the rocks. They were building fires and pulling out food and blankets. Hannal lifted Kallia and carried her near the fire, ignoring the pain of his own injury. He made her as comfortable as possible. Cinna and Meli came and huddled against him.

  Meli looked at her mother and began to cry. “What if she dies…?”

  Hannal hugged her. “We will take care of her, and she will get better,” he said firmly.

  “What if more bad men come in the night and try to hurt her?” Meli asked.

  “It’s all right. It’s going to be all right. I’ll make sure they don’t,” Hannal said, putting his arms around them. “When the morning comes, we’ll go home, and Kern will help her.”

  “Where’s Kemman?” Meli asked. “Mama looked and looked for him, but he’s lost.”

  “He’s back at the city,” Hannal said. “We’ll see him tomorrow.”

  They ate a little food and huddled into their blankets. Kallia was coughing and there was blood on her lips. Hannal gave her sips of water from his flask, and she swallowed them. “I came as quickly as I could,” he said. “I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner. Hold on till we get back to the city. Kemman is there waiting for us.”

  CHAPTER 37

  Kalleck, Son of Gallidack, First Guardian of the Yalkur

  The horses’ hooves were muffled by the deep grass. Kalleck, the king, and their combined forces were right in the heart of the valley now, almost to the spring. Kalleck saw something black lying on the ground ahead of them. He didn’t have to come very close to know it was a body. A battlefield.

  Soon after, he saw more bodies. As Kalleck got closer, he could tell that several of them were children. No, this had not been a battle. These were innocent people who had been slaughtered. Not a single Almorian lay dead there. Kalleck dismounted and touched one of the dead faces.

  “This just happened,” he said. “He can’t have gone far from here.” He turned to his men. “Take half the riders and come at them from the north. If they keep going, we’ll be able to trap them against the cliff face.”

  Some of the riders split off and rode swiftly away. Kalleck slowed his pace to give them time to cover the greater distance. It wouldn’t be long before they were in position.

  They rode on, from time to time passing more of the dead. Kalleck began to hear shouts and screams ahead of them. He quickened his pace. They passed through a band of woods and came out into an open meadow. A large group of Galenor’s men were there, and Kalleck saw a few black-clothed figures bolt into the trees when the Almorians were distracted.

  “Command them to stop! Please!” Kalleck cried.

  “I am King Telthan of Almoria,” the king shouted. “I command all Almorians to stop fighting now. Put away your weapons. Do not harm any more of the horsemen!”

  A confusion of voices broke out. Some were shouting and still had their weapons raised.

  “Galenor! It’s over. If you try to fight, we will kill all of you.”

  “How could you join them?” they heard Galenor yell furiously from somewhere in the middle of the company. “We’ve beaten them. We’re about to learn all of their secrets. They are running from us. Their leader isn’t here to hold them together anymore. He tried to bl
ock my plans at every turn and now, somehow, he’s convinced you, the King of Almoria, to be his servant. Why would you help them?”

  “Why would you destroy them?” King Telthan demanded. “Why would you kill innocent people? These aren’t soldiers!”

  “You can’t trust any of them! They hate us, and they’re only waiting for a chance to betray you. They’ve already taken your niece from you. They took her and forced her to speak and ride like them, and wear their clothing. You have no idea what else they did to her.”

  “Silence!” Telthan commanded. “You will not speak of her after what you did. Come forward and lay down your weapons.”

  Galenor appeared from between his men. He came forward slowly, and Kalleck saw that he held a Yalkur girl as a hostage, his knife at her throat. Five of his men had done the same—each of them held a child.

  “Let them go,” the king ordered.

  “No,” Galenor said. “I am leaving with them, unless you want to see them all dead. The only way I’ll give them up is for the leader of the horsemen. If you bring him out, then I will release the child.”

  “Where will you go? You’ll soon be surrounded. You can’t win, and you can’t get away.”

  “You will let us go or we will kill them,” Galenor said. He held the knife tighter against the girl’s throat.

  Kalleck stared into her terrified face. He didn’t know her name. She was too young to wear a veil, maybe twelve or thirteen. Kalleck knew that Galenor wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. He didn’t question that at all after what he had done to Shalyrie.

  “Galenor!” Kalleck cried. “It’s me you wanted all along, isn’t it? I am Kalleck, son of Gallidack, First Guardian of the Yalkur. They all follow me.”

  “You!” Galenor turned his cold gaze on Kalleck. “You cannot be their leader. He sent you out as a messenger to the king. You’re not really their leader.”

  “I am!” Kalleck said. “I chose to go to Newport. I am the one who has led my people through all these battles. I lead the Yalkur. I learned your language from prisoners who had escaped your enslavement in Newport. I went myself to tell the king what you have done.”

  “I should have killed you when I had the chance!”

  “Here is your chance,” Kalleck said. “Let the children go, and you can have me.”

  Galenor smiled a cold, vicious smile.

  “Come,” he said. “I will trade them for you. And then, if they don’t want to see their beloved leader’s blood spilled on the ground, they will let us walk away from here. No one will follow us.”

  “Done,” Kalleck said, unbuckling his sword belt and dropping it.

  “You can’t do this,” King Telthan protested. “He’ll kill you.”

  “I won’t let him kill those children,” Kalleck said. “I know he would do it. He’s killed enough already.”

  “Kalleck…”

  Slowly and steadily, Kalleck walked toward Galenor. He paused a few steps away. “Let them go,” Kalleck said. For a long moment, no one moved. Then, one by one, Galenor’s men released their captives. The children ran toward the horsemen, and Kalleck’s men gathered them. Only the girl in Galenor’s grasp was left.

  “He’s agreed to release you,” Kalleck said, looking into her terrified dark eyes. He came slowly nearer with his empty hands raised.

  Kalleck had to struggle to keep his face calm. He wished he had his mask back. With his face uncovered, he felt as if he was back in Galenor’s dungeon, helpless and uncovered in front of this man who wanted to kill him. Galenor stared at him venomously. “You tricked me,” he said. “You told the king my plan.”

  “You wouldn’t have gotten away with it anyway,” King Telthan said. “You betrayed me and all our people. You have the blood of so many on your hands now, us as well as them. It’s over, Galenor. My men are combing the valley. You won’t escape them.”

  “I can escape with his help,” Galenor said, smiling a little. “Now, come.”

  “Let her go,” Kalleck insisted.

  “You took everything from me, even Shalyrie. She would have married me if not for you.”

  “She would never have married you,” Kalleck said. “She never trusted you, and she saw through your plans. She would never have helped you. She’s much too caring for that.”

  “But where is she now?” Galenor asked mockingly. “Not by your side. I hope you enjoyed rescuing her. It’s too late anyway. She won’t survive three days of the poison in her veins. It’s gone too far. There’s nothing you can do for her now. That’s what I wanted: to crush her will, to destroy her, to make sure she would never be happy again. It’s what she deserves. She could have helped us, and she wouldn’t.”

  Kalleck’s mind rushed back to the last time he had seen Shalyrie. She’d been so weak, still burning with fever. Galenor’s words rang in his head, over and over again. “It’s too late… she won’t survive.”

  Kalleck could feel the fever still burning in him too. Maybe it wouldn’t matter very much if Galenor killed him now. Maybe it was inevitable.

  Maybe they would both die at his hand.

  One by one, Galenor’s fingers uncurled from around the girl’s arm. Galenor handed her off to one of his men and removed his knife from her neck. Walking toward Kalleck, he pointed the blade at Kalleck’s throat. Galenor nodded to his man, who let the girl go. As soon as she was free, she darted away from them.

  When the child was out of danger, Kalleck delivered a swift blow to Galenor’s outstretched upper arm, striking the nerves there. With a cry, Galenor dropped the knife.

  Kalleck dove for the weapon, but Galenor recovered enough to see what he planned and tried to beat him to it. Both men reached the blade at the same time, but Kalleck grasped it first. Galenor barreled into him before Kalleck had a chance to stand fully upright.

  The horseman kept his grip on the knife as they rolled. Galenor landed on top of him, grappling for the weapon. Kalleck used his legs to throw Galenor off, and they both regained their feet.

  Somehow, Galenor had come up with the knife in his hand. He stared at Kalleck with insane focus. “I’ll kill you. Here. Now.” He seemed to have forgotten all of the people surrounding them. None of his men had attempted to help him, and Kalleck hoped that the king’s men prevented them.

  Galenor dove at him. Kalleck dodged to one side and seized Galenor’s knife hand. The momentum pulled them to the ground, wrestling for control of the weapon. Kalleck felt it cut into his shoulder, but he broke Galenor’s grip again and made him drop the knife.

  Kalleck jumped to his feet, and Galenor bent to reach for his knife. Kalleck realized there was someone beside him, holding out a sword to him, but he didn’t dare turn away.

  Galenor was already attacking again. Kalleck took the blade and raised it. Yet Galenor kept coming. He knocked Kalleck over, his knife driving toward Kalleck’s heart. The point of it just broke Kalleck’s skin as Galenor’s strength began to fail. Galenor looked down in disbelief at the sword piercing his body.

  “No!” he snarled. “You won’t beat me. You did this, all of it.”

  “No,” Kalleck said. “You did this.”

  “No! No…”

  There was blood on Galenor’s lips, and Kalleck could feel more flowing from the wound and soaking into his clothes. He had to get away. He threw Galenor off and staggered to his feet. For a moment, there was silence.

  The crowd surrounding them was a mix of Yalkur and Almorian soldiers. All at once, many voices were cheering. Kalleck saw that it was King Telthan who had handed him the sword. Galenor lay lifeless on the ground, staring up at the sky.

  Kalleck looked at him in disgust and took a step away. “Take him away—now.”

  King Telthan nodded at his men, and two of them picked up Galenor and carried him away.

  “First Guardian?”

  He looked down to see
the girl Galenor had threatened to kill. She looked up at him with her dark eyes full of tears. “F-First Guardian? You saved my life!” She threw her arms around him and hugged him.

  “It’s all right,” Kalleck reassured her. “It’s all right now. It’s all over.”

  “He was going to kill me,” she sobbed, clinging to Kalleck, ignoring the blood soaking his shirt.

  “We wouldn’t let that happen,” Kalleck said, gently stroking her hair. “Where is your family?”

  “I don’t know. It was so fast,” she said. “The fish men drove away the others. I tried to run too, but he caught me. I thought he was going to kill me.”

  “It’s all right now,” Kalleck reassured her. A moment later, an older girl ran up to them. “Dara!”

  The girl clinging to him turned at the sound of her voice.

  “Do you know her?” Kalleck asked gently.

  “My… my sister,” the girl said, still crying.

  “Can you go with her?” he asked. “There is one life still in terrible danger. I have to go!”

  The older girl loosed her sister’s arms from Kalleck. “Thank you for saving us, First Guardian,” she said. “I will take care of her.”

  “Thank you,” Kalleck said. “You’re both safe now.”

  He turned to King Telthan. “We have to return to Shalyrie.”

  Kalleck and the king hurried back to where they had left one of the Yalkur guarding the horses. Taking a few men to escort them, they rode back to the rim of the valley, where Telthan’s soldiers had set up a temporary camp. They found Shalyrie under the watchful care of Lorelei, clean now, with her injuries bandaged.

  “How is she?” the king asked Lorelei, kneeling by Shalyrie’s side.

  “The poison is no longer so painful,” Lorelei said, “but her fever is still very high. There were several knife wounds there,” she pointed to Shalyrie’s chest, “and I’m not sure, but I think two or three of her ribs are broken. How could they do that to her?”