Chapter Seven
Strength of the Past
The glow of the early morning was beginning to lighten up the sky when we neared the end of the long pass through the mountains to the city of Kingdom Pass. As far as I knew, it was the only viable access point into the Valley Lands. It was said that there were other, smaller passes higher in the mountains, but they were extremely dangerous and hard to find and sometimes weren’t open for years at a time.
Large, majestic, snow capped peaks rose to the sky all around us, as far as the eye could see to either side of the pass. Never before had I seen such grandeur exhibited in nature. Earlier, the only definition to the land that could be discerned had been the deeper darkness of the side walls of the pass on either side of us as we had rode through the night. But now, a vast panorama of majesty rose all around us, steadily backlit by the morning sun which was burning away the misty fog cloaking the pass and mountains.
The floor of the pass was a relatively flat, dry creek bed that spanned roughly anywhere from five hundred to twelve hundred feet across. We rode on a slightly-elevated highway of crushed stone that led us ever upwards through the flats.
The walls of the pass rose into even steeper mountain sides further above us. Rounding a bend in the pass, I saw it before us, the wall of Kingdom Pass. The pass opened up into a wider space, and stretched across it lay the battlement fortifications of Kingdom Pass. It had been built long ago, just after the colonization of this continent had begun. Our forefathers had come across the northern seas in ships that were of a creation that had not been equaled since. I knew little of the early days of our world; only that we had come here from another world.
There had been sharp dissension among the early settlers over the use of technology that had led to a fracturing of loyalties, which had ultimately led to war. It had been a terrible war lasting over a hundred years and it had culminated in the building of this wall. It had been an attempt for survival by those in the minority, who had believed that the technology that had been used to get to this world was no longer something that was good for the people to know. Building the wall had worked. For over six hundred years the wall and its defenses had stood as a dividing rod between those who came to be known as the Valley Landers, and the world at large that lay beyond the mountain valleys.
Now, as I looked at the wall being unveiled in the early morning light, I could not stop the sense of awe that overcame me at the sight of it. The wall and its towers appeared to be one massive block of golden mountain granite that reflected the early morning light. The wall ran out into the valley in a soft bell curve that faced down the pass. The top of the wall itself was studded with towers and defensive battlements. The most interesting thing was that I didn’t see any gateway through the massive wall. After a few moments of searching, I saw the gates. There were two of them, but they weren’t in the wall itself. They were located in the walls of the pass to either side of the wall.
There must be tunnels behind the gates that led through the mountains on either side of the wall in order to access the city beyond. It was a smart way of resolving the inherent tactical weakness of a gateway. Gates are typically the weakest points in a fortification; get enough ramming, bombardment, and a heavy enough massing of troops and any gate can fall; except maybe these gates. The angle they were at put them out of range of being directly fired upon by projectiles. The massing of troops in the narrow tunnels would create a bottleneck that could prove catastrophic, if they had death holes through which boiling oil could be poured down onto the attacking troops and the tunnels themselves could likely be caved in, if need be, to stop an invasion. If there was any weakness to be found in the defenses before me, it was probably the overconfidence of the soldiers defending it, thinking that the wall could never fail, which is a very dangerous weakness to have as overconfidence breeds laziness and inattention to detail.
As we drew near to the leeward gate I could see sentries ringed along the top of the wall above us, watching us intently. Upon seeing this place, it was hard to believe that my father had been in charge of all this at one point in time.
Silent, well hidden warriors rose up from the ground all around us, with arrows at the ready placed in their bow strings. Flin, not liking it, shied back, ready to make a bolt for freedom. Holding the reins firmly, I held our position in the line, as I frankly admired the outer guardsmen's skill at remaining unseen.
I had not suspected their presence until they had risen from the ground as quiet as shadows. Looking over at Rolf, I noticed that he didn’t seem to share my surprise at the occurrence of the armed warriors. The man had senses as keen as any marsh cat.
The guardsmen, seemingly satisfied of our authenticity, eased off on their bows and parted to let us pass by, as the large outer doors of the gate ahead of us swung open without the barest hint of sound. We entered the tunneled gateway which was lined with lit torches and proceeded to make our way through the tunnel to the upper gate that opened to the city. The clipping of our horse’s hooves echoed loudly within the confines of the tunnel which was carved out of solid rock. Coming to the second gateway, it too swung open before us without the barest hint of sound. As the doors swung out, a courtyard opened up before us that was ringed with soldiers silently standing in formation.
The level of security was impressive. Making our way out of the courtyard, I got my first glance at the city that lay beyond the wall. The city lacked the size of the Zoarinian cities, as well as some of their appearance of opulence, but I liked what I saw here better. The buildings weren’t grandly embellished, but they were neat, orderly, and solid in appearance.
There were throngs of people out and about their daily activities already, something that would have been an uncommon scene in any Zoarinian city, as they lived for the night and shunned the early light of day. Making our way through the crowded streets, we drew the attention of the early morning goers. Wondering what they were thinking, I made chance eye contact throughout the crowd. Their expressions were almost universally curious, and I sensed a feeling of anticipation directed specifically at me.
We made our way through the city until we came to a larger and more opulent structure that was set apart from the rest of the city. We paused as the gates were opened and were ushered into a courtyard lined with ornately dressed guardsman. Pulling up to the stairs in front of the building, I dismounted and followed General Nadero, handing my reins to a man-at-arms who stepped forward. Moving stiffly, I fairly limped up the stairs. My whole left side was stiff from my injury and the long ride through the night. Seth and Rolf flanked me on either side. Their presence made me feel more secure in this foreign environment.
We passed through several galleries, each filled with fineries more opulent than the previous room. Finally, we came to a grand central hall that was lined with men-at-arms and important looking people with less important, elaborately dressed dignitaries fluttering around them. The busy hubbub of the room dropped to a low murmur at our appearance.
General Nadero spoke softly to an attendant, who then turned around and announced to the hall, “Ladies and Gentleman may I introduce to you Roric Ta’lont, son of Lorn Ta’lont.”
Hushed silence followed in the wake of his announcement. I looked at General Nadero for direction. I was on the verge of turning and leaving as I was not comfortable with the oddities of this type of social situation. He motioned me further into the room toward a broad table at the other end of the hall. I hesitated for a moment, but then I made the decision to carry this charade out to its conclusion and began to make the long journey across the room under the speculative stares of the many onlookers the hall contained. I felt entirely out of place in these rich surroundings.
I was dirty, my hair was unruly and hanging about my face, my tunic was stained with dirt and blood, and I felt like a sick kitten in need of a fluffy pillow and a bowl of milk. What was I doing here anyway?
This is where the path had led me so I needed to fi
nish it, even if it was embarrassing. Squaring my shoulders, I threw off the weight of the stares of those around me and focused on my destination. Before I reached the long table, behind which sat seven individuals, an attractive, middle aged woman broke from the seven and started to approach me. Obtusely I wondered if she was coming to criticize me for the trail of mud I was leaving down the middle of this beautiful hall.
Glancing around me to see if the sentiment was shared, I caught the heated glances of a group of finely dressed women. If I read the intent of their glances correctly, the furthest thing from their minds right now was the conspicuous trail of mud I was leaving. Their speculative looks of interest had me jerking my gaze abruptly back to the approaching older woman, as a slight tinge of color rose to my cheeks.
Fighting, killing, and the rigors of survival were what I was well versed in; of the ways of women I knew almost nothing at all.
As the woman drew close, she reached out and took my hand in hers and said, as tears fell from her eyes, “Thank you Roric, for bringing my son back to me!”
This must be Larc’s mother, “You have a fine son my lady. Larc is a son that any mother would be proud to have.” Letting my eyes fall towards the floor I continued, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t also return your husband to you as well.”
She tugged on my hand and I lifted my gaze to hers again. There was no condemnation to be found in her eyes. Looking deeply into my eyes she said, “Wilton knew the risks. We both did. I lay no blame for what happened to him on you, but instead I rejoice at the miracle in having my son returned to me. Thank you for allowing yourself to be a part of the Creator’s plan in saving my son as well as all those other children!”
She released my hand and stepped back, making way for a stately dressed, older councilman, who had come up as I had been talking. He had a small, neatly trimmed white beard and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look into my soul.
He stepped forward, laying a hand to my shoulder, and directed me with a gesture of his other hand towards an antechamber door off the main hall. “Affairs of state can wait, this man needs medical attention! Clear out and get someone useful in here that knows how to heal! Make way there!”
I followed in the wake of the steely and somewhat cranky councilman. The interested people before us moved to heed his wishes.
A short time later I found myself sitting on a table in an antechamber room with an elderly man that I took to be a healer and a capable looking woman, who was assisting him.
“Lie back, son. Can’t be having a hero dying on us now can we? Wouldn’t look good for my reputation.”
The old healer gave a raspish chuckle as he continued, “Not that I care about my reputation.”
I lay back on the table and let him remove the makeshift bandage that Seth had made. He muttered to himself disgustedly at either the condition of the bandage, or the wound, or maybe both.
“You may be a hero in the flesh, but you’re a dumb fool when it comes to brains, boy! Riding all night with a wound like this!”
Lying back on the table I smiled to myself. I may be a dumb fool, but there was no doubt in my mind that someone bigger than me was pulling the strings of my life. If it was foolish for me to follow the path that the Creator had set down before me, then let me increase in the foolishness this world thought it to be, as I sought the wisdom of the Creator’s will for my life.
The woman who was assisting the doctor watched closely as Roric’s eyes drifted shut in much needed rest. She leaned forward and brushed the hair off his forehead, as a mother would a young child’s.
“Thank you so much, Lord, for your provision! We needed a Godly minded young warrior such as this, who seeks not for his own gain. Glory to You Heavenly Father, for in our hour of need You have provided!” she finished saying softly, as tears fell.
The old doctor glanced up at her words and then back down at where he was working on cleaning out the wound, “Amen,” he said softly.
I felt the breeze on my cheek before I heard the accompanying sounds of a bird’s call echoing in its wake. Opening my eyes, I took in my surroundings. I wearily admitted to myself that this was beginning to become something of a habit of sorts; waking up completely disoriented in a strange place. I didn’t care for it. From the looks of it, I was still in the governor’s mansion I had entered earlier.
That must have been yesterday as there was a new sun rising outside. I sat up in bed, wincing as I did so. My ribcage was wrapped in bandages. It felt a good bit better than it had yesterday, but it still smarted painfully if I twisted too much.
“Decided to join the land of the living again I see, my boy.”
The words emanated from a darkened corner of the room. Peering into the corner I heard a chair scrape against the stone floor and I saw a figure rise up and come towards me. The shadowy figure used a cane to walk. He came into the light and I was shocked to see a resemblance to myself in his face, although more timeworn and wrinkled.
It didn’t surprise me when he said, “As you might have guessed we’re related, you and I. Your father was my son, which makes you my grandson. Long have I wanted to see you, but I feared to never see the day come.”
He leaned heavily on his cane for a moment as his eyes rested on me. “Oh to God that your father, mother and brother could be here too! But at least I am not without comfort in that I, at least, have you! Come, my boy! It’s time that you saw your new home, that is if you choose to make it so.”
I got to my feet stiffly and before I could resist, aged but still strong arms enveloped me in a bear hug that caused the pain in my side to intensify slightly.
My arms closed gently around the older man. It caused me more pain but I could tell he needed comforting and I was the closest he could ever come again to experiencing the embrace of his own son.
Breaking off he suddenly stepped back, “Enough of that! I’m getting as sentimental as a woman in my old age!” He cleared his throat.
Looking into his eyes I could see the hint of tears there, but I would never have shamed him by mentioning them.
“As I said, I’m your grandfather, Thaddeus Ta’lont. Come with me boy, I’m sure you’re full of questions and I’ll answer them as best as I can, but first I believe these gentlemen wish to have a word with you. They have been most insistent, even to the point of waking you, but I wouldn’t hear of it. A wounded man needs his sleep! It’s the best thing for him. I should know since I’ve been in that predicament enough myself!”
On and on he prattled incessantly, but I didn’t mind. Pulling on a shirt and pants, which were lying on a nearby table, I followed him into the other room. There were three men gathered there.
The youngest one of the bunch said to Thaddeus, as he limped forward with the use of his cane, “Good to see you out and about, away from that mountain fortress you keep yourself cooped up in, Thaddeus.”
“Wish I could say the same about you Oswald, but I can’t bring myself to.”
The remark brought a dark look to Oswald’s face. Something about the man put me off and I had to admit I didn’t care for him either.
The older of the two remaining men, the councilman from the court yesterday, nodded his head respectfully at Thaddeus as a slight smile touched his lips, while his companion’s face was wreathed in a huge grin at Thaddeus’s snub of Oswald.
Thaddeus nodded deferentially to both of them and turned to gesture to me, “Gentlemen, if I may, let me have the honor of introducing my grandson Roric Ta’lont, my sole heir.”
Again Oswald’s face tightened up as he and the others welcomed me. He would bear watching more closely.
Later, as I stood on a porch of the government building, I gazed at the breadth of the wall that dominated the one end of the town, and I couldn’t but help reflect on how much my life had changed once again. I had a grandfather and a castle with extensive lands that I was to inherit one day. I was a wealthy man, with a family and a place to call my home, if
I wanted it.
How strange were the ways of the Creator; to elevate an escaped arena slave like myself to a position of such wealth and honor. I had told the three men earlier all that I knew.
The news of Lent’s betrayal was a sore point that I could see greatly bothered Romnan, the older man, and Elim, the other councilman.
I left nothing out, especially about how Wilton’s reports had been fabricated lies told to him by the Zoarinians through the years and how everything had been a setup in order to get Larc so they could control his mother.
Thaddeus had sat quietly, staring at nothing in particular most of the time and at Oswald the rest of the time, which seemed to annoy Oswald. Which was probably the intent of my grandfather all along. Romnan had ended the meeting by saying, “Thank you Roric, your information is most valuable to us, as is your heroic deed in rescuing the children. We’ll leave you now in the care of your grandfather, as I’m sure you have lots to talk about.”
As he made to leave the room, he pulled to the side and waited for the other two to leave first before saying, “Roric, when the time comes, I hope you will consent to join in the fight for our freedom. I need men like you. There are few left short of Thaddeus’s age that know what war can truly be like.”
“He’s right Roric, there are few who have the ability and strength to lead and do what needs done!” Thaddeus added.
Not wanting to disappoint them, but feeling the need to slow things down I said, “I need some time. A lot has happened to me recently, but this I can tell you. I will do all that I can to defend the right of people to worship the Creator.”
Romnan and Thaddeus both smiled.
Thaddeus patted me on the back, “That’s all we would ever ask of you, my boy. If the people remain faithful to the Creator then He’ll be faithful in continuing to take care of us.”
That conversation had taken place hours ago and now I watched the activity on the wall and in the town as the sun set behind me. A sense of responsibility weighed down upon me for everything and everyone I saw, but I resisted it. What could I do? I was just one man. In the morning I was heading out with Thaddeus towards my family’s ancestral home, which I was looking forward to. The fortress lay at the base of the northern mountains and was an area known for severe storms. Fittingly, the castle was called Thunder Ridge.
A Warrior's Redemption Page 21
