by Franc Ingram
"Coming," Leith moaned.
He opened his door just enough to toss in his pack, chest plate, and helmet. He thought about ridding himself of the vest with the daggers strapped to them, but thought better of meeting The Court unarmed. Wade led him through the halls and down the winding steps. Leith neither appreciated nor needed the escort, but he refrained from taking it out on the Ranger. Wade was just following orders. Leith bottled up his frustration, knowing exactly who he wanted to unleash it on.
The Grand Room was large enough to house a hundred people comfortably, yet the twenty people already inside felt like they were smothering him. Leith hesitated by the door, afraid that they would suck up all the air.
"Sire, are you okay?" Wade asked.
Leith swallowed hard against the lump of fear in his throat. He was hurled back to Caledonia, bombarded by the sounds of battle. The pungent odor of blood and sweat choked him. Leith retreated in a hurry, seeking fresh air and a wide-open space, only to run face first into Tycho's extra wide chest.
"Hey now, where's the fire?" Tycho asked, grabbing Leith by the shoulders and holding him steady. Leith opened his mouth to say something, but only a whimper escaped. Tycho's usual jovial face turned serious. "Breathe man, breathe. You're safe." He turned to the younger Ranger. "Wade, go ahead. I've got this."
Wade nodded as if he understood perfectly. "I'll try to stall them."
Leith did as Tycho said, because he didn't have room for anything else. Breathing was all he could manage. In and out. He pushed away the haunted memories of a painful defeat. As his heart calmed he became painfully aware of people around him, eyes boring into him.
"Don't mind them," Tycho said, seeming to read Leith's mind. "Focus on me."
Leith listened to the steady baritone, looked into the kind gray eyes, and he came back to himself. "I...What be that?"
Tycho released him and stepped back. "Battle fatigue will mess with the mind. Happens to a lot of us. Perfectly understandable, especially after what you've been through."
From anyone else, Leith would have assumed he was being condescended to, placated. Tycho was so direct and serious, Leith understood that those words were a statement of fact from a man with experience.
"The Court should have waited. With Lorn off on his own, and Lysander tied up with Nadir, this is not the time to push their authority around."
"How's he?" Leith asked, wanting to talk about anything but his problems.
"The best docs we have are with him now. The long, rough trip didn't do him any favors, but he's alive and that's what's important."
Leith nodded. He couldn't imagine what Lysander was going through. They'd watched Lorn slide deeper into depression and guilt over the absence of his mother. Now Lysander was facing his own loss. Leith had to stand helplessly by and watch it unfold as it would.
"Now, do you feel up to haggling with The Court or should I tell these fools to go crawl back into the dank, dark, vermin infested holes they slithered out of?"
Leith smiled. Tycho had no fear of influential types. He said what he wanted and always stood up for what he believed in. That's what came of growing up around the head of Caledon and working his way to the top of the largest peacekeeping organization in the world.
Leith ran his fingers through his hair, trying to decide what to do, when he spotted Lysander with an escort of his own in tow. The Master of Earth looked beaten and exhausted. His hair was disheveled and he held his side where he had been injured.
"They dragged you into this mess too," Lysander grumbled, barely slowing down as he approached the door. "Let's be done with this quickly."
Leith wanted to ask about Nadir, if he had passed on, but Leith was sure his brother would have mentioned it if it were so. Leith followed Lysander back into the Grand Room, letting the choice be made for him.
His heart still thudded against his chest, but he felt less hemmed in by the other people. Leith felt foolish for having a such a public fit. He hid behind the wave of anger that went ahead of Lysander. People turned to see Lysander and Tycho beside him, leaving Leith to slip in quietly.
"Why have you dragged us here?" Lysander demanded before anyone else got a chance to speak.
"We have a lot to discuss, and we figured it was best to do it while events were fresh on the mind," Jonathan said.
Leith shook his head. "Won't be forgetting what happened any time soon." He pulled up a chair at the long rectangular table that could seat twenty. His feet and legs complained with every step he took. Lysander and Jonathan stood, staring at each other. Tycho took a position midway between them, as if he were ready to break them up at any moment. Leith had no desire to strain his neck to keep an eye on them, so he looked at the rest of the table instead.
Representatives from Arismas, Caledon, and Darten, with aides fiddling at their sides, took up the space. A few wore the battle garb of warriors, but most donned the fancy attire of career politicians. All of them looked back at him with a look of disgust and regret.
The famed Heirs of Eternity had come back from their first battle failures covered in dirt, sweat, and blood. These important people regretted putting their trust in such obvious washouts. Leith didn't blame them. He felt like a failure, but he wasn't going to let one defeat determine his future.
"Still think this could have waited, at least until after I got a shower," Lysander insisted.
"This is more...," Jonathan started.
"Ask what need be asked," Leith said, interrupting him.
"What do you plan to do about Ivar and Cornelius?" Shaina, of Arismas asked. She was a tall, pale woman with wavy black hair and a stern look that reminded Leith of a few city guards he knew.
"As soon as you guys can scare up more troops I plan to kick them out of my cities and off my beach," Lysander said.
Leith tried his best to keep the scowl off his face. He wished Lysander would have taken a moment before answering so aggressively. The Court had a tendency to take every word too seriously.
"What's to keep the same thing from happening? More troops does not a victory make," Jonathan said.
"Then we just leave Cornelius there, unmolested. Maybe that will satis...," Lysander shouted.
"They had two large forces. There were city people need save. Goin back be different." Leith spared Lysander a glanced that was a mixture of apology and plea to stop fighting with Jonathan. Lysander held his tongue, but Leith doubted that was the end of it.
"Sending our kings back into battle seems reckless," Yael, the soft-spoken lord from Caledon said.
Lysander's olive brown cheeks turned a beet red and he looked like he might explode. "No. You don't get to say that, not without my father here."
Leith should have seen it coming. Yael and his counterpart, Massana represented Caledon because The Court felt Nadir and Tycho would be too biased. What the rest of The Court didn't know, is that it was an unspoken rule that Yael and Massana would still consult Nadir before making any decisions. Yael speaking up with Nadir incapacitated meant war to Lysander in his agitated state.
Tycho laid his hand on Lysander's shoulder. Leith trusted the big man could keep Lysander in hand. Leith had to worry about the rest of the room.
"He is a member of The Court and allowed to voice his opinion," Jonathan said. "And I agree. Having the three of you in the field together just created confusion and division. Troops can go back but we should leave you kings out of it this time."
"I'm going." Lysander's voice echoed in the large room knocking against Leith's skull.
"You're obviously too close to be objective," Yael said.
Leith sighed. He wished the man would have taken the hint and kept his mouth shut.
"I'm a King of Euphoria. Caledon is my home."
"Lysander, you...," Leith started.
"No. I'm done with this. My father needs me." Lysander turned and stormed out leaving tense confusion in his wake.
The Court looked to Leith as if he had the words that would calm their
fears and undo the damage Lysander's tantrum had done to their reputation. All Leith had was a half-hearted apology bubbling at the back of his mind.
What came out of his mouth was something else entirely. "All this shouting ain't do no good. Court made to support Kings, not tear us down. Question need asked is why we have y'all?" Leith stood to a sting of words hurled at his back. He didn't bother trying to decipher them. His bed called him with a power he couldn't resist.
CHAPTER NINE: FREEDOM
"Sire," Lorn heard someone whisper. Startled, he sat up, bumping his head against something hard. He opened his eyes to see Paxis kneeling beside him, rubbing his own head where they had collided.
"Is this a dream?" Lorn asked, the throbbing in his head and his unfocused eyes giving everything an ethereal quality.
"Shhh! No sire. We've come to rescue you."
Lorn gave a bitter laugh, short and harsh. He was irritated with the tricks his mind was playing. "That's what a dream would say. And who said I needed rescuing? I'm here to do the rescuing."
"Quietly sire, please. We don't need the guards rushing in."
Lorn shivered. He remembered the pain the last beating had given him. Speaking of pain, he wasn't feeling any except an echo of a headache at the base of his skull. Lorn took in deep breaths, his hand against his chest. His skin felt tight, his ribs tender and bruised, which was a vast improvement on earlier when he was sure he'd broken at least three of them.
"You all right? Can you stand?" Paxis asked, his hand falling on Lorn's shoulder.
Lorn couldn't imagine what he must have looked like, but he actually felt human again. His body ached like a giant bruise, but he would take that over feeling like a bag of broken bones. He pulled his feet under him and leveraged himself up onto his knees, then to his feet. Lorn felt shaky, but capable of walking.
"How did you find me?" Lorn asked, flexing his arms and shoulders to make sure they too were in working order.
"The Master of Animals said you were headed to this mountain range. We followed the path and found evidence of a struggle, figured that had to be you. Even found your quiver and arrows, but your bow was broken into pieces along the mountainside. There were drag marks up one hill that were easy to follow. We made entry once night fell and found you."
"Drag marks," Lorn said. He checked the back of his pants, finding rips from where he'd been dragged across the rocky terrain. "That's no way to treat a king of the realm," he complained in a whisper. "Wait. Did you say "we"?"
Paxis nodded, "Lysander sent me here with the rest of the squad."
Lorn wanted to shout for joy, but he contained himself to a little hop instead. "Now we're talking. We can find my mother, and get out of here."
Paxis looked hesitant.
"What is it?" Lorn asked, but he could guess the answer. His insistence in believing Oleana was alive had become a sore issue with many people. Every time he brought it up people looked at him with such pity like he was a lost puppy that needed to be coddled.
"This place is crawling with the enemy and getting to you was a task in itself. There are a lot of curving passageways that lead to nowhere. It could take days to find anyone in this maze and we don't have that kind of time. We had to put a few people out of commission along the way. Someone is sure to notice soon."
Lorn shook his head. "No, no, no! I didn't come this far to then leave without her. I can find her I know I can. I just need you to keep them off my back for a few minutes so I can do so." Lorn thought about making it a direct order, he had that power, but they had risked a lot to find him. He didn't want to step all over that by being a jerk and pushing his weight around.
Paxis shuffled on his feet as if he were mulling over his options. Lorn took the time to look around at his surroundings. The room his cage was in was carved out of a multi-colored rock with lines of blue and green running through the grain. It had room for two cells with thick black iron bars. The cells themselves were bare except for a drain in the floor for something Lorn didn't want to think about. He was more than a little grateful he'd spent as little time in it as he had.
His cell door had the key sticking out of the lock. Lorn guessed his guard was one of the people his squad had to incapacitate in their rescue. Paxis was right, Lorn was a high-value prisoner they wouldn't leave alone for long.
"If you get a couple of your guys to make a distraction, say at the front door, we can have time to find Oleana and get out the back."
"How will you locate her? We just happened on you by accident. You can't even be sure she's here."
"I know she's here. I can feel her. It's hard to explain, but trust me when I say I know she's close. I can lead us straight to her without a problem."
Lorn was exaggerating his certainty, but he did feel his mother. Her signal felt weak, but it was definitely there. He knew it wasn't a ghost image of her. Oleana was alive and holed up in the mountain. A residual piece of her abilities lingered at the back of his mind and Lorn was sure he could use it to locate her, as long as they found her before it faded.
"Time is wasting," Lorn urged.
"Come on then," Paxis reluctantly agreed.
Lorn grabbed Paxis by the shoulders, staring into his sharp brown eyes that oozed cunning. Lorn couldn't believe things were going his way so easily. He had to be sure Paxis wasn't trying to trick him. "So, you believe me that's she's alive, that she's here?"
Paxis nodded. "I won't pretend to understand how you and the other Heirs can do what you do, but I've seen you guys accomplish the impossible," he smiled, awe twinkling in his eyes. "If you say she's here, we owe it to you, and her, to at least have a look around." Paxis moved to pick up something he'd leaned against the wall. He handed over a quiver packed full of arrows and a bow. "Maybe this will help."
It wasn't the bow Lorn built for himself. He tested its pull and the feel of it in his hand. It would do, but he wished he had his sword and his original bow back. He could make another, but it would never be the same as the one he'd lost.
"Thank you." Lorn pulled the straps of the quiver over his shoulders, the familiar weight giving him a needed confidence boost.
Paxis wrapped on the door in three small beats. It opened and Lorn saw two of his squad dressed in the garb of the warriors that had given him such a beating. Mevra and Allana, known as 'the brutal sisters,' looked silly in the ill-fitting clothes. If anyone looked closely it would be very suspicious, but for someone just walking by Lorn hoped the facade would hold. The guard uniforms were obviously meant for bodies much rounder about the middle, and taller. They were like Oleana, with lithe and lean compact bodies. The sisters had dark brown skin, and both kept their coarse, black, shoulder-length hair in braids.
"Hall clear," the first faux guard, Allana reported.
Paxis opened the door enough to let them both out. "Our plans have changed," he explained. "I need you both to grab Kasis and go start a fire at the front door. And then get yourself down the mountain as fast as you can. We're going after Oleana. If we don't catch up to you by dawn, report back to Lysander."
"Yes sir," Mevra and Allana said, they nodded toward Lorn smiling. Together they peeled away as silently as shadows.
"Where are..." Lorn started to ask. Paxis pointed up the hall. Lorn caught sight of a black head peering around the next corner. Then a hand appeared waving them forward.
Lorn reunited with the rest of the squad he'd left reeling from the failed battle of Caledonia, Silver, Dexter, Samantha, and Connor. Seeing all their faces he wanted to offer an apology. The first of many he would have to give before all was over.
"Thanks so much for coming for me," Lorn spouted, afraid he would lose his nerve. He looked down at his feet searching for the right words. "I'm sorry I put you guys in this situation. I just couldn't take the thought of going back to Evermore without searching for my mother." Lorn avoided his squad's eyes. He shuffled nervously on his feet, feeling foolish having to apologize in a whisper.
"We're with you whe
rever you go, sire," Paxis said. The others nodded.
"Thank you," Lorn said. He could feel the blush rising in his cheeks and felt all the more embarrassed because of it. "Okay then," he cleared his throat and pushed past the awkward moment. "Let’s go rescue mother dearest then be free of this place." Lorn closed his eyes searching for that slowly pulsing green light behind his eyelids that represented Oleana's bio signal. It took him a moment to orient his mind to her. He had to build his own mental map to give him a vague direction in which to go.
Lorn started walking before he realized his eyes were still shut. He opened them to find himself less than an inch from the wall. "False start. Sorry. Let’s try that again," he joked. "She's about a hundred yards due east of here."
"I'll take point," Paxis said. "You stay guarded in the middle."
Lorn wanted to object, but the stern look on Paxis' face left no room for argument. They'd risked a lot getting him out, he didn't want that to be for nothing. "In the middle, I promise."
Slipping in behind Paxis was Dexter. He was taller than Lorn and broad like Tycho, which was odd for a native of Darten, but he did have the ruddy skin and sharp facial features common in that realm. That left Samantha, Connor, and Silver to go behind Lorn. He cocked an arrow into his bow. He may have been in the middle, but he would still be prepared to fight.
Lined up, they slipped through the hall, staying close to the wall, and moving on the balls of their feet to make as little noise as possible. Paxis halted them at the first intersection before peeking his head around the corner.
He pulled back on his arrow and let one free, but Lorn didn't step forward because Paxis had given no call to move. He would obey the chain of command, this time, since breaking it got him into such trouble the last time. Paxis disappeared around the corner, leaving Lorn to chomp at the bit while he waited blind behind the back of Dexter.
When Paxis came back, he was wiping an arrow on his thigh. "Move fast," he said, motioning them forward after he put the arrow back in his quiver. They rounded the corner to see another black-clad figure face down on the rock. Lorn had to step over him to get through the narrow corridor.
