“Trust me, Whiteclaw. I have a plan.”
“Care to share that plan?”
“Sorry, I can’t. You’ll just have to trust me.”
Whiteclaw shook his head and smirked.
The tunnel opened to the sky, just in front of the entrance to the castle. The castle rose from the mountain’s peak like a giant flower, opening to the sun. The walls of the castle layered inward, like great, stone petals, disjointed, yet seamless. They came tighter and tighter until they met the lone tower that rose from the middle of the castle, like the flower’s stigma. Atop the tower, burned the Everflame in all its glory. The King’s castle had been carved directly from the peak of the mountain by the tireless work of the elder bears. It was the single greatest achievement in the history of the bears and each of them regarded the castle and its flame as sacred.
Eveneye and Whiteclaw approached the guard at the door to the castle, and told him that they had business in the King’s court. The guard recognized them as two of the King’s advisors and asked no questions as he admitted them into the castle. The door of the castle opened inward, from the middle, to reveal the beauty of the King’s halls. All of the stone on the inside of the castle had been polished so smooth it seemed as though it might be liquid. The castle had many windows, so that during the day, the halls would be lit with natural light. A life-sized sculpture of each of the previous kings lined the walls down the main hall toward the King’s court. Thirty-three in total, beginning with the first king of the bears, King Longbranch, and ending with King Bluestar, Irontooth’s predecessor. A sculpture was only commissioned after a king’s rule had ended.
Eveneye and Whiteclaw made their way to the courtroom and stood in the waiting line, just outside. There were only two parties before them who had cases to present to the King. A guard stood at the entrance to the court and told each party when it was their turn to enter. Almost half an hour passed when the party directly before Eveneye and Whiteclaw were admitted, and the two bears moved up in line. The guard returned and stared blankly at the two bears.
“You can go right in. You know you two don’t have to wait in the case line.”
“No,” said Eveneye, “we do. We have a case to be judged by the King today.”
“Come on now,” said the guard. “You’re pulling a goof on me, you are. You can’t expect me to believe the two of you are at odds with each other.”
“No. We just have something to be presented to the King,” explained Whiteclaw.
“Ooooh.” The guard nodded his head, rolled back and forth on the balls of his feet and then pointed at the bulging sack. “What’s in the bag?”
“None of your business,” shot Whiteclaw.
“Fine. Have it your way.” The guard turned around and began muttering to himself.
A few minutes passed and then the sound of a gong was heard, signaling a decision by the King in the present case. The guard opened the door to the court and extended his arms, signaling that Eveneye and Whiteclaw could enter. The bears walked to the center of the room and stood upon a large star that had been etched into the polished stone. They turned to face the King, whose throne sat upon a series of ten steps. A group of five guards stood on either side of the King. The room was large and this was mostly to accommodate a sizable audience. Bleachers lined both sidewalls and the back wall. The ceiling was open to the sky so that the Everflame could be seen overhead. There were only about two hundred bears in attendance today. The room could easily fit one thousand. It rarely reached such capacity, and today’s audience was rather standard. Still, it seemed a lot for Eveneye, who was seeing the courtroom from this vantage point for the first time. It took he and Whiteclaw a moment to muster their courage before they addressed the King.
“Your Majesty,” said the bears and bowed before King Irontooth.
“What are the two of you doing?” asked Irontooth. “I am in no mood for pranks today.”
Murmurings from the crowd washed over the two bears like a wave.
“Silence!” called the King. He then nodded at Eveneye and Whiteclaw so that they might speak.
“Your Majesty,” began Eveneye, “this is no joke. I am here today to tell you of the events that befell Whiteclaw and myself last night. Whiteclaw is here as my witness of the events. I would ask that you hear my story and then, I will present you with a plan I have that will bring further prosperity to our future. Will you hear me, O King?”
“Of course I will hear you, Eveneye. You are one of my most trusted advisors. I would be a fool to ignore that which you feel you must say. But first,” and the King pointed directly at Eveneye, “I need to know what is moving in that bag.”
Every bear inside the courtroom moved their attention to the sack that hung around Eveneye’s neck, as it was now obvious that something was trying to push its way out.
“As you wish.” Eveneye took the sack from his neck and gently placed it on the floor. He then lifted back the top, and out crawled a smiling, little boy. The crowd erupted in surprise.
“Silence! I demand silence!” The crowd hushed and the King looked down over Eveneye and the child at his feet. “You had better explain yourself, and you had better do it quickly.”
“Yes, Sire.” Eveneye began with the events of the previous night, just as he had given them to his wife, earlier. Ooohs and Aaahs came from the crowd as he told of the battle with the wolves, but the crowd did not seem as impressed with Eveneye’s decision to bring the child to the mountain. Eveneye could see that if he stopped talking, he may never get a chance to speak of his plan. So as his account of the night finished, he proceeded directly to his plan. “So, Sire, this is what I propose. This child is obviously unwanted by the humans and therefore, there is no danger of them attempting to reclaim him. I propose we keep him on the mountain and raise him as a member of our society.” The murmurs of the crowd were getting louder but Eveneye ignored them and continued. “Once the boy becomes an adult, he could become an ambassador of peace between us and the humans. When the humans see that we have taken care of one of their own, they will not fear us any longer. We can begin a new era of peace and cooperation between our two societies. Together, bears and humans could reach goals we never dreamed possible. I beg of you, O King, trust in my judgment. An era of peace between bears and humans would be a great ease to our need for security. We would be able to open trade to lengths we never thought possible. Without humans fearing us, we may also be able to spread the Kingdom of Bears further than ever before. I’m sure there would be many benefits I have not even thought of. The possibilities are endless. I understand that what I ask is radical in nature, but I know, in your wisdom, you will see the truth of my words.”
The King did not need to call for silence again. The crowd was too shocked to make noise. Everyone waited breathlessly for the King to speak.
“What say you, Whiteclaw?” asked the King. “Do you stand in agreement with Eveneye?”
Whiteclaw paused before he spoke, but when he did, his words rang clear.
“I do, good King. Eveneye has always had keen judgment. It has never led me astray.”
Warmth rose up inside of Eveneye at his friend’s kind words. He looked up at the King with a bit of confidence after they had been spoken. The King, however, began to frown and the warmth Eveneye had felt was quickly cooled.
“Eveneye,” said the King. “We all know why you were given such a name. Your good ethics and morals have always given authority to your decisions, even when you were a cub. You have always advised me with the best interest of the Kingdom at heart. You have done your name proud. However, I fear that today, you have brought a mark against it.” Warmth and feeling alike had now left Eveneye’s body. He was in a nightmare he could not escape, and he remained motionless as the King continued. “Bringing this child here was a mistake. It is not the responsibility of bears to rear a child that has been discarded by man. Did you consider what evil might reside in this child that the humans would seek to rid themselve
s of. Look at the child, even now; it has no fear of us. It sits placidly, staring at us. It seems unnatural to me. As for your plan for future prosperity, I say, what is wrong with the prosperity our kingdom sees on this day? We are doing just fine without the aid of humans. Bah. Humans. Humans who have made war with each other and have hunted us for game. Why would we ally with such despicable creatures? This boy that sits in front of us would probably kill you dead once he came of age. No, Eveneye, I would put no stock in humans.”
“But, Sire,” Eveneye pleaded, “it is my belief that a human that was reared through the wisdom of our elders would be very unlike the humans we know now. It would be better. Er…more like us. It would–”
“Enough, Eveneye. Do not try to convince me further. I have made my final decision. You and Whiteclaw will return this child to the nearest village immediately and we will speak of this no more.”
Suddenly, a fire shot through Eveneye that he had never felt. He forgot where he was and whom he was speaking to. He knew only one thing, he was right and no one would take this child away from him.
“The child stays with me,” uttered Eveneye through gritted teeth.
Cries of astonishment came forth from the crowd like the winds of a storm. Eveneye could hear Whiteclaw curse behind him.
“SILENCE!!” roared the King. The crowd hushed and Whiteclaw walked over to the child and gathered him up. He did not know what made him do it. Later, he would reason that it was done out of fear for the child, but from the eyes of the King, it looked like defiance.
King Irontooth looked down upon Eveneye and Whiteclaw from his throne with menace in his eyes and his lips curled.
“You two listen to me, and you listen well! If the two of you do not obey my orders immediately, I will have you removed from your positions and branded as traitors to the King! You will be banished from the Kingdom, never to lay eyes upon the Everflame again! No bear will help you, let alone look at you! Do you understand me?”
The fire intensified inside of Eveneye. He could not allow the child to be sent back to the humans, back to its death. How could this King he had followed be so heartless, so unfeeling. He began to see Irontooth in a new light and it sickened him. This king did not deserve his service. This king deserved his wrath and he unleashed it upon him.
“Oh, I understand, good King. I understand well. You would forfeit the life of this helpless boy, rather than use your brain to allow rational thought. You would mire your people in tradition and complacence, rather than see them grow through foresight and innovation. You would allow fear and ignorance to prevent the hope of a better day. You are a coward!” Eveneye then stood on his hind legs and roared more loudly than he ever had. Whiteclaw and the child trembled behind him and Whiteclaw uttered:
“Don’t do this, Even. Please. Stop.”
Eveneye didn’t hear him as he stood there, in the center of the court. Every bear in attendance knew what was about to happen, though not one of them could believe their ears as Eveneye began to speak the words of fate.
“Oh King, you have fallen in mine eyes and I no longer stand at your side! To you, I CHALLENGE!!”
Eveneye’s words echoed through the chamber like thunder. No one moved. No one spoke. Irontooth’s eyes had gone bloodshot with rage. His claws had dug deep into his throne, and his jaw shook as he spoke, “So be it.”
Chapter 3: Blood and Fire
“What’s done is done, Whiteclaw. You can’t be mad at me forever.”
Eveneye and Whiteclaw sat in a prison cell below the courtroom with their backs turned to each other. The King’s guard had arrested both of them directly after Eveneye had challenged the King. They did not know where the boy had been taken, but they knew he would not be harmed until after the ritual had been completed.
“You should have told me what you meant to do if the King refused you. I had the right to know.”
“You would have tried to stop me, Whiteclaw.”
“You’re damn right, I would have tried to stop you!” Whiteclaw turned around to face Eveneye, furious. “Challenge the King? You are a fool, Eveneye! I should have reported that child myself! You have ruined me, you have ruined your wife, and you have sentenced yourself to death!”
Eveneye did not turn to face Whiteclaw, but he spoke calmly and clearly.
“I will complete my challenges. I will not fail.”
Whiteclaw huffed and spun himself back away from Eveneye, preferring the view of the wall.
Eveneye had spoken the words of fate and challenged the King, and law said that Eveneye was now subject to challenges of his own. The reward for completing all three challenges was possession of the Kingdom, but the penalty for failure was death. Long ago, the elder bears had written this law into existence in the case of a king who was a tyrant. It was in place so that the bears of the Kingdom could choose a champion among them to challenge and dethrone a tyrant. Yet the challenges were created to be very difficult in order to deter those who would seek the throne for unjust reasons. In the history of the bears, only one new king had been crowned by this method and that was the warrior king, Blackmaw. Blackmaw was a champion of the people and they begged him to challenge the tyrant, Bloodpaw. It had happened a long time ago and was honored as one of the events shown on the ceiling of the main tunnel. No bear that lived today had been alive to witness it.
The ritual consisted of three challenges. The first challenge was of the mind, the second challenge would be physical and the third, if one should make it that far, was a duel against the king. The duel would be fought to the death.
The bears sat in their cell for what seemed like ages. There was very little light where their cell was located and they could hear nothing of what was going on in the castle around them. Eveneye worried about Goldenheart. Undoubtedly, the King had sent for her by now. She must be terrified. Eveneye cursed himself for not having protected her better.
Suddenly, the one torch that dimly lit the chamber went out. The bears could hear shuffling and clinking and then the cell door opened.
“Move and you die.”
Both Eveneye and Whiteclaw could sense other bears around them and then felt the cold tips of spears. The King’s guard held Eveneye and Whiteclaw at spear point, and as they did, they fit them with shackles and blindfolds.
“Consider this your funeral march,” uttered one of the guards. The rest of the King’s guard laughed as they ushered Eveneye and Whiteclaw out of the cell.
Eveneye and Whiteclaw were not aware of where the King’s guard was taking them. Eveneye thought he had a pretty good guess though. Tales of Blackmaw’s challenges were told to all bears from a very young age, and there was only one place in the entire kingdom that could host such a thing: the Mountain Arena. The King would want the entire Kingdom to witness, what he would expect to be, the death of someone seeking the throne.
Eveneye and Whiteclaw could see nothing, but continued to walk the downward-sloping path leading to their fate. Eveneye reasoned that they must be in a tunnel leading away from the castle. He could hear nothing except for the pounding of their feet. After roughly twenty minutes, the lead guard called for a halt, and Eveneye could hear a door open. The tip of a spear prodded him through the door. His shackles were removed and he heard the door close behind him. They had left Eveneye alone. The bear reached up and removed his blindfold to find himself in a large room, bisected by steel bars. Just another cell, he thought. But as he turned, looking around the cell, he found himself staring out at King Irontooth.
“Why have you done this to yourself, Eveneye?”
“You gave me no choice. No good bear would have sent that child back into hands that wished to harm it. I did it to save the boy’s life.”
“You lie. No bear can care that much for a human. I am no idiot. You have organized this whole charade as a reason to take the crown for yourself. You and your friend, Whiteclaw, seek power and that is all. Your motives are base, Eveneye, I shall enjoy watching your death.”
&n
bsp; “What do you know of my motives? I have lived my life watching the Kingdom of Bears hide from the world. That isolation has poisoned our minds and it has clouded your judgment. Our antisocial behavior has made us enemies that are more powerful than we give credit. I walked into that courtroom today in your service, with the hope of saving a life, a life of no less value than yours or of mine. That child has done no injustice in this world, yet you condemn him. Why? Fear? Apathy? Neither is an acceptable reason. As I said, you have given me no choice.”
“You insult your own kind, Eveneye. I think you forget what it is that you are.”
“What I am has no bearing on what is right.”
“It has everything to do with what is right. There is no escaping that. Your confused logic has damned you, Eveneye. Damned you and your wife and your friend.”
“What have you done with them?” Eveneye gripped the bars of his cell in sudden panic.
“I’ve done nothing, and I will do nothing with them. Of course, Whiteclaw will be removed from his position, but other than that, I will do nothing. Your decisions will be punishment enough for them. After your death, who will be there for your wife? Hmm? What bear would marry her and take on that shame? The same for Whiteclaw, I imagine. Who knows? Maybe they will find comfort in each other’s arms when you are gone.” King Irontooth chuckled and turned to leave. “Oh, and as for the boy. His body shall burn upon the pyre of the Everflame, for your disobedience.”
King Irontooth left the room, and left Eveneye seething with anger. I shall not fail, thought Eveneye. Nothing shall stop me. Nothing.
• • •
After a short time in the cell, a guard came and escorted Eveneye to the gate of the Mountain Arena. He motioned Eveneye through the gate and closed it behind him. As Eveneye walked out onto the floor of the arena, he felt as though he had walked onto the surface of a place he had never been. He looked up, all around him, and saw that the arena was filled with the citizens of the Kingdom. What made the situation so surreal was that every single bear in the audience was silent. It was so silent, he could hear his own heartbeat. Thousands of bears, in one awkward silence. The truth of the situation was that there wasn’t a single bear that dare make a sound. Who would dare to cheer a bear that would defy a King, and who would dare to jeer a bear whose defiance may gain him the crown? This was history. Today would be sacred. The bears knew how to give the moment the reverence it deserved.
Everflame: The Complete Series Page 3
