The Banished Lands- The Complete Series

by Benjamin Mester

  But the pounding in Durian's head compelled him to search for water. There was a large pinkish shell half sunk in the sand nearby him. It's lip was pointed heavenward and Durian hurried over to see if by some miracle it had collected any rain water.

  Pulling the shell from the sand, the clear, crisp sloshing of water greeted him and Durian raised it to his lips, not yet knowing if the water was fresh or salty and too thirsty to resist a taste. To his great relief, a small stream of fresh water trickled into his mouth, which Durian drank of jealously. It revived him somewhat back to his normal senses, though it contained no more than a gulp.

  Durian set off along the beach, searching for anything useful amid the wreckage. He knew it vain to hope that their stores of food and water were spared destruction, but pieces of rope or a compass might be of great use in the journey. A quick search yielded little more than bits of wood, all else having come to rest on the lonely bed of the sea, where even perhaps Pallin now slumbered.

  Durian tried not to think about it. Pallin could very well have made it to shore elsewhere and could even now be off seeking the House, Cavanah. But how would he find them? Cavanah lived in hiding from the forces of Corcoran. Durian remembered Sheabor once saying that the Banished Lands were three times larger than the Eastern Realm. The thought now terrified him. If Corcoran couldn't find the House, Cavanah, how were he and Pallin supposed to?

  Durian glanced to the sky, where the sun had already begun its decline into the burning west. He was weak and exhausted, with none of the tools needed to fend for himself in the wild. The best thing he could do was to use the daylight hours to find water and gather wood for a fire. There was enough metal attached to the rigging of some of the boat that if he found some flint rock, he could make himself a fire.

  So Durian set off into the wooded hillside, quickly finding a narrow rivulet, which wasn't a perennial stream, but just a slow trickle of rain water brought to life for just a few days by the raging storm. Durian had brought his shell with him, which he now found could hold a surprising amount of water.

  Once he'd satisfied his thirst, he made back for the shoreline, gathering the bark of pine trees as he went. Suriyans were experts in the craft of fire, being a necessity at the bottom of the world, and he'd learned long ago that pine tree bark somehow remained dry even just after a drenching storm. Durian had often saved it from the logs he worked with back in Suriya, using it as kindling to start his home fire burning. How far away that seemed from him now.

  But Durian considered himself fortunate. He had found fresh water and dry wood for a fire, and was even near a bay, which would have a plentiful supply of fish. If he could find enough rope from the rigging of the ship, he could make some line and would perhaps even have a warm meal of fish tonight. Things were looking up. If Pallin's luck held, he'd show up just when Durian had trimmed his fire and cooked his fish.

  Durian smiled at the thought, searching for any kind of flint, but coming up short. Even so, he found some candidates that could possibly work. Flint wasn't the only stone to spark when struck against metal. Durian tested the various rocks he found and one of them sparked when he drug the metal of his rigging over the face of it. He was overjoyed, knowing that for the first time in days, he might finally be warm.

  The sun was beginning to wane against the far horizon. He'd only have a few hours of daylight left. Collecting as much rope as he could find, he unraveled it down to its finest thread to make line for fishing. Durian fashioned a hook from a bit of metal and dug up some large worms from the forest soil.

  Sunset was upon him, which meant the fish were feeding. Sometimes after a storm, so much natural food would be washed into the water that the fish would get their fill for days to come. But Durian's heart leaped when the line tugged and he pulled a fish from the sea.

  By nightfall he had a warm fire going and a fish roasting on a stick. He could only hope that Pallin had fared half so well. But where was he? Once he had gotten his fill of meat and drank once more from his shell, Durian's mind began to roam the possibilities of just what kind of place he had found himself in. Was this really the Banished Lands? Durian could scarcely believe it. Far more likely, he had been marooned on some never explored island.

  Now that he'd cooked and eaten his meal, Durian considered stamping out his fire and finding a more concealed spot to sleep for the night. But it felt like such a remote place where he'd landed and he was still quite tired from his grueling ordeal. And if Pallin really was out there somewhere, he'd need some way to find Durian.

  So Durian began drifting off to sleep. But a rustling in the woods behind him drew his attention. He sat up and gazed into the blackness of the trees, seeing nothing at first. More rustling. Durian's eyes darted back and forth, trying to discern their origin. Then, as one, men at arms appeared between the trees. Durian's eyes went wide. He wanted to run but they had him surrounded. Slowly, Durian raised his hands in surrender.

  The Council

  Ariadra's father, Tohrnan, didn't sleep all night, though he'd retired to bed early to avoid his daughter, Aerova, who didn't yet know of Ariadra's brief return to Ogrindal. But he tossed and turned on his bed, worrying for Ariadra, who was out in the damp, chilled forest alone. In the morning he arose early to go for a walk and was surprised to see Aerova come out of her room in the still dark morning hours. Tohrnan struggled for explanation over his strange behavior but Aerova didn't press him about it, for he sometimes sought his solitude when the grief of his wife's passing, Aerova's mother, became too much to bear.

  This time it was more than grief – it was grief, guilt, and dread all swirling in one dark pool of feeling. He arose at first light and tended the faintly glowing embers from the night before. When the fire was again kindled, he left his home bound for town square, listening to hear if anything of note had happened during the night. But only a few souls were already stirring.

  Tohrnan clenched his arms against his chest to retain the vital warmth. The morning breeze danced atop the grasses, unimpeded through the gap in the main wall. The sun hadn't yet fallen on the city, but the white peaks of the Ruhkan Mountains were shining brightly in the morning sky. Tohrnan thought of Ariadra and the conversation they'd had. He had treated her badly and hadn't known until seeing her again, just how much his grief had really changed him.

  Tohrnan wandered the empty town square, knowing that only one true way existed to find the information he sought. So he made for the gap in the wall, where guards were always stationed. Walking briskly down the dirt path and keeping to the shelter of the buildings, when the guards saw him, even afar off, they straightened their posture in respect to one of the council members. But before Tohrnan uttered his first question, one of the two guards addressed him first.

  “Sir, I thought the council was in session this morning.”

  “Are you certain?” Tohrnan replied. “I wasn't aware of any meeting.”

  The guard squirmed a bit in discomfort at correcting one of the council members, but nodded that his information was correct.

  “The meeting was declared suddenly, I believe,” the guard continued. “A prisoner was captured during the night. They must have overlooked summoning you somehow. Or perhaps you left this morning before the summons arrived. Shall one of us accompany you to the council chamber?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Tohrnan turned immediately and set his course for the council chamber, his heart racing. There had been no mistake. He wouldn't let this stand. In short time, Tohrnan was standing before a closed council chamber, two guards barring his entrance. The door to the council chamber was never opened once council was in session but there was a fury in Tohrnan's eyes. They would have to kill him to keep him out. And though they did everything in their power to forestall him, they dare not lay a hand on him and he pushed forward, pounding upon the thick wooden door, which was locked from the inside. For what seemed like minutes, Tohrnan smote his hand against the solid door until it nearly felt broken. But at l
ength, the door opened and he stormed inside.

  “You've had my daughter arrested!” Tohrnan said. “What gives you the right?”

  The question hung in the air for long moments.

  “Your daughter was caught fleeing the city,” Whinden said. “Odd for the innocent to run, wouldn't you say?”

  Tohrnan shot his eyes to Whinden, the leader of the council, who undoubtedly was responsible for calling this private meeting. Tohrnan stood in the middle of the broad circle, as though he himself were on trial.

  “Is that the only thing you have against her...trying to leave Ogrindal?” he asked.

  “Sadly, no,” Whinden responded. “Some information has been brought to light by my aid, Dhelgar, of which you may or may not have been privy.”

  Tohrnan recognized Dhelgar, a small man, not in stature but in character and virtue...nothing more than a simple errand boy.

  “What information?” Tohrnan asked.

  “Have a seat, Tohrnan,” commanded Whinden.

  Tohrnan clenched his jaw but did as he was bade, taking up the only empty chair left in the large ring.

  “It seems your daughter actively opposed my aid, Dhelgar, in his repeated attempts to bring our people home. She sided with the interests of the outsiders over those of her own people.”

  Tohrnan hadn't had time to talk with Ariadra about what had happened during her time in the alliance city. He didn't know how to respond to the accusation.

  “Whatever she did, I'm sure she did what she thought was right. She would never betray her own people. She didn't know what's happened here this winter.”

  “That may be so, but her actions have inadvertently cost lives. She stood against Dhelgar at every meeting of their assembly, and even used her status as a council member's daughter to curry favor with the outsiders. She has sided with those who have plundered us and left us to rot. She's worse than an outsider. She's a traitor.”

  “That's not true and you know it.”

  “You're blind to the truth because she's your daughter. Why did she even come back? Was it to gloat in the splendor of their new city while ours still lies in ruins? The fact that she fled the same day as her arrival speaks for itself.”

  Tohrnan felt a sudden fear grip him, knowing the real reason Ariadra had come home, to prepare for her wedding. If Whinden found out she was engaged to be married to one of the leaders of the alliance city, who knows how he'd react. It would only confirm in his mind that Ariadra had turned against her own people. Tohrnan's hesitation caused Whinden's eyes to narrow. Though he was a self-absorbed tyrant of a man, he was also clever and shrewd.

  “She came back to Ogrindal for love of her family and home,” Tohrnan replied. “She's missed us terribly. But news of her mother's death riddled her with guilt. You have the wrong idea about why she left so soon after arriving. I was upset when I saw her. I hadn't forgiven her for leaving and somehow blamed her for the death of her mother. I told her she wasn't welcome in my home anymore. That's why she was in such a hurry to leave.”

  “Then you admit she betrayed you!”

  “No, I overreacted,” he said. “I treated her badly. I'm very thankful the Forest Guard found her. Now I have the chance to apologize. I don't know if she would have survived out there in the state she was in. Thank you for finding her.”

  Whinden stared intently into the face of Tohrnan. It was a good story, even convincing. But Whinden was no one's fool.

  “You're lucky she wasn't killed on the spot, Tohrnan. Now that our people have all returned safely, I've issued orders that anyone found entering or fleeing Thay Iphilus Forest be killed. No outsider will ever again be permitted access to Ogrindal. And none from Ogrindal will leave the bounds of this forest until this city has regained its former glory. I hope your daughter is planning to be with us for quite some time.”

  Tohrnan felt another streak of anxiety and fear at the declaration. Whinden was still gazing at him, reading his reactions.

  “Isn't that order a bit overzealous?” Tohrnan replied at length. “The people of Ogrindal have always been free to do as they please.”

  “What do you expect us to do?” Whinden asked in disgust. “These outsiders have changed Ogrindal forever. Their war with the Windbearer has revealed our city to the world. Now even a blind fool can stumble into the forest and find us. They've exposed us and left us at the world's mercy. But we are taking our destiny back into our own hands.”

  A few in the council voiced their approval but most remained silent. Tohrnan didn't know what to say and to speak further could be harmful. For now, it appeared that Ariadra was in no immediate danger. That sufficed him.

  “If your daughter really is one of us, she'll welcome this edict. She will help restore Ogrindal to its former splendor. But if she attempts an escape, she will be killed without partiality.”

  “She will not try to escape,” Tohrnan assured. “You have nothing more to fear from her.”

  Tohrnan arose and walked to leave.

  “There's one more thing,” Whinden said, stalling his departure.

  Tohrnan turned and gave his full attention.

  “Dhelgar has reported that your daughter grew quite close to one of the leaders of the outsiders, a man very important to their cause. If he tries coming here to look for her and we are forced to kill him, it could lead to war. Tell us now what attachment Ariadra has to this man.”

  “She mentioned nothing to me,” Tohrnan replied. “If she really was in love with him, then why would she leave him and his city?”

  All eyes turned to Whinden. Tohrnan waited another moment and then departed.

  Some time later, Tohrnan wandered back toward his home, hesitating outside for long minutes. He hadn't gone straight home, but had ambled about the city all morning, lost in thought, his heart and mind stricken. He felt such guilt now for how he had treated his daughter, ashamed that he had acted no better than Whinden and the rest who had grown bitter. He should have been better...should have risen above it.

  But his current predicament was more pressing in his mind. What was he going to do? Should he have told Whinden of Ariadra's engagement to Baron? If Whinden knew of their engagement, perhaps he'd just let Ariadra go. But something told Tohrnan that Whinden wouldn't react calmly or rationally to such knowledge.

  Only one question now filled his mind. What were they going to do if this Baron came wandering into Thay Iphilus Forest looking for Ariadra? How long would this Baron wait until worry and concern compelled him to look for her? But if this man, Baron, really was an important person in the alliance city, Tohrnan could only hope that responsibility and duty would keep him occupied until Ogrindal got back on its feet. If Ariadra was to spend the winter here, perhaps by spring, Tohrnan could convince Whinden to let her go. Tohrnan knew what had to be done. A plan was forming in his mind, one which could cause great pain, but was the only way to save both Ariadra and this Baron she claimed to love.

  Tohrnan walked forward, pushing the door slowly open, his daughter, Aerova, seated at the table. As he entered, she rose to her feet, and seeing her almost startled him, momentarily thinking Ariadra now stood face to face with him.

  “Father, what's happened?” Aerova asked. “I heard talk that Ariadra has returned with the caravan.”

  Tohrnan nodded slowly, still unsure if he should tell her all or protect her from the pain his plan would undoubtedly cause. But he breathed in deep and looked her in the eyes.

  “Ariadra came back yesterday,” he said. “And what I'm about to tell you, you must never repeat.”

  Aerova took a step forward, placing her hand on his arm.

  “What is it, father?”

  “Ariadra is engaged to be married to one of the leaders of the alliance city.”

  Aerova smiled and sighed in great relief at the harmlessness of the information, unsure at his urgency to keep such happy news private.

  “Baron was in love with her from the moment they first met,” Aerova recalled. “You shoul
d have seen him. It was adorable.”

  “That's what I was afraid of.”

  The declaration drew a look of concern.

  “Father, what's wrong? Where is Ariadra?”

  “She was arrested trying to leave the forest last night. I told her she wouldn't be safe here and so she left. Things happened between her and Whinden's aid at the alliance city. I don't want to explain now. Whinden has made a decree that none should leave the forest, nor will any from the outside world be permitted into Ogrindal. I tried to get her free before anyone was the wiser but they found her and brought her back.”

  Aerova nodded, having just heard the decree herself.

  “I'm concerned that this Baron may grow worried and come looking for Ariadra,” Tohrnan continued. “If he does, Whinden may very well have him killed or imprisoned. Our only chance is that his duties keep him busy enough that he doesn't stray to come and find her.”

  Aerova looked to the floor, pondering. When she raised her eyes back to meet her father's, his gaze told her she hadn't yet heard the worst of it.

  “What is it?”

  “If Baron does come to Ogrindal, you may need to do something very difficult.”

  “What?”

  “I've thought about it all morning. If he does come to Ogrindal, there's only one way we can save both him and Ariadra. Their only chance will be for you to convince this man that your sister no longer loves him...that their marriage will never happen.”

  Aerova took a step back in shock.

  “Baron would never believe me. He'd know I was being forced to say it.”

  Tohrnan clenched his jaw and a look of true sorrow appeared in his eyes.

  “He will believe you if he thinks the words are coming from Ariadra's own lips.”

  Aerova's face went white.

  “No. You can't ask me to do that. I won't do it.”

  “I truly hope you won't have to. But prepare yourself for what to say if the time comes.”