She slid off Selix’s back once the dragon touched down. He growled and shook his head.
“I want to walk for a while,” she told Selix. “You don’t have to wait on me.”
An image of Selix walking beside Brianna filled her mind.
“You’re a good friend.”
They walked in silence after that. Selix was tired and hungry, but the dragon refused to leave Brianna, even to hunt. Brianna’s legs soon hurt from exertion, her strength leached away by her grief. She cried again, but no tears came. After an hour of slow walking, the remnants of the small village at Walheta’s Gate came into view. The town had been almost completely destroyed by the Leffers—the flying centaur-like creatures with delicate wings which extended from the horse’s flanks like a dragonfly’s wings, and a massive scorpion tail that curled wickedly up behind the creature’s backs.
The only structure still in good repair was the little village’s feasting hall. It was a long, two story structure that had been the center of the small community. Even though it was almost dark, she could hear Quinn and Mansel still hard at work. Light spilled out of the windows of the large structure and long shadows spread from the piles of rubble that had been the homes and workshops around the small village. Brianna could smell animals and woodsmoke, it gave her a homey, inviting feeling.
“I’m safe now,” Brianna said to Selix. “Go and hunt. I’ll be here when you return.”
The dragon nuzzled her with his terrible face, then jumped into the air. She stopped and watched the him fly away. Seeing dragons fly was even more beautiful than seeing horses gallop, she thought to herself. Then she steeled her nerves and turned toward the feasting hall.
From the shadows a voice rang out.
“Who goes there?” said a man with a gruff voice.
“I am Brianna. I am returning with news of the Yelsian forces.”
“You’re the dragon keeper?”
“Yes,” she said, not wanting to take the time to correct the soldier’s misconceptions.
“Alright, you can go in, I suppose.”
“Thank you.”
She never saw the man who was hidden in the shadows of the large building. She circled wide and found several more soldiers standing watch near the main entrance. The doors to the feasting hall were open; there was the smell of food cooking and the sound of people talking. She was questioned by the guards outside the hall, but after ensuring that she had no weapons they allowed her inside.
Brianna stepped into the hall and was surprised to see long rows of tables with simple wooden benches lining both sides of the room. A wide aisle ran down the center of the room, straight to a large fireplace that crackled and popped merrily. She could smell wine and ale along with baking bread and roasting meat. Her stomach growled but she ignored it. There were several groups of men loitering around the large space, most talking in hushed tones. She didn’t recognize any of the men, so she didn’t speak. She could hear the hammering and sawing of men at work up on one of the two rows of guest rooms that stood out over either side of the feasting hall. She followed the sounds up a flight of stairs and discovered Mansel, Quinn, and Nycoll in a small room where they had knocked out the wall to the adjoining room.
“Brianna!” Quinn said when she stepped in. “You’re back.”
She nodded.
“Is Zollin down stairs?” Quinn asked.
“No, he didn’t return with me.”
“Nycoll,” Mansel said. “Would you fetch Brianna some wine?”
Nycoll slipped out of the room.
“Is he dead?” Quinn asked, his voice stiff.
“No,” Brianna said. “Zollin lives. We found the King’s Army. King Felix was set on taking the throne of Falxis, but we convinced him to come north.”
“That’s good news,” Quinn said.
Brianna didn’t smile.
“Then one of his generals killed him,” Brianna said flatly.
“What?” Quinn asked in disbelief.
“General Corlis cut King Felix down right in front of us and the entire army,” she explained. “The Royal Guard fell in around him. Obviously he had planned to slay the king at some point and had secretly persuaded the guards to support him in usurping the throne.”
“Bastards!” Quinn said, angrily. “They’re supposed to protect the king, not betray him.”
“Corlis turned Selix and Tig against us. We fought back and Embyr was slain before we managed to kill Corlis. The other dragons were all injured during the battle. Zollin convinced the army to turn back and return to their ships, so they could sail north and join us here, but the witch’s horde were too close for the army to make a clean escape.”
“Were they killed?” Mansel asked.
“No, Zollin and I held them off for as long as we could. The army made it back to the coast and we formed a line of defense, but there were so many monsters that we were nearly overrun.”
“Was Zollin hurt?” Quinn asked.
“No, he’s fine.”
“So why didn’t he return?”
“Is he escorting the King’s army north?” Mansel asked.
“No,” Brianna said, looking down at the floor. Her throat felt tight and she wanted to run away, but she knew that Quinn needed to know what his son was doing. “We saw to it the army made it to their ships safely. And then Zollin said he was going south to fight Gwendolyn.”
“What?” Quinn said. “He’s going alone?”
“I tried to dissuade him, but he insisted. He’s going down into the underworld to fight her.”
Quinn groaned and dropped heavily into a chair.
“Quinn, I tried to go with him, but he left me in the night while I slept.”
“He didn’t want you to go because he doesn’t think he’ll be coming back, does he?”
She shook her head, tears filling her eyes once more.
“Well,” Quinn said. “He’s doing his duty. We had better do ours.”
“What is our duty now?” Mansel asked.
“The army will be coming along soon,” Quinn said. “We’ll need to help them if we can.”
Nycoll returned with wine and several small cups on a tray.
“Dinner will be ready soon,” she said.
Mansel and Quinn both took cups. Nycoll handed one to Brianna and poured her wine first. Brianna sipped her drink and closed her eyes.
“How bad is it?” Quinn asked. “The army we’ll be facing, are they terrible?”
“They are mutated humans,” Brianna said. “Men and women, their bodies distorted. They have grown unnaturally tall and strong, but the muscles are misshapen and their faces are warped into hideous masks of pain and fear. They seem almost mindless and attack like swarming insects with no thought to their own pain or death.”
“Gods help us,” Nycoll said.
“And how many are there?” Quinn asked.
“More than we could count,” Brianna said. “It must be at least half of the population of Falxis, Osla, and Ortis combined. Literally thousands upon thousands.”
“How will we fight that many?” Nycoll asked, her fingers gripping her cup so tightly it was starting to shake.
Mansel put his arm around her, comfortingly.
“Zollin was hopeful that at least a portion of the witch’s horde of monsters would go to the east around the Sea of Kings and up toward Baskla.”
“That would certainly be helpful,” Quinn said. “How much time do you suppose we have before they arrive.”
“A week maybe. They travel through the night and don’t seem to need food or rest, but they’re moving slowly.”
“Good. We have enough time to prepare then. How long until the King’s army arrives?”
“A couple more days before they make landfall. Then I would guess two days before they can offload all the men, animals and supplies. They’ll need help getting the supplies here, they didn’t have time to break down the wagons and reload them onto the ships.”
“That’s cutti
ng it close,” Mansel said. “It won’t do us much good if all the food is on ships and we’ve no way to get it here.”
“I’ll speak to Jorgyn,” Quinn said. “Perhaps there are more wagons in Green Glen that could be commandeered to form a supply train.”
“I can send a dragon to see when Prince Wilam will arrive,” Brianna said.
“He’ll be here tomorrow,” Mansel said. “The cavalry under Commander Hausey arrived yesterday. He said that Wilam and the dwarves shouldn’t be more than two days behind the legion of light cavalry from Felson.”
“That’s good news at least,” Brianna said, but she didn’t look happy about the news at all; she looked discouraged.
Quinn put his hand on her shoulder. “Somehow we’ll all manage,” he said, trying to sound comforting. “For now, lets get something to eat and then get some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”
Mansel led Nycoll out of the room. Quinn started to follow but when Brianna didn’t get up from her chair he turned back to her.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
“I will be.” She tried not to notice the way Quinn’s features reminded her of Zollin. “I just need a little time alone.”
“Alright, but don’t take too long. You need to eat and a little more wine wouldn’t hurt you, either.”
She nodded and Quinn closed the door behind him when he left. The room had two lanterns burning, which lit the space where Quinn and Mansel had been working very well. Brianna blew out the one nearest her. She couldn’t help but feel that her world was all in darkness now. Somehow she had to pretend to be happy with Wilam. Under different circumstances she might have let him comfort her, she had in all likelihood lost her best friend after all. But Wilam had lost his father and would be crowned king of Yelsia. He would need her comfort and support, not her grief. She had hoped to have more time before he arrived, but it was foolish not to want him and the dwarves here to fight beside them.
She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. She would go down and eat with the others. She would try to sleep. Perhaps, she thought to herself, things would look better in the morning. She blew out the other lantern, plunging the room into darkness, and she couldn’t help but think that her future was just as dark.
Chapter 3
Dinner in the feasting hall was tense. The animosity between King Zorlan who had taken up residence in the largest of the refurbished rooms Quinn and Mansel had been working on, and Commander Hausey who had just recently arrived, was palpable. The King whose kingdom was overrun maintained his lavish tastes, while Hausey, who commanded a force of trained soldiers five times as large as Zorlan’s, was austere to say the least. He had taken one of the old rooms for his quarters, with nothing more than a bed and chamber pot.
Hausey had seen that his men and their horses were taken care of before he saw to his own needs, as was his habit. He was a military man through and through, and although he didn’t know the size or the ferocity of the threat coming against him, he took the danger seriously. The fact that he despised King Zorlan may have stemmed from Zorlan’s invasion into Yelsia, or it may have been the King’s arrogant attitude toward Hausey’s rank. Either way, neither man made any effort to bridge the divide between them.
When Brianna came downstairs she found two separate groups. King Zorlan and his officers sat at one table, Commander Hausey and his officers sat at another. She wondered briefly how different things would be once the dwarves arrived.
“Come sit with us,” Mansel said to Brianna, leading her over to Quinn and Nycoll sitting near Commander Hausey.
She followed and when she approached the table Hausey stood and spoke to her.
“My lady,” he said with a small bow of his head.
“That isn’t necessary,” Brianna said.
“You are the betrothed of our Crown Prince,” Hausey said. “It is only proper that you be treated with deference.”
“She’s had a long, hard trip, Commander,” Quinn said. “She needs to eat.”
“May I join you?” Hausey asked.
“Of course,” Brianna said. “You want news of the King’s army?”
“Ah, yes,” he said, a little ashamed of his motives.
“It’s alright commander. I’m afraid the news isn’t good however.”
She leaned across the table toward Hausey so she could whisper her report.
“The King is dead,” she said. “King Felix was murdered by General Corlis just outside Luxing City.”
Hausey’s face was unreadable. He was so silent and still it was as if he had turned to stone before their eyes.
“The Royal Guard supported Corlis, but Zollin and I defeated him.”
“Where is the usurper?”
“He is dead,” Brianna said. “I killed him.”
“Well...” Commander Hausey said, looking clearly uncomfortable. “That is good news I suppose. Although I would have preferred to look the traitor in the eye when his death sentence was carried out.”
“Under different circumstances I would have preferred that as well, but there simply wasn’t time. The witch’s army nearly overran our forces. We managed to get the King’s army back to their armada safely enough, but we face a threat unlike anything you can imagine.”
“So,” Commander Hausey said. “The army is returning?”
“They are, under the command of General Tolis.”
“I see,” Hausey nodded in approval. “Tolis is a good man. Does Prince Wilam know the fate of his father?”
“No,” Brianna said.
“Then we should go to meet him tomorrow. He will have to take charge of the King’s Army.”
“Yes,” Quinn said. “We can see to that tomorrow. Brianna can travel on the dragons faster than we can on horseback. She can tell him the news.”
“Yes,” Hausey said, “of course. I’m sorry if I’ve been rude. I admit I suspected General Corlis of treacherous ambition, but I had no idea he would murder the king.”
“What’s done is done,” Brianna said. “If King Felix had listened to reason he would be here already, surrounded by loyal men like yourself. We must do all we can to stop the witch’s army, that is our first priority. If we fail, there won’t be a kingdom to worry about.”
“You’re right, my lady. I will see to it that my men are prepared.”
“Good,” Brianna said. “I will go to Wilam at first light and bring him here.”
“Thank you,” Commander Hausey said. “Am I right in assuming we aren’t sharing this information with King Zorlan yet?”
“Yes,” Brianna said. “I wanted Wilam to know first.”
“I agree.”
The meal that followed the quiet conversation was muted and short. Brianna ate quickly and quietly. Nycoll and Mansel whispered to one another and Quinn seemed lost in his own thoughts. He drank more than he ate which made Brianna sad. She knew he was grieving for Zollin. The young wizard had been in dangerous situations before, some almost unimaginable, but none seemed so desperate as his fight with the witch.
Brianna finished her meal and went to find a place to sleep. Quinn showed her to his own room. There were two small beds, one against each wall of the tiny room. It reminded her of the winter they spent in Brighton’s Gate. They had shared a room then too, and it was almost identical to the one she found herself in now. She laid down on the bed, wrapping herself in the blankets to hide her tears. Quinn had returned to the feasting hall and Brianna could hear the men below her talking in hushed tones, their cups and plates rattling on the long, wooden tables.
She tried to sleep but she couldn’t. Zollin’s face floated in her mind, serious and sad, just as he had looked when he told her he was going south to face Gwendolyn alone. She had insisted on going with him, but he had left her. He had made the choice to distance himself from her. She had told him she wouldn’t marry Wilam, had tried to convince Zollin that she wanted to be with him alone, but he had sent her back. She felt the rejection deep in her bones and
the anguish made it hard to breathe.
Then she remembered the letters that Zollin had sent with her. She found her small pack of supplies and pulled out the parchment. Each letter was folded neatly and clearly marked with the name of the recipient. She placed them both on Quinn’s bed.
Two hours later, when Quinn came quietly back into the room with only a candle to light his way, Brianna pretended to be asleep. She watched him through half closed eyelids. He was swaying slightly, obviously drunk. He had drowned his sorrows in wine and now he was coming to sleep it off. She saw when he noticed the letters and sat heavily onto his bed, opposite Brianna. He made a clumsy effort to place his candle in the little sconce on the table near the foot of his bed. She almost got up to help him, but she knew he needed privacy. She felt guilty watching him read what they both guessed were Zollin’s last words to his father.
Quinn unfolded the letter and leaned toward the candle for more light. He read the letter, wiping the tears that flowed from his eyes as he did so. It took him several minutes to read the short letter. He kept breaking into silent sobs. She couldn’t imagine how he felt. She knew that Zollin’s mother had died during childbirth. Quinn had raised Zollin all by himself, never taking another wife or even showing interest in another woman until he met Miriam just a few short months ago. Now his son was saying goodbye and the very thought of it made Brianna feel cold.
She watched him fold the letter back up and tuck it into a small flap in his shirt. He blew out the candle and fell back onto his bed. Brianna eventually fell asleep listening to Quinn sniffle.
Five Kingdoms: Book 07 - Wizard Falling Page 2
