The Guardians (Book 2)

by Dan O'Sullivan

  ‘Ridiculous!’ the sailor snorted. ‘It’s not like you haven’t been given enough room – and it’s our room that you’ve been given!’

  Leonie sighed. They had stayed in the tiny cabin for as long as she could bear, and she had entertained Mully and Alex until she could no longer stand being enclosed with two other mothers, four boisterous toddlers and three screaming babies, so they had moved up on deck. The welcome fresh air and the sun on their faces was wonderful, and the toddlers were now playing happily with some little carved wooden objects that Captain Gillam had given them. The women were nursing their babies, and several teenage girls were playing with the toddlers, appreciating the opportunity to break their boredom.

  ‘There must be somewhere we can go,’ Leonie pleaded. ‘The children are so restless.’

  ‘There is somewhere you can go,’ the sailor snapped, ‘below deck!’

  The disheartened women moved towards the hatch.

  ‘One moment please ladies,’ Alexander said politely, stepping to block their path. ‘What seems to be the problem here?’

  ‘We’re going back to the cabin,’ Leonie said hesitatingly, glancing nervously towards the sailor who was trying to herd them towards the hatch.

  ‘Why?’ asked Alexander, holding out his arm to prevent anyone passing him.

  ‘Get out of the way,’ the sailor growled, ignoring the question.

  ‘Just a moment,’ Alexander said firmly.

  ‘They’re in the way. It’s impossible to work with them on deck!’ said the sailor. ‘Now move!’ he snarled.

  ‘I see no need for these ladies to take their children below. Captain Gillam has asked everyone to work around the civilians. They can’t stay below for the entire journey. The deck is incredibly crowded and this makes your job difficult, but it’s not impossible.’

  ‘I’ll say if it’s impossible or not! Move aside or I’ll make you move!’ The sailor tried to push Alexander aside. Alexander took a deep breath and released it slowly, deciding it was not the best idea to smash his fist into the obnoxious man’s mouth. He wished he had remained in his uniform and Captain’s vest.

  ‘What’s going on please?’ asked Duke Li, appearing beside Alexander.

  ‘Don’t interfere, old man!’ the sailor snapped crossly and Duke Li’s eyes opened wide with surprise.

  ‘May I ask your name,’ Duke Li asked sharply, and Alexander smothered a grin, enjoying that the sailor had no idea to whom he was being rude.

  ‘Lieutenant Carey,’ said the sailor. ‘You may call me Lieutenant,’ he added unpleasantly.

  Duke Li drew himself to his full height and smiled coldly at the sailor. ‘And you may call me ‘Your Grace’ or ‘Lord Duke’ if you prefer.’ The sailor’s jaw dropped and his face whitened. ‘And this is my dear friend Alexander,’ Duke Li continued. ‘But you may call him ‘Captain’ or ‘Sir’.’ The sailor now looked like he was about to faint. ‘Now,’ Duke Li spoke through gritted teeth. ‘Escort the ladies and the little ones to an area of the deck where they may sit and play in peace. And if I even think I see you harassing them again, please be sure I will no longer be calling you Lieutenant.’

  Lieutenant Carey bobbed his head frantically and bowed slightly to the ladies.

  ‘This way please,’ he said in a voice just higher than a whisper. Leonie struggled not to laugh as the Lieutenant led the group back to the exact same spot from which he had removed them several times. Alexander watched uneasily. As Lieutenant Carey turned and walked away from the ladies, his glance fell on Alexander and in that fraction of a second Alexander saw in the sailor’s eyes the need for revenge. He was still watching the Lieutenant’s back when Captain Gillam approached.

  ‘Having a little trouble with Carey?’ asked Gillam, and Alexander nodded. ‘Your Grace,’ Gillam addressed the Duke who was also warily watching the back of Carey.

  ‘Captain, is the sky getting a little hazy, or is my eyesight going?’ Duke Li asked as he squinted towards the north east.

  ‘It’s not your eyesight, your Grace. It’s been building up since we left Castle,’ said Gillam.

  ‘What is it? Alexander asked.

  ‘I’m guessing it’s that volcano on the Black Apple Islands. There’s nothing else in that direction that would put smoke into the sky.’

  ‘Do you think it might be erupting,’ Alexander exclaimed in delight. ‘Could we be so lucky?’ He stared out at the haze wondering if an eruption of the volcano would be enough to kill the Nailmarni occupying the island.

  ‘Once I have everyone safely away from Castle, I’m going to ask the King’s Marshall if I can take the ‘Swift’ out for a look,’ said Gillam. ‘Alex, Carey can be a right nasty piece of work when he chooses to be, so don’t let him get away with anything. Unfortunately he’s a good sailor and he knows his work, or I’d find some excuse to sit him behind a desk somewhere.’

  ‘Tarlique?’ asked Duke Li, as most of the Alkiran Naval Operations were run from the south.

  ‘I was thinking maybe of Pieres or Cannila,’ said Captain Gillam optimistically. Duke Li and Alexander laughed at the suggestion of sending a Naval Officer to one of the tiny inland villages. ‘Just keep an eye on the ladies. He’ll see your Grace’s reprimand as unjust and an insult and I wouldn’t like to see the most vulnerable take the brunt of his retaliation.’ Alexander’s face darkened at the Captain’s words. He walked over and stood beside Leonie.

  ‘I need to talk to you,’ he said worriedly and immediately a girl of about thirteen reached out and Leonie passed Peta to her. Leonie followed Alexander down to the cabin that she and several other mothers were using. It was empty and Alexander closed the door after they entered.

  ‘Captain Gillam suggested I keep an eye on Lieutenant Carey,’ said Alexander. ‘Did you see his face when Duke Li put him in his place?’

  ‘I did,’ said Leonie soberly. ‘Be careful Alex. I think he could be quite mean.’

  ‘It’s not me I’m worried about,’ said Alexander taking her hand. ‘I need to keep you and the children safe, so you can be certain I will be watching him like a crow watches a wounded bandicoot.’ Leonie couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Mully was the best friend a man could have,’ Alexander said emphatically. ‘I won’t let his family down.’

  ‘Thank you, Alex,’ Leonie said softly. ‘You are also the best friend I could have. I owe you so much,’ she added and he reached out and hugged her warmly. They stood together without moving and his heart accelerated as she leaned against his chest. He stepped away feeling ashamed and she blushed, suddenly frightened.

  ‘Leonie,’ he said hesitantly, ‘please don’t be afraid. You owe me nothing. I know you’re missing Mully terribly, he was a good man and he loved you. I won’t deny that I love you a little more than I should. Well, a lot more actually. I always have. But please trust me. I never betrayed my friend in life and I won’t betray him now. I won’t stop loving you Leonie, but neither will I force myself upon you. I’ll be here for you and your children regardless of what you choose to do.’

  Leonie leaned against the bulkhead and tears glinted in her eyes. ‘Thank you Alex. I do miss him. I miss him so badly I feel that my heart is going to burst from the pain.’ She slid down the wall as the tears ran down her cheeks and Alexander sat beside her and held her hand. They stayed in the cabin for a long time as she grieved for her husband.

  Captain Gillam remained in the harbor of the Dwellings only long enough to take on fresh water and for the citizens of Castle to disembark. Several barrels of food were taken from the Dwellings and placed aboard the ship. Alexander stayed on board ready to return to Castle with Captain Gillam to oversee the next stage of the evacuation. He stood on the deck beside Tolly and they watched Leonie and the children walk up the sand. Leonie turned and waved her hand and Alexander waved back, not wanting to be parted from her or from the children. He felt lonely as he watched them go, and the feeling of loneliness only worsened during the voyage back to castle. He was pleased to be occup
ied with the supervision of the second shipload of evacuees, as this gave him something else on which to focus his mind.

  Chapter 25

  Attack

  If it wasn’t for the strange haze creeping across the sky, the morning might have been described as perfect. It was warm and sunny, with a light breeze ruffling the leaves at the tops of the tyallas. At dawn, Kelian went onto the wall and walked the perimeter, looking as far as possible in each direction. He could see the ‘Swift’ waiting patiently for the last of the citizens of Castle to board. Even at the early hour, he could see families hurrying their children towards the docks with small bags of possessions. He had asked that each person take only basic needs, and he was pleased to see that no-one was carrying a great deal of gear onto the ship, though this wasn’t a surprise as many had lost most of their possessions in the Nailmarni attack. The majority of families had boarded the night before and slept on the ship, leaving only a small number to come aboard in the early hours of the morning. A large, cage-like construction was fastened to the deck of the ship. Inside family pets were eyeing each other warily. The blacksmith, who had been clever enough to foresee the need to create such an enclosure, had also had the intelligence to divide the cage into several sections to cater for different animals. He had even put a roof on the cage to provide shelter and to ensure the animals could not attempt to leave the ship, and fastened the structure to the deck to prevent it sliding if on heavy seas. Now a bunch of energetic cockatoos were squawking excitedly towards the cage of surprise looking bilbys, whose very postures and expressions showed their displeasure towards their travelling companions. Another compartment housed a number of lambs. Kelian watched for a few moments as several children climbed into the enclosure with the lambs, and then he lifted his gaze and stared out to sea, wondering at the strange darkening of the sky close to the horizon to the north east. There was nothing visible to explain the haze, so he descended the stone stairs and made his way back towards the keep. The cry came even as he crossed the courtyard.

  ‘Nailmarni!’ a voice shouted from the watchtower. Kelian froze in dismay and swung around. ‘They’re coming fast!’ another voice cried out. ‘I can see them! Are they adjusted?’ someone shouted, sounding confused. Many other voices called out and then King’s Marshall Danil’s voice cut over the babble.

  ‘Report!’ Twelve men dashed along the wall towards him. ‘South?’ he prompted the three men who had been positioned amongst the soldiers on the southern wall for this very purpose. ‘Numbers?’

  ‘More than fifty, and all moving really fast. King’s Marshall, they’re not disappearing! We can see them!’

  ‘How long until they arrive?’

  ‘Minutes.’

  ‘Weapons?’

  ‘Swords, and some now have bows as well.’

  ‘West?’

  ‘Exactly the same as in the south but I think it’s not just the Nailmarni from the nest. I think all the ones who were forming the barrier around Castle are coming as well!’

  Danil nodded grimly. ‘East?’

  ‘Not so many as they are describing to the south and west, but more than enough for our soldiers to handle.’

  ‘South?’

  ‘Nothing. They haven’t got anyone on the water and there’s no-one between the wall and the ship – well, none of the Nailmarni. The last of the citizens are going aboard now.’

  ‘Highness!’ Danil shouted as Kelian sprinted up the steps towards him. ‘We need to get your family onto the ‘Swift’ now!’ Kelian hesitated for a second then dashed back down the stairs.

  ‘Tim, Araas!’ he shouted as he ran across the courtyard and seconds later the two guardians appeared at his side. ‘Get my parents onto the ship as quickly as you can.’ He stopped speaking as he saw arrows beginning to fly from the curtain walls, and he knew the Nailmarni were already within striking distance. ‘Don’t let father object!’ said Kelian firmly and Timbul and Araas ran back towards the eastern wall. ‘Drag him onto the ship if you have to!’ Kelian shouted after them and Araas waved his hand in acknowledgement.

  ‘You need to go too,’ said Danil, appearing behind him.

  ‘Where are Elena and Immosey?’ asked Kelian.

  ‘They’re waiting for you at the north western tower.’

  ‘Can we win this battle?’

  ‘No Highness, we cannot. But we can slow them down enough to get you and your family away on the ship.’

  ‘No. Not good enough. I want everyone to make it to the ship. What can we do?’

  ‘We’ll leave only the fastest, skilled soldiers on the walls until everyone else is aboard, then they can make a run for the ship. Are you sure this is what you want?’

  ‘Danil, this is just a place. I see no point in needlessly wasting lives if there’s no chance of victory or even survival. Where’s Callian?’

  ‘There.’ Without turning, Danil gestured to the western wall and Kelian could see the big, dark guardian firing arrow after arrow from his position.

  ‘Danil, I want the guardians and the free warriors on the boat as well,’ said Kelian.

  ‘Understood.’ Danil turned and ran towards the eastern wall.

  * * *

  Kelian ran frantically through the castle towards the kitchen, his heart pounding from grief and panic as he tried to find Elena and Immosey. He dashed through the dining room and paused with relief when he saw the girls being taken by Dale and Enri into the kitchen towards the tunnel leading to the baker’s door.

  ‘Where are the King and Queen?’ called Dale, frantically grabbing Kelian’s arm as the Prince ran to Elena and Immosey and hugged them. Kelian couldn’t answer. He shook his head and took several deep breaths, knowing that regardless of his grief and pain, he had no choice but to hold himself together, and to get the people who remained in the castle to safety.

  ‘They didn’t make it,’ he choked, and Elena and Immosey cried out in horror and grief. ‘Why aren’t you on the ship? I thought you were ahead of me!’

  ‘They came back looking for you,’ Dale explained. ‘Take the ladies to the baker’s door and wait there with the others,’ he instructed Enri, who immediately rushed the girls into the tunnel. Dale stopped moving. ‘I’m so sorry Kelian.’

  ‘So am I,’ said Kelian softly, taking a deep breath to steady his voice. ‘I wonder how many actually made it to the ship.’ His voice broke and he frantically blinked back tears.

  ‘As far as I can tell, Alex and Gillam got the last of the citizens aboard as the Nailmarni struck. Probably half the soldiers made it to the ship, but a lot went ashore to defend the King and Queen.’

  ‘Where’s everyone else?’

  ‘Everyone else has gone down the baker’s tunnel apart from Callian, Timbul, Araas, Danil and Milgorry. You should go, and I’ll wait here for them.’

  ‘No, I won’t go without them,’ said Kelian, turning back towards the dining room.

  ‘So are you intending to make their job easier or more difficult?’ said Dale crossly, blocking Kelian’s path. ‘As far as I am aware, Callian and Danil went back to make sure everyone is out. I doubt they’ll be impressed if they have to rescue you, since they probably already know you’ve made it safely to the kitchen.’

  ‘Dale, they’re my friends. I have to go back.’

  ‘No,’ said Dale stubbornly. ‘You can hang me or banish me or do whatever you like as soon as I have you safely away from this hell, but if you try to go back through that dining room door when the place is being overrun with Nailmarni, I will stop you Kelian. Any second now they’ll make it to the below levels and if you haven’t gone through the tunnel, you’re dead. We need you alive. Your people need you alive, now more than ever before.’ Dale stood in the doorway obstinately. Kelian’s face darkened as he glared at Dale. Dale decided he couldn’t wait any longer and he grabbed Kelian and pushed him towards the door leading into the tunnel. ‘Forgive me Kelian,’ he pleaded, ‘or at least survive long enough to punish me for shoving the Prince of Alkir
a. Danil!’ he shouted, knowing the King’s Marshall would hear his thoughts, even if he couldn’t hear his shout.

  ‘We’re on our way, Dale,’ Danil’s thoughts came back reassuringly. ‘And don’t worry, I’ll pick him up and carry him out if he refuses to go. He can hang me beside you, Baron.’

  Dale laughed and Kelian glared at him. ‘You will tell me what Danil said!’ he demanded.

  ‘He said he would carry you out and you can hang us side by side,’ said Dale gleefully, and Kelian glared at him indignantly. Half a minute later, Callian and Danil sprinted into the room, with Timbul, Arras and Milgorry hard on their heels.

  ‘Tim! Araas!’ Kelian exclaimed, his face lighting with hope for a second, wondering if there was any way his parents could have escaped from the Nailmarni.

  Araas shook his head sadly. ‘They didn’t make it Kelian. We did everything we possibly could, but as soon as the King and Queen appeared they all descended on us like a pack of ngurakin. We tried to get them through the foray but it was like trying to dodge a hailstorm of arrows. In the end it was only our speed that saved us. I’m truly sorry.’ His voice was distorted by grief and personal failure. The faces of the two guardians were nothing short of tormented.

  ‘We managed to get their bodies onto the ship, but they were not alive. At least the Nailmarni won’t be able to-’ He stopped speaking as Araas shook his head slightly. Timbul sighed. ‘I won’t give you false hope. I couldn’t sense them at all. They didn’t survive,’ he said sadly. Kelian swallowed hard, trying to breathe slowly to calm his racing heart.

  ‘Can we go, now?’ asked Dale anxiously.

  ‘Yes!’ said Kelian decisively. ‘Now I’m ready to go.’

  Dale and Kelian sprinted down the tunnel with the guardians right behind them. They reached the end of the tunnel when Dale noticed that Callian wasn’t following. He stared back up the empty tunnel in dismay, then without a word he turned and ran back into the darkness.