She sat down on a huge fallen branch, leaned over and rested her forehead on her hands and her elbows on her knees. The wood was uncomfortable under her and she shivered, wishing she was wearing warmer clothing. The wind strengthened and it occurred to her that most of the noises she heard were probably caused by the wind in the trees. She jumped with fright as a mopoke cried out and took flight.
‘Oh Lou, where are you?’ she murmured, as tears prickled in her eyes. ‘And where are the Guardians when we need them?’ She felt guilty even as this thought crossed her mind, knowing that Araas and Timbul were probably trying to find Louisa, or perhaps they were dealing with the warrior she had seen standing in the hallway of the inn.
‘I’m right here, Immy.’ Araas stepped from the bushes, pulling trigs from his hair.
‘Araas!’ Immosey threw herself at the Guardian and burst into tears. ‘I’m so sorry! I’m lost! I can’t find my way out of here! It’s so confusing!’ she cried.
‘You’re safe now. Believe it or not, I know the way back to the inn.’
‘But I don’t know where Louisa went! Someone dragged her through the window and into the forest and then she just disappeared! I thought I was following her but then it was dark and I got caught up in a vine and she was gone! It must have been one of the fallen and there was another one of them standing in the hallway at the inn!’
‘You need to stop panicking, Immy. We caught up with the ones who tried to take Louisa and she’s back in your room.’ Immosey gazed up at Araas with relief and then rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands and pushed her hair away from her face.
‘I’m sorry Araas,’ she said croakily. ‘The panic started when I saw my sister disappear and it only got worse when I got lost.’
‘Understandable,’ said Araas. He took her hand and guided her through the trees. Ten minutes later they were out of the forest.
‘I thought I was so much further away,’ Immosey admitted.
‘You didn’t exactly move in a straight line,’ Araas said wryly. ‘Ah, let’s go back through the window Immy.’
‘Don’t tell me there’s still a warrior standing in the hallway!’
‘Er…he’s still there but he’s not actually standing any more…you don’t want to see him.’
Immosey allowed Araas to lift her through the window, helping her avoid the broken glass. Milgorry, Kelian, Borgulnay and Gilgarry were waiting in the room with Elena and Louisa. Immosey rushed to her sisters and the three girls embraced, then Immosey fell into Borgulnay’s arms. The King’s Captain nodded gratefully to Araas. He sat on the bed and held Immosey’s thin little body tightly, running his hand gently over her long blond curls.
The door opened and Timbul stood in the doorway, and his bright blue eyes glittered angrily as he looked grimly at his brother. Araas registered his brother’s thoughts and his face became a mirror of Timbul’s.
Immosey gave a gasp of horror as she peered through the doorway. The body of the warrior was, as Araas had stated, still in the hallway. The knife which had been slammed through the man’s throat was embedded in the wall, holding him upright, and he hung forlornly from the long blade with his mouth open and his eyes staring vacantly ahead.
‘What is it Tim?’ asked Kelian, moving to the door beside Timbul.
‘The innkeeper and his wife are dead,’ said Timbul bluntly.
Kelian turned with an infuriated growl, swung his boot hard towards the dead warrior and halted his kick inches from the man’s shin. He glared hatefully at the body for a few seconds then swept back into the room and dropped heavily onto the bed, leaning forward with his head in his hands.
‘Does Naraloon have a town guard, Highness?’ asked Araas.
Kelian glanced towards Gilgarry who immediate left the room. Timbul followed the Sergeant down the hallway.
Milgorry reached out and slammed the door as he registered the looks on the three girl’s faces. He sighed. ‘So, it’s begun.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Kelian, already knowing what Milgorry meant.
‘Revenge,’ said Milgorry. ‘One of the things my people do best. You went into Nyinaku, and right under their noses, you stole back Nandul’s captives. Now he might let it go that you took Elena and Immosey, but he’s going to want Louisa back. Right now that’s what he wants. But soon he’ll decide that if he can’t have her, no-one can. He’ll want to hunt her down and return her. And it won’t end there. Nandul will come after you Kelian. He’ll take the worst revenge you can possibly imagine.’
‘The fallen have never been known to let any insult pass without retribution,’ said Kelian angrily.
‘You think they’ll come after your family?’ Borgulnay asked drawing Immosey closer.
‘Borg, I already feel absolutely terrible about Innkeeper Jostan and his wife. It’s my fault they were killed and it’s only going to get worse.’
‘You didn’t murder them, Kelian,’ said Milgorry.
‘I may as well have! We never should have stayed here in Naraloon! We should have avoided towns altogether. If we had kept moving-’
Milgorry interrupted. ‘If we’d kept moving they would have found someone else to murder to make sure you suffer! You have family all over Alkira.’
‘Mil, I’m just thinking of these poor innocent people right here, right now! I look at Elena and at Louisa and Immosey and I’m so relieved we managed to rescue them from Nandul and that we got out of Nyinaku alive, but I’ll bet Innkeeper Jostan wouldn’t agree – if he was alive and I could ask him! And who knows who the bastards will go after next!’
‘I think they’ll come after anyone and everyone you love,’ said Milgorry. ‘You’re right. The sooner we get out of here the better.’
‘Immy, I recall asking you to tell one of us if you were planning to go dashing off alone somewhere,’ said Borgulnay accusingly.
Immosey blushed. ‘I’m sorry, Borg. But we’re back in Alkira and I thought I was following Louisa and…’ Her voice trailed away as Borgulnay frowned at her.
‘So that made it alright to chase three of the fallen into the forest?’
‘I thought there was only one of them!’
‘One…three…it wouldn’t had made a lot of difference if they had chosen to stop you,’ said Milgorry. ‘Killing you would be about as difficult as killing a budgerigar. After all, you’re about the size of a budgerigar,’ he added with a smirk.
‘Very funny!’ Immosey huffed indignantly, craning her neck to look up at him.
Borgulnay ran his hands over her shoulders. ‘So where from here?’ he asked.
‘Tarlique. I want to find mother and Eijelin and take them somewhere safe,’ said Kelian, looking questioningly at Araas.
‘Definitely,’ said Araas. ‘The Dwellings would be the best place right now,’ he said, referring to the city of the Guardians.
‘We need to leave here as soon as we can. I’d rather not be tracked to Tarlique,’ said Kelian.
They sat in silence until Gilgarry and Timbul returned accompanied by two sleepy looking men, whose drowsiness vanished entirely as they approached the body in the hall. Gilgarry ignored the body and opened the door to the bedroom.
‘Supreme Majesty!’ the first man breathed. ‘Who did this?’
‘Me,’ Borgulnay admitted.
‘Is he…?’
‘Dead? Yes. He’s definitely dead,’ said Borgulnay decisively.
‘I can see he’s dead, you fool!’ The man glared at Borgulnay indignantly and Milgorry grinned appreciatively. ‘I meant – is he one of the fallen?’ He looked at Milgorry as he asked the question and Milgorry nodded. The man glanced around the room uncertainly and then turned back to Borgulnay. ‘I am Principal Con, and I also act as head of the city guard, and the only reason I don’t restrain you and haul you down to our jail is that you wear the uniform of a King’s Captain of Castle, but unless you have a fairly good explanation for this murder I will have to ask you to accompany me. Regardless of who the man was, murder
is still murder.’
‘This man murdered Innkeeper Jostan and his wife,’ Borgulnay explained. ‘I didn’t actually know that when he attacked me, but I doubt he would have stopped until everyone in this inn was dead.’
‘What! Where are they?’
‘Upstairs in their room,’ said Timbul. ‘The fallen hid their thoughts well and my brother and I sensed nothing from them. King’s Captain Borgulnay heard him in the hallway. By that time it was too late for Jostan and Kirsty. I couldn’t save them. Tá brón orm,’ he said sadly.
‘You’re of the Daoine Maithe!’ the Principal exclaimed.
‘We went after the ones who grabbed Louisa and dragged her through the window and into the forest,’ said Araas. ‘Ah, you probably need to know that there are three more bodies in the forest. I can take you to them if you wish. You probably shouldn’t go in there alone.’
‘I can’t be certain who any of you really are, and right now I have no proof that one of you didn’t murder Jostan and Kirsty as well as this man here and the three in the forest.’ Principal Con stared anxiously at Borgulnay.
Kelian stepped forward. ‘I will speak for the King’s Captain.’
‘And you are…?’
‘He is Prince Kelian of Castle,’ said Araas and the Principal’s jaw dropped.
Borgulnay and Gilgarry couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on the man’s face but silence fell as Kelian lifted his hand and it was immediately obvious to the Principal that the young, thin, black haired Prince was commanding these men. Kelian turned and gestured to his companions. ‘This is my fiancée, Elena, and her sisters Ladies Louisa and Immosey. You’ve met Timbul of the Dwellings, and Sergeant Gilgarry, also brother to these ladies. Timbul and his brother Araas are Guardians, sons of Lord Tiernan and Lady Karrijeuiga of the Daoine Maithe. Borgulnay is our loyal and trusted King’s Captain and this is Milgorry of Tarl, warrior of the free.’
Principal Con stood looking around the group in astonishment. ‘Highness, what are you doing here in Naraloon?’
‘The fallen attacked a barge that was carrying Elena, Louisa and Immosey to Castle. They took the girls to Nyinaku, I won’t explain why, but with the help of Milgorry here, we’ve managed to bring them back across the Ice Coast to Alkira. Unfortunately Nandul badly wants Louisa back and he won’t care how many people he kills to get what he wants. So the sooner we leave here, the safer your town will be. We need to go as quickly as we can.’
Con gestured to his companion.
‘This is Physician Jarah. He will look after any injuries.’ He glanced once again in disbelief at the body still pinned to the hallway wall.
‘Immosey has cuts on her knees and her hand is injured, and Elena smashed her head into the windowsill and she cut her feet and her knees on the glass,’ said Borgulnay as Immosey and Elena stepped forward to show Physician Jarah their wounds. He removed the glass fragments carefully before bandaging their wounds, and then he spent some time examining the bloody gash on Elena’s head. Eventually he confirmed there was no glass in this wound, and did his best to clean the blood from the injury.
The Principal shook his head incredulously once again as he walked to where the warrior’s body hung. He tried unsuccessfully to pull the knife from the wall. Eventually he shrugged in resignation and turned to Borgulnay. ‘Captain, your knife seems to be permanently embedded in the wall,’ he stated. Borgulnay slipped from beneath Immosey, sliding her onto the bed and joined the Principal. He flexed his massive shoulders and with a quick flick of his wrist, he wrenched the knife from the wall and the body crashed to the floor. He leaned forward and wiped the knife on the dead man’s shirt, inspected the blade, then he flicked the knife into the air, caught it deftly and slid the weapon into its sheath.
‘Show off!’ said Gilgarry under his breath, shaking his head, but the Principal briefly met Borgulnay’s gaze as the knife disappeared and he felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. He was sure this was not a man he would wish to cross.
Chapter 2
Castle
Dale stood at the gates of the city staring in horror at the wreckage and carnage spread before him. From where he stood, he could see no building completely intact. There were bodies everywhere, mostly soldiers but also townspeople and his heart tightened at the horrifyingly high number of women and children among them. He walked past the gates, his eyes moving across the wrecked and burning buildings.
‘Guardian General,’ he said, and Callian moved to his side. ‘What do you sense?’ he asked, knowing that as one of the Daoine Maithe, Callian should be able to sense each human presence around him. Callian’s bright blue eyes stood out startlingly against his dark skin as he stared around at the ruined city.
‘There are people alive, quite a lot of them, but they are hiding because they are terrified. Danil?’
‘I can sense them too. They’re all horribly frightened,’ King’s Marshall Danil agreed. Dale had known Danil before he joined the Daoine Maithe and he was pleased to see that apart from his enhanced abilities, the King’s Marshall had not changed very much. Dale had been amazed when Danil returned from the Dwellings within the Province of the Guardians married to Lady Valeska and with his new wife carrying his child, but the bond between the two was undeniable and this bond was the catalyst for the changes Danil had experienced. Dale wondered what their child would look like, as Valeska was a small woman with very dark hair and the typically bright blue eyes of Daoine Maithe, whereas Danil was a very tall, broad shouldered man, with brown hair and serious dark brown eyes. Dale was relieved at this moment to have both Callian and Danil with him.
‘Can you sense from their thoughts who did this?’ asked Dale.
‘No. That’s odd.’ Callian frowned. ‘It’s as if they all saw it happen, but they didn’t see who it was.’
Dale knelt beside the body of a child. He brushed her hair from her face then sighed heavily. ‘Dead,’ he said softly, blinking back tears. He picked up her body and placed it carefully on a stone bench next to a burnt building. ‘It must have been the fallen. Who else would attack Castle?’
Lias looked around slowly, taking in every detail of the scene. His almost black eyes were a stark contrast to the blond hair which hung messily around his shoulders. He frowned as he surveyed the burnt buildings. ‘Dale, I don’t think this was done by my people,’ he said, sounding confused.
‘I beg your pardon?’ said Dale, wondering if he had heard Lias correctly.
‘This is not what would happen,’ said Lias firmly.
‘Which part, Lias?’ asked Dale cynically. ‘Killing women and children, or burning a city? After all, when the fallen destroyed my home and my family, this is exactly what it looked like!’
Lias shook his head. ‘Dale, even I can sense a lot of people alive. If this was done by Nandul and his army, I can assure you there would be no-one left alive.’
‘Unless the Daoine Maithe intervened,’ Alexander suggested.
‘No,’ Lias insisted. ‘If the Guardians intervened, my people would be lying dead from one end of the city to the other, and the humans wouldn’t be terrified and hiding.’
Alexander walked over to the body of a soldier wearing a uniform identical to his own. He crouched and rolled the body over.
‘Do you know this man?’ asked Dale.
‘Mulber,’ Alexander replied. He sighed heavily. ‘We began our service on the same day. He was good friend,’ he added sadly. ‘Did you know he named his second son after me?’
‘I wonder what happened to him,’ Dale whispered under his breath.
‘Right now I’m wondering what happened to his wife and his four children,’ said Alexander despondently and his green eyes were filled with sadness. He was a short stocky man, and he lifted Mulber’s body easily. He carried his friend away from the middle of the street and gently placed him against the city wall. ‘Where do we start?’ he asked helplessly.
‘At the castle,’ said Dale decisively and he began to pick his way
through the rubble. ‘Someone’s started cleaning up,’ he said, gesturing to a cleared area where rubble had been heaped against a wall and the ground was devoid of bodies.
Danil pointed through a doorway which led into what had once been the city’s public baths. On the tiled floor lay row upon row of bodies, all wrapped neatly in blankets and awaiting burial. ‘See how the bodies are uniformly wrapped. This was done by soldiers. I wonder where they are now.’
King’s Marshall Danil moved ahead of the group and led them through the wreckage. It took them over half an hour to reach the curtain walls around the castle, though the distance was not great. To Dale’s relief the keep appeared undamaged, at least from where they stood in the street, and the warehouses were still standing. The walls seemed ominously free of guards, though he felt sure he could hear noises from within. The massive gates were closed and the portcullis was lowered.
‘I guess it wouldn’t be a good idea to knock on the door,’ Alexander stated and Dale shook his head. He walked alongside the warehouses, chose a door and entered the building. Everyone followed him through the door. The body of Aran, the warehouse overseer, lay sprawled across the floor. He had no visible injuries but Dale could tell that he was dead. He stood looking sadly at Aran’ body for a moment, then Danil stooped down and picked him up and placed him on a low wooden table. He covered the body with empty grain sacks.
‘What now?’ asked Alexander and Dale pointed towards the supplies stacked high against a wall. Dale held up his hand and everyone waited patiently.
‘I need to be absolutely sure no-one other than ourselves sees what we are about to do and where we are about to go. And somehow we need it to look like we didn’t go where we are going.’ They waited patiently as Guardian General Callian concentrated on what he could sense happening around them.
The Fallen (Book 1) Page 49
