by Cox, Craig
“Page, what is the meaning of this?” shouted the red haired man.
“I would ask the same thing, Corla? You attack one of my retainers, in the streets of the capital and then attempt to execute him.”
“One of your retainers? Don’t lie old man, just to try and save the pitiful life of a peasant. He has no clothes, let alone your crest or any papers.”
“That’s because he was on the way to get them from me. How do you think he got a sword into the city without permission from the city guards?”
Corla looked back at Braden with a look of disgust, the fact that Page had taken the pleasure of ending his life, seemed to make him even angrier.
“Isn’t that right, Dane?” Page said.
Braden looked back at that man, wondering who Dane was before he caught the man slightly nod his head, in his direction.
“Yes Sir.”
Braden glanced back at Corla and could tell he wasn’t convinced, the look in his eyes still screaming murder.
“If his name is Dane and he is one of your retainers, then why did this one call out Braden, when I was about to put my blade through his neck? And who the hell is she anyway, don’t tell me you’re hiring women guards now.”
This time Braden acted first, he had no idea why this man Page was helping him. He hoped it was out of the goodness of his heart. But if he didn’t know about Ashe he needed to protect her himself.
“I brought the new cook you were after as well Sir. I also acquired the smith you needed whilst on our travels.”
The old man’s eyes bulged, if it was at Braden’s reply or the mention of Alex Braden wasn’t sure.
“And my name is Dane Braden, Corla.”
“It’s Lord Corla, to you, peasant.” He snapped back.
He turned quickly back to the old man, shoving his sword back into its scabbard.
“Well Page, either you are telling the truth or this man is as quick with his mind, as he is with his sword. But I would warn you if he gets in my way again, you won’t be able to save him.”
Spinning away from the old man and his armed guards, he grabbed the cloak from his friend throwing it over his shoulder, revealing the bright orange boar Braden had seen the Lord wearing on his way in. Maybe, he had definitely gotten in way over his head. A stiff arm pulled Braden to his feet, as Corla disappeared into the crowd, shouting for them to make way, catching a few with his fist as he walked through. Brushing himself down Braden turned to Page and bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Lord Page.”
The armed guards stiffened at the title, each giving both him and Page a weird look before a flick of the old man’s head forced them to look away. Braden raised his head as Alex stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and pushing Braden’s sword back into his hand. He returned the big man’s smile, Ashe stepped up next to him with Troy and Magnus on her heels. Braden watched Page survey the small group, weighing up their worth just as Corla had, but this time with a much gentler gaze.
“So the retainer, the cook and the smith I was after. Also, looks like you have brought me a stable hand. And what do we have here?”
Braden watched the old man’s eyes widen with surprise and he looked back to see that the veil of magic covering Magnus was slowly fading. In the commotion Ashe must have forgotten, that her magic was covering the lion cub from discovery. Braden stepped in front of the cub blocking him from view. Ashe tilted her head away from the old man muttering under her breath to restore the illusion as much as her battered strength could. Page only smiled and raised his hands to his chest in a sign of peace. One of the guards had caught sight of Magnus and was walking close to the cub, Braden tensed. He didn’t know what he could do against the group of guards, but he wasn’t about to let them take Magnus away. Page seemed to notice the guard and began barking orders at them to form up, the guard didn’t give a second glance at the cub as he walked into formation in front of Page facing away from the crowd.
“If you would, please follow me Dane.”
Without allowing Braden the chance to reply the old man turned on his heels and began walking off into the side streets of High Alton. Braden turned to the others, before shrugging and following Page round the corner. The old man was already half way up the next street as Braden raced to catch up with the group Braden wondered from where the old man got the energy to power-walk across the hill side of High Alton. Stepping up close to Page, he watched the six armed men march two by two up the street, pushing aside whoever got in the way. The side streets were far quieter than the main road leading up to the Citadel, but they still teemed with activity. Messengers ran back and forth between estates, groups of servants carrying all sorts of produce from fruit and meat, to incense and one man pushed a cart with an assortment of armour.
“Each one of these estates is as busy as any castle, with probably the same amount of servants roaming its halls.”
Braden looked over to Page who looked straight ahead as he spoke.
“Lord Page, I am very grateful of what you did but…”
The old man’s arm jolted out catching Braden’s wrist stopping him mid-sentence. Braden tensed his body ready for the next move he heard Alex and Ashe do the same, a small growl emanated from Magnus. But Page’s smile was light and cheerful and he relaxed, his shoulders un-tensed and Magnus became quiet again.
“Firstly Dane, I am not a Lord. Neither is Corla. Secondly, this is something for us to talk about in private, so please just listen and play along”
Page whispered the last line before letting go of Braden’s arm, as the last guard looked back at the group. It was the same one who had spotted Magnus earlier and Braden wondered if he would be trouble later on. But as soon as the man caught Page’s eye, he faced the front and continued marching down the road. They continued for another twenty minutes through the quiet streets. Braden was sure they had gone back on themselves at least twice but when he looked back down the street it was one straight road. Every estate looked exactly the same down both sides of the road, Braden assumed this was what was causing his déjà vu. He heard Ashe and Alex talk behind him.
“These houses, they're almost as big as Farnshire itself, if not bigger.”
“They make the estates near the edge of High Alton look as small as my old house.” Ashe replied.
Braden saw Page smile at Alex and Ashe’s statements. As they reached the top of the street it split to two sides of a sheer cliff. He looked up to see towers and walls leaning over the side and peering down at their small group.
“Some say, that the greatest defensive structure in the known world is the Citadel of Alton, it has never been conquered or captured in over a thousand years. It stood as a bastion of safety when the Old Empire ruled these lands. Every year the King sends men around the edge with chisels, hammers and axes tasked with removing any potential hand or foot hold.”
The group turned to the left and began following the cliff face, Braden stepped to the other side of Page and placed his hand along the wall. It was smooth and his finger glided along its surface.
“These are the house estates of the Great Lords of Arda, each one larger than most villages. They are the pride of the men who control them and each finds a new way every year to outdo his competitors.”
Braden looked at the two closest estates, each was surrounded by a nine foot high wall gilded with what appeared to be gold along its edge. Behind each wall stood a two storey building each elaborately designed. He could see the two Lords were in direct competition with each other as the buildings almost mirrored each other. Only the completed tower on the right hand side estate and the half built one on the left, separated the two. As they continued past the two estates a third came into view, this one made the first two pale in comparison. The walls were higher, the gilding flashed with assorted gems and inside was a three and a half storey building which stood staring out across Alton. It must have been the highest point in the city apart from the Citadel itself.
“That is
the boast of Lord Cadare, Marshal of Arda’s army. He had the entire estate torn down and rebuilt ten years ago and has since entertained every nobleman in Arda showing off his riches.”
They stopped at another small junction in between Lord Cadare’s estate and the one with the complete tower. There was nothing, only a road straight ahead or to the left. One of the lead guards stepped closer to the wall before banging on it several times with the pommel of his sword. The rest of the guards spread out around the group, looking closely for any sign they were being followed. Braden looked up as he heard the scraping of rock above him, but could see nothing. Then finally the guard’s pounding was met by a response from inside the cliff itself. The guard looked over his shoulder at the group before pounding eleven times on the wall again. Just when Braden thought nothing would happen he heard a deep scraping noise and slowly the wall began to move. First only millimetres, then it swung open freely revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond. Before anyone could move, four guards charged out blades drawn. Each stood at the four corners of their little group before a fifth guard exited the tunnel and waved Page into the tunnel.
“In you come Page, and who have you brought this time? You know this is supposed to be a secret entrance.”
Page entered through the door and Braden stepped up behind him and followed him into the darkness, Ashe followed closely behind with Magnus, Troy and Alex bringing up the rear of their small group. Page's six guards followed them, before the five from the cliff retreated back inside the rock. As the door closed, the small corridor grew dark before a torch was lit, further up the tunnel. As his eyes adjusted, he realised how big the corridor was. It was wide enough for three men to line up swords drawn and shields out. He followed the old man up a set of stairs carved into the stone which began to narrow after the first few metres. Five minutes later they reached the top of the stairs which opened out into a large room. Ten armed men dressed in black sat at three long tables, either eating or attending to their kit. They eyed over the small group before going back to their meals and work. At the end of the room was another set of stairs just wide enough for a man and his torch to walk up un-opposed. Page grabbed three torches from a basket near the entrance and passed one to Alex and another to one of his guards, before lighting it on the fire next to the stairs. He then begun to head up the stairs at a brisk pace, Braden and the rest hurried to keep up with the older man, Braden wondered how many times he walked up and down them to keep this fit.
“Only a few men outside the Citadel guard know about these stairs. Those who do prefer to use them other than the main road up to the Citadel, especially on court days.”
“I thought the whole idea of the sheer cliff edge was to be impenetrable?” Asked Alex from the back of the group.
“It still is, there are only three of these secret passageways. They were built when Alton was a young city in case the city had been taken and the citadel besieged. Plus they are never all open at one time. The guards themselves choose which of the three will be open and on which days. Some days, they close them all and as you saw they are near invisible to the naked eye from the outside. So do not worry Master Smith, no one is getting to your beloved King from this way.”
One of the guards snickered at Page’s comment, before they continued on into the darkness. The stairs were never ending, the lack of natural light made it near impossible to figure out how long it took them to travel up inside the cliff. They passed three further rooms; each one was fitted out with a long table and small bundle of torches. Braden assumed they were for rest stops or garrisons posts should the Citadel be under siege. His calves and thighs were beginning to burn but he soldiered on keeping pace with the old man. He wondered how the others were getting on, he knew Alex would be fine, but Troy was only a young boy and his legs must be aching. When they reached the fourth room Braden asked for a rest at least for Troy and Magnus when Page dipped his torch into a bucket of water near the entrance to the room. The room darkened only slightly and it took Braden a few moments to realise the light he could see, was natural light. The room itself was large, bigger than any of the others in the tunnel with high thin windows letting in small amounts of light. Page walked over to one of the tables and sat down gingerly. Before Braden could move, he watched Troy stumble over to the closest one before falling down onto the bench, Magnus followed collapsing at the foot of the table. Page laughed quietly gently.
“I haven’t walked the entire way up without stopping in years. I was silently praying for you to ask for a rest when we hit the third room, but I guess you are as determined as you seem, Dane.”
Braden joined Alex and Ashe at Troy’s table which was opposite Page’s, one of the guards walked past them, ruffling Troy’s hair as he lay on his back.
“Well done boy, you have some strong legs, I’ve never seen anyone your age make that climb in one go.”
Braden watched Troy smile at the compliment, and immediately sit up straight, fighting his aching muscles. Before Braden could speak, Page raised his hand to stop him.
“Dane, we will talk, do not worry, but as I said I would prefer to do so in private. Also at the moment, I need to rest.”
The old man closed his eyes and let his head drop back, bringing a smile to Braden’s face. He rubbed his own sore muscles trying to make sure they did not stiffen up, he didn’t want to walk any further today but knew they would have to make their way back to a cheaper tavern on the outskirts before the night came. He made sure to stretch his legs, so they would not cramp before he told the others to do the same.
Chapter XXI
Alexander
Not long after Alex had finished his stretching, Page raised his head and stood up, motioning to his guards to gather around. Having overheard a small part of Braden’s conversation, he sent four home for the rest of the evening, and another two ahead to his suites, to get the place prepared for their arrival. Then he motioned for Braden and the others to follow him. As they walked out of the main building they were met by a blinding light, Alex raised his arm to cover his eyes, as they slowly adjusted to the sunlight. It wasn’t at its brightest and from its place in the sky Alex guessed they had been inside the cliff for nearly an hour. His legs seem to feel heavier at the thought of walking up those stairs for a whole hour. As his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he gazed around at the courtyard in front of him, it was approximately fifty yards across, lined with rows of vegetable plants half picked. There was only one other door directly ahead of them which Page headed straight for. Opening the door they passed two guards, who barely moved, stepping out of the small courtyard they entered a much larger one. Almost two hundred yards across and three hundred wide, it was full of flower beds and benches. Around the benches sat groups of men and women young and old. They were all richly dressed, the sons and daughters of Arda’s nobility or the nobility themselves. Most of them took little notice of the group, only a few looked at Page and the rest gave Alex and his friends, a look of distaste and made a conscious effort to move away from them. Alex blocked them out and followed Braden and Page, who skirted around the edge of the main courtyard. To the right, the Royal Castle, its white dome shining brightly in the sunlight stood like a giant over them all. Troy’s eyes were locked onto the giant building and he walked into the back of Braden’s legs when the group stopped, for Page to exchange some pleasantries with one of the older gentleman in the courtyard. Alex caught a glimpse of the famous King's tower which looked out across the entire city and surrounding countryside, before he was guided through another set of doors. They entered a maze of corridors and rooms, Alex’s eyes were distracted by the mass of wealth, so openly on display either painted on the ornate ceiling or hanging from tapestries on the walls, depicting epic battles of the past. It was meant to impress anyone who walked through the halls, and it was doing just that to him and his little group. Alex had to grab Troy by the scruff of the neck, to make sure he didn’t walk off, distracted by a gold plated suit of armour. Finally, they r
eached a set of large oak doors. Page dismissed the two guards who stood outside, telling them to return to their families as they would not be needed anymore that day. He slipped a small coin into each of their hands, before they returned down the corridor from where they arrived.
Page pushed open the doors himself, natural light filled the corridor as they walked inside Page’s rooms. The main chamber was half open to one side, where a small balcony over looked the city below them. Troy and Magnus headed straight for the balcony, Page chuckled lightly at the sight and Alex watched the man’s previous stern demeanour vanish into a softer and friendlier old man. He reminded Alex of one of the elders back in Farnshire, who had told the children stories, myths and legends of when he was younger. Page walked over to a large platter of food and drink set aside on a table and took a small silver goblet and filled it with water from a larger jug, before breaking off a bit of bread and headed back to his seat behind a large desk in the middle of the room.
“Help yourselves.”
Before Alex could take a step closer, Troy was back from the balcony, grabbing two handfuls of bread and sliced meat before running back to the balcony to share out his spoils with Magnus. He watched Braden take a small goblet of water for himself before walking over to the old man’s desk taking one of the four chairs arranged before it. Alex wasn’t content to take nothing and between him and Ashe, they divided up what was left, before taking seats either side of Braden.
