Berlina's Quest

by James Hartley

  “It will only take us a day or two to get from here to the Black Fortress. I can’t say how long we will have to remain there, but I don’t think it will be long. Once we get going, we can plan on a few shortcuts…like taking the short road across the desert instead of that long detour to the north.”

  “Is that safe? When they brought me here, they took the long way around. I think they were afraid of the desert.”

  “I guarantee you, it will be safe. The ones who brought you out here were fools. We can ride across the desert road in perfect safety.”

  “That’s another thing. Why are we going to be riding horses instead of taking one of those nice carriages? I’m sure we could hire a coachman and a footman, and it would be much more comfortable.”

  Berlina looked exasperated. “My dear brother, there is no telling what we may encounter. In one place, at the city of River Crossing where there has been a bridge as far back as the memory of man goes, the loathsome sorcerer Zatarra destroyed it. Whether they have rebuilt it I do not know, but with what I heard of their High Mayor, I doubt it. If the bridge is still missing…we crossed the river in a way that works for people and, just barely, for horses, but it would never work for one of those carriages.”

  “The carriages got here,” said Darvid.

  “Yes. Yes, they did, but the carriages—the men bringing you—were ahead of Drailsen and Zatarra. It was after you and Drailsen passed, that the bridge was destroyed.”

  “Oh, I see,” said Darvid. “Well, if you say we must go on horseback, can’t we at least get started?”

  “Yes, let’s get started. We could have left twenty minutes ago if you hadn’t stood here arguing.” She turned and led the way down to the castle gate where Felistia and Lathan waited with the horses.

  All four mounted and rode out of the gate. Less than two furlongs down the road, there was a branch off to the right. Berlina turned her horse into it and said, “Come. This is the path leading north to the Black Fortress.” The others followed her.

  The northward path was very narrow, and Berlina dropped back to where she could talk to her brother. “You see,” she said, “we are not yet even out of sight of the castle, and already, we are taking a route far too narrow for those carriages.”

  Darvid shook his head and said wistfully, “The carriages were so comfortable.”

  Berlina once again looked exasperated as she spurred her horse forward to resume the lead position. The path they were following—one would be hard-pressed to call it a road—was smooth and well maintained, but it wound in and out among the hills. There was no sign of civilization. No houses, no cultivated fields, and no people.

  As they moved on, they began to notice strange, black flowers growing here and there. By the time it was getting dark, and they had to stop and camp, the black flowers were more plentiful. Berlina had Felistia distract her brother, so he wouldn’t notice that she was putting up wards around their campsite. The night passed, and with the dawn, they had breakfast from the food in their saddlebags.

  “Doesn’t look like there’s much chance of living off the land around here,” said Berlina. “I don’t even see any bargabirds for eggs.”

  When they had eaten, they mounted and rode on. The path was so narrow that only two could ride abreast. For a while, Berlina and Felistia were riding side-by-side so they could talk. Berlina said, “Lathan did a great job in that final battle. You know, when he first joined us, I was annoyed that it was he, rather than someone else, who came to rescue us from that dungeon. Somehow, he grows on one, though.”

  “Are you getting fond of him?”

  “Of course not, of course not, but I do hope that the Wizards up ahead will be able to restore his mind. I really would like to see him normal again.”

  “What difference would it make? Remember what you said earlier about a princess taking up with a common guardsman, and how your mother would have a fit?”

  “Well, if I did wish for something like that, remember my mother is ill and may not last long past Darvid’s coronation. I love my mother dearly. I would not wish her ill, but I imagine I could persuade Darvid more easily than my mother. Of course, that’s just daydreaming, a fantasy. It would never happen.”

  “A daydream, hmmm? Right. Never happen.”

  The second day was a totally boring repeat of the first, and with the coming of dusk they camped again. The third morning started off the same but soon changed. When they had been riding for an hour or so, they rounded a large hill and saw, some distance in front of them, three black spires reaching into the sky. Berlina pulled her horse to a halt and said, “Look! That must be the Black Fortress. We are getting close.” They started up again, now pushing to move a little faster since their destination was in sight.

  It was almost noon when they rounded another hill, finding themselves on an area of flat ground and facing the Black Fortress. The building stood alone, with no wall or fence around it. In the center of the building wall, facing them, was a doorway with a small gatehouse next to it. Inside the gate house, a man in robes was sitting and watching them. A hitching rail stood about twenty feet in front of the gate house. Berlina rode up to the rail, dismounted, and tethered her horse. She walked toward the gate house, signaling to the others that they should stay back.

  Before she could say anything, the man in the gate house asked, “Who are you, and what do you want?”

  Berlina answered him, almost in a whisper. “Is there any way to keep this private? I can answer your questions, but there are some things that would be better kept from the ears of one of our party.”

  “Of course,” said the man. He pulled out a wand and waved it. “There is now a barrier of silence between us and the rest of your party. I repeat, who are you, and what do you want?”

  “I am Berlina, Princess of Jylyria.” She pulled out the gold medallion that identified her as one of the royal family and displayed it briefly to the man. “I am also a witch, a student of Forsythia of the Order of the Flowers. This is what we must keep from one of our party—the one in the silks of the royal colors. He must not know I am a witch. As to what I want, the other man in our group has suffered horribly from a spell—a spell created by your people. I want to have the spell removed, which I understand only your wizards can do.”

  “Fascinating. You present an opportunity for an interesting task. One we have not seen for a while. What is this spell, and how was it cast on this man?”

  “The spell was titled ‘Becloud the Mind of an Enemy’, and I found it in a book in the secret laboratory of a traitorous sorcerer named Zatarra…now, thankfully, quite dead. He had spread the story that the man, Lathan, was caught in a crossfire of spells during a battle, but I never believed that. When I found the spell in Zatarra’s lab, I knew what had really happened. Can you do something for Lathan?”

  “I think so. Oh, not I personally. You and this man Lathan will have to visit the Chamber of Ultimate Magic in the heart of our fortress. Only there does the power to do what you want reside. I must warn you, though. It could be dangerous to you. Many witches have died taking their charges to the Chamber. Only the strongest have survived. Are you a strong, powerful, witch?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “Well, hopefully you are, and are not just boasting. Go get the one named Lathan. Your other two companions will have to wait outside.”

  Berlina walked back toward her friends until she was outside the barrier of silence, then called, “Lathan, come with me.”

  He said, “Right, Princess,” as he got off his horse and walked over to her.

  She took his hand and led him through the barrier of silence and up to the gate house. Another man in robes came out and indicated that they should follow him. The passageway they took was dim, lit only by occasional torches. It twisted and turned, but tended downward.

  Finally, they reached an open space in front of an ornate, bronze door. The man leading them turned and said, “Lathan, you have been brought here by Berlina in o
rder that we may repair the effects of a spell cast on you by an evil sorcerer. Is this what you want?”

  Lathan looked at him for a moment, then said, “Dis is what da princess wants me ta do?”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “If da princess sez I shud, I wanna do it.”

  “Fine, Berlina. You will have to participate in this, and it could be dangerous to you. Witches who have tried this and were not strong enough have died. Are you ready to take the risk?”

  “I am ready,” said Berlina.

  The wizard waved his wand, the bronze doors swung wide, and they entered the room. In the center was a stand with a giant crystal ball on it. Three more wizards stood behind it. Off to one side was a sort of couch, and on the other side was a chair. The wizard escorting them led Lathan over to the couch, had him lie down, and cast a spell that put him to sleep.

  The wizard then led Berlina to the crystal ball. “Stand in front of it, and put your hands on it, palms flat. When the bell rings, you must concentrate on Lathan, and on restoring him to what he once was. You understand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Stay in place, hands on the crystal, concentrating on Lathan, until the bell rings a second time. Then you may back away from the crystal. There is a chair nearby if you feel you need to sit. Do not be ashamed if you feel too weak to stand and collapse on the floor. It has happened to many. Now, take your position.”

  Berlina moved up and placed her hands on the crystal. The bell rang, and the three wizards started waving wands and chanting. The crystal ball filled with clouds and fog, an image of Lathan’s face floating in it. Minutes passed, with Berlina standing and showing no signs of weakness. Finally, the bell rang a second time, and the three wizards stopped their chanting.

  Berlina backed away from the crystal, then turned to her escort and said, “Is that it? Is that all? Are we done?”

  He looked at her, a shocked expression on his face. “You are still standing, and able to speak immediately? You do not feel the need to sit or fall down?”

  “No,” said Berlina. “Is that a problem? I feel fine. I just want to know if it worked.”

  “We will see in a minute if everything worked. I must tell you, this was where some witches died, and most were too weak to stand or talk for as much as an hour. Never have I seen a witch who was so little affected.” He walked over to where Lathan was lying and examined him. “He appears in good shape. We will now see the results.” He waved his wand.

  Lathan’s eyes opened, and he looked around. The expression on his face was different, now. The blank stare was gone, and the light of intelligence shined in his eyes. He swung his feet off the couch and went down on one knee in front of Berlina. “Fair Princess Berlina, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is as if I had been living in a fog. Now, everything is clear once more. Thank you.” He reached out, took her hand, and kissed it.

  “You feel all right now, Lathan? Then, I guess we are done here.” Berlina turned to the escort and said, “Can we get out of here, now? We must be on our way, back to the High Palace of Jylyria, for the new king’s coronation.”

  “Of course, of course.” He led them out of the room. As they started up the passageway, the bronze doors boomed shut behind them. Eventually, they reached the entrance and walked out to where Felistia and Darvid were waiting.

  “How did it go?” asked Felistia.

  Before Berlina could answer, Lathan said, “It worked perfectly, Fee. My mind is clear, and the clouds are gone. It is wonderful. I feel wonderful.”

  They all mounted up and started down the road as the man in the gate house called, “Good luck on your journey.”

  This road was not quite as narrow as the path leading up from Quince Castle. It was still much narrower than the main road to the castle, and it was still most comfortable to ride two abreast. While Berlina and Felistia were riding next to each other, Felistia leaned over and said, “You have a look in your eye.”

  “A look?”

  “I think you were already starting to fall for Lathan before he was restored, and now, I think you’re taking a plunge for him.”

  “Ridiculous!” Berlina blushed a little. “Even if I were, what of it?”

  “Just be careful, Bee.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The Coronation

  On the trip back, the group stopped at inns and lodgings whenever possible, in large part because Darvid didn’t care much for camping out. In these places, they always took two rooms—one for the men and one for the girls. Darvid grumbled a little at having to accept a commoner as his roommate, but Berlina just pointed to their dwindling supply of gold.

  There weren’t always places to stop, and sometimes, they had to camp. Berlina took advantage of these opportunities when she could. She would hit her brother with a sleep spell to ensure he wouldn’t wake, and then go off into the woods with Lathan. The sleep spell she used was designed to trail off into natural sleep after a few hours, so she didn’t have to worry about reversing the spell.

  The morning after one such night, Felistia pulled up next to Berlina and asked, “Have a good time last night?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, come on Bee. I woke up in the middle of the night, and both you and Lathan were missing. Darvid had the appearance of more than natural sleep. I know what was going on.”

  Berlina blushed a little. “You’re right. We did engage in a little…well, you know. You aren’t going to tell anyone about this, though. Especially Darvid. Even more especially, when we get back, my mother.”

  “Of course I’m not going to tell anyone! I’m on your side. Just be careful. That’s all. By the way, this sort of thing is going to be more difficult to arrange when we get back to the palace…If you find you need someone to jigger for you…”

  “Thanks, I’ll remember that.”

  * * * *

  As the four got closer to home, they passed Drailsen’s castle. Berlina moved up next to her brother and asked, “What are you going to do with that?”

  “Me?” replied Darvid. “What do I have to do with it?”

  “Well, you’re the king—or will be soon—and if Drailsen dies without heirs, his property escheats to you. The same thing if, as in this case, he is convicted of a capital crime such as treason. So, it’s your castle, whatever you want to do with it.”

  “Oh. I have no idea what to do with an extra castle. Do you have a suggestion?”

  “Not really. You should probably set up a staff of caretakers to keep it in good condition. Beyond that, maybe just wait and see.”

  “Yes, that sounds good. I’ll worry about caretakers after the coronation. Thanks for the help, Berlina. You know, I think I am going to appoint you—officially—adviser to the crown.”

  Berlina grimaced. “Thanks, I guess. Just the kind of job I need.”

  “It looks so ugly, with all the banners in Drailsen’s maroon and orange colors,” said Lathan.

  “Oh, what colors would you give it?” ask Felistia.

  “Perhaps blue and silver? No, better would be red and silver,” said Lathan. “Yes, if I were in charge, I would change all the banners and flags, and all the workers’ uniforms, to red and silver.”

  “You are not in charge, guardsman,” said Darvid, acerbically.

  “Pardon, Your Highness,” said Lathan with a slight bow of his head. “I did not claim to be in charge. I was merely giving my opinion regarding what might be a nice set of colors.”

  “Darvid, leave him alone,” said Berlina. “It was just idle conversation. There is no reason to get upset about it.”

  Darvid looked like he was about to say something, but then remained silent, a scowl on his face.

  * * * *

  When the four approached the gate of the High Palace, they found it locked and heavily guarded. Berlina rode up to the captain who was commanding the guardsmen and said, “Open the gates. We wish to enter.”

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. On the orders of the
Queen Regent, no one is to enter or leave without her permission. With the Crown Prince kidnapped and the princess missing, she fears for the safety of the kingdom.”

  “Captain, do you know who I am? Do you know who this man is?” she said, pointing to Darvid.

  “No, ma’am. I have no idea who you are, or your companion.”

  “Tell me. How long have you been serving as a guardsman here at the palace, and where did you come from?”

  “I’ve been here, let me see, about a month. My men and I were drafted from our home village of Watergreen. The Queen Regent has drafted similar companies from many of the villages of the kingdom.”

  “Ah, that explains your abysmal ignorance. Well, if you don’t recognize our faces, perhaps you will recognize these.” She signaled to Darvid. Simultaneously, they pulled out their golden royal identification medallions.

  The captain’s eyes bugged out, his jaw dropped, and he gasped for breath. When he was finally able to talk, he bowed deeply and said, “A thousand pardons, Your Highness.” He made another bow to Darvid and repeated, “Your Highness.” He turned to his men and said, “Open the gate. One of you run as fast as you can, to tell the Queen Regent that the Crown Prince and Princess have returned.”

  The gate opened and the four entered through the gate into the courtyard, before it was closed again. They rode over to the door into the palace proper and dismounted.

  “Now what?” asked Darvid.

  “Now, we wait for Mother,” said Berlina. “We have no idea where she might be, but the messenger surely told her we were at the gate. I’m sure she will arrive soon.”

  It was only minutes before a sedan chair bearing Lystia on the shoulders of four servants came through the door. “Darvid! Berlina! Thank the Holy Figure you are safe and have returned. I have been so worried. What happened? Tell me.”

  “Darvid was kidnapped. You know that,” said Berlina. “I told you I planned to go out and rescue him. That I have done, as I promised. Of the foul traitors who did this deed, one is dead and the other locked up…or maybe he’s also dead by now.”