The King's Treasure

by Carol M. Vaughn

  The healer and messenger both murmured “Yes, m’lady” and followed orders. The healer cut off the coat and shirt of the man while the messenger continued. “I…I know that I should have stayed, Sire, but I couldn’t…my wife is expecting soon…” he glanced down guiltily.

  “You have brought us news of the attack,” Rael said firmly. “The information is more valuable than dying in battle. Without this news, your squad would have simply disappeared and it could have been months before we even knew there was a problem.” Rael stood up, pacing. He rang the bell on his desk and a page immediately poked his head in. “Fetch a map of the southern thaneship.” The boy left at a sprint. Rael turned back to the man. “Did you notice anything about the attackers?”

  The man shook his head. “They looked like regular vagabonds, Sire. Except they were too organized, too well equipped. But I saw no identifying markers on them.”

  The boy returned and carefully unrolled the map on Rael’s desk. Rael weighted the corners down. “About where was the attack?”

  “There,” the man jabbed a finger at a particularly dense patch of forest near the border.

  Rael glanced at Arianwyn. “Are you up for a ride?” Arianwyn straightened her back, nodding. “Good. Be prepared to leave before dawn.” Arianwyn curtsied. Rael dismissed her and the messenger. The healer led the man to the servants’ quarters and Arianwyn returned to her rooms to prepare.

  22-The Soulless

  Arianwyn was waiting for Rael in the courtyards. She was already dressed for flight. After their last flight, Arianwyn had commissioned a flight jacket that fit and a thick, woolen scarf. She had also dismissed skirts as impractical for flying. Much to Jed’s dismay, she had him tailor a pair of thick pants she could wear when taking to the skies. A pair of gloves and heavy boots completed her ensemble. She braided her hair tightly down her back, allowing Marie to continue sleeping.

  Rael crossed the courtyard in the predawn light, carrying two packs. As usual, he was flanked by his bodyguards. One of them was whispering urgently to Rael as they approached, a scowl on his face. “…idea. How are we to protect your back if you fly off with naught but a slip of a girl with you?”

  “It will be fine. Between our Gifts, we will be able to handle whatever attacks come our way. Besides, I am not anticipating a fight.”

  The guard snorted, not bothering to hide his irritation. “It isn’t the anticipated fights that are the problem, Your Majesty. I am still unhappy about the attack by the kalapa.”

  Rael just grinned, clearly eager to be in the air. Charon and Parvati back-winged into the courtyard, snow flying in every direction. Rael tossed one of the packs to Arianwyn before turning to secure the one he kept to Charon. Watching through Parvati’s eyes, Arianwyn copied how Rael secured the pack before mounting up. :Nice clothes. Far more practical,: Parvati noted.

  :Thanks. I thought they would be a good idea…especially if His Majesty is going to insist on these little flights.:

  :Not to mention it’s nearing mid-winter.:

  Arianwyn agreed. She was not cold. Neither was she sweating, though. And it would only become colder the higher up they went. She scrambled onto Parvati, checking her gear and ensuring her clothes were well wrapped about her. Charon turned and whuffed at Parvati. Parvati nodded and the two leapt lightly into the air, wings straining to gain altitude.

  Arianwyn hugged close to Parvati, laying flat along her neck and tucking her face down. The wind whistled as the dragons reached their desired altitude and began gliding. A heavy whuff in Parvati’s neck caught Arianwyn’s attention. She looked up at the back of Parvati’s head. :Are you all right?:

  :Of course I am. Just a little winded.:

  :Since when did you become winded at take off?: Parvati growled and ignored the question. She tucked down behind Charon, allowing him to cut the wind for her. Arianwyn did not miss the move. :Aren’t you usually trying to get in the front?: Parvati ignored her again.

  The dragons labored all morning to fly. With the onset of winter, there were fewer updrafts to make gliding easy. Parvati especially seemed to be suffering from the long flight. Rael glanced more frequently over his shoulder during the trip as Arianwyn and Parvati slowed down. Frowning, he signaled for them to land about noon.

  Arianwyn slid from Parvati’s back, legs shaking from gripping Parvati for so long. Rael approached, still frowning. “What’s wrong?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Why is Parvati slowing down? Is she unwell?”

  Arianwyn frowned at Parvati. Parvati turned her head away, gulping down mouthfuls of snow and simultaneously belching fire into her mouth. “She won’t tell me.”

  Rael sighed. “I did not plan on making camp for the night.”

  Arianwyn glanced up, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Your Majesty, are you afraid of sleeping outdoors?” she teased.

  He scowled at her, turning back toward Charon and stripping his gloves off to dig in his pack. Arianwyn’s laughter followed him. She shook her head and approached Parvati, opening her own rucksack to see what Rael had packed for them.

  There was enough bread and cheese to see them through lunch and dinner, some dried fruit and a waterskin. Arianwyn, still smiling, approached Rael. “I’m assuming you have the same contents in your bag?” He grunted. “Well, if you’re concerned about staying the night, then we can share one of the meals.” Rael stared at her, lips compressing. The smile left Arianwyn’s face and she touched his arm. “It is better to have some than none, Your Majesty.”

  He sighed. “I thought I told you to call me Rael when we are in private.” She chuckled, reaching into his sack and withdrawing some of the bread, cheese and fruit. Charon was curled protectively around Parvati. Parvati had her head tucked under a wing and appeared to be sleeping. Arianwyn and Rael nestled into the curve of the dragons, out of the wind, to eat. “If it is only overnight, we would only need enough for breakfast,” Rael commented when they had both eaten half the food in his knapsack. He was watching Arianwyn retie the sack to Charon.

  Arianwyn shook her head. “You may be king, but you’ve never been in the mountains in the wintertime, have you?” she asked wryly. “The weather is unpredictable at best. We don’t know if it will be overnight or if a blizzard will come up, forcing the dragons to seek shelter.”

  Rael leaned back against Parvati’s foreleg. “And where would you propose we camp if a storm comes up?”

  Arianwyn shrugged. “Wherever we can find. Probably in one of the forests and the dragons can make a tent for us out of their wings.”

  Rael was quiet, finishing the rest of his waterskin before packing snow inside of it. “You’ve done that before, it sounds.”

  “I’ve done a lot of things out of necessity,” she remarked. She slapped Parvati's neck, missing Rael's scowl. “Thankfully, Parvati has been with me for the majority of it recently.”

  Rael was quiet the rest of lunch. Arianwyn's skin prickled, like she was being watched. But whenever she glanced at him, his attention was elsewhere. They finished their lunch and mounted the dragons, taking to the sky again. :Are you going to tell me what’s wrong?: Arianwyn silently asked Parvati.

  Parvati sighed, straining her wings to keep them aloft. :Nothing is wrong. Everything is how it should be.:

  :Then why are you so tired? You should be flying circles around Charon!:

  Parvati snorted, amusement and pleasure at the compliment coloring her tone. :Not this time. Besides, it costs me nothing to allow him to lead…for now.: Arianwyn smiled and gave up. Whatever secrets Parvati was keeping, she was not sharing.

  They arrived at the sight of the attack in the early evening. A thick blanket of snow covered everything. “Are you sure the messenger gave us the correct site?” Arianwyn looked around. “Even if he did, how do we know this is it?”

  Rael walked around the small clearing, occasionally kicking at a clump of snow and frowning, staring at the trees surrounding them. “This is it,” he muttered, almost to h
imself. “Did they leave anything behind is the question.” Rael leapt up a small embankment, disappearing silently into the trees. Arianwyn sighed and leaned against Parvati for warmth. “They should have been approaching from the west.” Arianwyn jumped at Rael’s sudden reappearance. He crouched on the top of the embankment, still watching the clearing through narrowed eyes. “Charon, do you mind?”

  Charon stretched his legs and flexed his wings, standing up. He lowered his nose to the ground, sniffing some of the lumps Rael had kicked earlier. A tiny lick of flame erupted, melting the snow. Arianwyn gasped. A face appeared, contorted in pain. Charon moved to another lump, melting more snow. Slowly, the grisly scene came to life.

  Swallowing her revulsion, Arianwyn walked among the remains of the patrol. Rael came down the embankment, roughly pulling men from their final rest and searching them. “They all bear your insignia,” Arianwyn said softly. “The messenger said they had no insignia.” Rael grunted, continuing to search.

  Arianwyn knelt next to an older soldier, reaching to close his eyes. His eyes shifted. She jerked her hand back, gasping. “Rael, I don’t think they’re dead! Spirit! Show me the soldiers still alive in this clearing.” Grayish flames erupted around her, pulsing slowly where the soldiers were located. The older soldier smiled, sitting up.

  “Arianwyn, get out of here!” Rael’s sword hissed from its sheath. Arianwyn stumbled backwards. She cried out when a pair of arms, still flickering a sickly gray, encircled her from behind.

  :Duck your head!: Parvati snarled. Arianwyn tucked her chin to her chest and felt the snarl of Parvati pass behind her. A sickening crunch followed. The grayish glow disappeared from the arms and Arianwyn spun. She stepped over the headless body and leapt onto Parvati’s outstretched leg. She was about to haul herself onto Parvati’s back when she saw Rael. As fast as his sword flicked, there were too many soldiers. Charon swung his tail, knocking some of the soldiers to the ground. He was unable to get closer to help Rael.

  An icy hand encircled her ankle. Arianwyn looked down and saw the old soldier, still leering at her. “Fire! Fireball!” She flung her hand in his direction. Fire erupted around her shoulder, traveled down her arm, and flew from the palm of her hand, hitting the man square in the chest. The flames caught in his uniform, then extinguished. The grayish glow of his life force gathered strength.

  The soldier jerked her from Parvati’s leg. Parvati snarled and snapped, trying to catch hold of the soldier. An arm wrapped around Arianwyn kept her between him and the dragon. He was not even breathing hard. His hand found Arianwyn’s chin. He pulled her head to the side. Arianwyn saw Rael drive a sword through the chest of one of the soldiers. He glanced in her direction before diving to the side to avoid a downward slice of another soldier. The soldier Rael stabbed stood up.

  :Their heads! The only one who hasn’t risen more powerfully is the one whose head I removed,: Parvati said.

  The pain was becoming too much for Arianwyn. Her neck would snap from the constant pressure soon. “Fire, stop. Earth,” she choked out. “Become soldiers…” she panted.

  The ground rumbled and groaned under her feet. Black pillars oozed up from the forest floor. Sections of the pillars divided, forming rough arms and legs. The figures stood still. Arianwyn’s vision speckled black. She hoped she passed out before her neck snapped. :Command! They are soldiers!: Parvati roared in her mind.

  “Kill…soldiers…” Arianwyn struggled to hold the image of the mud soldiers fighting the others. Her vision blacked out. :You must stay awake! The soldiers do not exist without you!: Parvati said urgently, pushing Arianwyn back to consciousness. Arianwyn opened her eyes and saw half of her mud soldiers had disintegrated. She forced her mind to concentrate on the remaining soldiers.

  The mud soldiers oozed across the ground, encasing the other soldiers in their embrace. The patrol soldiers disappeared, covered by the mud. Within the mud, Arianwyn could see the grayish glow continue. “Heads…” Iciness suddenly enfolded her from behind. She could see nothing and she could not breathe. Abruptly, she felt the grip of the older soldier release her and she was shoved forward. She fell to her hands and knees, coughing. She rolled over. A mud soldier had engulfed her. She turned her head, rubbing her neck. The patrol solders were still alive, but unable to move.

  Arianwyn met Rael’s eyes. He had backed up warily in her direction, watching for a renewed attack. When none of the soldiers moved, he looked to her. Arianwyn managed a smile. “Off with their heads.” Several sickening popping sounds filled the clearing. Arianwyn’s eyes rolled into the back of her head.

  “Wake up!” A sharp sting in her cheek brought her back into awareness. Arianwyn forced her eyes open. They were still in the clearing. Rael looked relieved when she opened her eyes. “We’re leaving.” He picked her up, striding toward Charon who obligingly helped Rael mount onto his back. Rael held her tightly in front of him, still breathing hard from the fight.

  Arianwyn reached up to rub her eyes and felt something wet on her face. Lightly, she touched her upper lip and checked her fingers. The last rays of the sun revealed blood. She closed her eyes, head pounding. :Your head will feel better if you let Earth and Spirit go.:

  “Stop Earth. Stop Spirit,” Arianwyn muttered. “Thank you, Parvati…” Her head lolled backward, darkness taking her over again.

  Stars glistened overhead when she opened her eyes again. Rael had shaken her awake. They were on the ground again. “Eat,” he ordered, handing her bread and cheese. He helped her drink from the waterskin. Arianwyn’s hands were shaking too much to hold the skin steady. “The weather is clear. We will fly through the night to arrive home,” Rael said, taking the skin and holding it so she could drink. Arianwnyn closed her eyes. She was too tired to care right now.

  “Wake up,” she heard again. This time it was a voice in her ear. She opened her eyes, feeling the rush of wind over her face. The eastern horizon was rose and gold. She blinked, staring at the distant ground. “You should at least be awake when we land,” Rael said in her ear. She nodded, looking down and noticing the Keep approaching.

  “Parvati?”

  “She’s right behind us.”

  Charon back-winged into the courtyard. Servants and bodyguards were approaching. Alarm quickly spread at the sight of Rael and Arianwyn. Sigurd climbed up Charon’s leg to take Arianwyn from Rael. Her grip tightened on Rael, everything spinning. “You have to let go of me,” Rael told her patiently. Her hands clenched again before she could force them to let go and Rael passed her to Sigurd. Sigurd handed her down to Wymond. Rael dismounted after Sigurd jumped down.

  Arianwyn stared, frowning. His hair was completely disheveled and his clothes were rumpled. His face was a grayish color, his eyes lined. Closer inspection showed a dark stain along the side of his riding coat. “You’re hurt!” she gasped. She twisted out of Wymond’s arms and staggered to Rael’s side, fingers working to open the coat.

  Rael caught her hands. “Hammurabi will take care of it. Wash and rest. We must discuss what happened this afternoon.” Arianwyn looked up at him, frowning. “You look like someone punched you in the nose,” he grinned at her. Arianwyn opened her mouth to retort. Rael took her by the elbow and moved toward the Keep, cutting her off. “Be ready to report what you saw and felt at the meeting this afternoon.” He released her elbow and used his longer stride to get out of reach.

  Arianwyn scowled in his direction and turned towards a servant. “Make sure Hammurabi does see him. And if His Majesty tries to send him away, send for me,” she growled, legs trembling. She motioned Sigurd closer. When he was within reach, she gripped his arm. “Whatever you do, do not carry me inside.”

  “Should I drag you, then?” he asked. The amusement was forced. She glared at him, keeping her feet only because of the grip she had on Sigurd. Her eyes followed the retreating form of the king until the Keep hid him from her sight.

  Rael

  Rael sat stiff on the edge of the bed, arm raised. Hammurabi dabbed at
the wound, muttering. “It's going to need stitches.”

  “No, it will not!” Rael snapped. He put his arm down and reached for his shirt.

  “Of course, not, Sire. I shall be sure to inform Lady Arianwyn of—“

  “You will do no such thing,” Rael growled. His cheek twitched as he glared at Hammurabi. He took a deep breath and raised his arm back up. “Get it over with.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” Hammurabi said. His lips twitched.

  “If you laugh, I will hit you,” Rael threatened. Hammurabi turned his back, digging through his bag. He pulled up a needle and thread. Rael sighed. “Curse that girl,” he grumbled.

  “Perhaps you should thank her.” Rael arched an eyebrow. Hammurabi stabbed him with the needle. Rael grit his teeth, biting back the groan. “From what you've said, it sounds like she may have saved your life.”

  Rael stared straight ahead. That girl. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine. “Hold still,” Hammurabi muttered. Rael ignored him. She had nearly died. It was his duty to protect her and he had led her straight into danger. His hands clenched. Hammurabi glanced up at him. “It's not your fault,” he remarked.

  “I'm supposed to protect her,” Rael snapped.

  Hammurabi laughed. “I doubt she sees it that way. She isn't from the nobility, in spite of her progress. She's a peasant. And even among peasants, I doubt she was well-respected.”

  Rael glared at him. “Have a care how you speak of her.”

  Hammurabi grinned. “You don't understand. Ask her, I am certain she would agree with me. She is more accustomed to caring for herself, Rael.”

  “I do not like it.”

  “I doubt she cares.” Rael kicked him for that. Hammurabi arched a brow and stuck him with the needle forcefully. Rael flinched. “Oops, wrong spot.” He withdrew the needle and continued his sewing. Rael shook his head.