The Winds of Crowns and Wolves

by K. E. Walter

After emerging from the forest that next day, Tyrin never forgot the grace of the fairies, and made it a small objective in his mind to protect them from any imminent danger. Unfortunately, in the current circumstances, the fate of his House and himself appeared to be in much more peril than that of the tiny angels of the forest. He learned every inch of the area, and as he and Neach hurdled across the western road, it was as if he were doing it with his eyes closed. Tyrin had developed a form of muscle memory from the previous journeys to the capital along this path, and knew to avoid the various holes and dangers that lie along it.

  The young men neared their destination as the first inklings of sunlight crept over the tree line. The vibrant reds and purples of the early morning sky showed the stark difference between their current tranquility and the task that loomed off in the distance.

  The eastern gate of Leirwold led directly into the marketplace. As the two men entered the capital, people were just beginning to flock to the trade hub to sell various goods. Furs, cloths, exotic spices, and secondhand weapons were just a few of the breadth of items that could be purchased. While the people of Leirwold strolled wearily to their posts, the two young men were entering their last minutes of conscious. The late night was beginning to take its toll on Neach, as he slumped over Rine. Tyrin stood tall as ever to his right, determined to let any weakness be squashed before it was recognized by his peer.

  From the marketplace, they headed west and Neach saw his first glimpse of a different side of Leirwold. Due west of the marketplace district laid the slum district. The most defined aspects of its borders were the road that cut straight through it, in a grid fashion. In the space which wasn’t covered by road, shanty homes were placed in disarray with fires burning all around them. If he hadn’t known better, Neach may have believed that the war he so feared had already begun. Lo, it seemed that directly in the shadow of the Castle, the impoverished peoples of the city laid claim to their poorly constructed homes.

  The people of the district looked on at the two men with empty eyes. Most of them couldn’t hope to ever own something so lavish, and Neach was unsure whether the look he was receiving was one of admiration or disdain.

  After the slums came the university district. By the time they reached it, the sun had risen higher and the people of the city were now out in full force. More horses could be seen on the roads, and in the university district students flocked to their courses in droves. At the head of the district lay the university library. A large circular building with stone inlays, it hung over the district as a bastion of educational standard, and represented all that was good about learning in the capital city.

  South of the library lay the lecture hall which housed hundreds of students daily. The young students sat in awe, as the Kingdom’s greatest orators espoused their informed beliefs and understandings upon their own malleable mental form. Like an artist with a mound of clay, the lecturers molded their pupils into the most well informed members of the city.

  As they rounded the library, Neach saw someone out of the corner of his eye that he couldn’t have mistaken for anyone else. The beautiful girl with whom he had danced with during the festival earlier in the year was walking along the path, holding a collection of books in her hands. The topics ranged from philosophy to the study of the stars, and Neach approached her, as he saw Tyrin moving further from his vision.

  He dismounted Rine and walked toward her, with butterflies flapping their wings rapidly inside his stomach.

  Her eyes met his and a large smile broke out across her face. She came toward him, and they met in the middle of the lawn, in front of the library.

  “Well, well, if it isn’t the fleet footed boy,” she quipped, with a beaming smile still taking residence upon her face.

  Neach couldn’t help but blush.

  “And to think I may have never seen you again,” he retorted.

  She laughed a hearty laugh and threw her head back. Her black hair flew back, as she pushed it behind her shoulder.

  “I hate to leave things like this again, but I have class to attend to,” the girl said, with one foot moving in the direction of the lecture hall.

  “It would be unfair of me to continue this game so I will oblige you, my name in Jenos,” she said as she blinked her vivid green eyes in the early morning sunlight.

  The air seemed to be completely sucked out of Neach, and for a moment he struggled to regain his breath.

  “And I, am Neach,” he responded shyly.

  His intention on any other day would have been to make an impression on the girl, but the lingering exhaustion had already taken its toll.

  “With that I bid you adieu,” Jenos said chuckling as she strolled swiftly toward the lecture hall.

  For a moment, Neach was frozen in place. The girl who had caught his eye some time earlier had an even more beautiful name than her dazzling appearance would have suggested.

  As if violently awoken from a dream, Tyrin appeared ahead of him shouting.

  “What is it you’re doing? Come along,” he hollered from the side of the lecture hall.

  Neach obliged, but for the moment, he felt infatuated with the idea of seeing Jenos again.

  “We’re headed to Daniel’s,” Tyrin said, “The rest of the House has agreed to convene there and discuss our options going forward,” he concluded with the same commanding tone that he had used upon their first meeting.

  He was evidently unhappy with Neach, but he had failed to see the girl with which he was conversing. Neach hung silent for the rest of the journey. They headed south, through the rest of the university district, and into the heart of the craftsman’s district before arriving at the entrance to Daniel’s home.

  Neach reflected on the previous weeks and how far he had come since his first visit to the home. Once a young, naïve boy, he had arrived for a second time, hardened and mature.

  As they tied their horses outside the house, Neach couldn’t help but be excited to see Daniel once more. Though the circumstances may not have been ripe for joy, he felt at home with these people. He had only met a small portion of his bloodline to this point, and would be charged with the task of meeting each individual soon enough.

  With a hard knock on the door, it swung open as they were ushered inside by the strange artist who was Daniel.

  He extended his hand for Tyrin and then Neach and spoke softly, as not to wake the other residents.

  “The others arrived late yesterday, you are the final guests we have been waiting on,” he whispered.

  “I trust your trip wasn’t too demanding, was it?” Daniel asked with a smile. Even in light of the hostility brewing just north of their current position, Daniel found a way to derive happiness.

  He led them up the stairs, toward their quarters, and opened the door for them to enter.

  They walked through the doorframe and Neach nearly collapsed on the bed which was placed close to the door.

  “I’ll be back to wake you in a few hours. I’d suggest getting as much rest as possible for the time being, we have much work to do,” Daniel closed the door behind him, as he shuffled back towards his room.

  Across the room, Tyrin sat atop his bed and stared out the window. Barely capable of keeping his eyes open any longer, Neach fell into a deep slumber and found solace in his dreams, if only for a short time.

  For in the morning they would wake; a new dawn, a rising sun, shedding light upon the horrors that might lie beyond the walls of Castle Leirwold.

  XV

  A bird sang outside the open window, as Daniel slipped in front of the crowd of people that had gathered downstairs in the foyer. Murmurs resonated through the hollow halls of the house’s interior, but they stayed hushed, almost silent.

  Neach said nothing, as Tyrin stood to his right speaking to a woman with short white hair. He was unfamiliar with the faces that were meandering about this grand home this morning, and was doing his best to stare straight ahead, as to avoid awkward interaction.

  After
exchanging niceties with an older man located near the front of the pack, Daniel stood atop the raised platform that was placed at the head of the room. He was wearing a red velvet robe and looked as if he were still weary from a largely sleepless night. Unfortunately, sleep was hard to come by for the members of a House who were being targeted and killed. To his left, he heard whisperings of a younger man named Fril who had met his demise in Balthusom on the northwestern coast of the Kingdom. This revelation sent a ripple of fear through Neach’s body, as he realized that Balthusom was only a short ride north of Spleuchan Sonse.

  Daniel cleared his throat and allowed a few minutes the sounds to die out as if they were the final remaining embers of a burning fire.

  “Greetings and good tides, brothers, sisters, dearly beloved,” he chuckled, but struggled to garner even a single smile from the on looking crowd.

  He cleared his throat again, this time to refresh his facial features into the stoic necessity that the situation demanded.

  “We are gathered in this hallowed space today, not only to craft a plan of action going forward, but to remember those who have fallen to this day, fighting for our righteous cause,” Daniel’s face grew grim as he withdraw a piece of folded paper from the pocket of his robe.

  “Hirak Dulowil, aged thirty-seven of Cyll, Jup Weren, aged twenty-nine of Siriac, Cil Syrac, aged fourty-two of Fletwod, Josa Fennik, aged nineteen of Siriac, Wren Cunnig, aged twenty-four, also of Siriac, Norr Millo, aged fifty-six of Jorwel,” as the name was read aloud, a tear welled up in the corner of Tyrin’s left eye, “And most recently, I’m afraid, Fril Alge, aged sixteen of Balthusom,” Daniel concluded the list and folded the paper back up before placing it in his robe pocket.

  The murmurs began again, as Fril’s name was read from the list. There must have been a few house members who had not heard the news yet, and the shocked expressions on their faces told a taut story of sorrow.

  “We bow our heads in disdain that their lives were taken from them at an unfairly young age,” Daniel led the procession and hunched himself forward.

  A minute or so passed before the silence ceased and Daniel began to speak again.

  “In an effort to pragmatically handle the situation in front of us, we will break our ranks into groups of fifteen and reconvene in due time. With the one-hundred eighty blood members present on this day, by my count that will result in twelve equal groups of fifteen,” he concluded, as the large swath of people began to congregate with those closest to them.

  Neach stuck close to Tyrin, as he waded through the people toward another boy who appeared to be their age. They embraced each other in a strong hug, and he went down the line of thirteen others and did the same as Neach stood behind idly.

  “Brothers, sisters, this is our newest initiate, Coinneach of Spleuchan Sonse,” a certain air lingered over the words as Tyrin gestured toward Neach, who had begun awkwardly fidgeting.

  The first to extend their grace was a young man name Dirk, who hailed from the village of Cyll in the southwest. He maintained a sorrowful expression as he introduced himself. His hair was shoulder length and fair, accompanied by light blue eyes.

  Next came a dark eyed girl by the name of Pliss from the eastern capital of Endal. She approached him with more conviction than Dirk and a firm handshake. Her gaze seemed to peer into the deep catacombs of his interior emotions.

  The final person to welcome Neach into the House was a beautiful girl by the name of Vilxa. She had long blonde hair that flowed down past her collarbones, and eyes as blue as the southern sea. Vilxa gave Neach as shy smile as she extended her hand. He grasped it lightly in his, and shook with little firmness. Few words were spoken before she retreated to her original position.

  Before Neach was able to introduce himself to other members of the group, Tyrin assumed a leadership role at the head of the congregation. He stood on a chair, as to intimidate the others, and project his booming voice across the expanse of people.

  “Now that we have all rekindled our old relationships,” he said with a curious glare toward Pliss, “It is time we get down to business. Shall we?” his words were met by a smattering of grunts and applause.

  There was a sense of guttural appreciation for Tyrin’s leadership amongst the other members of the house, specifically those who were around his age. Like a conductor directing an orchestral composition, the members of the small group watched attentively as Tyrin’s hands flew up and down and directed their every thought and movement.

  “Who here, in our illustrious coalition of youthful minds, has the slightest idea what it is we are up against in that bastard King and his men?” Tyrin questioned. Nervous expressions were exchanged between the others surrounding Neach, and not a single individual popped up to respond.

  “Just as I had suspected,” he continued, his tone growing somber yet again.

  “Whilst in the Forest of Light, Neach and I came face to face with the danger that we are confronted by. One of the King’s men was dispatched to rid the crown of us both, but was, unsuccessful,” he smirked a devious smirk and the audience’s eyes grew wide.

  “Friends, our time is running out in the City of Leirwold. It is only a matter of time before Henrig discovers our new base, just south of the castle, so we must act swiftly, but with efficiency.”

  His words were met with cheers and embraces that seemed to raise the morale around the room. Though Neach had no qualms about Tyrin’s confidence, he was concerned about the mental fragility of some of his peers. Dirk seemed to physically be shivering at the thought of fighting against the crown, while a young boy with red hair at the back of the crowd held his head in his hands.

  “Brothers and sisters of the House Goedwig, we must stand strong in the face of adversity. For we are the just cause; we are the righteous beings in this cataclysmic war between good and evil,” his words resounding with the amplification of a thousand shouts and a loud cheer erupted.

  Tyrin smiled, evidently content with the raucous attitude he had instilled in his fellow house members. He motioned to Neach to come forward. With trepidation, Neach shuffled forward and found himself stood atop the platform next to Tyrin.

  “This young man, not much younger than myself, is our hope, just as you all are. Coinneach of Spleuchan Sonse, what say you?” Tyrin coaxed a small diatribe out of Neach who was frequently soft spoken.

  He mustered up all of the courage that he believed to be inside of him before he began his speech.

  “Though we stand in this house, its physical reality is much less sturdy than the fibers which bind our blood together. I have been welcomed into this covenant with admiration and respect, and for that I am eternally grateful. In the face of darkness, the only source of light we may find is within ourselves. The shrouded tunnel of war which we are set to embark on will not always be clear, but it will be present nonetheless. Lean on your brothers, lean on your sisters. Lean, but be aware that you must shoulder the burden of others as well. With the might of the Gods, we will reclaim our freedom, and live to fight for our righteous cause once again,” he concluded his speech with a thunderous cheer and applause emanating from every corner of the room. The other members of the house had ceased their conversations to listen to what the young man had to say. They looked on in awe as he commanded the full attention of every person in the home.

  From behind him, Daniel approached smiling and clasped Neach’s right hand in his own.

  “You have done good, son,” he whispered to Neach as he reclaimed his position atop the platform.

  “Let it be known that we have concocted a most curious plan for infiltrating the castle. In an effort to keep the casualties to a minimum for as long as possible, we will be enlisting a member of this House to enter the castle as an entertainer. For centuries, our people have been the subject of song and dance as we maintained the peace and order within the Kingdom. Now, we must assume that role to do so once again. I’m afraid that King Henrig, being a member of our own bloodline, is aware
of every member that currently lives and is associated with our fraternal organization. Everybody, except one,” Daniel’s voice trailed off as he looked in the direction of Neach. The room was silent and Neach froze as if Daniel’s glare had put an incantation upon his legs, rendering them incapable of moving.