Mitchell Graham - [Fifth Ring 03] - The Ancient Legacy(V1.0)

by Mitchell Graham

  The whole business was confusing. People who were the enemies were now allies. Sure, trust them, he thought. Maybe when the war was over they could all take in a play together.

  Mathew leaned against the post. So many balls were up in the air, it was difficult to tell which one to watch. He supposed the answers would come sooner or later. For him, it was just a matter of getting to the later part. After five minutes of considering the possibilities, nothing pre­sented itself and he went back inside.

  Almost as soon as he walked into the common room a man approached him. He was in his late forties, well-dressed, and appeared unarmed.

  "Excuse me," he said. "Am I correct in that I'm ad­dressing Mathew Lewin?"

  Father Thomas and Collin got up and came over to join them.

  "My name is Julian Tesh and I'm a member of his majesty, King Eldar's staff. Let me assure you that I mean you no harm. I apologize for not knowing who you are, young man," he said to Collin, "but I assume you are Father Siward Thomas."

  "What is it you want?" asked Mathew.

  "I have been instructed to invite you to the summer palace. His majesty is in residence and requests an inter­view with you."

  "Requests?" Mathew said. It had been his experience that kings and princes generally did more telling than re­questing.

  "His majesty was very specific. If you decline to meet with him, no one will stop you from leaving. I pledge my word of honor on this."

  Mathew looked at Father Thomas and then at Collin, who shrugged.

  "How did you know we were here?" Father Thomas asked.

  "We have been watching this area for the last month in the hope that you would arrive. Unfortunately, we had no idea when that would be. The Princess Teanna would have been here herself, but she is detained in Bajan at the moment."

  One of Mathew's eyebrows went up. "Really?"

  "Yes," said Tesh. "The recent explosion was something of a giveaway. May I assume you are Mathew Lewin?"

  There didn't seem much point in trying to carry out a charade, so Mathevv simply answered, "I am."

  He introduced Lara, Ceta, and Collin to Tesh, who ap­peared to be the very soul of courtesy. He bowed to the ladies and shook hands with the men.

  "What is it King Eldar wants?" asked Father.Thomas.

  "Only to talk," Tesh assured him. "I don't know how well-informed you are, Father, but we are at war. One week ago waves of Orlocks and Vargothans attacked all along our western border. They killed nearly three thou­sand people before they were driven back. Similar battles are being fought in other countries. His majesty will fill you in on the details if you agree to come."

  "And if we don't?" Collin asked.

  "Then I will bid you good day."

  Mathew searched the man's face and could see no sign of deceit there. A slight nod of Father Thomas's head was enough to seal the decision.

  "We'll come," he said.

  53

  Rivalin

  Twelve Oaks, the summer palace of the d'Elsos, was a large compound built on a promontory which over­looked the town. A stone wall surrounded four separate buildings and the watchtowers in Mathew's dream. Other than being big, it reminded him more of a sprawling hunt­ing lodge than a castle.

  As he walked toward the main entrance he tried to re­call what he had heard about Eldar d'Elso. The king was said to be an intellectual man in his late sixties who rarely involved himself in either politics or the day-to-day running of his country. According to what Teanna had told him, her father was content to leave those things to her mother, and then later to her. Though both women were intelligent and had strong personalities, it was an odd thing for a king to do, he thought. The d'Elsos had been in power for more than five hundred years, a difficult feat to accomplish under any circumstances, without strong leadership. He mentioned that to Father Thomas.

  "Don't be deceived by Eldar's manner," the priest told him. "He may appear laconic, but he is an extremely intel­ligent man. What power Marsa had was only because he chose to permit it. I assume the same thing also applies to Teanna. He is content to let others lead because it suits him to do so."

  It was a curious observation, and Mathew wondered how his friend had come to it. He knew of Father Thomas's background, but once again it amazed him at how far reaching the priest's experiences were.

  They found the king waiting for them in the great hall, and he did not fit the mental picture Mathew had formed of him. Eldar d'Elso was several inches shorter than Collin and easily thirty pounds overweight. He tried form­ing an image of this man and the statuesque Marsa d'Elso as being married to each other and couldn't. Nor could he imagine him as Teanna's father. Still, he had seen more unusual families in his time.

  "Thank you for coming, Siward," Eldar said, address­ing Father Thomas. "I bid you and your companions wel­come to my home. I am Eldar d'Elso."

  Siward? thought Mathew. He and Lara exchanged glances. Ceta must have reacted the same way, because the king turned to her and surprised everyone by bowing.

  "I am informed that you are Siward's lady. Please ac­cept my good wishes."

  "Why, thank you," Ceta said, with a curtsey.

  "And you are Mathew Lewin," he said, turning to Mathew. "I have heard a great deal about you from my daughter."

  "Uh ... yes, your majesty," Mathew replied. "May I present my wife, Lara Palmer ... I'm sorry, I mean, Lara Lewin, and this is my friend, Collin Miller."

  Eldar chuckled. "I made a similar mistake for a number of weeks after I was married. Marsa finally had a, mug en­graved with her name on it as a reminder. I am pleased to meet you both. Thank you all for coming. I understand that Julian interrupted your midday meal. Perhaps you'll join me in the dining room?"

  It was not so much a question as a statement, because El­dar didn't wait for a reply. He nodded to Tesh, who promptly excused himself and disappeared through a door­way at the end of the hall. The king led, with the others trailing in his wake.

  Their meal was a pleasant affair and Eldar a courteous

  host. He asked a number of questions regarding the explo­sion and listened carefully when Mathew described what had happened in the cave.

  "So, Shakira wanted to combine your ring with her own to use against my daughter and the human nations. Interesting."

  "Yes, sir."

  "You are an exceedingly resourceful fellow, Mathew, but I already knew that. I assume you noticed that your ring was not the only thing inside the cave."

  "If you mean the crypt, yes I noticed it."

  "And what was your reaction?"

  "I was shocked," Mathew replied simply. "I had thought Marsa... your wife, was dead. I'm glad she isn't."

  Eldar d'Elso leaned back and considered Mathew for a moment. "That's a strange thing for you to say. She tried to kill you, as did my daughter, and you say you're glad that she's not dead."

  The topic made Mathew uncomfortable, but now that it was broached, he had no choice but to deal with it.

  "I didn't want to kill your wife, sir. I didn't want to kill anybody, for that matter. Under the circumstances, the only choice I had was to protect myself. I'm very sorry if I caused you pain."

  The king put the tips of his fingers together and leaned back in his seat. What he said next surprised not only Mathew, but everyone in the room.

  "Marsa was insane, as was her brother. Oh, I don't mean that she howled at the moon, but insanity can take many forms. Ruling the world was something their grandfather drummed into their heads from the time they were little. It was an ill-conceived concept then, just as it is now."

  Looks were exchanged around the table at the direct­ness of the king's comments. Only Father Thomas sat qui­etly observing. Mathew stared down at the wine in his goblet.

  "I meant what I said before, your majesty. I know Marsa's not dead, but she's not alive, either ... at least not as far as I could tell. Is this the reason you brought us here?"

  "I said that you are a resourceful young man, but you are a
lso clever," said Eldar. "The answer is 'partly.' My wife would certainly be dead had it not been for Teanna's intervention at the last moment. Regardless, she suffered an injury to her brain that the doctors do not understand. These past years, Teanna has sought to find a cure for this ailment, though without avail. I would like you to help re­store her if possible."

  Mathew blinked. Of all the things he was prepared to hear, that was quite possibly the last one. The memory of a wall of fire a half mile wide and hundreds of feet high roar­ing at him flashed through his mind. Next were the thun­derbolts and a ball of fire Marsa had created, which came hurthng down on Collin, Akin, and himself as they stood on the cliffs above Tremont. He realized that his mouth was open and he closed it, but before he could speak, Eldar continued.

  "I am aware of what happened in Elgaria four years ago, and I am also aware of what transpired between you and my daughter in Sennia. Know that I would have pre­vented them if I could. The unfortunate fact is that they did happen.

  "You would be completely justified in refusing me, and if you do, that will be the end of our discussion. Before you give me your answer, however, there is something else I must tell you.

  Wonderful, thought Mathew. He's going to tell me Karas Duren's stopping by for dinner.

  "Over the past few years my daughter has matured a great deal. She is still impetuous and has to work to con­trol her temper. But the fact is, she has changed. Her focus has turned outward and she now looks for ways to improve the lot of our people. She has labored to improve condi­tions in this country, and I feel these are admirable things. Whether this mind-set was there all the time or is some­thing she has learned with the passage of time, I do not know. Perhaps a combination of both."

  Eldar darted a quick look at Father Thomas, but the priest showed no reaction, and he turned back to Mathew again.

  "The world is now at war and Vargoth and Coribar have aligned themselves with the Orlocks. As we speak they are attacking Alor Satar, Cincar, Sibuyan, and our own country."

  "We've heard this," Mathew said.

  "Did you also know that Teanna has rallied the forces of the West and those of the East to repulse the threat? Since the war began she fought in a dozen battles. She will be here soon and I'm sure she'll have much more to tell you."

  "You say she's coming here?" Mathew asked, surprised.

  "I did," Eldar replied. "I would like you to give me your word that you will take no action against her. I am not ask­ing this as a king, but as a father."

  A storm of emotions assailed Mathew. He looked around the table and met Lara's eyes. She smiled at him.

  "Your majesty, I had a similar talk with Father Thomas a short while ago," he finally replied. "I certainly don't want to fight a woman, but I'm not going to give her an­other chance to finish what she started. I want you to be clear on that."

  "Understood. I just want you to hear her out."

  "I'll listen."

  Eldar d'Elso pushed his chair back from the table. "You have my gratitude. Now if you will all excuse me, I would like to speak with Father Thomas alone, with your permission, of course, ma'am," he added to Ceta.

  If having a king ask her permission was a surprise to the lady innkeeper, she managed to conceal it well enough. "Certainly," she said.

  "You are all free to roam where you wish," Eldar told them. "Should you need anything, my staff will be happy to provide it."

  54

  Stewart Vale, Alor Satar

  A LONE RIDER CHARGED ACROSS THE VALLEY FLOOR ON the border between Alor Satar and Elgaria, keeping his horse close to the treeline. Nearly a full regiment of sol­diers from Vargoth and two Orlock squads followed in hot pursuit. The rider's face' was caked with grime, and blood ran down his left arm from the arrow shaft lodged in his shoulder. His horse's flanks were flecked white with foam. The rider was one of the few soldiers who wore glasses.

  Since he had been taken by the mercenaries two years earlier, Daniel Warren, late of Devondale township, had served with the Vargothan intelligence unit. Like many of his countrymen conscripted into the army, Daniel knew about the war breaking out and was appalled to find that Orlocks were Vargothan's new allies.

  The mercenary commanders had made the fundamen­tal mistake of assuming that higher pay for their men would translate into higher loyalty. They were wrong.

  The battle that had just been fought along the banks of the Roeselar River resulted in another victory for the Vargothans. Hopelessly outnumbered, Delain's forces fought bravely, but the end was never in question. All afternoon a steady stream of riders came and went from the command tent, bringing reports of what the enemy was doing and where their main force were camped. Daniel was alone in the tent when the last piece of intelligence was delivered.

  The rider told him that Delain had assigned units of the Elgarian militia to hold the northern flank under the command of a man named Akin Gibb. The militia, he knew, were not regular soldiers, but farmers, merchants and shopkeepers from all across the country. The soldier also reported their scouts had discovered a path through the mountains that could bring them up behind Gibb and his men.

  "Excellent," Daniel said, clapping him on the back. "Get something to drink and return to your regiment. I'll inform General Caspar at once."

  The messenger only got two steps before his eyes bulged. Daniel clamped a hand over his mouth and held the dagger in place until he felt his knees collapse. He dragged the body to the back of the tent, upended one of the cots, and covered it. The soldier's horse was just out­side the opening.

  "Rider coming in!" one of the sentries called out.

  Akin Gibb looked up from the map he was studying, picked up his farsighter and trained it toward the valley.

  "There's a whole lot of folks after that fellow out in front," the sentry said.

  Several other soldiers and officers stopped what they were doing to watch.

  "What the hell's happening?" one of the officers asked.

  Akin narrowed his eye and peered through the lens. They were moving so fast it was difficult to tell who the lead rider was, but there was something familiar about him.

  "You men at the front lines get ready!" Thorn Calthorpe yelled. "Cannoneers, you will fire on my command."

  "Good Lord," Akin whispered, putting the farsighter down. "Hold your fire men!" he shouted. He started run­ning toward the cannons. "Let that rider through.' Thorn, have the archers provide covering fire for him. That's Daniel Warren from our village."

  Chunks of earth flew from the horses' hooves as they tore across the valley. Daniel's horse never broke stride approaching the Elgarian line. For one frozen moment it

  appeared to Akin that animal and rider were suspended in midair as it leapt the nearest cannon, causing the soldiers there to duck. He and another officer caught Daniel as he slipped from the saddle, and gently lowered him to the ground.

  Daniel glanced at the farsighter hanging from Akin's neck and then up at his friend.

  "Interesting invention," he said.

  He. managed to deliver the rest of his report before he lost consciousness.

  Twenty miles to the south of where Akin and his men were camped, another report was being delivered to Armand Duren.

  "My lord, the creatures have broken through our first line of defense. James of Mirdan is attacking their rear line and Delain is shifting his Fifth Battalion to meet them."

  "Teanna?" Armand asked.

  "Nearly spent, my Lord. The princess was magnificent. She managed to repulse the mercenaries' first three on­slaughts, but there are simply too many. They came in waves along with the creatures. She is resting in her tent now."

  "Darius Val?"

  "The last word is that he is still a day's ride from here. Gawl and his men are two days behind him. The bulk of the Sennian army arrived several hours ago, but they are badly in need of rest."

  Armand studied the map on his table. "Send word to General Krelco that the Second Army is to abandon their positio
n on the heights and move all cannons to either side of Skeffington Pass. Tell him that they must be in place by nightfall. Sentries along the lines are to be doubled. We will have to hold until the reinforcements can arrive. If the Orlocks want us, this is where they'll have to come," he said, jabbing the map with his finger. "Yes, my lord," the man said, saluting.

  Armand turned to his brother as soon as they were alone. "Do you think our southern garrisons will be able to hold?"

  "They'd better," Eric answered. "If the Orlocks get through, our position here is lost. They'll have a clear march to Rocoi."

  Armand took a deep breath. "I'm going to see how Teanna is feeling."

  "You understand what Seth and Shakira are trying to do?" Eric said, stopping him in the doorway.

  "By initiating different actions along a hundred mile front, they force her to expend her energies. Each time, it takes longer and longer for her to recover. We must buy her time."

  Armand raised his eyebrows, took a deep breath, then walked rapidly to Teanna's tent. The soldier stationed out­side came to attention.

  "Teanna?" Armand called out.

  There was no answer.

  'Teanna," he called again.

  He moved the flap aside and stuck his head in. To his surprise, it was empty. -

  55

  Rivalin

  Mathew stood in the king's garden looking at Teanna's fountain, his hands clasped behind him. A breeze passing threw the water pouring from the horses' mouths created a spray that hung in the air. A short distance away, Lara sat on a small stone bench watching her husband. Eventually, she got up and came to his side.

  "Do you want to talk?" she asked quietly.