Giant, still living trees had been hollowed out by the elves to serve as towers, guard rooms, and storehouses. Silver lanterns hung from their leaf covered boughs although, for the moment, they were extinguished. Balconies and walkways surrounded and connected many of these fascinating spires. Some had delicately crafted staircases running from their uppermost branches to the ground below.
The city was also filled with a variety of other buildings made of combinations of wood, of metal, and of stone. The most impressive of these structures was the king's palace. It was a number of tall, thin, white stone towers interconnected by a large courtyard. Each of the towers was crowned in pure gold and the largest served as the king's own residence.
Throughout Talsier there were hordes of smaller trees, countless flowerbeds, and large grass-covered swards. In some ways it seemed less like a city and more like a garden. The party sat, still and silent for several minutes; their eyes soaking in the beauty and wonder before them.
“Well, that is something,” Kilren observed at last.
“It is beautiful, isn't it?” Erana replied. “It's been years since I was here last.”
“We need to get moving,” the knight asserted after a brief pause. “King Illfas is expecting us. Now that we're here, we shouldn't keep him waiting.”
“You’re right, lad,” Ian nodded. “We'll have time to appreciate the view once we've done what we've come to do.”
Darian gently kicked his horse into motion and was quickly followed by the rest of his party. As they approached the nearest bridge, the elvish ranger dismounted and signaled for her companions to do the same.
“I know we're close,” Kilren said, sliding from the saddle, “but we'd still save a few minutes if we rode.”
“We don't ride within the boundaries of Talsier,” the ranger replied, shaking her head. “This is a place of rest. Both for us, and for our animals.”
As she said this, she patted Rragor gently on his side.
“What a lovely custom,” the rogue replied with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
“It's not going to hurt you to walk for a while,” the elvish maid replied with a smile.
“After the... however many hours it's been these last two days... of riding, it hurts me to do anything,” he pointed out.
“Aye, lad,” Ian said, stretching himself as he spoke. “I do see your point there. For my part, I think I'd rather walk anyway. I was beginning to wonder if saddles hadn't originally been designed as instruments of torture.”
“Well, I do think it's lovely,” Gwendolyn asserted, rubbing the face of her beast. “If you're tired, just think how they must feel.”
“Yes, yes,” the rogue sighed, “I cede the point. Now, let's get where we're going so we can get something real to eat and sit on something other than a horse for a few minutes.”
Two armor-covered elves stood guard over the bridge; one on each side of the passage. From their shining helmets hung plumes of horse hair that reached the middle of their backs. Each held a razor sharp glaive in his hand and had a short sword hanging from his side. As the party approached, the pair snapped to attention; pulling their weapons upright and staring straight into the distance ahead.
This action attracted the attention of the young knight. Darian stepped over to one of the silent warriors, inspecting him carefully. The elf showed no sign whatsoever that he was even aware of the Telian's presence. His eyes gazed unswervingly ahead. The knight looked over his shoulder – just to be sure. No, there was nothing in the distance but the tree line. He again returned his attention to the unmoving sentinel.
“Do they always do this when somebody walks up?” he asked.
“No,” Erana said, slowly shaking her head. “Not normally.”
“Why are they doing it now?”
“It's a sign of respect,” she answered.
“Why don't they say anything?” he mused, slowly raising his hand in front of the guard he was considering. “I'm talking about them right in front of their faces...”
“They won't speak unless they're spoken to directly,” she pointed out. “It shows that they're not distracted by anything. All their attention is being focused on protecting us at the moment.”
“Is that true?” Darian asked the elf in front of him.
“It is, Sir Darian,” the guard replied instantly, “and it's an honor to meet you, sir!”
“It's an honor to meet you, as well,” the knight replied slowly. “How did you know I was Sir Darian?”
“You fit the description, sir,” the other sentinel replied, glancing at his companion as he spoke. “In every possible way.”
At this, Kilren burst out laughing.
“I know exactly what you mean,” he said, slapping the guard on the shoulder as he stepped past him onto the bridge.
“What did he mean?” the Telian asked, following his friend.
“Let's just say you stand out,” the rogue replied.
“I supposed that's true,” the knight said thoughtfully. “There can't be many people in these parts wearing plate mail armor covered by a white tabard bearing the symbol of Solarin... Of course, Tealor is armored in exactly the same way.”
“Yes,” the rogue replied sarcastically, “but, you're so much younger than he is.”
“Oh, of course” the knight chuckled. “Why didn't I think of that?”
“I often ask myself the same question.”
The party headed quickly and directly to the palace of King Illfas. The golden gates that sealed the courtyard were thrown open at their approach; a small army of guards standing at attention as they passed. A tall, pale steward dressed in a robe of deep blue with a large emerald broach at his throat descended the steps leading from the main tower as the group entered the courtyard.
“Thank the Eilian you've arrived,” the steward said. “I'm Calndorn, the chief steward. His majesty will see you shortly. If you'll follow me.”
Having made this brief introduction, he led the party – with the exception of Rragor who was to wait outside – into the tower and up several flights of stairs. The band was left in a small antechamber just outside the court to wait until the king could see them.
“Now remember,” the bard said as soon as they were alone, “most of you have never stood in the presence of a king before. Just follow Erana's lead. And mine, as well, of course.”
“I think I can handle myself,” Kilren asserted.
“Yes, well, it wasn't you I was talking about exactly,” Ian replied, his gaze on the young Telian.
“Yeah... yeah, I see what you mean,” the rogue nodded.
Within minutes, they were led into the court. Sir Darian had been placed at the center of the band. On his left were: Sarena, Gwendolyn, and Erana. To his right: Tealor, Ian, and Kilren. The party marched quickly through the light-filled hall. The walls and floor were made of white and black marble decorated with countless gemstones that were laid out in curious and wonderful patterns. A thick carpet of blue and green covered the wide strip of floor over which they strode. On the right and left, a number of well-dressed nobles stood; watching the proceedings curiously. One, in particular, seemed to catch the eye of the beautiful ranger as they passed.
The king sat on a dais that had seven steps leading up to it. His throne, as well as that of his queen, was made of a light colored wood decorated with sapphires. He was dressed in a bright green and blue doublet, under-which shining chainmail was clearly visible. On his head was a simple silver band with a large, dark emerald set in its very center.
When the group got within a few feet of the steps, Erana knelt on one knee, bowing her head as she did so. The others immediately followed her example.
“Arise, fair cousin,” the king said after a brief delay.
The elvish ranger stood. As she did so, the Telian also went to rise until the hand of the warrior pulled him back down. She stood for a moment before bowing deeply to the elf lord and his bride.
“I can tell you one thing fo
r sure,” Kilren whispered to the bard.
“What's that?” Ian asked.
“He ain't her cousin,” he asserted.
“Actually, he is,” the bard replied.
“Ah, yes, of course,” the rogue nodded.
“Shhh.”
“Arise, Sir Darian, favored of the Eilian,” Illfas said.
The knight rose and followed the example of his friend, bowing before the elvish royals.
“Arise, elf friends,” the king smiled. “And welcome! My people and I are very much aware of the service you've already rendered us. We greatly appreciate your rescue of the people of Dalfaen and you will be rewarded...”
“Please, your majesty,” the Telian interrupted. “We need no rewards.”
“Well,” the king said, his gaze passing from one side of the room to the other, “it seems that, when the servants of the Eilian speak, we must all stop and listen.”
This statement was met with hushed laughter from the elvish nobles that filled the hall. The king once again turned his eyes to the young knight.
“Although we appreciate your conviction, Sir Darian,” the king said with a wide smile on his face, “our possessions are ours to give to whomever we choose. I would be very pleased if you would accept my meager offering.”
“Of course, your majesty,” the knight began, “I meant no offense.”
“I assure you, none was taken,” the king replied. “Now, however, I fear we must move onto the meat of the matter at hand. Before I continue, I must ask if you know when Lord Andor intends to join us.”
“I believe he planned to follow us in roughly five days,” the knight answered. “So, there's a good chance he’s reached the outskirts of Innalas already.”
“It’s somewhat unfortunate that he decided not to come with you,” Illfas observed with a look of concern on his face.
“I'm sure he'll be alright,” the knight nodded.
“In truth, Sir Darian, it is not for his safety that I fear,” the king replied. “I had hoped that he would take command of one of my armies. Although I greatly appreciate the service you've offered us, I fear this task is beyond you.”
“I'm willing to help in any way that I can,” the Telian said.
“Of course,” the king nodded, “and I'll be honored to accept the aid of such a powerful Telian. However, I fear you can't fill the void left by Lord Andor's absence.”
“I can only do my best, your majesty” the knight replied with a slight bow.
“I meant no offense, Sir Darian,” Illfas replied, “and I'm certain you'll be of great service.”
“We are at your service, as well, your majesty,” Tealor asserted.
“I'm grateful for that... Sir?” the king said, turning his attention to the large warrior.
“Captain, my lord,” he replied. “Captain Tealor of Solarin, in the service of Lord Andor.”
“Any aid you can offer us Captain will be much appreciated,” Illfas nodded. “In truth, Innalas may be in dire need. Several months ago, the trolls on the western frontier began behaving oddly. At first, it was only a matter of some unusual attacks. However, the situation worsened and, just over a month ago, we lost an entire patrol. It was then that I first dispatched additional wardens to the edge of the badlands.”
“The badlands?” Darian asked.
“What we've begun to call our western frontier,” the king answered. “Over the course of the last twenty years or so, those lands have become more and more wild. I did nothing about it simply because those lands lay outside the realm of Innalas. I can't expect my people to defend and maintain every woodland in Areon.”
“Understandably, your majesty,” Ian agreed.
“Quite so,” the king nodded, “And may I say that it's a pleasure to have you in my realm, Master McFaren.”
“You recognize me, my lord?” the bard said with a bow, “I am honored.”
“You're fame often proceeds you,” Illfas smiled, “or, so I'm told. However, to continue: I felt that the badlands simply weren't my concern. It seems I was mistaken. The frequency of the attacks continued to rise. Just last week, some civilians were attacked well within the borders of our kingdom. That was when I sent an exploratory force to find the source of these attacks.”
“What did they find?” Tealor asked.
“Trolls working together as a fighting force,” the king replied. “As soon as we made that discovery, I sent for Lord Andor. At the moment, this is beyond my understanding. I hope it is not beyond his.”
“What do you intend to do?” the warrior asked.
“I'm sending a much larger force to the west,” Illfas answered. “They've been mobilizing for days. Tomorrow morning, they depart for the badlands. Unfortunately, in the meantime, at least one force of considerable size has made its way beyond our borders. The citizens of Dalfaen were slaughtered before we were even aware of the enemy. That, in and of itself, is a serious concern. That particular band of trolls is more than likely already destroyed. We'll know for certain when my scouts return, which should be within hours. However, the fact that they got so deep into the lands of Innalas without detection is very disturbing.”
“I agree,” Tealor nodded. “In light of all this, how can we best serve you?”
“I would like you to travel with my forces to the west,” the king said. “There is reason to believe that a large force of trolls, wargs, and possibly even other creatures is gathering on the border. My army will engage them. Although I feel certain you would be most helpful on the battlefield, that should be your secondary concern. Your quest, if you're willing to undertake it, will be to seek out the source of this corruption.”
“We would be honored to try,” Darian replied with a slight bow.
“Make no mistake, young Telian,” Illfas said, turning his gaze to the knight, “this could cost you your life. Whoever – or whatever – has done this, has great power. Power the likes of which I've not encountered in my lifetime. Even the search for this being could prove deadly.”
“Nevertheless, it's my duty to try,” Darian asserted.
“I would like to join him, my lord,” Erana said, bowing once again.
“As would we all,” Ian added.
“Of course,” the king replied. “I certainly agree that would be best. I'm very well aware of all of your abilities. In the short time that you've traveled together, you've preformed feats that are worthy of being recorded by the bards.”
“Fear not, your majesty,” Ian said with a smile, “they will be.”
“Of that, I have no doubt, Master McFaren,” Illfas smiled. “Now, for this evening at least, I want you all to consider yourselves my guests. You're welcome to dine with us, as well as spend the night here at the palace. If you'll follow my steward, he'll see that you're presented with the small tokens of our gratitude that I've had prepared.”
“Of course, my lord,” the Telian replied with a bow.
The steward turned, leading the band quickly from the court.
“So, the king's your cousin?” Kilren asked as soon as they stepped into the hall.
“Yes, of course,” Erana answered before turning to the rogue, taking one of his hands in both of hers, “but, that doesn't matter now.”
“Doesn't that mean you should be a princess or something?” he asked.
“What?” she replied. “Why would that make me a princess?”
“I mean: doesn't that make you part of the royal family?”
“Well, yes, I am,” she said, nodding her head. “Most of the noble families of Innalas are blood kin. Anyway, that doesn't matter right now! What matters at the moment is that my father is here!”
“Here? Like now?” Kilren exclaimed. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I'm sure! I just saw him! He's standing in the court at this very moment!” she exclaimed, pointing to the door they had just passed through.
“If you would care to follow me,” the steward interrupted.
“Certainly,” K
ilren said, “lead on.”
The pair followed the steward a short distance behind the rest of the party, continuing their conversation as he led them deeper and deeper into the depths of the tower.
“So,” the rogue began before pausing a moment to collect his thoughts. “What do we do?”
“Well,” the ranger began before she, too, seemed lost in thought.
“I mean,” Kilren continued, “I suppose we need to speak to him.”
“Of course we need to speak to him!” she replied. “Even if we didn't need to... to ask him about something so important, we would still need to speak to him.”
“So,” Kilren said “What do we do?”
“I suppose the first thing I should do is go talk to him myself,” she said thoughtfully. “Then, I can tell him that I want him to meet you.”
“Meeting him does seem like a solid first step,” Kilren replied before swallowing nervously. “Either way, we can continue this in a few minutes.”
The steward had stopped in front of a large steel door and stood, flipping through a number of keys that hung from a ring on his belt.
“Aha,” he said, selecting one from the bunch.
He slid it into the lock, turned it over a few times, and then pushed the massive door open. As he did so, a number of torches hanging along the walls immediately burst into flame; filling the room with flickering light.
“Follow me,” he said before stepping into the cavernous room.
Large chests lined the walls and stands that held masterfully crafted weapons and armor seemed to fill the room. There were shelves covered with smaller chests, gold and silver plates, bolts of magnificent cloth, and countless other treasures.
“Wait here, if you would,” Calndorn smiled. “I think we'll start with the ladies.”
Having said this, he walked to the back of the chamber. His gaze moved up and down the shelves for a minute or more before his eyes landed on a small wooden box.
“There it is!” he said excitedly before snatching it up and moving on.
The Beasts of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 2) Page 10
