“Beloved friends, thank you for joining me on this night of new beginnings. We have gathered here to celebrate the love my daughter and heir, Urerla, shares with my horseman Nials as they declare their desire to marry, to which I give my wholehearted blessing. We also gather to celebrate our new alliance with Conlan Baydon. I owe my position, my life and the lives of my daughter and her future husband to Conlan and his Avatars. In recognition of this, and on behalf of the Eight Tribes of the Horse, I swear my allegiance to him and offer such help and assistance that he may need in his battle to destroy the Lords of Mydren and claim the right to rule. My brother moved against me because he believed I was failing to act against the ever-growing threat the Lords of Mydren present to us and our way of life. I have not acted before because I never felt there was an option of defiance available. This is no longer the case; we have been offered the chance to show that we are a force to be reckoned with. I believe that Conlan Baydon will succeed, and I look forward to the day I see him crowned King of Mydren.”
Laurice paused, smiling at Conlan who nodded his head in graceful acceptance. Eleanor looked down the table; none of the other tribe leaders seemed shocked or upset by Laurice’s proclamation, so Eleanor assumed any disagreements that might have arisen had been argued out by Laurice beforehand. Laurice turned back to her people and continued speaking.
“As a symbol of our allegiance to Conlan Baydon, we are parting with our most treasured possession, the ‘Heart’, which has rested with our people for hundreds of years and was forged in our volcano’s molten heat. However, it was never truly ours and I now pass it back to its rightful owner. Freddie, Avatar of Fire, please stand.”
Eleanor looked at Freddie’s confused face; he knew she had said his name.
“Freddie, stand up,” Eleanor hissed urgently. Freddie flicked his eyes to Eleanor, before getting slowly to his feet. A guard moved from against the back wall and gave a sword, sheathed in an elaborately carved silver scabbard, to Freddie. Inch-long rubies glittered from it as Freddie turned it over in his hands, a look of excited awe on his face.
“Tell her thank you,” Freddie said to Conlan, smiling as he ran tender fingers down the sword and then taking his seat again, not able to take his eyes off the weapon. Eleanor heard several gasps from the crowd at Freddie speaking English, but looking out at the sea of faces, as Conlan translated Freddie’s gratitude in a far more elegant style than Freddie himself, Eleanor decided it was surprise and interest she had heard. Nobody seemed afraid, just curious and friendly. Four down, one to go; all we have to do now is retrieve the crown, get rid of Conlan’s shield and get the connection working. All this time… why does it feel like we’re no closer? Eleanor was so caught up in her thoughts that she jumped when Laurice addressed her.
“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth, please stand.”
“Me?” Eleanor asked. What have I done now?
“Unless you know of any other Avatars of Earth I could be addressing?” Laurice asked, amused. There was polite laughter from the guests. Her heart hammering in her chest, Eleanor got up, stared at her feet and felt her stomach flip. Conlan reached for her hand and held it tightly. Eleanor smiled and raised her head. She looked at Laurice, trying to avoid glancing at the audience.
“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth, I owe you special thanks, as you helped my daughter find love, a gift beyond measure, and, with no thought for your own safety, stood in my defence and paid a heavy price. In recognition of this selfless courage I would like to offer you a gift of your choosing, anything you wish that is within my power to provide. What can I give you, little warrior?”
Eleanor stared at Laurice open-mouthed. She knew what she wanted, knew there was only one thing she could ask for. Glancing down at Conlan’s hand holding tightly to hers made her feel a little braver and Eleanor steeled herself.
“Please may I have Meran?” she asked, looking Laurice in the eye.
A deathly hush fell over the room as if three hundred people were holding their breath. Laurice looked shocked. It was Nials who answered her from further down the table.
“Eleanor, you ask too much. Meran is a member of our family.”
“Peace, Nials,” Laurice said quietly. “The Avatar asks in innocence. I would know why she makes the request; she has a horse who loves her.”
A strong hot blush blossoming on her cheeks, Eleanor dropped her head again and allowed herself another glance at her hand in Conlan’s before raising her eyes to Laurice’s, a face full of guilt. Laurice saw the look and understood.
“You did not ask in innocence, did you? You are well aware of the implications of your request,” she said. Her voice was mild, but it still carried the length of the room. Eleanor heard more gasps and her heartbeat went into overdrive. Wondering if she was going to get punished again, she nodded.
“Meran told me about his ‘status’,” she confirmed, rushing into her explanation, her voice trembling slightly but wanting to get her point across before Laurice decided to stop her. “I have a horse I love and who loves me, but Conlan does not. He needs a horse fit for a king, he needs a strong, brave, dependable friend, he needs Meran and Meran needs him.” Laurice regarded her in silence, so Eleanor kept going. “The People of the Horse bind their allegiances in marriage, but this is not possible in this case; however, Meran is a member of your family, and while the bond between horse and master is not a ‘marriage’, it can still be strong enough to act as a bind to your alliance.” Then dropping her tone to a growl of desperate begging, the verbal equivalent of prostrating herself at Laurice’s feet, Eleanor spoke again. “Please let us take Meran, he wants to come with us. If he stays here the grief will kill him.”
Eleanor felt Conlan’s grip tighten as Laurice stared at her thoughtfully. Her friends’ eyes glazed over as Will gave a translation in Freddie and Amelia’s heads as to what was going on. Time stretched and Laurice turned and held a whispered conversation with Urerla. Eleanor could feel every eye in the room glowering at her for what she had suggested. Eventually Laurice turned back to face her, holding her gaze with a strong, steady eye. Eleanor forced herself not to drop her head.
“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth. I offered you a gift and you risked my displeasure by making a request on behalf of another. Had I not offered you this gift, would you have asked me for Meran anyway?” Laurice asked. She did not sound angry, but Eleanor knew sometimes this was a greater indication of it.
“Yes, I would have asked for Meran, and for the reasons I have stated. Meran is a fine horse and a friend. He needs a new purpose. Conlan’s horse Rand, another fine animal, died tragically not long ago, so they need each other,” Eleanor said.
“A heart for a heart,” Laurice murmured. Eleanor realised it was the third reference she had made to the sword’s poem in the book.
“A silver sword in south freedom’s hands; A gift beyond measure to enter their lands; A heart for a heart, a price to be paid; Think to the future a deal to be made,” Eleanor quoted. Laurice stared at her in open-mouthed shock as the other seven tribe leaders began whispering furiously behind her back.
“These words of secret prophesy have been passed down from the mother to the daughter of the ruling families for generations beyond memory. We are told that when these words came to pass we would need to fight to change the world for the better. How do you know them?” Laurice asked. Eleanor could feel the crowd leaning closer, fascinated and excited at being let into this secret.
“We were given instructions on how to find the Talismans that we need, and the poem I have just recited was how we found you,” she said.
Laurice smiled, as if everything had suddenly become clear. “My husband’s horse is yours, along with my grateful thanks. I would ask, however, that you wait a few weeks before departing, in order to allow Meran some time to build up his strength. He is rather fragile at the moment.”
Laurice flicked her eyes to Conlan, and Eleanor saw his head nodding out of the corner of her eye, but she was not taking her ey
es off the woman in case she changed her mind.
“Wonderful, then let us eat!” Laurice said, her chiming voice filling the room. Eleanor dropped heavily into her seat as her legs gave way. Laurice’s command appeared to be the signal for life to return to the room; the excited buzz of conversation rose and fell as doors in the back of the room opened and waiters and waitresses entered to serve the hundreds of guests. A plate was placed in front of her and Eleanor realised that her food was different from all those around her – it was one of her favourite vegetable dishes, a mashed pale-pink, carrot-like root that had a sweet sugary taste and was covered in slightly bitter, melted cheese. She looked at the array of eating utensils in front of her and tried to work out which one she should be eating with. There seemed to be no logic to how they were laid out, as they were arranged in a strange overlapping circle around the plate. She glanced at Freddie, but he looked just as bemused as she was. Her hand still in Conlan’s, Eleanor gave it a light tug; he politely broke off his conversation with Laurice and turned to her.
“Yes?” he asked softly in Dwarfish.
“I do not know which…” she waved her free hand over the place setting, not knowing the Dwarfish word for ‘cutlery’, “… to eat with,” she whispered. Amused, Conlan nodded and gave her a lesson in table etiquette, quietly telling her the names for each implement as well as their collective terms and explaining the order. There was a sort of logic to it, as they used their utensils in a spiral progression. Throughout his lesson, Laurice would occasionally offer additional information as to why certain things were done, telling Eleanor stories about poisoned leaders and the spiral of movement representing the spiral of life from birth to death. Freddie had entered her head so that Eleanor could translate for him, as he found the tradition and ritual to formal eating fascinating. As they ate and more courses were brought out, Eleanor realised there was an implement for each course, which meant there were going to be twenty-five in all, a sacred number, Laurice had told her. Considering the amount of food presented at each serving, Eleanor began pacing herself, and she suggested that Freddie do the same. He scoffed at her. Conlan, she noticed, took no more than two or three mouthfuls from each dish, but then Eleanor had not wanted to let go of his hand, so he was reduced to eating with one utensil. He did not seem to mind and actually seemed relaxed, happy and comfortable, which helped Eleanor shake off some of her fear. In addition, Freddie cracking dreadful jokes in her head as he attempted to get to grips with his dinner made her giggle, helping to calm her nerves further. Eleanor was impressed with Laurice’s chefs; they managed to come up with twenty different dishes just for her, each one unique and wonderfully tasty. The last five courses were puddings and sweets. Eleanor watched Conlan finish his first full plate of food when a light spongy cake covered in thick, white, sweet, mint-flavoured custard was put in front of him. Loving the look of boyish delight with which he ate, she offered him her portion as well. He grinned at her, not needing to be offered twice, and swapped his empty plate for hers. He was slightly more restrained on the four further courses, but Eleanor smiled at the wistful looks he gave the uneaten sweet treats and cookies he had left as the plates were removed.
After the meal, hot bitter tea was passed round. Eleanor wondered if this was meant to help sober up those who had been drinking too much with their mountains of food. Eleanor had stuck to a cool, spicy, syrupy drink diluted in water; it tasted a little like ginger. She had never been a big fan of alcohol, disliking the loss of control that came with it, her mind requiring a permanently firm grip to function. Will, Amelia and Conlan managed to make a couple of glasses of the heavy, blood-red wine they had been served last the whole meal. Freddie had consumed several more glasses, but far from inebriated, he was just happy. Eleanor hoped it lasted.
Once the tea course was over, people began getting up from the tables and milling around the great room talking as an army of servants cleared away the mess and then the tables and benches, leaving only the top table and a large room. At the far end, a small stage area was erected and a band began setting up, tuning strange-looking instruments. The noise was shrill but strangely tuneful. Eleanor felt her heart drop into her stomach, which, on top of the huge meal she had just eaten, made her feel rather sick. Music… Does that mean there’s going to be dancing? Am I going to have to dance? In front of people? Conlan felt her sudden terror and gave her hand a squeeze.
“Are you OK?” he whispered in English. She looked at him, loathing her fear.
“Am I going to have to dance?” she whispered back hoarsely. She saw the amusement sparkle in his eyes, but he made a huge effort to keep it out of his voice.
“Not if you don’t want to,” he replied solemnly. She nodded, somewhat mollified, and watched as the band finished setting up their instruments.
Nials and Urerla, as the happy couple, were the first to take to the floor. The music was a bright, lively tune in the tempo of a waltz. Both Nials and Urerla were good dancers and moved around the floor as if they were one graceful being, the subtle sound of Urerla’s belt a backdrop to the band’s music. Urerla clearly loved every minute of the attention and Nials loved Urerla’s ecstatic smile, his eyes barely leaving hers as they moved together in a flowing, sensual dance. There was thunderous applause as the dance came to an end. As other people began to take to the floor, Laurice asked Conlan to dance. He smiled and rose from his chair. Leaning over slightly, he took Freddie’s hand, placing it around Eleanor’s.
“Freddie will keep you company until I get back, OK?” he said in English. Eleanor nodded and noticed the strange look on Freddie’s face. It was quite a while before Conlan returned, as once Laurice had danced with him, all the other tribal leaders wanted to as well. Then Urerla had insisted on having a dance, Nials smiling indulgently as Conlan whirled her round through the other guests. Eleanor watched him travel lightly across the floor; he seemed to know exactly what he was doing and was thoroughly enjoying himself. Eleanor smiled, his happiness making her feel floaty and content. The dances moved on to more set pieces, with all the guests moving together in complicated steps, which seemed to be as natural to them as breathing. Conlan, laughing and joking with his various dance partners, did not seem to give the dancing a second thought. Will and Amelia were also dancing. Eleanor was surprised to see that Will also seemed to know what he was doing, just as he had known which knives and forks to use. They watched the dancers with interest and giggled at the less elegant attempts made by some of the more drunken guests. Freddie kept up a running commentary of silliness, and Eleanor added her own observations.
Eventually Conlan returned. Taking his seat and looking a little flushed, he leaned across to Eleanor and whispered in her ear.
“Dance with me, please. I want to make every man in the room jealous.”
Eleanor smiled, a tight, warm feeling flooding through her, and whispered back.
“Flattery will get you nowhere. Besides, if you want to make every man jealous you need to pry Amelia out of Will’s arms, not dance with me.”
His cheek brushing hers, he whispered again. “If you don’t say yes, I’m going to get down on my knees and beg… very, very loudly.”
Eleanor felt a deep heated blush rise to her face at the thought. “How much have you had to drink?”
“More than I’m used to,” Conlan admitted with a mischievous chuckle. Eleanor realised he was serious. She weighed up the embarrassment of her dancing against the embarrassment of having Conlan beg at her feet and decided that dancing would be a better idea. She nodded slowly.
“OK, but I have no clue what the dance steps are, and you’re going to regret it when I break your toes.” Conlan laughed, took her hand and helped her from her chair, leading her to the dance floor. Eleanor walked with her eyes firmly down, hoping nobody would see her. Conlan placed a light grip on her waist and took her hand.
“Eleanor, take your eyes off your feet and look at me.”
Taking a deep breath and trying to calm her
racing heart, Eleanor raised her head.
“Allow me to lead you and let yourself follow. Don’t over-think it. I know these are difficult concepts for you, but try, OK?” Conlan instructed, grinning. Eleanor nodded, her anxiety making her a little sick. She concentrated on Conlan, the way his body moved, the hints he gave her with a flick of the eyes or a tensed muscle, about where he was going to move next. Time disappeared and she had no idea how long they danced. She was aware that the music style and tempo had changed several times, as Conlan changed his steps to match. Now Eleanor was a little more comfortable, his movements were quicker, more the beautiful fluid motion she had seen when he danced with Urerla. He looked down at her with a happy smile on his face, his eyes holding hers, spinning and twirling her. I’m dreaming – this is all some strange fantasy my mind has cooked up. The glow of candlelight, the full moon she could see shining down through the open roof, stars scattered across a cloudless sky, the blur of smiling, happy faces as she twirled past and Will’s amused encouragement as Amelia tried to teach a giggling Freddie how to dance – they all worked to convince Eleanor that this could not be real.
Eleanor woke late the next morning, still tired and feeling like she had only just gone to bed. Her stomach felt swollen and stretched, too full. She needed to take a walk, and preferably a long one. Shambling out of bed, yawning and trying to get her eyes to open, she pulled her clothes on and smiled as her eye caught the green dress draped over a chair. It was physical proof that last night had not been a dream; she smiled again and ran her hands over the silky material. Walking down the corridor and heading for the outside world, Eleanor heard Merl’s voice through the partially open door of the living room; she stopped and listened.
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