02 - Shadow King

by Gav Thorpe - (ebook by Undead)

  “You, give me your bow and arrows,” snapped the commander. The soldier complied, slinging his quiver from his shoulder and passing it to Yeasir. To Alith’s surprise, the Naggarothi captain handed them on to him and then stooped to pick up the discarded sword.

  “There is little time to explain,” said Yeasir as he slipped the weapon into the sheath at Alith’s waist. “This is a most fortunate encounter for both of us. Now you can take the heir of Tiranoc to safety.”

  A handful of the soldiers stepped forwards and opened the gate, letting in the moonlight from the gardens beyond. Lirian hurried through.

  Alith could say nothing and stood shaking his head.

  “Morathi has returned to Anlec and not all are pleased,” Yeasir said hurriedly. “She wishes to punish Tiranoc for what happened to Malekith—it is not safe to be here. There is a haven to the east; I have told Princess Lirian its location. I will do whatever I can to delay pursuit, and will join you there in a few days’ time. My wife and daughter are hidden there also, and together we will head east to sanctuary in Ellyrion.”

  “What?” was all that Alith could muster.

  “Just go,” snarled Yeasir. “I must report the escape of the princess to the others and a search will soon follow. I will come to you and explain all.”

  With that Yeasir shoved Alith unceremoniously through the gate, which closed soundlessly behind him. Lirian was already hurrying along a paved path ahead and Alith ran to catch up. Sounds of fighting echoed from the towers of the palace as the three of them headed into the night.

  Yeasir led his troops into the great hall, where other parties of Naggarothi had brought the various members of the court, as directed by Palthrain. The chamberlain stood beside the Phoenix Throne with Prince Yrianath and Caenthras. The last of these frowned when he saw Yeasir.

  “You are unaccompanied,” said the Naggarothi prince.

  “It seems our prey has eluded us for the moment,” replied Yeasir lightly. “She will not get far, not with a child to care for.”

  “That is unfortunate,” growled Caenthras.

  “You believe she is still in the palace?” asked Palthrain.

  “It is unlikely that she will quit Tor Anroc,” said Yeasir. “Where else would she go? We are upon the brink of winter and the princess is no expert of the wilds. Tomorrow we will begin a search of the city.”

  “I expected more of you,” Caenthras hissed quietly as Yeasir took his place beside the others.

  “Though I may not be a prince, I am still Commander of Nagarythe,” Yeasir replied, keeping his tone level. “Do not forget that.”

  Caenthras remained sullenly silent as Palthrain called for the attention of the fearful Tiranocii nobles.

  “There is no cause to be afraid!” the chamberlain announced. “These warriors are present at the request of Prince Yrianath. In these uncertain times, it is important that we all remain vigilant for the corrupt amongst us, and our Naggarothi allies are here to help.”

  “You invited them here?” said Tirnandir, his voice dripping with scorn.

  “Well, I…” began Yrianath, but Palthrain cut across him.

  “It is imperative that we choose a new prince to succeed Bel Shanaar, who might treat with our allies with authority,” said the chamberlain. “Prince Yrianath has declared himself fit to be regent. Are there any present that oppose his claim?”

  Tirnandir opened his mouth and then shut it again. Like all the other assembled courtiers, his eyes strayed to the Naggarothi warriors lining the hall, their swords bared and spears in hand. Palthrain waited for a moment and then nodded.

  “As there is no objection raised, I declare that Prince Yrianath shall be our new regent, until such time as Prince Anataris comes of age to assume his rightful position. Hail Yrianath!”

  The Naggarothi shout was far louder than that of the Tiranocii, who mumbled their praise and exchanged fearful looks.

  “These are unprecedented times,” continued Palthrain. “When faced with usurpers and traitors, we must act swiftly to ensure the safety of all loyal elves and prosecute those that would undermine the true rulers of Ulthuan. To that end, Prince Yrianath will enact the following laws.”

  Palthrain then produced a rolled-up parchment from the sleeve of his robe and handed it to Yrianath. The prince took the scroll uncertainly and, prompted by a stare from Palthrain, unrolled it. His eyes scanned the runes upon it, widening with shock. A fierce glance from Caenthras quelled any protest and Yrianath began to read aloud, his voice wavering and quiet.

  “As ruling prince of Tiranoc I decree that all soldiers, citizens and other subjects give their utmost cooperation to our Naggarothi allies. They are to be extended every courtesy and freedom whilst they aid in the protection of our realm. You are to obey the commands of such officers and princes of the Naggarothi as if they were mine. Failure to comply will be considered an act against my power and punished by death.”

  Yrianath’s voice broke at this point and he swayed as if about to faint. Eyes closed, he steadied himself and then continued reading.

  “Due to the uncertain loyalties exhibited by some within the army of Tiranoc, I also decree that every soldier, captain or commander is to surrender his weapons to our Naggarothi allies. Those who secure our faith will be allowed to return to their positions as soon as practical. Failure to comply will be considered an act against my power and punished by death.”

  A profound silence had fallen upon the hall as Yrianath’s words settled in the minds of the Tiranocii. The prince’s eyes glimmered wet as he continued, casting plaintive glances at those he had unwittingly betrayed.

  “My last decree of this accession is to temporarily disband the court of Tiranoc until such investigations surrounding the demise of Bel Shanaar clear those present of involvement in this unspeakably vile act. I hereby take all authority to rule as regent and my word is law. Such commands as issued by former members of the court have no validity and should be disregarded until confirmed by myself or our Naggarothi allies. Failure to comply will be considered an act against my power and punished by death…”

  There was open discontent, a ripple of whispers, shortlived as Caenthras stepped forwards and took the scroll from Yrianath. The Naggarothi’s expression was stern.

  “In order to comply with the wishes of your new prince, you will all be escorted back to your homes and placed under house arrest. You will be called for in the following days to account for your actions.”

  With a gesture from Yeasir, the Naggarothi soldiers ushered the assembled nobles towards the open doors. When the Tiranocii had been escorted out, Palthrain turned to Caenthras.

  “That went better than I expected,” said the chamberlain. “Now our work can begin.”

  Dawn had yet to creep above the mountains when Lirian led Alith to a stretch of wooded hills north and east of Tor Anroc. The pair had spoken little on the journey, much to Alith’s relief. He had no words of comfort and though he had known about the conspiracy between Caenthras and Yrianath, he had suspected nothing of what was to unfold from that partnership. As they silently followed road and path, and finally cut across the meadows of outlying farms, Alith had tried to make sense of what had happened.

  They walked steadily uphill through the darkness of the trees, Lirian clutching Anataris to her chest. Alith studied the princess out of the corner of his eye, seeing strain on her face. She was dressed in a light robe, utterly unsuitable to cross-country travel and very much stained and ragged. Her usually perfectly arranged hair fell in blonde disarray and her eyes were red from suppressed tears. There was bleakness about her expression that echoed the emptiness in his heart.

  Alith tried to think of words of comfort that he might say but he could find none. Every turn of phrase seemed trite or nonsensical. He could offer no reassurance for he felt none himself. Everything had fallen apart, and as far as Alith could work out, it all pointed back towards Nagarythe. He found that he had far more questions than answers and wished t
hat he had been able to find out more from Yeasir.

  Lirian stopped and wordlessly pointed to the left. In the gloom Alith could just about make out the darker shape of a cave opening. Drawing his sword, he signalled for the princess to hide behind a tree. Stalking ahead, Alith heard whispered voices. Both were female.

  Coming to the cave he found a small group huddled around a shuttered lantern, the dim light barely reaching the cave walls. There were three elves, two female and a child wrapped in a bundle of blue cloth. Both of the adults were clad in heavy robes of deep blue and embroidered shawls of the same colour. The older of the two, perhaps seven or eight hundred years of age, jumped to her feet, a dagger in her hand. She stepped protectively in front of her younger companion and the baby.

  “Friend,” said Alith, swinging his sword to one side. The terrified elves remained unconvinced and he tossed the blade out of the cave. “I am here to help, Yeasir sent me.”

  His protestation was met with fearful looks and Alith returned outside, calling for Lirian. The princess walked warily through the trees and would not enter the cave until Alith stepped inside. The two groups of elves looked suspiciously at each other for a moment.

  “Who are you?” asked the younger elf. “What do you want?”

  “I am Alith Anar, friend of Yeasir,” Alith replied. “I am escorting Princess Lirian and her son.”

  “What is happening, where is my husband?” demanded the elder of the pair. “Where is Yeasir?”

  “He is in Tor Anroc, misdirecting the pursuit,” replied Alith. “What is your name?”

  “Saphistia,” she told him, placing the knife back in her belt. “This is my sister, Heileth, and my son, Durinithill. When will Yeasir come?”

  “I do not know,” said Alith, leading Lirian by the arm. He gestured for her to sit beside Heileth. “He instructed me to wait here but promised he will join us soon. Have you any food or drink?”

  “Of course,” said Heileth.

  She stood and carefully handed the child to his mother and then turned to a row of packs laid against the rock wall. She brought out a waterskin and several small cups and passed them to Alith. Wrapped packets of cured meats followed.

  “Anar is not a trusted name in Nagarythe these days,” said Saphistia as Alith poured water for each of them.

  “Lies,” snarled Alith. “We have been victims of a campaign to discredit our house. Yeasir trusts me, and so should you.”

  Alith did not wait for any further comment and left the cave to retrieve his sword from the fallen leaves outside. He stayed there a while, scanning the woods for any sign of pursuit. There was none. Ducking back inside, he grabbed a cup and some food.

  “I’ll keep watch,” he told the others before swiftly retreating again.

  He had no desire for company and sat with his back against a tree. He barely tasted the spiced meat, his thoughts far away in Nagarythe. When Yeasir returned Alith would leave and go north. Yeasir could run to Ellyrion if he wished—he had his family with him. Alith would return to Elanardris to discover what had befallen his kin.

  Dawn brought no sign of any other elf, friend or foe. Alith looked into the cave and found all within were asleep. Taking his bow in hand, he set off to find some fresh food.

  “So it seems that your assumptions were wrong,” said Palthrain. “The princess has escaped the city.”

  Yeasir did not reply, but simply hung his head, feigning shame. He was alone in the great hall with the chamberlain and he longed to strangle the traitorous noble, but knew that he needed to keep his own loyalties concealed if he was to rejoin his family.

  “Two days have been wasted,” continued Palthrain. “Two days ahead of your forces.”

  “I believe they are on foot. Our riders will swiftly catch them,” said Yeasir.

  “They?”

  “Yes, it is also my belief that the princess has help,” Yeasir said quickly, keeping his expression bland whilst inwardly he cursed his slip of the tongue. “A soldier perhaps, or a servant. I cannot imagine that Lirian has the wit to contrive such an escape on her own. She is a spoilt Tiranocii bitch.”

  “And when were you going to appraise me and Caenthras of this conclusion?”

  Now Yeasir allowed his anger to show.

  “While you may take some credit in creating this situation, remember that I am commander here! You are not even Naggarothi, so be mindful of your accusations. Morathi might be mildly distressed should anything happen to you, but we are a long way from Anlec. Bad things, unseen events, happen in war. If you were a Naggarothi, you would know that.”

  Palthrain seemed unconcerned by Yeasir’s threats.

  “So what is your plan to continue the search?” asked the chamberlain.

  “She will not go north, that takes her closer to the Naganath,” said Yeasir.

  “But much of Tiranoc’s army is camped in that direction. The princess might seek sanctuary with them.”

  “Possible but unlikely,” said Yeasir. “I very much doubt that she trusts anybody in Tiranoc at the moment. I think she will go west, heading for the coast. There she will be able to take ship to any other realm in Ulthuan.”

  “Why would she trust other kingdoms when she does not trust her own?”

  “She might not, but the sea is the greatest obstacle to recapturing her. If she has headed south or east, we will be able to catch her before she reaches Caledor or Ellyrion. If Lirian reaches a ship, we have no means of pursuing her.”

  “I can see there is reason in your argument,” Palthrain said, leaning upon the arm of the Phoenix Throne.

  “I was not asking your permission,” said Yeasir.

  “Of course not,” Palthrain replied smoothly. “Still, it might be better that you inform Caenthras of your plan so that you can… coordinate your forces.”

  “What of Yrianath?” said Yeasir, keen to steer the topic of conversation away from the question of who had authority amongst the occupying soldiers. Morathi had charged the commander to lead the warriors, but many of those troops were direct subjects of Caenthras and owed their loyalty to the prince. “He is little use as a regent until we have the heir in our possession.”

  “Trianath gives us a veil of legitimacy for the time being,” said Palthrain. “He understands his position very well, as do the other members of the court. Once we have Lirian and her brat, Yrianath will be able to conduct affairs with the other kingdoms as we desire.”

  Yeasir nodded and turned towards the door. Palthrain’s words reached him at the end of the hall.

  “That is, of course, assuming you actually find Lirian.”

  Yeasir stopped but did not turn.

  “When this is done, there will be a reckoning,” he whispered to himself before striding away.

  Four days had passed since the flight from Tor Anroc and there had been no sign of Yeasir. Saphistia was becoming distraught and repeatedly urged Alith to head back to the city to find out any news concerning her husband. Alith flatly refused to do so, saying that he would not leave the group unprotected.

  “How long must we stay here?” asked Lirian as the fourth day turned to the fourth night. The princess had regained little life, and spent most of her time listlessly wandering around the cave, whispering to her son.

  “We wait until Yeasir arrives,” replied Saphistia.

  “What if he doesn’t come?” the princess said with a long sigh. “He could be dead already.”

  “Don’t say such a thing!” snapped Heileth.

  Saphistia merely directed a venomous gaze at Lirian and retired to the back of the cave where the two children were laid upon beds Alith had made from leaves and a cloak. There was another opening beyond, which led into a network of water-carved tunnels that ran through the hills. This was to be their escape route if they were discovered, and Alith had spent some time exploring them at night while Heileth had kept watch. If the worst occurred, there was a small tunnel they could use to head north, and Alith had assembled a small trap made of
branches and rocks that could be used to block the route to delay any pursuit.

  “It was a grand procession,” Lirian said idly. “All of those banners and chariots.”

  “What was grand?” asked Heileth.

  “Elodhir’s funeral,” the princess replied, her voice distant, her gaze directed at nothing in particular.

  “Stop talking about funerals,” hissed Saphistia. “Yeasir is alive. I would feel it if he were dead.”

  “Elodhir died so very far away,” said Lirian. She turned her empty eyes to Saphistia. “I didn’t feel a thing.”

  Alith quit the cave with a shake of his head. He offered praise to any gods listening, asking if they would deliver Yeasir soon so that he could leave the bickering group behind. Even as he formed these thoughts, a movement amongst the trees caught his attention. In a moment Alith had his bow in hand and an arrow to the string.

  Listening, Alith could hear the muffled hoof-beats of several steeds and soon he saw a figure leading half a dozen horses across the leaf mould. Alith slipped behind a nearby tree, arrow aimed at the new arrival. A few heartbeats later and Yeasir came into view. Alith stepped out and lowered his bow.

  “You do not know how pleased I am to see you,” Alith called as he walked down the hill.

  “Your celebration may be short-lived,” replied the commander. “I cannot stay long.”

  “How so?” Alith asked as Yeasir joined him. The pair walked towards the cave, the horses trailing obediently after them.

  “Caenthras’ forces are close by,” said Yeasir. “It is not yet safe to leave and I must return before my absence is noted.”

  When they came to the cave, Saphistia ran to the cavern entrance and embraced her husband tightly.

  “Thank the gods that you are safe,” she gasped. “I feared the worst with every passing moment.”

  Yeasir calmed his wife, kissing her on the cheeks, before turning his attention to his son. He picked up the babe from where he lay swaddled in a blue blanket, and held him close to his chest, his eyes lingering lovingly on Durinithill’s small face.