The Shadow's Heart

by K J Taylor

  ‘You,’ Seerae repeated. ‘Do not argue; the choice is mine and it is made. You are a worthy human, and you are in the right place. I have seen a chance for us to make a future, and we will make it together.’

  ‘What future?’ said Liantha. ‘What are you thinking of?’

  Seerae looked toward the crowd. ‘You must tell them. Tell them as I tell you. They must know, for we will need their help.’

  Liantha hesitated. ‘All right …’

  ‘People of Eagleholm,’ Seerae began. ‘You were once proud to call this place your home.’ She paused to let Liantha translate, then continued. ‘But now that time is gone. Your home is destroyed, and you have no hope of survival here. Before long you will all be dead, and there will be nothing left to tell the world what Eagleholm once was. But there is still hope for you.’

  Liantha continued to translate, and people moved in closer to listen, sensing that something important was about to happen.

  ‘Once,’ said Seerae, ‘humans like you made this city great. But you did it under the guidance and protection of griffins, and proud griffiners. Now a griffin has come again, and she has chosen a human. I am Seerae, daughter of Senneck, who was a mighty warrior in the days of the war in the North. Today I have chosen this human, Liantha, to be mine, and therefore a griffiner. Together, she and I will lead you. We will take you from this accursed place, and we will gather others. All those who now live in these lands that have no ruler will join under our leadership. And together, we will take back what was once ours! Together, we will make a new Eagleholm, and a new territory around it. And it will be greater than ever before! Griffins will come back, and griffiners, and they will serve us!’ Seerae’s voice grew louder and more powerful as she went on, but she still stopped to let Liantha speak too, and Liantha’s voice grew louder with her partner’s, as she understood what she was being asked to say, and as her own excitement grew.

  ‘So join with us!’ she said. ‘Join with Seerae and the Lady Liantha. Let us lead you now and we will give you a new life, make a new beginning! New Eagleholm!’

  Most of the people there shouted their approval.

  Others were more cautious. ‘How will we get down from here?’ one man yelled.

  ‘I will carry you,’ said Seerae. ‘One by one I will carry you down from this mountain.’

  ‘What about our neighbours in other cities?’ someone else said. ‘What if they attack us again?’

  ‘They won’t,’ Liantha answered. ‘None of them want this land; that’s why they abandoned it in the first place. Nobody wants this place except us. We still own it, so let’s rebuild it! We were a great nation once — why should we let ourselves fade away?’

  Kullervo listened to everything in disbelief, and then awe. ‘They’re right!’ he said impulsively. ‘Follow them, and they’ll show you where to go.’

  They seemed to notice him for the first time.

  ‘Who’s that?’ someone asked. ‘Is that a Northerner?’

  Resling gestured frantically at Kullervo to stay silent, but he didn’t. ‘Yes,’ he said, almost fiercely, as if daring them to attack him again. ‘My name is Kullervo Arrenson.’

  ‘Arrenson?’ a woman in the crowd yelled.

  ‘Kullervo, don’t!’ said Red. ‘Shut up, before — ’

  Kullervo squared his shoulders. ‘I am Arren Cardockson’s son,’ he said. ‘But I’m not your enemy. I came back here to try and understand who my father was, and to try and make amends for what he did. Now I know there’s nothing I can do. But I brought Seerae here with me, and now she and Liantha can undo my father’s crime.’

  Many of them looked angry, or afraid, but none tried to attack. Word had probably spread about the previous night, and with the griffins there, fighting must have looked like a bad idea.

  ‘You can’t stay here,’ a man spat. ‘Go away, blackrobe.’

  ‘I will,’ Kullervo promised. ‘I’m leaving today. Immediately, in fact.’ He felt he had risked enough, and took a step back in preparation to leave, but there was one last thing he felt he should say.

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said, and hurried away to the Hatchery.

  Senneck had not come outside for the funeral. She was far too weak from her laying, and had slept the whole morning. She was still asleep when Kullervo came to check on her, but breathing peacefully now, one wing spread protectively over her egg.

  Kullervo’s gaze lingered on the egg. Even now he had half hoped that its colour — or lack of it — had been in his imagination, but it was as black now as it had been at dawn. He couldn’t see a single fleck of any other shade.

  There was no way to tell what the dark shell signified, but Kullervo knew enough about griffins to be aware that their eggs always came in varying shades of brown, and occasionally white. Black was unheard of.

  But Kullervo knew which griffin had fathered this one. Were all of Skandar’s offspring born from black-shelled eggs? Somehow he doubted it. Whatever else this hatchling would be, it would be very big. It was painful just to think of Senneck having to lay this egg, which was so huge Kullervo would have had trouble carrying it even in his powerful arms. It was a wonder she had managed it at all, and Kullervo doubted whether she would be able to fly far for some time.

  But he knew that she would have to fly at least a little, and soon. Staying in the city any longer would be insanity, especially after he had revealed himself to the crowd like that.

  Kullervo sat down by Senneck’s nest and thought it over. When she woke up he would ask her if she felt ready to fly. If she did, then they would be able to leave at once. Red could ride on her back and carry her egg — she would accept him if he had charge of it — and Kullervo would go in griffin shape. Resling would go on Keera as usual. They would just go as far as the foot of the mountain, and camp there until she had recovered enough to journey on.

  He wondered whether he should risk making the change again after the previous night’s beating. Careful inspection hadn’t revealed any serious injuries, but his limbs had stiffened horribly overnight, and his headache kept returning.

  Maybe he would be better off asking Keera to take him down the mountain, and making the change later, when he felt stronger.

  For now, he went back to his makeshift bed and went to sleep in it. Danger was all very well, but he was nearly as exhausted as Senneck must be, and he would need his strength for whatever lay ahead.

  In the end, Kullervo and his friends did not leave that day, but they took care not to show themselves in the open until they departed on the morning of the next day. Senneck had needed that time to recover, and nobody had wanted to force her, least of all Kullervo, who was the most anxious to go.

  Fortunately, though, it seemed that Senneck wasn’t as badly off as she had looked, and once she had had plenty of sleep and eaten whatever food was left for her, she was able to walk around again — though she was a little unsteady on her hind legs. It seemed female griffins were well adapted to this sort of thing.

  As for Seerae and Liantha, they spent all their time together now. Mostly they talked, discussing their plans for the founding of New Eagleholm. When people came to see them, as they did once word had spread about the speech they had given, they went out to meet them. This time, though, Seerae was content to let Liantha do the talking. She had said her piece, and from now on the tedious negotiating was for her human to do.

  Liantha rose to the occasion without complaint. She had accepted Seerae’s choosing of her with impressive calmness, and it was clear that she was more than eager to commit to her new partner’s dream. Kullervo guessed it was probably a dream she herself had had. Now she had the power to make it come true.

  When Senneck was lively enough to talk, Kullervo went to her and described his own plan. She listened seriously. ‘You think that this boy can be trusted with my egg?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Kullervo. ‘But the choice is up to you. If you’d prefer, you can carry it yourself in your talons, or I can carry it. It’ll
only be a short trip anyway, and after that we can take time to recover and think of a new strategy if we need one.’

  Senneck thought it over. ‘Let me see this egg pouch.’

  Kullervo brought it and showed her its features. ‘Of course the egg won’t fit in these compartments, but they’re just laced in — I can detach them here and here, and take out this bit. That should make a space big enough.’

  ‘It has a long strap,’ Senneck observed. ‘Long enough to loop around my neck. It could be held against my chest. That way it will be safe and will not hit the ground when I land.’

  Kullervo inspected the strap. ‘It feels sturdy enough. And Red could keep an eye on it in the air.’

  ‘Yes. I will trust him to do that,’ said Senneck. ‘Normally I would not allow him on my back, but he is only small, and I need him for this purpose. He has enough sense around griffins to be trusted.’

  ‘He does,’ said Kullervo, as proudly as if Red were his own son.

  ‘Now,’ said Senneck. ‘I want to speak with Seerae.’

  ‘I’ll go and get her,’ said Kullervo.

  Seerae came back with him easily enough, and Kullervo left her and Senneck to talk. Senneck already knew about what her daughter had done, and Kullervo guessed that she wanted to offer her some advice on how to be a partnered griffin. And maybe she wanted to tell her something about Eagleholm as it had been once upon a time.

  Either way, it was none of Kullervo’s business.

  Whatever they talked about, Seerae surprised him the next morning by offering to be the one to carry him away from Eagleholm.

  ‘Out of gratitude that you brought me here to my human, I will do this for you,’ she said, sounding as dispassionate as her mother. ‘And I cannot have you here in my city any longer. My human’s followers want you gone, and while you are here you may cause another fight.’

  Kullervo had enough sense to look flattered rather than insulted. ‘What about Liantha?’ he asked. ‘Both of us would be too heavy.’

  ‘My human will stay here,’ said Seerae. She rarely called Liantha by her name — mostly, Kullervo thought, because she got too much pride from calling her ‘my human’ instead.

  With that the last detail was settled, and they made their preparations and left well before noon. With Senneck’s egg safely bundled up and slung around her neck, and all three griffins harnessed, they went to a spot at the edge of the city that overlooked the northward plains they had crossed before.

  Before he got onto Seerae’s back, Kullervo stopped to say a last goodbye to Liantha.

  ‘Roland would have been proud of you,’ he said. ‘I’m sure of it. And I know you can do this. You’ve done more than just find a purpose for yourself; you’ve given it to everyone else here.’

  Liantha smiled. ‘You know, you’re not what I would have expected Arren Cardockson’s son to be at all.’

  Kullervo shrugged. ‘I’m only half him, you know. The other half is griffin.’

  ‘Yes, so you said before,’ said Liantha. ‘And I still don’t believe it. But thank you. And send my partner back safely!’

  Liantha gave Kullervo a quick hug. ‘You saved all our lives, Kullervo Arrenson, and I’ll never forget it. You’re not like your father at all, and don’t you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.’

  ‘I won’t,’ said Kullervo. ‘Goodbye, Lian — I mean, Lady Liantha. And one day, Eyrie Mistress Liantha.’

  ‘Maybe, one day!’ Liantha laughed. ‘Now, get going!’

  Kullervo got onto Seerae’s back. Nearby, Keera and Senneck were both taking off.

  Seerae took a moment to give her human a gentle nudge with her beak. ‘Wait for me, but do not worry,’ she said. ‘I will be back soon!’

  Then she, too, took to the air.

  Kullervo hadn’t expected that they would go much beyond the mountain, but the three griffins surprised him by going a lot further. Perhaps they had decided on it together beforehand, because they went on toward evening, heading north, and even Senneck flew with impressive endurance.

  They rested several times, on temporary perches, but did not allow their riders to dismount until that evening, when they finally touched down in the same ruined village where they had all stayed before.

  There, everyone got down and Senneck hobbled off into the same tumbledown barn with her egg-bag hanging between her forelegs. The others glanced at each other and followed, even Seerae.

  Inside, Senneck had unhooked the bag and was trying to open it with her beak.

  ‘Here, let me,’ said Kullervo. He undid the straps and checked on the egg — it was still nicely warm. But he lifted it out anyway and laid it down next to Senneck, who curled up around it and finally allowed herself to relax.

  ‘Here will be a good place for you to rest,’ said Seerae. ‘And perhaps the humans here will be willing to help if you ask them to. I will stay with you tonight and leave at first light.’

  She was as good as her word, and left before any of the others had even woken up, when dawn had scarcely even begun. But Kullervo, lying close to Senneck, woke up to the sound of talons on the ground.

  He recognised Seerae’s scent, and lay still with his eyes closed, listening.

  ‘Mother,’ her voice said softly, ‘I must leave now. I do not think we will see each other again.’

  ‘Go, then,’ Senneck replied just as quietly. ‘You have all the strength that you will need, and the cunning as well.’

  ‘You think that I have done well, then?’ Seerae asked, with just the faintest trace of pleading. It was not a question any griffin would ever ask — except of her mother.

  ‘You have,’ said Senneck. ‘Your choice of human was wise, and your opportunity could not be better. I am very proud that you came from my egg, and I know that one day you will be a ruler of a great territory.’

  ‘Thank you, Mother.’

  ‘Stay,’ said Senneck. ‘There is one other thing I must tell you.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘I will not remain in the South, as you know,’ said Senneck. ‘I will return North when my task with my human is done. But do not be afraid of me. When the time comes and my position changes, I will not oppose you. Do not forget that this was once my home territory, and that you are my daughter. My ambition will not extend beyond my borders.’

  ‘I believe you,’ said Seerae. ‘And thank you. I will be glad to remember your promise one day, and I will remember my own to you.’

  ‘Go, then,’ said Senneck. ‘Go and protect your human, and begin your journey toward dominance. It will be glorious!’

  ‘It will,’ said Seerae. ‘Goodbye, Mother.’

  Her pawsteps moved away, and Kullervo, still lying quite still, felt his heart pattering. He wondered what Senneck had meant.

  He went back to sleep again a short while later, and by the time he woke up again he had all but forgotten what he had heard. And surely it didn’t matter, anyway. Seerae and Liantha had their purpose, and he had his. Now, he could truly begin.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  THE SHELL BREAKS

  Kullervo’s journey from that point on was a long one, and would be recorded in the histories of every town and city he passed through on his way. Nobody who saw him in those months ever forgot him. After all, who would forget a winged man, one who travelled with such an odd group of companions and seemed to have no fear even though he was clearly a Northerner? Kullervo certainly didn’t make any efforts to hide who he was, even after what had happened at Eagleholm. Wherever he went, he introduced himself with both who and what. He was a half-griffin, he was a prince, he was Arenadd Taranisäii’s son, and he was travelling on behalf of his sister, Queen Laela.

  Nobody telling a story that ludicrous could be forgotten in a hurry, wings or no wings.

  After taking some time in Carrick to recover their strength, he and his companions moved on westward, to Wylam. It took just under three months.

  At Wylam, an odd city built in and around the waters of Woodger’s Dam
, Kullervo once again demanded to speak to the Eyrie Master. The Master, the ageing Lord Kyron, was intrigued enough by this winged stranger to give him an audience. After that, he let him speak to the Council as well.

  Kullervo did, and spoke with as much passion as he had done in Liranwee. The Council listened, and afterwards he and his friends were given quarters to use while they waited to hear whatever decision they would make.

  That very night, while her companions rested, Senneck’s egg began to hatch.

  She had carried it carefully through the entire journey, and with Red’s and Kullervo’s help it had stayed warm — though there had been a couple of close calls. Now, Senneck had announced that the incubation period was over and they had all been keeping an ear out for the telltale cheeping sounds.

  Those had started sometime that afternoon, and the actual hatching began at about the time a gold-tinged half-moon reached its highest point outside.

  Senneck watched over the hatching in her nest, but she also allowed Kullervo and Red to watch — by now, she was used to their having contact with her young, and had lost the normal anxiety of a mother griffin.

  Red brought in a lantern, and sat at a respectable distance beside Kullervo, watching excitedly as the black egg began to crack. It took a while, but gradually, as it rocked around against Senneck’s belly, a crack formed that spread in an almost straight line, travelling around to meet itself on the other side. It was almost as if the chick knew the fastest way to escape.

  Eventually, though, as the egg stopped moving every so often while the chick rested, Red grew impatient. ‘How long is it meant to take?’ he asked.

  ‘Not much longer, I think,’ said Kullervo.

  ‘He is right,’ said Senneck, speaking for the first time. ‘This egg is hatching much more quickly than my first clutch. The chick must be a strong one.’ She looked and sounded very proud, and rightfully so.

  The egg moved again and the crack spread. A big piece of shell broke away, white on the inside, and for a moment the onlookers caught a glimpse of a small beak.