The Stars of Areon (The Chronicles of Areon Book 1)

by Aaron J. Ethridge

  “I agree totally,” Kilren said, rolling over on his side. “I'll take third watch.”

  Tealor would take the first watch, Darian the second and Kilren, as he had suggested, the third. The young knight stretched himself out on his bed and quickly fell asleep. In what seemed like an instant, he was being gently shaken. Tealor's watch was over, and it was time for him to take his place. At first, the young knight was afraid he would find it difficult to stay awake sitting for hours on a chair in complete silence. However, that fear was soon driven from him. As he sat, he could hear talking and laughter from the common room below. More than once, someone came out of one of the rooms and walked past him in the hall. A merchant who was traveling from the mountains to Mikral even stopped and passed a few words with the Telian before heading on to his room. Darian was amazed at the amount of nocturnal activity to be found in a little inn that seemed to him to be in the middle of the wilderness. His watch ended, and Kilren took his place. Once more, the Telian drifted gently off to sleep and, once more, he was awakened in what felt like an instant.

  The sun was just peaking up over the hills, and the horses had been sent for. The party ate a quick breakfast, payed their score, and stepped out into the street. As they began climbing up on their mounts, Darian noticed a small band of men coming toward them from out of the shadows. After scrutinizing them carefully, he realized they were the four men they had defeated the night before. With them, was another man riding on a horse. The young knight reached down and loosened his sword in its sheath. He would be ready for anything.

  The five men approached and stopped within a few feet of the party. The rider was an older man and was, by far, smaller than the four ruffians who were with him. He looked down at the large leader from the night before.

  “Are these the ones?” he asked.

  The four younger men all nodded in response. The old man lifted his head, slowly gazing over the entire party.

  “My boys have something to say,” he said with a nod. “Jarrin.”

  The largest took a step forward and bowed his head.

  “We're very sorry for our behavior last night,” he said, staring at the ground as he spoke. “We had no right to act the way we did toward you fair ladies or to start a brawl with you young gentlemen. I hope you can forgive us.”

  The other three chimed in with their apologies at the same moment.

  “Spoken like a gentleman, Jarrin,” Ian said, smiling down from the white pony on which he sat. “Maybe this time, you'll actually take your father's advice and learn when to put your flagons down.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jarrin replied.

  “Well, Karron, I suppose I'll see you next time I'm here,” Ian said, smiling at the old man. “I'll be sure to tell you just how your boys got bested.”

  “Thank you, Ian,” the old man replied with a chuckle, “I think I would enjoy that.”

  With that, the man and his sons turned around and headed back down the street.

  “There's really no harm in those boys,” the dwarf said. “They just need to learn how much ale is enough. I almost regret having to smash that bottle over Jarrin's head last night... but, not quite.”

  Within a few minutes, the party had ridden beyond the borders of the little village and the last of its outlying buildings disappeared from view as they rode around the base of a large hill. Tealor had decided to take the party back to the Neres bridge along a different route than they had come by. If Galrin truly was after the girl, he wanted to make it as difficult as possible for any pursuers to overtake them. As the party rode along, Erana maneuvered her horse to the side of the handsome young rogue.

  “I want to thank you,” she said, smiling over at Kilren.

  “Glad to be of service!” he exclaimed. “What did I do?”

  “I mean; about last night,” she replied.

  “Well, I'm sure you could have handled it yourself if you hadn't been watching out for Gwendolyn,” the rogue said with a grin.

  “I'm not sure I could have...” she said thoughtfully. “If I have a bow in my hands – and I'm wrapped in the woodlands – I fear no man. However, last night was different. I certainly couldn't have fought those men off; at least not without spilling blood.”

  “There was nothing to it,” Kilren laughed. “You'd have been far too fast for them. Before they knew what had happened, you've had them stacked up in a pile.”

  “Well, maybe,” she replied, gazing into his eyes. “Still, I thank you.”

  “You know, actions speak louder than words,” the rogue replied, leaning from his saddle toward the beautiful young ranger.

  “Can't you ever be serious for five minutes in a row!” Erana exclaimed, kicking her horse into a trot and pulling ahead of him.

  “I was being serious!” he yelled after her.

  Hour after hour, the party rode along until the sun finally dipped below the horizon. Already, they had covered a great portion of the distance that stood between them and Mikral. Early on the following morning, they would cross the bridge and the border. As the band prepared themselves for rest, the watch was once again divided between the warrior, the knight, and the rogue. Darian took first watch and sat staring into the fire as the voice of Gwendolyn interrupted his thoughts.

  “At this time tomorrow, I'll be home and in bed,” she said from where she lay close beside him.

  “You must be looking forward to it,” the young knight replied, turning to look at her.

  “I am, in a way.” She replied with a sigh. “What will you do?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “I mean; once I'm back home safe, what will you do next?”

  “Oh, probably head back to the fortress,” he answered, turning his gaze back to the fire. “I plan to take Kilren with me and Sarena and Tealor want to meet Andor. Erana can also take the road with us. It'll be on her way home. I suppose Ian will come along as well; he'll certainly be welcome. After that, I have to see what Andor's plans are. He's spent years training me and this was my final test. Now, we can begin working to restore Solarin side by side.”

  “Oh,” was her simple reply.

  She sat in silence for a few minutes.

  “Will I ever see you again?” she asked.

  “Eilian willing,” the knight replied. “Whenever I end up in Tagril, I'll be sure to come and visit you.”

  “When would that be?”

  “I don't know really; just whenever I happen to end up there, I guess.”

  “You could come just to see me.”

  “Yes... I guess I could, but I'm not sure I'll have the time.”

  “Oh...” the young maiden sighed.

  Even Darian could detect the disappointment in her voice, but he couldn't understand it. If he were too busy to ride for two days just to have a chat with her, she could make the ride and come see him. The road was the same distance for each of them. Normally, of course, he would never ask a lady to undergo the hardships of a journey rather than take it himself, but he didn't have time to go riding around the countryside visiting friends. He had duties to perform, people to help and, in all probability, more damsels to rescue. If she wanted to see him badly enough, she could come to where he was. In either case, a letter was almost as good a way to keep in touch and no one could deny the efficiency of the Mikralian messengers.

  Chapter 6: The Neres Bridge

  Before the sun climbed above the horizon, Darian and his companions were once again on their way. Slowly, golden rays began to crest the hills that surrounded them. As mile followed mile, light poured into the dales through which they passed. Far above their heads, the treetops softly swayed while the scent of countless blossoms drifted on the breeze.

  The quiet tranquility of the scene was gently brushed aside by the sound of music. Ian's skilled fingers filled the air with ancient ballads as well as popular tunes from both Mikral and Innalas. Darian felt as if he could never hear enough. Kilren, however, seemed as if he already had.

 
“Can you give it a break, Ian?” the young rogue shouted over the rapturous notes. “I'm getting a headache.”

  In reply, the bard scowled and continued until his current tune reached its end.

  “Perhaps you find some fault with my playing?” he asked, lowering his instrument to his side.

  “You play very well,” Kilren admitted. “In fact, I've rarely heard better, but I'm not a great fan of the bagpipe.”

  “Well then, I can see why they call you fool,” Ian replied. “Just who is it that you've heard play better than myself?”

  “I don't remember!” the rogue exclaimed. “But, they weren't playing a bagpipe!”

  “There may come a day when you gratefully thank me for the playing of the pipes!” the bard said with a wink.

  “That may be true,” Kilren nodded slowly. “However, I can tell you this: today's not the day.”

  “A little silence will give us time to reflect on your talents, master bard,” Sarena said from where she rode just in front of the dwarf. “If we listen too long to your skill, no other musician will ever be able to satisfy us again.”

  “As you wish,” Ian smiled, placing his instrument in one of his saddle bags. “I could use a bit of a rest anyway.”

  “Well, child, soon you'll be home with your family,” the sorceress said, turning her attention to the young maiden riding at her side. “You must be very happy.”

  “I guess I am...” Gwendolyn sighed.

  “I realize not everyone in the world is capable of feeling the deep joy I do in life,” Sarena replied, gazing at her young companion. “Of course, none have a husband such as mine; so that's hardly surprising. Still, I've known few who could express happiness with less enthusiasm than you just did. What's wrong, my dear?”

  “I don't know,” Gwendolyn answered, staring off into the distance ahead. “Before I was kidnapped, my life seemed almost perfect. My father is one of the richest men in Tagril. I have all the comforts of life: a wonderful home shared with people I love, the finest foods, beautiful clothes, jewels, books, more than I ever knew to want. Our family is well respected, and I have a number of friends who I like a great deal. It always seemed like almost everything I could ever want was right there.”

  “Twice you said almost,” the sorceress observed.

  “Well, before the war, our family was one of nobility,” the maiden replied, slowly stroking the neck of her mount. “My father should be a knight – and I've always longed to be a lady – but, aside from that, I've always had everything I wanted. Now, however, I don't know... It just seems like there's something missing from my life. Before all this happened, things were very much the same from one day to another. All the same people, all the same places, everything was always the same.”

  “Ah...” Sarena grinned. “And, now you long for adventure?”

  “No, I wouldn't say that,” Gwendolyn replied, shaking her head. “I think I want to be near adventure, if you see what I mean. I've had a wonderful time with you all, but I could never be like you. I would never have the courage to face the dangers you do.”

  “I would say it took a great deal of courage to steal a horse and flee from your captors,” Sarena replied. “I think there's more to you than you realize.”

  “You may be right,” the young maiden said, blushing with pride, “but still, I don't think this is the life for me. The truth is, I don't want to leave you all, at least not yet. I'm not sure what I want anymore, but I don't think it's at home.”

  “I think I understand,” Sarena smiled. “Not everything a woman wants can always be found at home. Of course, someday, even adventures must end to make time for other things.”

  Having said this, the sorceress followed the gaze of the young maiden and found, to no great surprise, that it rested on the handsome young knight that rode at the side of her husband.

  “So, you serve Solarin?” Tealor asked suddenly, glancing over at the young knight.

  “I do.” Darian nodded.

  “How?”

  The Telian rode in silence, pondering the question.

  “In truth, for the time being, it would be more accurate to say I serve the spirit of Solarin,” he answered at last. “Considering the fact that the kingdom's fallen and my training has just been completed, I haven't been able to perform any real service in its name.”

  “It's hard to serve a kingdom that no longer exists; I see that,” Tealor nodded. “Still, it's easy enough to make the claim.”

  At this, the young knight scowled.

  “It's more than a claim; Solarin will rise from the ashes.”

  “The king is dead!”

  “So they say!”

  “What do you say?!”

  “Why do you ask?!”

  For a moment, each stared silently into the eyes of the other.

  “I'm of Solarin decent,” the large warrior said solemnly, “My family were peasants, nothing more, but we were happy. When the Mikralian army invaded, they burned our home to the ground and took what little we had. For generations, my sires lived on the border, while uninterrupted peace reigned between Solarin and Mikral. King Palnar crossed that border in war, destroying that peace without warning. Our cottage was a smoldering heap of ruins before the true struggle had even begun. My family lost everything in the first skirmish of that brief conflict. If there's the smallest hope – the slightest chance – that Solarin can truly be restored; I would fight to see it done.”

  Again, silence fell between the two companions as they rode along.

  “Andor wouldn't serve a hopeless cause, and neither would I,” Darian said, gazing at his companion. “That's all I can tell you, but Andor may have more to say.”

  “Then, I'll speak with him,” Tealor replied.

  Once more, the conversation ceased momentarily while each pondered his own thoughts.

  “You said before that, after you left the farm, you became a soldier,” The Telian said.

  “So I did,” the warrior nodded.

  “So, you fought against Mikral in the war?”

  “No,” Tealor chuckled, “my father forbade me. At the time, I was only a boy and he was against the war. We had too many friends on each side of the border. He said he'd lost his farm; he wasn't going to lose his children.”

  “Then, how did you become a soldier?”

  “Well, as soon as I was of age, I joined the Mikralian army, of course!” Tealor replied with a firm nod.

  “What?!” Darian exclaimed, shocked by the warrior's answer.

  Tealor burst into laughter at the Telian's obvious surprise.

  “Solarin had fallen and my entire family had become Mikralian citizens. My father's often said 'The reed that doesn't bend, breaks' and he's right. I had to adapt to the situation as it existed, not as I wanted it to be. Still, there's a great deal more to it than that. After our home was burned, our family actually headed into Mikral territory in order to get away from the fighting. The struggle had pushed its way well beyond the border and my father wanted to get us somewhere safe. We had very close ties with a certain Mikralian family; our two houses had been practically united for generations. We arrived at their door without a coin left to our name. However, my lovely bride's father didn't give it a second thought. We were in need and he was able to help us; that was all that mattered to him. He brought us into his home and we lived and worked together as a single family. A few months later, the war ended but our fathers decided to keep things as they were. Our families remained united. We expanded the farmhouse and worked the fields together.”

  “Still, that doesn't explain why you became a soldier of the enemy,” Darian replied, shaking his head in disapproval.

  “What enemy?” Tealor asked, raising his hands. “Didn't you hear what I just said? The war was over. I had been a farmer before and I was a farmer after. I didn't like what King Palnar had done, but he had won the lands of Solarin by right of conquest. Our lives continued on after the war much as they had before. Except, of course, tha
t I had this pitiful little love struck creature following me around, talking to me constantly and making me daisy chains.”

  “What creature?” Darian asked with a puzzled look on his face.

  The warrior stared silently at the knight before continuing.

  “My wife...” Tealor replied, rolling his eyes. “She decided we were going to be married just a few days after I arrived at her father's farm. Still, that comes into the tale a little later. As I said, as soon as I came of age, I decided I wanted to join the army. My future father-in-law saw to the arrangements and, shortly after my sixteenth birthday, I was a proud member of the Mikralian legions. I wanted to make sure that my current country never fell like my former one had. If the lands I called home were ever again attacked, I would fight to defend them. For a very brief period of time, I was pleased with my decision.”

  “What changed that?” the Telian asked.

  “Experience,” the warrior relied. “Most of the Mikralian nobles and commanders treated former Solarins with disdain. They accepted our service, but it was very obvious that, to them, we were nothing more than the dogs of war. I admit that, among the common soldiers, that wasn't true. Many of the Mikralians I served with had known me long before the war and treated me as a true brother-in-arms. Still, the fact remained; if you were Solarin by birth you would never be anything more than a common soldier. That fact alone wouldn't have driven me from the ranks – at least not for a good many years. But shortly after I joined, I was assigned to escort a tax collector.

  “Needless to say, the work wasn't to my liking. I wanted to defend the people, not fill the king's coffers but, as I served his banner, it wasn't my place to object; only to obey. For more than a year, I traveled the country, executing the commands of my liege lord. King Palnar had issued a special war tax at the time to recover the expenses of the conquest. Here, at least, he was even handed. Both former Solarins and Mikralians had to pay; those who wouldn't – or couldn't – were driven from their homes, imprisoned or worse. One noble who refused the tax was even hanged for high treason. After that, I was convinced there had to be some desperate need for the wealth we were collecting. I couldn't believe the king would execute someone like Lord Bernoth without good reason. He was an old man and a Mikralian, but neither age nor nobility saved him.”