Ariel's Charm

by Marnie Lester

  Reynaldo suddenly grasped her arm tightly and said hurriedly, ‘Our presence has been discovered. It is Largo’s men – I am certain. Ariel you must hide!’

  He gestured to the surrounding trees. Slipping the satchel from his shoulder, he pressed it into her hands. ‘Make sure you are well out of sight.’ Ariel trembled and stayed where she was, momentarily frozen by the approaching danger.

  ‘Ariel, run now!’ Reynaldo gave her a little push toward the safety of the trees. ‘Remember everything that I have told you.’

  For a moment Ariel stared in horror. It seemed as if Reynaldo was saying goodbye. She glanced in the direction of the dust cloud then, impulsively, hugged Reynaldo and ran towards the trees. The forest covering was thick. The density of trees and other plant life partially blocked the sunlight making the air moist and the light dim. The trunks of the trees were massive; their roots stretched out across her path.

  Ariel found herself stumbling over roots that were damp and encrusted with moss and other plant forms that she could not identify. Every sound and shadow seemed threatening. Ariel looked back once to the road and saw Reynaldo standing still and facing the danger ahead without flinching. Ariel glanced quickly left and right then ran behind one of the trees close by. She knelt behind the tree, her hands grasping part of its massive trunk. The bark was slightly sticky and she noticed tracks of what looked like sap etched into the trunk. She moved her hands away hurriedly when she noticed small insects scurrying close to her fingers.

  Even hidden in the forest, the thundering noise became overpowering and Ariel caught glimpses of what she first thought were horses. The riders surrounded Reynaldo and Ariel gasped seeing that the ‘horses’ were in fact an almost reptilian-looking animal. They stood taller than a horse and had a coat of greenish, brown scales. Their heads were like a reptile, long and tapered with no visible ears. Black pointed tongues regularly poked out of their mouths. Their long legs ended in hooves which explained the pounding sound that she had heard. The animals tossed their heads and stamped their hooves restlessly, their breath forming clouds in the early morning air. Glancing down the road Ariel saw hundreds of these animals with riders.

  Chapter 18

  Patrail, Largo’s brutish second-in-command was their leader. He held up a hand to halt them. Patrail glared at Reynaldo and then spat on the road to the right of Reynaldo, just missing his boot.

  ‘So, old man, you have returned to Walhalla,’ he said, his voice coarse, his speech somewhat slurred.

  Reynaldo merely stood his ground and did not reply. His eyes travelled over the assembled riders not completely surprised to see Tobias. The red-haired farmer nodded at Reynaldo. Reynaldo knew he should feel betrayed but he understood that Tobias would have been rewarded financially for the information that he had provided to Largo. Tobias would have seen the reward not as a betrayal but as a means of providing food for his starving family.

  On impulse, Patrail jumped down from his drallion. He stood a full head shorter than Reynaldo. But his rank and the presence of his men gave him an arrogant strut. He slowly approached Reynaldo, coming no closer than a few paces away, never forgetting that he now faced a formidable warrior. Patrail glanced around at the others. He wanted to make sure that he had his men’s full attention. They too knew Reynaldo’s fighting ability and past acts of bravery so it was an ideal time to reinforce Patrail’s command over them.

  ‘We thought you were dead,’ the leader barked and then laughed. ‘It has been many seasons since anyone in Golden City has seen your face, Reynaldo. Hiding out were you?’ Patrail then paused a moment.

  He looked at Reynaldo and said, ‘Did you think that Largo would forget your traitorous allegiance to that coward, Dariew?’

  Reynaldo did not reply. He did not drop his stare into Patrail’s eyes – he felt loathing. There was a subtle lift of one corner of Reynaldo’s mouth. There was only a slight tightening across Reynaldo’s brow to indicate that he was trying to suppress a flash of anger at Patrail’s intended slight on Dariew. Patrail hissed in anger seeing his insult did not achieve the full desired result. He wanted Reynaldo to give him an excuse, any excuse, to hurt him now before handing him over to Largo.

  ‘King Dariew was my kin and the King of Walhalla. I do not recognise your master.’ Reynaldo said each word clipped and harsh. He was glad when he saw Patrail flinch.

  Slightly turning his head, Reynaldo then locked eyes with Tobias, wondering just how much he had told Largo. His fear, that a simple farmer could put the future Queen of Walhalla in danger, made his stomach turn: a small tilt of Tobias’ head told Reynaldo that his fears were unfounded, Ariel was safe. Tobias had not told of her presence.

  Patrail, black-eyed and slovenly, glared at Reynaldo in silence, trying to fight the urge to kill him. His anger did not make him stupid, however, as he feared Largo more than he hated Reynaldo. Patrail continued to stare at Reynaldo. What was it about Reynaldo? Was he hiding something? What made the man still so fiercely loyal to a long dead king? Fortunately for Reynaldo, Largo’s second-in-command was not known for his intelligence or insight.

  Patrail silently debated whether he should order a complete search of the area but then decided the quicker he brought Reynaldo back to Largo the better. Reynaldo continued to glare at him and Patrail realised that he was sweating. Hastily Patrail wiped a dirty fist across his forehead. What did he, the commander of Largo’s forces, have to fear from an old man?

  However, Reynaldo’s intelligence and unswerving loyalty to the former king made him a threat to Largo. This combined with Reynaldo’s courage rankled Patrail more than if he had physically challenged him.

  Hurriedly Patrail remounted his drallion. He felt more authority over Reynaldo while looking down at him. Patrail had struggled with his height for most of his life, finally deciding the tougher and more aggressive he behaved the less likely that he would be mocked. It was this hair-trigger temper and brutality that had brought Patrail to Largo’s attention. He now knew that he could not appear weak in front of a man who was destined to be executed for treason. Patrail drew himself up in his saddle and glared menacingly at Reynaldo.

  ‘You will speak to me with respect, old man. You forget that I am the leader of Largo’s forces.’

  Patrail gestured to the men around him.

  ‘Take him! I am sure Largo will be very happy to see you Reynaldo.’ His face wore a sneer of contempt.

  Ariel watched the scene in horror, pressing her hand to her mouth. The man, Patrail, looked in her direction as if he had heard her. Frowning, he turned back to his men and ordered them forward.

  ‘To the castle!’

  Two men leaned down from their mounts and seized Reynaldo by his arms. Dragging him between them, the men rode off laughing.

  As she watched this terrible scene, Ariel realised that she was now alone in Walhalla.

  Chapter 19

  Ariel’s first instinct was to use the charm to return to the world that she was familiar with but instead, fearful and confused, she stayed hidden behind the trees listening to every sound. Finally, summoning her courage she stepped back onto the road.

  After standing still for a moment she continued on in the same direction that she had travelled with Reynaldo. His words about the importance of her reaching Golden City kept her feet moving. Her determination faltered when, only a moment later, something unexpected happened. A cry escaped her lips and her head spun around when Ariel heard the same odd cackling sound that she had heard on the day that she had arrived in Walhalla. Ariel froze. Her hand instinctively reached for the charm; she looked around her to see if she could identify the source of that strange and frightening sound.

  To her left, in the trees of the forest, she could see a pair of yellow eyes watching her. Ariel waited to see if this animal would approach her, however, apart from the yellow eyes, it stayed invisible within the trees. At last, Ariel realised that the animal was not going to approach her and decided it may be as frightened of her a
s she was of it. She remembered Reynaldo telling her about a small, defenceless animal called a traiger. She wondered if this was what she had heard. She also recalled his assurances that no animal would harm her during their walk in the forest which helped set her mind at rest. Feeling more confident, Ariel turned and began walking towards her inevitable future.

  Her mind kept going over everything that she had seen and heard since coming to Walhalla. Mostly she kept remembering Reynaldo’s emphasis on the importance of her future. In a remarkably short time Ariel realised that she was not the same girl who had run away from Riverview the day before. That girl would have cowered in fear at her current situation but now, as the heir to the throne of Walhalla, she felt better equipped to face the uncertainty which that future promised her.

  As she walked, Ariel wondered what could she possibly do to take back her throne from this man, Largo. With Reynaldo by her side she did not question this possibility.

  He had seemed so sure that they would be able to realise her right to the throne. Ariel walked on. A memory flashed through her mind of a wide eyed, earnest faced boy and his tousled blond curls. She suddenly ached for the comfort of her dearest friend, Marco. More than anything she wished for his calm presence and natural common sense.

  Her mind had become lost in a tangle of ideas, possibilities and discoveries. Ariel had spent most of her life yearning for a family, yearning to know where she came from, and something about the people who had brought her into the world. Now she knew a great deal. Closing her eyes she could hear the lullaby that her mother had sung to her as an infant. Reynaldo had told her that she resembled her mother. A feeling of pride filled her. Reynaldo had told her that her mother was the most beautiful woman he had ever known. Did that mean Ariel had inherited her beauty? She had always felt out of place in the orphanage. Her exotic colouring and distinctive features had made the other girls tease her and call her ugly.

  Now she knew why she didn’t resemble the blonde and dimpled parade of girls she had known. She felt her chin lift. She was proud of her heritage. Ariel felt a remarkable sense of pride and belonging to a world she had not known existed until a short time ago.

  She had always thought herself a sensible girl and a part of her prompted her to consider practical things such as food, shelter and how she would behave around anyone she was likely to meet. Ariel had observed enough from Reynaldo to be able to find fruit if necessary. The issue of shelter was more pressing. Although the accommodation in the orphanage had been basic at best, it had been a roof over her head and somewhere to sleep. As she walked Ariel nervously glanced at the sky wondering how far away night-fall was and what she would do when it arrived. She felt her heart rate increase at the prospect of being alone at night in a land that she still did not know well.

  When Ariel ascended a small hill, another village came into view. She froze in fear as she was unsure how to communicate with the local people without giving away her true identity. She remembered Reynaldo telling her how much she resembled her parents and so, pausing by the side of the road, she hastily tied her long black hair into a knot at the back of her head. She lifted the charm and slipped it inside her blouse hoping that it would not be seen and then smeared dirt across her cheeks and on her clothes. She wondered if what she had done would be enough of a disguise. Squaring her shoulders she walked down the gentle slope and into the village.

  This village seemed quite different to Ten Oaks. Many of the locals were gathered in the street at what appeared to be a market. The people were happy and well provided for. Ariel looked around at both women and men dressed in bright clothing, their faces shining with good health and laughter. Long tables were set up and covered in an assortment of foods and drink. Ariel could smell delicious joints of meat that were turning slowly on spits over hot coals. She could see large, golden loaves of bread. Other tables were covered in an assortment of fruit and vegetables, although unlike anything that Ariel had ever seen. The sights and smells of so much food reminded her that all she had eaten since arriving in Walhalla was a few mouthfuls of ice cream and some fruit. For a moment Ariel wondered if she should have stayed outside the village and used the charm to get food. She was still unfamiliar with the local food, however, and she knew her skills with using the charm were still unsure. Ariel realised she had to get food the traditional way. She watched as people bartered for various foodstuffs and paid with what looked like green stones of varying sizes. Realising she had no money with her, Ariel wondered if these people would be willing to give her anything to eat.

  Many people glanced in her direction, their eyes moving up and down taking in her dishevelment then just as quickly dismissing her. Ariel could not help but feel a mixture of shame and confusion at their treatment of her. Her mind unconsciously went back to Riverview. The odd combination of disgust and neglect she had endured for years was still too close to the surface to be denied.

  As if reading her mind a small, bald man behind one of the tables looked in her direction and smiled. The table stood in front of a spit with a large joint of roasting meat. A mouth-watering aroma came from the meat and Ariel noticed meat juices dripping and causing sizzling noises as they struck the glowing coals.

  ‘Hello child’ he began. ‘Would you be liking some fine roasted voal on this the celebration of our Lord Largo’s reign?’

  Ariel started. She realised why this village appeared to be faring better than Ten Oaks.

  The people of this village must have pledged loyalty to Largo and had been rewarded. Another wave of anger passed through her at the manipulation that Largo had used to control the people of Walhalla. Collecting herself she turned to see that the man at the table was staring at her quizzically.

  ‘I’m sorry. I would very much like to sample your fare, but I have no cards.’

  As the word came out of her mouth, she knew this was what the local currency was called. The man appeared to be gazing intently at her, his brown eyes narrowed.

  ‘Who are your parents, girl?’ he asked suddenly.

  Ariel knew her answer must be believable or she could find herself in danger.

  ‘My parents come from far North Alderidge. I am travelling to Golden City to offer myself as a servant to Lord Largo. My father passed recently and my mother can no longer support me.’

  The man’s face relaxed and he beamed.

  ‘Why child, with such a noble mission I would be wrong to deprive you of food.’ He grasped an odd, curved plate and began piling meat onto it. The smell made Ariel’s stomach growl and the man laughed. She wondered what type of animal a voal was.

  As he handed her the plate he added, ‘May you tell Lord Largo of the generosity of his people in Little Handleton.’

  Ariel smiled and nodded, even though the idea of trying to please Largo was the last thing she would ever consider doing. She knew that she could not show her displeasure at the thought of pleasing Largo in front of what were clearly his loyal subjects. Such a display would put her in an extremely dangerous position. Then she tasted the delicious meat and everything else went out of her mind. Although meat was rarely served in the orphanage, Ariel could not imagine any other meat tasting as moist and as delicious as the voal she was now eating. She hoped the story that she had told the man had protected her identity and her mission.

  The small man at the booth introduced himself as Lucien. He insisted on escorting Ariel to other tables where he coaxed the stallholders into giving her more food. Ariel accepted gratefully, although she noticed that a number of the townspeople regarded her for several moments before handing their food over. Lucien tried to take Ariel’s satchel to place the food inside. Ariel quickly held the cord preventing him from taking it. Opening the satchel, she held it up slightly so that Lucien could place the food inside, but not see what was in the bottom of the bag. The man looked quizzical for a moment, then shrugged and began piling in food. Possibly he had decided her behavior was a peculiar female need for privacy, as if her bag contained personal t
reasures only a woman would understand. As Lucien had two daughters he had seen just such behavior, so thought no more of Ariel’s protectiveness of the leather satchel. While he piled in an assortment of fruits, breads and a hard looking white cheese, she wondered if these people would report her presence to Largo.

  As Ariel walked away from the village Lucien’s eyes followed her and he wondered where he had seen her face. Turning back to the meat table he decided that he must have been imagining things when suddenly an image from the past crossed his mind. Spinning around he tried to see if the girl was still in sight; he beamed to himself knowing that this piece of information would be worth a great deal to Lord Largo.

  As Ariel approached Little Handleton, Reynaldo was being thrown to the ground outside the castle in Golden City. His arms felt as though they had been torn from their sockets by the men who dragged him the twenty strays to the palace. Patrail mocked and spat at Reynaldo. Reynaldo, on hands and knees, tasted blood and dirt and anger. He looked up at Patrail with cold steel in his eyes and made a silent promise to himself that Patrail would die by his hand.

  As Ariel savoured her first taste of the delicious voal, Reynaldo was dragged, stumbling and falling through the castle towards the throne room for his encounter with Largo. His arms, which had already been tortured that day, had now been wrenched behind him and tightly bound. He struggled to stay upright as Patrail and his men shoved him from one to the other as they walked down the long palace corridors.

  As Ariel left Little Handleton, Reynaldo was thrown down to the hard tiled floor of the palace throne room. His breathing was ragged. The pain in his ribs from Patrail’s multiple kicks was amplified to the point of blinding white light each time he drew a breath. His head was bowed as he fought for breath and consciousness. Slowly composing himself, Reynaldo raised his head…