by A. Evermore
He did not quite understand what she meant, but heavy sleep was fast descending. They lay there by the sea in each other’s arms until Doon’s silver light on their flesh became Feygriene’s golden light and the night slowly turned to day.
Marakon lay there for a moment as the light increased, Jarlain curled up under his arm, her hair spilling over his chest. He felt the most content he had in a long time, the last time was when he’d awoken with Rasia in his arms. Guilt, the pang hit him and was gone again in an instant. His love and desire had not diminished for his wife, he found he loved her more, just as he loved Jarlain beside him.
Yes, he decided, it was possible to love two people, but he doubted two people would share his love.
He held her there for a long moment, then gently kissed her and got up quietly. She did not even stir as he dressed. He decided not to wake her, she needed sleep to heal her injuries and he hated goodbyes, especially when it was forever. With a lingering look at her he forced himself to turn away, and walked along the beach to where his knights were gathering.
Chapter 9
Friends Of King Thaban
HAVING had a hot bath and a good night’s sleep, Issa, Asaph and Coronos waited in a stifling reception room outside the ornate wooden doors to the mayor’s office. They had been up at dawn and arrived here before anyone else, and yet still they had already been waiting an hour. Two guards stood nearby, overdressed in stately royal-blue uniform and impervious to the heat.
Issa had her hair tied back and was dressed in her new tunic dress, but even that felt hot and uncomfortable. They were all washed and dressed in their new cooler clothes, but Asaph’s and Coronos’ faces were already covered in a sheen of sweat, and they looked as hot and uncomfortable as she felt.
‘Some air in this stuffy place would be nice,’ Coronos huffed and tried to open one of the windows. It opened only half an inch. After years of never being opened, dirt and grim had all but sealed it shut. A tiny breeze came through and he sighed in exasperation.
‘I can’t stand this place,’ Asaph whispered. ‘Is Castle Draxa like this? Because if it is then my place is back in the tree houses with the Kuapoh, and by Feygriene’s fire do I miss that place now.’
‘Draxa is not like this, it’s not nearly as stuffy or musty,’ Coronos said in a raised voice, and poked a heavy garish curtain with his staff. ‘The halls are wide, the ceilings high and the rooms big. Fresh mountain air circulates the city constantly,’ Coronos explained casting a scowl at the guards.
A guard glanced at him, sniffed in disdain and turned back to stare at nothing.
‘Sounds freezing,’ Issa commented. ‘I can’t stand it here either,’ she huffed, wanting to be far away from this place, or at least to stop wasting time sat here. ‘Surely a matter of utmost importance, of impending attack, would have all the bells ringing?’ She turned to scowl at the guards. They did not even look at her.
Finally the doors creaked open and a tall, thin, pale-faced woman walked out. She carried herself pompously and had permanently half lidded eyes.
‘The mayor will see you now,’ she said magnanimously, glancing down at them through her half open eyes. They all jumped up.
‘Finally,’ Coronos said under his breath as they were led into the mayor’s office.
The office was a mess to the eye. Wooden bookcases lined one wall from floor to ceiling, and books overflowed the shelves. The other was covered in garish gold-framed pictures of various pompous and stately looking people. There was not a bare bit of wall left to ease the menagerie. The room itself was long and at the far end before the huge window was a large mahogany desk behind which sat the mayor donning his customary cloak and long chains over his shoulders.
The mayor was everything his assistant wasn’t; short, fat and red faced. He puffed on a stubby cigar that only served to make the room even more stuffy and uncomfortable, especially when he hadn’t bothered to open the window. There was a glass of something pale red on his desk and a whiff of alcohol in the air. He pushed his glasses back up his fat nose and looked every bit like a pig squinting up at them. Issa tried not to laugh.
He signalled his assistant to close the doors. ‘What are these matters of utmost importance? The mention of war?’ He stood up and leaned on his desk, eyeing them up and down more thoroughly.
‘You may or may not know but the Isle of Celene has fallen to the Maphraxies,’ Coronos said, stepping closer. The mayor didn’t even flinch at the news. ‘And we suspect an attack is imminent upon mainland Frayon.’
There was silence for a moment. Asaph’s face shone with sweat and he had a desperate look, like a caged animal frantic to be out in the fresh air.
‘We have heard rumours,’ the mayor said, and took a sip from his glass. He winced as he swallowed - whatever was in the glass was strong and certainly not water. ‘But here we are in South Frayon, not West Frayon. So it is of no worry to us.’
Asaph snorted and the mayor scowled at him. Coronos stepped as close to the desk as possible, his face reddening in anger, his tall Draxian frame towered over the short man. ‘We must tell every major town and city about the destruction of Celene and warn them. The Feylint Halanoi stationed in the north must be warned immediately!’
‘ “We?” Sounds very like me,’ the mayor retorted. ‘So you want me to raise panic and alarm by sending out warning of a possible attack on Frayon? Do you really think you know more than the Feylint Halanoi? With their hundreds of years of experience, do you really think they don’t know what is going on? Do you think you know better than all the wizards in the land?’
‘Yes I - we - do,’ Coronos said. ‘We have seen first hand the devastation that is left of Celene, and we know the Maphraxies will not stop there. We were lucky to escape with our lives. How they have come so far south should be of grave concern to you. If the Feylint Halanoi knew this they would already have set up a base on the south west coast, something they have not done.’
‘Yes, yes I suppose you are right,’ the mayor said thoughtfully, sinking back into his chair.
Coronos sighed, clearly hoping he was getting through to the semi-intoxicated mayor.
‘But I will not be responsible for spreading fear and panic across the kingdom,’ the mayor continued. ‘And neither could I be so arrogant as to warn the army of attack ahead of the king’s warning. That could get me killed by the crown. I’m sure you understand.’ Coronos began to speak, but the mayor talked over him. ‘And besides, Master Wizard Freydel would have already warned us if there was cause for alarm.’
‘Freydel is missing,’ Issa blurted out. Everyone looked at her.
‘And who, my dear, are you,’ the mayor breathed nasally, eyeing her up and down in a way that made her skin crawl.
‘I’m Freydel’s friend, but I haven’t seen or heard from him since Celene was attacked. We are all worried and pray he is still alive,’ she finished abruptly as an unexpected choke work its way up her throat. Please, Zanufey, make sure he is all right. The thought of him being dead along with Ely was too much.
The mayor finished his glass noisily. ‘Indeed, well, you can keep your prayers for the goddess, for all the good they will do you. Freydel is, of course, a Master Wizard, and no doubt fine. But back to the matter at hand. It’s an impossibility that a big enough force of Maphraxies could strike with any permanency this far south. I would call Celene a one off, and if the goddess were truly here then her most sacred isle would not have been destroyed, as you say it was. To respect your efforts of bringing me this unfortunate news I will send a carrier pigeon to the king in Carvon, and leave it in his capable hands…’
A “one off”? She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
‘That’s not enough. We need more warnings sent on faster birds,’ Asaph said, stepping beside his father.
The mayor scowled up at the young man, clearly feeling somewhat threatened. ‘I’ve honoured your request, and now I must get on with more pressing business. If you hound me anymor
e I’ll have you thrown out of the city.’
‘But your lives are at risk…’ Asaph began, but Coronos laid a restraining arm on his. The mayor gave them a dangerous look, and called for his assistant.
‘One more small thing,’ Coronos said mildly. The mayor sighed and looked up from the papers he’d begun thumbing. ‘We shall travel to Carvon, and speak to the king himself. I’m a friend of King Thaban.’
The mayor paled a little then laughed. ‘Where have you been for a decade? King Thaban died ten years ago. His son, King Navarr, now rules.’
Coronos looked away for a moment, masking his emotions, then spoke wistfully. ‘Ah yes, we have been travelling foreign lands for a long time, and my memory is not what it once was. King Navarr was a promising young lad, my favourite. He’ll be a good king, and he will remember his favourite Draxian visitor.’ The mayor paled even more as Coronos continued. ‘I shall tell him how you honoured our urgent warning, and how much you care for your people and the protection of the Southern Kingdom.’ There was nothing but sincerity on Coronos’ face, and Issa marvelled at his diplomacy, wishing she’d had that skill when talking with the elf-king Daranarta.
‘Thank you,’ the mayor said tightly and cleared his throat.
‘But we’ll need two horses, fast ones, and some supplies. You’ll still need to send carrier pigeons, they will be faster,’ Coronos said. The fat man was beginning to sweat now.
‘Yes, yes, fine. Geralda, see to it will you?’ he said to his assistant lurking at the back of the room. Issa grinned at the mayor’s discomfort. He was clearly keen to get rid of these people who were friends of the old king.
‘Oh, is there anything else you would like me to say to the king when we get there?’ Coronos added with a sweet smile.
‘No, nothing. All is well here,’ the mayor all but squeaked.
‘Good, well, let’s be on our way. Good day, sir,’ Coronos smiled, bowed and twirled away from the desk and the sweating man.
Only when they were outside the city’s main walls with their new horses and breathing the blessedly fresh morning air did they start laughing.
‘It’s always good to play that card last,’ Coronos said, ‘and it has never failed before. As a Draxian, when you live some fifty years more than other people, you can remember grandparents and great grandparents and all the embarrassing mishaps of the past.’
‘Were you really a friend of the old king?’ Issa asked.
‘Yes. And I’d sorely hoped my friend was still alive,’ he shook his head. ‘This is a problem my parents spoke of that only now am I beginning to understand. When Draxians get old, all non-Draxians that are your friends die so much sooner. It’s heart breaking and often the reason why we keep ourselves to ourselves. Anyway, talking to that half drunk idiot of a mayor was going nowhere. I always suspected we would have to get to Carvon to spread our warning, but it’s a long way even on horses, and I fear we’re already too late.
‘I could fly,’ Asaph said.
Coronos shook his head. ‘It’s best you stay hidden for now. If people knew another Dragon Lord lived, news would spread like wild fire, and I don’t think it would do you any favours. You would have to travel and land at night, and a day away from the city where there would be no horses to buy. I was also hoping to spread the warning through towns and villages along the way, but I think the mayor is right. I don’t want to spread fear and panic in the kingdom, not when I’m unfamiliar with King Navarr.’
‘There’s no point avoiding raising panic when panic is upon us. The Maphraxies could strike at any moment,’ Issa sighed. ‘Don’t forget the ravens I sent. They will find any Daluni and tell them about Celene.’ She wondered how far they had flown. She could reach them if she tried, especially with the raven talisman that made scrying that much easier.
‘Let’s hope the Daluni of Frayon are still held in as high esteem as once they were,’ Coronos said. ‘As you saw back there, belief in the goddess is becoming extinct. People seem to think that everything happens without a purpose and without a reason. What a chaotic meaningless world they must live in. Come, let us start this journey. We’ll have to take the main roads for speed. Always be wary of vagabonds or worse.’
The men strapped their packs onto the new horses. Duskar was already carrying her and her stuff. He’d accepted the saddle but refused the bridle until she’d cut off the bit and other unnecessary straps. He didn’t like either of the other horses, and created as much space between him and them as possible. He would snap his teeth if they got too close, and then sulked when she told him off. She hoped he would warm to them eventually. Surely he missed his friend Izy, Ely’s gentle mare that must have shared the same awful fate of the people of Celene. Issa shivered, and turned to watch Asaph struggle with his horse.
The new horses were especially fearful of Asaph, as if they could smell the dragon within him. ‘I don’t trust these animals,’ Asaph said, eyeing them suspiciously, ‘and I much less enjoy riding them.’
Issa laughed. ‘They are equally nervous of you. They must sense your dragon self. You need to get to know them better and build up their trust. Then they’ll be loyal to you, but not too much.’
‘I’d be afraid of me too,’ he added, and reached to stroke his horse who flicked her head nervously. She was a big palomino mare. After Coronos’ horse, the only other animal available in the stables turned out to be the biggest.
Asaph managed to get his foot in the stirrup. The horse walked forwards causing him to hop along too. He gripped the saddle, and struggled to get on her back. He grappled for the reins and nearly fell out of the saddle. Issa suppressed a giggle. The horse actually waited patiently as she suffered her inexperienced rider. Issa could tell she was well trained. At the slightest motion from Asaph she started to trot, her muscles rippling beneath her yellow coat. He managed to pull her to a stop.
‘She’s a frisky one. Looks like she needs a strong hand,’ Coronos noted. ‘Draxian horses are bred to be fearless of Dragon Lords. But still, her fear of you will also make her obedient.’
‘I spoke to the stable boy about them,’ Issa said. ‘It helps to know a horse’s history if you are to understand them or help them heal. He said she was a war horse but her master sold her when he was injured in battle. No one seemed to want such a spirited and powerful horse, which is why we got a good price for her.’
‘So that’s why she’s called Ironclad,’ Asaph shook his head, and tried to calm his prancing mount.
Coronos chuckled and mounted his own horse. His horse was exactly the opposite, a calm mild mannered grey stallion. ‘Old and docile like myself,’ he joked and patted the horses neck. ‘But we’re still nimble and quick when we need to be.’
Asaph snorted. ‘You’re anything but docile. Stubborn more like.’
‘We don’t need to listen to this nonsense do we, Socks,’ Coronos said to his mount, and began trotting up the dusty road.
Asaph frowned at her. She laughed. ‘He’s called Socks because it looks like he’s got socks on.’ She pointed at the horses long white legs that abruptly turned into dappled grey over the rest of his body. She nudged Duskar to follow Socks, and he did so but kept his distance. A moment later Asaph went shooting past them at a canter he could barely control. He pulled up short a few yards ahead, cursing loudly. It was going to be a fun ride, Issa grinned to herself.
They left the city from the North Gate, and took the long dusty road leading north. She was very used to riding horses, and it turned out Coronos was well-ridden too. Together they helped Asaph learn the different gaits of his horse. He struggled at first, cursing all the while, but eventually he picked it up. She cheered when he got it right, pleased to see he was a fast learner, it meant the journey would move swiftly.
Inch by inch she managed to move Duskar closer to Socks, until they walked side by side but a good two yards apart. After an hour of riding, they’d settled into a shared pace. Duskar was slowly getting used to the other horses now they had l
earned not to get too close to him. The horses seemed quite content to trot up rolling hills and canter down the other side. Asaph was either in front or behind, but always just close enough to join in the conversation. Coronos took out the map he’d sketched from the huge map hanging in the hall of Corsolon Castle.
‘As planned, we’re on the Old North Road. This wide dusty road can be seen for miles around, and it leads north-west all the way to Carvon,’ Coronos said.
‘It’s a busy road,’ Issa said, noting the increasing number of soldiers, merchants, couriers and everything in between moving along it. All on their errands between the two busy cities.
‘Yes, which makes it safer, thankfully. I’ve not travelled this road for a long time, but I think it will take three days of non-stop riding to get there, or four with rest,’ he judged.
‘A long journey, given the message we deliver,’ Issa said, feeling the haste of impending attack hanging over them.
‘They may attack now or in a month, but attack they will,’ Coronos said, putting the map away in his shirt pocket.
‘Do you think they will attack the Uncharted Lands?’ Asaph asked, worry creasing his brow.
Coronos nodded. ‘They will attack everything and anything, and take over the whole of Maioria if they are not stopped. Perhaps they are attacking the Uncharted Lands as we speak. If they are not then they will. Our freedom is all but a matter of time.’
‘If every man, woman and child fought we could drive them from Maioria,’ Issa growled.
Coronos shook his head. ‘Even then I don’t think it would be enough. The simple fact of the matter is we don’t have enough people or power to stand against the Maphraxies.’
‘We don’t if they are scattered all over Maioria,’ Asaph said.
‘Perhaps,’ Coronos shrugged. ‘Maybe if the elves returned. Maybe with all the tribes of the Uncharted Lands. Maybe with the goddess on our side.’
