by Jon Kiln
There was a strange and unknown link in their bloodlines, previously undiscovered, between Myriam, Hendon, and Linz, which they only became aware of as they all gained a skill from the Berghein stones. Only those of the D’Anjue bloodline were blessed with this. These stones also allowed them to visualize each other’s surroundings, even when they were hundreds of miles away from each other. A basic means of communication, but nonetheless, it had proved a useful one.
Hendon had arrived the day before and now sat with the Queen and Ganry in the garden, enjoying a light meal while they awaited for the arrival of Artas. He could soon be seen arriving with a unit of soldiers who made their way towards the stables. Artas saluted to the Queen, and Myriam waved him over, eager to get the meeting started.
Artas joined them at the table, and the discussion began in earnest.
“Hendon was telling us about his new staff,” Myriam said, for the benefit of the new arrival. Turning to Hendon she continued, “You say it has a spirit of the dead within?”
“Upon my return, I found the staff at my home in the forest, so I began to carve it to make it more personal to my needs. As I was finishing, the staff told me that it was glad I’d finally stopped hacking away at it. At first I did not know who spoke to me, in my mind. It wasn’t until the staff floated in the air and knocked me on the head, that I realized it is alive. I’ve yet to work out who it is, but I suspect it is the soul of Barnarby of Bravewood. I do not think we have seen the last of him,” Hendon told her.
“Oh, I do hope so, Hendon.” The thought of Barnaby brought a tear to her eyes. He had hardly known her, yet had given his life to help her escape those wretched soldiers that her uncle had used to hunt her down. “He was an odd character, and I would love to thank him for all the help he gave to my cause.”
Myriam was pleased to learn that Hendon’s special skills were improving. She had been aware that he could communicate with animals, but now he was able to communicate with the trees and the winds and all manner of things.
“You remember Barnaby, whom we thought a wizard?” Myriam said to Ganry, who looked on, skeptical, at Hendon’s tale.
“I still maintain that there is no such thing as magic,” Ganry retorted, knowing full well he had witnessed so many unexplained events during the coup.
“Yes, yes, we know how you feel, Ganry, but Hendon believes that Barnaby has put his soul into this staff. Does that not convince you that there is indeed some elements of magic to the world?” Myriam said, determined that she would get Ganry to come to terms with, what to her, was so very obvious.
“All it convinces me of is that the young master Hendon is a little too familiar with the local hooch.”
That brought a smile to everyone’s lips, even Hendon’s.
“Shall we take this meeting inside? It is after all meant to be a secret gathering,” Ganry suggested.
“Only what we are discussing is secret,” Myriam said. “If we hide away then suspicions will arise. I thought if I meet with my friends out in the open, no one will suspect a thing. Clever, don’t you think?”
“Yes,” Ganry said. “I am pleased to see you starting to think like a Queen at last.”
Myriam gave him a look of annoyance, even though she knew his words to be true. It was difficult for her, adapting so quickly, but she knew she had to, and Ganry’s advice was always given out of love and respect.
“Thank you Ganry,” she smiled at him. “It is hard going from a mere princess to bossy Queen. Artas,” she said, attempting to change the course of the subject, “update us on the search for the Duchess.”
“No news, I’m afraid,” Artas informed them. “My men have searched everywhere and questioned many, yet still the Duchess’s whereabouts remain a mystery.”
To any casual onlookers, the group would appear to be nothing more than a group of friends enjoying their reunion. No one could have guessed that they were discussing a quest for the Queen. And a dangerous one at that.
Though Ganry would have liked to have her stay at the castle, Myriam insisted that she go and find her grandmother. It was the least she could do for all the Duchess had done for her, including losing her castle and risking her life. Ganry could find no argument with this, even though he tried to convince her otherwise. She was as stubborn as always.
3
Linz was suffering much the same treatment as Myriam. When his uncle had been killed by the lizard man, he had become Chief of his people, the Lake tribes. No amount of preparation was enough for the huge responsibility and the expectations of this role, even though he had been in training for most of his life.
There seemed to be a never ending amount of disputes amongst the people that he was expected to resolve. The list of tasks for the Chief was endless. He never realized that his uncle had so many responsibilities. The most difficult ones at the moment were the funerals and burials of the brave soldiers they had lost, in the recent battle of the coup at Castle Villeroy.
He had wanted to help Myriam gain back her rightful place on the throne, in the Kingdom of Palara. Historically, his people were always a part of the Kingdom, but his predecessors, including his uncle Chief Clay, had chosen to keep the Lake People hidden from the other races of this land.
Now they were discovered, but with the Queen’s help, they could at long last have rights to the land they had chosen to settle in. They lived deep in the forest of Cefinon, where few from the kingdom ever ventured.
The city of Halawa, with its wooden houses on stilts, was now officially on the map. It was the new Chief’s hopes that trade would bring a little more wealth to his people. Though Chief Linz is young for such responsibilities, he has good advisors, including hand-picked ones sent by the Queen from Castle Villeroy.
He knew his friends were meeting with the Queen, but he had decided not to become involved in the search for the Duchess as he needed to be here for his people. Many had suffered losses in a battle that he had supported. Now, he believed, it would be wrong for him to desert them in this, no matter how much he wanted to go.
He had discussed this at length with his mother, Lisl, who was his most valued and closest advisor. She argued that now would not be a good time to be absent, and he reluctantly agreed with her. His uncle had relied on his mother’s wisdom in difficult and challenging times, and so would he.
He had moved into the Chief’s hut, and his mother had moved in with him. He felt better being surrounded by those who he trusted and could rely upon. Good advisors would help and guide him as he tried to improve the lives of his subjects. They were a simple people, not needing the comforts of luxury, but he wanted to bring education to them and access to travel so they could better understand the world around them. A world that, for most of them until recently, was a mystery.
Myriam had given him books to read, and although his reading skills were basic, he was improving every day. Blowing out the candle as he finished reading of the Holy War, which had involved his ancestors in the D’Anjue bloodline, he sighed at the coming night.
Sleep had been hard to obtain with all his new worries, and many a night he would toss and turn while his mind was filled with the responsibilities of leadership. At fourteen years old, he did not feel ready to take a wife, but he looked forward to the day when he could share his worries with someone he loved.
Before he could sleep, he thought of the monk, Ghaffar, who had lived in the temple on the lake. He wondered at his whereabouts, because he was the last one to be seen with the Duchess D’Anjue. His people watched the temple, but there were no signs of Ghaffar’s return.
Setting his thoughts aside, he closed his eyes to invite sleep, and soon his world was relaxed and he slipped into a light slumber. But not for long. One of the reasons for his restless nights were the dreams, vivid and real.
Tonight, he was stood on a battlefield, surrounded by the dead. Before him was a lizard man, readying his spear to strike him down. He noticed the beast held a human head in its claws. Its scaly fingers
entwined with long brown hair. Was it one of his own tribe, as the males all have long hair? It was hard to tell as the hair fell in such a way to obscure the face. The lizard man raised his macabre trophy and the hair fell from the visage, revealing the features of the Duchess, eyes open and staring right at him, accusingly.
“No!” Chief Linz yelled out, suddenly sitting upright. He felt disoriented, but in a few moments he realized he had been dreaming again. Yet, it did not feel like a dream. It felt so real that his body was soaked in sweat and the adrenaline coursed through his veins.
Getting up to take some air, he went out onto the wooden porch that surrounded his hut, beneath which was the lake. The water was rippling even though there was no breeze. Curious as to what was causing the water’s movement, he went to the rail and peered into the murky depths. It took a while before his eyes adjusted, but when they did, he saw that there were at least a hundred water lizards gathered around his hut.
Linz felt a cold shudder run through him. The water lizards had never behaved this way before. This could only be a foretelling of things to come. Desperate for an answer to this puzzle, he ran straight to his mother’s room, shaking her awake and telling her of his dream and the phenomenon in the lake.
“It is a message from the lizard people,” she said, feeling an urgency. “They are calling you, Linz. They want to guide you to their home, but I know not why. My son, I do not think it will be safe. It is trickery, please don’t go,” his mother pleaded with him.
“I have to go see Myriam, mother, it is something to do with the Duchess and I must tell her. Do not forget, our ancestors are one and the same and we share their bloodline. We cannot turn our heads to our own.”
“What will you do, my son? We have lost so many of our people to the Queen’s cause, do we really want to go to battle so soon?”
His mother spoke wise words, but he could not turn his back on the Duchess. She had helped Myriam’s cause and she was clearly in danger.
“Tomorrow, I will travel to see the forest dweller, Hendon. Together we can contact the Queen and I will tell her of my fears. Go to your bed, mother, you will stand in my stead whilst I am gone. I can’t help but feel that our people are involved in the Duchess’s life. I bid you a good night’s sleep for what is remaining of the darkness. Soon I will pack and will be gone before you awaken.”
She hugged her son. Always, she trusted his judgment, just as he trusted her wise words. He had been trained all his life by her brother, Chief Clay. He would make the right choices for his people.
4
Linz took one other person with him as it is not wise to be alone in these forests, even though he had lived here all his life. All manner of dangers lurk in the shadows. If one is injured, then the other can seek help. If both are injured then all they can do is pray.
Wyatt was a brave warrior, tall and strong, and he seemed always to be stuck by Linz’s side. He must have taken it upon himself to guard the new Chief, or his uncle had allocated him the chore before this death. Whatever the reason, Linz liked Wyatt and trusted him to accompany him on this mission.
Soon they were passing the large summer house that belonged to the Stapleton family, on the edge of forest Cefinon, but this time he did approach it. When they had stopped here before, the foreman had not been too friendly.
Their trail then takes them back into the depths of the forest and across a creek. Linz remembered this was the stone bridge where they had first come across Hendon, the strange forest dweller who can talk with nature.
It was not until later that they discovered they were all related via the D’Anjue bloodline, and that was Hendon’s special skill bestowed upon him by the stones of Berghein. Linz’s skill was more subtle, never realizing he had it for most of his life as it seemed so natural. He could sense how to find things or trails that were important, so he knew he would be needed on the quest to search for the Duchess.
His duties to his people would have to wait. His mother, trusted and admired by the Lake people, would rule well in his absence. Hopefully, the quest would be a short one and he could return to resume his duties. The Lake people were learning the history of their ancestral link to the D’Anjue family. Blood ties are always important to his tribe, so he felt certain they would approve of his mission.
A few hours later, they arrived at the log house that was Hendon’s home but there were no signs of anyone there. The door was not locked and the insides looked undisturbed. The bed had not been slept in for a while.
“Maybe he goes to see new Queen,” Wyatt suggested.
“That’s exactly what I was thinking, Wyatt, and if two of us think this, I believe it must be so. We will sleep here tonight and rest the horses.” He was certain that Hendon would not deny them the shelter of his home. “First thing in the morning we will depart for Castle Villeroy. I must relay my news to the Queen before she organizes a wider search for the Duchess.”
***
Hendon sat in his room. He always missed the forest whenever he had to leave his home. The castle gardens were pretty enough, but they did not compare with the tall trees and the wild animals of his home in the Cefinon forest.
He picked up his staff, turning it in his hands, feeling the rough wood under his fingertips. He was faced with a sudden vision of riding his horse, Bartok, out in the hills. This pleased him because he thought his horse magnificent, yet why had Bartok suddenly come into his mind? Hendon believed there was a reason for everything, nothing was coincidence. No one can change the call of nature or of events that happen in one’s life. Each individual plays their part in the game of life and hopes that at the end of their journey, all will be well.
An old man’s gravelly voice came into his head. “Well, go on then. How many times do I have to tell you?” the voice commanded of him.
“Tell me what?” Hendon said aloud. “Who are you and where are you hiding?” His eyes scanned the room for the person whom the voice belonged.
“Do you have to shout?” the voice cried back, inside of his head.
Hendon put his hands to his ears as the unknown voice echoed around in his head.
“Use your mind, boy, don’t yell at me with your mouth,” the voice instructed.
“You mean you really are in my head?” Hendon asked, through his thoughts and not his mouth.
“That’s much better. You take an awful long time to grasp things. I can see I will have my work cut out, training you.”
“I don’t even know who you are?” Hendon said, in his mind.
“Now listen, very carefully, I’m only going to explain this but once to you. Do you hear me, boy?”
Hendon did not reply. He smiled to himself. He had a good idea who he was having a conversation with, in his head.
“You will take me with you wherever you go. I am to be treated like one of your limbs, and also with the utmost of kindness, so no more polishing, it tickles,” the gravelly voice said.
“I know exactly who you are,” Hendon said. “I think you’ve turned into a miserable old man in the spirit world, Barnaby, as you sound very grumpy in death.”
“Hmmph, that’s as may be, but don’t you be getting above your station. This is the only way I can help, now that my body has passed away. I didn’t like the thing anyway, it was full of aches and pains,” the voice said, not denying it was Barnaby.
“To what purpose would you wish to linger on in this world, Barnaby?”
“Until the balance is set again. Now then listen, you must go to the lizard people for two reasons. First, you can rescue the Duchess, whom I happen to have a great fondness for. Then you can set to rights what needs to be done. Now go off and tell the Queen. I need to rest now. I can’t communicate with you for long. Off you go, boy.”
With that he was gone, and Hendon was once again left in peace.
5
There was a commotion outside of Hendon’s rooms, which overlooked the stable’s courtyard. Crossing the room to peer out of the window, he saw
that Linz had arrived with one of his tribesmen. He knew that the Queen had not sent for him. She had said she felt he had enough responsibilities with his new role as Chief. So it was a mystery as to why he was here.
He had always liked Linz, strong and determined despite his young years, he instantly felt better knowing he was here. With his exceptional skills at tracking, he would be useful in their quest. Especially now they had a destination. Picking up his staff, he went to greet the new arrival. As Hendon arrived in the courtyard, Linz was still in the stable mounted on his horse, as was his companion.
“Ah, Linz, good to see you, my friend. You have arrived at a good time. You must have known that we needed you,” he said as he approached the young Lake chief who was now dismounting from his horse.
“Hendon,” Linz smiled at the approaching forest dweller. Their hands clasped together in a friendly greeting. “I have news for the Queen,” he told him.
“I will come to see her with you, as I too have news to convey,” he said, dropping his voice to almost a whisper and staring at Linz’s companion who stood close by.
“This is my faithful guard, Wyatt,” Linz introduced his riding partner. “He is also my teacher for I have much to learn in combat. You can trust him. I do, with my life.”
Hendon felt satisfied at this and continued his conversation. “We must go on a journey to the lizard people. Who is better to negotiate with them than the Chief of the Lake people. Indeed, you must have sensed that we needed you.”
Linz was momentarily stunned by Hendon’s words. It seemed the dream was an omen after all. He stepped closer to his friend and recounted his nightmare to him.
“I had a terrible vision one night.” Linz was now also whispering. “I knew it was more than a normal dream. The lizard people had murdered the Duchess. I feel the dream was an omen, and I agree that we need to go on a journey and speak to these people. I do believe that is where the monk Ghaffar has taken her, but I don’t know why.”
