The Broken Kingdom

by Sarah Chapman

  Riley reached the open cave the Dragon usually laid in. ‘Hello!’ she called up to the creature sitting far above her.

  The Dragon’s long neck snaked down into the cave. hello, strange one. the news has spread far. Andalla is dead. the King has left his island, he has fled somewhere. when will you kill him?

  ‘Can you talk a bit quieter?’ Riley asked.

  is this better?

  ‘Thank you, yes. Not yet, it will take some time. Dragon, I may need your help when the time comes.’

  ask it.

  ‘I’m not sure exactly how I’ll do it yet, but I may need you and the other ehlkrid.’

  i can secure their cooperation but briefly. but if that is what you need, you will have it. the ehlkrid fear you now, and that sword.

  ‘Do they fear me enough not to attack me or my people?’

  i cannot say. but if any of yours wander away from you, they will surely attack.

  Riley nodded. ‘Alright, thank you, Dragon.’

  we will be waiting.

  Adila returned her to the campsite. Riley thanked her and immediately set out to perform an experiment. She gathered some of her people and asked them to stay outside, she with them.

  ‘What are you doing?’ Adila asked her.

  ‘I’m seeing if gemengs can stay outside the shield safely now. We don’t have many warriors for the number of people we have, and the shield won’t be large enough if Karesh finds as many people as he thinks he will.’

  ‘That’s unnecessary. The valkar can enlarge the shield.’

  ‘Maybe. But I’d prefer it if the valkar did not help me so much. If they do, it has to be a willing trade. I don’t want my people to start thinking they can demand whatever they want from the valkar.’

  Adila looked surprised. ‘You have been learning much from Aerlid.’

  Riley’s expression cooled somewhat at that.

  ‘I will make a… warning system then. So your warriors have enough time to respond if ehlkrid do attack. Though… while I am here, I would not expect the ehlkrid to attack.’

  ‘They’ve already tried coming in by the river once.’

  ‘Mmm… I was not here… I think Aerlid…’ she sighed, ‘Aerlid perhaps confuses them…’

  ‘A warning system would be useful.’ Riley said quickly, not wanting to talk about Aerlid any further. ‘What do you want in exchange?’

  ‘Consider it a gift, for killing Andalla.’

  Riley frowned.

  ‘You took a big risk that benefits the valkar greatly, it is more than enough for a little warning.’

  Riley nodded. ‘Alright. I’ll accept it. I do have another question though.’

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Well, it seems like it must be hard to be a judge, if you can’t judge any of your friends.’ It was a thought that had occurred to Riley after Adila’s frequent insistence that she could not judge Aerlid. She had briefly, and uncharitably, wondered if Rose had become the new Judgement Master because she, presumably, had few friends.

  ‘Ah,’ Adila’s eyes widened. ‘No, that is not quite… Aerlid is-was,’ a pained expression came to her eyes as she stumbled over her words, ‘he is very special to me.’

  Riley frowned. Adila waited expectantly.

  ‘You were good friends then?’ Riley finally asked, and couldn’t help feeling a little sad. She was not the only one who had been hurt by Aerlid’s actions.

  Adila laughed, amused, though her eyes were still pained. ‘That wasn’t what I meant, though we have never been anything but friends, it is… valkar live a long time, so I never thought there was any need to rush…’

  Riley frowned.

  ‘Oh dear, this reminds me of when you thought Rose just wanted to chat to Vann.’

  ‘What? Wait-!’

  ‘Oh, look, perhaps he can help.’ And Adila called Vann over.

  Immediately, after Adila repeated her words to him, Vann’s eyes widened.

  Adila smiled and said, ‘well, I think Vann can clear things up for you. Excuse me.’ And she departed.

  ‘Was she saying she liked Aerlid, like Rose liked you?’ Riley demanded.

  ‘I thought that was pretty clear. I’ll have to remember how slow you are with these things if…-’ Vann replied.

  ‘If what?’

  ‘Uh, nothing.’ Vann responded quickly and flashed her an easy smile. ‘Anyway, I think Adila cares for Aerlid much more than Rose ever cared for me.’

  ‘Oh.’ Riley’s face fell. ‘T-that’s so sad…’

  ‘Hmm?’

  Riley put a hand to her eyes, to shield her face, suddenly overcome with emotion. She had never considered Aerlid might have feelings like that, he was always just Aerlid. She couldn’t help thinking of all the time he might have spent with Adila, all the time Riley might have been able to get to know him better and been his friend, instead of sort-of child, now that she was older. So many things were never going to happen now.

  ‘Riley?’ Vann’s voice snapped her out her thoughts.

  Riley shook her head and sniffed. ‘I’m alright, I just-, no, I’m alright. Look, I need to keep a watch for any ehlkrid activity, I’m doing a bit of an experiment. Why don’t you go back inside the shield?’ she glanced quickly at the gemengs who were staying outside with her. Hopefully they had missed her brief lapse.

  Vann hesitated for a moment before nodding.

  Riley spent the day watching carefully for any ehlkrid activity. She had explained to her people what was happening; they knew Karesh and all of the warriors had left to search for other gemengs who had survived the ehlkrid. Riley worried for them, and for herself. She’d given them Adila’s knife, but she wondered if ten warriors would be enough to protect all those they were bringing. She wondered if her presence, and that of Adila, would be enough to protect the campsite. Riley was doing an awful lot of solo hunting these days.

  She stayed outside that night as well. The ehlkrid did not come near.

  Chapter 45

  ‘Vearla, I sense you are upset.’ Skachi, Speaker for the Master of the House of Corchanus, spoke.

  The valkar did not respond immediately. She was in her cave, as always. She sat, looking out over the mountain of Cavachi, her back to Skachi and her hands clasped tightly around her knees.

  ‘Upset? Why do you say so?’ she murmured, her voice less dreamy than usual.

  ‘Everyone who visits you says so, and I myself have seen a change in you lately.’ He was worried; she had been upset after the destruction of the mountain, but everyone thought she’d recovered.

  ‘Saris has not come to visit lately.’

  ‘No, it is difficult for the Astarians to come, the creatures you call ehlkrid make the route dangerous.’

  ‘Do you still speak with them?’

  ‘We have other means of contact.’

  ‘Such as?’

  Skachi was momentarily taken aback by Vearla’s uncharacteristic focus.

  ‘Radios. We speak by radio.’

  ‘So they still live.’

  ‘Yes, they are fine. How could they not be fine? The valkar shields cannot be broken by the ehlkrid.’

  ‘Yes, but I have sensed… the Ehlkrid King has been entering this world frequently… it pounds on my senses, I cannot make myself ignore it.’

  ‘The Ehlkrid King? Those creatures have a King?’

  ‘Yes, and he has been visiting this world often, it is troubling…’

  ‘Why, Vearla? Surely the shields-‘

  ‘No, Skachi, no. Valkar shields will not stop the Ehlkrid King, and they would not have stopped Andalla.’

  ‘What, are you sure? And what is this Andalla?’

  ‘A creature on par with the Ehlkrid King. Yes, I am sure.’ And she shuddered. ‘Very sure. He visits this world often, I fear what he may, why he is… if he comes here, Skachi…’

  ‘Could you fight him?’

  Vearla laughed a short, shaky laugh. ‘No! If I was in a mountain, I could escape from him, most likely… bu
t I could not fight him. I could not protect you and your people, Skachi. If he came here he would shatter our shield and… he would kill all of the Raka-’

  ‘Vachi.’ Skachi quietly corrected, but Vearla went on as if she hadn’t noticed, ‘You would all die, all die…’ she made a choking sound.

  ‘Vearla!’ Skachi cried in alarm, more at her distress than anything else, ‘please, do not fear for us, we are-’

  ‘No, you would die. All of you. Do not doubt me on this, Skachi, and do not argue with me. I do not have the heart for it. I fear… I fear what the future brings, and I cannot even guess now, it has all gone so differently than usual.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Skachi asked, his voice weak as he tried to process her words.

  ‘Andalla is dead. If the King killed him I fear there is no hope, no hope at all. But if someone else managed it… I can only hope they can… defeat the King as well, before he turns his attention to the Raka…’

  ‘If someone else managed it then surely-‘

  ‘It was most likely the King, or one of his kind.’ Vearla cut him off, her voice heavy with grief. ‘Which… does not really… Andalla would have probably killed you all eventually, even if the King did not, but if it was one of the King’s kind then Andalla’s death does not really help either… but what are the chances someone else killed him? And even if they did, if they do not… defeat… the King, Andalla’s death means nothing!’

  ‘Vearla-!’

  ‘I can only hope it was someone else, Skachi, and that they will hurry and defeat the King. Who knows when he will turn his attention here, or to some other settlement? I… I could not bear to see you all die, not again…’

  Chapter 46

  Vann walked over to Riley as she knelt by the river, scrubbing furiously at something. She stood. For a moment Vann’s eyes lingered on her waist, a strong urge to reach out and touch her overcame him.

  He shook his head and pushed it away. These thoughts were far too common. Vann was not a fool by any means. He was just as aware as everyone else that Riley was not ‘just a friend’. At least not to him. He wasn’t sure what she felt. And he couldn’t ask. He’d already done that to her, after the way he’d changed his mind he couldn’t just start making declarations again. No, if he was to do that he had to be completely sure that he would never, ever change his mind. But how were you supposed to be that sure? How could he know this feeling wouldn’t fade in a year or two?

  He was shaken from his reverie as Riley turned away, looking furious.

  ‘It won’t come off!’ she cried.

  ‘What won’t?’ he asked, as he noticed she was holding her sword in her hands.

  ‘Andalla’s blood!’ she waved the sword around in quite a threatening manner. Dark stains covered the blade of the sword.

  ‘Riley, you’re very scary when you’re doing that.’

  ‘Doing what?’ she asked, lowering the sword in confusion.

  ‘You’ve already broken my nose and given me a black eye, darling, I’d prefer it if you didn’t start trying to cut pieces off me too.’

  ‘I wouldn’t do that.’ she said far too calmly for Vann’s liking.

  Now that the sword was no longer waving around Vann scooted around and touched her shoulder, pushing her gently back towards the camp. ‘Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The ehlkrid probably find it more threatening that way.’

  Riley nodded irritably. ‘Yes, but it… it does not feel nice.’

  ‘I know. But maybe it’s for the best. Anyway, Karesh is back.’

  ‘Already?’ Riley asked narrowing her eyes. ‘I thought he had already gathered all that were close.’

  ‘I think he already knew where they were.’ Vann replied. ‘And had already convinced them to come with him.’

  ‘Yes, he must have. He was easier to deal with when he was terrified of me.’

  ‘He’s still terrified of you, and so am I, Riley the Very Fierce. Now come on, we have to get everyone organized.’

  ‘Vann, perhaps you should handle these ones by yourself.’

  ‘I don’t think I should do it alone.’ The gemengs were already treating him as somewhere above Karesh and below Riley, and now Riley introduced him to the newcomers in the same way as Karesh, as someone having position and authority within the tribe.

  Galis and Bulag’s child had been born a few weeks ago. Riley had been more aware of the tension building between Galis and Karesh than Vann had thought.

  Galis had recovered quickly from the pregnancy, and it appeared that Bulag was going to be mostly in charge of the children (a fact that confused Vann – surely newborns needed their mother?). As soon as Galis announced she was ready to take up the duties of a warrior again, her eyes fixed squarely on Karesh, Riley had immediately taken her aside.

  ‘Galis, I’ve been watching you.’

  Galis had tensed, and looked down on the smaller woman, ‘yes, my lord?’

  ‘You did an excellent job keeping my people together in the mountains, and you’ve proved yourself again reintegrating them with the tribe and training them.’

  ‘I am pleased you are pleased, Master.’

  ‘Indeed I am, and I have a special task for you, if you accept.’

  ‘If you wish it, I will do it.’

  ‘Well, it’s a lot of responsibility, Galis. I can handle the ehlkrid by myself, I don’t really need any help for that.’ Riley said, and waited for Galis to acknowledge her strength.

  Galis bowed her head. ‘Yes,’ she said, a hint of reluctance in her voice.

  ‘But training the children in the new ways, I can’t overstate the importance of that. And I simply don’t have the time to devote to that. I would like you to take over the job of training any new warriors, adult or child.’

  Galis paused, a curious look coming over her heavy face. ‘Training the warriors?’

  ‘Yes. You will report to me directly.’

  ‘You, not Karesh?’

  ‘Karesh isn’t here enough, I have him on other duties. He assists me with the entirety of the tribe, he has that rare mix of intelligence and strength that I need in the people I choose to help me. I need you to help with the trainee-warriors. With Karesh, Vann, and now you…’ Riley smiled. ‘I hope you can all work together well, I can’t have you undermining each other.’ She said warningly. ‘Otherwise that defeats the purpose of having you help me.’

  Galis turned that over slowly, ‘so, I will be responsible for training those who wish to be warriors?’

  Riley nodded.

  ‘Very well,’ Galis said seriously, ‘I will accept.’

  Afterwards, Vann had expressed his surprise at Riley’s decision.

  ‘Vann, I’ve noticed she doesn’t like taking orders from you or Karesh, but the thing is, she does. She is stronger than you Vann, and thinks she’s stronger than Karesh too. I can’t tell you how much of an improvement it is, that she obeys those weaker than her. And the children who were with her haven’t reverted. I’ve watched her while she’s been here, I’m satisfied with how she’s been training the children. If there’s a problem, I’ll remove her.’

  ‘She’s not really that good with me.’

  ‘Lately?’

  Vann didn’t say anything to that. Particularly since Riley had started introducing Vann to the newcomers as someone with authority in the tribe, Galis had rarely questioned Vann.

  ‘She’s ambitious, but that’s not something I can fault her for. She’ll be motivated to prove herself to me.’

  ‘Alright, you know the gemengs better than me.’ Vann relented.

  ‘You’re doing well with them,’ Riley said, her eyes sparkling, ‘you never show them fear.’

  So far, Riley hadn’t been proven wrong. Galis had thrown herself into her new duties with a vengeance, eager to prove herself to Riley. She still viewed herself as competing with Karesh for Riley’s favour. As long as they didn’t try and sabotage each other, the competition between Karesh and Galis didn’t worry Riley.
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br />   ‘So, will you meet the newcomers on your own?’ Riley said, breaking Vann out of his reverie.

  ‘I’m just helping you, Riley. You’re still the one who’s doing all this. You’re still the leader.’ he said.

  Riley thought about that for a while. ‘Alright. We’ll do it together.’

  There was a certain fragility to the newcomers. With only ten warriors, Karesh could only gather small groups at a time and safely escort them back to the campsite. But that way it was easier to incorporate the newcomers into the tribe. The newcomers were all the same; small, isolated bands of ragged, thin gemengs with haunted looks to their eyes. None of these gemengs were confident or brash, they were not like the now long-gone gemengs of the Plains. At best, a few of the leaders had a grim strength to them. But seeing the state of Riley’s own camp, they did not object to her leadership.

  When Riley met the first group of newcomers, she realized the coming of the ehlkrid had been harder than she’d thought.

  Slowly, the campsite grew and changed. Inside the shields, more tents were built and placed carefully so many more people could fit comfortably. The Suntree was still the centre. Riley herself always stayed outside the shield now, as did Vann and Aerlid. Those who could not fit inside the shield rotated with those who could, so everyone had the same amount of time sleeping in safety. Newcomers, and some of the original children, had been trained and claimed the status of warrior, signified by bands of woven grass as before. They were much easier to train than the original gemengs. Mostly, the newly minted warriors guarded the campsite. Occasionally, Riley also took them out hunting with her and gave them the chance to fight ehlkrid. She wanted to be sure they would be capable should the campsite be attacked.

  As before the collapse of the mountain, Riley began setting up a council responsible for deciding on the laws of the tribe. It was more informal than before, as her tribe kept growing and she didn’t want to exclude those who came late from participating. Eventually, she hoped they would make decisions and mete out punishment without her babying them.