Search for Audric

by Richard S. Tuttle

  The princess did not shy away from Prince Zinan's touch as his fingers gently swept her hair back over her ear. When she felt his fingers stiffen, her eyes clouded in confusion and eventually closed. The gown once again fell from her grasp to the floor.

  Princess Emilie opened her eyes and gazed around the room. There was no one present, and she shook her head in confusion. She saw a gown on the floor and picked it up, holding it away from her as if to imagine herself wearing it. She shook her head in displeasure and placed it back in the closet. Instead she chose a less formal dress, one that better suited her exciting mood.

  The princess hummed to herself as she got dressed and skipped out of her suite. She pranced down the stairs in such a jovial mood that the servants stopped and stared at her as she passed. Down the stairs and through the corridors of the castle she danced her way to the courtyard. The soldiers stopped and gazed at her beauty and her joyful spirit as she ran into the one of the seaside towers and raced to the top. Many of the soldiers were still watching as the princess stood on the crenel at the top of the tower with her arms outstretched as if to embrace some cosmic lover. They cried out in anguish as the princess stepped off the crenel and plummeted downward to smash upon the boulders at the base of the tower.

  * * *

  "Ah, here he is now," smiled King Quanto. "I thought he would be awake early to speak to you."

  "Prince Zinan," King Garrick nodded informally as Prince Zinan entered the dining room. "How nice of you to join us."

  "I am afraid it is not for pleasure that I have come, King Garrick," the dark prince responded. "There is a matter of urgency that we must speak about."

  "So I understand," sighed King Garrick. "You always seem to throw a damper on my happiest moments. Sit down and we will discuss this problem over the meal."

  Prince Zinan bowed slightly to both kings and sat next to the Borundan king.

  "I understand that this problem has to do with Arin?" asked King Garrick.

  "It does," confirmed the dark prince. "General Ortega is seeking permission to send the bulk of the army northward. As you had ordered that the army remain in Tarent, I did not feel comfortable altering your orders, but I do think the situation is grave enough to require your immediate attention."

  "What is Arin up to that alarms you and General Ortega so?" asked King Garrick.

  "They have amassed a considerable army along the Arin River," replied Prince Zinan. "All indications are that they will march eastward at any moment."

  "To invade Borunda?" balked King Garrick. "Surely, you cannot believe that they would be so foolish? Our armies would crush them."

  "Most of our armies are not in a position to halt their advance," Prince Zinan pointed out. "As I just said, the bulk of your armies are in Tarent with orders not to leave."

  "There is a reason for that," frowned the Borundan king, not wishing to speak of the reason publicly, but obviously referring to the holding of King Caedmon. "The army is needed there."

  "True," agreed Prince Zinan, "but I do think that the Arin threat should be taken seriously, given the circumstances."

  "We have already discussed this," the king sighed with frustration. "An attack on Koar would not be in their best interests. I do agree that they may be foolish enough to launch one, but they will seriously regret having done so. There would be ample time to react and send our armies northward."

  "I agree," countered the dark prince, "but there is a new wrinkle in our plan."

  "Oh?" frowned King Garrick. "What is it?"

  "Your presence in Capri," Prince Zinan replied. "One would expect the Arin army to ignore the Castle of Capri in their haste to attack Koar, but I have reports that they might know of your visit here."

  "Let them come," boasted King Quanto. "The whole Arin army cannot breach our walls."

  "With no disrespect, King Quanto," Prince Zinan smiled thinly, "the Castle of Capri cannot withstand siege engines, nor would it last long under a siege. While it is a formidable fortress, your supplies of food would dwindle in a fortnight. In the days of old, when wars were declared before attacking, your castle would have spent months stockpiling food and necessities. Things are not the same today. The Arin army could be here in three or four days. Their advance units could be approaching through the forests to the north at this very moment, and you would not know."

  "The Borundan armies could break the siege," retorted King Quanto.

  "Had they not been ordered to remain in Tarent," Price Zinan smiled with a victorious grin. "The only course of action that makes sense, is to get King Garrick safely within the confines of Borunda, and to do so immediately."

  "Out of the question," King Garrick replied. "I have come to seek the hand of Princess Emilie in marriage."

  "That is wonderful," smiled Prince Zinan. "Bring her with you to Tarent. In fact, we must invite King Quanto and everyone who would wish to observe the ceremony, but you still must return to Tarent immediately."

  "That would be acceptable," mused King Quanto. "While it is preferable to remain at the Castle of Capri, King Garrick's safety is a vital concern. I am sure the princess would enjoy the trip."

  Unexpectedly, a soldier raced into the dining room, his face distraught and his breath short from exertion.

  "What is it?" barked King Quanto, annoyed at the disruption.

  "The Princess Emilie," gasped the soldier. "She has had an accident."

  King Quanto and King Garrick leaped to their feet with concern. Prince Zinan rose slowly and turned to stare at the soldier.

  "What has happened to her?" asked King Garrick. "Where is she?"

  "She fell from the tower to the rocks," answered the soldier. "She is no more."

  King Garrick threw his napkin on the table and raced out of the room. King Quanto sat down and sank into his seat, his breathing quick and short as he tried to calm himself. His hands clenched into fists and nervously tapped on the table in a chaotic rhythm.

  "I am sorry," Prince Zinan said softly. "It is a great loss for Capri."

  "And Borunda," retorted the king. "Did you not just hear of King Garrick's intentions? Our nations were to be joined by that marriage. Now there is only Tamil."

  Prince Zinan's eyes narrowed as he stared at the Caprian king. He had no intention of letting Garrick marry Tamil, or anyone else, but especially not Tamil.

  "I would not be anxious to see you lose your last daughter," warned Prince Zinan. "It is said that there is a curse upon King Garrick and that he shall die unwed."

  "What?" gasped King Quanto. "What nonsense is this that you are spouting? King Garrick will have you hung for such words."

  "Only if someone is foolish enough to repeat them," Prince Zinan replied threateningly. "I can imagine that my cousin is quite bereaved at the moment. He is known to act quite irrationally at times like this. You would do well to avoid inflaming him. Besides, whom do you think my cousin would believe? Would he take the word of his closest advisor and relative, or the word of a neighboring monarch that seeks to enhance his own glory through the marriage of his daughters?"

  "That is a vile and disgusting threat," snarled King Quanto.

  "I meant my words as a warning to save your family," countered Prince Zinan. "That you would seek to betray my confidence is what is vile and disgusting. I did not believe the curse myself until this very moment. The events of this morning certainly caused me to reconsider it. Should I have kept it to myself, and let your family die as it might?"

  King Quanto calmed himself and stared at the dark prince. Slowly he shook his head and sighed.

  "Forgive me," he said softly. "I do not believe in such curses, but I see that you meant well enough. I will say nothing to King Garrick, but you should refrain from spreading such rumors in the future."

  "Spreading rumors is something I detest," Prince Zinan responded calmly, "but this particular curse involves me personally, for if it is true, the burden of ruling Borunda would fall upon my shoulders. If such were to happen, I would
like to think that Tamil would still be available."

  King Quanto's eyes widened in understanding. He had not missed the closeness of Prince Zinan and Princess Tamil. He began to weigh the benefits of matching her up with Garrick versus waiting for Zinan to rule.

  "If you will excuse me," smiled Prince Zinan. "I think I must attend to my cousin. I am sure he is in a weakened state after the tragic loss of Princess Emilie."

  Prince Zinan exited the room and made his way down to the beach. He found King Garrick standing at the base of the rocks as soldiers picked up the body of the princess and tried to move it down to the beach by passing it along a chain of soldiers straddling the boulders.

  "There is no need for you to stay and watch this," Prince Zinan said softly to his cousin. "I am sorry for your loss, but it is over now. Let us return to Tarent where you will be safe."

  King Garrick turned and glared at Prince Zinan. "If you had anything to do with this, I will make you pay dearly."

  "Dear cousin," the dark prince retorted defensively, "I was with you at the morning meal. I understand your anguish and the desire to lash out at everyone around you, but your accusation is horrendous. I will forgive you because you are dear to me, but I still insist that we depart immediately. Your safety is my primary concern."

  The soldiers stumbled and dropped the body of the princess. King Garrick gritted his teeth and averted his eyes. He promptly turned around.

  "Let us leave," he stated. "For once you are right. I have no desire to remain here and witness this. Gather the men. We leave at once."

  Chapter 36

  Nuts

  Monte rode far ahead as he had been doing for the past few days. His task was to search for Borundan patrols or bandit ambushes in time to alert the rest of the group. King Caedmon and Jared rode directly behind the wagon so that they could quickly swing to one side of the wagon or the other and keep it between them and any prying eyes. Jared also wore his hooded robe, and he kept the hood over his head as much to ward off the blustery autumn winds as to conceal his features. Gunnar and Sandar rode in front of the wagon, while Horst and Talot rode a ways behind the group, almost as if they were not part of the wagon and its warriors.

  "Company coming up behind us," Horst shouted.

  King Caedmon turned and looked back along the road. He saw a patrol of Borundan soldiers riding fast and knew that he and Jared could not ride off into the woods without being seen.

  "Keep your hood up," King Caedmon said softly to Jared. "Hopefully they will ride past as the others have."

  The Arin king had let his facial hair grow, but they had not been on the road long enough to hide his features. He had also changed his clothes to the standard tunic and breeches worn by typical merchant warriors, but he knew that would not save him from a close inspection. His age alone made him an unlikely warrior, although the king was more fit than most and would have had little trouble in a contest in Capri. Gunnar had brought a sword, bow, and numerous knives to equip his father so at least the king was not defenseless. Jared alone rode without a weapon, his sword hidden under the seat of the wagon. While he still took lessons with sword and bow each night, he refused to ride with either.

  The patrol consisted of twelve soldiers and an officer, and they appeared to be in a hurry. They raced by with only a passing glance, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, the officer called a halt, and the column slowed down and sat in the middle of the Tarent-Dulga Road. The officer turned and stared at the wagon. He shouted commands, but Kerzi and his warriors could not make out the words.

  "How do we handle this?" Sandar asked nervously as two archers flanked the officer and nocked arrows.

  "Very carefully," whispered Gunnar. "Make no sudden moves; those arrows are aimed at you and me."

  The rest of the soldiers left the officer and his two archers and rode back towards the wagon, one of them waving for the group to stop. Kerzi pulled up on the reins and the wagon slowed. Horst and Talot immediately moved to the left as if to pass the wagon, but the soldiers blocked the entire road and showed no inclination to move aside.

  "They are not buying the thought that we are separate travelers," whispered Talot. "What is the plan?"

  "We stop," answered Horst, "but we keep as far away from the wagon as possible. Keep up the pretense of being separate travelers until it no longer matters."

  The wagon came to a halt, as did the warriors. Two soldiers continued towards the wagon leaving eight soldiers blocking the road with the officer and archers far behind them.

  "What is your business on the Tarent-Dulga Road?" asked one of the soldiers.

  "I am a merchant," Kerzi answered loudly. "I am carrying nuts to Dulga. I have papers for the load."

  "And you need such a great host of warriors to protect nuts?" the soldier asked suspiciously.

  "Hardly," Kerzi replied. "Carrying nuts barely pays their wages. I require their services when I bring down loads of weapons and armor from Laborg to Tarent. They are a good crew, and I will not fire them in Tarent when I need them for the next load out of Laborg, and they will not ride for free. So I carry nuts to Dulga."

  The soldier nodded in understanding, and it appeared that his curiosity was satisfied, but the other soldier demanded to see the papers. Kerzi dug the papers out of his pouch and handed them to the soldier.

  "Would you also like to see the papers for my last delivery of weapons to Tarent?" asked Kerzi.

  "That will not be necessary," replied the first soldier. "Borunda is grateful for the weapons you bring in."

  The second soldier handed the papers back to Kerzi, and the two men turned to leave. As if an afterthought struck the second soldier, he turned back towards the wagon. The first soldier followed.

  "I will have a look at your cargo, merchant," declared the second soldier. "Come and open one of the sacks."

  Kerzi sighed heavily and nodded. He applied the brake to the wagon and climbed down off the seat. The two soldiers dismounted and followed the merchant.

  "Move away from the rear of the wagon," Kerzi shouted to his warriors as he walked slowly along the side of the wagon. "I need to open one of the sacks."

  Jared and King Caedmon moved off the road to get away from the soldiers while Kerzi climbed up on the back of the wagon and wrestled a heavy burlap sack to the edge. He pulled a knife from his belt and slit the sack partially open and let the soldiers examine the contents.

  "It is as he said," the first soldier remarked with impatience. "Let's continue the patrol. We have miles to go yet today."

  The second soldier grabbed a handful of nuts and nodded to Kerzi that he could put the sack away. The soldier bit into one of the nuts and promptly spit it out.

  "What are these foul things?" he said, wiping his mouth. "I have never tasted a nut so bitter."

  Without waiting for an answer, the soldier hurled the nuts away from the road. One of the nuts struck Jared's horse, and the horse screamed and pranced away, pushing against King Caedmon's horse. The movement jostled the king, and he took a few seconds to stabilize his mount. The soldier looked at the commotion and his mouth fell open. He drew his sword and raced at King Caedmon.

  "We found him!" shouted the soldier as he charged the Arin king.

  King Caedmon drew his sword and slapped his horse to charge at the soldier. As the second soldier moved past Kerzi, the merchant pulled a knife and shoved it into the man's back. The king rode down the other soldier and sliced into his neck.

  Everyone heard the cry of recognition, and the scene in front of the wagon turned to instant chaos. The four warriors drew their weapons and charged the eight soldiers blocking the road. Horst held a scimitar in each hand, and alongside him, Talot held his double-bladed axe. They tore into the leftmost soldiers with an unexpected fury that brought a quick death to four soldiers.

  Most of the attention had been on the wagon, and Gunnar and Sandar sat right in front of it. They did not have the advantage of being on the periphery as Horst
and Talot had. They charged the right most soldiers, but the soldiers were ready for them. Both of the Arin warriors wielded two-handed swords and their reach exceeded the weapons of the Borundans. Two of the soldiers quickly fell from their mounts with gaping wounds, but the battle was far from over. Distant bowstrings snapped, and an arrowed soared into Sandar's leg. Another arrow pierced his shoulder. The Arin soldier screamed in pain, and his sword fell from his hands.

  Sandar slumped in his saddle, and Gunnar found himself facing two foes. The soldiers moved to flank the Arin prince, but the one on his right faltered, a thrown knife sticking out of his neck. Gunnar brought his sword hard to the left and sliced into the last soldier. Even as his opponent was falling from his saddle, Gunnar's eyes rose towards the enemy archers. He saw the two archers face down on the road with arrows in their backs. The officer had turned towards Monte, but he soon thought twice about making a charge towards the archer. The Borundan turned and raced into the woods. Horst and Talot raced after the officer.

  "Help me with Sandar," ordered King Caedmon as he dismounted and held the Arin soldier's body on his horse.

  Gunnar dismounted and ran to his father's side. Together they eased Sandar off his horse and placed him gently on the road. The king knelt next to Sandar and examined his wounds.

  "This is not good," the king said. "Either of these wounds could be fatal without a healer, but both…"

  "Let me see him," Jared said softly.

  The king looked up in confusion, but Gunnar nodded vigorously, and the king moved out of the way. Gunnar walked to his father and led him away from Sandar.

  "Kerzi almost died from a beating in Capri," Gunnar told his father. "Somehow Jared healed him. I have never even seen a wisper work in such a way before. If anyone can save Sandar, Jared can."

  "Then I will leave him in Jared's hands," the king said as he bent down and retrieved his knife from the neck of the body before him. "We need to clean up this battlefield before someone comes along. Give me a hand."