Prince of Malorn (Annals of Alasia Book 3)

by Annie Douglass Lima

  At last they reached the opposite bank, and Hungry whinnied in relief as they stepped onto solid ground once more. Thankful for a surface that didn’t sway underfoot, Ernth hurried up the shallow slope away from the water. At the top, he stopped and looked about. So this is Alasia. The land around him and to the east was mostly flat, full of gently rolling meadows. To the west, off to his left, hills rose, the close ones pretty low, but higher ones peeping out behind them. They were covered in dark forest; snow dusted the tops of the trees near the summit.

  He turned back to the river, where Korram and the others waited on the opposite side. There was no point in calling to them – they wouldn’t hear from so far away, especially over the water’s roar – but he waved an arm to let them know he and Hungry were all right and to beckon them over.

  It was going to take a long time for the whole army to get here. Ernth watched while Korram started across, followed by Sanjik and then Thel. The other soldiers and their horses made their way onto the bridge in a long line, leaving plenty of room between so they wouldn’t be too crowded.

  At this rate it would be past noon by the time they were all in Alasia. Ernth wished he could go hunting in the forest while he waited. But there were Alasian soldiers somewhere in there, and they might attack him before he could explain he wasn’t an enemy. So he pulled a handful of dried meat from his pack and sat down on the grass to wait.

  Korram, when he finally arrived, was worried and impatient. “This is already taking far too long,” he complained. “We’re going to be too late. We still have to get through the forest to the Alasian camp, and from what Dannel showed me on the map, it’s miles from the edge. The Alasians will be gone by the time we get there, and Rampus and his men are going to slaughter them all in Almar, and none of our plans will work.”

  “Maybe a few of us should go on ahead,” suggested Thel from behind him. “We don’t have to wait for everyone else. Sanjik and Ebbrem know the way to go, don’t they? You can tell them where you want the army to camp tonight, and we can meet them back there later after we’ve talked to the Alasian leaders.”

  Sanjik, when Korram called him over to explain this idea, was not enthusiastic. “The Alasians must have sentries out, Sire. If they haven’t spotted our army already, they will soon, and they’ll certainly see you when you get close. They’re likely to assume you’re on Rampus’s side and shoot first and ask questions later.”

  “Not if they don’t think of me as a threat,” Korram argued. “I could go with just my platoon, and we’ll leave our weapons behind when we enter the woods.”

  No weapons? That sounds even more dangerous, Ernth thought.

  “They may assume your platoon is an advance guard preparing to attack their base, Sire.” Sanjik was the only one here, besides Korram, Ernth, and Thel, who knew exactly what their plan was. But now that the time was approaching, he seemed to be having second thoughts too.

  “Then I’ll go alone,” Korram told him firmly. “One way or another, I’ve got to do this, and soon. If I wait for everyone to get across, it will be too late to warn the Alasians about Rampus’s ambush. We’re running behind schedule as it is.”

  “You can’t go alone, Sire.”

  “He won’t.” Ernth drew himself up importantly. “His bodyguard will go with him.” No matter the danger, he would be there to try to save Korram’s life. He had to.

  “I’ll come too,” announced Thel.

  Korram hesitated. “I’d like to have you with me, Thel, but I think Ernth’s right. It had better be just him and me. Two of us are more likely to escape notice until we get close, and they’re less likely to think we mean them harm. Besides, you’re a corporal, and our platoon needs you in charge.”

  She looked unhappy. “I don’t like you going off on your own, Korram. What if something happens to you?”

  “I’m not on my own. Ernth will be watching out for me,” Korram reminded her. He looked a little surprised when Thel threw her arms around him in a fierce hug.

  “You’d just better come back safely,” she ordered. She turned to Ernth with a threatening scowl. “If you come back without him, I’ll run you through with my spear.”

  “As if you could,” Ernth joked, but inwardly he resolved to go into hiding if anything happened to Korram. Quite apart from the shame of failing in his responsibility, a furious and heartbroken Thel would be a force to be reckoned with.

  Ernth and Korram unloaded their horses so they could travel fast and light, but at the last moment there was another delay when Korram suddenly remembered that they would need a white piece of cloth. “A white flag will be a signal that we’re there to talk, not fight,” he explained. “Does anyone have anything white that I could borrow?”

  Sanjik went to ask the soldiers who had crossed over so far, but nobody did.

  “I should have brought a towel or part of a bed sheet from the palace,” Korram grumbled, running a hand through his hair. “Why didn’t I think of that earlier?”

  “What about your snowcat jacket?” Thel suggested. “That’s white.”

  Korram hesitated. “That’s not really a piece of cloth. I suppose it could work, though. When we get into the forest I’ll have to tie the jacket to a branch. It will look a little odd, but as long as they recognize it as a white flag, I suppose that’s what matters.”

  Ernth chose his deerskin coat to wear, deciding to leave his own snowcat jacket and necklace behind with the rest of his belongings. If things went wrong, he didn’t want those Alasian Lowlanders stealing his most prized possessions.

  Hungry and Clinja carried the two friends toward the forest along a path that had obviously been trampled down by hundreds of horses. Every now and then Korram pulled out his map to make sure they were still going in the right direction. At last he stopped beside three large boulders that stood just to the right of the road.

  “Well, this must be our landmark. Dannel said if we turn here and head due west, we’ll ride right into the Alasians’ main camp.”

  Ernth peered at the forest to their left, its edge much closer now. “How will we keep track of directions once we get in among the trees? We won’t be able to see the sun much in there.”

  Korram frowned. “We’ll have to just do our best. Maybe one of us can climb a tree now and then for a better view. Of course, it will be dark in a few hours. Do you know how to tell directions by the stars?”

  “Of course,” Ernth told him scornfully. “You ought to know that.” It always felt good to remind the Prince of Malorn of ways in which Ernth was smarter than he was.

  They couldn’t find any convenient paths through the woods, and it wasn’t easy for the horses to make their way among the thick trees. Fortunately, the fact that it was winter meant that the ground was bare, so there wasn’t much underbrush. Still, Ernth and Korram kept having to duck low or turn this way and that to avoid being scraped off their horses’ backs by low branches.

  The first time he climbed a tree to check the sun and the position of the hills and river, Ernth was dismayed to discover that he and Korram had veered to the south. They adjusted their direction and tried to proceed in as straight a line as they could. But the next time he checked, Ernth saw that now they were straying to the north.

  “This is impossible,” Korram complained, adjusting his grip on the stick he had tied his jacket to. “It will take forever to get anywhere at this rate. I’ll bet we’ve only come a couple of miles.”

  The going only got harder when the sun went down. Ernth had hoped they would be able to look up and see the stars so he wouldn’t have to keep climbing trees. But although the night was cloudless, there were too many branches overhead to allow for a clear view from their horses’ backs.

  “I wonder how that Dannel fellow gets through here,” he muttered as they adjusted their direction yet again. “If he’s a good spy, surely he knows an easier way through the forest.”

  “There must be a path somewhere,” Korram agreed. “Maybe you were right th
at we should have brought him with us. But do you know what the best case scenario would be now?”

  Besides turning around and going home? “What?”

  “It would be if the Alasians saw us coming and stopped us. Their sentries would know the quickest ways to their camp.”

  “So we should be as loud as we can to make sure they’ll hear us coming,” Ernth suggested.

  “Yes, and when they stop us, don’t do or say anything threatening,” warned Korram. “I’ll tell them I want to talk to their general or the highest ranking officer they have left, and when they see we aren’t armed, hopefully they’ll be willing to lead us back to their camp.”

  “What if the officer doesn’t believe you?” Ernth demanded. “He might think you’re only pretending to be the Prince of Malorn, or that you’re really on Rampus’s side.”

  In the dimness ahead of him, he could barely see Korram nod. “I know; I’ve thought of that. But I’m wearing my ring with the Malornian royal seal on it.” He hesitated. “If I have to, I suppose I’ll give it to the general as a sort of deposit. He can keep it until after we’ve defeated Rampus.”

  For a long time they rode noisily through the forest, talking loudly about nothing in particular and purposely breaking branches as they passed. Korram seemed to be growing more and more worried about how long the trip was taking. Eventually they stopped in a moonlit clearing to give the horses a brief rest.

  “There’s no point in wearing them out completely before we get there,” Korram admitted, sliding off Clinja’s back and stretching. “They’ll still have to carry us back again later.”

  Not tonight, Ernth hoped. He was tired enough of travel already.

  A thin layer of snow covered the ground, he noticed when his feet touched the forest floor. They must have ridden further uphill than he had realized. Yawning, he peered up at the sky, a patch of which was clearly visible now, to check their direction again.

  At that moment both horses lifted their heads and pricked up their ears, staring into the darkness at the clearing’s edge. Ernth froze. Had they scented people? Or could there be wild animals around; wolves, perhaps? We should have brought our spears after all.

  Cautiously, Korram raised his white flag so anyone nearby would be sure to notice it. “Keep your hands in view so they’ll see you aren’t holding weapons,” he warned in a low voice. “They may have bows.”

  The horses seemed more curious than alarmed, so it couldn’t be a wolf. But Ernth stared in the direction of their gaze, wondering if someone was watching them.

  “Hello,” Korram called into the darkness. “We come in peace. We’re unarmed.”

  There was a pause, and then a stern voice replied, “Step forward away from your horses, and then stand still. Keep your hands where we can see them. We’ve got arrows aimed at both of you, so don’t try anything.”

  His heart pounding, Ernth followed Korram a few steps away from Hungry and Clinja. He didn’t mind fighting an enemy he could see, but there was something unnerving about being watched by an unknown number of invisible strangers who thought he was an enemy. If they really had arrows pointed at him, all it would take would be one slip of someone’s finger and he would fall dead just like Jenth.

  A Lowlander stepped out of the trees and started toward them in the moonlight. He was wearing a quiver of arrows across his back and had a bow hung over one shoulder. In his right hand he gripped a sword.

  “Who are you and what are you doing here?” he demanded roughly, probably trying to intimidate them. Ernth noticed that the sound of his words was a little different than the way Korram and other Malornians spoke.

  “Good evening, soldier,” Korram replied politely. “I would like to speak with your commanding officer, if I may. I have important information that could help him in his campaign against Regent Rampus and the Malornian army.”

  The man stopped several paces away from them. “From your accent, you sound Malornian yourself. How do I know you’re not a spy?”

  “My information will make it clear whose side I’m on.”

  The soldier seemed to consider this. “Who would I say wants to speak with the officer?”

  Korram drew himself up to his full height, which was always amusing to see since he wasn’t very tall even then. “My name is Korram, Prince of Malorn.”

  The man stared at him in the starlight. For a long moment none of them moved, but the man’s fingers had tightened on the hilt of his sword. Ernth tensed, wishing again that he had his spear. If the man tried to attack, how was he supposed to save Korram’s life without a weapon?

  “You’re lying,” the Alasian challenged, but from the sound of his voice, he didn’t really seem to think so.

  Korram shrugged. “Let your general decide that for himself.”

  The man was glaring at Korram with hatred in his eyes now. “You invaded our land! You murdered our king! We never did your people any harm, but you’ve destroyed Alasia. Anyone in the kingdom would kill you if they had the chance!”

  The stranger took a step forward, and so did Ernth. He wasn’t going to let this angry Lowlander get his hands on Korram without at least trying to save him. If I’m quick, maybe I can grab his sword before –

  But Korram put out a warning arm to stop him. “If your commanding officer decides I deserve death, so be it. But think of the possible consequences if you take it upon yourself to kill me before I can deliver my information.”

  The man hesitated, then glanced suspiciously around. “Do you have anyone else with you?”

  “It’s just the two of us. Feel free to search the area.”

  “We will.” The man glanced back into the trees where his companions must be waiting. In a moment Ernth could tell that at least two people were tramping around just outside the clearing, obviously checking to make sure Korram and Ernth didn’t have any friends hiding there.

  “I suppose it can’t hurt to let you speak with my captain,” the soldier admitted finally. “But we’re not bringing you into our camp. You’ll have to wait here.”

  Korram nodded. “Thank you; that will be fine.”

  “And we’ll have to search you for weapons, both of you. Take off your coats.”

  Ernth scowled at the Lowlander’s commanding tone, but Korram merely nodded again. “Of course.” He removed his and shook it out, then put his hands in the air and let the man feel in his pockets. Reluctantly, Ernth did the same, though he kept scowling fiercely and glaring at the Lowlander to let him know he wasn’t going to put up with any more than he had to.

  Finally the man stepped back, satisfied. “All right. I’ll go tell the captain about you and see if he wants to come talk to you or kill you or whatever. Stay right here in the open and don’t try anything, or my partners will shoot you both.”

  He backed out of the clearing. They heard a quick whispered conversation from behind a tree, and a moment later, the sound of a horse trotting away.

  “We should tie our horses,” Korram suggested quietly. “Just so they don’t wander into any trouble if anything happens.” Clinja shot him an irritated glance as he knotted one end of his belt loosely around her neck and the other around a low-hanging branch at the edge of the clearing. Hungry shook her mane in protest as Ernth did the same, and he stroked her nose apologetically. “Sorry, Hungry. It’s just for a little while.”

  Shivering, Ernth pulled his coat back on and leaned against his horse because it was warmer than sitting on the ground. Korram paced, occasionally running a hand through his hair and moving his lips as he planned out what he was going to say. Every now and then they heard a faint whisper or rustle that indicated there were still people keeping an eye on them.

  Once again, the horses were the first to notice the approach of strangers. When Ernth saw them both lift their heads and turn to stare into the darkness, he hurried over to stand by Korram the way a bodyguard should.

  Four men rode into the clearing: the original soldier and three others. They dismounted by th
e edge of the trees and strode forward, leading their horses by the bridles the way Lowlanders always did. One who seemed to be in charge strode up to Korram and Ernth and stared at them in the moonlight. “I hear you’ve asked to speak with an Alasian officer. I’m Captain Tarl.”

  “Good evening, Captain,” Korram replied, using that extra-polite voice he reserved for important conversations with Lowlanders. “I am Korram, Prince of Malorn.” He held out his hand to show the man the ring he wore, though it was barely visible in the starlight. “I’ve come to try to help your people. I have information that may enable you to win this war.”

  “Win this war … against you?” Captain Tarl stared at Korram suspiciously.

  “Against Regent Rampus. He’s a traitor to Malorn and intends harm to me as much as to your people.”

  The man stared into Korram’s eyes for a long moment as though trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Finally he nodded. “Very well, your Highness.”

  He turned to the first man. “General Dirken needs to hear this. Go quickly and call him from Camp One.”

  “Yes, sir.” The soldier lifted his arm in a respectful gesture that Ernth had learned was called a salute, then remounted his horse and rode out of the clearing. Captain Tarl turned and spoke more quietly to the other two soldiers, and one of them hurried after the first man. The second disappeared into the trees, where Ernth heard more whispers and then the sound of footsteps. “It will be a few moments, your Highness,” Captain Tarl said apologetically. “I’ve sent my men to fetch chairs and gather wood for a fire.”

  “Thank you, Captain. Though my message is urgent, I’m willing to wait if necessary.” Korram was still using that politely dignified I am the Prince of Malorn voice.

  Ernth used his boot to scrape the snow off of a patch of ground big enough to build a fire on. It wasn’t long before one of the soldiers returned with an armload of wood. The rest of them watched as the Lowlander knelt in the snow to arrange it, pulling out flint and steel to light the kindling. I could have done it quicker with my firestones, Ernth thought smugly as the man disappeared back into the trees to keep an eye on them from out of sight.