by S. W. Gunn
Viga knelt next to him and said, “Your Highness we must go.”
Daell nodded and rose to his feet. He was shocked to see those around him had wept as openly as he had. He felt that he needed to leave this city immediately so he walked to his hestir and mounted it.
Turning to look at Anderskoti, who also had tears in his eyes, Daell said to him, “Lord Anderskoti, let us set up camp at the same location as the evening before. I will be there awaiting the caravan. Ensure that all other leaders of Hellir are released and then call for a new election. New leadership must be in place. Set up a garrison matching the size of the one in Heimili with the same orders as there.”
Daell turned his hestir and rode away as quickly as he could. He rode his hestir out of the city and to the same spot that he awoke that morning. As he dismounted, he immediately fell to his knees. His actions had brought him a great sadness. He reached out with his palms and touched the ground beneath him. It pulsed vibrantly in response to his touch. Daell was relieved to find that Heima herself had not rejected him for his actions. With his eyes closed, he stayed there kneeling with the pulsing of the earth beneath him for some time. He was so intent on his meditation that he did not even care to notice when he was approached by Viga and Anderskoti.
He only opened his eyes when Viga knelt on one knee next to him and spoke, “Daell.”
Daell could see sadness written on Viga’s face.
“Are you well Daell?”
Daell shook his head and stated sadly, “No.”
As he removed his hands from the earth beneath him Anderskoti stepped forward and knelt down beside Viga, facing Daell.
Anderskoti said, “Daell you truly are a great King. No other King would show so much compassion as he executed an enemy of Heima.”
Daell shook his head and grimly replied, “It was not compassion, it was sadness. I am no great King, I am just a Jordling. It is not in my kind’s heart to perform the deed that I have just done. If anything, I am a bad Jordling.”
As he looked at the ground he stated with a heavy sigh, “No Jordling.”
It is what his father had said to him when Daell tried to show him his abilities in Anddyri. Viga and Anderskoti could not understand. They were meant for war. They were meant to swing their blades at their foes in combat.
Viga asked “What do you mean no Jordling?”
“It is what my father said to me when I tried to show him my abilities. He did not know it at the time, but he was saying what I was. I am no Jordling. I know not what I am, but no Jordling would do the things that I have done to other men.”
Viga reached out and placed his hand on Daell’s shoulder before softly saying, “Daell you had no choice.”
Tears again welled in Daell’s eyes as he looked up from the ground and into Viga’s eyes before saying, “I know.”
Pulling with his arm on Daell’s shoulder, Viga gave Daell a hug and then whispered, “Take heart my brother. You did what had to be done and brought Hellir back into Heima’s arms, as it should be. Soon we shall finish our tasking and you will return to Bygod, and your Queen.”
Viga released him and rose from his kneeling position before he announced, “For now your Highness, let us camp for the turn. It is closing on time for the evening meal and tomorrow we must begin the long ride to Kunnadi.”
Daell rose from his knees. Anderskoti followed his lead and stood himself. All three walked to the same spot that they awoke from in the morning. Anderskoti had a small table with three chairs brought out; it was set up with the evening meal. They ate in silence and after they ate Daell decided to pull out his bag to try to sleep for the night. His mind wandered to his wife. He simply had longed to be with her. Thinking of her reminded him of the Kostir. He was right in his assessment of himself at the Kostir when he said that he was no King, but he was wrong when he said he was just a Jordling. He was left to ponder what he was. Eventually he was able to capture sleep, although it came late in the evening.
Chapter 33
Astir struggled to sleep yet again. Her illness seemed to always strike at the strangest moments. She knew that it was just part of being with child, but she had already begun to wish she had kept her hands to herself those many times. Her mother guessed that she might have actually became with child as early as when her husband awoke from his injuries. She was finally able to sleep and the next morning she was awakened by a knock on her door. She grumbled to herself as she slowly rolled out of her bed. Her stomach roiled in anger over her rising from the bed and it let her know that the morning meal was not going to go well. She rung her bell and the door opened to several handmaidens entering with her mother followed behind them.
She said, “Your Majesty, the envoy from the Hyggja has arrived and they wish to speak with you as soon as it is convenient.”
“Very well, please have them meet me in the dining hall. Invite them to eat the morning meal with me.”
Her mother looked slightly concerned as she asked, “Are you sure it is wise to meet with them there? Perhaps somewhere with many guards?”
Astir understood. Her mother did not have the knowledge or trust in the Hyggja that she had gained from her meeting with them.
“Mother it is fine, the Hyggja are peaceful. The initial problems were all a misunderstanding. They see Daell as some sort of savior of their people and they see me as a future ruler who will unite all of them under my banner.”
“Very well Your Majesty, I shall go ask them to join you for the meal.”
She turned and left immediately. Astir closer her eyes as one of the handmaidens began to start with her application. She sighed. It was again another situation where her husband would have been a superior person to deal with what was happening but he had headed to Kunnadi and had probably already made camp several turns ago.
Astir entered the dining hall to a full table. All of her normal friends and family were there, also there was three Hyggja. Astir immediately recognized the elderly one that Daell called Viisaus. As soon as she came into view of the Hyggja they dropped to a knee.
Viisaus spoke, “Astir it is a true honor to be in your presence.”
“Rise and please take a seat Viisaus.”
The three Hyggja rose from their kneeling positions and moved to sit in the three chairs left for them. It was an unusual sight since they clearly were not used to sitting in chairs. Instead of sitting as her kind did, they rested their back legs on the chair and curled their tails around themselves. It actually looked like a much more comfortable way to sit. She slowly moved to her chair and lowered herself gently. Her stomach had slightly settled after she drank some water before leaving her quarters.
Astir looked to Viisaus and asked, “Are you going to be taking the position of ambassador here at the palace?”
“Initially I will. We do have a young Lisko named Nuori who is receiving training to take my place. We wish him to travel to each of your cities and learn of your people first. Once he has finished, he will receive final instructions from our leader before coming here. Astir I am quite impressed with this building. It is nothing like what we have within our Kyla.”
“We will gladly share with you how we make such buildings.”
Viisaus made an unusual sounding noise. She could not tell what it meant, but she felt like it might have been a chuckle or a laugh.
He said, “Indeed, our kind has already learned much just from your people who have come to build within our Kyla. The skill of your workers is a marvel unto itself.”
“Thank you.”
“Also I have some excellent news for you.”
She was curious so she asked, “What news is that?”
“We followed your wise advice and searched outside of the sands of our home and we have found almost all of our kin. We only have one lost Kyla to search for.”
She could not read his face whatsoever, but she was certain he was quite pleased.
“That is wonderful Viisaus.” She told him.
J
ordling servants entered the dining hall. They brought enough food for all of her guests. Once they finished placing the trays on the table she could see the Hyggja each smelling at the food as it was served to them.
Viisaus looked at her and stated, “An interesting selection of food, I anticipate the new experience. I was wondering where the Hyvantekija was, I had hoped to see him again.”
Astir frowned. No one had told Viisaus the current situation throughout Heima. She was unsure if she should tell him. At this point she felt that it might be wise not to mention the issue to him until she was sure he could be completely trusted.
She told him, “He is on a special tasking in the city of Kunnadi. I am hoping he will finish soon and return home.”
“We all have things we must do.”
“Please enjoy the meal we have provided. We did not know what sorts of things your people eat so we have provided a variety of items.”
He told her, “We usually eat flesh of animals we hunt raw, along with plants that we find. We can also make special drinks. We have brought some to share, however since you are bearing a young one, you should not drink them.”
Her husband had mentioned to her that they could make spirits. She rarely would partake of anything that could muddle her senses, usually only for special events.
“Perhaps Viisaus, once I give birth to my child I would like try one of your drinks.” She told him.
He nodded at her. The remainder of the meal was spent eating. None of the Hyggja utilized utensils. They simply picked items up with their clawed hands, and then smelled each item before consuming the ones they must have decided to try. Astir rose from her chair once everyone seemed to have finished eating.
She asked, “Viisaus would you like a tour of the palace?”
“Yes Astir, I would very much like to see your home.”
“I have several matters of importance that I must work on however I believe that my good friend Master Hollurn would be an excellent candidate to give you a proper tour of the palace.”
Hollurn rose from his seat and bowed before saying, “Your Majesty, I would be honored to provide a tour of the palace.”
Viisaus turned to Hollurn and Astir could see that he recognized him, which was exactly why Astir had chosen him. She knew that Hollurn was there when they first met Daell.
Viisaus said, “Yes, a friend of the Hyvantekija is a friend of the Lisko.”
Hollurn smiled at Viisaus.
Astir announced, “Viisaus if you would excuse me.”
Viisaus turned to her and nodded. Astir slowly exited the dining hall and headed to the throne room. She was thankful to note that her meal had made it to her stomach without fighting its way back out. Maybe she would keep this meal down this time. She made it safely to her throne without having any issues with her illness, which she was very happy about. As she sat down, her councilors entered the throne room. Once they all filed into the room, the doors closed behind them.
Astir turned to Ofriki and said, “What is the agenda for this morning?”
Ofriki nodded and pulled out some note before answering, “Your Majesty we have been sent several requests from Araedi.”
“And what was the message within these requests?”
“They wish to increase the occupation force within Hellir and then send a larger force to Kunnadi to assist the King.”
Astir nodded thoughtfully. She wondered how many men Araedi could possibly have to keep sending.
“What would the manpower strengths of Araedi be if we allowed these increases?” She asked Ofriki.
Ofriki turned to her father.
He saw her cue and anwered Astir’s question, “Your Majesty, the proposal is for an addition one hundred men in Hellir and then to send five hundred men to Kunnadi. That would leave about one hundred men in Araedi to perform the duties needed within the city, such as guarding the city and regular patrols in the Parrmarch.”
Astir became concerned by their proposal; it seemed to her as though one hundred men was not enough to ensure the safety of the city. What if the people who led Kunnadi decided to strike out against the Araedi? She decided to alter the proposal.
“I do not think leaving the city so poorly protected is a wise choice, perhaps we should alter our numbers elsewhere first?”
She saw her father thinking on the proposal.
“Your Majesty I have a suggestion.”
“I am always open to suggestions.”
“The King has dealt with Hellir and instead of increasing the numbers there, we could shift those extra one hundred men to Kunnadi along with only one hundred of the proposed number. That would give the King an extra two hundred men and maintain strengths within Hellir and Araedi.”
“I believe that is a much better proposal. Let us utilize that for now, we can adjust the numbers of the Aldarnari warriors as we need them. I am hoping that the King will resolve this issue for us without the loss of many lives.”
Her father nodded. An urgent knock echoed through the throne room. Someone was outside the throne room knocking on the doors. Astir nodded at her father, who walked to the door and opened it. A very tired looking Aldarnari man was standing at the door. His clothing appeared quite stained from excessive wear and he had a look of dismay on his face.
He bowed deeply and said, “Your Majesty I apologize for interrupting however I have dire news.”
Astir’s heart immediately dropped. She paused for a moment dreading the news the man might have.
Finally she spoke, “Tell me your news.”
The man took several steps until he was fully within the throne room before speaking, “Yes Your Majesty. I am the messenger from the war host that marched on Kunnadi. We arrived a few turns ago and set up camp outside the walls that had been constructed around the stable-town Stydja, through the Myrr and then around Kunnadi itself. The walls were studded with some type of weapon that could launch heavy arrows. We camped far enough to view the city but at a distance that we were certain these weapons could not reach. The King, along with Prince Vigamadir and Lord Anderskoti left immediately after our arrival. Unfortunately the Vindiri fired some sort of weapon that launched a massive boulder over the walls and at them.”
He paused as if unsure if he should continue but her father said, “Continue the story.”
The man looked grimly at her father and said, “Yes Lord Jofurr.”
She noticed that the entire time he was telling his story that he did not look her way, she found it very disconcerting.
He continued speaking, “As I was saying, they fired a weapon that launched a massive boulder at the King. Apparently the boulder landed directly on the King. Prince Vigamadir and Lord Anderskoti were somehow pushed away from the boulder as it approached them and both made it back to the camp.”
Astir felt her heart fill with the despair that she feared. Her husband was killed. Suddenly darkness overcame her and she fell from her throne onto the steps of the pedastal beneath the throne. The last thing she heard was her mother call out her name.
Chapter 34
Daell had not thought it was possible, but he found the trip from Hellir to Kunnadi much more painful than the first time he was on this leid. Listening to Hollurn and Skemmra babble on about aqueducts or some other tediuous aspect of city planning would have been more pleasant than his own thoughts this time around. He was quite miserable. Being away from his wife had drained him mentally and physically. It was surprising to discover just how much she had found her way into his heart. To top off the misery of loneliness was his own actions in Hellir. Perhaps to the Aldarnari, executing a traitor was not an issue, but to him it was against all his mother had taught him about treasuring life. He could imagine what her reaction would be if she had found out what he had done, he had no doubt that it would be shame. Daell sulked to himself as they went along. Both Viga and Anderskoti must have known as they did not speak a word the entire time they were with him. The travel time was a little over two turns before
Kunnadi came into view. Like Hellir, Kunnadi had a massive wall built around it. A wall that was not there the last time Daell was in the city. In this case the wall went from around Stydja, through the Myrr and then around Kunnadi itself. He could see some sort of mechanisms attached to the top of the wall, which he guessed that they were some type of artillery. Anderskoti called for the caravan to stop.
He turned to Daell and asked, “Are we planning the same approach?”
Daell nodded. It worked so well in Hellir that he saw no reason to change the plan. After all, if he could leave here with as limited a loss of life as possible he would not complain. Even if it meant he would have to repeat his own evil deed again. Daell sighed just thinking about it all. Anderskoti nodded at him and rode off towards the command carriage that was nearby. Once he returned the carriage rode off. Action immediately began around them as the Aldarnari began to set up an encampment. Daell had been impressed at the speed in which the Aldarnari moved to complete their tasks. It very much reminded him of his own people as they worked. Each race truly was special in a unique way. Daell hoped he would not experience the unique talents of the Vindiri or the Vatune on such a level, to be stuck in some meeting or education hall might drive him over the edge.
After the encampment had been set up Daell sat with his friends for the mid-turn meal. Very soon he would walk with them to the front gate of Kunnadi and demand they surrender. Daell sighed yet again. It seemed as though sighing sadly was an expression that he was doomed to repeat many times as he traveled through Heima for the second time. Daell sat down at the small table and ate his meal quickly. Hopefully he would be leaving Kunnadi soon to once again be with his wife.
After he finished eating he stood up and said to his friends, “Alright friends, let us head out. We have business to deal with in Kunnadi.”
