Wings of Light Special Edition

by Lloyd Baron

  The room falls into a silence so thick that it is oppressive and makes Darwin’t fidget some more. To settle himself he turns his attention to his friends. Canace dabs a hanky at the cut on her cheek and grimaces when she realizes it is still oozing blood. Her eyes meet his, and she smiles. At that moment his heart fills with the love he has for her and he wants nothing more than to take her in his arms and smother her with his body. How could he ever have any doubts that she was the one for him! He had thought of her as a chain around his leg holding him back from a life of fun and adventure but he now knows the opposite is true. He does not want a life outside of Hillsbough, away from the farms and his aunt. He fought so hard not to learn the skill of weaving in a selfish bid to secure a life away from Gressgs. How could he have been so blind! How could he not see the love behind the eyes of his childhood friend and the longing in his own heart!

  She lets her smile fade slowly and sits back in her armchair to resume her dabbing. Darwin’t smiles too slowly for her to catch it, but it is not lost completely. Danlynn grins back at him sheepishly as he realizes he has intruded upon Darwin’t’s thoughts. He leans forwards and whispers that Canace will be fine and that the cut is more of a scratch and will heal without leaving a scar.

  His friend settles back and begins to hum to himself, which earns him a glare from the big man in the corner. He stops humming.

  Riochald stands and strides across the room. She places her hands on her hips and stops inches from the man. “I am shocked by this treatment of such important guests. We have been traveling for weeks before being locked in the cells. My friend is bleeding and she has not been seen to, and you dare cast glares over us each time we make a sound or move an inch. I for one am sick of it!”

  Without a word the man grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her backwards until the backs of her legs hit the chair and she falls into it. A strange grimace passes across his features and he mutters an apology, which only earns him a grunt.

  “Fia,” Gareth Zian barks from the side of the room. “move away from her and take a seat. Her Majesty will be here any moment and all will be revealed.” He keeps his face neutral but his eyes burn with anger. The big man, Fia, stalks away and drops his huge frame onto a stool. He looks comical perched like a child in a sulk. He glances at Riochald and even though she is not looking in his direction he smiles knowingly. If Darwin’t did not know better he would swear the man knew her.

  Derry’n has been silent since arriving in this room but his eyes have been searching every corner for something. He flicks his eyes up from the floor and catches Darwin’t staring at him. He looks away embarrassed but his eyes continue to roam. Darwin’t wonders what he could be looking for when a kitten pops its head from Canace’s apron pocket. Derry’n beams when he sees it and for a moment it seems that the cat returns the feeling. With a fluid motion the grey kitten leaps from the pocket, springs across Tarfleam’s lap causing him to scream and scurries up Derry’n’s arm to perch upon his shoulder.

  Realizing that the entire room is looking at him the big man just strokes the cat and mutters plainly. “This is Kloek. He’s my cat.” He smiles at something and then falls silent. Before anyone can ask him where he got the cat and what it was doing in Canace’s pocket, the door at the side of the room opens and the Queen glides in. A picture of regal beauty in a flowing pale green gown with pearls in her hair. She shares a smile with Canace and Gareth and nods respectfully towards Fia who does not stand at her arrival. Everyone else jumps to attention and waits for her to settle into her chair. She waves them to sit but they all remain standing until Gareth Zian gives them the nod.

  Riochald remains standing and fixes her eyes into the Queen’s. She tries to look calm but her hands grip the sides of her skirt. The Queen does not speak but waits for whatever is bothering the girl. Riochald begins. “Your majesty. We come from Gressgs in the farmers’ hills of Hillsbough. I am Riochald Haldana, the village herbalist and healer. These are my companions.” She indicates the others.

  Darwin’t notices her lack of the term “friend” and feels his temper flare. She is acting like she is the boss of them and somehow better. He should not be surprised by her actions, but he had thought she would be changed by their travels and time in the cells, as he had done.

  Riochald introduces them in the order in which they sit. “At the end is Darwin’t Utsa, a training weaver. Danlynn Lucius a farm hand. Canace Al’drea, you have met. Tarfleam Midigon.” She gives no further explanation of the skinny man and he glares daggers at Riochald’s back. “Derry’n Pyrena, an outsider but raised within the village as one of our own, he is an apprentice blacksmith.” She frowns slightly then adds. “The cat is called Kloek and belongs to Derry’n.”

  The Queen unconsciously rubs at her legs and smiles at her own thoughts. Derry’n also smiles, but his is uncomfortable and forced. He strokes the cat who purrs happily.

  Riochald sits and folds her hands in her lap. She looks at the Queen in defiance.

  The Queen however nods her head in respect and sits forwards in her chair. She glances at Gareth who steps up and hands her a parchment. She reads it and happy with its contents folds it and hands it back to her bodyguard. “I regret the way in which you were welcomed to the city and to the Palace. I can only apologize for this treatment. My only way to justify my actions is that I am an over-protective mother, and a Queen protecting her blood line.

  “You are here because you believe yourselves to be the ones from the Prophecy. Canace has described to me your journey from Hillsbough, but I fear she dulled it down for my benefit when she should have been speaking freely. I would like to have all the facts. I need to know everything you have seen and everything that you believe.” She looks among their faces and settles on Riochald. “Who will speak?”

  To Darwin’t’s surprise, she glances at him and stutters his name.

  “Stand Darwin’t Utsa and tell me your story.”

  With his stomach burning from his nervous fear and his heart thumping the inside of his ribcage, he manages to stand and address the Queen. For the next hour he tells her everything. His nerves fade somewhat and so do that of the others. Now and then Danlynn mutters a rude or comical remark which makes the Queen blush or laugh, Canace nods when her part is recalled and begins a soft weeping when Riochald is asked to speak of Tye. Derry’n fills them in about Kloek and his ability to talk to the cat which he proves by making the animal leap down and bow to the Queen which had made her laugh with delight. Tarfleam had muttered something but his voice was drowned out by Riochald who began talking over him.

  At the end of the hour and the story Darwin’t sits and glances at his friends. Riochald nods at him and Canace beams. He returns the smile but ignores Riochald completely. He regards the Queen who now sits contemplating.

  “What you have spoken of fills my heart with the most horrific dread. I believe you, and that is what I am afraid of. For this means that the Prophecy has begun. You know some of the Prophecy as it is taught to everyone in school. However,” she folds her hands nervously in her lap and casts a glance towards Gareth, “what you know of the Prophecy is only a basic outline, more a childish tale than fact. I will tell what I know and what my role is as Queen to the Last Princess of Atlantia.” Her voice breaks and she covers her mouth to stop a sob. Canace is out of her armchair and at the feet of the Queen so fast that Fia jumps to his feet and begins to rush forwards. He only stops when Riochald stands in his way and when he sees the girl has taken the Queen’s hand and whispers softly to her.

  “The Prophecy was written over four thousand suns ago. We know not who by and for what purpose. It is a story that has been passed down over the suns and has become twisted in each telling. I have seen the book for myself. Seen the strange text inside which is so ancient that all have forgotten how to decipher it.

  “However, some of the oldest books in the Dark Clan library and within the Angel city, Gossa-Mesa, tell us of some of the words. The Book of Prophecy has be
en translated as best we can, and what it tells is how to stop the coming of darkness.”

  Darwin’t swallows. His name would be in that book. Written four thousand suns before his birth. The Queen stares at him as if she knows what he is thinking before continuing.

  “It does not tell us when, yet it does tell us that three kings will rise out of the darkness of war and bring the light with them. The kings, although we are not sure if ‘king’ is the right word. You see the translation is poor and ‘kings’ fits better than ‘three sovereigns’ which is as it is written. These kings will all be named under the same letter.”

  “The letter D,” Derry’n mutters.

  Narmada nods her head and continues. “With these three kings there will be others of power: a healer who has a dark gift; a child who can see and hear the dead and use them to empower her, with a mind so sharp as to be unseen, a girl who wishes she had wings; an assassin hidden behind beauty and the blind lover. There are others yet they are not named as such.”

  “I don’t understand,” Canace whispers. “The boys are neither kings nor any kind of ruler, and I for one know I do not possess a gift or any other thing from that list.”

  Narmada smiles and squeezes the girl’s hand. “These abilities may present themselves or they may be metaphors for personal qualities.” This seems to appease Canace and the girl rests her head on the arm of the chair. The Queen absently begins to stroke her hair, but her eyes search out his and he knows the lie in her words.

  “The book does not tell us how they will stop the darkness only that they will discover how and where to go. The Angels and Dark Clan have a greater knowledge of all this. My knowledge comes mainly from a single source,” she swallows and Darwin’t sees a nervous exchange between the Queen and Gareth.

  “What source?” Riochald asks sternly. “I think we have a right to know all the facts. Don’t you?”

  Narmada narrows her eyes, but does not direct the look at Riochald, keeping her emotions under more control than his companion. Her hands begin to shake, and to steady them she grips the arm of her chair with one and smoothes her gown over her knees with the other.

  Darwin’t frowns at the Queen’s reaction. Evidently there is something they do not know that she does not wish to tell them.

  The Queen calms herself by returning her attention to Canace’s hair. She thanks Canace, who smiles kindly but remains sitting upon the floor. The Queen begins again.

  “I have had two children, a son and a daughter, Narinda and Narsuci.” She shudders at the sound of her own voice speaking his name. “My son was spirited away while I was sick. It was a difficult birth and both I and the child were weak and ill. I never truly saw him. Only once during the fever, but I cannot remember his face. Narinda’s father told me he would have made a fine son and king, but I know he was only saying it to make me feel better. Gareth had already told me that the baby was fragile looking. Only three others know what happened to my child, Gareth Zian, Fia Sharphorn and Supreme Chancellor Zelosanther Bernhalt.” She pauses to let the revelation sink into the group and to take a shaky calming breath. Darwin’t is in shock. The birth of a royal child is always a public affair. He can remember even though he was only four suns old at the time a huge celebration for the birth of the Princess. If there had been a second child, surely the world would have known.

  Canace stares at a folded screen in the corner of the room. For a moment he is certain that he sees the screen move. It wobbles and then rights itself. There could be someone spying on them, hearing things the Queen doesn’t want heard. He opens his mouth to voice his concerns but catches the terrified look in Canace’s eyes. She shakes her head once and pleads with him with those frightened wide green pools.

  He frowns at her but keeps quiet. She knows who is behind the screen but doesn’t want them discovered. He respects her intelligence and knows she would not do anything stupid that could put them in danger. Besides, the screen has not moved again so it could have been his imagination and Canace’s reaction one not to reveal a spy but to not upset the Queen further.

  It is only then that he realizes the Queen is talking again and he has not been listening.

  “My son was only a few days old when he was taken. We all believed him to be dead. We told the nation that he was stillborn. Three suns later I had a baby girl. She was a beautiful and wonderful chubby thing.” The Queen smiles at this, and the tension in the room lightens slightly. “She was my only child and I had to concentrate on her. I knew the Prophecy and knew having one child; a girl meant that I was in danger of losing her as I lost the first. But I would also lose the Kingdom to the darkness, and that frightened me, yet nothing compared to losing my daughter.

  “When she was ten a man came to the castle. He was Dark Clan. He informed me that my first born child had been taken by the darkness to bring about the start of the Prophecy, part of a plan that has been taking form from before I was born. He could not tell me if the event had sparked the Prophecy to begin, but he knew it was likely that it had. In preparation for such he gave me these items and told me to keep them safe and to wait.” She nods towards Gareth, who removes a key from a chain around his neck, hurries over to a large cedar wood cabinet and puts his key in the lock. He does not turn it, but the lock opens with a fizz, and the cabinet door swings open. The man sighs loudly and turns back to face the room, his face full of relief.

  “Was not sure that would work so well,” he mutters to the room, but only the Queen smiles.

  “Magic lock,” she says to fill the others in, but does not elaborate on the statement. “Canace dear, you may return to your seat.” She pauses while Canace stands and curtseys.

  Darwin’t beams inside. His beautiful Canace is becoming so elegant and mature. She will make him a good bonded. He reaches out and takes her hand pulling her towards him. Danlynn shifts across to her seat and she lowers herself beside Darwin’t, their hands still locked together. She smiles back at him and in that moment he knows that they love each other, and that when this is over they will settle in the hills and make a home together. Everything he thought he didn’t want is in fact what he does, and he will fight to make sure they get their dream. She squeezes his hand softly and then settles back to watch the Queen.

  Gareth Zian hauls a huge sack from the cabinet and drags it over to the Queen. He returns to the cabinet and begins unhooking items hanging from the rail. He glances at Fia, and the silent man steps up and helps with the burdens. His wide shoulders block the sight of the cabinet; and therefore Darwin’t cannot see what they are removing. The Queen begins to speak again.

  “The Dark Clan visitor left these items and clothing in my care and informed me to give them to the chosen should they come in my lifetime and to pass the key on to my daughter should you fail to arrive.” She digs into the bag and removes two brightly colored green cloaks. Her brow wrinkles in thought as she stares at the garments. “‘These are for the girls,’ I think I recall him saying. Yes. He said the healer and her maiden should both wear the cloaks to mark their bond with each other and their station as healers.” She stands and holds out a cloak for each of the girls. Canace accepts hers with a wide smile, but Riochald just takes hers and sits down without a word or smile.

  The Queen returns to the sack. Next she removes a long green cloak which seems to shimmer in the light. Darwin’t cannot look directly at it as it makes his stomach spin. “This is for the Thief,” she says and turns back to the group swinging the sick-inducing garment as she does so. She is frowning again. “I do not know who to give this to yet.” Her eyes cast about her and then settle on Tarfleam. “You. You are the Thief, I believe.” She hands the cloak to Tarfleam who stares at it as if it is a snake about to bite him.

  Darwin’t frowns at the thought of Tarfleam being a thief. However, with his ability to sneak about and hide he would guess that Tarfleam would have stolen in his past. Tarfleam does not seem thrilled by his role himself and lets the cloak slip from his grasp and shimmer to
the floor.

  “This,” the Queen says and Darwin’t snaps his attention back to the monarch. “Is for the Beast Master.” She chuckles when the cat meows in an attempt to look menacing. “Not the beast I was waiting for, I can tell you. I always thought it would be a mighty dragon.”

  “Kloek says he can be a beast.” The big man smiles slowly and adds. “Or have you forgotten your legs?”

  The Queen bursts into a fit of laughter which catches amongst the others and they all share the joke, all but Tarfleam who just stares forwards. When she has composed herself she holds out her arm and Kloek jumps upon it and runs up to her shoulder where he perches and purrs happily. She strokes his head and retrieves the item she had pulled from the sack. It is a long square of dark green material folded in half to form a triangle. She hands it to Derry’n and smiles at his confused expression. “It is a head scarf or bandanna.” I’ll get someone to show you how to fix it.

  Derry’n nods and adds his thanks at the offer, but Kloek can tell him how to do it. At a silent command from Derry’n the cat leaps from the Queen’s shoulder to land in the big man’s lap.

  Darwin’t smiles inside at the cat but at the same time feels uncomfortable. Only a week ago this was a man he hardly knew and now he is a Beast Master? Not only that, Tarfleam is a Thief. What will he be labeled as?

  “Danlynn,” the Queen says, addressing the scruffy man. “You are then the Hunter. I was told you would have sharp eyes and see things others cannot. From your remarks during the telling of how you came to be here in my palace I can tell that you see and notice things that others do not. I was also told the Hunter uses magic to search out his prey and to make his arrows hit home.”

  Danlynn gapes at her. They had decided to leave out the part of the story where he had used magic to freeze the air and save Derry’n’s life. Now that she knows her duty is to make him a Mage and demand that he stay within the walls of the city. He stutters, but her smile stops the words in his throat, and he just watches her. Darwin’t notices Canace reach across and take his friends hand.