Brianna was surprised to find that she had been moved out of the tiny cell down near the servant’s quarters and into the suite with her father. They both promptly went to bed, and it was the first time in many days that Brianna didn’t lie awake fretting about her feelings for Prince Willam. She had been wracked by guilt at first, but she couldn’t deny what she felt in her heart. Willam made her feel like a princess. He was constantly giving her little gifts and taking her for long rides around the countryside.
The impending war seemed farther and farther away. She asked fewer questions about the mobilization of the army and focused more on Prince Willam. He had been a perfect gentleman, although he made his feelings for her clear. She knew she would have to make a choice soon, and she was torn. She had never dreamed that she could have such strong feelings for two men at the same time. Zollin was clever, his power intoxicating, and their adventures had created a bond that was very strong, but he seemed so far away. Prince Willam, on the other hand, was heir to a great kingdom and he offered her the chance to be part of making Yelsia a greater kingdom. He could give her all the things she thought she always wanted as a girl growing up such as: position, acclaim, and riches beyond what she had ever imagined. Zollin offered adventure, Prince Willam stability. She had no idea what she was going to do. Of course, Prince Willam had offered her nothing so far; he had not proposed or even tried to kiss her. His sense of honor was such that he would never soil her good reputation with an illicit affair. If he seduced her now, he would force her to break her vow to Zollin, and Brianna knew he would never do that. Still, she couldn’t help but dream of what it would be like to be Queen of Yelsia, and for her children to be princes and princesses.
The next morning, breakfast was brought to their suite and Brianna rose early, but her father was already up. He was pacing in the main room of the suite. Brianna smiled as she thought of all the times she had seen her father pacing outside their modest home in Tranaugh Shire. It hadn’t been big enough to pace inside, but he always paced back and forth when he was struggling with difficult decisions.
“What’s wrong?” she asked him.
“Nothing is wrong,” he said kindly. “Everything is alright; it is better than alright.”
“So why are you pacing?”
“I’m trying to decide how to tell you something that is very important.”
“Just tell me,” Brianna said. “I’m a big girl, daddy. I can handle it.”
“I know you are. In fact, you’re not my little girl anymore. You’ve grown into a beautiful woman in your own right. I’m so very proud of you.”
“Thank you,” she said, blushing a little.
“I spoke to the King yesterday,” he said. “He asked me to make a match with you and Prince Willam.”
The statement hit Brianna like a physical blow. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Part of her was thrilled. She had known that Willam liked her, but she had used the fact that no proposal had been made to keep her feelings in check. Now, she knew exactly what the Prince’s intentions were; now there was no hiding from the choice she knew she would have to make. Another part of her was aghast. How could she turn down the Crown Prince of Yelsia? Yet, she was already promised to Zollin. She couldn’t turn her back on him; she knew that for certain. And still another part of her was angry that King Felix had summoned her father and tried to strike a deal to arrange a match behind her back. She was a grown woman, a fire spirit, a dragon rider. Yet, here was the king and her father planning her future as if she were still a child.
“And what did you tell him?” she asked, the trepidation in her voice leaching through.
“What do you think I told him? Of course I would give you my blessing to marry the Prince.”
“Did he ask for your blessing?” Brianna said.
“Of course,” Estry said. “Prince Willam is in love with you. The King told me that himself.”
Brianna felt a shiver go through her, but she tried not to show it. She was conflicted, but that didn’t stop her heart from leaping at the news that Prince Willam loved her.
“I can’t do it, father, I’m promised to Zollin.”
Estry’s face clouded for the first time since he had seen his daughter. The wrinkles returned, like furrows in freshly tilled soil.
“Zollin has not sought my permission to marry you,” Estry said, his voice tense. “Nor has his father. You must know they brought disgrace on the entire village,” he said.
“No they didn’t, father. I told you what happened. It wasn’t Zollin’s fault, and he isn’t a disgrace. He’s a hero.”
“He’s a sorcerer,” Estry said.
“No!” Brianna said, raising her voice. “He’s a good man. He saved my life, more than once. He saved Yelsia. You don’t know him like I do.”
“Do you know that four people were killed in Tranaugh Shire last year by the mercenaries chasing him? One was your husband.”
“I know that, father. I saw Todrek die. He gave his life trying to protect the people he loved.”
“Well, I’m just trying to protect you because I love you. Can’t you see that marrying Prince Willam is the greatest thing that could ever happen to you?”
“I can’t imagine that it is better than flying with a pride of dragons,” she said defiantly.
“I wouldn’t know about dragons,” he said with a frown, as if his daughter talking about dragons wasn’t proper. “But I think a match with the Crown Prince of Yelsia is the right thing. I know what your mother will think and your sisters. Don’t throw away this opportunity.”
“I don’t want to throw anything away, but I don’t know what to do. I gave Zollin my word and I love him.”
“So you don’t love Prince Willam?” Estry asked incredulously.
“I didn’t say that,” she shot back. “Oh, I don’t know what I think anymore, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Of course you don’t,” her father said gently, putting his arm around her shoulders. “We never do when we’re in the middle of difficult circumstances. You’ve been through a lot the last year. You’ve grown up and changed in ways I didn’t think possible. But now you have to make a decision and I think that your heart is pulling you one way and your head is pulling you another way. That’s why you should trust my judgment. I only want what’s best for you.”
“I know that, daddy,” she said quietly. “And I did it your way once. I married Todrek, even though I didn’t love him. In fact, I hardly knew him, but I did what you told me to do, despite my reservations. But that wasn’t the life I was meant to live; I knew that then, but I was too afraid to stand up for what I knew was right for me. This time I have to.”
“So you won’t marry the Prince?”
“I didn’t say that. I just need some time.”
“Well, I recommend that you make up your mind before your mother arrives,” he said. “After that, there’s no telling what will happen.”
Chapter 16
Quinn was staring into the darkness, straining to see any sign of movement, his ears attuned to any sound other than the ominous thrumming of whatever was approaching. His heart was pounding, but he braced himself for whatever he might see. He’d seen a huge, black, fire- breathing dragon descend on Brighton’s Gate and destroy the city. He’d seen Brianna float down from the backs of dragons as if she were as light as an autumn leaf drifting to the ground from a tall tree. He’d seen Zollin do things that were impossible and even unnatural. He remembered the night in Brighton’s Gate when he’d been awakened by his son outside his room in the Valley Inn with a knife in his stomach. He’d thought his son was dead, but Zollin made him pull the blade out slowly as he healed himself from the inside out. Whatever was coming for him in the darkness, he was ready for it. At least, he was as ready as he could be.
“Quinn!”
Hearing his name shouted unnerved him more than he thought was possible. His bowels turned to water and hands began to shake. He didn’t know what to do. Should
he answer, should he run away?
“Get away from the fire!”
Quinn moved on instinct alone. He dug his heels into the horse’s flanks and bent low over the mount’s neck. He could feel the horse’s mane flapping against his chin, the wind blowing cold against his face, as he raced into the darkness. He had no idea where he was going or what he might run into, but immediately his night vision began to adjust. He could see the huge, looming shadows of the mountains to his right and dark splotches that he took to be trees all around him. Then, just as Quinn was beginning to calm down a little, two horrible beasts reared in front of him.
Quinn’s horse bucked, throwing up its front hooves, while the rear hooves dug into the turf as the horse tried to stop its forward progress. Quinn tried his best to hang onto the horse, grabbing a hand full of mane and leaning forward. Time seemed to slow down, and he could feel the horse trembling beneath him. Then something hit the horse in its stomach. The blow was solid, knocking Quinn out of the saddle. He fell, his feet hitting first, then his backside. He rolled, letting his feet come up over his head, and the momentum helped him regain his feet. Just as he looked up he was forced to jump to one side to avoid the writhing, screaming body of the horse.
Quinn felt the splash of hot blood across his face, but he didn’t have time to worry about his mount. One of the creatures in front of him had impaled the horse with its long, segmented tail. Quinn’s mouth was suddenly dry. He could see the shadowy outline of the creature, but it didn’t seem real. He scrambled back, trying to stay out of range of the wicked looking tail which was swaying back and forth over the creature’s body. He threw down his sword, so that the blade stabbed into the ground and left the hilt sticking up, quivering from the impact. Quinn kept his shield up in front of him. It was a puny defense against the creature which was larger than a war horse, but he felt better knowing he had at least a little protection.
His free hand found the first of his three throwing knives. In his mind’s eye he saw himself as young man, recruited to the King’s Royal Guard, the elite soldiers who served as the honored regiment that guarded the King and his family. He had spent hours training with the throwing knives, learning to hit each target with different types of throws. He could bury his knives into a man’s chest with an underhand throw that was barely more than a flick of his wrist, but he was afraid that the creature in front of him was perhaps armored somehow, so he drew back his arm and hurled the first knife with all his strength in a massive, overhanded throw. The knife disappeared in the darkness, but the sound of the blade punching into flesh was unmistakable.
The monster roared in pain. Its horse-like hooves flailed in the air as it reared, its wings faltering and dropping the beast’s massive weight onto its rear legs. Quinn had no idea where the creature’s vital organs were located, so he had no idea if he had mortally wounded the beast, or just made it incredibly angry. He drew another knife and moved to the beast’s left. The monster pulled the knife from its chest and flung it onto the ground, but Quinn threw his second knife, again it found its mark. The knife stabbed into the beast’s side. It roared again, prancing to its right to get away from Quinn.
He breathed a sigh of relief until he saw the second monster rushing toward him. His fingers fumbled the third knife and by the time he had the blade under control, the monster was almost on top of him. He flicked the knife forward. It sailed up and stuck fast in the human stomach just above the horse body of the creature. It shrieked in agony but kept moving forward. Quinn saw the tail dart forward, and he threw up his shield in a blind act of self-defense. The shield was made of sturdy oak slats, bounded by an iron ring around the edge of the round shield and held in the center by a metal hub. The stinger missed the metal hub and stabbed through the wood. Quinn felt a searing pain in his arm and then the beast jerked its tail, pulling Quinn off the ground. He let go of the shield’s handle, but the hoop near his elbow kept his arm from pulling free. The stinger, still stuck fast in the wood, gouged into his forearm again and again as the tail swung.
Finally, the shield broke apart and the stinger was free. It flew up and over the creature, while Quinn collapsed onto the ground. He could feel his left arm going numb and his strength seemed to be melting away, like candle wax before the flame. The beast turned toward him. It was close and seemed huge to Quinn, who was still on his knees. He realized that if he didn’t do something he was going to die. He dove for his sword, which was stuck in the ground just a few feet away. The creature lumbered forward, just as Quinn pulled his weapon free. The long arms and clawed hands reached for him, but he slashed with the short, double edged sword, severing two of the creature’s fingers.
There was another roar; this one sounding more like anger than pain. Quinn’s legs felt almost too weak to hold him, so he stumbled forward, his sword thrust out before him, hoping to impale the beast. Instead, it knocked the sword out of Quinn’s hands and then reached to grab him. Quinn felt the sword fly away and then his legs buckled. He fell onto the ground just before the creature could grab him. The beast was backing away, preparing to stab at Quinn with its tail, when out of the darkness, behind the creature, Mansel appeared.
He was running with his big sword held high over his head. He jumped and brought the sword down with all his momentum. The blade sliced through the side of the segmented tail and then carved a bloody wound across the beast’s horse-like flank. The beast tried to fly away, but one wing was nicked by Mansel’s sword and it crashed to the ground. Mansel dashed forward, running swiftly past the creature and severing its head as he went. The head flew up and the tail lashed wickedly. The horse-like legs kicked in the death throes but it was no longer a threat.
“Quinn!” Mansel shouted again, as he turned back to his mentor.
Quinn was lying in the grass, face down. Mansel rushed to his side and found his former master unconscious. Mansel grabbed his arm and pulled Quinn on the younger man’s broad shoulder. Then, he dashed back off into the darkness.
Mansel found Nycoll right where he had left her. She was cowering down, but being quiet. They huddled together, Mansel checking occasionally to see if Quinn was still breathing. In the darkness it was impossible to tell just how wounded the older man was. Mansel ran his hands over Quinn’s body and only found the one flesh wound in the older man’s arm, but he couldn’t be sure that was the only injury. They waited until morning, occasionally hearing another band of monsters in the distance, but none came close enough to be seen. The wounded creatures bellowed through the night, but their cries neither alerted nor summoned the other beasts.
When the sun came up, Nycoll was asleep. Mansel was exhausted, but he kept watch. When the light was enough, he did a visual inspection of his former mentor. There seemed to be no other wounds other than the nasty gash on his forearm. Quinn seemed to be resting comfortably, so Mansel bandaged his arm and let his old friend rest. It was mid-morning before Nycoll woke up. She went to a nearby stream and then ventured to Quinn’s campsite. The mule that had carried his supplies was long gone, terrified by the monsters who had come in the night, but Quinn’s supplies were still neatly laid out on the ground. There was a blanket, a bag with a change of clothes, a canteen, and some food rations. Nycoll gathered it all up and hurried back to Mansel.
They drank all the water in the canteens, dribbling a little into Quinn’s mouth as well. Then they refilled the canteens in a nearby stream. The water was cold and Mansel washed the blood off his face and hands. Nycoll tended Quinn. She seemed happier with someone to take care of. They shared some of the food from Quinn’s pack and waited to see if the older man would wake up.
“What if he doesn’t wake up?” Nycoll asked.
“I don’t know,” Mansel said. “I don’t think we should stay here once night falls. We need to find a more secure place to get some rest.”
“Can we move him?”
“I can carry him,” Mansel said.
“Won’t that make him worse?” Nycoll asked.
&nb
sp; “I don’t know. But if we stay out here our odds of being found are high.”
The creatures they had fought had died before dawn. And by mid-afternoon their carcasses began to smell.
“Okay, we have to move,” Mansel said. “Can you carry the supplies?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Good, let’s move in closer to the mountains.”
Mansel hoisted Quinn onto his shoulder again, and they moved away from the path that ran east and west. They moved over open ground toward the foothills of the Walheta Mountains, keeping a careful watch for more of the creatures that had attacked them. Fortunately, they saw nothing and heard nothing. Mansel had to stop several times and rest. Finally, they found a grove of pine trees with a thick blanket of pine needles that made a soft bed. Nycoll laid out Quinn’s blanket and they huddled together as night fell, using their body heat to stay warm. It was a long, miserable night. An hour before dawn it began to mist softly. The rain dripped down through the pine branches above them and by the time the sun came up, they were all soaked.
Quinn began to wake, and Nycoll shook Mansel.
“He’s waking up,” she said.
“Quinn,” Mansel said, patting his mentor’s shoulder. “Quinn, how do feel?”
“I’m... I’m okay,” he said.
He lay still at first, waiting for something to hurt, but nothing did. Then he slowly sat up. They were all cold and shivering, but Quinn drank some water and flexed his wounded arm.
“It looks like nothing more than flesh wounds,” he said as he retied the bandage on his arm. “It sure is good to see you.”
“And you,” Mansel agreed. “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for you,” Quinn said. “Brianna came to Felson and told me she was worried about you. She said you didn’t know about these monsters, and she didn’t know where you were. So I came looking.”
“You shouldn’t have risked your life for us,” Mansel said, but he couldn’t contain the smile that appeared on his face. “But you are welcome with us anytime. Let me introduce someone very special to me. This is Nycoll. She’s been nursing you back to health.”
Five Kingdoms: Book 06 - Evil Tide Page 15
