Alik found a rock to lean against and nodded.
"This is why I did not want Eamon teaching them how to fight. He has it in his head that he is a soldier now, off to see great adventures in the big wide world, but he is not, he is not, Alik!" Margrave shouted and whirled on Alik.
Alik nodded again.
"He read the stories of Eamon and Edmond and all the things they were allowed to do, but he never once thought that what he did would hurt the rest of us. He did not care to think that his actions would cause so many people so much pain and panic and heartache."
Alik did not say anything.
Margrave whirled away once more and Alik still did not try to console him. He knew that it would be fruitless, anyway. Right now, the only thing that would settle Margrave's mind would be to see his son again.
As Margrave continued to pace, and speak nonsense, Alik saw men over the horizon. He did not see any of the wolves trailing after them, so he had to hope against hope that these men were the men that Semaleon spoke of.
Alik did not recognize any of them, nor did he recognize their colors. They wore all black, and they did not have any distinguishing marks from the others. Alik squinted and waved a hand at Margrave to hush him.
Margrave turned to follow Alik’s gaze and saw the men. He went still, but reached for his sword.
"That's them," Semaleon announced from the mouth of the cave.
That was all the confirmation that Lady Sexton needed. She pushed past the rest of them and ran for the men. They parted around her and Alik saw at a distance when she fell to her knees in front of Lambin. Although Alik couldn't make out her words, he could hear her voice rising and falling, no doubt equal measure of anger and love.
Margrave still had not moved.
Among the shadows of the men, Alik saw Eamon. He saw Milet and another young boy marching next to him and the three of them look like they might fall down at any point. Next to Eamon another man marched, closer to the King than the others.
This man closest to Eamon looked familiar, though Alik couldn't place him exactly. He felt a wave of hope in his chest but he had to hold himself off.
He turned instead to Semaleon. "Go get the Princess," he ordered.
She nodded and turned and went back into the cave.
Issat joined Alik and as she stared at the men approaching them, he heard her breath catch and Alik knew she saw him as well as he did.
"Is that –?" She asked.
"I don't know," Alik said.
If it was Edmond, if by some miracle he did survive, then he had certainly suffered for it.
There were scars on his face that were not there when they last saw him. There was a patch over his eye, and Alik could only guess at what happened there. He limped in a way that he did not when Alik had last seen him.
Pain lanced through the hope. If this was the cost of survival, would Edmond forgive them?
Finally the men, along with Lady Sexton who was carrying Lambin now, approached them.
"I thought we agreed that you would stay home," Eamon said as he approached Alik.
"There were extenuating circumstances, as you can see,” Alik replied and gestured to Lambin.
"Much to my advantage, thankfully," Eamon muttered.
Lady Sexton passed Lambin off to Margrave who held his son tightly and closed his eyes. "I want you to know, that for the rest of your life, you will not go anywhere without an escort. And if you dare try this again, I will imprison you myself," Margrave whispered.
Lambin, already overcome, nodded. "Can Bryson come home with us?" Lambin asked.
"I don't care who comes home with us, as long as you do," Margrave said.
The other boy, the one that Alik could only guess was Bryson, looked slightly offended.
"Don't I get a say? What if I don't want to go to Grayhaven? I hear that it is hideous," Bryson said.
Eamon put a hand on the boy shoulder.
“It is the ugliest place that you will ever lay your eyes on. But it's warm, safe, and a job for you if you wish it," Eamon said.
Bryson look tempted.
"We will decide accommodations later. I believe that we have much to catch up on," Alik said.
Chapter 18
They all filed into the mouth of the cave with Semaleon leading the way. There was far less room, now with the soldiers and the children.
"Please, tell me the secret of how you survived and hid for so long," Alik said to Edmond when they finally sat.
"It was a terrible fight. There were far more of them than there was of us and the food was drugged. They dragged me outside and through the sacrifice of more men than I care to think of, a switch was made in the battle was over. Another took my place in that tree and there was never any rumor that I lived. The men here," Edmond gestured around him, "Spread rumors that I had died. We encouraged them far and wide. Much like the two of you did, I imagine."
Though his words were even and his tone was calm, Alik could sense that there was more of a story there. He wanted the details but knew it was not his place to ask.What Alik wanted to ask Edmond was why he didn't come to them. Why he didn't try to send word for so long that he was alive.
"When I heard that Eamon was raising an army Grayhaven, I knew that all I had to do was wait. And while I waited, other men came to me. The orphans came to me. At first, we were nuisance, nothing but a bunch of men who caused the King pain. Then, our numbers grew. We began setting fire to their food, letting their horses loose, sabotaging all their materials. I figured, while I waited, that I could at least begin a little rebellion on my own."
Alik nodded.
"Is it true?" Edmond asked Eamon.
"Is what true?" Eamon asked.
"Avelina? She lives?" Edmond pressed.
Eamon nodded. "And Lissandra as well."
The news seemed to rock Edmond backwards and he nodded. "I have so much to tell you, brother."
"And I you," Eamon replied.
"It will have to wait. We need a plan, quickly. We need to get at least half the royal family off this island and on their way home," Milet said.
Eamon nodded.
"Where is the Princess?" Bryson asked suddenly.
A look around the cave proved that she was not with them.
"When was the last time anyone saw her?" Eamon said and stood.
He turned to look at Alik.
Alik had to think about it. He was so preoccupied with Margrave and Lady Sexton and Eamon coming back with Lambin that he did not notice her absence. He shook his head. "Shortly after we arrived."
"When was that?"
"Hours ago," Alik admitted.
"HOW WOULD SHE KNOW where to go?" Alik asked.
Eamon gave him a look that reminded him too much of the Princess. "We've all been coming to these caves since we were children. They make up a network. This one in particular will lead out around the shore and closer to the castle. Much closer to the castle."
Edmond and a few other soldiers stood. "This particular cave leads to our own," one of them said.
"Our weapons and some more horses are stored at the other end," Edmond added.
Eamon stood as well. "Excellent. My angry sister has a head start on us, with a horse, and with weapons."
"What will we do?" Alik asked.
"Go after her. What else can we do?" Eamon asked. He nodded towards the back of the cave. "We'll go this route and at the other end will gather more weapons. We don't have time to be subversive anymore. If Prince Raulyn has the Princess then we can no longer waste time."
Alik nodded and watched as the men began to disappear into the darkness Eamon looked at him and sighed. "I have no delusions that the minute I leave your sight you will follow me. Let us save some time and me some panic. Come with me."
Alik blinked. Of course he was going to go after Eamon. And of course Eamon was right. He would have gone after him the moment that he was sure he could get away with it. But Alik did not expect this. He did not expect for E
amon to invite him.
"Unless you wish to stay, in which case –" Eamon began.
"No! No, I'll go with you, of course," Alik said.
“And what of us?" Issat asked.
Alik turned to look at the others. He should stay, just for their sake. To ensure that they had one more fighter on their side, in the event that they were found out.
"Milet will stay and if two men could volunteer as well, then I would be happy," Eamon said.
The men shuffled uncomfortably but eventually two did step forward. They did not wish to stay, but their Kings bid them so. Milet seemed pleased at the prospect of a small rest, even if it meant that he would be left behind.
Lambin stepped forward first and wrapped his arms around Alik’s waist. "I did not wish to worry you, Your Highness," he mumbled against Alik’s tunic.
"All is forgiven, since you saved Eamon," Alik said and rubbed his back.
Margrave was next and in a surprising move also wrapped Alik up in a hug.
"If your King comes back without you, there will be hell to pay," Margrave said and was no doubt looking at Eamon over Alik's shoulder.
"Either we both come back or neither one,” Alik promised.
"That is not as reassuring as you would have it be," Margrave replied.
Lady Sexton was last and also hugged Alik fiercely. "If there is anything that I can do, anyway that I can repay you, then it is yours. But you must do one last thing for me."
"You ask much, my lady," Alik said.
"I ask only that you and Eamon return so that Lambin can learn how to run and rule our country by the finest men I have ever known," Lady Sexton said.
Of them all, this struck Alik the hardest. They were never close and that regret rose sharply in Alik's chest. "We will return, if only for Lambin's sake."
EAMON KNEW THESE CAVES like the back of his hand. When he wanted to run away from his tutors or his trainers this was where he came. As a child, though, he often had a torch and would write which direction he went on the caves. As the years went on, he learned his way through memory and rarely used a torch. He was always reassured by the old knights tales that he would always find his way out, that there was always a way out.
Eamon remembered what his old master used to tell him:
The only way out is through.
So he took Alik by the hand and led them into the darkness, trusting his own memories to carry them through and he knew that in the end, they would see the sun shine on them once more.
"Should we not have a torch?" Alik asked behind Eamon.
"I have been traveling these caves since I was a child. I think I know them better than the halls of the castle," Eamon said.
"Then please don't lose me," Alik whispered.
"Never," Eamon said.
It was twenty minutes of traveling in the dark before there was any sign of light. Once there, Eamon saw his brother saddling up the other men and weapons laid out on the sand.
Edmond was shaking his head. "Your sister is on her way to rescue you and that boy."
"It seems as though my family has the foolhardy trait of rescuing one another far too often," Eamon said.
Edmond shook his head and left. "If only mother could see us now."
"I would like to think that if she were here, our communication would be much better," Eamon said as he began to buckle a sword to his waist. The Vresal took Heartseeker from him when they captured him. It was just one more thing that he planned to take from Prince Raulyn when he saw him.
Alik placed a hand on Eamon shoulder and walked away to inspect the bows and arrows nearby. Edmond watched him and the small gesture between him and Eamon. He smiled and shook his head.
"What?" Eamon asked.
Edmond adjusted the belt around his waist and glanced between Eamon and Alik once more. "I'm glad that you two found some peace and harmony. That's all."
Eamon studied his brother a moment longer and decided to let it go. There was so much more at stake now and it still didn't feel real that Edmond was returned to him. He wanted nothing more than to stop time and sit with his brother for a moment.
But time, like war, waited for no one.
"Much has happened, for the both of us. I just hope that you can find it in yourself to forgive me," Eamon said. He swallowed and looked away, to the ocean, to the place where he ran to instead of the men he left behind.
Edmond snorted.
Eamon looked back at him.
"I should have expected this from you. It's easy to forget how dramatic you can be during times like this," Edmond said.
"What are you talking about?" Eamon asked.
"There is nothing to forgive. Even if I returned to your side, and there was a chance for you to leave, I would have told you to take it. It was the safest, smartest thing that you can done. I assume, that it was Alik's idea."
Eamon did not have to look over his shoulder to know that Alik was already nodding.
"But I left you –"
"No, you left behind your dead brother. You left behind your dead sisters. You left behind death and you followed the smallest speck of hope that you and the kingdom had. You didn't let it go and you survived. How many times have you told me that sometimes all you can do in war is survive and return home?" Edmond asked.
"And you returned home, my King. He returned home, renewed in faith and renewed in men. An army follows –" one soldier said.
"Two armies followed. King Evander of Cerith escorts our people to the southern lands," another corrected.
"We could only hope for so much and this was beyond even our wildest dreams," Edmond said.
Eamon tried to take to heart what they said, but it still felt hard, impossible, to believe. After all this time he felt that they should hate him and that they should force him from his home, once more.
"Come, we must rescue her sister and after the four of us are reunited, you can wallow in your guilt all you want. Until then, I need you to lead us," Edmond said.
Eamon took a deep breath and nodded. Of all the things that he had been asked to do, leading men into war, was the one thing he knew better than anyone else.
He gestured to the horses. "Let's go home, brother."
THE RIDE TO THE CASTLE took longer than any of them expected. Eamon should have figured that there would be ambushes, trap set, and men sent after them. Prince Raulyn was arrogant, but he wasn't a fool. He would send his men out to the farthest reaches of all the islands to search for his prized hostage.
It took them hours to get to the castle and by the time they arrived at the gate, they were tired and blood still dripped from their hands.
Eamon dismounted his horse and looked up at the closed gate. Edmond also dismounted and stood by him. The men stayed behind them.
"I cannot remember the last time these gates were shut to us," Edmond said.
"It was when traveled to see Evander. We said we would be back in a week, and it took us a month to get home from the southern lands," Eamon reminded him.
Edmond grinned. It was strange to see how young he was still despite the battle scars in the eye patch. "I remember. Mother didn't speak to us for weeks after that and it took almost as long to get Avelina and Lissandra to speak to us as well."
Eamon wanted to continue reminiscing but an arrow landed at their feet.
They both looked up to see archers standing in the turret just above them. They both backed off, and signaled for the other riders to retreat as well.
"Traitors are not welcome here!" A man called down.
"Good thing that's not us than, right?" Edmond asked Eamon.
Eamon shot him a look. "This is why I never brought you on war parties."
Edmond grinned at him, a little mad looking.
"We demand to see the Prince!" Alik called from behind them.
Both Eamon and Edmond turned to look at him, apparently having having forgotten that there was more royalty among them. Alik looked back down at the two brothers, a cold and haughty
look on his face.
Eamon recognized that look. It was the look that Alik were when he stepped into negotiation rooms when the other person thought they had the upper hand. Sadly, from experience, Eamon knew that no one ever had the upper hand with Alik.
"Heathen kings are not welcome here," the man called back.
"Heathen kings –" Alik muttered and underneath all the blood spatter, Eamon watch as color rose in his cheeks. "I will show this man what a heathen King can do with the sword and his –"
"Unless you are here to show allegiance to our King, then –" the voice was cut off, quite suddenly, and the man dropped from his spot in the turret.
Once more, Edmond and Eamon turned to Alik, expecting to see the bow and arrow in his head. When they saw that he was also turned around in his saddle, they followed his gaze.
They were greeted by a line of silent guards. Dressed from head to toe in blue sheaths shot through with silver and gold thread, the Ruin stood just behind them.
None had seen them approach or even come close to them.
And at their forefront, clearly leading them, was Lissandra. She was the only one of the siblings that was appropriately dressed in battle armor.
"Oh look, our other sister has arrived just in time," Eamon said, disbelief coloring his words.
"And she brought the Ruin when with her," Edmond said sounding more confused than surprised.
Alik turned and headed for his sister. The others followed him and when they joined Lissandra and her group, Edmond was the first to dismount and greet his sister.
Surprise colored Lissandra's face and though it was clear she was grateful and had many questions, she bit her tongue and gestured towards the castle.
"How dare he close the doors to our home?" She snarled.
"Well, I suppose he has good reason. I am here to kill him with my bare hands," Eamon remarked.
"I am only here to retrieve Avelina," Edmond said.
"And I am here for moral support," Alik added.
"Where's Avelina?" Lissandra asked.
"That would be the question of the hour," Edmond said.
A Warrior's Return (The Royal Houses of Sea and Snow, #3) Page 15
