Hope

by Sam Rook

  He gestured for her to join him at their traditional resting spot upon a low stone wall surrounding the practice ring. "I know your days are full. I’m surprised you can concentrate at all. I thought practicing at nightfall would allow you some break between your daily duties and my lessons, but it got to the point where your break filled with even more duties."

  He gave her a grim smile. "I think tonight is our final lesson. You need to concentrate on things that are more important now, like helping Sir Lanclor in the library and teaching the lost spells to Lord Alextor. I have to go to R’kelo for a while. It looks like Lord Alextor has noticed my change of heart and wants me to work on regaining my Instructor status teaching the knights over there. Some reinforcements are to arrive from R'kelo in the next day or so for some type of special mission to the North. I’m to bring a couple of knights with me to investigate an incident with a village over that way as well. I believe you’re familiar with Rielle and Nikton?"

  "Yes, I remember them. I haven’t seen them for quite a while. Rielle and Nikton acted as our translators if you remember from the Assessments?" Kathryn felt guilty for not following up to see how they were.

  "Ah, yes, I remember. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I was a different person back then, even though it wasn’t long ago. I haven’t talked to either of them since, so I’m sure they’re dreading this trip." He paused and she sensed the smile beneath his helmet. "I’ll get things straightened out and I’m sure we’ll end up being good friends afterward." He rose to his feet and she knew their lessons were officially over. "I don’t know when I’ll return, but if I don’t see you before the Final Battle, may the Goddess watch over you."

  "May the Goddess watch over you as well, Assessor Jakara. Have a safe trip."

  "Aye. Be safe, Lady Kathryn."

  "Be safe, Assessor Jakara." With a nod, he turned and made his way through the now steady rain. The torches decided to make their exit as well and were overwhelmed by the rain.

  Kathryn continued to sit there in darkness, thinking about all she had learned during her time on Av’lor. Her heart ached at Assessor Jakara’s leaving. It was like losing her father all over again. After her mother’s death, he wasn’t the same. Kathryn’s bitterness had grown unchecked as her father made every attempt to push his memories of her mother aside. Now she understood it was his method of coping. She wondered how he handled her disappearance. Talk about kicking somebody when he was down.

  Chapter 45

  "Thanks, Garrent. I’ll give it to her."

  "I appreciate it, Sir Lanclor. It only seems right. I honestly forgot about it until now. Be safe."

  "Be safe, Garrent." Garrent saluted and left Lanclor's workroom. The first day Hal and Lady Kathryn had arrived seemed like ages ago instead of just under two cycles. Lanclor remembered that day clearly, as she almost died. He had saved her from that unfortunate end. Thank the Goddess.

  He couldn’t imagine where the Knighthood would be without her. Garrent, Alextor and he would most likely be at the bottom of the Floalkel Falls with over a dozen other knights. Most likely, the Knighthood would have never recovered without their leadership, and the Daemons would have overpowered them in the battles that followed.

  Garrent had come to Lanclor's workroom to present him with a heavy sack that had been in the corner of the sabotaged armory. It now lay on his desk wrapped in his spare cloak. Lanclor rose from his chair and headed for Lady Kathryn’s chambers with the pack in tow. He knocked upon her door a short while later.

  She answered the door in full armor, minus her helmet. He had to suppress the urge to touch her hair.

  "Sir Lanclor, this is unexpected. Is everything okay?"

  "Everything is fine, Lady Kathryn. I actually need to return something to you that we forgot about." He presented her with the bundle.

  Carefully unwinding the cloak, she smiled at her pack and he saw her face beam with satisfaction. "My backpack! I completely forgot about it! Thank you, Sir Lanclor." She met his eyes with genuine gratitude, offering him the cloak as she placed the heavy pack upon her table.

  He hesitated, and then decided just to tell her the rest of his news. "I also have something else I’d like to give you. Do you remember that I told you I’d reward you if you could tame the mare?"

  "Tame Artemis? Yes, I remember." Kathryn clenched her hands in front of her.

  "Well, I’ve decided upon a reward for your efforts. You’ve done a great job preparing her to be a knight’s mount. She’ll be a welcome addition to the knight stables. She’s plenty big enough to support anyone in the Knighthood, don’t you agree?"

  "Um, yes, Sir Lanclor. She’s coming along well." She kept her expression neutral, but he could see the disappointment and sadness in her eyes at the thought of losing her new friend.

  "Well, I’ve decided the best reward for you is Artemis."

  It took a while to sink in. "Artemis? You mean—"

  "Artemis. I bought her, so she’s mine to give. I’m giving her to you on the condition that you allow me some breeding rights. If she chooses to breed, that is."

  With joy in her eyes, she gave him a hug and he forced himself to not wrap his arms around her and pull her closer to him.

  She seemed to remember his rank. "Um, thank you, Sir Lanclor. Please forgive my excitement"

  "You’re welcome, Lady Kathryn." He forced himself to nod and take his leave. Heading toward the center courtyard, his doubts about the Ball crept to the forefront of his mind. Memories of her warmth against him and her smile while they danced together pained him. He never should have pursued her. The ache he felt now, ten times worse than before, almost brought him to his knees when he was around her. He had to move past it.

  A short while later, Lanclor sat in the throne room with Lord Alextor and awaited the presence of the R'kelo knights. They had decided to send them north to the Lir'Kelah in the hope that they could shed some light on the black quills and arrange a safe haven if the knights had to abandon the castle. The land around R'kelo had been quiet for the past few months, so it was the only place they could afford to reduce their numbers and send a group north.

  The doors opened and two dozen tired knights strode in. Their armor varied in color and gave each one an identity of seasoned troops. He stared in disbelief as he recognized the armor patterns of several knights in the back of the group. No, it couldn't be. He thought they had more time. Bowing his head in his hand, he struggled to comprehend what it meant.

  "Lanclor, is something wrong?" Lord Alextor asked in a concerned tone.

  Lanclor regained his composure and shook his head. "We can discuss it afterward. Let's get started." He barely listened to the plan to send them north. His mind reeling with possibilities, a knight covered in soot took him by surprise when he burst into the throne room.

  "Lord Alextor." the filthy knight said between breaths. He must have flown here in a hurry by the look of his trembling wings. "The Red Valley, there are so many. They covered the ground, obscuring the red rock of the valley floor." He began to panic and started mumbling incoherently about death and destruction to come.

  "Enough! Take a breath. Explain to me exactly what you saw," Lord Alextor said in a firm voice.

  "Daemons! Thousands upon thousands of Daemons! They cover the Red Valley!"

  Everyone started talking at once, but Lanclor remained quiet. His fears confirmed, he looked up at the several knights he had recognized. He had seen Lady Kathryn's Final Battle Sight so many times that they were like old friends whom he had believed he wouldn't meet until much later. The Final Battle had arrived.

  Chapter 46

  Kathryn closed the door behind her as she entered Sir Lanclor’s workroom. Lord Alextor leaned against a wall while Sir Lanclor sat at his desk.

  "Lady Kathryn, please sit. This won’t take very long." Lanclor gestured to a chair.

  Apprehensive, Kathryn sat in front of his desk, glancing between Lord Alextor and Sir Lanclor. She felt like a rabbit in the middle of
two wolves.

  Lord Alextor sighed, and then started in a detached voice. "We just received reports from the town of Ralenth that the Daemons are mobilizing in the valley of the Red River. We think they’ll begin to march—or fly rather—upon Ralenth any day. With Hopent and Balket destroyed, Ralenth is the only town left standing before the river. If the Daemons cross the river, we have little hope of defending the castle if we also have to worry about Altena and Heten. Our only choice is to strike before the Daemons can attack."

  Kathryn sat in shocked silence. She thought they had more time and looked at Sir Lanclor for reassurance. The sunlight coming through the window highlighted the gold flecks of his light brown eyes.

  Sir Lanclor took over. "There are a total of twenty squads of knights at Ka’latin Castle. We'll deploy fifteen squads to attack the Red River Valley and to reinforce Ralenth. If they don’t succeed, the remaining five squads will do whatever it takes to save the people of Av’lor, even begging the Lir’Kelah for refuge to the north."

  Lord Alextor straightened to his full height. "If they are forced to leave Ka’latin castle and evacuate the surrounding villages, they will destroy the Portal and the Daemons’ only way to Earth. We will attack before dawn tomorrow and hope to have the advantage of the night to get into position before the Daemon sentries spot us. We thought you should know your Sights are playing out."

  Kathryn stood in her room, studying the contents of her backpack. Her mother's smiling face filled her with an intense sadness. Bitterness at her father's method of coping was gone. She now longed for nothing more than for him to hug her and say everything would be okay. Her hands shook as she uncovered the other pictures.

  Rachel’s smiling face clenched her heart and Kathryn gave her daughter a sad smile. The next picture showed Donny holding Rachel upside down by her ankles. He used to tower over Kathryn, but he would never walk again. Two tours in Iraq without a scratch. Every time she saw him in his wheelchair, she knew it should have been her in that chair. If she hadn’t lost her temper when Rachel broke her mother’s vase, Donny never would have insisted that Rachel and he pick up mom from the airport.

  Working full-time as a single mom never seemed glamorous, but Kathryn always respected the idea of providing for Rachel and herself. She hadn’t needed a man in her life and Greg never offered to help her financially, even after moving in. Why would he? He made a fraction of her salary. Looking back, she realized his refusal to do anything beyond sitting in front of the television or occasionally playing games with Rachel didn’t make him worthy of her. She’d just been so happy to believe a man loved her she lowered her standards. Lazy bastard.

  Kathryn reached into the large pocket and felt a furry clump. Withdrawing her hand, Ella’s trunk pointed at her in greeting. Stroking the soft fur, Kathryn hugged the elephant against her chest and closed her eyes against the ache. Fighting tears, she placed Ella on a high shelf so Dargo wouldn’t get her.

  Exploring the outer pockets of the bag, she discovered Hal's badge, wallet and gun belt. Hal had changed after Vikten’s men had taken him. She saw the defeat in his eyes. Opening his wallet, she smiled into the face of a young boy sitting upon Hal's shoulders. Gathering Hal’s things, she headed for his room. Dargo's tail wagged, but he remained in his comfortable position in the sun shining through the back door.

  Hal answered the door on the first knock. "Hi. What’s up?" he asked in a serious tone of voice, his usual humor missing.

  "I have something for you. May I come in?"

  "Sure, come on in." He stood aside and performed a welcoming and theatrical gesture with his hand. "Make yourself at home. There’s beer in the fridge, chips and salsa on the counter, and the Super Bowl should be on any minute."

  She smiled, walking into his modest room, careful not to knock his collection of throwing knives off his desk. "Are you preparing for a war or something?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

  "It’s just a little hunting trip. There should be plenty of game." He tried to sound funny, but it was impossible to be in this situation. They could both die in less than 24 hours. Add his recent torture to that...

  She offered him his things. "I think these are yours."

  His features finally showed some sign of life. The expression on his face was thoughtful as he stood staring at the picture of his son, not moving. "Thank you. This is what I needed."

  In his eyes, she saw his appreciation. She had a lot to prepare before the battle in the morning, so she took her leave after a brief goodbye. As Hal closed the door behind her, a sad smile touched her mouth. They were fighting to protect their families. Perhaps they had both forgotten that.

  Elena was in Kathryn's room petting Dargo when she returned. Kathryn closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

  "Elena, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me." Kathryn shook her head and prayed she wouldn’t start crying over the entire situation.

  "Tell you what." Elena dropped the sheets and looked at Kathryn with genuine surprise.

  "About whom he was."

  "I told you not to. I couldn’t just blurt out his identity. It’s tradition." She started wringing her hands and her eyes started to water. "Please, don’t be angry with me."

  Kathryn sighed. Her life was a violent soap opera. "I’m angry with myself. I think I knew it all along."

  "What?" Elena walked over and pulled her to a chair, sitting beside her.

  "He smells like pine and cinnamon. I smelled it that day I healed him in the library. He smelled the same at the Ball. Two of my favorite scents and he had to smell like both of them. I didn’t even have a chance. And now he’s going to die." Kathryn felt the tears streaming from her eyes and her nose start to get stuffy. She gave in and let out her grief.

  "Shh, it’s okay. Everything will be okay." Elena held her and stroked her hair.

  "I don’t want to lose him, Elena. He gets under my skin and irritates the shit out of me, but I don’t think I could handle losing him."

  She was in her room cleaning her sword when there was a knock at the door. Since her sword was in her lap and her hands were full with an oily rag and a honing stone, she verbally granted entry instead of opening the door herself. The door opened to present Lord Alextor, accompanied by Sir Lanclor and Sir Garrent. Making a move to put her supplies away, Lord Alextor gestured for her not to bother.

  "This will only take a minute, Lady Kathryn." He nodded toward Sir Garrent to close the door behind them.

  "You’re the most powerful knight we have, magically." Lord Alextor got right to the point. "We need you in the air to cover the ground troops. We’d like you to lead a squad of graywings."

  Kathryn's eyebrows rose in shock. "Milord, I’m honored, but surely—"

  "You may not have the battle experience, but you have the respect of the Knighthood," Sir Lanclor said in a serious voice. "You probably never realized it, but you do have their respect. They remember the battle at Southker village. You exhausted yourself to save Derrek’s squad. They also know you’re the most powerful mage we have. You have what it takes to be a great leader if you believe you can do it."

  The last thing she expected was this. If anything, she expected to be stuck in a squad back in Ralenth to be the backup in case things went wrong. Now, here they were saying she had the potential to lead and were offering her the opportunity to do so. Most surprising of all, she believed she could do it.

  "Yes, I’ll do it. You’ll need to tell me the plan, though. I need to know where I should be when the attack begins."

  They all breathed a sigh of relief. "We’ll be discussing strategy in an hour in the throne room. Sir Garrent will prep you while you finish up with your sword. We’ll see you shortly." Sir Lanclor gave her a penetrating look, and then Lord Alextor and he left her room while Sir Garrent stayed behind.

  "They have a gift for making people nervous, don’t they?" Sir Garrent said as he noticeably relaxed and took the seat next to her. "It looks like your sword is changing. Would
you mind if I looked at the runes?"

  "Not at all. I just oiled it, so use the rag." She handed him her sword, holding it by the hilt and by a rag wrapped around the blade. He held it gingerly, turning it around so the runes were the right side up. There were only three runes at this point, but she had a feeling there would be more in the future. If she didn't die tomorrow, that was.

  "Hmm. It’s an interesting choice of runes. I know you didn’t choose them or anything. Some people believe the first several runes give us a hint as to our future. The first rune here, toward the hilt, means fire. We all know that’s your most powerful skill. This second one on the other hand, doesn’t make much sense to me. It’s the rune representing a gate. The last rune represents hope, something we’re all going to need come tomorrow morning."

  Hope. Ironic. "Fire, gate and hope? Fire, I can understand, and maybe hope, but gate?"

  "Sometimes the meanings of the first runes aren’t apparent until the time is right, or even looking back on particular events in your career." Sir Garrent adjusted his position in the chair after he handed her sword back to her. "The war council meeting will discuss where all of our squads fit into the overall strategy of the battle.

  "We’re all encouraged to speak our opinions without fear of rebuke. Any ideas at all are welcome, especially in this scenario. I’d recommend getting there a little early so you can look over the maps and think about any strategy we might have missed. I’ll now take my leave to prepare for the council. I’ll see you soon, Lady Kathryn."

  Sir Garrent rose from his chair, his green armor glowing from hours of polishing. Kathryn nodded her farewell, too overwhelmed with information to respond with words. She finished cleaning her sword and returned it to its scabbard on her desk. The last half hour before the meeting, she spent going over the spells Sir Lanclor and she had found in the Lost Spell books.