A Clash of Honor sr-4

by Morgan Rice

  CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

  Thor stood with the huge entourage of Legion and Silver as they all finished gathering their weapons from the Hall of Arms, gathering their belongings from the barracks, and preparing to leave King’s Court for good. It was a huge and growing force, and Reece, O’Connor, Elden and the twins joined Thor, Gwendolyn and Godfrey as they all spent their final moments gathering whatever they could carry. Together, they all walked from the hall, out the great doors for the last time, Krohn whining at their side.

  The huge, armed group wound its way into the plaza of King’s Court, towards King’s Gate, beyond which was the drawbridge and the road that would lead them away from King’s Court forever. As they went, a small army in and of themselves, the very face of what would be the new MacGil court, people gathered all around and watched them go, eyes opened with wonder and fear. Word had spread of the rift, and as they went, some people watched in wonder, while others joined their group, deciding to abandon Gareth’s court and go with them. It was heart-wrenching. Thor felt as if the kingdom were being split in two with each passing step.

  As they neared the stone gate, the final exit, Thor took one last look back over his shoulder at King’s Court, at this place he had grown to love, to call home. He hated that Gareth was ruling, that he had ruined this place for all of them, had usurped it as his own, this place that had been ruled by MacGils for seven hundred years. There was nothing that they could do about it.

  Gwen squeezed his hand, and Thor looked into her eyes and could see her relief to be leaving, and to be with him. He felt the same. At least she was safe. They walked together, hand in hand, proudly, walking through the archway.

  “Do you think we shall ever return?” he asked Gwendolyn.

  She looked out sadly.

  “I don’t know,” she answered.

  “Not with this King,” Reece chimed in. “If we ever return, it will be on our terms.”

  Suddenly a horn sounded, and pandemonium broke out all around them.

  Thor spun with the others, and saw people swarming about in every direction, as an agitated buzz spread through the streets. Several messengers, out of breath, came running towards Thor and the others.

  “The Sword!” one of them screamed, frantic. “It’s been stolen!”

  An outraged gasp spread through the crowd, followed by a long murmur.

  “Speak clearly man,” Kolk yelled at the man. “What do you mean?”

  “The Destiny Sword! It’s gone! And the Canyon-the Shield is down!”

  An outraged cry rose up through the streets, a cry of panic, as all the soldiers turned and looked at each other. Thor looked at the others, could see the fear in their faces, and he felt it too.

  The shield was down. They were all vulnerable, defenseless, the entire Ring. There was no longer anything standing between the Empire and them. The Empire’s million man army could enter, could attack at any moment.

  “But how is it possible?” Reece asked.

  “The Destiny Sword has remained at King’s Castle for seven generations!” Godfrey called out.

  “It would take ten men to even hoist it!” Brom yelled. “Where could it have gone? Who could have taken it?”

  “They have caught the thieves!” a messenger yelled back. “They are in the town square even now, about to be hung!”

  As one, Thor and the others all ran across the plaza, turning down a street that led to the large, open square in the center of King’s Court.

  A huge mob swarmed around the scaffold, on which four men stood bound, nooses about their necks. The men looked panicked, desperate, as they looked out at hundreds of people.

  On the far side of the square stood Gareth, with Kultin and his fighting force, looking down at the criminals. Thor and the men entered on the other side of the court, and it was utter pandemonium. Finally, a horn blew, and a silence fell over the group.

  “Admit what you have done!” yelled out an executioner.

  “We are part of a group that stole the Destiny Sword!” one of them screamed.

  The crowd broke out into an outraged murmur, and finally fell silent.

  “And tell us where the sword is!” the executioner cried out.

  “The rest of our group has taken it far from here. They have been carrying it all night. They are already across the Western Crossing of the Canyon, and have already boarded a ship. They are taking it into the Empire. As we speak, it is already across the sea, in a foreign and hostile land. You will never get it back!”

  The crowd cried out again, in an outraged murmur.

  “Silence!” Gareth screamed.

  Slowly, the crowd quieted.

  “And what was your reason for stealing the sword?” Gareth called out. “What is its destination?”

  The criminals stayed silent this time, refusing to speak.

  Finally, one of them lifted his head.

  “We have vowed to never tell!”

  The crowd broke out in another murmur, until finally Gareth stepped forward, with his entourage of men, and faced the executioners.

  The crowd fell silent.

  “Kill these men!” he commanded the executioner.

  The crowd broke out into a cheer.

  “But my Liege, you promised-” one of the criminals began to cry.

  Gareth nodded, and before the man could finish speaking, the floor dropped out and they all hanged.

  The crowd cheered in satisfaction, as the corpses dangled in the air.

  The crowd began to disperse, in an agitated stir.

  “The Destiny Sword stolen,” O’Connor whispered.

  “It is unthinkable,” Elden said.

  “The shield is down,” Conval said.

  “We are defenseless,” Conven added.

  Kolk, Brom and the men huddled close around Thor, Gwendolyn, Godfrey and all of the others.

  “We must hurry from this place,” Kolk said. “We must get as far from King’s Court as possible and fortify our new home.”

  “That is pointless now,” Brom said. “If the shield is down, we are not safe anywhere. If the Empire invades, the Ring will be overrun by a million men. Nothing will stop them.”

  “What we need is to get the shield back up again,” Kolk said. “And for that, we need the Sword.”

  “But you heard the thieves,” Reece said. “It is already far from here. Deep inside the Empire.”

  “Then we must go and get it back,” Brom said.

  With his words the huge group of knights fell silent, looking at each other grimly. For the first time, Thor could see fear in their faces.

  “Is there anyone among you men that will volunteer to venture into the Empire and search for the sword?” Brom called out, facing the Silver.

  The group of knights, all Silver, the finest warriors Thor had ever known, all stood there, silent. None of them stepped forward.

  “My lord, it would be futile,” one of them said. “You know that. A small band of warriors would never survive such a deep foray into the Empire. It has never been done before in the history of the Ring.”

  “And we don’t even know where the Sword is!” another said. “The Wilds stretch millions of miles. It could be anywhere!”

  “It would be a suicide mission,” said another. “There is nothing we can do but brace ourselves for an attack.”

  “I will go,” Thor said, stepping forward into the huge circle of men.

  They all fell silent, so silent, one could hear a pin drop.

  Thor could feel all the stares, and he felt himself racing with energy, felt more alive than he ever had. He knew it was crazy, reckless, that the chances were impossible. But he also felt that this was what he was born for, felt proud of himself for not giving into his fear. It wasn’t about surviving. It was about honor.

  “You have a big heart, Thorgrinson,” Kolk said. “And you do the Legion proud. But you would not survive. Not even you.”

  “It is not about surviving,” Thor said. “It’s abou
t doing what is right. For our kingdom. For all of us.”

  The men remained silent.

  “But no one else volunteers to go with you,” Brom said. “Even among these brave and fine warriors. And I cannot blame them.”

  “Then I will go alone,” Thor said, resolving himself. He was determined.

  “I will join him!” came a voice.

  Thor turned to see Reece step forward, beside him.

  “And I!” said O’Connor.

  “And I!” said Elden.

  “And we!” said the twins.

  Thor felt emboldened as all of his friends stepped forward, the group of six standing as one, ready to face death together.

  Kolk shook his head.

  “You are crazy, all of you,” Kolk said, “and the bravest men I’ve ever seen.”

  Brom stepped forward, placed a hand on Thor’s shoulder, and looked him in the eye.

  “Whoever you are, boy,” he said, “you do your ancestors proud.”

  He examined Thor deeply, as if deciding.

  “Go then,” Brom finally said. “Find the sword. Bring it home. The fate of our kingdom rests on you.”

  “We shall leave King’s Court and journey to Silesia and form a new court in your absence,” Godfrey said. “We will await your return. Be quick about it. And don’t die.”

  The men dispersed, and Thor stood there, feeling his world changing, reeling all around him. Then he felt a hand on his wrist.

  Thor looked over to see Gwendolyn standing beside him, tears in her eyes. His heart broke at the sight of her.

  “Before you leave, talk with me a minute,” she said.

  Thor walked with her, stepping away from the crowd, and they took privacy behind a stone wall. She looked up at him, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “I don’t want you to go,” she said. “Please. Not after all we’ve been through.”

  “But if I don’t, the shield will stay down,” Thor said. “The Empire will attack. We will all be finished.”

  She shook her head.

  “We are all finished anyway,” she said. “The Sword is gone. The shield will never go up again. You will never find it. You will just die alone out there. If we are to die, I would rather that we die together.”

  Thor shook his head.

  “Then your death, all of our deaths, would be on my head, because I had not tried to find the Sword. I must do this Gwendolyn. You, of all people, must understand. Please. I do not want to leave you. Know how much I love you. I wish for nothing more than to stay by your side. But I must do this. For our kingdom. For the Ring. For honor. Don’t you understand?”

  She nodded slowly, looking down at the ground, wiping her tears.

  Thor felt the ring his mother had given him, burning inside his shirt, and at that moment, he wanted more than anything to get down on one knee and to propose to Gwendolyn, to ask her to be his wife. A part of him felt that this was the moment.

  But another part of him felt it would not be fair to her to propose. He was about to leave, to head off into what was a likely death. If she were to be married to him, that would leave her a widow, forever. It would not be fair to her.

  Thor decided to keep the ring where it was, and as soon as he returned-if he returned-he would propose to her then. Then, they could live together forever.

  He reached down, raised her chin and looked into her eyes. He smiled down at her, wiping away her tears, and leaned in and kissed her.

  “I love you, Gwendolyn,” he said. “More than I could ever say.”

  She choked up in tears, crying, and threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

  “I hate you for going,” she said.

  “You will be safe this time,” Thor said, his heart breaking. “You will be with all these men. You will run your own court. An entire army will be protecting you. No one can hurt you now.”

  “It is not for myself that I fear,” she said. “It is for you.”

  Thor finally pulled her back, and looked deeply into her eyes.

  “I will return to you, my love,” he said “Not the moon and the stars and the heavens in the sky can keep me from you.”

  She smiled up weakly, a tear running down her cheek.

  “I wish I could believe that,” she answered.

  CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

  King McCloud burst from his castle as the second sun was setting in the sky and ran across the plaza of his royal court, filled with rage. He leapt onto his horse, followed by dozens of his loyal men, and kicked, taking off at a gallop through his small city, through one of the arched gates, and onto the dusty road leading up the mountain. He kicked the beast harder and harder, outrage burning through his veins. He had just received the news that his son had escaped, his bride with him, had broken free from his grasp before he’d had a chance to torture and kill them both and make a public display of them.

  McCloud burned with the indignity of it all. He could not believe that little witch had outsmarted him. He had been in a foul mood since returning home, and now he was in an outright fury. If it was the last thing he did, he would hunt them both down, find them before they could reach the safety of the MacGil side, and torture and kill them both himself.

  McCloud galloped, dozens of men following, desperate to reach the hilltop outside his court where he could have a good vantage point, see exactly where they were, and decide how best to hunt them down.

  Ungrateful little boy, he thought. He realized now that he had made a mistake to let Bronson live all these years. He knew from the time he was born that he should have had him killed-should have had all of his sons killed-so that no one could ever threaten to depose him. He had been too soft. Now he had paid the price.

  He had also been foolish to keep that MacGil girl alive as long as he had. He knew from past experience that it was always a good idea to kill women as soon as possible, and not take any chances with them. He again had become too soft in his old age, and he resolved to be crueler and more vicious than ever before.

  McCloud screamed and whipped his horse again and again, until it bled, the horse screaming, as they all charged and finally crested the top of the hill.

  From this vantage point, the setting sun flooding the sky in scarlet, matching his mood, McCloud could see on the horizon his son, Bronson, with Luanda, riding for the Highlands. His anger burned anew. It looked like they had a good day’s ride on him, and catching them would not be easy. No matter. He would hunt them down, make a sport of it. He would ride all night if he had to, and would not rest until he pounced on them and crushed them to death with his bare hands.

  McCloud sat there on his horse, watching, breathing hard, and was about to whip his horse again, to charge off after them, when suddenly, something came into view which confused him. He blinked several times, unsure what he was seeing.

  Before him there came into view an army of horses. It was the biggest army he had ever seen, unlike anything he had ever laid eyes upon. It appeared to be a million men, covering the entire countryside, swarming his way, like a swarm of ants.

  He turned, and in every direction they were there, millions of men, turning his land black with their bodies, their horses, closing in on him from every direction. He could not understand what was happening. From their dress, they appeared to be Empire men. But it was not possible: they were inside the Ring. Across the Canyon.

  Did the shield fail? he suddenly wondered, his heart skipping a beat.

  Before McCloud could process it all, suddenly there crested above the hill, right in front of him, a thousand men, just a few feet away-and at their head rode Andronicus, on a single horse, twice the size of his.

  Andronicus sat there, on his horse, a few feet before McCloud, grinning down at him, an evil grin, his fangs protruding, his sharp teeth glistening in the sunset. His demonic yellow eyes told McCloud all he needed to know: he had been beaten.

  McCloud was suddenly overwhelmed with panic, and he turned and looked behind him, as if to flee-but a
n instant later thousands more Empire men closed in from behind.

  He was completely surrounded. There was nowhere to run.

  McCloud swallowed hard. For the first time in his life, he felt what it was like to feel real fear. He felt what it was like to be utterly defeated.

  McCloud licked his dry lips as he looked up at Andronicus, wondering if there was any way out of this.

  “My Lord,” he said to Andronicus, his voice shaky, all of his confidence gone.

  “You had your chance to strike a deal with me,” Andronicus snarled, an ancient deep voice, rumbling forth from his chest. “And you refused.”

  “I am sorry, my Lord,” McCloud said, his voice catching in his throat. “I was just about to send men to you, to send you a message, that I wanted to let you in.”

  “Were you?” Andronicus said.

  He leaned back and roared with laughter.

  “Somehow, I doubt that very much,” Andronicus answered. “You are a poor liar. But it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. In my world, there are no second chances.”

  He leaned back and smiled wide.

  “Now you will learn what it means to defy the great Andronicus.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

  Thor sat on his horse and they rode at a walk, leading the small contingent of his six friends as they broke away from the huge fighting force of Silver and Legion who had come to see them off. The six of them stopped before the main bridge for the Western Crossing of the Ring, Krohn at their side, and before stepping foot onto the bridge, Thor and his brothers turned and saw the hundreds of Legion, of Silver, standing there, seeing them off. They all stared back with solemn faces, faces filled with awe and respect. Whatever happened, whatever lay before them, he felt as if he had found a home. A family. A real family. And he knew that was a very rare thing. For that, he would be eternally grateful.