Lost Souls

by John Van Stry

  "Been living with my mate, Sir, but I think I should start looking into that." He turned to the younger guard. "At Rush Falls I disobeyed the commander’s orders." He pointed at me. "His orders."

  "Saved the day too," I nodded. "I always trust my men to do what's right."

  "But, you're not the commander anymore!" He exclaimed.

  "Loyalty knows no ranks." Jonus said.

  I smiled and sat up a little straighter in my saddle. "I'm going to need about fifty men, Jonus, see how many of the old crew are interested. It's probably going to be hard, and it'll definitely be long. Queen's business."

  "Just like the old days then, Sir?"

  I shook my head as we finally came in clear sight of the gates. The seamstresses' head was still there at least.

  "No, this time it will be personal."

  "I'll spread the word tonight, Sir!"

  We rode through the gates in silence, the younger guard having the smarts to not continue his complaints in front of the others. We dismounted and some elven sub-commander I did not recognize came up to us looking annoyed.

  "I specifically ordered them to ask for your weapons."

  "I specifically refused. Now if you have a stick in this fire come with me to the queen’s chambers. Otherwise you're dismissed."

  He bristled at that. I may love Elves, but some of them can be down right annoying at times. The shrean guards always had the good sense to talk it out. We're not much for fighting amongst ourselves, customs and all. The Elves however can be just as stupid as human's occasionally.

  "You can't dismiss me!"

  "No, but I can!" I turned at that voice and saw it was Clint who had just ridden through the gates. "Now, quit being an idiot, Sussen."

  "They got you here too?" I asked him.

  "Yes, and I'm rather pissed as well. I was on my way to propose to your sister." He growled, "So what's with the head?" he asked nodding towards the gate.

  "Let's go to the queen and I'll fill you in." I turned to Jonus, "See you tonight, Sergeant?"

  "Definitely, Sir!" he saluted me then walked off.

  I turned to Clint, motioned for him to lead the way inside, and then headed inside after him myself.

  "What was that last bit all about?" he asked.

  "Putting together a war party. Asked him to spread the word."

  "Oh, am I invited?"

  "Your attendance is mandatory," I chuckled.

  "Your sister will not be pleased I suspect." He grinned.

  "But you are, right?"

  "Definitely. I'm sure this will be one to tell the cubs about."

  "Undoubtedly."

  We came to the door to the queen’s chambers and Clint waved the guard aside.

  "Well, here we go again," I sighed and we entered.

  The queen was mad, that was evident. The king was also mad. In addition, the ten senior council members in the room weren't very happy either.

  "Why did you kill my seamstress?"

  I smiled; she got right to the point and asked me herself this time. Her voice wasn’t weak, but it was filled more with curiosity than with anger.

  I bowed. "Your Highness, I actually did not kill her, she killed herself. I simply put her head on the pike."

  "Why would she do that?"

  "She was part of the plot against me, which we discussed earlier. I confronted her on it. She denied it of course, so I threatened her with a truthsayer."

  "I see," She paused a moment, thinking. "How was she involved?"

  "She was the page that bore your last message to me before my exile."

  "Which did not mention my daughter at all, did it?"

  "No, Your Highness, it did not. I thought that perhaps she had simply been bribed to change messages. I wanted to know by whom."

  "Though you have your suspicions no doubt?" she interrupted, in a voice a little weaker now.

  "Yes, Your Highness, anyway, her position and the fact that she killed herself rather than talk is a clear indication she was much deeper involved than I had suspected."

  "Such a shame,” she sighed and slowly shook her head as she settled back against the propped up pillows, “I liked her too. That's why I let her stay on to work in the castle rather than sending her back to her family."

  I simply nodded.

  "Why the head on the pike?" demanded Dunburr.

  "She's a traitor to the queen and the kingdom. She didn't try to redeem herself and come clean. She needs to be punished and disgraced, even if only in death."

  "But it – it’s barbaric!" He said outraged.

  "Yes, it is, isn't it?" I grinned evilly at him. "Little trick I learned from the humans, it makes your enemies panic."

  "I approve," said the queen softly, drawing all eyes to her lying in her bed.

  "Your Majesty!" Dunburr protested.

  "Shut up, Ereval." She raised her head slowly and looked around. "Where's my scribe."

  "Here, Your Majesty," an old elf stepped forward.

  "Take this down: I hereby decree Jareth of the Clan Kalidasa, former Commander of the Army and Captain of our Guard is now hereby appointed the queen’s champion."

  A couple of the councilors gasped.

  "And," She continued, "Is hereby appointed with the right to dispense the queen’s justice as he sees fit!"

  That shut them up.

  She collapsed back onto the bed then, raising only her hand to affix her seal to the document once the scribe was done.

  "Thank you, Your Highness," I said and bowed. She smiled but said nothing; I could see she was tired. I turned to the councilors.

  "Now members of the council, a question. Which of you here knew back when I was exiled that I was not involved with the Princess Lelani in any manner?"

  Several of them looked shocked; a few had better poker faces. However, one sighed and raised his hand.

  "I did, Jareth," It was Councilman Alistra.

  The others moved away from him, looking like they all wanted to be someplace else.

  "I see, why did you lie then?"

  He smiled, "If you look at the records, you will see that I told no lies. I never once accused you of sleeping with the princess. I agreed with Elantisfey that you were a poor choice for his daughter and agreed to help him exile you."

  "In exchange for?"

  "My son wanted to marry her. A union of my family with his would have been of benefit for the both of us."

  "I see," I know my voice sounded cold, but I couldn't help it. "And just where is your son and his daughter now?"

  "My son died in an unfortunate accident. His daughter hasn't been seen in a good many years, now that you mention it. I have no idea what happened to her."

  I nodded. "If it turns out you knew more about the current plot to poison her majesty, or kidnap Lelani, you will be executed of course."

  "I'm willing to swear under a truthsayer as to all of that. I would never betray my queen or kingdom."

  I nodded, "You will swear it under a truthsayer, trust me. And while I might despise you for your actions against me in the past, because you were honest enough to come forward I will not hold it against you." I turned to the others. "Any other confessions to be made?"

  "Yes, Jareth," It was councilor Trevor this time.

  "Yes, Councilor?"

  "The two guards who testified against you in the hearings, both disappeared. A number of people felt it was retribution from those who felt loyalty to you. Some even used it to political advantage," he turned and looked at Alistra and a few others before continuing. "Now however, that we know that they lied in their testimony, I'd say it was more likely that loose ends were being disposed of."

  I nodded "Thank you, Councilor. Maybe next time something like this happens you'll at least allow the accused the privilege of hearing the testimony against him, maybe even the right to ask a few questions. It might have nipped this conspiracy in the bud."

  "Surely you can't be accusing Elantisfey!" Alistra spoke up.

  "Wh
y not? He accused me, and falsely at that. Maybe he's innocent of this, maybe he was being maneuvered as well," I doubted it of course, my only plans for him now were death. "But at this point in time it doesn't matter. Recovering the princess is what I care about."

  I turned to the queen who was watching quietly, and then the king who had not said a word, "Your Highnesses, if I may? I have family I would dearly like to see."

  They both nodded and I bowed to each.

  "Good day, all," and I left with Clint in tow.

  We didn't speak until we were well away from the castle.

  "My people have captured two spies in the last two years." He said, "I guess your seamstress makes three."

  I nodded, "I searched her room, I couldn't find anything."

  "I'll have some people look around and see what they can track down. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised Alistra had the nerve to speak up back there."

  "I think the head on the pike did it. He didn't lie, he just misdirected, but still he has to be worried about getting sucked into a plot not of his own making."

  "I wonder who on the council does know. Too bad we can't just truth say the whole lot of them."

  "Yes it is," I sighed wondering just how many Elantisfy had corrupted to his own ends.

  When we got there at last, I stopped outside my clan's house, and got off my horse. A young cub ran up on all fours and took the reins in his mouth leading the horse off to the stables. Horses here were used to us, they didn't fear such things. I looked at the building and the large trees that grew around and into it. The building was made so that it wove up into the trees on either side, that part being done in the elvish style. A good deal more was underground, where it was dark and cool. Comfortable to those with their own fur coats.

  I stepped inside the door and was greeted by the true forms of my parents, whom I fell to my knees and hugged dearly.

  "Welcome home, Son," my father growled.

  "It's good to be home," I said and smiled happily, and finally it was true.

  Elsewhere

  It had taken her hours to prepare the spell; she wiped the sweat from her brow now as she stood in the center of the room, inside the pentagram carefully marked with all her sigils and inscriptions. She wasn't sure if it would work, there was so much time between now and then, when she had lived there last. Also, the valley’s own magical defenses might interfere, even with a spell such as this.

  Still like called to like, and it should work if her fears were true. Though it may not prove to her if this male was the one she thought, the one she now suspected of invading her dreams once more. She cursed him, that after all these years he was able to come into her dreams; twice in a week now she woke with his image in her mind's eye. She had to know if it was him, or just wishful thinking on her part, so better to try this now and lay the groundwork while she had the time if it was.

  Sitting down naked in the center of her markings, she worked her way slowly into the trance state required for such doings as these, then began to chant the litany of the spell. It would be hours before things would be ready so she had all the time she needed to prepare.

  Her thoughts drifted a little as she slowed her breathing, extended her senses and prepared to reach outside of herself. She thought about what he had been like, the sound of his voice, the smell of him. Tuning her mind to seek, while at the same time recalling memories that had lain long dormant in her past.

  Wishes and regrets spiraled into her mind then, ones she had not known even existed, ones that had been buried well and deeply over the last years. She stiffened a bit in surprise in the pentagram, not having remembered the depths of her feelings back then. But it was too late now to back out of this spell; she had spent too much time and energy to prepare it. She was committed to seeing it through.

  She would just have to deal with it and see how it played out.

  The docks came into focus first. It was strange how they always seemed to play such a part in her life back there, so much had come and gone from this place, not all of it good, not all of it bad.

  She let her mind travel around a few of the shops, seeing the tools, the merchandise, sacks of grains, until she tired of it and wound her way up the sole avenue, around the trees as she remembered them, the buildings looking unchanged. It was late, dark, there were probably those who were about, but this was not a scrying spell so those living would not show to her eyes. However, the reverse was also true that she would not show to those who watched either. At least not easily.

  The path of her will took her up to the castle, she wasn't sure why, this was not the place she was looking for, but she was drawn there all the same, until she saw what she had been drawn to: A head on a pike.

  She examined it closer; it was the head of her master’s spy in the castle. Like calling to like? She shuddered at that implication, being drawn here to the site of a traitor's punishment. More likely than not it was due to her earlier order to have this one investigate the strange male.

  Regardless, she would have to try another method to find out just where he was. If he was in the city, she'd know he was the stranger. She pulled back into herself momentarily and let the memories emerge once more. She'd never invaded his dreams; never felt she had the right or the power to try. Once she'd gained the power she had not the desire to see him again. But now, now she must know.

  Gathering herself, she concentrated on him, on all of him, and sent her mind forth once more, this time to find him on the dreamer’s plain, not on the physical one. This was her forte, if he slept at all this night, she would find him no matter where he was. But the plain of the dreamers was different than that of the physical world, it would not tell her where in this one he was, unless of course she could make him say ....

  Kalidasa Clan House - Elsheval

  I laid in my bed thinking about my homecoming. My family had been very happy of course, and I think everyone in the clan made an effort to stop by and welcome me home. It had taken hours, my clan was huge. A lot of old friends dropped by, and a few senior members of the other shrean clans dropped by as well, my homecoming was far more impressive than I had thought it would ever be.

  The fact that my room was still fairly much as I had left it was surprising as well. Living in the main clan house I hadn't expected that, but my stature only seemed to have grown in my absence. I got the impression that my clan and my family had been using my exile to some political advantage and that my return had just paid some kind of dividend.

  From what I gathered that night, there was a bit of resentment among the Shrean community that I was exiled because of an affair between myself and the princess. As the then commander of the queen's army, and the son of a clan leader, they felt snubbed that I wasn't considered “good enough” by the queen. I probably would have as well, had I any interest there. What I found strange was how anyone could have thought that I did. Alini and I had been keeping it quiet true, but I would have thought someone in my family would have guessed. Strange indeed.

  I settled back and closed my eyes to sleep, the room more tailored to shrean forms than human ones, but I was comfortable here all the same. After all, it was my room, not somebody else's. I yawned and drifted off almost immediately.

  The grass was cool and green and we lay content in the warmth of the sun's rays, bodies touching languidly enjoying the aftermath of our passions. I pulled her closer for a brief kiss and she whispered my name. I smiled and we talked of the future, a future that wasn't going to be because there was a ship in my destiny, but I hadn't known it then. Our last moments together, but neither of us knew it.

  The dream continued, things changed, the world grew cold around us. Suddenly we were together again, with the feeling we had just been so far apart.

  "Where are you, my Love?" I asked, "Tell me that I may come."

  "Tell me where you are and I will tell you how to get here." She replied, causing my heart to fill with longing and desire.

  "Why didn't you come when I
wrote you? Why didn’t you respond?" I held her close, "I thought you had forsaken me, I still love you so ...."

  "Then tell me where you are, tell me, my love."

  "I'm ...."

  I awoke, my dream suddenly shattered, with someone in the room. I could feel their presence, but I had no idea as to how they had gotten there, especially without my hearing.

  "You were dreaming, boy," came an old horse voice in raspy Shrean.

  I recognized the voice immediately.

  "Yes, and you woke me. Why, Daratheena?"

  "Can't an old woman come to visit her nephew?"

  "You never visit anyone, Daratheena." I yawned and stretched, "You have them visit you."

  Daratheena was the clan's wise woman, there was more than one of course, but she was the one. I had no idea how old she was, she was old when I was young, she also rarely left her rooms, yet seemed to know all that transpired, anywhere, that involved the clan in any manner.

  "Well, I didn't think you'd fit well in my rooms," she rasped growling back at me. "And there's a lot more to all of this than I think you realize."

  I sat up on bedding, "What do you mean?"

  "There are things at work here that I don't fully understand; too many forces at work, too many things at stake."

  "You know about the queen?"

  She ducked her head, in assent. "Yes, of course, all of the wise women here know. I also know of the queen's oracle, the dream that decided her to call you back to handle this."

  "Is it because they all think that Zaranfeld is involved in this?"

  "No," She growled, "I do not think he's involved in this at all. But there are other things, other dangers that I have not been able to see clearly."

  "I know he's not involved, after all I killed him."

  She bared her teeth in a grin, "Yes, and that is a clue as well. You know he's dead, but who else truly knows? There is a clue there ...."

  I nodded and thought about that, "What other things have you seen?"

  "There is a cloud around the whole of Lelani, that is suspicious of course."