Not many knew about Arianrhod’s hidden river. It was kept secret to give its rulers an advantage in escaping an enemy. No one had ever discovered the origins of the underground river, but it rushed up from a sinkhole into a small cave approximately two miles north of the village proper. The river continued on beneath the village and for several miles off to the south. It then emerged, rushing up and out into daylight from a rather large fissure in a stone cliff in a desolate area known as Stoney End, on the southern boundary of Arianrhod.
Dropping the lantern over a hook on the dragon’s tail, Aislin helped Devin into the boat. Gwen and Emara climbed in as Roderic held it steady. Roderic hooked his lantern in a notch on the dragon’s nose, then lowered Maeve into Gwen’s arms. Turning around, he extended a hand to Aislin and said, “We must make haste.”
Taking his hand, Aislin gingerly stepped into the boat. Roderic jumped in after her and picked up one of the boat’s paddles. Grabbing the other paddle, Aislin slipped the chain from the iron ring and pushed off from shore. The boat bobbed backward into the stronger current in the center of the river.
It had been years since Aislin had piloted these boats, and she looked up with uncertainty at Roderic. Roderic assured her, “You haven’t forgotten.” He put his paddle in the water on his side, and she did likewise on her side.
The boat picked up speed, and as it did, Aislin began to work the paddle in tandem with Roderic to guide them to safety. A sinking feeling overtook her. She wondered if they would ever be able to go home again.
On the southernmost edge of the kingdom of Arianrhod, near where the hidden river flowed gently into the dark forest of Blackthorne, stood a dark figure. A hooded cloak covered his head, concealing his face. Standing patiently beside him was a strong black stallion. As the dark figure contemplated the smoke rising from the direction of the village in Arianrhod, a thousand scattered thoughts whirled through his mind.
My spies were right. Jariath has raised an army with the intention of taking the lands of Arianrhod. They have no defenses, save a ragtag militia. The sister of the dead king rules as regent for her young nephew. There is no way they can survive an onslaught from an army like that.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
But what does this mean for us? We have stayed hidden all these years, but I must protect my people. Jariath is a monster, and if he finds out that we’re here, we’ll be next. Of that, I am certain.
He stood silently for a few more minutes, and then swung himself gracefully up onto the horse.
I have some time to prepare. We are not without men...and women...who will fight, and we fight in the forest better than any army in this land. I swear I’ll kill anyone who is unfortunate enough to come near us. I’ll protect and defend what is ours. To the death if need be.
And with that, he swung the horse around and galloped back into the darkness of the forest.
Chapter Five
BROCK STOOD ALONE IN THE empty sewing room, trying to collect his thoughts. The battle still raged off in the distance, but here, all was quiet.
They were here. I know they were. How could they have escaped from this room?
Jariath was going to be furious with him, and he tried to fight the panic he was starting to feel. There was simply no way Aislin and her family could have gotten out of here without someone seeing them.
He checked the windows once again, but they were three stories up, and he knew he would see nothing. Turning around, he studied the room, but it gave him no clues. There were simply no visible ways to escape.
And yet... the family had clearly been here and left in haste. Sewing littered the floor, and a small painting of a young boy stood propped against the wall. There were large splotches of bright red blood near the door and the chairs, but no trail that gave him any clues.
How? How had they escaped?
To make matters worse, Aislin had been seen outside, down on the walkway in front of the house. She should have been an easy capture for the swamp rangers Jariath had hired. That blasted Devin had gotten to her first, carrying her to safety in the house. Brock had already decided that part of today’s battle was going to be his little secret.
Jariath is going to kill me. He tried to think of something he could say to ease Jariath’s anger when he found out Aislin had slipped his grasp, but his mind was blank.
Jariath appeared in the ruined doorway. “You have them? Where are they?”
Brock turned to face the prince and felt his courage falter.
“I asked you a question. You do have Aislin and her family?”
“Alas, Jariath, I don’t. We had them cornered in this room, and yet... when the men broke through, they were not here. They were just...gone.” Brock waved his hand around the empty room for emphasis.
With a roar of anger that sent chills down Brock’s spine, Jariath kicked the splintered door and broke it cleanly in half. He turned to Brock, his hands curled into fists the size of small boulders.
“What do you mean they’re not here? Didn’t I tell you that capturing them was vital?”
“I know... they were in this room... I know they were! Look at the sewing they left behind on the floor! There’s no way they could have gotten out and not been seen by someone...” Brock’s voice trailed off weakly.
Crossing the room in two long strides, Jariath grabbed Brock by the front of his tunic and pulled him face to face. “You’re a worthless, miserable worm! I give you one job to do... a job that should have been easy...and you fail me!” Jariath stood breathing heavily, his blue eyes ablaze with rage. Sure he was about to be killed, Brock closed his eyes.
Jariath flung Brock to the floor and stalked away. “Bah! Send a fool to do a man’s errand, and this is what you get!”
Brock didn’t look up or attempt to stand. Several minutes of silence passed. He knew Jariath was studying the room, trying to see the unseen.
“It’s true. There does not appear to be a way out of this room,” Jariath finally said in a calmer tone. “The stones in the wall are all aligned and mortared. We’re three stories up, so it wouldn’t have been easy for them to lower themselves out the windows. I see no other doors. You’re sure they were here?”
“Yes, I’m sure...”
Jariath interrupted him. “How are you sure? Who gave you this information?”
“The kitchen staff after we had...persuaded...a few of them to talk. A courier had come from Wyndham, the family had taken a meal in the dining hall, and they had all retired to the sewing room to visit. There were five of them here, and we were on our way up to take them prisoner. Devin got here first and locked them in. It took the axes of half a dozen men to break through the door, and when we did... there was no one...no one...in this room.” Brock shook his head in disbelief. “I just don’t understand it.”
“Whose blood is this?” Jariath had stopped near the chairs, peering back sharply at his assistant.
“If I had to guess, I’d say Devin’s. He’d been wounded several times by the time he got in the house. I don’t understand how three women, a little girl and an old man could have gotten that beast out of this room with them. He spilled a lot of blood, yet there’s no trail anywhere. Just the puddles here.”
Jariath gave a growl, and began to pace. “There’s something here...something hidden. That little bitch will not get the best of me. There must be some way out of this room, and I’m going to find it.”
Brock stood up, dusted himself off, and recovered a bit of his courage. “And by that time, Aislin will be out of Arianrhod. She’s not stupid. She’s probably on her way to her uncle in Wyndham. We don’t have that kind of time.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I will have a tenuous hold on this land at best if she escapes me. I can’t let that happen. You were supposed to see that it didn’t happen.” Jaria
th shook his head. “She will not get through my guard. I’ve ordered my men to the borders of the kingdom. A group that large will not be able to travel very far unnoticed.” His eyes scanned the walls of the room. “She will yet be mine.”
“I hope so. You sound very sure of yourself. If she makes it to Wyndham and returns here with her uncle’s army, it could be a disaster for us,” Brock said.
“Maybe you should have thought of that before we invaded. This was your idea, worm.”
Jariath disappeared down the stairs, muttering in fury and frustration at the loss of his prey.
Chapter Six
THE CAVERN ALONG THE RIVER was exactly as Aislin remembered it growing up. The spring still bubbled out from the rocks in the corner, forming a small pool of fresh water for drinking and bathing. Several cots of rough burlap filled with straw were along one wall, and a pile of blankets sat next to them. Preserved fruits and meats were stored in barrels in a much colder alcove off the back wall by the spring. Although it was certainly not the accommodations they were used to, the cave was meant to be a secure, short-term hiding place from an enemy. As she eased Devin down onto one of the cots, Aislin felt a sense of guarded relief. Hopefully, it would keep them safe and hidden until she and Roderic could return with help.
Emara looked around the cave and wrinkled her nose in disgust. “We’re expected to stay here in this filth?”
“It’s a cave, Mother. Not a palace.”
“I know, but... it’s dark and damp. And cold. We’ll catch our deaths down here.”
Aislin lit the candles in several lanterns. Exasperated, she handed one to her mother. “I don’t know what to tell you, Mother. We certainly can’t go back to the manor house, unless you think you can charm Jariath into withdrawing his troops back to Morrigan.”
The glow of the candles fell on mother and daughter as they glared at each other.
“There’s no need to take that tone with me, Aislin. I’m well aware of the unfortunate position we’re in,” Emara said. “We’ll just have to make the best of it, I suppose.”
Maeve had thrown herself down onto one of the rough cots. “This will be my bed!” A ghost of a smile teased Aislin’s lips. Maeve made an adventure out of everything.
Roderic emerged from the back after checking on the food stores. “There’s enough supply here for the five of you for about three weeks. Be frugal, and you may stretch it to four or five. Hopefully, I’ll be back with Wyndham’s army by then.”
“Four of you...” Aislin said. “I’m going with you. We must be back as soon as possible. I don’t want him in control of Arianrhod any longer than necessary. He tends to destroy everything he touches.”
Aislin chewed her lip as she looked down at the bloody gown she had on. “I hope there’s a change of clothing here. I can’t wear this out and expect not to be seen.”
“I restocked the cave not that long ago. There are several changes of clothing in those sacks against the wall over there. I packed them for both men and women. Unfortunately, there’s no clothing for a child,” Devin said.
“Maeve can wear anything,” Gwen said. “As long as she is warm and dry.”
Roderic took Aislin’s arm gently and pulled her away from the group, addressing her in a low voice so the others wouldn’t hear. “Aislin, it may be best if you stayed here with your family. I’ll make the trip to Wyndham myself. It’s too dangerous for you. If Jariath finds you, I fear the worst.”
“I won’t let you go alone, and there’s no point in trying to change my mind. I was appointed regent for Bryce until he was of age, and this happened on my watch. I have a responsibility to see this through to the end, whatever that may be.”
“Your sense of duty is going to bring you to a bad end someday,” Roderic growled.
Aislin laughed. “So be it. They don’t need me here. Once my mother gets over having to live in a cave, she will be issuing orders and challenging my sanity. Besides, I would be at my wit’s end wondering where you were, what you were doing, and when you’d be back.”
“What can I say to change your mind? It really is a dangerous...”
Aislin quickly put a finger up to Roderic’s lips. “Nothing. There’s nothing you can say—my mind is made up. In any case, we probably should stay the night here in the cave. The hour is growing late, and we’re all exhausted. It will give us a chance to collect our thoughts and think of a plan.” She peered around Roderic and looked at the bloody man lying on the cot. “Right now I need to take care of Devin. Will you see if you can find me some bandages?”
As Roderic looked around for bandages, Aislin rummaged through the sacks of clothing. She found a pair of tan cotton pants and a dark brown tunic made of wool that looked like they would fit her. She made the men turn their backs while she slipped them on. A good pair of shoes was essential for the long trip on foot, so she dug around until she found a sturdy pair of leather boots.
The clothing was less than flattering on her slim figure, and Aislin hid a smile as her mother made a face. Before Emara had a chance to criticize, Aislin spoke. “I know what you’re thinking, and I don’t want to hear it.”
“You look like a common gardener in those clothes.”
“Common gardeners put food on your table. You would do well to remember that.”
Picking up a clean cloth, Aislin dipped it into the cold spring water and began to clean the gash on Devin’s head. She was relieved to see that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed for all the blood covering his head. His other injuries were just cuts, scrapes and bruises. A couple of arrows had grazed him, and he’d dodged one of Morrigan’s fighters wielding a rather large knife, coming away with a nasty slice on his shoulder.
“There now. I’m happy to say I believe you’ll live!” With a smile, Aislin got to her feet.
“I never thought otherwise,” Devin replied.
Gwen, sitting on a cot with her arms around Maeve, asked, “How are you ever going to get to Wyndham? It’s a journey of several days on horseback. You and Roderic will be on foot. There’s a limited amount of food here. I just don’t see how...”
Aislin looked over at Roderic, digging through the clothing. “I’ve never been down the river past the cave here. Do you know what is beyond this point?”
Roderic turned and sat down on a rock. “Well, I know we can’t ride the boat out of the hidden cavern. The river narrows as it reaches the Stoney End cliffs. It narrows and picks up speed, and flows uphill for a short distance before it emerges out of the cliff. It then drops in a waterfall and lands on some very sharp rocks.”
“So how do we get out of the river cavern if we can’t ride the river out? By tomorrow morning, Jariath will have begun the process of securing the borders, and there may be soldiers at Stoney End. How will we get around them?”
Devin snorted. “Do you think Jariath thinks that far ahead?”
Aislin shook her head. “He’s a violent bully, but he’s very clever. It would be a mistake to underestimate him. He knows by now we have escaped him, and he will have put a plan in place to make sure none of us gets beyond the borders of Arianrhod. Whether we do or not depends on us having a better plan.”
“We can continue in the boat part of the way, but we’ll have to get out when we see the water get frothy and start to pick up speed. There used to be a mark on the wall where the boats were tethered, and we must then continue on foot. There’s a footpath along the edge—it’s been years since I’ve been that far down the hidden river, so I hope it’s still there.” Roderic closed his eyes. “As I recall, the footpath gets a bit treacherous toward the end. It makes a steep climb upward in the rocks toward the river’s outlet, but the path comes out in a series of rock outcroppings located about halfway down the cliff. It might be a good place to stay hidden and take a look at things.”
“The problem with that
is that you’ll be coming out into the southwestern corner of Arianrhod. The fastest way to Wyndham will be to turn back to the east and travel through Blackthorne Forest,” said Devin.
“Blackthorne Forest!” Both Gwen and Emara gasped in unison.
Emara began to wring her hands. “Blackthorne is full of thieves and criminals of every sort. Who knows what creatures are lurking there? The area is wild and untamed—no civilized people live there! Everyone avoids the land of Blackthorne if possible. You can’t seriously think to travel to Wyndham through that forest!”
Roderic looked a little uncertain. “I know the legends they tell about Blackthorne Forest, but Devin is right. It’s the fastest route to Wyndham. The only other way is to travel to the west through the kingdom of Aesun, and then turn to the north through Danisrhod, Strathmore, Brethmore, and finally into Wyndham. Most of those lands are quite friendly with Arianrhod, but it will take us three times as long to get to Wyndham as it would if we just went through the forest. We’d also be skirting along the northern edge of Morrigan while we traveled through Strathmore, and that brings its own problems. And it is possible... we just don’t know how the rulers of those kingdoms will feel now that Jariath has invaded Arianrhod. Those kingdoms are heavily populated, and if Aislin and I were caught... well, it’s an unfortunate possibility that we could be turned over to Jariath in order to appease him, and to keep him out of their own lands.”
“No one from Aesun would ever betray this family!” Gwen said.
King Thorun of Aesun was Gwen’s father. Aislin’s older brother, Fionn, had met Princess Gwenyd in Aesun during a visit there, and had asked for her hand in marriage before he left. Gwen had been more than a little reluctant to marry someone she didn’t know, but they soon discovered they were kindred spirits. She had loved Fionn deeply, as he’d loved her.
Aislin of Arianrhod (Land of Alainnshire) Page 4
