Knight's Haven (Legend of the White Sword Book 4)

by P. D. Kalnay

“Hang tight, we’re on our way.”

  It was a stupid thing to say. Where was he going to go?

  “Time to open the gate and test the boat on the open sea,” I told Ivy.

  “It will take time to reach the tower,” she said. “Then you must move your hammer and return for the boat.”

  “We’ll take the boat across the harbour and then ground it,” I said. “That’ll be faster than walking.”

  ***

  I drove us most of the way to the tower. The rocky shoreline provided no places to tie-up, and I settled for wedging the bow into a narrow inlet and leaving the pump on low. That kept it pressed up against the shoreline. I added anchor-making to my to-do list. The climb up to the tower path was steep, but doable. We were both out of breath by the time we reached the top of the tower, and moving my hammer two feet to one side was an anticlimactic finish to our race.

  “Back down I go,” I said to Ivy. I was still out of breath.

  “Be careful, Jack.”

  “I will. Close the gates behind me.”

  ***

  The climb down was easier. My wings acted as a brake letting me jump from greater height than would otherwise have been safe. Soon, I was heading for the gates at cruising speed. From water level, the sea gates were intimidatingly massive, and I couldn’t imagine assaulting them if the water had been dry land. I hung back while Ivy opened a gap slightly wider than my boat. Then I was through and out on the open ocean. With the gates shut, the harbour had grown still. Now, waves towered above me on all sides. I took on a little water at the start, before I got the hang of things. It wasn’t a dangerous amount, which was good because I hadn’t thought of adding a bailing bucket.

  I’d seen the visiting ship in the distance from the tower’s windows. Without reference it had been hard to gauge its size. The closer I got, the bigger it grew. I’d once toured a WWII aircraft carrier on a class trip. The Valaneese merchant freighter was about the same size. A much smaller boat was lowered from the side and rowed toward me, quickly closing the distance. I slowed when it neared. Then I breathed a sigh of relief. Sir Andriel rode in the prow while a dozen rowers drove the boat forward.

  He showed no sign of recognition when we were within shouting distance.

  “Hi, Sir Andriel,” I shouted.

  “Prince Jakalain? Is that you?”

  I’d forgotten how different I looked.

  “Yeah, the new me.”

  “Is Princess Ivangelain well?”

  “Yeah, we’re both fine,” I said. “She’ll be happy to see you.”

  Sir Andriel had always looked old, now he looked tired too. We were in spitting distance, and shouting became temporarily unnecessary.

  “I’ve come with members of the Order, and other allies, will you open the gates?”

  “If you’ll vouch for them,” I said.

  “I will,” Sir Andriel shouted as the wind picked up and we drifted apart again.

  The other people in his boat were staring at me and my boat. I stared right back. They came in all different flavours of fairy-tale creature. Over half were goblins, and I recognised them right away. Ivy said there were a lot of goblins and they often took work away from their homelands. A sizeable percentage of the goblin population was travelling at any given time... basically the New Zealanders of the First World. There was a dreylun woman who was as hairy, and as big, as the one dreylun man I’d met. Plus two short stocky guys, with lumpy faces that I wasn’t sure about. Finally, there were two tall, sticklike people who had skin like tree bark, and big, round, and glowing amber eyes. I didn’t even know what their gender might be, let alone their species. As on Earth, merchant ships’ crews were often a mixed bag. The First World had a lot more variety available.

  “I’ll signal Ivy,” I shouted.

  I sped my boat past them and then spun back towards Knight’s Haven. Halfway there, I made the wind milling arm signal we’d agreed on for opening the gates wide. By the time I passed through, the gates were already wide enough to admit the ship. My boat was so much faster that I had time to collect Ivy, put my hammer back at the wheel, and speed across the harbour before the huge ship finished docking at the long pier. Ivy was excited to see Sir Andriel again, and we hurried around the harbour’s edge.

  It was weird seeing other people. Ivy and I had been the only residents on the island since the death of the sphinx, not counting One, Two, and Three, (which I’m ashamed to admit, I didn’t). What seemed like an army of people were disembarking from the colossal vessel. Only two of the people were fae. I’d have to ask Ivy what some of the others were when a more discreet opportunity presented itself.

  Sir Andriel led nine people down the pier to meet us.

  “Sir Andriel, it is good to see you again,” Ivy said.

  “And you, Princess,” Sir Andriel gestured to the green slopes in the distance. “You’ve done much to restore Knight’s Haven.”

  “The folk who come will need food,” Ivy said. “Caring for the land is the way of my people… or should be.”

  “Well said.” Sir Andriel turned to me. “It would seem you made the journey safely and arrived ahead of the raiders.”

  “Most of them,” I said.

  “What became of the others?” a tall knight asked.

  He sported a canine head on top of a humanoid body and looked as though he’d stepped off the wall of an Egyptian temple. He wore the same robes as Sir Andriel, with silver World Tree embroidered on the left breast. I took an immediate dislike to the guy. Maybe it was the way he asked the question.

  “We encouraged them to leave,” I said.

  “Ah, I’ve been remiss in the introductions,” Sir Andriel said. “Prince Jakalain Moonborn Talantial and Princes Ivangelain Gardenborn Venantial, may I present my various companions on the voyage here.” He pushed on without waiting for Ivy or me to agree. “This is Merchanter Captain Hilal who brought us here aboard her ship the Northfire. These Six are Sir Balar, Sir Ra Val Nar, Sir Ellion, Sir Jad and Squires Aldon and Baldon. All brothers in the Order, and this is–”

  “I can introduce myself, thank you.” A tall winathen woman stepped forward. “I am Lyrian Galeborn Artious, lately of Windhol, and I’ve come at your grandmother’s request to tutor you in the use of your gifts.”

  Lyrian was beautiful in the way most of the winathen were. She was pale and flawless, like a perfect statue carved from smooth marble. She had icy eyes that matched mine, and wings that shimmered in the light of the setting sun. I’d never noticed my wings doing any shimmering. She gave a neat half bow with her wings pressed together. I assumed it was some kind of winathen greeting.

  “Uh, thanks,” I said. “That would be great.”

  “Have you settled in?” Sir Andriel asked.

  “We’re living up there.” I pointed to Marielain’s apartment and workshop.

  “Ah, yes, of course,” he said as though he’d expected my answer.

  “Where did you get that boat?” Captain Hilal asked. “It moved with impressive speed. I’ve never seen a water enchantment so powerful or used by one of the Fae.”

  She looked as if somebody had crossed a human and an eagle. Her face was sharply featured and her mouth, nose, and chin were beaklike. She wore a long, green cloak that covered all except her head, and her golden-brown hair was dense, short, and pressed close to her skull. It might have been feathers. I was doing my best not to stare. The hand that held her cloak closed ended in short claws. I felt hot just looking at her cloak; it was an unusually warm autumn evening.

  “I built it. There are water enchantments?” I knew there were air, stone, and earth enchantments. Between us, Ivy and I had those covered, but I’d never imagined water enchantments. Water was less tenuous than air, so I guessed it made sense. It’d just never occurred to me.

  “How do you think merfolk manage daily chores? Or the sea sprites of the Crimson Sea keep their cities afloat?” The Captain was looking at me like I was an oddity.

  “I guess I
never thought about it.” Mostly because I’d never heard of sea sprites before.

  “How swiftly can it travel? I didn’t get a good look, but I thought you used Atlantean ship joints in the construction?”

  “It goes fairly fast, I guess. Around twice as fast as I drove it today.” Her look said she didn’t believe me. “I don’t know what Atlantean ship joints are. I used an interlocking bevel on the planks that tightens the joints whichever way they’re stressed, creating a double seal.”

  “Where did you learn your shipcraft?”

  “I just followed plans I found. It’s my first boat, and we only tried it out for the first time today.”

  “Incredible.”

  I shrugged, not having anything to say to that.

  “This is fascinating,” Sir Balar, the dog-headed guy said, “but I wish to return to the Hall after our long exile.”

  “It’s locked up,” I said.

  “We have keys,” Sir Andriel told me. “Would the two of you join us there at noon tomorrow to discuss the future?”

  “We shall be there,” Ivy said.

  “I must see to my ship and the other passengers,” the Captain said. “Good evening.”

  She turned back down the pier, and the knights went the opposite way, up towards the little fortress overlooking the city. That left me, Ivy, and Lyrian.

  “I shall begin your instruction immediately,” Lyrian said. “Have you vacant rooms in your home?”

  “Sure, a bunch of them,” I said.

  Most of the apartment was empty.

  “You will not be staying with us,” Ivy said at the same time.

  “Is that your decision to make?” Lyrian towered over her. “Do you have the right to override your master’s wishes?”

  Hold on, was she talking about me? I was pretty sure I wasn’t Ivy’s master in any sense of the word. Ivy looked super-pissed, and the butterflies and necklace had developed a glow. Then a swarm of bees lifted off from around Ivy’s neck. They looked angry too.

  “Sorry,” I said quickly, “you can’t stay with us. We’ll have to do the lessons somewhere else.”

  “If that is your wish,” Lyrian said. “I shall find other shelter.”

  She turned back towards the ship without another word.

  “Don’t you think that was a bit of an overreaction?” I asked Ivy when the other woman was out of earshot.

  The bees had returned to slumber.

  “You’re an idiot, Jack. You know nothing about her, and you were ready to let her into our home?”

  “Gran said she was going to send me instructors,” I said. “How could anybody else know that?”

  “You can’t trust every pretty face you see. I’m going home.”

  I followed behind, unsure what to say.

  Chapter 11 – Marielain’s Books

  Ivy and I had our first leisurely breakfast together in months. That should have been nice. It wasn’t. My inviting Lyrian to stay with us—which was really a case of my not saying she couldn’t, right away—still had Ivy angry. I assumed that was the reason. She hadn’t said another word to me when we’d returned home or the next morning. The morning was wide open since my boat was finished, I didn’t have a next project lined up, and the boat had already served its primary purpose. I decided to smooth things over with Ivy when I figured out how, or, possibly she’d forget… whichever came first.

  We looked down on the city from the balcony, the same as we’d done many times before. Now, there were significant differences. The ship tied to the pier was a big one. It looked sizeable even from our high and distant vantage. Far stranger was seeing the people. Every so often, I’d see movement on a street below. They were tiny and distant, and no details could be discerned, but seeing anybody walking the streets of Havensport was weird. Ivy’s cold shoulder continued through a quiet morning in the apartment. Shortly before noon, she broke her silence.

  “It’s time to go,” she said.

  Then Ivy led me out, down to the boulevard, and finally to the Order’s headquarters.

  The guys Sir Andriel had introduced as Squires Aldon and Baldon guarded the main doors. Guarding them from what remained unknown. They were satyrs, and they looked as if they were related, but I was no judge. I’d learned from Mr. Ryan’s and Ivy’s stories that the Order accepted members from any race. Both had the standard issue black robes, but their robes lacked the monogramed World Tree. I guessed you only got that when you were knighted. The doors stood open, revealing a small courtyard within.

  “We’ve been awaiting your arrival,” Squire Aldon said.

  I thought he might be younger than Ivy and me.

  “I’m to escort you to the council chambers,” Squire Baldon said. “The members in residence are ready to receive you.”

  He certainly made it sound important and official.

  “You mean the guys we met last night on the pier?” I asked.

  The corner of his mouth twitched, spoiling his serious demeanour.

  “Yes, Prince Jakalain… those guys.”

  Ivy gave me a look that said I wasn’t fit to be taken out in public, and we followed the older squire into the courtyard. The Order’s headquarters hinted at the grandeur Havensport must once have boasted. Statues of noble-looking figures lined the courtyard, standing guard through the ages. I wondered if Janik was among them. Probably not, since they hadn’t had control of the place for long after he’d left.

  The workmanship and intricate details carved into the stone told me without words that no expense had been spared in the Hall’s construction. It was similar to the Talantial palace, carved into a canvas of dark rather than light stone. I noted the similarities to Ivy.

  “This is petrathen workmanship,” she said. “No doubt the Order hired petrathen masons.”

  The place felt ancient; definitely older than Marielain’s workshop or apartments. That made sense. What made no sense was that I could tell at a glance. Just one more fairy-thing, I assumed.

  Past the courtyard stood another set of big doors blocking entrance into the Hall proper. They were unguarded, which also made sense, since the Order was light on manpower. Baldon opened one door and gestured for us to enter. Then he shut it behind us with a thud.

  Sir Andriel and the other knights sat in tall stone chairs running around the outside walls of the vast, vaulted chamber. There must have been two hundred seats available. The knights were spread out, seemingly at random. Sir Andriel sat at the far end beside the largest and middlemost chair. The others ranged all the way to the back, which was a shouting distance away. It made it look as though they didn’t like each other (or were some kind of crazy). Ivy and I walked down the middle of the hall, and across a massive silvery World Tree mosaic, to stand in front of Sir Andriel. The other knights were well behind us. I glanced back.

  “You wanted to talk?” I asked. My unspoken questions must have come through with that.

  “This isn’t the most convenient arrangement,” Sir Andriel said with a chuckle. “Each of us must take a seat determined by rank. It made more sense when we were able to fill the hall. However, my brothers wish to return to all of our traditions.” He shrugged.

  Ivy and I standing, while the other guys sat, made it feel like we were on trial or there to ask for something. Sir Andriel was a nice guy, so I let that slide.

  “First, we wish to thank both of you for your efforts, which have allowed us to re-establish the Order here.”

  “Ivy did most of the work fixing the island,” I said. “All I did was lock the gates.”

  “You also stopped the burning,” Sir Andriel said. “Regarding the main gates….”

  The old knight looked uncomfortable.

  “We demand that you surrender control of the gates, immediately.” Sir Balar was way behind us but I heard him as clearly as if he were right next to me.

  The room must have great acoustics, I thought, or magic. Both were equally likely.

  “We wish to man the gatehouse again
,” Sir Andriel said, ignoring the other man.

  I looked at Ivy, and she shrugged her indifference.

  “OK,” I said. “We were just holding them for you anyway. I’ll collect my hammer when you have somebody available.”

  “Thank you, Prince Jakalain,” Sir Andriel said. “I assured my brothers of your character, but they have many reasons to distrust our kind.”

  “Most of the Fae do seem to be jerks,” I said.

  It was the simple truth, but my comment got a few laughs across the room.

  “What do you know of Lyrian Galeborn Artious?” Ivy asked.

  “Little,” Sir Andriel said. “She met us before we took ship from Proudspire. She had a letter from Mabalain Stormborn Aerantial in her possession, requesting a tutor for Prince Jakalain. I was privy to that plan, so I allowed her to join us. Lyrian is haughty and abrasive, but those are hardly rare qualities in a winathen. Even if she is false, a single enchanter poses a limited risk so far from possible allies.”

  “You’re certain the letter is genuine?” Ivy asked.

  “I don’t know Queen Mabalain’s handwriting, but the seal is genuine. It’s hard to imagine anyone foolhardy enough to duplicate her seal.”

  I figured people forged things all the time, but Ivy apparently agreed with him. Sir Andriel looked uncomfortable, as though he was trying to let us know our favourite pet had died, but wasn’t sure how to break it to us. An awkward silence grew in the room.

  “We require access the Blackhammer’s workshop and its contents,” Sir Balar said.

  Sir Andriel looked embarrassed, but he didn’t override the other knight. Ivy looked shocked, which was how I felt, hearing the demand. Then, I felt angry.

  “Not going to happen,” I said.

  “Prince Jakalain–”

  “I said, no.”

  “Knight’s Haven is the property of the Order,” Sir Balar said. “Marielain Blackhammer was permitted to live here at the sufferance of the Order. All the island contains is ours.”

  I was really starting to hate that guy.

  “If you can open the doors, you’re welcome to come in,” I said. “I don’t know who owns this island. Ivy and I are stuck here, and you wouldn’t even be here without us. We’ll be good neighbours for as long as that’s reciprocated. If this was what you wanted to talk about—the meeting is over.”