Courage Of The Conquered (Book 3)

by Robert Ryan

  Conhain’s sword sang through the air. The ring of steel on steel peeled out into the park like jumbled bells, and his blade flashed as he drove forward.

  Now, Brinhain retreated. He showed no limp from the gout that he suffered, for either the condition had improved or fear made him forget pain. He stepped back, but then tried to turn defense into attack by deflecting and lunging forward.

  The point of his sword flicked across Lanrik’s chest, but there was no force in the blow. The stroke was at the limit of Brinhain’s reach, and his momentum was not fully committed. Lanrik, on the other hand, drove forward. With a smooth stroke he broke through the other’s defenses. His blade hurtled at Brinhain’s neck. One moment it cut through the air, and the next he tilted his wrist so that the flat of it cracked into bone.

  Brinhain reeled. He dropped his sword, and then he collapsed to the ground and lay still. He was not dead, though death he had deserved.

  A moment Lanrik stood above his fallen enemy, wondering if he was wrong to spare him, but a moment only. The thunder of hooves over turf made him spin and face the other guards in a fighting crouch.

  He need not have. Before they reached him, Erlissa flung up a wall of flame ahead of the horses, and the animals reared in sudden fright.

  Three of the riders fell. Lanrik leaped over the flame and pulled the fourth from his saddled, throwing him to the ground.

  “Run!” he yelled at the guards. “Or wither in flame!”

  Erlissa could never make good on such a threat, but the men did not hesitate. They scrambled to their feet and dashed away. Only one lingered, looking as though he might fight, but as his comrades raced off, that thought left his mind.

  The flame died. Lanrik quietened a horse, and took its bridle. The Lindrath was there also, his calm presence quieting another horse, and then Erlissa gathered in the reins of Brinhain’s.

  They leaped into the saddles.

  “You just can’t help yourself,” Erlissa said with a laugh.

  The Lindrath looked confused, and Lanrik flashed him a grin.

  “I’ve had cause to steal horses … basically ever since the first time I met her.”

  “These aren’t like the alar mounts that you took from the shazrahad though.”

  “No. Nothing in Esgallien is of that quality, but let’s put them to the test anyway. It’s time to ride.”

  He nudged his mount into a gallop, and the others followed. They headed over the dewy grass toward the Hainer Lon. Conhain’s tomb was behind them, their own deaths somewhere ahead. He would do his best to ensure they did not find them soon.

  They sped through the park. Turf flew behind them. The night air was cooling, and the horses seemed near fresh. They soon came to the soldiers. Beyond the picket line was the road, and safety, if they could reach it and then race to River Gate. Once there, they were out of the city, and between him and the Lindrath, no pursuit would find them. But they must get there first.

  The picket line moved and shuffled. Lanrik had no desire to fight them, for they were just following orders. A commotion appeared somewhere to their left and out of his sight. Many soldiers took their gaze off the riders, but Lanrik could not understand why.

  They galloped toward them. Few men, soldiers or otherwise, would hold their ground in the face of charging horses. Yet the men were many, and though caught by confusion, their role was simple and they understood it: stop anybody escaping the park.

  The soldiers drew their swords, and Lanrik was doubtful of the horses. They belonged to the Royal Guard, and though they were good animals, he did not know their background. They might not be trained for this, and there was a risk that they would shy when close to the line. And that moment was coming soon.

  He bent low over his mount, and drew his own sword. Nearby, the Lindrath did the same. He saw also that light flickered at the tip of Erlissa’s staff.

  The faces of the soldiers came into view, and as they did so he saw their expressions change. Resolve gave way to fear, and then surprise. Awe followed.

  The men dropped their weapons and broke rank. A gap opened. Lanrik could not understand what was happening, and he glanced at the Lindrath. The Lindrath was looking behind him, and Lanrik followed his gaze. At last, he understood.

  There were no longer just three rides. A fourth was fast catching up. But it was no ordinary rider, and the horse was like nothing that he had ever seen, at least in the flesh. It was roan colored, and massive. The noise of its hooves was as thunder. Upon its back was a mighty warrior; nay, a king. And not any king, but Conhain himself. Crowned was his head, and in his hand he held the Red Cloth of Victory. Whether illusion, or ghost, none born in Esgallien could fail to recognize him.

  Wind whistled past Lanrik’s ears. He passed through the gap. Soldiers nearby reeled away, and none made a stroke, and none shot with bow, though archers stood scattered among them. They all stared, open mouthed and wide eyed, and then suddenly a cry went up.

  “Conhain! Conhain!”

  Lanrik felt their jubilation. “The king returns!” he yelled, and many soldiers dropped to their knees.

  One moment he rode on grass, and the next iron-shod hooves clattered on cobbles. Erlissa and the Lindrath raced beside him.

  They turned to the right, heading toward River Gate. Just as they did so, Lanrik saw Ebona. She stood away to the left, next to a black carriage. Red fire dripped from her fingers. But her face was white, paler even than the dress she wore, and her eyes were deep pools of fear and doubt.

  They sped away, but Lanrik yelled over his shoulder.

  “The king returns! Down with the Witch-queen!” It was both threat and promise, and it would spread throughout the city.

  They raced on. The great warhorse, Conhain upon his back, came with them. All through the city they galloped. Men saw them. Women saw them. Children saw them. Shouts of Conhain! Conhain! followed in their wake.

  They came to River Gate in a rush, and then reined their mounts to a stop.

  “Open! I am the Lindrath, and I command you in the name of the king!”

  The soldiers did not hesitate. They opened the gate with trembling hands. Two ghosts were before them: Conhain and the Lindrath. Both were supposed to be dead, and word of the Witch-queen’s subterfuge with the body at the palace would spread through the city and undermine her. She would now seem week, and the people would know that resistance against her was possible.

  In moments they rode free. They galloped down the road, grand estates to either side. The land was open, the way ahead clear. Behind them came no pursuit.

  Lanrik glanced back one final time. The fourth rider was gone, but the last rumbling gait of a great warhorse could still be heard. Whether it was all just an apparition sprung from Erlissa’s lòhrengai, or the ghost of Conhain, he did not know. But his heart sang with joy.

  They rode toward Esgallien Ford. After that would come the tor, Aranloth, and then the overthrow of Ebona.

  At least, so he hoped.

  Epilogue

  The moon rose like a silver ball in the dark sky. It seemed so large, so close, that Lanrik felt as though he could reach out from atop his place on the tor and pluck it from the sky.

  Moonlight flowed over the shadowy grasslands below. He smelled dew on grass, the odor of stagnant swamps, and the cool fresh air of wind-swept Galenthern.

  From the shadow-haunted swamps came a call that he knew well, the drawn out bellow of an aurochs, and from miles away in the silvery dark, the answer of another beast.

  Lanrik was home. Home as even Esgallien City was not, and could never be. Behind him was Lathmai’s cairn. There, a part of his heart always rested. Her sword remained untouched. It jutted up, just as he had set it in the rocks long ago. And her grave was tended. The Raithlin hiding on the plains grew wild flowers around it.

  His brothers and sisters were here now, at the base of the tor, near two dozen of them. And the Lindrath was among them.

  But that was only a part of why he felt at
home. He glanced to his side. Erlissa stood there. She leaned on her walnut staff, in that same pose that he had seen Aranloth take so many times. If he was home, it was because she was near. When he stood next to her, sensed her presence, he felt as though all was right in the world. Home was wherever she was.

  The moon rose higher. It floated in the heavens above the shadowy sea that was green-grassed Galenthern, and he felt the first tug of doubt. Aranloth had said to meet him here, on the full moon, and the lòhren was late. It was not like him.

  He looked at Erlissa. She too sensed it. He read it on her face.

  “Where is he?” Lanrik asked.

  Erlissa did not answer. Her gaze passed over Galenthern, sweeping over grass, out beyond grasslands and swamps. He wondered if her lòhren-senses flew so far as the Graèglin Dennath, where Aranloth had gone.

  A long time she looked. A long time she remained motionless. The moon rose higher. Lanrik’s uneasiness deepened.

  “He does not come,” Erlissa said.

  “Why?”

  She turned to him. She appeared pale and tired, and yet there was a light of anger on her face.

  “He cannot. The enemy has him.”

  Encyclopedic Glossary

  Many races dwell in Alithoras. All have their own language, and though sometimes related to one another, the changes sparked by migration, isolation and various influences often render these tongues unintelligible to each other.

  The ascendancy of Halathrin culture, combined with their widespread efforts to secure and maintain allies against elug incursions, has made their language the primary means of communication between diverse peoples.

  For instance, a soldier of Esgallien addressing a ship’s captain from Camarelon would speak Halathrin, or a simplified version of it, even though their native speeches stem from the same ancestral language.

  This glossary contains a range of names and terms. Many are of Halathrin origin, and their meaning is provided. The remainder derive from native tongues and are obscure, so meanings are only given intermittently.

  Some variation exists within the Halathrin language, chiefly between the regions of Halathar and Alonin. The most obvious example is the latter’s preference for a “dh” spelling instead of “th”.

  Often, Camar names and Halathrin elements are combined. This is especially so for the aristocracy. No other tribes had such long-term friendship with the Halathrin, and though in this relationship they lost some of their natural culture, they gained nobility and knowledge in return.

  List of abbreviations:

  Azn. Azan

  Cam. Camar

  Chg. Cheng

  Comb. Combined

  Cor. Corrupted form

  Duth. Duthenor

  Esg. Esgallien

  Hal. Halathrin

  Leth. Letharn

  Prn. Pronounced

  Alar: Azn. A strain of horses raised in the southern deserts of Alithoras. Bred for endurance, but capable of bursts of speed. Most valued possession of the Azan people, who measure wealth and status by their number. In their culture, where a person on foot is likely to die between water sources, horse-theft is punished by torture and death.

  Alithoras: Hal. “Silver land.” The Halathrin name for the continent they settled after the exodus. Refers to the extensive river and lake systems they found and their appreciation of the beauty of the land.

  Angle: The land hemmed in by the Carist Nien and Erenian rivers, especially the area in proximity to their divergence. Once the homeland of the Letharn people. Their empire is gone, but the tombs of their dead remain.

  Aranloth: Hal. “Noble might.” A lòhren.

  Assurah: Azn. A renowned sword-smith of ancient Azanbulzibar, capital city of the Azan people. He was also adept at elùgai, and his work was sought by the rich and powerful of many nations.

  Aurochs: The wild forebear of domesticated cattle. They are larger and more aggressive than their tamed descendants and prefer to graze and forage in swamps and wet forests. The “s” at the end of their name is both singular and plural.

  Azan: Azn. Desert dwelling people. Their nobility often serve as leaders of elug armies. They are a prideful race, often haughty and domineering, but they also adhere to a strict code of honor.

  Bragga Mor: Cam. A great poet and storyteller of Esgallien. He traces his ancestry back to the days when one of his forefathers served Conhain as both bodyguard and court bard. Historians dispute this, but Bragga pays them no heed.

  Bridge Inn: An inn beyond Esgallien’s northern wall. Named after the nearby bridge that spans Esgallien Creek.

  Brinhain: Comb. Esg & Hal. First element unknown, second “hero.” A captain in Esgallien’s Royal Guard.

  Caladhrist: Hal. Prn. Kal-ath-rist. “Gold gorge.” A valley north of Esgallien. Rich in gold and the source of much of the city’s wealth subsequent to the depletion of closer alluvial deposits. Many others mined the valley through the history of Alithoras, including the Letharn. A dangerous place and believed by many to be haunted.

  Camar: Cam. Prn. Kay-mar. A race of interrelated tribes that migrated in two main stages. The first brought them to the vicinity of Halathar; in the second, they separated and establish cities along a broad sweep of eastern Alithoras.

  Camarelon: Cam. Prn. Kam-arelon. A port city and capital of a Camar tribe. It was founded after Esgallien as the waves of migrating people settled the more southerly lands first. Each new migration tended northward. It is perhaps the most representative of a traditional Camar realm, while Esgallien is the most influenced by Halathrin culture.

  Cardoroth: Cor. Hal. Comb. Cam. A Camar city, often called Red Cardoroth. Some say this alludes to the red granite commonly used in the construction of its buildings, others that it refers to a prophecy of destruction.

  Careth Nien: Hal. Prn. Kareth nyen. “Great River.” Largest river in Alithoras. Has its source in the mountains of Anast Dennath and runs southeast across the land before emptying into the sea. It was over this river (which sometimes freezes along its northern length) that the Camar, Duthenor and other tribes migrated into the eastern lands.

  Careth Tar: Cor. Hal. “Careth Tar(an) – Great Father.” Title of respect for the leader of the lòhrens.

  Carist Nien: Hal. “Ice River.” A river of northern Alithoras that has its source in the hills of Lòrenta.

  Caracas: Hal. “Red knife.” A member of Esgallien’s Royal Guard.

  Carnona: Cam. The Guardian of Enorìen. A creature of ùhrengai who has remained in her birthing lands.

  Carnyx: The sacred horn of Conhain’s people and related tribes. An instrument of brass, man high with a mouth fashioned in the likeness of a fierce animal, often a boar or bear. Winded in battle and designed to intimidate the foe with its otherworldly sound. Some believe it invokes supernatural aid.

  City Watch: A branch of the army used by the rulers of Esgallien to maintain civil order and to investigate, and deter, crime.

  Conhain: Comb. Esg & Hal. First element unknown, second “hero.” Accounted the first king of Esgallien.

  Conhain Court: The heart of Esgallien city. A large square, colonnaded on all sides, and containing bronze statues of all Esgallien’s kings and queens.

  Conhain’s Rest: A park in Esgallien. One of many places said to be the site of Conhain’s burial.

  Ebona: Cam. A witch. A being of ùhrengai who has long since left her birthing lands.

  Eleth nar duril: Hal. “lie in peace.” A phrase from Halathrin funerary rites.

  Elùgai: Hal. Prn. Eloo-guy. “Shadowed force.” The sorcery of an elùgroth.

  Elùgroth: Hal. Prn. Eloo-groth. “Shadowed horror.” A sorcerer.

  Elugs: Hal. “That which creeps in shadows.” A cruel and superstitious race that inhabits the southern lands, especially the Graèglin Dennath.

  Elù-Randùr: Hal. “Blade of the Shadow.” An elùgroth leader. Formerly a lòhren.

  Enorìen: Cam. The Eastern Hills. A land where ùhrengai runs strong. Protected
by the Guardian Carnona.

  Erlissa: Esg. A young woman of Esgallien. Also known as the Seeker. Now a lòhren.

  Esgallien: Hal. Prn. Ez-gally-en. A city established by King Conhain. Named after the nearby ford.

  Esgallien Ford: Hal. “Es – rushing water, gal(en) – green, lien – to cross: place of the crossing onto the green plains.” A ford of the Careth Nien.

  Exodus: The arrival of the Halathrin into Alithoras from an outside land. They came by ship and beached north of Anast Dennath.

  Faramond: Comb. Hal & Esg. First element “to shear, cut or divide.” Second element “A hoard, especially one guarded by a dragon.”

  Foresight: Premonition of the future. Can occur at random as a single image or as a longer sequence of events. Can also be deliberately sought by entering the realm between life and death where the spirit is released from the body to travel through space and time. To achieve this, the body must be brought to the very threshold of death. The first method is uncontrollable and rare. The second exceedingly rare but controllable for those with the skill and willingness to endure the danger.

  Founding: The arrival of Conhain and his people near Esgallien Ford. This was nine hundred and fifty three years ago at the time of Lanrik’s meeting with Erlissa and Aranloth.

  Free cities: A group of cooperative city states that pool military resources to defend themselves against attack. Founded prior to Esgallien. Initially ruled by kings and queens, now by a senate.

  Galenthern: Hal. “Green flat.” Southern plains bounded by the Careth Nien and the Graèglin Dennath mountain range.

  Gilhain: Comb. Esg & Hal. First element unknown, second “hero.” A Raithlin.

  Graèglin Dennath: Hal. Prn. Greg-lin dennath. “Mountains of ash.” Chain of mountains in southern Alithoras. The landscape is one of jagged stone and boulder, relieved only by gaping fissures from which plumes of ashen smoke ascend, thus leading to its name. Believed to be impassable because of the danger of poisonous air flowing from cracks, and the ground unexpectedly giving way, swallowing any who dare to tread its forbidden paths. In other places swathes of molten stone run in rivers down its slopes.