The Heart of Trelyssia

by Lisa Chitty

  ‘The lilies were easy,’ Theldon told Abi. ‘They already had buds so any fool could have done that. These roses however are special. They haven’t flowered once since the first Baron took control all those years ago! When you consider that by the very nature of things they should have flowered every year, regardless of outside influences, it is very interesting that when you asked them to flower, they did. It is a very clear sign that the day is coming, and that you are the one that will be the key figure in resolving the current situation in Trelyssia.’

  Abi stared at him, slightly open mouthed. She had had no idea when she’d managed to get the bushes to come into flower that it would be such a significant act. Secluded from everything here at the cottage, it had been fairly easy to convince herself that nothing major was going to happen. That there wasn’t going to be a battle, and everyone’s lives weren’t going to be put at risk. But now, reality was starting to intrude.

  ‘Come,’ Theldon stood up and reached for Abi’s hand. ‘I think that you’ve done enough for one day. Let’s go in and have something to eat.’

  Abi stood and allowed Theldon to lead her back inside. She was slightly numb from the days events and needed to think her way through things. Abi ate quickly and then retired to her room. Theldon made no protest as though he knew that she needed some space. She sat cross legged in the centre of her bed and forced herself to think about what was going to happen. She was going to come face to face with the current Baron and nothing that she could do would prevent that. The thought of facing him, and perhaps of having to kill him was frightening, and she began to wonder if she was up to the task, even though Theldon seemed to think she was.

  As had happened frequently over the past few days when Abi was feeling low or just wanted reassurance her thoughts turned to James. Almost at once the mirror on the wall clouded over, and then cleared to show James. Abi smiled as his image filled the mirror. It might not be the best way to have any level of contact with him, but it was the only way that she had.

  As Abi continued to watch James she stopped smiling and a slight frown crossed her face. James looked different. She got off the bed and crossed the room to look more closely. Over the last few days, James had looked as though he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. He had appeared to be in a world of his own, but now he looked like he was actively taking part in conversation around him. Not for the first time, Abi heartily wished that there was sound as well, so that she could hear him. She pondered for a while what had changed him and suddenly it dawned on her. He had accepted her supposed death.

  A feeling of horror filled Abi as the implications of this struck her. For him to have accepted it meant that he was moving on, possibly he was no longer in love with her. Abi abruptly cancelled the image in the mirror, then turned and flung herself face down on the bed and began to cry. Even though she had cried several times since arriving at the cottage, her tears had been nothing to the storm that now consumed her. James was putting her behind him, and her heart felt like it was shattering into thousands of pieces as Abi’s certainty of his love for her began to fade. The cruelty of their separation struck her anew and even though Theldon had said that she would see him again, Abi was sure that their relationship was now irrevocably damaged because of the enforced subterfuge.

  That night Abi cried herself to sleep and when she woke the next morning, she felt as tired as she had the previous evening. She also had a splitting headache, and felt as though the best thing to do, was for her to go back to bed. However, Theldon thought differently. He roused Abi from her bed and made sure that she joined him in the kitchen for breakfast. Abi was mechanically eating a bowl of cereal, and absently gazing out of the window, when she suddenly realised she was seeing something that was totally unexpected.

  ‘Theldon,’ Abi began slowly. ‘Did you know that there’s a horse in the garden, and that it’s eating the lawn?’

  Theldon turned to look. ‘Ah, yes. I’ve been expecting him.’

  Abi regarded him blankly. ‘You have? Any particular reason why, or did you just fancy a new pet?’

  Theldon laughed softly. ‘Whilst I have been waiting for him to arrive, he’s not here for me, he’s here for you. Now, I suggest that you finish eating and then go out and get to know him a bit better.’

  Because Abi was still feeling so tired and her headache hadn’t eased she was determined to argue with Theldon this morning. ‘Why would a horse just turn up here for me? The last thing I need is to be responsible for an animal that’s as awkward to look after as a horse.’

  Theldon sighed and rolled his eyes. He hated it when Abi was being difficult, but this morning she felt she had every right to be. ‘Firstly, the Baron will almost certainly be mounted when you meet him and we don’t want him to have an unfair advantage when the two of you meet. Secondly, he’s not an ordinary horse, after all he has just turned up here out of the blue! I’ll think you’ll find he’ll look after himself. Now go outside and greet him!’ Theldon made shooing gestures towards the door.

  Abi sighed. She couldn’t argue with Theldon, much as she wanted to, because what he said made sense. If the Baron had a horse, then she would have to have one too. Abi reached for an apple from the bowl on the table and carefully cut it into quarters. If she was going to have to get to know this horse, she might as well start on the right foot with some bribery.

  As Abi went out into the garden the horse stopped grazing and turned to look at her but didn’t approach. He stretched his head towards Abi, realising she had a treat for him, but still he didn’t move. It was as though he realised Abi wasn’t that sure of him and he was waiting for a signal from her that he could approach.

  Abi held out one of the apple pieces in her outstretched hand and softly called the horse. He walked over slowly and gently took the apple with his velvet soft lips. Abi fed him each bit and as he took the last, she stepped in closer and began stroking his neck. He was one of the most gorgeous horses that she had ever seen. His coat was white, but such a brilliant shade that it almost hurt to look at him in the morning sunshine. His mane and tail were also white and very glossy. His tail was so long it nearly touched the ground and his mane flowed down one side of his neck, whilst his forelock was that long, it almost impeded his vision. Whilst he was a large and muscular horse, when he had walked towards Abi, his steps were so light and delicate, it was as if his hoofs were barely in contact with the ground.

  Abi continued stroking him for a while, moving around him to familiarise herself with every part of him and allowing him to get used to her. As she reached his head again, he moved off and went to stand next to the low wall that went round the garden. He stopped and looked at Abi, turned to look at his back and then back at Abi.

  Theldon, who had followed Abi out to see how she would get on with her new mount decided to intervene when he saw that she was just standing there with a look of confusion on her face. ‘I think he wants you to get on him so that he can take you for a ride.’

  ‘What! I can’t! I don’t know how!’

  ‘He’ll teach you, and you can always use the amulet to help you.’ Theldon was gently pushing Abi towards the horse.

  ‘But I can’t get on him without a saddle and bridle. I’ll fall off and I won’t be able to steer him in the right direction.’ Abi was determined to find excuses not to get on this animal.

  ‘To start with, you won’t need to guide him as he’ll be taking you out. And if you do fall off, I’m sure he’ll stop so that you can get back on again.’

  Abi realised that she wasn’t going to get out of this, so she went over to the wall, stood on it and clumsily got herself onto the horses back.

  ‘There, that wasn’t so hard, was it? Now enjoy your ride.’ As Theldon said that the horse moved off, mercifully at a walk and went off into the surrounding trees. Abi grabbed a chunk of mane and gripped as hard as she could with her legs, but after a short while she found it wasn’t necessary. The horse had a long easy stride that was incredibly smoot
h and she was moving easily with him. Just as Abi realised that, he decided to move on into trot. She immediately wrapped her legs tightly around him again, finding that trot was not at all easy to ride, but eventually she began to relax and found it wasn’t so bad after all.

  Abi had no idea where they going, the horse just seemed to go wherever he wanted, all she had to do was hang on. He seemed to go between walk and trot whenever he wanted to, almost as if he was testing her to see if she could stay on when he changed pace. That wasn’t too much of a problem. What was, was when he did a sudden change of direction, and invariably Abi would slide off of him. But, like Theldon had said, he would stop and wait for her to get up, and then help find a place where she could remount him. Abi had fallen off several times before she saw with relief that they were back at the cottage. Abi slid off him, and before she could think of what he might need after their ride, he went off and drank from the pond, before settling down to graze again.

  ‘That wasn’t as difficult as you thought, was it?’ Theldon asked as Abi went back into the cottage.

  ‘Well, apart from all the bruises I picked up, I guess I’ll live,’ Abi replied sarcastically.

  Theldon passed her a glass. ‘Here, drink this. It’ll help ease any discomfort you might have as you’re not used to riding.’

  Abi took the glass and sniffed its contents. At once she knew that it had been made from the roses now blooming in the garden. As she had already had one experience of its healing properties, she drank it at once.

  ‘Now, I think that you should practice your use of the amulet. You need to be completely sure of your use of it.’

  That was how the next few days progressed. In the morning Abi would go out riding, as the horse would always be in the garden waiting for her. Mercifully she improved quite quickly and was soon able to ride him at a canter. As her skill with him progressed they seemed to roam further a field from the cottage and Abi began to wonder if she could use him to ride away from there and back to the caves. Although she hardly allowed herself to think of James, and she now never used the mirror to spy upon him, she still ached to be back with him. However, Abi was soon to learn that whilst the horse was prepared to accept some guidance from her in their morning travels, if she tried to point him completely away from the cottage and kick him into a gallop he wouldn’t have any of it. He was a stallion through and through, so if she tried to do something he didn’t want to, he would either rear or buck, and Abi would fall off, so she soon gave up on that idea.

  Abi’s afternoons where devoted to using the amulet, not that she really needed to practice any more. She could move any object around her and divert the course of anything Theldon decided to throw at her. She could also use it to control fire and water and could even use it to augment her hearing and vision. She could see the tiniest mark on a wall a long distance away, and she could hear Theldon, even if he was whispering, no matter where he was in the cottage or garden. Her use of it had become so instinctive that she no longer even thought about it. It was like the amulet was just an extension of her, it had become so much a part of who she was. Abi knew that she was as proficient as she could get, so she also realised that the time must be coming when she would have to confront the Baron.

  Abi was trying not to think of this one evening when she was curled up in front of the fire after a long day. The horse had attempted to throw her several times that morning, but luckily she had stayed on. Then in the afternoon, Theldon had seemed determined to try her to the absolute limit, attempting to catch her off guard. He had thrown several objects at Abi at once whilst also trying to distract her with fire. However she had dealt with it all quite easily, but now Abi was tired. She was drowsing, and contemplating going to bed, when she suddenly noticed there was a door next to the fireplace that hadn’t been there earlier.

  Abi roused herself enough to question Theldon. ‘Am I seeing things or is there a new door in this room?’

  Theldon looked at her and then to where her gaze directed him, the new door. ‘No, you’re not seeing things. That’s a new door.’ He didn’t seem at all bothered by this phenomenon.

  ‘Do you know what’s through it?’

  He shrugged. ‘If you’re so interested, why don’t you go and have a look.’

  As by now Abi’s curiosity was fully aroused she got to her feet and went over to the door, noting that it had been beautifully carved with images of the Heart of Trelyssia Rose. She turned the handle and opened the door, and gazed in amazement at what was in the room, flooded by memories of a similar occasion. In the middle of the room stood a mannequin, and on it was a suit of chain mail, with a full length cloak attached to its shoulders by two brooches. Belted around the waist was a sword.

  ‘Did you think you would be sent into battle with no protection?’ Theldon had come up behind Abi whilst she was absorbing the sight before her.

  ‘But why wasn’t it with the others?’ Abi asked him.

  ‘There was no need for it to be there. It was known that you would come here and it was easier to have your set here rather than with the others. Besides which , it also helped to enforce the idea that you were going to die.’

  ‘You say its for protection, but I notice that there’s no shield, like the others had. Also, they had armour, whilst I’ve only got chain mail.’

  Theldon smiled. ‘After today’s practice you actually think that you need a shield?’ As Abi smiled back at him he went on. ‘The chain mail is a better option for you. You’ll be able to move easier in it, and again, you don’t need as high a level of protection as the others. The most important item that’s there, for you, is the sword.’

  Abi stepped into the room to have a closer look at everything. The cloak was in an emerald green, and the chain mail had the design of the Rose incorporated into it, once again, missing the crown that Abi had seen integrated with it elsewhere. She reached out for the sword. The scabbard was engraved with foliage and the pommel of the sword was the Rose in full bloom. Abi withdrew it from its scabbard, and the soft whisper of its removal sent shivers down her spine. It glinted in the available light and illuminated writing down its blade. Fortitude Will Overcome All Obstacles and Justice Will Prevail!. She could feel it respond to her as she read the words, almost like the amulet had, but much gentler. As Abi stood there with it in her hand, she knew that it was with this sword, and this alone that she would be able to destroy the Baron. The amulet was only a way to get her into a position where she would be able to use the sword.

  Apprehension filled Abi. By having this revealed to her tonight, she knew that it was just a matter of days before the Baron and Abi would meet. She could hardly bear it. James was totally lost to her now, so she couldn’t turn to him for help or guidance or even reassurance. She was about to face the most difficult task of her life, and she was going to have to do it totally alone. Standing there faced with all this Abi was paralysed with fear. How could she do what was so clearly expected of her?

  Chapter 14

  Randall sat down on one of the chairs that were lined up round the walls of the cavern and leaned his head back. He was exhausted. He was, at that moment, in the training grounds trying to learn how to defend himself with the sword and shield that he had picked up under the old oak tree. He wasn’t used to such intense physical exercise as he was currently being put through and almost every part of him ached. He was in his late thirties, far from fit and not in the best of physical health either. He was beginning to wonder what he was actually doing here. As his thoughts began to wander and he dwelled on his inadequacies, he remembered when Marldon had first brought the three of them into the training areas. It had been the day after James had revised the plans that they were going to use to defeat the Baron. Marldon had arrived early in the morning at their quarters to speak to them all.

  ‘I just wanted to check something with you all,’ Marldon told them after they had invited him in.

  ‘What’s that?’ Randall gestured for Marldon to go on.

/>   ‘All of you are going to be on the battle ground, and probably in the thick of things, and as Master of Arms, I need to know that you are all capable, if not of fighting, at least of defending yourselves.’

  ‘That makes sense,’ James told him. ‘So you want to see what we can do. When were you thinking of?’

  ‘No time like the present! I’ll take you to our training grounds where you can practice. Also, that’s where all your weaponry is being stored.’ Marldon got up and disappeared out the door. James, Randall and Steve had had no choice but to follow him.

  The training grounds were a series of caves deep within the complex of caverns. Around the walls were stored everything that might possibly be needed, from wooden swords to practice with, to real ones. There was padding for those less proficient in using weapons, and for the more advanced, full suits of armour. Bows and arrows and a variety of targets also adorned the walls. As it was still early in the morning the grounds were deserted and their footsteps echoed in the silence.

  ‘Why are the grounds inside?’ Steve questioned Marldon. ‘Surely it would make more sense to be outdoors. I mean, the echoes alone when there are lots of people in here must be dreadful.’

  Marldon smiled ruefully. ‘We would much prefer to be able to practice outside. The additional room to practice manoeuvres would be a blessing, but like almost everything around here, we can’t risk being seen. Now, who’s going first?’

  Marldon went over to the pile of wooden swords and selected two. ‘As I just want to see what you can do, and I don’t want to risk injuring any of you, we’ll just use these today.’ Steve had stepped forward as Marldon was selecting the swords, so now Marldon tossed one to him which Steve caught neatly and Marldon gestured him to the centre of the cavern they were in.

  James and Randall settled themselves down to watch on the few available chairs. Almost as soon as Steve had taken his place, Marldon had attacked. Steve had barely had time to raise his sword to defend himself. Marldon gave him a thorough workout, mainly attacking, but occasionally allowing Steve the opportunity to attack him. When Marldon had seen enough he called a halt. ‘Not bad,’ he told Steve. ‘Now, pass the sword onto James, and we’ll see what he can do.’