by Laura Lond
“Yes! And this one brings judgment!”
Ellar’s eyes flamed with anger. With one swift move, he swept over Kellemar and knocked the sword out of his hand. I picked it up. The shining seemed to have grown dim.
“This can’t be happening…” Kellemar muttered. “This is wrong! You must be helping me, not him!”
“Sorry, but it’s you who got it all wrong. Sparklings do not help villains.”
Leaving Kellemar to process that, Ellar turned to the monster.
“In the name of Faradin, I command you to leave this man alone and never come near him again.”
Here something incredible happened. The beast let out a long growl, glaring at the sparkling, and then spoke in a strange, irregular manner.
“I must… kill… him… … I cannot… leave… this… detestable world… until I do!”
I stood rooted to the spot. I had no idea this thing could talk!
“Try breaking this command, and Faradin will burn you alive. However…” Ellar’s eyes narrowed. “If you are so intent on killing someone, I can give you a new target.”
He looked at Kellemar. The beast turned his head to regard the prince as well.
“Will I… be released… if I… obey?”
Ellar appeared to think—or perhaps he was consulting with Faradin.
“Yes. The conditions are the same as before.”
Kellemar stared at the sparkling, slowly shaking his head.
“No. No. You can’t be serious!”
“I will hold him for five minutes. Then you will find out whether I was joking or not.”
The prince’s stunned gaze turned to me.
“I don’t think there is anything I can do,” I said, “even if I wanted. Except maybe ask Ellar to slow the beast down again?”
“That’s already done,” nodded the sparkling. “As I said, the conditions are the same.”
“In that case, run, Your Highness. That’s the only advice I can give you.”
***
Chapter 10
I rushed to Philip and checked his pulse. He was alive, but he had been hit hard; there was already a large swelling on the back of his head.
“Can you heal, Ellar?” I asked, untying the boy. “Please help, if you can.”
The sparkling approached, knelt next to the prince and touched him. I could actually see the swelling go down and the few drops of blood disappear.
“He will sleep for a long time. He needs it.”
Ellar reached out for my wound. The throbbing pain stopped as his hand touched my shoulder.
“Thank you… I was not asking for myself, I only meant Philip.”
“I know. Tulip would have done it. I did it for him.”
Tulip… I was afraid to ask.
“…What happened to him?”
Ellar was not looking at me.
“What I had told you.”
My heart fell. I knew I hadn’t preserved the sword, but I was still hoping.
“Is he dead?”
The sparkling sighed.
“How do I answer that? Comparing it to a human death, no, he isn’t. However, ‘dead’ is probably the word that will come to your mind when you see him.”
“Where is he?”
“In the castle. I took him to your bedchamber.”
“I must go to him. Would you take Philip to his father?”
“No, that’s your job.”
“I would rather not go to the palace. I don’t want to see anyone.”
“You don’t have to. The king is bringing his army to Raven Creek. He couldn’t bear to just sit and wait.”
“Raven Creek is half way here, if I’m not mistaken.”
“That’s right. Take Philip there and then come home. I will wait for you in the castle.”
“Ellar… I am so sorry. I had no choice!”
“Yes, I know. That’s what I was afraid of.”
I took Philip and rode to the creek. I was glad that Ellar made the boy sleep, I wouldn’t be able to handle talking and having to explain things. What could I explain? No, it was much better this way. I would hand him over to his father, and they’d never see me again.
We reached Raven Creek by dusk. A large part of the king’s army was there, if not all of it. The watchmen saw me. The camp came alive, king Osmund ran out of his tent and stopped short, seeing the prince’s limp form in my arms.
“He is all right!” I hurried to announce. “The prince is alive and well.”
The camp erupted with cheers. I feared it would wake Philip, but Ellar must have done something to make his sleep deeper.
I dismounted. Warriors surrounded us, the prince was taken from me and immediately attended to by a physician, who confirmed that the boy had no injuries.
The king did not know how to thank me.
“My dear Lakeland Knight, I owe you my son’s and my daughter’s life! I cannot ever repay… Come, you must be exhausted. You will eat and rest, my people will see to it. Did you have to fight? Are you wounded?”
“I am all right, Your Majesty, thank you. I would appreciate it if you allow me to go home.”
“But you need to rest! You look so pale. We will all go back in the morning, and then we will have a huge celebration for the whole town!”
Yes, that’s what I was worried about. Celebrations and public events. I didn’t need that at all.
“Your Majesty, may I have a word with you in private?”
“Of course.” He motioned to his men to leave us alone. “What is it?”
“I apologize, but I am unable to fully share your joy. I have lost a friend. It is something I must attend to right now.”
King Osmund looked at me, puzzled.
“Lost a friend? How? You went to Graywing alone, isn’t that right?”
I figured there was no point to hide anything. The sooner he understands, the sooner he’d let me go.
“Yes, but Jarvi gave me his sword. I was unable to keep it pure. You had mentioned that you studied spirits, so you should know what it means.”
The king’s eyes widened.
“My goodness! Yes, I do know… I mean, not exactly what happens, the books wouldn’t tell, but they all indicate that a sparkling would pay a terrible price.”
“Well, Jarvi has paid it. And it is my fault.”
“Do not blame yourself. I am sure you did all you could, and if you were unable to defend the sword, then it was impossible.”
“That’s what I cling to, but it’s a poor consolation. Now, I must go to Jarvi. I’m sure Your Majesty understands.”
“Yes, certainly. Take a fresh horse.”
I rode all night and reached the castle early in the morning. Not wishing to draw attention, I entered through the back gate, still unlocked. I made it to my bedchamber unnoticed and gave a quiet knock. Ellar opened the door.
“I didn’t expect you so early.”
“I couldn’t wait. Where is he?”
The sparkling motioned to the bed. I looked and saw Jarvi lying on top of the covers, eyes closed, left hand resting on the chest, right arm stretched along the body. It looked so unnatural. I never saw him lie down before.
I came up and took his hand, expecting it to be cold and stiff, but it wasn’t. It felt perfectly normal.
“Jarvi,” I called. “Tulip!”
He didn’t respond. I turned to Ellar.
“What is this? You never explained. Is he asleep? Unconscious?”
“Fully conscious and not asleep. But he has lost his strength—all of it. He can’t even open his eyes.”
I was silent for a few moments, trying to take it in.
“Is there anything that can be done to get his strength back? Can you share yours with him?”
“No. That’s not how it works.”
“Can I give him mine?”
Ellar looked at me.
“Would you?”
“Of course!”
The sparkling gave a sad smile.
“He wa
s right about you, then. I am glad.”
“So what must I do?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, that is not possible. I just wanted to see where you stand.”
I wanted to punch him, but that probably wasn’t a good idea.
“Is he still bound to me?”
“He is. The agreement you signed carried no weight.”
“Because of the wrong name?”
“Yes.”
“In that case, I will release him, so that you can take him back to the world of the spirits. He will recover there, won’t he?”
Ellar shook his head.
“In order to cross the border between the two realms, he must dematerialize, and he can’t. I cannot do it for him, either.”
It sounded hopeless.
“There must be something that we can do! How about Faradin? Wouldn’t he help?”
“It’s his laws that took Tulip’s strength away. He can’t go against his own laws.”
“So what are you saying?... Will Jarvi stay like this forever? His strength will never return?”
“He should be slowly regaining it. Very slowly. It will take years.”
That cheered me up a little. It was much better than “never.”
“I will look after him. As long as it takes.”
Ellar smiled. “That’s what I was hoping to hear. Thank you. It gives me peace of mind, because I can’t stick around that long to do it.”
“Have you told him what happened?”
“Yes. He knows everything.”
I looked at Jarvi again. It was hard, but I supposed I’d better get used to it—I was going to see him like that every day from now on, and for quite a while.
“Will you stay with him for ten more minutes or so? I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
I went to the library and took the book from the shelf. It had added two new pages, describing my recent adventures with Shabriak and Kellemar. As usual, it was a detached, objective account of the facts. The last paragraph read:
When the Lakeland Knight returned to the castle, he found that Tulip had lost all his strength, and it would take years for him to recover it. The Lakeland Knight promised Ellar to take care of Tulip as long as needed.
I guess I had tricked myself once again into seeking something the book did not offer: advice, reassurance, consolation. I wanted to hear once more that it wasn’t my fault, that I had no choice—and maybe, just maybe find some kind of a tip on how to make Jarvi’s recovery faster. My Life Story was silent on that.
I closed the book and placed it back on the shelf, abandoning thoughts about taking it with me. There was no point. It would continue to disappoint me. Besides, it was not mine. Just like this whole castle wasn’t.
I returned to the bedchamber.
“I am leaving, Ellar. I am going back to the Blackriver Castle.”
The sparkling gave me a studying look.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. I don’t belong here, and I don’t want to continue this charade. Besides, now Philip knows who I am, too.”
“You saved his life risking yours. You call this a charade?”
“That’s because… he is special to me. I am still a villain.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Stop it. You sparklings are impossible.”
Ellar shrugged. “Just trying to help you see the obvious. Remember what I told Kellemar? Sparklings don’t help villains. I helped you. Draw your own conclusions.”
“Great! Now you are telling me that I have failed in my profession, too?!”
“Fine, fine. You are a terrible villain, if that’s what you want to hear. One that keeps his word, saves friends, and offers to protect a helpless sparkling for many years.”
“Yes, I am eccentric! So?!”
Ellar was trying not to laugh, I could see it.
“If you say so. I suppose it was rather eccentric of Tulip, too, to start serving you in the first place. You two are a good match.”
“Well, I need to pack a few things and go. I am taking him with me, of course.”
“Wouldn’t you get some rest first? You haven’t slept all night.”
“I will sleep in the carriage. I want to get out as soon as possible, before the crowd finds out I’m here and before the king returns.”
“Who will drive, then?”
“I’ll ask Captain Zordan. He knows how to keep his mouth shut. He’ll take us to Baggel, the first large town on the way, and then I will send him back.”
I took my armor off.
“What should I do with the sword?”
“You can return it to Tulip. Just place it into his hand.”
I did. The blade flickered and disappeared.
I quickly packed, taking the armor, some clothes, food, and other necessities. Ellar was watching me.
“Can I ask you to do something else for me, Ellar?”
“Yes, but don’t get carried away.”
“I won’t.” I pulled out the chest with the daggers. “Take these back to the king. Tell him they are undeserved. Will you?”
“I will.”
“Don’t do it as a sparkling, that would reinforce their silly ‘hero’ belief. I suppose you can pose as a human?”
“I can.”
His glow faded and disappeared, making him look like a man. Well, almost.
“You’ll need a hat or something.”
“Why?”
“Because people do not have green hair.”
“Oh, right. I always forget.”
Ellar shook his head, and his hair instantly turned black.
I blinked.
“…Can Jarvi do this as well?”
“Turn his hair into a more human color? Of course. I bet he didn’t do it only to annoy you.”
“I bet you are right.”
“Is there anything you want me to relay to Prince Philip?”
“Well…” I took a few moments to think. “Tell him that what Kellemar said is true. Tell him that, nevertheless, I did not lie to him and did not mean to deceive him. Also tell him that his friendship meant more to me than he will ever know.”
“I will do that. How about Madame Clementina? Any message for her?”
“No!”
***
We left shortly afterwards. I carried Jarvi to the carriage and placed him on one of the seats, having cushioned it with a couple of blankets and pillows. I took a pillow as well and fell asleep as soon as the carriage started to roll—I had no idea how tired I was, and it seemed to catch up with me all at once.
I slept for many hours, almost all day. The sun was already making its way down to the horizon when I awoke. I checked on Jarvi. He looked unchanged, lying still, as if asleep, in the same position I had put him in. Poor fellow… I couldn’t imagine what it was like for him.
“Hello, Jarvi,” I said.
I knew he wouldn’t respond, but I also knew that he heard me, so I decided to keep talking to him anyway.
“Well, I have gotten some good rest. We must be approaching Baggel. I think I will have a snack now. I’ll miss your free meals, I can tell you that.”
I pulled out the sack with provisions and made a quick sandwich. I was finishing it when Ellar showed up, having scared the daylights out of me with the unexpected crack.
“Goodness, Ellar! How about a warning? You almost made me choke.”
He seemed to find it amusing.
“I can heal, remember? So if you choked or had a heart attack, I would have helped.”
“How nice of you. Well, have you been to the palace?”
“Yes. I did everything you had asked of me. Not an easy task, let me tell you. The king was shocked and incredulous, he did not want to take the daggers back and demanded explanations. I think he intends to go to your castle and speak to you personally.”
“You did not tell him that I left?”
“No. He’d have me arrested and shackled, or something like that, until I
tell exactly where you’re heading to.”
“And what about Philip?”
Ellar sighed.
“I relayed everything you asked to him as well. He figured those were your farewell words and begged me to take him to you. I think he guessed who I was.”
“Not without your help, I suppose?”
“No, I did nothing to reveal myself. But he is a smart boy. When I told him I couldn’t do that, he asked whether I would deliver a letter. That I agreed to do.”
He handed me a folded paper. The letter must have been written minutes ago, the ink was still fresh.
Dear Lakeland Knight,
I do not care what Prince Kellemar had said, and I do not intend to repeat his words to anyone. If you are leaving because of those words, I beg you to return. Ulkaria needs you. To me, and to all of us, you will always be our friend and protector and hero.
I can also say that your friendship means more to me than you will ever know. You have taught me so much. Please come back.
Always Yours,
Prince Philip of Ulkaria
I read it several times. I knew Ellar was watching me, so I did my best not to show any emotion.
“He wants me to come back.”
“Of course he does. They all will, when they find out that you are gone.”
“He says Ulkaria needs me.”
“It is probably true.”
“Nonsense. They lived without me before, and quite happily, too.”
“So you are not going back?”
“No.”
“Well, you have time to think about it. You can return whenever you want, they will always welcome you.”
I didn’t respond.
“I have checked on Prince Kellemar as well,” Ellar said with a sly smile.
“Have you? And how is His Highness?”
“Rather upset, hiding in the nearest white tower.”
“Something tells me he won’t be destroying these anymore.”
“Ha! Probably not.”
“By the way, I wanted to ask you why the beast does not like the towers? And what exactly is he? I had no idea he could speak!”
Ellar gave me a surprised look.
