‘I was there when he dictated the peace conditions with the Brazen City to Uldini. We were given a week and almost five days have passed. After that he’s going to attack and capture the city in order to save face.’ Ahren had figured out a rough plan for bringing the pig-headed Paladin to his senses, and the first part of it involved laying out the facts in front of him. ‘Uldini, Falk and Jelninolan are trying to persuade the Triumvirate to reach a peaceful solution – one that is attractive enough for the Sunplains for the Sun Emperor to spare you.’
‘Jelninolan is here as well?’ asked Bergen in surprise. ‘Considering you’ve named all those names, and that you claim to tell the truth, you’re either a pathetic Paladin that lets himself be captured far too easily, or you’re a remarkably well-informed spy.’
Ahren frowned in irritation and waved his hand dismissively. ‘I don’t have as much experience as the rest of you. So what? At least I’m not trying to evade my responsibility by hiding myself in ridiculous conflicts.’ He had hardly finished speaking when Bergen leaped to his feet and was standing over him. An enormous, calloused hand gripped the apprentice around the throat and pinned him to the floor. The enraged face of the captain was now looming over him.
‘Don’t you dare talk to me about responsibility!’ he roared. ‘My responsibility cost me everyone that was dear to me! Dorian had one daughter, I had four! Elmsi was four months old during the Night of Blood! The pressure on Ahren’s throat was increasing and he struggled in vain to loosen the captain’s grip. Ahren would somehow have to sweep aside the other Paladin’s emotions or drown within them.
‘Then help to save the Brazen City! There are too many sons and daughters living here that will have to pay for your pride’, he gasped.
The pressure increased as Bergen leaned downwards. ‘This has nothing to do with pride. These men and women are my new family, and I won’t hand them over like a bucket of slop to a backstabbing ruler who hasn’t an ounce of honour in his body. I just want to protect them!’
Ahren’s vision was becoming blurred and his heart was hammering in his chest. He had to persuade this man and quickly!
‘You want to protect your people, and I understand that’, he wheezed painfully. ‘But I do too. Both the citizens of the Brazen City and the legion that is approaching. The Dark Days are coming, and we have to stick together because I want to save them all.’ He uttered the final words with all the strength he could muster, and with all the willpower and persuasiveness he could squeeze out.
Bergen’s hand loosened immediately, and he jolted backwards – it seemed almost as if Ahren had stabbed him. ‘You are a Paladin’, he whispered hoarsely. He was clearly in shock. ‘Only young and green and uncorrupted, and I’d forgotten what that feeling is.’ He stood up and lifted Ahren so easily that he felt as if he were a little child. Ahren could see the conflict raging within the powerful man. His blue eyes looked conflicted and his fists clenched and opened repeatedly.
‘Blindfold him!’ he finally commanded loudly. ‘He will bring a message to the Triumvirate. The Blue Cohorts will be on the marketplace tomorrow at noon for negotiations.’ There was the sound of murmuring in the room and Bergen whispered into Ahren’s ear. ‘This is your chance. Ensure that my people come away scot free and I will comply with any conditions. Fail and you can fight the oncoming war on your own.’
Ahren nodded in a daze, and heavy material was pulled roughly down over his eyes. Before he knew it, strong hands grabbed him and bundled him out through a door. He could smell the fire coming from a forge and felt the cool wind on his skin as he was led hither and thither and spun around repeatedly so that he lost all sense of direction.
Suddenly the hands were gone and Ahren gingerly removed the blindfold. He was standing on a small crossing and the passers-by were eying him suspiciously. Everywhere were boarded-up doors and damaged house fronts. There must have been a lot of looting the previous night and any sign of welcome had vanished from the faces of the citizens. Ahren tried to get his bearings and ran as quickly as he could towards the centre of the city. He was running to his friends and hopefully towards a solution. The sands of time were running out for all of them.
***
‘Well, that was joyless’, said Uldini drily as they left the meeting hall. The Triumvirate had banished them from the room and forbidden any further negotiations until such time as Ahren was presented to them or until they admitted to fabricating the whole story of the Thirteenth Paladin.
Uldini floated up the stairs in front of the others, who looked shell-shocked. ‘Let’s see if the magic net can help us any further’, he said half-heartedly. They didn’t expect results until the following morning and so Uldini was stunned when he sensed the magic tension in the room which suggested a positive signal. ‘I have something!’ he cried out, flabbergasted, and everyone froze in anticipation as the Arch Wizard closed his eyes. ‘He’s...outside the door… downstairs?’
Everyone stared in shock and Falk quickly woke Culhen, who was having a snooze. The wolf opened his eyes wide and then stormed past and down the steps.
Falk stared angrily at Uldini. ‘Sometimes you’re absolutely useless’, he scolded and ran down after the wolf.
‘I am a Paladin and I urgently need to speak to the delegation from the Sun Emperor!’ They could hear Ahren’s frustrated voice trying in vain to persuade the guards at the door to give him entry. The two men sprang aside in amazement as a large wolf raced past them out of the vestibule before leaping up onto the young man, who collapsed in relief under the yelping animal’s weight. The overwrought guards were about to reach for their weapons when the Sun Emperor’s emissaries also scrambled out and landed in an unceremonious heap on top of the brown-haired boy, embracing him and shedding tears of joy and laughter as he cried out again and again; ‘I’ve found him! I’ve found him!’
The afternoon went quickly for the re-united companions. Ahren had to describe his experiences with the Blue Cohorts in great detail, and he for his part asked them a great many questions about what had happened in his absence and what the current state of play was in the negotiations. With the exchange of information complete, their thoughts turned to what should happen next.
‘When this is all over, I’m going to beat Bergen black and blue!’ grumbled Falk and pointed at the bruises around Ahren’s neck. Even Jelninolan scowled and Ahren was surprised when Uldini it was who jumped to the captain’s defence.
‘Just remember how angry you were when I first visited you in Deepstone. You nearly went for me then, and we’d already known each other for several centuries. Bergen learned that the war against HIM, WHO FORCES was going to start again from Ahren, the war that you Paladins have been in fear of for so long, and that he was to offer himself up to the mercy of the Sun Emperor’ The Arch Wizard flashed a friendly look at Ahren. ‘Your apprentice made a very good fist of it, all things considered.’
Ahren gave Uldini a thankful nod and the Ancient continued: ‘The ultimatum expires tomorrow evening and we have to go back to the Sun Emperor, which means we have today and tomorrow to persuade everyone within the city walls to support a peace agreement. Bergen has already said that he wants to see the Blue Cohorts spared, and the Emperor will only consider that if the Triumvirate accede as much as possible to his demands. So, we need to get Windita and the others to sing from the same hymn-sheet.’
‘Now that we can present Ahren, this part of the proceedings should be easier’, prophesied Falk as he placed a proprietorial hand on his apprentice’s shoulder.
‘But before that he needs to wash himself thoroughly’, interrupted Khara, scrunching her nose. ‘He’s looking a little worse for wear, and he smells...well...pungent.’
Falk mockingly sniffed the air in Ahren’s direction, then took his hand away and wiped it dramatically on his jerkin. ‘Maybe you’re right’, he said mischievously. Ahren decided to play along and folded his arms in mock annoyance. There was much merriment and laughter, and relief that they wer
e all re-united again as they set about preparing for their final negotiations with the Triumvirate.
Ahren had a queasy feeling in his stomach as he spruced himself up. A lot would be hanging on his words and the impression he would make on the representatives of the Brazen City. He would have loved to have taken a breather after his talk with Bergen, but the strong midday sun was moving relentlessly westwards and reminding him that the fifth day was coming to its inevitable close. Finally, everyone was ready and Ahren put aside the brush he was using to comb Culhen’s fur. The vain wolf had been watching him and had announced that he too needed some pampering. Ahren had given in with a laugh and had spoiled his four-pawed friend until everybody was ready. The animal’s fur glistened and was as smooth as silk and the wolf was admiring himself in the full-length mirror in the corner of the guest room.
We can do that every day from on, he said, fully satisfied with himself.
Ahren slapped him on the head. Forget it. We have more important things to be doing than making sure you look good, he scolded.
The apprentice checked that he himself looked presentable and when the ladies came out of the bathroom, they were all ready to go down the stairs. They had all decided on as martial a presentation as possible, and so anyone that possessed armour had polished it until it was spick and span and was now wearing it. Ahren and Jelninolan were wearing their ribbon armour, Trogadon was dressed in the chainmail of his Ancestry Name, while Falk looked splendid in the armour of the Paladins. Only Uldini was unarmed as always. This was the first time anybody had seen Khara in her new armour, which she had made for her by the blacksmiths in the city. Ahren could see a thin chainmail which protected her torso and with thin metal plates protecting her vital places. Her arms and legs were protected by metal bands which allowed her great flexibility and freedom of movement. The apprentice recognised the bluish shimmer of Dwarf Steel and raised his eyebrows in surprise.
Uldini noticed his reaction and nodded while furrowing his brows. ‘Khara spared neither money nor effort’, he said and looked at Khara accusingly. ‘It was my money she didn’t spare, let me add.’
Jelninolan twisted the childlike figure’s ear and leaned into him. ‘The poor thing had to face all sorts of dangers over the last few moons without any protection and you’re giving out because of a few measly gold coins?’ she asked indignantly.
Uldini grimaced but stood his ground. ‘You should have paid the bill then...’ he began, but the elf twisted the ear a little more and Uldini raised his hands in surrender. ‘Alright, alright, you’re spot on.’
‘If you’d exhibited those diplomatic skills when you were dealing with the Triumvirate’, interjected Trogadon with a laugh, ‘then we might all be on our way back to the Sun Emperor whistling happily.’
The priestess let go of Uldini and took a challenging step towards the dwarf, who grinned at her broadly. ‘No need for that, dearest. And anyway, I have something for your protégé too’ he said, after looking at Khara’s new outfit critically. He picked up an oily cloth bundle which he had brought back from the forge where he had been working earlier that day, and he approached the young woman.
‘If you drown her in oil now...’ warned Jelninolan, and the dwarf stopped abruptly.
‘You’re spoiling the surprise’, he growled good-naturedly, before obediently unfolding the cloth to reveal a thin, lightly curved blade the length of a fore-arm, which he presented to Khara as he bowed slightly.
Her eyes opened wide in amazement and she jumped forward with a cry of joy, grasping Whisper Blade and performing a few flowing movements with it. ‘It’s perfectly balanced and it’s exactly the right length’, she said in surprise.
Trogadon nodded and grinned, baring his teeth in the process. ‘I measured your forearm when you were asleep’, he said proudly.
Khara embraced him forcefully, and Ahren thought to himself with amusement that he didn’t know any other woman who would be so overjoyed at receiving an instrument of murder.
Trogadon reciprocated the hug and looked over her shoulder at Ahren. ‘You’d be better off thanking Ahren. I offered to forge a dagger for him, but he insisted that I make Whisper Blade for you instead.’ He gave Ahren a knowing wink.
Khara released the dwarf from her embrace and looked at Ahren in surprise, who promptly blushed a deep red.
‘You talked about it so affectionately, and I didn’t know what I was going to do with a dagger so...’ he stammered, but the swordfighter was already embracing him. Ahrens heart was racing and the scent in her hair was making him dizzy as he awkwardly patted her back. ‘You’re welcome’, he mumbled, and then Uldini’s voice cut through the room: ‘We can only be glad that HE, WHO FORCES isn’t a pretty young woman. Otherwise we’d all be lost.’
Loud laughter filled the room and Khara let him go and examined his face carefully. Ahren turned away, fearful of what she could read there, and walked quickly to the door.
‘In case you’ve forgotten’, he said, imitating Uldini’s normal sarcastic tone, ‘we have a city to save.’
Another wave of enthusiasm swept through the group, and Ahren fled down the stairs, happier to face the Triumvirate than the young woman who was following him.
Chapter 20
Ahren looked nervously at the heavy double-doors which would be opening very shortly. Uldini had insisted on following official protocol for the day’s negotiations, and so there were four honour guards standing to attention left and right of the doors, and a liveried servant awaited the Arch Wizard’s signal that they were ready.
Ahren could feel Khara’s eyes on the back of his neck, but he kept his eyes fixed forward and tried to concentrate on the mission in hand. Culhen was certainly not helping matters.
She’s a bit skinny for a good she-wolf, was the commentary he was hearing. And the Alpha-male in the pack needs to be able to fight better than the others in the pack. But she beats you nearly every time, opined the Culhen, quoting the laws of the wolves.
I swear by the THREE if you don’t shut up, I’m going to shear your fur off later, threatened the young Paladin. At which point Culhen looked at him accusingly, but stopped communicating.
Uldini gestured to the servant. The doors swung open, revealing the meeting room. Ahren saw the three representatives, who had already been described to him in great detail. They were standing in anticipation at the other side of the conference table, craning their necks to catch sight of him. Uldini, ever the intriguer, had ensured that the young man would be right behind Falk’s broad back, so that he would remain for the most part hidden during their entrance. They reached the table, and Uldini bowed gallantly in front of Windita and her fellows.
‘Honoured representatives of the Brazen City, allow me to present to you Ahren, the Thirteenth Paladin.’
With that Falk took a step to the side, revealing his apprentice, who was standing bolt upright. Ahren really hoped that the three figures facing him would ignore the thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He suppressed the urge to fidget nervously but bowed slightly instead. ‘I heard you wanted to meet me personally to confirm my existence’, he said with as much self-confidence as he could muster. ‘And so, I have broken off my negotiations with Bergen so that I could be here with you.’ He had worked on that last sentence during the afternoon. He knew he was hamming it up and even fibbing ever so slightly, but he hoped his casual mention of the mercenary captain would have the desired effect.
Although Falk frowned and Uldini threw him a mischievous grin, the Triumvirate seemed indeed impressed. The two ladies bowed their heads politely and the dwarf seemed to be eying him a little less suspiciously than he had only a moment earlier. He was stroking his beard thoughtfully, in a futile attempt to tame it.
‘There’s not much flesh and bones on the lad. Could be anybody. I don’t see any armour, nor are there any weapons made from Deep Steel’, he grumbled as he thought aloud.
Ahren couldn’t stop himself from rolling his eyes as heard the same old a
rgument again. Not for the first time did he wish he had a giveaway birthmark, which would prove that he was a Paladin, just like in the old heroic sagas he had loved as a child. But at least he was used to the scepticism.
‘I’m sure I’ll grow into my role’, he said drily, causing Trogadon to chortle appreciatively. ‘But my Naming only took place last winter and in the most difficult of circumstances when there was no time to receive the gifts from HIM, WHO IS.’
The mention of the god of the dwarves caused Xobutumbur to make a gesture of humility, and Ahren waited for a heartbeat before continuing. ‘I have two Paladins and two Ancients who can vouch for me, as well as Trogadon, Bearer of the Ancestry Name. And if that doesn’t work, perhaps a little presentation might persuade you.’ He gestured Culhen, who had been waiting in the background, to come forward. The wolf approached, puffed up full in the knowledge of his own importance. ‘This is Culhen, my companion animal, selected by the goddess of the elves to look after me and to stand by my side.’ Ahren pointed at Xobutumbur, who was staring at Trogadon, as if he was only now seeing him properly for the first time. ‘Please tell me, Culhen, what the distinguished Clan Elder had for his lunch.’
Culhen approached the sceptical dwarf, while the two Triumvirate ladies observed the little drama with amusement. Ahren was sure that they had already been persuaded but he wanted to make his position clear in no uncertain terms, and so he continued with his little drama.
The wolf sniffed at the flinching dwarf, sneezed, whined once, and trotted back to Ahren, who listened to the wolf’s remarks. ‘You had strong-smelling fermented fish. Together with three tankards of beer, or perhaps four’, he announced self-confidently.
‘But you said you wanted to abstain from alcohol before the negotiations, my esteemed Xobutumbur’, scolded Palustra softly, and the dwarf coughed in embarrassment, before looking at Ahren grumpily.
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