The Nature of a Curse (Volume 2 of the Year of the Red Door)

by William Timothy Murray

  She took another sip, looking down into her tankard for a moment before continuing.

  "I am not one of those of my kind who is gifted with Sight," she said. "Yet the west has been filled with strange omens, and the Seers go about with little to say and with worry on their faces. Though they may see meanings hidden to the rest of us, the rest of us are not without wit and can hardly ignore the things that have happened.

  "A new star appeared, low over the western edge of the world, and it burned red from Midwinter last until it sank from sight on Midsummer's Eve. The astrologers called it Veritask, named for Aperion's soothsayer, and they say it foretells other omens of sky and earth and water. Three months and more ago, late on the night of my arrival in Duinnor, all of the bells of the Westlands rang of their own accord. The great bells of the towers, as well as the chimes of the temples and courts, and the service bells in all of the houses of all the people. Three times did they ring with great force and invisible agitation, causing a terrible alarm throughout the land. The people were called out to arms. Soldiers of all armies and Houses rushed to their posts. The many gates of Duinnor were pushed closed against any coming attack. Kingsmen crowded the fortifications of the Palace, and watchfires were lit throughout the countryside. A terrible calamity was feared and expected, yet no enemy came. I was in the Temple when this happened, just outside Duinnor City. A powerful urge overcame me to take up arms and fly away east against some unknown foe. It was a terrible and fearful thing to feel, and difficult to resist. After three weeks, and owing much to the influence of the Temple, I was calmer. Yet the people of Duinnor remain nervous still.

  "While I abided in the Temple during those days of alarm, I heard from the monks tales of strange creatures that had been seen in the faraway seawaters off the coast of Glareth. Creatures that sang songs of enchantment and that danced upon the waves. I, who remember the First Days, before the Fall and before the world was remade, remember, too, that some of our kind arose from the sea and others of us followed their invitation to retire into the sea away from the woods and the fields. When I heard the monks' stories, a deep longing grew in me, a yearning to find those creatures and to see for myself if they may be brothers and sisters of the Elifaen who may have escaped our fate. Again, my heart urged me to go eastward. And, as it happened, there were other matters I desired to attend to in the east. Though I was advised against it, I could resist the urge no longer. So I and my two great-nephews who insisted on being my escorts set out. It was our intent to travel northeast along the Osterflo, through the mountains to the Locks of Karthia, and from there go down in boats to Glareth by the Sea.

  "But on the twentieth night of our journey, a dream came to me. It was a memory-dream of when I came to Tulith Attis with my brother Navis. But in this dream, I became small, like the people here, and became lost in the fog and mist. All the while, as I fought vine and limb to find my way, a mighty bell thundered and tolled. The dream persisted in my thoughts for the next few days. At last, I understood better my urge to come east, and we turned south and rode hard to come here. We came down off the Middlemount, well east of Nasakeeria, of course, and passed through the plains. We tarried nowhere, stopped for no challenge, and rested only when our buckmarls needed rest. And here we are."

  While she spoke, Ashlord remained standing, scratching his bearded chin and looking from Sheila to Esildre and back. He smiled and nodded whenever Esildre looked his way, and politely muttered, "Oh. You don't say."

  Robby, who had pulled up a crate to sit before Esildre while she spoke, noted Ashlord's familiar deep-and-distant look, and wondered briefly which part of Esildre's tale he contemplated, or if the mystic was thinking at all of Esildre's words. Ullin and the others had also dragged over crates or boxes to sit on, and though Billy and Ullin appeared thoroughly enchanted by her, and Ibin enraptured, Sheila seemed stiff and wore a wooden expression.

  Esildre's two escorts came in and returned the two tankards, and bowed in thanks. When they removed their helmets, it was a surprise to see that they had the look of boys not more than twelve or thirteen years of age, and were identical in every way, except one had green eyes and the other blue, with long sun-blond hair tied in ponytails, small sharp noses, and thin lips. Their skin was pale and freckled, as if they had never spent a day outside, though they had the tough, muscular bearing of two who had spent little of their life indoors. Young though they seemed, there was something in their manner indicated to Ullin, at least, that they were Elifaen, and had seen and done more, perhaps, than he ever would. The pair placed their helmets next to Esildre's gear and retreated back to the cave opening to resume their watch.

  Ashlord nodded and smiled as everyone looked at him. Then he shook himself, realizing they were expecting him to speak.

  "Ah. A very interesting account, Lady Esildre," he said. "I suppose it is my turn. Well. Let's see. Sixteen days ago—is that all? It seems longer—yes, sixteen days ago, we were all going about our business in County Barley when an army of Redvest soldiers from Tracia, about three or four thousand strong, invaded the lands. There was a fight or two, but most of Barley and Passdale, the chief town there, were taken by the enemy, and many of the inhabitants fled to Janhaven to the west of those parts. The Tracian Redvests seemed uninterested in advancing to Janhaven, in spite of the supplies and stores there in warehouses and factors' floors. Perhaps they did not wish to extend their forces, for the road to Janhaven has become a deathtrap for them. Anyway, the invaders took as many captives as they could. Their intent is apparently to loot the region of grain and food for transport southward where the main forces of their armies are gathering. We fear that the Redvests of Tracia have reached an accord with the Dragonkind, and that they work together toward an upcoming attack against Masurthia and Altoria. Meanwhile, my guess is that the army that took Passdale is the northernmost force of Redvests, and that the lands from there southward are under their occupation, too. Word of all this was sent to Glareth, but the messenger was pursued by enemy hunters. And Glareth is far away, so the Ruling Prince may not have word of the invasion for some time. It was decided that a small group should go to Duinnor to represent Barley and the Eastlands in an effort to bring aid. That is where we go. We first went to Tallinvale. And it was there that we learned the breadth of the war that is in the making. Tallinvale, which has held a precarious pact of peace with the Damar and with Tracia, now realizes that their valley is isolated and surrounded. Lord Tallin foresees that the Redvests will wait until the spring for their offensive upon Masurthia. But he also knows that the Redvests cannot leave Tallinvale upon its flank. And so Lord Tallin prepares for the coming attack and siege. Tallin City is a formidable fortress, and no small force may hope to take it, so Lord Tallin expects a great army will come against him. It is his aim to delay or to weaken the Redvests, making their springtime offensive less powerful. We have until then, springtime, if we are lucky, and if Tracia does not launch its westward attack beforehand. So to Duinnor we go, to rouse Duinnor to the threats that mount, and then to return with an army sufficient to relieve the city and free the Eastlands of the invaders."

  Esildre appeared thoughtful, and the twins, who could hear everything, exchanged blank looks.

  "If Lord Tallin remains the soldier he once was, then the Redvests will pay dearly, for he is reputed to be merciless in battle, cunning, and impassioned with the strength of ten men. And, it is said, he inspires the same in all who follow him. Yet, you haven't much time, particularly if Tracia and the Dragonlands have united. Altoria is weak and has always been well protected by the Hinderlands. If the Dragonkind can break through the passes, Altoria will certainly fall. Masurthia cannot resist an assault from east and from west by such armies as you describe. Together the invading armies would outflank Vanara, and the plains will be an easy road to Duinnor."

  "Just so," said Ashlord.

  "Yet, there is more to your tale than you have told. Even Eldwin did not tell me all, I suspect. He could hardly explain ho
w the Treasure Room, barred so strongly, was opened with such ease, and much to everyone's astonishment. He showed me the bands that burst asunder, and how their welds were split."

  She looked at the group, but none made an answer to her.

  "And he told me," she went on, "how Ullin Saheed Tallin, here, was declared to be heir of the Treasure of Tulith Attis, and so the rightful spoils of that place have been returned, by my brother's decree. I find it curious that it was done in the manner Eldwin described, that his own cousin," she looked from Ullin to Robby, "bestowed the honor and declared the spoils returned. And that you also declared their value increased a thousand-fold from the day of their theft from Tulith Attis."

  "At least that much increased," Robby said bluntly. Without being able to see her expression, he could not tell if her tone was accusative, or merely curious. "And Ullin's lineage is no secret."

  "You are right on both points. I think your company is a very talented one, and more noble than you may seem, at first glance. I will not press you too hard on your secrets. The world is full of them, for good or ill."

  She took a long sip of beer, and her expression, what they could see of it that was not hidden by her veil, was one of pleasure at the refreshment. She turned to Robby again.

  "Eldwin tells me that the one originally responsible for his people's plight, the one who brought them to Tulith Attis as slaves, is now dead," she said. "That the one called Bailorg died at your own hands."

  "That is true, Lady Esildre," Robby nodded. "Our dispute led to a fight, and it was my life or his."

  "I see. And the nature of your dispute?"

  "Bailorg sought to harm one of our companions, Billy, here," Ashlord intervened. "Luckily for Billy, Robby rescued him."

  " 'At's right!" Billy added. "Ol' Robby, here, saved me life!"

  "I see. And I sense one tale must lead into the next," she nodded. She turned her head toward the opening of the cave, still nodding as she sighed. "But why was Bailorg in your region? Do you know?"

  Ashlord shrugged.

  "We learned his name from Robby," he said, "who overheard one of his men address him. We also learned that one of his associates was a Dragonkind, and we suspect that another was an agent for Tracia. Bailorg's true role in things remains a mystery. Until we arrived here and heard the tale of these people, we had no idea that his ties to the Dragonkind went so far back in history. Apparently, his deeds at Tulith Attis, here in Nowhere, and elsewhere, have woven a dark weft farther and deeper than we may ever know."

  "Yes, I can only believe that is true," Esildre replied, obviously unsatisfied with their answers. Turning back to Robby, she said, "Then it was fortunate for you to be where you were to save your friend. And fortunate for so many others, too."

  Her tone, Robby thought, had a note of disappointment, in spite of her words.

  "I deeply regret that Navis and I did not find him after we encountered these people," she finally said. "But our search was a short one. I am to blame for that tragic failure. My brother and I should have persisted. So much evil would have been averted had we found him."

  Her speech drifted off with an undertone of profound distress. She took another swallow of beer, holding the tankard with both her hands to hide how they were shaking. She swallowed, and took another gulp.

  "Because you will go the way that I have come," she then continued, "I will tell you that there are strange things happening in the lands west of here. We avoided the few towns along the way, but came across signs of unrest and trouble. Abandoned farms. Odd signs made with wood or standing stones placed in the fields or amongst the deserted livestock. Duinnor sends patrols, but they go no farther south than the pass between Nasakeeria and the Mossweren Heights to the west. A traveler we met along our way said that a small Kingsman army was already posted somewhere south, somewhere east of Forest Islindia. Their mission or purpose was not known to him. Later, when we forded the Missenflo and entered the mountains, we felt a strange and unsettled air within the forest. The woods there are unnaturally quiet, as if nervous and sullen. We were cautious, and did not stop but to water and rest our mounts. We encountered no one until we came to the bridge at the gorge."

  A strong breeze blew into the Foyer, flickering the lamps. Esildre turned her head to the entrance as the air stirred her hair. The breeze faded away, and she looked back at Robby.

  "I must go," she said, rising. Everyone else stood as her great-nephews helped her on with her armor.

  "They will be glad to hear your decision," Ullin said as she strapped on her harness and shifted her sword.

  "Perhaps we should all go," she replied. "After all, this now pertains to you, too."

  To this they agreed, and after removing the saddles and packs from the horses ("No need to tire 'em out ahead of time," said Billy), they walked together to town. They reached the square at midday, and there were more people gathered than before. The Elders were gathered, the chairs now in a broad semicircle facing the chair that previously had been given to Sheila and was meant now for their Elifaen visitor. The Elders each stood beside his or her chair, and their families of every generation were grouped behind them. Every inhabitant was there, called away from tasks and chores wherever they were, the young as well as the old, summoned by urgent messengers sent out by the council. Now, pressing close to their Elders, the crowd grew quiet, and they bowed, opening a path for the visitors.

  Esildre did not take the chair reserved for her. Robby with his company stood behind her and her escorts as she turned to the gathering.

  "I will not lift my curse laid upon you," she said immediately in a loud voice for all to hear. There was a sigh of relief on many faces, for how would they protect themselves if the Elders could no longer pop around so swiftly? But others wisely waited for the caveat they felt coming.

  "A curse may only be uttered in the throes of passion. The passion of love or hatred, compassion, or anger, and the Great Powers must join in sympathy to that passion, for better or for ill. When a curse is uttered, it becomes its own spirit, with its own life, one might say. In this way, a true curse is born in the same way as a true blessing and cannot easily be undone. He that utters it has never the power to revoke it, no matter how it may later be regretted. When the conditions, if any, of its being are fulfilled, and its purpose is gone from the world, so it, too, goes away. Curses and blessings are two faces of the same power, and one may sometimes become the other as it turns upon itself. I will not lift the curse because I cannot."

  "You now have the power that I, in my passion and compassion, brought into the world. I made no condition upon it, and I cannot say when your long life or your power to move about may depart from you. Use them wisely I beseech you! And if you have any blessings in this life, use them to be blessings upon others whenever you may."

  The Elders looked at one another solemnly. Some shook hands with arms around each other, and, after a few moments, the crowd absorbed something of the situation and the meaning of her words. Their spirits began to lift, and they began talking excitedly with each other of their prospects, speculating, as they always had, but now with a growing sense of how their plight could soon change.

  Eldwin stood on his chair and, facing his people, cried, "Hear me! Hear me!" with his hands in the air.

  "I put this before the Elders an' before ye all," he said once he had everyone's attention. "Let us give thanks to Lady Esildre an' to the Lords Robby an' Ullin. We have now a greater hope of saving our people an' of entering the world for our protection an' the protection of these lands. Let us resolve ourselves, now, to break the first curse as we have been instructed, so that we may freely travel from these lands as need may be. An' by the permission given by Lord Ullin, let us use the Hoard to accomplish the things before us. Let the council meet until plans are made, an' let us then carry them out with a good heart an' great hope. Let this day an' this night be one of celebration, putting aside all other business so that we might give thanks an' good fellowship to one
another an' to our honored guests. What say ye?"

  These suggestions were met with enthusiastic agreement, and immediately groups broke forward to join the Elders, bowing before Esildre and thanking her. They bowed to Robby and Ullin, too, and asked their permission to prepare a table so that all of their visitors could be entertained and fed. Robby, who, like Ashlord, was anxious to make their departure and to cross the gorge, was reluctant. But he could not help smiling at the pleas and excitement of the Nowhereans. Makewine and Arldewain were competing with others for Ullin's attention, asking the Kingsman about the best ways to establish watches and to make some kind of defense of their lands against the Damar.

  "They may send spies or scouts to probe you," Ullin speculated. "And they may make some attempt in some force. I doubt they will come on horseback, preferring to send their soldiers through the hilly forest on foot, perhaps in the guise of hunters. But it is unlikely that a full assault will come until next year. They will be too busy elsewhere. It will be up to you Elders, who have the gift of speed, to form the main guard of your lands, since you may quickly spread word and warning of any intrusion and may assemble well before the rest of your people. Tell me, how long might it take a man such as I, without your power of movement, to walk the borders of Nowhere and to arrive back where he began?"

  Makewine scratched his chin, eyeing Ullin's long legs while Arldewain shrugged.

  "About half as long as it would take us?" he speculated.

  • • •

  Ibin, as seemed his fate, was again the center of playful attention, and he soon had two small children high up on either shoulder where they both stood shrieking with laughter as they clutched his curly hair for balance. Another three or four clung to his belt, dangling out as he spun around and around with another child in each of his hands. And another little one, who had lost his grip and slipped from Ibin's belt, was clinging onto his right thigh with arms and legs wrapped around his thick muscles like a vise.