by Owen Crane
villages. It should have been a welcome sight for the Sojourners at the end of
their long trip, but instead it marked the lowest point.
Evermere was dying.
They had hoped the vastness of the Lake had protected it. That perhaps the
poison had become diluted and would have no effect. They were wrong. As
they approached the lake they came across a small fishing village, similar to
dozens of others spread around the lake shore. There was a small stone jetty and
moored alongside it were a number of fishing boats.
One of the boats was in the process of lifting its net onto the jetty. Three of
the crew members were moving skilfully, manoeuvring the net and lowering it
down. A small group of villagers had gathered around, waiting expectantly as
the fish were brought in.
“They"re dead,” whispered Jaron, watching the fisherman.
Ariella and Indio followed Jaron"s gaze.
“They look alive to me,” said Indio, as the fishermen dumped the fish onto
the wet stones.
“Watch,” he replied, not taking his eyes off the net.
Ariella gasped as the net was pulled away and the pile of fish lay still,
lifeless. Creeping out from around the mound was an ever-increasing pool of
thick, red blood.
The heads of the fisherman dropped. One of them kicked a fish that had
escaped the mound and it flopped back into the Lake. The crowd started to
shuffle away, their despair obvious.
Some of the villagers spotted the Knot. Their faces turned angry and they
started muttering amongst themselves.
“This is not good,” said Eleazar nervously.
Karlov had the same thought. “Move out. Joachim, take the lead.”
The Knot turned their horses and began edging away.
“Seen enough?”
Ariella twisted in her saddle and saw one of the fishermen, the one who had
kicked the fish back into the lake, coming towards them.
“What"s the matter? Nothing to say?” his lip was curled in anger, the crowd
moving up behind him.
“Call yourselves Guardians? You"ve guarded nothing but yourselves and
those savages up in the mountains. They"ve poisoned our river, our lake, our
fields and you do nothing!” the man was shouting now, his anger rising.
Karlov turned his horse to meet him. “We are doing everything we can sir, I
assure you.”
“I"m no „sir"”, he spat, “I not some fat nobleman with a feather up his arse. I
work for my living and so do these people here.” He waved his hand to the
crowd behind him, who were growing restless. “You let our living die around
us. Meanwhile you"ve been protecting those animals in Khan.”
“Easy, Indio.” Whispered Ariella as you moved her horse next to him,
putting her hand on his arm. She could feel his muscles tense. She signalled to
Jaron with her eyes, he nodded and moved his horse to Indio"s other side. The
last thing this situation needed was an explosive Indio.
Karlov was still trying to calm the fisherman when a small stone came
whistling from the back of the crowd and landed right on the nose of Felix"s
horse. The horse reared in pain and surprise, then bolted away out of the village,
Felix clinging desperately to its neck. Esther and Eleazar spun their horses and
took off after him.
Another stone came spinning from the mob and caught Joachim on the side
of the head. Ariella winced when she heard the thump as the stone connected
with his skull. Joachim wobbled in his saddled and roared in pain and surprise,
drawing his sword.
“Put it away!” demanded Karlov, pushing his horse in front of Joachim.
More stones were flung from the crowd. People and horses started yelping
as the stones landed amongst the Knot.
Joachim"s face was fixed in a menacing growl, his hand tightly gripped
around his curved sword.
“Back off Joachim,” commanded Karlov, getting into Joachim"s face. The tall
Erestian ducked as another stone came flying towards him. He didn"t sheath his
sword.
“Ariella, lead them out of here!” called Karlov
Ariella spun her horse and dove into a gallop as more stones rained around
them. The others followed her, pushing their horses hard. Karlov and Joachim
were the last to leave. Karlov had to grab the reigns of Joachim"s horse and pull
him away from the crowd.
The Knot regrouped a mile outside the village. Esther and Eleazar had
helped Felix get control of his horse, although Felix looked more terrified than
the horse. Apart from a few cuts and bruises the Knot was unharmed but shaken
up.
“They attacked us,” gasped Felix. “Us! We"re Guardians.” He was shaking
his head.
“Why do they blame us?” asked Esther imploringly.
Karlov sighed. “Because we"re Guardians . ‘We give ourselves for the good of
Dawnhaven. We pledge to use our steel and our Light for the protection of the weak and the pursuit of Justice. We forsake our kingdoms, our names and our thrones. This day and everyday.’ If we can"t stop this curse obliterating the land then no one can.
These people know that. They"ve lost hope.”
Karlov forlornly nudged his horse forward away from the village along the
lakeshore, the others following behind. “Theia, get a water sample from the Lake
and let"s get back to Stonegard. Maybe Malum can figure out what"s going on.”
Within half an hour the Knot had turned their horses northward to begin the
long journey back to the capital. They looked dejected; slumped in their saddles,
all conversation died out. As they travelled north the countryside grew steadily
worse. It had only been a few days since they had passed this way by the decline
had been rapid. The plants were decaying in the field and the smell of blood was
carried on the wind. The people looked beaten and the young Sojourners met
thinly veiled hostility wherever they went.
A few days into the trip back to Stonegard they arrived in a small farming
community. The main square was crowded with people. It seemed like the
whole village was there, men and women, young and old. They were listening
intently to a well dressed man standing on the back of a horse drawn cart.
He seemed to be in the middle of a rousing speech, “the Baron has said it for
years! They are a blight on the landscape of mighty Trevena. Trevena, rich in
wealth and power. Trevena, powerful in sword and bow. We, Trevena, were the
beating heart of Dawnhaven. We ruled with strength and justice. Then the
shattering of the Kingdom and they emerged like leeches sucking the life from
us. They sit on their lofty perches in Stonegard and drain the soul from our land,
passing it on to those savages in the mountains. It"s everything the Baron
predicted!”
The nodded in agreement, some cheered.
“Anybody know what he"s talking about?” asked Ariella, looking to the
others in the Knot. Most shook their heads, their faces blank. All except Felix
and Eugenie.
Felix had gone pale while Eugenie had an odd look on her face like she was
trying to hide a smile.
Just then the man on the cart spotted them.
“Look!” he cried pointing at the Knot “Look at them! Isn"t it
what the Baron
said? Sitting on their horses far above the curse on your crops, on your homes, on
your lives! They are leeches, sucking the life from your children"s futures!”
“We"re the leeches?” asked Jaron, the shock filling his voice, “Us?”
“This is not going to be pretty,” muttered Eleazar
Karlov was already turning, “Move, everyone, and be quick about it.”
The Knot followed Karlov out of the square at a trot, the man"s words
ringing in their ears.
“Cowards and blood suckers!” he called. “Every Guardian needs to be
driven out of Trevena like these cowards here. See how they flee from the
truth!”
“I"ll give him truth,” growled Indio, loosening the axe in his belt.
Joachim seemed equally ready for a scrap. He had an eager look in his eye,
one hand on the hilt of his sword. Karlov ignored them both, leading them out
of the village and up the highway, northwards toward Stonegard.
Ariella pulled her horse in beside Felix. Keeping her voice low she
questioned him. “Felix, you know what that was about, don"t you?”
He shifted uneasily in his saddle, his eyes glancing around. He settled on
Eugenie, several riders in front of them, trotting alongside Theia. He nodded but
said nothing.
“Who was the man with the big mouth Felix?”
“I don"t know.” He said, reluctantly.
“But you know something.”
He nodded again.
“What Felix? What"s going on?”
Felix checked on Eugenie again. “Did you see his sigil?”
Ariella shook her head, frustrated.
Sigil? What is he talking about?
“Help me out Felix, what is a sigil?”
Felix looked at her, surprised, “A sigil?”
“Yes Felix, a sigil, what are you talking about?”
Felix sighed. “A sigil is the house emblem, the coat of arms of the noble
house.”
Ariella sighed. “So why don"t you just call them a house emblem?”
Felix smiled. “Because this is Trevena, we don"t do simple, we do, er,
complicated.”
Ariella rolled eyes.
“As I was saying, did you see the sigil?”
No I didn’t see his bloody sigil, I was slightly preoccupied trying not to get in
another scrap with angry villagers.
Ariella shook her head.
Felix"s voice went low. “It was a burning crown pierced with a bloody
sword.”
“Felix, I"m sure you"re well versed on every sigil of every noble house in
Trevena. But, for the sake of argument, let"s assume I"m clueless in this area,
okay? Great, will you now please tell me what the hell is going on?”
“Shhh,” said Felix, looking up towards Eugenie.
“Why?” she asked, getting exasperated. “What has Eugenie got to do with
any of this?”
“The sigil.” Felix was looking at her intently, “The sigil”
“What about the damn sigil?”
“It"s hers!” said Felix “It"s Eugenie"s sigil. The man in the square works for
Baron Rexsalve, that was the Baron he was talking about.”
Ariella gasped, the penny finally dropped. “The Baron he was talking about
is Baron Rexsalve, Eugenie"s father.”
Felix nodded
“Oh crap,” said Ariella
Felix nodded
“He"s blaming the Guardians.”
Felix nodded.
“He"s stirring the people up against the Guardians and against Khan.”
Felix nodded.
Ariella watched the back of Eugenie"s head as she rode a little way in front of
them.
“Oh crap.”
“Yes, exactly,” said Felix
“Does Karlov know?” she asked him.
Felix shook his head, “I don"t think so. He"s not from Trevena.” Ariella
raised an eyebrow at the comment. “It"s obvious if you know what you"re
looking for. The Guardians look to move on from national identities over the
five years of the Journey but there are signs. He"s from Khan, at least, I"m pretty
sure he"s from Khan.”
“That"d explain why he"s been in such a foul mood since the accusations
against Khan started,” said Ariella, mulling over her options. “Eugenie didn"t
look unhappy at the speech in the village, in fact, she didn"t look surprised. It"s
almost as if she knew what was going on.”
“I thought the same thing,” said Felix, “Baron Rexsalve is no friend of the
Guardians.”
“Go on,” Ariella urged.
“He makes no secret that he thinks the splitting of Dawnhaven was a
cataclysmic mistake,” said Felix. “He thinks that the island is weakened by the
five Kingdoms and what we need is a single strong ruler in Stonegard. To him,
the Guardians are a symbol of everything he despises. He"s always been a bit of
a lone voice, powerful in his own county but not across Trevena. I guess things
might be changing.”
Ariella flinched at that comment. “The people of Trevena are turning against
the Guardians and Khan. That sounds like something that Baron Rexsalve
would like. It seems the Blood Curse is helping his cause, don"t you think?”
Felix went white again, a state he returned to regularly. “Surely not,” he
said. “The Baron may hate many things but he loves Trevena. Surely he
wouldn"t do this much damage just to see the Guardians discredited. Ariella?”
“I don"t know,” she said. “I don"t know this Baron Rexsalve, but I know
Eugenie. I know what an obnoxious, poisonous cow she is.”
“But she"s a Guardian. Why would she support this?”
“I don"t know. But you said that her father hates the Guardians. What"s she
even doing here? Something stinks Felix, and I"m going to find out what it is.”
The Knot was passing through a small wood of oaks, beeches and ash trees.
The canopies were wide spreading over the road, the midday sun flickering
through the rich autumn leaves. Ariella dropped her horse back along the line of
riders to where Jaron and Indio were bringing up the rear.
“Hold up a little,” she whispered, “Let them get a little way in front.”
Jaron and Indio looked at her questioningly but did as she asked.
When the rest of the Knot were about twenty yards in front Ariella started
talking. “Indio, before I tell you anything you must promise me not to react,
certainly not with any volume, okay?” she stared hard at Indio.
“Me?” he replied innocently, “react? Of course I won"t react, I"m the very
picture of calmness.”
“Of course he won"t react,” smiled Jaron, “If he opens his mouth, I"ll knock
him off his horse.”
Indio"s smile vanished.
“Great,” said Ariella. She filled them in on the conversation with Felix.
“They call it a sigil?” asked Indio when she had finished, “What do they do
that for? That"s just weird.”
“Really Indio,” sighed Jaron, “Everything she"s just told you and you"re
asking about the word „sigil"?”
“Oh, yeah, fair point, sorry.”
Jaron looked up at the line of riders in front of them. “Question is, what are
we going to do about it?” asked Jaron.
“Smash Eugenie over the head, tie her to a tree and leave her here,” smiled
Indio.
Ariella stared at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious.
“Okay,” she said, “That"s certainly one option. Any others?”
“We could tell Karlov,” suggested Jaron, “Although I"m not sure what good
that would do.”
They rode along in silence. The canopy of trees above them grew thicker,
blocking out most of the bright sunshine.
The figure emerged from the shadows without a sound, startling the horses.
“Halt!” he called, raising a long rapier and pointing it at Karlov"s chest.
The man was tall and thin, with a wide brimmed black hat, tipped at an
angle. He wore a heavy, dark riding coat with long leather boots. His nose and
mouth were covered by a grubby, blue scarf leaving only his eyes to be seen.
Karlov pulled up his horse, sharply, the rest of the Knot following suit.
There was a smattering of quick movement as swords were pulled from sheaths
and bows readied. Karlov raised his hand to the Knot, signalling them to stop.
“Highwaymen,” muttered Jaron, an arrow already notched to his bow, eyes
scanning the woods around them.
“He"s badly outnumbered,” said Indio, taking out his axe. “Karlov"s not in
the mood to mess about.”
Karlov glared down at the man standing in his way. “Who are you?” he
barked.
“That is irrelevant,” replied the Highwayman. “What is particularly relevant
is that you are riding through my woods.”
“Your woods?” scoffed Karlov, “I think the Knights of Trevena may have
something to say about that. I"d be careful what you lay claim to, you may find
yourself hanging by your neck from a tall tree.”
The Highwayman laughed, a thin, squeaky laugh that set Ariella"s teeth on
edge.
“I don"t like this,” she whispered.
“The Knights of Trevena are not my concern, and they shouldn"t be yours.
You should be more concerned with your own neck,” he sneered at Karlov.
“There are eleven of us and one of you. How exactly do you think this is
going to work out?” said Karlov.
The Highwayman raised his thin rapier above his head and waved it once to
each side. Silently eight crossbow men rose from the undergrowth on either side
of the road, surrounding the Knot.
“That"s nine against eleven and ten of yours are children. I think that evens
the odds slightly.” The Highwayman took a step towards Karlov, his rapier
