Burden of Stones

by James Dale

  “I do,” Jack grinned.

  “Talk as we walk, my husband,” Anna commanded.

  They soon arrived at their suite and Jack raised a curious eyebrow.

  “We have to dress for dinner my love,” she explained.

  “If I start removing your armor, I cannot promise where I will stop,” he grinned.

  “That is why someone will be assisting us,” his wife informed him. “And why they will stay with me while you take a bath. How long did it take to get here from Lordsisle? I can smell you through your armor, my love.”

  A pair of servants arrived only seconds after they entered their room. And it was luckily timed as well. Their bed looked very inviting. As they moved to assist Anna with her armor, Jack stopped them with a glance.

  “I will assist the queen,” he informed them.

  “They have been helping me in your absence,” she informed him with a sigh.

  “I am absent no longer,” Jack replied quietly, beginning to work at the buckles on her breast plate.

  He quickly had all her plate removed and had his wife down to a shirt of mail and her leggings. Trusting himself to continue no further, he turned his back on Anna with a sigh. Unbuckling Yhswyndyr, he tossed it unceremoniously on their bed and held out his arms. They were halfway through with their removal of his armor when Jack heard a familiar voice.

  “It is high time you had a proper squire, my Lord.”

  “Daen,” Jack smiled, not bothering to turn. “Go run me a bath, lad. From the way these ladies are sniffing, I seem to be a bit ripe.”

  “It’s as if you never left, your grace,” the young Steward’s apprentice laughed. “Shall I draw it large enough for two?”

  “Daen Haemon!” Anna gasped. “You are much too young to be speaking this way! And about your queen?”

  “I turned sixteen last month, majesty.” Daen replied. Jack saw him wink at one of the servants as he passed. “You gave me that pretty pocket knife, remember?”

  “I do indeed!” Anna informed him tersely. “And if you should ever speak this way again in my presence, I will use it on a part of you that will remove all such thoughts from your wicked little mind.”

  That brought a quite laugh from the servant working at Jack’s leg grieves.

  “Of course, my queen!” Daen laughed from the bath room. “My apologies!”

  “If he wasn’t so useful, I would set him to scrubbing pots in the kitchen,” Anna muttered.

  “He has already been banned from the kitchen, majesty,” one of the women informed her. “Some incident with Cook Hallon’s oldest daughter.”

  “Tell me about it while you help me dress, Mallory,” Anna sighed.

  “I believe you can take it from here, my Lord,” the servant still attending him said, as she removed his last piece of armor and placed it on a stand.

  “Thank you…”

  “Angaela, High King.”

  “Thank you Angaela,” Jack nodded, and headed for the bathroom and the sound of run-ning water.

  “We are glad you are back, my Lord,” she called after him. “The queen has been quite well, testy with you away.”

  “I heard that!” Anna called from the other room.

  “I meant for you too,” Angaela laughed softly.

  In the bathroom, Jack quickly stripped out of the rest of his clothes. As he slid into the warm, welcoming water, Daen sat down on the chair nearby and began to go over his list of prospective squires. After the he’d heard the qualities and shortcomings of six young men of Dorshev, Jack finally informed him to send the top three candidates to him after lunch tomorrow and he would talk to them. He was not the least bit surprised to find Daen had already scheduled appointments for each of them the next day.

  While Jack finished washing, Daen collected his dirty clothes, soon returning with fitting garments for a dinner with the Staffclave. When he had dried and dressed in the silver trousers and Immer blue silk shirt, Daen presented him new shirt of Ithelmere scale. He didn’t bother to ask how the young man knew his other one lay at the bottom of Aeralnen Widewater. Daen helped him with the scale, then his boots, then pronounced him presentable.

  He emerged from the bath, he found Anna already dressed and waiting. She was wearing a new turquoise gown, trimmed in white with a slit up on side revealing a tempting glimpse of supple calf and thigh when she moved. Her auburn hair was combed and draped over her left shoulder, reaching almost to her waist. Had it been so long when he left? Jack couldn’t remember. She also wore a belt of silver braids with a foot long, slender dagger at her hip.

  “You look lovely, my queen,” he said quietly.

  “No kiss,” Anna warned. “Do not think of doing anything more than holding my hand. I…I could not bear it.” She finished, blushing.

  “My Lord. My Lady,” Daen smiled. “Dinner is not for a half hour yet…”

  “Out you rouge!” Anna commanded. “Or I will forget how useful you are!”

  Daen Haemon departed with a sweeping bow.

  “Is this safe enough, my queen?” asked Jack, presenting his beautiful wife his arm.

  “Barely,” she replied.

  Dinner was in the grand dining hall. There were twenty guests already seated as they arrived. The six Lords of the Staffclave were there. Morgan and Dorad sat next to each other. Ailicia was seated beside the newly restored prince of course. Lady Ara’fael sat next to Dorad, watching them closely, perhaps regretting Dorad was a prince again so soon. Arrinor and Alnordel were engaged in quite conversation with Malik Gamrin and Borg Cassaban of all people! The rest of the guests included Rhyn Dunnahel, and several ministers of the Council of Doridan, all of whom seemed to shift uncomfortably as Jack entered the room. There were two empty seats at the head of the table. All rose as Jack seated the Queen of Doridan at the position of host. Kaiddra was on her left. There was no avoiding pairing the two women unless Jack sat between. He couldn’t decide which would be worse.

  By command of the queen, no talk of war would be allowed during dinner. There would be ample opportunity to discuss tactics and battle formations and numbers in the next few days. It would have been difficult task with best military minds in Dorshev seated so near, but Anna smelled like peaches and Jack was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than her maddening scent. The feel of her bare leg touching his under the table wasn’t helping either. Knowing his wife, it had likely been her plan all along. Borg’s left arm was still in a sling, but Cassy assured him he would be well enough to travel and would be fully recovered by the time they reached Tanaevar. Even that was too close for Anna and she shifted the conversation quickly, by asking Alnordel and Kaiddra if they had thought further about their offers of service.

  Jack quickly deduced such a question was acceptable if the queen brought it up.

  “I will politely decline, my queen,” Alnordel replied. “All the fighting at sea will be finished by Annoth before I could reach it. I will look for another way I can serve.”

  “I am currently entertaining another…offer,” Kaiddra replied with a shy smile, sparing a glance at Lord Dhoran. “I would like your thoughts on the terms later if you are agreeable, Queen Anna?”

  “I would be delighted,” Anna replied. “If you have not come to terms by morning.”

  Dinner was excellent. The company was so pleasant he almost forgot soon almost everyone at the table would be riding or marching off to war. Halfway through a dessert of sweet cakes that almost rivaled those of Master Galilaen’s, Anna gave his leg a quick squeeze. When he looked at his wife, her bright green eyes spoke of a promise yet to be fulfilled.

  Jack did his best to produce a believable yawn. “My apologies everyone. Traveling through the Stream of Time always gives me jet lag.”

  “Jet lag?” Borg asked.

  “I believe it means the High King is tired and wishes to politely retire,” Dorad replied. “I feel tired myself.”

  “I remember a mention of tea being served shortly, Prince Dorad,�
� Lady Ara’fael said quickly. “Stay a bit longer and we can discuss how to alleviate the spell’s effects. I would have talked to the High King about it already if he’d only asked.”

  “I think a good night’s sleep will do me better than tea, my Lady,” Jack smiled.

  “I will see to the High King,” Anna said standing. The table quickly rose with her. “My edict still stands. No talk of battles until tomorrow.”

  “Oh course, my queen.” Duke Morgan nodded.

  “Beloved,” Anna said, offering Jack her arm.

  As they walked down the table, Lady Ara’fael reached out and touched Jack lightly on his arm. “My lord?”

  “You owe me an heir.”

  His eyes widened in shock. “Lady?”

  “I am sorry,” she smiled. “I had a thought and now it has completely slipped my mind. Perhaps I will recall it tomorrow. Sleep well, High King.”

  “Why you crafty old witch,” Jack beamed, but the Spellweaver had already turned her attention back to Dorad and Ailicia. Perhaps he’d imagined it?

  “Coming, my husband?” Anna asked, resting her head on his shoulder. Any thoughts of Ara’fael possibly Mindspeaking were driven by his mind by the smell of peaches.

  Corporal Paeton and another of Anna’s Horsemaidens who he couldn’t quite name were on duty outside their door. Apparently, guarding the Queen of Doridan and the High King would be a shared duty between the two forces. At a nod from Paeton, the Horsemaiden opened the door and went inside to sweep the room. There was no subtle way do it this so Jack pulled the corporal aside. “You don’t have to stand right outside the door.” Jack informed him quietly.

  Looking at the Queen of Doridan briefly, the Hammer corporal nodded his understanding.

  “Good man,” Jack said. “If we were staying here just a more few days longer, I’d get you a furlough to Immer.”

  “Jack?” Anna asked curiously.

  “Corporal Paeton has a new daughter in Immer,” Jack said. “I’ve promised to get him home as quickly as I can to see here again.”

  “Jack Braedan, you have a lot to learn about ruling,” Anna sighed. “Corporal, we can’t possibly leave Dorshev in less than four days. Even after we move, it will take a long, long time to get such a large force properly underway. Tell Captain d’Kenna his queen has granted you a seven-day furlough. Tell the Master of Stables you require two Val’anna for an urgent errand. If you cannot make it to Immer and back in a week, you can find us on the road to Tanaevar. It shouldn’t be that hard to locate thirty thousand Doridanians.”

  “My queen, I appreciate the offer but I cannot leave my post.” Paeton replied. As the Horsemaiden exited their room after clearing it, Anna took her by the arm.

  “Jhari, patrols pass through this hall every ten minutes during the night. Stop the next one you see and pick a relief for Corporal Paeton,” Anna informed him. “Corporal Paeton, do as your queens command. If I see you again tomorrow you will be left behind to sweep the stables. Understood?”

  “Yes, my queen,” Corporal Paeton bowed. “Thank you.”

  “Was that so hard?” Anna said turning to Jack. “You have too much soldier in you and not enough king. Inside Jack Braeden. Now. We will continue your instruction.”

  “Yes, my queen,” Jack smiled.

  “I’m going to change,” Anna announced, locking the door behind them as soon as they were inside. “Go freshen up and do not come out until I call you.” She didn’t wait to see if Jack obeyed.

  Shaking his head in wonder over how quickly Anna had recovered from her…illness, Jack went to freshen up. He made decisions quickly. He always had. He could think on his feet better than most in Delta. That’s why he’d survived, even when his mind was not…right. But Anna? In the last few hours she had been amazing. She seemed to be thinking three moves ahead on every problem presented to her. He had a lot to learn about ruling? He didn’t know the first think about it compared to his wife. From this moment, until he reached Agash Thugar, if it was safe to do so, he vowed Annawyn Ellgereth would not leave his side.

  Jack scrubbed his face, brushed his teeth and made himself as presentable as he could without drawing another bath. It was not long at all until he heard his wife call from the other room. “I am ready, my husband.”

  Jack found his wife laying in their bed, covers pulled up to her neck. “About my continued instruction?” he smiled.

  “Where shall we start?” she asked. Pulling back the covers, he saw she was wearing the exact same sleeping shift from his last Dreamwalk.

  “Do you…do you remember what you were going to do the night the dragon came?” he asked, climbing into their bed.

  “I do,” Anna whispered. “Let me show you.”

  Jack awoke with a start. It was dark. The candles hand burned down to stumps, but a pale light was shining through the partially open doors of the balcony. Open doors? They had been closed when they came back from dinner, he was certain of it. After…after Anna had shown him what she had planned, he was laying there with her head resting on his shoulder and had briefly thought he liked the glass design on the new doors. New doors because had he had crashed head-long through the old ones on the night the dragon came.

  “Anna, wake up,” he whispered. “Anna?”

  “I’m tired Jack,” his wife said quietly, snuggling closer to him. “Go back to sleep. We can bathe together in the morning, my love.”

  Something didn’t feel right. There was a sound in his head. Like…like the soft ssssss of air escaping. Yhswyndyr was leaning against the headboard on Anna’s side of the bed. As he reached over his wife for the sword a shadow moved on the balcony. A cloud passing across the moon? A trick of light? Then the balcony doors began to slowly open.

  “Something is wrong,” Jack whispered fiercely. The doors were open about six inches now. Moving so slowly they didn’t make a sound. But he still heard the sssssss in his head. Only now he thought he heard more. Sssssssleep.

  “What’s wrong, Jack?” she asked in a whisper, wide awake now.

  The doors opened another inch.

  “When I say move,” he whispered into her ear, “roll under me. I have to set to my sword.”

  “Okay.”

  Quieter than a midnight breeze, the doors opened another inch.

  “Move,” he hissed, raising himself from the bed, he reached for Yhswyndyr as Anna rolled underneath him, tumbling to the floor.

  At the sound, the doors flew open as he grasped Yhswyndyr’s hilt. But nothing came through. Had it been the wind? Had the doors not been latched? Then he caught a flicker of movement along the far wall and he knew it wasn’t the wind. It was not a shadow. It was like a ripple of air or refracted light. Another ripple.

  Jack ripped the sword from it sheath and rolled toward the shadow. Anna stood up on the other side of the bed holding the knife she’d worn at dinner, naked as the day she was born. “Stay still,” he hissed.

  He could see it now. Whatever it was, moving slowly across the back wall, so slowly he had to concentrate in the dark to make it out. Dark? “Solas!” He commanded the Highsword. “Light!” And the room was suddenly as bright as day.

  He couldn’t see what they were, but he could see the shadows they cast now. One was just inside the balcony door, twenty feet away on his left. Another stood against the far wall near the bathroom. A shadow moved by the door to the hallway. No! Not near the door but only a few feet from his wife.

  “In front of you Anna!” he cried. “Solas!” he commanded again and the room became blinding.

  Anna struck blindly with her knife, her other hand shielding her eyes. The shadow thing leapt back with a hiss, dark blood welling from a long cut across its abdomen. “Guards!” Anna shouted, slashing again. But the thing was out of her reach now, swaying side to side as if searching for an opening to strike.

  Pounding on their bedroom door and shouts from the hallway. Anna had locked it.

  Jack sensed movement on his left. One of the shadows had cr
ept closer during his concern for his wife. He struck blindly, Yhswyndyr whistling through the air. Blood showered the walls, black as night as the shadow was cut in half. As he watched, the thing slowly turned from shadow into reality, revealing grayish green, scaly flesh. Its body was all sinewy and muscle, with powerful legs and strong arms that ended in four, elongated fingers with sharp claws. It had a triangular head like a serpent, with almond shaped, yellow eyes and wide flaring nostrils where a nose should be.

  “Jack! Watch out!” Anna cried.

  A shadow leapt at him and he was driven to the floor. Yhswyndyr fell from his grasp and the room was plunged back into darkness. Strong, scaly hands gripped his throat. Instinctively, Jack thrust his arms upward and outward, breaking the things grasp. But it was on him again in an instant. It was like wrestling an eel. He couldn’t get a grip on the thing. It flowed and coiled around his waist like a constrictor, seeking to crush the life from his body. A pair of yellow eyes appeared above him. He stiffed the fingers of his left hand and drove two fingers deep into the thing’s eye.

  With a hiss, it uncoiled itself from him and retreated in pain. Jack grabbed the Highsword and shouted. “Tiene!” “Fire!” Blue flame blossomed along Yhswyndyr’s blade, illuminating the room again, but not blinding. The only part visible on his attacker was the side of its triangular head, where blood flowed from its ruined eye. It coiled to spring at him but Jack struck first, and the monster’s head rolled across the floor. The stump of the thing’s neck jetted blood, covering him as it fell at his feet.

  “Jack!” Anna cried.

  He wheeled towards the cry. Anna was fighting at nothing, but he could see an…outline, of an arm colored like his wife’s pale skin, wrapped around her throat. Her struggles weakened even as he watched. More movement, like the shadow of an arm rising to strike. He was too far away to reach her in time.

  “Yhlaires Sinalda! Enne’Eyloyas! Daeon Cythora!” Jack shouted, his cry a wail of desperation.

  Yellow eyes flared a foot above his wife’s head and the thing hissed at him in challenge. Jack drew back his arm and launched Yhswyndyr at the beast like a throwing knife. Everything slowed. As the monster’s claws descended to plunge into Anna’s bared chest, the blade tumbled once as it sailed across the room, then struck point first between the pair of yellows eyes, hurling the monster back to impale it on their bedroom door.