Dark One Rising (57 page)

“I think you underestimate her. She’s grown more mature since you left her on our doorstep and stronger. I think she’s ready to do what is needed for the kingdom. Sol and Tomaz feel she’s ready, so I for one will take their word for it. And with her training there, I’m sure she’s even more ready.”

“I hope you’re right, or we could all be doomed.”

“Let’s get on the road. I want to be through the Dark Woods and into the valley before morning, and we need not tarry getting to Charbonneau. The faster I get you home, the faster I can get back to Vallis. Having an elf or two with me will strengthen our chances of getting the chancellor to join us.”

They mounted their horses and headed out into the woods. It was dark now. They stayed within the trees, even though the darkness made seeing difficult. The moonlight shone its light occasionally through the break in the canopy, but mostly they had to use instinct to find their way. All was quiet until Kevaan said, “Can I ask you something?”

Alek looked over to his friend, their stirrups practically touching in order to stay together and not get separated in the pitch black.

“Of course, Kevaan, you’re my friend. There’s nothing you can’t ask.”

“I know he’s your friend too, but I really need you to be honest with me.”

He knew what Kevaan was going to ask, so he asked the question for him. “You want to know if Dain really loves Melenthia.”

Kevaan tossed him a look even though Alek could only see an outline of him. “Yes. I don’t mean to doubt him, especially in front of you, but I need to be sure that his intentions are honorable and true. He said as much, but I’m still unsure. My sister has never been one to fall for a handsome face, or a flattering tongue, but after all this time and everything that has happened to her, she could’ve let her guard down. She’s had too much heartbreak to have to endure more.”

“At first I was unsure myself. I, more than anyone, know how Dain works. I’ve seen him get a woman to succumb to his charm with nothing but a smile, but this time it’s real. Your sister has done something to him, changed him in ways I can’t explain. I watched him change since your sister was placed under our roof, and I can honestly tell you, with every truth in my soul, that Dain is deeply in love with her. I worry that he won’t be himself while she’s away from him. I don’t fear that he will seek other company to wile the time away. His love is true, and she is the only one now.”

“I never thought my sister had it in her to charm someone such as he. She can be endearing when she wants to be but has never been able to charm anyone like that.”

“I think that being herself, and in doing so, getting Dain to once again be himself, was the way she charmed him. He had forgotten who he was for a long time. I think he saw a lot of his mother in her, and he loved her like no boy has loved his mother. I assure you, Kevaan, that Melenthia will never have to worry about Dain finding another while she is away, or otherwise. He is true.”

“Thank you for telling me. Even though I could see a different woman before me, I needed reassurance that once all this was over, she’d have something to come home to.”

“This will be the most difficult challenge she’ll ever face. Her road is going to be long and hard. She can do it, but she can’t do it alone.”

“I hope she’s alright.”

Alek reached across and touched Kevaan on the shoulder. “She’ll be fine. Sol is an adept sorcerer and from what I felt from Tomaz, I know she will be safe. They will train her with everything she needs to take down Fallon and his army.”

“How did this happen? How did we lose control of our kingdom so easily?”

“Security. Things have been peaceful among our realms for millennia. We were secure in that fact and dropped our guard.”

“No longer. If we don’t stop Fallon before his troops move across the entire kingdom we’ll be destroyed. Maybe time is what matters. Maybe you should go back now. I’ll take the men. I will be safe with them.”

Alek glanced at the other men and smiled. “I don’t doubt the strength or their adequate training, but I won’t feel secure until I see you escorted safely myself. I and these men are not enough of a cortege for a king, but, under the circumstances, it’ll have to be. I won’t lose you, my friend.”

“I learned long ago not to argue with you. You’re as stubborn as Melenthia.”

Alek smiled at that. “I take that as a compliment. Let’s get you home before you have no home to get to.”

“Here, here.”

When they reached the Valley of Echoes, they changed course slightly and found a place to stop for the night. Once the sun was barely above the horizon, they set out again. They traveled all day and stopped only to refill their water bladders and water the horses. They ate on the road and slept little. It took three weeks to reach Charbonneau, and except for a small skirmish of bandits on the outskirts of the city, their travel was uneventful. Fallon’s troops seemed to be holing up for awhile to prepare for war. With a throne to sit on, Alek was not surprised that Fallon was taking his time now, and suspected that he felt confident enough that he wouldn’t lose his place in the immediate future. He was arrogantly enjoying the victory, if only for a while.

Alek stayed only one night in Kevaan’s estate, enough to sleep a little and refill his supplies. The men who had escorted them would stay with Kevaan and offer added assistance. Kevaan was not happy with Alek’s solo departure, and at night, but did not argue with his friend. Alek had been a Bounty Hunter way too long for Kevaan to question his decisions. Alek had been traveling this kingdom for almost two decades and knew the back roads and the woods better than anyone. He would blend in, disappear, move through the kingdom like a ghost, unseen, unnoticed.

Kevaan took a few minutes to say his farewells to his oldest friend and wished him a safe and speedy journey. He knew the next time they saw each other it would be in the heat of battle, and it saddened him, but knew neither could change it. They embraced, and Alek mounted his new destrier. “Is there anything I should tell your sister?”

“Only that I love her.”

He nodded to his friend and turned his mount to exit under the gate and out onto the road. Kevaan said a silent prayer as he watched Alek ride away, then went into the house to eat and sleep. Tomorrow the real work would begin.

CHAPTER 35

B
rogan and his party dismounted in the outer bailey of the Keep a couple of hours before dark. The gray sky had been threatening rain all day, and although there were a few spatterings here and there, the sky had not yet opened up. The gray clouds were heavy and hid the sun, causing the cold to settle in. He was afraid the darkness was finally upon them.

He was anxious to get some warm food and some blood warming ale, and he was looking forward to greeting his king again. He was very happy to be down from that mountain, with its narrow switchbacks and precarious ledges. He wanted to kiss the solid flat earth of the bailey, but thought it better to remain stalwart.

A page from the guard tower led the tired and dirty men from the bailey into the castle to Dain’s war room. When the door opened and the page entered, Dain was bent over some maps and papers strewn everywhere across the large table. There were two other men in the room with him, men who Brogan didn’t know.

Dain looked over his shoulder at the new company and turned to greet them. He approached Brogan first, sticking out his hand for him to shake. Brogan took it, then bowed to him.

Dain brushed the gesture off. “There will be none of that formality here, my friend. Welcome home.” They embraced.

“It’s good to be back. I can’t tell you how glad I am to be on level ground again. And those tunnels inside the mountain…” He shivered. “I’ll take the open air of the sea if you please.”

Dain laughed and looked at the men joining him. Brogan introduced them. “This is Bort Waldron, my very knowledgeable guide and his man, Baird. If not for them, I would be wandering around that God forsaken mountain still, or dead.”

“Well, then I guess I owe them both a debt of gratitude for bringing an old friend back alive.” He shook hands with them both.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty,” Bort said, slightly uncomfortable, shifting from one foot to the other. “It’s an honor to serve you in whatever way I can.”

“Please, I am too weary for the pomp and circumstance that my station requires. I’m sure you are tired and cold and hungry.”

“We seem to have just ridden in ahead of the storm. It’s moving North through the peaks, and it looks like it could hit here by tomorrow.” He paused. There was silence for awhile, then he broke it. “We are tired and hungry.”

“Of course. Where are my manners?” He clapped and a servant appeared. “Please have some dinner brought in here for my newly arrived friends. And some ale.”

The servant bowed and hurried from the room. Dain motioned for them to join him at the table, then introduced the two parties, starting with Brogan’s.

“This is Brogan, Bort and Baird. They have just returned from Yarden with news that the dwarves have promised aide. This is Zayn and Aldis, from Danyl. They have ridden all this way to bring very bad tidings. Fallon has begun his campaign to take over all three provinces earlier than I hoped. He has bribed, or coerced, Baron Malor from Ashlan and Lord Krondor from Bardolf into his enlistment. Lord Ulric is the only baron in that far east region of my realm that he was unable to coerce. The other two were neutral territory once, but no longer. Lord Ulric has enough troops at his garrison to hold off the army for a while, but not as long as I wished. I’ll have to bring in some extra help to keep Danyl fortified against Fallon’s army. We also have confirmation that the Triple Cities have fallen under his onslaught. The wall is now in control of Fallon and his generals, which means…”

Brogan finished the sentence for him. “Which means that he controls the border into Aaralyn now.”

“I’m afraid so.” He paused, then said, “Fallon has also taken Lachlan Castle. The king is dead.”

“What! How?”

“Fallon’s right hand, the wraith, about a month ago.”

Brogan shook his head in sadness. “God be with him. So Aaralyn has a new king.”

“Yes, but perhaps no throne if he cannot reach his destination without being captured or killed. Because the castle has been taken, Alek is escorting Kevaan to Charbonneau where he will prepare his army. I pray they make it without incident. We have to assume that his army at Lachlan have been detained or worse, dead. Getting more men is more imperative now than before. After Kevaan is safe, Alek will head to Vallis to get representatives to escort him to Salador to speak with the chancellor. We must get an alliance from the chancellor now, or Aelethia will perish.”

“What about the coast?” Brogan asked now.

“The giants were seen headed in that direction, and we do think that they’ll try to barter passage from Kieran through the Corlane Strait and up to Boones Ferry, where they can bring in more troops to Kingswell, taking over the city now that he has control of the castle. I can only hope that Alek and the elves reach Salador first, before Fallon does.”

“What does Fallon hope to accomplish by getting to the Chancellor, more coercion to allow him passage?”

“We think,” Zayn added now, “that he will try to enlist the Chancellors allegiance to him, then he would have free reign on the Free Cities as well. If he can surround Aaralyn from all sides, getting to Azlyn will be easier.”

“This is quite overwhelming,” Bort said now, from the far side of the table.

The door opened and two servants carried in trays of steaming food and goblets of ale. They placed the tray on the far side of the table, then left again.

“Go ahead and eat and drink. We can continue this after your sated.”

Bort, Brogan and Baird went to the far end of the table and seated themselves, then began to eat and drink. Dain sat down across from them and sighed heavily.

“You look tired, my lord.”

“I am, Brogan. I feel like I haven’t slept for days. I can’t stay even one step ahead of him. He’s a menace that I look forward to snuffing out.”

“Aye. He has plagued this kingdom long enough. What will be your first move?”

A servant came forward and refilled Brogan’s cup when he placed it empty on the table. He then offered one to Dain, but he waved it away. He answered Brogan’s question. “I will send a dispatch into Danyl with Zayn and Aldis, letting the baron know I’m sending troops his way and I have representatives headed into Salador as we speak to try and reach the Chancellor before Fallon does.”

“Any word of Ruan?”

“The men say he was alive when they left Danyl. He’s holding down the keep there with the baron. To what may have happened since then I cannot say.”

“Like you, your cousin is strong and tenacious. I’m sure he’s giving the enemy a good run.”

Dain nodded, then Brogan said, “Do you think Kevaan will be able to win back his throne?”

Dain rubbed his tired eyes. “I hope so, Brogan. If not, then we may have already lost.”

“What more do you have to share about this woman, the Chosen One, that is supposed to bring Fallon’s reign to an end, along with all his dark minions?”

“Melenthia, the princess of Aaralyn.”

Brogan eyed his king with amusement. “So the rumors are true. The princess is supposed to bring order to the world.” He smiled slightly in jest at his liege.