Greyrawk (Book 2) (27 page)

From Gerrand's Histories of Landermass.

Lenak followed Tolle through the dusty passages of Belderag's keep. Arlent vanished down a shadowy passage leading another direction. Lenak did not question Tolle; the little man had become irritable and as likely as Arlent to strike Lenak. Tolle twitched and rubbed the edge of his dagger on his sleeve. He raised his scarf and spit in the direction Arlent had gone. Lenak's nerves began to fray; not sure what they would find or what Tolle would do. She knew the assassination of Belderag was the main task but she had spent enough time with Arlent and Tolle to know they had other plans for their sole benefit. She was not sure if Arlent and Tolle were working together on anything other than the assassination but they both were working on other things. She felt out of her depth although she had been warned it might be so. Her own plans no longer seemed so clear.

The passage drew close and Lenak guessed they were behind the great hall. Tolle stopped and quietly opened a small spy hole. Muffled voices came to their ears. Tolle listened, his knife still rubbing his sleeve. He motioned for Lenak to take a look and stepped back. Belderag stood in the middle of the room talking to a stooped hooded man nearly a head taller than Belderag. Then the man bowed and left. Lenak looked at Tolle's flat eyes and moved away from the spy hole. Tolle pointed to Lenak to remain, nodded and pushed the hidden door. He stepped silently onto the floor, closing the door behind him. Belderag leaned over his desk studying the papers there. The room seemed to darken and Tolle froze his knife ready.

"I know you are there, assassin," said Belderag. "All the secrets of my keep are known to me. Each passage I have walked each door I have opened. I can feel the changes in the air when the castle is disturbed." He turned to face Tolle who moved easily toward his target. Belderag stood relaxed, unharmed and smiling at Tolle.

"I do not know you, assassin. You are not from Gornst. Are you from Andara perhaps? Are you a message from Haldane? He is weak. He cannot face me himself. Come, do your task and be gone."

Tolle paused and glanced around the room looking for a trap. It was empty and Belderag did not move. It was time. Tolle stepped forward and the shadows rose to greet him.

"I am a mere artisan, hired for my skill," said Tolle. "There is nothing personal in this encounter Lord Belderag. The sum offered me was so high; it could not be dismissed. I hope you understand."

"As I hope you meet your fate with equal dispassion." Belderag's voice was deeper, a throaty rasp. He lurched forward, leaning on the desk convulsing.

Belderag seemed to be enfolded in shadow, his features blurring. His shape shifted and broadened, arms lengthening and a low growl filling the room.

Tolle screamed.

Lenak hid within the shadows, praying not to be found. Although her courage was not lacking what Lenak witnessed froze the blood. The Vlakan tore into Tolle and the little man lost his knife and his arm. He tried to crawl away, blood pumping from his wound but the Vlakan leapt on his back.

Lenak closed her eyes tight and held her breath. Tolle did not scream again which she found more disquieting. There was a soft gurgle and dripping. She heard the shuffling noises of the Vlakan, praying it came no nearer. She had heard rumors of Vlakan, creatures from the Black Heath, thinking they were like wolves and could be fought as such, but she had been wrong. The Vlakan were larger than wolves with the cunning of a man. But the Men comparison ended there. The ferocity of the attack on Tolle stunned Lenak and she shook uncontrollably. Why was she here? Her father was correct in his misgivings. They were not dealing with a simple strongman.

The room was silent.

Lenak waited several minutes until she could no longer stand it. Her hand shook as she reached for the shutter and it rattled as she opened it. She peered out the spy hole and saw only Tolle's remains. She almost moved from her place when a shimmering figure appeared in the room. It was a ghost.

"Tolle?" she whispered, and then too late realized her mistake. The tall shape turned toward the hushed sound of her voice and drifted in her direction. She could see through the figure's body and still could see enough of the features to know it wasn't Tolle's ghost. She closed the spy hole and crouched down, looking at the floor. Then the passage lightened from the shimmer of the ghost. It passed through the doorway and stopped in front of Lenak, waiting. She tried to ignore it but it didn't go away.

Finally, Lenak turned to face the ghost. It was real; there was no doubt of that now. She could see his features, sometimes clear, sometimes blurred; a young man. He smiled at her.

"Blood knows blood," said Prince James, the ghostly voice whispering over her ears. "You are Princess Linna of Andara. I can't tell you how I know, but I do. I once was Prince James Islen of Eslenda."

"King Hal's son? The one that died in the Turuck War?" She was surprised her voice worked at all.

"The very same, I believe. It is nice to be remembered. It is only lately that my memories have returned and I now am able to converse with living beings if I concentrate hard enough. I do not understand why I still walk the soil of Landermass, yet I now embrace it. I had been a shadow in the wake of the Talos Company since my death. They told me I started following them only days after my death. My memories seem like images I had seen but not been a part of. I have no mannerisms or personality that I can determine. Perhaps my life as a ghost will evolve. How is it that you travel alone, dressed as a boy?"

"The Vlakan? Is it gone?" asked Lenak.

"Yes, Belderag has left the castle with his soldiers."

"Belderag? Oh, it was real, wasn't it?"

"Yes," said Prince James. "Very real. Now, why are you hiding here Princess?"

"My story is not a short one, but if I may ask-why don't you go back to Eslenda to see your family?"

"Prince James's family? I am detached from the memories I begin to remember. I know they happened but I have no feelings about them. I don't know if I have feelings. Do I really exist or am I a shadow of what was? It would serve no purpose for me to return to them."

"Well, Prince James. The plan was for me to travel to Gornst in secret and when our army arrives to take control of the city and take charge of it myself to forestall any power plays by local nobles. By not traveling with the army the threat of betrayal diminishes. It is difficult to keep the gossip contained. I would replace Belderag and my sudden appearance would not be in his plans. That was the plan but events are turning in unexpected directions and appear my plans are waylaid. One of my companions lies dead and the other is nowhere to be found. With Belderag riding to war again the Celaeri I am several moves behind in this chess match. I must get to the Cresida army before they engage the Celaeri. Beric Mallon will proclaim me and I shall take control of Gornst and set Belderag aside. But how to reach them alone?"

"Do you not remember what you saw of Belderag not an hour ago? You cannot risk Belderag finding you before you reach your army."

Princess Linna did not seem to hear, intent on reciting the plans as if voicing them would make them succeed. Her hands held up her pale face, pinched and trembled. James set a hand on her shoulder and she squirmed away and then forced a laugh.

"It tingled! I'm sorry, I don't mean to offend."

"I am a ghost. How can it matter?"

"I did not think that ghosts have substance. I'm afraid I'm not thinking straight."

"Take your time, Princess Linna. You have the will to overcome your fears and disappointment. I can take you to friends who can aid your cause although it will take you far from Beric Mallon. Your safety is our first concern. If Belderag discovers you, no matter what form he is in, it will bode ill for you."

"I see. Well, I need more than just a ghost, no disrespect intended."

"Oh, I quite understand. We should move quickly. Belderag and his army have ridden out of Gornst. The war is nigh. You would not be able to cross the battlefield to your troops unseen. You would be captured. There is another route we can take. We will go south of the road to a hunting lodge halfway between Gornst and Greyrawk Mountain. You should be able to assess the situation from there and make a reasoned choice of action. Are you prepared?"

"My choices are limited, Prince James. Lead on."

The ghost of Prince James drifted through the passages leading Linna back over her route through the castle. The servants did not seem to notice them and the guards were few. Linna heard her father's words of caution again; that her scholastic pursuits did not prepare her for what she would see. King Haldane spoke only of war, but Linna found the unpreparedness applied to the rest of her journey too. The king warned her of the smell and sounds of the battlefield but it couldn't have been worse than Tolle's fate. Not for the first time, Linna doubted the wisdom of her choice.

"You will need a horse," said Prince James. "The journey is not short and war attracts vermin of many sorts. Except for possibly frightening attackers, I cannot do more to protect you than a living man. We must rely on speed and secrecy."

Belderag's stables still held a few horses and Linna found one of her liking. Prince James glided alongside her and when they encountered anyone Prince James faded away so not to be seen. Linna knew he was still there and found his presence strangely comforting.

She rode slowly through the streets unnoticed and the guards at the gate did not spend a moment on her. She headed east but left the road to follow the river to the higher elevations.

"Have you been to this lodge before?" asked Linna.

"No, I have not traveled much in Cresida."

"How do you know where we are going?"

"I'm not sure, but I have met one of the people there and I can follow his path. I don't know how, but I sense him and feel drawn to him."

"What's his name?" asked Linna.

"Ian Greyrawk."

"Hmm. This gets more interesting by the minute."

"You are familiar with the name?"

"The family name. The Greyrawk family was a strong supporter of my family for generations until Belderag killed them all, except for Ian Greyrawk who was a boy at the time. We had heard rumor of his existence for years but he was reported to be on Anavar and thought to remain there. I have never met him."

"Is he part of your plan to reclaim Gornst from Belderag?"

"I have to admit, he is not. We will see what he says when we meet him. I need to know how many followers he has ready to fight. I may be able to offer something worthwhile to him."

Linna fell silent for the rest of the ride.

She could see the silhouette of the lodge now and there were people standing outside. One was the innkeeper from the Grey Fox, along with his daughter. A tall man stood behind the daughter and Linna assumed he was Ian Greyrawk.

"Well, it's the young boy," said Colly.

"We know you are a girl," said Danni. "Your secret is safe. Why are you here?"

"Were you followed?" asked Greyrawk.

"No, we were not," said Prince James, his features sharpening into focus.

"A ghost?" said Colly. "A ghost that speaks!"

"Kerreth mentioned you," said Greyrawk, stepping between Danni and James, his hand on his sword. "A former prince or something?"

"A prince, yes. But that no longer is relevant. This young lady is Princess Linna Haldane of Cresida. There is an army coming from Andara and she is to take control of it and Gornst."

"Who leads the army?"

"Beric Mallon," said Linna. "He does not know my plan."

"Why did you not ride with his army?" asked Colly. "If you needed to hide your presence from Belderag and the other nobles, you could have dressed as a soldier. A little makeup and a helmet and you would have traveled in safety. Why the ruse with the thieves. That was very dangerous."

"I needed to see things from a vantage point not available to a princess."

"Princess?" stammered Danni. She curtseyed.

"No, no. You both have been so kind to me. Save the formalities for Andara. Belderag must be stripped of his power."

"I agree," said Greyrawk. "However, your timing is awful. The Celaeri will ride to war and Belderag knows how to fight them. We may need his skill in the days to follow. I have seen the Celaeri. They are very strong and are desperate to succor their place in Cresida."

"How do you see your role in all this?" asked Linna. "What do you wish to gain from this war?"

"At first, I only came to see the castle ruins, but Belderag's actions force me to take a side and I am against Belderag. He killed my grandfather and probably my father too. He has become too powerful. I will fight to take Gornst away from him."

"What do you want for your service to King Haldane? Are you a subject of my father? I wasn't sure since you lived in Anavar."

"I was in exile. Princess, I am not looking for reward as much as I would like my ancestral home restored. I spent most of my life as a mercenary and I'm afraid my loyalty to King Haldane is negligible. However, it would be nice to rebuild the castle."

"As the castle grows, so grows your allegiance?"

"Something of that nature, yes."

Linna soaked in her new knowledge. Colly mounted his horse.

"I will scout for signs of the armies. Danni, take the Princess inside and fix a warm meal. I will return soon."

"Come, your highness."

"Just call me Linna." She smiled at Ian as she passed him into the lodge.

"She's very pretty," said Prince James.

"Oh? I hadn't noticed," said Greyrawk. "I am surprised that a ghost notices such things."

"Ah, you would be surprised at what a ghost notices, Ian Greyrawk. Very surprised indeed."

Colly rode along the river and he could see both Greyrawk Mountain and the road from Gornst. The dust that an army would kick up did not appear in either direction, but Colly's interest was to the south. Over the slopes beyond the forest he saw the unmistakable signs of the army of King Haldane marching north. He studied the southern horizon for a spell, and then rode on, confident that Haldane's army would arrive before sundown the following day.