Knights: Defenders of Ollanhar (Ollanhar Series Book 1) (12 page)

***

 
As they continued
on through the stretch of woods, no one spoke of the incident involving
Faindan. There was nothing more to be said. It was up to the High Council what
would become of him.

Yet no one could stay somber for long on this pleasant day.
As they navigated the Greywind horses between the huge trees, soon the talk and
laughter started up again. A soft roof of green leaves hung above them,
interrupted here and there by patches of sunlight that broke through, and thick
roots stretched out into the trail. Birds chirped, and squirrels climbed up and
down the tree trunks. This was one of many ancient stretches of forest
throughout Silverland that had never faced the saw or axe, and an aura of peace
lingered here that invigorated the spirit and instilled optimism in the heart.
The Divine Knights felt that surely they would be victorious in their quest,
that not even the armies of Bellis could thwart them.

But the peaceful mood was soon interrupted. One of their
Elder Hawks returned from a scouting mission, swooping down from the treetops
and landing on one of the two long wagons that held their supplies. The Hawk
used head and wing movements to indicate it had spotted a large group of
enemies in the trail behind them. Soon another Hawk landed on the other wagon
and revealed that a single enemy lurked ahead.

“What do you make of this?” Aldreya asked Lannon.

“The larger group,” said Lannon, “could be
the Lawkeeper and his Knights. After all, he promised to observe me, remember?
They must have followed us, but I wonder why the Hawks didn’t spot them
sooner.”

“There are ways to hide from the Hawks,” said
Aldreya, “if one is patient and careful. But it appears they are about to
reveal themselves.”

The Knights drew their weapons but kept moving forward,
opting to take their chance against the single foe. But that foe turned out to
be a dead Ogre lying on its back in the trail. The Ogre wore only a loincloth,
but next to it lay a shining silver war hammer that was very pale in hue and
adorned with Sacred Runes of Dremlock. There was also a large pouch from which
silver coins had spilled out.

Aldreya leapt down from the saddle and checked the pouch.
“Packed with ancient coins bearing the mark of Dremlock.” She removed
a silver, rune-covered chalice from the pouch and held it up. “A Blessed
Chalice, used for divine rituals, and a Blessed Hammer for war against the Deep
Shadow. That hammer alone is worth a fortune, for it is blessed by the Divine
Essence itself and the silver made as strong as Glaetherin and twice as light.
These items once belonged to our kingdom. The Ogre must have robbed some
forgotten Knightly tomb.”

Lannon scanned the Ogre. He sensed traces of malicious
sorcery in the dead giant—the venom of a Pit Crawler. The Ogre had been bitten
several times on the chest and face. “One Goblin slaying another,” he
mused.

“A common occurrence,” said Aldreya.
“Goblins make war on each other frequently—especially the greedy
ones.”

“That’s a lot of treasure,” said Daledus, his
eyes shining.

“Indeed,” said Aldreya. “This could be a
great find for Ollanhar.”

What about the hammer?” asked Galvia, a look of wonder
on her face. She couldn’t seem to remove her gaze from it.

“It should be wielded by a Knight,” said Aldreya.
“Someone, that is, whose preferred weapon is the hammer.”

Galvia looked about, but no one else possessed a war
hammer. She grinned with delight. “I’m guessing that would be me.”

“Perhaps,” said Aldreya, smiling.

“Shouldn’t the treasure be returned to the tomb?”
asked Lannon. He hated the thought of disturbing the dead—especially the
resting place of a Knight. He thought it might anger the Divine Essence.

“Do you see any tomb?” asked Aldreya. “I do
not. Nor do I have time to look for one. And truthfully, the practice of
burying dead Knights with silver was abolished centuries ago. It was deemed a
waste of silver. We must obey the Sacred Laws and make use of this
treasure.”

“A waste of silver indeed,” said Bekka. “Why
would a dead body require money? Or anything else for that matter?”

“It was symbolic,” said Aldreya. “Something
reserved for elite Knights, to honor their deeds. My own people engage in that
practice. As a member of the Royal Family, I will be buried with treasure when
I die.”

“I want a heap of silver in my tomb,” said Prince
Vannas. “And gold and jewels too. I feel I deserve it.”

“Will your spirit truly care, cousin?” asked
Lothrin.

“It might,” said Prince Vannas, smiling.

“Mine will not,” said Lothrin. “Better that
treasure be used for the benefit of the living. The spirit is free of such
earthly needs.”

Vannas rolled his eyes. “If you say so.”

“I would like to be buried with my sword,” said
Jerret. The hulking Red Knight drew his weapon and held it up. “Lay it
across my chest, as a warning to the living that a warrior sleeps in that
tomb.”

“So it can rust into oblivion?” said Bekka, with
a laugh.

“Glaetherin doesn’t rust,” Jerret pointed out.

“We all have rituals and practices,” said
Aldreya, “as silly and pointless as they may seem. It is the way of humans
and even the way of the Divine Essence. If our god allows for rituals, then we
should embrace them.”

Moments later, the Lawkeeper and his Knights rode into view
along the trail, with the two Thallite Giants striding along behind them. As
they approached, the Lawkeeper called out, “I see what you have. That
treasure is mine. I claim it for Bellis Kingdom, in the name of King
Verlamer!”

Lannon sighed, then muttered, “Quite annoying.”

Aldreya groaned. “I waited too long. I should have
tucked it away swiftly in a wagon. Regardless, I will not surrender it.”

“Someone must have been spying on us,” said
Lannon, scanning the woods. “A human or creature of great stealth and
speed—maybe even a servant of the Deep Shadow. The spy must have hurried to
the Lawkeeper with the news. We shall have to assume we are being watched from
now on.”

“Hand over that treasure,” the Lawkeeper
insisted, pointing his dragon cane at Aldreya. His expression was disdainful,
his spiked silver hair catching a bit of sunlight that filtered down from
between the leaves. Nearly as tall as Jace, he was an imposing figure beneath
his crimson robe.

“These treasures belong to us,” said Aldreya.
“They were forged by Dremlock, as the markings on them clearly show.”

“Let me examine the items,” he replied.

Reluctantly, Aldreya handed over a coin. The Lawkeeper
studied it carefully and then poked around in one of his books. He nodded.
“Ancient treasure. Too ancient to be claimed by Dremlock, and found on a
wandering Ogre. As far as I’m concerned, I have just as much right to this
silver as you do.”

“We found it first,” said Vorden.

“We were right behind you, Knight,” said the
Lawkeeper, sneering. “Therefore, I am claiming it for Bellis. I have the
right to fight for it.”

“Feel free,” said Prince Vannas, reaching into
his pocket to grasp the White Flamestone. “Lannon and I can deal with
you.”

The Lawkeeper glared at the prince. “Your arrogance is
astounding. You believe you can defeat my Guardians and Thallites? Then you are
a fool. We would strike you down with exploding arrows before you ever had a
chance to deploy your weapon. Think about that!”

Vannas didn’t reply.

“We will not surrender the treasure,” said
Aldreya. “Do you really want to fight to the death over these items?”

“Of course not,” said the Lawkeeper. “I
detest bloodshed. I suggest we duel for the items—a friendly joust in which no
one is killed. One of your warriors against one of mine. The winning side keeps
the silver.”

Aldreya called Lannon aside to discuss the situation.
“The Knights of Bellis are famous for jousting,” she said in a low
voice. “Dremlock, however, favors duels of blades. The Lawkeeper would
have a significant advantage.”

“Our Red Knights are trained at jousting,” said
Lannon. “Jerret is very skilled at it. Why not let him partake in the
match?”

“I doubt he can beat a Guardian,” said Aldreya.
“The Golden Knights are masters of the joust. They have never been
defeated.”

“I could give it try,” said Lannon. “I
haven’t had any practice at jousting, but it can’t be that difficult. My goal
is to knock the opposing warrior off his horse, right? Well, I can move objects
from a distance.”

“You can’t use sorcery to unhorse him,” said
Aldreya. “That would be cheating. You have to strike him with a lance. You
can only use sorcery that enhances the body—to strengthen or shield yourself.
The Guardians attack an opponent’s mind during jousting, so that sort of thing
too is permitted—though I personally don’t feel it should be allowed. But no
flames or distance attacks.”

“No burning lance?” Lannon asked.

“As I said, no fire at all,” Aldreya replied.

“That seems unfair,” said Lannon. “The rules
seem to favor Bellis over Dremlock, if the Divine Fire cannot be used.”

“The rules are ancient,” said Aldreya. “We
must not question them. Besides, you don’t know how to use fire.”

“True,” he said, sighing. “But I can shield
myself, and it might be enough. It’s either that or we fight them for the
silver, and I would rather not have bloodshed over treasure regardless of how
much it’s worth.”

“We shall have to settle for the joust,” Aldreya
said reluctantly. “Our mission is too important to engage in battle with
the Lawkeeper’s army. Our party is small as it is, and a conflict could reduce
our numbers even more.”

“I need a lance,” Lannon called out.

Jerret brought Lannon his heavy lance. “It’s designed
for throwing” he said, “but it will work well enough in a joust.
Remember, the jousting laws of our land state that your feet can’t touch the
ground or you lose. Also, hang on tight to the lance. If it falls, you’re going
to lose. Timing and distance is everything. If you thrust too early or too
late, you’ll pay the price. You sure you don’t want me to do it?”

“I’m fully trained at jousting,” said Vorden.
“And I have the best armor here. Why don’t you let me do this,
Lannon?”

Lannon hesitated. Vorden did possess unnatural strength and
other powerful abilities, and his armor was as stout as that of the Guardian.

But Aldreya shook her head. “I respect your skills,
Vorden, but I don’t believe you would win. Only Lannon has a chance.”

Vorden glared at her. “With all due respect to Lannon,
you’ll likely regret this decision. Lannon has never been involved in a joust,
but I know I could win—even against a Guardian. My armor is designed to absorb
mighty blows. Trust me, I would not be dislodged from the saddle.”

Aldreya considered it, then shook her head. “You have
never faced a Guardian, Vorden. Their skills are inhuman.”

“And so are mine,” said Vorden, but she ignored
him.

Aldreya fixed her gaze on Lannon. “You may
proceed.”

Lannon swung onto his horse. “I’ll do my best.”

“Good luck, my friend,” said Jerret. “I envy
you.”

One of the Golden Knights faced Lannon in the trail,
holding a lance that was longer and heavier than the one Lannon held—a true
jousting lance. The Guardian seemed invincible beneath his golden armor that
covered him from head to toe, a shining statue on horseback in the beams of
sunlight that broke through the treetops. His huge war horse stomped and
snorted, ready to charge. The Guardian seemed designed for jousting, whereas
Lannon looked awkward with his lack of armor and inferior lance. Though Lannon
was lean and athletically muscled, he seemed small and weak compared to the
huge Knight.

The other warriors cleared away, leaving open trail between
the two. They sat facing each other for a few moments, and then the Golden
Knight spurred his horse into a gallop. Lannon prompted his steed forward.

The charge was awkward, and Lannon decided in an instant
that he didn’t care for jousting. As the Guardian drew close, Lannon let the
power of the Eye guide his actions, and the lance thrust out, connecting with
the Guardian’s chest. It was a solid blow, but the lance deflected off the
golden armor as the Guardian twisted to one side. They rode past each other and
then turned their horses about.

Lannon realized he would need a perfect strike to knock the
Guardian from his saddle, and he wasn’t sure he could deliver it, Eye of
Divinity or not. It was extremely difficult to maintain focus on both attack
and defense.

“Timing is everything!” Jerret reminded him.

They charged each other again, and this time Lannon focused
more on attack and let his guard down a bit. He leaned forward in the saddle,
his cloak flapping in the wind, wanting to throw everything into the thrust and
end the match quickly. But the Guardian’s sorcery crept into Lannon’s mind,
stripping him of his will and focus—filling his head with an image of twisting
serpents that was impossible to ignore. Lannon fought to regain his focus, but
before he got the chance to make his move, the Guardian’s lance shot toward
him. Lannon managed to shield himself an instant before the weapon struck his
shoulder. He was knocked from his perch, and he dropped his lance in order to
keep from falling, his hands locking around the saddle and his feet hanging
inches above the ground.

The Eye of Divinity surging through him, Lannon easily
swung back into the saddle, but his lance lay in the trail. He wasn’t sure what
to do and looked to Aldreya for help. “What should I do?” he called
out, as the Guardian took position to face him. “Have I lost the
match?”

“No one can help you!” the Lawkeeper yelled,
looking delighted. “And your feet cannot touch the ground. Therefore, you
must either forfeit the match or allow your opponent to knock you from your
horse.”