Knights: Defenders of Ollanhar (Ollanhar Series Book 1) (36 page)

“I appreciate your honesty,” said Lannon, though
that wasn’t entirely true. Part of him didn’t want to hear such things.

“I won’t lie to you,” said Vorden. “What
happened here is something you’re going to have to face again. You have it in
you to succumb to the Deep Shadow like your predecessors did. If you didn’t,
the demon could never have seized control of your mind.”

Lannon knew Vorden spoke the truth. The strange battle lust
that had been overwhelming him lately was surely a warning sign. The demon had
snared him because he had been ripe for the snaring.

“But I can help you resist,” said Vorden.
“Because unlike you, I have to resist the Deep Shadow every day, and thus
my wisdom has grown. Together, I think we can find a way to continue to serve
the Divine Essence.”

“Vorden speaks wise words,” said Jace, blowing
pipe smoke in Lannon’s face and making him cough.

“Could you breathe in another direction?” asked
Lannon. He spoke absently, his mind still on the earlier battle. He envisioned
his blade poised above Vorden, and he shuddered. He wondered how Vorden found
the strength to live with the knowledge of his evil deeds. Somehow, Vorden was
able to partially accept that his actions weren’t his fault—that he had been
thoroughly controlled by the will of Tharnin. Could Lannon learn to do the same?

“My apologies,” said Jace, turning his head to
blow out more smoke. “Obviously not everyone shares my love of the pipe.
But you’re still young. When you’ve lived as long as I have, you find yourself
pleasantly distracted by the simple things in life.” He sniffed the air
and groaned. “And right now, I’m being pleasantly distracted by the smell
of roast pig. My goodness does that smell wonderful! Why does it have to be
contaminated by the Deep Shadow? When Dallsa gets free, perhaps she could
cleanse a piece of meat or two for me so I can eat.”

Vorden shook his head in disbelief. “It’s a wonder you
haven’t died from too much food, drink, or that foul leaf you smoke.”

After several hours, the foggy chains began to dissipate.
Aldreya was the first to break free, and she calmly approached them, leading
Prince Vannas by the arm.

“Welcome back, my dear,” said Jace.

“If possible,” she said, “we must find our
horses. We will need them if we are to continue our journey to Scalmfort
Island.” She smiled at them. “By the way, excellent work in slaying
the demon. I felt terribly helpless watching the fight, but I knew you would
prevail. You three did something that Divine Knights have tried to do for
centuries—slay what might have been Dremlock’s second most dangerous enemy to
King Verlamer. There will be celebrating all over Silverland when news of this
gets around.”

“What about the prince?” asked Lannon.

“A trance like this is not unheard of,” said
Aldreya. “Sorcerers have been known to reach such deep states of meditation
and focus that they forget to eat or drink for days and are unaware of what is
happening around them. I suspect Prince Vannas is in such a state and his
ability to use the White Flamestone will have improved when he finally comes
out of it.”

“Might as well sit down and wait,” said Lannon.

Lothrin was the next one to break free—about an hour
later—and he immediately ran to Prince Vannas and shook him. “Awaken, my
cousin!” he cried, a look of despair on his face. “Don’t let the
power consume you!”

“The prince is fine,” said Aldreya. “This is
for the better.”

“But look at him,” said Lothrin, gazing at
Vannas’ frozen face. “Does he look fine to you? It seems to me his mind is
imprisoned by the gem. All this trouble that nearly destroyed us is because of this
White Flamestone. It is turning my cousin into some…some creature that thinks
it is a deity.”

“Calm yourself,” said Aldreya. “Show some
respect for the Divine Essence, for it was our god who chose Prince Vannas to
wield the Flamestone. You talk as if our god is evil and selfish—out to
destroy our cousin. The Flamestone is all that stands in the way of Bellis, and
I am extremely grateful we have it back.”

“Yet I am not,” said Lothrin. “I wish it was
lost forever.”

“Lothrin, that’s ridiculous,” said Lannon.
“Without the White Flamestone, Bellis would rule our kingdom, and we might
all be dead.”

“You don’t know that,” said Lothrin. “Bellis
never actually conquered Dremlock, remember? The fighting was still going on in
the tunnels beneath. And it was you and your famous duel that ultimately drove
them from the kingdom. The White Flamestone is not necessary and will lead us
to our doom—as it almost
did
in this fortress. Sooner or later Prince
Vannas will go too far and become a force of destruction that no one will be
able to control. For some reason, you all fail to see this coming to pass. Even
our god fails to see it.”

“It’s rather arrogant of you, Lothrin,” said
Aldreya, “to believe yourself wiser than the Divine Essence. I think your
fears have become irrational and have overcome your good sense.”

“Irrational?” said Lothrin, with a look of
disgust. He pointed at Vannas. “No,
this
is irrational. He can’t
even look away from the stone!”

“This is sorcery business,” said Jace. “And
you, Lothrin, are not a sorcerer. You’re a man of nature, who views things from
a simple and practical perspective. But there is nothing simple or
straightforward about Prince Vannas’ connection to the White Flamestone.
Nothing at all. Even I cannot comprehend it.”

“Listen to Jace,” said Aldreya. “His words
are wisdom.”

“All I know,” said Lothrin, “is that the
Flamestone led my cousin into the lair of a foul demon. And the gem still
consumes his mind. If we hadn’t come here and defeated the demon, what would
have become of the prince? Surely the demon would have found a way to destroy
him and claim the Flamestone. The Divine Essence is not protecting my cousin.
In fact, just the opposite is true.”

Aldreya’s face darkened. “Lothrin, you need to be wary
of what you’re saying. Speaking out against the Divine Essence is not
tolerated. That sort of talk can result in punishment.”

Lothrin gazed at her defiantly. “I would rather lose
my Knighthood than watch my cousin turn into some power-crazed monster.
Remember, there is a good reason that Olzet Ka placed the Crimson Flamestone on
a bed of straw and cast a spell over it that no one has been able to break. He
knew it was too dangerous for mortal hands. And so is this
White
Flamestone.”

“Too dangerous?” said Jace. “Yes, but only
if an even greater danger isn’t present. After the defeat of the Barloak
Demons, the threat of the Deep Shadow was severely diminished. The Crimson
Flamestone was not needed. But even Olzet Ka knew that terrible threats could
rise again, and so he left a possibility that someday the stone could be
removed from the straw…by one of his descendants.”

Lothrin reached up and touched the leaf-shaped birthmark on
his cheek. “My future son,” he whispered. “Ethrin…”

Jace nodded. “Do not shun the Flamestones, Lothrin,
for your fate seems bound to them—and the fate of your future son.”

“If I ever have a son,” said Lothrin, “I
will not subject him to such a curse as the one that has been inflicted upon
Prince Vannas.”

“Eventually,” said Jace, “I suspect you will
change your mind about that. As I said before, only the Flamestones can stop
Bellis now.”

“Prince Vannas has been blessed,” said Aldreya,
“not cursed. And I have heard enough of this. Do not speak ill of our god
again, Lothrin.”

“Can we just wait in silence?” asked Lannon, not
liking the tension in the air. “I need to heal my cracked ribs.”

“Good idea,” said Jace. “I need to heal my
cracked skull.”

“Sorry,” Lannon mumbled.

***

After the others had escaped their bonds (with Jerret and
Daledus expressing disappointment that they had missed the battle), they
searched the fortress for their horses. Ghouls were still lurking about, so
they moved cautiously, leading Prince Vannas along. Beyond the Dining Room was
a wide hallway lined with thick pillars that ended at an iron door that looked
like it could withstand a tree-trunk sized battering ram. The door was secured
by another extremely complex Olrog lock that Lannon couldn’t open (which was
yet another blow to his confidence as far as opening locks was concerned). Had
Prince Vannas been his normal self, he could have blasted through the door with
white fire, but his condition remained unchanged.

They quickly gave up, instead taking a narrow tunnel that
led through some storage rooms filled with barrels of grain and other food
items. This area of the keep seemed to awaken Jace’s memories, and he told them
he thought this route led through a stable and out of the fortress.

Jace was correct. After getting past another locked iron
door (this one less secure than the last), they soon came to a large, rugged
cavern that served as the stable, complete with stalls and feed for the horses.
Not only were the Greywinds there, but several other horses as well. A pair of
Ghouls that were guarding the horses fled into the rain at the sight of them.

“The storm has ended,” said Lannon, pointing at
the cave mouth that led outside. “There is only rain now. We should ride
quickly for camp.”

Aldreya nodded. “We will return here later and finish
exploring—if Dremlock doesn’t send other Knights for that purpose.”

“Why the urgency, Lannon?” asked Jerret.

“I don’t know,” said Lannon. “I have a bad
feeling.”

“You think the camp was attacked?” asked Jerret,
a shadow of concern creeping over his face. “I fear that as well.”

Lannon didn’t answer that question. He didn’t have an
answer. All he had was an anxious feeling that may or may not have come from
the Eye of Divinity. They had rescued Prince Vannas and the White Flamestone,
but at what cost?

Chapter
19:

The Decision of Jerret
Dragonsbane

The light of morning was settling upon the mountainside
when Lannon and the others rode into camp. The journey down from Wallrock
Fortress had been much easier than the one that had taken them upward, with a
wide path that the horses had no problem navigating. The rain had slacked off
to a light drizzle, as they sat in their saddles gazing at the camp. They knew
instantly something was wrong. The camp should have been guarded.

The tents and wagons were there and intact (with an Elder
Hawk perched atop one of the wagons and watching them). Yet there was not a
Knight or horse to be seen. The Hawk looked miserable.

Jerret’s face bore a grim expression. “What do you
see, Lannon?”

Lannon didn’t want to look, but he had to. He scanned the
campsite with the Eye, including the large pile of ash where the bonfire had
been. Heavy sadness washed over him. He didn’t want to reveal what he saw.

“Lannon?” said Jerret. “Speak!”

Lannon took a deep breath. “They’re all dead, as far
as I can tell. Their bodies were burned on the bonfire with sorcery. They were
killed by blade and arrow. I glimpsed signs of prisoners facing torture and
execution. There is no sign of Bekka or Taith, but Galvia is amongst the
dead.”

The others sat in silence for a time, their heads bowed.

Then Jerret looked up—a spark of rage already beginning to
overcome his pain. “Who was it? The Lawkeeper and his Knights?”

Lannon nodded.

“Yet this doesn’t make sense,” said Aldreya.
“Why would the Lawkeeper attack, if his plan was to wait for us to obtain
the Green Flamestone?”

“To weaken us,” said Jace. “Now only the
Council of Ollanhar remains to seek out the Green Flamestone. That could work
to his advantage when it comes time to fight us for the Flamestone. I think it
was a poor strategy, but obviously he couldn’t resist attacking the camp while
we were away.”

“He has made a terrible mistake,” Jerret said
quietly.

“We must hunt him down and punish him,” said
Lothrin, drawing his Flayer. “He couldn’t have gone too far in the storm.
I’m guessing he is camped nearby. We should ride in and strike quickly.”

“We must remain calm,” said Aldreya, “and
think.”

“Remain calm?” said Jerret. “He slaughtered
my best friend!” His face turned crimson with rage. “I’ll cut off his
head!”

“We cannot risk starting a war with Bellis,” said
Aldreya. “Not now—when the Green Flamestone is still beyond our grasp. We
must proceed very carefully. We should send a Hawk to Dremlock and consult with
the High Council before we engage the Lawkeeper in combat.”

“This is ridiculous,” growled Jerret. “The
Lawkeeper mocks us. He has ambushed and executed our Knights, and we intend to
do nothing?”

“Aldreya is right,” said Jace. “We cannot
risk war. Not yet.”

Lannon sighed. “I know how you’re feeling, Jerret. I
feel it too. I want justice to be served. But…I suppose Aldreya and Jace are
right.”

“They’re not right,” said Jerret. “We will
never win this war if we behave like cowards. You must see that, Lannon.”

“I too want justice,” said Vorden. His yellow
eyes gleamed with anger in the light of dawn. “But what should we do,
Jerret? Should we hunt them down and slay them all, then try to get rid of the
evidence? We’re Divine Knights. If we kill them, we must admit what we have
done, and when we do so, King Verlamer will declare his agreement with Dremlock
broken. Then war will begin. And we are not ready. On the other hand…”
He shook his head and sighed.

“More bloodshed will not solve anything,” said
Dallsa. “I agree that we need to be patient and let the High Council of
Dremlock decide.”

Jerret clutched his head and groaned. “So we’re just
going to let him ride away, with the blood of Galvia and the other Knights on
his hands?”

“Surely we cannot do that,” said Lothrin.
“We must at least confront him.”

“We must do more than confront him,” said
Daledus, his eyes burning with a fire that only a Grey Dwarf possessed.
“Because of this, there
should
be war. Bellis has already broken
the agreement.”

“That’s foolish talk,” said Jace. “It’s in
Bellis’ best interests to see the agreement broken—not ours. Maybe that’s why
the Lawkeeper did this—to drive us to attack him. Are we going to fall for
it?”

“Still, we must confront him!” Jerret insisted.

“A confrontation could lead to combat,” said
Aldreya. “We should send the Hawk first and wait for a response.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” said Jace.

“I don’t know,” said Lannon. “It seems wrong
to just let him do this without even telling him we are aware of his
crime.”

Moments later, Taith ran into the camp. He was soaked and
miserable, and holding a rock in one hand like a weapon. He immediately ran to
Lannon, dropped the rock, and climbed onto his horse, shivering.

“I’m sure glad to see you, Taith!” said Lannon,
delighted the boy was alive. “What happened? How did you escape?”

“That ugly man let me go,” said Taith. “The
one with the strange silver hair. He wanted to make me a Squire of Bellis, but
after he tested me, he said I was a worthless wretch and…and he hoped the
mountain would swallow me. He sent he away with no food and water to die. But I
hid in a cave until he left.”

“Tell me of Galvia,” said Jerret, gazing at
Taith. “How did she die?”

“Arrows,” said Taith. “It took a lot of them
to kill her.”

Jerret bowed his head. “Did she fight?”

“She fought very hard,” said Taith. “She
broke out of her irons and killed one of the warriors. Then they shot her and
the others.” Tears ran down his face.

Jerret looked away to hide his own pain.

“We need to make a decision,” said Aldreya.
“Do we confront the Lawkeeper, or do we wait? Should we vote on it?”

“A vote would be wise,” said Lannon.

“I’m undecided on this issue,” said Vorden.
“I haven’t had enough time to think it over, and I want to abstain from
the vote.”

“I vote to confront,” said Jerret.

“Confront,” said Daledus, slamming his fist into
his palm.

“Confront,” said Lothrin.

“Send a Hawk first,” said Dallsa.

“Send a Hawk,” said Jace. “Of course.”

“You already know my vote,” said Aldreya.
“We should send a Hawk. Lannon? It appears your vote will be the deciding
one.”

Lannon hesitated. What if confronting the Lawkeeper did
start a war? The burden would be on his shoulders. He glanced at Jerret—saw
the pleading look there—and decided they should confront without violence.

“We have every right to deal with the Lawkeeper,”
said Lannon. “If it leads to bloodshed and war, it will be Bellis’
decision, not ours. We owe it to Galvia and the other Knights. Thus, I vote to
confront.”

“I’m disappointed, Lannon,” said Aldreya.
“You’re putting our future at risk to prove a point. But so be it.”

Lannon didn’t reply, choosing to stand his ground.

Suddenly, Prince Vannas lowered the White Flamestone. He
put it in its pouch and tucked it away. “Did I miss anything?” he
asked.

***

They took time out from the discussion to explain what had
happened. When they were finished, Prince Vannas sat in silence for a few
moments.

“Are you okay?” Lothrin asked. “I was afraid
you would never emerge from that trance. Your mind seemed completely lost to
the world.”

The prince nodded. “Just very sad over what has
happened to Galvia and our Knights. It also makes me angry. As far as my
trance—I was indeed learning about the White Flamestone, and my power has
grown. I know some amazing secrets that will help us greatly in our struggle
against Bellis. We can discuss that later. I suppose for now I should give my vote.”

They waited in tense silence as Vannas contemplated. At
last he said, “Although I feel we could hold our own against Bellis, it
would be better to take possession of the Green Flamestone before we risk going
to war. I vote that we consult with Taris and Furlus before taking
action.”

“Then we have a tie,” said Aldreya. “And
when there is a tie, my vote as Green Knight carries more weight.” She
sighed with relief.

“Wait a moment,” said Dallsa. She took position
beside Lannon. “If Lannon feels we should confront the Lawkeeper, then I
want to change my vote. Lannon is the wisest person I know. So, yes, I’m
changing my vote.”

Aldreya’s lips tightened in irritation. “You’re a
strong woman, Dallsa, yet you’re not showing it here. Can’t you make up your
own mind on what you believe? Don’t be afraid to oppose Lannon on this
vote.”

“Aldreya is right,” said Lannon. “Vote with
your conscience.”

Dallsa sighed. “I’m not a little girl, Lannon, so
don’t treat me like one. I realize I have a lot to learn, but I’m not stupid. I
am
voting with my conscience, with my heart, with my soul, and
everything. I really see your point after what you said, and I have changed my
mind. Simple as that.”

“Fine,” Aldreya muttered, glaring at Dallsa and
Lannon. “We will ride forth immediately.”

“Forgot to mention,” said Taith, “that
there’s a girl lying in the woods. The dark-skinned girl with a lot of muscles.
She’s alive, but she looks sick or injured. She can’t seem to get up or
talk.”

“It must be Bekka,” said Dallsa, excitedly.
“Lead me to her, Taith.”

The rain had ceased, and a bit of sun broke through the
clouds as Dallsa, Taith, and Daledus hurried off and carried Bekka into camp.
They laid her in the back of a wagon, and Dallsa went to work trying to heal
her. They hooked the wagon up to one of the horses, not wanting to leave anyone
at camp considering what had happened last time. Taith joined Dallsa in the
wagon.

***

It didn’t take them long to find the Lawkeeper and his
warriors. They were camped on a rocky slope less than a mile away. As they
neared the circle of tents, the guards bellowed out a warning, and soon all of
Bellis’ fighters were gathered with weapons drawn. The Lawkeeper stood boldly
at the forefront of the crowd, holding his leather satchel of books, the usual
arrogant look on his face.

“Come,” said Aldreya, to Lannon. “Just the
two of us.”

“Be cautious,” Jace warned them in a low voice.
“Remember, Bellis would love to have an excuse to break its agreement with
Dremlock.”

“I have your backs,” said Prince Vannas, bringing
forth the White Flamestone. “Any warrior who makes threatening move will
die instantly.”

“This may well come to bloodshed,” said Daledus,
a hint of eagerness in his voice. “If it does, bear in mind that it was
justified and you are not to blame. Prison is too good for these devils. Only
death will suffice.”

“There will be no bloodshed this day,” Aldreya
insisted. “We will obey the Sacred Laws, for one thing. And we are only
here to confront the Lawkeeper and his warriors, not attack them. Is that
clearly understood? I know we’re all saddened and angry by what happened, but
we must stay focused on the future of our land and kingdom. I promise that
eventually justice will be served.”

“I promise it too,” said Jerret, in a cold voice.

“I will be watching the Lawkeeper,” said Lothrin,
drawing an arrow from his quiver. “If he makes a move…” The lean
Ranger seemed eager to see justice done, a cold and deadly glint in his eyes.

“I wish I had a weapon,” said Vorden, with a
sigh. “I really liked that battle shield. But I guess it served its
purpose well in helping destroy the demon. King Gormanol would be proud of its
fate.”

“You can use my sword,” said Prince Vannas.
“It is made of stout Birlote steel.” He reached for the jeweled hilt
but Vorden shook his head.

“Don’t bother,” said Vorden. “Even Birlote
steel cannot withstand my fire. That looks to be a very expensive sword, and I
would just turn it to mush. If battle erupts, I will fight with my fists.”

“If I die,” said Jerret, “my blade is yours,
Vorden.”

“I make the same promise,” said Lannon. “If
I ever fall in battle, my sword passes to you, Vorden. You’ve earned it.”

“Thank you,” said Vorden. “I feel honored,
and I mean that sincerely. But I would much rather you two stay alive.”

“It is time,” said Aldreya, again motioning to
Lannon.

The two rode forward, and Jerret Dragonsbane followed.

“Go back and wait with the others,” Aldreya
commanded. “Lannon and I alone will deal with the Lawkeeper.”

“Do what she says, Jerret,” said Lannon. “I
know you have a lot to say to the Lawkeeper, but now is not the time.”

But Jerret refused to turn back. His hand was locked around
the hilt of his broadsword, but he left the blade in its sheath—which Lannon
took as a good sign that Jerret wasn’t planning anything foolish. The Red
Knight’s face was sullen, but otherwise unreadable. He didn’t look at them, his
gaze on the Lawkeeper.

They dismounted and approached the Lawkeeper.

“Can I help you?” he snarled. “I am very
busy right now and have no time for idle talk. So unless this is highly
important, please leave.”

Ethella took position beside him, crystal staff in hand.
She exchanged an amused glance with the Lawkeeper. “What could these
people have to say that would be highly important? Our time is certainly
wasted.” Blue fire shimmered along her crystal staff, warning Lannon and
Aldreya to proceed carefully.

“I saw the crime you committed,” said Lannon,
whose face was partially shrouded by his hood. “The torture and execution
of our Knights.”

“I know nothing of that,” said the Lawkeeper.
“Who was tortured and executed? And when did it happen? Where is your
proof?”

“We have all the proof we need,” said Aldreya.
“It was revealed to us through the Eye of Divinity. And by the word of a
boy.”