Freya's Freedom (The Tower and the Eye Book 3) (12 page)

Freya gasped.

Lin watched the fight clinically. “He’s not going to survive this.”

“Vox, get the bedamned crystal free quickly!” Kraarz said.

The Flixaren cut a second pillar in half, jumping over the stump.

“Why won’t it fall?”

“You probably need to do a third one.” Kraarz pointed at the one beside him.

“Get out of the way then.”

Kraarz moved so that he was under the crystal, his sack held open wide.

Vox swiped at the post, its claws passing through the stone and gilding like a diver into a lake. The fourth column quivered and crumbled into dust, as the crystal stopped pulsing and dropped.

Kraarz caught it neatly in the sack.

“Let us remove the Empress from this sordid place.”

Lin glanced back at them.

“We have to wait.” She waved one hand at the battle between the knights.

“It’s nearly sundown, Lin,” Vox said. “Let me take Freya and Kraarz out and I’ll come back for you.”

Lin nodded.

“A good idea.”

“No! I have to wait for Vrenstalliren.” Freya struggled as Lin pulled her back towards Vox. Kraarz had already mounted the Flixaren’s back, holding the sack with the crystal in front of him.

“I’ll wait for him, I promise. Just get Kraarz out of here,” Lin lowered her voice. “He’s getting old and needs more help than he admits.”

Freya nodded and reluctantly climbed up behind the Urakh.

“Make sure you and Vrenstalliren survive, Lin.”

“I’ll try,” Lin said, backing away as Vox beat his wings and took off. Lin looked up at the high ceiling, following the travellers.

Vox waved a paw, and then winked out in a flash of light. Lin smiled and turned back to the fight.

Grald howled in anger as he saw Freya and Kraarz disappear in mid air.

“You are not getting away from me that easily, Little Sister.” He swung his sword with both hands.

Vrenstalliren parried as quickly as he could, but the force of the blow, combined with his weakening grip made his sword fly out of his hand. The blow continued through and sliced into the elven prince, but the blade stuck in his armour and Grald had to rip it from the elf’s body without killing him.

The elf prince collapsed on the stairs, not far from Erendell, gasping for breath.

“You still live and thus I have followed my orders,” Grald smiled. “Now I can find my sister again.” He looked around the room, thinking.

Vrenstalliren’s sword had landed near Lin’s feet. She stooped quickly and snatched it up.

“Now that she is away and safe, I can deal with you,” she said as he turned toward her.

“And what can you do, Elysian. I am the Emperor. You will bow to me,” Grald said.

“The throne passes only to the male line when there is no female line. Your sister always has been the Heir Presumptive.” Lin spun Vrenstalliren’s sword in a figure eight to test the weight, then drew her own sword again, holding it in her other hand.

“Then I shall have to make sure there is no female line!” Grald surged forward and Lin danced out of the way.

“You will have to kill all your cousins then. I had to make sure that your mother or sister wasn’t alive before I could pass it to your aunt’s daughters.” She laughed and dodged another blow. “They will be disappointed that they don’t get to fight over who inherits.”

“The Aracan Katuvana will aid me.” Grald spun, letting the weight of his sword do most of the work. “But first I have to get rid of you and then my sister.”

Lin leaned back to let the blade fly past her waist and then slid in behind him. Dropping her sword, she plunged Vrenstalliren’s into Grald’s side, angling it upward to hit his heart.

“You are a worthy opponent, but Vrenstalliren’s injuries require recompense that will only be paid for by your death. So to lessen my Lady’s suffering, I give you a fast death.” She felt his heart throbbing on the tip of the sword.

Grald gasped and staggered back against her, dropping his bastard sword uselessly to the floor. Lin finally got a close look at his face and was surprised to see a thin golden ring around his pupils, the rest of his eyes were brown. As she twisted the sword and his heart burst, the golden ring disappeared.

Letting him fall to the floor, she left the sword in him and returned to Vrenstalliren.

“I killed him for you.”

“Thank you,” the knight said.

Looking at his ruined body, she wondered how he had managed to stay alive after that blow. “Will your goddess aid you?”

“No. She will ease my end though.” He sighed and closed his eyes.

Lin felt tears rolling down her cheeks as the dungeon began to rumble.

* * *

Vox reappeared in the clearing where the horses were. Korettln galloped over to Freya as she fell off Vox’s back.
“You are back safely!”

“Yes,” she told him sadly. “I’m safe.”

Kraarz slid off Vox’s back.

“Where is there a patch of sunlight?”

Freya looked around, then grabbed Kraarz and dragged him over beside the pool.

“This is the only patch left. The sun will be out of view in moments.”

“I had best work quickly.”

“This is why we had to get out of there by sundown,” Vox told them. “Hurry up and expose the crystal to the sunlight.”

Kraarz opened the bag and let the sun fall onto the quiescent red crystal. Almost immediately, the ground began to shake. Rocks tumbled from the top of the waterfall and the horses reared in fear.

“I’ll calm them down,”
Korettln said and galloped back.

There was a screech from the cave as more rocks rolled down to block the entrance.

“Vox, go get Lin and Vrenstalliren!” Freya yelled.

Vox leapt into the air, but as he began to beat his wings, a massive boulder tumbled over the cliff edge above and landed on his back. Vox slammed into the water, showering Kraarz and Freya.

“Vox!” Freya screamed.

The red crystal faded slowly to clear. The rumbling stopped and Kraarz held a hand over the remaining clear crystal.

“I can sense power, but not evil.”

“That’s because it is the Aracan Katuvana’s blood that taints the crystals and bind their power to him.”
A familiar voice said in their minds.
“Put it away.”

Freya turned to look at Kraarz. Floating above his shoulder was Vox in its normal spirit ball form. “So you didn’t get Lin out then.”

Kraarz smiled and retied the neck of the sack.

“Did it look like I had a chance to? My mortal body was crushed and drowned. It’s lucky that we spirits are immortal.”
Vox flew over to her and hovered in front of her.
“Let’s go back to the Cuddly Cub. I think you and Kraarz need some rest.”

“But Lin?” Freya protested. “And Vrenstalliren?”

Kraarz took Ohtár’s reins and pulled himself up onto the white mare’s saddle.

“That sounds like a good idea. Lady Lin has removed herself from many tight spots. I have confidence that she will find us.”

* * *

Freya stroked Korettln’s nose.

“I can’t believe that my brother became so evil.”

“From the story you told me, he did it to free you and then couldn’t free himself.”
The stallion tossed his head.

“Are you all right, my Lady?” Kraarz asked as he entered the stable yard.

She turned.

“Has Vox come back yet?”

“No, but he often disappears for days.” Kraarz sat down on a bale of straw.

“I suppose there is no hope now,” Freya sniffed and Korettln nuzzled her cheek.

“There is always hope,”
the big stallion said.
“Do you want to go for a ride?”

“No thank you, Kore,” she sighed.

“Why is your aura so sad?”
Vox said, appearing over Korettln’s head.

“Because Lin didn’t survive the collapse of the Dungeon,” Freya replied, then did a double take. “Vox!”

“Are you sure?”
The ball of light bounced around Freya.

“Well I don’t know anyone who could have survived that kind of underground collapse.”

“Well you do now,” a tired voice said. Lin limped into the stable yard, covered in dirt.

“How?” Freya rushed up to her and hugged her.

Lin winced. “I dug my way out.”

“But…”

“Give me a chance to have a bath and get some healing and I’ll tell you,” she said, looking at the dirt caking her hands.

“Oh, of course. I’ll meet you in the common room then.”

“Get a private dining room. I’m rather hungry.” Lin squeezed Freya in a one armed hug and limped into the tavern. Vox flew after her.

“Vox will heal her,” Kraarz said, coming up beside Freya.

“Then we’d better get her something to eat.” Freya grinned at the Urakh Shaman. “Got any more of those cartwheel sized gold coins?”

One of the Elysian coins gave them a veritable feast as well as the use of the only private dining room. Freya and Kraarz sipped warmed spiced wine, while Lin drank only water during her recitation of the events after they had left the dungeon. Vox floated above an unlit candle just in case someone walked in.

“So you released my brother from his soul contract to the Aracan Katuvana?” Freya frowned. “How?”

“How do you think?”
Vox said, its light flashing red for a moment.

Freya blinked and looked from Vox to Lin who sighed and nodded. Tears began to run down Freya’s cheeks and she bit her lip.

“There was no other way?”

“Part of the spell on the crystal binds the Custodian to the dungeon. He would have died when the crystal was cleansed anyway.”
Vox paused.
“And believe me; death by sword is quicker and gentler than the spell withdrawal would have been.”

Freya shrugged.

“I’ll take your word for it,” she sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her hand. “So what happened to Vrenstalliren?”

“Espilieth took his soul with her. She told me to give his sword to Kraarz, because Kraarz has another task to do and needs to get to Alethdariel by midwinter.” She passed the clean and sheathed sword across to Kraarz. “Vox is going with you.”

“I welcome the opportunity to see more of this wonderful land, but how am I to cover such a distance in such a short time?” Kraarz shook his head. “It would take me half a year to walk that far south.”

“Vrenstalliren gave me Ohtár. He said you could have his mare, her name is Swiftwind.” Lin smiled. “She knows the way home. There is one condition though.”

“And that is?” Kraarz shrugged. “I will do whatever it is, for it is a dying man’s last wish.”

“Vrenstalliren is… was betrothed to Lady Julissa Alethdan. He asked that you give her this gift, from him.” Lin passed over a soft leather wrapped bundle. Kraarz put it into one of his many pouches.

They ate in silence for a while, each wrapped in their own thoughts.

“So, what do we do now?” Freya asked, sipping her wine.

“I am going south to Alethdariel.” Kraarz said.

“I know that; I meant for me.” Freya sighed and put her cup down on the table.

“You and I will ride to Elyandor and see if we can find your father. While we are there, we shall raise an army to help the heart kingdoms in their fight.” Lin finished her water.

“How do I do that? If what you have told me is right, my aunt and cousins will be sceptical that I am the heir,” Freya said.

“You have a point,” Lin mused. “When your family left, your mother took the jewels your grandfather gave her. The Elysian Seal Ring was amongst them, much to your grandmother’s displeasure.” Lin looked at Freya. “Do you have any of your mother’s jewels?”

“Grald took most of them with him when he was freed.” She frowned.  “However, I found something on the way to meet him.”

“What?” Lin looked hopeful.

“One of grandfather’s treasure boxes. It had a ring box that my mother showed me once. I’ll go get it.” Freya stood and disappeared up the stairs to the rooms. She returned quickly with the red Graistun box and opened it to reveal the gold ring box.

“That looks familiar,” Lin said.

“I thought it might have been mother’s engagement ring. I haven’t had any time to look at it.” Freya took a deep breath and touched the button to open the ring box. It popped open to reveal three rings.

“This was mother’s engagement ring,” Freya said, picking up a small gold ring bearing an emerald surrounded by diamonds. She sniffed and blinked away tears. “The last time I saw it I was a toddler.” She slipped it onto her right hand and picked up a smooth silver coloured ring. It had gems set into the top of the band and would only fit on Freya’s thumb. “I think this was Grandfather’s.” She took it off again and put it back into the box.

The third ring had a huge ruby cabochon set into it. The face of the cabochon was carved with a wingless dragon.