Sir Kendrick and the Castle of Bel Lione (7 page)

“What are you trying to do, Duncan?” He clenched his jaw, trying to stay calm. “Compromise our mission
and
get yourself killed?”

Duncan lifted his chin. “I only did what was necessary to discover the truth about Sir Casimir. And I was successful. How is that being foolish?”

“It was foolish because you did it alone!” Kendrick spoke more loudly than he’d intended. His horse danced away nervously, picking up on the tension, and Kendrick put out a calming hand. “Easy, there, Thunder.”

Duncan’s countenance dropped, and Kendrick knew his words had hit their mark.

“Duncan, our mission is the same and our efforts must be unified. If you want me to trust and rely on you, then you must not act on your own. Why didn’t you talk to me about your plan?”

“I … I guess I thought you would object,” Duncan replied.

“Your suspicions of my intent are not enough to risk your life
for!” Kendrick took a deep breath. “Next time talk to me before you act.”

Duncan looked down to the ground for a moment and then back to Kendrick. “I will. I give you my word.”

Kendrick allowed his countenance to soften slightly. “Now … tell me what you learned.”

“We were correct. Sir Casimir is indeed a Vincero Knight, for I held his medallion in my hand.” Duncan lifted his hand and gazed at the palm as though the silver disk still rested there. “I saw something else. On the back of the medallion was a word I didn’t recognize.
RA …
Do you know what it means?”

Kendrick lifted his right hand to his chin. “No, I don’t. Perhaps it has something to do with the location where the man was trained.”

“Maybe,” Duncan said. “But I don’t think so.”

They both stood in silence as they contemplated Duncan’s discovery. Then Kendrick returned to saddling Thunder. “Are you certain Casimir doesn’t know you’ve discovered who he is?”

Duncan didn’t reply. Kendrick turned slowly around to face him again. “What happened?” he asked sternly.

Duncan looked sheepish. “Just as I was leaving, Casimir’s sword and the medallion fell to the floor. He awoke and investigated, but I was out of sight before he came to the window. He may suspect an intruder, but I’m quite certain he doesn’t know it was me.”

“Let us hope not.” Kendrick reached down to tighten the girth.

“There is one more thing,” Duncan said.

Kendrick waited, perturbed at Duncan’s piecemeal confession.

“I wasn’t alone last night,” Duncan added.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“When I was nearly discovered by Casimir, a large man lifted me to the roof and helped me escape. I don’t know who he is or where he came from.”

“Did he speak to you at all?” Kendrick asked.

“When we were a safe distance from Casimir’s inn, he told me to tell you something—that the battle to come is at Bel Lione.”

“Bel Lione,” Kendrick murmured.

“Do you know of it?”

“Yes, though I’ve never actually been there. My home was in that region of the kingdom, south of Bel Lione.” He paced a few steps away, then back again. “But how can we possibly trust the word of this stranger? Why would he help us? We don’t even know his name.”

“True, but he saved me from Casimir.”

Kendrick stopped pacing. “We aren’t looking for a battle, at least not now. We’re looking for Casimir’s place of training, and we need more to go on than the cryptic message of a—”

“Kendrick!” Duncan’s eyes lit up. “Where is Bel Lione?”

“It is in the center of the kingdom, near a small mountain range. But—”

“That’s it! When I was inspecting the medallion, I noticed an indented mark within the outline of the image of the kingdom. It was right in the middle of Arrethtrae.”

Kendrick considered this. “I noticed the same thing on the medallion we inspected back in Chessington, but it was in a different region of Arrethtrae. I thought it was just a blemish on the medallion … but what if the indented areas signal different strongholds, different regions of influence for Lucius?”

“The Vincero Knights serve the strongholds?”

“And our friend Sir Casimir may be tied to one at Bel Lione.” Kendrick went to his pack and drew out a rolled vellum map of Arrethtrae. He spread it on a nearby bench. “Show me where you saw the indentation on the medallion.”

Duncan traced a rough rectangular-shaped region with his finger, and in the center was the city of Bel Lione.

“It looks like your large friend may truly be an ally. Perhaps he is one of the King’s Silent Warriors.” Kendrick smiled as he saw Duncan’s face
illuminate with surprise. He put a hand on Duncan’s shoulder. “Although I don’t condone your method, young knight, I must admit you have gathered enough information to make our mission a success.”

Duncan beamed. “So what do we do next?”

Kendrick pondered this for a moment. “Chessington is far to the south, and Bel Lione is even farther to the north. We would lose many days if we first traveled south to report to the Council of Knights.” Kendrick rerolled the map and returned it to his pack. “Let us see what lies on the hinder side of those mountains then, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s leave for Bel Lione as soon as the tournament is over.”

“There is no need to stay for the tournament.” Kendrick reached to unfasten the breast collar that helped secure his jousting saddle. “We have what we came for.”

“But you are undefeated, and today is the last day,” Duncan argued. “If you beat Casimir at the Joust, you could be the tournament champion!”

“We are not here to win a tournament. I participated only to find a knight with a medallion, and your discovery last night has taken care of that. We will leave at once.”

“But I am told that jousting is your best event!” Duncan protested. “Surely it could do no harm to finish out the tournament.”

Kendrick looked hard at Duncan. “I never planned on being tournament champion, no matter what scenario we faced.”

“What do you—You mean you would throw the championship round? Why?”

Kendrick raised an eyebrow, and Duncan shook his head in disbelief.

“Winning this tournament would only draw attention to us, which is something we don’t want to happen. But beyond this, when I knelt to become a Knight of the Prince and understood my purpose in His plan, all the accolades of others and the prestige of tournament trophies became pale and worthless to me.” Kendrick pointed to the tournament grounds not far away. “This is all silliness when compared to the incredible
mission of saving human souls from the clutches of the Dark Knight by the power of the Prince.”

Duncan stared at Kendrick, took a deep breath, and nodded. “I understand … I think. But won’t your withdrawal bring attention also?”

“You will report to the tournament officials that urgent news from a friend has called me away. That isn’t unusual. They will probably deduce that a family member has died.”

“As you wish.” Duncan left to find the officials.

Kendrick continued preparing Thunder for travel instead of battle, but his mind was already on the road north. What would he and Duncan encounter there?

Sir Casimir was truly a powerful knight and a dangerous adversary. But Kendrick suspected that someone or something far more powerful—and more evil—awaited him and Duncan in the city of Bel Lione.

THE MYSTIQUE OF BEL LIONE

Kendrick and Duncan traveled north toward a snow-peaked mountain that seemed a hundred-day ride in the distance. Although Mount Quarnell was not the tallest mountain in Arrethtrae, it certainly was one of the most majestic, for it rose dramatically out of the plains and seemed to stretch high enough to pierce the sky itself. A range of smaller foothills clustered around it, and before it lay a beautiful, crystal-clear lake, fed from the crisp streams of the mountain range.

As they neared the mountains three days later, their progress slowed. Bel Lione was nestled in the northern foothills of the range, and it took Kendrick and Duncan another full day just to travel to the opposite side of the range.

They entered Bel Lione late one afternoon and were struck by the beauty of the town. Had they not suspected Bel Lione was a potential source of concern for the Knights of the Prince, they would have thought the whole place had been lifted from the pages of a fairy tale.

A small river flowed from the mountains down through the center of the town, spilling over a number of gentle waterfalls along its way.
The scent of evergreen and wildflowers filled the air. The shops that lined the immaculate streets had been constructed beyond mere functionality; clearly they were intended not only to embrace the beauty of the surroundings but to add to it. Decorative moldings and ornate wooden carvings trimmed the gables, windows, and eaves of all the shops—shoemakers, tailors, barbers, bakers, butchers, taverns, a blacksmith—and most of the homes. The living conditions of the average citizen seemed quite beyond what Kendrick and Duncan were used to seeing in towns of similar size.

In spite of the town’s beauty and apparent affluence, Kendrick sensed a slightly forlorn spirit among the people of Bel Lione as he watched them carry on with their work. Had the living conditions been poorer, Kendrick would have thought nothing of it, but the melancholy seemed out of place in such a picturesque setting. He cautioned himself against reading too much into his perceptions. Still, he was sure that something was amiss.

“Where do we start?” Duncan asked as they rode down the cobble-stoned thoroughfare.

“Where stories are told that are grand, seldom true, and sometimes based on a few threads of fact,” Kendrick replied.

“The tavern.”

“Right.”

They guided their steeds into the center of town to what looked like one of the largest taverns. As they secured their horses, a cluster of boys a few years younger than Duncan approached. Kendrick found their conversation curious.

“Come on, Brack. You’ve got to come with us to the festival tonight,” one lad said to another.

“That’s right,” said another. “You’re really missin’ out.”

Kendrick waited as the boys passed by. They didn’t seem to notice him.

“I … I can’t,” came Brack’s reply. “My father says it’s not right, and—”

“Not right?” The first lad cut him off, and the other three laughed. “What’s so wrong about having a little fun?” He slapped the now red-faced boy on the back.

“We’ll be by after supper and wait for you outside your window, but we won’t wait too.” The conversation faded in the distance.

As Kendrick and Duncan pushed open the tavern doors, the hum of conversation among the patrons dropped to near silence. Since the workday was not yet over, the place was not crowded. A group of elderly men clustered around a window table. Two women leaned over bowls of soup, shopping baskets at their feet. A lone man sat at a corner table, clutching a cup of ale in his right hand but not drinking. His eyes looked hollow and empty.

Kendrick and Duncan found a table, and the tavern owner came to serve them. They ordered something to eat and drink, and the interrupted conversations slowly resumed.

The tavern owner returned, his large serving platter laden with two bowls of dragon-tail soup, a loaf of brown bread, and two cups of ale. Kendrick paid the man.