The Destiny of Amalah (28 page)

‘That’s fantastic,’ Kalon exclaimed.

The two brothers waited in the tower for the others to arrive, and twenty minutes later, all six of them were sat in the tower.

‘Why did you bring us here Rakan?’ Waldon asked.

‘Because I am becoming increasingly aware that this is the last year that we will spend together, next year we will be separated. Rufus and I will go to Lansten, Waldon and Kenaz will join the guard in the north of Amalah and Kalon and Ellora will stay here.’

‘We know that,’ Rufus said slightly impatiently.

‘I’m glad you know that Rufus,’ Rakan replied evenly. ‘But I say that we do something special to mark our last year together – something unforgettable.’

‘What do you suggest Rakan?’ Kenaz asked.

‘Let us take this year to see all of the nations,’ Rakan said to the other five.

‘What a wonderful idea!’ Ellora exclaimed excitedly.

‘Yes it is but will our parents let us?’ Rufus asked cautiously.

‘I don’t see why not,’ Waldon added.

‘Because although our parents give us all so much freedom in Amalah, we should remember that Kalon and Ellora are only fourteen years old and perhaps they would not like the idea of two fourteen year olds travelling throughout the world, especially when they should be learning,’ Rufus said.

‘They can hunt and track and live off the land as well as we can, and although they are only fourteen years old; the four of us will always look out for them – of that our parents can be sure,’ Kenaz added.

‘I do not see our father having a problem with such a venture,’ Rakan said, as he looked at his brother and smiled before he turned and then looked at the others.

‘Perhaps Amara and her advisors may have a problem with me leaving to go off around the world,’ Ellora said. ‘But if I cannot go, go without me. I would not want you to miss out on an opportunity like this one.’

‘No! We would never do that,’ Rakan said, looking at her intensely and then breaking into a smile. ‘You are coming with us; it would not be the same without you.’

‘Rakan is right, either all six of us go or we don’t go at all,’ Kenaz said decisively.

‘Do you think there will be much objection?’ Waldon asked.

‘Yes,’ Ellora said confidently.

‘I know you are young Ellora but if Kalon is allowed to go…’ Rakan said, trailing off his sentence.

‘It’s not that simple, I am the princess, if anything were to happen to Amara – I would be expected to reign in her place, and if anything were to happen to me – then there would be no successor: neither one of us has any children.’

‘We will keep you safe Ellora,’ said Waldon

‘I know that you will try your hardest to but we can never be sure, and venturing around the nations – well perhaps Amara and the council may deem that to be far too dangerous a venture.’

‘Life is a dangerous venture,’ Rakan began; ‘a tragedy could befall you here in Amalah as easily as it could in any of the nations.’

‘A tragedy befell me twice in Amalah remember,’ Ellora said reminding Rakan.

‘I remember,’ Rakan said humbly.

‘We have not even asked our parents or advisors, so why suffer the vexation over answers that you have not yet been given?’ Rufus asked them all.

‘Because we are children and that is what we do,’ Kenaz retorted.

‘Quite,’ said Rufus raising his eyebrows.

The five boys were granted permission by their parents to go on their travels and that morning, they waited for Ellora under the large oak tree in the palace grounds to find out if she would also be able to venture the nations’ with them. While the boys were waiting, Ellora met with her sister, Michael and Garrick in Amara’s study.

‘We know why you are here Ellora,’ Michael began.

‘Then please let me go,’ Ellora implored them.

‘Are you aware of our concerns?’ Michael asked.

‘Yes I am and I told Rakan yesterday; I am the heir, if anything were to happen to Amara, I would be expected to reign in her place and if anything were to happen to me, there would be no heir.’

‘How do you suppose we remedy that situation?’ Michael enquired.

‘You cannot, neither one of us has children and nor are we about to, but I did say this to Rakan who also pointed out the dangers of venturing the nations and how it may lead to tragedy. I reminded him as I remind you now, a tragedy befell Amara and I twice in Amalah. First we lost our father and then we lost our mother in a short space of time. I don’t know when I will die but I know that I could die in an unseen calamity here, just as easily as I could in another nation – there are no guarantees.’

‘You are very wise for someone so young,’ Michael said seriously.

‘Indeed she is,’ Amara replied.

‘Wise enough to take care of herself, were she to venture around the nations,’ Garrick said seriously, but then he winked at Ellora.

‘You can go Ellora,’ Amara said smiling at her sister.

‘Really!’ Ellora screamed. ‘Really! Really!’

‘Yes really,’ Amara said smiling even more broadly.

‘Oh my,’ she squealed. ‘I can really go,’ she said beginning to jump up and down.

‘Garrick persuaded us to let you go,’ Michael said. ‘He has every faith in you – in all of you and when he heard of what you had said to Rakan, he was convinced that you possess enough maturity and insight to undertake such a venture.’

‘Oh my god, I can go, I can go, I can go,’ she said jumping up and down excitedly and laughing.

She ran over to Amara and hugged her and then went to Michael and hugged him and then finally to Garrick and hugged him even tighter than the other two and then thanked him.

‘I can’t wait to tell the others,’ she said exuberantly.

‘You can tell them now,’ Amara said cheerfully.

‘I will,’ Ellora said still exuberant.

Ellora turned on her heel and ran out of the study, she ran along the corridors and halls and into the garden and sprinted to the oak tree where the five boys had been waiting patiently for her. The five boys stood up when they saw her approaching; they wondered what the answer would be, but when they all saw the wide smile on Ellora’s face, they all knew that she was allowed to go but each and everyone of them waited for her to speak to confirm it.

‘I can go,’ she screamed at them. ‘I can go, I can go.’

‘Excellent,’ Waldon said.

‘Great,’ said Kenaz.

‘Indeed,’ replied Rufus.

‘I am so glad,’ Kalon added, as he hugged and kissed Ellora.

‘As am I,’ Rakan said, as he patted her on the shoulder. ‘You know what this means?’ Rakan asked, the others looked at him and waited for an answer. ‘It means we’re going to see the nations,’ he said in a raised and jubilant voice.

‘An adventure of a lifetime,’ Kenaz said.

‘When do we leave?’ Waldon asked.

‘Well, if I am right about what we need to do to prepare,’ Rakan began as he looked at his brother and friends in turn; ‘four weeks from now,’ Rakan said, confidently smiling at the others and to himself.

Chapter 14

The six friends were highly excited and their spirits soared even higher in the coming weeks and as they planned their journeys, they were incredibly busy over the next four weeks. They spent time with each other or in two’s or three’s, or individually; making the necessary preparations, before their adventures began.

At first, they gathered maps and pored over them as they decided where they wanted to go and what they wanted to see; they plotted the routes that they would take and worked out how they would get there. Often, they would work studiously for hours, contemplating what they would need and how feasible their journey was, having regard for the elements and terrain.

During the day they would venture into Amalah and get the supplies that they would need for their journey and place orders with various craftsmen for tools and tentage. Within a fortnight they had all decided on the clothing that they would need; having taken into account the extremes in weather that they would encounter throughout their travels.

By now, they had an impressive collection of maps and they had collected enough tools for themselves and for each other and they each packed: eating utensils; small pots for cooking and eating out of; their tin cups and a spoon and fork. The friends had decided to split the bigger tools between them, such as: the spade, the pickaxe, the axe and the two containers of water.

At the near end of the fortnight, the friends were called to the palace one evening and when they arrived, they entered Amara’s study to find Amara, Michael, Garrick and his friends there. They were all curious as to why they had been summoned. Amara had not said anything to Ellora, and Garrick had not said a word to Kalon or Rakan. The friends looked at each other questioningly and then each questioning face became blank, indicating that not one of them knew why they had been called.

The six turned and bowed their heads to the Empress and greeted her and then they greeted Michael, Garrick and the others, who in turn greeted them back; then there were a few moments silence; before Amara spoke:

‘We have noticed how busy you have been over the last two weeks.’

‘Yes, and we also noticed how dedicated and committed you have been in that time,’ said Michael.

‘We know that you are, and you will be responsible and that you can and will stick together and work together wherever you are,’ Amara continued. ‘But one thing troubles us and we think we have found an answer to our troubles.

‘What troubles you sister?’ Ellora asked.

‘Follow us and we shall show you the question and the answer,’ Amara said cryptically.

She stood up and Michael and the others stood at the same time and once again, the friends looked at each other questioningly and once again their faces were all blank. Amara and the five men made their way to the door passing the six friends and when they walked through it, Thaddeus stopped still and turned around.

‘Young travellers, you will not find out what troubled us or what answer we sought if you remain in the Empresses’ study,’ he said grinning at them.

The six of them looked at Thaddeus for a moment and then they too made their way to the door and followed the elders. Amara led everyone to the front of the palace and before she opened the palace doors she stopped still and turned to face her sister and her five friends’ as did the elder men.

‘The question that troubled us was, how were you going to undertake your trip around the nations?’

‘On horses,’ Rufus answered simply.

‘Do you have horses?’ Michael asked, baiting Rufus.

‘No…’ Rufus began.

‘We thought not,’ Michael said, silencing Rufus.

‘You
didn’t
have horses,’ Amara said, looking at Michael and smiling. ‘But you do know,’ she finished, as she opened the palace doors. She stepped out into the sunlight and the others followed and when they were all in the courtyard Amara spoke again. ‘A going away present – from all of us,’ she said, still smiling at Michael and then at the others and the six young friends.

The friends looked ahead and saw six magnificent black horses tied to the wooden rail and gasped.

‘They’re beautiful,’ Ellora exclaimed.

‘Incredible,’ Rakan said.

‘Amazing,’ Kenaz said.

All of them had something to say about the handsome horses that stood at sixteen hans high, they truly were magnificent and in some way almost regal, as they stood side by side and faced the six in the blazing heat.

‘Thank you so much,’ Ellora said, her eyes beginning to water. ‘Thank you Amara, Michael and Garrick, Thaddeus, Raynor and Häkan,’ she said hugging each and every one of them.

The five boys also thanked everyone in turn after Ellora and then they ran to their horses to introduce and familiarise themselves with them. They all instinctively chose a horse and went and stood by it and Amara and the five men looked on.

‘Now you can travel the nations,’ Garrick said with a satisfied smile.

‘One other thing,’ Michael said, and as he talked, the other six gave him their attention. ‘We are having your saddles made; they shall be ready within the week.’

The eyes of the six lit up again and they all smiled happily and their hearts were filled with excitement and joy and they looked affectionately at the Empress and the five older men; who had made their day and their journey possible. They thanked them profusely and then turned their attentions back to their horses, which were friendly enough and they welcomed the attention and affection that they were receiving. The children and the horses bonded for a while. The six stroked their black fur coats and their heads and were looking for unique features that would make them easily identifiable. Amara and the five men also made their way to the horses and examined them once again.

‘Thank you father,’ Rakan said to Garrick.

‘It is my pleasure son,’ Garrick said hugging his son.

‘Thank you father,’ Kalon said, as he made his way to where Garrick and Rakan were and Garrick hugged him also.