The Pool And The Pedestal (Book 2) (2 page)

“When the people have lost hope,” continued Granu. “They look to a leader to regain their strength. To show weakness now would be a crucial error.”

The road turned and Kael faced a massive stone block in the center of a huge square.

“The Hold awaits gentlemen!” called Manfir over his shoulder.

Kael reined in and stared at the huge, five story building a hundred yards in front of him. Great blocks of granite were expertly fitted to one another to create a smooth, nearly flawless wall. No windows opened to the square and no foothold could be found on the structure. The wall rose to a series of notched battlements. Kael looked to his left and followed the wall’s path for nearly two hundred yards. It stayed true to the outline of the square, remaining approximately one hundred yards from the nearest building. Kael turned to his right and the impression was identical.

Manfir continued on and approached the only opening in the wall. A pair of massive iron doors were welded to a thick frame, which in turn bolted into the wall of the Hold. The doors lay open and two guards stood at attention brandishing eight foot pikes. Manfir halted in front of the guards. Immediately, the pair saluted the prince.

“Gentlemen, please inform the sergeant on duty that Prince Manfir requires a billet for himself and six guests of the crown.” stated Manfir.

Instantly, one of the guards saluted, turned and disappeared through the iron doors. Momentarily, a replacement took up station in his stead. The group dismounted while they waited. Manfir strolled over to Kael.

“Quite an impressive structure, eh Kael?” commented Manfir smiling proudly.

“Yes, indeed.” replied the Southlander timidly. “It is rather ...uh... sparse however.”

“What do you mean?” frowned the prince.

“Well, it’s just a big block of rock. No ornament. No design. Not even a window.” stated Kael.

“Not every structure can carry the whimsy and imagination of the palace of Luxlor, Kael.” said Manfir and he smiled toward Eidyn.

The Elf bowed and flourished a hand.

“We are a cursed people.” smirked Eidyn. “Able to extract beauty from even the most useful of items.”

“The Hold serves its purpose well.” returned Manfir. “Our ancestors built it as a training ground and the last line of defense for their people. It is impenetrable.”

“Ah, the Almar Ring around the palace of Luxlor serves as our last line of defense.” returned Eidyn. “But to look upon such beauty is to truly feel peace and tranquility.”

“I cannot contest the pure beauty of the Almar grove, Eidyn, but if my enemy is poised to strike me down I would rather he stare into the teeth of something as formidable as the Hold.” stated Manfir.

A broad smile broke across Eidyn’s face and he turned to Kael.

“You learn a valuable lesson here today, Kael.” laughed Eidyn. “You can sum up the character differences between the Zodrian and the Grey Elf through their architecture.”

Kael cocked his head sideways and furrowed his brow.

“Pardon?” asked Kael.

Eidyn held up a finger asking Kael for a moment. He lightly spun in a circle in front of Kael. The Elven prince then turned and walked over to Manfir. Eidyn swept a hand up and down Manfir.

“What do you see here, Kael?” smiled Eidyn.

“You and Prince Manfir.” stated Kael in confusion.

“But what do you see here? Just describe it.”

“Two men.” began Kael. “One tall and one short. One powerfully built and the other slight. One armored and bound in leather. The other simply cloaked and robed. One heavily armed, with several swords and daggers strapped to his body. On the other I see no weapons.”

“Excellent!” proclaimed Eidyn. “Manfir is the Hold, and I am Luxlor. If you were forced to attack one of us, which would it be?”

Kael hesitated and turned red. He shifted on his feet.

“Come, come, Kael. It is simply a mental exercise.” laughed Eidyn. “No offense will be taken.”

“Well, I cannot truly answer. I would rather attack neither of you. In both cases I would be hopelessly overmatched.”

“Let us say that you are a vagabond, a thief.” said Eidyn. “You lie await on a roadside watching. You possess no knowledge of either Prince Manfir or myself other than what you see. Now, which of us would you rather attack?”

“Well, that is easy.” said Kael. “I would rather attack you.”

“Excellent choice!” bellowed Teeg.

The entire group roared in laughter.

“Of course you would.” continued Eidyn. “I am a man of smaller stature, unprotected and apparently unarmed. To attack Manfir would be ludicrous. Now, tell me this. If forced to attack both of us at different times. Which would you take more seriously? Which would you prepare more for? Which of us would require you to fire your courage more? Again, answer as the thief.”

“Manfir.” stated Kael. “I would look upon you as more of a diversion than a real threat.”

”Absolutely!” exclaimed Eidyn. “You make my point exquisitely! The Elf
avoids
making you an enemy. The Zodrian
dares you
to become one. ”

Manfir bowed to the Elven prince.

“A point well taken.” stated Manfir. “But I prefer the Zodrian way.”

“Superbly taught.” said Teeg. “I dare say I may have become obsolete in this company!”

The group broke into laughter. They were cut off by the return of the guard.

“Sergeant Brelg bids you welcome home Prince Manfir and has three rooms awaiting you on the ground level, east wing.” stated the guard. “The sergeant is in the training yard drilling some new recruits. He will join you shortly. These recruits will look after your mounts. I will lead you to your rooms.”

Three young men in green tunics sprang from the doorway and gathered in the reins of the wayfarer’s horses. The third of the group was unlucky enough to step up to Ader and Manfir. He stared uneasily at Tarader and Manfir’s black stallion. Ader smiled at the young man.

“Attend to the Black, my boy.” smiled Ader. “You will need all your strength to deal with him. The gray will follow the others at his leisure.”

The recruit swallowed hard and grabbed the reins of Manfir’s stallion. The beast snorted and threw its head, yanking hard on the leather straps. The members of the group retrieved their belongings from the packs fastened to their mounts.  Manfir saluted the guards and strode through the iron doors of the Hold, following his escort.

Kael followed the prince down a long, wide corridor lit by guttering torches. After ten strides a side passage opened to the left and the right. Ahead, the corridor continued for another ten strides and opened into the light of a huge inner courtyard. Kael barely discerned men in green tunics performing various battle exercises throughout the yard. Manfir turned down the right corridor. Kael hesitated then wandered forward toward the yard.

“Kael.” said Ader softly. “Brelg is busy. He will see you momentarily. You won’t need to wait long.”

Kael looked to the Seraph. Ader held his hand out. He smiled and waved the boy over. Kael’s shoulders fell and he slowly approached Ader. The Guide threw his arm around the boy’s shoulder and drew him in.

“I’ll tell you a little about the Hold while we wait.” smiled Ader.

The pair followed their companions down the corridor.

“From the outside, it looks like a gigantic block.” continued Ader. “But it is merely a shell. Most of the land the Hold sits upon comprises the training grounds. You glimpsed them a moment ago. The Hold is simply a box, although a very sturdy box, that surrounds the grounds.

This shell houses all that is needed to keep the training of the troops underway. There are five stories above ground and three below. There are enough billets here to house the General Staff, all of their attendants and one thousand recruits. The Hold houses a fully functioning stables and has a larder able to supply all here for at least a year. There is a well in the yard, so they enjoy an ample supply of fresh water.

No windows look out to the city. There is no need. The inner rooms of this corridor all contain windows looking into the training yard and each of the five stories has an open balcony which surrounds the yard. Unfortunately, the outer rooms have no windows for protective reasons. Normally recruits are housed in such austere quarters, but apparently this is all Brelg could find for us.”

The group halted in front of a heavy, wooden door. Their escort lifted a thick iron latch and the door swung in to reveal a dark, sparsely furnished room. The escort lifted a torch from an iron ring attached to the wall. He entered the room and lit a pair of candles set on a rough hewn, wooden table.

“These are the quarters reserved for the corporals of the recruit class.” stated the escort. “Sergeant Brelg has yet to chose from among the men, so they will be available for a few more days. An extra cot has been added to this room and the following two rooms are yours as well.”

Kael looked about the room. A bunk bed lay wedged in a dark corner. A small cot extended from its end. A few woolen blankets were stacked on each bed. Other than the table and chairs, these were the only furnishings in the small granite box.

“Perhaps I was wrong.” frowned Eidyn squinting in the darkness. “Perhaps the Zodrians have finally combined beauty with functionality.”

Kael and Flair chuckled and Manfir frowned at the Elven prince.

“This is a palace compared to sleeping on the frigid, rocky hills at the foot of the Scythtar Mountains.” stated Manfir. “We try to prepare the recruits for the harsh life they are about to endure. Hopefully, this training makes that life last a little longer than it might without such preparation.”

Eidyn nodded and bowed.

“I will be happy to take the cot.” smiled Flair.

“Then I will stay here as well.” added Kael smiling toward Flair. “We  make a good team.”

“No, I will take the cot as an apology for my rudeness. You two can share the bunk.” said Eidyn.

“My Lord Ader and I have much to discuss.” interjected Teeg. “We will take the next room down the hallway.”

The room went quiet. The entire group turned and stared at Granu and Manfir. A scowl crept across the Zodrian prince’s face. Granu remained expressionless. Kael felt the need to diffuse the situation.

“I will switch and bunk with...” began Kael.

“Manfir.” rumbled Granu cutting off Kael. “I would appreciate the use of the bottom bunk. My leg makes climbing .... difficult.”

Manfir’s scowl deepened, but he nodded at the giant.

“It is yours.” replied Manfir. “I give you the lower bed out of self preservation. Zodrian carpenters are expert craftsman, but under your girth I fear the bunk would collapse and crush me in my sleep.” 

Granu raised an eyebrow at the Zodrian.

“So, you intend to sleep while an armed Keltaran warrior lies a few feet beneath you?” questioned Granu.

“Like a baby.” returned Manfir and he spun and stepped from the room into the hallway.

Granu shared a smile with the remainder of the group. 

“We shall see.” laughed the giant and he limped into the hallway following Manfir.

Ader and Teeg made their leave shortly thereafter. The three young men were left alone in their room and discussed their trip thus far. Flair’s silence had lasted through most of the journey, but he came alive during this discussion. The encounter with Tepi and the appearance of the “fox” and his counterparts fascinated him. Eidyn and Kael agreed to let Flair in on all they discovered. Kael recounted the happenings in the “Rusty Nail”. He noticed Eidyn’s eyes narrow and the Elven prince became somber. As Kael  finished the story, he heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.” said Eidyn.

The door swung open and Kael’s eyes went wide upon the sight of Brelg standing in the door’s framework.

“Normally, I don’t knock on doors in the Hold, but I make exceptions for guests.” smiled Kael’s father.

Brelg swept into the room and threw his arms out toward the boy. Kael hesitated. Recent events flooded his mind. Seeing his father elated him, but images of his mother and Aemmon crowded that joy. Kael’s happiness crumbled as sorrow, doubt and guilt burst through his emotions.

“F ... Father.” whispered Kael.

Brelg read the confusion in his son’s face

“Come here, boy.” growled the old soldier as he wrapped his son in his arms and pulled him close.

Tears flowed from Kael’s eyes and he squeezed them shut and let himself be supported by the strong embrace of his father.

Eidyn cleared his throat.

“We need to consult with Manfir concerning rations. We’ll leave you to your reunion.”

Eidyn bowed to the father and son and left the room accompanied by Flair. As the door closed, Brelg put a cupped hand under Kael’s chin and lifted his face. He looked into his son’s eyes.

“You are all that I have left, my boy. Promise me that you will take care of yourself.”

“I will.... father.” said Kael dropping his head.

Brelg moved his hands to Kael’s shoulders and stepped back from the boy. Kael hesitantly looked up. The father searched the son’s eyes.

“Kael, don’t stumble upon the word “father”. I’m not certain what you were told while we were apart, but I see doubt in your eyes. Never doubt that you are my son and your mother and I loved you from the first day we saw you.”

The old soldier drew the boy in once more and they began to weep.

“Don’t let revelations from a distant past drive a wedge between us.” whispered Brelg. “My love for you has never been stronger. We’re all that is left of my beautiful family. No matter what you were told, remember that I
am
your father.”

“Thank you.” Kael whispered back and he held his father tightly.

A knock sounded upon the door and it slowly opened. Ader stepped into the room. Brelg scowled at the Seraph. Ader’s eyes studied the stonework on the floor of the chamber.

“Greetings, old friend.” he muttered.

Brelg’s hands bunched into tight fists at his side. He bowed lightly and clenched his teeth.

“The day and the time of the telling were to be of my choosing!” seethed Brelg. “It had been decided.”