Within the Hollow Crown (16 page)

Chapter 38: Doctor’s Orders

Michael’s ears started working for the first time in more than a week. He heard birds chirping, a creek running. He vaguely remembered having a conversation with someone, but he couldn’t remember with whom. And in the wake of the real sounds of birds and wind and water, the voice of his dreams seemed false by comparison.

Then he heard another voice:

“Good morning, stinky,” Flopson said.

“You call everybody that,” Michael said, very groggily. His eyes were debating about whether or not it was worth opening at all. They settled on a squint.

“Everybody is stinky,” Flopson said.

“Yes,” Michael said, “But I’m a Count. Give me some authority, if you please.”

“Good morning, Your Stinkyness,” Flopson said, bowing.

“Why aren’t you juggling?”

“Nobody was watching.”

“Where are we?”

“Middle of nowhere.”

“Are we safe?”

“Well,” Flopson said, peeking out of Michael’s shack, “There are a whole bunch of guards outside.”

“Are they mine?”

“I hope so.”

Alderthorn wandered into the room.

“Ah, I see your friend has recovered,” Alderthorn said.

“No, Flopson is still insane,” Michael said. “How long have I been out?”

“It has been about nine days since you suffered your wounds,” Alderthorn said. “You’re lucky your funny little friend thought to bring you here. Your people would have probably have tried to bandage you up.”

“Well, we’ve had a good track record with bandages,” Michael said. “Listen, I don’t remember much of what happened before. I thought I was going to be married.”

“You were married,” Alderthorn said. “Her Grace, your wife, was here two nights ago.”

“What happened?” Michael said.

“You got into a sword fight,” Flopson said, “And boy did you get your ass--”

“I think I’m going to need to hear it from someone else. Where’s Landos?”

“He went back to the castle.”

“I need to get back,” Michael said, trying to sit up.

“I will not allow it,” Alderthorn said.

“I hate to put it this way,” Michael said, fighting the stiffness in his limbs, “But I’m the Count. You want to order a Count around?”

“I have worked very hard, all my life, to not order anyone around,” Alderthorn said, “But for the sake of your own health, I will not let you go for another day.”

“I appreciate your candor, but those are my guards out there,” Michael said.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame,” Alderthorn said, “For you to survive such would-be mortal wounds, only to die of exhaustion on the way home?”

Michael sighed. His eyes were finally coming to terms with the fact that they were going back to work. After eight days of inactivity, it was like the worst of Mondays.

“Very well,” Michael said. “We stay one more day. But tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we go. Flopson, can I put you in charge of something?”

“At your own risk,” Flopson said, taking out some juggling balls.

“Can you see to it that I have a nice, comfortable carriage ride back to the castle?”

“Yes, Count Stinky-Pants,” Flopson said, juggling his way from the tent.

“Well,” Alderthorn said, looking down at his boots, “Where did my laces go?”

Chapter
39: The Send-Off

By the time Vye arrived on the field, everyone else was waiting.

Prince Anthony was there, in full regal gown, which had been sewn the previous night by Deliem’s Court Herald to reflect the Royal line. Usually, such an act of knitting would be considered treason, but Landos actually managed to coax permission out of the Prince.

At the Prince’s side, Sir Noble, clean, refreshed, and rested. Forty Guards marched in a cocoon around the Royal Heir. In the back of the procession, a large wagon, reinforced by steel, carried the prisoner, Halmir. Five guards were assigned to the carriage alone.

Lady Vye had been put in charge of the procession. Landos was there with Sarah when Vye rode her horse to the front.

“Well,” Landos said, “Good luck, My Lady.”

“I hear the Count will be back tomorrow,” Vye said.

“We have heard,” Sarah said. “We hope so.”

Vye noticed that Landos and Sarah were not looking at one another. She decided to put that in the far recesses of her mind, where it wouldn’t bother her for now. Some other day, when fewer things were happening to her life.

“It should take us the better part of four days,” Vye said. “We’re taking the Highway to Rutherford Manor. We’ll resupply, then cross the Ulio River to Anuen.”

“Send word,” Landos said, “As soon as you’ve safely arrived.”

“I will.”

“Send our best wishes to the Royal Court,” Sarah added.

“I will.”

“Be on your way,” Landos said.

“Yes, Sir.”

Vye turned her horse to the front. She lifted her hand to get everyone’s attention. Then she chopped it forward to start the march, and the Heir to the Throne headed back home.

---

Landos and Sarah walked back to the carriage. When they had rode out in the early morning to see the procession off, they went the entire ride in complete silence. They were silent because they each had too much on his or her respective mind.

But once the procession was gone, and they were back in the carriage, they were mostly occupied with each other. Landos spoke first:

“Well,” was what he said.

“Yes?”

“This…”

“This what?”

“I love you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“That’s rather selfish, isn’t it?”

“Landos--”

“No, really, isn’t it? You were the one who convinced me that it was hopeless to wait.”

“Only before I knew there was hope.”

“Whether or not he’s alive has nothing to do with how we feel.”

“But it does affect what we can do.”

“Kiss me once and then say that.”

“No.”

“You’re afraid you’ll like it.”

“I know I’ll like it.”

“Then why--”

“Because it’s not allowed anymore. When I thought he was dead, it was a comfort. Now, it’s a sin.”

“He ordered me to stay away from you, you know.”

“That doesn’t matter.”

“He told me he wanted to marry you for diplomatic reasons.”

“Of course he did.”

“He doesn’t love you as much as I do.”

Sarah was silent. Before the wedding, she would have agreed with that in a proverbial heartbeat. But recently, her dreams…

“Just…please. Please, don’t temp me. I’m not that strong, and you’re a constant reminder of that.”

For a moment, Landos decided to kiss her. But that moment lasted only as long as her eyes met his. She turned away too quickly, and he realized she was still stronger than she thought she was.

Chapter 40: Threats Abroad

“You wanted to see me, Master?” Gerard said.

Gerard was at the Lunapera, the Crest of the Moon, the meeting place of the Turin-Sen. He was there alone. Alone with Argos, that was. It was always something dangerous when Argos called one of them to the Lunapera alone.

“Welcome, Gerard,” he said. “I have a task for you.”

“You want me to find a new recruit?”

“No,” Argos said, “We are not recruiting yet. Halmir is yet alive, and I think we can bring him home.”

“Then you have some other task for me?”

“Yes,” Argos said. “I have found that there is a threat that moves against us yet. One that I didn’t know about before. One that poses a serious danger.”

“What could be a threat to you, here, Master?”

“I am strong, young Gerard, but not impervious. There are things in this world greater than I am.”

“Send me forth, Master, and I will vanquish this unseen foe.”

“You will be going out to sea. Choose twelve soldiers of acceptable fortitude, and go to these coordinates.”

Argos handed Gerard a parchment. Gerard looked over the parchment for a moment, and ran it against his memory of longitudes and latitudes.

“But Master,” Gerard said, “This will bring me to the Caves of Drentar.”

“Then that is where you must go.”

“Can I bring one of the others?”

“No,” Argos said, “Sandora and Selikk already have
another assignment.”

“What is this threat? What will I be up against?”

“Nothing you can’t handle. Just obey. Do not question my will, Gerard. You never have before.”

“And I do not now,” Gerard said, “I just worry overmuch.”

“Do not worry,” Argos said, “Our tasks amount to cleaning up the mess. We are acting as the stable boys to the war we fight. Loose ends.”

Gerard bowed low. He looked at the paper again. Three people to kill. One pirate and two scholars. Couldn’t be that hard.

Chapter 41: The March

Halmir was confused, but only for a moment.

Argos had made regular checks of his memories. He had come every night, to retrieve Halmir’s recollections of the day’s events. But now it was the afternoon, the very heart of daylight, and Halmir was collapsing in a severe headache. Argos was reading his memories.

Why?

Halmir figured it out all too soon. He realized it as soon as his mind cleared. He realized it as soon as he could open his eyes and see straight. He banged his body against the cage.

“Silence!” yelled the nearest guard.

But Halmir only increased his ruckus. Screaming through his gag, clattering against the bars. Kicking and jumping like a petulant child.

“You’re going to hurt yourself,” the guard jested.

Halmir caught the gag on the bar, tugging it down. He wouldn’t have been able to give the Saint Crispin’s Day Speech, but he could yell, “Lady Vye!!”

“Be silent,” the guard said. “I will not get in trouble for the likes of you.”

But it was too late, the guard saw. Lady Vye had turned her horse and was heading to the rearguard.

“I’m sorry, My Lady,” the guard said, “He wouldn’t be silent.”

“That’s alright,” Vye said, looking at Halmir. Halmir rolled his eyes for Vye. “You tried your best. Please, everyone, give me a moment here to teach this scum a lesson.”

“Yes, My Lady,” the guard said. He and the others trotted ahead. Vye moved her horse up alongside the carriage. Halmir came to the side of his cage, where Vye loosened his gag.

“Listen,” Halmir said, “And Listen carefully. My Master, the great Argos, has been reading my memories. He has done so ever since I was captured. I could not tell you, because if I did, he would realize I had the next time he checked, and then he would know I intended to betray him.”

“Why are you telling me now?” Vye said, having too many questions, and choosing this one to start with.

“Because he just read my mind again,
moments ago,” Halmir said.

“And…?”

“And that means he intends to ambush us, very soon. In moments.”

“I don’t…”

“He read my memories to count the guards and check the terrain. He is going to tell someone what he has found, and then he is going to attack.”

“Why are you telling me this? Why are you…? How do I know this isn’t a trap?”

“The irony of it now if you don’t believe me,” Halmir said. “The next time he decides to read my memories, he is going to discover that I have betrayed him. Please. Hurry. Do something. Change the direction of the procession. Head north when you should head south. But do it soon.”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I want to believe you. I actually do. And it doesn’t make any sense. You killed the Prince, and nearly killed a good friend of mine. But still, every bone in my body tells me to trust you.”

“Listen to those bones.”

“I can’t. I can’t listen to you. You’re--”

And then it was too late. The procession had stopped, all on its own, and Vye could see why. There was a woman standing on the road, and she wasn’t moving.

Halmir moved to the front of his cage to peek out.

“Sandora!” he said.

“What’s a Sandora?” Vye said.

“She is one of my order,” Halmir said.

“Can she do all the wonderful things you can do?”

“She’s better than me.”

Vye looked up at Halmir. She looked into his eyes, and could see he wasn’t lying. Then she kicked her horse and galloped forward.

“Stop!” she called. “Everyone back away!”

But by the time she was moving forward, it was definitely too late. There was a fiery explosion, and the forward guard was enveloped. Twelve men died in the flames.

Vye drew her sword and charged her horse around the edge of the flames, hoping to attack the assailant. But by the time she got there, Sandora had vanished.

And then there was another explosion, from the back of the procession, and the rearguard was immolated.

“Damn mages and their…magic!”

Sir Noble called out, “Protect the Prince!” A dozen of the guards rushed to the Prince’s side. Sir Noble dismounted and took the Prince down with him. They ran off the road, across a field that had been to the north. The Eliowode was only fifty meters away. They could make it.

There was a whistling sound. An arrow was coming down in the middle of the remaining guards. It struck one of them in the chest, but that wasn’t its purpose. Upon impact, it exploded, taking four others with it.

Vye kicked her horse to its fastest speed. She imagined that Sir Noble would be able to protect the Prince. She wanted to get to Halmir.

When she arrived at the carriage, the remaining guards were engaging with a Turin, in the uniform of the Turin-Sen. At first, Vye assumed it was Sandora, the one who had initially ambushed the procession. But then she saw it was a man, Selikk, yet another member of Halmir’s order. There were two of them.

Vye rode past the sword fight and straight to the cage. She swung her sword, fast and hard, onto the lock. It split open. Halmir pushed out and landed hard on the ground.

“Get me out of these!” Halmir said, meaning his restraints.

“No!”

“It doesn’t do you any good to release me if you would leave me helpless.”

“I don’t trust you.”

There was a terrible scream as the last of the guards died, engulfed in lightning. Selikk had unleashed his full, deadly power. And now he was coming for Vye.

“In a moment,” Halmir insisted,  “You won’t have a choice but to trust me.”

---

Another arrow landed, and another three soldiers died. Noble didn’t want to take a head count, but it was going to be close. They were almost to the woods, but the guards bringing up the rear kept dying at a pretty even pace. Noble wasn’t sure they could make it to cover.

And then a branch of a tree brushed his shoulder. The woods. He had survived in the woods for a week. Just his cunning and the Prince. He could evade the evil men again. He would do it for as long as--

There was an explosion, right by his head. An arrow had hit the trunk of a young tree. The explosion had splintered out all around him, and for a moment, he couldn’t hear out his right ear.

He landed hard. His neck and shoulders were bleeding. The flesh on the side of his face was burned off.

Prince Anthony had been thrown clear. He had landed very awkwardly on his ankle, and had broken it, badly. He was crying, only five paces from Sir Noble.

Noble rolled himself over, and supported himself against a nearby tree. To do this, he had used muscles he’d never heard of. He couldn’t lift his arms or move his legs. He was sure he was about to die.

He saw the last two guards engaging with Sandora, the Turin woman who had attacked them originally. And Noble remembered. Sandora was the one who had killed the Queen.

---

Vye grabbed the keys off a nearby guard. She fiddled with them as Selikk stalked forward.

“There’s no time!” Halmir said, “Do it yourself.”

“I am going to do it myself!”

“I mean, use magic.”

“I can’t.”

“You can. You’ve already done harder things, just think about it. Just concentrate.”

Vye looked at the restraints. She concentrated. She remembered that there was a highly trained assassin approaching. She lost her concentration.

“Oh, this is hopeless.”

“No, it isn’t. You defeated me, remember? You can undo these stupid things.”

Vye concentrated again. She heard the approaching footsteps, but she decided not to care. She imagined the restraints coming undone.

CLINK.

She looked up, seeing the lock shatter on Halmir’s restraints. The chains crumbled around him, leaving him free.

“Much better,” he said. Then he turned to face Selikk. Vye turned as well.

“Halmir” Selikk said, “What is this?”

He spoke in Turin, so that Vye could not understand.

“Leave us,” Halmir said, also in Turin. “I am not done with my work here.”

“Who is this woman?” Selikk asked, gazing at Vye.

“She is of no consequence,” Halmir said. “Leave us, and I will report to Argos shortly.”

“I am here to retrieve you,” Selikk said. “You must come immediately.”

“I cannot and will not,” Halmir said.

“I do not wish to continue this conversation in front of the snake,” he tilted his head toward Vye again.

“Leave her to me,” Halmir said.

Selikk raised his palm toward Vye, “I think not.”

He shot the candleless flame at Vye. The death spell. The charge of negative energy. He expected to hear Vye scream as she died. Instead, she just absorbed the energy.

“Well then,” Vye said, “I’ve had just about enough of that.”

She leapt forward and swung her sword, and engaged Selikk in a clash of blades.

---

Sandora dispatched one of the guards with her sword. Then she opened her palm and shot the candleless flame at the last one. Sir Noble could hear the scream of agony in his mind, even though he couldn’t hear it with his ears. Then, blood dripped into his right eye, and he couldn’t see through it any more.

Sandora moved into the woods, right to the Prince. Anthony was just crying, as any boy his age should do. Noble knew it was up to him. It was all up to him to save the Prince.

And the terror came again as he realized he couldn’t move. He could twitch a limb here and there. He could turn his eye. But he couldn’t lift his sword. Or his arm. He couldn’t speak. He could barely breath. Sandora didn’t even bother to kill him. She thought he was already dead.

She just stepped closer and closer to the Prince.

“Please,” Anthony said between sobs, “Mommy! Please…Mommy!!”

Sandora didn’t need to waste a spell on this Prince. He was just a boy. She lifted her sword and brought it down.

Sir Noble could hear the sickening thud of the metal on flesh. He could hear it in his mind, even if he couldn’t hear it with his ears.

---

Halmir and Vye fought fiercely with Selikk, swords clanging on swords and swishing through the air. Twice more, Selikk tried to snuff Vye’s flame, but the spell just didn’t work on her. He knew better than to try it on Halmir.

But he had other tricks up his sleeves. He wrapped the carriage in his magical influence, lifting it into the air. He flung it at Lady Vye. It crashed hard right in front of her, and she went flying back some twenty feet. She felt several familiar cracks as many of her ribs broke. Also, her pelvic bone, her femur and tibia on her right leg. Her elbow bone was exposed through her skin.

“Halmir, this is madness,” Selikk said while he and Halmir circled one another. “The Turin-Sen do not fight one another.”

“Then don’t think of me as Turin-Sen.”

Vye couldn’t think through all the pain. She could see red, and think red, and say the word red, but she couldn’t get her mind together.

Just one second, she thought. She just needed one second. She fought the pain, and earned one second of concentration. With it, she applied her palm to her broken bones, and her hand started to glow.

“What has the witch done to turn you?” Selikk asked. “You were so eager to become one with our group.”

“She has not seduced me. She has done nothing but open my eyes.”

Selikk charged, and the two exchanged another flurry of sword blows. Then, they locked swords and pressed against one another. Selikk looked into Halmir’s eyes, and saw something in their reflection. He saw Vye sneaking up on him.

Immediately, Selikk backed away and flung his hand out. A plank of wood, recently a part of the carriage, went spinning toward Lady Vye.

Vye didn’t have time to think, but her reflexes did better than her brain could have managed. She held her hand out and swung it around, as though swatting a very slow fly. The plank of wood circled around her, orbiting like the moon to her body, and then shot back at Selikk.

It sliced him across the face, severing one of his ears.

Halmir took that moment to chop at Selikk’s arm, slicing off his right hand. His fist fell to the ground, still holding his sword.

Selikk unleashed his magical will against Halmir with his left hand. It wasn’t much, given his current state. And it wasn’t refined or organized. It was just his rage, channeled into magic, and shot forward at his Turn brother. Halmir braced himself, but still, the impact shot him sliding along the ground ten paces before he stopped.

But now Selikk was defenseless. And that’s when Vye charged in.

Vye thrust her sword through his heart. Selikk fell to his knees. Vye put her boot on his shoulder and leveraged her sword out. He was dead, but Vye didn’t like to take chances. She grabbed a clump of his hair, holding his head up, and sliced his neck wide open.