Read Princess Electra Book 4 School of Medicine Page 18

  Chapter 17

  Helsop

  Electra and Dagon arrived back home in Helsop at sunset. Queen Delphinia had offered them the use of the royal carriage, but so many guests had come for the buzkashi match it was not hard to convince her that she and King Geoffrey needed the carriage to drive their many guests to and fro. Plans for a mid summer wedding were now set. Electra and Dagon could invite as many as they wanted from Helsop and Queen Delphinia would attend to Fernland's royal obligations with respect to invitations. It was sure to be a grandiose affair. Too grandiose for Electra's taste, but at least she was free from the obligation to plan and pay for it. All in all it had been a very successful trip.

  Dagon slid from his horse and bent backwards to loosen cramped muscles. "It is good to be home," he said.

  Before Electra could respond, her attention turned to a figure running toward them from the clinic. It was Dagon's sister, Isa.

  Isa caught her breath. She grabbed Dagon's sleeve. "It is good you are back. Our patient is conscious and he is asking for you."

  "For me?" Dagon asked in surprise. "I am sure I do not know him."

  "He says he is your cousin."

  "My cousin?"

  Isa headed for the clinic pulling her brother along with her. "You must come. I do not know how long he will remain conscious."

  Electra caught up with Dagon, and tired as they were from their long ride on horseback, they both ran to the clinic behind Isa.

  Juanita and Esmeralda stood on either side of the old man's cot, watching him and listening to the faint words that escaped from his lips. They stepped away from the cot as Dagon approached.

  He leaned over the cot. "I am Dagon—you wished to speak to me?"

  The old man smiled and blinked his eyes rapidly. "Dagon, old friend." Then his smile wavered. "You look like Dagon but you can not be. You should be old now—like me."

  Dagon patted the old man's arm, thinking he must be imagining things in his weakened state. Then a thought came to him. "I was named for my grandfather, ....perhaps..."

  The old man's eyes opened wide. "That is it. You favor him. I must speak to your grandfather."

  Dagon shook his head sadly. "I never met my grandfather. He was one of the first ones who settled here. He came as a young man. All those first ones are gone now. Even my father is gone."

  The old man's face fell. "I expected as much. I knew it was likely useless—this whole long voyage. I just did not know what else to do."

  "Why did you seek to find my grandfather?" Dagon asked.

  "I thought he might be able to help. Dagon was so strong and courageous as a boy. He was the one who convinced the others to leave."

  Dagon pulled a cot closer to sit near the old man. "I never really knew why my ancestors settled here or why they left wherever they came from. So many starved early on. We have always struggled to survive here."

  "It is a long story. We who stayed behind lost some of our freedom, but we were well enough. We thought we had made the right decision—until now."

  "Are you strong enough to tell the story?" Dagon asked.

  "My story is all I have left to offer," the old man said. "I will tell it."

  Dagon glanced at Electra and patted a spot next to him on the cot. She sat down beside him.

  Isa, Laleh, Juanita and Esmeralda pulled a cot close on the other side of the old man. They all settled in, excited to hear the old man's story.

  The old man lay with his head back, staring into the past as he began his tale.

  "We were a village of tool makers and blacksmiths living close by a mountain rich with iron ore. We sold tools and swords up and down the river. Our wares were highly regarded, especially by King Alba, who kept a good number of guards and retainers to protect him. All was well. Our village prospered. Then King Alba died and his son, Endor took over. King Endor decided to build a new castle close to our village."

  The old man closed his eyes.

  Electra leaned over and lay the back of her hand on his forehead. "Perhaps you should rest for a time. We will hear your story later."

  The old man's eyes popped open. "No. It must be now if the others are to have any chance." He took a sip of water from the cup Isa held to his lips and continued.

  "King Endor was ambitious. He increased his army and his territories. He told us we must work only for him. He needed all the weapons we could make. He treated us well enough but would tolerate no dissent. We were no longer free to make what we wished and sell up and down the river."

  "Dagon and a few others began to plan to leave secretly. The rest of us were afraid. What if King Endor hunted us down? He would surely kill the ringleaders—perhaps all of us. Dagon did not care. He said he would not live as a slave. Death would be better."

  "They left one night under cover of darkness—a few families and others who felt as your grandfather did. They numbered about fifty in all. They did not tell the rest of us where they were going, but we knew they would head for Cold Lake where King Endor was unlikely to follow. The King threatened us when they left but we could not tell what we did not know."

  "Perhaps they were not so wise to leave," Dagon said. "Conditions here in Helsop were harsh."

  The old man nodded his agreement. "We thought we had chosen wisely for many years. We became used to our servitude. But then the unexpected happened. King Endor's army was defeated. We were taken over by Vagans. Have you heard of them?"

  Dagon shook his head. "I have not. This is why you have come?"

  The old man nodded slowly. "The Vagans are river pirates. They are merciless. They've raided most of the the kingdoms along the Voltas River network. They sack and pillage. Only our ability as smiths and toolmakers saved our lives. But this time our masters are not so benign as King Endor. He was one of the first to die at their hands."

  "How did you escape?" Dagon asked.

  "I am too old to work now. I was out in my small boat, fishing, when the raiding party struck. They must have poisoned the army's food. Most of our soldiers were too weak to fight. The Vagans killed everyone in the castle—women, children, they did not care. Then they separated the villagers. Our women and children work in the castle as servants to the Vagans. Our men are chained together to work in the mines or at the forges. They dare not complain for fear of what the Vagans will do to their families."

  The old man was exhausted from telling his story and distraught from remembering his villagers' plight.

  Dagon put his hand on the old man's shoulder. "Thank you for telling this story, my cousin. What is your name?"

  "I am Leif," the man said as he closed his eyes in sleep.