“We found berries up the hill. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Thank you,” the queen said as she received the berries.
“Are you ready?”
“Sure, let’s go.”
It was partly cloudy and no moonlight, and it made the plains very dark. Though Amrya could do with a little light, she knew they were better off without it. Even in the darkness, walking the plains was so much easier than walking through the dense forest had been. They walked only a couple of hours before they saw the lights of Engriole in the distance.
“That’s Engriole over there,” Queen Amrya said and pointed. “But don’t get too excited; it’s further away than it seems,” she quickly added as she saw Oakentere’s excitement.
“Still, we might reach it in the morning?”
“We might. Engriole is a large city, and reaching the first houses will not do. We must reach within the walls before we are safe.”
“There are houses outside the walls?”
“The city has grown since the wall was made, but the houses outside the wall mainly belong to poor people and no one has thought of building a large wall just for poor people.”
Oakentere didn’t respond; rich people seemed to be the same everywhere, thinking they were better than the rest. Like Mrs. Aidento, who probably now was annoyed because someone had the nerve to shoot an arrow into her fine spruce. Oakentere walked a bit faster. All the way, he had fantasized about Engriole, and him going there. Now he realized that he longed more to get back to his own village than anywhere else.
“On the other hand, I think no one would build walls around a city today; after all, the five kingdoms have lived in peace for over a thousand years. Apart from the threat from the savages, it is rather peaceful.”
“The wind can carry word over a great distance in these open landscapes,” Oakentere cut her off.
“Sorry,” Queen Amrya whispered. Then they continued in silence, heading towards the distant lights of Engriole.
***
“You lost the trail? How could you lose a trail deep in the forest?” Brule screamed in anger.
“They have waded down in a stream, and it’s hard to track because the flowing water erases the track.”
“When did you discover this?”
“Just before noon today. We can’t trace them through the night. They must have walked all night.”
“They will be ready to cross the plains over to Engriole already, then?” Brule eased his temper.
“Their only chance is to cross during the night; in the daytime, they will be visible for several miles.”
“They will probably be out there tonight. I need all men on horses tonight,” Brule said. “Theyrin, gather your men and join me.”
“I will, sir.”
“Even the moonlight seems to betray us tonight. We can hardly see a thing.”
“We’ve got fifty men on horses. We can cover a lot more ground than two on foot.”
The night had fallen as they reached the open fields. Clouds covered the moon and only some stars that weren’t covered by clouds gave them some light.
“Theyrin, ride one hundred yards down the road. I need to know how far we can see.”
Theyrin rode out and stopped after a hundred yards.
“I can’t see any of you,” he shouted back.
“You can come back.”
Theyrin rode back to Brule.
“I could see you more than half the way. So if we spread out with a hundred yards between us, we should be able to spot everything between us,” Brule said. “You take half of the riders and search the north side and I will cover the south side of the road.”
“Do you really think they might be on the north side?”
“If you hadn’t lost the track of them, we would know for sure.”
They spread out along the way and covered the plains in two long lines, one going south and the other to the north.
***
The first ray of sun had yet to come over the horizon, but the sun lit up the sky even though it wasn’t visible, as two shadows reached the first houses outside the city walls of Engriole. Queen Amrya was exhausted after running the last stretch to reach cover among the houses before daylight revealed them.
“I think we made it.” Oakentere smiled, relieved.
“It is still a mile left before we’re inside the walls.”
“The city is more than a mile long?”
Queen Amrya laughed at the amazed expression on Oakentere’s face.
“Welcome to one of the world’s largest cities,” she said.
“It is also an hour until the gates open; we have to stay under cover until then.”
“Do you think they will come after us here?”
“I know they will. Luckily, we don’t stand out in the poor quarters and soon these streets will fill up with people.”
Still, they were alone and they kept under cover behind the small houses. The houses were mainly made of wood, but were no larger than those back in his village. They stayed away from the roads to keep out of sight, walking across gardens with vegetables or some goats or even a pig. Oakentere didn’t notice the city wall before the sun was above the horizon and shone directly on it. It almost sparkled in white stone.
“Almost a shame coming so close and still not reach the city,” the voice came behind them. They both turned to see two men in large overcoats and drawn swords. Amrya recognized their boots as those worn by Gardirian soldiers. The overcoat probably served the purpose of hiding their uniforms, as they had crossed the border illegally as soldiers. Oakentere realized his bow was out of reach; he hadn’t considered the danger. Queen Amrya turned towards him and her arms reached behind him. Oakentere bent down so she could have her last moment together with her son.
Amrya never reached for Prince Endir; instead, she reached for Lord Rodin's two swords that Oakentere had carried with him all this way. They made a metallic whine as she drew them from their sheaths. Then she turned to the soldiers and swung the swords just like the soldiers with the dragon on their chests had done during the attack as the queen got away. She hit the first soldier’s sword twice, fast from the same side before the third blow cut his throat. The second one put up a bigger fight, but not long after, she stabbed a sword into his chest.
Oakentere was mesmerized by watching Queen Amrya.
“We got to move, Tere,” she cried and ran in between the houses. Oakentere got his bow out and ready and followed Amrya. The streets were filling with people as more people came out of the houses.
“The gates must be open; let’s make a run for it,” she said. Oakentere said nothing and just followed. As she ran with two swords in front of her, people willingly let her pass, and Oakentere could follow real easily. Only two hundred yards from the gate, she stopped.
Just before the gate, she saw several men in the same cloaks and the Gardirian soldiers’ boots.
“We will never make it past all those,” she said.
Oakentere looked around, bewildered. To get through the gates, it was all basically two rows of wagons for the shops inside the walls, and there were eight or ten people checking everyone passing.
“We need a lift,” he said and pointed towards a wagon covered by a large blanket. The wagon was pulled by a donkey that in turn was pulled by an old man.
Oakentere sneaked upon the wagon and under the blanket. The walls of the wagon were high enough for them to lie there without being noticed, and it was only half full of woven fabric. Queen Amrya struggled to hold a sword in each hand. She passed the sword to Oakentere, and when he had laid them aside, he gave her a hand and she got up. As she jumped up, she pulled the wagon, and the donkey stopped.
The old man pulled on the donkey, but it refused to walk. He tried to whip it without the donkey moving an inch.
“Please walk,” Amrya whispered to herself.
The old man started to sweet talk to the donkey; he even helped to p
ull the wagon in motion. Finally, the donkey moved the last bit towards the wall. Oakentere thought this had to be the slowest part of their journey, as the line was barely moving towards the gate. He lay on his side so as not to hurt the prince, who was tied to his back. Amrya lay facing him. She had retrieved the swords and held them up to her chest.
“Where did you learn that?” he whispered.
“Learned what?”
“The sword thing.”
“I asked my guards to teach me whenever I get bored.”
“Do you get bored a lot?”
She nodded with a shy smile. Oakentere pulled an arrow out of his quiver and put it onto his bowstring. If she was ready, he would be too.
The wagon was close to the gate. They could hear it from the surrounding talk. Amrya recognized the sound of army boots to cobblestones as they passed their pursuers, who relentlessly searched for them. She knew that very soon the sounds would change character as they entered inside the wall.
It seemed like Prince Endir had enjoyed the slowly rocking movement as he was tied up to Oakentere. A few times during the night, he had woken up. Then Oakentere had rocked him a little more as he walked and he had fallen asleep again. Now they lay all still, and Endir woke up and realized that he was hungry. As most babies do when they are hungry, he cried.
Chapter 16
The old man did not react to the cries. He was too old to let himself be bothered with crying children, and he just pushed on. The soldiers looking for Oakentere and the queen reacted immediately. The first soldier reaching the wagon pulled away the blanket. Oakentere shot his arrow straight through his neck. Queen Amrya got up first and was off the wagon and ready as the second man charged them. Oakentere was right behind and put an arrow in the third man.
“Run and save my son!” Amrya screamed to Oakentere. “I will hold them off.”
Oakentere turned to make one last run for the gate, but it was blocked by angry merchants not willing to let sword-fighting villains into their city.
“Sorry, my Lady, but I can't get through.”
Amrya looked, and with no hesitation, she charged them with both swords swinging. The merchants moved aside and let her through. Oakentere let go of one last arrow before he followed her. As soon as they entered the gate, they took cover behind the wall.
In a second, they were surrounded by lances pointing at them, not allowing them to move an inch. Oakentere counted eight of them. In the corner of his eye, he could see the last of the soldiers picking up their fallen comrades and get away. The swords made a clang as they fell to the ground. Amrya got up with a grace and an elegance Oakentere had not seen in her before. She held up her hand, showing a shiny ring with both red and green stones sparkling in it. Oakentere had noticed the ring earlier and thought it might be worth more than his whole village.
“I am the queen of Antuk, and I seek refuge with the High Lord of Engriole.”
***
“That’s an impressive army,” the leader of the court’s council said, looking out on the large army assembled on the fields in front of Genora.
“That is the whole point of it; it’s for show, not for use,” General Sarim answered with a smile.
“We hope so.”
“I will leave the soldiers and watch over the two councils.”
“Do you really think that will be necessary?”
“What I believe is not important. I am just not prepared to take any chances.”
“Well then, good luck. Take good care of the prince; we are short on heirs to the throne.”
“Trust me, sir.”
General Sarim rode towards the field, stopping on his way with one of his officers.
“The standing order for the soldiers watching the council’s member?”
“As soon as they get home, we’ll make sure they stay there.”
“Good,” General Sarim said and rode off. As he reached the front, four trumpets sounded and the large army moved towards Engriole.
“Any news from Brule?” the general inquired as the army had started its march.
“No, sir, nothing yet.”
“It doesn’t matter if the queen ever reaches Engriole. She will find that it serves as a poor refuge,” the general said.
“And what about the prince when he realizes there are no negotiations?”
“There are always casualties in war; besides, when I get hold of the book, I control the heirs.”
***
“Do you have a voice?” the girl asked Oakentere.
Oakentere nodded but said nothing. The queen was in an important meeting and he had to wait in the hall. Since they arrived at the castle, she had been dropping all kinds of hints, such as “Do not look impressed by everything,” as if that was even possible. At supper, she had told him to do as she did and eat in the same order as she did. She had twice wiped her chin, even though there was nothing on it because Oakentere needed to wipe his. And most important, “Don’t speak because that will give you away.”
“And you can speak?” the girl persisted. She had come with an old man attending the same meeting, but she, just as Oakentere, wasn’t allowed into the meeting.
Oakentere nodded again.
“My name is Intilia; now it’s rude if you don’t tell me yours.” She smiled as if she had placed him in checkmate.
“I am Oakentere.”
“You sure don’t sound Antukian. If I knew nothing about you, I’d guess you were a mountain savage, but that wouldn’t make any sense, would it? So I guess you are from the Gardirian countryside lying up towards the mountains.”
Oakentere took a deep breath and exhaled before he answered.
“I am a highlander, and you don’t know anything about me. I have never in my life done anything to deserve to be called a savage, but ‘highlander’ fits since I’ve been living all my life in the highlands.”
“You’re a...” She swallowed the last word before she continued. “But how come you and the queen...” She pointed back and forth between the door into the meeting and Oakentere.
“If you were entitled to know, then you would be in there now.”
Oakentere pointed at the door into the meeting. “Who is the old man you followed?”
“It’s Kerim, the head librarian in Engriole.”
“A librarian? What is a librarian doing in a meeting like this?”
“Because of the old books.”
“Who cares about old books?” Oakentere wondered.
“Anyone civilized.” Intilia snorted. “Besides, it isn’t just any old books; it’s the old books. The books hold the clues to rule all the five kingdoms.” She emphasized saying “the” before “old books.”
The End
End note by The Author
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Credits
Edited by bzhercules.com
Cover by rebecacovers
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