“Out with it!” hissed a feminine voice in a low, unsettling tone.
“Tomorrow, they leave tomorrow.”
Adrina stifled a gasp and pressed up against the wall.
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what? Never mind… Where are you going? Stand fast you fool!”
Adrina held her breath. Her heart raced. She watched the reflection offered by the torches that sparsely lined the near wall. The outline of the figure approached. A long glittering blade was drawn. Just when she was about to run, the figure turned and retreated.
“Are you sure?” hissed the feminine voice.
“Yes, I am sure. The plans are being finalized as we speak.”
“Good, good. Will the prince be with them?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Don’t think, you fool!”
“Did you hear that?” asked the other in a whisper, “Footsteps, someone approaches.”
“Go, go!” the woman shouted.
Adrina ran from the rapidly approaching shadow. She was so shaken by the voices that she didn’t stop running until she came to the council chambers where she knew her father and the others would be gathered. She nearly knocked down the outer guards as she bounded through the door.
King Andrew continued mid-sentence without even a pause to show his surprise at Adrina’s hurried entrance, the skill of a practiced orator. “Brother Seth, about these mental powers that Prince Valam spoke of. All of the Brotherhood can read each others thoughts, intentions?”
“It is much as you have said, King Andrew. Only a few cannot.”
“Can this really be learned as you suggest?” Father Jacob asked, earnestly intrigued.
Adrina sank into an empty chair beneath the towering glare of her father’s stern eye.
“I think it can be learned, Father Jacob. More importantly, I think, we will need to mask open thoughts. What I discovered with Valam was quite by accident because his mind was so open. His thoughts radiated to my mind, more specifically his intentions. At first I think we should concentrate on masking open thought. It is like cluttering one’s thoughts. You put your thoughts in disarray. Timmer’s men seem to be adapting quickly. They are an intelligent group.”
I can’t continue, directed Seth to Valam.
“Won’t the enemy discover this ploy, then force us to open our minds?” Valam asked despite Seth’s statement.
“I don’t think it will ever occur to them. It is so natural a talent. To force one’s mind open takes very great concentration, so I don’t believe they would bother trying. It is also a skill used mostly by the Brotherhood. I am afraid even my peoples’ mind blocks would fall to the members of the Brotherhood.”
Valam, you must speed this up, directed Seth.
“I believe you are right, Brother Seth.” Valam feigned a smile while thinking, It is the belief and not the deed that will give confidence on the field.
A long pause followed. The council session had been underway since early morning and it was now late afternoon. Valam cast his eyes out to the mostly empty pews, then to the few clustered around the central table. Let the whisperers feed on that, he thought to himself.
“Father—” began Adrina, stopping under stern scrutiny.
“All our plans are set in motion. I move to adjourn,” said Chancellor Yi after a doleful nod from the king.
Valam stood. “King Andrew, father, I have decided. I want to lead the first group. My skills will be greatly needed. It will improve the morale of the men to see their prince fighting beside them. I will also need to return immediately to South Province with Seth. I think together we can put speed to the—”
“Save your words, I know you too well, my son. I was afraid you would ask yet I knew eventually you would. Great Kingdom shall be empty without you, but you do have my blessing.”
The king stopped and turned to the chancellor. “Is the team ready?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty, it is set for tomorrow as you requested.”
“Already?” Valam asked with what could have been surprise in his voice.
“You are my son. I knew you would ask. The time for action is at hand. Chancellor Van’te has sent me word that Isador eagerly awaits your return.”
Valam swallowed a lump in his throat. The king smiled and turned his gaze to the others in the room.
Gripping his ancient staff Keeper Martin stood. “King Andrew, as head of the Council of Keepers I would also like to make this journey. I have selected a few others of the council who will go with me and will appoint Keeper Q’yer as Chief Lore Keeper in my absence. He is a good and able-bodied soul who will serve well.”
King Andrew spoke for the benefit of those watching. “Agreed, Keeper Martin. It is a worthy notion. There will be much information to gather. So much lore that has not been passed down.”
The king maintained his ardent gaze about the chamber. Soon afterward, Father Jacob took the floor, saying, “King Andrew, Chancellor Yi and I would also undertake the journey.”
King Andrew’s scowl grew long. “Father Jacob, will I lose all my trusted council this day?”
“I am sorry, Your Majesty,” Father Jacob said. “It is a thing we must do.”
“Yes of course, Father Jacob. Two of our most cunning minds are needed. I have great faith in all of you who are gathered in this room today, for if I did not you would not be here while we make this most conscious decision. Tomorrow will be a sad day, a sad day indeed, though perhaps a well intentioned start. I only wish that I were fit enough to make the sojourn southward. I long to have the wind in my hair and a saddle beneath me. Alas, it can not be so—”
“King Andrew, father,” interrupted Adrina.
“You have my blessing as you go forth. The palace will hang in silence without you.”
A wave of the king’s hand brought the chancellor to a hurried dismissal.
“I move to close the meeting,” the chancellor said.
“Father?” pleaded Adrina.
The timing of the chamber door bursting open couldn’t have been better. A royal page entered and while mumbling apologies, raced to the monarch.
“What is the meaning of this interruption?” demanded Yi, “Interruptions, interruptions, be damned! I would hope you have an excellent reason!”
Captain Brodst stepped into the room and made a gesture to King Andrew. The king motioned the page to proceed. The page eyed the chancellor closely and started toward the king once more. The page leaned close to Andrew’s ear and whispered words which were meant for him alone to hear.
“What? When?” Andrew said, shock in his voice. The page continued in a low tone so that only the king heard his words. King Andrew looked to Captain Brodst. “Is this true, captain?”
“I am afraid so, sire.”
“Poor Father Tenuus. He was a good and faithful servant.”
“Yes, he was, sire.”
“The council is adjourned,” King Andrew commanded as he hastily departed.
“Father Jacob? Chancellor Yi?” King Andrew called back as he entered the outer hall.
Father Jacob and Chancellor Yi rushed out of the room ahead of the others. Captain Brodst hesitantly approached the prince.
“I think you should go with him, Prince Valam,” said Captain Brodst.
Valam seemed lost in his thoughts. “What has happened?”
“Father Tenuus has passed. He was found just a short time ago. It appears he has been dead for some time.”
“Natural causes?”
“Nothing sinister, it would appear. Old age I would assume.”
Seth probed the minds of the council. An ashen-faced Adrina rushed from the chamber. Seth knew she hadn’t particularly cared for Father Tenuus and it was why she felt extraordinarily poor concerning his demise. She had wished a similar fate on him many times and most often during evening repast. A guilty conscious urged her to chase after her father.
“Captain, may I have a word as we walk?”
“Certainly, Prince Valam, anything you request.”
“Dispense with the pleasantries…”
Captain Brodst started, looked around. He saw those milling about in the hall and understood.
“Settle down. What I meant to say was,” began Valam, as he gestured for Seth to follow. “What I meant to say was that you needn’t be so proper. I don’t care for it. There is a time and a place for such formalities. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your… Ah, yes, I do.”
“No, do you understand?”
“Yes, yes, I do.”
“Good.” Prince Valam slapped Captain Brodst on the back to relax him. “Settle down, this is not an inquisition by any means—at least not yet.”
Valam whispered to Seth, “Well?”
All seems to have gone well. I didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary and Father Tenuus’s passing was truly a surprise to everyone.
* * *
Occasionally, as the wagon hit potholes along the path Vilmos would be thrown up into the top of the box, allowing air in, which often gave temporary consciousness. He was too weak to struggle with the box cover anymore though. It seemed that he spun in and out of consciousness and unconsciousness so rapidly that time was racing by. He just wanted to close his eyes—they felt so heavy—and sleep without disturbance.
Lost to a world of dreams filled with images mixed with the real and the unreal, Vilmos became utterly confused and out of sync with reality. A voice in his mind told him to be strong. Another told him to let go, drift away.
He saw faces in his dreams. Some were pale with cheek bones and brows lined with tiny horns like the demon that had taken him to the dark priests. Others were kind, inviting, and very human.
Then from somewhere within the darkness of his mind he heard screams of pain. Voices begged him to run and all the while blood ran bright and red around him.
“Find the strength of Uver,” said a voice filtering into his dream. “In Zadridos you will find the key to the City of the Sky and there you can right the wrongs of the past.”
Points of light entered into his eyes, spinning around in his consciousness, playing subtly in his subconscious. He saw bodies all around him, heard screams, then he saw black robes swaying back and forth, people running and the glimmer of a blade striking again and again.
Clearly now Vilmos saw swamp trolls and hill giants in the midst of it all. They were the ones attacking the human priests and their demon masters. For a moment he thought of Edward, Edward the troant who had died so that he could escape the hunter beasts, then something cold and heavy was thrust into his hands.
“Take this,” said the warrior with the brankened collar and iron bit in his mouth. “You must go now. You are home, free.”
Vilmos stared wild-eyed at the bloody scene. Was it real? Was this really happening? Or was he trapped in a horrible dream?
He closed his eyes, opened them. Nothing changed.