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R
ed listened while Kullervo told his story. The small, grey griffin with the sad eyes spoke slowly and softly, telling him not just about how he had come to be on the ship, but about his sister’s death and Caedmon’s rise to the throne as well. He told it in a matter-of-fact tone and without bitterness, but there was sadness there, and gentle regret.
‘So here I am,’ he finished. ‘And you and I have finally met again. You’ve grown up so much!’
‘Yeah, I have, haven’t I?’ said Red. ‘Toldya I’d be a big man one day.’ He tried to smile, and failed.
‘I remember!’ said Kullervo. ‘And you too, Kraego.’
The giant black griffin glared at them both. ‘I have grown larger than even my father.’
‘I think you may have,’ said Kullervo. ‘Your mother would have been proud.’
‘Any female would take pride in such a powerful chick as I was,’ Kraego said bluntly.
Red rolled his eyes. ‘Kullervo, what’re we gonna do?’ he asked. ‘How’re we gonna get out of here? They’re gonna sell me as a slave, but what about you? Why’d they want griffins?’
‘I don’t know,’ said Kullervo. ‘Amoranis believe griffins are sacred, so it makes no sense. They can’t sell us as slaves. But what else could they want us for?’
‘No idea,’ said Red. He picked some dried blood out of his moustache. ‘But maybe we oughta tell you our story.’
‘Tell me,’ Kullervo agreed. ‘I can see you became a guard just as you said you were going to.’
‘So I did,’ Red nodded. ‘An’ what happened was this...’
He told his story, and Kraego’s as well, describing his life as a city guard in Liranwee, and how Caedmon’s invasion had ruined everything.
Kullervo listened. ‘You sound bitter.’
‘Well I am bitter.’ Red thumped the bars of the cage. ‘What’d you expect? We did everything we could, nearly died a dozen times, an’ for what? I thought I’d win back my family’s honour, an’ my own too, an’ here I am, about to spend the rest of my life wearin’ an iron collar in Amoran.’
‘Family honour?’ Kullervo repeated. ‘What do you mean by that?’
‘Huh.’ Red sat down again. ‘I never told you my real name when we knew each other, or said where I really came from, did I?’
Kullervo’s eyes narrowed. ‘Why not?’
‘Lots of reasons, but mostly just shame,’ said Red.
‘For what?’
Red sighed. ‘I’ll make it short. Your father Arenadd came from a city called Eagleholm, right? Well, so did my family.’
‘I know,’ said Kullervo. ‘You told me. Your father Danthirk killed my father.’
‘Yeah, he did,’ said Red. ‘He killed Arren Cardockson, an’ if he hadn’t done that he never would’ve come back as the Dark Lord Arenadd. Right? But that’s not the whole story.’
‘Yes?’ said Kullervo. ‘What’s the rest of it, then?’
‘It ain’t much, really,’ said Red. ‘But you know yer father had a friend, right? His best friend, Branton Redguard. Guard Captain. Well, it’s said the reason why Arren Cardockson got out of jail, the reason why my dad was chasing him that night, is because his mate Bran let him out. They said it was Bran’s fault the city fell. Bran the Betrayer, they called him. His whole family inherited the shame of what Bran did.’
‘Yes?’ Kullervo said again.
‘That was my family,’ said Red. ‘My dad married Bran’s sister. My mother, Finna Redguard. My real name ain’t Red. It’s Kearney Redguard. The last Redguard. I took my mum’s name. I wanted to make it a proud one again.’
‘And you succeeded,’ said Kullervo.
‘No I didn’t,’ said Red. ‘I failed.’
‘But you tried,’ said Kullervo. ‘You’re a hero, Kearney Redguard, and a good man. You can’t be anything more than that.’
Red smiled ruefully. ‘But I’d like to be.’
‘Well then, keep trying,’ said Kullervo. ‘It doesn’t matter if you succeed. It matters if you try, and if you learn from that trying.’
Red shook his head. ‘Great Gryphus, Kullervo. Nothin’ ever gets you down, does it?’
Kullervo scratched his beak with his talons. ‘I like to think I take after my father there. Dying didn’t stop him.’
‘It just pissed him off,’ said Red. He chuckled. ‘I s’pose you’re right. We ain’t even dead, an’ we’ll think of something.’
‘I will kill the first human that touches me,’ Kraego promised.
‘That’s the spirit,’ said Red.
