35.

Luke and Kyara are tracked down.

35.

 

The sound of a couple of barking dogs brought Luke and Kyara out of a shared dream that quickly dissipated.   The barking was coming from somewhere close to the barn.  

“Luke?”  Kyara spoke, but he put his hand gently over her mouth to quiet her.    The murmur of voices from outside now joined with the excited dogs, which Luke feared were being used to track them.

Gesturing for Kyara to stand, he quickly scooped up his weapons.    The former princess hurriedly copied his actions and buckled on her sword belt.     The dogs were sounding as if they were approaching the barn.    Wondering how many men were accompanying the dogs, Luke was calculating their chances of bursting forth from the barn on their horses, when abruptly the dogs stopped making any sound.

Luke and Kyara froze, glancing at each other in confusion.    The rain was still falling outside, though it was not storming now and it looked as if it was mid afternoon, though the darkness of the day made that only an estimation.

Several anxious moments passed before the stillness was punctured by the creaking hinges of the side door of the old barn being cautiously pushed open.

Luke sprang into action so quickly that Kyara was amazed.   Before the door had been fully swung back, he had grabbed someone from the outside, yanked him into the barn and slammed the door shut.    Then he wedged himself against the door and raised his mace threatening at a stunned figure cowering in the hay at his feet.

But before he struck, Luke gasped in surprise and immediately lowered his weapon.

“Master Shayne!”  Luke exclaimed, “Good Lord, how in the world are you here?   Did I hurt you?”

“You scared the hell out of me, Sir Luke!”  The old man said with a scowl, though his eyes twinkled.    Luke held out his hand and helped the man to his feet.

Before the old servant could say anything, Kyara came rushing past Luke and nearly knocked the old man down as she fiercely hugged him.   Weeping happily, she was consoled a bit awkwardly by the usually somber man, while Luke swung the door back open to see who had accompanied Shayne.

Two elven men who he vaguely recognized from Trilyum stood there warily, next to a half dozen large humans wearing the distinct clothing of the highland tribes.   Behind them were their horses, tied to a fence at the rear of the barn lot.

Luke held his hands up indicating non hostility.

“I am sorry, gentlemen; we were not sure who was out there.   As you are with Master Shayne, I am confident you are friends.    Come in out of the rain.”

They gladly complied and as they filed into the barn (which quickly grew quite cramped) Luke glanced outside, expecting to see a pack of hounds.

“Where are your dogs?   We heard them first,” He asked the last Highlander.

The man grinned, “We didn’t have any dogs, sir knight; only magic!”

“Magic?”

“Yes, indeed - one of your own people - hey, Andric; tell him about your spell.”

One of the elves hurried over, weaving in between the bodies tightly packed in the way, and bowed slightly upon approaching Luke.  

He was a young man, small in height and somewhat frail-looking, but with a keen intelligence in his eyes.

“Sir Luke, I am most honored to finally meet you.   We’ve been tracking you for several days.”

“Tracking us?”

“I’ll let Master Shayne explain all of that, but I will tell you that I used a tracking spell called ‘Bloodhound’.    It creates a pack of three spectral dogs.   I let them smell a sample of clothing - in this case some of Her Majesty’s clothing- and for the rest of the day they magically lead us toward you as if they had your trail.    At the end of each day the spell is dissipated, but I recast it each morning.   We knew we’d found you when they vanished suddenly, because they do so when they’ve succeeded in their mission.”

“Amazing!”   Luke commented, but now turned to Shayne, who was sitting down on a bale of hay with Kyara squatting down beside him, tending a cut on his arm.

“Master Shayne, I am very surprised that you found us, but even more perplexed to find you here.    The last we saw of you was when the Princess sent you north to join the other refugees.   I don’t see how you could have travelled all the way to the highlands and then led a party to find us in this length of time.”

“I can see how surprising that must be, Sir Luke.    Actually, we only rode a day before we rendezvoused with a highland army - mixed with many of our own people- coming southward.”

“An army!”  Kyara exclaimed excitedly, recalling the rumor that Mother Julia had reported.

“Oh yes, and what an army it is too!”  Shayne glanced up at the Highlanders, who all proudly grinned at the old man’s appreciation of their forces, “You see the Highlanders met after our people began fleeing into their territory.    One of their chiefs - Somled-passionately spoke in favor of helping our people by marching south to threaten Reddric.  That is exactly what they’ve done and they’re quickly sweeping southward.   They’ve branched in several directions.  Most of them are marching on foot, but there are several troops of horsemen scouting ahead and making trouble for the High King.   Chief Somled is attempting to stop the arcane train and take control of some of the northern duchies.     We were ordered to locate the two of you and there is a detachment of Highlanders along with some of our people, travelling to the great forest to seek any help from the Yehsaelie.”

“That was where we were heading!”  Kyara exclaimed excitedly.

Shayne smiled, nodding, “They know of your destination, Your Highness, and the detachment has been instructed to search for any survivors of our people hiding in the forest.   Don’t worry, they’ll look for them.”

Luke snapped his fingers, “That explains all the southern movement of troops that we’ve seen on the roads the past few days.    I guess they’re retreating south to regroup into a larger army and then march forth to meet this new threat.  We’d heard rumors, but it seemed too good to be true.”

“That is why Somled’s forces have covered so much ground - the High King, or maybe his commanders, has ordered the various ducal and royal troops south to reform.     Reddric thinks we’ll continue southward but that isn’t the plan.”   Shayne turned to Kyara, “We’ve rode unopposed for several days, but I’d recommend that we all head out as soon as possible.    The rain is frustrating, but getting wet is worth it in order to make up time.     Somled is eager for you to join him.”

Kyara looked at Luke, who nodded, so she turned back to the elderly man and replied, “We’ll leave at once.”

 

***

 

An hour later they departed, in the steadily falling rain, though the storms had subsided.    Shayne had brought clothing and supplies for them, including heavy water-proof cloaks, which were greatly appreciated as they rode in a northeast direction.

The muddy road was full of puddles but was devoid of travelers as they made their way in the cold rain, encouraged by being surrounded with friendly faces and the excitement of a possible change of the bleak chain of events that had sat heavy on their hearts since they had left.

They rode until the light faded and were fortunate to find a shallow cave used in some seasons as a sheepfold.     It was miserably damp, though they did get a fire going, but the presence of others around them made it much more bearable.

By the following morning the rain had stopped, leaving a chill in the air.   They headed off at dawn, so as to make as much progress as they could before people began using the muddy highway.

Surprisingly, there were very few people using the road and the few that they encountered seemed greatly alarmed upon seeing their company.    The farmers and occasional merchants would either move to the other side of the road or stop and let them pass, not daring to glance up at them as they rode by.

Clearly they suspected that they were advanced scouts for the invading highland army that everyone was talking about, so they steered clear of them.

By nightfall of the second day, they reached a small hamlet, only to find all the villagers fearfully hiding in their homes as they entered town.

“Fear has preceded us,”  Luke told his companions as they rode though the empty dirt street, sensing a hundred eyes watching them from behind window shutters and blinds.

They selected an abandoned leather work shop at one end of town to camp for the night.     No one dared oppose them or even shown their faces as they hitched their horses up in a rickety stable next to the shop.     The walls and roof were worn, but sturdy enough to serve for the night.   The eleven riders were glad for a somewhat warm place to sleep and a large fireplace to cook a meal.

“We should have about two more days ride to our rendezvous point,”  Shayne told them as they ate, “We’re to meet his company at St. Wemric’s monastery.    Hopefully they’ve conquered Wheachester with little trouble.”

Kyara sighed and shook her head, “It is so amazing how quickly this has happened.”

“Sometimes change is like that, Your Majesty,”   Shayne answered, stirring the fire in the fireplace, “It is like an ocean wave - you have to ride the crest of it or be drowned underneath it.”

“Well right now I just feel like I’m treading water,” She mumbled, glancing over to Luke, who was sharpening his sword rather than eating.   She stared at him for a while out of the corner of her eye but waited to speak privately to him until everyone had bedded down for the evening.  

He had taken the first watch - so none of the town people could sneak in and ambush them or perhaps steal from them.     Kyara pretended to sleep until the others settled down, and then, when she heard their breathing indicate that they were asleep, she silently rose and threw a cloak around her and slipped over to the fireplace where Luke sat watching.

She managed to slightly surprise him, for he jumped as she slipped down on the bench next to him.

“You should be asleep, Princess,” He whispered.   He’d resumed speaking to her in a more formal manner since the others had joined them and this irritated her.

“You’ve been avoiding me ever since Shayne and the others found us.”

“No I haven’t!”  He protested, but he wouldn’t look her in the eyes when he said this.

“Luke, please don’t lie to me.    What is it?”

“I’m just anxious about what lies ahead of us,” He replied with so little enthusiasm, proving that he wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that he was lying.

“You’re afraid of me, aren’t you?   Because of the dreams.”   She stared at him and his shoulders slumped as he wearily sighed.

“I’m afraid of losing control,”   He mumbled, still not looking at her.

“What do you mean?”

Another sigh escaped his lips, this one in frustration that he’d have to explain something that clearly embarrassed him.

“My family has always prided itself in knowing its place,” He now gave her a somewhat timid glance, “My father told me that what usually ruins a foolish knight is presumptuousness.   Taking advantage of favoritism from someone better than you or pride and greed for a better social rank.”

“I don’t see that as a problem with you, Luke.”

“That’s because my parents constantly reminded me and my brothers that our lot in life was to be knights in service of our king.    Loyalty and humility were supposed to guide us.    But when I first became a knight, I grew rather arrogant and cocky.   I relished the attention that I received by the ladies of the court and was proud of the jealousy of the other knights.”

“Luke, that is typical of any young man after he is first knighted.”

“Maybe so, but I knew better, Princess.”

“Please don’t use titles with me, Luke!    I am speaking to you as a friend.”

“Sorry…Yara,” He smiled weakly, “See?    My father would be horrified at my informal attitude toward you.”

“After all we’ve recently been through together?”

“He’d say that I was too familiar with you and that was a terrible sin.    When I was captured, tortured and castrated, in a way I felt that it was a just punishment for my cockiness at your father’s court.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“It seemed logical to me.     Then, suddenly I was restored and I began feeling…well…I…I had…a restoration of…feelings.”

“You mean...”   She trailed off, sensing his embarrassment.

“When I first awoke at St. Catherine’s, I saw you asleep in the chair next to the bed and mixed in with the joy of being alive and relief of finding you safe, I had…impure…thoughts rush into my mind.”

He couldn’t look at her after confessing this, expecting (and perhaps hoping for) an alarmed reaction from her.

“Luke, that is nothing to be ashamed of.   I could see how you were looking at me and I understand.”

“No, you don’t Yara!    I had thoughts going through my mind… wild, uncontrolled urges, stronger than I ever had before.    At first I was so surprised by them that it neutralized them… for a while.    But the longer I was around you, the more they returned.    It isn’t proper!   Then those dreams began!”

He shook his head and swallowed hard, then continued in a softer voice, “Yara, I am afraid that I will do something improper toward you.”

His words did not alarm her at all but instead made her heart race excitedly.   She just smiled and shrugged.   Luke reacted with horror at her reaction.

“Yesh preserve me!    You see?   I’ve charmed you to the point that you’d let me!”

Kyara laughed at this and gently took his hand, which was cold and trembling.

“Luke, you are quite charming, but I am not like my sister.     I have had… feelings… for you too.    They scare me to death, because I have never felt that way before.    But if I am drawn to you and you are drawn to me, then it is God’s will that we come together.”

“Yara, you’re a princess, the daughter of a long line of kings-“

“I’m also a woman Luke, and you are the man to whom I am strongly attracted.     Forget social rank - you could be raised in status you know, then your problem would be solved.”

Luke blinked in surprise, for some reason he had never considered this, but still his uneasiness remained.

“Yara, you deserve someone much better than a landless knight.”

“Luke, we don’t know what will transpire with the Highlanders’ invasion, so I could simply be just a former princess.    Titles don’t mean anything to me.    What draws me to you first is your personality, more than even your good looks.   I’m not that shallow Luke, and what I feel for you is not puppy love.”

Even in the firelight, she could tell his heart was racing, though he was maintaining control.

“It has to be done properly, Yara, if I am to court you.    Your parents and mine would expect it and we owe it to their memories to honor them by behaving respectfully.”

She chuckled, “So you have to play the lute under my window and I will glance out and throw down a ribbon to you?”

“You know what I mean, Yara.”

“Luke, adulthood has been thrust upon both of us and we are both orphans so to speak.   There are no ‘rules of engagement’ for courting.”

“I just don’t want you to do something that later you will regret.”

“Oh, I don’t think I’ll regret it, but you can relax, Luke; this is certainly not the right time or place for anything like that.”

He nodded in agreement, “I’m glad you feel that way.   Remember your convictions if I have a moment of weakness and try to change your mind.”

“I’m not worried about that,”   Kyara said, standing up, then bending over and taking his chin in her hand.     Before Luke knew what was happening, she was warmly kissing him.    Her lips were soft and he was electrified by the lingering kiss.   

Then it ended, she straightened up and with a sultry look, gave him a slight smile and said, “You’re a strong man, Luke, you’ll stay in control.    Goodnight.”

She just turned and walked back to the spot where she intended to sleep.    He sat there watching her, dumbly touching his still tingling lips.

 

***

 

The next day was slightly warmer but a strong wind neutralized the warmth as they continued to ride.   By late afternoon they were nearing Landon’s Ford, a bridge over the Brombrun River, about thirty miles south of Copper Gate.    Luke was glad that they were avoiding the mountainous route, for he didn’t want to travel through that town again.  

Instead, they were at the edge of the mountains and once across the Brombrun, they’d be in St. Wemricshire.

They had not seen anyone else on the road all day and they bypassed the town to the west of the bridge in their anxiousness to cross into St. Wemricshire before sunset.

But as they approached the bridge, they were surprised to hear the sounds of battle.    Luke rushed ahead to see, the others closely behind him.    In the middle of the wide bridge a group of ten mounted royal soldiers were struggling with ten horsemen wearing Highlander garb.   

In the middle of the royal soldiers rode an unarmed man, terrified of the conflict going on around him and tightly clutching a red leather pouch with a gold seal on it.   He was clearly a royal courier, being escorted on some mission by the soldiers.

The soldiers were trying to fire crossbows at the Highlanders, but they were too close and maneuvering room was too tight for them to get shots off.     Some were trying anyway, while others were using their crossbows as makeshift clubs in an attempt to fend off the Highlander horsemen that blocked their way eastward.

The thunder from the hooves of Luke’s horse caused all eyes to turn.    He had his horseman’s mace in hand as he rode down on the soldiers.    Cries of alarm resounded as one of the royal horsemen quickly attempted to turn his horse around on the crowded bridge and then anxiously aimed a loaded crossbow at Luke.

But before he could take aim, Luke had knocked aside the weapon, which caused the soldier to slide off the side of his steed.

Luke didn’t slow down but swiped at the man with his mace, connecting with his head.   His helmet saved his life, but he was knocked unconscious and fell face first onto the bridge.

A second soldier had managed to get his horse turned around and was trying to get him to gallop toward Luke, but the animal was unsure on the crowded bridge and hesitated.   The man fought with the reins, forgetting in his urgency that his distraction would make him an easy target.    Luke brought his horse to a stop in front of the man and had already knocked the soldier out of his saddle with a blow to his head, before he had time to react.

The remaining soldiers, seeing Luke’s aggression and his companions riding up behind him, panicked at being sandwiched between two sets of enemies.   Wildly they tried to turn and gallop past Luke, before Kyara, Shayne and the others blocked their escape.

Five of them managed to bolt past the elven knight, bowing down over the necks of their horses so as to lessen their exposure as targets.

Luke let them pass unchallenged.

The remaining three soldiers and the royal courier were not so lucky.     Entangled as they tried to turn around, two fell off their horses, one horse reared up and forced off his rider, and the remaining horse was knocked off the side of the bridge into the Brombrun, along with his rider.

They did not fall far and though they were swept downstream in the rain swollen river, both would survive the ordeal.

Kyara and the rest of Luke’s company tried to intercept the five fleeing horsemen.    Three evaded them and galloped down the road.   But Kyara’s sword sliced through one rider’s shoulder as he passed, sending him tumbling off the back of his horse.    A Highlander riding a few feet behind Shayne nimbly leaped from his mount onto one of the fleeing soldiers, knocking him off the horse.    They fell violently to the ground, yet the Highlander used the hilt of his sword to pound the face of the royal solider until he was knocked out.

Quickly the three unhorsed men on the bridge were surrounded by both sets of opponents and the two that were still conscious immediately threw down their weapons and pleaded for mercy.

One of these pleading men was the courier, which Luke personally took as prisoner.

“Master Shayne, you are well met!”   Shouted one of the Highlanders that had battled the royal soldiers before Luke’s party arrived.

“Aeyn, I should have known that you would be in the midst of such a bold encounter!”   Shayne called back as his companions gathered up the prisoners and tended to the injured.

The man that Shayne had addressed as ‘Aeyn’ rode over to Luke grinning from ear to ear, “You, sir, are a man after my own heart!    You wouldn’t be Sir Luke Penrook, would you?”

“I am indeed, sir,” Luke extending his hand and the big Highlander eagerly shook it.

“I am thrilled to meet you, Sir Penrook!  Your fame has spread to the Highlands by the elven refugees.”

“I’m sure the stories were exaggerated,”   He replied, “Tell me, sir; how did you happen to encounter these soldiers?”

“Abbot Matthes met with Chief Somled secretly last night, in Feldum’s Hold.  Our chief sent us ahead to escort Brother Matthes back home, before the larger company joins them.    Then the brother asked us to ride out here so we could escort your party into St. Wemric’s monastery.    We’d been here only an hour when we saw this group riding toward the bridge.   Clearly they were in a big hurry and we could see they were some of Reddric’s men, so we decided to intercept them.    Then you and your company arrived.”

“That one man looks to be some sort of royal courier; let’s question him and see what their mission was.”

 

A few minutes later, the Highlanders and elves had surrounded the three prisoners in a ring.    The unconscious soldier had regained his senses by then and looked horrified to find the situation he was in.

Luke was selected to interrogate the royal courier, who sat in the middle of the ring tightly clutching the red leather pouch while fearfully eyeing Luke and Kyara.

Luke stood in front of the man with his arms folded and looked down at him, “I know you are a royal courier and that the pouch you are carrying contains something that you don’t want us to see.   You can either surrender it to me and save yourself from harm, or we can take it from you by force.    I would caution you from trying to be heroic as it will be to no avail.”

The man swallowed hard and with trembling hands held out the pouch, which Kyara took from him.

“A wise choice,”  Luke said, “Now, tell me your name.”

“Martin Baellu, I am one of King Reddric’s messengers.    Are you going to kill us?”

“Not if you cooperate with us.     Tell us what we need to know and all of you should live to recount this tale in future days.    But we are in no mood to play games, Martin, and trickery will prove to be fatal to you.   Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, sir; I don’t want to die.”

“Good; so tell me where you were being sent.”

The courier sighed, but volunteered the information, “I was sent to convey to Abbot Matthes in Abbosett all of what recently transpired and of the threat and danger facing the monastery.”

“Clearly we are part of that ‘threat’, but I want you to recount to us everything that you know.   Tell us what is going on at Reddric’s court and all of the intrigue there.”

“It will cost me my life if anyone at the Royal Court learns of this.”

“Then you’ll have to remain with us.   Your message will be conveyed to the Abbot, but first you need to tell us everything you know.   Don’t withhold anything and you and your fellow prisoners will be treated well.”

“Very well; since I have no choice,”   The Courier took a deep breath and almost eagerly told them far more than they imagined that he would.

It seems that Reddric found out about the death of Archbishop Hobst very quickly (which was news to Luke and Kyara).    Upon learning of the murder of her uncle, Queen Jaelabeth went into hysterics and they feared that she would go into labor.     She was sent to bed by the royal physicians as the King attempted to learn more about what had happened.   Late the same day, Bishop Jules, the Queen’s brother, arrived at the court following a hard ride and after conferring briefly with the King, went to console his sister in her bedchamber.

Not wanting to disturb the fragile Queen, King Reddric spent the night with his favorite mistress, Lady Taye of Howardford.  In the middle of the night as they slept, an assassin broke into Lady Taye’s room and stabbed both of them.    His dagger was poisoned and the assassin was killed as he tried to escape.

Although they tried to save Reddric and his mistress, both died from the poison.     The news sent the Queen into labor and after a difficult delivery; she gave birth the following morning, to a healthy son.

The council of Barons quickly named Bishop Jules as Regent for his nephew until the baby (named Reddric VIII) is old enough to assume the throne.

On the same day, news reached the palace that the rumored Highland invasion had began, so Jules sent an order to recall all the troops and militiamen to Caelyin so plans could be made to repel the invaders.

Martin Baellu claimed that the message he was supposed to deliver to Abbot Matthes in Abbosett was to simply inform him about what had happened.

“Well, why don’t we just verify that?”   Kyara suggested as she broke the wax seal and opened the pouch, then pulled out a letter which she immediately read.

Everyone waited, wondering when her brows rose and a surprised hiss of breath escaped her lips.   Finally she looked up, glanced at the royal courier for a moment, and then turned to the others while slowly shaking her head, a grim look on her face.

“For heaven’s sake, don’t keep us in suspense; what does it say?”   Shayne asked for all of them.

“We need to go see Abbot Matthes immediately!”   Kyara announced.