**The Exile returns again after a much too long break. Please enjoy the newest chapter. Disclaimer: The following work contains mature themes and graphic depictions of sex between men. If this offends you, don't read it. It is also unabashedly nerdy and will somewhat strain your suspension of disbelief. It's a fantasy, and its an experiment. You've been warned. **
THE EXILE A Gay Fantasy Experiment
Chapter 7
It has been too long since I have written in this account. When first I began it, I had hoped to write my story in its entirety within a few weeks of work, but I should have guessed that my new position and duties would make such a bulk of available time impossible to come by.
There is trouble in Carmathen. An uprising of some of the populace has caused chaos and disorder in the streets and the First Minister has sent me word that his civil guard have completely lost control over several of the most densely populated quarters of the city. I knew this day would come, knew it ever since I first laid eyes on that sprawling, ugly city and its hungry, dirty inhabitants. But I get ahead of myself again, for I recall now that I have not yet reached that point in my tale.
I have no wish to be a tyrant. Indeed, it was never my desire or ambition to rule at all. If I felt the uprising plaguing Carmathen was political in nature, I would leave it be to take its course and allow the people to establish their will over their own land. If the Council had followed my advice or enacted my commands more swiftly, perhaps this uprising could have been prevented; they have brought this doom upon themselves. But all accounts tell me that the instigators of this discontent have only chaos and anarchy in view, and I cannot allow innocent people to suffer. My lands and kingdoms must stay strong and united if we are to survive the transition to a new age.
Thus I have been preparing an expedition of troops to rush to the Council of Carmathen's aid. The irony does not escape me. Once before, not so long ago, they refused to hear my pleas for assistance and now I, as their leige and lord (in name at least), will come swiftly with my best men to rescue them from their own mistakes. I cannot afford to be proud or spiteful in times such as these, and do so would make me less than what I am.
My army has been rebuilding slowly, and many of my soldiers are young, raw recruits. I have personally overseen their instruction, patterning their training after that I received in my village as a youth. My efforts are paying off, but it has taken most of my time and attention. There is so much to manage, so many people clamoring for approval for this, or to seek orders for that. Many times I have sat down to write only to be immediately interrupted by a frantic official or blustering officer.
I write now by dwindling candlelight in my spacious tent on the third day of our journey south to the Carmathen. We shall reach that rotten city tomorrow, perhaps, or the next day at the latest. I cannot sleep, and so I shall continue my account at last. _____________________________________________________________________________________
The thing I remember the most when I think of that overcast morning in which we left the city of Fermanagh is the sight of straw in Alek's hair. Despite his best efforts to clean himself off before we left the old abandoned stable, I noticed several large remnants of the previous night's bedding hanging from his head as we entered the city streets and threaded our way towards the gates. I found myself smirking at the sight, until I considered the possibility that I might look equally ridiculous, though I had no hair for straw to stick in. I checked my clothing self-consciously.
I remember too the elation I felt when we reached the gates and saw the crowd of people queuing there to file their way out of the city. We could not have picked a better time to leave. The mass of city dwellers would make staying anonymous easy. We lost ourselves amongst them, though I grabbed the back of Alek's shirt so as not to be separated from him, and if there were any guards stationed at the gates to look for us (as seemed most likely) their task was next to impossible.
I shouted a question to Alek, asking him why so many were leaving the city that day. His response was lost in the bustle of the crowd, but my question was answered when we finally passed the massive walls and I saw a sprawling marketplace had been set up in the open area beyond , crowded with fresh produce in carts and wagons brought in from the outlying farms in the region.
I marveled then, and I have marveled often since, at how extremely fortunate a coincidence it was that the farmer's market should have occurred on that very day. After all that had occurred since my exile from my village, I had privately lamented to myself that my fate was cursed, and yet now it seemed, perhaps, that everything was exactly as it should be. Despite whatever trials I had undergone, I still possessed the sword, had the assistance of Damon, and, most charmingly, now had a new companion in Alek. I was not alone anymore. I smiled then and held my head high, despite the sight of the open sky making my stomach heave, for it was then I first came to believe that some higher power guided my steps and that all was right in the world.
How young I was. Young and so naïve.
Alek pulled me off the road and suggested that it would be wise to purchase some food for our journeys. This made my heart even lighter, for it implied (though he had not said as much openly) that he was going to travel with me for some time. I knew that Damon could provide us with whatever food we needed, but wasn't sure how best to explain my strange servant's existence to Alek. Standing in the middle of the bustling market certainly did not seem like an ideal occasion. Instead, I simply pointed out that we had no money. Alek winked at me and told me to follow him.
No doubt you will not believe what happened next -- though if you do not, it would be best to stop reading my tale now, as things much more improbable are still to come. Alek led me through the market, his eyes wandering through the crowd and stalls eagerly, searching. At last he found what he sought: a collection of tables in which a rabble of rough-looking men played at dice. Though it was still early, the men were drinking liberally. I had the impression that several of them had been playing all through the night.
"A wager of five gold, please," Alek said, sitting at the table.
The men eyed him suspiciously. "Five gold it is. Let's see it."
Alek laughed. "It is rude to doubt a gentleman's word. My servant here holds the gold, and will produce it if I lose." He nodded to me. The men looked at me curiously.
"No gold, no wager," one man said with finality.
"Look," Alek said, leaning forward and speaking in lower tones, "My brother is the chief clerk of King Valen himself."
"And the Queen's my mum," replied one of the men, cackling.
"Should I fail to produce what I owe you, friends, you would be at privilege to seek him out and obtain your gold, with an extra fee for the trouble I've caused you." Alek sat back confidently.
The men considered this thought.
"All I ask is one throw," Alek said, with a charming smile.
One of the men passed him the cup and dice. "I seen Cedrik once," he said, spitting, "You look like him."
Alek nodded graciously, then without the slightest effort or care picked up the cup and threw the dice out onto the table.
"Double sixes!" called one of the men, and the others howled with astonishment.
A small stack of gold was pushed towards Alek, who turned at looked at me with feigned contempt. "You'll no longer be needed here, Pilo," he said, winking, "I shall play with these winnings. Take the gold you have and this--" (he handed me a handful of coins) "-- and buy those things we discussed. I'll find you shortly." He turned his attention back to the game.
Here my memory, which I have never claimed to be perfect, fails me utterly. How I spent the next hour or two I can only guess at, for my mind was reeling with what had happened and with what we should do next. I believe I purchased what goods I thought would last several days without spoiling, including some of the delicious sweet potatoes the witch-woman had fed me in Valen's dungeons. I was eager to find supplies beyond food, but found such things difficult to locate in the sea of produce. I was contemplating whether or not to buy a small cooking pot when Alek found me again.
"You are insane," I said at once, and he grinned at me. "How did you know you would win?"
He shrugged. "I didn't. But I usually win when I want to."
"And if you had lost?"
"I planned to blame you for losing the money," he joked, punching me playfully on the shoulder.
"Nice," I laughed, adrenaline surging through my body just being near him again. "I suppose you won us some more?"
"A little," he said, producing a modest coin pouch, "I made sure to lose a lot too. So nobody would get upset."
"You are incredible," I said, shaking my head.
He did not reply, but kissed me roughly on the cheek and laughed. He was as cheerful as I would ever see him.
"It feels so good to be myself again!" he laughed, "And its all thanks to you."
My grin was so broad my cheeks began to hurt. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Alek's joyful mood lasted all through our journey that day away from the city and into the evening when we made camp. That night, when our small fire had died down to the faintest embers and we huddled together for warmth and comfort, I could feel the evidence of his desire pressed against me as he began to roam his fingers across my chest and neck. His hand brushed gently across my face, tracing the empty ridges where my eyebrows should be and running his fingers down my nose and across my lips. I kissed each one softly as it passed, feeling my heart beat heavily in my chest.
He looked as though he might speak, but it was not a time for words. I kissed him, and though first unsure, he soon returned my kiss with sincerity. The night was cool, and a faint breeze chilled the air, but my skin burned with such passion that as Alek removed my clothing I felt impervious to the cold. Soon our garments made a small pile on the ground nearby, a strangely shaped mound whose shadow danced in the dying light of the fire.
I explored his body curiously, tracing and memorizing every curve and corner. He was slender, far more lean and bony than Damon, and yet I had encountered his strength firsthand when we had grappled before the Queen and her amazarii. Now we grappled yet again, for no audience but ourselves.
I was still shocked (though I had seen them before) to see the evidence of the abuses he had suffered in his slavery to the Queen. A horrible scar on his back revealed a place where he had obviously been burned, and another on his arm where he seemed to have been cut. Each of these I touched tenderly, then, as he watched with moist eyes, kissed gently as though hoping my kiss could erase the pain of the memories those scars held. He in turn ran his fingers across and then kissed the top of my hairless head, inviting me to let go of my own traumas of the past.
Though I have no doubt that our desire to ease each other's pain was sincere, I am also very aware that neither of us fully succeeded. Still, the effort counted for something, and I felt I had grown far more attached to him than Damon was to me. I could not receive my sustenance literally from Alek's body, as Damon did from mine, and yet my whole soul hungered for him greedily.
Perhaps it was this thought of my servant that propelled me, for I took Alek's organ into my mouth as was Damon's habit to please me, and his cry of pleasure into the night air reminded me strongly of the cry I myself had made deep in the Anatherian tomb when Damon had first performed that act on me.
Was I turning into Damon? Had I made Alek the master, and myself the slave? As I swallowed his release, even as I grew dizzy with the pleasure of pleasing him, I could not but ask myself these questions. Gasping and worn out, he stroked my cheek and kissed me gratefully. I laid my head upon his chest and rested there, listening to the pounding of heart in his chest and looking up at the sky. For once the sight did not trouble me, for the stars did not seem real. It was as if we lay underneath a large artificial dome, painted black and set with hundreds of lanterns. Far above us, yes, but not so incredibly and impossibly distant as our learned men theorize the stars actually are. The bright points of light, I imagined, merely marked the edge of a special shelter made especially for us.
"Do you ever think about the future?" Alek asked suddenly. The truth was that, at that particular moment, nothing could be further from my mind. I was trying to enjoy the moment.
"Sometimes," I replied.
"I haven't in years," he said, "I thought I would just go on living in the Queen's palace forever and now... What will I do with my life?"
I squeezed him tighter. "I understand. I felt much like that the night I left my village. I had never thought I would leave and couldn't imagine what life would be like for me outside."
"I'm glad to be gone," he replied, "But I can't help but be a little scared too."
"Change isn't easy. But the things that are good for you in the long run almost never are. And every time we think things won`t ever seem normal again, they always do."
He scratched my back gently with his fingernails, and we talked about what we wanted out of life, and made guesses at where we would be in five or six summers, none of which have come true. The night air grew chilly and we dressed ourselves again, wrapped up in our cloaks and clung together for warmth, and drifted to sleep.
Though I felt my eyes had been closed for mere moments, the sun was already chasing away the blackness of the night with streaks of violet and blue when Damon's soft voice summoned me from sleep. He was standing above me, waiting, and when I started to ask him what he wanted he put his finger over his lips and nodded towards Alek's sleeping form. I sat up slowly, blinking myself awake, and followed my servant a few strides away from the dead fire.
"I'm sorry to take you away from your new friend," Damon said, with not a small amount of irony and bitterness in his voice, "But I thought you'd like to know that I've been up all night keeping watching and sensing the area, and I've made a few interesting discoveries."
I shook my head at him. "If you are worried that Alek's presence will prevent me from giving you gifts of energy, you can stop right now. I will need your aid as always. I'm planning to tell Alek about you when the time seems right, and then he'll understand when I have to slip away to spend time with you."
"I would rather you did not, Master," he said, "Though its your choice of course. I'm of more use to you as a secret."
"You don't think I can trust him." I said, crossing my arms.
He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course not. I don't think you should trust anybody, except for me. And that goes double for people who have spent years being brainwashed."
That was enough for me. "What did you discover?" I asked.
Damon scowled and looked away. "First, we're being followed again, by you know who."
I blinked in confusion, not sure at first what he was talking about. At last it hit me. "Golmeir?"
"Oh, yes, was that its name?" Damon said, "The big ugly fellow? Well, he's keeping his distance, as before, but definitely on our trail."
So much had happened in Fermanagh that I had totally forgotten my encounter with the giant, but it seemed he had not. I would have to deal with him and find out what he wanted at some point, I decided.
"Thanks for letting me know," I said, turning to go back to Alek.
"There's something else," Damon added, stopping me, "I was keeping my eye on the road from Fermanagh as well."
"How clever of you," I said, "If only you'd done that the night I was captured by the amazarii."
"Unlike then," he snapped, "I was all alone last night and had nothing else to do."
I sighed. He could be so sweet and subservient at times, and so surly and difficult at others. "Well, what did you see?"
"Not too long ago somebody went by, somebody we've met before," he smiled, "Somebody I thought you might be interested in seeing again." He paused.
"Well?" I said, impatiently, "Who was it?"
Damon cocked his head. "What, you don't want to guess?"
I glared at him.
"Fine!" he said, throwing up his hands, "You're no fun since your new toy joined us. It was the skinny man you pleasured in the dungeon. The king's dungeon you were in, remember?"
I had to think who he meant. "Who, Cedrik? Alek's brother?"
"Yes, that's the one. He had the hood of his cloak up, but I knew it was him. I could still smell you on him. He's heading north on foot alone." He seemed bored even as he made this revelation. Very little seemed to interest Damon unless it affected me directly.
But this was news indeed. Would Alek desire a reunion with his brother? Would Cedrik? After all, Valen's clerk had asked me to kill his brother if I had the chance, and never explained why.
"Why would Cedrik be heading north?" I asked, but Damon was gone.
"What about my brother?" came Alek's voice. He was sitting up and stretching, and beginning to ruffle through the bag of food I had purchased for something to eat.
"He went past us on the road heading north," I said, after a moment's hesitation.
Alek wrinkled his nose at me. "How do you know?"
I took a deep breath. "It's a very long story. One you probably will not believe. If you want to catch up with him, I suggest we hurry. He has quite a head start on us."
My companion looked as though he was going to speak, but stopped himself. Questions floated behind his eyes but he kept them to himself as he wordlessly began to pack up our few belongings. Once we were ready we walked back to the road and headed north at the quickest pace we were capable.
"We don't have to do this," I said, breaking the long silence, "If you don't want to. He works for the man who recently tried to hand us over to the Broxbourneans and he once asked me to kill you."
Alek didn't look at me. "He's my brother," he said simply. ___________________________________________________________________________________
The sun had well passed its high point and was sinking towards the horizon by the time we caught up to him, a speck of black against the blue sky. I kept my eyes focused on the still distant figure that was almost certainly Cedrik, not daring to look up and face the vastness of the open sky lest I grow faint. I had hidden my fear from Alek. Indeed, I was less reluctant to tell him about Damon than about my shameful anxiety, though he had not asked further about my mysterious source of information and I had provided no answers.
"I think he`s noticed us," Alek said suddenly. I looked in the distance at the shape we had been pursuing, and it did seem that it had stopped.
"We should be ready for anything," I said, resting my hand on the hilt of my precious sword.
His face grew pale, "You think it will come to that?"
"I hope not," I said, "I really hope not."
As we neared the shape, it grew in definition and features until it become recognizable as a human figure, clearly waiting for us to approach. He wore his hood up, as Damon had said, and was wrapped in a long cloak that did little to hide his tense, expectant body. I had no doubt he was as ready with his weapon, whatever it might be, as I was with mine.
"Good day," he called, when we were close enough to be heard. His voice sounded tense and forced. "Do you have any water you would be willing to share? I've run out."
Alek and I exchanged glances. "We've some," I called back, "And of course you'd be welcome to share it, Cedrik."
At the sound of his name he started, then flung back his cloak in a flash, revealing a rapier he had concealed beneath. He pointed it at us and began to back away.
"Hold, Cedrik!" shouted Alek, walking towards him with his hands in the air, "It's Alek! It's your brother!"
Cedrik froze, but kept his sword leveled in our direction. "So it is you," he said. We were close enough now to make out his face, and he no longer had to shout. "I suppose that is Markis with you? Of course, I should have known."
"Hello, Cedrik," I said cautiously, "Surely there's no need for weapons around family and friends, is there?"
The clerk pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes behind his spectacles. "I would it were so, Markis. However, given that both of you share a certain former employer, I'm afraid I can't be too trusting just yet."
It was then I pulled out my sword, holding it at the ready. Alek looked at me as if I had gone mad.
"Well, it is only fair, then, that we should mistrust you," I said, "Given that your employer recently tried to hold us prisoner."
Cedrik laughed dismissively. "Please, Markis! Do you think you could have escaped so easily unless the King had allowed it?"
This made me pause. Our escape had seemed miraculous, and there had been very few guards. "What are you saying?" asked Alek.
Cedrik did not look at him, but kept his eyes locked onto me. "Markis knows very well what I'm saying. Politics demanded that the King could not allow himself to set you free."
"And so he allowed me to escape, after a fairly public arrest," I said, the pieces falling into place. Valen was a shrewd, unpredictable man.
Alek shook his head. "No. Do you believe that, Markis?"
"It does not matter what you believe," Cedrik said. "Now, what do you want with me?"
"Cedrik?" Alek cried plaintively, "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"Don't talk to me," Cedrik said sharply, his voice breaking, "I can't even look at you. You sound and look so much like my brother that I may grow weak."
"I am your brother!" Alek insisted, taking a step forward.
Cedrik swiped the air with his sword in frustration. "You were, once. Before the Queen stole your mind and your heart. I'm sorry, but I don't know what you are now. My brother is dead -- I've been mourning his loss for years. Whatever you are, miserable creature, I would have you out of your misery. I had hoped Markis would be a true friend and see to that for me, as I had asked him."
"You were wrong," I said, "The Queen's spell can be broken. I escaped it, and so has Alek."
"Think, Markis," Cedrik insisted, "You have special defenses that my brother did not. Isn't it possible that he has escaped with you by the Queen's command, to act as a spy?"
I shook my head and said nothing. Alek looked at me again, troubled.
"You are so confident," Cedrik said, "but would you trust him with your life?"
I met Alek's eyes briefly, then looked away. "I have already trusted him with much more than that," I muttered, half to myself. Alek's face went blank and Cedrik looked puzzled. "I have more reason to mistrust you than him," I continued, "Why are you going north? Did Valen send you to look for us?"
He shook his head. "My errand does not concern you," Cedrik said mysteriously, "You can go wherever you like, the further away the better. Its not your fault, but you have brought nothing but trouble to Fermanagh. I have my own business to attend to."
"Maybe we could help you," Alek suggested.
Cedrik bit his lower lip. "I might reveal my task to Markis; I believe the King, whatever his reasons, would not mind my doing so. But I cannot risk speaking such things in front a likely spy for the Queen."
Alek looked so wounded that it made me want to hug him right there. He looked about helplessly and turned as if to leave.
"Anything you told me, I would not keep from Alek," I said defiantly, not daring to look at him but feeling the waves of gratitude emanating from my friend.
"Then I shall keep it to myself and continue on my journey," Cedrik said, turning and starting to walk away.
"We head north as well by this same road," I said, following him.
"As you will," Cedrik called back tonelessly, "But do not think that we are traveling together." ____________________________________________________________________________________
When night fell at last, Alek's brother refused our offer of food and water, or to share our fire. Instead he insisted on moving off to find his own encampment, out of sight from ours. We looked in vain for the light of a fire that might suggest his location and distance, but saw nothing. Alek was distraught and restless and would not look at me or speak while we had our meager dinner. I was myself intensely dissatisfied with the food we had purchased; Damon could provide much bigger and more delicious meals than our limited supplies allowed us. I looked at my companion and for the hundredth time tried to think of a way to explain my servant's existence to him. He looked so gloomy and pale that I decided, once again, that the time was not right.
At last we stretched out on the ground for some sleep, but Alek tossed and turned and would not let me touch or comfort him. It pained me greatly to see him so upset, and I remember racking my brain trying to figure out what I could do to ease his misery. At last I could not stand the silence any longer.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Alek looked at me sharply, incredulity on his face. "What do you think is wrong, Markis?" he asked, angrily.
"There's no need to attack me," I said, fighting to stay calm, "I just want to help."
He let out a long sigh. "I know you do. I'm sorry."
"You are worried about your brother," I said, "and upset that he does not trust you."
Alek put his face into his hands and groaned. "He can be so stubborn and difficult," he muttered.
"It must run in the family," I smiled, putting my hand on his shoulder to show him I was joking.
He tensed at my touch, as he often did when I caught him by surprise, but then relaxed and chuckled. "You're probably right," he admitted.
I stroked his back calmingly, and it may have worked for several minutes, but soon he was up again and pacing restlessly. I watched him for several moments, feeling my own frustration well up inside of me. At last I stood and wrapped my cloak about me.
"Where are you going?" Alek asked, furrowing his brow.
I leaned in and kissed him quickly. "To find him."
"It won't do you any good," he insisted, but I deflected his excuses and moved away.
"I can't just stay here and watch you suffer. I'll be back later. Be safe," I said.
He searched for words, but was silent as I began to walk away. When I was some distance off I heard him call out, "Be careful." That made me smile. Alek did not seem prone to express his affection or concern (and, given what he had gone through, I suppose I can understand why) but every now and then he would inadvertently reveal his attachment. These small glimpses of his hidden devotion affected me more strongly than Damon's continual protestations of admiration ever could.
It was quite dark by that time, with only the faint light of the distant moon to guide my steps, and once I left our little fire behind I felt lost in the blackness. It seemed as if suddenly I had been transported back to the night I first had left my village and had stumbled through the dark with no clue of where to go. Similarly, I had no idea where Cedrik might be found, and so, as I had then on that first step of my journey, I was forced to pick the direction in which I would travel mostly at random. I knew the odds that I would stumble upon him were small, and that the wisest action would be to wait until morning to locate him, but at least a walk would help me clear my head and give Alek a chance to calm himself before I returned. I could not think of my new companion without a confusing mix of emotions clouding my thoughts and making it difficult to focus on my search for his brother.
I do not know how long I roamed that night, seeking Cedrik in vain. My thoughts kept swirling back to Alek. Could he be trusted? Was I letting my obvious attachment to him affect my judgment?
"Questions," I said out loud to nobody but myself, "Questions are all I have." Perhaps answers are the property of the Creator alone, I pondered.
Time passed, the moon rose higher in the sky, and my feet began to hurt. It was time to give up the search and find my way back to Alek and the fire. I did not think it would be difficult to retrace my steps, and if I became utterly lost I could always call upon Damon for assistance. I was determined not to call for help, though, unless it became absolutely necessary. I was afraid, then and often afterward, that I would give in to the natural temptation of coming to rely upon my servant too much, of loosing all abilities to provide and take care of myself. To be served, to be guided, to be provided for by a creature of such power -- it could reduce many men to laziness and indolence, their senses and abilities dulled. The discipline that had been instilled in me since my youth cried out against the very idea.
A noise not far off alerted me that I was not alone. I stopped in mid-step and mid-thought, straining to pick out any other sign of movement. After a moment, I heard it; the unmistakable sounds of someone walking nearby. Suddenly, as if by magic, a lumbering blot of blackness which had previously melded seamlessly with the darkness of the night became recognizable as a moving, breathing shape.
"Damon?" I asked warily, though I was certain that it was not my servant at all. As the shape grew sharper and clearer, there was no mistaking its huge frame and unnerving presence.
"Beware," came the deep, rumbling voice that I remembered instantly, "Danger roams the night."
I took a step back unconsciously. "Is that a threat?" My hand found the hilt of my sword.
"A warning," Golmeir rumbled. There was something distant and sad in his booming voice.
"What danger, then?" I asked, not daring to relax.
The large shape shifted, sniffing the air. "Women. Full of hate."
I'll never forget the feeling of dread that filled me at those words. It was as if my heart had instantly frozen and sank unceremoniously to the bottom of my chest. My mouth went dry. "Where?" I managed to ask.
Golmeir shook his head sadly. "Everywhere."
Just then I heard the sounds of someone shouting in the distance. "Alek!" I cried to myself, and without another thought ran in the vague direction of the sound.
"I await your signal," said Golmeir. Or at least that is what I believe he said, for all my attention was upon rushing to my new friend's aid. The shout echoed in the air again, and I altered my course in order to bring myself closer to it. My blind panic now gave way to focused rage. I pulled the silver sword free, ready to cut down anything that stood between me and Alek.
A single shape tried to intercept me in the dark. I believe it was an amazarii, but I did not pay her much attention. I had momentum and rage on my side, and I cut her down with little effort and hurried on.
My eyes had by this time adjusted to the faint light of the moon, and I could pick out details in the darkness that had been invisible before when I had left Alek by the fire. Because of this, I could see at once that the area which the shouts seemed to be coming from was not the location of the encampment we had made a few hours earlier. Those shouts had stopped, but I could hear the sounds of voices up ahead. It took an act of willpower, but I slowed my pace and proceeded cautiously.
I whispered Damon's name and he appeared beside me instantly. I whispered instructions to him to go and check on Alek back at our fire, and he nodded and vanished again. Creeping forward carefully, I began to be able to pick out what the voices were saying and to make some sense of them. Fortunately, whoever was speaking seemed to care little about being overheard and spoke quite loudly.
"Your defiance will only cause you more pain," said the voice, clearly female. "What is your mission?"
I heard Cedrik's strangled voice say something which I could not quite make out.
"Do not dare to lie to us," said another voice, and I heard the sharp crack of a slap, "You are a pawn of the King and always will be."
"I have left his service," I heard Cedrik sputter, more loudly than before. "I want nothing to do with the politics of Fermanagh."
One woman laughed. There seemed to be three or four around him, but it was possible that there were others whose shapes I had not yet noticed in the dark.
"We'll have to find ways of being persuasive, won't we, sisters?" said one of the amazarii. The others cackled with pleasure. I could make out some kind of motion, and then Cedrik screamed out in pain. It was a horrible sound, and I nearly rushed in with my sword swinging right then. I was tensing myself in preparation when a bird landed on my shoulder, startling me.
"Master," the bird whispered in my ear in Damon's voice, "Alek is gone!"
I had very little time to consider this revelation, for new voices and new shapes heralded the arrival of several more amazarii at Cedrik's side.
"Look what we found," said one of the new women, shoving a dark shape forward. I knew at once who it was.
"Nice to see you, Tolo," said an amazarii, mirth in her voice, "The Queen is anxious to see you again. She wishes you had informed her you were planning a vacation."
"I will never understand Her Majesty's attachment to this man," said another, "I knew it would prove disastrous for her."
"Did not the Seeress predict his disloyalty?"
"Silence," one of the older amazarii commanded, "Do not question our Queen's wisdom."
The mention of the Seeress sent my mind racing, recalling all that the old woman had said to me.
"This will be fun," said one of the women, when my attention returned to the conversation. "I love games."
"The rules are simple, Tolo," said an amazarii, "We're going to give you a knife, and you're going to use it to cause your brother pain."
"If you don't, we'll use it on you." Their laughter, always cruel, always vengeful, sounded again.
I edged nearer. Two princes, the Seeress had said. Two souls, one stolen.
I could see Alek now, or at least recognize his shape. In his hand he held a long dagger, which glinted softly in the moonlight. Trembling, he was shuffling towards the small figure that could only be Cedrik. The clerk was on his knees, whimpering in pain. Alek raised the knife.
In moments of distress and confusion, when the events of the world seem to be racing ever more out of control, faster than our capability to comprehend or process them, there will often come a moment of sudden clarity like the eye of the storm in which everything is ordered and still. The mind makes a sudden leap to a higher order of thought, propelled by the intense need of a desperate situation. If it were not so, I would not be alive to write these words. So often my life has been saved by moments of sudden lucidity in the midst of anguish, either from myself or in others. It is our gift and our curse to be magnified by adversity; it is only through suffering and tribulation that our true glory, our full potential can shine. I knew this even then, but have learned it again and again every day since.
The moment I have described is a perfect example of this truth. In a single instant, I not only understood to what the Seeress had been referring (the truth revealing itself with utter simplicity, like the final strokes in an elaborate painting) but also felt I knew exactly what was to come, knew what Alek would do, knew how I must proceed. A feeling of complete confidence and calm welled up in me, dispelling the panic and doubt that had plagued my mind like the fresh rays of the sun driving away dark and stormy clouds.
"Do it, Tolo!" the women commanded, laughing. "Strike him, Tolo!"
Alek let out a scream that seemed to come from the deepest corners of his body. "Get out of my head, Valessa!" he shouted into the sky, "That is not my name!"
With a single smooth motion, he turned and threw the knife. I heard it whistling through the air, spinning like a wheel, until it sank with a thud into one of the dark shapes of the amazarii. She screamed and fell back, thudding heavily upon the earth. Her sisters-in-arms shouted in disbelief and turned their weapons towards Alek and his brother.
It was time. I wrapped my hand around the amulet that hung about my neck, the amulet that Errold in his madness had thought the only gift he had worth giving.
"Now, Golmeir!" I shouted, half to the open air of the night and half to the amulet. "Protect me and my friends!"
My voice revealed my presence. The shadows turned toward me in alarm, preparing their weapons. I raised my sword into the sky, letting its shimmering beauty catch the eye of every amazarii who would face me.
"{For Anatheria!}" I shouted in the Sacred Tongue, and before the words had finished echoing through the night I had begun my attack.
I had scarcely engaged with the first amazarii before a deep and rumbling roar, like the crash of thunder, shot through my body and I saw the large and frighteningly powerful shape of Golmeir materialize from the darkness and begin a rampage through our enemies. The warrior women shouted at each other and went at him with spears, but his skin was thick and his limbs massive. He brushed them aside, sending them flying back into chaos.
With my silver blade I battled several women myself, making my way towards Alek, who had somehow managed to get a hold of one of their spears and was attempting to drive an amazarii away from his brother. Cedrik was on his knees, trying to crawl away from the conflict weakly. One of the women tried to ambush him, but I caught up to her just in time and sent her running away with an ugly slash across her arm. Turning back to Cedrik and his brother, I saw that the battle (if such a skirmish could be given so grand a title) was over. It had lasted no longer than the space of a dozen breaths, and yet I was a weary as if I had ran all night. Golmeir knocked aside a warrior woman, who fell to the ground and did not move again, and the others were making a hasty retreat, shouting curses and screaming in frustration. The giant pursued them, but I could not pay much attention to him.
Alek was holding Cedrik, cradling him in his arms. I rush to their side. Alek was weeping openly.
"He's been hurt," Alek mumbled, "He's bleeding."
I nodded, looking for the wound. Cedrik gripped my hands and pulled me down close to him.
"Listen to me," he whispered, "If I don't make it..."
Alek tried to quiet him in a panic, but I brushed him aside.
"Your injury is not fatal," I insisted, but Cedrik shook his head.
"Can't risk it," he said, "War is inevitable now, Markis. The Queen and her allies will overwhelm us. I am sent to Carmathen to ask for their aid. You must go in my place. Find our ambassador in the city, go to the ruling Council, beg for their support. It's our only hope."
"We'll go together," I said, placating him.
"Swear it!" he said, squeezing my hands tightly, "Valen is depending on me."
I nodded, looking at Alek. "I swear I will do this."
He smiled and closed his eyes. Alek looked worried but I rested my hand on his shoulder.
"He needs to rest," I said, "He's lost a lot of blood, but we shouldn`t give up hope yet. We need to get him aid immediately."
Alek shook his head as if to clear his head. "How? Carry him?"
"I don't think we can," I replied.
"I can," said Golmeir, who had walked up behind us. His deep voice startled Alek, who turned and saw the giant clearly for the first time. He let out a tiny squeak and squeezed my hand in alarm.
I sighed, rubbing my temple with my other hand. "Alek, this is Golmeir," I said wearily.
The giant bowed deeply, and the three of us stared at each other awkwardly while Cedrik slept and bled. _____________________________________________________________________________
And in this way I found myself bound for Carmathen, even as I am now once again. My arrival in that vast, writhing city of despair began a new chapter in my journey. There is so much left to tell, but my eyes are heavy and I must rise early in the morning to lead my troops towards battle.
I likely shall not have a chance to write again until after peace has been re-established in the city, which may take several days. It does not matter. I have sworn to finish this account, and finish it I shall.
Thanks to all who encouraged me to keep writing. Sorry it still took so long. Please continue to pester me and send me your reactions to the new chapters. Also, I have started a mailing list for those who want to be informed when a new chapter is finished. E-mail me to be added. Thanks again! thephallocrat@gmail.com