The Ring Keeper, page 11
“How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure,” he said. “Nothing is decided yet.”
“Will it be dangerous?”
“No!” Zarek scoffed.
She didn’t think he was being completely honest. “Are you sure?”
“I’ll be safe. Don’t worry. Even if I have to leave and it takes a while, I’ll be back.” Zarek kissed her forehead, then stood and left the room.
Ana contemplated the doorway he had disappeared through. How could he ask people not to worry about him? He was great at fighting, but his bravery often put him in danger. No wonder his mother was upset. What would happen to Zarek if he left the Warding?
Zarek
THE MORNING AFTER HIS CONVERSATION with Ana, Emperor Callonen gathered his advisers and Zarek in his council room. General Gray, a stocky man with dark hair and beard, and the leader of Sarine’s army, was among them. Everyone sat silently at the long table.
“Thank you for coming,” Callonen said. “I am grateful to be seated here with you once more. But our enemy is still out there, and we need to decide what to do.”
“We are so grateful that you’re still with us. Without you, our empire would already have fallen,” General Gray said.
The men around the table voiced their agreement, and everyone applauded and congratulated him until Callonen held up his hand for silence.
“I appreciate your support, and I admit it was a very close call,” he said. “Thank you all for your loyalty. But we owe a debt of gratitude to Zarek and Cirana, for without them, Sarine might already be gone.”
Zarek shook his head. “So many others helped. It wasn’t just us. Dane gave his life.”
Callonen bowed his head sadly. “I feel the weight of all those who have died.”
“We have to do something about it,” Zarek exclaimed. “The demons are still out there, and they are merciless. There has to be a way to destroy them. Your father killed the Shekkar who destroyed the old kingdom. We’ve all heard the story of how he defeated them and Sarine was founded.”
Emperor Callonen’s face was grave. “He used an ancient enchanted sword to kill them. Blackbane. I was only a child, but I remember. I even held the sword once.”
“Didn’t he pass the weapon on to you?” General Gray asked.
Callonen shook his head. “Of course, that was his plan. But Blackbane was stolen. Now, when we are in desperate need of the sword’s power, we have no way to fight the Shekkar. Zarek is the only one in recent years to fight them and survive. Many years ago, after my father returned from his quest to find the sword, his friend Zarekathus was able to create three smaller weapons bearing the same enchantment. The wizard gave the first to the emperor, another to my brother, and the last to me. I gave the one in my possession to Zarek before he left to find Cirana.” He turned to Zarek. “Tell them what happened.”
“I killed one of the Shekkar in Bright Springs and two more in the mountains using the enchanted knife. But the last time they came, there were too many of them. I fought them as long as I could. When I awoke the next day, I found the blade broken.”
“How did you survive their attack?” General Gray asked.
Zarek’s stomach clenched at the memory of that night. “I didn’t. If Ana hadn’t healed me, I would have died.”
“We need to keep Cirana’s abilities a secret,” Callonen said. “But it appears she has inherited Allia’s healing ring.”
“How many demons were there?” General Gray asked. “It only took a few of them to destroy the old kingdom.”
Zarek remembered that night vividly—the cold air, the scent of snow, and the black shapes running at him. He would never forget the feeling of knowing he couldn’t stop them all, and that as soon as they had finished with him, they would hunt down Ana.
The others were staring at him, so Zarek cleared his throat and spoke. “I was in a narrow pass when they came, so I didn’t get a clear view. But I think about twenty. Without a weapon to fight them, it doesn’t really matter. Even one of them could kill hundreds of us.” He turned to Callonen. “Do you know who stole the sword?”
Callonen was silent for a long moment. His dark eyes were hard. “There’s only one person who could have taken it. My brother. He must have stolen it before he went to Ara.”
“Without the sword, our only recourse is to hide within the Warding. Do we really want to live like caged rabbits?” General Gray asked, shaking his head.
“Even if we try, how long can that last? Someday, it will no longer be possible. Either Callonen will die or Haldreth will find a way to break the Warding,” Zarek protested as his heart sank. Of course, protecting their nation wouldn’t be easy. Their only chance of defense lay in the hands of their enemy. It took him a moment to think it over. He glanced around the table and then met Callonen’s eyes. “We know what we have to do.” All along, he’d been afraid this would be the only solution. “We have to go to Ara.”
The group erupted into heated discussion. Zarek saw despair on Callonen’s face. After a long moment, the emperor raised his hand, silencing everyone again. “When my brother left Sarine, he stole many magical artifacts that belonged to the wizard, including the one he may have used to awaken the Shekkar. His power is precious to him, and he will have these things better guarded than anything else. We’ve had scouts watching Ara constantly for years. The place is impenetrable. It would be impossible to sneak in.”
“But those weapons are our only chance to defeat him!” Zarek protested.
General Gray met his gaze. “You’re talking about going to Ara, infiltrating the fortress of Hakvere, locating the weapons, and escaping undetected. Then, you’d need to get back inside the Warding. There are too many demons for one man to battle all at once. You would need a way to fight them one by one.” Gray shook his head. “If I thought your plan had any chance of success, I’d go myself. But I don’t.”
Everyone was silent. Callonen looked around the table. “Can anyone suggest another way?”
“Maybe there’s a way to trap the demons, to prevent them from moving around,” a captain suggested. “It’s not a permanent solution, but it might buy us some time.”
They all considered this.
“We’ve known for a while that they avoid water,” Zarek said. “Dane and I found the same thing as we faced them. Rivers and lakes are the best defense I found.”
Silence fell as they thought it over.
“Every piece of information we can gather about them helps us,” Callonen said. “We should set up defensible areas using water, especially near our borders. It might save lives. General, please let everyone know.”
Gray nodded.
“Is there any other way to destroy them?” Zarek asked. “Until they’re gone, we can’t beat Haldreth.” He glanced at the others sitting around the table, but no one spoke up.
“I know a way into Ara,” a captain said. “They’re recruiting men from the lands around.”
“I’ll join the Aran army,” Zarek said.
“No!” Callonen protested.
General Gray seemed to be considering it. “That could succeed. But being a recruit in his army is a very long way from being close enough to Haldreth to even get into the fortress of Hakvere, let alone anywhere near the armory.”
Zarek nodded. “It would be difficult, and it would take years. But unless we have a better plan, we have to try.”
“It might work,” another captain said. “We have to do something to save everyone. I would go. We could send more than one man.”
“And if you’re caught?” General Gray protested. “Ara is not a pleasant place for enemies of its king. If they discovered one of you, they would torture you until you revealed the others.”
“That’s why I would go alone,” Zarek said.
Callonen stood abruptly. “No one is going to Ara,” he said flatly. Everyone stared at him in silence. He turned around without saying another word and left the room.
Zarek went about his work without speaking of Ara again. None of the other soldiers dared mention going there. When he saw Callonen, the emperor’s expression remained strained, and he pinned Zarek with that penetrating stare, as if he could see into Zarek’s soul. He probably could. No one cared to defy the emperor. He would know if they did.
A week after the meeting, Zarek rode out of the city. His orders were to ride with the company heading for Sergeant Hal’s camp near the Warding. They would provide the camp with supplies and messages and stay to assist Hal for several days. Some men would remain with Hal to relieve those who had served their time at the border when the rest returned to the city.
They rode at dawn. As they traveled, Zarek had plenty of time to think about the insurmountable problem they faced.
The Shekkar gave their master a deadly advantage. With them on his side, there was no one who could defeat the king of Ara. He would keep attacking until he owned the entire world. And who could stop him?
Zarek understood why Callonen had forbidden him to go after the sword. He knew enough of the festering pain in the emperor’s heart. Talon had been Callonen’s best friend. The emperor felt like he’d killed Talon himself, and Mirithel had never forgiven him. He’d never forgiven himself.
Callonen could never send anyone to find the sword, and Zarek knew that was a mistake. Maybe the kind of fatal mistake that destroyed nations. Without a weapon against the dark magic, Sarine would fall. After all, Callonen could not live forever. Sooner or later, darkness would come. Unless someone stopped it.
At noon on the fourth day of their ride, the company reached the camp at the edge of the Warding. Sergeant Hal came out to greet them. They gathered in the command tent to hear Hal’s reports and give him the messages from General Gray.
Long after everyone slept, Zarek lay awake, staring at the tent canvas above him. Silence shrouded the camp. Unable to rest, he slipped from his bed. It was time to act.
He lit a lantern and covered it so only a sliver of light escaped. The command tent was empty and silent. He allowed a little more light out and looked around. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for—parchment, quill and ink. Taking a seat at the desk, he wrote.
Callonen
CALLONEN SAT BOLT UPRIGHT IN HIS BED. It was the middle of the night. He clambered to his feet and stumbled to the door. The startled guard outside jumped as the emperor threw the door open.
“Where’s Gray?” Callonen demanded.
“A-Asleep, my emperor.”
“Find him! Please! I need him!”
A few moments later, General Gray came into the room, wearing a robe tossed hastily over his nightclothes. Despite his attire, his eyes were alert. “You called for me, Emperor?”
Callonen invited Gray into his room and shut the door behind them. “It’s Zarek,” he explained. “He’s at the edge of the Warding, and he’s decided to disobey my command.”
“Treason?” Gray asked.
Callonen shook his head. “No. He’s more loyal to me than anyone. He’s so loyal that he’s convinced the only way to save Sarine is to go to Ara.”
Gray’s eyes widened in surprise. “You ordered him not to.”
“He can’t go!”
“I’ll send a detachment of men to follow him at once. Is he at the east border?”
“Yes, Sergeant Hal’s camp,” Callonen said. “Tell them to hurry. Please!”
“They’ll be riding within ten minutes,” Gray promised, hurrying out the door.
Callonen collapsed into a chair, shaking his head. It was already too late. He should have known what Zarek would do. He could have locked the boy in the dungeon instead of letting him go anywhere near the Warding.
He rubbed his hands through his hair. “I ordered him not to go!” Maybe Zarek would still change his mind. Unable to rest, Callonen rose and paced back and forth. His thoughts focused on Zarek, long miles away, at the edge of Callonen’s power.
He would go to Ara, Zarek decided. He was leaving now, tonight, and he would join the Aran army. Pulling off his dark-green uniform, he folded it carefully, almost reverently. His armor and weapons, he laid neatly on top of it. There were two letters set with the other things. There was nothing left to identify him as a servant of the emperor. He was sorry to disobey, but he loved Sarine. He loved his family and his nation, and he couldn’t bear to see them destroyed. Somehow, he would find the sword.
Zarek vanished into the night.
Callonen sank to his knees. “No!” he yelled at the wall.
The guards came running in. “What can we do, Emperor?”
But there was nothing anyone could do now.
Callonen was still on the floor when Gray returned. “They are on their way,” he reported. “They’ll follow him, even after he leaves the Warding.”
The emperor shook his head. “He’s already outside.”
“Maybe they can still find him,” Gray said.
Four days later, Callonen sat at the table in the council chamber with General Gray and several of the captains. They had been deep in conversation when a soldier knocked.
“Message for you, Emperor.” The man placed two letters and the rest of Zarek’s things in front of Callonen. He stared at them and took in a slow breath. He wanted to shout, and he felt the urge to smash something.
At least he hadn’t been taken completely by surprise. He already knew what Zarek had done. But seeing the evidence in front of him made it worse. His anger drained away, sick sorrow taking its place. He picked up the letter addressed to Mirithel. “Please take this to Lady Mirithel.”
The guard at the door took the letter and left.
For several long moments, they sat in uncomfortable silence before Callonen opened the letter addressed to him. Zarek’s explanation was exactly what he had expected. Callonen already knew what the words would say. But that wouldn’t shift the blame from Callonen if anything should happen to the boy. There were many dangers along the path that Zarek had chosen, and Callonen couldn’t stop his mind from reviewing each of them, one by one.
Callonen held the letter up, “Zarek’s explanation for his actions. It’s exactly as we discussed. He’s gone to Ara, against my orders.”
The door banged open, and Mirithel marched in. Her eyes were blazing. The Warding gave Callonen a much deeper sense of what was happening in her mind. She felt crazed, filled with despair and rage. She wanted him to suffer, as he had caused her to suffer. It was just, after all.
He knew he deserved her anger.
Callonen got to his feet and faced her, not trying to resist, even though he knew exactly what she was about to do. She raised her fist and punched him in the jaw with all her strength. He stumbled backward, and the room exploded into chaos. The soldiers leapt to their feet, and a couple of them drew their swords. General Gray seized Mirithel by the arms, holding her immobile.
The emperor regained his footing and turned back to face her.
“You did this!” she screamed. “How could you? After what you did to Talon? Zarek was all I had left!”
“I commanded him not to go,” Callonen said.
“That can’t be true,” she insisted. “You need him. You sent him to Ara!”
“I ordered that no one should go!” Callonen protested.
“It’s true,” General Gray affirmed.
But Zarek hadn’t listened. And Callonen had been foolish enough to think he would obey his emperor’s command. The boy was stubborn and would do what he believed to be right. He would try to help Callonen and Sarine, even if he’d been ordered not to.
“I sent men after him as soon as I knew what he was doing,” Callonen said. “They are still following him. I ordered them to find him. If they do, they will bring him back, by force if necessary.”
Mirithel stared at him.
“I didn’t send him!” Callonen insisted, suddenly desperate for her to believe him. “I wouldn’t—”
She wrenched her arm away from Gray and stormed out the door, the note from her son still clenched in her fist.
Ana
ZAREK HAD GONE. The news had moved quickly through the palace. Ana heard all sorts of rumors. Some claimed that he was a traitor and had renounced his oath to the emperor. She never believed that, but she wanted to know what had happened.
Ana found Callonen standing at the edge of the parapet, looking out over the city as the sun sank behind the distant mountains. She stood beside him.
“I knew you would have to ask, eventually,” he said, looking down at her.
And she could sense that he wasn’t happy about it. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“No? I’m sure there are many people ready to tell you what they think happened.”
“That’s why I came to ask you,” Ana said. “I’ve heard several tales that Zarek is a traitor, that he betrayed you and all of us. I can’t believe that.”
Callonen took a deep breath. “Zarek has already seen his share of danger. So, when he presented a plan to go to Ara and search for a weapon to kill the demons, I could not agree to it.”
“He went to Ara?” Her heart sank. No matter what Zarek claimed, his errand would be dangerous. Maybe even hopeless.
“This was not my idea,” Callonen protested. “I ordered them all to abandon the plan. He did not have my permission. I would have locked him up before he could go.”
“But he’s quick.” Everyone knew that. Ana had seen it. “He went out against your orders, and that’s why people are saying he’s a traitor?”
Callonen nodded, his mouth a tight line.
“But you would forgive him if he comes back, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t punish him?”
“I want him back, and I would welcome him home. Even so, he might find himself cleaning the stables for the rest of his life instead of leading my guard.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
Year of Warding 39, White City, Sarine
Ana
AT FIRST, Ana waited every day for news, but none came. Zarek did not return, even as winter wore away and spring came to the White City.
