The Ring Keeper, page 28
How many people would die if Callonen did that? If saving Allia demanded his own life, he would give it willingly. But how could he send Sarine’s armies into a full-scale war? Sarine had always been a peaceful nation. His father was no warlord. His soldiers were good men. They had families, lives of their own. What kind of man was he if he offered them up in exchange for Allia?
What was he going to do?
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Year of Warding 21, Ara’s Countryside
Callonen
FOR THREE DAYS, Callonen and his friends remained in their hidden hollow. The entire third day went by without them seeing a single Aran soldier. “We need to move,” Talon said, looking down to the open area where the horsemen had passed.
Callonen nodded in agreement. “I’ll tell everyone to pack up.”
“As soon as it gets dark, we’ll ride for Iron Bridge,” Talon said. “There’s a company of our soldiers there, and they can help us if the Arans follow.”
Under cover of night, they led their horses down through the rocks onto the level ground. When they reached smoother footing, they mounted. Talon set a slow pace, keeping a close watch on the surrounding woods. The quarter moon provided only a little light. All was silent except for the soft sound of hooves against the ground.
Talon halted them, and they all hushed to hear the distant murmur of voices. Several fires gave away the position of a large camp. They altered their course to steer clear. The night passed slowly, and their progress felt painfully slow.
The moon had nearly set when Callonen heard a shout of alarm from behind him. Harrow had been guarding the rear of their group. Now there was barely time for Callonen to put his hand to his sword before something struck him. He turned in the saddle to meet the attack of a group of men on foot. For several moments, he was holding his own, until a blow came from behind, knocking him off the horse.
With his back throbbing in pain and trying to catch his breath after the impact, Callonen raised his blade to defend himself. All around him were cries and the clash of weapons. He swung his sword as quickly as he could, but the group of attackers broke through his defense and struck him twice. The cuts weren’t too deep, but his adversaries were working to surround him. If they got behind him, he wouldn’t last long.
With a shout, another man knocked several enemies away. Talon. Working together, the two friends drove the Arans back until they broke and fled.
“This way!” Talon pulled his arm, and Callonen followed him into a patch of woods.
They weren’t sure if they had been followed, but hurried away from the worst of the fighting.
“What about the others?” Callonen protested.
“If they can’t find us, they will run back to the border,” Talon said. “Come on.”
They slipped quietly between the tree trunks, until cries and shouts surrounded them a second time, and they raised their blades to defend themselves. When they had defeated or driven away the Arans again, they fled.
For hours, they ran for their lives, fighting their way through any soldiers who tried to stop them. Both Talon and Callonen had several minor wounds from the fray, but they were alive and free for the moment. At last, they heard only silence around them. Just as the first light of dawn lit the sky, they hid in a thick patch of brush.
Staying silent between the leaves and branches, they helped each other bind their cuts. None of them were too serious. Now that the adrenaline of their flight was wearing off, the pain was settling in. He was sure that Talon had saved his life last night. He turned to his friend. “Thanks.”
Talon nodded without speaking.
They waited out the daylight in their hiding place, not seeing or hearing anyone else, and slept a little in turns.
For two more nights, they made their way toward the river, hiding during the daylight. They hadn’t seen any of their friends, and Callonen hoped with all his heart that he hadn’t gotten them killed.
Waiting until it was fully dark and keeping under cover of the trees as much as possible, they hurried through a draw between two hills, heading southwest.
In the dark, they could hear the river before they saw it.
They had to get across before any more Arans spotted them. Their plan was to reach the Aran encampment on the far side and steal horses.
Once they were mounted, they would ride as fast as possible. They’d be safe if they could reach Iron Bridge.
They crept from the cover of the trees toward the water. Callonen heard shouts behind them and the hiss of an arrow flying past his ear.
“Hurry!” Talon was almost to the water’s edge.
A point of white-hot pain exploded in Callonen’s leg just below his knee. He found himself on the ground, trying to make his leg work. If Talon kept going, he could get away.
But his friend wouldn’t leave him and was beside Callonen in a moment.
“Go without me,” Callonen ordered through gritted teeth.
Talon ignored him. He seized the arrow shaft protruding from Callonen’s leg. “Get ready,” he warned. He swiftly snapped the shaft.
Pain radiated from the wound until Callonen felt it throughout his body. His vision faded, and he nearly lost consciousness.
“Stay with me,” Talon commanded. “We’re crossing the river.”.
Talon pulled him upright, and leaning on his friend, Callonen stood on his good leg. They could hear shouts behind them. But they had almost reached the water. It was difficult to move, but Talon half-supported, half-dragged him along.
They staggered through the rocks at the edge and into the water. It was brutally cold, and the current was swift. The iciness of the river dulled Callonen’s pain a little and helped him feel more alert. The water grew deep quickly, and they plunged ahead. Callonen could swim more effectively than he could walk at the moment. Talon reached the other side first. As soon as he had his footing, he turned back to pull Callonen out.
“Come on,” he urged. “You can wait here while I get horses.”
Callonen lay shivering between the rocks, and Talon disappeared into the dark. A few moments later, he heard the neighing of frightened horses, shouts, the clash of weapons, and the pounding of hooves. Talon came galloping back, pulling another horse behind him.
Dragging himself to his feet, Callonen took the reins. Talon stopped beside him and grabbed Callonen’s belt to hoist him into the saddle. They dashed away into the night, riding hard. Several arrows flew past them. One hit Talon, and he jerked in his seat but kept going. The shot was high and off-center, striking his shoulder. A shaft that felt like burning fire struck Callonen, below his ribs and off to one side. But they were almost out of range now.
Callonen’s vision blurred, and the pain made it impossible to think. But he had to continue following Talon.
They seemed to pull away from their pursuers, and no more arrows passed by them. Talon paused to allow Callonen to catch up. “Can you keep riding?” he asked through clenched jaws. “It’s only twelve more miles to Iron Bridge. You can pass out when we get there, but not before.”
“I’ll ride.”
The pounding of the horses’ hooves jarred their wounds with every stride. But they had to keep going. Callonen was afraid if he turned to look behind them, either he’d see the Arans getting closer or he’d fall off his horse.
Callonen had lost all sense of time. He could have sworn they’d been riding for a week. The night was dark around them. He could barely see Talon, and he hoped they were going in the right direction. Eventually, he heard a shout ahead, hailing them. Talon slowed his horse, and Callonen did the same.
“Halt! Who are you?” the guards yelled.
“Captain Talon and Prince Callonen!” he replied.
“Come through, Captain.”
The guards opened the doors of the fort. Callonen slumped in the saddle. They had made it. These were Sarine’s soldiers, and they would help.
Callonen and Talon entered the outpost and several men came to assist them. Callonen felt himself being lifted down from the horse. He heard Talon’s voice and was dimly aware of being carried into a building and laid face down on a cot.
Other voices surrounded him, but he didn’t have the energy to pay attention to what they were saying until he heard Talon. “Take it out now while he’s unconscious.”
“No,” Callonen muttered into the pillow. “I’m not unconscious. I’m not—” No one heard his protest. The pain of them pulling the arrow out was worse than getting shot. He screamed. That was all he remembered.
Callonen woke to see lantern light in his eyes. He blinked. Looking around, he saw the infirmary of the Iron Bridge outpost. The lantern rested on a small table nearby. He could see Talon lying on the cot next to him. His friend no longer had an arrow protruding from his flesh, and someone had bandaged his shoulder and several other cuts.
“Talon,” Callonen whispered.
Talon opened his eyes.
“That was my fault,” Callonen said. “I’m sorry you were injured.”
“Don’t worry.” Talon grimaced in pain as he shifted. “Nothing too serious.”
“I screamed like a little girl when they took it out.”
Despite his discomfort, Talon grinned. “I heard. Don’t worry. I think I did the same.”
“No, you didn’t!”
“You passed out and couldn’t hear me,” Talon said.
“I don’t believe you.” Callonen shook his head. He turned to face Talon. “Are the others safe? Have they come back?”
“Four of them are here already. More will come. Give them a little time.”
“I can’t put them in danger again. Next time, I’ll go alone.”
“You can’t go back there!” Talon protested. “They’ll have every man in their army looking for you. Do you realize how close we came to dying? You’re not going anywhere for a long time.”
The pain he was in forced Callonen to admit that Talon might be right.
“Your father ordered me to keep you safe. Cal, we have to go home.”
“No!” Callonen protested, trying to push himself up. Agony exploded from the wound when he moved, and he sank back into place with a groan. It was a few moments before he could speak again. “I can’t go home, Talon. Not until I find her.”
Allia
ONE MORNING, when Allia had been locked inside the fortress of Hakvere for two months, Haldreth entered her room.
“I want you to take a walk with me.” His tone was friendly.
Of course, with Haldreth, nothing was simple or easy. “Where?” she asked warily.
“Does that matter? I asked you to come, and you know what happens if you don’t cooperate,” he said casually. Today, he wore his knife, caressing the hilt as he spoke. “Come with me.”
She hesitated.
He took her arm and yanked her to her feet. When she resisted, he drew the weapon and held the point against her throat. “I said, come with me,” he repeated through clenched teeth.
He dragged her to a long, dim room. It was lined with glass cases and strange items she dared not guess the purpose of. She stared around in horrified fascination.
“The wizard was your grandfather. I need you to help me find something of his,” Haldreth said, gesturing to the piles of unusual objects.
“What?” Allia asked. She forced her voice to sound casually curious.
“I need the gate pin.”
“The what?” Allia asked, her expression carefully blank. Her grandfather had showed the gate pin to her more than once. He’d warned her several times how dangerous it was. And powerful.
“The gate pin,” Haldreth repeated, his tone hardening.
“What’s a gate pin?” she asked.
“I’m sure Zarekathus would have told you about it. I need to find it.” Haldreth grabbed her arm and pulled her to the end of the room and stopped before a large glass box. Dark foliage filled the case, hiding whatever occupied it. She shrank away from it as soon as she saw it, realizing what must be inside.
“Yes,” Haldreth whispered in her ear. “You already know what this is. You found her back in Sarine, before I had a chance to transport her to safety. She’s my favorite pet. She’s shy, though. We have to coax her out.” Haldreth uncovered a small hole in the box’s front. He grabbed Allia’s arm and forced her hand and forearm into the opening. She struggled against him, trying to pull away. Her heart raced, and her chest constricted.
“Go on,” he said. “Move your arm a little more. The motion signals her it’s time to strike.”
Allia stopped struggling, staring in horror as a dark brown shape moved in one corner of the box. “Please… No…” she begged. “It’s coming.”
“Yes, and there are no plants here that can cure her poison. I wasn’t aware an antidote existed until you found it. How did you know? I suppose your grandfather taught you. What else did you learn from him?”
“Nothing… It’s coming!” The spider inched forward, hesitant at first, but at any second, it would strike. The pale skin of her forearm stood out even through the dingy glass of the tank. She shook uncontrollably now, and the spider came nearer.
“If it bites me, within a few moments, I won’t be able to tell you anything,” she protested.
“Yes, the venom is quite deadly. I believe I improved on nature there. One of my early experiments, but still a favorite. You don’t have much time left.” He bumped her elbow so her hand moved.
“No, please!” She felt one of the spider’s legs tentatively probe at her finger. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she held her hand perfectly still. If she moved at all, it would bite.
The moment lasted years, until Haldreth rapped sharply on the glass, causing the spider to retreat a few steps. He pulled Allia back, and she sank to the floor, shuddering in horror. He disappeared for a moment and returned with a mouse in his hand, which he carelessly tossed through the hole and redid the latch. The waiting spider pounced, driving in its fangs to prevent the struggling rodent from escaping.
Allia clenched her teeth to hold back a scream.
Haldreth dragged her to her feet, pulling her to him. She couldn’t stop shaking.
“Are you ready now?” he asked. “Or must I use more persuasion? It’s up to you. If you like, I can arrange for you to spend the night in a room with her”—he nodded toward the spider—“and some of her children. They do seem to multiply quickly. At first, there was only one in the forest—one of her sisters.”
“You put them there?” she whispered, horrified.
“A present for my dear brother,” Haldreth said. “I hope he enjoys them.”
Allia thought of Talon’s little boy lying lifeless after being bitten. And Haldreth didn’t care.
“Now, unless you want to feel it walk up the bare skin of your back…” His fingers tugged at the laces of her dress.
“No!” she cried.
“Then help me find the gate pin!”
Allia looked around the large room desperately. “What if it’s not here?”
“Find it!” Haldreth ordered.
Tears stung her eyes.
Haldreth seized her wrist and dragged the point of his knife along her forearm, a line of red blossoming behind it. “Start looking,” he demanded, pulling the knife back.
Allia clamped her hand over the cut, trying to stop the bleeding. Her arm throbbed and burned with pain.
She walked to the nearest shelf and began looking through the strange objects. The collection held a unique mixture of ancient junk, heirlooms and a few magical artifacts. Haldreth followed her as she searched the room. She didn’t know how to use the gate pin. Grandfather had never told her that, but he’d warned her it was dangerous. Haldreth’s plans for it couldn’t be good. What was he going to do if she pointed it out to him?
But what choice did she have, really? He would kill her if she didn’t obey.
On their third circling of the room, Haldreth seized her shoulder. “You’re stalling,” he hissed in her ear. “Is one cut not enough? What’s it going to take for you to cooperate?” He seized her arm and made a second slice beside the first. This time, she couldn’t hold back a cry of pain.
With the knife point pricking her side, they went back through the room, and Allia pointed to a cylinder of dark iron lying at the top of an open box. It had six sides and was about the length of her hand and the thickness of her finger. He reached for it.
“Are you sure it’s the one?”
Allia nodded.
He put the knife point against her arm again. “Tell me how to use it!”
She tried to pull away, tears running down her face. “I swear, that’s all I know. That’s all he told me. I don’t know how to use it. I don’t even know what it does!”
He appeared to believe her at last because he took her back toward the door. Pausing beside a bucket of water, he picked up a piece of cloth and started washing the blood from her arm. His fingers were gentle now.
“It’s a shame you’re so stubborn,” he murmured as he worked. After cleaning the cuts, he bandaged them. Taking her other hand, he washed it too. “It doesn’t have to be like this. You could choose to help me. If you did, I’d make sure you were more comfortable.”
Allia did not reply. When he finished, Haldreth took her back to her room and left her there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Year of Warding 22, Hakvere, Ara
Allia
FOUR MONTHS HAD PASSED in Haldreth’s fortress. A bleak late-winter snow covered Ara. Allia remained locked in her room, where a guard brought her food and water twice a day. What was happening back at the White City? Did they miss her? Had they sent an explanation to her brothers? Would she ever find a way to get home?
One morning, as she looked at the food, nausea overwhelmed her. A few hours later, it passed, and she ate. But the same thing happened the next day. It was the last of a list of physical changes she couldn’t ignore.
