Loremaster - Palace Of Kings Part 57

Silverpurse, Proudpurse's son, had been collecting kindling wood in a nearby copse, heard the thunder of hooves and saw

his father fall, speared and arrow-struck by their own band o) warriors. Ducking out of sight he dropped the wood and]

crawled deep into the undergrowth and watched the terrible slaughter as the Nighthorses trampled his father's warriors underfoot. Again and again they charged until the riders'

spear shafts were blood wet.

'You will pay dearly for this daylight,' Silverpurse hissed between clenched teeth as he watched Errant dismount before the King and offer up the hilt of his b.l.o.o.d.y sword.

Holbian dismounted and embraced Errant, laughing and laughing until the tears ran down his cheeks. 'Captain o]

Captains, our lives were on such slender threads!'

Errant smiled and pointed a gloved fist at the wide crescent of spearmen spread across the bank. 'We were hunting Nightbeasts, Lord, throughout these wild lands and were drawn by the smoke from the Chancellors' cooking fires. We were about to attack when you emerged from that dark hole in the ground.'

'And not a moment too soon!' laughed Breakmaster, jumping to the ground and gripping Errant's arm.

Holbian frowned, looking from the slaughtered warriors ta the Chancellors' twisted bodies. 'Hate, I fear, will feed on this,' he said quietly, summoning the Loremaster forwarded and cutting the bonds on his wrists.

'This is the price of their treachery,' he said, pointing down at the Chancellors. 'Look on it, Loremaster, and learn well, for what you see is the work of a moment's awful judgement.

You would lie with them if they had not abandoned you before they fled, but I will not add your death to this day ol grief. Thus I shall spare your life that you may teach others the dangers of treachery and falsehood.'

Pinchface looked nervously from face to face. 'Thank you my Lord,' he whispered, retreating a step.

Errant laughed and drew his sword. Grey Goose nocked an arrow on to his bow. :

'No!' commanded the King, putting his hand on Errant''

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arm. 'We have blooded this daylight enough, there is much knowledge in the Loremaster's head, knowledge that we would be fools to waste.'

'To spare him is a dangerous move, my Lord,' muttered Breakmaster, the tip of his long spear a handspan from the Loremaster's throat. 'He has betrayed you once and could easily do so again.'

'Then let him prove his new loyalty to us, let him win our respect through his true teachings of the world before the destruction of the Granite City,' answered the King.

Breakmaster shrugged his shoulders and turned away, unbuckling Mulberry's girths. 'Black days,' he muttered, moving to the entrance of the secret road to marshal the city folk out into the sunshine.

King Holbian ordered the Loremaster to be given a shovel.

'Dig graves for the Chancellors. Bury them deep without a post or a stone to mark the place where they lie for they are nothing but a black memory.'

Turning, the King strode up the bank to the top and breathed in the clean sun-sparkling air. 'Elundium!' he whispered. Beckoning Errant up on to the bank he said, 'Tell

me, Captain, how do things stand in the beautiful sunshine of Elundium?'

Errant frowned and pointed down to the dust-weary Nighthorses with their torn battle coats, and ragged warriors s.n.a.t.c.hing a moment out of the saddle. 'We hunt the Nightmare, Krulshards, my Lord; without rest we chase his foul shadow across this land.'

'Krulshards!' cried the King, his face fading to ash grey, his aged hand clutching at the hilt of his sword.

'Yes, Lord,' whispered Errant, drawing closer. 'The army I gathered along the Greenway's edge fought and won a great battle on the high plateau before the Gates of Night. They defeated the Nightmare and Thanehand chased him into the darkness.'

'Thanehand!' the King cried, 'the Candleman's son, the

aboy I sent to Underfall? He entered the darkness?'

'Lord, he ran on the Nightmare's heels' but in the darknes7, he lost Krulshards. In a high chamber he found Thoronhan his grandfather, and brought him back into the light.'

'Thoron! Thoronhand, my last Errant rider!' Holbia cried, sweeping his sword aloft.

Turning towards the city folk who were resting at th bottom of the bank he called for Angishand and summone her up into the sunshine. 'Thane is alive!' he laughe embracing Angis and lifting her off her feet, 'and he foun Thoronhand, my last Errant rider, and freed him from the darkness.' .

Angis fell weeping on to her knees, the sunlight sparkling the tears that ran down her cheeks. 'Lord, are they safe?' she whispered, clutching at the hems of her shawl.

'Tell me more,' urged Holbian, turning back to Errant. 'Tell me how Krulshards escaped into Elundium.'

Errant took the King's hand and knelt before him. 'Lord, he broke out into Elundium through the vaults that lie beneath the fortress of Underfall. It is whispered that he ha the love token that Thane carried into battle and seek Elionbel, Tombel's daughter, in revenge, for her name wa engraved on the token.'

'Revenge?' whispered the King, frowning, 'why does h seek revenge? When all Elundium is on the brink of darknes he should be leading the Nightbeast army spreading destrue tion, not seeking revenge.'

'Lord,' Errant answered, 'Thane entered the City of Nigl after he had led the warriors to victory before the gates. He i not afraid of Krulshards or the darkness.'

'Only Kings can walk in the dark,' Holbian whisperer turning his head to look at Angishand twisting the hem of he cloak

between her fingers. 'He walks in the dark and carries summer scarf woven from emblem thread - old legends ad coming to life.' King Holbian sat down heavily on the gra.s.s bank, and rested his chin in his hands. 'Tell me

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Thanehand and all that has come to pa.s.s at Underfall. Start with the moment you broke free from the siege-locked Granite City and raised the army along the Greenway's edge. Tell me every twist and turn that I may see which path to tread for we may yet have a new King in Elundium. I must know all there is to know so that I can play my fading part as the last Granite King.'

'Lord, you have many daylights yet!' cried Errant.

Holbian smiled and stripped off his battle gloves to show where the fine cracks had appeared again. 'I age, brave Captain, it is only the mason's skill that keeps me from turning into brittle stone. I am beyond my time, so tell me quickly of all that has happened.'

The Chancellors' rekindled cooking fires blazed in the darkness below the bank before Errant had told the King all he knew, and left him staring out across the wild landscape.

'I must travel to Underfall,' King Holbian said quietly, getting to his feet. 'For that is where Nevian, the Master of Magic, foretold the new King would set his standard. I must be at the doors of the Palace of Kings to pa.s.s on my crown before I turn to stone.'

Errant stood beside the King, wrapping his cloak tightly against the cold night air. 'Lord it is a dangerous road to World's End! The Greenways are blocked and overgrown with wildness.'

Holbian laughed. 'That is the road, Errant. I see now the road Krulshards will run, he will re-enter the City of Night and draw Thane into darkness. None will follow him, for none but a King can walk there. Krulshards has used his revenge well but I will follow and help Thane to end the Nightmare's grip of terror on this beautiful land. It is my task as the last Granite King to walk in the darkness and stand at Thane's side now that I have

mastered my fear. Revenge or not, I know it in my heart.'

Errant reached out and took the King's hand, feeling the maze of cracks that the chill air had opened. 'The Night

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horses of Underfall will lead you, Lord, and the Warhorses and the packs of Border Runners will protect you on the road.

But what of the city folk?'

'They will follow you, great King,' Angis whispered, kissing his hand. 'I will lead them for you,' she offered, before she vanished down the bank to marshal them in readiness for their night's march.