Ross Lawhead - A Hero's throne

“So inaccurate. .” Ealdstan lamented under his breath, and then he turned around again. “Truly now, who is there?” he asked. “Show yourself,” he commanded weakly, sounding thin of breath and disturbed.

Daniel waited. He couldn’t really sense him, could he?

The wizard spoke a few words that he didn’t understand in either English or Elvish and waved his hand.

Daniel felt a heaviness build inside of him, like he was made of lead weights, and suddenly he found himself standing before the elderly man, re-corporated against his will.

“Hello, Ealdstan. What are you doing here?”

“What am I . .? Who are you?”

“Don’t you recognise me? It’s Daniel-Daniel Tully. I killed Gad for you. Well. . tried to.”

“You mean. . you. .? What are you doing here?” The old wizard seemed really rattled.

“I asked you first. Why aren’t you in Ni?ergeard? Don’t you know it’s been overrun?” Daniel asked. He tried to dissipate but found himself unable to; it was like he was being bound together by thousands of rubber bands. It was uncomfortable, and he started to become nervous in case any of the elves outside should come in and see him. “Why are you here and not there?”

Ealdstan recoiled from the questions, moving a step backward and drawing into himself. He pulled at his beard. “I am concerned with matters greater than those of my own little fortress. But what news have you of Ni?ergeard? You have been there recently?”

“It’s been completely invaded-overrun. Knights and the people who live there have been killed or chased away. We don’t know where Godmund or Modwyn are-Kelm is its ruler now.”

Ealdstan just nodded.

“You don’t seem particularly surprised.”

“It is unfortunate. But as I said-greater matters.”

“What greater matters are those?” Daniel asked. “Can I help?”

“Perhaps, yes, I think you may. At the moment, I’m trying to find my way back to our world, but I’m having difficulty finding exactly where the gate is.”

“‘Gate’?”

“It’s a place of confluence, of origination; a gate between the worlds.”

“Could it be anything?” Daniel asked, starting to get a feeling. “Could it be just, like, in the middle of a field?”

“It could very well be that,” Ealdstan said. “Indeed, that would make much sense of what is here before me.” He gestured to the diagrams. “You must already have the place in mind?”

Daniel told him about the field he kept waking up in. “It’s the spot I first came to this land, about a month ago in our world’s time. And then I got pulled back there this time, without my body. It’s where I keep waking up in again. That sounds like the thing you’re looking for, I think.”

“It very much does,” said Ealdstan. “It sounds like the exact thing. That might be the way for both of us to return back to our world-it keeps trying to draw you back, even though you are trapped here. Your soul is like a twig in a stream-trying to continue through, but caught up on something that is keeping you here. If we make it there, then I am certain I can help you. Can you take me there?”

“Yes. It’s pretty far away though.”

“You will find me a tireless traveller.”

“So do you think you could undo whatever it is you did? I’d like to be able to go invisible again.”

“Of course.” He murmured the unknown words again, and Daniel felt the bands around him loosen and then fall away completely.

“Thank you,” Daniel said.

“I shall be ready in just a moment. .” Ealdstan started to hastily roll up the scroll and close his notebook.

“Shall I meet you somewhere? I don’t think I should be seen here.”

“No. No, you shouldn’t. Um. . I think there is a copse south of here, next to a river. .”

“Just start walking south,” Daniel said. “I’ll meet you somewhere along the way.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.”

Daniel dissolved into the air and left the tent. He found his bearings and started heading south.

“I have decided. I shall lead you to where the Carnyx is.”

Freya shook her head, wondering if she’d heard her right. Modwyn was sitting up on the edge of the bed. She looked at Vivienne, standing in the corner.

“Where is it? Is it far?”

“No, it is very close. We were cunning in our action. We knew that the enemy would go to the ends of the earth to find it and so we kept it here.”

“Okay. .” Freya said. “Really? So where is it?”

“It is in the Beacon,” Modwyn said. “The great building that once illumined all the land. It fell when the yfelgopes besieged our walls, but there is a hidden passage.”

“But this place was so secure-you killed anyone who came into it-why not just keep it here?”

“We feared that the enemy would make a grand assault here, and so it would be safest where it was thought less secure-like keeping your coin underneath a chest instead of locked inside it.” Freya frowned. That only half made sense. “But in eight years, have Gad or Kelm made any serious attempts to get into the Langtorr?”

“They have not.”

“And don’t you find that suspicious?”

“They wish only destruction and ruin-they have that. Chaos is both method and aim. To have one is to have both.”

“So they just sat around here, happy not to finish the job?”

“I do not pretend to understand the wishes of a dark-hearted people.”

“Freya, although I hesitate to say ‘it couldn’t hurt,’ I believe it prudent to follow up on this,” Vivienne said.

“Yes, you’re right,” said Freya. Was Vivienne deferring to her, or is that just how she wanted to make it seem? “Let’s go after Godmund and the Carnyx.”

They filed out of the room and began down the stairway. Frithfroth, as usual, walked before them, escorting the three women.

“Why hasn’t Godmund used the Carnyx?” Vivienne asked.

“It is not the hour of direst need. Only when this island’s enemies surround us shall the horn be blown. Then shall we rise and chase them all into the sea.”

“But the inscription on the horn reads ‘the next army,’” Vivienne persisted. “Doesn’t that mean something different from the army already asleep?”

Modwyn paused. “Why do you ask?”

“I am just trying to understand exactly. The reason we sent Ecgbryt and Alex all over the country to raise these knights is that we were uncertain exactly what the horn would do, if it could even be found. What would happen if we blow it and the knights are already awake?”

“I do not know. The horn is more than just enchanted. It uses a powerful magic-it will summon what help it can, and the help will come quickly, when it comes.”

“Vivienne,” Freya said. “What do you think the horn does?”

“I have theories, but I don’t think anyone really has the slightest idea of what will happen when the Carnyx is blown. It never has been before, and I doubt that it came with instructions. There are no legends for the Carnyx itself, but when legends do speak of such things, they talk of awakening ancient heroes, but also of summoning heroes from other worlds-or of angels.”

“Angels? Seriously?”

“Let me put a question to the two of you,” Modwyn said. “What do you wish to happen when you blow the horn?”

Freya sighed. “Honestly, Modwyn-I don’t understand any of this. I just want it to end. And once it has ended, I want to start my life over again. Move somewhere different, meet new people, work in a completely boring job, and come back home and do nothing. And I want to do that same boring routine over and over again, until all of this. .” She shook her head. “Fades like a bad dream.