Troy Denning - The Giant Among Us

“Captain Selwyn begs to report that Prince Arlien has returned,” the soldier panted.

“Arlien?” Brianna gasped. Her hands grew sweaty so that the talisman slipped from her grasp, and the fog inside her head grew as dense as a snow cloud. Her thoughts raced blindly through the gray murk, and she asked, “The prince… Arlien has returned?”

The messenger nodded. “He should be inside the castle within minutes,” the man reported. “He’s crossing the bridge now.”

“With the queen’s army?” Cuthbert’s voice was full of hope.

“No, Milord, not with him,” the messenger replied, his voice mirroring the earl’s optimism. “But he was shouting something. We couldn’t hear it over the battle din.”

“It must be news of our reinforcements!” Cuthbert faced Brianna, his arms raised as though he might embrace her. “Majesty, your army must be right behind the prince!”

“Only if they’re chasing him,” Avner scoffed. “Tell Selwyn to keep the gate closed.”

The glee drained from Cuthbert’s face. He grabbed the boy and spun him around, demanding, “What are you saying?”

“Arlien’s a spy.” The boy pulled free. “He told the giants about Shepherd’s Nightmare and almost got Tavis killed.”

“I don’t believe that… it can’t be true,” Brianna said. The words seemed to flow out of her haze-filled mind straight into her mouth. “It could have been anyone… What proof do you have that Arlien has… that the prince is a…”

The queen let the question trail off, unable to utter the suggestion that Arlien had betrayed her.

“What proof do I have that Arlien’s a traitor?” the youth asked. “How about your ice diamonds? He’s been using them to charm you. That’s why you’re defending him.”

Cuthbert turned to Brianna. “Are you wearing the necklace now, Milady?”

Brianna opened the collar of her cloak and displayed her bare throat. She said nothing.

Cuthbert looked back to Avner. “It appears you’re wrong about the ice diamonds. Do you have any other proof?” he demanded. “And be certain of yourself. The prince may be risking his life to bring us word of the queen’s army. Knowing what he has to say could save my castle-and your life.”

Avner pointed at the unconscious scout. “Do you need more proof than that?”

“You saw Arlien do this?” the earl demanded.

Avner remained silent for a moment, then looked Cuthbert squarely in eye. “That’s right.”

The earl looked doubtful. “Tell me, what weapon did Arlien use?” Cuthbert pointed at the scout’s seared flesh. “I don’t recall the prince hurling fireballs about”

Avner’s eyes widened. “It was his hammer!” the boy said, too quickly. “He shot a tongue of flame-”

The earl raised his hand. “Young man, I’ve been listening to liars for decades,” he said. “And you’re just good enough that I can’t trust a thing you say.”

Avner’s mouth fell open.

Cuthbert turned to Brianna. “What do you think, Majesty?” he asked. “This boy isn’t the first liar to accuse Arlien of being an imposter. Shall we take their word for it, or should I let the good prince in?”

A nebulous, absurd fear seized Brianna. A whispering voice deep in her heart wanted to say no, leave him out with the giants, but the words vanished as soon as they entered her cloudy mind, and she heard herself say, “Do as you think best, Earl.”

Cuthbert bowed. “Then I shall.” He glanced at Avner. “Rest assured that I’ll keep a careful watch on the prince.”

The boy rolled his eyes. “A lot of good that’ll do.”

“It will do more good than your lies.”

With that, the earl motioned to his messenger and scurried toward the gate tower. Avner gestured at the unconscious firbolg.

“Hurry up,” he said. “If Cuthbert’s going to let the prince in, we don’t have much time. Heal him!”

Brianna returned her talisman to her bodyguard’s injured head, then tried to remember the mystical syllables of her healing spell. Nothing came to her except swirls of gray miasma. She pinched her eyes shut, trying to summon the incantation through sheer willpower.

“Well?” Avner asked. “What are you waiting for?”

“The words,” Brianna hissed.

“What words?” the boy demanded. “You never had to wait before!”

The queen opened her eyes. “You’re not helping.”

“Neither are you,” Avner retorted.

The youth fell silent, leaving nothing but the rumble of boulders and the snapping of catapults to disturb Brianna’s concentration. She tried to ignore the war sounds, but each crash loosened her tenuous hold on her own mind. And even when she did succeed in drawing a thought out of the mist, it was the leering image of Prince Arlien, or the sneering face of a frost giant

“Hiatea, I beg you!” Brianna whispered. “Send me the incantation!”

Nothing came. She waited the space of ten crashing boulders, then twenty, then listened to the catapults clatter in reply. A chorus of cheers echoed from the gatehouse, and Brianna assumed a giant had fallen. The queen could not remember how the spell began-could not remember the first syllable, not even the first sound.

Brianna looked at Avner and shook her head. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I told you I wasn’t feeling well.”

“That’s not the reason,” the youth replied. “It’s Arlien. You’re thinking about him, and that’s why you can’t save Tavis.”

Brianna felt her face flush, then saw Avner’s eyes grow wide and angry. “The prince is on my mind,” she admitted. “But not the way you think. I’m not in… I don’t care for…”

Brianna could not bring herself to deny that she loved Arlien. It wasn’t that she did-to the contrary, she feared him-but she couldn’t say the words.

“You’re not what? Not in love with him?” Avner demanded. “You know me better than that I’m no fool.”

“Avner, I’m trying, but all the noise-it’s so hard to concentrate.” Brianna scooped the scout up. “We’ll take him to my chamber, where it’s quiet”

“That won’t do any good!” Avner screamed. There were tears in the boy’s eyes. “You can’t heal anymore!” The youth turned and ran toward the corner tower.

“Avner, wait!” Brianna yelled. “Where are you going?”

“To find someone who can help Tavis!” Avner yelled. “You can’t!”

The boy’s angry words demolished what little strength remained in Brianna’s anguished heart A loud, croaking sob erupted from her throat, then tears began to cascade down her face like rain. She was crying not because of Avner’s anger. Like most youths his age, he was prone to emotional outbursts. Nor was she crying for her injured bodyguard, although deep inside, a voice seemed to be saying she should.

The queen was crying for something even more dear, for something that had been part of her since her childhood, something that she had lost after taking refuge in Cuthbert Castle. Avner was right: There was a time when she would have-could have-healed her bodyguard, no matter how sick she was herself. If she could not cast the spell now, it had little to do with her illness. The queen had lost touch with her goddess.

Brianna had to heal the scout-not for his sake, and not for Avner’s, but for her own. She had to find her way back to Hiatea. To do that, she would need to shut the battle sounds out of her mind and think. She would need to calm herself. She would need to wear her ice diamonds.

A volley of boulders slammed into the castle’s windward wall. The cobblestones bucked beneath Avner’s feet, hurling him into the air. In the pit of his stomach he felt the shock wave of a boom so loud he did not even hear it. His ears merely started to ring, then he crashed into one of the gate towers that guarded the entrance to the inner ward. He slid to the ground in an aching, breathless heap and found himself looking across the front bailey to the outer gate.