Michael Sullivan - Wintertide

Hadrian tried to keep his face neutral and his breathing balanced.

They have Arista? How did they capture her? Was she hurt? How long have they been holding her? Who was this man?

"You see, Your Grace, Mr. Blackwater is a romantic at heart. He likes his honor upheld and his quests worthy. Killing an innocent knight, particularly one as distinguished as Breckton, would be…well…wrong. Saving a damsel in distress, on the other hand, is an entirely different proposition."

"Would that be a problem?" Ethelred asked Saldur.

The regent thought a moment. "The girl has proven herself to be resourceful and given us more than a fair share of trouble but…Medford is destroyed, the Nationalists are disbanded, and Drondil Fields won't last much longer. I can't see any way she could pose a serious threat to the Empire."

"Well," Ethelred addressed Hadrian, "do we have a deal?"

Hadrian scrutinized the man at the chessboard. While he had never seen his face before, he felt as though he should recognize him.

"No," Hadrian said at length. "I want Degan Gaunt, too."

"You see, he is the Guardian!" Guy proclaimed. "Or he wishes to be. Obviously Esrahaddon told him Gaunt is the heir."

Ethelred looked concerned. "That's out of the question. We've been after the Heir of Novron for years. We can't let him go."

"Not just years, centuries," Saldur corrected. He stared at Hadrian, his mouth slightly open, the tip of his tongue playing with his front teeth. "Esrahaddon is dead. You confirmed that, Guy?"

The sentinel nodded. "I had his body dug up and then burned."

"And how much does Gaunt know? I've heard you've had several little chats with him."

Guy shook his head. "Not much, from what I've been able to determine. It doesn't look like Esrahaddon has even told Gaunt he's the heir."

"But Hadrian will tell him," Ethelred protested.

"So?" Saldur replied. "What does that matter? The two of them can travel the countryside, proclaiming Gaunt's heritage from the mountaintops. Who will listen? Modina serves us well. The people love and accept her as the unquestionable true Heir of Novron. She slew the Gilarabrywn, after all. If they try to convince people that Gaunt is the heir, they'll find no supporters from peasants or nobles. The concern was never Degan, per se, but rather what Esrahaddon could do by using him as a puppet. Right? With the wizard gone, Gaunt is no real threat."

"I'm not certain the Patriarch will approve," Guy said.

"The Patriarch isn't here having a standoff with a Teshlor, is he?"

"And what about Gaunt's children, or grandchildren? Decades from now, they may attempt to regain their birthright. We have to concern ourselves with that."

"Why worry about problems that may never occur? We're at a bit of an impasse, gentlemen. Why don't we deal with our present issues and let the future take care of itself? What do you say, Lanis?"

Ethelred nodded.

Saldur turned to Hadrian. "If you succeed in killing Sir Breckton in the joust, we will release Degan Gaunt and Princess Arista into your custody on the condition that you leave Avryn and promise not to return. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes."

"Excellent."

"So I'm free to go?"

"Actually, no," Saldur said. "You must understand our desire to keep this little arrangement between us. I'm afraid we're going to have to insist that you stay in the palace until after your joust with Breckton. While you're here, you will be under constant observation. If you attempt to escape or pass information, we will interpret that as a refusal on your part, and Princess Arista and Degan Gaunt will be burned at the stake.

"Breckton's death has to be seen as a Wintertide accident at best or the actions of an overambitious knight at worst. There can be no suspicions of a conspiracy. Commoners aren't permitted to participate in the tournament, so we'll need to transform you into a knight. You will stay in the knights' quarters, participate in the games, attend feasts, and mingle with the aristocracy as all knights do this time of year. We will assign a tutor to help you convince everyone that you're noble, so there will be no suspicions of wrongdoing. As of this moment, your only way out of this palace is to kill Sir Breckton."

Deeper into Darkness

Drip, drip, drip.

Arista scratched her wrists, feeling the marks raised by the heavy iron during the regent's interrogation. The itching had only recently started. With what little they fed her, she was surprised her body could heal itself at all. Lying about Edith Mon had been a gamble, and she had worried Saldur would return to her cell with the inquisitor, but three bowls of gruel had arrived since his visit, which led her to conclude he had believed her story.

Whirl…splash!

There it was again.

The sound was faint and distant, echoing as if heard through a long, hollow tube.

Creak, click, creak, click, creak, click.

The noise certainly came from a machine, a torture device of some kind. Perhaps it was a mechanical winch used to tear people to pieces or a turning wheel that submerged victims in putrid waters. Saldur had been wrong about her courage. Arista never had any doubt she would break if subjected to torture.

The stone door to the prison rumbled as it opened. Footsteps echoed through the corridors. Once more, someone was coming when it was not time for food.

Clip-clap, clip-clap.

The shoes were different and not as rich as Saldur's, but they were not poor either. The gait was decidedly military, but these feet were not shod in metal. They did not come for her. Instead, the footfalls stopped just past her cell. Keys jangled and a cell door opened.

"Morning, Gaunt," said a voice she found distantly familiar and vaguely unpleasant, like the memory of a bad dream.

"What do you want, Guy?" Gaunt said.

It's him!

"You and I need to have another talk," Guy said.

"I barely survived our last one."

"What did Esrahaddon tell you about the Horn of Gylindora?"

Arista lifted her head and inched nearer the door.

"I don't know how many ways I can say it. He told me nothing."

"See, this is why you suffer in our little meetings. You need to be more cooperative. I can't help you if you won't help us. We need to find that horn and we need it now!"

"Why don't you just ask Esrahaddon?"

"He's dead."

There was a long pause.

"Think. Surely, he mentioned it to you. Time is running out. We had a team, but they are long overdue, and I doubt they're coming back. We need that horn. In all your time together, do you really expect me to believe he never mentioned it?"

"No, he never said anything about a damn horn!"

"Either you're becoming better at lying, or you've been telling the truth all along. I just can't imagine he wouldn't tell you anything unless…Everyone is so certain, but I've had a nagging suspicion for some time now."

"What's that for?" Gaunt asked. His voice nervous-frightened.

"Let's call it a hunch. Now hold still."

Gaunt grunted then cried out. "What are you doing?"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

There was another pause.

"I knew it!" Guy exclaimed. "This explains so much. While it doesn't help either of us, at least it makes sense. The regents were fools to kill Esrahaddon."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, Gaunt. I believe you. He didn't tell you anything. Why would he? The Patriarch will not be pleased. You won't be questioned anymore. You can await your execution in peace."

The door closed again and the footsteps left the dungeon.

Esrahaddon's dying words came back to Arista.

"Find the Horn of Gylindora-Need the heir to find it-buried with Novron in Percepliquis. Hurry-at Wintertide the Uli Vermar ends. They will come-without the horn everyone dies."