Post 17

With six nights of hard riding, stopping only once it was too dark to travel each night and back on the road by dawn, they reached Ay’marne, the capital city of Anyon, and home to the liege High Lord’s palace. Veyga had never traveled to Ay’marne; there had been no sense in poking the hornet’s nest directly, but he had heard plenty about it. It was the biggest city he’d ever seen, and he was certain the only time he’d come across so many people packed into one place had been in his worst nightmares. The famous Great Walls couldn’t even contain them all, and small shanties and tents had been literally built up against the pure white stone of the Wall.

The streets- he could hardly call them roads, cobbled as they were- through the city were set out in a meticulously precise grid, each corner meeting each corner at an exact ninety degree angle. The two and three story buildings that made up most of the town within the Great Walls. There had to be a dozen inns for every butcher or blacksmith, which made sense for the capital if nowhere else. Everything within the Wall was built from brick or stone- he’d heard law dictated that. Not a bad idea and something he’d already been considering for Ragged Valley. The Wall, taller than five men standing on each other’s shoulders, had small battlements every forty paces, and he was certain he saw the flash of sunlight on metal from several of them. It would be nearly impossible to breach that Wall, a suicide mission at best. All the same, he eyed the Wall as they approached.

“Planning to try something stupid, Ari?”

He threw Jared a wry grin, having been caught out, and both men laughed. “I suppose it’s just second nature.” They had done better than get along since traveling together; indeed, if Arius could be said to trust another man with his life, Jared might well be it. The other man’s sense of humor was subtle, and another thing about him that Arius admired was that he jested at Arius’ expense as much as his own.

Without further talk, they rode through the massive West Gates, and Arius couldn’t resist acting like a fool by craning his neck to peer up into the shadows above them. The Wall was easily ten paces thick throughout with two complete sets of wrought iron gates, and above him he could sense, if not exactly see, vats where boiling could be poured down if the outer gates were somehow breached. He shuddered a little at the thought. If the palace was as secure as the Wall, he was thankful he’d never had to attempt a rescue here.

Fortunately, the liege High Lord Gregor was known to be a fair man, if not a hard one, and as long as his laws were followed to the letter, he treated his subjects reasonably. He muttered to himself. “Of course, that’s the crux of it all, isn’t it?” He’d certainly not been respecting some of those laws, if not most of them, and hence the warrant.

Jared cast Arius a questioning look but didn’t comment. There were a half-score of guards among this gate, and he was sure there more on top of the Wall above them. There would be no easy escape if things went poorly. Arius wondered, for the hundredth time this journey, whether or not anyone in the High Lord’s retinue could be bribed; there was still plenty of coin in the pouch Lord Wensellas had given him.

“We’ll stay at the inn I mentioned, assuming there is room, and rest and tidy up?” It was a question, confirmation that they were sticking to the original plan, hatched over yet another bowl of morning porridge.

Arius nodded. Just a little more time before he committed himself to this crazy scheme; he was fairly certain that he would be at the end of a rope by nightfall tomorrow when they’d planned for him to present himself to the High Lord personally. At least he was willing to die for Ragged Valley, if not with anticipation at least with resignation.

Jared seemed to think Arius was overreacting, and felt certain that the High Lord would at least hear a plea on behalf of Ragged Valley, but Arius was equally certain that even if he did, the warrant would still hold. The High Lord was not known to bend easily; there was a reason he still ruled here.

Arius let Jared take the lead, and soon enough they’d made their way through the press of people thronging the streets and through a smallish wooden gate into the courtyard of an inn. As soon as they passed the gate, the clamor that came with so many people seemed to dim, and Arius blew out a deep breath, releasing some of his tension out with it. Jared threw another one of those inscrutable looks his way, and then they were dismounting and the next candlemark passed in a blur as a stableboy took their horses, a round innkeeper hustled them to set of rooms, and he was pointed in the direction of the bathing room.

Submerged in hot steamy water until just his nose eye and patch showed above, he tried to shake off a foreboding feeling. It didn’t help to remind himself that he was here for Ragged Valley, as well as for Rayna. Different scenarios played through his head, and he finally he shook himself, sitting up and scrubbing his skin almost viscously. There was no point in trying to plan out what might happen. He didn’t know the High Lord at all, let alone well enough to make predictions on what might happen. That wasn’t his usual style, and he had no desire to start now.

He washed his hair and then ducked down the hallway wrapped in a linen towel, his travel-stained clothing disappearing down the hall in the arms of a maid. The room he’d been assigned was well appointed, if not overly small, with a goose-feather mattress on the bed and a real porcelain washbowl and pitcher, not to mention the full-length looking glass propped on its stand in a corner. A rag rug covered the little space of floor and the table and chairs shoved into another corner would sit three if the sitters were friendly enough.

Combing out the tangles he’d picked up while they’d traveled kept his attention for awhile, and again he had to force different scenarios out of his head. With a growl of frustration, he yanked the comb hard, and then winced when the pain in his scalp reminded him back to himself. Soon enough he’d twisted his long hair into his usual braid and donned comfortable garments. The plan was to rest for the rest of the afternoon, and then they would approach the palace tomorrow at dawn. There was no telling how long they would have to wait after requesting a meeting, and most likely the meeting, if granted, would be a public one.

He sat at the little table fiddling with his chess piece, considering yet again what he’d come to do. Thoughts of Hell Hounds tried to force their way into his thoughts, and for the hundredth time this trip he tamped them down firmly. There was nothing he could do for Hell Hounds; he was there for Ragged Valley. And Rayna, of course.

It took abruptly noticing that he was in a different place for him to realize he must have fallen asleep unawares. He’d avoiding lying on the bed because he was trying to avoid sleep. Surely it was too early in the day for him to be napping. But here he was, standing with the featureless gray floor spreading out beneath his feet. This time, however, the chess piece was still in his hand. He stared at it blankly before wrapping his fingers around it so tightly it hurt.

His image was there as suddenly, seeming to come from nowhere all at once. He stared warily at it, wondering what was to come next. Thoughts of Hell Hounds popped into his head again, and once again he stamped them back into the little corner of his mind he’d assigned them to, and stubbornly he pictured a huge lock on a door, closing them off.

“We are making a poor choice, Veygarius.”

He glowered at the image. “I don’t really think I have a choice, Image.”

The look he received was sad. “There are always choices. We would choose a woman over the world?”

He bristled. “I’m here for Ragged Valley.” And Rayna. That thought popped up unawares as well, and he gave his image another sulky look.

“We do not take this seriously.”

“Seriously?! I’m dreaming! By the seven hells, I am dreaming! How can I take this seriously? You-.” He got no further, as his image once again surged forward and they seemed to merge. He fell to his knees, a keening tearing through his ears, images rushing through his head. The end of the world, children crying, mounds of the dead buzzing with flies, piles of ashes throwing up dust around his feet, a woman’s empty eyes staring up at him above a slit throat- Rayna’s empty eyes. With a start, he realized the sound was coming from his own throat, and he as abruptly as it began it stopped. The image was there again, standing before him. He pushed himself shakily to his feet, stepping away several paces. “Why do you do that? Why do you torture me?”

“We do not torture our self, Veygarius. That is what will be.”

“I do not become ready. I get it.”

“We must reach Polien, Veygarius, with all urgency. The Hell Hounds would tear this city apart, looking for us. They will not stop until they find you.”

“How many of them are there?” How bad could a Hell Hound be, whatever it was?

“Two.”

“Two?! You’ve had me worried about two?!” He laughed humorlously. “I can handle two hounds.”

The look was sad again, and the bloody tears had started again, dripping silently into the dark fabric of the cloak. “We do not even try to remember.”

That caught his attention, and he tried to pin his image with a steady stare. “Remember? Remember what?”

That damned merging again, him on his knees, trying to stop the wail that ripped from his throat. More images. Massive dog-like monsters, with tusks like a boar and flashing red eyes. Foam flecked from great gaping maws and thick claws like knife blades sliced the air. A strange scent filled him, like the smell of smoke and fire and ash and rotting flesh all in one. He coughed, but caught up in the merge, he couldn’t break free of the visions flashing through his head.

A sickly yellow glow surrounded the monsters, and he knew instinctively- how could he know that?!- that they were protected by magic. It would take more magic to get past that. Magic?! He wasn’t even sure magic was real, much less that he could figure out a way around it. Then everything went still, all at once, like it was frozen in time, and it was as if he could turn his perception, and view the Hell Hounds from every angle possible. How had he done that? There, beneath the Hounds, where there body and heavy front legs met, was a small chink in that yellow shield- shield?! What in the seven hells- If he could get through that, he could possibly- maybe- do enough damage to send them limping back to their master? Razakel… A growl ripped from his throat, and another image flashed through his head- a handsome young man, or he would have been if his black eyes hadn’t held death within them- tall and strongly built, with even features and short-cropped blond hair. Surely this was Keary, with that madness gibbering through his eyes. Clad all in white, as if trying to balance out the evil in those eyes, with a shining white sword at his hip. Arius met those black eyes across expanses of- what? Time? Distance?- a slight widening of those eyes indicated some surprise, and then shock flattened out the even features of the once-mortal’s face. Arius scrambled back from that vision as quickly as he could, panting. There had been familiarity along with the alarm, and it made him shudder.

Then his image was standing before him once again, unflappable, those bloody tears sliding down his cheeks to drip, drip, drip silently into his cloak. Arius’ ears seemed to reverberate in the abrupt silence, and he knelt before the image with his hands splayed before him on the featureless gray floor, winded and breathless. He had looked into the eyes of Razakel, or Keary, or whatever or whoever it had been, and he had seen only madness there. No compassion swam in that soul. Armies would be quelled with that stare, much less one man with disturbing dreams.

“Do we see now, Veygarius? Do we see what is at stake? Complete our business here with all haste, and continue to Polien. We must defeat the Hounds, if we are able, and then we must become ready. We will face him soon enough. Soon enough… We must…”

With a shock, he realized that his image was mumbling, and he stared up in alarm as a distracted expression tore across that mirror of his face. If even the stoic Image was confused, then how was he supposed to handle himself? Terror filled him as the reality of this dream settled into his very soul. This was a dream no longer. This was real; how, he did not know, did not care at this moment in time- out of time?- but he must understand, he must take great care to get to Polien. He would have to conclude his dealings with the High Lord successfully; he must avoid that damned rope and get to Polien. A sense of urgency overtook him, and he leapt to his feet, turning his back on his image, running in whatever direction he was pointed at, pumping his arms, trying to move faster, faster. His heart was racing, his skin was slick with sweat, and still that urgency gripped him by the throat. His pulse was throbbing, pounding out of him, bang bang bang-.

He started awake abruptly, sitting up sharp and staring blankly for a long moment at his room. Gradually, far too slowly, he realized that the banging wasn’t his heartbeat, it was someone at the door to his room. He shook himself hard and shoved himself to his feet, then grabbing the back of the chair when his knees threatened to buckle. With a growl, he shambled his way to the door, throwing it open and then turning to collapse against the wall nearby.

Jared’s face was pale as he stood in the doorway. “I don’t know how she did it, I really don’t, but she’s here. She’s already at another inn, and she’s planning to go to the High Lord in the morning. Ari- are you listening to me?”

Black eyes, full of evil. Bloody tears… He blinked at Jared dumbly. “What?”

“Ari, she’s here! Rayna is here!”

Everything else fled, all the memories- memories? Dreams!- in the face of Jared’s announcement. “What? Rayna- how?”

“I don’t know- she must have had the team changed at every town, and traveled through the night as well- but she is here. There’s no time, we have to go today, before her.” Jared met Arius’ shocked eyes with an equally stunned look.

He pushed himself to his feet and straightened his shirt, wiping dry palms on his breeches. “You’re right, of course.” With visible effort he pulled himself together and nodded firmly. “All right. I’ll change, and meet you in the common room in a half mark.”

Jared nodded, relieved to let Arius take charge, and turned back to his own room. Arius didn’t bother to ask how Jared had known that she was here; he’d shared his secret with him, told him about his intricate network of spies. If Jared said she was here, then she was, and that’s all there was to it.

He considered going to her for a moment, then changed his mind. She was as stubborn as he was, and there was no way she could change his mind about this. He surely would be unable to change hers as well.

Jared must have sent word ahead; the clothing Arius had sent off to be brushed and cleaned was brought to him a few minutes later; the black brocade coat with the silver stitching, a clean white linen shirt, and the snug gray hose that fit like a second skin. His boots had been polished as well as possible, and he set to dressing as if it were the last time he would. Maybe it was.

Arius stared grimly at his reflection in the looking glass. With his golden hair in its usual neat braid down his back, and his sword on his hip, there was not much more he could do to prepare. He straightened the coat needlessly and then turned away from the looking glass. It was time.

The two men walked to the palace; Jared had chosen the inn because of its closeness. At the front gate they were detained, and then shortly thereafter a guard showed them to a small chamber inside the gate. They were ordered to state their business, and Jared took the matter over from there. Arius hardly heard what he said, so wrapped up in his smoldering certainty, dark thoughts murmuring in his head.

From that chamber they were led across down a cobbled path wide enough to walk four men abreast, past expansive gardens and up a massive staircase. They were marched through a huge set of doors and across a courtyard, and then into another chamber within the palace itself. They were met by a steward there, who listened to Jared’s story with pursed lips. Arius caught something about Ragged Valley that sharpened his attention, but only momentarily.

Jared cast a concerned look at Arius, certain that this mission would be doomed to failure if the man didn’t wake up and take some control of himself. What had happened to his attentive traveling companion, the man with the wit to help plan this adventure with a grin on his face?

The steward stepped out of the room, leaving them in it, and Jared quit trying to catch Arius’ eye. He bent down and got right up into Arius’ face, noses only inches apart, and hissed. “Get a grip on yourself, man!”

That got his attention well enough. Arius focused on those bright blue eyes, and they seemed to pull him back into himself. He shuddered once, and Jared backed away hastily as the other man’s hand briefly touched the hilt of his sword. Arius looked soberly at Jared, and then unexpectedly, he grinned. “Thank you.”

Jared’s only response was a lifting of his brows. He’d done his part, now it was out of his hands. Arius turned to face the doors at the end of the chamber, arms crossed over his chest. When the steward came back into the room, he glanced from one man to the other, expecting to address Jared, but changed his mind at the steely light in Arius’ eye and gave his message to him instead. “The High Lord will see you in his private study.”

The two men exchanged surprised looks, but followed the steward deep into the palace. They passed dozens of guards along the way, clad in the white and gold livery of Ay’marne. There would be no easy escape here either, if things went poorly.

The halls and doorways passed in a blur, and soon enough they stood before a well-guarded set of doors carved with the golden lily seal of Ay’marne. The steward motioned for them to stay where they were, then he slipped into the room. Soon enough, he was back, opening the doors wide while an usher toned out their names; Lord Holt of Wensellas Lordship, and Master Arius of Ragged Valley.

The entire room went silent at the announcement, and side by side the two men entered the room and strode with outward confidence down the runner that split the huge room in two. The ‘private study’ was easily the size of Lord Wensellas’ dining hall, and there were at least two score people milling around, split equally on either side of the runner. At the end of the runner, straight before them, was a massive desk set up on a small dais- just high enough to put the head of the man seated at it head and shoulders above whoever stood before him.

The High Lord Gregor was older than Arius had expected, with gray streaking his short chestnut hair at the temples. His stern unsmiling brown eyes set above a strict slash of lips inspired no confidence in Arius, but he walked on undeterred. From what he could see, the man wore some sort of black sash across his white coat, embroidered heavily with the golden lilies of Ay’marne. To either side of the desk stood several more soldiers at alert attention, hands on the hilt of their swords, eyes missing nothing.

The room had certainly quieted when they had entered- and not a whisper followed them to the desk, although Arius could feel the considering stare of two score sets of eyes on his back. He looked neither left nor right; the only person here who mattered was seated directly before him.

As one, as if they had been signaled, Jared and Arius stopped before the High Lord and both dropped to one knee, setting their left hands fisted before them on the floor, right hand on the hilt of their sword. They intoned together, “Honor to Anyon, honor to the High Lord, my life and my sword is yours.” Jared dropped his eyes, Arius did not. He met that sober stare with one of his own, only slightly challenging. He couldn’t seem to help it, but he’d be damned if he would be cowed by this man.

Only slightly raised eyebrows met his defiance, then they were told by the steward to stand and both did, in perfect unison. If anyone suspected they were not aligned, that had certainly been proven false by now.

“Well… This is quite the surprise, Lord Holt.” The man could intimidate the skin off a pig. Arius did not back down. He’d been intimidated by Kayli before, and the High Lord had nothing on an angry woman.

“My liege…” Jared bowed his head again.

“I suspected that you may have brought this man wrapped in chains, but instead I find him walking at your side, as free as any man.”

“My liege?” Jared glanced sideways as Arius, but didn’t raise his head.

“Hmm…” He turned that cool stare to direct it on Arius, who met it steadily. “And you, Master Arius, not Baron Brand? Interesting… How came you by that title, Master Arius?”

“I was not granted that title.” He paused only for a second. “My liege.” The pause was noticed, though, and chestnut brows lowered heavily over shining brown eyes.

“And yet word reaches me that you have been using it, is that correct?”

“Yes, my liege.” His mind was blank; he forced all thoughts away, only meeting that steady stare.

“Why is that, exactly, Master Arius?”

“I have no excuse, my liege.”

There was a faint surprise in that gaze now, and then the High Lord looked around the room. “Out, everybody. Right now.”

Everyone jumped, but then they scrambled to clear the room. The High Lord nodded to his steward as well. “Even you, Brann.”

The steward paled, but walked slowly from the room, giving Jared and Arius a glare as he went past. Now only the High Lord, his soldiers, and Jared and Arius were left in the room. The High Lord stood and stepped down from his desk, coming around to pace behind them. Arius resisted the urge to look over his shoulder at the man.

“Rumors have reached me, Master Arius, rumors that disturb me greatly. I am to understand you are an emissary of Ragged Valley?”

“I am, my liege.”

“And Lord Holt, am I to understand that you support this emissary? And I assume Lord Wensellas does as well, since you certainly wouldn’t arrive without your Lord’s approval.”

“Yes, my liege.”

“Indeed.” The pacing stopped, and Arius could feel that sober stare boring into his back. It took all his willpower not to twitch uncomfortably. “You know that there is a warrant out for your arrest, young man?”

Arius closed his eye briefly. He felt Jared wince beside him. He’d been certain the High Lord would see through their thin sham. Apparently he’d been correct. “I do, my liege.”

“And yet you come here, to the lion’s den, so to speak. Interesting…” He paced around before them, to stand between them and the desk, hands clasped loosely in the small of his back. He looked Arius over tip to toe, considering. “You are not as dark and fearsome as the stories say, Master Veyga.”

He resisted the urge to glare and continued to stare straight ahead. “Stories are rarely truth, my liege.”

“Hmm… Indeed. What is it you want from me, Master Veyga, other than the rope I’ve promised?”

Veyga shifted to meet those dark eyes stare for stare. He would be damned if he would show deference now. “I want protection for Ragged Valley. And a pardon for myself.” He felt more than saw Jared wince again. A pardon hadn’t been part of the plan.

The High Lord threw his head back suddenly to laugh, and both men jumped a little. The older man was shaking his head now. “Indeed. Brave as a bull, this one is. Do you know what you have yourself mixed up in, Lord Holt?”

Jared smiled weakly. “Yes, my liege.”

“This has nothing to do with Lord Holt. He did bring me here, to show support, but I have no need of it. I will stand on my own merits, as will Ragged Valley.” His silver eye gleamed. “My liege.”

“Hmm… Lord Holt, why don’t you leave us? I think Master Veyga and I need to speak further.”

Jared cast a startled glance at Arius, but nodded curtly, dropped down to one knee again, and then backed from the room, slipping out the door at the other end.

The High Lord snapped his fingers, and a guard scrambled to bring the heavy chair from behind the desk. Once he was settled down in front of Arius, who was thoroughly confused at this point, he smiled without humor. Why had the High Lord seated himself below Arius? That was unheard of.

“I commend your bravery, Master Veyga. Ragged Valley I will consider, if they would come under my protection and swear fealty to me. But I am afraid that your pardon… that I cannot grant.”

He swallowed hard, nodding sharply. So be it. Polien! He must reach Polien! “They will swear fealty, my liege, if you would grant that their crimes be dismissed. I can recite for you every crime, and none are for murder or rape of a woman.” Both crimes were hanging offenses. “All are minor offenses, and each committed in order to prevent a worse crime from happening.”

“Hm, yes I have quite a list of my own. Some of my Lords have been most vocal… Lord Beys in particular.”

Arius tensed, and had to remind himself that that could be taken as a threat. He visibly forced himself to relax.

“Lord Beys will be dealt with, have no fear. I had evidence, before, of some wrongdoings on his part. I am sure that with a little assistance from the… from my citizens at Ragged Valley, he will be brought to justice.”

Arius couldn’t resist a downward glance at that, surprise on his face. The High Lord nodded, a slight smile curving his lips. “You are not the only man causing trouble for me. Simply the most… infamous, I suppose we could say.”

“I would have it in writing, my liege, that you will protect Ragged Valley if they swear fealty. If you put that in writing, then I will walk to the noose willingly.” But Polien! The Hounds were coming and he had to fight, and he had to get-. He realized then that he was dripping sweat, his calm composure was crumbling beneath him.

“I will consider it. Until then, you will be a… guest here at the palace. Lord Holt can fetch your belongings, but you… you will not leave the palace until I have made my decision.”

Arius nodded, heart sinking. With a solemn nod, the High Lord stood and motioned to one of the guards again to have his chair sent back behind the dais. He walked slowly up onto the dais and settled back behind his desk, eyes grim. “You, Master Veyga, are my prisoner until you meet the noose.”

He nodded again, and did not struggle when two of the guards stepped forward to grab his upper arms and hurry him through a little door behind a screen in the back of the room. He blanked out a little as they shoved him down a dim hallway and through another room. When he gathered himself together again, they were thrusting him through a door and into a tidy room. The door that closed behind him was locked with finality. He collapsed on the narrow cot as his eyes rolled up in his head.

“Do you not understand, Veygarius? Do you not understand the importance? The whole world, Veygarius!” His image was practically slavering before him, clearly furious. “Your Ragged Valley is nothing in the face of the world!”

“I made a promise.” He himself was on his knees, arms tied behind him, head bowed.

“A promise? You would damn the world on a promise?!”

Arius closed his eyes tightly. “I have to keep my word. It’s who I am.”

There was silence for long enough that he lifted his head. His image was smiling gently now, all anger gone. “Undeniably. We have become ready.”

He blinked as the bonds fell off his wrists. “What?”

“Now… now we are ready.” His image surged into him with enough force to knock him onto his back. He writhed as the images tore through his brain yet again, but this time they seemed to be settling into the nooks and crannies among his own memories. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t make a noise as those streams of someone else’s consciousness poured into him. He was overwhelmed completely, and within his dream, he sank into blankness.

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