Aiduels sin, p.29
Aiduel's Sin, page 29
Near to Jarrett and Allana, forty soldiers of Berun flanked the bridge on either side, all of them holding halberds in an upright position. These twin lines of troops ended at the open portcullis beneath the western fortress, at the point which marked the entry into Andar and Berun territory.
The three leading men on horseback now approached Jarrett and Allana’s position. As they drew close enough to allow the flaming torches on the fortress walls to illuminate their faces, Allana recognised two of the horsemen; Prince Lorrius and Archprime Runus Kohn.
‘Your Highness, Your Eminence,’ said Jarrett, his voice pitched low. ‘Welcome to Berun.’
‘Duke Berun,’ replied Lorrius, tilting his head in acknowledgement as he reined in his horse. He then raised his hand and the trailing column of troops also halted. ‘Lady dei Monis. We thank you both for the welcome. May I also introduce Lord Bornhaus, High Commander of the Elannis Imperial Forces.’
Allana suppressed a smile as she heard her new title being announced by the Elannis royal. Just two days earlier, confirmation of her place in the Dei Magnun nobility had been received.
‘The armies of Berun are ready,’ said Jarrett. ‘Once your troops are crossed and assembled, we’re ready to move.’
‘I expected no less, Duke Berun,’ responded the prince. ‘We are also ready. Runus carries the Archlaw’s Proclamation of Crusade, which shall be read to the armies tomorrow, and announced in all of the major cities of Andar over the coming days. And I carry the Declaration of War signed by the Emperor and the High Council, for which the same announcements shall also take place.’
‘Then everything is in place, Your Highness,’ said Jarrett.
‘Almost everything,’ replied the prince. ‘Runus has a small favour to ask.’
‘A favour?’ repeated Jarrett.
‘I have a force of eight hundred Aiduel’s Guards,’ said Archprime Kohn. ‘They’re under my command, and are waiting to the east of the bridge. I wish to bring them into Andar, for purposes of retribution, and to search for someone.’
Allana shuddered when she heard these words.
You knew that they were going to return at some point, Lana, though you never expected it to be so soon. But you no longer have to fear them. Do you?
‘Searching for whom, Your Eminence?’ she asked, wondering whether it was connected to Arion. Her heart was suddenly beating faster.
‘Oh, don’t worry, it’s not you,’ responded Kohn. ‘I’m asking purely out of courtesy, and it’s of no consequence to the agreements we’ve made.’ His tone hardened as he said this last part. ‘May I bring my Aiduel’s Guards force across, Duke Berun? I’ll tell you more tomorrow, but I’ll be offended if you refuse my small request.’
Jarrett hesitated for just a moment, then responded, ‘Of course. They may cross.’
‘Very good,’ said Prince Lorrius. ‘In that case, Duke Berun, please will you and Lady Allana ride alongside us, so that we can all lead the armies of Elannis into Andar.’
Jarrett nodded and said, ‘I would be honoured, Your Highness.’
He and Allana circled their horses around to face westwards. Their group then set off, crossing under the raised portcullis and into the tunnel through the western Tenth Bridge fortress. Thousands of soldiers, marching in uniform procession, were to follow behind them.
–
That night, Allana, Jarrett, Lorrius and Kohn rode ahead with a cavalry escort, travelling towards the prepared encampment where the combined Berun and Elannis forces would muster. They were trailed by the slower-moving Elannis infantry, which was marching on foot to the same destination.
Allana and Jarrett had agreed that she would travel with him for the duration of the upcoming campaign. Allana had not been willing to be left behind in draughty Berun Castle, being forced to face the panic and terrors of countless night-times on her own. She was resolved to remain physically close to her future husband, particularly in the hours of darkness.
Jarrett had not taken much convincing to allow her to accompany him. The young duke had been unable to face being parted from her again, such was his need and desire for her.
As she and Jarrett settled down to sleep, inside a luxurious tent within the encampment, Allana was thinking about what she might witness in the coming weeks. Jarrett had outlined that the combined Elannis and Berun armies would invade Western Canasar on multiple fronts. There would then be a decisive battle when their overwhelming force would crush the Sepian armies. Finally, they would march upon and conquer Septholme.
‘And once we have Septholme, their most significant town, we own Western Canasar,’ Jarrett had explained. ‘After that, the rest will surrender.’
Jarrett fell asleep quickly. On their camp bed beside him, Allana lay awake, imagining more about what was to come. What would it be like when she returned to a conquered Septholme?
She was envisaging a scene in her mind; all of the retainers of Septholme Castle gathered in the castle courtyard, as she was presented to them. Each of them remembering her, and recognising how far she had risen in just a matter of months. The men bowing and desiring her, the women curtseying and envying her. All of them cheering her arrival. It was a pleasant image.
You’ll be a beautiful and powerful duchess, Lana. None of them will be able to threaten you, or hurt you, like in the past. And they’ll all grow to love you.
Hopefully, Duke Gerrion Sepian would also be there to witness her return. Perhaps she could watch him being transported to a prison cell, in the same manner that he had once so casually imprisoned and condemned her? And perhaps Arion’s wife could also accompany the deposed duke to the castle dungeon?
The only shadow over this vision was the concern about what would happen if Arion was still there. What would Allana do if she had to face him again? She hoped that she had done enough to remove him from Septholme and Western Canasar, but she could not be sure.
She had finally decided, in her private room weeks earlier, that she was going to stay with Jarrett and become his wife. No one could offer her greater security and status than the young duke, particularly in the face of the coming war.
Having made that decision, she had thought long and hard about how to act to save Arion’s life, without betraying Jarrett’s schemes. And she had been very satisfied when the idea of the fake letter had come to her.
It had been an emotional experience when she had finally picked up a quill to write that letter. Her writing had started as a scheme, a device to persuade him to leave Septholme. However, as the words had flowed from quill to paper, her missive had come close to transforming into something more. Her words of love had been too passionate, too ardent, too easy to write.
And other visions had come into her head; of riding away to Rednarron herself, and of finding a way to get to Andarron. Imagining what it would be like to be waiting for Arion at The King’s Boar, that tavern in the capital city which Jarrett had once spoken of. And whether, if she met with Arion and became his lover, she could convince him to run away with her, like she had once almost begged him to.
But then the words had been written, the letter concluded, and she had taken a grip on herself. She was choosing to remain with Jarrett, and the only outstanding decision had been one of when to send the letter. Not too early, such that Arion would have opportunity to travel to Andarron, recognise the ruse and then return. Nor too late such that he would catch wind of the invasion prior to leaving. All of which only mattered if the words in the letter would lure him away from Septholme, in pursuit of her. That was what she hoped for now, such that she would not need to face him as his family fell into ruin.
He’ll want you, Lana, and he’ll travel for you, so he won’t be here when Western Canasar falls. You’ve done a good thing. You’ve saved him.
–
Allana dreamt of the Gate that night, and she was once again assailed by images that were vivid and disturbing.
When she awoke, with her heart pounding and her hands trembling, she was feeling something beyond her usual horror and fear. She was full of anger. In fact, anger was too tame a word; fury was her dominant emotion, a fury that was touching upon the darkness which lurked inside her.
She knew that she had seen further into the dream, though again she could not form a clear memory of what she had witnessed. Had she heard other words, spoken by the figure in the Gate? Had those words been followed by awful violence and death? And had she been betrayed at the end by one of her shining companions?
Her face was suddenly feeling heavy, as if a sodden cloth was covering it, and her breathing was becoming fast and erratic. Were Aiduel’s Guards now somewhere close by, preparing to imprison and torture her?
Shut those thoughts out, Lana. Shut them out, please! Try to sleep.
She turned towards Jarrett, pushing herself against his side as he slept on his back. His muscular arm moved to pull her into an embrace, holding her close against him. She rested her head against his chest, and she could immediately feel her breathing slowing and the shaking in her hands subsiding.
‘Thank you, Jarrett,’ she whispered, and she kissed his chest.
Jarrett will protect you, Lana. Against Aiduel’s Guards. Against anyone. And if he doesn’t, you’ll protect yourself.
She would always protect herself. Indeed, with every usage of her power she believed that she was growing stronger. Ever stronger. More capable of stopping anyone from ever again hurting her. More capable of surviving.
Evelyn dei Laramin and Sillene Berun had both been taught that lesson. One was dead, and the other was now an insane monster. That was the price which they had paid for being a threat to Allana’s life. That was the price which would be paid by anyone else who dared to threaten her.
The memory of Sillene acted to further soothe Allana, as she thought about their last encounter. On the morning prior to leaving Berun Castle, an impulse had led Allana down the steps to the underground dungeon, to visit the feral dowager.
Allana had silently approached the bars of the woman’s cell. Initially, Sillene had been curled up on her side, with legs bunched into her chest. But under Allana’s scrutiny – and sensing the connection between them – the woman had turned her head. The dowager had then raised herself to her feet and had moved to the bars with that sinister lurching motion, with back hunched over and arms dangling downwards.
Allana and the older woman had held each other’s gaze, the latter with jaw hung open to reveal her teeth. Allana had been taken aback by the further physical changes which had occurred in the dowager. Sillene’s eyes had taken on a golden hue and her teeth, particularly her canines, had grown longer. But the most significant change had been the hair on the woman’s face and body. Soft, downy hair – fur? – everywhere. Allana had realised then that whatever she had done had not stopped wreaking its ruin and corruption upon the woman.
What will she look like, Lana, when the changes have ended?
The memories and the question made Allana smile, and she noticed that she was no longer frightened in the darkness. She snuggled herself tightly against Jarrett’s side, and she soon fell back into a peaceful and contented sleep.
–
Allana and Jarrett rose early the next morning, and prayed together. Jarrett led the prayers, first beseeching The Lord for His support in the coming campaign, then making his usual plea for the recovery of his mother.
When the two of them later left their tent, which had been pitched on top of a small rise, Allana could see that the military encampment had been transformed. The night before, there had been approximately five thousand soldiers of Berun camped in a relatively small area. Now, perfectly straight rows of Elannis tents stretched into the distance.
The entire Elannis army had crossed the bridge and had arrived in the camp overnight. The enormity of the massed forces was staggering to Allana.
‘Impressive, isn’t it?’ said Jarrett. ‘Sixty-five thousand soldiers gathered here. And with camp followers, maybe eighty-five thousand people in total. I doubt that either of us will ever see a bigger gathering.’
Allana rotated on the spot, absorbing the sight of the whole encampment around her. There was a lot of activity in the Berun tent areas. By contrast, the Elannis camp seemed much quieter.
‘It’s amazing,’ she said. ‘So many tents! But what happens now, Jarrett?’
‘I’m to take part in a council of war with my commanders and the Elannis leaders this morning, whilst their soldiers are resting. After that, there’ll be speeches, following which the army will split and we’ll march to war.’
‘It’s going to split?’
‘Yes. Half will accompany our Berun armies, marching south through Western Canasar. The other half are to invade Rednar, and will aim to join up with the armies of Condarr.’ There was a sombre look on Jarrett’s face as he was speaking, and he sounded subdued.
‘And how are you feeling, Jarrett?’ asked Allana. ‘Now that this moment has come, and you’re soon to go to war?’
He grimaced before responding. ‘I still regret that Inneos has forced me to do this, Lana. That we’ll be killing men of Andar. But now that I’ve chosen a side, I won’t stop until I’ve won, and I’ve claimed my prize.’
She placed a hand onto his arm. ‘You’re acting for the Holy Church and for the cause of good. Always remember that.’
‘I do,’ he said, as he nodded. ‘And I also won’t forget that once Septholme has fallen and Western Canasar is ours, I’m going to marry you, Lana. That’s all the incentive I need. Now that you’re raised to the nobility, there’s nothing to stop us.’
‘You know how much I want that, Jarrett.’
You do want that, Lana. You do.
As they continued to talk, she was turning to peer around the camp. After a few moments, she spotted something which made her breath quicken. In the distance, a figure wearing a red cloak and sash was moving between tents. Then another, and a third. Aiduel’s Guards, in an area of the encampment which must have been set aside for their soldiers.
She had not encountered any of these red cloaks since the day that she had murdered Evelyn dei Laramin. Seeing that hated uniform was a shock, and it again reminded Allana of some of the High Commander’s last words.
Allana was one of the people who Aiduel’s Guards were looking for.
They can’t touch you now, Lana. They can’t hurt you again. They can’t!
But she still shuddered as she looked at them, and a new and worrying thought occurred to her; could Nionia dei Pallere, the keeper of Allana’s murderous secret, be somewhere within that encampment?
Allana certainly hoped not.
–
Jarrett returned two hours later. By then, Allana was standing outside of their tent, which was already being taken down. This process was being repeated across the camp, and there was bustle everywhere.
‘We’re close to ready,’ stated Jarrett, after kissing her. ‘But we’ll have to separate soon. As I said, during the daytime I’ll need you to travel towards the rear of the line with the camp followers, rather than alongside me. But I’ll assign five guards to you for the duration of the journey. I trust that’s acceptable?’
Allana nodded, having already agreed to this. ‘Of course, Jarrett, yes.’
‘We’ll be assembling the troops soon, for the reading of the Proclamation of Crusade and the Declaration of War. Then we’ll move out. But I brought something for you, which I thought you’d find interesting.’
He passed a scroll across to her.
‘What is it?’ asked Allana.
‘Remember how the Archprime said last night that Aiduel’s Guards are going to be searching for someone? Well, this is the person.’
Allana unrolled the parchment, feeling intrigued. Printed on it was a portrait of an attractive young woman. The image was just black ink lines, apart from the long hair, which had been painted golden-blonde, and the eyes, coloured blue. Under the printed drawing, there were a number of words:
Our saintly Priestess Leanna, the Angel of Arlais, has been stolen from us. Kidnapped by heretics. We think that she may be in Andar.
The Archlaw and the Holy Church will offer a reward of 10,000 crowns for her return to the safe custody of Aiduel’s Guards. May The Lord restore our Blessed Angel to us and to her devoted parents, with your help.
‘They must really want to find this woman,’ said Jarrett. ‘Hundreds of these scrolls have been distributed to the soldiers. And just look at that reward.’
‘Who is she?’ asked Allana, feeling a trace of unease.
‘I understand that she’s a priestess, a miracle-worker from Arlais, who’s blessed by The Lord. It’s said that she has the power to heal the sick, and there’s a story circulating that she bled from stigmata, and that The Lord saved her from a flaming pyre!’
‘A pyre?’
‘Yes. I’m told that she stood in the middle of a blazing fire and was unharmed. Imagine that, to have been granted such protection by The Lord! From the sound of it, she’s a truly miraculous woman, and I’d be honoured to meet her. And Aiduel’s Guards think that she’s in Andar.’
Allana looked at the picture again, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the image of the other woman. Her heart was beating faster as she considered the implications of Jarrett’s words. Could this young priestess, who looked so pure and innocent, possibly be another who was like Allana and Arion? Someone else who possessed powers?
Allana did not like the thought of that; she had imagined that she and Arion were a unique pairing. What if this woman had powers which were greater than Allana’s own?
You are unique, Lana. Unique! There’s no one else like you.
Allana scrutinised the portrait once more. Even though she now felt a little uncertain, she could take some solace from the fact that this woman’s beauty did not compare to her own. This Priestess Leanna was pretty, yes, if someone was attracted to that type. But certainly not beautiful like Allana was.
