Aiduels sin, p.30
Aiduel's Sin, page 30
‘Can I keep this, Jarrett?’ she asked.
‘Yes, of course. They’re everywhere. Every company in the army must have a copy of this, and there’s already chatter amongst the men about the size of that reward. Trust me, if this lady is in Western Canasar, someone’s going to find her and rescue her.’
As Jarrett was finishing this statement, they were both distracted by sudden cheering and shouting from the Elannis encampment. They turned and saw a flurry of activity there, and Allana spotted a small group of horsemen riding through that camp. One of them was carrying a banner which she could only barely discern from this distance, which displayed a pattern of a blazing sun, with a hawk in front of it.
The cheering and shouting were also now transforming into a more recognisable single word.
‘Markon! Markon! Markon!’
Allana asked, ‘What is it? What are they shouting about?’
‘Their prince has returned to them,’ Jarrett replied. ‘He’s arrived just in time. Prince Markon El’Augustus has returned to lead the armies of Elannis.’
–
Towards the end of that morning, the full might of the combined armies had gathered in formation. Sixty-five thousand soldiers were mustered on the outskirts of the camp, in full armour, arrayed in perfect formation. Most of them were wearing the imperial yellow of Elannis, but a significant minority wore the darker Andar blue of Berun.
The soldiers were facing towards a temporary stage, which had been erected for the occasion. Allana was observing from a position somewhat removed to the side, but with a clear view.
In the minutes that followed, the gathering witnessed a rousing and passionate speech from Prince Lorrius. The Elannis royal announced the declaration of war, by his country and Dei Magnus, against Andar and its heretic king.
Archprime Runus Kohn then gave a much drier speech, reading out verbatim the Archlaw’s Proclamation of Crusade against the Imposter Church and the state which supported it.
Jarrett also then spoke, his words aimed at his own countrymen. He talked carefully about the need for alliance between Berun and Elannis, and announced his unequivocal support for the Archlaw’s Crusade. His manner of speaking sometimes felt awkward to Allana, but it was clear that the duke’s words were heartfelt and considered.
After Jarrett had concluded, Prince Markon took to the stage, amidst a rapturous reception from the soldiers of Elannis.
Allana was soon unable to tear her eyes away from the tall, blonde-haired royal. Markon spoke confidently, with a natural charisma that had been lacking from Jarrett’s own effort. The prince was very handsome too, his good looks only enhanced by his supreme self-assuredness, which had to come from his birthright.
Allana had met powerful men before. Indeed, she had already shared a bed with two dukes of immense wealth and influence. But neither Conran or Jarrett could match the power of the man on the stage. One day, Prince Markon El’Augustus would rule half the world, as Emperor. Perhaps more. And someday, could there be a woman beside him? An empress?
There was something intoxicating about such imaginings, and she shivered.
You’ve chosen to be with Jarrett, Lana. And he’ll keep you safe. Should you be greedy for more?
Prince Markon brought his speech to an end on a serious note. ‘Soon, we shall leave here. I shall travel southwards with half of this army, commanding the Western Canasar campaign alongside Duke Berun and his forces. Lord Bornhaus shall lead the remainder of the army westwards with Prince Lorrius, into our Rednar campaign.
‘But before we depart, let me remind you again why we’re all here. We are devoted servants of the Church on its holy crusade, but we also stand together to right a great wrong. Ready to remove a stain on the honour of Elannis and on the Army of Elannis. A stain on my own honour, in fact.
‘Through their devious tricks last year, the Andar armies of Western Canasar humiliated us at the Battle of Moss Ford. Such a devastating defeat would be hard enough to bear. But Lord Bornhaus has told me how Lord Arion Sepian, the Butcher of Moss Ford, then allowed our surrendering troops to be massacred in the aftermath of the battle.’
He paused after this, to allow a few moments for boos and jeers from the assembled Elannis forces, before continuing.
‘Lord Bornhaus has also told me of how Arion Sepian and his brother Duke Gerrion Sepian then threatened to kill me, their prisoner, and indeed all of our prisoners, if our remaining armies didn’t surrender. How they threatened to chop me up and return me to my father, your Emperor, in pieces.’
More boos greeted this, but the prince held up a hand to settle them, impressing Allana with how expertly he was manipulating the crowd.
‘It was an act of deep dishonour which should shame them but instead shames me. Shames me until it’s avenged in the glorious name of the Emperor and the Empire! On this coming campaign, we shall avenge all of those insults and that butchery. We shall raise the standards of the Imperial Sun and the Hawk, and we shall claim Western Canasar and Rednar. We will conquer Andar, and we will overthrow the Imposter and his Imposter Church!
‘Now ready yourself to leave. We march and we ride to glory. For the Emperor, and for the Empire!’
By the end of this speech, Markon’s voice had lifted to heights of passion. As he concluded, he raised his fist high. This action caused thunderous cheering and hollering to break out amongst the ranks of the Elannis army.
Allana kept her eyes on the man on the stage, and her heart was beating fast.
–
Later that day, Allana was waiting towards the back-end of the combined Berun and Elannis army column, which was preparing to move southwards. Jarrett was apart from her, riding near the front of the column.
Allana was on horseback, once again savouring that she was outside, and that she could enjoy her new skill of riding. Four of her allotted Berun guards were alongside her. Before Jarrett had departed, she had been thrilled to hear him instructing those guards to address her as, ‘My Lady.’ It would be exciting to hear those words whenever they spoke with her.
She was also close to a horse-drawn carriage which Jarrett had assigned to her, along with a driver and a fifth guard. She was grateful for this; there were dark rainclouds to the south, and she suspected that she might be transferring into the comfort of that carriage later.
As she waited, she took a few moments to reflect upon how much her life had changed. Soon, this column of soldiers would cross the border from Berun into Western Canasar, and she would return to the land where she had lived for two years. She had left that place as a fugitive with few possessions, who had just committed murder to secure her escape. Now, less than a year later, she would return as a noble and as a future duchess, accompanied by an all-conquering army.
As she continued to wait, Allana reached into the pocket of her satin jacket, and extracted the scroll which Jarrett had given to her. She unrolled it, and looked again at the face on the parchment.
She is called Leanna, Lana. And they have named her the Angel of Arlais.
She lifted the document and showed the picture to her lead guard, who was a boyishly-handsome officer in his mid-twenties called Connar.
‘Have you seen this?’ she asked.
‘Yes, my Lady,’ he replied, nodding. He gestured to the other soldiers. ‘We all have. 10,000 crowns! I’d very much like to find her.’
Allana nodded in return.
‘So would I,’ she murmured, as she stared at the image of the blonde-haired woman. ‘So would I.’
16
Corin
–
Year of Our Lord,
After Ascension, 770AA
Corin and his party reached the edge of the Great Forest as the sun was beginning to set in the west. They had decided to end their day of travel there, and to make camp.
Their intended sleeping place was at the side of the river which flowed southwards from the forest, where Corin and Agbeth had also camped almost three years earlier. The trees of the forest towered skywards just a short distance away, emphasising the immensity of the deep woodland that Corin’s party would be travelling through in the coming days. Indeed, it also reinforced the scale of the journey which lay ahead of them.
It had been three days since the encounter with the Kurakee, and since the warrior Brune had set out his appalling demands. Three days since Corin had resolved that he was still going to undertake the expedition to the north, despite the deadline presented by the Kurakee threats. Today had been their first day of travel away from Karn.
As the group set about establishing camp, Corin took a moment to observe the individuals who had been chosen to accompany him on this expedition. Nearest to him was Blackpaw, the beast extended upright to its full height. Blackpaw had spent the whole day in this stance, walking on its two hind legs, rather than adopting the four-legged lope which gave it much greater power and velocity. Indeed, Corin had never before seen the beast moving with such ponderous care.
The reason for that solicitude was carried on Blackpaw’s back; Agbeth rested there. She was seated within a harness and frame, made from metal and leather, which was attached to Blackpaw’s muscular shoulders and chest. The device had been Corin’s idea, as a way to safely bring his wife on this journey without slowing the whole party down. Right now, Agbeth was leaning into Blackpaw’s body, her head against the back of the creature’s neck. Her eyes were open, but her stare was vacant and distant. For now, she was lost to Corin.
Corin transmitted an instruction to Blackpaw, telling the beast to lower itself down. Corin and two others then worked together to remove the harness device, and to undo various leather straps in order to safely extract Agbeth.
One of Corin’s two helpers was Arex, the young Karn warrior. As soon as Arex had heard that Agbeth was going on the journey, he had volunteered to stay by her side as her protector. The other person assisting was Menni, a young Karn woman in her early twenties, who was the elderly Rilka’s daughter. Menni had volunteered to be Agbeth’s carer during the weeks ahead, given that the journey would be too arduous for her mother. Menni was attractive and outgoing, with ginger hair which was long and braided.
Close to them, Hellin of Condarron had already taken off her backpack. The missionary was the oldest person amongst the group, being in her late-thirties in age. However, she appeared to be robust and strong, and Corin was confident in her ability to keep up with their pace. Hellin had made it clear to Corin that she would earn her position in the expedition, beyond her tutoring role. Indeed, at this moment she was moving off to start collecting wood for a fire, for which Corin was thankful. It was early spring, but there was a definite chill in the air.
The other four remaining members of the group were its more hardened warriors. The first of these, representing the Karn clan, was Corin’s brother Kernon. The second, chosen from the Anath, was a black-haired and stout fighter in his late-twenties, called Nethmar. This individual carried a two-handed great-axe, which was only slightly smaller than the weapon which had once been wielded by Borrik Greataxe himself. The third, representing the Borl, was a spear-carrying and burly warrior in his thirties called Rennik, who was the younger brother of Chief Munnik. And the last, chosen on behalf of the Qari, was the lanky and long-haired Charrek, nephew of Chief Quan.
All four of these warriors also carried a bow and a quiver full of arrows. Alongside Blackpaw and Corin, they were going to be responsible for keeping their party fed in the weeks to come. Corin was satisfied to see that the four warriors from different clans were working together amicably to establish the camp. He had also enjoyed listening to the friendly banter between them as the group had walked north during that day.
After the encounter with the Kurakee, Corin had decided almost immediately that he was not going to change his plans to travel to the mountains at the end of the world. To the lands of the Gods. Now that the weather had improved, he had to attempt to do something to heal Agbeth.
The only condition that he had set upon himself was that he was going to give them a maximum of forty days. Twenty days for the outbound journey, and twenty days to return. If they did not find what he hoped for within that period, then their expedition would be a failure, and he would have to attempt to find a cure for Agbeth at another time. But either way, he wanted to ensure that he would be back in Karn for at least a fortnight before the Kurakee’s stated deadline arrived.
After the encounter with Brune and his party, Corin had tasked Akob and a company of sixty warriors with tracking the Kurakee warband to the edge of the Chosen lands. Akob had later confirmed that this had been done.
The following day, Clan Chief Munnik had also arrived at Karn, and Corin had assembled Munnik and Quan, along with his other advisers, for a council about the Kurakee. At that meeting, Corin had instructed his senior clansmen as to how to prepare for the Kurakee horde. Corin had been thinking about this from the moment that the meeting with Brune had ended, and his instructions had been very explicit.
Corin had placed Munnik in overall charge during his own absence, and he felt confident that the Borl leader would implement his plans effectively.
Corin had ended that council by saying, ‘You all know what to do. I’ll be back within forty days, and I’ll be here to lead you when the Kurakee return. But we must be ready. Do as I say, undertake the preparations that I’ve set out, and we will be ready.’
–
In the days that followed, Corin and his party travelled through the vast woodlands of the Great Forest, following the river to the north.
Corin had tasked the four hardened warriors with driving the pace of travel of the group. The four clansmen did this with enthusiasm, while still managing to fulfil their shared hunting responsibilities. By the time that the party made camp each evening, Corin was satisfied by the distance covered but was wearied by the relentless trek through the dense woodland.
Throughout this period, Agbeth was lapsed into her dream-state, with Arex and Menni attending to her diligently. Corin noted an equal attentiveness and care within Arex towards Menni, and he wished the young warrior well in his pursuit of the Karn woman. Corin gave them space to talk as they travelled.
The person who Corin therefore found himself walking alongside most often, and also speaking with regularly, was the missionary Hellin.
One day, as their party was spread out over a distance of fifty metres, the dark-haired woman leaned in to him and said quietly, ‘So, what are we really going north for?’
‘I’m sorry?’ replied Corin, feigning confusion.
‘Whenever anyone asks or has asked you about this expedition, you state that you’re going north to honour the Gods. That we intend to travel into the lands of the Gods and to pay our respects. But you’re always a little vague. And I think that I know you well enough now, Chief Corin, to spot when that vagueness is deliberate. Your people have complete trust in you, and they always accept what you say at face value, without question. But I… listen to your words.’
Corin frowned. ‘And what do you hear?’
‘That you’re not saying something. Not telling us something. For instance, why you’ve brought Agbeth.’
‘Agbeth’s my wife. I want her with me. That’s my choice.’
‘Or, what are we looking for? What do you hope for us to find in the lands of the Gods?’
‘I’ll know when I get there.’
‘I think you already know, Chief Corin. And I think I can guess at the true purpose of this journey.’
He glanced across at her. He knew that she was intelligent and perceptive, such that flat denials would achieve very little.
‘Humour me then,’ he replied. ‘What’s the true purpose of this journey?’
Hellin pointed towards Blackpaw and Agbeth. ‘Agbeth. Agbeth is. I think that you believe that you can cure her. Can make her better. That something in the north will allow you do that.’ She paused. ‘Am I right?’
He did not respond to her for a few moments. Finally, he said, ‘By the Gods, you must be bored. Your mind appears to have too little to do. Perhaps you should seek answers from your man Aiduel, who seems to know so much. Then you won’t need to be a nuisance to me, with all of these questions.’
‘That’s not an answer,’ she replied, frost in her tone.
‘I know,’ he said, smirking. ‘It’s not.’
–
After five days of travelling through the forest, and latterly ascending an arduous slope, the group reached Corin and Agbeth’s old home beside the lake. It was late-afternoon when they got there, and Corin gave the instruction that they were to set up their camp early that day. He wanted to spend the night in the place that he loved.
He felt a bittersweet poignancy as he peered around the lakeside area where he and Agbeth had lived for two years. This isolated place had been their home, and they had shared many happy moments here. Corin had taken the difficult decision to leave, in fear of what another freezing winter might have done to Agbeth’s health, but that decision had in turn led Agbeth to the place of her head injury. Corin could also sense a mix of emotions being emitted by Blackpaw, as the beast roamed around this once-familiar location.
Corin was satisfied to see that the lean-to was still in good condition, and he resolved that he and Agbeth would sleep in their old home that night.
Whilst the warriors and Blackpaw used the remaining daylight hours to head out to hunt, Corin took his lesson with Hellin. The only book that she had carried on this journey was the Holy Book itself. For this lesson, Hellin was attempting to teach Corin about the events of The Lord Aiduel On The Tree.
