Return of the Crown Read online

  Blade was alone. Again. His father had been King Bryant’s best friend and the General of his army. He was gone a year now, victim of a terrible hunting accident. Blade’s mother died two years before while giving birth, along with his little brother. The King and Queen had taken him into the castle, providing him with his necessities and an education. Ravyn was his best friend. Now she would be gone for an eternity, the whole summer. Blade lifted his head, sensing someone watching him. He brushed a sleeve across his damp cheek.

  Connor had a soft spot for the boy. “Blade, something terrible has happened. I have no time to go into details. Even as I speak, Zelera will be looking for me. For your safety son, you must trust me and come away. Life is going to change around this castle, and I don’t want you here alone.”

  Blade looked around for the person to whom the voice belonged. It sounded like Connor, though more vibrant. “Connor, sir, is that you? Where are you?” whispered Blade eyeing the cold brick walls.

  “Yes, son, it’s me. Now keep quiet, and don’t draw attention to yourself. We’re going to leave this castle, you and I. I want you to go to the stables and get two horses saddled. Ride the first horse, and lead the second, which I will ride. You may have noticed I’m invisible at the moment. We’ll exit the northern city gates. If anyone asks where you’re going, say the horses are going to pasture. That’s a chore you’ve done in the past, isn’t it?”

  Blade nodded, wide-eyed as he continued to search the empty passageway for Connor.

  “Wonderful, let’s be on our way. The sooner the better. I will fill you in on the details when we’re safely in the hills.”

  Blade’s brows bunched up like fuzzy caterpillars as he tried making sense of what was happening. Connor must be a practitioner of the Light Arts. Connor had always been friendly, rarely even scolding him. In fact, he always played games with Blade and Ravyn, teaching them about the secrets of the castle. Blade leapt up and started bolting down the stairs. A gentle hand grasped his shoulder, and he slowed his pace.

  Continuing out through the bustling Great Hall, he pushed open the huge wooden doors. The creaking hinges seemed to scream, “Someone’s sneak-ing, someone’s sneak-ing.” As he looked over his shoulder, he saw the castle staff running in all directions, oblivious to one little boy. He held the door wide for a moment, hoping Connor was through. He strode across the courtyard to the gravel path leading down to the stables. He could hear Connor’s feet crunch the gravel slightly behind his, and adjusted his cadence to match.

  He let out a long-held breath as the stables came into view. He found Gerord, the stable boy, mucking out the stalls. The aroma of fresh hay wafted up as Gerord tossed a large forkful of clean hay into the stall. “Hi Gerord, how’re you today?” he asked the gangly youth.

  Gerord leaned on his pitchfork, brushing the sweat from his brow, “I’m nearly done with me chores; all that’s left is to take Midnight and Moonlight up to pasture. With the King and Queen gone, they won’t get out of the stables much. They like running free on the range.”

  Blade couldn’t believe his luck. “I came down here ‘cause I’m bored. I’ll go for a ride and take them up for you.”

  Gerord scratched the scraggly scrub on his chin. “Well, I don’t want the stable-master thinking I’m ditching me duties, but if you really want to, I’d be heaps grateful. Maybe I can get home before me supper gets cold for once.”

  Blade tended to Midnight and Moonlight, putting on their bridles and saddles. He tossed a brush, some extra nails, a pick, and other animal husbandry gear into a saddlebag. Midnight stamped his feet, eager to be away. Blade untied the horses, leading both away from the stalls. “Master Connor,” he whispered, “you here?”

  “Already seated upon Moonlight my friend, but you had best think what you want to say to me, as I am now thinking my thoughts to you. You don’t want people to think you have gone daft, talking to the air. I’ve given you the ability to hear my thoughts, temporarily, and I can hear yours.”

  Blade chuckled. Master Connor is a practitioner of the Light, not a crazy old loon like everyone thinks.

  “Yes, that’s true, and I will tell you more once we have made our grand escape.”

  Blade mounted Midnight, starting toward the gate, which Gerord had opened for him.

  Gerord stood by the gate, hands on his hips, “Why’d ya go and saddle them horses, Blade? The horses won’t need them at pasture.”

  Before Blade could think up a suitable response, the stable-master hollered for Gerord. Blade gave Midnight a nudge; the horse fairly leapt past the gate, Moonlight following suit.

  Blade leaned close to Midnight’s ears, talking calmly to the skitterish stallion, easing the horse through the city streets. The townsfolk were milling about. The crowds from earlier hadn’t dispersed, in fact it seemed more people packed the streets. Fearful whispering rasped through the air, and everyone looked up at the ominous sky.

  “I’ve not seen the like before, all dark in the middle of the day. Something evil has found its way to our kingdom,” the baker exclaimed.

  “Aye, tis dark times that befall us,” moaned the seamstress, who hovered in her doorway, wringing a length of fabric in her nervous hands.

  “I’ve seen summat like this before, years ago. You can bet life in this kingdom will not be peaceable like before. Evil is what you saw, the Dark Arts,” growled an old grizzled sailor. “It’s time I started my travels again, for I will not be able to stomach the changes that will occur here.”

  Slowly, they picked their way through the crowds of frightened people. Children clung to their mothers’ skirts, hiding in the folds of fabric. Men stood in front of their families, as if to ward off the evil they could not see. Finally, the city gate loomed into view, it's great wooden gates barred. Blade halted Midnight at the heavy gates, looking to the keeper.

  “Hey, Captain Joff! Why’s the gate closed?”

  “Blade, what are you doing out here? Things are wrong, very wrong.” He inhaled deeply, as if he could sniff out what was amiss. “A great evil manifested in Veris today. Nothing is to pass these gates, for the town’s safety.”

  “But, I promised the King and Queen I’d take the horses to pasture. It’s just a short ride out of town.”

  “Ah lad, haven’t you heard? Evil magic swept out to sea in the direction of the royal ship. The ship exploded, and only splinters are washing ashore. A couple sailors were found alive clinging to debris; they said the royal family just vanished. Zelera took charge of the Royal Court; a dark crown rests upon her brow.” He paused, chewing on his lip. “Zelera’s hunting for Connor. She’s named him a Sorcerer of the Dark Arts, saying he killed our royal family to usurp the throne. She says he underestimated her power, and is now running for his life. She found tools of the Dark Arts in his chambers. I didn’t believe it, so she took me to his chambers, and I saw the forbidden books and tools strewn about.” Captain Joff shook his head.

  Connor held his breath. What would the boy believe?

  “Do you truly believe that about Connor? He’s been an adviser for so many years, more than anyone can remember. He always treats everyone with respect, from the lowest servants to King Bryant himself. I don’t believe it,” Blade cried, racing to Connor’s defense.

  Connor relaxed on his horse, a sigh of relief escaping his lips.

  “Just so, I have my doubts but no proof to claim otherwise. Zelera ordered the gates shut fast. I have my orders and severe punishment if I disobey them. Zelera made it clear she will brook no arguments from anyone. You need to turn back Blade. I’m sorry.”

  ‘Tell him you have no family here, but you have an uncle in Eagle Heights, and you wish to travel there. You’ll take the horses to pasture and proceed to Eagle Heights on foot; it’s only a day’s walk.’

  Blade swallowed. He never lied, especially to Captain Joff, who was like an uncle. “I have no family here, especially if what you say is true. King Bryant was like a father to me, the Queen my mum, and Ravyn…,�
� he choked back a sob. He could not think of his friend swallowed by the sea. He brushed tears from his cheek. “But I have an uncle in Eagle Heights, and after I take the horses to pasture, I could walk there. It’s just a day’s walk. Then I’ll be with family. If I stay here, I don’t know what will happen to me. Please,” he pleaded, “No one will know you let me out. Zelera isn’t worried about one small boy.” Tears welled in his eyes once more. He couldn’t stop thinking about Ravyn, her dark hair, her laughing blue eyes, her constant giggling, gone.

  Captain Joff looked around nervously. Compassion overtook him, and he opened the gate, letting the lad and the two horses through. As the gate latched firmly shut, he heard in the back of his mind, ‘Protect yourself from Zelera, and know there is hope for the future. She is behind the Darkness, and she was not able to kill the King and Queen but only to hold them in a timeless void. Ravyn escaped and will one day return to challenge the usurper. Bide your time, and in nine years hence we’ll set it all right again.’ Joff flew up the steps to peer over the top of the gate, looking down at Moonlight. For an instant, he could swear he saw Connor atop the magnificent white steed, and then the saddle was empty again. In his heart, Joff knew he had made the right decision, and he would protect the secret with his life.

  The city gates faded from view behind them as they turned off the main. The trees brushed against them as they headed down a narrow lane running deep into the forest. Connor was sagging in his saddle, but they were far too close to Zelera to let his defenses down. She figured out he was a practitioner of the Light quickly. She probably guessed he was a Master of the Light and set out to frame him. He berated himself for all the mistakes of the past few years that lead to this point in time.

  He shook away the self-doubts, realizing Blade was still unaware as to what had happened. ‘Son, the King and Queen are not dead but encased in a spellbound state. From my understanding of the Dark Arts, they could stay that way indefinitely. I believe Zelera means to deliver them into the Darkness forever, a fate worse than death. She is not yet that strong. Ravyn is safe; the Queen and I used magic to prevent Zelera’s malicious spell from touching her. Because the Queen used invisibility in her spell, I can’t locate Ravyn through the Light Arts, until she turns sixteen, when her powers start to awaken. Then her aural thread will be visible to any sorcerer or sorceress to see. We must go into hiding. And, you must train in the sword, for the time will come when you will need to defend yourself and your country.’

  Blade heard only snippets of what Connor said. His mind locked on the words running through his head: she’s not dead, she’s not dead. All the extreme emotions of the day took their toll, and the once alert boy was slipping off his horse. Connor expended one more touch of magic in his direction, just a tiny sliver. He eased him to sleep, while binding him gently to his saddle. The horses continued wending their way through the dark pine forest deeper into the surrounding hills.

  Chapter 2

  The face in the dark sky grew larger and angrier, roaring with pent-up rage. A long shrill shriek filled her ears as her parents plunged beneath a sooty torrent, and a terrible bitter taste glutted her mouth. Ravyn sat bolt upright. Sweat ran in rivulets down her neck. The same dream haunted her for nearly nine years now; it came to her night after night. Nevertheless, dawn would arrive, and she would awaken in her cozy bed on her little island, far from any other human beings. This morning was no different.

  She rose spryly from the bed she’d built, a lattice of reeds woven over a slender oak frame. She straightened the coverlet, filled with the down of the geese that chose the island as a resting spot along their migration path. Smiling to herself, she glanced around the cozy room that had become her home.

  When the globe of Light dropped her on this island years ago, she found herself utterly alone. The island was small; she could march around it in a single day. It provided her everything she needed to survive: fresh water from a spring, many varieties of fruit trees, and a little grotto that sheltered her from the inclement weather. Back then she thought of the island as a temporary shelter. Someone would come to rescue her. Now, nearly nine years later, it was home. She sighed. She missed her parents and Blade.

  At times, she imagined Blade was with her, and she would carry on conversations, playing both parts. The only person she had to talk to was Rowan, an elf who inhabited the island. He’d taken her under his wing, teaching her how to survive. The first time she’d seen him, she thought he was a trick of her imagination. She’d seen him out of the corner of her eye; but when she turned to look at him, all she saw were the trees.

  For days he shadowed her as she explored the island. She could feel him watching, but she never felt threatened by his presence. He finally broke his silence as she was about to eat some sweet looking berries. He appeared before her, knocking the berries from her hand. “Auch, missy, you don’t want to put them in your mouth. Those’ll make you sick, they will. Follow me, I’ll find you some delightful vittles.” She smiled, remembering the man who had been her size at the time, golden hair touched with silver.

  Thus their friendship was born. He showed her which plants were edible and which were not. He taught her how to construct a tree house, how to catch fish using a spear, how to make bowls out of clay, and how to carve wood into utensils. He never did things for her but guided her step by step. “There are times, missy, when I think it’d be a far easier thing to just do it for you,” he would declare in exasperation. “But where would you be then? I may not always be here. You’ve got to learn how to manage on your own, little one.”

  Her rumbling tummy broke her reverie. “Rowan, good morning, where are you?” she called, climbing down the rope ladder from her tree house. Rowan had taught her how to weave the fibers of some of the roots to make sturdy ropes.

  “I’m just tending my trees. I was telling a story to the little saplings. They were feeling a bit sad down here in the shade. They’re a longing to reach the sun like their forebears, the great oaks. So, I was a telling them about when I came to this little pile of rocks with naught but a few seeds, all their ancestors, and began growing them up. I told them how their parents were edgy to reach the sky too, an’ they tweren’t even in any shadows. That made them happier I’m thinking. Don’t they look a bit springier and even a bit taller today?” He winked at Ravyn.

  “Oh my, they are much taller today. I think this little sprig was just to my calf yesterday, and now it’s up to my knee,” she chuckled.

  Her eyes widened as the tree visibly extended its branches another inch or so upwards. “I never tire of seeing you at work, Rowan. I don’t believe there are any finer trees anywhere.”

  Rowan grinned, handing Ravyn a little package. “You cannot think I’ve forgotten what day it is today? A Merry Birthing Day Ravyn! A sweeter sixteen-year old cannot be found hereabouts.”

  “Oh thank you, Rowan, I know you’d never forget. But, I am the only sixteen-year old anywhere within miles of here.” She put one hand on her hips and wagged a finger at him in mock severity, but she only succeeded in bursting into giggles.

  “Why that’s not true,” blustered Rowan, “I have several trees growing round the backside of the island that are just about the same age. While they are fine and hold very sweet fruit indeed, they cannot come close to your sweetness. None are near as lovely either. There’s a doe with a magnificent brown coat and eyes as big as saucers. She’s a right beauty indeed. And again, I’d need to remind you that she cannot compare; your beauty outshines her in a heartbeat.”

  Ravyn wrapped her arms around him tightly. “Oh, you silly man, you know what I mean. Sometimes you are so incorrigible.”

  He wiggled free of her embrace, eyeing the package she clutched in her hands. “Well, are you gonna open that gift or not? If you don’t want it, I can take it back. I’m sure I can find a use for it.”

  Ravyn hugged the package to her chest. “Let me find a place to sit, and I will.” She perched on a log bench they had built toget
her, carved from a large oak that had fallen in a storm. She untied the twine, spreading the paper aside. Inside was a blouse and trousers made of a luxurious silky fabric that echoed the colors of the forest. It slid through her hands like water. “Oh, this is so beautiful! Where did you get this?”

  “I made it myself. You know I’m a weaver. My mum is the finest elf weaver ever. Guess a bit of that talent rubbed off on me. Normally, I just weave us simpler fabric for our island lifestyle, light and comfortable. But you are growing up into a right fine lady and should be clothed as such. I’ve got summat else for you too.” From seemingly nowhere he produced a fine traveling cloak of deep green that sang of the woods. It was a heavier weave than the blouse and trousers, and lined with soft fur. It was far too warm for island weather.

  “It takes my breath away. They are lovely presents. Thank you so much.” She leaned over, pecking his cheek. Rowan blushed.

  “Aw, don’t start getting mushy on me. It was getting necessary; you’re growing faster than I can keep you covered. Any taller and you won’t be able to find me down here so low to the ground.”

  “Speaking of mush, shall we eat?” Ravyn asked, reaching for the rope ladder. She threw the clothes over her shoulders, tying the cloak loosely about her neck. Despite the thickness of the fabric, it rested lightly on her shoulders. But she felt heat building up against her skin, making her sticky. She pulled herself up onto the little porch of the tree house.

  “Wow, this cloak is making me hot. Might I ask why you made the cloak so thick? I think it will be too heavy to get much use. The weather here is mild the whole year through.”

  Sorrow blanketed his features as his head peeked over the porch. He pulled himself upright, looked into her eyes and sighed, “I am afraid you’ll be leaving soon. The breeze whispers of change. I’ve been so happy having you here; I hadn’t realized I was lonely until you came. Elves grow up knowing we will venture out into the world to find some spot that needs tender loving care. Some go to the woods, some to the mountains, and some to little islands in the middle of nowhere.” He shrugged his shoulders, looking around. “Nearly always, we go alone. There’s so much work to be done in this world. I will be on this little island for another century before I return home to find a wife and raise a family of my own. I feel lucky indeed, as if I already have a daughter. But, just as I had to grow up and leave home, so must you. And the time is nigh at hand.” He turned his head and wiped a tear sneaking down his cheek. “Must’ve gotten a mote of dust in my eye.”