Prince Noralv- Edge of Shadows Page 3

  “You would spar everyone,” said Tam, cracking a smile.

  Celcia leaned over to me. “Where’s your mother?”

  “I am wondering the same thing,” I said, hushed.

  “Our father is missing, too,” said Tam.

  Tam was right. Master Kenelm was gone, too. I felt silly for not noticing.

  I noticed Frans glancing at the door across the hall to where my mother would enter from, but she never came. Neither did Master Kenelm.

  I rolled to my knees, my shoulder screaming in pain. Clutching my chest, I tried to breathe. It burned with each attempt. Fits of coughing followed by gasping for air caused my eyes to water. My body vibrated. I couldn’t hear anyone around me; all I could hear was a low buzzing in my head. I could see my friends kneeling beside me, but they were blurry through the tears.

  “Highness?” I heard Geir’s voice break through the buzzing.

  Geir had his sword drawn, scanning the immediate area while glancing back at me at times. Blinking twice, I realized I had grabbed the bottom of my sister’s tunic. I retracted my hand. She was kneeling beside me, her hand on my back.

  Shouts of alarm came from the ramparts.

  Energy tingled throughout my body. Warmth caressed me. I was filled with a feeling of security, contentment, and unconditional love. Pure bliss. I was whole. Pure emotion welled in my throat.

  “Are you alright?” Daria said.

  I nodded then wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. My coughing had ceased and my breathing settled into a steady rhythm once again.

  “What was that?” Frey asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Yorunn.

  “Beaulecraft,” said Geir.

  As fast as that feeling of invading love entered me, it had vanished. I was thankful that I felt more normal again, yet I longed for that same euphoric feeling.

  “Bo-lah what?” Frey asked with an eyebrow raised.

  “Beaulecraft. It’s energy magic.” Geir sheathed his sword then crouched beside me.

  “Who would be using beaulecraft?” Daria asked, looking from Geir to Hedda. “Wasn’t it banned?”

  “Not quite,” said Hedda.

  “The commotion is bringing attention. Here come some guards.” Yorunn nodded toward two slightly darkened figures coming toward us. Dusk was falling. Though the inner berg was illuminated with lantern light, the orchard was left in darkness, to be lit only by of the light of the moon which had not yet arrived.

  I looked to my friends. “Don’t you dare tell anyone that I was hit by some beaulecraft thing.” I shifted as Geir lifted my good arm and slid it over his shoulder. My shoulder flared in pain. I sucked in a sharp breath and pinched my eyes closed briefly. “For all we know, it could be something else.”

  “But…” Daria shuffled toward me, and snow crunched under her knees.

  “No.” I looked straight at my sister, and she bit her bottom lip. I turned my attention to Geir. “Help me up.”

  He brought me to my feet. I winced as my shoulder throbbed.

  “That was a mighty fall, boy,” said a short, red-headed guard as he approached us. His dark green eyes squinted at us from under his curls that poked out of his hood. He stopped and held out his arm to stop the other guard from walking past him.

  “Highnesses, guardians…” He bowed quickly, as did the tall, young guard accompanying him. “I didn’t realize it was you. I apologize, Highness.” He bowed to me. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have addressed you informally.”

  “It’s getting dark. An easy mistake,” I said with a wave of my hand. If I wanted to, I could have made a fuss to the point of getting him removed from his station, but it was never in me to make a big deal over something so trivial.

  “What’s the word from the guard tower?” Hedda asked.

  “They’re advising everyone to return to their respective homes while we figure out what that rumble was and where that light came from,” said the red-haired one.

  “We will report to Eldar Noralv on what we saw.” Geir gestured to my friends. “Escort these two out of the orchard.”

  I frowned at him, and he squeezed my arm, his body rigid with agitation. He was in no mood for my protest. A freezing swirl of wind rushed over us, rustling the trees, then settled.

  “Yes, sir. Of course, sir,” said the taller one.

  Hedda looked to Frey and Yorunn. “You two should head back to your homes.”

  Frey looked to me for my approval. I nodded. He returned his gaze to Hedda.

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Frey.

  “We’ll see you after dinner,” Yorunn said. My friends bowed to us.

  “Be safe,” said the red-haired guard. The guards bowed to us then led my friends toward the orchard's entrance.

  When my friends and the guards were out of sight, I turned away from Geir. “Next time, I will be the one to dismiss my friends,” I said. “Take me to Lillin’s.” My legs felt shaky as I walked away.

  “Would you like an arm, Highness?” he asked.

  “I’ll manage by myself.” Irritated, I walked along the berg wall while cradling my injured shoulder.

  We made our way to the other side of the cherry orchard to Lillin’s hut deep in the herb gardens. By herbs, I meant Lillin’s collection of herbs, roots, and other leafy things that aided her treatments. All of them grown in her gardens. The stone path to her door was swept neatly.

  Rayleigh, Lillin’s apprentice, opened the door and greeted us with a deep bow, her long black hair slipping over her shoulder.

  “Good evening, Young Princess and Young Prince.” Her plum–colored eyes twinkled as she tilted her head to the side and smiled. “Lady Lillin is in the back. Shall I make some tea?”

  “Thank you, Rayleigh, but we won’t be taking tea today,” Daria said. We all made our way inside, each of us acknowledging Rayleigh with a nod as we passed by. The scent of sweet, savory, earthy, and other aromatics was like a wall that smacked us as we entered the room. Plants lined the walls, as if the gardens outside had spread inside too seeking warmth from the frigid weather. Not that I would blame them. If there wasn’t some kind of dried leafy thing or a potted plant making itself at home on the walls and floor, there were shelves nestled in-between. Each shelf burst with apothecary bottles, more potted plants, books, and scrolls.

  “Hello, my little ones,” Lillin heartily said. With a big smile on her round face as she entered from the back room, wiping her hands on her apron. “What brings you to my little corner this early evening?”

  “He fell out of a tree,” my sister said heatedly. “But that’s not all…”

  “Thank you, Daria. I can talk for myself,” I said.

  “If anyone can tell us about the…”

  “Daria!” I exclaimed.

  Lillin pulled a chair from against the wall.

  “Sit. Let me look.” She pointed to the chair.

  I sat.

  She was the only non-noble to live inside the inner berg wall, and she was the only non-noble who could talk freely without the use of honorifics. She was the best healer, as far as I knew, in all Theotania, and she knew it too. No one dared cross her or question her, for she knew many secrets of the land and of its people. Despite her knowledge that could potentially wipe out cities, she was quite a lovely person. I never had any issues with her.

  She hovered her hands over my shoulder. “Take your coat off and open your tunic. I need to see how bad it is.”

  Geir helped me out of my coat. I unraveled my sash around the middle and opened my tunic. Lillin slid her hand into the tunic and cupped my shoulder. Eyes closed. Breathing deep.

  “Lillin?” I said.

  “Shh,” she replied. “You have a spike in your energy.”

  Daria and I exchanged glances. She had sucked in her bottom lip, concerned. Geir looked displeased. Hedda wasn’t paying attention to us at all. Her attention was on the window by the door, keeping watch.

  “Lillin, please tell me what you know about beaulecr
aft?” I asked.

  Lillin furrowed her brow.

  “What is it you’d like to know?”

  “You have practiced it, haven’t you?” Daria asked.

  “Yes, my dear. That is what healers do. What I do,” she said. “Bryten, the god of Earth, has given me his blessing. I can read the ground, energies of people and animals, and, most of all, I read plant’s energy. By reading these energies, I can better help reverse or correct an illness or disrupted energy flow.” She pulled her hand out from under my tunic. “The gods gave us some power of the elements, and we must use it wisely.”

  “We know about the gods and their blessings, I just... I guess I never really thought about healing coming from that connection,” said Daria.

  “If it is meant for healing then why can’t we nobles practice it?” I pulled my tunic closed. “I mean, I know what we have been told, those of us in positions of power have no need for beaulecraft, but why?” I said.

  “Why the sudden interest?” Lillin raised her brow.

  I told her what happened out in the orchard. She nodded slowly after I finished my side of the story.

  “Don’t tell my parents,” I said. “But I’m concerned about the light that hit me.”

  “It sounds like an energy orb or what we all know as beaulecraft. It may have been released from the ground during the earth tremor.” Leaning in close, she looked into my eyes and squinted.

  “So, then it’s nothing?” I leaned away.

  She frowned for a brief moment then smiled and took a deep breath.

  “Do not fret, my dear,” she reassured. “If you do experience symptoms out of the ordinary, you come and tell me, okay?” She untied her apron and set it down on a nearby table.

  “We will. I will make sure.” Daria patted me on the back as I tightened my sash around my waist, securing my tunic back in place.

  “Thank you, Lillin, for your help,” I said.

  Rayleigh handed me my coat, and Geir helped me slip it back on.

  “You’ll be fine.” Lillin bowed. “I’ll see you two later.”

  “Yes. Until then.” I turned and followed Geir out the door.

  Dusk had faded into darkness, and the dinner bell would be rung soon. We were almost at the garden-orchard entrance, and the evening was quiet. Yet, something felt wrong. Geir touched my arm; he must have felt it, too. He and Hedda exchanged a glance.

  “Where are the guards at the garden gate?” Daria said.

  “Probably out of sight, my lady,” replied Hedda.

  An arrow zinged by my ear.

  “Get down.” Geir pushed me down into the bushes.

  Daria ducked down beside me as Hedda drew her sword.

  Out of the shadows stepped two men behind us then another three in front. We were surrounded.

  “Stay down,” commanded Hedda in a low tone.

  Freezing wind swirled, whipping my deep brown hair and some fern leaves in my face. Anxiety and anticipation coursed through my veins. That was not what I had in mind for my first real combat experience. Lying in the bushes, I felt like a coward. I should have had a sword.

  “What about Lillin?” Daria whispered.

  “She is a capable woman. She’ll be fine.” Or so I hoped. “We need to alert the guards.”

  “Can’t we just scream?”

  “No!” I whispered harshly. “And bring attention to ourselves, I don’t think so.”

  “Someone should go back for her.”

  I caught Daria’s arm before she turned back. “I am telling you Lillin will be fine. Someone is trying to kill us. If they are after Father and wish to hurt him, they will kill us.” I squeezed her arm.

  “Are they the Mielonders?” she asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  I could see the silhouetted bodies of the men and our bodyguards moving into defensive and offensive positions before twangs of steel rang out from the open clearing beyond the shelter of the bushes. The silvery-blue glow of the full moon shone through between the clouds down on the naked, twisting branches of the towering fir and pine. Blood pulsed in my ears. The enemy weaved in and out of the shadows.

  “We should make our way to the guard tower,” I said.

  “Fine,” Daria said.

  She crawled to the next bush, carefully placing down each footstep so as not to make a sound. I followed suit. We made some distance away from the fighting, taking turns, from bush to bush, picking out each step. It was a very good thing, that night, that Lillin loved her plants. They made a great cover.

  Footsteps crunched through the patches of stale snow behind us. Someone was coming our way. I took a deep breath and steadied my nerves. I turned my head over my shoulder. A figure stumbled out from behind a group of trees, hunched over, using his sword as a walking stick.

  All the blood rushed away from my face to my stomach. “Geir!” I said.

  Without thinking, I jumped out of the bush and rushed to my bodyguard’s side. Knowing Geir as a swift and powerful warrior, seeing him in that state made me weak in the knees.

  Long, black hair hung in thick chunks over Geir’s face. Blood leaked from the side of his mouth and dripped off the end of his chin. My heart pounded in my chest.

  “Where’s Hedda?” I had suddenly realized I didn’t know where she went. She could have been in worse condition than Geir.

  “Go to the House.” Geir’s breath was labored. He clutched his chest, blood oozing from between his fingers. “You must run ... Highness,” Geir said, gripping my arm.

  “What about Hedda?” I asked.

  “They come for you, my prince. I’ll stand unwavering. Now go.” Geir was firm.

  “No. Not without you. I’m your master. You must come with me.” I tried to get Geir to walk forward, but he stood rooted.

  With a shove, he pushed me away from him. “Go,” he commanded.

  A warrior cry and clash of steel from behind caused me to crouch to the ground. I crawled after my sister, who was a few lengths away in some tall grass. I shouldn’t have looked back, but couldn’t help myself. Geir had stayed true to his word and stood his ground against two foes. Despite his injuries, he fought with a hardened grace.

  Craw – Craw! cried a raven.

  The bird swooped overhead, weaving through the twisted branches. With every beat, its wings glinted a silvery blue shimmer in the moonlight’s beam. I held my breath and kept my head low. The raven settled on a branch above us, darted its head in a few directions then took flight, cawing with its departure. I exhaled.

  The twangs of clashing swords ceased. Everything went quiet.

  Geir fell away from the enemy as a sword was pulled free from his chest then crumpled to the snowy ground at their feet. He was dead. I knew it in my heart. It was the first person I’d seen killed in action and knew it wouldn’t be the last. No matter the amount of training one had and how prepared the masters thought you were, the moment I saw my mentor die, my legs felt weak. It was vicious. Anger in my heart swelled deep inside me. I would avenge my mentor and bodyguard.

  “They went in this direction,” one of the men said.

  It was now or never. The guard house was in sight. If we ran, we could make it without being caught.

  “We need to run,” I told my sister.

  Her face turned from horror to determination, then she grabbed my hand.

  “Ready?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  I took a couple quick, deep breaths.

  “Now!” We sprinted toward the tower. My eyes were fixed on the orange glow emanating from the tower; that was our goal.

  “There they are!” yelled a man.

  “Don’t stop running,” I shouted.

  Intertwined with branches, the guard tower was nestled in a grouping of trees. On the roof lay a thin, stale blanket of snow, and a small, iron torch illuminated the base of the ladder with its flickering orange flame swaying in the night’s icy wind. No guards that I could see, but, perhaps, I was still too far to tell.


  Running footsteps crunched through the snow behind us. The shadows of the men were approaching.

  “Don’t let them out of your sight,” said another man, gruff.

  “Go that way!” shouted a woman.

  Weaving my way across the field, I ran with all the energy I could muster, with a firm grip on my sister’s hand, until my legs ached.

  Two guards sat on the ground, leaning against the ladder as we neared the tower.

  “Hey!” I yelled.

  The guards still sat, leaning to one side. No. Slumped. Throats slit. Dead.

  My foot hooked on something lying on the ground. My body twisted then crashed to the ground, pulling Daria down on top of me. She scrambled backward off me. Keep your nerves, I told myself, or you’re dead. The ‘something’ I had tripped over was the acne-scarred young guard who had talked with us not that long ago. Fallen. Dead.

  “Thayne…?” Daria’s voice raised with fear.

  I reached forward. My fingers touched a foot. I snatched my hand back.

  “Hello,” said a gruff voice.

  I looked up to see a short, thick man looking down at me with a wicked smile spread across his face as blood dripped from a dagger he held loosely in his hand. From his pale skin and his long, light brown hair; his chainmail tunic and his metal armor, I knew he was Mielondic—a Redtail Rebel from the north.

  Daria squeaked a smothered cry. A rebel had grabbed her from behind. One hand covered her mouth and had an arm around her waist. She flailed in his arms but failed to wriggle free. Muffled screams barely reached my ears.

  The Mielonder standing over me had pulled a bloodstained mace from a leather frog with one hand, then reached toward me with the other.

  I grabbed a dagger that lay next to the guard’s body.

  In one swift action, I rolled out of the way of the man’s grasping fist.

  Ignoring the frosty wind freezing the sweat on my brow, I stood, contemplating my next action. Anger swelled inside my chest.

  “Release my sister,” I commanded.

  The man flashed me a smile and chuckled. Condescending.

  With anger raging, I attacked with vigor, swinging the dagger. The Mielonder grunted and stepped back. I ran past him.