Epilogue, Price of a Throne

Epilogue

            The inhabitants of the palace rose late the next morning. Some were refreshed, some were still tired, and others felt ready to feast still more. But, in the end, nothing of the sort occurred. Instead, horses were saddled, blades were shined, and farewells were exchanged.

            It was decided between those who were to depart that they should travel south and stop for a time at Falnath Melanar, there leaving Miran and his mother. While Valun mounted his trusty steed who had brought him through the years, he still marveled at the mounts which the Princess and her ever-present band of silent guards had procured for themselves. He had last seen the humped beasts years ago in the Gairbairn capital, at the same great fair which has been mentioned. Miran, having been in seclusion for so long, was not familiar with them and remained in the saddle of his horse.

            The two kings rode at the head of the party, while the others formed a line behind them. The party left the city to an enthusiastic send-off, their ears ringing with the cries of “Health and happiness to you all!” These cheers were acknowledged as cheerfully as they were given out. The party of nobles then turned toward the southern road and settled into a smooth gait which would take them for several miles.

            Near the close of day they reached Falnath Melanar, which was now more heavily protected than they had expected to find it. They identified themselves from several yards away, giving the men time to open the heavy gate they had built in each wall. At a hail, Sir Dunstan himself came out to greet them, bowing low before his own monarchs and giving Valun a soldier’s salute.

            “You have come at a good time, my lord. We have recently begun building your hall, as you said it should be done. We shall have finished before the week is past.”

            “Thank you, good knight. I do not think I could feast again before that anyway. King Elmbran gave us far too much to put down our throats.”

            “And the ladies? Do you wish that they have a house also? The men are tired, but they will do it.”

            To ease the conversation, the nobles began dismounting. Miran put his man’s worries to rest. “No, that will not be necessary. Indicating the litter, he said “My mother will live in my house. My sister has other intentions, though, which she will reveal to you.” With a snap of his fingers, Miran brought forward the guards, who took the mounts and led them away without comment, as was their wont.

            The next day, the people assembled in the central plaza to hear what the nobles had to say to them. It did not take long. Miran went first.

            “My people! Brave swords and hearty workers, who would march all day for me and still fight the battle when it came, because you could, hear me! A new dawn has risen over the lands. The worry of the enemy, who oppressed all, even his own people, has been destroyed by brave men who had much left to gain and even more to avenge. Foremost among them we name Railon the Traveler, and Torlan the Magnificent, kings of the desert land, and of the hardiest people anywhere. The others were less well-known to most, but are equally missed by their houses. Those men we shall honor by keeping their houses in food and gear until such sons as they had are grown to their place. I will not leave you again. In time, we shall return to the banks of the Ishbana and there honor our fathers by toiling as they did. We are men of the desert. It is in us, and we can not escape it. So we will return. And now, listen to the words of my sister.”

            Miran stepped back then and allowed the Princess to come forward to speak. Her speech was softer and more quickly heard.

            “You are my people, and so you shall remain. I have met many of you, and those I have seen I shall not forget. But I can not stay among you. In my heart it has been decided that I should go to the Corridanes to be their queen. They also have suffered great loss, and their lord fears that he does not the way to put a roof on a house.” There were smiles and some laughs at this. Valun, surprised by such a strange announcement, simply shook his head, grinning with the Gairbairns. But then the Princess continued and concluded.

            “And so I must go there, but in spirit I will live in his palace and in this town. And sometimes I will find myself riding here when you would not expect it. Farewell. Man your walls, do not let your banks flood over, and watch for the lady.”

            For the second time, Valun passed down a street lined with people as he departed from them. But this time he was too satisfied with himself to notice. The main road was pointed out to them, they took their last farewells of Miran and his people, and set off.

            An uneventful week passed until they reached the bank of the great river, where they had to wait for several hours before the boat which had brought Valun across finally appeared. The crew was surprised by the change in passengers, but a few words set them to rights and the boat started off.

            Several more slow hours passed while the boat crossed the river. They disembarked at the Carribeasa dock, from which place they moved on to the central hall of the city. At this point, the captain of the city’s garrison, having been notified of the king’s approach, came out and gave his sword over to the king, saying “The city is yours.”

            Valun promptly handed the blade back to its owner. “Keep it in my name. On the fourth day from this, give the people a holiday.”

            “Your word is law.”

            Valun, the Princess, and her guards then departed from the city. In the few succeeding days, they passed through several villages, not all of which acknowledged his presence. Out of respect to his friend, Valun did not lead the party across the boundaries of Longfurrow land, even though it was both within his rights and a shorter path.

            It was about noon of the third day that they reached the capital, where Valnor had long since finally put men to work rebuilding the walls, along with the city itself. A sentry, whom Valun recognized as James due to the distinctive helm he wore, signaled acknowledgement from the walltop and then disappeared. When the king reached it, the gate had been opened. He entered through it slowly, relishing the gradually increasing cheers as he passed through his city. Fittingly, the cheers he was hearing now were the most enthusiastic he heard in years. By the time he reached the palace, he felt deafened by the volume of them.

            There upon the steps of the palace, to consummate Valun’s rising to be a true king of the Corridanes, Valnor and the old priest were present. While Valnor handed off the royal power, the priest intoned “By brother, by mother, and by friend named in life, by father named by death, take now upon yourself the power to command all men in the land. See that you do it well.” As Valun placed the crown upon his head once more and stepped back to say a few words to the priest, Valnor took his place to cry the ritual statement once and for all.

            “I, Valnor of the house of Valun, pronounce my lord Valun III, a blood descendant of the house of Valun, worthy to mount these steps and be crowned king of the Corridanes under The One!”

            Before departing, Valun stepped forward one more time to announce to the people “There shall be a holiday tomorrow, for I have found the lady who will be my queen! By her own choice she comes here, and it took her long to decide that much!” The people close enough to see saw that the king was laughing, and so they joined in, which eventually resulted in the whole crowd chuckling. The Princess, who was watching from the side, took it peacefully, for she could see that the jab was a response to her statement to her own people regarding a proper house. She decided that the coming years would be a very happy time in Corridane.

            The next day, Valun and the Princess walked together to the temple, which they entered, and later emerged as king and queen of the Corridanes.

            In the course of time, it passed and the people thrived, feeding off the cheer which the king and queen both displayed. It was a time of plenty in the land, and little strife in the city which Robert and his men did not succeed in rectifying. First James and then Robert sent for and, paid well, the best architects from all the lands to rebuild their halls according to the plans in the memories of themselves and their acquaintances. Both halls were built to the lords’ full satisfaction, and several builders went away from Corridane with heavy purses.

            In addition, masons built a cairn over Richard’s remains, and a statue in the plaza of the capital which recognized those men known now as the Twenty; their names became known only to bards, who were also already singing speculative versions of Richard’s last ride and Robert’s defense. The king and queen, now that all turmoil had passed, memorialized Roland Longfurrow and Eric Trondale at the seacoast, where it was generally believed that they had been unceremoniously interred.

            In the middle of the next year, Valun rode alone with his brother to the northern coast where he had met his father so long ago. As had been arranged at last, the ship came over the horizon, and after a farewell and a few words to the boatmen, Valnor departed with the teachers, and Valun turned back to live out his life among his people.

            About a year after the Princess’s arrival, Valun again declared a holiday. From the steps of the temple, where all the great step were taken, with the queen at his side, he announced that she had borne a son, who had been named Ryal.

            Years passed, and James Earl Longfurrow asked for and was accepted by Anne of Trondale, even though he was three years the younger and still sometimes acted that way. By this time, Robert had himself found an admirable girl to perpetuate the honor of his house.

            And finally, word was received from Gairbairia that the city by the river had been completely rebuilt and that the king wished for his sister’s presence at the celebration. Meanwhile, a new man who understood ruling had risen in Naibern. There was peace in the land.

            Some time after hearing of this, and before his queen returned from her homeland, Valun went alone to the monument he had erected over his father’s body.

            “It has all come to pass, father. The people are content. They came together as you asked of them. There is honor, peace, and justice in all the lands. But still I am alone, and still I wish for you at times.”

            Suddenly, Robert stepped out of the shade which was situated close by the tomb, making Valun jump. “But, my lord, you have done it, and you are destined to be one of the people’s favorites.”

            “You think so?”

            “Duty before peace. As you know, it is…”

            Together they recited “The price of a Throne.” Companionably, with little notice of rank between such old friends, they made their way back to the city, where the spires of the temple shone in the fading light.

Chapter 49

Chapter LIII

            At length, the festival finally came to a close. Valun followed Miran’s advice and withheld his grave announcement until the time came for him to declare the celebration over.

            At that time, he stood on the steps of the temple, for that was the most open space in the city. “My people, we have feasted well. We have drunk well. We have fought and wrestled and run each other unconscious for the sake of happiness. And now, before you return to your homes, it behooves me to say to you: Do not forget the brave ones! Those of your friends and brothers in arms, whose death resulted in your happiness! I honor all the thousands who died, in Brandia or here in the city. Foremost among them, I name the Twenty, living standards of courage and dedication to your freedom! But foremost of them all, in rank, and, I hope, in honor, I name Sir Richard Longfurrow, ignis leon, commander of my forces at the battle here. I give him honor!”

            At a signal from the king, footmen appeared from the wings carrying bundles of the swords Richard had won. They laid the Naibern blades in a pile, which they built up in an interlocking circle through which a standard could be dropped. When it was complete, the sword of Kalveston, which had a hilt of gold, was brought to Valun and given to him. Valun spoke again to the people.

            “Before me you see all the blades sir Richard captured. I have it from men who were there that sir Richard defeated thirty men in single combat, nearly all when there were two or more attacking him. At the last, Sir Richard fought the emperor of Naibern, under whose orders our land was ravaged. He lost, but in defeat he slew our enemy also, and so brought the hope of peace to all the lands. I call now on James, the Survivor, to come before me and all of you!”

            The people knew quite well what was going to happen next, but they reveled in the sight of it all the same. James, who had been standing in the middle of the crowd unknown, began making a path for himself when he heard the king call for him.

            “I am James, called the Survivor, last of the house of Longfurrow.”

            “As such I recognize you. It is a right of mine to do this, since you are the last: I name you the Longfurrow, equal in honor to the head of any house but the king’s, now, before you are of age. And with that honor I bestow upon you the helm and sword of Richard, who received the blade in honor from his father, and with them I offer the lasting glory of your house: the blade of Kalveston of Naibern, the most dangerous man of our time, whom your brother slew before he died. Rise with the title your father received from mine, as James, earl Longfurrow.”

            James, who had knelt, rose humbled by the king’s solemnity. “It is an honor to accept everything you have offered me. The emperor’s sword I will place above my chair when my house is built anew. I still have wealth: that at least was not taken from me. I will pay the best men alive to rebuild my hall, and I ask that those who tended the Longfurrow land when we prospered, return if you still honor my house. I will have no servants; you will all still be free. These are my words as the lord of Longfurrow.”

            Carrying Richard’s helm and the sword, which had been repaired, James left the way he had come, carrying himself with perhaps an overly pompous pride at being named earl at the age of seventeen.

            Robert, who had been standing in the background, moved forward, allowing himself a quiet laugh. “So it is the dead men who gain all the glory?”

            “It would seem that way. Some men do not believe your courage until you have died.”

            “It was a good show” said Robert, watching the crowd disperse. “I will do the same as he did. Pay the best men to rebuild my house, I mean. But I must do it soon; my mother is old and my sister barely remembers what it looks like.”

            “Than don’t do it that way. Build it as you would build a house.”

            “It is another way to honor my father.”

            When the last of the audience had made their way out of the space, Valun turned to Robert and said “Find John. I want to send him to Ronaiera.”

            “John? The last time you sent him anywhere, disgrace came of it.”

            “Ronaiera is his homeland, and I trust him now. He has proved to be a man of great worth. When you have found him, bring him to the castle.”

            Robert knew there was no answer to this thinly disguised command. He saluted and went in search of John.

            Valun, in the interval, made for the castle himself, and was barely seated in his throne again before Robert, with John in tow, had entered his presence. They both acknowledged the king, and John subsequently found himself a seat.

            Valun did not rise from his seat to greet them. “I know you better, now, John, than I should ever have thought to before. I know that I can not command you, but yet I have to say something which you might wish to hear: I ask no longer that you pretend to be under my command, but I do ask that you will do this one thing for me: accompany the lord Miran to the camp of his people in your homeland, and deliver to his sister the message that I will greet her with honor if she agrees to come to my home.”

            “In deference to your command over this house, I can not very well do as you ask, for I know the lady you speak of better than you do, having traveled with her here. She is not likely to do as you wish. The two of you have hardly seen the other and you expect her to come riding straight to the gates if you send word by a messenger. You should come yourself.”

            “I can not depart this land again. I have spent too long away from my people.”

            John rose incensed. “With respect to your honor, I have spent years as a slave in my own homeland because your father could not control the ambitions of his own chancellor. Rather than hiding out in a cottage while other men fight, bond yourself as a servant to one of your own people, and live like that, experiencing abuse from the dregs of the free society you should be commanding, before you sit up there and call on other men to make your calls as you have said.” snatching up the few items he had brought with him, John left the hall. He could soon be heard in the courtyard, shouting for his horse.

            “He will leave now, and Miran with him. Richard has gone before us. It is only you I have left, Robert. What do you say?”

            “I am at your command, but I am not surprised at his reaction.”

            “As my father would have told me; you must deliver your speech before opening your mouth. I have failed again. Saddle my horse! I will overtake the lords!”

            At the king’s words, two attendents came forward to take the king’s ceremonial gear and brought him a heavy riding cloak instead. At the same time, another man departed for the stables, but made it there only moments before the king himself. Valun then took the work of preparing the horse upon himself, talking to the animal and generally waking him up. By the time Valun was in the saddle, provisions had been found for the journey. These were brought to the courtyard by Robert himself.

            “Goodspeed, my lord.”

            “May this be my last great ride in peace or war.” Valun answered. Reaching down to clasp Robert’s hand in farewell, Valun added “I will make it so. I want to feast in my hall again before the moon is out, if I may.”

            The two men grinned as if this were a jest between the two of them. A moment later, Valun prodded his horse and was clattering off down the road which led toward the main gate and out.

            There is little to be said of Valun’s ride, save that he had soon caught up with the other two lords, who were going the same direction at a slower pace. A tacit understanding was forged between the Ronair and the Corridane, so there was little speech until they reached Carribeasa, where again a boat was hired to take them to the far shore and come back at times to watch for them.

            The crossing did not take more than one hour by the clock, for Valun had asked for haste of the rowers, and they would not deny their lord. The moment the craft hit the Ronaieran shore, the lords disembarked, with John taking the lead. At Miran’s request, he turned them in the direction in which he expected to discover Dunstan and the Gairbairian survivors.

Chapter 46

Chapter XLIX

The attacker, who was dressed in the livery of Naibern, turned on his heel to hurry away. The horrified crowd was too shocked to obstruct him as he shoved past them, and so nearly allowed him to escape. However, the rear ranks, having some idea of what had occurred, held firm and resisted his attempts to force his passage. Whilst he struggled against them like a wild beast, Valun, his sword raised and a fearsome scowl in his voice and tone, cried “Let me pass! I will see this thing that dares to be called a man!”

The crowd, of course, stepped out of his path as quickly as they were able even as he sprinted past, his cape swirling behind and catching on the legs of bystanders. The terrified attacker finally turned at bay, desperate to complete the last part of his mission if he could. But there was no time. In a moment, the sword flashed and the renegade head had fallen to the ground. Glaring out at the whole assembly, the irate king snapped “The Naiberns are to be surrounded. Disarm them and kill any who attempt to resist or escape.”

Sheathing his sword with a slamming crash, Valun stalked back through the ranks and bounded up the steps toward his father, who was lying on the stone floor, the knife sheathed in his chest, supported by two guards who had changed course when they saw what had happened and were now each on one knee, holding the king’s head up until he was lost.

Valun came up to him and dropped to one knee before his father’s face so that the old man could see him better. “He is dead, father. I had to do it.”

“I know. It was necessary. But do not kill any more. They have done no harm. I am passing already, so move aside now so that I may be able to see my people and speak to them again before I go.”

Valun hastily stepped aside, shouted “Your king is dying! Salute and fall!”

In response, the crowd started a chant. “Hail, Valun, king of Corridane! Hail, king of Corridanes! Hail, conditor du pacem, victor in all battles! Pass into the place appointed you among those honorable to the One! Be at peace!” Their last duty to the old man done, the whole host dropped to one knee, to remain thus until their king released them.

By this time, Valnor had arrived and joined Valun and the people in their tribute. Two interminable minutes passed during which not a sound could be heard but low breathing. At the end of this time, the dying man they were all watching spoke for the last time. “Stand. The greatest time is yet to come, and I go now, a servant to the last.” Then, at last, Valun II, conditor du pacem, beloved of his people, died.

Valun, who had been standing in obedience to his orders, did not move for a further mniute to avoid breaking the peace.But following this, he judged that the time was ripe to begin the new era. “My people! So much has been said already, I will not keep you longer. The king shall be buried with honor, but the festival is for a time of peace. There is not yet peace in the land, but I will do what I must to bring it about. Now, go forth and do as you were. Set men to watch for the return of the Longfurrow and send him to me at that time. I am with my people again. Those who do my people no harm are my people also. Be at peace.” Waving the crowd away, he turned away and descended the stairs at a place where a path was open. Valnor and the Valkyries followed him, ashamed that they had failed when called on. There was no sound while Valun was within sight of the people, but when he had disappeared, the royal party heard a great clamor arise from behind. The guards were apprehensive, but Valun reassured them. “The people must release themselves at some time. Those who remain silent are dangerous.”

In silence, the party returned to the castle, and there settled themselves down to rest. Valun ordered that something should be done to deal with his father’s body, and further that a man should be sent to help him prepare himself. Last, he ordered that Robert should be warned of a visit.

When the attendant arrived, Valun, who had been wearing full battle armor since he left the castle, began with his help to remove himself from the shell and exchange it for less cumbersome ceremonial garb. This done, the attendant removed the armor for the purpose of restoring it to its former glorious shine. When he had replaced his armor with more easily wearable ceremonial garb, Valun left his chamber and proceeded down toward that of Robert. As he passed through, he noted that several kitchen attendants had appeared as if from the floor of the building. James approached him then and explained “The guard, my lord. Some of sir Robert’s survivors. They wish to do honor to their captain.”

“Very well, they shall carry on. Is he awake?”

“Yes. He has been told you would come.”

“Very well. You may go.” Leaving James, Valun turned toward the door that opened into Robert’s room. Knocking once on the door, which was standing open, he entered.

“Good day, my captain. Are we well today or not?”

This time Robert did not even attempt to rise. “I’m afraid, my lord, that I am not well. It is pain today for me.”

“Well, sir Trondale, I have grave news that all but you have heard, so be strong for my sake and do not fail me and die. My father has been killed.”

“The old king has been killed? Who could have laid a hand on him?!” cried Robert, surging upward like a great wave.

“Calm yourself. I slew the man myself. He was dressed as a Naibern. The other Naiberns gave no trouble. I know not where he came from.”

“Then assume he is as he seemed. Destroy the rest of them and you will have no trouble.”

“They are my people now! I will not kill my people!”

“Then you would live in a den of snakes! Would you?”

At that moment they were interrupted by James, who came hurrying in more agitated than they had seen him in some time. “My lords! There is a man outside crying to see you! He says his business is most urgent! He is desperate, my lords!”

Valun leapt to his feet as Robert bellowed “Then bring him to us and do not fall to pieces on the doorstep! Are you a Longfurrow or not?!”

Meanwhile, Valun had nearly knocked James to the floor as he dashed to the door and shouted for his servant. “Where is the man David? Call out the veterans! Every man on the lines!”

While all this fruitless noise was being made, another man had had the presence of mind to admit the messenger who was causing all the fuss. This man, who was clearly a Corridane, crossed the hall in a moment and fell at the king’s feet. “My lord, have mercy! Spare your people in their shame!”

“Their shame? What is this? What has happened?”

Raising himself only slightly, the man drew a breath and moaned “Corridanes are hunting the Naiberns! Some have been killed already!”

            Valun raised the distraught man to his feet. “Thank you for bringing word to me now. Had you been later, I would have had no mercy. I can not let my people do this. Go, work in the kitchens until the work is done. I will require most of the men.”

Falling to and rising again from one knee, the man said “Thank you, my lord. They swept me along, but, knowing your words, I turned away as soon as I was able.” He then hurried away toward the kitchen.

Valun stepped out into the hall and cried “Your countrymen are deep in a great crime, men. I require you to come out with me and stop them. You may have to slay your countrymen today, but remember; those who repent before us will not be slain. I will have none of that before me. Come!”

            About fifty of Robert’s guards, who, as it happened, had not yet removed their blades, fell into line behind the king, who also was armed. The gates were opened in succession before them, as they marched out to quell this defiance of the king’s decree.

            Almost as soon as they passed the gates, Valun and the men could hear the cries of the rioting citizens and their victims. Their clamor, however, was deceptively loud, so that the men had to march through several streets before they encountered the perpetrators.

            Finally, the king’s party happened suddenly upon a party of men who had just meted out their own justice to several men dressed in the garb of Naibern. As the guardsmen surrounded them, Valun stepped forward to face the killers. Indicating the corpses, he said “These men did you no harm. Had they wished to, they would have been slain before this. You have slain innocent men, and moreover, you have done this against my strict order. Therefore, you must be punished. I give you leave to speak before your sentence is pronounced. Unhand them.”

            The men, who had been forced to their knees, were allowed to rise then, and one began to speak. “My lord, we did this because we were overcome with grief that these men and their countrymen, have brought upon us. You know of what we speak: you yourself slew the man who killed the king, and we loved the king. Will you not allow us that? We could not contain ourselves, worrying that perhaps more of those men were waiting for a chance to strike. We could not, my lord, we simply could not do as you ordered of us.”

            “I do not ask you to repent of defying me. Do you repent of the slaying of innocent men, defying the last words of the great king whom you say you so loved?”

            His men held twenty prisoners. One by one, they spoke their minds to their judge. Twelve of them saw the great wrong they had done and wept at it, repenting. The rest did not, believing in their supposed right to wreak revenge on those who had lately taken part in such great harm to them.

            Moved by their reactions, Valun prepared to pass the awful sentence on his people. “Defying the orders of your king is a lesser evil by far than slaying innocent men. However, I must let it be known that I will not allow anyone to do such a thing without great pressing reason. Therefore, I say that you who did repent of the slaying, you must go forth from this city and never return through its gates or settle within sight of them. Henceforth, you are forgotten here. You are exiled from my city, not my country. To those of you who did not repent, I may not give you another chance. You will teach the people that they can not sit and debate, and so determine whether there is anything to repent of. Men must repent and forgive once, for all time, and not think to revenge themselves on those who no longer think of harming them. Therefore, in payment to the One and the innocents you slew, you must die, here and now.” At a gesture, the unrepentant men were slain without a second look by some of the guards. “Then Valun concluded. “Some of you shall have to deal with the bodies. Wherever you meet more such as these, ask them why they do this, and then ask them if they repent. Do not reveal the sentence until they have made their choice. Then, carry it out. Those who swear that they have done nothing may go free. As you see, you will know them by their blades.” As he said this, Valun gestured toward the blades which had been taken from the prisoners, all of which were stained. “Do as I have said. I will return to the castle to await your reports.”

            The dispirited king waited for several hours in the great hall before anyone came to him with the news he had ordered. While he sat thus, David finally reappeared at his side. Valun did not care to hear explanations at that time, and David did not offer him any, simply standing by his chair prepared to run for the next thing which was wanted.

            When Valun could stand the peace no longer, he spoke without shifting his gaze from the front door of the hall. “I have slain my people. May I still wear the crown, or am I a monster?”

            “My lord, this is not at all what you should think. I heard your orders from the men. The ones you slew were murderers, who did not care that it was so. You must set barriers before the people if there is to be peace. You must not berate yourself so harshly for deigning to serve justice in such a way. Those who live know that they were punished. Those who did no harm had no harm come to them. It was as it should be. The king can not let defiance go unpunished, but he must have a soft hand in dealing it out. By giving them the chance to repent, you gave them leave to offer their loyalty back to you. They will live in peace, for there is no shame on them beyond the walls of the city, which they will never enter again. In short, my lord, you have done as a king might do. Put this behind you and rule the remainder of your people with the same fair hand.”

            “It is not that I might have done wrong, but that I might lose the people themselves because of it. They lived in secrets and fear for so many years…”

            David stopped a passing servant and requested that food and drink be brought to the table. Stepping forward so that he was now facing the king, he asked “What must I say to make you believe this is true? You have done as you must, and you alone are the only man in the kingdom who does not believe it! If you can not bring yourself to accept this, there is one path open to you; renounce the crown and declare prince Valnor king in your stead.”

            Valun, who had to this point been sullen throughout the meeting, suddenly became animated, loudly protesting “That I can not do! My father named me king and not him!”

            “Then, from your love for the One and your father, believe what I say: You are a good man, you will be a great king, and you must, after you bury him, forget your father, for it is he who is driving you to madness over your treatment of the people he gave you to tend, even though he is now dead! If you can not loose your grasp on the desire to achieve your father’s pinnacle, you will go mad and fail miserably. Each son is a new man, and has no duty to anyone to be greater than his father, even though he be the king. How you see fit is not how your father saw fit; your time is different. It is incumbent upon you to force the people to fulfill your father’s words, but you must do this without forcing them to do anything. Therefore, you fear to punish them. Hear this, the people know you must do this; you explained yourself well enough when it began. They know that it is the right of the king to levy such penalties upon them, even if the king does not. Have faith; your people remain true to your house. When you slew those murderers, did the people cry out, or riot still more? They did not. There is peace in the city now because you acted, not despite it. I would suggest at least that you leave us all for some time, and learn that you are beholden to no shadows anymore, be they your father or hundreds you did not know.”

            Valun pounded his fist on the oaken table. “It is not your place to teach me! Return to your past duties, and I will see to myself!”

            Ever respectful, David stepped away, bowed, and said “As you wish, my lord.” Then he disappeared into the kitchen, where he had before been a minder of the great fire.

            Valun sat in silence for some minutes, thinking over the servant’s words as he chewed the venison which had been served whilst the man was speaking. Watching the sunlight disappear from a high window, he did not notice the man enter the room.

            “Everything he said was true.” remarked Robert, who was entirely alone and standing with the aid of a strong ash staff. Moving over and sitting when the king started at the sight of him, Robert added “If you will not hear him, than hear me, who has followed you and suffered with you through just what seems to be ailing you; the loss of your father, the man you vowed you would strive to be. Your trouble is, you are trying too hard. If you do not release it now, you, of all people, will begin to hate your father because you believe you must do everything as he did, even though you can not. You do not. Your father knew it, your brother knows it, I know it, the people know it. You do not. This, then, is what you must learn before you will come into your own as king: It is for the man himself to make himself great in the eyes of the people; great men do not spring from the minds of others. Learn this, and you will be happy. Leave your brother as your regent, and go forth with my people, be their son for a time, and learn that your father does not guide your destiny because you wear a crown and are called king. Will you do this, for me, and Richard, and all your people?”

            Valun sighed heavily, suddenly feeling that at last he had been told what he needed to do. “I will do it for the people. My father’s festival shall be held when I deem myself ready to return.”

            “Thank you, my lord.”

            Valun then sent a nearby attendant in search of the prince, who was most likely in seclusion to mark the loss of his father. It was precisely at that opportune moment that a doorwarden announced that a messenger had come from the king’s guards, with sir Richard in tow.

            Sir Richard opened the door for himself a moment later, already voicing his astonishment at the news. Even as he paid homage to the presence of the king, he was demanding an explanation from the man.

            “What is this, my lord? You have put your own people to death? Have you gone mad? On our return here, we passed many men who said they had been exiled from the city. Do you care?”

            His mind settled, Valun was able to drop into the stern tone he needed at the time. “I will take no more of that from you, though I know you are a loyal servant to me. I will, however, give you an answer. Did you not ask any men why they said these things?”

            “No, my lord. It seems that I have failed. May I be seated?”

            “Where you wish. I condemned some to death and exiled others because they murdered, though I particularly said that the prisoners were to be accepted. Did no one tell you that one dressed as a Naibern prisoner killed my father in front of all the people?”

            Richard was visibly taken aback. “I did not hear. I grieve at it, my lord, but I might also admire the man’s determination and boldness.”

            “I give you that. Now, because this happened, my people revenged themselves on innocent men who had been disarmed. I could not allow this to be so without punishment. Those who repented were exiled, and those who did not were slain. Those who did nothing were let free.”

            “I believe you did right, my lord. They will know you as a stern but merciful king.”

            At that time, Railon and John, who had been riding together some way behind Richard, entered the room. Both were dressed in battle armor and carrying their helmets under their arms. “I believe your man told you we would be coming?” inquired Railon, handing his helmet off to a man who had come forward to take it. Moving to sit at the long table close by Richard, he added “We have great business to speak of with you.”

            John followed the desert lord, saying nothing as he placed himself some way apart from the others.

            Turning his gaze on Railon, Valun said “Your companion I know, and I would have words with him. You, however, I know not, and you have not said who you are, nor why you dare to sit in my presence without acknowledgement?”

            “I am Railon, tenth king of Gairbairia. My house claims descent from Tyrone of Gaimairon. As a king, I claim the right to rest myself before others.”

            “And you, John, am I not your king?”

            John rose to his feet and replied in a clear voice “I am John of Ronaieria, brother of Elmbran, our king. We claim descent from Dalton of Taronga. I have never been your subject. In fact, I was under threat of death to capture or to kill you. But I renounce that order, for you befriended me, knowing not who I was. Let them kill me; they will find it hard.” His speech concluded, he resumed his seat.

            Noting Valun’s surprise, Railon and Richard spoke in unison. “It is all so. We have all three sworn to hunt the men responsible until they are dead. We also know who we must find: Kalveston, calling himself emperor of Naibern. Will you join us?”

            “Gladly would I do so, but I think that I must not. I have other matters to attend to. Also, I think that Richard would be an able representative for me in such a matter. Attend me, brother.”

            Valnor, who had just arrived, moved close by the king at his command. “What do you require that you call me away from my grief?”

            “I require you to take my seat. I wish to go forth for a time. I am not at peace, as I should be if I am to be a true king. You shall act for me, as if you were king, until I return. Do you swear to return my power to me when I do that?”

            “Yes. That I promise, on the faith our father had in us.”

            “Then I go. I will know if you keep your word, for I do not go so far. I will know myself better when I return.” With that, Valun rose from his seat and moved toward the door. At a signal, Robert rose and retrieved a chair which had been in his room. This he passed to an attendant, who set it down at the foot of the steps to the king’s seat.

            “Take your seat, brother. This will show the people that you do not claim the crown from me yet. Good day.” Valun then offered his brother a warrior’s salute, which was returned. Formalities complete, Valun opened the door for himself, calling to an attendant “I shall require my horse. Bring it to the city walls, the rear. I stay with the Trondale.”

Chapter 45

Chapter XLVII

Three days later, Valun invito rex and his father looked upon their homeland once again. By this time, the elder king had removed the binding around his eyes, and so he was able to follow his son’s direction as the king asked “There is our home, father. Is it not beautiful?”

“Yes. At last I see my home, and yet I care not for it. It is the people I want to see, and the people are in the cities. Take the straight road to the capital, and do not tarry on the way.”

So it was that the party began the last leg of their journey, meeting the road where it came up to join the mountains, and from there riding as swiftly as they were able to reach Corrandion.

When they reached the edge of the city, they were astonished at being greeted by nothing more than vast piles of rubble. Nothing whatever had been done about the destruction of the walls since Richard had ridden away. Passing the remains of the gatehouse, which had straddled the road by which they had returned, they saw that vast swaths of the city itself had also been laid low.

“Who could have done this?” Valun thought aloud “It seems that Robert will have much to answer for.”

One of the guards rode up then, wishing to calm his lord’s mind if he could. “My lord, if I may say so, do not lay the blame too heavily on one man. The signs show that a vast army trampled this ground. Do not disregard that such destruction as we have seen could not have been accomplished simply by neglect.”

“I will see the man himself to hear what he would tell me. But now, as we are safe, go from us and spread out into the city, making known that the kings have returned and will see their people on the steps of the palace.”

Saluting, the guards separated, each taking a different road away from that which they had been on. As Valun and his father continued forward, they could hear the guards moving steadily further away, loudly proclaiming “The people shall come to the palace!” The kings, and the prince Valnor who had remained with them rode unhindered until they reached the gates of the palace.

Acting as herald, Valnor rode forward and cried “Open the gates for your king, Valun conditor diu pacem and his son, Valun mac dilis, wish to enter their hall!” A few moments passed before James Longfurrow, who had stationed himself in the gatehouse, projected his voice out toward them.

“Good day, my lords! I would be out to greet you sooner, but my companions are both dead drunk. Discipline has gone to the wind since my brother left. If you will pardon me, I will inform the Trondale of your safe return and fetch some water. I am terribly sorry for such a greeting.”

James’s greeting was made so apologetically that the royalty he spoke to could not resist laughing at the absurdity of it. Speaking for the kings once more, Valnor replied “It is nothing, boy. You need not scrape the floor. You need only do as you have said as fast as you may. Go on now.”

When James had received the reply, he leapt up and hurried away. Everything he had said to the king was true; in the past week since Richard’s abrupt departure, the men, none of whom had ever been soldiers, but simply men carrying weapons who were loyal to their commander. With no commander to impress them, no one cared for strict discipline anymore, and so they had fallen into carousing to celebrate what victory they could claim.

On his way out of the gatehouse, James stepped over his fellow “watchers” with a look of self-righteous indignation. Dislodging the wooden bar that shut the doors, he muttered “Could have done just as well without you men. We’ll see if you get any glory for this. No doubt when you’re up you’ll be calling the whole city.”

There was actually a trough of water and a bucket nearby, so it did not take him long to retrieve the restorative he needed and then to throw it over the sleeping figures. They came awake with predictable grunts of resentment. “Look here! What’d you do that for? We don’t need no boy to put us out o’ that! We hain’t got no clothes but these here!”

“So you’ve lost your uniform already? No memory of the sword and anvil haunts your sodden heads? Look outside and tell me what you see, if you can. In case you can’t, that’s the king and his father you’re holding beyond their own gates. I would rectify your mistake, but I must rouse the Trondale.” Dodging the blow that was aimed at him, he sped off toward the inner castle.

At that time, Robert Trondale was still lying in a bed which had been assembled for him in a room on the ground floor of the castle, since the healers had decided that he would recover faster if he expended less of his strength. There were two attendants with him day and night, even though, with the stubbornness he had built along with his rocklike strength, he had decided two days ago that he did not require them. So he compelled the attendants to serve more often as runners who would inform him of the developments beyond the walls of the room. On this day, however, he had been asleep until just a short time ago, and so had not thought to send either of the men for news. Quickly, he decided what he wanted and made it known. “Send for my family. All of them. I have matters I wish to settle.”

“It shall be done.” One of the men left the room so silently that Robert hardly noticed the departure.

It was then that the tranquility of the room was shattered by the arrival of James, who had hurried there at his utmost speed and seemed to have been energized by the effort, rather than otherwise. “Lord Trondale, the king is at the gates!”

“The king is at the gates? Did you see him? Is he well or injured, and is he alone?”

“Yes, sir, I saw him. He appears well, and there are two men with him. One is very old and the other is perhaps younger than the king himself, sir.”

Upon hearing the answers to his inquires, Robert’s impulse was to leap up and run to the gate, but a sharp pain froze him and caused the remaining attendant to move to his side and pressure him back down. He insisted on protesting vigorously at this, however, shouting “I can not remain here! The king has come home and I must be there to see him! James, run to the gate. You will have to speak for me.” concluded the furious knight, relaxing when he saw that he was unable to force his way out at that time.

Nodding, James ran straight back out toward the courtyard again, from whence he could hear that the great gates were finally opening. By the time he arrived, the kings had crossed the threshold and were standing in the middle of the courtyard, as if they had suddenly remembered something important. As he drew close, James could hear the king say to the others “pater, frater. Nos ad principium. Sint rata et convertimini ad finem dolore magna felicitas, si in nobis. Sic loquor tamquam regi et ita dicam potero.”

The king had recited this proclamation as if he were standing in the temple. Out of respect for the king’s evident reverence for the moment, James froze where he stood, but four feet from them, and resolved to be unknown until they saw him themselves. He did not wait long. Almost immediately after the speech, which James had failed to understand one word of, the oldest man acknowledged his presence.

“And who is it who has come from our house to greet us, and why is he the only one?”

James guessed immediately that the man was the king’s father and chided himself for not realizing this immediately. Composing his face to show no reaction whatever, he bowed and replied “My lord, I am James, of the house of Longfurrow, brother to the king’s great friend of that name. I am afraid the castle is empty, save for the lord Trondale, who lies injured, and an attendant healer. My two companions of the gatehouse appear more concerned with their sleep.”

“You speak well, but why are there so few men at present?”

James turned to the king, who had spoken, and answered “Because we of the city weathered a great attack not long after you departed, my lord. Those who remain were ordered to begin rebuilding what was destroyed.”

“How many survived?”

“Only one thousand, my lord. With them, there are one thousand prisoners from the enemy whom my brother pardoned in your name and offered homes. Sixty-five men are from the lord Trondale’s command.”

The king shook his head slowly, seeming astonished at the numbers. “So few left? It is truly a return to the beginning.” He sighed heavily, as if he were adjusting a heavy load on his shoulders.

Then the prince, who had not spoken since entering, reminded the king “All is not lost, my brother. The towns and villages were not touched. Send men to call the people out. Remember what you have said.”

“It shall surely be as you say. And now, I wish to speak with Robert Trondale alone.”

Seeing that the king had taken control of the situation, the others with him actually stepped away to allow him to depart. James turned to watch his passage, thinking to himself that perhaps the old king, who had cried for their approval on the steps of the temple, was already gone, swept away in the flood of his lost people.

Valun was taken aback by the dim light of Robert’s room. He stood in the doorway, unnoticed, for a full minute before he spotted the attendant’s seat and commandeered it. Then he waited until they noticed his presence.

As the attendant was looking the other way, Robert was the first to react. He surged upward, defying the attendant’s futile restraint, as he cried “Look to your lord, man!”

The attendant shuffled back, ashamed, as he bowed toward Valun and said “My lord. It is joyfully that I recognize your return to us. It has been too long.”

Valun dismissed the attendant with a simple gesture. “You may go. I intend to speak to the Trondale alone. Go and see to the care of my father.” Even in the poor light, Valun could tell that real happiness had shown itself at the mention of his father. Would that venerable king’s word be enough, in the end, to make the people, or even he himself, accept that he was now, indisputably, the king of the Corridanes? Pulling away from his self-induced torments, Valun moved closer to the soldier in the bed.

“Can you explain yourself?”

Reaching back to deal with an itch he could barely reach, Robert asked tonelessly “Explain myself concerning what, my lord? Inflicting grievous injuries on myself because it was the alternative to death at the hands of a Naibernese giant? I would think I deserve some honor. No other man has survived jumping from the top of the city walls, have they?”

“And you were the first because…”

“Richard found me. Please call my attendant back. My back torments me.”

“Perhaps you should do it yourself, and call on the Longfurrow boy, if your throat has not also been injured?”

Sensing a challenge, Robert drew in his breath and bellowed the suggested name so loudly he would have been heard halfway across the battle of the great canyon, had he been there.

As James hurried in, Valun inquired of his captain “Do you know that Richard is not present?”

“I knew that. He told me himself he was going to hunt John, who rushed out the rear gate after the fight began.”

“Did you not have only two thousand men when I left? What occurred, that this should change?” Valun continued, guessing the answer as he spoke.

“At the critical point, when my men had nearly lost the walls, the Longfurrow and his whole force arrived to break the enemies’ rear. I have not seen what became of the city, because I have not stepped out of the castle in days. I know only that Richard won the battle.”

“You will live?”

“Since I have survived to see you return, I know that is likely, but those healers still insist that I should not yet rise. I regret that I may not greet you properly.”

Striding over to the bedside and extending his arm, Valun took the proffered, unpliable, wrist in his hand, even as Robert took his. Grasping this living steel beam in his own appreciably strong grip, Valun stood for a moment, then said “You who leapt four times your length to meet death. You who inspired men to stand against a horde, you who are master of your fate, it seems. The kingdom salutes you.”

Valun had never known Robert to show a true reaction in his life. But this time, he was, however mightily he struggled against it. Nearly choking on the words, Robert Trondale, that immovable pillar, gasped out “My lord… That is all I wished for… The One knows that I did not go seeking fame… but I still wished that fame would come to me, seek me out, so that my father would know… and my house would have honor… Is it wrong to wish that one be known, when one does as I have? But I did not want to stand over other men. I only wished to know that men would mark my passing.”

“You, my friend, are a great man. Upon my word, when the time for your passing comes, the people will know you.”

They released each other’s wrists. The king left the room, feeling strangely lighthearted and trailed by James. Robert sank back into his bed, relieved at having said his piece at last and now content. He was soon soundly asleep.

Chapter XXXIX

Chapter XLI

Richard came down some time later to discover that Robert had in fact been moved off the table as he had requested, and that James was waiting for him in the hall.

James did not even give Richard time to inquire what his purpose there was before he began to speak. “Had a fine rest, have we? While our poor brother was working himself to sleep taking charge of a thousand prisoners, and tending to them too. In the rain, which hasn’t yet let up, no less.”

Moving across the room to stand nearer to Robert, Richard replied, his voice heavy with restrained anger and grief mixed. “You were not given the authority to dispense with the men as you wished. Do you truly mean to set yourself up as a rival to me, as you did in our house when you did not know who the king was?”

Now James, who had been leaning on the wall on the right side of the doors, moved down the hall to and up the dais, upon which Robert was lying upon sheepskins, sleeping soundly. He stepped within an arm’s-length of his brother and said “Who would you have had do that which I have done? The king is gone, and his man with him, and here the lord Trondale is unable to rise, and even you was out of reach. I know when to let a man have his solitude; else I would have roused you earlier.”

“But you also know that I, and not you, spent all my strength in fighting alongside those men.”

James smiled in the self-satisfied manner of a card player who has successfully decoyed his opposing players and won the game. Gesturing toward the sleeping man a foot from Richard, he said “So too has this man, and he lies here by the grace of the One. Will you not allow him some measure of peace?”

Richard knew he had been outmaneuvered. “You did well, my brother. But what more could the lord Trondale want than that he has not been roused by our speech here?” James then indicated to the two watchmen at the doors that they were to open the hall.

Richard now guessed what James intended. “No one gave you leave to order the comings and goings of the Trondales.”

“Who said I intended to? There are men out there who want to pay their last respects to their captain now, in case he does not live much longer. If his family decides to come in, I was not stopping them.”

It was then that the people who had been waiting outside began to make their way into the building, as quietly as they were able to. Five thousand guardsmen had stood with Robert against the invasion force; only sixty-five of these still survived. The remaining men were those who had marched to Carribeasa and back with Richard. As eager as these men were to pay their respects to a fallen captain, they still stood aside to allow the passage of a lady trailed by several children.

Lady Evelyn, followed by her two daughters and two young sons, passed through the ranks of somber men without so much as glancing to either side. When she reached the dais where Robert lay, now flanked by Richard and James, who were holding position as if they were sentries, she hurried up the steps and knelt down before Robert. The Longfurrows respectfully stepped away.

“Robert, my son, rise and take your place. Your men are here. Shall they celebrate your rising or mourn your death?”

Robert had remained asleep throughout the whole scene. At the sound of his mother’s voice, however, he awoke and his powerful voice, weakened as it was, could be heard through most of the hall, in which deathlike silence reigned to better catch whatever he had the strength to say.

“Mother… Tell them to celebrate my rising! Not often has a man been given leave to survive what I have done. I still require healers and bandages, but it is enough that I live. Let my men come forward.”

Lady Evelyn stepped aside so that Robert was again fully visible in the sheets that covered him, turned back to the men, and called out “Who among you was among the company of Robert, Captain of the Guards?”

Hearing themselves summoned, the sixty-five survivors of Robert’s company made their way from their various positions in the ranks toward the front of the room. Forming a line near their captain’s feet, each of them in turn marched three steps to his head to receive his commendation. To the first man he gave a message: “It was folly, was it not, to throw myself from the wall?”

From his heart, the man replied “If you had died, sir, men who had not been there might call it folly, but I think I speak for my fellows if I say that giant would have crushed any of us. If even you could not, then you did what you had to do.”

“Thank you, man, for forgiving me.” Calling out the man’s name, and that of his father, which each guardsman had recited to him at enlistment, he sent him on his way. He acted likewise with the sixty-four men who followed after, so that all men should remember the names of those who had stood with him on the walls. Then, in a move which surprised all the auditors, he motioned a scribe forward. “We can not forget the dead. It is their right that they should be remembered.” Taking the scroll, he began to read the names of the rest of the guardsmen. Those listening, respecting the reason, thought, and action, remained silent throughout the reading.

The reading over, the scribe took the list to lock it away in the archives, while two other men moved forward to help Robert upright. Though both men were solidly built, they struggled to lift the captain’s weight until Richard stepped in to support them, for they were being careful to avoid jostling Robert in any way until they got him onto his feet. When this was finally done, Robert saluted the soldiers again and then moved off under the guidance of the two healers.

The departure of Robert seemed to release a general tension which no one had acknowledged as actually being present but everyone had felt. Richard now reassumed control over the general order of the people.

“The time has come to put our misery aside and work to rebuild the city. There are few of us left for the task, though, so I do not think the king would refuse to offer Corridane citizenship to those men who laid down their arms. Treat them as you would a countryman, for some, at least, I am sure, did not slay men of their own will.”

Richard moved toward the door, and the soldiers accepted this as a dismissal, falling into step behind him. Throwing the doors open without waiting for the wardens, Richard strode out onto the dais that was before the doors of the palace. Turning to face the throng within the building, he proclaimed, for the benefit of those who had not yet heard: “By command of the king I was made commander of all the men he did not lead himself. By the power of that order, I take it upon myself to say that we shall waste no time in restoring our city. There must still be some store of tools within the city. Go out into the countryside. Gather all the people and beasts of burden that you find. Cut what wood you can, and bring it back here, where the others shall be working at the building; you all had tasks before the battle! Return to them!”  Thrusting his fist upward in a sign of victory, he concluded “For, by all that is good, Corrrandion shall rise again!”

 It was early on the day following the battle, for Richard had slept through the night, as had all the others. The work of rebuilding the city began then and did not stop but for darkness for two full days after.

On the third day, ten men came riding into the midst of the work and asked to see Richard himself. Richard, who was nearby, paused in his work and came forward to hear their news.

“We followed the man’s direction to the banks of the river, but we were too late. There were signs that his party has crossed over.”

“King Valun will be told of this when he returns. You have done what you were able. Now find yourselves food and shelter and join us later.”

Leaving the work, Richard then went up to the palace and proceeded up to the room in which Robert had been secluded. Respecting Robert’s right to peace in recovery, Richard did not mince his words.

“My scouts have returned, and they report that your prisoner escaped.”

Robert slowly moved himself back so that he was sitting upright. “Do you think I can do anything? Or are you here to lay the failure of my brave men as wardens on my head?”

“I came to do no such thing. I only wished you to know where I am going.”

“Now you are leaving again? Why?”

“I believe the king would want the man brought back, so I will follow him. As for the life of Corridane, you need only tell them to continue as they are. Send your commands by James. I hope to return in a month. May the One be with you.” With that, Richard left the room. He encountered James in the hall and said “Do as the Trondale bids you. I am going after the man called John.”

From there Richard made his way to the stable, where he saddled his own horse and made other preparations necessary to the journey he saw before him. As he was leading the horse out of the stable, a man approached; he saw that it was one of those who had returned that day.

“Sir, are you not aware that the man crossed the river? Surely you can not be expecting your horse to swim the distance.”

“I knew that, else he would not have escaped from you. But you are not aware that Carribeasa is now at peace with the king. In that city they have boats, for they are the principal traders of the country. Continue your good work. If the king returns before I do myself, it is your charge to ensure that he knows what I have done.”

Without waiting for a reply, Richard spurred his horse forward, galloping out over the northwestern boundary of the city toward his ancestral land, and from thence to Carribeasa. The journey was long, arduous, and not without note in the archives of the kingdom.

Chapter XXXI

Chapter XXXIII




At about mid-morning of the day that Valun fought the black Brandians, as Valun and his men were beginning to fall back before the foes’ numbers , Robert the Ram, the captain of the Guard, stood upon the wall of Valun’s castle, surveying once more the force arrayed against his few men. Three days ago, when the siege had begun, he had put on a brave face to ensure that the men's’ confidence in themselves would remain high. Since then, they had been forced to endure whole days of doing absolutely nothing on short rations, which were already getting shorter by the day.

But even so, he knew they would fight to the last and give a memorable account of themselves which would be celebrated in song for many generations to come. That is, if Valun ever returned and succeeded in defeating the force which was now besieging the castle. Willingly or not, he had caught himself thinking of that army again.

“Drive them from your mind!” He thought to himself. “They’re not doing anything. Why worry about them?” With this, he let his thoughts drift down other paths.

He thought of his friends; John, the sly one who had always shown a special skill for fooling people. Generally, he had only done it to aid his friends, but as he grew older, Robert had worried that he might turn against them. When told, Valun had brushed it off as excessive caution. Richard, the one who had always had a flair for the dramatic and been inclined to suggest how Robert and John might put their time to better use than what they were doing; namely, that they practice their dueling. Ah, Richard. Excellent at giving orders, fighting, and overdoing simple things. No wonder Valun had made him general over Robert. And of course Valun himself, the lord and sovereign over the other three. From the beginning, he had taken his duties as a ruler seriously. He had always considered it his right to step in and settle the others’ arguments for them, yet he always managed it in a way that allowed him to retain the respect of both parties. Robert could not remember a time when he had ended an argument with the phrase “ Enough! Hold your tongues by order of the throne!” And of himself, Robert? What did he wish the others to think of him? What did they think of him? What was he? He, Robert, was the quiet, strong, one who had always preferred to do things with as little flair as possible, in direct contrast to Richard’s style. Robert’s ability to withstand any test and inspire other men to do the same was undoubtedly a major factor in Valun’s decision to nominate him as the Captain of the Guard. That had left John only the position of emissary. Not the position Robert would have placed him in, but then, Robert would not have given John any position, and sending him out of the country was far better than putting the defense of the nation under his charge.

Loud cries and sounds of wood clattering against stone brought Robert back into the world around him in a manner far more shocking than he had hoped for. “Daydreaming on guard, with a hostile force at the door? What am I good for, then?” he thought, drawing his sword and attacking the nearest foe. He was soon so preoccupied with retaining his life against the overwhelming force that he had no time to rally the men.

Every time he thrust a man back from the wall, another took his place. Their weight was too much for Robert to risk attempting to push the ladder away completely. Finally, after several minutes of hacking and parrying, Robert was driven from the edge of the wall, enabling the Naiberns to gain that section of the wall, though at great cost. Robert could hear no sound anywhere save the clashing of swords and shields. A moment’s respite from his duel allowed him to see that he was now nearly alone on his side of the wall. The guards who remained were being swiftly overwhelmed by charging enemies.

At long last, when he was nearly overcome with weariness and the belief that his end had surely come, Robert heard a sound which both stunned him and filled him with joy. The horns of Corridane, accompanied by thundering cries of “Valunarriaaaa! Valunarriiaaaa!” Against all odds, much of the army had returned! Robert was so stunned, that for a moment, all he do was to stand and watch as the banners of Valun and Richard, with Richard in his great helm of the black plume before them, and at least twenty-five thousand men charging behind, came straight toward the city. This short moment that Robert paused was enough for the massive soldier fighting him to push forward with a last effort and send Robert toppling from the wall. Coming back to reality at the last moment, Robert dropped his sword, and with the last reserves of his great strength, pulled his enemy over the edge with him.

Only feet from the walls, Richard brought his dramatic charge to an abrupt halt as he remembered how the city was designed. After a short pause, he called out “Our own city opposes our attack, but that will not stop valiant Corridanes! Onward and give no quarter! The best and bravest must ride in front! Any man who thinks himself worthy of those titles, come with me now! The rest must follow close behind!”

With the conclusion of these words, Richard spurred his horse straight toward the center of the city. Several men followed behind him, as many more flooded the remaining streets. Their sudden, bold, charge caught the last Naiberns still attempting to scale the walls of the fortress. Desperate to avenge their countrymen, Richard’s men cut down the Naiberns as if they were harvesting wheat just before a storm. Only moments had passed before several men had scaled the ladders and held the battlements to enable their comrades to follow. They met little resistance because the majority of the Naibern force was busy on the ground finishing off the last of the guards, who, though disheartened by Robert’s fall and seeming death, were among the bravest men in the kingdom and were giving a good account of themselves.

In a short time, Richard’s men had recaptured the walls and begun to stream down the stairways to the aid of the remaining guards. They had captured the walls, but they still faced daunting odds. The enemy force, which had once numbered fifty thousand men still, even after suffering losses made all the more staggering by the defenders' small numbers, numbered as many as thirty thousand. In the first several minutes, the shock of the arrival of Richard’s twenty-five thousand men turned the battle in favor of the Corridanes. But soon, the Naiberns' superior numbers began to take their toll.

The Naiberns had pushed the Corridanes back to the walls of the city before Richard was able to rally them. “Stand firm, men! Only five thousand men stood against more than this, and they did not surrender! There are more than twenty-five thousand of us, and yet we fall back against a force hardly bigger than ours? Stand firm, and charge like Corridanes!”

Richard’s hard words gave his men new strength. They threw themselves from the wall and charged upon the Naiberns, fighting harder than ever before and breaking their foes’ line. From then on, the battle was turned in favor of the Corridanes. Despite their greater numbers, the Naiberns withered under the renewed force of the Corridanes’ onslaught. Throughout the combat, Richard, due to his great height and thick black plume, was clearly visible wherever the attack was most in danger of failing.

After nearly an hour of intense combat, the ferocity of the Corridanes’ attack had stifled the Naiberns attempts to reorganize, causing many of them to attempt to break toward the walls once the Corridanes had left them. Few of those achieved their goal. Finally, at the conclusion of the battle, which had been fought all over the city, the numbers on both sides had been reduced by staggering amounts. There were barely a thousand Corridanes fit to stand guard over the captives taken during the fighting, who numbered nearly as many as their captors.

Richard, whose lifelong regular practice alone had kept him alive, and had taken several life-threatening blows himself, was looking over the dead after the battle when he came to the place where Robert had landed after falling from the wall at Richard’s arrival. The face-down position of the Naibern intrigued Richard, who had noticed that nearly all the dead lay on their backs. A moment later, he noticed that the Naibern lay upon another body, which was presumably that of a Corridane. Richard called another man to his aid, and the two of them lifted the body of the Naibern and moved it aside. A long moment later, when Richard realized that the body he had uncovered was that of his friend, Robert, Captain of the Guards, he fell to one knee and tore off his helmet. Holding his hand out flat an inch from Robert’s face, he felt the hot breath which told him that his friend was alive. Standing, he cried “Praise The Great One! Our Captain is alive!”

Richard and the other man lifted Robert’s body only enough to slip Richard’s shield, which he had been wearing on his back, underneath, and then put Robert back down slowly, lifted the shield by the straps, and slowly marched into the castle, where they set their burden down carefully on the great central table. With Robert safely deposited on the table, Richard left to visit the storerooms and draw some water.

There was no-one at the entrance when he arrived there; the storeroom wardens had indeed been called to fight, and had died like so many others, somewhere in the higher reaches of the castle. Opening the nearest hogshead, which appeared to be old wine, Richard took a flask from a nearby ledge, filled it, and brought it back up to the still unconscious Robert. Without further ado, Richard poured the wine down Robert’s throat.

Robert came awake with a start, but remained lying upon the table. A moment later, he noticed Richard standing beside him, grinning from ear to ear. “Richard? Wait- Why does my breath smell like old wine? Am I drunk? There are better ways to rouse a man who’s lost his senses, you know. Yes, you know, but you always have to go about doing things in the hardest way possible.”

Shaking his head and breaking into laughter, Richard replied “Oh, Robert! Robert my friend! Do you feel drunk? No, you don’t. You’ve never been drunk in your life, and you wouldn’t say that unless you’d just been rescued from near suffocation. That man I found you under was large enough to have knocked me aside as if I were a boy. How did you survive?”

“The one thing you never paid much attention to, my friend. Strength. You and the others didn’t give me the title of ‘the ram’ for nothing, remember?”

“If memory serves, we call you that because you’re so stubborn, and hard-headed.” Richard said, laughing.

“Stubborn and hard-headed, am I? It’s you who makes everything harder, with your useless flourishes and careless behavior!”

“Come now, enough jibes. The enemy is defeated, but heavy work remains to be done before we may rest.”

“You are mistaken” Robert replied, growing solemn “there is an enemy we can not defeat still working against us. Hunger. My men and I have been subsisting on insufficient rations for several days already.”

“Have no fear. A force as large as the one we defeated surely had enough provisions with them to sustain the much smaller numbers we have to feed now.” With that, Richard departed to the field outside the ruined walls, where he did indeed discover vast amounts of food. He had known it was there, having seen it as he arrived, but of course he had not been aware then that it would be needed so desperately. But it did not worry him overmuch now, as he knew that if there was one thing that could not be overestimated in wartime, it was the amount of food an army must bring with it to maintain a siege. In a short time, he had all the survivors, including the Naibern prisoners, moving back and forth between the field and the castle, carrying provisions.

Two hours later, when all the provisions fit to be saved had been safely stowed in the storerooms, Richard returned to the great hall, where Robert was still lying upon the table, and showing signs of great pain.

“What ails you?” Richard asked anxiously “You seemed well enough when I left.”

“That was because” Robert replied, grimacing “I had not yet regained my senses completely, and was unaware myself of how much pain I had brought upon myself by falling from the wall. Landing underneath a soldier in full armor who is as tall as the king and appeared twice his weight does not help either.”

“Not is. Was. I spotted your knife in his chest as I lifted him off you. How did you do that?”

“I felt it sliding out as I fell. My arm then put my training into practice. I hardly noticed what I was doing. And now, enough of talk. Get this armor off me and I will feel better.”

Richard nodded assent, and the next several minutes were spent in silence as Richard systematically removed Robert’s painfully crushed armor. When he reached the breastplate, though, Robert stopped him for a moment, saying “Just cut it off. We can repair it later. Right now, I need to remain still.” Without answering, Richard drew a knife he carried and slit the straps which held the two sides of the breastplate together. As he lifted it off, Robert remarked “That is a great help, but it won’t mend things immediately.”

“Where else have you been injured?”

“I feel that my right leg is broken, several ribs have cracked, and, as you have noticed, my right hand is hanging limp. I was still holding the knife when I hit the ground. It was my wrist or my life, so I count myself lucky that my hand gave way under that man’s weight.”

Expressing surprise, Richard then pronounced “Moving you far is out of the question in your state. I will have some men put a pallet down for you at the end of the hall.”

“Do that. Lying spread out like this on the great table is embarrassing.”

“It should not be to one such as you. You have achieved greatness. This hall shall echo forevermore to the stand of the five thousand, sung by the land’s greatest bard.”

“To hear that sung in my lifetime would satisfy me beyond compare. But before they sing of us, they must sing of the twenty.”

“The twenty? What do you mean?”

“Look around a few feet from the place where the rear gate stood. You will find twenty dead Corridanes surrounded by a ring of foes they slew. Give them a decent burial.”

“Twenty? Against how many?”

“As many as they were able to hold out against. Go find them.”

“As you wish, oh supreme Captain of the Guard.”

“Just go, you of the big boots!”

Retaining a straight face, Richard went out into the city once more. He immediately turned his steps toward that part of the city which faced the rear of the castle. He found what he was looking for about twenty feet from the ruined rear gate, in the midst of the rubble which had once been a wall eight feet thick. What he was looking for was a grisly sight. Any friends of the dead who had survived the battle would not have been able to recognize them. These men had paid the highest price, but they had exacted a high price of their own; when Richard and the men he had brought with him began to look, they discovered two hundred Naiberns within four feet of where the twenty lay. Many of the invaders were hidden under the bodies of others who had been slain after them.

For the best part of the next hour, Richard worked alongside the men in the grisly task of removing the bodies of the slain. They laid each of their countrymen in a separate grave, but the Naiberns they burned on a pyre, as the task of burying them also would have taken the best part of two hours in itself. Richard and his men gathered the blades of the Naiberns who had died and distributed them equally around the graves of the twenty, points stuck firmly in the earth. Richard himself completed the task, placing a sword or spear at the head of each grave. Stepping back, he spoke, loudly and clearly, so all could hear.

“Though their names and faces be forgotten, those men who lie in the earth before us now will never be forgotten. When all is said and done, and long after we have passed on when our time comes, men will speak of courage. When a man proves himself in battle, his comrades will say ‘he stood like one of the Twenty’, and that shall be the greatest praise a man can receive. For the Twenty abandoned all that they had, abandoned all hope of regaining what they had lost, thinking only of protecting their country and their countrymen for as long as they remained alive, in the face of overwhelming numbers. What should and will be remembered of the Twenty is not that their sacrifice did not greatly alter the fortunes of either side, but the sacrifice itself, that they stood and fought where they did simply because they had no hope of surviving, because their country needed men to rise up, stand, and fight. Who can say whether the rest of the guards would have fought as well if they did not have the memory of the Twenty to spur them on? Therefore I say they were the bravest of the brave, and I pray that The Great One may deem their sacrifice worthy of honor, and forgive them for all that they might have done against him.” Drawing his sword in a warrior’s salute, Richard turned away from the graves, back toward the city, where many more men waited to be laid to rest.

Throughout the rest of that day, Richard and the comparatively few men from either side who had survived the battle were kept busy laying their comrades who had fallen to rest. Inside the castle, Robert the Ram lay on the great table, seriously injured, uncertain that he would live to see Valun return. Around them all lay the rubble which had been the great outer walls. Over the course of the day, the sky had grown dark with clouds, and now not a single small patch of blue remained. The storm broke just as Richard and the men finished covering the last casualties of the combat. Their task complete, the men turned and ran inside the castle, eager to rest after their protracted, solemn work.

Overcome by feelings of disappointment and despair, Richard disappeared into a private room in an upper level of the castle. Whether he wept over his lost men when he was finally alone is not for me to say. It was indeed a dark day for Corridane.