Land of Midnight - knights

Chapter One: Secrets Between Friends

david — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:39:03 -0500

Friendships can survive the ages. At least, that�??s what Nehon believed. His fondest memories as a child were of Alayla. For the first six years of their lives they were practically inseparable. Either playing in the woods or at the lake, attending family functions or sitting in front of a fire listening to stories, they knew they had a friendship that would last the ages.

Those perfect days of youth ended abruptly at age six when the stark realization that the two could not be the friends they knew they should be collided with the reality of who they were in society. At age six, Nehon, the son of a farmer, began his formal schooling in a neighboring village and Alayla, the daughter of a king, was sent to Kinta to be schooled with others of her class at one of the most prestigious institutions in the land.

As the years wore on, the two old friends grew apart. Endless days playing in the forest became idle thoughts of one another�??s friendship. In recent years the two met up on two occasions; the funeral of Alaya�??s mother, the Queen; and the funeral of Nehon�??s parents.

When a servant of the king came to Nehon as he worked in his rain-soaked field and told him that the princess requested his presence he was surprised and intrigued. And as he sat in the king�??s library sipping sweet cala next to the fire he was confused.

He looked up at Alayla. "Excuse me?" he said, then realized to whom he was speaking and added "M�??Lady."

Alayla gave him a quick smile and sat down across from him. "I know it�??s a lot to take in. But I really do need your help. And no, I�??m not crazy. I�??m very, very serious."

Nehon watched the light from the fire dance on her face and he looked into her eyes for some hint of truth to her words. Politics and friendship paired can only bring distrust and discord, his father said to him once.

They sat in silence. The fire sparked. Voices from the adjacent library quietly cursed.

"Knights? They were disbanded years ago. Your father did that."

"Yes he did. Now he feels that the time is right to bring them back."

"I�??m a farmer not a warrior."

"You�??re my father�??s subject and, more importantly, my friend." Alayla leaned forward. "All I�??m asking is that you go to Lya and get proof that Uh�??ton was involved in the murder of our ambassador. And after that, it becomes a matter for generals and politicians."

"That�??s it? Proof?"

"That�??s it. And when you return, you�??ll be granted a noble title and servants as thanks from my father, your king."

Alayla sat up and Nehon stood up and walked behind his chair. In the library something obviously fragile broke and more curses said. A log collapsed in the fireplace.

"There are supposed to be five knights."

"Indeed." Alayla stood and walked to the fire. "You will need to find three friends to accompany you. A fifth has already been selected and is awaiting your arrival at Indis Mon Appera." She turned her head and looked at Nehon. "I don�??t know this fifth, nor do I trust him. But by all accounts he is a warrior and you�??re not. Just in case you need one."

"Ah." The farmer slowly stepped next to the princess and gazed at the fire soaking up its warmth. "And they�??ll be�?� rewarded for their time?"

"Of course they will."

"Then I accept."

Alayla smiled and turned to her friend. Nehon wasn�??t smiling and this disturbed her. "I�??m not doing this for you, please understand," he said. "I�??m doing this for your father and for the kindness he has shown my family."

She put her hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes. "I do understand. In fact," she giggled, "my father often thought of you as his son. Now kneel."

Nehon did as he was told as Alayla walked to her desk and picked up a sword. She unsheathed it and placed the blade on his right shoulder. "As Regent of the House of Ettan, by the will of the King, I grant you, Nehon, the title of Knight. Rise."

Nehon did as he was told, looked Alayla in the eyes, and nodded his head. "Thank you, M�??Lady."

"Now then, your provisions are with your horse. It�??s late, so you should get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day." She took the sword, replaced the sheath, and handed the hilt to Nehon.

"Yes, M�??Lady." He bowed his head and began to walk out of the office.

"Oh, Sir Nehon," she began then waited for him to stop and look at her. "Be careful. And remember this; everything around us is changing."

"Yes, M�??Lady. Good evening."

Alayla smiled and watched him leave then went to the window to see him collect his provisions and horses and to see if perhaps he would turn and look up at her.

"Are you sure about this?" a gruff voice came from the library.

"Come out, Midnight."

As ordered, the old man walked out and stood by Alayla. His black robes were disheveled and he looked as if he hadn�??t slept in days. His beard, brown as his hair as if to hide his age, was mangled and knotted and he grimaced when he tugged on it. His eyes, bright blue as the afternoon sky, hid his secrets.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

"No. But there are a few more places I need to look." Something fell in the library and he glanced back. "Are you sure about this?" he asked again.

"Yes, I�??m sure. It�??s the only way. �??Everything is changing.�?? You told me that." She looked at the old man and smiled then looked back out to see Nehon in the fire light of the courtyard inspect his horses.

"I did." Midnight put his hand on Alayla�??s shoulder. "But I didn�??t say it was for the better."

***

As Nehon and the Princess were talking, stable hands took to outfitting the new knight�??s horse. They replaced the worn saddle with a new one, and gave his horse a new blanket. In the new saddlebags were food and a canvas shelter. And on his horse�??s head was a helmet with a hawk figuring protruding out as a horn.

He removed the helmet and walked to the other two horses and attached it to the lead horse. He looked over the provisions the other two horses carried; food, canvas, clothing, and weapons were what he saw. After attaching the two horses to each other and then to his own horse, he walked up to his horse and rubbed her nose.

"I�??m an idiot," he told her as he grabbed the lead. "Hopefully you�??ll make it out alive."

He began his walk out of the country estate of the King of Ettan. The rain had stopped. Slivers of the moons could be seen through the clouds. And as much as he wanted to Nehon didn�??t look back. He was never one to show too many emotions. And he knew that no matter how desperate he felt, he could never run through the courtyard, into the house, and rush to Alayla and say "I love you."

Prelude

david — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:49:01 -0500

Lanton stood outside the King�??s door and let out a sigh. The king, he knew, was expecting him; he knew in turn what the King would order him to do. Was the king mad, he wondered, or was this simply the best strategy? And was this the only way?

He clutched the scroll in his hand tightly and slowly opened the door.

"Your Majesty?"

"Chancellor, come."

Lanton slowly entered the dimly lit office of his old friend and king and closed the door behind him. He turned to the king and found him sitting in his chair and staring not out the window as was his usual inclination but at a shelf filled with his trinkets, trophies, and books.

The king made no gesture to his chancellor upon his entrance and Lanton, accustomed to an informal address of the king in private, realized that today was not the day to begin with simple pleasantries. He bowed his head.

"Your Majesty."

Lanton noticed a darker mood to the room of his lord. On any other day this meeting would be held over a drink and a chuckle; the affairs of state secondary to the friendship of the two men. But today his desktop was clear of the usual two glasses and bottle of wine and in its place was a stack of papers and a small pouch.

"They�??ve come, haven�??t they?"

The Chancellor stepped forward and held out the scroll but stopped when the king held up his hand. "Don�??t tell me. If you�??ve come to bring word of an envoy from Ettan then I must hear no word of it."

King Agaraa�??s eyes still fixed on the shelf; a light yellow was cast upon his face. Lanton became nervous.

"You remember the day my world ended?" the King asked. "You were with me that day. The day I took the throne from my father. Today, my old friend, is the day scores will be settled. You know what needs to be done."

Lanton shook his head. "But, my Lord, Ettan is an ally�?�"

"Ally?" The King looked sharply at Lanton, then quickly looked back at the shelf. "They are our ally in a very basic sense. They�??re less of a friend." The king stood up and walked to the window to stare out into the night. "We were attacked, remember, and I sent them a request for help. Did they respond? No. So, no, Chancellor, they�??re not friends.

"You know what needs to be done."

"My Lord, are you sure?"

Agaraa made no answer save a slight nod. "For Lya," the King finally said.

"For Lya," Lanton repeated as rote. He bowed his head, turned, and left his majesty�??s office.

Lanton knew the enormous weight of his charge. He knew that he was starting a war. Or rather, he knew that his King was continuing a war that for most everyone had ended over a decade ago.

And today, fifteen years since Uh�??ton attacked Lya, blood would again be shed. And it would start with Lanton.

As he walked down the hall he passed two guards escorting a young man in a blue cloak to the king�??s office.

"Leave your soul at the door," he said to the stranger as he walked by. "You won�??t need it in there tonight."

* * *

There was a chill in the air when Lanton left the palace and crossed the courtyard. The sun had set and the moons illuminated the city. He walked off the palace grounds and decided to go to his home to change. He entered his house and was greeted by his wife and Lanton smiled for the first time since the envoy arrived hours ago. He kissed his wife and his children and changed out of his official garb and into street clothes.

Anything that was to be done tonight was not official.

He kissed his wife again and told her he had more work to do before morning. He was glad he didn�??t have to lie; half the truth was enough.

He left his home and made his way to the stables. There he told a stableboy to ride out the Ettan envoy and escort them to the fields west of the city for the night and that the king would see them in the morning.

He left the stables and was joined by four other men, former members of the Lya army who had no qualms about doing the kings bidding. For the right price.

And tonight, Lanton knew, the price was too high.

* * *

The massacre went as planned. Using weapons of Uh�??ton that had been collected over the years the mercenaries slaughtered the Ettan envoy as they slept. Before the rise of the new day seven innocent men lay dead.

Lanton paid the men and walked to the killing field. He never imagined that their murders would be so clean. Men in their tents sleeping peacefully. Blood silhouetting their bodies.

He made his way to the tent of the Ettan ambassador, a man Lanton knew as a good man from the few times he met; a man committed to his king as Lanton was committed to his. "Pa�??man." He cursed his Hallowed then asked the same for forgiveness. He took the scroll and dropped it in the pool of blood next to the ambassador and left the tent.

The sun was about to rise and a new day begin. He stood in the middle of the killing field and said a prayer to the Pa�??man, turned to leave and walked into a dagger.

Lanton was unable to speak, unable to yell. Standing in front of him was the boy in blue twisting the dagger in his stomach. He tried to yell, tried to run but only managed to fall to his knees. The boy did the same.

With the dagger in his right hand, the boy put his left on Lanton�??s head and brought his year to his mouth. "My name is Aldean Kienanan and I release you." The boy pulled his dagger from Lanton, pushed the Chancellor of Lya down and left the field as quietly as he came onto it.

The morning light of the new day fell on Lanton�??s face and he breathed his last.

* * *

King Agaraa stood at his office window and looked out onto his courtyard. His court officials and servants and the commoners beginning their day. Of those people he had no interest. Instead he watched the fountain and he watched for the young man in blue. From time to time he turned to his shelf and eyed the orb of yellow, then turn back to the fountain until he saw the boy.

The boy held his cloak as he made eye contact with the king and nodded. The king made no indication that he saw and instead walked to his shelf and picked up the yellow orb and held it in his hand.

As he stared at the orb clouds of blue appeared in it and swirled and the king smiled.

"You�??re right," he said to the orb. He rubbed his face with his other hand.

"I should grow a beard."