Eleanor (79 page)

A moment of silence followed Nials’s words.

“‘Conlan Baydon and his Avatars’; he makes us sound like a Vegas lounge act,” Eleanor muttered without thinking. Next to her Freddie slapped his hand over his mouth and looked pained as he fought to control his giggles, every naked flame in the room jumping. In front of her Eleanor could see Will and Amelia go rigid; she knew they were also trying desperately hard not to laugh.
 

Oops…
 

Conlan noticed the reaction of the others and looked down at her, an eyebrow raised in question. She smiled back innocently. Before he could say anything the assembled gathering broke out into riotous applause. To the huge swell of clapping hands, Nials led them forwards. Everything looked very different from the last time Eleanor had seen the audience chamber; the clapping was making her nervous again, so she concentrated on the room. The central raised platform with its wooden chair was gone and had been replaced by six wide tables that ran the length of the room, benches on each side, white cloths and flower arrangements covering the tables, cutlery and glasses arranged in each place, sparkling in the delicate, dreamy glow of lanterns and candles. At the far end of the room, towards where they were heading, a table had been placed horizontally across the others. This table only had settings on the side that faced the rest of the room, and instead of benches there were large, comfy-looking chairs with high arms and tall backs. Looking up, Eleanor could see the remnant pale orange and red splashes of the setting sun through the open roof, and a cooling breeze brushed her face. Everybody was stood clapping, cheering and smiling; it made her uncomfortable. Conlan, however, seemed relaxed and happy, a friendly smile on his face.
Growing up with a Lord of Mydren as a father, he must be used to it.
As they reached the end of the room, Laurice stepped forward. She was wearing her gold belt with a stunning red dress, similar to the one Urerla had been wearing in the garden, with lots of floaty layers of gossamer material. As she looked around at the many women present, Eleanor noticed this style of dress seemed to be the fashion; most women were wearing one in myriad different colours, styles and lengths.

Laurice clasped the hands of each of them to her in greeting, a radiant smile on her face. She directed them to their places personally. Eleanor was horrified to find they had been placed on the top table, with Conlan sitting next to Laurice. The only other occupants at the top table were Urerla, Nials and the leaders of the other seven tribes, whom Laurice introduced as they walked to their seats. Each woman had a different delicate pattern of ritual scarring across their faces, and all gave an air of strength and intelligence, appraising Eleanor with keen interest as they met her. She wondered what Laurice had told them.

As she sat in her place, Eleanor felt like every eye in the room was boring into them, analysing and scrutinising. Relieved to discover that she was to sit next to Conlan, with Freddie on her other side, Eleanor relaxed slightly, as at least she would have someone to talk to – a distraction from the watching black eyes. They took their seats as Laurice took hers, followed by the shuffling and movement of three hundred people climbing into their places at the tables in front of them. After this flurry of activity had passed, an expectant silence descended and Laurice stood, smiling at the people gathered before her. When she spoke, her clear, chiming voice carried to the far corners of the room.

“Beloved friends, thank you for joining me on this night of new beginnings. We have gathered here to celebrate the love my daughter and heir, Urerla, shares with my horseman Nials as they declare their desire to marry, to which I give my wholehearted blessing. We also gather to celebrate our new alliance with Conlan Baydon. I owe my position, my life and the lives of my daughter and her future husband to Conlan and his Avatars. In recognition of this, and on behalf of the Eight Tribes of the Horse, I swear my allegiance to him and offer such help and assistance that he may need in his battle to destroy the Lords of Mydren and claim the right to rule. My brother moved against me because he believed I was failing to act against the ever-growing threat the Lords of Mydren present to us and our way of life. I have not acted before because I never felt there was an option of defiance available. This is no longer the case; we have been offered the chance to show that we are a force to be reckoned with. I believe that Conlan Baydon will succeed, and I look forward to the day I see him crowned King of Mydren.”

Laurice paused, smiling at Conlan who nodded his head in graceful acceptance. Eleanor looked down the table; none of the other tribe leaders seemed shocked or upset by Laurice’s proclamation, so Eleanor assumed any disagreements that might have arisen had been argued out by Laurice beforehand. Laurice turned back to her people and continued speaking.

“As a symbol of our allegiance to Conlan Baydon, we are parting with our most treasured possession, the ‘Heart’, which has rested with our people for hundreds of years and was forged in our volcano’s molten heat. However, it was never truly ours and I now pass it back to its rightful owner. Freddie, Avatar of Fire, please stand.”

Eleanor looked at Freddie’s confused face; he knew she had said his name.
 

“Freddie, stand up,” Eleanor hissed urgently. Freddie flicked his eyes to Eleanor, before getting slowly to his feet. A guard moved from against the back wall and gave a sword, sheathed in an elaborately carved silver scabbard, to Freddie. Inch-long rubies glittered from it as Freddie turned it over in his hands, a look of excited awe on his face.
 

“Tell her thank you,” Freddie said to Conlan, smiling as he ran tender fingers down the sword and then taking his seat again, not able to take his eyes off the weapon. Eleanor heard several gasps from the crowd at Freddie speaking English, but looking out at the sea of faces, as Conlan translated Freddie’s gratitude in a far more elegant style than Freddie himself, Eleanor decided it was surprise and interest she had heard. Nobody seemed afraid, just curious and friendly.
Four down, one to go; all we have to do now is retrieve the crown, get rid of Conlan’s shield and get the connection working. All this time… why does it feel like we’re no closer?
Eleanor was so caught up in her thoughts that she jumped when Laurice addressed her.

“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth, please stand.”

“Me?” Eleanor asked.
What have I done now?

“Unless you know of any other Avatars of Earth I could be addressing?” Laurice asked, amused. There was polite laughter from the guests. Her heart hammering in her chest, Eleanor got up, stared at her feet and felt her stomach flip. Conlan reached for her hand and held it tightly. Eleanor smiled and raised her head. She looked at Laurice, trying to avoid glancing at the audience.

“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth, I owe you special thanks, as you helped my daughter find love, a gift beyond measure, and, with no thought for your own safety, stood in my defence and paid a heavy price. In recognition of this selfless courage I would like to offer you a gift of your choosing, anything you wish that is within my power to provide. What can I give you, little warrior?”

Eleanor stared at Laurice open-mouthed. She knew what she wanted, knew there was only one thing she could ask for. Glancing down at Conlan’s hand holding tightly to hers made her feel a little braver and Eleanor steeled herself.

“Please may I have Meran?” she asked, looking Laurice in the eye.

A deathly hush fell over the room as if three hundred people were holding their breath. Laurice looked shocked. It was Nials who answered her from further down the table.

“Eleanor, you ask too much. Meran is a member of our family.”

“Peace, Nials,” Laurice said quietly. “The Avatar asks in innocence. I would know why she makes the request; she has a horse who loves her.”
 

A strong hot blush blossoming on her cheeks, Eleanor dropped her head again and allowed herself another glance at her hand in Conlan’s before raising her eyes to Laurice’s, a face full of guilt. Laurice saw the look and understood.
 

“You did not ask in innocence, did you? You are well aware of the implications of your request,” she said. Her voice was mild, but it still carried the length of the room. Eleanor heard more gasps and her heartbeat went into overdrive. Wondering if she was going to get punished again, she nodded.
 

“Meran told me about his ‘status’,” she confirmed, rushing into her explanation, her voice trembling slightly but wanting to get her point across before Laurice decided to stop her. “I have a horse I love and who loves me, but Conlan does not. He needs a horse fit for a king, he needs a strong, brave, dependable friend, he needs Meran and Meran needs him.” Laurice regarded her in silence, so Eleanor kept going. “The People of the Horse bind their allegiances in marriage, but this is not possible in this case; however, Meran is a member of your family, and while the bond between horse and master is not a ‘marriage’, it can still be strong enough to act as a bind to your alliance.” Then dropping her tone to a growl of desperate begging, the verbal equivalent of prostrating herself at Laurice’s feet, Eleanor spoke again. “Please let us take Meran, he wants to come with us. If he stays here the grief will kill him.”

Eleanor felt Conlan’s grip tighten as Laurice stared at her thoughtfully. Her friends’ eyes glazed over as Will gave a translation in Freddie and Amelia’s heads as to what was going on. Time stretched and Laurice turned and held a whispered conversation with Urerla. Eleanor could feel every eye in the room glowering at her for what she had suggested. Eventually Laurice turned back to face her, holding her gaze with a strong, steady eye. Eleanor forced herself not to drop her head.

“Eleanor, Avatar of Earth. I offered you a gift and you risked my displeasure by making a request on behalf of another. Had I not offered you this gift, would you have asked me for Meran anyway?” Laurice asked. She did not sound angry, but Eleanor knew sometimes this was a greater indication of it.

“Yes, I would have asked for Meran, and for the reasons I have stated. Meran is a fine horse and a friend. He needs a new purpose. Conlan’s horse Rand, another fine animal, died tragically not long ago, so they need each other,” Eleanor said.

“A heart for a heart,” Laurice murmured. Eleanor realised it was the third reference she had made to the sword’s poem in the book.

“A silver sword in south freedom’s hands; A gift beyond measure to enter their lands; A heart for a heart, a price to be paid; Think to the future a deal to be made,” Eleanor quoted. Laurice stared at her in open-mouthed shock as the other seven tribe leaders began whispering furiously behind her back.

“These words of secret prophesy have been passed down from the mother to the daughter of the ruling families for generations beyond memory. We are told that when these words came to pass we would need to fight to change the world for the better. How do you know them?” Laurice asked. Eleanor could feel the crowd leaning closer, fascinated and excited at being let into this secret.
 

“We were given instructions on how to find the Talismans that we need, and the poem I have just recited was how we found you,” she said.

Laurice smiled, as if everything had suddenly become clear. “My husband’s horse is yours, along with my grateful thanks. I would ask, however, that you wait a few weeks before departing, in order to allow Meran some time to build up his strength. He is rather fragile at the moment.”

Laurice flicked her eyes to Conlan, and Eleanor saw his head nodding out of the corner of her eye, but she was not taking her eyes off the woman in case she changed her mind.
 

“Wonderful, then let us eat!” Laurice said, her chiming voice filling the room. Eleanor dropped heavily into her seat as her legs gave way. Laurice’s command appeared to be the signal for life to return to the room; the excited buzz of conversation rose and fell as doors in the back of the room opened and waiters and waitresses entered to serve the hundreds of guests. A plate was placed in front of her and Eleanor realised that her food was different from all those around her – it was one of her favourite vegetable dishes, a mashed pale-pink, carrot-like root that had a sweet sugary taste and was covered in slightly bitter, melted cheese. She looked at the array of eating utensils in front of her and tried to work out which one she should be eating with. There seemed to be no logic to how they were laid out, as they were arranged in a strange overlapping circle around the plate. She glanced at Freddie, but he looked just as bemused as she was. Her hand still in Conlan’s, Eleanor gave it a light tug; he politely broke off his conversation with Laurice and turned to her.

“Yes?” he asked softly in Dwarfish.

“I do not know which…” she waved her free hand over the place setting, not knowing the Dwarfish word for ‘cutlery’, “… to eat with,” she whispered. Amused, Conlan nodded and gave her a lesson in table etiquette, quietly telling her the names for each implement as well as their collective terms and explaining the order. There was a sort of logic to it, as they used their utensils in a spiral progression. Throughout his lesson, Laurice would occasionally offer additional information as to why certain things were done, telling Eleanor stories about poisoned leaders and the spiral of movement representing the spiral of life from birth to death. Freddie had entered her head so that Eleanor could translate for him, as he found the tradition and ritual to formal eating fascinating. As they ate and more courses were brought out, Eleanor realised there was an implement for each course, which meant there were going to be twenty-five in all, a sacred number, Laurice had told her. Considering the amount of food presented at each serving, Eleanor began pacing herself, and she suggested that Freddie do the same. He scoffed at her. Conlan, she noticed, took no more than two or three mouthfuls from each dish, but then Eleanor had not wanted to let go of his hand, so he was reduced to eating with one utensil. He did not seem to mind and actually seemed relaxed, happy and comfortable, which helped Eleanor shake off some of her fear. In addition, Freddie cracking dreadful jokes in her head as he attempted to get to grips with his dinner made her giggle, helping to calm her nerves further. Eleanor was impressed with Laurice’s chefs; they managed to come up with twenty different dishes just for her, each one unique and wonderfully tasty. The last five courses were puddings and sweets. Eleanor watched Conlan finish his first full plate of food when a light spongy cake covered in thick, white, sweet, mint-flavoured custard was put in front of him. Loving the look of boyish delight with which he ate, she offered him her portion as well. He grinned at her, not needing to be offered twice, and swapped his empty plate for hers. He was slightly more restrained on the four further courses, but Eleanor smiled at the wistful looks he gave the uneaten sweet treats and cookies he had left as the plates were removed.