The Awakening (39 page)

Chapter Forty-three

“Quickly, we’’re almost across,” Alemar said as she spurred Shira on.

Giles and Clovis were close behind her, and they could all see the path before them. The walk across the narrow bridge of ice was harrowing, to say the least. Although the pass appeared to be fragile and weak, it supported them the entire time. Iscaron and his army walked in back of them, slowly and methodically, driven by their new purpose, though their feet left no marks upon the icy surface. Clovis looked backward, and as far as his eyes could see, were row upon row of the undead, marching with their weapons drawn and their armor clattering.

“Are you certain that it is safe to lead them back to Eleutheria?” Clovis asked once more.

“Absolutely!” Alemar replied. “There is no doubt in my mind that they will keep their word. They wish only to glimpse the city another time before they leave forever.”

“It will be quite a sight for the people of the city!” Giles remarked.

“That is the truth!” Clovis chuckled. “What will your brother say when he sees you leading the ancient army of Iscaron to the gates of Eleutheria?”

“I hope he will finally realize that we must join in the struggle,” she answered. “Perhaps he will be moved enough by the plight of our ancestors, to recognize the danger to our own people,” Alemar said wishfully.

“Is he frightened, do you think?” Clovis asked.

“I wish I understood what motivates him. He is unsure of himself and he is afraid of taking any chances. It is also hard for him to accept that my father loved my mother so much. Even though she is long dead, he hates her more than he does me,” she said with a frown.

“He perceives you as a threat to him, Princess,” Giles observed.

“I know. Despite what I say and despite what I do, he will always dislike me,” Alemar shrugged.

“Well, maybe now he will at least recognize that what you have been saying all along is true. Hopefully, he will not be an obstacle in the way of the mobilization,” Clovis commented.

“I fear that he will always be contrary when it comes to me,” Alemar replied. “But, my father will recognize the need! He is a good man, you know,” she said, as if they required convincing.

“Do you think that the people doubt that?” Giles asked. “He is our King, and the people are loyal. They are not aware of the intrigues that occur in the castle. They will do what he asks of them.”

As they walked, they all could not help but repeatedly notice how dramatically the landscape had changed even in their short absence. Unlikely as it seemed, they could see areas of brown peeking out beneath the melting surface. None of them could ever recall the earth revealing itself like this. The ground was soft and wet and puddles of slush were forming everywhere.

“How badly do you think the city has suffered?” Clovis asked after a while.

“If it is as hot there as it is here, the results cannot be good,” Giles responded.

“The air is so heavy. Can you feel it blowing up from the south? It is like an army itself, destroying everything in its path,” Alemar said.

“What will you do with the seeds?” Giles asked, changing the subject to a more hopeful one.

Alemar thought for a moment before answering him, though this was not the first time she contemplated just such a question.

“I will plant them before the gates of Eleutheria, as long as the earth is exposed there as it is here,” she answered.

“And if it is still covered over with ice?”

“I only hope that it is, but by the looks of things, it will be worse when we arrive at the city. I do not think we will have to dig too deeply nevertheless. We are higher up here and it can only be warmer there,” the Princess replied.

“I wonder what they think happened to us,” Giles mused.

“I am sure that my brother hopes we will never return,” she mocked.

“Does he hate you that much?” Giles asked.

“He is jealous, that’s all. I do not think he really hates me. But, if I never returned, then my presence could no longer remind him of his own cowardice, and he would not be unhappy for that. You see Giles, I do not feel that the safety and security of Eleutheria rests upon our being detached from the rest of the world. I believe deeply that everything is connected, and that we must do our share to protect what is good and right. He would rather we hid behind the walls of ice,” she responded.

“If the heat is causing as much damage there as it is here, I suspect that everyone may begin to agree with you, Princess,” Clovis said sardonically. “And Kalon may no longer have those walls to shelter him from the world.”

“It certainly would be the more difficult way to learn that lesson,” Giles added.

“My father has grown complacent himself of late,” Alemar continued. “I think he is unsure of what he really believes. Perhaps when he sees his ancestor approach the gates, he may change his mind as well. Our people have suffered longer than we realize because of Caeltin D’Are Agenathea,”

They rode in silence for quite some time, navigating the newly formed rivulets and gullies created by the vast amounts of water flooding the plain. Steam rose from the thickest of the ice packs, as the temperature both above and below the surface was increasing dramatically. As they neared the outskirts of Eleutheria, it was clear that the damage was worse than even they anticipated.

“I hope that the gates are still standing when we get there,” Clovis remarked.

“The city must be in awful shape. What could they possibly be doing about it?” Giles wondered.

“There is not much they can do. I only hope that we will be able to reverse the course of this disaster ourselves,” Alemar said, her voice riddled with concern. “I never asked the Seedkeepers what I should do with the seeds,” she said, realizing for the first time that her joy in finding them and retrieving them overwhelmed her to such a degree, that she did not speculate beyond the point of bringing them back with her to the city. “I know that I must place them in the ground as quickly as possible,” she said.

“What good could they possibly do in such a short term?” Clovis questioned. “It will take them ages to sprout and grow, even if you do manage to get them into the soil right away.”

“We can only hope that the magic in them is strong. I must believe that we have recovered what Wayfair and Crea hoped we would when they instructed me to go to the Caves of Carloman in the first place. I hope to the First that I am right,” she said.

“For everyone’s sake,” Clovis echoed her thoughts.

“Weeho,” Giles yelled. “Look at that!” he said, pointing toward the city, the outskirts of which had just come into view as they rounded a small bend.

They stopped momentarily, and they all had to shield their eyes from the glare that reflected off of the glistening walls of the city. They still stood, but it was clear that they were melting quickly, which accounted for the incredible brightness of the light. The dripping water had created a sheen upon the battlements that was more luminous than they could have imagined.

Alemar looked back and saw that the army of Iscaron was still close behind, methodically walking, two by two, with her ancestor in the lead. As the lost army of Eleutheria caught up to them, Iscaron raised his hand and signaled to his men to halt. They continued to gather, massing at his back, and stare almost childlike at the beleaguered walls. The sight of their beloved city was almost more than they could bear, having been imprisoned for so long with nothing but their home and loved ones to think about. Some of the men were driven to tears and sobbed relentlessly, while others laughed uncontrollably. Still others stood motionless, transfixed by the vista of the once mighty walls before them, seemingly unaware of the devastation that the heat was causing.

Alemar led Shira down the embankment and across the plain that surrounded Eleutheria to the west, with Clovis and Giles by her side. As she neared the massive gates, she allowed her horse to break into a canter, and she approached the city at a rapid pace. The gates, though shimmering and wet with moisture, were still intact, and she headed directly for them. No one was in sight, either outside the walls or on the battlements, and the heavily carved gates of ice were shut tight.

It was obvious even from the outside, that the city had suffered extensive damage, and it was getting worse by the minute. The walls were dripping wet, and vast pools of standing water gathered in numerous spots from the runoff of the city. The brown of the firmament was visible in a multitude of areas, and although it pained Alemar to see this, it also gave her hope that she could place the seeds directly into the soil itself without having to waste precious time digging below the frozen surface.

“Where is everyone?” Giles asked, as he caught up to Alemar.

“I suppose they are inside, trying to figure out what to do to stop all of this,” Clovis replied hopefully.

“Where are the guards?” Giles continued. “I do not see anyone anywhere,” he commented, shielding his eyes from the glare with his hand and scanning the perimeter of the city.

Alemar dismounted and let Shira wander off. She walked to the smaller, shut doors on the left side of the main entrance, and prepared to announce their arrival by banging upon the ice itself, when a solitary figure appeared on the battlements overhead.

“Go away! You are not welcome here,” Kalon shouted down at her. “Have you not brought enough trouble down upon your people already? Look at what has become of Eleutheria,” he yelled.

Giles and Clovis joined Alemar beneath the mammoth tower that flanked the main gates.

“Where is my father?” Alemar demanded, surprised that Kalon was the one to greet them upon their return.

“He does not wish to see you, Sister,” Kalon replied.

Alemar’’s eyes hardened. “You may be my father’s son, but you are no brother to me,” she replied vehemently. “I demand to see my father. Open the gates.”

“It was not enough to bring death and destruction to your people because of your overweening pride? Must you also assault us with a mercenary army at the moment of our greatest weakness? The gates will open to you only if they melt away completely,” he bellowed, and backed away from the wall.

The exchange of words attracted the attention of some of the people within the city, and shortly they could see others peering aghast over the slowly melting walls, down upon Alemar, her friends and the clamoring army of undead behind them.

“Listen to me,” the Princess yelled up at those present. “I had nothing to do with what has happened here. You must believe me,” she pleaded. “The hand of the Dark Lord, of Caeltin D’Are Agenathea, is upon this. He is the one who wishes to see Eleutheria destroyed, not I. He is the one who has altered the weather and sent these warm winds our way.”

“I am afraid your words are falling upon deaf ears, your Highness,” Clovis said, observing the expressions upon the people’s faces.

“You cannot hide from the truth any longer. Do you see where our isolation has brought us?” she continued, ignoring her friend’s comment. “Who is it that placed the blame upon me? Was it Kalon? Has he convinced you that I am the enemy? That I am the one to fear?” she cried. “Am I so strong that I can heat the very ground beneath our foundations?” she pleaded. “Do not be fooled by those who are so quick to place blame but do nothing to rid us of the evil that has contaminated our great city.”

Slowly but surely, more and more faces began to appear on the walls, peering down upon the Princess and her strange entourage. Her presence and strength of character were having their effect, and she was gaining a wider audience with each word she uttered.

“I have traveled to the Caves of Carloman, as Wayfair instructed me to do. I have returned with the key to our salvation,” she roared, removing the pouch of seeds from beneath her cape and holding it high in the air. “Tell my father that his daughter wishes to see him. When he joins me here, before his ancestors and yours…” she said, pointing to Iscaron and his men, “…I will bestow them onto him, and together we can begin to repair what the Dark Lord has set about to destroy in the zeal of his overwhelming hatred. Tell him I will wait here for him until Eleutheria melts away completely if I must,” she concluded.

By this time, the battlements were teeming with people. They had gradually come out to listen to what the Princess had to say, and they looked down upon the gathering with fear and awe etched upon their faces. She could hear them arguing amongst themselves, some calling for the King to join them and some supporting Kalon and his desire to keep his sister locked out of Eleutheria indefinitely.

Alemar turned her back upon the city and walked toward Iscaron and his army, as if the cadaverous spirits provided her with a safer and more protective haven than her own people did. There she stood, next to her venerable ancestor, and flanked by Giles and Clovis. She remained motionless and waited for her father to appear, for she knew that he would not forsake her without seeing her once more.

It was not too long before one of the massive gates began to swing back upon its frozen hinge, just enough for King Whitestar to emerge from within. Looking weary and old, he walked about ten feet toward Alemar and the army massed behind her, before speaking.

“What is it that you want of me, daughter? Have I not erred enough in my judgement? I accept responsibility for what has occurred here, though that alone will never repair the damage that I have done,” he said, pointing to the melting walls of the city. “Eleutheria will soon be no more, and it is because I allowed you to trespass upon areas that you had no right to enter. And now you return home with an army at your back? Is it not enough that the city is dying? Must you bring in a foreign host to dominate us as well?” the King said to his daughter. “I have come before you because the people asked me to, not because I wish to reconcile. If you choose to attack us now when we are most vulnerable, I can no longer prevent you. If not, then take your mercenaries and be gone from here. Before long, I must ask our noble citizens themselves to abandon Eleutheria, lest they drown in their own beds,” he declared with a heavy heart. “Yours shall be a hollow victory, daughter.”