The Broken Kingdom (32 page)

‘Yes,’ Riley agreed, looking at the cloud
filled room. ‘But you have to make this place your own. Perhaps a
nice dinner set. You’ll need cooking wear, and perhaps some
servants.’

‘Cushions. Shelves.’ The Andallites added.
‘More rugs, more curtains.’

Ralana looked stunned, but Riley kept going,
leading her through every room. She and the Andallites kept adding
more to the list, it grew longer and longer, falling to the
floor.

‘Come now, Ralana, what do you think you
need?’ Riley prodded.

‘Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask for all
this.’

‘Of course you could. They don’t have to
give it to you, it’s just a suggestion. You want them to have
options, don’t you?’

‘I… yes, I suppose.’

‘And you have your whole life to decorate
the palace. You certainly don’t have to do it all now.’

‘It would be best if you did.’ the
Andallites added. ‘It would please Andalla. Do you want to
displease him?’

‘No, of course not.’ Ralana replied, ‘I-
alright. It’s so long.’

‘I think it’s far too short.’

‘Far too short.’ The Andallites agreed.

‘Let’s keep going, I think you should do the
rest, Ralana, we’ll just help.’

‘Yes… alright.’

And hours passed this way, Ralana relaxing
more as the time went by. By the time they were done the list was
dragging along the floor and ended somewhere in an unseen room
behind them.

‘You should probably show that to Andalla.’
Riley told Ralana once they finished. ‘He might have some
ideas.’

‘Oh, yes, I wouldn’t want him to
disapprove.’

‘Just tell him it’s what you’ll ask the
valkar to give you as wedding presents. Ask if he wants to add
anything.’

‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘I will.’

‘It would be nice too if you gave him
presents, and his family. I’m sure they’d be very happy.’

‘Oh!’ Ralana brightened at that thought, ‘do
you think if I grew him a nice tree he would be happy?’

‘I’m not sure. Ask him what he and his
family would like as gifts.’

‘I… I don’t know who his family is.’

‘We are.’ The Andallites said in unison. ‘We
want gifts.’

‘Oh, do you? What would you like?’

‘Whatever Andalla wants.’

‘You must ask him, when you ask him about
the gifts the valkar will give the both of you, ask him what he
would like for himself and his family.’

‘Yes, I will!’

Riley smiled, said goodbye. Then one of the
Andallites took her back home.

‘Make sure she doesn’t say it’s a list of
options. If she does, you must correct her.’ Riley said once they
were back in the forest.

The Andallite shook his head. ‘No. A list of
presents, all will come. The princess is too sweet.’

‘Exactly.’

The Andallite smiled then, and it was an
unsettling, sharp and devious smile.

Chapter 40

‘
K
aresh,’ Vann began, ‘do
you know what’s wrong with Riley?’

Karesh opened his eyes wide and shook his
head.

Vann’s eyes narrowed. ‘You do.’

‘No,’ he shook his head, ‘I don’t know.’

A strange look crossed Karesh’s face, equal
parts despair and confusion.

‘She’s been upset for days now, Karesh, if
you know, you must tell me. I can’t help her if I don’t know what’s
wrong.’ Vann pressed.

Karesh hesitated for a moment. And then he
shook his head again. ‘You could not help her, even if there was
something wrong.’ He said quietly.

‘Are her nightmares getting worse?’ Vann
asked, alarmed.

‘The Master doesn’t have nightmares.’ Karesh
said carefully.

Making a sound of annoyance, Vann walked
past him, heading for Riley’s tent. He stopped just as Riley walked
out.

‘Hello.’ she said. There was a strained,
tired look to her lately, coupled with what seemed a deep and all
engulfing sorrow.

‘Riley, can we talk?’

‘Not right now. Can you get my sword for me
Vann, and put it in its scabbard?’

He blinked. ‘Where is it?’

‘In my tent.’ she said and walked off.

Vann opened his mouth to object but she was
already gone. He ducked inside the tent.

Her hands on her hips, Riley absently paced
around the door to the camp. She was supposed to be on guard duty,
but her hands were so clumsy, she couldn’t pick up her sword
without hurting herself. In this condition, a fight with an ehlkrid
with her bare hands would be even worse. But she couldn’t excuse
herself from her duties now. No, she wasn’t going to hide in her
tent and wait for the end to come.

Guard duties fell squarely on the original
ten. The younger children were being trained to be warriors by
Galis the Strong, but Riley wasn’t going to send them out to face
ehlkrid just yet. Occasionally one would go out for practice, but
with the other warriors. So far the ehlkrid only attacked hunting
parties. They came close to the shield, but hadn’t attacked the
guards yet.

Every day they came closer.

Riley looked out towards the forest. Then a
shout broke the silence. Riley looked back towards the camp, alert.
The shout was not loud, but it was one of pain. She did not wait
any longer and quickly headed to the location of the cry.

It took her only another second to realize
it had come from her tent.
Vann!
Suddenly she was running
much faster, propelled by fear.

She arrived outside her tent to find a small
group of gemengs and Karesh. Vann was standing there, one hand
tightly clamped on the other wrist. Bright red blood was
everywhere.

‘Vann! How did this happen?!’ she pushed
herself to the front.

‘I don’t know, I picked up your sword and
it… it bit me!’

‘What? Where are the healers, Karesh?’ she
demanded.

‘They’re coming. But it might be deep.’
there was a lot of blood, on his clothes, on the ground. ‘Perhaps
we should get Aerlid.’

Riley took one more look at Vann and agreed.
She grabbed his shoulders and carefully ushered him towards Aerlid.
Vann kept his hand tightly around his wrist all the while.

As soon as Riley spotted Adila’s angry
golden head she yelled for Aerlid. A moment later the crowd moved
and she saw him sitting on the ground in his circle.

‘Vann’s hurt. Fix him.’ Riley ordered as she
sat Vann down in front of Aerlid. She did not let go of him. ‘If
you hurt him, you’re going back to Rose.’ her voice was suddenly
very dangerous.

Aerlid did not waste any time, he took hold
of Vann’s injured arm. He did not attempt to move Vann’s hand.

To Riley it seemed an age before Vann
finally relaxed.

‘You can let go now.’ Aerlid said, and Vann
lifted his hand from his wrist. His tanned skin was covered in
blood, so it was hard to say, but Riley could see no wound or
scar.

‘How did this happen?’ Aerlid asked. ‘Your
hand was nearly severed.’

Vann grimaced. Riley told someone to get
some cloths and water.

‘I don’t know.’ Vann said. ‘I picked up
Riley’s sword and,’ he shrugged, ‘I don’t know what happened.’

‘Did you drop it?’ Aerlid asked.

‘You think I did this to myself?’

Adila was looking at them intently, ‘did you
ask Aerlid to allow your weapons to kill?’ she asked Riley, who was
now gently wiping blood off Vann.

‘Yes.’ Riley said flatly.

Adila’s face clouded over. She walked away,
heading towards Riley’s tent.

‘Are you ok?’ Riley asked Vann.

He nodded. ‘I’m fine. It was just a…
surprise.’

‘I fear this may be my fault.’ Aerlid
interrupted. ‘Don’t look at me like that,’ he scolded as Riley gave
him a deadly look. ‘I had to… move the soul deeper into the weapon,
so it was not engrained in all of it. It may be that by using a
living weapon to kill, it became… well, intentionally
murderous.’

Riley stared at him. Then she looked down at
her hands. Then up. ‘You mean my weapons have been trying to hurt
me.’

‘Anyone who comes close.’ He narrowed his
eyes as he looked at her hands too. ‘You kill mostly with the
sword, right? Do you injure yourself so much with the dagger?’

‘No.’ Riley shook her head.

Adila arrived back, sword and dagger in
hand. ‘These were never meant to kill.’ she said, deeply angry. ‘I
will take them back to Fearlid. You’ll have to find your own
weapons next time.’

Riley frowned at her as she left, but
perhaps all her anger was not really directed at Adila. She turned
her attention back to Vann and helped him to his feet. ‘Come on, I
think you need a change of clothes.’

‘I can walk on my own.’ he said as they
walked off, but he did not sound upset.

‘And you should lie down. I’ll bring you
some food.’

‘Alright.’ and he smiled. ‘We have to talk
anyway.’

‘About what?’

‘You’ve been upset.’

Riley shook her head. ‘The sword was hurting
me too, but I thought I was just being clumsy.’

Vann looked at her in surprise. ‘Why would
you think that?’

‘Well, I’m nearly twenty, and Aerlid said
I’ll probably only live thirty or forty years. I thought I was…
getting old.’

‘Thirty years?’ he gasped. ‘Why? That’s not
long enough!’

Riley shrugged. ‘I’m half valkar, half
human. The longest before me has only lived to fourteen. But I’m ok
now, Vann. There’s nothing to worry about.’

‘Nothing to worry about? First, you should
tell me when you’re worried about something, we’re… we’re friends,
Riley. Second, living thirty years is not ok! Can’t the valkar do
something?’

Riley shook her head. ‘Come on, we’re here.
Go get changed. I’ll bring you some food.’

‘And
you’re
going to bring me the
food?’ he asked, his eyes narrowed.

‘That’s what I said.’

‘Good. Because we’re not done talking.’

Chapter 41

O
nce again Andalla and
Ralana were strolling around the gardens with Riley trailing
behind. She was far behind, a small group of Andallites clouding
around her.

‘He has been asking her what he should get
her and her family for the wedding.’ One said.

‘She tells him no, but he ignores her.’ and
they smiled. ‘Though she said Ladana might like a flower from his
garden.’

‘We have told him we saw the valkar
preparing.’

‘Yes, working, working, making everything on
the list.’

‘He has been thinking of his own gifts. He
is worried the valkar will make something nicer, he is worried the
valkar will not like his gifts, they all have funny ideas. He has
many ideas, he has been thinking hard.’

‘Castles.’

‘Unicorns.’

‘Gold.’

‘A golden castle shaped like a unicorn.’

Riley smiled in satisfaction. ‘Good.’

But she could not make her next move yet.
She waited until Ralana was leaving, and then she approached
Andalla.