The Fallen (Book 1) (32 page)

‘
What stopped you?’ Lias asked, turning to face Callian.

‘
What stopped me returning you the second I saw you? You drew no weapon and you didn’t hide your thoughts,’ said Callian. ‘You were thinking of Elena and Immosey and I sensed…pity?’

Lias
inclined his head in agreement. ‘I do pity them. They’re being used, firstly to keep the guardian under control, and secondly to stop Mil from escaping. There’s no doubt he could escape if he chose to.’

Timbul shook his head as if he couldn
’t believe what he was hearing. ‘Are you saying he could escape but won’t do so because…’

‘
Because he knows one or both of the girls would be killed immediately, and then the other if he didn’t return,’ Lias explained. ‘Nandul doesn’t believe in his enemies being killed quickly or painlessly,’ he added contemptuously. ‘They will all be killed when they’re no longer
useful
.’

‘
So Nandul is looking for us?’ asked Enri.

‘
He’s out hunting the rest of your party, which I think he believes is all of you,’ said Lias. ‘He will be back in Weema when he has killed them all, or if he decides they’re too strong to attack, in which case he will call for reinforcements before he attacks again. If their only job is to be a diversion, I would say you have a couple of hours before Nandul realizes there must be more of you.’

‘
Could the guards around Elena and Immosey be distracted?’ asked Dale.

‘
Maybe,’ said Lias. ‘Your idea of revealing your thoughts to distract them wasn’t such a bad idea. Just a little difficult to control, I think.’

‘
What if you were seen battling Callian or Timbul? Would that distract them?’ asked Enri.

‘
I don’t think the Guardian General would appreciate having twenty or thirty of the free suddenly rushing out to attack him,’ Lias observed.

‘
Actually, I think it’s a good idea,’ said Callian. ‘We just need to be far enough away that it takes a little while for anyone to reach us. That would give us time to disappear.’

‘
And you need to be somewhere where everyone would lose sight of you for some time as they rushed out to return you,’ Enri added. ‘It wouldn’t do for everyone to watch you battling, and then see you running off into the forest together.’

Callian
rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. ‘Once the guards are distracted, you find the girls, return any remaining guards and…we still have to find Louisa…Supreme Majesty! This isn’t going to be easy. Killing whatever guards remain is going to be difficult enough.’

‘
You need to get Mil out of the unit as quickly as possible. Get him out and your chance of survival grows infinitely,’ said Lias emphatically. Timbul raised his eyebrows in doubt. Lias folded his arms. ‘I have seen you in battle before. You are astounding. I was there when you battled Nandul. I know who you are…Tebur,’ he said. Timbul was silent. ‘I know you find this difficult to believe of one of the free, but I think even Callian would find Milgorry very difficult to deal with. He’s a lot more dangerous than Nandul. He’s stronger, faster, and he’s far more intelligent.’

‘
A formidable enemy,’ Timbul observed.

‘
He isn’t your enemy, guardian!’ Lias insisted. ‘When Nandul caught him, he beat Mil to within inch of his life.’ His face darkened in anger. ‘Of course, Nandul made sure Mil’s hands were bound first and there were at least ten of his closest followers surrounding them.’

‘
Why did Nandul let Milgorry live, if he’s so dangerous?’ asked Enri.

‘
I have no idea. I think Nandul is scared of him. He was absolutely livid when he smashed Mil’s collarbone and Mil still managed to break his bonds and heal himself.’

‘
He healed himself? He healed his collarbone?’ asked Timbul, now looking stunned.

‘
I know we’re not supposed to be able to do that, but I saw it happen.’

‘
So, once we’ve freed Milgorry and the girls, and returned the guards, what then?’ asked Dale, bringing everyone back to the task at hand.

‘
Mil can hear Louisa’s thoughts. He probably already has an idea of how he plans to get her out of there.’

Chapter
32

Galbraith

‘
I have no idea how I’m going to get her out of there,’ said Milgorry in frustration. ‘We’ve thought through so many plans, none of which are workable with just the three of us.’

‘
We need to choose the best plan we have and then try to get the tools we need to make it work,’ Elena suggested.

‘
What I need is less guards,’ answered Milgorry. ‘If I was alone I might break out of here and remove a few of them permanently.’ This thought seemed to appeal to him as he paced up and down the stone floor impatiently.

Lias face appeared
through the space in the door. ‘Mil,’ he whispered.

Milgorry flew over to the door.
‘Yes?’

‘
There are two humans and two guardians looking for the girls,’ Lias continued in a whisper. ‘Actually there are a whole bunch of them running around the forest, but I have these four waiting at the eastern cliffs.’

Elena and Immosey came to stand beside Milgorry, looking curiously at Lias.

‘Who are they?’ asked Elena.

‘
Baron Dale of East Inlet, Squire Enri of Western Downs and-’ Lias hesitated.

‘
Who are the guardians, Lias?’ asked Milgorry.

‘
One of them is Callian, Guardian General Callian.’

Milgorry gave a low whistle.
‘They really want you girls back, don’t they?’ he observed, glancing at Elena and Immosey. ‘And the other?’

‘
Tebur,’ said Lias shortly. ‘His name is now Timbul.’

Milgorry stood staring through the door at Lias.
‘Are you certain?’ he finally said.

‘
Absolutely.’

‘
Supreme Majesty! Tebur!’ Milgorry was astounded.

‘
Is that significant?’ asked Immosey curiously.

‘
Yes,’ said Milgorry, turning to face Elena and Immosey. ‘They’ve sent two of the deadliest guardians imaginable, and if Tebur is here then his brother Araas won’t be far away. Make that
three
of the deadliest guardians imaginable.’ He turned back to Lias. ‘You said you have a plan?’

‘
I’m going up into the Kesconi hills to face Callian. With a bit of luck, that will take everyone’s attention away long enough for Tebur to get you and the girls out of here.’

‘
And Louisa?’ asked Immosey, looking frightened.

‘
Louisa is strong enough to smash the door down one handed, should she try,’ said Milgorry. ‘If I can get close enough to draw away some of the guards, I’m sure she could get out.’

‘
Then what?’ said Elena looking as scared as her sister.

‘
Then we run,’ said Lias.

Kelian
knelt beside Galbraith’s body, not wanting to believe he was dead. The fallen had ambushed them at a point in the forest where they scarcely had room to raise swords without injuring each other. Araas, Danil and Valeska leapt forward to meet them with Gilgarry, Alexander and David a split second behind, and Kelian, Borgulnay and Galbraith stood side by side fending off anyone who attempted to come at them from behind. Kelian was surprised when his sword made contact with one of the attackers, noticing that they cut as easily as any other man. It was their speed and strength that made them superior warriors.

Kelian
saw his cousin fall. Galbraith toppled over as blood rushed from a massive wound. Kelian gave a scream of shock and rage. He slashed his sword wildly as he rushed to Galbraith’s side. Galbraith writhed on the ground as agony overcame him. Danil swung around with a shout of anger and leapt to kneel beside him, momentarily ignoring the battle around them. His heart sank when he saw Galbraith’s wound. The Prince had taken the blow directly across his eyes and he was blinded. Danil wondered how he was still alive, as the sword had cut so deeply.

Kelian
looked at Danil desperately but the big soldier shook his head.

‘
He’s dying,’ said Danil softly.

Galbraith groped blindly and managed to grab
Kelian’s arm, dragging him downwards. ‘Please,’ Galbraith’s voice was desperate appeal. ‘I can’t see!’

Kelian felt his throat seize.
‘Galbraith I-’

‘
Don’t leave me like this Kelian! Finish me! Uh...I’m bleeding to death!’ Galbraith’s voice rose with pain. ‘Please Kelian? Won’t you make it quick? Help me! Please?’

Kelian
’s arms trembled as he understood what Galbraith was asking of him.

Danil placed his hand on Kelian
’s shoulder. ‘Kelian, I cannot take his life. He is Prince of Tarlique. But you are the King’s son. You can end his suffering.’

‘
Is there no hope?’ asked Kelian desperately.

‘
No.’

Kelian
’s sword came down and Galbraith became still. Kelian gave a cry of grief. The fallen were retreating and even as Kelian stood, their tall, black eyed leader motioned and they disappeared into the trees suddenly.

Danil lifted
Galbraith’s body and climbed up into the nearby granite rocks. He gently laid the body in a large crack between two boulders. Danil and Araas leaned hard on a precariously balanced piece of granite and eventually it tipped over with a deafening crash and covered the Prince’s body. Gilgarry climbed onto the rocks and ran his hand over the granite covering.

‘
His body should have been returned to Castle, but under the circumstances I think he’ll understand.’

Danil
looked guiltily at the rocky grave. ‘Unfortunately we need to go now, right now.’

Kelian jumped down from
the rocks and grabbed his gear. He knew that the shock and grief he felt now would increase significantly, should he live to find safety. The ghastly reality of what he had done threatened to overwhelm him.

‘
Are you alright?’
Kelian started as Araas appeared silently beside him.

Q
uestions raced through Kelian’s head. Araas’ eyes widened and then he shook his head. ‘Kelian slow down. Yes, the leader was Nandul, the one I was battling. They left because we would have defeated them. They’ll return as quickly as they can with enough warriors to make sure they can kill us all easily. There’s nothing we can do about these six bodies of the fallen, and yes, we’re very close to Weema. Nandul was a bit annoyed just how close we are.’ Araas seemed quite pleased with this last observation, and then his face turned dark. ‘And no Kelian, I don’t know the name of the one who killed your cousin and I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to try to hunt him down and return him.’

‘
Araas...I...’ Kelian gritted his teeth and swallowed hard, fighting the urge to cry out in grief. Araas’ eyes were filled with empathy.

‘
There was nothing more you could have done. We couldn’t have saved him. What you did was compassionate.’

Kelian turned away.
He knew Araas was correct, but he was certain what he’d done was going to cause him more than a few nightmares for many years to come. His hands were still trembling from the impact of the terrible experience. He had never been particularly close to Galbraith but he was his cousin and he was a good person, a well-respected man. His heart grieved as he thought of the Grand Duchess Beth who had raised the Prince. Galbraith’s mother, Princess Chloe had died in childbirth and his father Prince Galbren, who was King Dannicus’ brother, had died only two years later when he was bitten by a poisonous snake. Galbraith remained in Tarlique and he was raised by his maternal grandmother with the help of his older siblings, Prince Irwin and Princess Amy. The Grand Duchess Beth had also lost her husband, the Grand Duke Lewis, not more than five years earlier.  Galbraith felt the draw of the sea before reaching his teens and was so often found on one or other of the King’s ships that Grand Duchess Beth wisely arranged for the boy to be trained in every aspect of sailing.

Kelian
felt deep bitterness as he considered that Beth had lost her husband, her daughter, her son-in-law and now a grandchild. He dreaded telling her this grave news and he found himself brushing away tears. He kicked out angrily at a fallen branch sending it spinning across the ground.

They moved through the forest doing their best to leave no obvious tracks. No one spoke and Kelian
found that every muscle in his body felt tight from the constant expectation of attack. He tried to calm his racing heart as he wondered whether Nandul would be back any second with an army or whether he would choose to deal with the girls first. Several hours later they crested a hill and were met with a most astonishing sight. Several miles below them the forest thinned and there were little houses in the gaps between the trees. But in the opposite direction at the top of one of the higher hills, quite clearly to be seen, Callian was battling one of the fallen. Back and forth across the top of the hill the two fought, swords clashing as they drove one another back. David stared for a second then dashed forward to help the guardian, with Alexander, Borgulnay and Gilgarry close behind.

‘
No!’ Araas’ shout brought them to a halt. They turned to look at Araas, wondering why none of the guardians were moving. ‘No,’ Araas repeated more quietly, staring at the battling pair as though he could scarcely believe his eyes.

‘
Araas?’ Alexander said impatiently.

‘
Alex, look at them. They’re dueling. If Callian wanted to return him, he could do so in a second. Watch how he moves. There! See how he stepped back and blocked? He could have taken his head. He should have! Now why would the Guardian General be keeping him alive,’ he mused almost to himself.

Danil
studied the settlement which he suspected was the outer perimeter of Weema. ‘Supreme Majesty!’ he breathed, grabbing Araas’ arm and swinging him around toward the village. Everyone turned to look and then they simultaneously dropped to the ground as a swarm of heavily armed warriors tore from the village directly towards Callian.

‘
Well,’ said Gilgarry, ‘Callian certainly has their attention.’

Valeska turned
swiftly to look at him. ‘Yes! That’s it! I wonder where Timbul, Dale and Enri are whilst Callian is drawing so many warriors away from Weema.’

‘
We go in?’ asked Alexander, impatiently.

‘
Let’s go!’ agreed Borgulnay and the group crept as stealthily as possible down the slope towards the settlement.