The Rawn Chronicles Book One: The Orrinn and the Blacksword: Unabridged (The Rawn Chronicles Series 1) (5 page)

Havoc was more intent on Kasan. He had long black hair tied back into a prince’s plaits, a neatly trimmed goatee, and thin eyebrows on a severe face. He always seemed to be frowning and his dark green eyes were, at that moment, unscrupulously intent on Havoc’s mother. Totally ignoring anyone else, including King Hagan, he took Molna’s hand and kissed the back.

“It is always a pleasure to see you, Your Grace.” He had a soft, rich voice.

“The pleasure is all ours… brother,” She quickly extracted her hand from his grip, conscious of his piercing gaze.

Havoc’s attention was now on two knights; they were the only two who he could see in dark purple armour, and they were opening the doors of the white carriage. An elegant silver-haired man emerged, followed by two young women. All were dressed in robes the same dark purple as the knights armour.

“Havants,” said Verna

Before Havoc could query her, Mia gave a start. “Aunt Cinnibar.”

She was looking at a fourth person emerge from the carriage. Female, tall and slim with flaxen blonde hair and a benign countenance, Havoc thought she was by far the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She waved away the attentions of the knights who were helping her to dismount, and walked straight backed with a half smile on her face towards Vanduke and Molna. She gave them each a kiss on both cheeks and held both Molna’s hands warmly as they chatted.

“She must be well over three hundred years old,” said Mia, “but doesn’t look a day over twenty-five.”

The sister of the late King Valient the Third did in fact look good for her age; due to her mastery of the Rawn Arts, she could hold her age indefinitely.

“She is now a high-ranking member of the Havant Order,” said Verna.

“Aren’t they an old Vallkyte priesthood, faith worshipers to the Derma Ken?” asked Magnus. The Derma Ken was a name given to the Vallkyte religion. They promoted tolerance of other beliefs, including the Rogun faith of Rogal Ken.

“Yes, Aunt Cinnibar joined them about forty years ago when the Ri Order refused her entry.”

“Why?” asked Eleana.

“Probably because the Ri Order is male only,” said Havoc.

“Again, Your Highness, I must ask why?” asked Eleana, in what Mia always called her brazen voice, which she always used when talking to Havoc.

Verna answered for him. “Women have difficulty in mastering the Rawn Arts and it is for this reason, more than others, that they are denied entry. However rare it is, when a woman
does
become adept at the arts, she becomes very powerful. It is said, in every generation or so, a female Rawn Master comes along and acquires Ri abilities extremely quickly,” she said, all this while not taking her eyes off Cinnibar.

Havoc laughed. “Then for that reason they
should
be allowed into the order.”

Verna smiled up at him and nodded. “Quite so,” she said, “but it seems she is making her own order with the Havants. They were not as strict about mixed sexes in their order as the Ris, and they allowed her entry after her brave deeds against Baron Telmar, and, of course, her royal status helped. One thing to mention here, though: there are only five men left in the order; most of the females joined due to Cinnibar’s influence.”

“Who’s he, then?” asked Magnus, pointing to the grey-haired priest.

“Kellborne, the high priest.”

“At least there’s still a man in charge,” he said gloomily.

“Maybe not for long, from what Verna has just said,” Havoc said. He rubbed his chin; he was feeling uncomfortable and did not know why.

“Why start new Rawn Orders when you can infiltrate one that is already established?” he asked himself.

Verna looked up at Havoc with awe. “Very astute of you, brother.”

“Thank you, sister, we males can use our brains too, you know.”

“How old do you think Ness Ri is, then?” asked Magnus.

“Well over two thousand years, I think,” said Verna.

They all looked at her.

“How do you know these things?” scoffed Magnus.

“From the history books!” she said.

“What history books?” Magnus frowned.

She pointed towards the library in the distance. “I like to read, Magnus, you should try it sometime.”

Everyone now moved into the palace, and then eventually into the council chambers inside the parliament building. The council of war was due to start after lunch, and then on for a couple of more days.

“It would be interesting to know what is said at the council, wouldn’t it,” said Magnus to Havoc when they had a quiet time on their own away from the others.

Havoc could see the mischief in his brother’s eyes.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” asked Havoc.

“Yes, the grill.”

During a game of Hide and Seek one summer before their Rawn training, Magnus had hidden in a broom cupboard on the second floor overlooking the council rooms. He had heard voices coming from the main meeting room, but muffled; looking behind a wooden cupboard, he found a brass grill that formed part of the ventilation system that went all around the parliament building. Vent openings under the roof gutters would draw air down narrow stone tubes hidden inside the walls and out through these brass vents to all the rooms in the building, giving much-needed fresh air to many crowded conferences.

The grill had a silver knob, used to open the vent and its companion vent in the room opposite, but it was stiff. The next day, he had stolen some tallow from the palace kitchens, which did the trick of opening it easier.

“We could sneak in before they arrive and listen; we may even know something before Verna does,” said Magnus.

“What about Verna?” Mia asked suspiciously in front of them.

“Man talk,” said Magnus, who though Mia must have the hearing of a bat.

She scowled at Magnus and then screwed up her face when she noticed who was behind them. “Oh no, Soujonn,” she said.

A portly boy of about eighteen stormed past them in his plate steel armour. Kasan’s illegitimate son scowled at Havoc and Magnus, and then gave Mia and Eleana the same lustful look his father gave to Molna. Their cousin was in training to be a Rawn Knight in the king’s guard, and he had filled out since the last time Havoc had seen him; the children always remembered his bullying ways in his youth and despised him for it.

“I hate the way he looks at me; he gives me the creeps,” said Mia with a shiver as the Vallkyte teenager got out of earshot.

“Don’t worry, Mia, we will look after you,” said Magnus, with such great sincerity that Mia beamed brightly at him.

The broom cupboard was smaller than Havoc remembered and it was a tight squeeze for them both. Although, with the grill open, he could see most of the meeting room, and the acoustics were perfect.

The council of war, however, had already started.

“…He has such a hold over the Nithi that it is nigh impossible to change their loyalty to him. Mad-daimen is not a man for negotiation. He is single minded and intent on his purpose; this is why I urge Your Highnesses to pull your forces together.” This was from a tall Ri with long, white, curly hair that was brown at the temples, on an otherwise young, friendly face. Havoc recognised him as Saltyn Ri, his at one time, instructor who had left the Ri Order under mysterious circumstances and had joined with Kasan as his personal consul.

“All very well, Consul, but the facts of the situation must come too light; we have been at peace with the southern tribes for two thousand years; why this animosity now?” asked Vanduke.

Behind him stood Lord Rett, the Red Duke, the king’s champion and Magnus’s uncle impassively watched the other champions in the room, who were the only ones allowed weapons, all being armed with their swords and fully armoured.

“You have sent your own consul, have you not?” asked Kasan, who seemed to be bored already, as if he had better places to be.

All eyes turned to Ness Ri, who sat on Vanduke’s right at the head of the long oak table that dominated the room.

“My consul mission was on another matter in the south, but what my learned colleague said about Mad-daimen is correct. I have met him in the past, and he is not a man to turn from his convictions. It will take a far better man than I too change his mind. If he has an armed force the size of the one stated, he would use it. I predict dark times ahead.”

The mood was sombre when their master finished talking. The tall, slim champion behind King Hagan shifted slightly and stoked his greying beard. He was by far the most handsomely clad in the room.

“Well, that settles it, then,” said Hagan. “My emissary missions also came back empty handed. So let us all do what we came here to do and quell this uprising. I propose a united alliance and put a stop to this rebellion before it is too late.”

“You, popinjay, can propose nothing. It’s not your lands that are being raided every month,” said Kasan sombrely.

“I’m here to help, you dullard!” replied Hagan angrily. “You cannot speak to me as if I was a child again.”

“Insolent peacock, you have not learnt any respect in front of me. Remember your place, Cromme Secondur, or I will have Udren remember it for you.” Kasan indicated his champion by his side, who reached for his sword.

Hagan’s champion stepped in front of his king, but wisely did not touch his sword hilt. Havoc could not make out his face from behind his helmet, but he scowled back at Kasan’s larger bodyguard.

Hagan and Kasan were on their feet now, throwing insults. Vanduke joined in siding with Hagan; Ness Ri’s quiet voice was also added into the mix, trying to quell the argument. Havoc and Magnus glanced at one another in alarm. They had never seen grownups fighting like juveniles before.

This two-sided argument banded around from both sides for about ten seconds when a new voice entered into the affray.

“
Quiet!
” The voice was so loud in the venting system that Magnus and Havoc cried out involuntarily; both of them clamped their hands to their mouths.

All were still. The only sound came from the crackling of the wood in the fireplace.

“It seems to me that there are some underlying issues to be addressed here.”

The princes relaxed, no one had heard them. The speaker was Cinnibar, who was out of their sight at the other end of the table. There was a rustle of clothing and a scrape of a chair, and then she came into view, looking regal in her gowns.

She walked up behind Kasan, lightly touching his cheek and he sat down with a half dazed look on his face that Havoc noticed was somewhere between love and admiration for this woman. She had a mysterious radiance about her that Havoc had to remind himself to blink. Her confidant poise captivated her audience.

“I remember,” she said, “the last time we all joined together in this room, twenty years ago, to thrash out the issue of titles and family dynastic rank.” She stopped by a red-faced Hagan and, in her pause; he sat down with a huff.

“It was firstly proposed by my kind great nephew, King Vanduke, and which I incidentally seconded, that the issue of respect, which is clearly noted in the Royal Tables, must be adhered to when meeting with a higher-ranking house.”

Hagan’s red, angry face was now a blush and he mumbled to himself. Kasan grinned for the first time since his arrival; Havoc did not care for it much.

“And goading your siblings does not become you, King Kasan!” scolded Cinnibar, and the Vallkyte King’s grin faded.

“Now, we are not here to squabble over the past like petty children. The future is at stake here and we must put aside our differences and focus on the issues at hand.”

Hagan nodded to himself and Kasan looked nonplussed.

“I, for one, agree with King Hagan’s proposal of an alliance.” She put her hands on the Sonoran King’s shoulders. “Cromme, standing together, is far greater than its individual family units, and, as one, we will push this rebel Mad-daimen and his armies back to the sea and be rid of his threat for good.”

There was a general agreement all around. The rest of the meeting was all down to voting and finalising detail on the deployment of armed forces.

Hungry and stiff from the enclosed space, Havoc and Magnus left the cupboard. Magnus ran off down the corridor to tell his sisters about all that they had heard.