The Shards (27 page)

“Most definitely! I can see the crest of the House of Dumas upon at least two of the tents now,” Elion replied.

As they rode closer to the outskirts of the group and turned around a bend in the thick wall that surrounded the city, it became clearer just how many people were actually gathered outside of the gates. Perhaps half of Talamar it seemed was in abidance! Not only were there tents and people, but children, animals, household items, carts, donkeys and all manner of personal possessions were littering the ground as well. These people were clearly not here for a simple visit. They had taken up residence outside of Avalain.

“I see no arms amidst the people here,” Esta observed now that they were all close enough to view things. “Keep your words to a minimum and follow closely behind me. Take care not to get separated by the crowds.”

As they rode slowly by, they could hear bits and pieces of conversations and discussions.

“Have we no more wine?” an overweight matron asked a boy who bore a striking resemblance to her, though he was much slimmer in stature. She was reclining upon a makeshift lounge chair that appeared to be much too flimsy for her bulk, and she was fanning herself furiously with an elaborate, feathered fan though it was not at all hot out. “It is almost suppertime. What are we going to eat tonight? I cannot bear another evening of gruel. Is there nothing else you can get for us?” she whined. Her gown was too elaborate for the circumstances, though it was none the better for wear.

“It is gone! I swear it. Totally gone!” a young man said to an older gentleman who stood beside him, in a tone of disbelief “I could not even tell where the gates had been! It was as if it had never existed.”

“He brought this upon us, that wretched, spoiled boy!” another aging man commented as they walked by.

“It was our own fault, grandfather,” a handsome, dark-haired young man replied. “What did we do to stop him? Nothing! We did nothing.”

“What could we have done?”

“Fight, grandfather! We could have resisted. I am glad to be gone from there. It was a shameful way to live.”

They maneuvered their horses gingerly between the crowds, careful to keep their faces concealed. They did their best not to draw attention to themselves, and amidst all the tumult, it was less difficult than they had expected to remain inconspicuous. Their ears and eyes remained open nonetheless.

“Everything is lost. Everything! How am I going to live this way?” another porcine woman lamented from the middle of a squalid campsite. “Where will we get money from? Our oil is gone, our house is gone. I don’t even have a decent dress to put on!” she said to the younger girl who was standing beside her and holding a squirming toddler.

“But you must pay me mistress. How will I feed my own son otherwise?” she replied.

“Pay you? How am I to pay you?” she asked in an astonished tone.

“Then I must seek work elsewhere,” the maiden answered downcast.

A small group of men who were sitting around a spitted and roasting rabbit exchanged angry words with one another as the Queen and the others sidestepped their campfire.

“His father was a good man. How was I to know?” one said defensively.

“You worked in the castle! When was the last time you saw him? Did he ever get out of that big bed of his?” another asked.

“It was the woman from the south. She was the evil doer! Duke Leonardo’s son was just a pawn. He was never a leader. It all started when that ambassador from the south arrived,” a short, stout man said, and he cursed under his breath.

“It’s too late for regrets now,” they heard one of them say as they walked on past.

The conversations they continued to overhear were all too similar to one another. If they did not hear incessant complaints and gripes about having to live under such trying circumstances or about the lack of food of their liking, they heard tales of shock and surprise over the destruction of their city. Though no discussion of resistance of any kind was mentioned by any but a few, they were certainly bold enough now in their criticisms of each other’s inaction. Many of the younger people were not quite so disappointed as the older ones, it appeared to them by the words they overhead. A spark of hope still burned amidst some of the youth of Talamar, though it was by no means a bright light shining in the darkness. Rather, it was merely a flicker, though it was surprisingly still alive despite Margot’s attempt to snuff it out entirely. One thing that all their comments had in common was a disdain for the woman called Margot.

“She did not make friends during her tenure in Talamar,” Preston commented.

“Nor did she try to!” Elion replied. “It seems she accomplished what she went there to do in any case.”

“Why would anyone want to destroy a city?” Stephanie asked. “What good would that do her?”

“Destruction and devastation is what he seeks, Steph,” Tomas explained. “It brings the physical place one step closer to the void.”

“And it brings the problem of all these refugees to the gates of Avalain!” Esta said, as she surveyed the vast numbers of people who had taken up temporary residence everywhere. “This will strain all of our systems to the limit. To have an entire population un-housed and unfed before winter sets in upon us? How can we focus upon the Quest when we are forced to deal with issues such as these. Colton must know how difficult this will be for us all here.”

“And there may yet be elements within this population who are loyal to the Dark Lord!” Elion observed. “They will attempt to infiltrate Avalain, as they did Talamar. We must be careful, your Highness.”

“They will have little success here in that regard,” Esta asserted. “The people of Avalain are strong of spirit. They would not succumb so easily to his overtures. Let him try to still the hearts of my people!” she said defiantly.

“Besides, your Highness, you are here now!” Stephanie said proudly, and Esta dipped her head gratefully in response.

As they neared the mighty gates of the city, they could see a group of mounted Knights standing guard before them. Parsifal’s silhouette was unmistakable and Esta spurred her horse onward as soon as she recognized him. Lord Markal stood beside him on his large dapple gray steed, flanked by four other Knights of Avalain and one very tall, dark haired stranger whom no one recognized at first though he rivaled even Parsifal in stature.

The crowd parted reluctantly as this new group of riders cantered toward the entryway, cursing and complaining as the dust flew all around them. When Parsifal noticed the skirmish in the bunch, he turned his horse around to face it and initially he waited patiently for the swirling clouds of dirt to settle down, having grown accustomed to dealing with the many petty disputes that constantly arose among the refugees. This was different though, he recognized rather soon thereafter. Few of the Talamarans had arrived on horseback, and even fewer dared challenge the Knights at the gates.

“Be on your guard!” Parsifal warned.

Queen Esta was so anxious to be home, that for a moment she forgot that she had not announced herself, and she led her war horse directly toward the assemblage of guards at a quickening speed. Elion, Tomas, Preston and Stephanie followed closely behind, and their presence caused an unmistakable stir in the crowd. Parsifal drew his sword, as did the others standing beside him, and he stepped forward to meet this newly arrived contingent. They formed a redoubtable wall before the gates that only a martyr or a fool would ever attempt to breach.

As she neared the waiting group, she threw back her hood and let her long, dark braid fly out behind her in the wind. Her porcelain skin stood out starkly against the blackness of her hair and her eyes sparkled brightly in the sun, though she soon was enveloped by the swirling debris.

“Hail, noble Knights!” she yelled through the gray haze as she approached.

Parsifal recognized the voice immediately despite the tumult and dust that accompanied her advance and still obscured her countenance from his view. He leapt from his horse and bent down upon one knee awaiting her arrival. As she approached, he bowed his head respectfully before his Queen. Esta reined in her horse directly in front of him and it rose up upon its hind legs before stopping. She too jumped from her mount, though gracefully and regally as always, befitting her rank.

“Rise, Sir Knight!” she said to Parsifal with great affection, and the huge warrior stood before his Queen with his head still bowed, though his eyes were locked upon her face. “It is good to be back home,” she exclaimed as she took his large, gauntleted hand in her own.

“It is good to have you home, your Highness,” he replied. His blue eyes were as piercing as anyone’s could possibly be, belying the intensity of emotion that his voice did not contain.

Lord Markal too had dismounted and moved to greet the Queen as well.

“Welcome, your Highness. It is so good to have you back amongst us again,” he said sincerely. “I apologize for this,” he then said, as he swept his arm before the large and motley crowds that seemed to be everywhere that there was a square inch of ground to erect a tent upon. “They sought refuge and I know that you would not have wished us to turn them away entirely. We have not allowed any inside the city, though.”

“Who speaks for them?” she asked her Master at Arms.

“The Duke’s former right hand man, Sir Fobush, your Highness,” he replied.

“I remember him. He was a good man. This cannot be pleasant for such a one as he,” she said. “Send someone for him. He and I must speak.”

“As you wish, your Highness. He was particularly disappointed that you had not yet returned to the city. He was quite anxious to meet with you when he arrived,” Lord Markal replied.

“He knew of my absence then?” Esta questioned.

“Word spread, your Highness. It was impossible to keep it secret after a few days had passed.”

“Ah yes. Of course,” she replied, though the comings and goings of those in Avalain was rarely of interest to Talamar. “Well, fetch him then and he will have his opportunity to explain what has occurred and to give us his thoughts on his people’s future. As I said, he always struck me as a noble man. It is sad that fate has caught him too in his master’s duplicitous web, though it was inevitable at some point.”

“He was not as fortunate as we to serve a leader as honorable as you, my Queen,” Lord Markal replied and he bowed humbly. “I will send for him right away,” he said and then he dispatched a runner immediately to locate the man. “It is good to have you back, my Lady,” he said again as he turned toward her. “You were sorely missed. Your absence, unannounced as it was, was rather difficult to explain to a worried population. It was no less arduous for me as well,” he confessed. “Sir Parsifal informed us of Mistress Marne’s heroic demise. We all grieve with you,” he said.

Queen Esta dipped her chin in acknowledgment and fought back the tears that, unbidden, filled her eyes.

Another Knight stepped from behind the others and slowly walked forward until he was standing beside Parsifal. His eyes were bright and attentive, and he looked adoringly upon the Queen.

“Sir Etan,” Esta proclaimed. “You look well. Avalain appears to have been the right prescription for your health.”

“Indeed, your Highness,” he said, and he bowed low before her. “Thanks to you.”

“And no thanks to the demon’s surrogate, the Lady Margot,” she replied with disdain.

Sir Etan blanched at the mention of her name.

“No, your Highness. No thanks to her,” he frowned.

“It seems we have a situation on our hands, Lord Markal,” Esta said diplomatically. “Have you made arrangements to deal with it?” she asked.

“We have begun to organize the Talamarans, my Queen, though they seem so reluctant to work even for their own benefit. There is a group to the north digging ditches for latrines and another group foraging in the brambles yonder for nuts and berries, and yet another organizing a council of sorts to administer the masses in the absence of the Duke. They have only just arrived two days ago, your Highness,” he replied almost apologetically.

“What is the news of Duke Kettin?” the Queen asked.

“According to all accounts, he perished within his city, your Highness,” Lord Markal replied.

“Has that been confirmed?” she questioned, though she was neither surprised nor particularly saddened by the information.

“Yes, your Highness. It has been confirmed,” the Master at Arms said, though he offered no further explanation at the moment.

“I see,” she said. “Only two days ago,” she commented to herself as if the timing was significant in some way.

Esta surveyed the situation for a moment before speaking again. She could not help but notice the crowds gathering upon the ramparts as the news of her return swept the city. She was beloved by the people of Avalain, and they were one and all overjoyed to hear of her safe return. But hearing of it was not sufficient for a population so enamored of its leader. They needed to see her with their own eyes in order to be satisfied once and for all, and she could see them now as they jockeyed for space atop the massive walls.

“Elion! Tomas! Preston! Stephanie! Join me,” she beckoned to her friends who were still sitting on their horses a few paces behind her.

They had been drawing the gazes of all of those in the area even while the Queen addressed them. It was not a common sight to see an elf and a dwarf riding side by side into Avalain. Parsifal had already acknowledged their presence with a subtle nod of his majestic head and a warm smile, whilst Lord Markal looked upon them with many questions marking his expression.

They each dismounted, Preston helping Stephanie to the ground, and they walked a few paces until they were standing beside the Queen. She extended her arms and encircled them as best as she could, indicating clearly to all those present just how devoted to them she was. This one gesture spoke a thousand words to the people who were looking on from the gates as well as to all of those within the city who had assembled upon the walls.

“It is humbling to have amongst us such a noble contingent,” she said loud enough for all to hear. “My friends here, all of them most noble of blood…”