Chapter One
The Discovery of the Night Raiders
His muscles flex, straining with every stride he makes.
She pushed forward through the pain forming in her legs, the too familiar cramps. She had been riding for days, hard. There was barely any rest in between these sprints toward the palace. She had been called from leagues away to heed an urgent message. This was not given to her by the King, or even the Queen, this had been an urgent call from Lady Alanna. She didn't even think twice when she got the message from the King's Champion. She didn't even question, didn't stop to think about what abandoning her post meant. There was no war; the country was safe enough. The border skirmishes were easily handled without her being there. Her men were well enough off without her. Still, deserting was a serious crime in Tortall. But now, almost there, she wasn't about to start thinking. She would just have to face the consequences as they came. Right now, she was needed by the King's Champion, and that was reason enough.
She wasn't sure why she had treated this so urgently. Really, the message had no urgency in it. Lady Alanna had only wished her presence whenever she had the time. She had to discuss Kel's future assignments. Still, something in the rider's eyes told her it was more urgent than Alanna led on. Was she afraid of someone intercepting the message? If so, who? How was she sure that Kel would even get the message? Questions poured through her head with nothing to stop them, nothing except the sight before her.
All the world was bare, crops were trampled and animals were lamed. Peachblossom slowed beneath her, knowing that this was a somber moment. She stared in horror and red caught her eyes. There were houses on fire, and as she reached the heart of the village she saw the extent of the damage.
Most of the village was destroyed beyond repair. There were women and children in the streets, screaming and crying. The scene was devastating. Still, her mind was analyzing what she saw. She wasn't going to let emotion get away with her. Why were there no men in the village? And all the while, in the back of her head she was thinking, 'Have I been gone this long? Have I been that far-gone? Why did we get no word from the King that this was happening?'
She looked down at a woman who was staring at the scene; tears were streaming down her cheeks. She looked relatively calmed though, much more so than others nearby. "What happened?" Kel found her voice was cracked and meek. She cleared her throat and tried again, "What happened here?"
The woman looked up at Kel, as if just noticing her. Her eyes were blank and full of anguish. She seemed docile, and a small smile appeared on her lips. "You must be the Lady Knight Keladry."
Kel nodded, "I am."
"I am Arisa," she bowed, and Kel wondered what kind of tragedy this woman had seen in her life. There was a young boy by her feet, but she couldn't have been much older than Kel herself.
"Nice to meet you," Kel responded carefully, not wanting to upset the fragile balance this woman was hanging on.
"What happened here," she laughed, but there was no joy, only a hollow hopelessness. "Do you even need to ask? It was those Night Raiders. From the heart of the country they come, destroying villages and crops. They hate the country; they're rebellious knights and nobles and peasants alike. They all share one view, they hate the King."
Kel closed her eyes. Why had Jonathan not told them of this? Why hadn't he called her squad back? Why hadn't he pulled men from the border to aid these people? What was he thinking? "And the King, what is he doing about it?" she didn't want to sound disloyal to her King, but she was beginning to think he might be crazy.
"You don't know?" Arisa smiled sadly. "The King is dying; he says nothing at all. Queen Thayet is trying to maintain everything herself, but she's sick with grief. Advisors have sent out scouts and assassins to hunt them down, but they are too many."
Kel's anger soared, and her fingers clenched. Attacking Tortall when it was vulnerable was too much for her. These villains must be stopped. "How long?" she managed to mutter.
"Two weeks at most, enough time to destroy ten villages. They take weekends off," her smile was grim.
Two weeks, then the rider was sent out a few days after the first attacks. She came too late for this village, but she nodded and thanked the girl. She handed her a few coins, all she could spare and called Peachblossom into a gallop.
They sprinted toward Corus and when they reached the palace she quickly handed the reins of her horse to a stable boy and instructed him to be good. He seemed to agree, even if it was grudgingly.
She sprinted into the palace and asked a nearby Knight for Lady Alanna. He turned around, and she found that it was Raoul.
"Kel," he grinned his normal grin, but it had faded. She guessed it was with worry. "You got here quickly. You were far-gone."
"Lady Alanna's message got there quickly, luckily," Kel answered. "Where is she?"
"She's with Jonathan and Thayet; Duke Baird just left them. I'll take you to them," he led her through the palace and up a grand staircase. Once up the stairs he led her down a few more halls and into the heart of the palace. Once there, he opened a door and inside was yet another grave situation.
On the bed lie Jonathan, under covers of red velvet. Thayet sat next to him, crying. She held his hand and occasionally pulled it to her lips. She kissed his forehead and brushed back his bangs that were soaked with the sweat of a burning fever. Alanna stood in a corner, not quite with it. She was staring out a window; her haunting eyes were glazed over in distress. The room was somber, and Kel gulped. She didn't want to be the first to speak, so she shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot until Raoul noticed her discomfort and lightly knocked on the doorframe.
Thayet and Alanna's eyes snapped toward the door and Alanna allowed a weak smile toward Kel.
Alanna nodded to Thayet who nodded back and walked from the room, gently leading Raoul and Kel away with her. She shut the door softly behind them, not making a sound and took them back downstairs. Once there, she took them to the kitchen that was uninhabited and got Kel something to eat, insisting that she had to eat. Kel was glad once she had the food; she had barely eaten or slept in the last few days. Sleep would have to wait though, now she needed news of what was going on in Corus. She finished quickly, Alanna watching her like a hawk, and then they settled in Raoul's chambers, near the fire.
Alanna was quiet for some time, until she sighed heavily and pulled her hands away from her face. She looked at Kel and shook her head, then turned, as if to maintain the silence. Instead of keeping the long silence though, she began, in a small voice, something Kel had never heard. "Jonathan fell into this fever over two weeks ago. At first he was only stifled by it, a passing sickness. Duke Baird gave him a draught and told him to get rest. Then the Night Raiders began to attack our villages in the cover of darkness, randomly. One night they were just outside Corus and the next they were miles away. There was no pattern, no tracks, only pillaged villages, there was nothing we could do but wait for them to attack again. Whoever is leading them is smart, very smart. The dogs had their scents for awhile, but it was lost in the river. Our trackers found hoof prints, but lost them in the woods.
"Jonathan, in his frustration, put stress on himself. He tried with magic and force to find them, but there was nothing. There must be a Mage with them; maybe it's their leader. Whatever it is, it's impossible to find them. He drove himself further and further into the fever. We tried to get him to rest, but he refused. He stopped eating and sleeping. After the third raid we forced him to bed, from there the fever only got worse. He hasn't left that bed since. Duke Baird can't fix it; he says it must run his course. Unfortunately, its course may kill him."
Kel was silent for a long time, and their eyes turned back to the fire. Finally, Kel got the courage to speak and did so, "Where is Prince Roald in all this?"
"He's away, in the Yamani Islands," Raoul answered. "There's been a message sent to him, but it may take awhile for him to return, if it got there without being intercepted."
"In the meantime we have done nothing," Alanna's fist came down on the chair. "And innocent die every night while we sit idol!"
"What about Numair? Has he tried anything…?" Kel didn't get to finish because Alanna was already shaking her head.
"It must be a very powerful Mage. The seeing spells are weak, only pictures, but they're being blocked from him completely. Daine has sent out spies among the animals, but they've come up with nothing."
"So what do you want me to do?" Kel didn't know what was expected of her; she was out of ideas.
"We're stuck here Kel, idol in the palace. We've got to be here to protect the palace and Jonathan. We've no way out of that. If they attack Corus we have to be here, Buri too. That's the Queen's Riders and the King's Own," Raoul explained to Kel, and her eyes widened in horror.
"No," she shook her head.
"So you see," Alanna forged on, as if she didn't even hear Kel, "we need someone to go in our place, someone reliable."
"Send someone else!" Kel struggled with them. She didn't want to be difficult, but this was too much responsibility for a new Knight. She thought that this should go to someone more capable.
"You are the only one that has a good enough head on her shoulders to get something accomplished. Kel, you're the one, who must go in our stead," Raoul was almost pleading with her, as if she had a…choice.
"Woah," she whispered and couldn't hide this. She put a hand to her forehead and the room began to spin.
The room blurred around her and was replaced with a chamber, white walls and no door. She was trapped, the room was strangling her; she was suffocating. She tried to scream but she had no voice. She tried to run but there was nowhere to go. Then, as suddenly as it had come, she was in a room, sprawled on the floor by a fire. There was a man there, he was leaning against the fireplace, a drink was in his right hand, barely anything had left the glass.
He sighed heavily, and she stared at him. He was tall, but not as tall as she was. His body was frail, his skin pale. His hair was cut cleanly but was disheveled. When he turned and looked at her, his face wasn't clean-shaven as was common, but was scruffy. There were dark circles under his bright green eyes. There was magic on his fingers, and a sick smile spread across his face. "Kel," he called softly. "Lady Knight."
"What do you want?" she demanded as she stood and clenched her fingers.
"Our confrontation cannot happen here, in a mere dream, it must be in person. I've been longing to meet you."
"What makes you think that I'd want to meet you?" she questioned fiercely; her eyes were angry as she faced this Mage that was shutting everyone else out, Alanna, Numair, Raoul, all of them, and here he was, letting her in.
"Because if you don't," he laughed, "if you don't, I'll continue to kill and pillage, burn and…rape."
Cuts were made in her palms where her fingers dug in; the words were more violent than if this had come to blows.
"Oh," he laughed, "and if you don't find me, then I'll be forced to kill your boy." He snapped and Tobe appeared in his grasps, struggling violently.
"No!" Kel screamed and tried to reach for him.
"Kel! I tried to follow you, but I couldn't keep up. I'm sorry," Tobe apologized and looked almost to the point of tears. His clothes were ripped and tattered, his face was mud stained and…was that blood?
"I'll kill you!" she screamed and reached out for them, but the dream vanished, and the face of her enemy was replaced with the concerned face of Alanna the Lioness.
"Kel? Kel?"
She realized that she had fallen out of her chair and was sprawled out on the ground. Her hands were bleeding, and Alanna pulled them into her own hands, and a purple light covered up the wounds and the healing was gentle and quick.
"What just happened?" Raoul asked when Alanna was finished.
"I saw him," Kel choked, "and he has Tobe."
Alanna shook her head, "So then you understand?"
Kel nodded.
"And you'll go?" Raoul persisted.
Kel clenched her fists and glared into the distance. She stared into the flames and then turned back, looking first at Alanna and then at Raoul. She nodded and answered, "Yes."
