Chapter One
Sorrowed Arrivals
(Notes: AU, mild OOC)
The quiet sobs that wracked her body just made the feeling to retch rise anew. Karigan had never been one for small spaces and here she was...trapped. Where on Earth was she? It wasn't often she cried when she was in a difficult situation, but by the five hells! She was in a difficult situation about half an hour ago...now her chances of survival just looked bleak.
Her thoughts interrupted her roiling emotions. She had to get out of here. She had been pushing at the walls for nearly fifteen minutes before she gave up. Gave up? She scoffed. Since when had Green Riders given up? She growled imagining Lil Ambriodhe chastising her for not trying to survive. What of Mornhavon? She had to stop him before he got to the kingdom...to the king.
A mental image of Zachary gave her the energy she required, that little extra push in her pulse to actually do something about her predicament.
She began shouting once more while pushing against the walls that enclosed her. She needed to get out for she had a feeling that gave her a pang of certainty...Mornhavon was near.
Lynx trudged along helplessly. He needed to get to the castle...to the castle. He felt like spluttering up blood. He had only stopped when he deemed it necessary. The aching loss of his fellow riders had come as a surprise since he tried his best to not get attached. But the careless banter of Yates and Karigan's watchfulness made the sob he had withheld for at least five minutes burst forth.
Civilisation...please...please. He needed to get to civilisation and maybe just rest his head for a moment. He needed to be enveloped in warmth and just curl up and forget the world. But his faithfulness to the King made him trek onward. He was not to stop, not until the King knew everything, by gods it was his duty, not only to the kingdom, but for his fallen and lost friends.
It must have been about two days later when he arrived into Sacor city, the sight of it making his heart beat erratically. For once since he left the plains he felt happy. His hope renewed a little as he pushed onward. But his heart may have had a new hope but his body was still in its battered form and as he pushed forward he felt himself fall to the ground in a mangled heap. Then with some relief he felt the blackness overcome him.
Laren Mapstone sat at her desk, her hands tugging at her hair mercilessly. She let her head drop to the desk in blissful agony. Gods, she needed a break! The time that Estora- or should she say Queen Estora- put her on lock down gave her some time to reflect. She needed a break once in awhile! She had thought to ask the King for some time off to visit a certain merchant but the dead, vacant look in his eyes made it clear to her that he needed someone, no a close someone, to be with him.
She had hoped he would have confided in Estora, but that would have proven difficult since the source of his sorrow was about the woman he loved- and not his wife.
She sighed once more looking down at the paperwork when she heard a commotion outside her office. She rose in alarm – the entire kingdom had been thoroughly shaken up by the attempt on Zachary's life.
Then a knock resounded. "Come in," she called. Fastion emerged, the grim look on the Weapon's face should have prepared her but...
"The troop arrived from Backveil...well what's left of it." At once she jumped from behind her desk and raced outside. Her riders were back? A smile flitted her face, they had made it?
"Captain...only one of them returned..." Fastion said looking down.
Laren felt something snake around her heart. Her breathing shallowed and the smile all but dropped off her face. "Take me to her," she whispered, positive that only Karigan had made it out alive.
"...Rider Sir G'ladheon...did not arrive...it is Rider Lynx who lays unconscious in the Mender's Wing," The Weapon that rarely bore emotion had a slight tinge in his eye. Laren felt the world drop below her. Karigan...Karigan had not made it? But Lynx had! At least he survived, for that she was relieved but what of Yates? Somewhere deep inside of her she had the feeling that the jolly rider would not have survived. Then why on Earth did you allow him to go? Her conscience argued.
"This is not the time," she murmured to herself. "Take me to him," she had not even once thought of the king's reaction to this all. Karigan. This was what she had wanted to protect him from...
When she viewed Lynx's body she knew that there was no way she was going to be able to get his report for the next few days. It was all clear what had happened to the others...The forest of Blackveil had conquered them. She felt anger rise within her as she noticed no Eletians had come with Lynx, but her rational side dictated her. They must have had to report to their own Prince.
She left the Wing and headed to the see the King. This she knew was not going to be easy...
King Zachary swallowed briefly as the noble went on and on about the ill effects of such a hasty marriage but hadn't he acknowledged all of this some week ago? Estora...his wife... sat beside him with much the same expression. He knew how she felt about the marriage and in truth had not blamed her. Maybe it had happened for the better for with his thoughts on Karigan...when she showed up from Blackveil – when- he might not have had the willpower and would have terminated the marriage and whisked his Karigan away. His heart pounded in his chest at the mere thought of her.
Damnation, what he would have given so that she would not have gone into Blackveil...What he would have given for that night of bliss to be actually shared with her...
He swallowed and resumed listening to the noble's rant when there was an urgent knock on the tall doors. He nodded at the Weapons who opened the door to allow a flustered Laren Mapstone to enter the room.
"My King, a rider has returned from Blackveil," she huffed.
He held his breath and in one shot dismissed the noble and sent everyone out, well except Laren and Estora.
Laren saw the tension in his face, the subdued hope, the longing.
"Rider?" he asked breathless.
Laren looked to the floor and exhaled a shaky breath, "Yes, Rider Lynx has returned...alone."
Zachary knew that if he had not been sitting his knees would have given out. He knew that as a King he could not show such emotion. But he felt the moisture in his eyes, felt the tightening in his throat and the crack in his heart with such unbearable force that a sob broke from his lips. Estora glanced at him, her eyes filled with concern and alarm and rested her hand on his shoulder to lend some form of comfort.
Karigan had not returned. Karigan who was her friend...She knew she should be feeling immense sorrow, but some sort of relief flooded her and that made her hate herself all the more.
"Moonling," Laren whispered. But in a second Zachary had his shields up, the shields of a King. He stood on powerful legs so quickly Estora's hand dropped. He strode out of the room and with an air of finality whispered just so that they could hear, "I wish to be alone now."
When he left, Estora let out a sob. One filled with sadness and unlike she had hoped it was not for the demise of her friend but for the way in which Zachary reacted to it. It showed how much he loved the Rider...enough to make a show of such emotion in front of her; usually he was so well guarded.
Laren stepped forward and put an arm around the Queen. A single tear slid down Laren's cheek, for the loss of her Riders...and for the gaping hole that had now taken residence in Zachary's heart.
Zachary had overcome much of his illness, he was already almost as strong as he had been before. But now the simple task of walking down the corridor proved almost fatal. He felt like dropping every few seconds. It was a difficult task to keep a calm and collected exterior when all he wanted to do was jump off the nearest tower.
By the time he made it to the castle rooftop his exterior was melting. He looked down at the view below remembering how he had come up here to view the woman who held his heart take on her daily tasks, never would he have such a chance again. A tear dropped from his eyes. He closed his lids and with a shaky breath slid to the floor and brought his knees up.
How long ago had he needed to be in this position, his knees drawn with his chin atop? Not since he was a child and allowed to express emotion. His breathing deepened and quickened and the tears now sprang free, his frame shaking with each sob.
"Kari..." he sobbed. He did not want to believe the painful reality of it all.
He laughed a hollow empty sound. Look at Sacoridia's King, a sobbing mess atop the roof...
Feedback is always welcomed :)
