Vali woke some time later, how much later he couldn't tell. He opened his eyes, and saw that he lay on a mattress in a strange, round room. Benno sat on a chair next to him.
"He's awake." Krina stood at the foot of the bed, watching the boy intently.
"So he is!" Benno cried. "Welcome back to the world, Randa!"
"What's going on?" Vali had no clear idea of where he was or what had happened.
"Do you recall the skeletons that attacked us?"
He frowned and shook his head, but as he fought through the fog that enveloped his memory, bits and pieces came back to him.
"I do remember. They came out of the woods. There was a flash of light, and they exploded."
"That was my doing." the trow grinned. "I hit them with lightning, but not before one of them stuck its spear into your gut. We nearly lost you, boy."
"Where are we?"
"Felsengarten. This is my humble home," the trow grunted. "It's a good thing I keep a small store of healing water hidden away here, otherwise I would have had to trek back up to the Well."
Vali closed his eyes and tried to relax. He could hardly believe that he had almost died.
"What were those things that attacked us, Benno? I know they were skeletons, but…does this mean that Ewa has released them upon us?"
The trow snorted. "No. Those were vark skeletons, not human, like the zvoleni. Remember, Ewa has learned the art of necromancy from the sverak, so she can animate dead bodies to serve her. Not a massive army, by any means, but enough to cause us some trouble. She must have dug up a vark graveyard. The varks bury their dead. They don't burn them like trows, or humans, or the other civilized races do. "
"I couldn't imagine facing an entire army of those things." The boy shuddered. "My first fight. And look what happened. I dropped my sword…"
"What is important is that you are alive," said Krina. "You survived your first battle. Which is something many warriors cannot say. Just learn what you can from the experience, and the next time, you won't make the same mistake."
"The next time," Vali muttered.
"Don't worry about it," said the trow. "I myself got pretty tore up too. I'm going to have to dust off my leather cuirass. I can't be running around Nadani getting sliced to pieces, now, can I? Har har! And I'll get us some trow war maces from the palsgrave's armory. Far better than swords for smashing bones. If Ewa wants to play games, I'm more than happy to oblige her."
The door to Benno's house opened, letting in the bright sunlight. In walked Sir Dragoslav Krul. Vali was certainly surprised to see him.
The knight stopped at the foot of the bed. "You live, Randa. It is good to see you have regained some of your color."
"Thank you, Dragos."
The trow peered into Vali's face. "How do you feel, boy?"
"Fine. I mean…a little tired, that's all."
"Well, you just lay here and get some more sleep. Krina will get you some food in a minute, if you're hungry. As for me, I'm off to see the palsgrave."
"I'll be fine, Benno. I'm just going to try to sleep some more. And…thanks. Thanks for saving my life."
The trow grinned. "Well, what did you expect, boy? I was just going to leave you there to die? Now get some rest."
The others left the trow's house, shutting the door gently behind them.
Vali fell asleep in no time at all, and woke later to the sound of voices. Krina and Dragos.
"I just wanted to tell you that I am…sorry…about what I said back in Radovan. I…I know that this is difficult for you, Dragos. It's hard for me as well. But you must understand the way I feel."
"Don't be sorry." Dragos' voice held a slightly bitter edge. "You have every right to be angry with me. I had my chance to take a stand against him when your father banished you. And I chose to do nothing, to say nothing. I have shamed and dishonored both myself and you."
Her voice went cold. "But still you serve him."
Dragos said nothing for a few moments. He sighed. "I do. It is…not easy, as you say. You are right, Krina. I do nothing for you, yet at the same time, I ask you to forgive me. But I cannot forgive myself. I hope you know how much I love you, even though you doubt that I do."
"It's not that I doubt your love for me. But you love my father as well, more than you love me. No, I'm not asking you to choose, Dragos, but you must understand. You can only love one of us at a time, and at this time, it is him. Perhaps at some point that will change. But until it does, I cannot accept your love. And I cannot love you in return."
"And what if I renounced my knighthood, and my lands, and my good name, what then?"
"Dragos, I know that doing so would break your heart. I wouldn't ask that of you."
"But if it is the only way you would have me…"
Krina sighed. "Perhaps it is fated that we should never be together. Perhaps all this…is the will of Matka. We should not struggle to change a destiny that is already laid out before us."
"If that is what you truly believe…"
Her voice dripped with bitterness. "I don't know what I believe anymore, Dragos. So much has happened. A year ago, I was the most honored and beloved Kavalir in all of Moravia. Now I am a criminal banished from her homeland, wandering Nadani in disgrace. Let us just do what we must do. Let us concentrate on dealing with my aunt, for that is paramount. As for what may come after…"
"That is most likely for the best. I just want you to know…that I am truly sorry for everything that has happened to you, and for every way that I have failed you. I wish I could make it up to you…"
"There is no need, Dragos. Come, let us speak of other matters."
Vali lay in bed, pondering the import of their words, feeling sorry for both of them. Life just didn't seem fair. The boy wished there was something he could do for them, but he knew the notion was absurd. He felt that the best thing he could do would be to stay out of their affairs.
They moved onto another topic of conversation, and Vali took the opportunity to pretend to wake up.
"How do you feel?" Krina asked. She and Dragos rose up from where they had been sitting at the round table in the middle of the room.
The boy climbed out of bed and ran his hand through his mop of tangled hair.
"Hungry, mostly."
"Let me get you something to eat."
Krina rummaged in her haversack, and brought out some trail rations. She made room for Vali at the table, and the boy sat down and ate his meal with gusto.
A heavy knock pounded on the door, and they all glanced at each other.
"Master Burkhardt?" called a deep, gruff voice from outside the house. A red-faced trow with a braided black beard, and clad in a red and black uniform, peered through the window.
"Oh! I'm sorry to intrude! I'm looking for Master Burkhardt."
"I don't know where he is," said Dragos. "He may be visiting with the palsgrave."
The trow hesitated for a moment. "You are Sir Dragoslav Krul, are you not?"
"Yes, indeed," said the knight. "How can I help you, good sir?"
"Well, it's actually you I'm looking for. You or your friend, the Lady Krina, or both. You see, you have a visitor."
"A visitor?" Dragos stood up. "From where? Who is it?"
"A Lady Aneta Novak, Kavalir of the kingdom of Moravia."
Krina and Dragos locked eyes. Krina swiftly stood, and adjusted her sword belt.
"What is her business, good sir?" Dragos asked.
"She merely asked if Master Burkhardt had come home recently, and if so, if he had any companions with him. When we answered yes to both questions, she asked us to describe his companions. So we did, and she named you two by name, and asked us to come and kindly retrieve you."
Dragos' face went grim. "Come, Krina. Let us go face our old friend."
The knights went to the door, first picking up their shields from where they lay on the floor. Vali reached for his sword belt.
Krina whirled around. "What are you doing?"
"Going with you."
"No, Vali, please stay here. We can handle this. Don't get involved."
Vali hesitated. Dragos glared at him. The boy quickly thought of an argument, but none would come to him. Before he could say anything further, Dragos opened the door, and the two of them left Benno's house, shutting the door behind them.
Vali went to the window and watched them walk down the street, behind the trow guard. The boy wondered if he should disobey them, and follow anyway. But if he did, they would be upset. He thought of going to find Benno, but he really had no idea where the trow had gone. The boy knew why Aneta Novak was here. To bring Krina, and possibly Dragos as well, to justice.
He couldn't let Aneta take his friends back to where only a swift death awaited them. And he couldn't go looking for the trow, either. There was no time. He buckled on his sword belt, and left the house, turning right down the stone street, in the direction the knights had gone.
Felsengarten was a small town of about only five hundred trows. Their houses, made of stone, were smaller than human houses. They were round and single-storied, with a single window set next to each door, and a flat roof with a chimney poking out of the western side. Each house had a little yard of well-tended grass, and a small garden set in the rear. Behind the garden stood one or more smaller stone buildings, which served as sheds, or barns, or both, for most of them swarmed with chickens and other various livestock.
There were a few trows out and about, mostly women tending their gardens, or hanging the wash. Trow children played boisterously in their yards, or out in the streets. More than a few of these youngsters stared up at the boy with wide, curious eyes as he passed. One of them, a little girl, even ran shrieking back to her mother.
After a minute, the boy reached the end of the street, and looked out into the main courtyard. Dragos and Krina walked towards the gate in the outer wall, still accompanied by the guard. Vali slowed his pace, not wanting them to catch sight of him. They reached the open portcullis and walked under it, and the boy slowly followed. Passing under the gate, he entered a torch-lit, narrow tunnel, and descended a set of narrow stairs that led downward in a steep grade. Next to the stairs ran a smooth ramp, presumably for livestock and wagons that couldn't navigate the stairs.
Vali saw green grass and daylight down beyond the archway at the far end, and slowed his pace even more, not wanting to give himself away. Halfway down the steps, he stopped, waiting patiently until the others reached the bottom. They turned left upon exiting the tunnel, and Vali quickly hurried down after them.
The trow guard suddenly appeared back on the landing, glancing up at him curiously. Vali smiled at him, and the trow waved back at him.
The boy didn't want Dragos and Krina to see him, so when he reached the trow, he started up a conversation with him, to stall for time. Before long, the guard was prattling on about something, but Vali wasn't listening. After a few minutes, he excused himself.
"I would love to stay and talk, good sir, but I have pressing business to attend to, and my friends have gone off without me."
"Aaah, that's right. You were there with them at Master Burkhardt's house. I recall the lady telling you to stay there."
The trow winked and grinned, patting the boy's shoulder.
Vali smiled sheepishly before turning away and peering through the archway. Krina and Dragos walked across the grass towards Aneta Novak, who stood next to a gigantic, four-legged, gray-feathered eagle. A keythong. The beast cocked its head quizzically as the knights approached. Vali lingered near the wall, alert and watching, his hand on his sword.
Krina and Dragos stopped a few paces from the woman, and the three exchanged words. The boy couldn't hear their conversation. Aneta, however, looked directly at him, and said something to the others. Dragos and Krina turned around, frowning at Vali.
He grinned sheepishly. Figuring there was no further point in trying to be sneaky, he walked over to join them.
Krina's tone was icy. "Didn't I tell you to stay there?"
"Yeah, well…" Vali's eyes went to Aneta. She had been among the knights who had arrested Krina in the temple in Radovan. She was dressed as a knight, much like Krina and Dragos, but the device on her tabard and shield was a blue hawk on a yellow field. Across her back hung a sword with a yellow gem set into the pommel. She had blue eyes and sandy hair, much like Vali, which bespoke her Brasovian heritage. The boy briefly wondered about her status as a knight, since the nobility was usually only comprised of Moravians with pure blood.
"Enough with the pleasantries," Dragos growled suddenly. "What do you want, Aneta?"
The knight stood stiff and stern, his face hard and unforgiving.
The woman's eyes flashed on Krina. "You know why I'm here. Why else? The king has commanded me with bringing you to justice."
"Justice?' Dragos laughed scornfully. "Is that what he calls it? Banishing a woman unjustly, for a crime that…"
"Unjustly?" Aneta's eyebrows arched, and she struggled for a moment to regain her composure. "Are you questioning the decisions of our liege and lord?"
Dragos hesitated a moment before replying. "Of course I am! We all are! Even you! Remember our anger after the king banished Krina? Yet we continued to serve him, as if nothing at all had happened. King Vilem banishes his only daughter, our captain, and we say and do nothing! Like a bunch of sniveling cowards afraid of being punished!"
"What was there to say and do, Dragos? Our allegiance is to him, not to our captain." Aneta's eyes again fixed on Krina. "Enough talk! I came here to bring you back to Radovan, Krina. You can come of your own volition, or you can come by force. And as for you, Sir Dragos, I didn't expect to find you here, but the king thought you might be in collusion with her and the trow. My orders are to issue an Edict of Banishment against you…"
"By the Mother's Fist!" Dragos cried. "He has gone too far this time! Why not just banish all of us?"
"He only punishes those who work against his will," Aneta said softly. Her face cracked, revealing her internal struggle. "I am sorry, my friends, but I swore an oath to obey him. The same oath that you two swore. But unlike you, I cannot dishonor myself by disobeying him. Krina, will you come of your own accord?"
"My answer is the same as I gave in Radovan."
Krina's dark eyes flashed. Her hand moved to her sword, and she unsheathed it in one fluid motion. Bringing blade and shield to bear, she stepped forward and assumed a battle stance.
Aneta stepped back, swiftly adopting a defensive position.
"Don't do it, Krina!" Aneta cried. "I don't want to fight you. You were like a sister to me!"
Aneta unsheathed her sword. "Remember, Krina, I hold the Spellsword Dazer."
"And I hold the sword Haven…sister!"
Spitting the word, Krina lunged, swinging for Aneta's head. Aneta effortlessly blocked the blow. The women departed from each other, circling and feinting, searching for any opening or advantage.
"Krina, no!" Vali ran forward, but Dragos grabbed his arm, spinning him around to face him.
"Do not interfere, Randa. This is her fight."
"This is madness!" The boy tried to pull away from the knight's grasp, but Dragos was too strong. The knight pushed the boy away from him, and in an instant, his blade was out, pointing at Vali's throat. The boy stared at him, fear and anger contorting his features.
"Do not interfere, Randa. Unsheathe your blade, slowly. Drop it on the ground, and back away."
Seething with emotion, Vali reluctantly obeyed. The knight moved forward and stepped on his sword.
"Why aren't you helping her!" Vali screamed. "Don't you love her, you stupid bastard?"
Dragos' face turned red, and he scowled fiercely. "Who are you to address me, a Kavalir of Moravia, in such a manner? You had best hold your tongue, you base churl, or I may cut it out!"
The boy wasn't daunted by the knight's words. "If she dies, I'm holding you responsible. Whose side are you on, anyway?"
Behind him, Vali heard the clang of sword on shield and armor, the grunts and groans of the two battling women. Whirling around, forgetting Dragos for the moment, the boy watched the fight, barely daring to breathe.
Aneta lunged in for a strike, and Krina moved too slowly to deflect it. The blade slashed across her leg, erupting in a sudden, deafening roar of magical thunder. Krina cried out and crumpled to the ground.
"I'm going to kill you!" Vali ran for Aneta, his hands reaching for her throat. Strong hands suddenly grabbed him from behind and held him fast. He struggled furiously in Dragos' arms, but he couldn't break free. He cursed in rage and despair.
The knight threw him roughly to the ground, and Vali lay there, overcome by emotion. Dragos slowly walked up to Aneta. The female knight knelt by Krina's side, and checked her for signs of life.
Aneta glanced up at Dragos, who now stood over her. "She lives. My sword has merely stunned her. I didn't want to hurt her, Dragos. The Mother knows I didn't. But I have my orders, and I must obey my king."
As Aneta hung her head in a silent prayer of forgiveness, Dragos reached down and picked up the Spellsword Dazer from the ground where Aneta had dropped it. The knight stared down at Aneta and frowned.
The woman glanced up at him sharply. "What are you…"
With a roar of fury, Dragos brought the flat of the blade slamming down on her head. The concussive blast of the sword's magic knocked her unconscious to the ground.