Chapter 25
A Glint Of Hope
Bethmoora was becoming quite a hive of activity. There were people meandering through the halls and corridors in pairs, chattering excitedly as they walked, carrying baskets and bags of produce destined for the kitchens, or with linens for the living quarters. Some rushed past with a message in hand or memorized, dashing to give it to the waiting recipient. Others were using brooms and cloths to clean away the dust and debris that had accumulated during the many centuries of the palace's vacancy. It would take some considerable time to achieve, but as needs demanded and section by section, the palace was becoming habitable once more.
Nuada was striding through the palace now also, accompanied by Oacma, who had finished instructing the newly appointed lookouts and helping to find the best vantage point for their posting.
He had sought the Prince out once more, wanting to be of as much use as he could to him, knowing that the coming days, weeks and months would be busy and filled with much that would need the Prince's attention. He wanted to make Nuada's job as leader as straightforward and trouble-free as possible, because he was fully aware of how much rested on his shoulders, much of which the rest of the Court and general populace of their world had absolutely no knowledge of whatsoever.
Nuada's mind did not need to be filled with the day-to-day concerns of setting up their occupancy of Bethmoora. He had some big decisions to make, and matters of such immense importance that their very lives depended on Nuada being focussed and ready to act at a moment's notice.
At this precise moment they were heading once more for the warrior's training hall, and the storage areas around it.
'We must conduct a thorough search of the entire area,' Nuada was saying. 'I cannot believe that my father would have gone to the trouble of destroying all the weapons that existed in the palace.' He frowned at this idea. 'He must have had them locked away instead – out of sight and out of mind, just as he tried to do with the Golden Army…' he said…
'And just as he so obviously felt about me…' he thought to himself as sadness washed through him, the memory of their last meeting coming to mind once more.
'Indeed, Sire,' said Oacma, nodding in agreement.
They opened many doors to many empty rooms, none yielding so much as a fragment of broken blade.
Nuada was beginning to feel truly frustrated by the lack of weaponry. How on Earth was he to prepare himself or any new-found potential warrior without them? They were fast running out of rooms to investigate in this section, when they finally found a door that appeared to be locked, unlike the others they had tried. They were unlikely to simply 'find' the key, so the only option was to break the door down.
They positioned themselves in front of it and, at a nod from the Prince, they both gave the door a hefty kick. The lock broke with a loud metallic crack and the wooden door flew open, nearly coming off its hinges due to the force of movement.
Oacma went off in search of a usable torch, and returned quickly with one already lighted. He stepped into the murky blackness first so he could shed light on whatever lay within.
At first they could see nothing except what looked like empty sacks strewn across the floor close to the door, but, as they slowly moved forward, what had at first seemed like nothing, soon became more interesting as a distinct metallic glint became visible in the flickering torchlight.
They kicked an abandoned sack or two out of the way and walked towards this tiny point of reflected light until they came to stacks of these old sacks, which were now obviously being used to wrap something in as a protective covering.
As Oacma held the torch higher to allow the light to travel further into the room, it became apparent that there were many, many such bundles.
Nuada reached out and began to peel the layers of sacking away from whatever lay there, and as the source of that tiny glint of reflected light was finally revealed, he shot a glance over at Oacma, whose expression was as joyous as his own. For lying before them was a beautifully crafted and detailed scabbard – and it still held a blade.
Nuada picked up the scabbard, took hold of the hilt, and slowly withdrew a gleaming blade – a sword of Elven silver, as beautiful as it was deadly.
'YES!' he exclaimed triumphantly, turning once more to Oacma, who grinned back at him, their golden eyes reflecting the silver glint of the blade as the torchlight danced brightly across its polished surface.
He began to unwrap more of the bundles and found that each contained one or more of the weapons he had been desperate to find, uncovering swords, daggers and spears of superb quality.
'At last we have the weapons…' said Nuada with satisfaction. 'Now we need hands to wield them,' he said with a sigh.
'Well, Sire, I have two, and they have craved the opportunity to hold a blade once more,' said Oacma, his eyes flashing brightly. Nuada turned to face him and a knowing smile formed on his lips as he regarded his friend's fervent expression. He nodded slowly.
'I can think of no-one I would rather have at my side as the first to take up arms in the name of our people,' he said happily, and patted Oacma amiably on the shoulder. 'Come,' he said. 'Let us find you a weapon or two, to keep your hands from feeling empty any longer.'
They opened bundle after bundle, revealing some beautiful blades, but then they pulled a sack away and uncovered the best of the weapons so far. 'I think perhaps we should return to the hall…and let you try this blade…to see if it suits,' said Nuada, picking up the sword and holding it out to Oacma, whose eyes shone at the prospect of having a weapon of his own, especially one of such wonderful craftsmanship.
'Thank you, Sire,' he said, reaching out and clasping the sheathed sword, feeling the weight of it in his hand. To him, at that moment, it was as if the Prince had just handed him a part of himself that he had somehow lost along the way. They looked at each other and grinned. Nuada picked up a few more weapons and they left the store room that held so much promise, and headed for the training hall at last.
Stepping into the Warrior's training hall once more, Nuada and Oacma talked happily about their good fortune in finding the cache of weapons that lay in the long-forgotten storeroom inside the palace. So many of their hopes had rested upon discovering them intact – hopes that may now have a chance of being realized.
Nuada came to a halt a few steps in, frowning slightly. He must be getting used to being back here in their subterranean palace, because it really did not seem to be as dark in the hall as it had before. Either that, or…No. It couldn't be…
He shook his head in dismissal of his thoughts, and instead walked to one of the benches at the side of the room and put the weapons he held down, so that he could go round the hall with Oacma, lighting the ensconced torches. 'Well, my friend,' he said with a smile, 'you are here again, but this time you have the weapon you craved. Shall we see how well balanced your blade is?'
Oacma's eyes were positively ablaze with joy. He stood now in the Warrior's hall with his leader and a wonderful weapon in his hand. 'Sire,' he replied, bowing, 'nothing would give me greater pleasure.' He smiled widely, and proceeded to unsheathe his new, silver blade.
Nuada grinned back, bowed in response, and lifted his hand to the hilt of the spear-blade sheathed on his back, and withdrew it. 'How much training did you complete before having to lay down arms?' he asked. He had to know how far he could go on their first session together.
'Prior to the treaty being set, I had become reasonably adept with a single sword, but fighting with two was beyond my skills at that time,' said Oacma sadly. 'I only hope that I can reacquaint myself with a blade once more, and maybe become more skilled than I was previously.'
'Of that I have no doubt,' said Nuada kindly. 'Your heart never truly left here…and this reunion shall surely awaken all the memories that sleep in your mind and your body. In a short time, I believe you shall find all that you fear you have lost…and more!' He smiled and nodded to Oacma, trying to raise confidence in him once more.
Oacma gave a little smile back as he nodded to the Prince to indicate he was ready to begin.
They each took up a stance of readiness…
Nuada made a thrusting move towards Oacma, much more slowly than he would normally, and Oacma was able to block this move easily. A swipe to the left was blocked with ease, as was the one to the right, each being slightly faster than the one previous.
Nuada tried different lunges and slashes, testing Oacma's speed, concentration and strength until he was happy he had a measure of his skills. 'Your technique is excellent,' said Nuada with an impressed nod. 'I do not think it will take long at all for you to regain your full speed and strength.'
Oacma smiled happily at the Prince's words of encouragement. 'Thank you, Sire.'
'And then perhaps we should get you started with two blades?' asked Nuada. His tone was very positive and instilled more confidence in Oacma than he had felt in a long time. 'Yes, yes! Thank you, Sire,' he replied with a nod and smile of appreciation.
'Good!' said Nuada, a satisfied smile on his face. At least that feeling of being alone, even when surrounded by crowds of people, was beginning to fade. He raised his spear-blade in readiness once more, and after a nod from Oacma, they began to spar, properly this time. Though the Prince had to work more slowly than usual, he was enjoying himself immensely. He hadn't sparred with one of his kin since he left Bethmoora. This truly felt like a homecoming to him.
They sparred for a long while, until Nuada could see that Oacma was beginning to tire. Oacma knew better than to push himself too far on his first session. That is when mistakes are made and unnecessary injuries are obtained.
'Sire, I believe I should retire before I do too much, and I am sure you would appreciate some time to train properly by yourself.' He brought his blade round so that it lay horizontal before him and bowed to the Prince in the traditional manner of conceding a fight, or to show intent of leaving the 'field'.
Nuada bowed in acknowledgement. 'Very good,' he said with a smile. It was good to see that Oacma was aware of his limits and of the needs of his new Weapons Master. He was going to prove to be an excellent pupil and ally.
Oacma left the hall for a while to go in search of water and towels, as he needed them himself and the Prince would too after a real training session. When he returned, he entered as quietly as possible, staying well to the side of the entrance so as not to disturb the Prince's concentration. He found Nuada had already prepared himself for training, having stripped to the waist, and he was now standing in the middle of the hall. After a few seconds he began to slowly walk forwards, his spear-blade arcing and slicing the air as he moved.
Oacma sat enthralled as for the first time in millennia, he watched the Prince conduct a proper training session. Nuada moved across the floor with a strangely vicious grace, the blade spinning as he went. Each lunge and slash coming in quick succession, each a killing blow.
He ran at the wall and leapt high, and used the momentum to bounce back, twisting round. He landed lightly and cleaved the air with a great upward swipe as he spun round. Anyone standing to his right would have been decapitated had they been unlucky enough to be within his reach.
After moving across the floor again, with lunges and slashes slicing the air, he rolled forward, and planted the pommel hard upon the floor. The spear extended to its full length and Nuada brought it down horizontal to the floor as he spun round, scything the air in an upwards spiral as he stood, reaping any number of imagined opponents.
He brought the spear around his back to his other hand and over his head in sweeping circles as he passed it hand-to-hand, then back down to his side, coming to a stop with the pommel behind his right shoulder and the tip pointing at an angle towards the floor.
He brought the spear back round to the front and began again to chase down his invisible opponent, moving rapidly in various zigzag and circular patterns so as to strike out and avoid being struck.
He continued training for a long while, revelling in the rush of adrenaline as he pushed himself harder than he had been able to for many months. He had been confined by either space or time constraints before coming here and having the hall at his disposal.
At last, he decided he had covered everything he felt it necessary to practice, plus more for his own enjoyment, and that it was time to quit for today. He would come back here as often as possible, hopefully with Oacma…or maybe even others who could start, or continue training.
Coming to a stop, he walked over to Oacma and gratefully accepted the drink of water and clean towel to wipe away the perspiration that ran down his face. 'We shall have to get something done about reinstating the supply of water to the cisterns down here,' he observed. 'We cannot have people going outside all the time. It is, after all, the same springs that fed us before that they visit now.'
They could get the water flowing back to the old network of channels inside the palace. Before, they even had water coming up from deep below them, warmed by the tremendous heat coming from inside the Earth herself. It was time to call upon the skills of the Cave Trolls again it seemed. But for the time being, Nuada would use his usual natural shower.
He picked up his shirt and spear, but Oacma insisted that he should carry his armour pieces. Nuada was feeling very relaxed after the session and decided to go straight to the waterfall, instead of having to dress and undress three times. People would have to get used to seeing him and any others like this if they wished to benefit from the warrior's protection once more.
He was already tired of thinking to a set of bureaucratic rules and decided that some of the less necessary structure would have to be done away with. Tradition was one thing, but this kind of 'red tape' was going to bog them all down for no good reason whatsoever.
He and Oacma doused the torches and left the hall, making their way to the waterfall portal. They met a few people on the way, who bowed as they passed, but not many. Luckily for two of them, the Prince and Oacma missed the sight of the two women as they walked headlong into each other, each of them gawping at their leader's physique that was rather more muscular and defined than they were used to seeing these days.
Once Nuada had checked the area around the waterfall, Oacma went to the entrance to stop anyone coming through so the Prince could have some privacy. Nuada savoured the feeling of the fresh, cool water cascading over him, though he hoped that they could get warm water running inside the palace before winter came. He did not feel the cold as much as a human would, but he definitely preferred a warm shower to a freezing one in the open air when the bad weather hit.
After dressing he got Oacma to accept his offer to watch the portal and allow him the opportunity of a private shower too. When he was finished and dressed, the two of them returned to the living quarters, bearing news of their find and at least a little renewed hope.