The crow landed on the window and cawed, as if speaking something.
"Don't listen to him. Crows are all liars." the ugly, old and half-blind Old Nan said. "Crows, snakes and spiders are animals not to be believed, ever. Their tongue is poisonous." Arahael rolled his eyes.
"How can you even believe them, if none of them can't speak?" he told her. "Especially the spiders. They don't even have a tongue."
"Oh, they can speak, young lord." the Old Nan said, doing her needlework in the chair beside Arahael's bed. Túrin ordered her to give him company because no one else could. Bran and Aldamir were going around with the soldiers, while Urwena was with keeping Gondor together with her mother and Túrin.
"They always did. You know a story about the Gwerlum, the mother of spiders. That was always your favorite story."
"I don't care about your stories now." he said. He knew he shouldn't talk like that with a woman almost nine times older than him, but he was just angry. He turned away from her, and he was laying in bed on his like he was side sleeping. But he couldn't sleep the whole night. The whole night, he was thinking about mother, father, Minardil, Isaiah and Arrana. He couldn't stop thinking about them.
"You always liked stories." the Old Nan said. "I can tell you the story of Túrin Turambar and his sister-wife Niënor Níniel."
"It's a sad story. I never liked sad stories." Arahael said. "My favorites were the scary ones."
"Oh, my sweet child." the Old Nan said quietly. "What do you know of fear? When the world was still young, and the elves and dwarves still walked in it, long before the Flood." Arahael turned to her to listen carefully. "In that time, kings were either cowards or they sided with the dark powers that wanted to destroy the world and remake it in their own image. Is this the sort of story that you like?"
Arahael nodded reluctantly, holding on to his blanket.
"In that time, the demons came. They who rebeled against God, and sided with darkness. People also call them the old gods. Among them was Yogg, the king of mountains. Among them was Camazotz, the demon in the flesh of a bat, and Kraken, the evil king of the seas. And so was Drakon, their king, who took the form of the most terrifying creature on earth. A dragon. And he burned all of their enemies and not even the power of the elves or the weapons of the dwarves could defeat them. And the Old Gods took many of the elves, tortured them by awful methods, and turned them into vile creatures. The Orcs. And their army of Orcs, they spread to all lands, who riding their giant wolves and followed by their giant spiders, big as hounds..."
Arahael was scared to death when the door suddenly opened out of nowhere, with a bang. He felt like his heart is going to jump out of his chest. However, it remained there, after Arahael saw it was Bran who entered the room. Bran noticed Arahael's scared look.
"What are you telling him now?" Bran asked the Old Nan.
"Only what the little lord wants to hear."
And I regret it. Bran shook his head and smiled.
"Go and get your supper. I want to spend some time with him." Bran commanded her.
The Old Nan stood up, as quickly as a woman of her years could and slowly walked to the door, closing them from behind, leaving Bran and Arahael alone. Bran glanced at the door and then looked back to Arahael.
"What was she telling you know?" Bran asked.
"About the orcs." Arahael answered. He didn't want to say the whole truth about what she was talking about. Bran chuckled at that.
"The orcs." he said. "When I was little, she once told me that the comets are not falling stars that turn into stones, but that sometimes a demon tries to come closer to God's throne and then He casts him away and sends archangel Michael to chase him." Arahael chuckled at that. Bran then sat on the bed close to him.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Arahael then sat on his bed, rather than lying on it.
"I am." he said quietly. "But are they?" Bran didn't say anything.
"Have they found Min yet?" he asked. Bran just breathed deeply and slowly shook his head. "Anything from father and Isaiah?" Arahael was sad when Bran shook his head, but not surprised.
"Arrana?"
"She and uncle Calen are still in the west now. They are probably guests of lord Harwin."
"And mother?"
"She is still looking for Min and Ben." Bran said and Arahael looked down into his fingers.
"Arahael." Bran said, causing him to raise his eyes. He sat down little closer to Arahael and placed a hand on his shoulder. "We will find them. I know that for sure. I promise you." Arahel rolled his eyes.
"How can you promise me they will all return? Did they all leave a letter or something?"
"No..."
"Then how can you promise me?" Arahael asked him, without expecting answer. Bran was silent for few moments, but then spoke again.
"Sometimes you simply know things will end the best way. And I know that all of them will come back." Arahael gave a weak smile to Brandon.
He was grateful that Brandon tried to comfort him in all this time, but it wasn't enough to ease him. But he didn't want Brandon to think that his efforts were in vain.
"What will the Westergaards do?" Arahael asked, surprising Brandon with that question. "I mean, will they side with the Red Snake."
Brandon tsked at that. "Arahael, you are too young to ask those kinds of questions."
"But Bran, I..."
"Arahael." Bran raised his voice. "You are too young." Arahael sighed.
"But I do know those things. I know what Westergaards do, they care only about power."
"Arahael!" Bran now raised his voice. "Who told you..."
"Everyone, Bran. People talk about it the whole time. Just like about the Red Snake. It was only a matter of time before I would hear of that."
"Arahael, not all tales you hear are true." Brandon said. "There are stories about anything." he then pointed with his head to the door through which the Old Nan left the room. "Half of the stories of the Old Nan are just that: stories."
"But sending assassins isn't, is it?" Arahael asked, and Bran looked around, not knowing what to say to him. Arahael didn't need him to answer. He already knew. The stories about the Wetsergaards were all too similar to be false. When there are many similarities between different accounts, you know that the story cannot be coming from the thin air, Adonijah once taught him.
"Arahael." Bran said again. "Do you want small walk? Maybe it will make you happier." Arahael shrugged and sighed.
"It won't make me sadder." he said, removed his blanket and started to put on his boots. When he fixed his bed, he walked to Bran. Bran put his arms around him.
"Come." he said. As they walked out of the room, there Galbart was laying on the ground, waiting for him. The grey wolf's ears raised at that moment and he got on all four and came to Bran and Arahael.
"Hey!" Arahael smiled and petted him. Then he realized where Galbart was sleeping. "Oh, Galbart, forgive me! I...I just closed the door when I went to sleep..." he then looked into Bran. "Was he sleeping here the whole night?"
"Don't worry about him, Arah." Bran said, petting the animal as well. Even though Túrin and Bran didn't agree with the idea to save a wolf, even they grew to love this beast. Only Minardil didn't. He didn't have time. "He spent entire life out in the forest, sleeping during the rain and during the earthquakes. He certainly doesn't take sleeping before the door room hardly. And he at least slept. You didn't sleep at all."
"And how could I have slept? Did you slept?" Bran was silent for a some time.
"No. But I was doing something the whole night, instead of laying in bed. Practiced fighting, helped with cleansing the castle, rode, all of those things. Anything can keep you awake when you don't want to sleep." Bran then petted Galbart.
"You now like him, don't you?" Arahael asked. Bran smiled.
"Well, it seems he isn't that bad. He after all saved you. And besides, little lad," he said to the wolf "I carry you around my neck all the day, so sorry for not trusting you before. Is that good enough, Arahael? Will Galbart accept my apology?" Bran was joking. Arahael chuckled at that. Bran's jokes were never particularly witty, but they could make someone smile.
"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?" they both chuckled at that and started walking through Minas Hír.
"Do you remember that story that the Old Nan once said about Moses and the raven?" Arahael asked.
"She never told me that story. What is it about?" Arahael smiled at that. He tried to take energy to not laugh while telling the smile.
"Moses once went into the mountain, and he lost his sheep. While he was going to the mountain, he met a raven who told him that he knows where his sheep are. Moses believed him and followed him to the highest point of the mountain. The raven then pushed him from the mountain-I still don't understand how some small animal could push him-but he lived as the clouds took him safely to earth." Bran already rolled his eyes. He must have thought this story wasn't even humorous enough, but he didn't hear all of it.
"Then, Moses returned to the mountain, took his sheep back, and then he met the raven again and they agreed that one of them has to try to fly, and the one who wins will kill the other one. Then they both jumped of a cliff and Moses caught the raven and fell on him." Arahael laughed madly, but he noticed Bran didn't.
"That's funny to you? You have a bad sense of humour, Arah, like always."
"Oh really. Well you make some joke if you can, right now."
"Not a problem. What do two wheels do when they see something funny? They roll on the floor."
They both chuckled, though not laughed. It wasn't a particularly witty one, but enough for both of them. When they stopped, they saw Túrin in the hallway, holding a letter in his hand.
"Túrin. We didn't see you the whole day." Bran said, but Túrin was silent, holding the letter angrily, as if he is going to rip it apart.
"Túrin?" Bran asked. And Túrin finally looked at both of them. His face was terrified and angry and afraid, all at once.
"What happened?" Arahael asked. Túrin was just looking at them.
"Túrin" Bran said slowly, "who sent that letter?" Túrin was silent still, looking at them, words not coming from his mouth, until they did.
"The Red Snake."
"Any news from my father, yet?" Isaiah asked Gavnir. His uncle was standing beside him.
"No, my lord." Gavnir said. "As far as we know, he is still in Aglor Parth gathering an army."
Isaiah sighed and placed his hand on his forehead. "Thank you Gavnir, you may leave." Gavnir bowed his head and left. Isaiah then sat on a nearby rock and put his face in his hands. "He is not going to lose. He is too smart to lose."
"Another thing you and I agree about, Isaiah. I know that Aramir is not going to lose. Mark my words, we are going to hear about Aramir in a short time. I am sure that today we will get a messenger to tell us what happened."
"Yes, I hope so." Isaiah answered. Then he heard the sound of footsteps and turned around.
"Your majesty." he said, and uncle followed him in that. The queen then rolled her eyes at Isaiah, while he smiled.
"Lord Isaiah, lord Ondoher, may I speak with you?" she asked.
"Of course." Isaiah said, but Ondoher shook his head.
"Forgive me your majesty, I have to join the others and watch over our men. I haven't checked them in a while." Isaiah raised his eyebrow. You checked them just an hour ago. And even if you didn't, there is no need to.
"If you have to. Thank you anyway lord Ondoher." she said.
"Your majesty." he bowed his head and turned to leave, but not before placing a hand on Isaiah's shoulder and giving him a wink. Then he left.
"I thought we will avoid formalities?" she said. Isaiah smiled again.
"Well, in front of everyone, I am afraid they cannot be kept aside." she smiled again. Isaiah liked her smile. But then it disappeared.
"Have you heard anything from your father yet?" she asked. Isaiah stopped smiling.
"No." he said and sat back on the rock behind him. "Nothing yet. While we are talking, he is still or has already gathered an army of ten thousand and plans to march to Galenlond to reclaim it." Isaiah then looked up at her. "Something from your sister and brother yet?" then queen Elsa looked down sadly, being quiet. Isaiah closed his eyes. Thunder strike me, this was maybe the worst thing I could have said!
Then queen Elsa came closer to him and sat beside him on the rock. "No." she said, shaking her head. "Absolutely nothing. The company I sent to find them didn't send reports for two days already." Isaiah sighed while she was talking. She was worried about her family just like he was. Although for different family, but family is still family. A weird silence between them started and Isaiah thought he should say something. Something to help her maybe.
"If it means anything to you, I know how is it to be worried about brother and sister. I really do. Something like this happened to me before." She looked up.
"Re...really?" she asked.
"Yes." he answered. He sat a little closer to her. "When I was little boy, twelve years in age, my uncle brought me, and my younger sister and brother, Arrana and Brandon to the house of lord of house Rómendacil. At that time, I had a dog named Orys." Isaiah smiled at the memory of his dog. "He was fantastic. He was tall and long and black, I was with him since I was a liittle boy, around three years of age. I...Sorry." he smiled. He got moved away from the topic to Orys. "Sorry. Back to the topic. When I and my uncle, together with my little brother and sister went out somewhere into the camp. There was an attack by bandits. My uncle found me before the bandits could and he tried to hide me. But when I heard he still didn't found Brandon and Arrana, I went mad. I ran out of his hands, took a dagger and a bow and run out of the camp to find them. While I was looking for them, I was weeping and I thought that the world is going to break apart if I don't find them. I thought that worst things I heard of as a child were happening to them. So I swore, in the name of the Lord Himself, that I will kill anyone who even touches them. And then I found them. A bandit was trying to kill them, and they were both hugging each other. He was alone and, in a mix of anger, fear, instinct and everything else added up, I jumped at him from behind and stabbed him in the neck with my dagger." Isaiah then swallowed. He remembered how the bandit's eyes were dead after he killed him and he thought he was the devil himself on earth. He remembered how Arrana and Bran looked terrified in him.
"It was the first time I killed a man." Isaiah said. "After that, I killed few more men, I once defended myself from an Idolite weakling, but this was the first time I did this-to save my brother and sister. That is why I did it." then he swallowed again. "After that, I stayed with them and promised to protect them if someone appears of the bandits. Arrana looked at me as if I was her last hope. She put trust in me as if I was the Lord Himself. They both did. And while I was there with them, a sound was heard out of the bush. I instantly shot an arrow and killed whatever came out of it. And when I came to my senses, I saw it was Orys. He was trying to jump at me and lick my cheek as he always did, and yet I shot him in his eye." Isaiah was glad he wasn't a boy. It is embarrassing for a man to cry in front of a woman, let alone a queen!
"Forgive me, I...you didn't need to tell me if it is hard to you." she said.
"No, no, no." he said. "The past is in the past. The grievances cannot change it somehow. We can learn from the past, but never change it. I just told you because, I hoped you know that you are not alone. I heard of what your sister did to save you and end the winter. I am sure she will get here in one piece. I don't know for your brother, but if he has you two as his sisters, I don't doubt him." he smiled to make her happier. And she did. She returned the smile and looked at him.
Isaiah then heard the sound of a horn, coming from the sea. They both looked there and they saw a small boat coming to the docks of Arendelle. Isaiah saw the flag-the red snake coming out of a crocus.
The queen then went down all the way to docks to see what is happening, on the way her captain of the guards Grandan joining her, and Isaiah's uncle Ondoher too. When they came to the docks the boat was already tied and there were two men inside it, while one man was standing on the docks. Queen Elsa stepped first.
"What are you doing here? If you came with..."
"I am a messenger." the man said, looking at the armed soldiers all around him. "It is against God's law to kill me." Queen Elsa pursed her lips.
"Yes it is, and no one will hurt you, I promise. But why did you come?"
"I came to bring the message to the Young Wolf." everyone then glanced at Isaiah. There was no other young man with the wolf as his banner. The man recognized him and came closer, holding something in his hands. He offered it to Isaiah. It was a letter. "The king of Israel sends his regards." Isaiah took the letter, unsealed it slowly, and started to read it.
May you live long and happy, Young Wolf of Gondor. Your lord father lost the battle against me. I smashed his army. Half of his men are laying dead on the field of Londis, while the other half is in my dungeons in Galenlond and other forts. What a happy coincidence it is that your lady sister was also taken by me. I took both of them. Your lord father and your lady sister are here with me, at my mercy. I can chop your father's head whenever I wish. I can do with your sister whatever I wish, or even give her to my men.
But no, I didn't. Your father is sitting in the cell reserved especially for him. I didn't hurt him at all. He gets in his cell everyday food and water. He may lose a little more weight in the future days, but that is all. Your sister is given her own room. She is absolutely fine. I didn't allow anyone to touch her. One man tried to and I chopped his nose off with one swing of my sword. I don't think anyone will dare to think about touching your sister again after that.
Here are my terms, Young Wolf:
You must come back to the seat of your ancestors and wait for me there. By that time, I will convince your father to abdicate in your favor. And when you come back, you and I will meet there. You will bow before me, on your knees, and you will accept me as king of Israel. You will kiss my hands in front of all Minas Hír and then you will pledge yourself loyal to me. You will swear in the name of God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that you will serve me and proclaim me as your king. You will march with me into the conquest of the entire Israel, that I may be a greater king than even our mutual forefather David was.
If you agree to all this, I will give your father and your sister to you back, both unharmed, both with all their bones, and with their heads on their necks. I will proclaim you the second most powerful man in my kingdom and I will give you more than you can imagine. I would give you my daughter as wife, but she is too much younger than you. Instead, I will allow you to take any of my nieces you want as your wife. If you want to, I will allow you to take all of them at once.
But if you are standing by honor and faith just like your lord father is, then it is only important for you to know that I will do no harm to your family, but keep you all safe and well. That is, if you agree to all my terms.
But if you refuse, I will attack you precisely where you are now. I will destroy Arendelle to the ground and I will destroy all of your men. You will not know what happened to your family, because you will be dead before being able to see it.
And don't be so confident in victory, young father thought he is going to defeat me before you. And yet here he is, sitting in his cell that I put him in while you are reading this letter. Think well, lord of Gondor. I know what I would chose in your place.
Aron Arlic, First of His Name, the rightful king of all Israel.
Isaiah was clenching the letter hardly and staring at it after he finished reading it. Everyone was looking at him like he was mad.
"Isaiah? What is in it?" uncle said and placed the hand on Isaiah's shoulder. Isaiah looked into him like a dead man.
"He captured my father and my sister."
Minardil woke up the next day first. Everyone else was still sleeping. Minardil, when he tried to sleep in the night, couldn't sleep for an entire hour, because of Benjen's loud snoring. His snoring was seriously unbearable for Minardil this time. Benjen did snore, but never so loudly like the last night. He wondered how everyone else fell asleep. Well, most of them snored as well.
The sky was still orange and blue when he woke up, but Minardil couldn't keep himself in the bed any longer. I have to use my legs a little.
He stood up and started glancing to the forest. He didn't want to move far away from others, but he still wanted to explore a little.
"It seems you are like us." a voice said and called Minardil. Then he saw it. Robin Frost and his sister princess Anna were also awake. "We also don't sleep so much." Minardil made a smile on his face but looked in Robin. Thunder strike me. This Robin really does look and sound similar to me.
"It's the trait of us Gondors. We all awake early." Minardil said, trying to smile.
"I suppose you all do. After all, your banner is a wolf." then all three of them chuckled. Then Minardil looked at Anna. The princess was very beautiful. Incredibly beautiful woman. He could hardly stop looking at her, but he tried not to.
"Your father," Robin said, "he fought the Red Snake on Jol Port, didn't he?" Minardil was surprised by the question, but he still answered.
"Yes. My father always hated him since that battle."
"I wouldn't be surprised your father hated him since the first he saw him. I know and my sister did." Anna said. "Did your father ever told you anything about the Red Snake that knew?"
Minardil them remembered. His father once forbid Túrin and Isaiah to play the monsters after he came back from Jol Port. He even struck them with a rod. That wasn't all. Father forbid everyone to ever enter Jol Port again. He hated that place. When talking with his vassals, and when someone brought up Jol Port, his father would always change the subject. If he was talking among the family and friends and someone brought it up, father would order that person to shut up and not speak about it, sometimes even yell, even at mother. Few times he even left the room. Until now, Minardil was always furious at his father because of that, but he now took a little time to think.
Father must have seen something at Jol Port that terrified him to his bones. He was not only angry whenever someone speaks about Jol Port or the Red Snake. He was also always afraid. One mention of those two names would be able to destroy his entire day and he would not speak normally with others for the rest of the day. Not even with mother, and in every other situation she was able to make him smile, but never about this.
Once, it slipped off the father's tongue that "I will not tell you anything about them!" when asked about Jol Port and the Red Snake. It was really strange on father's part, since he would be able to always keep the secrets from them. But Minardil had a good memory and he always wondered-what did those "them" meant? Who was he talking about? Was it maybe the house of Arlic he talked about? Or was it maybe the followers of the Red Snake? There were some rumours that Jol Port is visited by ghosts and other foul creatures during the nigh. Was that about what the father was talking about?
Minardil then remembered a foul creature he saw-the orc Ratbag. He couldn't still believe how is it possible he met an orc, or that the orcs are still alive, after all this time. But he had to get used to that. An orc was alive, or rather orcs still existed, and Minardil will have to accept it.
Then he returned to thinking about his father. Was it maybe...if it was it would be terrible. The Old Nan, when they were little, refered to the Old Gods as "them", rather than using their true names. She believed that brings the curse upon someone. Minardil didn't believe in that superstition of hers, but he wasn't dumb to not believe in the Old Gods and their powers of old. Minardil hoped this was not true, but there was something really strange about father's behaviour, like forbidding Isaiah and Túrin to play monsters.
And now, they were asking him to tell all he thinks about it. He could tell them right now and they will now every single possibility, every single hint that Minardil has. But father didn't tell anyone anything. He decided not to. Even if Minardil did actually guess the secret (which he highly doubted), he was not going to say it. Father didn't and father knew better. He always liked to rebel against father when it comes to small and family matters. But in something this big? Father knows better, he had to admit.
"No." Minardil answered them. The thoughts in his head passed quickly like the thunder. "My father didn't tell me anything apart from what everyone else knew. None of us. I doubt he knows more than that." The princess and the Frost were likely expecting more of it, but they simply had to accept that (according to him) he knew nothing more.
And Minardil once again looked at princess Anna's face.
When everyone else woke up, they gathered all their belongings and started going to Arendelle as fast as they could. They were now really close to it and they didn't wante to wait anymore to come to it. At least those of them who lived in it, like princess Anna. As far as Minardil is concerned, his and Benjen's return to Minas Hír is obviously yet a far way off.
"Don't move! Any of you!" the voice told them and suddenly they were all surrounded by raised arrows. They all took out their swords, but quickly relaxed after they saw who it was.
"Don't kill us! We are coming back to Arendelle. It's me, princess Anna!" she said.
Then some guards recognized her.
"Your highness!" a man with grey beard and an armor with a golden crocus on it said. "I cannot describe how happy I am that you are here!"
"You cannot be happier than me, Grandan trust me." she said. Robin then stepped closer.
"There are two prisoners we are carrying with us. Eylir the Kingslayer is among them." he said.
"Kingslayer!" everyone started talking among themselves.
"The Kingslayer can wait. It is the only important thing you all came back in one piece." Grandan said.
"I couldn't agree more." Anna said. It seems none of them noticed Ratbag.
"My lords?" the voice said, talking to Minardil and Benjen. "Lord Minardil, lord Benjen, what are you doing here?" Minardil saw him. It was the soldier Gavnir. What was he doing here?
"That can wait. What matters is: what are you doing here? You are supposed to be with my father in the west of Gondor." Minardil said. Gavnir's face was filled with sadness for one moment, but then he started talking.
"Your lord father sent us here, lord Minardil, to help Arendelle against the Red Snake. He sent lord Isaiah and lord Ondoher to lead us."
"My father is here?" Benjen asked.
"He is, my lord." Gavnir answered bluntly. Benjen then sighed and sat down.
"Oh, no. This is going to be the worst day of my life, I tell you all." Benjen said.
Minardil would have chuckled at that, if he didn't hear that Isaiah is also here. When something bad has happened, Isaiah is no less angry than father. Both he and Arrana.
"Are there any news from my father?" Minardil asked and Gavnir's face was silent for few moments. Minardil didn't like this silence.
"Gavnir, are you deaf? I ask you again-what happened with my father?!" Minardil raised his voice this time. Gavnir raised his head to say. And sighed.
"Captured, my lord." Minardil's heart stopped beating and his face stopped moving even for an inch. "Both lord Aramir and lady Arrana."
Minardil could only hear these words and nothing else.
"The Red Snake took them."
This is not still over. I will write the short bonus or extra chapter that will serve as kind of an epilogue tomorrow. It will be the shortest one by far, just a few hundred words perhaps. But it will be something that I think you all will find interesting. Until then, bye :)
