Through the Maelstrom
SJOVIN, LORSHIP OF SJOVIN, DRAVANIA
"Just how many have we lost?" Gustav Strandsor hollered. Sjovin Castle was quite a draughty building, and tbeing in a land just coming out of winter did not help the situation. Huddled near a fire, the otterlord sat with his son and a special guest.
"My brother lost three fifths of his force, all but two of his officers, and his life back in Hildrinn." Sigrun Swalestrom barely managed to escape the doomed siege, and absconded with her brother's remaining troops. They had to retreat to safe territory in the middle of the night, and the poor Dravain roads did not help.
"This is bad…" Haakon Strandsor sighed. He was a pensive young otter, with much experience in administering his father's fief. In contrast to his father's rashness, he was a calm, deliberating lord, more inclined to think than to do. His father was one of the foremost lords in Dravania, and his marriage to a Swalestrom bolstered his prestige threefold. Haakon Strandsor may have been the only fruit borne from this union, but Gustav insisted on not remarrying.
"We need to regroup fast, and we need your father back, Lady Sigrun. He started the whole thing, and without his guidance we cannot win! I threw my weight behind him, and he doesn't even appear! I should have just pulled a Rueford!" Gustav Strandsor raged, leaking profanity after profanity as he jumped up and down like an angry child.
"Father, I think that you should be a bit more… dignified, seeing that we have a Swalestrom in our presence. Haakon then turned towards Lady Sigrid. A son of a commoner she might have been, but she behaved as dignified as a noble would, and she was considered legitimate by her father, if not by anyone else. "I apologise for my father's actions. I hope you do not take umbrage to his behaviour."
"I am not offended - not by that, anyways. What are you two planning to do anyways? I know you Strandsors are feuding with the Ruefords for the better half of two centuries, but this is no excuse to exclusively target their lands while you could be helping us!" Sigrun was clearly looking for somebeast to blame, and two were sitting in front of her.
"We-" the elder Strandsor attempted to speak up, but his child was quicker to move.
"We have little to offer, Lady Sigrun. We have received no orders, either from Lord Erlend or your brother." He decided to switch the subject. "We should probably move to Kaldos now, Father. Godred's host must be heading towards us as we speak."
"Well we cannot retreat forever, can we? We need somebeast to guide us through this whorl of a situation - a maelstrom of chaos." Lord Gustav Strandsor's eyes seemed to glow brighter than the fire in the room. "We need any Swalestrom to become the whorl's lord. A leviathan to guide us through the maelstrom. We need a King of Dravania."
"A king?" Sigrun Swalestrom leapt to her footpaws. "Dravania hasn't got a king for a century!"
"Have you got a better idea, my lady?" Lord Haakon chimed in. "Dravania is divided. Its lords turn against each other even more than the Parmans, and everything we do seem to have no effect! We need someone to lead us, and it had better not be the Southards!" said Lord Gustav emphatically while moving further away from the fire and closer to the walls.
"But who- who can fill this role? The original Ulfingers have all but perished - all of us have been Southardised!"
"When Erlend the Ulfinger, last King of Dravania, left this world to join his Southard wife, he asked his descendants to promise that separation of his Southard and Dravain titles. A bit too late for a blasted rogue who ruined everything he touched." Lord Gustav sneered.
Seeing Lady Sigrun's confused look, Lord Haakon quickly added an amendment. "He did not mean to insult your ancestor, Lady Sigrun. Please forgive him."
"Your father spoke naught but truth, Lord Haakon. Dravania has been cast down hard by his claim and subsequent destruction of the Dravain throne." She moved closer to the fire. "It's almost depressing how poorly we have come to be."
A bellowing voice rung out from the back of the room causing the younger nobles to turn their heads towards Lord Gustav. "Not if we have this!"
The sound of cloth unfurling was quickly heard, followed by a startled gasp from Sigrun.
"The wolf banner! But how- how on earth could you have gotten your paws on that?"
"Lord Haakon Swalestrom was kind enough to hide this away, for a future Dravania in need." He turned his head towards Sigrun. "As you know, he was the only Swalestrom Lord to care about Dravania. While most of the others followed the bell, your father chose the raven, though it seldom made a difference."
Lord Strandsor continued. "I admit there were days that I dreamed of sitting on the Dravain throne, while watching the Southards gnash their teeth in defeat." He put a paw on the banner. "That proved to be an ill-conceived plan with great risk, so I kept this hidden until now."
"Let me guess," sighed Sigrun. "You will be using this to garner the hearts of the common Dravain folk. Then, they will rally to your side and support whoever calls himself Dravain King."
Haakon Strandsor spoke almost immediately. "Well, you got most of it right, except for the garnering of hearts."
His father nodded. "We are too weak anywhere outside Sjovin, and the peasants may resist us. We cannot recruit anybeast to our cause for now. We won't be using the banner in quite some time."
Peering into the lady's eyes, Lord Gustav's own pair gleamed with amusement. "You will."
THE SOUND
"Thordan made it," stated Lord Alfyn Stalwart while starting out into the calm blue sea. "I was beginning to worry that he will not come at all."
Egil remembered him well. The hot-tempered giant otter shook him around a few times before accompanying him to rescue Thordan.
"Of course we made it!" Egil smiled as he answered. "Us Parmans have a penchant for dramatic entrances of the highest order." To be frank, he was a bit late when he and Alfyn freed Lord Thordan from that tower. The lordling himself never complained, which was good for everyone involved in his rescue.
"Oh. I've read all about Parmans in my books. They are beasts thoroughly given to adultery, fornication, defilement, and every foulness; nevertheless, they are vigorous and brave in battle and generous to friends." Lord Stalwart said absentmindedly.
"You just said that out loud," said Egil.
Alfyn was clearly flustered - a first for Egil to witness. "Sorry. I didn't mean to do that," he spoke with an embarrassed expression.
The weasel smiled. "Since when have you been so clumsy, Lord Stalwart?"
The otter's eyes narrowed. "You should at least try to entertain your betters with a set of manners, Eirik. Or what's it again?"
"Egil! I told you before!" The weasel exclaimed as his paws flailed around.
"If you did, I couldn't remember it," That's it! He's tooling with me!
"I did tell you! At Raevsvakt! When we rescued Thordan! Can't you recall even the smallest of details, Lord Stalwart?"
"Raevsvakt? I wasn't even at Raevsvakt!" Alfyn looked completely flustered by the whole thing.
"But-" Egil's words were cut off by the appearance of Thordan and… Alfyn? Wait. This is getting out of paw! Now there are two of them!
The Alfyn in front of him sighed. "Lord Lorcan Stalwart, at your service."
That's it! Alfyn had a twin! It sounds so simple!
"You seem confused, Egil," Thordan offhandedly remarked.
"You never told me they look the same!" Egil shouted at his friend. 'With all your rambling, I thought you should have mentioned it once or twice somewhere!"
Alfyn snarled at the weasel, causing him to leap backwards, almost knocking over Lorcan in the process. "How many times have I told you not to shout at beasts above your station?"
The other giant otter smiled. "Calm down, brother. You haven't quite introduced yourself, Einar."
"It's Egil!" hissed the weasel.
Thordan shook his head. "I thought you grew out of the habit of not remembering names, Lorcan. Can't you at least try?"
"Well, fatherhood didn't make him the slightest bit wiser," said Alfyn.
Lorcan rolled his eyes. "I do not think that wisdom is ever brought to any Stalwart after getting himself involved in fathering a child. Right, Alfyn?"
Alfyn's ears quickly swivelled. 'I don't know what you mean."
Lorcan exhibited a grin comparable to Egil's own, which was displayed at Bertil the hedgehog at the Raevsvakt tower. "Everyone in Triel knows of your little fling with Ikena. I even went to see your infant daughter when you went to Meraholmer. She's a cute one indeed."
"Wait, wait, wait," Thordan fumbled. "Alfyn, you're a father?"
Alfyn sighed. "Yes."
"That's… that's wonderful," stuttered Thordan.
Egil laughed. "Thordan here obviously meant that it would be even more wonderful if Lord Alfyn actually told us about his daughter."
"Speaking of which, you should have told us about the whole 'father' business," said Thordan as he recovered his composure.
"Yeah, yeah." Alfyn spat.
"Corrected by vermin… what will King Garmund say?" Lorcan Stalwart may have been a stoic beast, but even he could not resist taking a slight jab at his brother.
"Shut up!" exclaimed Alfyn as he leapt at Lorcan, who quickly turned tail and ran circles around the hapless weasel, with this brother in hot pursuit.
The brothers' little game was interrupted by a slight cough from Thordan. "Do any of us have any idea where to go next? Lord Becker has retreated, and Lord Sverker has not moved against us in any observable manner."
"Kaldos!" shouted Alfyn, exactly the same time when Egil declared for Doma, earning the weasel a hard stare from the Trielian.
"Why these two places?" Thordan asked.
Alfyn spoke first. "Well, we can't keep your brother waiting. After all, last time I checked, he's being holed up by your cousin Godred back in Hildrinn. Hildrinn can resist a long siege, but the sooner you can help him, the better."
"Well Sigurd can wait." Egil hastily said. "Sverker Crestworth is in desperate need of being taught a lesson, and he doesn't seem to have improved his defenses. Invading Doma would be as easy as flipping a paw in the opposite direction!"
"What about we regroup in Raevsvakt?" asked Lorcan. He was a beast given to compromises, so this little outburst was not surprising. "Meraholmer is directly between Kaldos and Doma, and we can act later according to the situation."
Without waiting for his friends' inevitable counter-arguments, Thordan Swalestrom smiled.
"Raevsvakt it is then!"
KURBURG, KINGDOM OF OTHARN, HIGH KINGDOM OF PARMA
As Lord Valdemar Crestworth walked into the Kurburg shrine, he suddenly remembered his tardiness. He had just received a report from his passive son, telling him that Meraholmer is not to be bothered with unless he obtained the Parman throne - a piece of advice he had seen fit to ignore. Requests like that are the reason why he favoured his second son instead. He had quickly sent the hedgehog on another mission - one which
His steady steps quickly became a brisk jog as he reached the gates of the Electoral Chamber. With luck, the beasts inside shall not take offence - though its was almost a guarantee that Lorelei Skyward would see even that as an insult.
The doorbeasts slowly pushed the twin doors apart. Expecting to see the session underway, Lord Valdemar prepared an entrance.
What he did not expect, however, was the presence of a mere two nobles in the wide room.
The first, as usual, was Queen Lorelei of Garlesca. Valdemar sensed his eyes narrow and his ears fold. Their fathers were enemies, and after their deaths within days of each other, son and daughter continued the dance for the Parman throne. Rather curiously, she did not express her feelings today, if she had any - a far cry from her usual belligerent stance.
The other was his uncle, the Royal Vicar. Older than Lord Valdemar by less than five seasons, Niels Crestworth was not a strong beast in either body or mind, but those qualities made him such a prized asset to House Crestworth. He has made attempts to mediate between the two lutrine electoral houses before, with varied degrees of success.
"I see that only two electors have gathered today," sighed Lord Niels. In all seriousness, where have the others gone?
"We cannot possibly hold any session today, considering the lack of eligible voters," mused Queen Lorelei. Your plans have to be delayed once more. Truly a pity. Or is that what you have planned all this time?
Lord Valdemar spoke up next while glaring daggers at his rival. "I do wonder who is responsible for all this…"
"The answer, I fear, is standing right in front of you three."
Three otter heads turned to reveal a well-dressed mouse, with his burning green eyes dead set on the otterqueen.
"You!" exclaimed Lady Lorelei, no doubt angered by the sight by another of her father's old foes.
"Well, something had to be done," said Guido Aldabreschi, Lord Mayor of Brisca. " A few coins and threats did persuade your little electors to flee Kurburg for the safety of their own homes."
Another beast subsequently entered the room, a vole that was not tall even for his own kind.
"And we are here to do more." Lord Valdemar recognised both figures. Aside from the murine leader of the Valeran League, the voleking of Valnain also decided to poke his muzzle out from behind the curtain.
"Pardon my interruption, but mayhaps you two can explain your purpose here?" asked the Royal Vicar. He had every right to be confused - those two were merely old allies of his father, but even Valdemar was convinced that they had struck out on their own without consulting him.
King Guillame of Valnain let out a sneer. Unlike in Parma, where the King was chosen from seven, the Valnainers cycle the beast who sits on the throne, with which one species is replaced by another once the ruling king passes away. "We have come to ensure that no king is chosen."
"Only then shall our realms grow as strong as they should be." Guido Aldabreschi smiled as he turned to Lorelei. "Before your father came along, that is."
The queen let got a cold, mirthless laugh. "I suppose my father's death was the best thing that could happen to you two, could it?"
Guido winked at the lutrine trio. "We were not involved, if you wouldn't mind asking. As the saying goes, we let no crisis go to waste. We simply don't want any Otharn lording above us anymore, so it would do you well to delay electing anybeast."
"Preposterous!" cried out Lord Valdemar. A kingdom with no king? Must be the oldest joke in the world! "You'll be asking us to abolish the whole kingdom next!"
"If only that were possible…" sighed the mouselord. "For now, we will take our steps slowly and carefully. No one wants a civil war - not now, anyways."
The whole room was silent when the two figures left as smugly as they entered.
REMSFORD, KINGDOM OF SOUTHSWARD
"Ta-da! Found ya!"
Lord Somerled Deilart quickly jumped up - only to find out he could not do so.
He was floating in some kind of void, with a few crystals of ice floating around. And it was cold. Freezing, in fact.
What was truly interesting was the veiled figure floating in front of him. A pine marten. Dark brown fur matched similarly coloured eyes, and his tail moved from side to side, as if he was constantly nervous. The stench that drifted into Lord Somerled's nose signified the creature was some form of vermin, so the squirrel hastily prepared a stance - only to find that there was nothing he could do as a floundering beast.
"Finding ya had been tedious to be sure, but the results shall be oh so worth everything."
"Show yourself, vermin! I am Lord Deilart, and you are under me!" the squirrelord fumed. 'Or else I shall-"
"Ya shall what? We are but little specks in an ocean of naught. There's nobody to help you here." The figure laughed. "You know, I wassn't expecting fer a Trielian Lord to be a seer, but clearly my expectations have ter raise every single time I meet with somebeast here."
Lord Somerled tried to swim away from the figure, but the vermin seemed to appear out of nothing and from nowhere. "You can't escape me. Not even if you climb up the highest mountain or scurry into the deepest cave. Thordan of Parma did try, but his Conjuration failed him. No Conjurer can stand against a Thaumaturge - you, for all your prissiness, cannot flee!"
"What do you want with me, vermin?"
The shade ignored the question. "Tell me. If greater beasts, both in aptitude and personality, could not stand against me, what chance do ya have? Yer as helpless and hapless as a toad crushed by a tree! Come! Come ter die!"
"No!" Somerled panicked. "No! This is but a dream! A dream! You cannot hurt me here!"
"Do you think yer safe from me in a dream?" The squirrelord felt something gather from the vermin's paw, then that something was released. Almost instantly, a pillar of fire was flung at the squirrel. Only quick reflexes allowed the squirrel to dodge, with the pillar only singeing his shoulder's fur.
Somerled woke suddenly, as if nothing had happened. Well, almost nothing anyway. A brief look indicated that his shoulder was burnt, the fur almost completely turned to ashes, and the scent of burnt skin hovered in the air.
"This is a dream," said Lord Somerled. "This is a dream. This is just a dream, and I will wake up every time I dream."
A voice in his mind, though, claimed otherwise.
Will you? Will you indeed? Will you ever wake again?
A/N: FINALLY! This took quite a while.
Now we get to see the Raevsvakt three, one more instance of seer powers, Guido making his first appearance in ARR proper, and Sigrun. To be frank, I almost forgot her, so I'm glad she's finally getting some attention.
We also get to see who killed Old Thordan. If you have a feeling that this is going to be important, then you're probably right.
One more chapter left until Book II! Chapter 15 (The Only Path) will be out tomorrow!