A spring's chilled breeze swept through Karigan's chestnut hair as she left the menders' wing for the Rider stables late in the morning. Destarion had just barely released her after a rather heated argument. He wanted her to stay another night for observation, but she wanted to spend as little time in the menders' wing as possible. Fortunately, he was well aware of Riders' tendencies to be very poor patients and let Karigan win this day. It was, of course, a conditional surrender. She had to give her word to rest and to come straight back with as little as headache, but was allowed to leave on her own.
A golden sun and bright blue sky belied the dark thoughts swirling through Karigan's mind. Mornhavon's threats weighed heavily on her after a restless sleep plagued with nightmares. What are we going to do now? I can only hope the Captain finds something of use. The researchers have been very excited, Estral's father in particular.
"Care for an escort, my lady?" Karigan jumped, startled at the male voice. She turned quickly to find fellow Rider Alton D'Yer behind her.
"Don't you thick-blooded aristocrats know better than to sneak up on people?" Karigan responded with as much scold as she could muster, which wasn't much given how happy she was to see him.
"Well, yes, but it only applies to fellow nobleman like myself, respect of rank and all," Alton answered, amusement in his eyes, "Everyone else is fair game."
Karigan grinned in return before giving Alton a friendly hug. "When did you get back from your run to the Under Kingdoms?" she asked as she continued walking out onto the castle grounds. Alton automatically fell into step with her.
"Late last night."
"And how was the desert court? Are they as hospitable as rumor says?"
"Even more so. It seems to be part of their religion to accept everyone with open arms, until proven an enemy," Alton replied, "Most days it felt like I was trapped in an oven, though. Made me long for a nice blizzard."
Karigan laughed a little at that. It was good to have Alton to talk with again. Not for the first time she was happy for a long discussion they shared by a warm fire on a late autumn night. She learned why Alton had been avoiding her in the preceding months. She knew he was burdened with the guilt of weakening the D'Yer Wall beyond all repairs, but what surprised Karigan was the role that she had played in Mornhavon's manipulations. Mornhavon had used Alton's feelings for her to fool the young nobleman. It resulted in Alton being unable to face Karigan for a time, but that night he proclaimed his love for her. He told her that he would renounce his family and all his titles if necessary, if she only agreed to marry him. To say the least, it caught Karigan off guard. She had refused him as gently as she could. Although she did love him, any romantic possibilities had already passed, and she could only offer him her friendship. It hadn't been the same easy friendship that it had been before, not at first anyway. In time, though, it grew stronger and easier. Now there were few awkward moments, and they could consider themselves close friends once again.
"What about you, Karigan? What did you do to yourself?" Alton asked eyeing her left arm. Karigan looked down and frowned at her wrist. The swelling and tenderness had gone down since it was first injured a few days ago, but it still wasn't useable. Oh, how she couldn't wait for a rematch with Travis.
"I lost a sword match against a new student Drent is training," Karigan answered, "I'm sure you'll hear about it. A greatly skewed version, but you'll hear about it."
"We aught to move your bed and belongs into the mending wing, Karigan. It would save time and trouble with how often you are there," Alton replied in a teasing tone. Karigan pretended to consider the idea while not elaborating on the reason for last night's restless stay. Alton didn't need to hear that Mornhavon was back, not yet.
Switching the subject, Alton asked, "I heard this morning that Captain Mapstone went on a run more than two weeks ago. Is it true you were left to tend her duties?"
"Yes, a few of them. I've tended to the king mostly," and with all the false enthusiasm she could muster added, "but I did get to argue with the Light Horse over saddle leather and hay bails."
"Sounds delightful," Alton added dryly.
"A least I was able to delegate my book keeping duties to Geoff."
"Geoff? That cocky new Rider from Penburn?"
"That's the one. He wasn't happy to be doing something so tedious and unadventurous, but I told him it would teach him some much needed patience," Karigan answered with all the air of an experienced mentor.
Alton laughed at that before adding, "Do you think you'll be able to keep up that excuse when the Captain gets back?"
"Well, Connly doesn't have a problem with it, at least not right now. I think it all depends on what kind of mess Geoff turned my neatly organized books into." Grinning, Karigan and Alton reached the paddocks where the Rider horses were allowed to walk about. Most of the horses, including Karigan's Condor and Alton's Night Hawk, were happily grazing in a large field behind the stables. In the much smaller enclosure, where Karigan and Alton now stood, was Ladybug. She was a sweet tempered roan mare due to add another fine addition to the messenger horse ranks any day now.
Karigan removed a small winter apple that she had saved for the "Little Lady," as everyone had taken to calling her. Rider Morgan had bought her, heavy with foal, at a questionable auction two months ago. He was convinced the underweight and worn looking horse had the proper temper to be a messenger horse. Although there had been some uncertainty at first, no one doubted Morgan's ability to pick a good horse anymore. Ladybug quickly became everyone's favorite, next to his or her own mounts of course. Even the other horses seemed to take a special liking to her. It was a shame that she hadn't chosen a Rider yet, Karigan thought, perhaps after she birthed her foal.
A whiny of annoyance to their right tore them away from lavishing attention on Ladybug. A beautiful glossy black stallion was begging for an apple. Eagle was a very high strung and demanding horse direct from the king's stables. Any horse fancier would think him a sight to behold, with perfect proportions and a well-muscled, lean form.
"I hope you have a treat for him too," Alton said beside Karigan, "Ben won't know what to do with him if you don't." By some strange twist of fate or fortune, Eagle had chosen the easy going Mender Ben as his Rider. The pair was the barracks's resident odd couple. After seeing the two together you would never guess that Ben had been afraid of horses when he first received the Rider's call. He could turn this high spirited stallion into a perfectly behaved mount, while others were at risk of getting trampled.
"I have one more apple, but it's for Condor," Karigan whispered.
"I've got somethin' he'll like, lass," Hep, the stable hand, announced as he walked up to Karigan and Alton. "Give this to 'em," he placed a butter cookie into Karigan's hand, "He likes them."
"Do you want to make him more spoiled, Hep?" Alton asked in good humor.
"A highbred animal like that, ought to be allowed a few indulgences. Keeps 'em happy. An' no one likes an unhappy highborn critter, eh, Lord Alton?"
"Indeed," Alton answered dryly with eyebrow raised. Karigan chuckled softly while Eagle contently munched on his treat.
Shortly after lunch, Karigan bid farewell to Alton, and headed to the conference room for the afternoon negotiations with the Rhovanny delegation. When she passed, the throne room it was awash in afternoon sun. Marble gleamed, glass panes were golden, and the sun streamed into the room but missed the carved, empty throne, placing it in darkness. There was something haunting about the image. Like a foreshadowing of Mornhavon's threats coming true.
Shaking herself out of such unpleasant thoughts, Karigan noticed Duke Gerard admiring the ceiling frescos that seemed to be basking in the light. He had forgone the Rhovan colors in favor of midnight blue velvet, slashed with cream silk. Turning to face her as she approached he asked, "Ah, Rider G'ladheon, is it?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Good. Good." Before Karigan could ask why he was in the throne room instead of the conference room, he answered the unspoken question, "I wished to take a closer look at these portraits." Drawing their attention upward, he continued, "Art has always been an indulgence of mine." Karigan had to choke down a laugh at the comment, remembering Hep's comment from earlier. The duke continued, "Perhaps you could honor me with a small lesson? I understand these are King Zachary's ancestors with the gods central."
"Yes, and I am sure that the king would be happy to elaborate on the history of the figures. I am afraid I am not well versed in art, Your Grace."
"I shall ask him then. Would you care for an escort, madam…er…Rider?" Duke Gerard asked as he offered an arm. Karigan, unused to such an offer, awkwardly accepted. They walked arm and arm to the conference room where everyone else was gathered. Everyone quickly took the same seats they had occupied the day before and continued the talks.
As the dinner hour neared, a crude version of the new treaty had been hammered out. Many of the changes made to the old treaty would be mutually beneficial to Sacordia and Rhovanny, but now the finer points had to be tended to, and it was this part that Karigan suspected would take the most time. It was here that the goals of Sacordia and Rhovanny started to differ. It was also here that Karigan became an asset to her king.
Her upbringing as a merchant's daughter let her know when the other side was willing to give a little and when they were firm in their demands. Granted, it wasn't a skill unknown to King Zachary, but nobles were never as adept at it as merchants were. She found herself enjoying the chance to truly be a help to the king. However, during most of the meetings that she had attended at his side, he had played the teacher and she had played the student. It was obvious he already knew the answers to whatever questions he asked of her. In many ways it was like she was being trained for a role that she would one day fulfill. Sometimes Karigan wondered if such training was the true purpose of her being at the king's side in the Captain's absence since it would make far more sense Connly or Mara to take her place. They were senior Riders after all. Regardless of the reasons, she was the one at the King's negotiation table.
She stayed at his side throughout the negotiations, which lasted rather late into the night. Dinner was taken in the conference room as it seemed as though no one wanted to admit the need for a break. When the night finally ended, King Zachary stopped Karigan from leaving and led her to her his study. "Are up to talking about last night?" he asked quietly.
"What do want to know, Majesty?" Karigan asked, dreading the possibility that she would be up late into the night discussing the disturbing images that were sure to haunt her for some time.
"Anything. You said he wanted to scare you. How did he do that? Did he tell you any of his plans?"
"All I know of his plans is that he wants to rebuild his empire again. I don't know how he'll do it, but he has at least some control over Blackveil." Karigan stopped there, hoping it would be enough that he would let her leave.
"What can he do in Blackveil, exactly?"
"He controls the magic that resides there, some of it anyway," pausing Karigan added, "He blasted out the weaker sections of the wall, in the images he showed me. I think it was happening as I saw it."
"What makes you think that?"
"It's just a feeling I have. We'll know for sure if…when a messenger from the wall arrives with his report."
"What other images did he show you?" he asked, concerned.
Reluctantly she answered, "Things that he threatened to do to me, friends, family. I'd rather not talk about it." Karigan ended firmly.
Zachary decided to backed off at her tone; he knew she didn't respond well to being pushed for private information, "Alright, get some sleep. I'll see you in morning."
"Good night, Majesty," she said politely, bowing a little at the waist. She left quickly, leaving Zachary to ponder over what emotional turmoil she might be feeling.
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