Chapter 7: The Mournhold Gate
Belan, I m sorry about this. I m only following orders. I bear no ill will against you.
Belan looked up at Effe-Tei, but he didn t see the argonian he had known for fifteen years. Instead, the only saw was the King s royal executor. He was so smug in his fine clothes and cushy position. That ugly lizard had no idea what Belan was going through.
Belan balled his hands up into fists. He wanted to just punch him.
Belan angrily, resentfully said in a low growl, I understand, I m sure I would be doing the same thing in your position. The King s orders are law, you d be facing a far worse punishment than me for disobeying.
Belan cradled his head in shame as he sat on a bench right next to the gate of the city. He shivered in the dropping temperatures of the late summer evening. All he had on were sackcloth prisoner clothes. He didn t even have shoes.
Everything was changing so fast. He didn t know what to do. How had he fallen so far?
He took a deep breath, Why didn t he just have me killed. It would be easier than this. Exile, where am I supposed to go. I don t know anyone. I ve never even been outside the palace!
Effe-Tei frowned, Your father still loves you. I m sure this is only temporary, he ll come to his senses eventually. I know you ll find a way, there s a lot of your father in you.
Belan smirked. His father never loved him. The great king Helseth had merely tolerated him, waiting for any moment to get rid of him. All Belan was to his father was a disappointment. An embarrassment to the crown, a potential usurper, a bastard.
Don t you understand you overgrown lizard! I m a bastard, an embarrassment! My time here was borrowed from the start. I m never going back.
Effe leaned over and put his claws on Belan s shoulder s, He does love you. He wanted me to give you a note before I sent you off. It s sealed, I don t know what s in it, but I m sure it contains words of encouragement.
Effe let go, and fished in his robe.
Ah, here it is, the argonian handed Belan a small sealed scroll, I m sorry, but I have to send you off now.
Belan took the scroll and threw it to the ground.
So that s it then? He gives me a letter and tells me to go die in a hole? Well, then that filthy fetcher can join me there!
I don t have anything to my name besides my clothes! How am I going to survive this night? There are bandits, wild guars, giant spiders, kagouti, and all manner of other dangerous creatures out there! You are sending me to my death!
It ll be hard, but I recommend you read that letter before you leave. Now, you know you cannot return here. You are hereby stripped of your name and titles, you are now Belan Indarys, the name of your mother s family. It won t be much service, she was the last of her line. You shall have nothing to your name but your clothes, you are banished forthwith from the city of Almalexia, on pain of death! I m sorry friend, but those are my orders.
Belan got up off the bench and picked up his father s letter. He looked at the distant Mephalain had never been beyond the walls before, he knew the geography via map, but he had no idea what things really looked like.
He suddenly felt very alone, very exposed. He suddenly realized that he really was a foreigner in his own land. No one knew who he was, he had no connections, no friends. Those distant mountains suddenly seemed far more imposing.
Before him lay the vast, open Alt-Orethan Plains, a great savannah of dry, yellowed grass to the north of Mournhold that lay on either side of the Meralay river. Belan saw a few small thickets of forests in the distance, but mostly the plains were just flat and dry.
To the west, the sun set over the Car-Ruh Mountains, casting long shadows over the plains.
Belan tried to be strong, but he couldn t. Tears ran down his face, though he managed to repress sobs.
He turned to Effe. With all his will, he repressed his desire to throttle the argonian s scaly neck, instead making his farewell.
Thank you, friend, I ll be going now.
Belan took one, final look at Mournhold, and then set off north as the sun set.
Godspeed Belan, godspeed.
Effe-Tei stared mournfully for a while as Belan disappeared into the distance, then shook his head and returned to the city.
