The Lion's Crown (The Emberlyn Chronicles Book 1), page 15
Instead of chasing after them, the general’s men held the line, dragging the wounded away from the front and filling in the gaps where men had fallen. Queen Anneli panned the image around again, and once it had completely circled General Braedok, they knew the battle was over. The Dourosh were not returning. In confirmation, the glowing crystal stopped spinning, and the red light faded away.
“Why is a general in the field with so few men?” asked Sir William.
Anneli’s eyes darkened, and she glanced at Faric.
“Sir William,” Faric said, “as I mentioned, the Dourosh rise up once a generation. This particular war… it has been going on for six years now. Our forces are much depleted, and here in the Great Forest, we do not have the numbers that you do in your kingdom. We cannot field armies of ten or twenty thousand men. This city that you have seen outside the palace… it is the only such city. The rest of the Great Forest is too dangerous. We have no towns or villages, no small farming communities. Between the wars, we do all we can to stockpile food and rid the land of rogue Dourosh. Until Dourok himself is defeated, that will be the fate of every generation.”
Sir William bowed his head. “I apologize for my ignorance.”
“You are forgiven,” Anneli said. She waved a hand, and the image in the mirror vanished. Using the same hand, she beckoned them over to a table on the other side of the room and gestured down at a large map covering nearly the entire surface.
“Lanion is well protected,” she said, pointing to the city’s location on the map. “We are hemmed in by mountains on all sides. Apart from the pass through which you came, this valley is only accessible from the west, where the Ancieth River flows out.”
William looked at the map. “This river… its source is a stone fountain, yes?”
The queen nodded.
William traced his finger along the river back to a small rendering of the fountain. He continued past it to the ruined castle where they’d spent a night. “And this fortress?”
“Ancion. Built by Lanioc’s son to protect the source of the river.”
“We saw tombs inside. Who are they?”
“The lords of Ancion. It was a home as well as a fortress. But it, along with several other strongholds along the edge of the North Wood, was destroyed by the Dourosh two hundred years ago.”
“And ever since,” said Faric, “the Dourosh have run rampant across the North Wood and parts of the East Wood. There have been attempts to reoccupy Ancion, but they have all failed. Lanion has been the only place where our people are safe. I and the other scouts patrol the forest, keeping track of the Dourosh and making sure they are not marching on the city in force. Companies like the one you saw commanded by General Braedok go out to disperse the larger gatherings of Dourosh.”
William pointed to the western side of the Great Forest. “The Dourosh emerge from somewhere here?”
“Yes,” Anneli said. “How did you know?”
“There is great detail on the eastern side of the map, but little in the west. It indicates that you do not know this terrain well.”
“We have older maps from two millennia ago which render the entire forest in detail, but since we do not know what Dourok has been doing since then, that information is almost certainly wrong.”
“Two thousand years?” asked Sir Stephen.
“Yes. Next year will mark the two thousandth year since King Lanioc’s coronation.”
“If we live to see it,” muttered Faric.
“It really is that bad?” asked Penny.
Faric nodded. “Which is why Dourok must not get ahold of any outsiders like you. If he could corrupt one of your kingdoms and march your soldiers into the Great Wood, Lanion would fall.”
A silence fell over the room as they all regarded the map. The captain of the royal guard said something in their language, bowed and departed.
“We were attacked here,” William said, pointing at the lake where the troll had blocked their return path. “If the Dourosh come from the west, they have traveled far.”
Anneli pointed at a spot to the southwest of the city. “General Braedok is here, in the South Wood.” She moved her finger to the southeast. “Another skirmish happened here in the East Wood a week ago.” Her finger slid up to the north. “The entire North Wood is overrun with loose bands of Dourosh like the one that attacked you.” She placed her finger over the mountain range that ran north from the valley where Lanion sat. “They have a camp somewhere here in the foothills of the mountains. Yes, Sir William, we are surrounded, and our resources are spent. I fear that for the first time in two thousand years, an army of Dourosh will march on Lanion itself.”
“Then what? Can you defend the city?”
She looked again at Faric. “We will do all that we can. And to that end, my brother will be leaving us in a few days. He has much to do until then. He must prepare to return to the North Wood and make sure the Dourosh are not gathering their forces there.”
Faric bowed, nodded at the others and departed. Penny reached out to him, but he did not see her. She felt a twinge of shame. She knew their presence here was making things difficult for the Lanosh but hoped he was not angry at them, merely distracted by recent events.
Queen Anneli took a deep breath then straightened her shoulders. “You will remain here as my guests until there is a safe path back to your kingdom,” she said without looking at them. Her eyes remained fixed on the map. “Penny, tomorrow I will restore your brother’s mind. I must spend my strength on other things at the moment. Now, I’m afraid I must leave you all. There is work to be done.”
Anneli left the side chamber, and they heard her footsteps echoing through the throne room. A moment later, a servant appeared in the doorway and gestured for them to follow him.
“It seems we’re being taken to quarters,” Sir Stephen said.
William nodded. “If we are separated, remember what I said. If we are respectful and earn the queen’s favor, we might yet escape Owen’s fate. The women here are beautiful, but I expect you to conduct yourself as a gentleman.”
Penny saw a grin on Sir Stephen’s lips, but she knew he would behave himself. The weight of everything they’d learned was heavy upon all of them, and the last thing any of them wanted to do was create another problem for the queen.
They were led up a flight of stairs and to their quarters. They each had a separate room, and Penny was touched to find that hers was connected to Owen’s by a side door. The queen understood that he needed her. After putting Owen to bed early, she sat on the sill of the window in her room, looking out across the city of Lanion. Lights sparkled from what looked like a thousand windows, and it reflected off the gleaming marble of the streets and walls, making the entire city seem to glow. It saddened her that she would remember nothing of it once their minds were enfeebled, but like Sir William, she wanted to see and learn as much as possible before that happened. Nothing would bring George and the others back, but at least it would mean their sacrifice had been worth something, no matter how fleeting.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Owen’s Awakening
Penny’s room was still dark when she was roused by a woman dressed similarly to the man who’d led them to their rooms. The woman spoke a few words Penny didn’t understand, but she figured out that she was to follow.
Penny quickly dressed and checked Owen’s room, but he was already gone. She pointed at the empty bed and looked at the woman. She nodded and smiled, and Penny smiled back. If she wasn’t alarmed by Owen’s absence, it probably meant that they knew where he was. It would be impossible for him to leave the palace without being seen.
She followed the woman down to the ground floor of the palace and was led across the great entrance hall. She hadn’t seen the other side of the palace, but the corridors were still too dark for her to make out much detail.
She was taken back up another staircase and realized that the two wings of the palace were not connected on the upper floors; the large entry gallery was between them. She was let out onto a balcony and left alone. The predawn glow was just illuminating the city and the Ancieth River, making Lanion look even more magical than it had the night before.
“I often come here at dawn,” said Anneli’s voice behind her.
Penny turned to see the queen step out onto the balcony. She held Owen close at her side, and his arm was around her waist as he rested his head against her shoulder. He smiled as he saw Penny but remained nestled up against the queen.
Standing with Owen at her side, Penny realized just how tall the queen was. It was true that Owen was short for a man, but Anneli looked to be even taller than Sir Stephen, the tallest of her companions. She made a mental note to compare their heights the next time she saw them together.
Anneli brought her free hand up and stroked Owen’s head, trying to smooth down his cowlick. “He has changed much since I last saw him,” she said.
“You were the one, then?” Penny asked. “The one who made him the way he is?”
“Yes. He spent three days with me. I was not yet queen then, but it was understood that I would be, so I was given duties to relieve the strain on my aging predecessor. Such a kind, sweet boy. I grew quite fond of him and was sad to see him go.”
“He seems to remember you.”
“He does, in his own way.”
Penny felt her eyes growing wet as she looked at Owen. “Thirteen years. Thirteen years he’s been like this. He’s twenty-one now, and he never knew what it was to become a man… to fancy a girl… to feel the satisfaction of his labor. How can you do that to someone you’re fond of?”
“I explained it yesterday, Penny. The risk is too great. And it is a kindness. There have been some rulers who ordered the deaths of any interlopers from outside the Great Forest. Others did what I did, only more… forcefully. They drove men mad before sending them back.” She pulled Owen closer and gazed down at him. This way, at least he’s been happy. Can you deny that?”
Penny shook her head, and a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. “I have to admit he’s the happiest person I’ve ever seen.”
“Like this,” Anneli continued, “he understands little, but that also means he little understands death or suffering.”
“What will he be like when you reverse it? Will he… will he know anything? Will he be like a child?”
“What I have done is cast a veil over his mind. Only the simplest parts of his mind have remained active, but he has seen and heard everything that’s happened around him for the past thirteen years. He has continued to learn, to grow. When the enfeeblement is reversed, he will retain those memories, and with his mind clear, he will be able to finally understand their meaning. He will remember everything you have done for him, every word you have spoken.”
Penny nodded. “Okay. I’m ready.”
Anneli’s hand shifted from the top of Owen’s head to his forehead. She spread out her fingers and placed her pinky and thumb at his temples then closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. As she let out the breath, she slumped slightly.
Penny looked at Owen’s eyes, and for the first time saw true understanding. He looked in her direction then up at Anneli. Blushing, he unwrapped his arm from around the queen’s waist and stood upright, slowly turning his head, taking in his surroundings.
“Owen?” the queen asked, “do you know where you are?”
He nodded.
“And who I am?”
Again, he nodded.
Anneli pointed at Penny. “And you recognize her?”
Owen opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. “She’s… she’s my sister. Penny.”
Penny rushed forward and threw her arms around him. She began to cry, and he returned the embrace. “Of course I know who you are,” he whispered.
Penny pulled away and looked at his eyes. “Is it like the queen said? You remember everything? Our life at the village? Mother and father?”
Owen lowered his eyes. “They… they died. They got sick.”
Penny wiped at her face. “Yes. Four years ago.”
Terror flashed across Owen’s face. “George! He….” He pinched his eyes shut. “He was shot. With an arrow.”
Penny’s face twisted as she felt the tears well up again.
Anneli’s hand found Owen’s back. “You have much to process, and it will take some time for the memories to begin to make complete sense. What would you like, Owen? Would you like me to leave you alone with Penny?”
He shook his head. “I think I’d like to be by myself.” He looked up. “Just for a little while, Penny. Just… just until I can understand some things.”
Penny embraced him again. “All right. Would you like to go back to your room?”
“No. Let me stay here.” He turned to the queen. “If I may.”
Anneli reached out for Penny’s hand. “Or course. We will be waiting for you when you’re ready.”
She led Penny back into the palace and down a corridor. She opened a door into a suite of rooms, and Penny realized it was the queen’s private chambers. Anneli sat on the divan in the center of the room and patted the spot next to her. Penny also sat and wiped the tears from her face.
“Forgive me, but I must rest,” Anneli said.
“Performing magic… it tires you.”
“Yes. But I have also had little sleep. Late last night, there was another skirmish. Far to the east, near a town in your kingdom called Reevesby.”
Penny looked up. “Yes, I know it.”
“That is the path we’d hoped to take you out by. You may be here for some time until it can be secured. Otherwise, I will have to call some of my forces in from the field and lead you out under heavy guard. To do that, however, would give the Dourosh an opportunity to plan and regroup.”
“Won’t you have enfeebled us by then? Wouldn’t it not matter if Dourok captured us?”
“He can reverse the enfeeblement, as I can. You would not be safe until you are beyond the ward that keeps him and his creatures inside the Great Forest.”
“If he is as powerful as you say, how is it that in two thousand years, he has not been able to break the ward?”
The queen smiled. “Because Lanioc was wiser and more powerful. The ward draws energy from the forest itself. The black, twisted trees that grow all along the edge of the forest form the boundary. Dourok and any who have been corrupted by him cannot pass beyond those trees, nor can they harm the trees without suffering paralyzing pain. The Dourosh have tried to cut them down, pull them down with ropes, burn them… the black trees have resisted all attempts to destroy them and inflicted great pain on the Dourosh in return. They are protected by a magic more powerful than anything Dourok can conjure, and he long ago gave up trying to overcome the ward. No, he must find one of your people in the Great Forest, send them out then corrupt them remotely, once they have passed beyond the black trees. That is the only way he could gain a foothold outside of the Great Forest.”
“How would he corrupt them remotely?”
“You witnessed how I can see someone I know from a distance. It is a similar spell, only he is powerful enough to reach someone he has not met. The magic of the forest would mark them, allowing him to seek them out.”
“But any people he corrupts cannot come back into the wood. They can’t pass the ward.”
“That is true,” Anneli said, “but consider this: if he corrupts a man after sending him back out of the forest, his corruption can then spread to any that man encounters. It is like a disease. Some will be able to resist it longer than others, but without the knowledge or magical affinity to counteract it, all will eventually succumb. His ultimate goal would be to spread the corruption to a king or any lord who commands soldiers. Those soldiers, free of corruption themselves, could then be ordered into the forest. They could begin to cut down the black trees and create a gap in the ward. I believe you can imagine the rest on your own.”
Penny nodded. “The power to use magic… you called it an affinity?”
The queen nodded. “It cannot be learned. One must be born with the ability.”
“So someday one more powerful than Dourok may be born?”
“Perhaps. But it has not happened in two thousand years. It is not a hope we can depend upon. In the meantime, we use the gifts that Lanioc left for us and do everything we can to defeat the Dourosh by more conventional means.”
There was a knock on the door, and the servant woman entered followed by Owen.
Anneli stood. “Owen. How do you feel?”
“Better. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Anneli walked over to the door and quickly embraced him. “Then I will leave you two alone. You have much to discuss, and I have much to do.” She looked around the room. “You may have the use of my chambers for as long as you need them. I will see that you are not disturbed.” She spoke a few words to the servant woman, who bowed then stepped out through the door. “I will see you again this evening, when you and your friends will dine with me.”
She closed the door as she left, and Owen slowly walked over to the divan. He sat and shrugged. “This is… strange.”
Penny laughed. “It is, but we’ll get used to it. You must have a lot of questions.”
Owen frowned. “I don’t, actually. I heard the queen talking to you on the balcony, just before she… fixed me. As she said, I can remember everything that’s happened… well, as much as an ordinary person would, I suppose. But I’m… feeling them for the first time. Our parents’ deaths… George… being cold or hungry when we didn’t have enough… I have to feel it all at once. I… I don’t know how to talk about such things yet. Will you be patient with me?”
Penny smiled and pulled him close. “Take whatever time you need. When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be ready to listen. For now, just being together will be enough.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Formless Things
