Destined Departure

“Peace? The empire wants peace?” Sir Danielle Longbow was sceptical to say the least.

            “That’s what it says in the letter. It bore the imperial seal of the emperor.” Queen Elspeth held the scroll handed to her soldiers at the gate of Worm’s Mount Castle in the north.

            “It’s a trick, it must me, your highness.”

            “That’s a possibility. More likely it means they’ve spent more soldiers than they can afford to. The eruption of the volcano devastated their south-eastern provinces. Other nations along their borders have been launching pre-emptive attacks on imperial positions. The empire is stretched thin and under attack by desperate kingdoms that smell blood.”

            “What now then, your majesty?”

            “We take the respite. We hope other kingdoms keep them too busy to come back at us for many years. We all need this light in our lives again. The threat of war has been a cloud hanging over Crann for too long.

            What we will not do is grow complacent.

            The empire will withdraw if it must. It will rebuild and come back when it feels strong enough. We must use the time the peace gives us to prepare for their return.

            Which brings me to my most serious request. Sir Longbow, I want you to travel to the Kingdom of the Endless Wall. I want to know if there are more advanced forms of the weapon you brought from Sliabh with the help of the Church of Red Knives.” Queen Elspeth’s eyes fixed Danielle with a gripping stare.

            “Your majesty, I don’t have the wildest idea of where to go.”

            “I have already found you a guide who will take you most of the way. Our alliance with the Church of Red Knives has been paying dividends.” She smiled, leading Sir Longbow to her desk.

            The queen unrolled a huge parchment across the table, using books to hold down the curling corners. Danielle knew the image from the wall of Archbishop Patrick Murphy’s office in the Church of Red Knives in Carraig City, Sliabh.

            In black and white was a world greater than anything she had ever imagined. Every beautiful monster in the corners threatened to tame her blooming wanderlust. Were they real? A sea creature with four serpentine heads? A dragon in mountains drawn bigger than Crann itself?

            Surely not. She’d fought real monsters. Most of them did their best to look human until they grew wings or turned into wolves. No one could fight a dragon that big. No one would survive seeing one.

            “Danielle. Did you hear what I was saying?” Queen Elspeth sounded insulted.

            “Sorry, my queen. I was distracted.”

            “One of the Red Church’s more travelled acolytes will take you across the Eastern Sea and guide you to the Empire of the Endless Wall. You will not be alone. You and Anne Hyland do well together. I want her to go with you.”

            “As long as foreigners don’t understand her jokes, she’ll be an asset to any journey, your majesty.”

            “I quite like her jokes,” said Queen Elspeth.

            “As do I, your majesty, when I’m not choking on my meal because of them.”

            “As a member of the Royal Coven and one of our best healers Lupita Smith will have to remain in Crann, Carl Northman is in no fit state for adventuring either.”

            “I agree with both judgments of course, Queen Elspeth. Anything to keep them both safe. Will there be any men joining my… expedition?”

            “Lord Castel of Serpent’s Crook cannot leave his village. I’m sorry Sir Longbow.” The queen laid a comforting hand on Danielle’s shoulder. “Sir Cadogan will join you, along with Sir Euan Errol. You know him?”

            “I can’t say I’ve ever spoken to Sir Errol, my queen.”

            Rolling up the map, the queen gave it to a servant and nodded, the servant returned the nod. “You’ll have plenty of time to get to know him along the way. Sir Errol is a fine young man, an excellent swordsman. He’s nothing compared to Sir Fabian of course but none are these days. I’ve heard great things about the assassins, sorry, acolytes of the Red Church though. With a few of them by your side you will be safe.”

            Having assassins from a cult by her side night and day, even when she was sleeping felt anything but safe to Danielle, but she had no choice but to agree.

            “Enough of this talk. Tonight, Leonor will celebrate peace. I’m not sending you away until you’ve drunk your fill and sobered up afterward. Go and be with Lupita and make the most of the evening. It should be quite a party by the time I’ve whipped up the crowds. Go and spread the good news.”

            “Yes, my queen. My pleasure.” Sir Longbow bowed deeply.

Out of habit, Danielle’s legs tried to take her back to the cottage where she had once lived with Lupita before an imperial army burnt half of the city down. The new granite towers blocked her way. Roots of the mighty curaduile trees tripped her up.

            New banners and signs were the only way to be sure of where she was. Streets had names because they all looked so similar. Some of the steel doors were locked. Others had rotten wooden wedges keeping them open.

            Only the most tenacious weeds grew in the shadows between the tower houses of Leonor. Some people were growing flowers from baskets hung above the streets. It was beautiful but did nothing to bring light to streets.

            People who knew her by reputation nodded to her. Many more knew her name than she knew theirs. She tried to nod and smile every time. Comradery among Cranners who’d survived battle after battle was blood deep.

            The stairs to her home threatened to have her out of breath. She tried the door and found it open.

            “Lupita, are you home?”

            “Danielle?” Sir Longbow’s lover stepped into the living room from their bedroom. Her braided hair hung down over her chest. “I was told to meet you here. Do you know why?”

            “Because tonight is a celebration. The empire has asked for peace with Crann. Queen Elspeth is going to agree.”

            “What?”

            “The war is over.”

            “THANK THE GODS!” Lupita inflated with a deep breath that brought a warm colour to her rich brown cheeks. She put her hands to her face. “I can’t believe it.” She had her distant, thinking face on suddenly. Contemplative tears rolled down her cheeks.

            They embraced. Lupita resting her head on the knight’s armoured chest. Losing all sense of time, they held each other.

            “I keep worrying that I’ll lose you in battle. May the peace last lifetimes.”

            “Gods willing. Lupita, Queen Elspeth has tasked me with a journey. I’m to find newer versions of the fire lances from the far east.” Miss Smith pushed away from her. “I must go tomorrow. Tonight will be our last night together until I return.” Danielle’s head hung. “I don’t want to go, but I’m a knight of Crann. It’s my duty.”

            “Then we have to make tonight count.” Lupita pulled Sir Longbow’s head down and kissed her.

            Kisses turned to caresses and clothes scattered on the floor. Gasps became passionate screaming until the two were woken in each other’s arms in the morning.

            “Wake up!” Nettle shouted at them. “You need to get dressed. There are knights here waiting for you.”

            Danielle kissed Miss Smith again before anything else. They dressed in silence.

            “I see the two of you had a good night?” Sir Aled Cadogan said, sitting in a chair in their living room. Did you join the festivities last night? It was an incredible party.”

            “You don’t need to tell us how incredible last night was, Sir Cadogan.” Lupita smiled.

            “That’s true. The whole street heard how much you enjoyed it.” Nettle smirked beside them. She got a flicked ear for her cheek.

            “Everyone is ready to go Sir Longbow. It’s time.” He stood, in full armour, minus the Crann tabard. Danielle guessed she should leave her own behind as well.

            Taking her bow and quiver, sword and shield, she gestured for the knight from Afon to leave first. When he was beyond the door she turned to her lover.

            “I love you, Lupita. I love you, Nettle. Look after Nettle. Nettle, look after Lupita.” Both nodded. “Wait here for me so I don’t have to say goodbye. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I promise.”

            Nettle turned her face into Lupita and gripped her. Sir Longbow mouthed a kiss as she looked for the last time and left the house.

            Sir Euan Errol wore aged leather armour and an old black cloak. He had a new made sword and shield without markings, but he was recognisable from tournaments.

            Anne Hyland wore her Leonor made armour with the matching sword and shield. She had a bow hung across her shoulder like Danielle and a quiver on her back.

            The unknowns were the assassins from the Church of Red Knives. A man in a red robe and a woman in grey seemed to have had all their distinguishing features beaten out of them. Their faces were blank masks. Their four brown eyes only reflected whatever people thought about them. Still as statues, Danielle might have assumed they were stuffed and mounted except that they followed her with their gaze.

            “The horses are waiting Sir Longbow,” Aled told her respectfully.

            “Lead the way then, Sir Cadogan.” She aimed an open hand down the alleyway.

            Citizens stopped to watch the odd group go. That they were not wearing the green tabards with the Crann Oak said something odd was afoot. She heard them whispering around her as they walked.

            From the cramped streets of New Town to the wide cobbled lanes of Old Town in the east of the city they were gawped at by everyone they passed. Lupita’s father, the Master of Blacksmiths, waved to her as she walked by. She waved back to Atwanda Smith and hoped he would see his daughter that day.

            Waiting by the gate with the horses was Lord Fabian Castel, smiling as he saw her.

            “I’m glad I get to say goodbye before you go. I wish I could come with you.” He hugged Danielle hard and gave Anne a genial smile. “Sirs Cadogan and Errol, good luck on your voyage. May your journey be peaceful and if it must be anything more, may it be worthy of stories you’ll tell in your own words. Good luck to you all.”

            Mounting her steed, Danielle looked down at her friend. “Thank you, Fabian. If only you could come with us. Fare well in Serpent’s Crook and don’t be a stranger to my family while I’m gone.” She looked at her party. “Come on then. Adventure awaits.”

            The clip clop of the horses on the wooden bridge over the deep mine outside the city kept her mind on her fear of falling into the chasm rather than the love she was riding away from. Turning north-east along Leonor’s River they set a steady pace towards the Eastern Sea. The conifers and oaks on the edge of Bandit’s Forest fringed the mountains between them and an adventure Danielle could hardly imagine. She gripped the reigns and held back her tears, leaving her home behind.