Chapter 12: Creeping Darkness



    It took several hours to actually leave the city. Innes sent another messenger to his father. Ewan was skipping with impatience, but finally we moved off.

    We didn't move far that night, stopping barely five kilometres later. Forde had taken a weary Ewan onto his horse.

    The next day, we travelled through quiet country. Wide, flat grain fields gradually narrowed around the road. After the fields, we passed into hilly country where horses and ranches and mines were common. Ahead, the green and grey mountains loomed. The road wound through what valleys it could find, and forests closed in around us.

    Seth stayed near me all that day, but we did not speak often. My heart ached, but I carried myself as I should, and I knew he approved, whatever it would cost him personally.

    We stopped on a low hill beside the road for that night.

    The next day was the same, but my heartache was worse. Tana was pestering me to tell her, dear friend, but I really couldn't. Eventually, this would fade, and, if I kept it secret to myself, be as though it never happened. To make matters worse - I mean, better - Innes was acting the gentleman towards me now.

    The road was long, but the mountains were much closer that day. Suddenly, the trees parted on the right and a crumbling mansion of dark stone and large windows loomed beside the path. Innes decided we should camp there. Though it was lacking a roof and the clouds were thick - and it looked to be growing foggier by the minute - if we pitched tents inside, we would have much more protection than in the open.

    We drew to a halt as we came closer. Ewan dismounted from Forde's horse and was beckoning us on. "Come on, my teacher's not too much further. We'll get there in less than an hour."

    "It's getting late, boy," Innes retorted. "We should stop here. Does anyone live in this fortress?"

    "Nope. No one's lived there for many years. I've even been inside. Hey, mister, we don't have to stop here. We could stop at my teacher's house."

    "What insolence," muttered Innes. "Do not speak to me again in that way."

    "He's only a child, Innes," I said to him. "Please, forgive him."

    Innes frowned, but nodded.

    "Anyway..." began Ewan.

    "Stop. Do not take another step," Innes ordered him.

    "That'll make it awfully hard to get where we're going," Ewan protested cheerfully.

    "Do you not hear it?" demanded the grey haired prince. "There is a strange noise coming from the fortress."

    "Huh?" Ewan stopped talking for a few merciful moments. "Oh! Wow, you have really good hearing to pick that up. I don't know what it is. What should we do?"

    Innes took hold of my arm. "Eirika, please alert your army. Monsters have spotted us. They're coming this way." I nodded and hurried to find Seth and the others. Ewan ran past me, frowning, and got into Danny's cart. His sister had told him to stay out of the way.

    Quickly, we made ready. Some of us - Innes, Seth, Franz, Amelia, Forde and Kyle - went in through the front gate. The others went around a narrow path to the back, with Artur, Lute, and Colm in the lead.

    Innes paused to speak to me for a moment. "Eirika, this may seem sudden, but I must ask to protect you for a while."

    "Prince Innes? But... why?"

    "I... was indeed in a difficult situation in the last battle. I do not wish to remain indebted to anyone."

    "Oh, you and your fool pride..." I muttered to myself, trying not to look amused.

    "No arrow can reach all enemies, but I guarantee your safety. Will you accept my oath?"

    "Um... sure... I accept."

    "Very well. Stay behind me -"

    "Wait, Innes," I said as he started to stride off. "You're an archer. Wouldn't it make more sense if you stayed behind me?" He never had a chance to answer, only a quick glare; I gasped as a large flapping shape materialized out of the gloom and flew at me with a spear. I ducked, and Franz skewered it with a javelin. Innes shot another out of the air.

    I heard a squeaky noise ahead, a human sounding noise. A back door smashed down and revealed a flood of gargoyles and bonewalkers. We took care of those in a skilled fashion. Then a red-armoured berserker hit a deathgoyle in the side, cleaving it in two. He shouted back over his shoulder: "Hey, Lady L'Arachel! Some real visitors!" There was a slight clopping on stone, then L'Arachel rode through the fog. Her blonde hair sparkled with dew, and her staff shone with a bright light.

    "Oh! How lovely to see you again! They say good things come in threes, and it is certainly true this time! We have become hopelessly lost by blessed chance, and we found these abhominations, which surely we were intended to destroy! Now we have met you! Ah, surely the divine is shining down upon us!"

    "Ah, how nice to see you as well, L'Arachel," I replied. "We're heading to Rausten still."

    "Ah, but how fortunate! Why should we not journey together? You must help us rid the world of monstrosities!"

    "Um, that would be very nice."

    L'Arachel tapped her huge knight on the shoulder. "Dozla, we're going with these good people."

    "Gwahahaha! Sounds fun! And what do you want me to do, Lady L'Arachel?"

    "Oh, just carry on in your normal manner: Destroy, destroy, destroy." I managed a weak smile upon hearing this. "But do be sure to enjoy yourself."



    When the last entombed fell, we gathered in the main room. L'Arachel began first. "How marvellous to meet you again. Might I have the honour of your name?"

    "My name is Eirika," I answered immediately. "I'm so sorry; we've met so often, I assumed you knew. Please forgive me."

    "My lady..." murmured Seth.

    "It's all right," I replied. "She's clearly not an enemy."

    "Princess Eirika of Renais, hmm? It is simply an honour to meet you. How strange that we should meet again in this place. You must be lost as well. This continent is so confusing."

    "Actually, we're not lost at all," I said. I told her our story, beginning with the fall of Renais castle.

    L'Arachel considered this information for a few minutes. "Is that so! Well, clearly, I must be allowed to accompany you."

    "But... our quest is far too perilous. I do not wish to pull you into this madness," I protested.

    "No, no, no," L'Arachel interrupted me. She paused. "It was heaven's dictate that I came here to cleanse this charming place of monsters. There can be no doubt that we were sent here to aid you. It is all part of the grand design. I, L'Arachel, shall play my role and fulfill my divine duties. This I swear!"

    Dozla, when consulted, also made a ridiculous vow of loyalty: "I would run to the ends of this world and dive into a sea of evil, Lady L'Arachel!"

    "How very like you, my dear, dedicated Dozla! So noble!"



    "Teeeaaaacher!" Ewan called into the little hut. "Helloooooo... he's not here. He must be out wandering again."

    "Do you know when he will return?" I asked him.

    "Nope. He just goes about, looking for people in need." We had decided to take Ewan's advice and continue to his teacher's house instead of staying at the crumbling fortress. Already, the red and grey mountains loomed around us.

    A young man's voice interrupted us. "I believe I told you it would be best to stay away." A grey haired youth with a grave, wise handsome face, swathed in a greenish cloak, entered the hut. "I've been charged with a mission and must depart again soon."

    Ewan greeted him with a cry of 'Teacher!'

    I stammered in recognition. "We've met before, haven't we? You were looking for someone..."

    The man nodded. "Ah, yes. And now we meet again." We bowed in greeting.

    "These people want to go through Caer Pelyn," said Ewan solemnly. "I could guide them myself, but I thought it would be better if you went, too. That's why I brought them. Will you guide them?"

    "Please?" I added when Saleh hesitated.

    After another moment, he nodded. "Very well. I'm heading there now. However, your group looks weary, and the road is not easy. I should say it best if you all rested here and we set out in the morning."

    Innes nodded, ducking his head to enter the doorway. "We need rest, it's true. We are all exhausted from our encounter with those creatures. We must give them time to heal, or else they'll be useless in an emergency."

    Ewan bobbed his head excitedly. "It's settled, then. I'll go on ahead and let the elder know we're coming. See? Even when there's no fighting, I'm still useful!" With out further words, he darted between Innes and myself and ran pell-mell into the mountains.

    "I wonder if he'll be all right..." I murmured concernedly.

    "Idiotic boy," Innes grumbled untruthfully. "I understand his need to be helpful, but..."

    "You needn't worry," Saleh said, a slight smile parting his lips for the first time. "Ewan knows the mountain paths well. He'll be all right." He began preparing a generous pot of stew for us.



    The next morning, I threw back the flap of my tent and stepped out into a mountain sunrise. Tana still slept in her sleeping bag, but I was enthralled by the play of pink light over the crimson rocks, bringing out every dimpled shadow in the face of the peaks. In the valleys, pine trees stood silent, with no wind to stir them.

    I saw a tall figure standing at the edge of a small precipice descending into a river valley and felt my insides freeze.

    Seth.

    I turned to go back into my tent, but he turned his head and saw me. I stopped, motionless, the two of us the only ones awake, waiting for the other to move.

    At last, he began walking towards me. "Princess Eirika, how fare you?" he asked softly. I wanted to run irrationally, to keep the man I loved from coming any closer, but I knew he meant well.

    "I am fine," I whispered. He locked eyes with me.

    "I am sorry, Princess... I share your pain, believe me. But believe me also in this: ..." he trailed off. "No, you know that already. I am truly sorry." He came one step closer, looking down at me. "Be strong. One day, you will find a better man than me."

    Abruptly, he turned and strode off. I watched him go, my stomach churning. There might be other good men in the world, but there were none, none better than Seth. And I was not free to say so.


    We set out less than an hour later, but we did not travel far before a shadow fell over us and a Wyvern General in red armour landed gracefully in front of us, looking at me. "Princess Eirika of Renais. Hold." He had a handsome, slightly sun-darkened face that contrasted greatly with his bleached golden hair.

    "Who?" I gasped. "You - you're General Glen of Grado. We met once in the capital, didn't we? You were very kind to me. However, if you're here now, I have to assume this means..."

    Glen nodded slowly. "Yes, it does. I wish our reunion could come under different circumstances." He dismounted his wyvern, frowning uncomfortably. "Eirika, I must tell you, I come here on the direct orders of the emperor. I'm to bring to justice the rebel army leader who's been terrorizing Carcino. It's you, Eirika. They say you've been murdering innocents."

    "What?" I cried. "Wait! What do you mean? I..."

    "...If you have something to say, I would hear it. I know all too well that Grado has robbed you of your homeland, but even so... I do not believe revenge could drive a woman like you to such depths. And yet..." his gaze swept my friends, "here you are in Carcino with a small army under your command. And the emperor tells us that you massacred everyone in Port Kiris."

    "That... That's a lie!" I gasped. "I could never..."

    "Go on."

    "This is ridiculous," snapped Innes suddenly, shouldering his way in front of me. "Believe what you want. Could one of the legendary Imperial Three honestly be as stupid as this?"

    "What do you mean?" Glen did not look angry, only slightly surprised and curious.

    "Carcino betrayed Frelia and set a pack of mercenary dogs to kill me," Innes growled bitterly. "It's an absurd farce. Your emperor commits horrors, and you paint Eirika as a criminal?"

    "... What are you saying?"

    "You truly are blind, aren't you? You're one of the Imperial Three, and yet you can't see your emperor's plan?" The prince of Frelia taunted the Wyvern General.

    "That's enough, Prince Innes," I said gently. "There's no need to provoke him. General Glen, we've told you what we know to be true, what we've seen firsthand. We don't want to fight you... But if you push us, we will drive you back to Grado." Innes shifted irritably, clearly wanting to add something rude, but Glen had been kind to me so long ago... I stopped him.

    "I... see." Glen looked at his feet, then back up at me, giving me a keen, apologetic glance. "You... are more observant than you know. I am ignorant of the emperor's designs. General Duessel and I both questioned the wisdom of this war. And if you really are innocent of the crimes attributed to you... Why would His Majesty lie to us?" Distress crossed his face as he pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I must know the answer."

    "So, you... believe us?" I queried.

    Glen fixed his eyes on me once again. "The Princess Eirika I met long ago was kind and merciful in spirit. You've faced relentless hardship, and yet that selfsame spirit remains true." His tone was grave, but a respectful smile hovered around his mouth. "Let's put our fight aside for now. I will learn the truth. Then I will once again perform the duties of my office. If you have lied to me today, I will hound you to the very grave itself."

    "Very well..." I watched him remount his wyvern, then turned away and began climbing the mountain path.

    A few minutes later, I heard a man's dying scream. I looked back, but could see nothing.


Chapter 11: Revolt in Carcino    Contents    Chapter 13: Village of Silence