Loremaster - Palace Of Kings Part 27

crouched, his eyes wide and steady, watching the doorway.

'Keeper of the Wayhouse on Stumble Hill - come forwards and be named!'

The hair on the back of Kyot's neck p.r.i.c.kled and he s.h.i.+vered. A single tiny point of light had begun to glow in the doorway. Now it was moving, growing stronger as it travelled between the rows of hanging, oiled wooden bows. Past the arrow stands it came, filling the armoury with a beautiful soft light. 'Come forward, Keeper, be not afraid,' soothed an ancient voice. The light had changed and taken the shape of a rainbow cloak.

'Nevian!' Kyot cried, dropping the knife and falling on to his knees. 'Father has been mutilated by the Nightmare, Krulshards, and tied on to the shooting b.u.t.t. Thane has been here, I think he defended Father, look, he has left me a message I cannot understand.'

'Peace,' whispered the Master of Magic, stepping forwards and spreading the rainbow cloak over Kyot's shoulders.

'Know the measure of your father's battle with the Master of Darkness and understand the words that Thane wrote upon the wall, for I have come to give you the Keepers.h.i.+p of this Wayhouse and release your father from the pledges.'

Kyot looked up into Nevian's caring face and asked, 'Hasn't death given him rest?'

Nevian smiled and covered Kyot's head with the cloak, taking him back in time to the dark empty tower before the Nightmare arrived. 'Father,' he whispered, tears in his eyes as the battle unfolded before him and he watched the courage in his father's death. 'Fairday of Clatterford - the Crystal Maker!' he cried, listening to his father's faltering words as Thane held him in his arms. Now he understood the power of the gla.s.s arrow-heads and where they had come from. The rainbow cloak had dimmed, the armoury was full of grey dawn light.

'You, Kyotorm, are the Keeper now, and I bind you by words alone to guard this place and keep it safe against the

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powers of the night, for you are a part of the new Elundium that has a strength that stretched far beyond a binding mark upon your arm.'

'But how can I seek out Clatterford if I must guard the Tower?' Kyot cried.

Nevian smiled and handed Kyot the great Bow of Orm.

'Revenge will dim the power of this bow and it will blur your vision and blunt the arrow's edge. Seek more than revenge and when Elundium is safe once more from the Nightmare, Krulshards, then you will keep this Wayhouse. It is as much a gift as a duty. Follow the sun to Clatterford and be at Thane's right hand in the darkness, for he will have great need of your skill with this bow. Hurry, lest the sun sets before you have 4 reached the Crystal Maker's house.'

'Nevian!' Kyot cried as the rainbow cloak melted. 'Thunderstone said that Thane brought old legends to life, that he might one day be King, or carry a King's standard - is this true?'

Nevian laughed and melted into the first ray of sunlight that entered the armoury, leaving Kyot alone with the great Bow of Orm in his hand, and Rockspray battle-perched on his shoulder. Beyond the tower Kyot could hear the swift running feet of his Archer strikes and hurried out to meet them.

125.

aDespair at Woodsedge

Woodsedge loomed up, a black shape on the Greenway's edge.

'Elionbel,' Thane called out quietly, slipping to the ground, dagger drawn. He moved forward cautiously, watching the spiral of smoke that rose from the main chimney stack. Nothing else moved in the darkened Wayhouse. Arbel and Rubel ran silently to his side and together they entered the great hall, picking their way between the broken blocks of masonry and shattered beams.

'Curse this darkness!' Rubel whispered, tripping over something soft on the stone floor. Thane lit his spark and gasped with horror. Before him, his face gorged with b.l.o.o.d.y crouched Kerzolde, the torn remains of a server held in his

one good claw.

'Gallopersp.a.w.n!' the Nightbeast screamed, hurling the halfeaten girl at Thane's face, knocking him over backwards and making him drop the spark.

'Kerzolde!' Thane shouted, stabbing at the fleeing shape as it escaped into the night. Rubel turned and chased it to the Greenway's edge, but he was near to nightblind and soon lost trace of the fading footsteps.

'Elionbel!' Thane called, lighting every candle he could find in the hall.

'Motherl'Arbel cried, searching among the fallen servers.

Thane suddenly stopped in the centre of the hall and fell to his knees. 'Elionbel!' he cried, closing his fingers on the silver finger bowl and lifting it up. 'Oh, Elionbel!'

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'What is it?' Arbel asked, looking at Thane's clenched fist. 'The Nightmare has her. Look!' Arbel followed Thane's shaking finger to the cruel name shattered into the flagstone floor and gasped, catching his breath. 'Krulshards, the Master of Nightbeasts, he has her. He has taken her in revenge,' cried Thane, pressing the silver cup to his forehead.

'Revenge? Why revenge, how did he know my sister?' asked Rubel, standing before Thane.

'That evil beast we found here stole Elionbel's love token from my belt as we fought between the Gates of Night.'

'You took her token into battle!' screamed Rubel, 'You you stupid fool! I will kill you for that!' Arbel moved quickly, he could smell the Nightmare's darkness and the taste of it made him dizzy with desire. Shaking his head he turned his brother's sword stroke wide, sending a shower of sparks up into the air

as both Marching swords clashed.

'Enough of this madness. To lose Elionbel and our mother is enough to break my heart, but to kill Thane would only add to the Nightbeast's deed. We must follow him and rescue them, quickly, without delay!'

Rubel turned away, hurling his blade across the great hall and stood shaking with rage. Turning back to Thane he gripped him by the cloak clasp. 'Find her, Candleman, and return her safe home, or I will take your life in payment.'

'No!' cried Arbel, prising his brother's fingers from Thane's throat. 'I am the eldest and I say there will be no bad blood between us.'

'Father called him a base Candleman; he was against him ever looking at our sister. I heard him tell her that Thane was

not bloodworthy of this house.'

Arbel turned savagely on his brother, 'Bloodworthy or not, Elionbel loved him and gave the token of her own free will.'

Lowering his voice he turned to Thane. 'She loved you, Thane, and whispered your name each evening time. Will you come with me on the Nightmare's heels and try to bring her back?'

-Thane took Arbel's hand and gripped it firmly. 'I have run and ridden on the heels of this Nightmare across Elundium only to arrive too late. But we will follow Krulshards together, no matter how bleak the path, for I love your sister more than life itself and to be without her would be to live in the shadows.'

Arbel looked past Thane into the darkness beyond the door and heard a black voice in his head, 'Hurry, Marcher, on your dark and dangerous road for one day we will be brothers, brothers in the darkness, I know it!' Arbel s.h.i.+vered at Krulshards' whispers and tried to shut them out. 'We must hurry,' he said, 'or the trail will grow cold.'

'Go quickly then,' Rubel shouted, angry at seeing Arbel standing so closely with Thane, 'and do not cross the threshold of this Wayhouse again if Elionbel is not by your side.

For if you do I will kill you!'

Thane turned and gripped Arbel's hand. 'I will gallop ahead; follow as quickly as you can.' Without another word he left the Wayhouse, running the short distance to where Stumble waited. 'The Nightmare has taken Elionbel,' he whispered, quickly mounting the horse and searching for the black footprints. 'He has taken her to the Granite City!'

'Wait!' shouted Arbel, running out on to the Greenway.'I think the Nightmare took our mother as well. She is nowhere

to be found!'

'We will find them both,' Thane shouted, holding Stumble

by the bridle. Turning in the saddle he called out as the horse surged forwards, 'We will not rest until they are safe and the Nightmare is dead. You have my word on it!'

Arbei turned back into the Wayhouse and for a moment watched his brother searching amongst the dead servers. A darkness was filling his body, spreading upwards in itching lines from where the Nightmesh had entangled his legs, it was making him move forwards across the Wayhouse floor, forcing him to loose the dagger at his belt.

'Rubel,' he whispered, drawing the blade, 'you must not