Loremaster - Palace Of Kings Part 51

'Lord,' Breakmaster cried, 'there was a bridge, but now . . .!'

daylight.'

Arachatt pushed his way forwards. 'There is a way, my Lord, dangerous and difficult, but there is a way forward.'

King Holbian struck his spark and stared out at the broken span of the bridge. 'How?' he asked without turning. i.

'There is a ledge, my Lord, up near the roof of the secre road. It is blocked with rubble and fallen stone choke, but if we clear it we have a path to the daylight.'

Holbian looked up at the narrow ledge. 'A bird or a quick-footed mason could use that road but what of my people, the old and the infirm, the bent beggars and the small children? They will never be able to scale the walls and reach

the ledge.'

Arachatt spread his rough calloused hands. 'There will be s.p.a.ce for all those who can reach the ledge; that is the we'

forwards for the strong, my Lord.'

King Holbian looked back along the tunnel to where the first bedraggled city dwellers had halted, knee deep in the cold black water, their few meagre possessions held above the flood. He turned back to his mason. 'I am the last Granite King of all the people of Elundium, the strong and the weak and you, Mastermason, must fas.h.i.+on a way for us all. None shall be left behind.'

'Not even the horses, my Lord?' Breakmaster cried oh above the roaring waters.

'Not even the horses!' echoed the King, walking bacld amongst his people, calling out the strong and the willing to help the mason.

Arachatt frowned and muttered under his breath as he resealed the wall, measuring with his fingerspan and dropping a plumb line from the brink of the ledge down into the black

water. 'We will build a ramp,' he eventually shouted down Id the King. 'It will be steep and slippery but it will lead us to the

'You are the Mastermason,' King Holbian shouted u scrambling to the ledge. Angis nimbly followed him and be to start clearing the stone choke. 'No, my Lady of Elundiun

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he cried, putting his hand on her arm, 'this work is not for your gentle hands.'

'I ord, I would wear my hands blunt to work beside my King and win a road to the daylight.'

Holbian smiled down at her. 'You are Kingworthy, my Lady, and I am proud to have you by my side.'

Arachatt measured and dressed each rough piece of stone choke, before his helpers levelled them into position. Knuckles became scuffed and bled raw before the ramp had risen against the flooding waters.

'Bring the people forward!' Arachatt shouted. 'The rubble from the ledge and the newly-built ramp has completely dammed the river and the level will rapidly rise. There is not a moment to waste.'

'What of the road beyond the river?' Holbian shouted, pus.h.i.+ng the last huge blocking boulder to the ledge. 'Surely that will flood and drown us before we can escape?'

'No, my Lord,' Arachatt replied. 'Beyond, the road is above this level and slopes steeply upwards, the water will fill the secret road we have travelled, flooding it all the way back to the Granite City. But hurry the people forward, my Lord, or we will be trapped for ever.'

King Holbian gripped the mason's arm and quickly thanked him. 'It is the greatest wonder in all Elundium,' he cried, jumping down into the waist-deep water and urging the long column of city folk forwards on to the ramp.

'Bring the children,' he shouted, 'for they are our tomorrowlights, and then the old, they are the glories of yesterlights.

Keep order!'

Grey Goose led the people and Holbian frowned, searching back along the dark tunnel, hurrying past the last stragglers. 'Be quick! Hurry!' he ordered, lighting his spark and letting a sigh of relief escape from his lips.

'Hurry, Breakmaster!' he called, running towards the horseman, but Breakmaster was on his knees between the two horses, shaking and crying with fear, the

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whites oflhis eyes brighter than the winter's moon.

'Lord, I cannot'' he cried, looking into the King's face. 'I have tried and tried to lead the horses forward but the fear

holds me back.'

Holbian sank on to his knees beside the horseman and put his arms round his trembling shoulders. 'What fear? What fear stops you, my brave champion?'

Breakmaster bent his head. 'The water, my Lord, I dread it. I cannot walk for the fear.'

King Holbian smiled and held the horseman's head against his chest. 'You gave me the strength in the darkness of the siege and showed me the way, now I will lead you throughyour greatest fear. Come, place your hand on Beacon Light's shoulder for you gave her the courage to stand against the shadows and she will not falter.'

King Holbian took a deep breath, unbuckled the steelsilver coat and spread it across Breakmaster's shoulders. The music in the fine s.h.i.+mmering metal held the hint of skylarks rising up in search of the sun and it drowned out the boiling roar of the rising water.

'Walk with me, friend!' the King shouted, as the raging darkness closed about them, and he struggled to lead both horses and the horseman forwards towards the ramp without the warmth of the cloak.

The secret road became a cold and dangerous place full of: strange noises and hideous shadows and the King shuddered as his courage wavered. The ramp was in sight now but theswirling waters had reached his chest and the rus.h.i.+ng current was threatening to sweep him clean off his feet. 'Hold on to the reins!' he shouted to the terrified horseman as the horses surged forwards on to the first rough stones of the ramp.

'Their strength will lift us clear of the water.'

Mulberry moved ahead of Beacon Light, scrambling up to safety. Looking back the King saw that 13reakmaster's hands were slipping on the reins, the water was closing over his head. He was floundering on the brink of the ramp, dislodge

ing loose stones with his feet. 'We will lose him!' he cried, looking desperately for Grey Goose, but the Archer could not help, he was struggling to pull Mulberry out into the tunnel.

Drawing a deep breath Holbian let go of Mulberry's tail and ducked beneath the water. Two giant steps backwards and he caught hold of the horseman's arms and looped them through Beacon Light's reins. Rising above the water he urged the horses on.

'Pull us to safety!' he cried, clutching on the high cantle of the saddle. He felt the water swirl over him as the horse struggled up the last part of the steep ramp on to the narrow ledge.

Grey Goose and Arachatt were waiting with strong hands and helped the King pull Breakmaster up into the dry tunnel.

Breakmaster rose from his knees, choking and spitting out mouthfuls of water, his fingers fumbling with the catch of the steelsilver coat.

'Lord, you risked your life to save my skin!' he gasped.

Holbian laughed, knelt beside the exhausted horseman and took his hand. 'Who will calm the horses and ready them for battle? Who in all Elundium could do that as well as you, my loyal Captain?'

Shaking the last drops of water out of the beautiful steelsilver coat Breakmaster rose to his feet and gave it back to the King. 'To serve you all my days would not repay the debt I now owe you!' he said. 'For I know what courage it took to face your fear and put this cloak about my shoulders.'

'There is no debt, friend, there never will be one between us, for we are battle-tested in friends.h.i.+p and forged together through our moments of great need.'

Looking up into the dark tunnel that stretched before them

the King pointed an age-bent finger. 'Grey Goose, lead us forward out of this darkness!'

Rising to his feet the Archer necked an arrow on to his bow and disappeared into the tunnel.

'Come, we must follow,' commanded the King, leading