Loremaster - Palace Of Kings Part 58

Pinchface the Loremaster had barely laid the last rough-cut turf on the Chancellors' graves before the last of the city folk had hurried out into the darkness. Muttering he slung the heavy shovel aside and turned to follow them.

'Loremaster!' a voice hissed just behind him in the darkness, and a hand gripped his wrist.

'Silverpurse!' Pinchface cried, seeing the Chancellor's son.

Silverpurse clamped his hand across the Loremaster's mouth and pulled him back into the undergrowth. 'You saw what those foul warriors did to my father and all my friends.

You will help me to destroy the King and take all Elundium as mine, in my father's name. You will do it or die here in the darkness.'

Pinchface struggled against the strong hands that held him to the ground, trying to open his mouth to cry out to the King but he felt the sharp point of Silverpurse's dagger against his throat and shrank back silently against the cold earth.

'There will be others who will help us take Elundium, many others,' Silverpurse snarled, easing the dagger away from the Loremaster's throat.

'Yes, Lord, yes, Lord,' Pinchface whispered in fear, wringing his hands in despair as the clatter of hooves and the tramp of marching feet faded into the black night air.

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: I.

: 1.

The New City

Willow Leaf climbed the last two steep steps on to the top of the inner wall that encircled Candlebane Hall and shaded his eyes against the setting sun. Sighing with satisfaction he stared out over the new-built Granite City. 'It is in your memory, Elder,' he whispered, looking up into the darkening sky for the first evening star.

Running footsteps sounded in the shadows of the inner wall. Willow turned and searched the shadows. Laughing, he bent forward and offered his hand to a slim dark-haired girl who turned the last twist in the stone stairs and ran lightly to the top of the wall. 'Mother says you would have missed the noonday food,' she said, catching her breath after the steep climb.

Willow smiled, feeling his cheeks blush a deep red as he took the rough woven basket and set it down on the top of the wall. 'You Apples are like a family to me,' he laughed, lifting the edge of the clean cheesecloth that covered the basket to see an array of forest fruits and finger treats that made his mouth water. 'Your mother is a real treasure,' he said, taking out a bright yellow fruit and biting into its tough s.h.i.+ny skin.

Oakapple smiled shyly and looked away. 'Mother says you never eat properly. Ever since Elder's death, she says.'

Willow frowned, his face darkening with anger as he remembered Elder's death beneath that cruel-clawed Nightbeast'

s foot in the City of Night. 'None of us is safe and never will be until the Nightmare is destroyed,' he said, angrily

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stabbing his finger towards the newly-built great wall that had thrown evening shadows across the lower circles of the city. 'I dared not rest while the city lay open for the Nightmare to enter.'

Oakapple moved closer to Willow, touching his sleeve with her long pale fingers. 'Do you watch for the Nightmare? Is that why you sit up here all alone, watching in case he returns?'

Willow smiled, 'No, Oakapple, I watch for a friend upon the Greenway. Nevian, the Magician, said that Evening Star would come to the city when the rebuilding was finished; that is who I wait for.'

'The last roof slates were laid today. The city is finished now, I am sure she will come.' Oakapple answered.

Willow shook his head. 'There is still the fallen tower in the inner circle, but something has stopped me from rebuilding it or opening the wall. It is still sealed against Nightbeast attack just as the King left it.'

A noise from below made Willow and Oakapple turn and look down into the inner circle of the city. The moon had ridden high in the clear sky, casting deep shadows across the rubble of the fallen tower. 'Hus.h.!.+' whispered Oakapple, holding her finger against her lips.

Willow stared at the fallen tower, his hand upon the hilt of ; his dagger. 'Look!' he cried, stepping back a pace. 'Look,

there is water s.h.i.+ning amongst the jumble of stones.'

Fine jets of water suddenly rose up in graceful fountains, sparkling in the moonlight as the night winds drove them against the inner sheer sides of the wall where they ran in glistening droplets down on to the cobbles. 'The wells are dry and dust choked. This is a miracle!' willow cried, jumping to his feet and turning to Oakapple. i

'Go down and gather the best masons, we must cut a channel through the wall and take the water spiralling down into a new well beside the great gates.' ,

Willow ran down the inner stone stairway and splashed his .

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way through the ice-cold water that was flooding across the cobbles until he stood level with the doors to Candlebane Hall. Laughing he held up his stone searcher, judged the height of the first broad step and drove it into the wall. 'The inner circle of the city will be a lake, the Candle Hall and the fallen tower will be islands, gardened and set with flowers! A beautiful lake of pure sweet water,' he whispered, scooping a handful to his mouth and drinking.

'Cut the channel here!' he called to the tunnellers who were hurrying down the stone steps armed with heavy sacks of tools.

Dawn had greyed the sky before the water channels were finished and the overflow of water was following the newlybuilt spiral down into the shadows of the great gate. Willow sought out Oakapple from amongst the women treading earth between the granite blocks from the fallen tower and took her up to the top of the wall. 'Please watch with me,' he asked, turning his eyes towards the dark horizon line.

Oakapple smiled and spread her cloak around them both.

'The city is finished now,' she whispered, sleepily resting her head on his shoulder.

Willow nodded silently, watching the Greenway appear through the ghost tails of the dawn mist. He knew she would come now, deep down in his heart he knew it and he stretched out his hand and touched the cold metal stone searcher that

lay beside him. Oakapple snuggled closer, and murmured as she fell asleep.

The first ray of sunlight had begun to burn above World's Edge, warming them and drying out the dew that had settled on the cloak. Willow stiffened and sat up straight, blinking against the low rays of golden light. There were figures on the Greenway, small dots, far away but moving towards the city.

'Oakapple, Oakapple, look!' he cried, shaking her awake.

Lifting her head, she blinked and rubbed her eyes and smiled at Willow. 'I dreamed of horses just like the Warhorses

that fought beside us on the high plateau before the Gates of Night.'

'Yes, yes!' Willow interrupted, 'but look out there on the Greenway.'

Oakapple rubbed her eyes and stared out along the bright morning road. 'They are just like the dream,' she cried.

'It is Evening Star and her foal, surrounded by a company of Warhorses!' Willow shouted and leaping to his feet ran to the top of the steps, then he stopped find turned and looked into Oakapple'e eyes. 'Nevian said that I must follow my fate

wherever it may lead.'

Oakapple reached into the forgotten supper basket and withdrew a crisp orange forest fruit. 'Take this gift for comfort on the journey,' she whispered, pressing it into his hands.

'When the Nightmare is dead I will return,' he cried, gathering up his stone searcher and running down into the morning shadows.

'Star! Star!' he shouted, halting on the crown of the Greenway. The safety of the great gate lay at least a league behind him. Before him the company of Warhorses had grown longer and longer and was filling the road and the pounding of their hooves had churned up a dense cloud of dust. 'Star!' he shouted again against the thunder of their hooves.