Flash Fiction # 699 --A Tale of the First Alliance/4

 

"The Dragon core is awakening," he interpreted, and somehow kept his voice calm. The Prince said more, and Ryson almost missed it. "As allies, they ask for troops to help protect their home cave. And for this sacrifice to help save my people, we will pledge an eternal alliance and will fight to the death for your land."

That was quite an unusual offering, and not one to be brushed aside.

Kono took only a moment to answer. The high color of her cheeks was all that betrayed her surprise at such an offering. Ryson had thought that she wanted Callum beside her rather than him, but he had been the best choice for interpreter. Besides, even the sprite would not expect an answer right now.

"I have a question," Kono said softly. The sprites nodded like a wave, and Ryson again wondered how much they were interconnected.

"Ask," the Prince replied, and Ryson restated the word for Kono.

"We are not your only allies, and physically, we are not even the strongest. Why did you come to us with such an extraordinary offer?  Are there others in this alliance?"

"Only the humans," he answered. "And because we have fought you within the last century, and know that you are inventive and daring. If we must take on the dragons, such abilities will be useful.  They are much like how dragons react."

Now there was an interesting observation.

"I will give you my answer at moonrise," she said with a deep bow.

The entire group returned the bow and left.

"Well, damn," Callum mumbled as he moved closer to join them.  "The dragon core waking explains all kinds of trouble that we have seen. Will you accept the alliance --"

"Never!" a familiar voice shouted.  Councilor Jirgin rushed into the room with four guards.  That confirmed some of Ryson's list. "We will never join battle with non-humans at our side!"

"Jirgin, shut up or I will lock you up."

Jirgin sputtered and turned so fast that Ryson thought he was going to start spinning. He finally focused back on the Queen, but his eyes were bulging, and his breath came too fast.

"You would never dare to lock me up!" The man shouted as he looked at the Queen. "I will see you put on trial and will never have another woman ruler for as many generations as remembers your poor leadership that will tie us forever to these alien creatures."

"Well, that was your last chance." She looked toward his guards and gave a slight nod. "Lock him into the yellow suite in the east wing. He is to be served the same food as the rest of us. His wife may visit as long as she's willing to be searched going in and out. Enjoy your stay."

The guards took the stunned and strangely silent man away and left the three alone in the hall again.

"Well, that went better than I hoped," Queen Kono declared with a bright grin.  "I feared he wouldn't make his move until we were negotiating the treaty. I wanted him out of the way before then."
"You could've told me that the guards were yours," Callum complained. He looked annoyed, but Ryson was just happy to have that part out of the way. There were other counselors who would protest, but none were as theatrical as Jirgin. 

"I didn't want this to turn into a sideshow. Besides, I wasn't sure of them until you checked them out, Callum. We had better get ready for the conference. I want both of you there and sitting with me."

She walked away while Ryson and Callum rushed off to their rooms. Ryson realized this was the time to dress for the occasion. He threw open all his cases and began digging for hidden jewels. He also shook out his blue velvet and black silk ensemble. He did not ask for servants to help them because he was never sure if he could trust them, having been away for so long. He did the same in foreign courts. Right now, this felt very much like another foreign land was suddenly thrust into the kind of intrigue it is best to avoid.

But this was home, and he had known that at some time all the troublesome knowledge was going to come to the aid of his Queen. So, he straightened his clothing and stepped out into the hall just in time to see Callum passing.

Callum had dressed for the occasion as well, and he clearly hadn't given back all the jewels.  He still dressed predominantly in black; however, his vest glittered with gold embroidery and inlaid emeralds. He also wore matching emerald earrings and a massive emerald ring. Ryson could barely take it all in.

"Well," he said as they looked each other over. "Shall we go down together, or do you want to take the show for yourself?"

"Together," he said with an emphatic nod.  "This change isn't for me."

He did not want his Queen to look shabby.  Ryson had dressed for the occasion for the same reason.  He enjoyed watching the others take note of Callum's change and wondered if any thought the change made his cousin weak. There were those kinds of fools in every court.

Queen Kono blinked several times when they stopped beside her. She made no other sign of noting the change. Ryson had the feeling Callum wouldn't be allowed to wear his favorite black clothing again.

The Court artist was present, and over the next week, he painted the life-size portrait of the three of them that still hangs behind the queen's throne.  They stood in a sea of Ice Sprites, the bright moonlight illuminating the snowy landscape beyond the balcony. They were about to align humanity with an old enemy. Copies soon spread in all directions, making some of their previous work impossible. Ryson began taking lessons in fighting and stealth from Callum.  So far, no one realized he possessed the ability to cast magic.

 Some would soon curse them.  Others were wiser.

Especially after the Dragon Core awoke.


The End -- for now

Flash Fiction # 698 --A Tale of the First Alliance/3

 

Callum stopped, listened, and then pressed part of a stone wall to the side.  Ryson had not considered this particular passage, and he hurried in, the other two following him. Feeble light filtered through cracks in the wall, and they fell silent when they heard someone pass by. Callum laid his head against the crack in the stone, and they waited in silence until he gave the signal.

"They are running in circles again," Callum said with a laugh as he led them farther into the castle. "You would think they'd never lived in a castle or heard of a secret passage. I do still wonder who leads them, though."

A turn of his head showed he was looking at Ryson.

"Not me," Ryson replied. "I haven't been around long enough to know what's going on. I just know that the Council is uneasy and wants me to find out why the queen has turned aside from their gracious pleas and their superior wisdom."

"And those were their words, of course," Queen Kono replied.  It was not a question.

Ryson would have said something witty, but he was saved by Callum, who suddenly took them through a passage Ryson did not know. His mind went into memorizing every touch, scent, and sound. It was a gift once common in his clan, but generations had passed, and now it came down to Ryson and Callum.  Callum was the only one who knew about Ryson.

And Kono knew, of course.  She had been like clan to them when they were younger.  He supposed she still was, especially since her own clan ignored her.  They never went so far as to disobey the queen, but they made it plain they didn't trust her decisions. 

And that really had been her mother's fault. Queen Ana had been brilliant but as changeable as a cat.  Clerks had often raced to do assignments before they changed by midday. To be truthful, Kono had a bit of that tendency – to act on first impulse, and then to adjust her orders later.

Where was Callum taking them?

They had no lights down here.  Ryson was tempted to do something that would shock his companions. No, not yet. There would be a better time. This adventure looked increasingly as if something bad was about to happen.

Or, had it already happened?

"Why are we hiding down here?" Ryson finally asked as they paused again.

"Mostly we are getting out of the way of the incoming Ice Sprites," Callum explained. "And hold that thought for a moment, Kono. I didn't know until Ryson's people came in, and my agent slipped in with them. Why did you gather so many servants in the last couple of villages?"

"Last night I got the feeling of something odd going on," Ryson said and leaned back against the cold stone wall. "I suspected agents were trying to get in and deliver news. I also counted on Callum and his people being on guard against anyone who came in with me."

"Well done," Callum said before Kono could speak. Ryson heard the queen make a sound of frustration. "It is why you send us out, Kono. And now, you know as much as we do. Unless Ryson has more information?"

"Something set the Ice Sprites on the move, but you cannot exactly sneak into their camp. Something set them in motion, but I can't tell if it's a problem for them or for everyone. Technically, they are our allies. They may be coming for help."

"Or to help," Kono added.  Ryson could hear the anger in her voice.  "How dare you!"

"I was not going to let you out there until I was sure of their intentions," Callum told her. "The battle bell has not rung. It is time to go out, and in time to meet their ranking emissary."

"My people!" she protested.

"I gave you the signal, and you sent them away.  Only the guards remained."

She still sounded frustrated but gave a nearly silent sigh of capitulation.  "Well done."

Rock grated slightly as light filled the little cubicle.  They stepped into a familiar hallway in the west wing. By the time they passed servants, they had brushed away cobwebs and drew no unwanted attention. 

Callum and Ryson walked a proper five steps behind the queen. Ryson kept to Callum's blind side and was careful with his work guarding the queen. They didn't know why the Ice Sprites had arrived, and for all he knew, they were a distraction for something far worse.

Ryson walked with his hand on the pommel of his sword. He was one of the few allowed to wear a weapon near the Queen. Callum was another, and he walked with the same stance and hand on his weapon. People used to say they looked alike before Callum's injuries. Ryson knew that the fierceness so many people saw in Callum was part of this act—but only part. He had changed in many subtle ways after the ambush that should've killed him.

Ryson had said nothing about such changes, but he sometimes saw the queen glancing at their friend with a frown that seemed to indicate that she didn't know what to expect either.

From one step to the next, the air got noticeably cooler. A moment later, they stepped back into the Great Hall, where they had been before they took a tour of the cobweb-infested secret passages.

Ryson wondered if he should be amused.

Amazed was the better description right now. There had to be at least 300 Ice Sprites in the hall. He had never seen so many at once, even at their own court, which he had visited more than once. Having grown up in snow country helped.

They brought winter with them, not that it was ever far away from Snow Rock Castle. The Sprites produced not only the winter cold, but also the beauty. Frost painted new designs on the old marble columns and dusted the rest of the room with frozen glitter.  The sprites formed a sea of icy blue with a few darker puddles in the corners. They were too calm for this to be a friendly gathering. They seemed colder than usual, as well.

Their leader stepped forward with his interpreter.  Kono came down her steps and met him within a yard.  Ryson, who spoke sprite better than anyone at court, went with her. He wished she hadn't gone so close, not only for her safety, but because it was damn cold down here away from the throne.

They exchanged greetings. The Prince who greeted her was unusually high-ranking, and that told Ryson again there was trouble out there. It was even more apparent when they went straight to the problem, which turned out to be something more dreadful than he had expected.

Flash Fiction # 697 --A Tale of the First Alliance/2

 

 

Queen Kono wanted perfection in work and looks; Callum was anything but a vision of perfection. He consistently wore black from the eyepatch over his left eye to his boots.  The queen gave him jewels; he gave them back.

The people at court wondered how he survived.

He was good at his work. 

Someone might say that he was a mere messenger. Ryson had heard it more than once ... but a reminder that he worked for the queen usually quieted that bunch. Very few had the nerve to ask where Callum delivered those messages. 
 
The Queen's patronage was endorsement enough for his good work, and only fools would ask for more.

It seemed to Ryson, as he watched his younger cousin, that Callum chose his relentless black outfits for more than to look sinister. Twice, Ryson thought he had lost Callum, only to have him appear in some other shadows a few feet away.

The queen lingered and talked to minor clerks. Callum apparently cleared the room, scaring those who lingered in the shadows, except for Ryson.

Then, Callum disappeared between one clerk and the next. Ryson had hoped to follow and deliver questions for the Court Council, but now he had to watch for a second chance. 

Wandering the dark, cold halls of Snow Rock Castle did not appeal to Ryson.  He hated working for the Council, which had become a group of bad-tempered elders. They had sent for him the moment he entered the main door into this foreboding pile of rocks and snow.  No matter how long he stayed away from Snow Rock, Ryson could never feel comfortable coming back home.

The Council was not helping in that matter. 

Ryson hated this assignment. Someone on the council mistrusted Callum or the queen -- or both. They wanted information that the queen didn't want them to have

They sent --

A small, very sharp blade settled across his neck.  Ryson stopped breathing and moving. This was the time to think and listen.

Two people. He hadn't expected that since the second moved almost as silently as the first.  Ryson caught a hint of a special scent.  No, it could not be.

"Queen Kono," he greeted her without moving.  "Forgive me for not bowing."

"Told you," Callum said in that same sullen, mocking tone Ryson had tried to beat out of him as a child. The blade disappeared. "It took you long enough to catch up with us. You heard her?"

"Yes, but I caught her scent first. Where are her guards?"

"Guarding her rooms," Callum replied. "I am too used to it.  We will have to find a way to neutralize it."

"Better if I announce that I am looking for a new scent and stop wearing any at all. After all, this was my mother's scent." She moved silently closer.

"You have been teaching her the arts," Ryson said. "Isn't that what the guards are for?"

"Depends on how much you trust the guards. How many do you know work for the Council?"

"I know of at least six," Ryson admitted. 

"If you two continue this conversation around me, you might end up running the prison cells -- from the inside."

They stood in silence.  Kono grew angry, but Ryson only heard it as a little hiss of breath.

"If you decide to do that, be certain to move anyone you truly want kept locked up. I fear I may turn liberal in my pardons.  This way." Callum led them down a seldom-used hall. Queen Kono looked at Ryson with a raised eyebrow, probably not realizing how much she looked like her mother.

Ryson shrugged, and at that moment, the three were children again. If only life were that easy to fix.  Many people would disapprove of the three joining forces again. Much like Callum, he didn't care.  Doing right didn't always win friends. 

Flash Fiction # 696 --A Tale of the First Alliance/1

 

 

 

 

"Go," the queen ordered.

Everyone in the great hall froze and fell silent, wondering if Queen Kono had directed the order at them.  Prince Camtor was most apt to have this reaction since the queen had just summoned him for the first time in the three years Camtor had been at court. People she didn't like rarely lasted long.

Queen Kono wanted perfection in work and looks; Camtor was anything but a vision of perfection. He consistently wore black from the eyepatch over his left eye to his boots.  The queen gave him jewels; he gave them back.

The people at court wondered how he survived.

He was good at his work. 

A mere messenger, someone might say. Camtor had heard it more than once ... but a reminder that he worked for the queen usually quieted that bunch. Very few had the nerve to ask where he delivered those messages. 
 
The Queen was reference enough for his good work, and only fools would ask for more.

It seemed to Ryson, as he watched his younger cousin, that Camtor chose his relentless black outfits for more than to look sinister. Twice, Ryson thought he had lost Camtor, only to have him appear in some other shadows a few feet away.

Camtor played the game through most of the evening. Then, Camtor  disappeared between one waltz and the next. Ryson had hoped to follow, but now he had to watch for a second chance.

Ryson hated this assignment. Someone in the council mistrusted Camtor or the queen -- or both. They wanted information that the queen didn't want them to have

They sent --

A small, very sharp blade settled across his neck.  Ryson stopped breathing and moving. This was the time to think and listen.

Two people. He hadn't expected that since the second moved almost as silent as the first.  Ryson caught a hint of a special scent.  No, it could not be.

"Queen Kono," he greeted her without moving.  "Forgive me for not bowing"

"Told you," Camtor said in that same sullen, mocking tone Ryson had tried to beat out of him as a child. "You heard her?"

"Yes, but I heard her first. Where are her guards?"

"Guarding her rooms," Camfort replied.

"Where she should be," Ryson replied.

"Depends on how much you trust them."

"If you two continue this conversation around me, you might end up running the prison cells -- from the inside."


This is a short piece for a new series I am contemplating.  I apologize for the late postings.  I hope to do better in the new year.there are four parts.

"Go," the queen ordered.

Ryson watched as everyone in the great hall fell silent, wondering if Queen Kono had directed the order at them.  Callum was most apt to have this reaction since the queen had just summoned him for the first time in the three months Callum had been back at court. People she didn't like rarely lasted long.

Although just because Callum wasn't called to the Queen's Court didn't mean he never saw the queen in private. After all, the three of them were practically a clan of their own. They had grown up together, and she allowed Callum and Ryson certain liberties that nobody else in the court would dare do.

Callum gave some sort of signal, and in the next moment, the queen spoke.

Her voice had softened, and she even smiled. "Everyone, go to your duties.  We are done here."

People bowed and left, some with discreet glances at Callum.  Ryson noted that his cousin ignored them all. He also did not leave the room. Neither did Ryson, though he was more discreet about it and just stepped into the shadows, displacing a clerk who hurried out of the room. He made note of the man. The queen did have enemies.

Callum didn't bother to do even that much, though he did smile in Ryson's direction. Of course, he hadn't missed his cousin's quiet arrival.

Ryson was the opposite of Callum in personal refinement. He dressed well, though with little pretense, despite his wealth. Ryson liked bright colors and jewels, but wore little of either, at least at the Queen's court.

Flash Fiction #695 -- Old Fred's Wisdom

 

 

The bullets flew all morning, a cacophony of death and destruction.    By noon, the worst was over, leaving half the trees in the forest riddled with holes.

The turkeys fared better than the oaks this year, although that wasn't always the case. This time, even the stupidest of the birds remembered he could move. Trees had a disadvantage there.

How have I survived to reach seven years old? 

Anytime there are humans with weapons in the woods is a good day to roll in some mud and pretend to be a log.

Besides, I'm a turkey vulture, not a turkey.