NexLord: Dark Prophecies (34 page)

"I'll break your legs for that, you little
shit," the Guardsman said when his breath came back.

Lor stepped in front of the blade.

The Guardsman took a swing at her and she
used a low spin kick to cut his legs out from under
him.  He fell to the street with a groan.

Another Guardsman stepped out and pulled his
sword.  When he saw just three youngsters, holding no
weapons, and not challenging him in any way he
paused.  From inside the
gate,
another voice called out, "What's the ruckus out
there?"

The Guardsman, with the sword in his hand,
called back, "Just a young..." he looked hard at Lor and noted the
cinched jerking that outlined her modest chest.  "…lady
out here kicking the crap out of
Jonnsen
."

"This I gotta see," the voice said, and a
Guardsmen corporal stepped out.  
Jonnsen
was just getting off the cobblestones with a
grimace of pain.

"Is that slip of a wench kicking your
behind?” the corporal said with a laugh.

"I want her arrested; she assaulted a
Guardsman and stole my sword!” he gasped.

Lor pointed at the sword stuck between the
stones, "I don't have his sword, it is right there."

"So it is," the Corporal
noted.  "Best tell me what this is all about."

When Aerin finished his account the Corporal
had them enter the gate and then ordered them held under watch
while he reported up the chain of command.

It was about ten minutes before Gandarel
showed up, with councilmen Enolive at his heels.  "What
is this I hear about you attacking Guardsmen?" Gandarel asked with
a frown.

"We weren't, we were just getting him to take
us seriously.  We have important information you need!"
Lor stated.

"All right, what is it?" Gandarel
prompted.

Aerin started to explain about the sewers,
but Gandarel interrupted.

"We know about that, remember the attack on
the Seat?  All sewer entrances that come into the city
were sealed.  That was done months
ago, and
just in
case,
there are also watchmen down at each
one during this emergency.  Is there anything
else?"

His three friends looked ashamed that their
news was not news at all, but Aerin finally spoke, "What's
happening, Gandarel?  I caught the end of that scene
yesterday..."

"I'm done practicing, that's
what.  I have to face up to my
responsibilities.  Assuming we get out of this mess
alive, I am old enough to go and accept my
heritage.  We're not children anymore, Aerin.  It's
time we put aside our play on the roofs and our practice with
teachers."

"We won't be seeing you anymore?" Dono
asked.

"I didn't say
that
I just won't be coming to practices at Mara's
anymore.  I am beyond her teachings now."

The councilman behind him nodded in
encouragement.

Gandarel continued, "But you are my friends
and you can come to see me when I have time.  I'll see
that this scene does not repeat itself in the future, but until
this crisis is done, perhaps it is best if you do spend your time
protecting Mara.  I do care about her, still," he
added
as if that was in doubt.

"All right, if that is the way it needs to
be," Aerin agreed.

"It is, but
for
now,
I have to get back.  We're making a battle
plan to protect the city.  Keep your eyes peeled and if
you see something... from high up, don't hesitate to stop by and
let the Guardsmen know. They'll listen to you, next time," he
stated, casting a frown at the chagrinned looking Jonnsen.

Aerin decided to stop by the Villa to see if
Mara had emerged from her room yet.  Dono and Lor headed
back to check on the Togroth army.  When Aerin arrived he
found the courtyard empty. Since the confrontation with the
council the day before, Mara had disappeared into her
rooms.  Aerin considered going up to see her; he was
concerned about Mara's mental state.  He remembered the
past times she had become moody and withdrawn, and they were
nothing compared the depression he had glimpsed yesterday.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Yearl
touched his elbow and said, "Mara has been asking for you."

"How do you DO that?” he demanded when he had
swallowed his heart.

Yearl shrugged, "I don't do anything, people
just aren't interested enough to notice me."

Aerin looked at him
skeptically.  "Is this something Willowmen do, or is it
just you?"

"People find us all uninteresting, I'm just
particularly uninteresting.  It's a gift," he
acknowledged.

Aerin shook his
head
as if that would clear up the confusion he felt;
sometimes he thought that having the answer was more confusing than
the unanswered question.

Yearl nodded toward the stairs, "I don't
think you should keep Mara waiting, she's in a bad mood."

Aerin looked at her closed door with a little
consternation.

"She won't bite," added the Willowman, "well,
she won't bite hard."

Aerin climbed the stairs slowly, but
eventually he stood before the door and had to knock.

"Come in here, Aerin," Mara's voice called
instantly.

Aerin sighed, he thought about asking her how
she knew who it was, but he figured that he would probably just be
more confused by the answer.  He opened the door not
knowing what to expect.

Mara was dressed as normal, wearing her long
sleeved blouse, brown
skirts,
and
shawl.  Her long hair was up in a hastily arranged bun,
though a few strands had escaped here and there.  Papers
covered her bed and her desk, old ones, of the kind he had seen in
her room before when he had read the line from the old
prophecy.  As he looked at these papers he revised his
estimate, these looked even older, and the writing was less
flowing, harder to read.  He tore his eyes away as he
realized he was about to start reading them, and he didn't want
Mara angry with him again.

He noted a worn wooden box, of about the
right size to house the old papers, sitting at the back of the
desk; he had never seen it before.

Mara looked up from the page she had been
reading, and Aerin noticed the dark circles under her
eyes.  Aerin figured that she must have been reading all
through the night.  He wondered if she wanted to discuss
what she had read.

"I bet you are wondering why I have asked you
up here," Mara began.

Aerin hoped she wasn't reading his mind or
something.

"No, I'm not reading your mind, it's an
obvious question.  I want to know what is going on with
Gandarel.  You have been to see him?"

It was almost more of a statement than a
question, but Aerin answered, "Yes, a few minutes ago."

"Good; and what transpired?"

Aerin recounted the meeting and Mara did not
interrupt.  When he was through she closed her eyes and
was silent.

Aerin
waited
and started to wonder if Mara had fallen asleep.  He was
just about to say something when she jumped to her
feet.  Her sudden move startled him.  Mara
began pacing around the room.

"This just won't do!” she exclaimed. "He
doesn't realize the danger he is in, the danger the world is in
because of his foolish actions."

Aerin was worried by her words, "You mean the
Togroths are going to get into the city?"

Mara paused, as if noticing him again, he
wondered briefly if this was how Yearl felt when people finally
noticed him.

"No, though they will.  What I am
more concerned with is what fool things he will do to place himself
in their hands.  You do realize that they have come for
him, not the city?"

Aerin realized nothing of the sort, but he
let it go, this was far more than Mara usually confided in him, and
he didn't want to spoil things.

"If he had just left with us yesterday the
Togroths would be leaving by now.  By staying here their
prize is within their grasp!  Here, look at this," she
said, snatching up one of the old documents and putting it before
his face.

Aerin took the document and read from the
top, "And during the siege, the snake in the grass will crawl into
the nest of stone, curling itself around the heart of the
heir.  And during the dark days of
terror,
the heir will go to the enemy, and his
heart will be turned in fear, distrust and
falsehood.  And, if he leaves the city in the company of
the enemy, he shall..."

"Give me that," Mara stated, snatching the
document from him as if he had picked it up to read on his
own.  "Aerin, you must convince Gandarel to listen to
me."

Aerin swallowed hard; there had been no give
in Gandarel when they had last spoken.  "Mara, he is
going to need time to cool down, time for emotions to calm and
reason to return.  I don't think I can..."

"We don't have a choice!” she barked.

Aerin snapped his mouth shut at her yell and
stood rigid.

A moment passed and Mara's voice was back
under control.  "I'm sorry I snapped at you, none of this
is your fault."  She placed a hand on his shoulder and
sighed.  "This is my fault, if anyone’s, so I should yell
at myself.  I should have been ready for this; I should
not have been so arrogant as to think that I had things on track
with the Prophecies of Gold.  For so many years I had
things going nearly line for line, I didn't even bother to look at
the other possibilities, like the Dark Prophecies.  Now
we have to deal with that reality, and believe me, you don't want
to know what I know, Aerin."

"What can I do to help?" Aerin asked.

Mara looked at him, her eyes really focusing
on him for the first time since he had entered the
room.  She hugged him to her with both
arms.  "If only you had been the heir to the Seat, Aerin,
things would be different."

"I'm sorry, Mara."

She took him by the shoulder tops with her
hands and move back slightly so she could look into his
eyes.  "I am not blaming you for being who you are,
Aerin.  I am blessed that I have found such a true and
good friend, I will never be disappointed in you, nor expect you to
be anything more than yourself."

Aerin blushed from her praise.

Mara continued, "However, we will have to
play with the cards we have been dealt.  You and I have
much trouble ahead."

"What about Dono,
Lor,
and Katek?" Aerin asked.

Mara smiled, "Oh, there is plenty of trouble
to spread around; they will have theirs as well.  But
let's talk about Gandarel, and what we can do to blunt the
damage.  Gandarel MUST not fall into the hands of the
enemy.  I will do what I can, but you can get close to
him, both physically and in his heart.  Keep him safe,
and keep him from doing something stupid.  He will see
his duty above all else…"

Aerin smiled at this, he knew Mara spoke the
truth about his friend.

"…and you have to keep that nobility from
hurting him, and everyone who is still free of the Dreadmaster’s
control."

Aerin's smile turned to a frown of
thought.  "But, Mara, how will I know what is the right
thing to do?"

Mara smiled, "You have a great heart, Aerin,
trust it, and listen to it.  When all else fails and you
have choices before you that all seem wrong, listen to your heart
and then act on it.  In the end, that is the best we can
do in life."

Aerin nodded.

"And remember, I am not asking you to betray
your friend.  I really do care for Gandarel, and I only
wanted to do what was best for him and his
subjects.  
Unfortunately,
he now thinks differently.  Tell him
only the truth about me, but try to convince him that I am still
his friend, and I will be there when he finds he needs me."

Again, Aerin nodded.

"Now, practice is canceled for the duration
of the siege, you need to be able to move freely.  Keep
Gandarel safe and out of the hands of the enemy.  And
during all of this, make sure you take care of
yourself.  This is a dangerous time, Aerin, and it will
not get less dangerous any time in the foreseeable future."

Here she glanced around at the old documents
in the room.  "The darkness comes and we must walk
through it now, there is no going around anymore."

"Will we all live through this
Mara?"  Aerin asked in a quiet voice.

He expected her to laugh off his question, or
answer in some cryptic fashion; her answer was all the more
terrifying because she did not dissemble.

"No, Aerin, we will not."

"But, who..."

"Hush, some things are better not
known.  Remember this, regardless of all the prophecies
in the world claiming to foretell what is to come; the future is
never set on one path.  There are only likely things and
unlikely things, and sometimes the most unlikely event happens and
everything changes.  Two days ago I would have told you
that we would all survive this, perhaps I will be wrong again."

Aerin knew Mara well enough to know she did
not believe she would be wrong.

He wished he could read the Dark
Prophecies.

Mara spoke, breaking into his contemplation,
"Well I need to get back to studying, and you need to start
watching over Gandarel."

Aerin went to the door, but before he left he
turned to his teacher, "Mara, I still think we can win."

Mara gave him a wan smile, but her eyes were
haunted.

The first test of the city’s defenses came
that night.  The Togroths made an assault on the west
wall using ladders.  They brought them forward under the
cover of night, and within
minutes,
there were hundreds of them up against the
wall.

Just as the attack started, Tocor woke Aerin
by shaking his shoulder.  Aerin glanced at the
black-gloved ‘hand’ of the Quarian, remembering the revealed
tentacles of the day before.