Knights: Book 02 - The Hand of Tharnin (14 page)

Jerret hesitated, certain that a wrong answer would mean his death. So he simply didn't answer.

With a scowl of rage, Vorden reached out with the gauntlet and seized Jerret's throat, the metal fingers locking down tightly and partially cutting off his air. "I will crush your throat! Now give me an answer!"

Jerret squirmed under the iron grasp, struggling to breathe. The grip loosened a bit so he could talk. His fear gave way to sudden anger. "The answer is
no
. I'll never betray Dremlock or join the Blood Legion. Yes, I'll come north. You bet I will! I'll be riding with the Divine Knights into battle!"

Jerret couldn't believe what he'd just said. He was astounded at his own courage. He believed he was about to die for his words.

Vorden's eyes widened, and then he nodded. He shoved Jerret to the ground. "Bold words. Honest words. I like that. Give the Knights my message, and then get out of Dremlock. I don't want to have to kill you."

Still overcome by anger, Jerret said, "I came here to be a Knight. And I'm going to be a Knight, if I can help it. So save your words, Vorden!"

Vorden raised his gauntlet, and the air grew so hot Jerret had to shield his face. "I guess I will kill you after all!" Vorden bellowed. Flames rose up around him as the gauntlet descended toward Jerret.

Jerret cried out in dismay, but the Hand of Tharnin paused in its descent. Vorden threw back his head and laughed. "Just kidding, my friend. But I'm deadly serious when I tell you to flee Dremlock. Tell Lannon to do the same. The end of the Divine Knights is coming soon. I hope not to see you again, unless you've chosen to fight by my side. And I wish you luck, as weak and lazy as you are!"

"I wish you luck as well," Jerret said. "I hope you can free yourself and come back here. I hope you can still be a Divine Knight."

"I have already freed myself," said Vorden, smiling. "Actually, the Hand of Tharnin has freed me. At last, my heavy burdens are lifted. Maybe you'll come to understand what I mean. Eventually." With that, Vorden turned and strode off amongst the trees.

"Don't count on it," Jerret muttered. He rose to his feet, and drew his sword. The gleaming blade caught the starlight from above the river. Jerret was shaking with rage, and he continued muttering aloud to himself. "I'm not the coward I thought I was, Vorden. The Knights were right when they recruited me as a Squire. You should have killed me. In fact, Tharnin will come to regret that my life was spared, and so will you!"

When Jerret delivered Vorden's message to the Knights, another meeting was immediately called in Dremlock Hall, with the same members present as before (with the addition of Furlus Goblincrusher and the absence of Taris Warhawk, who was still too sick to get out of bed). Furlus entered the chamber slowly, leaning heavily on a cane, but he seemed in good spirits. Willan Shadowwalker displayed a black eye from Jerret's blow, his face bearing a sullen expression in the torchlight. Cordus Landsaver seemed upbeat and determined, but his eyes were bloodshot and he smelled strongly of wine. A jug sat on the floor beside the Lord Knight.

Lannon was pleased to see Furlus up and walking again, cane or not. However, he was concerned with Cordus, remembering Garrin's insistence that Cordus was drinking too much. It was clear there had been some truth to Garrin's words. Lannon had simply never noticed it until Garrin had pointed it out.

"We have confirmed," Cordus began, "that Vorden has escaped into the mines through a forgotten shaft in the mountain. The shaft was sealed with bars of Glaetherin, but our foes tunneled around them at some point. It is my opinion that we should send a search party down there to find him."

Furlus scowled. The Grey Dwarf looked like he'd aged a year or two since his ordeal, but his body still retained its huge, muscular bulk. "Vorden will be long departed by then. Everyone knows the mines lead out of Dremlock in spite of our efforts to seal all the exits."

"Yes," said Cordus, "but Vorden may simply choose to hide down there and then ambush us later. His message to Jerret about journeying north to the Bonefrost Mountains could have been a lie."

"I agree," said Krissana Windsword. "The battle for Dremlock always takes place in the mines. We seal them off, yet more tunnels are dug. It's an endless war. There is no reason to assume Vorden won't plan an attack from below."

"Jace, what is your opinion?" asked Cordus.

Trenton Shadowbane scowled. "What about
my
opinion? I am the Investigator of Dremlock, not Jace. Jace isn't even a Knight. I'm not sure why you value his opinion so highly, Lord Knight. Perhaps...you've consumed a bit too much wine."

Cordus glared at Trenton. "I can handle a bit of wine, Investigator. That is none of your concern." He softened his expression. "Yes, I value Jace's opinion. He is an expert on the ways of Tharnin. And so are you, Trenton. Your skills are invaluable to Dremlock. Thus, I seek the opinions that
both
of you hold."

"My opinion," said Trenton, "is that we should launch an immediate search of the mines. Make no mistake, Vorden will be lurking down there."

"I disagree," said Jace. "I think Vorden meant what he said--that he wants us to ride north. I think he intends to stain the snows in Knightly blood. The Blood Legion would love to battle Dremlock in their territory, where they would have the advantage of knowing the terrain. And with Vorden on their side, they would feel confident they could score a great victory. It makes perfect sense to me."

"May I speak?" said Willan.

Cordus nodded. "Speak freely, Blue Knight."

"I want to apologize for my failure," said Willan. "I allowed Jerret to catch me by surprise. I am very disappointed in myself."

"It was all my fault, actually," Jerret said, sighing.

"No," said Willan. "You were under Vorden's control, Jerret. I take full responsibility. I am deeply ashamed."

"And you should be ashamed," said Shennen Silverarrow. "That should never have happened--a mere Squire rendering a fully trained Blue Knight unconscious. What an embarrassment! You lowered your guard like a fool. However, I'm not going to strip you of rank, Willan, considering what you've been through recently. I expect you to do far better from this point on."

Willan nodded, his face gloomy. "I will not disappoint you again, Master Shennen."

Cordus smiled. "You are wise and lenient, Shennen. Now that you are Lord of the Blue Knights, I am certain you will end up on the High Council with us. I know you have my vote, at least."

Shennen bowed. "Thank you, Master Cordus, for the kind words."

"I would second that vote," said Furlus, winking.

"I need a sip of water," Cordus mumbled, and he drank deeply from the jug. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve. The smell of wine was strong in the air. Krissana and Trenton exchanged an embarrassed glance. Furlus lowered his gaze.

Jace smiled. "So I assume a search party is headed into the mines. Very well. That's Knightly business, of course. But I would like to discuss my status. My investigation was successful and the gauntlet was removed from the farmer Vellera. I have done what I was paid to do. Unless there is any further need of my skills, I will move on and seek employment elsewhere."

Cordus frowned. "Yet the gauntlet remains with our foes, on the hand of a valuable Squire no less."

"True," said Jace, "but you understand how to remove it now. Your blacksmith, Hench Ironfingers, knows everything I know."

"You are part of Lannon's Divine Shield," said Cordus. "You swore an oath to protect him when you accepted that duty. Are you planning to break that oath?"

"Of course not," said Jace. "That is why I would first ask to be set free of the oath and for someone else to replace me. Unless..."

"Unless we pay you," said Cordus. "You want to be compensated for protecting Lannon or be released from the obligation."

Jace shrugged. "I have to earn a living, Lord Knight. I will be willing to guard Lannon and use all the skills I possess to protect him, but I must be paid for it at the current rate. My services are seldom free. Are the Knights of Dremlock not being compensated for their services too?"

Cordus nodded. "Does anyone object to Jace being paid to remain a member of the Divine Shield?"

"I object," said Trenton. "And I have a note from Barlow Whitesword stating his objection as well. As everyone knows, Barlow is still in seclusion at the Hall of Healing for reasons we will not discuss in front of those who are not members of the High Council. But, yes, he sent along a note."

"Wonderful," Cordus muttered. "Of all the things he could have chosen to send a note about, he chooses this topic. His note will be added to the Records. However, he must vote in person or his vote doesn't count."

"Barlow is aware of the rule," said Trenton. "He just wanted to voice his objection. He is a very wise man."

"Do we need a vote?" said Cordus. "Or are we all in agreement? Trenton?"

"So we can't protect Lannon ourselves?" said Trenton. "We need an outsider to come in and do it for us? What does that say about Dremlock, when we have to rely on a failed Knight to guard one of our Squires?"

"I vote that we pay Jace," said Cordus, taking another drink from his jug. "Jace is a good man, a wise man, and Lannon is safer with him around."

"That is my vote as well," said Furlus. "Though Jace carries no weapon, he is a stout warrior. There is no harm in having another guard."

"Jace has proven himself worthy," said Krissana. "We have no issues with hiring Rangers to fight for us when needed. So why not hire a man of Jace's skill and knowledge?"

"I can see that I have lost this debate," said Trenton. "With some of the High Council absent, I don't feel the vote is fair. But very well. Let the record show that I oppose the decision to hire Jace for guard duty on the grounds that it makes us look foolish in that legendary Dremlock Kingdom is unable to protect a Squire with its own Divine Knights!"

"I'm not trying to steal your job, Trenton," said Jace, smiling. "I'm just here to earn money and enjoy the fine food. And maybe seek a bit of adventure. You will still be the Investigator after I have departed."

Trenton glared at him. "You think I'm jealous of you? Ha!"

"Meldan," said Cordus, addressing an Orange Squire who was recording the meeting, "make sure Trenton's protest is carefully noted."

"Thank you," muttered Trenton.

"Moving back to the more important topic," said Cordus, "I think the search party should consist of Lannon, his Divine Shield, and three Dark Knights who are familiar with the mines. Does the High Council find this acceptable?"

"I object to the idea," said Trenton. "Why send Lannon down there? He is too valuable to be put in danger needlessly. We can search the mines without him. The Eye of Divinity is not the only power we possess."

"Yet the Eye is a great asset," said Cordus, "when searching for someone. Also, Lannon's sorcery offers some protection against that gauntlet. I don't want to put Lannon's life at risk, but I don't want some of my best Knights to be slain, either. We recruited Lannon for missions like this one, and we're going to use him if I have my say. He has learned quickly, and he is well trained."

Trenton nodded. "I suppose I can agree with that. We must be careful, though. We are not likely to find another Squire who has use of the Eye, which means Lannon is irreplaceable. I believe the High Council has been reckless with this boy--sending him off to face the demon man in a duel and then sending him alone into the North Tower when it was crawling with Goblins. Foolish!"

"I agree," said Cordus, "that sending Lannon into the North Tower alone to face Garrin the Traitor was a bad decision. It was Taris' choice and I'm sure he had his reasons. But this journey into the mines is nothing extraordinary and a perfectly valid reason to make use of Lannon's power."

"And I am making another request to join this Divine Shield," said Trenton, "or at least be allowed to accompany the search party. I am the Investigator, and this is an investigation of the mines. I am weary of being restricted!"

Cordus frowned. "Yet you handle the investigations above ground, here in the kingdom. If you go below, who will take over for you?"

"Kline Skyhammer," said Trenton. "He is the Enforcer of Dremlock and supposed to conduct investigations in my absence."

"Of course," said Cordus, stroking his unkempt beard thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sure Kline is up to the task. Shall we vote on this?"

"I must object yet again!" snarled Trenton. "I know I will lose the vote, as I did previously when I asked to join the Divine Shield. So I'm opting
not
to ask for that. Instead, I believe it is my sworn duty to investigate the mines. I know the High Council doesn't trust me. Ever since I unlocked my...special ability I have been treated differently, treated like some slave of Tharnin. It's not fair!"

"It's not that we don't trust you, Trenton," said Furlus.

"Is that so?" said Trenton. "Well, then what is it?"

Furlus scratched his head and hesitated. Finally, he said, "The situation with Lannon is delicate. Those who surround him have been examined very carefully. Their ways are known and trusted."

"You trust an outsider like Jace over me?" said Trenton, his eyes wide. "Jace, who was expelled from the order for dabbling into forbidden sorcery, which he uses quite freely now with those oversized hands? Jace could be an assassin sent to kill Lannon, for all we know."

"That's ridiculous," muttered Jace.

"Yet entirely possible," said Trenton. "And here I am--a member of the High Council and an Investigator who has weeded out many traitors at Dremlock, and Jace is more trusted than I am? That is folly!"

"I would trust Jace with my life," said Cordus, "though I'm not going to go into detail as to why that is so. Just accept what I say."

"Yet you wouldn't trust
me
with your life?" said Trenton. "This is very shoddy treatment of a respected and loyal Green Knight. Therefore, I am insisting I accompany the party into the mines as part of my sworn duty. You can vote the decision down, but I will call for a Reading of the Sacred Laws."

Cordus sighed. "A Reading will not be necessary and is not what Dremlock needs right now in our time of great troubles. We need unity. Therefore, do what you must, Trenton. You're a good man and a good Investigator."

Lannon didn't like the notion of going down into the gloomy, Goblin-infested mines below Dremlock. In fact, that was always the last place he wanted to go. But he could see the Knights were going to go through with it. And Lannon was certain that Trenton secretly hated him. He could see it in the Investigator's malicious gaze. Trenton seemed like a cold-hearted man who nobody liked, at best, and at worst he was possibly aligned with the Deep Shadow and the Blood Legion.

***

The search party set out that very night, entering a mineshaft in the mountain. The torchlight revealed rusted mining gear and wooden splinters from barrels and crates along a tunnel that sloped downward into the earth. Lannon found himself missing Vorden and Timlin, whom he'd lived with and trained with the entire time he'd been at Dremlock. He felt alone in spite of the crowd that surrounded him--alone and gloomy. The mines were infested with the evil aura of the Deep Shadow and the stench of Goblins, stirring dark feelings. Lannon probed the shadows with the Eye of Divinity, trying to ignore the bizarre knowledge that was revealed to him from ages past--as some hidden truths were better left buried.

Shennen stayed by Lannon's side, while Thrake and Willan scouted ahead for danger. Jace also flanked Lannon. Trenton, who was accompanied by two white wolves, was next, followed by Jerret and Aldreya. The three Dark Knights guarded the rear. It was a small yet formidable group, typical of the way Dremlock operated. Each member had their own unique skills and could contribute something. Yet Lannon also found himself missing Taris' wise, confident presence. In no way was Trenton Shadowbane a comforting replacement. Lannon had never actually seen Trenton fight, but the Investigator was slightly below average in size for a Knight, and his weapon of choice was a slender sword.

"This tunnel looks barely used," said Shennen. "Aside from Vorden's obvious tracks in the dust, it looks like no one has passed this way in a long time. The detour around the bars must have been dug years ago."

 
Using the Eye, Lannon was able to confirm Shennen's observation. "This tunnel has been neglected for decades, Master Shennen."