The Children of the White Lions: Volume 02 - Prophecy (36 page)

“Good memories behind, Tobias,” corrected Kenders. She paused a moment before adding, “I apologize for my reaction. It’s just that, well, I’m a bit surprised.”

Nundle spoke up, saying, “There’s been a lot of that lately.”

Kenders asked, “Where did you find—”

Broedi held up a hand, interrupting her. “We will explain everything, I promise, but I would like to do it only once.” Looking around the assembled group, he asked, “Where is Nikalys?”

“Reading, if you can believe it,” answered Jak. “I can fetch him if you’d like.”

Nodding once, Broedi said, “Good. Bring him to Lady Vivienne’s offices immediately.”

Jak handed his staff to Zecus, turned, and began jogging to the tower that the three siblings shared.

Broedi announced, “Kenders, Commander, Sergeant, come with me, please.”

As he turned to head to a set of doors in the wall, he seemed to spot Joshmuel for the first time. Stopping short, the hillman shifted his gaze to Zecus and then back to the elder Alsher. After a moment, he gave Joshmuel a slight bow and rumbled in his deep baritone.

“My pleasure is to meet you in peace today, sire of Zecus. Welcome to Storm Island.”

Joshmuel managed a quick, surprised bow, and replied, “And may peace bless our parting, great lion.”

Broedi frowned at the use of the honorific. He had spent weeks trying to break Zecus of the habit. Staring between father and son, he said, “Both of you should come as well. Something has happened to the Borderlands.” The foreboding tone of his voice chased away every bit of warmth Kenders felt at seeing Broedi and Nundle again.

Handing the reins of Nundle’s horse to a stableman who had run up, the hillman turned and began to stride toward the set of doors. Nundle gave her a sad smile and followed after whispering a quick hello to Joshmuel. Tobias stared at Kenders for another moment, shook his head, and lurched after the group.

Kenders looked at Joshmuel first, then to Zecus. Both wore expressions of deep worry. Her personal concerns from a short time ago seemed suddenly frivolous.

Jak hurried up the chilly stairwell, taking the stone steps two at a time. Upon reaching the top floor, he strode down the cold and drafty hall to the oak door at the passageway’s end. Without pausing, he put his hand on Nikalys’ door and shoved, sending it flying open, silent on its well-oiled hinges. In the brief moment before the door crashed into the interior wall, Jak spied Nikalys sitting in his chair, slouched over the table. He was either intently reading or asleep. Jak would have bet gold ducats on the latter.

A small, anticipatory smile touched Jak’s lips. He would enjoy this.

The oaken door struck the wall inside, sending a resounding crack through the quiet room, loud enough that it even startled Jak.

Nikalys jolted upright in his chair, turned his head quickly, and—a moment later—was standing before Jak, the white Blade of Horum drawn and leveled at Jak’s chest.

With his eyes wide and staring at the tip of the sword, Jak muttered nervously, “Ah, Nik?” The shimmering metal shone bright, brighter than it should in the diffused light of the room.

Nikalys lowered his sword and slumped over.

“Gods, Jak! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Eyebrows raised, Jak said, “Sneak? I could not have made more noise if I were driving a four-horse wagon on the stairs to get here. You should have easily heard me.” With a tilt of his head and a friendly smirk, he added, “You weren’t asleep at your studies, were you, great Progeny?”

Nikalys peered at Jak and gave him a sheepish smile.

“Would you believe that I was reading?”

Jak grinned wide.

“Would you believe that I have just been named the new king of the duchies?”

Chuckling, Nikalys sheathed the Blade of Horum, eyed Jak, and asked, “What’s going on? Had I been asleep—and I’m not saying I was—I was certainly not sleeping long enough for afternoon drills to be over.” His eyes narrowed a fraction. “Did something happen?”

Jak gave a cavalier shrug of his shoulders.

“You could say that.”

“Oh, just tell me,” muttered Nikalys. He nodded back toward his desk. “I have reading I should be doing.”

“Don’t you mean a nap you could be taking?”

Leveling a steady stare towards Jak, Nikalys asked firmly, “Why are you here, Jak?”

Sensing Nikalys was not in the mood for jesting, without further preamble, Jak announced, “Broedi and Nundle are back.”

Nikalys’ directness fled immediately, his eyebrows shooting up in clear surprise.

“Already? But they weren’t supposed to reach the Seat of Nelnora for…I don’t know…at least a few turns still. Did Broedi change his mind?”

With a cryptic smile, Jak said, “No, he did not.”

“Then why are they here?”

“They, ah…they came across something unexpected.”

Clearly puzzled, Nikalys peered at Jak for a heartbeat or two before asking, “What aren’t you telling me?” His tone was oddly demanding and one he would not have used with Jak as recently as last Spring.

Relishing the moment, Jak said, “They found another of the White Lions. He’s here with them now, in Lady Vivienne’s office.”

He was hoping to shock his brother with the revelation, but Nikalys’ response was wholly unexpected, simply because there was no reaction at all. His face remained a blank, unreadable mask.

Worried, Jak said, “Nik? Did you hear me? They—”

“He?” interjected Nikalys, a tiny flicker of hope lighting up his eyes.

Confused, Jak stared at his brother a moment before he suddenly realized what Nikalys must be thinking. With his eyes opening wide, he said, “Oh! Gods, no! It’s not your…it’s not Aryn!” He had almost said father, but could not bring himself to give the designation to the White Lion. As long as Thaddeus remained Nikalys and Kenders’ father, he was their brother.

Nikalys’ shoulders slumped, the corners of his lips tumbling downward.

“Oh.”

“Gods, I’m sorry, Nik. I shouldn’t have—”

Jak felt bad. He had wanted to shock his brother, not disappoint him.

Waving his hands in a dismissive gesture, Nikalys said, “Birds have wings.” The phrase was one their mother had often used. If a bird slipped from a tree branch, it did not matter much. Birds have wings.

Nikalys eyed the floor, took a quick breath, let it out, and stood tall. “Truthfully, I’m…I’m relieved that it’s not him.” He peered down at the stone floor and mumbled, “Odd, isn’t it?”

Unsure what he should say, Jak chose to remain quiet.

After a moment, Nikalys looked up and sighed.

“Well, who is it, then?”

With a hint of relief the awkward moment had passed, Jak said, “Tobias.”

“Tobias?” muttered Nikalys. Shaking his head, he placed his hands on his hips. “The name sounds familiar, I think, but...”

Shrugging his shoulders, Jak said, “I thought the same. But Broedi introduced him as Tobias Donngord, the Eye of Nelnora.” He paused a moment before adding with a slight smile, “He’s a tomble.”

His brother began to chuckle aloud, staring expectantly at Jak, clearly waiting for him to join in the mirth. When Jak did not, Nikalys’ smile quickly faded.

“You’re not jesting, are you?”

Jak shook his head, saying, “I am not.” Holding his hand to his waist, he said, “He’s this tall with brown hair, a bent right leg, and carries a cane to help him walk.” His smile fluttered a bit wider. “A very tiny cane.”

“Truly?”

Nikalys was still skeptical.

Leaning against the open doorframe, Jak crossed his arms and said, “Come see for yourself. Broedi sent me to bring you to Lady Vivienne’s offices.”

Moving toward the doorway, Nikalys said, “No need to keep everyone waiting.” Motioning with a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the open volume on his desk, he added, “I’m finished with that book.”

Jak raised an eyebrow.

“Truly?”

Nikalys winked as he passed, a slight smile on his face.

“Yes, Jak. I am finished with it.”

Frowning, Jak turned to follow his younger brother into the hallway.

“Did you
read
it, Nik?”

Nikalys glanced over his shoulder, grinned wide, and continued striding down the hall without answering the question.

Shaking his head, Jak pulled the door shut, and hurried after him.

As the brothers approached Lady Vivienne’s offices, the baroness’ aide, sitting at the table beside the double doors, looked up from his papers, made eye contact with them, and motioned for the guards to step aside. Jak nodded at the soldiers as he passed. He had sparred against both a number of times during drills.

Upon entering the spacious room, a wall of welcome, warm air met the brothers. A large fire was roaring in the hearth to Jak’s right, easily holding back the day’s chill. Jak wished he had a hearth in his room. He was so cold at night that he might as well sleep on the battlements.

Sergeant Trell stood to one side of the fireplace next to Commander Aiden. Both men eyed Jak and Nikalys and gave short nods of greeting which the brothers returned.

Straight across from the double doors, at the rear of the room, Lady Vivienne sat in the red cushioned chair situated behind her large oaken, ebonwood-inlayed desk. Broedi stood to her right—Jak’s left—with his arms crossed over his wide chest and a deep furrow in his brow. He did not even look up as the Isaac brothers entered the room.

Khin was standing in the back corner, his back pressed against the wall, as far from the fire he could be. Strangely enough, Zecus and his father were here, too, standing in the corner to his immediate left, away from everyone else. Both men wore anxious expressions.

Four chairs were before Lady Vivienne’s desk, three of which were occupied. The new White Lion, Tobias, sat in the far left with Nundle next to him. Kenders was in the next chair over, leaving the far right chair open.

Both tombles turned around at the brothers’ entrance. Nundle gave Nikalys a small smile paired with a quick wave. Nikalys returned the silent hello with a nod before shifting his full attention to the tomble White Lion. Tobias stared, a lopsided smile resting on his lips as he shook his head in quiet wonderment.

The moment they were through the entryway, the guards outside closed the double doors. As they thudded shut, Jak scanned the room again. Everyone was eerily quiet.

Leaning over to Nikalys, Jak whispered, “Good luck.”

Nikalys grunted and headed for the open chair, apparently coming to the same conclusion as Jak: the chair was meant for him alone.

The Progeny.

Jak considered moving to stand with the soldiers, but instead he strode to where Zecus and his father waited. Based on the Alshers’ worried expressions, it looked as if they might need some support. Upon reaching the corner, he gave a short nod to the Borderlanders and turned to face the room.

As Nikalys sat in his chair, Nundle leaned forward and whispered a quick introduction to Tobias. Nikalys murmured a polite “Good days ahead” while Tobias completed the greeting, all the while staring intently at Nikalys. The expression on the tomble’s face was remarkably identical to the one Broedi had worn those first few nights after finding the Isaacs in the forest. It was as if he were staring at one of the kings of old and not believing a moment of it.

The introductions were barely complete when Lady Vivienne spoke, asking, “May we begin now?” Her tone was clipped and unemotional. “You said there was a need for quick action, Broedi. Yet we sit around, staring at one another. Answers, please.”

Everyone turned to stare at the hillman and waited expectantly.

Broedi, however, did not respond. He continued staring at the floor, lost in thought.

Raising her voice, Lady Vivienne prompted, “Broedi?”

The hillman twisted his head to peer at the baroness, rumbling, “Yes?”

“May we begin?”

Broedi looked up and scanned the room. Upon seeing Nikalys and Jak, he nodded and said softly, “Of course.”

Jak frowned. Broedi was troubled. He could sense it. For that reason alone, Jak was upset. Broedi never showed trepidation or unease.

After taking a deep breath, the hillman rumbled, “As you can see, we have returned early.” His gaze rested on Tobias. “We found more than was expected on our journey.”

Tobias cocked an eyebrow, but remained quiet as Broedi launched into a recounting of his and Nundle’s journey west, quickly reaching the point where the pair had stumbled upon Tobias strolling about Tinfiddle’s fields. He briefly recapped the altercation in Tobias’ house and, upon reaching the discussion the trio had shared after leaving Tinfiddle, nodded in the tomble’s direction.

“Tobias, tell them of your vision, please.”

Everyone in the room turned to listen as Tobias quickly described what he saw as he walked through Claw, the courtyard, and into the commons during eveningmeal. Once returning and listening to Broedi and Nundle’s tale, the tomble had opened a port directly to the Seat of Nelnora, delivering all three to the base of the stairs of the Prime Temple of Nelnora.

“It was amazing!”

Jak started at Nundle’s excited interruption.

Spinning around in the chair to look at everyone, Nundle said, “The city was unlike anything I had ever seen! White marble and glass towers everywhere! But no people—it was empty. The divina told us they had been ordered away—” His eyes opened wider. “Oh, I forgot! Tenerva! He took us inside the temple to speak with the Goddess, but then made us wait for nearly two days. Can you believe that? Two days in a city of the Celestial Empire?! The food was excellent, though! And they took excellent care of Traveler while we—”

He cut off the moment he caught the disapproving eye of Lady Vivienne, who had been glaring at the tomble throughout his meandering rant. Facing forward in his chair, he dropped his head while offering a mumbled, “Pardon me.”

Jak leaned over and whispered to Zecus, “Traveler?”

Zecus shrugged.

“His horse?”

“But he said he’d never—”

“Men,” interjected Joshmuel’s quiet, somber voice. “Pay attention, please.”