The Griffin's War (Fallen Moon Trilogy) (43 page)

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Authors: K. J. Taylor

BOOK: The Griffin's War (Fallen Moon Trilogy)
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“Quite. Now, you’ll have to excuse me. I’ve got a lot to do today.”
“Ye don’t have t’worry too much, sir,” Saeddryn said unexpectedly. “We’ve got time. Malvern won’t know about this for a week at least, by my guess.”
Arenadd looked back at her. “They’ll come sooner than that, Saeddryn. We’ve got a day or so at most.”
“What, sir?” said Saeddryn. “How d’ye know, sir?”
Pain had made him impatient. “Don’t question me,” he snapped. “I told you they’ll be here in two or three days at most, and I expect you to prepare for that.”
Saeddryn nodded curtly. “Yes, sir. I’ll see to it the others know.”
Arenadd left her, walking slowly and wincing with every step. He hoped that he would be recovered enough when the time came. If they were going to survive the assault, he had to be fighting fit.
And they would come soon. He knew it in the pit of his stomach. They would come in force, and they would come with rage. All too soon, Fruitsheart would be consumed by them. Griffins and griffiners, armoured for battle and thirsting for revenge. Skade had to be away by then, away from danger. She had to survive. He had wanted to tell her so many times, but he knew he couldn’t.
When I rule this land, it will be with you beside me, Skade. You and Skandar and I—three rulers, three powers. All of us
.
That made him smile.
It
will
happen,
he told himself.
I have the power. I can do anything I want
.
The thought of the battle looming on the horizon did nothing to diminish his anticipation. Battle didn’t frighten him, not any more.
They will come here and find death waiting,
he promised.
Now Skandar has his magic, let the world beware
.
 
 
E
lkin was sick.
Kraal took her straight to her chambers when he brought her back, and summoned the Master of Healing with a furious screech to her griffin, who brought her up immediately.
Lady Karmain examined her patient quickly, aware of Kraal’s rage-filled gold eyes fixed on her.
“Burning-Lung sickness,” she said eventually. “Very bad. Fever, restricted breathing . . . very hot to the touch.”
“Well?” Kraal interrupted.
“I don’t know if she’ll recover,” said the healer, “But she needs to stay in bed for a long time. I have potions that can help with the fever, and a compress for her chest, and certain herbs we can burn in here to help her breathe.”
“
Will
she recover?” said Kraal.
“I don’t know, Mighty Kraal. I’ll do everything in my power. It’s touch and go.”
“Do so,” Kraal commanded. “I will leave you to your work. Do not fail me.”
“I won’t,” said the healer.
“Good. Now I have my own work to do. May the Day Eye smile on you.”
He didn’t want to leave Elkin now, but he knew he had to; there were still important things for him to do, and far too little time to do them in.
Down in the councillors’ chamber, most of the officials and the remnants of the council were waiting to receive him. He landed on his and Elkin’s platform as usual, while they called out to him, demanding news.
Kraal rose up. “Silence!”
Silence came, but much more slowly than usual. Plently of griffins continued to screech, most asking questions. Others were complaining or even daring to mock him.
Kraal sat on his haunches with his tail wrapped around his talons, haughtily ignoring them.
“I have brought my human back to the Eyrie safe and unharmed,” he said. “She is ill and exhausted from her ordeal and needs time to recover, but she is alive.”
“Prove that is true!” a griffin called from the gallery.
Kraal stood up sharply and screeched. The noise filled the chamber, deafeningly, and the hecklers abruptly fell silent.
“My word is all you will need,” Kraal growled, “We have important matters to discuss. Most important of all is the whereabouts of the Mistress’ kidnappers and what they intend to do next.”
“What do you believe they have planned?” one of the council griffins asked politely.
“They cannot fight us openly yet,” said Kraal. “Not at Malvern. They are too few.”
“You have seen their leader,” the same griffin said. “And his human, of course. Did you learn anything from them, Mighty Kraal?”
Kraal stirred. “Yes, I have seen them. But I am not the only one.”
The councillors stirred.
“Who else has seen them?” one of the humans asked. “Do you have information, Mighty Kraal?”
The giant griffin’s eyes gleamed. He had been wanting to reveal this for a while now, but the time had never seemed right. “I do,” he said. “I have a witness.”
“What witness?” said the human. “Is he here?”
“A few days ago, a griffin returned to Malvern after some time away,” said Kraal. “I already knew her a little; she and her human are newcomers here, and lowly in this Eyrie. Her name is Kraeya, and her human is Branton Redguard, who now serves with the Eyrie guard.”
“Where had she been?” asked Shrae, whose dead partner had been Master of Law.
“In Warwick,” said Kraal. “She told me she and her human had decided to travel the land for a little while, to visit each of the cities, since they have only come here recently. They had permission from my own human. Some time during their travels they flew to Warwick, and there . . . they were attacked.”
The councillors, and all those in the gallery, muttered among themselves and began to pay close attention. None of them had known about this.
“By whom were they attacked?” said Shrae. “By the dark griffin?”
“Yes. They were lured into a roost, trapped and attacked by him and by his human. Kraeya escaped with her life, but her human was taken prisoner by rebels. They had overrun the city and murdered every Southerner and griffin within it. Kraeya hid herself in the wilds outside the city, while her human was held captive and interrogated. Fortunately, he escaped before they could torture him as they intended to do, and was reunited with his partner. They came back here at once, to tell us what had happened.”
“Warwick,” muttered grey-feathered Skark, whose dead human had been Master of Learning.
“Warwick must be the place where we will find them,” said Kraal. “I have already sent many griffins there, to attack the Governor’s Tower and destroy every darkman who dares fight back.”
Shrae bristled. “Mightly Kraal, why did you not consult us before you gave this order?”
“You have no humans,” Kraal snapped back. “I only keep you on this council because I have not had time to find
partnered
griffins to advise me. And I have sent many griffins,” he added, with less certainty. “Warwick will be made an example of, whether
Kraeai kran ae
is there or not. The moon worshippers must be reminded that we rule this land, not that heartless demon of the shadows.”
The humans still left in the council looked deeply unhappy at this, but none of them dared to argue.
“Did you send partnered griffins or unpartnered?” one asked eventually.
“I sent nearly a hundred unpartnered griffins,” said Kraal. “It was time such griffins ceased being a drain on this land and began to give back. I sent four griffiners to lead and organise them.”
“When did they depart?” asked Skark.
“At dawn on the day after Kraeya returned,” said Kraal. “And perhaps if you had not been so distracted, you would have seen them.”
“I saw them,” Shrae said coldly. “But I assumed they had merely decided to abandon this city after they saw you humiliated and defeated, Mighty Kraal.”
Several of the humans breathed in sharply, and the griffins raised their wings.
Kraal stared at Shrae for a moment, unblinking, and then stepped down from his platform and struck her across the face. She was a large griffin, but the blow hurled her sideways into a bench with her wing crumpled beneath her.
Kraal stood over her, hissing softly. “I rule here,” he said. “I am master of this territory. And I will not be brought low by humans, least of all dark humans,
least
of all the moon-sent monster who dares to defy the power of the Day Eye and bring his shadows here. And I am master of you, and I will not tolerate insolence or disobedience.”
Shrae lay still for a moment, breathing heavily, before she pulled herself up. And then, without any warning, she attacked.
It was the last thing Kraal had been expecting. No griffin had dared to attack him in decades. He staggered backward, bright blood spreading over his magnificent white neck feathers. Shrae, taking advantage of his shock, sprang at him with her beak wide open.
The remnants of the council, human and griffin, ran to get out of the way.
Kraal took several more blows to the face and chest before he recovered himself. He reared up onto his hind legs and struck back. His paws and talons slammed into Shrae’s head, first from the right and then from the left, each blow landing with an audible crunch. She fell, bleeding profusely, but Kraal was not done. He leapt at her, his beak striking her in the neck with the force of a falling tree. There was a dull thud, and suddenly she was thrashing wildly with her limbs jerking this way and that. One wing unfolded and beat uselessly at the air. Her beak opened wide but her eyes were unfocused, and after a moment the wild motion stopped and she went limp.
Kraal didn’t linger over her body. He climbed back onto his platform, trembling with pent-up fury. “I will not tolerate insolence,” he said again. “And let none forget it. Soon my human will be recovered, and we will form a new council. When we are together again, none will stop us. And let rebels and traitors beware.”
26
 
Traitors
 
H
yrenna arrived at Fruitsheart a day after Arenadd and Skandar, carrying two of her chicks in her talons and the third perched on her back. She flew straight to Skandar’s roost, completely ignoring the few badly aimed arrows that came her way, and when she landed, Skandar and Arenadd were both there to meet her.
The grey-and-orange griffin put her chicks down and lay in the straw to let them snuggle with her for comfort. “I have come,” she said brusquely in answer to Arenadd’s polite welcome.
Arenadd gripped the head of his walking stick. “Thank you for coming, Hyrenna,” he said.
“It is no more than what we agreed,” she said, and turned her attention to Skandar, who nibbled affectionately at her head feathers before lying down beside her.
“I’m sorry my sentries attacked you,” said Arenadd. “They haven’t been very well trained yet. But I’m sure you could have dealt with it. Now, I’ll send for Skade. It’s best if you two meet and get to know each other before you leave.”
Hyrenna clicked her beak. “I agree. But before then, I would speak with you.”
Arenadd bowed. “Of course.”
“Good. Now listen. Here are my chicks, and this is how you must care for them. They must be fed well, but not overfed. Half their body size in meat for each chick every day will suffice, and they must have bones to peck at to strengthen their beaks . . .”
Arenadd listened dutifully as Hyrenna droned on, detailing every aspect of how the chicks were to be fed, watered, sheltered and taught.
“Teach them griffish,” she said. “Speak with them every day to see that they learn. Teach them all the griffish lore they must know, tell them the stories, pass on all you know. I will teach them the rest when I return. Is that all understood?”
Arenadd bowed again. “I’ll care for them as if they were my own, Hyrenna. You have my word.”
“And you will protect them with your life,” Hyrenna added.
“That’s what I would do for my own children,” said Arenadd. “So it’s what I’ll do for them. Don’t worry; you can trust us.”
“I will trust Skandar more than I trust you, human,” Hyrenna said coldly. “Now bring me food and water. And send for this Skade. I assume she does not speak griffish?”
“She does,” said Arenadd.
“Oh?” There was a note of surprise in Hyrenna’s voice. “So she knows griffins?”
“More than most griffiners I’ve met,” said Arenadd. “Trust me.”
“I prefer to trust my own judgment,” said Hyrenna. “Send her to me now.”
Arenadd’s expectations were gloomy when he sought out Skade and brought her to the nest: Hyrenna was in such a bad mood he doubted if Arddryn herself could have brought her out of it.
But, to his surprise, after a rather formal beginning the silver-haired woman and the griffin took to each other very well. Skade addressed her new partner with the utmost politeness, which pleased Hyrenna, and the two of them sat together and talked.
The chicks seemed to like Skade as well—one of them let her touch his head—and she helped Hyrenna to feed them chunks of raw mutton. Afterward, well fed and tired, they went to sleep, one of them snuggled down in Skade’s lap.

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