The Guardians (Book 2) (40 page)

‘
Enri, there are some of us who never needed to change, some who always knew that things were not as they should be. Even as children, Eibhear and I knew that one day we would stand against Nandul. We knew we had to try to change things.’

Milgorry
’s forehead wrinkled in surprise. ‘Is that why you trained so hard? And why you started your training so young?’ he asked.

‘
Actually, I thought that if I trained under you, I might learn how to beat you, and one day I could return you myself,’ Rudiger confessed.

‘
Good plan!’ said Milgorry, still looking astonished.

‘
You want him to return you?’ asked Enri, looking confused.

‘
Of course not, I just think it was a good strategy,’ said Milgorry, grinning at Rudiger. ‘So, do you think you’re ready to take me down yet?’

Rudiger
huffed mockingly, ‘Only if the guardians hold you still.’

‘
I could do that,’ said Araas enthusiastically, to everyone’s amusement.

‘
When I first came to the Dwellings I asked you a question, and you didn’t answer,’ said Milgorry, looking seriously at Tiernan.

Tiernan nodded
. ‘I said you weren’t what I expected, and you asked me what I was expecting. I was expecting a challenge. I was expecting you to be full of self-justification. I was expecting you to try to return me.’

‘
You have got to be joking!’ cried Milgorry his eyes wide with disbelief. ‘I would be mad to…alright; I can see why you might have expected that.’

Kelian stood up.
‘We should keep moving.’

‘
Yes Majesty!’ said Enri, jumping to his feet.

Kelian smiled at the young
King’s Knight. ‘Enri, I’ve asked my friends to call me Kelian when we’re in private,’ he said.

Enri flushed deep red.
‘Thank you sir… Kelian…sir.’

‘
Are you ready to go?’

‘
Yes sir.’ Enri grinned. ‘Really, as King, you should say, ‘Get them moving, King’s Knight!’. And then I would salute and dash madly all around the place making sure everyone did as they were told, then you’d say, ‘Why aren’t we moving already?’ and I’d bark orders to everyone within earshot.’

‘
The only problem is you’re the most junior officer here,’ said Dale drily. ‘And you can’t order the free around, because obviously they’re free.’

Kelian smirked.
‘Get them moving, King’s Knight!’

Enri burst out laughing and saluted weakly. He staggered about helping everyone to their feet, becoming more overcome with laughter every second,
until eventually Kelian intervened.

‘
Why aren’t we moving yet?’ he asked smothering his own laughter.

‘
Get moving! Get moving!’ cried Enri, and Dale rolled his eyes. Enri turned to Rudiger and Eibhear and clapped his hands together. ‘You too! No excuses about who you are and where you came from! You look just as stupid as our own soldiers, so get moving!’ He swung around to Tiernan and abruptly stopped, the smile sliding from his face as he saw the expression on the guardian’s face. Tiernan was staring at Araas, who wore an identical expression of horror, pain and disbelief.

Chapter 48

Timbul’s Task

Timbul glanced back as he crossed the border into the Province of the guardians. He was surprised there were so many pursuing him. He judged there were more than ninety of the fallen within three hundred paces and a good many further back. They were falling behind so he slowed a little as though tired. They immediately surged forward to take advantage of his momentary sluggishness, and he allowed the gap between them to close a little, as he was determined to keep them following. He darted up a steep incline then changed direction slightly. The trees thickened and he watched ahead as he ran, lest he be trapped before he could fulfil his mission.

He knew
he was close now to reaching his goal, and a feeling of intense fear rushed through him as he considered the task ahead. His heart accelerated and his forehead began to glisten with sweat, and he knew this was not due to physical exertion. How bizarre it was that he felt such inordinate panic in a situation he had faced before, and he wondered if the difference was that this time he knew what was coming and had known for several days. The time had both rushed and lagged. When he tried to prepare himself in his mind, he seemed to think himself around in circles. He would consider how he should handle the task set before him, and the expected conclusion, and then his mind would frantically try to find a way to resolve the issues whilst avoiding the outcome. He usually came up with several possible solutions before he acknowledged once again that the outcome was part of the duty required of him. At this point he would start all over again, working through possibilities. And now he had come to the point, all the deliberation seemed futile. He mentally admonished himself for his anxiety and tried to push the feelings aside. He was confident he knew exactly what he had to do and how he planned to do it, but he couldn’t help wishing his task was easier, and that the outcome could be other than was required of him.

He
was slowed further as he found himself running across soft sand, but it didn’t last long and his pace evened once again as his feet found firm ground. The path became easier. The familiar land seemed to call out to him and in his heart he wished he could safely stop and touch every tree and every flower and swim in every stream. He leapt across a stony creek and glanced back yet again. Satisfaction surged through him as he confirmed they were still determinedly following. His mind returned to the day Kelian had heard Danil calling. So preoccupied had he been with the task he was given on that very day, that he’d wondered if Danil had tried to call him and he hadn’t heard. He was relieved to find that this wasn’t the case. He also wondered whether Tiernan or Araas knew what he was doing. He had been surprised on many occasions by the depth of Tiernan’s perceptive ability, and Araas had often managed to sense his thoughts even when he was shielding them. He put this down to their brotherly ties, for he knew Araas also found it difficult to hide anything from him. It had taken all of his strength to not tell Araas outright what he was required to do, but he decided this would not be beneficial. As it was he was struggling to control his own emotions without burdening others.

He thought of his mother as
he raced towards the larger of the Nailmarni nests. He could see her face clearly in his mind and sudden tears glistened in his eyes. He drew his sword as he ran and charged forward leaping over some small bushes on the outskirts of the nest. He lifted his sword. He wondered if he should try to send his thoughts to her, one last time, but he hesitated and then it was too late. Two Nailmarni bounded towards him and he cut them down without thought. He heard a shout of dismay from the fallen as they unwittingly followed him into the nest. He wondered what his father would think of what he was doing. He had no doubt Tiernan could force his thoughts from him, but he was also sure Tiernan would not do this unless he knew something was terribly wrong. Grief tore through him as he thought of his father and his brother. In his mind he could see them, huddled together with his mother, wondering why he had done what he was doing. He pressed forward, ignoring the fallen and concentrating on each of the Nailmarni who rose to challenge him. More and more of them surged towards him and the ferocity of his actions increased as they came. His eyes fell briefly on a gruesome pile of partly dismembered human bodies and his throat tightened. At the very top of the ghastly sight was the body of a young boy and a roar of fury broke from Timbul as he recognized Elliot. Strangely his body had not been mutilated and his thin arm was reaching downwards. Just below him were the remains of his brother Callum. A look of grief and devastation remained on the dead soldier’s face and Timbul knew that the soldier had seen his dead brother before he himself was murdered. Rage flowed from Timbul like a wave of heat. He was moving faster and faster every second as if possessed by some greater power and his stance showed no signs of fatigue or even hesitation. As he faced each Nailmarni he wondered if they were the one who had slain the child, and his blade was merciless. He could see the fallen fighting their way through the nest and he could see their grim determination in the face of certain defeat. He couldn’t help but admire their courage and rationality. None turned and ran away. The instant they were inside a nest of Nailmarni, they fanned out around him as though they were fighting together.

As Timbul fought on, t
he nest grew gradually quieter and without turning to look he knew that those who had chased him all the way from East Inlet were falling. He noted with grim satisfaction that they had killed a huge number of the Nailmarni before they succumbed, and he felt admiration for their fighting skills, which were far greater than he once would have believed. He wondered if they had trained under Milgorry, whose skills had stunned Timbul the very first time he saw him fight. The Nailmarni were closing in all around him now, and he concentrated on using every skill and every muscle to destroy as many of them as he possibly could. He desperately tried to ignore the part of him that wanted to run away, to put his energy into escape rather than battle, and his heart pained knowing it was far too late to flee. He gritted his teeth and fought tenaciously, knowing that escape had never been part of his plan. Then quite suddenly they were upon him and by sheer weight of numbers they drove him to the ground. A strange feeling of completion and triumph filled his heart and even as he fell he could see that the greater part of the nest had been destroyed. He hit the ground hard and his sword was smashed from his hand. He reached up and dragged the nearest Nailmarni downwards and broke its neck. In his last seconds of consciousness, he opened his heart and reached out to his father, his mother and his brother.

Chapter 49

Lost

Tiernan sank to his knees. ‘No,’ he whispered. ‘Please no. Timbul…’ Araas knelt beside his father, their faces tortured.

‘
What is it?’ asked Kelian, crouching beside Tiernan.

‘
It’s Tim,’ said Araas, and his voice was barely a whisper.

‘
What happened?’ Kelian felt unnerved by the indescribable pain on the two guardian’s faces.

‘
He’s gone,’ said Tiernan, sounding confused. ‘My son is gone.’

‘
What do you mean ‘gone’,’ asked Kelian, then comprehension and grief struck like a blade.

Neither Tiernan nor Araas spoke
before they reached the Dwellings. Kelian was not surprised to see Lady Karrijeuiga waiting on the beach as they drew into the harbor. She held her head bravely as her husband and son approached, but her eyes were red with dark circles underneath and her shoulders drooped forward. She moved like an elderly lady as Tiernan took her wordlessly into his arms. Araas sadly kissed his mother and walked away, and the grief emanating from his body was overwhelming. He disappeared from sight.

Tiernan
looked over Karrijeuiga’s shoulder. ‘Danil, would you see that arrangements are made for our guests,’ he murmured. Danil gestured to the free warriors who followed him awkwardly up the pathway towards the Dwellings.

Kelian turned to Dale.
‘I imagine you’re keen to have the people disembark, so I’ll leave that task to you and Enri.’

‘
We have some good soldiers aboard,’ said Dale. ‘Perhaps Borg would be willing to help organize them?’

‘
Of course,’ Borgulnay agreed. He turned as Immosey, Elena and Louisa ran down onto the beach. Immosey ran straight into his arms and he could feel her tears soaking through his shirt.

‘
What happened?’ Elena asked sounding a little croaky as Kelian hugged her tightly. It was plain that all three girls had been crying.

‘
I don’t really know,’ Kelian admitted, glancing at Tiernan.

‘
He was given a task,’ said Tiernan, looking sadly into Karri’s eyes.

‘
Tell them,’ she said. Her eyes were brimming with tears and her body trembled with effort to control her grief.

‘
In the seconds before he returned he opened his heart to us,’ Tiernan explained. ‘He was given a task to complete. He had to go to the larger Nailmarni nest and destroy as many as he possibly could before he was returned. But he was to wait until he knew it was the right moment. He wasn’t told when that would be, but that he would know when it was time.’

‘
How did he know?’ asked Kelian.

‘
When he came to East Inlet he could hear the fallen’s thoughts, regardless of the fact that they were shielding themselves. He could hear them!’ said Tiernan, sounding amazed.

‘
What does that mean?’ Milgorry felt confusion.

‘
I think it meant he was given enough knowledge to understand it was his duty to return the lot of them,’ said Tiernan confidently. ‘So he had them chase him right into the nest. From what I gathered from the last of his thoughts, he and the fallen destroyed a significant number of the Nailmarni before he was returned. None of the fallen survived, but he found them to be far better warriors than he’d previously supposed, and he was impressed by their ability to make such a terrible choice at the expense of their lives.’

‘
I would hope so,’ said Milgorry bleakly. He took Louisa’s hand and they walked down the beach together.

‘
I guess he trained most of them,’ said Kelian, watching Milgorry’s back.

‘
Yes,’ said Tiernan dejectedly. ‘These were people he lived among.’ He shook he head sadly. ‘Yet one person they would have loved to return as much as Timbul is Milgorry of Tarl. This entire business is madness.’ He watched Louisa and Milgorry for a moment then he turned to a guardian who was standing to the side and spoke to him. The guardian disappeared then reappeared a moment later leading Aithne. Her eyes lit up when she saw Milgorry and she ran down the beach towards him. The warrior’s face broke into a huge smile as she threw herself into his arms and he swung her around gladly then hugged her. He looked over her shoulder and gave a small grateful nod to Tiernan.

‘
And you took all of that from Timbul’s thoughts in the few seconds before he returned?’ asked Kelian.

Tiernan nodded.
‘I’m going inside for a while. Karri?’ He took his wife’s hand and the two walked silently towards the Dwellings, following Araas’ footsteps.

Kelian gave up trying to sleep long before the sun rose the next morning. He dressed and made his way
by moonlight from his room to the courtyard, taking a handful of Jindilli from a bowl as he passed the kitchen. He sat on a low stone wall in the moonlight and used a handy stone to smash open the nuts before he ate them. He watched the rows of soldiers and Daoine Maithe who were continually guarding the beach, and he wondered how many more would die or be returned before this was over. He couldn’t remember not knowing Timbul, and he could barely believe his friend was gone. From what Tiernan had said of Timbul’s final thoughts, Kelian knew significant impact had been made on one of the Nailmarni nests, but at a terrible price. He sighed heavily. It was an incredible advantage to have the enemy reduced by so many, but the cost was weighing heavily on his soul. He knew Timbul would have felt that his own returning was acceptable if it meant the Nailmarni could be brought to their knees. He thought back to what had happened in East Inlet. He understood now that Timbul was planning all along to lure the fallen into the Nailmarni nest, and that he must have been absolutely confident that their behavior and plans justified their return. Kelian stared out to sea as the horizon became slightly lighter. Several times he had found Timbul sitting in this very place as the sun rose, and an almost inaudible cry of grief broke from his throat as he remembered sitting beside him in comfortable silence watching the day begin. He fought against the grief, but the deaths of so many people he loved and so many others he barely knew who had died fighting, weighed upon him so heavily he felt his heart would shatter under the burden. Anguish threatened to overcome him, and he swallowed hard and attempted to concentrate on what he ought to do next. He slid from the wall and sat on the ground with his back against the stones, lost in thought as the night turned to day. The sun burst over the horizon and he closed his eyes against the glare of the glistening water. He awoke as Danil and Milgorry sat on the ground at his sides.

‘
What’s happening?’ he asked. He glanced towards the sun and noted that he’d not slept for very long.

‘
Araas and Mil are going out to have a look at the Nailmarni nests,’ said Danil. ‘Borg and I would like to go too, with your permission?’

‘
Are you going to find Timbul’s body?’ asked Kelian.

‘
No,’ said Danil. ‘His body is nothing. It’s just a shell. We want to have a very good look at the nests before we come up with a plan for how to deal with them.’

‘
I’ll come with you,’ said Kelian, rolling onto his knees. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ he asked crossly, knowing quite well why Danil was frowning.

‘
Majesty, when we return I can show you exactly what we found. You don’t need to come with us. You’re exhausted.’

‘
I didn’t sleep well.’

‘
You barely slept at all,’ Milgorry stated.

‘
Alright,’ Kelian conceded as he sat back against the wall. ‘Take Borg with you, but remember he’s human, he’s not as strong or fast as you are.’

Milgorry laughed aloud.
‘He’s taken on some traits of the free and yet he’s still human. Regardless, he’s impossible to track and more dangerous with a knife in hand than anyone I’ve ever met.’

‘
Just make sure he comes home alive.’

‘
I will,’ said Milgorry, suddenly serious. ‘Do you want to sleep?’

‘
There are thousands of things I should be doing,’ Kelian began and his eyes widened indignantly as Milgorry raised his hand and brushed it across his face. Danil caught him as he fell sideways.

‘
You didn’t wait for him to answer!’ said Danil indignantly.

‘
I didn’t wait for him to object.’

‘
You can’t do that to the King!’

‘
I just did.’

‘
Mil, he’s the King!’

‘
He’s marrying my lady’s sister,’ said Milgorry, shrugging. ‘So that makes him my brother.’

Danil stood up and shook his head.
‘How exactly are you going to explain, when he wakes?’

‘
I won’t explain. I’ll just act annoyed that he fell asleep whilst I was still speaking to him,’ said Milgorry.

‘
We can’t leave him here,’ Danil stated firmly and he scooped Kelian into his arms. Several guards slipped from their discreet positions around the courtyard and followed him as he carried the sleeping King to his bedroom. The door was ajar, so he went inside and placed Kelian on the bed. Two guards positioned themselves in front of the door once Danil and Milgorry left the room.