The Lady's Man (16 page)

The courtyard was an impressive expanse of green in the heart of the city, but that was also as it should be. It was here that the students trained to become paladins and clerics, where they were taught to ride and fight and cast a spell. And it was also here where they drilled. But most impressive within it was the hall.

Of course it wasn't a hall, it was a keep. It was just that within the walled city there could only be one keep and one castle, that being the Lord Mayor's. So they called the fortified building a hall and avoided offending the important people in the city.

The hall stood three very tall stories high and was crafted out of more of the white stone that had been used to build the palisades of the city. But over the years the white had been added to as the artisans had found a way of infusing a little gold into the stone. It wasn't much, mostly just trim about the window sills and door frames, but it was just enough to show the Order's colours in the sunshine. It brought a warmth and a homeliness to the imposing building, Yorik thought. It could almost make a man forget that the ramparts and turrets were military structures from which armed men stood and kept watch.

The pennants flying proudly on the flag poles high above the hall caught Yorik's eye, as they indicated that the house had other guests staying with them. In fact there were guests staying from all six of the other chapters. That was unusual, happening only once every two or three years on average when the commanders and clerics from all the chapters met to discuss the affairs of the Order. But this was not the set time for such a gathering. Either they had somehow arrived at an opportune time for the elves to make their case, or this meeting was expected. He didn't know which and he didn't even know which to hope for, as he told Ascollia. The elf however, just nodded cryptically as he was prone to do, and they carried on in silence.

Half way across the courtyard Yorik gestured the party to stop, as he saw two men in gold he knew only too well coming over to greet them from the abbey. The first was the Paladin Commander of the chapter, Elron of Whitney, while beside him walked the Spiritual Advisor and head of the clerics, Father Rubrecht. Neither he noted, looked particularly happy to see him, but then both also had many more worry lines on their brows than he'd seen before. He hoped they weren't due to him.

Both were good men who he had the highest respect for. Commander Elron was an experienced paladin who had spent many long years as a journeyman before finally becoming too old for the field. After that he had taken up teaching in the many arts of war, and advising the previous paladin commander. When the commander had passed away ten years before the succession had been natural, and Commander Elron had held the post with honour ever since.

Father Rubrecht by comparison was a scholar and cleric, famed both for his many learned studies on the history of the province, and his remarkable healing gifts. He was also known unfortunately for the girth of his belly and the length of the beard he normally wore. Despite being a kindly man and always having an easy way with the students, he was a strict task master when it came to studying and never averse to punishment. Many times as a student Yorik had enjoyed the privilege of washing the floors and pews of the abbey, usually for the most minor of infractions. But he had not complained. That would have earned him further punishment.

Between the two of them many of the students had joked – though very quietly of course – that the Order had its own married couple. Commander Elron who trained them to the very limits of their ability, and then sent them out into the world to do good works among the heathens was their father. Father Rubrecht, who patched up their injuries, fed them, gave them a few kind words and sage advice, and welcomed them back to the family when they returned, was just as any other mother would be.

“You have returned.”

Yorik wasn't sure if it was a comment, a statement or an accusation, but he was infinitely grateful it wasn't an outright condemnation. Not in front of the elves. No doubt that would come later – in private.

“Commander Elron, Father Rubrecht, may I present to you Master Ranger Ascollia of the Hammeral House of the Rangers of the Lady and Acolyte Genivere. They are here to bring you warning and ask for your aid in the coming war.”

As he spoke Ascollia dropped his woodsman's cloak to reveal golden chain mail and steel mesh, spelled in exactly the same way as the paladin's own armour, while Genivere bowed low in her saddle.

It caused a reaction as he'd expected, but not in the two leaders of his order. Neither of them seemed particularly moved by the display, or in fact, surprised. In fact if anything they seemed relieved. But all around them Yorik could see the students stop training and stare. He could understand why. The first time he'd seen Ascollia's golden armour he'd practically fallen off his horse in shock.

It wasn't just the colour or the fact that it was an elf wearing it. It was the fact that like called to like, and his own eyes – well used to having seen so many sets of golden paladin armour – recognised it as the same, even though it was different and worn by an elf. But the spells involved in its creation, the secret method of forging, and most especially the link to the Lady, were identical. They could never be denied.

“Welcome honoured guests. It is far too long since we've been joined by any of your number, and you are as always, welcome among us as brothers.”

If the students had stopped and stared at seeing Ascollia's armour, it was suddenly Yorik's turn as he realised the Commander knew of the elven order. Knew of it, and even accepted it. He wasn't alone either, as Father Rubrecht intoned a customary prayer of welcome and thanks giving for a long and dangerous journey travelled safely, without even blinking.

Yorik wasn't given the opportunity to ask questions though as the grooms came up to them for the horses, while they were led away to the great hall. The most he managed to do was to tell the grooms of Aphallia's wound.

It was a lengthy walk during which very little was said by anyone. The Commander and the Father were walking quickly towards the bi-folding glass doors which opened to the entrance hall, while the elves were busy looking around at the chapter house as they followed. No one seemed interested in speaking with him.

The students on guard duty at the doors opened them wide for the group to enter, and Yorik was suddenly once more inside the house, somewhere he'd thought never to return to again. It was an emotional moment for him.

He remembered the first time he'd ever stepped foot in here. It had been as a child being brought by his father for training in the ways of the Order. He would have been perhaps six years old at the time, and he remembered clearly his father's comforting hand on his shoulder as he walked him into the entrance hall for assessment. Even then he'd seen the great beauty of the hall, and its grandeur and been impressed.

The entrance hall itself was a single massive room, with ceilings perhaps as tall as five men, wide enough to seat thirty men at arms side by side, and long enough that he couldn't have thrown a stone from one end to the other. But it was the ornately carved and brightly polished wood that really made an impression on him, as the hall showed not just the attention of untold craftsmen and artisans over the centuries, but also their love. With his father, he'd seen much of the Lord Mayor's keep by then – where the Lord Mayor and his court lived – but they had nothing to compare. Cold stone and tapestries could not compare to a living, almost breathing, work of art. It was then that he'd truly known that he wanted to become one of the golden knights.

Yorik didn't have time to bask in his memories though as the commander led them on through the hall towards the oak doors and the hallway leading on to the Council chambers, while a dozen paladins sitting around one of the open fires stared at them in surprise. One of them was Childe, his oldest and best friend with whom he had trained for many long years, and Yorik at least had the chance to raise his hand and nod in greeting, before they were marched through the great oak doors at the far end.

After that they were in the long hallway that divided the entire inner part of the building in half. On both sides of them were more great chambers. The library, study rooms, armoury, dining hall and kitchen. And of course there were the massive oak stair cases that led up to the dormitories and private chambers above. The Order's hall was a castle in all but name.

But their destination was none of them. It was the huge double doors at the far end that led into the Council chambers. Doors inscribed with the emblem of the Lady. And doors where once more students stood guard.

That was unusual. Normally the Council chamber stood empty. No one guarded it as no one used it. It was reserved for ceremonies such as a paladin's acceptance of his life's vows and meetings with the heads of the other chapters. But from the pennants that had been flying he guessed that just such a meeting was happening.

Inside when the students opened the doors for them, he was proven right. They found the full Council waiting for them, and a few more besides. At least twenty of the great oak chairs had been laid out for the meeting in a great circle, and every one of them apart from three directly in front of them, and two more at the far end were taken. The chairs were for them. More paladins and clerics still – and by the looks of things all of some standing within the Order – were seated on the pews set out for the audience, and not all of them did he know. Which meant surely that they were the guests from the other chapters in other cities.

This was an important meeting, and one that they'd obviously been prepared for. That gave Yorik pause as he guided his companions to their seats and then took his own behind them. Not one of the assembled he noticed, seemed particularly surprised by Ascollia's armour either.

“Members of the Council and honoured guests, may the Lady grant us her grace and wisdom for this meeting.”

Father Rubrecht intoned the formal if drastically shortened blessing for the meeting, and then took his seat beside Commander Elron, abruptly leaving Yorik to do the introductions once more.

“Commander Elron, Father Rubrecht, members of the Council of the Order of the Lady, honoured guests; may I present to you Master Ranger Ascollia Verinon of the Hammeral House of the Rangers of the Order of the Lady, and Acolyte Genivere. They have come to bring you warning of the great battle looming, and to ask for the aid of the Order in the coming war.”

Introductions done, Yorik would have sat down and breathed a lengthy sigh of relief if he had been allowed. Instead however Ascollia on one side, and Genivere on the other each laid their hands on his shoulders and asked him to stand with them. Which could only mean one thing. They wanted a witness and they believed his word good enough to stand. He only hoped they were right.

“Honoured brothers and sisters of the Order, my commander Aloysius Dall, Head Ranger of the Hammeral chapter of the Order and my Chief Wizard Odilon Adenall bid you greetings. I also carry the greetings of Myral, companion to the Lady who is once more among us, thanks to this noble paladin's quest.”

That caused a stir among the assembled, not so much at the mention of him being on a quest Yorik thought, but at the name. Myral. They knew it. And he still didn't know a thing about him other than he was indeed a companion and friend of the Lady from her first days in the lands. He also knew he was also somewhat querulous, but that knowledge probably wouldn't be well received by anyone.

“Alas time is short, as the Dark One moves among us once more. But not as he once did in the flesh before the dragons banished him. Instead it appears that he has given up on all hope of returning from his exile to rule our world as a demon lord, and instead he uses the talents of dark necromancers entombed with him to raise more necromancers outside. These he hopes will walk in such numbers that they will eventually be able to unlock his tomb from the outside, and from there he can return to his own dark realm.”

“In the last thirty days we have fought two separate battles against the undead. First Yorik and Genivere encountered a pack of undead dire wolves guarding the resting place of Myral, trying to prevent his ever being awoken. Then on the way here we three were waylaid by a party of undead bandits, as they sought to prevent us making this meeting. Each time they had an undead necromancer to raise them if they fell. I would guess we are not alone.”

There was a round of head nodding and a murmur of agreement among both the Council members and the audience, something that didn't surprise Yorik as much as he would have liked. He had seen the guards at the city gates.

Commander Elron stood up briefly.