Darque Wants (49 page)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

              Kirrowind's bare feet dragged along the ground with the weight of the shackles around his ankles. He hung his head low and stared at the fallen leaves that crunched under the boots of his guards. Every time he stumbled or tripped, he was pulled roughly back to his feet by his cruel escorts and he felt the sharp sting of a whip biting at his back if he dared to walk too slowly. His physical pain was great, but the pain he felt in his heart due to his failure to protect the Valley was far greater.

              “Tell me, savage,” King Pieter, said as he rode up next to Kirrowind, “how does it feel to witness the devastation of your homeland?”

              Kirrowind remained silent. He knew that the King was simply taunting him. Kirrowind felt that it was best not to give him the satisfaction of seeing his torment.

              “My homeland was also destroyed, as you know,” the King continued. “I loved Atlantis. When it burned to ash, all I had left was my wife and daughter. Then you tried to take my daughter from me. How much must I suffer, native?” Again Kirrowind decided to remain silent until they reached the edge of the Eagle River. “Now tell me, where is the best place to cross the river?”

              “Why should I tell you?” Kirrowind asked.

              “Let me show you why you should tell me,” King Pieter said. He then spoke to one of the guards in Atlantian and Kirrowind felt the whip cross his back again. He bit into his lip to prevent himself from screaming in agony. The guard with the whip continued with the lashing until the King spoke again and the beating stopped. Kirrowind collapsed to the ground and was pulled back to his feet yet again by the soldiers.

              “Go downstream,” Kirrowind said panting. He felt weak for succumbing to the abuse and assisting his captors, but he could not take the pain anymore. “You will find a shallow spot that you will be able to cross.”

              Once they approached the banks of the river, the army spread out along the edge and large wooden machines were brought forward. Kirrowind lifted his head to watch what happened next.

              Someone from the crowd shouted “FIRE!” and the machines sprang to life, launching large rocks into the trees of the Valley. The trees collapsed and crashed to the ground. Black metal tubes were brought forward as well and they spat fire and roared louder than anything Kirrowind had ever heard, creating a wake of flame and destruction. Kirrowind realized that these must be the weapons that Katrina had warned them of and he trembled at the awesome power that the invaders had at their command.

              “No more trees for you to hide in now,” King Pieter said with a cruel chuckle. “Once we cross the river, how do we get to your home?”

              Kirrowind barely heard the King's question. He simply stared in horror at the destruction wrought on the Valley in such a short time. He knew in that moment that he had two options: he could lead the King straight to Oldwoods and keep the destruction of the forest to a minimum or he could keep the location a secret and watch as the Valley was destroyed. When he felt the whip bite at him again, he decided to lead the King's army to Oldwoods. He just hoped that by the time they got there, his father had gotten all of the citizens to safety.

              “Go north towards the mountains then turn west when we get to Eagle's Rock,” Kirrowind said sadly.

              King Pieter shouted an order to his army and they all began to march again. Kirrowind walked the best he could, but was mostly dragged. His strength left his body after the physical abuse and the emotional torture of watching his beloved home being destroyed in front of them. King Pieter laughed each step of the way as his weapons carved a path of destruction in the forest for his army to march through.

              The march to Oldwoods was a long, slow process and the sun was nearly behind the western horizon by the time Kirrowind saw the Counsel Tree in front of him. King Pieter had set fire to Oldwoods as he marched in, but was upset to find that there was nobody around for his army to slaughter. When King Pieter saw the Counsel Tree, he easily deduced that the Valley had found shelter within the giant oak tree. He shouted to his army and they began to encircle the tree. King Pieter grabbed Kirrowind by the back of the head, taking a firm grip on his hair, and dragged him towards the large doors of the Counsel Tree.

              “Open up!” he shouted in the Ancient Language. “I have you son, Strotwater. Surrender now and you might be able to save him and your people.”

              There was a pause as King Pieter waited for a response. After a moment of silence, the doors of the Counsel Tree began to open up. However, it was not Strotwater that walked out. Kirrowind and King Pieter were both surprised to see Katrina and the Queen step out of the Counsel Tree.

              Seeing Katrina again in front of him, Kirrowind's spirits began to rise. He was able to find the strength to slip from King Pieter's grasp and he rushed forward as best he could to hug Katrina.

              “I'm so happy to see you again,” he said collapsing into her arms. “What are you doing here?”

              “My mother and I came to warn your father. She thinks that we can still prevent this war,” Katrina said, holding Kirrowind.

              King Pieter, in a rage, climbed off of his horse and marched towards the Queen. “What is the meaning of this?” he shouted. “I should have you hanged for treason.”

              “You know just as well as I do that you won't do that,” the Queen said, standing between the King and Kirrowind. “I have come to stop this atrocity that you are about to commit. These are a peaceful people. You do not have to kill and enslave them.”

              “These savages can't be trusted,” King Pieter raged. “You weren't there when our daughter was kidnapped and our people were slaughtered. How dare you say that these people are peaceful?”

              “Father, these people only want peace. They are willing to make a treaty with you if you are willing to listen,” Katrina pleaded with her father.

              “Why should I listen to them?” the King asked. “I have the army and their Prince. I have all the power.”

              “If you are not willing to forge a peace treaty with these natives,” the Queen said, “then Katrina and I shall go back inside. If you want to kill them, then we will go down with them. You will enjoy your new kingdom without your wife and daughter.”

              Kirrowind was surprised to hear the Queen's plan. He could see that Katrina had inherited her courage and willingness to sacrifice from her mother. He looked into Katrina's eyes and smiled. “Do you think this will work?” he asked Katrina hopefully.

              “I sure hope so. It's our last hope,” Katrina said.

              Kirrowind watched as King Pieter stared at the Queen. It seemed as if he was trying to figure out if she was lying or not. After a moment or two of this silent stare down, the King exhaled and dropped his head and shoulders.

              “Fine. I will sit with these natives and make peace,” he said in defeat. He turned to his army and shouted in Atlantian.

Kirrowind watched in delight as the cannons and catapults were pulled back and the soldiers lowered their weapons.

CHAPTER TWELVE

              Katrina sat with pride and satisfaction next to Kirrowind as her parents and Chief Strotwater discussed the terms of the peace agreement at the table around them. She had been worried that in his rage, her father would still attempt to destroy the Counsel Tree, but her mother had talked sense into him as only a wife can.

              As she listened to the terms being discussed, she thought back to her attempt at sending a rescue party for Kirrowind. Chief Strotwater was upset at the news of Kirrowind's capture, but decided that sacrificing more people for a rescue mission would be unwise. Katrina felt that leaving his son in the hands of the enemy was a bit cold hearted, but Strotwater's explanation of sacrificing one for the many was what Kirrowind would also have done pacified her. She felt like her father would never have made that same decision. That was when she got the idea to stay in the tree. She knew that her father would never destroy something that she and her mother were inside of. In the end, that idea was what had saved everyone.

              “And what are we going to do about this marriage?” Katrina heard her father say when she snapped back to the present. She focused intently on the conversation now that it pertained to her directly.

              “Our two children are bound together under the law of the Valley, which you have agreed to follow,” Chief Strotwater said calmly.

              “You can't just marry my daughter off without my consent,” King Pieter said with an edge of agitation in his voice. “She is my daughter and I make the decisions for her.”

              “She is grown woman,” the Chief said. “Perhaps she should be allowed to choose. If she does not want to remain married to Kirrowind, then I will dissolve their bonds of matrimony.”

              Katrina sat back in amazement as everyone around the table turned their eyes toward her and waited for her to speak. She felt pressured to make such a decision, but knew that she had to answer. After a moment of thought, she said, “I would like the marriage dissolved. I only got married as an attempt to stop a war. Kirrowind doesn't even want to be married. Now that we are building peace, I would like the opportunity to marry someone because I want to, not because I have to.”

              “That is very wise of you, my daughter,” King Pieter said.

              “Then everything is settled,” Chief Strotwater said. “King Pieter and the people of Atlantis will be allowed to settle in the far north of the Valley as well as in the east in the Flatlands and will be given all rights and privileges given to all Citizens of the Valley. My people, now known as Tribals, will trade our meats, fish from the sea, and our crops with the Atlantians in exchange for your metals so that we may hunt, fish, and build more effectively.”

              King Pieter and Chief Strotwater shook hands and took solemn oaths to live in peace and abide by the terms of the agreement. Katrina knew that her father hated the idea of peace that he didn't control, but he did it for his wife and daughter. She looked next to her and saw Kirrowind smiling seeing that his people and his home were now safe at last.

              “Come outside with me,” Kirrowind said when he saw Katrina looking at him. “I want to talk to you.”

              Katrina followed Kirrowind out of the Counsel Tree and into the forest. Kirrowind stopped once they were deep into the forest. He seemed to have something on his mind and he paced back and forth nervously. Katrina watched him and waited for him to speak. She looked at moss bandages that covered his back and thought back to her bandages that she wore not so long ago.

              “Katrina, about the marriage,” Kirrowind started out. “I'm glad you decided to end it, but at the same time I don't know if I am glad.”

              “What do you mean?” Katrina asked, confused.

              “I've never known a woman with courage like you have. It's impressive. You are strong and witty and very brave. You were willing to die for my people. I betrayed my people under torture.”

              “What are you trying to say, Kirrowind?”

              “Thank you for what you did. If you had decided to remain as my wife, I would have been very proud to call you mine.”

              Katrina blushed at the compliment. “Are you sure this isn't just confusion brought on by the medicine for your wounds?”

              “I speak from my heart, Katrina. I do not want to be married to you now, but I would like to marry you perhaps in the future.”

              Katrina supposed that was Kirrowind's way of proposing marriage and smiled. She also admired Kirrowind's courage and strength. She admired how deeply he cared for his people and his home. She knew that someday he would make a wonderful Chief. She planted a kiss on Kirrowind's lips and said, “Someday, in the future, we may discuss marriage again. For now, let us just enjoy the fact that we have managed to stop a war between our people.”

              Kirrowind smiled and nodded his head. “You are right. We should discuss this later.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

              After that conversation, Kirrowind and Katrina returned to the Counsel Tree. King Pieter walked out of the tree hand in hand with the Queen. King Pieter looked sad and defeated, but the Queen wore a smile of pride. Kirrowind knew that Katrina would be joining her parents as they moved north to build a new home. He gave her one more kiss on the forehead and then waved goodbye as she walked out of sight with her father and his massive army.