The Path Of Peace (The Cremelino Prophecy Book 3) (13 page)

“Now, tell me about the men in
the pass. What is going on there?”

The men were silent until Mezar
used his power to pull the rope tighter. They began to gag, and their eyes
bulged.

“Tell me or it goes tighter.”

“Mezar?” Leandra gave him a
warning look that told him not to be too harsh.

He mouthed a “sorry” to her. He
was just anxious to find Darius and warn him of his father’s plans.

The first man gave in. “Prince
Bronwyn is going to attack and take this area for the kingdom. He sent some of
us out to disrupt things.”

Leandra stepped up to the men,
hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. Her cheeks were red, and she looked
angry. “This land is not yours to take. Our King will protect us.”

Mezar turned to the other man.
“Your turn. When is this attack?”

The other man stayed silent until
Mezar pulled tighter. The man started choking and couldn’t breathe. He signaled
that he would talk.

Between broken sobs, he told
Mezar that King Darius and his queen were supposed to visit in Sur and then
with the prince of Arc. The two thieves had lost track of time, but they
thought the meeting would be soon.

“We can’t let anything happen to
Darius and Christine,” Leandra said to Mezar.

Mezar nodded. “We won’t.”

Mezar kept them tied up and took
them out front. He slid away from the group as he had Leandra call over a city
guard to take them to jail.

“How did you get them tied up?”
one of the guards asked Leandra.

“Can’t a girl protect herself?”
was all she said.

The guards shook their heads,
seemingly confused, but took the thieves away.

After they were gone, Mezar and
Leandra went back into the store. Leandra grabbed Mezar into a fierce hug and
let a few tears fall. She was almost as tall as Mezar, the top of her head
reaching his eyes.

“I have missed you, Leandra,”
Mezar whispered into her soft brown hair. It was still short and framed the soft
features of her face.

“And I you, prince of Gildan.”
Leandra pulled away and looked at Mezar. “Your disguise is horrible. I would
recognize you anywhere.”

Mezar laughed. “But you know me.
People see what they want to see. But my speech can give me away; it is not
perfect. So I must be careful around others.”

“Is it true that Arcs are trying
to take part of our land?” Leandra looked worried.

“I didn’t know about that until
now. There is even a greater threat to Darius and Christine.” Mezar paused and
puffed out some air. “My father is causing problems and plans to kidnap
Christine.”

“Mezar, we have to help them,”
Leandra pleaded. “You know I still feel bad about what I did to him, how I
turned him in.”

“Darius forgave you, Leandra,”
Mezar said. “It was Sean’s doing. He threatened to hurt your family.”

“I know. I know. But I want to do
something to show them I am really loyal to the Realm.”

Mezar took Leandra with him back
to where his other friends remained with the wagon train. They made a plan to
escape the city that night. Leandra would go with them so their accents would
not give them away. She ran off to gather clothes, food, and horses for them
from her uncle’s farm and to tell her uncle’s family that she would be gone for
a while.

Mezar now knew exactly where to
go to find Darius. He just hoped he wasn’t too late to warn the King about
Christine. He also hoped he wasn’t too late to stop a war between Arc and the
Realm when the biggest worry for the Realm right now should be Gildan and his
own father.

A CHANGE OF HEART

D
arius and his men fought hard, but the men
of Arc were stronger than Darius had realized. He wished he could use more of
his power to move things along, but with the pace he had kept in recent days
and lack of sleep, he was barely able to stand and fight. He didn’t know if it
was his untrained abilities or if it was the same for everyone, but using the
power exhausted him terribly. He was always hungry afterward, and it took some
time to recover.

Grief over his wife steered him
forward through his exhaustion. He took some men with him and raced through the
enemy’s camp, searching every tent for any sign of her. Nothing had turned up
yet. He was getting frantic. His men were getting tired. They were outnumbered,
and even though they fought better, it was becoming difficult. He hated
watching his men die for him, but he hated more the thought of his wife gone
from him.

He pushed on, tent after tent,
until he reached the largest tent. About to enter, Darius turned at the sounds
of horns and hooves behind him. A large army came up through the pass from Sur.
At first, his stomach dropped. He thought the riders to be more of the enemy
ambushing them but noticed the standard of the Realm held high above one of the
thundering horses.

“Form back to ranks,” he yelled
from atop Thunder. He turned the large horse around and rode back to the new
group, bringing his men with him. There were far fewer returning with him than
had started. He stomach churned, and his heart fought, weeping for the fallen
who lay dead, scattered across the small valley.

He pulled up by the commander of
the troops and smiled in surprise at Cray, his general and old mentor.

“Good day, my Lord.” Cray bowed
his head. “Seems you need some help.”

“Yes, General. Glad to see you.
How did you know we were here?” A soldier offered Darius a drink of water.

“We heard of a gathering of
soldiers on the border, and your father sent me to investigate. When I arrived
in Sur, the governor told me where you had gone.”

Darius nodded but didn’t have
much energy to do anything else.

“You look horrible, pardon me
saying, your Majesty. Have you had any sleep?”

Darius swayed on the horse, and
two men helped him off. He glanced at the other side and spotted the Arc army
retreating toward their camp. They would try and get away, but they couldn’t
run quick enough to get very far; the valley ended in a tight mountain pass
that would only allow a few through at a time. A few minutes of rest would help
his men and not give too much advantage to the enemy.

He sat down on the ground next to
Cray and informed Cray of his wife’s abduction.

“It doesn’t make any sense for
them to take her,” Cray said.

“I know.” Darius shook his head.
“But her Cremelino, Lightning, and other witnesses in the area saw the men.”

Cray shook his head. “I am still
not used to the idea of communicating with these horses. I knew they bonded
with their owner, but I thought it was only a strong bond of feeling and
purpose, not that they could actually communicate.

Darius smiled. “Cray, you have no
idea of the power of the bond. They are marvelous creatures.” Next to him,
Thunder neighed loudly.

“And this?” Cray motioned around
him. “Your doing or theirs?”

Darius smiled without humor.
“Both. Seems they brought a five-hundred-man army as an honor guard—I am sure
with other intentions. Sean San Ghant is here, sowing seeds of trouble again.”
He glanced around the area, realizing he hadn’t seen him in a while. “When they
didn’t offer up my wife, we attacked.”

“Have you found her?”

Darius groaned with exhaustion.
He couldn’t think straight. He barely sensed his own power. He struggled to
hold his grief in check. “No. We haven’t. Maybe they took her up the pass.”

“You need to rest, my Lord. I
have fresh troops.” Cray motioned around. “We can finish off this skirmish and
find out what they are doing here and where your wife is.”

Evening came early in the
mountains, and the sky began turning dark. Without warning, down the mountain
behind the Arc camp came another group of men.

“Who is that?” Darius asked out
loud.

“More troops from Arc, I surmise.
It seems they might have been planning a little more than an honor guard.” Cray
frowned, dark lines showing on his forehead. “Now the battle won’t be so easy.
I think it’s best to plan tonight and attack in the light of day tomorrow.”

Darius just wanted to find his
beloved. “No. We attack now.”

Cray saluted and ordered the
ranks to form up. The fresh men rode out in front, getting to the enemy before
their troops arrived down the pass.

Men fought from horseback and the
ground. Sounds of swords striking and men’s yells filled the valley and echoed
off the walls of the steep cliffs. Cray had brought with him a company of
archers, who began to decimate the Arc troops.

Soon their enemy’s reinforcements
arrived, and they, too, had archers, who began pushing back the Realm army.
They battled deep in the night; however, at some point both sides slowed to a
stop. The dead littered the ground, the wounded still groaning. All suffered
exhaustion. The battle was not going to be won that evening.

Cray’s men, to speed their ride,
had little provisions with them. Cray sent a few men back to Sur to procure
more food. Some men set up a makeshift tent for the King. Darius stumbled
inside hardly able to stand. Men helped him out of his armor and he quickly
fell into a deep slumber. He dreamed of Christine’s face. He could see it but
never seemed to be able to touch it. The stable presence of Thunder in his mind
brought a modicum of peace. Lightning had retreated to the back of the battle
without a rider and also lent the King some of her power. Finally, he was able
to relax and slipped into a deep sleep.

In the morning, a group of men
returned from Sur and handed out food. The enemy began forming ranks. The air,
cloudy with fog hanging low over the valley, lent an air of doom to the battle.

* * *

Off to the side, Sean had stayed
hidden from the battle the previous day. He found himself now in a precarious
situation involving enemies on both sides. Not for the first time that day did
he curse the Preacher and his plans. This was a disaster. Darius didn’t trust
him, which Sean felt very little remorse about. He didn’t care what the upstart
King thought about him. Bronwyn, on the other hand, was going to be his ticket
to invading the Realm and establishing chaos to hand to the Preacher. Still
confused on what had happened, he tried to piece together a new plan, one that
kept him alive.

Darius had been ranting about the
abduction of his wife, but Bronwyn had been as surprised as Sean about the
information. Another player had entered the mix, and Sean planned to find out
who it was. His best bet would be to side with Bronwyn.

Sean caught the sounds of battle
beginning again. The King’s men were on the offensive against the prince. He
went to the battlefield to find Bronwyn and assure him of his loyalty. The
battled roared around him. Twice he had to duck from being hit by a stray
arrow. The two sides fought each other fiercely on horseback, hacking away at
each other’s army.

In the middle of the foray, Sean
spotted Darius on his white horse, flashing with brilliance through the fog.
His golden sword glowed with power.

Sean, not dressed in Realm
attire, was attacked by a soldier from Anikari. Paring his way around the man,
he left him bleeding and clutching his side.

Looking around, he saw Bronwyn.
The prince had fallen from his horse and fought off a trio of enemy soldiers.
Sean joined in.

“The traitor returns,” Prince
Bronwyn spat.

“I am not a traitor, my Lord. I
had nothing to do with the King’s men, the taking of his wife, or this new
army.” Sean swatted away a sword strike and dove into the battle, eliminating
one of the men attacking the prince. “My intentions with you have always been
clear.”

“I should never trust a man who
is willing to sell out his own kingdom.” The prince continued to fight off his
attackers, taking a slice across his arm. He returned it with a stab to the
gut. One more fell. “I still don’t even know who you are working for.”

Sean and the prince fought the
last remaining attacker together. The two of them pushed him toward a drop-off.
A small ravine went down thirty feet at the edge of the battlefield. The Realm
soldier was quick but no match for two trained swordsmen. Down went the third
man.

Sean heard a loud yell and turned
toward its source. Darius had seen the two of them and began pushing through
the crowd. Everyone else fell away from his advance. Desperation seized Sean’s
mind. The next moments would determine his fate.

“My benefactor will hold all of
the Realm, letting you take the fertile grounds of Sur.”

The prince breathed deeply, still
holding his sword in his hand. “What if I want more?”

Sean’s eyes opened wide. “More?
Don’t be greedy, Bronwyn. And don’t be a fool.” Sean didn’t want the plan to
fall apart. “Take what you are given. The man who gives it to you is more
powerful than your entire army.”

The fighting moved closer to them
with Darius nearing them. Sean smiled at the opportunity. The two of them could
take him and end this folly.

The prince laughed. “How is one
man more powerful than my army?”

Sean grew angry at the prince’s
doubts, and Darius was almost there. Seconds away. “He is a wizard more
powerful than the King. Don’t cross him.”

Bronwyn lunged at him just as
Darius arrived. “You are in league with those blasted evil sorcerers. I knew
you were a traitor.” The prince swung his sword at Sean.

Sean jumped back and brought his
sword in front of him with both hands. Back and forth they went. Sean pushed
the prince back, but then with a desperate move, the prince rolled in front of
him under Sean’s sword and hit him in the knees, taking him to the ground, the
deep ravine mere inches away.

Sean tried to stand, but the
prince, bigger than him, rolled on top. Sean’s sword fell to his side. Prince
Bronwyn brought his sword high in the air, aiming at Sean’s head.

“Traitor. Now justice will be
done. “ Bronwyn began to bring the sword down on Sean.

His life would be ended in a
valley in the Superstition Mountains. No glory. No power. No rule.
What a
waste,
Sean thought. He closed his eyes, bracing for the killing blow.

It never came.

Sean San Ghant opened his eyes
again and saw Darius, now off his horse, blocking the prince’s killing stroke.
Sean was amazed. Why would he do that for him? Sean had hated Darius his entire
life, teased him, kidnapped him, turned traitor against him.

“Why?” Sean yelled. “Why?” Why
would a man that he hated and detested save his life?

Darius was busy fighting off the
prince’s attack. Sweat poured down his face. His purple cape fluttered behind
him, hanging over armor and thick clothes. His sword glowed brighter, and the
King pushed the prince back.

Bronwyn tripped and fell to the
ground, much in the same position as Sean had just been in. Time slowed for
Sean. He peered around the battlefield. Hundreds lay dead, but the battled
raged on. Wounded horses and men lay across the valley, but strangely it was
only the three of them left alone to determine the fate of the battle.

Sean sucked in a quick breath and
yelled at Darius again. He needed an answer. “Why did you stop him from killing
me?’

Darius, keeping his sword at the
neck of his enemy, shifted his attention to Sean. “It’s not his right to
condemn you, Sean San Ghant. As much as I think you were part of this plot, you
are not the power behind it. It’s the Preacher. It’s him I want. The prince
does not have a right to kill you. You are still a noble member of the Realm
and my responsibility. I will decide your fate.” His face was wolfish, but his
eyes held some compassion. “I am not the same person you kidnapped and brought
into the cave months ago.”

Sean was drained of energy and
sunk back to the ground. He didn’t know what to think. He had never warranted
such attention or compassion. All he had believed about Darius came into
question. In one swift act, his nemesis had shifted his whole outlook on life.

“What about him?” he said, arms
pointing to the prince.

“I will not kill him. At least
not until I get more answers.” Darius motioned two soldiers to tie the prince’s
hands.

The ground began shaking
violently. Rocks starting to move around them, coming up out of the ground and
forming small barriers around the fighting.

Sean studied Darius, and the
young King shook his head, signaling that he didn’t know what was happening. It
wasn’t his power causing the quake. The rolling continued until two people rode
down into the valley. They glowed with power. The fighting had ceased with all
men from both sides watching the two newcomers ride full speed toward Darius,
Bronwyn, and Sean.

Darius kept his sword drawn,
power crackling on its tip. Two men held the prince tight between them.

Up rode the two wizards Sean had
seen at the lodge weeks before: the old man with his green cape and gray beard
and the young girl, barely of age to be out on her own, with her short, blonde
hair, flushed cheeks, and determined gaze.

They continued riding, stopping
directly in front of Darius. The horses were breathing hard. The girl noticed
her brother being held and brought her hand up in front of her. The earth
exploded at the guard’s feet, knocking them over. The prince tried to move, but
Darius intervened. He blasted a powerful wind at the girl. The guards stood up
and grabbed the prince again. He fought against them but was held tight.