The Descendants Book One: The Broken Scroll Page 19

  “The king has made this personal for me now. Whatever good he did in the past is irrelevant now. He does not mean well for us or his people. Whether or not he is in his right mind, he will be held accountable for his actions.” He stopped speaking and looked at Davin. “We can’t allow him to complete the Scroll before we do.”

  But he knew that he was no longer the only person that O’Hara had made things personal for. Egan and Davin both shared that same grief and anger now. This made Davin feel strangely bonded to Egan more than he ever was before.

  It was this thought that reminded him he’d never apologized to his kin. He couldn’t guarantee that he might not need to make that choice again. The two of them still had separate goals, but Egan’s company was becoming more welcome. Also, he couldn’t deny that his desire to strike out on his own and do things on his terms had caused a serious consequence.

  Liam actually thought that my life was more important than his.

  But Davin didn’t deserve that. And he knew it.

  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, “for Liam. For trying to leave.”

  Egan nodded but didn’t look at Davin. “You had your reasons. Nothing I do or say will convince you one way or the other.” And as if forgetting about the first comment he added, “Liam was not your fault. He chose to do what he did.”

  Yes, for me of all people. It doesn’t make sense.

  “That doesn’t make me feel any better,” Davin said.

  “It’s not supposed to. It’s simply the truth.”

  They spoke no more after that.

  They rode hard again the following day, only stopping for a short interval to eat as the sun went down beyond the hills in the west. Egan explained that they were as close to the Keenan Road that he wanted to come. Any closer and they would risk running into an entire regiment of Grand Soldiers. The army was sure to have their sketches and descriptions by now and there would be no way to disguise who they were for an extended period of time.

  Instead, Egan took them on a mostly unused path that ran along the side of the foothills. He explained that they would hold to that way until it gave way into the Golden Plains. Once there, they would veer northeast toward the heart of the kingdom.

  Davin kept playing the image of Liam standing in the library, taking the fatal stab to the abdomen.

  I could have taken that man for him. He didn’t have to die.

  Looking at Egan, he could tell something along those lines was running though his head as well.

  A man Davin hardly knew had been killed on their behalf, not knowing what good it would do in the long run, just knowing he would do anything to help. It did tend to make one feel selfish in comparison. This combined with the guilt over not acting sooner weighed heavy on him.

  The following night, they were only a few leagues from the plains. Egan immediately began a fire to dull the chilly air. They ate with little conversation.

  Davin finally snapped out of his mood as he lay back on the soft grass. It had been awhile since he had been under the open sky. For most of his life he had either been surrounded by mountains and trees, or more recently, stuck cooped up in a house for weeks on end. Seeing a full view of stars was a welcome change. It was calming and he lay down staring up at them for a long time, thinking of nothing but the way they formed odd shapes above him.

  When his gaze came back to rest on their camp some time later, he eyed Radash. His concerns came back to him in a rush. His temper flared as Radash’s deception came to mind. Had he had been lying to them, just as Davin had guessed all this time?

  He jumped to his feet and walked over to Radash with determination in his step. Without any ado he raised his fist and punched the man in the face. Radash fell back and touched his hand to his lip. Davin had cut him.

  “Wait,” Radash said, raising his hands in surrender so Davin wouldn’t strike again, “let me explain everything.”

  As Davin raised his fist again Egan ran over and grabbed his arm. “That will be enough,” he said with forceful finality.

  Davin flipped around and gave Egan a maddening gaze. He flicked his arm in attempt to remove Egan’s grip. It didn’t work. Egan held onto him tightly. Davin pushed harder and Egan let go. Not expecting a release of his arm, Davin to fell to the ground in a huff, kicking up dirt all around.

  After a growl of frustration, he said, “Don’t defend him. Radash deserved that for lying to us all this time. We could have saved a lot of trouble if we had just left him behind.”

  Egan nodded in agreement. “Maybe so, but the same could be said for you Or did you forget about what happened in Slainte? You need to control your emotions.”

  “Like you did with that soldier that killed Liam?” Davin retorted.

  Egan didn’t falter in response. “It was foolish of me to take his life out of pure revenge, but that is different than this. You know that, Davin.” His tone became business-like. “But that is all behind us. Radash, the time for truth has come.”

  Radash sat on the ground, cross-legged and cleared his throat. “I am who you think I am. I am Prince Teague O’Hara, son of the King, and next in line to the throne of this kingdom.”

  Egan responded after a few moments of tense silence, bowing the slightest degree. “Why did you lie to us then, Your Highness?”

  Teague cringed when Egan said “your Highness”, as if the term of respect hurt him physically. “Please do not address me by any royal titles for now. I wish to be released from my royal heritage.”

  “Why?” Davin asked plainly.

  Teague now looked sad. It looked like it took all of his strength answer. “I am a failure as royalty.”

  When that was deemed an insufficient reply, Teague continued. “My father has been mad for some time, as you have seen for yourselves. He finds joy in oppressing subjects with cruelty, and the obsession with finding your kin, are not his only strange deeds of late. His madness runs deeper than that. He…he has also threatened to kill the people closest to him, namely his family, if they stand against him. He tried to off me when I confronted him at last…his own son.”

  He buried his face in his hands for a long time. Davin and Egan waited patiently for him to gather himself. Teague glanced up at last as if to check if they were still paying attention to him. When he saw that they were, he took a deep breath and finished his story.

  “Instead of facing him, I turned and ran like a coward. Never before living without the comforts of royalty, I struggled to get by. And many times, as I traveled from town to town, I was nearly recognized. Only after many months of wandering and stealing like a peasant, did I finally stumble upon both of you. I followed you through the mountains for a while before I finally revealed myself.”

  Egan nodded understandingly. “But you did not want to reveal who you really were until you knew where our loyalties lay. If we were on your father’s side, we might have killed you when we found out who you were.”

  “Yes. I gathered quickly that you were not working for my father, but I still wasn’t ready to admit my cowardice and disgrace of my title.”

  “You would have no doubt been killed if you had stood up to him. You did the right thing, Teague,” Egan commended, forgoing the prince’s title as was requested. “What really happened when you arrived at Slainte then?”

  Teague face clenched and he put his hands to his temples, as if recalling these memories were painfully. He proceeded nonetheless.

  “None of the Lowmen wandering the streets knew me, which was a relief at first. Unfortunately, I stumbled across a Dous Captain; the one in charge of the garrison in Slainte. I thought I was being careful, but there was nothing I could have done. I walked right across his path. There was no chance of escape. He recognized me immediately because he had served in the capital city as well.”

  “I assume by what came later that he was an extreme loyalist to your father,” Egan interjected.

  “Actually, no,” Teague continued. “My father has issued a reward for handing me i
n, hoping to drive even the lowest scum against me. This Dous Captain named Bale merely wanted to collect the reward. But when I was placed before the Governor Alanon, he decided that I would be framed for your deed, as was my father’s decree.”

  “One of many that was framed,” Egan said bitterly, and then his voice grew hard. “And he led the way to finding you when you escaped. He took you and Liam captive in the library.”

  “And I killed him,” Davin added, with a bit of pride.

  Egan put his hand on Teague’s shoulder reassuringly. “Well, you are safe for now.”

  Teague looked relieved, whether from the fact that Egan wasn’t angry for his lies, or from the reassurance he had just received, Davin couldn’t tell.

  The muscles in Teague face began to relax and his body became less stiff. But what replaced that tension was an overwhelming exhaustion. His eyes droop and a he swooned for a moment, almost passing out. Teague had not been at peace for a long time. That was quite clear. Davin could almost see the stress dissipating from Teague’s demeanor. The prince’s face twisted the smallest degree upward, almost smiling.

  “So we are letting this just be then?” Davin asked Egan. Surprise crossed Egan’s face as he looked at Davin.

  “Does this not please you, Davin? I feel he has been most forth coming with his information tonight,” Egan commented arguably. “He has caused us no harm by not telling us his true identity sooner. And I understand why he did such.”

  Davin’s jaw dropped. “No harm done? Are you sure about that, Egan? Liam would still be here if that Dous Captain hadn’t been determined to find Teague.”

  “Davin, he chose”- Egan started.

  “No! We wouldn’t have let Teague out of our sight if we had known who he was. We could have made sure they didn’t find him. Liam could have lived!”

  Egan waited, staring at Davin. “Maybe, but I think not. Teague can’t be blamed for Liam’s death. Just as you can’t for luring the soldiers to us!”

  Davin couldn’t say any more because that was the truth of it. He was just as much to blame as Teague.

  “If I may help repay my wrongs to you both, I will,” Teague said.

  “That will not be necessary,” Egan assured him. “Having the king’s son in our company is unexpected, but it may work in our favor. You surely know the layout of the capital city and your father’s castle well.”

  Teague nodded eagerly, looking happy that he could help. Egan continued, “When the time comes, we may be able to gain an audience with him much easier than I anticipated. Hopefully, we can learn the reason behind his actions, and convince him to stop his fool’s errand. For now, though, we concentrate on gathering the Scroll.”

  Teague stood up, put his right hand over his chest in a fist and bowed deeply. Egan and Davin figured that this was a customary greeting of royalty. They inclined their heads in return.

  “If it may please you, I will stay with you until the time that you must confront my father, if that time comes.”

  Davin knew that Teague’s reasoning was two-fold. The best way for him to stay unnoticed and safe was to stay with them, but he sensed that there really was another part of Teague that wanted to seek recompense for keeping his secrets. It was a matter of honor for him.

  Fair enough.

  “You will be welcome to join us as long as you wish,” Egan said.

  Davin agreed but said nothing. Despite what Egan thought, he wasn’t sure if Teague had earned forgiveness yet. But that didn’t mean that he wasn’t starting to get used to the boy’s presence, even though he wouldn’t admit it if asked. And Egan had a point, having a Prince around might pay off nicely in the end.

  Egan turned his attention to Davin. “Come, I would like us to spar and for you to practice your Driocht before we rest for the night.”

  They had ridden hard and Davin’s bones were stiff. He relished the chance to stretch them out before calling it a night. His bones popped as he got up and joined Egan, who was farther away from the fire, sword already in hand.

  By the time they had fought for nearly an hour, their bodies were drenched with sweat. Davin never knew when he had worked so hard in his life. Egan still beat Davin more times than not, but Davin did get a few good strikes on the older man.

  Instead of educated guessing, Davin had begun to judge which sort of strike and block to use where. He also noticed that Egan was having a harder time blocking his strikes. It made him optimistic that his improvisation was improving. These improvements, he figured, were partly a result of his first real experience in a fight. It had changed his perspective, actually being placed into a life or death situation, and left alone with no one to guide him. He only had the memory of his practice and his reflexes.

  There were two strategies he had taken to heart since the fight in the library. Less flourish was one major change in his style. Battle wasn’t meant to be pretty and he no longer cared how smoothly he transitioned from an overhead strike to a chest guard position. He also kept in mind that every strike was utilitarian. It had a direct purpose. Every action he made had to be planned seconds in advance to serve only one of two purposes, protecting his life or destroying his opponent’s. Any other goal outside of these became a waste of precious time and energy.

  Only recently had he been able to assess like this in the heat of battle. And it was working for him.

  When they were finished Davin began to work with the Driocht orb. The fire came easily to his finger. That wasn’t a challenge anymore. He tried pushing harder with his mind and pulling more of the dark matter out, hoping it would result in an improvement. It didn’t. It just left him with a headache.

  “You cannot force yourself to improve,” Egan told him after he was done. “You have to let your mind grow more proficient with the power of the orb on its own. No matter what you do, you will proceed exactly as fast as your body wants you to.”

  He frowned at this thought as he lay down on the grassy ground, placing his pack behind his head. He could do nothing to help speed up his strength with Driocht.

  ***

  The next day they entered the Golden Plains. The yellow grass, rolling knolls, and gargantuan boulders were their constant companion. As far as they could see to the north, east, and west was sun-drenched grassland. The patches of green fertile areas were outweighed by the yellow, tall grass. But there were a few trees scattered in the area that looked lush. That told them that there were rivers that flowed through the land.

  “At least were in the Golden Plains now,” Egan said.

  As Davin began to practice his Driocht that evening, he realized how the plains had achieved their name. The combination of the yellow grass that stretched out of sight, and the color of light cast out by the setting sun caused the plains to shine, as if someone had melted pure gold into a thin liquid and poured it over everything in sight.

  When Davin had finished sparring and practicing Driocht he lay down on the ground, looking up at the stars as he had the previous few nights. He vowed to admire their beauty every night he got the chance from now on. Letting his mind wander, he thought about the dark matter that was the essence of an Ancient’s power, and the place where it resided, up where the stars were. How did the Ancients first discover it?

  What other mysteries lay in this universe, he wondered, shifting his thoughts to the idea of an otherworldly place where the Corrupt Ones had resided. Did they still live, trapped for eternity? He had resolved himself to know that there may never be explanation for everything. The world wasn’t that black and white.

  Then the question that had burned inside him the most recently surfaced. It seemed to be this creeping feeling that continued to gnaw at him more every day that passed. He couldn’t ignore it any longer. It seemed that since he was born with these powers he had to do something great, not necessarily out of direct force or some annoying destiny, but simply because he had unique power, like Egan. He had a better chance at making a difference for good than a normal man, but did that ma
ke it his responsibility? If so, then it was no different than having a fate he couldn’t escape.

  A fresh wave of anger washed over him as he pondered this. Out of the corner of his eye he thought he saw someone move towards him. Sitting up and looking around, he saw that Teague and Egan were still lying where he had seen them last. Content to think that an animal had just scampered by, he lay back down.

  A short while later, as his eyes were starting to close from heaviness, he got the sensation that someone was watching him. Sitting up again, he saw neither of the two had moved. In fact, they looked peacefully asleep, breathing softly.

  He was starting to feel like he was losing his mind. Why was he having this sudden paranoia? It wasn’t like him at all.

  He turned his head away from the middle of their camp into the darkness. His breath caught in his throat. There was someone there, standing just on the edge of the fire light. The figure moved forward more smoothly than any man could walk, like he was floating.

  Davin still couldn’t find his voice, but he pulled out his sword. As the figure came into the light, Davin saw that it hadn’t been hidden in the shadows a moment ago. It was a shadow. There was an outline of a human-like form but there were no discernible features. It was just a black mass with, what looked like, a dark, smoky mist swirling about it.

  Davin had never seen anything like it. Fear gripped him as the figure came to within a few feet of him. He tried to move to attack, but his legs wouldn’t function.

  “Do not be afraid,” it said, in a deep timbre. “I will release your tongue, but you must not yell.” Davin felt a sensation to his throat. It felt as if he was free to speak again.

  “What are you?” Davin croaked. There was movement in the figure’s body. Two arms had emerged from the shadow. And the black mist cleared slightly around its lower half to show legs.

  “We live in the dreams of humans such as you.”