Year 437 of the Emperor - Phoenix 00/01, 1st year.
Gildos hurried over the cobble path and ducked behind the stone bridge as Eros slammed into him. Eros let out a little laugh but Gildos silenced him with a look, then they both peered around the corner to see the customs office. The door was locked and the docks were empty but for a few night guards on watch. One stood on the rise above them by the trebuchet, another up at the top of the cliff, by the foot of the lighthouse. They needed to time it perfectly. The guard on the lighthouse turned away and Gildos crept around the pillar until he could see the boots of the other guard above him. He waited until the boots lifted and turned, then lifted his hood over his face and dived across the open space to the carts piled by the customs office. He ducked behind them, grabbing Eros and pulling him in with him just as the guard turned around. They both held their breath and waited. When no alarm was sounded, they moved around the cart and carefully lifted the blanket covering it. Inside were barrels pull of apples waiting to be processed by the customs officers.
Eros, being the smaller of the two, jumped under the blanket and began to search the barrels as Gildos leisurely took an apple and bit into it, leaning against the cart. One or twice Gildos had to hiss at Eros to stop moving as the guard turned his attention toward them, but soon the danger passed and they continued. Finally Eros let out a small yelp of triumph as he lifted from one barrel two bottles of greenish-white liquid. Gildos ushered him over and took both bottles while Eros retrieve three more from the same barrel. Laden with their prize, the duo dodged the guard again and hurriedly made their way back down the docks and toward the city. As they made it clear of the guards, Eros paused and unstopped a bottle.
"What are you doing?" Gildos asked, turning back to him.
"I need a sip!"
"You know we're not allowed to! Ergan will kill you!"
"It's just cactus juice! Besides, I need it!" Gildos sighed heavily. This is what his life had become. In the four years since arriving in Glas Claddach he had befriended Eros and then, through him, Ergan, who had introduced them to this game of stealing. Although, as Ergan put it, it wasn't stealing at all. The bottles never belonged to the trader who brought them. They always belongs to Ergan and his friends, the trader was merely bringing them in from Floggen.At first, Gildos and Eros would simply retrieve the bottles and bring them back, but a couple of years ago they started to drink the cactus juice as well. The drugs inside gave everything a sharper look, as if in a higher definition, and the feeling inside was amazing, it felt as if he were being lifted on clouds of air. Eros had indulged so much Gildos was starting to worry about him. All he ever talked about any more was getting his next bottle of cactus juice. Eros took a long swig before putting the cork back in the bottle and hurrying to catch up to Gildos. They were just approaching the bridge when they froze as the sound of hooves echoed overhead. There was a shout, then a muffle clunk and the hooves continued. As they stood beneath the bridge, Gildos peered around the corner to see six soldiers turn and march down the steps. His eyes widened and he pushed Eros further back.
"What's going..."
"Shh!" They crouched around the corner, but there was no cover. The plateau they were on was too high to jump off and there were no barrels or carts to hide behind. Gildos thought quickly. They could go back to the Customs offices but that would put them between the soldiers and the guards. He cursed silently as the soldiers reached the foot of the steps and pushed Eros back around the corner to the blind spot between the soldiers and the guards. If the soldiers came this way, they were doomed. He held his breath. Just then, Eros tugged on his sleeve and Gildos looked down at him.
"Eros, stop. It's just a hallucination."
"But Gildos, they're looking right at us." Gildos saw Eros staring upward and followed his gaze. Above them, the stone bridge turned and wound toward the lighthouse, and there, upon the stone bridge, stood another dozen soldiers around one man upon a diamond armored horse. They were all staring down at them. Just them, a gloved hand grabbed Gildos' shoulder and he jumped, dropping the three bottles of cactus juice at his feet. Two of the soldiers grabbed him, while another grabbed Eros. Gildos tried to struggle, to break free, but the soldier's were too strong. They almost lifted him off his feet as they carried back, up the stone steps to where the horseman was standing. There, they planted him on his feet to stare up at the figure. Close up, the torch light illuminated the bearded face, the ragged crimson scar, the grey hair drawn back in a ponytail.
"Father?" Gildos breathed.
***
Murtagh stood at the top of the stone steps, just outside the Parked Pegasus, watching his little brother and Eros across the darkness with a trained eye. Beside him, Ferris stood shivering in the night air. Although Murtagh felt the cold, he was a man now, twenty one years of age, and he wanted to show his little brother how to be a man too, and that meant not feeling the cold.
"Why are we here?" Ferris asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
"We're going to stop Gildos from ruining his life any further." Murtagh said simply. "And I want you to see it, so you don't make the same mistakes." Ferris shivered in the cold, then Murtagh placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer to him. He liked his youngest sibling, Ferris was small and innocent, but a little too innocent. He was a Felandrison, and he needed to know more of the world than what their mother had sheltered from him. They watched the pair across the water duck behind the cart, then run back a few moment later carrying the bottles. Just then, Ferris gasped and pointed. Murtagh followed his gaze to see a dozen or more soldiers marching across the great stone bridge, a horseman in their midst. As they watched, the soldiers knocked out one of the guards on the bridge, then separated. They were flanking the boys.
"Ferris, go fetch Mother." Ferris nodded and hurried up the steps toward the castle. Murtagh watched for a moment as Gildos and Eros were both taken up the steps to the horseman. Then Eros was hit over the head and left behind as the soldiers took Gildos back across the bridge. They were trying to leave the city. Murtagh ran through the streets and across the wooden bridge. He passed just beneath the soldiers, then sprinted up the wooden steps two at a time. He thanked the gods he'd thought to bring his rapier. As he reached the top of teh steps, he realized he'd missed the soldiers. They weren't heading for the nether portal on the cliff-face, they were heading for the gatehouse. Murtagh ran and jumped over the fences, startling the sleeping sheep. Under an oak tree and through a small chicken coup he flew, before hurrying up and across the path, a few feet behind the soldiers. He jumped up the hill toward the gatehouse, where he signal the guard.
"Lower the portcullis!" He shouted. The guard responded at once, running into the tower. There were a few agonizing moments as the portcullis grated into movement, falling down ahead of the soldiers. There were shouts of confusion from the tunnel, a horse nickered and Murtagh could hear Gildos shouting. Without thinking, Murtagh jumped down from the hill and stood upon the path as the soldiers turned from the fallen portcullis to retreat. Nobody moved. there were eighteen soldiers, all surrounding the horseman. The horse was a fine steed, jet black with white dots upon it's brow, and armored with diamond. Upon its back sat a man in iron armor, with a heavy set, grey beard covering a disfiguring red scar across his left cheek. The madness in those eyes was unmistakable, for it was exactly what his mother had spoken of since they had fled from Tremaine.
"Felandris," Murtagh nodded to him. The Count plodded forward on his horse, scrutinizing the young man.
"Do I know you?" He asked, sliding his jaw as if grinding his teeth.
"Murtagh!" Gildos shouted. He was restrained beside the horse, with one soldiers gripping him by the hair.
"Murtagh?" Felandris asked, drawing out the word as if it were alien to him. "The governor of Glas Claddach? Hah. I come expecting to find one son and instead shall leave with two." He clicked his fingers and the soldiers started to move, but Murtagh drew his rapier.
"You'll leave with none but you're own life if you're lucky!" He yelled. The soldiers paused as there was a shout from above them. Upon the gatehouse, three archers stood, arrows knock and pointing at the soldiers, while another seven spear men rallied around Murtagh, lowering their points to the soldiers.
"You're outnumbered, boy," Felandris scoffed.
"My men and I will die to free my brother," Murtagh promised him. "Will your men die to save you from an arrow?" Felandris' eyes flashed dangerously.
"Where is your charming mother? I expected resistance from her, not you," Murtagh smiled.
"Be grateful. If she were here, there would be far fewer words." Felandris let out a bark of laughter.
"Too true, my son, too true." Flenadris regarded him for a moment, then clicked his fingers toward Gildos. The soldier released him and Gildos ran to Murtagh, who pulled him behind his back.
"Are we excused?" Felandris asked. Murtagh nodded at the archers. Two back away and after a few moments the portcullis creaked and heaved as it lifted again.
"Until next time."
"If you're smart there will be no next time." Murtagh warned. Felandris did no respond. Instead, he and his soldiers turned and marched out of the city in silence.
***
Morganna ran out of the castle as Murtagh almost carried Gildos back with him. She was near tears as she grabbed her sons and pulled them to her. Neither Murtagh nor Gildos tried to fight her. Then she led them both back into the castle and up one of the towers to where Ferris and Ula were waiting. As they reached the door, Morganna let Gildos go in first, before turning on Murtagh and slapping him across the face.
"Don't ever take Ferris into something like that again." She warned him.
"He needs to learn, mother."
"He need to be protected." Morganna interrupted him. "I am his mother. Don't ever disobey me like that again." Murtagh remained silent as Morganna strode into the room. Gildos was standing awkwardly beside the table, where Ula and Ferris were sitting, Ula still rubbing sleep from her eyes.
"What happened?" She asked, "Was it father?"
"Aye," Murtagh nodded. "He came to take Gildos. We stopped him."
"What were you doing out there in the first place?" Morganna asked, looking at Gildos. He remained silent for a moment while they all waited.
"I was stealing drugs for a smuggler." He said at last.
"What kind of drugs?" Murtagh asked, stepping forward.
"Were you taking any? Who were you with?" Morganna asked.
"It was cactus juice, from Floggen." he confessed.
"And who were you with?" Murtagh asked.
"Eros, the inn keeper's boy,"
"And were you taking any?"
"Not tonight..."
"Not tonight? So you've taken it before?" Morganna asked. Gildos nodded slowly. "I should never have brought you here. There is too much crime in this city. If that blasted Garda were doing their jobs properly..."
"Who were you smuggling it for?" Murtagh asked, interrupting his mother.
"Ergan, we take it to him on Port view lane," Murtagh hurried to the door and whispered something to the guard, before returning. "I promise, I'm never going to do that again. I'm never even gonna touch Cactus juice again." he pleaded, looking up at Murtagh. Morganna could not hide the hurt in her eyes as her son ignored her. Murtagh glanced at her, before kneeling before Gidlos and cupping his hands in his.
"I know. But these acts...Gildos, how can we trust you to keep that promise? You need to commit to it, you need to show us you're true to your word."
"I am! I will!"
"You need to earn back out trust and respect. For now, go to your room and rest." He stroked his brother's hair and lifted his chin. "You are our brother, and we still love you." Gildos jumped into Murtagh's arms and held him in a close embrace for a long moment while Morganna looked on enviously. Then he released him and left eh chamber.
"Ferris, go with him." Murtagh ordered. Morganna nodded her approval and Ferris followed. Then Ula, Murtagh and Moranna remained.
"He will need to be watched." Murtagh observed. "Cactus juice is a powerful drug. It is not without it's addictions. He will need support, resolve, discipline."
"Aye," Morganna wept silently.
"Perhaps the monks could help him?" Ula asked. Murtagh nodded slowly.
"It's a good idea. King Scrios is speaking of constructing a new monastery out at Clyde Sea."
"That's very close to Tremaine..." Morganna said, looking up at her eldest.
"Aye, but it's not been built yet. Any construction effort would require the assistance of Tremaine, which means we need to sort out Felandris sooner rather than later."
"Sort out?" Ula asked. Silence fell as they each stared at each other, comprehension dawning on Ula's face.
"Ula, there is something I wanted to speak with you about..." Morganna began, drawing a letter from the pocket of her nightgown "I was going to wait until morning, but this seems as good as time as any. I received word from Hermoch in Dunn. The House of Carnoustie has heard a lot about our family, and their son Braven would like to extend his offer for your hand in marriage." A stunned silence fell. Murtagh took the letter from his mother and read it over.
"I've heard of Carnoustie...they are one of the oldest families in Dunn." He said, handing the letter to Ula.
"What do you think?" Morganna asked.
"I..I'm speechless."
"As a nobleman's wife in Dunn, you'd be able to attend all the galas and grand balls of the kingdom, and you'd have a great deal of political influence..." Morganna trailed off. Murtagh looked at her for a moment.
"You and Hermoch want to marry Ula off so she can cover up for father's insanity." He said bluntly. Ula looked at Morganna, who nodded, her face turned away.
"There is no other way to protect our family's name."
"Ula is my sister, I'll not allow her to wed off against her will."
"It wouldn't be against her will. No one is forcing her to do anything. This is just an idea Hermoch and I had." Morganna defended herself.
"A stupid idea. Ula's not going anywhere, she's staying here until we get this mess sorted."
"But what if we can't? What if we need help?" Morganna asked. "We have no idea what Felandris will do next! I need to know my daughter will be safe, will be taken care of. Carnoustie is one of the oldest houses in Perth, respected. No one would dare touch her there."
"And she also get's the ear of the King to put in a good word for us so when Felandris finally..."
"I'll do it." They both looked at Ula. "I'll marry him. It's been my dream to marry into a wealthy family in Dunn since I was a little girl. And mother's right, I can help our family there too. I'm not a fighter like you, Murtagh, I'm a courtier's wife. I can handle myself in the court of Tremaine and really, how much different can it be in Dunn? The cities still being built for God's sake!" She smiled as Murtagh smiled with her. Morganna remained stoic as Ula handed her back the letter.
"I'll make the arrangements with Hermoch." Morganna said, standing up to leave. Taking his chance, Murtagh lifted the hair comb from his pocket.
"Mother, I think you dropped something," he said, offering it to her. She turned and looked at the comb for a long moment, then reached out and took it.
"I thought I'd lost that. Thank you," she turned and left the room as Ula walked after her, leaving Murtagh with a feeling like molten lead in his stomach.
_________________ Ainmire Sera-Blodh of House Flenadrison, second of his name, King in the South, Ruler of Carrickshire, and slayer of false Kings. "The Crippled King" "Flanders"
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