Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:45:35 -0400
From: M Patroclus <thephallocrat@gmail.com>
Subject: The Exile, Chapter 7

**The Exile returns again after a much too long break. Please enjoy the
newest chapter. Disclaimer: The following work contains mature themes and
graphic depictions of sex between men. If this offends you, don't read
it. It is also unabashedly nerdy and will somewhat strain your suspension
of disbelief. It's a fantasy, and its an experiment. You've been warned. **

THE EXILE
A Gay Fantasy Experiment

Chapter 7

It has been too long since I have written in this account. When first I
began it, I had hoped to write my story in its entirety within a few weeks
of work, but I should have guessed that my new position and duties would
make such a bulk of available time impossible to come by.

There is trouble in Carmathen. An uprising of some of the populace has
caused chaos and disorder in the streets and the First Minister has sent me
word that his civil guard have completely lost control over several of the
most densely populated quarters of the city. I knew this day would come,
knew it ever since I first laid eyes on that sprawling, ugly city and its
hungry, dirty inhabitants. But I get ahead of myself again, for I recall
now that I have not yet reached that point in my tale.

I have no wish to be a tyrant. Indeed, it was never my desire or ambition
to rule at all. If I felt the uprising plaguing Carmathen was political in
nature, I would leave it be to take its course and allow the people to
establish their will over their own land. If the Council had followed my
advice or enacted my commands more swiftly, perhaps this uprising could
have been prevented; they have brought this doom upon themselves. But all
accounts tell me that the instigators of this discontent have only chaos
and anarchy in view, and I cannot allow innocent people to suffer. My lands
and kingdoms must stay strong and united if we are to survive the
transition to a new age.

Thus I have been preparing an expedition of troops to rush to the Council
of Carmathen's aid. The irony does not escape me. Once before, not so long
ago, they refused to hear my pleas for assistance and now I, as their leige
and lord (in name at least), will come swiftly with my best men to rescue
them from their own mistakes. I cannot afford to be proud or spiteful in
times such as these, and do so would make me less than what I am.

My army has been rebuilding slowly, and many of my soldiers are young, raw
recruits. I have personally overseen their instruction, patterning their
training after that I received in my village as a youth. My efforts are
paying off, but it has taken most of my time and attention. There is so
much to manage, so many people clamoring for approval for this, or to seek
orders for that. Many times I have sat down to write only to be immediately
interrupted by a frantic official or blustering officer.

I write now by dwindling candlelight in my spacious tent on the third day
of our journey south to the Carmathen. We shall reach that rotten city
tomorrow, perhaps, or the next day at the latest. I cannot sleep, and so I
shall continue my account at last.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

The thing I remember the most when I think of that overcast morning in
which we left the city of Fermanagh is the sight of straw in Alek's
hair. Despite his best efforts to clean himself off before we left the old
abandoned stable, I noticed several large remnants of the previous night's
bedding hanging from his head as we entered the city streets and threaded
our way towards the gates. I found myself smirking at the sight, until I
considered the possibility that I might look equally ridiculous, though I
had no hair for straw to stick in. I checked my clothing self-consciously.

I remember too the elation I felt when we reached the gates and saw the
crowd of people queuing there to file their way out of the city. We could
not have picked a better time to leave. The mass of city dwellers would
make staying anonymous easy. We lost ourselves amongst them, though I
grabbed the back of Alek's shirt so as not to be separated from him, and if
there were any guards stationed at the gates to look for us (as seemed most
likely) their task was next to impossible.

I shouted a question to Alek, asking him why so many were leaving the city
that day. His response was lost in the bustle of the crowd, but my question
was answered when we finally passed the massive walls and I saw a sprawling
marketplace had been set up in the open area beyond , crowded with fresh
produce in carts and wagons brought in from the outlying farms in the
region.

I marveled then, and I have marveled often since, at how extremely
fortunate a coincidence it was that the farmer's market should have
occurred on that very day. After all that had occurred since my exile from
my village, I had privately lamented to myself that my fate was cursed, and
yet now it seemed, perhaps, that everything was exactly as it should
be. Despite whatever trials I had undergone, I still possessed the sword,
had the assistance of Damon, and, most charmingly, now had a new companion
in Alek. I was not alone anymore. I smiled then and held my head high,
despite the sight of the open sky making my stomach heave, for it was then
I first came to believe that some higher power guided my steps and that all
was right in the world.

How young I was. Young and so naïve.

Alek pulled me off the road and suggested that it would be wise to purchase
some food for our journeys. This made my heart even lighter, for it implied
(though he had not said as much openly) that he was going to travel with me
for some time. I knew that Damon could provide us with whatever food we
needed, but wasn't sure how best to explain my strange servant's existence
to Alek. Standing in the middle of the bustling market certainly did not
seem like an ideal occasion. Instead, I simply pointed out that we had no
money. Alek winked at me and told me to follow him.

No doubt you will not believe what happened next -- though if you do not,
it would be best to stop reading my tale now, as things much more
improbable are still to come. Alek led me through the market, his eyes
wandering through the crowd and stalls eagerly, searching. At last he found
what he sought: a collection of tables in which a rabble of rough-looking
men played at dice. Though it was still early, the men were drinking
liberally. I had the impression that several of them had been playing all
through the night.

"A wager of five gold, please," Alek said, sitting at the table.

The men eyed him suspiciously. "Five gold it is. Let's see it."

Alek laughed. "It is rude to doubt a gentleman's word. My servant here
holds the gold, and will produce it if I lose." He nodded to me. The men
looked at me curiously.

"No gold, no wager," one man said with finality.

"Look," Alek said, leaning forward and speaking in lower tones, "My brother
is the chief clerk of King Valen himself."

"And the Queen's my mum," replied one of the men, cackling.

"Should I fail to produce what I owe you, friends, you would be at
privilege to seek him out and obtain your gold, with an extra fee for the
trouble I've caused you." Alek sat back confidently.

The men considered this thought.

"All I ask is one throw," Alek said, with a charming smile.

One of the men passed him the cup and dice. "I seen Cedrik once," he said,
spitting, "You look like him."

Alek nodded graciously, then without the slightest effort or care picked up
the cup and threw the dice out onto the table.

"Double sixes!" called one of the men, and the others howled with
astonishment.

A small stack of gold was pushed towards Alek, who turned at looked at me
with feigned contempt. "You'll no longer be needed here, Pilo," he said,
winking, "I shall play with these winnings. Take the gold you have and
this--" (he handed me a handful of coins) "-- and buy those things we
discussed. I'll find you shortly." He turned his attention back to the
game.

Here my memory, which I have never claimed to be perfect, fails me
utterly. How I spent the next hour or two I can only guess at, for my mind
was reeling with what had happened and with what we should do next. I
believe I purchased what goods I thought would last several days without
spoiling, including some of the delicious sweet potatoes the witch-woman
had fed me in Valen's dungeons. I was eager to find supplies beyond food,
but found such things difficult to locate in the sea of produce. I was
contemplating whether or not to buy a small cooking pot when Alek found me
again.

"You are insane," I said at once, and he grinned at me. "How did you know
you would win?"

He shrugged. "I didn't. But I usually win when I want to."

"And if you had lost?"

"I planned to blame you for losing the money," he joked, punching me
playfully on the shoulder.

"Nice," I laughed, adrenaline surging through my body just being near him
again. "I suppose you won us some more?"

"A little," he said, producing a modest coin pouch, "I made sure to lose a
lot too. So nobody would get upset."

"You are incredible," I said, shaking my head.

He did not reply, but kissed me roughly on the cheek and laughed. He was as
cheerful as I would ever see him.

"It feels so good to be myself again!" he laughed, "And its all thanks to
you."

My grin was so broad my cheeks began to hurt.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Alek's joyful mood lasted all through our journey that day away from the
city and into the evening when we made camp. That night, when our small
fire had died down to the faintest embers and we huddled together for
warmth and comfort, I could feel the evidence of his desire pressed against
me as he began to roam his fingers across my chest and neck. His hand
brushed gently across my face, tracing the empty ridges where my eyebrows
should be and running his fingers down my nose and across my lips. I kissed
each one softly as it passed, feeling my heart beat heavily in my chest.

He looked as though he might speak, but it was not a time for words. I
kissed him, and though first unsure, he soon returned my kiss with
sincerity. The night was cool, and a faint breeze chilled the air, but my
skin burned with such passion that as Alek removed my clothing I felt
impervious to the cold. Soon our garments made a small pile on the ground
nearby, a strangely shaped mound whose shadow danced in the dying light of
the fire.

I explored his body curiously, tracing and memorizing every curve and
corner. He was slender, far more lean and bony than Damon, and yet I had
encountered his strength firsthand when we had grappled before the Queen
and her amazarii. Now we grappled yet again, for no audience but ourselves.

I was still shocked (though I had seen them before) to see the evidence of
the abuses he had suffered in his slavery to the Queen. A horrible scar on
his back revealed a place where he had obviously been burned, and another
on his arm where he seemed to have been cut. Each of these I touched
tenderly, then, as he watched with moist eyes, kissed gently as though
hoping my kiss could erase the pain of the memories those scars held. He in
turn ran his fingers across and then kissed the top of my hairless head,
inviting me to let go of my own traumas of the past.

Though I have no doubt that our desire to ease each other's pain was
sincere, I am also very aware that neither of us fully succeeded. Still,
the effort counted for something, and I felt I had grown far more attached
to him than Damon was to me. I could not receive my sustenance literally
from Alek's body, as Damon did from mine, and yet my whole soul hungered
for him greedily.

Perhaps it was this thought of my servant that propelled me, for I took
Alek's organ into my mouth as was Damon's habit to please me, and his cry
of pleasure into the night air reminded me strongly of the cry I myself had
made deep in the Anatherian tomb when Damon had first performed that act on
me.

Was I turning into Damon? Had I made Alek the master, and myself the slave?
As I swallowed his release, even as I grew dizzy with the pleasure of
pleasing him, I could not but ask myself these questions. Gasping and worn
out, he stroked my cheek and kissed me gratefully. I laid my head upon his
chest and rested there, listening to the pounding of heart in his chest and
looking up at the sky. For once the sight did not trouble me, for the stars
did not seem real. It was as if we lay underneath a large artificial dome,
painted black and set with hundreds of lanterns. Far above us, yes, but not
so incredibly and impossibly distant as our learned men theorize the stars
actually are. The bright points of light, I imagined, merely marked the
edge of a special shelter made especially for us.

"Do you ever think about the future?" Alek asked suddenly. The truth was
that, at that particular moment, nothing could be further from my mind. I
was trying to enjoy the moment.

"Sometimes," I replied.

"I haven't in years," he said, "I thought I would just go on living in the
Queen's palace forever and now... What will I do with my life?"

I squeezed him tighter. "I understand. I felt much like that the night I
left my village. I had never thought I would leave and couldn't imagine
what life would be like for me outside."

"I'm glad to be gone," he replied, "But I can't help but be a little scared
too."

"Change isn't easy. But the things that are good for you in the long run
almost never are. And every time we think things won`t ever seem normal
again, they always do."

He scratched my back gently with his fingernails, and we talked about what
we wanted out of life, and made guesses at where we would be in five or six
summers, none of which have come true. The night air grew chilly and we
dressed ourselves again, wrapped up in our cloaks and clung together for
warmth, and drifted to sleep.

Though I felt my eyes had been closed for mere moments, the sun was already
chasing away the blackness of the night with streaks of violet and blue
when Damon's soft voice summoned me from sleep. He was standing above me,
waiting, and when I started to ask him what he wanted he put his finger
over his lips and nodded towards Alek's sleeping form. I sat up slowly,
blinking myself awake, and followed my servant a few strides away from the
dead fire.

"I'm sorry to take you away from your new friend," Damon said, with not a
small amount of irony and bitterness in his voice, "But I thought you'd
like to know that I've been up all night keeping watching and sensing the
area, and I've made a few interesting discoveries."

I shook my head at him. "If you are worried that Alek's presence will
prevent me from giving you gifts of energy, you can stop right now. I will
need your aid as always. I'm planning to tell Alek about you when the time
seems right, and then he'll understand when I have to slip away to spend
time with you."

"I would rather you did not, Master," he said, "Though its your choice of
course. I'm of more use to you as a secret."

"You don't think I can trust him." I said, crossing my arms.

He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course not. I don't think you should
trust anybody, except for me. And that goes double for people who have
spent years being brainwashed."

That was enough for me. "What did you discover?" I asked.

Damon scowled and looked away. "First, we're being followed again, by you
know who."

I blinked in confusion, not sure at first what he was talking about. At
last it hit me. "Golmeir?"

"Oh, yes, was that its name?" Damon said, "The big ugly fellow? Well, he's
keeping his distance, as before, but definitely on our trail."

So much had happened in Fermanagh that I had totally forgotten my encounter
with the giant, but it seemed he had not. I would have to deal with him and
find out what he wanted at some point, I decided.

"Thanks for letting me know," I said, turning to go back to Alek.

"There's something else," Damon added, stopping me, "I was keeping my eye
on the road from Fermanagh as well."

"How clever of you," I said, "If only you'd done that the night I was
captured by the amazarii."

"Unlike then," he snapped, "I was all alone last night and had nothing else
to do."

I sighed. He could be so sweet and subservient at times, and so surly and
difficult at others. "Well, what did you see?"

"Not too long ago somebody went by, somebody we've met before," he smiled,
"Somebody I thought you might be interested in seeing again." He paused.

"Well?" I said, impatiently, "Who was it?"

Damon cocked his head. "What, you don't want to guess?"

I glared at him.

"Fine!" he said, throwing up his hands, "You're no fun since your new toy
joined us. It was the skinny man you pleasured in the dungeon. The king's
dungeon you were in, remember?"

I had to think who he meant. "Who, Cedrik? Alek's brother?"

"Yes, that's the one. He had the hood of his cloak up, but I knew it was
him. I could still smell you on him. He's heading north on foot alone." He
seemed bored even as he made this revelation. Very little seemed to
interest Damon unless it affected me directly.

But this was news indeed. Would Alek desire a reunion with his brother?
Would Cedrik? After all, Valen's clerk had asked me to kill his brother if
I had the chance, and never explained why.

"Why would Cedrik be heading north?" I asked, but Damon was gone.

"What about my brother?" came Alek's voice. He was sitting up and
stretching, and beginning to ruffle through the bag of food I had purchased
for something to eat.

"He went past us on the road heading north," I said, after a moment's
hesitation.

Alek wrinkled his nose at me. "How do you know?"

I took a deep breath. "It's a very long story. One you probably will not
believe. If you want to catch up with him, I suggest we hurry. He has quite
a head start on us."

My companion looked as though he was going to speak, but stopped
himself. Questions floated behind his eyes but he kept them to himself as
he wordlessly began to pack up our few belongings. Once we were ready we
walked back to the road and headed north at the quickest pace we were
capable.

"We don't have to do this," I said, breaking the long silence, "If you
don't want to. He works for the man who recently tried to hand us over to
the Broxbourneans and he once asked me to kill you."

Alek didn't look at me. "He's my brother," he said simply.
___________________________________________________________________________________

The sun had well passed its high point and was sinking towards the horizon
by the time we caught up to him, a speck of black against the blue sky. I
kept my eyes focused on the still distant figure that was almost certainly
Cedrik, not daring to look up and face the vastness of the open sky lest I
grow faint. I had hidden my fear from Alek. Indeed, I was less reluctant to
tell him about Damon than about my shameful anxiety, though he had not
asked further about my mysterious source of information and I had provided
no answers.

"I think he`s noticed us," Alek said suddenly. I looked in the distance at
the shape we had been pursuing, and it did seem that it had stopped.

"We should be ready for anything," I said, resting my hand on the hilt of
my precious sword.

His face grew pale, "You think it will come to that?"

"I hope not," I said, "I really hope not."

As we neared the shape, it grew in definition and features until it become
recognizable as a human figure, clearly waiting for us to approach. He wore
his hood up, as Damon had said, and was wrapped in a long cloak that did
little to hide his tense, expectant body. I had no doubt he was as ready
with his weapon, whatever it might be, as I was with mine.

"Good day," he called, when we were close enough to be heard. His voice
sounded tense and forced. "Do you have any water you would be willing to
share? I've run out."

Alek and I exchanged glances. "We've some," I called back, "And of course
you'd be welcome to share it, Cedrik."

At the sound of his name he started, then flung back his cloak in a flash,
revealing a rapier he had concealed beneath. He pointed it at us and began
to back away.

"Hold, Cedrik!" shouted Alek, walking towards him with his hands in the
air, "It's Alek! It's your brother!"

Cedrik froze, but kept his sword leveled in our direction. "So it is you,"
he said. We were close enough now to make out his face, and he no longer
had to shout. "I suppose that is Markis with you? Of course, I should have
known."

"Hello, Cedrik," I said cautiously, "Surely there's no need for weapons
around family and friends, is there?"

The clerk pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes behind his spectacles. "I
would it were so, Markis. However, given that both of you share a certain
former employer, I'm afraid I can't be too trusting just yet."

It was then I pulled out my sword, holding it at the ready. Alek looked at
me as if I had gone mad.

"Well, it is only fair, then, that we should mistrust you," I said, "Given
that your employer recently tried to hold us prisoner."

Cedrik laughed dismissively. "Please, Markis! Do you think you could have
escaped so easily unless the King had allowed it?"

This made me pause. Our escape had seemed miraculous, and there had been
very few guards. "What are you saying?" asked Alek.

Cedrik did not look at him, but kept his eyes locked onto me. "Markis knows
very well what I'm saying. Politics demanded that the King could not allow
himself to set you free."

"And so he allowed me to escape, after a fairly public arrest," I said, the
pieces falling into place. Valen was a shrewd, unpredictable man.

Alek shook his head. "No. Do you believe that, Markis?"

"It does not matter what you believe," Cedrik said. "Now, what do you want
with me?"

"Cedrik?" Alek cried plaintively, "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Don't talk to me," Cedrik said sharply, his voice breaking, "I can't even
look at you. You sound and look so much like my brother that I may grow
weak."

"I am your brother!" Alek insisted, taking a step forward.

Cedrik swiped the air with his sword in frustration. "You were,
once. Before the Queen stole your mind and your heart. I'm sorry, but I
don't know what you are now. My brother is dead -- I've been mourning his
loss for years. Whatever you are, miserable creature, I would have you out
of your misery. I had hoped Markis would be a true friend and see to that
for me, as I had asked him."

"You were wrong," I said, "The Queen's spell can be broken. I escaped it,
and so has Alek."

"Think, Markis," Cedrik insisted, "You have special defenses that my
brother did not. Isn't it possible that he has escaped with you by the
Queen's command, to act as a spy?"

I shook my head and said nothing. Alek looked at me again, troubled.

"You are so confident," Cedrik said, "but would you trust him with your
life?"

I met Alek's eyes briefly, then looked away. "I have already trusted him
with much more than that," I muttered, half to myself. Alek's face went
blank and Cedrik looked puzzled. "I have more reason to mistrust you than
him," I continued, "Why are you going north? Did Valen send you to look for
us?"

He shook his head. "My errand does not concern you," Cedrik said
mysteriously, "You can go wherever you like, the further away the
better. Its not your fault, but you have brought nothing but trouble to
Fermanagh. I have my own business to attend to."

"Maybe we could help you," Alek suggested.

Cedrik bit his lower lip. "I might reveal my task to Markis; I believe the
King, whatever his reasons, would not mind my doing so. But I cannot risk
speaking such things in front a likely spy for the Queen."

Alek looked so wounded that it made me want to hug him right there. He
looked about helplessly and turned as if to leave.

"Anything you told me, I would not keep from Alek," I said defiantly, not
daring to look at him but feeling the waves of gratitude emanating from my
friend.

"Then I shall keep it to myself and continue on my journey," Cedrik said,
turning and starting to walk away.

"We head north as well by this same road," I said, following him.

"As you will," Cedrik called back tonelessly, "But do not think that we are
traveling together."
____________________________________________________________________________________

When night fell at last, Alek's brother refused our offer of food and
water, or to share our fire. Instead he insisted on moving off to find his
own encampment, out of sight from ours. We looked in vain for the light of
a fire that might suggest his location and distance, but saw nothing. Alek
was distraught and restless and would not look at me or speak while we had
our meager dinner. I was myself intensely dissatisfied with the food we had
purchased; Damon could provide much bigger and more delicious meals than
our limited supplies allowed us. I looked at my companion and for the
hundredth time tried to think of a way to explain my servant's existence to
him. He looked so gloomy and pale that I decided, once again, that the time
was not right.

At last we stretched out on the ground for some sleep, but Alek tossed and
turned and would not let me touch or comfort him. It pained me greatly to
see him so upset, and I remember racking my brain trying to figure out what
I could do to ease his misery. At last I could not stand the silence any
longer.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

Alek looked at me sharply, incredulity on his face. "What do you think is
wrong, Markis?" he asked, angrily.

"There's no need to attack me," I said, fighting to stay calm, "I just want
to help."

He let out a long sigh. "I know you do. I'm sorry."

"You are worried about your brother," I said, "and upset that he does not
trust you."

Alek put his face into his hands and groaned. "He can be so stubborn and
difficult," he muttered.

"It must run in the family," I smiled, putting my hand on his shoulder to
show him I was joking.

He tensed at my touch, as he often did when I caught him by surprise, but
then relaxed and chuckled. "You're probably right," he admitted.

I stroked his back calmingly, and it may have worked for several minutes,
but soon he was up again and pacing restlessly. I watched him for several
moments, feeling my own frustration well up inside of me. At last I stood
and wrapped my cloak about me.

"Where are you going?" Alek asked, furrowing his brow.

I leaned in and kissed him quickly. "To find him."

"It won't do you any good," he insisted, but I deflected his excuses and
moved away.

"I can't just stay here and watch you suffer. I'll be back later. Be safe,"
I said.

He searched for words, but was silent as I began to walk away. When I was
some distance off I heard him call out, "Be careful." That made me
smile. Alek did not seem prone to express his affection or concern (and,
given what he had gone through, I suppose I can understand why) but every
now and then he would inadvertently reveal his attachment. These small
glimpses of his hidden devotion affected me more strongly than Damon's
continual protestations of admiration ever could.

It was quite dark by that time, with only the faint light of the distant
moon to guide my steps, and once I left our little fire behind I felt lost
in the blackness. It seemed as if suddenly I had been transported back to
the night I first had left my village and had stumbled through the dark
with no clue of where to go. Similarly, I had no idea where Cedrik might be
found, and so, as I had then on that first step of my journey, I was forced
to pick the direction in which I would travel mostly at random. I knew the
odds that I would stumble upon him were small, and that the wisest action
would be to wait until morning to locate him, but at least a walk would
help me clear my head and give Alek a chance to calm himself before I
returned. I could not think of my new companion without a confusing mix of
emotions clouding my thoughts and making it difficult to focus on my search
for his brother.

I do not know how long I roamed that night, seeking Cedrik in vain. My
thoughts kept swirling back to Alek. Could he be trusted? Was I letting my
obvious attachment to him affect my judgment?

"Questions," I said out loud to nobody but myself, "Questions are all I
have." Perhaps answers are the property of the Creator alone, I pondered.

Time passed, the moon rose higher in the sky, and my feet began to hurt. It
was time to give up the search and find my way back to Alek and the fire. I
did not think it would be difficult to retrace my steps, and if I became
utterly lost I could always call upon Damon for assistance. I was
determined not to call for help, though, unless it became absolutely
necessary. I was afraid, then and often afterward, that I would give in to
the natural temptation of coming to rely upon my servant too much, of
loosing all abilities to provide and take care of myself. To be served, to
be guided, to be provided for by a creature of such power -- it could
reduce many men to laziness and indolence, their senses and abilities
dulled. The discipline that had been instilled in me since my youth cried
out against the very idea.

A noise not far off alerted me that I was not alone. I stopped in mid-step
and mid-thought, straining to pick out any other sign of movement. After a
moment, I heard it; the unmistakable sounds of someone walking
nearby. Suddenly, as if by magic, a lumbering blot of blackness which had
previously melded seamlessly with the darkness of the night became
recognizable as a moving, breathing shape.

"Damon?" I asked warily, though I was certain that it was not my servant at
all. As the shape grew sharper and clearer, there was no mistaking its huge
frame and unnerving presence.

"Beware," came the deep, rumbling voice that I remembered instantly,
"Danger roams the night."

I took a step back unconsciously. "Is that a threat?" My hand found the
hilt of my sword.

"A warning," Golmeir rumbled. There was something distant and sad in his
booming voice.

"What danger, then?" I asked, not daring to relax.

The large shape shifted, sniffing the air. "Women. Full of hate."

I'll never forget the feeling of dread that filled me at those words. It
was as if my heart had instantly frozen and sank unceremoniously to the
bottom of my chest. My mouth went dry. "Where?" I managed to ask.

Golmeir shook his head sadly. "Everywhere."

Just then I heard the sounds of someone shouting in the distance. "Alek!" I
cried to myself, and without another thought ran in the vague direction of
the sound.

"I await your signal," said Golmeir. Or at least that is what I believe he
said, for all my attention was upon rushing to my new friend's aid. The
shout echoed in the air again, and I altered my course in order to bring
myself closer to it. My blind panic now gave way to focused rage. I pulled
the silver sword free, ready to cut down anything that stood between me and
Alek.

A single shape tried to intercept me in the dark. I believe it was an
amazarii, but I did not pay her much attention. I had momentum and rage on
my side, and I cut her down with little effort and hurried on.

My eyes had by this time adjusted to the faint light of the moon, and I
could pick out details in the darkness that had been invisible before when
I had left Alek by the fire. Because of this, I could see at once that the
area which the shouts seemed to be coming from was not the location of the
encampment we had made a few hours earlier. Those shouts had stopped, but I
could hear the sounds of voices up ahead. It took an act of willpower, but
I slowed my pace and proceeded cautiously.

I whispered Damon's name and he appeared beside me instantly. I whispered
instructions to him to go and check on Alek back at our fire, and he nodded
and vanished again. Creeping forward carefully, I began to be able to pick
out what the voices were saying and to make some sense of
them. Fortunately, whoever was speaking seemed to care little about being
overheard and spoke quite loudly.

"Your defiance will only cause you more pain," said the voice, clearly
female. "What is your mission?"

I heard Cedrik's strangled voice say something which I could not quite make
out.

"Do not dare to lie to us," said another voice, and I heard the sharp crack
of a slap, "You are a pawn of the King and always will be."

"I have left his service," I heard Cedrik sputter, more loudly than
before. "I want nothing to do with the politics of Fermanagh."

One woman laughed. There seemed to be three or four around him, but it was
possible that there were others whose shapes I had not yet noticed in the
dark.

"We'll have to find ways of being persuasive, won't we, sisters?" said one
of the amazarii. The others cackled with pleasure. I could make out some
kind of motion, and then Cedrik screamed out in pain. It was a horrible
sound, and I nearly rushed in with my sword swinging right then. I was
tensing myself in preparation when a bird landed on my shoulder, startling
me.

"Master," the bird whispered in my ear in Damon's voice, "Alek is gone!"

I had very little time to consider this revelation, for new voices and new
shapes heralded the arrival of several more amazarii at Cedrik's side.

"Look what we found," said one of the new women, shoving a dark shape
forward. I knew at once who it was.

"Nice to see you, Tolo," said an amazarii, mirth in her voice, "The Queen
is anxious to see you again. She wishes you had informed her you were
planning a vacation."

"I will never understand Her Majesty's attachment to this man," said
another, "I knew it would prove disastrous for her."

"Did not the Seeress predict his disloyalty?"

"Silence," one of the older amazarii commanded, "Do not question our
Queen's wisdom."

The mention of the Seeress sent my mind racing, recalling all that the old
woman had said to me.

"This will be fun," said one of the women, when my attention returned to
the conversation. "I love games."

"The rules are simple, Tolo," said an amazarii, "We're going to give you a
knife, and you're going to use it to cause your brother pain."

"If you don't, we'll use it on you." Their laughter, always cruel, always
vengeful, sounded again.

I edged nearer. Two princes, the Seeress had said. Two souls, one stolen.

I could see Alek now, or at least recognize his shape. In his hand he held
a long dagger, which glinted softly in the moonlight. Trembling, he was
shuffling towards the small figure that could only be Cedrik. The clerk was
on his knees, whimpering in pain. Alek raised the knife.

In moments of distress and confusion, when the events of the world seem to
be racing ever more out of control, faster than our capability to
comprehend or process them, there will often come a moment of sudden
clarity like the eye of the storm in which everything is ordered and
still. The mind makes a sudden leap to a higher order of thought, propelled
by the intense need of a desperate situation. If it were not so, I would
not be alive to write these words. So often my life has been saved by
moments of sudden lucidity in the midst of anguish, either from myself or
in others. It is our gift and our curse to be magnified by adversity; it is
only through suffering and tribulation that our true glory, our full
potential can shine. I knew this even then, but have learned it again and
again every day since.

The moment I have described is a perfect example of this truth. In a single
instant, I not only understood to what the Seeress had been referring (the
truth revealing itself with utter simplicity, like the final strokes in an
elaborate painting) but also felt I knew exactly what was to come, knew
what Alek would do, knew how I must proceed. A feeling of complete
confidence and calm welled up in me, dispelling the panic and doubt that
had plagued my mind like the fresh rays of the sun driving away dark and
stormy clouds.

"Do it, Tolo!" the women commanded, laughing. "Strike him, Tolo!"

Alek let out a scream that seemed to come from the deepest corners of his
body. "Get out of my head, Valessa!" he shouted into the sky, "That is not
my name!"

With a single smooth motion, he turned and threw the knife. I heard it
whistling through the air, spinning like a wheel, until it sank with a thud
into one of the dark shapes of the amazarii. She screamed and fell back,
thudding heavily upon the earth. Her sisters-in-arms shouted in disbelief
and turned their weapons towards Alek and his brother.

It was time. I wrapped my hand around the amulet that hung about my neck,
the amulet that Errold in his madness had thought the only gift he had
worth giving.

"Now, Golmeir!" I shouted, half to the open air of the night and half to
the amulet. "Protect me and my friends!"

My voice revealed my presence. The shadows turned toward me in alarm,
preparing their weapons. I raised my sword into the sky, letting its
shimmering beauty catch the eye of every amazarii who would face me.

"{For Anatheria!}" I shouted in the Sacred Tongue, and before the words had
finished echoing through the night I had begun my attack.

I had scarcely engaged with the first amazarii before a deep and rumbling
roar, like the crash of thunder, shot through my body and I saw the large
and frighteningly powerful shape of Golmeir materialize from the darkness
and begin a rampage through our enemies. The warrior women shouted at each
other and went at him with spears, but his skin was thick and his limbs
massive. He brushed them aside, sending them flying back into chaos.

With my silver blade I battled several women myself, making my way towards
Alek, who had somehow managed to get a hold of one of their spears and was
attempting to drive an amazarii away from his brother. Cedrik was on his
knees, trying to crawl away from the conflict weakly. One of the women
tried to ambush him, but I caught up to her just in time and sent her
running away with an ugly slash across her arm. Turning back to Cedrik and
his brother, I saw that the battle (if such a skirmish could be given so
grand a title) was over. It had lasted no longer than the space of a dozen
breaths, and yet I was a weary as if I had ran all night. Golmeir knocked
aside a warrior woman, who fell to the ground and did not move again, and
the others were making a hasty retreat, shouting curses and screaming in
frustration. The giant pursued them, but I could not pay much attention to
him.

Alek was holding Cedrik, cradling him in his arms. I rush to their
side. Alek was weeping openly.

"He's been hurt," Alek mumbled, "He's bleeding."

I nodded, looking for the wound. Cedrik gripped my hands and pulled me down
close to him.

"Listen to me," he whispered, "If I don't make it..."

Alek tried to quiet him in a panic, but I brushed him aside.

"Your injury is not fatal," I insisted, but Cedrik shook his head.

"Can't risk it," he said, "War is inevitable now, Markis. The Queen and her
allies will overwhelm us. I am sent to Carmathen to ask for their aid. You
must go in my place. Find our ambassador in the city, go to the ruling
Council, beg for their support. It's our only hope."

"We'll go together," I said, placating him.

"Swear it!" he said, squeezing my hands tightly, "Valen is depending on
me."

I nodded, looking at Alek. "I swear I will do this."

He smiled and closed his eyes. Alek looked worried but I rested my hand on
his shoulder.

"He needs to rest," I said, "He's lost a lot of blood, but we shouldn`t
give up hope yet. We need to get him aid immediately."

Alek shook his head as if to clear his head. "How? Carry him?"

"I don't think we can," I replied.

"I can," said Golmeir, who had walked up behind us. His deep voice startled
Alek, who turned and saw the giant clearly for the first time. He let out a
tiny squeak and squeezed my hand in alarm.

I sighed, rubbing my temple with my other hand. "Alek, this is Golmeir," I
said wearily.

The giant bowed deeply, and the three of us stared at each other awkwardly
while Cedrik slept and bled.
_____________________________________________________________________________

And in this way I found myself bound for Carmathen, even as I am now once
again. My arrival in that vast, writhing city of despair began a new
chapter in my journey. There is so much left to tell, but my eyes are heavy
and I must rise early in the morning to lead my troops towards battle.

I likely shall not have a chance to write again until after peace has been
re-established in the city, which may take several days. It does not
matter. I have sworn to finish this account, and finish it I shall.

***Thanks to all who encouraged me to keep writing. Sorry it still took so
long. Please continue to pester me and send me your reactions to the new
chapters. Also, I have started a mailing list for those who want to be
informed when a new chapter is finished. E-mail me to be added. Thanks
again! thephallocrat@gmail.com***