The rain lashed the stones of the Stronghold, finding its way through any possible crack to get within the piled brickwork. Throughout the fortress food was being cooked for the evening meal, men were sitting around talking and laughing, although few had drunk enough yet to be singing, and in the great hall the King was holding court. In one of the far towers, however, all was strangely quiet.
The tower room was sat atop a long spiralling staircase, and was small, with thick walls. It contained only a few pieces of furniture - a bed, a basin on a stand and a small pile of belongings on a table on the other side of the room. In the bed a figure lay, the sheets cast back as he pitched and rolled in the grip of a bad dream. The man's
face, red and contorted with a mixture of hatred and fear, had both the looks of a Drasnian and an Algarian.
Occasionally someone would poke their head around the door, and check on him, but none could tell what was wrong with him, or why he was so restless. Few stayed long though. The Algars had only realised which room they had put the man in after they had moved him there, and they?d been told it would be too dangerous to move him. There were few throughout the Stronghold, however, who didn?t connect the stranger?s restlessness with the room?s previous occupant, and the dark tale which
surrounded that former occupant?s past.
Suddenly the figure sat up in the bed and wiped the sweat from his eyes. His name was Dayo, and he was an adventurer of both Drasnian and Algarian parents. All this he recalled. He remembered they were dead, a thought which stung at it him almost as much as the time when it had happened, after having seen all his other memories of them flash by quickly. He tried to remember what had happened to him, but it
seemed to escape him. He remembered some sort of creature, a huge, bestial monster, which for some reason he hated as though it had caused him some sort of terrible injury. He sat up in the bed and shook his head. The dreams he had just had were so vivid they blocked out any other thought. He straightened himself even more in the bed and wondered what it was he had dreamed. It made little sense...
As far as he could tell it the dream had been set some years before, and it had begun in this very room. Instead of himself in the bed there was another young man, a taller man. The man was a Baron's son, Dayo somehow knew, even though he did not recognise him. The young man was snoring loudly, and over a chair in the corner a pile of clothes were slung, a thick, long, formal robe, and an ordinary tunic and hose. On a side table nearby a single silver medal glittered in the early morning sun. Dayo saw daylight begin to stream through the window. The man twitched as it took him in the face, then his eyes blinked open. He groaned and turned over.
There was a loud knocking on the door, and a deep voice shouted someone's name
'Korgor? KORGOR?!'
'Oh alright!' The Baron's son stood and began pulling on his clothes...
Korgor pulled on his boots and opened the door. Outside was an Algarian, his fist raised as though to pound it on the door again. He had a black scalp lock, and his brown eyes looked up from where he been examining the floor.
'Oh, you're up.' He said.
'Well I couldn't really avoid it could I?' Korgor replied a little irritably.
'You want to go riding before brekfast?' The man asked. Korgor stretched, his cloak slung over his shoulder.
'Do you EVER think about anything else, Dar?' The Algarian seemed to think for a moment.
'No.'
'Alright, but I'd better be back before breakfast or my father will skin me.'
They strolled down the tower stairs towards the stables.
'What is he here for again?' Dar asked as they passed the King's hall.
'He's seeing if he can't persuade Cho Ram to give us a bit more land at the bottom of the Escarpment.'
'He'll say no, you know.' Dar warned
'I have a feeling he might, but we're not in a very good position really, are we, with
the Murgos right on our Eastern border. He's hoping he might be able to convince him that we're one of the only things standing between him and those Murgos.'
'Sometimes I get the feeling Cho Ram would mind you not being there, things have been quiet since you moved there. We didn't like Murgo raids but when there are none, things start to get boring. What made a Sendarian move up there anyway? It seems a bit too rocky for farming.'
'Well, my father said he was getting bored of being under the Kings thumb.' Dar smiled knowingly.
'What did he do ths time?'
'I don't know what you mean. You think my father would do anything to promote his own ends above the kings?' The Algarian laughed.
'Yes!'
'Oh alright, he sort of tried to take some of the King's forest. He had a nice little idea of putting boats on the river there and sending them with timber down to Sendar. That's what he said anyway.'
?I take it the King wasn?t impressed??
?Not exactly...?
Their conversation cut off as they reached the stables.
As Korgor and Dar entered, they noticed the stablemaster was not around.
'That's strange' Dar commented. 'He's usually always here. Ah well, there's my horse, where's yours?' Korgor looked round quickly.
'It appears to have gone,' He said, with a look of worry on his face.
A sound came from outside, the whinny of a horse and a laugh. Korgor
swung the door open in time to see a woman on a horse, clad in algarian
leather, ride past. There was another man with her, a couple of years older than Korgor and Dar. As he realised it was his horse she was riding she turned and rode back.
'He isn't yours is he?' She asked, swinging down. Obviously it hadn?t been part of her plan to be caught. Korgor stared at her for a moment, her long blonde hair, her brown eyes which seemed to swallow him. Then he blinked, realising he was being rude.
'He might be,' Korgor walked over and patted the horse's neck ?But I don't mind you riding him if you want.'
'My lord is too kind,' The woman said, and Korgor didn't know wether or not she was being sarcastic. The other man appeared leading his horse through the door as Dar appeared round the door.
'Oh, you've met.' He said, leading his own mount.
'Have we?' Korgor asked, looking round. The woman laughed.
'Why don't you introduce us, Dar?' she said
'Korgor, this is Taranis, the stablemaster's daughter and my cousin. Taranis, this is Korgor, Baron Rikorsk?s son.'
'I think my father's in a council with the king and your father,' The woman smiled.
'Some of the things they talk about are so boring...'
Korgor laughed 'Why do you think I'm out here?' It was a second later when Dar noticed the man still sat on his horse behind Taranis. He dropped to one knee.
?Your majesty,? He said. ?I didn?t see you there.?
?Dar,? The man said in a quiet voice with a slight smile. ?How many time?s have I told you you don?t have to do all that? I?ve known you since you were three.?
?And I have been priveledged for every day, Your majesty.? Dar said, still kneeling.
?Fine, you want it like that, I command you not to call me your majesty.?
?Of course your...? Dar?s face creased ito a frown. ?That?s not fair!? He said.
Korgor coughed. ?Er, Dar, maybe you?d like to...?
?Oh yes,? Dar said, standing. ?Korgor of Lower Gate, Crown Prince Cho Hag of Algaria.? Korgor dropped to one knee. Cho Hag sighed.
?You had to do that, didn?t you?? He accused Dar.
They rode out of the gates together about half an hour later. Korgor had told them he'd take them to see his father?s castle, and so they rode West. They reined in a few hours later some distance from the escarpment.
'See that up there?' Korgor pointed to the top of the cliff. A thin spire could be seen over the distance.
'Just about.' Dar replied, squinting.
'That's the North tower, here.' He passed a telescope to Taranis, who
seemed to be having difficulty.
'So you live up there? Isn't it a bit dangerous, you know with the Murgos so close?' Cho Hag asked.
'They've left us alone, actually. Father didn't realise we were so far south when he started building. That's why he wants some land below the cliff, so he can move the castle down there. The land's probably better for farming too.'
'I'm not sure my father will agree, though.'
'Everyone seems to think that,? Korgor smiled. ?It's worth a try, I suppose.'
?I?ll have a word with him if you want,? Cho Hag offered. ?He might listen to me.? Korgor nodded.
?Thanks. I?d like something to go right for him, even if we don;t see eye to eye about almost everything.? He shrugged ruefully, as though thinking of the way things could have been.
A week passed, then a few more weeks. Korgor's father, still waiting for Cho Ram's decision, decided to return home, leaving his son behind to wait for the reply. Korgor spent his time with Dar, Taranis and Cho Hag. One day the two men had gone out on the hunt, and Korgor had said he didn?t really feel like it. As he sat alone in the Great Hall, silent now that almost every clansman had gone hunting with the King, Taranis walked in and sat next to him.
?I see you?re alone.? She said.
?Yes,? Korgor nodded. ?I see you are as well.? He and Taranis had grown slowly closer and closer together. Dar had teased him about it once or twice, but he?d ignored it. Now he was happy to keep silent, for her to say what she wanted to.
?You know, now that there?s no one else around...? Korgor stood. He knew where this conversation waas going. He remembered what his father had said about getting involved with Algar women - he?d said it would probably be best for him to marry a Sendarian heiress. He decided that very second that this was not what he was planning to do.
?Did I ever show you my chamber?? He asked the girl. He had never been one to beat around the bush She looked up at him, but she didn't seem to be offended.
?No.? She said.
Another week passed, and then The King made a decision. It was not, however, the decision Korgor had been waiting for. Cho Ram was getting older, and he thought that now would be a good time to hand over the decision, and the crown to his son. Cho Hag was nearly twenty by this time, and had married a few months before to Silar, a girl Korgor knew as well. His first action after the coronation was to call the baron's son before him.
'Korgor, I know you've been waiting for our answer for a while.' The King said in his quiet voice.
'Yes your majesty.' Korgor was half apprehensive, half happy. It had taken so long for them to decide, had they finally agreed to give them the land?
'However, I still haven't decided.' Korgor's face fell.
'Oh, I see, your majesty. Very Well, shall I...'
'I haven't finished,' The new king smiled slightly from his throne, and Korgor grinned back. He'd got to know Cho Hag quite well during his stay here. Although his legs were not strong, he was a great horseman, and he?d proved it quite a few times in the races they?d had.
'I think you're probably going to be needed back home, though, so why don't you go and I'll send your father a message when I've made up my mind.'
'Are you sure?' Korgor had enjoyed his time here, but he missed his family and would like to get home at some time during his life.
'Go on Korgor, you've been moping here for long enough.' The King smiled.
'Thank you your majesty, thank you so much!' Korgor realised what he had said 'I mean, of course I've enjoyed...'
'Oh go on, get going.' The King laughed and waved him out.
'You're sure you can't stay a bit longer?' Dar asked as the Baron's son swung into the saddle.
'No, sorry, I can?t,' Korgor said, beginning to wish he could now. 'I'll probably have a ton of stuff to do when I get back as it is!'
Dar smiled, but his heart wasn't in it. Korgor looked down at him.
'Take care of that cousin of yours, Dar, she'll break hearts one day.'
'Looks like she already broke yours.' Korgor sighed theatrically and then laughed.
'See if you can get Cho Hag to send you as the messenger, I'll show you
round.With this the barons son turned his horse and rode out of the gates, waving back only once. Dar watched him go...
Three months passed, and soon, inexplicably, Taranis began to complain of feeling ill more and more. One morning Dar waited outside his cousin?s room. The door creaked open and Queen Silar stepped out. She had a mysterious look on her face
?What?s wrong with her, your majesty?? Dar asked.
?Nothing,? She said still with that same smile. ?She just needs some rest right now.?
?Nothing?? Dar said, suprise in his voice. It hadn?t seemed like nothing when he?d run off to get her.
?Nothing bad,? The Queen smiled. ?She?s pregnant.? Dar stood there shocked for a moment.
?Pregnant?!? He almost shouted. The Queen nodded.
'I think it's Korgor's. He was talking about moving down onto the grasslands anyway. You know he and his father don't really get on?'
'No,' Dar said, still a bit shaken by the revelation. 'Pregnant?!' He said again. She laughed.
'Go and ask your father would he mind Korgor joining you when you next take to the grasslands.' Dar nodded, and ran off down the corridor.
A few more months passed, and Cho Hag, who had wanted to take his
time, finally decided to let the Baron have the land he wanted. Dar begged to be allowed to go, and after much persuasion, Cho Hag finally gave in. All the way across the grasslands, Dar kept the tower in sight, until it disappeared from view beneath the cliffs. He wondered what he was going to tell Korgor. The fact he would soon have a
child was going to be a shock, and he was loking froward to telling him he could stay with their family. He picked his way up the cliff, and the tower returned to view. It was massive, rising into the sky like a needle. He rode for a few hours across the rocky landscape until he came to a low rise. What he saw on the other side made the blood run from his face.
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