Chapter 25
Light Against Light
Gottestag, Gotland
Wilfried was a youth of fifteen when his family had to flee from the capital. He was old enough to fully understand what was happening but not old enough to do anything about it. After nine years of exile, he once again found himself in the tunnels they had used to escape, only this time he would be fighting to take back what was his, what belonged to his people.
The injured Father Ludbert was left behind at Hundskopf to safeguard Sir Manfried's daughter with nine men to ensure word of what had happened did not get out. It was distasteful to hold the child hostage, but it was far preferable to killing her and the remainder of her father's household. Then at Dachsbühl Wilfried and Sir Eckhardt left their squires with the maid Berthilda and the two footmen who had continued on from Hundskopf to guard their escape route, but more to keep them out of the fight to come. Now their number was less than half of what had set out from Reginwald. Would thirteen men be enough to bring down the so-called Empress of the Southern Lands? If they could make the most of their knowledge of the castle to take the Witch Queen unawares, there might be some hope, slim though it may be.
By Wilfried's estimate, they would be within the castle walls in an hour's time, but as he was thinking about this, he felt a tug at his sleeve. It was Gudrun.
"What is it, lady?" he asked.
"Try to keep a level head, Your Highness," she said.
"What?"
Before she could elaborate further, if she would have elaborated further, Kolman spoke up, saying, "There's something here, something with the touch of magic. It's trying to hide its power, but there's too much of it. I've never felt anything like it."
Sir Eckhardt and Bishop Friedman held their weapons at the ready while Captain Hengist drew out an arrow from his quiver.
"It's coming closer," Kolman continued. "There's more than one. Two... three... No, four... One of them... Oh, damnation..."
Wilfried looked back to Gudrun, who only repeated, "Keep a level head, Your Highness. You are the only one who can."
* * *
It may have been risky going to Sir Burkhardt's family home in Apfelsthal, but hidden there was one of the entrances into the tunnel system that connected to Engelsberg, the way Sir Burkhardt knew best. They did not tarry long, and indeed, Sir Burkhardt refused to visit his family's hall until after they had succeeded in their mission, so it appeared that they had evaded detection.
Lys now wore the pelt of the she-wolf who had offered herself up as a sacrifice over her cloak. She would be counting on that wolf's strength, and the strength of all the birds and beasts whose spirits she carried with her. Even without drawing on their full power yet, she could feel her senses heightened, though it would appear she was still no match for Corothas.
The Dragonian stopped and sniffed the air, saying, "We are not alone here. There are men, twelve, and a woman and... a Kentauros? Curious..."
"A what?" Lys asked.
"A Horseman, Miss Lys," Father Tristram said.
"There is a touch of magic about one of the men," Corothas added, "but only one."
No sooner had he said it than Lys felt it for herself and knew who it was.
"I know this presence," Father Tristram said. "When I was first sent to pick up your trail, I was directed to the home of Kolman Curtmantle, the Court Sorcerer. He is here."
"Yes, it's Master Kolman," Lys replied with a sigh.
"Then the Horseman must be Hengist," Sir Burkhardt said, his voice unslurred for a change as this was an occasion even he had the sense to not be drunk for.
"And the woman Gudrun, I'm sure," Lys said.
"I can imagine who else might be there," Sir Burkhardt said.
Lys could as well. If Kolman, Captain Hengist and Gudrun were there, Bishop Friedman probably was as well and leading them was almost certainly Prince Wilfried. What were the chances their paths would cross here, now? Perhaps Gudrun had something to do with it.
"It is not too late to run away," Father Tristram suggested.
Lys imagined he was saying it in jest, yet she took his words seriously all the same.
"If we don't the courage to face them, how can we expect to face the Witch Queen?"
"Well, that's one vote to continue on," the priest said. "All in favor?"
"Run away if you mean to run, priest," Sir Burkhardt growled as he followed after Lys, who had already resumed walking.
"I guess the ayes have it then," Father Tristram said. To his sister, he said in a low voice, "Stay behind me, Ysolde."
"Yes, Brother," Sister Ysolde replied quietly.
As they were walking, Lys said, "If I've sensed Master Kolman, he's sure to have sensed me. They know we're coming and I don't expect them to be all that happy about it."
"Oh, I am quite sure they will be right annoyed to see us," Father Tristram said.
"This could get ugly," Sir Burkhardt said. "You got a plan?"
"I'm working on it," Lys replied.
"You resemble your father in all the worst ways."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You really shouldn't."
Lys knew that they could not approach the Prince's party as enemies, regardless of what the other side thought of them. If she could appeal to Prince Wilfried, the others would have to follow. That was what she was hoping.
Honestly, she felt more confident about confronting the Witch Queen than what was waiting for her around the bend. She steeled herself before making the turn that brought the Prince and his followers into view. As expected, the Prince stood at the head of the formation with Gudrun at his side. Kolman was there with Bishop Friedman, and was that Sir Eckhardt? Captain Hengist was there as well and several men-at-arms. Only Prince Wilfried did not have his weapon at the ready, and of course Gudrun who was unarmed.
"Lys," the Prince said. "So it is you. And with Sir Burkhardt, I see."
Sir Burkhardt saluted and bowed his head, muttering, "Your Highness."
"I did not believe when I heard and I cannot believe it now that you would be party to such madness, Brother," Sir Eckhardt said reprovingly.
"Should I have let Tancred's girl go out alone?" Sir Burkhardt asked. "That would be an ill way to repay my debt to her father."
"And you think letting her go forward repays him well?"
"If you know a way to put a stop to this girl's whims, do tell, Brother."
"That was supposed to be your task, Father Tristram," Bishop Friedman growled.
Father Tristram bowed his head and replied, "Forgive me, Your Grace, but my orders were to ensure that the girl does not fall into the Witch Queen's hands and that is exactly what I am doing."
"This is not what I meant and you know it."
Lys was supposed to be diplomatic, but she could not keep a cool head after hearing Bishop Friedman admit to her face that he had sent Father Tristram to kill her.
"Would you like to correct the good Father's error now, Your Grace?"
The Bishop tightened his grip on his mace.
"That depends on you, child."
Corothas stepped forward and stood in front of Lys, saying, "This child is under my protection. I have sworn an oath to see her to her audience with the Witch Queen. If you mean her harm, you will answer to me."
Corothas threw back his hood to reveal his horns. It almost seemed that he grew a foot in stature as he did.
"What is that?" the Bishop asked in a mix of dread and contempt.
The Dragonian placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly, saying, "Corothas, son of Ionathas. At your service."
"It would appear you are at that heathen child's service," the Bishop replied.
"I am at the service of all who are pure of heart," Corothas said.
"You call that creature pure of heart?"
"The child has bared her soul me, so I can guarantee it. What might I find if I search out your heart of hearts, sir?"
"You damnèd devil..."
Lys saw Captain Hengist start to draw back his bow and the men-at-arms start to move as if to attack, so she quickly put herself in front of Corothas, holding up her hands for peace.
"Hold, hold, all of you."
She knew that she had no real hope of winning them over to her side. Indeed, she was not even all that certain that the ones on her side genuinely believed in what she meant to do. If she could not make the case back in Reginwald, what hope did she have now? Still, maybe she could negotiate something. She had to try.
She went to Prince Wilfried. He was her best hope, her only hope.
"Your Highness, we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves. We both want the same thing, don't we? We both want to stop the Witch Queen."
"It's how you to mean to stop her that's the fly in the ointment," Kolman said.
"Loreley is innocent," Lys said. "She shouldn't have to die just to stop the Witch Queen. Let me try with my arts. If I can free Loreley, then Maus won't have any reason to fight for the Witch Queen anymore."
"We've already gone over this the first time you brought this mad scheme to us," Kolman said. "Yes, Loreley is innocent, but Maus is not. He's a traitor."
"That's for His Majesty to judge."
"It won't get to that point because you overestimate your power, you foolish girl. You will try, you will fail, and you will be added to the ranks of the enemy."
Lys did not waste time arguing with Kolman as it was a lost cause. She knelt before Prince Wilfried and said, "Your Highness, let me try, please."
The Prince looked somewhat hesitant, then glanced to Gudrun.
"Together, and only together, is there a path to victory," she said.
The Prince then looked to Lys and asked her, "What if you should fail?"
"Then do what you must," Lys replied. "Let my blood be on my own head." She looked over her shoulder. "You understand, Corothas?"
"If that is your wish, child," Corothas replied.
Prince Wilfried took a breath before saying, "Then let it be as you have said. You get one chance. If you fail, we go ahead as planned. If you try to interfere, or if you show any sign of having been turned to the enemy, you know what that means."
"Your Highness!" Kolman, Bishop Friedman, Sir Eckhardt and Captain Hengist all objected in very nearly one voice.
"Lys has shown the courage to come this far with nearly every hand in the kingdom against her," Prince Wilfried said. "I will reward that courage and her dedication to Master Tancred's memory to give her this one chance."
"This one chance you give her could make the difference between our victory and defeat," Bishop Friedman said.
"It could," the Prince admitted, "but that is a blade that cuts both ways. On my honor as the Crown Prince of Gotland, with God as my witness, I grant this to Lys, daughter of Tancred, and if you be true and leal, you will be bound by the same oath. Should any man here break faith, let the guilt be upon his head."
Four of the Prince's Five Champions did not look the slightest bit happy at his oath. It was Gudrun who spoke first, saying, "Let Your Highness' will be my will."
Next it was Sir Eckhardt, who knelt and offered up his sword, and the two men with him knelt as well.
"Though it may lead to the doom of us all, in His Majesty's name, my sword is yours, Your Highness."
Kolman looked surprised that Sir Eckhardt yielded as quickly as he did and looked back and forth to see if the others would do the same. He gave Lys a mightily evil look before grudgingly bending the knee and saying, "And my rod is yours to wield, Your Highness."
That just left Captain Hengist and Bishop Friedman. It was Captain Hengist who partially bent the knee of his foreleg in the fashion of his people as he said, "Just as the ancient oath of my people binds me to your house, so I will bind you fast to your words, Your Highness. The very moment I am free to do so, I will have my revenge, and let not God nor Man nor anything under the heavens get between me and satisfaction."
Only Bishop Friedman remained. He stepped forward and approached Lys, his mace still in hand. Lys motioned for Corothas to stay back and not interfere. She was still kneeling for the Prince, but she did not rise. She could imagine how easy it would be for the Bishop to smash her skull in, and she was quite certain there was a part of his mind thinking about it.
"Some might say what you mean to do is mercy," he said. "Yet you would put two lives ahead of all lives in the Eight Kingdoms, all for your pride and error. It would be good and right to put an end to this madness here and now, but while I do not believe you can be saved, perhaps others here can learn from your example. God judge me, but I will grant your folly a time that it would be a testament against you and all those who cling to false, vain hopes."
Though no doubt ill-advised, Lys could not help herself from replying, "Thank you for your support, Your Grace."
If the Bishop had been any shorter of temper, he certainly would have stuck her then.
"May you see the errors of your ways and repent of it before you are called to the Judgment Seat. May God have mercy on your soul."
She would have to count on God's mercy because she did not expect to find any from the good Bishop. As he was returning to his two warrior-monk companions, Prince Wilfried offered Lys his hand. She accepted it as he helped her to her feet.
"If I knew this was going to happen, we would have done just as well to have departed together," he said.
"Sometimes the river must diverge for a time before it comes together again," Lys replied.
"And what course will this river take?"
Lys nodded to Gudrun and said, "Ask her. She's the pilot of this boat."
"I am but the navigator," Gudrun replied. "It is you two who are at the helm."
"In that case, all ahead," Prince Wilfried said.
"All ahead," Lys repeated.
