Chapter 24: Standing Guard

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Midor, General Graten and Jason were sitting outside standing guard together.  Ever since the underground chamber had been collapsed, someone was supposed to stand guard at all times to make sure that no monsters emerged from it.

Technically Midor was not supposed to have a shift guarding the chamber, since King Carlyle had still not acknowledged that Midor was in the forest.  But informally, he usually helped to stand guard.  General Graten had volunteered to help stand guard, but as he was not fully trusted yet in the castle, King Carlyle thought it would be best to have Jason stand with them.

“So,” said General Graten casually to Jason, “How did a nice boy like you end up married to one of the princesses of the castle?”

“Although I was not a member of the royal family, I was always of noble blood,” said Jason.  “I grew up playing with the princes and princesses of the castle as a boy.”

“Noble blood?” said General Graten.  “Do you mean to say that there’s a whole nobility in this forest?”

“Does anything surprise you now, General?” asked Midor.

“In spite of everything, I’m still a man who looks for sanity in the world,” said General Graten.  “I was shocked when I discovered there was a whole castle in the middle of the forest, but it would be something else entirely to make me believe that there are noble estates out here.”

“No, we don’t have estates,” said Jason.  “But there are plenty of nobles.  As there must be.  Think about how many families must spin out from the king.  Why even in our own generation, King Carlyle’s family is much bigger than can possibly be sustained in the castle.  Vivian is the eldest born, so someday she will take the throne.  And then after her, Robert.  And then Robert will have his own family, with many children and grandchildren, just like King Carlyle.  And then what will happen to my children?  Their families couldn’t all possibly be housed in the castle as well

“So where do the nobles live?” asked Graten.

“In little houses, just like the rest of the forest people.  We don’t all need our own castles.  But we do keep in close contact with the royal family.  I visited the castle often.”

“So was your wife one of your cousins then?” asked Graten, with a slight sneer in his voice.

“Our parents were second cousins,” said Jason.  

“Do not sneer, General Graten,” said Midor.  “Such things are not so unusual in the cities either.  The royal family of Mora is made up of many such alliances and intermarriage among the nobles.”

“True enough,” said General Graten.  “And I suppose, Midor, that this is the reason you were exiled from the castle?  You were just a humble ranger, and not part of the forest nobility?”

“It is one of the reasons,” Midor said.  “Although I think King Carlyle might have eventually forgiven that if I had agreed to stay at the castle with Vivian.  But I thought my work in the forest was too important to give up.  I was young then, and I had dreams of roaming the forest and being my own man.  The idea of becoming a mere courtier at King Carlyle’s castle horrified me.”  Midor suddenly stopped, and turned to Jason.  “Ah, sir Jason, you must forgive me.  I spoke without thinking.”

Jason only laughed.  “No offense taken, Midor.  I know my life would never suit you, just as your life would never suit me.”

Midor turned back to General Graten.  “I was young then,” he continued.  “Now that I’m older, I find I would trade all of my freedom to have a family--Vivian at my side, together with our son Robert.”

“You did raise Robert,” said Jason.  “You didn’t miss out on having a family altogether.”

“Yes, but I’ve missed Vivian terribly,” said Midor.  “And it hasn’t been fair on Robert.  The boy needed his mother.”

“It’s a bit late now,” said General Graten.  “Your boy is practically a grown man already.”

“We’ve missed a lot of time,” said Midor.  “But I want what time we have left.  I want it badly.  What about you, General?  Do you have any family?”

General Graten spit on the ground.  “I was never much for the family life,” he said.  “I have plenty of women all over Mora, but no one I miss much.  And who knows how many bastard children I might have running over the city.”

“I could never do that,” said Midor.  “Once I gave my heart to Vivian, there could never have been another one.”

“And it’s made you miserable ever since,” said Graten.  “You see, the key is never let them get their claws into you.  If you find yourself starting to care for one of them, then it’s time to get out of there.  That’s what I’ve always said, anyway.”

Jason decided to change the subject.  “Midor, tell us about the time you spent in the realm of the monsters,” he said.  “I’ve never quite heard the whole story.  They say something about a young bear who had disappeared.”

“He was a full grown bear,” said Midor, “but he was newly full grown, so he was young in that sense.  He was the Bear King’s son.”

“I’ve never travelled outside of the kingdom,” said Jason, “but I’ve heard stories of this Bear King.  He lies in the land to the East of here, right?”

“I remember the Bear King,” laughed General Graten.  “He was very gracious to us.  After Henry tried to kill him, he allowed us full use of his land in our pursuit of Henry and your son.”

“Was my son with Henry then?” asked Midor.  “Oh no!  That’s years of my diplomacy undone by that impetuous boy.  As soon as this is all over, I’ll need to go back and beg the Bear King’s forgiveness.”

“But what’s this about his son?” persisted Jason.

“His son had disappeared about a year ago, a little bit longer,” said Midor.  “The Bear King asked me if I could find him.  I regularly do him favors.  This was the biggest one though.  This was his son.  The Bear King was very fond of his son.  I knew that if I could track the young bear down, it would get me a lot of influence with the Bear King--influence I could use to help control him.  The forest counted on me to keep the peace between the Bear King and the outside animals.  And moreover, if you’ll believe me, I was also concerned about the young bear.  He was still young and good, not like his father, and it worried me that he had been lost in the forest.

“I have, as you know, a network of communication all throughout the forest.  Virtually every creature in the forest owes me a favor of some sort, so it was easy to get information on the Bear Prince.  I was able to track down where he had wandered.  At first it appeared he had simply gone exploring.  But then at some point, I began to get reports that he was fleeing something.  He appears to have gotten into some sort of trouble, but no animal could give me definite reports of what trouble it was, or with who.  Some people had seen him running, but nobody had seen what was chasing him.

“And then, the trail eventually led me here, where the nocturnal birds all told me he had gone down the stairway by the hollow tree.  And when I came to the hollow tree, I discovered the stairway as well.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t know it before,” said Jason.  “You normally know all the places in the forest.”

“I was surprised myself,” said Midor.  “But here it was.  I went down to investigate, and there was Talon waiting for me.  Somehow he knew I’d be along investigating.  And then he banished me to the land of the monsters.”

“I still can’t believe Talon would do that,” said Jason.  “He’s been the castle sorcerer ever since I was a kid.  He’s always been a bit grumpy, sure, but he’s always been loyal.”

“He must have been worried that the secret would get out,” said Midor.  “That’s the only thing I can think of.”

“But then how did the Bear Prince find out about it?” asked General Graten.

“Yes, that’s the real mystery,” said Midor.  “That, and the mystery of whatever became of him.”

“You never found him?” Jason asked.

“I’m fairly sure Talon banished him to the realm, just like he did me.  Probably for the same reason he banished me-- he was worried the secret would get out.”

“It can’t be much of a secret,” General Graten said, “If some random young bear could just stumble upon it.”

“Yes, that’s also strange,” said Midor.  “But a secret it had been.   I had never known the underground chamber before.  And I’d been in this part of the forest many times before.  And before me, it had been a secret for centuries.  It had been well hidden at one time.  But something must have happened.”

“What about in the realm of the monsters,” said Jason.  “Didn’t you search for the Bear Prince there?”

“I did.  It was difficult to search there, because it was always dark once I left the grove.  And I’ll be honest, I was afraid to leave the groove once I discovered what creatures lurked in the darkness.  But I eventually did leave the grove, and I spent many trips searching in the darkness, trying to find the Bear Prince.”

“Could you see anything in the dark?”

“Yes, it wasn’t pitch black.  It was more like a perpetual twilight.  And my eyes adjusted soon enough after leaving the grove and stepping into the darkness.  I occasionally saw bear tracks, but I could never find the bear prince himself.”

“I thought you were the greatest ranger in the forest,” said Jason. 

“It was difficult.  One minute I would be trying to track the Bear Prince’s footprints, the next minute I would hear a monster approaching and I would have to scramble to hide myself in the bushes or in a tree.”

“So you saw the monsters then,” asked General Graten.

“Yes, those monsters are fearsome beasts, straight out of a nightmare.  I pray they never find their way out of the realm.  Just one of those beasts could cause terror in this whole forest.  And there are legions of them buried in that cavern.”

Chapter 23: Talon Gets Visitors

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Talon was working in his room when he heard children playing and yelling outside his door.  He angrily slammed his hands on his desk.  “Unbelievable,” he muttered to himself.  “Will they not give me a little peace at this moment?”  

He strode to the door, and flung it open.  And there were Conor and Susan outside in the hallway playing with a ball.  Enraged, Talon uttered a guttural cry, and a flash of light came from his staff.  The ball burst into thousands of tiny pieces.  “What are you doing here?” he yelled.  “Do you have to play right outside my door?”  Conor and Susan looked shocked as they saw their toy disintegrate.  Susan looked like she was about to cry.

“Dad made us play out here,” she said.  “He said it’s too dangerous to play outside, and he doesn’t want us making noise in our rooms.  So he said to go out and play in the hallway.”

“Well I’m sure he didn’t mean my hallway,” said Talon (not knowing that George had indeed pointed them down to the hallways near Talon’s end of the castle.  But Talon’s tone of voice was mellowing already.  He was generally fond of the children, and, in less busy times, he often spent a lot of time playing with them.  Which is why they regarded him as a sort of kindly old grandfather figure.  “I’m sorry I destroyed your ball,” he said.

“Can we have another one?” asked Conor.

“I’m afraid magic doesn’t work that way,” said Talon.  “But come into my room.  I’ll make you a hot drink.”

The children came into Talon’s study, and he put a kettle on over the fireplace, while he gathered some ginger herbs.  Soon the kettle was steaming, and Talon picked it up and poured the children some ginger tea.

“What do you spend all day in this room doing anyway?” asked Susan.

Talon smiled.  “Sorcerer stuff.  I don’t think you children would understand.”

“Are you going to be able to stop the monsters from coming out?” asked Conor.

“Well, I certainly hope so.”

“I don’t get it,” said Susan.  “How are you stopping the monsters from in here?”

“Well, it’s complicated,” said Talon.  “But the spells which kept the monsters in the magical realm were spells that the sorcerers guild created hundred of years ago.  They’re ancient spells, and no one quite remembers how they work nowadays.  And even if they did, they’re too complicated for any one sorcerer to pronounce.  The whole guild needs to work together.”

“Where is the guild?” asked Susan.

“Well, that’s just the problem.  The guild isn’t anywhere.  There’s no building where all the sorcerer’s are at the moment.  They are scattered all throughout the known world.  And some of them are even in lands unknown.”

“So you communicate with each other by magic?” asked Susan.

Talon smiled.  “Magic doesn’t work that way.  I can’t just use a magic spell to call someone up and talk.  But, we can project things.  Images. Feelings.  Shapes.”

“Project?”

“Yes, for example, look at the kettle.  If I concentrate hard enough, I can project the image of that kettle into the minds of the other sorcerers, wherever they are.  But they also have to be concentrating on receiving it.  If they’re busy eating lunch, then my message will be lost.   So first I have to send them messages by ravens, and then we have to arrange a time when everyone will be concentrating.  That’s why I got so mad when I heard you playing ball in the hallway.”

“We didn’t know,” said Conor.

“Yes, I realize that.  I’m sorry I blew up at you.” 

“So what are you going to do now?” asked Susan.

“I don’t know.  The connection seems to be lost for now.  I’ll try again in 20 minutes maybe.”

“And if you can get the connection up?”

“Then we need to work together to put the ancient spell back.  Only then can we seal off the realm of the monsters.”

“How do you put the spell back?”

“It’s a long incantation.  It needs to be uttered by several sorcerers at once.  The problem is right now no one knows what it is.  All the sorcerers who created it are long dead.  But I have fragments of it in my head.  Bits and pieces I was exposed to during my training.  If I can only remember the right bits, and if the other sorcerers could remember their bits, then maybe we can put the spell back together.”

“Hmm,” said Susan.  “I don’t know why you’re just starting now.  You guys should have written the spell down years ago.”

“We sorcerers are busy,” said Talon.  “Do you think this is the only crisis going on in the world right now?  There are dangerous beasts and marauding armies all over the globe.  Not to mention the dark magic, which we always have to be constantly fighting against.  And I have to be constantly working to keep all the evil spirits in this forest under control.”

“What is dark magic?” asked Conor.

“I’ll explain some other time,” Talon said.  “You’re not old enough to understand yet.”

“I am,” Conor insisted.

“You’re not,” Talon replied, in a tone that wouldn’t allow debate.  He took a quiet sip of his tea, and watched the children silently for a moment.

“What are you thinking?” asked Susan.

“I think I’d better try the contact again,” said Talon.  “Maybe the other sorcerer is ready now.  You two are free to stay if you wish, but you must be quiet.”

*********************************************************************

“Where have you been John?” Grace asked John when she finally saw him at the dining hall.  “I haven’t seen you for two days.”

“Weren’t you worried about me?”

“We had been,” said Henry.  “But Jason said he saw you in the library, so we figured you were alright there.”

“Yes, I’ve found some fascinating scrolls,” John said.  “They took a little bit of digging to find.  They weren’t on the shelves in the library, but there’s a back closet where a lot of the old scrolls are kept in pots.  Jason and I were going through some of them, and we think we found one about the creation of the realm of the monsters.”

“What did it say?” asked Grace.

“It  was written by the castle sorcerer at the time,” said John.  “I guess this castle has always had a sorcerer on duty.  He was writing about the battle with the monsters, and he wrote about how he was recruiting the sorcerers from all over the guild to create a new realm to put the monsters in.”

“I thought that violated the rules of magic,” said Grace.  “Didn’t Talon say you can never create something out of nothing.”

“I don’t really understand it myself,” said John.  “There was something about moving some of the air and land from the above ground, and putting it under the ground.  It says quite clearly in the scroll, however, that nothing like that had ever been done before in the history of magic, so they had to invent all the spells themselves.  And then once they had created the place, then they had to magic all the monsters into it.  He wrote that they were never one-hundred percent sure that they got all of them, but he said that they scavenged the whole forest looking.  And then, after that a monster has never been seen in the forest for about 300 years.”

“So why didn’t King Carlyle know anything about it?” said Henry.

“He says in the scroll that it was all kept secret from the king of the castle.  All the sorcerers took an oath of secrecy to protect the place.”

“Then why was it written down in a scroll?” asked Grace.

“That’s the odd thing,” said John.  “I don’t know.  And Jason says he’s never seen that scroll before.”

“I hate to say it,” said Grace, “But we might have to give this to Talon.  He might know what to do with it.”

“Talon tried to banish us to the realm of the monsters,” said Henry.  “I’m not helping him.”

“I know, I don’t like him either,” said Grace.  “But it sounds like we all need him to contain the monsters.”

“I’m not talking to Talon,” said Henry.  “We can give the scroll to King Carlyle if you like.  Maybe he can give it to Talon.”

“What does Jason say?” asked Grace.

“Jason is talking to King Carlyle now,” said John.

Chapter 22: General Graten Versus Henry

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Henry was out on the castle grounds, practicing his fencing skills when General Graten walked by.  “Typical,” he said dismissively when he saw Henry.  “You always lunge in too early.”

Henry straightened himself.  “How do you know?” he said.  “I was fencing against the air.”

“It doesn’t matter who your opponent is,” said General Graten.  “Anyone can see that’s no way to comport yourself.  You’ve got all the bravery of your father, all right, but just like him you lack common sense.  It’s a wonder you’ve survived as long as you have.  I suppose it’s been other people taking care of you and keeping you out of trouble.  First your uncles, then Robert, and then King Carlyle.  If you didn’t have all this help, I would have caught and killed you a long time ago.”

Henry laughed.  “Very brave talk.  Says the man who came into the forest with a whole army.  When your soldiers captured us, you weren’t even around.”

“There you go again.  You’re always thinking about bravery.  But you were supposed to be a king, remember?  The throne was supposed to be yours.  You made that speech to all the assembled nobles.”

“So?”

“So kings don’t fight battles by themselves.  Kings use their armies.  But you were never any good at inspiring or leading other people.  You only ever cared about your own bravery.”

“Did you come out here just to taunt me?”

“I came out to enjoy the air.  And then I found you floundering out here by accident.”

“Alright then,” said Henry.  “Pick up one of those swords.  Show me your skill.”

“We’ve been over this before, Sir Henry,” said Graten.  “Remember when we crossed swords in the castle hallway that night?  I disarmed you and had you at my mercy.”

“You got lucky.”

“Oh for the love of…” General Graten picked up one of the swords.  “Alright, if I manage to disarm you a second time, then we both agree in advance that it is not luck.  Agreed, sir Henry?”

“Agreed, General.”

“Okay then, engarde!”  They fenced back and forth together.  At first, Henry was more cautious than he had been the night in the castle hallway.  But gradually, as they fought more and more, he began to grow careless.  When Graten started to take a few steps backwards, Henry stepped forward recklessly to press his advantage.  And then within seconds, General Graten was able to disarm him.  All it took was a quick sudden flick of his wrist, and Henry’s sword went clattering to the ground.

“Human, you shouldn’t have lunged forward like that,” came a voice.  “You left your side completely unguarded.”

Both Henry and General Graten looked to see where the voice was coming from, and saw two white fluffy rabbits hopping by their feet.

“And what does a rabbit know about how to handle a sword?” said General Graten with contempt.  “Get out of here and don’t waste my time with your rabbit advice.”

The rabbit howled with rage.  “I am a mighty dragon, who has only been transformed into a rabbit by the treachery of this castle’s sorcerer.  And I assure you, when I return to my natural dragon form, I will remember this insult you have given me, and I will tear your flesh to pieces.”

General Graten kicked the rabbit, sending it flying a few yards and then landing on the ground.  Both rabbits scurried to hide behind the bushes after the kick,

“Easy General,” said Henry.  “Not so hard or you’ll injure them.  Their hearts may be dragons still, but their bodies are weak and tender like a rabbit.”

“The beast should curb its tongue,” said General Graten.  “I will not be spoken to by rabbits, be they dragons or not.”

The rabbits scurried away, one of them yelling, “We shall remember this, human.”

After watching the rabbits run away, Henry turned to Graten.  “Are you not worried?  They really do have the souls of dragons, you know.  If the spell is reversed, they could return to their bodies.”

“But who would reverse their spell?  No one in their right mind wants to set dragons loose in this forest.  No, it seems likely they shall retain their present form for quite some time.  And if they are to be turned to rabbits, then they must learn a rabbit’s humility.  Or my boot will teach them.”

“But you are not the master of this castle.  And they are the guests of the king.”

“Then let the King himself chastise me if he sees fit, but I’ll not be rebuked by mere rabbits, even if they are dragons.  Pick up your sword again, Sir Henry.”

“Alas General, there is no further need.  I yield to you the point.  It was not luck that allowed you to disarm me that night.  You are the superior swordsman, and I am a clumsy oaf.”

“Good.  Now we’re getting somewhere.  That’s lesson number 1.  Pick up your sword, and this time don’t let me bait you into lunging forward so recklessly.”  Henry looked suspiciously at Graten.  “If we are to be fighting the monsters together, then I’ll train you up just like one of my soldiers,” General Graten said.  “Pick up your sword again.”

Chapter 21: Romantic Interludes

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“So, my fair prince, where did you and my sister steal away to last night?”

“I know not what you mean,” said Henry, but he was already blushing inspite of himself.

“You and my sister Amanda.  You left the banquet hall together last night.”

“Only for an instant.”

“It was almost 20 minutes.  And when you came back, your hair was ruffled.”

“She wanted to show me some interesting flowers she had seen in the courtyard.”

“I see.  And if tonight, I have some interesting flowers I want to show you?”

“Then I will go with you, my lady,”

Alicia pushed Henry backwards.  It was a playful gesture, and yet she put some strength into the motion.  “You will not.  You have played with my heart too long, and I will tolerate it no longer.”

“My lady?”

“Say, Prince Henry, how long have you been a guest in this castle?  It has been over a month now, no?  That is time enough for you to make up your mind.  Who do you find most pleasing?   Is it me, or my sister Amanda?  Or our cousin Marcia?”

“Marcia is but a girl, at 15.”

“Ah, but you are only 17, Henry.  And yet you look so strong and brave.  I am 18.  I’m a grown woman now.  I can marry, if I so choose.”

Henry smiled.  “And would you choose?”

“If I met someone I could trust,” she said.  “But how can I trust someone who pays equal attention to all us girls?”

“My princess, I may appear to be lighthearted, but once I give someone my word, I will be true to my word.”

“You mean to say that once you promise your love to me, you will no longer go to look at flowers with my sister.”

“I do indeed.”

“Very well, I believe you.  But of course, before I give my love to you, you must earn it.  I do not give my love so easily.”

“Of course you don’t.  You must be courted.  I shall sing under your window every afternoon.  I shall find the finest wildflowers for you to wear in your hair.  I will write poems for you every night.”

“Do so, and tomorrow night I may give you a kiss.”

*****************************************************************

“Are you in there Midor?”

Vivian was sticking her head down the entrance to the wolf den.  

“Vivian, is that you?”

“Yes, I thought you might be hungry, so I brought you some food.”

Midor crawled to the entrance of the den.  “You thought I might be hungry?  But you know that I’ve lived in the woods my whole life.  I know how to find food when I need it.”

“Fine, then I brought you the food just as an excuse to talk to you.  You’ve made me say it.  Are you happy now.”

“Very,” said Midor, as he crawled outside of the wolf den.  “And I’ll happily take some of the food as well.  It’s not often I get to eat delicacies from the castle.”

“That’s what I figured.  How has life been in the wolf den?”

“I only crawl in here when I need to sleep.  During the day I’ve been patrolling the forest.  And helping to keep an eye on what’s left of the underground chamber.”

“What is there to keep an eye on?”

“If the monsters get free of their realm, that’s where they’ll come out of.”

“And what would you do if they did get out?”

“I don’t know.  Warn everyone I guess.  Your father is the hereditary monster slayer.”

“Yes, and I am next in line.”

“He usually favors his male heirs, doesn’t he?  Rufus and George are always with him.”

“Yes, but I’ve been trained just as much as they have.”

“So what would you do if the monsters did come out?”

“I would join my father in combat.”

“And that’s why I have to stay here,” said Midor.  “I could never let you fight alone.”  He ate from the plate in silence for a minute, before asking, “Have you asked your father about me?”

“He still refuses to talk about you,” said Vivian.  “He still wants you banned from his kingdom.

“He’s still never forgiven me for stealing you away twenty years ago.”

“You didn’t steal me.  I went with you of my own free will.  And I came back of my own free will.  Once I realized what my duty was.”

“Your father doesn’t see it that way.”

“No, of course.”

“How is Robert doing?”

Tears filled into Vivian’s eyes.  “You’ve raised our son into a fine young man, Midor.”

“It’s not too late, you know.  The three of us could still go off together and be a family.”

“And let the monsters take over?”

“After the monsters are over, I mean.”

“It’s never going to be over.  This kingdom needs someone to protect it, and I am the heir.”

“Your father is still healthy.  You won’t be needed for many years.”

Vivian noticed that Midor had finished the food, and she started picking up the plates.  “I’ll be back again tomorrow, Midor,” she said.

*************************************************************************

Robert was walking back to the castle when he bumped into Grace, who was going out the castle door.  “Hello, Robert,” she said.  “Where have you been?”

“I was just talking to my father,” he said.  

“And how is the great Midor doing?” said Grace, with a hint of irony in her voice.

“Oh, he’s fine.  He’s been patrolling the forest and making sure all the animals are ready.  He thinks it’s only a matter of time before the monsters get out.”

“You’re not patrolling with him?”

“I’m going back to talk to my mother.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of talking to everyone recently,” said Grace.  “But you’ve hardly said a word to me all week.”

Robert’s cheeks turned slightly red.  “I’ve been busy,” he said.  “It’s a lot to take in Grace--meeting my mother for the first time, seeing my father again, who I thought was dead…”

“Yes, I know,” Grace said.  “It must have been so overwhelming since we’ve come to this castle.  And so that’s why I haven’t complained until now, but,” Grace smiled, “I’m complaining now.  I want you to at least take some time to talk to me a little bit, every now and then.  Thomas talks to me all the time.” Grace watched Robert’s eyes carefully as she said the last part.

“Thomas is less worried about disturbing you than I am.”

“Disturbing me?”

“I would hate to bother you by trying to talk to you when I’m not wanted.”

“And when have I ever given you the impression that you weren’t wanted.”

“It’s just that I don’t want to presume…” Robert’s face grew red, and he stopped talking.  Then he said, “Forgive me Grace.  I was raised in this forest.  I never talked to girls my own age before.”

“I’ll forgive you,” Grace said.  “If you’ll walk through the castle gardens with me.”