A Hero's Throne Part 29

The large knight had been instructing some of the others in how to take the heads off of the yfelgopes. He looked up at Alex's shout and saw Freya.

"Little aetheling!" he shouted and bounded toward them in long strides. He picked Freya up and squeezed her in an embrace that robbed her of air. "Vivienne!" He hugged her no less exuberantly.

"Have you run across the yfelgop leader, Kelm?" Alex asked.

"He's very large, as tall as you, and fat," Freya said.

Ecgbryt pulled his beard and then shook his head. "I remember talk of him-he is Gad's hereheafod, is that so?"

"Right. He took a bunch of yfelgopes and went that way."

Ecgbryt pulled on the arm of one of the knights who had come from that direction and conferred with him for a moment.

"He hasn't been seen," Ecgbryt reported as he turned back. "He must have fled. Remember the western well? That portal lies in just that direction." The knight's eyes wandered to the Langtorr. "My lady richeweard," he said with a slight bow.

Modwyn stepped out of the doorway of the Langtorr.

"Wes u hale, good Ecgbryt," she said imperiously, descending the steps in a smooth glide. Her sudden self-possession reminded Freya of when they had first met her. "Thank you for coming to aid our city. I am sorry you do not find us in better preparation for you."

"My queen!" Ecgbryt said.

"Wait, before we go into formalities, has anyone seen Daniel?"

"He is not with you?" Alex said.

"No, he left to try to kill Kelm, almost as soon as we got here. You haven't found his . . . his body? Is there somewhere that they might have locked him up?"

"Ecgbryt, help me with this," Alex said. The knights had now collected in a large group around them. There were perhaps sixty of them and they were still regrouping. They all looked different, but some shared certain peculiarities-the same shaped s.h.i.+eld, a certain type of padded armour, a style of helmet-but no two looked alike. Some looked very much as Swigar and Ecgbryt had looked when they first woke up; some looked more like Freya always thought knights should look, with big triangular s.h.i.+elds, long swords, and bright tunics worn over chain mail. Others of them, however, looked very much more basic, in simple leathers and wielding large weapons.

"You! Tu! Everyone, listen!" Alex yelled. "We're looking for a man, a warrior, like me, but younger and thinner, with dark hair. He may be dead, hiding, or imprisoned. Go through the city and look for him, as well as any others that might be living-enemy or ally alike. Bring them here. Ecgbryt?"

Ecgbryt shouted out the same instructions, but in a different language, and some of them relayed the instructions in several other languages, and so gradually the knights dispersed.

"Okay, good. Now, what else?" Alex said. "Did you find Ealdstan? Any sign of Gad?"

"No, we didn't but . . . we did find some things out." Freya looked to Vivienne for support and Vivienne nodded.

"We found a great deal out about Niergeard's founder," Vivienne said. "As well as the history of this place. As n.o.ble as its original intention may be, and that of those who work here, we may a.s.sume the heart of the leader to be corrupted, and the city was led into danger and the sad state you found upon arriving. There is evidence of Ealdstan making dark alliances throughout history with the enemies of Britain, not least of which were the n.a.z.is."

"He also sent more than Daniel and me on that bizarre mission," Freya put in. "We don't know how many children, but Modwyn has admitted that they failed-that they died-where we only barely succeeded. They tricked us all-everyone in the city was complicit in those deaths. Not just her," Freya said, pointing at Modwyn, who was still clutching her cloak at her breast where the dagger had been. "But G.o.dmund, Frithfroth . . . and you, Ecgbryt," Freya said.

"Is this true, Ecgbryt?" Alex said, turning to him in confusion. "How much did you know about this?"

"In truth," Ecgbryt began, and then faltered. His face had grown sterner as he listened to Freya, and now he looked at her with an even, steady gaze. "In truth, I knew little then and know little more now. When we first arrived, while you slept, we were bound to secrecy by Ealdstan and by Modwyn on revealing certain knowledge to you-but we did not know, Swigar and I, we never knew that you were being used for any purpose other than what Ealdstan told. We had been asleep, after all."

"So, Modwyn," Freya said, her voice as dry and cold as the stones around them. "Do you know Ealdstan's true plans?"

Modwyn finally managed to choke out a reply. "I-I-he never revealed anything to me other than the next step to be taken. But I trust him. Although his intent may be clouded to us now, I believe it must have been good, true."

"Good enough to send children to their deaths?" Freya spat out.

All were quiet for a moment. The air around them was like dried amber; to move would have been to shatter everything.

"Alex," Freya said, turning to him. "Instruct your knights to arrest Modwyn, and find somewhere to lock her up."

"Me?" Modwyn said, horrified. "You would lock me away?"

"Somewhere out of the way and somewhere safe. There must be a building around here that still has walls and no secret tunnels out of it."

Modwyn was agog. Her eyes were watery and wide. I'm the same height as her, Freya realised just then.

"Young Freya," said Ecgbryt, reaching toward her. "I do not believe-"

Freya knocked his hand away. It was like hitting a tree branch, but the shock of the action made Ecgbryt withdraw nonetheless. "Don't! This woman has lied. She has admitted that she is complicit in murder. Her allegiance and motives are unknown and she has knowledge now of our forces and our power! She is a threat, and in order to secure this recently liberated city, I mean to have her detained until we can find out what to do with her!"

The force of Freya's response surprised even her. It was like something had opened up inside of her. Instead of a doorway back into Fear, she had found another doorway into an empowering and emboldening Strength. She felt excited, heightened, but her arms and legs were steady. This was the make or break time. If she could pull this off . . .

She looked around at everyone gathered around her, which included many of the new knights. As she spoke her last words she fixed on Alex, who looked back at her with raised eyebrows, then he looked to Vivienne.

"It's true," Vivienne said. "It would be better for Modwyn-for her own protection-if she were . . . put in a place more secure."

He thought for a moment, obviously torn, and then said, in a loud and strong voice, "Take her."

Two knights stepped forward and firmly but tenderly laid strong hands on Modwyn's slender shoulders. She looked appalled rather than angry.

"Treason," Modwyn said, rallying her wits. "This is treason. By what authority do you act?"

"I act by the authority of the hero's dragonhelm," Freya said, pulling the crown from inside her coat. It sparkled in the darkness. She held it up for all to see and then placed it on Alex's head. "The liberator of Niergeard has the right claim to this honour."

Alex must have been very taken aback, but to his credit, he did not falter.

"I hope you know what you're doing," he muttered to Freya, barely moving his lips. To everyone else, he said in a loud voice, "I accept the burden of this rule, until such time as a true ruler may be found."

"My lord," a knight called from outside the Langtorr courtyard gates. Five knights with long beards that tapered into a single braid were approaching, and something about them was making those around them talk loudly to one another.

"Haefod," one of them said to Alex. "We have come across . . ." He paused and looked uncertain.

"Yes?" Freya said. "What have you come across? Is it Daniel?"

The knight switched to address her. "I beg pardon. We found . . . these."

He stepped aside, and those around him did likewise. And he revealed, behind him, a group of children, between the ages, Freya guessed, of ten and thirteen.

"Um, h.e.l.lo," a girl at the front said. She was taller than the rest and had straight brown hair, a jutting forehead, a dark blue jumper, and black trousers. She looked uncertain and apprehensive, but it seemed as though the others deferred to her.

Freya stepped forward, and this time her legs shook; it felt as if she had taken a step into an ocean wave. "Where did you come from?" she asked.

"Um. We're not sure. I mean, we're all from somewhere, but, um, we're not sure why we're here. We seem to have been, um, summoned."

"'Summoned'? What do you mean?"

"Well, um." She looked around briefly at the other children cl.u.s.tering closely to her. "We heard a sound, a low sort of humming-"

"Like a tuba or something," one of the boys behind her said eagerly. He was the smallest of them all.

"Yes, like a tuba or a horn. We heard it and we sort of . . . followed it. It was calling to us, sort of pulling us. We went through different places, different caves, and gradually, um, met up, on the way here."

"Tell her about the voice," the small boy said to the big girl at the front.

"Um, yes. We heard a sort of voice as well."

"It was a voice inside the horn. I heard it the clearest," the small boy said.

"What did it say?" Freya asked.

"It said to us, each of us, 'You are the next army. You are summoned.'"

The eight children looked up and around at the warriors and underground ruins that towered over them.

"Do you know what that means?" the girl asked.

"Perhaps," Freya said, dread falling upon her like a dark shadow. Just when she thought she was getting a handle on things, a new wrinkle. "What are your names?" Freya asked.

"Um. My name's Gretchen. Gretchen Baker."

"I'm Fergus," said the small boy. "This is my brother Kieran." He pointed to a taller, dark-haired boy standing next to him.

"David Murray."

"Amanda McCullough."

"I'm Michael Page."

"Gemma Woodcotte."

"Jodhi. Jodhi Gale."

Freya nodded. "Okay. Everything's going to be fine, now. We're going to get you home as soon as possible, okay?"

"My lady!" called a knight from the edge of the group. "We've found the man Daniel."

"Where? Is he all right? Is he alive?"

"We cannot tell. There are dungeons here; he was locked inside one of them. We found the key and opened the door. He is sleeping, but he cannot be roused. He is in a very bad way. They are bringing him here even now."

"Okay, good. Good." Freya raised a hand to her mouth. She thought for a moment, looking around at everyone, who seemed to be waiting for her. Taking control of Niergeard was easier than advertised, it seemed.

"Right, first things first. Get these children into the Langtorr. It's safe now. There is some food and water in the kitchen. Let them rest a little while, then I'll take them back up to the top myself. Try not to let them see Frithfroth. We don't want to freak them out too much."

She turned on Modwyn. "Now-"

"Excuse me," the girl said.

"Yes?"

"Um. What about the others?"

Freya's brow furrowed. "What others?"

"The other kids like us. The ones back out there." She motioned behind her.

"There are more of you out there?"

"Oh yes."

"We were just the ones brave enough to come here. We saw the fighting, you know, and so thought it best to wait. But the others were still scared, even though it had obviously stopped."

"How many of you are there? All together?"

"Oh." Gretchen blinked at her. "Hundreds, at least."

Freya paused to let this sink in. Hundreds? Hundreds of children here?

"I'll take some men to find them," Alex said. "And I'll set up regular patrols-they might still be coming."

"Good, thank you. And you three, take these children to the Langtorr anyway. And you two-take her to the dungeon, now that we know there is one. Lock her up. Also, a few of you-you lot, there-go over to the Beacon. G.o.dmund is there, and I want him locked up as well. I don't think he'll give you any trouble. He doesn't seem to be hostile; I just want to keep track of him. Try not to listen to his poetry-it's appalling."

Those knights left, their duties a.s.signed, and Alex started ordering the rest of them.

"Who will rule this place, if not Modwyn?" Ecgbryt, the only other one left in the courtyard, asked Freya as Modwyn was led away.

"Alex, of course. With a little help from you, me, and Vivienne. We'll be a sort of council," she said, just as three knights entered, carrying the body of Daniel Tully between them.

* II *.

"Are you certain this is the place?" Ealdstan asked, placing his satchel on the ground.

"Yes," Daniel said. And he was certain. The centre of the plain pulled on him like an elastic string. Standing here, he felt at rest. What he wasn't certain about was how much he could actually trust a man whose face kept changing. Was it just him? It was like there was a fog inside his eyes. It was hard to focus.

Ealdstan raised his hands and spoke words that were ancient and powerful. The air became like static; Daniel could feel his skin p.r.i.c.kle and he felt tightness in his body.

"What have you done?"

"I'm sorry, Daniel," the old man said, "but this is going to hurt, literally, like h.e.l.l."

"No." Daniel tried to evaporate, but the rubber bands were back. "Stop it," Daniel said. "Let me go." He struggled more and more, trying to physically break free this time.

"This is what I've been searching so hard for," Ealdstan said. "If I had come here directly from our world, then I would have entered through it naturally, but I pa.s.sed into Elfland through a different gate." He said more of the ancient words that were low and loud and seemed to come up from his gut.