The Kinstrife
Part
47
In
which a tedious, if delicious, meal precedes a rista turo; Aradan
and Ragnor have a punch-up; Tirazôr
shows his colours; a fiendish black cat kills Adrazôr and mauls Aerin and Pimm; Ragnor defends Giladan from
another black cat (or perhaps the same one); one last attack kills Tirazôr and mauls Aradan; Iriel makes her escape by ship amidst a dramatic storm.
We arrive
back at the castle in time for dinner to find that Tirazôr
has decided to stay there rather than in his own residence in the town. Thus
there’s a lot of running around, finding him quarters, and the Great Hall is
rather crowded. The high table is entirely masculine since Adrazôr’s
princess died very young a decade ago and none of his sons are married. (Well
who would have them?) I find this a little irksome but hide my feelings with
good grace. Aradan has the central position with Giladan to his right and me to his left. Giladan is next to Tirazôr and
Brand next to me.
The mood is
a little strained. The princes all ferociously avoiding any subject that could
be construed as contentious so the conversation is banal to say the least; at
least the food and wine is excellent but towards the end of the meal I notice
Brand looks slightly the worse for wear – he asks for water; doubtless he’s
over-indulged in the wine.
Despite the
mundane conversation, by this time the brother’s tempers are clearly fraying
and I hear all three, even Tirazôr, put some heat in
to the most innocuous of words. Frankly the meal ends just in time.
As we
return to my chambers Misternil asks if I’m feeling
well. I shake my head; we mustn’t talk in public, but once in my chambers I
tell him that the meal ended none too soon, another half hour and the brothers
would have been at each other’s throats. Just as well it’s bed time. Misternil removes himself to his quarters, adjacent to
mine.
Ten minutes
later Misternil interrupts my ablutions. Perhaps I’m
over-tired but I feel a sudden anger at him and only just catch myself from
biting his head off! As I open the door it comes to me that this is most unlike
my usual easygoing demeanour – and suddenly it occurs to me that someone had drugged
the food or drink for the high table!
It could be
easily done with a prepared herbal concoction; the food for the high table is
on gold platters and the wine in crystal decanters. It has to come from the
kitchens and pantry and is doubtless held in an ante-room prior to serving.
Misternil
has come to warn me that Gilraen, one of our wanted
men from Hwiniel’s list, has just arrived with a
small retinue. I tell Misternil of my suspicions as I
resume my discarded clothes and tell him he needs to alert Halbarad
to arrest Gilraen while I handle the meeting between
him and Aradan.
But as we
descend the stair of the tower in which we’re quartered we see Aradan emerge from his quarters on the far side of the
courtyard with Gilrean and a half-a-dozen retainers.
He’s striding quickly, gesticulating and shouting incoherently (though I hear
the word ‘treason’ and ‘Giladan’). He’s brandishing a
parchment as if it’s significant. For a second I feel enraged at Aradan’s obtuseness.
Misternil
asks if I still want him to get Halbarad but I’ve
changed my mind. Halbarad needs to know but suddenly
I don’t trust myself. I tell Misternil that I may
need him to pull me out of a fight with Aradan if I
lose my temper but he should keep an eye out for Halbarad
as the captain of cavalry must be drawn by this spectacle soon.
By the time
we reach Aradan he’s beating on the door to Giladan’s quarters, demanding his brother emerge to face
his accusations and Giladan duly emerges. Giladan is such a cold fish it’s almost shocking to see his
face flushed with emotion.
Seeking to
avert conflict I open, ‘My lords…’ but Aradan turns
at the sound of my voice and lashes out with his fist, catching me by surprise.
The blow near winds me but before I can think my own fist returns the blow.
Were it not for Misternil’s restraining hand on my
arm I’m sure Aradan and I would have been brawling on
the ground. As it is I take two steps back to put some space between us.
But Giladan takes advantage of Aradan
as he staggers from my punch, leaping on him and bearing him to the ground. I
take a deep breath and order Aradan’s knights to
separate the two brothers. Such is their shock at seeing two such noble lords
brawling like a couple of sailors that they accept my command and lay hands on
their princes.
As they’re
pulled apart Aradan challenges Giladan
to a duel and, incredibly, he accepts! Feeling the best way is to delay matters
until whatever herbal potion has run its course, I tell them I’m willing to
adjudicate their duel in the morning. Both brothers are foaming at the mouth,
quite ready to fight their duel at once, but I insist on dawn and their own retainers
escort them back to their quarters and Misternil sees
me to mine, but not before I retrieve the parchments dropped by Aradan during their fight.
Aradan’s
punch near winded me and I feel an inward bruise over my small ribs. I ask Misternil to request Halbarad
attend on me in my chambers and sit down with a glass of water to peruse Aradan’s dropped papers while I wait.
There are
several documents, one of which is apparently signed by Giladan
(I recall his sign manual from Hwiniel’s letter of
immunity) though I make a mental note to ask Pimm if
he thinks it genuine or a forgery. Together the documents appear to implicate Giladan in a conspiracy against Aradan
(as per Aradan’s paranoid beliefs) with Castamir. The
one signed letter is suspicious but it’s the package together that’s truly
damning.
A short
time later I hear movement outside my door and open it, expecting to greet Halbarad. Instead I find two knights who inform me that I’m
confined to my quarters by order of Tirazôr!
Suddenly a lot of things become clear – Tirazôr
himself is part of Iriel’s plot and we’re in the
middle of rista turo
(literally ‘cut of the controller’).
I ask for a
servant and while waiting compose two letters. The first is to Aerin, advising her that it would be very convenient if
Adrazôr were to recover consciousness by dawn – probably a forlorn hope
but we’re desperate. The second requests Halbarad to
attend on me in my quarters ‘…as the fate of Lond Ernil lies in the balance’.
Thankfully Halbarad deigns to visit and we discuss Tirazôr’s
rista. I
reveal that Hwiniel this evening named Iriel as the prime mover in the conspiracy and Halbarad himself knows Tirazôr is
under her influence. He observes that Tirazôr himself
accuses me of being involved in the conspiracy with Giladan
and the King. I counter that I don’t need to be in a conspiracy as I’ve never
made any secret that as his emissary I was sent here by Castaher
to observe the King’s interests. I point out that this is not necessarily the
same as promoting the King’s wishes.
I get the
feeling that my manner is convincing Halbarad of my
veracity. I thought he seemed shrewd and honourable from the first and
hopefully he sees similar qualities in me. I tell him we are not facing purely
mundane forces; the dark arts are at work here too.
While we’re
talking a note arrives from Misternil: he’s chased a
black cat out of a 2nd story window. I show the note to Halbarad, repeating ‘non-mundane’, and he rises to go,
concerned that what can exit by a window can enter via another. I volunteer to
remain in my rooms and he stations a guard inside, evidently now more concerned
for my security than fearing my culpability in the night’s events.
Barely a
quarter of an hour later screams bring me to my feet
as I’m cleaning my new Elf-made rapier, Celegmaeg.
Telling the guard to follow me I break the promise made to Halbarad
minutes before and head for Adrazôr’s rooms.
I arrive to
find Halbarad has beaten me to it. Adrazôr is
dead! Killed by a supernatural black cat that has also left Aerin
and Pimm mauled in a valiant defence of the helpless
prince. Aerin tends to Pimm
and herself as they’re both bleeding but she finds time to give me a salve for
my inward bruise that I can apply myself.
Halbarad
is ordering more guards to the prince’s rooms. I ask him to direct me to guard Aradan personally. Still mindful that I just might
be in a conspiracy against Aradan, Halbarad instead orders me to guard Giladan.
I find Giladan a little calmer than before but still pacing up and
down his rooms. I endeavour to calm him further and coax him away from the
window. I latch the shutters and advise him that should anything attempt to
enter by the window he must exit the room and stay with the guards outside. I
start rubbing Aerin’s salve in to the inward bruise I
received from Aradan earlier.
About a
quarter-hour later there comes a thud of something heavy against the shutters. Giladan, the Valar bless him,
leaves the room without a murmur. As the door shuts behind me I flick the latch
off the shutters with the point of Celegmaeg and step
back to receive the entity without.
With Giladan outside this might be deemed foolhardy. I tell
myself I’m engaging this thing because if I can kill or maim it then it can’t
attack anyone else but Aradan hurt me more seriously
than I care to admit (even without drawing blood) and I really shouldn’t be
taking any risks. Truthfully I think that herbal concoction still heats my
blood.
The
shutters are flung back and a feral black cat enters, almost man-sized,
spitting ferociously. It looks quickly about the room and I guess it’s seeking Giladan but finding its quarry flown it vents its fury on
me. In a short but vicious fight it bites and claws me several times but
footwork and armour avert all injury. In return my
point finds its flesh several times but though its blood is spilt it is not
wounded enough to prevent it leaving when it realises the futility of its
position.
I reshutter the window and invite Giladan
back inside. I ask for a rag to clean Celegmaeg – Giladan has some very nice looking rags – and we pass the
rest of the night in discussion of politics and the nature of bureaucratic
administration interrupted with news that the same creature or one just like it
also broke in to Aradan’s chambers, where it has wounded
Aradan and killed Tirazôr.
Tirazôr’s
dead! Now I’m sure that wasn’t in his plan but evidently it was in Iriel’s. Tirazôr probably thought
the object of this rista turo was to
make him Prince of Belfalas but the true plan seems
to have been to eliminate the Belfalas dynasty in its
entirety.
No, not
entirely – Neithan and Estel would remain and one of
them would surely be the ultimate beneficiaries of both the Morthond and Belfalas inheritances.
It’s close
to dawn. Outside the shutters a fierce storm beats against the window. Another
message, this time from Ilviren: the ‘So Much for
Subtlety’ pursued Iriel’s ship but was beaten back by
this very storm, which strangely seemed not to hinder Iriel.
Not so strange, I suppose; the command of the dark arts exhibited by Iriel or someone close to her is now beyond question. But
it seems her full plans in Lond Ernil
have been thwarted, if only we can convince Aradan
and Giladan to stand firm together – between them
they would make a prince.
To do list:
Confront Giladan tactfully over the apparently treasonous letters
produced by Gilraen
Reconcile Aradan and Giladan – Giladan may have to sue for clemency from his brother
Bury
Adrazôr & attend Aradan’s formal enthronement as
Prince of Belfalas - Tirazôr
should probably be buried with honours too
Give Hwiniel’s list to Halbarad to
arrest them all for treason – he probably already has Gilraen
in custody
Hold
council of war with Brand, Aerin, Ilviren
and Pimm – suggestions as to how to handle my brief
as emissary
Establish
what is to be done about Morthond – it can’t keep the Royal army out long
without strong political leadership
Return to
Pelargir and report to Castaher or Castamir
Give letter
to Bauglir regarding Hwiniel
with my personal observations as to her character
Survey my
estates and produce a plan to improve them
Ensure
Brand looks for the 5fth part of the Key of Fuinur’s Well
Who was Tevildo from the Benish Armon tomb in the Ethir Anduin?
Inquire
after Perhaladin – might be a cult for Ragnor