Chapter 2: Prisoners Chapter 4: A New Journey
Chapter 3: It’s a Trap!
I finally got the door open. Kyle and Forde were sound asleep, which was no surprise since I could see stars through their window – I had none. They looked rather uncomfortable. I pulled the door slightly, trying to see if I could slip out without making a noise. My luck was good. The door were pretty quiet, and I managed to get out.
“Ephraim?” came a very small voice, from high up somewhere.
“Myrrh?” I whispered, looking around frantically. She hadn’t been captured too, had she? I’d never forgive myself if she-
“I’m up here,” her voice came again. I looked back at the window. There were dark fluffy pigtails silhouetted against the stars.
“Myrrh! You’re all right!”
“I’m sorry, Ephraim. I can’t help.”
“Don’t worry about that,” I said. “I’m just glad you’re all right. You just sit tight and we’ll get out. No one has seen you?” I sat down on a wooden stool and began the laborious effort of opening the knights’ door. It was a little easier than mine, since I was facing it this time.
“No. I stayed hidden, even when the Wyvern Master came and battled you, and your knight knocked you out… I was so worried when they carried you back inside. Ever since night came I’ve been trying to find you, if I could.”
“Well, you did, and I’m grateful.”
It took me about half an hour to fix the cavalier’s door.
I kicked Forde gently. “Wake up, sleepy.”
“Ughn… wa… huh?” Forde was always incoherent when he first woke. “Oh. Time to go?” Kyle stretched and yawned, then stood, fully awake.
“That’s right,” I said, smiling. “Grab your lance and sword and let’s get to the stables.” I seized my Reginleif and gestured to the door. “Myrrh is safe; I’ve spoken with her and she’s waiting outside. Let’s go, gentlemen.”
We were pretty silent as we un-infiltrated the castle. All the guards that got between us and freedom we cut down and hid. The one maidservant who did likewise we had to knock out instead.
Kyle and Forde quickly saddled their horses as I kept watch on the stable door.
“Prince, won’t you take a replacement for your own horse?”
I looked at the horses, then shook my head. “I’ll be all right. I don’t really want a replacement. Call me crazy if you will, but Lila was the best horse I ever had and replacing him would be a little heartless. Now, let’s march on Grado Keep.”
Forde rolled his eyes in the dark. “Are you sure you want to do this? The Imperial Three are likely to be there.”
“Yes, and Emperor Vigarde, too, so we can get some answers. Come on.”
We slipped out of the castle without mishap, finding Myrrh without trouble.
We had travelled for two days when I heard disturbing news. “My sister? Are you sure?”
“Yes, Your Honour,” said the old man in the village. “My son, he come from Serafew and mention it – Princess Eirika is heading to Renvall. Word of mouth has it she’s going to rescue you.” He squinted at me. “Looks like you need no rescuing.”
“Yeah, but she’s my sister. ‘Sisters are supposed to worry about brothers,'” I quoted her. “Well, that’s very valiant of her. I guess we better get back and not disappoint her. Kyle! Forde!”
“Yes, Prince!” cried the two cavaliers. For once, Forde wasn’t muttering under his breath. I suppose he thought Renvall was less suicidal than Grado.
We hurried even faster and reached Renvall in a day and a half. There was no movement in the valley.
“Well, let’s just go inside the castle and see what we can learn. If she’s captured, we’ll have to save her…” I thought for a moment. “Orson! What damage could he do…?”
“Never mind, milord. We’ll retake Renvall a thousand times on your order,” Forde said cheerily.
“Only because you believe it can be done, now,” I sighed. “The first time, I had to deal with your disbelief and the enemy soldiers.”
“I… I am sorry, Prince Ephraim,” Forde said awkwardly.
I chuckled. “I’m only teasing you, Forde.”
We set Myrrh down in the same place as last time and ventured stealthily across the bridges.
We wandered through the halls, and I began to be either worried or suspicious when I saw no guards and heard fewer.
That was when I heard the bridge collapse. I ran to a window and saw the last of it.
I turned away and leant against the wall. “Why would they destroy their bridge? Can’t they just pull up their drawbridge…?” A thought clicked in my mind, and I began to head back the way we came. Kyle and Forde followed without question.
I heard the sound of fighting; the clang of weapons on armour and weapons on weapons; the zipp-thunk of arrows – though the thunk was a lot less frequent than the zipp – the irregular clatter of horses’ hooves; the shouts of dying men.
“Eirika!” I cried. “All right, men, we have two objectives. Protect Eirika and vanquish the enemy.” Again, I added in my mind.
“Do you think General Seth is with her? He’s the only one King Fado would trust to go with her; after all, he is the Silver Knight,” Forde said.
I shrugged. “Are you ready?”
“As always, Prince Ephraim!” they both answered eagerly. Then they began bickering over which course I should lead them on.
I had to see if it truly was Eirika, so I ran towards the east corridor. “Follow me!”
We took one turn and ran into a whole troop of guards. They took a look at us and hesitated.
Kyle, Forde, and I ran right through them. Not much can stand up to a charge from a warhorse, and my blood was up. Now there seemed to be soldiers everywhere. The fighting was very noisy now.
In a spacious chamber, a familiar red-haired paladin was fighting three soldiers at once and doing brilliantly. I caught sight of him. “General Seth! You’re alive!”
“Prince Ephraim! Princess Eirika is safe as well…”
“Seth? Seth, who are you talking to?” came my sister’s musical voice from beyond the other room. She turned the corner, saw me, and came running and flung her arms around me. I hugged her back tightly.
“Eirika, are you well?” I murmured.
“Oh, Brother! You… You’re alive! You’re alive!” she repeated.
“Well, of course I am.” She wouldn’t let go. I spun her around once, then whispered in her ear: “Girls carry on so.”
She gave a little squeak, followed by a tiny giggle. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “At least we’re here. After we escaped Renvall, I thought I’d go and capture Grado Keep. When I heard that you’d journeyed to Renvall to rescue me, I had to turn back to find you.” I grinned at her. “Looks like my timing was impeccable.”
Eirika, however, did not see it that way. “I’m so sorry. It’s so ironic… to come to rescue you – and get rescued myself. All I did was interfere with your plans…”
“What are you talking about? What plans? Nonsense. You came to help me, didn’t you? Your efforts alone are enough to inspire me.” I spoke with sincerity. “Anyway, you look like you’d need quite the beating before you really needed rescuing.” I looked at the row of people – probably mercenaries – that were watching the two of us. Some of them looked pretty tough, but honest as well.
“Franz!? Franz, what on earth are you doing here?” Forde yelled happily.
“Brother!” the younger cavalier shouted back. They rode to each other and gave a back-slapping hug – at least, Forde did.
Seeing them together… one could really see the differences and similarities. The most telling difference was in the way they kept their hair, but one could see the boyish spirit in both of them. Franz was simply a much younger version of his brother. It was like Eirika and myself, except we were the same age.
“Ha! How’ve you been?”
“I should ask you that! We’d heard you were captured. I was worried.”
“Worried? I ride with Prince Ephraim, little brother. Death will have tough time catching up to anyone who rides with our prince! But, it’s not like we’ve avoided trouble altogether, that’s for sure.” They had dismounted, and Forde suddenly measured his brother with his hand, frowning. “Say, have you grown taller on me?”
“I have,” Franz answered proudly. “I’ve also finished my training. I’m now a Knight of Renais! You just watch – I’ll be on par with General Seth one day!”
“You want to be like the general, huh? … What about me?” Forde teased him, grinning.
“Oh…” Franz mumbled. “I still want to be like you, too, Brother!”
Then Kyle stepped forward to speak to Seth. “General Seth!”
“Well met, Kyle. I never thought for a moment that you could be bested easily.”
“No, sir! And I never doubted for a moment that I would see you again.”
“Kyle. About Orson…” I wondered how he knew, and then I guessed Orson had stayed in the castle and met Eirika and Seth, who was wary by nature, even of those he knew.
“He was the reason for our capture.” Kyle scowled darkly. “Unbelievable, isn’t it? But facts are facts.”
“Yes. If Orson can turn his back on Renais… We remaining knights will have to work all the harder to prove ourselves.”
“I understand, sir!”
“Let’s go, Kyle.”
“Yes, sir!”
I decided all the talk and banter and so on had gone on long enough. “Okay, let’s go!”
Tirado was waiting for us in the heart of the castle. I took care of him easily enough. Then I turned to Eirika, who looked ready to faint with relief – oh, girls – and she hugged me.
“I’m sorry, Eirika. I worried you, didn’t I? And you as well, General?” I said to Seth.
“Not at all,” Seth said immediately, but that was obviously not very true. “We’re happy you’re safe. Prince, about Orson…”
“I find it hard to believe he could turn his back on Renais so,” I answered. I let Eirika go and rubbed the back of my neck. “I am morally responsible for his plight…”
Eirika said something, but I didn’t hear her, wrapped up in my thoughts.
“Ephraim…” chirped Myrrh. I jumped. I hadn’t heard her come in. I was about to ask her why she hadn’t waited for us to find her when I thought better of it. I realized that everything was safe now, and that was what mattered.
“Yes, Myrrh?” I asked her.
“Something is coming… Big… Dark… Many…” She sometimes had premonitions and visions. They had saved me and my knights more than once.
“Ah.” I looked at my sister again. “Sounds like we should get out of here.”
“Where did you meet this girl?” she asked. “Oh! Indigo hair…” I wondered why that was so important.
“That’s a long story. For now, we must move.” I whistled, and Kyle and Forde began making our retreat. “Suffice to say that Emperor Vigarde has enlisted some… otherworldly powers,” I continued in a low voice for only Seth, Myrrh, and Eirika. “We must warn everyone of the danger.”