Even odder was another fact. When we had been angry and ready to battle, the swords sang so loud it hurt our ears as we got closer. Now, we walked beside each other without any of the sounds. I wondered if I drew my sword and threatened him, what would happen.
He was also the crown prince of Vin. I was working on a diplomatic mission for my princess and king. Again, the set of coincidences was too great to believe our meeting had been accidental.
Anna’s voice entered my head. *He’s as surprised as you, and wondering if you somehow set this meeting up between you two.*
*Thank you for your help, Anna. Now let me alone for a while.* I went to stand before Fielding. On impulse, pulled my sword, slapped the flat of the blade in my left hand and presented it out to him.
“What?” He asked, unmoving, his eyes wary.
“Would you care to examine my sword? I certainly would like a closer look at yours.” The high-pitched keening returned, but at a lower volume, that only we heard. It drew our attention, and I watched for others to react. None did. He pulled his sword and handed it to me, hilt first. I lowered my blade and held my hilt to him in a similar fashion.
Each of us took a step back, and the high-pitched sound quieted to nothing. His blade was just like mine, a twin. The handle was wrapped in the same coarse skin of a sea creature so it wouldn’t become slippery from sweat or blood. I searched for differences and found only one. The edge of his blade had no nicks. It was perfectly smooth the entire length.
Other than those small imperfections caused by my careless use, the blades were identical. Not similar. Prior to me nicking mine, if the pair had been placed together and I was told to recover mine, I couldn’t have. That may not seem like so great a discovery to many.
To me, with a blade I believed to be the only one in our kingdom from the forges where it emerged, to find another would have amazed me. To find one similar astounded me. However, to find one exactly the same, undoubtedly made by the same hands was beyond belief.
It appeared Fielding felt the same.
He said, “Your edge can be repaired?”
“Why do they sing?” I asked, more concerned with that than getting mine fixed. “But that is a question I can’t answer yet. After this is over, I will travel to Malawi to find out. All I know is Malawi lies more to the south, but it is a trip I need to take. The singing must be a spell of some sort, placed on both of our swords at the same time. Perhaps the swords were gifts to brothers and the spell to keep them from ever fighting.”
“There might be more swords that sing with ours?”
I grinned. Without any foundation for the singing swords, he had devised a glorious story that would refuse to leave my thinking because it fit the story of our swords so well. “Romantic,” I accused him.
“What of it?” he smiled lopsidedly.
“Where did your sword come from? Not where it was made, but who gave it to you? Your father, you said. The man who should be King of Vin, I suppose. Mine was presented by the King of Dire. Does it strike you odd that two kings owned these?”
Fielding said, continuing my thoughts, “Where did each of them get the swords, to begin with? Probably from their fathers, but there is a story we have to know.”
“I think both of us will agree that the swords were made together, of the same metal, and somehow a mage cast a spell that they never cross blades in battle. That only makes them more special.”
Fielding handed mine back to me, as I gave him his. “There is one other thing to note. As we attacked you, I had my choice of opponents. When I saw you, there was no one else. You?”
Before answering, I remembered them rushing over that sand hill. My eyes had locked on Fielding from the first instant as if there were no others. “The same.”
I allowed my mind shift to my sister and how she knew where the dragon, mages, and sorceresses were at any moment. I turned my back on him. “Step away move quietly to either side.”
He did as I asked without question. Without hearing, I knew precisely where he was. I didn’t have to turn and look. I said, “Turn your back to me.”
He did, and I moved silently to my right then back again.
“I know exactly where you are. Move away from me a hundred paces and let’s do it again.”
We repeated the experiment with the same results, then moved to face each other. He said, “We are linked.”
“Now what?” I asked.
He said, “I will pledge my loyalty to your leader. The two of us must advance together.”
I called, “Slacker, can you come here for a moment?”
Slacker had been sitting with a water jug, surrounded by those of his men who were not on watch. He rose and came to our side. “Yes?”
I turned to Fielding. “Who are these men?”
“Outlaws. Thieves and murderers, if you want a truthful answer.” He didn’t attempt to lie or conceal his beliefs.
Then I turned to Slacker and his suddenly red and angry face. “Is that true?”
“No. We are loyal to our king, not a council of people from Dagger the mages brought here to rule. We were the King’s Army. While we might not look like it now, we fight for Vin.”
Fielding was smiling. He looked at me. “I didn’t know.”
I said to Slacker, “Meet the rightful heir to the throne of Vin.”
Slacker didn’t seem impressed . . . at first. His mouth was trying to deny my words while his eyes took in the measure of Fielding. He slowly fell to one knee, his head bowed.
“Stand and be recognized,” Fielding said, sounding every bit as much a royal as any I’d heard.
The eyes of all were on us. Flier said to Slacker, “While we never spoke, our families attended several functions together. I recognize him and vouch for who he says he is.”
Fielding said, “Those in my family who would rule have all been killed, murdered, or died. I am alone.”
“Not anymore.” Slacker said. “With you as our head, I can draw from hundreds of loyal fighters. We can raise an army and defeat the scum the council sends after us.”
Kendra had come closer and heard most of what was said. She waved an arm to indicate the four of us, which included Flier. “My people have a princess we need to save. Her ship was due in Vin with the morning tide, and we know she is in danger of being double-crossed by the Council of Nine. We were heading there to help when we met Slacker and his band.”
I said, “And now we have to get to Vin as fast as possible. We should have circled around and avoided the battle but couldn’t do that to our new friends. However, we must leave right away and do what we can to help Elizabeth.”
“We will all go,” Slacker said.
“No,” Kendra corrected. “Princess Elizabeth came in hopes of forming a treaty between Kondor and Dire. If you retake the throne, Fielding will remember and send a diplomat to us. But for now, our small band has more chance of success of going quietly and secretly than entering Vin with a squad of soldiers.”
Flier said, “She’s right. I will take them. There are a few back ways, and I know the city.”
We gathered our belongings and readied ourselves. Fielding approached, and my sword on my hip sang. There was no need to turn around to know he stood there.
“You feel it?” He asked.
“Yes.” I turned.
He clasped my hand in his. “We are not finished with this. Your sword needs repair, and we need an explanation for why they sing. There is only one place to find a suitable craftsman and answers. I expect you will go there and stop at Vin to see me as you return to your home?”