“We are not vanquished yet!” Lupollen said, grabbing him by the arm and shaking him. “You hold the sword-let us escape while we still may. With the sword we may raise an army elsewhere.”
“Good counsel. Let us fly! Ameronis turned and fled back through the thronging soldiers and into the castle with Lupollen after him.
Surrounded and disadvantaged by now-superior forces, Lord Ameronis’s commanders threw down their weapons and begged for quarter. Cries of “Mercy! Mercy!” and “Give quarter!” rang out in the castle yard where before the shouts of “Hold forth! We win!” still hung in the air, so quickly had the battle ended.
Pym and Renny, astride Tarky, peered fearfully in through the gate. Lacking weapons and armor, they had hung back from the battle at Edfrith’s command; but upon hearing the cries of the vanquished they had come close to see the struggle ended and carried the day!” shouted Renny. “Hooray! The Dragon King has won!”
“So he has for a fact,” replied Pym sagely. “We ‘uns nivver doubted it fer a minute, eh? No, nivver fer a minute.” They slipped in through the gate and rode into the press around the King.
Denellon, Kelkin, and Gorloic also pushed through the mob and came to stand beside Edfrith, who had dismounted, and all four stood before the King. “It is over. We declare the victory yours, Sire,” they said, and all around them raised a victory chant.
Quentin held up his hand for silence, and when the cheer died down, said, “It is not over until I hold the sword.” He stood in his stirrups and scanned the crowd. “Where is Ameronis? I will have him here before me.”
Ronsard, who wasted no time in abandoning the turret once the tower was taken, shouldered his way through the crush around the Dragon King. “Ameronis has escaped!” he called, breathless from his run down the tower stairs. “I saw him and his cunning friend fly the battle and disappear into the castle.”
“Then he has taken the sword with him!” said Gorloic. “Our efforts have been for naught!”
“Curse him!” spat Kelkin. “There is no catching him now!”
“Why?” asked Quentin, sudden panic flooding over him, twisting his stomach. “Where has he gone?”
“There is a secret passage beneath the castle,” explained Kelkin. “It leads out onto the Sipleth and to a trail along the shore. Upriver he keeps a boat in readiness. At least, his father always did. I suppose Ameronis does as well.”
At this, Quentin and Ronsard threw back their heads and laughed heartily as relief chased the dread from their faces-just as sunlight removes the shadows when the clouds have moved on.
“You find this humorous, Sire?” Kelkin asked.
“You do not know the fears your words have slain just now, my friend,” replied Ronsard. “You may just have performed your greatest service to your King.”
“How so, sir?”
“Look!” said Ronsard, raising his arm. “I think friend Theido escorts two most reluctant prisoners.”
A wide avenue parted in the company as a group of knights came marching up, pushing Ameronis and Lupollen-much chagrined, yet still defiant-before them on the points of their swords.
“Sire!” exclaimed Theido. “It is heartening to see you. We did not expect-”
“Did not expect me, I know. But did you really think I would allow the likes of Ameronis to challenge me without a fight?” asked Quentin with a smile.
Theido grinned readily. “The battle is won, and none too soon.”
The tall knight placed a hand on Ameronis and pushed him forward to kneel before the King. “We caught this one and his friend trying to escape through the secret passage.”
“Give me the sword, Ameronis.” Quentin glared down at the humbled lord. Ameronis put his hand to his side and withdrew the sword from his scabbard. Laying the blade across his outstretched hands, he offered it up to the King with his eyes averted and head bowed.
Quentin took up the sword and raised it in the sunlight, then slid it home to its sheath. He said, “I do not have time to deal with you now, traitor. But I will, and soon-you may count on it. And let your contemplation of your punishment add to its severity.” He turned to the others. “My friends, at midday tomorrow my son will die unless I meet the ransom demand. I ride at once to the High Temple.”
“I will go with you,” said Theido.
“And I,” said Ronsard. His words were echoed all around, so that when the Dragon King rode out from Ameron Castle there followed behind him a great train made up of lords and soldiers and people from the countryside who had been drawn to the scene of the battle. And all made their way northward through Pelgrin Forest toward Narramoor and the High Temple beyond.
FIFTY-ONE
RAIN PATTERED in the temple yard all through the night. Toli lay awake, listening, praying for deliverance for himself and the little Prince, and for the courage to face whatever awaited them. When morning came, the sky remained dark and overcast although the rain had stopped and a fresh wind had risen from the west.
When Prince Gerin awakened, Toli stood over the place he had occupied all night during his long vigil. At the moment the boy’s eyes blinked open, he sat upright on his straw mattress and said, “Today is the day of our freedom! Isn’t it, Toli? Today my father will come for us!”
Toli nodded and smiled to see the faith of the boy, undimmed by the long, numbing days of captivity. “Yes, today we will be free.” He looked at the Prince for a long while, then sat down beside him on the bed. When he spoke again, it was in a more serious tone.
“Gerin, I have something to tell you.”
The youngster waited for him to continue.
Toli turned toward him. “You know that I love you as my own son. That is why I would not have you ignorant of what may take place today.”
“I am no longer afraid, Toli. I was before, but only for a little while. But my father is King, and he will not allow anything to happen to us. I know it.”
Toli smiled again and said, “Yes, I believe he will come. But… there are times when even Kings are powerless over events. Your father is King, yes, but he is also a man and may not be able to change all that he would like. Sometimes things are done that no one can undo.”
Gerin remained silent for a time, thinking on Toli’s words. “Will they kill us?” he asked at last. Without waiting for an answer he blurted ahead, “I am not afraid to die.”
“There is no shame in being afraid. There have been times that I have feared for my life. But courage comes in not allowing your fear to win over you.”
“Yes, but I am not afraid now. I have been thinking. The Most High has his purpose-that is what Durwin always said-and if it is that I must die for the kingdom to be saved, then I will do it.”
Toli marveled at such simple, wholehearted trust. “Yours are brave words, young sir, and wiser than you know. And yes, it may be that our lives are required. I know that I will go easier with such a strong comrade beside me.” He pulled the boy close in a tight hug. “But we are not dead yet, and the end is not yet revealed. We must still believe that the King will save us, Gerin.”
“I know he will, Toli. He is my father.”
They talked no more of the impending confrontation, but turned to other themes, remembering happier times. When the temple guards came for them, they found the cell ringing with laughter as Toli recounted his recent recollections of the Prince learning to ride and jump.
“How heartening to hear our prisoners enjoying their last moments so pleasantly,” said Nimrood, stepping into the cell. “Would you agree, Pluell?”