The three travelers were exhausted from their grueling ride from the village near the Sentinel Tree to the palace. The storm that came upon them the first day had drained them of everything they had. Wilhelm had fallen asleep standing in the doorway of the palace as they waited for the steward to go and fetch someone. Jeremiah and Chloé helped him to a chair where he could rest more comfortably.
Nìa and Prince Ryan came into the entrance hall, following the steward. The queen and her daughters had taken pity on Nìa and gifted her with many dresses. Chloé saw that Nìa wore a beautiful dress that was robin's egg blue and trimmed with exquisite white lace. Nìa ran to her and gave her and then Jeremiah a hug. She then went to see Wilhelm.
They were weak from travel and could say little, but after speaking with them briefly, she asked the steward to bring her a list of ingredients that she jotted down for him and sent him on his way. He returned a short while later carrying most of her supplies. He left again and returned with three empty wine cups on a tray with some food from the kitchen.
She began mixing the ingredients together and when she was finished, she gave each of the weary travelers a cup to drink and said, “I added a little cinnamon and sugar to make it taste better, but this should help you to regain your strength quickly. They each began to drink. The concoction was soothing to their sore throats brought on by the storm and after a few minutes they were feeling much better and able to speak.
Jeremiah was the first to speak, saying, “We need to see the king so that he can stop the defensive attack on the ships coming this way.” Nìa explained to the group that they were aware of the reasoning for their arrival. She told them about the conversation that she had had with J?kob and that Ryan was working on a solution to the problem at hand. Ryan then explained that the mind of his father was not easily swain., but that he had already requested an audience on their behalf.
“How long do we have before we see him,” asked Jeremiah. “It won’t be until morning, I am afraid,” said Ryan consolingly. Wilhelm spoke up, “We don’t have that long to waste,” he said. “Those refugees will be here before sundown tomorrow, and if all the preparations have been completed, it will take hours to reverse what's been done,” he said, becoming angry.
“If this mission of yours is so dire,” Ryan began to ask, “why would you not have used our Sentinel Tree to make it here more quickly.” Wilhelm replied, “We sought the wisdom of the council before we made our trek. They refused to hear us, so we had to take a different path so as to not raise suspicion with the council. I feared that they may try to stop us. The order in which they do such things is sometimes counterproductive and we hadn’t the time to waste.”
“We would have been here by this time yesterday; if it weren’t for a fluke storm that hindered us,” said Wilhelm aloud, and then to himself, “The council’s doing, no doubt.” He didn’t want the others of his party to think that the council might be against them. He knew that council’s ways were set and that they do not like to differ from the way they process actions. They had left on their mission without the blessing of the council. He knew that he would have repercussions, but this was too important to ignore. From what he had seen at the riverfront, there were thousands of people on those ships, and everyone of them needed him to do this.
“My father, King Arlos, is not an easy man to be persuaded,” said Ryan, reminding them while interrupting Wilhelm. He will expect proof; evidence that what you say is true.” Jeremiah stood face to face with Ryan and raised his voice saying, “The only proof that I have is that on the morning two days past, I saw with my own eyes, my captain trailing behind a fleet of ships filled with many people that I know and love along with many others. Captain Thomas Bridgewater of the Oaken Meadow Peacekeepers is the most selfless man I know and I also know that, without a doubt, he set fire to the city in which he was sworn to protect at all cost in order that the approaching enemy could not take her or her people, because that is the kind of man that he is.”
Prince Ryan took a step back and wiped the spittle from his face that had come from Jeremiah’s spirited speech and said, “Bridgewater, you say? “Ah yes, I remember you. You are Jeremiah. I was the one that had requested that you joined our ranks here at the capital city. I saw you in your training and Bridgewater spoke very highly of you. I see now, even more so, as to why he wanted to keep you around.”
Ryan began asking questions about why he wasn’t with his captain and such. Jeremiah explained to him the last day he had seen the captain and what had led up to him not being there when they set fire to the city and evacuated everyone. He explained that he had received leave to warn his family and to bring Chloé back with him and how he had been followed and how he had been attacked. He didn’t want to tell him about Chloé and her visions, but she interrupted him and did so anyway.
Ryan listened to them tell their stories and after all was said and done, he said that he would speak to his father at once about the situation. He had the steward show them to a room where they could get some much needed rest. Nìa helped Wilhelm to his room and told him about her conversation with J?kob and how it ended suddenly. She knew he would be worrying and asked if he could add some of his magic to the pendent so that she could let him know about everything that had happened. Though his body was weak from traveling, his magic reserves were strong enough to indulge her request. When he was finished, he laid down and fell asleep.
Nìa went to her room and contacted J?kob to fill him in on what all had happened so that he wouldn’t worry any longer. This time, she was able to tell him goodnight before she said, “Teppa,” to end the conversation and then she fell asleep feeling confident that Ryan would be able to change the king’s mind about the upcoming attack. Jeremiah and Chloé entered their room and laid on the bed, they were both feeling exhausted from the two days of traveling and neither one of them remembered closing their eyes before the steward came to summon them to have breakfast with the king the next morning.
*****
The morning that the ships were to arrive, while sitting at the king’s table, no matter what anyone said, the king would not budge from his position on the upcoming attack. He was adamant that the approaching vessels were enemies prepared for their own attack. The argument lasted for over an hour before the king stormed off yelling, “I should have you all strung up for treason.” The group was left dumbfounded by the king’s responses.
Ryan took it upon himself to help everyone involved, because he did not want his father’s lust for battle to stain the reputation of the kingdom or his family. He followed his father to the throne room to plead for the many lives aboard the ships that were approaching the city gates. He approached the throne and knelt in front of his father who was seated on the plush regal chair that had a high arched back and elaborately carved mahogany armrests shaped like lions.
"Father," he began. "What must it take for you to change your mind and prevent the slaughter of innocent men, women and children who are on their way here to plead with you for their safety?" "Proof," replied King Arlos. "I need proof. Proof that these people who came here in the dead of night are not enemy spies sent to have us let down our guard. Proof that these ships are not filled with enemy soldiers primed and ready to strike. Proof that our enemy is far from our grasp and not hiding in the shadows waiting for reinforcements," ranted the king.
Ryan waited with his head bowed while his father spoke and then after he was finished, he stood and asked, "If I had been the one who had come to you first, would you have believed me?" "I suppose," the king began to speak while still in thought, "but you didn't," he interjected. Ryan interrupted him and asked, "If I volunteered and were to go to the river and see the refugees for myself, would you call it off then?" "I have met with Bridgewater on several occasions and I am certain that I could tell him if it's him or not," continued Ryan.
"You have been swooning over that pretty girl from Echo for nigh on two days now, it would be hard to trust that she hasn't gotten in your head son," said the king with a scolding tone and then said, "She arrived with Master U'lias, did she not? She could be an enchantress sent by the enemy to ease our defenses."
"What if I were to take others of the Peacekeepers with me, ones that know and respect the man," asked Ryan. "Take Cole Crestwood, and send for Jameson, he trained Bridgewater," replied the king. "If they both verify that this is a convoy of refugees and not an invading armada, I will call off the defensive strike," said the king and then he dismissed Ryan with a wave of his hand.
Ryan had the honorary title of being Commander of the Peacekeepers and it wasn’t hard for him to summon Cole Crestwood, the captain of the Peacekeepers stationed at the capital city. He also, through Nìa after hearing of her charmed necklace, sent word to Jameson Truwood at the sanctum to report at once and that time was of the utmost importance.
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Ryan sent for four of the fastest horses to be brought to the Sentinel Tree where he waited for the other members of his party to arrive. He has asked Master U'lias to join them because they needed a magic user to open the portal to return, but he declined. He was under orders from the Tribune to oversee the fortifications and was not permitted to leave. He was hesitant to ask Wilhelm because of the difficulties from his previous journey, but he volunteered before Ryan had a chance to ask him.
Once all parties were present, he told them that they had an important mission to undertake and that he would fill them in on the way. Wilhelm was already privy to the information and had already begun to set in motion a way for them to return in haste once the party reached their goals. While Ryan and the others were finishing preparing for their departure, he placed a gray stone that sparkled like stars in the night sky in a notch in the wall where the portal would form.
Wilhelm opened the portal and after the others entered it, he placed his hand on the stone that he had placed in the wall and said "Opna." He entered the portal and emerged on the other side. As he exited the adjoined Sentinel Tree, he could hear Ryan, who had previously been hinting that their mission was a one of rescue, begin to tell the others the true nature of their quest.
It took the group nearly two hours to traverse the flat and narrow expanse that was between the tree and the water's edge. They arrived at an outcropping of rocks that marked the shore of the river. Ryan pulled a spyglass from inside his tunic and looked at the northern horizon for the ships that would soon be in sight.
The would be rescuers needed only a few minutes before the sails began to come into view. It was only a few minutes longer before they began to see the shape of the ships with their naked eyes. Ryan began to survey the vessels one by one. After a few, but very long moments, he found Bridgewater and his ship gaining speed and coming around to the front of the fleet.
The fleet was made up of cargo barges and fishing boats of several different sizes. Ryan thought to himself, "How could anyone mistake this for an attacking fleet of ships." He was amazed at how many people had been crammed into these vessels and even more amazed that they were still afloat. From his perch on the back of his horse, he could see all ages of men, women and children aboard the boats.
Satisfied by what he saw, he handed the spyglass to Jameson who only after a few moments handed it to Crestwood. When he was finished seeing what he needed to see, the two of them conversed and they both agreed that Wilhelm and the others were being truthful. Then Ryan said, "Even if we hasten our return, we will only have a couple of hours at most to fix what has been done."
Wilhelm interrupted him and said, “Follow me, I know of another way." Wilhelm walked his horse to a rock that was twice as tall as he and his horse. He pulled a stone out of his pocket that was blacker than night that was wrapped with a silver band and had a ruby set into it. He placed the stone on the rock and held his hand there with it and said, "Flytja!" A portal appeared beside him and all their horses balked when it formed.
Wilhelm steadied his mount without removing the stone from the rock. " Hurry now," he said. The others each went through to the other side before he himself entered the void in the rock. He emerged from the portal and he could see Ryan and the others already making their way to the throne room to report what they had seen.
The news of the ships pending arrival caught many at the palace by surprise even though they had already been warned. The king’s men and the Vareaer, who were still at the palace awaiting an attack, began to disarm the defenses surrounding the palace fortress. Ryan and his brothers were placed in charge of the assorted groups that were sent to make the waterway safe for passage.
Wilhelm, who had secretly been sabotaging the defenses, was asked in private, by Ryan, to personally see to “those” areas along the riverfront as well as with the rest of the magical defenses that had been put in place while the others began to focus on the traps that been placed in the harbor. The groups worked tirelessly until all the defensive preparations that had been setup were nearly done away with. They were careful not to destroy anything that could be useful if they were actually under attack later on.
The sun was beginning to lower itself down to the horizon when the first of the sails were spotted. Wilhelm went to the end of the pier and placed his hands over the river, knowing that there were still items in the harbor that could damage a ship. He closed his eyes and began mumbling something incoherent to the others. His mumbling became louder and though his words were audible, not many of the ones standing around him could understand what he was saying.
His chanting grew louder and louder, until at last he yelled, “Ryeja! Dreifa! Strjála!” and then he quickly spread his hands apart and a wake formed in the water cutting down the middle, splitting the river in two. The twin waves left behind by the spell pushed the water from the harbor towards the shores on either side of the gates. The water climbed higher and higher up the banks and into the neighboring grasslands before receding back into its bed, leaving behind the many traps that had been placed in the harbor. Nets, spiked rams and other items now laid, strewn amongst the grass and nearby trees, drying in the warmth of the sun upon the shores.
*****
The King Arlos belted out an order, “Open the gates!” His men began to turn the cranks and the gates began to pull themselves apart from the center. Jeremiah, who was standing next to Prince Ryan and his father and along with Chloé and the others, smiled when he saw Thomas standing on the bow of his ship. As the captain's boat neared the dock, he locked eyes with Captain Bridgewater as he leapt from his boat onto the dock.
The captain ran through the crowd of people that had been awaiting their arrival. He ran to Jeremiah and grabbed him in a giant bear hug. He squeezed him with all he had. “I’ve missed ya, my boy! I'd thought you lost for sure," he said, with an enormous grin and shaking Jeremiah in the air. Then he placed Jeremiah back on his feet and grabbed Chloé with a hug and gave her the biggest kiss on her cheek that she had ever had.
The king had made arrangements for a giant feast to welcome the group of refugees to the palace; once Ryan and the rest of his party arrived back from their quest. The king had underestimated the amount of people on the ships and the festivities swelled out from the palace grounds into the neighboring city. The whole city was gladdened by the arrival of Captain Bridgewater and his fleet of refugees.
Before the festivities began, King Arlos pulled a parchment from his tunic that he had written on and made an announcement, "I had written this for my herald to read, but it's such a privilege to read it, I think I will do it myself," he said to quiet the crowd of people that had gathered around. A hush began to move through the crowd as they settled down to listen.
"It is with great honor and privilege that I, your king, announce that for your heroism and the acts of bravery in the defense of the city that you were sworn to protect, but most importantly, her people, name you, Captain Thomas Bridgewater, Protector of the Peacekeepers." This was the highest honor bestowed to a Peacekeeper. It was an honor and rank that could only be achieved in times of war. They answered only to the Commander or the king.
The crowd, made up mostly of refugees, began to cheer. The noise was so loud that Prince Ryan had to cover his ears. He tried to quiet the crowd so he could make his own announcement. He climbed atop a nearby stack of crates so that he could be seen by everyone. He smiled a great smile as he raised his hand in the air and began to motion the crowd to quiet down.
"People!"..."People!"..."Please settle down. May I have your attention, please." began the prince. "Jeremiah," he said looking at the once farm boy from Oaken Meadow. "Could I have you come forward?" As Jeremiah made his way to where Ryan was at, the prince asked, "Jeremiah, my friend, I do not believe that I know your surname?"
When Jeremiah arrived, the prince stepped down from the crates and Jeremiah leaned in and whispered in his ear. The prince placed one hand on Jeremiah's shoulder and raised the other so the crowd would remain still. "Jeremiah, whose family I am told, has no surname," began Ryan. "For your treasonous act of defying the wishes of the Council of Elders to bring word of your captain and the people that you serve. I find you guilty."
"For the act of plotting against the king and circumventing his judgment to save your friends, I find you guilty of this as well," the prince continued. "And finally," he stated, "for the charge of loving your friends, family, and countrymen, you are found guilty." " The prince smiled and said, "Kneel before your prince to receive your judgment."
Jeremiah's head was spinning. He couldn't understand what was happening. He had been found guilty on three charges and he was becoming frightened. Shakily, he did as he was commanded. Prince Ryan then drew his sword from its sheath and raised it above his head. The crowd gasped in terror as the prince said, "For these crimes and more, I cast judgment upon you."
He brought his sword down swiftly but then only tapped the shoulder of Jeremiah with the flat. He raised the sword again and then placed it on the other and then said, "Rise." Ryan offered a hand to help him up. Jeremiah took his hand and stood in front of the prince as Ryan said, "From this day forth, you shall be known as Sir Jeremiah Truheart, General in the King's army."
"For the valor that you showed by standing up for what you knew to be right when all else was against you. You battled a storm to bring us word of the peril that your friends and loved ones were in. They are here today because of the virtue that you and your friends have shown. They thank you, I thank you, and the kingdom thanks you."
The crowd began to cheer and a tear began to form in the corners of Jeremiah's eyes. He was filled with pride in himself at the prince's words, but he felt as though he was undeserving of the honors bestowed on him. He grasped the arm of the prince and embraced him to show his gratitude and then turned for the crowd to see him. He waved at them and thanked them for the cheers. He searched the throng of well-wishers for his bride.
When he found her, she was staring up at him. He could see tears in her eyes and her hands were covering her beautiful smile. He ran her and wrapped his arms around her and he kissed her. He kissed her again and again. He hadn't been this happy since the night that he made her his wife. All was well and the crowd roared around them, but for him, it was just the two of them swaying back and forth, dancing to the music of their love.
