The Kings Son

Chapter 28

When he arrived back at the great hall with Lee one-step behind him, Oliver hurried to the table where Stonehammer and Gabriel were sitting, his eyes searched for Rexseal, he came to a stop when he caught sight of the little man. Rexseal was pale and haggard; his eyes sunk in their sockets, his back was bowed as if he carried a great weight upon his shoulders, but a smile danced upon his lips.

Stonehammer was trying to get him to drink something from a flask he had poured into a thimble that he now held in his other hand. "Come on drink this and you'll feel better."

Shaking his head Rexseal refused. "Not until I say what I have to say," Ignoring the drink Stonehammer pushed towards him he gave a short cough. "You know if I drink that now I'll be so wound up that nothing I'll say for the next three days will make any sense."

Pulling his arm back and slamming his hand down on to the table Stonehammer growled deep in his throat. "Fine don't blame me if you keel over dead from exhaustion."

When his eyes lit upon Oliver, Rexseal straightened his shoulders as much as he could and his smile doubled in size. "Come Princes' sit down and join us." Falling silent for a moment Rexseal gave Lee a sharp look. "You couldn't give Oliver a minute more huh you just had to burst in, or rather out and interrupt."

Perplexed Lee, took a moment to think, when it finally clicked, he smiled from ear to ear, Oliver quick to change the subject cleared his throat. "You have important news concerning the King and our Brothers?"

Nodding Rexseal moved over to a knife that stood on end, its blade buried in the wood of the table, floating up he sat down on the weapons handle. "To get to the gist of it and without any more delay both of your brothers are fine, Robert is pretty banged up but even now as we speak  they are on their way back with your father, they should be here the day after tomorrow sometime, most likely before noon, the men they faced in the gorge are no more."

Feeling relief rush through him Oliver reached over and patted Lee on the back, his relief was torn away when he turned and looked back at Rexseal, the little man's face had lost its smile and was replaced with a grim frown. "As you know I can read minds, what you don't know is that I can't control it, it is with great sadness that I tell you that as of right now the Country of Thunder is at war. You also know that I disappeared for many days, during that time, after, I learned from your mind of the peril that your brothers faced, I went to help them as much as I could. I harassed your enemies, I burned as many of them and their supplies as was possible, but it was too little effect, there were simply to many for me to defeat without killing myself."

Pointing to Gabriel who had risen to his feet, Rexseal said. "You're going to want to hear the rest of this, plus your brother the King has orders that I'm supposed to give you."

Returning to his seat Gabriel ground his teeth. "Then speak fast, I have the blood of our enemies to bathe in."

"You're a brutal one," Rexseal said under his breath before he continued speaking. "I did as much in my power as I could, to try and save your brothers and their men, but in the end it was for naught," A bitter smile crossed the little man's face. "As my strength ebbed all I could do was watch as your brothers and countrymen pulled together in a tight circle their last line of defense as men crashed upon their shields and weapons like waves upon the sand. But then out of nowhere like a raging river pouring into the sea your father appeared, charging down the gorge roaring his defiance, his army screaming behind him as they followed." 

Looking passed them all Rexseals face grew fierce like he was ready to fight. "Just before your fathers first hammer stroke fell upon your enemies the freezing howler came, drowning out every other sound, it was as if it too was raging against those that had come to ravage its home. Emboldened by that sight I knew that even if it cost me my life I had to do what I could to keep your Father and his men alive I had to make sure that you're Brothers and their men would be able to return to you all. To save as many of them as I could, as they fought on the battlefield I set fire to their backs trusting that I could keep them warm as the Howler screamed on.

They all remained silent as Rexseal continued his story, he told them of his run in with the enemy's leader who was in fact a woman, her mind was decrepit and decayed in an unnatural way, "Even in her madness, I was able to garner something from her mind. I don't know who this master is, that she serves but his very essence corrupts those under his influence." Fighting off a  coughing fit Rexseal pounded on his chest.

Leaning forward Gabriel's hard eyes held Rexseal in their gaze. "Do you know how many men he's sending?"

Rexseal closed his eyes. "No but I know that it's not just humans the man controls, but cave trolls, goblins, and orcs." Pointing to Stonehammer, Rexseal continued, "Even some of his distant evil cousins, the less than friendly mountain giants are among it."

"Give me my brothers orders it's a week's journey back to my home and I need to gather as many of my men as I can and head back this way as quickly as possible."

Rexseal reached for the thimble Stonehammer had offered him. "Sound the warning bells for war has come and leave as soon as you can, I know you could have already done that, but I wanted to make sure you knew the scope of what we faced before you rushed off, I hope to waste no more of your time."

The lord of Steels face tightened for a moment but then he nodded, without saying goodbye to anyone, he rushed from the great hall, his voice ringing out, startling the guards standing around the doors.

Oliver looked to Rexseal, "What do we do, did father give you any orders for Lee and myself?"

Speaking before he lifted the thimble to his lips Rexseal chuckled. "Stay out of trouble, that goes for both of you, and as for you Oliver his orders about you being Miss Vivian's shadow still stand, keep her safe."

The echoing of the bells rang throughout the castle, the city, up and over the mountains and out over the countryside, the city became a hive of activity. The people in the surrounding farms, villages and towns awakened from their slumber, if the small towns or villages had a church and bell, they made sure to ring it loud and long while everyone else hurried to evacuate. Many carried what they could in wagons or on animals, some even heaved their loads onto their backs, they burned the rest not wanting to leave it behind.

Oliver's heart fluttered with a mix of fear and excitement each time the bells tolled, war had come.