Chapter Forty-Two

Breakfast and a View

Michael laying in the dark the of the Defanin chambre. He groaned as the dull light above him flashed in slow pulses, slowly drawing him out of his sleep and into the land of the living. He swiped a lazy hand toward the underside of the top-bunk and the light vanished as the door clicked open.

Carter pushed open the door, careful not to let too much light in, and crept over to Michael’s bed as he sat up.

Michael squinted in the dark at his friend. “What time is it?”

“Just before Rising’s End. Come on, James is waiting in the hall, get dressed!” Carter whispered urgently.

Michael rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled on a shirt and a pair of pants before ambling to the door. He glanced to his bow for the space of a moment before remembering that Archie was still working on his quiver anyway, so he left it at his bedside.

Michael stumbled into the hallway to find James and Carter waiting impatiently, similarly groggy-faced and bleary-eyed.

James gave him a tired hug and took him gently by the head. “You sleep okay?”

Michael fondly touched his hands and smiled. “It was great until a moment ago.”

James chuckled gently and ruffled his hair. “Come. Let’s have breakfast.” He shouldered an empty sack and they began making their way down the Paladin corridor, then out through main hall of the keep.

As they made their way out into the open air of the courtyard, Carter’s rich, dark cloak billowed in the wind and Michael saw a flash of his many daggers stowed within. He glanced at James and noticed that his bigger friend wasn’t carrying his almighty axe, merely the burlap bag.

The courtyard itself was silent and dark and the air was thin with morning chill. The braziers were glowing and cast dark shadows past the dining tables. A thin crowd of Legacies were dotted along the tables. There was very little conversation but plenty of coffee.

Carter and James jogged ahead of the confused archer and quickly bagged up some fruits, breads, spreads and bottles of drink, stowing them carefully in the sack. With cheeky smiles, they then led him off again.

Michael followed his friends in a yawning quiet as they ambled toward the nearest fortress wall. Before long they had scampered up the inside of the hidden staircase and broke out onto the ramparts, looking out over the vast, empty meadows in which Fort Guardian lay.

Sitting leant up against one of the giant ballistae was Sidney in full combat steel. She cast a glance to the boys as they made their way along and muttered, “What are you lot doing here?” Her shaven head made her jawline and cheekbones stand out all the more. Her darks eyes seemed more serious but some of that was owed to the shadows underneath them.

Carter jogged over to her, leaving them just out of earshot. “Mind if we head out for an hour or two?”

Sidney blinked at the young Ahuran boy. “I’m sure you remember that Amekot has to sign off on all personnel exiting and entering the fortress. So, I’m excited to see his signature on something.”

“Not askin’ you to open the gates or anything disruptive like that.” Carter glanced nonchalantly at one of the ladder-release levers. “But if you were to be doing… I don’t know…”

Sidney waited but Carter was digging and going nowhere.

Michael cleared his throat, “-routine mechanism check on the lever-”

“-a routine mechanism check, say, for instance,” Carter inserted.

Sidney couldn’t help but give a weak smile. She rubbed her face and let out a sigh.

Carter swept his hair back and unveiled a cup of hot coffee from the depths of his cloak. “Cream and four sugars, right?”

Sidney’s iron gaze softened at the sight of the steaming drink. “You guys should get into politics with this level of bribery and horseshit.” She quickly took the mug before turning back to her station. “As it turns out, I’m doing a routine….”

“-mechanism check-” James mumbled.

“That. And then I’m on break for two minutes. Hope if anyone abuses my absence, that they’re quick going down. Or they’re going in the moat.” Sidney said this last bit pointedly.

Carter flashed his beautiful grin and she pushed the lever over. “You know I’d never let you down.” Sidney snorted.

James hopped up onto the parapets and immediately a gust of wind blew back the loose fabrics of his shirt and floppy mess of hair. He grinned and crouched down before lowering himself over the other side.

Michael watched as he descended and began subconsciously shaking his head. His stomach began to tighten. All he could seem to see was the unmoving sludge in the moat far, far below.

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Carter saw his face and took his hand. “Sparky.”

Michael couldn’t hear him. His heart was beating awfully loudly in his ears as James moved out of sight, descending to the next rung.

Michael put his weight on the wall, thinking about everything but his urge to throw up. Carter gripped him with another gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Michael.”

Finally, Michael looked to his friend and Carter’s soft, brown eyes held him gently. “I know you’re nervous. You know you don’t have to be. You know why?”

The age-old words eased the hardening fear around his heart and Michael nodded as he leant his head against Carter’s. “Lead the way.”

Carter let his hand go and stepped carefully over the barricade onto the first stone rung below. Slowly he began to descend and Michael followed him at a very controlled pace as the morning gusts shoved them ever-so-slightly.

Michael’s fingers were tight on every placement and his feet were planted with every step and each time he felt his clothing get nabbed by the breeze he could feel his pulse in his fingertips.

Michael climbed down and down and down until shortly after he found soil beneath his heels instead of stone.

Michael turned to find that he was standing on the small lip of the land which held up Fort Guardian, separated from the rest of the valley only by the great encircling moat on the stronghold’s toes.

James knelt down against the breeze and pulled another small hidden lever at the base of the wall and slowly, scraping out from the bottom of defences was one long slab of stone, stretching almost half-way across the entire moat before it stopped, like a gangplank. James began moving slowly out onto the slab, keeping his weight low as the wind jostled him one way or the other.

Michael looked sharply to Carter and whispered, “Why doesn’t it go all the way across?”

“Protocol. If we can use it to get out, invaders could use it to get in.”

Michael pointed to his large friend, creeping toward the slab’s end and said, “How is anyone supposed to use it to get out if-”

James suddenly took off at a sprint. He threw himself across the remainder of the gap, clearing the moat and landing on the other side shoulder-first before rolling up onto his feet. He proudly held up the bag in one hand, yelling, “Didn’t crush any food, we’re good!”

Michael looked back and forth from Carter to James and began cursing belligerently beneath his breath.

Carter sighed and patted him on the back. “See you in a minute, love.”

Unlike James, Carter didn’t seem to go in for the whole stable or cautious approach, and instead barrelled across the entire length of stone despite the push of the wind before throwing himself across the moat, cackling all the while.

Michael wanted throw up but feared the wind would throw it back in his face.

Carter landed in a tumble on the other side and sprung up to this regular height, waving at Michael to join them.

Michael rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself, “Come on, Williams, you’ve done stupider shit than this.” He took off at a sprint and felt his heels strike hard on the stone.

In five great strides he came hurtling to the edge of the slab and leapt. For one sharp breath he was weightless, before landing in an ungraceful mess on the other side, sliding through the mud. When he finally stopped, Michael found himself belly-laughing out both thrill and relief.

James and Carter hoisted him up, bright with smiles and congratulations until they both realised how covered in mud he was and fought to avoid his grabbing-hugs.

James and Carter led Michael up the hillside, and it didn’t take him long to notice that they seemed to be making a beeline for the cavern mouth on the centre of the rise.

“Where are we going?” Michael asked, suddenly recalling his dream all too vividly from the night earlier that spell.

Carter saw the look on his face and linked himself through both James’ and Michael’s arms. “We’re goin’ on a little mission!”

Michael looked at him in genuine shock. “We are not.”

James nodded enthusiastically. “We can’t wait until next spell!”

Michael pulled his arms free but James and Carter carried on. He pinched himself but even as he did so knew he was wide awake. He began yelling, “What are you guys doing?”

“Come or don’t, old friend!” Carter yelled over his shoulder.

Michael cast an anxious look back toward Fort Guardian, knowing full-well there was no time to return. He turned and bolted after his friends only barely able to catch up to them as they scrambled up the lip of the cavern mouth.

“Guys, stop!”

Michael pulled himself up after, overwhelmed with worry just in time to find James laying down a picnic blanket and Carter opening a bottle of ale.

“Wait, what in the Dark Lands is this?” Michael panted.

Carter poured him a goblet of ale and pushed it softly into his hands. “The most important of missions, like the man said: we’re having breakfast. Now, help your brother set the table.”

Michael felt his worry crumble beneath the weight of his disbelief for his friends’ ridiculousness. “Calling this a bad idea would be the most generous thing I’ve ever done.”

James nodded and began pulling out bunches of strawberries and grapes.

Michael was still scoffing as he took in the scenery of the cavern.

The place was just as he’d dreamt it would be, a long, far-wandering path both wide and tall like some kind of underground highway. The cave stretched on for leagues and leagues before it disappeared into darkness. It was decorated with babbling brooks and early stalactites, and more than anything, looked as peaceful as anywhere in Fort Guardian, or perhaps more so, for it lacked the lingering, underlying tension.

“Nikereus could be close, guys…”

James pulled him down the floor of the cave and said, “Nikereus is somewhere we don’t have to worry about right now. Have a grape.”

Michael took the small fruit and looked at his two friends, still fairly wrapped up in disbelief. “Why here?”

“Because this is our fortress,” said Carter, firmly. “And if this Nikereus wants us to eat our breakfast somewhere else, then they come ask politely.”

Michael looked at his friends and felt his smile edge onto his face. He nodded to himself and held up his goblet. “Well, alright then. Here’s to being in your foolish company.”

Carter and James echoed his words and raised their cups chuckling. At last Carter sighed, leant over and kissed Michael lightly on the head. He looked over the valley. The dawn lit the chocolate in his eyes. The wind tussled his hair and his smile grew soft. “Oh, boy. Life is kind to us sometimes, isn’t it? I am glad to be alive.”

James offered him a grape and Carter took it like it was the last he would ever eat, sighing as the taste of it rolled through him.