The fields before Hailgrad were strewn with a random assortment of tents and several hundred campfires. Red encampments clung to the city walls in the distance like the cobwebs of an old attic. Smoke processed in long columns above the city and surrounding fields. Edwin looked on in dismay at the scene.
“By Areandel,” Lars sighed in a faint voice. Thinobrad and Galnar muttered to one another, concern hanging heavily on their voices.
“It looks as though the city has endured a long siege,” Johanna gasped. “How could this have happened in only three days?
Edwin did not disagree. The thousands of refugees looked to be a vast army of besiegers that set fire to the surrounding lands. It was, however, no time to stand in wonder, and Edwin felt an ache to see his home and his parents.
“Let us go and see what we can,” he was finally able to get out.
They rode off in a quick, tight column. Edwin felt a heavy dread on him as they pushed forward. It was a weighted feeling that seemed to drag him and his companions down. The air was dense and musty. It hung in the sky like a thick blanket. What was usually a quick gallop to the gates seemed like a march through thick swampland.
Even the people looked foreign to the prince. He knew they were people of Hailgalad, but the strange air and mist seemed to mask their faces. Not six months ago, he rode openly under fresh, wholesome air with Johanna and Charles. It now looked to be the devastated fields of some forgotten land.
After some time, Lars broke through the heavy air, "Edwin, the night is getting on, we should consider making camp for the evening."
In a typical journey from Arnorad to Hailgrad, one could make the journey in one day. If they left at first light, then they would arrive at the royal palace gates just after nightfall. However, this journey seemed to take much longer.
Edwin had wanted to push the company on even though they were weary from the nameless weight.
"It is not much further," Edwin panted. "We can make it. In the end, we will all be happier if we push on."
Lars continued to urge the prince to wait until morning. In his estimation, “With the king and queen ill, they are most likely at rest, and you would not be able to sit with them until the morning.”
Lars paused and looked around nervously, “I have also felt a deep dread across these lands, and the people are restless. I imagine the journey is plenty safe, but I would feel best if his majesty took the road by day. With this atmosphere around us, I doubt we will make quick time anyway.”
After a good deal of resistance from Edwin, the group made their camp at the banks of the Frostfall, a short way away from the nearby inn and local homes. They could see the establishment called the Riverbrook Inn, surrounded by small tents.
"Remember our journey to the academy, Edwin, Johanna?" Charles asked, trying to forget the ominous feeling that seemed to pull at his heart. "There is the Riverbrook Inn, where we stayed for a pint. Not a care in the world, sipping on the best brews in or around Hailgrad."
The three started at the inn longingly. The warm light was so inviting at the time, but now it was dark and shrouded with an ominous mist. The buildings were surrounded by restless, scared people who, Edwin guessed, wanted nothing more than to be in their homes.
"These people had most likely been out of the city at the time of the outbreak and are now not allowed to re-enter the capital," said Thinobrad, staring at the refugees that clustered around the small group of buildings. "With this restlessness, it may be best to remain unseen until the morning. This dense fog rolling in will provide us with cover for tonight, and we can approach the gates in the morning. The morning light may reveal many anxieties to be nothing more than just false worries."
Edwin sat, stewing in his mind, as anxious thoughts crept back in with a prying reach, “Lars, did you say that you felt a sense of dread as we reached the fields?”
“Yes, you feel it as well, Edwin?” Lars asked as he wiped his brow, where a combination of sweat and water from the dense fog was clinging.
Edwin paused as he gazed into the flames. “I do. It's a heaviness that makes me weary like I have never been before. We have never had a great sickness in my time, is this feeling common?”
“There is always great tension when death is involved. Areandel’s light is obscured when great tragedy is caused, but I have not read any accounts of this happening before, no,” Lars trailed off as he, too, stared into the fire.
“Ed, I think I may have a theory,” Charles said in an unsure tone. “In my time at the academy, I was very interested in our history. One part of history that struck me is magic. It is said that when a person uses magic for evil purposes, it gives off an unfriendly feeling to all those near it. Is it possible that someone has cast something terrible on our capital, possibly Vaelor or another rival kingdom?”
“Lars,” Edwin looked over to Lars inquisitively while Johanna scoffed.
“Well,” Lars started. “This is not my area of expertise. I would have to pass that to Thinobrad, who is our chief authority on magic at the academy."
Thinobrad sat for a while and stroked his long, brown beard.
After a time, he spoke in his deep voice, "I will say it is not as far-fetched as your friend Johanna might think. As you know, we do have individuals that can conjure magic. There is the ancient order of the White Hand in Javailty, but their number has been dwindling over time. For the most part, people use these abilities to enhance their strength, much like Hailgalad’s chief general Baldric, who has learned to channel sorcery to fortify his power in battle or those that can call upon magical powers to heal. Even Edwin’s family is rumored to have magical ties. It is said that the king can draw upon magic to focus his mind when devising strategies. I know of this type because I, too, can use magic to fortify my mind. The real question is for someone to have the power to conjure this, it would take sorcery unknown to our world.”
The older man took a moment to pause in thought before continuing, "In our history, we are unsure whether some of the acts are not embellished for the grandeur of our ancestors. The people of our time have also lost much of the magical abilities of the past, that is to be sure. Many known feats and landmarks were built by great wizards of the past. That power has not been seen in our kingdom for some lifetimes of our people. Why Areandel has taken these powers from us, I am not sure. Maybe it is that the people of this world are undeserving, but that is not for me to judge. Nevertheless, I do not think this could be so.”
“But, if we know it has happened in the past, why can it not be so now?” Charles postulated.
“Alright, let us break this down,” said Thinobrad as he shifted to face Charles. “Say you are right, Charles, say Vaelor has these magicians at the ready. Why have they not used them in the long border war between them and Hailgalad over these years? Why reveal this power now? The logic does not make sense. The most likely answer to this riddle is that goods came from the East and the shipping docks in Mendale. They take in food and other supplies from over the sea and from many strange lands largely unknown to us. It may be the case there is a sickness there, but let us not think of the worst.”
“Come on now,” Johanna inserted sharply. “Let us end this talk. There is enough of this heavy aura around us without your theories of magic and evil. We have to deal with what is in front of us in the real world and not your books.”
At that moment, a twig broke. Johanna jumped to her feet, sword at the ready, as an arrow whistled into the camp. It glanced off her armor and was followed by a volley of arrows. Thinobrad leaped forward and shouted skeldio. A blue wall of light flashed in front of the group and blocked the incoming projectiles.
Edwin kicked the fire over to smother it. They would be easy targets like flies around a torch with it ablaze. Charles, Edwin, and Johanna formed up tight, each with their sword and shield in hand. Charles and Edwin held their shields close to their bodies because, unlike Johanna, they were unarmored. Lars knelt close to the ground to tend to Galnar, who was struck by the volley. Thinobrad stood with his unarmed hands up, ready to cast another spell. Edwin felt a strange sense of strength that he somehow sensed was coming from Thinobrad. After the hail of arrows, silence gripped the dark, foggy night. Then came the onslaught.
Ten people rushed out of the long grass and into the clearing. They yelled in deep, raspy tones. The three friends gathered in a short shield wall and lunged forward. The initial charge by the assailants came with terrifying strength. Edwin and Johanna, who were lighter in build, were thrown to the ground, but not before Johanna delivered a fatal wound to the man who faced her. Charles had managed to hold his ground and push two of the people back. Another came up to challenge Charles but was stabbed by Lars, who had come to his aide.
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Johanna jumped quickly to her feet and dispatched two more attackers. Edwin regained his footing when he was immediately slammed to the ground. He was on his back with a man right on him, pressing his weight into Edwin’s chest.
Two large, strong hands grabbed Edwin's neck and began to crush all the air from his body. Edwin tried to center himself and remain calm as he reached for a knife from his belt. He barely got a hold of it as he ran it through the man’s side.
In that instant, Johanna kicked the man over, who fell limp to the ground. Edwin rose to find their attackers were vanquished, and those that survived had run off. All was again silent, save for the crackling embers of the smothered fire. Just as quickly as it started, it was finished.
As Edwin scanned the area, he saw Lars knelt by Thinobrad, who lay in silence. The prince went over to them to find that Thinobrad had been stabbed in his side and had died. Not far from him, Galnar lay, pierced with two arrows.
“He saved our lives,” Edwin said. “That volley of arrows would certainly have been our end if he had not protected us.”
Lars drew himself up. It was clear he was trying to hold back his emotions.
“They were good men, some of the best our kingdom has to offer.” After a moment of silence, he continued, “These days exact a heavy toll.”
The four companions sat there in silence for a time. For each, it was their first time in real life or death combat, and it was a horrifying experience. Edwin had always heard valiant stories of battles and great deeds, but this felt sickening and left him feeling hollow. He looked down at his blade and hands that were covered in blood and realized he was shaking. He looked around to see the others were also staring at their hands. Each went in silence to the river to wash quickly and gather themselves.
When he returned to camp, the dying fire gave a red glow to the scene as Edwin surveyed the fallen. After some deep breaths, he was finally able to find his voice.
“These attackers, I have not seen people dressed like this in these lands. This garb seems primitive and ragged. Who could they be, and where did they come from?”
Lars stood up from tending to his two friends and looked around.
“They appear to be dressed in the fashion of the northfolk tribes of the White Mountains, but how they got here, I could not guess. The border is many leagues from here, and they would have had to travel past Frostwatch and other small villages and forts to reach these fields.”
“With only ten, they would have moved with haste and kept out of the view of our people,” added Johanna. “We did fare better than to be expected. They may have been exhausted by the long journey.”
“This cannot be a coincidence. I wonder if they were after Edwin.” Charles said, a bit shaken up. “This could be connected to the illness. When else have there been raiders in this land?"
"Preposterous," said Johanna. "How could anyone know he would be here at this time?"
Edwin looked north in the black, haze-filled sky. He pictured the snow-covered foothills of their Northern border and wondered if this attack was connected to the illness.
Could Charles be right? Could there be a plot to destroy his family’s kingdom? He shook his head to smother the thoughts.
“There is no time for talk, this we can have later. We do not know where they came from. Whether they came on their own or were hired mercenaries sent to kill me or anyone else in these fields. What we must do at this moment is reach the palace. It is only a few hour's ride through the fields and city, even with the heaviness of the land. Regardless, I fear the lands are not safe for sleep. Let us first say some words for Thinobrad and Galnar. We will send a party of soldiers to collect them for proper burial and gather the attackers so we may better understand this riddle.”
“Agreed, my prince,” Lars affirmed, and they were off in moments, disappearing into the deepening night.
***
After two hours of uneasy riding, the party was in sight of the grand city gates. The ride had been difficult, but the company was left alone for the rest of the journey.
As they approached the walls, fires burned brightly atop two massive turrets that anchored the sides of a heavy birch wood gate. Soldiers walked high on the walls, partially shielded by the parapet.
The gate was fixed together with iron and was set with an iron-forged mural of a host of cavalry riding to battle. Some say the first king’s general of the guard, Kaeofrond, set a magic seal of strengthening to the four outer gates of the city. All enemies to come before it are filled with a great unease, and all allies that are near are given courage as if they had a great host of ten thousand soldiers. Edwin drew in his breath and felt refreshed by the sight of them. They had finally arrived.
As they closed in on the gates, the company passed the tents that clung to the city walls. They were red, indicating that they were for medical use.
"I have seen these types of tents on the outskirts of battlefields when I accompanied my father to the aftermath of battles," Edwin said to the group. He felt that he almost had to yell to cut through the thick air. "But I have never seen them this close to Hailgrad."
"There hasn't been a battle before these gates for many long decades," Lars started. "Not since the Vaelorans pushed newly formed Hailgalad and our second monarch, Eardred II, to the brink."
They could hear coughing and groans coming from the tents that stretched far into the dark distance. Faint glowing green lights of healers working away could also be seen in the tents.
“There must be hundreds or thousands of people sick,” gasped Charles.
“Hey, who goes there?” A sudden booming voice cut through the night. It came from atop the gate. “Due to the sickness, no one is allowed in or out, save people with urgent business directed by the king and queen. Now, state your business.”
“This is Edwin, son of Edward and Melanie, here to see the king and queen. I am Lars, a chief teacher at Arnorad. We also bring two pupils and advisors of the prince. They are Johanna, daughter of Johnathan, and Charles, son of Klaas. Their families are members of the royal court."
“My prince! Open the gates! Soldiers, ready positions!” the guard shouted.
With that command, the gates swung open with a heavy groan. Suddenly, Edwin heard the rush of feet behind them. Soldiers came shuffling past the rider, forming a shield wall.
“Come on, get inside!”
Edwin, Charles, Johanna, and Lars hurried their horses in as the soldiers pushed a group of people back. As the four made it in, the soldiers gave ground and retreated behind the gates. With a booming thud, they were closed.
“What is going on here?” Edwin shouted angrily. “Our fellow Hailgaladrians being treated like enemies to be repelled? We need to help them.”
“They are being helped, my prince.” A hoarse voice emerged from the door that led to the top of the gate. “By order of the king and queen, all people outside the gate at the time of the illness are to be kept out, and all those in are to be kept in. They seek safety from this accursed sickness, but it has been more terrible within these walls.”
A man emerged from the hazy darkness, dressed in the standard garb of a person of rank in the army. This included silver-plated armor with a black tunic covering the chest plate. The tunic carried the white horse emblem, which was the seal of the royal house.
He gestured his hand to the left. “We have created a pulley system on the Southern end of the wall to exchange supplies with the guards charged with patrolling the outer fields. They have been sending us food, and we have been sending them supplies to build temporary dwellings and stock medical tents.”
“What is your name, soldier?” questioned Edwin.
“I am Halgreth, captain of the outer gates of the city. This night marks the first full day of my charge. As the last remaining officer at the gate with real experience in war, I was given the title.”
He paused thoughtfully with a sigh as he ran his hand through his shaggy black hair. He held a short pipe in his hand that smoldered with aromatic leaves.
“This tragedy has taken many lives,” he sighed.
“Do we know how it is spreading?” asked Charles. “What has been most effective in staving off the sickness?”
“My business is walls and supplies; I do not begin to know the ways of medicine and healing. You may find better news at the palace. I will say we know many who have died even though they stayed away from others and in their homes. Some say it is the judgment of Areandel, so there is nothing that is to be done.”
The people that were kept outside the gate had been banging on it and shouting. After a short time, they seemed to give up and disperse. The quiet dread still hung thickly in the air.
“We must be going, my prince,” Lars inserted.
“Let me spare four of my guards to escort you, my prince. These streets have been unpredictable as of late, especially after dark.”
“Very well,” Edwin agreed. “I do have another task for you. We were ambushed by strange people about a league southeast of here, near Riverbrook Inn. There, two of our companions fell, and a few of the assailants lay dead. Bring the men, Thinobrad and Galnar, to the palace for proper burial. Bring the attackers, their supplies, and garb for inspection to the royal house as well. We need to know who they are and what steps we need to take. Be sure to spread this news to the guards in the fields. We need to keep our people safe.”
“Enemies in the fields of Hailgrad running free? I never thought I would see the day. It shall be done at once. I wish you well, and I hope my king and queen are still in good health,” Halgreth said with a bow and put his right fist over his heart.
Edwin felt uneasy as he remembered his parents. It was evident the kingdom did not yet know they, too, had fallen ill.
“Thank you, Halgreth. Areandel give you strength.” Edwin bowed his head slightly and put his right fist over his heart.
Then, the four, accompanied by four tower guards, turned towards the palace and started on the wide city path.