LV. In the castle, the newly wed couples enjoyed a large feast. The air was filled with laughter and stories were told of sagas old, and many danced to the music of harpers and minstrels. Others feasted on the richly meals of the banquet; the Durne had, as usual, the largest share and lord Horoglas seemed twice as round as when he first came to Ceor, lord Senthaid, quite the opposite minded little for food or songs, he looked cold like stone, and still his firmness did not lessen the plithe mood in court. Lord Elbracht did his best to hide the darkness of his guilt and he masked it with a smiley elegance becoming of one who is glad in his brothers’ nuptial, when in truth some part of him remorse not making lady Jessa his own. But the feast when on in bliss and it endured for three days until there was little more to offer the numerous guests other than the left-overs of previous meals and the same tunes sung many a time already.
And so the weddings came to an end, and the Durne and Niensor left Ceor to their respecting kingdoms. Behind, they left the lady Jessa and the lady Carall, who parted ways from his sister for the first time, but to her their farewell was as not as bitter as it was for his sister—the lady Gellen had little heart to leave sir Memlafar and the friendship they had formed—and thus blew the Yule-tides thither and with it came the festivities of Elsarmas, a time of blessing and comfort, when the only fire to keep the frozen souls was that of family. Yet, a shadow was set in the house of Clasthaur and whereas other courtiers and peasants enjoyed the company of their loved-ones in their homes, in the dwelling of the lords of Ceor there was no hearth hot enough to warm the heart of Elbracht and his family.
As it was customary in the festivities of Elsarmas, the lords of Ceor offered the people of Harador a great feast to commemorate the treasures of home in the darkest days of the year. All attended poor and rich alike, from common peasants of the countryside to wealthy merchants from Harpord and Marham. The city’s forum was adorned with elaborated pine wreaths and other decorations, a great fire was lit in the middle of the square and about it many danced and drank to good fortune and priests honoured the passing of the year and blessed the coming of the next. From the Clasthaur, all were present safe for Memlafar, who took the chance of the holiday’s spirit of thanksgiving to visit the Merry Marren and their family. Though, sir Tulfric and lord Elbracht looked sorry and tired, the lady Root seemed as if reborn with a happier soul, yet in her diaries she revealed that by these days she hid her sorrows with a mask of gladness and forgiveness. Nevertheless, she would not speak to her eldest son nor had she the mind to trouble herself with the excuses of Elbracht; her thoughts and prayers were still set on Carédock, and his absence in such a feast only depressed her already withered heart.
On the twentieth of the last month, the family gathered at the banquet hall, and there the dined on the eve of the last day of Elsarmas, outside the day was dark and cold, the winds sighed and whispered secrets from the snows of the north, a blanket of frost layered the streets and squares, all were in their homes; the rich held dinners in their mansions and the humbler folks gathered by the hearths of their abodes. In the castle there was light in every window, the banquet hall was filled with music and delicious meals of all sorts, with which the lady Carall delighted herself the most. Sir Memlafar and sir Tulfric were present too, and though the fair brother could not be more disgusted by his wife’s appetite, the clever brother was like a shadow to his wife, and her cold beauty embellished the hour of their gathering.
General Caradon and the chamberlain Asadue sat by one end each at either side of Elbracht, his eyes were bent on his empty plate, and upon having blessed the supper; he had neither a belly for the meals given to him nor a tongue for words to spare. From his stew he did not drink, from starter he ate only a mouthful, and when the mutton was served his mouth was sealed for he could not bear to look at lamb ever again. His brothers were also served mutton and, as if by fate preordained, sir Memlafar was given the flank and sir Tulfric the rib, and by their side sat the prospects they had chosen the day the lamb was cut, long before their weddings. Lady Aveline, sitting at the other end, noticed that his younger sons had been served those shares of the lamb and on her plate were the legs and the remnants of the tail. Immediately she bethought of the young lady Avis, and of lord Dundos’ initial offer to Elbracht and that, amassed with the fountain of dismay she already felt, overtook her, and poured out from her with a sharpen tongue as a serpent,
-“Tell me, my lord son… I see your brothers have received the share they were due, and I have been given the leg and tale, pray, have you the lady Alyse on your plate, the maid you so boastfully longed for, since she is not by your side? Or do wish to have my share now that you are free of the head of the lamb?” she said, lady Carall and lady Jessa were confused, but Elbracht raised his eyes to her, and a light flickered red with them.
-“I have neither head nor tail, nor do I desire to take anything from your plate, indeed, I even refused to take aught of from Tulfric’s which is the part I did wish for, but not any more. Keep your tail for the perverts that want to bed such a young fair.”
-“Have you learnt nothing from the fates? Your present predicament could have been avoided, had you taken my brother’s offer or else had you accepted sir Estewan’s offer and ransomed Carédock back to us” Lady Aveline replied, and Memlafar, who did not know whereof they spoke, was bewildered and yet at the same time some weight fell on his eyes that both shrunk his shoulders and turned red his eyes.
But then lord Elbracht rose from his chair and a red shadow was about him, as if taken by some fell spirit or growing darkness, “I needn’t excuse myself to you, nor to any other man. I am lord here, and my deeds are just as clear is my judgement. Whatever I have done, I have done bearing in mind only the good of the kingdom and not to please the wishes of your heart.”
-“If you had acted out of love for your kingdom” said the lady Root, “you should have wed my niece or married the maid your hand was given to, but your judgment is never clear; ‘tis often blinded by the fog of your heart and the uncertainty of your designs!”
-“My designs are flawless, it is my pawns that do not follow my will…” but then Memlafar stood abruptly from his chair and raged at his brother saying,
-“So you do hold the whip of a slaver, though you so much speak of our freedoms. So far, you have only proved to be the things I deemed you were. You boast about being called the Liberator and yet you tighten the chains of our necks and gag our mouths whenever, we are not the same mind as yours. You should let them call you instead the Oppressor instead, my lord-master!”
-“Enough!” said Lord Elbracht, bursting of wrath, “I will not stand here accused of being an enslaver and a poor brother. Since the day I was given Urme’s crown, I have only cared for you, and twice I have given up my pride for the sake of you. But now I will not tolerate to be called such accursed names! You that from from all people I should count with, do not lessen the weight of my duty but only add to my charge.
“Do you not think I remorse leaving Carédock behind? Do you not think I regret having betrayed your trust or, indeed, anything else I have done? Nay, you have been so blinded by your own despair that you forget that in my lordship I have been alone, alone in the darkness and oft does the ghost of our father follow me thither, like a shadow behind me, like haze before my brow, and now that I am keen to it, I have even grown to learn of the hardship he came to face. Do not be so quick to cast blame upon me, when seldom do the fates leave room for a choice of my own doing! But if you do not wish to set your eyes upon my disgrace, then I will take my leave now, and withdraw from your sight! Farewell, blood of mine!” with that lord Elbracht left the chamber and dwelt long in the solitude of his tower until night came and its gloom claimed all lights and a silence fell upon the castle that hushed all mouths till just the whispers of ghost forlorn could be heard in empty halls, singing of the sons of Elreck and the withering of the Oaken Tree of the South.
Come the morning, while all slept, an emissary came from Culgarost and he bore the King’s banner, only Asadue was woke, and upon welcoming him, he recognised the knight’s name; it was sir Fann Velour of Seranos and he brought with him sorrowful news from the capital. The Tutor then looked for his Pupil in his tower, and he found him in the sorriest of states; he sat lonesome in his chamber by the embers of his hearth half asleep amidst shadows self-woven, that clad his shrivelled heart. In that darkness, he was tired from long hours of hopeless pondering and his eyes were weary from the torment of visions and nightmares. Yet, he trembled as he heard of the news the king’s man had brought with him. At once, he stepped out of his solitude and went straight to meet with sir Frann.
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They met in the Council Chamber where Elbracht cared to keep all souls out of the reach of sir Frann’s voice; aside from Asadue, no one else was there, and therein he heard again the ominous errand.
-“My lord, I am come with great speed and bearing news from His Grace, the King.” Said sir Frann, “As of eight days after my parting, the palace was informed that a great confusion was formed in the Hallow City. His Hallowness, the Susére is well and sound, but I take sorrow in telling you that Brother Carédock has gone missing.”
At hearing this Elbracht fell upon his chair as if mortaly stricken, and he was shocked as he was fearful,
-“How and when did this happened? I want to know the whole story.” He asked, and the herald said,
-“Brother Carédock had always been a curious Numére. From the start, he showed a keen interest in the world outside the cloister walls. He would often spend hours staring out of the windows of the Hallow City, watching paladins and knights go about their daily business. With the passing of the seasons, his curiosity only increased, and he began to question the teachings of the Sagrary. Despite doubts, Brother Carédock at first seemed to be a devoted monk. He spent long hours in prayer and study, and his commitment to the scriptures was evident to all who knew him, myself included. But as months went by, he began to feel restless, as if trapped within the confines of the cloister. He hoped to be counted among the Knights of Pacyus, the Sagrary's Guard, but it was deemed best to keep him from the temptation of the blade. The abbot spoke to him and tried to ease his heart, but no man was able to quench his fire.
“It was on the eve of the mass of the first day of Elsarmas that Brother Carédock finally made up his mind to leave. He had planned his escape carefully, so it seems, gathering a group of like-minded monks who shared in his desires. They slipped out of the cloister under cover of darkness, while the first yule mass was held in Belyus Basilica. The news of their desertion spread quickly, and his uncle and abbot, Mesére Carédock, was filled with fear and sadness. He had always known that his nephew was keen to the sword, but he never imagined that he would lead others astray. The abbot tried to guide Brother Carédock back onto the right path, but, alas, his efforts were in vain.
“We hear from the mouths of travelers that a knight clad in the black cloth of Númeres and his followers roam the countryside, living off the land and staying out of sight, near the Pass of Hel, though some say he has often been seen errant about the Kingdom of Thindur. For what I am told they call him now the Black Knight, and if our fears are true, he must be none other than Brother Carédock. They know that they are wanted men, for their vows were their law, and now that they have broken them, the Knights of Pacyus will stop at nothing to bring them back to face punishment. Due to his history, it could be safe to say that Carédock’s neck will pay for his apostasy. Yet, the King, in his vast mercy, has asked me to come to you. He gives you his word that he will pardon your brother once more, if he returns to the cloister in peace and willingly and accepts the punishment that awaits him. However, Brother Carédock is a formidable swordsman and it seems he has trained his followers in those arts. From all men breathing, there is none he will listen to but you. So the King wills that you go find him and bring him back to the Fold of Sheep.”
Then Elbracht dwelt on an abyss of thoughts and his eye turned grave and grim, as if fighting against his own mind. In his silence, Asadue taking on the role of the chamberlain, bade the herald to leave them, and then he spoke,
-“What shall we do, my lord?” in that the fog before Elbracht’s eyes sundered and rising again with a new conviction, he answered,
-“I shall do my King’s bidding; he has offered me a chance to save my brother from his own doom. I shall part as quickly as I may and only after setting matters in order for when I am gone.”
-“You mustn’t go, sire.” Asadue said, “Carédock’s fate is his own doing, you cannot keep him from his own hand, as I have said before.”
-“Still, he is my brother” said Elbracht, “I shall not forsake him, not now in his hour of need.”
-“Then I shall go with you.”
-“No,” said the lord “You must stay here and rule in my name, there are few I entrust more than you to act on my name, ‘tis the only thing I am left with, since my family has turned their backs on me.”
-“All the more reason to stay” said Asadue, “the Oak of the Clasthaur ails, its branches are still barren and withered in strength; a harsh wind from the north and they shall fall, without you here to bind them all, not even the lady Root shall have the strength to weave the leaves together.” but then Elbracht said,
-“Nay, that shan’t be allowed to happen either, you must stay thus, for no one knows my mind better than you, and in your wisdom, you may find words better still tan mine to ease the hearts of my brothers and mother.”
-“In that same wisdom, I say unto you” Asadue said, “that I shall not be useful in Keor, with the light of my pupil so a far away from here. A boat may cruise the seas on certain course in the night, but without a beacon to guide me, my boat shall go astray and not even the strength of the Aurion shall be enough to sail against the tempestuous waves of darkness. So have I grown so needful of you, that I draw my wisdom from your might; should you let me now part ways from you, my mind too shall wither and no room will there be for the office of governance when my thoughts and prayers will be bent on your health and soundness.
“Nay, I won’t keep my pace from your light. Even if I am chained anew or roped to this castle to let you leave, age shall come to me before my time, and would it that death will not take me to his abyss in that solitude, I shall go to his grasp of my own accord and end my suffering with the bitter cold of blades or else let the noose of ropes embrace me and leave me hanging in my tower.”
A sad vision took hold of him and his face turned pale, Elbracht held Asadue fast in his arms, said unto him,
-“Then come with me, and let us fight against all hope and doom, and we shall find Carédock the Cripple, but we shall not bring him before the Throne of Men, we will return him to our fold. If the King shall have my neck for it, then so be it. I will unleash the wrath of war upon him, and bards will sing thereof, that blood was shed and battles fought, to restore houses and bring brethren together against all odds.”
The two men swore a holy allegiance to each other and promised to not forsake the other in their quest. Lord Elbracht then informed the Herald from Culgarost, that they would do the King’s bidding and that he would not go alone with him in that quest, but in the company of his Hazagodian mentor.
From his tower, up beyond the haze, sir Tulfric, tired of lady Jessa’s deceitful charms, saw movements down below in the castle’s inner bailey and he discerned a knight bearing the King’s banner, he reckoned that his face belonged to the name of sir Frann Velour, and suddenly out of the shadows of the great hall came his brother Elbracht and behind him followed Asadue. He immediately sensed something was off, and rushed down to them as hastily as he could, they were already on their horses ready to part when Tulfric caught them, “Wait” he cried to them,
-“Do not abandoned us, brother!” he said “I know we have shared distasteful thoughts and said terrible things unto each other, but do not forsake us in our sorrow, for we are all of one blood and the Kingdom of the South cannot outlive the menace of winter without its lord.”
-“My heart is glad to hear that you shall miss me, brother,” said Elbracht “yet grave tidings have been brought to me that our brother, Carédock, has escaped the cloister, and now I am off to the north to find him. But do not delay my parting and do not dwell on harmful thoughts, for I do not leave Keor today to desert my family, quite the opposite, I ride hence to my family’s calling, be it that he wills it or not, I shall go after him; the fates have given me a chance anew to put things in order and do things right this once. Rejoice in knowing that even now I may keep him from harm.
“As for our Kingdom in the South, in my absence you will rule on my behest. I hereby name you Bearer of the Principality and trust onto you my name, I pray that no peril shall come your way, but I trust that you will guard the Haradthrone and hold my name in honour. Now I will fulfil my oath, and lest that death take me in this persuit, I will bring Carédock back to the fold and, Gods willing, come back a new man. Farewell now brother! May the Four Fathers bless you and the Four Mothers keep you, Crus’duinessé! Farewell!”
And having said this Elbracht left the castle, by his side rode his mentor Asadue, and before them guiding the way went the King’s Herald bearing the King’s banner ever high and proud. Speed was on their side, and to Tulfric it seemed that the cold fog and mist of the morrow swallowed them as they galloped away into the wintry shadows of the woods. In his hand hung the crown of Urme, and as soon as he put it on, a great weight fell upon him. And so ends the tale of Elbracht’s youth, and before him lay the first of his great quests that gained him another name.