Beldan grimaced. 'Aye, though I wish I could ride with you.'
Corum got up from the table. 'Then we three will set off for Halwyg tonight. If we may rest an hour or two, Duke Gwelhen, we should be grateful.'
Gwelhen's face was grave. 'I would advise it. For all we know, you'll have little chance for much rest in the days to come.'
CHAPTER FOUR
The Wall Between the Realms
Their riding was swift and it was across a land growing increasingly disturbed, with a people becoming more and more distressed without understanding why these moods descended on them or why they suddenly thought in terms of violence when a short time before they had thought only in terms of love.
And the priests of Chaos, many of them believing themselves to be acting from benevolent motives, continued to encourage strife and uncertainty.
They heard many rumours when they stopped to refresh themselves briefly or to change horses, but none of the rumours came close to the much more terrifying truth and soon they gave up their warnings until they should speak with the king himself so that he might then issue a decree which would carry his authority.
But would they convince the king? What evidence was there that they spoke the truth?
This was the great doubt in their minds as they rode for Halwyg-nan-Vake, across a beautiful landscape of soft hills and quiet farms which might soon be all destroyed.
Halwyg-nan-Vake was an old city of spires and pale stones. From all directions across the plain came white roads, leading to Halwyg. Along these roads travelled merchants and soldiers, peasants and priests, as well as the players and musicians in which Lywm-an-Esh was so rich. Down the Great East Way galloped Corum and Rhalina and Jhary, their armour and their clothes covered in dust, their eyes heavy with weariness.
Halwyg was a walled city, but the walls seemed more decorative than functional, their stonework carved with fanciful motifs, mythical beasts and complicated scenes of the city's past glories. None of the gates were closed as they came near and there were only a few sleepy guards who did not bother to hail them when they passed through and found themselves in streets filled with flowers. Every building had a garden surrounding it and every window had boxes in which more plants grew. The city was filled with the rich scents of the flowers and it seemed to Corum, remembering the Plain of Blossoms, that the main business of these people seemed to lie in the nurturing of lovely growing things.
And when they came to the palace of the king, they saw that every tower and battlement, every wall was covered in vines and flowers so that it seemed from a distance to be a castle built entirely of flowers. Even Corum smiled with pleasure when he saw it.
'It is magnificent,' he said. 'How could anyone wish to destroy all this?'
Jhary looked dubiously at the palace. 'But they will,' he said. 'The barbarians will.'
Rhalina addressed herself to a guard at the low wall.
'We come with news for King Onald,' she said. 'We have travelled far and swiftly and the news is urgent.'
The guard, dressed in a handsome, but most unwarlike, fashion, saluted her. 'I will see that the king is informed if you will kindly wait here.'
And then, at last, they were escorted into the presence of the king.
He sat in a sunlit room which had a view over most of the Southern part of the city. There were maps of his country upon a marble table and these had recently been consulted. He was young, with small features and a small frame which made him look almost like a boy. As they entered he rose gracefully to welcome them. He was dressed in a simple robe of pale yellow samite and there was a circlet upon his auburn hair which was the only indication of his station.
'You are tired,' he said when he saw them. He signed to a servant. 'Bring comfortable chairs and refreshment.' He remained standing until the chairs had been brought and they were all seated near the window with a small table near-by on which food and wine were placed.
'I am told you come with urgent news,' said King Onald. 'Have you travelled from our Eastern coasts?'
'From the West,' said Corum.
'The West? Is trouble beginning there, also?'
'Excuse me, King Onald,' Rhalina said, removing her helmet and shaking out her long hair, 'but we were not aware that there was any strife in the East.'
'Raiders,' he said. 'Barbarian pirates. Not long since they took the port of Dowish-an-Wod and razed it, slaying all. Several fleets, as far as we can gather, striking at different points along the coast. In most parts the citizens were unprepared and fell before they could begin to fight, but in one or two small towns the garrisons were able to resist the raiders and, in one case, took prisoners. One of those prisoners has recently been brought here. He is mad.'
'Mad?' Jhary said.
'Aye - he believes himself to be some kind of crusader, destined to destroy the whole land of Lywm-an-Esh. He speaks of supernatural help, of an enormous army which marches against us…'
'He is not mad,' Corum told him quietly. 'At least, not in that respect. That is why we are here - to warn you of a huge invasion. The barbarians of Bro-an-Mabden - doubtless your coastal attackers - and the barbarians of the land you know as Bro-an-Vadhagh have united, called on the aid of Chaos and those creatures which serve Chaos, and are pledged to destroy all who side, knowingly or unknowingly, with the Lords of Law. For Lord Arioch of Chaos has been but lately banished from this particular Domain of Five Planes and can only return if all who support Law are vanquished. His sister Queen Xiombarg cannot give aid directly, but she encourages all her servitors to throw their weight behind the barbarians.'
King Onald stroked his lips with a thin finger. 'It is graver than I had imagined. I was hard put to think of effective ways of stopping the coastal attacks, but now I can think of nothing which will enable us to resist such a force.'
'Your people must be warned of their peril,' said Rhalina urgently.
'Of course,' replied the king. 'We will re-open the arsenals and arm every man that we can. But even then…'
'You have forgotten how to fight?' suggested Jhary.
The king nodded. 'You have read my thoughts, sir.'
'If only Lord Arkyn had consolidated his power over this Domain!' Corum said. 'He could aid us. But now there is too little time. Lyr's army marches from the East and his allies sail from the North…'
'And doubtless this city is their ultimate destination,' murmured Onald. 'We cannot possibly withstand the might which you say they command.'
'And we do not know what supernatural allies they have,' Rhalina reminded him. 'We could not remain any longer at Moidel to discover that.' She explained how they had learned of Lyr's ambitions and Jhary smiled.
'I regret,' he said, 'that my little cat cannot fly over great stretches of water. The idea distresses him too much.'
'Perhaps the priests of Law can help us…' Onald said thoughtfully.
'Perhaps,' agreed Corum, 'but I fear they have little power at this moment.'
'And there are no allies we can call upon,' Onald sighed. 'Well, we must prepare to die.'
The three fell silent.
A little later a servant entered and whispered something to the king. He looked surprised and turned to his guests.
'We are all four summoned to the Temple of Law,' he said. 'Perhaps the powers of the priests are greater than we know, for they seem aware of your presence in the city.' To the servant he said, 'Have a carriage prepared to take us there please.'
While they waited for the carriage, they bathed quickly and cleaned their clothes as best they could and then the little party left the palace and entered the simple, open carriage which bore them through the streets until it came to a low, pleasant building on the Western side of the city. A man stood at the entrance. He looked agitated. He was dressed in a long, white robe on which was embroidered the single straight arrow which was the Symbol of Law. He had a short grey beard, long grey hair and his skin was also almost grey. In all this, his large brown eyes seemed to belong to another.