Achan and the soldiers followed the road until it split: north to Mitspah, south to Carmine. They headed north and soon passed one stone cottage after another, each with its own farm. Children ran alongside the horses waving and laughing, though their parents kept their distance. Some called their children back, casting suspicious glances at the soldiers.
The procession passed the last stretch of flatlands and started up a steep trail surrounded by thick trees and ferns. The trees and trail created a gap in the distance where a snowcapped mountain loomed, half-covered by Evenwall mist. Achan's stomach roiled at the sight. Hopefully Mitspah was far enough east that they would not have to enter Darkness again.
"I hear the falls," a soldier said.
Sure enough, the sound of water gushing over rock met Achan's ears. Each corner they rounded, Achan expected to see the falls-they sounded so close-yet the army zigzagged up the trail and didn't seem to get any closer.
The trail straightened but rose so steeply they dismounted and pulled their horses along. Achan led Dove over the crest of the hill and stopped. The road continued rolling over smaller hills, but he could see the Mitspah stronghold clearly.
"Nice, isn't it?" a breathless man said. "My great, great grandfather on my mother's side helped build it."
Achan swung around to see Polk gripping the reins of his horse, so drowned in sweat he looked like a wet animal.
Achan quickly led Dove down the hill a few paces, then remounted. Dove followed the other horses, and Achan was able to take in the magnificent stronghold.
Looming over a grassy bailey, the castle keep was built into a mountain cliff, the PazFalls spilling over the turrets, down the sides, and pooling into a moat as if the stronghold were a fountain. The cliff morphed with multicolored stone masonry. Moss and ivy clung to every surface.
Two large turrets of different heights stretched up on the left and right of the castle. There were two watchtowers, as well, at the center front and back. The front, a squat, circular inner gatehouse sat over the moat. The back, and highest point of Mitspah stronghold, protruded out of the mountain. It had a carved stone roof that curled so the river spilled off both sides into two waterfalls, each spilling to one of the turrets. The turret stone roofs had been carved in spirals that sent the water circling down until it spilled off the outside of each turret to the moat in a fantastic cascade.
The water collected at the base of the castle keep, forming a moat that was a tranquil pool on the left side of the castle. The current sailed from that pool, under the inner gatehouse's drawbridge, and along the left side of the keep until it passed through an iron grate in the stone curtain wall.
The wall stood three levels high topped with another three levels of spiked black iron fence. It arched out from the cliff in a wide half circle, encasing the vast, grassy bailey.
Soaked orange and silver checkered banners sagged from the top of each tower. Achan smiled at the cham bears emblazoned on each standard. He'd never seen a real one, and now with a war brewing, and his planning to journey south, he wondered if he ever would.
Far ahead, at the front of the line, Sir Gavin led the men under the portcullis and into the outer bailey, like a long line of garland. Would Mitspah have room for them all?
Once inside the bailey, Sir Caleb reined his horse around. "Your Highness, you and Vrell meet Sir Gavin at the inner gatehouse. Inko and Kurtz, come with me."
Sir Caleb rode off where the soldiers were milling in a group. "We will camp in the bailey," he yelled. "Pitch your tents along the curtain wall on the right. Their stables aren't large enough for all our horses, so tether your animals along the moat. Some guards are coming to set up a makeshift pen."
All around, men dismounted and unsaddle their horses. The clinking of iron chain turned Achan's head back to the inner gatehouse. The portcullis was rising.
Achan nudged Dove across the grassy bailey to the inner gatehouse where Sir Gavin and Sir Eagan had stopped their horses on the drawbridge.
Sir Gavin waved his hand overhead. "Achan, Vrell, you'll accompany us inside."
The quaint inner courtyard had more flowers than the temple gardens in Sitna. Ivy and moss wrapped around stone arches that led who knew where. Water seemed to drizzle over every inch of the castle walls, and mist filled the air-not foggy, like the Evenwall, but wet, like a spray of rain. The keep stood at the end of the courtyard. The entrance, two large board and batten doors, looked unnatural against all the nature.
"Little Cham!" a low voice called out from behind Achan.
Shung Noatak ducked under an archway in the courtyard.
Achan dismounted, smiling broadly. "Hello, Shung! When did you arrive?"
Shung tackled Achan in a bear hug. "Three days past."
Achan patted Shung's back. The Charmice tails on Shung's jerkin tickled his hand. "How was Koyukuk's wedding?"
"Fine celebration. You honor him to ask."
Sir Gavin dismounted. "Delighted to see you, Shung."
"You need Shung's sword?"
Sir Gavin chuckled. "That we do, Shung. That we do."
A man in a long brown cape stepped through the double doors. He had stringy brown hair, a close-cropped beard, broad shoulders, and the gate of a soldier. His robe puffed as he descended the steps, and Achan glimpsed a sword at his side. Achan rested his hand on the grip of Eagan's Elk.
Two men in orange tunics scurried behind the man in brown. One looked to be in his forties, the other, just a boy.
Strays.
The man in brown stopped by Sir Gavin's horse. "I'm Atul, Lord Yarden's steward. Our men'll put up yer horses 'n' bring yer things inside. Lord Yarden awaits yeh there."
Sir Gavin walked up to Atul. "Where is Winze?"
"Winze fell ill two weeks back. Lord Yarden granted him a leave 'n' the country 'til he recovers."
The stray man approached Dove and unhooked the saddlebag. When he got it free, he set it on the grass, then stepped toward Sir Eagan's horse.
The stray boy-about Sparrow's age, rail thin with choppy brown hair and freckled cheeks-patted Dove's nose.
"This one looks just like Dove, don't he?" The boy twisted around to the elder stray, but the man kept his head down and lugged Sir Eagan's saddlebag over to Sir Gavin's.
"Cole!" Atul slapped the boy's ear. "Shut yer yap and do yer job!"
Cole cowered and lifted both arms in front of his face.
Achan lunged between Atul and Cole. "It's all right." He gripped the back of Cole's neck and drew him into a one-armed hug, all the while staring Atul down. "This is Dove. A gift from Sir Eric Livna."
Atul's thick eyebrows scrunched into one bushy stripe over his eyes. "Sir Eric give away his father's horse? Why'd he do that? Somethin' happen?"
Achan swallowed and searched for Sir Gavin.
The knight was halfway to the door of the stronghold. "Come along, Your Majesty. We'll convey our message and intent to Lord Yarden."
"O' course yeh will." Atul sidestepped Achan, then hurried ahead and opened the door before Sir Gavin reached it.
Achan inspected Cole's ear and found it red and swollen. "Are you all right?"
"Cole!" The older stray had taken the reins to Sir Gavin and Eagan's mounts and was leading them across the courtyard. "See to the other horses."
"Yes, sir." Cole stepped away from Achan.
"Your Highness?" Sir Eagan stood in the open doorway at the top of the steps.
Achan needed to go inside. Lord Yarden would be waiting, though he hated to leave Cole. Long before Achan had known his true identity, he had considered fleeing to Mitspah to escape his own cruel fate. Had he come here, he and Cole might have been subject to the same masters.
Achan reluctantly headed for the entrance to the Mitspah stronghold. A shadow flanked his on the grass and he turned to see Shung one step behind him. Achan smiled and fell into step beside his new Shield.