King’s Wrath

‘You should be careful what you claim,’ Leo said but Gavriel could hear the shock in it. He saw the king rub his eyes. ‘Come into the light of the lantern.’

Gavriel circled behind the pair as they approached Leo. The man registered his presence again, turning once and nodding. Gavriel was impressed by both his keen sense of his surrounds and his composure. He was impressive: tall, strong-looking and with a set of his jaw that looked as though he was used to making his own decisions. His hair was dark, loose to his shoulders and even in this low light seemed to gleam. And though he was clean-shaven and dressed in simple black garb Gavriel’s sense of him was that he was anything but uncomplicated. Even silent his presence was commanding and vaguely reminiscent of someone. He couldn’t place who or why. He frowned again, deeper this time.

‘How did you find this camp?’ he asked.

‘Ravan knows the way,’ the boy answered.

‘Who are you, Ravan?’ Leo asked. Though his tone was pointed, Gavriel thought he looked a little distracted. Was Leo sweating?

Gavriel came around to face the strangers, his weapon by his side.

The man bowed. It was elegant, at the same time humble. His companion followed, far clumsier in his execution. The boy looked unsteady as though slightly drunk.

‘My name is Ravan,’ the man began, ‘but I am known to you under another name. One that will shock. I would ask for your indulgence to hear out our tale.’ He glanced at the boy, who nodded vaguely.

Gavriel’s eyes narrowed. The man was deferring to the boy?

Leo did not miss the glance either. ‘Do you take your orders from a child, Ravan?’

The man smiled but there was no conceit in it. ‘Roddy has a better grasp on the world of men for the time being. He and I are close travelling companions. And we are friends. I trust his judgement.’

‘Over and above your own? How odd.’

Ravan gave a shrug. ‘We share our thoughts.’

‘Stranger and stranger,’ Gavriel remarked. ‘Let me search them first,’ he said to Leo.

Leo nodded, looking pale in the torchlight.

Both raised their arms without having to be asked. Gavriel could see neither had a weapon but he went through the motions to ensure they had nothing concealed about them. He shook his head at Leo.

‘Join us in the light,’ Leo said. ‘I’m afraid you are mistaken about King Leonel. He is not —’

‘Please, your majesty,’ Ravan said, his voice even, with not a hint of disdain in it. ‘I recognise you. I have known you since you were a boy.’

Leo had been settling himself on a log but jumped to his feet.'You will have to explain that. I do not recognise you.’

‘It does need some explanation — this is true. May I politely ask for some food and water for the boy, please?’ He looked at Roddy and frowned. ‘He has made a long journey to meet you.’

Leo glanced at Gavriel, who felt obliged to assemble some cheese, nuts and berries from their meagre rations. He set them down with a fresh pitcher of water. ‘Help yourself,’ he said to Roddy.

‘Thank you,’ the boy said and began picking at the food. Gavriel didn’t think the youngster looked well at all.

‘Yourself?’ Leo offered.

Ravan shook his head. ‘Thank you. You may remember me as Vyk,’ he began without further preamble.

‘The only Vyk I knew was a bird, I’m afraid,’ Leo said, shaking his head. ‘I have excellent recall of faces and names, even from my childhood but —’

Ravan nodded. ‘What sort of bird was the Vyk that you knew?’

‘Well, not that it’s relevant but he was a… …’Leo stopped.

Gavriel also paused in the action of lowering himself to one of the logs. The shock spread through him like fast moving molten. ‘You jest,’ he said, the words tumbling out before he could think them through.

Ravan’s gaze hadn’t left the king. ‘I followed you through the forest. De Vis here would have killed me if not for your compassion.’

Gavriel blanched and Leo’s slack expression told him the king was equally in denial.

Ravan continued, ‘Forgive me, I know this sounds incredible but I can prove everything I say. I led the girl called Lily to you. She helped you,’ he said, turning to Gavriel, ‘with the wound you received from the two poachers. She took you back to her father’s hut. He was a simple healer, a forest dweller called Greven, and they kept you overnight. If I’m not mistaken, your majesty, you spent that night in a crawlspace hollowed below the hut. They were terrified when they found out that you were Prince Leonel, on the run from Loethar. I —’

‘Wait!’ Leo stopped him. ‘You want us to believe that you are the big black raven that Loethar brought to the palace, that everyone despised?’

‘I’m disappointed that I was so loathed. I was a good friend and companion to Loethar.’

‘But you’re a bird!’ Leo exclaimed, helpless confusion in his expression, his tone, even his open-armed stance.

‘He was one, majesty. Now he’s a man, made in the image of King Cormoron, First of the Valisars,’ Roddy said, a proud edge to his tone. Gavriel could see that Leo was speechless at the mention of King Cormoron. He waited a moment or two longer and then cleared his throat when he saw that Leo was not forthcoming.

‘Well, that’s a great story. Why don’t we start at the very beginning, though. You want us to accept this is Vyk, the raven, now a man?’

Roddy nodded with a wince. ‘Yes. I’m sorry, who are you?’

Ravan smiled again. ‘Roddy, this is Gavriel de Vis, champion and Legate I believe to King Leonel.’

Silence followed the introduction, everyone looking to Leo.

‘I have only questions. You will need to answer them all to my satisfaction or you —’

‘Please,’ Ravan said gently. ‘Feel free, your majesty. We have come to see you. Roddy, eat, or you will collapse from hunger.’

‘Why don’t you need to eat?’ Leo began.

‘Because I suppose I am not real. I was a bird. I now have to wonder if that was real too.’ Ravan shrugged. ‘Now I am made in the image of a man. You don’t look well, majesty.’

Gavriel noticed even in the low torchlight that Leo’s pallor was worsening. ‘Leo?’

‘Don’t worry about me. I’ve eaten something upsetting. Who made you this way?’

‘The serpent.’

‘Cyrena?’

Ravan nodded. ‘She came to us.’

‘Roddy, who are you?’

Roddy had a full mouth. He swallowed awkwardly. ‘Your majesty, I am no one. I come from a village in the south.’ There was a big fire there not long ago and my cat was trapped in the barn. I tried to save him but I got confused and then I felt the heat and my clothes went up in flames and I could no longer breathe. I know a man ran into the flames to save me but to be honest I only learned that afterwards. I don’t remember much of that time except that when I woke up I was whole again.’