"My brother did, but he came back different." He shuddered as if the winter wind had crept through the window next to them and entered the room. "Comatose and staring. The workers from the Faerin mines who returned him to us said little, except he may have been to one of the ancient places."
"You can't mean?" Auren's eyes widened once again. Not there. That place is dead.
"Astrakane. The only semblance of any sort of civilized area for leagues upon leagues up there." Huron clenched his teeth, nodding at the same time. "Still, Huron. It might not be there. No one's ventured that far north for ages, not since Reynar Kyrgan stopped here, then went on to the Gods know where." The King raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Did you truly know him as they say you did?" Huron asked. The King began to knuckle his forehead. "Not well, but my father and older brother did. I saw him from time to time when he visited Cloudview during my childhood and then on that night when he stopped here before leaving for the last time. A great man, imposing, and born to lead."
"As all of the Hiervalan brotherhood were." Huron nodded.
"And the Sisterhood."
"And the Sisterhood," Huron inclined his head.
"So why are you here now?" Auren took a draught of wine once again. Dark times. "We're besieged from the south by the Azarians. To the north, our men have been disappearing on the border with Faerin's Rest. To the west, more Azarians continue to pour over the border from Azraellan, which has surely fallen. All of the world seems to be working against us." He's broken. It looked to Auren as if his old friend truly had no strength left and had merely been holding himself together, before allowing himself to crumble under a great, crushing weight. "So you need men?" Auren clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder once again. "So be it, we will help."
"As many as you can spare, with haste," Huron's face visibly brightened at the notion that help would be on the way. "So then, who is in charge while you are here?" "My wife, she's capable, perhaps more so than me," Huron's cheeks reddened and he turned away from the King for a moment. "Huron, that's nothing to be ashamed of. She's a hero of true Northern blood and you're lucky to have her. Still, you've fought over and over by her side. The two of you are like an unstoppable force."229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtADKRGG7XN
229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡROUHex9bVp
"You're too kind, old friend," Huron smiled, his entire face lighting up.
"Did you hear Sarsallen fell?"
Huron shook his head, bringing his eyes fully level with Akalian's.
"Lord Valayre is missing and the isles are in disarray. The same messenger told me Weiran Carian is dead and the wizards are scattered across the realm." "We should praise the sun king, the pirates are no more, should we not?" Huron inquired in a tone that seemed all too proud of the news. "No, we should not," Auren shook his head and stood, walking until he stood right in front of the fireplace, looking in as if whatever answers he sought would be in the flames. "Because if the pirates are no more, then the oceans will soon be teeming with barbarians from the eastern lands, as well as Azarians, and anyone else who seeks to fill such a power vacuum."
Barrad.
"Also Lord Valayre is a dear friend, ever since my more rebellious days." The younger man held onto every word of Akalian's answer as it came out, little by little, then scoffed. "Since when?" Akalian hissed, making as if to rise from his chair, to which Huron shrank backward. 229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ODoI2w7ia
"Do not presume to be able to question me. No matter our history, I am still a King and you're a Duke at best."
"I'm sorry Auren. My lord." Silence ensued until the older man broke it.
"Think nothing of it," Akalin waved a hand, then continued in a rush. "He and I developed a friendship in times of trouble. You remember. When I lost my family to the allure of riches in the north. He was also a dear friend of your late father for many years," Auren reminded his friend. "That he was," Huron whispered to the floor.229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIch3PZjVFY
"I'll send you a battalion of my best men and we'll go from there. How's that for a start?" The King clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder and Huron chuckled, nodding his head. "More than generous, more than enough for a start. Once again, I am greatly in your debt, which brings me to the second reason I'm here."
The younger man turned back from where he had been peering into the fireplace.
"Krajan Demonsbane has resurfaced."
"Krajan's a myth," Auren waved his hand in the same way that he had when the younger man had bowed for just a bit too long. "I have seen him with my own eyes," Huron pointed to his eyes then Akalian's.229Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwdP9qLMkm
