A Hero's throne

“Yes, like a tuba or a horn. We heard it and we sort of. . followed it. It was calling to us, sort of pulling us. We went through different places, different caves, and gradually, um, met up, on the way here.”

“Tell her about the voice,” the small boy said to the big girl at the front.

“Um, yes. We heard a sort of voice as well.”

“It was a voice inside the horn. I heard it the clearest,” the small boy said.

“What did it say?” Freya asked.

“It said to us, each of us, ‘You are the next army. You are summoned.’”

The eight children looked up and around at the warriors and underground ruins that towered over them.

“Do you know what that means?” the girl asked.

“Perhaps,” Freya said, dread falling upon her like a dark shadow. Just when she thought she was getting a handle on things, a new wrinkle. “What are your names?” Freya asked.

“Um. My name’s Gretchen. Gretchen Baker.”

“I’m Fergus,” said the small boy. “This is my brother Kieran.” He pointed to a taller, dark-haired boy standing next to him.

“David Murray.”

“Amanda McCullough.”

“I’m Michael Page.”

“Gemma Woodcotte.”

“Jodhi. Jodhi Gale.”

Freya nodded. “Okay. Everything’s going to be fine, now. We’re going to get you home as soon as possible, okay?”

“My lady!” called a knight from the edge of the group. “We’ve found the man Daniel.”

“Where? Is he all right? Is he alive?”

“We cannot tell. There are dungeons here; he was locked inside one of them. We found the key and opened the door. He is sleeping, but he cannot be roused. He is in a very bad way. They are bringing him here even now.”

“Okay, good. Good.” Freya raised a hand to her mouth. She thought for a moment, looking around at everyone, who seemed to be waiting for her. Taking control of Ni?ergeard was easier than advertised, it seemed.

“Right, first things first. Get these children into the Langtorr. It’s safe now. There is some food and water in the kitchen. Let them rest a little while, then I’ll take them back up to the top myself. Try not to let them see Frithfroth. We don’t want to freak them out too much.”

She turned on Modwyn. “Now-”

“Excuse me,” the girl said.

“Yes?”

“Um. What about the others?”

Freya’s brow furrowed. “What others?”

“The other kids like us. The ones back out there.” She motioned behind her.

“There are more of you out there?”

“Oh yes.”

“We were just the ones brave enough to come here. We saw the fighting, you know, and so thought it best to wait. But the others were still scared, even though it had obviously stopped.”

“How many of you are there? All together?”

“Oh.” Gretchen blinked at her. “Hundreds, at least.”

Freya paused to let this sink in. Hundreds? Hundreds of children here?

“I’ll take some men to find them,” Alex said. “And I’ll set up regular patrols-they might still be coming.”

“Good, thank you. And you three, take these children to the Langtorr anyway. And you two-take her to the dungeon, now that we know there is one. Lock her up. Also, a few of you-you lot, there-go over to the Beacon. Godmund is there, and I want him locked up as well. I don’t think he’ll give you any trouble. He doesn’t seem to be hostile; I just want to keep track of him. Try not to listen to his poetry-it’s appalling.”

Those knights left, their duties assigned, and Alex started ordering the rest of them.

“Who will rule this place, if not Modwyn?” Ecgbryt, the only other one left in the courtyard, asked Freya as Modwyn was led away.

“Alex, of course. With a little help from you, me, and Vivienne. We’ll be a sort of council,” she said, just as three knights entered, carrying the body of Daniel Tully between them.

II

“Are you certain this is the place?” Ealdstan asked, placing his satchel on the ground.

“Yes,” Daniel said. And he was certain. The centre of the plain pulled on him like an elastic string. Standing here, he felt at rest. What he wasn’t certain about was how much he could actually trust a man whose face kept changing. Was it just him? It was like there was a fog inside his eyes. It was hard to focus.

Ealdstan raised his hands and spoke words that were ancient and powerful. The air became like static; Daniel could feel his skin prickle and he felt tightness in his body.

“What have you done?”

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” the old man said, “but this is going to hurt, literally, like hell.”

“No.” Daniel tried to evaporate, but the rubber bands were back. “Stop it,” Daniel said. “Let me go.” He struggled more and more, trying to physically break free this time.

“This is what I’ve been searching so hard for,” Ealdstan said. “If I had come here directly from our world, then I would have entered through it naturally, but I passed into Elfland through a different gate.” He said more of the ancient words that were low and loud and seemed to come up from his gut.

“What are you doing to me?” Daniel tried to move but found his feet stuck fast, his legs immovable as if trapped in concrete. He found that his arms were raised now, just as if he were back in Kelm’s torture chamber.

“I am sorry, Daniel, I am. It sounds as if you have been experiencing intense pain here in this world. I know naught of this Night that chases you, but I can see the marks it has left on you inside. I did not intend you this course but-well, I make no apology. You are useful to me most in your current purpose. This opportunity is too fortuitous to pass up. I will have to place the rest of my hopes on the girl. Freya.”

“What does that mean?”

“That,” Ealdstan said, “would take far too long to explain.” He raised his hands, spoke more of the ancient words, and electricity danced from the ground to the souls of Daniel’s feet. “That’s not to say that I wouldn’t explain-I most certainly would-but now there is no time.” He bent down and picked up his satchel again.

“Ordinarily I would have to kill you at this stage,” Ealdstan said. “I may be opportunistic, but not cruel. But in your state, that is impossible. You will still endure agony, though-agony I cannot imagine. For that, I do apologise, most heartfeltly.”

Ealdstan stood so close that Daniel could have reached out and grabbed him if he could move his arms.

“But if you need something to help contextualise your suffering, imagine this: picture yourself as a doorstopper, propping open a gate between worlds. That is more or less your purpose now. The door wants to close, but you won’t let it, and so you will be destroyed-but so also will be the door.”

“Let me go.”

Ealdstan really did look regretful. “No-I am sorry. I. . Good-bye, Daniel, and thank you. Thank you for everything. I had hoped that you, perhaps-but never mind. The girl. It is the girl now.”

And Ealdstan started to pass through Daniel-stepping into him. Daniel howled as his body’s cells and molecules parted to allow him to go through. He could feel Ealdstan move through his chest, his stomach, his spine, and out the other side.