The Shadow's heir

Laela did sleep that night, and far more deeply than she would have expected. She was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to resist the lure of her new bed, and though she was still deeply frightened, she pushed her doubts aside and got into it.

It was wonderfully soft and comfortable, and she drifted off very quickly.

Next morning, she was woken up by a servant.

“Get up an’ get dressed; the King wants t’see yer.”

Laela sat up sharply, her drowsiness vanishing almost instantly as sick recollection came back. “The King?” she said stupidly.

“Aye, so get a move on, girl-he doesn’t like t’be kept waitin’.”

Laela dragged herself out of bed and struggled back into her travel-stained wool dress. She also put her sword-belt on, including the sword.

The servant made no move to stop her and stood by impassively while she laced up her boots and dragged a comb through her hair. “Good, now come with me,” she said, the instant that was done.

Laela thought briefly of arguing or trying to leave, but only briefly. She was in the Eyrie-probably right at the top, judging by all the stairs she’d had to climb. There would be guards everywhere. The chances of escaping were next to none. She was as good as imprisoned.

Frightened, but a little angry, she followed the servant out of the room.

Now she got a proper chance to see the inside of the Eyrie, she couldn’t help but be impressed. It was a stone building, of course, but the walls were lined with wood, and there were thick carpets on the floor. Tapestries hung on the walls here and there, too, between ornate silver lamps, and she realised she must be in the richest part of the Eyrie.

Another thing she noticed was how big the place was. This corridor was easily wide enough for an ox-probably wider, she thought.

She wondered about that as the servant hustled her on. They passed several doors along the way, and those were abnormally huge as well. When Laela noticed that, she finally realised why-they had to be that size so that griffins could use them.

The thought only helped to increase her sense of dread.

Eventually, her guide took her up a ramp and to a door that had a pair of armed guards standing on either side of it. They both glanced curiously at Laela but said nothing and stayed at their posts as the servant nudged her through the door. “In ye go.”

Laela hesitated, but the servant had already departed, and the guards shut the door behind her.

She found herself in a fair-sized room furnished with a fireplace and a large table and chairs. And seated at the far end of it was. .

Her heartbeat quickened.

King Arenadd was already coming to meet her. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

Laela swallowed. “I. . yeah.”

“Good. Now, come and sit with me.”

It didn’t sound like a request. Laela thought he probably wasn’t used to having people say no. She walked numbly over to the chair he indicated and sat in it. There was food laid out on the table in front of it.

The King returned to his original seat-directly opposite her. “Help yourself. You must be hungry.”

Laela looked uncertainly at the bread, milk, and fruit. For a moment, she wondered if it could be poisoned. But what sense did that make? If he wanted her dead, he would have seen to it already.

“Go on,” he interrupted. “It’s perfectly fine.”

Just do what he tells yeh, she told herself. Just play along.

Arenadd nodded in apparent satisfaction as she helped herself to an apple. “Settling in all right?”

Laela swallowed. “It’s nice here, Sire.”

“Good. Don’t let me interrupt.”

He sat in silence and watched her eat, apparently in no hurry to do anything or eat anything himself. He was still wearing the robe he’d put on the previous night, and if anything, he looked even paler and gaunter than he had then.

It was one of the most uncomfortable meals of Laela’s life, but she was too hungry to stop. She ate her fill, and then looked uncertainly at her host.

“Finished?”

Laela nodded mutely.

Instantly, Arenadd summoned a servant to clear away the leftovers. “You look a little happier now,” he said once they were alone again. “Now then. I was hoping that, while you’re here, we could have a little chat.”

Laela kept her eyes on his face. “All right. . Sire. Uh. . yeah. Sure. Sire.”

“Calm down. Now, I was just wondering. .”

Laela watched him. Where was this going?

Arenadd paused. For a moment, he looked very slightly confused, but the moment passed, and he was impassive again. “You told me last night you’d come from the South. Obviously, going by your accent, you’ve lived there all your life.”

“Yes, Sire.”

He sat back. “Do tell me about it.”

Laela blinked. “What, the South? Sire?”

“Yes, the South. I haven’t been there in a very long time.”

Now, hearing his voice and free of the distraction and tiredness of the previous night, Laela finally noticed what was odd about the way he spoke. “Yeh sound like a Southerner,” she said, without thinking. “Yeh don’t talk like a b- a Northerner. Sire.” She felt herself going red. Gryphus, girl, keep yer damned mouth shut!

Arenadd’s expression did not waver. “I was born in the South,” he said evenly. “I didn’t come here until after the Night God had chosen me.”

Laela shivered internally. The Night God’s creature. “Well, I. . uh. . I was brought up in Sturrick,” she stammered. “Sire. Uh. .”

“Yes? So where is this place, exactly? I don’t believe I’ve heard of it.”

“Er. . well, it’s a village, Sire,” said Laela. “Bigger than most, but not really a town. Farmers, mostly, but it’s on the trade route, so there are some merchants. I’d say it’s due t’get bigger some day, Sire.”

“I see. How far away is it from the Northgates?”

“Not sure, Sire. Not that far. I didn’t take too long t’get there-reckon I could’ve walked it in a month or two.”

Arenadd nodded slowly. “Hm. What did you see along the way?”

“Not much, Sire,” said Laela. “Villages, countryside. . not much else. No big cities ’round there. Didn’t see my first one till I got here, Sire. City, I mean. That was Malvern.”

“Good, good. No griffiners?”

“No, Sire. Never even saw a griffin till I came here.” She thought briefly of the one she had seen by the grave-but why mention it?

“What about the people, then?” said Arenadd. “The ones you talked to. What did they say?”

“About what, Sire?” said Laela.

“The griffiners,” said Arenadd. “And what they’re doing.”

“Oh. Well, I. . they. .” Laela trailed off, as realisation finally dawned on her.

“Yes?” Arenadd prompted.

“They, er. . they. . dunno much, Sire.” She was babbling now, trying to think. “I’m just a peasant girl, Sire,” she said at last. “I wouldn’t know that much.”

“But you might know something,” said Arenadd. “What are the people saying?”

Laela thought quickly. “Well, after Eagleholm fell, Canran sent griffiners an’ soldiers t’grab some of its lands, an’ I heard tell they got a good chunk, but the Withypool gang came from the other way, an’ they ended up in a