‘It was quite a
night last night. I must thank you for your bravery,’ said King
Ignis, lowering the volume of his voice so no one else in the boat
could hear.
‘ You’re welcome,’ said Eben.
‘ I have wanted to talk to you about your sword; this is the
first chance I have had,’ he whispered.
‘ What do you want to know about it?’
‘ Where did you come across the sword?’
‘ It was left to me when I was a child,’ said Eben, also
lowering his voice.
‘ I see, and who bequeathed the sword to you?’ asked the
King.
‘ A man named Carlin at the request of Lady Kaloren,’ replied
Eben. King Ignis stared at Eben with wide eyes for a
moment.
‘ I knew Carlin and Lady Kaloren.’
Eben felt his
weariness leave him. ‘Can you tell me who my parents are?’
The King
raised an eyebrow and seemed puzzled by the question. ‘You don’t
know them?’
‘ No, I was adopted by a hunter: Erako of Clemensdale. I have
lived for most of my life in the hills in the south of Ortaria. I
only recently came to Ancora.’
‘ A hunter...’ repeated King Ignis, scratching his chin and
pondering Eben’s words. He stared at Eben for a few moments, and a
look of surprise was clearly evident in his eyes.
‘ What can you tell me of Carlin and Lady Kaloren?’ asked
Eben.
‘ Carlin was a Fiorian Knight. He died twelve years ago in
battle.’ The King stared out to sea and was sad at recalling the
memory of Carlin. Eben could see that Carlin must have been a
friend to him.
‘ And Lady Kaloren?’ asked Eben
‘ Lady Kaloren, she was the leader of the Fiorian Knights, the
Gatekeeper of Emeril. She was the greatest and most noble warrior
in all the lands of Veredor. Almost twenty years ago Ortaria and
Zyran were at war with Azagord and his army from Kaznor. I
requested the help of the Fiorian Order, and they sent five Fiorian
Knights. Kaloren was their leader. Carlin and the other Fiorians
worked with my army and the Zyranian Order. They vanquished
Azagord’s army after a long and bloody war. It was Carlin who
captured Azagord and imprisoned him beneath the Citadel. Kaloren at
the time was pregnant, and she stayed in Ancora whilst the war was
being fought in Zyran. The other Fiorians went west after the
battle, but Kaloren and Carlin stayed with me in Ancora for several
months. Kaloren waited on news from her husband; a great warrior
who I knew as Elons. He was helping the Irilian Order in a battle
against a Northern Sorcerer called Baramak in the Far Western
Lands.’
King Ignis
paused and looked about to make sure no one would overhear him
before he continued.
‘ We had news that her husband had been captured by the
sorcerer Baramak who was in league with the Skatheans. Sir Dorn, an
Irvarian Knight, came to tell us this terrible news, and Kaloren
was deeply saddened. Not long after this time a group of Skathean
assassins attacked the palace in Ancora and attempted to kill
Kaloren. Carlin defeated them. We later discovered that there were
various Skathean plots designed to assassinate Lady Kaloren. She
was forced to leave Ancora and went into hiding somewhere in
Ortaria. Only Carlin knew where she was hiding. He kept it a secret
because he believed the Skatheans had spies all over Ortaria. Two
years later Carlin told me that she had gone west to search for her
husband. I have not seen her for over eighteen years, and to be
honest I do not know what became of Lady Kaloren.’
Eben took from
his pocket the parchment letter and handed it to King Ignis. He
opened the letter and read it to himself.
‘ I suspected this was so, and now I can see it is true. I
think Lady Kaloren is your mother,’ he said. Eben felt a rush of
excitement at the news.
‘ My mother. Are you certain?’ he asked, his heart pounding
from the revelation.
‘ Yes, I am sure. She is a great woman, and I know she wouldn’t
have wanted to be separated from you. She would have left you with
Carlin for your own protection. I’m certain
night last night. I must thank you for your bravery,’ said King
Ignis, lowering the volume of his voice so no one else in the boat
could hear.
‘ You’re welcome,’ said Eben.
‘ I have wanted to talk to you about your sword; this is the
first chance I have had,’ he whispered.
‘ What do you want to know about it?’
‘ Where did you come across the sword?’
‘ It was left to me when I was a child,’ said Eben, also
lowering his voice.
‘ I see, and who bequeathed the sword to you?’ asked the
King.
‘ A man named Carlin at the request of Lady Kaloren,’ replied
Eben. King Ignis stared at Eben with wide eyes for a
moment.
‘ I knew Carlin and Lady Kaloren.’
Eben felt his
weariness leave him. ‘Can you tell me who my parents are?’
The King
raised an eyebrow and seemed puzzled by the question. ‘You don’t
know them?’
‘ No, I was adopted by a hunter: Erako of Clemensdale. I have
lived for most of my life in the hills in the south of Ortaria. I
only recently came to Ancora.’
‘ A hunter...’ repeated King Ignis, scratching his chin and
pondering Eben’s words. He stared at Eben for a few moments, and a
look of surprise was clearly evident in his eyes.
‘ What can you tell me of Carlin and Lady Kaloren?’ asked
Eben.
‘ Carlin was a Fiorian Knight. He died twelve years ago in
battle.’ The King stared out to sea and was sad at recalling the
memory of Carlin. Eben could see that Carlin must have been a
friend to him.
‘ And Lady Kaloren?’ asked Eben
‘ Lady Kaloren, she was the leader of the Fiorian Knights, the
Gatekeeper of Emeril. She was the greatest and most noble warrior
in all the lands of Veredor. Almost twenty years ago Ortaria and
Zyran were at war with Azagord and his army from Kaznor. I
requested the help of the Fiorian Order, and they sent five Fiorian
Knights. Kaloren was their leader. Carlin and the other Fiorians
worked with my army and the Zyranian Order. They vanquished
Azagord’s army after a long and bloody war. It was Carlin who
captured Azagord and imprisoned him beneath the Citadel. Kaloren at
the time was pregnant, and she stayed in Ancora whilst the war was
being fought in Zyran. The other Fiorians went west after the
battle, but Kaloren and Carlin stayed with me in Ancora for several
months. Kaloren waited on news from her husband; a great warrior
who I knew as Elons. He was helping the Irilian Order in a battle
against a Northern Sorcerer called Baramak in the Far Western
Lands.’
King Ignis
paused and looked about to make sure no one would overhear him
before he continued.
‘ We had news that her husband had been captured by the
sorcerer Baramak who was in league with the Skatheans. Sir Dorn, an
Irvarian Knight, came to tell us this terrible news, and Kaloren
was deeply saddened. Not long after this time a group of Skathean
assassins attacked the palace in Ancora and attempted to kill
Kaloren. Carlin defeated them. We later discovered that there were
various Skathean plots designed to assassinate Lady Kaloren. She
was forced to leave Ancora and went into hiding somewhere in
Ortaria. Only Carlin knew where she was hiding. He kept it a secret
because he believed the Skatheans had spies all over Ortaria. Two
years later Carlin told me that she had gone west to search for her
husband. I have not seen her for over eighteen years, and to be
honest I do not know what became of Lady Kaloren.’
Eben took from
his pocket the parchment letter and handed it to King Ignis. He
opened the letter and read it to himself.
‘ I suspected this was so, and now I can see it is true. I
think Lady Kaloren is your mother,’ he said. Eben felt a rush of
excitement at the news.
‘ My mother. Are you certain?’ he asked, his heart pounding
from the revelation.
‘ Yes, I am sure. She is a great woman, and I know she wouldn’t
have wanted to be separated from you. She would have left you with
Carlin for your own protection. I’m certain
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