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Date Posted: 00:21:59 12/06/99 Mon
Author: Forevermore Belamore
Subject: Belamore VI


Sir Fayle stooped to pick up the mangy tail that had dropped off the
rabid animal, but it slithered away in the direction the scrawny cat had
taken. "Zounds! What nature of beast be that creature?" Fayle
sheathed his sword and helped me sit upright and he examined my wounds.
"I have seen worse...Thee have seen worse," the good knight smiled.
The scar down his cheek from an old wound and his middle age only added
to the deep character in the man's face. His sharp clear grey eyes
flashed as he saw the birthmark on my wretched face.
Sir Fayle knelt. "I was right in my thinkings. You are Belamane."

"Stand Sir Fayle. Belamane, the heartless, is truly dead. I am
forevermore Belamore." My wound was but a scratch from the wild flings
of weakened claws and feeble bite from loose soft-rotten fang- as were
minor wounds on Fayle. "Ride with me to the cottage of Benardo, I have
business there. Tell me, what brings thee this far west, Sir Fyale?'"


"Sore news sire. There is no longer an eastern kingdom. All has fallen
under Tancan's horde. Moore Castle and all villages north to the south
at Talorone. All gone. Tancan's armies stretch from Moore to Talorone
Lake." His words came forth of horrendous atrocities and butchery on
woman and children and no prisoners taken and; his voice raised in
pride" and no quarter given sire. Until the very end. Sir Gar with 19
men have gone west to ready Sir Pallaus at Castle Drice and arm the
villagers and farmers there; I have already alerted Troyellen and
his lands and army. Baron Ringulare with forty men, all wounded but
hearty have gone south to warn Blekangus and The Earl of Tampion
Sound...I have come to stand with with..." His voice lowered and became
a rasping whisper. "Sire, I have learned from the road in rumors that
Morticane is dead...and that Lord Justin now rules Canaday Castle."

I stopped the wagon. Morticane? Dead? A vision of little Mort chasing
me with a wooden sword and crying because he could never catch me
crossed my eyes. Fayle was talking about Canaday must ready for siege
and how all had sent couriers for help and no help had come and I half
listened. One eye burst in one tear and my closed eye ached to cry. My
vengeance gone and quickly I swallowed my grief. "How many are Tancan?"
I said as if I were king.

"70,000, perhaps 80." Fayle looked behind him and off toward the left
hand woods.

"The western army is 1,700 at best." I said out loud. "Blekangus 1,900
and Earl of Tampian but 600. And Justin commands my 3,000." I said
again as if I were king. "The only other ally is Sir Magan of Dragzfuth
with but one true sword...if the young knight still lives." I told Sir
Fayle all that has transpired since the battle of Dead Pines as we
approached Benardo's cabin.

A dark figure appeared in the light of the front door then vanished in
the dark. Fayle kept looking over his left shoulder.

"Can Dragzfuth be trusted?" Fayle said, looking behind him, his hand on
his sword. "Is Magan his father's son?" Fayle had fought in many
battles with Magan's father.

"Dragzfuth is twice the man his father was because is father lives
inside the lad. Lad? He is young but his heart is deep and his mind is
fast as wind in storm. He was trained and skilled under the trainers of
Justin and by Lord Justin himself. When I ruled, Justin was the only
man I could never best in combat and games." I felt the pain in my
right arm for the first time in years at that moment as we stopped in
front of Benardo's cottage.

Again Fayle looked around, searching the dark. "Something..." He said.
"Something lurks."

We went inside. Benardo had seen our approach and had prepared broth
for our journey's end. He told me of Arelle's health and of Janora
being there and gone.

Fayle stood watch at the window, making Mama Benardo nervous. Benardo
looked in my eyes and said..."There is more to tell but...Arelle should
speak only to you of this."

Before I could open Arelle's door, it burst open, the ground outside
shook, she ran passed me brushing her parents aside too and ran out the
front door as flame lit up the darkened night....
and the mighty dragon roared...

......continued

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