Untitled, Chapter Three -- Scribbler's Corner

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Date Posted: 19:30:00 03/29/02 Fri
Author: novae
Subject: Untitled, Chapter Three
In reply to: novae 's message, "Untitled" on 19:08:59 03/29/02 Fri

Chapter Three:

Dim orange light, flickered and danced over the well furnished walls. The heavy, warm air tingling the three men that sat there, silently. No one moved, or made a sound. The tension in the air hung heavily over the men.

�So what news is it you bring that is so important that I must be woken at this hour,� Myrten, the lord of Tenell spoke. He spoke with a confidence, only obtained through years of being pampered by many servants and no one ever opposing you.
�We bear sour news from far to the west.� One of the battered riders spoke. We have been sent by Vinsen the high, to warn you of the dark storm approaching. Vinsen has asked for your help, will you aid us in this dark hour?�
�Yes, Vinsen, the high priest of the Vallhe Order. He needs my help. Why do the other Towns and Cities of the west not support him, why come all these miles to see me?� Myrten may be arrogant, but he was not stupid. There must be a good reason for the other lords, if they will not aid Vinsen, Myrten thought. The messengers hesitated at this question, they looked at each other momentarily, and continued. �The other Lords will not aid us, because they do not believe the threat. They have not yet seen it, we cannot prove it to them. But you must trust us.�

Myrten laughed. �You expect me to aid you when the others to the west will not, I have far more important things to worry about. Like those pesky towns to the south, I must fix them under Tenell�s banner before someone else does.�
The other messenger had remained silent until now. �When Vinsen sent us there were seven! We have seen five of our companions die to the black blades. Now you tell us our effort was in vain!�

*****

Jeb, the young guard had accompanied the two strangers into the palace. Where they had then been taken to the lord by some other palace guards. Now Jeb sat talking to one of the palace guards he was a friend with.

Inside the high walls of the palace little of the ferocious wind came though, but the rain was still battering from high above.

�What a night to be out,� Jeb spoke to the other guard, barely audible over the pounding rain. The other guard nodded in response. The two did not hear the dying gurgles of the two Palace-Gate guards that just had their throats slashed by two black blades.
Jeb and the other guard were standing under a small wooden shelter, against the North wall of the Palace courtyard. On a normal night they would have had a good view of the Palace Gate and the door into the palace keep. But tonight the driving rain halted their vision.

Jeb was just about to leave and go back to the City gate he was supposed to be guarding, when something caught his eye. At the palace gate there were two figures lying on the ground. Jeb strained his eyes, and suddenly the rain died down and there was a flash of lightning. And in that split second he saw two bodies lying in pools of blood at the Palace Gate, and the orange light from the open door to the palace keep, betrayed a dark shadow that moved swiftly through it.

In an instant Jeb and the other guard were up. Jeb instructed his friend to go straight after the intruder, some strange kind of leadership suddenly showing. And he ran to the guardhouse to sound the alarm. Jeb Ran as fast as he could to the guardhouse. As he passed the two bodies, he almost vomited. Their throats had been violently slashed. Blood had sprayed out for a second, creating grotesque patterns on the wet ground. He entered the guardhouse and rang the bell.

The bell rang loud, and was almost useless. The days or war had long passed and the defenses of Tenell were nothing compared to when they were at their peak. There were hardly any guards in the palace. All Servants and advisors stayed in their rooms, for fear of what may be outside.

Jeb stopped his fruitless ringing and ran for the palace keep.

*****

The ringing bell did rouse a few people from there rooms, one of which was Myrten�s only child, his daughter, Samantha. Sam woke as soon as she had heard the bell. That meant only one thing her father was in danger. She rushed over to her table, on it lay her sword, it was her mothers, before she died. Sam picked the weapon up, unsheathed it. And left her room sword in hand.

She headed straight for her fathers quarters, which was one level above. Sam rounded a corner and saw the dead body of one of the guards. He lay dead on the stairs leading upstairs. His throat slashed.

*****

Jeb entered the keep. He passed two bodies standing at the door, and continued on his way. He ran as fast as he could heading for the Lord. He went up a level, the dim light casting many shadows on the cold stone walls. He passed another body, it lay propped up against a wall, eyes wide with shock. He came to another set of stairs, this time a body lay on them, it was his friend, the one he had sent to the chase. There were footsteps in the blood, only they weren�t boots, they were slippers.

Jeb ran faster now down the long halls towards the Lords quarters.

*****

Myrten, snapped from his conversation with the messengers as soon as he heard the bells. It didn�t take long until the messengers heard them too. One of the messengers turned to the door. �They have come.� He spoke softly, � the black blades have come.� The two messengers stood and pulled a knife each from their boots. �Hey!� Myrten exclaimed. �The guards were supposed to take all weapons!�
�If you damn guards hadn�t confiscated our swords we may have stood a chance!�

There was a noise from the other side of the door, a muffled thump. Slowly blood began to trickle underneath the door. The messengers stood with their knives drawn. Suddenly the door burst open and two shadowy figures rushed in.

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Replies:

Untitled, Chapter Four -- novae, 19:35:53 03/29/02 Fri