The Secrets of the Wild Wood Read online

  “Deltaland?” cried Bendu. “But where? And when?”

  “I know nothing about that,” replied Kraton. “I heard only rumours. And I can’t remember who told me. It may not be true.”

  “Deltaland is not so far,” said Arturin.

  They talked about Deltaland for a while before the conversation petered out.

  I hope they leave soon, thought Tiuri. He was watching Tirillo, the only one who might cheer up the company if he chose to. But the jester was arranging the pieces on the chessboard and appeared to be paying no attention to anything else. Bendu stood up and started pacing once again. Sir Kraton poured himself another glass of wine. He had already had quite a few and it seemed that he was planning to keep on going.

  He soon became talkative again, making caustic remarks at the expense of Evan and Tirillo. They did not respond, which of course provoked Kraton all the more. Finally he cried out, “What has become of King Unauwen’s famous paladins? A timid little boy and a court jester, that is all I see! You did say they were knights, did you not, my host?”

  “As indeed they are,” replied Arturin, “and I would ask you to…”

  Kraton interrupted him. “There was another knight, a knight with a white shield!” he shouted. “I don’t mean Tiuri – he’s one of King Dagonaut’s men. But there is a third knight from the west here in this castle. You mentioned his name, Sir Arturin, when you so kindly allowed me in. Where is that knight?”

  “I do not know,” said Arturin.

  “We have come here with open visors!” cried Kraton. “At least Evan and Tirillo have come to meet us. Why has the other knight not done the same? Could he be hiding?” He stood up and looked around as if issuing a challenge.

  Sir Melas tapped him on the elbow and muttered something, but Kraton paid no attention to him. Bendu pursed his lips and looked as if he were struggling not to attack Kraton. Arturin seemed angry. Evan and Tirillo were silent.

  “Could he be hiding?” repeated Kraton.

  Tirillo looked up from the chessboard. For the first time, he appeared a little concerned.

  “And what business is that of yours?” said Evan haughtily.

  “None whatsoever, my friend,” answered Kraton. “I merely wish to shake his hand. That’s if he dares to come out here! Who is he? What is his name?”

  The room fell silent for a moment. Then Tirillo said, quietly, but clearly, “Sir Idian.”

  Kraton frowned and rubbed his forehead as if he were trying to remember something. But then he shouted out loud, “Well, I challenge this Sir Idian to appear, so that my friend and I may greet him!”

  He lifted up his empty glass and smashed it to the floor.

  “Sir Kraton!” Arturin exclaimed angrily.

  “Sir Idian!” Kraton shouted again.

  Tirillo also stood up, crossed his arms, and looked at Kraton, then at the door. It swung open and Sir Idian appeared in the doorway. He seemed very large as he paused there before slowly entering the room. His arrival had a dramatic impact on the knights of Eviellan.

  Sir Kraton grasped the edge of the table and his face froze. Sir Melas jumped to his feet so quickly that his chair fell over, and for a moment it seemed as if he were about to kneel. Kraton grabbed hold of him and hissed, “No, no, stop!”

  Sir Idian halted in front of them. His expression was serious, almost severe.

  “Make no mistake,” he said. “I am not the man you take me for. They say we are very similar, my brother – the King of Eviellan – and I.”

  “The crown prince!” whispered Kraton.

  5 PRINCE OF THE WEST

  Now Tirillo spoke: “Sir Idian, or rather Prince Iridian, eldest son of King Unauwen, crown prince, Lord of the Seven Castles, vice-regent of the kingdom in the west.”

  They all stared at the prince. Yes indeed, he looked like a mighty lord!

  “I shall never mistake you for your brother,” said Sir Kraton, slowly and almost with difficulty. “My apologies. Now that I know who you are, I understand why you preferred not to show yourself.”

  The prince shook his head. “Perhaps it would have been better if I had stepped forward immediately, Sir Kraton,” he said. “But what could I have said? You already know what I think of you. You will never mistake me for my… for the King of Eviellan. But I was your rightful lord in the Province of the Rushing Rivers and your king is my father, Unauwen.”

  “I have chosen the King of Eviellan as my master,” said Kraton in a challenging tone, but he could not look Idian in the eye.

  “You have made the wrong choice, Sir Kraton,” the prince said with a quiet sigh.

  “That may well be, my lord,” replied Kraton, “but it is my choice and I shall stick with it.”

  “So be it,” said the prince. “Just one more thing, Sir Kraton and Sir Melas. You will inform your king of our meeting. Tell him I will never be able to forget that he is my brother, but that I will resist him with all of my strength! He has no claim to our father’s throne and he is fighting his war for hate and vengeance alone.”

  “Has he then no reason to hate and to wish revenge?” said Kraton.

  “No,” said the prince sternly. Then he continued, “And yet it pains me when I think how all the evil that he does weighs most heavily upon him. He has such a burden to bear! Even now I would still like to make peace with him, but for the sake of my father’s subjects I must fight him, unless, of course, he changes. Tell him that as well.”

  “And if he were to change, would he be welcomed back into your father’s kingdom?” asked Kraton.

  “Yes,” replied Idian. “But he may not enter Unauwen as a prince, nor as the King of Eviellan.”

  “How, then?” shouted Kraton. “As a beggar perhaps? A penitent? That is something he will never do!” He took a step back and grudgingly bowed. “I shall convey your words to my king, Your Highness,” he said, “although I do not think he will listen.” He beckoned to Melas, who also bowed, and the two men left the room.

  “Your Highness,” began Arturin.

  “Allow me to be Sir Idian while I am here,” said the prince. He sat down, and those who looked at him did not dare to speak, as his face was so desperately sad.

  But after a short while, Tirillo softly asked, “What now, my lord?”

  Sir Idian awoke from his reverie. “It is probably good that I have spoken to this knight,” he said. “And to answer your question, Tirillo, our paths will soon part. I am returning to our homeland. I now know what I wanted to know.”

  “It also seems best to me that you should return,” said the jester. “And as soon as possible, my lord! I do not trust those knights with the red shields.” Bendu nodded vigorously. “Now that they know who you are,” continued Tirillo, “they may send a message to their compatriots to pursue you and attack you.”

  “Have no fear for my safety,” said Sir Idian.

  “But I am afraid for your safety,” said Tirillo. “You are the hope of our kingdom, the successor to King Unauwen.”

  “What would become of us if something were to happen to you?” said Evan.

  “I have a son…” began Sir Idian.

  “Your son is still a child,” said the jester. “Truly, my lord, you must leave without these knights noticing. One of us will keep them talking until you have slipped away from the castle.”

  “Fine,” said Sir Idian with a smile. “Then you must be the one who keeps them talking, Tirillo. That’s certainly a job you can be trusted with.”

  “I am at your service, my lord,” said the jester.

  Idian rose to his feet. “Hear now my commands,” he said, prince once again instead of knight. “You, Tirillo, will travel to the City of Dagonaut tomorrow to argue for an alliance with the king of this land.”

  Tirillo bowed.

  “Farewell, then,” said the prince. “Until we meet again.”

  They shook hands. Then Tirillo turned around and quickly walked away.

  “And you, Evan, will remain here until
Sir Ristridin returns,” the prince continued. “I wish to hear what he has to say, and you shall bring me news. However, you may not stay away for too long. I expect you back in my city in a month’s time.”

  “I will obey, my lord,” said the young knight.

  Then Prince Iridian turned to Tiuri and Piak.

  “You are not subjects of my father,” he said, “and yet you are connected to our land with an unbreakable bond. You once did us a great service and Sir Tiuri even carries a white shield. Remain loyal to King Dagonaut, but do not forget Unauwen. Be on your guard against Eviellan and do as your conscience tells you.”

  The two friends bowed. Tiuri said only, “Thank you, my lord,” and Piak found himself unable to speak. But his eyes said the same as his friend’s: I shall never forget Unauwen or Prince Iridian!

  “Sir Bendu,” the prince said now, “you will surely wait here for your friend Ristridin, and what you do after that you cannot yet know. You are seeking a knight with a red shield, but whether you find him or not, I know you will always fight against evil. Should Ristridin not return, you must look for him rather than your enemy, as Ristridin is your friend and his mission may have taken him to strange places.”

  Finally, he turned to Sir Arturin. “I thank you for your hospitality,” he said. “If I might give you a task, it would be one you have performed faithfully for many years: guard your borders. Perhaps you will not agree with me when I say this, but it is possible that you may ultimately have to pick sides, that you will have to become involved in the fight, whether you want to or not.”

  Arturin also bowed. “I hope it does not come to that, Your Highness,” he replied. “But if it should be so, I will fight on the side of right and good.”

  Then the prince took his leave of them and, in the company of Arturin, he went to say farewell to the lady of the castle and to prepare for a swift departure.

  “It’s such a shame he has to go!” said Piak. “Now we finally know who he is, and I would have liked to get to know him better.”

  “Hush!” said Tiuri. “Sir Kraton and Sir Melas mustn’t notice anything.”

  “That jester will make sure they don’t,” said Bendu. “But you’re right. Prince Iridian is a most interesting man. What do you think of his words about Ristridin? Does that rude oaf Kraton know more than he’s saying? Ristridin was in Deltaland, he said, but he claimed not to know where, when, why or under what circumstances. I intend to tackle that gentleman! I will not allow him to continue his journey until I have had a word with him.” But the expression on his face said it was more than just a word that he wanted.

  6 TO ISLAN

  Prince Iridian and his company left that same evening, without the knights from Eviellan realizing.

  The next morning began with an exchange of words between Bendu and Sir Kraton. Having heard that the prince had left, Kraton seemed most upset. “Was he scared we would betray him?” he asked. “But we are men of honour and on neutral ground!”

  “Prince Iridian is a knight,” said Bendu. “He is scared of nothing. He is also a wise man, and so he has learnt that he must beware of treachery, particularly when Eviellan is near. Of course, you know how Sir Edwinem came to be killed.”

  “Will you stop bringing that up?!” cried Kraton.

  “Fine,” replied Bendu. “I shall not mention it again until we are at the gate, at the moment you leave.”

  “I do not accept your challenge,” said Kraton firmly. “I have already sworn to you on my honour as a knight that I had nothing to do with the death of Edwinem of Forèstèrra. So you would lose your honour if you were to attack me. I am an envoy and a negotiator and as such I am protected.”

  Arturin spoke up now. “Bendu,” he said. “Sir Kraton is right. As long as he is travelling through our land as an envoy, you may not put any obstacle in his way.”

  “Ha! That’s a fine shield to hide behind,” said Bendu with a sneer.

  “When I return, I would be pleased to oblige you,” said Kraton. “I am no coward.” And he didn’t look like one either.

  “Perhaps, Bendu,” said Arturin, “you would do better to abandon the idea of duels for now and to act upon your other plan. You were intending to go to Islan.”

  Sir Kraton frowned as he looked at Bendu, then Arturin, before turning to Melas, who was standing beside him. They briefly spoke to each other in the incomprehensible language of Eviellan. As they talked, Bendu’s expression grew darker and darker.

  Kraton saw the look on Bendu’s face and said, “As far as my companion is concerned, Sir Bendu, there are witnesses who can swear that at the moment of Edwinem’s death he was at Darokítam, his castle on the other side of the Grey River.”

  Melas added something, loudly and angrily.

  “He says,” translated Kraton, “that he has no wish to remain in this land any longer. He intends to return to Darokítam immediately. And he would like to show you his shield, Sir Bendu, with the deep dent you knocked into it. It happened in Eviellan, during one of your many fights with knights who had the misfortune to carry a red shield.”

  Bendu turned red and Arturin brushed his hand over his mouth as if trying to hide a smile.

  “Then I have nothing more to say to you,” said Bendu brusquely. “But wait, there is one more thing I should like to ask, Sir Kraton, if I may.”

  “Go ahead,” said Kraton.

  “You said yesterday that Sir Ristridin is in Deltaland. Could you tell me anything more about that?”

  “I have already told you I know nothing about it,” replied Kraton. “It was a rumour, but there are so many rumours. I can no longer remember who told me.”

  “And Sir Melas,” asked Bendu, “does he know anything about it? Darokítam is close to Deltaland, and almost all of Deltaland belongs to Eviellan.”

  Kraton corrected Bendu. “We have not conquered any part of Deltaland,” he said. “We have only entered into an eternal alliance with them.” Then he turned to ask Melas the question.

  But Melas shook his head.

  “Fine. Well, that’s all, then,” Bendu said grimly. “Travel in peace. I shall say ‘until we meet again’, rather than ‘farewell’.”

  That was the last thing Bendu said to the knights from Eviellan before they left. Sir Melas did indeed head back to the south, but Kraton rode to the City of Dagonaut. He did not travel alone; Tirillo accompanied him to the same destination. It is unlikely that the knight and the jester found each other pleasant travelling companions.

  The farewell to Tirillo had been altogether friendlier. The jester had been unable to promise to visit on his return journey, because he would reach his king’s city much sooner by the First Great Road to the north. “But I shall also say ‘until we meet again’,” he said, “and I shall add ‘farewell’.”

  He had a little more to say to Evan: “My dear boy, please do not look so worried. Go with Sir Bendu to Islan, or wait here for your friends.”

  “I know there is nothing else I can do,” replied Evan, “but still I am uneasy about the prince. If he had not instructed me to wait for Ristridin, I would travel after him.”

  “The Third Great Road is completely safe at the moment,” said Tirillo, “and our Sir Idian can take good care of himself.”

  Then Arturin made a suggestion. “I could send some of my men after him,” he said, “with orders not to turn back until they are sure no further danger can threaten him.”

  This proposal was gratefully accepted, and Evan’s squire, Marvin, went along with Arturin’s men.

  After Tirillo’s departure, Evan was the only remaining guest from the Kingdom of Unauwen.

  The next day, Bendu decided to go to Islan and he asked Tiuri, Piak and Evan if they wanted to accompany him. “I plan to stay there for two or three days,” he said, “so we will be back within the week. If Ristridin and Arwaut return in that time, well, then they can just wait for us!”

  The three of them were very much in favour of travelling with Bendu, and Arturin agr
eed with their plan.

  “It’s a shame I have to stay at home,” he said. “I should like to speak to the Lord of Islan, because I have not seen him for a long time. But I do not like to leave my castle, and Sir Fitil also travels rarely.”

  Tiuri asked, “Is Sir Fitil the Lord of Islan?”

  “Yes, he is,” replied Arturin. “His name was once widely known, but for years now he has lived, almost forgotten, in his castle on the plain between the forests.” He turned to Bendu. “If anything out of the ordinary happens here, I’ll have word sent to you. And you must let me know if you intend to stay away for longer.”

  “We shall return within the week,” said Bendu. “And we shall depart soon. So we should reach the edge of the forest by this evening and be in Islan by tomorrow afternoon.”

  Half an hour later, four riders left for the north: Bendu, Tiuri, Piak and Evan.

  “This reminds me of last year,” said Evan. “Then, too, we flew along the roads and Bendu chose to take the lead, just as he is now.”

  “But then Ristridin and Arwaut were with you,” said Tiuri, “instead of Piak and me.”

  “And we were clad in the grey armour of mourning,” Evan continued. “Perhaps Ristridin and Arwaut have had other, stranger adventures since then.”

  “And perhaps we are riding towards an adventure of our own!” cried Piak.

  “You are in for a disappointment,” said Bendu, reining in his horse. “You don’t know Islan. It’s a place fit for a hermit, so lonely and isolated. There won’t be anything of interest happening there.”

  PART TWO

  THE DAUGHTER OF ISLAN

  1 RED QUIBO’S TALE

  As evening fell, the four travellers found shelter at the small inn in the woodcutters’ village at the edge of the forest.

  “We’ll be early to bed,” said Bendu after dinner. “We have to be on our way before dawn.”

  “You’ll have another quick glass of wine before you head upstairs, won’t you?” said the innkeeper as he started to clear the table. “There are plenty of people in this evening, all from the village. They’ve come to see you. We don’t often have knights like you staying here.”