RHIDAUNA, The Shadow of the Revenaunt, Book 1

CHAPTER 3 - RETURN TO TINNURAD (Part Two)

'Who else is there? Not the people, they had all been there for ages. The guests? Even your uncle didn't know for sure who was coming until they arrived. Who's left? Damion?'

'The kid is far too young to be a target. As are we.' Ghyll slammed the table in frustration. 'Dammit, no one knows us.'

'Then there's Haspen.' Olle resumed his pacing. 'A flyspeck of a place. The only one killed, apart from the soldiers, was an orphan, an unknown fellow of our age. Coincidence?'

Ghyll raised his head. 'I don't know. Do you see a connection?' He understood Olle's anger; this was not something he could solve with his muscles and a big sword. His foster brother wanted action, a visible enemy to fight, and these elusive happenings made him irritable.

'Blast me for a fool,' Ghyll cried suddenly. He pulled his saddlebag to him and placed the old document case on the table. 'I forgot! Maybe there's something in Uncle Jadron's papers that will tell us more.' With shaking hands, he undid the fastenings. The cover flew open and three stiff parchment rolls tumbled over the table. Ghyll grabbed them and put two back in the case. The thickest he unrolled and laid it flat on the table.

'Hmm, this looks official. To the Most Noble Jadron thu Tildryn, Baron of Halwyrd, Lord of Tilder and Wryll, Greetings...' He slid his finger down the lines and frowned. 'What a miserable handwriting, almost unreadable. I think it says that Uncle Jadron had to guard something or someone of "great significance to the kingdom". Only it doesn't tell what it is. Well, I never noticed anything of importance. There are four signatures at bottom of the letter, each under a personal seal. The writer put the names below, in the same undecipherable hand.'

'Is that why?' Olle asked. 'The castle was attacked for something your uncle had to guard?'

Ghyll slammed the document down and the big seals rattled. 'I don't know.' Frustrated, he put it away and grabbed another letter. As he unrolled it, he recognized his uncle's crisp handwriting. His hands shook and his sight blurred. 'It's for me!'

Impatiently, he wiped his nose on his sleeve and read in silence.

Dear Ghyll,

When you receive this letter, I will have died before your eighteenth birthday. So be it; death holds no fears for me. My only regret is that you must fend for yourself earlier than I intended.

Be strong, my boy.

Many things I cannot tell you. One thing, however, you must know. Although I love you like the son I never had, we are not family. I was your grandfather's best friend. He was a fine man and a great soldier, and I have always been proud to serve under him in battle. After his death, your father had my loyalty and friendship. Sixteen years ago, your parents left this life through a fatal accident. The people in charge entrusted you to my care, with Castle Tinnurad as our residence. I have never regretted this, for you have become very dear to me, Ghyll.

All those years I have tried to prepare you for the future that must be yours, and I know you are wise enough to use what you have learned.

I decided to raise you and the boy Olle together, and that worked admirably well. He has grown into a sincere young man, with more qualities than he realizes. It is good that you have a friend you can rely on and with whom you can share the difficulties on your path.

Now I charge you with a last task.

You must visit four persons; I enclose letters of introduction to each of them. They are the guardians of the King's Regalia.