The Tales of Miriela: Shadowborn

Chapter 56: Odwin

The snow had finally stopped, and the sun's warmth returned to Odwin's skin. They had versed the Southern Pass, and reached the Eastern side of the Valendale Mountains. The lands were flat and green. Tall grass stretched as far as Odwin could see, and swallowed his legs whole.

"The Valendale Planes. They stretch from the Mountain Pass to the Valendale River. No city sits in between the two, just wild beasts. Bears, elk, bison, plenty of things that could take your life. The nearest city is Cranst, and we'll be able to see it soon. Have you ever seen Cranst, Odwin?" Sir Daniel asked.

Odwin had never left Ferenor, before seeing Kessex. He certainly had never seen Cranst, a city on the Eastern coast. "This is as far East as I've ever been," Odwin responded.

"The city is as large as they say. Its walls are taller than a hundred men. And the Keep is stronger than a giant's bones. Cranst has never fallen, its walls have never been breached, no matter the siege. Even in the Great War, the Esternlund army could not break its walls. They fought for weeks, and months, Cranst exhausted every arrow, every sword, nearly every soldier. But they held back the onslaught," Sir Daniel said.

"A city that cannot fall. Don't think I believe in such things. All cities fall eventually," Sir Harold said.

"A city is only as strong as the men who dwell within it. Cranst has bred the type of men who keep walls up," Sir Charles said. "Once we come over this pass, Odwin, we will continue our way East to Cranst. But if you wish to go North, you should follow the Valendale River. It travels into the Unknown North itself," Sir Charles continued.

"It's not an easy voyage. That far North the river flows too rapid for any boat," Said Sir Henry.

"Either take the river North and through the mountain, or try hiking into the mountain itself. But whichever you decide, Odwin, will be a choice of your own. When we reach the Redbridge we are to go our own ways. We shall go East. We are to follow our Queen's orders," Sir Charles interrupted.

"A mad Queen's errands are no more noble than the boy's quest. We should go with him," Sir Daniel said.

Charles jolted towards Daniel in a flash of anger. "Lady Emerick is your Queen. And the Queen has given us our duty, a duty that we are sworn to carry out. We will walk Miriela, coast to coast, a hundred times over if that's what she demands. You will search for her dead son every night for the rest of our lives, if that is what she requires." Odwin could see spit from Sir Charles lips splattering across Daniel's face, as the two stood nose to nose.

Everyone had stopped. The two stood in tension. Daniel finally walked away without a word, and the group had resumed their travel. Odwin liked the men, at times. They too were on a quest which they didn't quite understand, a frustrating task. Odwin had always imagined what it would be like to meet a knight. He thought they would certainly be as noble as any man could be. But at the Grounds he never imagined he would actually meet one.

But now he found himself with the Knights Emerick, traveling through the Southern Pass of the Valendale Mountains. Maybe it was the size of the mountains which towered over them, that allowed him to see he was simply traveling with men. Being a knight did not exempt one from being a man, Odwin had learned that in the Valendale.

The group continued on through the rolling fields of the planes. In the distance, a clear blue cut through the plane's deep green.

"There it is Odwin, the Valendale River, have you ever seen a brighter blue?" Sir Henry said.

"And in the distance, that's Cranst." Daniel pointed out at a grey speck in the distance, it seemed to be miles from the Valendale River. Though they were in the planes, they were still far more elevated than Cranst, which lay low in a valley. It was too far away for Odwin to see well. It was only a grey speck amongst the green fields.