Lingering Shadows-Chapter 48

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Chapter 48

Artham didn’t feel much like eating breakfast the next morning, but he did anyway, not wanting to face the day on an empty stomach. He was surprised when it awoke the appetite that had been missing for days, and when he had finished off his last large helping, his head was somewhat clearer and he felt much more ready for the next hours. That, and the hours of sleep he had managed the night before had made him feel much better. 

Dr. Idrion checked on him before they left Oak Hill. Dr. Idrion said that at least the small gash on his forehead was mostly healed, but Artham turned to see Esben watching him skeptically, grimacing in a sympathetic wince. Artham touched his forehead, running his fingers over what he knew was quite a large bruise. 

“Its not that bad, is it?” He asked his brother. 

“Eh…” Esben tilted his head to the side, squinting. Finally he shook his head and pushed Artham toward the door. 

“Just keep thinking that and don't look in the mirror,” he said quickly. Artham laughed ruefully. 

Then the Doctor examined the stitches across his forearm, not bothering to hide his concerned expression. It was healing, by now had almost completely sealed, but it was taking longer than it should.

 “Are you sure you’re up for going?” Esben asked, rubbing his leg after Artham thanked the doctor.

 “It’s not a matter of whether I’m up for it or not, Es. I need to be there.”

Dr. Idrion glanced up at Artham. 

“I can’t keep you from going, Throne Warden, but I sincerely hope my services won’t be urgently needed again anytime soon.”

Artham didn’t expect anything to happen at the Keep, but his nod was noncommittal, and he thought he heard Dr. Idrion let out an exasperated, resigned sigh. 

Before the brothers left, Dr. Idrion offered Artham pain medicine again, but Artham declined, remembering how it had fogged his mind when he had taken it after being shot in the shoulder in Anniera. 

His headache had improved some without it, and he wasn’t about to voluntarily take something that would muddle his thoughts when they felt clearer than they had been since he had gotten hurt. 

The carriage ride to the Keep was mostly silent, since Esben stared out the window, deep in thought for most of it. It wasn’t hard to guess what he was thinking about. 

Artham was deep in thought himself, but he was focused on the upcoming meeting. Its purpose was to discuss the appalling security breach that had allowed Wanderers into the Hollows, planning out the next steps the Durgans would take for the safety of their people, and if the Keeper had been anybody but Myndik Bunge, it would be the time for the Keeper to apologize profusely to the High King and Throne Warden. But Myndik Bunge was the Keeper, and Artham wasn’t expecting much. Thank the Maker, the alliance was already renewed, or else they would be in trouble. 

The carriage pulled up to the Keep far sooner than Artham expected it too. This time they weren’t the last to arrive. 

Only four chiefs were still in Ban Rona, two of which were unfortunately Myndik’s strongest allies. But this was something that mostly concerned the Wingfeathers and the Keeper, so their presence wasn’t quite so influential this time. 

Two of the chiefs had already arrived. The first was Chief Kandir, who strode up to the brothers the moment they walked in the door, greeting them warmly and leading them to the large table, his eyes flashing anger upon seeing the brother’s wounds. And he did manage to see, even though Artham tried rather uncomfortably to hide his arm behind his back.

The other Chief there was one who had been firmly on Myndik’s side. 

Artham saw Esben hesitate slightly, as if he was waiting for the Chief to release a torrent of unkind words since Myndik wasn’t there to do it. Artham half expected it too, and when the Chief met his eyes and balked slightly, Artham realized he was glaring daggers at the Chief. 

But instead the Chief stood, greeting them and bowing to the High King before returning to his seat, Artham blinked in surprise at the change and only returned the man’s greeting after Esben’s enthusiastic, welcoming, completely forgiving response. 

When they sat, Kandir immediately asked how they were doing and to please explain what had happened. He turned to Artham. 

“I’m greatly relieved to see you up and about, Throne Warden. Several of us were worried.”

 “Thank you, sir. I- well, I’m relieved too,” he finished with a little laugh. 

Chief Kandir smiled. “You should hear the rumors, lads!” he exclaimed. “At this point, my grandchildren have been bringing home tales of up to fifty Warriors and every form of heroic battle imaginable,” he said with a laugh. 

Artham immediately looked extremely uncomfortable and Esben laughed at his brother’s expression. 

“It was not like that,” Artham stated emphatically. “When I got there there were only thirteen left and someone else saved my life more than once.”

Myndik stopped. “Thirteen? Then they were exaggerating, but not nearly as much as some of us imagined. And the fact that your life was on the line, and you managed to get both your brother and yourself out alive-they have never seen you as more of a hero.”

 “I was knocked unconscious and literally had to be carried out!” Artham protested, fumbling awkwardly for words in his embarrassment. “Esben wasn’t. Talk about his heroics, not mine, okay?”

Esben laughed again, greatly enjoying his older brother’s discomfort, especially because it was for no good reason. He snickered when Artham shot him a glare. 

The other chief there pretended not to be hearing all this as he busied himself with something in his satchel. 

“Then it seems that we must rely on the King to provide us with all the details,” Kandir said. “Back to my original question. As Myndik is delayed, please tell me what happened now, when you won't be interrupted.”

Esben began, and Artham shot Kandir a grateful smile, and his next glance toward the completely silent, listening Chief across the table had lost its sharpness. 

Esben told Kandir what had happened in detail, with Artham slowly and with some difficulty, relating what he could remember when his point of view was needed. 

Artham listened attentively as well while Esben talked, because despite the days of healing, the nightmares, and Esben reminding him of the specifics multiple times, the memory was still fractured and blurry in places, as if his mind was forcefully resisting remembering. Now he felt that it might be as complete as it would ever be. 

The Chieftess of the Outer Vales had entered during the conversation, and now the only person absent was the one person who actually needed to be there. 

Esben sighed, and though he hid it well from the Chiefs around the table, Artham could see anger and impatience in his eyes.

 “Where in Aerwiar is the Keeper?” he finally asked, only allowing a tiny bit of his frustration to vent through his words.

At that very instant, the door banged open. 

Artham cringed slightly, sincerely hoping that Myndik hadn’t heard Esben. 

“Hello, Wingfeathers,” Myndik said, the usual contempt in his voice. One other Chief, Millan of Ban Rugan, entered with him.

Artham was seated the closest to the door, so he stood up and stepped forward with a nod, extending his hand as he looked Myndik in the eye. 

“Good morning, Keeper,” he said as civilly and respectfully as he could, hoping to smooth over any hostilities in the works. 

The Keeper looked back at him with an unreadable expression and accepted the handshake. Artham squinted slightly as what should have simply been a firm clasp went what would have been a little too tight for comfort under normal circumstances sent a painful twinge through the muscles that had only started healing from the deep gash. 

Myndik glanced down at the long row of stitches across the dark, twisting cut and let go ofArtham’s hand, looking away as he strode to his throne-like seat, completely ignoring Esben’s very slightly less obvious greeting.

That was an accident, right? Artham thought as he resumed his seat, gingerly rubbing his arm and wrist for a second. 

He glanced over and saw Kandir glaring at Myndik and silently thanked the Maker for a Hollish chief so firmly on their side, especially since he could argue with and object as strongly as he liked to the Keeper without putting international relations in jeopardy, unlike the Wingfeathers. 

“Let’s get this over with, Wingfeathers,” Myndik growled. “I want you to get out of my country and take your trouble with you.” Apparently he believed that he could be more openly hostile with only four other chiefs there, two of which he believed were firmly on his side. 

Esben exhaled slowly. After counting through the days in his mind, Artham realized with some surprise that they were expected back in Anniera the next night. That meant leaving the next afternoon. They had been in the Hollows for nearly two months. 

Esben opened his mouth to speak but Chief Kandir spoke before him. 

“Myndik, when are you going to realize that your conduct towards the High King and Throne Warden is absolutely shameful?” Then he turned to the brothers. “I will say in Myndik’s stead what any honorable Keeper would already have told you. First, I can’t tell you how sorry I and some of the other Chiefs are that such a thing happened to you on the soil of our homeland. We apologize that our own forces of Durgans from our own clans weren’t more alert and that they failed to prevent the circumstances. 

“Secondly, that all but one of the Chiefs,” he shot a glare at the one sitting next to Myndik- “have agreed that if such circumstances ever occur again, we will stand by Anniera’s king. as long as we stand, the Hollows will never again be dishonored by allowing such warriors to infiltrate our home and attack our greatest ally while we stand idly by. High King, although these decisions were not charted in any document, you have the full allegiance of five of the Green Hollows’ seven tribes, no matter what the Keeper says.” 

Chieftess Narinda nodded her agreement and smiled warmly at the brothers. The other Chief nodded too. Kandir stood and bowed to Esben, who quickly bid him rise, his mouth slightly open in surprise,his eyes alight with gratitude as he searched for words. Artham couldn’t hide his grin. 

Well that made just about everything a lot easier, he thought. If that man or someone like him was Keeper of the Hollows, our countries could accomplish great things together.

Myndik clenched his jaw.

 “Ye could be removed from yer position as a Chief, Kandir,” he growled. 

“Again with this, Myndik? No, I don't think so. First, you don't have one decent reason to present to the council. Second, you don’t have nearly enough support to do that. And on a side note, you seriously need to rethink whatever grudge you have against Anniera’s rulers.”

Esben glanced unbelievingly at his older brother. 

Did all of that seriously just happen without me saying a word? He thought with a grin. Thank you, Maker, for Chief Kandir. 

There was a long pause, and everyone was grateful when Artham broke the silence. 

“Keeper, there…there remains only our concern for Ban Rona. We don’t know if there are any Warriors still here that would compromise the safety of the Hollowsfolk. Are your Durgans planning on taking action about this?” 

Myndik nodded tersely. 

“One of me officers has questioned the captured Wanderer several times. If the word of a Wanderer can be trusted, there aren’t any left in the Hollows. But it can’t, and even if it could, that one’s lied to me men more than once. I’ve got my Durgans searching our perimeters now.”

Esben glanced at Artham with concern in his eyes. He had been hoping that somehow Myndik didn’t know about Aro. 

Myndik stood up. He hadn’t even taken off his coat coming inside. 

“I have more important things to do than this. If ye have nothing else to say, Esben, then I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon at the docks. A few of the Chiefs and myself will be there to see you off.” He paused a moment and looked at Esben like he wanted to say something more, then turned and stalked out, banging the door behind him. 

“Two questions,” Esben stated, turning to his brother. “Do you think that was almost an apology?” 

Artham thought for a moment. “No. I seriously doubt it.”

 “Yeah, me too,” Esben said, then continued. “Two. Are we really done dealin with that now?” He asked, gesturing to the door Myndik had just walked out of and referring to every problem he had caused them since they had arrived. 

“Considering that we only have to talk to him one more time on this trip, which is when we leave, yes. We are done dealing with that. Until next time, of course.”

Esben’s eyes widened. “Nope!” He shouted. “We’re not thinking about next time right now. Hopefully next time is not for a very, very, very long time,” he immediately said. “No offense to you,” he corrected himself, turning to the other three Chiefs at the table. 

“None taken,” Narinda said, and the other two nodded. “We can only apologize for Myndik’s behavior, and hope that when ‘next time’ comes, he’ll show himself more worthy of his title. 

“Thank you, Chieftess Narinda,” Esben said,nodding his head slightly and turning back to Artham as the three chiefs began gathering their things. 

“Third question-” Esben began, but Artham interrupted. 

“You said you only had two,” he said with a smirk. 

“Okay but now I have three. When are we going to eat lunch? I’m starving!” 

Artham laughed. “Esben, how can you be starving? We just ate breakfast.”

 “You ate breakfast. I was nervous about this meeting and gave it to Connolin.”

The dog at Artham’s side cocked his head and wagged his tail as if confirming Esben’s words. 

“anyway, potentially stressful meetings make me hungry,” he finished, smiling then standing up to say goodbye to the Chiefs as they left the hall. 

The rest of the morning was far more pleasant than either brother had expected. Chief Kandir insisted that they come with him to the inn he was staying at and eat something with him. He told them that he wouldn’t be able to see them off the next day because there were important matters he needed to deal with in Ban Soran. To say the least, the brothers enjoyed the conversation they had with him far more than the words they had exchanged with any other Chief. 

When they got back to Oak Hill,Esben immediately headed to his room. Artham intended to go to his own room and get his things together for the trip back, but he paused with Esben in the hall first. His brothers expression had turned serious and thoughtful.

 “Have you decided what to do?” Esben knew he was asking about Aro.  

“I’m trying,” Esben said, looking tired. “But Myndik knowing about it and considering him a criminal doesn’t help. It complicates things a lot. It could take the decision out of my hands altogether, if Myndik decides that crimes committed in the Hollows should be punished there. And the penalty is the same.”

Artham nodded gravely, and after a pause,

 “Don’t worry about Myndik, Es. I’ll back whatever you decide, and if Myndik opposes you…I won’t let him.”

 “How?” Esben asked, looking up with a wry smile at the absolute confidence and determination in Artham’s words. Artham shrugged.

 “I’ll figure something out.”