Druid's Bane Read online

  Contents

  Druid’s Bane

  Title Verso

  Acknowledgements

  Second Edition

  Dedication

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Maig’s Hand

  Also available from Acclaimed Books Limited

  Cover

  Cover

  Druid’s Bane

  Book One

  Of

  The Arkaelyon Chronicles

  Phillip Henderson

  Acclaimed Books

  www.Acclaimedbooks.com

  Title Verso

  The right of Phillip Gillanders (Phillip Henderson) to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Copyright © Phillip Henderson 2010

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and resemblance to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser. Any person who does so may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

  ISBN-13: 978-1456480875

  Second Edition

  2012

  Cover art by Geoff Taylor

  Published by Acclaimed Books.

  www.acclaimedbooks.com

  Acknowledgements

  The writing of a book is always a collaborative affair and for that I owe a great deal of gratitude to a host of people. To the literary guides who provided illumination in the confusing and dark forest of storytelling, I thank you; Dr Bob Rich, for your knowledge and honesty when this manuscript was in its youth and Michael Carr for showing me how to polish the written word into gems and for your patience with a particularly slow learner of the craft. A special thank you must also go to Pat McManus for labouring through the first proofreading and never losing your sense of humour. And to Gill Lihou who did the final proof, and was most kind in her praise and diligent and thorough in her work. I would like to thank my agent at the time, Lois Bennett, and I am most grateful to my publisher, Peter Lihou of Acclaimedbooks, for taking this project on board despite its size. For all the other people who were involved in the writing of this book, I thank you for your part in the project. The good parts are yours. Any errors or failings are entirely mine.

  Second Edition

  This second edition of Druid’s Bane (Book 1 of the Arkaelyon Chronicles) has been remastered and re-edited. It contains significant substantive and textual changes.

  Dedication

  To my mother, who made this book possible at so many levels, and who taught me the meaning of perseverance through word and practice.

  Success is never final

  Failure is never fatal

  It is courage that counts.

  Sir Winston Churchill.

  PROLOGUE

  The Prophecy of the Fall.

  As the arrow finds a warrior on the field of battle, so, too, has the time of betrayal and death come upon you. But be not dismayed, for even as the fire of your enemies consumes your power, the way of your restoration is already whispered in the fates. A new Hand will soon walk among you to lead you from the shadows and take back what is lost this day. His return will be marked by a time of peace and plenty, when the Arkaelyon eagle and the white Wolf of Lunwraith are one. He will share a royal womb with a sister, and he will enter the world on her heels. When he comes to manhood, the religious zeal of an orthodox priest who thirsts for revenge on a blasphemous king will again bring the Arkaelyon throne—and my gifts to Larnius—within the ambit of your power. And just as the blood bat feeds on the sheep under cover of night, so, too, must you take the throne and recover my gifts. For only with these gifts can the new Hand restore what has been lost and lead you back from the shadowed places. But heed this warning: If the warp and weft of fate is to continue to turn in our favour, there are others whom you must defeat. The girl child born before Maig’s chosen Hand will have in her blood the touch of the First Mother. Druid’s Bane, she will be, a child of light, first of the five, and the deadliest of her kind since the days of beloved Larnius. Her blood must be shed on the Altar of the Eternal Shadows, for if she is allowed to know what she truly is, she can rob you of all that is promised.

  ARKAELYON

  (After the Restoration)

  Map by Ralf Schemmann

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Make her chase you, Milady. You know the plan, play to your strengths not your opponents. Strike and retreat, strike and retreat, wear the Lady Galloway down,” Sir Ambry schooled.

  Danielle was trying to ignore her father’s old swordmaster. He was standing in the dappled shade at the edge of the small forest clearing, his scarred face marred more than usual by a concerned frown—or at least that’s what Danielle saw from the corner of her eye as she struggled desperately to keep her best friend’s sword work at bay.

  Equally distracting was the presence of the other five knights of the royal guard who, under orders from her father, always accompanied her when she rode beyond Illandia’s walls. Even after watching her practice for almost a year they still seemed ill-at-ease when their liege’s only daughter and the heir of Corenbald—Danielle’s friend Lady Faith Galloway, made this weekly trip to the nearby woods so they could train away from the bustle of the master’s hall and out of sight of her twin brother’s informants and spies. Today the knights of her retainer looked more than uneasy. They looked decidedly nervous and why would they not, Danielle thought bitterly. It was patently obvious to all in company how far she had regressed over the last three weeks.

  “What is wrong with you,” Faith demanded, as they broke off and circled each other. “You have got to stop letting thoughts of Kane distract you. Now come on, you know what to do.”

  Danielle flashed her friend an unappreciative smile. She did not need to hear her twin brother’s name or be told what she already knew. She was frustrated and furious with herself as it was. After eight long months of training, and with the tournament to begin in less than three weeks, she could not believe how easily the old fears could still distract her. A month ago she had thought herself more than ready to face her twin brother. Now she was not so sure, and that realization annoyed her immensely.

  “Milady, watch your left
!” Ambry called out once they had resumed the bout.

  Danielle parried her friend’s blade with her own, their boots swishing through the grass, and then ducked and turned as Faith moved to out flank. Faith lunged forward to engage her and she ducked away again. Even as she did, Danielle knew should have wheeled away to her right, deflecting her friend’s momentum and negating her advantage. It was one of her hard won lessons; always keep your opponent guessing and never make the same move twice. Ignoring her training cost her dearly, for Faith got passed her like a wolf smelling blood, and Danielle gave a grunt of pain as her friend raked the back of her chainmail shirt with a reverse swing of her blunt training sword. The blow was delivered with enough force to buckle her knees, but she managed to keep her footing and bring her sword up for protection as she turned to defend herself. This time the maneuver was simply too slow and she doubled up as the flat of Faith’s blade slammed across her midriff. Even with the protection of her chainmail shirt the force of the blow knocked the wind out of her. The next thing she knew her legs were kicked out from under her and she landed heavily on her back in the grass. She coughed trying to draw breath into her burning lungs and rolled onto her side, clutching at her stomach. Her head was spinning wildly and she felt dangerously close to throwing up.

  “By the gods’ mercy, this is not a damned shield wall,” Ambry protested as he came quickly forward to ensure his royal charge was not seriously harmed.

  “That is nothing compared to what she will get in the tourney ring if she lets her fears continue to distract her,” Faith said, her annoyance laced with disappointment and worry.

  Danielle sat up, suppressing a grimace. She knew her poor performance over the last three weeks was unsettling her friend, and more so since their numerous discussions on the matter had not found a remedy. It just made Danielle more determined than ever to do all she could to turn things round in the next two bouts. But finding her confidence again was proving elusive to say nothing of frustrating.

  “Milady, are you alright?” Ambry asked, as he crouched beside her.

  Danielle forced a smile. “I’m fine. I walked into it. Faith’s right. I deserved that and more.” She could barely breath she was so winded, but her father’s old swordmaster did not need to know that.

  Faith retrieved the waterskin that she had hung from the branch of a nearby birch tree. She quickly knelt and urged Danielle to drink, before flicking her ponytail of black hair over her shoulder and easing up Danielle’s chain mail shirt a little to see her injury. “Just a bruise,” she announced.

  Danielle held her friend’s concerned gaze and said what needed to be said. “I’m just nervous. You’re right; I need to concentrate and I need to keep practicing until I find my confidence again. I can do this, Faith. You know I can.”

  “Nervous indeed and understandably so,” Ambry put in. “Your first tourney is a big event.”

  Faith teetered on the edge of tears, before taking the waterskin Danielle handed back to her and abruptly climbing back to her feet and walking off to the tree she had taken it down from.

  Danielle watched her go, frowning and more than a little puzzled. There was something else going on here. She knew her friend too well to think otherwise. Faith and her had been close friends since childhood. They had first met when Dee and her brothers were sent each summer to the royal court in Corenbald while the armies of Arkaelyon and Corenbald headed north in the annual crusade to try and re-capture the holy island city of Amthenium from the Vafusolum Empire. They had become as close as sisters across the years. They had no secrets and this was not Faith at all. She was usually utterly unemotional when she had a sword, axe or bow in her capable hands. For unlike the fairer sex in Arkaelyon, women in mountainous Corenbald were expected to stand shoulder to shoulder with their men folk in the shield wall, and Faith as the heir to the throne had been training for the role of First Sword since she was a child.

  “Milady, perhaps you should stop and take a break?” Ambry suggested as Danielle picked up her sword from where it had landed in the grass and gingerly climbed back to her feet.

  She barely heard him; her attention was still fixed on her friend’s back. Danielle wondered if her youngest brother, Michael, might be to blame for part of Faith’s dark mood. It had not yet been officially announced, but Faith and Michael were soon to be betrothed. Both had always been very fond of each other, but if anything could upset Faith it was their loveable but insensitive Michael. Yet, if there was something remiss in that direction, Faith had not said anything to her at breakfast which would have been very unusal, and Michael’s stupid grin and buoyant mood this morning had suggested he’d been enjoying himself thoroughly since Faith had arrived at the palace the previous evening.

  “Faith, are you all right?” Danielle asked.

  “I’m fine.” Faith had her back turned her hands busy retying her ponytail.

  “Milady?” Ambry urged when Danielle did not answer his question.

  “Ambry, please. Lady Galloway is in charge of my training when she is here in Arkaelyon. I thank you for your concern, but please step out of the circle so we can continue.”

  “Of course, Milady.” He grudgingly bowed his head and stepped back into the long grass and the dappled shade at the edge of the clearing.

  To Danielle’s dismay she noticed that the other knights of her retainer had come to their feet and were watching her in grim silence from amid the trees. She did not want to think how much of what had taken place here this morning would be circulating about the halls and passageways of the Illandian palace, or worse the city’s taverns and inns by nightfall. Kane would be thrilled when word of her poor performance reached him.

  “Milady … perhaps you should listen to Sir Ambry,” Sir Peterson suggested.

  “Thank you for your concern, but it is not necessary. Now please, all of you return to your ease. The Lady Galloway is right, I need to concentrate is all.”

  As her knights did as she asked, she glanced back at Faith, hoping her words would have a positive affect. If they did, it was not obvious for Faith was still on the other side of the clearing; her back turned as she pulled the cork from the waterskin and took a drink.

  Thinking it best to take the opportunity to prepare herself mentally for the next bout, Danielle closed her eyes and drew in a few deep-calming breaths, forcing all distractions from her mind and making herself relax.

  “Milady, forgive me, but I’d be remiss of your safety and my duty if I did not speak.”

  Danielle bit back her irritation and opened her eyes and turned to find that Ambry had stopped at the edge of the clearing and turned back. He glanced sheepishly in Faith’s direction before saying respectfully, “I know it is not my place to intervene, but your safety is my duty and I think it wise that you and the Lady Galloway should take a break, if not call it a day. That was a solid strike. You could have been seriously hurt if that blade had struck a little high and caught your ribs.”

  The slight reprimand in his tone brought Faith round, frowning. “Sir Ambry, your opinion wasn’t sought.”

  “With all due respect, Milady. You go too hard on our princess. She is not your equal this morning nor is she fully armored, yet you are engaging her as if she were and the heat is unbearable, it’s a wonder she doesn’t have sunstroke. The best method would be to have her relax and prepare her thoughts. We all know she has the skill and certainly the agility and endurance to face her brother and better him. We have seen it plainly these past two months. She just needs the confidence and for that she needs to find that calm place within her soul again. Just as I said as we rode out here.”

  “Ambry, thank you, but I think that is quite enough. I agree with the Lady Galloway, I need to test my ability without restraint and know it will not break. So this is necessary. And with the way the morning has gone so far it is clearly necessary that we continue.”

  “I understand that, milady, and I mean no offence to Corenbald’s First Sword, but this is hardly
tournament fighting. The methods and tactics are more familiar to a knight’s mêlée, and far too dangerous without full armor.”

  “You miss the point entirely, Sir,” Faith said unsympathetically. “She is struggling because she is letting thoughts of her brother distract her. A fear that will only grow worse when she steps into the ring in three weeks. She needs to face that fear now as she will face it then. And if she can not cope with it here she will not cope with it there.”

  “Yet anyone with eyes can see plainly enough that this exercise is robbing her of that very same confidence. And I thought it was agreed that Lord Kane was not to be mentioned during trainings?”

  “Well we are hardly training are we,” Faith replied briskly, throwing Danielle a telling glare.

  Danielle frowned, hurt by the comment and even more confused than ever by her friend’s odd behavior.

  But before she could say anything, Ambry said, “I don’t think that is all together fair, Milady,”

  Faith shook her head and corked the water skin. “Do not flatter her, Sir. It will only harm her more.”

  Keen to avoid further argument, Danielle said, “I think the lady Galloway is right. And all the more reason to get on with the next bout.”

  Danielle looked expectantly at her friend, but Faith ignored the hint. Instead, she turned and hung the waterskin on a branch with no real urgency.

  “You should not be so hard on yourself, Milady. Unlike Corenbald’s First Sword or Arkaelyon’s sworn brothers you have not seen battle and it is understandable that you should be nervous.”