The Fires of Cerran

Chapter Twenty

The chandeliers that hung high above the main table of the Great Hall were casting a bright golden light across the dark surface of the walls and floor of the lofty room. The King followed closely by Arch Chancellor Velgar, Ser Ramon and Lenren, came to the edge of the table to see Lord Tharandal sat with a sly smile across his greying face. Sat next to him was the girl, Melran. She looked tired, her face was faded of colour and her eyes adorned dark rings of fatigue.
 

‘What is the meaning of all this?’ Arch Chancellor Velgar thundered as he came to the edge of the table. The group of Lords, who had been busy in muttered, inaudible discussion since they had left the chambers, huddled around the King in a half circle and now in silence.
 ‘Forgive me my King, I awoke this morning with a tired and weary head and was light of breath.’ Replied Lord Tharandal, as he bid the hoard to sit.
 ‘I trust you feel better.’ Brodon returned as he sat opposite the Lord. Only now did he realise that the Lord was sat in his own seat, and a shiver came across the King’s back as he came to this realisation.
 ‘Of course, my King, I feel wonderful. Alas, I fear our Kingdom is not in such fine fettle.’ Tharandal replied. A murmur descended from the Lord’s and Velgar became aware of the Sister, Nemara, as she softly padded across the way and sat beside Tharandal.
 ‘It would seem that you have something of interest.’ Velgar said, fingering his belt beneath the table.
 ‘Indeed I do, the girl.’ Tharandal said, a cruel grimace across his face as he slowly patted the girl’s crossed arms. To Velgar’s eyes the girl shivered slightly at the touch of the Lord.
 ‘The girl?’ Asked Lord Louton, Saveen Al Nam standing beside him.
 ‘Indeed, she possesses incredible abilities. The type of abilities that have not been seen in these lands for centuries.’ Tharandal returned.
 ‘Abilities?’ Asked Brodon. ‘What…. abilities?’
Tharandal flicked a wrist and the girl stood to her feet, but still her face was held to the tabletop.
 ‘Tell them my dear, tell them of what you have been given.’ Tharandal’s cruel words spat like venom, and even to the ears of the Lord’s and King they seemed overbearingly vicious in their delivery.
 The girl stood unmoved, and the Lord’s waited with bated breath.
 ‘She has a tongue?’ Asked Mulmet with a snigger that drew foul looks from Brodon and Velgar.
 ‘Come young one, you need not be frightened.’ Nemara said softly, a gentle caressing of the girl’s shoulder with soft hands. The girl pulled away from the woman’s hand, and for a moment she seemed to want to raise her hand against the Sister.
 ‘Child, you are safe in this place.’ Brodon said after a moment, his voice holding the reassuring tone of a true King.
 ‘Safety…now there’s a wonderous notion.’ The girl returned softly, her voice barely a crackling, dry whisper.
 ‘And why do you say that?’ Brodon replied. Lenren sharpened his gaze on the girl now, and he felt his brow furrow in curiosity. He did not look to Ramon, but he felt sure of his companion’s own thoughts.
 ‘You think this place safe? You think the Kingdom safe?’ The girl replied, her eyes flashed up to meet Brodon’s and the man gulped.
 ‘Of course. My people are safe from war, they are safe from –’
 ‘Ha! A fallacy! I wonder what the people of the South would think of that. As the days pass, they come closer to the doorstep of Banra.’
  ‘Banra?’ Returned Louton quickly, shocked at the hearing of the word.
 ‘The Elder God of Death.’ Velgar replied calmly, though his tone betrayed his true worry.
 ‘So, you have read some Elder books? Good for you, though I would caution you against being so cruel in the palace of the King.’ Lord Mulmet returned; a bony finger held up towards the girl.
 ‘And I would caution you Lord.’ Melran replied quickly.
 ‘This girl is a savage! Nothing more than a savage! Be done with her Brodon, and shame on you Tharandal for bringing a beast like this into this Palace!’ Mulmet sounded, his voice trembling with anger as he threw his arms up in dismay.
 ‘I agree, quite unruly.’ Returned Fenkel, but Louton remained quiet as he nodded to Tharandal to explain himself.
 ‘I wonder what you would think if the girl displayed some of her powers?’ The Lord asked, sliding his hand down into a small basket that sat beside him and pulling out a small field mouse. The little creature curled in the man’s enclosed palm, sniffing its small pink nose and unsure of what to do. The Lord’s quieted, and Brodon watched cautiously. Nemara opened the girl’s arms slowly, and the small mouse was dumped unceremoniously in her palms.
 ‘Tell me girl, what thoughts go around that small creature’s mind?’ Tharandal theatrically asked, looking down at the mouse and the girl menacingly.
 ‘She’s scared. She wants to be back in the fields.’ Melran replied softly, her eyes gazing lovingly at the creature.
 ‘Good.’ Tharandal said, placing a raisin down next to the rodent. Its small nose twitched for a moment before it slowly padded across the palm and held the raisin in its feet. It began to nibble at the fruit, its small black eyes constantly scanning around the large abyss that stood before it.
 ‘What is this nonsense?’ Lord Mulmet sighed.
 ‘It would appear the girl has…. senses the animal’s thoughts.’ Lord Elmorc returned for the first time; he had remained quiet throughout proceedings, as was his way.
 ‘She’s calming.’ Melran said, her brow now beading with sweat.
 ‘Is she alright?’ Asked Lord Louton, slowly cranking himself forward on his chair to take a closer look.
 ‘She’s fine.’ Tharandal snapped back quickly.
 Melran stood now, with her eyes glazed over yet still set upon the creature. And for a moment a smile seemed to form on her face, before slowly dropping as her brow furrowed in panic and realisation. The mouse began to froth at the mouth, and for a moment it seemed to spasm before falling to one side. Dead.
 ‘Poison.’ Velgar muttered under his breath, catching the eyes of Lenren as he said so. The Archer nodded slowly before returning his gaze to Tharandal and the girl. Melran’s cheeks were blotched with running tears and her lips began to quiver. Nemara took the small creature from the girl’s palm and placed it under the table within another basket. Slowly the girl sat back down, though her left arm seemed to shake uncontrollably for a few moments after.
 ‘What in the name of the Gods is all this?’ Mulmet said, stunned.
 ‘I believe our Arch Chancellor may be able to shed some light on the situation.’ Tharandal replied. Velgar gulped as the room turned to face him, with his book clutched tightly to his chest he let a few uneasy breaths come and go before answering.
 ‘I have read of such abilities. Deep in the histories of the Elder Folk. As I understand it, they called it Paraninr. An ability to converse with living things, perhaps all living things, without so much as a single word uttered.’
 ‘I don’t understand, is this some sort of witchcraft?’ Lord Louton enquired, his voice hoarse and dry.
 ‘No, it was a gift. A gift from the Elder Goddess. A gift to the Eldest of the Elder Folk. The stories are few, and light in detail, but it is believed that those with this ability were able to converse with creatures and even tame them.’ Velgar returned, glancing back to the girl.
 ‘Creatures like a dragon?’ Brodon enquired.
 ‘Perhaps. No one has ever tried.’ Velgar returned.
Brodon gave the girl a grave, serious look before sighing heavily.
 ‘You believe her to be of use to the Archers?’ He asked Tharandal.
 ‘Beyond useful my King, crucial. Imagine her abilities to this Kingdom. The Kludde, the dragon of Cerran. She has been delivered to us at this time for a purpose. She is a gift from… The Gods.’ Tharandal returned, opening his arms out and laughing heartily.
 ‘What think you, Lenren?’ Brodon asked, turning to face the man. Lenren sighed, rubbed his brow and struggled to find the words he needed.
 ‘She could be of use…but she seems weakened now.’ He returned, nodding to the girl. Melran sat quietly, her arm now simply spasming in odd jerks.
 ‘Her abilities are not without consequence.’ Nemara replied suddenly, placing a small book on the tabletop. Saveen smiled at the book but bit her tongue from speaking.
 ‘She’s a child! For the sake of the Gods will you listen to yourselves! Not six weeks ago did we lose a youth to the rash decisions of this council and now you pull another one from the cold and throw her at your problems!’ Ramon shouted, the anger erupting from him like a swirling hurricane of hot ash and vicious flame. And with a final angry look to Brodon he stormed from the room and slammed the doors shut behind him with powerful strength. The council sat in quiet, nervous silence. Tharandal tapping his fingers along the tabletop before flashing a knowing look to Brodon, now thumbing his temples.
 ‘We cannot guarantee her safety.’ Lenren said softly.
 ‘I know.’ Returned the King, and he sighed.