Bear and the Goblin of Castle Hartland

Chapter One: The Journey There

When the sombre songs of Castle Hartland came across the sea, Dame Helmet of Wintervale was wrestled by grief. She soon decided she would send aid to King Pike.

Her council urged her against going, but she held aloft her hand. On her middle finger glimmered the gold ring. It was the ring given to her at the feast of Castle Hartland, the same night the goblin came. Dame Helmet and her soldiers had left when the revelry was still young, before the poet had concluded his song. They had been weary from war, and wished desperately to come swiftly home to see their kin. Thus they avoided the slaughter of the goblin.

"This ring," she said to her council, "is a reminder of the friendship Wintervale shares with Hartland across the sea.

"We shall not forget that it was King Pike who came to our aid when the Enemy was ravaging our country. They sacked our towns, pillaged our wallets, and put our people to death—they cut us down as if we were cattle plagued by disease. Yet King Pike roused his army to fight by our side, for we were overwhelmed. What should have happened had he turned a blind eye to our plight?

"So we shall go to his aid, and see what might be done to save his house from falling to the shadow that now stalks there."

Dame Helmet gathered a willing contingent, fifteen of the fiercest warriors in Wintervale. She chose Bear Swordson for their captain, for he had sailed often to Hartland and knew the waters well.

Bear was the living legacy of Sir Sword, who, alongside King Pike, had fought against the Enemy. It was Sir Sword's last stand against the multitude that had inspired King Pike's soldiers to victory on that day twelve years ago. Sir Sword had brought down the black knight, and hewed the standard bearing the red eye, when he found himself alone, deep in the Enemy ranks; yet in a swift moment of deep meditation, resolved himself to what must be, then slew them by the dozens, until, by sheer numbers, they felled Sir Sword of Wintervale.

Bear had trained hard, had endured many trials in the harsh wilderness of Wintervale, to honour his dead father. He had fought wolves, worgs, and giants in the hills. He had hunted sharks and serpents in the sea. And he had won much glory.

The boat launched from Helm Quay and entered into the turbulent sea, which crashed against the prow. Bear manned the rudder, and plowed the boat through the roaring waves. There were times when those on board thought the wave they were climbing would curl over their heads, break the boat, and scatter them in the churning water to drown. But Bear surmounted every wave and drove them safely across the sea.

At noon on the third day, they saw the cliffs rearing out of the water, the high hills beyond where heather grew, and the distant mirage that was Castle Hartland.

Bear drove the boat onto the beach beneath the cliff. The warriors poured over the side and collapsed on the sand, which they kissed for gratitude.

From a sentry tower on the cliff they were spied through the eyeglass of a watchman. He saw Bear drop the sail, walk to the prow, and direct his warriors to make a camp and scout the beach. He saw they bore arms.

The watchman saddled a horse, rode the switchbacks down to the beach, and levelled his spear as he approached the camp.

He called to them: "Who lands here on King Pike's doorstep? No merchants I wager, and certainly no fisherfolk. You there in the plumed helmet! I am in awe to look on you, for you have the mark of a hero. You stand tall. And your eyes! they seem hard as stone. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I cannot shake the feeling that I have seen you before. Tell me, please: who are you, and why have you come to Hartland? Why are you familiar to me?"

"We come to Hartland from Wintervale by order of Dame Helmet," said Bear. "Perhaps you have seen me up the coast in Whale Quay, for I have docked there before, and I am well-known at the Tipsy Tortoise, where the willing adventurer may always find work; but it is more likely, I say, that you recognise my father in me, who was the noble Sir Sword. I am Bear, his surviving son.

"Your smile tells me you remember him, and fondly so. Would that I could listen to the stories you might tell of my father! Alas, we have not the virtue of time. We come to Hartland because we have heard of the villain that stalks the halls of King Pike's house. We wish to help trap this villain, whatever it be, to end the constant slaughter, and to put fear to rest. Therefore, I beg you, please! take us to King Pike."

The watchman laughed for joy to hear that the son of Sir Sword had come across the sea to end their misery. He bid them to follow, and signalled to the sentry tower—where another watchman now spied the camp through his eyeglass—telling them to send men to watch over the boat, for friends had come to Hartland.

The watchman, mounting his horse, led Bear and the warriors of Wintervale down the beach, up the switchbacks, and along the road that parted the heath.

Presently, they arrived at Castle Hartland, the magnificent house that loomed in the grey clouds. The watchman left them at the gate, bid them all the luck that the stars could dispose, and returned to his post at the sentry tower on the cliff.