When the Banshee Whispers

chapter 11

Chapter 11

The night after my sister died my father called for me to meet him in the stables. He stood next to a heavy carrage with Sir Gunthar and two tallons. I knew imedietly what was going on, I didn't blame him.

Father took me aside and talked in whispers. I still remember the red in his eyes, the tears on his cheeks. He told me plainly. I would never be king, he wouldn't allow it. Death followed me everywhere I went, and he couldn't leave the kingdom in the hands of someone cursed.

I said nothing, simply nodding. There were two ways, other than death to legally deny the heir the throne. Banishment from the kingdom. I would live my days in exile, in a large estate owned by one of father's allys in another kingdom. I would no longer be a recognized member of he royal family. Or, I could join the tallons. I would spend the next five years training, pushing my body and my skills further than ever before. After that a lifetime of battles and horrors. It would be hell.

Father told me to choose. The carrage was leaving immedietly to take me to either the estate or the tallon fortress. I chose hell.

As I climbed into the back of the carrage my father wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, waved, and walked away. As one of the tallons climbed into the drivers seat and the other took post at the back of the wagon, Sir Gunthar stepped up to the door. His face was near emotionless as nodded and gave me parting advice.

"Remember your footwork. Don't forget to breath," he told me. I listened half heartedly. I couldn't beleve I was leaving my home, my entire life behind me. When he finished he patted me on the shoulder and reached into his pocket to pull our a small envelope. He handed it to me, wished me good luck and turned around. I looked at the plain white envelope as the wagon started to carry me to my new life. The paper smelled of lilacs. I opened it and pulled out a single folded sheet. On it was a sinlge phrase. Six words that changed the world.

I will always wait for you.

Cara. She knew which option I'd choose. Five years wasn't that long. I could survive that long, for Cara. Once I was a full tallon I'd be allowed to marry, have a family. My life wasn't over.

* * *

Prince Finnarn drug his feet as he followed Sir Gunthar and the other two guards assigned to escort him to Romilda.

"Do we know what we're looking for?" Kyte asked. The young guard still refused to touch his pistol since shooting the woman in the throne room, but he had stopped shaking, so it was a start.

"Ingo said he parked the wagon just east of the main gate," Finn said looking around. "Said to look for black boards and canopy."

"There," Sir Gunthar called out pointing towards the gate.

Sitting next to the gate was a heavy black wagon that apeared to have been made by taking two run down wagons that were falling apart, dismantleling the better of the two and nailing it over the other, then haphasardly dumping black paint over it. The canopy was a patchwork of black sheets in different states of fading stitched together with thick string of white and green and red. The two painted horses that pulled the wagon looked dirty and unkept. Much like Finn's uncle who stood next to the wagon loading his saddle bags onto a massive black war horse.

Finn felt his stomoch twist at the sight of the killer. Then his eyes were drawn the the horse. The black horse looked like a ruby in a pile of rotten apples. It was completly out of place in the small camp. Clean, strong, majestic. Ghostmaker stood next to the animal, talking as he packed. Why have such an animal when the others are so weak? Finn thought to himself as he approched. Then he looked at te two painted horses again. The prince opened his eyes, and understood.