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The morning air was crisp as Karissa walked quickly to the North.
Wrapped tightly in her cloak, she made her way to Ahrothen. Her mind
was racing.
Last evening, when she returned to Pern from the Serpentine Castle, she found it. It was wrapped in a purple ribbon and bore her seal. Funny, she thought. I don’t remember this being here before. She opened it quickly. The note simply said, “For the answers you seek, speak with Sir Aeric.” As the hour was quite late, Karissa thought it better to wait until morning. Sleep would not come, however, and so she headed for the castle, while the dew was still mist. Somehow, she felt this was how it should be. It was appropriate to her that she find the answers to her memory this early. It was her favorite time of day. She just hoped she would not be waking him and if she did, that he would forgive her intrusion. As she traveled through the Wilderlands, she began to wonder about the note. How did it get there, who sent it, where did they get the seal, and more importantly…why Sir Aeric?? Thinking back, Karissa realized she did not know much of the knight--at least, she could not remember much. She could only recall that he would sit quietly in the corner of Court. “How could he know the answers to my questions?” she asked herself. “I have barely had a conversation with the man.” She had only spent a mere ten minutes on the hard, rocky path into Ahrothen, and already her feet were beginning to ache. It was extremely cold there, and the morning fog was wrapped tightly around her like a blanket soaked in ice water. At least in the Wilderland, there was the forest to shield one from the wind; up here, however, it was nothing but flat highlands for miles. Shivering from the cold and her own exhaustion, yet still she pressed on. There were questions that needed to be answered. Walking forward blindly into the fog, she tripped and stumbled several times on the uneven path. She begin to curse under her breath, but then she stopped suddenly. There was something out there...she heard something.... Peering into the pea soup surrounding her, Karissa strained her ears for some sound of whatever she heard--or sensed--was out there. As she stood there, stock still, the only sounds she heard were those of her own labored breathing and her heart pounding. Then she saw them. First one, then two, then three pairs of glowing red pinpricks floating out in the sea of white. Eyes. And they were getting closer. As Karissa tightened the grip on her staff, from behind her she heard low, gutteral breathing nearly on top of her. She whirled, and found six pairs of eyes floating closer and closer. She could barely make out dark forms to go along with those eyes. Humanoid forms. Ork forms. Paralyzed by fear as she was, she almost failed to notice the sound of hooves thundering up the path towards her. The lights winked out two by two as the sound of riders grew even louder. As the last pair of eyes disappeared into the fog, she turned to the right and saw the large silhouettes of the horses--as they were nearly on top of her! Karissa screamed and managed to leap out of the way just in time. The lead rider yanked violently on his horse's reins, and the animal reared up on its hind legs, showering the druin with small clumps of dirt. Looking up at the rider, she saw that he was a soldier, clad in a mail hauberk covered with a black silver-edged tabard. The silver dragon head of Ahrothen was emblazoned on his chest. Atop his head sat a gleaming silver helmet, and a light grey cloak was draped across his shoulders. The three other soldiers were dressed identically to the first one. The lead rider looked down at Karissa in shock and suprise as his horse snorted into the frigid air. "What in blazes are you doing way out here, girl?" the man asked, resheathing his broadsword. "And at this hour? We could have trampled you to death! Have you taken leave of your senses?" Karissa brushed the dirt from her cloak. "I need to speak with the lord of these lands," she said. "It is quite important." The guard looked Karissa up and down and began to laugh. "You must have lost all your sense, girl. The lord is rarely up at this hour and if he is.…well, you can bet he won't want to speak with the likes of you!" "Do you know who I am?" Karissa asked with an even tone. She paused for a moment, waiting for a response, but received none. "If you did, I am sure you would not be taking that tone with me." Karissa moved her cloak to reveal the badge of Pern. As she did so, she looked up at him with a knowing expression, waiting for the weight of her actions to sink in. The guard's eyes grew large as they fell upon the badge. He hastily stammered out an apology, and ordered one of his men to surrender his horse to her. After helping her into the saddle, the newly-unhorsed soldier proceeded to lead his steed by the reins alongside the others. Their progress was as slow as before, but she was glad to be off of her feet, which were throbbing slightly within her boots. "You're lucky we came along when we did, milady," one of the other soldiers, a boy of eighteen, commented. "Orks are normally cowards, but they've been growing bolder in the past few weeks." "I had no idea there were so many orks in Ahrothen," Karissa said with a hint of amazement in her voice. "I've never heard of them attacking people during the day." "They're left over from the war, milady. Raiders and deserters left behind when the General left." "War? General?" She asked, clearly confused. The soldiers, in turn, looked at her somewhat quizzically. "I've been out of the lands for some time," she added quickly, not wishing to reveal her condition to these men. They rode on in silence for another hour. The sun had burnt away nearly all of the fog by that point, and it had become somewhat warmer. In the distance, looming out of the remaining mist, Karissa could make out the dark silhouette of a fortress. "We approach Castle Ahrothen, milady," the officer informed her, pointing at the shadow ahead. Ravens squawked overhead as they neared the castle. Within a mile of the keep, they passed a fair number of mounted soldiers, a couple of whom gave weary greetings to their company as they passed. Karissa counted seven different patrol parties all together. "Corporal," she said to the soldier leading their group, "why so many patrols? I thought you said the war was over." The soldier nodded curtly, careful not to let his visor slip down into his face. "Aye, milady, that it is. But as Jory said," he indicated the boy who spoke to her earlier, "these lands are fairly infested with orks. It wouldn't be so bad 'cept for all the refugees trying to go home and rebuild their villages and what-not. The orks destroyed three whole camps of refugees 'afore we even realized what was going on. We're out huntin' 'em down night and day; that's how we came across you." As the group got within visual distance of the castle, Karissa saw that it was in seriously bad shape. There were several spaces where the walls were all but destroyed. There was scaffolding surrounding the holes, and as they began to cross the wooden drawbridge, she could make out the newer, lighter-colored stones among the older masonry. One of the two guards at the gate saw them approaching and opened a small window in the large wooden door, saying something to someone on the other side. There was a loud creaking sound as the iron crossbar was lifted from the doors, and with the help of his fellow, the guard pushed one of the massive portals open enough for the three riders to maneuver their horses through. Once inside the castle courtyard, Karissa was suprised to find a great many tents, bundles of belongings, pack animals, and most of all, peasants, within. These must be some of the refugees the soldier mentioned, she thought to herself. Following the corporal's lead, she maneuvered her horse through the maze of tents and dismounted before the stables. The other soldiers saluted the corporal and lead their horses into the stables, while the man himself led her within the main donjon. Karissa was led where she found Sir Aeric was in the large, sparsely-furnished foyer, sitting at a long dining table lit with candles and covered with maps and other documents. He was dressed simply in a loose shirt and breeches and, despite the hour, looked no more tired than usual, although the bags under his eyes were a little darker. "Excuse me, milord," the soldier said. "We came across this lady walking on the road some few hours back and--" The lord of Ahrothen looked up from his work. "Karissa," he exclaimed, standing up, "what are you doing here?" He walked over to her. "Don't tell me you walked all the way from Pern...?" Before he had a chance to reply, he turned to the soldier. "Corporal, go and fetch my steward. Tell him to have a basin filled with hot water to be brought here for my lady's feet to soak in, and tell the maids to bring some fresh clothes as well, from their own wardrobes if need be. And some food...." "Please, Sir Aeric," she said humbly. "All that really isn't necessary. I'm fine...really...." He looked at her, frowning for a moment, then sent the soldier hurrying on his errand. "Karissa," he said tiredly, "what in God's name are you doing here at such an hour? And what possessed you to walk here?" "This is my favorite time of day," she answered simply, apparently thinking nothing of the distance involved. "Everything is so crisp and new, and I don't mind walking. Although truthfully, if I had remembered it was so far, I would have found other means of travel...." She cast her eyes over the cluttered table behind him. I see I have disturbed you, though. I think I should leave you to your business...." Aeric sat back in his high-backed chair, holding his forehead in his hand and laughing uncontrollably. It was almost a little scary.... "Sir Aeric," Karissa asked tentatively, "...is something wrong...?" Without looking up, the lord of Ahrothen lowered his laughter to a chuckle. "I can see now that you're from a land of entertainers, Karissa. I have never met anyone as overdramatic as you." He looked up at her, a ghost of a smile upon his face. "So you're telling me that after walking all night long, all the way from Pern, you're going to simply turn around and walk all the way back, just because you think you're interrupting me? That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" There was a hint of anger in his voice. "You keep doing that...you say something, and then you say, 'oh, but I should leave....' Why do you do that? Is it for effect? Or, are you trying to prove to yourself that others want you around, to hear what you have to say? You don't need that kind of validation. You're smarter than that." Both the familiarity in his tone and the somewhat mocking nature of his comments started to raise her own temper, and she was about to reply when a pair of servants entered the room; a stoutly-built maid with a small metal tub in her arms and another, more waifish girl with a large vase filled with liquid. At Sir Aeric's direction, the maids put the tub down at her feet and filled it with hot water from the vase. As the steam rose from the tub, Karissa couldn't help but long to strip off her boots and soak her aching feet in it. At the reminder of Sir Aeric's kindness, her temper cooled a bit. "Now," he said, leaning back in his chair, "since you obviously didn't wake me up, and would die of extreme old age if you were to wait until I was done with my work..." he swept an arm across the mountain of paperwork on the table before him, "...why don't you tell me why you came?" After a long pause, Karissa reached into a pouch at her belt. “When I retired to my bed chamber last night, I found this on the desk.” She handed the letter to Sir Aeric. “I do not recall it being there before I left earlier in the evening, but there it was when I returned, wrapped in purple ribbon and bearing MY seal.” Aeric opened the letter and began to read it. Karissa continued to speak as he did so. “As it was very late, I felt I should wait until morning to ask you about it...but I didn’t sleep well...and...I just couldn’t wait any longer. Please forgive me, I don’t usually believe such nonsense, but nothing has made much sense to me as of late. So...” she paused. “Is it true? Do you have the answers I seek?” Sir Aeric closed the letter and placed it on the table. He folded his hands in front of him and looked down at them for a moment, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry, Karissa," he said softly. "My mind has been...elsewhere as of late, and with everything else going on, I'm afraid I had forgotten your condition." He looked up at her sadly. "I am the one who should say 'forgive me.'" He stood up, walking over to the large fireplace, where the blaze had burnt down to a pile of smoldering embers. "If you hadn't lost your memory, my behavior would not be all that strange to you; we had--we have," he corrected himself quickly, "--quite an interesting friendship, you and I." "We do?" she asked, finding it rather hard to believe. The dark knight nodded. "It all started when you saved me from running off and getting myself lost and probably killed in the deserts of Arunwe. It was right before the Yule season...." For the next few hours, Aeric told Karissa of the events of the past year. Servants came and went. They refueled the fire and replaced the candles when they had burned down to waxy stubs. They placed a spartan breakfast before the two Companions and provided Karissa with a blanket to ward off the chill in the drafty stronghold. Some of the things he told her were suprising, some amazing, and a few were downright unbelievable. Karissa sat enraptured as he told her about everything she had missed--at least, what she felt like she had missed. You just can't remember them, she kept reminding herrself. When Aeric gots to the part about her late sister, she didn't believe him at first. How could she? But when he told her to look in the wooden box in her pack, the box no one else should have even known about, and when she found the vial with Tiggeria's name on it, filled.... The chair suddenly felt very large around her as she retreated into it, gathering the blanket all around her and sobbing uncontrollably. Across from her, Aeric longed with all of his heart to walk over and comfort her, to put his arms around her and tell her that everything would be alright. But it was something he wouldn't dare do even if she hadn't lost her memories, and so he kept his place until her tears had run their course. His eyes avoided hers for the rest of the day, though. The last story Aeric told her was that of the quest to retrieve his Caerna Dagger from the lair of Shadowcast. He told her how, at the end, the demon-dragon used a spell to manipulate her like a marionette, trying to turn the three Companions against each other, and how the magic must have had the after-effect of erasing her memory. Aeric held his head in his hand again, although there was no laughter this time. "You knew," he said softly, suddenly sounding very tired. "You knew what would happen, what you would lose, and still you went anyway." Karissa started to say something, but the words wouldn't come. She waited a few minutes more and finally managed to speak. “Sir Aeric," she said finally, "from what you have told of the quest, I doubt it would have had a positive outcome without my help. I’m sure I chose the option that would have the least consequences to everyone else involved. I know now, I have a country to think of, too.” Karissa paused again. He could see by the expression on her face that she was hesitant to say more. “Go ahead, please.” He gestured for her to continue. Cautiously, Karissa unwrapped the bandage from around her neck. “How did I really get this wound?” She asked. “It does not appear to be caused by a fall.” Aeric looked away, towards the fire which had burned down to embers once more. "After you fell, there was...a creature. It followed us from Shadowcast's lair, I suppose. It attacked right after Marduk left for the Mages' Tower. I was able to drive it off, but not before it...bit you." Aeric leaned forward in his chair. "You look tired. Why don't you lay down for a while, maybe get some sleep? I've had my maids make up a room for you...." "Thank you for the offer," she said. "I think I will take you up on it, but first...." she paused before continuing. "There is more that you are not telling me, isn't there? It is OK if you are holding things back. I just want to know that there is more." Karissa looked down at the handkerchief in her hands. "There's just this... this void. I thought that if I came here...maybe I'm just overly tired." Without offering an answer, Aeric rose from his seat and moved to stand beside her, offering his arm. Gratefully she took it, and he led her up the wide central staircase to the rooms on the second floor. "You have been through a lot, milady. I can only tell you of what I have experienced, but I suspect that even if you were to reconstruct everything which has happened over the past year, every single minute detail of your life and the lives of those around you, there would still remain a sense of loss, of emptiness, because the memories are not your own." He stopped before a door. Opening it revealed a small bedroom ,which the two entered together. "It's not much, I'm afraid. This is a fortress, not a palace; it's meant for the garrisoning of troops, not the appointments of noble ladies." He offered a small smile. "Still, what I have to give, is yours. If you need anything, there is a bell on the dresser. I will have someone fetch you for dinner." After briefly surveying the small but clean room, Karissa turned to face her host. "Thank you, Sir Aeric," she said tiredly. "For your generosity...and your patience." He shrugged noncomittally. "It is easy to be generous when you have nothing to give," he said with the same small, weary smile as before. "Rest well, Dona Karissa." He closed the door behind him when he left. Karissa wandered over to the bed. The sheets were tucked in so tightly, she swore that she could bounce a copper farthing off them. Not exactly what I expected from this castle, she thought, sitting on the edge of the bed. She reached down to unlace your boots, then stopped when she realized they were already off. "I must've left them downstairs," she muttered sleepily to herself. "I should go get them...." Too tired to even think anymore, she lay back on the bed and almost immediately fell asleep. |
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