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.They were away in mere minutes, riding hard to the west.Diamondgate was quite different from how Luthienremembered it.The place was so named because of theflat, diamond-shaped island, a black lump of stone, ahundred yards out from shore, halfway across the channelto Isle Bedwydrin.Here ran the ferries between Bedwydrinand the mainland, two dwarven-crafted barges, inchingtheir way through the white-capped, dark water along thickguide ropes.These were marvelous constructions, flat andopen and huge, but so perfectly geared that a single mancould turn the crank to pul them, no matter how laden.Onewas always in operation, unless the weather was too foul,or great dorsal whales had been spotted in the channel,while the other was always down for maintenance.The folkcould not be too careful when traversing the dark watersaround Isle Bedwydrin!Al the main features of the place were the same: theferries, the abundant stones, the giant wharves, and the oldwharves, ghosts of another day, testament to the power ofthe sea.Even the weather was the same, dul and gray, thewater dark and ominous, whipping into little whitecaps as itdanced about the channel.Now, though, there were manygreat warships moored in the area, nearly half of the fleetEriador had captured from Avon when the southernkingdom’s invading army had landed in Port Charley.Also,several huge structures had been built on DiamondgateIsland, barracks to house the three thousand cyclopianstaken prisoner in that war.Most of those brutes were gonenow—there had been an open revolt on Diamondgate inwhich many cyclopians had been kil ed, and Gahris Bedwyrhad ordered the remaining groups to be split up, with mosttaken from the island to smal er, more manageable prisoncamps.The structures on Diamondgate remained intact and inrepair though, by order of King Brind’Amour, just in case anew group of prisoners was taken.The companions rode down to the wharves and rightonto the barge with their mounts, Katerin on a sturdySpeythenfergus gray and Luthien on Riverdancer, hisprized Highland Morgan.The powerful Riverdancer was aremarkable stal ion, shining white and wel -muscled, withthe longer hair that distinguished the short but powerfulHighland Morgan breed.Few in al of Eriador, and none onBedwydrin possessed a finer or more distinctive steed,and Riverdancer, more than anything else, drew attention toLuthien.He heard the whispers before the barge even left theshore, heard men talking about the “son of Gahris” and “theCrimson Shadow.”“You should not have worn the cape,” Katerin remarked,seeing his uneasiness.Luthien only shrugged.Too late now.His notoriety hadpreceded him.He was the Crimson Shadow, the legendwalking, and, though Luthien was sure he hadn’t trulyearned it, the common folk showed him great respect, evenawe.The whispers continued throughout the long and slowjourney across the channel; as the ferry passed near toDiamondgate, scores of cyclopians lined the rocks, staringat Luthien, some hurling insults and threats.He simplyignored them; in truth, taking their outrage as confirmationof his heroics.He couldn’t be comfortable with the pats onthe back from his comrades, but he could accept cyclopianinsults with a wide smirk.The ferry was met on Bedwydrin’s shore by al the dockhands, actual y applauding as Luthien rode forth onto thewharf.Luthien’s previous crossing, a daring escape fromambushing cyclopians, and, as it turned out, from a giantdorsal whale, had become legend here, and thecompanions heard many conversations—exaggerations,Luthien knew—referring to that event.Soon enough,Luthien and Katerin managed to slip away and were clearof the landing, riding free and easy along the soft turf of Isle Bedwydrin, their home.Luthien remained obviouslyuncomfortable, however.“Is everything I do to be chronicled for al to read?” heremarked a short time later.“I hope not everything,” Katerin replied slyly, batting hereyes at Luthien when he turned to regard her.The womanof Hale had a good laugh then, thril ed that she could soeasily draw a blush from Luthien.The three subsequent days of riding passed swiftly anduneventful y.Both Luthien and Katerin knew the trails ofBedwydrin wel enough to avoid any settlements, preferringthe time alone with each other and with their thoughts.Forthe young Bedwyr, those thoughts were a tumult of stormyemotions.“I have been to Caer MacDonald,” he told Katerinsolemnly when at last Dun Varna, and the large white estatethat was his family home, came into view.“To Eradoch, aswel , and I have ridden beside our king al the way toPrincetown in Avon.But suddenly that world seems so faraway, so removed from the reality of Dun Varna.”“It feels as though we never left the place,” Katerinagreed.She turned to Luthien and they locked stares,sharing emotions.For both of them, the trip across the islehad been like a trot through memory, bringing them back tosimpler and, in many ways, happier days.Eriador was better off now, was free of Greensparrow,and no longer did the people of Bedwydrin, or of al theland, have to tolerate the brutal cyclopians.But for manyyears Greensparrow had been a name empty of meaning,a distant king who had no effect on the day-to-day lives ofLuthien Bedwyr and Katerin O’Hale.Not until twodignitaries, Viscount Aubrey and Baron Wilmon, hadarrived in Dun Varna, bringing with them the truth of theoppressive king, had Luthien understood the plight of hisland.There was peace in ignorance, Luthien realized, lookingat that shining white estate nestled on the side of the hilfacing the sea.It had been only a year and a half since hehad learned the truth of his world, and had gone out on theroad.Only a year and a half, and yet al of reality had turnedupside down for young Luthien.He remembered his last fulsummer in Dun Varna, two years previous, when he spenthis days training for the arena, or fishing in one of the manysheltered bays near to the town, or off alone withRiverdancer.Or fumbling with Katerin O’Hale, the two ofthem trying to make some sense of love, learning togetherand laughing together.Even that had changed, Luthien realized in looking at thebeautiful woman.His love for Katerin had deepenedbecause he had learned to honestly admit to himself that hedid indeed love her, that she was to be his companion foral his life.Stil , there was something more exciting about thosedays past, about the unsure fumbling, the first kiss, the firsttouch, the first morning when they awoke in each other’sarms, giggling and trying to concoct some story so thatGahris, Luthien’s father and Katerin’s formal guardian,wouldn’t punish them or send Katerin back across the isleto the vil age of Hale.Those had been good times in Dun Varna [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]