The Letter for the King

  “It’s only simple fare,” Ilia said. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “Well, it certainly looks like there’ll be more than enough,” said Taki. “They’re never going to eat all that.”

  Piak and Tiuri nodded their agreement and tucked in. The dog sat beneath the table, gobbling up any scraps that were thrown in his direction. As they ate, they talked. Taki wanted to hear all about their journey and he asked Piak how their friends on the other side of the mountains were doing. Piak asked what his aunt and uncle had been up to lately and if there was any news from Filamen. Tiuri was the only one who listened more than he spoke.

  “I’ve hardly asked you any questions, Martin,” said Taki after a while, “but it isn’t from a lack of courtesy. As it’s supposed to be a secret that you’re here, I thought questions might not be welcome.”

  “Thank you,” said Tiuri with a smile.

  “Yes, it’s a secret,” said Piak. “But Menaures knows all about it and he told me to be his guide. We may be able to tell you more another time.”

  “It’s just as well I’m not the curious type,” said Taki. “But Ilia is. She must be burning to know what’s going on!”

  “That’s not true!” said Ilia. “I’m never nosy about things that are none of my business.”

  “In that case, there must be very many things in this world that are your business,” said Taki, gently teasing his wife. “Well, well, I never knew you were so important!”

  Then he gave her a wink and they all laughed, including Ilia.

  It occurred to Tiuri that, now they’d gone over the pass, they must be in the Kingdom of Unauwen. He asked Taki if he’d got that right.

  “Yes, indeed,” Taki replied. “There are people who say the Great Mountains belong to no ruler. But I consider Unauwen to be my king.”

  “You’ve been to Dangria, haven’t you?” asked Piak.

  “Many a time, before I was married. It’s a beautiful city, but I wouldn’t like to live there.”

  “Why not?” asked Tiuri.

  “Too crowded for me. I prefer a little cabin in the mountains, right up high in the fresh air. But Dangria’s certainly beautiful, although I’ve heard it’s nothing in comparison to the City of Unauwen. Is that where you’re heading?”

  “To Dangria? Yes,” said Tiuri. “Is it far from here?”

  “Well, you can reach the plateau near Filamen by tomorrow evening, and it’ll take you a little more than a day to reach the foot of the mountains from there. Wait, I have an idea! A man I once worked for lives over there. His name’s Ardoc. He’s wealthy and has lots of horses and carts. If you mention my name, he might let you ride along with him to Dangria. He goes there to sell his produce at the market. I’m sure he won’t mind. He’s a nice fellow, although his manner can sometimes be a little gruff. But you’ll have to be there early in the morning; he usually leaves before dawn so that he can get to Dangria by the afternoon.”

  “Thank you,” said Piak. “We can certainly give it a try, don’t you think… Martin? Where exactly does this Ardoc live, Uncle Taki?”

  “I’ll explain the route to you tomorrow,” he replied. “I might even take you some of the way myself. The path has changed a bit, as there was a small landslide last month.”

  “Really?” said Piak. “Where? What happened?” And Taki had to tell him all about it.

  After dinner, they went straight to bed. The young men refused the offer of Taki and Ilia’s bed, so Taki made one up for them on the floor. Then they all said goodnight and slept soundly in that warm and welcoming home.

  The next morning, Tiuri and Piak rose early and had a big breakfast. Ilia also put together a parcel of food for the journey. “This bread is fresh,” she said. “Just leave your old bread here. I can use it to make some bread pudding for Taki.”

  Tiuri and Piak thanked her for her kindness and said goodbye. Taki and his dog accompanied them for some distance. They made their way over rocks and stones down a steep slope, along the dry bed of a stream, and finally down a beautiful path through flower-filled meadows. Around midday, Taki bade them farewell and gave them directions to Ardoc’s farm. The young men thanked him and promised to visit on their way back.

  “I hope Ardoc lets us travel with him,” said Piak, as he and Tiuri walked on together. “I’ve never been on a cart before.”

  Tiuri stopped and looked at Piak. “What is it?” asked Piak.

  “You were only supposed to take me over the mountains, weren’t you?” said Tiuri. “Don’t you have to go back to Menaures?”

  “Can’t I travel on with you?” asked Piak. “Menaures himself said, ‘If you wish to accompany him beyond the mountains, you should do so.’ And I would like to. That’s if you don’t mind.”

  “But… I do mind,” said Tiuri.

  “Why? Would you rather travel alone?” asked Piak.

  Tiuri really wanted Piak to stay with him, but he said, “It could be dangerous. So, no, I don’t want you to come.”

  “Oh, is that truly the reason?” said Piak. “I’m not worried about the danger. Go on, let me come with you to the City of Unauwen.”

  “No,” said Tiuri. “It’s… just better if I travel alone.”

  Piak looked disappointed. “Do you mean that?” he asked. “You think I’m going to slow you down, don’t you?”

  “No,” said Tiuri, “that’s not it at all! Thank you for the offer, but truly, it’s…”

  “…better if you travel alone!” said Piak, interrupting him. “You’ve already said that. You’re scared it might be dangerous, but I already know that. Menaures knew that too, and he thought it was fine for me to go, if I wanted to. And I do want to! Or is there some other reason why you don’t want me to come along?”

  “No,” said Tiuri. “But I think the danger is reason enough.”

  “Ha! That’s no reason at all,” said Piak. “I know all about the dangers, about the Red Riders and Slither the spy. You know two can keep watch better than one. You want to move quickly… and I’m quick. Come on, let me go with you. I shall be your squire and I shall obey your every command.”

  Tiuri hesitated. Could he accept Piak’s offer?

  “If you hesitate for too long, I’m going to walk away,” Piak threatened. “But then I’ll secretly follow you, and come sneaking after you like a spy.”

  Tiuri started to laugh. “Oh, in that case, all right,” he said. “I’d rather have an actual travelling companion than someone out there stalking me.”

  “Hoorah!” cried Piak. He broke into a run, but then stopped and waited for Tiuri to catch up with him. Then he bowed deeply. “I am your servant,” he said solemnly.

  “Don’t be so silly,” said Tiuri. “We are travelling companions, and equals.”

  “Friends!”

  They walked on for a while in contented silence.

  Then Piak said, “Hey, Tiuri, when you’re a knight, could I really be your squire?”

  “I’m not a knight yet,” said Tiuri.

  “But when you are a knight? Or can’t boys like me become squires?”

  “Of course they can!”

  “So can I, then?”

  Tiuri laughed. “If you really want to,” he said, “I’m sure that you can. And I shall ensure that I am knighted, whatever it takes. Just to satisfy you!”

  “That’s very kind of you,” said Piak with a grin.

  The walk downhill went quickly and easily. They passed Filamen, and by the end of the day they had left the town some distance behind.

  The next morning, Piak said, “I can’t be your guide now, because I’ve never travelled beyond this point. You’ll have to decide which way to go.”

  “I’m sure we’ll find the way together,” said Tiuri.

  That wasn’t difficult, as Taki had told them exactly which paths and roads to follow. By the afternoon, they’d left the mountains and were in the foothills. They saw villages and they passed people now too, who greeted them, but showed no surprise or
curiosity. They were back in civilization.

  Piak kept looking back over his shoulder. “Goodbye, mountains,” he said finally.

  “Do you regret coming with me?” asked Tiuri. “You know you can still go back.”

  “How can you say that?” said Piak. He sounded almost angry.

  They went on walking after sunset. The night was clear and they wanted to reach Ardoc’s by morning. It was late by the time they found a place to sleep, in a haystack.

  “Right then,” said Piak, “so that’s that. And tomorrow I’ll be starting something new, the next part of the journey, all the way across a flat land. Just imagine! I’m going to see cities, and big rivers! But, of course, you’ve seen it all before.”

  “That’s not true,” said Tiuri. “I don’t know this country at all, like most people who live to the east of the mountains.”

  They both fell silent as they wondered what adventures awaited them in this strange land. And, still pondering, they fell asleep.

  PART SIX

  TO THE EAST OF THE RAINBOW RIVER

  1 THE ROAD TO DANGRIA

  In the grey light of dawn, Tiuri and Piak walked along a small river. The slopes on the opposite bank were lined with vineyards.

  “That must be Ardoc’s land,” said Tiuri.

  A large stone house stood a short distance away, surrounded by wooden barns and stables. The two friends headed onto the bridge that led to the house and stopped for a moment to take a look. People were already up and about; there were lights in some of the windows and they could hear voices and horses whinnying. As they stood there, a large man came out of the building, holding a hammer in his right hand and a box under his left arm. He obviously noticed them, but he didn’t acknowledge them. He just put the box down on the ground, rummaged around inside it and started repairing one of the windows.

  Piak and Tiuri went up to him. “Good morning,” they said.

  The man was noisily hammering away, but he stopped and said, “What did you say?”

  “Good morning,” they repeated.

  “Thank you, and the same to you,” he said and then he went back to his hammering. The noise made any conversation impossible, but he soon returned the hammer to the box. Then he looked up at them and said, “You lads are out and about at an early hour, aren’t you? I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

  “We’ve just walked down from the mountains,” replied Piak.

  “Oh, you’ve come from the other side, have you? We don’t often see folk from those parts.” The man hitched up his trousers and peered at them from beneath his bushy eyebrows. He was a striking figure, with long, wild yellowish-grey hair and a big beard.

  “Is this Ardoc’s house?” asked Tiuri.

  “Indeed it is. This is Ardoc’s house, in the shadow of the Great Mountains. Is that what you came here to ask?”

  “We’d like to speak to Ardoc,” said Tiuri.

  “I see. You’d like to speak to Ardoc, would you? And what makes you think that gentleman’s awake at such an early hour?”

  “If he wasn’t awake, I’m sure your hammering will have roused him,” said Piak.

  The man chuckled. “You’re right,” he said. “But do you think you can just ask to have a chat with him at this time in the morning?”

  “Well, that’s what we’re asking you,” said Tiuri.

  “And why exactly do you want to speak to him?”

  “Taki sent us,” Tiuri replied. “He gave us Ardoc’s name and told us where we could find him.”

  “Ah, Taki. How’s the fool doing? He wanted to get married and go back to the mountains, instead of staying here and making a good living.”

  “He’s married now,” said Piak, “and he’s very happy up in the mountains.”

  “Excellent. Just as it should be,” said the man. “One man on the mountain, another on the plain. Everyone has his place… except for travellers who can find no peace anywhere and young folk with adventurous dispositions. I like to travel too, but I never go far from home these days. I have my duties here to take care of. I have to manage my lands and take care of the people who depend on me.”

  “Are you Ardoc?” exclaimed Piak.

  “I am indeed. What did you think… that I’m some layabout who stays in bed and lets other people do the hard work? No. I’m always the first one up in the morning. Now, why don’t you boys tell me what’s on your minds?”

  Tiuri and Piak made their request.

  “You’re in luck,” said Ardoc. “I’m off to Dangria this very morning. My men are already loading up the cart. But it’s so full of produce to sell at the market that there’s barely enough room for a mouse up there. Never fear, though. I have horses that could do with some exercise. I’ll be riding myself. My man Dieric is driving the cart. You lads can travel alongside on horseback. I generally take extra hands with me these days. Makes the road a safer place, you see. And when we get to the market, the two of you can help unload the produce. What do you say? Is it a deal? You do know how to ride, don’t you?”

  “N- no,” said Piak uneasily.

  “I’ve been on a horse before,” said Tiuri.

  “One of those mountain ponies, I’ll warrant, with your feet dragging along the ground. But you’ll be fine. I’ll give you a couple of docile horses. So, does that sound good?”

  Tiuri and Piak nodded, but Piak looked worried at the thought of having to ride a horse. Ardoc asked if they’d eaten yet. They had, but they didn’t turn down the invitation to stock up on a little more breakfast.

  They ate first and then got ready to leave. Carefully, Dieric drove two horses pulling a large covered cart over the bridge. Two stable boys brought horses for Tiuri and Piak.

  “Go on, then, up you go,” said Ardoc to Piak, with a wry grin.

  Piak whispered to Tiuri, “I’ll just have to give it a try. After all, I do want to be a squire one day.” He found it difficult to climb onto the horse, but he didn’t hesitate. Smiling nervously, he rode around the yard a few times.

  Ardoc was too busy shouting instructions at Piak to pay any attention to Tiuri, who was climbing up onto the other horse. Tiuri was already sitting astride the horse by the time Ardoc looked over at him.

  “No!” the farmer shouted at the stable boy. “Not Zéfilwen; she’s too temperamental for an inexperienced rider. I told you to give him the chestnut mare.”

  “But he’s already up there now,” said the stable boy.

  “Well, he’ll have to get back down, won’t he?” Ardoc began. But then he fell silent as he watched Tiuri trotting over to Piak. “Hm,” he said. “No, you can leave him there.”

  The party set off, with Piak clinging on to the saddle and staring suspiciously at his horse’s ears. After a while, he said, “Hey, it’s not too bad. But I wouldn’t call it comfortable. I prefer walking!”

  Tiuri laughed. “You’ll get used to it,” he said.

  Ardoc, who was riding on ahead, reined in his horse and waited for them to catch up. “So where are you from, Martin?” he asked Tiuri.

  “A village on the other side of the mountains,” he replied.

  “I see. Well, you ride like an experienced horseman. I can tell you’ve ridden before.”

  “Yes,” said Tiuri. “A few times.”

  “A few times?!” Ardoc exclaimed. “And what kind of horses were you riding? Zéfilwen is a beautiful animal, but she’s not exactly docile.”

  I have ridden Ardanwen, Tiuri thought to himself. Ardanwen, known as Night Wind, and Zéfilwen does not compare. But he said, “Oh, I’ve ridden different kinds of horses, big ones and small.”

  “I see,” said Ardoc and he left it at that.

  “How far is it to Dangria?” asked Piak.

  “I want to be there this afternoon,” Ardoc replied. “We’ll start moving more quickly later on, once you’re more used to riding.”

  “There’s still no sign of the city,” said Piak, gazing to the west. “You can see it from up in the mou
ntains, but it’s all so flat down here.”

  Ardoc smiled. “You may call this flat,” he said, “but I can still see plenty of hills. Up in the mountains, there’s always some rock or peak or slope blocking your view. And don’t you think this is a beautiful road?”

  “That’s true,” said Piak. He looked back over his shoulder at the mighty mountains.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go back?” asked Tiuri.

  “Oh no, no. Not at all.”

  “So, tell me, what is it that brings you to this land?” asked Ardoc.

  “We want to see the Kingdom of Unauwen,” said Tiuri.

  “Well, you’ll have to travel far and long… at least if you hope to see everything. And you really need to head to the west of the Rainbow River. That’s the heart of the Kingdom of Unauwen.”

  “The king is the ruler here as well, isn’t he?” asked Tiuri.

  “Yes, but things to the east of the Rainbow River are not as they once were. Since the rift between Unauwen and Eviellan, fewer of the king’s knights visit these parts. They’re needed in the south, to defend the borders. But you wouldn’t know about that, would you?”

  “So why don’t you tell us?” said Tiuri.

  “No, you need to see things for yourselves and to form your own opinions. What I will say is that this road is not as safe as it once was. There are sometimes robbers lying in wait along the way!”

  Tiuri and Piak looked at the quiver of arrows on Ardoc’s back and understood now why he’d brought them.

  “But it’s a good idea for you to see what our country’s like,” the farmer said after a while. “More people should come over the mountains. We speak the same language, after all… even though this is the first time you’re hearing it as it should be spoken.”

  “Why’s that?” asked Tiuri.

  “Well, we can understand one another, but you do hear the differences in our speech, don’t you? The way we speak the language here is more melodic, more beautiful. It’s how it should be spoken.”

  “Who says so?” said Piak indignantly.

  “I say so, and it’s the truth. Didn’t you know that it was us who gave you people in the Kingdom of Dagonaut your language? Many centuries ago, our king’s knights set off over the mountains to your land, and founded villages and built castles. They taught the people who lived there everything they knew, and they also gave them their language, the language of the Kingdom of Unauwen. It’s even said that they founded the City of Dagonaut itself and that your kings and knights are descended from those men.”