The Letter for the King

  “It was a knight with a white shield,” Tiuri replied.

  “All of the king’s knights carry white shields,” said the innkeeper.

  “It was a knight with a white shield,” repeated Tiuri. He had decided not to reveal the knight’s identity and not to mention that he had been murdered by the Red Riders. He had, after all, been told to keep his mission secret and he intended to do so, until he could tell the whole story to King Unauwen. “The mayor received certain messages from the east,” he continued. “That’s why he ordered that all young men between the ages of fourteen and eighteen should be taken to him. It was his own scribe who told me this.”

  “His scribe?” said the innkeeper.

  “Yes, and he helped me to escape.”

  “Ah,” said Doalwen, “so he is on our side, then.”

  “But why did the mayor want to speak to all of those young men?” asked Ardoc.

  Tiuri said nothing.

  “Don’t you understand? It’s a secret,” said Iruwen. “He was looking for one young man, or two. And Martin knows the reason, of course, but he isn’t allowed to tell us.”

  “But all that I have been able to tell you is true,” said Tiuri. “You must believe me, and you must help me. Please! So much depends on it.”

  “What would you like us to do?” asked Ardoc.

  “I need to get out of this city, as quickly as possible. But first…”

  “And what about the mayor?” said Doalwen.

  “But first Piak, my friend, has to be freed,” Tiuri continued. “I can’t abandon him.”

  “But how?” cried the innkeeper.

  “Can’t we bribe the guards?” suggested one of the men.

  “Bribe them?” snorted Iruwen. “Bribery! Is that what Dangria has come to?”

  “So what do you want to do?”

  “Let’s go to the town hall, all of us together, and demand his release!” said Iruwen.

  “That’s madness,” replied Doalwen. “It’s sure to result in fighting and bloodshed! As you say, Iruwen, is that what Dangria has come to?”

  “Send an urgent messenger to King Unauwen,” said another man.

  “No, that’ll take too long,” Tiuri said. He could hardly tell them he was a messenger himself, on his way to the king! And he had to continue on his journey. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave Piak behind in Dangria. Who knew what the mayor and his henchmen might do to him?

  Everyone was talking at the same time. But finally Ardoc called for attention.

  “Listen, everyone,” he said. “Iruwen’s idea actually makes some sense to me. I may not be a resident of Dangria, but I’m fairly certain that no one can be imprisoned without reason or charge.”

  “That’s true,” said Iruwen. “It’s the law.”

  “And the mayor has no reason for holding the boy, and he can’t accuse him of anything, because he can’t tell anyone the real reason why he’s keeping him in the dungeon. Isn’t that right, Martin?”

  “Yes,” said Tiuri.

  “So if we go to him and demand that he releases the boy, he can’t refuse,” Ardoc continued. “Unless he has a case to make, or he invents one.”

  “And what if he does invent one?” asked the innkeeper. “Then we’re back to where we started.”

  “What exactly did he do when he tried to take you prisoner?” Ardoc asked Tiuri. “Did he make an accusation? Were there any witnesses?”

  “His guards aren’t going to testify against him, are they?” said Doalwen.

  “His scribe was there too,” said Tiuri. “He can swear that neither of us said or did anything to merit imprisonment.”

  “And your friend escaped immediately?” asked Ardoc.

  “Yes. As soon as he saw that the mayor was up to no good.”

  “Then this is a sound idea,” said the innkeeper. “There’s a council meeting today. They’re always open to the public. We can all go together.”

  “The mayor will never dare to flout the law so publicly,” said Doalwen.

  “We must ask Master Dirwin to come along,” said another guest. “He’s a man of influence and his word carries weight.”

  “Master Dirwin is the head of the guild of silversmiths,” Iruwen told Tiuri. “He used to be on the council, but he resigned because he rarely agreed with the mayor.”

  “Master Dirwin will need to know what this young man has told us in any case,” the other man continued. “About the spies from Eviellan, and such business.”

  “I still don’t understand,” said Doalwen. “We were supposed to have peace.”

  “That’s what they claimed,” Ardoc said quietly, “but how long has it been since the king’s envoys left? We’ve heard no news since then. And I know that Sir Andomar has not yet returned to Ingewel.”

  “And neither has Sir Edwinem returned to Forèstèrra,” Iruwen added.

  “It’s not an easy journey, though,” said Doalwen. “It’s a long way to Eviellan.”

  “But there has been no message from them. No good news, no bad news… Nothing.”

  The room fell silent. Tiuri remembered now that he had heard the name of Sir Andomar before. Like Edwinem of Forèstèrra, he had been part of the company that King Unauwen had sent to Eviellan. It seemed almost certain that something had gone very wrong during the peace negotiations.

  Then, in the distance, they heard the sound of bells.

  “Listen,” said the innkeeper. “The eighth hour is striking. The meeting at the town hall begins in half an hour.”

  “We should be off, then,” said another man. “I shall go and talk to Master Dirwin. I hope to be with him at the town hall in thirty minutes.”

  “And I shall speak to everyone I see,” said Iruwen. “I’ll head to the marketplace first. There should still be plenty of people around. Will you come with me?” he asked Tiuri.

  Tiuri nodded. Then he looked around the room and said, “I thank you all for your help.”

  “Save that for later,” said Ardoc. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  6 RAISED TEMPERS

  As Iruwen explained to Tiuri on the way to the marketplace, the mayor and the council held regular meetings at the town hall, and anyone who wished to attend could do so. In the past, there had always been a meeting once a week and every citizen of Dangria had been allowed to make proposals, ask questions and register complaints. However, more recently, the meetings had often been cancelled or closed to the public for trifling reasons. This was one of the objections that people had raised against the mayor.

  Tiuri watched in amazement as Iruwen gathered a crowd of people at the market. The old man delivered a fiery speech. He repeated his grievances against the mayor, spoke of the dangers threatening the city, and concluded by announcing that the mayor had deprived two young strangers of their freedom.

  “One of those boys escaped and is standing here beside me,” he said. “The other is still languishing in the mayor’s dungeons. Yes, when the mayor used our money to titivate his town hall, until it was more like a king’s palace, he also extended the prison beneath it! Why was that? Did he think he needed to imprison more people? Did he fear enemies? Did he fear us, the peaceful citizens of Dangria, loyal subjects of King Unauwen? Or was his jail intended for innocent strangers?”

  Iruwen paused and looked around.

  “Certainly a mayor must often be firm,” he continued. “And unfortunately that sometimes means locking people up. But a man should never be deprived of his liberty without reason, without accusation! That is our law, and we should hold that law sacred! When such an injustice occurs, people must… we must protest. This young man here is about to return to the town hall to demand that his friend is released. Released! Right now! And any person who believes in law and justice must follow him and support his demand!”

  The people crowded around Iruwen and Tiuri. Most of them applauded Iruwen’s words, but some wanted more explanation and they had plenty of questions for them both. The mayor’s guards came over to
find out what the noise was all about.

  Iruwen shouted, “To the town hall! Anyone who supports us and who would like to have some answers may come with us. This young man is daring to set foot once again on the steps of our town hall, because he has a clear conscience and therefore has nothing to fear… as long as justice still prevails in the city of Dangria!”

  A few minutes later, Tiuri entered the town hall for the second time. Ardoc and Iruwen followed him, and many others came after them. Tiuri wondered if Piak would be able to hear the crowd from the dungeon downstairs and if he might suspect that they were there because of him. His heart was pounding. He wasn’t scared, but it was the first time since he’d set out on his mission that he’d felt so visible.

  In the hall, a large table stood on a platform in front of the great wooden staircase. Ten men were sitting at the table, with the mayor in the middle. Off to one side, sat the scribes, including the young man who had helped Tiuri, and guards with spears and torches lined the stairs and filled the spaces between the pillars. Some townsfolk were already in the hall, waiting for the meeting to start. Iruwen pointed at a man and whispered to Tiuri that it was Master Dirwin, the powerful head of the silversmiths’ guild.

  When the mayor saw Tiuri, he looked shocked. He and Tiuri stared at each other for a moment and then the mayor leant over to the man on his right and whispered something.

  Meanwhile, more and more people were crowding into the hall. If nothing else, Iruwen had at least made them curious.

  The man to the right of the mayor stood up and shouted, “Silence! Close the doors!”

  A murmur ran around the room.

  “This is a public meeting!” someone cried.

  “The hall is full!” shouted the official. “There is no more room. Close the doors!”

  It was a while before the doors were closed and everyone had settled down.

  The mayor leant back in his chair and fiddled nervously with a sheet of parchment. Then he rose to his feet and said, “The mayor and the council of Dangria are gathered together in this place. All who would listen may listen. All who would speak may speak!”

  One of the guards on the stairs blew three times on a trumpet.

  “I declare this meeting open,” said the mayor. Then he sat down.

  The official on his right stood up again. “Let the First Scribe read the minutes of the previous meeting,” he said.

  The mayor’s scribe stood up and bowed. He looked around and his gaze rested for a moment on Tiuri. Then he started reading. He read hesitantly at first, as if his mind was elsewhere, but gradually he seemed to gain control of himself.

  Tiuri looked at Iruwen and raised his eyebrows.

  “Later,” Iruwen whispered. “When it’s time for questions.”

  So Tiuri had to wait. He took in nothing of what the scribe said. He looked around the room and saw that the mayor was clearly uneasy and was avoiding his gaze.

  When the scribe had finished reading and sat down, the official on the mayor’s right said, “This meeting will be dedicated to the improvement of our city’s buildings, a subject that concerns us all. So we would ask you to confine your questions and proposals to that subject alone. At the next meeting you may once again address general matters.”

  “He’s done that deliberately!” whispered Iruwen.

  Voices were raised in the crowd.

  “Silence!” cried the official. “Anyone who is not silent will be removed. You know the rules.”

  “Yes, we know them!” cried Iruwen. “And we also know the laws, Master Marmuc! Anyone who demands justice may ask for it whensoever he wishes!”

  “Silence,” barked Master Marmuc. Then he smiled and said, “Of course you may ask for justice. But this evening we shall be discussing the construction of…”

  “Why speak about new matters when old matters remain unresolved?” said Iruwen.

  Then the mayor spoke. “Silence, Iruwen,” he ordered. “There is a time for everything.”

  “My lord mayor,” replied Iruwen, “you speak true. I am certain that you of all people would not approve of an injustice. And surely you would not wish to wait until our next meeting to put right any injustice that may have occurred. Urgent matters must take priority. And now is the time to deal with such urgent matters.”

  The mayor’s face drained of colour.

  Some of the crowd followed Iruwen’s lead. “Urgent matters must take priority!” they shouted.

  “Silence!” yelled the mayor, banging his fist on the table. “If you will not be silent, I will clear this room!”

  The murmurs and shouts ceased. Then Master Dirwin rose to his feet.

  “My lord mayor,” he said, “you can see that many people have come here this evening. It would seem that something important has happened. Let them speak now, as was always the custom in the past.”

  “Something important!” shouted the mayor, also standing up. “I locked up an impudent boy! Since when have the people of Dangria been concerned about such matters? We are adult men, Master Dirwin, and we know that young people sometimes have to be dealt with firmly.”

  “My lord mayor,” said Dirwin. “No one has yet made any mention of the boy you had locked up. In fact, you are the first to bring up the subject. So it would appear that you believe it to be a matter of import!”

  The crowd murmured and whispered. A few people laughed.

  The mayor seemed taken aback, but he soon regained his composure.

  “Of course I mentioned the boy!” he said. “I can see his friend standing right there! I don’t know how he dares to show his face here. He barricaded himself in the town hall today and threatened to kill me. He injured one of my guards. It is I who should be accusing him, not the other way around!”

  Everyone looked at Tiuri, and he took a step forward. Again, he and the mayor stared at each other. A tense silence filled the room.

  “I asked you and your friend to the town hall as my guests,” began the mayor, “but you rewarded my hospitality very strangely! My guards here will testify that you, young man, locked yourself away in this town hall. That you shot at my archers through the window…”

  “But if they do so, you will also have to mention that your archers shot at me first,” said Tiuri in a loud, clear voice. “And you will also have to say why I felt it necessary to lock myself in one of your rooms. And you will also have to explain why you gave the order for my friend to be taken prisoner. Yes, you really must explain that! My friend has done nothing to you. Nothing! He was running away because he did not want to stay here. Why was it that you wished to keep us here against our will?”

  “I didn’t want to keep you here against your will!” shouted the mayor. “Why would I do that? I don’t even know you! I invited you for hospitality’s sake, but you didn’t want to stay. You insulted me. Don’t you know you can be punished for that?”

  “I have come to demand my friend’s release,” said Tiuri. “He has done nothing to warrant imprisonment. Perhaps the people here will not believe me when I explain what my friend said and did before you sent your guards after him. So why don’t you tell them yourself and explain what exactly you are accusing him of?”

  The mayor opened his mouth and closed it again. He clearly didn’t know how to respond.

  “Then let someone else tell the story,” Tiuri continued. “Your scribe was there. He can say what happened.” He turned to look at the scribe, who flushed and crumpled up a piece of paper with trembling fingers. “Please be my witness,” said Tiuri. “What did my friend do to insult the mayor?”

  “Were you there, scribe?” asked one of the other gentlemen at the table. “Then speak. What did the boy do?”

  The mayor sat down.

  The scribe rose to his feet and said, “Nothing.”

  “Nothing? What do you mean?” asked Master Marmuc.

  “Well, nothing,” said the scribe. “He didn’t do anything. They arrived and I had made a room ready for them, but they said the
y couldn’t stay for long. But the mayor insisted that they should stay. He said he wanted to hear news from the east. Then the other one – the boy who is in the dungeon now, I mean – started shouting. ‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘I’ve got it here. I’ll deliver it!’ Something along those lines. And then he ran outside. And that was it.”

  “And that is truly all that happened?” Master Marmuc asked the mayor.

  The mayor did not reply.

  “And what was to be delivered?” asked Master Dirwin, looking in turn at the scribe, the mayor and Tiuri.

  “Perhaps you should ask the mayor,” said Tiuri.

  “I have absolutely no idea,” said the mayor. “I know nothing about it.”

  “You know very well!” shouted Tiuri. “But I can understand why you don’t dare to say.” He looked around the hall. “And I’m afraid I can’t explain either,” he continued. “But I do know one thing. Your mayor did not invite us here out of any sense of hospitality. He commanded the guards at the gate to bring to him any young men between the ages of fourteen and eighteen who entered Dangria. Why? You would have to ask him that question. And ask him who it is that sends him messages by carrier pigeon. Ask him who exactly ordered him to deprive strangers of their freedom. Ask him which master he serves, while he governs this city in the name of King Unauwen!” Tiuri fell silent for a moment, suddenly afraid he had said too much. But then he continued, “I am a stranger in your city and I have no involvement in your affairs. All I am asking for is the release of my friend. Right now!”

  Tiuri could see the mayor was defeated. His face was ashen and he couldn’t utter a word.

  The hall erupted. “Set him free!” the people cried.

  One of the members of the council rose and ordered the crowd to be silent. “Do you have an accusation to make against this young man or the young man in the dungeon?” he asked the mayor.

  “No,” the mayor replied, so quietly that it could barely be heard. “No. But everything he said is lies… All lies…” And then, a little more loudly, “It’s a misunderstanding, a regrettable misunderstanding, and…”

  He could not finish what he intended to say, because the crowd erupted once again. “Set him free.”