Tales of Regventus Book 4: The Ring

Griffa was standing on a cliff overlooking the river behind the palace of Aurumist. She was clothed in a black dress with a full skirt. A silver sun was stitched on the bodice. Her hair was loose and was blowing behind her in the wind. She looked down and saw the river rolling angrily far below her. The water flowed over sharp rocks and half submerged trees.

She heard thunder. She looked up and the clouds were very dark, lightning flashed all around her. She felt a raindrop hit her head, and soon the sky opened up. She was quickly drenched as the rain fell heavily. Griffa looked behind her at the palace. She turned to walked into the safety of indoors when something pulled at her from the cliff’s edge. She struggled against it, but it would not let her go.

Griffa fell down on her side. She rolled over on her stomach and clawed her way away from the cliff slowly. She could not make up much ground. She was losing her strength, and soon she would be dragged over the cliff. She could see blood coming from her fingers as she tried to grip on to the sharp edges of rocks on the cliff’s surface. Her arms ached and her back was on fire.

She looked towards the palace and saw someone walking towards her. She couldn’t make out who it was in the rain. She called for help, reaching out to the approaching figure. As the figure got near her, Griffa realized it was Ansel. He was looking down at her with a cold look in his eyes.

“Ansel,” she cried. “Please, help me.”

Ansel stared at her and made no movement.

She held out one had to him, using one to keep her grip on the ground. “Please, I’m going to fall,” Griffa said frantically. “Ansel, can you not see me? Will you not help me?”

Griffa felt her grip slip. She felt herself slowly being pulled to the edge of the cliff. She reached out for Ansel with both of her hands. He looked at her and turned away. As she slipped further and further towards the edge, she watched him walk back towards the palace. She put her hands down and let herself be taken. She felt herself go over the edge of the cliff, and then she was falling.

Griffa sat up suddenly, breathing heavily. She looked all around her, and all she saw was darkness. She wondered if she was dead.

“Griffa,” said Max somewhere next to her. “Are you alight?”

There was one torch lit along the wall of the hall in front of her. It cast just enough light so Griffa could make out Max sitting in his cell close to the bars of her own.

“Griffa,” said Max more urgently. “What’s wrong?”

Griffa took a deep breath and looked at Max. “I’m fine, Max. I just had a nightmare.”

She stretched out her arms as best she could. They ached terribly from the ropes and her awkward sleeping position. Her head felt dizzy and heavy like it always did since she got to Aurumist. She scooted herself closer to Max and leaned her head against the bars.

“Do you want to talk about your dream?” asked Max looking at her.

“No,” said Griffa shakily. “I’d like to try to forget it. We have enough terrors that are real all around us.”

“How long do you think we have been here?”

“I’m not sure,” answered Griffa. “I don’t even know when night and day begin anymore. I would say at least many weeks, maybe months.”

Max nodded. “When I look out the window of the palace, I can see the snow has melted. Do you think its spring?”

“Perhaps,” said Griffa, thinking if it was spring, she was another year older.

“Why don’t they come?” asked Max sadly. “Why doesn’t someone come help us?”

Griffa had started wondering that herself. She thought Ansel at least would try to help them. “I don’t know, Max. Maybe they are waiting for a certain thing to happen. Maybe they tried and failed, or maybe they weighed the cost of trying to rescue us, and found it wasn’t worth it. I think we might need to deal with the possibility that no one may be coming.”

Max put his head down. “How could Ansel leave you here, Griffa? You are his queen, more than that he loves you.”

Griffa smiled slightly at Max. “I don’t know if he does anymore. Me becoming queen could change everything about our relationship. He shouldn’t be able to love me as my protector. I shouldn’t love him, either.”

Max looked up at Griffa. “Still, as your protector, shouldn’t he come? Will his magic let him just leave you here?”

Griffa shrugged. “My magic is cut off at the moment. Maybe he thinks I’m already dead. Maybe the kingdom has already chosen another in my place. I think we might truly be alone in this.”

“So, what do we do?” asked Max.

“I don’t know. My mood usually goes between giving up completely and planning to escape and probably getting killed in the process. Neither are really good options.”

“Griffa, do you think there is a chance we could escape? We have to try, don’t we?”

“I’ve been trying to think of a way when my head is clear enough. That’s not often, but it does happen from time to time. If we can find a way to combine our magic at the right time, I think we could escape our ropes. We will have to wait for the right opportunity. We will only get one try at it. Once they realize what we can do, they will probably keep us a part for good, or most likely kill me.”

Before Max could speak again the door opened at the end of the hall. Philo came in carrying a torch with four soldiers behind him.

“Hello, you two. Are you having a nice visit?” asked Philo with a wicked smile. “It’s time for your medicine, Gryphon. We have a little something new for you tonight.”

Griffa looked up at Philo with hatred. “What is it?”

“I’m not sure. Golnar sent it for you, said it was something he wanted to try.” Philo motioned to his soldiers.

Two soldiers opened her cell and grabbed her. They brought Griffa to the center of the cell and held her arms. A third soldier came with a small cup holding a thick black liquid. He grabbed her face and forced her mouth open. He poured a little of the liquid inside. When the liquid hit her tongue, she almost wretched. She spit it out by instinct, spraying the solider in front of her.

The two soldiers behind her released her momentarily while the solider in front of her pushed down his hand. Griffa slammed to the floor on her chest.

“Come on, Gryphon, don’t make this harder than it has to be. Be a good girl,” said Philo with exasperation.

The soldiers dragged her up again, holding her arms. The third soldier held the cup up to her mouth as he forced it open. He poured the rest of the liquid into her mouth and then held her mouth closed, forcing her to swallow. The soldiers released her and let her fall to the floor as they all three left her cell.

The black liquid burned as it went down Griffa’s throat. She felt convulsions hit almost immediately. She jerked on the ground, before propping herself up slightly, to turn her head and vomit. When she was done, she closed her eyes feeling nausea continue to roll over her. She then turned her head again and vomited once more.

“Interesting side effects,” said Philo watching her. “I will have to let Golnar know. Come on, young king, time for you to go.” Philo opened Max’s cell door and grabbed him.

“Wait,” said Max. “What did you give her? Will she be alright?”

“I imagine so. Golnar has a plan he needs her for so he won’t kill her, yet. Come on, you have places to be.”

Griffa crawled to the back corner of her cells and sat against the wall. She watched as Max was dragged down the hallway by soldiers with Philo following. She was all alone again. She closed her eyes and fought against the overwhelming nausea she felt. She didn’t think she had anything left in her to wretch, but it felt like something might come up.

She slowly lay down in her cell. She tried to lay completely still as she closed her eyes. She wondered if she and Max really where all alone. Would no one ever come for them? She felt herself drifting off, and she happily succumbed to sleep.

She was awoken by someone whispering to her.

“Miss Keene,” said a voice quietly. “Miss Keene, wake up.”

Griffa rolled over and opened her eyes. Everything was blurry. She could see two people at her cell bars looking at her, but she couldn’t make them out. She pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her body hurt worse than ever before. She thought she had become immune to pain, but she was wrong. She shook her head and looked up again.

A pretty blonde woman in a nice dress was staring at Griffa. Next to the woman was a soldier.

“Miss Keene,” said the woman urgently. “Do you have any healing abilities?”

“What?” asked Griffa trying to clear her mind so she could try to understand what was going on.

“Are you able to heal with your magic?” asked the woman.

“I can manage some healing spells. I’m not a healer, but I’ve had some experience.”

“Do you think you could help with the delivery of a baby? I’m afraid the mother and child are in trouble, and our midwife has no idea how to help.”

Griffa looked at the woman and realized it was one of the women who stood on the dais with Golnar the day Griffa was brought to Aurumist. She remembered another woman was standing there as well. She had been with child. Golnar had used the woman to shield himself form Griffa’s wrath.

“I have been present at a few births,” said Griffa uncertainly. It was true, as she traveled the kingdom, she had helped a few woman in need as they gave birth. She was no expert.

“Good, you will come with me.” The woman turned to the soldier and looked in his face. “Now, let Miss Keene out of her cell as you should. You are doing a wonderful job.”

Griffa could see that this woman was enthralling the soldier. She was an enchantress.

“What is your name?” asked Griffa looking at the woman as the cell was opened.

“I am Camelia Belles. I am the mother of our king, Kedan Belles. His wife Teryn is having their baby. It is not going well.”

“You know my folk do not have your son, don’t you” asked Griffa.

“I do know you did not take him,” said Camelia looking at Griffa. “I know he went wherever he was going on his own accord. Now, please come with me. There isn’t much time.”

Griffa hesitated. She could just stay where she was. What could this Camelia do to her that hadn’t already been done? Death at this point might be a relief. Still, there was an innocent child in need. She couldn’t just ignore this need and let the child die.

She slowly got up off the ground and nodded. She walked out of her cell and followed Camelia down the hallway.

“Don’t try anything,” warned Camelia. “I will not hesitate to call every soldier in the palace and tell them you escaped on your own.”

“I have no plans or the strength to try anything at the moment,” said Griffa truthfully. She doubted she could run down one hall without collapsing.

They walked up the staircase and to the entry hall. From there, they went up a flight of stairs and down another hall to a door. Camelia knocked and then walked in. Griffa followed her. They walked through a dark sitting room, leaving the soldier there, and through another door that was slightly open. Inside there was a large bed, with a very pregnant woman lying in the middle. Griffa moved closer and could see in the candlelight, the woman was not well. She was feverish and thrashing around. She was mumbling, but didn’t seem to be making sense.

Griffa turned to Camelia. “I need you to take off my binds. This rope blocks my magic. I will not be able to help her without my magic.”

Camelia hesitated. “I’m not sure that is wise.”

“I swear to you, I will not do anything but help this woman and the child. As soon as the child is safe, you may call in the soldier and have him tie my hands back up. Call him in here and have him take off the ropes.”

Camelia looked at Griffa and then turned and went to the sitting room, coming back with the soldier. He went up to Griffa without saying anything and quickly untied the ropes around her hands. She let out a small cry of relief. She loosened the rope around her stomach herself and felt her magic flow through her body. She breathed in and closed her eyes. She listened to it sing to her with a soft, familiar, beautiful tune. She stretched and felt the magic move through her, taking up every bit of space, infusing her with a feeling of power. Griffa opened her eyes and smiled.

“Now, is there somewhere I can wash?” Griffa, held up her dirty, raw, blood stained hands.

Camelia nodded and brought her into a washroom. There was a bowl and a pitcher of water. Griffa poured the water in the bowl using a quick spell to warm the water. She washed her hands as well as she could. She winced as the water and soap hit her raw skin and cuts. After she was done, she dried her hands on a towel and walked back into the room. She went up to the woman in the bed. Griffa put her hand on the woman’s forehead, feeling heat radiating off of her.

She looked up at Camelia. “What is her name?”

“Teryn,” replied Camelia.

“Teryn,” said Griffa quietly, bending down close to the woman’s ear. “I’m going to help you feel less pain. It will be a little disorienting at first, but then you will feel better. It will help give you the strength to have your child.”

Griffa kept her hand on the woman’s forehead and hovered her other hand over the woman’s stomach. She closed her eyes and performed a spell. When Griffa opened her eyes, she saw Teryn’s eyes go wide as she sat up slightly. Teryn then slid down into the bed with a sigh of relief.

“Good,” said Griffa looking at Teryn. “Now you rest for one moment while we see what’s going on with your babe.”

Griffa walked down to the end of the bed where the mid-wife was sitting at Teryn’s feet. “What is the issue? Why can’t she deliver her baby?”

“The child is breach. He is stuck, and I can’t turn him,” replied the mid-wife. “The queen is starting to bleed, and the child has been stuck too long. I’m not sure there is any hope for either of them.”

“There is,” said Griffa with conviction. She had seen this before in a small village in the Lowlands. She had figured out how to help then, and she knew she could do it again.

Griffa moved over and placed her hands over Teryn’s lower stomach as she closed her eyes.

“What are you going to do to me?” asked Teryn fearfully.

Griffa opened her eyes and smiled kindly at Teryn. “I’m going to try to turn you baby, so we can get him out. I’m going to try to save you both.”

Teryn nodded, and Griffa closed her eyes again. She concentrated. Her mind still felt foggy, but the magic within her and the adrenaline she felt kept her focused. She moved her hands slightly. She imagined what she wanted to happen. She could feel sweat forming on her forehead, but she kept concentrating, and moving her hands.

“There,” said the midwife excitedly. “Now push, my queen.”

Griffa opened her eyes and moved to Teryn’s side. She bent down and took Teryn’s hand. “Camelia, take her other hand. Now, Teryn, you have to push. Your child is almost here.”

Teryn sat up a bit and pushed. She pushed again and again as she squeezed Griffa’s hand. Finally, Teryn gave out a cry and fell back. The mid-wife looked up at Griffa and shook her head. Griffa let go of Teryn’s hand and walked to the mid-wife. She looked down to see the mid-wife tying off the cord.

“The babe did not survive,” said midwife sadly. She held the baby up for Griffa to see. “He is not breathing.”

Griffa heard Teryn cry, and Camelia shout.

“Hand me the child,” commanded Griffa.

“Why?” asked the woman staring up at Griffa.

“Just give me the child,” said Griffa urgently.

“Do it,” said Camelia forcefully.

The midwife handed Griffa the baby. Griffa carefully held the boy with one hand. She took her other hand and placed it on the child’s chest. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She felt her hand warm. She opened her eyes and saw the child shudder. She took the child in both her hands and held him against her chest. She rubbed his back forcefully, until the child gave out a wail.

Griffa smiled and brought the child down. “Hand me a towel.”

The midwife quickly handed Griffa a towel. She softly cleaned off the child. “You are a fighter, little one,” said Griffa tenderly. The child was crying softly as she wiped him clean. She could feel magic pulsing through the baby.

“How is the mother?” asked Griffa quietly to the midwife

“She will be weak for a while, but she will live,” said the midwife.

Griffa nodded. She took the baby to Teryn. Teryn sat up against her pillows looking up at Griffa.

“Your son.” Griffa placed the baby into Teryn’s arms. “He is very handsome and will be a powerful magic user. You will have to watch him.”

She wiped her hands on a nearby towel and watched Teryn marvel at her new son.

“I wish Kedan were here,” said Teryn looking at Camelia.

“I know,” said Camelia looking at the baby. “Kedan looked just like that when he was born.”

Teryn turned to look up at Griffa with tears in her eyes. “Thank you,”

“You are welcome. Take good care of him.” Griffa looked at Camelia. “I should probably go back now before someone misses me.”

Camelia nodded. She motioned for Griffa to follow her. They walked into the sitting room, and Camelia had the soldier retie Griffa’s binds. Camelia watched as she winced in pain. Griffa felt her magic slip away. Her energy was automatically drained. She wanted nothing more than to sink into one of the chairs by the fireplace and sleep, but she had to go back to her cell.

She walked back to her cell with Camelia by her side and the soldier behind them. They walked in silence until they got to Griffa’s cell. The soldier opened the bars and she walked in.

“I don’t know how to thank you, Miss Keene. I don’t feel right putting you back in your cell. I owe you a great debt.”

“You owe me nothing,” said Griffa looking at Camelia. “I could not let a child die, or a mother suffer without trying something.”

“Still, you have given me a great gift. I will not forget it,” said Camelia as the solider closed Griffa’s cell. Camelia turned to go. She stopped and turned back to Griffa. “My son, Kedan, he left here saying he was going to go find those who fight for the truth. I think he might have been going to your people. If you do leave here and see him, will you tell him about his son?”

“I doubt I ever see anything outside of the place walls again, but yes, if I see him, I will tell him.”

“And tell him, that I do miss him. Teryn does as well.”

Griffa nodded.

“Good night, Miss Keene,” said Camelia. “I will not forget your service.”

Griffa sat down at the back of her cell exhausted, but satisfied with what she had done.