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Stories from the Verse
A Dozen Verses
Chapter 152: Cooper 123
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Kondor 308
Letting Tom slide down Farwalker’s side, he began to ride downhill. They made no attempt to hide, which was the way he preferred. Instead, he espied flowers here and there, and the current match finished. A man with a booming voice came out, and started to announce the next fight, but people in the stands were looking up at the distant rider slowly approaching. The moment seemed to call for it, so Cooper drew The Sword, and lit it on fire, holding it directly up over his head, pointing skyward.
This drew a reaction, and everyone in the stands turned and spoke, and Cooper muttered.
“Let’s not keep them waiting.” He had some experience on stage as a choir director so he knew there was a way about this that worked better. Farwalker took the suggestion, and began an easy gallop downhill as well. They passed through the animals and their attendants, with Tom baying out a hound’s belling call. Then they went past the tents, and Barrelmaster saw his first Fey, or elf.
The male had milk-white skin, and silvery hair in loose ringlets down its back, and was wearing a silk tunic overrobe that ran down to its ankles. Its feet were covered in black boots, and its face was strange--the uncanny valley effect in full effect, Cooper noted to himself. In the dark, at a distance, if he did not faintly phosphoresce, he might have been mistaken for a human male. The eyes were just a bit too close, the nose just a bit too flat, and the chin too sharply pointed. Worse was the sense of the regard, which he reminded himself might be an illusion based on his human perceptions, but all the same he felt as if he were being stared at like he was a cockroach that the Fey was betting on whether it would cross a line or not with another Fey.
The Fey suddenly turned away without warning, with a liquid speed and grace like that of a striking rattlesnake. Feeling chilled, Barrelmaster rode through a pass between the stands with human faces above him on either side, welcome human faces with their imperfections, annoyances, glad cheers, and curious looks. Riding along the front of the stands, he came to a gate. A man in a breastplate with a twelve foot tall halberd, whom Cooper thought William Tell or even the enemy German guards could have taken, stood at the gate, holding it closed.
He looked effeminate. Given what he had read of the Fey, it would not surprise him if they had chosen human servants based on how good looking they were, and less on their ability, for the man was almost pretty, yet seemed to be struggling to hold the halberd up.
“Please, sir, let me in.”
He sneered, but limited it, as Cooper sat there with a flaming sword held high atop an easily fifteen hundred pounds of bull moose.
“My lord, the Houses have already sent their warriors, the Free Lances have registered, the Cities have their chosen, and the Lords of Mist have their sponsored ones.”
“And I am here, Mister Justice, divinely appointed to challenge them all.” He had not really considered those words, but as they left his mouth he knew that they were right. The man’s eyes darted about as if seeking some indication from his masters concerning what he should do, but either he found it or he was forced to make his own choice, as he stepped aside and allowed Mister Justice, Farwalker, and Tom to enter the lists.
The herald, a man with a large chest and spindly arms and legs, strode up to him across the bright, thick, green grass as everyone stared--that is, except for the one stand where several hundred Fey chatted among themselves, paying no mind to the Humans.
“Mister Justice is to enter the lists. As he is a late comer, he has to vanquish all above him. We were about to have the final fight with the Heir Apparent to the Dying King, but if Mister Justice can win against the fifty who have already fought, he may Sacrifice the King and become the new King.” The man’s voice reached to all corners of the field of honor, and Brian had to admire his breath control.
“Nicely done,” he murmured. “As a fellow singer, I can appreciate the skill.” The herald looked surprised, and then suddenly flung himself on Brian’s leg.
“Save us.”
Suddenly all of the Fey in the stands were looking at him with unblinking eyes, and the herald toppled backward, clutching at his throat. Brian looked up, and spoke sharply to the woman who looked much like all the others, but somehow was more.
“Stop this now.”
“Or what, Man?” The Queen spoke with arrogance.
Brian just looked at her, and then began to breathe deeply as he oxygenated his blood. If the Fey did not like Holy Names, he was pretty sure they were not going to enjoy his next song. She suddenly snapped a robed arm, and the herald on the ground gasped for breath now that he could breathe again. Brian nodded down to him, and he nodded back up.
Brian could feel the whole arena looking at him. Hatred and hope were in their eyes--hatred for their oppressors, and hope for freedom. Eyes that begged for help shone down on him, and glared momentarily as they dared at the Fey, who affected not to care.
Along the far curving wall of the field were about fifty shields with different insignia and colors. Several men were making hand symbols for him to come over and strike them. Ah, he knew what to do. Riding Farwalker down to the first, a poor quality shield, heavily battered with a pair of crossed daggers, he reached out and struck at it. This would symbolize his willingness to fight the man. If he won, he would go to the next.
Before his blow landed, a sudden gust of wind hit the shield, and moved it out of the way. Swinging back, he tried again, and another gust hit it. He looked over at the Fey who looked worried. Worried was good. He looked across the field at the Herald who climbed to his feet quickly.
“The challenger has challenged, and the shield has declined. The challenger must go to the next one.”
Brian was a very law-abiding sort, but this seemed a situation outside of the rules. Shrugging, he reminded himself that David had eaten the forbidden shew bread, and it had not been a sin. Clicking his tongue, he and Farwalker moved to the next. A similarly beaten shield displayed a burning tower and a red field.
This too moved when he swung for it.
The next likewise, and a spirit of whimsy touched him. The fourth time he tried to stab the shield, but it too dodged his attack. Picking up speed, he swung at one and moved on, and another, and soon Farwalker was slowly trotting as Cooper swung and swung and swung until he came to the end, and there were no more.
A rustle went through the crowd, and suddenly the Herald shouted out.
“The challenger is the Heir Apparent. Let none gainsay his right.”
“We already have a Heir Apparent,” called out a Fey. Everyone looked around; Brian did, too. A very tough-looking man stood up, climbed down out of the stands, and hopped over the railing. He walked up to Brian, and so to be courteous, the verser got off his moose.
The man came close to him, and his steel wire mustache, tight muscles, and watching eyes were intimidating. Brian was not at all sure he could defeat this man. But, he thought, if God be for me, who can be against me? He relaxed, and the man smiled in response as he came into the shadow of the moose’s head. Farwalker stood between them and the Fey in their stand, and the Fey were craning their necks to look, all elegance forgotten.
“I would use my seven year reign, not merely to please myself, but to try to find some kindness to do to my people. Can you do more than that?”
“I think so,” Cooper replied.
“You have to know, son. The Queen of Night has her charms. Both to please and to pain. She can wrap you in a nightmare, or send you to paradise.”
This was easier ground.
“I don’t fear her. If I go to nightmare, God goes with me. And her paradise is a lie.”
“Aye, it is, but a very good one. The current Dying King is, was, a great warrior, and a brave man, but she broke him. You could be looking back at this day in seven years time when the knife comes for you, and cursing this day in despair.”
Brian smiled.
“I can’t. I don’t need too.”
The man looked at him, puzzlement crowning his face, and shook his head.
“I don’t understand.”
“Come and see the salvation of the Lord,” Brian said with a smile that threatened to spin out of control. He could feel something happening, a great wind coming, and a whoosh ran down the hills beyond and out over the Festival sending all its flag fluttering, and ripping free the one above the Fey.
The other Heir Apparent stepped back.
“I withdraw my claim.”
“Sir Henry--” The Queen’s voice sounded dangerous, threatening.
“I said, I withdraw my claim! That is final.” Everyone on the field except Brian held their breath. One did not interrupt the Queen. After a second, she stood, and smiling like an iceberg might, she looked at Cooper with venomous eyes.
“Well, then Heir Apparent Mister Justice, you will fight the Dying King, and if he does not slay you by mischance, you will break him so that he may be sacrificed to the many powers, and then you will take his crown, and become the New King, and then you will bow to me, and swear your loyalty. Do you agree?”
Brian knew the technique. Even so, it was effective. Yet he would not swear loyalty, so he simply shook his head.
“You would rebel against me?” she said, pretending to be shocked, and he knew that disagreeing was a mistake. Yet so was agreeing.
“Let me say instead that I do not say. Surely you do not do the bowing before the fight?”
The Queen looked cross at that, and then nodded abruptly. “Let the final fight begin! Mayhap the King and the Heir will both die this day, and there needs to be no more human ruler.” The threat of no barrier between her will and her populace had everyone Human in the arena looking fearful, but also restored the Feys’ good cheer.
There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with eleven other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #536: Character Confrontations. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
