The Sword of Light: Book One of the Veredor Chronicles (4 page)

‘
Please stop swinging that thing. Listen to me for a moment! I
need to find someone called Lady Kaloren,’ he shouted. A moment
later the old man stopped and looked at him curiously.

‘
Lady Kaloren,’ he muttered and raised his thick white
eyebrows. ‘Why do you want to find her?’

‘
I believe she may know who my parents are,’ replied Eben. ‘Do
you know who she is?’

The old man
nodded slightly and turned around; he walked back into the gloomy
library. It seemed to Eben that he wasn’t going to answer. ‘I must
find her.’

‘
You won’t find her in Ancora,’ said the old man as he
continued to walk away. ‘Lady Kaloren is a famous Everdonian from
the Western Lands beyond the Iron Gate Pass. She was a brave
warrior. She fought in many wars.’

‘
Everdonian. What’s that?’

‘
Everdon is a kingdom,’ said the old man with a patronising
tone.

‘
What about someone called Carlin, have you heard of
him?’

The old man
froze in his tracks and glanced back over his shoulder. ‘What do
you know about Carlin?’ He turned around and started to walk back
toward Eben; his piercing blue eyes staring intently.

‘
Nothing really; all I know is that he may be able to help me
find my parents.’

‘
Who are your parents?’ asked the old man, his curiosity
increasing.

‘
I don’t know. I’m searching for some answers; that’s why I
came to Ancora. You seem to know Carlin; can you tell me where I
can find him?’

‘
I did know him once. He served King Ignis. Unfortunately
Carlin died many years ago, so you can’t find him,’ said the old
man, staring down at the ground solemnly.

‘
He died?’ murmured Eben, feeling dismayed at the
news.

‘
Yes, I heard, years ago, that he was killed by a monster that
had been terrorising the coastal people north of Ancora. He wasn’t
Ortarian. He was a knight from a distant western land.’

‘
Why was he in Ortaria?’

‘
I don’t know why,’ said the old man, shaking his head.
‘However, I do know someone who may have some answers for you. Her
name is Torela; I think she knew Carlin. I vaguely remember seeing
them together in the old days. She lives in a house near the north
gate. I will sketch the directions for you.’

The old man
took charcoal and some parchment from his pocket quickly scribbled
down directions for Eben.

‘
Thanks for your help,’ said Eben gratefully.

‘
You’re welcome. I should also warn you that there is
mandatory conscription for every Ortarian man between sixteen and
forty. The King is sending all the young men out west to the Iron
Gate Pass, and only those that have permission from the crown can
remain in Ancora. No one really knows why he is doing it. These are
perilous times we live in; you should be careful because you may be
forced to join the army and find yourself on your way out to
Galdir.’

‘
Thanks for the advice,’ said Eben.

‘
And one last thing,’ said the old man. ‘I’m sorry for my
haste in trying to drive you away; most of the time the only people
who visit the library are thieves looking for something to steal.
Once, only a few years ago, I was the Chief Royal Librarian, and
this was one of the finest libraries in Veredor. Now I am homeless
and living out my days frightened for my own safety.’ The old
librarian stared vacantly at the ransacked shelves and drew a long
breath.

‘
I’m sorry to hear about all the troubles. I hope you can
rebuild the library one day,’ said Eben, seeing clearly that the
man was truly devastated by the way his life had turned
out.

‘
That day won’t come until King Ignis comes to his senses and
ends all this insanity,’ said the old man.

A moment later
he shuffled about nervously, realising he was probably saying too
much and that he shouldn’t be talking about the King in such a way
to a stranger. ‘Goodbye and good luck young man,’ he said as he
turned away and closed the library door.

CHAPTER
THREE

Eben walked
toward the north gate and found his way to a long and narrow
laneway that cut away to the south. There were piles of debris and
waste everywhere. The laneway was especially gloomy because the
buildings on either side had high walls and very little light
entered from above. He weaved his way through whilst searching for
the red door. At the far end he found what he was looking for. The
door was set in a very grimy stone building with no windows facing
the laneway.

A black cat
leapt off a ledge and knocked over some empty bottles; they fell to
the ground and smashed, shattering the gloomy silence. Eben was
feeling a little edgy; the mood of the place was oppressive.

He knocked
three times and waited. Nothing happened. He knocked again. A small
sliding hatch opened and an angry looking eye stared out at him
from the other side.

‘
Who are you and what do you want?’ asked a deep grumbling
voice of a man.

‘
My name is Eben, I’m looking for Torela. I was told that she
lives here.’ There was a short silence and the man shut the hatch
abruptly.

‘
Go away stranger!’ he yelled aggressively.

Eben knocked
again. ‘Please, I need to talk to her. She’s the only one who can
help me.’ A few moments silently passed. The door burst open and a
hulk of a man stood pointing an oversized crossbow at him.

‘
Don’t move!’ shouted the man as he glared down at Eben. Eben
took a step back and then stood completely still. The man standing
in the doorway was the biggest man Eben had ever seen in his whole
life. He had deep lines in his forehead, black curly hair, and arms
like tree trunks. An instant later a woman with a gentle face
stepped into view from around the corner of the door. Her long hair
was light brown with streaks of grey, and her eyes were remarkably
turquoise blue. She wore a simple long green dress and brown
leather boots. It was difficult for Eben to guess her age, but he
thought she was at least forty. She studied Eben for a few moments
and then glanced up to the huge man.

‘
Torg, be still, he means us no harm.’ She seemed kind and
peaceful in complete contrast with the fuming giant standing by her
side. ‘I am Torela and this is Torg. What do you want from
us?’

Eben instantly
felt reassured by her. She had a sense of peace that seemed to push
the gloominess away; he had a feeling that she could be trusted.
She also had a strange accent that he had never heard before.

‘
My name is Eben. I was told that you knew Carlin when he was
alive. I need to ask you some questions about him if you have
time?’

She stared at
him and pondered what he had just said. ‘Yes, I did know him. What
is your association to him?’

‘
I came to Ancora looking for him. I went to the library. An
old man there told me that he had died years ago. I hoped to find
him because he may have known my parents,’ replied Eben. She nodded
slightly in response and watched him for a few moments. She
appeared to be contemplating what she should do next.

‘
You should come in out of the cold,’ said Torela, directing
him inside and into a long hallway that led to the back of the
house. Eben stepped in, and Torg slammed the door behind them,
bolting it solidly with two large steel latches. Torela led Eben
down the hallway into a large room at the back of the house. The
room was full of exotic luxurious goods: rich carpet covered the
floors, the couches were draped in silk, and beautiful artworks
adorned the walls. The room didn’t have a single window and was lit
entirely by candlelight. On the far side a staircase ascended to
the second level. There was also a door to their right that led
into a kitchen area.

‘
It’s a beautiful house,’ said Eben, his eyes glancing around
the room.

‘
Thank you, Eben. Please take a seat.’ Torela directed him to
a comfortable cushioned chair. He sat down and she sat in the chair
opposite him.

‘
Eben, you said that Carlin may have known your parents. What
can you tell me about this?’

‘
I was hoping you could tell me something because I really
don’t know much at all,’ replied Eben as he took the parchment
letter from his pocket and handed it to her. She opened the letter
and read it to herself. Eben saw her eyes widen as she read; she
looked up at him and stared directly into his eyes for several
moments. She then glanced at the sword that was latched to his
belt.

‘
Your sword, is it the same sword mentioned in the
letter?’

‘
Yes,’ he replied.

‘
May I have a look?’ He nodded and handed the sword to her.
She unsheathed the blade. ‘This sword is ancient. I never expected
that I would ever come to hold the Ecorian Sword in my own hands.’
She studied the blade and hilt closely for at least a
minute.

‘
What do you know about the sword?’ asked Eben, very curious
to know what she was thinking.

‘
I know that it once belonged to the emperors of the Ecorian
Empire.’

‘
But why do I have it, and why did Carlin hide me away in a
remote hill village?’

‘
I don’t know why,’ replied Torela, handing the sword back to
him. ‘However, I know that Carlin had many secrets that he never
told. He never told me about you or the sword.’

‘
Who exactly was Carlin?’

‘
He was not from Ortaria. He came from Iarthar, a land far in
the west of Veredor. He was a member of an ancient order of
knights, and he was a noble warrior who worked tirelessly to
protect the lands from evil.’ She paused for a moment and stared at
Eben. ‘I think you should not have come to Ancora. This city is
living under a terrible curse; you are not safe here. ’

‘
I know that we are living in dark and dangerous times, but I
came because I needed answers.’

‘
I understand your desire to find the answers that you seek.
I’m sure everything has a purpose, and I know that you have come at
this particular time for a reason. I’m not sure what your purpose
is yet.’ She looked down to the sword. ‘Every warrior who ever
carried that sword fought for the good of all the people of
Veredor.’ Her voice was calm and strong. Eben could feel in his
heart that she spoke the truth. He looked down at the
sword.

‘
I want to help the people of Ortaria,’ said Eben, feeling a
sense of conviction rise through his body. She stared at him for a
little while as if she could read his thoughts.

‘
Tomorrow there will be a meeting here at sunset. You may find
some more answers if you come. You may also find that there are
ways you can help the people of Ortaria.’

‘
I will come,’ said Eben, eager to learn what he could do to
help.

‘
Do you have a place to stay?’

‘
I’m staying with some friends at a closed down inn near the
docks called The Sea Dragon.’

‘
Eben, you must be careful, this city has danger lurking
around every corner.’

**

It was a
rarity to see people out on the streets after dark in Ancora. Only
vagrants, vagabonds, and other unsavoury characters would dare go
out at night. There was a good reason to be cautious as many
unsuspecting folk would simply disappear into the darkness never to
be heard of again. Of course there was an argument to be made that
the streets were actually safer at night simply because there were
fewer people around. Either way the streets of Ancora were not safe
at the best of times.

Early in the
evening a pair of evil eyes caught sight of something peculiar.
Anyone else may have thought that a young man passing by wearing a
worn leather cloak was simply one of the many vagrants making a
living from the misery of the townsfolk. But a glimmer of hope,
like light in the darkness, lit up the murky street, and a darkened
heart for a moment caught a glimpse of its own frozen state and
felt powerless.

Eben walked
back along the main road toward The Sea Dragon. It was getting late
and he thought it best to hurry. He passed by the palace and
continued to walk toward the docks. Rounding a corner he saw a
hooded man mounted on a large black warhorse. The darkness and
gloom seemed to accumulate around the rider. Slowing his pace, he
looked up as he passed by, attempting to appear inconspicuous. The
rider’s dark eyes stared directly at Eben; most of his face was
shrouded by the shadow of his hood. For a few moments they made eye
contact. Eben felt a shiver rise up his spine. He glanced away and
continued along the far side of the road and passed by without
incident. He quickened his pace and looked back over his shoulder
to see the rider hadn’t moved.

A few minutes
later Eben arrived at the inn and he knocked three times on the
door. It was an icy evening and a cold gale was blowing in from the
sea.

‘
Who’s there?’ asked Stella a few moments later.

‘
Eben,’ he replied in a shivering voice.

She opened the
door and smiled as she ushered him in out of the cold.

Red appeared
from the bar with a smile on his face. ‘We were starting to worry
about you. I’m glad to see you’re alright. Come over and have a
warm glass of ale.’ Eben followed them over to the bar and took a
seat.