Halidor - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Betrayal



Linus slowly trudged up the passageway back towards Elias chamber. He had been betrayed by that bastard Morgan. “Fool” he told himself, why did I leave him with the key? I should have kept it on myself. I should have known a Southlander was not to be trusted. Now I am stranded here  - doomed to the same fate as Elijah and all the other miserable inhabitants of this citadel. Still, the mirror is still here. I will contact Lucien tonight when things have calmed down and inform him of Morgan’s treachery. Nobody double crosses me and gets away with it.”



As he emerged from the passage he was met in the chamber by Logan, “Where the bloody hell did you get to?” demanded his Commander. Linus had always been good at thinking on his feet, “ When I discovered the lady Elia had been murdered, I noted an opening from her chamber that I had not previously known to be there. I realised that her assailant may have used this as a method of escape so decided to give chase. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it led to the Portal Chamber. I realise that only a select few are allowed to enter but I wanted to try and apprehend the killer. Alas, I was too late. The portal seemed to be closing as I arrived. I decided to come back and make my report and this is where you find me”



“How the hell did they get through the portal?” demanded Logan.



“Well, I suppose they have their own method of opening it from the Southland’s, as I assume they must have originated from there”



“Yes, but it needs to be opened from this end. Somebody opened it for them”



“I do not profess to know of such things, “ lied Linus, “ But perhaps it was mistakenly left open the last time a trade took place”



“Maybe” said Logan “ But Manus is usually so careful. “ I guess I’ll need to retrieve the key from him so that we can shut the thing down”



Here Linus feigned surprise “I may be wrong, but it appeared to me that the portal had closed down”



“What?! That can’t be. For that to happen someone would have had to have removed the key. Are you sure that it is not just in its dormant phase?”



“Like I said, I do not profess to know about these things. Would you like me to check?’



“No, I’ll go myself. There is treachery afoot here and I mean to discover its origins.” With that he headed off down to the passage towards the portal chamber.



Linus was in the process of congratulating himself on such a fine cover story when he heard a sharp cry from outside in the corridor. It was Mia. This was the moment that he had been dreading. He went outside to greet her. Logan had given instructions that all were to be kept away until evidence of the skirmish had been removed but Mia was as strong willed as her father and would not be held back any longer. Although all the bodies of the raiders had been cleared away, still the corridors ran red with the  blood of the fallen. Linus put on his best look of condolence and emerged to greet her.



“ Linus, oh thank God you are alright” she hugged him tightly” What happened here, where is Mother?” She tried to push past him but he held on to her tightly “Mia, I can’t let you go in there. You mustn’t see…”



“ You can’t stop me. What is wrong, why can’t I see……” her voice fell away into convulsive sobs.



At that moment, Elijah came storming up the corridor closely followed by Byron, now sporting a sling on his arm. He looked agitated “ I’m sorry, I tried to stop them but they insisted….”



Elijah held up his hand “Manus himself would not have stopped me coming so do not chastise yourself. I would only hear news of my wife. But I see from your faces and from my daughters cries what that news will be. Byron, Please take Mia to her room and ask one of the healers to give her a sleeping draught”



The young protector came forward and prised the hysterical girl away from Linus and guided her away to her chambers.



Elijah looked at his future son-in-law with penetrating eyes. Linus found it hard to return his gaze. “I would see my wife one last time and then you will tell me of everything that has occurred here.”



Suddenly the mage looked very old, as if he had aged ten years in only a few seconds. He moved past the man he had begun to look upon as a son and went to make his last peace with his wife. Linus had decided to give the old man a minute or two out of respect but became curious when he heard voices. The door was ajar so he could listen easily and, if discovered could just say that he was guarding the mage - nobody would question enhanced security after such events.



He realised that Logan had returned from the Portal chamber and was addressing Elijah.



“My condolences, mage. Unfortunately there was nothing we could do. The foul deed had already been committed ere we arrived. We have ascertained that there were twelve of them. By the time we arrived, Manus had killed four and had been, himself gravely wounded. The lady, Elia, killed one herself before she succumbed to her wounds. All of the raiders, save one were killed, my lord”



“And what of the survivor?”



“ I am afraid he escaped and that is not the worst of it. I am afraid that he took the portal key with him. We have no way to open it from here any longer”



At this news, Elijah had paled significantly. Logan noted with distaste that this  apparently grieved him more than the loss of his wife. He immediately turned his attention to a picture mounted on the wall. He tore it away and, then began feeling the stone blocks of the wall beneath it. With surprise, Logan heard a click and saw the stone pop outwards, revealing a small hollowed out space.



Elijah gave a howl of fury. “It’s gone. They have taken it. They knew exactly what they were looking for. This bodes ill indeed for Halidor.”



Linus edged closer to the door. Finally he would find out what was so important to Lucien.



“What has been taken, My Lord, what is so important?” cried Logan



Elijah had slumped into a chair, his face quite grey. “ they have taken our eyes and ears. They have taken our only means of communication with the south. They have taken the mirror”



Linus’ legs suddenly did not belong to him. So the betrayel was complete. Morgan had know all along that by taking the mirror he was taking his only means of communication with Lucien. That meant that Lucien, too had betrayed him . All his promises of a safe haven in the South were lies. He was stranded here with all the other northlanders. He had as good as killed himself. 



A day had passed since the tranquilty of the northern citadel of Halidor had been shattered. A day of mourning had been declared and, as was customary, the funeral pyre of Elia, life mate of the mage of Halidor was to be held at eventide. The banners and garlands still hung in the great hall and the courtyards from the previous days festivities for nobody had the heart to take them down. Instead, amongst the whirl of colour and pageantry, tearful citizens were silently building the pyre on which they were to place their beloved lady. Mia regarded the scene from her chamber window. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but there were no more tears to shed. Instead, her sorrow had been replaced by a great bitterness. “Why ? Why Mother? Who could do such a deed?”



“Who knows the evil workings of a Southlanders mind, my love” Linus drew her away from the window  bade her sit and knelt before her clasping her face with his hands  “ I just wish that I could have been there. I would gladly have given my life to spare hers”



“Oh, Linus, I know you would” she kissed him lightly on the forehead. “I just wish I knew exactly what had happened but Manus has still not awoken.”



“Yes, I would have a great many questions for our Chief Protector myself”



Of course, this was the perfect opportunity to divert attention away from himself. If he planted the seed of doubt about Manus, why, in this atmosphere of paranoia, the seed would flourish and thrive. What better plough to sow the seed than the Mages daughter? 



“But, Linus, you surely cannot believe that Manus was involved. No, he was Mothers protector, I cannot believe that he would do such a thing.”



“Believe me, my dear, it saddens my heart to believe such a thing of my own Captain, but the evidence speaks for itself. He is the Chief Protector and holder of the  key. No other is trusted to its keeping. Who else could have opened the portal?”



“But, as you told Logan, he could have accidentally left it running after the last trade?’ She added hopefully,



“My dear, I only said that out of a sense of duty to my Captain. I realise now that I was misguided in that judgement. I had not wanted to believe it but you know as well as I that Manus would not have made such a mistake. I am sorry.”



Mia did not say anything but Linus could tell from the look of dismay on her face that his plan to discredit Manus had found a strong root and quietly congratulated himself.