Chapter Seventeen - Treasure

Hayden Potter mounted his horse again. The herald next to him wound the banner around its poll. Then, together with the trumpeter and honour guard, they rode towards the city of Eirtue. Upon reaching the gate, he commanded the herald to unfold the banner, and let it fly free in the wind. Then he commanded the trumpeter to sound forth the trumpet and announce their arrival to the citizens of Eirtue.

“Hail representative of Eirtue!” Potter called up to the man on the gate.
“Hail, general,” came the disgruntled response.
“I offer you these terms! Surrender now, and live in peace under the reign of King Orlando, or face the consequences! If you do not surrender peacefully, we will starve you until you surrender, or until we have had enough of waiting and destroy your city. We will leave none alive. What say you to our terms?”

There was no response from above. Finally, after what Potter believed to be a hurried discussion between the man and some others, the man turned back towards the riders below.

“Very well,” he called down with a sigh. “We accept your terms.”
“Much joy will come to you for taking the wise action! Now, if you would open the gates.”
“Open the gates,” the man called down to those who controlled them. “Open the gates.”

The small group of soldiers sighed as they continued their search. Duke DiCaprio had been very very upset with them when they reported that the prisoner, Jocelyn, was missing. Now they were stuck here, wherever here was, until they found her. Once they did that they were to kill her, dispose of the body, and return to Merisna. That was the other thing that bothered them. They were not even able to go fight with the Duke, or rather, King, like they originally were. Why did that stupid girl have to escape? Now they’d have no chance for honour or glory or fame.

“Any sign of the girl?” Garnath asked the others as they headed back to the camp they had set up.
“Nothing where I looked, Gar,” Toulos said. “She must have totally disappeared.”
“Off the face of the earth?” joked Claude. “But yeah, same here, turned up absolutely nothing.”
“Toulos, Claude, either of you seen Maizer?” said Garnath, a frown on his face.
“Not a sign, Garnath.”
“Maybe he’s with Jocelyn,” said Claude with a grin.
“Cut the funny biz, Claude. We have got work to do here, and if you are cracking nasty jokes that don’t have a grain of humour . . .”
“Hold your horses Gar! I am not running off with all the girls I meet. ‘Sides, you need some humour in these parts anways.”
“Humour is fine,” Toulos added. “Just, not what you do Claude.”
“Why? Am I putting you into a bad humour?” Claude guffawed. “Hah hah! Look at that pun! Humour putting you into humour! Whaddya think guys?”
“I think that you are going to get into trouble soon if you don’t shut that mouth of yours. Very funny indeed. Get to work making us some supper. We will wait for Maizer for a bit, if he does not show up, I guess we will go look for him.”

Maizer looked around, and paused by a tree. There was no sign of that dratted Jocelyn girl anywhere. What was he going to do? Would they ever find her? Suddenly, he heard his voice, and, strangest of strange things, it was saying his thoughts!

“Blast that girl! Why did she have to escape? Will we ever find her?”
“Uh . . . hello?” he ventured. “Maizer?”
“Who are you? What do you want?” the voice jumped back at him, sounding shockingly like his own when he was startled.

Maizer felt a sudden twitch in his thoughts. “Uh, I’m a . . . a codfish.”
“A codfish?” came the unbelieving response, and a snort.
“Uh, yeah. I’m a codfish. My name is Roger. I am called Jolly Roger. But, uh, yeah, I’m a codfish.”
“A codfish?” came the remark again. “Why am I talking to a codfish?!?”
“I’m afraid I do not know, Maizer,” Maizer responded with a shrug. “I guess, just because, you are talking to me, and I am a codfish.”
“Well then, get lost, Jolly Roger, will you? I am trying to get things done here!”
“Uh, sure. Where do you want me to go?”
“How about back to wherever your little measly self came from? Now scoot, will ya?”
“I’m going, Maizer, I’m going.”
“Good bye then, Jolly Roger.”
“Good bye Maizer.”

Maizer stumbled back towards the camp, where Claude, Toulos, and Garnath were sitting down eating some fish for dinner. They looked up as he entered the camp, looking like a drunk man.

“Yo, Maizer, what is up?” asked Toulos.
“I’m not Maizer,” he mumbled. “I am Jolly Roger, the codfish.”

Garnath raised his eyebrows in surprise. This was not the Maizer he remembered. What on earth had happened to Maizer? Who had he met? Who had he run into? Garnath feared that there could be a Varnhyme about. And if that was true, he did not care about Jocelyn anymore, he just wanted to get out of there.

“You look drunk,” said Claude.
“Yeah, and you act it too,” said Toulos. “What have you been drinking, Maiz?”
“I don’t know. I am not Maizer. I am a codfish, a codfish named Jolly Roger.
“Here, take some food,” said Garnath. “Eat it, and then go lie down. You can sleep tonight. Toulos and I will watch tonight.”

Edmund and Jessica took turns helping Kathryn as they walked through the forest. Yoran was always ahead, skipping past trees, his embroidery needle drawn as he searched for signs of the Ligon’s lair, or signs of anything that might be a danger. Then he would come running back lightly towards the other three, reporting everything he saw.

Kathryn paused suddenly, listening intently to a faint sound of what seemed to be a roar. She turned her head in the direction of the sound, and listened again. She furrowed her eyebrows as she concentrated, not hearing the sound of the others’ footsteps as they came up to her.

“Kat?” asked her sister. “What’s up?”
“Is there anything wrong, Lady Kathryn?” asked Edmund, concerned.
“Hear something do you?” said Yoran. “Tell us, will you what it is you hear?”
“I think, I know where we need to go.”
“What do you mean, Kathryn?”
“Edmund, help me. I can’t see, but I know what direction to go. I believe I heard the Ligon.”

She led them through the woods, leaning on Edmund, as he guided her around the trees and over objects lying in their path. Yoran and Jessica contented themselves to follow behind, and all were quiet as Kathryn strained her ears to discern the direction of the Ligon’s roars.

Mara roared in defiance as Klicati sat back and watched. The boy, Brendan had returned, searching for treasure. He cowered in the corner, shuddering at the thought of an angry Ligon bearing down on him. He backed further into the corner, looking for some way to escape. Mara rose on her hind legs, her wings raised as if she was preparing for flight.

“He’s very obsessed with treasure,” Klicati observed. Mara paused, and turned to stare at the cat.