Levasir

The white gates of Levasir stood towering above them, and the sun bore down on their hooded figures. It was still in the same place for what would be the time of nine days, and the heat was barely tolerable. Eva loosened the hold her cloak had around her throat and shielded her eyes for a better view of the sand colored embattlements. Maybe it was early, maybe it was late. They’d lost track of the time. She adjusted the short sword that rested against her hip, surveyed the edge of the sandy landscape, and wished she were anywhere else.

“Don’t they see us?” Agim said and nudged his horse forward a step, moving towards the wooden gates, but they didn’t open.

Eva sighed and looped her reins over the horn of her saddle. “I’m sure they see us, Agim.”

“That’s strange,” Agim said. “Why don’t they say hello, or why do they have the gates closed at all? No one closes the gates to their cities these days…”

He had a point. Why were the gates closed? Eva removed her hood and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Hello!” she shouted. “We are Guardians from Mt. Vallea, here on orders from the Kevah and Guardian Council. Open the gates!”

No response. It was odd that no one was at least on watch. Eva looked back at her team.

“I’ll handle this one, captain,” Ceron said, and dismounted. He walked up to the gate, placed a hand on it, and spoke an invocation in Old Eron. The gates creaked and trembled under his command and then showed a sliver of light from between them and swung inward to reveal the empty streets of the city.

“Keepers,” Eva said, “form up.” And in an instant, everyone was mounted and in a small V formation.

But before they could take another step, a gruff voice came from the gatehouse, just past the entryway. “What’s all this noise?!” the voice said.

“Agim,” Eva said, “the gatehouse.”

Agim reached the door of the gatehouse in a moment and swung down from his horse. He reached out to knock on the wooden doorframe. But they heard a jarring clang as something inside the gatehouse dropped to the ground, followed by a set of muffled footsteps. “It’s the middle of the night!” the gruff voice said, “Or it should be! Who’s there?”

A sleeping gatekeeper, Eva thought to herself, the emergency in Levasir must not be dire. “I apologize,” Eva said, “but we’re the Keepers of the Northern Pass.”

“You’re the Keepers of the Pass?!” the man shouted and threw open the door. His round bearded face squinting at the sudden onset of light. “You’re late!”

“There wasn’t a set time for our arrival,” Eva said, her eyebrows raised.

“No, no, no, the Council clearly said you would be here within two days, and now everyone is sleeping.”

“Then wake them up,” Agim said, “because we’re here now.”

“Agim, be quiet,” Eva said.

“Well,” the man said, “they might be awake now, but I’m just the gatekeeper, and they told me not to let anyone in. Until the Keepers of the Northern Pass arrived, of course.”

“We let ourselves in,” Agim mumbled under his breath.

Eva ignored him and turned to Ceron. “Bring the gatekeeper. We’re going to see the Kevah.”

The gatekeeper flung his arms in the air. “Of course, of course, I’ll show you the way, but first, the gates.” He ambled over to the gates and closed them one at a time. He was slow, but at least he was going to show them where to go.

Eva nudged her horse towards Agim, and they locked eyes. “Remember your place,” she said, “We are on an official assignment, and I won’t have you stepping out of line. Understand?”

Agim nodded.

“I said, do you understand?” Eva asked.

“Yes, captain,” Agim said, “I understand.”

“Good.”

The gatekeeper made his way back towards them and waved a hand over his head for them to follow. “This way, Guardians, this way.”

* * *

The main road was wide, cobbled, and empty as they made their way through the city. Only the sound of their horses’ hooves and the occasional laundry line billowing in the wind accompanied them. They followed the gatekeeper, who occasionally mumbled incoherently to himself, at a close distance, and he eventually led them to the gates of the Kevah’s fortress.

There were four guards at the gate whose uniforms bore the auburn insignia of the Kevah, and the gatekeeper hurried over to them and began talking to them under his breath. Guards were at this gate, but not at the gate leading to the city… Eva sat back in her saddle and watched the guards look the company over. This was a waste of time. Eva dismounted, walked over to the guards, and pulled the letter from the Kevah from a brown leather satchel at her waist. “We’re here on orders from the Kevah and the Guardian Council of the North,” she said.

“I heard,” one guard said, and took the scroll from her hand. He looked it over and continued. “You can leave the horses here.”

He signaled to another guard, who unfastened their bags from their saddles and handed them over as they dismounted. They gathered their bags, cloaks and spare items from their saddles, and their horses were led away. The guard handed the letter back to her and began walking towards a small door that stood open to the side of the gates.

Eva and her company fell in line. “Keep close everyone,” Eva said. “Don’t fall behind.”

The guard led them into a large foyer with many halls running off in each direction. The burning warmth of the sun’s rays was immediately replaced by the cool shade of the stone walls. Lengthy tapestries hung from the high ceiling above them, illuminated with colors by the various high placed stained windows that lined the outer wall.

“No need for ellamps here, I suppose,” Ilona murmured.

“No Guardians, no ellamps,” Agim said, “At least not until now.” He rolled up his sleeves.

Eva cleared her throat, and Agim looked in her direction and lowered his sleeves back into place.

“This way,” the guard said and turned down one of the hallways, with walls just as decorated with colorful pictures as the next. “You’re fortunate the Council is having an early morning meeting. We’ll have to tell Councilor Midar you’re here.”

Ceron looked at Eva. “Councilor Midar?” he asked.

Eva picked up her pace to walk next to the guard. “Does the Kevah not want to see us?” she asked.

The guard shrugged. “You’ll have to ask. The Council is in charge now.”

“Is the Kevah ill?” Eva asked.

“Not exactly,” the guard said, “But you should hear the rest from the Council.”

Eva glanced over her shoulder at the others, and they exchanged looks. The Council was in charge, but the Kevah was alive and well. What was going on? This couldn’t be good. Since when was there a time that a Kevah was not in power at Levasir?

The guard paused at the next door and knocked. The door cracked, and he spoke with someone on the other side. Then the door opened further, and the guard nodded at Eva and her company. “You may enter.”

Eva hesitated and looked back at her company. “Let’s get this over with,” she said, and pushed the door all the way open.

It gave way to an oval-shaped stone table surrounded by councilors, all sitting in meticulously decorated, high-backed chairs. An older man stood and hailed them. “Guardians, Keepers of the Mt. Vallea Stronghold and the Northern Pass, welcome.” Everyone in the room turned to stare at the company of four. “I am Councilor Midar,” the man continued, “and I am afraid the Kevah sent for you unnecessarily. We are no longer in need of your services, though you are welcome to stay as guests until the wall has been repaired.”

Guests. Councilor Samel would not be pleased. Eva looked around at the council members, who remained seated. “So, there are no plans to open the gates?”

“No,” Councilor Midar said, “and repairs on the wall will hopefully begin soon.”

Eva paused. “May we at least see the gates?”

For a moment, Councilor Midar’s face froze before breaking into a smile. “Of course,” he said and turned to a tall, gangly councilor seated near him. “Councilor Itri, will you show them the way?”

“I would be honored,” Councilor Itri said and flashed a smile. He stood, towering above everyone else, and brushed past them and headed for the door.