Chapter 22

Brenda wanted to stop and discuss my assertion that she had somehow 'gained wizard status', but I was sure we had already wasted too much time. Prince Aiden's dead body could be discovered at any moment and then we would be in trouble.

As it was, we were still deep inside the kingdom of Scania, with days of riding ahead of us, and the Scanian population to contend with. Flying would have been quicker and safer perhaps, but that wouldn't get Mòr Dubh to safety, never mind the eighty cavalry troops and their horses that had escorted me to Gorg.

When I mentioned the possible danger, and the need to protect our son (OUR son!), Brenda stopped arguing and became very businesslike. I had seen that same determined look on her face before. All I could think of was - pity help any Scanian who tries to come between this Momma and her cub!

While Brenda hurried to fetch baby John and some essentials for the trip, I ran for the courtyard where I had left the big stallion on arrival. I was hoping and praying that some of the Axon cavalrymen would be there. It was my duty to warn them of what was going on, so that they too had a chance to escape from the city.

Mòr Dubh was eyeing up the palace grooms and they in turn were making sure they kept out of his reach. It was my guess that one or two of them had already learned a lesson and the rest were now more wary.

The big stallion threw his head back, and let out a loud whinny to show his approval of my news.

"It will be a pleasure to carry him, Sean. Just make sure he's clean and that he doesn't pee on my back!"

Big-Black snickered and his thoughts told me that he found himself highly amusing. I wondered how amused he would be if baby John actually did do what the stallion found so funny.

One of the cavalry troop sergeants was ordering some of his men around the courtyard and I took the opportunity of approaching him and pulling him to one side.

"Sergeant, I'm afraid we have to leave here immediately. The Scanian Prince tried to murder me in my bed, but fortunately I managed to get the better of him. All hell will break loose when his body is found.

"Can you spread the word and get our men out of here as quickly as you can? Perhaps you can say you are going out foraging or something?"

The sergeant was a hardy veteran, and he took my news in his stride.

"The men have been warned not to get too comfortable, Highness. We were always worried that we might have to make a fast exit so to speak. I'll pass the word and try to get everyone out of the city without raising any alarms.

The light was fading, and on this occasion I was thankful for it. With any luck no one would enter my quarters until morning, so we would have a few hours of a head start before King Malcolm and the Scanians gave chase.

I returned to the stallion and asked that he meet me outside the Gorg city walls. That first part of our escape would be the most risky - going through the population of the city - so I decided I would use the cover of darkness to fly Brenda and John out, rather than walk or ride.

There was a danger that the same darkness might lead to us missing the cavalrymen. I had a final word with the sergeant as a precaution, telling him to stick to the same route we had followed on the way here. After that, I made my way quickly back inside the palace to find Brenda and baby John.

My girl had the boy wrapped up well and had all of the essential things she would need in a small backpack. I asked her to help me lift Prince Aiden's body. We laid him on my bed, and covered him with a blanket. Close scrutiny would quickly reveal that it wasn't me in the bed - Aiden had bright red hair like his sister had - but I hoped it might delay King Malcolm finding out what had happened just a little longer.

"Are you ready?" I asked Brenda.

For a woman who had just lost a husband, I have to say she looked extremely happy. Ecstatic even!

"Very. You've given me my life back, Sean. I thought that everything was lost. Take me home, please?"

John seemed to have taken to me very quickly indeed, a fact that I was immensely happy about. My own father wasn't a good role model to follow and I was determined to do much better. John liking me was an excellent start. When I swung the two-year old up onto my back, Brenda almost panicked.

"Sean, he might fall off!"

"Don't worry. I've only just found this little guy. There's no way I'm going to let him come to any harm. Relax, my love. He's going to enjoy this."

With John on my back, I took Brenda's hand and led her over to a large vaulted archway that led onto a balcony. There was a shock in store when I saw that there were three large eagles perched on the balustrade. I knew straight away that these weren't my eagles - they were subtly different, with a large splash of white feathers on their chests - but I didn't sense any threat from them.

The largest of the three squawked at me.

"What are you doing with the Prince?"

Turning to Brenda, I asked her a question before answering the magnificent bird.

"Have you seen these eagles before?"

"Oh, yes. They're always around. The first time they turned up, was on the night that John was born."

I realised that this probably meant that baby John was actually a 'royal' and that the birds had been the first to acknowledge him. They were his 'birth creatures'. I didn't know enough to figure out if it was unusual for the same creature to acknowledge both a father and a son. King Kenneth had told me that his 'birth creature' was the black leopard. Apart from that, I knew very little.

Now that I knew why the eagles were there and why I was being asked what I was doing with John, it was time to answer the eagle's question.

"I am the Prince's father, my noble friend. Please accept my thanks for continuing to watch over him. Perhaps you'd like to fly with us?"

The eagle's head cocked to one side, as he looked at me curiously. Of course, he would never have seen a two-legs flying before, so my words were probably somewhat confusing. To put an end to that, I climbed up onto the balustrade, pulled Brenda up beside me and then launched us into the air.

There were excited squawks from all three eagles and they quickly flapped their wings and sought to catch us up. There was barely enough light to see them, but I could sense that they were impressed.

The bird's response to the fact we were flying was nothing compared to baby John however. The youngster was sitting up on my back as if he was riding a horse. He was holding on tight, but squealing his delight so that Brenda could be in no doubt that he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

The eagles squawked again and this time there was a set of answering squawks from my left. John began to bounce excitedly on my back and when I glanced to the side, I saw that Aquilaire, Accipiter and Buteoni had also joined us.

If it had been daylight we would have made quite a sight. A man with a small boy on his back and a woman holding his hand, all three flying through the air, with an escort of three huge eagles on either side. Very impressive.

Nothing happened as we flew over the city. No one spotted us and no alarm appeared to be raised. I thought I caught a glimpse of some of the Axon cavalry riding down the winding streets, but I could have been mistaken.

Before we knew it, we were over the city walls. I had my senses casting around to try and locate Mòr Dubh. The stallion was waiting, somewhat impatiently I think. He had sensed the urgency and the possible danger and he wanted to be on his way.

Baby John almost seemed disappointed when we landed, but that passed quickly when he made out Big-Black.

The stallion dipped his head in a bow of sorts when he recognised Brenda. She curtsied in response before laughing and throwing her arms around his powerful neck.

"Oh, Mordew! It's really good to see you again."

She had never managed to pronounce his name quite right, but the horse seemed to like how she said it. It was almost as if it were a 'pet-name' between them. Now the big stallion also looked at baby John. I lifted the boy off of my back and raised him so that he could sit astride the horse.

"He has good balance for a little one. If you hadn't already told me that you were his sire, then I could have guessed, Sean. He has the same feel about him as you do. Now, I think we should hurry. I see you've been gathering more eagles, too, are they going to scout for us?"

Both sets of eagles confirmed that they would be happy to do so. I warned them that there were eighty Axon cavalry somewhere out here in the dark. The last thing I wanted was for King Kenneth's troops to find themselves being attacked by giant eagles!

"Even with our eyesight, we won't be able to tell the difference between friend and foe in the dark. With your permission, Highness, we will simply try to steer clear of all people until we can more readily identify them?" asked Aquilaire.

That made sense to me, and I agreed. Just then we heard bugles blaring in the distance.

"What's that?" Brenda asked.

"At a guess I'd say that somebody has just found Prince Aiden's body. I'm afraid the hunt is on!"

Brenda needed a boost to get onto Mòr Dubh's back and then I swung up behind her and John.

"As fast as you can safely go in this light, my friend," I said to the stallion.

He had been impatient to get started and he set off at once. The pace he trotted at was surprisingly quick, but I knew that he wouldn't put us in danger by taking a risk.

Several times during the night the eagles swooped to guide us away from troops who were in our path and once we heard the clash of steel on steel somewhere behind us. I hoped that the Axon cavalry were giving as good as they got.

Daylight crept up on us and with it came John's eagle guardians to warn that there was a group of twenty or so Scanian horsemen blocking our route ahead.