Heir to the Empire

15. Ravenscourt

The seas had been much rougher on the journey to the city of Ravenscourt than the trip from White Harbour and the distance had been much longer, but there was no seasickness for the charismatic mercenary Ethelston this time. Erdudvyl had cast some spell on him in which he could remain his jovial self throughout the whole journey.

A decision in which Loldirr quickly regretted as Ethelston spent some time distinguishing the positives of being human to the positives of being an Elf.

However, There had been no issues on the trip. Rumour of a redhead woman slitting the throats of would-be rapist sailors and the constant overbearing protection from Ethelston seemed to deter anyone from causing problems. Though all were interested to find out who their short hooded companion was.

Sensibly, Erdudvyl had remained in the hold away from prying eyes to train Loldirr in the art of sorcery, without success. It appeared that her mood was becoming as dark as the hold she had spent most of her time in.

Now the journey was coming to an end. The towering Ravenscourt fortress stood proudly high on the cliff face overseeing all vessels for miles around. The waves hit violently at the base of the cliff, but the sheer scale of the fortress seemed to dwarf the water's power.

It's high, thick walls and menacing towers was a display of the west's security and might. The fortress had never been breached, either by land or by sea, for thousands of years. Whoever controlled the citadel controlled the west and some of the north, a large portion of the Isovine Empire.

The squarks of hungry seagulls crescendoed as they hovered high above the ship. The dark menacing clouds drenched the deck with sideways precipitation to add to the mood of dread that the Citadel inadvertently gave to those who didn't belong. Despite having no reason to worry, the sailors appeared more anxious as they edged closer to the Ravenscourt port.

Ethelston had been jovial throughout the journey, eating and drinking with the other sailors, gaining the latest scuttlebutt on how the Isovine, Ruvia war was proceeding and obtaining the respect of the ship's crew. But now that Ravenscourt was in view, his demeanour had shifted and his mood soured. All he seemed to do was lean on the rails of the deck and solemnly look at the overbearing walls.

He didn't even shift slightly when Loldirr took position next to him.

"What can we expect when we get here?" she asked wiping away a wet sticky strand of hair away from her forehead.

"Ravenscourt is the jewel of the west, " explained Ethelston, his mood not shifting, "it will be busy here, but we will need to make our presence known to the Lord of the keep."

Loldirr grimaced at the annoying sideways rain that appeared to come down more fiercely than before. "What is he like?"

Ethelston sighed before turning to Loldirr. "Millendahl Darke, he's not exactly known for being a welcoming host."

"Darke? As in?"

"Lord Edric's brother. Best not mention his name though, they were not fond of each other." Ethelston replied before returning his gaze to the cliffs, walls and menacing trebuchets that sat high on the towers.

Loldirr watched him and his frigid mood. Despite wanting to know what was bothering him, she knew best not to ask questions that were likely to irk him further. "And the opinions on Elves in the city?"

"Best to keep Erdudvyl in her cloak until we get safe passage to the keep." explained Ethelston.

Loldirr glanced towards Ethelston sharply. "The keep? I thought we were just looking for a place to stay?"

"In order to unify the lands, first we must gain the respect and prestige of a noble with the right surname. None have more repute than that of Darke, bar the Emperor himself. If a Darke is seen supporting you, an Aex-Igh, then half the Isovine empire will likely rally to your cause. Without that support, you will likely be dead in a ditch rather quickly."