Chapter 8

CHAP 8

BELL-DA-HALLAN

Lilly looked to where Morii was pointing in the distance. They had just rounded a small copse of willow and some distance ahead Lilly could see an enormous stone castle with towers and pointed flags flying from them. As they continued around the copse more of the city came into view, it was huge, and nothing like Lilly had imagined. The castle or Kort as she must learn to call it, stood slightly higher than the rest of the city, it was built mostly of the pink-grey dirrand stone, but some of the turrets were of wood. It twinkled in the evening sun. There was a wall around the Kort and then spread out beneath that, the city. To the left of the city was a huge lake, indeed some of the buildings and part of the Kort wall actually ran up to it’s shore. The buildings of the city, mostly wooden, were interspersed with large woods or open grass and flower spaces and the most incredible massive round tents; there were hundreds of them. Lilly had never seen anything like it before. Lilly turned to Morii and asked him to tell her something of it.

‘Them low wooden buildings do be gathering places for the folk of the city, they do like a mardle when they be getting their provisions.’

Lilly thought, they must be like shops or markets.

Morii continued, ‘Then there be the family places, the yurts, or tents as ye call them Lilly, where folk do sleep and keep themselves…some of the smaller wooden buildings be for bathing and washing…some be for working trades, but most of the workers be the other side of Bell-da-Hallan where ye cannot see from here. Down by the lake there be a landing for the swimmer-catchers boats and there be a place for the youngers to be splashing. Ye see that big stone building, well… ye can see the top o it…there with the high turrets,’ Morii was pointing to the only other stone building in Bell-da-Hallan, ‘well that be the gathering hall in the centre of Bell-da-Hallan, a great hall where all the important things do happen and all the folk of Norsonia do come to meet.

Lilly was desperately trying to keep up with all of this and managed a feeble, ‘it looks great.’ This made Srix snort again.

‘Would ye like a rest Lady Lilly? Afore we go in and has to greet everyone.’

‘Yes Morii…I would like that very much’ replied Lilly sliding down from Srix’s back. The one horns wandered over to a shady spot under the willows and started to drink from the river. Lilly and Morii followed and sat down. Immediately Pel came dashing up and leapt into Lilly’s lap. ‘Pel tire…Pel ungry,’ Pel informed her. ‘Pel…there you are…why didn’t you ride on Srix with me?’ Lilly asked the furry little creature.

Morii laughed at that as he came back from the river edge with a full water skin, ‘Srix won’t carry no Squib on his back Lilly…the one horns do have a fault…they be far too proud, though they be good creatures. Srix be the proudest of em all, he be the leader of the Ehwaz so he do have the right to be proud; mind… he do make me laugh with his high opinions.’

‘Yes, I did notice’ replied Lilly with a smile, as she gave Pel’s soft fur a rub. She looked at Morii, ‘will they mind Pel being with me in the Kort?’ ‘Tis only the one horns have the proud ways Lilly, if the Squib be a friend of the Lady Lilly, then he will be welcome and no one have the right to tell ye different,’ said Morii handing the water skin to Lilly.

It was now early evening and Lilly suddenly felt incredibly tired from the journey and talking to so many people. ‘Morii is there any way we can get into the Kort without having to go through the city? I’m not feeling my best right now and …’

Morii looked concerned, ‘Ye are not sick are ye Lilly?’

‘Oh no…nothing like that, I’m sorry, you must think me so rude after all your kindness to me. No…I think it must be all the excitement of the last few days..’

Morii  hit the palm of his hand against his forehead, ‘by Gamray …I beg for yer pardon Lilly, of course ye shall need to rest afore ye meet the people of the Kort or the city. I do know a way to get into Kort that be mostly hidden…that be true.’

‘Then I would be most grateful to you,’ replied the very tired Lilly.

They went over to the river bank and told Srix and Storr of their plan. ‘We will need ye to carry us a little further and then we shall walk and climb over the Kort garden wall,’ Morii told them. ‘Ye two will go to the Kort stables for this eve, ye know the way and then tomorrow we shall ride ye into Bell-da-Hallan at noon-tide.’

Srix snorted and tossed his mane. ‘It seems not befitting the Lady Lilly to be climbing into a garden…when she can ride into Kort on my back,’ said Srix rather haughtily, but then added quickly, ‘I do see she be most weary though and I do understand yer reasoning.’

Lilly smiled at Srix and stroked his neck. ‘Thank you for being so…understanding Srix. I shall be the proudest person in Norsonia tomorrow, riding on your noble back into Bell-da-Hallan.’

Srix gave a small whinny of delight and nodded his head. Morii just grinned and shook his head.

They rode Srix and Storr for a little further, weaving in and out of trees and bushes; hoping they wouldn’t be spotted by anyone from the city, which was really quite close. They dismounted at the back of a large wooden building not far from the lakeside, Morii asked Srix and Storr to give them a few moments to get round to the Kort wall, before travelling on to the Kort stables.

Storr spoke for the first time since they began their journey. ‘It will be dark soon, I am sure my husband Srix and I can wait a little until dark before returning to Kort, no one will see us my Lady.’ she said softly.

‘Of course…well said my dear.’ Srix told Storr.

Lilly thanked them both and said she looked forward to seeing them at noontide tomorrow. Morii then guided Lilly around to the stone walls of the Kort, which they followed by a small path around the side of the lake. Eventually Morii came to the place he wanted. They climbed over the wall and Lilly noted with a smile that it looked a well used place and was not surprised when Morii told her that he and his fellow scholar knights used this wall crossing frequently to escape their tutors.

They were inside the Kort gardens now and Morii led Lilly through a maze of trees, bushes and vegetable gardens. More of the round tents or yurts, were placed here and there and Lilly could hear the sounds of merry laughing coming from one and something that sounded distinctly like a flute playing from another. Most were softly lit and showed muted colours of deep reds and golds through the open doorways. All around the Kort gardens, torches in wrought metal frames were burning brightly, giving a warm glow in the dark night.

At last they reached the back of the Kort, it loomed dark and towering above Lilly’s head. Morii pushed at an enormous wooden door, with metal hinges carved to look like dragons. He pulled Lilly through, holding his finger to his lips for her to say nothing.

They were in a huge kitchen with a vaulted roof and enormous fire place. It was steamy and hot and people in long aprons ran here and there, doing various tasks; chopping, peeling, scraping and arranging food on large silver plates.

 Above all this on a kind of platform, stood a tiny woman in a big apron shouting out instructions to her staff. She spotted Morii and gave him a cheery wave. ‘That be Gleryn, she be head cook and do favour us youngers with small tasty’s and all manner of good food’ Morii told Lilly. Gleryn was coming over to them and picked up a small covered basket on the way.

‘Good eve my Lord Morii, and who be this?…could not be the fair Lady Lilly of the Nor-Folk could it?’ she said with a smile and a wink to Lilly. Close to, Lilly could see that Gleryn wasn’t that old and had a really kind face and eyes. She smiled back at Gleryn.

‘Yay Gleryn, tis she…and she be fair weary with all our journeying, she be wanting to rest some afore meeting with too many folk.’ Morii answered.

Gleryn beamed and said, ‘Yer secrets safe with Gleryn young master and here be a basket with a few tasty’s in. Be off now and get ye ready for yer eve food, mind…will the Lady Lilly be supping with ye?’ Morii looked at Lilly, ‘will ye be wanting food later my Lady Lilly?’ he asked.

‘Yes please…I’m sure I shall.’ replied Lilly. She now felt really hungry with all the wonderful smells coming from this place.

‘Ahh…to hear the Lady Lilly mardle with such fine words,’ Gleryn said to herself with a smile as she went off to organise someone else.

Morii led Lilly to an insignificant looking door at the side of the kitchen, through which was a small winding staircase lit with more of the metal torches. At the top they emerged into a long narrow hallway. ‘This way’ Morii indicated, and she followed until they came to a much larger hallway, very brightly lit and with other smaller corridors leading off every so often. ‘Just up here’, Morii said as they passed a large statue of a one horn standing over a fountain. ‘This be the main way through to all parts of the Kort and yer rooms be just here.’ Morii pulled on a set of double doors with elaborate wooden handles and held his arm out for Lilly to enter and this she did.

Lilly walked past Morii and into a large brightly lit room. It had beautiful woven rugs on the floor and a carved wooden bench seat along one wall. There were four doors leading from this room, two in front of her and one at either end. Morii came in and shut the double doors behind him. ‘There be a dayroom’ he said pointing to the left hand door in front of her. ‘A wash room,’ pointing to the door on the right hand end wall, ‘a clothing room,’ pointing to the door at the left hand end, ‘and a sleeping room’ he gestured to the remaining door in front of her. ‘I will leave ye Lilly…may I still call ye Lilly, when we be alone of course?’ he asked.

Lilly smiled and nodded. Morii continued, ‘that be well Lilly…I will leave ye to look around at yer leisure if it do please ye. I will come to ye after ye rest for a bit and show ye where we eat our eve food. There be yer new clothes in the clothing room and if ye are in need of anything other…ye just blow yer silver whistle and I shall hear ye, for my rooms are across the hall.

‘Thank you so much Morii…I just need to clean up a bit and have a rest…to be honest I feel more hungry than anything right now,’ Lilly told him. Morii grinned, ‘I left yer tasties on the bench’ he said pointing to the basket and with that he left Lilly’s rooms and shut the door.

Lilly sat down on the bench and looked in the basket. Under a blue checked cloth were four small pastries; sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon and topped with almond flakes. She tried one, oh it was delicious, crumbly and warm, she took another and got up to explore her new surroundings. First she opened the clothing room door, inside were stacks of neatly folded trousers, jackets and dresses…everything she could want for about four years! They were folded on carved wooden shelves and tables. There were shelves with boots and shoes and a whole set of shelves dedicated to hair ornaments and small metal head bands with different coloured stones set in them. Lilly picked up a silver one set with a pearl at the front and set it on her head; it was like a small crown. She noticed there was a full length carved mirror in here also and giggled a little seeing the crown worn with her journeying clothes…that does not work, thought Lilly.

Next she went into the dayroom, if only Jess were here to see this, thought Lilly with a slight pang at remembering her best friend. The room had two soft, deep cream sofa’s strewn with dark blue and gold cushions, cream silk fabric draped the walls and hung around the huge open windows that gave onto a little balcony. There were more of the ornate brass lamps in here on a kind of candle stick base this time. A low table was placed at the end of one of the sofa’s and had a large bowl of yellow lilies in the centre of it. Over in one corner was a carved wooden desk and chair. Lilly walked over to the balcony and stepped out into the warm night. The air was fragrant with the lemon blossom scent that she had smelled earlier that day and she could see down into the gardens below, lit by torches on this summer night. Lilly had to wonder why her aunt had wanted to go home…this place was fabulous…no wonder Aunt Alex had described it as exotic, it certainly was.

Next Lilly went to explore the bedroom or sleeping room as Morii had called it. The room had the same layout as the dayroom, with an equally impressive balcony but the walls in here were draped with a deep blue fabric. There was a huge carved wooden bed with a lilac silk throw on it. The throw was embroidered with dragonflies, vines and lilies. It was truly beautiful. A large flat dish sat on a low table with lemon scented water inside, in which floated tiny white flower buds. This room had only two small brass lanterns and they gave off such a mellow glow that Lilly just had to lie on the bed for a moment or two. She kicked off her boots, put her half eaten tasty on the bedside table and lay down. The only sound was of the crickets chirruping outside the window and Lilly was so tired. Just a few moments, Lilly thought to herself, I’m sure the bathroom can wait just a few moments. Lilly fell deeply asleep.

Sometime later that evening Morii came with Pel, to find Lilly. He looked into the sleeping room and saw how peaceful Lilly looked as she slept and still with her hair ornament on! Morii smiled and Pel ran and jumped up beside Lilly and snuggled down too. Morii stood and watched them for a little, remembering all that Lilly had done over the past few days. Taken him flying to the Tarken and messed up their camp. She had managed the folk of half of Norsonia and had Srix fair eating out of her hand. He went and got another throw and covered the two of them. The Lady Lilly was everything they had hoped she would be and, he thought privately, much prettier than he had ever imagined.

The rest of the Kort could wait another eve for the Lady Lilly he decided and left her to sleep.