Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

killing me. Go to bed, Rupert. I'll be fine once I get to the stables. With luck I'll find a groom I can terrorise into giving me some barley. Assuming I can stay awake long enough to eat it.'
    'All right, I give in,' said Rupert, smiling in spite of himself.
    'About bloody time,' growled the unicorn, moving slowly away. 'And get that shoulder seen to!'
    'Yeah, sure,' muttered Rupert. He leaned his head back against the wall as a sudden chill rushed through him, shaking his hands and chattering his teeth. The chill passed as quickly as it came, leaving him weak and dizzy. He pushed himself away from the wall, but managed only a few steps before he had to stop.
    The ground seemed to drop away from under his feet, and he had to fight to keep from falling. The world grew blurred and indistinct, and then snapped back into focus as he concentrated. Rupert breathed deeply, blinking away the sweat that dripped steadily into his eyes. Having fought his way through the Darkwood and an entire horde of demons to get home, he was damned if he'd cap it all by fainting away in the middle of the courtyard. He'd walk out of here on his own two feet all the way back to his own chambers. Then he'd faint.
    He moved slowly and cautiously through the tightly packed refugees, taking it one step at a time.
    Whenever anyone tried to talk to him, he just glared at them and dropped his right hand on to the pommel of his sword, and that took care of that. His left arm was completely numb again, but he could see the fresh blood coursing down his sleeve and dripping from his hand. He carefully tucked the numb arm inside his jerkin and laced it tight, forming a makeshift sling. The pain in his shoulder flared up with every step, hut he was so tired now he could almost ignore it. Many of the refugees shrank away as he passed, and Rupert began to wonder what kind of picture he presented to them. No doubt their precious hero looked rather different when seen close up, tired and irritable and covered in blood and gore, most of it his own. He tried keeping his hand away from his swordhilt, but it didn't make any difference. The steps to the main entrance hall loomed up before him, and Rupert started towards them. He'd just put his foot on the first step when Harald appeared out of the refugees to block his way.
    'Welcome home, dear boy. We were getting a little worried about you.'
    Rupert looked at his brother tiredly. 'Were you, Harald? Were you really?'
    Harald shrugged. 'You've been gone a long time. We'd pretty much got used to the idea that you wouldn't be coming back. I was beginning to fear I'd have to go out and avenge you.'
    Rupert looked at him closely. 'Why should you risk your life to avenge my death?'
    'You're family,' said Harald. 'I know my duty. You'd do the same for me.'
    'Yes,' said Rupert slowly. 'I suppose I would.'
    He nodded gruffly to Harald, genuinely touched. Harald smiled briefly in return, his face as impassive as ever.
    'Well,' said Rupert. 'What's been happening while I've been away?'
    'Not a lot,' said Harald. The Darkwood's been here almost a week. It could just as easily be more than a week, I suppose; it's hard to keep track of time when there's no sun in the sky. We've been using marked candles and water clocks, but they're not exactly reliable. Still, now you've brought the High Warlock back to us, no doubt things will take a turn for the better. You did bring the Warlock back, didn't you?'
    'Oh yes,' said Rupert. 'He's back.'
    'I don't remember much about him, to be honest,' said Harald. 'Is he really as bad as he's painted?'
    Rupert thought for a moment. 'Yes and no,' he said finally. 'Does it matter? He's got the power, and that's all anyone here will care about.'
    'Power enough to throw back the long night?'
    'I don't know. Maybe.' Rupert turned away, and looked out over the crowded courtyard. 'How many refugees are we sheltering here in the Castle?'
    'About twelve thousand. God knows how many more are trapped out there in the dark, unprotected.
    We took in as many as we could when the darkness fell, but then the demons came, and we had no choice but to bar the gates and raise the drawbridge. It all happened so suddenly, Rupert, we had no warning at all. The demons haven't mounted any kind 0f attack yet. They just sit outside our walls, watching and waiting. From time to time they call to us in human voices, begging to be let in. We don't open the gates to anyone any more.'
    Rupert looked at him, and raised an