was an elven clipper bearing the arms of House Emeraldsea, a golden ship on a field of green. Tyrion was even more surprised by the fact he recognised the vessel. It was the Eagle of Lothern, on which he had voyaged during that long ago time when he and his brother had first been summoned back to Lothern.
It was the last thing he would have expected to see in this shabby human town. There was only one reason for one of the great trading vessels belonging to their mother’s family to be here – it was seeking himself and his brother. Then he noticed something else. The vessel was flying a black flag.
Someone very important had died.
A sudden shock passed through him as he wondered who it could be? He hoped it was no one in his own house. He had not seen such a flag since his grandfather had died. He hoped it was not someone else that he loved – like Lady Malene.
Two other possibilities sprang immediately to mind – it might be the Phoenix King or the Everqueen. It seemed unlikely that Finubar was dead. He was still very young for an elf and it was unlikely that anything but violence could have killed him.
It was not unknown for a Phoenix King to be assassinated or to be killed in battle but, as far as Tyrion knew, the elves were not at war with anyone. At least they had not been when he and his brother had left Lothern. Had some major conflict blown up that he had missed? It galled him that he might have lost a chance to win glory for himself and his family.
He saw that someone on the crow’s nest was waving at him. They had already been spotted through a spyglass and it looked like someone on the ship wanted to make contact with them.
Teclis came up beside him and spoke softly, ‘This does not look good.’
‘I fear you are right, brother. Let us find out what the bad news is.’
‘Captain Joyelle, it is a pleasure to meet you once again,’ Tyrion said as he pulled himself over the side of the ship. He could tell that the captain was pleased that he remembered her. He was quite famous now and he supposed that meant something.
‘I wish it was under more pleasant circumstances,’ she said. ‘I bear terrible news.’
‘What is it?’ Teclis asked. He was being lifted up on a bosun’s sling. He did not like to scamper up the web of ropes draped over the side of a ship unless he absolutely had to. ‘Nothing has happened to Lady Malene, I hope?’
‘No, Prince Teclis, the lady of the House is well and sends you her greetings. The bad tidings are that the Everqueen is dead.’
‘The Everqueen?’ Tyrion’s mind reeled. He felt grief well up within his heart. She had been the spiritual leader of the elves for as long as he had been alive and considerably longer. Her blessing was invoked at the start of every major venture, every voyage, every season’s crop planting.
‘That is terrible news indeed,’ Teclis said. ‘It is a strange coincidence that you should be waiting here to give it to us.’
‘It is no coincidence at all, Prince Teclis,’ said the captain. ‘I was dispatched to bring the news to your brother and to summon him home.’
Tyrion tilted his head to one side as he concentrated upon the captain. ‘Why?’
‘A new Everqueen will soon be crowned and a new Everqueen must have a new champion.’
‘And what exactly has this to do with my brother?’ Teclis asked. These days, he really had not the slightest sensitivity to any of the nuances of politics outside those of the Tower of Hoeth.
Tyrion understood at once. House Emeraldsea wished to have a candidate of their own be the champion of the Everqueen and he was the best possible candidate that they could put forward.
Even for one so comparatively young for an elf, he was already a famous warrior. He was good-looking, well spoken, intelligent, diplomatic and he knew all of these things about himself. As the Everqueen’s champion he would be ideally placed to help influence her decisions and that would give him, and through him House Emeraldsea, considerable political influence. He understood at once exactly why he was being summoned home.
He was not sure how he felt about this himself. He had plans of his own. There were things he wanted to do with his life. The position would entail