The Mad Raven's Tale (The Accarian Chronicles Book 1) by Andrew Walbrown (the lemonade war series txt) 📗

Is that the Mad Raven?

“Three more, eh?” Captain Karraman said as he raised his sword once again. “Very well. Come on, Ulam. Looks like we got more fools with a death wish.”

Ulam returned to Captain Karraman and stood in an attacking posture, watching as the three newcomers entered the room. They stopped when they saw Ulam and immediately began whispering amongst themselves. The person dressed as a raven then stepped forward and took off their helmet, revealing a young, beautiful woman with pale skin and jet black hair.

“Impossible…” A weak voice said from the back of the grand hall. “Do my eyes deceive me? This cannot be…“

Ulam did not want to take his eyes off the woman in front of him, though she appeared to be unarmed. He could not believe the voice behind him came from Count Aldamar, a man who was the epitome of self-control. He risked turning around, only to discover Aldamar was directly behind him, with disbelief and shock written across his face.

“No, Brother, your eyes do not deceive you,” the woman replied. Her voice was as sweet as honey, her dark eyes shining bright in the flames from the lanterns. “I see you still do not understand how to properly entertain guests.”

Brother? Is that Morganna? Thousands of thoughts shot through Ulam’s mind, mostly pertaining to how this was possible. Does this mean the Mad Raven is Aldamar’s sister? I thought Count Aldamar killed her. Did he lie?

“Morganna?” Aldamar said, his voice trembling. “But you are dead! I killed you myself! I stabbed you in the heart! How can this be?”

“Please, Brother,” Morganna said with a sigh. “Always the dramatic one. I am sure you know how.”

“No…”

“Ulam!?” A new voice interrupted from outside the grand hall. “By the Gods, Ulam, is that you?”

A fourth person walked in wearing a cloak made from a bear, a hideous helmet in one hand and a sword in the other. He had midnight black hair tied into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck and a full beard desperately in need of grooming. Dark circles had formed under his eyes, his mouth hung open. Though he was on the opposite side of the room, Ulam knew who had just called his name. He knew from the voice, the same voice he had heard his whole life.

“Amantius!” Ulam said and took an involuntary step forward, only stopping when he saw the wolf and cougar draw their swords.

“I’ve found you,” Amantius said and began to run forward, “I finally found you.”

“Stop.” The man in the cougar helmet said, one arm holding a sword towards Ulam while the other grabbed Amantius by his cloak’s collar. “He is your enemy.”

“Let go of me, Movan,” Amantius said as he struggled to break free. “Or I’ll kill you myself, you son of a bitch.”

“Amantius, calm down,” Morganna said as she stepped back, placing a hand on his chest. “Movan is not your enemy, and Ulam is not ours. Everything will be fine, I promise.”

Ulam stood perfectly still, seconds feeling like years. He waited for an opportunity to strike, to rescue Amantius. But as he watched his worst fears came to fruition, Amantius had clearly chosen the other side. Not only did his foster-brother not want to be saved, he did not feel as though he had to be. He saw Morganna’s hand gripping Amantius’ arm and noticed the way he reacted to her touch. He knew she had his heart and there was no chance he would choose the dry cordiality of Count Aldamar over her grace and charm.

“Which side are you on, lad?” Captain Karraman said, interrupting both reunions unfolding in the grand hall. “Are you with us, or with them?”

Amantius straightened, looking as though he was trying to say words that had not formed in his mind yet. Ulam could see the pleading in his eyes, begging him to join the Mad Raven. The thought disgusted him because switching sides would condemn both Captain Karraman and Count Aldamar to certain death. How could I betray them after all they have done for me? They accepted me for who, and what I am, and even trusted me with some of their secrets.

“Is it not clear, Jalkett,” Count Aldamar said calmly, the previous panic completely gone from his voice, “Amantius has chosen to think with a different part of his body. My question is, can we trust, Ulam?”

Ulam felt a flash of anger at Aldamar’s words, though he realized they were not entirely inappropriate. It was only right to question whether he would still protect the Count now that he knew Amantius was fighting for the Mad Raven. Ulam did not have an immediate answer because he could not organize his thoughts to properly make one. Before he could make a decision, he needed to know the answer to one simple question.

“Why did you join them?” Ulam said. “Is the Count correct? Was it her beauty?”

“No,” Amantius blurted out, “well, not originally. Sure, they captured me, but they also healed my wounds and so much more. They gave me shelter, they gave me food, and they gave me friendships. Just because the Countess and I are…it doesn’t matter!” He stepped forward and pointed a finger at the Count. “He’s the monster, Ulam! He murdered their entire family! You must believe me!”

“The Count told me she murdered their whole family,” Ulam replied, surprised by the defiance in his voice, “Long ago she was attacked by some wicked creature in a cave and was corrupted by its bite. And then she slaughtered their whole village and feasted on the dead bodies of their neighbors.” That sounds insane spoken aloud. Maybe Amantius is right.

Morganna began to laugh, each chuckle more vicious than the previous. “Is that what he has told you? That I killed our family and ate them? Brother, you always had quite the habit of exaggerating. No, my dear Ulam, he has simply fed you lies. He murdered everyone before trying to kill me, but