Read Online Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green - Free Book Online
Authors: Simon R. Green
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dark, and a voice deep inside him said I can't . It had been hard enough to go back into the Darkwood armed with light and friends, but to give them up and go off into the darkness on his own . . . Haven't I done enough? I can't go back into the dark! I'm afraid!
'Rupert?'
I'm afraid.
'Set the spell,' said Rupert.
'Get ready,' said the dragon. 'I need a moment to prepare.'
Rupert nodded stiffly and moved away to join the unicorn.
'Look after the Princess for me, will you?'
'With my life,' promised the unicorn. 'When there's no other choice, I can be heroic too, you know.'
'I never doubted it,' smiled the Prince.
The unicorn shuffled his feet uncertainly. 'All in all, I've been on worse quests, Sire.'
'I hate to think what they must have been like.'
'Will you shut up,' said the unicorn affectionately. 'And mind your back on the Rainbow Run. I've grown accustomed to having you around to gripe at.'
Rupert hugged the unicorn's neck, and turned away to find Julia waiting for him. She offered him a handkerchief.
'A lady's favour,' she said. 'The hero always carries a lady's favour.'
'I always wanted one,' said Rupert softly. He tucked the silk square inside his tattered leather jerkin. 'I'll bring it back safely.'
'Bring back some help, that's the main thing.' She leaned forward suddenly and kissed him. 'And come back safe yourself, or I'll never forgive you.'
She hurried off into the shadows. The Prince raised a hand to his lips. There was one thing the minstrels hadn't lied about. The dragon came forward.
'Are you ready?'
Rupert looked out into the darkness. I'm afraid. I gave my word.
'Ready as I'll ever be. You?'
The dragon nodded. 'The spell is set.'
Rupert drew his sword, hefted it, and then handed it to the dragon. 'Give this to Julia. It'll only slow me down when I'm running.'
'Of course,' said the dragon.
'A light!' yelled the unicorn. Rupert whirled to look. A crimson glare showed deep in the Dark wood.
'That's it!' cried the dragon, but Rupert was already off and running. He burst through the demons at the clearing's edge and was gone before they could stop him. A trail formed before him in the darkness, seeming to glow and sparkle beneath his pounding feet. A demon leapt out of the dark to block his path, only to scream and fall back as light flared up from the trail to engulf it. Rupert shot a quick glance at the motionless body and ran on. Behind him he heard the first sounds of battle as the demon horde fell on his companions. He forced himself to run faster. The Darkwood trees rushed past him. The path glowed bright against the dark. Breath burned in his lungs, ached in his chest, and a cold sweat ran down his sides as his arms pumped, but he was beyond pain, beyond fear, driven only by a desperate need somehow to save his friends. He didn't know how long he'd been running, but the trail still shimmered ahead of him, and the beacon seemed to draw no nearer. It's not how fast you run , a voice whispered inside him, it's how badly you need it . Fatigue shivered through his aching legs, and he saw with horror that the path was slowly fading away. He drove himself even harder, crying aloud at the pain that stabbed through him, and then he tripped and fell headlong as the path guttered and went out.
I'm sorry, Julia, he thought despairingly as the dark washed over him. I so wanted to be a hero for you.
Light roared against the darkness. Rupert staggered to his feet as vivid hues cascaded down around him.
His ears were full of the thunder of a mighty waterfall. Time seemed to slow and stop. Brilliant colours burned into Rupert's eyes as he threw back his head and raised his hands to the glory of the Rainbow.
And then the Rainbow was gone, and the night was darker than before.
For a moment Rupert just stood there, entranced by the splendour of Rainbow's End, and then slowly he lowered his head, and looked about him. Where the Rainbow had touched them, the gnarled and twisted trees were straight
'Rupert?'
I'm afraid.
'Set the spell,' said Rupert.
'Get ready,' said the dragon. 'I need a moment to prepare.'
Rupert nodded stiffly and moved away to join the unicorn.
'Look after the Princess for me, will you?'
'With my life,' promised the unicorn. 'When there's no other choice, I can be heroic too, you know.'
'I never doubted it,' smiled the Prince.
The unicorn shuffled his feet uncertainly. 'All in all, I've been on worse quests, Sire.'
'I hate to think what they must have been like.'
'Will you shut up,' said the unicorn affectionately. 'And mind your back on the Rainbow Run. I've grown accustomed to having you around to gripe at.'
Rupert hugged the unicorn's neck, and turned away to find Julia waiting for him. She offered him a handkerchief.
'A lady's favour,' she said. 'The hero always carries a lady's favour.'
'I always wanted one,' said Rupert softly. He tucked the silk square inside his tattered leather jerkin. 'I'll bring it back safely.'
'Bring back some help, that's the main thing.' She leaned forward suddenly and kissed him. 'And come back safe yourself, or I'll never forgive you.'
She hurried off into the shadows. The Prince raised a hand to his lips. There was one thing the minstrels hadn't lied about. The dragon came forward.
'Are you ready?'
Rupert looked out into the darkness. I'm afraid. I gave my word.
'Ready as I'll ever be. You?'
The dragon nodded. 'The spell is set.'
Rupert drew his sword, hefted it, and then handed it to the dragon. 'Give this to Julia. It'll only slow me down when I'm running.'
'Of course,' said the dragon.
'A light!' yelled the unicorn. Rupert whirled to look. A crimson glare showed deep in the Dark wood.
'That's it!' cried the dragon, but Rupert was already off and running. He burst through the demons at the clearing's edge and was gone before they could stop him. A trail formed before him in the darkness, seeming to glow and sparkle beneath his pounding feet. A demon leapt out of the dark to block his path, only to scream and fall back as light flared up from the trail to engulf it. Rupert shot a quick glance at the motionless body and ran on. Behind him he heard the first sounds of battle as the demon horde fell on his companions. He forced himself to run faster. The Darkwood trees rushed past him. The path glowed bright against the dark. Breath burned in his lungs, ached in his chest, and a cold sweat ran down his sides as his arms pumped, but he was beyond pain, beyond fear, driven only by a desperate need somehow to save his friends. He didn't know how long he'd been running, but the trail still shimmered ahead of him, and the beacon seemed to draw no nearer. It's not how fast you run , a voice whispered inside him, it's how badly you need it . Fatigue shivered through his aching legs, and he saw with horror that the path was slowly fading away. He drove himself even harder, crying aloud at the pain that stabbed through him, and then he tripped and fell headlong as the path guttered and went out.
I'm sorry, Julia, he thought despairingly as the dark washed over him. I so wanted to be a hero for you.
Light roared against the darkness. Rupert staggered to his feet as vivid hues cascaded down around him.
His ears were full of the thunder of a mighty waterfall. Time seemed to slow and stop. Brilliant colours burned into Rupert's eyes as he threw back his head and raised his hands to the glory of the Rainbow.
And then the Rainbow was gone, and the night was darker than before.
For a moment Rupert just stood there, entranced by the splendour of Rainbow's End, and then slowly he lowered his head, and looked about him. Where the Rainbow had touched them, the gnarled and twisted trees were straight
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