“Who is he?”

Kreedence sighed. “That’s Yvin. Or was.”

“I always see him around camp, wandering and staring at everyone.”

“He used to be the clockman. Rung a huge bell and woke us up every morning.”

Una raised an eyebrow. “Well, what happened to him? Never spoke a word in the month I’ve been here.”

“And he’ll never speak again. I remember what happened too damn well. We had our camp in the south. And you know how the summer’s get there. Well, we was walking to the well, him and me, his face turned droopy and he collapsed. ‘Had a fit’ the local sorcerer said…”

“Oh…”

Kreedence checked his pocket watch. “Almost six. Time to go.”

Una nodded.

They walked out of camp, past the pasture fields and reached the bridge over the tiny river.

“Why is he so far away today?” Una asked.

“He always spends a day thinking before a quest or a battle. He won’t eat nor drink. Just think.”

“Can’t he do that in his tent? If something came up, no one would have to go through half the world to find him.”

“That’s the thing: he can only really focus when there aren’t any sounds, sights or smells. He needs total peace and nature has just that.”

“Weird old man, isn’t he?”

“Yes, he’s weird, but he’s not old, and he’ll lead us to glory.”

“He’s been wandering the continent with a squad of noman mercenaries for over a decade.” Una snarled. “I think the time for glory has passed.”

“Have you been with him from the very beginning? Have you seen him plot schemes that spies of the families couldn’t have even dreamt of? Or did you just see him once and say he’s nothing more than a hack?”

Una murmured under her breath then looked into the distance.

“I wondered,” she spoke after a while, “what does that name mean? Swords of the Guardians? We don’t use swords that much and we don’t really guard anyone.”

“Yet that was once true. Yes, many years have passed since the genesis and they’ve changed us, but we keep the name. To stay as one and to remember how it used to be.”

They made it off the bridge and turned towards the forest.

“Didn’t think that place is so far away.”

“Incredibly close to that town if you noticed.”

“This forest is the same one near that orphanage-castle?”

Kreedence nodded. “It’s outskirts reach the town and parts even surround it.”

“Huh, what a place.”

“If you noticed, incredible strategic position too.”

Trees were all around them and the sounds of the camp faded into a barely audible whistle.

Men who couldn’t keep quiet, swords that clinked and horses which neighed became one huge sound that could be heard from miles away. That’s why Guardian always placed their camps out in the fields and--if he could--past forests.

Kreedence and Una reached an area where a few white petals started to litter the ground.

Ah, almost there, Kreedence thought. She’s gotta be ready. If she goes in not knowing anything, she could get herself killed.

“Alright,” he said. “You only met Guardian the day you joined, but you heard the talks about him many times, I’m sure. Here’s the thing: they’re all true. He might seem like a slow and calm fella, but he’s the most cunning and brutal person you’ll ever meet. And I mean that.”

“You say he’s worse than--”

“Yes. Now listen. When he’s recruiting rookies like you, he becomes the nicest person you’ll ever meet. He’s not like that. So be ready. Talk only when you’re talked to, don’t ever flinch, agree--but not always--and listen to what he says.”

“What is it with you and listening?”

“Guardian never repeats himself. Never. We’ve all started picking up that habit from him.”

More petals covered the ground until it was all white. The trees lessened and they arrived at an opening. In the middle of it all, a dead tree waned from side to side. In front of it, a weathered bench stood. On it sat a slick, bald man. He wore a black suit with a few pieces of armor, had countless scars on every inch of his revealed skin and focused on something in the distance.

Kreedence stopped a dozen feet behind him and nodded to Una.

“Good evening, Guardian.”.

“Ah, you’re here, Kreendence.” Guardian’s words came slowly, his voice was honeyed. “That rookie I asked for is with you?”

“Yes, sir,” Una said.

Kreedence frowned. Speak only when you’re spoken too, Una.

The girl looked down at her feet and let a bang of her blonde hair cover her eyes.

“Very well,” Guardian clapped once. “Report? How’s it all going?”

“Great. The whole force--thirty seven veterans and twenty two rookies--is ready to strike Pearl at any moment.”

“That is great.. May I ask, what’s your name?”

Una raised an eyebrow, got a nod from Kreendence then spoke. “Una.”

“Una, Una... Una, come here. I wanna face the youngest link of our force.” Guardian slid over and patted the bench.

The girl sat down.

Guardian produced a dirty muppet. “See this?”

Powers that be, Kreedence thought. Will you just stop that facade?

“This I found while wandering through the forest. You know why I took that walk?”

“Why?”

“Because I thought. About tomorrow. Or tonight. That’s what I couldn’t make up my mind about and I still can’t,” Guardian said. “What will we do? Do we strike like planned or play the dirty trick at night?”

“Um… strike like planned?”

“That’s what I thought too. You’d get more training and you’d be better rested. But the castle will be more prepared. Then I thought of attacking at night. Surely, those people will trust no one to break the unspoken laws of war and will feel safe calling down their defences.” Guardian laughed. “Then I realized those madmen break the laws of war every day. They don’t care and anyone who wants to attack them doesn’t either. You see, that’s how I returned to square one. The thing I can’t figure out.”

That’s the detail he’s been pondering for the past twelve hours, Kreendence thought. Now you realize how meticulous he is, Una.

“What if we attack right before dawn.”

Foolish girl.

Guardian cleared his throat. “What is my problem?”

“Um… you can’t decide when--”

“I can’t choose between day and night. That’s my problem. I never asked when else we could attack, did I? Don’t answer because I know -- I didn’t. I have one problem and I’m sure as hell not going to make more for fixing it. I’m here to decide: day or night. I don’t give a damn about anything else so don’t speak a word about that.”

“I just--”

Guardian slapped Una. The sound echoed through the forest. The girl fell out of the bench and onto her knees. Guardian grabbed and strangled her for a moment before slapping again, whispering something and letting her go. Struggling, she stood up and backed away, facing Kreendace with eyes full of tears.

Kreendance sighed and shook his head. Una sat back down.

Guardian snapped his fingers. “That’s it, isn’t it? Indeed, I see it now. Kreedance, gather the rookies, get them spears and torches. They go out at night, but they don’t attack. Make the city feel like a huge army is coming. Make them feel like they’re surrounded, trapped and weak. In the morning, you send in the men, stealthily ravage the streets and push that orphanage-castle.”

“Very well.”

“And, Kreed.” Guardian gestured. “Put her in the front of the morning charge. We can’t let her feel strong yet, can we? She has to understand our… interests, doesn’t she?”

***

The drums beat on repeat for hours while huge bonfires blazed around Pearl and showed silhouettes of spears, soldiers and death.

The whole camp buzzed with masters crafting their last pieces of equipment, and soldiers preparing before the fight. The sun was long gone and it’d be long till the it was up again.

Kreedence sat facing a fire, Una and a pair of soldiers beside him.

“In my whole life I’ve never even seen a sorcerer,” Aaron said. “And now we’ll be fighting a whole gang of them.”

“Yeah, what can the dozen of us do?” Peter, the other not-so-old, but also not-so-young soldier, spoke. “I heard sorcerers--”

“You still doubt Guardian?” Kreedence interrupted.

“Well…”

“Yes,” Una said. “At least I do.”

“I understand that you do -- you’ve not seen anything. But you two? Why the hell are you here if you doubt Guardian?”

“Because he’s a good leader and I’ve nowhere else to go,” Aaron said. “But does that mean I’m not allowed to doubt and think on my own?”

“Hell, you can do whatever you want. You’re all free men. Until you join the company.”

“We all read the contracts and we all know what we got ourselves into. But at least I never a saw a bascalledamned word about doubting the leader.”

“Because real respect and absolute trust are not things he teaches. You learn it else you die.”

“You say? We’re two years in--”

“I know. I trained you. Guardian is patient, but patience is never forever.”

A rookie ran back into the camp, flames blazing on his back. He screamed so loud his voice wasn't’ even drowned by the constant beat of the drums. He ran to the well, grabbed a bucket and poured ice cold water over himself. Then he squealed and collapsed.

“This is his plan?” Una said. “To kill--”

Kreedence stood up. “Are you really gonna complain about Guardian when there’s someone dying?!” He dashed to the rookie and the three other soldiers followed.

The rookie was the only one left alive out of the three that’d joined six months ago Three arrows stuck out of his charred back, blood ran down his face. Kreedence crouched and grabbed him.

“What the hell happened?”

The rookie growled. “They got scared and send out a small squad. We ran. Their archers shot us in the back.”

Powers that be, Guardian! This might not be going well…

I hope you got something in mind -- we’ll definitely have some losses.

“How many of you got attacked?”

“My squad. There were four of us. I made it out. Don’t know how the others fared.”

“Alright. Can you hold on?”

The rookie shook his head.

“Medic!” Kreedence shouted as loudly as he could. “Need a medic right now!”

“There’s not gonna be a medic.” The rookie sighed. “One was in my squad.”

“The only medic we have was sent out?!” Kreedence’s eyes widened. “What bullshit is that?!”

Indeed, no medics came to the rescue, only a crowd of drunken, half-armored soldiers formed around.

Kreedence took deep breaths, calming himself with effort, steadying his hands. He turned to Una, Aaron and Paul.

“I’ll need the strongest spirit we have, bandages, pliers and whiskey!”

The soldiers looked at one another, Kreedence gestured and they ran off. Kreedence grabbed the rookie’s head and wiped some blood off. “What’s your name?” he asked. He knew him, as he knew everyone in the Swords of the Guardians, but had trouble with names. Rookies came and went too fast.

“Finn.”

“Finn, you’re gonna be fine. You might be in terrible pain, but that’s temporary. I’ll say it again -- you’ll be fine. You did your duty and you’ll be compensated, alright?”

Finn nodded.

“I need you to focus on the drums. Hear the rhythm and understand it. Focus. Forget about the pain and everything…”

Una arrived with a wooden flask of spirit in one hand and an open bottle of whiskey. Kreedence grabbed the drinks. He handed the whiskey to Finn, gestured for him to drink it then took out his handkerchief. He doused it in the spirit and then wiped all the rookie’s wounds.

As Finn squealed from the spirit on his injuries, Aaron arrived with bandages and Paul with pliers. Kreedence wrapped the rookie’s wounds and moved to his back.

“Those arrows are mostly keeping you from bleeding to death, but I gotta take them out.”

“Gonna hurt?”

“Not as much as being on fire.”

Kreedence readied the spirit and the bandages beside himself then grabbed one arrow with the pliers. He clenched his teeth and pulled. Finn screamed and a small stream of blood shot out. Quickly, Kreedence doused the wound and put a thin bandage around it.

I gotta be faster, he thought and spoke. “Get some water and some food!”

Una sprinted away. Kreedence tugged and the second arrow came out without a struggle or a shot of blood. He took a deep breath and grabbed the third. It moved a little and blood started pouring. Kreedence splashed it with spirit then grabbed harder. Again, the arrow only budged.

Damn you like a bascalle, Kreedence thought. How deep did this thing get?

Maybe it's not worth pulling out?

No, he’ll die.

“Whiskey kicking in?”

“Still hurts.” Finn cried.

Kreedence turned to the crowd around him. “Anyone got a pint to sacrifice?”

A few men shuffled and one handed Finn a beer. The rookie chugged the drink down, shivered and closed his eyes. Unable to handle the sight, Kreedence closed his eyes as well and pulled. The arrow barely moved, but he kept pulling and grunting. Inch by inch, the thing got unstuck. Kreedence, almost falling over, dropped the arrow and doused the rookie’s back with all the spirit left.

“It’s done,” he whispered, grabbed the rookie’s hand and pulled him up. “You gotta rest. Real close meeting with death you had there.”

Kreedence jerked his head and--together with Aaron--carried Finn to a bed beside a fire. They lowered him and put a blanket over his eyes. Una stifled the campfire, handed him some water and whispered into his ear.

Kreedence took long, deep breaths and shook his head. He could feel Guardian’s cold stare on his back. Yet when he turned back, there was no one there. Perhaps it was regret? Or guilt. The man slept--unopposed by anyone--while the people who joined the Swords of the Guardians as their last hope dropped like flies. All of the sudden, the plan didn’t look so good. Kreedence had some doubt within. Then he slapped his forehead and forgot the thought. What good would it do? No matter what, like every day, there was still a chance he’d die. He couldn’t doubt Guardian because of that, could he?