By The Sword - Homepage

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Carter had said that Marc had an announcement to make. He’d said he didn’t know what it was about. And as I stood there, watching the haughty, accomplished knight of a man that I’d had no more than one conversation with standing up in front of the town I now called home, I had no idea either.

The people around us broke into murmurs as he walked up. His sharp, gleaming black hair radiated a firm, powerful elegance that seemed to capture the crowd. As he looked out and waited for the commotion to die down, I saw the two blue-trimmed knights file out after him and the stiff, robed form of my leader following in their wake.

Jason squinted at the knight and clenched his fist before sending a glare my way. Intent was painted clearly in his eyes. He didn’t even need to say it. Whatever announcement Marc was about to make, Jason didn’t have a good feeling about it. And as the arrogant swordsman turned away, letting my gaze once again fall on the respectable man, a small churn in my stomach told me the same thing.

Marc straightened, his boot stomping once on the wooden porch right in front of the town hall’s entrance. All noise died in an instant. Where there had been conversation, speculation, doubt, there was now silence. It seemed that every person in the entire town had their eyes glued on the knight. It was as if the emblem that was ornamented all over his wear literally held Sarin’s collective breath.

Marc cleared his throat. Not a single person budged.

From my view on the side of the town hall, I saw the corner of Marc’s lip curl up. He knew he was in control, and he as loving it.

“Hello,” he started, his voice booming through the air. It drifted through the crowd, sounding in every ear that needed to hear it with perfect precision. “My name is Marcel Gairen.”

The slightest murmur broke out somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Marc’s eyes darted to it an instant, crushing it with the sheer force of his presence.

“As you may have guessed by now,” he continued on undeterred. “I am your town’s new lord. After the unfortunate betrayal and then death of Sarin’s old lord, Arathorn, my previously dear cousin,” the soft hum of confusion spread throughout the crowd, “you people were left in an unpleasant spot. In the place where your order originated—where you found the base of your structure, there was suddenly nothing.”

I leaned forward, waiting for the man to continue. He didn’t. Instead, he took another step forward, making sure the firm step could be heard by the entire town, and hung his head for a moment.

“Truly,” he started, his firm tone now filled with sympathy, “I cannot understand how this tragic situation could have affected each and every citizen of this town. But no amount of apologizing is going to bring him back from Death’s chamber. There is nothing that could possibly do that.” Something twitched inside of me, flaring out momentarily before it fell away. “But what I can do,” his voice echoed with sudden confidence, “is take his place, and promise you something as good—if not better, than what you had before.”

The hum of confusion became one of excitement as the strong, calculated words of our new lord roused the people around me. I furrowed my brow, his words repeating in my head. Each one of them was sharp and poignant as if rehearsed for this exact moment. They probably were rehearsed for this exact moment, but that didn’t stop the suspicious part of my mind from working on its own.

“Arathorn was a good man. But I can be better.” He paused for a second, letting his claim sink into the enraptured crowd. “As a former knight general—the best there ever was—from the city of Veron, I know the most important things for people like you. Safety. Security. Prosperity. In that order.”

The people around us were split. In the moment after Marc’s sentence had finished, what sounded like dozens of grumbled complaints came out, but just as many confused questions sounded off as well. Jason’s lips contorted into a sneer, and Kye’s eyes were frozen on Marc’s satisfied face.

I just stood and processed what he’d said. To me, everything he said sounded standard. The values he described were what was most important to a town. Those were the core goals of a knight on protection.

“To achieve this,” Marc’s voice came right back, rising in volume with every syllable, “I have renewed and improved the agreement with your local rangers.” I could see Lorah’s hand twitch under her crossed arms as she stood against the wall, staring at the man she’d just negotiated with. “They will not only continue their job, but also expand it as well.” Jason’s hand fell to his side. “Your forests will stay safe, and your game will be hunted, but your rangers—with the help of my knights—will do so much more to ensure the prosperity of this town.”

Kye’s gaze was harsh, but her posture was still mostly relaxed. Jason’s hand flexed in the air, hovering right above his sword. And beside me, Carter just stared at Marc in complete, bewildered disgust. Before I knew it, my fingers had curled into a fist as well, and frustration was bubbling just under the surface.

“This new arrangement will further protect both Sarin, and all—”

Movement flashed in the corner of my eye—a small form stomping off. “I have more valuable time than this!” someone said. And with the squeaky exclamation, I instantly knew who it was. Turning my gaze, I watched Galen push his way through a few startled townsfolk and walk himself back toward the ranger’s lodge.

When my gaze returned to Marc, his eyebrows had dropped and his mouth was still wide open. The confident control that he’d built up cracked only a little before he straightened his stance and re-found his stride.

“It will further protect both Sarin, and all of its connected citizens in the surrounding plains.” A new murmur spread through the people, this time coming in small pockets. I even heard a cheer from someone in the far back of the crowd. “There will be no threat to any of you, not even from the horrible scourge in your forest.”

I glanced up, my eyes narrowing on the smiling lord. He knew about the terrors, then. And he was confident that his new agreement was good enough to stop them. I shivered ever so slightly as the still all-too-fresh memories of the scraping fear breathed down my neck.

“With this newfound agreement also comes newfound connections. Sarin’s relationship with the mountain states is already improving from what it was, but with my reach, we will also build up connections with many of the other surrounding towns, starting with Farhar to the south.”

My gaze wavered at the unknown name. I moved my eyes to Kye, hoping to find an answer on her face. But besides one stray look to the south, down the treeline of our forest, I didn’t get anything else.

The excited clamor of the crowd grew with intensity. Conversations, speculation, and just plain elation attacked my ears from all sides. However, even though the townsfolk in the crowd sounded excited at Marc’s announcement—a fact he was very much relishing in—the people most immediate to me did not.

A little pocket in the crowd, us rangers radiated what amounted to complete and absolute dissatisfaction. Based on the looks Carter, Kye, and Jason were giving me—along with the depressed sneer that was creeping its way onto Lorah’s face—it did not seem like they were happy about it.

With my fingers curled into a fist, I didn’t know how I felt about it either. The values he presented—and the agreement he laid out to get to those values—all seemed standard to me. It sounded like a standard knightly reform, and it was one that would undoubtedly better the town. But still, my own thoughts started to nag at my resolve.

As the commotion started to die down, a few of the townsfolk even already leaving, Marc’s grin grew. He held out his hand into a practiced wave, making sure as many of his new citizens saw it before he nodded to the knights behind him and walked back into the town hall.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jason’s lips part, venom ready to spew out.

“Son of a bitch,” he said. “No wonder we weren’t allowed in those negotiations.”

I opened my mouth to respond, to ask exactly what he meant, but I was cut off before I even started.

“Lorah?!” a distantly familiar voice said. I twisted on my heel, watching Lionel’s tall, sturdy, black-haired form push through the crowd and up the steps. A few of Sarin’s citizens—who all knew exactly who Lionel was—stared at him curiously as he pushed through, but their gazes were barely a drop in the sea of chaos.

When Lionel found his way up onto the town hall’s porch, he looked around, shaking off the gazes on him before continuing in a hushed voice. I had to strain my ears and focus above the crowd just to hear what he was saying.

“What was that?” he asked. Lorah stiffened up and pursed her lips, obviously not wanting to answer.

“What the hell is he doing up there?” Carter asked, breaking my concentration. I debated glaring at him, but swallowed up the momentary frustration.

“He’s getting answers, I presume,” Kye said. She still had her arms crossed and one eyebrow half-raised as she stared at our leader talking with one of our senior members. “I don’t think that’s a bad idea actually.”

Before a question could even form in my mind, Kye was off, slipping between us and into the crowd. Jason, with his hand still gripping his sheathed blade, quickly followed after her. Carter and I glanced at each other, our gazes meeting for a second before we both knew. Unless we wanted to be stuck in an excited crowd while other rangers got answers we all wanted, we had no other choice. We followed.

After weaving our way through the dispersing crowd, Carter and I stumbled up the steps to the town hall. Well, Istumbled on one of the steps. He did not.

“You know what this means, right?” Lionel’s irritated voice cut through the dull ambience.

Lorah stiffened again, keeping her gaze square with the taller ranger. He hesitated for a second, his foot instinctively moving back.

“Of course I know what this means,” she said calmly. “This agreement was more complicated than you know.”

“Right, because we know nothing,” Jason cut in with his own indignation. “I already know his terms are bullshit. We’re lucky to have him, sure,” I could tell the swordsman didn’t really mean his last word, “but I don’t want to workfor him.”

“We already answer to the lord,” Kye chimed in.

“But we don’t—”

Kye held up a hand, stopping Jason in his tracks. He snapped his mouth shut, probably feeling the same force in her gesture that I did.

“Let me finish, dammit.” Jason gave up a half-nod. “We answer to the lord, but we don’t take orders from him.” She turned to Lorah. “We’re supposed to be an independent group. We’re supposed to have an agreement with the town, not be subservient to it.”

“It’s not entirely that,” Lorah said.

“Oh?” Jason asked sarcastically. “It’s not? Because from what I heard, it sounded like he was already giving us new responsibilities.”

Lorah snapped her gaze to him, nearly freezing him in place. “Well, what you heard isn’t entirely correct. As I said, it’s complicated. And I’d appreciate it if you don’t make assumptions based on things you know very little about.”

The platinum-haired light mage continued her death stare at the swordsman. The two were about the same height—almost half a head taller than me—but even still, she was the one looming over him.

Lionel shifted his stance. I flicked my eyes to him, watching the way he stared at the large, closed wooden door. “If it’s complicated, I bet it’s something he knows all about.”

Lorah stopped her show over Jason to turn back, but Lionel wasn’t even there. Before another second could pass, the door had already swung open and he’d charged in.

“World's dammit,” I found myself muttering.

Lionel was as sure of himself as any of the other arrogant rangers, but he was normally humble. He didn’t brag like Jason did, but in every interaction, I could tell how he felt about himself. From the way he held himself, and the people he gathered, it was as clear as day. Normally his confidence wasn’t a bad thing, mostly because it was earned, but it could still cause trouble. And that sentiment rang no truer than it did as the tall, raven-haired ranger charged into the town hall to argue with his knightly match.

By the time I got into the room, trailing behind Jason and Lorah but ahead of Carter and Kye, Lionel was already knocking on Marc’s office door. The Knight of Norn that appeared to be on guard was urging him in a hushed tone not to disturb the lord, but Lionel didn’t heed his warning.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Lorah asked, coming up on her subordinate. The bright light of the torch next to him flared out, sending blinding rays throughout the room. Lionel shielded himself with his hand before glaring back at Lorah.

“I’m getting answers,” was all he had to say.

Before Lorah could retort, the door to Arathorn’s—to Marc’s office swung open and the other Knight of Norn stepped out.

“What is this about?” he asked powerfully. I could feel the force of his voice as it did its best to boom through the room.

“I’d like to speak with Marcel,” Lionel said before any of the rest of us could speak.

“Please,” came Marc’s calm voice, “call me Marc.”

As he stepped out, his gallant poise as respectable as ever, I caught flickering glances of the office inside. A bolt of fear struck me through the heart, but with another beat, it calmed. The wooden floor that used to be covered in books and papers was now much neater. The large, wooden desk—which I only caught the corner of—seemed… newer somehow. And from the rays of light streaming down onto Marc’s back, I knew that the window had been unboarded.

“Okay, Marc,” Lionel said. The poison that had been in his voice only moments earlier had all-but drained away, leaving begrudged respect in its wake.

“What are you here for?” Marc asked, raising his head for a moment. He was holding a paper in his hand, or a piece of older parchment, I couldn’t entirely tell. But either way, he only seemed to be half-paying attention to us.

“I’m here because I want to know a little more about the agreement I’ve been involved in.”

Marc chuckled softly. “I can assure you that your name was not mentioned a single time during our meeting.” Lionel narrowed his vision and I heard Jason swallowing a snicker. “But if you’d like to know more, I can tell you what I can tell you.”

Lionel’s eyes narrowed again, but the silence in the room prompted him on. He cleared his throat. “Okay. What did you mean when you said the rangers would ‘expand’ their job?”

Marc shifted his foot slightly as he stared back at Lionel. “It is quite simple. To make sure that Sarin is as safe and prosperous, the rangers will take on more protective duties, and work more closely with my knights.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Kye straighten up and purse her lips.

“What do you mean by ‘more protective duties?’” Lionel asked.

Marc’s answer came swiftly and smoothly. “It means you will have more protective duties. Whether that is just being on city guard, acting as an escort as some of you already have done,” he glanced at Kye, “or being a task-team on specific assignments.”

Lionel opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Marc’s answer was so succinct, so easy to understand. Lionel may have been confident—rightly so—but as he tried to find words to respond to the accomplished, stern knight in front of him, it looked like he’d finally met his match.

I had to swallow a chuckle as Lionel mentally stumbled in an effort to ask another question. I understood why he was upset, and why we were all standing around pestering our new lord, but I didn’t see it all. Improving the security and prosperity of Sarin was our job in the first place, at least as far as I was concerned. So, Marc’s better organization and increase in responsibility only made sense.

“Why should we work with your knights?”

The dark-haired ranger’s question caught me off guard. It was sudden, as far as I was concerned, and he’d spoken it so coldly. As I watched my fellow rangers eyeing up the two knights that were already in the room with us, I started to grind my teeth. In each of their gazes, I found something familiar. I saw the exact same resigned contempt I’d seen in Kye’s eyes when we’d first gone to Norn.

“Because I told you to,” Marc replied calmly. “And because it is best for the town. It is best for your town.”

“Our town was doing just fine before,” Jason mumbled. Marc tore his gaze away from the paper in his hands and stared at Jason.

“Well, that may have been, but—”

“And we didn’t need this kind of rigid responsibility or fake collaboration.”

I furrowed my brow, his disrespect hitting me harder than it should’ve. “What?” I found myself asking.

All eyes in the room turned to me, wide in surprise by my sudden outburst. I unconsciously took a step back before shaking off their glares and regaining my own position.

“All this does is give more structure to our town,” I said. It made logical sense to me. It was the kind of thing our Knights of Credon did when we reformed a desperate town. “It gives us more credibility while keeping the people we already protect safer.”

As soon as I finished my sentence, Lionel and Jason were staring at me with furious intent. The frustration was painted plain in their eyes. They obviously didn’t agree. To my side, Kye stared at me too, but she looked more in curiosity than in anger. I could hear Carter mumbling something about honor behind me, voicing his own frustrations just soft enough so that I couldn’t make them out.

Jason stepped forward. “We’re answering directly to someone who we’ve barely met, though.”

“But it’s not about us,” I shot back. Jason’s lips snapped shut, curling up in distaste. “It’s about the people we’re here to protect.”

“Exactly,” Marc said, nodding to me. “There will be little change on your part, and this will only work to better this town. Before you know it, it will be as strong as Veron is.”

Multiple grumbles grew from Marc’s statement, but none of them were voiced loud enough to interrupt him. His grin only grew.

“Well, it seems as if your questions have been answered.” He stopped for only a heartbeat, continuing on before there could be any room for comments. “You all must be exhausted, and I still have work to do…”

Marc tilted his head, gesturing toward the door. Taking the hint—one that was reinforced by the two armored knights stepping toward us—we all turned around.

And Lorah, the leader of the rangers who’d been oddly quiet during the entire exchange, was the first of us to leave as she swung the door open and stepped quickly out into the afternoon air.

“What the hell was that?”

Jason’s continued complaining nearly made my eyes hurt for how many times I was rolling them. After we’d left, he still hadn’t let it go. He hadn’t even let it rest for more than a few seconds. Even after Lionel had stormed away, off to find the group he usually gathered with no doubt, it had felt like Jason had doubled his irritation to fill the void.

“That was our new lord,” Lorah said dryly, quickening her pace. Carter, Kye, and I were all walking swiftly in her shadow, watching—mostly in amusement—as Jason continued to try and question her.

“Yes, I know that. But how did you agree to all that?”

“Look,” Lorah cut in, holding a hand up to the swordsman. “He’s more important than I initially realized. Some concessions had to be made so that he would even take the position.”

“Important? Important how?”

“The bronze gauntlet doesn’t lie,” Lorah said in a warmer tone. “He really was a knight general in Veron.”

I furrowed my brow, still unsure even what that meant. I knew he was a knight, but I didn’t know what the position of a knight general was, or what status it held. However, as Jason darted his gaze away for a moment and hung his head further, I knew that I was the only one out of the loop.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jason tried.

“It means he’s got connections,” Lorah spat. The warm quality of her voice that she’d slowly been building back tore away in frustration. “He’s way more respected with towns and organizations than I’d expected.”

“What kinds of organizations?” I asked, unable to help myself.

Lorah looked back at me, her hood slipping off the side of her face. Her gaze softened and her features warmed up. “He’s got ties with all of the mountain states, for example, and Farhar, and Tailake, and the Vimur.”

“He has connections to the Vimur?” Jason asked. I started to clench my teeth. Most everything she had just said had done nothing to answer my question. It was just another list of names that everyone else knew but that I didn’t.

“Yes,” Lorah responded shortly. “Apparently he had an arrangement with one of them at some point to enchant protections for Veron.”

Kye looked up. “Yeah… I think I heard him talking about that. He met one of the Vimur on one of his conquests, and was able to get their protective services on… their temple, I think?”

Carter squinted at her for a second before nodding. “Right, they have temples to the world in the mountain states, don’t they?”

Kye nodded. “Yeah. I mean, considering that build fucking everything out of stone, it makes sense. Sometimes I think we don’t thank the world enough.”

Jason shook his head. “Anyway, just because he has all of these… connections doesn’t mean he should be able to demand what he got. Why didn’t you push back?”

Lorah sighed. “Connections matter, Jason. He is very close with a lot of the places we have to trade with, and without him we’d probably end up a floundering fish. Tell me, now, where do you think we get the precious metal in all of your world’s damned swords?”

I noticed Jason’s grip lighten on his sword. “I, uh…”

Lorah didn’t even let him stutter for long. “I’ve lived in this town my whole life. I’ve poured my blood into this place. Everything I did was for it, and for the rangers. Don’t you think that if I could’ve pushed back more, I would’ve?”

Jason fell silent, only nodding after a few seconds had passed. He knew she was right. I knew she was right. And there was no use in arguing any further.

After another few seconds of silence, Lorah sped up her pace and walked up to the ranger’s lodge. I jerked my head back, astonished at where we even were. In the midst of my own thoughts—now filled with more unknown names than I knew what to do with—I hadn’t even noticed we’d come up to it.

Without looking back, Lorah flung open the door and walked in, leaving only the stray glints of sunlight shining off of her robe’s silver lining behind her. Jason followed after her, still holding his tongue.

Then Carter went in too, now inspecting a knife that I hadn’t even seen him pull out. He spared a final glance toward Kye and I, giving us a weak smile and a shrug before walking in the door and letting the wind slam it shut behind him.

“It really could be worse,” Kye said. I turned to her, raising one of my eyebrows. “He’s an accomplished man, and we’re pretty lucky to have him as our new lord. Just as long as he keeps his hands out of our business.”

My lips curled up and I nodded, a little unsure about that last bit. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling the mental exhaustion slowly setting in as I did. I sighed. The conversations that I’d just had played back through my mind in splitting detail.

“Yeah,” Kye said again as she walked up to the door. “It’ll be fine. I’m just glad things are back to normal.”

Her words drifted to my ears on the wind and by the time I opened my mouth to respond, the door was already slamming shut behind her. I furrowed my brow, the statement repeating in my head again. I’d been unsure about it the first time, I didn’t believe it the second time, and now, glancing back at the town that was now ruled by somebody else, it seemed completely ridiculous.

Things were not back to normal.