Kaewyn leant back in his chair and sighed. Fifteen minutes had passed since his evening meal had been brought to him. A serving of cheese, bread and freshly cooked chicken, along with a cup of wine all remained practically untouched upon the table. The cheese was hard and the bread was going stale, but that was not why his appetite had deserted him. For the past two weeks Kaewyn had found it incredibly difficult to summon the energy to do much of anything. As the Greystone Army left Taneby and Oscua Province behind and headed for Vinum, he had spent his days riding in the saddle alone with his thoughts.

The Battle for Taneby had been a resounding success by every metric, but this was due in most part to the audaciousness and cunning of Camilla’s brilliant idea on the eve of battle. Her quick thinking had helped them defeat their enemy and put an end to a siege that could have lasted months and costed thousands of lives, but when she needed him, he froze. Lord Rhys, Camilla’s brother, had found his sister in Kaewyn’s tent after the Battle for Taneby had concluded, and when Kaewyn returned, Rhys was absolutely furious. Lord Rhys demanded answers, but there was none he could give. The memory sickened him still. He could still see Camilla’s tearful blue eyes as Rhys shouted at them both. He had wanted so much in that moment to stand up to Rhys, but how could he? It was his sister he had found in his supposed friend’s personal tent, the very same sister who was supposed to be safe back in Greystone Province. From Rhys’ perspective, Kaewyn understood why he was as angry as he was, he had been lied to by a friend and ally as well as his sister, but that didn’t matter. Camilla was distraught and upset, seeing tears running down her cheeks should have been enough for him to stand up to her brother, but in that moment, he froze. He said nothing when Rhys turned his anger to his sister. He did nothing when he took hold of her arm and pulled her to her feet and dragged her out of the tent. He didn’t even follow as he heard her cries become more and more distant as Rhys rode out of their camp back to his own men. He hated himself for that, and after two long weeks his hatred hadn’t subsided.

During their march to respond to the new threat of the barbarian invasion that had arisen since the Battle for Taneby, Marcus Linforde, Kaewyn’s senior advisor, had attempted to discuss many important matters with him only to find him apathetic. General Alaric and Arlan, his military men, had also tried to engage with him with little success. Even his retainer, Yohren, whom he considered a close and loyal friend, had barely gotten a word out of him since they set out. Kaewyn felt terribly guilty for acting the way he was, but the burden of responsibility had been a pressure that had been unrelenting in its constant demand for his attention. He wanted, and needed some time to himself. Eventually, he realised that his advisors and friends had apparently decided to leave him be. Just when their attempts to speak with him had started to become habitual, they suddenly stopped. Kaewyn discovered that Marcus had begun to hold meetings every afternoon before nightfall to deal with the many crises they were facing. Desertions, supply shortages and the enemy harassing them at every opportunity were all matters that needed answers, with or without his input. Marcus addressed issues, gave orders and decided what the army was going to be doing the next day. Which is exactly what Kaewyn knew he should have been doing as Lord of Greystone Province. Every day he planned to step back into his role as lord, but every morning he weakly decided to give himself one more day, but it had now been two whole weeks. He couldn’t justify his behaviour for any longer. It was time to be a lord once more, for he knew no amount of time wallowing in self-pity was going to help him feel better, and the many issues that faced them would not simply go away because he wished them to.

Kaewyn stood up from his chair and considered the wooden plate with his chicken, cheese and bread, and then decided to leave it be and head outside. The air outside his tent was cool, but not so much that it was uncomfortable. The sky was darkening and had become a deep grey. He had no doubts that it would be completely dark soon, which meant that Marcus and the others would probably be holding their meeting soon if they hadn’t started already. I’d better not dawdle or the meeting will conclude without me. It isn’t like they are expecting to me be there after all.

“My lord?” One of the soldiers guarding his tent said. “Are you… are you done with your meal?”

He nodded. “It would seem that along with some of our troops, my appetite has also decided to deserted me.”

The two soldiers did their best to pretend the thought of his food being left uneaten did not matter in the slightest to them. Their discipline and professionalism overcoming their hunger. Neither of them said a word, but the look on their faces told Kaewyn all he needed to know. The army’s supplies had been running critically low for nearly a week. The barbarians moved in small groups on horseback and managed to intercept nearly all of their supply shipments coming in from Greystone and Oscua. Patrols had been sent out to prevent the attacks, but many who left did not return. To alleviate the food shortage, Marcus had ordered that food rations be cut to a half in order to preserve their supplies, but morale had taken a significant hit. They must be quite hungry. I bet they haven’t had a decent meal in days.

Kaewyn hesitated for a moment, then lifted the flap to his tent and gestured inside.

“Why don’t the both of you go inside and share the rest amongst yourselves.” Kaewyn said, forcing a smile. “There is some wine inside as well.”

The soldier’s eyes lit up in amazement. “My lord, a-are you sure?”

He nodded.

“Th-thank you, my lord! Thank you for your generosity!”

The two soldiers disappeared into Kaewyn’s tent, and even from outside he could still hear their excited, high-pitched voices as they began to stuff their faces. He knew his meal wouldn’t go far between two hungry men, but this simple act brought him some pleasure. Although he still felt down, it was the first good feeling he had experienced in some time.

Kaewyn left his tent and headed into the middle of the makeshift camp. The army had arrived here two days ago and stopped to rest and recover from the constant harassment they sustained whenever they were on the march. He saw groups of soldiers huddled around campfires and tents. Most ate their reduced rations in quiet conversation. No laughter or music could be heard, a fact which concerned Kaewyn greatly. In their previous campaigns north and during their march to Oscua, the army was loud all of the time. Men sang and laughed at all hours of the day and many kept themselves occupied with competitions and games of chance, but today he could hear nor see any such activities taking place. The mood of the camp was low, a striking match to how he had been feeling himself as of late.

Uncertain of where to find Marcus and the others, Kaewyn looked around for someone he recognised so that he could find out where to go. After a minute or two, he realised that he was getting nowhere. Instead, he decided to find an officer or someone in a position of authority as they were more likely to know where to find Marcus. It didn’t take him long to spot someone who he believed could help him. The man standing by the baggage train and looked to be overseeing the distribution of their rations amongst the soldiery. Kaewyn approached him and found that the man was so incredibly busy, he didn’t even notice his lord among the many hungry souls vying for his attention. All around soldiers demanded more food and wine, while others simply hurled insults. Kaewyn found himself shouting to be heard over the raucous demands, but as more and more people recognised him, the crowd grew quieter. The officer in charge of the supplies then spotted him, his face red from stress and embarrassment. The officer bowed multiple times and offered his apologies as the crowd begrudgingly began to disperse. Kaewyn then asked for where he could find Marcus and the others, to which the officer immediately offered to escort him. Kaewyn saw how busy the officer was, as well as the men under the officer who were still organising and unloading rations from carts. Instead of having the officer escort him, he simply asked for directions and left the officer to his difficult task.

The officer had told him that Marcus had held his previous meetings under a large old tree next to the medical tents in the northern part of the camp. With his destination now known, Kaewyn headed toward the medical tents. To get there, he had to go around a temporary animal pen that housed the animals they had brought with them since the beginning of the campaign. He saw mostly pigs and goats but some other animals as well. He noticed that the animal pen was kept under a strict guard. What he noticed most however, was that the number of animals was fewer every day and only a fraction of what it was when they left Xu Castle. As the army’s food ran low these animals were butchered to feed the army. When they were all gone, Kaewyn suspected the hungry and desperate would begin to eye the horses, a thought that sickened him to his core.

His detour around the animal pen led him to another pen of sorts. He stopped to see what livestock was kept within out of sheer curiosity. Again, the pen was kept under strict guard. Kaewyn saw to his surprise, that inside the pen were not animals, but people. These people, about six in total, were split into two groups that sat on opposite sides of the pen. He noticed that they were not segregated by design. No fence or barrier prevented them from sitting together but the distance between them was the entire width of the space inside, as if they were purposely sitting as far away from each other as they could. His curiosity piqued, Kaewyn got closer.

“Careful milord. Do not get too close.” One of the guards said sternly. “These barbarians were captured two days ago, just before we set up our camp. Probably trying to set fire to our supplies again.”

Kaewyn nodded, then ignored the guard and looked closer. He had never seen the invaders before. Both groups wore clothing unlike anything he had ever seen. All of them had dark hair and their skin was a dark bronze. The group on the left wore little armour and were clothed in simple cloth and leathers of varying colours, their faces dotted with blue and white paint. The patterns were intricate and detailed. One bore a tattoo that covered the arms and neck. The group on the right however, bore no such paint or tattoos. Their faces were unmarked and they wore armour that was clearly different, but no less advanced than that of the Empire. He noticed one of them clutching a pendant of some sort in his fist protectively, a look of both anger and fear in his eyes. The sight of the prisoner with the pendant reminded him of his father’s Token of Ohnix, the one that he had given to Camilla to keep safe before the Battle of Taneby. I hope Camilla is doing alright…

Based on his observations and the clear differences between the two groups, Kaewyn believed that they were from two different tribes or regions, with one clearly being the more advanced of the two. He wondered why they had been caught together, and pondered what relationship between each group could possibly be. Masters and slaves perhaps? Or rival tribes, but then how could one be so much more advanced than the other? Maybe it is simply a matter of a ruling class and their subjects.

Other than how they looked or what they wore, Kaewyn noticed how malnourished and weak they were. He looked around and saw no evidence that they had been fed or given water.

“When were these prisoners last given food and water?” He asked.

“I’ve been standing guard since this morning milord.” The guard said. “Nothing has come for them.”

“Are you saying they haven’t been given anything all day?”

“…As I said milord, nothing has come for them.” The guard said nervously. “The other guards and I are getting little enough as it is. Surely we cannot be expected to share?”

Kaewyn shook his head. “Who is in charge of organising the food for these prisoners?”

“One of your retainers, milord. I do not know his name.” The guard replied. “If you wait a moment, I can ask the others and find out for you?”

“No need.” Kaewyn replied.

He only had one retainer.

***

Kaewyn watched on from a distance unnoticed as Marcus meticulously adjusted the map of Vinum Province that sat upon the long wooden table. His advisor was alone and probably waiting for the others to arrive, Kaewyn guessed. The dark grey sky had given way to night, which was most likely why Marcus had not spotted him yet. Soldiers patrolled all around the camp armed with lit torches of flame. Some stopped and approached him when they noticed him lurking behind the medical tents, but the moment they recognised who he was, they quickly left him be. These raids have put everyone on edge. No one wants to be the one responsible for letting the enemy sneak into camp and set what little supplies they had left aflame.

The echo of Marcus’ voice in the distance snapped Kaewyn’s attention back to the meeting spot. Arlan and Yohren had arrived and after the customary greetings, the two began to look over the map and speak. Kaewyn tried to listen but he was too far away to understand what they were saying. A moment later, General Alaric emerged accompanied by two of the junior military officials that he didn’t recognise. The council then began in earnest as Marcus pointed at the map and started to speak, but again Kaewyn couldn’t hear what he was saying. I suppose now is as good a time as any other.

He sighed, then walked toward the council. It was Arlan who spotted him first. The newest member of his inner circle smiled warmly and bowed his head. The others saw his action and turned around to see him coming toward them. Not a one could hide their surprise at his sudden appearance and those who did not know him well bowed their heads in complete deference.

“My lord?” Marcus said as he cleared his throat. “We did not expect your presence.”

“And why would you?” Kaewyn replied curtly. “I’ve left everything in your hands, but that changes tonight.”

General Alaric crossed his arms. “Had enough of hiding your head in the sand huh? Does that mean you will be joining us again?”

“I’m here, am I not?”

“Very well, very well.” Marcus said, nodding his head. “Then before we make any decisions, we must update you on the latest information we have.”

Kaewyn nodded.

“As you know my lord, our situation is dire. Our initial strategy was to intercept the barbarians before they made it further north while Lord Rhys and the Vinum Province army reinforced Varde Castle, but that is no longer possible.”

“How so?” Kaewyn asked.

Marcus walked over to the map and pointed at a location on the map. His finger rested upon a spot south of Varde Castle, the capital of Vinum Province.

“Here.” Marcus said as he shook his head. “Our army was supposed to make it here three days ago to block the barbarians from making it further north, but due to their constant hit and run tactics, our march has been slowed to little more than a crawl. Our scouts confirmed today what I have suspected for the last few days.”

“Confirmed what Marcus?” Arlan asked.

“The main force of barbarians has already progressed northward. We’ve failed to block their advance, which means they’ll be at Varde Castle any day now.”

“Damn it.” General Alaric said through grit teeth. “If it weren’t for these cowardly attacks, we’d have been able to get there in time.”

“You only call these attacks cowardly because you were not able to prevent them, General.” Marcus snapped. “If you had, our situation would not be so dire.”

“I couldn’t prevent them because they were impossible to predict!” General Alaric shouted back. “Every one of the bastards is on horseback and they attack at random. Even when my men got lucky and intercepted them before they attacked our supply line, they simply fled and attacked somewhere else.”

“Lord Kaewyn has only just returned to our council and you two insist on bickering like children.” Arlan scolded. “We should get back to the important matters and you two can continue bickering in your personal time.”

“A fair point.” Marcus conceded. “Are we agreed General?”

General Alaric grunted, but nodded his head.

“The attacks have also prevented us from resupplying our stores.” Yohren added. “There’s not much left. The soldiers are angry only getting half their usual rations.”

“Thankfully I had the foresight to reduce their rations to half some time ago, or we would already be out of food.” Marcus said.

“If we are not careful, the men will mutiny.” General Alaric warned.

“Surely not.” Marcus countered. “Our army have won great victories that will be etched into history only recently. Even as simple as they are, surely they cannot have forgotten so soon?”

“A hungry man is a desperate man.” Arlan added. “A desperate man turns bandit or deserter easier than one might think.”

“Most people don’t care about legacy or history as much as you do Marcus.” Yohren said.

“Most people are fools…”

“The mood of the camp is dour. The soldiers feel helpless against these attacks for which we have no answer.” General Alaric said. “I believe in my men and their resolve, but we had best find a solution soon.”

“Do we know how our allies are faring?” Arlan asked. “With the barbarians sneaking past us and heading north, he and the Vinum Province army are sure to meet them sooner or later.”

“A good question.” Marcus replied. “But one we have no answer for. Most of our scouts fall victim to the barbarians out in the forests which means we know very little. As for Lord Rhys, we have received no word from him in some time. In his last message he made it clear he was moving to protect Varde Castle. It is entirely possible he has already engaged the barbarians in battle…”

“I hope Lord Rhys and Lady Camilla are safe.” Yohren said softly.

As do I, Yohren.

“If the Vinum Army is fighting the bulk of the invaders alone…” Arlan said ponderously.

“There is no point in discussing something we do not know is fact.” Marcus said angrily. “Why waste our time?”

“What about my brother?” Kaewyn asked. “Have we heard anything?”

Marcus shook his head. “Nothing new since we learned he crossed into Edheren Province. That hot head has probably dragged us into another war, with an ally of ours no less. You should have listened to me and had him killed.”

“One crisis at a time Marcus.” Kaewyn sighed. “Besides, we don’t know the full details of why Rahim acted, only that he did.”

“In any case my lord, I’m sure Seneschal Talbury will do whatever he needs to do until we can return home.”

With no lord and no army, I’m sure he’s absolutely delighted with the situation.

“Enough about all that, we should focus on our own predicament before we worry about such distant matters.” Marcus said.

“Agreed. What we need to do is decide what we are going to do right now.” General Alaric said as his gaze turned to Kaewyn. “My lord, now that you are back, the decision should be yours.”

Kaewyn sighed, then lowered his head and took a deep, ponderous breath. That familiar, oppressive feeling of all eyes being upon him waiting for him to make the decision returned in full force. It was not something he enjoyed, but it was something up until recently he had begun to get used to being there. He had come so far since his father’s untimely death, but sometimes he still wished a return to a simpler time when he avoided his responsibility. All of his life he had been one to avoid his duties and tasks, often choosing to spend his time drinking in town or reading books in his chambers all night. But now he was Lord, no one else would cover for him while he hid away. It was his responsibility, but only with the assistance of his friends and advisors did he truly feel capable of being up to the task. Feeling a little better, he let out his breath and calmed himself.

“Our army was supposed to block the barbarians from pushing north.” Kaewyn said as he leant over the table and looked at the map again.

“But we failed.” General Alaric added.

“Indeed General, which means there is only one path open to us.” He said as he tapped a location on the map. “We make for Varde Castle; we find Lord Rhys and his army and resist the invaders together.”

“A sound plan, my lord. Not only will it be easier to resupply with us being further north and thus closer to home, I believe combining our forces with our allies will bring us closer to a decisive, pitched battle, rather than these barbarians favoured style of hit and run tactics.” Marcus explained. “I also suggest we send a message of our own to Lord Rhys to advise him of our plans. There is no guarantee that the message will reach him before we arrive, but if it does, it may prevent him from doing something drastic knowing we are on the way to reinforce and regroup with him. If nothing else, we can at least warn him that the enemy is close to him.”

Kaewyn nodded. “Do it.”

“I will have the army ready to march at first light.” General Alaric said with a bow of the head.

“Sooner would be better General. With how quickly our scouts and supply lines are being hit, I think it is safe to say we are being watched even now.” Kaewyn said. “If we march before first light, then we may buy ourselves crucial time before our movements are relayed to the main enemy force.”

General Alaric nodded and walked off into the camp, shouting orders in the same fashion of the late General. Marcus too, bowed his head and rolled up the map and departed, leaving only Arlan and Yohren around the table.

“I am pleased to see you much like your old self, my lord.” Arlan said warmly.

“How I have been the past week is far more like my old self Arlan, if only you knew.” He said with a chuckle. “Anyway, tomorrow, when we set out, I want to join you in the vanguard.”

“My lord?”

“I’m done with hiding away.” He explained. “I want to ride with you ahead of our forces. I want to see our enemy up close, to learn how they fight, why they fight, and most importantly, how to defeat them.”

“It will be dangerous…” Arlan warned.

“Well, good thing I’ll have your training to keep me safe then.” He said, smiling cheekily.

Arlan shook his head and smiled. “You haven’t trained with me since the Battle of Taneby.”

“Another thing I need to get into back to doing then.” He said adamantly.

“Just make sure you wear your armour.”

Kaewyn nodded.

“Very well my lord. Get some rest.” Arlan said as he turned to leave. “The vanguard leaves well before the rest of the army, which means less sleep!”

Yohren shuffled his feet and looked around awkwardly. His first and only retainer seemed to be anxious and it was obvious to Kaewyn that he wanted to say something.

“Go on.” He said.

“You gave everyone else a job to do.” Yohren said. “What about me?”

“I want you where you’ll always be Yohren. By my side.”

Yohren smiled and nodded, but as he turned to leave, Kaewyn stopped him.

“Yohren… I wanted to ask you something, about the prisoners.”

His retainer turned back to face him and paused. He looked uneasy and anxious to leave.

“Is it true that you were in charge of organising their food and water?” He asked softly.

Yohren hesitated for a second, then nodded.

“I visited them before I came here. The guard told me they haven’t been given anything to eat or drink all day. I saw them Yohren. It isn’t good.”

“I gave it to the wounded.” Yohren said without hesitation. “Athaia said they will struggle to recover on half rations.”

“Yohren.”

“I don’t see the problem here Kaewyn. Why give up our supplies to feed them over our own men? That doesn’t make much sense to me.” Yohren said, his voice rising with each word.

“Because it is the right thing to do. Unless they try to escape, prisoners of war should be treated with respect. It was my father’s belief, one that I share.”

“And do you think they’d do the same for you if they took you prisoner?” Yohren snapped. “They’re savage, mindless brutes Kaewyn. If they had the chance, they’d kill you in an instant.”

“You may be right, but we don’t know enough about them Yohren. Don’t you think we should find out more while we have the opportunity?”

“I know enough!” Yohren shouted angrily, tears forming under his reddened eyes. “They aren’t like you or me, okay? They take what they want and then they destroy the rest. They’ve always done it. You and the others haven’t lived through their raids like I have.”

“Please Yohren, you need to see it from my side.”

“I can’t Kaewyn. You know where I come from. My village isn’t all that far away from here. The barbarians, their army must have…” Yohren turned his head away. The anger in his voice giving way to a soft, reflective tone. “They’re dead. Everyone I ever knew before coming to Xu Castle is gone. And they are to blame, so don’t tell me that I need to see it from your side.”

Yohren shook his head and then walked off with his head low towards camp. Kaewyn desperately wanted to say something that would show Yohren that he was on his side, that he understood why he was angry, but the words would not come to him. He wanted to be supportive but he simply couldn’t condone the starvation of prisoners.

With a sigh, he started the long walk back to his tent. He had a feeling that to get through what awaited him over the next few days, he would need as much rest as he could get.