Chapter 66

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 41st days

Avem, town of House Kalator, land of the Vale

A foot deep of snow was covering the town. The river had begun to freeze, and a slim sheet of ice had appeared over the night. As the tide rose in the morning, the thin sheet of ice was breaking through the main stream of the river. The Kalator soldiers were clearing the snow from the town using hundreds of small shovels. Tossing the snow in many small carts, moving the carts to the drawbridge, and emptying it in the river, they were clearing each street of the town. About halfway through the afternoon, a horn resounded from the eastern gate.

By the time the Silver Lining reached the fort, tens of soldiers were awaiting them. Among them, Nelis and Lieutenant Varok were waiting.

Varok – “It seems they did come back.”

Nelis – “Did you really have any doubt?”

Varok – “I always have doubt, and I do believe we share that trait. If we share any, that is.”

Lanaya – “NELIS! WE’VE GOT A NEW COMPANION!”

As Lanaya walked onto the dock, Nelis walked toward her.

Nelis – “I was starting to fear the river would fully freeze before your return.”

The two of them hugged each other with a firm grip.

Lanaya – “I missed you.”

Nelis – “If I could, I’d stay like this for the whole day.”

Lanaya – “We could.”

Nelis – “We can’t let everyone freeze out here.”

Lanaya – “True.”

Nelis – “Who’s the new one?”

Lanaya turned around and looked at her band.

Lanaya – “Derfel! Come here!”

The man came to them. He seemed both determined and lost at the same time.

Nelis – “Welcome. I’m Nelis. You might hate us and you’d be right to, but even enemies can respect each other. I don’t like newcomers. I’ll be watching you. If you have any desires for vengeance, share it now and we’ll try to solve the issues.”

Derfel – “I’m fine. I’m not stuck in the past.”

Varok – “It’s getting freezing cold out here. I don’t mind waiting and all, but since all you’re saying is stupid crap I don’t give a fuck about, why don’t you enter the town so that the walls can protect us from the river’s wind again?”

Lanaya – “I’m sorry.”

Lanaya turned toward her band.

Lanaya – “EVERYONE, FOLLOW ME!”

When the band reached the house, they stored their supplies with their mules in a small stable located near the house.

Telio – “Is it me or have the mules gotten fat?”

Radomil – “It seems like it. They’re probably eating too much.”

Aberfa – “With a winter as bad as this one, they might actually need that fat.”

Inside the house, Vatra and the others were playing a game of Prika with multiple dice when the door opened and let a cold wind reach Vatra’s back.

Jowrik – “OWEN!”

Owen – “HELLO!”

Petra – “Hey! They are back!”

Lato – “We are indeed!”

Telio – “Getting hit by an arrow doesn’t seem so bad after all.”

Elgan – “You get used to it.”

Telio – “Yeah, I bet.”

Vatra was looking at the many strangers entering the house one after the other when her sight crossed the eyes of someone she knew.

Derfel – “You fucking bitch! I KNEW IT!”

Everyone in the room turned toward him as he threw his bag to the ground. Grabbing his short sword from its scabbard, Derfel soared toward Vatra. Vatra raised herself from her chair as fast as she could, but her wound made her lose control of her motion. As she stumbled to the ground, Jurren grabbed her chair and used it to block Derfel’s strike before grabbing his wrist and punching him in the face. As he held Derfel’s wrist, Jurren used his right leg to trip him and slam him to the ground. In the time of one breath, Derfel was stunned on his back, and Jurren’s knee was partly pressed on his throat.

Jurren – “Try to move, and I’ll break your neck!”

Derfel dropped his blade to the ground. His nose was bleeding and seemed broken. He was barely coming back to his senses when Jurren pressed his knee a little more.

Jurren – “Who are you, and why did you attack her!”

At that moment, Lanaya entered the house in shock.

Lanaya – “Jurren move.”

Upon hearing her words, Jurren released Derfel and stood between him and Vatra. Vatra and Derfel were both on their back looking at each other with terror and hatred.

Lanaya – “What happened?”

Nelis entered the house and ran to Vatra.

Jurren – “He tried to attack her new comrade.”

Nelis – “Are you alright?”

Vatra – “I’m fine . . . I think.”

Derfel – “Lies . . . And I thought . . . Fuck all this shit. I should have died with them. No, we should have killed you the second you tried to enter the town.”

Lanaya – “If you think she was a spy, she wasn’t. Although I did meet her in the forest, she wasn’t in our band until after the end of the siege.”

Derfel – “LIES!”

Nelis turned around and looked at Derfel with disgust.

Nelis – “If you intend to call us liars, maybe you should reflect on what I asked you when we arrived in town.”

Derfel – “Shut the fuck up. I don’t need to hear that crap. You’re all going to kill me, anyway. Just finish the job you started. You took Avem and the Vale fell with it. You sold those who survived. Just finish me, and you’ll have done a perfect job.”

Lanaya walked to him and looked at him in the eyes.

Lanaya – “If you wish to leave, I’ll give you that sword back with a week’s worth of food. You should be able to reach the village of Fresh-Bay. It will be a cold walk, but the snow is not too high yet. You could make it with warm clothes and some willpower. You’ll be free to trace your path in life, but if you choose to stay with us instead, if you wish to see the creation of a new world where the fruits of progress shall forge the path ahead, if you wish to be part of that new hope, to be part of something far greater than the Union itself, you’ll have to leave your pain behind, you’ll have to forgive, and you’ll have to trust each and every one of us in this band. She was no spy. I fought her twice during the siege, and the second time, I almost killed her. Had I not met her in the Velika Forest as I walked back from the East to join the Kalator forces, I wouldn’t have saved her. The girl I fought wasn’t ready to give up Avem and was by no mean a traitor.”

Lanaya’s sight became filled with anger as she crouched near him, and her voice became lower and imperative.

Lanaya – “But if you try to lie so that you can harm my family, I will make you wish you weren’t born. So, choose your words wisely, as the path you take depends on them, Derfel.”

Lanaya then smiled and offered him her hand. A few tears were filling Derfel’s eyes when he grabbed it.

Derfel – “I’ll stay. I’m sorry.”

Lanaya – “Tell that to her.”

Derfel looked at Vatra. She was staring at him like a scared wolf.

Derfel – “Tell me, how could you have fought in the siege while you were in jail for setting ablaze the Velika Forest?”

The many members of the band looked at her with shock and surprise.

Jowrik – “It was you?”

Vatra – “I did it under General Thorkel’s command and got released by the Eagle, as they needed more fighters. I grew within the Vale. I speak and read your tongue better than my own. I am many things, but I am no traitor.”

Derfel took a deep breath and wiped the blood off his nose. The two of them stared at each other under the watch of the many members.

Derfel – “I’m sorry for my anger. My mind is troubled, but with time, I will clear it.”

Lanaya pulled him up and helped him sit on a chair nearby.

Lanaya – “Nelis, watch both of them. Everyone, the show is over. Just set your beds up and relax for the remainder of the day.”

Nelis – “You’re sure your wound hasn’t opened?”

Vatra – “There’s no blood, and I’m feeling fine.”

Nelis grabbed Jurren’s chair and moved it next to Vatra.

Nelis – “You want help to get back on it?”

Vatra – “I’m fine. My wound is already better than it was. I just moved too fast.”

Nelis then looked up at Derfel’s wounds. His nose was broken, but the back of his head seemed fine.

Nelis – “Don’t tilt your head backward. If you do so, your blood could fall into your lungs. Press your nose and tilt your head forward. The pressure will cause your blood to coagulate, and the bleeding will stop.”

Derfel – “I’m sorry.”

Nelis – “It’s fine. I don’t trust strangers either. But I can assure you she wasn’t a spy, so don’t attack her again.”

Derfel – “I won’t.”

Nelis – “Do you feel any nausea or numbness in your arms or legs?”

Derfel – “No.”

Nelis – “Try standing up.”

Derfel – “Sure.”

Nelis – “Is your balance fine?”

Derfel – “Yeah.”

Nelis – “Alright. You’re not bleeding from the back of your head, and you’ve got no sign of internal bleeding aside from your nose. Keep your hand pressed on your nose, stay tilted forward. I’ll give you something for the headache.”

Derfel – “Thank you.”

Nelis poured some hot water into a cup and chopped some white willow barks and dried Tanacetum flowers, which he then added to the hot water. He heated the herbal tea until both plants were properly infused and brought it to Derfel.

Nelis – “It should lower the headache and reduce the inflammation. Even if you feel well, it might prevent it from worsening, so I’d recommend drinking it fully.”

Derfel took the cup and nodded in a sigh of acknowledgement. Nelis then nodded back and walked away.

A short while later, when everyone had entered the house, someone was waiting outside, wearing a large robe with a cloak covering his head.

Telio – “Hey, you! What do you want?”

The man in the hood revealed his head. It was Egmond, the lord of the Kalator and self-proclaimed king of the Northern Union.

King Egmond – “I came to talk to Lanaya. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll keep my hood on because it’s quite cold.”

Telio – “Oh. I didn’t know it was you. I didn’t have any ill intent.”

King Egmond – “Just call her here.”

When Lanaya arrived, she was holding her spear.

King Egmond – “There’s no need for that spear. I just want to have a few words with you.”

Lanaya – “Where are your guards?”

King Egmond – “Everyone in this town is my guard.”

Lanaya – “Then I’m keeping my spear.”

King Egmond – “If you insist, but it’s going to take a while.”

Lanaya – “How long?”

King Egmond – “I don’t know. So, will you come here, or do you keep your king waiting outside?”

Lanaya grabbed her mantle and left the house.

Lanaya – “What did you want to talk about?”

King Egmond – “Why don’t we walk together a little.”

Lanaya – “It’s strange timing to ask me for a walk, don’t you think?”

King Egmond – “Am I supposed to think the greatest fighter in my army is afraid of a little walk?”

Lanaya – “I suppose it can’t be avoided . . .”

As they were walking toward the temple, Egmond broke the silence.

King Egmond – “I wanted to talk to you about the last few councils, so you’d know a little about what happened while you were gone.”

Lanaya – “How kind of you. But if you don’t mind my insolence, why come in person?”

King Egmond – “My soldiers didn’t like you and your band. At the Frey’s castle, you were scaring quite a few of them, but after the fight in Avem, after they saw you fight head-on against the enemy, most of my men have taken a liking to you. Or at the very least, they’ve learned to respect you.”

Lanaya – “That’s not answering the question. Why come in person?”

King Egmond – “Most of my generals still don’t like you, but since I have the support of my people, I wanted to ask your hand.”

Lanaya froze for an instant.

Lanaya – “What?”

King Egmond – “Think about it. We share a common goal. You want to have the strength to stop wars and for the last century, the Kalator have always been the key to victory. Without our forces, the Union wouldn’t have won their last war.”

Lanaya – “Wouldn’t it be wiser for you to marry a princess from the Itialka Empire?”

King Egmond – “The Eastern empire is no more. They are fragmented. They returned to the many tribes of nomads and independent town states they once were.”

Lanaya – “Almuharib is strong, and the Itialka trade routes have reopened around a few town-states.”

King Egmond – “But the alliance of barbarian tribes who once threatened the Union has been shattered by the steel of my people. We were nearly one-third of the Union’s army who marched East.”

Lanaya – “Then how about an alliance with another house from the Union?”

King Egmond – “I’ve sent my brother Bjarne to Skovengard. He is to negotiate an alliance with House Edeltraud, but Delwyn’s daughter is far too young. Delwyn Edeltraud will refuse, and they will settle on a different term.”

Lanaya – “What about House Ponterona?”

King Egmond – “When I heard your speech in Oluja-Borough, I had a vision. Together, we could conquer Rock Eden and rule both the Union and the Eastern land. That world you want to create, I saw it, and with your blood and mine, our descendants could not only rule such a world but also ensure its survival.”

Lanaya – “And how would you conquer the Union? Rock Eden has never fallen to any invader. I don’t mind taking part in warfare, but I wouldn’t want to cause it and enslave the whole Union. There needs to be someone alive at the end for it to be worth it. I’ve read the tales of the first era of the Union. Of the endless war which ended in the Scarlet Hills. I don’t intend to witness a massacre of such scale.”

King Egmond – “No. There was a time long ago when our conflicts were solved by having the strongest fighter of each army fight one another. No lords will allow anyone to request such a duel. But I am born from noble blood, and with you by my side, towns and villages would change their allegiance. Think of the lives you would save.”

Lanaya – “You’re asking me to be your dog in the war and your whore in the bed. You’re paying me for the first one, and you expect me to agree to both for free? Because of a wedding?”

King Egmond – “Think about it. When the snow melts, we’ll raid all the nearby villages. Bjarne went up north with a thousand of our men. Even in the event where he would fail to secure an alliance with House Edeltraud, I expect him to bring 2,000 soldiers when he comes back. If you agree to our wedding, I’ll spare the lives of the villagers who will agree to join our ranks, and as we gain more power and influence within the Union, so will you. I know you’re an idealist. You wish for a world without war, but with my aid, such a goal could be achieved. And with you by my side, we could rule.”

Lanaya – “I’ll think about it. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me?”

King Egmond – “In two months, we’ll hold a war council. If you don’t give me any sign, I’ll consider it a refusal, and you’ll be no more than a mercenary among the many I’ve hired.”

Lanaya – “Then I’ll be taking my leave.”

King Egmond – “Keep what I told you now a secret. Were you to refuse my proposal, I’d rather not have to take it as an insult.”

Lanaya – “Understood.”