Rules of War: introduction 1My footsteps echoed down the empty aisle in the stables. As I rushed along the stalls, stable dust fanned out under my feet. A bridle was in one hand, and my pack was in the other.
“Hold!” the short, plump man trailing behind me gasped, “please!”
I ignored him and clutched the crownpiece of the bridle tighter, the leather digging into my hand so hard that it would have hurt, if not for the heavy scarring. Adjusting the pack on my shoulder, I stopped next to the stall that I wanted. I flipped the latch and then slid the door open, closing it behind me as the man reached the stall, holding his plump stomach and panting.
“For heaven’s sakes, boy, think about this a little longer, won’t you?” he pleaded.
Again, I chose to ignore him as I went to the horse’s shoulder. The scruffy grey animal turned his head and lipped at my hood, and then nudged at my pockets.
“Kenneth!” The man shouted angrily, causing my horse to flinch and snort, backing into the corner of his stall.
I put my hand on the horse’s neck before turning to stare the man down. I glared at him between the hood and scarf that hid my face. “Argile! Will you keep your voice down, idiot? Save your breath, talk is doing you more harm than good!” I snapped at him.
Argile glowered and began to slide the door open. I jammed my foot against the bar on the edge of the door, slamming it shut again. The box stall rang as the latch snapped shut.
“Don’t come near me,” I snapped, still staring him down.
“Hear me out, boy! I hold you back for your own good!”
“You don’t hold me back!” I half-yelled, gritting my teeth. “You’ve never had need to worry before, and you’ve no need now! If I die, then it’s one less brat to hinder your day. I annoy you more than the rest put together, you said so yourself. Save yourself the grey hairs, old man, and let me be!”
“Kenneth, think about what you’re doing! That pack doesn’t have enough supplies to get you through a week! If you end up living through a journey through the mountains, what with the mountain lions and wolves and rockslides and who knows what else, it’s a three day trip across the Dragon’s Plains! You would never make it through if you stopped, and the heat could kill you! And then what? You think the guards are going to let you march right up through the city and into the castle, to the King, unquestioned? You think that your uncle won’t just throw you in a cell and leave you to rot? You really think--?”
“You son of a b***h! You ignorant… self-centered… ugh!” I yelled, frustrated. “You’ve no idea why I go, do you? You think I go there with no information, no plans? You think that my uncle is really such a cruel b*****d that he’d lock me up and leave me there to die? No. You know nothing. He is not the one who wants my head, he is the one who saved it, you fool! If you had half a brain, you would understand!”
“I sacrificed so much to keep you alive!”
“A supper, perhaps, or a few breakfasts,” I shot back, to the point of taunting. “If anything, Jenna helped me and Rory, but most certainly not you.” Throughout the course of our argument, I had turned and slipped the bridle over Smoke’s shaggy head, and fastened the straps firmly. I swung the pack around my back, so it settled evenly on both shoulders. Through my actions, the scarf had come unhooked and draped out over the collar of my cloak and jacket combination. I shoved it back into place before I turned, and pulled it over my nose as I gave the old man a sharp glance. I took hold of one of Smoke’s reins, and led him round to the stall door. He shied when it slid open and jerked his head up. I stopped and allowed him to take half a step toward me before continuing.
“You’re running off without sufficient supplies, an old weapon that’s likely to fall apart, an ugly horse that spooks at its own shadow, and you chase a king that would rather kill you than look at you.”
“You really have no idea, do you?” I snapped, walking out of the building, pulling Smoke behind me. We walked rapidly towards the road. Jenna and Rory stood at the road, stone faced. When I reached them, I dropped the reins and drew both of them into a hug. When I pulled back, Jenna’s face was damp and Rory’s was hard set. “Take care of each other. I mean it,” I said gravely.
“Here,” Jenna said, looking down. She moved her hands out of her sleeves to expose a few rolls of bandages. “You forgot these…”
I looked into her teary eyes and took the bandages, reaching behind and stuffing them in my pack. “Thanks,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
Rory cuffed me just below the shoulder and smiled tensely. He took hold of my bandage-wrapped hand and we embraced. “You get yourself killed and I’ma have to shoot you,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Ain’t no one else ‘round here that has a decent sense of humor…” he said, trailing off.
I sighed, and pulled away from the embrace. “Both of you keep well,” I said, and went to Smoke’s shoulder. I gripped his mane and swung onto his bare back.
“You sure you don’t want my saddle?” Rory asked, taking in Smoke’s bare back.
“Scars…” I said, wincing. “You should know, I can’t ride with a saddle.”
“Kenneth Deskray! You get offa that horse this instant or I’ll whip your back raw!” Argile screamed as he stormed up to us.
I yanked my sword out of its sheath and pointed it at him, glaring at him through the corner of my eye. “Next time you threaten to inflict pain upon me, old man, I’ll take your tongue,” I said. I stared him down until he backed off without another word. A feeling of power lifted in my chest as I smiled humorlessly. “Jenna. Rory.” I threw a fist to my chest, and they returned the gesture. After sheathing the sword, I took up the reins and squeezed with my calves. The horse trotted off onto the road. After a few dozen paces, I squeezed again and he lurched into a canter. I couldn’t look back. If I had, I would have had to return to them. Instead, I fixed my eyes to the south.
There, on the horizon, the mountains rose.
Rules of war: introduction 2 I sat hunched over the tiny pile of sticks and grass, blowing gently on the small flame that flickered in the wind. Once it began properly consuming the tinder, I quickly added small sticks, moving into a crouch with my back to the icy wind. Slowly, the fire grew until the wind could no longer put it out. A strong gust sent a freezing sheet of rain under the rock overhang.
Midnight snorted and swung her haunches around, tugging at her tether. She stared out into the storm with white-rimmed eyes and danced in place. Her black coat was shining with cold rain and warm sweat, the mix causing her body to steam. Lightning flashed, and thunder followed directly after, causing Midnight to half rear in an attempt to break the line.
Sighing, I got to my feet and brushed off my knees. As I stretched my aching arms, I walked over to the spooked warhorse and rubbed her shoulder. She was trembling beneath my fingers.
“Easy, girl,” I said gently, “you have to be used to that noise by now.”
The horse flicked an ear at me, then jerked her head up and down, pawing at the earth. She swung her head up and did an awkward half-hop with her two front feet. Another thunder peal caused her to emit a strange half snort, half squeal.
I frowned and rubbed her soaked neck, shivering as the wind sent another wave of rain our way. “Calm down, Midnight.”
I wasn’t helping to calm her, so I left to go tend the fire with a final rub. Kneeling beside it, I attempted to absorb its warmth as I pulled damp supplies from my pack. “Soggy bread tonight, girl,” I said to the horse, who didn’t bother to acknowledge me. Sighing, I ate in silence, keeping a close eye on the fire and Midnight’s line. After slowly pacing around the fire for a while, I sat down against the rock wall, on top of my saddle, and glared into the fire as the wind tossed it back and forth. I reached under my cloak, into my shirt pocket, and pulled out a muddy, crumpled note, and scanned the bottom line for the umpteenth time.
Jakkey, we need you home.And here I was, running home like a good girl. The letter explained how my “military talent” was needed in the main force, and how I was missed. My father wanted me home immediately. Most of the city wanted me home immediately. There were rough times coming, a few attacks on surrounding towns and villages, and something that they somehow failed to mention. The calm avoidance of some major event was painfully evident, and it was one of the only reasons why I was actually coming home after all these years.
Midnight squealed and reared, causing me to look sharply up from the letter. Two deer were bolting across the small clearing, the thunder and our presence spooking them out of their nearby hiding place. The big black horse continued to pull herself back on her haunches, the tether jerking her head down every time. She shied backwards, shaking her head.
I got up when she began pawing again, and went to her head, stroking her soft, wet muzzle and talking gently into her ear. She jerked her head up a few times and then lowered it, allowing me to scratch behind her ears and tighten her halter while I was at it.
Suddenly, Midnight jerked her head away from my hands and backed up to the tether’s full length.
“What is your problem, horse?” I demanded, trying to keep anger from my voice. Taking hold of her halter again, I coaxed her gently towards me. I stood with my head beside hers, following her gaze into the night. “There’s nothing out there.”
Trees jerked violently with the wind, and a lightning bolt lit up the night. No awkward shadows, no sudden flashes of light (other than the lighting), and no --
“The hell…” I said under the thunder that followed the lightning flash. A sudden flick of movement caught my eye during another bolt, and a coyote slowly stalked across the small clearing. “Ah, just animals,” I said to the horse. “If you’re not going to get any rest, we might as well keep moving. We’re already a day behind schedule”
I sighed as I shouldered my pack and picked up the saddle, balancing it against my hip. I used my toe to nudge the bigger logs out of the fire and then kicked dirt onto the smaller flame. “All that work for nothing.” I rolled the logs around in the dirt with my heel until they were fully soaked and cold, then walked to Midnight.
The big horse shied when I dumped my pack in the dirt, and swung her haunches away from the saddle when I lifted it.
”Cut it out,” I said irritably, and stepped up to her side, lifting the saddle onto Midnight’s withers, then pushing it backwards into place. Talking gently, I flipped the straps and stirrups down off of the saddle, and worked carefully around the horse’s fidgeting legs to get it secure. As I tightened the cinch, another clap of thunder caused Midnight to perform another half-hop, bringing one of her hooves down on my foot.
“You retarded excuse for an a**!” I yelled, slamming my shoulder against hers, and heaving some of her weight off of my foot, as a groan escaped. Pulling it out from under her hoof, I hopped on one foot, grabbing my injured one and massaging it. I growled something colorful under my breath and limped back to Midnight’s side, tightening the cinch before anything else could happen. After grabbing the bridle off of the saddle horn, I secured my pack to the back of the saddle and walked to Midnight’s head. I slipped the bridle over her head and forced the bit into her mouth, then shoved her ears under the crownpiece. Muttering under my breath, I tightened the throat latch and untied her tether.
The horse spooked at another clap of thunder, nearly yanking the lead out of my hand. I pulled the reins over her head, taking them up tight, then thrust my smarting foot into the stirrup, swinging into the saddle before Midnight could move. After wrapping the lead around the horn, I evened the reins and nudged the horse out into the rain. Midnight fought the reins for a few strides, trying to prance sideways off of the trail before easing into a smooth, heavy trot typical of draft breeds. The wind whipped my hood off my head and rain pelted my face as we moved along the trail. Trees reached out to us as we passed, branches cracked and flew across the trail.
Stupid; riding in a storm was stupid. A branch could have knocked me clean off the horse, Midnight could have spooked and thrown me... but as crazy as it seemed, the horse had calmed down almost as soon as we began to move.
<:::This chapter is undergoing serious construction, so bear with the inconsitancy for now. I'm almost done sorting through it... if anyone sees anything major that they need fixing, tell me:::>
Chapter 1 - Beginning to End ~*~Kenneth~*~
I leaned against the tree and watched as, once again, Smoke reared, pulling away from the tree that he was tied to. Sighing to myself, I shook my head as the gelding came down lightly, ready to go up again at moment’s notice. His haunches quivered as he lifted his head, then positioned himself into a firmer standing position.
“Come on, Smoke, that wasn’t even decent thunder,” I murmured. The downpour that had lasted most of the day before, and that night, had faded to a light rain. The black clouds were fading into a soft grey, and light was beginning to show from behind them.
Smoke had next to exhausted himself panicking during the storm. His shaggy grey coat was drenched with rain and sweat, and was slicked in patchy clumps along his neck and sides. The feather around his fetlocks was thick with mud, and half of his muddy tail had flipped up and stuck along his haunches. Five days into travel, and the horse was begging to go home.
Not that I could blame him, anyways. I was longing to turn back, to go back to a place where I could seek at least a small amount of comfort. Yet, I had a duty to the country.
I stared up at the sky, blinking as rain dripped into my eyes. The grey had spread along the clouds, turning one small patch a faint orange color. At least some indication that morning was rolling around. We should have been off right then, but there was problem.
I was aching all over. I had never felt this much pain, since (I supposed), when I had lived in Karrel. It felt like my whole body was badly sunburned, and my skin was trying to pull itself apart. When I had last dismounted, I had almost been in tears from the pain. A healer had warned me that too much exercise could have painful results on the remnants of the severe burns.
Rubbing my rough, uneven cheek, I pulled my scarf from under my cloak and tied it back around my face, feeling slightly better once my face was more or less covered. Slowly, I propped my arm against the tree, wincing when the skin at my shoulder pulled, and rose painstakingly to my feet.
“Well… we gotta press on soon, Grey,” I slurred to the horse, who turned his head lazily to stare at me. He looked away after a moment, closing his eyes.
Tearing my eyes from my only traveling companion, I glanced up at the mountain beside us. A distant howl came off of the mountain and was replied to with short yips of coyotes. We heard animals often, ever since we entered the forest bordering the mountains. Once we actually reached the mountains, the animal sounds had become more persistent, though we never saw anything more than birds, and once a small herd of mountain goats.
I packed up everything in the camp, except for what I would eat, and walked slowly over the ground to make sure I didn’t miss anything. A nearby stream provided water, and the freezing liquid was as good as anything to bring oneself into full wakefulness.
After removing the scarf, I splashed water over my face, and rubbed it over my neck, sighing. The cold water was probably the last bit of cold that I would feel for a few days. After filling up my three water flasks, I returned to camp, calling out to Smoke so he could hear me coming. Slowly, I released the horse and sat on the ground, beside our fire pit that had been reduced to a sooty water bowl in the storm, holding the line mechanically in aching fingers. However, the cold ground started to hurt my legs almost immediately after I sat, so I stood again with a groan.
I chewed slowly on dry bread and sipped at my flask, and watched the trees closely for any movement. Despite our luck with avoiding the animals, I was put on edge by the coyote’s barks.
After eating, I glanced in my pack and sighed; we had just used the last of my supplies from home. Onion chutes, apples, and a tied scrap of cloth full of berries… things I had picked up along the way were all I had to support myself. Shaking my head, I tried to clear my mind and organize my thoughts. It had been skipping back and forth between problems, and it wasn’t helping my situation any.
Focus…Standing, I changed the halter to a bridle, and stood, trying to gain more resolve. My exhausted body didn’t want to continue, no matter how much my conscious did. Trying to ignore the pain in my legs, I pulled, rather than swung, myself awkwardly onto his back. I groaned and shifted so my legs didn’t hurt as bad and nudged Smoke into an easy walk.
The mountain range was thin, and a slow horse could have crossed it within five days. It was our third day of traveling in the mountain range, and I could see past the next rocky spine-like row of mountain, into the barren plains where the mountain range suddenly cut off. Our trip would be made in four. After we crossed the mountains, we would have to make it past the Dragon Plains.
The plains were flat, and hot. The heat caused fires to start easily when people were careless, especially in what dry vegetation that managed to grow there. The heat had originally earned the plains the name “Dragon Plains”.
That was before the actual dragons settled there.
I was never sure if there really were dragons in the plains. They were always used in myths and stories to scare kids out of sneaking away at night. It all seemed a little far-fetched; especially in an area where no one would even think of using magic. Tales of large, scaly creatures who patrolled the night sky on wings bigger than a ship’s sails, who breathed fire and stole people from the streets… it was all just too hard to believe.
As I rode, I went over my plan many times, thinking hard. After crossing the plains, there was a huge river that divided my province from another. At three intervals along the province border, there were bridges built to provide for crossing. I was hoping to come within half a mile of one bridge that led to a small town, Findisk. After buying more supplies with the small amount of currency I had managed to scrounge for the journey, I would continue on to Karrel, which was an estimated five day ride from Genari. If I was able to stop Smoke for a day at Genari, we could probably make it in three or four days.
Then there was the issue of getting into the castle. There was no way anyone would believe that a masked seventeen-year-old boy that no one could recognize was the King’s nephew. What would the King’s nephew be doing riding a ragged horse, in travel-worn clothes? What would he be doing away from home?
That was the part of my plan that I hadn’t worked out. Argile had been right when he said that I was running off foolishly… but what choice did I have? The country was being corrupted from the inside. Slowly, the government would be torn to shreds, and the country, Janore, would collapse in on itself. In a time of hate, fighting, and destruction, countries bordering Janore would seize the opportunity and take over.
A dying messenger had slowly told me everything when I found him in the woods. He was badly wounded from a fight with a thief, and he had begged me to carry his message to the King. Between blood-gurgling gasps, the messenger had spat out the story, and given me a letter, telling me to memorize it, then destroy it if possible. Despite any medical efforts I made, he died not long after completing his instructions.
I had to carry this out; my country was falling.
Slowly, my mind wandered back to my problem. Perhaps I could send a messenger in to tell the King, Edward, that a boy named Kenneth was there to see him. No doubt the guards would protest.
Perhaps I could just enter the castle. Of course, guards would accompany me, and not allow me to enter the King’s quarters, or the throne room, but there was a chance to talk to him during dining hours…
Silently, I cursed myself for not thinking things through beforehand.
I pulled Smoke up during the early evening. We were a ten minute ride from the plains, and he needed rest. It would be a two to two and a half day run for him to cross, and it would be exhausting for the both of us. We wouldn’t be able to stop at all, or predators would attack. Of course, there was the problem of supposed Dragons, but I had my sword.
I laughed at the thought of fighting a lizard bigger than a house with my old weapon. It felt insane, but laughing felt good.
We rested the rest of the day, me catching up on my sleep and Smoke grazing. I filled the three water flasks to their limit again, and drank as much as possible, making sure Smoke did likewise. When the sun set, I wrapped myself in my cloak and settled down for the night.
Morning. I pulled my cloak on and covered my face with my scarf. It was all I could do to escape the blazing sun.
I rode Smoke at a walk to the plains, and glanced cautiously around at the edge. The hard-packed sand stretched endlessly, lazily twisting itself into shallow dips and small hills. Heat waves distorted everything a few miles in. Taking a deep breath, I drank sparingly from the flask before nudging Smoke with my heels. Together, we set out onto the plains at a trot.
~*~Jakkey~*~
Midnight cow-hopped and refused to move. Her tail was held in the air, and she stomped her foot defiantly. When I urged her forward with words and heel, all I achieved was a very hesitant step forward, then she shied away even further, fighting the reins and trying to turn back down the road. I groaned to myself and dismounted.
Pulling the horse behind me, I moved down to the river back to check the bridge below, and found it fine; unhindered by rocks or other debris in the stream, and sound wood. Nothing was rotted or missing; in fact, the bridge looked newly built, and nicely maintained.
Wishing I could say the same for the dirt road, I put steady pressure on Midnight’s reins and walked back up the bank, to the bridge. Slowly, I walked her to the bridge’s edge and stepped lightly onto it. Midnight jerked her head up, but took a step after me. Slowly, step by step, I made my way across the bridge. At one point, near the middle, Midnight half-reared and tried to turn back. I braced myself and let her pull, then started forward again until we were safely on the other side.
“See?” I said irritably, “nothing to worry about.”
I put my foot into the stirrup and swung myself into the saddle as Midnight began walking forward. I stopped her while I found the other stirrup, then clicked my tongue. She set off immediately into a trot, and at the touch of my heels moved into a rocking canter. She sensed that we were headed some place familiar, though I doubted she recognized it as her birth place.
The trees and road became more familiar with every turn. Gradually, we began to come across people: farmers and travelers. This time of year, the merchants and traders were beginning to come into the capital.
Though I felt bitterness at having been called back on such short notice, I was elated. I hadn’t seen my family or my home in… years.
I would no doubt be stuck with my family for weeks before I could get any decent work done. Ten years was way to long to be away from them. Though I was excited, I was nervous. What would I find at home? I knew my family was all well; we had, of course, kept in touch during the time that I was stationed at Ceria, Janore’s military center. “The main force” that was stationed at Karrel was only half the size of the force at Ceria. It was beyond me why it was called “the main force”.
Of course, there was my brother that I had never properly met. He was born when I was fifteen, a year before I had left. That would make him eleven now. It just didn’t feel like home anymore.
Sighing, I reached down and patted Midnight’s neck. “Half an hour, girl, and we’ll be at the valley.” I needed to keep my mind off of the awkward thoughts.
In response to my slightly shifted balance, Midnight ducked her head and performed a perfectly balanced, completely unexpected buck. I squawked and hauled up on her reins as I jerked partway out of the saddle. Landing heavily and unskillfully in the seat, I pulled her head up and kicked her forward again, cursing.
“You stupid horse,” I said irritably, “I love you.”
It was true. For all her faults and her irritable moods, she was the closest friend I had for years. No one can go wrong with a friend that doesn't talk back, or who doesn’t argue with you… out loud. Midnight could listen through my long, angry rants for ages and not criticize them, then comfort me afterward, never trying to tell me that she understood. You can’t say that about many friends.
I winced as my foot throbbed again; a constant reminder of Midnight’s high spirits. Just another reason why I loved her.
The warhorse tossed her head up, but settled back into a canter when I pulled it in. We passed more people, mostly traders, on the road as we drew closer to the city. The trees thinned, and eventually fell away. I stopped Midnight at the forest’s edge and let my eyes adjust to the bright light that attacked us.
In the middle of the vast, green valley, was the city. Light glared off of the building’s many windows, making Karrel seem to give off its own light. Yes, I did state that correctly. The whole city consisted of a single building, each house built into the other. Not only were they solidly connected in a complex, geometrical shape, but the whole city was connected by a complex underground network of corridors and halls. Some people even lived below the grounds, but it need be, the whole city could move down there in an instant.
At the time of my arrival to the valley, the city was alive with sounds and people, audible from even here. Shops and houses alike would be bursting with color and displays; anything to be more appealing than the others built into it. At the far side of the city, the castle sat tall and proud. It was barely connected to the rest of the city, only by a tiny stone passageway to a large guesthouse on the borders. Its walls reached out to embrace the city, circling it completely and offering the citizens protection. Large towers marked the wall at regular intervals, each proudly displaying a huge red flag with a different picture, which resembled every province.
Midnight and I picked our way down to the center of the valley at a steady walk. Slowly, we made our way around the traders, farmers, and anyone else that occupied the road. After about a half hour ride, we came upon a small trail that left the road.
We picked up a trot and followed the trail as we had many times, when we were younger. The trail followed a grassy meadow, and then cut into a large wheat field that led to a modest farm house, sitting among a line of trees that backed the field. My family’s farm.
Midnight snorted excitedly and tugged at the reins. She lengthened her stride as much as she could under my firm hold. Anxious as I was to let her go, I had decided that she had run enough. We were nearing the end, and there was no rush.
The old farm house came into view as we came to the top of a small hill in the field, and beyond that the horse paddocks and the barn. A woman, holding the hand of a lanky child, and a man rushed out of the house once I started down the hill.
I grinned as we trotted up to the house, and jumped from the saddle. My mother and father ran out to meet, and we embraced. The tall, thin boy hung back awkwardly.
“Oh my, you’ve changed so much!” my mother exclaimed, planting a kiss on my left ear.
“Time does that.” I glanced passed her, at the boy, and nodded. “That’d be Dameon?”
“Sure is!” My mother grinned happily.
I pulled back and studied her face silently. It looked so different… everything looked different. They acted like nothing had changed, but everything had. Even so, I was already beginning to feel at ease.
Dameon smiled shyly and gave a timid “hi” after tugging my sleeve.
I smiled back and returned with, “hello.”
“Still riding old black, hey?” my father said, looking the big warhorse up and down, and running his hands down her legs.
“She hasn’t quit on me yet,” I confirmed, turning.
“Well. Well, well. Get her in the barn, and then come inside,” he replied, and began guiding my mother back to the house. “We’ve got a lot to catch up on.”
I grinned at him and took up Midnight’s lead as the boy left my side to follow them. Not bothering to hurry, I led the horse into the almost-familiar barn and tied her outside of one of the stalls. Humming to myself, I unfastened the saddle and threw it on a rack casually. After rubbing her dark coat clean with a rough brush, I tied Midnight in a stall and made a round of the barn, looking the animals over and trying to remember everything. Everything was different.
After taking one last look around the barn, I said goodbye to Midnight and exited, heading towards the house.
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