The wooden wheels dug deep into the dirt, leaving a trail followed by dozens of horses carrying men in dark red tinted armor. Their black gambeson visible underneath the thick reddish cloth above, reaching their knees while parting at their waist, fastened with dark red leather belts above thick cloth. The black shoulder plates they wore above the dark leather chest plate engraved with a tall, thick tree surrounded by two circles were both partially covered by the cloth worn like a long scarf around their necks, with the leather collar slightly sticking out. Directly before and behind the carriage, multiple guards held long wooden sticks, a flag carrying the same yellow symbol engraved on their chests woven into the dark red cloth waving in the light wind, getting ever warmer the further they rode south.
Wearing the same armor as his guards, Will rode beside the carriage, looking at the vast green meadows surrounding them. They had been traveling for nearly two weeks now, and even Will, who had accompanied his mother all around Redwood as she liked to settle problems in her territory personally, felt a bit fatigued. He traveled across parts of his family’s lands, but never across half the continent. He thought Lia would be exhausted as the furthest she went from the castle was the forests surrounding it, yet spending her time sitting in the carriage, watching the landscapes going past the windows with a bored face, gave her more than enough energy to annoy everyone around her anytime they stopped to put a camp and rest. If there was one thing he missed his brother for, it was keeping company with the little menace they call their sister.
Will slightly hit his brown horse’s sides with his dirty boots, signaling it to go faster. Gripping the reins a bit firmer, he rode to the front next to his mother, sitting tall on her massive white horse. Ellia wore a similar armor as her men, only was the scarf replaced by a fur coat so long it flowed down her back and her horse’s sides.
“Mother,” Will exclaimed, trying to keep up the pace Ellia was setting.
After a brief moment of letting her gaze wander across the horizon, grey mountains growing ever higher the further they rode, Ellia let out a small sigh before giving the guards surrounding her an icy look. Having seen that expression often as Ellia’s personal guard, only missing the old Barin, accompanied her for nearly two decades. Riding with her from the burning forests of Redwood down to the Red planes of Mylar and from the port city of Yorn, to the cloud-piercing mountains of Highwell. They slowed their horses down and fell behind far enough as not to be in earshot of their lord.
“What is it?” Ellia asked, after waiting for her men to distance themselves, her eyes continually looking forward.
“How much longer will it take till we arrive in Bellgrave?” Will asked, not bothered by his mother’s gaze not meeting his.
“We may have to rest in the mountains, but once we passe them, we should reach the vale before the capital in around a month,” Ellia said while gesturing at the mountains growing taller at the horizon.
“Ok,” Will answered, trying to keep his face from showing the disappointment he felt.
Ellia didn’t need to look at her son’s face to know what he felt. She felt it, too, when she rode across the continent against her parent’s wishes. She imagined all the wondrous places she would see on her journey, but never took the way to get to them into account. And the months of riding past meadow after meadow and through forests only different in the colors of their trees and leaves. The ever-grey mountains with patches of snow scattered around, if you were high enough. Although the journey itself never got more exciting, she had gotten used to it, and the actual destination made it always worth it. The sights she got to see consistently exceeded her already high expectations. If she had stopped Barin from sharing the same stories that he had told her as a child with her children, she wouldn’t have to deal with the ever-growing ambitions of Lia and Loryn that struck worry in her heart. Still, she wouldn’t be able to look back at her childhood and find at least some understanding for her strict parents.
“Will, there is something I need you to do when we set up camp in the mountains,” Ellia said, after riding a fair while in silence, her voice even more serious than usual.
“Yes, mother, of course,” Will answered instantly, recognizing the tone in his mother’s voice from the past times he rode with her.
…
Lia watched with bored eyes as the carriage left the green meadows behind and drove onto the grey mountain road. If it were up to her, she’d be riding the tallest horse the guards could find through the meadows and up the road. Every time the sun began to set, and the servants and guards set up camp, Lia snuck out into a nearby forest to practice with her dagger. As she cut into the trees, leaving shallow marks, and threw the dagger from a distance, the blade’s tip rarely digging into the old wood but instead hitting it with its whole body as though trying to push it away before falling to the ground, she imagined them to be Loryn. After waking up early in the morning, excited to set out to the capital, she up until then had only heard stories of and finding only a letter left behind for her and the only weapon she told her brother not to give her; she was furious. One night, as she observed her brother speaking to guards and her father sleeping in her parent’s enormous tent, she successfully snuck past the guards patrolling the camp before getting caught by her mother. Now she must stay in the carriage with her father or be by her mother’s side when they set up camp.
Alys watched his daughter sitting opposite him, deep in her thoughts as she portrayed her emotions openly. Her expression went from bored to furious to sad, only then to return to bored.
“Your brother is an idiot, isn’t he?” Alys asked sarcastically.
“… He may be boring, but Will isn’t that bad,” Lia answered, her tired eyes focused on the mountainous road.
“You know what I mean,” Alys said with a small smile.
“… Yes, he is an idiot. Not only does he leave without saying anything, but he leaves me a dagger… a DAGGER?!” Lia exclaimed, her already big eyes almost falling out of their sockets while leaning forward.
“Yes, who likes daggers?” Alys said, averting his guilty eyes.
“… When will he come back?” Lia asked sheepishly, her small hand nervously tugging on her sleeve.
“He’s from noble blood. If Barin deems him to be ready and he joins the Forsaken, he should be able to visit whenever he wants to, as long as he doesn’t leave for more than two months.” Alys explained.
“What’s with people who aren’t noble?” Lia asked curiously, the boredom long gone.
“The Forsaken aren’t what they once were. As the centuries passed, the people occupied with surviving and taking care of their families cared less and less about whatever threat was supposedly in the east, and as their power and hold over the people of Beymore declined, the more concessions they had to make to the big houses and noble families. Once a place where all the most talented fighters Beymore’s dreamed of going now, mostly criminals are sent to the Last Keep joining the Forsaken as a punishment. If you’re not of noble blood, you can’t ever leave; you leave all your possessions and relationships behind. The chances of you getting killed actually protecting the castle against the greys are pretty slim. You’d much rather die of illness, age, or some other Forsaken killing you in your sleep,” Alys said calmly.
“Barin never told us anything about that,” Lia said, outraged.
“Well, you wouldn’t have listened if he did. Stories about magic and heroes are more exciting than stories about criminals serving their sentences in an old rundown castle,”
“… Is Loryn in danger, then? Is some criminal going to kill him in his sleep?!” Lia yelled worriedly.
“No, not only does your brother have Barin with him, but also, as I said, the Forsaken had to make many concessions to the noble houses; they will not let noble blood flow in their castle. Besides, your mother wrote the Last Keeps lord a letter, and he’s aware that your brother will come; he is more interested in keeping Ellia Oldflower’s son alive and well than any other.
In response to her father’s calming words, Lia sunk deeper into her seat, the images of her brother being killed in the most gruesome ways fading as fast as they came. Her relaxed eyes returned to the view out of the window and watched as the sun slowly sunk behind the grey mountains.
…
Struggir laid on the hard ground. His thick fur and leather clothing not only kept the stones from uncomfortably pressing into his fat stomach but also kept him hidden in the barren bushes around him.
With heavy breaths, he watched as guards and servants hastily ran around the camp they were setting up.
“You see those armors and flags?” The man in similar clothing beside him asked, nudging his elbow into Struggir’s side and making the fat wobble a bit.
“Yes, Oldflower. How many do you think there are?” Struggir asked, his eyes focused on the camp beneath them.
“Probably around a hundred, hundred-twenty maybe. Far from enough to go to war, but also too many to come out here for nothing. The man replied. “ You think they’re transporting something valuable?”
“Probably. You see those carriages?” Struggir pointed out, pointing at the heavily guarded carriages.
“Yes. They probably have all the good stuff in there,” The man answered, the excitement palpable in his voice. “Should we tell the others?”
“Of course, but we’re going to need a bit more than only the others if we really want to do this,” Struggir said while carefully crouching out of the bushes. “Come on. This is going to be an interesting night.”
