With a knock on the door of the carriage, the young scout announced it was ok to dismount. Abby happily opened the door, anxious for fresh air, and to get some sunlight, her lips pale and turning a bit blue from cold. If the scout had figured out that the coach had been without heat, he didn’t say. This scout must think of me as quite incapable or daft. Otherwise, why would an Engineer forgo activating a brazer when cold? As for the scout, he knew better than to say anything. When it came to Silver-bloods, nobles, and their kin, it was far safer to say nothing at all and mind one’s own business. He had no desire to cultivate grudges and imagined slights. Like most of the commoners, he had learned the hard way that the powerful could be petty.
"Why are we stopping?" Abby asked as she took the outstretched hand of the guard and stepped down out of the coach, trying to make some conversation. Hugging herself as she set her feet down on the ground. Doing her best to try and stay warm while doing her best to also ignore her inner panic as she struggled to get her teeth to stop chattering.
Without missing a beat, the young scout could see this day was already not going to go his way. If anyone of his superiors or gods forbid, any of the nobles saw that one of the silver-blood heirs was cold, there would be trouble. Even more so if they knew he had not at least offered his jacket. The repercussions would be severe and unpleasant. Nevermind the fact that he also needed his coat.
"It's just a normal stop, Lady Ruthiare." He replied nervously, not wanting to linger and be seen with her. "Caravans have to make these stops to allow the horses and the dog teams time to recover their strength, and it allows everyone else a chance to eat and break for the treeline." The youth tried to explain or rather imply what was an otherwise impolite conversation to be having with one of the nobility. “I know it can be inconvenient, and I’m sorry for that, Lady Ruthiare. It won’t be long before we are ready to take off again, so please, use this opportunity as needed.”
Abby scrunched up her face in consideration as she pretended not to understand what he meant. Inwardly she was laughing at his attempts to not be crude. It was a welcome respite that broke up the monotony of the trip while she had the chance to before the caravan loaded up to set anew down the road. "What do you mean a break for the treeline?" She asked in feigned ignorance? "Isn’t that unsafe? What about monsters in the treeline? Why would anyone need to do that?"
The young scout cringed, cursing his luck that he had happened upon the most naïve of all the nobility. These people live entirely separate from the rest of us. I need to watch myself. "We have little reason to fear any monsters currently Lady Ruthiare. They typically remain dormant except in the far north on the snow plains, past the Trenches of Fire constructed by the legendary Silver-blood Micah. The only thing we need fear on these roads are men, and having such an Engineer as yourself from an esteemed bloodline makes the journey only that much safer."
Her attention was now entirely devoted to the conversation. Abby saw right through when he refused to answer, trying to tiptoe away from it. "No, that's not what I asked. Why do people need to sneak off to the treeline?"
Groaning in embarrassment, the scout explained, "Apologies for the bluntness Lady Ruthiare but it's for the latrine. People need to relieve themselves, and few have access to a chamber pot like the one in your carriage."
She had to stifle a laugh at his expense, even as he raised an eyebrow and glanced around nervously. The unease on his face spreadly as he awkwardly tried to navigate her questions and look for a reason to excuse himself. Worried that he had already tarried too long. "I’m joking." Abby finally admitted trying to stifle the rising panic she could see from the boy. "Of course, I know what that meant, but I’m willing to look past the insult of you implying my ignorance if you're willing to do me just the tiniest of favors."
The young man bit his lip, knowing that he had no real choice in the matter. Whatever the outcome, the end result was likely to be miserable for him. He just assumed the girl had something dangerous in mind. These nobles were always risk-takers, but the risks were usually his alone to bear. Knowing that, the boy knew there was still little he could do to actually dissuade any of them from venturing off into and past the tree line for a quick kill. "If it's something I can provide Lady Ruthiare, I would be bound to assist. I cannot agree beforehand, though without knowing the nature of the favor."
"Sure, that’s fair enough. What’s your name? I can’t have any dealings with someone whose name I don’t even know." Abby asked, pressing the panicked young man, even as she saw him looking for a polite way to leave the conservation. To leave before he either did something to offend the girl, or worse before anyone came looking for either of them.
Knowing he was trapped, the boy surrendered. "It’s Daniel, Daniel of the House of K. I’m a Scout of the Third Order, 2nd Class. I specialize in bushcraft."
Nodding her head, Abby pretended to be quite impressed, though she herself had very little understanding of the scouts and less of an understanding of their ranking system. She had been led to believe there was no nobility to be found within the scouts, and by extension, nothing worth noting about them. It was part and parcel why she so wanted to avoid being conscripted into service with the scouts.
"Well then, Daniel of the House of K, as a scout, can you light the fire in the carriage for me?" She asked, trying to as sweetly as possible get him to agree to it and keep quiet afterward.
"Uh, sure," Daniel replied nervously as he grabbed hold of the roof of the carriage and let himself in, holding his hand to the brazer as it glowed. I need to make sure the door of this carriage stays open. He fed the brazer with the ambient wild mage he picked up as a scout, bushcraft. A type of magic that was focused on the use of elemental magic taught in ways to boost one's own survival during their time in the field. Daniel put as much of his energy as he thought he could manage into the magic. His face visibly paled, trying to make sure the fire would last her the rest of the trip in hopes of avoiding contact with her further.
"There you go, if for any reason this brazer fails, please send word for a combustion type stove. You would not be the first Engineer to run into difficulties. These systems can at times, be tricky." Daniel said exhausted as he stepped out of the carriage, his movements appearing sluggish and tired. "This should last you. Farewell Lady Ruthiare."
"Daniel!" A booming familiar voice called out as a man on a large warhorse came bounding over, his steel plate shimmering brightly even under the grey overcast sky. Abby recognized him from when she had joined the caravan, Lord Gunthor, the newly minted commander. "Apologies, my Lady. Please excuse any offense done by young Daniel here. He’s one of the K’s, barely more than peasant upstarts, they often don’t know their place. It won’t happen again.”
"Scout K, of the 3rd Order, 2nd class, I hereby give to you 7 Demiritis, for fraternization, and forfeiture of 7 days pay. Head immediately towards the front of the caravan and begin telling them to load up. It's time to leave." The Lord commander glared as Daniel defeatedly walked away, his eyes downcast. Abby couldn’t meet his eyes as he passed.
Seeing the look of mute surprise that Abby gave to Daniel, Lord Gunthor spoke up softly so that only she could hear. "It’s better this way for him. You both are young and ignorant of the world. Far more lenient and safer for him to get 7 and 7 now, then his head later if someone from the capital had seen. Never forget Lady Ruthiare that as nobility and leaders within the Empire, the consequences of our actions fall on our lessers."
Shocked and horrified, Abby had nothing to say as she barely managed a curtsy before heading back into her carriage, and though she was warm, she could scarcely contain the shaking of her hands. She cried at the horribleness of it. With nothing else to do but get stuck in her thoughts.
Chapter 11: Servant of the Empire
Shortly after the incident with the Scout Daniel, the Caravan began to move again. Abby was thankful for the first time during the trip that she had the privacy of her own carriage. One thing she did no
t want was for anyone to see her cry. Be it in frustration, anger, guilt, or otherwise. Lord Gunthor was right, and Abby should have known better than to endanger the boy, especially not for the sake of her own entertainment.
It was a lesson she would need to remember. Her time at the Academy and this was likely due to her grandfather’s influence, had made her soft. Soft and dangerously ignorant to some of the ways of the world. The blame was not all on him, as Abby knew she was responsible for her own conduct, and decorum worked both ways to make sure standards were maintained.
Unbeknownst to Abby, ill rumors began to circulate throughout the caravan. The rumors calling attention to her that she didn’t need and certainly didn’t benefit from. The rumors casting pointed comments about her eccentric and unbecoming lethargy. Either quality considered unacceptable by noble and peasant alike. Behavior that was doubly noted and twice as unacceptable coming from one of the few remaining Silver-blood heirs in the Empire and an Engineer on top of that. To those who saw her on the rare occasion that she left the carriage, she seemed more ghost than a person.
Unbothered as she was by the rumors, ignorant of their existence Abby was able to sleep away the time in her carriage. Thankful for the heat in her cabin that let her stay away from the prying eyes of others. Grateful too that Daniel had kept his word about the magic he had used on the brazer. The heat from the brazer showed no signs of faltering and judging from the strength of the enchantment, it would last the entire duration of the trip.
On the off hand that she needed it, someone dropped a goosedown quilt off on the steps to her carriage during one of the midday stops. She was uncertain who would do it and didn't think it was the boy she had got in trouble. Regardless of its source, she was thankful.
More than anything, Abby craved loneliness, and the masters of the caravan complied. Likely seeing it as a time of much needed personal growth for the girl. Even still, she had taken to refusing to leave her carriage during most breaks and at night in response to the incident with Daniel. But rather than let her go hungry, a knock on the door would announce the delivery of hot food. Food delivered in advance of what was served to the general masses of the caravan.
Abby worked to process what she had seen happen with Daniel. It was not out of personal feelings for the boy that she was bothered. Even though she had never meant to get him into any trouble. Abby was troubled by what it indicated. Part of why she had been so excited to leave the Academy was to begin having a life and be free. But if everything she did was under scrutiny and other people were affected by it, there was no freedom in that. Abby realized her grandfather had done her no favors by coddling her and exerting influence on others to do the same.
This is wrong. How could something I did out of boredom balloon into something so much more significant and terrible? The words of the head of the caravan echoed in her mind. She was positive Lord Gunthor was honest. When he said if another noble had seen her interactions with the scout, or if they had been in the capital, Daniel would have been killed, Abby believed him.
Never had she meant any harm. Never did she imagine things would go as they had. It had been a shock that contrasted poorly against what she had known of the Empire and contrasted worse with the way she had been brought up at the Academy.
"Oh, grandpapa." She lamented, thinking of the overprotective Headmaster. "How much of the truth of the world have you kept hidden from me? What else do I need to know?"
Chapter 12:Darkest Night
On the third night since leaving the Academy with the caravan, a horn blared loudly, waking Abby up from the deep sleep she had fallen into. Immediately, her senses reacted with an adrenal response when she recognized the sound of battle. Close by, she could hear the sounds of steel swords clashing against tusk and hardened skin. The pained yells of injured men and injured monsters echoing across the night. I need to help them, she thought as her heart began to pound, ready and anxious for her first real battle.
Throwing open the door of her carriage with all the mustered courage of youth, Abby went forth. She saw that the entirety of the Scouts she had been traveling with were currently engaged in fighting with a group of crimson furred Satyrs that seemed to have emerged from the treeline. Each of the Satyrs was bearing crudely made long axes and bardiches. Their bodies covered by crudely made patchwork leather armor. This is impossible. Satyrs shouldn’t be this far into the Empire. No one had even seen a Satyr in almost a decade.
But unlikely or not, it didn’t change the fact that the monsters were here. Here now, attacking the caravan and the scouts who assured the caravan’s safe passage were hard-pressed to keep everyone safe and property secure. This isn’t just on them though, I have a responsibility too. Abby knew what she needed to do as she held up her gauntlet. From her gauntlet, she launched a burst of Arcane energy until the sky illuminating the field and letting her see where she was needed. A mistake as the free Satyrs began to head her direction.
From behind her, towards the back of the caravan, Abby could vaguely make out Lord Gunthor’s shape on horseback. The man was surrounded, a lone warrior facing off against the herd. His was an unshakeable bulwark able to keep up the rear guard. With a command, he had dismissed the men who kept up the rear with him.
"Go defend the Engineer." Lord Gunthor had ordered as his men hesitantly left him behind. Whether they agreed with the orders or not didn’t matter. The chain of command existed for a reason. His men did as they were told. The lot of them immediately began running to intercept the incoming Satyrs as shields and swords crashed against the weight of the bardiches.
Abby could not help but give the Scout Commander a thankful nod of acknowledgment as she saw by the torchlight he carried. A look of grim determination on his face as he swung his mighty greatsword, almost singlehandedly repelling the mass of the attack. But for every Satyr he slew, another three seemed to replace it.
She could only hope the Scout Commander would be ok, as the other scouts were faring far worse than Lord Gunthor and needed her assistance more. With a quick hand signal, Abby let the Scout Commander know she was going to give support elsewhere. He acknowledged her, tonight everyone would need to carry their own weight. Abby turned to help where she could. The majority of the need seemed to be from the front of the caravan. She ran forward, escorted, and protected by the guards Lord Gunthor had dispatched to her. Their only mission to kept her from immediate harm so that she could use her abilities.
When she passed by her carriage, Abby got an idea. As soon as she put her hand on the wood and metal frame, the gauntlet on her hand began to glow with bright purple light. The carriage was collapsing in onto itself as the pieces were near instantaneously disassembled into usable components. The raw material forming itself into a small bubble that followed beside her in the air.
Towards the front of the caravan, Abby had seen that Daniel and a few scouts who made up the front guard were struggling to keep a huddled family safe from an aggressive onslaught by the Satyrs. From the clothing they wore, Abby could see they were commoners.
Their people too. I can’t just ignore them. Decorum dictated that those with rank were to be given assistance first, but in this case, Abby couldn’t condemn these people to die or come to harm. Without her, the front guard would fail. Their efforts would not be enough as the three men were already severely beaten up and bruised. Each of them covered in wounds. Their movements had grown sluggish, and their faces haggard from exhaustion. Abby could see they did not have much time let as they struggled to defend both themselves and the civilians, but still, they persevered, never giving up.
That’s the way of the Empire, Abby thought with a bit of pride in the Scouts. To never quit was a mark of a true professional. "Hold out you three, I’ll help," Abby yelled into the distance as she reached out and expanded her area of influence. Growing to just barely behind the three Scouts and used the plan for the Arrow Tower given to her by her grandfather to summon a bulky construct to support them.
&nbs
p; Abby struggled not to flinch and instead focus solely on her part of the battle as more of the Satyrs came at her. The guards that defended her quickly intercepted them, and the pile of dead monsters grew. It was not a battle she paid attention to, not out of neglect but need. Everyone had their own parts to play. Abby had to trust that her guards could defend her so that she could protect everyone else.
The swirling components above Abby’s head flew out, bonding together with magical energy as they began to form the base and foundation of a tower. The scouts sensing the change in the battlefield, rather than seeing it, backed up to the bottom of the newly formed tower as the Satyrs recoiled in fear at the sudden turn of events, but Abby was not yet finished as her veins begin to glow with a soft silver light that streamed magic directly into Arrow Tower
The sound of energy cracking split the night as blue arrows of magic were fired from within hidden compartments of the tower Abby had created. The first arrows struck the leading Satyrs in the chest, and the monsters collapsed in an unmoving heap as the Scouts moved in on the remaining monsters. With the number satyrs in the herd thinned, each of the scouts was able to square up now in an even fight. As they reengaged, Abby gave more of her mana to the tower to fire another volley, seeking to end the battle.
Already Abby was feeling a bit tired, unused to this amount of exertion. In the future, Abby believed it would not be a problem once she got used to it, but for now, the magic drained and tired her. Everywhere around her, Abby could see bits of loose mana flying in energy loss from her own inefficiency in the attack.
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