Aiden pulled himself up onto Ty, whispering in his ears to be careful with him. The horse huffed in response, which was good enough for Aiden. They rode all day, not stopping until the sun started to lower in the sky. The High King picked an open field for them to set up camp. It had a small lake nearby where the horses would be able to drink. Aiden could tell that Ty was tired, though he seemed to be holding up better than some of the other horses. Ty and Grumpy seemed to be much larger than most of the horses around them. He wondered what made them different from the others.
“They are genuine wild horses,” Wolf said when Aiden asked. “We catch them in our lands, and train them to be our own. They run in large groups, filling our fields with their massive bodies. Beautiful creatures, aren’t they?” he asked, smiling up at his miserable horse.
Aiden suddenly appreciated Ty more, realizing that he could have been free from this life too, left to roam the west with the other wild horses. They shared that common detail.
“We’re roasting some sausages,” Logan yelled to them.
“Bless him.” Wolf grinned over at Aiden. “I’m starving.”
They left the two horses by the water, walking over to where the others had set up camp. Aiden was sharing a tent with Felix, and Wolf and Logan were in the other one. They hadn’t seen much of Elisa that day—she stayed up by her father for most of the ride. No one had seen her since they stopped for the night.
“How’s your backside?” Logan asked, grinning at Aiden.
“Sore,” he admitted. Sitting all day in a saddle, while you felt every bump in the road, made you go numb. He hadn’t actually thought he’d be able to last much longer, when the King finally had called a halt. “I can only imagine what it will feel like tomorrow.”
“Ha, worse, I can tell you that much!”
“What is the plan when the armies meet?” Felix asked, looking toward Aiden. The question made Aiden feel breathless, like someone had just punched him in the diaphragm. Of course, they would be asking him this; everyone would expect him to have some sort of plan for the battle. Throughout the whole time he had been training, it hadn’t once occurred to him to devise a plan of attack. Now it was the last minute, and he’d be scrounging for one. His face was probably the picture of panic. Wolf reached out a hand, placing it reassuringly on his shoulder.
“Don’t worry, Aiden,” he said, obviously noticing his fear. “We’ll figure it out together. No one is expecting any grand ideas from you.”
“Yeah, we all know how much you suck at this stuff,” Logan said. Aiden looked up to see him smiling at him from the other side of their tiny fire.
“I don’t know how I would have survived this long without you guys,” he blurted out.
“Well, let’s hope we survive even longer,” Logan replied, lifting his glass up in cheers.
Wolf grabbed a cup, handing it to Aiden, and then grabbed another for himself. Holding up his cup along with Logan’s, he said, “To surviving past these next couple of days, and returning home to take full advantage of all the rewards that come to soldiers who return home from war!”
“Hear, hear!” Logan and Felix cheered. Aiden smiled, lifting his glass with theirs, and took a large swig before he realized what it was they were drinking.
“Is this alcohol?” he asked, coughing as the liquid burned his throat.
“How else do you think men sum up the courage to go into war?” asked Wolf, looking at him like he was crazy.
Needless to say, they spent most of the evening sitting around their fire, refilling their cups as they drained them quickly. Everyone’s nerves were on edge, and the drink seemed to be the release they needed. Aiden was sufficiently drunk—his head felt light and free of worry.
The boys were lying down, Aiden between Logan and Felix, and Wolf on the other side of Logan, on the side of a hill, looking up at the night sky above them.
“I think I’m going to be ill,” Felix said, breaking the silence that had filled the space around them for so long. They were set apart from the rest of the army, the shouting and laughter sounded far off to them. The three others laughed. “I’m serious,” he said, springing up and running off into the distance. They heard him vomiting a second later.
“Lightweight,” Logan said, snickering. Felix didn’t come back. Aiden didn’t find him again until he went to bed much later.
“What are you three doing?” they heard Elisa call. None of them lifted his head to see her coming, largely due to the fact that they couldn’t. Aiden’s world was spinning as it was; he was too afraid to move at the moment.
“Looking at the stars,” Logan replied.
“Aw, just like three lovers,” she teased, taking the spot where Felix had been. “Where is the fourth?”
“Sick,” Aiden replied, and the three of them chuckled again.
“Are you drunk?” she accused them in a shocked tone.
“Half the men here are drunk,” Wolf answered. “Don’t act so surprised. Where have you been all night?”
“In my tent,” she answered, her voice sounding somewhat defensive. Aiden noticed how easily Wolf could do that to her.
“Well, you missed some good sausages.” Logan smiled, rubbing his full stomach. “I wish I had more.”
“You’re going to be fat when you’re older—you know that, right?” Wolf jabbed.
“Probably, but I’ll be one happy fat man.”
“That’s all that matters,” Aiden said, smiling. He wished nights like this could go on forever. Their lives at that moment were simple, but they wouldn’t be for long.
“I wish there were girls here,” Wolf commented dryly.
“You would,” Elisa scoffed. “What am I to you exactly?”
“Elisa,” he answered plainly.
“What is that supposed to mean? Am I not a girl?”
“Sure, but you’re you. It’s different.”
Aiden could sense the tension in the air, and he didn’t want the mood to be ruined. Finding something else in his brain to change the conversation with, he blurted out the one thing he didn’t want them to know. “I’ve never slept with a girl before.” His face heated immediately when he said it. Wolf sat up quickly, quicker than Aiden had thought he was capable of. Logan looked sideways at him, a huge smile covering his face, his teeth glowing in the dark.
“Come again?” Wolf said, his voice showing no traces of being drunk anymore.
“Never mind,” Aiden said quickly.
“Nice try,” Logan said, snickering. “We heard you loud and clear.”
“What do you mean, you haven’t slept with a girl yet? What are you waiting for?”
Aiden shrugged. “I don’t know. The right one?”
“The right one? What does that even mean?” Wolf looked confusedly from Logan to Aiden. Logan shrugged his shoulders, as if what Aiden had just said was a completely foreign idea to them.
“It means he doesn’t want to be a slut like some men,” Elisa intervened in his defence.
Wolf held up his hands to her, halting her from talking further. “You’re not a guy. I don’t expect you to understand. We all know you would never sleep with someone unless you were in love, but for us guys … well, that is just crazy.”
“Oh, I understand,” she spat back, standing up to face him. “I understand that you are the most egotistical, overindulgent man I’ve ever met, and have no concept of what it is like to actually feel a real emotion for someone besides lust. You disgust me—everything you stand for is repulsive. You sit there and criticize someone for actually wanting something more than just a random encounter with some whore you met at a tavern. You’re no better than those women you can buy in the pleasure district. No doubt you’re well known there anyway.”
Aiden and Logan were both sitting up now, their faces identical looks of horror and shock as they looked from one speaker to the other. It was dark, but Aiden could see the anger written on both of their faces. He wished he could stop them, but he was afraid to say
anything at that point, at the risk of getting his head bitten off as well.
“That’s rich,” Wolf mocked her. “You think you’re so much better than everyone else around here, just because your father is the Captain. It must be nice for you up on that pedestal, looking down your nose at the lowly soldiers around you. How can you expect any man to meet your expectations? We’ve worked hard for what we’ve accomplished here, and we deserve to enjoy it.”
“If you call throwing yourself at anything with a pair of breasts ‘enjoying it,’ then I feel really sorry for you. Why don’t you try actually acting like a gentleman and being worthy of your position. Maybe you would find something worth more than a one-night stand!” She started to take off, storming down the hill away from them. As she reached the bottom, she turned back once more. “As for being the daughter of the Captain, I would think you of all people would realize what a disadvantage that is rather than an asset. I’ve had to work twice as hard as any of you to prove myself. Do you see any other girls around here? Do you really think I’d be here if I didn’t deserve it? I’m the best at what I do, because I’ve worked my ass off since the day I turned five! Don’t you dare be so presumptuous as to take that away from me!”
They sat in silence as she stormed off, her figure disappearing into the dark. Wolf stood to the side of them, his hands balled into fists at his sides. Without saying anything to them, he took off toward his tent. Logan and Aiden sat in complete astonishment.
“Wow,” Logan breathed. “That was a long time coming.”
“That was a little unexpected ….” Aiden said, still shocked by the fight. “What is it with those two?”
Logan shrugged, lowering himself back down on his back. “You know how husbands and wives can be,” he answered lightly.
Aiden sat up straighter, looking over at him in complete surprise. A numbing feeling was spreading through his chest. “What does that mean?”
“They’re betrothed. Didn’t you know that?”
“Betrothed?” It can’t be true, he thought disbelievingly. They hated each other.
“His father is the Chief of the Riders, Hawk,” he explained. “They’ve been matched since they were young, although I don’t think either of them wants to marry the other.”
“Do you think they won’t then?”
Logan looked at him, as if he were seriously considering it. “Who knows,” he said finally. “They won’t marry until she reaches the age of nineteen, so there are still a couple of years till then. Things could always change.”
Aiden’s heart hurt, and his head pounded. From the very moment he saw her, he had fallen in love. Now he had discovered she was trusted to someone else—not just someone else, but his friend. A mixture of betrayal and complete despair was running through his entire body. Eventually, they both got up, following their roommates into the tents. Aiden crawled into his sleeping bag, curling himself into a ball. He had received a significant blow that night, and he didn’t know how he’d get over it.
The next day was even worse than the last. Not only did his head pound like someone was beating him repeatedly, but the news he had discovered the night before weighed down on him still. Both contributed to his terrible mood the moment he woke up. Felix seemed to be the worse for wear as well, and he didn’t ask many questions as to Aiden’s current state of mind. They crawled out of the tent to the early sunshine of the morning. The whole camp was already on the move, packing up as quickly as they could to get on the road. They both worked together, folding up the tent and their sleeping bags. Aiden went over to retrieve Ty from the water. Wolf was already there with Grumpy.
“Morning,” Wolf greeted Aiden as he walked up. He mumbled a hello back, focusing on strapping everything to the back of the horse.
“How are we feeling this morning?” Logan’s bright voice called out. Figures he’d feel just fine, thought Aiden bitterly. They were used to drinking like that. Aiden, on the other hand, should have known better.
“Like crap,” he replied bluntly. Logan laughed.
“Well, I would have guessed that. We finished three whole bottles last night.” Aiden shuddered, not even wanting to think about it. If he never had another drink of alcohol again, he’d be fine with that. “How is your rear end?”
That was another reason he was in such a foul mood. His entire body ached, especially his butt and thighs. All his limbs were stiff, and ached at the thought of having to ride all day again. What other choice did he have? Climbing onto the back of Ty, he kicked the horse forward, not answering Logan’s last question. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone at that moment, so he headed to the front of the group where he’d be left alone.
Riding through the camp, he could feel the anticipation and anxiety from the rest of the men. Today would be his time to think through any plans he could come up with. It would be a long day, and quiet reflection might be the best idea for him right now. Perhaps he should even talk with the King and Captain Turk, he thought logically. They would no doubt have input about the situation. He could see their large figures up ahead and rode toward them. Elisa was there too. He wasn’t sure he felt much like talking to her, but on the other hand, her situation wasn’t really her fault, and she clearly didn’t like it any more than he did.
“Good morning, Aiden,” she said as he neared. Her smile lifted his spirits a little bit, enough to elicit a smile of his own. “How are you feeling?” she asked, looking genuinely concerned.
“Horrible,” he answered truthfully. “I don’t think I’ll ever drink again.”
She smiled sympathetically. “Not many boys can keep up with those two. I should have warned you.” They fell in beside each other, their horses walking at a decent pace. “Look,” she began, “I just want to apologize for last night. I shouldn’t have let him get to me like that, and it wasn’t fair for you to witness all that. I hope you don’t think any less of me.”
He looked at her in shock. As if anything she could do would make him think less of her. He wanted to say just that, but didn’t have the courage to do so. “No need to apologize,” he waved it off, wanting nothing more than to forget the whole incident himself, for reasons of his own. “People argue all the time. You don’t have to be sorry for that.” She smiled in gratitude, letting the topic drop.
“Aiden!” Captain Turk barked, making him jump in his seat. “Get up here!”
Aiden looked questioningly at Elisa, who shrugged her shoulders in return. Kicking Ty lightly in the sides, he rode up to follow in step with the King.
“Your majesty,” he greeted the King, bowing his head. No one had taught him the proper manners used around the King, so he figured that would be enough.
“Good morning,” the King said, smiling. “From the shade of green on your face, I’d hazard a guess that our young Rider and his faithful sidekick kept you quite busy last night.” They both had smiles on their faces, not mocking ones, but smiles that understood what it was like to be young and carefree. The Captain chuckled a little as Aiden just stared back blankly.
“Don’t worry, my boy. You won’t get into trouble from us for those things. As long as you don’t do it the night before the battle—that would make it a much harder day for you.” They both continued to smile as Aiden shuddered at the thought of drinking any time again.
“I think I’m done with alcohol,” he replied honestly. They both laughed, looking knowingly at one another.
“How many times have I said that?” the King said to Turk.
“More than I can remember.” Sitting up in the front with them, Aiden finally got a clear feeling of how close these two were. There was definitely a long-shared friendship between the High King and his Captain, something that went deeper than most friendships. These two trusted each other with their lives. That said a lot about them.
“We wanted to discuss your attack,” the Captain started to say.
“I’m glad you bring that up,” replied Aiden. “I actually wanted to talk to you two about
that myself. Any ideas or suggestions you might have for me?”
“Well, I should hope so,” the King interjected, turning toward his friend. “I didn’t make him the Captain of the King’s army for nothing.” Turk gave him a sarcastic look, turning his eyes back to Aiden.
“We’ll sit together tonight and discuss it. Come find us when we’ve stopped for the day.” Aiden wondered how long that would be, feeling exhausted at just the thought. Nodding his head, he retreated back beside Elisa.
“Everything all right?” she asked. He nodded his head, working through his thoughts as he rode. There had to be some ideas in his brain that he could offer to them. He didn’t want to come off as completely useless when they met later, but what did he really know about planning attacks?
He spent the better part of the day rummaging through any and every thought he had in his head. Elisa rode beside him silently. It was nice to be riding with her, instead of the other boys. The other three wouldn’t have let him keep to himself like this, but she didn’t seem to mind. It was a nice silence between the two of them, not awkward or tense. They stopped once at midday for some lunch, but it was brief, and neither of them saw the other three until later that evening.
As he made his way to the back of the area where they had stopped, he could see Felix struggling with their tent. He reined in Ty as he drew nearer, lowering himself stiffly to the ground.
“Here, let me help you,” he said, grabbing one side of the tent.
“Thanks,” he answered, smiling gratefully. “My arms and hands are so stiff, I can barely move them.”
“I know the feeling.”
Jameson sat in his tent, looking over his map of the field where they were headed. They needed to utilize the space the best they could, leaving little room for the northern army. The north might have the trees for cover, but they also provided little space for them to move, which could be used as an advantage for their side. He hadn’t been sleeping well the last couple of nights, with too many thoughts running through his head. It would be the first time in ten years that he would see his brother. He wondered if he would even know him amongst the army from the north. Brutus the Red would be easy enough to find: he was big, and he was red. Callum, on the other hand, was small-boned and appeared non-threatening,, and he was most likely to blend into the crowd. Even when he did see him, Jameson thought hesitantly, what would he do? Would their eyes meet? Would something pass between them after all these years? Would he see what their father had built for them, and so readily be willing to destroy it all?
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