by 5kops
As Areck looked over at his comrade, who looked impressed with the knowledge the young squire had of the military outpost, he smiled in a knowing fashion. It felt good to impress his friend, even with half truths, which was why he was loathe to tell Arawnn that he had never set foot inside Stormwind Keep.
He felt like he knew the place like the back of his hand, though all of his information came directly from his studies, which had progressed through various stages of strategic implications and history.
"When I passed through on the way to Aresleigh, I found it very ominous," Arawnn agreed. "I can't imagine it ever falling under invasion."
"It never has," Areck said. "It was built after the third war, when the ferryll came out of the Great Devoid and sacked much of the old world. It was constructed to keep the western part of the kingdom safe, should it ever be surprised again." He also explained that he was fortunate enough to have seen its layout on several occasions, as Lord Silvershield carried around basic blue prints.
"Have there been many invading forces?"
"It hasn't been used as a military bastion in over six centuries," Areck explained. "During that time the Bre'Dmorians controlled the pass to better protect the duchy. Now it's mainly used as a trading center."
Areck became thoughtful. He had not considered that this information might be against protocol. It was not usual for people to talk of military matters or the history of his society. He knew it was frowned upon to release any information that the knighthood did not deem necessary. His look brought a cheerful grin to Arawnn's face.
"Let me guess: you said something you weren't supposed to?" Arawnn chuckled.
"Protocol," Areck answered with a tight smile. "You have seen how my lack of concentration has gotten me into . . . situations."
Arawnn raised his hands in mock surprise, "I don't suppose they give you a list of proper conversations, eh?" Arawnn whispered through the side of his mouth. "Next time let me know what questions I can and cannot ask."
The comment struck Areck as humorous. He gave Arawnn a wide smile and nodded ahead, to where the pair of knights had turned their horses and were waiting for the squires to catch up. Lord Vinion, per his normal demeanor, stared at the pair with disdain.
"Does that man ever keep his eyes to himself?" Arawnn asked.
"If we don't hurry this line up, I think I will be subjected to more than being looked at," Areck said, noticing that Lord Vinion's dark look was meant for him. Since the day Areck had left Aresleigh, the second-captain had not taken his eyes off of him.
I guess I cannot complain, Areck thought. I deserve this—and at least I am no longer running.
Due to the haste now required, Lord Galwen Vinion had returned Areck's steed However, the knight-captain had warned him that if he made a single misstep, regardless of Knight-Captain Silvershield's protection, he would be demoted back to squire for the course of the campaign.
For another hour the Bre'Dmorians traveled in silence, passing several long caravans before coming in full sight of the gates of Stormwind.
Lord Silvershield raised his hand for a halt, signaling that the column would take a quick rest before they entered a large clearing that marked the border of the keep. Several squires dismounted, pulled water skins from their bags, and broke into small groups, talking excitedly.
Areck could not help but marvel at the sight. The shadow of the mountains gave the wall an impregnable look. Coming from a walled city- such as Aresleigh with battlements every few hundred feet, he decided that Storm-wind's walls lacked length. However, the walls were built into the mountain itself, stretching forty feet from ground to crest. Bordering each side, in tiered magnificence, were two impressive circular battlements, no longer manned by trained archers but awe-inspiring nonetheless.
Areck gazed sideways to see Arawnn chewing on some dried meat, his head tilted, studying the guards standing duty on the walls. Areck smiled. It was good to see the carefree young courier take such a military achievement seriously. The thought made him realize that his time with his friend was almost at an end, that they would soon need to go their separate ways.
What if I am making a mistake by not telling him my vision? Areck thought, remembering each night's vision had come and gone with the same conclusion. His friend would be killed at the hands of a Bre'Dmorian, and when Areck reached for him, the dead body became his own, opened its eyes, and stood up.
These are not visions, he corrected himself. They are nightmares. The consultation with his commanding officers had eased his doubts somewhat. They had told him not to reveal the vision to one who could not understand. Without comprehension, one such as Arawnn could cause all manner of complications in time and history by trying to hide. Yet he felt guilty.
Areck had never truly been accepted among the other squires, being common-born and an orphan at that, yet here was a man who befriended him regardless. This man had sacrificed on his behalf and accepted him as he was, and Areck was grateful for his companionship.
And now he was going to let his friend die—without ever giving him the chance to choose. Areck considered the words. How could he live with himself if he didn't say anything? How could he live with the guilt?
Areck tried to convince himself there was no other way, that there was nothing he could do. He told himself that Arawnn's best chance of survival was by telling his superiors, which he had done. He even told himself that Lord Silvershield could handle the situation . . . and that everything would be all right. And still, the guilt persisted.
Areck was jolted out of his thoughts by Knight-Captain Silvershield's command to mount up. Once everyone had mounted their horses, Lord Silvershield gave orders to move back into a riding column. He waited for the commander to position himself at the front of the line, move his hand forward, and issue the order to march.
By all accounts Stormwind Keep was the perfect military staging point. On either side of the mountain pass it protected, the surrounding forest had been clear cut so that it was barren of all plants, trees, and wildlife. If an army marched against Stormwind, it would need to cross a death zone of over three hundred yards in any direction.
It meant that guards could see anyone as soon as they cleared the last shadows of the forest. Areck wondered why the builders had taken such great care on this side of Aresleigh. It was not like the rest of the kingdom needed to be protected from the duchy. Had the dwarves who designed the place ever considered that to all appearances it looked like they were trying to keep the people of the duchy in? The thought made him smile. He had only seen rough drawings of the other side. If the builders had taken such care on the fortified side, he wondered what they had done on the opposite.
It did not take long for the small company of Bre'Dmorians to cross the clearing and approach two thick wooden doors. Although the activity of such a gate was nowhere near as concentrated as that of his old position as second customs officer back in Aresleigh, Areck saw several soldiers talking with merchants, looking through materials, and passing over documents. One of the merchants seemed particularly displeased with the usual process of entry, most likely due to the fact that he had never passed this far west before. After a long debate, the merchant threw up his hands in defeat and unloaded several large barrels from his cart.
Areck could see Arawnn had followed his gaze and was grinning.
No wonder the merchant looks so disgusted, Areck thought noticing that the barrels looked a lot like kegs. The man had planned to take the alcohol to the port city' of Aresleigh and traffic his goods in trade or sales. However, it looked like the guards had told the man they would either confiscate a large portion of the ale or he could sell it to them at a price far lower than the one he would get in the huge city. The merchant did not really have much of a choice. He was not from the region, and although Baron Marqel was known as a fair man, he would not side with a merchant when a fair price had been offered.
"Lord Silvershield!' A voice cut through the afternoon bus
tle. "It has been many years since I have seen your face."
"Thomas, lad, I see you are still employed by the baron," the commander chuckled with happiness.
Areck watched as a middle-aged man with grey eyes, salted brown hair, and dressed in sturdy woolen garments overlaid by several pieces of leather walked out of the gate and up to the giant stallion that Lord Bowon so prized.
"I see Legion is still with you," Thomas pointed out, rubbing the horse's muzzle and getting a contented grunt in return. When Thomas was satisfied with Legion's approval, he turned to the knight-captain. "You mean I haven't run the baron through yet?" Thomas continued, bringing a dark scowl from Lord Vinion, whom he ignored.
The comment caused the commander to chuckle. "Hah! He should have kept you washing dishes, boy; would have done more to keep that tongue in check."
"Well, if you must know, Lord Marqel has promoted me to Captain of the Guard, so it would not be much use doing away with the one who pays me," Thomas said.
The friendly banter reminded Areck of his own relationship with Arawnn and the cheerfulness the courier brought when he was around.
"If the two of you are quite done, my lord," Lord Vinion interjected, "maybe we should ask the captain if he can lead us to our men."
Lord Silvershield scowled at the younger knight but said, "Thomas, we sent scouts to Stormwind nearly two days ago to investigate some unusual circumstances."
The guard captain regarded Lord Bowon and Lord Vinion with confusion and shook his head. "I can't remember seeing a single knight pass through our gates in over a week, my lord."
"Lord Silvershield, this is what I feared!" Knight-Captain Vinion said. "Knight-Captain Malketh must have had trouble!"
"If he did not make it here, he had more than trouble," Bowon said, a range of emotions crossing his face. "Thomas, I trust you, but is there any chance you could be mistaken . . . maybe there was a time when you were not posted?" he asked, raising his hand for silence when Lord Vinion tried to interrupt again.
Thomas explained that during daylight he roamed the entire keep, making sure both gates were opened and the portcullis was raised. Then he would leave the courtyard to go over various activities with Lord Marqel. Throughout the day and until the gates closed at dusk, Thomas made two visits to the gatehouses, checking logs of who had entered and exited the pass. There was a slim chance that a merchant would go unnoticed by the gate's officers, but to miss a knight would be unlikely.
After several more questions Lord Silvershield nodded in grudging acceptance. Lord Vinion's face was red upon being quieted in front of non-commanders but he also looked thoughtful, as though considering the source of information, and the possibility that one of his sub-commanders had been killed.
"Do you have any more questions for the captain, Lord Vinion?" Lord Bowon asked. Galwen shook his head.
"My lord," Thomas began, "when I saw your company marching down the road, I alerted Baron Marqel of your presence. I am sure he will be to willing assist in whatever way he can—a scouting party, or at least a ranger, will be able to track down your missing party."
Lord Silvershield looked over at Lord Vinion, who moved his horse next to Legion and leaned in. The commander's eyes darkened before he nodded his head, grunted in approval, then issued orders to his men before turning to face Areck and the guard captain.
"Courier Arawnn, Lord Vinion, Squire Areck, and I will be attending the Lord Baron," Bowon said to Captain Thomas. "Let me get my men moving, then we will be ready for you to escort us there."
After finishing orders, Lord Silvershield unpacked his gear, handed Legion over to a groom, and beckoned Areck to follow.
Seeing his superiors step through a nearby door, Areck ordered one of the remaining squires to find the barracks captain, make sure that all the men were situated, and that their situation included some good hot stew. For the first time since his departure from Aresleigh, a squire smiled at him. Satisfied with his humor, Areck turned and entered the door.
Once inside, Areck heard the voices of Arawnn, Thomas, and Lord Silvershield chuckling ahead. The hallway smelled of ancient dust and stone but was well kept and lit with torches. He guessed that the passage led deep into the mountain and up into the central keep. He further guessed that at one time this tunnel had been a secret passage used during times of war but was now relegated to servants traveling from the lower areas of the keep to the small town.
Areck wound around and up a set of stairs, which ended with a dull stone wall. It seemed a solid mass of immoveable stone but, as he ran his hands over the smooth surface, Areck felt a draft, meaning it opened into a chamber. He heard the muffled voice of Lord Silvershield. It sounded like the commander was getting ready to send Thomas back into the passage in search of him. Areck quickly felt for a small indentation in the stone, which usually held a small lever, and pulled. With a creak the door swung open and several pairs of eyes watched him walked through.
"There you are, lad," Lord Silvershield exclaimed in relief. "Lord Vinion moved ahead while we waited for you. Please try not to get yourself lost, Areck. This place is a maze."
"I apologize, my lord, I will be more careful," Areck said, quite embarrassed that the group had been forced to wait on his behalf.
Lord Silvershield turned back to Thomas and asked about the "old man's" health. This brought a snort of laughter from Thomas and the guard captain opened a second door which led up another set of steep stairs.
After several minutes the small group of men reached the inner chambers of Stormwind, where Lord Galwen Vinion waited impatiently, his face dark with his usual glower. He nodded to Lord Silvershield and Thomas and stepped away from the gilded doors of the baron's personal chambers.
"If you will excuse me, my lords, I must announce you to his lordship," Thomas said.
"Is there no seneschal, Captain?" Galwen asked.
"The duke no longer funds us as he once did, my lord," Thomas met Lord Vinion's frown. "Had the knighthood not abandoned this post so long ago, maybe they could have helped us with more purposeful servants."
"How dare . . ." Lord Vinion sputtered.
"That will be enough, Galwen," Lord Silvershield said, trying to suppress a smile. He addressed the knight informally to emphasize the man's place. Galwen Vinion nodded grimly, accepting the rebuke with ill grace.
"I hate all this formality," Arawnn whispered in Areck's ear. "You would not believe how many times I have had to be introduced to various lords and ladies."
"But you're a noble, aren't you?" Areck replied in mock surprise. "I thought your kind liked being bowed to."
"And I thought your kind had no patience for this sort of thing." Arawnn winked.
Areck grinned and looked back to see the door opened by a large, bald man much older then Lord Silvershield. Lord Vinion watched him with burning eyes and as always, with a look of disgust. Areck sighed but understood that there was nothing he could do outside of earning the man's respect. With resignation, he cast his eyes downward to avoid the glare of the officer.
The silence did not last long as the bald man pushed his way past the doors and lumbered in front of Lord Silvershield. Instead of bowing, the man reached out and cuffed the knight-captain with a friendly blow, bellowing like an enraged bear. "It is about time you return to us, lad!"
"You are addressing a knight-captain, sir," Galwen said. It seemed to Areck that every word the officer heard since arriving at the keep infuriated him. "It is not proper—"
The old man cut off the comment with dangerous laughter. He turned his gaze back to Bowon. "This one has got quite a tongue on him, Bowon. Maybe you should find him something to do, if he cannot stay silent while the lord baron of a keep is speaking."
Finally, Areck thought, someone has put Lord Vinion in his place.
Lord Silvershield had always warned his charges that the outside world was different than that of the Academy. Lord Vinion quivered with rage. However, he was on a thin precipic
e: if he offended the baron, he would be punished in more ways than even a squire could imagine.
"I meant no offense, my lord," Galwen said, struggling to contain his anger. "It was not my place to speak out of turn."
"That it was not." The baron shrugged, turning away from Galwen and back to Lord Silvershield.
"As I was saying, Bowon, it is good to see you again!" Baron Marqel said. "I had not expected you to return this way since . . . well, since you wandered off ten years ago."
The knight-captain's face assumed a look of distant sadness and longing. "My days of service to God are waning, I am afraid. However, Lord Light-bringer has decided that a commission would serve his needs well. If I may, my lord?" Lord Silvershield paused for the nod that meant he could formally introduce his companions. "This is Second-Captain Galwen Vinion, Under-Lieutenant Areck of Brenly, and Lord Messenger Arawnn of Almas-sia, a royal courier of our king."
"This one looks about as old as you, when you first came to Stormwind all those years ago," the baron smiled at Areck. "He is young for an officer, is he not?"
"Areck is my personal squire, my lord, and this is his first campaign out of the Academy," Lord Silvershield beamed at his young apprentice, increasing Lord Vinion's anger.
"Well, I am sure you did not come here to stand in my quarters. Let us make our way to the map room and discuss your mission," Baron Marqel said, letting the door swing shut behind him, passing through the waiting contingent of men.
Lord Silvershield did not seem concerned by the lack of formality on the baron's part. The commander looked quite comfortable with being addressed as a lad, rather than his current rank. Neither did he seem upset over the insults that had been directed at his officer. In fact, Lord Silver-shield looked delighted to be back at Stormwind Keep after all these years.
As Baron Marqel led them through another maze of corridors, the conversation sped along in all manner of directions. The baron asked about the knighthood at length, involving Lord Vinion in the conversation when possible, using a noble's polite indifference to dance around the lengthy subject. Areck trailed just behind the discussion, hoping that it would not turn to him. Next to him strode Arawnn, eavesdropping, enjoying the varying subjects, a wide smile etched upon his face.