by Billy Wong
"You think warriors never fight in bad weather? If you're going to learn to fight, you're going to have to learn to do it in less than pleasant conditions, too!"
"Then why aren't you out here?"
She paused, watching them go at it for a few more moments. "Okay, okay, I'm coming!" She walked out, surprised the downpour was stronger than she'd thought, and laughed as she joined the men. "Wow, it is pretty bad."
Ed punched her on the shoulder. "Are you getting soft, Rose? We once practiced almost a whole summer this way."
"That's because that summer was all rain!"
"You country folk do grow up tough," Ethan said.
"Country folk? Come on, enough of that nonsense! Anyway, both of you at once, or what?"
"You're going to win anyway."
"Doesn't matter. Show me what you've got; I want to see how you're progressing."
Though Ed's performance impressed her a fair bit, Rose found herself discouraged by Ethan's constant trouble keeping his balance in the mud. "You've got to be more careful. And pick your feet up!"
"I know, I know. I can barely see."
"Get used to it."
They fought and fought with their dull blades, and when the two men had been complaining of fatigue long enough, Rose led them back inside and began to reheat the pot of soup she'd made in the brick stove. "So how many times did I kill you two again?"
"That's not a fair question," Ed said. "You're a great warrior, and we're just your poor victim friends."
"That's not true. Ethan wounded me once."
Her love smiled, but Ed countered, "Yeah, because you let him."
They looked at each other and shared a chuckle. Then, Ethan asked, "How many bowls of soup have you had since we started?"
"It's only my third."
"My Rose. You're something else."
"Are you calling me fat?"
"No, no. You're just a beauty brute."
"Beauty brute? That's a term I never heard before. What does it mean?"
Ed looked her up and down as if appraising a cow. "I think he means that you're a big, powerful, and beautiful woman."
"I knew that. Just wanted to hear him explain."
"Ah, well."
They ate, and Rose hoped the day would never end.
#
The couple continued to live happily in Hullel, until the day Rose heard of Pierce's return to the public eye in his homeland of Volston. Apparently, he had gained a new sense of strategy, and instead of simply trying to do as much damage as he could before his demise, had grown more cautious and stopped his attacks on Jugeld to concentrate on building up his forces again. It was as if he wanted things to go well in the long term, when presumably he didn't have a long term to look forward to.
Rose was disappointed that her enemy was still alive and ready to make more trouble, but didn't plan to go after him. She and Ethan were too happy here to give it up for the sake of a battle she wasn't personally involved in. But she began to think about the difference she could once again make on the front lines, and Ethan soon noticed the shift in her mood as she pondered her choices.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Is it Pierce?"
"Yeah, it is."
"You don't have to worry about him. He's not our problem. We're here and he's there, far away."
"If his plague spreads far enough, he'll be everyone's problem."
"Let time and his 'god' take care of him."
Rose sighed. "I know that's the reasonable thing to do. But we don't know how long it'll take him to die, or even if he will. It's been a while."
"He's acting more cautious, you know. You did that, in no small part."
And that was supposed to be a good thing? "Ethan, more cautious usually means smarter, too."
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. To do something."
"I shouldn't have fallen in love with you," he said with an exasperated grin.
Her heart twisted in her chest, and her eyes moistened with the urge to cry. "You don't mean that, do you?"
"Rose, what's wrong with you? There's tears in your eyes."
"You don't mean it, do you?"
"No! Rose, I was kidding! What's wrong with you?"
"I don't know. I'm being stupid, that's all. Just being stupid."
Ethan kissed her. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll be there with you, giving you all the help I can."
"No, don't come. I don't need your help, and don't want to needlessly risk your life."
"I care about you too much to let you go alone, and not to know your fate. Please let me help."
She still feared for his safety, but also wanted the emotional support he would provide. Though she couldn't help thinking it would not be the best idea, she relented and said, "Thank you, Ethan. I won't stop you from giving me your aid. But... I wish I never had to fight."
"You don't have to."
"Yes I do. Just like you had to go help the refugees, back then. What happened to you?"
"I used to be all ideals. But I found reality when I found you. You're the thing I value above all else, and I'd rather have some people who I don't know suffer than see you suffer. It's not a nice thought, I know. But it's true."
Rose nodded. "I feel the same way about you. But not myself, I'm sorry to say. I'd rather suffer a bit, than watch others do it."
"You could die."
"I haven't yet, have I?"
She decided then she would go and face Pierce one more time, and with Ethan at her side left for Jugeld. They bought horses before they went, Rose not wanting to waste any time, and hurried down the roads towards the next battle. But Ethan really didn't want to fight, and after all his talk of how it could be justified, said as the familiar walls of Geben came into sight, "I can't help you fight. Sorry, Rose. I just don't think I can take human life."
"I understand. I don't enjoy it either, to say the least. You want to go back?"
"No. I'm with you."
"Then that's all I need." He wasn't much of a fighter, anyway.
They made their way into the fort and tried to learn what they could of Pierce's plans, but there was little known about the reasons for his change in tactics, and even less about when or where he would strike. The couple decided to enjoy their stay at the fort as best they could before Rose would have to join the fight, and settled quickly into life among the soldiers.
Rose helped bring her unique emphasis on stamina to the practice field, and added her famous family stew to the Geben menu. It felt like they had found a new home; or maybe wherever she went with Ethan was home nowadays. She almost forgot what they had come here for. Then, the news came.
Pierce had gathered a huge force on the southern shore of the Lip Sea in which Weith was located, apparently meaning to invade the island duchy. Now Rose really saw what Alicia had been talking about when she spoke of deterrence, and knew Pierce had a sound idea. With its sparse defenders, the isolated duchy would not be too hard to take, and would serve as a suitable base for continued warfare against the mainland. Supplies could easily reach Weith from Volston, and the Lip Sea bordered a good stretch of Kayland's eastern shore.
Knowing the Kayland government would not be able to gather much of an army to send to Weith in time, Rose could tell this was going to be quite a difficult fight, and wondered if Alicia would be there in her homeland's defense. She hoped so. She could use the woman's prowess, and the calm she brought to the storm of war.
Chapter 11
Taking a boat from the fishing town of Cund, Rose and Ethan rowed their way on the calm Lip to the western shore of Weith. As they landed ashore, Ethan asked, "Why didn't we come into the town harbor?"
"I didn't know exactly where the harbor is. The map said it was on the west side, and we're on the west side. It's a nice place, though, isn't it?"
He looked around the lush forest and nodded. "It's really... green. Green that'll soon be stained red, huh?"
Rose didn't think the fight would end up her
e in the forest, but the words were frightful nonetheless. "Let's find Weith town. I hope they've got some idea of what's coming for them!"
They walked through the forest along the shore, looking for signs of human life, and eventually saw the long docks stretching out far from the natural end of the land. Coming up before the wooden wall around town, Rose felt relieved there was a wall in the first place. They soon found the town gate, and as they entered Ethan said sadly, "It's a nice place."
"Yeah, it's nice." The town was tidy and quiet, and the humbly dressed people walking the streets observed Rose and Ethan with curious but friendly eyes. The town square was clean and smoothly paved, and in the middle stood a statue of a lean-faced man holding what she took to be a book of law. Weith seemed a pleasant town. It also wasn't at all ready for what it faced.
"So what do we do, Rose?"
"I guess we'll go talk to the local ruler, the duke or whatever, to find out what his plans are for the Vlin invasion. I hope they've got an evacuation plan ready. I don't think they can hold this place."
"I think it's a duchess who rules here," Ethan said.
"Duke, duchess, whatever." But she was intrigued that a woman held the highest position here. She wondered if she had inherited the post from her parents, or if her husband had died. Either way, Rose hoped she would be a good example of why a woman could wield the same power as a man—and not why not.
"I thought you meant to kill Pierce?"
She shook her head. "I did, and I'll still do it if I get the chance. But it's more important that we save whoever we can."
He nodded, and Rose went to ask a young man walking by about the location of the duchess' manor. "Hey, I know who you are!" he said to her surprise.
She blinked. She really hadn't expected this. "Who?" she asked bemusedly.
"You're Rose, the Guardian of Geben!"
Guardian of Geben. She was getting too many names. At least it was better than Monster of the Black Mane... "How did you know me?"
"The big sword, big shield, big hair, big everything!"
That was about right. She shook his hand. "You got me. What's your name, then?"
"Patrick."
"You know where the Duchess lives?"
"That way." He pointed to the east. "But she won't like being disturbed. It better be important."
"It's very important. Thanks."
He seemed to catch the grim look in her eyes. "There's going to be a war, isn't there?"
"Yeah. The Vlin are coming. You might as well start getting ready, while you have time."
"Ready to do what?"
"Run, or fight. Just to move, I guess."
"You'll save us, won't you?"
"I hope so, Patrick. I hope so."
#
Following his directions, Rose and Ethan came upon a tall hedge maze. She sighed. "Making things difficult for us legitimate visitors, huh? The Vlin would just cut right through, bushes or not."
"She must be pretty shy," Ethan concluded.
"Must be. Reclusive old spinster, I'd bet. Hope she'll let us inside."
They made their way to the front door of a luxurious manor, its outer walls adorned by many flowery vines, and a pair of guards who probably had no real combat experience whatsoever stopped them. One actually said, "Halt! Who goes there?"
Rose decided to try her luck. "The Guardian of Geben."
"Uh, who?"
Damn. She wasn't a real legendary hero yet, after all. For once, it might have helped in this case. She laughed, trying to take away the awkwardness of the situation. "My name's Rose, and he's Ethan. We came to warn you about the Vlin."
"What about the Vlin?"
"They're invading. Listen, can I please just talk to the duchess?"
"I'll go and check," the other guard offered, and went inside.
As they waited, Rose asked, "So you just stand guard all the time?"
"Yes."
"How many visitors do you get per day?"
"Maybe... three a week?"
"So this job must be pretty nice."
Ethan nudged her shoulder. "Rose, stop bothering him."
"I'm just curious! It might've been nice if I had gotten a job like this when I was looking, instead of falling in with Alicia's crew."
"You don't like Alicia?"
Rose had to think about it for a second. "I like her okay. She's my friend, and an amazing fighter. I just meant that I didn't like what I wound up doing at her side."
"A lot of people would be dead or suffering if you hadn't been there." Slowly, she nodded in agreement, and he added, "And you might never have met me, if things had been different."
"All true. She was right, when she said life is about its moments. I suppose unless you've never had good times, you don't really have a reason to complain about your life." She kissed him. "Because the good times are great."
Just then, an angry female voice boomed out of a window on the manor's second floor. "Vlin invasion?! What kind of idiot came to warn me about that? Don't they think I'd know? Do they think I'm stupid?" The voice sounded quite familiar. Rose gaped. But it couldn't be...
A few moments later, Alicia appeared at the door, dressed in a rough wool tunic and breeches entirely mismatched to the elegance and grandeur of her residence. Rose stared. "Y-you said you inherited a business, not a duchy!"
"What, you don't think a duchy requires money to run, or makes any? Sounds like a business to me."
"That isn't the point! You're a duchess playing mercenary! What's that about?" Rose glanced at Ethan, and saw his mouth wide open. He was, as expected, just as shocked as she.
"Duchess is boring. Mercenary isn't."
"Who the hell runs things when you're away?"
"The staff. They know it better than me, anyway. All I really know is delegate, delegate."
"That's setting yourself up for a fall."
"Are you saying I can't trust my staff?"
Feeling the stares of Alicia's guards, Rose replied, "I... guess you can."
"So what is this about the Vlin invasion?"
"Do you have any plans for how to deal with them?"
Alicia's lips formed a haughty grin. "Do I! Of course I do. Emperor Regis of Fanteia's promised to send a fleet to help us out, with plenty of land troops along just in case. They should be out there already, actually. We don't have a thing to worry about."
Fanteia? Only the most powerful nation on the eastern side of the Lip Sea. "You must have some connections."
"I met the emperor himself when I was working over there, quelling a local rebellion. Needless to say, I impressed him with my fighting abilities."
Rose grew suspicious. "But a whole fleet, Alicia? I'm sure he'd want something in return. I wouldn't be surprised if that something was incorporation of Weith into Fanteia as a colony!" The empire had taken plenty of its land that way.
"Oh, well. We don't interact much with the central government, one way or the other."
How could she know that? How could she know how Fanteia would treat her people? Irresponsible as always. "Alicia, just because you can leave anytime you want, doesn't mean everybody else can."
Alicia glowered at her. "And what else would you have me do? Kayland's military situation won't do me any good."
"Run away, maybe?"
"And let my ancestral lands be taken by the Vlin? No way."
At least she did care. "So you think it'd be better to be a colony of Fanteia than taken over by the Vlin, huh?"
"Of course. Fanteia treats its colonies alright. They'd let us stay here, at least. Pierce would kill us to the last man, woman, and child. You've seen how he works."
Rose gave a reluctant nod. "I imagine you know more about what's best for your land than me. Anyway, I came here to help you fight."
"Thank you."
"I meant, what should we do?"
"Let's wait. Maybe the Fanteians will even take care of everything for us."
"So you're really a duchess." Ethan said then,
smiling.
Alicia looked at him. "What of it?"
"Is your crest a big red boar?"
"How did you know?"
"You call yourself the Crimson Boar."
Rose shook her head and sighed. "Oh, Alicia. Unoriginal, using your crest like that. If I cared to know anything about heraldry, I'd be embarrassed I didn't realize who you were."
"Shut up. Anyway... come inside."
#
Passing by a gigantic suit of plate armor on display in Alicia's lobby, an awestruck Ethan touched it and exclaimed, "Wow, this thing is huge! The man who wore it must have been seven feet tall."
"Six foot nine, actually," Alicia said. "Seven inches more than me."
Rose smiled. "Your father, right?"
"Yeah. He was great—smart and kind, and the one of the few noblemen in Kayland who could give Count Brandon a good joust. I loved him so much; wished I could be just like him."
"I know the feeling. He'd be proud."
"He'd be asking why I'm still unmarried."
"You'll find your man. You almost did."
Alicia grunted. "Michael? A distraction. They've all been distractions. I wouldn't settle for someone like that. My father wouldn't, either. You're lucky, Rose. You've found your love."
She squeezed Ethan's hand and smiled. "You'll be okay."
"Well, of course I will."
"Hey, if your father was this giant warrior, who's the guy in the town square? He doesn't look like a member of the family."
"I don't know. Some wimp, by the looks of him. Anyway, come on. I want to show you something."
Rose wondered if it would be something she found interesting, or a total waste of time. Regaining her cheer without missing a beat, Alicia led them enthusiastically to her den, where a hollow chunk of metal like an overtall pot with an unfortunately rounded bottom rested on its side.
"What the hell is that?" Rose asked.
"You tell me."
"It's a metal thing the size of an ogre with a hole in it, that can't stand up straight."
"It's a relic from the Old World. Supposedly, they used it to call storms."
What was the joke here? "Oh, no. I'm not falling for this."
Ethan looked inside and mused, "I wonder how many people this could feed, if it stood upright?"