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As the sun rose over Two-Crows, seven men, two women and four horses prepared for their journey out of the Aulus Forest and on to wherever the trail of the Giants would lead them.
Severus gathered his daughter into his arms, telling her that it was her responsibility to keep her mother and brother safe. The little girl dutifully kissed him on the cheek and said she would. Severus then looked at his wife and infant son, stating in his most pragmatic tone, "I know you will be fine."
"Yes, my husband, for we have rusty swords and old men to protect us," she laughed wryly, though her comment wasn't entirely said in jest.
"Yes," he nodded. "Perhaps a forge is needed in the Order first before a set of barracks are built."
"Perhaps. But, those are thoughts for another time." She smiled, though it was slightly distant, "Be well, my husband. I know you will be safe."
He gave her slight bow and then after handing Aelia back to her, hoisted himself onto a black gelding that was on loan from the Running Deer village.
A few steps away, an anxious Tacitus was unsuccessfully attempting to tie his medical bag to the back of a just-as-nervous Bellona. "Whoa, girl," he said as he tried to steady her, but failed as she stepped away from him once again with a neigh and a snort in his direction.
"Here," Nona laughed as wrapped the wayward strap through a loop on the horse's saddle.
"She's not used to saddles," Tacitus said, sheepishly. "And neither am I for that matter."
"She will do alright, Tacitus, but you," she breathed deeply, trying not to let any of the private ache of her heart be known publicly, "please stay by your brother. Just promise me that you will."
He nodded, glancing towards Severus, "I will. Of that you can be sure."
She embraced him in a quick fleeting movement, then stepped back as she called out to them all, "Goodbye, my fellow Cavalli warriors! May the gods grant you a safe journey and quick return!"
They finished saying goodbye and those of the party that were riding climbed onto their mounts, while those that were walking hoisted their bags onto their backs as the small force of nine set out for the Aulus Forest's easternmost edge.
As they left the village, Severus' heart soared as if it had been cut free from some invisible restraint. It had been far too long since he had felt such an excitement within his bones and as they rode on, a few of the older Cavalli started up the war songs of old. Severus closed his eyes and joined in and as their voices lifted to Heaven above, he knew that his people would one day rise again into a great nation.
As Tacitus watched Severus' back, he thought of the first time that the threat of the Giants had arisen - nearly two decades previous, when he was both still a father and a husband.
He smiled as he thought of his wife, Valeria. She was very different from Nona, with black hair and dark eyes and a gentle, submissive spirit. She had also possessed a lovely singing voice and it was that voice that had driven Tacitus to her while he was foraging for medicinal herbs. He'd come upon her dancing and serenading the trees while seemingly lost in her own private world but as soon as she discovered him watching her, she became very embarrassed and stopped. Tacitus begged her to continue, telling her it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard upon his ears.
Their young love blossomed quickly and the wedding soon after had been a gorgeous affair - held in the springtime near the river. Neither had quite reached their second decade but Cavalli often married young in order to increase the chances of fertility. She looked so beautiful that day as she stood waiting for him patiently while his brothers carried him up to the altar upon their shoulders in the Cavalli tradition.
The entire village of Two-Crows had come out to watch and celebrate with them. He had never seen so many people gathered but was pleased when he saw that his father stood proudly beside her father and their mothers wept upon each other's shoulders. It was the second happiest day of Tacitus' life and he thought life would never be any different than it was in that moment, surrounded by people that knew and loved him so well. For ten years life seemed impossibly blissful, until rumors of Giant sightings began to crop up.
The rumors had persisted for so long that most of the Cavalli, including his father, believed that the Giants were a myth, much like the forest goblins. Growing weary of what he saw as nothing more than scaremongering among the villagers, Atticus put together a scouting party in order to investigate the validity of the claims.
It was expected, of course, that all men of the village would join him but Tacitus, reluctant to leave his wife and young daughter, couldn't bring himself to join them. He saw no benefit for his family should he be killed or wounded but knew that participation in the hunting party was expected of him. He agonized over his dilemma before finally deciding to go to his father with his concerns.
His father surprisingly understood and even gave him a way to get out of going without losing honor. Atticus told the rest of the village that he had heard that a sickness had arisen in the children of Little Fish and that they would need Tacitus' expertise in Two-Crows should the illness arise in their own children. Though most people in the village accepted this excuse, it was the beginning of the wedge that would eventually come between him and his brothers. And, when his father was then mortally wounded during the hunting party, the wedge grew even larger.
It was a fortnight later when his brothers returned to the village, their father being dragged behind them upon a litter. He had been wounded in his side by one of the Giants' bladed weapons and the wound had become infected. He was barely conscious by the time they had made it back to Two-Crows but still he refused Tacitus treatments, even the ones he was offered for pain.
Then, as his father lay dying, Atticus called each one of his sons to his side individually and gave them their final words. When it was Tacitus' turn, he spoke gently to him, "My son, do not blame yourself as the others have. Only the gods know what could have happened had things been different."
"But, Father, I could've saved you had-"
"You do not know that." He placed a weakened hand upon his son's head, "Listen to what I have to say, Tacitus: others in the world may not see what I see in you but I have seen something great. Your fear is not from cowardice, it's from a wise and cautious mind. The gods have blessed you with this. You must not waste it for it is a rare and precious thing to be granted a thinking brain."
"I feel there is no place for me in the Cavalli-"
"Ah, my son, but there is! Your time will come and you will see. In the meantime, I must ask you to watch over Severus. Watch over him, Tacitus, for he thinks too much about others and not enough of himself. Your mother will not always be around for him and he gets so solemn at times that I fear for his well-being. I know it may not seem like it now but he needs you, Tacitus."
Back in the forest of Aulus, around midday the party had reached its border. They decided as a group that they should dismount to feed and water the horses for the impending journey to the Eastern Shore but before they could, Vibius, along with a few other members of some of the surrounding villages, appeared before them - some on foot, some on horseback, all armed.
Severus' hand moved instinctively to his sword, though he left it in its sheath. "What do you want with us Vibius? We mean no harm."
The other larger man sat upon a black stallion, warily eyeing the two women in Severus' group. "So, you're hunting Giants with women... and a Cauda."
Tacitus lowered his eyes slightly as his heart began to pound within his chest.
Severus glowered, "We aren't hunting them, as well you know. What do you want with us?"
Vibius shrugged and tightened the grip that he had on his horse's reins, "It's simple, really: We're here, Giant-Killer, to join you." His face relaxed into a smile as the rest of Severus' party breathed a sigh of relief.
"What made you change your mind?"
"I thought about it a little while longer and ultimately, your wife was right - though I did not care for her
tactics. But we are all Cavalli and we must stand together or we won't stand at all." He leaned over to Tacitus and held out his forearm, "Isn't that right, my Brother?"
Tacitus gave a relieved smile as he nodded, "Yes, Brother," and gripped Vibius' forearm firmly in return.
Then, after a brief respite, the new larger group of Cavalli warriors rode out of the forest and onto the path that ran along Eastern shore. As they rode, they began swapping old war stories and sang more songs until Severus saw something shimmering in the horizon. "What is that?"
As they drew closer, Tacitus felt a sinking feeling begin in the pit of his stomach, "Oh no..."
Everyone turned to look at him.
He sighed and answered, "That's the Unclaimed Desert."
Cries of disbelief came from the others, "It can't be! Not out here!"
Severus shook his head, "Not this far out! You can't tell me its spread this far!"
Tacitus was gutted as he nodded, "I'm afraid it has. That is no doubt that that is the sand and white hills of the Unclaimed Desert."
In a moment of disbelief, Severus kicked his heels into his horse and spurred the gelding on towards the horizon until the grass below him became sparse and sandy. He looked down and saw that Tacitus had been right, the Desert had spread since he had last been upon the land.
He climbed down from his horse and knelt down, running his hand over the sand, "I can't believe it."
Tacitus and the others arrived behind him.
Severus looked over his shoulder, "It... it is as you say, Tacitus. The desert has spread."
No one spoke for a while as they gazed upon the devastation that was before them.
Severus then addressed the group as he stood, dusting his hands off, "No one will think less of you if you decide now to turn back and return home. We did not come equipped to travel in the wasteland-"
"Are you going to go on?" Decimus asked.
"Aye," he nodded. "We first fought the Giants about a thousand meters from here, when it was still the remnants of our former grassland home. I believe that if we want to get any ideas on what it is they're planning then we need to start there."
"We will stay with you, Giant-Killer, wherever you lead."
"Aye," Vibius agreed. "For the good of the Cavalli!"
The rest of the party raised their arms into the air and shouted in agreement.
Severus looked at Tacitus, who nodded, "Yes, Giant-Killer, we will all follow wherever you lead."
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A Sword Of Wrath, Book I: Blood And Dust Page 30