The Tales of Asedith- Loyalty to the Crown

by Donald Davis

  A day after the ceremony, the caravan was well on its way and was estimated to arrive that night. The ride to the wedding had been boring, but not the way back. Joshua sat on his horse the whole time, thinking of Evalyn. He often thought about her now and wondered if she thought about him. Surely not. What would she see in me? He continued to think about her. Well, she did kiss me back the other night. Maybe she likes me after all. Joshua had talked to a few girls in his time, but this was different. He felt as if he were falling for her. But how would this work? He was a sworn king’s knight who resided in Roseshire, while she was the daughter of the leader from Yordenfall. Perhaps there was a way. After all he had done for the king, perhaps Braden would grant him this favor and allow them to marry.

  With only a few hours until they would return to Yordenfall, the sky started to darken. It had been a beautiful day, warm and sunny until then. The caravan continued forward, riding through open fields, and eventually came to a mountain pass that they had passed through on their way to the wedding. Joshua looked around at the only interesting piece of scenery on that trail, the mountains. As they went through the mountain pass, it started to get even darker. There was little sunlight now.

  Joshua continued along with the caravan until he heard a scream coming from the back of the caravan. He turned around and quickly trotted his horse to the back. One of the women riding with the rear end of the group had looked back and seen two guards lying on the ground dead. She screamed until Joshua arrived. “What happened?” he quickly asked. “I don’t know,'' she said. “I was moving with the caravan until I heard the sound of a sword hitting the ground. I turned around and then I saw them.” Before they could discuss it further, one of the men shouted from the front side of the caravan. “We are under attack!” Joshua quickly trotted his horse to the royal carriage. He looked ahead to see a few more dead guards lying in the road.

  Strangely, there was nobody else in sight. There were no enemies to be seen. “Did you see anything?” Joshua asked the remaining guards. “No, ser," one replied. “We proceeded into the pass and the next we knew, there were some of us lying dead in the road.” This is bizarre, Joshua thought to himself. It was almost dark, however. It would make it difficult to see whoever was doing this. Joshua then returned to the royal carriage and quickly opened the door. He looked inside to Roland, Evalyn, and the rest of them. “Everyone, we appear to be under attack. Stay calm, and do not leave the carriage. We will take care of this. I will let you know when it is safe.” He did not wait for a response. He closed the door and shouted to the guards. “Everyone, gather at the carriage!” Everyone continued to do so. Another one of the guards that was further away from the carriage proceeded towards them but was struck with an arrow before getting to the rest of them. The man fell over dead. “It came from atop the mountain!” one of the men shouted. They looked to the top and saw nothing.

  Before they knew it, there was only Joshua and five other guards remaining. “Whatever you do, protect the Braiths with your life!” Joshua commanded. They circled up, their backs to the carriage. They all looked on in the coming darkness and saw nothing. Until Joshua saw small movement in the shadows. It was getting closer. It was a dark figure, dressed in dark leather, with a cowl. It moved with such grace, yet emitted a sort of evil. Joshua’s jaw dropped. It’s the figure, Joshua thought with terror. The dark figure from my dreams.

  The figure got closer. A woman, it appeared to be. She had short black hair underneath the hood she wore. The leather she wore was hardened, like a sort of light armor prepared for combat. The armor was dark black as if it represented death. Joshua was terrified on the inside but tried to show courage. “Men, there, in the shadows!” They all looked and spotted the woman. She walked a little closer and stopped. All of the men kept their swords at the ready, aimed at her. “Stay where you are,” one of them said. She looked at him, then slowly at all the guards standing there. “Who are you?” Joshua asked. She turned and looked at him. “We are the Brotherhood of Coima,” she said with a dark voice. This made Joshua think back to the inn between Roseshire and Treadrock. The bandits who had claimed to be the Brotherhood of Coima, Joshua knew that they were not truly a part of such a group. This person, however, appeared to be part of the real thing.

  “I’m only going to tell you one time. This is your only chance to leave us, leave this place, and we’ll let you live,” Joshua said to the woman. She looked on with a dark glare. “The offer has been made, the contract set. It must be carried out .” She then started walking slowly towards them again. “I promise to make it quick and painless.”

  The assassin quickly leaped forward and met two of the guards. One of which swung with his sword, which she dodged. The other also attempted his own swing, which she also managed to dodge. She zoomed in close and stabbed one in the gut and ripped his stomach open. Insides falling to the ground, the man fell over dead. The other guard quickly attacked her, but she countered. She grabbed the man’s sword hand and twisted it, then closed the distance between the two of them and slit the man’s throat. She then quickly took the man’s sword from his lifeless hands and threw it at one of the guards next to Joshua with such force that it managed to go through him, killing him. She’s skilled, Joshua thought. Only two other guards and I remain.

  There she stood before them, looking at them all. She started to walk closer to them once more. Joshua wished that he could plan something better, but there was no point in them individually fighting her, and there was no time. “Alright men,” he said. “We fight with honor and glory. For your lord, and for Asedith. The three of us will all charge her at once. Now!” Joshua and the two remaining guards rushed her, and she rushed forward to meet them.

  Joshua attacked first, swinging with his sword. She dodged around it, then met the other two guards. The ducked below one of the swords and immediately fell back to evade the other. Joshua then followed up with another attack, in which she quickly dodged, which resulted in her backhanding him. He stumbled back. The two men rushed her and she gracefully dodged their attacks. She then pried one of the swords from their hands and used it to kill one of them. Two of us left, Joshua thought.

  The two of them backed away, trying to regroup. The assassin grinned. “Don’t resist. This is a battle you cannot win. There will be no victory for you.” Joshua was starting to believe her, but he knew that he could not give up. The two of them spread out, each on a different side of her and proceeded an attack. The guard swung his sword and Joshua saw the woman jump over it. She landed behind the man and cut his throat. Just us, Joshua thought.

  The two of them never broke their glare. They started slowly circling each other out in the open. This opponent was skilled. Far more skilled than any opponent Joshua had ever faced. They eventually stopped and the assassin went in quickly. She tried to strike him with her dagger, but Joshua narrowly evaded. He then tried a strike of his own, but no luck. The assassin then brought her blade around and managed to cut Joshua’s side. The chainmail caught most of it, but the blade did manage to cut through a bit. Joshua grunted, then countered with a punch, to which she evaded and grabbed his wrist. She brought her blade around and stabbed him in the stomach. Joshua let out a cry of pain. As his strength started leaving, he swung his sword at her feet and she jumped over it. She quickly went in again. Joshua tried to dodge, but she managed to cut his left arm. Then tried again, this time cutting his leg.

  Joshua knelt in pain. This is hopeless, he thought to himself. She had managed to kill all of the guards there and nobody, including Joshua, had managed to lay a hand on her. Joshua continued kneeling, breathing hard and bleeding in several places. With his sword barely clinging to his hand, he remained kneeling. The assassin stood in front of him, dagger ready. It can’t end like this, Joshua feared. My family is counting on me. And lord Braith, I have failed him and the lady Evalyn. Joshua accepted his fate. Before the assassin would kill him, he spoke, “Wait… Let me die standing… To die with honor.”


  She stayed her blade and waited for him to rise. Joshua slowly tried getting to his feet when an arrow sored from nowhere and struck the assassin’s left arm. She grunted in pain. The both of them looked over and saw Roland standing outside of his carriage with a bow in his hands. He quickly prepared another arrow. “Now, Joshua!” he shouted. Joshua didn’t have time to think. He tried to lunge up and strike the woman, but she quickly jumped backward. When she landed, Roland fired another arrow and she turned and struck the arrow down with her sword. As she did this, Joshua leaped forward again with much effort and successfully struck her with his sword. She coughed out blood, yet still tried fighting. She quickly pulled out the sword and shoved Joshua to the ground. She was then struck with another arrow from Roland, this time in her leg. She grunted, then faced him. She prepared to throw her dagger at Roland but was interrupted by Joshua approaching and stabbing her once again, this time from the side. She let out a cry of pain. Not wanting to take another chance, Joshua pulled his sword free, then stabbed her again. He then managed to get behind her and cut her throat. The assassin fell over lifeless.

  Joshua then quickly fell backward and lay flat on the ground. His wounds were bad, he knew. He was steadily losing blood. His vision started to blur as he laid there. He then saw an image of someone running to him. Evalyn, he thought. “E-Evalyn.” His vision continued to worsen. Evalyn was saying words, but he could not hear them. Roland then ran to him. He knew that both of them were speaking to him, but he could not hear. His vision and now his hearing started failing him. He started to feel sleepy. So… So sleepy.

  Chapter 15: Recovery

  Joshua stood there, out in the darkness. He heard voices around him. Mother? Emilia? It was pitch black all around him, a vast space of nothing. He seemed to have been here for some time. What is this? He asked himself. Every few moments, he thought that he had heard his loved ones speaking in the distance, but couldn’t see them. He tried calling out to them, but they seemed to not hear him. Am I… Dead?

  That’s when Joshua remembered the event with the assassin. Evalyn? Roland? At that moment the darkness vanished. Joshua flashed forward onto what seemed to be a hilltop next to a tree. The tree branched out over a cliff, overlooking a valley. There were mountains in the background with rivers running through the land. It was a beautiful sight. I’ve seen this before, he thought. It was a beautiful landscape in Asedith that some would journey to sometimes to reflect on themselves and their thoughts. Joshua looked out over the distance at the beautiful scenery and the peaceful sunset. He then noticed something hanging on one of the branches. He looked closer to notice that it was a crown. The king’s crown. The crown of Asedith. What does this mean? Joshua thought. He couldn’t quite tell if it meant the beginning of something or the end of it.

  The surroundings then started flashing all around him, bright lights and voices all swirling amongst him. Joshua tried to run, to block them out, but it was no use. He stopped running, crouched, and covered his ears. Make it stop, Joshua thought to himself. He then began to scream. He jumped to his feet. “Make it stop! Make it stop!”

  That was when Joshua suddenly burst upward in his recovery room, lying in his bed. “Whoa, easy there! You’re still recovering.” Joshua looked around him, his eyes adjusting to the light. “Evalyn?” he asked. He looked to his left to see Evalyn standing next to him. He then turned and saw a stranger standing on the other side of him. A man wearing robes, he noticed. “Who are you?” Joshua asked. Evalyn responded, “He is one of the healers that serves house Braith. He has been attending you ever since we returned.”

  Joshua tried to relive the moment of the assassination attempt. It seemed recent, yet long ago as well. “Returned?”

  “Yes. After the attack, my father and some of the travelers helped set you in one of the wagons and we rushed to get back to Yordenfall. The healers were saying that if we had delayed at all, you would have surely died.”

  “For that, I am grateful. Did anything else happen after I passed out?”

  “No. Thankfully the assassin seemed to have attacked alone. They must have been skilled though, to take out all the guards and almost take you out too.”

  “Yes. Before she attacked me, she mentioned that she was part of the Brotherhood of Coima. They are an elite group of assassins based out of the kingdom of Coima. I do not know much about them, but they are highly skilled and usually work in one to two man groups for their targets.”

  Evalyn nodded. “I see. Then truly it is a blessing that there was only one of them. Could you imagine two?”

  “I’d prefer not to,” Joshua chuckled and immediately grimaced in pain. “Ah, it still hurts to laugh. How long have I been unconscious?”

  “Two and a half days. The assassin truly did a number on you. I’m just glad that you’re alright.”

  The healer then spoke up. “I’m not the only one that’s been taking care of you. Lady Braith has been at your side for almost every moment over the past couple of days.”

  Joshua looked at Evalyn. “Is that so?” he teased.

  Evalyn’s face began to flush. “Oh, I was just worried is all. It’s bad business for a king’s knight to die, considering you were protecting us. It would just look bad on the royal family if you were to die in our care.”

  Joshua couldn’t help but grin further. “Sure.”

  The healer spoke up again. “Well, I think it’s time for you to get more rest. It will still be some time before you’re back to full strength.”

  He didn’t want to fall asleep, but Joshua knew he was right. He could still feel the cuts and gashes in him. He knew that he was lucky to even be alive. He wouldn’t have been, if not for Roland’s interference.

  “Very well,” Joshua said. He looked at Evalyn. “My lady, thank you for looking after me.” She smiled, “Of course. Now get some rest. I’ll be nearby if you need anything.” Joshua smiled back, “Thank you.” With that, Joshua closed his eyes and fell asleep.

  Joshua remained in bed for another five days, trying to rest and heal whenever he could. He had been in bed for over a week total and was starting to feel himself again. Over the past five days, Evalyn had been with him yet again, each time that he awoke. They had talked about some of their pasts and had learned more about each other. At this point, they had started to grow fond of each other. Every once and awhile, Joshua would attempt getting out of bed to walk around and get used to walking and doing everyday tasks once again. Slowly, he had gotten better and was now almost at full strength once again. One of the days, Joshua had realized that his family should know what happened, to prevent them from worrying. Roland then explained to him that they had sent ravens to his mother, sister, and the king to inform them of the situation. They continued to update them on Joshua’s progress and recovery.

  Now, the healers had told Joshua that he would be free to go whenever he wanted. Not wanting to leave in the middle of the day, Joshua decided that he would leave at first light the next day. He and Evalyn had spent his last day in Yordenfall together. They had walked around the city, browsed merchant and trader stands and looked at different points of interest in the city. It was all great to Joshua, but what was truly great, he thought, was the beautiful woman spending time with him.

  At the end of the day, Joshua and Evalyn returned to the leadership hall. They walked around the hall until they reached the door to Evalyn’s room. “So, what do you think of the great city of Yordenfall?” She asked him. “It’s not too bad,” Joshua answered. “It’s definitely big, with a lot of people. You should travel to Roseshire one day, the scenery there is great as well. I think you would like it there.” She smiled, “Perhaps I would. Maybe I will travel there someday after all… So, what are your plans once you return there?” Joshua shrugged. “I’m unsure. I’m still sworn to the king. I’m hopeful that this time he will let me visit my family before sending me off again on some errand.” Evalyn nodded, “Maybe he will. It’s only right, considering how much you’ve done for him
already.” Joshua agreed all too much. “Yes. I am an honorable and loyal man, and I will serve the king as much as I can, due to my oath and the deal that we made… However, I agreed so that I could save my family. They are where my true loyalties lie. I will look after them and give my life for them if need be.”

  Evalyn admired him, thinking of how much he cared for his family. It was refreshing to hear a man speak of his passion for caring for those important to him. “I understand,” She smiled. “You’re a great person, Joshua. Never lose that fire in you.” Joshua then leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him and embraced. Joshua backed his head away from hers. “I’m sorry, I should probably go, I’m leaving early in the morning tomorrow.” He backed away, unsure of how she felt. “Thank you for being at my side, Evalyn. I’ll never forget.”

  As Joshua turned to walk away, then Evalyn grabbed his hand and he stopped. She then edged closer and looked down to the floor. "Joshua, I'm still scared of staying alone after the assassin attack.” She then looked him in the eyes. “Would you mind staying in my room tonight?" This caught Joshua off guard. But before he could even think of walking away, he and Evalyn slowly walked into her chambers, holding hands. They walked in and she closed the door behind her. They looked into each other's eyes. How could someone be so kind and beautiful? They came close and embraced for another kiss, then another. As they did, they hugged and pulled closer. One thing leading to another, Joshua pulled off her dress as she took off his tunics. They fell onto her bed, looking deep into each other’s eyes. Each of them was amazed at the other person that they had found. They embraced for another kiss, then lied down and shared a passionate night together.