The early morning start had been a refreshing change for Kaewyn. Normally he’d have woken up and departed with bulk of their forces at first light, but the vanguard’s job was to push on ahead and clear the way and thus they had to be on the move before then. When first light did arrive, Kaewyn suspected the vanguard had already been marching for more than a couple of hours, but he didn’t mind. In fact, he felt better than he had in over a week. The air was cold but fresh, and his mind was focused on what was to come rather than on old failings. He had also attempted to reconcile with Yohren on multiple occasions, but his retainer simply rode alongside him in silence, only responding when he had to.

The vanguard was made up of some two-hundred men, a third of which were mounted cavalry with the rest being the more veteran of their infantry. Kaewyn, along with Arlan and Yohren rode at the head of the vanguard with most of the cavalry. General Alaric and Marcus had remained behind with the main force and would follow behind, offering a safe fallback point should the vanguard encounter a significant enemy force.

Scattered all around and held high amongst their forces, Kaewyn saw tall banners flying the Edderfield colours of a white diamond upon a field of grey and black. The familiar sight of his family colours made him feel better about himself. He could feel a small measure of his confidence beginning to return. He felt like he was back where he was supposed to be and he was eager to return to the leader his people needed him to be. He knew from reading books on military operations that it was customary for any vanguard force to fly the colours of their lord, this way there was little confusion as to whom the force belonged in the case of two allies meeting unexpectedly. Not that it is very likely we’d run into anyone but the barbarians this far south of Varde Castle.

“My lord, you seem well.” Arlan said with a smile as he rode beside him. “I mean to say you look better than you have.”

Kaewyn nodded. “I think I might be.”

“That is good to hear.” Arlan said. “I also forgot to tell you earlier that before we left camp, I had words with the quartermaster.”

“Oh, is everything sorted then?”

Arlan nodded. “The prisoners have been given sustenance and an allocation of the supplies has been set aside for them in the future.”

“Thank you Arlan.”

Kaewyn looked over his shoulder to see how Yohren had taken the news, but his retainer remained stone faced and unreadable. It was a shame, Kaewyn thought, as he wanted Yohren to open up and speak with him about what had happened. If he simply shut himself off to everyone and remained cold, how would they resolve their issues? Like you have the right to say anything about shutting yourself off and not talking about your problems.

Kaewyn continued to ride at the head of the vanguard as several hours passed. There was little to note the passage of time, other than the fact that the densely wooded area gave way to farmland. Vinum was famed for its vineyards that produced the Empire wide renowned stock, but the land had seen it’s fair share of hardships over the past year. Lord Severus’ invasion had seen many farms, vineyards and orchards put to the torch. That kind of damage would take many seasons to recover, he suspected, but now with the barbarian horde in the area, it was much, much worse. Travelling down the road, Kaewyn saw the desolation they had wrought. Fruit trees flanked either side of the road, planted deliberately and neatly spaced in two even rows. The trees had been picked bare, with only the very tops out of reach left unmolested. The road and ground around the fruit trees were littered with thousands of husks, left behind after the barbarians had devoured them. The farmlands on either side of the road were desolated too. Thousands of hoof prints left by their horses had smashed the vineyards and reduced them to a pulpy mass of dirt and crushed grapes. In the distance he spotted an orchard that even from this distance, seemed to be completely destroyed. The people of Vinum are going to fall upon tough times come winter. If we survive the barbarians, I’ll have to remember to help them get back on their feet.

As the vanguard passed by the desolated fields and destroyed orchard, morning gave way to midday. The further north they travelled, the more built up the roads and farms became. It wasn’t long before they came across bodies, mostly farmhands and workers judging by how they were dressed. He ordered the bodies checked for survivors but none were found. Yohren made no secret of how he was feeling, and Kaewyn saw that anger he had shown the night before beginning to return. He wanted to say something to calm him, but if he was being honest with himself, it was beginning to seem that Yohren might have the right idea about these invaders after all.

The vanguard continued to press north until they came upon a fork in the road. Arlan wanted to consult a map of the surrounding area, but Kaewyn waved it off. He knew this place. He had ridden in this area when he was younger during his father’s trips to Varde Castle. Rhys and I would spend days out here with not a care in the world.

It was still some distance to the castle, but if they took the road that went north west, they could be there within a few days, he explained, perhaps even quicker with some luck. The other road led back to Oscua Province and Taneby and it was likely that Rhys’ forces had already passed through here on their way to Varde Castle. A worrying sign, Kaewyn thought silently. We have yet to run into either the barbarians or Rhys, which means both likely lay ahead. I hope our messenger warned them in time.

Before they set out, Arlan suggested they leave a small detachment here to guide the main force in the right direction, which Kaewyn agreed was a sound idea. With matters sorted, Kaewyn gave the order to march. They left the fields and orchards behind and headed into a lightly forested region that Kaewyn couldn’t remember the name of. He knew there was a village up ahead somewhere, but he had trouble remembering exactly where it was located. After another hour or so of travel, Kaewyn saw a sight that made him sick to his stomach. Littered all around the road were a dozen bodies, but this time they were not farmhands, but women and children. He climbed down from his horse and looked closely at one of bodies, a woman in her thirties. She lay face down with a sword wound cut diagonally across her back. The wound was deep and most likely the cause of death. The metallic scent of blood was heavy in the air, and it took a tremendous amount of willpower for Kaewyn to stop himself from retching. When the intense desire to be sick had passed, he ordered Arlan and some men to move the bodies to the side of the road. He hoped that this would allow the bodies be buried later when there was time to treat them with the respect their deserved. With the bodies moved and the task complete, the vanguard continued to push north along the road. Kaewyn hoped that he would not have to see the bodies of more slain villagers, but he knew the chances were slim.

The surprised voices of the soldiers brought Kaewyn out of the trance like state he had fallen into since leaving the slain villagers. He looked back to see many of them pointing. Off of the road and to the west he saw what had caught the attention of the men. A light grey smoke was rising up over the trees.

“Smoke.” Kaewyn said aloud. “Could be a fire.”

“Or a signal, my lord.” Arlan countered. “I fear it could be a trap. Best to send some riders to find out more before we commit to anything.”

“I suppose it could be a trap, but the village I remember from my youth…” He said as the memories came back to him. “I couldn’t quite remember where it was, but I think that may be where the smoke is coming from. Yes, I’m sure of it now.”

‘A village?” Yohren said suddenly, his words reminding Kaewyn that his retainer was still there. “Then we have no choice. We should help.”

Arlan bit his lip. “My lord… I must advise caution. As the vanguard, we must be cautious. We cannot afford to charge blindly into a trap.”

Yohren let out an exasperated sigh. “Isn’t that why we are here Kaewyn? To help protect the people from these barbarians? What’s the point in even us being here if we don’t help now?”

“It is not that simple Yohren. Arlan has a point.” He said. “If we run into trouble, serious trouble, then it could be hours before General Alaric and the main force arrive to aid us.”

”I know that, I do, but when I lived back in my village with my father, the lords never cared about us. They’d ride in when it was time to collect their taxes sure, but when the raids came, they were nowhere to be seen.” Yohren said angrily. “Those villagers are counting on you and Lord Rhys to protect them, so protect them.”

Kaewyn leant back in the saddle and took a breath. Images of the murdered woman on the road came back to the forefront of his mind. He’s right. What is the point of us being here if not to defend the people? It may be a risk, but if I were one of them, I know I would be hoping for someone to come and save me.

Kaewyn nodded his head. “You are right, Yohren. I’ll not sit idly by if there’s a chance we can save some of them. Arlan, prepare the men.”

“But my lord, the risk is great.” Arlan said with concern. “It is as you said, if we find trouble, we will be on our own until the main force catches up to us.”

“Point taken.” He said. “But I’m not willing to give up on that village. Have some of the cavalry ride with us and leave the rest and the infantry behind to secure the road. If we run into trouble, we can fall back to this position.”

“…Very well.” Arlan said, though it was obvious he was still concerned. “I admire your dedication to the people; I just hope that it does not cost us.”

Arlan then turned his horse around and began to shout orders. The men responded immediately and moved into their new positions without complaint.

“Thank you.” Yohren said with a warm smile. “You’re doing the right thing Kaewyn.”

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Yohren had been distant and cold since their heated argument the night before, but now he seemed much more like his old self. The once quiet and stone-faced retainer was filled with energy. The idea of saving a village had struck a chord with him. It was not too long ago that he was one of them himself.

With the cavalry formed up and ready to move, Kaewyn gave the order. With roughly two dozen riding men behind him, he rode west off of the road and into the woods. Going in the direction of the smoke, there was one thought on his mind. I really hope this is not a trap.

Riding through the woods on horseback was dangerous at the best of times. An exposed root could cause the horse to twist a foot or leg, or a low hanging branch could knock the rider from the saddle. Despite the urgency of the situation, Kaewyn kept the pace slow enough to minimise the risk of such accidents from occurring. Arlan and Yohren still rode beside him and neither man was happy with his chosen pace. Yohren wanted them to go faster, but Arlan wanted them to be more cautious. If both of them were unhappy, he figured he was probably going a good speed.

After fifteen minutes of the pair bickering over how fast they should ride, the woods eventually gave way to an open field. Across those fields and on the horizon was the village Kaewyn remembered from his youth. Even from this distance, he could tell the village had been attacked. Several of the buildings were blackened and destroyed, others were still ablaze, the smoke that alerted them rising up into the air. Only a few remained undamaged, but from this distance even that was hard to be sure of.

Kaewyn spurred his horse forward toward the village, faster this time as the open field meant that it was now safe to do so. The others followed close behind their lord with some flying the Edderfield banners. Arlan shouted orders for the cavalry to spread out as they came closer and closer to the buildings, possibly as a caution for if they were to be ambushed. Kaewyn then rode between two outlying buildings of the village, both of which had been reduced to rubble. A livestock pen behind one of the buildings held slaughtered carcasses of several cows that had been killed and left to rot in the sun. The stench was overpowering, so after a cursory glance to check for any sign of survivors, he continued down the main road that led into the centre of the village.

As he closed in, he slowed his horse to a trot. The scene before him was one of destruction. The only sound he could hear was the flames continuing to burn some of the buildings. He could practically taste the ash in the air as he continued down the road flanked by Arlan and Yohren. He could feel the tension of his men as they watched out for any sign of a threat that could leap out from behind any one of the burning houses, but nothing came for them.

HEEEELP!

A shrill scream called out so suddenly and so close to him, he nearly fell out off the saddle. To his right, between two buildings, he spotted a woman running for only the briefest of moments before she disappeared behind them again. Not more than half a second later, he saw others following her.

“It’s the enemy!” He shouted as he reached for his sword.

“Protect Lord Edderfield!” Arlan said as he drew his own blade and position himself in front.

The sound of dozens of blades rasping out of their sheaths was met by further screams. Kaewyn looked around frantically for any sign that they were under attack, but thankfully no barbarians came charging out from behind the buildings. The woman!?

“Follow me!” He cried out as he spurred his horse forward.

Arlan did not bother to protest, instead he, Yohren and the rest of their men rode after their lord. Kaewyn rode straight ahead and came to the centre of the village. A massive building which must have served as the town hall was half burnt to the ground, but to the right where the scream had come from, he saw that many buildings seemed to be relatively undamaged. Just outside one building that looked to be a tavern, Kaewyn was surprised to see a whole bunch of people.

The woman who he had seen between the buildings a moment earlier was there, but a second later she disappeared inside the tavern and the door slammed shut behind her. Blocking the way inside was an older man with greying hair. The mysterious stranger wore a chainmail shirt with a cloth tabard covering his torso. Kaewyn guessed that the tabard once would have been white, but it seemed old and had turned nearly yellow from age.

Of more immediate concern, was the fact that the stranger was surrounded by a dozen barbarian warriors. Most were armoured in iron or steel and used long curved or short spears, but there was one who wore little in terms of protection and had the same tattoos and face paint as the prisoners he had seen back in camp.

The barbarians shouted at the stranger and began to creep toward him. The stranger stood defensively with a longsword held in both hands. From his time spent training with Arlan, Kaewyn could tell that the man was no amateur with a blade. He stood with a calm confidence of a seasoned warrior, one who had fought or seen battle.

Before he could act or intervene, several of the barbarians rushed at the older man with their weapons raised above their heads. The stranger defended himself by striking at them as they approached and managed to keep them at bay. Several of the other barbarians turned and noticed Kaewyn and his men, their eyes widened with fear and surprise.

“Go!” He called out to his men as he spurred his horse forwards towards the barbarians.

The barbarians who saw them coming tried to flee in every direction, but Kaewyn’s men run them down in short order. Kaewyn closed in on one barbarian who turned to defend himself, but his height disadvantage proved fatal. Kaewyn brought his sword down at the man from atop his horse and felt the blade pierce flesh as he heard a scream. He turned his head to see the barbarian collapse to the ground. Kaewyn looked back to see how the stranger had fared and saw that he had dispatched three of his attackers with apparently no wounds of his own. His summation of the mystery warrior had been correct. He was definitely not a stranger when it came to a fight.

Just when Kaewyn was about to ask for the stranger’s name, one of the barbarians on the ground said something in their foreign language. Naturally Kaewyn did not understand, but the older man suddenly rushed over to him and held his sword point at the barbarian’s throat. The barbarian said more words and then to Kaewyn’s complete shock, the older man pushed the tip of his blade through the defenceless warrior’s throat, ending his life. Another barbarian who was also on the ground, shouted out something he didn’t understand. Again, the mystery warrior held his blade to the barbarian’s throat.

“Wait!” Kaewyn called out, but the man did not acknowledge him.

Kaewyn climbed down from his horse hurriedly and then rushed over to the stranger. He stopped when the stranger made eye contact with him, feeling an odd sense of trust. He couldn’t explain it, but he decided to go with his gut and let the situation play out without interfering right away.

The barbarian warrior on the ground was different to the others, Kaewyn realised. Just like some of the prisoners back at camp yesterday, this one had only basic clothing and little protection. Unlike the others who wore steel and iron armour, whose faces were unmarked, this one’s face was marked by tattoos and paint. The barbarian said some words just as the other had done, and Kaewyn was sure that it was going to end the same way. Instead, the stranger lifted his blade and gestured to the woods. The barbarian leapt to his feet and bolted, causing Kaewyn’s men to raise their weapons again. They asked if they should ride down the fleeing warrior who had already made it to the fields outside the village, but Kaewyn waved them off. He was far more interested in the old stranger who was skilled with a blade.

“Why him and not the other?” Kaewyn asked as Arlan and Yohren dismounted and walked up beside him. “Why did you let that one live and slay the other one?”

The stranger chuckled softly and nodded his head. “Because that boy was a threat to us no longer.”

Kaewyn recognised the accent almost immediately. This man spoke like one from the heartlands.

“He was also the only one who wore no armour and had tattoos.” Kaewyn said.

“You have a keen eye young one.” The stranger said as he used the sleeve of a dead barbarian to clean his sword. “That banner your men fly behind you. A white diamond on a field of grey and black… You must serve the Edderfield family.”

“I am an Edderfield.” He replied. “My name is Kaewyn.”

“Kaewyn?” The stranger said with uncertain eyes. “I do not recognise the name. Perhaps you know of Lord Korran, the lord of Greystone Province?”

“Lord who?” Yohren asked.

“Lord Korran died more than twenty years ago.” Kaewyn said. “From a sickness.”

“My apologies. I do recall there being a sickness back then, but has it really been so long since I last set foot in these lands?”

“Forgive me,” Arlan interjected. “but for one to defeat so many alone is no small feat. What is your name stranger?”

“It is I who should ask for forgiveness.” The stranger said as he bowed. “I have been away so long that I have forgotten my manners. My name is… Sir Darius.”

A knight? There are no knights out of the heartlands, and especially not this far South.

“Sir?” Yohren said in visible confusion.

“A knight? All the way in the southernmost reaches of Vinum Province?” Kaewyn said. “That is unusual.”

“I would be happy to explain everything, but first I would like to see your lord. If Lord Korran has passed, then I imagine his son would be lord now.” Sir Darius said. “If memory serves, his name was Kedril?”

“My uncle Kedril never became lord.” He explained. “He died around the same time as my grandfather.”

I won’t mention that both of my uncles killed each other over their shared lover. The fewer people who know that family secret, the better.

“The gods can be cruel indeed.” Sir Darius said. “It seemed I have outlived all of the Edderfields I knew from my last visit here. Who then became lord after Lord Korran passed?”

“My father, Lord Corrhen.” Kaewyn said. The thought of his father stung a little, the pain had not yet faded to memory. “But I am sorry to say that he too, recently died.”

“Then, you?”

Kaewyn nodded.

“Please forgive me, Lord Edderfield. I truly have forgotten my manners.” Sir Darius said with a deep bow. “I will explain everything to you, but my first concern is the safety of the villagers.”

Kaewyn looked over the shoulder of the old knight and saw the tavern door creak open just a bit. Sir Darius gestured and told them it was safe to come out. The two dozen or so people emerged from within the building, fear and distrust in their eyes, but most seemed to relax when they spotted the Edderfield banner. The people carried with them their meagre possessions and supplies. Most of them carried bruises, cuts and other injuries as well.

“I was escorting some villagers from a village to the south. We were headed north when we happened upon this place. It was already burning but they attackers had already moved on.” Sir Darius explained. “I found others hiding in the woods and we took shelter here. Temporary as it may have been, we were discovered. Fortunately, that is when you and your men arrived.”

“Yohren, have someone look over them for serious injury.” Kaewyn ordered. “We can have Athaia look over them after.”

“I will in a moment, but Sir Darius was it?” Yohren asked. “Did you say a village to the south of here?”

The old knight nodded. “I warned them of the coming danger, but not all of them believed me.”

You warned them? That must mean you knew danger was coming, but how?

“But the ones who did are over there?” Yohren said, pointing at the small crowd of scared villagers.

“Yes. I saved as many as I could.”

“To save as many as you have is a noble act.” Arlan added.

“Kaewyn, I need to check to see if any of them are from my village.” Yohren said excitedly.

Kaewyn nodded.

Yohren rushed off faster than he had ever seen his retainer move. He hoped that he would find survivors of his home village, but Sir Darius was of more interest to him right now. A knight roaming this part of the Empire was odd enough, but one who knew about a barbarian invasion before it happened even more so.

“Arlan, I believe we have travelled far enough for one day. Let us set up camp nearby and wait for the rest of our forces to arrive.”

Arlan nodded. “I’ll have the men set up by those deserted fields by the tree line.”

“Sir Darius.” Kaewyn said. “I would be honoured if you would join us, for the night at least.”

“The honour is mine, Lord Edderfield.” Sir Darius said. “I offer my thanks for helping these poor souls. The gods will no doubt look kindly upon you for doing so.”

“Gods or not.” Kaewyn replied. “These people owe you their lives.”

“And now Lord Edderfield, it seems that they owe you too.”