Kaewyn flexed his right arm slowly and winced as a fresh burst of pain reminded him of the wound under his arm. While it was still painful, he noted that already it was less than it had been before. He was relieved to learn that none of the raiders had managed to escape and even happier to learn that none of the villagers had to come to harm. The plan was a resounding success. With the raiders eliminated, the allied forces of Greystone and Vinum could focus on the barbarian horde besieging Varde Castle., but time was of the essence, as the horde grew with each passing day as more and more of their number flooded in from the South.
“How many?” Kaewyn asked as they rode south toward camp.
“Fifteen dead.” Arlan replied sombrely. “And about another fifteen wounded. Most of them should recover but there are several who are seriously hurt.”
“Will they make it back to camp?”
“…We can only hope.”
Kaewyn frowned. Even though the raiders had lost many times more men than they had, he always struggled to rationalise the number of dead and wounded against the enemy’s own. No matter how well a battle or fight turned out, there would always be losses. He knew that he could never change this fact, but it still gnawed at his conscience that whenever he gave the order, people would die. He pondered this line of thought for a while and then remembered from his books on history back in his chambers, that the ancients considered that the absolute mastery of war was to subdue the enemy without fighting. It was an interesting enough thing to ponder, but he wondered if the one who wrote it ever lived to face an Empire fractured by greedy, bickering warlords whilst also simultaneously being invaded by an army of barbarians.
Probably not.
“What is to be done with the prisoners, Lord Edderfield?” Sir Darius asked.
“We will put them with the others we have taken.” He answered.
“I wonder if you would consider letting me speak with them?” The old knight asked. “As you know, I am able to speak their language.”
“What would you speak to them about?”
“I could try to find out just how many of them have come up from the South for this invasion. Perhaps learn of their future plans.”
“Even if you do speak their language, you are their enemy.” Arlan added. “Why would they speak with you? If I was taken prisoner by my enemy, I would tell my captors nothing.”
“Not everyone is as committed to the cause as you, Arlan. I trait I admire in one so young.” The old knight said warmly. “But truly, I believe that I may be able to learn some valuable information from them, if you give me your blessing, Lord Edderfield?”
“Very well. You have it.”
The old knight bowed his head and thanked him. Just when Kaewyn thought the matter was over, Sir Darius then asked if he could bring with him extra rations to make them more eager to speak with him and to ease their suffering. Kaewyn agreed reluctantly, but noted that this was not the first time that Sir Darius had expressed concern for the barbarians who had held him captive for nearly twenty years. When he had first encountered the old knight, he had spared one barbarian and coldly executed another. He also remembered that Sir Darius had mentioned that the Ralerai, the barbarians with tattoos and more primitive weapons, were subservient to this other people who matched the Empire in terms of steel and other weapons. There was a puzzle to be solved here, Kaewyn thought. It struck him as wildly odd to display such feelings for a people that took one’s freedom for such an extended period of time. For now, he decided he would leave the matter to rest and wait to learn what Sir Darius managed to get out of the prisoners.
Kaewyn guessed that the journey back to camp would take another hour, perhaps more now that they marched with wounded and prisoners. The sky had begun to grow darker as the mid-afternoon sun began to decline. Knowing they would make it back to camp before nightfall was a relief. His body ached and his stomach growled with hunger. He wanted to rest and recover from the constant marching and riding, but he knew that he would first need to have his wound checked out before he could do any of that. Content to be left alone with his thoughts, Kaewyn continued to ride south along the Emperor’s Way and began to wonder what everyone back at camp had gotten up to in their absence.
***
Kaewyn sat alone on a creaky wooden chair. He rocked in back and forth in boredom as he waited. He looked around and eyed the physician’s tools and supplies and wondered what each was used for. The tent in which he was seated had no walls and was exposed to the elements. With only a covering over the top to protect what was underneath, the cold winds blew past and chilled him as he admittedly began to grow somewhat impatient.
When they had returned to the Vinum army’s camp, Kaewyn had given orders for Arlan to oversee the soldiers and find where General Alaric had set up, then have them camp with the rest of their forces. He had let Sir Darius take the prisoners to their pens to question them for information, and then tasked Yohren with getting Athaia to come and check the wound to his side. Yohren returned quickly with the Court Physician in tow, but after a brief examination, she told him to wait in the tent in which he was now, and that she would get to him when she had finished with the seriously wounded that he had just returned with from the battle with the raiders.
Normally, such insolence to a lord from his very own Court Physician would result in a punishment of some kind. The Court Physician’s role was to attend to the court, not regular soldiers and citizens; however, he was not one to place such priority of himself over others. If he was seriously wounded, he knew that Athaia would have tended his wound first. She was a committed physician and very effective in her duties. That was why he had chosen her to fulfil the role of Court Physician to begin with and he was not going to demand to be treated first when there were others more seriously hurt than he. Unfortunately, this meant that he would have to wait. Even though he understood why, he could not help but begin to feel impatient.
He felt another pang of hunger and shivered when a gust of cold wind blew by which only increased his irritability. He then heard a scream of pain come from within the medical tents which quickly replaced his impatience with feelings of guilt. He sighed and then hugged himself for warmth, but when he spotted Yohren coming toward him, he perked up. He hoped for some good news, but his retainer was not accompanied by Athaia, but rather a young woman wearing white. The girl’s innocent face was bright and cheerful and in direct contradiction to her blood-stained gown. Yohren apologised and explained that Athaia was still incredibly busy. The court physician had sent one of her helpers, the girl in the white gown, to tend to him until she could come herself. Kaewyn asked just how bad the situation in the medical tents was if Athaia was still unable to leave, but the look on the helper girl’s face told him all he needed to know.
The girl in the white gown spoke with the softest voice Kaewyn had ever heard. He had to ask her to repeat herself and lean forwards to understand her. She asked him to lift his arm up so that she could see his wound. He did as he was told and despite some pain when she poked and prodded it, he felt better knowing it was being taken care of. The girl went about her duty as quietly as a mouse. She and Yohren helped to remove Kaewyn’s armour and then she cleaned the wound. She wrapped a bandage around his chest tightly enough to hold firm but loosely enough that it did not restrict his breathing. When she was done, she politely bowed and returned to the medical tents without a word.
“How does it feel?” Yohren asked.
“I will be fine. It only hurts when I move it now.” He replied. “Perhaps we should leave Athaia be. She appears to have her hands full.”
“I don’t think that’s the best idea Kaewyn. Athaia will want to check your wound herself.”
He wanted to argue and make some excuse to leave, but he knew Yohren had spoken the truth. If Athaia had come and discovered him to be missing, she would likely hunt him down and scold him. He figured it was best to simply wait and get it over with. Now resigned to having to wait, Kaewyn decided to occupy himself by simply observing the fidgety Yohren. His retainer stood still for a while, but soon enough he wandered around the tent and looked over the crates of supplies. He then grew bored and sat beside Kaewyn on the ground in front of his chair.
“I’ve been angry and rude lately, haven’t I?” Yohren said with his head held low. He was nervously scratching the palms of his hands.
“You have been a bit prickly.”
“I know.”
“You really despise them, don’t you? The barbarians I mean. Since we heard of the invasion you have been a different person.”
“They raided my village Kaewyn. They took whatever they could from us. Cattle, food and silver. Whatever they wanted.” Yohren said with growing passion. “Then when the tax collectors came and found that we had barely anything to pay them, they took what little we had left. Just thinking about it gets me so angry.”
“Those tax collectors, whether they took payment or not, they should have reported the village’s hardships to the lord.” Kaewyn explained.
“Well, they didn’t. Or they did but no one cared. Either way, my village was on its own.” Yohren said. “My father just wanted to live in peace with my mother and me. I remember my mother suggesting that my father should write to Lord Corrhen, to ask him for help, but he refused.”
“They were no longer friends at that point, were they?”
Yohren shook his head. “No, not anymore. I think he still cherished the many stories he told me of their adventures together when I was growing up, but for him to ask Lord Corrhen for help? I don’t think he ever would have done that., except…”
“Except when he was seriously ill.” Kaewyn finished for him. “And his son had nowhere else to go. Your father sent you with a letter to Xu Castle to find my father but in his stead, you got stuck with me.”
Yohren nodded his head. Kaewyn saw the faintest sign of tears before his retainer quickly wiped them away his sleeve.
“Thank you Kaewyn. For taking me in. As your retainer and as your friend.”
“You must be kidding.” He said with a chuckle. “Since you joined me, I have dragged you from one conflict to the next. My actions resulted in you being captured by deserters and I had you storming the walls during a siege. I should be the one thanking you! Anyone else, someone with sense that is, surely would have run off long ago.”
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“I won’t desert you.” Yohren said with determination. “Not ever.”
“I know. That is why I was worried about you.” He explained. “I must admit, I am relieved we found some of your people when we did. It seems to have brought the old Yohren back.”
“They were very lucky that Sir Darius stumbled across the village and warned them of the barbarian invasion.” Yohren explained. “I was so sure that they were all dead.”
“Well, they live thanks to Sir Darius. It seems he has saved many lives.”
“Oh! That reminds me!” Yohren said loudly. “While we were heading back to camp after the raiders, Codric told me something very interesting. About Sir Darius.”
Kaewyn already had his suspicions about the old knight, so the opportunity to learn something about him from someone other than the man himself was intriguing. Kaewyn asked Yohren to continue, but to speak more softly as he did.
“Codric told me that after they had been convinced to flee and abandon the village, Sir Darius had them head north.” Yohren began at a near whisper. “But they were carrying a lot of their belongings so they were awfully slow. According to Codric, there was a panic everyone heard the sound of galloping horses behind them. They tried to hide in the nearby woods but the barbarians had caught up to them. They surrounded my people and pointed spears at them.”
“Hang on a moment Yohren.” Kaewyn said. “When Sir Darius relayed his tale to me, he never mentioned an encounter like this.”
“I know, and that makes what I learned next even more interesting.” Yohren continued. “Sir Darius asked Codric and my people to not speak of it to anyone.”
“Huh, why would he do that?” Kaewyn asked.
“I don’t know, but Codric said that after they surrounded my people, Sir Darius spoke with the barbarians at length. Afterwards, they turned around and rode off, leaving my people to go free.”
Kaewyn rubbed his forehead as he struggled to come up with a logical reason as to why the barbarians would let Yohren’s people go free. Even more confusing was the fact that Sir Darius had not wanted anyone to know what he had done, choosing to omit the encounter from his retelling of his story.
“Why did Codric not tell us until now?” He asked.
“He told me that the only reason he did was because he knows and trusts me.” Yohren said. “You kept your word and protected the villagers from the raiders during our plan to lure them out as well. Also, it makes sense, doesn’t it? Sir Darius saved them somehow, and in return he asks them not to speak of it? If I were in Codric’s position, I don’t think I would have told some lord what had happened if I thought it was going to turn out poorly for Sir Darius.”
“That is true.” Kaewyn said. “Perhaps the barbarians are not as savage as we thought. Did Sir Darius ever tell you what his knighthood order did to their villages all those years ago?”
“He did. Even though I’ve always hated them, I don’t like the idea of slaughtering entire villages.” Yohren said as he shook his head.
“Have you considered the fact that the raids on your village might have been retaliation?” Kaewyn asked. “Maybe they wanted revenge for what had happened to them.”
“I never thought of it that way. I… I suppose that could be true.”
“Regardless. We have an invasion to deal with.” He said. “We have to focus on repelling the barbarians from Vinum as our first priority. What we have established is that Sir Darius has not been entirely honest with us. We cannot trust him.”
“I agree with you Kaewyn, but what he did still saved lives. Whatever his reasons, that much is true, right?”
Kaewyn nodded. “It is, but it is clear now that he has a link to our enemy. He claims they held him prisoner for twenty years, but he was awfully hesitant when I asked him how he escaped from them. If he can speak with them and get them to ignore an entire village of people, then we need to consider him with care.”
“What do we do about him then? Do you think we should take him prisoner?”
“No, for all this confusion about him, I do not feel that he is a threat to us. He fought with us today and I didn’t see him hesitate to cut down multiple barbarians, but perhaps I am being too trusting.” Kaewyn said. “At the very least we should have him watched. See if he does anything suspicious. If he leaves camp or tries to contact the barbarians, then we have him seized. We cannot risk word of our movements or plans falling into enemy hands.”
“Okay. Do you think Arlan could keep an eye on him for us?” Yohren suggested. “He is already following him around all over the place and seems to get along well with him, so I doubt Sir Darius would expect anything.”
“No, not Arlan.” Kaewyn countered. “I do not want to put him in that position. Arlan is a man of honour, if he noticed something or suspected something, I trust that he would bring it me anyway. No, this task will be yours Yohren. As my retainer you can walk around camp and speak to anyone without raising suspicion. And I trust you more than anyone.”
“I don’t like the idea of spying on someone, but this is important. Do you know where he is?”
“I tasked him with speaking to the prisoners we took, at his suggestion.” Kaewyn explained. “Considering what we have learned, him speaking with them is sure to be an interesting development. Find him and tell him I sent you to assist him with the questioning of the prisoners. That way you can be there and ask him what is being said without raising his suspicion.”
“Alright, I’ll see if I can find him by the prisoner pens, wherever those happen to be.” Yohren said as he scratched his chin. “Do we even know when our soldiers are camped? This is a big place.”
“I have barely had time to explore the camp.” He said. “General Alaric has been here all day, perhaps he knows? But you should go and eat something first. If you are as hungry as I am then you will need it.”
“Good point. Do you want me to bring something for you?”
Kaewyn shook his head. “If I have to wait much longer for Athaia she will find me eating her tent…”
“So that’s a yes, right?”
“Yes!” He said as he motioned with his palms together. “And Yohren. Not a word to anyone else. Absolutely no one. Understood?”
Yohren nodded his head and then left Kaewyn alone in the tent. With his retainer gone and no conversation to hold his interest, he began to notice just how cold it had become once again. The wind blew more strongly than it had before. The last vestiges of sunlight had since disappeared upon the horizon. Torchbearers patrolled the camp and lit sconces to light the way, as well as armed guards to watch the perimeter. But still no sign of Athaia
With a sigh, he stood up and stretched his legs and arms. A sharp but brief pain caught him by surprise, a reminder that he was in fact, wounded. As he debated whether to go and find some food or to continue waiting, his stomach growled so loudly he was certain someone would have heard it had they been anywhere nearby. His decision made, he stepped out from under the roof of the tent.
“Sneaking away?” Athaia questioned. Kaewyn lifted his head and chuckled, then turned to face his Court Physician.
“I was… I am, hungry.” He countered with a half-hearted smile. He raised his hands as if to surrender. “You caught me.”
Athaia looked ragged. Her gown was covered in specks and streams of old dried blood. Her hair was frizzy and unkempt, and she appeared to be near exhaustion. But to her credit, she wore a smile that he believed was genuine. Since appointing the older woman to the position of Court Physician, he had asked much of her. But Athaia had risen to the occasion and more often than not, exceeded expectation and excelled at her duties. The sight of her now, still working after the sun had gone down, only served to bolster in his mind that he had made an excellent choice.
“You are a good man, Kaewyn. Not many men of your rank would wait in the cold for long while letting others be tended before him.” Athaia said warmly. “Come on, sit back down and let me have a look at this wound again.”
Athaia guided him back to the chair he had been sitting and then began to slowly unwrap his bandage. She explained that she hated to undo the good work of one of her helpers, but it was she who was the physician and not them. Only she could determine if more was required than a simple bandage for the wound to heal properly. Once the bandage was off, Athaia took a quick look at his uncovered wound and then made her way over to the crates of supplies. After searching through them for a while, she returned to him with a bottle of wine.
“There was wine in there the whole time?” Kaewyn said in disbelief. “If I had known that I would have had some earlier.”
“You are going to have to wait a little longer.” Athaia said. “This is for your wound.”
Athaia poured some of the alcohol onto his cut causing him to feel a sting. Afterward, she used a sponge to clean to wound by pressing it against the wound lightly. She finished off her treatment by using a dry, clean rag to dry the wound before reapplying the bandage exactly as her helper had done earlier.
“Thankfully your wound is relatively minor. Just a small cut in a sensitive area below your armpit. You were lucky that it was not in the same spot as the wound you sustained in Taneby, otherwise it may have been more serious.” Athaia said as she washed her hands in a bowl of water. “Still, I apologise for keeping you here for so long.”
“Thank you Athaia.” He said gratefully as he stood and flexed his arm.
There was a little bit of pain and discomfort, but he suspected it was mostly just him getting used to the bandage around his chest, as well as the fact that the wound had been poked and prodded during examination.
“You know, you were not the first to come seeking my aid for a minor injury today. A vinum soldier, oh what was his name? It doesn’t matter.” Athaia said. “What was important was who brought him to me.”
“I’m starved Athaia. All I want to do is find something to eat and have a drink, then crawl into my sleeping furs.” He said tiredly. “Are you going to make me guess or will you just tell me?”
“The soldier of whom I speak was escorted by none other than the Lady Camilla herself.” Athaia explained. “She asked about you and made it very clear that she wants to speak with you. I would advise you seek her out as soon as you are able.”
“You spoke with her?”
Athaia nodded her head.
“What did she say? Did she seem okay? What did she want to talk to me about?” He asked in quick succession. He wanted to know everything as his mind raced for more questions to ask.
Athaia held her hands up and gestured for him to calm down. “Lady Camilla is perfectly fine. As for anything further, that is between the two of you. All I will say is that it will do you both good to speak with one another.”
“Alright. I can tell you have no intention of saying anything further.” He said annoyedly. “I will look for her now.”
“Is that wise my lord? The hour is late and it has grown dark. It may not be seen as proper for you to visit her tent at this time. Perhaps tomorrow?”
Kaewyn sighed and lowered his head. “Tomorrow then, first thing in the morning.”
“Go eat and rest.” Athaia lectured him. “Your wound should not bother you much at all, but if it does then find me tomorrow.”
“Thank you Athaia. Not just for this, but for everything else you are doing.” He said warmly. “I could not have asked for a better Court Physician, even if you like to leave me in the dark when it comes to certain situations.”
Athaia chuckled and then rolled her eyes. The older woman then gestured for him to go by waving one hand in the other direction as if she was shooing away an insect. Kaewyn took the hint and began to walk in the direction that led to the centre of the camp. He had little clue as to where his men were camped within the enormous walled Vinum camp, but soon enough he spotted an Edderfield banner and followed it until he began to recognise the soldiers. He was greeted warmly by many of them as he asked for where General Alaric or Marcus were. One of the soldiers on watch duty volunteered to lead him to the others and did so by having Kaewyn follow him through a maze of tents and wagons, until eventually, he came to a campfire surrounded in a semi-circle by large tents and Edderfield banners.
Sitting around the massive campfire were many familiar faces including Arlan and the General, as well as several military officials whose names he had yet to commit to memory. Noticeably absent were Yohren and Sir Darius, as well as Marcus who he soon learned from General Alaric was scribbling away in his tent alone, as he had been doing for most of the day. A serving of cheese and bread was brought to him as he sat down and enjoyed the warmth of the fire. Everyone asked him about his wound and when he explained that it was minor, they let out a combined sigh of relief. All of them except General Alaric, who slapped him on the shoulder and said that he was now a real warrior for having sustained a wound in battle. Kaewyn managed a weak smile even as the general’s hard slap had caused a fresh burst of pain to surge in his side. General Alaric must have noticed, for he began to laugh. Kaewyn reminded the General that he had suffered a similar injury during the Battle for Taneby, but apparently the general did not hear as he laughed with the others.
After he had eaten and drank his fill, he bid the others farewell and left them to their nightly revelry. He made his way inside a large tent that had been erected for him and climbed into his sleeping furs after removing his armour and sword. As he lay on his back, waiting for the furs and his body to warm up, he realised that he was worried. The thought of seeing Camilla again filled him with a deep sense of dread. While he desperately wanted to see her and speak with her, he still felt ashamed for not standing up to Rhys when he had taken her from Kaewyn’s tent after the Battle for Taneby. The idea of facing her now was difficult for him. He cared for her and what she thought of him mattered a great deal to him. A part of him feared that she would feel as though he had let her down when she needed him most. He wanted for everything to go back to how it was between them before that moment, before he had frozen up as Rhys shouted and cursed at them both, before he let Rhys drag her out of his tent, sobbing and crying. His guilt for his inaction weighed heavily upon him, but the pain from his wound and his tiredness soon overcame his mind, causing everything to fade away as he succumbed to sleep.