Kaewyn shuffled nervously on the spot as he held his shield at the ready and waited for the next barbarian charge. Alongside him, Greystone and Vinum soldiers alike stood with him, ready to hold their ground against their ferocious enemy gathering yet again in the distance. Many of his men were battered and bruised, no doubt exhausted after fighting for most of the day, but not one had given voice to their displeasure. Not even a single soldier complained as he commanded them to prepare for yet another attack.
The fort’s defences had slowly succumbed over the previous hour of fighting. The outermost palisade walls and wooden stakes had been all but destroyed, leaving a wreckage of broken and scattered piles of wood and rope. The deep pits out the front of the fort were full of lifeless bodies, both allied and barbarian, with hundreds more strewn about in front of their newest defensive position where the ground’s elevation started to rise sharply. At this point, the entranceway deeper into the fort was at its most narrow. After the previous attacks had gradually forced Kaewyn and his men to withdraw deeper into the fort, he had recognised that holding this strategic choke point was the most advantageous position left available to them. The steep ground and narrow path did much to negate the number advantage the barbarians had over them and served to funnel them into an easily defended spot.
Kaewyn ordered his defenders to form up tightly and block the way through with a tired shout and wave of his hand. The men did as he asked without complaint and lined up for battle. Both he and his men knew that if they failed to stop the barbarians here, the entire fort was at risk of falling and thus the battle would be lost.
Across the field that separated the base of the hill fort from the woods to the North, the great army of the barbarians gathered in strength with every passing moment. He saw through tired eyes as warriors streamed out of the woods and rallied together. The barbarians had been relatively quiet since their last failed attack, but before each assault, he realised that they grew louder and louder before they summed up enough courage to risk another attempt. And right now, they were getting louder.
I hope Yohren is ready…
The nervous chatter of the men only supported his theory. They too knew that the attack was imminent. Without warning, the barbarians let out a raucous cheer and began shouting in their unfamiliar language before beginning to move toward the fort. First, they moved slowly and without passion, but it did not take long for them to begin moving quicker and quicker, their shouts becoming louder as they closed in. Kaewyn took a deep breath and readied himself. His body was exhausted and his mind even more so, but he knew that if they were to survive and the men hold their ground, then they needed a leader to stand with them. He shouted for the soldiers to stand close and to work together as one, to keep the space between them as small as possible.
The barbarians came closer and closer, running over the bodies of their arrow-filled comrades still lying on the ground since the last failed attempt to take the fort. The outer defences served as nothing more than a minor distraction to their enemy, having been abandoned or destroyed in previous assaults. The barbarian soldiers, clad in their steel armour and curved blades, climbed the hill and rushed toward them. Closer and closer, until…
“Now Yohren!” He shouted without looking back. “Now!”
Almost instantly, a chorus of twangs and thrums resounded behind him. A storm of arrows fell upon the barbarian’s front ranks seconds before they would have completed the charge. Many barbarian warriors fell to the arrows, and their bodies began to stack up so that those behind were climbing over them to continue their attack. With the impetus gone from their charge, Kaewyn shouted for his soldiers to keep their discipline and hold firm as they shouted their battle cries.
For Greystone! For Vinum!
The first of the barbarians swarmed their defensive formation as they cursed and screamed in their foreign tongue. Their curved blades and long spears slashed and stabbed wildly. Kaewyn felt his shield absorb several heavy blows before he felt brave enough to retaliate with a swing of his own, catching an enemy across the shoulder. His decision to lower his shield to attack allowed a spear to slip through his defences and jab at his throat. Thinking that he had made a fatal error, he was relieved to see that the spear thrust had already reached its apex and thus lacked the power to do anything more than harmlessly scrape against his armour. His lesson learned, Kaewyn fell back and allowed another to move in to take his place in the wall of shields holding back the barbarians.
From his safer position behind his soldiers, he could see where the formation was faltering and ordered those in reserve to reinforce where appropriate. Satisfied the formation would hold, for now, he turned his attention to where the archers were positioned. Yohren and the archers stood upon a wooden platform further up on the fort and loosed their arrows high up into the air. Kaewyn watched as the sharp points sailed over his own troops before falling to earth somewhere amidst the swarm of enemies smashing against the shield wall. Kaewyn knew they could not hold the barbarians back forever. Despite their advantageous and easily defendable position, the barbarian’s numbers were simply too many. Where are General Alaric and Rhys’s forces? They should be here by now.
Amid the fighting, a horn blew in the East, followed sharply by the beating of drums. It was a familiar sound to Kaewyn’s ears. Nothing at all like the deep, low rumble of the barbarian signals he had heard earlier. The horn blew again and this time even the barbarians, in the middle of their lust for battle, paused to take notice. All eyes looked to the East, where rows of banners of House Callidus flew proudly over several hundred soldiers marching in formation. The barbarians broke off their attack on the shield wall almost immediately, obeying the panicked command of their superiors who shouted in their foreign tongue.
With a resounding shout, the Vinum Province soldiers under the command of Rhys advanced toward the beleaguered fort, their silver armour gleaming proudly in the late afternoon sun. Their sudden appearance and subsequent approach sent the attacking barbarians in full flight toward the tree line to the North, unwilling or unable to face the reinforcements head-on. The fort’s defenders let out a cheer as they watched the enemy warriors getting peppered with arrows before slipping just out of archer range. With the arrival of Rhys’s soldiers to bolster their defences, Kaewyn believed the fort could hold out a while longer. Though for how long he could not say, for he believed the main force of barbarians would soon regroup and no doubt, attack again.
***
“We are betrayed.”
Rhys began the meeting he had called upon arriving at the fort as dramatically as his army had appeared to the East. His hands gestured wildly with every word but perhaps more concerning than that, was how much anger Kaewyn saw in his fellow lord’s eyes. He knew that Rhys had become short-tempered and otherwise irritable since Vinum had been invaded by the Late Lord Severus some time ago, but he was different now. The young lord of Vinum Province almost seemed calmer, on the surface at least. But Kaewyn could sense a bitter rage lurking just beneath the surface, threatening to come out at the slightest provocation.
And now those scornful eyes were fixed upon him.
“Kaewyn’s foolishness has cost us everything!” Rhys said angrily.
“My foolishness?” He questioned. “What are you getting at?”
“Explain your point, Lord Rhys,” Marcus interjected. “We have no time for conjecture and wild theories. Not with our current situation so dire.”
Rhys shook his head and pointed at him, wagging his finger aggressively as he spoke. “The knight you brought to our meeting before the battle showed his true colours. I have learned that he has taken our entire battle plan and delivered it straight to the barbarians!”
“You speak of Sir Darius?” Marcus asked in disbelief.
“You think I care what the cur called himself? It was the knight Kaewyn trusted with our plan! He has reportedly broken out of the pathetic guard you placed on him and fled toward the barbarian camp outside of Varde Castle.”
Kaewyn felt his stomach twist in agony as if someone had plunged a dagger deep into his belly. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he nearly had to steady himself. His legs became weak and he could barely move. He tried to speak, but his lips struggled to form the words. He had never expected Sir Darius to break out and flee. The old knight had asked to be allowed to contact the Ralerai but he had judged it as being too great a risk. He thought Sir Darius understood why he’d had to deny his request, but he never imagined he would resort to violence to escape. The sickening feeling in his gut grew stronger as Rhys started at him with accusing eyes. Still, the words would not come.
“How did you come to know of this apparent betrayal?” Marcus asked. “How do we know the barbarians are aware of our plan?”
Rhys scoffed and turned his head to the side. The Lord of Vinum province looked uncomfortable and ponderous, as though he was about to say something he would have preferred to keep to himself.
“My insolent sister brought news of the betrayal herself, despite my direct order to remain in camp,” Rhys said sourly. “That is your influence Kaewyn! She has always been insolent, but she has become downright insufferable since her stay at Xu Castle.”
“Camilla is here? In the fort?” He asked.
Rhys rolled his eyes and then nodded half-heartedly. “Lucky that she did not stumble into the barbarians. That whole area was swarming with them.”
“Is she alright? Take me to her.” He said quickly, uncaring whether or not he was showing a little too much concern for her publicly. All that mattered to him was that she was safe.
“Who the hell do you think I am?” Rhys snapped back at him with a scowl. “I am not your retainer. Nor should she be any concern of yours. You do not need to see her.”
“If Camilla is here, I want to see her.” He said again.
“Bah! Should we not be discussing what we are going to do now that our plans are compromised? And where are General Alaric and the rest of our army?”
“…Rhys.” He said quietly, but firmly. “Where is she?”
Rhys sighed and rolled his eyes once more. He then waved his hand about as though to give up. “Fine, Kaewyn. Have it your way. Camilla is somewhere over there.” He said gesturing behind him, “with my personal guard.”
Without uttering a word, Kaewyn left Rhys and Marcus, the latter of which was left with his mouth open in frustration as he tried in vain to continue the meeting. Kaewyn didn’t care though. Regardless of how difficult their situation had become, whether Sir Darius had truly betrayed them or not, he needed to see Camilla now. Rhys’s reluctance to mention that she was here did not sit well with him. His gut feeling was that Rhys was hiding something. Besides, if she were the one to bring them the news of the old knight’s supposed betrayal, then perhaps she could explain what exactly had happened back at the camp with more clarity.
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Kaewyn approached a small group of silver armoured men-at-arms who were resting against a large pile of cut timber and other crates of supplies, mostly arrows if he were to guess. He also noticed that several other soldiers were in the middle of hauling off individual pieces of wood from the pile toward the entrance of the fort. He figured the timber was to be used for repairs during their momentary reprieve from the barbarian attacks. His suspicion was confirmed when one of the soldiers began to complain loudly that their commanding officer had promised to reprimand them if the timber was not delivered to the front line with haste.
When he walked up to the men-at-arms, he was surprised to find that they were ignoring him. They seemed sluggish and were drinking heavily from their waterskins. He did not doubt that they’d had a rough time of it, but he was not in the mood for further delays. When he demanded to know where Lady Camilla was, this time using his lord’s voice, the men looked at him with visible confusion. After the apparent shock of his demand had worn off, Kaewyn noticed a look of shame creeping into their expressions. He repeated the question, and this time one of them reluctantly nodded his head and gestured for him to follow.
The soldier led him around to the back of the pile of timber and past several more groups of resting soldiers. He noticed several of them whispering amongst themselves as he walked on. He didn’t understand why the Vinum soldiers were acting the way they were. They had seen him plenty of times before without such an odd reaction to his presence. He wanted to put it down to his imagination but he suspected something had happened to cause them to act this way.
“This way, milord.” The men-at-arms said, gesturing for him to keep following.
Kaewyn nodded and soon enough, he was led to another group of men in silver armour. There were five in total. Each of them looked him over with questioning eyes, instantly putting Kaewyn on the defensive. He didn’t like the way they were looking at him. Their chuckles and hostile postures made him feel uncomfortable.
“I am here to see Lady Camilla.” He said sternly. “Where is she?”
“Kaewyn?” A voice called out behind them. It was soft and weak.
Camilla!
Without thinking, he stepped forward only to be stopped by two of the five men who instantly reacted to his advance by gripping the hilts of their blades. They blocked his passage and demanded he stay back. He didn’t listen. Instead, he decided to push forward and explain as he did so that Rhys had allowed it. The silver armoured soldiers hesitated; their uncertainty on display. Only when the one who led him there spoke to the others did they finally back down. Kaewyn saw in their faces that they were not pleased with his actions, but he didn’t care. Even without permission, he would have forced the issue.
After making his way past the disgruntled soldiers and toward a secluded area by the wall, he saw her. Camilla sat with her back against the innermost of the palisade walls that ringed the hill fort. Her head was down and her arms rested upon her knees. When he approached her, she looked up at him with her dark blue eyes of hers. The first thing he noticed was that there was no joy in them, only concern or perhaps fear. He had never seen her like this before. That gut feeling twisting in his stomach returned tenfold, and that was when he noticed her lip. Camilla shielded her mouth and turned her head away, but he had already seen it. Blood. Her lip was swollen and red, and her lower cheek was a purplish black. He rushed over and knelt beside her, asking if she was alright. She didn’t answer him and seemed determined to avoid his gaze, so Kaewyn placed a hand on her knee and asked again. This time, she turned her head to face him and lowered her hand, placing it over the top of his that still rested upon her knee. Her lip was badly swollen and her eyes were red and irritated, evidence enough to him that she had been crying.
“Camilla, what happened?” He said worriedly, feeling her grip his hand so tightly it nearly hurt. “Did the barbarians attack you?”
She shook her head.
“Then who…”
“Rhys!” She blurted out. “It was Rhys.”
“He did this?” Kaewyn said in astonishment. “He… hit you?”
She nodded and then wiped at her eyes as she spoke. “I was just trying to warn you. Warn you both.”
“About the old knight.” He finished for her.
“Yes.” She said softly. “I thought it important that the two of you should know.”
“And then he struck you?”
“I can barely believe it myself. Though I certainly feel it.”
Kaewyn balled his hands into fists as images of Rhys’s smug and arrogant face flashed in his mind. He had been fighting barbarians all day, but he had never felt the desire to hurt another until now.
“This cannot stand, Camilla.” He said angrily, shaking his head. He then offered his hand to her. “Come with me.”
“What are you going to do?” She replied as she allowed him to help her to her feet.
“I’m going to confront Rhys.”
Kaewyn led Camilla back to where the silver armoured guards still stood. Judging by the astonished looks on their faces he knew they were not about to let him take Camilla away from here but he didn’t plan on stopping for anybody. The five soldiers attempted to block his way just as they had done when he first arrived, but this time they were more cautious, more hesitant to interfere. Using that against them, he pressed forward immediately without pause. Despite their protests, they parted as he shoved his way through them. He could hear their continued complaints as he and Camilla continued to walk away. Satisfied that they would not pursue him, he slowed his pace and began to think about his next move, but before anything sprung to mind, he was forced to stop.
A thick-framed man of significant size blocked his way. The man was bald and his chin and neck were covered by a black beard. His arms were muscled and bore several gnarly scars. The man’s eyes stared at him with the quiet confidence of someone who knew very well that he could pummel someone into the ground if he chose to do so. Despite this, Kaewyn was not intimidated. If another one of Rhys’s lackeys wanted to try and stop him, they would have to do much more than just stare.
“Get out of my way,” Kaewyn said, making sure he spoke loud enough that several soldiers nearby, both Vinum and Greystone overheard him.
The large man shook his head and spoke coldly. “Let her go.”
“If you or any other of Rhys’s men think—”
“Edgren?” Camilla said.
“My lady, are you alright?” The large bald man replied. Gone was the hostility with which he had just spoken. Instead, Kaewyn sensed a genuine concern for Camilla’s wellbeing.
“I am fine, Edgren. At least no worse than when you left me last. This is Kaewyn.” She explained, putting herself between them. “Uhm, Lord Edderfield, I should say.”
The man named Edgren paused a moment to take in Camilla’s words. When it became obvious to him that she was not being taken against her will, his demeanour changed almost instantly. He then bowed his head and apologised for his combative attitude. While Kaewyn was thankful he wouldn’t have to come to blows with a man easily twice his weight, his mind was still focused on Rhys and therefore he was not inclined to engage in small talk. He pushed forward in an attempt to leave the conversation but Camilla stopped him by tugging on his hand.
“Kaewyn?” Camilla said hesitantly. “I don’t think I can face Rhys just yet. Can I stay here with Edgren instead of accompanying you?”
“I do not wish to tell you what you can or cannot do, Camilla. I am not Rhys.”
“Thank Ohnix.” Camilla smiled.
“And I do understand why you do not wish to be anywhere near him right now, but I am hesitant to leave you with… well, is this man not—”
“One of my brother’s soldiers? yes, he is.”
“I would prefer to consider myself in your service, milady.” The bald man said with a bow of his head.
Kaewyn was reluctant to leave her in the company of one sworn to Rhys, but if Camilla trusted him then that was good enough for him. Besides, he would be back for her after he had confronted her brother and held him to account for what he had done. After he promised to return, he left Camilla with Edgren and headed back to where he had left Marcus and Rhys.
Kaewyn arrived to see a jubilant Marcus whose expression was dominated by a wide grin. The moment his advisor saw him approaching, he shouted out his name and rushed over. The usually reserved advisor told him that he had just received word that General Alaric and his forces’ arrival was imminent. He thanked Marcus but swatted him aside all the same. It was good news, truly, but his focus was on Rhys now.
The Lord of Vinum Province stood surrounded by several of his advisors, each of them heaping praise upon him as he lapped it up without apparent remorse. Kaewyn overheard him regaling them with tales of his and his soldier’s courage and bravery against the barbarians. He had no real reason to doubt Rhys’s words, but all the same, they infuriated him. How can he speak so highly of himself when he stoops so low as to harm his own sister?
“Rhys!” He shouted.
Kaewyn watched with barely contained rage as Rhys paused, then turned around slowly. He wasn’t laughing anymore, nor did he seem jovial. He seemed stern and serious.
“Kaewyn… you are back.” Rhys started to fidget with his hands and fingers and he struggled to make eye contact. “That is good… perhaps now we can discuss what we are going to do?”
“Is It true?” He asked. “Did you do it?”
“Is what true?” Marcus said. “What is going on here?”
“What happened between my sister and I is none of your business,” Rhys said as he crossed his arms. “Now, your advisor Marcus is eager to begin discussions and so am I. Let us move on and come up with a new plan.”
Kaewyn shook his head. “Only an honourless coward would do what you have done.”
Rhys narrowed his eyes and stared back at him. His gaze filled with anger to match his own. His words had struck a nerve. If this was the only way to get him to talk, then so be it.
“Camilla risked her life to bring us the news you wish to discuss now and yet you reward her bravery with a beating?”
Rhys stepped forward and shook his head. He then waved his hands about angrily. “I did not beat her. How dare you levy such baseless accusations against me!”
“She has the bruises to prove it.” He countered.
“Listen to me Kaewyn.” Rhys spat. “Whether true or not, you have no right to tell me how to manage my household. I am the Lord of the Callidus family, not you!”
“The Rhys I used to know when we were children never would have resorted to acts of such low moral character.” He lectured. “Camilla deserves better than that.”
“Watch yourself Kaewyn,” Rhys said angrily. “I will not stand here and suffer your insults without recourse.”
“You do not even regret your actions, do you, Rhys?” Kaewyn said as he shook his head. “Then you truly are no longer the friend I once knew. No, honour and good sense have long since abandoned you.”
“I do not have to listen to this baseless drivel,” Rhys said dismissively, turning away as he did so.
Rhys began walking away, causing Kaewyn to shout angrily at him, and when no response was forthcoming, he lost control. Kaewyn rushed forwards and charged directly at Rhys who was none the wiser, crashing into the back of him and knocking them both to the ground. His arms and legs felt light and powerful, allowing him to recover quickly. Using this to his advantage, he climbed on top of his unsuspecting foe and began to pummel him with both fists. Rhys protected his head with his hands and arms for a few seconds but after several hard hits, his guard faltered. Kaewyn landed two hits to the side of Rhys’s head, causing him to shout in pain. Before he could land another significant blow, he felt several pairs of arms pulling him off of Rhys. He struggled and thrashed but he was unable to break free from their strong grip on him. He watched as Rhys struggled to his feet, a bloody lip and bruised cheek his reward.
“You bastard!” Rhys shouted as he covered his swollen lip with his hands. “What kind of coward attacks a man from behind?”
“What kind of coward beats his sister?” He retorted.
Kaewyn thrashed again and broke free from those who held him back, but he did not attempt a second scuffle. Instead, he smiled with the satisfaction that he had inflicted the same injuries that Rhys had given Camilla.
Rhys stared back at him but said nothing. His advisors surrounded him protectively and began to fuss over his injury but he waved them off, cursing under his breath. The advisors then ushered him away. Kaewyn held little doubt that they whispered their opinions in Rhys’s ear, eager to curry favour by denouncing his brutish actions.
“Well done, my lord. Well done indeed.”
Marcus approached him and clapped slowly as he spoke, only stopping once he stood beside him. Kaewyn could already see in his advisor’s eyes the disappointment and frustration he was no doubt about to make known.
“I understand you have your issues with Lord Callidus, but surely you did not have to resort to physical altercations?” Marcus sighed. “At the very least, it would have been wiser to wait until after we achieve victory. We need him and his men, Kaewyn. Without his cooperation, I fear the worst.”
“Marcus, he hurt Camilla.” Kaewyn shook his head. “How could I have done anything less than make him pay for it?”
“I heard what you said, my lord. I understand why you did what you did. Even still… The fate of more than just Lady Camilla is at stake here.”
“I know.”
Kaewyn allowed himself to stop and think about their current situation. With his anger having been vented, he was already starting to feel better. Once again his mind focused on their predicament. Whether the old knight, Sir Darius, had betrayed them or not, whether General Falke and the Greystone Cavalry were coming to hit the barbarians from behind or not, they needed a new plan.
“You said General Alaric’s forces had arrived?”
“Any moment now. Soon, I believe.”
“Go check again.” He said with a sigh. “I want a meeting the moment everyone is inside the fort. Come and find me then.”
Marcus nodded. “And where will you be?”
“…With Camilla.”