Kris-Stone I

The blizzard outside were growing stronger as winter got further into action, Kris looked out of the window and he could only see a foot or two out through the grey mist. The storm was stopping them from being able to go outside too much, walking through the castle halls Kris thought about what he could do with his day. That was when he heard a familiar voice, his uncle Kieron was in the other room.

Rushing through and opening the large wooden door into his father’s meeting room he saw Kieron and his father talking, which stopped when his arrival was known.

“Kris, how are you?” Kieron said and walked over to his nephew, extending his hand Kris shook with his uncle.

“I’m good uncle, I didn’t know you were going to be back so soon?” Kris asked.

His uncle is a leader in the civil war against the rebels and Kris has been told stories of his uncle’s battles, of his skill in fighting.

“I have a few discussions that were needed with your father.” Kieron replied releasing Kris’s hand. Then Kris’s father walked across, he hasn’t met many men larger than his father, but Kieron was a beast of man and as wide as a bear.

“What are you doing today?” His father asked.

“Nothing so far, the weather has cancelled my sword training.” Kris said, standing up right, he was no where near the size of his father and uncle.

“That’s no good,” Kieron replied and then turned to his brother, “Maybe we could train the lad?” He asked.

“Do we not have more important things to discuss?” Kris’s father said back.

“We can discuss them anytime, unless you don’t want to be embarrassed in front of your boy?” Kieron laughed.

“It is no embarrassment to lose a fight to a Gal.” Kris’s father said laughing and putting his hand onto his brother’s large back.

Kris lived for stories of the Gal’s of the empire, each one was a fierce and undefeatable fighter. Their armour shined like the sun and Kris’s dream was to one day be known as a Gal.

“I think I could show you a thing or two uncle.” Kris said with a laugh.

Although his older brother Rickard II was a great fighter, Kris spent nearly every day in the training grounds mastering his ability.

“Is that true?” Kieron said looking at his nephew, “Well I’m not one to turn down a challenge.”

Looking back at his father for his approval, he gave a slight nod and a smile.

“Good, let’s go to the main hall, there should be plenty of room there.” Kieron said.

“I’ll get the training swords.” Kris said happy to show off his ability and to impress his father.

Running back to his room, he grabbed two wooden swords that he kept in there at all times and returned to meet his uncle and father in the main hall. They have moved the long tables to the side and it left a large, stone floored area in the middle.

“Wooden swords? It’s been a long time since I have used one of them.” Kieron said grabbing one of them off the young Falkner.

“I wouldn’t want you taking off my sons head now brother!” Kris’s father said whilst taking a seat at the side.

“Don’t worry father, I can handle myself.” Kris said with a grin and pointed his wooden blade at his uncle.

In the corner of Kris’s eye, like the slight movement of a shadow he just spotted his uncle striking his sword. Just in time to move, Kris jumped out of the way and watched his uncle pull his blade back up with a smile.

“We haven’t started yet!” Kris shouted.

“In a real fight there isn’t someone to shout start.” Kieron said with a smile.

Gripping onto his sword, Kris prepared to fight his uncle. Knowing that his footwork was quick, he pushed his feet to each side as he strode closer to his uncle until he was an arms length away and struck his sword to the side.

Kieron raised his arm and easily batted the attack away and laughed.

“That was very pretty, now try and hit me properly.” He said.

Come on Kris, you can do this. He thought to himself.

Grabbing the holder of the sword in both hands, he knew that his uncle outmatched him for strength, his only way to win was by speed.

Holding the tip of his sword at his uncle, he waiting for an attack.

The two slowly walked in a circle, Kris’s sword held at head height as Kieron kept his by his side.

Kieron quickly brought his sword up to swing it at the boys head, although he was large in size his movements were quick and flawless. Luckily Kris was able to jump to his side and bring his sword up to block the attack, although the force of the hit forced his sword to swing down and leave him exposed.

“That’s one.” Kieron said with a laugh.

“That’s it!” Kris whispered to himself and lunged at his uncle, his sword swinging through the air and causing the wind to blow around it.

Although his strikes were fast and true, Kieron was able to defend himself against them with relative ease and eventually stuck back at the boy, forcing his sword to fling onto the ground as he attempted to defend himself.

“Not bad.” Kieron said with a smile.

“Not good enough.” Kris shouted in annoyance.

“You are fast and strike well, but you can’t assume to beat me young one.” Kieron said walking over to Kris’s father and taking a tankard of ale off from him and gulping it all down.

“How do I get as good as you?” Kris asked.

“Lots of practice.” Kieron replied putting the tankard back to the table, “My life revolves around fighting, from when I could walk I practiced all day, every day.”

When Kris picked up his wooden sword from the ground he thought, One day I will be a Gal and will be known as the greatest fighter.

“I will beat you one day uncle.” Kris said with a laugh.

“Maybe one day you will, but not today.” Kieron replied.

“Okay, we need to get back to planning.” Kris’s father said standing from his seat, “Go and see your brothers.”

“Yes father.”

Kris left his father and his uncle to discuss the civil war. Kris was yearning for the day he properly came of age and could join the army, only two more years and he will be celebrating his eighteenth. Being the third son, his twin Karl being three minutes older, he knew he would not inherit any land, so his dreams were to be a renown soldier. For men to tremble at his every word.

Ever since Kris was young he enjoyed fighting, he found something artistic about slashing a blade through the air, a beauty in the tactics.

“Karl!” Kris shouted as he entered a seating area where Karl was sat in front of the fire. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, mother said it is too dangerous to be outside because of the weather.” He replied.

“She said the same to me,” Kris said walking up to his brother, “But since when did we do what she said?”

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With a grin, Karl replied.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Come with me.” Kris said and they both rushed down the corridors, keeping an eye out so that no one saw them.

When they stepped outside, Kris was hit with the cold air and snow on his face. Gripping onto his fur coat he tightly wrapped it around himself as he walked to the stables. His brown steed that he named Rok when he was given him at the age of twelve stood there in all it’s glory.

Getting onto the horse, Karl looked at Kris and asked.

“Where are we going?”

“Just for a ride.” Kris laughed back and slowly began to move his horse. Karl quickly mounted his white horse and the two rode out of the stables and through the city on Erwin. The roads were fairly empty, only just being able to see the silhouette of people through the mist.

When they reached the city walls, the gates were already open, Kris looked around and there wasn’t a soldier in sight. Leaving the city, the path down the mountain was steep but the cobbled roads made the walk easier for the horses.

The trees on the sides were frozen solid and the ground on the side of the road was thick with snow, Kris was cold, but he knew he couldn’t tell his brother that.

“Nearly there!” He shouted to Karl.

Then he began to gallop his horse off road, leaving trials in the white snow as he rode through the trees.

For twenty minutes he headed in the same direction, not once getting a glimmer of sun, only the small beams that can burst through the mist until he reached their destination.

“Remember this?” He shouted out to Karl as he brought his horse to a stop.

“I haven’t been here in a while.” Karl replied stopping next to his brother.

The twins looked out on the frozen lake that they used to play as children, the top layer thick with ice, a few strong green leaves managed to grow through the frozen surface. All around were bushes layered with snow.

When they were children, the Falkner boys used to come and play on the lake, the slippery icy surface making good for games where they would chase each other.

Kicking his horse, Kris started a gallop onto the icy surface, his horse able to hold its movements well. Looking back, Karl was quickly behind chasing after him. The sound of the hooves hitting the ice echoed through the mist, when Karl shouted out.

“What are we doing here?”

Not replying, the cold air was harsh against Kris’s face as he made his way to the other side of the pond, leaping off his horse his feet land firmly onto the solid ground. When Karl appeared behind him, remaining on his horse, Kris smiled at his brother and rummaged his hands into one small bush.

“This is why we are here.” He said, gripping onto the handle of a steel sword, he quickly pulls it out and aims it at his brother.

“Where did you get that?!” Karl shouted, his horse slightly surprised by the shining steel so close to it.

“I found it in the castle a few weeks ago and kept it, I’ve been coming here to practice since Father won’t let me use a real sword at home.” Kris explained.

“If mother or father knew you had that you would be dead!” Karl said, stepping down from his horse.

“Good thing they won’t find out then.” Kris said with a smile, turning around he began to slice the blade through he air forcing the wind to whistle around it.

“Let me have a go!” Karl ordered holding his hand out.

“I don’t know, you might hurt yourself.” Kris laughed at his brother.

“Shut up and give it me!” Karl shouted.

Kris kept the sword as far from his brother as possible as he held him back with one arm. When suddenly they heard a few footsteps coming, they didn’t know where from but they were close and the brothers stopped moving instantly.

They both instinctively ducked down and listened for the footsteps, There’s more than one, Kris thought.

As the steps carried on, a man suddenly came into view. He looked a tall and slender man. As though he grew to a certain height but then his body stopped growing outwards.

Gripping onto the blade, Kris’s eyes are firmly fixed on this man that is slowly walking in front of them.

“What do you think of here?” The tall man shouted, suddenly another man’s voice could be heard, yet he wasn’t seen.

“Are you thick? It’s out in the open you fool. We will get seen a mile away!” The other man shouted.

The tall man turned around, assumingly to respond, except when he did so his eyes locked onto Kris and Karl crouched by a bush.

Although Kris’s body is shaking, he is attempting to keep calm as this man stares at him.

“Who are you?” The tall man asks, not moving.

“We are sons of Rik Falker!” Karl shouted back.

“Shut up!” Kris shouts at his brother and hits his arm.

“Pol! There’re two Falkner boys here!!” The tall man shouts.

Dammit Karl! Kris thought, annoyed at his brother for giving away their identity.

Standing up, Kris aims his sword at the soldier and shouts.

“Who are you?”

A few loud footsteps echo around the area and another soldier appears next to the tall man, dressed in thick fur armour.

“Fucking hell! What are they doing here?” He asks the tall man. Looking to his side, he is holding a sword in his right hand. It looks blunt and chipped but surely strong enough to do some damage.

“I said, who are you?!” Kris shouts again.

“What should we do with them?” The smaller soldier asks, ignoring Kris’s question.

“Take them back to Kalmer.” The tall man said.

Kalmer? Who is Kalmer?

“Why don’t you put that sword down boy before you hurt yourself.” The tall man said.

“Kris?” Karl asks, looking to his side, Kris can see his brother physically shaking in fear.

“Let us pass and you won’t be harmed.” Kris said to them. He is still hoping that they are friendly soldiers, however by now he has figured out that they are most likely part of the rebel army.

“Now boy, there are two of us and you only appear to have one sword.” The taller soldier said taking a step towards the Falkner twins.

Holding his ground, Kris shouts back.

“I told you to let us pass!”

“That’s it!” The smaller man shouts. Gripping his sword, the smaller man charges at Kris. Holding his sword into the air, he brings it down at the boy.

His reactions kicking in, Kris swipes his blade into the air and strikes the blunt blade away. Before he can attempt an attack of his own, the taller man shouts and slices his blade at the boy.

Jumping to one side, Kris dodges the attack only for the tall man to bring his sword back up and at him. Raising his own blade, Kris once again knocks his sword out of his direction.

From the corner of his eye, the smaller man lunges his blunt blade directly at Kris’s chest. With relative ease he brings his own sword up and pushes the attack just out of his body. Looking to his side, Karl is stood frozen.

The taller man slices his blade across, aiming at Kris’s head who ducks beneath it. Crouched down, he brings his own sword across and slashes the taller man’s thigh. Blood splashes out of him onto the white snow on the ground and the man cries out in pain.

Just the smaller man remains on his feet, Kris watches as he sends a flurry of attacks into his direction. However, Kris’s training means he can easy deflect each attack.

It doesn’t take long for the man to start to succumb to tiredness, meaning Kris can go on the offensive. Striking at the man, three or four hits and the man’s sword falls to the ground, followed with him landing on his arse.

Standing over the fallen soldier, Kris holds his blade aiming at the man’s chest.

His mouth wasn’t speaking, but his eyes cried for mercy. Looking to his side, the taller man was still on the ground clutching his cut on his thigh.

“Do no follow us!” Kris shouted at the smaller soldier, “Karl, let’s go!”

The two twins begin to run away from the soldiers.

“What about the horses?” Karl shouts.

“There’s no time!” Kris shouts back, knowing that if they attempted to mount the horses it would give these soldiers time to attack.

Bursting through bushes, Kris looks back and can no longer see the soldiers.

For a solid twenty minutes the two brothers are sprinting back to where they came from, when Kris’s breathing grows heavy Karl calls for them to stop and recover.

Karl watches his brother lie onto the ground, his chest heaving and his breath creating a mist into the air.

“Are you okay?” Kris asked him, staying on his feet and his eyes fixed to see if there was any movement coming from behind them.

“Yeah,” Karl panted out, “Who were those men?” He asked.

“Rebel soldiers I’m guessing.” Kris replied, only moving his gaze to check on his brother.

“Why didn’t you kill them?” His brother asked.

I’ve never killed a man before. Kris thought to himself, not knowing if he could’ve brought himself to deal a deadly blow.

“We should get going.” He told his brother, not answering his question.

Holding a hand out, Karl grips his brothers wrist and takes the assist to his feet.

Not feeling like they are being followed, the two continue to walk back in the direction of Erwin.

It takes the Falkner twins twenty more minutes to reach a cobbled road and to finally be out of the snowy trees.

“This way.” Kris says and the two walk down the cobbled path, knowing that not on horse back it could take them a couple of days to return home.

“Mother’s going to kill us.” Karl said.

“Better her than those rebels.” Kris said with a laugh.

“I don’t know, I’m tempted to let them take us over our mother’s wrath!” Karl said laughing back.

“I’m not too worried.” Kris told him.

“Why’s that then?” Karl asked.

“I’m going to tell her it was all your idea.” He replied laughing and hitting his brother on his arm.

“Don’t even…” But before Karl could finish, their hearing was filled with the sound of horses hitting the cobbled road.

Turning around, at least ten soldiers on horse back were heading there way. It took only a few moments for the two brothers to be completely surrounded by these soldiers, each holding a weapon in their hands.

“Where do you two think you’re going?” One soldier shouted. Looking up at him, he was wearing thick fur armour and had a wolf’s head as a helmet. His face was gritty and scared.

“We are just walking back to our farm.” Kris shouted, not giving his brother a chance to reveal their identity again.

“That’s funny, we were told there are two Falkner boys that match your description heading this way. You wouldn’t know anything about that?” The soldier shouted.

“Falkner boys? Not us.” Kris shouted back.

“So why do two farmer boys have such a nice sword?” The soldier asked, his nod gesturing to the blade in Kris’s hand.

“We found it.” Kris shouted back, although he knows his lie was obvious.

“Right, let’s not play this game. Put the weapon down.” The soldier shouted.

Looking around, Kris knows there isn’t a chance of him defeating all of these soldiers. With no other option, he throws the sword onto the hard ground the echo’s into the air.

“That’s better,” The soldier said, moving his horse until he was only a few feet from the boys. He throws a rope at the brothers and shouts, “Right, tie your wrists to this. You boys are coming with us.”

Looking at his brother, Karl’s face is utter panic.

“Just do what they say.” Kris whispers to him, bending down and picking up the rope, he ties it around his brothers’ wrists who then ties it around Karl’s

“There we go, come on then.” The soldier shouted and turned his horse around.

As the horses walked back down the cobbled road of which the boys just came from, Karl looked at his brother who was heavily breathing in fear. Not knowing where they were going, or what was going to happen when they get there.