In the north of the last land, In a forest near where the Ker-Ja and Odun Kingdoms meet a young Doe grazes in between the trees as it moves through the forest. Eventually, it reaches a forest road walking across to snatch at some berries at the roadside. Above a squirrel goes running past causing branches to bend and flex as it jumps between them. Suddenly the Doe looks up ears pointed down the road as it hears a rhythmic thumping sound approaches. As it gets closer the Doe leaps back into the trees and turns its head in time to see six Mounted riders fly past.
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Teren looked to the side as the group of six riders continued on he had seen movement but was glad to find nothing more than a Doe looking through the trees as they went passed. Teren returned his gaze ahead scanning for any signs of movement, and then something moved. Terens hand was already on his axe handle by the time he noticed that the movement wasn't the raising of a hostile bow but simply a squirrel running up a tree trunk. He relaxed his grip letting the masterfully engraved axe slide back into the saddle holster beside an equally well-engraved shield. Teren reached up and slicked back a loss strand of auburn hair that was obstructing his view of the road and the surrounding trees.
“Am I being too cautious?” Teren mumbled as his eyes began to flick side to side again. The noise of horses hooves hitting the ground and the wind whistling past their ears meant none of the five armoured riders heard him. Although, they would not have blamed him for his caution as they all knew that this trip at breakneck speeds down old badly managed roads was to do with the unrest in the castle. The King of Ker-ja was old and his health was failing he maybe had a few months left and having made no arrangements concerning his successor a bloody war for the throne was playing out in the shadows of the kingdom. The King was no visionary but he had been well liked by many. He had protected the business interest of the nobles by taxing imported goods and had won over the common people by adding two new festivals to the yearly calendar. His one vice had been, as many men before him, women. A hopeless romantic he had fallen in love with many women and had married most of them and as a result had 19 children who were eligible for the throne and many more who weren’t. With the king not long for this world, many of those children had chosen now to make a play for power of the original 18 heirs only 12 still breathed.
As the group flew round a bend in the road the rider at the front yelled out “Hole!” The two men behind him reacted as fast as they could but the horse on the right fell as its front leg went into the pothole. The horse fell, its rider was quick witted enough to throw himself from the saddle avoiding having his legs crushed underneath the horse. Still, he hit the ground hard landing on his shoulder and letting out a cry of pain as the bones broke with an audible “Crack”. Teren and the two riders behind the man managed to avoid him else he would have been crushed under their horse’s hooves.
After bringing his horse under control the rider who had been at the front rushed to the man. He was a large man and his well-polished armour, as well as the two red stripes on his shoulder, showed that he was, in fact, a captain. “Joff! Are you alright son?”
The injured man breathed heavily through gritted teeth as he sat up gingerly testing his arm and wincing as he answered. “I’m alright captain, arms burning like fire but better than having one of my legs crushed.”
As Teren and the three other soldier finally brought their horses under control the captain checked on Joff’s shoulder. “Ow” Joff could not help but react when the captain touched his injured arm.
“It's definitely broken,” The captain said with a sigh “The horse?” he asked.
One of the other riders had dismounted and was checking the thrashing animal from as close as he dared. Shaking his head he replied “Completely lame”
“Better to put it out of its misery. We’ll camp here for tonight and continue on tomorrow.” The captain helped Joff to stand and then began to rummage through his saddlebags as he gave the order. The soldier nodded turning back to the beast and drawing a cold steel axe from his saddle holster watched for a moment to get close and deliver a mercy blow.
Teren almost missed the swing of the axe as he focused on the second order the captain had given, almost. The smell of blood instantly filled the area and the soldier pulled his axe back wiping it on the dead animal's hide. “Camp? We are only an hour from the border. We should continue quickly to make it there before nightfall.” His suggestion was meet with a hard stare from the captain. The two men battled wills but Teren was quickly routed. He huffed getting off his horse and leading it off the road before tying it to a low hanging branch.
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After the sun set the soldiers began cooking, Teren wasn’t pleased with the source of the meat for their meal but he decided not to voice these complaints after the smell made his stomach rumble. After 2 days hard riding and only jerky and stale bread to eat the meat tasted better than even the finest royal delicacy and he even realised he was happy the horse had been put down after all. Whilst they were eating a soldier went to relieve the captain from lookout duty, when the captain sat down, he helped himself to a massive portion of horse meat and glanced at Teren. “We have been hard on the road for two days, what matter of business in Odun could be so important that the thirteenth prince’s personal steward has been sent out to deal with it despite the worsening situation in the capital?”
Teren met the captain's question with a deadpan expression. “I was under the impression that soldiers didn’t question royal commands”
“Royals are not the most popular people within the army right now”
“The thirteenth prince has never done anything to offend the army?”
The captain let out a laugh “How would I know most people don’t even know what the thirteenth prince looks like. For all I know he could be the arse that beat me at cards last week.” he leant towards Teren “So?”
Teren was confused “So what?”
“The prince boy, what is he like?” Hearing this Joff and the two other men looked towards Teren their curiosity obvious.
“The prince…” Teren trailed off as he thought of an answer to a question he had clearly not been expecting “He is secretive.”
“We know that boy why do you think he is called the faceless royal”
Teren sputtered “F… Faceless royal?”
“Yes boy, the faceless royal, the prince who doesn't show his face at court, whose actions and motivations are a mystery you know, the Prince you serve?”
Teren was at a loss as to how he should respond but after a pause, he did so. “The prince does not have any interest in politics so he removed himself from noble society at a young age and instead seeks to live a quiet life.”
“Even now the kingdom is in chaos?”
“The Prince has never had designs for the crown.“
The captain sighed almost seeming to deflate as the air left his lungs “That's a damn shame.”
“How so?”
“After the death of the 4th 7th and 8th princes the military has no friends among the kingdoms heirs. Many in the army hoped the 13th prince might become king”
Teren looked around, not only the Captain but all the men around the fire seemed glum at the news he had just delivered. Could it really be that big a blow did they really believe so readily in a reclusive prince who never made public appearances?
“It can't be that ba…” Teren began to console them but he heard a thud in the forest from the direction where the sentry stood. He reacted instinctively reaching behind him towards his axe but before his fingers touched it a whooshing came from the trees and the soldier sitting opposite him jerked, an arrow had appeared in the center of his chest and he just looked at it with a surprised expression as he fell backwards. The captain rolled backwards narrowly avoiding a second arrow that hit the ground where he had just been sitting. Teren got his fingers around the axe handle, looking up he saw five men rush out of the trees towards them, plus the two archers that makes seven he thought as he rushed towards the closest assassin.
Teren Swung his axe in a big overhead swing, this attack earned him a cold smile from the assassin as he stopped short of the swing allowing it to pass before he struck forward. Teren returned the cold grin as his axe cut through the air turning in a tight circle the momentum turning full circle. The assassin's face showed his shock as the axe bit into him right under ribs and didn’t stop until it had nearly cut him in half. Teren heard the whooshing sound again and let go of his axe as he rolled sideways. As if to add insult to injury the arrow ended up hitting the dead assassin in the shoulder as he fell. Teren came to his feet looking around at the rest of his companions. The other previously uninjured soldier was lying face down in a pool of his own blood, unmoving, However, it had evidently not been an easy feat to accomplish as the assassin nearby was holding his side where a long cut could be seen bleeding heavily. Joff was holding a shield with his good arm eyeing the trees watching for any more arrows that might come flying out from the darkness. The captain was roaring like a bear swinging a massive double-bladed axe was keeping the remaining three assassins occupied. They prowled around him out of the range of his swings armed with axes and shields, waiting for a chance to strike.
Teren began towards the captain when the injured assassin noticed Joff. Injured man charged injured man, the assassin howled clearly enraged by the pain his wound was causing. Teren changed direction rushing towards him. Joff did his best to hold of the assassin's axe but each hit he blocked with the shield clearly caused his injured shoulder pain. His reactions were slowing because of it and the opponents axe grew closer and closer as he dodged and blocked. Teren ran up locking his axe with the assassin’s stopping it inches from Joff’s face. He kicked Joff away which would hurt a lot he knew, but he also would have been willing to bet an axe to the face hurt more. Teren began to furiously attack the assassin, this made him even more mad but his strength gradually left him as his blood did and eventually he left this world with the aid of Teren’s axe.
Teren turned to face joff the man looked up from the ground. He was obviously in pain but he smiled gratefully, that was when two arrows struck him. One in the stomach, one in the leg He howled in pain and Teren rushed to help him Joff started pointing at him trying to speak but pain robbed him of his words.
“It’ll be okay joff” Teren lied but he didn’t know what else he could do. Then he noticed Joff was still pointing frantically but not at him, but behind him! Teren spun but that was all he could do before a shield struck him square across the jaw and his world went black.