Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER TWO

Houses of stone and triangle-shaped roofs. Wooden stalls with messy painted signs covering a small cobblestone square. All this came into our line of sight in time for us to set camp.

People bustled about on the plaza at the center of the village. Perfusing the mellow mood of fading daylight with the wearied chatter and the dissonant grind of vendors closing their stalls for the day.

A sudden break in their usual monotone by the unusual echoes of a score of horse's hooves moved a dozen pairs of eyes in our direction. "Is that the capital's golden emblem on the armor of those horses?" they whispered. "It's the king's men!" they shouted.

"If that's the case, then that man over there must be..." Eyes grew to the size of saucers as they stared at me from a distance. Ten hoof beats later, only crates of beets, carrots, and cabbages remained in the now deserted plaza.

"We'll set up camp here. You over there, notify the head of the village of our presence. Everybody else, place our company's tents on the left and detainees on the right." The men immediately went to work.

"Oh, thank the gods. It's been weeks since we got to rest out of the open field." Calim groaned as he threw himself off the horse. "There is a tavern down the street. Some of the guys and I are planning to pay them a visit. Want to come?" An expectant smile split his face.

My lips pressed together before a smirk could manifest on my face. "Drinking on the job, I see."

"Oh, come on. I know you need a break. I also need a break. We'll leave the suspects with the lesser soldiers, and we can relax a little. What do you say?"

My brow lowered to shoot him my best disapproving look. It made Calim smirk, knowing very well I was about to give in. "Alright, but only for a short while."

"Yes, Your Grace. We'll meet at the tavern in twenty." With a triumphant smile, he turned and left to finish off the rest of his duties.

My gaze swept around the perimeter of the plaza, searching for any threats hiding in the shadows. Between two shops, in an alley full of unused wooden boxes, a tower of crates swayed back and forth. I glanced at the trees in the distance. "They're still, so, no wind." My body tensed and I crept closer. Placing my hand on the hilt of my sword, I mentally prepared myself for a confrontation. One of the rebels, maybe?

The fearful eyes of a boy emerged from behind the wall of crates as I inched closer. Next to him, two more boys rose and dipped to peer over the wooden boxes. Too scared to openly stare, but too curious to not sneak a peek at the scary man with icy eyes and a chilling semblance to match.

My tension lifted, and my heart clenched with pity for the three young boys in tattered clothes. Behind me, a soldier called, "Your Grace, we need your help."

"I'll be there in a moment." Glancing at the boys one last time, I turned back to the campsite to continue with my obligations.

Thirty minutes later, in front of the tavern, I braced myself for whatever was waiting for me inside. The wood creaked as I opened the door betraying the establishment's old age and being careful not to hit my head on the door frame, I ducked my head and walked inside.

Calim waved me over to the dark wooden bar counter, where he was sitting beside some of the men in our regiment. "Your Grace! Over here!"

The fearful looks from the people sitting by the tables pricked at the back of my head as I walked towards the bar. "Thank you for joining us, Your Grace." He grinned at my curt nod.

The gray-haired bartender standing at the other side of the counter bowed his head in a polite show of respect. "It's an honor to have Supreme Commander Nubilus in my establishment. I appreciate the great service you have done to keep our country safe." His thin lips curled upwards in a smile. "I have heard of the great things you have accomplished at such a young age." He said with a voice full of awe, "A knight by the age of nineteen, and a Supreme Commander at the age of twenty-two." He continued. "Please, order whatever you want. It's on the house."