"He arrived this morning." The old lady whispered from her rocking chair.
"With Pepper?" The man inquired.
"No," she cackled. "He would never lead that horse here. I barely think that horse knows any other land that that of the lavish island he was born on. No, it was some mongrel he traded with one of the scoundrels at the Port."
"A noble bartering at our Port? Wherefore?"
"Shh Beltzer. You know what Lord Shenan has ordered. You shall talk nothing of the sort. It was just unfortunate that an outside source bought the land to the East."
"You seem pretty heated. You don't like this noble?"
"Shut up!" The old woman whipped Beltzer's leg with her cane. Her view was on the fire crackling beside her in the fire pit rather than outside at the thundering gallops drawing near.
A wave of ten or so horses plowed through the front gates and assembled a line that started for the center of the town. Two rows of the finest horses filled the streets. Onlookers of villagers and townspeople, guests and natives looked on as the meeting's time grew near. The public square had seated Lord Shenan and his honor guard of twelve men: Mathias and Gilfried, his two trusted lieutenants a part of that group. Each had silver armor lined in obsidian that shined and gleamed in the noonday sun.
"That's them?" Beltzer asked the old woman as he stared out the window of their cottage. "Where's the noble?"
The old lady started to hum to herself. Trying to drown out the thoughts of her son, she focused on a happier memory. Life used to be simple for her. Her husband and her three children had land and freedom and a will to live. Their large home was on a hill over looking a beautiful field of heather and lilacs. The woman's old hands started to weave an imaginary basket of flowers freshly picked from those fields. Her deep hollow eyes fluttered even now as they were closed and her slanted mouth tilted upwards.
Soon her demeanor changed. The basket in her hand started to engulf in flames. Her hands jumped into the air and the woman let out a loud scream from her stomach. Her mind focused on an image appearing through those flames, one body that was surrounded by many others all wearing the exact same armor-- obsidian hardened silver chests and silver legs accompanied by swinging silver blades that cut through the fields and slaughtered everything in their wake. She cried for her husband as she recalled his scream as a blade met his throat and sliced his carotid artery open.
She screamed looking upon her youngest with his eyes opened staring into the cold abyss that was death. She started to cry. Her hands covered her face as she mourned them.
Her oldest, Beltzer, hugged his mother as the flames ate their house and their dreams. His sword remained unsheathed as the destroyers rode on through the burnt field.
"I remember as though it was yesterday mom. When Shenan's rule began. At least with an outside influence the tyranny will be minimized."
The woman's eyes remained closed, and her words came out in a silent prayer. "I pray so, my son. Our hopes reside on this agreement."
Beltzer began to hug his aged mother when a shout started to ring out from the town square. It was soon mirrored by more shouting and then a woman's holler for help. People started to run in a frenzy as Beltzer's eyes went back to the window. He fellt o his knees and narrowly avoided an incoming arrow that was shot from outside. He started to cringe as the fear set in. It was an ambush on the peace treaty. He quickly got to his feet and positioned himself to peer out the window again. Lord Shenan's men had their sword's drawn and the newcomers adn their horses lay before them in the town square motionless.
"This is Shenan's land! No one else's!" The Lord bellowed the words as the fighting broke out around him.
There was an angry mob that stormed out of the tavern intent on fighting. They too had full dress armor on and swords drawn. However, their numbers did not outweigh Shenan's followers. From the town's center came a bustle of about 50 men, some in armor, some in nature's own, but all intent on fighting to the death. The small tavern mob was surrounded easily. They all fought.
Beltzer watched in horror from his house. He saw Shenan's archers firing at the elven envoy that were perched on rooftops. They had been invited to overlook the meeting and were there to observe the peaceful negotiations. On the town's church was a small group of them. The race of elves that had been slaughtered had tried to fight back years ago and surrendered to Shenan. They were falling from buildings and roofs like raindrops from the sky. Blood blanketed the streets. Beltzer grinded his teeth. That was enough! Shenan had gone too far this time backing out on the peace that he had promised!
"The elven envoy..." The old woman heard the screaming. Her eyes streamed tears. "It was all for peace. They were unarmed."
"Mother... I must go." Beltzer said picking up his hunting bow. "I must."
"My son, today we witnessed an atrocity. I know you must go and you will probably die, but take with you the love I have for you and the ambition of peace that your brothers are dying for right now, on that church."
"I know. I love you mother... goodbye." His light leather armor crinkled as he jumped out the window to go climb on the roof beside his brothers in need.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hang them all up."
The soldiers made a large display of the group that came to sign the treaty. In the square were large gallows which hung all of the men. They swayed in the wind like trees. Their supine bodies were a reminder for the elves that continued to pray for peace.
Shenan looked on with satisfaction. Standing proudly over his victory, he eyed the swaying bodies. He took a finger and silently counted the bodies, stopping finally on the one he believed to the be the leader. A sadistic smile appeared on his face as he overlooked the man's clothing, noble clothing like that of an islander. But his smile soon faded as the silver hair atop his head fell off in a large clump and fell to the ground.
"A wig..."
Shenan hollered in disbelief and anger. The peace negotiations would continue.
"With Pepper?" The man inquired.
"No," she cackled. "He would never lead that horse here. I barely think that horse knows any other land that that of the lavish island he was born on. No, it was some mongrel he traded with one of the scoundrels at the Port."
"A noble bartering at our Port? Wherefore?"
"Shh Beltzer. You know what Lord Shenan has ordered. You shall talk nothing of the sort. It was just unfortunate that an outside source bought the land to the East."
"You seem pretty heated. You don't like this noble?"
"Shut up!" The old woman whipped Beltzer's leg with her cane. Her view was on the fire crackling beside her in the fire pit rather than outside at the thundering gallops drawing near.
A wave of ten or so horses plowed through the front gates and assembled a line that started for the center of the town. Two rows of the finest horses filled the streets. Onlookers of villagers and townspeople, guests and natives looked on as the meeting's time grew near. The public square had seated Lord Shenan and his honor guard of twelve men: Mathias and Gilfried, his two trusted lieutenants a part of that group. Each had silver armor lined in obsidian that shined and gleamed in the noonday sun.
"That's them?" Beltzer asked the old woman as he stared out the window of their cottage. "Where's the noble?"
The old lady started to hum to herself. Trying to drown out the thoughts of her son, she focused on a happier memory. Life used to be simple for her. Her husband and her three children had land and freedom and a will to live. Their large home was on a hill over looking a beautiful field of heather and lilacs. The woman's old hands started to weave an imaginary basket of flowers freshly picked from those fields. Her deep hollow eyes fluttered even now as they were closed and her slanted mouth tilted upwards.
Soon her demeanor changed. The basket in her hand started to engulf in flames. Her hands jumped into the air and the woman let out a loud scream from her stomach. Her mind focused on an image appearing through those flames, one body that was surrounded by many others all wearing the exact same armor-- obsidian hardened silver chests and silver legs accompanied by swinging silver blades that cut through the fields and slaughtered everything in their wake. She cried for her husband as she recalled his scream as a blade met his throat and sliced his carotid artery open.
She screamed looking upon her youngest with his eyes opened staring into the cold abyss that was death. She started to cry. Her hands covered her face as she mourned them.
Her oldest, Beltzer, hugged his mother as the flames ate their house and their dreams. His sword remained unsheathed as the destroyers rode on through the burnt field.
"I remember as though it was yesterday mom. When Shenan's rule began. At least with an outside influence the tyranny will be minimized."
The woman's eyes remained closed, and her words came out in a silent prayer. "I pray so, my son. Our hopes reside on this agreement."
Beltzer began to hug his aged mother when a shout started to ring out from the town square. It was soon mirrored by more shouting and then a woman's holler for help. People started to run in a frenzy as Beltzer's eyes went back to the window. He fellt o his knees and narrowly avoided an incoming arrow that was shot from outside. He started to cringe as the fear set in. It was an ambush on the peace treaty. He quickly got to his feet and positioned himself to peer out the window again. Lord Shenan's men had their sword's drawn and the newcomers adn their horses lay before them in the town square motionless.
"This is Shenan's land! No one else's!" The Lord bellowed the words as the fighting broke out around him.
There was an angry mob that stormed out of the tavern intent on fighting. They too had full dress armor on and swords drawn. However, their numbers did not outweigh Shenan's followers. From the town's center came a bustle of about 50 men, some in armor, some in nature's own, but all intent on fighting to the death. The small tavern mob was surrounded easily. They all fought.
Beltzer watched in horror from his house. He saw Shenan's archers firing at the elven envoy that were perched on rooftops. They had been invited to overlook the meeting and were there to observe the peaceful negotiations. On the town's church was a small group of them. The race of elves that had been slaughtered had tried to fight back years ago and surrendered to Shenan. They were falling from buildings and roofs like raindrops from the sky. Blood blanketed the streets. Beltzer grinded his teeth. That was enough! Shenan had gone too far this time backing out on the peace that he had promised!
"The elven envoy..." The old woman heard the screaming. Her eyes streamed tears. "It was all for peace. They were unarmed."
"Mother... I must go." Beltzer said picking up his hunting bow. "I must."
"My son, today we witnessed an atrocity. I know you must go and you will probably die, but take with you the love I have for you and the ambition of peace that your brothers are dying for right now, on that church."
"I know. I love you mother... goodbye." His light leather armor crinkled as he jumped out the window to go climb on the roof beside his brothers in need.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hang them all up."
The soldiers made a large display of the group that came to sign the treaty. In the square were large gallows which hung all of the men. They swayed in the wind like trees. Their supine bodies were a reminder for the elves that continued to pray for peace.
Shenan looked on with satisfaction. Standing proudly over his victory, he eyed the swaying bodies. He took a finger and silently counted the bodies, stopping finally on the one he believed to the be the leader. A sadistic smile appeared on his face as he overlooked the man's clothing, noble clothing like that of an islander. But his smile soon faded as the silver hair atop his head fell off in a large clump and fell to the ground.
"A wig..."
Shenan hollered in disbelief and anger. The peace negotiations would continue.
