“This plan has left all of us defenseless!” Priscilla exclaimed. “Surely you cannot expect us to trust this--”
“Sage?” Stenson said, finishing the sentence for Priscilla.
She huffed, her blue eyes displaying no favor for the boy she glared at.
“Tell me, Francis. Do you believe this plan you and Stenson have devised is our best chance for survival?” the kingdom's ruler asked, his hand resting on the arm of his throne.
Now I know why people say the king can sniff out a liar… that throne acts as some sort of… artifact for mind-reading.
“I do. If there is to be any hope for our kingdom to live, this must be done. I need to ride with the cavalry. I swear I am doing this because if I don’t, I know my brother will die.”
When the wolf's eyes didn’t light up, everyone privy to this conversation stared at the King, waiting to see how Baxter would respond.
“I can sense you truly believe this. Sometimes, what we tell ourselves might be wrong, but we are backed against a wall, and there is not enough time or manpower to solve our problem.”
Baxter took a deep breath and let it out slowly, those red eyes sweeping across everyone, almost daring someone to share their displeasure with the idea.
When silence had gone on for a few seconds, the king nodded.
“Make all the preparations for tomorrow,” Baxter ordered. “Have the troops ready. We move out the moment there is enough daylight to march. No horns, no noises until the moment comes and we are spotted.”
Each person bowed, and when Stenson touched Francis’s shoulder, he almost jumped.
“Stay here a moment. He wants a word.”
“How do you know?” Francis asked.
A grin came, and the general motioned to the king, whose eyes were locked on them both. “That gaze says words I have learned to hear. Trust me. Whatever happens, I will ride by your side.”
As the tent emptied and only the three of them remained, Baxter rose from the throne and moved to where the other two were.
Both bent their heads as Baxter approached.
“Stop that. Now is not the time for such foolishness. Tell me, Sage, can you ride a horse?”
“Apparently not,” Francis replied, motioning with a thumb at the older man behind him. “He says I’m probably going to get bucked off or carried away by a horse that ignores me.”
Chuckling, Baxter nodded and smiled. “He is right. You need to learn if at all possible, and we don’t have much time left before you retire. Even with the aid of the spells set upon this place, your body is not accustomed to them--twenty minutes into the battle, you might fall asleep, your body's natural needs taking over.”
“I was going to use Kels’s tent to teach the basics of horse riding,” Stenson replied. “The enchantment there should help with at least an understanding of how to stay in the saddle.”
“Or you could save yourself a few hours and just tie Francis to the saddle.”
Both men grinned as Francis felt a joke had taken place, one that he missed.
Suddenly, the king’s massive hand was before Francis.
“Thank you for what you are doing. I am grateful the gods have sent you, Sage Francis.”
Shaking it, feeling the power in the grip that could easily break every finger on his hands, Francis nodded. “I’m just glad you didn’t kill me.”
Both older men laughed again, and Francis joined in.
Shooting the shit with the king… how crazy can all this really get?
***
“Woah! WOAH!” Francis shouted.
The horse continued to move, ignoring the command as it walked the circle it had already walked over fifty times.
“It’s not about the noise,” Kels said. “Use your legs and the straps. Just don’t–”
Once again, Francis’ ability to overreact caused the horse to rear up, sending him into a fall as the majestic stallion rose onto two legs.
The sound of his body hitting the dirt was only outdone by the noise he made as he tried to breathe. Each breath failed him, having been knocked out from the fall directly onto his back.
“Slowly,” Stenson muttered as Kels chuckled.
“He learned fast with me-”
“Riding and Horse handling are two skills!” the General exclaimed. “Each one works together! It’s not like just swinging a sword, and you know it. Now get up, Francis, and pay attention to both. Feel the movements of the horse. It knows everything about you, even how to remove you from it whenever it wants.”
Another laugh came from the knight before he spoke. “What is your skill at right now?”
[ Status ]
Francis Lancaster
Age 17
Strength: 14
Endurance: 17
Agility: 13
Wisdom: 13
Perception: 11
Magic: 10
Skills
Swordsmanship (Common) – 26 Proficient
Shield Use (Common) - 17 Novice
Tracking (Uncommon) - 11 Basic
Stealth (Uncommon) - 11 Novice
Traps (Uncommon) - 3 Basic
Rock Throwing (Common) - 7 Basic
Mental Resist (Uncommon) - 22 Novice
Blood of the Undying ( Unknown )- 100+ Sage
Fast Learner (Epic) - 1 Basic (Locked)
Mace (Common) - 6 Novice
Horseback Riding (Common)- 4 Novice
Horseback Handling (Uncommon) - 2 Novice
“I’m a four in riding and a two in handling.”
Both men shook their heads.
“After all this time, he’s still so low,” Kels stated. “I know the skill is hard, but… do you think it's because all he is doing is riding in circles, General?”
Frowning, Stenson nodded. “We could take him outside… let him ride in the open. See if that helps?”
“What if I fall and break my neck?” Francis asked.
“He does have a point. Perhaps we are expecting too much from him, General.”
“Stop using that title before I demote you, Knight Kels.”
Each of them smirked at the other before the oldest pointed at the horse. “Get back on, Francis. We’ll keep going for now, and I’ll plan on tying you to the saddle tomorrow. We have two more hours before I must put you to bed.”
“I’m not a child,” Francis replied, dusting himself off.
“No, you’re not, but you’re not a man yet either. Nor one who has acclimated to the spells. King Baxter is right. You may pass out when the battle starts if we work all night. Trust me, it has happened before.”
Seeing the blond-headed warrior bobbing in agreement, Francis stopped complaining and moved to where the white stallion waited.
Those black eyes were set on him, and for a moment, he would have sworn it showed teeth as he drew close.
Whatever I’m thinking, this was a stupid idea…
***
The sound of a bell rang out.
“It’s time to wake up. Get dressed!” Nehemiah called out.
Nehemiah slapped Francis again, and the shock of it finally broke him from a dream he didn’t want to leave.
“What?”
“It’s time. The sun is up soon, so you need to get ready for today. Now hurry.”
“Michael?” Francis asked, yawning afterward.
“He will stay here, safe,” the older man replied.
The soft mattress he was on was better than anything else he could ever remember sleeping atop. It was perfect, supporting every inch of his body. Sheets that felt smoother than any fabric he had encountered had touched his skin all night. Throwing the cover and sheet back, he swung his legs over the edge and realized that the older man was glaring at him.
“What?”
“Clothes, boy! Cover yourself! I don’t like looking at anyone else's but my own!”
A hint of warmth found his cheeks, and, yanking the sheet back over, he remembered that last night his clothes had been taken and replaced by new ones that he had decided not to put on yet.
“Uh… yeah, sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for sleeping without clothes! I do the same! Just remember that before flashing someone!” Nehemiah turned, moving to where the flap was. “Get dressed and hurry, I’ll be outside!”
Once the man was gone, Francis tossed the sheet off and quickly grabbed his new clothes, impressed again by how clean they were. They had a fresh scent of flowers on them, and each was higher quality than anything he had ever owned.
***
“You look like a real fighter,” Stenson said as he sat upon his horse. “I don’t want to tell you how hard it was to find armor that would fit your frame.”
His chain armor felt light, surprising Francis the moment he’d had help putting it on.
“Thank you again for all this. Even this sword.”
“Just try not to stab yourself or me with it. Now, hurry up and get on. Only about five minutes remain,” the general replied. He paused a moment, cleared his throat, and leaned close. “Thank you again for making this moment come. No matter what, I will do what I can to protect you.”
They were the last few at the back of the camp where the cavalry had been. Two men came forward with a set of stairs, putting it next to a brown mare that didn’t look as spunky as the one last night.
“She’s a little tamer,” Stenson said. “Not as feisty as the one you learned on last night.”
Once he was on the saddle, a leather strap was tossed over his legs; the buckle was set on top of them, and the men worked together to tighten it.
“Seriously?” Francis asked.
“I don’t have time to help you back on if you fall, so that at least will keep you in the saddle. You’ll need to make sure you stay close. That part I can’t manage.”
Tsking his teeth and giving the reins a gentle tug, the older man’s stallion obeyed the general's leading, starting to walk in the direction the others were organizing.
“Thank you,” Francis called out as the two men pulled the steps away. He did the same, pushing his knees carefully and gently tugging the leather.
Without much complaining, his horse began to move, seeming to speed up slightly until it fell in almost right next to the one Stenson was riding.
“Why did my horse stop here?” Francis asked.
A chuckle came from the older man. “She shouldn’t pass my horse. I’ll talk with you one day about how a strong man can keep a strong woman in line, but today isn’t that day. Right now, we see if our kingdom shall fall in just a few hours.”
Riding down the slight incline, Francis saw that the shapes farther ahead were almost motionless, each of the troops standing in place. They made virtually no sound compared to the first battle he had been in.
They fell into position along the last set of horses on the right side, the two closest to the middle.
Some of the men nodded, yet none said a word. Each horse stood there silently, their only sign of life being the gentle rise and fall of their breath in the cool morning air, showing they were alive and not a statue clad in metal.
Each second felt like forever, and the,n as one, everyone began to move forward.
Glancing to his left, Francis watched as the dozen or so mages moved with a group of warriors nestled in the V formation at the back.
Let’s hope these people can actually do what I’m told they can.
While no horns sounded, the movement of an army made noise, men and beasts trampling across dirt.
As the horses walked slowly, the army had covered almost two hundred yards before a loud sound came from the enemy's base—a sound that suddenly filled the area they had been fighting in for half a year.
When their presence was discovered, horns came from behind, and each man roared.
“Go forth and wipe out our enemy! Today is the day we take back our kingdom!”
There was no subtle wave of pressure in that message from King Baxter. He didn’t seem to add anything, as he only announced what today was.
Either this works, or I’ll find out what else the enemy is hiding, and we can try this again.
Shouting again, because this time he wanted to, Francis watched as the rising sun began to illuminate the shapes moving across the battlefield.
“For Reevotort!” echoed across the battlefield as the army shouted as one.
Over and over, those words carried across the troops, each one acknowledging why they were here.