Original Fiction Caustic

Chapter 10

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 10


“Is it normal to feel this sore?” Graham asked as he groaned upon sitting down at the bar.


“Aye,” Takeshi smiled. “If it’s the first great deal of riding you’ve done then you’ll be sore for a few days yet. It’ll pass given time though.”


“Well, I’ll need some help getting directions to the Duke’s armory,” Graham said as he dug into the stew that had been set aside for the morning meal. “I’ve got the commission letter, but I’m not familiar enough with Ramsford to know where I am going.”


“I’ll help you out,” Takeshi said as Sigrid merely stared blankly as she ate her meal. “Once Sigrid and I have gotten you to the Armory though we’ll head off to sell the arms and armor that we’re not keeping.”


“I can meet you back here once we are both finished,” Graham said as he finished off the stew, nodding his thanks over at Analise and her daughter. “Thank you for the meal.”


“You are most welcome,” Analise replied with a smile. “You strongly resemble your father, you know that?”


“Aye,” Graham nodded. “I’ve been told that a time or two.”


“We used to all ride together,” Analise said with a sad smile. “But we’re all retired now. Except for the old goat who’s riding with you.”


“Jasmine needed the medicine,” Takeshi said with a shrug. “And Theodore is still finishing up his apprenticeship.”


“You awake yet, Sigrid?” Graham asked as he waved his hand in front of his best friend and betrothed.


Sigrid just pushed his hand away and continued eating, her brain not alert enough to deal with his antics yet.


“You can leave her here if you need to,” Analise offered. “She’s not in any danger, after all.”


“No,” Takeshi shook his head. “I promised Ødger that I’d teach Sigrid about how to properly navigate Ramsford.”


“Do we need to do what we used to do to Ødger?” Analise asked. “I do have the bucket of water.”


“We’ll give her a short while before we resort to that,” Takeshi replied. “I’m not a cruel man, after all.”


“Just telling you that we can help with it,” Analise laughed. “You know how bad Ødger was after all.”


“Aye, waking him up was a chore that we often tried to give Bjørn, odds were he’d just be able to hug Ødger to death if he tried anything to retaliate.”


“You know that he’ll want to see you if he finds out that you’re in the city,” Analise said while Graham watched and listened with interest.


“I know,” Takeshi sighed. “Once my business is over I’ll make an appearance, he needs to know about the state of the guards he’s hiring anyway.”


“He’ll be happy to hear that,” Analise said. “Want me to send word? I’ve still got connections with people in the castle after all.”


“Nay,” Takeshi shook his head. “I’ll do it myself.”


“Stubborn old fox of a man,” Analise smiled as she shook her head. “Well, be off with you, I don’t want to see any of you back here until this evening.”


“We’re going to the market?” Sigrid asked as her brain finally seemed to turn on.


“Aye,” Takeshi replied. “But first we’re taking Graham here to the Armory to get the arrows delivered.”


“Alright then,” Sigrid said as she processed his words. “What weapons should I bring with me?”


“Just a dagger or two,” Takeshi said as he slid his small dagger into the sheath at the small of his back. “Most people don’t walk around visibly armed in the city, the only reason Graham can do it is that it’s obvious that his shield is a gift from a noble, same with his sword.”


“So we’ll take Rose and the wagon to the armory first,” Graham said as he led the horse out of the stables and hooked the wagon up. “Do we want to return here to gather up the horses?”


“We’re keeping the horses,” Takeshi shook his head. “Good horses that are also trained for war are not cheap, and they’ll be useful to our families and the village once we return.”


“Come on,” Takeshi instructed the two young adults as they walked through the streets. “We’ve a good ways to walk if we want to have time to sell our goods at the market.”


“I’m coming,” Sigrid said as she shoved the last of her piece of bread into her mouth and hurried to catch up to Graham and Takeshi.








“What do you want?” A squat man asked Graham as he knocked on the door to the office of the armorer.


“I’ve come with a delivery from Fletcher Charles,” Graham informed him. “I’m his apprentice and we’ve got the commissioning letter here,” Graham got the letter out of the waterproof bag before handing it over to the armorer.


“Let’s see here,” The man said as he pulled the letter out of Graham’s hand. “The seal seems to be right, and you’ve got the barrels. I just have to check the counts right quick.”


The Armorer then rang a bell that summoned a handful of young men to the front desk. “Go grab the barrels of arrows off of the wagon out back, and get me a rough count.”


“I’ve done business with your master before,” the Armorer said with a sigh. “And while normally I’d take your word on having the proper amount of arrows, most of our suppliers have been sending us fewer than ordered and still expecting us to pay them the same.”


“I’m content to wait,” Graham said. “I’m quite certain that we manufactured the right amount that was requested. But I will remain here until they are finished with their count.”


“You good here lad?” Takeshi asked. “Because the arrows have been offloaded and Sigrid and I have to head to market. I’ve got to get the right medicine for my wife and we’ve got to sell the arms and armor.”


“I’m good here,” Graham nodded. “I’ll meet you back at the inn should everything work out here.”


“Right then,” Takeshi replied. “We’ll meet you back there this evening. Take care to not offend anyone, they may take your sword as an invitation to try and duel you.”


“I’ll just wait here until the Armorer’s business is done,” Graham said. “And then I’ll be on my way.”


“Come on then,” the Armorer said as he opened the door to his office. “No use waiting out in the elements while the boys finish up their counts.”


“Aye,” Graham agreed as he walked inside. “I’m curious, what need does the Duke have for over a thousand arrows?”


“We’re prepping for a potential siege,” the Armorer replied. “We’ve had quite a few rumors coming out of the north and while most nobles don’t seem to be concerned, our Duke has faced the North before and has been stockpiling extra weapons and food for months now.”


“He is right to be concerned,” Graham said. “We did encounter a band on the way here.”


“Well, let us hope it was merely a raiding party and not an army intent on taking Ramsford,” the Armorer said. “The people here are soft and have no idea how to endure as our fathers did.”
 

ATP

Well-known member
They should gather stones for catapults,too.And made crossbows - after few moths everybody could use them,where you need 5 years to train average archer.
Not mention - starved people could not use bows,when they still could fire crossbows.

P.S what about Mołotov coctails,or even napalm? according to what i read,if you mix fuel with patato flour,you could get it.
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
It's Fanart Friday, have some.

6nxDnY7.jpg
 
Chapter 11

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 11



“The city is a bit different, isn’t it?” Takeshi asked Sigrid as they made their way toward the open markets.


“Aye,” Sigrid said as she looked cautiously at the crowds walking to and fro around her. “There are too many people here. I’d rather be out in the wilderness hunting.”


“Some would say that this is the light of civilization,” Takeshi mused. “That cities such as this are the future.”


“That may be what people say,” Sigrid said as they continued walking down the road. “But I find that I prefer the peace and quiet to the noise of the city now that I have experienced it.”


“The city has its place,” Takeshi said as they stopped to allow a large group of merchants to pass. “But so to do the villages like the one that we come from. All have their place in life, and many people prefer the safety of the cities to the potential danger of a village such as ours.”


“Safety is not certain no matter where you dwell,” Sigrid said after a moment of thought, her reddish blond hair flowing in the small breeze that began to flow. “But nothing is ever certain in life, and so we must decide for ourselves what it is that we value more.”


“That is a valid view,” Takeshi responded as they continued moving forward. “And one that I believe myself. It is why many in my generation moved to the village. Because we value our time and freedom more than the safety and security of the walls that surrounded the city.”


“Why don’t my mother and father talk about the old days more often?” Sigrid asked as she moved her braid out of her face. “You would think that it would be more common, but father tends to just teach the lessons that he learned, and mother never even brings it up.”


“Because sometimes things are best left in the past,” Takeshi said as they began hearing the noise of the market. “Some of the things we did are things that we would not wish to be well known for,” Takeshi paused. “Even by our children.”


“I will not pursue my questions then,” Sigrid said as she took in the view of the open-air market that they had just walked into.


“Now, let’s find someone who knows a thing or two about this sigil, yeah?” Takeshi smiled as he pulled a small piece of cloth out of his pack with the sigil from the dead soldiers on it.


“Aye,” Sigrid smiled. “Let’s see what we can find out.”


-




“Well, everything seems to be in order,” The Armorer said as he moved to a locked box with a key in hand. “Thanks for making sure to fulfill the order as requested, we’ve had issues with our suppliers.”


“I’m a man of my word,” Graham replied as he averted his eyes from the lockbox. “As is my master.”


“Well, I’ll send you home with the full payment on top of a bit extra for fine craftsmanship,” the Armorer said as he counted out the agreed-upon amount of coin. “And if you’ll give me a moment I’ll send you back with another request for more.”


“I’ll have to check with Master Charles first,” Graham replied as he counted the coins and put them into a separate pouch in his waterproof bag. “I’m still an apprentice, and I would not want to violate his trust like that.”


“Aye,” the Armorer grunted. “I understand that, lad. I just wish that more people honored their bargains,” the portly man sighed. “I’ll send a letter with you for your master, it’ll be up to him if he decides to fulfill the order or not then.”


“That would be appreciated,” Graham said, scratching his cheek where a small amount of hair had started growing. “We’re not unreasonable people, but our village is weeks away on foot and these sorts of things take time.”


“Aye,” the Armorer grunted. “I don’t think I’ve introduced myself. Angus, son of Alan, at your service.”


“Graham, son of Alwin at yours,” the young man replied. “Now, I best be on my way. But I will ensure that your letter reaches Master Charles in good condition. You have my word on it.”


“Alright then,” Angus replied. “Be off with you, I’ve got some boys to learn some sense to.”







“Aye, I recognize that mail,” the blacksmith said as he wiped his hands off on a rag that was draped over his shoulder. “I forged it for a free company about six months ago. But if you’ve gotten ahold of it though, I guess they’ve met their end.”


“The mail is still in decent condition,” Takeshi said as he showed the armor to the blacksmith. “We just don’t have the need for it right now and we’re wondering if we can get some of it resized while we sell the rest.”


“I’ll buy it back off of you,” the Blacksmith offered. “The Duke’s been asking for more armor and arms in recent months and I could use it,” the Blacksmith crossed his arms. “I’ll give you five gold and twenty silver for the lot.”


Sigrid’s eyes shone at the amount of money before Takeshi gave her a small glare, causing the young woman to look away from the two men negotiating. “


“We’ll take eight gold, and ten silver for the lot,” Takeshi argued back.


“Six gold, fifteen silver,” the blacksmith countered.


“Seven gold, five silver, and you resize the armor for my wards,” Takeshi stated firmly.


“Bargained well, and done,” the Blacksmith laughed as he clasped hands with the old soldier. “I’ll fit your wards tomorrow for the armor and give you the gold now, aye?”

“It’s a fair bargain,” Takeshi agreed. “We’ll be back on the morrow.”


“Now, why did I continue negotiating?” Takeshi asked Sigrid as they left earshot of the blacksmith, the coin secure in Takeshi’s coin purse.


“I’m actually not sure,” Sigrid replied after some thought. “That’s still more gold than I’ve ever heard of in my life.”


“We had something he needed,” Takeshi instructed as they began walking towards a healer’s shop. “And so we had all of the power in the negotiations. There are plenty of blacksmiths in this city who would have gladly taken the armor. But he’s one of the ones that the Duke favors, and so if he desires to remain in that favor he needs to make sure to keep up with the demands of the Duke.”


“He was falling behind, and so was willing to spend more money to get what he needed,” Sigrid’s mind snapped to the conclusion. “So how will we get fitted for our armor?”


“He’ll likely have an apprentice or two take your measurements,” Takeshi said as he ducked into the shop. “And then refit the armor in the next day or so.”


“Takeshi!” The healer greeted the soldier as he saw the other man. “Here for Jasmine’s medicine?”


“Aye,” Takeshi nodded. “She’s doing much better, and I hope that this will be the last batch that she needs.”


“While I hate to see a loyal customer leave, I hope that she doesn’t need the medicine anymore once the illness has passed,” the Healer smiled. “And this young woman is your apprentice?”


“Of sorts,” Takeshi agreed. “She’s the daughter of a close friend and I’ve taken her under my wing for this trip.”


“Well, I’m Roger, son of James,” the man introduced himself.


“Sigrid Ødgersdotter,” the young woman responded curtly but politely.


“I’ve already got your medicines made up, just let me get them out of the back,” Roger smiled as he walked away to the back of the store and brought out a sealed jar. “If Jasmine is doing better then you’ll want to start decreasing the amount of medicine she consumes,” the healer explained. “You want her body to come back as strong as possible so as to be better off later.”


“Are there any other instructions?” Takeshi asked, concern for his wife evident in his eyes.


“Nothing that I haven’t already told you,” Roger shook his head. “I do have some excess salve for saddle sores though should you be riding again more often.”


“Aye,” Takeshi’s eyes lit up. “I’ll take a few jars, you can never have enough of it, after all.”


“That’ll be two silvers,” Roger said as he wrapped the jars and handed them to Takeshi.


“Good price that,” Takeshi grunted as he paid the man. “Thank you Roger, if my wife were here she’d thank you as well.”


“There’s no need to thank me,” Roger replied as he smiled once again. “I live for seeing people whole and lively again; my only regret is that I have to charge for it.”


“I think your wife would have something to say about that,” Takeshi grinned.


“Bah, she’d come around,” Roger laughed. “Now be on your way, old soldier, you're scaring off all the others that might need help with your scars and armor.”


Takeshi just laughed as he left the shop, Sigrid following close behind as they put their purchases on the wagon before heading back toward the inn.
 
Chapter 12

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 12


Graham whistled to himself as he began his walk back to the Inn, a pleasant joy filling him at the thought of having finished one of the last tasks that Master Charles had for him before his apprenticeship was finished.


“Hey you there!” A slightly familiar voice called. “It was you wasn’t it? At the gates?” The guardsmen who had been extorting people upon entry asked as he neared Graham. “I’m taking you in for questioning.”


“On what grounds?” Graham asked as he backed up into a balanced stance with one arm ready to sling his shield from his back to his hand and the other resting on his belt. “I’ve done nothing wrong, and was fulfilling a direct request for the Duke.”


“Still claiming to be a Fletcher eh?” the Guard asked smugly. “We’ll see how long you try and keep that tale.”


“Or we can take this directly to Duke Bjorn,” Graham responded. “I’m sure he would love to hear about how corrupt some members of his city guard are.”


A small crowd began gathering around, some of them running off to get some of the city officials, and others simply listening to the words that were being said.


“You shut your mouth,” the guard said as he gestured with the spear in his hand. “I, Gerard son of Oliver challenge you to a duel on the training grounds tomorrow at noon.”


“Alright,” Graham shrugged, eager to get away from this entire mess. “I’ll be there,” Graham didn’t turn his back to Gerard, but he did begin walking back to the Inn again, not looking for more confrontation at the moment.”


“Good man,” a member of the crowd patted him on the back. “A duel here would have been messy, lots of blood. Getting my streets clean would have taken hours. ”


Graham turned to look at this stranger and saw a giant of a man with a large sword being carried on his shoulder.


“And you are?” Graham asked.


“Headed in the same direction as you,” the giant of a man replied with a wide grin. “I heard that an old friend of mine is in town and I was headed to Analise’s Inn. I’d like someone to speak to on the way if you’re willing.”


“Aye,” Graham nodded. “I’m willing. But what conversation can a Fletcher provide to a Mercenary?”


“You’d be surprises what a Mercenary gets to learn about,” the man replied, the massive smile no disappearing for a moment. “But all the same, it is always fascinating to listen to someone on the journey to master any craft. Whether it be the spear, or archery, or maybe even a Fletcher or a blacksmith. People who love what they do are always going to be interesting to listen to.”


“Alright then, where do I start?” Graham asked as he kept pace with the mercenary.


“Start with how you select the right wood for the arrow,” the other man replied. “I’ve always wondered about that.”


“Well-”







“Wecome back” Analise said as she saw Takeshi and Sigrid enter the inn after stabling Rose and the wagon. “Hope that you managed to get everything done that was needed.”


“We did at that,” Takeshi smiled at his old friend.


“I think I’m going to see about trading this in for a better sword though,” Sigrid said as she gestured towards the sword that had been taken from the dead free company. “This one is nice, but the balance feels a bit off.”


“Well, I know of a few smiths that can help remedy that situation,” Analise smiled. “What do you think of our fair city here?”


“It’s pretty,” Sigrid said with a small smile. “But I’m not certain I would enjoy living here.”


“That’s because she enjoys hunting too much to stay in the city,” Graham said as he entered the inn, a massive man following behind him.


“Aye, I do enjoy the wilderness a fair bit,” Sigrid said as her eyes met Grahams. “Hunting is the way that I find peace when I am burdened.”


“That sounds like something I once heard an old friend say quite often,” the giant behind Graham finally spoke up. “But then again, I may be misremembering some things. It has been five or so years since I’ve spoken to Ødger after all.”


“Bjorn, you old bear,” Takeshi walked over and tried to clasp arms with the big man only to be squeezed into a hug.”You haven’t changed a bit.”


“That’s where you’re wrong,” the man now identified as Bjorn said with a chestful of laughter. “I’ve gotten a bit soft in the middle now that I no longer go on long marches as often.”


“I thought I would have to come see you in the palace,” Takeshi said after he had finally been allowed to sit once again.


“I sometimes go out in my old gear to see what is going on in my city,” Bjorn said as he nodded his thanks to Analise for the ale that she handed him. “And Analise is good about sending word whenever someone from the old company comes around.”


The two men laughed for a moment as they reminisced about times when they and their entire group were together before a sober mood seemed to steal away the light and cheery atmosphere.


“The Notherners are moving again,” Takeshi said with a frown as he considered his cup of ale. “We ran into a party of them on the way here. They’d butchered some free company and left their gear behind so they could feast.”


“Raiding party or a war band?” Bjorn asked with a scowl on his face.


“Not sure,” Takeshi shook his head. “Graham and Sigrid here did well for their first time facing potential combat, didn’t lose their nerves or anything else.”


“I’m glad I’ve been stockpiling then,” Bjorn frowned. “I’m going to have to ask that you stay in the city for a few more weeks,” Bjorn held up his hand to forestall any arguments from Takeshi. “If it’s a Warband, then they’re going to move on Ramsford first, to try and besiege us.”


“And you can’t ride out and fight them right now because your father and brothers deaths are still too fresh,” Takeshi agreed. “Give me some of your best scouts and I’ll take Sigrid here and we’ll harrass them while also finding out if it’s a raiding party or not.”


“I’ll have the group with you by the end of the week,” Bjorn said as he changed the subject. “Did you know that my guards were corrupt?”


“We found one on the way into the city,” Takeshi said with a raised eyebrow. “It was one of the things I was going to bring up in private.”


“Well, it seems that one of the corrupt guarsmen has challenged Graham here to a duel,” Bjorn informed the young man’s two companions. “I was initially going to just throw the man in prison, but I think this may work better as a lesson if I personally show up and make it clear that Graham acts in my name. As his father did when serving as my bodyguard for many years.”
 

Bear Ribs

Well-known member
“You’d be surprises what a Mercenary gets to learn about,” the man replied, the massive smile no disappearing for a moment. “But all the same, it is always fascinating to listen to someone on the journey to master any craft. Whether it be the spear, or archery, or maybe even a Fletcher or a blacksmith. People who love what they do are always going to be interesting to listen to.”


“Alright then, where do I start?” Graham asked as he kept pace with the mercenary.


“Start with how you select the right wood for the arrow,” the other man replied. “I’ve always wondered about that.”


“Well-”
Right, random mercenary, totally not an intelligence-officer-equivalent who's double-checking his story and bonafides.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ATP

ATP

Well-known member
Right, random mercenary, totally not an intelligence-officer-equivalent who's double-checking his story and bonafides.

Yup.I would feel sorry for corrupted bastard,but he was begging for being killed.You could not behave like avarage russian guard in city which really could be besieged and deatroyed.
Becouse either people would kill you,or invaders later.

P.S Blacksmiths should made crossbows and bolts for them.Maybe scorpions,too.
 
Chapter 13

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 13

“So you’ve got a duel in the morning,” Sigrid said to Graham as they relaxed in a corner of Analise’s Inn while Takeshi, Analise, and Bjorn discussed something that didn’t involve them.

“Aye,” Graham said with a frown. “And I’ve no idea how skilled he is. So I’m concerned that I may not be able to win.”

“Your basics are fairly solid,” Sigrid said as she sharpened one of her hunting knives, testing it on a small piece of cloth to test when it was ready. “And they’re what matters most in combat.”

“Aye, but just because someone is corrupt doesn’t mean that they’re incompetent,” Graham said as he looked at his best friend and betrothed.

“Well, looks like we’ll find out on the morrow won’t we?” Sigrid asked as she sheathed her knife, now satisfied with the edge on it.

“I guess we will,” Graham agreed as he leaned back. “You know, we used to dream about going on adventures like this, but now I’m not so certain that I like this sort of thing.”

“Learning new things is always interesting,” Sigrid said as she considered what Graham had said. “But I think I prefer life in the village to this sort of thing,” She paused, lost in thought for a moment or two. “We may not get the choice though. War with the Northerners looks to be on the horizon again, and you are bound by oath to join and fight should that happen.”

“Aye,” Graham said gravely. “But hopefully I’ll have you there by my side to make things more bearable.”

“I’m with you until the end,” Sigrid said as she leaned back. “That said, I would prefer it if the end were much later in life.”

“Agreed,” Graham smiled as Sigrid had finally broken the somber mood that had come over him.

“Now, let’s go see if there are any festivals or such taking place this week,” Sigrid grinned at Graham. “It’s been a while since our last dance, after all.”

“That it has,” Graham agreed as he leaned back and allowed Sigrid to snuggle up close to him. “The Harvest Festival never seems to come soon enough back home.”

“That’s because it comes once a year,” Sigrid thumped Graham on the head.

“It’s too bad then,” Graham muttered. “Dancing with you is fun.”

“That it is,” Sigrid smiled peacefully as the two best friends continued talking about the village and what was to come in the future.

“I’d like to build a bigger home on the outskirts of the village,” Graham said. “I’ve saved up enough for the land, and with this trip, I should have enough to hire some help for building it too.”

“Why a big house?” Sigrid asked.

“Because of the children of course,” Graham smiled big. “You want eight right?”

“Aye,” Sigrid eyed Graham. “But you said you only wanted four.”

“Which is why we need a house big enough for six,” Graham explained. “And land enough to both grow our own crops and have a workshop for my work”

“You negotiate well,” Sigrid poked Graham in the side as he laughed. “For a Fletcher, anyway.”







“Come on, lad,” Bjorn heaved Graham up from where he had fallen asleep at a table while seated next to Sigrid, the young woman had fallen asleep against his shoulder. “And you too, lass.”

“What’s going on?” Graham asked as he stretched and rubbed his eyes.

“It’s dawn,” Bjorn said boisterously. “Which means it’s time for you to be up and preparing for this duel of yours. I assume this fine lass is your second?”

“Aye,” Graham said as he shook off the last vestiges of sleep and gently woke up the Valkyrie next to him. “She is.”

“Then you’ll be needing a guide to the training grounds,” Bjorn said as he took a seat across from the two now awake teens. “Ana has gotten you some food to break your fast with and then I’ll be escorting you to the grounds. Best not to let you wander around if it gets ya into trouble aye?” He winked at Graham.

“Aye,” Graham sighed at the massive bear of a man. “You’d be right about that. I don’t want trouble to find me again.”

“Trouble has its way of finding everyone at some point,” Bjorn said with a serious expression on his face. “Regardless of whether they seek it out or not,” Then his face changed with a bright smile on his face. “But that’s not important right now! Let us show you around the rest of Ramsford before your duel today!”



“Now here are the training grounds,” Bjorn said as they walked into an enclosed area with several places partitioned off for various weapons training activities. “The Duke’s men-at-arms train here, as do many of the levies when they have the chance.”

“I see the guardsman now,” Graham said as he inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth.

“Then let’s get to it,” Bjorn laughed. “No time to waste, and better to get the worst of it over with.”

Nodding, Graham simply walked over to the field, Sigrid fast on his heels as she kept one hand on her dagger.

“So you’re not a coward after all,” Gerard, the corrupt guardsman scoffed. “It makes little difference in the end though. You’ll still be eating mud from underneath my boots.”

Graham simply stood there, handing his sword and shield to Sigrid and accepting the weapons that were to be used for the duel.

“Standard dueling rules apply,” A man at arms with an insignia that signified he was a sergeant stepped forward. “You continue until one or the other is incapable of moving forward, if one of you is near death, I will step forward and intervene, we’ve had no deaths this year on this field, and I’m not about to start now.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Gerard muttered as he moved the wooden shield and dull iron sword around in a loose motion. “Get on with it old man.”

“Call me an old man again, and you will be the first death on this training field,” the Sergeant said with a glare at the young and arrogant guardsman.

Graham simply stood there, silently waiting for the duel to start with Sigrid behind him waiting with a set of backup weapons and her hand on the long knife that was at her belt, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.

“Are both participants ready?” the Sergeant asked, receiving a head nod from Graham as Gerard muttered “aye”.

“Then begin,” the Sergeant stepped back as Gerard immediately charged forward.

Moving a half step backward, and setting himself in a firm stance, Graham deflected the first swing of the guardsman’s sword with his shield and then punched Gerard in the face with the arm that was bound to the shield.

Jumping backward, Gerard spat blood on the ground as he rubbed at his jaw, clenching his teeth in rage as he looked at the younger man. “You’ll pay for that,” he muttered as he exchanged blows rapidly with Graham, the younger man playing to his strengths in evading most of the blows and only retaliating when it would not cost him or cause an injury.

Circling each other, the two men probed at the other’s defenses, each one testing the other to see where they were weak. Gerard, sensing weakness, struck first, his sword battering at the wooden shield of his opponent as Graham artfully deflected the blow while also dodging the shield bash that followed the sword swing.

“Stand still,” Gerard said as he finally connected with Graham’s torso, driving his knee up and into the younger man’s solar plex while the shield battered at Graham’s head. “How do you like that?”

Graham silently shook off the small amount of dizziness that came from being hit in the head and allowed the blood from the small cut on his brow to simply flow down as he feinted before once again punching the corrupt Guard in the face, the mail-backed gloves breaking the other man’s nose as Graham followed up with a full-bodied shove, driving the older man back while also using his shield as cover from the swings of the dull iron sword that they were using.

“Tha wad my node!” Gerard growled as he attempted to fix his nose, eventually giving up on it and turning his anger into fuel for an attack, the furious swings driving Graham back to the edge of the grounds they were on, and ending with Gerard seizing a part of Graham’s gambeson and throwing him into the ground.

Gerard settled down to begin striking Graham when the younger man suddenly bolted up, twisting his leg and catching the other man by surprise as Gerard lost his balance and fell onto his back. Graham, seeing the opportunity, quickly stood up and kicked the sword and shield away from the guard, kneeling down on the older man’s chest as he pointed the sword at Gerard’s throat.

“It’s over,” The sergeant said as he pushed in between the two men. “You, stay down. I’d rather not have to kill you,” the sergeant pointed at the downed man.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 14

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 14

“And now, it is my turn to accomplish a task,” Bjorn said as he stepped forward, the giant of a man towering over the sergeant and the corrupt guard. “I am Duke Bjorn, your liege, and having listened to both parties, I will now dispense justice.”

“Gerard son of Oliver, I find you lacking in the qualities that I desire in the guardsman of the city. Your ineptness and lack of integrity have besmirched the good name of the people who are to protect this city from those who would seek to do it harm. I hereby sentence you to five years of forced labor, maybe the time will allow you to think about your flaws and how to mediate them.”


Gerard simply stood there stunned as two guardsmen stepped forward at this and stripped Gerard of his armor and colors, leaving him in a small pair of breeches and a sackcloth shirt.

“Take him to his new residence,” Bjorn ordered. “It is past time that he learns how to conduct himself.”

Bjorn turned to the Sergeant that remained on the field.

“Sergeant Michael, I need Guardsmen Marcus and Samuel here as well as Guardswoman Jade,” Gerard ordered. “Bring them to the grounds immediately so that justice may be done on the entirety of this corruption that is eating away at my realm.”

“Aye, my Lord,” the Man at arms said as he hastily collected a small group of other soldiers to go with him.

“Now, while I am present are there any other areas where my presence is required?” Bjorn asked as he pulled the massive sword off of his shoulder and set it down on the ground so as to lower the threatening effect of his presence.

The small crowd in the training area of the keep simply kept quiet, unwilling to speak up.

“You can tell me now or I’ll find out some other way,” Bjorn stated as he met the eyes of each and every guardsman and Man at arms. “But this I can promise you, the consequences will be much harsher when I find out later.”

The crowd remained silent, prompting a sigh from the Duke as he picked up his sword and walked over to where Sigrid was helping Graham put away the dull iron sword and the wooden shield on the racks which were to the side of the field.

“Sigrid,” Bjorn said aloud, causing the young woman to stiffen up and turn to face him.

“Yes, milord?” Sigrid asked.

“Takashi claims that you are a capable archer and that you would make a scout, show me that his claims are true and that I will not be sending you to your death.”

Nodding, Sigrid grabbed the bow off of her back, the quiver over her shoulder being relocated to her hip and some extra arrows stabbed into the dirt beneath her once she had made her way to the archery range.

Swallowing nervously, Sigrid began with the closer targets, envisioning them moving toward her as if they were a force of enemies or a small herd of deer. The first arrow struck the middle of the target she put two arrows in close succession into it before sucking in a deep breath and moving while firing arrows at the next target. The quiver strapped to her waist and thigh remained almost still as she shot while moving, not slowing her pace until her quiver had run dry.

When she reached for an arrow and found nothing there, Sigrid immediately dropped her bow and drew the long knife that she had placed on the small of her back with her left hand while angling her body to draw the short sword at her side with her right.

“You’ve good instincts,” Bjorn said as he looked at the speed and precision with which she had moved. “They will serve you well should you come to face the Northerners in combat.”

“I’m mainly to be a scout, yes?” Sigrid asked once she had regained some of her breath. “Only a fool desires combat.”

“You will ride with Takashi’s scouts in two days' time,” Bjorn informed the young woman. “I will see to it that you are equipped properly for the task.”

“Graham, you will work closely with my armorers,” Bjorn said to the young man who was still standing in shock. “You will be fairly compensated for what you can produce. The North is raiding again, and if we’re put to siege we shall need all the help we can acquire.”

“My lord!” Sergeant Michael knelt as he brought the requested guards to the Duke. “The guards you requested.”

The trio of guards knelt, unsure of what exactly was going on and somewhat afraid to be directly before their liege lord.

“Guardsman Samuel,” Bjorn said to the stout guard. “I have reports that you have been threatening merchants and citizens alike as they enter the gates of our fair city, promising violence will be visited upon them if they do not pay you extra fees,” Bjorn glared at the short man. “While there are taxes and fees that are required to trade in our city, they are not such that it would drive those who seek to sell or purchase goods away and is merely present to ensure the maintenance of our roads. You have driven off those that would have assisted us in a time of need with food or other goods. Your partner, Guardswoman Jade is to share your fate.”

“Have mercy!” Jade pleaded. “My boy was sick and I needed the coin for a physician.”

“Had you come to your superior he would have given you an advance on your pay, enough to afford a physician,” Bjorn turned to the last guard. “Is that not correct Guardsman Marcus.”

“Aye,” the old veteran said as he raised his head. “I offered to give coin myself to help the boy, but she refused. And I reported the crime as is my duty.”

“Guardsman Marcus, rise and hand over the evidence you collected to Sergeant Michael here, then you may return to your post.”

“Yes milord,” The gray-bearded man replied as he rose to his feet, using the small club to assist him in standing again. Then, reaching into a small pouch brought out a stack of parchment wrapped in goatskin.

Sergeant Michael accepted the parchment and tucked it away in his tunic before watching the old man go back towards the wall to which he had been posted.

“Now, the two of you are sentenced to five years of work in the iron mines,” Bjorn stated. “I am not a man without mercy though, so your son will be taken care of by one of my household,” Bjorn spoke clearly. “Strip them of their colors and arms and take them away.”




“Well, that was interesting,” Graham muttered to Sigrid as they sat back down at the corner table at Analise’s Inn.

“I never thought that Bjorn from father’s stories was the same man that is our Duke,” Sigrid remarked as she drank the dark ale that had been served to her.

“Aye,” Graham agreed. “ ‘Tis strange how that works out.”

“Will you be alright?” Sigrid asked.

“Yes,” Graham said as he looked into the eyes of his betrothed. “I’m just concerned for your safety. If it’s more than a raiding party of Northerners then you may not make it back.”

“I know,” Sigrid said soberly, the good cheer disappearing for a minute. “I leave in two days, and I’ve yet to see Takashi for more than a moment.”

“The needs of the city take precedence over us,” Graham agreed. “For if Ramsford falls, the rest goes with it.”

Author's Note: The Duel was added into the end of Chapter 13 I meant to update and let people know, but I guess I forgot.
 

ATP

Well-known member
Chapter 14

“And now, it is my turn to accomplish a task,” Bjorn said as he stepped forward, the giant of a man towering over the sergeant and the corrupt guard. “I am Duke Bjorn, your liege, and having listened to both parties, I will now dispense justice.”

“Gerard son of Oliver, I find you lacking in the qualities that I desire in the guardsman of the city. Your ineptness and lack of integrity have besmirched the good name of the people who are to protect this city from those who would seek to do it harm. I hereby sentence you to five years of forced labor, maybe the time will allow you to think about your flaws and how to mediate them.”


Gerard simply stood there stunned as two guardsmen stepped forward at this and stripped Gerard of his armor and colors, leaving him in a small pair of breeches and a sackcloth shirt.

“Take him to his new residence,” Bjorn ordered. “It is past time that he learns how to conduct himself.”

Bjorn turned to the Sergeant that remained on the field.

“Sergeant Michael, I need Guardsmen Marcus and Samuel here as well as Guardswoman Jade,” Gerard ordered. “Bring them to the grounds immediately so that justice may be done on the entirety of this corruption that is eating away at my realm.”

“Aye, my Lord,” the Man at arms said as he hastily collected a small group of other soldiers to go with him.

“Now, while I am present are there any other areas where my presence is required?” Bjorn asked as he pulled the massive sword off of his shoulder and set it down on the ground so as to lower the threatening effect of his presence.

The small crowd in the training area of the keep simply kept quiet, unwilling to speak up.

“You can tell me now or I’ll find out some other way,” Bjorn stated as he met the eyes of each and every guardsman and Man at arms. “But this I can promise you, the consequences will be much harsher when I find out later.”

The crowd remained silent, prompting a sigh from the Duke as he picked up his sword and walked over to where Sigrid was helping Graham put away the dull iron sword and the wooden shield on the racks which were to the side of the field.

“Sigrid,” Bjorn said aloud, causing the young woman to stiffen up and turn to face him.

“Yes, milord?” Sigrid asked.

“Takashi claims that you are a capable archer and that you would make a scout, show me that his claims are true and that I will not be sending you to your death.”

Nodding, Sigrid grabbed the bow off of her back, the quiver over her shoulder being relocated to her hip and some extra arrows stabbed into the dirt beneath her once she had made her way to the archery range.

Swallowing nervously, Sigrid began with the closer targets, envisioning them moving toward her as if they were a force of enemies or a small herd of deer. The first arrow struck the middle of the target she put two arrows in close succession into it before sucking in a deep breath and moving while firing arrows at the next target. The quiver strapped to her waist and thigh remained almost still as she shot while moving, not slowing her pace until her quiver had run dry.

When she reached for an arrow and found nothing there, Sigrid immediately dropped her bow and drew the long knife that she had placed on the small of her back with her left hand while angling her body to draw the short sword at her side with her right.

“You’ve good instincts,” Bjorn said as he looked at the speed and precision with which she had moved. “They will serve you well should you come to face the Northerners in combat.”

“I’m mainly to be a scout, yes?” Sigrid asked once she had regained some of her breath. “Only a fool desires combat.”

“You will ride with Takashi’s scouts in two days' time,” Bjorn informed the young woman. “I will see to it that you are equipped properly for the task.”

“Graham, you will work closely with my armorers,” Bjorn said to the young man who was still standing in shock. “You will be fairly compensated for what you can produce. The North is raiding again, and if we’re put to siege we shall need all the help we can acquire.”

“My lord!” Sergeant Michael knelt as he brought the requested guards to the Duke. “The guards you requested.”

The trio of guards knelt, unsure of what exactly was going on and somewhat afraid to be directly before their liege lord.

“Guardsman Samuel,” Bjorn said to the stout guard. “I have reports that you have been threatening merchants and citizens alike as they enter the gates of our fair city, promising violence will be visited upon them if they do not pay you extra fees,” Bjorn glared at the short man. “While there are taxes and fees that are required to trade in our city, they are not such that it would drive those who seek to sell or purchase goods away and is merely present to ensure the maintenance of our roads. You have driven off those that would have assisted us in a time of need with food or other goods. Your partner, Guardswoman Jade is to share your fate.”

“Have mercy!” Jade pleaded. “My boy was sick and I needed the coin for a physician.”

“Had you come to your superior he would have given you an advance on your pay, enough to afford a physician,” Bjorn turned to the last guard. “Is that not correct Guardsman Marcus.”

“Aye,” the old veteran said as he raised his head. “I offered to give coin myself to help the boy, but she refused. And I reported the crime as is my duty.”

“Guardsman Marcus, rise and hand over the evidence you collected to Sergeant Michael here, then you may return to your post.”

“Yes milord,” The gray-bearded man replied as he rose to his feet, using the small club to assist him in standing again. Then, reaching into a small pouch brought out a stack of parchment wrapped in goatskin.

Sergeant Michael accepted the parchment and tucked it away in his tunic before watching the old man go back towards the wall to which he had been posted.

“Now, the two of you are sentenced to five years of work in the iron mines,” Bjorn stated. “I am not a man without mercy though, so your son will be taken care of by one of my household,” Bjorn spoke clearly. “Strip them of their colors and arms and take them away.”




“Well, that was interesting,” Graham muttered to Sigrid as they sat back down at the corner table at Analise’s Inn.

“I never thought that Bjorn from father’s stories was the same man that is our Duke,” Sigrid remarked as she drank the dark ale that had been served to her.

“Aye,” Graham agreed. “ ‘Tis strange how that works out.”

“Will you be alright?” Sigrid asked.

“Yes,” Graham said as he looked into the eyes of his betrothed. “I’m just concerned for your safety. If it’s more than a raiding party of Northerners then you may not make it back.”

“I know,” Sigrid said soberly, the good cheer disappearing for a minute. “I leave in two days, and I’ve yet to see Takashi for more than a moment.”

“The needs of the city take precedence over us,” Graham agreed. “For if Ramsford falls, the rest goes with it.”

Author's Note: The Duel was added into the end of Chapter 13 I meant to update and let people know, but I guess I forgot.
So,they still have good ruler.They had chance,but would have better,if:
1.Somebody made Molotov coctails for throwing on enemies
2.Mass produce plumbata
3.Made trebuchets
4.Mass produce crossbows - people could use it even low on food,not possible for archers.
 
Update

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
So, after getting some much needed advice from a good friend and much better author than I am, I'm going to be making some changes.

1. I'm going to be rewriting Blood on the Horizon.
2. I'm going to be slowly doing the same with my other works.
3. Updates to all of my stories and fanfics will continue, but I'm going to be putting them in a regular update schedule which will be as follows barring vacations and other things.

Mondays will be the BOTH rewrite.
Tuesday will be The Good Tenant
Wednesday goes to Beyond the Horizon
Thursday is War on the Horizon
Friday is my Original fiction.

Saturday and Sunday might go to the rewrites or I might simply rest. It will depend on how I feel on the weekends.
 
Chapter 15

MarkWarrior

Well-known member
Chapter 15

“This fog will cover most of our movements,” Takeshi looked at the group of young scouts. “We should move while it remains.”

“I’ll move ahead,” Sigrid dismounted and tied her mare to a tree. “With your permission, Captain?”

“Aye,” Takashi nodded. “If they are a large enough group to threaten Ramsford then they will be limited in the ways they can approach the city,” He looked all of the scouts in the eye. “I need you all to return alive. The city is counting on us to disrupt the enemy, yes. But we will be much more valuable if it comes to a siege.”

“And if we see an opportunity to take out an enemy commander or something else important?” One of the scouts asked.

“Then take it, but only if it is important enough that you would risk your own life and that of your team,” Takashi sighed. “Some of us will not make it out of this, but I expect you all to preserve the lives of your fellow scouts and yourselves.”




“Be still,” Sigrid hissed, coming to a stop as she smelled the smoke of a nearby campfire. “They are nearby.”

The scouts froze as one, moving to the ground and laying among a group of fallen boughs as a group of outriders moved through.

One of the horses jumped over a fallen tree, a sickening crunch going unheard over the movement of the northerners.

Stuffing his other arm in his mouth, the scout bit down, the screams that would have given them away muffled by the cloth and flesh.

“One of us needs to take him back,” Sigrid said after the outriders had passed.

“He’s not going to make it out of here alive,” a veteran shook his head. “Best to put him out of his misery now.”

“It’s an arm,” Sigrid glared. “He can still swing an axe, or a sword with the other.”

“The arm’s crushed, lass,” the veteran sighed. “If he can make it back to Takeshi and the others he is welcome to join us in the defense of the city, but he’s just as likely to die. Either way, we’ve got to push up and get a better idea of their numbers.”

“You good to try and make it back on your own?” Sigrid asked the other scout.

“Aye,” The man grunted. “I’ll try and make it back to the camp.”

“Come on, lass,” the veteran gestured. “We’ve got to get moving, we’re safe for now because they just passed through here, but if we hesitate, they’ll find and kill us.”

Sigrid stood up, a grim look on her face as she followed the other scouts toward the smell of smoke.







“I need better wood than this,” Graham argued with the quartermaster. “I can’t make arrows that will fly straight with the materials that you’re giving me!”

“Well, you can make do with it,” the gruff man argued.

“No, I can’t!” Graham tossed the junk that he had been given on the ground and stomped on it. “This material is worthless, it’s only good for kindling at best, and don’t even get me started on the feathers you’ve given me.”
“What do you want?” the Quartermaster threw up his hands. “Is nothing here good enough?!”

“The wax and iron that you’ve given me work just fine,” Graham argued. “It’s the other materials that you’ve been giving me. It’s as if you don’t want good arrows.”

“We don’t have the kind of wood you’re asking for,” the other man protested. “I can’t give you what I don’t have.”

“Well I’d only be able to make a handful of arrows out of what you’ve given me so far,” Graham visibly calmed himself. “I understand that a lot of the good lumber is going to prepare more defenses. But we’re just as likely to need the arrows as we are a reinforcement for the gates.”

“I’ll see what I can do about the wood,” the quartermaster sighed. “But I can’t do anything about the feathers. We just don’t have the fowl you need for it.”

“I can make do with the fletching,” Graham stated. “But the lumber and right wood are more important if we’re to withstand a siege.”







Sigrid crept up on a small cluster of tents, her sword in hand while she used the brush and shadows as concealment.

“You think Ramsford will fall this time?” a northerner asked as they sat around the campfire.

“It has to,” one of the others replied. “We nearly broke them last time. If it hadn’t been for the Bear and his men we would have won and taken the city.”

“Isn’t the Bear the one in charge now?”

“Aye, but that doesn’t mean that he has the numbers to hold us off. We’ve got control of the food, and we already control all of the villages that can easily give food to Ramsford. Which means they’ll already be rationing soon enough.”

“Starve them out, and then see if they’re willing to surrender.”

“Yep, that’s where we failed the last time. We let them get shipments of food from their allies further away via the river. This time though, their allies will find themselves dealing with a surprise.”

Sigrid listened carefully as she moved to the largest of the nearby tents, using the flaps of the material to cover the sparks as she struck her knife against the flint, the tent eventually lighting up and beginning to smoke.

Darting away, Sigrid rushed through the trees, moving as fast as she could back to the campsite.

“Good work,” Takeshi said as he watched the light of various flames rise through the forest. “We’ll need to move on, lest they discover us, but we’ve done good work tonight.”

Author's note: A bit short, and a bit late, but here it is.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top