Alensar

  Alensar stayed in the back as the rear guard. The sun dappled through the trees overhanging the road. It was not yet too hot. The hooves of the horses thudded against the hard dirt of the road. The cart creaked, and birds were twittering through the trees. It was easy to get lulled into a quiet contemplation if you weren't careful.

  Orion rode with him, and his glower was more intense than usual, probably due to the hangover. He didn't say anything in particular, mostly just grumbled under his breath and grunted in frustration occasionally. Alensar paid him no mind and instead kept a keen lookout. Checking behind them regularly.

  "What are you so twitchy about?" Orion finally asked.

  "Just got a feeling in my bones."

  "This feeling in your bones have anything to do with what Darion told us?" He shook his head. Orion's disrespect was somewhat refreshing.

  "Are you in doubt?" Perhaps Darion's authority was less readily accepted than he thought.

  Orion grunted. "Seems to assume a bit much on scant ground."

  Alensar shrugged. "Better safe than dead."

  "Yeah, that's what Darion said."

  They fell back into silence. Not that they usually spoke much on the long days on the road. Companionable silence was a possible end goal, though for now it was just silence. Better than someone distracting him with idle chit chat.

  Alensar kept his eyes closed for long periods of time, trusting Jack to keep pace and position. Alensar listened, lost in the repetitive thud of hoofbeats and the wooden creak of the carts. Listening for the disturbance to the rhythm, felt rather than heard. Waiting until...there it was. The faint drumming of a far-off gallop behind them. No subtlety to this ambush.

  He gave Jack a light kick and went to the front of the caravan. He heard Orion make a small noise of surprise behind him.

  Darion stopped the group. He looked at Alensar. "How much time do you think we have?"

  "They're barreling down fast. Not long."

  "Right." Darion started relaying orders, getting them in a formation, and making sure the more vulnerable members of their group were well covered. Alensar positioned himself behind Orion.

  He could hear the other guards grumbling about false alarms and how they didn't hear anything. Calling Alensar jumpy, with Orion foremost among them.

  Alensar ignored all of them. He made sure his bow was tight and his arrows at hand. He steadied his breath.

  He watched as a cloud of dust rose in the distance. The others quieted as they noticed it, too. The figures were still dark shapes, but the ominous sound of the hooves pounding the earth was enough to silence any idle chatter.

  Details started to come into view. Their faces were covered with bandanas against the dust, and they did not decorate with the colored pendants that would have marked them as Karangasz. Good.

  Darion held a bag in the air and waved a white pennant, but they did not slow.

  Alensar slowed his heart, focusing between beats, his arrow pulled back. His eyes were focused on their archer, as she was focused on him. He saw her tense slightly, and he knew they would not simply take a bribe. They intended to kill and take everything.

  He let loose his arrow, but he didn't watch as it took her down. He moved his gaze to the next, their leader in front. A heartbeat, a shot. He looked at the next, a bull of a man, who probably could have taken him or Darion in a fight by sheer force and muscle. But even such could be taken down by a well-placed arrow. A heartbeat, a shot.

  A heartbeat, a shot.

  The last three marauders were close enough now that Darion and Diana both charged forward to engage. Both of them were flanked by Tabor and Fin.

  Orion should have done the same, with Alensar flanking him.

  But he did not. He seemed frozen as the man barreled down on him.

  Alensar spurred Jack forward, pushing Orion aside as he drew his sword. He parried the man's swing, just barely. He was surprised the force of it didn't knock the blade from his hands.

  Alensar turned his horse tightly, swinging his blade. The man just barely parried.

  The man didn't get the chance to do anything more before a blade caught him from the back of his neck. Darion, having finished his own fight, had taken him from behind.

  "Sloppy," he said in Karangasz.

  Alensar was breathing too hard to argue.

  All the enemy horses kept going forward, slowing only when they reached the line of defenders. Some of the bodies had slumped off, completely or partially.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  No one said anything, white knuckles still gripped weapons, reeling from the stretched-out seconds. Shocked it was already over.

  One of the corpse-laden horses wandered over to them, and Fin dismounted to catch the animal. He put on a brave face, but it was clear he hadn't spent much time around dead bodies. His posture was taut, and he handled the body gingerly, as if he were afraid it would jump back to life and attack him. Fin laid him down to the ground a bit roughly, then wiped his hands on his trousers, though there was no blood on them.

  Alensar dismounted and tied his horse to the wagon. Then he knelt next to the first body and started the prayers for the dead.

  "Come now, let's get the rest of them and catch the horses!" Darion rode up to the woman archer. He dismounted and first grabbed the reins of the horse and handed them off to Fin. He then pulled her into his arms like a lover and laid her down in line with the other dead.

  When Alensar finished with the first man, he went to her.

  Laying the bodies in a line took less time than Alensar's prayers. No one dared interrupt him. With each one, he closed their eyelids and kissed their foreheads.

  "What now?" Laude Elaine said when he had finished. She seemed less disturbed by the bodies than the guards, but then again, she had been to more hangings than most.

  Diana spoke, "Do you think there's an ambush up the road? Maybe they were planning to chase us or have reinforcements coming."

  "I don't think reinforcements are too near," said Darion. "But the chase idea is sound. There may be something up ahead."

  Divya, the coachwoman and navigator of the expedition, piped up, "There is another route. We have to go back a few miles, and the road will be harder going and longer. It'll add to the trip, but it's less traveled than the Strada."

  "We do that then. There hasn't been much rain, so the roads won't be flooded," said Darion.

  Laude Elaine's mouth was a thin line. "If this is truly the best option, I will take your word for it and keep your counsel. I would rather fewer incidents''

  "But first we should do something with these bodies," Alensar said.

  Elaine

  Elaine stood with Diana and watched as Alensar and Darion started hauling the last rope. It was taking them a bit longer because of Alensar's weakness, but it was almost done. No one expected Alensar to do it, but he insisted. The others had tied theirs off and stood by grimly. The bodies swayed and spun in the light breeze– a stark contrast to the gentle ritual Alensar had done earlier.

  "It certainly sends a message," said Diana.

  "Don't tell me you approve!" Elaine pitched higher in righteousness.

  Alensar walked over, clearly having overheard her.

  "How is this any different from what you do?" He said with an even tone, his accent thick.

  Diana stepped forward. "Steady on, Val, she's shaken after the battle."

  He gave a short nod. "Apologies."

  The others must have heard the accent, but it didn't matter. The ruse was over. It was obvious who he was. At the same time, he had saved their lives, and that wasn't something people forgot.

  Elaine picked her servants and guards very carefully, and she trusted they would take that secret to their graves.

  She stood watching the swaying bodies. It was different from what she did. She did her work from behind a desk, whereas these outlaws had died in battle. They had not been tortured and still had some dignity in their deaths.

  The rest of their group started to make themselves busy, finding work to counter their fear.

  Elaine watched Alensar, who was sitting and resting. No one looked at him. Their Val saved their lives, and they didn't know what to feel. Elaine knew the guards mocked him, calling him the fairy prince and a weakling.

  Speaking of which, Orion walked up to Alensar.

  He fell to his knees and bowed his head.

  "I failed you," he said. There were tears in his eyes. "I ask that you accept my dishonorable resignation."

  The whole camp turned an ear to the conversation, even while pretending to keep working.

  "It was your first battle, yes?" Alensar asked.

  "Yes, Val." Orion didn't look up.

  "It's not uncommon to freeze the first time, train more diligently, and spend time envisioning what you would have done differently. If you freeze again in a battle, then I will accept your resignation." He paused. "Regardless, you work for Laude Elaine, so it's not my decision."

  One could find loyalty through fear or mercy. She could see why his clan had been so successful. Orion would be loyal to Alensar for the rest of his life.

  They were both looking at her. "I will follow Val D'Ambrosia's judgement in this matter."

  Orion stood, still looking at the ground. "Thank you, Val. I do not deserve your grace."

  He bowed again.

  He waited until Alensar dismissed him before walking away to help tend to whatever was needed.

  Elaine watched as Alensar closed his eyes, a bone settling weariness washing over his face. But when the call went out to leave, he did not ask to go to a carriage, but went to his horse.

  Darion

  Darion was doing a last check of everything when Marie approached him. He tried not to show his tension. He had seen her conversation with Jason the other night, and Jason had been too drunk to hide his expressions.

  Marie had never gone out of her way to talk with him before. They shared meals and exchanged small talk, as had all the servants. But she wouldn't approach him unless she had something to say.

  "Thank you, Darion, for leading us so bravely."

  Not what he expected.

  He nodded. "Just doing what I'm good at."

  He didn't try to smile. Battle always made him somber. He liked fighting, but killing never felt good.

  Marie paused. She seemed to have something to say. Probably something he didn't want to hear. Nekthor give me grace.

  "Was that all?"

  "No, but Jason—"

  "Not now, Marie."

  She took a step back, and a touch of fear crossed her face.

  So much for Nekthor's grace.

  Darion cleared his throat. "Let's talk about this later. I'm busy."

  Marie persisted. "I'll be quick then. Stay away from him. If not for his contract, then to free him from the burden of loving another fighter. He's already lost too much to war."

  "So have I."

  "Then you know how much it hurts."

  He grunted and turned away. "I have work to do."

  He tried not to think about how she was right.

  Alensar

  They rode in the same formation, with Alensar and Orion at the back of the group. Alensar let the silence stretch out for some time, expecting Orion to say something.

  "Go ahead and ask," Alensar said. He remembered to use the right accent this time.

  Orion didn't say anything.

  "I'm sure you must have questions. You were so bold before."

  "I'm sorry for that, Val," Orion said meekly.

  Alensar made a quiet noise of exasperation, but Orion didn't respond. At least he didn't apologize again.

  After a time, he did speak. "What was your name before, Val?"

  "Tsarek Houndsblood."

  Orion gave a slight intake of breath. "Like the general?"

  "The same."

  "That makes you Karangasz nobility too, doesn't it?"

  "I was an adopted son. And Karangasz have a democracy."

  "Makes sense then, that you know how to act like a nobleman," Orion murmured, ignoring Alensar's comment. He didn't ask anything more about Alensar's past, and Alensar didn't offer. But the silences became a little less strained.