Chapter four

Chapter 4

               

                “Send them a message on their travels. I want them to know that I have not forgotten about our little king.”

                “Yes my lordship. What should the message say?”

                “You know damn well what message I am talking about you disgusting runt. Make sure they know that nothing they can do will prevent me from ruling this world!”

                “I will do as you wish my lord. Am I allowed to harm anyone?”

                “Do what you need to in order to get the point across but do not harm the king. He is our main priority.”

                “Yes my lord.”

                “Go forth and do my bidding.”

 

 

                Twang. Thwack! What the hell was that? I looked around but couldn’t spot the noise. Wait, I’ve heard that noise countless times before during practice and training. We were getting ambushed!

                “Vasquez! James! We’re under attack!” I screamed out so my fellow archers could mount up with our own bows and find who was attacking us. Twang. Thwack! The sound came off to my right this time and I was able to see the hint of an arrow being notched about thirty feet from where I was perched on my horse. In seconds, I had my own arrow being notched and sent loose into the flesh of our attacker. A squeal resounded behind a tree signifying that I had struck my target. Another arrow was loaded into my bow as I searched for the next dead enemy. Twang.

                Instead of a loud thwack, I heard the sound that would reverberate and pierce my ears forever. The loudest, saddest scream came out from one of the carriages that housed the prince and princess.

                I couldn’t stop and worry about who was hurt or think about anything other than keeping the rest of these people safe. Another arrow protruded from a tall bush so I sent one of my own to squander another possible death. Slowly I started to scan the area while Vasquez and James made sure the caravan continued to move. The worst thing we could do is put ourselves in an even more vulnerable predicament. I heard bushes rustle followed by fading footsteps that meant that whoever decided to attack us had packed up and was leaving now. I wasn’t convinced though so I steered my horse in the direction of the footsteps and set her at a gallop. I saw the perpetrator running away as I came over a small hill so I took to the chase and ran him down, putting my boot in his back as I dismounted my horse mid-gallop.

                We rolled around trying to gain the upper hand but this guy had no idea the fury I had in me. I flipped him over onto his back and pinned him to the ground so I could reach my short blade.

                “Who sent you!” I demanded with the knife at his throat.

                “The time of men is over. Beware the overlord as he will rule us all.”

                What in the world did that mean?

                “Who is the overlord? You better start talking or ill split your flesh from your neck and let you bleed slowly.”

                “You will meet the overlord soon enough.” The little man jerked his neck forward and purposely cut his own neck on my knife that I was threatening him with. Well I guess it wasn’t that threatening. I threw his body down and climbed atop my horse so I could get back to the caravan. I just hoped everyone was still safe and that James and Vasquez were able to hold their own.

                I crashed through the trees to where the road was and pushed my horse faster to catch up. Wind whipped past my head, causing my tassels and loose threads to fly about behind me as my horse’s legs violently shuddered with each step. Closer and closer I came to the caravan but it seemed to take forever for me to finally see the red and gold banners that hung off the end of the last carriage.

                James and Vasquez seemed to have gathered everyone together to see if anyone was hurt from the ambush. I quickly dismounted my horse and rushed to where a crowd of people were hovering around a small figure. Before I could even get close though, I felt a tug on the crook of my arm and was towed in the other direction. James took me aside with a face that I will never forget.

                “Hawthorne, the princess " it’s not good.” The hollow look in his eyes told me that she wasn’t going to make it.

                There was no feeling like the feeling of failure. That settling notion that you were unable to do what was required of you even though you did the best that you could. It was that uneasy feeling of defeat and disappointment that crept into my stomach, leaving a fowl taste in my mouth. What about Vasquez!

                “Where is Vasquez, James? I must speak with him.”

                “I haven’t seen him since after the attack. He got word of the princesses state and wasn’t seen from since.” He replied with a look of worry in his ashen face.

                “Rouse up the Royal Entourage. We need to make haste to Fort Winfard. The longer we sit out here the less time the princess has, and the longer we are targets for another ambush. I need to look for Vasquez so I am entrusting you with taking charge of this detail. We must hurry if we wish to make it before nightfall.” I instructed James as I came upon my horse, preparing to mount her when James called out to me

                “Hawthorne! Bring him back here safely and make sure he is alright. I know something is up with him but I’m not sure what. Be safe alright?” I wasn’t sure why James was so concerned about Vasquez. Maybe he knew something that I didn’t know but I will find out more about that later. First I must see where Vasquez ran off to.

               

 

                How could I have been so stupid? She was right the whole time, about everything. I just wish this wasn’t the way that it ended.

                Vasquez was lost in his despair over what had happened to the princess. After finding out about her condition, he immediately took the reins of his chestnut colored pony and rode off down the road to get some fresh air.

                This is all my fault. I could have done better, been faster, wiser, stronger, anything to have protected her. No, instead she is lying on the side of the road, matted in blood and waited for the life to be sapped out of her. The arrow that pierced her skin was still protruding through her small stomach. Red splotches covered her light blue dress that once looked so beautiful on her. That will never be the case anymore because now she is gone. What am I going to do now? The sole purpose of me being here was to protect my kinsmen and the royal family. I not only let the king down, I let the whole country down.

                Emotions ran rampant in Vasquez’s mind, replaying the memory that was still fresh in his eyes. So many things went wrong with that attack. They weren’t prepared at all for that and it resulted in the death of the royal family.

                He traveled down the windy path that was surrounded by so many trees. Looking left and right, he asked himself a very important question: what now? What can I do to make sure that her death was not in vain? I will avenge Princess Arema if it is the last thing that I do!

 

                Before I left for my mini quest of finding Vasquez, I took the time to ask one of the patrons we were with if they knew which way he went. Fortunately he was able to point me in the right direction and I was soon off to find my comrade. I set my horse at a comfortable pace as we weren’t too much of a hurry and I could tell that she was tired. I still hadn’t come up with a name for her but I was thinking that Silver would be accommodating for her. Just the way that her gray-white mane was portrayed as she galloped into the sun made me realize how majestic these creatures are. The white spots on her coat blended beautifully and added a certain tone about her that I was unable to notice in any other horses like her.

                “Silver.” I whispered between her strides. She seemed to like that name as her ears flicked up after I said it. It was settled then, Silver was now my horse, and I her master. There was something supernatural about this bond that was just made between Silver and I. It just felt right.

                I turned the next corner where I nearly smacked straight into the a*s end of Vasquez’s mare.

                “Whoa there Silver!” I cried out as I steered her away from the unsuspecting steed. Both horses let out a loud whiny which nearly caused Silver to dismount me. I brought her to a stop and dismounted her so I could walk up to the gentle beast and rub her nose. Vasquez came out onto the road from the tree line wondering what all the noise was about.

                “Hawthorne? What are you doing out here? I see you survived the attack.” Vasquez said as he gave me the once over to make sure I really was okay and not wounded.

                “I saw what happened to the princess. Are you going to be okay?”

                He gave me a look of confusion, as if questioning how I would know about him and his love affair.

                “You don’t need to worry about me Hawthorne. I am able to take care of myself on my own and handle my own feelings. You don’t need to baby me through everything.”

                Vasquez portrayed the look of someone that was used to putting on a face to fend off questions of people who cared. Looking into his eyes revealed how he really felt though. I could tell he was struggling with this piece of information and he didn’t know how to handle himself. What was he going to do now that he lost the one girl that he probably had the most feelings for? My biggest concern was that he would not be able to focus all of his attention to the mission at hand. Sure this was a big hit on all of our morale as it meant that we failed, but that was part of war. You lose people you love but have to move on and accept it.

                “Look, I’m not here to badger you or smother you with affection. I’m here to see if you are still fit for duty. We are facing an enemy that is stronger, better, faster, bigger than anything that we have ever faced before. We need people that are able to focus and be aware at all times. I can’t have a soldier who is going to be distracted by this mistake.”

                His expression seemed to get sterner and take a more severe tone to it.

                “Like I said; you don’t need to worry about me. I will still be better than you and I will still fight for our country. Just let me be for right now. I need some time to myself.” He turned his back on me and headed back to the small cover of the woods where he disappeared from my sight.

                What was I going to do? We couldn’t just wait here for him to pick himself up and feel better. We were all feeling this emotional hit.

                “If you can hear me then I just ask that you follow the caravan once we pass you. We still need your help to finish this last half day of riding.”

                I didn’t get an answer and wasn’t expecting one. I walked back to my horse and pulled myself onto her muscular back. I just sat there for a second, considering what this could mean for our band of riders. With Silver’s reins in my hands, I turned her around and headed back to where the caravan was, still stopped in the mourning of her majesties death.