A Soldier with Piercing Blue Eyes

by JKJessie

Haven was royal. She grew up in a palace with her caring older brother Logan, her loving mentor Walter, her loyal butler Jasper, and her beautiful hounds, Buscus and Nerd (yes, those are a Tobuscus and Jackisanerd references). But then her brother left. Four months later, he returned - but he had changed. With her fiance executed and her evil brother, she leaves. This is her story.

Haven tumbled out of the dark, gloomy cave, blood splattered all over her mercenary costume, staining her face and matting her hair. Most of it wasn't hers - she had, after all, just battled her way through a base of around two hundred Hobbes.

Walter staggered out after her, admittedly less blood on him, but a short cut marred his pale cheek.

Haven looked at him, concerned. "Walter, are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine," Walter sighed. "I just hope the people we're looking for are still alive."

"Why wouldn't they be?" Haven asked, worriedly.

"Because, come nightfall, Mourningwood is one of the most dangerous places in Albion," Walter replied, walking on ahead.

Haven hesitated, startled. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. "Why?" she cried, running up to Walter and jogging to keep pace beside him. "Why? What happens at nightfall?"

Walter raised a hand to shush her. She looked at him, about to protest, then looked up. There was a flag fluttering lazily in the breeze above them. It was ripped and torn, and half falling off the tree branch it was tied to. She could just make out the words 'Swift Brigade' on the red material.

"This must be the place," Walter whispered.

Sure enough, there were a pair of heavy-looking, large wooden gates up ahead, and Walter and Haven strode over to them, looking around warily.

"Cease your movement!" a voice called sharply from above, making them both jump. "Be you men, or be you Hollow Men?"

Walter relaxed considerably and a grin lit up his face. "Are you daft, boy?" he chuckled. "Open up!"

"W-Walter?" the soldier atop the gates exclaimed in amazement. "Is that you?"

"The very same," Walter grinned. "Now are you going to let us in, or what?"

"Of course, of course. Let me just…" he turned to look behind him and cupped his hands to his mouth. "Oi! Jammy! Tell Major Swift, Walter's here!"

The gates creaked open, and Walter strutted inside, Haven following behind him timidly. They were greeted by two men, one tall and proud standing, with jet black hair streaked with grey, and an impressive moustache, and one a considerably shorter, younger man with flicked blond hair falling over his piercing blue eyes.

"Walter!" cried the older man, chuckling heartily. "What in the blazes are you doing here?" The man grabbed Walter's hand, and Haven tensed, but relaxed a second later - they didn't seem hostile. She was just a little riled up from the Hobbe cave.

"I came here looking for you!" Walter beamed, but his smile soon faded and he looked grim. "I have a proposition."

"You came all this way to 'proposition' us?" the blond man asked sarcastically, accentuating his words with air quotes. "And here I thought you were here to save us from the legions of the damned."

Legions of the damned? Haven didn't like the sound of this. She shivered.