BROTHERS OF THE AXE
Chapter 1: Birth Right
A cold misty morning welcomes the seaside village Fearichen. The villagers all rise early to get ready for another day of hardship. A farmer grabs his pitch fork and begins his daily routine of stacking piles of hay out on his field. A woman gathers cabbage in a nearby garden. A group of children run around the village playing games with wooden sticks, imitating their kingdoms nobles and Nordic way of life. Up ahead the village elder, as always, oversees all of the days activities and keeps a ever watchful eye for sea raiders. As he stands near his home, the sound of hooves from a distance become more and more loud. The elder looks beyond the hill to look for mountain bandits that have begun to move more closer to the shore but all he sees is a familiar face. The tax collector has arrived and with a nice cavalry behind him. The elder knows that the village has not made enough denars to pay for this months tax collection and that the tax collector won't take any excuses this time. The cavalry arrives at the village, all of them are mercenary horsemen. No one except nobles ever ride horses. It is not the Nordic way of life.
"Jek! It's time to collect your lords homage. And do be quick about it, I don't have all day to linger here in this blighted pocket of nothing." said the tax collector. The village elder gave a deep sigh. He walked over to a large bell and rang it twice to notify the villagers of the collection. "Ah. I see you finally made a plan to organize the collection rather quite well. I am most impressed that such an ignorant man such as your self can actually think." said the tax collector so arrogantly. All the villagers grudgedly walk out and bring out what they owe. Faces of anger begin to emerge in the crowd as each person give their money to the collector. "100, 140, and 110. That's all of it. Well now Jek I have to say that I am very impressed by this collection. I shall have Lord Olaf know about this quick collection. Now then carry on. You have a deadline of 100 furs to be made by the end of this month", said the tax collector. The cavalry turned around and rode off into the hills.
The elder begins to grind his teeth, "Curse you damned vulture of hell!!" yelled the elder.
Later in the afternoon the village elder rang the bell once, signaling that a days worth of work has been made. He begins to walk towards his favorite stool and watch as everyone begins to set up a giant bond fire for the festivities for the night. The sound of horse hooves is heard once again in the distance. The elder looks to the hill hoping its not sea raiders or mountain bandits or that someone in the village didn't skip on their tax. Instead what the elder sees is a lone horseman riding towards the entrance of the village. The horseman approaches a woman and then the woman points towards the elder. Another adventurer looking for some men to fight along side in a mercenary army with him, thought the elder. The horseman approaches the elder. "Welcome. I am the village elder of Fearichen. What can I help you with?" "Are you the one that is called Jek?" asked the horseman. Fear entered the elder, thinking that the tax collector must of heard his cry out of anger towards him earlier. "Yes. May I ask who is asking?" "My name is Ragink. I am looking for a man named Harlas. I was told that he lives in this village." The elder began to look at this horseman suspiciously. Harlas has been known to go and get drunk near Sargoth and start fights. "Harlas doesn't live here anymore. His whole family fell ill to the plague and they all died off. After we buried them he left the village to die somewhere peaceful he said, that he did." said the elder. The horseman looked at the elder and then looked around the village. "May I ask why are you looking for Harlas?" asked the elder.
"He is wanted for the murder of a sentry guard of Sargoth. I want his bounty before anyone else gets to him." said the horseman. That explains a lot thought the elder. This man is a man hunter, which explains why the horseman is carrying a club instead of a axe. "good day to you elder Jek." said the man hunter. "good day" replied the elder. The man hunter steered his horse back out to the entrance of the village and disappeared into the horizon. "Harlas, what have you done you fool." said the elder.
Night comes and blankets the entire village with a cold front from the seashore. A thick heavy fog enters the village and makes the night watchmen's job more difficult. The elder sits outside on his front porch of his house with a torch burning brightly for passing travelers. He begins to think of his younger days. How he became the elder of this little fishing village and the adventures he had when he was able to run 10 miles without trouble. The elder smiles a little and then hears foot steps from his house. It is his wife approaching him. "Jek it's late. Come inside and get some rest already wont you?" said his the elders wife. " Your right my lady, wandering souls at this hour is absurd. I've done my duty for the day." said the elder. He gets up from his stool and enters his house. He walks past his bedroom and checks on his son, Derik, who is fast asleep. " You know tomorrow is his birth right." said the wife, "we should go to town and look for his gift." The elder looks at his wife. "I don't know if I should get him a horse or his first hatchet. Or perhaps a small hunting bow?" says the elder. "Well that is why we are going tomorrow. I'll ask the cabbage lady if she can just keep an eye on him while we are away." He smiles and walks towards their room where he then gets ready for bed, kisses his wife goodnight, and then puts out the candle.
Half way through the night, bodies covered by darkness are silently marching towards the small village. Everyone gets into position and then a torch is lit. Archers draw back on their bows, holding their fire. Two men move down the line igniting the archers arrows. A hulking man sits quietly on his horse, smiling at what is about to be unleashed. "Fire!", yells the commander. In an instant the sky is riddled with raining arrows of flames and chaos. The village is under attack by mountain bandits. The elder wakes up to sound of falling arrows. His wife panics and runs to get Derik who is still asleep. " I got to sound the bell!" yells the elder. He rushes for the door only to be met by a bandit, with sword drawn. The elder grabs his axe and readies himself for a fight. " Clara! Take Derik and my horse and leave the village!" "No! I won't leave you here to die!" cries out the elders wife, "Woman! Listen to me and go now!" yells the elder. The bandit charges into the house and swings his sword. The elder manages to parry the attack and to inflict a deadly blow to the mountain bandits head. The elder stands there motionless. Looking at what he had just done. His memories of being a soldier are all returning to him, his Nordic pride is re-entering his body. He bends over and frees the axe from the attackers head. "Clara listen to me. The village is under attack by those bastards and I must stay here and do what I can." "but you can't take them all by yourself" "I know that, but you must understand that if I die today, I will have fulfilled my duty as elder of this village."
The sounds of people screaming and those defending outside the village are heard.
"Please Clara, go now. Take Derik to Sargoth and stay at the tavern where its safe." says the elder.
She nods her head, despite of the devastating odds that the village will face.
Clara gets on their courser and a young Derik is now awake. Shocked by the sounds and images of what is going on in the village. They ride away from the village and into the night which provides them safety. The elder staggers outside to the village and begins his onslaught on the invaders. Villagers who managed to prepare themselves are also outside protecting their home, but the elder knows that even though they outnumber the enemy, they are not as well equipped or trained in any martial art to stay alive for the whole clash. Sounds of stampeding hoofs are becoming more booming. The elder looks into the darkness and then realizes that the mountain bandits have a cavalry. "Everyone with a pitch fork stand closer and form a wall!!" commanded the elder. The villagers assemble quickly and form a makeshift spear wall. "Everyone advance towards the gate and close it off! Quickly!" commands the elder. The villagers rush towards the town gate and make a barrier to stop the cavalry. The cavalry charge towards the spear wall and are stopped dead in their tracks. Away in the distance the bandit commander oversees the skirmish. Grinning, he orders his archers to pull back on their bows and hold. He watches, waiting for the right moment to strike. The spear wall manages to hold off the invaders and take down most of their riders. The cavalry then turns the other way and retreats. The villagers begin to rally for a victory. Though the elder feels its over, he can't shake the feeling that there is more coming. "Elder Jek! You were amazing!" proclaims one villager. "Yeah we showed them bastards now did we!" another villager says. "No this doesn't feel right." said the elder under his breath, " Where are the archers!?" After that moment, the sky is filled with arrows and everyone gets shot. The village of Fearichen and its defenders, have all been slain.
"Excellent work brother. Like always a fine job done." said the bandit commanders officer. "Ahh. Nothing like a red dawn." said leader. " Take the looters in and tell them to finish off any remaining villagers and sack the village after taking everything valuable." said the leader, "Of course brother." replied the officer. "Oh and one more thing!", the officer turns around and waits for a order, "Bring me Jeks head." said the leader. The officer nods his head and gets on his horse and leads the band of looters into the village.