A/N The usual disclaimer applies; I don't own Fabel or any of its characters, if I did then obviously this would have been how the story in the game would have gone...
Just A Common Soldier
Chapter One
"Be you men or be you Hollow men?!" Shouted the nervous voice of the Soldier from atop the gates.
Aurora put her hands on her hips slightly exasperated, and called back; "Quite frankly I'm neither. And that's a dog" She gestured to the Collie sat obediently at her feet.
Walter frowned and gave her a stern sideways glance. "Behave yourself." He scolded before calling back up to the clearly nervous Soldier. "Have you gone daft boy?! It's me Walter, inform Major Swift of my arrival at once. And open this bloody gate!" His bellowing voice echoed through the damp air like a fog horn.
"Open the gate! Open the gate!" The young Soldier cried frantically, disappearing from his post. Within moments the large wooden barricade slowly swung open, the noise of its decaying wood moaning at the effort.
Aurora stayed planted to the spot for a second, there was something about this Fort that made her uneasy, and then she began to wonder why was there even a Fort all this way out in the middle of the swamps in the first place?
- "Well are you coming or not? Trust me you don't want to be stood out there come nightfall."
Walter called back to her, having already made to enter the Fort. Aurora sighed, her eyes looking upwards at the crumbling stone archway as she slowly stepped through it, her line of sight following the arch around to the raised wall that circulated the entire Fort. She flinched ever so slightly as the great wooden doors were pushed closed behind her by two Soldiers.
She simply stood there for a moment, taking in her new surroundings. There were men scattered about the place, wearing torn and dirty uniforms that belonged to the Albion Royal Army's Guard. Most of the men were young, probably too young to be Soldiers she thought. All of them looked pale and broken, dark circles encompassing their eyes and drawn features giving the young men an appearance aged far beyond their years.
- "HOHO! WALTER! What the blazes are you doing here?!" The sudden ecstatic voice made Aurora spin round with a start. There marching purposefully towards them, with his arms out stretched was a man who had quite possibly the most elaborate moustache she had ever seen. The older man removed his pipe momentarily before embracing Walter. Aurora couldn't help but smirk at the clearly uncomfortable expression on Walter's face at the sudden over bearing gesture.
From above them on the ledge the other side of the Fort three men could be seen gathered around the Mortar.
"So if you cock it up, he dies. It's as simple as that. So don't cock it up." The blonde hair instructor folded his arms and fixed his trainees with a level stair. "Now Smith, you have a go at loading it, while Jenkins you try aiming, and remember you're aiming to hit as many of them as you can in one shot… Smith? Smith are you even paying attention?!" He snapped noticing the young Soldier's sudden distracted glance to the gates.
"Is that a woman?" Asked Jenkins in a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
Another young soldier came bounding up the stairs towards them. "Have you seen her?!" He exclaimed in excited alarm. " She's bloody gorgeous!"
The blonde haired instructor rolled his eyes and sighed, having being stationed at the Fort for weeks on end with not even so much as a glimpse of a woman in all that time had clearly taken it's toll on his men. So it was no surprise at their excitement when a woman walked in, although he suspected that would have reacted the same way to a Hobbe in a dress at this point.
"Well that's just bloody marvellous isn't it. All of this, and now we have to try and protect some lost travellers who've wandered in... Ah good Swifty's going over to send them on their way…. What? Why's he hugging them?! Oh the soft old git, right wait here…"
He marched down the stairs towards the figures in the distance, determined to send them packing before it got dark. He couldn't afford to have his men distracted by some traveller woman playing the damsel in distress. His pace slowed as he got closer, his stern expression slowly subsiding to a warmer grin. He recognised that voice, that was no lost Traveller, that was Sir Walter Beck.
He strode closer to the group, his determined stride now simply a confident swagger. The woman had her back to him, she was dressed in what looked like to be a Highwayman's outfit, minus the hat. Her long flame red hair tied back in a loose knot.
Who was she? As far as he knew Walter didn't have any daughters, and if she was Walters's wife… then he was impressed with the old dog! She stood tall and straight, everything about her posture screamed Nobility. He glanced down at her boots, his late mother had always said you can tell a everything about someone from their footwear, and sure enough they were no Highwayman's boots, but rather expensive looking Leather ankle boots. He smirked to himself, pleased with is deductive skills, his eyes slowly trailing up from her shoes along her tight fitted trousers, and he cocked his head to the side slightly admiring her buttocks. He hadn't laid eyes on a woman either for weeks, and he had never been one to pass up the chance to admire a well sculpted female figure.
"Not bad Walter. Nicely done." He thought to himself, as he closed in on the group.
"Why has Logan got you in this god-forsaken hole?" Walter raised his arms to gesture at their crumbling surroundings. The moustache wearing man let out a purposeful puff on his pipe.
"Ah the King always saves the finest jobs for my Brigade, personally I think it's something Finn probably said to him once to offend him." He quipped, motioning to the Blonde man who joined the group.
"Ben Finn!" Exclaimed Walter in delight.
"Walter." The stranger nodded in acknowledgement. "Still alive then?" He chuckled, he was still slightly behind Aurora and unable to see her face properly.
"I could ask the same of you, no irate husband's managed to get a clear shot at you yet then?" Walter laughed, as the Pipe smoking gentleman gave him a knowing glance before changing the conversation.
"We've been here for weeks trying to eradicate the Hollow Men that infest this area. Every night we battle them and every night we lose more good men. Why just last night we lost Lieutenant Simmons." He gestured over to the freshly dug graves over to the side of the Fort. Aurora cast her gaze over to the direction of the make shift cemetery, her jaw slightly falling slack.
"Those were your comrades?" She asked softly.
The moustached man turned to her, "Not to fret my Dear, they died a noble Death defending their Country and it's people." He paused and extended his hand to her, "Major Swift of the Royal Army." He said proudly puffing out his chest slightly.
Aurora smiled slightly and shook the mans outstretched hand, he suddenly released his grip seeing the faintest flash of her Will lines course under the skin of her bare fingertips. He took a slight step back in momentary suspicion, he turned sharply to Walter.
"Walter, is that…" He glanced almost alarmed at Aurora. Ben stepped forward to see what had caught Major Swift so off guard.
Walter lowered his voice, and glanced around before he spoke. "Yes. This is the Princess…. But you're to treat her like any other pair of hands around here for now." He added hurriedly. It was clear he wasn't overly keen on admitting her identity, mainly because she was technically on the run from her Brother and surrounded by his Royal Army.
Major Swift bowled, "My Lady." He nodded, it absolute admiration.
"The Princess?!" Exclaimed Ben loudly in disbelief.
"Shout it out a bit louder why don't you. I think there's some Hollow men in the ground who didn't quite hear you!" Snapped Walter, exasperated that their cover had been blown.
Major Swift sighed, "Discretion never has been your strong point has it Finn?" He glared at the young man. "Princess allow me to introduce you to Captain Benjamin Finn. One of the greatest Marksmen in all of Albion. And also one of it's gobbiest."
Ben huffed at his introduction, and stretched out a hand for Aurora to shake. She took it and for the first time looked directly at him.
"It's a pleasure Captain Finn." She said politely shaking his hand. Ben paused, fully taking in her features for the first time.
"The pleasure is all mine Princess." He replied in a low husky voice not breaking her gaze, he still held onto her hand.
*Ahem* Walter cleared his throat purposefully and the Princess pulled her hand away from the Captain. Walter was eyeing Ben with disdain. "Princess, a word if you would?" He gestured for her to follow him.
As they moved away Major Swift stood with is Arms folded across his chest, watching the two as they privately conversed. "Watch yourself boy." He said in a quiet warning tone.
Ben also stood watching the two newcomers, his hands in his pockets, and without removing his gaze he replied; "I'm sure I don't know what you mean Swifty."
The Major cast a purposeful glance to his right, yet Ben still faced forward feigning unawareness. "She's a Princess, not one of your floozies you pick up in taverns or a bored house wife. I know what you're thinking, and take my advice. Don't."
Ben sighed, and turned to face the Major, a smug smirk plastered across his face. "You put a ridiculously beautiful woman in front of me, and instruct me not to try anything?" His tone was mocking.
The Major shrugged. "I'm not instructing you to do anything. But Sir Walter isn't a hapless irate house husband, if he shoots at you, he won't miss." The Major arched an authoritative eyebrow at the young Captain.
Ben let out a light chuckle, "Point taken." He nodded. He glanced back over in the direction of Aurora. "She couldn't of been a fat ugly Princess could she? No, had to be a gorgeous one I'm not allowed to touch."
Swift laughed, "I'm sure you'll find plenty of other beautiful young ladies to have your way with once we get out of here my boy. You always do." He gave Ben a reassuring pat on the back.
Ben's smile faded slightly, and he looked down over to the freshly dug graves. "If we ever get out of here." He muttered.
"I want you to walk around, talk to the men here, gain their trust and learn their strengths and weaknesses, come nightfall you'll be fighting side by side with them." Walter had his lecturing voice on, a tone Aurora had become all too familiar with.
"And what if they ask me who I am? Why I'm here? Where I… where I've come from?" She was hesitant at the thought of Walter's instructions. Gaining the trust of the Dwellers was relatively easy, they all hated Logan. But this was a different set of circumstances entirely, this was the Royal Guard. These men had swore an allegiance to the Crown, which ultimately meant to Logan. She was more than apprehensive to announce her plans of rebellion to Soldiers of her Brother.
Walter placed both hands on her shoulders, "It's not going to be easy recruiting followers, and there will be times when people will decline you, and or betray you. And that as they say is a bridge we must cross when we come to it. For now, there will be no better way to recruit these Soldiers to your cause than to fight by their side. You're brother has forsaken them here, sent them practically to their deaths, you need to show them you're willing to fight with them, fight for them."
Walter always had a look of pride in his eyes that left Aurora often feeling terrified of disappointing him. He always seemed so adamant, so sure and certain that what she would do would be the right thing. A certainty she wished she shared.
"Come on, lets get you introduced to the men." He marched back towards the Major and the Captain, with Aurora trailing behind him. The two men watched as they approached once more, Aurora noticed that the young Captain wouldn't look her directly in the eyes. In fact he hardly acknowledged her at all, turning his attention to Walter instead.
"So you've still not told me why you've deemed to grace us with your presence old friend." The Major took an elongated puff on his pipe.
Walter glanced momentarily to Aurora, then back to the Major. "All in good time, but for now the Princess here would like to have a tour of the Fort, get to know the men she'll be fighting with."
"Fighting with?" Captain Finn seemed almost amused by the statement.
Aurora turned to face him. "Yes fighting with. You may be deemed as one of the greatest shots in Albion Captain Finn, but I doubt very much you are a patch on me when it comes to swordsmanship." Aurora was clearly insulted by the Captain's amusement at the idea of her fighting with the Soldiers. How dare he. He didn't know her, he didn't know what she was capable of.
Walter grumbled low in his throat. "Aurora, I thought we'd agreed you behave." He muttered sternly.
Ben finally turned his gaze to hers, a rugged smirk plastered on his lips. "If you say so Princess." His tone dripping with sarcasm. Her Will lines flared slightly at her annoyance, catching Ben's eye, he glanced down at her collarbone where her skin radiated thin trails of dancing blue. Suddenly very conscious of her newly acquired physicality she fidgeted slightly, embarrassed by the unwanted attention to her "affliction" as she would put it.
"Finn, why don't you escort the Princess around the Fort, introduce her to a few of the men, maybe let her have a go at the Mortar?" Suggested Major Swift interrupting. "That way me and Walter here can have a little chat." He sent his friend a knowing glance, and Walter nodded back in agreement.
"Let her have a go on the… fine." Ben sighed holding up his hands in defeat. But if she blows herself up I want it noted this was not my idea." He turned to face the Princess. "If you'd be so kind as to follow me Princess." He said in a flat emotionless tone.
"As you wish, Captain Finn". She retorted. Ben bristled slightly at her mocking of his title. He took it back, she wasn't gorgeous, she was a snotty cow.
The Major turned to Walter, "Don't worry she'll be in safe hands with Ben." He smiled in an attempt to reassure his old friend. Walter didn't look impressed.
"Yes, it's his hands I'm worried about." He grumbled eyeing the back of Ben's head as though he was trying to bore through it.
Swift let out a faint chuckle, "I've already had a word. He'll behave himself. Besides from what I can gather, if he tried anything she'd cut his hands clean off." The Major's tone was light hearted, and Walter seemed to be appeased slightly by it. He tore his murderous gaze away from the back of Ben's head and faced his friend.
"We need to talk. It's about Logan and the Crown."