HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY TO ME
Chapter .2.
Oberjarl Ragnak waited at the docks for his guests. The delectates. He could see their ships on the horizon.
"Make sure the slaves are doing their chores", Oberjarl Ragnak says to his captain
"I will see to it at once my King. Do you want some slaves to come and tie down the ships?" the Captain asks
"Yes get a few. We need to impress our guests", Oberjarl Ragnak says
The Captain goes into the work yard.
"You, you, you and you", the Captain says pointing at Will and several others
"Yes sir?" Will asks
"Work to do. Ships need docking and horses unloaded. Get to work!" the Captain orders
"Yes sir", the slaves say
Will hurries to do the manual labour. He saw the ships coming in with a flag on them that looked familiar like from a dream. That's when he is kicked and told to get to work anchoring and getting the horses. Will goes into the ship and sees a familiar horse it was a Ranger's horse. There was three of them. He recognised two.
"Hello Abelard, Blaze", Will mummers patting them
They nuzzle him.
"I better get you both out of here. Will you follow me?" Will mummers
They looked at him. Will was trying to remember the code word for them. He then remembered Abelard's.
"Permittez moi?" Will asks the horse
Abelard nods and is willing to lead by Will.
"Blaze girl your password was Brown Eyes wasn't it?" Will asks
Blaze nodded her head and trotted to Will. Will lead them out of the hold. He was whipped for taking so long. He hands the reins to someone not looking up and goes to unload the rest of the horses with his back bleeding…
King Duncan arrives in Skandia. He looked around the crowd. He saw poorly dressed men come and tie the ship down.
"Slaves", Halt mummers
"That is King Oberjarl Ragnak", Lady Pauline says gesturing to a man that was surround by bodyguards
"King Oberjarl Ragnak", King Duncan says approaching
"King Duncan welcome to Skandia. Who is in your group?" King Ragnak asks
"This is Lady Pauline she in my senior diplomat and her husband Halt O'Carrick a Senior Ranger, Sir Rodney Battlemaster of Redmont, Baron Arold of Redmont, Sir Horce Altman, Crowley Meratyn leader of the Rangers, ranger Gilan, Alyss Mainwaring junior diplomat…", King Duncan says
Half hears a whip go off and ignores it this place didn't treat slaves well. Suddenly two pairs of reins were passed into his hands. Halt looks up and it was HIS horse and Gilan. He looks around for the person who bought them only spotting someone that looked slightly familiar but he disappeared quickly.
"Who managed to get you both?" Halt asks the softly
He knew they would tell him if they could. Someone got these horses out without being kicked and bitten.
"Blaze my girl. Who got her out?" Gilan asks
"I don't know. Some man. Didn't get a clear look at him.
"Where do we put our horses your Majesty?" Crowley asks
"They will be lead to the stables", the King Ragnak says
"Our horses are different we need to lead them ourselves", Halt says
"Let the slaves do it. Let's get out of this weather. YOU slave come here", King Ragnak says to a slave with a whip scar on his back
"Yes my King?" the man asks in a familiar voice
"Take these…What do you call them?" King Ragnak asks
"Ranger Horses", Halt says
The slave stiffens.
"Get too it! Or you know the consequences", King Ragnak says
"Yes your Majesty", the slave says looking down he grabs the reins for the three Ranger horses and leads them off
Halt, Gilan, and Crowley were amazed they followed that slave.
"If you follow me we will get you to your rooms", King Ragnak says
"Your Majesty is too kind", Lady Pauline says taking Halt's arm as they were being lead
On the way from the castle they see slaves cleaning and doing jobs around the castle and outside in the yard the conditions were bad. They pass a woman that was on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor. When her bucket spills water she is kicked by a guard. She doesn't cry out in pain. Horace goes over and offers his hand. Without looking at him the woman gets back to scrubbing the floor.
"Sir Horace come along", Crowley says
He didn't notice the slave stiffen.
"Do your slaves get a break?" Alyss asks looking at the poor woman
"No they are just slaves only good for work", King Ragnak says
King Duncan thought that woman with dirty blonde hair looked familiar but it was impossible. Anyway she hadn't looked up at them.
"Now these are your rooms. Had the slaves clean them", King Ragnak says
The rooms were basic but well cleaned.
"I will leave you be to unpack. Dinner tonight will be in the dining hall. I will have a slave lead you there when it is time", King Ragnak says
"Thank you your Majesty", King Duncan says
"I hope we make a peace treaty. To settle the war in my southern lands", King Ragnak says
"We will do our best", King Duncan promises
With that King Ragnak leaves.
"Did you see the way he treats those slaves? That is not right", Horace says
"No it isn't but it is his kingdom he can do what he likes to them. None of us have to like it. But we need to ignore it. We need to deal with this war that could destroy us", Halt says
"Halt is right we need to not think about the slaves. Hopefully maybe we can get the King to treat them better", Baron Arald says
"I don't think there is a chance sir his body language told his story he thinks he is all mighty", Sir Rodney says
"I agree with Rodney assessment. Now lets unpack", Halt says
He was thinking why those slaves bothered him so much particularly the man who took his horses. What was it about that man?
Horace thought about the slave woman he tried to help. Something about her was familiar. But broken. He didn't know what it was or who she was. But he would have to leave it he had his orders. He would not get involved.
King Duncan was having the same thoughts about the slave woman we had been kicked her body was familiar. But he didn't see her eyes. There was no way he could know these slaves so he put it to the back of his mind. This peace treaty was the most important thing to do here over then stopping the Temuj army from spreading.
Oh how little he and the others knew about those two slaves…
Author's Note: What do you think? Please review:)
