The Stranger: Rewritten.

Chapter 21.

Apprentices: Xander.

We all kept a steady pace towards the Lake, making good time there ever since we left the company of the Warband. Even if we were to not take part in one of the greatest battles of Winter-Moor's long history, I was determined to complete the job I'd been given to the best of my abilities, no matter how disappointed I was with it. The rest followed closely behind me, the party moving at the pace I chose, and only the pace I chose, no more and no less. I wanted us there quick as could be, but not at such a rate that we'd become exhausted, not wanting to expend any more energy than was necessary. This was a Scouting missing after all, no need to kill ourselves in the process; me and the others needing all the strength we could spare to accomplish our task and fight off whatever was in our way, in the event it came down to that at least, and young as we were we didn't have much to begin with, but together we just might stand a chance against anything we came across. I fully trusted in the power of Winter-Moor, and the strength that me and my friends possessed. And if we could overcome any challenge we faced along the way, than I had no doubts that our mentors could not do the same, not concerned for their safety in slightest as I figured I had no reason too.

I needn't worry myself over my mentor though-I told myself- I had more important things to focus on. And if anything, I'm sure he was more concerned for me than I was for him. Looking back to the rest of the division, I made sure my Commanders were close enough that they could see me motion my head for them to come closer; my Commanders consisting of the leaders of the apprentice division. Of course, Sigma, Theta, and Epsilon weren't currently with us today, but they'd gone off on their own training, and we wouldn't have been able to reach them in time.

"Your orders?" Virgil asked me like the good soldier he was, Thomas and Evan looking forward attentively to hear as well, smiling some as it made me feel more like the General of what passed for the army I was leading. Sure it wasn't much, but it was mine.

"I want the Scouts to move about 2 miles around us. They're to set up a proximity field and guard it with their lives. I want somewhere to fall back to in the event we're overwhelmed and to get first notice of any nearby threats. Make sure they understand how important this task is."

Each one bowed their heads in response, carefully memorizing each of my words as Virgil and Thomas fell back in line, Evan staying put still. "Delta has a Supply Runner if you want her on this task as well. She's not as fast as the Scouts, but she'll keep up." He informed me, taking a moment to ponder this.

Having another pair of eyes out in the field would be good, but I decided against it. "No. Better to have her close by if we need extra gear."

"Yes, Xander." Evan said before he left to pass along my orders to the rest of his team, looking ahead as the three teams took the time they needed to organize themselves to fit my commands.

It wasn't long before our Scouts moved up in front of me and waited for their orders, pointing out for the direction each one was to take. "Zero. The North." I told the white blur as he nodded before speeding off past me. "Yes, Xander!"

I knew the decision to move them out to be our alert for danger was right, that was their job, but watching Zero run ahead towards the most dangerous direction without us caused me to panic a bit, they'd be out there alone for most of the time, and if any of us were to come across enemy combatants first, it would most likely be Zero. It was a dangerous job, but I trusted him to get it down, putting aside my fears and placing my faith in my brother. He wouldn't be our best Scout if he couldn't get the job done after all.

"Nina. To the East!" The young Gamma brunette quickly doubled back the way we'd come as soon as I gave the order.

With them gone, our last two Scouts took their place for orders. "Elena, Ash," I called to the Beta and Delta team scouts, who perked up in attention. "To the West. To the South."

Both gave a nod in response before taking off in their respective directions, leaving us to make sure we weren't walking into a trap or a wandering patrol. I'd hate for my first mission to end badly, with us getting spotted or someone being killed. I refused to let that happen. We were all gonna make it out of this, and I was gonna celebrate today's success with my team, and our mentors by our sides, maybe even drink my first drink right alongside Aidan, and it was gonna be great.

I tried so hard to control these kinds of things. Things I wasn't prepared to handle at that age. No matter how hard I fought, or how strong I became, there was still an obstacle in front of me to overcome. Today would just be another one.

Even so, there were just some trials an 8-year-old should never experience.

It was war, and I had a job to do, but that didn't make it right.

Following the trail towards the Lake, we did so with discretion in our fears that the Tongues were hidden just beyond the shadowy borders, a few short minutes ticking by before we came to its entrench, taking a quick glance at our surroundings to see none other than us were there.

No guards. No sentries. And not even a watchman posted at the borders to be seen. Stopping just short of approaching the gold filled lands as I thought more about why the Tongues would be here when the majority of their army was about to come into conflict with the armies of Winter-Moor.

While I believed in Winter-Moor's superiority over the Tongues, I knew they weren't stupid, no matter the opinions I'd heard. Only a fool underestimates his enemies.

They had the numbers to easily keep watch over every opening into the land, yet I'd seen none of the tribe thus far, and the Scouts would have reported back the moment they saw one.

Only a small patrol was stationed here, with the larger gathering of their forces drawing the rest of Winter-Moor's legions away from here.

Here, and away from the great treasure trove that held their holy icon captive.

...Gods dammit all...

Before the others could disturb my thoughts, I finally put it all together, cursing angrily as I realized what the tribe had done. "We're walking into a gods damn trap," I informed the rest of them, turning back to several confused faces.

"What are you talking about?" Virgil questioned me, some form of doubt in his expression.

I was quick to explain myself. "Not us. Them. Our mentors."

As soon as these words fell from my lips, Miz came to the same realization as I, everything carefully snapping into place. "Oh gods," He said darkly, "that's what they wanted. They wanted us to move up on them in the desert. They'd have all the time they needed to excavate the gold."

Evan let out a small growl as he whipped his head back. "And we took the bait."

Bid didn't seem to be understanding this, shaking his head as this plan of theirs confused him. "Are you sure? They'd be sacrificing an awful lot of their own."

"That's the question, now isn't it?" Miz said as he turned towards the axemen, attempting to explain it to him, for he understood the Tongues and their ways better than of us. "They've already shown they'll kill and die for gold. They're just crazy enough to do this on a mass scale for this religion of theirs.

Concern started to spread throughout our numbers as each of us started to worry about what we were about to walk into. If this was as I thought, then the patrol had to be made up of their strongest warriors. Why else would they make this look so sloppy? It made so much gods damn sense that even I started to feel a touch of fear.

"We should turn back." Thomas voiced his opinion, many nodding in support of this idea. "They could be expecting a small number of us to be sent in. They could know we're coming right now." This thought alone was enough to spread a cold fear to the others, especially the youngest of us. None of us were prepared to face a full-scale battle without support. This was our deaths we could be walking into. And none of them liked that idea.

But I wasn't gonna believe that. I wasn't going to just stand aside and wait for my teacher to come running and protect me. I understood their fear. This was something entirely new, a challenge we'd never faced. But being afraid didn't mean we weren't strong.

"No. I won't go back." I said to them all, my team especially happy to hear me say this

"We don't know what we'll be facing," Thomas argued again, terror screaming from his gaze.

"And neither do they. Adults they expect. Not children. Not us. We have the advantage against them. They won't be going for the kill at the start." I said with a look that told him to back down, Thomas taking the hint as he looked towards the ground.

Virgil seemed immensely impressed by this, taking his turn to speak, but only to test my resolve. "We were to scout them only. If we can confirm this, then we should report it back. Let them handle it. We don't have the order to engage."

"Clarence be damned. They're not here, but we are," I said in a way that to this day, many looked upon me like Aidan himself was standing there. "By the time we even get back, they'll have made off with who knows how much gold, and they'll have won. I refuse to let that happen. If I say we fight than we fight!"

Many of us began to show this look of determination, especially Zag, in her I could see the beginnings of her unwavering loyalty.

Many others remained unconvinced though, so I went on. "When Aidan first gave me this mission, I was so disappointed. Like he didn't trust me to stand with him and fight," I said honestly to them. "But this isn't about my ego or my drive to become him. This is our kingdom too. This is our home. I want the Tongues here to know that even the children of Winter-Moor will stand against them."

With my final words, I knew I had them. "If I have to go alone, I will. But fight with me, and let us drive these bastards back where they belong."

Just about every face lit up with a furious storm of belief in ourselves, nearly all raising their left arm up in a song of war as I lead them through it. "Through the snow we trek, far from home," the rest followed up with our chant, feeling a surge a pride as we sang. "We stand strong, for the Winter throne!"

"Sting of frost and chill of death, know our name."

We were aware of how loud we could be, yet even though our cries were hushed, they echoed out toward the heavens above.

"Winter-Moor!" We all said together, our spirits renewed and our minds sharp for the task ahead.

While others began to march on, I took notice of Thomas and the members of Gamma, still afraid to move. Though they had joined us in song, they still had fear holding them back, I could see it clawing at them.

As I went to console them, I found myself interrupted before I could say a single word, looking back to the sounds of someone running through the woods, seeing Ash having returned to us, out of breath.

"Report," I order him as he ran towards me. "5 Tongues. Nina followed the trail of three of them, but two of them surprised her."

Thomas instantly became alert because of this, having forgotten his fear. "Was she harmed?" I asked him, quick to shake his head. "No. Elena was nearby when the fighting started, so now they're both holding their own."

This is exactly the push that Thomas needed. Learning one of his sisters was in danger was enough to snap him out of his timid nature and into the leader he was supposed to be. "Where's Zero?" He asked quickly, Ash taking a quick look back and forth between us, not sure whom to answer too, yet I simply nodded to reassure him, and he continued. "Another two Tongues came across the fight and retreated back to alert the rest of the party, so Zero ran after them after ordering me to find you." There was a tinge of guilt in his eyes as he couldn't bear to face Thomas anymore, basically telling us he'd abandoned them in Thomas' mind. "I think he sent me off cause I was afraid. So I just ran. I don't know if I should have stayed and fought, but I'm sorry."

I stepped forward to Ash and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, not angry with him at all, had he not, then reinforcements wouldn't be on their way. "No, you did well reporting this back to me."

Ash showed signs of forming a smile over this, yet Thomas quickly shouldered his way past the young Scout, angry after having learned this. "Speak for yourself," he said as he began to walk on, only turning back to issue a warning to Ash. "If she's hurt, you and I are gonna have words." With this said, Thomas and the rest of Delta quick took off to go help Nina, leaving a devastated Ash behind, and me to pick up the pieces.

"He's just worried about her. Don't mind him." I said, trying to pass off Thomas' threat as mere worry, but Ash took it hard. "He's right though."

I would have said more, yet time wasn't something we had any more. "I know you're upset, but we'll talk about it later. Right now we need to get moving."

Ash only gave a small nod before we moved on, following closely behind Gamma and off towards our first true battle. The very battle where I would both gain my taste for the throne, and my hatred of the Tongues.