Daven III

Daven leaned against the stone crenellations of the watchtower, letting the cold mountain breeze toss his hair. His eyes rested on the horizon, where endless tundra stretched into the far beyond; the white plains were tinged pink by the setting sun, giving the landscape a vibrant, mythical hue. The vast swaths of snow were occasionally broken by great green forests or hills. Closer to the Lookout Hill, farmers managed to clear the snow away so a few patches of shrivelled crops could grow. Small and stunted as they were, the fresh produce still helped sustain the Lookout Hill. Livestock grazed beside the farms, snuffling through snow and dirt to dig up hardy tufts of grass or roots. Daven spotted goats and sheep, some phiomia, and even a handful dodos. A few of the animals were local to the north, whereas others had been imported from the south. The warm-climate animals fared fine here, so long as they had ample shelter and food.

Daven subconsciously found himself staring at the road that snaked between the farms. In the early days it had been no more than a muddy trail in the ground but frequent use had stamped it into a wide, flat path. One of Joseph's last projects before he left the Lookout Hill had been covering the road in gravel, to make it easier for travel. The roads closest to the hill were well-maintained, but farther into the wilderness they were rugged and unruly. Many miles stretched between the Wolf's Den and the Lookout Hill, and Daven had never quite found the manpower to complete the gravel roads from castle to castle. Far into the distance, an offshoot of the main road branched to the north. Ice Harbour was closer than the Wolf's Den, but much harder to get to. The roads were worse as well, since they often hugged the sides of mountains and ravines. Daven hadn't bothered trying to fill them with gravel yet, but he planned to do so soon.

He sighed as a fresh breeze of wind drifted down from the mountains. It wasn't too long ago that I was travelling down those roads myself. Back when Alys visited. A sharp feeling twisted in his gut. Daven tried to ignore it. He still didn't know how to feel about Alys; everything felt conflicted, confusing, and uncertain. Daven had thought that after being relocated to the Lookout Hill, they would eventually drift apart and lose contact with each other. He had resolved himself to that future, accepted it even. No, Daven shook his head. Accepted isn't the right word. Acknowledged, more like. I knew it could happen but I wasn't fully prepared.

Any determination Daven might have mustered had quickly melted away with Alysanne's surprise visit. I didn't think she would care enough to trouble herself. How wrong I had been. Daven paused and gripped the crenellations with icy fingers, his teeth gritting together. Does she think of me every day the same way I think of her? The question constantly plagued his mind. Daven tried to brush his feelings aside, but with little avail. He sighed another long sigh. Love is both a blessing and a curse. Sometimes I wonder if I'd be better off without these feelings for Alys. It hurts to think about her every day, wondering if she still remembers me.

"Is everything alright, my lord?"

Daven glanced at Eryk, one of his personal guardsmen. "I'm fine. Come on, let's get g-going."

Now was not the time to be having these problems. I'm the lord of Lookout Keep now. I have to remember that. These men and women look to me for guidance, so I need to set a good example for all to follow. Daven motioned for his two guards and they fell in beside him. The other three watchmen in the tower stayed at their posts; two were warming their hands by the brazier, while the third was pacing along the crenellations, much like Daven himself. With one last gaze at the distant fields, Daven instructed the watchmen to stay vigilant and made his way down the ladder. Eryk descended before him with a torch, while Kennith followed behind.

Daven focused on his breathing as he climbed down the musky ladder rungs. He inhaled, drawing in the scents of wood and stone and earth, then exhaled, trying to relinquish all his doubts and worries. The exercise did little to ease his fears, but helped him destress nonetheless. Daven jumped the last few rungs and made his way outside, nodding thanks to Eryk who held the door open. Daven was once again bathed in the glory of the rose and gold sky. He shielded his eyes from the sun's glare until his vision was adjusted to the brilliant outdoors.

"Where to now, Lord Daven?" Kennith asked as he emerged from the watchtower.

Daven still wasn't accustomed to having guards tail behind him everywhere he went. It was a welcome change though, one that made him feel safer and more confident around the base. "I th-think it's about time we finish inspections for the d-day. You're both free to do as you l-like. I'll be taking my d-dinner in the hall, but your company would be welcome."

"Sounds fine by me," Eryk said.

"Aye, me as well," Kennith added.

Daven made his way down the steep hill to its shorter and squatter neighbour with Eryk and Kennith behind him. Fortunately the defensive outer wall enclosed both hills so they didn't need to go through a gate, but they still had to get through the inner wall. The guards on duty recognized Daven and quickly made an entrance for them. Inside the inner courtyard, survivors were starting to settle down for the night. Some were already making their way back to their cabins, while others were congregating in small groups outside. Daven found the dining hall crowded and rowdy, with many survivors in the midst of their meals. He grabbed a tray by the counter and filled it with the night's leftovers; a husk of corn, half a loaf of stale bread, a bowl of tepid mutton stew, and a tankard of ice water. Daven searched for a free table for Eryk, Kennith and himself, but none were to be found. He pushed his way through the isles, looking for places to sit. There! Three free seats by the corner.

Daven was moving to the table when someone crashed into him and sent his tray spinning. A burly voice grumbled in outrage. "What do you think you're doing? Get the hell out of my way!"

Eryk was already moving to defend him. "You can't speak to his lordship like that," he warned, one hand reaching for his blade.

Daven touched a hand to his temple, dazed. Kennith offered him an arm up but Daven waved him away. His first instinct was to lash out, but he kept his temper in check. Most of the nearest diners were watching on. I need to set a good example. Daven got to his feet."It's alright Eryk, I'm s-sure the man m-meant no harm."

The offender's back was turned and he was lifting one end of a dining table. The bald muscular man glanced over his shoulder, then dropped his cargo, blinking in surprise. "Lord Daven. I did not realize it was you."

This guardsman is part of Skyler's inner circle, Daven realized upon seeing his face. He turned and sure enough, all the men on the adjacent table were loyal to the captain of the guards. Daven even spotted Skyler himself watching the conflict with interest, a tankard of ale halfway up to his lips. I was right to approach this calmly. One wrong move and this could have resulted in bloodshed. "An honest m-m-mistake, I'm sure."

The tension in the room diminished, if only a little. Some of Skyler's guards shifted their attention back to their drinks. Others kept watching on. Daven signalled for his own guards to back away, giving them more space.

"Aye," the bald man agreed. He made no further gesture of reassurance.

Instead, Daven had to bend down and pick his own tray up. On the outside he might have appeared calm and collected, but he was smoldering inside. No lord should have to suffer such indignation from his men. Joseph never had this problem, nor Otto. But then again I'm not like either of them. Half of his soup had spilled onto the floor and his bread and corn were both veiled in filth. Daven rearranged them on his tray and stood back up. He forced his voice to steady itself before speaking. "Good night to you."

Daven edged around the man, who shrugged and lifted the table again. Kennith and Eryk followed Daven, sidestepping around the bald man as he continued backing up. Daven ignored the stares as he continued to his destination. A burst of laughter resonated from Skyler's table. Daven ignored that too. He set his tray down and took a seat in the corner table. Eryk and Kennith set their own trays down on either side of him.

"My lord, are you well?" Kennith asked.

"Aside f-from a wound to m-my dignity, I'm f-fine," Daven reassured them.

"They should not treat you like that," Eryk muttered darkly.

Daven watched as the big bald man and one of his friends dragged a table over to Skyler's, to make more room for their cronies. The men cheered as the tables were connected. Daven suspected many of them were already drunk. Unfortunately, the drunk guardsmen were a common sight in the dining hall. Daven would have put a stop to it if he could, but his power was scarce enough as it was. There was nothing he could do about the unruly drunkards. He sighed. "Until I earn the loyalty of the Lookout Hill, Skyler holds all the power here."

Skyler had proven himself to be a brutal and tenacious fighter early on, and had quickly climbed to become the Lookout Hill's captain of the guards underneath Joseph. He had retained his title after Joseph moved away, and now Daven was stuck with him as his second-in-command. Even though Daven ruled in practice, he couldn't accomplish much without Skyler's support. Most of the garrison was loyal to the captain of the guards, since he befriended them individually and did favors for them. Skyler was charismatic and generous to his friends, but ruthless to his enemies. Daven had no choice but to stay on the captain's good side, unless he wanted most of the Lookout Hill to turn against him.

If things ever got bad, he could always ask Otto to step in and remove Skyler from office. But the captain knew this as well as Daven did, and hadn't given him any reason to take action yet. So far the two were at an uneasy stalemate, but Daven knew more power shifted to Skyler by the day. Daven's authority was constantly being undermined by every friendly conversation or tiny favor Skyler carried out for another guard. It was only a matter of time before the Lookout Hill was under his control in everything but name.

Daven glumly stared at his food and tried a bit of the soup, but his appetite was gone. I need to think of ways to regain control. Daven had already spent some time pondering about how Otto and Joseph commanded respect so naturally. He had concluded that it came down to intimidation and charisma. They were both dangerous men who others were reluctant to trifle with. Furthermore, they inspired loyalty in their followers through virtuous actions. Daven knew he didn't carry the same charm or physical power as either of them, so he needed another tactic. Perhaps I could use guile or deceit. Daven had already discussed a dangerous mission to tame mammoths with Skyler. The captain of the guards had approved of the plan, and survivors were already in the midst of preparations for the hunt. Daven guessed it would be a week or so before all the equipment and weapons were ready. I won't be able to lead the mission myself, since I need to stay here and manage the base. But I could get Skyler to lead it. The task would be well-suited to his station and besides, there are many things that could go wrong on such an expedition. I could even find a loyal man like Eryk or Kennith to make sure everything goes awry.

The moment Daven had that thought, he immediately stopped and reprimanded himself. What am I thinking? Would I really stoop so low as to murder someone I don't disagree with? Skyler needs to be dealt with but not like this. Otto and Joseph would never do anything like this. And Alys. . . what would she think of me? Daven sighed in frustration and pushed his tray away. The food was left untouched. He excused himself from the table and left the dining hall. The courtyard outside was drenched in darkness as the last slivers of the sun descended below the horizon. Daven made his way to the Lookout Keep, tugging his cloak closer as he battled through gusts of wind. I'll think of something eventually, Daven promised himself as he returned to his room. It seemed barren without Joseph. Daven managed a tiny smile as Patches scampered over to him and nuzzled his leg. He undressed and climbed into bed with half-thought-out plans still swirling in his head.

Author's Note:

The-Library-Goblin, haha no worries it was fun to see your creativity and read about the tribe from someone else's perspective. If you have any more questions feel free to PM!

DinoNerd89, definitely true, the tribes are going to need to band together if they have any chance of surviving the island. Glad to hear you enjoyed!

Girlbook, thanks I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the chapter!

SaurianFan, thanks for the praise! It's probably the longest but I guess the rest is subjective lol. More inter-tribe stuff coming up in a few chapters!

Caleb R. Watson, you're certainly right and the confrontation gets closer every chapter. . . Also haha I see you've been rereading some wolf chapters. I myself need to go back and reacquaint myself with the pack (hint hint, wink wink). I'll definitely be sure to answer your questions about Artemis.

Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!

- DaRumpyBurr