Decisive Duels
After several more hours, and enough snow to drown in, the Warden and I had finally managed to come within spitting distance of our destination. We had finally reached a point where the snow wasn't up to our ankles, and after one last uphill trek, Herongale was in our sights. The place itself wasn't exactly a luxury settlement, even from this far away, I could tell that none of the buildings consisted of anything more than a single story. Add on top of that there being no signs of a wall anywhere, along with the place looking like something out of a painting from a hundred years ago, and you had about as much of a backwoods place as you could find.
"Charming place. Remind me what we're doing here again, Warden?" I asked as I turned my attention to him. The Warden, true to his nature, was standing like he was posing for some kind of self-portrait as he took a good look at the place. A modest amount of snow had managed to gather on the tip of his helmet. To be honest, the poor man was covered in the stuff more often than he wasn't.
"There are rumors that an old friend of mine was tracking a group of bandits to the east. This is the only settlement for miles in that direction, I'm hoping to find him." He responded. I nodded, then cupped my hands together to blow into them. Taking the initiative, I took the first steps towards the hamlet. Honestly, I was just happy to be in any place other than Morrowgale. Ever since I was stranded there three months ago, I'd been looking for any opportunity to get back on the move. That's not to say I hated the place, the people were nice enough, and that tavern keeper had been more than accommodating. But I was a traveling bard, gathering new stories from all over Ashfeld was part of my job. You can't really do that if you're stuck in one little town.
I couldn't help but look back to the Warden, who had followed my lead and began walking down the path. I'd really come to like my new traveling partner. He was much more respectful than other men I had journeyed with. Finding someone actually worthy of honor was no small feat in Ashfeld these days, much less someone to genuinely look up to. More selfishly, it was nice that he was kind of a looker underneath that helmet of his. To top it off, Wardens were a goldmine of stories and potential songs to sing, if I stuck around him, I'd probably have enough epics to last me a lifetime.
Entering the hamlet was... unnerving. The entire place was unnaturally uniform, every one of the seven buildings looked exactly the same, even down to how much snow had accumulated on top of them. It looked more like some kind of labor camp than somewhere people were supposed to live. The people didn't make things any better, every one of them wore the same heavy furs, the same black face mask covering their mouths, and every last one of them was moving in sync with the others. Seeing them performing menial tasks with such strange efficiency made them seem more like machines than living people. As we continued walking through the place, I noticed that every person we passed stopped whatever they were doing to get a good look at the Warden. None of them seemed to pay any attention to me, but I was getting more worried for my companion by the second. I cleared my throat and put on the biggest smile I could to try and calm my nerves.
"Well, this is quite the welcome."I joked, turning to face him. The Warden didn't respond right away, instead he seemed to be looking from person to person. The creeps didn't even have the decency to look away from him once he noticed what was going on. His pace slowed as he turned to face one of them, I stopped to let him get a better look.
"You okay?" I asked. The Warden didn't turn to face me, but I could tell he had heard me.
"The way they're looking at me. It's almost like they're angry with me." He said. Angry? Great, not only were they creeps, they were also creeps who didn't like outsiders. I looked over my shoulder instinctively, and was more than a little concerned to find that even more of them had approached from behind. We were completely surrounded at this point, there had to be at least twenty of them just in this one spot. The whole situation was giving me a heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I was seriously considering just grabbing the Warden and bolting.
I felt a sudden jolt on my arm drag me towards the left, and let out an inadvertent gasp at the motion. I realized pretty quickly that the Warden had pulled me behind him, his free hand holding the hilt of his weapon. More than happy to let him do so, I further adjust myself to be almost entirely behind him. As soon as I had positioned myself comfortably, the Warden spoke.
"I am a Warden sworn to no Legion. My companion and I wish you no harm." He said. The residents didn't react to his words at all, it was as if they had completely frozen in place. I instinctively began rubbing my hand along my waist, reaching for the leather handle of a knife I kept on me just for situations like this. The Warden adjusted himself ever so slightly, placing one foot just slightly ahead of the other.
"I'm looking for a friend of mine, he may have passed through here a few days ago." Was he really still trying to reach them? I was just about to take hold of his arm before a new voice just about sent me jumping out of my skin.
"How convenient." The voice was deep, far deeper than the Warden's. There was a strange raspiness to it, as if it's owner had taken to smoking before he'd even learned to speak. The Warden extended one of his arms and placed it on one of my arms, I took the hint and adjusted as he turned to face the voice. Even from behind him, I got a good look at the figure too. He had the same dark colored furs as the rest of his compatriots, but that was where the similarities ended. The hulking figure was covered in stained looking black and gray armor, with a helmet that blocked every feature of his face, save a small horizontal slit that showed off his intense looking eyes. Next to him was a sword that must have been four feet tall, and he was carrying the thing with only one hand.
I started looking for any possible way out of this place, my hand now firmly grasping the handle of the knife. If this creep moved so much as a step closer, I was drawing this thing and dashing. The Warden, bless him, was far more composed than I was, and stared right back at the man in front of us. I could just see him adjusting the grip on his sword, and gently raising his arm, as if trying to calm everyone around us.
"We do not mean anyone here any harm. We are just looking for a close friend of mine. If you have seen him, we ask only for information, if you have not, we will be on our way." He said, his voice hadn't raised at all since everything had started. I let out an anxious breath and allowed my grip to loosen just a little, but I knew better than to let go entirely. The man in front of us dramatically kicked his blade, letting it swing up before catching and letting it rest on his shoulder. He took a few steps closer to us, and my instincts kicked in. With a quick flourish, I drew the knife and held it in front of me, stepping out from behind the Warden as I did.
"That's far enough, stranger!" I said. The man placed one foot forward as he quickly brought his free hand up to his hilt, and held it as though he were ready to strike. Looking around us, I saw the other residents hold up whatever tools they had in hand, shovels, hoes, and whatever else they had on hand. Beside me, the Warden gave me a look, one that I had seen plenty of times in the past whenever I'd made a boneheaded move. Guess I probably shouldn't have done that... Before I had much time to regret my actions, the man's voice returned.
"No harm, eh? And yet you brandish a weapon at my brothers and sisters? This place will be your grave." The man growled. I turned back to him, trying to appear as threatening as I could. Of course, the fact that my hand wouldn't stop shaking probably didn't help things. The warrior adjusted his stance again, letting the sword drop behind him, and began dragging it along the ground. As if on cue, the rest of the hamlet began moving with him, weapons all pointed right at us. I turned every way I could, pointing my knife at anything moving, but the more I looked, the more I realized just how screwed we were.
Without so much as a word, the Warden sprung into action, drawing his sword with such a loud metallic ringing that it sent shivers down my spine. It must have done the trick with everyone else, too. As the sound rang out around us, every other resident, including the warrior in front of us, halted right in their tracks. The Warden took only three steps forward, but the silence that accompanied them seemed monumental. He stood like a wall between me and the warrior, his sword never raising.
"You misunderstand. You have frightened my companion, she acted out of fear." He declared. With one flourish, he whipped his sword to his shoulders, and just as quickly lowered it, holding the hilt just next to his head, keeping the blade hovering just above his elbow, one that he had thrust out, as if pointing at the warrior.
"I say again, we are alone. All we seek is information on an old friend. Give it to us, or confirm you do not have it, and we will leave without compromise. Threaten my friend again, and you will face my blade." From the way he spoke, it almost sounded like a command. My breath finally slowed a bit, my confidence in my companion renewed. Better yet, the resolve of the residents seemed shaken. Many of them had lowered their weapons, and even more of them had taken steps away from us. Only the warrior seemed unmoved by the Warden's words. A few tense moments of silence passed as the two stayed completely still, were they studying one another? Seeing who's bravado would crack first? For our sake, I hoped it wasn't the Warden's.
"One of your kind has proven a liar already, we will not humor your words again." The warrior finally said. As if to punctuate his words, he raised the flat side of his sword to his chest, letting it smack against his armor, then lazily dropping it so it hit the snow. Was he insulting the Warden? I clenched my fist tight, raising my knife ever so slightly. He had better hope the Warden finished him off quickly, because I was one step away from making him real familiar with my weapon.
The warrior tightened up his stance, carefully raising his sword to the Warden. The Warden didn't so much as flinch, holding his position, and keeping his sword pointed right at his opponent. I knew I didn't want to be anywhere near this once it began, so I took a few tentative steps back, my grip on the knife never loosening. Once I had taken a solid ten steps away, only then did the Warden begin moving towards the warrior. He, in turn, began stepping towards the Warden. The warrior shifted his sword to his right side, placing his shoulder and arm between himself and the Warden, who in turn lowered his weapon to match him. I held my breath, waiting for one of them to make the first move.
Without warning, the warrior leapt forward, changing sides again and swiping at the Warden's exposed side. My heart leapt as I watched the Warden barely step back in time to dodge the attack. His attacker immediately stepped forward, rapidly bringing the sword upward before going for a downward strike. The Warden stumbled a bit as he raised his blade to block the attack. Even with him stopping it, the warrior must have put a lot of power behind the swing, because he carried through with the swing, dragging the Warden's blade down with it. The Warden pulled away again as he was knocked off balance, his feet scrambling to find purchase in the snow.
The warrior took this opening to raise his weapon overhead again and brought down his weapon again, this time with a ferocity that bordered on feral. The Warden dropped down to one knee, placing his left palm on the flat of his blade. In one swift motion, he raised his sword, stopped the warrior's strike, and pivoted the blade to let it slide off into the snow beside him. Now it was the warrior's turn to stumble, and the Warden took advantage. Just as quickly as the Warden had dropped to a knee, he rose and pivoted his elbow, slamming the back of his metal gauntlet right into the side of the warrior's head. Before he could even respond, the Warden was back on his feet, raised his leg and kicked the warrior in the stomach as he reeled from his head injury.
The warrior stumbled back from the Warden, just barely catching his balance as he steadied himself with his sword. The Warden didn't follow up on his opening, instead, he paced around the warrior deliberately. It seemed like every move the Warden made was calculated, as if he had planned out the fight in advance. The warrior finally shook his head and looked back at the Warden, who had returned to his first stance, elbow pointed, and sword raised. I smiled to myself and crossed my arms. Looks like I had chosen my traveling companion well, and I was willing to bet that warrior was starting to regret taunting him. The warrior only confirmed my suspicions when he growled and flourished his blade again, bringing it back to a ready position. The Warden continued to pace around him, leaving the warrior turning after him.
The warrior attacked again, this time thrusting his blade forward in an attempt to stab the Warden. He, in response, pivoted his blade to catch the warrior's, then batted it off to the side, the blades ringing against one another. The Warden quickly thrust his shoulder forward, slamming right into the chest of the warrior. I could feel my grin getting wider as the warrior stumbled back. This time, the Warden did press his advantage, striking the warrior across his chest with a powerful strike, and just as quickly, twisting the blade to raise it back against his chest, hitting the warrior twice in less than a second. The warrior seemed to instinctively reach to his chest, but found nothing but the armor there.
"Miserum..." The Warden muttered, twirling his blade before resting it once again in that familiar stance. Oh, now the Warden was getting in on the mocking game? This was getting better by the second. The warrior seemed to understand his words, because he growled and launched himself back at the Warden. Striking first at his side, then swiftly redirecting his aim right to the Warden's head. The Warden blocked them both, responding with his own strike to the warrior's opposite side. This was blocked as well, but the warrior was pressed back slightly, stumbling before regaining his ground.
Trying to recover, he raised his weapon again, winding up for a big swing before throwing his entire body weight into the strike. This time, the Warden didn't even try to block, instead strafing to the side and letting his opponent's weight carry him further than he wanted. The warrior stepped forward involuntarily as the swing carried him, trying to make up for his lack of balance with another big swing. This time, the Warden did block, using the flat of his sword to block the strike, and placing his gauntlet just behind it, keeping it from being pushed back towards him. The two fighters stood there a moment, with the warrior trying to push his way forward, but the Warden's stance held firm.
"Enough of this! Your death would leave your hamlet defenseless! Yield now, and we can settle our business without bloodshed." The Warden yelled. Chatter began to erupt among the residents, though I couldn't quite hear what they were saying. Honestly, I had been so engrossed in watching the duel that I hadn't even noticed how silent it had been up to this point. The warrior breathed heavily, backed away, and kept his sword Waden, in turn, relaxed his stance, allowing his weapon to fall to his side, only inches away from the snow. I still kept my knife clenched tightly, just in case he tried something. I knew that men with bruised egos tended to lash out, and the warrior's had just received one heck of a battering.
"Come on you dumb brute..." I whispered to myself, sweat beginning to drip down the palm of my hand. Just how long had I been holding onto this knife? I threw the question aside as the warrior raised his sword again, shifting his feet and firmly planting himself in the snow. I cursed internally, how stubborn was this guy?
"My hamlet will not know subjugation by a legion too cowardly to show their true colors. So long as I draw breath, I will not yield." He said, malice practically dripping from every word he said. I made a mental note to myself, he wasn't a dumb brute, he was an outright moron. I shook my head and readied my knife, I was almost certain he was gonna use some dirty trick to try killing the Warden, he had to know he couldn't win in a straight fight at this point. The Warden raised his sword again at these words. For the first time since I'd met him, I couldn't get a read on what he was thinking. Helmet or no helmet, the Warden wore his thoughts on him like a gaudy coat, and figuring him out was simply a matter of watching his body language. But here, it was almost as if something switched off, or like a piece just stopped working. I admit, that almost frightened me more than seeing all those residents approaching us earlier.
What really sealed it was watching the Warden charge forward, abandoning the defensive style he'd been using up to this point. The warrior seemed just as shocked as I was, barely reacting in time to block an overhead strike I hadn't even seen start. The attack didn't stop there either, the Warden seemed to allow the weight of his attack carry him forward, and actually spun as he launched another strike with one hand. Even this was enough to force the warrior to stumble back as the blades connected. His blade was almost forced downward as the Warden raised his blade again, striking from the opposite direction. The warrior wasn't able to block this one, and the grinding of steel seemed to be interrupted by the sound of something wet and meaty. The warrior howled in pain as his hand went right to his injury, but in doing so, he took his eyes off the Warden.
Without a word, the Warden twirled his blade and struck again, letting his blade smack into the warrior's midsection, yet another sound of steel striking steel rushing out, this time seeming to echo amongst the buildings and the trees. Without allowing any time for a reaction, the Warden quickly pulled his weapon across the warrior's armor, the sickening grinding making my skin crawl. The warrior was thrown off balance as the Warden readjusted his stance, stepping back and swinging again, this time aiming for the warrior's legs. The force of the strike again carried through with the swing, carrying the warrior with them as he was swept off his feet, his startled cry only silenced when the Warden charged into him, shoulder first.
The warrior's body flew through the air for a solid foot and a half before crashing and rolling through the snow, sending chunks of white powder flying in all directions. He finally slid to a stop, his sword having flown out of his reach. I could hear shocked and frightened yelps all around me as theWarden walked slowly, and menacingly to the warrior, who groaned as he tried to roll to his front and push himself up. Unfortunately for him, the Warden wasn't letting that happen. He stepped up to the prone figure and placed his boot down on the flat of his back, hard. Another yell of alarm escaped the warrior as he was forced back down into the white below him. Just as quickly as he had stepped on his back, the Warden brought his sword up to the back of the warrior's neck, one hand placed firmly on the handle, the other against the pommel of the blade. One move, and the warrior was dead, and that thought actually disturbed me. I had never seen a duel end this quickly before, let alone one this one sided. I could feel my hands trembling as the Warden held his blade steady for some time, keeping the warrior pinned. Finally, he spoke again.
"I don't want it to end this way. Your people need you, I beg of you, yield, and we can settle this." Even after such a terrifying display, his words were calm, and genuine. I couldn't believe how soft spoken, and yet commanding they sounded at the same time. The warrior grunted below the Warden, coughing a few times before he responded to him;
"Swear that you will leave my hamlet once your business is done, and that no harm will come to my people." He demanded. Unbelievable, the man had a sword to his neck after getting thoroughly handled in a duel, and he was still making demands of the Warden? Then again, with how much effort he had put into trying to beat him, I guess the safety of his people was pretty important to him. In a move that I think surprised everyone present, the Warden softly removed the blade from the warrior's neck, letting him cough a few more times before slowly rising to his knees, breathing heavily as his chest visibly heaved.
The Warden placed his weapon back at his side, the sound seemingly muted by the warrior's breathing. Without even a hint of hesitation, the Warden extended his hand out to the warrior. He seemed surprised by this, Lord knows I certainly was. He simply looked at the Warden's hand for a moment, not really doing anything. The silence was only broken when the Warden spoke again.
"You have my word." Was all he said. The warrior's gaze lifted to face him, and the Warden simply nodded at him. I finally let my grip loosen as a smile crossed my face. Just like that, the Warden was willing to drop everything and humor the guy? Man had the kindness of a saint. He hesitated for a moment, but the Warrior eventually raised his hand to meet the Warden's, though he hovered a bit before he took it. He looked at the Warden one last time, again, all he did was nod. I guess that was enough for the warrior, because without another moment's hesitation, he clasped onto the Warden's arm and grunted as he was helped up, rising to his feet. When he was standing upright again, the Warden seemed to hold him there for a second. I could swear he was saying something to him, because the warrior clasped onto the Warden's arm with his other hand and nodded. Both of them looked at the people around them, and the Warden released him. The warrior looked back to the Warden one last time, then to me. I had no idea what had been said between them, but I just smiled and crossed my arms, trying my hardest not to look smug. The warrior didn't seem to respond to me, and simply stepped forward, seeming to address his fellow residents as he raised his voice and said;
"People of Herongale, you all have witnessed what occurred here today. Despite having every reason to cut me down, this man has instead decided to spare my life, and has agreed to leave us be, once his business has reached its end. From this moment on, he and his companion will be treated as our honored guests. You may all return to your chores and duties, we are under no threat from either of them." His declaration caught me by surprise. Was that really it? Winning one fight and letting him live was enough to earn us the distinction of being honored guests? I could certainly get used to that, if the Warden won every fight as easily as he won that one, this would be my easiest journey in years.
I looked over to the Warden and smiled, twirling my knife a bit as he began walking towards me. Out of the corner of my vision, I could see the residents slowly begin to disperse, some getting right back to whatever they were doing before, while others still seemed to keep a close eye on us.
"You should not have drawn your knife." The Warden said as he stopped in front of me. I frowned and placed my knife back inside my cloak. Was that really the first thing on his mind? We had just survived a threat on our lives, and that was how he greeted me? More than a little irritated, I was happy to shoot a response back at him.
"Hey, they're the ones who decided to threaten us first. I was just taking the initiative to protect myself a bit." The Warden didn't seem convinced.
"We were strangers in their home, a home that likely hasn't seen another traveler in decades. We intruded in their home, and the first thing you did was draw a weapon. Do you not understand how that might be misinterpreted?" He said back. I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't find anything to say. What he said made sense, too much sense. But what, did that just mean my worries were invalid?
"Them not being comfortable around strangers is no reason to form an angry mob and attack them!" I shouted. The Warden's posture seemed to stiffen a bit as he took one slow, calculated step toward me.
"They wouldn't have become hostile if you had just kept your head! You nearly got both of us killed!" He shouted back. The forcefulness in his voice startled me, and I backed away from him a bit as my confidence seemed to vanish in an instant.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I was scared, is it wrong to be afraid when you think your life is in danger?" I said back, noticing that my voice trembled slightly towards the tail end of my sentence. Great, now he knew I was afraid, so much for any argument I had left. The Warden seemed to pick up on my fear, and backed away again. His posture seemed to relax again, one of his hands raising slightly as if to calm me.
"No, you were not wrong to be afraid. I understand that. But I would not have let any harm come to you." He said, his voice softer than before. I dropped my gaze and crossed my arms as my shoulders slumped. Honestly, it had been so long since I had traveled with anyone, let alone anyone trustworthy, I'd forgotten what it was like to put my life in someone else's hands. Maybe I had been on my own for too long... I heard the shuffling of metal, then felt a weight on my shoulder as I had these thoughts. When I looked up, I realized the Warden had put his hand on my shoulder. My first instinct was to pull away, try and get away. But I fought that urge.
"If we are to travel together, we must be able to trust one another. Trust my capabilities, and I will see us through. You have my word." He said, his eyes just barely visible behind the small slits in his helmet. There was a softness there, something I would never have expected from someone like him. Seeing that look seemed to melt away my worries, and I let myself relax as I let out a breath.
"Alright, fine. It's just been a while since I've had to trust someone. Sorry Warden." I finally said. The Warden pulled his hand away from my shoulder.
"Think nothing of it. Now come along, we are to meet the hamlet's Elder in the central building." He said. I nodded. He took the first steps, more snow being shoved out of the way as he dragged himself through it more than he did walk through it. I was more insistent on properly walking through it. After all, I didn't have all of the layers that he did. Making our way towards the building in the center of the place, I began to wonder just how many times I would have to watch duels and battles before my time with the Warden came to end.
Guess I would just have to wait and see.
Author's Note: Due to a few busy weeks, updates may come out a bit slower for a bit. I'll try to keep them coming regardless, at the latest, you can expect a new chapter next Tuesday. Thanks to everyone who's read this far, I'm excited to share the rest of the story with you. God bless.