Disclaimer: I do not own Berserk; this is only a fanfic.
Authors Notes: Hi everyone, I'm back! Chapter three is up and Happy New Year to you all!
Many thanks for the reviews: Swordman Beliefs, Ishimaru Amon, Silver Spider and Vellor The Ancient. Please read enjoy and leave a review!
Chapter 3: A Wind of Swords
The war between Midland and Chuder had lasted over one hundred years. We - the 'Band of the Hawk' fought on the side of Midland. Our mercenary band was secondary to the king's armies who, at this moment, were being crushed by Chuder's 'Black Ram Heavy Cavalry'.
Mounted and in full battle gear, our forces rushed to the aid of the first squad. In formation, Griffith led the attack; I rode behind him and was flanked to his left, holding second position as we charged onto the battlefield.
Breaking through the trees, my eyes shifted from the back of our leaders head to the open field. Suddenly, a lone figure appeared between the Chuder army and us.
"Damn it!" my mind screamed, as I recognized that massive bulk. "Gutts!" I fumed silently.
Three years… three years had passed since he had lost his wager against Griffith and became a member of the 'Hawks'. Sorely, in that time, the fool had learned nothing. Gutts was still reckless, still headstrong and still a thorn in my side. As if to prove my point, he turned his mount and solely charged the entire Chuder forces.
With each swing of that massive broadsword, bodies began to litter the ground. Gutts destroyed their first line of defense and cut down anyone in his path. He had disobeyed orders… again, but then I should not have been surprised. It was his trademark, after all, much like Corkus' cowardice, Pippin's silence or Judeau's bravery.
Finally entering the fray, we engaged with the enemy and were able to lend a hand to our wayward comrade. I was incensed with Gutts' actions that, in the heat of battle, my ire rose. Every man that fell under my sword wore his face.
xXxXx
Our forces had returned to Midland's castle victorious. Chuder's - 'Black Ram Heavy Cavalry', after taking a sound beating, had turned tail in defeat. The subjects had cheered as we passed through the main gates, congratulating our success.
Standing on the stairs of one of the sentry towers, I watched our lone warrior dismount and the men of his squad surround him.
Gutts was a Captain now and the men in his squad were called 'the Raiders'. Within two weeks of joining the 'Band of the Hawk', he had been promoted. No one else had advanced so quickly, not even me. Not only were he and I evenly ranked now, but the men had also developed a misplaced sort of hero worship for the man.
"Come on… let's celebrate. The first round's on me!" one of the Raiders suggested to their captain, as the group passed below.
"Congratulations!"
Everyone turned to my greeting. As they spotted me at the top of the stairs, I could see the wavering smiles and grimaces on the faces of his men. They knew, as did Gutts, that a tongue-lashing was in order.
"Big sister, Caska!" "Commander Caska!" they chorused.
"We need to talk." My eyes bored into their commander's. "May I have you alone for a moment," I requested and then added sarcastically, "Sir Captain Gutts."
"Go on." I heard him say to his men, as he avoided my gaze. "You guys start without me… I'll catch up later."
As he started up the stairs, I turned and headed towards the isolated tower I had chosen for our private discussion. Gutts walked behind me with only the sound of his heavy boots pervading the silence. Finally, I stopped and turned to him.
"What do you think you were doing out there?" I got straight to the point.
"What do you mean?" Gutts countered calmly.
"Don't give me that," I spat. This was so like him, playing dumb.
"Our plan for the last battle was to act as support for the main forces charge," I explained and tried to maintain my composure. "Our companies each took a flank to contain enemy attack."
"Despite its success…" I paused for affect; "… you nearly ruined our battle plans by charging into the center of the enemy!" At his silence, I continued.
"What do you think… that you're alone out there, like some kind of hero?" I scolded him like a child. "Your self centered actions could have put all the 'Hawks' in serious danger!"
My voice had raised a few octaves and I struggled to lower it. "Would you please try to keep your position in mind, somewhat," I hissed.
At his stunned look, I lost control. Grabbing the fastening on his cape, I yelled, "You-are-going to get someone killed!"
We had been down this road before, Gutts and I. As good as his word, Griffith had never again asked me to look after our comrade. However, I repeatedly found myself monitoring and reprimanding the man's actions. I simply could not understand why Griffith tolerated his blatant disregard for orders.
Gutts looked totally bewildered by my assault on his person. My hands were clenched tight in his collar, as I tried to pull him down to my level. Unsuccessful, I then pushed up on my toes to reach him.
Over the course of three years, Gutts had developed physically. He now towered over me; his chest and shoulders were broad and sturdy. Daily exercise and brandishing that monstrosity of a sword kept his biceps and forearms well toned.
Staring up at him, my gaze was full of hostility; however, the feminine part of me had to acknowledge that he was still handsome. Unlike Griffith's genteel elegance, Gutts had more of an earthy appeal.
His ebony hair was cropped short and spiked over his masculine head. His face had lost its boyishness, although he was able to feign enough raw innocence at moments like this. Although he was fairly attraction, that perpetual scowl and the wildness of his eyes kept the bar maids and court ladies at bay.
I heard Gutts sigh; he then swatted away my hand from the folds of his collar and turned his back.
"I apologize," he said softly. "It won't happen again."
This was Gutts way of ending my tirade. His attempts to pacify me was his subtle way of telling me to go away, leave him alone or that he was tired of hearing me speak.
"You always say that," I sneered. "You're always insincere; you just repeat the same thing."
Over a year ago, Gutts had ceased arguing with me. Our earlier disagreements had resorted to name calling, browbeating and had occasionally ended in drawn swords. To this day, I was ignorant of the reason he had stopped; however…
"You haven't changed at all," I continued. "Not since you jumped on Griffith three years ago."
"All you care about is swinging your sword against others. You don't care at all about the lives of the men you lead. You don't care about anything!" My voice rose again and I jammed a finger in his direction, annoyed by his relentless silence.
"You're just a mad dog!!!" I finally shouted.
Gutts responded with a viscous growl and grabbed my wrist in a crushing grip. That wild look had returned to his eyes and they glittered down on me.
"Say it again!" he invited dangerously. "Say it again… if you dare!"
He didn't scare me, as I had been on the receiving end of that glare before and had witnessed it countless times of the battlefield. However, something held me silent. His words were delivered with same intensity as his request not to be touched; therefore, I held my tongue and waited for him to get a grip on himself.
"Why don't you two calm down?"
Turning to the voice of reason, Gutts and I looked down the stairs to find our leader standing at the bottom.
"Griffith!" I gasped, surprised by his appearance.
"Caska… may I speak to Gutts alone for a moment?"
Yes… I sniffed with disdain, he would speak to Gutts and nothing would change. He would still do as he pleased and Griffith would allow it.
Wrestling my arm from Gutts grip, I snatched away and headed down the stairs. As I passed by our leader, I was determined to have my say.
"Griffith, you are way too soft on him."
It was the best I could muster at the time. Exiting the tower, I continued outside and left the two men to talk in private. I swear, sometimes I believed that Griffith actually encouraged Gutts' actions.
Stepping outside, I wiped a hand across my brow as I felt a headache forming. Turning down the stairs, I saw Corkus and a few of his cohorts leaning casually against the wall and the dull ache at the base of my neck increased. Just great, I thought grimly. This was all I needed after dealing with Gutts.
"Why bother, Caska?" Corkus stated. "You know that he's Griffith's favorite pet. You can't win, so you might as well get used to it."
"Of course, I am always here for you if you decide to get rid of him," he continued sinisterly. "Caska," Corkus appealed. "You and I could take care of him and no one else would have to know."
I let him ramble on; one altercation a day was my limit and I had just exhausted myself with Gutts. With a sigh, I proceeded down the stairs. It was by chance that the heel of my boot slammed down hard on Corkus' instep.
My fool of a comrade grunted in pain. As I reached the bottom stair, I heard him take a tumble.
"Damn it!" I heard Corkus moan.
"Sorry," I threw over my shoulder tiredly. Without looking back at his crumpled form, I went in search of a poultice and some peace of mind.
xXxXx
Gathered at a small chapel, the Hawks and I stood amongst the elite of Midland royalty. Griffith was becoming a Knight, one of the highest honors a mere mercenary could ever hope to achieve. The king had finally acknowledged our efforts and our leader's perseverance had finally paid off.
As we watched, the king's low monotone echoed through the hall; however, it could not drown out the disapproving murmurs from his peers and subjects.
"This is absolutely absurd… a rogue mercenary being Knighted," one said.
"What on earth is the king thinking?" another high nasal whine inquired.
"The Hawks were a great help on the battlefield." Finally, a supporter.
"Nonsense… these men would be nothing more than thieves without this war." Unfortunately, for most of us, that was very true.
"Nevertheless, their services are still necessary…"
The voices droned on and on. Not only did I have to listen their highhanded opinions, but I was also subject to overhearing Corkus' rubbish as he stood next to me.
"You see that," he boasted. "They have no choice but to honor us for distinguishing ourselves in battle. Isn't that right, Ricket?"
At the boy's nod, Corkus continued.
"At last, it's farewell to the humble mercenary life. We've been formerly admitted into the king's army"
"We-are-in the middle of a ceremony, Corkus!" I emphasized with a hiss. "Would you please try to exercise a little decorum?"
My request was met with silence. With a sigh, I went on to explain. "From now on, our behavior will reflect on Griffith and everyone will be watching us. There is no longer any excuse to act like boorish mercenaries," I continued. "We've come too far."
"Okay, okay, I understand, Commander Caska… Ma'am.," Corkus added sarcastically. Geez… she's even worse than my mother," he muttered under his breath.
My head snapped around at his words. "What was that?" I growled and then, remembering where we were, I looked around to make sure no one heard me.
"Hey… we… we're at a ceremony!" he stuttered, as my eyes spoke volumes. How dare he even compare me to that tyrant that birthed him?
I shot Corkus a dirty look and reigned in my emotions. Settling down, my eyes did a turn about the small chapel and, suddenly, I realized that one of us was missing.
"He's disappeared again," I gasped, thinking of Gutts. "Where is he?"
Probably off somewhere practicing with that monstrous sword, I gathered. He was definitely not one to rub elbows with the nobles. However, regardless of that, he should be in attendance, if only to show his support of Griffith.
A round of applause drew my attention and I blushed, ashamed at my own lack of focus. Looking towards the front of the chapel, I saw Griffith kneel and kiss the tip of the king's sword. The ceremony was over and our leader was officially a knight, but then… he had always, since the day he saved my virtue and quite possibly my life, been my knight in shining armor.
xXxXx
In an enclosed tent, Griffith, Gutts, Corkus, Ricket, Pippin and I stood and listened as Judeau gave us the layout of the enemy supply base.
We were surprised to hear Griffith order a frontal attack. Although it was a small base, our leader was concerned about pre-alerting the garrison of our intentions. He explained that our main objective was to capture the supply base as soon as possible. By attacking directly, we would eliminate the possibility of a full-scale battle.
"So, what's our formation?" Corkus inquired.
"Gutts and Caska's companies will take the lead and attract the garrison's attention," Griffith began. "With them engaged, the main company will then charge the front gate and head straight for the armory. We will begin the siege as soon as preparations are complete."
The order was given; each party nodded in agreement and our small group began to disperse.
"Oh, boy!" Corkus groaned aloud. "It looks like Gutts is going to get all the credit again."
I saw Gutts stop and slowly turn to confront Corkus. His face was impassive and he never uttered a word, but then, I had learned to read those eyes sometime ago. My fool comrade was treading on thin ice at the moment.
"That's right," Corkus provoked the dark warrior. "You want to step outside?"
That put a crack in the already thinned surface. So foolish… I cannot imagine that idiot had the gall to challenge Gutts. Was he ready to die? Drawing my sword, I sliced the air between them to cut the tension.
"Caska!" Corkus gasped, as both men turned to me.
"Griffith gave those orders," I spat and the look I gave dared him to dispute it.
The muscles in Corkus' face twitched, before he turned his face to the side and spit in anger. With a sneer, he turned and walked out of the tent. I was sure that he was cursing me and/or Gutts.
Sheathing my sword, I turned back to my silent comrade. With Griffith's newly appointed status, I felt I had to keep Gutts on a shorter leash than usual. For once, instead of lecturing with him, I decided to appeal to his common sense.
"We cannot afford to squabble amongst ourselves anymore. We are no longer mercenaries," I stated quietly. "Things have to change."
Again, I was met with silence. Those brown eyes turned to me, but his face was carved in stone.
"Now, look… you have been given specific orders!" My composure began to fail. "Do-not-run off," I emphasized hotly.
Those heavy brows drew together in a frown, but he just stared at me. Suddenly, without a response, he turned and left the tent.
"Gutts… wait!" I yelled after him. Well… so much for appealing to his common sense. It was clear the man didn't possess an ounce of it and, not only that, but he had also snubbed me.
"Damn him," I thought. "Of all the insufferable…" I continued the expletives in my mind as I made to go after him. He was going to listen; I swore it, even if I had to beat him senseless.
"Caska!"
I stopped suddenly, as a hand clamped down on my shoulder and turned to find Griffith standing behind me.
His hand was warm, his touch gentle. I felt the heat of his palm through my clothes and I bade myself not to blush. Staring into his ice blue orbs, my anger evaporated in an instant.
"I'm depending on you, Caska!"
That was all that he said, but then… that was all I needed to hear. Speechlessly, I nodded and suppressed the urge to blush again as he smiled down on me. My insides had turned to mush and I nodded a response. Griffith needed me and for now… that's all that mattered.
xXxXx
The second and third companies burst through the gates of the enemy. As always, Gutts was the first to enter battle and the first to have his sword stained with his opponent's blood.
Just like before, I took out my frustrations on every man I faced and was still able to keep my eye on Gutts. He was not hard to find, with that huge broadsword and the bodies piling up.
We had narrowed the numbers of the first line's defense, when Griffith's company stormed through the gates. Immediately, my eyes flew to Gutts. He was engaged with two soldiers, but wasted no time taking them down. Suddenly, he turned his steed and turned to follow the main company.
"Not again!" I growled. The bloodthirsty fool was breaking formation… again. Pulling hard on my mounts reins, I took off after him.
"Gutts… what the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled, trying to approach his left flank.
"Get out of here… now!" he yelled back and struck back with his sword, missing my horse by mere inches.
"Get back… arghhh… Gutts!!!"
My anger knew no bounds at this point. Gutts had clearly lost his senses. He was like an injured animal that needed to be put out of his misery. The more I raced after him, the more the idea appealed to me.
I could hear Gutts shouting something to Griffith; our leader then raised his sword and signaled to retreat. Pulling back on my mount, I brought her to a halt. It was then that I noticed the smoke from the storage sheds and the explosion that followed.
"Everyone… take cover!!!!" I yelled to the men.
The first explosion caused a chain reaction; several more sheds in the rear armory detonated. Our companies stayed low and out of range until the blasts finally stopped.
Standing up, I looked around to what was left of the supply forte. The enemy had chosen to destroy their own provisions or… had it been a trap? The more I considered the situation and recalled Gutts' reaction; I realized that he had saved us.
The thought did not sit well with me. Ungraciously, I could only think that his heroics only brought him that much closer to Griffith. With a sigh, I had to admit that without Gutts impulsive actions, our leader could now either be severely injured or… worse.
As I stood there, trying to sort my feelings, I heard footsteps approaching. Looking over my shoulder, I saw my nemesis standing behind me.
"What's bothering you now?" Gutts asked gruffly.
What was bothering me, I asked myself. Griffith was alive, that was my only concern… that should be the only thing that mattered, not my selfish feelings. It did not matter who saved him, as long as he was still with us.
"If you've got something to say then say it," Gutts snapped. "You've never had a problem reprimanding me before!"
"Shut up!" I rounded on him. "It's just…" I began and then took a deep breath to calm myself. "I just wanted to say that… you're actions on the battlefield today were right."
"I was just disobeying orders… like always," he stated.
"It's different this time." I looked away from his intense stare. "You were just desperately trying to protect Griffith, but… I didn't understand that," I admitted.
Swallowing my pride, I looked him in the eye. Damn it! I never thought it would come to this… that I would have to…
"I mean… what I really want to say is… thanks; I was…wrong." Lowering my eyes, I moved to walk away and managed to mumble, "I'm sorry" as I brushed past him.
With leaden feet, I headed towards my horse and looked up to find Griffith staring at me. His eyes were smiling and he nodded in approval. That small gesture did nothing to alleviate my confused feelings; if anything, it only enhanced them.
To be continued…