Chapter 13: Yeah You Need To Leave
"Who is at our gates?" A voice called out for behind a quaint wooden gate at the northern side of the town proper of Mitre. There were a couple crop houses and stables beyond the city wall, which was more a collection of timber beams assembled rather than the fancier and more permanent stone and mortar structures of the more established, larger, and wealthier cities such as Jule was prior to the events of just one week past.
The march had been quite an ordeal for the party with lord Shenis, the now deposed lord of Jule, and head of house Savoy. His rag tag band of misfit warriors and the small cluster of his subjects whom they aided in escape from the city's fall had little supplies, and relied heavily upon the bow of Somme during their trek for almost all sustenance. The party moved with care however to protect and ensure all 23 noncombatants had reached the gates of Mitre, a nearby town to the southeast, further still away from Dol and their random invasion force. Mitre was a city of roughly 500 compared to Jule's prior 2000 people. The ruling clan, House Frit, under the lead of lord Waylon kept a peaceful city, established and maintained the city wall and guard, while not being a boisterous and well-polished group of elitist gentry.
"I said, WHO IS AT OUR GATES?" The voice called forth down to the large band. Often especially during the day a small family or so would have had the gates opened to them without any mind however, the size of the band seen from off in the distance gave alarm to the city and called for a shutting of the gates for investigation.
"Shenis Savoy of Jule, stands at your gates." The young lord called up at the guard seeking to disarm and gain entry. "We come from Jule where we have been sacked and betrayed. My people require food and water, and shelter from the elements. Those with me are my personal guard and all I could help escape from the collapse of the city. I seek to break words with lord Waylon."
The guard recognized the name of Shenis, however he was not about to be the one to open the gates and let a large band go through on his watch absent his lord's direct order. "You must wait here, and I will fetch my'lord."
"Can we not simply enter? And begin tending to my people's needs?" Shenis replied.
"You must wait outside the gates for me to fetch his lordship." The guard immediately left the post and sped off toward the lord's house. Unlike Jule and other places of note the smaller city's keep was merely a large wooden building in the center town. The guard hustled with true haste to purpose.
"Figures we'd get a reception like this rolling up with a gaggle of peeps." Dalton grabbed a seat as he spoke. To him this was as good a time as any to light up his pipe and maybe lay out for a good nap. Highlight and Shenis felt quite the opposite.
"Can they not see we have people that need tending? Young children and women." The knight huffed as he smacked his spear into the ground.
"More than that I am a noble, why am I being received with gates shut?" the young lord was not used to such treatment from a lord he had only so recently broken bread with back when he heled the convention of houses in his own home.
"Shenis, they are just being cautious, look at the size of our group." Dalton spoke as he rolled a bit of cloth over his eyes and laid back with his legs crossed.
"That makes no difference Dalton. A simple mercenary might not understand but honor and etiquette demand different behavior than we have seen." He stepped toward the resting mercenary as he made his point known. In spite of all the recent experiences and trends toward true wisdom, both in combat and life, Shenis was still much the spoiled noble, not rotten to the core mind you, but definitely still seeing the world through a different lens than the rest of those in his band, save highlight whom was raised practically as his brother. Of course a cluster of 30 unknowns marching up to a gate with several clad in armor and carrying weapons would alarm any smaller village, town, and city. Yet, this point seemed in the moment lost to Shenis.
An hour had passed. The sun was beginning to set and the impatience of the party had grown with each minute the gates stood barred. Many in the group were gritting their teeth in frustration, even the civilians were notably frustrated, mumbling curses and moaning for shelter and water.
"Alright!" The guard had returned once more the post. "My lord will see you. But only you Savoy!"
"I will take two of my bodyguards with me then." The guard and young lord argued about the allowance of bodyguards. As Waylon had not specifically approved the entry of a bodyguard let alone two.
"NOW QUIT BEING DIFFICULT Lord SAVOY!" the guard spouted once more.
"YOU OPEN THIS GATE OR SO HELP ME I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD BASHED IN GOOD AND PROPER!" As the insult and threat hit the wood and hinges to the gate began creaking as the entry to Mitre pulled open. Open to reveal the lord of Mitre, Waylon Frit pulling open the gate himself with his eldest two sons. They were dressed in their normal orange garbs. Waylon was an average height an build, roughly fourty in age with a thick beard and longer slicked back hair. The sons with him were merely young teenage boy a few years behind Shenis but still able bodies young men. All looked slightly weathered and less noble than many of the liege nobles Shenis was accustomed to seeing throughout his years in the moments seen. Even in battle most could be spotted simply from their gait and demeanor, and not from their heralds decrying their existence.
"We open the gates!" Waylon spoke as he moved toward Shenis to embrace and greet properly. His sons moved to gate to rest. Shenis still had a frown as the lord of Mitre moved toward him, though as he drew within touching distance the young lord forced a smile upon his lips for the purpose of the conversation and hospitality sought.
"Thank you for seeing me lord Frit." Shenis slightly bowed as he then extended his hand toward the lord. Waylon grabbed it without delay and shook firmly.
"Apologies, we do not know why you are hear and what your goals are in visiting us." Waylon explained. "Absent horses, and a supply cart. This must be something fishy. Therefore we must ask that you and I sit down inside and discuss what must and can be done going forward." Waylon's smiling words and handshake were still less than ideal and yet, because the lord had emerged to personally speak with Shenis, he knew he must and would be able to accept the invitation to plead their cause.
"Highlight, and Dalton." Highlight hearing the mercenary's name called moved over and gave the sleeping man a good stern kick to get his attention.
"WHAT, WHAT! I'M AWAKE!" Dalton stammered to his with his lit pipe still in his mouth for him to blow on as he situated himself. Shenis gave the order for the other fighters of the retinue to stay with the refugees while they entered. Wyalon lead the group into the city and once the three were firmly inside the sons at the gates shut it firm. The boys then caught up with their father as he led the way to his home. Shenis looked back toward the gate and stuck his tongue out at the guard who proceeded to shake his head with a frown at the rude gesture by noble.
"And they say I have no class." The wall guard said as he stuck his finger deep inside his left nostril in search of buried treasure.
The main keep for the city was as a long, single story cabin, made for its low cost and gathering needs of the city. Simple and functional was a very common theme for the people of Mitre.
Waylon ushered the guests inside and then all sat down on opposite sides of a long feasting table inside the building's main hall. "Pardon the lack of immediate entry and suspicion, had we received a rider or pigeon with your seal this may have been easier."
"Waylon, I would have done so had we not been just defeated in our home and had simply fought to recuse those you saw with me." The words caused the boys and Waylon to straighten up and see their eyeballs open wide to better attempt to understand the spoken words heard. This was new information to the people of Mitre and certainly for the lord.
"Jule has fallen? Really? Young Shenis, how were you so easily bested? And by whom?"
"Jule has fallen from our rule. A western noble led a force to the city and sacked it while I was on mission to the north, in Riserstead, mapping out Valtrex family movements and trop patterns." The words were becoming difficult to utter for the Savoy man. "I left the city in the care of my younger sibling and he was the one whom led the defense for the city." A lone tear slid down his left eye. Shenis quickly used his open palm to wipe it away he continued his explanation. "We can all but assume he is either imprisoned….or dead." The news fully floored the Frit men present. Their city was only a quarter the size of Jule and was not very far away. If the savoy forces and people could fall, how would the smaller military of the Frit house stand up to such a force.
"Who Was behind the invasion? Which house bares the blame for attacking you good Shenis?" Frit began scratching his chin wondering what words would be said next about this odd and chilling tale.
"It…was…Dol." The lord feared telling the truth but knew he shouldn't lie about such a fact. The words tightened the mood even further than just a moment ago. Shenis winced as he waited for a reaction or reply to the news from Waylon. He acted as he did at the gate, in part to try and get his people inside the gate before any discussion was had, making it less likely that they would be left out to the elements.
"SLAMM!" The elder of Frit's sons decided that is was his role to break the silence hanging in the air. "WE MUST ANSWER WITH BLOOD!" the teen screamed with the fervor, vigor, and arrogant confidence that only one without real combat experience could harness in conversation.
"ERIN, SIT DOWN!"
"But father!"
"MIND ME BOY!" Waylon pointed in the teen's direction as the order was given. Erin huffed as he sat back down, respecting his father but doing so in a poor spirit. He leaned back in his chair, checking out of the discussion. Waylon quaffed back a portion of his hair as he prepared an answer for the young lord. "Yeah, you need to leave." He twitched slightly while giving the verdict.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" Shenis and his guards quickly rose from their seats. Perhaps it was shock, but in reality it was anger. Anger at the reality that the people with them would not be off the road for the first time since the attack. "YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS LORD WAYLON!" Both palms pressed hard into the table as the young lord demanded a different answer.
"Shenis, you know I would love to aid you, to take your people in of the road, annex them to be my subjects. HECK! I'd even love to help you reclaim your seat in Jule." Waylon frowned as he spoke the words clearly hurt him to say. Twitching jerks in his facial expression were his best attempts to try and remain positive and fully gracious as host.
"THEN WHY NOT?" The young lord spoke back with even greater volume and gumption. He paused for a brief moment before in a more calm voice continued his query. "Why will you not just allow my people entry?" Eyes watered and swelled on both sides of the table and both understood the problem and troubles of turning these people away.
"Shenis….It's Dol." Lord Frit spoke. "They have standing military armies with greater number than the entirety of our cities combined. I cannot go making enemies of them." He slammed his palm vertically into the table while driving home the point. The army of Dol is massive, and difficult to defeat, even when engaging against light squads of men. They have the largest citizen count of any city by a wide margin. Where almost every other lord and army has a staunch limit of resources and manpower, Dol is not wanting in this realm. Waylon knew this. Waylon feared this. Thinking about his people and their meager city defenses and trained men. "Shenis, we have only 10 people in our standing military, plus a few other officers and pledged fighters. I can't go getting a target on our backs. We'd be crushed in an instant."
"Please." Shenis lowered his head as the words and favored seemed a distant dream now. "I need to get those people to a rest. I need to give them shelter. I have already failed them enough Waylon."
"Word travels slow, but it still gets around." Lord Frit retorted. "If I house them and then once the word reaching the men of Dol then within a fortnight I will be suffering the same scenario as you have. My family murdered, my city overrun and or destroyed, and my people dead…..I cannot risk this!"
"YOU ARE CONDEMNING THEM TO DEATH!" Shenis didn't want to see the civilians refused entry. He knew this march was in many ways too much for a poorly supplied band of young and old people. "Our houses have been allies for hundreds of years, and you break faith with us now….In favor of Dol."
"Not in favor of, but fear of." Waylon rose from his chair and moved toward the door to his home. "Leave this town now, and please live to one day allow me to beg for forgiveness. Waylon did want to help. However, he knew any aid could see its way back to house Bruin and then make themselves become a target for their invasion force. The lord of Mitre was not going to increase attention and ill will from the largest force in the continent. He opened the door and gestured them to go.
"BUT…!" Shenis was beginning a another plea, when a hand gripped his shoulder to gain his attention.
"Look, its not use and we're burning time, time we could be using to get are people somewhere more safe from the army nearby."
"Many might not make it to another place." The young lord hung his head in disappointment and shame. "If Mitre won't help, then who would."
"We can go to Riserstead!" highlight piped up. "We already have control of it and we can meet up with Calle's force and have a slightly better outfitted military, and help build homes and new lives for our people there." A defeated smile twitched up and then back to a frown on the face of Shenis. He understood the idea was solid, but Riserstead was a small village without even a wall and bringing this party all the way to them would mean nearly doubling the amount of people there. And yet, given the circumstances, as they were walked back to the gate, the young Savoy knew that his bodyguard was correct. Calle was there with her horsemen, and that was a better option than roaming about in continued blind faith hoping that other small house would shelter them from the most massive house in all the lands. As no other city controlled by noble family within any reasonable marching distance had any greater resources than the city of Mitre. It was Riserstead or nothing.
"So long Shenis Savoy." Waylon spoke as he waved to the band lord as they walked back outside the gate once more opened by the Frit siblings. "Please survive, and one day forgive em for being a coward, and not standing by you in your hour of need." The words were heartfelt and spoken with true earnest emotion behind them. The lord of Mitre wished to help, but felt compelled to work to the protection of his people and not the harboring of an enemy nobleman of house Bruin.
As they exited the gateway the boys quickly closed the gate, much to the disappointment and sour reaction of all left behind outside the gates for the meeting of the lords. Energy seemed drained as the gate firmly shut behind them. As if hope, which seemed just in reach, was now lost, or further and further away than ever recalled. "Will they not let us in?" a young boy asked looking up to Shenis. He couldn't even look him in the eye as he gave his reply.
"No. They won't allow us shelter." The words felt as if a cloudy fog had come about out of nowhere and removed all joy from the people. "Because of whom it was who attacked us. Lord Waylon fears that harboring us would only bring a similar fate to Mitre. And he cannot risk his people for us."
"Would other houses nearby feel similar?" Bryan asked as he tried to remember the other towns and cities nearby.
"We fear any house would have the same concerns of reprisal by the men of Dol."
"So what then? Do we die in the woods?" an old man squawked. True concern and confusion gripped the group. Shenis needed to set the path in motion and give his people a purpose one more time, and hope that they could muster the needed strength to march.
"We will break for Riserstead, a village we liberated from Valtrex earlier this year. Calle and her riders are there and we know there is no rival house to deny us entry and solace." The march forward would be three times as long as the one just taken and the supplies were already at a critically low level. While disappointment still reigned. Shenis could see a small, tiny glimmer of hope in their faces.
"I do fear we will be burying many on this march my lord." Highlight whispered into Shenis' ear. The lord nodded in agreement as he turned to reply.
"Yes, but we have to at least try. And we cannot stay exposed here."
"WELL PEEPS, WE CAN STAND AROUND AND SNIFF TREES AND DIRT, BUT I THINK IT BEST WE GET MOVING." Dalton hollered as he began strutting northward. As he began, soon others followed until all that was left in clear view of the gates were Highlight and Shenis. The two looked back upon the gate and at Waylon and his sons standing on the wall now, watching the party break and move on. No ill will was felt between either. Yes, Shenis didn't like the choice made by Waylon, he understood why it was made.
Making eye contact with heavy eyes one more time, the young lord raised his hand to wave goodbye toward his fellow noble. "I pray, one day Ashera frees… me…. from this shame." Waylon spoke with teary eyes as he raised his hand to wave in return. Shenis saw the wave and thus Highlight and him moved to join his people, still hungry, tired, and on the run.