GARED

The cold bothers Gared's thoughts. From what Old Yakken have said to him, he thought that, he should have end the life of his ally, burn his body and left it in the cold wind that blows far from north where they have seen the man. But he is a sworn rider, once you announced that you are a part of the Riders of the North, you shall not leave your companion wounded, nor half-dead. They are brothers who sworn to set eyes into the Unseed Lands of the North, protect each other in every harm that they will encounter, and shall return into Ravenhal.

Gared, a childhood bestfriend of the King, was still on the process of accepting the fact that his bestfriend was now the ruler of every folks he knew in the north.

But that knowing about his friend slowly faded when King Charles II vanished, and the seventeen years old Adam is the one who is named to be the ruler of Ravenhal. Gared took a vow to join the riders and see what is beyond those walls that stands against everything. They took their own paths, they live in one stronghold yet they seem so far from each other. They do not know each other well like they knew themselves before.

They both entered a room where seven men gathers around a bed, a man lies there, eyes were shut yet it seem that he sees things, terrible things, he thought. The man was soaked by his own sweat, but he is still covered by a thick blanket for he shivers like a naked man, standing in an open field into the Gravelands.

"Gods, what is his name?" The King asked, his eyes lingers into the man who suffers pain.

"It's not important anymore, my lord. He'll die sooner." A man from the riders that Gared totally knew have spoken without manners.

"You haven't greet your lordship yet you act like a featherheaded man, Wilson." Gared stated, the man who spoke muttered something that Gared did not heard. He's always like that, he thought. The King already knew about Wilson's nature, he thought. "The name's Rickard Lamon, m'lord. New face in the riders, nineteen of his age." Gared announced, standing at ease.

"I told you Gared, we should've not taken him back, this lad is dead when we found him in Gravewoods!" Again, Wilson protested, he sound like Old Yakken speaking— in a younger tone, he thought.

Gared noticed that the King is still staring at the boy, analyzing whatever he seeks. Gared knew, the King's order it is, yet he did never spoke about it to anyone else, even with his brothers at arms. The King did not react on Wilson's rudeness, yet he calmly listened to the whining man.

"He is our brother, Wilson. Have you forgotten your vows?" Gared spoke, the other six people inside the room, some of them sighed, some of them rolled their eyes.

"A bewitched man, he is! Look at him, we should have end his pain! I declare it mercy, Gared! Mercy! The boy is suffering!" Wilson raised his voice, catching his lordship's attention.

"Where are your manners, Wilson? Aren't you the son of Leon Grost- he is your father, am I right? The adviser of my father when he is still alive? Does your father taught you to show foolishness in front of your king?" The King finally spoke. Gared was startled, he flushed of embarassment in front of everybody. Gared told Wilson to show more courtesy for their King, yet this happens, he thought. Everyone knew that Wilson Grost is five years older than Adam, he always protest about everything he thought was right.

The room was silenced. The King's eyes landed on Wilson who is now also embarassed yet slightly pissed.

"These boy is our men and he is your brother. I must ask questions to him. Quits, summon the priest." The King ordered. Quits, a young rider stood up and bowed, the he exits the room without saying any words for he is a mute.

"M'lord, you haven't took your breakfast yet, shall I—" Gared finally had the will to speak yet Adam cut him off.

"A bread in a plate and a warm coffee would suffice, thank you." His lordship nodded and gave a command. He bowed down and went outside to go into the kitchenette where the food of the King is cooked, and where his parents work. "Take Wilson with you, talk to him about manners and respecting his kingship."

"Will do, m'lord." Gared slightly nodded and look where Wilson stood, frowning like a smoldered child.

Both of them exits the room. On their way, he hears Wilson mutters. "Should have killed him."

Gared sighed. "You heard our king, we can't do that. It's against our vow, and you must abide it."

"You've heard stories about bewitched man, you do! How dare you to let things like this happen, huh? The King, he's out of his mind, letting a curse enter his gates is his foolishness!" Yes, he did heard stories about witches casting curses and whispers into men, even in animals, he thought.

What witches do are beyond nightmare, it's unspeakable. But he must follow what his friend told him to do. He do not follow an order from a King, he is holding a promise he kept for almost a decade— and that is to find Vecypia, Adam's long lost sister, and the girl he wants to be with for the rest of his life. It is hard, indeed, but they have the best memories to be cherished, Adam, Vecypia, and him, it was.

"We must do our job and follow the King's order, the first one did not survived, the second one also died in the ride back home, and now, we must test our luck." Gared tried to cheer up the pissed man who walks beside him. "And please, do not show that kind of attitude in front of our king anymore, you're embarassing yourself— and your family." Gared tried to somehow, bend the conversation for a reason.

Wilson sighed, gently closing his eyes. "Well, it is true, it's foolish for him to... secretly bring back a bewitched man from the Gravesland." Now, he is more calm and normal.

"But, this might help us." Gared pointed out.

"In what fucking way, huh?"

"We might know where on seven hells those Signus are hiding. If we might discover where it is, King Arwán will send the High Command to defeat those bitches who roams in our kingdom." He crossed his arms to his chest, imagining to his mind how the armors of the High Order shines even in the darkness, their glaives sharp like it was crafted by a god.

"High Command my arse! Those pretty men who wears thoss shiny armor are the one who is fucked with their butt holes! They won't against a single witch! Hahahaha!" Wilson laughed like an idiot, he never had a glimpde to a knight from the High Order in person. He just hears story about them, but Gared knew what they really were.

Back when they were children, Adam invited him to join their journey into Varrynsé, the city capitol of the realm. There, they saw Raymund Thaár, the legendary warrior from the stories they have heard. Even though Sir Raymund was old, in the age of fifty four, he still wields the sword from the spirits that was given by his father, a big sword it was, thick as a man's leg, sharp, and can cut a stone pillar in one swing. It has the markings of the Ents that lives somewhere in the mystical forest in the east. Gared was lucky that day that he had the chance to shook his hero's hand, Sir Raymund also ruffled his hair and gave him words, 'A knight do not fight because of hatred, they fight for those he has sworn to protect.' That converstation was almost a dream for a boy of cooks like Gared, yet it became his motivation to join the riders to prove himself.

"Say what you want. It's you anyways." Gared just ended the conversation when they reached the kitchenette. His father was not there to greet him, only his mother.

"Good gracious! You're back?" His mother's eyes widened, she stopped whatever she's doing with the onions.

"I should have go here first and let you know that I'm here, but I must apologize that there is an urgent moment in the barracks that needs my presence." Gared stated, hugging his mother tight as he could for he do not know when will be the last time he could embrace his mother again. "Where is father?"

"I believe that he went into the farm— oh, gods! The farm, there were nothing to be harvest there, I fear. Your father just went there to check something but, he did not tell me what it is." Gared's mother startled, her face was slightly pained with the thoughts about the kingdom's farm.

"Aye, the farm does not look good like what my brother said." Wilson agreed, nodding his head. "By the way, we came here for the King's breakfast, madam Liya. Is it prepared?"

Gared, on the other hand, was thinking about what might his father will check on the farm if there is no to harvest such as healthy wheats and juicy fruits. He thought, the rumors were true about farms in the realm, getting infested by worms and crows.

"Wilson, do me a favor, please? Go back to the king with his food, I must go to my father and speak with him." Gared know that Wilson do understand such matters, Grosts have the best cares for family in the north.

"Will do." Wilson agreed immediately with a slight smile on his face.

"Mother, please give it to Wilson here. I shall go to father and check upon him." Gared smiled into his mother and ran outside. He was curious and worried at the same time, for he have heard stories in some small towns from their travel, rumors about men speaking to crows, most of them are farmers who goes into their farms, and his father is a farmer.