Chapter 33 Alert



-"Let them pass."- The king ordered one of the soldiers guarding the door of the throne salon. Vlad entered the salon accompanied by Maik. Both of them wore a severe expression. Expression that concerned the ruler. They made a reverence and greeted the king, who was talking with the Captain. The king spoke again. -"What is that urgent affair you bring today, gentlemen?"

-Your Highness, -Vlad spoke first - Yesterday in the woods, near the caverns in the southern hills, some hunters discovered a group of nomads ready to attack in that territory. They were fully armed and mounted on fine horses."

-"That is terrible! What happened to the nomads after they were discovered? Where did they go? Are the hunters unharmed?" -The king questioned.

-"They went nowhere, Your Majesty... we killed them... all of them... We are fine, just worried with this situation." - Maik answered.

-"You were able to kill all the nomads? That's a remarkable deed."- The king added.

- "How many of them were? Where are their bodies now?"- The captain inquired now.

- "They were five, milord. We left immediately to alert the villagers and send message to the villages around the area. They looked like mercenaries. Their bodies are in a clear near the first caves beyond The Pillars, following the stream that crosses the deep forests."- Maik answered.

-"Captain, give the order to search the area. Bring the bodies to examine their clothes and weapons. We need to know from which tribe they come and why were their horses fine beasts."- King Ataro commanded Captain Von Freidd. The chief officer left immediately making a reverence before he walked out the back door of the salon. Now he spoke to Maik and Vlad.

- "Thank you Maik for bringing this valuable information. Now you both return to your village. Prepare some weapons and gather some of the men to secure the area... Officer Vlad, you are released from your duties in the castle for today. Go and help your neighbors in this task. You can report tomorrow morning."

-"Yes your Majesty."- Both Maik and Vlad reverenced and left immediately.



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The soldiers rode swiftly through the woods. When they reached the area, they couldn't believe what they found... nothing... There was blood on the ground, some flesh residues over the moistened grass and dry leaves... but no bodies. Not a signal of the dead nomads was found. The soldiers split to cover more area... They searched in a perimeter that covered miles of circumference. The soldiers looked in the caverns around the area. They rummaged around the water stream, behind the bushes and literally lifted every stone in the zone.

There was no sign of the bodies... The logical rationale was that someone took the corpses and hid them... and the horses too. It was obvious the enemy, whoever it was, didn't want to be discovered... Who was this enemy and what was he after, was a mystery.

-"They are near, that is for sure. They couldn't be that far carrying with death bodies and injured horses, but where? We don't know how many of them are out there hidden in the woods or in the mountains. We have to go back to the castle now!"- Captain Von Freidd spoke and ordered to leave.

After the long search, the militia decided it was time to stop the mission. The soldiers needed to return immediately to the castle to give the voice of alert to the kingdom authorities. The only thing that was certain after the unproductive quest was that the enemy will strike ... but when or where?... or who? That was uncertain at that moment.

In the War Room, the officers of higher ranks were scheduling patrols and guard shifts. Messengers were leaving immediately to alert every village and province in the kingdom. It was not a war declared -yet- but nomads and barbarians, Visigoths and Vikings were a real terror in the past. But since the peace treaties were signed after the kingdoms in the Northern Continent were finally configured, these tribes had disappeared; conquered by wealthiest realms, Christianized or vanished in time and civilization.

The kingdom needed to be prepared. There were just a few chunks of information, but nothing concluding. They were five mercenaries from a nomad tribe. Which tribe or what region did they come from was not sure. Who hid the bodies or why it was an incognita. And where or who would they attack... nobody knew. But what was a fact was that these nomads were unmerciful assassins in their raids. They slaughtered all living thing; steal everything, destroyed villages and raped women and children. They were brutal and evil when they attacked. King Ataro needed to protect his people. He would move all his resources where they were needed and there was no time to be wasted.



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It was almost dusk in the Woods Village. The men had been preparing for three days, since the time the hunters came back with the terrible narrations. Everything that could be used as a weapon had being gathered to defend the villagers if they were attacked. There were volunteers making guard in shifts. Groups of three men patrolled around the village and the woods in the proximity every few hours.

The night was extremely cold. A chilling breeze from the north blew and made the bared trees howl. In the night there were the double of the number decided. In the woods it was darker and this village was more vulnerable for the location so far from the castle, any fortress or manor that held soldiers to protect them and the surrounding territories.

Everything was quiet... unusually quiet... scary quiet... the men thought... Suddenly there were heard screams from the farther extreme of the village. The guards that were near the well ran to where the screams came from. A moment after it could be seen fire and smoke coming from the roof of one of the cottages. Immediately it was a chaos. Everyone near the cottage woke up. Women and children were running to get water to turn the fire off.

Maik got up immediately. -"Stay here Maeh. Stay with mom. Hide in mom's dormitory and take some knifes with you. Do not leave, no matter what you see or hear!"- Maik ordered his sister, got dressed and left the cottage taking his dagger, bow and arrow with him. Once he was out, he could see the cottage in front of his on fire. There were people crying, screaming and running. Women were gathering water and men their weapons... But he was not able to see Am or Jocelyn... their cottage was the biggest, but the farthest in the village. It was settled at the very end of the neighborhood. There were no other houses next to it... Oh, no! I need to get there!



Am and Jocelyn woke up with the distant screams. It was a commotion outside. Am picked one of the carved swords that were displayed in the living area and Jocelyn grabbed a dagger. They were going to secure the front door and windows when a thunderous noise was heard. The front door was on the floor... A huge dark figure appeared in the shadows... It was a man but looked like a beast. He stepped in the cottage and short after a second man, as big as the first one was standing also in the entrance.

Am and Jocelyn were trembling. They stood one next to the other with their shaking hands holding their weapons. Both men looked at them fiercely. The second huge beast that entered scanned around the room and laughed. His voice was deep and in a thick accent he spoke. -"As soon as we kill these women and take the head of the Flanna to our master, there are plenty of valuable things here we can take with us."- Both of them laughed loudly. The monstrous men approached to the terrified women. With each step the floor trembled, making a pounding noise under their heavy feet. Am and Jocelyn were trapped. The ebony desk stopped their shaking bodies of moving backwards anymore. One of the beasts unleashed his long and rustic silver sword. He made one swing aiming Am. Jocelyn pushed away her daughter, making her fall in the cottage's ground. Short after a female sharp scream was heard... -"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"









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