The Persecuted

Chapter 11

The wagon in front came to a halt and Adan pulled the reigns to stop their wagon as well. He watched Tess meet up with another rider from the oncoming troupe. It looked like the conversation was friendly enough. He could hear her laughter echo down the road. When she finally returned her expression was far from someone who was having a good time. The three wagons passed by with the riders keeping a close eye on them. It was a merchant group and the guards they had looked professional with chain mails and well kept weapons. Their stance on the horses made it clear they knew what they were doing.

“They've passed,” Jonas said to Kal in the back of the wagon. The bald man peeked out, crossbow still in hand.

“We need to talk,” said Tess. She had rode up. Lars and Bigs had already climbed off the wagon in front and were walking towards the back of it.

Kal nodded and went back inside the wagon to get himself glasses just in case. Adan and Jonas hopped off the wagon and walked up to meet Lars and Bigs.

“What's going on?” asked Jonas.

“She'll tell us all,” said Lars and nodded towards Tess. She was dismounting and securing her horse to one of the wagons. Having done that she walked over to Nora's wagon and opened the back door.

“You'll need to hear this too, Nora,” she said and the blonde woman appeared at the door. She didn't step out into the rain that had made its way to them now. She looked tired and made Adan wonder what she was doing inside the thing all day for that to happen.

“What's going on Tess?” demanded Kal as he huffed over.

“I got some news from the merchants that just passed by,” said Tess and removed her riding gloves and smacked them against her thigh. She gave everyone a look. “They say a war has broken out in the north.”

A moment of silence passed as everyone tried to come to terms with the news.

“So the rumours were true,” said Kal in a grim tone.

Tess nodded. “They say troops from Baneholm crossed the border and sacked some of the northern most villages before the mountains. The troops from Seven Frost are moving to intercept. By the time we get there it'll be an all out war zone.”

“Right in our path,” muttered Kal and cursed.

“Going through a war zone isn't going to be easy,” said Lars. “They'll check everything that much more thoroughly.”

“I don't think we should risk it,” said Tess. “We go around, it'll take some more time, but at least it will be safer.”

“Why did they start the war now?” asked Adan. Politics wasn't something he was well aware of.

“Baneholm and Seven Frost have been arguing over the north for a long time. This isn't the first time they're warring over it and probably not the last time either,” said Kal.

“Ever since they carved up the old kingdom of Vealn between the two of them they've been fighting where the border should be,” said Bigs in a rare moment of talking.

“Can we even get around the conflict zone?” asked Jonas. “The two pretty much make up the entire border with the mountains.”

“They're not going to be fighting all along the border, just the disputed area,” said Lars.

“That'll still add weeks to our travel,” said Kal. None of them looked too happy about it.

“Are we in any particular hurry?” asked Adan, drawing looks. He looked away. “As far as I can tell there's nothing urgent waiting for us where we're going. What matters is that we get there safely. If I've understood things correctly.”