A Tale of Wolves and Sheep (a For Honor inspired story)

Chapter 4 (William)

-Wonderful art by Kaaz.Dovah

William stood frozen as the blood of the executed seeped through the crevices of the wood platform. He watched as two of the soldiers dragged the body away. His trance snapped away as he felt a hand suddenly place on his shoulder. He glanced over to see Ser Rickon with an assured look on his face. "You did good lad." he said, "Try not to dwell on it too much though, it'll start eating away at you." 

William's eyes shifted to the body being carried away before looking back at Rickon, "Does it ever get better?" he asked meekly. 

Rickon sighed, "With lads like him?" he glanced at the execution block, "No, I can't say it does. but you do it enough times you just get better at hiding how it gets to you." he paused for a moment, "It's getting late, try to get some rest. You deserve it." He pat William on the back, creating a brief clank sound as his metal gauntlet hit his armor. 

William didn't say anything else, just simply nodding as he started to walk down the steps of the platform. "What the fuck you all still standing around here for? Get back to your barracks you bloody twats!" Rickon shouted, causing the other conscripts to scatter and return to their barracks. 

William glanced up seeing the large amber statue in front of him. He felt as though the eyes behind the decorated warden helmet encased in the crimson rock was judging him. The moonlight gleaming behind the red transparent stone created a scarlet glare that glistened off of his shined armor. He left the courtyard not as a mere watcher of criminals, but a castle executioner. He made his way back to his quarters and shut the door behind him. He quickly searched for a rag to clean the blood off of his axe blade. He managed to pluck one off of his desk and sat down to start cleaning the tainted weapon as fast as he could. Killing Vikings was one thing to him. They were the enemy, invaders from another land stealing and killing his own people. The person whose head he just cut off was nothing more than boy begging for his life. 

He felt a bit at ease once the blood was cleaned off of his blade, now putting away his weapon on the other side of the room and keeping it as far away from him as he could. After spending some time removing his armor, he placed the silver plated suit on the armor stand and retired for the night. 

The next morning his eyes slowly opened to the small rays of light piercing through the cracks and seams of the stone walls. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked over to his suit of armor and sighed. He knew another day of work was ahead of him, but had hoped time it wouldn't end in a beheading. It was hard enough for him to sleep after what had happened, but its in the past now. He would need to learn to let go. It was his duty to enforce the oaths of the Chain after all. 

Once he finished putting on his armor, he picked up his poleaxe and left his chambers. He remembered how Ser Rickon recommended he keep his helmet on to look intimidating towards the other conscripts so that they wouldn't try breaking their vows. But after breaking one man's neck and beheading another, William no longer believed that to be necessary. He held his helmet in one hand and his weapon in the other. It was early in the morning with the sun having only risen moments ago, so not many conscripts were in the courtyard and only a handful of them with a few soldiers were patrolling the walls and towers. He made his way to the mess hall to get himself some breakfast. 

There were only a few people in the hall; fort officers and the fort cook. It was quiet and when William entered the small number of individuals in the hall glanced at him before going back to their meals. He got himself a plate of bread, fish, and a horn of ale to wash it down. Commander Mance and Ser Rickon didn't seem to be in the hall yet, as they weren't at the elevated center table. He felt odd sitting up there without them so he settled for one of the officer tables instead, eating his breakfast and trying to keep last night's events off of his mind.