The Tribes of K'haren - Completed

Chapter 26.1

'Then what are we still waiting for?' Corvaer asked angrily, struggling to keep control over his voice. It wouldn't be wise to shout out loud in the middle of a meeting. Everybody's glances lay on him, only the queen started into the distance, overlooking them all from her high throne.

'We're waiting for pain and hatred.' The queen's voice explained, leaving Corvaer to be rather confused.

'But didn't you just say there were now enough of it in K'haren for us to cross the borders?'

'Indeed, there is. But, newbie, going there alone won't suffice. Remember rule one, we cannot attack unless attacked first, it is physically impossible. We need their fear and pain and hatred and all those things to manifest so they'll be desperate enough to strike first, or did you want to go there, build up a camp and sing around a nice little fire?' Cold laughter dropped to the ground. Nobody except for the queen dared to laugh.

'So we just wait?' Corvaer asked, still angry.

'No, you fool, things are cooling down over there, if we wait, we might lose our chance.' One of the other officers couldn't keep his mouth shut. Though losing their chance didn't seem like too bad a thing to Corvaer. He shook his head, he didn't know where such thoughts sometimes came to him from. It must be something to do with his past, though most memories were too blurred for him to see without the queen's help.

'Then what are we going to do?' he asked, back to his angry self.

'We'll send a small troop over, fan some fear, see what happens. If they think we'd spread all over their lands, they might panic and chaos, as you should know, is a very powerful weapon.' The queen explained calmly.

'And which troops to you intend to send, your majesty?' Corvaer asked with some more dignity.

'Well,' she said, thinking he was rather annoying with all his questions, but interesting nonetheless. At least he didn't just blindly follow her like all the others. 'Yours, for a start. After all, you are the controller of chaos. And I'll send Elgron with you, his experience should be able to back up your lack of it.'

Corvaer looked over at the man she'd mentioned. He was rather short and his hair must once have been of a light colour but in the dim light it just looked greyish despite his young appearance. Corvaer didn't approve of her choice at all, Elgron was indeed experienced, one of her closest counsellors, but he was also a strict man, always sticking to all rules and reigning over his troops more with force than intellect. A voice within Corvaer's head told him to ask why exactly Elgron had to come and not one of the other, less orthodox, officers, but he knew it wouldn't be wise to test his queen's patience again. With determination, he told the voice in his head to shut up.

'I shall send you once night falls over their lands, this way, you'll have time to adapt and figure out what to do. But I cannot tell you where exactly you'll end up, it's always a bit messy around there.' The queen explained, smiling broadly for no obvious reason at all. 'Leave now, inform your troops, get them ready and meet me again once you're done.'

Both Corvaer and Elgron got up simultaneously, bowing to the queen and leaving the room. The other officers remained seated, patiently awaiting the queen's orders for them. The door closed with a silent thud and Corvaer couldn't help sighing, drawing Elgron's attention right on himself.

'So, newbie, are you excited?' the man asked. His young face and voice didn't fit the image of a very old soul that had served the queen for centuries already. He'd once been a Phraio, as Corvaer matter-of-factly noticed. Remembering the question, Corvaer nodded absentmindedly. Then they both walked down the long grey corridors in silence until they parted ways at the third crossing, Elgron turning to the left while Corvaer took the right turn to find his troops outside.

Since they were meant to stir trouble, the queen thought it wasn't appropriate for them to live inside the well organized castle, instead, they were the only troops to stay outside in tents they built up themselves without any order or command. At first, Corvaer had found it rather difficult to assemble his troops for they were constantly moving, they couldn't stand still for a moment, but now he'd gotten rather used to them. Chaos was indeed their spirit. When he found them, they were being as chaotic as always: Some of them were eating, a few were asleep, two were in a violent fight and one was about to relieve himself not far enough to be out of sight.

With a sigh, Corvaer raised his voice and told them about the changed plans. He realized it would be particularly difficult to get this troop to pack their things and be ready at any time from now on, but it was his duty. It took some actual butt-kicking and a lot of swearing for them to get to it, but once they all seemed to at least be trying to be helpful and obedient, Corvaer snuck away, hoping none would notice. Sometimes, they could be like a group of children, all asking for his help with whatever they just struggled to do.

Gladly, he had one trustworthy soldier in his rows, a Phraio woman who refused to be just as chaotic and clingy as the others as if she was trying to proof a point, though Corvaer was oblivious to what point that might be. He knew she, too, broke his rules sometimes, enjoying herself with some other soldiers, but he had given up trying to prohibit it once rumours about his affair with the queen had spread. Now all he wanted was a minimum of organization and at least the needed respect for them to take his orders, even if just at the threat of being moved to another troop, which, since all other troops were, would be much stricter.

Creeping through the dark, Corvaer made his way back to the castle, heading straight for the queen's private rooms. Once he arrived there, he paused and thought about it for a moment, she'd told both Elgron and him to meet her again, so she had probably not meant that kind of meeting. With a sigh, he turned around and walked along a few more halls, going to the throne room instead. There Elgron was already waiting for him. The good man had been waiting outside the door for who knows how long, just to not show off how much faster he was when it came to dealing with his troops. Corvaer didn't know whether he should be grateful or furious, he didn't want special treatment because he was new, he could very well handle things himself. Still it was nice to not be made look silly so he nodded at the man before following him into the room.

In that very moment, the voice in his head started again, talking to him about things he didn't understand nor want to hear. He got angry with himself, he hated the voice, it was a reminder of his past, trying to tell him things but never really getting anywhere. The voice had started talking to him right after he'd accepted the queen's offer and it had never gone away since, though sometimes, it seemed to Corvaer as if his actual voice were the new one and the other might be his old self. But he didn't want to think about it, so he just told his voice to shut up as always.

'Excuse me?' the queen sat on her throne with raised eyebrows and a very peculiar look.

'Yes, your majesty?' Corvaer asked, getting nervous because he'd obviously missed something.

'Did you really just tell me to shut up?' she asked, sounding somewhat between amused and furious.

'Oh...' he mumbled, blushing immediately, trying to come up with some excuse that didn't involve admitting his growing insanity.

// Has that ever happened to you? Speaking out loud without meaning to, I mean? Thank's for reading, don't forget to vote and comment!