History's Shadow I: Legends Born (Tahir Edition) #Wattys2014

Chapter Twenty - England (2/2)

Tahir hadn't been training long when they received word that men from the north were attacking a small village to the west. He immediately stopped what he was doing and jumped on Oraden's back with his bow and arrows.

"Halt!" Gavin shouted, chasing after them. But the drink in his belly sloshed heavily and quickly winded him. "You don't have any armour, you bloody fool!"

Tahir heard his warning, but didn't want to waste time going back; he didn't own any armor anyway. The soldiers and knights armored themselves and gathered their weapons, but Tahir was already long gone. They bolted through the forest under the shroud of invisibility; the only sign of their presence was the sound of sticks being crushed under Oraden's cloven hooves and the rapid breath through his flaring nostrils. Within minutes they arrived at the small farming community that provided much of the food for the castle and the nearby towns with which they bartered. There were some soldiers stationed there, but not enough to defeat an invading army.

Remaining unseen, Tahir let go of Oraden's mane and squeezed his legs as he readied his bow. As soon as he was within range, he fired. The foreign soldier dropped. Of course, no one knew where the arrow came from, or the arrows that followed. One by one, the men from the north fell. As they galloped closer, Tahir abandoned his bow for his sword. He gripped Oraden's mane when the unicorn reared and stomped and kicked the attackers; Tahir slashed, snatching weapons from their hands as he rode by.

The Norsemen panicked, fearing spirits protected the village. They stumbled over each other to escape the invisible attackers. The battle lasted but a few minutes before the Norsemen retreated, fearing they must have angered the gods. The townspeople cheered; the saints had intervened and protected them from the heathens of the north. They threw stones as the terrified Norsemen ran for their lives.

The cavalry showed up just in time to see Tahir and Oraden become visible again. No one knew how to react to such magic. He saved their lives, but from where did his power come? Magic was supposedly the work of the devil, but he fought for the king's people. He must be good, they thought. After a moment's hesitation, they swarmed him, cheering and asking hundreds of questions, and admiring Oraden. Tahir beamed and stuck out his chest.

His first victory was most certainly not to be his last. Life in England was hard; they were constantly under attack from competing kingdoms and countries. He accompanied the knights into battle, typically lending his arm to the longbow men, but also helping the knight's suit up and preparing their horses. He occasionally got caught up in melee, fighting with cheap or worn armor and weapons; the high quality weaponry reserved only for knights. Not that he needed it: most found it difficult to attack someone who couldn't be seen.

In time, Tahir and Oraden became as battle-hardened as the others. Despite the violence, he kept his sense of adventure and child-like interest in the world. He enjoyed talking to the townspeople, eager to learn about them and fit into their society. Unlike his brothers-in-arms, who spent their free time in taverns or brothels, Tahir studied. He absorbed the knowledge preserved in books, and that which could be gleaned from exploring the natural world. He learned about the common animals of England. When he and Meelix studied the plants, they were able to modify gnome dishes by substituting ingredients native to England. They unsuccessfully searched for magical forests like Elysi.

His favorite pastime though, was finding excuses to be with Destiny. He often volunteered to guard the castle so he could watch as she oversaw food preparations, or studied in the library, or walked to the chapel. Whenever possible, he positioned himself in a location she would frequent. For her part, she found excuses to walk past his post often. She would smile and hold his gaze until she could do so no longer without walking backwards. Whenever she needed the assistance of a strong arm, and sometimes even if she didn't, Tahir was her arm of choice, even if she had to pass dozens of other guards and servants on her way to find him. Every task given to him, no matter how difficult or trivial; he treated with the utmost importance.