My dearest love,
I hope you and the children are all well at home. It seems it's been forever since I last heard their laughter or your beautiful voice. I yearn for the day we are reunited, and I may finally embrace you in my arms. But though my love and longing for you are strong, my duty to the king is stronger, and I must continue to serve.
I've been stationed at a fort along the Southern border along with a small force of men, and we're far from the main battlefield as you had hoped. It's quiet in these parts, a little too quiet for some of my troops. One of my swordsmen is quite young. His energy knows no bounds, and the lack of action doesn't do any good to keep him still.
With any luck, this conflict will close soon and we may all return home. Until then, though, we'll have to-
The door burst open. Rhodes flinched and his quill jerked across the paper, leaving a stray trail of ink. He scowled at his letter, now ruined, and set his quill down.
"Captain?"
Rhodes, slightly irked, sighed and glanced up, but his annoyance quickly fell away when he saw who was waiting. Ellison, one of the scouts, hovered in the doorway. His face had been drained of all color, his breathing quick and shallow.
Ellison had always been an anxious child, but this was different. Ellison was too distraught to be simply worried. No, he looked terrified.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Rhodes set aside his letter. He'd have to finish it later. "Ellison, report."
Ellison snapped out of his haze and pulled himself together. "I-I was on patrol as you requested, sir, and I was traveling along the ridge when I saw them. I don't estimate that they're more than a half a day's ride away. We need to act now, sir. We won't stand a chance." He began to tremble. "You need to send a letter, ask for reinforcements. Hurry, when they-"
"Who's they, Ellison?"
He raised his eyes to meet Rhodes's gaze. "The enemy, sir."
"You must be mistaken. That's impossible."
"I saw them with my own eyes, sir."
The enemy? No, he didn't believe it. Rhodes stood from his desk and shouldered past Ellison, briskly walking down to the stables.
The enemy was pushing North, at least that was what Rhodes's last letter had said. They couldn't be heading here, unless... Rhodes swore under his breath. Of course, they'd been betrayed. The troops were congregated in the Northern territories, preparing for the enemy's supposed advance through the woodlands. And with nearly all fighting force directed there, it would leave the Southern border vulnerable to penetration and invasion.
"Captain," Ellison said as he walked beside Rhodes. "What are we doing? What's our plan?"
Rhodes strode into the stables. "We gauge our opponent, then hold down the fort." He led a horse out into the courtyard and slipped his foot into its stirrup, pulling himself up into the saddle. "What's the estimated number of troops approaching?"
"More than a hundred."
Rhodes's gaze darkened. More than a hundred? His troops were outnumbered, ten to one. They'd be slaughtered within minutes. He forced a breath out, swallowed back the incipient fear rising in his throat, and threw on a confident countenance. If the leader was hopeless, then the troops would be as well.
"But, sir," Ellison continued, "what about reinforcements? Shall we request them? I'll start drafting a letter for you."
"We aren't sending for them."
"But-"
Rhodes yanked on his reins and his horse circled to face Ellison. "Reinforcements are up at the Northern border waiting for an attack that's coming here," Rhodes said. "By the time they even break the wax seal on our letter, we'll all be dead. We don't have time to wait for higher orders. We need to act now."
"What's that I heard, Captain? An attack? Coming here?" Hopkins strode over and stopped beside Ellison, placing a rough hand on his shoulder. Hopkins looked down at Ellison and flashed him a grin. "This is my time to shine."
"Hopkins," Rhodes said. "Get a horse. You're coming with me." He turned his gaze to Ellison. "And you, ready the men."
Ellison gave a curt nod and scrambled off, crying the words, "Ready arms! Ready arms!"
As the fort was whipped into a flurry of panic and fear, Rhodes prodded his horse forward, riding through the gate and out into the open fields.
Their fort was established at the top of a sloping hill in the center of an expansive plain. The only fault of their location were the forested ridges boxing them in. It was impossible to spot the enemy until they had arrived at the top of the ridges, and by then, it would be too late to make preparations.
A moment later, Hopkins appeared beside Rhodes, frowning at the grave look on his Captain's face. "Brighten up, sir," Hopkins said. "This is how we prove our valor to the Generals. We were stationed here because they lacked faith in our abilities as a regiment. Well, now we prove them wrong."
Rhodes kicked his horse's side and it lurched forward, flying down the hill. "You're wrong, Hopkins. This won't turn into a glorifying opportunity as you believe it will. The enemy will beleaguer the fort, and we will die trapped within its walls."
"Well, then we meet them man to man on the battlefield. I'd rather not die cowering behind walls anyways."
"We'll neither fight nor be subject to siege."
Hopkins's face went blank as they crossed the plains and started up the ridge. Then after a moment, he said, "You don't mean to tell me we're retreating, do you?"
Rhodes kept his eyes straight ahead. "I do what I believe to be best for my troops."
"By fleeing? By turning tail and running like a dog?" Hopkins laughed, but it was everything but endearing. "You know, I looked up to you, Captain, but it turns out you're nothing but a coward."
"Watch your mouth, Hopkins," Rhodes snapped. "You're speaking to a man who's fought many more battles than you have. I've watched the enemy tear through the lines of our troops with barely any resistance. And I've watched my comrades, my friends, fall one by one at their hands. The enemy shows no mercy."
"If the enemy shows no mercy, then neither will we."
"I feel you aren't understanding, Hopkins."
"No, sir. I understand quite clearly. You're afraid the enemy could kill us all."
"Could? No, the enemy will kill us all."
"Well, that's not an excuse either way. We need to stay and fight. We need to take a stand."
"You want to take a stand against this?"
They reached the top of the ridge and Rhodes swept his arm out, gesturing to the rows upon rows of enemy troops marching through the valley. Hopkins's jaw went slack, his previous confidence faltering. Rhodes himself was a bit shaken as well despite Ellison having already informed him of the approaching troops. Seeing it with his own eyes, it struck a chord of alarm within him.
"Tell me now, Hopkins," Rhodes said, "do you still wish to fight?"
Hopkins swallowed, pressing his lips into a thin line as his gaze traveled across the valley. Then he straightened in his saddle and met Rhodes's gaze, his eyes alight with resolve and fire. "Should we die, sir, then we die with honor."
Rhodes sighed and shook his head. "You'll die with honor, but you'll die alone."
"I won't. Do you know why, Captain? Because the men at our fort are fighters. They aren't cowards, they aren't deserters."
The Captain yanked on his reins, turning his steed around. "We shall see, Hopkins."
When the two soldiers returned to the fort, the troops were lined side by side, uniformed in black and gold. Hopkins joined the ranks, and Rhodes got down from his steed to walk between the two rows.
"Word spreads fast," he said, "and I'm certain you've already heard that enemy troops are marching this way. I've analyzed the situation and have come to the conclusion that we would lose. Therefore, we're abandoning post and regrouping with-"
"I refuse." Hushed voices rippled amongst the troops as Hopkins stepped out of line, moving to stand in front of Rhodes. "I refuse to retreat. I will stay and stand for my kingdom."
"Hopkins, your courage and willingness to fight is admirable, but in the current moment, it borders on idiocy."
"Captain Rhodes," Hopkins began. "I speak to you not with impertinence or lack of respect. No, I speak to you with a heart of passion, an undying love for my kingdom, a people for which I would give my life without a moment's hesitation."
Hopkins turned to face his fellow soldiers. "If we surrender here, who's to say we won't be dooming ourselves further down the road of conflict? Who's to say that this isn't the battle that could turn the tide of war?"
"He's right." Foster, one of the archers, leapt down from his perch in a watchtower. "The fort we currently occupy is connected to our main supply route. If the enemy takes control of this fort, provisions for our forces will be cut off. We'll lose either way."
Rhodes hadn't taken this into account. He hadn't taken any of this into account. His decision to preserve the lives of him and his troops just might end with more deaths in the long run. Rhodes didn't want to be responsible for that. Oh, but his family. His wife, his sons, his daughter. What of them if he should die here?
"If we lose this fort," Hopkins said. "We lose our kingdom. We'll live only to die in another battle that was already lost before it even started." Hopkins drew his sword, raising it above his head. "We take up arms, men! We fight here, we stand here, we die here. Who's with me?"
One by one, the soldiers drew their bows and their swords, and they stood with Hopkins. Then, Hopkins turned to Rhodes.
"Captain Rhodes," he began, "if you wish to retreat, we will not stand in your way, but we hold our ground here. What will you do?"
He was told otherwise, but Rhodes knew he couldn't leave so freely. Hopkins was already skeptical of his Captain's loyalties. If Rhodes left now, he'd look like a deserter. He and his family would be shamed, stripped of their honor.
But was it truly better to be lifeless than honorless?
Rhodes shifted under the expectant gazes of his troops. His troops. He ought to stand and fight beside them. But if they toss their lives around with such carelessness, was Rhodes expected to follow suit? Should he throw his life away too?
The silence in the bailey grew heavy with anticipation. Everyone awaited his answer. Fight or flight? Would he be a coward or a fool?
Rhodes sighed, and when he finally spoke, he sounded like an empty husk of the man he was.
"I...stand and fight, Hopkins. We prepare for battle."
Hey, thanks for reading!
I may, in fact, harbor a little bit of cowardice.