"Stay on guard," Harrison warned. He was leading the pack from the front, calling over his shoulder. "And stay together! They will try to ambush us again and we'll have power in numbers!"
ㅤMorning clouds were sneaking low in the sky. It was like they were wrapped in dark grey cloth, smeared above them. The world was dim, the perfect level of light to accommodate James' vision troubles.
ㅤMidges and mosquitoes drew to their sweaty sticky skin like honey, the muggy dampness summoning them in hoards. It wasn't feasible to cover themselves to protect from bites in this heat. The men had to allow their blood to be gorged upon by the greedy blighters.
ㅤJames watched Fletcher frown at his wrist, scratching it. He expected to hear verbal complaints from the scholar but they never came. Fletcher dropped his arm and made no attempt to swat the insects away, staring hollowly in front of him.
ㅤHe looked older.
ㅤThomas grimaced. "I wish I'd brought some sage with me."
ㅤ"Someone would track the trail of smoke it would leave behind," Fletcher replied, simply.
ㅤYufus, who had been close beside Harrison as the leader of the mercenaries, suddenly fell back, pulling his horse beside Alex's.
ㅤ"I'm sorry about your brother. I would've stayed with him but I have to follow this contract."
ㅤ"Thank you."
ㅤ"He will be okay," Yufus insisted.
ㅤ"I know."
ㅤAccepting the hint, Yufus kicked his horse forward, returning to the front of the pack. Alex watched after him.
ㅤJames wasn't as polite of other people's boundaries.
ㅤ"How bad was the injury?"
ㅤ"He lost his fighting arm and one of his feet. He might lose the whole leg."
ㅤJames frowned at this. "Why didn't you tell me?"
ㅤAlex gave him a significant look. "I didn't think you'd find it relevant."
ㅤAlex had been both right and wrong in his assumption. It wasn't relevant to James at all but he still wanted to hear about it.
ㅤ"You don't need to be so careful around me anymore," James insisted. "We're now significant to each other. Partners. We made a deal."
ㅤ"It's not about making deals. But, thank you."
ㅤAlex was entirely unconvinced, dismissing James' words. To James, their deal was the formalisation of their companionship; it was evidence that they cared for one another as well as the promise to continue to care. He didn't understand why Alex didn't become giddy at the concept like he did.
ㅤ"Do you like your brother?" James pried, wanting to displace Alex's discomfort to another topic.
ㅤAlex shifted in his saddle. His voice came out gruff. "I... like what he isn't. I'm not an animal to him. That's what matters."
ㅤIt was a pretty bleak bare minimum to have. Alex appreciated any attitude that was a step short of basic respect. James, on the other hand, required a certain level of anxiety from others.
ㅤ"Then I want to know about it. If it concerns you, I'm interested. I can comfort you."
ㅤAlex chuckled, suddenly. It seemed like he himself was surprised that it bubbled out of him. It lit up his worn, tired features. James drank in the sight.
ㅤSo handsome.
ㅤ"What's so funny?" he asked, only a little offended.
ㅤ"The thought of you trying to comfort anyone, let alone me."
ㅤJames frowned. "I think I do a good job."
ㅤ"You throw booze and little treasures at me, like a fucked up crow. It's endearing, don't get me wrong, but it's far from what others consider emotional comfort."
ㅤJames tried to stifle his beaming grin, but the essence of it slipped out, his tone wavy and excitable. "You find me endearing?"
ㅤ"You already knew that."
ㅤ"I like hearing you say it. I like that you know that you find me endearing."
ㅤ"Oh? I also know that I find you unhinged. Stop smiling."
ㅤJames touched his cheek, he really was still smiling, quite severely, too. Although there was much chatter amongst the men, the mood was religiously subdued and respectful of their dead.
ㅤ"James," Thomas barked, glaring at him painfully. Reluctant revulsion was underlined by his dark tired bags.
ㅤNodding, James masked his expression better.
ㅤThe small distant line of aqueducts was now burgeoned as they came close, towering high like a cliff and cutting straight through the landscape like a blade. Layers of long tall archways, held up by bricked stone pillars, its royalty was insulting to the Gods.
ㅤ"I want silence from hereon!" Harrison called. "Watch the pillars!"
ㅤThe soldiers and mercenaries didn't need to be told twice. The tension was palpable. Hooves clopped, the carriages shuddering, as they wordlessly passed under a tall arch. The road bent on the other side, dragging parallel to the structure all the way to the capital.
ㅤSoldiers kept a keen eye on it, their guards raised. Hands twitched on the grips of swords, breaths hitched, anticipating an ambush. James scrutinised the next layer up, the arches smaller, squashed under the flow of water.
ㅤ"Alex, Thomas, watch above," James warned. "Enough people are looking next to them. Look up."
ㅤ"Fletcher, stay close to me," Thomas warily ordered. He obeyed James' instincts, keeping Fletcher on the opposing side.
ㅤEris pricked at James' palm, her ripples staggered. She felt like the dark smears across the clouds, where the murkiness sharpened on the edges. James' steady heart was strong, pulsing under his skin.
ㅤ"Alex," he murmured. "What weapons do you h—"
ㅤHe didn't receive an answer. Alex yanked on his reins and a whistle thunked against a tree, darting right past where Alex's skull had been a mere second before. The deep flurry of chaos enshrouding them, arrows descended like hail.
ㅤ"Defend!"
ㅤJames drew Eris, urgently pulling into the shadow of the armoured carriage. Thuds of arrows hit the ground, spiking out. Horses squealed and cried in pain, kicking their legs and sidestepping, their thick skin pierced through. Soldiers struggled to get control, some falling, tangled in their stirrups.
ㅤ"It's from above!" Alex yelled.
ㅤAttackers had hidden on the higher decks, waiting for them to pass. Their swordsmen had been rendered useless. One man flung his sword at the aqueducts, shouting in frustration. It bounced off the stone uselessly.
ㅤ"The trees!" Harrison called. "Retreat into the trees!"
ㅤBecause their enemies crouched behind the pillars after each shot, their own archers couldn't disable the attackers, their positions in the open being infinitely more vulnerable. The futility was quickly realised.
ㅤThe men hurried, pulling their colleagues with them, dragging the horses away, desperately clamouring for shelter.
ㅤA blood-curdling scream sunk in James' stomach. The violent whips of clashing swords expired from the forest. Armoured men in plain clothing assaulted those who'd sought safety. They'd been waiting in the forest for them.
ㅤThey were surrounded.
ㅤ"Fuck!" Alex pulled out of the shelter of the carriage and snatched a spear out of the paralysed hands of a young soldier whose body was locked with terror.
ㅤJames turned around. "Alex, that's dangerous!"
ㅤAlex didn't listen, he remained in the open. He lifted the spear back, waiting, despite the arrows raining down, and launched it, striking an attacker. They fell from the aqueducts, thudding on the ground with a dull snapping crunch.
ㅤ"Alex, get back here!"
ㅤThere were too many. Alex wouldn't live long enough to kill a second one from his position. James went to him, grabbing his horse's reins and forcing them back into safety.
ㅤ"Let go!" Alex struggled.
ㅤJames wouldn't.
ㅤAnother archer fell from the structure and James looked back, seeing the mercenaries climbing the pillars under Yufus' direction. They were tight against the walls, out of the attackers' sight. Harrison, meanwhile, led the conflict in the forest, attempting to instil order in the chaos.
ㅤ"Stop sacrificing yourself for one fucking moment and come with me!"
ㅤYufus' team would handle the archers easily, the rest of them were needed in the woods.
ㅤBut, when James turned, ready to sprint for the trees, he saw Fletcher, in the open, his horse whinnying on two hind legs. A stunned look crossed the scholar's face, struck by a realising terror. He'd lost control, his hands empty.
ㅤ"Fletcher!"
ㅤHe fell, bucked off the scared injured beast. He stared up at the aqueducts, on the ground, frozen. He was in direct sight of the archers. A still target. He knew this.
ㅤThomas vaulted off his horse, flailing, a frantic shout tearing out of his throat, landing on the ground on two hard feet. He ran, closing the short distance rapidly, his arm reaching out, desperately.
ㅤA bow plucked. Thomas hauled Fletcher back by the scruff of his clothes with all his might, howling. A soft thump sounded. A noise sicker than any scream.
ㅤ"Fletcher!" Thomas cried. "No, no, no, no."
ㅤAn arrow protruded from Fletcher's face.
ㅤThe breath knocked out of him, James went still.
ㅤ"Fuck!" Tears streaming down his cheeks, Thomas dragged Fletcher back into the carriage's shadow. His jaw clenched against his heavy panting, anguished sobs stubbornly repressed. Leaving Fletcher's body to save himself hadn't even crossed his mind.
ㅤHe made it, collapsing to the floor, choking on the cries that ripped out. He held Fletcher's face in his hands, delicately feathering the mangled fleshy folds of what used to be his eye. The arrow stuck out from his temple, the socket destroyed.
ㅤThere was a sharp inhale, Fletcher's chest twitching. He was still breathing.
ㅤThomas' voice wobbled tightly, nasal. "Oh Gods, he's alive," he pleaded, the fight whooshing out of him. "Oh Gods."
ㅤAlex cursed. "He's unconscious."
ㅤ"Medic!" Thomas bellowed. "We need a medic! Now!"
ㅤ"Get a hold of yourself," James spat. "Many people need a medic right now. Thomas, look after Fletcher. Alex, protect them. I'm going to assist the swords and spearsmen."
ㅤ"We need to keep you safe," Alex argued.
ㅤJames scoffed, kicking with the stirrup. "What kind of king hides? I'll never do that."
ㅤHis horse crossed the open space. James bent forward, his sword raised, reins pulled tight in one hand. In and out, he kept his breath steady.
ㅤBalancing only with his squeezing knees, James crossed the boundary, enveloped in the woods' shade. Most of the combat was on foot, the attackers weren't riding like he was. It gave James an advantage.
ㅤAntagonising his horse forward, he guided it into a line of the attackers. The horse shrieked, faced with danger, toed on its hind legs, before quickly descending, its hooves crushing their bodies as the animal was forced through. The enemies tried to attack the creature, chasing them. James parried their swords, attempting to hack at their necks.
ㅤIt gave their knights an opportunity to strike, the attackers' attention swayed and their formation disrupted. Knights stabbed the enemies on the ground and then advanced on the others. The arrows had since stopped falling; the mercenaries' counter ambush had been a success.
ㅤThe skirmish had felt like hours. Exhaustion ached them all deeply, their minds turned into a gruesome mush as they trembled with the aftermath. Most of their souls felt hollow.
ㅤHarrison survived, having been protected. His lips were pulled into a taut line as he watched Fletcher get treated.
ㅤ"Did it hit his brain, at all?" he asked the attending soldiers.
ㅤThey couldn't remove the arrow themselves, they weren't doctors. Instead, the long stick had been snapped short. They'd poured alcohol on it and wrapped it tightly in bandages. The white had quickly become stained with blood.
ㅤ"We... We're not certain but we don't think so," one replied. "We think the blow knocked him out."
ㅤThomas paced, biting his thumbnail. He quickly stopped that and stood still, leaning on one leg as he worriedly scrutinised Fletcher's condition.
ㅤHarrison scratched his chin in thought. "Okay," he decided. "Place him in the wagon with the rest of the injured. We'll have to leave the dead behind for now. Someone can return for them later."
ㅤ"Yes, sir."
ㅤHarrison patted James as he passed. James forced himself not to tense. "Impressive display, James. Alexander, you're too reckless."
ㅤAlex crossed his arms, not reacting to the criticism. Harrison didn't seem interested in a response and maintained his pace away.
ㅤ"You're stupid," James told Alex. "Suicide isn't noble. It's wasteful."
ㅤAlex's conviction was firm. "I won't let any of you die. Not again."
ㅤJames nodded to himself. He'd guessed that was what it had been about.
ㅤ"That's a fine goal. But, you can't let it shape your behaviour." He approached Alex, Alex didn't retreat. They stood toe to toe. "If I hadn't dragged you back, then who would've protected Thomas and Fletcher? Your behaviour nearly brought upon the very thing you were trying to avoid."
ㅤAlex clenched his teeth, a muscle spiking in his jaw. "I didn't know that would happen."
ㅤ"Right. You didn't know. And, Alex? You will never know. Do you understand me?"
ㅤAlex's nostrils flared, his gaze falling to the side. He didn't have a counter-argument.
ㅤ"Don't be so stupid next time," James said. "Retain your self-preservation or I'll kill you myself. You either die at my hand or not at all."
ㅤJames would show Alex how serious his threat was if the other man dared to disobey him. He wasn't above assaulting Alex. He stood by, anticipating his reaction, waiting for a retort.
ㅤAlex remained silent.
ㅤSmiling, he ruffled Alex's hair, softening the blow he'd just inflicted. Alex didn't promise either way, but it was better than dissent.
ㅤ"Hey, check this one whilst you're at it," James told the guards, gesturing to Thomas.
ㅤThomas flinched. "I don't need it."
ㅤ"Alex's stupidity rubbed off on you."
ㅤ"Injuries?" Alex questioned, his head whipping around.
ㅤ"I'm fine," Thomas insisted. He warded off one of the soldiers that approached him. "Focus on Fletcher, instead. He needs it."
ㅤAlex started to argue with Thomas, the other man stubbornly refusing despite Alex's orders. James lost interest in the exchange and drifted away.
ㅤMen sat on the dirt path, leaning on each other, in a haunted daze. Some were curled up in on themselves, alone, silently crying into their hands and arms. Most of their section were either dead or injured in some way. James tried to remain dispassionate, knuckles white on Eris' grip, but it pulled on his chest, constricting him. He couldn't escape the heavy revulsion.
ㅤHarrison stood with Yufus over the piled bodies of the attackers, soldiers dragging them into a single place. Two men were cutting off their clothes and masks, digging through their pockets and belongings.
ㅤ"Their affiliation?" James asked doubtfully.
ㅤHarrison shook his head. "They're completely clean. Even their swords and bows, they're not crown-issued. There's no indication where they got them from."
ㅤ"They are not Talumni mercenaries," Yufus said. "Look. Skin is too dark. They are from here, Khearia."
ㅤ"Just like last time," Harrison confirmed.
ㅤJames surveyed the pile of bodies. Even their appearance was nondescript: plain features, tanned skin, brown hair; they could've been from any class, any region, any occupation.
ㅤ"What about scarring?" James asked.
ㅤ"Good thinking."
ㅤThe soldiers ripped off the last underlayer, their upper halves bare. Some of the wounds were gruesome and matted blood obscured much of them, but enough was visible without having to further dirty his hands by wiping them clean.
ㅤScars littered their bodies, only small ones, mostly on the arms. James crouched down and lifted one of their hands, noting the calluses on their palms, before turning it over to inspect their fingers and knuckles.
ㅤ"They're knights," James reported.
ㅤHarrison looked over his shoulder, curious, and James pointed to the litter of scarred grazes on their finger joints.
ㅤ"Here," James said. "These injuries are years worth of sword training, where their opponent's sword slips and hits their hands by accident. Training swords are enough to graze and break bones but are too blunt enough to slice fingers off. These guys are soldiers."
ㅤ"That's quite unfortunate," Harrison lamented. "I was hoping they were a third-party hire, mercenaries and the like."
ㅤJames stood, smearing his hands on his dirtied kilt. All it did was transfer blood to his palms. Annoying.
ㅤ"They still could be... but they're definitely Khearian and they're definitely knights of a crown. It's not likely."
ㅤ"I think so, too," Yufus agreed.
ㅤHarrison scratched his brow. "This is a headache. King William isn't going to be pleased. We'll keep moving and leave the bodies here with our own dead for now. We cannot give the Curia any reason to cancel our hearing. Go round up your respective parties."
ㅤJames was about to do so but Harrison caught his arm. James instinctively flinched at the touch, unprepared for it. Harrison blinked in surprise.
ㅤ"Get Alexander under control."
ㅤJames studied him. Alex shouldn't have been James' responsibility in Harrison's mind.
ㅤ"Is he not a Drykas knight?"
ㅤHarrison simply smiled. "Is he? Yes, I suppose so."
ㅤSomething was wrong; Harrison knew more than James was aware of. Him hinting this served a particular purpose.
ㅤ"Duke Chamberlain will be in Korcaster," Harrison casually added. "Now, I'll let you go. Good work."
ㅤJames didn't get the chance to analyse him further. Harrison promptly moved on. Was Harrison attempting to assist them, or was he mocking them? It could go either way or could possibly be both.
ㅤOnly time could tell.