"Humour is the best shield against the hurdles of life."
— Lord Viktor V of House Ramone.
~•~
Maysa splashed cold water on her face from a leather pitcher, huddled under an ash within her and Remus's encampment.
Dusk tinged the skies in a mixture of orange and vermillion, giving the appearance that those were the cheeks of a maiden on her wedding night. The heavens were cloudless, and the moon had risen. It was a gibbous, a rounded halo of brilliance that captured the eyes at the first sight. However, no breeze blew to ease the oppressiveness in the air.
Maysa could still see the dead soldier’s eyes within the confines of her mind. As if the man begged her to do something about his unfortunate predicament. To reverse his fate, an impossible task. It was no wonder he did not want to die; there would not be one who desires so. Yet the way he was killed? That was what haunted Maysa. She could still feel the warmth of his blood upon her cheeks.
The princess of Domhnall was no stranger to violence, herself yielding it to her advantage whenever the situation called for it. Her hands were also stained with blood of many, too many that she had long lost count. Violence was their way of life. It was what had birthed their nation.
What else but violence did the first Desher kings used to subdue the regional powers? They had launched countless battles against each noble house, bringing them down to their knees with ruthless precision. Save for Domhnall, they all fell under the superior prowess of the Deshers. The Unification was no utopian dream, as the current descendants of those houses liked to believe. It was a massacre. Thus people of Namiona, no matter which region they belonged to, were born with some aggression in their veins.
But to butcher one's own men? What kind of insanity could it be? Edmund Eni was no less than King Ayan Desher with matters of mind. Both men knew not what they were doing. He was more Ayan’s son in spirit than Remus was.
"Or perhaps it was to showcase his power to us," Maysa said aloud with a grimace on her face.
That notorious prick seemed to always seek ways to establish his authority, even where it was not at all required. Even if it meant being downright cruel. A crude tactic to instil fear in his banner men. And to Maysa, a clear sign of his inadequacy. No true leader needed to use such methods to inspire loyalty from his followers.
Remus never used such questionable methods. Neither did he need to. His words were enough. It could rouse passion in the coldest hearts, cause men to lie down their lives and swords for him without a second thought. She, for once, would follow him to the afterlife itself, if the situation called for it. The thought brought a smile to her lips in an instant.
Maysa rose from the ground. Strands of damp hair clung to her skin, akin to seashells that sometimes washed into the shores after the tides. A simple emerald robe replaced the armour that she had donned earlier in the day. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Each aching joint in her body screamed for sleep.
"There you are, my sweet. I have been looking for you everywhere."
She tilted her head to find Remus, the object of her recent thoughts, standing in her presence. He was still donned in his armour, a foreign concept to him. Save for his rapid breaths, nothing else could give away that he had been on his feet for a while.
"Where were you?" Maysa asked with a grin. "Will you not change your attire?"
"Not until later," he replied. "Lord Trellis wants to hold a discussion with us."
Her face fell at the words. "What? We have to go to their camps now?"
"Yes. He wants us to talk about the attack that took place today."
"You mean he wants to speak about the boar?” A wicked glint flickered in her eyes. "Well, I think it is unnecessary. Janus can just send his friend to solve the problem. It shall be a spectacle sung by the bards for ages."
Remus smiled, a genuine expression that revealed his teeth. "Goodness, sometimes I cannot help myself but wonder which gods fashioned you."
"Whoever did, they made one remarkable creature." Maysa patted him on the back. "Now, since we must deal with the bear once more, it is better we go there and conclude it as soon as possible. I want to come back and sleep."
Remus exhaled. "Yes, tomorrow is another long day of searching. I hope it yields some results, unlike the dearth we are facing so far."
"I tell you Remus, I feel Lysa has eloped with some peasant boy," Maysa feigned seriousness. "I mean, can we blame her? Her brother might as well have ordered her execution when he betrothed her to Eni."
With laughter as their companion, they walked out of their camps, as dusk gave way to eventide.
~•~
"It is the most unfortunate thing that could have happened."
Janus Trellis looked even more sombre than usual. His shoulders stooped under the weight of the incident that had taken them all by shock. Edmund looked much lighter, a smirk on his face. Maysa curled her lips. Edmund Eni had transferred his share of guilt and regret to his friend.
"Indeed, it was," Remus said. "None of us expected such a tragedy taking place."
Unlike their encampment, this one was a flurry of activities. Men of both houses hauled logs, fetched pails of water and tightened the poles of the tents. In the middle were the four of them, Maysa and Remus maintaining a healthy distance from the two other men.
"It remains a mystery to me how the boar could have attacked the man," Janus said. "We did not encounter any on our routes, did we?"
Maysa intervened. "If my knowledge of the terrain does not deceive me, there are quite a few watering holes close to our encampments. A variety of fauna pays its visit to these holes, including warthogs and wild boars. It is nothing unusual, I feel."
"So that means of us stumbling upon such a creature during our searches?" Janus frowned. "This is troubling."
Before Maysa could voice her opinion, Edmund interjected with a rumble. "That is why I loathe these places! Cannot wonder why we are still here."
I wish it was you who got gored. Maysa huffed in annoyance. "Yes, boars are a common phenomenon in these parts of the woods. We could stumble upon one any time of the day."
She answered to Janus, averting her gaze from Edmund, who now mumbled under his breath about the subpar conditions he had been enduring for half a month now. Remus gazed skywards, apparently unable to hear anything that has been said. Maysa too wishes that she had this wondrous ability to avert her attention elsewhere.
"Since we are not familiar with these lands, what do you suggest, princess?" Janus asked, resignation in his countenance. "I had wondered if some of us should track this beast and try to hunt it down. One never knows who will stumble upon it next. The last thing we desire is to have any more casualties."
Edmund interjected yet again. "I say we all leave tomorrow with our men. We can track it down, kill it, and bring it back here. It will be a good feast for us all."
"That is not a wise idea," Remus said, reverting his gaze from the heavens. "It will hinder the progress of the search if we leave together to go on a hunt."
Maysa tried hard to stifle a snicker. "Yes, I must agree. This is not a hunting expedition but a search party, as some of us seem to have forgotten." She stared at Edmund, eyes wide with feigned innocence.
"Suggest a better solution, princess," Edmund scowled like a child denied his favourite toy. "Are we to lose more men on this?"
Look at him, pretending as if he had no role to play in this death. "I never said that, Lord Eni." Maysa said.
"Then what do we do?" Edmund questioned.
"Simple. A few of us leave to hunt the boar and the rest continue with the search." She replied. But the best thing will be if we could drown you in a bog and rid Namiona of a blight. Whoever made you a Lord?
"Whom do you propose to leave for the hunt?" Janus asked.
"I will take the lead. I want Remus to accompany me. Other than that, I will take one of my own men." Maysa looked at Remus. "No one else is required."
Janus raised an incredulous eyebrow. "Will that be enough, princess?"
"Yes. Any more will be highly unnecessary."
"If you believe this to be a good way to proceed forward, then so be it," Janus said. "But please be careful. We do not want you or His Grace to get hurt."
Your friend sure does not share this sentiment. "We will be vigilant. Do not worry about us, Lord Trellis. Our priority now is to find Lysa as quickly as we can." Maysa smiled.
Janus smiled as well. "House Trellis shall never forget what you did for us."
Sparing Janus one last smile, she tugged at Remus's arms and said, "Come, Remus. We have a hunt to plan."
Without waiting for a reply from either Janus or Edmund, Maysa walked out with Remus. A pleased smile danced on her lips, for there was nothing better than to spend a day away from the Lord of Beorgstead.
~•~