Fealty

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Healer has just finished stitching the wound on the blonde’s arm, when Val burst throe the door with his usual half-smile back on his face.

“Guard, did nobody teach you to knock before you enter?” the ageing man turns to him.

The warrior didn’t respond to his words, he just stared at him for a second and then turn to face the blue eyes, watching the interaction from the corner of the room.

Her face was emotionless, a thick mask covered the shock, fear and surely anger she felt after the events of the morning but the betrayal hurts the most the guard pondered quietly. The position of the bodies lying in her sleeping quarters told him a sad story about the events that transpired a few hours ago. 

And out of nowhere the memory of a little blonde girl, scared to death and crying loudly, when he first laid his eyes on her, suddenly fills his thoughts.

The day which changed everything, started as any other. The sun rose above the mountains in the distance, and its rays slowly but certainly creeping towards the wakening village. He has been up all night, counting the stars and trying not to doze off completely. A month ago, he has completed the training in the capital, and the signs of his new role were lying around the fireplace. A spear and a sword, given to him as a present from his parents.

His eyes were heavy and somewhat glued together when a loud voice erupted near him. “Come on boy, wake up. Aren’t you a guard now or your father lied?” a deafening laughter followed Val’s futile attempts to free himself from the fur wrapped tightly around his body. “Go easy boy, I need you alive not with a broken neck.” Ryder smiled again and then turned away, when a messenger stopped in front of him. A few words were exchanged but Val was too busy cleaning his with dirt covered coat to understand or care about anything being said. “Yes, you can notify the queen that I will not obey her orders… I don’t care, leave now.”

Ryder’s voice was quiet but commanding and the warrior on the horse just bowed his head and galloped thru the main gates, leaving them in the cloud of dust. “Let’s go boy… we have a lot to do today. Grab your gear and meet me at the…..” he stopped talking abruptly when people around them started pointing in the sky.

Val looked up and his heart almost stopped beating. A large ball of fire was hurling towards the ground, the flames were leaving a long trace behind the object clearly visible even in the morning light.

“What is that?” Val’s voice was almost unrecognizable when he turned to his teacher. The man opened his mouth in response but then massive explosion knocked every one of their feet, the glass in the windows shattered in million pieces, objects big and small were thrown to the ground, entire houses collapsed. The shock wave also started several fires that quickly spread from house to house, threatening to engulf entire village in a storm of fire but the chaos that followed was short lived, when firm orders from the Azgeda general were issued and executed without questions or hesitation.

“Saddle up the horses boy, we are going to find out what the hell was that.” Ryder turned to him with determination in his eyes. “And do it quickly!”

Mere minutes later, two riders were flying on their beasts towards the column of smoke in the distance. Miles were disappearing rapidly as the pair crossed the sea of grass, separating them from the crash site. Even from a far, the air was thick with the smell of burning rubber and wood. When they got closer they stopped. The destruction around them was complete. The trees broken to pieces, large sheets of metal were lying all around the clearing and in the middle there was a large crater several meters deep.

“All wright boy, listen carefully now” Ryder turned his head to the young man besides him. “First we are going to check the surroundings of the crash site. Be careful, because we don’t know what that is and it could be something from the Mountain as far as we know.” His voice was calm, filled with confidence gained during his long service as a general in Azgeda army. “And don’t try to be a hero, your time will come, don’t worry!” 

Both warriors that slowly circled the wreck, swords drawn and ready to strike, but nothing suspicious caught their attention so they slowly descended into the hole, made when the ship impacted with the ground.

Because technology was foreign to them, their eyes were carefully traveling over different screens and joysticks visible thru the gaping hole in the ship, until Ryder spotted something strapped tightly to a seat in the cabin. “Val look, someone is inside!” the astonishment surprised the younger warrior besides him, unaccustomed to hearing any emotions in the general’s voice.

“It’s a girl and a young one. No more than one or maybe two year’s old.” Older man grabbed the piece of metal, which blocked the access to the interior and moaned as he tried to move it, but the panel didn’t move an inch. “Grab the other side and pull as hard as you can, we need to free her soon because she could be hurt… “

They worked hard, but the metal stubbornly refused to move more than an inch at the time. With every pull, the breathing was deeper and the sweat begun to wet the shirts, they wore under the heavy jackets but eventually the plate gave in and buckles under the pressure of the two men.

A sign of relief escapes the general’s mouth. “Finally….now you will go in and you will free the girl.” The younger warrior nodded and took the leather jacket of his shoulders. The interior of the capsule was dark and crammed with different packages and boxes lying all around the small place. A special smell was hovering in the air, but Val couldn’t recognize it as hard as he tried.

Several minutes passed without any sound from the inside and Ryder was becoming more and more   nervous. “Come on boy, she doesn’t have all day, she could be bleeding or something…” his student didn’t hear him or he just ignored his words. “Hurry up you fool!” the anger in him was growing when suddenly a small blonde head emerged in the opening  they created with so much trouble and the rest of body soon followed, supported by the strong hands of his young companion. “She is unconscious, probably because of the impact or something must have hit her head during the flight, but besides that she is fine, no broken bones nor other wounds so….”

“I wonder, why was your simple task so time consuming.” Ryder cut off his report abruptly, still pissed off over the ignorance of the young warrior.

“I forgot to take my knife with me….so I needed to find something sharp inside to free her.” freshly trained warrior admitted  with a heavy heart.

“You did what?!” unpleasant surprise was clearly heard in the general’s voice when his eyes met the ones of his young companion. “Wright boy, I will let this thing go away if you promise that you will start using your head. Do you understand me?” 

A quick and relieved bow followed his words.

“Now listen to me carefully, I won’t repeat myself. You will take the girl to my tent, but nobody is allowed to know from where she came from and you must conceal her, when you enter the village. Her life depends on that…”    

“I don’t understand why there is a need for such secrecy; you will have to let her out of the tent someday…”

“What did you promised me a minute ago?” Ryder sighed with desperation as he looked into the confused face next to him. “You said you will use your head once in a while to think, not only to bash things with it.”

“Now think! From where did she came from?”

“She came from the sky?” Val’s voice was still confused, because he didn’t know where all this is leading.   

“Yes and it’s a safe bet she wasn’t the only one up there.” General’s fingers gently removed the blonde, almost gold hair from the Clarke’s pale forehead. “And if Nia ever finds out about that girl, from where she came from she is dead and the entire village with her…. so, if someone ask us from where the girl came from, we will say that she was found on the perimeter of the village. Can I trust youthat you will keep the secret and if the time comes, that you will protect her?”

“Yes, you can.” Young warrior kneeled down in front of his general “I swear on my honor and on the honor of my clan, I will protect and give my life for this girl.”

“Good, I knew you have a big heart in you.” Older man smiled as if a big burden has been lifted from his shoulders and a sense of pride engulfed him, when he realized he choose the right man from the barracks in Polis. “Take the girl and do exactly as I told you before. When she wakes up, give her water and some food because she must recover quickly. When I return, I will start with her training immediately as her life is now in danger and will be until her death; I fear somebody has chosen a difficult path for her…”

He could see the surprise in Val’s eyes. “Where are you going and why are you leaving me to take care of her, I am a warrior not a mother!”

“You will do just fine son, I am sure.” General smiled at the boy “I have to resolve some problems in Alba and I will return as swiftly as possible, but remember, trust nobody with the story of what we have found here.”

“What about the queen’s messenger from the morning, can i tell him the news in case he returns and you are still absent, I am sure he would keep a secret if I ask him nicely.”  

Ryder abruptly turns to face the young warrior. He didn’t overheard the sarcasm in his voice but still he studied his face for a long moment.

The boy is smart, event too smart for his own good, Ryder realized, but someday such a behavior will cost him dearly. Nia’s words are not to be taken lightly, especially when she feels threatened or challenged.

“I have a feeling you won’t have much visitors during my absence, but I think you know what to do in case someone does show up.” his face was serious but the eyes were sparking with barely contained humor.

He barely covered several feet when the loudest, the most ear-piercing sound he ever had the misfortune to hear, started echoing throe the forests and plains; and surely frightening every living beasts around them to the death. Along with the laud crying and screaming, a quieter voice was also heard, desperately trying to calm the little girl down but with apparently little success because the young warrior suddenly howls in pain. “You little monster, you hit me in the head!”

“Watch it Val, apparently someday she will become a fierce and deadly warrior!” he broke into an uncontrollable laughter as he finally enter the forest around the clearing.

It seems the general could saw into the future, now much older Val thought as the memory of that distant morning slowly vanished from his head. He would be so proud if he could see her now, aura of strength surrounding her, even when she is injured and emotionally scared.

Many of the people in their village expressed doubt and even mocked the skinny blonde as she began her training under the Ryder’s watchful eyes; weak limbs and her incomprehension of the language they spoke, didn’t inspire much hope in them, but the girl soon showed her true talent with first one and later with two blades; a skill most warriors never master.

And now she sits on the throne, as a queen of Azgeda, quite an achievement for someone who literally fell from the sky.

The room was wrapped in silence, only weak chatter coming throe the open windows could be heard as the inhabitants of Alba started their day, happily oblivious to the bloody events which unfolded in the palace this morning.

The old healer slowly washed the needle which he used to close the wounds on Clarke’s body in the bowl, filled with once fresh but now in ominous red colored water. His hands moved with precision and accuracy, unusual for man of his age. “My queen” he cleared his throat loudly “all of your wounds sustained this morning are sewn together, but I would advised that you don’t strain your body to much, due to the loss of blood you sustained.”   

“I don’t understand, I have a cut on my arm and on the shoulder, I couldn’t have lost a lot of blood.”

The healer’s voice became almost annoyed when he slowly explained “My queen, there are important veins located in the arm and you are lucky that you didn’t bleed out as one was severed quite badly…”

“So I would recommend you that you rest, and also try to eat and drink that weakness, lightheadedness and fatigue will end sooner. “

He turned around to face the blonde, with his small bag of instruments already tightly pressed to his chest.

Clarke’s voice was quiet, the exhaustion was clearly heard but her lips still curved upwards into a brittle smile. “Thank you healer, for answering the call so quickly. I owe you a favor.”

“My queen.” His eyes widen in surprise over the words said. “You owe me nothing, my son died in the Nia’s gold mines as a punishment for my words to her…” his voice was soft but filled with emotions and memories. “When she gave that order, nobody opposed her, nobody cared over fate the old man’s son, and her advisers just look at me with pity in their eyes…”

A single teardrop escaped down his cheek when he looked the blonde in the eyes. “Later, after I learned what happened to him down in darkness of the mine, I thought the pain would break me; shatter me as he was my only son, my only ray of light here in the cold of the north.”

For some time the only sounds in the room were coming from the old man as he tried to swallow the tears and sadness.

“In the long, lonely winter nights that fallowed” he finally continue “when I spend the hours looking throe the window, cursing myself for being so selfish, that i had never stopped to think what my words might do to others; I found a burning desire to avenge my flesh and blood raging inside of me, forcing me to act, to do something, but I soon discovered that I don’t possess the bravery nor the skill to accomplish that goal. And yet the fateblessedmewithrevenge; as I discovered on a morning similar to this, a year ago when an Azgeda general was found guilty of high treason against the Queen and swiftly executed in the throne room in front of hundreds of lieutenants, guards, advisors and aristocracy of which most of them knew he is innocent and yet none of those people, who claim to serve and protect the clan didn’t do nothing.”

Healer’s tired eyes were glued to the blue pools watching him from the corner of the room. “The frustration in me grew as the guards removed the Ryder’s lifeless body from the room, but I didn’t have the nerves to do what’s right and I will be ashamed of that fact for the rest of my life.”

“Please….i didn’t know about your son, I am so…” the blonde started quietly but she was cut off abruptly.

“And instead of me or any other mighty warriors present that day only a young girl had the courage to question the ice Queen’s actions…and then later avenge the deaths of her father and many more people including my son who lost their life because of her bloodlust and cruelty; this is the reason why you owe nothing to me….my Queen.”

The man slowly bowed his head and exited the room quietly without any more words.

The silence in the room was deafening as the words said by the old man slowly sunken into the blonde’s tired mind. A single tear slid down from her blue eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down her pale cheek releasing the sadness and sorrow that has been held inside of her for all this time but still she did not make a sound. She covered her round face with shaking hands as if she was trying to deny or hide her weakness, but the desperate sobbing soon escaped that last barrier she erected.

Val swiftly removed the thick coat and the armor below it, dropping it to the ground. He could almost fell the pain that was radiating from the girl as he carefully approached her and wrapped his arms around her warm but still sobbing body. Blonde first tried to pull away but his strong, protective arms didn’t move an inch so she gave up and accepted his comforting embrace.

“Clarke….you are safe now…nobody will hurt you I promise…” he whispered to her, thinking about the events from the morning.

“I….I….can’t do this anymore.” blonde cried out in between the sobs. “I didn’t want any of this; I don’t want to bear the responsibility….hell, i couldn’t even save my own father and now I am expected to lead the clan, protect its people and insure our freedom despite numerous attempts to squeeze us into the Coalition….”

“Shhhh Clarke don’t do this to yourself….your father saw the strength and wisdom in you and he bellied in you…as do i…”

“But Val, I feel so alone… I can’t talk to no one without fear that he would use my words against me or try to seize power and now someone is trying to kill me…I don’t belong here, I never did……”

“You speak the truth, as harsh as it sounds your home was among the stars, you were born there but you were also send down for a reason. You did so many good things in a single year which Nia never did in her entire reign.”

Val’s voice stiffens a little when he mentions the former ice Queen but the tone of his voice quickly returns to his regular deep smooth growl. “And remember my little sister, when you want to talk about anything you just have to give an order. I am your personal guard and as such I must obey every command you give me, remember?”

The blonde looked up and weakly smiled over the sarcastic tone in his voice. She remembered well how much Val had hated every second when she was in charge years back when she barely begun her training and he was a fresh warrior hand pick by Ryder himself from the Polis barracks.

Val’s hands cupped her pale face and wiped a tear which still persisted on it with his thumb. “Seriously Clarke, don’t lock your feelings inside when you are hurt, find me and we will talk. We are some sort of a family and we must work together. I made a promise to the general that I will help you and I intend to keep it.”   

“Thank you Val….it means a lot to me….to have someone which I can trust in this…. snake nest.” She looked at him with sadness written all over the face.

“Don’t worry my princess; someday you will meet a person who will rock your world and erase that sad grin from your face, but until that day your big brother will be watching over you….i promise “

The man winked and smiled broadly, exposing all of his shiny teeth and waved her goodbye, his hands were grabbing the armor and the coat from the ground and he followed the path the healer took before him.

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