First, cut off the thumbs
Remus
The "leader" of the group was ahead of us, showing us the way to go. With a knife, he cut the larger plants that got in his way, stepping on them afterwards.
The ease with which he did it made me wonder how many times he had done it, and why he seemed so comfortable with that type of weapon.
He was tall, which gave him some advantage in hand-to-hand combat, but he didn't have prominent muscles, which suggested he didn't train much. Given how isolated that island was, it didn't surprise me that they didn't have to worry much about it. The spear hung, unused, at his belt. I noticed how he held the spear, wielding it incorrectly, uncertainly, pointing it in the wrong direction, with his hands too close together. He was more likely to hurt himself than anyone else if he tried to use it.
It was obvious that he didn't know what he was doing, my question is, what is he doing at the front of the village's defense if he doesn't have the skills for it? Those who follow behind us don't seem very happy about it, as if they were forced to follow the blonde, regardless of their will and opinion about him.
I looked around, trying to get my bearings. We had been walking for approximately 10 minutes, so depending on the size of the island, we should be almost reaching its interior. We hadn't passed any houses or any kind of dwelling yet, so I deduced that they were all clustered together, more in the center of the island, in order to promote greater protection. It was possible to see the water lapping at a beach below our feet, where some boats were anchored.
It was the perfect place for an emergency escape, so I tried to memorize geographically where it was located and calculate the time it would take to reach the sea. From where we were now, maybe 20 minutes, and a few broken bones, so it was better not to tempt fate, and wait until we reached a safer and closer place.
"Tired?"-one of the masked men asked, laughing at his companions. I heard Regulus grinding his teeth as he clenched his fist.
"The training for the guard was demanding," I replied, seeing everyone suddenly stop and look at me.
"Are you a royal guard?" one asked, suddenly appearing frightened.
"Yes, I am, does that change anything?"- something wrong wasn't right with those people, but I couldn't understand what.
"Of course it doesn't change anything," said the blonde, indicating that we should keep walking.
"But boss, do you know what they do to those who mistreat the royal guards..."- whispered one of the men, but I managed to hear, after all, I had a good hearing. Treat badly, what do he mean? What were they going to do to us? Suddenly, being adrift at sea didn't seem like such a bad idea.
"Silence."- he ordered, striking the one who had spoken with the wooden handle on the nape of his neck.-" Do you want our help? Follow us and we can help you."
"We don't want to take advantage of your generosity."- It was incredible how Regulos managed to be so fake, yet seem so genuine.-"Besides, my friend and I just needed to rest a bit before we set sail again. "
"Friend? Didn't you say he was your brother? "- one of the masked men questioned.
"Just because we are siblings doesn't mean we can't be friends? The idea that all siblings get along poorly is just a myth." - The response seemed to please most of them, who dropped the subject.
"Not wanting to overstep your kindness, but would it be possible to point us to where we could buy some food? Ours was destroyed during the storm, and only wet bread that is too soggy to be edible remains."
"Very well. As soon as dawn breaks, I will take you to the island market so you can stock up. Now, let's keep walking, for the road is long, and the day is short."
I increasingly suspected these citizens, they said we were visitors, but treated us like prisoners. Clearly, the novelty of me being a royal guard scared them, however, there, I had no authority whatsoever, and I doubted they had noticed my absence to be looking for me.
I was strong and had training, but it was impossible to defeat all these monsters alone. The leader seems to be a useless sack of potatoes, however, his companions are well-trained, and I didn't want to know what it was like to be stabbed with the knives they carried at their waists.
The landscape had hardly changed since the beginning of our walk, except for the extinction of practically any type of plant life, except for the low grasses we were stepping on. I felt strangely light, having had my weapon taken from me, my faithful companion since I recited the vows.
"Excuse me, could you give me a bit of your water?" I asked the masked person who was to my right, drinking something from a well-worn black canteen.
"Of course," he replied immediately, almost hitting me in the face with it.
"Thank you."- I thanked, suspiciously.
I grabbed the bottle, sniffing around to make sure everything was fine. I expected more resistance, some jokes, or even for him to completely refuse and leave us to die of thirst. But he almost knelt down while handing me the bottle. And the almost devout way he looked at me during those three seconds before handing me the bottle.
That island was getting stranger and stranger, and I didn't know if I liked that strangeness very much.
I finally tilted the container to my mouth, letting the sweet liquid flow down my throat. I hadn't even realised how thirsty I was until I completely finished the contents in one gulp.
"Sorry," I said, looking ashamed at the ground, as I returned the bottle, now empty, to its owner.
"No problem, I didn't have much either," he said, with a tired voice.
"No chit-chat back there. Let's stop for a quick snack. Troops, inspect the perimeter and ensure our safety. Next, two will be in charge of patrolling and surveillance, with a rotating cycle of 10 minutes. We will leave in less than an hour.- shouted one of the masked women, without stopping, while the others ran back and forth, obeying her orders. The only one who didn't seem happy about it was the one I had considered the leader, who sat on the floor, seeming to throw a tantrum like a child.
"Come on, Lucius, we need to organize the camp before the others arrive. Get your lazy butt up and start arranging the towels so I can put the food down. - the commander who once gave orders in an authoritarian manner now said softly to him, without losing her rigid demeanour.
"No. This is an injustice. It should be me that they follow blindly, without thinking twice. It should have been me giving the orders. It should be me coming up with the ideas, making the plans!"
"Yes, but you're not doing them, are you dear? I am in charge, I have the ideas and make the plans. And you know why MY men follow me blindly, without thinking twice? Because I don't make them follow stupid plans that are a waste of time or will end up getting them killed."
"But..."
"No buts. You know I'm your friend, Lucius, I just want what's best for you, but don't annoy me. Friends are friends, business is business. Especially when one of us doesn't know how to do them." - and having said that, she turned her back on him, starting to walk in our direction.
"Travelers." - she greeted us.- "My apologies for having to witness our little spat. Certain people still haven't learned their place on the island."- she said, looking at that Lucius guy with her eyes half-closed.
"If you don't mind me asking, where are we?" I asked, unsure of what his reaction would be.
"Now, now. Don't you recognize our island? Tall trees, but deserted plains. Is it necessary to spend a day finding the villages, given all the protection we offer? Where do the prisoners and fugitives hide? Where is everyone welcomed?"
"Durmstrang."- the name slipped from Regulus's lips.
Durmstrang was an island, known for its... violent reputation. All its inhabitants were trained to kill and they were good at it. They mastered almost all types of weapons with expertise, and even the royal guard had no courage to set foot in the vicinity of the territory.
By the way, many trade exchanges would be facilitated if they took to the nearby seas, but no one dares to try their luck, fearing to irritate a Durmstrangian and end up with a spear in their throat.
This, because on the island, there were fugitives from the law, prisoners of war, and any other crime, basically anyone who was wanted but did not want to be found. Few were the true natives of the island and, according to legend, the founder was actually a pirate who shipwrecked and took advantage of the land, along with his crew of wrongdoers.
It made sense why they didn't seem the least bit concerned about the sword at my waist. In less than 5 minutes, they could disarm me and chop me into pieces. The guard's training was nothing compared to what they said these men, women, and people trained for.
"I know I'm beautiful, but could you please stop staring at me with your mouth hanging open? We haven't been properly introduced yet, I'm Emmeline Vance."-she introduced herself, extending her hand.
I closed my mouth without even realising it was open, and squeezed his hand back. Her nails were painted black, however, the polish seemed to have been there for a while, as it was starting to chip at the tips.
It was not common for warrior women to paint their nails; in fact, they gave up all their femininity when they entered military academies, in order to be taken more seriously and not be belittled due to their "fragility."
Which was a total stupidity, by the way, the worst beating I ever got in my life was from a woman I asked if she was on her period because she was acting a bit violently. Yes, I know it's not something one should say. But I know now, and before, I had my idiot colleagues constantly saying that, so I thought it was no big deal.
Until I had to explain to my mother the reason for my black eye (and she left my hands red). She explained to me what a period was, which I thought was an illness, like a headache or something, but it turned out to be something routine, and the illness was for those who didn't have it. I also learned that the more correct name was menstruation and that it was, indeed, physically painful for some women.
From that day on, I stopped following what my so-called friends told me, and I defended the girls whenever some idiot dared to say something about them. It goes without saying that I quickly became liked by all, much to the dismay of my companions, something that ceased to matter much once I became Regulos' bodyguard and could no longer have a life of my own.
"Rafael."- I hurried to stop staring at her, returning her handshake.
"You seem too nice to be from Durmstrang."
"Reg...Renato!" - I managed to correct it in time. His habit of speaking before thinking was still going to get us into trouble.
"What is it, I know you were thinking about it too."- he grumbled, sitting on the ground with his back against a tree trunk.
"My young man, life will still teach you a lot, and the most precious lesson will be the one that makes you shut that big mouth of yours."- she said, never stopping her smile.-" But it's true, I'm nice, do you know why?"
"Because it's the least expected from a decent human being?"
"No, because a knife in the back only has the desired effect when it comes from the one you least expect."- she opened a shark-like smile.
Black shrank slightly in his place and, honestly, I was a bit scared too. Her friendly face was replaced by a maniac, looking like a predator eyeing its prey, and, to our misfortune her gaze was directed at us.
She opened her mouth to speak, but to be honest, I just wanted her to be quiet, because the more she talked, the more certain I was that we needed to come up with a plan to get out of there, and fast. If I had known that dock belonged to Durmstrang, I would have preferred to drift at sea rather than set foot on land. I'm sure the sea would be much more merciful when it comes time to take our last breath.
"I'm going to give you some advice, since you seem so intent on suicide. Keep your friends close, but your enemies even closer, because it's hard to strangle someone if you're five meters away from them", she advised, finally leaving us to patrol his area.
"Well, I think I've already had my most valuable lesson." Regulus spoke, mortified, swallowing hard.
"And I think this lesson is still going to take a while to come," I replied, knowing full well that it was just a matter of time before he said something that would make us walk the plank.
The rest of the group was starting to gather. There were 5 men and 4 women, excluding, of course, those who were still on patrol. A young redhead brought a deer in her hand, which I suspected she had killed herself. She gave it to an older man, who was preparing the fire to roast the animal. In an instant, pieces of roasted deer were passing from hand to hand.
It wasn't much, but it was more than I expected we would be entitled to, considering we were foreigners. I ate with a certain satisfaction, since I hadn't eaten anything decent since breakfast on the day of our escape. With so much adrenaline, I hadn't even realised how hungry I was, and in no time, my piece of meat had already disappeared.
The guards looked at me, not very impressed with my appetite. I felt Black's eyes burning into the back of my neck, so I turned to him as he offered me part of his meal. Even though I was still hungry, I couldn't accept, since Regulus had gone as long without eating as I had, he also needed to regain his strength.
A bottle with some alcoholic content started circulating through the group until it reached me. I politely declined, passing it to the person next to me. I didn't want to risk getting drunk, given my low tolerance for alcohol. I needed to stay alert in case it was necessary to devise a quick rescue plan, I couldn't fail Regulos.
"Drink, it may not be to your liking, but it helps to fool the stomach," advised Emmeline, before handing the canteen back to me with an apologetic look.
I understood, I knew that in those types of camps the resources were scarce and it was necessary to ration the food, because often the prey was too elusive and the leftovers from the previous night were needed.
I drank a little, not wanting to be rude, immediately feeling a warmth running through me. It tasted good, given the chill in the air, and the wind that was blowing didn't help my situation at all. Also, who were the fools that fled the kingdom by sea in the middle of winter?
Oh, wait...
"So, sailors, what brings you to these seas?" one of the elders asked, smiling with his rotten teeth. They had taken off their masks as soon as they sat down to eat, but they didn't seem any less frightening.
They had very poor hygiene, perhaps motivated by all the patrols they have to carry out, covering their entire territory. The fatigue was visibly in the eyes of many, but so was the grit and determination. It was clear that they would do everything to protect their island, without ever complaining. My question was: how much could their bodies endure if they continued with that mentality?
The training for the royal guard was known to be rigorous, difficult, and arduous; however, nothing compared to what these warriors endured to protect their own. Many feared the Durmstrangians, I felt sorry for them.
"We lost our course. A more violent wave caught us by surprise."- I replied, telling the truth.
"Surely, you seemed quite confident while tying your boat to our dock," a woman, in her thirties with her hair in a braid, commented.
"Yes, I'm sure the wet clothes were just a trick to deceive us," the redhead who hunted the deer observed.
"We shouldn't be feeding them, they should be the food," a boy with a sickly look suggested.
A slight commotion began, spreading through the rest of the group, almost turning into a revolt. I placed my body between the crowd and Regulos, trying in vain to protect him in case there was any attack.
"Let's skin them alive!"
"Let's kill them and let the deer handle the matter for us!"
"Let's all hold hands and dance around the bonfire!" suggested a blonde, who immediately shrank back under the intensity of the gazes upon him.
"Henry, we've already talked about this, darling, we're not at Beauxbatons, we can't just walk around dancing and singing whenever we feel like it."- the redhead explained, hugging him sideways. Carefully, she pulled him to a more secluded corner, where she continued to explain something to him, so quietly that it made the task of hearing what she was saying impossible.
"We are not going to do any of those monstrosities to our guests. We are the hosts of this island and, as such, we will treat our guests as if they were inhabitants, with respect and dignity."- Vance said, raising his voice.
It was remarkable the respect she exuded, the authority in her voice, and how everyone obeyed her without hesitation. The crowd began to disperse, each returning to their duties, pretending to ignore us, yet always glancing out of the corner of their eye, as if we were about to threaten them at any moment.
"Thank you," I said, knowing that if it weren't for her, my neck would no longer be intact.
"Don't thank me yet. These brutes respect me, but that doesn't mean that respect applies to the rest of the island. We are used to receiving refugees, war fugitives, mercenaries, thieves, murderers, and all kinds of dangerous people. You are none of that, and you don't seem very determined to stay. The natives hate those who enter their territory just to enter."
"But it wasn't our fault. We really didn't want to come here, it wasn't our destination."
"I believe in you, however, you have to realize that no one here will. They will think you are spies for the king, or something like that, with all this eagerness to leave here."
"But if we really wanted to discover your secrets, wouldn't it be more advantageous for us to pose as thieves to learn more about how your systems work?"
"I suppose so, however, here no one really follows reason. Our motto is: first, cut off the thumbs, then ask what comes."- she commented, smiling.
"My happiness even overflows after hearing that. So, what can we do to ensure guaranteed safety until we can leave?"
"Convince our supreme leader that there is nothing to fear from you, that you really want nothing from us, and that being here was just a mistake. Convince him, and you convince everyone. And your safety will be guaranteed, for no one messes with the leader's protected."
"Sorry, protected?"
"Well, yes. If you want to survive, you will have to be a protected one until you can set sail for your true destiny."
"And how will I gain the leader's trust? We are nothing like you and have nothing to offer in exchange for protection."
"Don't worry about it, our leader is not one for flattery, quite the opposite. Your son, on the other hand..."
"Are you saying that I have to convince the son in order to convince the father?"
"I would never suggest that, however, if you want to follow that line of thought, I heard that flattery worked like a charm. Inflating that big ego is easier than raising the sails of a ship on a windy day. You just have to say the right things."
"And how will I know who he is?"
She smiled at me, before winking, while pointing with her chin at the solitary being in front of us, and in the blink of an eye, everything made sense.