CHAPTER 884: NOT SO DIFFERENT

Sir Rhodri searched his son’s face for several silent moments as a cloud of white steam rose from his visor in the frigid morning air.

In that face, he saw shadows of the boy who said he would grow up strong and ride to war so his father could stay home and guard the village. The same boy who had begged for stories of the bravest knights and listened solemnly at his father’s knee while the elder knight explained that the bravest knights were the ones who sacrificed opportunities for personal glory in order to protect the soldiers they led and provide for the people of their villages.

Now, when he looked into his son’s eyes, he saw the echoes of that young boy, striving to protect the people of his village, and turning himself into a heretic to do it.

"You understand what will happen if the village follows you?" Sir Rhodri asked. As both a father, and a knight, he felt like he had to know that his son had fully considered the consequences of what they were facing.

The moment the village opened its gates for demons, everyone within their walls would be declared a heretic. Even if Baron Ian Hanrahan never sent an army to crush them for rebelling, the Church was sure to send Inquisitors and Templars to cleanse their village of the ’stain’ of peace with the demons before that stain could spread.

"I understand what will happen to the village if it doesn’t," Carwyn said solemnly. "And of the two roads before us, I know which one is worse. This is Captain Barsali of Commander Tausau’s Third Army," he said, gesturing to the serpentine gladiator who raised himself up high on his tail to match gazes with the pair of knights. "And this is Loftur of Commander Bassinger’s First Army, who has been helping us to speak to each other while we learn each other’s language."

"Captain Barsali says that he sees where Sir Carwyn’s strength flows from," Lotfur said, stepping forward and repeating what the scaled gladiator had said. "The men behind you aren’t warriors, but you have come with, wait," he said, stopping as he turned back to ask Barsali if he really meant what he’d said before he continued.

"He says that your hearts are filled with the will to die," Lotfur said awkwardly. "And that you know that you cannot win a battle here, yet you have come anyway. You prepare for war anyway."

"He says that if you wish it, he will fight you and give you glory in death," the bearish soldier said, looking from the proud and confident Barsali to Carwyn and over to the frightened looking group of humans who had clustered together with their axes and hammers held up high as if they feared being attacked at any moment.

"Wait!" Carwyn said quickly. "Let me explain. Some of the Eldritch, ones like Barsali who come from the other side of the mountains, would rather die in battle than of old age. He’s offering to fight you because he respects you."

"You really are coming to know them, aren’t you, son?" Sir Rhodri said with a chuckle as he raised his visor at last. "You think I’ve never known an old man who would rather ride into battle to die than waste away on his deathbed?"

He said it lightly, as if he was talking about other men, but he couldn’t deny that there was a part of him who had been relieved at the idea of meeting his end in battle today. He would blaze a path to the Heavenly Shores for his family to follow, and if he couldn’t reach them, at least he would have died giving his son a chance to see his own children born.

But this... this was better than a bitter struggle to the end.

"Loftur, was it?" Rhodri said as he looked at the claw demon, who seemed so much milder than the ones he’d fought in the war, as if there was no fury or hatred in his heart, even when he had come with an army at his back. "Tell your captain that I intend to hold my grandchildren before I die, and that I want to see Carwyn give me many more of them before I go."

"Father!" Carwyn cried as his cheeks heated in embarrassment. At the same time, his shoulders slumped in relief that the tense moment finally seemed to have passed, despite Barsali’s bizarre offer to give his father a glorious death.

"So what is your plan, Sir Carwyn Belvin, Knight Protector of Raek Village?" Sir Rhodri asked with a broad smile on his face, speaking in the same tone he’d often used when he was testing his son about how he should govern their village. "There is a village full of people back there who are very frightened. They think they’re about to be slaughtered by demons. How are you going to explain all of this to them?"

"One step at a time," Carwyn said as he looked past his father to the nervous-looking villagers who had come out with him. "You can put your weapons down!" Carwyn shouted. "No one is going to fight today, but I need your help to prepare the way for our allies to join us."

"Terrik, Bistal," the young knight continued as he waved over two of the villagers whom he knew best. Both men approached nervously with hands that were white knuckled on the hands of the mauls they carried, and neither of them was willing to come any closer than a few steps behind Sir Rhodri’s horse, but even that much, coming within a dozen paces of two powerful ’demons’ was already an act of extreme courage for both men.

"Yer Lordship," Terrik said as he looked hesitantly at the young knight sitting confidently astride his horse, side by side with a pair of demons who looked like they were strong enough to tear a man in two with the same ease that the blacksmith could twist hot iron. "W-what do ye need of us?"

"Go clear out Millside," Carwyn said, referring to the side of the River Belvin where the mills had been built, opposite most of the established village that existed before they expanded. "There aren’t many people who built homes close to the mills, mostly, it’s the mills, granaries, and storehouses over there. Captain Barsali can take his men to that side of the river for now, and we can station men on the bridges to keep anything unfortunate from happening while I explain everything to the people."

"That sounds wise," Sir Rhodri agreed with a nod. "And where will you go while they sort all of that out?"

"I’ll stay here until I can lead Captain Barsali and his men across the bridge," Carwyn said, though there was a trace of reluctance in his voice. "I’ve given my word that I’ll do everything I can to prevent bloodshed, and even though I’ve given my oath to shift my allegiance to Dame Sybyll, our new allies have every reason to doubt my word," he admitted uncomfortably.

"Until things are settled, I need to stay with my ’escort,’" Carwyn explained awkwardly. "I tried suggesting that I could ride into the village alone and make preparations, but..."

"But part of proving your loyalty means listening to your new liege lady’s orders," Sir Rhodri said, nodding his understanding of the position his son had been placed in. "In that case," the old knight said as he turned to the towering, bearish figure of Loftur. "Tell your captain that I’ll take my son’s place as his hostage while he makes arrangements in the village."

"Father, I can’t just..."

"Done," Loftur said, interrupting Carwyn before he’d even translated the old knight’s words for the serpentine captain. "Your woman is waiting for you, isn’t she? You should go to her and let your father take your place. I’ll explain for you," he added with a wink as he waved at Barsali. "But he will understand. So go," Loftur said, stepping forward and giving Carwyn’s horse a light slap on the rump.

"Alright," Carwyn said, taking the reins firmly as his borrowed horse danced away from the bearish soldier. "I’ll make sure you don’t have to wait out here in the cold for long," he promised his father before he prodded his horse into motion, galloping toward the village gates without waiting to hear a reply.

As much as he hated leaving his father behind, he had come to know Barsali’s character well enough to expect that the glory-seeking gladiator would be begging the old knight for tales of battle within minutes of Carwyn’s departure. As long as his father was willing to play at being a hostage, he would be treated exceptionally well by the Eldritch.

So now that matters were settled, at least for the moment, he was finally free to race to Olwyna’s side, and he wouldn’t stop until he held her in his arms again.