The Lady of the Ice Fort

The War Room

The morning air found its way to his chamber, he started shivering. He sat up on his bed and found a crusty stain. A sigh left his mouth as he got off his defiled bed and got into a clean set of clothing. The Fort seemed a bit too quiet on his morning walk. The market was often being set up at this time but no one was about and it made Rulf a bit uneasy.

He made his way to the hall and noticed a group of people gawping at the gate. His steps were quick over the ice and snow towards the gate. Rulf looked up and saw what the spectacle of the day was…Ulric’s head and his steaming blood streaming down the gates. Aneira, what the fuck have you done?

The guards informed Rulf that the Lady was in the War Room with all her Dwarf-Lords. The boy made his way to the Room and burst the doors open with anger.

“Ah, Rulf! I’m glad you made it,” she half cheered with a grin on her face. She knows.

“Why is Ulric’s head on the fucking gates?” His voice exploded and boomed across the room which silenced her gang.

“Have you any objections to my way of ruling” she held the battered handle of her axe.

His father always told him that great men had to brave now and again.

Rulf began, “I do, as it goes. Ulric was a great ally and loyal. He was usefu-”

“Until he shat on our family name.” Aneira threw back with even more ferocity.

Rulf’s voice was quieter this time, “Is that truly the only reason? How did you come by what he said, anyway?”

“Villagers talk, don’t they?” She said this as bluntly as saying "morning".

The squire knew better than to argue further on. He calmed down, “Why did you need to talk with me?”

“I wish to make you Leader of the Eastern Sanction.”

She stared at him for some time as he considered and chose his words carefully.

“Why me, my lady? I am but a mere squire. Why should I hold any land or titles?”

“In the Yorath family, we do not believe in birth right. If you have the skill and are trusted, why shouldn’t you have the title?” her stare caught Rulf.

He thought intently.

“What if I choose not to take the position?”

“Then that is a sign of weakness.” She said bluntly with no change of expression.

Weakness. That was the poison all Yoraths and Dwarf-Lords despised. He looked at the others’ faces briefly and did not like what he saw. He can sense the hatred radiating from them. Traitorous Bastard, he heard one say. Aneira’s cold, hard face scrunched up at that. The mutterings of the Dwarf-Lords grew to talking and that grew to shouting. The room exploded with profanities, hatred and saliva. The Lady’s voice boomed,

“SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTHS!”

Aneira stared at him as her gang silenced. He could see her jaw clenching and her teeth grinding. The silence was deafening. She raised her hand and all the Dwarf-Lords raised their axes as she took hers from her belt and placed it on the table as a sign of respect. Her gang left them alone in the room.

“You are a great service to me and a great friend, Rulf” her speech was soft.

“I- thank you” Rulf said perhaps a bit too quickly.

“It is for this reason exactly why your honour shall not be tainted”

“My lady?” he raised his eyebrows.

One of the Dwarf-Lords spoke up and said, “She means we won’t shit on your body and bury with the pigs!”

Rulf spotted the gleam of steel of her axe as it came crashing down between his eyes.