The Hunt for Peace

Chapter 4

"I can never get a read on that guy," says Drew as he scratches his shaggy blond hair. Cyril didn't even need to look at where his friend was looking to know who he was talking about. He examines his reflection with his sword. The two warsen lads walked at the very end of the marching squad. They were behind even the rear guard.

"You can't get a read on someone at the front of the march," says Cyril, "then again, even if he was right in front of you you couldn't do it."

Karro has always been a man of mystery for the squad he led. Many often wonder why he wasn't working alongside the thanes, or why he wasn't a thane himself. No, instead he was the leading officer of the Farkseeker squad, serving under the position of rattler for the past decade or so. A proud warrior who when he was their age fought back when golems like Sterling Windsen and Commodus Wheelsen.

"You think he learned it to gain an advantage, or was he always like that?"

"Huh?" Cyril raises an eyebrow, looking at his friend. Drew holds out his hand, gesturing to be given the sword. Cyril does so, passing him the blade. Drew twists the blade around in the air, "you know, that stoic face of his. You think he learned it to get an advantage?"

"I don't see how having the same face all day is an advantage"

"No one can ever tell what he's thinking, what he's going to do. They don't know if he's angry, or scared, he's just silent. Doesn't a silent warrior send shivers down your spine?"

"I think Karro being silent is the least of his foes' worries, especially considering he's massive for a golem. Guy's probably as tall as the elves of old."

"I think he learned it, he did nod at you in approval."

"Karro's like, what, fifty years old? Older? He could have learned anything in that time, I wouldn't be surprised." Cyril holds his side, the pain was still there, but now much weaker. In a few hours it will all disappear. "I feel like the route to Dragonsword gets long with each passing year."

"You're just saying that because you got gored in the side this year, you were looking for more last time. And we moved from Dragonswatch to Steelfront on that one." replies Drew. The golem wasn't wrong. Steelfront was much farther away from Dragonswatch than Dragonsword was. Dragonsword was a den in the west, the one closest to the border between Warsen territory and the Windsen lands. Parts of the Life Road leading to it were still there even. Steelfront on the other hand was a powerful fortress at the border between them and the Wolfsen, situated east. A pang of envy was present in all Farseekers when it was revealed to them that they would not be making another trip to Steelfront. Cyril sighs, "I've had my shoulder hacked open last year, and a couple lacerations to my waist. I doubt that's it."

"I guess you just hate traversing nothing but caves. I wouldn't blame you, these things are popping out of the earth more often, it's crazy."

The hot wind continued to blow while the sun raged on above. The silence between the two would persist for a few minutes before Drew breaks it once again. "You think we'll ever live long enough to be as big and strong as Karro?"

"Big? No. Strong? Hopefully" Cyril answered. "Karro's definitely going to be a thane soon, meaning someone else is going to have to become the new officer rattler of the Farseekers."

A large shadow moves along the ground, temporarily blocking out the sun for the entire rear half of the Farseeker squad. They all collectively look to see a colossal bird with coal-black feathers. Its wingspan was roughly ten meters wide, allowing it to cast its massive shadow. Other similar birds, some bigger and some smaller, appeared shortly thereafter. An entire flock of them in the sky. Cyril could hear Karro's call from far away, he couldn't make out what he said, but he knew it meant something.