Love Beneath The Moon

Chapter 18 - Maynard

Maynard rode astride his horse, flanked by soldiers on horseback, while his sister Maine rode behind on a poor struggling destrier. Aurora was with her, riding a small horse, and he could hear her Sister's laugher echoing through the forest as they traversed the rugged terrain.  His Sister Maine is what you would describe as an extrovert who is an exact replica of his Aunt Grenda. Loud and joyous. He had forgotten she was like that when they were young and now he's growing tired of it again.

Maynard could not still wrap his head around the fact that Aurora is an Iceborn. How did I not see it? He asked himself. She appeared the exact day the raid happened. Did she also kill my soldiers that day?

Maynard could not understand how despite that, he could not reject her. He like her. He love her despite knowing her kind killed his mother. Why do I love such a person?!

The warmth of the mouth of his canteen kissed his lips as he drank more of the coffee brewed. The rich caffeine might wake him up from this terrible dream. A flask of coffee is the best he could enjoy since he begun his journey on that train towards the Mother Mountains. He now leaves as a changed man, riding a horse alongside strangers. His own men are dead, left behind for the feast of wolves. The mountains had given him gifts to experience, to witness the death of dozens of his men, to dream the power of his ancestral Gods, and to taste the kiss of an Iceborn woman.

Lord Sun! He cursed, What just happened?!

Maynard kicked his steed and it trotted towards the front line. The men on front are keen on keeping watch of the Clansmen. They can not handle another ambush, he might die this time. Luck runs out, he thought, and I am betrothed! He cried in his head.

"We're close to the fields, m'Lord." A soldier told him as his speed matched his, "Once we're out o' this woods an' stones, we'll see a village soon enough."

"Good, we can stay there for a night then ride home." He said to the soldier.

"I'm afraid that can't be, m'Lord." said the Soldier, "The Villages' abandoned, all o' them."

"Why?"

"Clansmen, m'Lord. Those filthy savages made o' stone. Lord Havesther instructed us t'take you t'him after you're rescued."

After a few hours, the group had finally rode pass a few villages, some burned, some tumbled down, and a few simply abandoned. The Soldier promised that Lord Harold will explain the situation. After covering a few more leagues of south plains of Old Icestones, Maynard saw in the distance a looming shadow of a wall standing against the sun. When they got close, it revealed to be made of wood and its gates were opened to them. His Sister trotted by his side as they entered the gates, and Aurora soon followed.

"I do not remember the Harvesthers' territory to have walls, Sister." He told her. "Neither do I remember the Lord Harold asking permission to build one."

"All will be explained, brother." Maine said as she dismounted her destrier and walked away. "I'm hungry."

As he was dismounting his ride, Aurora went to him to help him down. "You look unhappy for someone who got rescued." She commented.

"I'm rather happier climbing the mountains with you." He sighed, "Gosh, my backside feels like it was glued on that saddle. Luckily, I am not as heavy as am I tall." He subtly gestured at Maine's destrier's heavy panting.

It took a moment but when Aurora understood, she put a fists around her waist, "That is so not kind."

"Why? That poor horse need a month worth of rest after that ride."

Aurora punched his shoulders. "Your Sister is fine. She's funny."

"Watching her ride that, of course she is."