The Mercenaries

Prologue

     Lisa carefully chopped the onion, before throwing it into the skillet. She checked to make sure the fire underneath the stove was steady and looked out the window to find her kids. They had headed out earlier to pick apples from the grove. Vaguely, they were in sight. Mia swung happily from a branch while Seth filled his basket.
     Giving a smile, she turned back to the vegetables and continued to prepare dinner. A chicken lay on the counter, already plucked and cleaned. She knew meat was scarce because of the army raids on nearby farms and counted herself and her family lucky. Their small amount of livestock had been spared. They weren't farmers, but it was smart to be able to sustain yourself in case the market ran low on resources. More than once, she had visited the butcher and found them out of stock. She shook her head sadly. Times had taken a turn for the worse.
     When King Wilson had taken the throne in place of the rightful heir, the daughter of Queen Alice and King George, many had rebelled. Wilson had been George's advisor during his rule and it was common belief that the King's untimely demise had been a result of poison from Wilson's hand. In her grief, Alice had killed herself, leaving her only daughter to rule the kingdom. However, Wilson had deemed Lilly unfit to sit upon the throne and had seized it for himself. This had left a divide in the Nodel Kingdom; those who supported the new king and those who didn't.
     Unfortunately, the town of Ironhaven lay on that divide. It was directly between the western and eastern halves of Nodel. Since the western half had easy access to the Stros Ocean and Nodel's trading partner Ostia, it's economy mostly centered around trade, fish, and industry. The eastern half relied mostly on mining, logging, and farming. King Wilson was already disliked because of his act of overthrowing the princess, but when he decreed that he would stop supporting eastern business with tax money and would instead use it all in support of the west he caused even greater problems. He had claimed that Nodel's future was in trade and not farming. There was now a bitter rivalry between the two sides and Ironhaven was often caught in the crossfire.
     Ironhaven was technically part of East Nodel, but since it was one of the largest ports within the country it took part in western trade. The Iosh River ran from the Stros Ocean and through center of Nodel, making it the only access the east had to Ostian trade. Being located on this river made Ironhaven essential to eastern life, which made the west loathe to continue their trade with them. However, to cease this trade would be disastrous for their economy, so an uneasy peace existed.
     It was well known that East Nodel housed the rebels of the country. This meant if Ironhaven showed any support towards them they risked attack from the west, and if they showed any support towards the king they risked attack from the east. This left the town in a very precarious position.
     Lisa's husband, Zachary, was one of most well known merchants in Ironhaven. This made him important, but because he was involved with West Nodel he was disliked by the east, and because he lived in East Nodel he was disliked by the west. It was all a very complicated and unfortunate affair. Despite that, because Zachary's income was high Lisa was able to run a healing clinic near their home that did not charge a single copper for its services. She would help anyone who came through its doors, even if it was a rebel soldier. It was risky. But it was a risk she was willing to take and it made her very well liked within the town.
     Lisa placed the chicken in the oven and breathed in deeply. The rich scent of frying vegetables and the smoke from the oven filled her nose. It smelled of home.
     The dying light from the sunset filtered through the window. Zachary would be home soon and the children would be bringing apples for the pie she would bake. But still she felt uneasy. Over the past few days the reports of Nodel soldiers approaching up the Iosh River had increased. There were even reports of a raid on Lona, a small rebel town southeast of Ironhaven. If that were true, they would be heading for Ironhaven next and Lisa knew if questions were asked the soldiers would be led to her. It wasn't a secret she healed rebel soldiers.
     She eyed their small barn and considered. They owned several fine horses. Her and her husband had talked about it. If the time came, they could be out of the house and at the harbour within an hour. Zachary had set aside one of his ships for emergencies and he had an extra crew at his disposal. Give it a week, she decided. If the rumors about Lona weren't disproved by then, her and her family would sail south and take refuge in Tisite, their neighboring country.
     The grandfather clock chimed. It was seven. The first tone sounded. Dong.
     A slamming door could be heard in the front hall. Lisa left the kitchen to see who was there. Dong.
     Zachary stood in the doorway, drenched in sweat, his black hair plastered to his face. Dong.
     "Get the kids! They're..." his voice cut off.
     A sword pushed out the front of his chest. "...here," he finished.
     Dong.
     Lisa screamed as blood blossomed on his shirt. Zachary fell to his knees and gave a small cough. More blood gurgled from his mouth. Dong.
     A soldier wearing black and gold wrenched the sword out of his back and looked to Lisa with empty eyes. She stumbled backwards and fell to the ground heavily. Dong.
     Faintly she wondered where Seth and Mia were. The man moved towards her, raising his sword.
     Dong.