The Fall of the Stars Book 1: Wheels of War

Tyler Colter I

His ear throbbed, the sound beating in his head like a drum. His left ear was gone, taken by some nameless arrow he didn't see coming. He could still hear from it, though. Through those ears he heard yelling and steel colliding with steel. A familiar sound. Sounds so sweet, he thought. Let this dream never end. But he was not dreaming. Tyler opened his eyes and sat upright, and the sounds of men and steel were booming around him. Munder Colke, the old and filthy old man, was at the foot of his bed watching him intently. Another man was there, but Tyler did not know who he was. He only knew he wore a green and therefore an enemy.

"What is going on?" Tyler asked. The sticky bandages on his ear fell off.

Munder shrugged and said, "They are trying to break the gate."

"Who?"

"Who do you think?"

Tyler tried to stifle his smile but he couldn't. He ended up bursting into a fit of laughter that earned him a cold steel hand across the face. Even after he was reprimanded, he smiled. My father found out somehow. I hope they kill all of these people. Even the townsfolk. Even with the shouting and fighting going on outside, though, Munder didn't look worried at all, and that disturbed Tyler.

Sir Rynn well renowned pet, Gerey Nesell, threw the door open, his face and hair dripping in sweat. His gold and green armor was decorated with the smiling sun of Windmoor, which Tyler found odd. Rancis Selley has no male children, to my understanding. And I've never heard of him fathering a bastard. Why is he bearing his sigil? "Chasmond, we need you out by the gate," Gerey shouted. His eyes turned to Tyler. "Sir Munder, take Colter to the roof with Richye."

"Where is Sir Rynn?" asked Chasmond.

"Rynn leapt the wall and is helping to push them away from it."

"Leapt the wall? He is mad."

"Just go!" Chasmond hustled out of the door, Nesell right behind him. Tyler was seized by the arm by Sir Munder and taken through the door. While he was being rushed down the hallway Tyler saw that everyone else in the inn crammed into one room. They were afraid. At the end of the hallway was a ladder that led to a small door. Tyler was pushed through the tiny door and emerged to the ceiling. There, he saw Sir Richye Longmark notching and loosing arrows one after the other. Tyler had never seen someone fire so many arrows in such a short amount of time. Munder emerged under him and tossed him aside.

"Why'd you bring that here?" Richye said without turning his eyes away from his target.

"I know how well you like to keep an audience."

In the gate to his right where they had come from, Tyler could see the battle raging. He couldn't tell how many of his men there were, but there had to be a great number to cause such disarray. Some were exchanging steel with the green men while others hammered at the gate. Every time the gate was hit or someone made it over the wall, however, an arrow landed between their eyes. His accuracy is frightening.

"You know, you can help me, old man. There's no end to them." Richye launched another arrow and Tyler saw it break though the helm of a yellow man who made it over the wall.

"I'm no good with a bow. And I have to stay with the prisoner, so I can't go fight."

"Damn you, Munder." Again, Richye plucked off a man climbing the gate. Another man actually made it over the wall and was running in their direction, but he died shortly after. "Don't need your bloody help anyway."

Tyler watched in disappointment as men dropped their swords and dashed away from the gate. Their numbers were dwindling fast, he saw, and they had no choice but to retreat. Still, it angered him. Cowards, he cursed. You are all cowards. The last to leave were chased off by a group of green men shouting obscenities at them.