The Fall of the Stars Book 1: Wheels of War

Gerey Nesell IV

Gerey's company of thirty two men finally found the Mint road. The path was almost completely buried in snow, but the trees were just as capable of leading their way. The rain stopped, to their relief, but after an hour of riding snow began to fall. It was light at first, but as they carried on the winds picked up and the snow fell harder and harder until they were barely able to see ten feet ahead. Despite knowing they were headed to the Snowlands, no one thought to dress for cold, so they all suffered bitter cold as well as blindness. Gerey didn't come to Richye to count, but he was sure there would be more deserters. Still, they pushed through the small storm for another two miles until they came upon a small village.

The village consisted of small stone houses encircled around a fountain in the center. The fountain was clearly old, made of material that had gone to rust. Directly behind the fountain was a smithy, a squat building with a sign dangling from its door. The fountain was surrounded by boys and girls, younger than Richye or about his age, casually talking to each other. They were all dressed in bearskin coats and boots. One of them had a sword.

"What is the name of this place?" Gerey asked Trisha as he rode up to her and Richye.

"Pannel," she answered. "We're not too far from Minton now. You think we can rest here?"

"First we must question them. I don't doubt the Blue Knight passed by here as well."

"If we know he passed here, what would we be asking them?" asked Richye.

"How long it has been since he passed. And if he was alone." Gerey turned his horse to the fountain where the boys and girls were staring at him and his men. He stopped in front of them, unhorsed, and adjusted his sword belt so that it wouldn't fall from him.

"Are you King's men?" a short haired girl leaning against the fountain asked.

"We are King's men. I am here by command of Rynn Stant." They said nothing, but Gerey could tell by the way they looked at each other that they were thinking, 'The bastard?' "Has the Blue Knight Walter Barawayne passed by here? If so, how long has he past?"

"You gonna pay us for telling you?" the girl asked.

Gerey narrowed his eyes. "I told you whose command I am under."

"Rynn Stant's not a king or a prince, he's a bastard." Her other friends gasped and looked at her, shocked at what they were hearing. "You didn't get orders straight from the king so we don't have to tell you nothing. Fuck off."

"Do you hear your words, girl?" Gerey drew his sword. He did not mean to use it on them, he meant to intimidate them. It worked, for they all backed away, frightened. "I will not ask again."

"If I don't answer you'll cut me down?"

No, he thought, but God knows I would love to, you shit. "All I want to know is where the Blue Knight has gone. He is fleeing from justice."

"He's our lord's son. If we give him up to you, you're gonna let that bastard cut his head off." The short haired girl's friend tried to shush her but she got even louder. "We know about Grobert! We know how the bastard killed him! We'd be fools if we told you anything!"

"You will answer me or..." Gerey was cut off by the sound of moving snow and beating hooves. At first when he looked up and saw the line of horses he thought his men had rode around the fountain. He was about to shout at them until he saw the one at the head of them in his shining blue armor.

Walter Barawayne stopped five feet away from the fountain and removed his helm. His men formed four long lines behind him with archers on the end of each. He stepped off of his horse and grabbed a warhammer he had slung about its side. The giant weapon was a frightening sight, so large that it didn't even seem that Walter could wield it. Does he mean to challenge me? Gerey thought.