After successfully coming to a trade agreement for my kill, I spent that night in Polis. It was strange I found you on my mind. I couldnt decide if it was the honour of meeting The Commander herself or something more.
The next morning was the day I turned eighteen, it was time to make my journey back to my clan. My rite of passage into the world had made me stronger, I was ready to see my people with a new perspective on life and survival.
I had decided to take the long way home, travelling north near to the boarder lands of Azgeda. I'd never seen the Mountains of Ice and this was the only way to do it without the risk of trespassing into Ice Nation territory. I never lived my life passively nor did I shun risk, but looking back maybe I should have taken a safer route home. I guess everything happens for a reason.
I rode for days until weather conditions began to worsen. Snow fell at first, then the mist descended and finally the icy, northern winds began to howl. Continuing on would have been a death sentence. I passed a small tavern which offered the prospect of hot food and had stables to shelter my horse.
Upon entering the establishment it was clear I was an outsider. The place was full of Azgeda and Boudalankru, all looking me up and down as I made my way to the tavern keeper. I traded him a Plains dagger for food and a bottle of spirit and waited until the storm passed. Sitting alone, I avoided eye contact and kept myself to myself.
It was many hours before the storm subsided. My stomach was full, my thirst quenched, I decided to take my leave and continue my journey.
I made my way to the stables and began to saddle my horse. The voices of two men could be heard talking outside. They were clearly drunk and being a little too open with their words. Peering through a crack in the door, I saw two Azgeda soldiers discussing how Queen Nia of Azgeda was preparing her warriors to march on Polis and that Heda was marked for death. They gave no reason, no hint of when, but it was happening. Nia wanted The Commanders head.
I stepped away from the door, shocked by what I had heard. As I moved I backed into my spear which was leaning against the wall. Its crashed to the ground and at that moment I knew the two Azgeda soldiers heard the noise.
I prepared for the worst. The stable door was kicked open with force. I managed to hide in the shadows, against the wall, clutching ahold of my spear. "SHOW YOURSELF!" a voice shouted out.
I waited for the man to walk further into the stable before swinging my spear, hitting him square in the face. His nose broke, sending blood across his face and into his eyes. He dropped to the ground, holding his injury, blinded by blood.
The second soldier approached me. I thrust my spear at him, but he quickly moved to grab it, pulling me towards him. He struck me in the face, right where the stag had caught me with his antlers. The flesh opened up once again sending a sharp pain across my eye. I reeled back as he drove his dagger into my shoulder. The pain seared across my chest, up my neck and down my arm. I pulled it out and swiftly stabbed it into his neck. He dropped to the floor, bleeding out next to his fellow soldier. Grabbing my spear I ran both of them through with it. They were dead.
Panic overwhelmed me.
I stood bleeding in that stable, in territory not of my own with two dead Azgeda soldiers at my feet. Pausing for a second I bandaged my shoulder up as best I could to stem the bleeding. There was nothing I could do about the men. The ground was too frozen to bury them, a fire would attract too much attention, I couldn't drag them into the woods without leaving a blood trail in the snow. I had to leave and do it quickly.
There was a decision to be made, continue home and hope I didn't pass out from blood loss or return to Polis to seek safety and warn The Commander of Queen Nia's intentions.
Azgeda wanted war, there was only one choice to be made. I collected my belongings and rode as fast as I could away from the carnage at that tavern. I headed to the gates of Polis, all the time the shadow of death stalking me.
