Avalon

Chapter 2

AEGISIA

The Knight-Commander rises before the sun. Kneeling in her canvas tent, she rummages through her short stock of packed clothes for a pair of trousers and a loose beige shirt. She dresses herself quickly, tucks the hem of her shirt into her trousers, and then exits her tent as she ties her hair up into an elaborate, braided bun. Her hair is too long to have down, and so when she cannot have it cut, she must wear it up – lest it become an annoyance.

Outside, the Knights' camp is quiet. Most of the warriors are still asleep, though there is a smaller shift of guards and patrols that move according to her orders. Her tent is set close to the center of the camp, just in front of a small area the Knights were using as a gathering area. There is a fire where she recognizes some of Ser Kaia's dispatch, and before she goes to the weapon rack at the side of her tent, she scrutinizes them for injuries.

"Ser," one of Kaia's Knights calls to her, noticing her look. He stands, putting his hand over his heart respectfully. His three other companions follow suit, making Aegisia's analysis of them far easier. Satisfied they are well, she continues her morning preparation.

"How was your pursuit?" she inquires, taking her spear from the weapon rack. It is not an ornate weapon. Like her others tools, it is of simple make with no definitive or unique features. She rests the weapon on her shoulder as she walks to the campfire. "Are you the first back?"

"We are, Ser," the one who had first noticed her responds. She doesn't know his name, but she admires his dedication to form and posture. He meets her gaze evenly. "Knight-Lieutenant Kaia ordered us to return with news. She wishes to inform you that her chase is bringing them close to the Marseilles border, but assures she will not go past it. We had killed the yokai we thought to be the hub of their hive mind, and the rest scattered. She is likely chasing them off to make sure they do not organize again."

Pleased with this news, Aegisia nods. "Good. You have done well, Knights."

There's a hum of satisfaction that rises from them, and she leaves them to talk among themselves as she walks south.

The village is fairly still early in the morning, with only one or two people meandering around. She only passes one person in the village on her way to the riverside, and they wave at her without seeming to recognize her – something she's grateful for. There are piles of cinders where the wooden beds are still smoldering, and she decides to continue up the river.

Aegisia spares a glance to her left as she leaves the village behind, looking towards the farmhouse where she'd lived as a child. It was old, some of the wooden walls having fallen away, in desperate need of repairs. There were no aves on the lands anymore, replaced with roaming cattle. The fencing that once surrounded the paddock was gone, leaving the animals to come and go as they pleased – though most seemed content to stay close to the farm.

Life goes on.

There's something hollow in Aegisia's chest that makes her feel paper thin. It's as though someone could press just lightly on her sternum, and fall right through her. It is a vast emptiness that makes her stomach drop like lead. She swallows it, her lips pressing into a firm line as she turns away from the farm and continues up river.

After her mother gave her to the King, she'd never been able to return. She wrote letters, but her mother had never written her back. Eiddwen had had to get used to a life without her mother, and for a long time – a task which saw her up at all hours, working herself to the bone to keep her mind from lingering on the past.