The Winter Queen of Havenshire

Chapter 7: CAPTURE THE FLAG

Under candlelight, Sage, dressed in a dark brown robe, sat at his desk writing notes on the papers he just read. Like his father and his father before him, Sage was a scholar. He knew many a thing that had been forgotten. Things that were forbidden. Things that could kill.

If he was wise, he'd forget his studies and let these things be forgotten; but he was his father's son.

"All knowledge whether it was good or evil needed to be preserved," his father taught him.

Granted if anyone of power knew what he knew, they would take him and make him kill many in the pursuit of power. It's why he kept his studies secret. Only a handful of men knew it. They were good men.

"There are no good men in this world," he heard his father's voice in his head say.

This one thing, he chose to disagree.

Yes, the world was ruled by evil men. Yes, those they ruled were down trodden and oppressed. Still, here in the North, men cared for their families. Men fought to stay free. His father was wrong just this once.

The door behind him swung opened. The wind blew out his candle. Someone found him.

Sage trembled as he turned. No one was there. He hadn't realized that he held his breath. He sighed with relief.

Sage rose to close the door and latch it. He still shook from fear, but his mind told him to calm down.

"Sage, the Winter Queen wants you," a voice in the darkness said.

Sage recognized that voice. He struck a match and relit his candle. He grabbed it.

"The Winter Queen needs you. Your mind can help end Lord Fonce's rule."

"I know nothing of value. I'm worthless in battle. So leave me alone."

The strength of his own voice shocked Sage. He was terrified, yet he was not quivering and begging for mercy. Where did this courage come from?

"I know your voice. Step into the light stranger."

The voice did. His skin was grey. His hair was white. He barely recognized him, but he knew him indeed.

"Remy?"

He nodded. His hand smothered the flame. There was darkness.

Sage wanted to scream, but he found he no longer had a voice.

"We belong to the Winter Queen now."

His father was right. There were no good men. Now the world would pay the price for his foolishness.

Chapter 7: CAPTURE THE FLAG

The trumpets blared. Three armies entered the arena. Only one could win.

Corban had spent the day before learning all that he could. These were gladiators not soldiers. Warfare was his domain. Something he pointed out to the Hammer.

The Hammer relented and gave him command. He learned what they had in the Hammer's Hall. They had twenty archers led by the Crow, the Iroquois warrior. That's made two he had met in this kingdom. They were a rare breed nearly extinct. He would hold them back along with Rojier to defend their flag a white field with a black fist holding a hammer.

When it came to fighters, he had over sixty. According to the Hammer, Ferine was the best and fiercest of them all. He argued that Ferine should stay behind and guard the flag, but the Hammer would not move on this. She went with him. It made him uncomfortable for reasons he could not understand at the moment, but he would make do.