Paladin - the path north volume one

Chapter 15

Sah'rah kept her gaze upon the rider leaving the castle gates, it had been half a day since their defeat and it took all her self-control not to rage at everyone around her. Sah'rah hadn't thought she'd even remotely felt anything for Tar'vid... but his execution had sent her into a rage matched only by Tarquin's. The Jakken merely stood around now or sat dejectedly looking to the sky, their chieftain was dead and not by single combat, but a humiliating execution.

"Did you care for him?" Bordin asked her, the gruff warrior seeming compassionate in his loss.

"I think perhaps more than I realized," she replied, her eyes never leaving the small group of approaching riders.

"They'll offer our dead back to us for the lifting of the siege... I'd take it, our combined troop's morale is destroyed," Bordin offered before slumping to the ground.

"It's not my call, Tar'mon will decide," she replied, crossing her arms in frustration.

Tar'mon stood by the marker stone with a dozen mounted Paladins, they had lost nearly a thousand soldiers during the attack, but the twelve dead Paladins were the biggest loss. Sah'rah let out a deep breath, Gable lay in a medical tent fighting for his life pierced by several arrows during the charge. Sir Godwin arrived a moment later standing beside her.

"You alright?"

"Physically? yes. Mentally... I don't know, Tar'vid was the Saint's chosen, our best fighter... losing him was a huge blow to us" she replied, walking towards Tar'mon and the oxen cavalry, leaving Sir Godwin standing by Bordin.

The riders arrived, each atop a swift and lean horse, their clothing and armour looked expensive.

"Hail there, I see Paladins here... where are the Huufain, Veska, and Kikkan leaders?" the lead rider asked, lifting the visor of his helmet to reveal a scared face with his left eye being a milky white.

"Ludvan died in the assault, Feyer is injured and Valaya fled once the retreat was sounded. We are all that remains," Tar'mon stated with authority, his gaze like steel.

"You fought well, your King feels that had Tar'vid not fallen for his trap you may have taken the day... but you did not, and now your warriors are scattered and broken, your Chieftains wounded or dead. My King, however, is magnanimous in victory and offers you favourable terms."

Tar'mon's jaw tightened visibly, yet what could he do. There was little fight left in any of them, the allied tribes would be lucky not to be devoured by the remaining eight.

"What are your terms messenger?" Tar'mon asked, clenching his fists in frustration.

"You will burn your siege camp and return to the pass that you have fortified, there you will cease hostilities for two years, hostages are not necessary as we already hold many of your fellow Paladins captives. In return, the King will offer the offending tribes immunity from retribution for the same period along with the return of your dead. As another gesture of our goodwill, we shall also return six of your Paladins to you."

Sah'rah was shocked out of her anger, the terms were incredibly generous. Perhaps once the Jakken had buried Tar'vid they could regroup behind Bordin. Where the Paladin army went from here though was unknown to her.

"We accept your terms, you may tell your King he shall have peace for now" Tar'mon conceded, turning his oxen and leaving for the siege camp.

The Messenger stayed where he was, staring at Sah'rah intently. "You were in the battle?" he asked with a rue smile.

"I was" she replied, refusing to break his stare.

"Interesting... I am Karnath Grilt, we shall meet again lady Paladin. I am sure of it" he said, before turning his horse poorly and galloping back towards Kendral.