The Sword of Kings by Westmoreland Michael

Author:Westmoreland, Michael
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Hat Trick

Day 19 in the Month of Snow

W ith two solid victories under his belt, the Black Prince stood firm in his position on the plains. The morning birthed a red dawn to the east, glimmering upon the Hostellian fields like a curious observer. Zededia accompanied his captains of war near a large bonfire on the edge of camp where his fallen soldiers ascended into the next life through a crematory procession. Burning the dead never afflicted the prince; he knew that death followed war like a trained dog. The scent of smoke and burning flesh clogged his nose.

“Thank you for aiding in the body retrieval,” Zededia said to Captain Ursa. “Be sure to collect the names of our fallen to pass onto their kin if possible.”

“Of course, sire,” Ursa replied. “Their armor has been returned to the smithies for repair and redistribution.”

The prince nodded and stood with crossed arms as he lost himself in the flames. His hood shielded his ears from the chilly air.

“Your food is ready, my prince,” Captain Ammon informed him with a deep, watery voice. “And your apprentice awaits.”

“Thank you, my friend. Join us, if you will,” Zededia insisted. “We have plans to discuss.”

He then dismissed his largest soldier, wiped the pooling sweat from his palms, and turned away from the incinerating pile of bodies. Several of his knights saluted the prince as he walked to a nearby campfire. Young Nyalis lingered near his destination, waiting for the commander to lift the temporary disengagement he placed on their relationship to keep the boy from danger.

“You must tell of yesterday’s battles, Commander Zededia!” Nyalis said impatiently.

The prince chuckled as he sat on one of the flat boulders his army used for chairs outside the tents.

“Oh, I must, eh?” Zededia smiled. “The views from camp weren’t good enough?”

Staring into the ground, the prince locked his fingers.

“Those are not to be discussed lightly, Nyalis,” he said. “But you will have stories of your own soon enough.”

A squire approached the two with their meals, and the prince grasped the hearty portion of pork and gnawed.

“Our soldiers granted us two victories,” Zededia explained through a mouthful. “That is all you need to know for now.”

On the prince’s left, opposite Nyalis, Captain Ammon took a seat as well. He looked up from his plate and noticed that his apprentice sent a cock-eyed gaze toward the behemoth soldier. The prince shifted his eyes to Ammon without moving his head and then returned to Nyalis. After a moment, Zededia realized how little time the boy had spent around his uniquely pigmented warrior.

“Never seen a Darkskin, hav’ya boy?” Captain Ammon joked.

“It is not courteous to have lingering eyes, Nyalis.”

The boy dropped his gaze to the ground, and Zededia laughed.

“Although, I empathize with your wonder,” the prince related.

A moment passed as Zededia shared a look with his defender captain. He picked at his greens before scanning the boy’s hushed expression.

“If you wish to inquire upon your curiosity, you may do so,” the prince said.

Captain

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