by B. H. Savage
SENTINELS:
Forsaken Knight
B.H. Savage
TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS © 2013, B.H. SAVAGE
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MARCUS WILLIAMS
COVER DESIGN © 2013, B.H. SAVAGE
COPYRIGHT 2013 B.H. SAVAGE
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS BOOK MAY BE USED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER WITHOUT THE WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.
SAVAGE, B.H.
SENTINELS: FORSAKEN KNIGHT / B.H. SAVAGE - 1ST ED.
ISBN: 978-0-9896754-0-6
I. SAVAGE, B. H.
FIRST EDITION
PUBLISHED BY B.H. SAVAGE AT SMASHWORDS
Prologue
Fires raged as people ran, fearful for the safety of their lives. Smoke billowed from the roofs of burning buildings up towards a crimson sky. A sky that cried tears of death and destruction…
Nobody knew what had caused the event or what purpose it served. Many had already perished in the suddenness of the fires, and many more when trying to save those they could with little success. The flames would not be purged by water, and wind only strengthened them as they spread.
The screams of agony from those who could not get away rang in the ears of those who did, tormenting them throughout the night. “Why?” they cried. “What have we done to deserve this?”
By the end of the night, when the sun finally rose, the village that was the unfortunate victim to the fires was no more. It had been transformed into less than a husk of what it had once been. The green grass and sturdy homes that had dotted the area were now nothing more than charred piles of rubble. The bodies of those who did not escape were lined along the side of the ruins, if they were found at all.
The governing noble stood on a hill overlooking what had once been a peaceful village under his rule with sadness in his eyes. Many of those lost that night had been good people who served him and their kingdom well. None of them deserved the fate that had befallen them, and yet received it they did.
The nobleman was accompanied by a single knight who had helped evacuate any survivors that were fleeing from the burning village. He had seen many battles in his time of service and much death, but nothing quite like what witnesses were dubbing Sky Fire, named such because it looked like the very clouds of the night sky had been set ablaze. It was a horrible thing to witness.
“Will you return now to your kingdom?” the tall standing nobleman asked the knight.
“I will, and I will tell them of what I saw here,” the knight said.
The lord of the land replied with a slight nod. “Then I wish you safe travels. You have my thanks for your aid.”
“It was and is my duty,” the knight said as he bowed his head. “I live to serve. If there are innocent people in danger my sword and shield will protect them.”
“I only wish you could have saved them all…” the saddened leader commented.
The knight took a breath and looked behind him to the carriage carrying the supplies and trinkets he had accrued on his travels. A rider sat atop of it with the reins for the horses in his hands, waiting for the knight’s order to move out. “As do I…” the knight added. “As do I…”
Chapter 1
A Knight’s Honor
Many years had passed since the eldest daughter of Lord Romulus Everdyne joined the ranks of the royal army of the Kingdom of Delrich. The girl had always been courageous and outspoken growing up, even to the point of being disobedient towards her father’s will to help those whom she had witnessed needing it.
In that time the auburn haired girl grew to be a remarkably talented soldier, and eventually knight, in the king’s service. She quickly moved up the ranks until she became Captain of an entire division of the royal army. Dubbed the Holy Knights, they competed against another specialized division called the Dragon Knights for the king’s praise and recognition.
She had participated in many battles against the neighboring country that would lay siege to the land she called home, returning victorious after every one without much more than scratches. The war had been waged for longer than her life, so such feats were extraordinary. Her fellow knights and soldiers praised her abilities with the sword and shield daily, often begging her for private lessons should the opportunity arise.
The woman’s name was Anye, and it was well known throughout her home. Her beauty led her to meet many men in her life. Some were soldiers requesting personal training or tutoring. Others were possible suitors that were often sent by her father. Regardless of the reasons, she declined each visit and reserved herself to train alone unless ordered otherwise by her superior officers or the royal family. She had dealt with her share of heartbreak and didn’t wish to deal with superfluous relationships anymore, at least not with strangers.
On a night not unlike most other nights, the moon was full in a cloudless sky filled to the brim with stars. Anye sat in a chair in front of a fire that she had set in her personal quarters. Recent evenings had been hard on her, plaguing her dreams with nightmares of fire and death. They had taken a significant toll on her, but she always managed to push the thoughts from her mind enough to get some. She couldn’t help but wonder why she was having the strange dreams though, and searched for answers within herself after the soldiers in her care had gone to sleep and the night watch began to patrol the castle's corridors, when she could be alone.
That night would have been just like every other night in the young woman’s life had it not been for the unexpected sound of tapping her door. She beckoned the visitor to enter, and the sound of its hinges creaking echoed through the quiet room as the door slowly opened. Standing there was a slender old man in simple robes. Anye instantly recognized him as one of her father’s servants; an individual who had served her family since she was a child.
“Pardon the intrusion, My Lady,” the old servant greeted as he entered her room.
“Think nothing of it, Arnold,” Anye replied with a warm smile as she stood to greet the man. “How are you?” Honestly she was relieved to see the old man. His presence distracted her from the thoughts of her nightmares.
Arnold bowed his balding head towards the female knight as he answered. “I am well. Thank you, Lady Anye, for your concern.” He took a deep breath before raising his head to continue the conversation. “But I am sorry to say that this is not a social visit. Your father, Lord Romulus, has requested that you accompany me back to the estate at once. He claims it is for an urgent matter of great importance.”
“On what manner of business is this important meeting for, Arnold?” she asked, as her face grew stern. “You know don’t exactly see eye-to-eye."
Arnold wiped a small amount of sweat from his forehead as he answered the question. “I’m afraid I do not know. That information was not given to me, Miss Anye. I was only told to deliver the message to you and return to the estate.”
Anye turned her face away from the old messenger and gazed at the fire for a moment. Ever since her adolescence she had been at odds with her father, but it had transformed from common familial disagreements to outright disgust at being around one another. The tension grew to its worst when she enlisted in the royal army to fight in the war. Doing so abandoned the station appointed to her by her father as a healer with the church. The time following her promotion to the rank of Captain, which had proved her capabilities with the sword and silenced most of the naysayers that opposed her, did little to remedy the family tension. Every time the pair was together they appeared more like a politician accompanied by their guard rather than a family. Now her father wanted her to travel home for some reason in the middle of the night. The thought of it put knots in her stomach. Unfortunately there was little room for her to argue against com
plying with the request, and she let out a sigh.
“Very well…” Anye answered with the sound of annoyance in her voice. “Please wait out in the hall while I change, Arnold.”
“Of Course, My Lady,” the old man replied. Bowing his head, he turned back to the door from which he came and exited the room.
It only took a few minutes for Anye to dress appropriately for travel. She tied her hair back in a ponytail and dressed in one of her formal uniforms, consisting of a pair of tan slacks and a matching button-down blouse. On her waist hung a sword sheathed in leather bearing the emblem of the royal house of Delrich; a pair of lions facing outward on a shield. Her soft peach skin radiated in the orange glow of the torches which hung on the walls.
“Thank you for waiting, Arnold,” she said as she locked the door to her quarters. She then pulled out a sheet of parchment from one of her pockets and attached it to the door. “You never know if those under my command will need to find me. Best to leave a record of where I am, you know.”
“Of course, Miss Anye,” Arnold replied with a smile. “We can leave whenever you’re ready.”
______
The trip to the Everdyne estate was far from what anyone would describe as enjoyable. While the family’s carriage was as comfortable as could be, the thoughts of what her father could have wanted at such a late hour, mixed with the memories of her recent nightmares, occupied Anye’s mind. Thankfully the sky was clear so the travelers didn’t have to deal with any encumbering weather.
After Arnold stopped the horse pulling the carriage and stepped down from his seat, he opened the door leading to where Anye sat in wait. It took several attempts of him saying her name to get her attention, though.
“My Lady, is there something on your mind?” Arnold asked with a concerned look.
Anye sighed and brushed aside some stray hair from her eyes as she turned to answer him with a smile. “No, Arnold, but thank you for your concern.”
“My Lady, if it’s about your father…”
“No, Arnold, it isn’t,” she lied, hoping to end the conversation. She stepped down from the carriage and looked around at the large manor she had grown up in. The building itself was constructed mostly of wood and had a front entranceway lined with several marble columns. The windows were framed with white molding and matching doors. The only visible light was coming from the first floor, where Anye assumed her father was waiting. “This place hasn’t changed a bit, I see,” she commented.
Arnold simply smiled and closed the carriage door before walking towards the manor. “This way, Miss Anye,” he called out to her as he opened the main entrance.
With a shudder Anye composed herself and strode into the entranceway of the place she used to call home. After Arnold closed the door he led her through a long hallway, decorated with family portraits and a coat of arms. At the end of the hall was the brightly lit room she had seen from outside where her parents and an unfamiliar young man sat in wait.
Arnold entered the room first and bowed his head low as he spoke. “My Lord, I present your daughter, Lady Anye, captain of the Holy Knights.”
Lord Romulus Everdyne the Fifth was a politician of some renown throughout the kingdom and a close friend of the king. The Everdyne family was known to produce fine political figures throughout history, as well as talented soldiers that served in the royal army. Romulus himself had a head full of slicked-back gray hair and pointed eyebrows to match. His face was cleanly shaven, but the wrinkles in his skin gave away his ever growing age.
Appropriately dressed for the hour, the nobleman wore a long red silk robe lined with golden thread. The seams were detailed with an intricate pattern that appeared to be woven from the same golden thread. His fingers were adorned with jeweled rings, and a silver necklace engraved with the family crest hung from his neck.
The younger man sitting with Anye’s parents was dressed in typical business attire from what he had been doing throughout the day. He wore a blue coat with white trim along the edges with matching pants, which had been bloused into a pair of clean brown boots.
Anye’s mother was slightly younger than her father, but kept her youthful beauty with an unhealthy amount of makeup. Her hair was up in a formal bun with loose strands curling down the sides of her face. She wore an evening gown woven from dark purple silk trimmed with a white frill with no discernible markings or patterns.
Anye strode past her elderly companion and bowed down as a sign of respect, for her father and his station. When she spoke, a sound of disdain echoed in her voice. “You wished to see me, Father?” As she picked up her head she continued her greeting with a hint of annoyance. “Arnold informed me that it was an urgent matter that could not be delayed.”
“Yes, Anye…” her father replied. “Our guest here is the son of count Melvus; Jean,” he explained with a simple gesture to the well-dressed young man sitting beside him.
Jean Melvus looked slightly older than Anye, but he had already made a name for himself in the region’s political circles. Being the son of a prominent count of one of the territories under Delrich’s control had placed Jean in the public’s eye from childhood, so talk of the young man actively seeking a bride had already met Anye’s ears. From what she could see she wasn’t impressed.
Jean stood and placed a hand across his waste as he bowed down, but kept his gaze locked squarely on Anye. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet with the famous Anye Everdyne of the Holy Knights,” he greeted.
A small chill ran down Anye’s spine as her fears were realized. For years her father had sent possible suitors to Anye’s door, yet each one was met with a polite decline and sent on their way so she could go about her duties. She immediately intended to do the same to this one, no matter what his social status was.
“The pleasure is mine, I’m sure,” Anye replied sarcastically as she looked at the well-dressed man. Shifting her gaze towards her father, she began to speak once more. “Father, with no disrespect, is this really what you sent Arnold out to get me for? Another suitor?”
“Anye, you wound me,” Romulus replied as he placed his aged hand on his chest. “I’m merely looking out for your best interests.”
“I do not want nor need you to be looking out for what you think my best interests are, Father,” Anye lashed. “If this was the only reason for you calling me here then I’ll take my leave. Good night.” Her temper, she realized, had almost eliminated the polite dismissal she had planned. "I'm sorry for my father wasting your time, Jean, but I am not interested in marriage at the moment." she said as she turned around to leave.
Romulus’s face changed from a lighthearted smile to a rock solid sneer. As he rose from his chair his wrinkled hands changed to fists. “Anye Rosalynn Everdyne, you will not leave this estate until our business is concluded!” he yelled loudly.
Anye stopped where she stood and turned back around to face the old man, meeting his eyes with her own. “And what business exactly would that be, Father? I’ve already given you my answer.”
“I have already entered talks with Count Melvus, Anye,” he explained. “You and his son are to be wed. I’ve had enough of this foolish rebellion of yours. The Marshall boy was acceptable, but he is gone. It’s time to move on!”
Anye’s eyes widened with rage. “How dare you speak of Leonard in such a way!? And I am a knight in the king’s service! You cannot force me to marry!”
“Anye, I am a powerful man,” her father said quietly, though his anger was obvious. “I can end your service if I wish, and if you do not agree to this I will do so whether you like it or not.”
The red haired girl looked back and forth from her mother, who was avoiding matching eyes with her, to her father. Her hands were in fists, trembling with fury. She was tempted to bear her sword against him out of pure rage and spite, but knew that would solve nothing.
“I’m sure you’ll be quite happy with me,” Jean said quietly as he smiled. His grinning face only seemed to anger her more though, l
ike he was insulting her.
“Silence yourself, you pampered twit!” Anye spurted out at the man. “I do not wish to be wed to you nor anyone else! Father, if you think your threats will stop me from leaving, you are sorely mistaken.”
Jean was taken aback, but Romulus grinned and chuckled slightly. “Did I mention that she has a bit of a temper?” he jokingly asked.
Jean, with his face still full of surprise as he looked at the raging woman, slowly nodded his head. “Yes, you may have mentioned it.”
“So, you will continue to rebel, Anye?” Romulus asked. “You intend to force my hand?”
Anye glared angrily at her father, but knew full well that he wasn’t joking. A man in his position could end someone’s career instantly if they wished, as well as propel someone through the ranks of social status. She knew that her pride would never allow her to give in to his demands, though.
“Good night, Father, Mother,” she muttered quietly. “I have my duties to attend to.” She turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Arnold standing alone before her parents.
“Anye!” her father yelled out to her as he followed her to the open door. “Anye, if you walk out of this house you will regret it!”
Anye continued her stride towards the main entrance and, without even turning around, opened the door and marched through it. She never had the intent of listening to what her father wanted, no matter what the consequences were. She was stubborn to the end, and knew that somehow she would get out of whatever it was the old man had planned.
______
The walk back to the castle from the Everdyne estate was lengthy to say the least. Had it not been for a merchant traveling along the same road as her, Anye would have had to march the entire way back, a journey which would have taken until dawn easily. She was still irritated at her father’s latest attempt at forcing her into a marriage, but had calmed down considerably.
