by Lance Wilson
“You throw that egg?” The guard says with a wolf like voice.
“No” Attonnan says cold
“You see who did” The man says with even more of a snarl.
“No” Attonnan says still cold as ice.
“So tell me how that egg wound up on my guard’s head,” The captain says spinning Attonnan to face him.
The guard gets a good look at Attonnan and lets a sneer cross he face, dirty and pale, he is match for him. Attonnan lets his cold eyes move over the captain. He is a good head taller then he, and half again as wide. He is dressed in the white and gold uniform of the Kainith elf kingdom. He has long black hair that seems to have started to bald around the forehead. A thin mustache and a thin beard that is long and braided in one tail with some beads in it. He also sees that the man’s hands have drifted to the hammers at his side.
“Maybe a chicken flew over” Attonnan says his own hand drifting to the handle of his sword.
The man only growls and then smiles as he sees the vendor put down three days worth of rations on the counter. Before anyone can say or do anything the captain snatches the rations and smiles.
“The army thanks you for your generosity. You might want to think about moving on though, the price for staying is more then you can afford” The captain says with a chuckle and pats his hammers.
Attonnan only stares at them, his expression is as cold as death itself. But he doesn’t make a move. No, there would be no point in killing here.
“Army, ha, the real soldiers are off in the war fighting the Kainith elves, those are just thugs in uniforms. They use that damned uniform to take what they want, they have a strangle hold on this town. No one dare stand up to them” The vendor says sure that they are out of hearing range, Attonnan only keeps his cold dead stare on them as he watches them walk away.
“Thanks for not ratting me out, come on, I know a place where you can get a good meal” the kid says and quickly grabs Attonnan’s hand.
Attonnan only smiles and walks with the kid knowing that he has lost his rations to the Kainith elves, the vendor surly couldn’t spare more even though he paid and didn’t get any and he’s not going to press the matter.
The two of them walk for a good ten minutes tell they begin to take a small fork in the road on the outskirts of town. A few minutes later he hears the sound of animals raising cane as they approach. The animals are all pinned up but as they approach the kid just kind of smiles.
“At least no one can sneak up on us” The kid says and points to a small house in the distance.
Walking closer he sees a woman out in the front yard hanging up the wash in the summer heat. A man is on the roof of the house fixing it. Seeing the boy the man gets off the roof and the woman comes walking forward.
“You a friend of Ying’s” the man says looking calmly at Attonnan
“He just stood up to the Kainith elf Guards, he practically had them shaking in there boots” Ying says smiling
“Well does this friend of yours have a name?” the woman says now walking up to them.
“He doesn’t have to say his name if he doesn’t want to. Anyone who can hold their own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. They should be ashamed to Denerith elf kingdom uniforms.” The father says lowering his head and pulling his family close.
“The real soldiers are off fighting the war, like Ying’s big brother Sensu. Supper is going to be ready soon, would you like to stay.” the mother says looking over at her son.
“I can’t, I should be moving on,” Attonnan says looking away.
“I could use some help on the barn” The father says looking over at him curiously
“Why don’t you to work for a while, and then we’ll eat” the mother says and smiles at them.
Attonnan only nods, it seems he cannot argue with these people.
It doesn’t take long for night to fall and soon Attonnan and the man are forced to call it a day. The smell of fresh cooked food is too much for him as he and the rest of the family wash up and then sit to a table in the small hut. The hut is simple, two rooms and a small loft where he is sure the parents sleep. Then a small barn attached, maybe just large enough for a horse or two. As they sit down to dinner they all fold there hands to say grace.
“Thank you for our new friend, and please look over Sheen and see him safely home” The mother says her voice almost quivering at the last part.
They all nod and begin to feed. It takes Attonnan great restraint not to take everything on the plates and begin eating like some kind of wild beast. But no, he instead takes small portions knowing that these people do not have much, and eats with manors fitting his company.
“So where are you from” Ying says calmly trying to make conversation.
“West, I think, I’ve been wandering for a long time.” Attonnan says trying to keep pleasant.
“Why” Ying asks shoving a fork full of mashed potatoes in his mouth.
“Ying, a man’s past is his own business, sorry about that,” the father says shaking his head.
“It’s okay” Attonnan says, but doesn’t answer Ying’s question.
“You have a nice sword, are you a soldier like my brother” Ying asks exited hoping that Attonnan is.
“No, not a soldier” Attonnan says looking down.
“My brother is off fighting in the war, he’s a hero.” Ying says smiling up at Attonnan.
Attonnan only smiles back, but it is a halfhearted smile.
“Yes, we hope for him to come back any day now” the father says smiling. But as Attonnan looks further he can see that the father is only holding out on a lost idea, in his eyes he has already given up on his son ever coming home.
“You can sleep in the barn for tonight if you like, it’s late and I can’t see the reason for travel at such an hour” The mother says smiling letting her hand gently drift to her husbands.
Getting up Attonnan helps clear the table and nods to her letting her know that he will take the barn for the night. He helps wash the dishes and as they start to put young Ying into bed he makes his way out to the barn and lays in a pile of hay, laying his sword against the wall next to him.
“Ishtar, I wanted to talk to you” Attonnan says and slowly turns to her.
She can’t help but blush; he has always caught her eye. Sure he is a smaller of the two brothers, more gaunt looking, but it is his eyes. Those passionate royal blue eyes, there is a sharpness, a spark to them. Even now as nervous as she is she can’t help but get lost in those eyes. She gently walks over to him and looks down as he takes her hands in his and pulls her closer.
“What, what about” she asks calmly but she can feel her skin shiver at his touch.
“Tomorrow, tomorrow I will take my vows, I will be a man in all elvish society. Ishtar, I want you to join me in my bed tomorrow night. Tomorrow night and all other nights” Attonnan says calmly his hands are trembling; he can’t even look her in the eyes.
“Attonnan, I don’t know what to say, I, I have to admit I had a few fantasies about being in your bed. But I make no promises, I want to think about it” she says and lays her head on his chest.
For the single moment all of Attonnan’s world fades away and all there is, is her holding him, her, laying her head on his chest. Ishtar can swear that she can even hear his heart skip a beat. He gently wraps his hands around her also his cloak, and then, then something hits. It’s nothing that should spark anything in him, just a sound. A rustling. Slowly Attonnan pushes her away and holds his hand to his lips to signal her to keep quite. There it is again, a rustling, but there is no wind. Quickly he draws his blade; it is close to the middle of the night.
“Get inside, get the guards ready, I fear the Hojo clan are here . . . . get everyone ready” he says, why, why is he so sure it is the Hojo clan. It was just
a noise, he didn’t even see anything.
Like a flash of light he is now wide-awake, but doesn’t open his eyes, he can hear rustling in the barn. He lets his right hand twitch a bit. There is a sudden clang as a foot makes contact with a bucket.
“Damnit” Ying says in a harsh whisper.
Attonnan can hear his stop to see if he has woken him, it takes a bit to keep himself from smiling. So Ying is trying to sneak up on him, but why. Attonnan only keeps his eyes closed and lets the boy get closer. The boy gets almost right next to him, and then he hears it, the boy slowly reaching and taking his sword. Just as quietly as he can Ying then makes his way out of the barn. Silently he makes his way to a small field of flowers near the house with a scarecrow in it. He slowly draws the sword and looks at it in the bright moonlight. Tucking the sheath in his belt he begins to swing the sword around like he is a soldier, just like his brother. Attonnan now stands in the moonlight watching him. So that is it, he wanted the sword, to feel it in his hands, to feel like a man, a warrior. He remembers when he was so young and used to want the same thing.
“Your holding it all wrong” Attonnan says loud enough to make the boy jump and drop the sword in start.
Quickly the boy then picks up the sword and hanging his head he sheaths it and hands it back to Attonnan.
“Your not paying attention, you don’t wield the blade, when you first pick up the blade, you let it wield you. Let it talk to you, let it become part of you, move through you as deeply as the blood in your veins” He says spinning and swaying with the blade as he talks. Then smiling he hands the blade to Ying again.
“You sound like my brother. He used to teach me stuff like that, you would have liked him” He says and makes a slash that cuts shallowly into the scarecrow.
“Here take this” Attonnan says and then pulls a small knife out of his boot.
He watches as the kids face lights up like a star and then looks over at Attonnan.
“Why” he asks wondering but still holds the knife like a treasure.
“Si vis parcem para bellum, it means if you want peace, you must prepare for war,” Attonnan says and taking the sword back he walks back to the farm.
It is early in the mourning when he wakes. The family is already up and going about there work. Attonnan stretches out and takes a deep breath. These are good people and though he would enjoy staying with them, he must go. He looks hard at the road ahead and taking a deep breath he starts to take off. He only gets a few steps before the mother walks up to him and hands him a small parcel wrapped in cloth and a large water skin.
“Here, these should do you for a bit” She says with a sweet smile.
Attonnan goes to say something but stops when they are interrupted at the sounds of animals. Riding hard up the path is a set of four soldiers including the captain that Attonnan had met the previous day. Attonnan’s hand drifts to the handle of his sword but the father steps in front of him as the men come to a stop and dismount there horses.
“Denerith elf rebels have been captures just to the west, isn’t that were your son Sheen was, just thought you out to know” The general says with a chuckle.
“Why do you do this” Attonnan says growling
“Do what” The general says now stepping right in Attonnan’s face.
“These people have suffered enough, leave them alone” Attonnan says his sword hand twitching just a bit.
“Hay, did you hear what they did to the last Denerith elf rebels, I heard they dressed them up as Kainith elves then had them march against a Denerith elf army, unarmed” The general says looking over his shoulder. Then with a huge laugh they only mount their horses
“You watch your mouth,” the father says pointing hard at the general.
The general then goes forward to the father but is stopped suddenly as Attonnan steps between them, his eyes blazing. The general just stares at him for a bit, those eyes, there’s something about those eyes.
“Why bother rooting around in the muck with these people” the general says and with that he turns his horse and he and his men ride off.
The father then turns to his family, he knows what he has to do but he hates to do it.
“I’m going to the front, I’m going to find Sensu and bring him home.” The father says as he and his wife walk to the house.
“When my dad goes, will you stay?” Ying says looking hopefully at Attonnan.
“No, I need to move on” He says lowering his head.
With that Attonnan makes his way down the street listening as the father rustles for his things and then takes off on his own horse.
It is mid-afternoon and Attonnan is now lying in the grass near a stream, his eyes are closed as he enjoys the soft breeze, he can feel that it will rain tonight, hard. He should head west again. His peace is quickly interrupted when he hears the screams of a woman. He looks up and sees that it is the mother from the farm. She is running to him with a panicked look on his face.
“Thank god I found you. Please you have to help me. The men, they came back after my husband has left. When they ordered us to give them food Ying attacked them with a knife, I don’t even know where he got a knife. Anyway, they said that if he’s old enough to fight he’s old enough to join the army. I, I couldn’t think of anyone else. Please you have to help me” She says tears streaming down his face.
Attonnan is shocked at all this. Not that the men would do it, that doesn’t even make him flinch, no, the fact that he has started all of it. He was the one that gave Ying the knife and he was the one that told him that if you want peace, that you have to prepare for war, Ying would get hurt because of him.
“I’ll get your son back,” Attonnan says with a fierce and cold voice.
The two of them then get into the cart that she came on and ride back off to town to confront the soldiers.
It only takes them a few minutes to get back to the town and like she said the soldiers are gathered around the main street where at the end of it is a water tower to which Ying is tied.
“You came” Ying shouts at the top of his lungs
The Guards turn to find Attonnan now standing in front of them a fire in his eyes.
“Let the kid go” Attonnan says walking tell he is about twenty feet from them.
“Who do you think you are” the general says laughing
“It doesn’t matter who I am, but I know who you are. Your not soldiers, your bullies, freeloaders abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don’t want Ying in your army. Your sick cowards messing with a family who’s already lost one son to the war.” He says his voice like a rush of ice water
“Are you going to let this stranger insult you like this” The general says looking to a spearman on his right.
The spearman slowly lowers the tip of his spear down with a quick huff he charges Attonnan. But Attonnan is too fast, just when the man gets close enough he draws his blade slamming the man in the gut with the handle, not even getting the blade fully out of it’s sheath. The man is dropped to the ground and slides down the street almost three blocks. He then gets up and crawls away panting. Attonnan only re-sheaths the rest of the blade. The second spearman growls and charges, but Attonnan is ready for him as well. As he gets close enough Attonnan bats the spear away and with a spin steps in close to the man, with the same hand that batted the spear away he grabs the mans face and slams him to the ground knocking him unconscious. The third comes running at him spear lowered for a strike, Attonnan only spins to one side and with a quick kick snaps the shaft of the spear making the tip go flying. The man is too stunned at first to move, but seeing what he is up against he only drops the rest of the spear and goes running, it is just Attonnan and the general now.
The general raises both his hammers and the two begin to fight. The general takes a swing to his head with a hammer but Attonnan
sways out of the way, the second hammer however hitting him knocking him to the ground rolling, but Attonnan doesn’t stay down, he rolls to his feet and make a quick slash with his blade, the man blocks with his hammer and brings the second down on Attonnan’s shoulder dropping him to his knees, then with the first hammer he brings it up to his chest knocking him to the ground flat on his back.
“Get up” Ying whispers to himself watching the general approach Attonnan both hammers raised for the final blow.
Attonnan waits for the perfect moment and when the man is close enough he lets out a thunderous roar and spins himself back to his feet using his blade as a shield. The general is shaken and staggers but quickly gets back into his stance; Attonnan only sheaths his blade and gets into a low stance.
“Who, who are you” the general asks his voice shaking.
“I am Attonnan, prince of the Unagi kingdom” Attonnan says is a quite thunder of a voice
The general only growls but he is too late. Attonnan makes his strike, it is a draw motion but no one can see it done. All anyone can see is Attonnan take the first few steps, and then before they know it Attonnan is behind the general, his blade completely unsheathed. Attonnan only stands up straight and slashes his blade making the blood fly off of it. As he does this the general collapses to the ground, his body split in half. As blood soaks the streets Ying stares at him in shock and fear. Attonnan gently takes the yellow sash and holding the blade parallel to him he wipes the rest of the blood off, a tear gently running down his cheek. Every kill another tear, no matter how he felt for them. He then turns sheathing his blade and begins to walk to Ying now that his mother has untied him. As Attonnan walks up to the boy the mother steps between them.
“Not a step closer” She growls at him.
Attonnan sees the knife he had left Ying. Slowly he kneels and goes to hand it to him again.
“Here, it’s yours” Attonnan says, his voice soft and gentle now.
“No, I hate you” he says looking at Attonnan now with new eyes, he is not just a strong stranger willing to protect, but Attonnan, the killer, the ghost on the battlefield, killing for the highest bidder.
