by Billy Wong
#
By the time they stopped to camp for the night, their conversations had turned to much lighter topics. Rose bid her husband goodnight with the promise, "Oh yeah? I will delightyou with breakfast tomorrow," in response to his joking comment that her cooking skills had stagnated in her advanced age of twenty-five. Ha! She'd never stopped learning by experimenting with different combinations of spices even on game captured during treks through the wilderness. If Finn grew bored of her meals, it could only be his taste buds that were getting old and insensitive.
Rose snuggled cozily against his huge body within their bedroll, and drifted off with a grin on her scar-covered face. Even bearing the marks of countless painful battles, she still felt beautiful by his side. For all his teasing criticisms, he really did know how to make her feel good.
She seemed to awaken amid the aftermath of an enormous battle, thousands upon thousands of corpses both human and nonhuman blanketing the silent field around her. The sudden sight of so much death threatened to overwhelm her for a moment, but the carnage of war was not unfamiliar to her eyes, and she recovered to begin walking towards an uncertain destination.
The salty tang of blood invaded her nostrils more the further she went. She passed many giant cadavers, over four times the height of men with massive frames, before a hulking figure in black armor and a skull mask came into view. Not having her weapons in this dream, as it must be, Rose tackled the masked being, lifted it into the air, and slammed it down with a thud. "Not so tall on your back, huh?" she asked.
She raised her fist, only for her attackee to say, "Wait, stop! I'm not your enemy." The decidedly female voice surprised her. Then she recognized the armor and helmet, and stepped back to let the woman up. She stood, and somehow only now did Rose notice that she should have been dead, flesh rent in scores of places, exposed heart beating though charred and split nigh in half. Behind her lay the headless corpse of a man, whose gear marked him as the Fanteian archmage Deathend.
"Kayla?" She felt disgusted and a little scared, but had fought undead before and didn't think talking to a corpse in a dream would be worse.
Her ruined body tall enough to look slightly down at Rose, she removed her helm to reveal a surprisingly delicate face framed by honey-colored hair. "You found me."
"Are you showing me this? What am I seeing?"
She raised a large fist to the sky, catching with it a lightning bolt which flashed down to ignite her hand with blazing white energy, and said cryptically, "Me. You're seeing my beginning."
Confused, Rose asked, "Beginning? Isn't this more your ending? You died here."
"I did. But death is not the same for everyone."
She thought she understood. "Are you planning to make a comeback like the man who killed you? I might not mind you, if you really are the great hero I heard you were."
Kayla turned away. "You think you're so smart, but you don't understand a thing." Rose realized now that her voice sounded desperate, maybe even hopeless.
"What do you mean?" she asked, and then she woke up. Damn, that had been vivid—the smell of the battlefield still fresh in her nose. Finn still slept beside her; at least she hadn't reacted strongly enough to wake him. She looked at the ceiling of their tent and frowned. Touching Kayla's dead face in the ruin, she remembered feeling a strange tingle. Had the ancient warrior made some spiritual connection with her through the meeting of their flesh, and if so, why?
#
Rose knocked on the door of the wilderness cabin. The heavily scarred form of her one-armed friend Loreen opened it, returning her smile. "Looks like your trip went well enough, seeing as you all look untouched. You have a visitor, by the way."
Surprised, Rose entered with her husband and friend, and saw a young man with long blond hair standing just inside. "You must be Rose and Finn, right?" he said in a hesitant voice.
"Yeah, that's us. You came to find us? How'd you know we would be here?" It wasn't common knowledge that they had gone to visit Loreen.
"I didn't come for you per se, but to ask Lady Loreen where I could find aid knowing her helpful reputation. When she told me you would be back soon, I decided to stay and wait. I've heard all about your deeds in the aid of others, and was wondering if you could possibly aid me too."
She couldn't deny being proud to be known for such. "Aid? What kind of help do you need?" She hoped it would be something that fit their talents, though, as she and Finn had sometimes received requests they weren't particularly suited to handle.
"I'm from Culn, a town a few days east of here—name's Mick, by the way. Some strange monsters recently appeared nearby, and have been attacking anyone who goes to the lake. It's a big problem, as we depend on fishing for much of our food, but attempts to drive off the creatures ourselves have only cost us men's lives. So I'm hoping you could help us out."
A few days east meant that Culn would be at the fringe of Coblan's territory, and thus one of the places Prince Wilner tended to neglect—especially when Loreen told her he was keeping his military forces close at hand these days. She looked to Mick. "So how many of these monsters are there?"
"We don't know exactly, but at least a few dozen, enough to swarm a group of fishing boats. Where they came from all of a sudden, we have no idea."
"And what are they like individually? Looks, abilities?"
"They look like men with skin resembling that of a frog, and webbed hands and feet. As for abilities, we know little besides that they wield weapons, are strong and fast, and can swim better than us."
Finn grunted. "A new monster type? Sounds like bad news—remember the last time we faced an unknown humanoid race?"
Recalling their battles against the children of the so-called Earth Mother in Resnick made Rose's eyes moisten with tears. It was against them that Julie, her student and Derrick's love, had lost her life. She should have protected her better... but the past was past and bad memories didn't prevent her from desiring to help other people in need. "Would you mind doing it one more time, big man?"
"Same old Rose, full of zeal for the good fight," he said shaking his head. "Wherever you are, I am."
She smiled in gratitude for his support. Then Derrick asked, "What about me?"
"You can come if you want, I suppose." While he wasn't nearly the fighter she or Finn were, he'd survived many a dangerous adventure with them, and should get to choose. Although... "Since this doesn't have anything to do with the giants and Kayla and might delay us coming home for a while, maybe you should go back first to check how things are going and hold down the fort."
He nodded. "I suppose that might be best. It could be interesting to see these frog people, but I should place more weight on my responsibilities."
Hearing the apathy in his voice and how easily he relented, though, Rose felt rather bad. Back in the old days, he would have been bursting with enthusiasm for another chance at discovery, but Derrick had never been quite the same since Julie's demise. "Thanks for understanding," she said with sadness inside.
#
That night, Derrick was relieving himself outside when Mick came out after him. "What do you need?" he asked, a little awkwardly given the circumstances.
"You've traveled a lot with Rose and Finn, right?"
"Yes, and?"
"What are they like?"
Having gotten so used to them he took their personalities for granted, he had some trouble putting it into words. "They're good people, and fun. Finn is a little more... boisterous, I guess, and Rose a little more... conscientious."
"Could you tell me some stories about their lives?"
"Didn't you say you know lots about them already?"
"Tons. But I want to hear about things besides stories about how they killed hundreds of men singlehandedly, defeated other famed warriors, slew ancient monsters, or the like. What I wish is to get a better sense of their everyday lives, and who they are as people."
"Why don't you ask them, then? They're not shy."
M
ick smiled bashfully. "No, but I am. I know they probably wouldn't mind, but I might be too awed in their presence to ask much. You seem more like me, so I... you know... feel more comfortable asking you to help."
"What, are you a scholar too?"
"No, I'm a bard. I love to sing of great heroes, but in a way that people can better relate to."
Derrick blinked. "You're a bard, and you're shy?"
"What, are you wondering how I can ever take center stage? It may sound strange, but I think I have an easier time opening up to a lot of people at once. I guess I feel like it's more likely I can satisfy at least some of them, whereas there's a greater chance of displeasing the whole of a smaller group."
That made enough sense. "Alright, I'll tell you some stories of daily life with Rose and Finn. But be warned, the experiences I remember best, even if not from adventures, might not be the most mundane."
"Well, they are legends. I suppose one shouldn't mind a touch of the extraordinary even in accounts of their ordinary lives."
#
"I went to Terlon after I had the twins, remember?" Rose said as she parried a stroke from Loreen's longsword. Though the one-armed woman was already experienced, practicing against as powerful an opponent as Rose never hurt, and she enjoyed it herself. "If anything, this should be done with much quicker than that."
Loreen grunted, stumbling back from a block of Rose's much heavier broadsword with its alchemically treated lead core. "Maybe, but I would've expected you to accept less diversions now that Jacob and Amber are older."
"I did too, and know they're missing me now. But I can't just leave Culn to its doom."
"They could find another way. Besides, you can't save everybody."
"No, but that doesn't mean I should turn a blind eye to those I can." She pressed Loreen hard, driving her across the packed dirt behind her house.
"You need to sort out your priorities, Rose. Back when you were a young girl running around fighting evil wherever you found it, this would be normal. But you're married with kids now. I know Finn doesn't mind much, but you should both think more about taking care of your family."
It seemed like her friend thought her immature for continuing in her accustomed ways, but she didn't feel immature for wanting to fight for just causes. "We've got someone taking care of our kids. I know I'm not the best mother, and have never been." She disarmed Loreen, held her at swordpoint against the wall. She lowered her blade and said unhappily, "I'm trying. It's just so hard to balance my two lives, and often when I think about compromising one way, it feels like too much."
"I know any chance to battle evil tempts you. But there might be a limit to how much you can do and still be a decent parent."
"I haven't taken every chance I could to rush into battle. I mean, I didn't travel south to fight the raiders from Volston when they got bold. Mick is right in front of me though, and with nothing more pressing to be done, it'd be tough for me to turn him away." Rose exhaled. "Like with you, I understand when you returned to working for Prince Wilner, even after all he's mistreated you and despite me and him being great enemies, that was partly for your family. But that isn't how I am—I can't compromise my ideals so easily."
Loreen gazed harshly at her, and she realized she might have worded her last statement too negatively. The one-armed woman was a good friend, and didn't deserve to have her ethics questioned. "Haven't we gone over this enough? I did it partly for my family, yes, so that Wilner wouldn't take his anger out on my brothers. But for all that he might not be the most benevolent ruler, Coblan is better off under his rule. You saw what happened when he was gone, how everything fell into chaos."
"I'm sorry, Loreen. If I sounded too judgmental, I didn't mean to. But I've got to ask, if Coblan and Kayland went to war again... would you fight me?"
"I'd try not to. I couldn't hurt you, Rose—probably not even if I tried."
They laughed now, the tension draining away. Of course, Rose was pretty far out of Loreen's league in terms of individual combat. "Anyway, helping Mick's town shouldn't take too much time away from my kids, unless their monster problem proves a lot more extensive than I imagine."
"You're too considerate. Still, I wish you the best of luck."
"Since when do I ever have that?" she asked jokingly.
"I'll wish for it anyway."
Rose went to her room, where she could hear Derrick and Mick chatting next door. Finn was already asleep in bed, so she tucked herself under the blankets next to him and closed her eyes. As images of Julie's slow death filled her mind, like they sometimes did, she braced herself for a long night.
#
After sleep finally took her, Rose found herself on the ancient battlefield again, standing before the dead woman with the hole in her heart as the latter regarded her with sad eyes. "I suppose you must have something to say, bringing me back here."
"I doubted all my life what I needed to do," Kayla replied.
Appropriately vague for someone in a dream to say. "Yeah, many people do. And?"
"I stopped doubting." The dark-armored warrior strode over to a white trident which lay a few paces away, next to the corpse of the Fanteian conquerer Deathend, and picked it up in a charred hand. "He freed me and cursed me, all at once."
"Who?"
"My son."
"Your son? You don't look old enough to have had a grown child. Do you mean your motherly dedication made your path clear to you, or what?" The decisions Rose faced certainly hadn't been made easier by motherhood, but envy towards Kayla hardly seemed warranted.
Kayla smiled. "No, my son changed me himself. He taught me how to live... just right." Was that a sarcastic air Rose detected, or did she imagine it?
"How old was he?"
"I can't really say. I wouldn't judge him by human years."
Confused, Rose thought to ask more. But before she could, the dream faded away.
#
Splitting up with Derrick, the warrior couple made their way towards Culn with Mick the next morning. "So you guys have beaten up lots of big monsters, right?" the youth asked in an eager voice. He talked more than he had yesterday when they ate dinner together, and Rose concluded whatever Derrick said about them had made him inclined to open up more.
Finn nodded proudly. "We sure have. A few ugly frog-men won't be a problem."
He might prove right or not, but in any case Rose knew Finn was enjoying the reverence with which Mick viewed them. Unlike him, she cared little for their fame. While it gave them a certain amount of credibility that made talking with some folks easier, it also caused its share of problems. Besides the usual barfights they were challenged to, there were also less trivial dangers, like the occasional glory-seeking assassin they had to face.
"How did you ever get so good?" Mick asked.
Rose thought about it. "I'd say I trained hard, but plenty of people worked just as hard as me and didn't get to where I am. Many of my fellow road watchmen back when I was a teen thought I was some sort of prodigy and maybe I am, but I would still never have been anything if I didn't train. So I guess it's a mix of both, innate potential and honing it. And experience, of course—you'd be hard pressed to find a person my age who's fought more things, I think."
"We have size and strength too," Finn said. "That always helps."
"I was kind of counting physical attributes under 'potential.'"
He shrugged. "So what Mick, you want to be a great warrior someday?"
Rose rolled her eyes at his wording, and the young man answered, "I doubt I'll ever get as good as you. Like your wife said, a fighter's ability is a mix of talent and training, and I've seen no indication I'm anything special in regards to the former. But I'd like if I could get good enough to make a difference in a fight when needed."
"Have you trained at all?" Rose asked.
"I've practiced fencing with sticks with my friends. I don't think anyone in our village really knows how to fight, like a soldier does, though."
"The
n we'll show you some moves when we stop to rest, and you can share them with your neighbors. If you'd like that, I mean."
"Of course!" he said with a big grin, which shortly turned into a frown. "But a few hours of lessons can't teach me to fight that well, will it?"
"It's definitely no substitute for dedicated training, which we don't have time to give," she admitted. "But even a few good tricks is better than nothing, and maybe we can get Loreen to find your town some help in learning to defend itself."
"That sounds good. So you two are going to show me some sword tricks?"
"She'll show you tricks with the sword," Finn said. "I'll teach you a thing or two about grappling." Rose smiled. She was just as skilled at wrestling as him, but seeing as wrestling wasn't considered very feminine and Mick was still a relative stranger, that division of labor suited her just fine at the moment.
They continued down the road. Mick couldn't get enough of hearing about Rose and Finn's adventures, and the latter humored him with his usual tall tales. Not that their violent lives needed embellishing in Rose's mind... When they set up camp for the day, Mick volunteered to hunt for dinner, and after he departed Finn said to her, "Enthusiastic guy, isn't he? Even my throat's getting a little dry."
"He's still young and idealistic. Reminds me of Derrick when we first met him. I hope he won't have to change."
"Have to? You've been through more than anyone should have to take, and you're still the same zealous white knight."
She laughed. She wasn't really a knight, honorary title of Knight Protector of Kayland notwithstanding. But she did try her best to do the right thing, even if it didn't always work out. "Maybe I am. But not everyone responds to stress in the same way."
"Of course not. You are tougher than anybody else, and I love it." He paused, probably catching the sadness in her eyes. "You're thinking about Derrick again, aren't you?"
"Yeah. He just hasn't been the same. I feel so sorry for him."
"Me too, but I'm sure he'll be okay. Just give it time. It's a shame about Julie, but that's life. You lost your first love and you're all right."
His wording might not be the most sensitive, but the kindness in his eyes told her he was trying his darnedest to comfort her and warmed her heart. "I'm so glad I met you after, though. You're not nearly the cruel bastard I thought you those first days."
