The Serf and the Soldier

by Holly Law

  Elara laughed. “I never would have thought a war horse could be so affectionate.”

  “Now you know. Hop up, we need to be going,” Corden said as he pulled himself into the saddle. He helped her up with ease and Elara found Scratch looking over his shoulder at her. “See? He won't leave you alone now.”

  “Amazing he doesn't knock you over looking for apples every time you get near him, Corden.”

  “It is a bit amazing,” Corden agreed.

  “I think I could manage to walk today,” Elara told him. She didn't want to be so near him after the night before.

  “You're certain?” Corden asked, not seeming to believe her.

  “Yes, very.”

  “If you wish to ride at any point let me know.”

  “I will,” Elara promised him.

  Return Home

  The next few days of travel proved stressful and Elara was thankful when Corden announced they would reach the village early the next day. Elara slept fitfully that night and she woke several times to see that Corden was sitting up and staring at the fire. It was early morning when Elara finally gave up on sleep and sat up to join him. She carefully started working on breakfast in a way that would not disturb others and she found she was thankful for the supplies Corden had provided for them. As she worked, she became aware that Corden watched her.

  Eventually, Corden walked over to her and sat next to her by the fire. “I would like to speak with you, Elara, and I would like it if you would hear me out without interruption.”

  “Alright,” Elara said, wondering what he had to say.

  “I will keep my word. I would ask you to reconsider what you asked of me when you saved my life. There is much I could offer you. The least of which is the protection I could offer you and your family during this very dangerous time. You would find yourself comfortable and happy. I promise you that. I know you were afraid of me when we first met, but I hope you can see I am not what you feared I was. Please, I ask of you to reconsider.”

  “I won't,” Elara said firmly.

  Corden sighed. “I thought that would be your answer. Take this and hold onto it,” Corden said giving her the piece of wood he had been carving. Elaborate designs were carved into a round disk. Elara took it and frowned at it feeling confused. “Do not lose it. If your village is attacked that might save your life if you wish it. Show it to a soldier and they will see you are brought safely to me. However, it would be the same as if I had taken you personally and you would be bound to me. You don't have to use it, but it is available to you. I also give you my word, take it how you will, that if I am present at any battles at your village I will take you.”

  Elara felt deeply uneasy at that pronouncement and could not make herself look at Corden. Corden did not seem to expect a response.

  It was some time before the others woke and Elara felt more and more uncomfortable around Corden as time passed. It was clear her discomfort was evident on her face because her brother gave her a concerned look after he had been awake for a bit. “What's wrong?” he asked her softly as Lady Elisa shook out her blanket and Corden checked scratch.

  “I'll tell you when we're home,” Elara told him just as softly not wanting to make an issue of what Corden had said out in the middle of nowhere. They were still very much at Corden's mercy.

  “It's Corden though?” her brother insisted.

  “Yes,” Elara admitted. “I don't want to talk about it out here.”

  “Alright, but as soon as we're home tell me.”

  “I will,” Elara promised.

  Their pace felt brisker than it had the day before. Elara didn't mind. She was eager to be home and out of the company of Corden. Corden was the only one who seemed to struggle with the pace. He kept Scratch at a deliberately slow pace. The three of them noticed and continued their pace in spite of him. But they walked on and not even Corden's pace could keep them from arriving home just before noon.

  Elara could have hugged the familiar buildings. She could not hold back a smile at seeing the village. Nothing had changed, even the cook fires seemed the same. Relief was clear not only on Lairk's face, but also Lady Elisa's as they walked towards the main street that led them into village. It was near that street that Corden reined in his horse.

  “I go no further,” Corden said abruptly and the three of them looked at him surprised by that pronouncement. He inclined his head to Elara politely. “I have done as honor required of me and have seen you safely back to your village. I hope that you can at least consider this the parting of friends, Elara. I have never meant you harm and I hope you can consider what I said earlier as an attempt to keep you from harm. In all likelihood, the next time we meet I will again be in full armor. I also hope you will remember that I am not what you fear underneath all that armor.” He gave her the slightest of bows in his saddle and turned his horse. Without further pause he turned back the way they had come.

  “That was fast,” Lairk said sounding surprised. “I thought he would have lingered a bit longer. Taken a meal at least.”

  “I had hoped he would see me back to the castle,” Lady Elisa fretted, watching Corden ride away. “I don't want to walk there all alone.”

  “I'll see you home,” Lairk assured her. “But not before I have told my mother what has happened.”

  Elara grimaced then. “She's going to be really unpleasant about it.”

  “You can't blame her for it. This isn't exactly going to be good news.”

  “I know but she's going to take it out on me. She always takes bad news out on me.”

  “Bear it the best you can. The village will probably need you out in the fields and away from her anyway.”

  “Good. I hate being indoors.”

  Together they walked to their small house, which felt even smaller to Elara after having been away from it for a couple of weeks. The whole house was smaller than the room they had stayed in. They pushed the door open and Elara watched as Lairk was embraced instantly by their mother. “Oh Lairk! You're home already! I thought you would be gone twice as long,” their mother exclaimed as she continued to hug Lairk tightly. It seemed as though she would never let him go. She didn't even glance at Elara. “I'm so glad you're home!” Then her mother looked eagerly over his shoulder. She looked right past Elara and seemed to be searching for another. “Where's your father? Did he have to go back to the castle?”

  “He's dead,” Lairk told her heavily. “We were attacked by Corscan soldiers and he was killed. Almost everyone was killed. That's why we're home so soon. Elara, myself, and Lady Elisa were the only survivors.”

  Their mother looked stricken. Her bright cheerful smile faded from her face and she collapsed to the dirt floor weeping. Lairk continued to hold their mother and for the first time Elara saw him cry as well.

  Elara felt outcast at that moment. She felt unwanted. No one had comforted her in her grief. She had been alone. Only Corden had acknowledge openly how much she was mourning. Elara sat in a chair by the fireplace and saw that her mother had been in the middle of cutting up vegetables. To turn her mind from the unpleasant realities, Elara took over the task as she tried to ignore her mother's weeping.

  After several long minutes, Elara reminded Lairk, “Lady Elisa is waiting outside to be escorted back to the castle.”

  “Who cares about her?” her mother said fiercely. “Lairk's place is here.” Her mother hugged Lairk all the tighter, refusing to let him go.

  “Elara is right,” Lairk said standing slowly and detaching their mother from him. “I promised her I would see her home. I'll be back before night fall.”

  “No, Lairk!” their mother cried as he walked to the door.

  “It will be alright. You have Elara here to help you,” Lairk reassured her.

  “I don't want Elara here. I want you here!”

  Elara excused herself at that moment and went to her small room which wasn't even truly big enough for her bed. She curled up on the straw mattress and wept.

&nbs
p; Lairk did not return that night which made their mother worry even more. Elara spoke little to her even when she was forced to leave her room and help her ungrateful mother. She worked long and hard on their dinner, which her mother refused to let either of them touch until hours after sunset because Lairk wasn't there. When it grew late and her mother was too hungry they ate. Every mouthful was accompanied by a criticism. Elara felt even worse and her father was not there to turn those stinging remarks into laughter.

  Lairk did not return until the following morning. He was again tightly embraced by their mother. It was a painful thing to watch again, but Elara was glad to have him home. He gave her a friendly smile, but something seemed off in his eyes. Lairk did not spend much time in the house once he arrived home and almost immediately went out into the fields to help with the harvest.

  It wasn't until very late that same night that Elara had a chance to talk with him. Their mother had gone to bed out of sheer exhaustion and Elara was glad to have time alone with her brother, even if she would have liked to have more sleep. Her brother had news for her however and it was not entirely pleasant.

  “I was questioned most of yesterday about Corden,” her brother told her, relaxing in a chair before the fire. “Our lord was very interested in him. He wanted every detail Lady Elisa and I could give him. I don't know who he was exactly, but he is apparently very dangerous and equally important. As soon as we mentioned him by name soldiers were sent out after him to try to take him prisoner.”

  “But why? He helped us! We never would have gotten home without him!” Elara objected. “His daughter wouldn't have even been alive without him!

  “So I told him and so Lady Elisa told her father. Lady Elisa spoke very highly of the Corscan, but it made little difference. Our lord believed taking Corden prisoner could turn the tide of the war.”

  “That makes no sense! Why capture someone who spared your daughter's life? He did much good for our lord!”

  “I suspect Corden anticipated this reaction. That is why he didn't linger. The extra head start he has may be enough to see him back to town without incident. Corden knows his own worth, even if he left us ignorant of it.”

  “I hope Corden gets back to Velshire unharmed,” Elara worried despite herself. “After all the good he did for us, I would hate to think something bad has happened to him.”

  “Lady Elisa promised she would send word if he was captured.”

  “At least we'll know something then. I wasn't overly fond of Corden, but I don't wish him any harm.”

  “What did he say to you that disturbed you so much the other morning?”

  “He…told me he would take me if he had the chance. He seemed to think it would be likely that there would be soldiers attacking this area at some point. If he is with them, he will take me. He also asked me if I would be willing to reconsider and go back with him.”

  “The short of it is he made it clear to you that he still intends to take you for his wife?”

  “Yes, and that frightens me. I barely know him, Lairk. What am I supposed to do?”

  Lairk leaned back in his chair in thought. “I don't think there is much you can do, Elara. Corden is smart and his horse is fast. If you try to hide, he'll find you. If you try to run, he'll catch you. It could be much worse, you know. At least I feel confident he would take care of you. He did put a lot of effort into your comfort. He didn't have to come all this way for you. I think if he had treated Lessie the way he treated you she would have gone off with him in a heartbeat.”

  “I am not Lessie. He tried to kill you, Lairk. Can you really forgive that so easily?”

  “He stopped when he discovered I was your brother.”

  “That doesn't change anything.”

  “He respected you enough to spare my life. That meant a great deal.” Lairk stood and stretched. “Go get some sleep, Elara. There is more than enough work for the two of us tomorrow.”

  Elara felt very odd in the village the following day. She felt like people watched her where ever she went. She hadn't really been out of the house since she arrived, but she had assumed everyone had known she was back. It wasn't until she brought Lairk his lunch in the fields that she realized the reason for the reaction.

  “Here you go, Lairk, I didn't even burn the bread today,” Elara told him proudly handing him the basket.

  “Must be having a good day then,” Lairk grinned.

  “Mind if I join you today, Lairk?” a man Lairk's age asked, coming over to join him. It took Elara conscious effort not to flush in embarrassment as Recher came over to join her brother. Recher was tall and blond with a ready grin. He had been her brother's best friend since childhood.

  “Not at all, Recher,” her brother said at once. “Pull up some grass. Elara was just telling me she managed not to burn the bread today.”

  Recher laughed. “Must finally be getting better at cooking,” Recher said with a grin. “Had to happen eventually. All that exposure to Corscans must have been good for you.”

  Elara grimaced. “I doubt that. My cooking was its normal self all the way back. I hoped Corden would get food poisoning, but no such luck.”

  Recher laughed again. “The world would be better with one less Corscan, but Lairk told me he was awfully sweet on you. Bought you that pretty dress you're in and everything.”

  Elara did blush then and hated herself for it. “He did,” Elara confessed. “But you won't find me returning the attentions of a Corscan soldier.”

  “A pity you didn't,” Lessie said sweetly behind her. Elara flinched internally as both Lairk and Recher looked at Lessie. “You certainly don't have any prospects here. The soldier would have had no idea what a poor catch you really were.”

  “That was unkind, Lessie,” Lairk scolded her. Lessie looked a bit startled by his tone.

  “But it is true, Lairk,” Lessie told him sweetly. “You even agreed with me the other day when I said as much to you.”

  “Yes, but…” Lairk began and Elara felt wounded in that instant. The thought of Lairk and Lessie discussing her was painful. Her brother agreeing with Lessie on such a horrible observation was worse. She felt completely betrayed.

  “And who would ever marry a snake like you?” Elara snapped at her. “You are nothing but a conceited cow!” Elara stormed off before Lessie could reply. Tears filled her eyes and she was so angry she could barely breathe.

  “And we didn't even take into account her temper…” Elara heard Lessie observe before she was out of ear shot.

  “Mind if I join you?” Elara heard her brother ask her. Elara didn't look up at him. She stared at the surface of the pond. A pair of ducks floated on it, enjoying the last warm weeks of autumn.

  Lairk did not leave when she failed to reply. Instead, he sat down beside her, his face was serious. “Mother is upset because you didn't come home to help her with dinner,” Lairk informed her.

  “It will probably taste better without my help,” Elara said shortly and hugged her knees a little tighter.

  “Probably,” Lairk agreed. “I'm sorry about what happened earlier. Lessie had no right to speak to you that way.”

  “And you had no business speaking to Lessie about me behind my back. You're as bad as the rest of them,” Elara said angrily. “Now go away and leave me alone.”

  “I didn't agree to what she thought I had,” Lairk said stubbornly. “I said I thought you would have been better off if you had stayed with Corden and I meant it. It had nothing to do with your cooking skills or the opinions of others here. I thought Corden was good for you.”

  “That is insulting,” Elara snapped, glaring at the pond. “You would wish a Corscan on your own sister.”

  “No, I wish a man on you who clearly cared about you and your welfare. His being a Corscan has nothing to do with it. Corden is a good man. He…”

  “Since when are you a good judge of character?” Elara snapped and glared at him. “You and the others fawn all over Lessie because she's pretty. You never
notice how she treats others.”

  “Yes, I do,” Lairk disagreed firmly. “I know very well she is nasty to you. Trust me, Lessie is the last girl I would ever marry. I'd rather remain a bachelor then end up with the likes of her. Besides, I'm surprised you never realized why Lessie is so nasty to you and ready to bring up your faults.” Elara looked at him confused. “You're prettier than her, Lara, and she is very well aware of it. She was particularly nasty today because you showed up in a prettier dress than hers and everyone was looking at you.”

  Elara flushed in embarrassment. “I'm not prettier than Lessie.”

  “I bet Corden would disagree.”

  “I don't care what Corden thinks.”

  “Come on, let's head home before mother is too unbearable.”

  Elara received word nearly a week later that the soldiers had caught up with Corden. But in an odd twist he had overpowered them, mostly thanks to the odd weapon Corscans carried. The one soldier he had sent bleeding back to the castle had related the story. Lady Elisa had come in person to tell them both the story. It had been an incredulous story and Elara was not entirely certain she believed the details, even if she believed the result. She told Lady Elisa as much.

  Lady Elisa shrugged. “I don't know myself. Corden has quite a reputation apparently, and the story is not out of character of his reputation. I just know ten men went after him and one returned. I have related the story to you the best I could.”

  “Thank you for the news, Lady Elisa,” Lairk told the lady politely. “We appreciate it.”

  “If I hear anything else I will have word brought to you even if I cannot come myself. I tried to convince father to let me keep Elara as a maid, but he would not hear of it.”