Kingdom's Dawn

by Chuck Black

  “Get back to work, slave!” ordered a nearby overseer. A whip cracked, but not upon any flesh … this time. The overseers were Nylanders that Fairos put over the slaves to prevent escape and to “encourage” them to work efficiently. That encouragement usually came as the uninhibited use of their whips.

  Leinad resumed his labor but kept his eye on the new arrivals across the moat. The negotiations finished, and the new slaves were marched across the drawbridge. Their shoulders were slumped and their heads hung low, all except one youngster in the middle. The confident posture was familiar to Leinad. Tess, could it be you? He did not dare hope that his young friend would suffer his same demise, but he couldn’t deny a lift in his spirits. He missed her companionship in this lonely place. Leinad worked and watched while he wondered where they would be stationed.

  The guards met the slave trader and his captives once they crossed the drawbridge and proceeded to direct them to the west wall. This side of the castle expansion was massive, with hundreds of slaves working the bricks. The guards all carried swords as their main weapon of influence, while the overseers preferred whips. As the line of slaves proceeded, overseers chose the slaves they wanted to do the work they were responsible for. Naturally, the largest males were taken first, and the numbers dwindled quickly as they approached Leinad’s section of the wall. A few older females and the youth were left now as they passed the overseer responsible for Leinad and the slaves around him.

  “How do you expect me to get any work done on this blasted wall if all you bring me are old women and children?” the overseer said.

  “From what I’ve seen, these old biddies outperform the men half the time, so quit your gripin’,” the guard replied. “Do you want them or not?”

  Leinad recognized Tess and wanted to shout for her, but he restrained himself. Tess, however, did not restrain herself once she recognized Leinad.

  “Leinad!” she exclaimed as she bolted from the line and ran to him.

  Leinad dropped his work and ran to meet her. He knew there would be repercussions now anyway, so he wanted to be the bearer of any pain that might come.

  “Back in line, slave!” the guard shouted, and he drew his sword as he pursued her.

  Leinad quickened his pace to close the distance between them. Tess reached him and hugged his waist tightly. He returned the hug, then said in a hushed voice, “Don’t say a word.”

  The guard reached them and drew back his sword. Leinad put Tess behind him and faced the guard.

  “I am sorry, sir,” Leinad said. “We are friends and haven’t seen each other for a very long time. Please do not harm her. She is just a girl.”

  The guard hesitated, and then lowered his sword. “Back in line, slave. If you ever break line again, I will cut you in two.”

  The overseer joined them, and Leinad said to him, “Sir, I can vouch for the ability of this girl. She works as hard as any man twice her size. To have her on your line will be a tremendous asset to you.”

  The overseer looked skeptical. “Let me see you, slave,” he snarled at Tess.

  She stepped out from behind Leinad, straightened her back, and lifted her chin. Such a response from an adult slave would have brought an instant whipping.

  “She is but a girl. How much work could I possibly get out of her?”

  “Give her one week, sir, and you will be impressed. I promise,” Leinad said.

  “She’s small, but she’s got spunk. You train her, but you’d better be right or you’ll both pay.” The overseer turned to the guard. “Take the old women to Lady Fairos. Maybe she needs them in the kitchens. I don’t want any more lame workers here.”

  The guard and the overseer left to resume their duties.

  Leinad turned to Tess and grabbed her shoulders. “Hello, Sunshine.” He smiled bigger than he had in months.

  She smiled back and threw her arms around him again.

  He returned the hug and then moved them back to the wall. “What happened, Tess? How did you end up here?”

  “Raiders attacked the Stanton farm. Master Stanton got killed … most of the folks was killed. I hid ’neath the farmhouse steps. They was mean people, Leinad. They just wanted ta kill people and steal things.” Tess looked down at the ground somberly as she recalled the horror of that night for Leinad.

  “Did you get hurt?” Leinad asked.

  “No, but I’s lucky to be alive, Leinad. Lots a people died that night. It was horrible.”

  “Who were these raiders, Tess?”

  “I don’t know, but they was mean and gross lookin’ too.”

  “Did they ever find you?” Leinad asked.

  “No. I stayed hid till they left. Later, when I was scroungin’ for food, a slave trader saw me and brought me here.” She looked back up at Leinad. “I’s so glad to be here with you, Leinad, even if I is a slave.” She smiled again.

  Leinad put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you, Tess, but I’m glad you’re all right. And it sure is good to see you too.” He smiled back at his young friend. It doesn’t seem quite so lonely anymore, he thought.

  And it wasn’t.

  MASTERY UNVEILED

  Life for Leinad and Tess was hard, but Fairos did feed them well. Leinad assumed it was because he knew that productive work depended on it. Fairos was the most powerful and influential man in this region of Arrethtrae, and he intended to expand his realm as far as possible. Of course, the icon of power was the magnificence of one’s castle. Therefore, the labor of most of the servants, including Leinad and Tess, was the same every day—expand the size of the castle. Fairos hired a master mason and those with experience in building marvelous structures and buildings, but the heavy labor was accomplished by the slaves

  Leinad and Tess worked side by side most days, and as the months wore on, he became more than a big brother to her. He felt responsible for protecting her, for watching over her, and for teaching her. Their friendship grew out of a need for companionship during difficult days. Each day, Leinad tried to impart some of the same instruction he had received from his father, and Tess responded with enthusiasm. It broke the drudgery of the day.

  Over time, Leinad could see that the rough edges of this abandoned, wounded little girl were beginning to smooth and heal in spite of the long hard days of servitude. He taught her about the King and His promise for a just and honorable kingdom. He helped her understand the virtues of honesty, loyalty, integrity, and commitment. Even her speech became more proper and refined, although there were many days that Leinad nearly gave up, for this was the most difficult lesson of all for her.

  Fairos spent much of his time planning the expansion of the territory of Nyland, but he also loved the challenge of a good sword fight. He was very skilled with the sword. He practiced occasionally with his castle guards, but oftentimes he wanted the thrill of a real fight. It was at these times that he called for his guards to pick two or three slaves and bring them to his courtyard, arm them with swords, and he would fight them all at once. The slaves dreaded those days, for whoever was chosen would be wounded or maimed, sometimes even killed, in the fight.

  Today was such a day.

  Leinad and Tess were working on the west wall of the new section of the castle. The crisp, blue morning had yielded to a hot, muggy afternoon. Overseers were walking the work line.

  Leinad was struggling with an oppressive spirit, and though he tried to hide it from Tess, he was sure she could sense it.

  “Great day to build a castle, aye, Leinad?” Tess said with a grin.

  Leinad looked at the dirty, sweat-soaked face of his young friend and managed a weak smile. She was always the one to encourage him.

  “Yes, Sunshine,” he said with an edge of sarcasm in his voice as he handed her a large brick. “A mighty fine day indeed.” More and more, Leinad took to affectionately calling her Sunshine. The name reminded him of his father.

  Tess took the brick from him, and he tried to lift his own spirits wi
th some teasing. “It’s like a friend once told me: ‘It’s importin’ ta looks on the bright sides o’ things.’ ”

  Tess responded with a smirk and a glare from the corner of her eye as she hoisted the brick into place.

  “You must have one smart friend,” she returned his tease. “But tell me, O cheerful one, what could be so bright about this place?”

  “Well,” said Leinad, pretending to think hard as he reached for another brick to hand to Tess. “We’ve got a lot more muscle to show for all of our work, while these overseers are getting fatter by the day. Why, look at you! You could take on any guy your age and pummel him to dust if you had a mind to.”

  The months of hard physical labor had indeed strengthened her form, and during the recent months, Tess’s slender “little girl” body was slowly yielding to the developing form of a young girl in early adolescence.

  Leinad had also changed. He had nearly lost his boyish look and had developed remarkable strength as well.

  Tess gave Leinad a friendly push and changed her smirk for the smile he had grown accustomed to. She took the brick from him and turned to place it. When she turned back, her smile vanished and concern clouded her face.

  “Leinad, you should go for some water,” she said rather earnestly.

  “It is not time, Sunshine. What’s the—”

  He turned to see what had drawn her attention. Two guards were coming, on a target hunt for Fairos’s courtyard duels. The work stopped, and the male slaves all tried to blend into the bricks.

  “Please go, Leinad,” she said desperately.

  “If it’s my time, I will not hide and let others suffer in my place. Don’t worry, Sunshine. I can take care of myself,” he said, trying to calm her down, but it did not seem to help.

  The guards already had one victim and were looking for another. “You,” one of the guards called to a middle-aged man just up the line from Leinad, “come with us.”

  The people turned to resume their work at the curses of the overseers. Tess breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Today Lord Fairos wants a little extra challenge,” the guard said with a smile and continued down the line.

  The people stopped their work again, and Tess closed her eyes.

  “Here’s a young buck that ought to move fast enough to provide a little entertainment for Lord Fairos,” the other guard said. They both stopped at Leinad, and he did not shrink back from them.

  “Yes, we’ll take him.” One of the guards grabbed Leinad by the arm.

  “No! Please, no!” Tess grabbed the guard’s arm, and he recoiled with anger while the other drew his sword.

  “Back off, girl!” the guard shouted.

  “Tess!” Leinad said. “It will be all right.”

  He grabbed her hands and looked straight into her eyes. His firm confidence seemed to soothe her momentarily. He let go of her hands, and an overseer yelled for her to return to work. The guards escorted Leinad and the other two men to the courtyard.

  Fairos was warming up with one of his guards. The clang of swords was a welcome sound to Leinad, for it reminded him of the days of training with his father in the meadow. Instinctively, he began to study Fairos as he fought. He is weak to his left and his thrusts are shallow, Leinad thought as his mind quickly adjusted from slave to sword fighter.

  The courtyard was large and beautiful. Well-manicured bushes and hedges framed the lush, green grass. The training arena was large and rectangular with smooth, flat stones for a floor. Except for the perimeter posts, most of the guards were brought in to see the fight and to provide the cheers that Fairos loved to hear.

  The captain of the guards placed the three men in one corner of the arena and put swords in their hands. Leinad glanced at the guard’s side and recognized the beautiful hilt of his own sword. The slave trader must have sold it to him. Leinad vowed to one day recover the sword and free himself.

  The captain stepped back to join the other guards, who were already laughing and joking in anticipation.

  The middle-aged man was obviously very afraid. The sword he was holding might as well have been a fish. It was clear that he had never even held a sword before. The other man looked to be a couple of years older than Leinad and seemed slightly more comfortable with a sword. For Leinad, holding the sword was like shaking hands with an old friend. The hilt felt good, and though the balance of the sword was not right, it would do.

  “I am Leinad,” he said facing the other two. “What are your names?”

  “My name is Quinn,” the other young man said. His hair was sand-colored and complemented his handsome features. Leinad searched his eyes and saw fear but also courage.

  “I am Osmar,” the middle-aged man said.

  “Have either of you ever trained with a sword before?” Leinad asked.

  “Just a bit,” Quinn said. “Never for blood, though, and not by anyone with experience.”

  Osmar looked at the ground. “Never. I was a farmer before here.”

  “It’s okay, Osmar. We’ll get you out of here alive, just stay behind me.” Leinad looked at Quinn. “When he engages us, you move to his left, and I will take his right. Until I can blow the dust off my training, I need you to help keep him somewhat distracted. Okay?”

  “I’ll do what I can,” said Quinn, trying to get a feel for his sword.

  Leinad liked Quinn. He seemed to have a good heart.

  Leinad gave them some basic points on defending themselves while Fairos finished his warm-up with the guard. Quinn seemed to at least follow Leinad’s instruction, but Osmar responded only with a blank stare.

  “Bring my enemies to me!” Fairos shouted just before quenching his thirst with a long, deep drink of water from a glass offered by a servant.

  A couple of guards broke from the rest and guided Leinad, Quinn, and Osmar to the center of the arena near Fairos.

  Fairos handed his glass to the servant and waved him off. He walked toward the men and slowly circled them, evaluating the potential skill of his next victims. He hardly glanced at Osmar, then hesitated behind Leinad and Quinn. He returned to the front and squinted at Leinad. He leaned forward and whispered in Leinad’s ear.

  “You hide your fear well, boy. But don’t worry … in a few moments that will change.” He stepped back and smiled condescendingly, but Leinad did not respond even with his eyes.

  Fairos turned his back and walked away from them a few paces. “If you give me a good fight, I may not kill you. Do you understand?”

  There was silence from the three men, and Fairos drew his sword. The two guards backed off with the others to watch. Leinad was first to position himself, and Quinn moved to his right side and raised his sword. Osmar was on Leinad’s left. He lifted his sword and waited for Fairos to hit it. The fight was on.

  Fairos laughed at Osmar and initiated a quick side cut on Osmar’s blade and followed with a thrust to his chest. Leinad reached and deflected the thrust with his blade. Fairos’s sword passed just to the left of Osmar, and Leinad pushed him back and out of the way. Fairos showed surprise at the speed of Leinad’s maneuver and repositioned to face him head-on. Leinad took the stance of a swordsman, and Fairos raised an eyebrow in apparent delight.

  Quinn attempted a slice. Fairos parried and countered with a cut that nearly slit Quinn’s throat. Leinad advanced with a simple combination to pull him off Quinn. Fairos now seemed to realize that Leinad was much more than a mere farm boy turned slave. He countered Leinad and advanced. He then quickly turned on Quinn. Quinn defended himself as best as he could, but Fairos was too strong and too experienced. Two quick engagements left Quinn open for a deadly thrust. As Fairos’s blade advanced, Leinad again tried to deflect his sword, but he was too late. His attempt moved the blade off Quinn’s heart, but that was all. The cold steel penetrated deep into Quinn’s right shoulder.

  Fairos quickly withdrew, and Quinn screamed in pain as he dropped his sword and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder. Leinad moved to cover Quinn’s posi
tion. Fairos backed off and lowered his sword.

  Leinad knew Quinn’s scream would carry beyond the courtyard and into the ears of the working slaves. It was a sound they heard often, each time followed by a brief intrusion of dread. He thought of Tess and wished he could spare her the anguish he knew she was experiencing.

  “Remove the wounded, and put the other imbecile back on the wall,” Fairos said as he pointed with his sword toward Osmar.

  Two guards pulled Quinn to his feet. He looked at Leinad as if to apologize, but Leinad nodded his assurance and thanks. Leinad already knew more about Fairos than Fairos knew about him … the advantage was Leinad’s. The guards guided Quinn to the edge of the arena, where two servants began bandaging his wound.

  A young lad carrying a boy-size sword ran into the courtyard and over to Fairos. “Father! Father! Can I help you kill the slave?” he asked exuberantly.

  Fairos knelt down and smiled at his son. “Watch closely, son. One day you will learn to fight like me and be the most powerful lord in the land.”

  “Yes, Father.” The boy smiled and then sneered at Leinad.

  “Where is you mother, Nevin?” Fairos asked.

  “She’s in the garden. She says she doesn’t like to see all the blood.”

  Fairos smiled, “Yes, that is for men like us, Nevin. Now go stand with Captain Keston and watch.”

  The boy moved to the edge of the arena, swishing his sword back and forth at imaginary opponents. Fairos stood and turned toward Leinad.

  “Let’s get down to business, shall we, boy?”

  His arrogance permeated the air. Leinad responded with a fight-ready stance.

  Fairos immediately took the offensive and advanced with multiple combinations and thrusts. Leinad defended each stroke with focus and caution. His skill had not abandoned him, but his movements were no longer automatic, and he had to concentrate on each one. Slowly, Leinad’s muscles began to remember their former training. With each parry and counter, he sloughed the persona of slave and donned the cloak of expert swordsman.