THE GOLDEN HILT 11 | THE REVOLUTION | MEDIEVAL SERIES

ADVENTUROUS MEDIEVAL SHORT STORY SERIES

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THE GOLDEN HILT

Lakmeer sat there listening to Lykos’ snores, and the howls of the wolves. It was a very bright night; a bright full moon was up in the sky. He looked at it and thought, the fourth moon since father has left and not returned, he hadn’t forgotten his mission and he never would. He was busy honing his dagger that suddenly he heard the sound of the bush in front of him move, he stood up putting the dagger beside him, he took the scabbard and unsheathed his sword and with a challenging voice he said,” Who goes there, show yourself.” He heard the bushes again, but this time he heard whatever it was, moving away. When he turned around he thought his heart would stop, there was someone on the other side of the fire, but soon he recognized him and tried to regain himself, it was Lykos.

Lykos stepped forward and said,” It’s my turn, now go to sleep.” Lakmeer went to sleep but only after trying hard he could find himself sleepy. He was woken up by Lykos when the sky was just getting brighter. He got up and got ready for his journey, and they left. Lykos had said that they would reach the city by the afternoon and they would stay there, because they might not be lucky to find the weather so merciful, again. They didn’t need to go in a hurry because the city was near, so they went at a slow pace. Lakmeer felt like Lykos did not remember what had happened the other night, and it was not unexpected he was drunk after all.

They kept riding silently for more than half the way and Lakmeer felt like there should be some conversation, he also wanted to check if Lykos remembered what had happened last night but Lykos couldn’t make himself say anything. So they kept riding silently without saying a word.

But uncommonly it was Lykos who broke the silence,” You are right, I do hate bandits more than the reason that they are bandits.” Lakmeer looked at him silently, while Lykos kept talking,” Four years ago my village caravan was attacked by bandits, my daughter who would have been your age by now and my wife were with the caravan, she had gone to the funeral of her uncle. They killed everyone in the caravan, including my daughter and wife. They left one man alive leaving him to tell everyone what had happened. I left my village the other day to find the bandits and kill them, leaving my lands to my brother. I kill bandits this way because hanging the body naked is shaming them while castrating them shows that they were no men, only cowards, who attacked in groups and killed the ones who couldn’t defend themselves.”

After Lykos was done, silence fell again and they travelled in silence once again. Lakmeer felt really bad for Lykos, the bandits had taken whole his life from him, it was horrible. It also scared him, he thought of his father now, what if the same had happened with his father and he was tied to a tree being pecked by crows. Thinking about this made Lakmeer’s eyes wet, he was scared now.

Without saying anything Lykos increased his pace and in no time he was at a canter, Lakmeer followed behind him at the same speed and now they were both at their fastest. They kept riding at this speed for a time when suddenly Lykos stopped and so he did Lakmeer and he knew why.  They both looked at the dead bodies hung by two trees, their heads were cut off and tied to their chests while they were hung the same way Lykos hung the headless, by the chest. Lakmeer looked at Lykos and said,” Were they…” but Lykos completed his sentence,” Bandits? No, they were travelers hung by the revolutionaries, look at the bark of the tree.” When Lakmeer looked at it, on it was written long live the revolution.

Lakmeer was puzzled, why would they kill anyone traveling on the road so he asked Lykos,” They say anyone who isn’t fighting against the king, is their enemy. So they kill any man, woman and child, all in the name of revolution.” Saying this Lykos began going at a slow pace but Lakmeer stayed and said,” shouldn’t we bury them.” Lykos looked at him annoyed and said angrily,” Do you have a death wish? I know this isn’t right but no, and hurry up before they find us and do the same to us.” Lakmeer followed Lykos but he still didn’t understand what was the war about, so he asked Lykos.

Lykos said,” It started around a year ago, when the king was hunting. He was nearby a village, while practicing, one of his astray arrows hit a little girl who died, the father of the little girl came at the king angrily and the king’s guards killed him. Which infuriated the whole village many of the villagers came to avenge their friend, the guards of the king and his friend, even the king himself killed them all. In order to leave no trace behind the king massacred the whole village or maybe in the anger of the cut he must have gotten in the fight against the peasants.” Lakmeer was confused,” Why would a king do that?”

Lykos chuckled and said,” Kings have done much worse.” Lakmeer didn’t know what it meant but he still wanted to hear, but Lykos didn’t need to be told and he continued,” It turned out some of the villagers survived and they went to a nearby village and told everything. All the surrounding villages came to the destroyed village and buried the dead. Soon this news got around the country and many people started to talk about over throwing the king and bring someone loved by the people, not someone with the king’s blood. And in no time the revolution began, many men women and children died, many ran away and are killing travelers and any soldier foolish enough to walk around alone.”

When Lykos was done Lakmeer asked,” If they are the good people and fighting for the right cause, why do they kill innocents.” Lykos laughed at it and said,” you are a real fool. They are not the good people, not anymore at least. They destroy villages and kill the villagers only for the reason that they don’t fight against the king. And any ways none of these so-called revolutionaries have king’s blood in them, they could be the son of a butcher or a peasant. You wouldn’t want a butcher for a king, now would you?” Lakmeer shook his head. They kept going at a slow pace when Lakmeer looked forward he saw the city walls of the city at the end of the road. They reached at the gates which were larger than any he had ever seen. The walls were large and tall made of brick, on them stood archers and other soldiers of the city watch. It seemed they were all ready for an attack.

Lykos saw the scared look on Lakmeer’s face and said,” Don’t worry they always do this in the days of war, they will let us in.” Soon the small door on the large gate opened and a fat man clad in black steel armor, with a double-chinned face that made him look like a frog. He came at them huffing and puffing with two other soldiers clad in the same armor. The fat man stood in front of their horses and said,” I am Black sevron, the commander of the city watch of this city, why do you want to enter the city?” Lykos seemed to be annoyed by that but he answered his question,” The winds are getting colder and there is less food in the forest so we are only going to stay here for the night and leave in the morn at first light.” The commander looked at Lakmeer and said,” Is she your daughter.” At this Lykos laughed so loud that everyone in the city must have heard this, it was like a dog’s bark. He laughed for a long time but Lakmeer answered the commander’s question with a complaining tone,” I am a boy, sir.” The commander seemed embarrassed while Lykos’ laugh added salt to the injury.

The commander signaled one of his men on the wall and he shouted for the gates to be opened. They were very large and when they began to open them they made a large creaking sound that set Lakmeer’s teeth on edge. When the gates were opened, they both moved inside, as soon as they were inside the gates were closed. Lakmeer looked around the city and all he saw were brick and stone structure, no wood except for the door and the rickety huts that the poor who didn’t have any house, who had probably run towards the city leaving their village behind when the war had broken out and their homes were burnt by the revolutionaries or maybe the bandits or even the king’s men.

Lykos was looking at them as well, when he saw Lakmeer looking at them he said,” Ask them how good these revolutionaries are, in their villages they are killed by the bandits for whatever they do. But are killed by the king’s men for helping revolutionaries and killed by the revolutionaries for staying in their homes and living their lives. So all they could do was head towards the nearest city where it is safest, and live like this, under the sun. Yet, they are the lucky ones, many don’t get to reach the safe walls of the city. Women are raped, children and men butchered like animals.” Lakmeer felt bad for them, they had homes but they couldn’t go, just like Lakmeer. He knew what they felt, because he knew how it feels to loose loved ones, and he knew very well how it feels when you want to go home but you can’t. Lykos moved forward on the bricked road and Lakmeer followed, they moved along the busy market road to find an inn to spend their night.

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