It was mid-afternoon when General Zayn was finally done training the archers. He wished it differently though, because he was now on duty to patrol the campground. It wasn't a hard thing to do, he knew, but it was boring.
It was rare to see anything out of order, or anything different at all really. Just the same soldiers he saw everyday all going about their business on the dusty and dull grounds. He straightened his spine, however, and began striding towards the trees bordering the camp.
He'd decided that they were the most beautiful things here. The only sign that the real world existed beyond this place was the forest.
Upon reaching the tree-line, he began staring out into the depths of the woods. At first, he didn't notice anything unordinary; in fact, it was quite a while before he heard the noises. He could hear loud rustling amongst the plants and twigs snapping left and right.
The first thing he felt was alarm, as if they were under attack. Hoping that wasn't the case, he wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword and went to investigate further.
When he breached the woods, he hid behind a tree and immediately looked left to right. He did not see an army or even a group of enemies like he'd expected.
All he saw was a single armor-clad figure dashing through the woods as if he was running from something. He did another search of the area, but found nothing chasing the soldier. His glance flicked back to the figure and squinted his eyes.
He was able to make out a face. It was easier because it was a face he'd seen quite a lot. It was his recruit, Ingred Gwenneth.
Even though the presumed threat had been confirmed as safe, he still watched in fascination. Ingred, since day one, had mystified him.
Ingred jumped from the ground and the general watched as he quickly grabbed a tree branch and yanked himself upward. It didn't take long for him to reach the top and then clamber back down just as quickly. However, it didn't also didn't take very long for Iris to spot him, especially with the view from the treetops above.
Iris scurried back down from the tree in which she was currently climbing and walked over to Zayn, who had moved himself out from behind the tree. She stood there for a minute, staring at him in puzzlement.
"Yes, General? Do you have need of me?"
The General still didn't understand how such a small figure could have a voice so gruff. He stood there dumbly for a minute before answering the question. In his silence, he saw Ingred almost smile. It was a sight he had not yet seen.
However, the smile fell not even a millisecond later.
"I was patrolling the grounds, and was wondering who was in the woods."
Iris could tell that the general was telling the truth. Iris gave a little bow to the general before running off again. This time, General Zayn only watched until the rogue disappeared from his sight. The incident with the general made Iris wonder how much of her workout he'd actually witnessed. She began her work out again, but only for a few minutes. She was stopped again by another onlooker. Except, this one was one that she expected.
"Kayde, you're back."
"That I am," he nodded, and leapt from his horse. "I see you haven't shirked your training or exercising since I left. Which is a good thing." His green eyes were alight with a sense of pride.
Iris nodded in agreement, wondering what she could say next to Kayde.
"I have to at least be decent. Tonight was the last night of training. I'll only have one more session with the General. If I'm to fight and live in this war, I have to continue doing what it takes to be good," she stopped talking for a few seconds, "I guess I can be thankful for small favors. I fit in well enough here. I didn't think it would be so easy..." she subconsciously motioned to her small frame while finishing her thought.
"Even that came as a surprise to me," Kayde admitted.
"Either way, I have no time to talk, or I would greet you further. I want to visit the mess cabin and get a good meal before the last drill with the general. I wish him to see me as an excellent soldier," she stated, "I won't settle for less."
Kayde nodded in understanding, and gave her a small wave before mounting his horse once more. No doubt he was probably headed for the stables. Iris turned and walked back towards the heart of the campsite.
As she walked, she worried. She had no reason to believe that they would all stay at this campsite for much longer. War was upon them. She knew that if the Tokens were not stopped soon enough that they might destroy everything that she held dear.
They might even take away the reason she was here: her father. If they killed him and her aunt, there would be no one to love her in this world. When she still lived at home, this thought would have bothered her to the point of which she might cry. Now, now was different. While the thought of her father's and aunt's possible death, she felt sad, but she also felt spurred to action.
Their very fate could rest in her hands, and she did not want to fail them. Even more than that, she wanted to see them again. She knew that she might not, she might perish before she ever got the chance to tell her family that she loved them ever again.
The only thing that comforted her was the fact that she had a better chance of surviving this than her father. She hoped that he wasn't angry with her for leaving them behind and gambling her life.
She knew that Renna would scold her if she came back. She wasn't as lenient as her father. Either way, she wanted to hear the scolding. She wanted to hear it because that's how things were, and she missed her aunt. She shook out of the thought when the mess cabin was in sight. The mere view of it made her stomach growl. She smirked a little bit and hustled her steps a little. She could not be late tonight and she very well knew it.
----
After dinner, she walked with another of the rogue trainees to their final lesson. She wondered if they would learn something completely new, or just review all the things that they had already learned. They both made sense.
The rogue, or Len, as he'd told her, was speaking to her, but she was barely listening to him. She was trying to concentrate for what was to come.
When they arrived, the general was already waiting on them. He stood erect, with his daggers drawn at his sides, watching as the recruits came in. Iris looked around, to see if she could see Kayde.
Even though she could not spot him at this particular moment, she knew that he was watching her. He always was watching her.
Iris thought back to the day that she left home as the rogues waited for the rest of the group to arrive. She remembered feeling intimidated and threatened by Kayde's presence. She never knew how grateful she would be for his help. If not for him, she knew that she wouldn't have made it this far.
She wouldn't be the best trainee of the rogues.
"Assemble!" she heard General Zayn's voice boom over the grounds, and immediately pulled herself into soldier's attention.
Her spine was straight and her chin was up as she looked to their leader for his next words.
"This will be your last day of training. Then... you, and the other soldiers stationed here, will all march to the Krenshai Caverns, where the rest of our troops await us. These are the people who have been able to hold the Tokens off for so long. There, we will stand among them and hope to finally begin true and honorable battles against these fiends who are attacking our country. If we are good enough, then they may be driven out forever."
This statement formed a hard lump in Iris's throat, but she swallowed it immediately.
"Tonight, you will have time to pack your belongings, and prepare for the journey ahead of us!" He paused, "And tomorrow morning, I will meet all of our men that are here in the middle of the camp. From there, I will call out the few scouting groups I have chosen in order to complete certain missions assigned to us. I will lead one, Captain Vaughn will lead another, and Captain Ales the last. The rest of you will stand among the other soldiers on the front lines, led by Sergeant Tusal." he looked away from the soldiers, "get ready to practice."
She was right on previous assumptions, both of them. They did review techniques they had already gone over... after learning two new ones.
Practice did not last as long as she expected. She knew that this was due to the fact that they would need time to pack tonight. In truth, Iris was now very fearful. She was a new trainee, and like the others, she would be fighting on the front lines. As much as she wished it different, now was the time things grew very serious.
Practice went as usual, General Zayn started at the left line of the rogues and watched their techniques. Then, things grew different. Once it was Iris's turn to demonstrate what she'd learn for him to assess, he sheathed his daggers and yanked his sword from its scabbard. She was prepared to show him the footwork of all the moves... but he insisted otherwise.
"I do not want your demonstration. Fight me, Ingred," he commanded.
She gave him a curt not and crouched again. The battle lasted for a long time. General Zayn was by far the best fighter Iris had fought. However, she didn't plan to lose to him. Half an hour into their duel, Zayn finally had to stop it. He knew if they continued, he would have no time for the rest of the apprentices. Iris was proud and angry at herself at the same time.
She had not lost... but she had not won at the same time.
She walked back to the cabin with that very thought on her mind.
She had not lost.
Even after a hard session with the general, she still met Kayde in their usual spot. When she reached it, he was sitting down as if he were meditating. When he heard her footsteps approaching, he stood from his position and rested one hand lightly on her shoulder and looked straight into her eyes.
"You can go to the barracks and sleep. You will need the rest, dear girl."
"Tomorrow the real war begins," Iris replied, "Will I see you again? Or will you take your leave? The next thing I say to you rests on that alone."
She hoped that he would continue to help her. However, she could not ask him to because she knew that he had a family at home waiting on his return.
Also, she would not risk his life.
"I will stay with you until it ends. This I swear to you. This war, or..." he paused there, not knowing how to put the rest of it into words.
"My life," she completed.
She tried to look brave, but she could sense her voice cracking, and not because of the fruits. She was scared that her death might be coming... swiftly. Kayde gave her a look of understanding, and she could tell that there was an inkling of sorrow sparkling in his eyes. His hand squeezed her shoulder. It was a small comfort.
Battling on the front lines was dangerous, very dangerous, and she very well knew it. She knew that she could not waver or falter -not even for a moment- or she would meet her end.
"Yes," Kayde finally responded, "Let us hope that it does not come to that."
After that, there was nothing left to say, so Iris used the last of her energy to speed back to her cabin. When she arrived, she listened to all of the rogues speak as they packed. The main conversation was about General Zayn's scouting group.
Many were making bets on the rogue that he would pick. She heard a lot of names that she did not know... but one she did. One of the men that was wagered was Derith, one of the twin brothers that she met on her first day here. She wondered if Hergon would be the man of Zayn's choice. From the looks of it, he was well suited for the job.
Iris took little time packing her items, due to the fact that she did not have much at all, and instantaneously threw her head back on the somewhat comfortable pillow and drifted off to sleep. Even though she was terribly anxious, her body was too tired for her to stay awake any longer. She dreamed of nothing.
The next morning, Iris rose earlier than the others in her hut because it was simply habit for her to do so. However, she did not go exercise and train this morning.
She would surely need her energy for the long trip they were to make today. Instead, she took an early trip to the mess cabin to eat breakfast and then was up at the center of the camp early. Even so, there were already nearly a hundred men gathered there.
In her time here, she had not been around the other classes as much. Now that she was standing against knights and warriors, she began to feel miniscule. She thought of the duel with the general yesterday to comfort herself. It did enough to hold her fear at bay, but nothing for the looks she was receiving. Of course, this was expected... but still.
She didn't understand why most rogues were not counted as equals.
The crowd of soldiers grew and grew, so much, in fact, that Iris was not getting lost among them. However, she did see the general finally enter the premises and enter the small stage that was set up close to where she was standing.
He held a list in his palms, no doubt of those good enough to be counted in the scouting groups. A minute later, the general welcomed them all before beginning. After his small introduction, he began first with Captain Ales's group, and then Captain Vaughn's. She watched as their names were called.
Once, she had to make room for one of the announced archers to walk proudly from the group of men to the stage.
"Now, these are the final men I will announce. These men will march at my side. First, for the warrior, I have chosen Ra-Gazoul because has been in this camp for three years. I am impressed not only with his skills with an axe, but the head on his shoulders. Come join me," he held his hand out and the crowd parted again.
The warrior looked brusque and heavily muscled. He was mighty and tall,, with a bald head and a short, thick black beard. He reached the stage, gave Zayn a quick nod and took his place at their leader's side.
"The next I have chosen -the fighter- is Dregar Ganreich. He was chosen because he is a master at a sword, and he is just as good with a shield. I expect that he will be able to stay at my side for a long time. He can stand at the groups' front and take all of its blows without taking a hit himself."
The fighter looked ordinary, with brown hair in a topknot and eyes darker than her own. He did the same as the warrior: bowed, and then took his place.
"The two archers I have chosen are ones that I have never seen miss a target, no matter how far it may be. With eyes as swift as their feet, they will watch for ambushes and kill the adversaries in wait. Come forth- Jehrth Mayhr and Shen Hearforn. Iris noticed immediately the golden-eyed man she'd seen in line to get her armor.
So he is an archer.
Iris prided herself for the good guess, but only for a second.
"And lastly, the rogue I have chosen to aid me. I have known this man for his strong force of will. He is the quickest of his kind, and the strongest at heart. I've seen this man accomplish what I thought impossible in a short amount of time. He was not only able to stand against me with his skills but he was also able to retrieve the arrow from the post with his determination-"
This statement made soldiers everywhere gasp and look for the post, especially the ones who had been here for years that had tried it themselves. It only made Iris's breath catch in her throat and the color drain from her skin.
"I call out to the rogue recruit... Ingred Gwenneth."