Entwined Love - IC

The lands of Algreth are populated by two peoples. The Sidhe, who love the forests, and the Humans, who are plains folk. The Sidhe practice powerful magic and wood craft, while the humans practice smithing and crafting. Both races lived in peace for five hundred years.

However, the Sidhe became nervous of the humans as they spread on the three grass seas known as Asgen, in the north, Selvar, in the east, and Belae' in the west. The south was nothing but a gigantic forest known as Senventra, and was the place were the Sidhe lived. The Sidhe feared that man would eventually try to take the forests to.

It wasn't long after that a dryad was cut down by a foolish farmer. The Sidhe were outraged when the tree spirit was killed, as it had died right in their council room screaming in pain. They demanded the humans head in compensation, but the farmer had run from the land outside of the forest and could not be found. Soon the Sidhe, fearing for their home, declared a war against the humans, and so it has been for ten years now. The common folk of both sides want an end to the bloodshed, but the ruling lords of both nations are showing no signs in stopping in their hostilities.


Prologue
Prepare


Keneth sat on his horse Dryale, looking down at the forests of Selventra below him. He sighed, knowing that before the week was out his army of seventy men would number only thirty or less. "Why, of all places, do they have to order a calvary army to battle the Sidhe in their own forests?" He asked the man beside him. "I mean, it's not as if the fact that our horses do poorly in the forests is enough. They were born there. I wish this stupid war was over already so i can get back to my farm."

 

"The war started when some idiotic farmer cut down a tree spirit's tree. The Sidhe wanted vengeance but the coward went into hiding. If i had the guy right now, I would throw him into that wood and wait for the screams. As for my practice, i've kept up." He smiled at Will. "We better make camp for now. The sun's going down and i don't relish going into that forest at all, let alone at night. Calvary." He added yelling. "See to your horses. We make camp here." There was a hurrah, then everyone dismounted and started setting up camp. "We better help." Keneth said to Will, also dismounting.

 

"No. I want no one to be going near that forest tonight. Remember, that forest is Senventra, home of the Sidhe. There is no chance that one of us can approach it without being killed. Trust me, their waiting for us but won't attack until they have the advantage from us. Get your squad together and go hunt for some game. We can make fires using the grasses around here. It won't be great, but we can manage. Also a few branches will be lying around here since we're close to the forest. I'll instruct our men to go hunt for that wood until we can at least get a meal going." He started towards the other soldiers to give out orders to his squads.

 

"To feed a group seventy strong? I guess it will have to do. Our own rations will suffice in this situation i guess." Some of the men groaned at this. No one wanted to be stuck eating hard tack, but at least they had some deer to have with it. Hopefully the juices from the cooking deer would suffice to make the hard tack less hard and more bread like. Hopefully.

In the time it had taken Will to get his deer, the men had manged to get six or seven good sized fires going, though their wood supplies wouldn't last into the night. Surprisingly the grass was not only good tinder, but seemed to burn longer to. This was no doubt because they were growing so close to Senventra, and the magic within it was bolstering their resistance to all kinds of things. Indeed some prairie flowers were still in bloom while every were else they had already gone to seed. Keneth felt several years younger just by being in there. "I hate to tell you this Will, but i very much hate this bloody task we are about to set to tomorrow. Killing soldiers is one thing, but being ordered to attack their cities, killing anyone we see. That is a good example of what our so called leaders are like in this age." Keneth looked around him to make sure no one had heard these traitorous words but thankfully everyone else was already talking about other things.

 

"I here the other generals are angry about the ruling councils decisions to. It's against the code of war. It's just not done. Only barbarians slaughter women and children." Keneth remarked, throwing a stone across the camp. One of the soldiers walked up to them. "Sirs, the meal is ready."
Keneth stood, and held out a hand to Will. "Thank you soldier. Eat well, then we'll see who has first watch."

 

Keneth nodded. "Ok, take a few of your men and stand watch. After you eat."

~Flash back~

Keneth had rode his horse into a small village hoping to get a bite to eat and to rest. He managed to get part way into his meal, when screams started coming from the streets. Keneth ran outside to see a group of ten or twelve raiders, clearly of the sidhe, coming from the west into the village. A few pikemen attempted to ward them off, but soon lay dead without even fazing the raiders.

With a bellow, Keneth untied his steed and mounted. He grasped his Javelin and hurled at the oncoming foe. A man was struck in the chest, who fell to the ground and moved no more. His panicked horse turned and fled back into the plains. Keneth grabbed another Javelin, and fell upon the Raiders.

He pierced one man through the heart, then drew his sword to hack at another raider. The man fought hard to keep his life, but his skills didn't even compare to Keneth's own. The mans head flew from his soldiers not long after they had started fighting. He looked for his next foe, and groaned with sorrow and rage at the sight before him. A boys parents had been killed and several homes had been set ablaze. Keneth grabbed his horn, and sounded a war cry.

About a few minutes after this, a contingent of horse men came riding over a hill, their leader sounding a horn in response. The raiders tried to attack Keneth's fresh reinforcements, but their numbers thinned quickly against the mass of horse men, who had drawn spears and lanced nine of the bandits. The remaining two tried to get away, but one horse man had strung a bow and quickly let two arrows fly. They struck with pin point accuracy, ending the lives of the raiders.

Keneth dismounted, heart still pumping from the heat of battle. Before him stood the same boy, crying at his parents sides, begging them to wake up. Keneth put his hand on the boys shoulder, and said, "It's no use boy. Take heart though, for were they are there are no raiders. They live in peace forever more." From that day, Keneth had taken it upon himself to train the boy in swordplay, and helped him rise in the ranks to become his second in command.

~ End flash back~


Keneth grabbed Will's arm. "No one knows more than I about your past. But getting angry over it won't change it. Remember, i hate the councils decision just as much. I don't mind telling you but," He checked to make sure no one was listening. "If we encounter enough resistance I won't bother sounding the retreat. I'll surrender and hope to talk it out with their side. I bet they feel just as we do."

 

>I said nothing about stopping. Keep going as it is moogle, and save this stuff for the ooc.<

Keneth sighed. Apparently, Will had grown older but hadn't shaken his hate against the ones who killed his parents. "When will you learn to let go Will? Maybe i should have let those last two leave so he could have his revenge. This is foolishness." Keneth frowned in thought. "I guess if it comes to it, i might have to argue with him when the time comes. I hate this bloody foolishness. I know he does to, but his hate won't let him see reason." Perhaps it was wrong not to tell Will about the fact that they were all dead. Tomorrow he would stop this foolishness sure enough. Until then, "You three, take first watch with Will. The rest of you, get some rest. Division 2 will take second watch, 4 third, and 5 fourth. After that we go to battle." The men grunted, then returned to preparing their bedding.

 

Keneth tried to keep the surprise from his face. "So your hate is more primal." He whispered. Yes, when the time came he would probably have to restrain Will, maybe even disarm him. Before the Sidhe had been peaceful save for a few groups that hated humans for odd reasons. Keneth knew that Will wouldn't stop in his madness until he either died, or saw undeniable proof that the Sidhe were not "evil". Now that Keneth came to mention it, this was the first time his unit had received orders like this. Will had probably never killed any of the Sidhe who were not soldiers. Keneth had once been ordered to such an atrocious act, and he would never forget it either. Even if Will hated the Sidhe so, he could only complete this mission by letting himself become a monster. It would be for the best, if the man never got the chance to try killing the common folk.