Kindly edited by @CollinHarrison4

Kelton moved behind Juno and adjusted her arms so the point of the wooden sword was in a position of strength. "Keep the tip up," he reminded her. "A lowered sword has little power." It was as if she had forgotten the many days of training. Serenity, whose stance was perfect, struggled not to smile.

"Is it too heavy this morn?" Kelton asked as Juno's stance faded to weakness when he let go of her arms. "Keep it up and forward like Serenity is doing." He reached around Juno again to readjust her posture.

"She will learn poorly if you keep embracing her," Serenity said as her smile broke free. The other women, Audria included, snickered at Kelton's naivete. Many new faces had been gathering, the bulk of whom were unskilled with the sword.

Kelton released Juno and leaned to see her face. He found curled lips framed by a blush upon her cheeks. Anger was his first thought, yet Juno's eyes were intensely soothing. They easily dampened his more forceful emotions and created a desire to end the training early. Bliss and combat were not cohesive partners.

"Mayhap a new guide to shape," Kelton said as he moved to Audria and gave a slight bow. "My lady, will you be offended by such a task?" Serenity and others found it funny, as did Kelton. A good parry in the teasing war.

"I will stop," Juno offered, the only one concerned with the change.

"I would be delighted," Audria replied, ignoring Juno's words.

"Traitor," Juno accused. Kelton noticed Juno's blade was now up, and her feet spaced for sturdy combat. She had forgotten nothing.

"Like this?" Mannily asked. Kelton looked over at the young man, a son of one of the many merchants who had begun to arrive. He was blessed with heart though he lacked height and strength. His learning was weakened by intrinsic fear that hampered his coordination.

"Aye," Kelton said, moving toward Mannily. "Now move one of your feet back to sturdy your frame." Mannily would never see the front line, but another sword near the provisions was valuable. Kelton meant to teach him enough to stall any nefarious doings long enough for help to arrive. A threatening stance and a loud voice were all the man would need.

"Better," Kelton complimented when Mannily did as instructed. "Now move your weight forward off your heels and add a slight bend to your legs. If you are engaged, you must move quickly without differing greatly from this stance."

Kelton looked over at Juno, who had left her flirtatious attempts behind. She stood like a warrior, confident in her abilities. "Show him the dance, my love." Audria's snicker was echoed by others before Kelton realized the endearment he used.

Juno smiled at his words, then moved as if she were born to the sword, her feet taking small, quick steps and never breaking the well-built frame she had established. Pride blossomed in Kelton as others began to copy her movements.

Mannily almost tripped as he attempted to duplicate the steps. His lack of confidence manifested in stiffness.

"Do not think hard on it," Kelton told him. "Your feet know their duty. Just keep the steps small so your balance remains." He demonstrated as fond memories of Gossamer's training emerged. To his surprise, Mannily began to move with some agility. It was dotted with small jerks but adequate to make stumbling less of a worry. "Better," Kelton said as he danced along. "Keep your blade up."

"What if there be more than one?" Mannily asked, his face tight in concentration.

"It is why we all train," Kelton said, moving alongside. Spider's-bite found air and parried an imaginary foe. "You need but call out, and it will be they who face too many."

Mannily smiled when Audria took position on his other flank, fighting invisible enemies. "I will call loudly," he said.

"Sire!"

Kelton turned toward the shout. One of O'fan's men was running forward with urgency. Kelton sheathed Spider's-bite and moved toward the man.

"Riders, sire," the man said, pointing toward the south. He took a few deep breaths and continued. "Two dozen, and they wear colors with swords at their waists. It looks as if they mean to find us and not pass on the roads like the others."

"Two dozen?" Kelton said. "Even horsed, they are well outnumbered." He remembered his readings in the library, the mentions of patrols testing defenses - poking and prodding to find a hole to lead the meat of an army through. "Mayhap there will be others to follow."

Kelton almost headed south when another thought came to mind. The library was full of tactics, many opposed to the others. He could not ignore some strategies in favor of the most likely. He turned to Juno. "Have Bynard send runners to the perimeter. Instruct them to be wary in case this is a ruse and they wish to hit us where we are not looking." He took a few steps, and then a new idea came to mind. "Form a ready force center-camp. Have them ready to engage if needed."

"Aye," Juno replied with a determination that reminded Kelton of a princess he knew. She signaled Serenity to follow, and the two moved quickly. Though he preferred Juno idle in his arms, there was little doubt that his pride in her made the love they shared taste sweeter.

"Lead the way," Kelton told the messenger.

Kelton found O'fan sitting below a ridgeline, his eyes scanning the valley below. Cory, who had taken up scouting, was whispering something as Kelton neared.

"They have dismounted," O'fan said, his eyes never turning to acknowledge Kelton's approach. The man had a sense about him that had grown. He pointed to the edge of the clearing where a stream began before it sliced the valley in half. "They have a tracker - a good one. He is not fooled long by our false trails."

"They wear Brandish's colors," Cory said. Kelton could hear the hatred in his voice. Joycelyn may be dead, but she still owned his heart. In truth, Kelton had a desire to let Spider's-bite speak with Hold Lord Brandish as well. The story of Joycelyn's end deserved no less.

"How many do we have here?" Kelton asked, suppressing his ire. There was little chance the Lord himself would be among the riders. A probe, most likely filled with those Brandish thought expendable.

"Thirty spread among the trees, though I have sent for more," O'fan said. He turned his head to Kelton. "None are wearing white, though only you can smell a disguise."

Kelton nodded.

"They are hunting for us, of that I am sure," O'fan said. "All others have passed along the main road."

"Do you have eyes beyond?" Kelton asked, his hand indicating farther south.

"Aye," O'fan replied. "There is no force behind these."

"Mayhap a ruse," Kelton said. "It is best we do not commit too many to this side. I have sent runners to the perimeter to speed warning if this is meant to divert our eyes."

O'fan nodded his approval. "They will be on us soon."

"Best if we do not let them in closer," Kelton said, pointing toward the edge of the valley. "Meet them in the trees, where horses are hindered."

One of O'fan's men led the way down the hill. The steepness and the need to remain hidden made for a slow descent. They followed the leader, each man using the handhold of the last, stepping where the man before had stepped - a snake moving down the hill.

When the leader raised his hand, all went still. Kelton, remembering his ancient thieving ways, moved silently to the front. Fifty paces beyond the cover of vegetation, the enemy approached in a less-silent way. They had abandoned their mounts in the valley to facilitate the ascent. There were murmurs, and a few expletives, as they struggled to climb. O'fan's choice of camp was a good one.

Kelton signaled all to remain hidden, then shifted away from the others and rose from hiding. It took longer than he expected for the climbers to notice him.

"You are a long way from the road," Kelton announced. His blades were sheathed and hidden on his back. It was best to assume there was no need for battle - until there was.

"As are you," a man from the back called out. Though he could not see the speaker, he recognized the voice. It surprised him that a lord would risk so much. What did not surprise him was Cory breaking cover, his sword unsheathed. Kelton flirted with the idea of having Spider's-bite clear the way for Cory, yet it seemed unwise to strike before all was known.

"Settle," Kelton commanded Cory with a raised palm.

Lord Brandish moved his way to the front of his troops. He had aged in the face and there was more weight than Kelton remembered, though Brandish climbed the hill with acuity - something time did not seem to affect. He was still imposing as he stopped a good twenty paces downhill.

"You have survived," Brandish said. A small smile appeared. "And flourished if the tales be true."

"My debt to you earns you a moment," Kelton said. "Then my debt to another will earn you retribution."

"He is mine!" Cory demanded.

"Ahh," Brandish sighed, his smile dissipating. "Joycelyn's death was regrettable. A fine woman, to be sure." The words from his lips landed like an insult swimming in bile, driving Cory to move forward, no longer caring that the Lord was flanked by many. Before Kelton could react, Brandish spoke again. "A word first, husband, then I shall grant your desire. Your sword against mine." He turned to his men. "And no others will interfere."

Cory slowed, "You lie."

"Nay," Brandish said. "A promise to her, and one I shall honor." Cory lowered his sword and looked at Kelton.

"Another of your kind did not fare well with talk," Kelton said.

"Ogden was a fool," Brandish said, shaking his head. "Had you the desire to claim the Promise, you would have done so and ended all of this before it began."

"Do you not claim it?" Kelton asked.

"A tempting thing, is it not?" Brandish said, not expecting an answer. "I will not lie; had you not stirred the pot, I would have settled like my fathers before me. It is a matter of less death, and not only mine." He shrugged. "Now, you have forced my hand. Many will die to undo what is, and I desire those deaths not wasted. A game of numbers, you see."

"And you would have settled for an eternity of choosings and cursings?"

Brandish nodded his head. "I do what I can with what has been given me. I have always strived to lower the count - a worthy and attainable ambition. Now my people gather to die in your war and I cannot stop them." He looked at the ground, then back at Kelton. "In truth, had I known what you would become, I would have ended you the day we first met. Now, I am forced to see your will done, stopping deaths in the winters to come since I cannot undo the graves you will dig this winter."

"There is a difference between giving one's life or having it taken," Kelton said, stepping forward down the hill. "None here value life less than you, yet they are willing to risk theirs to protect others - a worthy and attainable ambition."

Brandish chuckled. "You have gained in stature - and mind."

"I have seen the lands across the sea and have learned languages few here know exist." Kelton continued to approach, causing Brandish's men's hands to reach for the hilts of their swords. "I saw no just lands, only lands less unjust. If it is in my power, I will see this land be the most just.

Brandish signaled to his men, and they relinquished their readiness. "I have let my past go. I am here to further yours and thus those within my hold." Kelton stopped an arm's length away. "I bring a warning. Will you hear it, or is the taste of vengeance too sweet?"

"Sweet?" Kelton replied. "You have created a hole in the world, and it will taste as foul as the dirt to attempt to fill it back in."

"It is good to hear that you find no pleasure in death," Brandish said. "Though our ways differ, we have that in common." There was no indication he found pleasure in the comparison. "You face more than you know. The King's army is formidable, though many of them now lean toward you. Still, your untrained horde will fare poorly against those with skill. The Brethren will desire to hit you once you are weakened, and now they have broken their laws to see you drained dry before they move."

"What laws?" Kelton asked.

"By their order, the Promise has kept all foreign forces from this land," Brandish replied. He turned to one of his men - a thin man with a disheveled beard who stood with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. "Dinic, tell him what you have seen."

"An army not of this land hunts for you," Dinic said. "I was close enough to hear words that are not words - the sound of evil, if they be words at all. Most have blackened their skin, and women travel in their ranks. Each hip bears a sword, and shaped wood crosses their backs. Ten wagons followed, hewn from a dark wood I have never seen. I lost count and guessed at three hundred." He shook his head. "Most are not ahorse, so it will be days before they arrive."

"Hunt for me, you say?" Kelton asked.

"Aye," Dinic replied. "Some men who look to be of this land lead them north. They move as one and show no fear of any who they have confronted. Discipline does not lack in their ranks. A fierce army, to be sure."

"What do they wear?"

"Dark leather, to match their blackened skin. Stitched on the breast of each is a serpent." Dinic attempted the shape using his arm and hand.

Kelton felt his throat tighten. "Coiled as if to strike?"

"Aye," Dinic said, dropping his arm. He tilted his head and looked at Kelton as if he were a mystery. "You know of them?"

Kelton staggered backward and fell up the hill onto his backside. He steadied himself by grasping a small tree and laughed - the irony of teaching Mannily about footing was not lost on him. Nor was the fact that Dinic had described the Sorinnian armor Glenda had worn.

Bows and swords are what Kelton asked for, yet something more had come. The surprise of it hit him hard, yet it should not have. Yanda's lips constantly finding his forehead foretold her deep caring. She would not see him go without what was needed. Kelton would do no less for her.

"Do you now see what you have wrought?" Brandish asked, though there was confusion in his eyes. Likely a reaction to Kelton's laughter.

Kelton shook his head and pulled himself upright. "It is you who does not see." He chuckled again. "My sister comes."

"Sister?" Brandish asked.

"Princess Yanda Serinda Orctavia Onlain Grovicko Sabo Divarina Linbola Travici Bangala Wath Nab Fortuna Mina Mordico Yovia Aborocollo," Kelton announced, pleased that this memory had not begun to fail him.

"Those are like the words," Dinic said to Brandish.

"They do not blacken their skin," Kelton said to Dinic. "It is theirs by birth, a gift from their mothers and fathers before them. And what you heard as evil words are the songs of angels to my ears."

"I meant no..."

"Your warning is a blessing," Kelton said to Brandish. "I sent for bows and swords and my sister brings them, along with arms to wield them. She will have no love for the foulness that curses this land."

"No land would send soldiers - it would end the Promise to them and bring forth the retribution of all others," Brandish said.

"I did not seek it, yet I have found the weakness of the Promise," Kelton said. He stepped forward again. "The warriors of Sorinnia are led by a woman, not a man. The Brethren are blind to women who do not see themselves as cattle. Their ignorance will end them."

Kelton felt a new warmth grow in him. Tarvakian must have sent his request to the one most able to help, blinding his king as well. All of Kelton's trials were not a waste, for the orphan had built a family. He thought of all the Aragonians who were gathering and smiled - his family grew bigger by the day.

"They will pay dearly for reaching these shores," Brandish said.

Kelton felt the truth of it. Another reason to move soon and not wait. "Only if the Promise survives. I intend to see it dead before the winter winds blow." The weight of the war grew with each passing day. He would suffer its burden because he must.

Brandish nodded, then sighed and looked at Cory. "We have promises to keep," he said, indicating the valley floor. "Mayhap, level ground."

"Aye," Cory agreed and moved without hesitation.

"My men are loyal." Brandish spoke to Kelton as if they trusted one another. "They have heard the truth of the Promise from my lips not five days ago. Whatever happens to me, see to their placement in your forces. They desire the end of the Brethren as much as you."

"Trust is difficult," Kelton admitted.

"You need their swords," Brandish returned, breaking from the trees and entering the flat land carved by the river. "You need not bring them into your confidence."

Hold Lord Brandish selected an area unhindered by rock and trees and ordered his men to stay back. "Adequate, do you agree?" he asked of Cory.

"Aye," Cory replied. He moved into the center of the area with his sword drawn.

Brandish drew his sword, though its tip remained low. "Your wife worried on you at her end. I am to tell you she desired you not to challenge me."

"Lies," Cory said and thrust forward without warning. Brandish countered with ease, his skill not marred by age. Kelton saw the opening Cory left, though Brandish ignored it and shifted so that Cory would have to reset. There was little chance Cory would win this battle. If he failed, Kelton decided Spider's-bite would finish it.

"She wished me to pass on that you and your children were everything to her, and she desires you to live."

"Your lies are like poison," Cory growled. He swung wildly, a sloppy attack that Brandish dodged easily. Again, no counter maneuver. Kelton began to think Brandish was playing a game and giving Cory hope so the victory would be sweeter.

"She said you would not relent and made me swear it would be honorable," Brandish said. He countered Cory's movements, skillfully staying out of the sword's reach.

"Lies," Cory said. "You would have me believe you made promises to one you carved up? I hear her screams in night terrors. There is no forgiveness for you." He swung again and was promptly countered with the ease of one with years of training.

"She feared she took everything from you," Brandish said. "Cursed your life with hers and had lost the chance to pay you back."

Cory screamed and followed it with wild overhand chops at Brandish. There was strength behind them, enough so that Brandish was forced to retreat. "She was everything!"

Brandish shifted faster than his girth would indicate possible. For a moment, Cory's momentum exposed his back, yet Brandish ignored the weakness and created space. Cory turned, his eyes bleeding tears forced out by Joycelyn's memory. Cory would die on this field, of that Kelton was sure.

"Know that her death was peaceful, husband," Brandish said. "It was a potion she knowingly drank, one that causes sleep."

"She would not..." Cory began, then faltered, his advance slowing.

"Three had died in her stead," Brandish said, taking a step away to create more space. "The Brethren would have hunted more searching for the witness, yet she would not have it any more than I."