A Ballad of Heroes

Chapter 5 - Providence

The green of scrub and forest, blurred by the horse's speed to nothing but shadows, passed quickly around them. The cool air carried the breath of distant plains, brushed through the still bare tops of the trees, while in nature only slowly awoke the first blossoms and hesitant leafy green. Even on the back of Ares, Kay's giant Shire Horse, it took almost an hour before the first fields and, finally, the small village of Camrose came into view. Ares stirred up some dirt with her hooves as she slowed the steed down on the small hill and let her eyes wander over her destination. The mighty steed, on which the small figure might already seem tiny, expelled its breath with a snort and shook its head. The white-beige mane with the braided pigtails brushed her hands, which held the reins, and she pressed her legs a little more into the flanks of the steed to bring it to rest.

Towards the foot of the hill, behind which the path to her family's estate wound through the forest, was a patchwork of small cottages next to sprawling fields. Here and there, she recognized busy farmers tending to the fields, preparing the soil for seeding later in the year. A few sheep made bright blobs in the landscape. Following the road, their gaze eventually led to a few rows of the first houses forming the tiny village's outer circle. The numerous wooden cabins lined up closer to the center, embracing the marketplace alone.

But the familiar sight had something new today: on one of the pastures, temporary wooden fences had now been erected. Miniature, colorful flags fluttered in the wind, and at least a dozen tents occupied other areas. Arianna recognized several battlefields that had been restricted for the competition. If she was correct, she even realized one or two colorful floats of moving people?
Such smaller competitions were usually attended mainly by hedge knights. Landless knights who spent their lives in such tournaments. Noble and noble enough to call themselves 'Sir' but not important enough to sit at grand tables and own their own fiefdoms. 

Perhaps there was even hope of meeting a more famous name. After the fall of the old king, many significant names had been crushed to dust in the grindstone of the turnaround. From a high pedestal, the fall was intense... and at the same time, they could consider themselves lucky not to have been dragged onto a straightening block by order of the king. The fact was: quite a few of the old followers of King Pendragon now tried to keep their heads above water in this way. If she could defeat one of the knights there...

Excitement pulsed through her veins as her lips parted on their own into a broader smile. With a loud "Hah!" she spurred the stallion on again, and the drumming of hooves accompanied the throbbing in her chest.

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It was delightful to see how much effort such a small village put into putting on such a festival. Strings of little pennants were stretched everywhere; a few traveling merchants had heard about the festival and had come with their wagons. Such an event was joined by visitors from the surrounding villages and homesteads so that a tiny village became the center of the lively hustle and bustle for a little while. It wasn't easy to completely close oneself to the cheerful atmosphere, and if only because it had rarely been encountered to such an extent since King Vortigern's reign.

These small or even more significant street parties were all that could distract people from the otherwise relatively friendless life full of drudgery. But on such days, worries disappeared for a bit of a while behind the veils of traditions and shenanigans. Musicians attracted people, and music resounded in their direction, especially from the market and the tents. She had left the good Ares at a paddock for a few coins, where he was now allowed to join other steeds and wait for her while she single-mindedly looked for the opportunity to enroll in the tournament.