Cauldenvale

A new problem

The sun rose slowly that next morning, fog hung low on the green ground. When Sarai rose to mount Reinhardt, she saw a vellum note, lying where Dara had slept the last night.

Sarai, my Queen,
I never wanted to leave you, but there's a mess I need to clean up. Please don't come for me, just go on your way, live your honest life, live on your farm.

-Dara, the servant Girl

"Where could she have gone? Reinhardt, we have to go find her, she must be in danger, why would she hide that from me?" Sarai asked, thinking out loud

"Perhaps, former Queen, because it was you that was in danger." A smooth voice said from behind her

"I would know that snake's tongue anywhere. Good morning, Gared."

"Ah, still so polite, even when we're holding your love hostage, and threatening your life."

In one motion, Sarai drew her sword and turned to face the war hungry king, but she was met with the twanging of a released bowstring and a sharp pain in her shoulder. When The Queen could see again, she looked up and saw a crossbow in the hands of one of Gared's officers.

Behind the king, Sarai heard a muffled scream, and when she looked, she saw Dara, tied to a saddle, her mouth blocked by a dirty rag. In her anger, Sarai tried to stand, rage, and adrenaline blocking out the pain of her shoulder, and forcing her to once again attack the King, but another of the officers swung a club, cracking it against the Queen's raven covered skull, and letting her fall to the ground.

The dream was a peaceful one:

Sarai stood in her vegetable garden, staring out at the water, then, leaving her crop, she entered her new home, a short, stocky stone building, it's exterior walls standing stalwart against the sea breeze, it's salt slowly wearing away the expensive granite. Sarai walked among her well furnished home, it's wood panelled walls, stained a deep brown, that was almost red. She heard a door creak open, it's hinges in severe need of oil, something she would be reminded of later, and her love come walking out, her bare feet padding across the cold floor, and her luscious body covered in only a thin blanket. Dara's arms wrap around the taller woman's waist, and she calls the former Queen back to bed, but Sarai instead picks up the shorter, former servant girl and carries her to the often used kitchen. Placing Dara on a wooden chair, she begins a breakfast, freshly lain eggs from the wild chickens that roamed their land, toasted bread, made only last month, from the grain they grew in the south, and strips of bacon bought from a reliable travelling merchant, who would be passing through in another month or so.

When Sarai truly awoke, she was not in the stone house by the sea, she was lying in a tent, her arms bound in rope, and her shoulder bandaged.

"Where am I?" She asked, blinking the sleep from her eyes.

"Gared's war camp. We're prisoners." Spoke a familiar voice

"Dara? Oh, Dara I'm sorry I pulled you into this."

"Sarai, you never did learn to listen to me. You didn't pull me into this mess, Gared is the mess I had to clean up... it was a long time ago, I was scared, so I made a deal with him. If I had known that you would find your way into my life, I would have walked away from him then and there, but... I was young, and he was a king."

"Dara, did you know he would declare war?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?!"

"I tried! I rode to Lanis, why do you think I was there those two years ago? I was seeking an audience with you! I was turned down by one of your counsels."

"Did you tell him of Gared?"

"Yes."

"What was his name?"

"Mason. Mason Terrace."

"High counsel to The Queen... and most likely the new Regent of Cauldenvale. Damn! I should've seen it earlier, no wonder we haven't seen Cauldenian troops riding through the valleys, Our country's been betrayed, and not just by it's Queen."

"What now, then?"

After a moment Sarai spoke up once again, saying "I have a plan, how well can you handle a crossbow?"

It took some time for Sarai to implement her plan, but Dara, having no restraints, made things much easier. After much yelling, screaming, and very creative use of expletives, Sarai drew a guard into the tent, where Dara knocked him unconcious, stole his armour, and weapons, and the pulled Sarai to her feet. The plan was simple, Dara would lead Sarai away from the tent, as though she were simply transporting a prisoner, but she would really take The former Queen outside the camp, where Reinhardt was waiting for the, because Reinhardt would never be far from Sarai. Surprisingly, it almost went off without a hitch. Towards the end an alarm went off in the camp, and officers came searching for the two women, but then, that's what the crossbow was for. Dara cut Sarai's bonds, gave her a sword, and dropped to one knee, aiming her newfound weapon.

Twang. Went the short, metal, machine, flinging a bolt directly through the skull of a nearby officer. His eye was gone, nothing but a big hole, oozing grey matter, and blood, at the sight of this, the drunken, half armoured, dishevelled officers backed off a little, giving the two time to run to Reinhardt, who was standing at the gates, his Star shaped brow, beckoning, leading them all to freedom.

The southern mountains of Genia/ The northern border of Cauldenvale.

The stone barracks were milling with semi-ready warriors, going about their daily tasks, some grumbling about the lack of action. Just then, a whistling noise pierces the ambient noises, and everyone stops dead, everything is silent except the whistling, and then all hell breaks loose, knights rush to their positions, drawing their swords, and straightening their armour, suddenly a steel ball flies through the stone wall, sending debris in all directions, and startling the men inside. Knights cover their ears as the long range cannons atop the walls start to fire, and it's obvious to all: War Has Begun.