"Take What You Want, Keep What You Can, Destroy What Remains" (closed)

[CutiePie1997]

"My Lady, I assure you my intent was not to rape you ... my intent was to pleasure you..."

Kerra shook her head at Dorek's words. You would think that, she thought, adding one final word, Men!

"You are tough, I must say I like that," Dorek said about her demand to ride to Mayima, adding, "but it is all I like."

"The feeling is mutual," Kerra said softly, more to herself than to him, "I assure you."

After he spoke about needing to remain here to let Mayima find them, she turned without comment and headed for the ruins' exit, saying, "I'm hungry. Come."

She found smoke rising from a nearby hut and again told Dorek, "Come. There will food and drink there for coin."

She led her horse through the village of perhaps twenty huts. A dozen or more villagers watched them; there was no sign of armed men protecting the village, but there were signs that it had recently been attacked: spilled carts, the ashes of a pair of burned huts, and both a goat corral and a hen house with not a single animal in them.

At the hut, as she reached a hand to knock on the wooden frame, the hide-flap door pulled open a bit, then more. A girl barely into her teens and fat with child looked out at Kerra, fear in her eyes.

"We mean you no harm," Kerra reassured her. She held out a silver coin, more money than a typical villager made in a month of labor in their Lord's field. "We need food, water, ale."

The teen mother-to-be hesitated, then backed away to allow Kerra inside without words. The interior of the hut was in no better condition than the exterior: beds of dirty straw, few possessions of worth, chickens and lambs numbering a half dozen -- inside to prevent their theft -- and the overwhelming stench that came with so many humans and stock in such a small space.

The girl looked Dorek over without any sense of knowing what his arms and armor said of him, but an elderly woman in the corner instantly became emotional at the sight of him. Kerra reassured her that there was no danger, then held out yet another Silver Sovereign.

The older woman calmed down, bowed to Kerra, the held her hand out to receive the coin as opposed to taking them directly from Kerra's hand. Both women went to work putting together a meal from what little they had.

Kerra motioned Dorek to sit and began telling him a story of how villages in this region were regularly pillaged by the forces of men who called themselves Nobles. Not yet knowing that Dorek had killed him, Kerry spoke of Lord Rolston, saying, "My cousin -- the Lord of this region by proclamation of my father, the King -- is supposed to protect these people. Instead, he takes payment from the thieves and scoundrels who wrong these people so often."

She looked to the pregnant girl, then to Dorek with a knowing glance. Kerra would gives big odds that she'd been raped by one such scoundrel. Looking Dorek over again, she asked, "So ... what's your story. I mean, other than the fact that you'd like to make me look like her."

The two looked to each other, and when Kerra winked, the girl giggled. She was probably thinking the same thing the Princess was: Men!.

 

[Homerun2611]

The offer of food was welcome, once again Dorek had read without rest or sustenance. It was the mention of coin that was disconcerting. Dorek's entire wealth could be counted through the three coins of copper, and a single one of silver, he had in the small purse around his waist. "I do not have much money my lady." She looked back with the same sense of skepticism she had shown to his every other truthful statement. She simply assumed he was a thief who had benefitted from stealing from and pillaging the towns and villages he overtook.

The truth was the exact opposite. Never had he taken, however, in rare instances he was given, the very simple offering that those he had helped could give him. It was usually in the form of a a chicken, an apple or occasionally ale, rarely any sort of coin as they did not possess much if any of such, and would soon have to pay taxes.

Kerra signaled that he should follow her, and saw that she clearly had wealth as she offered silver to the surprise and happiness of the women who served. The town was sadly not a surprise. He had seen this often throughout his travels. He could see the distrust if not fear in the older woman's eyes as she saw him. He tried to smile to alleviate her fears but it did little good.

He had seen this often, the mistrust of the Black Guard and the hatred expressed for his former leader, Emperor Barrab. He did not understand and would ask Kerra when he had the chance. For in his mind all he had ever done, under his former employ and duty, was to help people like these, people ruled by cruel nobles, provide them a better and more protected existence.

Finally as they sat down, Kerra asked him his story. "I believe I have told you, is there something else you would like to know?" Clearly there was, and so he slowly retold her things he had already said, but filled in other things that might improve her understanding. "As I said, I was born to Adara. My mother would claim upon her deathbed that she was still a virgin and the gnomes would swear her hymen was intact as she began labor. Nonetheless, she was shunned in her community when she became ripe with me, and the sweet gnomes took her in, and cared for her through my birth. She died birthing me, and they raised me, taught me to appreciate and live off the land."

"However, as I got bigger, even though I was not even through manhood, they felt I needed to be raised...differently." In truth, he did not know why he was turned over to the Guard. "I was lucky, the colonel who raised me is still the finest man I have ever known. I was trained to behave with honor, Emperor Barrab did take rule, but the idea was to bring everyone under common laws and ways of treating people. We did not rob and pillage, however if a noble was not willing to serve under that rule, then, their lands were seized and redistributed."

Dorek was not completely naive. "I know that there were members of the Guard who took advantage of their position, but if discovered, they were held accountable, by both the Emperor and the Colonel. Usually they paid with their lives."

"For some reason, the people backed the nobles, or at least enough did, to overthrow Barrab. I don't know what happened to the other guard, I assume some went into hiding, which is disgraceful." He shook his head, disappointed. "The two who rode with me pledged we would continue to help the disadvantaged as long as we could. Two of them unfortunately died from ambushes of the local Lords. I guess I was lucky."

Dorek was being humble, the fact was he was easily the finest warrior in all the lands, the finest ever of the Black Guard. "I have kept true to that pledge, I have helped many, but I rode alone, until..." He stopped and took Kerra's hand. "I encountered Mayima, and was told of... at least part of..my destiny. Some of that destiny, I share with you."

He was done, had no more to say, and so he took his bread and sopped up a bit of the gravy and ate the small piece of meat. He assumed it was goat, hoped it might be lamb, but knew there was a chance, and he hated the idea given his beloved Donner, that it might well be horse, or dog... He had learned long ago, to not be picky or think too long about that which was offered.

 

[CutiePie1997]

"As I said..." Dorek began explaining his life, this time with more detail.

Kerra had heard of the Gnomes before, of course, but -- like Black Magic and the Practitioners of such -- she'd always believed them to be fantasy, a story mothers and fathers told their children when they wanted to frighten them. Dorek seemed sincere in his story, though, and after having experienced Mayima the night before, Kerra found herself unable to just dismiss their existence as part of Dorek's delusion.

She did understand the part about his mother being shunned for having conceived a child out of wedlock. Right now, her father was likely making arrangements in haste to wed the whore who he had seeded, presuming Mayima's claim was real at all.

When he spoke of Emperor Barrab being a good, honest, and lawful man, Kerra again found herself conflicted by his sincerity. She'd grown up with tales of the greatest ruler of all time being anything but a good man. But, there was one adage that was true throughout time: history was written by the victors.

"For some reason, the people backed the nobles," Dorek mused, "or at least enough did, to overthrow Barrab."

It was, of course, an irony that Barrab had been defeated in the end. He had conquered between 40 and 70 percent of the world by landmass. But there had still been some very wealthy, very powerful Kingdoms and Provinces to be conquered, something that would have likely been easy for Barrab if they hadn't all finally come together as one to destroy his Empire.

Of course, that teamwork ended the instant Barrab was defeated, and now the world was engulfed in violence once again.

He spoke about having survived when so many other Black Guard hadn't. Without knowing about how Dorek had successfully snuck into Lord Rolston's camp the day before and killed the man while surrounded by hundreds of bodyguards, Kerra said with a wry tone, "Yeah, lucky."

She was yet to see Dorek at work with his sword, but once she had, lucky wouldn't be the word she used to describe him.

As they ate, a ruckus began outside that concerned Kerra. She went to the flap, looked out, then exited the hut. A pair of men -- the ones who'd been at a distance with their rudimentary weapons -- were arguing with another man, who would soon become known to Kerra and Dorek as the uncle of the pregnant girl.

The argument was about the two intruders, who the two men didn't trust and wished to see casted out of the village. One of them looked directly at Kerra, then at Dorek, and accused, "Their type always leave with things that were ours and to which they have no right: stock, coin ... slaves for their fields or broth--"

The man didn't finish what he was saying, flinching and rising his hands quickly to catch something Kerra had tossed him, a ring she had been removing from her finger as the man spoke.

"My camp is at the base of the ridge, on the Coastal Plain," she told him. "Take that to a man named Parto. Tell him -- are you listening? -- tell him word for word ... 'The reason he fell from the horse was that his Lady tickles its balls.' Repeat that back."

The man hesitated, but when Kerra pressed, he repeated the odd saying. She asked if he could ride, to which he said yes, and she told him, "Give my ring to Pardo, then tell him I want four carts filled with food and delivered here immediately. Tell him to separate off a two bucks and a dozen does and herd them this way as well."

The man's expression began changing from anger to awe as he began to realize who Kerra was and what she was giving to his village. He bowed deeply and began blathering his apologies, but Kerra cut him off with, "You've done me no offense. Now, go! And tell Pardo I want a Squad of the 4th Brigade to come here as well, with all the appropriate Camp Followers."

The man bowed several times, then ran for the stables. As he was saddling his horse, Kerra told the second doubter, "You and your people will assist the Squad and their Followers in building defenses for your village and rebuilding your homes and businesses. The Squad will remain here until you no longer need them. They will protect you, and you will never again be threatened by bandits and thieves, I promise this to you."

By the time she'd finished, Kerra and Dorek had drawn a larger crowd, and some of the villagers came to her, wanting to thank her and kiss her hands of the rings upon them.

Just about that time, the heavy fast moving hooves of a horse could be heard approaching, and a moment later a Messenger from the direction of Manfredonia slid his horse to a stop, dismounted on the run, and hurried up to drop to his knees before Kerra. He reported that Lord Rolston had been assassinated during the night and that his Lieutenant was disbanding or demobilizing his army.

"How did this happen?" a surprised Kerra asked. "Who killed my cousin?"

The Messenger -- now again on his feet -- looked nervously to Dorek, then tentatively answered, "He did. At least ... a Black Guard did."

 

[Homerun2611]

Dorek had told much of his life, but he went into a bit more detail. The Colonel of the Black Guard treated me more like a son, than a brother, when I first came to them as a boy, and I spent much time in the palace of Lord Barrab, early, before he was emperor. He used to sit with me, and describe his dream. How the lands tended to be ruled by Nobles who more often than not, were simply concerned about amassing their own wealth. Emperor Barrab's vision was far different. He felt if the people were given power, and control diminished from the nobles, people would actually prosper and yields would be greater for all. It is not reasonable, he felt, to ask a man or woman to work tirelessly, only to see the fruits of those labors almost entirely taxed away.

However, what he underestimated was how strong the rule was of those nobles and how they would have enough allegiances within their own groups, and moreso momentarily set aside those differences and band together to defeat the man who most threatened their way of life. Now you see, all they do is tax their people and destroy each other. It could have been better, it should have been better.

They heard the ruckus and Dorek instinctively grabbed his swords. Iff need be, he would fight their way out of where they were, his key focus on protecting the princess, who he felt was now in his guard until they fulfilled their destiny. However, it was not just the villager, threatened by their very existence in the village, who felt a sense of awe at what next took place.

He watched as she removed her ring, and spoke of her camp. He saw the way the man looked at the ring, although he wasn't sure of its significance. She gave the man a riddle to speak, one that would convey his legitimacy in his task. What was more important to Dorek were her orders, to bring this village aid, foot and livestock, and with it protectors until it could once again exist on its own. She would not have seen it, but Dorek smiled and nodded approvingly as he heard her.

When she finally looked away and toward him, he had a smile on his face. "That was good...perhaps you have a little of Emperor Barrab inside yourself as well." She had won the people and that was good as well. Mayima had said she was a princess, but what was more she had a heart and caring for the people. The girl, the older woman, and now the folks she was speaking to could see it, yet she did not yet trust him?

Suddenly a messenger galloped up to Kerra, he had come from Manfredonia, and he saw the fear in the man's eyes as he got off his horse and saw Dorek. Dorek backed away slightly, trying not to intimidate by his very presence as it was clear the Princess recognized and trusted him. He gave the news that Dorek already knew, that Lord Ralston was dead. Also, as Mayima had told him, the army was being disbanded.

When asked, the man pointed at Dorek and said he or one of his kind had killed the Lord. Dorek simply nodded, "You were right the first time, it was me. Also, I don't know when you left, but you should have seen my Guard enter Manfredonia. Torran, my top Leiutenant was sent there to see Lieutenant, Trett of Mattinata, and ask him to pledge is fealty to our command. I trust that has likely already taken place."

Dorek saw the messenger nod, but was more interested in Princess Kerra's reaction. He moved toward her and spoke softly. "Now...I hope you are starting to believe me, and...that you might understand, I want to be your friend..." He smiled, "...and of course..." He let his eyes scan up and down her body, "...fulfill our destiny."

 

[CutiePie1997]

"That was good," Dorek said regarding Kerra's gift to the people of San Giovanni Rotondo, adding, "perhaps you have a little of Emperor Barrab inside yourself as well."

Kerra was, of course, conflicted about the Black Guard's compliment[/b]. She'd been raised with stories of the Emperor that had contradicted what Dorek had just told her. Reconciling them was not something she was going to be able to do without more research, which she already knew she would be soon doing.

One thought would continue to come back to her over the extent of her relationship with this man: History is written by the victors, and it was her people -- or at least her father's people -- who been the victors over the Emperor and the Black Guard.

What were the chances that all she'd been told during her upbringing was false?

"You were right the first time," Dorek told the Messenger about who had killed Lord Rolston, "it was me."

Kerra was beginning to see the Black Guard killer in a new light suddenly. Dorek had singlehandedly accomplished -- with the loss of just one man -- what she had known would have cost her dozens if not hundreds of men. And, of course, she hadn't known that her cousin had actually had 1,500 men awaiting her, not 500. When she learned this later in the day, she would realize that she owed her life and the lives of much of her army to this man.

The Messenger verified that Dorek's Lieutenant was, in fact, in command of the retreating force. He looked to Kerra after verifying with Dorek the name of his officer. "Do you have a message to be delivered to Lieutenant Torran, My Grace?"

Kerra looked to Dorek, smiled knowingly, then told the Messenger, "Yes, tell Captain Torran that he has been given command of the Manfredonia Brigade."

"Yes, My Grace," the Messenger said, then after getting some less important messages and orders, bowed to Kerra and to Dorek, making his farewell, "My Grace ... Commander."

He was on his horse and riding away at a gallop seconds later.

"Now...I hope you are starting to believe me," Dorek told Kerra as they turned to return to the hut where their hostess had said she'd prepared dessert, "and...that you might understand, I want to be your friend..."

Kerra was still wary of Dorek, but only because she lived in a dangerous, unpredictable world and she didn't know this man. But she was on her way to becoming more comfortable with and trusting of him.

Then he smiled and -- after ogling her -- finished, "...and of course ... fulfill our destiny."

She laughed, telling him, "Don't pull your pants down yet, Commander. We are still yet to meet your witch."

This time, she said that last word with more humor than concern. "Right now, I just want to eat, drink, and rest ... so, save your seed."

Kerra laughed again, entered the hut, and returned to her plate of food while she engaged the two women in conversation about the village, its population, and its needs.

Neither she nor Dorek could know that it would sunrise the next day before the witch would arrive.

 

[Homerun2611]

Dorek was pleased at Princess Kerra's response. "Yes, tell Captain Torran that he has been given command of the Manfredonia Brigade." After some minor orders had been given regarding the disbanding of the old army and the right incentives and warning put in place, Dorek had one final message. "Please tell Le..." And then he remembered the field promotion that Kerra had just referred to, "Tell Captain Torran I am very pleased. However, please reinforce, I do not want any bloodshed unless absolutely necessary."

After he left, dashing away to convey the new orders, they were somewhat alone again. "Don't pull your pants down yet, Commander. We are still yet to meet your witch." There was teasing in her voice, so he teased back. "I do not understand..." Letting her take in his strong physique, dark hair and dark eyes. "...why you think that you would not enjoy the occassion of my pulling down my pants."

They went back inside and Dorek was again introduced to something he had rarely enjoyed...sweets. The dessert was a simple flat bread with honey drizzled over the top of it, and then something he had never tasted, they called it cinnamon.

They were getting to know each other better, and since Mayima had not yet made her presence, it looked increasingly like they would be spending the night. "Walk with me..." Dorek said, extending his arm as they walked out to the hills of olive groves and grapevines growing on the rolling hillside. She was very different than Loris or Kandis, and he was beginning to learn the vast difference between different types of women, particularly princesses and whores. Yet, he did not think that way, for Dorek, Loris and Kandis had been such revelations, and taught him to enjoy things he hadn't realized existed, and he could not understand why Kerra seemed to resist such pleasure.

So as they walked they talked, "So you have asked me my story...what is yours, and why such hatred between you and your cousin?" Dorek had never known family, the closest he had was the gnomes and the Colonel and his Guardian brothers, but if he had, he assumed he would have cherished them.

When she was done explaining he asked the question that had been rattling through his brain all day. "Why my lady, do you not want to lay with me...do you find me ugly...or is there something about me that makes you think I would not bring you pleasure?" And as she answered he thought a bit more, "May I ask, perhaps if we shared a kiss, you might determine if I might not be acceptable after all?"