IV
Braven
You cannot hide that many men in an army on the march. I hear that Lord Camlash marched north with his twenty five thousand men, including four thousand lancers and archers from the North. Prime Leader Raihan marched from North East, another twenty thousand marchmen and two thousand archers, plus three thousand lancers. They are all headed for my forest and beyond. I do not and would not commit my army to fight them in such big numbers, as these are trained men in the art of open warfare.
I need to break their form into manageable sizes. I looked at their possible trails and they intend to meet in this area called the Jacob’s Fork, after the man who found this place which he built his own station to supply those who travel east or south from there. Why its called Jacob’s Fork as he also does carry one large pitchfork to intimidate any unpaying customers. From Jacob’s Fork they can march towards my camp with strength. I must stopped them before they can merged. I checked the settlements in their path and make sure these are evacuated to safer grounds and their farm lands razed to the ground. I am creating a famine trail in this part of the country. Its not that bad as we just harvest what we need and stored them in hidden cache. Next I looked at the terrain which they will be moving through. There is the Misty Trail but with such a force, its difficult to target them as we did with the last column. I looked back at the map and smiled. We will let the nature take care of them. After all we do lived in the forest fed by nature and its families of natural disaster.
But today, I see an old friend come riding in with his small entourage. General Damai, ex-officer of Camlash rides in with a handful of his men who helped him escape his death punishment. He brought with him his wife and family. A familiar face to me, and one which I wished not to see ever again. Its Claudia and she brought her sons from Damai. The entourage also brought in some visitors not known until Darius came forth to embrace his ‘mother’. Damai told me that she is Domo’s daughter and she is our friend.
But what surprised me more was later.
‘Give this to him. It belongs to your father.’ The amulet I gave to Claudia and now Domo’s daughter has it. She gave it to Darius to pass to me.
Jeane
I see the confused look in Darius and I am beginning to missed him now. He was my son for fifteen years until he went missing to look for his own destiny. Unknown to him, I recognised Genus when he came to the cottage. But I did not reveal it to them, for they are not ready to know.
I lost my babies to the madman, who was my Lord. I did not love him but on the insistent plea of my father I became his lover and soon one of his mistress. I soon give birth to the twins which I never saw. My father told me that he has given them to the Lord. He also said one died at birth, and so this is the replacement. That baby was Darius; I was very upset at this baby and wanted my own. If it was not the cry from Darius for my milk, I would had killed him then. I fought by my Lord at his side in many battles and this is how he repay me. But I console myself with the thought that my father lied to me, and gave me one of the twins. But some years later, he told me the story again and produced an amulet which he said belonged the kid and for the kid to find his own parents. Their name is Genus and Claudia. From that day, I prayed nightly to the Gods to deliver my son when he is ready to me, or let me go with him if he is dead. But I have not seen my prayers answered yet. But Darius’s one was answered.
I now hand to the father his kid whom I brought up. I also brought his mother whom the father himself has not seen for years. I knew her well as she was with me when I was carrying the twins. I lost touch with her when I was send to Red Hill in my advanced months of the children. And a few days ago, we met again, and we are all here now. But I am still without my children. I hope their father will tell me where they are and what happened to them since then.
Claudia
How do you tell a man who is half your age that he is your son. I was in love with Genus then, and we had the nights as lovers do. Genus was the Praetorian send to the city as the Prime Leader’s representative; and we met often in the hall or the corridors. What was soon to developed into a relationship even though we know its forbidden for Praetorian to join the Lords’s families.
On that night we parted, I told my father of my relationship with Genus and he was furious, more so when I told him I am with his child. He ordered me to my chambers and it was Domo who rescue me and took me to see Genus at the cottage. We promised to meet again later, as he was also given a task that day by his Prime Leader. He reluctantly left and I went back to my father. But he never came back.
After I gave birth, my son was taken away on the order of my father to be executed. It was taken by Domo, and I have not seen him till today. I did confront Domo on the baby when I recovered,and he told the baby died in his hands and was buried in the forest. I gave him the amulet and it was to buried with the baby.
Today, I see my son again. My first son with another man, whom I used to love. Now I loved another; the father of my twins. I do not know who to reconcile these loves now.
Braven
I am seeing my son, the one I thought died many years ago. He is none other than Darius, and we have been together for over three years without knowing. I did think of him as my adopted son but not expecting him to be mine.
I looked at Claudia which I thought also died then, but now she stand before holding her husband hand. I cannot consider her as my wife as we never wed. I was only her lover and father to her first born. I remember that night well. We met but I was in a hurry to do another deed for my leader. I gave her the amulet so that she can give to the child. I was to come back, but I did not as I could not.
It all begin after I left her.
The men I gathered was outside, all six of us to ride to meet a group of our own. We did catch up with them at the roads and we join them to ride together as all Praetorian do always. I rode up to the front to speak to their leader. It was the old Prime Leader then and he was riding back to his retreat with the nine guards of his. I knew the route, the guards and the ones which were loyal to him. It was near the ridge where we planned it all, I stabbed him and pushed him off his horse. I then got off to finish the job correctly but I did not see the sword that cut my hand. The leader was still alive and his next thrust with the dagger took my eye. I cried out in pain and stepped on his wound, and he howled out in pain. I pulled out his own dagger from my eye and stabbed him again in the heart with my left hand. Then I sat by the side while my men threw his body and the dead horse over the ridge. Three of his men was still alive, as they were bought by my leader to do this. They were to ride on and report that they were set on by bandits.
Meantime, as I was wounded badly, I was send off to the border to recover in one of the outpost. My recuperation took six months and a promotion to Senior Praetorian. But before I could ride back,l was assigned to another border down South to administer some matters. It was not for another year before I can return to see my love. I was met by Domo’s assistant with all the news that we hear partly today. I would had confronted Domo but if not for the intervention of my Prime Leader Raihan to join him at the border camp. From there it was another ten years before I got myself promoted to join Romus as special ambassador again. It was from there, I traveled far and only stepped back after fifteen years to be posted to Lord Camlash city again.
But I saw no one I can love like Claudia.
Darius
I see the man and woman who is said to be my parents, and yet I feel nothing for them. I have longed for the day I will see my parents, and when I did now, I am lost. I knew Braven or Genus was like a father to me but it was not what drew me to search him. He was the first army officer who came to our cottage and the life of one intrigue me, so I search him out. There were others but they are mostly hunters and woodcutters, and even the occasional trader.
Now that I have spent over three years in the army, I still find it my liking as the discipline and also the experiences. True, I have improved my skills in archery and close combat, but it came with hard training and determination. I do not want to die in the battle due to my lack of skills. I was scared silly during the battle with the Yellow Beard, and eventually I find my own footing as messenger, my confidence returned then.
And of course the comfort that Lydia provides me helped my life here. She is more than a mother to me, besides the training, she is also a friend and a fine story teller. She told me of her voyages and of her people; how they survived the seas and the land. I love the adventure she tells me.
Maybe its the life of adventure that I like. Like my real father who spend all his life as a Praetorian and now leader. I am rightfully his son in every way.
As for my mother, well, it may take me time to know her, as I had so many mothers now and before. So will I need time to know my other brothers.
General Damai
It was not a reunion of love, but of confusion and fear. I am one of them as I held onto my kids to see their mother talking to her previous lover. I wanted to ask her if she still remember her family here, or the one which just became united. I looked at the man who was a Pretorian and now he is Braven the Leader.
Is he the same man I knew when we fought three years ago? Or he has changed and started killing his own now.
Just as myself now, do I wield the sword to kill my own or shall I sit here and wait for the final outcome. There is an army out there coming towards here with nearly fifty thousand men, and they were my friends before. Now they are my enemies and they will kill me. But can I kill my enemy who was my friend before? Just like can I kill The Praetorian Genus who was once my enemy and then friend. I thought of it long and then decided that the Praetorian died three years ago. So did my enemy turned friend. Just as some days ago, all my old friends died and today I may have some enemies to fight with. Whatever it is, I fight to protect my family including my wife who is talking to her long lost friend.
Domo
I prayed hard I made the right choice. I waved as I see my daughter go away to her new life, and new hope. I convinced the guards to release Damai, make it looked careless so that none can be blamed. But I have to doubly sure so I had them killed later before they can changed their minds. Now I am writing the message to my secret lord of my works. I prayed he sees my way too. If not, I have betrayed both Lords. These are not the only betrayals I have done, as countless others on both Lords. I did it for myself and only myself for I also wished one day I can manipulate these events like the Lords. I may died one day but I hold their secrets with me, which I am undecided to carry with me or reveal to whom it may care. It may bring in more chaos or order, I know not of.
But peace is what the mind needs, and peace is what we can hoped for at times. Peace in the mind is a matter of perception, for we can choose to ignore the concerns until it happens. I hope I gave that peace to these new generations when I betray my Lords.
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