laneys.info Beware of Yankees, drunks, and loose women.

After gathering more wood for their fire, Alex sat crosslegged near as both of the knights that he was charged with slept. Reaching into his backpack, he took out the book that had become the most trusted friend and opened it to the chapter he had left off on. He read and then closed it, then bowed his head and prayed.

'Father, I hope that my presence continually helps your faithful and those who have been lost and are still victims of this war. Use me however is needed and I hope that my service is a blessing.'

The familiar charge through his body followed the quiet that he could still sense voices faintly in the background trying their best to gain his attention. He easily ignored them and returned his bible to his backpack, then got up and headed to the Order's cooks as they prepared breakfast. He passed other squires and the knights as some rose, others prayed and a few remained sleeping. It was amazing to think that he was a part of such a noble group of men and he still felt the charge when he thought of becoming an equal. He only hoped that he became half the man that Sir Stephen was. As he returned to both knights with plates of food, they sat up and smiled.

"Good morning," Stephen greeted as he accepted the wooden plate. "Thank you." Alex handed Sir Kenneth his own and sat down as he joined them. "How'd you sleep, Kenneth?"

"Fine, sir. Had an interesting dream also. We were fighting an army of various races within a forest. I seem to remember a bridge made of wood also."

Stephen nodded, listening intently. "We'll see what the Knight-Commander has for us. I'll speak with him soon. Are you ready to ride again?"

Kenneth stretched his legs. "I'll be ready when we're called."

Rising, the paladin handed Alex his empty plate and headed to the river to clean up.

"Do you recognize the bridge or the forest, sir," Alex queried as he rose to take the square, wooden plate.

"Not readily, no."

"I guess we'll know soon enough, if it was a vision from Him."

Kenneth smiled. "True enough."

Alexander cleaned up and took care of his chores as the elder paladins met with their Knight Commander near the center of their camp. Soon, Stephen returned and then broke off from other paladins camped farther on as Alex and Kenneth both eyed their patron.

"We'll be leaving in the morning. Sir Godfrey has gained guidance to other problems to the west that need to be taken care of." He eyed Kenneth directly. "Gain your strength, friend. Another battle awaits."

"I'll be ready, sir."

* * *

They pressed through rainy days and nights, muddy roads and traffic to finally reach Inellan, south of the compound that Alex had spent over seven months in. Making camp around the town, the unit waited for more information from their leader. Alexander grabbed buckets and rode to the town's central fountain to gather water. Arriving at the crowded, stone statue, he noticed squires that he had been riding with now for over a month. He climbed down from the saddle, glad to be free of the seat that mirrored his rear end now almost perfectly.

"Sure am glad that we're taking a break," William stated, his hand nursing the back of his right thigh.

"Who isn't," another squire agreed.

"I'm anxious to find out where we're headed," Alex mentioned as another group of boys rode up. He looked over their horse's manes to notice the yellow surcoats and black stag's head and realized they were from Zariva.

"Me too," William stated as they all eyed the newly arrived squires that patiently waited.

Alex walked over to them. "Hello," he greeted to a rider whose thin beard vainly covered his chin and upper lip.

He nodded. "Greetings," the tired teenager grinned as he glanced to Alex's heraldry. "Where are you from?"

"Kecel, originally. You're from Zariva, right?"

"Yes," his brown eyes sank.

"What news?"

"It fell a week ago."

He studied the eyes of all five of the squires and noted their sorrow. "I'm sorry. Have faith though, we'll take it back once they're defeated."

A smile brightened his face. "You being closer to Arhus as you are, have you heard anything?"

"We're heading west, to where I cannot tell. No doubt to vanquish another demon general."

Gaining the attention of the whole quintet, their eyes went wide. "Demon?"

Alexander nodded, matter-of-factly. "East of Eaglesham. One led an army of undead and Arhus guided our weapons and we sent him back to the Dark One where he belongs." A flash of their heraldry sparked the Lady's husband. "Is the duke of Zariva and his family well?"

The older boy nodded, "Most escaped as we did. The duke halted the army at Purbeck and was assisting in strengthening their defenses. We're sent north to Bakony to speed word for help."

He grinned and then headed to the fountain. "Fellows, make way for these squires," gaining their attention.

"Why," one defensively squared on him.

"Their knights are to Bakony and have urgent news to the duke there. We shouldn't delay them."

"They can wait just as we have," he turned and began collecting water in his bucket.

Alex stood by until he was done and guided his horse back to their camp, then stepped before the next squire who didn't move. Motioning to the other squires, Alex surprisingly eyed the older squire, then looked as the boys from Zariva walked up.

"Thank you."

"We've just ended a long journey and will be here for a day or so," the unknown squire mentioned, his black surcoat sporting the Order of the Golden Scepter, blank border denoting a squire and dirty from travel. Alex smiled at his compatriot, then turned to the newcomers as they quickly gathered water. They all soon finished up and headed back to their respective lords as Alex felt the cool charge again.

'That was a good deed done for them, Alex.'

'There was no need to keep them any longer from their task. Assistance to Purbeck is more pressing right now.'

He gathered firewood and helped clean up gear and armor, then cared for their mounts as night fell. Finally able to sit down, he ate as Stephen rested on his stool underneath the short awning that protruded from his pavilion alongside Kenneth.

"Word has it that we'll be going northwest tomorrow morning," Stephen quietly informed.

"Carbost?" Kenneth asked.

"No, that city fell some time ago. We're going to help the dwarves. They're under siege by a large army led by a demon king from the Shadow Range." He quietly eyed the fire as Alex apprehensively wondered how this battle would unfold. He wasn't as excited about conflict any longer but, it was part of the life that he had chosen. "I'm also told that we'll be joined by several more groups of knights and other representatives of the churches that should be arriving by the morning."

The rest of the evening was in prayer and reading until finally getting some rest.

Birdsong echoed through the quiet forest and across the fields newly plowed as Alexander's blue eyes opened to a new day. Horses snorted and stamped as they too awoke and began grazing while a silent rumble began to shake the ground. His ears perked up as his head rose to eye the distant treeline and down the long road to see a long line of knights and other mounted individuals whose dark cloaks shadowed their faces. Sitting up, his eyes squinted to notice their warhorses confidently galloped into their camp and beyond him as he looked up into the faces of these newly arrived in shock. They were women! Chain barding heavily beat a tune along with the clopping and slapping sheaths as the unit reached the gates of Inellan and disappeared within. Many others arose and watched them enter and then noticed another unit approach not long after. Knights-Templar of Haun joined their ranks as well as others with the small heraldry of Davos on the right corner over their Golden Scepter heraldry.
He resumed his chores and got them ready to ride again.