Chapter 2, Discipline and Remorse
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"I was prideful, I thought I could do better... I did not know the weight of the folly. I ask you, please. Grant me yet another day..."
***
Year of Wrath 1231, Season of Heat, D.42
A few weeks passed as we hit traveler after traveler. No one killed, none of my boys died. A few of them wanted to fight a heavily armored cart with a dozen or so mercenaries. They put up a good fight a week or so back. I tried to get them to agree to the standard terms. But, oh, no. One of them wanted to be brave. Even with a knife to his throat he charged me, I back stepped and surprisingly Hob stepped in his way. The mercenary stabbed at him with his spear, but Hob swatted it aside with the tip of his, and swept the legs out under the man. Hob on the back spin with his spear knocked the mercenary's head to the ground with a grunt. He raised the tip of the spear to push it into the mans chest and I told him to stop. He just looked at me, tip barely a inch away from the unconscious mans chest.
It was a tense moment, but he walked away from the fallen man. I could hear him grumbling, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. The rest of the travelers submitted, and we got a few boxes of loot for our trouble. Boxes full of food and leather, we could do quite a bit with that. The Chief was pleased, was even happier that Hob listened to me.
He did tell me, privately, that he thought Hob was going to challenge me, that I should prove to him that I was the raid leader. He wanted to me to know, so I wouldn't be caught off guard when he did. He told me that if Hob challenged me and lost, he would be treated harshly. The Chief was a traditionalist when it came to our customs. That if we wanted to bring each other down, they'd better be able to prove it. I was nervous, but confident, let Hob challenge me.
Ghet is teaching me to fight better with my knife. I've landed a few cuts on him, and we help bandage each other up after each lesson. The High Priestess would be mad if we didn't, fussed over us like a dotting mother. I enjoy my time with him like this. He even drags Hob and Til into the lessons when they are around. I keep telling them that it'll be good for them as we can all get better at using our weapons. Ghet insists that we always use sharp edges, says a healthy dose of fear adds to the "getting good" process. You know, I've never realized it, but Ghet is getting a tad old.
He's never told me how old he is. He gets winded easier than the other boys, complains of his wrists aching. He is a little slower too, though he makes up for this in patients. He likes to block, faint, and draw you in to open your guard. He makes good use of the few strikes he can get in. Keeps telling me, its easier to use your opponents force against them, you don't have to work as hard then. He has made his point plenty of times, all the boys have a hard time against him, despite his age.
I think Ghet is warming up to me though, the rest of the Clan seems to be happy with the way I am running the raid crew. I just wonder how much longer Ghet would be able to keep up, he was in his what, forties now, maybe? Old as far as our warriors go. He had been with three previous raider leaders before. He never told me much, other than the way I was doing things was keeping him alive. He let loose once that his pervious leader sent the whole crew off on a suicide mission, and he was the only one who made it back, bleeding and three quarters dead. I'd have to ask the High Priestess about it later, she was older than all of us.
The sun was hot, right in the middle of the Season of Heat. Perfect for catching travelers when they were resting under the shade of the trees. We spotted a few up on the hills on the side of the road. Started making our way over to them. Slowly, keeping the spears low, footsteps quiet. The only thing anyone could hear was the wind through the leaves of the tree the travelers were sitting under. We snuck up on them, surprised them. They were all in scaled armor, still seemed shiny, like they never got to use it for what it was for. Time to change that.
Twelve spears pointed at them, we were in a big circle around their camp. The hold up went flawlessly. We were almost finished getting what we could from them, when one of them whipped out a saber and slashed at me. I parried it away with the haft of the spear, and swept the humans legs out. He swung at my thigh as he fell and managed to get me pretty good. Blood starting to flow down my leg. I heard myself hiss from the sharp burn of the cut. I whipped the flat of the spear tip at his head and put him down. I kicked the saber away from him, and ripped part of his shirt off and used it as a bandage on my leg. I told the rest of the humans to give us what we asked for and they'd be free to leave. They dropped their weapons and a bag of food and took off. They left the unconscious guy behind.
I suppose they weren't particularly bothered to potentially leave their friend to die. Though these humans were always strange to me. Some were steadfast and resolute with us, some were outright cowards like these were. Personally I preferred the cowards, they left my boys with a better chance of getting home.
My leg was starting to shake, damn, Ill tell you it stung, but that didn't really seem to do it justice somehow. Sharp sword, I think I will try and keep it. Hob came up to me just as the rest had grabbed what the travelers had dropped, and pushed me. "What was that?" He yelled at me, "He tried to kill you and you leave him alive?! Make an example of this human about what happens to them when they attack the Clan!" Well he certainly seemed to think this was going to help.
"What would be the point, I eliminated him as a threat. What would be the good in killing him, other than to piss off the humans in the city?" I told him. "I have told you several dozen times at this point why we shouldn't kill everyone we come across."
"Why are you so soft? Why do you show such mercy? Why are you too weak to give hard judgement?!" Hob yelled back. He gripped his spear hard enough that his knuckles were turning pale, he also couldn't stop clenching his jaw. Looked like he was trying to chew something resilient.
"You mean how your father was! Hob, your father did things that way, and got himself killed by the humans. Ghet's father did that. Til's father did that. My mother did that. And you know? They all died because of their ways. The human hunted them down, and slaughtered them!" I shoved him back, he was getting too in my face. His eyes were already getting bloodshot. "Why can't you ever just think about what is best for the Clan instead of trying to prove yourself in foolish ways?"
Hob swung his spear at me in a wide arc aiming at my already cut leg. I jumped painfully back, landed hard and went to a knee. He didn't let up and lunged at me. I dodged by leaning back and felt the spear tip graze my chest. I slapped the tip away from me and grabbed the shaft and pulled.
His eyes grew wide and struggled to regain control of the spear. I twisted it so that he had to over compensate. Hob fell off balance and stumbled a few paces forward, I sucker punched him under the chin from my position. I ran my hands up to where he held the haft, and twisted, I threw his spear away, as he had let go of it. I drew my knife and got painfully to my feet, kicked at his knee. He grunted as I connected and backed away. I pushed forward and slashed at his arm. "You want me to pass harsh judgement huh?!" I screamed at him. "How dare you try and degrade my leadership. How dare you try and degrade me! Who are you Hob, we shouldn't be fighting, but here you are wanting to be foolish again!" Some of the boys looked away. It was not done to try and bring someone from the Clan down.
I punched him square in the jaw with my knife hand as he gasped from the pain in his arm. I think I knocked a tooth loose. "You want me to make an example of someone?! Fine lets start with you."
The rest of the raiding party fanned out to watch the fight. Hob recovered from my punch before I could back my face away, and back handed me, that half blinded me from the force of the strike. Stars popped in my vision as I saw him get back in stance and draw his knife. He breathed out and rushed forward, swiped at my forearm, I adjusted slightly and caught his knife flat with the back of my arm. I grabbed his hand and pushed out, slashed the inside of his wrist, he started bleeding heavy. He swung forward and elbowed me in chest.
He knocked me back, I knew he was stronger than the others but enough to actually slide me back from a hit? I still had stars popping in my eyes, tried to shake my head to force them away, and lunged forward. I ducked down as he threw another punch and slashed his leg on the crouch down. He yelped and grabbed my hand and twisted the knife out of my hand. "You shouldn't be a leader, you are too weak to! You leave potential enemies leave the battlefield. The fewer humans there are, the less threat they are to us! You kindness leaves weapons in the hands of those who want to kill us!" He barked at me. "You sit there and preach at us all the time about that nonsense. The Clan is safer with less humans, not your kindness to them!"
I slackened and became a dead weight in his grip, I pulled him down with me, he wasn't expecting it. He hit the ground with a huff, I grabbed his knife and an disarmed him. I got back to my feet first, and put him in a Nelson and put pressure against his shoulder. "You know" I shook my head to try and clear it again "I leave enemies on the battlefield, because it's safer." I felt him squirm from under me, he turned his face to look at me.
"How is leaving them alive better, safer." He spoke with a mouth half full of dirt. A tinge of hate in his eyes.
"We are hunted because we rob, steal and murder. You never want to go on scouting runs with me." I looked at the rest of raiders around me "None of you do! You don't know the way the humans in the City talk about us. You know what, the stealing, the hold ups isn't what they are talking about. There are bandits on every road, they talk about how all the time, its the killing. That THEIR boys never make it home!" I screamed at them. Several of them looked away.
Hob pushed himself up, and broke my Nelson on him. He knocked me to the ground and grabbed me by my shirt. He didn't really care that he was exposing quite a bit of me to everyone by doing so, only making the slash in my vest worse. "What is your point" he spat. "So we kill them, my point stands. The few fighters they have the better."
I felt my face get hot, and I kicked his legs out from under him and spat right back "Think about it dumbass" I fixed my vest, what little I could "what do they take us for, what do they retaliate about? What do they actually care about? That we kill their sons and daughters on our raids. They send the City Watch out when the killings get too numerous! The less killing we do, the less chance we have of the Watch showing up with better numbers, better gear, and better trained men."
He got to his feet quickly, and tried to tackle me. Turning a little, I pushed him away so that he was off balance again. His momentum kept him going forward. Before he turned back to me, I swiped his legs out from under him again. Apparently he just got dumber when he was mad "We aren't killing their fighters, we are killing merchants, travelers, and wayward souls. Their fighters are still in the City, just waiting to be commanded to fight. We aren't making them any weaker, just pissing them off" My voice was starting to get hoarse from this.
He got back up and swung at me one more time, We were right next to where I dumped his spear. I ducked under his punch and grabbed it. "Hob, how did your father die? He killed someone, and when the raiding crew attacked the Watch tracking them. They died. Your Da' died fighting a fight he couldn't win because he thought that same thing you do now" He swung at me and tried to grab my spear.
I pirouetted and used the momentum to swing the spear shaft at his head and connected. Hard enough to splinter the shaft and knock Hob out cold. His ears were bleeding from the force of the hit. "You know Hob, I spare them, I don't let you guys get into positions that you can be killed from. Why do you think I always tell you all to get behind them. Grab them from behind. Why do you think I want everyone using spears on the initial assault. It keeps you all out of reach, or not in a position they can stab you from!" Hob grunted on the ground. I fell to one knee and felt my head get dizzy. I bled through the makeshift bandage on my leg. There was a long pause, as my head started to clear again.
"I can't really believe he did that. The Chief is going to rip him apart for that." Ghet whispered as he got his wits back. I knew what he was talking about though, the Clan did not try to bring each other down. Well, at least that is what the High priestess always kept saying.
Ghet walked over and handed me a few bandages, a few others came over and helped me bandage my cheek and chest, I could feel my eye starting to swell. Ghet used a few needles he had in his bag to pin my vest back together. "What about Hob" Ghet asked me, he handed me a flask of water, I took a few gulps out of it. I thought for a moment, what were we going to do with him.
I grabbed the last few bandages from the others, hobbled over to Hob and began wrapping his leg where I slashed him. Ghet started bandaging his wrist, we turned him on his side so he could puke up the blood in his mouth. "We won't leave him here, I'm furious with him" I absently adjusted my shirt "But..." Ghet put his hand on my shoulder and hugged me.
"We didn't see much, I hope you know." He eyes my slashed vest for moment "Maybe you could leave that part for Hob's sake. He wasn't thinking" He whispered to me in his embrace. Maybe he was right, I relaxed a bit and broke the hug. I smiled at him, and he nodded.
After all said and done we headed back to the Clan. The High Priestess was furious, a few of the other clan women fussed about my swollen eye, I brushed them off. The commotion was enough at the entrance to the caves that the Chief came to see what was going on. The Clan parted for the Chief, a somber quiet coming over them. Hob was back on his feet, his blood soaked through this bandages and the Priestess was busy replacing them when he showed up. I remember he grabbed me by the back of the collar and dragged me over to Hob. He threw me next to him.
"What. Happened. How many did we lose?" He asked voice full of anger and solemn acceptance. His fists were shaking, and his ears were twitching.
Me and Hob both started talking at once, and the Priestess told us both to quite down. "Ilgor, sweet heart, tell us what happened." So I did. The fight, the argument. Hobs misguided ideology, all of it. The Chief was growing angrier as the words came out of my mouth. The Priestess looked agitated, and tired. I continued and told them we at least didn't leave without getting some loot. But, the Chief ignored my addition.
"Hob" The chief spoke softly, dangerously. His eyes were bloodshot now, then he grabbed Hob by the neck and lifted him off his feet. "You challenged Ilgor, Lost. You couldn't prove you were a better leader in front of the crew no less! You are weak, Hob. I am disappointed. No one brings down the others without due cause. You couldn't prove you were a competent enough fighter than her, and you didn't convince me or any of your crew with your anger. Why did you not go through me first? Why did you challenge Ilgor without my approval? Why did you disobey me? How dare you disrespect one of the women of the Clan, I see that vest. I don't care how the fight went, you should be ashamed Hob! You are insubordinate, hot headed and ill fit to lead..." He pointed at me, and his faced softened a little. "You did well, Bhal be praised"
He turned his face back to Hob who was squirming in his iron grip, and then just threw him against the rock wall of the bluff. He was out cold again. His blood soaking the ground beneath him, the Priestess rushed over to him and began treating his cuts again. She looked up at the Chief, anger in her eyes. Words would be had between Mother and Father today, they would never let us hear this though, we all knew though. It seemed unfair to me, to see the Chief do the same thing to Hob, as he tried with me.
You know, I understand were Hob is coming from. I get it, I felt that way too, until I started eavesdropping on the humans. I knew we had to change something. I thought that maybe this way of gaining resources would have better chances at keeping the clan alive. The Chief walked over to me and handed me the saber the human slashed my leg with. It was as tall as I was, and weighted as much as two of our spears. "Take it Ilgor. You have earned your right as raid leader, take this as a symbol of my confidence in you." He walked away, and the Priestess dragged Hob into the cave.
The saber was beautiful, now that I got to look at it more. The little cup part of it was carved steel. Full of vines and leaves with a tree and sun motif in it's corner. The blade itself looked like it had little waves in the metal, it was sturdy. I would really have to build my strength to wield it with any competence though. I'd keep it in the cave next to my bedroll until then. I didn't want to bring it on raids.
***
The travelers returned to where they were attacked by the goblins. They wanted to try and see if their friend was still alive. They found him, weaponless, and he didn't have boots, but very much alive. "What happened Ricco?" The man said to him climbing the last few steps up the hill.
"I was out for a while, but I woke up to something weird. The goblins just left me alone, well clearly not totally alone. I woke up to two of them fighting. It was insane, They looked like they were arguing. Couldn't understand a damn thing though. Sounded like crows cawing at each other. But, they just ignored me. That fight though, I think we ought to tell the City they are a bit more skilled than they look. Their leader, the one who was doing all the talking, I guess it was female..." Ricco trailed off,
"Its okay, we can go, they look like they're gone, lets get back to City." The other man said, extending his hand to Ricco.
"I don't know, their fight seemed like it was something bigger, y'know? I don't know how to explain it. It just felt like I watched something important. Besides those little vermin apparently have some sympathy in them. They started bandaging each other up after the fight was over, helped the beaten guy back up and they all walked off together." Ricco continued, his eyes distant. Ricco watched the wind blow across the grassy field, and rustle the leaves in the tree.
"You think this information would be worth something?" The man asked, seemed that Ricco had seen something after all he thought.
"Maybe, but, I don't know.", Ricco murmured.
"Who won?" The man asked Ricco.
"The girl, I mean the one who was doing all the talking. Seemed like they were all surprised about it. Thought, I don't know, maybe they were surprised at something else. The rest of them just seemed shocked in general. Just wish I knew what they were talking about."
The man laughed and said "You have all the luck, you get your ass beat from that clumsy swing, you live to tell the tale, and you get to see the goblins not be monsters. Come on, lets go have a few at Gables. Might be worth something there." Still laughing the man pull Ricco up by the arm, and they walked away toward the City.
***
I woke back up some time later. The sun had set, the last rays of light making their way into the cave, as the night time fires were just being lit. The wind made it's way into our home, pushing the smoke our through the holes in the cave. I pushed myself up off the bedroll and turned my head and saw that Ilgor was sitting besides me. Not looking at me, but clearly heard me wake up. There was uncomfortably long pause, then she sighed, like she had been here for a while.
"Why would I leave you alive, why did I leave a potential enemy on the battlefield, Hob?" Her voice was low and soft. "You are the same thing, a potential enemy now, will you follow me, or stand in my way? I don't know." She put her hand on mine, I flinched a little at it. "I hope you understand my point, I hope you wont resent me." She had a serious face, like she was trying to see into me.
I looked away, and grunted. But, didn't push her hand off mine. There was another long uncomfortable pause as she never stopped staring at me. She chuckled in that sing song way of hers "You wanted an example" She got up and left the cave, her long braid swinging as she walked. Maybe she had a point. Maybe she really did have a point.
