Winter's War

The guests shook off snow from their clothes as they entered the great hall. The violent winds of winter rushed into the heated hall and Odda ran to close the door. The Ealdorman stepped out from the backroom to great her five guests. Her long black hair draped over her fur cloak. Her blue eyes were as cold as ice and put the cold right back into Odda's bones.
"Welcome my friends." She said gesturing her arms outward. "I'm am all glad you made it safely. I know travel this time of year is risky but I assure you this is urgent. Please sit down, let's get some food and drink going." She began pulling out chairs and than turned her head sharply. "Mother!" she yelled. A thin redheaded woman came out from the back room. "Mother be a dear and get a meal for our guests."
Odda sat down and hugged himself to the table. He was nervous. The hall was warm and welcoming, and so was Circi, that's what worried him. The other lords joined him at the long table. The wood was finely carved. The legs were shaped to be long dragons, and where the leg met the foot of the table was a open dragon head, looking as if it was devouring the ball. The fire just in-between the table and the throne gave of a moody light, the flames shadow dance on the black dragon banners lining the walls. Circi walked past her throne and joined them at the head of the table now.
"I hope you all find my home comforting, now I don't believe all of you have met so let me introduce you all. The dashing man in armor is Sir Gwain, a Knight of the 13. Over there is Odda Wightclaw, the Wightclaw family has been loyal to my family for years now, they are a great ally. The man at the other side of the table is Landon Amos, a newly and self appointed lord."
"I am an Ealdorman thank you." Landon interrupted.
Circi smirked and chilled the room with a sharp look. "Yes of course." she smiled. "Then we have Tytos and John respectfully, leaders of our larger villages."
Tytos nodded his tiny wrinkled head. "We thank you my Lord, but forgive me, the road was harsh and brutal so I wish to get straight to business"
"Of course." Circi said bowing her head. "But to talk of war on an empty stomach is a terrible thing."
Odda smacked his hand on the table and choked on his own saliva. "War!? War with who exactly?"
The redheaded woman and a few other girls began to bring the feast to the table. A lamb and been slaughtered and cleaned just this morning for the occasion. Steaming bowls of soup joined the roasted lamb on the table along with six horns of mead. Circi smiled at the girls and grabbed her horn.
"That is why we are here. Only weeks ago Furtinshire troops advanced on, and attacked Barnwhich. I believe Tytos can elaborate." She threw back her hair and took down some mead.
Still chewing his cut of lamb Tytos nodded and struggled to choke down the rest of his bite. "Mhm, indeed. They came a fortnight ago. Infantry bearing silver boars on their shields marched down our streets and demanded our surrender. Of Course I said we would do no such thing, so they started grabbing hostages. When I demanded to know what was going on their commander slinked out from behind his men. It was none other than the Ealdorman's brother, Aden Eberson. He claimed he was bringing us to justice for an attempt on his sisters life. He believe that our Lady Circi had tried to assassinate the poor wench."
Sir Gwain had not eaten a morsel yet. "And did you milady?"
The Lady Lord scoffed. "Of course not. Why would I have any quarrel with the Ealdorman's sister, especially a big enough one that would embolden me to kill her?"
"You may not hate the sister, but killing her would weaken Furt's throne, and Kane Eberson."
"I have no thoughts or cares of Furt, not until now. The Ebersons have spread false rumor to justify the killing of our people!"
"We have never fought with them before, why would they want to spill our blood now?" Odda asked, his face in his horn.
"Simple." Circi stated twirling her fork. "As is the case with many things, it's about my father. They can not except that a woman has taken his place, they would have preferred my brother took the throne. Kane like most men believes I am not fit to lead, and that he is fit to say so."
Tytos kept on devouring his food, in-between face stuffings he managed, "Your brother would have preferred it as well eh?"
Circi paid no attention to the old man. "When I heard word of what happened in Barnwhich I sent my best men to liberate the town and put it back in my control, but my scouts inform me that Furtinshire's troops are mobilizing. There will be another attack, a larger one. War is coming."
"Do you believe they will siege Greenhaven?" Gwain asked
"No. They don't have the means to siege us in the midst of winter, they would never last. What they will do is continue to raze the outer villages as they did with Barnwhich. They will cut us off from our food and force us behind our walls. They will let us starve and freeze until there is no one to oppose them, but we will oppose them. As Lords of Greenshire you will raise the fyrds! Tytos and John, I need to send what grain you can here, we will need as much stored within the town as we can. Odda, call upon your men and send them to Barnwhich, Leefside, Farnworth and Aeston. You will need to defend the transports and the villages."
"At once my lady, but I worry about my people within my fort, I can not send everyone or my people could be at great risk."
"I would not ask you to abandon your people, they are my people as well. Only send what you can."
"I can send 200."
"Very well, see to it that you do."
Landon Amos coughed loudly and drew everyone's attention. "Why am I here my lady? Do you wish to requisition my grain and steel as well? May I remind you that you can't order me around like you can these lesser fools?"
"Why, of course not" Circi mocked. "I would never presume to give orders to the great farmer lord. You have illegally appropriated a fort and unfortunately for you it sits right in-between Furtinshire and Greenshire, you truly could not have chosen more poorly. You need to pick a side Amos. Should a war break out you are either with the Ebersons or with us. You are here, because I wanted to hear from you personally, that you are with us."
Landon's eyes grew wild like the fire pit, he crossed his arms, "How dare you! Do you think you can bully me into submission like some child!?"
Circi said nothing at first, she let the silence fill the hall and let everyone meditate on what had been said. The logs in the fire crackled and set sparks into the rafters. No one ate or drank and the servers sunk farther into the back of the hall. The redheaded woman's hands began shaking harder the longer Circi waited, she seemed mortally terrified.
"If, you join under my banner Amos, I might be convince to let you keep your fort and your title as a lord."
"But not as an Ealdorman isn't that right!?"
"You are not an Ealdorman nor were you ever. If I remember correctly, the King denied your request. I let you keep calling yourself a lord because I believed you might be useful, but if I was wrong I will do what you should have done and burn that rat's nest to the ground."
"HA! I'll give you credit little girl, you are a bold bitch! You can march on me if you wish, you will never break through my walls. I will turn the snow red with your blood!"
Circi stood up from the table and a gust of wind ran through the room, putting out the fire and all the candles. Pitch black darkness filled the room, no one could see their own hand infront of their face. Once more she was silent. The wind howled and pushed on the walls, creaking back and forth. Coldness slithered back into the hall. After a few minuets the candles re-lit themselves and the fire pit burst back to life. Circi stood tall above the table. "I have always loved red." she said "Gwain if you would see "Lord" Amos out that would be lovely."
Gwain got up and grabbed Landon by the arm and begun to drag him away. Landon tried to wriggle free by the Knight's grip was to tight. "I hope they murder you all!" Landon blurted out. "It's what you deserve Kinslayer!" Gwain gave him a swift shove into the snow outside and closed the door. ****************************************************************************************************************************************** As the last guest left Gwain stood behind Circi's chair. He put his head down to her ear. "What will you do now?" he asked
"The call has been sent out. All I can do is wait. Until Kane makes a move I can't do a thing, it would be to great a risk. What about you?"
Gwain stood straight and ran his hand through Circi's hair. "I'll go back to Xares. I'll inform the King that nothing of consequence has happened on my latest trip to Greenhaven. I will buy you time."
"He suspects nothing then?" She asked leaning back and staring up into Gwain's green eyes.
"Of course not, neither do the thirteen, but I can only buy you so much time."
"I know" she said softly.
Gwain kissed her forehead and sighed. "I need to go now, I need to give the King my report before he hears something from someone else."
"No" she said softly still, "You can go in the morning. Surely one night won't through you off track?"
"Everything gets thrown off track when I am around you."
Circi got up and grabbed Gwain by the waist gently. She looked up at him, "The night is cold and full of monsters. Stay with me, just one night longer."
The Knight's shoulders dropped and he melted like snow in the summer. "Of course." he said quietly, hugging Circi closely.