Chapter 181 Peace and Bread
On a high hill, in the fields north of the city.
Captain Rodrigo sat atop Cobalt Storm holding a spear with a flag of peace. Both wore bandages over various wounds. Nine other unicorns and Blue Knights accompanied them. Nearby stood six large wagons, pulled by horses and attended by servants.
From the north, a group of twenty mounted soldiers approached. A captain carried a spear bearing a red flag. They halted in two rows, facing the Unicorns.
The Captain in blue: I am Rodrigo, representative of Queen Olivia. We are under a flag of peace. We offer no danger.
The Captain in red: I am Berto, Commander of the Royal Army. We will commit no acts of war here.
Rodrigo: Very well. Aurelio is dead. All the standard-bearing captains are dead or missing. Your finest knights are dead or gravely wounded. This morning, servants carried many sacks of nails and stones to the nest where nine Pegasi and their riders are located. We have sixty Unicorns with knights, and twelve without them. We have almost forty companies ready to fight. But Queen Olivia does not wish for further death. You are her people as well.
The young captain could not speak. The expression on the scared face showed that he was not lying. He knew that the army under his command numbered fewer than thirty-six companies, and many of them were wounded, exhausted, and starving.
The Captain of the Unicorns: In these wagons, there are eight hundred loaves of bread. There are also ten barrels of beer. The loaves could be shared among four or five men. The beer will be enough for a good mug for every man, possibly a mug and a half. These are a gift from the queen to her people.
He signaled to the servants. They moved the carts alongside the soldiers dressed in red. Then, they returned to the Unicorns, and each of the six of them mounted behind a Blue Knight.
Rodrigo: Her majesty presents these terms of surrenser. By order of the Queen, any man who surrenders his weapons and armor may enter the city and will receive five copper coins. Thereafter, he shall be free. No man will be asked to continue to serve as a soldier. Should the kingdom be threatened, she will summon her veterans only if necessary. The city is your home. Please. eat, drink and think.
The man whistled, and the ten Unicorns turned and trotted slowly toward the city.
The captains approached and inspected two carts and looked at the barrels of beer and many loaves of bread wrapped in cloth. Some of them dismounted and drove the wagons to the army camp. The men ate freshly baked bread and drank beer from the city where they had been born.
The gate of the king.
The first group arrived with their red tabards on their lances. They halted and placed their weapons on the ground, beside the royal road. They stripped off their armor down to their simple clothing. They walked forward and formed a line to enter the city. Under the gaze of guards and soldiers, they entered and were pointed toward some militiamen carrying bags.
A young soldier approached one of the dozens of men. The militiaman offered five small copper coins: Do you have a place to sleep?
The Soldier: Yes, I think so. I have a sister in the neighborhood of bakers. I think she will let me stay.
Militiaman: Fine. Walk in that direction. There are carts over there. When they have a cart full of men bound for a specific neighborhood, they will make a journey through the streets. They will get you much closer to her house. I hope she is still there.
The soldier did as he had been ordered. The wagon filled up quickly with tired men. They traveled along the main roads, and the men jumped off when they were near their families or their neighborhoods.
The man had sustained injuries in both battles. Now he had only three fingers on his left hand, and for the rest of his life, he would bear a large scar on his shoulder caused by an axe. But he was still alive.
He walked slowly until he reached the door of a small house in the night. In his mind, he was afraid to knock on the door. He had been in the army for two years and had not seen his sister during that time. Finally, he knocked gently on the door. A nervous voice spoke from within.
A woman: Who is it?
The voice sounded familiar. The man spoke his name weakly. Almost immediately, he heard a bolt slide in the wooden door. The woman was three years older than her brother. She held a candle up to his face. She then sat it down and embraced him. Soon, she led him inside the simple house. While he was sitting in a small chair beside a small table, she collected a few things from her larder.
The sister: I am so glad to see you. I was very frightened for you. They say that many men died in the war. I am sorry: the bread is a little hard, and I only have a little dried meat. But tomorrow I will be able to buy fresh food and perhaps a bottle of cider to celebrate your return. There are rumors that the queen ordered bread to be given to everyone to celebrate peace.
The man looked at the food on the clay plate. Then he looked into the eyes of his sister and saw only joy and love.
After two years of blood, slaughter, and death, one person still loved him. The soldier began to weep, and he wept for a long time.
The royal army of King Aloisio and of the traitor Aurelio vanished during the night. What remained were thousands of men like him. The war of seccession ended in an act of kindness.