16. Newcomers in Spades
He drops down from the largest horse I have ever seen in my life, also clad in heavy armor. But tunneling my ability with him he doesn’t seem bothered by the weight and was in fact proud of it.
“Azure, I presume?” He asks in a thick British accent.
I could only nod my head in answer, a little intimidated by his presence. I wasn’t scared of him, no, but his aura was so bright that I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things or not. He seemed like a really happy soul.
I kindly bow to him as was custom in our culture only for him to turn a bit pink. “No need my friend, I’m just a soldier to his majesty. We face the same dilemma as this country. These beasts are getting out of hand and seem to be getting more and more intelligent by the day.”
I frown at that statement. Why wouldn’t they already be? They were humans after all. Humans that had been changed. And unlike the first village where no one survived, other than the two children, every village after there were people missing.
People, we soon discovered, that had been turned against their will was now faced with a cursed life. But I don’t voice out my question because it suddenly dawns on me that not once in our interaction has he faltered or been curious about my odd appearance.
The men behind him were a different story, they kept staring with unashamed curiosity. I was used to it that it actually didn’t bother me at all. It was later that evening that I got my answer on why he wasn’t surprised.
“She kept coming into my dreams, never spoke a word to me, just stared at me with these bold determined eyes that I didn’t need for her to speak. She kept popping an image into my mind’s eye.” He looks right at me and whispers, “You.”
I blink at him in shock.
Me? The woman was showing him my face? But why?
“I knew she wanted my help. And you were the person I needed to assist. I think perhaps maybe she didn’t want me to be frightened or shocked by these purple orbs of yours because every night until now I dreamed of those very eyes. Eyes that were kind and gentle.”
He smiles at me then and I understood. She had made sure a bond of trust could be built between us. Even though she never did the same for me. Pierre had plenty of questions for the young man. I think he was happy that another foreigner had joined the group.
When I awoke the next morning there was a commotion near the gates, people were talking and whispering as they stared ahead of them looking on with curiousness and wariness. I frown when I start walking to the gate hearing Taewon’s rising tone.
Pierre and Lucian not far behind me.
“What’s the matter?” I ask with caution.
Taewon swings his angry gaze at me.
“More of those damn foreigners are here.” He spats.
My frown deepens. I don’t bother answering him or acknowledging his anger. It was biased anyways, like most of them were. He never warmed up to Pierre and his group and now there was Lucian among us. To him, we could handle this situation alone, but to me the woman was bringing them to me for a reason. I wasn’t going to send them away.
I walk up to the gate only for my eyes to widen in surprise. Just when I thought Lucian’s troops were a large one, they were nothing compared to this. There were at least three times as many soldiers than ours combined. They stood there so still, their eyes straight forward not blinking or looking in any other direction.
But the most intimidating of them all was the woman that sat atop a very large beast of some sort. A beast I have only seen in drawings. It’s snout was as big as my head and its thick brown coat would drive even the coldest of winters away. The large horns looked sharp and impenetrable than any armor made by man. It stood well above my frame and its eyes pierced through my soul.
It loudly snorts making more than a few men jump.
To think that anyone could tame a beast like this one was a miracle. I finally stare up at the woman who seemed quite comfortable and trusting on the mammal. She wore even stranger garb than the English man. Instead of metal plates, she wore thick leather hide and fur, leaving her legs and arms bare. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that had small braids interwoven decorated with colored cloth and thin strips of leather.
Her skin was a bit darker than my own. But it was her eyes that pulled me in. They were bright like fresh honey with a splash of bright yellow.
And then she speaks a language I have never heard of before.
I just stand there and blink at her, not understanding a word she was saying. When she notices this, she huffs in annoyance. Looking around her with questioning eyes.
“Hm.” She grunts in wonder.
Leaning forward she pets the monstrosity that she was on and speaks lowly to it. The animal grunts and shakes its head a bit, flopping its ears, shaking its fur. It then looks me dead in the eye and I can hear its voice, his voice.
And then I understood.
I walk up to him and gently place my hand on his snout, causing slight panic around me as the men just behind fears for my safety. I may not be liked, but I was still their King’s heir. Their future king.
It was like a channel through him to her. Because she also places her hand on top of his head and stares intently at me.
“Hello, Azure, my name is Rudina.”