War

Hey all,
I'm so HAPPY!!! ppl really like this story, so continue it I shall. Thank you to everyone who rated and reviewed my work. I appreciate every word you all put into them. last chapter was short, so I included my chapter four. Five was short again so I threw six in there too. So again this is a twofer. I'll do this any time a chapter is too short for my liking. I don't think you'll complain >.O The story will pick up a little more after this chapter, you'll see why at the end. And tags will start being added too, I'll warn you all now it'll be more of a UST than anything else. I plan to draw this story out a little.


On a different note I wanted to share something with you all. At the URL listed below you'll find my myspace page. I'm not croaning for friends or anything, I just want you to look at it. There you'll find the picture on my background that inspired this story, and the song that I feel fits it so beautifully.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=41087579

It fits it pretty beautifully. Anyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy!




5
"Sir, the soldiers are being fed, would you like your meal now as well?"

Azel looked to his comrade from his small desk. The room had been only recently assembled, and it was all they could supply him with. He went back to his maps and letters, waving away the young man.

"I'll eat later."

He nodded but held his ground. Azel looked to him again, agitation clear on his face.

"Is there something else that binds you to my door?"

The man nodded and shifted uneasily under his strong gaze.

"I was told to inform you that Lord Ulrich has returned from his stead with Lord Edward, he wishes to speak to you as soon as you are available sir."

Azel was most displeased now and cleared the top of his desk quickly. The man knew he wasn't at fault for the delay of his message, Azel knew that too but it did no good to lessen his tension.

"Fetch him then, and apologize deeply to him for his wait."

The soldier left him then, closing his door softly behind him. Azel straightened himself and tidied his small space until a knock reached his door.

"Come in my Lord, I'm sorry for your wait."

A tall, lavishly dressed man entered the room and greeted Azel warmly.

"It's no trouble at all, it seems you've taken great care of my men while I was away."

Azel nodded to him and smiled, offering him a seat and then taking his own.

"I've done my best my Lord, I'm glad everything is to your liking."

Ulrich smiled and looked about himself. His gray hair was cut very short but his face told none of his age.

"I actually have another favor to ask of you Azel."

The wolfish man looked to him suspiciously but didn't answer. Ulrich continued as if he didn't notice his stare.

"I have a small band to the south that needs good men to help organize itself. I've appointed a Lord to them already but he requires a handful of second commanders and advisors."

He looked to Azel to gage his response but he reviled no inner emotions. The man continued.

"I would be honored if you would go to him and help Lord Tiron lead this band of men. It would do both of you a great deal of good."

Azel stared at the man warily. He didn't especially like being first in command while Ulrich was away, too much reliance on the men around him. He much better liked being on the ground and in the dirt with the rest rather than hiding on a horse away from battle. But he knew he couldn’t refuse Ulrich either, to do so would be a great dishonor to him.

"I would be pleased to do that for you my Lord."

Ulrich allowed a large smile to split his face as he leaned forward to clap a hand on Azel's shoulder. He endured the man's kindness but not with any special joy.

"Splendid my boy, splendid. Take all that you would like with you, I put no limit on you for your trip. But I must insist that you depart within three days from now, the matter to the south is urgent, I wouldn't delay if I were you."

Azel nodded and forced a smile to his face as he ushered the man out.

"I will depart as soon as I can my Lord."

Ulrich smiled as he went, nodding his approval of the arrangement.

"Very good then, very good."

*****

Catherine woke to a small tapping at her door; very unlike any soldier she had encountered that day. She dared a look to her window and found it to be near dusk. She sighed, she wouldn't be sleeping very well that evening. The tapping continued until she went to her door and cracked it the smallest bit. She found the face of another young girl staring back at her, smile on her lips.

"Cat, oh my Cat I'm so happy to see you!"

Catherine opened her door a little wider and realized Tara was staring back at her.

"Oh my, I can't believe it! I thought you were dead. My mother told me what they did to your family, how did you escape?"

The girls face saddened a bit but she didn't cry. She was probably all cried out.

"I was like you, I wasn't at home when they searched our home and took my ma and pa away. Some of the girls upstairs told me they had seen you, that you were alive and right down the stairs. I have something to tell you, quick let me in before the soldiers come by."

Catherine opened her door to let her pass and quickly closed it behind them. Tara glided across the room and sat on her bed. The girl was a natural beauty; always so light on her feet it was amazing just to watch her move. Catherine suddenly felt her own flaws showing a little brighter with the girl being there.

"I wanted to tell you, I think it will help us keep from becoming slaves Cat." Catherine studied her strangely and sat next to her.

"Is that what they're keeping us for? I had my thoughts of that, but I wasn't entirely sure." Tara leaned in close to her, lowering her voice to a whisper as if others were around to hear.

"If the soldiers don't take us then we get to leave, they sell us off to slave traders. If that happens, we'll have a chance to get away should they get distracted on the road."

Catherine's eyes widened at her words. It was true; it was all beginning to sink in deep into her mind. Her life was over, she was to be dictated by men for the rest of her days until her usefulness was over and she was left to her own devises.

"There are a lot of soldiers around Tara, how are we supposed to avoid getting bought? I don't think it's possible." Tara danced away from her, a smug smile on her face.

"I spoke to one of the soldiers Cat, they seem to think girls with cut braids or short hair aren't maidens anymore. If we cut our hair-"

"They won't think we're maidens!" Catherine smiled and jumped up to hug her friend. It was very possible that she had just saved her.

"But Cat, don't tell everyone ok? If everyone cuts their hair they'll notice and things could get very bad for us here." Catherine nodded and hugged her friend.

"Leave it to me, I'll find something we can cut our hair with. I have to go back to my room now, they should be coming around soon to give us dinner."

Catherine nodded and hurried to the door. She let her friend out and closed it silently behind her, listening to her footfalls until she could hear no more. She rested her back against her door and pulled her long braid from over her shoulder, fingering the length of it gently. She didn't want to see it go, but if it meant having a chance of getting away from the soldiers and being free, she would do what she could to ensure her future.

"Out girls, line up, let's go!"

A pounding fist rang out on her door and she quickly turned to answer it. Wallace's face met hers and he moved on down the hall. Other girls were running out of their rooms as well. Soldiers placed them where they needed to be, to the right of their doors, backs to the wall, faces to the floor. Once everyone was where they needed to be Wallace allowed in five soldiers. They walked down the hall of girls, looking at this one and touching that one. One reached out to look at Catherine, her heart nearly stopped as he tried to force up her face. She coughed, a deep rattling cough and he left her be. Men didn't want sickly lovers. They each selected a girl; Catherine risked a glance up to see if any of the faces leaving were ones familiar to her. None were friends. She sighed as they left with their new prizes. They were allowed back into their rooms and Catherine did so cheerfully. It was a close call, had she not acted sick, it could have been her leaving the inn and entering the bed of a strange man.


*******
the next day....
*******


"Don't worry about mediocre provisions. I can hunt well enough for myself I don't need to be weighed down by food."

Azel waved away the hands lent to him by Ulrich, they were useless. They were set in their ways of loading provisions for a Lord and not a simple soldier. He only really needed his bow and sword, his tent supplies and sleeping blankets. He looked to the inn where the new slaves were being kept. Soldiers were pouring in and out of the building since the sun had rose. Maybe he could do with a new slave as well. He sighed, he wasn't interested in bedding her, he needed another pair of hands to watch his things and take care of his camp while he traveled. He grunted away the idea and decided to look for tent supplies. If he wanted another pair of hands he needed a young boy, but they had been taken with the older women by request of Wallace. He wouldn't second-guess that man; he was very good with the slave trade and had gotten a considerably good price for the sad bunch of women he had carted away. Azel was sure he would do the same for the left over girls.

"Sir, I brought the tent things like you asked."

A young soldier of barely seventeen summers handed him the large bundle, as Azel looked it over for flaws or missing items. He nodded and smiled to the youth. At least one boy wasn't totally useless to him. He darted away with Azel's approval, apparently caught up in another chore that day. Azel strapped his new supplies to his saddle that was resting on the stable door; it fit nicely to the back.

"Are you looking to buy a slave perhaps Azel?"

He looked over his shoulder to the voice and found Ulrich there, leaning on the stable doorframe. He disliked the man more and more but endured his presence each time he appeared.

"I am, I'd prefer to find a strong pair of hands though, I need someone around to take care of my supplies."

Ulrich walked to stand beside him as he worked, looking approvingly at his half ready saddlebags.

"A woman could do that, she could clean and cook for you as well. And don't forget the favors she could do for you in bed."

Azel didn’t smile at his joke, he didn't feel pity for slaves in the least, he simply disliked the sound of traveling with a woman. It opened up old wounds.

"Perhaps I'll buy one, and sell her when I can find a stronger pair of hands."

Ulrich pushed away from the stall and turned on his heal to leave.

"Perhaps."

Azel didn't like his tone of voice as he left him, but he let the thought boil a little deeper into his mind. It wasn't a bad idea, so long as he could get a matching price for the girl if he bought one. If he couldn't at least break even with her he felt no reason to buy one.

******

Catherine yawned as she lay on her bed. She had been up since that early morning, and had been constantly prodded into the hall every ten minutes or so. She ran her fingers coolly through her shoulder length hair and looked to the half of a braid resting under her pillow. Tara had cut it cleanly for her and she had cut her friends. She said she had found the scissors in her room but she doubted that to be true. The scissors were resting safely under her pillow along with her cut hair; she would dispose of it later that evening when the men had had their fill of slave buying. She was pleased that Tara's plan had worked so far; the most attention she had gotten was a look or a smile. None had touched her and none came close to considering her. Her possibility of being free was looking bright, so long as she could keep the men disinterested in her. Some of the other girls looked at her strangely when they met in the hall. They were curious of why she cut her hair, but she ignored their stares. She couldn't share her trick with them, or it would be as Tara had told her. She went to her window in the moment of peace she had and stared out onto the rebuilding town. It wasn't looking like a normal homestead any longer.

Trees surrounding the area were being cut and stripped of bark. Sharp points were formed on their ends and hundreds of shirtless men were digging holes in the ground around the town to build a wall. It was turning into a fortress. Meanwhile, large tents littered the ground where homes had once stood, but only officers could stead there. Soldiers tents were springing up around the outside of the growing wall, along with cook fires and makeshift stables for horses. Most of the women had gone out with the settling soldiers; few ran between the officer's tents. The roads within the town were now filled with soldiers and finely dressed officers and wagons galore filled with provisions. They continued to pour in from the moment the sun had reached the sky. She decided it was a second army, almost the same size as the first, which had been called to the safely captured town as a rest spot to group together. Boisterous cries drew Catherine's attention to the road, just before the inn.

******

Azel talked merrily with his equals, his friends that he hadn't gotten to enjoy for two weeks of work. Ulrich had dismissed him from further duties in his army and Azel took joy in putting his thin leathers back on. It was far more natural to him than the lavish armor of an officer. The bulkiness of it made it impossible to fight properly.

"Alright boys I'll give you all a little piece of knowledge I've gathered 'bout these girls."

They laughed, and Azel put a smile on his own face, which with his humor that was a laugh.

"The girls here have a trick. You've all heard that rumor about their braids right lads?"

Several nodded and elbowed their neighbor; Azel raised his eyebrow at the comment to allow him to continue.

"It's farce, all of it, they're doing it to keep from getting bought because they want to run from us good old boys."

Azel cracked a wide smile and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Did you learn that the hard way Douglas?"

Loud laughter erupted from the others as Douglas' face puffed up with anger.

"I did Azel, and I figured it would save you a silver or two."

He let out a small laugh along with the others as they walked inside. Wallace sat at the chair just at the foot of the stairs, several other men sat waiting. It seemed Wallace was tired of wasting his time with a handful and would only allow seeing of the girls when ten or more arrived. He looked up and stood before them, a smile on his face for greeting.

"Good to see you here Azel, I didn't expect you'd be interested in this harvest." He smiled and nodded his head in return.

"It seems Ulrich has plans for me to the south, I figured I would need some hands to keep my camp in the meantime."

Wallace motioned over the other men, who were considerably older than Azel and his group. They stood and stalked behind the youths, a little put off that they were in front.

"They can keep your bed warm too Azel." Laughter came from all of them now as Wallace led them up the stairs.

******

Catherine placed her ear to the floor of her room, her heart pounding in her chest. The one man looked very familiar to her but she wished it wasn't who she feared it was. Through the floor she could hear muffled voices, but nothing that could tell her if her suspicions were right. He looked different, without his officer's armor and mount. He looked more comfortable than before. Boots scraped up the steps and Catherine straightened herself, running her fingers through her short hair again. She hoped it would save her once more.

"Alright girls open up, come on out."

Catherine did as she was told as the others poured out of their rooms as well. Wallace turned to the men and recited off his routine as he had hundreds of times that day already.

"The girls here on this floor are special ones, they'll cost a little more, they've got the right tempers. The ones upstairs though, they need some breaking, and I've dropped their cost a little for you boys because of it. Whoever I don't sell here to this dear army is being carted off to the city to be sold. So pick now or forever hold your peace."

Wallace allowed the men past and more than half made their way down the hall, throwing glances this way and that. They wanted the cheaper girls apparently; she decided they weren't all that hard to break at the end of a man's fist. Catherine risked a glance up at the four men left in her stead. Her eyes met a cool gray gaze she had been afraid to meet. She slowly lowered her head again, her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't explain what frightened her so much about him, be it his cool gaze or the way those around him seemed to follow him, something about him terrified her. Boots appeared in her vision at the floor near her feet, she glanced to her right at Wallace, but he was greatly disinterested by her predicament.

"You cut your hair."

Catherine swallowed hard at the cool words only inches from her. He was standing very close in the small hall, seeing that another soldier was to his back talking to the girl across from her.

"Yes my Lord."

She swallowed hard in his presence. She could smell his strong masculine scent from his leathers he was standing so close to her. She pressed her back harder into the wood but it gave her no space.

"Look at me."

She slowly obeyed, lifting her head only slightly to meet his gaze. Without all his grandeur and rich clothing he looked so much younger, no more than five summers older than she. But his stare was still petrifying and still. On any other man they would give away his innermost secrets but his stare let nothing escape or betray him.

"I am no Lord, I'm not even an officer any longer. If you must give me title call me sir."

She lowered her gaze again, unable to hold his stare. The men from upstairs were coming to pass and he leaned in even closer to give them room in the small space, his hand on the wall just over her head.

"Can you clean and cook?" She nodded and answered quietly.

"Yes sir."

"Can you keep a camp and saddle my horse?" Her voice became a little stronger; she didn't know how to do those things. If she couldn't do them would she stay another day longer?

"I've never been away from home sir. I can't do those things." He sighed.

"Can you collect wood and start a fire?" She nodded.

"Can you tie bags onto a saddle and put a saddle on a horse?" She nodded again, her heart sinking a little at the truth.

"Then you can keep a camp and saddle my horse."

Movement from the corner of her eye drew her attention. Down the hall came one of the older soldiers, and held tightly in his fist was the thin wrist of Tara. Tears were streaming down her face as she realized Catherine was being taken too.

"Azel did you decide on her?" Wallace leaned impatiently in the hall as the older soldier passed, crying girl at hand. He nodded.

"I did, I'll be taking her along."


Ok tada! R&R plz, expect another update on Thurs or Friday! see you then! and remember to see my myspace ^^ bye bye now.