HBWnovel Chapter 43: The Calm After the Storm
Chapter 43: The Calm After the Storm
Chapter 43: The Calm After the Storm
The first evening on the farm, we were all tense. Every once in a while, a roil of thunder reached your ears if you were outside. Powerful magics were being unleashed a few miles away. It seemed they were coming from the city, but it could have been in the skies above.
The twins made dinner while our mothers comforted Freya and Gwen. Gareth, Aelyn, and I were on the lookout and moving items to the farmhouse. The food wasn’t bad. It was simple rice with diced beef and some vegetables cooked in butter. I complimented the twins on their efforts, and they jokingly said it was their payment for losing their bet to me. Gareth’s ears were sharp, and he was eavesdropping on our conversation.
I said, “I don’t know, ladies. A simple dinner like this? If I had lost, I am sure you would have required something spectacular of me, and there would have been dessert.” They giggled, and Gareth was eyeing me for an explanation that I was not going to give.
Mera said in good humor, “Fine, Storme! You will get our special meal and a dessert after the meal.” I wasn’t sure if the dessert was innuendo, but either way, I was happy Gareth was in the dark. Sometimes it was fun to tease your friends. Aelyn was outside on watch, so she didn’t hear the exchange.
Aelyn had sharper eyesight than Gareth and I due to her half-elven heritage. Therefore she volunteered to take double shifts overnight, watching for danger. We all huddled in the cellar with Aelyn at the door on watch, waiting.
With morning the sounds of combat lessened, and I went to relieve Aelyn. She said, “I saw a number of skyships during the night. I am not familiar with the silhouettes, but there appears to be intense combat around the island.”
“Thank you, Aelyn, for watching through the night. Let me show you the two standard silhouettes for the Skyholme navy.” I made a small hand-sized model of a Harbinger out of copper and handed it to her. I then made a model of the Wasp-class ship and handed her that bronze model.
“These are good. You could sell them...but I guess you don’t need the money.” Aelyn said as she rotated the figures in her hands. A distant explosion in the direction of the city let us know the conflict had not yet concluded.
“The Wasp is the scout of the navy. Not many were built, according to Sebastian, but you may see some. The Harbinger is the most populous ship in our navy.” I was switching my sight from the different approaches to the farmhouse as Aelyn lingered. When she didn’t leave, I asked, “Is there something else? You should really get some sleep.” Aelyn hesitated before heading below. Gareth’s mother and the twins brought up food to cook, and I resumed my watch.
Mera brought me a bacon and cheese sandwich and sat next to me, “So this is where you and Gareth have been training. We heard rumors when we visited Hen’s Hollow,” she smiled and handed me a cup of red juice. “So are you going to the Annuals with Gareth?” she asked.
The Annuals, I thought. That was the big combat tournament held in Skyholme every year. There were three categories, pre-academy, academy, and post-academy. I somehow doubted they would happen with a war going on. “I don’t think so. Fighting is Gareth’s thing. I am not sure they will be held with the Sadians stopping in for a visit either,” I added.
“Oh, Storme! That is funny! I don’t think the Sadians will stay here long, though. We read our histories, and the fighting usually lasts just a few days before they retreat.” She spoke optimistically. “What about Aelyn? She is really pretty, and you don’t treat her like an indentured. Are you two a couple?” That was a direct question.
Mera was studying me, waiting for an answer. “No, she is just a friend. I will help her remove the mark, and most likely, she will move on.” A big white smile lined her face at my statement. Did this girl have designs on me? She was pretty enough in a tomboy sort of way. And her best asset was her constant smile and optimism. I added, “I am working on developing my magic, so I have not given much thought to dating and the like. Once I have advanced far enough, I will reconsider.” Hopefully, that would let her down easily.
“Mother says most people who get married meet in the first-year academy,” she replied, still smiling. Well, that was going to be a very small pool, 12 to 14 of us living in the old barracks. Fera came over and handed me another sandwich. I nibbled on it, not really hungry.
Fera gave an update on Monty. He was up and about below and drooling at all the hanging meat. His attempts to get some were keeping Freya and Gwen occupied. I told her she could let them know to give him some. He had gotten a lot of healing and was probably extremely hungry. Fera and Mera looked at each other and asked, “Can someone go and check on our grandparents at our farm? We are worried about them.”
I just held my sister and told her it would take at least six ogres to take her brother down.
It was two more days before Callem returned to the farmhouse. We hadn’t seen many skyships over the two days and thought the attack had been repelled, but I still kept everyone at the farm. Gareth had made progress on seducing both Mera and Fera. They talked quite a bit during meals. My focus on studying my spell had dropped me temporarly from the equation. Freya and Gwen were recovering from their PTSD. Monty was back to his old self as well but eating twice as much, a reward for his heroism.
I rushed to Callem as he approached the farmhouse. “Callem, is everything alright? Is it over?”
“Inside Storme. I will fill everyone in, but inside.” He walked inside his home and looked around the room, taking everyone in, and nodded as if confirming something. There was electricity in the air now that Callem was here. He had this presence to him. It made you feel safe.
A lot of idle chatter was deflected by Callem as we all settled in the living room to hear the news. Callem started, “Gareth, your father is safe, as are Caleb and Pascal. Pascal was injured but is doing fine.” He looked a the twins, “I am sorry, but your farm was attacked, and your grandparents didn’t make it. The rest of your family is well, though. The girls were in shock, and Fera was next to me, so I put my arm around her and hugged the shocked girl. It wasn’t long before she was crying, and Mera joined the therapeutic expulsion of emotion through tears.
Everyone in the house consoled the twins, and eventually, our mothers shepherded them to Callem’s guest bedroom to sleep it off. With the twins resting from the pain of loss, Callem resumed his news. “It was an extensive attack. I talked with Sebastian through stones, and they attacked three of the islands. It was the Sadians, beastkin, and a slew of mercenaries. The past is coming back to haunt the Triumvirate.” Callem paused and looked at the two young girls, Freya and Gwen, in his midst. He seemed to change his approach to what he planned to say.
“For many centuries, the Skyholme people raided the lesser beastkin tribes in the lowlands. Against our powerful ships, they could do little to resist. We took what we wanted from them, including their young woman. These women were used to create the Wolfsguard. It appears the tribes have now united under a single leader and formed a pact with the Sadians. The Sadians built the tribes their own skyships in return for helping attack Skyholme, which I assume they were more than happy to do.” Callem paused and went and got a drink from the counter.
“Sebastian told me in confidence,” he looked at all of us one at a time, “that we lost half our skyships in the assault.” We all took a deep breath. That was a lot of ships and crew. “It is bad, but we took at least two of their ships for everyone we lost. Both sides had massive losses. Cilia and Leda are being called to return to the naval academy. The Triumvirate has issued a conscription order. Somehow my own age fell out of the range!” He chuckled darkly.
“The city of Solaris was only attacked with mercenaries, just to distract the navy from the real heavy assaults. It worked. Many people in the other cities were killed. The only good news is Sebastian doesn’t think the Sadians are in any position to push their advantage. It should be years before they have enough ships to stage another assault.” Callem looked at Storm and me.
“There will be a declaration shortly. They are asking those willing to enter the first-year academy early and join the city guard or navy to bolster the defense forces of Skyholme.” I was almost 13 and would have entered the academy in the next year. I knew Gareth was going to volunteer. He was already bouncing in his seat from excitement. If I joined him, then I would be going to the first-year academy with my brother and his friends.
Callem looked at our mothers, “I had been planning to take over the first-year academy next year when these two entered, but I think it won’t be hard to push my plans a year early, especially since instructors will be sorely needed. If you allow it, I will do everything I can to prepare your sons.”
Gareth looked at his mother like a puppy. We technically needed to reach our age of maturity in order to enter the academy. If we went earlier, then our parents would need to approve unless the Trivumerate passed a law to change that. At this point, that wouldn’t surprise me.
My own mother was focused on me and caught my gaze. She spoke, “Storme will enter under your care, Master Callem. My husband has a lot of faith in you, and you have already transformed him into an exceptional person of character in the short time he has been out here.” This was all Gareth’s mother needed to acquiesce as well. So it looked like we were going to the academy, which started in just a few weeks.
The conversation devolved after that as Freya spent an hour trying to convince our mother that she should also go to the academy with her two older brothers to keep an eye on them. Of course, she wasn’t buying any of it, and it got a lot of good humor going around in these not-so-bright times.
My mind, however, was focused on another plan. Sometime in the next few years, before the Sadians returned, I needed my own skyship and to get my family to the lowlands. I could forecast this war easily enough. If it was a war of attrition, the dysfunctional ruling Triumvirate of Skyholme would lose.