Aries and the Prince No More, page 31
She turned her head toward the call and saw Kristoff laying on the ground, motionless. Her heart sank, just as it had when her father died.
Chapter 28
“Kristoff!” Aries shouted as she ran over to him.
“I need to run more,” he said jokingly, trying to catch his breath.
“Don’t ever do that to me again!” she shouted before helping him to his feet and hugging him. “You were brilliant. You are the literal best with the bow,” she continued.
“Yea, and how about that last shot? Pretty lucky, huh? Not going to lie, I only thought I could get close enough to distract him, but then he fell over.”
“I wasn’t sure who fired the arrow, but I’m not surprised it was you. And I’m not exaggerating when I say this, without your shot, we would have been done for. He was just about to alert the backline to our ambush when you got him. We wouldn’t have won the battle without you and all you’re going to say is that it was a lucky shot?” she asked, laughing. “You may want to embellish a little more. You are a Romani, after all.”
“I can’t wait to hear how we repelled an army of thousands with just a couple dozen Romani,” replied Kristoff, before being nearly knocked over by Andrew, who was unable to contain his excitement.
“What a day, huh? Can you believe it?” Andrew went on. “We made them look like proper fools. They won’t be coming to the Southlands anytime soon, I can tell you that much. And you, mate!” he turned to Kristoff, “I always believed in you but shooting in battle is a lot different than a target, and you didn’t disappoint. And then there’s Aries, fighting as if she was possessed by a demon. I have never seen bodies fall so quickly. Maybe I should get me one of those swords.”
“It would look like a toothpick in your hand, mate,” said Jaseen, a big smile on his face, as he walked up to the trio.
“True enough. Best to stick with my battle axe, I suppose.”
“It’s good to see everyone is okay,” said Lee, who was notably much less excited about the victory.
He grabbed Aries and pulled her close before gently kissing her. “If something would have happened to you, I would have gone mad. But, with that said, there is nothing better than loving a woman who can take care of herself and even protect her man.”
“I uh—I umm,” she tried to reply but couldn’t find the words, distracted by his kiss and the look he was giving her. She knew that she would go mad if something happened to him too.
“We lost five Romani. Another four are significantly injured. Horrible—but it could have been much worse. We left a couple of their soldiers alive so that we can try and learn more about what brought them here,” Lee said.
Like Lee, Aries didn’t like that any of their clansmen had died, but she knew that their deaths were not in vain.
“They gave their lives to protect the clan,” she replied, holding his hand while looking over the battlefield.
It was the first time she had really looked at the fighting grounds and saw it for what it was, a field of death. Corpses lay motionless all around them, some of which were being looted by the Romani. Several more of her clansmen came through the woods carrying the large wooden crate filled with gold.
“Splitting up the gold will definitely lift their spirits,” Lee said quietly to Aries. Then, a bit more loudly he said, “I will make sure the families of the fallen get double shares.”
Lee gathered the survivors and divvied out the gold equally to everyone, ensuring enough was left over for the families of those whose loved ones had died during the fighting.
Aries had never seen a battle, let alone been present afterward to partake in the spoils. She and Kristoff still had some of the money from their prize winnings, along with the money they brought when they came to the Southlands and part of her felt guilty for keeping even more gold for herself. She looked to Lee and noticed that he hadn’t taken any gold for his own coin purse, instead adding his share to the sum meant for the families of the fallen, inspiring her to do the same.
Not long after the gold was separated, hordes of Romani began making camp in the countryside next to the thick forest that separated the Cove. She noticed that many came ready for war and seemed disappointed that the battle had ended before they arrived. She couldn’t blame them and would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the thrill of battle. Especially fighting off an enemy that sought to take Kristoff from her and slaughter countless innocents.
“How many people are going to come?” she asked Jaseen, who was also watching the camp grow before their eyes.
“I can’t say for sure. This hasn’t happened in my time. I’d wager thousands of Romani by nightfall, even more in the coming days. I imagine a fair amount of Clan Harald and clanless folks will show up as well,” he replied.
“Have to say, it does feel much safer with this many Romani. The odds seemed bleak for a moment back there,” she said.
“We beat them easily, even outnumbered three to one. Can you imagine how it would go if the odds were even? I felt like we were doomed for a moment myself, but if we wanted to retreat, we would have had to drag Lee away kicking and screaming. He wouldn’t retreat. He’s too quick to sacrifice himself,” he told her.
“If he would have tried to go to the beach, I was going to stab him myself,” she said sounding entirely serious. “Maybe just in the leg or something though,” she added with a shrug, prompting Jaseen to laugh.
Aries knew Jaseen was right, but she didn’t like the idea of speaking ill of Lee behind his back. Jaseen’s comment made her think about all of the ways the battle could have gone wrong, which increased her appreciation of their victory.
“Reckless or not, there is no man I would rather fight beside than Lee, and no woman I would rather fight beside than you. What happened here will be talked about for years and years. It is a reminder to the other clans that the Romani are not to be messed with,” said Jaseen.
“What happens with the Swindletor clan since Lee broke the parley?” she asked, having forgotten about the other clans until now.
“They will deny involvement, but I doubt that’s true. They will do whatever they can for money. The parley was broken when he threatened hostility from the Carthage army, anyway. Not to mention, he brought us here under false pretenses. Only a clan representative can request a formal parley, so there won’t be much that comes from that, apart from other clan members being more cautious when they try and parley with us.”
“They sound awful. I bet they are a major reason the Southlands gets a bad name in the North,” she replied.
“You don’t even know the half of it,” he replied, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
“You seem to really dislike them, I mean more than the rest of us,” she replied. “Do you have history with them?”
“Yea, you could say that,” he replied, not meeting her eyes. “A story for another time perhaps. Tonight, we celebrate, and no celebration is as epic as a Romani wake after a battle. It is going to be the stuff of legend,” he said, giving her a quick smile and making his way to the camp.
Aries rejoined Kristoff, who suggested they explore the Romani camp. They were curious to see what it would be like and how it differed from their own camp. They hadn’t been around so many Romani since arriving in the Southlands.
As they sauntered through the camp, it was hard to remember what the empty field used to look like, because now it resembled a city made up of tents and caravans. One of her favorite things about the Romani was how quickly they could turn any location into a village—due in no small part to the fact that their permanent homes had wheels.
Continuing through the densely populated camp, they met people eager to greet them and give praise. They heard whispers such as, “That’s Aries, the one who led the charge and killed a dozen men by herself!” or “That is Kristoff the ginger, he killed their commander from two hundred yards away with just one arrow.” The tall tells brought a smile to their faces, and they didn’t bother to correct them. Lee had once told her that reputation was a powerful weapon and could be used to dissuade people from challenging a clan member or the whole of the Romani. So, while she didn’t like the idea of taking credit for things she didn’t actually do, she figured it was best to let the rumors spread.
In the center of the camp was a large tent, big enough to fit a hundred or so people inside, with armed Romani standing at the entrance. When the soldiers noticed the pair, they signaled for them to come over.
“Proper work you two did today. You more than earned your place as enforcers. First pint is on me tonight,” said a big man, who was resting his hands on a large, broad sword sticking into the ground. “Lee is inside waiting for you, sent runners to find you, but I guess they got lost, probably at the gambling tables.”
Aries couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of him putting so much weight on his blade, worrying it may bend or break. Instead of mentioning this, she smiled politely and walked into the tent with Kristoff. She saw a group of people standing over a table located in the center of the enclosure. The table was covered with wooden figures, and as she got closer, she noticed those gathered were looking over a map of the Southlands. She figured they were discussing how to defend their territory from an invasion or perhaps planning to attack the Swindletor territory. Her stomach sank at the thought of them going to war with another clan, hoping the harmony of the Southlands would not be disrupted on their account.
“Oy, just who I wanted to see,” said Lee, who smiled warmly and motioned Aries and Kristoff to come stand by him.
“Do you know much about the naval power of the North, Carthage specifically, and what warships they may have?” asked an older Romani man who had a long, white, neatly braided beard.
“Truthfully, there wasn’t much of one in the outer realms, or in the Apex, for that matter. They banned most things that posed a threat to them. Any ships made were for fishing or transporting goods,” replied Kristoff.
“True, but how long has Carthage been defying the Apexian rules? How long have they been in power? For all we know, they could have an entire fleet by now,” replied a woman who spoke in a stern tone.
She was tall for her gender and had short grey and brown hair. Her eyes were a piercing dark blue that made Aries feel like the woman was trying to stare right through her. She had an athletic build and tanned skin, giving the impression she was often in the sun. She had an attractive face and a voice that was intimidating and confident.
“It has been for well over a year that they have been defying the Apexian regulations, and that is just what I know, it could be much longer. I think the bigger threat will be the airships, though,” replied Aries.
“Many ships were destroyed when the Apex fell, unless Carthage knows how to make them. I doubt they have enough to ferry an invasion force. They could harass at best, and we wouldn’t meet them in the open field. They would have to come to the mountains,” replied the woman.
“That or terrorize the countryside and bargain for the other clans to join them,” replied Aries. She didn’t like this woman minimizing the devastation the airships could do, especially since she had seen firsthand what even a lone ship was capable of.
“Fair point, but we can’t control what the other clans do. That is why I say we pull all Romani back to the mountain and only allow a small number to trade along the river here, with Clan Harald, or perhaps The Guul if necessary. Cutting off trade with the Swindletors would allow us not only to punish them for their actions, but also remove the need to have Romani so far North,” continued the woman.
“People count on that money to survive. We can’t just cut off trade because we are worried about an invasion that may never come. Did any of the northerners make it back to their ships?” asked the old, bearded man.
“They sunk two of their ships, and whatever forcers remained fled in the one they left afloat. We assume they went back North. I am sure we will find out more from the two prisoners we took. But we have to be ready. I don’t think we should leave our lands in the North to the outlaws and fiends. We can patrol the waters and send a signal if a force is approaching. They aren’t true fighters, and a gathered army of Romani would have no trouble repelling them. We lost a few soldiers in the fighting, but we were outnumbered close to three to one. We fought in a shield wall, so it wasn’t like we had a strategic advantage that gave us the victory,” replied Lee.
“And what if Aries is right and they do come by air?” asked the woman.
“Then the Romani flee to the mountain. Hide in the forest during the day, travel by night. If they come and harass us, we can sail an army straight to Carthage and end the threat. It’s what we should have done years ago,” replied Lee, becoming increasingly irritated by the woman who was disagreeing with every suggestion.
“We need to wait for Mum before we can cast a vote, but I am with Lee. I don’t think we can afford to fall back to the mountain. It will make us look weak to the other clans and disrupt the economy,” said the old man.
“What’s worse, looking weak or stupid?” snapped the woman.
“Being weak is stupid,” answered Aries, making Lee laugh.
“I guess I should have introduced you two. Aries, this here is my Aunt Trina.”
In learning that the woman was related to Lee, Aries felt terrible for being rude to her, and she couldn’t believe Lee hadn’t mentioned his connection to Trina earlier. Then again, Aries knew it wouldn’t have really mattered. She found it nearly impossible to bite her tongue, regardless of the social setting.
“Pleased to meet you,” said Aries, outstretching her hand. The woman shook her hand with a firm grip.
“I like her. Reminds me of myself,” said Trina, who seemed to welcome Aries’ direct nature.
The old man with the braided beard cleared his throat. “Thousands of people didn’t come here to see us bicker over strategy. We should be celebrating and honoring our heroes. It’s not every day you repel an invasion! Ginger, come with me. We are going to make some money at the wagering tables. How do you feel about missing the mark at just the right time, to make us both some coin?” he asked, keen on profiting off Kristoff’s ability with the bow.
“I like it fine, so long as they aren’t Romani,” answered Kristoff as he joined the man to head out of the tent.
“Such a good lad,” replied the old man.
“Aries, do you mind joining Lee and me?” asked Trina. “We are about to meet up with some members of Clan Harald.”
“Of course.”
The trio exited the tent, and as they did, they were joined by more and more enforcers. They walked to the edge of the camp where several horses were waiting for them. Aries and the others mounted up and made their way to the meeting spot. Aries’ horse was a young black stallion that didn’t like being behind the other horses. Whenever Trina would try and pass them, the black stallion picked up its pace and cut them off, prompting Lee and the others to laugh. She did her best to try and keep the horse in line but couldn’t help but admire its competitiveness.
It was only a few minutes of riding before their group came to a stop at a small hill, overlooking a meadow that was already overgrown despite spring only recently arriving. Aries looked behind them and could see the light from the camp in the distance. She felt a sense of security wash over her. There was no way another meeting with a non-Romani clan could be dangerous, given the number of Romani behind them.
“So, what is this meeting about anyway?” asked Aries.
“Suppose it’s a formality. Clan Harald wants to see what happened before they pretend to think long and hard about what to do— then decide to do nothing, as usual. They are an honorable lot, but they are too fixated on upholding balance and keeping the peace. The Swindletors will easily weasel their way around any punishment, so there really isn’t a point in evaluating their actions for a violation of clan law,” said Lee.
“Well said. The only thing that keeps the Swindletors at bay is the fact they are bloody cowards. I don’t know what will come of it, but whatever we decide will be based on the words of the Romani Elders and not what Clan Harald thinks,” replied Trina.
Soon their group was approached by a dozen horses. Two of the men were holding a banner that was black with a golden symbol on it. As they drew closer, Aries could see that the symbol was a circle with two smaller circles beneath it, both connected to the larger circle.
“What is that symbol supposed to be?” she asked, confused. She had seen many banners throughout her life, and this had to be one of the most curious looking.
“Ah, that’s the troll cross. It’s supposedly a good luck charm for warding off evil,” answered Lee.
“Not the most foreboding, but who am I to judge, I guess,” replied Aries, causing Lee to laugh and Trina to smirk, which Aries assumed was about as close to laughing as she could get.
“They try to act too much like northerners if you ask me. Sure, we have a symbol too, but you don’t see our soldiers carrying it around everywhere. No Romani would want to carry a banner instead of a weapon,” said Trina.
The members of Clan Harald, slowed their pace as they drew closer and came to a halt a few feet away. To Aries’ surprise, their leader was a young woman who wore very clean, polished armor, and a black cloak that reminded Aries of the knights of the Apex. She was an attractive woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. She also possessed long, well-groomed brown hair, big dark green eyes, and a petite build. From her face, the woman appeared kind, despite dawning a complete set of armor.
“Good day, Lee—Trina,” said the young woman, giving them both a slight nod. “Glad to see you are doing okay. We got word of what happened and wanted to see if we could be of assistance.”
“We have it covered, Rose. Fortunate timing that you were so close to our location,” Trina replied coldly.
“I am sure you do,” replied Rose behind a smile that hid her disdain for Trina better than her tone of voice did.
