Morning all and welcome to Thursday. This week has seemed much longer than it should have been. Not entirely sure why that is, but it is. So let’s hope that normal speed will resume today and it will feel less like I am moving in slow motion. So are you ready for the morning prompt? I know I am. so let’s go.
I like this one. I like the set up and I think the character is something I can work with. Definitely something to mark out for future expansion.
Thursday, August 25th: He dreamed of joining their ranks.
He dreamed of joining their ranks. They were the elite of the elite. The warriors greater than any other warriors. They were the personal body guard of the king when he traveled and the ones His majesty sent on special missions to accomplish feats well beyond the skill of ordinary soldiers.
Today they were being deployed to the Renath Border. Soon treaty talks would begin and they were being sent with a squadron of the regular army to ensure all was in preparation for the king. While the other soldiers would arrange the site, the King’s Own would ensure that there were no hidden dangers, that they could keep the king secure at all times. If his safety could not be arrange, the king would not arrive. Either the camp would be moved to a new location, such a moving requiring nearly it’s own treaty as it took six months to decide on this site, or the treaty talks would be called off.
As the border raids between the Kingdom and Ranath were getting worse everyone feared open war and was hoping for a peacefully concluded treaty.
Henran watched the last of the guard pass by. A cuff of his ear from Master Finnian brought him back to his senses. “No time for gawping at your betters boy,” the master said gruffly. Henran nodded and lifted the handles of the wheel barrow. It was heavily laden with all of the vegetables he had been sent to get. Turing it took all of his arm strength and he nearly sighed with relief as he managed to turn it without upsetting any of the produce.
If any of it was bruised or damaged, the cook would send him back out to the field after berating him for his inattention and then Master Finnian would berate him for his carelessness. If he was not careful there would be a beating as well, depending on the severity of the damage.
Henran carefully navigated the pitted ground and trundled his burden out of the field and into the gate. The passage became smoother as bare ground gave way to cobbles. While there was still roughness, so many wheel barrows had pushed this way for so many years that there were groves in the stones. He fitted the wheel of his barrow into the one he knew would roll right to the back door of the kitchen and began his journey.
At this time of day, this part of the keep was deserted. Most of those who rose early were in the town on the other side of the Keep’s Garden. Tose who would need to rise early would be in town, heading off to fields or shops. Those who rose early, traveled the corridors within the keep rather than outside it to reach their destinations, giving the entire keep the feel of an abandoned place. Later there would be people and noise, but for now he was the only one up and about.
‘I wonder how that will change,’ he began. Henran squashed the thought before it could fully form. Change was coming, but he found it best not to speculate. He couldn’t control it and didn’t know exactly what form the change would take. All he knew was that in three days’ time his period of indenture would be complete.
Henran long since locked down any thoughts of his indenture. While he still considered it unjust, that was not his decision to make. But soon it would be ended.
Ten til Midnight 