Salasan

Mathis part 7: Homecoming They entered Mathis's domain by noon the next day and a few hours more saw the seven of them nearing the castle walls. The gate stood open but six wall armed guards stood at attention. As they neared, Tristan took the lead in case the need arose to protect his lord but relaxed and even started to grin as he realized they wore midnight blue tabards with Mathis's crest, an upright golden sword sheathed in ice, emblazon across their chests. "Duke Mathis has returned! Our Duke has returned!" one of the guards shouted out joyously as he caught sight of Mathis and Tristan and shouts were soon heard echoing across the

Mathis part 6: Northward Seven cloaked forms rode north along the main trade route through the kingdom. Kira had insisted that Mathis, Tristan, and Samara disguise themselves and both Mathis and Tristan had been able to easily assume the rolls of common soldiers with just a few well placed dyes and fake scars and a more plebian form of speech to mask who they truly were. Samara on the other hand had had much more difficulty, while Mathis was teaching her simple sword work whenever possible she still lacked the appearance of even the greenest warrior. Thus it had been decided that Samara would play assume the guise of a young peasant woman w

Mathis part 5: Explanation The morning after their escape from Fiachra's castle Kira led Mathis, Tristan, and Princess Samara through the woods into a small clearing which had been prepared for them. A large, ornately carved brazier holding smoldering coals stood in the middle of the clearing. Atop the brazier someone had placed an equally ornate saucer filled with dark water which was just starting to give off small wisps of steam as it was heated. "What do you three know about Magic?" Kira began as she took a seat with her back to the brazier. Mathis looked confused and answered slowly as though he had never thought about it. "Well, e

Mathis part 4: rescue Mathis sat up as the door to his cell opened and four armed guards wearing blue and silver tabards entered followed by Duke Fiachra. Fiachra was an older man with meticulously combed white hair and a large nose that had been broken long ago yet never properly healed. He was finely dressed in blue and silver satin and carried an ornate sword at his hip. His eyes were cruel but he wore a jovial smile that instantly put Mathis on his guard. "Mathis, my friend!" Fiachra greeted his fellow duke happily. "I have good news for you. The king is dead; the capital has been taken. The rebellion has succeeded and the whoreson that

Mathis part 3: Besieged Note: This is the third part, read the first two first. Too few soldiers lined the battlements and the city's gates were firmly shut as the sun sank below the western horizon. The rebel army was camped a mile away but even from that distance it was clear their numbers dwarfed that of the defenders. Already the rebels had constructed numerous catapults and siege towers and had moved them into position for the assault that would come in the morning. "The city won't last a day" Kira said as she and Tristan looked over scene from a distant hill. "Those walls are old and in poor repair, they've not been needed in genera

Mathis part 2: Tristan Note: this is part two, might be helpful to read part one first. Tristan woke slowly, he hadn't expected to ever wake again after the last battle, he remembered his horse dying and rolling over onto him, breaking at least one of his legs, and even he'd been pierced by several arrows. Yet as he came to his senses he found that both of his legs felt fine, if a little stiff, and there was only a slight soreness in his side where an arrow had hit him. "Tristan! It's good to see you're finally awake." One of the knights Tristan had led away from the battle, toward the forest, said cheerfully. But that couldn't be right,

Beginning: "You are my liege, my lord, my king. Your enemies are my enemies, and I will defend your life, your rule, and your land with my own life. By my honor I swear this, reaffirming the oath I took so many years ago." Mathis finished his oath and stood. "I accept your Oath of loyalty, Mathis of the house of Trivar, Duke of Kirlani." The king said, finishing the ritual. "You have always been my most loyal subject." The king turned and walked back to his throne, seating himself carefully before addressing the woefully small gathering of nobles. "You have all been my most loyal subjects. In this time of treachery and rebellion it is goo