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The Guardian

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Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
-A story that is currently in progress-
Reserves are not going to be posted. The table of contents will guide you to the next section. While this may be slightly annoying, reserves can be even more so. This is especially true in a story that already is over the fifty thousand word mark.
-
This is the story that I have been writing since, well, I stopped writing. (Doesn't make sense, does it?) It bares remarkable resemblance to another story I have posted but is, in fact and essence, different.
Please enjoy. :)
One Endorsment!
Brotherly Love by Englishkid62:
49-50-971-61533231

22-Jan-2011 23:59:18 - Last edited on 30-Jan-2011 00:06:55 by Caydock

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Table of Contents:
The Guardian:
PART ONE:
-
Page One:
Chapter One:
Posts 3-4
Posts 7-10
-
Page Three:
Chapter One Cont.:
Posts 1-3
-
Page Four
Chapter One Cont.:
Posts 5-7, 9
-End of Chapter One-
Page Five
Chapter Two:
Post 10
-
Page Six
Chapter Two Cont.:
Posts 1-4
-
Page 8
Chapter Two Cont.:
Posts 4-9
-End of Chapter Two-
Page 10
Chapter Three:
Posts 1-8

22-Jan-2011 23:59:48 - Last edited on 08-Feb-2011 19:57:33 by Caydock

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
The Guardian
Part One
Chapter One
The scrap of paper twisted and flailed wildly in the wind, desperately trying to escape the nail that held it captive against the tree. As the wind aided the paper in its goal of freedom, the scrap began to tear, ripping slowly from the impaling piece of metal. The paper was only dangling now; one gust would set it free. The wind calmed for one instant, preparing for the air blast of deliverance that would send the paper up and away, drifting along in the clutches of its savior as it was carried far away from its oppressor.
But it was not to be. A hand shot out and trapped the paper against the oak, holding it there while the wind subsided. Once it had, the man tore the paper from the nail and held it up to his face, squinting against the furious wind as it caused tears to form in his brown eyes. He stroked his beard thoughtfully, taking in what the paper said.
Folding the paper in half, the man tucked it into his cloak pocket, patting it absentmindedly as he tilted his head up to survey the sky. Ominous clouds had moved in, plunging the forest into fearful silence. The wind had all but disappeared now, although the man was not naïve enough to think it was gone for good. He had spent much of his life in the forest, and he knew that the wind was merely biding its time so as to strike when no one was expecting it.
The man turned to the east, hurrying along the well-beaten trail. His eyes darted up to the sky at intervals, noting the lightning that was now flickering amongst the clouds. He hoped he would make it to shelter before the storm hit; he was a forester, yes, but he was not fond of getting soaked to the bone by a mid-summer gale.
The storm hit almost without warning. For one moment, silence reigned supreme. The next, it was shattered as a crashing boom of thunder seemed to rip the land apart. The woodsman crouched low as he scurried through the woods, deviating from the path.

23-Jan-2011 00:01:05 - Last edited on 08-Feb-2011 19:58:38 by Caydock

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“And I just washed this cloak,” the forester grumbled. He started to sprint now, his feet pounding over the rough terrain. He clambered over a rock and slid under a fallen log that was too high to jump.
The man heard the creaking groan, and he knew where it had come from without even looking. He froze where he stood and searched the forest floor frantically, hoping to see anything that might provide shelter. There were a few fallen logs, but the woodsman was too smart to duck under a rotten trunk that was just begging to be hit by lightning. As he contemplated what to do next, his mind was made up for him. With an ancient sigh, the leaves released the trapped liquid and a waterfall flooded down into the forest.
Within seconds the forester was waterlogged and miserable. He slogged along the mud path heading to his destination at a melancholy pace, dragging his boots through the thick mire. Suddenly a thought dawned on him, and he shoved his dripping hand into his equally wet pocket. His fist closed around the piece of paper and he pulled it out, noticing with a start that it was becoming so wet as to be unreadable. He hunched over it, trying to protect it with his body, but water from his cloak dripped down on it, causing the ink to smear. Thinking quickly, the man folded the scrap in half and shoved it into his mouth. ‘Must be dryer in there than out here,’ he thought sarcastically.
And he started along the path once more.

23-Jan-2011 00:02:54 - Last edited on 23-Jan-2011 00:03:21 by Caydock

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Thank you both. :) Here's more.
---
Chapter One Cont.
-
This was without a doubt the closest he had ever been to the castle. The massive form of Castle Stalwart, surrounded by the city of the same name, seemed almost close enough to touch, although Rowan knew it was only an illusion. Still, standing at the edge of the northern forest a mere half mile from the city gates, it was impossible not to feel the grandeur that seemed to radiate off of the glossy walls.
Rowan did*’t know if he dared to get much closer. Over the past few weeks he had gotten in the custom of riding from his hometown of Aridy to the castle, although before he had only peered out from amidst the trees. But now on the edge of the forest, beholding the castle, the encircling city and the surrounding land in all its beauty, Rowan was awestruck. There was something about Stalwart that seemed to draw him here. And he thought he now knew what it was. Not only was Stalwart a massive building and amazing to behold, but it symbolized something much greater: freedom.
Placed on the edge of the Steria Desert Mountains, on the northern side of the enormous peaks, the castle had a magnificent setting. Grassy hills spread as far as the eye could see, broken only by the castle and the mountains. The castle was atop the largest hill in the plain, perched above all in a sign of power, which was suiting, for the king in the castle ruled over the whole of Adakae, the great eastern country. The city, however, was situated around the massive hill, forming a protective barrier around the home of the monarch. But thanks to the ascended position, the castle was easily seen by all who wished to look at it.
Rowan’s horse, Victory, nickered softly, making his restlessness obvious. The pair*rider and horse—had been standing on the edge of the forest for over twenty minutes.
“Come on, boy,” Rowan said as he touched the horse’s sides gently with his feet. “Let’s get a closer look.”

23-Jan-2011 17:12:46

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Victory obliged happily, glad to be on the move again. Rowan allowed his horse to follow its own path from the forest and instead contented himself with surveying the land. His eyes bounced around delightedly, enthralled with the beauty of the open plain. He then fixed his eyes on the Steria Mountains. The peaks were huge and imposing, an awe-inspiring sight to say the least. Rearing thousands of feet above the castle, the mountains were all that divided Adakae from Steria, the desert to the far south.
Rowan was so busy studying the mountains and thinking about the desert on the other side that he did*’t even realize how close Victory was taking him to city. They were now only a quarter mile from Stalwart, well within the vision of the wall guards.
“Who goes there?” shouted out one man, who, to someone on the ground, looked like nothing more than a toy soldier. But this was far from the truth. The wall guard was heavily armed with a crossbow and sword. As the guard shouted out the question, he held up the loaded crossbow, leveling it at the small figure below.
Rowan was jerked back to the present, realizing with immense shock that the guard was addressing him. As a rider with no announced or known business with the king or Stalwart, Rowan had no purpose riding this close to the king’s city. Only those with official papers were allowed to enter. This was the city of nobles. Commoners were only allowed to enter for special occasions such as feasts or holidays when the king would make a special appearance.
Rowan licked his lips nervously and, cupping his hands around his mouth, bellowed, “Only a simple villager, sir! I’m afraid I wasn’t paying well enough attention to where I was going!”
The guard lowered the bow slightly, “Well be off with you, villager! You’ve no business here!”
Throwing the wall guard a quick salute of understanding, Rowan leaned his right knee into Victory’s side and wheeled the horse around, heading north to the forest and his village.

23-Jan-2011 17:14:06

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
He urged Victory into an easy lope, a pace the horse could effortlessly maintain. As they rode along, passing the place where they had previously been standing, Rowan glanced up at the sky, pleased to see that the massive rainstorm was showing no signs of a surprise return; the gale had struck right as he was preparing to leave for the castle, postponing his trip by a good hour. Fortunately, it blew over and the sky was back to its beautiful, blue self.
The landscape sped by, and within an hour, rider and horse were within sight of Aridy. Rowan sighed to himself as he dismounted just outside of the village. There was nothing to do in Aridy but sit around or practice his swordsmanship. Rowan almost always turned to the latter, which he enjoyed more and was actually quite good at. He felt very much at home with a sword hung on his side, galloping across Adakae on Victory. He scoffed at that idea; when did that ever happen? The answer was a disappointing ‘never,’ although he hoped that would change soon.
Leading Victory by his bridle, Rowan trudged dishearteningly into town, heading to his family’s home, or rather, his family’s hut.
The simple dirt road running directly through the village was sparsely lined with other huts in varying stages of disrepair and destruction. One home had the roof blown clean off, another a caved-in wall with moss and creepers climbing up the remaining three. A few of the huts were intact, and Rowan caught a glimpse of a small child - a girl by her appearance - peering at him from within the darkness of the opening. She vanished before he got a good look, but this was not unusual. Aridians kept to themselves; they were well known for being fiercely private and equally mysterious. The only person that Rowan saw more than once a month was the travelling merchant, Jonathan, but he wasn’t even Aridan.

23-Jan-2011 17:15:02

Caydock

Caydock

Posts: 6,279 Rune Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
He was Liopian, from the city of Lioper to the northeast. But Jonathan respected the odd habits of Aridy and visited each home individually instead of staking a tent or blanket in the middle of the town for all to visit. With this much mystery, Rowan often wondered how many secrets the small village was keeping. The reserved atmosphere was the perfect location for a multitude of things: an escaped convict, a plotting war general, maybe even a relation to the king, plotting to overthrow the current monarch, King Tralmer…
Rowan shook his head, clearing away the thoughts. They were nothing more than dreams…dreams and wishes for adventure—anything to break the monotonous, grave pattern of Aridy.
Rowan arrived at his family’s single-room hut at the end of the road and stopped outside to tie Victory to the weed-choked hitching post which rose from the ground next to the home. The horse allowed its master to remove the saddle and blanket before giving himself a good shake, sending droplets of perspiration in all directions.
Rowan did his best to avoid the sweat, but failed, and moved to his horse’s saddlebags, wiping the offensive liquid from his face as he did so. He unbuttoned one of the saddle’s pouches and withdrew a long-toothed brush.
Victory caught sight of the tool and neighed quietly, straining against the restraining post in an effort to get closer to Rowan.
Rowan laughed, “Calm down, boy. Here you go…”
He ran the comb along Victory’s sweaty back; the hair there had turned into matted whorls. Rowan did his best to remedy the situation by digging the brush deep into a clump and dragging the brush back firmly, loosening it.
He was so intent in taking care of his horse that he did*’t notice the man walking up behind him, a piece of folded paper in his hand. The man stopped a few feet behind Rowan and cleared his throat.

23-Jan-2011 17:16:25 - Last edited on 24-Jan-2011 21:22:20 by Caydock

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