FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Of Valor in Men

Chapter Nine: Down Time

Sleep was sound for once in to long a time, so many weights had been lifted from my old and troubled mind, a mist of blocked memories had lifted, closure making space for new thoughts. Though not to say there wasn't still troubled thoughts as well, that first night all I could think of was Hamlet, all the old memories of me and him as childhood friends. They had once been a thing of pain, now they brought me joy again, I couldn't fight myself back as I left the pillows damp with tears of joy that night. A grown man crying joy, a knight at that to, no, not a knight, not anymore that was for certain; no longer would I bear that title, it now brought pain where it had once brought purpose.

Outside the blizzard raged on and on, down time; something I rarely had, something that had me bored and unsure of what to do. Those first few days I spent wandering the halls like a lost dog, stairways, hallways and rooms all unending, even my Squire had found better company to suit, the Assassin giving him pointers in a training pit, scrawny black lizard always watching on. Sawyer was busy himself, the Fox being his normal boast worthy self, busy writing records and tales, or just speaking them aloud like some true fable spinner.

The other people here all seemed distant from me, young men and old from all nationalities, even a few from Volthume by the looks of it, and Advent to match. I was out of place here and I didn't like that, I was to used to having direction. With a lack of it I found my way back to Hamlet, I found my old friend pacing a grander room, something akin to a war room, fit with a long heavy oak table that stretched its length. He looked so small compared to it, just this fragile little bundle of fur sat upon the table itself. I found myself with a lack of courage just standing within eye shot of him; hesitation, something else that was new.

“Writing poems again old friend…"? I asked, stuttering a little; whilst his eyes didn't raise to meet mine but his ears did lock onto me in an instant.

“Hmph, no, alas I gave up on that after Lara told me to, how did she put it 'stick it up your rabbithole' I think. Anyhow, what's got you milling around like a lost lamb"? He asked, putting aside his feather quill and gazing up at me; the dull green of his working eye had my fingers curl into one another, fidgeting.

“I'm...I'm just unsure of what to do" I muttered, taking the seat opposite the table of him; the distance was some meters though. And it was true, I didn't know what to do, should I push forward? Seek vengeance, or just let go of it all, grow old somewhere and enjoy the day's I had left with my friend. It was like the God's had given me back some small part of my hope, my virtue, my innocence.

“Well, you are a knight are you not, you came all this way to find killer. Hmm, speaking of which tis bout time we spoke on that" Hamlet said, rising up, starting across the table toward me; the metal hoof at the base of his now wooden foot made a notable and echoing noise as it clopped against the wood.

“I don't know if I want to keep going, I've obsessed over it for to long…" I muttered, kneading my hands together in front of me. It was an obsession at this point, an unhealthy one that had consumed to many years of my life.

“What happened to your sense of chivalry and valor hm? Where's the brave soldier who fought back a tide of husks hm. You remember that one don't you Roddy, you lost a tooth if I'm remembering correctly" He said, bringing back a flood of memories, I could remember that exact moment to. Me and Hamlet alone against an army of imaginary husks, our wooden swords fending them off for hours, until his backhand copped me in the mouth and knocked one of my teeth clean out.

"As I remember, it was you who knocked my tooth out, you have a lousy backhand Hamlet, always did" I said with a chuckle, bringing my head up, coming near nose to nose with my old friend; It always had that rabbity twitch to it.

“Yes well I use a spear now, no backhand needed anymore" he replied with a wily smile before he put his paws to my shoulders and put his forehead to mine. Something we used to do as children; Hamlet had told me rabbits communicate through body language and that it was something akin to an apology.

“I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner friend…" he muttered, voice filled with shame even though he had no reason for it.

“I'm sorry I left… I should have run away, searched for you…" was my reply; we held our pose for some moments before he broke away and sighed.

“So, what do you know about this Bastard then…" I asked after a lengthy pause of watching Hamlet pacing back and forth in front of me.

“His name is Raim, Raim Clauss, from Aldoran, he died as a young man, but someone brought him back, someone who knows the ways of that...that fucking witch…" Hamlet spat the last part, his lips drawing back, ears and tail both standing on end. The Witch he referred to was most likely Arcanis, a long dead heretic who sought to usurp the gods and seize ultimate power, needless to say it didn't end well for her.

“So...A Shade then, that's...a pain" I muttered, deep in thought, there hadn't been a Shade since the fall of the second great war.

“Yes… not good. Paliv, an Incarin training here, spotted him hiking north in the tundra, possible heading to the old Layman tombs from the first war" Hamlet said with a heavy sigh, paws clasped behind his back as he stared at a point on the table. Being a war table it's face was flush with a detailed map of the world; Hamlet started now at a point just past the Great Northern Divide, the mountains where we currently sat within. The Divide did just that, a long range of mountains that formed the border between Dragonholmes basin and the endless tundra of bleak snow and unending ice.

“The Layman tombs huh. You positive about that? There's hundreds of tombs up there" I said, leaning back in the heavy oak chair I sat on, rubbing my chin. Facing a Shade was dangerous, they weren't to be screwed around with; Hamlet knew it and so did I.

“Fighting a Shade won't be easy, especially in a tomb…" I added, drawing in and letting out a deep breath as I tilted my head, thinking.

“Well there's the Assassin, and your squire for starters" Hamlet suggested, turning on a dime to face me, his face also deep in thought.

“No...Kaiber shouldn't come, he's ill prepared… he'd freeze long before we reached the tombs, he should stay here with the Assassin." I replied, I wanted to protect him, it was the right thing to do even if I was considering renouncing my title of Knight.

“Well… Hmmm I do have some people I can count on, namely a Vestal and a Bounty Hunter to name a few of the top of my head." Hamlet mused to himself, muttering away as he put a paw to his chin and began to pace again. The both of us had a long moment of pause, the both of us lost in some deep semblance of personal thought, I didn't know what was racing through Hamlets mind but I knew what was in mine.

“This is the last campaign for me Hamlet...I'm resigning after this...knighthood was forced on me...and it's been nothing but hardship since." I said, finally breaking the silence, my voice heavy with something, an emotion that I couldn't name at that moment, whatever it was it pushed hard against the words as they came out. Hamlets face softened, it took upon that warmth and friendliness it had back in days of youth, it set me at ease.

“Knighthood was never for you Roddy" he said, giving me that wild wily smile from years past, even though one of his eyes was scared white his gaze still had that boundless youthful life in it.

“You were always a leader Roddy, you should think about joining us here." He added, holding out his arms, smiling. Affection, another new thing I was unfamiliar with, something that had died with my daughter, I was hesitant to accept it but I pulled him in for a tight embrace regardless. The warmth of his autumn patchwork fur, the softness, it was all so familiar to me yet it wasn't the same as when we were children. But it still had the same effect as back then, washing from me all the doubts and fears I had.

“I… I lo…" I tried to force the words out, I wanted to say them, but I couldn't, I loved Hamlet like a brother.

“You don't need to say it Roddy, I know" He said and for the longest time did he sit there, curled in my arms just like some wild animal, silent the both of us, yet happy as well.