Aesin Ken De Luna - The Siege of Ravenburg 1119
“It’s almost time. Brace yourself Aethra.” The Captain looked to the elf, she didn’t look scared on the outside. Both were stood ready for the Hunter to reclaim what he had gifted, on a cold moonless night, on a land that reeked of the void. Neither wished to be committed to the soil here and after a torment of a campaign, albeit victorious, this would not be where they fell.
The Captain chose a location near the docks, they’d be sailing out at daybreak. The gentle rumble of the waters pulled at his desire to leave as soon as possible. He didn’t like the sea much, but it sang sweet comfort and a few moments of oblivion away from heresy.
“Did I ever tell you why I don’t like the moonless night?” He asked Aethra, her wide eyes open in reflective curiosity beckoning for an answer. He didn’t give a response, instead turning to Riina. “Get your kit ready now, use your magic on Aethra then just stitch me back together. We need to act fast, understood?”. She nodded twice in little bobs and fumbled with her bag. In such a short time he’d seen them both surpass their limits, soon they’d both surpass him too. He’d trust them both with his life, as now it lay in Riina’s hands.
A memory from his youth replayed in his head like a half forgotten dream, the first time he’d fumbled with his spear carrying it, a lesson taught in pain by carrying a steel pole in lieu of a spear to strengthen his grip. Perhaps Crow wouldn’t understand why Aesin carried his spear the way he did, but after carrying the steel pole it couldn’t be helped; some people were forged and hammered into shape. Others, Aesin was beginning to understand, needed to be nurtured and allowed to bloom. Riina looked a little unsteady, this was no time to instill the same method of teaching he had been subjected to. A healer isn’t a fighter, Riina didn’t even own a dagger until the Captain “gently suggested” she keep his in her belt. He’d been meaning to tell her the story behind that dagger, as a roundabout way to say it now belongs to her.
“You’ll do fine, deep breath, get to work. Tell me what I said to you earlier.” Aesin said, putting his hand on hers. “Magic on Aethra, stitch you back together.” Riina responded. She smiled a little at his nod. “I’ll stop bleeding out once you get to work.” Aesin reassured her. Aethra took a minute to speak to her, convincing her it won’t hurt. The thought amusing to him, he’d taken many wounds in his time and each one hurt, but the thought of pain was just part of the life now. A life both of these elves were now on. But a spear to the heart from the Hunter himself was bound to hurt in unimaginable ways. This at least, would be interesting, he thought.
In the battle earlier that day he’d told Aethra that they were given the gift of going straight to the deep end, but it wasn’t entirely to do with the battle itself. The house and it’s ways were hard, unforgiving and merciless. Conviction and aggression are necessities they would have to learn as vassals, and then embody if they were accepted into the House.
Sister Urraca wasn’t in sight but had an eye on Riina, most likely using this test of her abilities as a test of her faith. There was a lot of darkness that resided in the world that Aesin could teach the young elves about, but also a blinding light of devotion that could act in the same way within the House that they had to see for themselves.
The sweet taste of copper between his teeth instinctively triggered a burst of adrenaline. Aesin woke up on the ground eyes slammed open, covered in blood and a freshly sewn wound upon his chest. Riina, bloodied to the elbows, was holding Aethra’s hand looking at the Captain. Aesin didn’t even feel it, a perfect strike to his heart. It was a beautiful execution by the Hunter, simply sublime in how it seeded further reverence within for the Hunter.
He tilted his head a fraction, Riina looked scared and Aethra was shouting at him, inaudible at first but her voice grew in steady cacophony and then clarity. He looked back up the sky and coughed out a little blood. She stopped shouting when he tried to speak. “There’s only one moon but countless stars. You ever look up at the moon and wonder if the one you’re thinking about is looking up at it too?” Wistfully, he asked.
The Captain didn’t feel so alone when the moon was out. He thought about Crow and Willow, she had probably patched him up by now. But maybe Aesin didn’t need to feel alone, or expendable anymore. House Luna was now strong within the warhost, he had a pack to run with, and now two new recruits to train. If Aesin felt alone now, he was blind.
‘Such irony,’ he thought, ‘That a man destined to fight and die, is now burdened to nurture and live’. A small chuckle turned into more blood spilling from his lips, he hoped that hid his little laugh. Captain Aesin took much joy in the fact this was something his father hadn’t counted on. “Help me up before Urraca accuses me of taking a nap and the sin of sloth, and get the good wine. You can watch me drink it whilst I tell you all the reasons why you never spend a few weeks aboard a Norscan boat. Seems I’ve got a lot of blood to replace.”