![\"War_Camp\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/War_Camp.jpg?ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/p>\nEight Years Ago<\/b><\/p>\n
They were arguing again.<\/p>\n
It was the usual disagreement – his student wanted to join the fighting and he had forbade it – but there was a touch more anger in Auqui\u2019s voice than Gabriel had recalled hearing of late. Anger and sullen defensiveness, neither of which should have surprised him, not with Auqui having entered those difficult years where he was no longer a boy but not quite a man. For his part, Gabriel was too exhausted to deal with this nonsense at the moment, not to mention hungry and cold and sore. All he wanted to do was find his blankets, curl up underneath them, and forget this day ever happened. Such a thing was not feasible, not with tonight\u2019s planned raid against the Vasar\u2019s lines.<\/p>\n
Though there was no ice on the ground, winter had not yet completely lifted its icy grip from the Huallapan land, which should have given them a massive advantage over the Vasar, but thus far, they had yet to take this damnable Hive. Coordinated assaults by the crusaders were a thing of the past, with the leaders of the rebels and royalists factions both jockeying for overall command. Lives were being spent liberally – the older knights especially seemed more interested in dying heroically than actually accomplishing anything useful – and senseless attacks were ordered on an almost hourly basis. Though he\u2019d long ago sworn off returning to old habits, Gabriel was seriously considering assassinating some of the more intransigent fools in command on both sides just so someone else could lead.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo,\u201d he said in response to Auqui\u2019s latest entreaties. \u201cYou are not ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m better with a sword than half of these fools!\u201d the boy retorted fiercely.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore than half, I\u2019d wager,\u201d Gabriel replied with a tired smile. \u201cBut you are still reckless and too confident by a large margin.\u201d He held up a hand to stop Auqui\u2019s next line of reasoning. \u201cYour leg still has not fully healed,\u201d he pointed out, which immediately caused the boy to flush in embarrassment, \u201cand I well remember how you gained that injury.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI could have handled it,\u201d Auqui muttered sullenly.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Dane had not shot it,\u201d Gabriel retorted, \u201cthat bug would have killed you.\u201d He did not bother pointing out that Auqui was not even supposed to be in that particular skirmish, nor that the boy had ignored explicit instructions to stay out of it, mostly because his student too often only heard what he wanted<\/em> to hear. Instead, he took a seat on the large rock that Rainald had declared \u2018the singing rock\u2019 \u2026 though what that meant, no one but the Northerner knew.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not fair,\u201d\u00a0Auqui said.\u00a0\u201cWhen you were my age,\u201d\u00a0he began.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was your age,\u201d Gabriel\u00a0interject calmly,\u00a0\u201cI was arguing with\u00a0my father who kept telling me that\u00a0I was reckless and overly confident.\u201d\u00a0He smiled softly, intent on remembering those days instead of the ones of terror and fear that came later. He was about to add more when he noticed the approach of a man he had little desire to interact with. \u201cYour grace,\u201d he greeted as Bishop Zabka drew closer. A lifetime of Catholic teachings drove Gabriel to his feet but he did not offer to kiss the man\u2019s ring nor did Zabka offer it.<\/p>\n \u201cSir Gabriel,\u201d came the calm reply. The honorific still felt uncomfortable, though even the royalists had taken to treating him as a knight, no matter that the status was bestowed upon him by Lord Wallace. \u201cAnd \u2026 Auqui, is it not?\u201d His pronunciation was wrong, but only slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is \u2026 your grace,\u201d Auqui replied, stumbling over the title. The boy\u2019s Anglish was still heavily accented, but he improved daily and it was certainly better than Gabriel\u2019s Huallapan and quite frequently, more comprehensible than Rainald’s attempts at speech. Together, Gabriel and Auqui had developed a curious pidgin tongue that used both of their native languages. Zabka\u2019s eyes widened slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cYou speak Anglish well for one of your world,\u201d he began before looking back to Gabriel. \u201cThe Church has need of translators, my son,\u201d he said before he glanced back in the direction he just came. Gabriel followed the line of his gaze to a larger group of tents – a handful of armsmen were watching over a cluster of Huallapans while a pair of harried-looking priests visibly struggled to communicate with the former slaves. \u201cWould your young student be so kind as to assist us in our time of need?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMay I, Master Gabriel?\u201d Auqui had slipped back into his native tongue and the eagerness pulsed off him like a living thing. \u201cI want to help and this could be important!\u201d Gabriel almost frowned – he saw through Auqui easily enough. This was an opportunity for the boy to strut around in front of his fellow Huallapans and be the focus of their awe since he was clearly a warrior and not just a fisherman. Had anyone but Zabka been involved, Gabriel would not have hesitated to give permission, but with this man …<\/p>\n \u201cGo,\u201d he ordered after a moment of consideration. \u201cBe back before dusk,\u201d he added as Auqui\u2019s grin lit up his face. The boy nodded and then turned away, almost instantly falling into the arrogant strut that was Cat Crosses the Courtyard. His limp spoiled it a little, but only to Gabriel\u2019s expert eye.<\/p>\n \u201cMany thanks, sir knight,\u201d Zabka said as they both watched Auqui attract exactly the kind of attention the boy sought. \u201cMy flock were ill prepared for this crusade so this will assist tremendously.\u201d Gabriel said nothing, though he did offer a slightly nod. \u201cWe began poorly, I think,\u201d the bishop said abruptly. Gabriel gave him a flat look.<\/p>\n \u201cYou tried to have an innocent woman murdered because you thought she was a witch,\u201d he replied in as cold a voice as he could manage.<\/p>\n \u201cFor which I have sought atonement and absolution,\u201d Zabka stated. \u201cI have asked for the Lord\u2019s forgiveness for my sins.\u201d His gesture encompasses the whole of the crusader host. \u201cIs any man or woman here without sin?\u201d Gabriel observe none of the expected tells that would see in a man speaking a mistruth, but then, an exceptional liar would know to hide such a thing and if there was anything he\u2019d learned in his nearly thirty years of life, it was that men of Zabka\u2019s station were often such exceptional men.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd yet, your grace,\u201d Gabriel said slowly, \u201cI find that I mistrust you.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAn honest reply.\u201d The bishop smiled. \u201cAnd understandable to one who has known only conflict.\u201d He glanced away. \u201cI remember you,\u201d Zabka said abruptly. \u201cFrom Craine.\u201d His expression darkened. \u201cAnd I remember well Abbot Publius\u2019 sins \u2026 may God have mercy on his poor, tormented soul.\u201d He crossed himself and, automatically, Gabriel followed suit. The bishop eyed him for a moment. \u201cWe have similar goals, I think,\u201d he began, \u201cand I would not wish to have us as enemies.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGoals?\u201d Gabriel gave him a look. \u201cMy only goal is to train my student to become the best swordsman he can be.\u201d For a long moment, the bishop was silent.<\/p>\n \u201cAn interesting application of your <\/i>particular talents, scion of Auditore,\u201d he said. \u201cWe shall speak again, my son.\u201d He made the sign of the cross before Gabriel. \u201cGo with God,\u201d he added before turning away.<\/p>\n And, exhausted by a day of bitter, harsh fighting, Gabriel let him go, not entirely registering the implications of the bishop\u2019s use of his family name. He might have even puzzled it out if given a moment to relax but Dane\u2019s approach distracted him.<\/p>\n \u201cCome with me,\u201d the archer ordered. \u201cI have need of your eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou cannot have them,\u201d Gabriel replied. \u201cI am rather attached to them, actually.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think I know how we can get into the Hive,\u201d Dane said in an irritated voice. He was hiding it well, but to those who knew him, there was no hiding how insulted he was over not being allowed to command due to his birth.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, then,\u201d Gabriel said as he straightened. \u201cYou have my attention now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A cleaved head no longer plots. The Northern proverb uttered by Rainald kept rolling around in Gabriel\u2019s head, even as he climbed down the rope ladder, although he\u00a0knew that he should be focusing on the task at hand. It was a statement that was both simple and yet obvious, and something he would have to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,20],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-1897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-banestorm","category-bs_pcs","tag-gabery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1897"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1900,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1897\/revisions\/1900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.olympusrpg.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}