Post by Tristan on Sept 20, 2006 9:24:43 GMT -5
His liege lord and brother gave Tristan a barony in the northwest marshes of the kingdom. It was a forgotten place with no major roads and no major strategic importance. Tristan was the youngest of four brothers and perhaps the wildest of them. Brawling and whoring was to his like. A village magistrate had asked a boon of Tristan's brother the king. It was an old custom and his brother agreed to it, a wedding of the magistrate’s daughter to the royal line. This would insure the security of the western borders of the kingdom. Also it would ensure the king one less embarrassment.
Serli wasn't a real beauty, nor was she comely. She had charm and was endeared to all in the village. Some said she practiced magic or witchcraft in the deep marshes. But most of the women were said to belong to some coven or the like. Away from the more civilized regions it was a common practice.
Tristan's reputation had preceded him and the wedding was thought to be an ill match at first. But his demeanor changed after they were married. It was often whispered that Serli had bewitched him with magic. True or not he never really thought much about it. She kept an eye on him and he started to become more responsible. The arranged marriage without love soon changed into a loving relationship. They were often seen together in the streets of the village and in the deep marshes.
Serli gave him two sons and a daughter. His two blades and a jewel he was often heard to say. They had been married for seven years and the little village had grown into a fortified city. Stone roads were being built through the marshes now and would soon reach all major arteries within the kingdom. The king had requested his presence, so he kissed Serli and left her with his two sons. Serli wished that their youngest child, a daughter, to be presented to court and learn the ways of a lady.
The trip wasn't all that long and uneventful as they traveled with the caravan. It was peaceful and he often saw his wife in his daughter so he would muse to himself that his wife was still at his side. His brother welcomed them both and he gave his daughter over to the queen as a lady in waiting. Though it would be many years before she would be of a marital age and she would often travel back and forth from home and the court he was sure.
The king asked about any rumors west of the marshes. In all honesty there was little to tell him, it was very peaceful and a somber growing community. Then the king informed him that there was a newly formed kingdom that claimed the marshes. It may have become more of a strategic importance than what was previously thought. Tristan told his brother he would investigate and send him any information that he could find.
The trip home was troubling as he was a little worried. He didn't have the calming effect of his daughter with him. Entering the dark marshes he started to find signs of strife. The road workers had abandoned their work and he started to detect smoke in the air. Tristan left the main road and took to the old animal trails keeping a vigilant eye out for trouble.
He chanced on a clearing where there shouldn't be one. Bodies of warriors burnt by what he thought might have been magic. In the center of the clearing he found bodies of mutilated women. Most were hacked apart and some looked as if they were eaten. All were beheaded and there were no signs of the heads. Only the patches of clothing indicated they were from the women of his city. He wondered if the dead soldiers had discovered a coven of witches that unleashed their magic on them before they in turn were cut down. He found no signs of life anywhere.
Tristan continued on to the city and found the gates open and smoldering. He rushed inside and saw bodies everywhere. Some were of the invading armies and some were the defenders. He was overwrought as he rushed to his home. He found signs of a struggle but could not find his wife or sons.
Grief had taken him as some of the surviving citizens found him. A handful of soldiers from a scouting party just returned to find their loved ones dead and missing just like him. The rest of that night they huddled together and sobbed as they looked for survivors.
Morning found them in the main square with tear-streaked faces. They all collected what weapons they could find and left the city following the trail that led west.
They were just a handful, but all seasoned in warfare and skilled rangers. As they came onto small encampments along the trail, they also found heads of their loved ones on pikes. Hatred filled their eyes as they charged into the enemy and slew them all.
A year had passed and his small band was still-hunting for soldiers with heads on pikes. Their numbers had grown a little and they weren't the men with tears in their eyes anymore. They were hardened killers that invaded dwellings to small cities. Men, women, and children all died at their hands. He had found Serli's head eventually, but no signs of his sons. He had buried her head near a small peaceful stream. When he was finished he looked into the water by the light of a full moon. He no longer saw the face of the man he was once, it was that of a stranger, an Unholy Palatine.