The Messenger: A Hailgalad Story

Another morning on the road gave a harsh greeting to the riders as they were awoken by a commotion in the house. It sounded like someone was throwing around pieces of metal and singling some unfamiliar tune. The modest build of the home allowed for sound to travel freely up to their room.

"What is going on?" Frits said with a yawn, still half sleep.

Jon fell out of his bed with a large thud which prompted an end to the noises.

“Eager to start the day, huh Jon?” Eva said with a stretch and a chuckle. "It is about time we get going."

Jon, Eva, and Frits quickly packed their things and straightened out their beds. In the light of day, it was clear by the dust and clutter this room had not been used in some time, but it more than served its purpose. After all was in order, the three filed down the tight staircase.

"Good morning, royal messengers!" a joyous and musical voice rang out.

A tall and strong woman with dark hair stood in the kitchen, cooking eggs and venison. The area was a mess with various bowls and prepared food strewn about. Regardless, the meal seemed to be an incredible feast.

"Come and have a seat, I will not take no for an answer."

Frits and Jon looked to Eva, who said with a smile, "The sun is just barely rising. I think we can spare some more time before we are off."

"Great, breakfast!" the man from last night barged into the house.

In the light of day they could see he was a tall, skinny man with a big brown beard and short hair. He was still covered in dust as he walked to the table. Frits could see that the man had a slight limp that was no doubt from many years of work.

"You will not come in here with that mess on your clothes! Outside with you!" the woman shouted.

The man rolled his eyes and gave a sheepish smile, but obliged and left the home. After a good shake of his clothes, he came back in with his arms wide.

"There, all better now."

She smiled and shook her head.

”How was the mill, dear?" the woman asked as they all sat down around their worn table.

"Just fine, we are ahead of schedule for the next shipment to the capital," he said as he returned a smile. He turned to the three guests, "How did we sleep?"

"Fantastic," Frits said in between bites of the food. The hot meal invigorated his soul. "We cannot thank you enough for your hospitality."

"Anything for Hailgalad," the woman said. "I know it is a small thing, but we try to do what we can to better the world we live in and to help those we meet. We cannot all be great movers of this earth, but we can make our part of it a little brighter."

The two woodsmen looked and each other and smiled while they held hands across the table. Frits gave a grin as he thought of Sasha and his family.

After the couple had offered Jon, Frits, and Eva more than they could ever eat and the three messengers had thanked their hosts many times over, they had to depart.

"Frostwatch by midday," Eva said as Jon and Frits cheered.

"I suspect we will be back this way many times during the course of our work," Frits said to them. "Maybe next time we will bring some things from the capital for you to show our appreciation."

"Well, you three are the sweetest," the woman said as she embraced him.

With this, they all left the quaint home. The messengers to their horses and the road. The couple to the mill that was bustling with sounds, just as it did last night.

"I wonder if they ever sleep," Jon said as he watched them go. "That mill is always running and there cannot be that many people that live here."

"You need to work to eat," Eva replied. "Life is not easy, especially out here, but they seem to hold it together better than most."

"I do admire their idealism and kind heartedness. Maybe it is their difficult lives that mold them to cherish the good times and helping others," Frits said thoughtfully as they loaded their packs on their horses.

"Whatever it is, I am glad for the food," Jon said with a pat on his stomach.

They all laughed in unison as they mounted their horses and started on the Northwood once more.

***

The road was straight and true to Frostwatch from this point. The trees seemed to grow even older as the forest steadily rose in height. As they rode along, four people dressed in animal skins walked out onto the cobblestone path. They had light packs and were armed with bows. The travelers looked to be causally walking, but got nervous and formed in a tight bunch when they spotted the riders.

"Good morning," Frits said, still beaming from the beautiful morning air and breakfast that warmed his heart.

None of them spoke, but one stepped forward, bow in hand.

"Easy there," Eva said. "Are you from Frostwatch? We are riders of our king and queen. Please be on your way and let be on our's."

The man who had his bow out looked dirty and had a scraggly beard. His teeth were clenched and he looked at the riders with a strange hatred. Frits' stomach turned at the sight of him.

Jon drew his sword, which prompted both his companions and the opposing group to flinch. The man unsheathed an arrow and notched it.

"Jon, stand down," Eva shouted as she raised her hand.

Tension shook through Frits as he froze, unsure sure what he should do. A fight seemed imminent, but, at the same time, he was baffled about why. He decided it would be best to remain calm and still as the stare down between the two groups continued.

After a moment, Jon lowered his weapon while one of the travelers put their hand on the man's shoulder. With a grunt, he put the arrow back in his quiver. Them, without a word, the people in animal skins were headed back into the woods.

The three riders sat there for a time, completely confused by what had happened.

"They did not look like people from Frostwatch," Eva said as they started to move forward again.

Jon scanned the forest anxiously, but all traces of them were gone.

"Should we follow them?" he asked nervously. "Has this ever happened for you before, Eva?

"Never," Eva said as she too scanned the foliage. "No harm was done and we would waste too much time tracking them down. It was probably a group of woodsmen that have been away from society for too long."

A shiver ran up Frits' spine as he replayed the encounter in his mind.

"Let us keep moving," Frits finally said. "Frostwatch is close."

Within a few more hours of riding, they saw a clearing of trees up the Northwood.

"Gentlemen, we have made it," Eva affirmed.

The densely planted trees gave way to a sturdy wooden wall and gate that was laced with iron. While the difference in enormity to the capital was obvious, these fortifications were still impressive to behold. Silver armored guards stood atop the walls. When they spotted the three riders, a clear high horn blew to mark their arrival. Almost simultaneously, the heavy oak gates opened with a groan and a thud. An advance party of three rode out to meet them.

The leader of the advance party was a woman who bore no helm, but wore the typical steel armor of Hailgalad's armies. She also did not wear a tunic, but her armor seemed to be more padded than those at the capital.

This was no doubt due to the colder weather in these parts, Frits thought.

As he thought this, a chill air hit him that felt to have come down from the White Mountains. He shivered and looked up to see the white, jagged peaks looming over the forest canopy.

"Hello there, welcome to Frostwatch. Welcome back Eva," the soldier nodded in Eva's direction. "I am Greta, one of the captains of the Frostwatch walls. May I have your names?"

Frits was surprised the captain remembered Eva. She had only been here a couple of times and many different messengers must pass through the town. In the capital, many would forget you the second you left their presence. That was the charm of these places, you were more than just a face to forget. He looked at Greta who stared at him confused and impatiently.

With a sudden realization, he quickly said, "Hello, I am Frits, royal messenger to King Edward and Queen Melanie."

"I am Jon, escort of the royal messenger," Jon said with a slight bow.

"Good to see you, Greta," Eva said with a smile. "How is life at the watch?"

"Good, it is good. Quiet, but I am grateful for that," Greta said as she and her two guards turned about and led the three riders into the town.

There was around one hundred feet from the wall of trees to the walls of the down. A short field of tall grass separated the two worlds. They passed through the gates to reveal the town of Frostwatch.

Although it was a major settlement of Hailgalad, it reminded Frits more of the woodsmen communities than the capital. Many of the buildings were wooden, made of oak. There was a brown monotone across the area. In the distance, Frits spied the fortress towering above everything else, much like the palace in Hailgrad, in the distance. Besides a shrine to Areandel, it appeared to be the only thing built entirely from stone.

"We will get you to the fortress to meet with Everand. She will want to speak with you a while. Nothing major from what I can gather, but she has an upcoming council meeting. After, we can go to the Forest Refuge. The innkeeper, Marlon, will get you sorted with food if you are to be on your way today, or accommodations if you are set to stay," Greta explained.

"We will be on our way before long," Eva replied before the others could speak.

Greta laughed, "Yes, yes the bonus. Cannot pass up on that free coin!"

The group made their way through the town roads that had a good deal more traffic than Frits expected. A group of hunters dressed in a dark green marched past them with a cart of two slain elk. Other townsfolk were mending baskets and meshing yarn to make what looked to be rugs.

While they were in the town, it still felt as if they were in the middle of the forest with oak and spruce trees lining the roads. Birds danced between buildings and trees.

Frits took in a large inhale and smiled, "This is quite a peaceful place."

"Yes it is. I lucked out in my placement," Greta said proudly. "Also, Everand is a great leader. You will see for yourself."

After a short ride, they made it to the fortress gates that were already open. Frits was surprised at how similar its build was to the palace. It was, of course, not as grand as the home of their king and queen, but the large stone structure was clearly designed to be similar to it in its layout.

Frits felt like he was home with the stone embrace of the courtyard. It was a stark contrast to the natural beauty of the nature-filled town. They traveled through the courtyard where they followed Greta's lead to the stables and dismounted their steeds. Frits gave Taunten an extra pat as a handler took him off to be given food and water.

"Are those bears?" Jon asked in shock as he pointed at two large brown bears by the stables.

"Yes," Greta said with a smile as she went over and gave one of them a couple of pats and scratches. "We have a few in our ranks that are able to bond with them, much like Baldric, the great general. Now come, we are expected."

The group proceeded through more open doors and into the great hall of the fortress. It was empty, but Greta kept moving to the terrace on the back side of the hall. There, a tall and proud woman with long white hair stood with two others that were clad much like Greta, only with black tunics. They were pouring over a few maps and discussing various routes on them. From what Frits could tell, they looked to focused on a route to a smaller northern village to the west.

They came out onto the terrace and felt the cold, fall air blow in their faces. It was a refreshing surge that tickled down Frits' spine. As if the wind announced their arrival, the woman turned to the approaching group with her arms wide.

"There are my messengers. Made great time I see," she smiled as Frits reached into his satchel and removed the scrolls.

"Please accept this news from our king and queen," Frits said with as dignified a voice as he could muster. As the governor grabbed the scrolls, he added, "King Edward and Queen Melanie are looking forward to your attendance of the Festival of the Fifth Tree next month."

The encounter with the travelers on the road flashed in Frits' mind, but he did not bring it up to Everand.

That is too insignificant of a thing to tell a governor of Hailgalad, he thought.

"Ah yes, the fifth tree. A tedious affair, but then I do get to catch up with Baldric. I commanded him when he was a lowly captain, long ago. Did you know that?" Everand gave a smile as she thumbed through the documents.

"I did not," Frits responded, unsure if the question was rhetorical.

He stood there uncomfortably trying not to fidget. Everand chucked to herself as she flipped through some of the scrolls.

After a short time, she looked up, "That was a time long ago, long ago. Come, let us go through the news," Everand said and led them to a circle of chairs.

They, along with Greta and the two captains, joined her on the terrace as she continued to read through the scrolls. She would mutter some words, then continued onward.

Finally, Frits asked, "My lord, are we able to hear this news? Aren't these for your eyes only?"

"There are no secrets in my house," Everand replied. Frits clearly looked uncomfortable, like he was breaking some sort of rule and disobeying his king and queen. Everand gave him a smile and continued, "The king and queen are well aware of this. I am not sure how the other governors run their territory, but I wish to get other's thoughts on important matters before I make decisions. Besides, if there is something in here that needs immediate response, I better get it to the three of you."

"It looks like the border dispute is wrapping up. Well, that is not news, it has been wrapping up a hundred different times in my lifetime. Then we have production details from the Iron Mountain. I swear they fall every season. Someone has to get that Sylvester in line," Everand was speaking as it to herself, but it was loud enough for the people to hear.

After a while, she looked up. "Sorry, easier to speak through things aloud. It really helps to ground things, you should try it yourselves sometime."

Frits smiled and looked to his two companions. They both had looks on their faces as if they they too were wondering when this would be over and they could be on their way.

Finally, Everand said, "Looks like they also said a sickness has sprouted up in the palace. Only two sick? Hardly newsworthy, but our Queen Melanie is known for being thorough."

With this, she got up and walked back into the hall. The others followed closely behind. She grabbed a bundle of documents from a table and walked over to Frits.

"Here are my scrolls for our king and queen. Mainly routine operations. We have had a larger than normal production of copper and gold from our northern settlements. That should be good news for them. The metals will be on their way to the capital in the next month. In other news, the northfolk tribes in the White Mountains have been curiously active between one another. We are keeping an eye on it, but it is all in the report. Nothing that will be a shock to them, I assure you."

"Thank you, my lord," Frits said as he took the scrolls and placed them in his satchel. He breathed a sigh of relief. Everand was kind, but he was ready to be on his way.

“It is my pleasure. Now, if you are not going to stay the night, you must at least go to the Forest Refuge for a quick meal. I would say try the ale, but I know your rules." Everand said as she put her hands up. "Anyway, that is an order. I would join you, but I have other business to attend to."

"Yes, my lord," they said in unison as they bowed and placed their right fists over their hearts. Everand did that same as Greta led them out of the hall.

***

"She is truly a genuine person. A little long-winded, but genuine," Frits said as they walked in the courtyard.

"One of the kindest and most experienced leaders that our kingdom has," Greta said proudly. "We are lucky to have her."

"To the Forest Refuge?" Jon asked hastily, ready for another meal.

"I really think we should be going," Eva said. "We can reach that woodsmen settlement by nightfall if we keep a steady pace. The faster we keep to our task, the quicker we will be home."

"Frits," Jon looked to him. "You are the lead royal messenger after all."

Frits was torn. On one hand, he did wish to be home to his family and Sasha. On the other, the thought of getting back on his horse right away was not appealing. He was also eager to see more of the town before they were on their way.

"Come one, Eva. One small meal and we will be off," he asked.

"Alright," Eva rolled her eyes.

"You can leave the horses here and I can tell the stable-master to deliver them to the inn so you can save some time," Greta said.

"Thank you," Eva said. "Why don't you come with us, Greta?"

"I suppose I could spare a few minutes before heading back to the walls," she said with a smile.

***

The inside of the inn was dark, but had a comfortable atmosphere of a good friend's home. The warm environment and cozy fire lightened their spirits that were dampened during their way to the fortress. During that short walk, the beautiful, sunny day had turned cloudy and a light snow began to fall.

"It is getting to be about that time of year," the innkeeper said with a shake of his head as they walked in. "Before long, we will have snow on the ground! Hello, I am Marlon, the keeper of the Forest Refuge. Hello Greta."

He was an older, large man who wore an apron and had a bushy, dark beard.

"Hello, I am Frits, and this is Eva and Jon," Frits said with delight as his senses were invaded with the alluring smells of delicious food.

The shiver of cold quickly wore off as they were embraced by the friendly atmosphere.

Marlon quickly went in the back and came out with four plates that were heaping with meat, potatoes, and carrots.

"No one goes hungry at the refuge," Marlon said as he slapped the plates down. "Now I can see you are messengers of the crown, so I will be back with some nicely brewed tea. It will do you good on your journey home."

"Thank you," they all said in unison as the man shuffled to the back once more.

"Did you both know that Eva and I went through training in the army together," Greta said as she took in a mouthful of food.

Frits and Jon both looked at Eva, "We did not. It explains how you recognized her though."

"We recognize most that come this way since there aren't many of you, but yes we did. We were always in a competition to outdo one another from swordsmanship to classes in military history. In the end, Eva beat me out and got her pick to go to the front lines. I was assigned to Frostwatch."

"Little did we know that you got the better deal," Eva said dryly.

"Everything happens for a reason," Greta said. "The future is uncertain and I am sure everything will work out for each of us. As they say Areandel has a plan."

Greta smiled and grabbed her old friend's hand. Eva returned a half-smile.

"One can hope," Eva replied with an unsure tone. "How is life here?"

"Quiet mostly," Greta responded. "We have a lot of time for studies and practice. Nothing dangerous on a large scale has happened in this part of the kingdom for so long, but we must always be prepared. I have gotten out on the trails from time to time. The forest brings a great deal of peace. You should try it sometime."

"Maybe one day," Eva sighed as she pushed her food around.

"Maybe one day you will not be so fixated on that bonus and we can spend some more time catching up," Greta shot back. "Anyway, there does not seem to be any rest for you in the future. One day you will slow down."

Greta gave her old friend and jab with her elbow.

"Do you think we should have told Everand about travelers?" Frits asked as the question pressed in his mind ever since their audience with the governor."

"What travelers?" Greta asked curiously.

"Four strange people in animal skins were crossing the road a way south," Eva started. "They had a strange look about them. Things almost turned ugly, but calmer heads prevailed."

Jon looked down as Eva shot him a knowing look.

Greta's eyes narrowed, "Strange. Dressed in animal skins?"

Eva looked hard at her old friend, "Yes, why?"

"Any rangers or hunter we have in these parts are typically dressed in green cloth," Greta paused in thought. "Well, you brought it up to me and I will be sure we keep an eye out."

After a while of eating and talking about times that had passed, Eva got up to stretch her legs and peered out a window.

After a gasp, she said suddenly, "I cannot believe it, look outside! How long have we been in here? It is already nightfall."

"Impossible, we have not even been in here an hour," Greta retorted as she came up behind her.

They left the inn to see that it was, in fact, as dark as night. As they stood there in confusion, they could hear a commotion on the northern part of the town.

"What matter of storm is this?" Marlon asked as he came outside to join the others. "It is only midday."

They all peered north when they heard an ominous sound. A sound that felt like a great doom shadowing over their hearts. It was the deep booming of drums rolling in the distance.