He glared at his captain with eyes full of questions. “Wretrauernej dem, œbe hen schpækenkan wurisk schpake. (We cannot trust them, even if one of them speaks our tongue.)” The experienced warned, naturally paranoid of a band of outsiders.
“Ja, ets unmœjliket kengen eb dejes wirkliket wrebœndedisk aller nej. (Yeah, there’s no way for us to know whether their friend or foe.)” Beside him, a young soldier backed. “Dades wæl dej fœred de fændne heer. (Afterall, they led the enemy here.)” Reminding of what these guests have claimed, he seeded the captain’s mind in doubt.
A fourth joined the party, his hands tense on the pommel of his sword. “Aller, dejes kan fændisk… (Or, they could be the enemy themselves…)” The sergeant grumbled. “Worsigdet bitten, kapidæng. (I beg you take caution, captain.)” He neared the balcony, looking down on the century whose resolute eyes forced him to retreat from their sight.
When his comrade’s hand was brought away from holding him back, the captain sighed as he stared at a corner in contemplation. Whatever it was he chose to do, to follow his heart or the words of his counsel, he had the final say. Pivoting around on his heel, his thumb held onto his belt, his hand tapping on his pockets as he pondered. Slowly, he returned towards the balcony, showing himself over the walls to the perceptive century who noticed his reappearance. But his demeanor was slightly changed. Still, he may have employed some uncertainty, but by the pressure of his sergeant casting his eyes upon him, he seemed to have been coerced to decide in favor of what the majority wished for most.
Gritting his teeth in guilt, the captain’s hands were tensed. “Huisk kamreadne hineeren kannej. (We cannot allow you to enter.)” He had judged and declared.
“Aben… (But…)” Dumbfounded, Julien raised his voice.
“Deres en mœjlik dadesnej siket, wurisk fændne kan warden fer wurisk bœjgdorne œffnger. (We do not know for certain, but our enemy may be waiting for these gates to open.)” The captain interrupted his begging, using the argument of his aides to trick himself into believing so too. “Ets en risket wretrauer fremdiskne. (It would be a gamble to trust any outsiders.)” Hoping that the corporal would agree, he explained with patience.
In disbelief, who had thought that their passage was all but secured, his work had been unwinded by the immoral counsel the gatehouse commander had received. “Wrewægen huisk hineer es sœjnden, weres wundednæsk— (You cannot possibly deny our access, we have wounded—)” Julien was visibly rattled from the quickened pace of his words as he repeated his urgency.
“Ruhen hu! (Silence!)” The voice of a commander finally surfaced despite never wanting to have needed to yell. “Schpækennej! (We will speak no more!)” They were denied by the captain who was growing more steadfast in his decision.
The walls and the century fell silent from the murmurs and their eyes were diverted towards the captain. Except for the sea breeze, none on either side dared make a sound.
Seeing the power that he wielded by voice alone, he was committed to his act. “Umdreer huisk kamreadne und gæwæden. (Turn your men around and be away.)” As negotiations had soured to a point of no return, demands began to fly. “Haller kan nonde leber. (You may yet live.)” Then, out of his unusual behavior he suddenly uttered.
His arm was raised straight toward the heavens as he calmed himself and commanded his troops who had waited for his answer. The entire line of garrisoned soldiers along the walls, hundreds in numbers, drew their rifles and stuck its barrels out of the crenels. They pulled back on the bolt of their rifles and loaded in their rounds. Clacks and pings of the mechanism rang out across the front and locked in their chamber were their bullets primed to be set alight. Aimed at the century, their finger laying on the trigger guard, the defenders of the strait held their position expecting another order soon. The Aelon flinched on seeing their allies turn their guns at themselves and having seen the dramatic reversal in their relations from one bordering neutrality to one of antagonism. On guard, the eighty instinctively drew their own weapons, whether they were hunting rifles or bows, and were prepared to hold their ground even if their lives could be taken meaninglessly.
Although it was unplanned for their talks to have taken this turn, the lieutenant-elect maintained his composure. “Wait, don’t.” Arminius assured his comrades that all was well.
But the sight of the threat was displeasing enough. To have marched for nearly a week, through blood and mud, and needing to sleep with an eye open in the sludge and snow for a stalking pack of wolves could have been preying behind them, to have bore the fatigue and near-starvation, only to be greeted by unfriendly faces, anyone would have been agitated at the very least. Knowing that behind them was certain death, there was only forward that concerned them. Even if they were to fight their own allies who outnumbered the century by a dishonorable margin, they needed passage, whether the walls had to be scaled or that the gates had to be knocked down, retreat was not an option.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YseUGlp14
and then Add to home screen.