[Mkguild] MK Story - Second Steps - part 1

[Christian Okane]

   Here we go with another MK story. Part 1.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome!

   Chris
   The Lurking Fox




Second Steps
By Christian O'Kane

   This is set in the spring of 708.



   Knock, knock, knock.

   Knock, knock, knock.

   "He'll never hear you if you knock like that. You have to hit harder."

   BAM! BAM! BAM!

   "George wake up, this is important!" a woman's voice ordered.

   Behind the wooden door a large, plush bed sat in the middle of a well
appointed bedroom. It was piled high with blankets.

   BAM! BAM! BAM!

   Amidst the blankets a figure stirred slowly.

   BAM! BAM! BAM!

   From underneath the blankets a tan, canine head appeared and stared at
the door. "Who is it?"

   "It's Diane. Wake up. This is important George."

   "You take care of it, you're the assistant patrol master," the jackal
under the blankets mumbled.

   "Misha wants to talk to you," Diane answered.

   George muttered a curse under his breath. "All right I'm coming." The
figure in the bed sat bolt upright and then swung his legs out and put his
paws on the tile floor. Lighting a candle revealed a short, thin canine. He
stood up and stretched to work out the kinks. George was nude except for a
pair of shorts, but his fur kept him from being cold. The canines fur was
tan darkening to black along his spine. Many gray hairs were mixed in among
the black and tan.

   Moving to the door he opened it and found a woman dressed in blue robes
there. 

   "What is it?" he asked.

   "Misha wants to see you in his office right away. He said it's about the
green guy," Diane explained.

   George nodded. "All right. I'll be there as soon as I'm dressed."


******************


   Rickkter saw a figure out of the corner of his eye. It was just a
momentary glimpse of green and a flash of silver and gold going down a side
corridor. Usually he would pay it no mind but with the sighting came a
smell. A most familiar smell. It was the sharp tang of a lutin. Nothing else
smelled quite so foul or unwashed as one of those little green monsters.

   With the memory of the Yule tide attack fresh in every one's mind a lutin
in the keep was serious matter. Something that had to be taken care of.
Rickkter drew a dagger from his belt and moved off in the direction the
lutin had taken,

   Moving swiftly he caught sight of the lutin just before it turned a
corner. He got a better look creature. This lutin was taller then most,
about five and a half foot high. Man sized. It was dressed in a full length,
purple robe was edged in gold and silver. Dangling from a belt at his hip
was a scimitar. Flanking the green skinned intruder were two keepers that
Rickkter recognized. One was Padraic and the other was Danielle.

   "Very interesting," Rickkter said to himself. What is this lutin doing
here? If he was a prisoner why is he still carrying a weapon. And if he
isn't a prisoner what is he doing here? The raccoon slowly put his weapons
away and stealthily crept forward.


   He came to the corner and carefully looked around it. The corridor beyond
was empty. No lutin or no Long Scout escorts. The only thing that caught
Rickkter's eye was a door close to him. On it was painted the axe and bow
emblem of the Long Scouts.

   He silently crept up to the door and put his ear to the wood and
listened.

   "Exactly what does your chief want?" came a muffled voice that Rickkter
recognized as belonging to Misha.

   "Peace," came the simple answer from an unknown voice. That must be the
lutin. "You don't attack us and we don't attack you."

   "Simple and to the point," came another voice that Rickkter thought could
belong to George the Patrol master.

   "But he wishes to meet you Misha and the Duke face to face," came the
lutin voice.

   "Why?" Misha asked.

   "Great leaders must meet face to face," came the answer. "One cannot
trust a bargain made through messengers who can lie or twist the message
they carry."

   "I don't believe you," came Misha's blunt reply. "It's simply an excuse
to ambush us both."

   George held up a hand and silenced the fox. "The decision on such a
meeting is not ours to make. The Duke will have to decide that."

   "The truce is still in effect?" the lutin asked.

   "Of course," Misha answered. "Both our people need the break. But I don't
believe in meeting face to face. It's too dangerous."

   "My great leader expected that and he is willing to give you proof of his
sincerity. They will be arriving tomorrow at the castle you call Outpost."

   "They?" Misha asked calmly.

   "When you believe us then we will you be willing to talk?" the lutin
asked.

   "Yes," George answered. "But until then we believe nothing."

   "What do you think Rickkter?" Misha asked loudly.

   The raccoon froze for a moment then opened the door and stepped inside.
"I don't believe them. "This is a trick to keep us from killing them."

   "I agree," Misha added. "But they have upheld the truce all these months
so they have earned the fair chance to talk."

   "But the Duke has to decide not you or me," George said calmly repeating
himself.

   "When will the Duke decide?" the lutin asked.

   George shrugged. "It will probably take a while to actually decide but
you'll have his answer before night fall."

   The lutin nodded his head. "I understand."


********************************


   "This is a unique opportunity to finally see some peace but we will wait
and see what this proof is before I decide," Thomas commented.

   "What could this proof be?" Misha asked. "He seemed very self assured
that we would agree."

   George shrugged. "No telling but if it is a trick they are going to a
great deal of effort for it."

   "This chief might be telling the truth. After all we did defeat Nasoj.
That left a large power vacuum," Rickkter commented. "A vacuum that only
Metamor can fill."

   "This chief is trying to fill that vacuum himself," Thomas commented. "He
has been gathering quite a few of the tribes under his control."

   "Ten by my last count," Andwyn commented. "Also at least as many are
paying him tribute."

   "He took Wraiths Stronghold by assault!" Misha commented.

   "He is rebuilding Wraiths Stronghold," Andwyn added.

   Thomas nodded. "That alone makes him dangerous."

   "Either we make him an ally or we kill him," the bat said simply.

   The fox nodded. "Agreed but let's talk to him BEFORE you poison him."

   "He doesn't poison everyone," Rickkter commented.

   "No. He has me and others do his killing," Misha said coldly.

   "I do what needs to be done to protect Metamor and the Duke," Andwyn said
calmly. "My only loyalty is to the Duke."

   "Now is not the time for a discussion on morality," Thomas intoned
harshly. "But Andwyn's loyalty is not the subject here. We are here to
consider the Lutins offer. Do we trust him?"

   "No," Misha and Andwyn both said at the same time.

   "But we have to give him a chance," George added. "We cannot keep
fighting the lutins forever."

   "Agreed," Thomas nodded. "We cannot miss this opportunity."


************************


   "How long have you and the Lutins had a truce?" Rickkter asked.

   The raccoon morph and the fox morph were seated in Mishas office one on
either side of his desk. Between them on the desk was a bottle of wine.

   "Officially since last March," Misha explained as he sipped the wine.
"But there was a live and let live policy in effect since right after the
Yule attack."

   "So much has changed while I was away," the raccoon commented.

   The fox scout nodded slowly. "Oh yes! Some good, some bad. It started
simple at first. Lutin raids into the valley almost completely stopped due
to the harsh winter. When spring finally arrived the Lutins did not start
raiding. And when there was a raid it was surprisingly bloodless. More like
cattle rustling."

   The two were sitting in Misha's office in Long hall. Rickkter had his
feet propped up on Misha's desk.

   "And how did it become official?" the raccoon asked.

   "March 4th," the fox answered. "A cavalry patrol of Andres unit was
moving down a road when a voice called out from the woods. "We want to talk,
the voice said. "We call a truce. You not attack us of the Sharp Fang tribe
and we won't attack you," Misha said in an oddly husky tone.

   "What happened?" Rickkter asked.

   "They came back and Andre told me. I came out and spoke with the Lutins
myself."

   "You met with the Lutins?"

   "Oh yes! It was a subchief. One of the chief's sons! That alone impressed
me," the fox exclaimed. "The agreement is simple. They stay out of the
valley and leave us alone and we stay out of the territory and leave us
alone. Since then they have honored the agreement very well."

   "Amazing," Rickkter commented.

   The fox nodded. "I'm surprised they have honored the agreement this
long."

   "I am surprised both sides have honored it for this long," the raccoon
warrior commented dryly.

   "Both sides?" Misha asked. "A lot of people here at Metamor just want
peace."

   "And a lot want revenge," Rickkter countered and took a deep drink.

  Misha shook his head. "But not me. I've seen too much killing. All I want
is to live and raise a family in peace."

   Rickkter nodded. "Many people do but the lutins have been attacking
Metamor for millennia. Why should it change now?"

   The fox shrugged. "Perhaps because it's long over do."


************************


   The castle that stood before them had a long and checkered past, some
good but mostly bad. Originally it had been a base for a legion of the
Seuilman army when it first occupied the valley. Then it had been nothing
more than an area of flat ground surrounded by a low bank with a wall on top
and a shallow ditch. It had been intended only for a few days of occupation
before the legion moved northward to conquer the Giantdowns. But the death
of an emperor and the subsequent power struggle had halted the legion. The
walls of wood had been replaced by those of stone. The ditch was broadened
and deepened. When the massive wall later generations called the Giants Dike
had been built it was decided to make this place a major defense point of
the army. It's walls were strengthened and pushed higher. Strong towers were
added all along its length and the ditch converted into a wide moat with
water.

   For many long years that fortress had served its purpose, playing host to
generations of soldiers who guarded and maintained the wall. But times
change and the valley is a long way from the capitol. Emperors who cared
more about their own enemies then about the empires slowly pulled the troops
out. Little by little the fortress was emptied of soldiers who marched south
out of the valley and never returned. Soon a mere handful of men were left
to guard the wall. Still those warriors left were loyal and continued to
protect the lands to the south of the wall.

   But soon there were not enough troops to hold and the massive wall was
breached and could not be retaken. Lutins by tens of thousands flooded
through the valley and laid waste to all within reach. Those that could fell
back upon the fortress and fought bitterly as wave after wave of attacks
washed over it. For a time they held the attackers at bay. The corpses of
many Lutins and other foul creatures lay heaped beneath the stone walls of
the fortress. But that time soon ended as there were too few defenders and
far too many attackers. The fortresses walls were eventually breached the
same as the Dikes great wall had been and everything within laid waste.

   The victors soon moved on to the richer lands to the south and the ruined
fortress had been forgotten. In time tall trees and thick bushes grew amidst
the tumbled down walls and burnt wreckage.

   In time the victorious Lutins were themselves eventually defeated and
driven back north. But the Empire was shattered beyond repair and no one saw
fit to repair the great wall. The Great wall was abandoned forever but the
fortress wasn't. The trees and bushes were cut down and the debris removed.
The walls and towers were repaired and again soldiers guarded and lived in
the fortress. But these soldiers were no longer legionnaires of the empire.
They wore the rampant stallion of the Dukes of Metamor. Inside the walls
where there had once been a legions hone was now a prosperous town. But fate
was not done with the fortress. In 699 the lutins again attacked and again
the defenders fought valiantly but it was all futile. the fortress lay empty
for only a short time before The troops of the Duke this time led by George
and Misha retook the place. Since then under the leadership of Nestorius the
mage the town had prospered. From its walls scouts and troops controlled the
entire western half of the valley. Killing raiders and keeping the lands and
people safe.

   Misha and George arrived shortly after dawn. The griffon settled into the
courtyard of the castle mindful of the closely confining walls nearby.
Waiting for him was a woman dressed in armor. Her blonde hair was cut short,
close to her head.

   "When did they arrive Marcia?" Misha asked as he dismounted.

   "Less than two hours ago," the woman answered. "With an escort of no less
the forty Lutins and an ogre."

   "Actually there were twenty five prisoners in the group," Marcia
explained.

   George climbed from the saddle. "Where are they now?"

   "In the Hospital," came the answer. "Some were in pretty rough shape."

   "There are wagons and riders headed here from the Keep," George said
calmly. "With a score of healers and others to help."

   Marcia smiled. "Good we need the help."

   "I want to see them right now," Misha ordered.

   "Where are the Lutins and the ogre?" George asked.

   "They've set up camp outside the walls.. Out of arrow range," Marcia
explained. "We gave them some food and drink and they seem happy."

   "You are watching them carefully?" Misha asked as they walked.

   "Sir Dupre' is there now with a score of knights watching them."

   "One of my Long teams is headed here by air," the fox explained. "They're
about an hour behind us and they'll have some emergency supplies with them."


End part 1


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