Being Prepared
By: Kadiskas
Kadiskas was becoming a fine warrior. As the years went by she would train with her father, Keveras, in the training ring everyday. Some days she would beat him but mostly she would lose but she was getting better. She didn't look like the same little scrawny elf she used to be. Now, at the age of 16, she was changing into a grown elf. The boys all gave her attention but she did not think about them. She knew she could best any one of them in the dueling ring. She was making her way to the training ring to meet her father there right now, as she had been everyday for ten years. Then she saw something out of the corner of her eye, turning to look she saw an invasion of enemies riding down the hill towards the encampment. Turning and sprinting to the training ring her father looks up as she runs in. 'Father, enemies are coming towards the encampment.' Pointing in the direction she saw them coming. He looks up at her as they hear a horn blow over the encampment and says calmly 'Go to the blacksmith and wait for me there.' She nods as he runs off towards their tent.
She quickly makes her way to where she was told to go, passing soldiers who were hurriedly getting ready for the oncoming battle. Wishing to herself that she would be there with them. Kadiskas stops for a minute to look for the enemy. They had made it halfway down the hill already but there were few soldiers there to start forming a barrier between them and the encampment. She spots her father and remembers what he told her to do. She comes upon the blacksmith seeing a solider standing there waiting for his axe that is being fixed. Walking in she nods to the blacksmith as he glances at her and makes her way to the forge. She starts pumping air into it to make it hotter knowing what to do.
Handing the solider his axe the blacksmith turns to her and smiles, 'Thank you Kadiskas, I would have gotten to it eventually had I not gotten busy all of a sudden.' Kadiskas nods with a smile, 'Its ok, Xaniqos, my father told me to come here till he gets done with the invasion of enemies that are coming.' Xaniqos just nods as he picks up a piece of metal, inspecting it. 'Aye and I thought we were hidden well in these hills, someone must have been followed.' He places the metal into the forge as Kadiskas works on the pump. 'My father thinks I'm not ready to go into battle yet.' Her face getting red from the heat of the forge. Xaniqos shrugs his shoulders at her words, 'He is your father Kadiskas. He will know when it is the right time for you to go into battle with him.' She nods continuing to heat the forge.
As the sun starts to fade, Keveras makes his way to the blacksmith. Dirty and tired, his armor looking like it took a few hits but his sword and shield are covered with the enemies blood. Upon seeing Kadiskas, working with the blacksmith, he just stands there and watches her work on a piece of armor with the blacksmith. His face takes on the look of a father as he watches her work, realizing that he can't keep her from it any longer. With a grunt he hefts up his shield and walks towards her, nodding to the blacksmith. 'Thank you Xaniqos.' Hearing her fathers voice behind her, she turns and grins 'Father, you made it. How was it? How many of them were there? Were you able to capture any? What happened to your armor?' She sees a big dent in the front right hand side of it. With a frowns she inspects it, then looks up at her father. 'Your going to have to get that fixed, you know.' Keveras smiles softly and nods 'Yes I know but right now I would like to head to our tent and relax. You can bring it with you when you come here tomorrow.'
With a nod to her father and a wave of thanks to Xaniqos, she picks up her fathers shield and starts off towards their tent. While they walk they pass the soldiers that were on the battlefield. Some walking in, others being carried in on stretchers. Looking at her father she is thankful that he made back safely. She sends a silent prayer up to the vigil then looks ahead and notices a team of horses being harnessed up a cart, knowing what that meant. 'How many were lost father?' Out of the corner of her eyes she sees his face become downcast as he answers. 'A grave number. It seems that they have gotten stronger. We were able to fight them back but its like they take our blood and bone to make themselves stronger.' They were silent the rest of the way to the tent.
As they reach the tent her father lets out a sigh as he sits down on a stump of wood, another beside it, taller, for a wash area. Keveras sets down his sword on the ground and starts to work on taking off his leg armor. Kadiskas goes into the tent to retrieve a pail of water, which she had gotten earlier that day, a basin and a few rags. Setting the basin on the wash area she pours the water into the basin. Grabbing a rag, she dips it into the water and kneels down to start cleaning her fathers shield. 'Kad,' her father begins with her nickname, 'Here are the answers to your questions. First it was a battle. You can only take from battle the knowledge, that if the vigil wills it, you have lived another day and that you will find death wherever it goes.' He gets his leg plates off and sets them down. Starting to work on his shoulder pads he continues 'Your second question, there were to many to count as I said before it seems they are getting stronger and as you could tell more bold about fighting us in our haven. Which leads to the third. We could not take one captive for when they found they were being beaten back they were called back from wherever they came from. I do not know how they did it but it is just an example of how strong they are becoming.'
Finally getting his shoulder pads off he begins to loosen his breastplate ties calling for her to help. Kadiskas stands and helps him get it over his head and sets it down next to his shield. Going back to work on the shield she nods saying 'I wish I could be out there with you father so that I could see what you do and experience those things.' Keveras frowns at his daughters words as he pulls of his chain mail shirt and his padded jacket. Now in just his linens he pulls off his boots with a sigh and says softly, 'Kad, you must understand that even though you are training to be a warrior you must not think that going into battle is full of glory and honor. Most enemies will cut you down quickly if you are not prepared.' He dips his hand in the water to wash up, splashing water on his face and chest. Feeling he is clean enough he grabs a rag and some oil that was beside the stump and picks up his sword to start cleaning the blood, now dried, off of it. 'But I will tell you this. I believe you are ready to get your own armor and weaponry. As to when you will use I do not know but you will at least be prepared.'
Kadiskas stops what she is doing and looks her father, her face brightening as his darkens with the idea of her going into battle. Inside she is excited and even though her eyes show it her face does not. 'Thank you father. I will do my best in making my armor and my sword. I will be ready for the battles to come.' 'See that you do.' Her father says still cleaning his sword. She turns back to cleaning his armor, daydreaming about her armor and the sword and shield she will be getting. She can not wait for the time that she will be beside her father on the battlefield, but little does she know that when that day comes it will be tragic.