The Elemental Guard #4: I hear the cannons roar, is the Queen approaching?

The Eastern Plains

“Captain!” Yelled the guard on the wall. “Supplies approach, Headmistress is at the head of the column!”

“I knew they were on their way, I didn’t think they would be here already,” the captain said to the stable master. “Find Fort Master Jannick, get the rooms ready for the Headmistress and the Queen.”

The column arrived with a surprise for the captain. “The Queen is not with my column, Captain,” the Headmistress said. “She is still two days behind us. Word reached me at the depot, but this delivery needed to be made so here we are.”

The captain looked amused. “Cici, I haven’t seen you beyond the walls of Falcon’s Ridge in 3 seasons. What are you doing here? Want some extra swords around for a monarch’s visit?” the captain asked.

“Queen, Archer, Queen,” the Headmistress emphasized. “And no, I am not looking to use any weapons when the new Queen is here. We have our schedule, and I wanted to Queen to see that our priority is our service to the Elemental Guard. Additionally, I go lots of places when you aren’t in the city.

The Captain paused. The Headmistress could see the muscles on his face trying to run the scenarios. “You didn’t finish school Captain, stop trying to do the math,” she said.

“How do you know what I learned in school?” the captain hollered performatively, with a fragile layer of outrage.

“I recall the day little Archy left school to join the guard,” Cici said. She looked around the inside of the fort and said, “this place doesn’t strike me as a bastion of education.”

The wives who made the journey giggled while they removed boxes from the wagons. The younger soldiers started to move slowly, not sure how to read the conversation they overheard.

“We are educated by the blood of our enemies,” the captain said, trying to make the best of this verbal sparring match.

“Mmmhmm, my girls spill more blood with the chickens than your boys do with their swords,” the headmistress replied. She didn’t leave time for the captain to reply. “Where are our rooms?” she asked to the nearest soldier, who pointed her toward the main hallway.

The captain, in an effort to salvage something yelled to her as she walked away, “one of the boys broke his nose last week, lots of blood.”

She laughed and raised her hand to acknowledge the attempted redemption. He’d won their last encounter; she would savor this victory.

***

Two of the wives made the trip with the Headmistress. They were off the wagons quickly and moving boxes into the hands of waiting soldiers. Being this was the closest Guard Fort to Falcon’s Ridge, they would have seen most of these soldiers at some point, and some of them in their rooms. “Hallo Love, I can find us a quiet place in the stables before you leave,” one of the soldiers said.

The wife dropped the box she carried on the soldier’s foot and said, “Camilla, my friends call me Camy, something you will not be calling me any time soon.” The box was heavy. The soldier was in pain but was not deterred. “Oh, Camy is a lovely name and you seem like the fun and feisty type, just what I like.”

Camilla, now with her hands free smacked the soldier with all her might. The soldier looked stunned as he fell, off-balance, not expecting to be assaulted by one of the wives. “Are you new here soldier? What is your name?” Camilla asked, but before the soldier could form a word she continued, “No, I don’t care. You there,” she said pointing to one of the soldiers she knew from the Wives’ home. “This man, 4 season. Give his name to the Headmistress before we leave and get him away from us. We’re trying to get this wagon emptied.”

The offending soldier was helped off the ground and was guided away to another part of the fort. When the soldier she asked to do the removal returned, Camy was apologized to, and it was explained that yes, he was new and would be taught manners.

“Youth is no excuse for bad manners, and I wasn’t joking about the 4 seasons,” she said. “Yes, I’ve already told the Stable Master. The headmistress will be made aware before you leave,” the soldier answered, holding his gave down.

“Jordan,” Camy said. “His manners are not your responsibility,” she said.

“I know, but the wives deserve honored treatment, and he is one of us. We failed you today. I am sorry,” Jordan said.

The fort bell started to chime. A gathering was called. The soldiers started to move. Camilla spotted one of the officers and asked for two soldiers to help with the rest of the unloaded. Two soldiers were granted leave to help with the rest of the fort made their way into the hall.

As the two wives and their helpers unloaded the rest of the wagon. The soldiers were briefed on the pending arrival of the new queen. The Soldier’s Knight added a name to the list of those denied entry into the Wives’ Home. The next stop on the Queen’s Tour was soon to be ready for the new monarch’s official visit.