InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ In the Kingdom of the Buck ❯ King Shrewd's Fear ( Chapter 2 )

After thoroughly searching the clearing, but finding no more sign of the wounded something than the blood, up-turned leaves and the arrow shaft, he whistled to his horse. He mounted, shaking his head, puzzled, and spurred the steed tin the direction of the caravan. He had been so certain that that, whatever it was, had been human but now he wasn't so sure. He had obviously wounded it badly, but it had still managed to get away.

`M'Lord needs know of this.'

*

Back in the clearing, beneath the root of a large tree, a girl lay stunned.

`Did that just happen? Did that horse just…talk?'

She was immediately called back to the physical world when a small movement sent a firecracker of pain throughout her entire body. Breathing hurt beyond belief; moving seemed impossible. But judging by the light cast through the clearing, she had to get moving…as of a half hour past. Attempting, and failing, to ignore the pain, she stumbled up and between the trees, unaware of the trail of blood she left behind.

*

“My King, the caravan has been spotted.”

“Good. Send forth and welcome them.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

King Shrewd didn't look up from the table before him as the page spoke. The young man left without another word.

The map spread out before the King was a likeness of his own countryside, portraying the Kingdom of the Six Duchies. On it were red marks, showing which towns had been raided in the past few summers, and which were likely to be struck this coming season.

Beside it was another map, this one of the Western Lands, kingdom of the great Inu no Tashio, Touga.

The warm air coming in the window confirmed the approach of an early summer, and summer brought raiding ships from the Ice Islands of the North, and King Shrewd was worried. These bizarre Raiders with their terrible Red Ships left behind a trail of blood, destruction, and Forged. Each year, the Red Ship Raiders grew bolder, coming closer to larger cities. He had no doubt that if this continued, Buckkeep would one day fall before these brutal invaders. The people grew restless as they watched the monarchy seemingly sit back and allow the Raiders to ransack whole towns, raping, murdering, plundering, burning, and Forging before they disappeared into a surreal fog that would creep up the shore. In truth, there was not much the King could do. The Skill was dead and the Wit had gone underground, leaving the Six Duchies without the two powers that had defended it since the Unification. The kingdom couldn't build its own raiding ships due to a lack of tall enough trees for masts, or wood strong enough to endure the vicious seas of the north.

Rubbing his aching temples, King Shrewd prayed this would go well. If this alliance could be forged, the Six Duchies could gain the resources to defend themselves more fully.

`Please, Kami, let me live up to my name, for my country's sake.'