Original Stories Fan Fiction / Romance Fan Fiction ❯ The Crusade of the Quandary ❯ The Last Supper ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Cadeyn felt her hand upon the old door, pushing it quietly open to reveal the humble cottage. The fire had long ago run out of wood, now only revealing soot and ashes. The floor was in desperate need of repair, bowing in the middle of the room. A few chairs lay scattered through the room, the legs beginning to rot, old faded pillows tied to their seats. She shut the door behind her quietly, remembering to leave it unbolted for Jaser's return. She turned towards the hall when she heard a slight groan, the sound of an old man in pain. She let out her breath in a sigh, slipping into the kitchen. Master Kemp had fallen ill recently and every day seemed to bring him further away from good health. Opening the larder, she pulled out a small basket filled with vegetables and a small knife. Quietly, hoping to remain undetected, she prepared them for dinner. Jaser would need a large meal, she thought to herself, and Kemp needed the energy to live. Come sunrise, Jaser would march with the Crusade, far from the sleepy village to the bustling cities. Kemp had begged him to stay, for he had known it would not be his fate to see him return. Jaser had refused to change his mind, insisting his father was strong and would be of good health upon his return. Cadeyn's pleads and screams fell upon deaf ears, the thought making her blood boil.

Cadeyn knew the story - on the other side of Casteri, the prodigy city of Shonsta could be found, the center of a battle between two gods, Shalenti, the goddess of all things beautiful and kind and Aemiel, the goddess of chaos. The consequences of the war ensured that all other deities had become so involved in the war they did not have time for humans, thus neglecting their duties. This became the cause of famines, wars and unanswered prayers. Thirty summers before, a man known as Xanthius rose to the Shalenti's challenge to bring peace once and for all. Xanthius brought the crusade as far as Armos, the closest town to Shonsta. However, he had refused to go any further and turned upon the crusade, corrupted by Aemiel, the goddess of chaos. Soon after hearing of the devastation, Varshore had sent an army to investigate. Catherine's father was to lead the army, and when they never returned, he was deemed as dead. Catherine, his only child, was married off to the local drunkard's son, Marcus. The night before the wedding, her mother had sewn up as many heirloom jewels as she could into Catherine's skirts. The moment Catherine married Marcus, her mother left, refusing to admit her husband was never to return. Now, thirty summers later, a priest, Ezekiel was summoned by Shalenti. After successfully completing tests and lessons, he was instructed to create a crusade of `worthy men' to the kingdom of Shonsta, where Aemiel will rise with her army of corrupted, to be defeated. In preparation, Jaser and the crusade, planned to finally finish the battle, to end the famines and war. They would bring back peace.

Cadeyn sat cross legged in the kitchen, silently staring at an old pot boil over the orange fires of the range. She closed her eyes as she heard what sounded between a shuffle and heavy thunks come closer to the door. The uncoordinated sound let her know Jaser was drunk again. She let her breath out in disappointment. The sound alone let her know his last night would be filled with vulgar comments, disappointment and rage. She hoped for a moment the stew would sober him up enough to face his father. Even if Jaser wouldn't stay for his father, she would, until he drew his last breath, however long it would take her. She turned to the door, as it creaked open, anticipating the smell of dark ale and smoke to reach her. She turned her head away, pretending not to acknowledge him. She stood up, walked past him, and quietly headed through the living room, down the dark hallway and opened the door to Kemp's room.
”Master Kemp?” She smiled at him, trying to brighten his spirits
”Oh, Cade, I don't know if I can get up for supper…my bones are weary.” Kemp's voice sounded tired as he spoke, a low groan following his words. Cadeyn was silent for a moment, catching her head as she began to feel it drop. Cade spoke up, breaking the small silence.
”How are you feeling today? Any better? Or shall I go fetch the Doctor again?” She smiled at him again, anything to get him to re-consider the decision to stay in bed.
”No, No Cade, I think I'll just spend the rest of the day in bed. Spend your last night with Jaser, just, send him in before he goes.” Kemp spoke slowly, his voice fading.
”Of course I will, I'll bring you some stew in soon.” She spoke kindly, and began to shut the door, when she heard a weak murmur.
”Do your best Cade, do your best…” Cadeyn knew what he meant. Do your best to stop him leaving. Cadeyn walked back to where the drunken Jaser was leaning against the door, eyeing her with a drunken smile.
”What are we having tonight, Cadeyn?” Cadeyn narrowed her eyes, as she brought herself to speak to him.
”Stew. I didn't think you'd come to the last dinner with your fiancée and your elder father.”

Jaser let out a sigh, his weight pressed against the cupboards, letting out a groan of annoyance.
“Cadeyn, please, I'm going for you're wellbeing. Imagine living in a wealthy village again. Imagine being able to raise as many children as we wish. Imagine being able to care for father while he is old, being able to afford the new medicines…” Jaser trailed off in thought, the smell of ale on his breath reaching Cadeyn, her stomach boiling with anger. Jaser leant in closer to her, his bare hand caressing her cheek.

“We could get married…we could afford a beautiful wedding, we could give our children whatever they desire…”She leant into his hand, sighing. She closed her eyes, trying to believe him. She tried to force the hatred back down her throat, down back to the dark pits of her stomach. The more she tried, the more her eyes open and flashed with fury. She stood back, her shoulders rising, dignity ringing in her voice.
“What do you mean again? Since when, do you remember this village being full of money and life? How do you expect this village to go on if there are no men to cultivate the fields? The women will do little and starve; you will come back to a village where there is nothing but baron fields. I am not looking for children, I am a not a mother. I do not want a white dress, where I can't walk, run, fight, anything! I am not a placid, humble, lady.” Her voice both lowered and darkened at the same time. “You know, if you leave, there will be no medicines to bring back, because your father will die without you. Does that not bother you? That you would leave your father here to rot in this…this…madness!” He faltered for a moment, his hazy eyes flickering with recognition, if only for a moment, before he gave a shrug. She turned, roughly grabbing a bowl, filling it with stew. “You are no longer the Jaser I knew. I don't know why I even agreed to marry you. I don't know if I ever will feel the same way about you again.” His eyes seemed dark and hollow for a moment, staring blankly at Cadeyn in the face. She thrust out his bowl of semi-cooked stew, and he took it as he turned on his heel. Cadeyn could do little but slide down the wall, tears rolling down her face. Before the crusaders came, she could say he loved her. She just wanted to go back to when things felt normal.

Cadeyn broke a single blade of grass off and lay beside bythe river. She closed her eyes,there was nothing to explain how she felt there. The warm summer evening was slightly too warm, but if she lay under the willow treeby the river, she felt nothing but relaxation. She was normally alone when she came to the river, sometimes she would fall asleep and wake to find deer grazing meters away from her. Although she hunted wild deer, she would never attack them here. This was her sanctuary, and it was not a place for killing. She rolled into a space of daydreaming and light sleeping, and didn't notice the light footsteps towards her. Jaser and his dark brown hair slowly stepped towards her. His face suddenly lit up into a mischievous grin, and he carefully climbed the drooping willow. He knew she came here every evening, most evenings he would follow her, just to watch her sighing, dreaming, sometime sleeping. He reached the lowest branch and stretched out, carefully hanging upside down from the tree, a strand of his hair, just touching her nose. Her eyes flashed open as she saw his face, hanging upside down from the tree. “Boo!” he almost whispered it, but before he could object, she pulled him down out of the tree and onto the ground, pinning his arms to his sides by her legs her on top of him, a dagger resting against his throat. Her spare hand was bunched at his collar, before she suddenly realised who it was.

“Jaser! I'm sorry!” She sheathed her dagger and began to inspect his neck, forgetting her position. A feeling of guilt had washed over her, when Jaser put on a mock look of despair.

“Cadeyn, I was only coming to tell you we are having an early tea, and all I get is attacked, gee, look at my neck, oh, the agony.” Cadeyn stopped automatically, her eyebrows slowly creasing together. Jaser, not getting the warning, continued.
“Oh, and you knocked the breath out of me, look at you, just pinning me down on the ground, I could be lying on a really spiky rock, and it could have punctured my chestby now…” He looked suddenly at the single brow rising on Cadeyn's face and he let out a small laugh, he had long fallen in love with the way her blonde hair had the freedom to grow long, now Kemp had her in his care. No-one had dared to dispute his decision. She often kept it at a length so it just touched the middle of her shoulder blades, held back in a single plait. She had a few shorter strands brushed out of her face, stuck behind her ears. Her eyes were a mix between blue and green. It made him curious, how when she daydreamed, her eyes were distant, but calm and content. Yet if she was fighting, they were concentrated and clear, refusing to remove themselves from her target. He shook himself out of his daydreaming, and realised the position he was in. Cadeyn had straddled him and still held him tight. He doubted he could have gotten out of her grasp if he had tried. Her questioning glance looked at him. She knew it was not an `early tea', in his desperation for a mock excuse, he had forgotten she had already cooked, and eaten, dinner. She was more taken by surprise, when Jaser stretched out his hand, only just being permitted to be unpinned by her leg, and touched her face. Her cheeks slightly tingled as he touched her. It was the first time she could remember her face had been touched out of combat, by anyone but her mother. She blinked and loosened her grasp altogether, remembering how she was sitting. Jaser pulled himself upright, so he was sitting in front of her. She saw his lips mumble something, but she did not hear anything except the quickening beat of her heart. His thumb rubbed her cheek, and she felt his spare hand take hers, removing the fingerless leather gloves she was wearing. She let him hold her hand, her eyes dancing over him. She had never really known another friend like him, he did not say a word to her when he found out she was not a male. He had picked her up and simply carried her home, placing her down on his thin mattress. He pulled the heavy woolen blanket over her, and rubbed her shoulders until she fell asleep amongst her sobbing. He was still there when she awoke in the morning. Perhaps he already knew, her mother may have told Kemp that she was female after all, and to go careful with her. When Jaser moved closer to her, and kissed her on the lips, carefully, twice, she was brought out of her daydream. Her lips tingled and burnt at the same time, and she licked her lips in surprise, as his hand run through her hair, her plait falling out. She closed her eyes and let Jaser take her into his arms, simply holding her, for as long as he could. It was that night, when she was staring up the summer stars he had first leant beside her ear, and simply whispered “I love you”.

She shook her head and stood, her shaking hand reaching out for another bowl for Kemp. The Jaser she knew now was not the person she had fallen in love with. The Crusaders had somehow stolen him, there was no other explanation.

As she lay down that night, Cadeyn acknowledged the sound of the door opening. She stood and dressed quickly, trying to catch the mumbles when they reached the next room. She knew it was Jaser saying his goodbyes to his father. Cadeyn's mind raced as she waited for Jaser to pass her in the dim light of the hallway. His dark hair had grown longer over the last month; she had never understood why there was a sudden change. He always cut his hair, just long enough to stay out of his face in battle. It was longer and shaggy now, tied with a piece of string. Cadeyn waited as he passed, his dark eyes seemed to have little emotion, or none at all as he stopped. Cadeyn, regretting the silence, spoke first
“So, this is goodbye…”
“It wont be….you can come with me, they said, if I can convince-” Jaser began.

“Jaser...”
“…convince you, that you are welcome to come”
“Your father will starve to death, Jaser.” Cadeyn's eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously as she spoke.
“I can orginise something. Elizabeth might be able to cook…bring meals…I mean, its not like he's going to live much longer anyway.” A memory of her mother flashed through Cadeyn's mind, introducing her to Kemp. His eyes flashed and he smiled at her. It was from day one, Kemp treated Cadeyn like his own son, as Jaser's equal. Her teeth gritted. Jaser once would have stuck up for his father. Cadeyn pulled herself to her full height, and swallowed.

“Jaser?” She summed up the last bit of courage she had, biting on the back of her tongue.

“Get out.”