| Fantasy Fiction posted June 26, 2018 | Chapters: |
...19 19 -20- 21... 
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Augdon ask the men to join the fight.
A chapter in the book GULBRANDR- God's Sword
Augdon Addresses the Council
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background A young champion is chosen from his people to save them from a horde descending on the land, destroying everything in it's path. |
A commotion outside the chamber drew Goran's attention to the door. It flew open and his sons walked in followed by Nyla and the rest of the men from the fortress.
Goran had not seen his daughter since she was seventeen. He'd moved her far from Wahaland with no contact in all these years, but he would know her anywhere, her appearance was so like her mother's. His chest tightened painfully. He felt such guilt over the years for abandoning her. Seeing her caused him to think of things he would rather forget.
Things like his wife never being the same after Nyla had been taken away. He had let his ambition to be head of the council, and the need to be accepted as a leader by the clan, blind him to his wife's pain and his own. He'd never been appointed the council head, Hamish had seen to that, and he never would be as long as Hamish had a say. It had all been for naught, he had abandoned his daughter for nothing.
Deep inside, he despised himself for letting Kidrick, Hamish's wretched grandfather, and the council, make him banish Nyla. But the blame lay fully on him. He should have stood up to them. He allowed his beautiful child to be taken from his home. She had been so happy to go with the caregiver. She had smiled and waved when taken away, his wife sobbing, nothing could comfort her.
The image of the last time he had seen his daughter was forever etched in his mind. He had nightmares about it, running after her in the night, the blackness overtaking him, losing his way. The sound of his wife's sobs echoing in the darkness. He would wake in a cold sweat, unable to go back to sleep.
He knew his sons visited Nyla every day at the little dwelling they had built for her. After she moved far from the village, he did not stop them from traveling to see her. He never asked after her, but knowing her brothers were looking out for her gave him some peace.
Then his wife became ill. She too had gone to visit Nyla while she lived close by, but when she was moved far from the valley, his wife began to lose interest in everything, even living. When a sickness swept through the valley, she didn't try to fight it. She just lay down and let herself die. His telling her she had grandchildren to nurture held no interest for her.
Goran could not take his eyes from Nyla. He watched her eyes meet his and then flashed away with no recognition. He had changed much in twenty years.
None of the council members knew her, and Goran made no move to acknowledge her. He didn't want them to know she was a Dark One and perhaps cast her from the chambers.
Augdon stepped to the front of the group. The council, amazed by this mountain of a man, stared wide eyed as he spoke. "I am Augdon, grandson of Valdig. I come to speak on his behalf and to ask that you join in the fight. If you know the history of our people, of Valdig and his vision..."
"What do you mean, you come on Valdig's behalf?" Valtar interrupted, his look skeptical.
"Valdig, my grandfather, lives still. He asked us to come to you again and persuade you to join us."
A loud murmur went through the council. "Valdig lives? That is hard for us to believe," said Goran, interrupting Augdon again.
"Believe it or not, as you wish. If you want to know the truth, you may come with me to the fortress in the mountains, and I will introduce you to your great uncle. I am sure he would like to know you, Goran."
Nyla felt a jolt go through her body knowing the man who spoke was her father. She had not seen him since she was seventeen. She watched him, not sure what she felt. He had never made any attempt to see her since he moved her far from the Wahaland Valley and he had little to say that day. He had left without even a backward look or goodbye. Did he know it was her who stood before him?
Augdon surveyed the room. He saw nothing but doubt in the men's eyes. "If you had been told of the vision you know a champion would come from our people. Joshua is that champion. He has been with us these past two years, learning to lead an army."
A murmur again went through the council. "You say Joshua has been with you these past years, where is he then? Why is he not with you?" asked Goran, avoiding an answer to Augdon invitation to meet Valdig.
"He was with us, but was attacked by a mountain bear early this morning before sunrise..."
"A bear? Where was this? They don't come down from the mountains very often. Does he live?" Goran was filled with questions and concern for his grandson. He stood to his feet to hear the answers.
"He was taken back to the fortress where we have a learned healer. He will not die of his wounds, but they had to be treated quickly. We were just outside the valley, about an hour away, near the base of a cliff. He will come when he is able."
Goran nodded and sat down.
Augdon continued. "Joshua knew nothing of the vision, nor had he ever heard of Valdig or the horde. Why have you kept so much from him." He looked at Goran. "Your own sons know almost nothing as well. Why have you not told them? You must know these things, yet you keep it to yourself. Even now the horde sweeps down from the south, devouring everything in its path. I have seen it for myself, as well as my brother." He gestured toward Cedric, who nodded.
"I can tell you they will not leave you untouched. You cannot defeat them. There are too many and they do not care if their own die, they just replace the dead with more warriors. They are like swarming ants and are on the move again. We have warned the villages in their path and they have fled, many joining our army. We must stop them before they reach the mountains. If we do not, they will not stop until they reach the sea. There are vast settlements and the trade ports beyond our mountains. They will destroy all before them."
"They add to their numbers by making slave soldiers of those they conquer. If you do not want to see your sons and daughters turned into slaves or killed, burned on a pier of human bodies, you will join the fight." Augdon stopped speaking and gauged the temperament of the men in the room. Some looked up, but many would not meet his gaze.
Goran had not seen his daughter since she was seventeen. He'd moved her far from Wahaland with no contact in all these years, but he would know her anywhere, her appearance was so like her mother's. His chest tightened painfully. He felt such guilt over the years for abandoning her. Seeing her caused him to think of things he would rather forget.
Things like his wife never being the same after Nyla had been taken away. He had let his ambition to be head of the council, and the need to be accepted as a leader by the clan, blind him to his wife's pain and his own. He'd never been appointed the council head, Hamish had seen to that, and he never would be as long as Hamish had a say. It had all been for naught, he had abandoned his daughter for nothing.
Deep inside, he despised himself for letting Kidrick, Hamish's wretched grandfather, and the council, make him banish Nyla. But the blame lay fully on him. He should have stood up to them. He allowed his beautiful child to be taken from his home. She had been so happy to go with the caregiver. She had smiled and waved when taken away, his wife sobbing, nothing could comfort her.
The image of the last time he had seen his daughter was forever etched in his mind. He had nightmares about it, running after her in the night, the blackness overtaking him, losing his way. The sound of his wife's sobs echoing in the darkness. He would wake in a cold sweat, unable to go back to sleep.
He knew his sons visited Nyla every day at the little dwelling they had built for her. After she moved far from the village, he did not stop them from traveling to see her. He never asked after her, but knowing her brothers were looking out for her gave him some peace.
Then his wife became ill. She too had gone to visit Nyla while she lived close by, but when she was moved far from the valley, his wife began to lose interest in everything, even living. When a sickness swept through the valley, she didn't try to fight it. She just lay down and let herself die. His telling her she had grandchildren to nurture held no interest for her.
Goran could not take his eyes from Nyla. He watched her eyes meet his and then flashed away with no recognition. He had changed much in twenty years.
None of the council members knew her, and Goran made no move to acknowledge her. He didn't want them to know she was a Dark One and perhaps cast her from the chambers.
Augdon stepped to the front of the group. The council, amazed by this mountain of a man, stared wide eyed as he spoke. "I am Augdon, grandson of Valdig. I come to speak on his behalf and to ask that you join in the fight. If you know the history of our people, of Valdig and his vision..."
"What do you mean, you come on Valdig's behalf?" Valtar interrupted, his look skeptical.
"Valdig, my grandfather, lives still. He asked us to come to you again and persuade you to join us."
A loud murmur went through the council. "Valdig lives? That is hard for us to believe," said Goran, interrupting Augdon again.
"Believe it or not, as you wish. If you want to know the truth, you may come with me to the fortress in the mountains, and I will introduce you to your great uncle. I am sure he would like to know you, Goran."
Nyla felt a jolt go through her body knowing the man who spoke was her father. She had not seen him since she was seventeen. She watched him, not sure what she felt. He had never made any attempt to see her since he moved her far from the Wahaland Valley and he had little to say that day. He had left without even a backward look or goodbye. Did he know it was her who stood before him?
Augdon surveyed the room. He saw nothing but doubt in the men's eyes. "If you had been told of the vision you know a champion would come from our people. Joshua is that champion. He has been with us these past two years, learning to lead an army."
A murmur again went through the council. "You say Joshua has been with you these past years, where is he then? Why is he not with you?" asked Goran, avoiding an answer to Augdon invitation to meet Valdig.
"He was with us, but was attacked by a mountain bear early this morning before sunrise..."
"A bear? Where was this? They don't come down from the mountains very often. Does he live?" Goran was filled with questions and concern for his grandson. He stood to his feet to hear the answers.
"He was taken back to the fortress where we have a learned healer. He will not die of his wounds, but they had to be treated quickly. We were just outside the valley, about an hour away, near the base of a cliff. He will come when he is able."
Goran nodded and sat down.
Augdon continued. "Joshua knew nothing of the vision, nor had he ever heard of Valdig or the horde. Why have you kept so much from him." He looked at Goran. "Your own sons know almost nothing as well. Why have you not told them? You must know these things, yet you keep it to yourself. Even now the horde sweeps down from the south, devouring everything in its path. I have seen it for myself, as well as my brother." He gestured toward Cedric, who nodded.
"I can tell you they will not leave you untouched. You cannot defeat them. There are too many and they do not care if their own die, they just replace the dead with more warriors. They are like swarming ants and are on the move again. We have warned the villages in their path and they have fled, many joining our army. We must stop them before they reach the mountains. If we do not, they will not stop until they reach the sea. There are vast settlements and the trade ports beyond our mountains. They will destroy all before them."
"They add to their numbers by making slave soldiers of those they conquer. If you do not want to see your sons and daughters turned into slaves or killed, burned on a pier of human bodies, you will join the fight." Augdon stopped speaking and gauged the temperament of the men in the room. Some looked up, but many would not meet his gaze.
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