FanStory.com - Goran's Confessionby Roxanna Andrews

Hamish rushed to the front of the room, eyes wild and hair flying. "Do not listen to these men. Had not my grandfather warned you of their lies? They only want you to join them and move to the mountains so they can take all we have, our fur trade, and the wealth of our opal mines. This horde is a ploy, where is the proof of it?"

Drake stepped forward addressing the council. "I see nothing for them to gain in lying to us. They have left us in peace for almost one hundred years and I see no reason for them to come to us now wanting what is ours. They are well fed men, with much of their own. What need have they of our goods? They could take from the traders and be better off. No, I believe they speak the truth and I will join the fight. But I too wish to know why these things were kept from us." He said the last to his father.

Goran hung his head. He knew this day would come eventually.

"When Valdig came to us the first time to ask our warriors to join the fight, we refused him. Kidrick said they were lying and my father used that as his excuse, but the real reason was fear of losing our men. If it were known there was a war to be fought, all the young men would have gone. As trained warriors they would want to go where they could use their skills. We have lived in peace for generations, life is mundane, we are becoming farmers and breeders, raising crops and animals. No warrior would want this life. There was a restlessness always in the men, they were born to fight."

"We have war games, tournaments and the quest to try to satisfy the need to be a warrior. But for some it just added to the frustration, all this training and no need to use it. If they had known there was a need of them as warriors, we would not have gotten them back. The village would have suffered greatly. We needed them to work the mines, to hunt, to grow crops. So we kept it to ourselves, choosing for the good of the clan, not to tell of the army amassing just a day and a half away. I felt ashamed to keep it from you, but my fear would not let me do so."

The room was silent for a time.

Erik stood beside his brother. "My sons and I will fight as well. You needn't have feared we would not return. This is our home. You should have had more trust in us."

Goran nodded. His son spoke the truth. "We will give the men a choice, but I believe all will wish to fight."

"How do we know if what you say is true? If Joshua is with you, let him come here and speak to us. We will do as he says," a council member declared. The rest of the council nodded their assent.

Hamish turned to the council with his staff out before him. "You are doomed then. If you wish to believe their lies, you do this at your own peril, I cannot save you."

He spun on his heels and quickly exited the chamber.

Hamish went to his dwelling and ordered his servants to pack. "Pack enough food to last a week at least. Quickly, we leave within the hour." His servants stuffed his clothing into saddlebags and wrapped bread and hard cheese in a cloth with some dried meats and fish. They readied his horse and brought it to him.

"Get to your horses quickly, we leave now," Hamish ordered.

His servants stood looking at the ground. Finally the man raised his head and met his gaze. "We will not go with you."

"Who do you think you are to defy me?" he raised his staff and brought it down on the mans shoulder.

A hand grabbed his arm as he raised it again. Hamish turned to see Augdon towering over him. He tired to pull his arm free, but Augdon held it fast.

"Let me go you barbarian!" he screamed. Augdon released him and he made for his horse. Pulling himself into the saddle, he gave a hate filled look at Augdon and spat on the ground. He urged his horse into a gallop and fled the village.

Augdon walked out of the village and made for a small oasis of trees just three hundred yards out. He whistled and a man stepped from the shadows.

"Send word to the fortress, see how it goes with Joshua. When he is well, we need him here." The man nodded and the message was passed.