Boro stepped back when he saw the warriors face. In the briefest of time, memories filled Boro's mind. Pleasant nights training under moons light, days filled with laughter and happiness, evening arguments and debates on philosophy and war strategy. A tear threatened to fall from his eyes but he snapped himself back to the battlefield and blinked away the tear. Nila's eyes too seemed filled with surprise, not just at her defeat, but also at meeting with an old friend on the battlefield. All around them the battle still raged, although the sounds of war seemed to be decreasing, he knew this to mean that he had won and the battle would soon be over. He shouted for his guards to take her prisoner, even as Nila herself looked around for her own, all whom lay slain or injured beyond help. Injured, alone, disarmed and defeated she had no choice but to follow along as several of his own guards lifted her to her feet and took her away from the battle.
Boro reassessed the battlefield, though their fight was brief, only lasting a few short minutes, in that time, his army had gained the upper hand quickly. The opposing armies reserve of archers and foot soldiers were scattered, dead, or surrendered. His small force of cavalry had continued on after defeating the reserve forces and had attacked the rear line of the enemy armies main force. Men and women threw their weapons to the ground quickly after they realized they had lost, hoping to be spared and taken prisoner instead of killed.
Boro grabbed one of his officers and told him to find Littume and the rest of the army leaders and bring them to him immediately. After about ten minutes of waiting Littume and a few other of the officers rode up to him on the backs of blood covered horses.
"Where are the rest of the officers?" Boro asked, already knowing the answer.
"Dead or injured Sir" answered one of his other officers, Stonechin.
Boro looked at Littume, he was silent now, as was his way for the last year. War had changed him completely, especially over the last year, from the young, arrogant noble he used to be, both mentally and physically. A deep scar marred his cheek and eye, and his once boyish face was covered in thick, curly brown hair. His eyes looked blankly out on the battlefield, taking in the scene. A look passed across Littume's face, for just the briefest of moments, and Boro couldn't tell what the look was but it made him fear for his friend. Was that anger, or something else? Boro asked himself.
The battle was finally over, and medic's and runners walked, and ran, the field looking for the injured and dead and also collecting any weapons and ammunition to add to their stockpile. But you could still hear the sounds of people crying out in pain, calling for their mothers, wives, or husbands. Boro hardened his heart to the cries, his job was already hard enough as is, and grieving for every loss of life here today would not help him do what needed to be done.
He took a deep breath and then said, "Give me a full report."
A short woman, named Cari, with three large red plumes on her helm signifying her status as an officer spoke up, "Sir, we lost a little under one quarter of our foot, somewhere around nine hundred dead or injured to badly to fight further. Our archers are mostly untouched, we did have a few stray arrows make their way into their ranks. The cavalry lost only about six riders and four horses, three of those being the missing officers Sir. So other then the foot, we remain at near full strength."
"Very good, send a message to Fellam, inform Lady Gustar that she should send her forces up north now, we will take the rest of our army and meet them there. Best tell her about our captured blademaster as well, tell her I will personally make arrangements for her ransom however." Boro would be damned if he gave Nila up to Lady Gustar, her family's reputation for questioning was quite famously brutal.
Nila may have fought on the other side of this war but she was a good person, and more than that she was his friend. Maybe I can get her to see reason and join us in removing Galave from his throne, she has to know he is a tyrant He thought, hoping that it would be true.
When the rest of the debrief was done Boro told his officers to have all troops fortify the area and set up camp near by to rest for the night, then he dismissed them, all but one, "Lord Littume, please say, there is something I would ask you" Littume nodded silently and stood by while the rest left to attend to their troops.
"Lite, are you doing well my friend?" Boro strode over to him and place a hand on his friends shoulder but Littume did not look at him, instead he looked down at his feet.
"Master I... I do not know how much longer I can do this..." He said to his feet. "I kill-"
He choked off in a near sob, and Boro looked around, there were still people all over, some glanced he and Littume's way. It would not be good for them to see one of their lords and leaders breaking down. So Boro clasped his shoulder tight and pulled him off a ways so others could not see him or hear his words.
"What's going on Lite, we've killed before, why is it now causing problems?" Boro asked him, trying to get a sense of what was wrong. Damn near every person here had killed before, it was never easy but they knew that they had to carry on.
"I killed a child today Sir, he could not have been more than twelve but I killed him all the same, my spear lies there still, embedded so deep in his gut that I could not pull it free." Pain for his friends anguish filled Boro. Killing was never easy, and it should not be, but killing a child? That was guilt that was not easy to shake off or justify.
"I'm sorry Lite, I know-"
"NO! NO! Do not try to make me feel better, what are we even fighting for if not to prevent things like this from happening?!" He screamed at Boro, even at their distance heads turned their way. He took a breathe and lowered his voice again, "When this all started... I thought we were doing the right thing, my father made me believe that it was for the best, but so many lives have been lost since we took our rebellion to the field. I can not help but wonder if this is right Boro... I can not help but think that WE are the villians causing all this death. Remember Ruthford? I can not have that happen again Boro, I just can not..."
"Lite... That's not fair Ruthford was not your fault, things got out of control quickly but we handled it remember that? This IS right, that boy was made to fight in this war by a power mad king. A king who would put a blade in the hands of a child and force him to fight his wars is no hero. Is that who you would have rule us? Our world is filled to the brim with warriors and fighters, but how many are artists? How many are poets? How many get to see their children become adults? How many get to hold them on their arms before they are torn away to fight in a war they did not ask for?" Boro felt the same pain that Littume felt, had the same concerns and worries, but he knew what they did was right, even if it was hard. " We have too few, my friend... until a man of peace sits the throne that's how things will always be. I am no fool to believe this will be the last war, but maybe we can make it so that at least one generation can grow with both their parents home and healthy, maybe we can create the place for artists, and craftspeople, and traders to thrive."
Tears flowed down Littume's face and pattered down onto his boots, it was finally beginning to fall silent around them, and he heard the Thunk Thunk Thunk as they landed on to the steel shod boots.
"I know Boro... I know... But it does not make the killing any easier, not for me." Littume said wiping away the still flowing tears. "You should check on our prisoners, I will be okay so do not worry about me."
Littume turned and began walking away before stopping again. "And Boro... Thank you, you're a good man and I think you'd make a great King if it ever came down to it" Then he continued on.
Boro began walking to the makeshift pen they had put up after the battle, the one holding the prisoners, off to one side of it there were several tall poles staked deep into the ground. That was were they were keeping the enemy officers and Nila. Boro walked slowly there not wanting to seem eager. Nila looked up at him as two guards snapped to attention and saluted him. He saluted back and then walked until he stood over her.
"Come to gloat?" She asked him, a wary smile on her face, "or did you come to send me to my maker?"
"Neither, I came to see an old friend" He crouched before her, the soft ground giving way slightly under the weight of all his armor.
She smiled, a real one like when they were both kids, but it was gone just as quickly as it had arrived. She was still just as beautiful as the day they first met. No, that was not right. She was even more beautiful. Her pale white skin seemed to be made of porcelain, smooth and unblemished. Her vivid green eyes sparkled in the waning light of the suns. Boro recalled how shocked he had been when he first saw her. White skin was a rarity everywhere on Korone, the two suns of the planet gave the people a range of skin tones from light tan to black as night but hardly ever did people have skin like hers. When he saw the white skinned woman for the first time he was transfixed, he had never met anyone with such light skin before. His mother and her family came from land workers and worked under the baking suns all day, so they had dark tanned skin. Boro's father had darker skin then his mother from what he recalled of him, a rich brown he thought, and Boro himself was somewhere in between.
He had always found her to be beautiful, a pale skinned warrior goddess with the green of summer in her eyes. She shivered slightly as he hugged her. He hoped it was from the chilly night air and not his touch. The harvest season was ending, giving way to the season of snow.
"Are you cold?" He asked her gently as he pulled away.
"A bit, your people took my heavy clothes" She replied simply, turning away from his gaze.
"I will have someone bring you something warm, I will not have you freeze to death"
"I am sure a beheading will be much more pleasurable" She said bitterly looking back up at him. "Will you be the one to swing the sword Boro? Promis-"
"There will be no beheadings on my watch, I promise. I intend to ransom you back to your commander but... I was hoping we could talk more on that" Boro stared in to those endless, deep green wells, "Why do you fight for King Galave Nila? He is a tyrant and a warmonger, he fights to keep his iron grip on this nation. I know you, you are the greatest opponent I have ever faced, and you are a good person, so why do you fight for him?"
Her smile vanished, and her brow furrowed, "No, you've got it all wrong. He did not start this rebellion, you and yours did. He is defending his lands and people while you cross the country raiding and stealing food from the mouths of his people, how can YOU fight for this rebellion."
Boro sighed, how could he get her to see the truth if she refused to look? "Not long after I left the academy, before all the fighting, I was attacked on the road. Men and women in a village I passed had turned to robbing to feed their families. I killed some of them for it, but they did not deserve such an end, they had no other choice. The Kings tax had made them beggars, made them starve themselves so that their children could have just one more bite of food. I told them to leave the life of robbery or the next time I saw them I would slay them all. Not long after I had been recruited in the rebellion, I went back to ask them to join me... they kept their word, but they and their children had all died of starvation."
Nila looked down at the ground again, this time it seemed to be in shame. "I am sorry Boro, that must have truly been hard to see but the King can not be blamed for the death of every poor farmer"
"He can, he is the King! It is his responsibility to lookout for the people under his rule!" Boro said heatedly. "When he sits the throne and taxes his people to the point they can not feed themselves, all to fund his wars, but feasts every night to his heart's content then something is truly amiss!"
Nila remained silent at that, but the look of anger returned her face.
"I will have someone bring you blankets, and I will return in the morning to speak with you again." Boro began turning to walk away.
"Wait... Boro it is... It is good to see you again, even under such circumstance. I have missed you and barely a day has gone by without you crossing my mind." Even in the ever encroaching darkness Boro could plainly see the redness fill her pale face when she said this.
Boro turned just his head to look at her and smiled at her, "I missed you as well, and I too have barely gone a day without thinking of you. Sleep well my lady, may the light of tomorrow shine down on us both"
And may the light guide you to our side He thought sadly.