Kaya woke, and like every day, she was earlier than any of the fifty or so Lighthand that made up this brigade. She had been with the Lighthand for five days now, travelling south towards the Capitol, and during that time, had shared many thoughts, experiences and stories with the soldiers, and they in turn with her. She lay still on her left side under her blanket and pondered for a moment, watching Soren sleep a few feet away. Why was it so that she could never seem to sleep past the first light? It didn't take very long for Kaya to conclude that her hunter life and training would be something of a large contributing factor and questioned whether anyone among them shared the Mal'Katai love and reverence for natural balance. While her clan had been all but obliterated in the inferno, other Mal'Katai clans still existed out there, but a scattered and sparse people they were, and generally untrusting of outsiders. She rolled onto her back and stared into the sky as the morning sun broke over the horizon, bathing her with a warm orange glow. Continuing her train of thought, she mused on if she may or may not ever meet another clan, who knows, maybe they'd take her in. Or maybe she would join the Lighthand, Salec was telling her of how Lighthand members can join the Lightbringers and become trained auramancers and mighty paladins, provided they prove worthy. The idea of joining the Lightbringers didn't sit well with Kaya, and she was thankful that the Lighthand so far did not appear to be anything like their namesake outfit.
"Ahhhhh" she sighed heavily and closed her eyes.
"You sound almost relaxed, lass" Salecs voice suddenly and quietly startled her.
Leaping from her covers, she screamed, "BY THE GODS MAN! Ohhh... My... F..." Salec was laid down prone, just out of eye-line, poorly trying to conceal his laughter behind his trademark grin, Kaya giggled, "You, won't rest until I actually stab you will you?" her breathing was still heavy with fright but starting to relax again, and she let herself smile at the gentle giant and his one track sense of humour. Practical jokes were the only way Salec could be funny, as his grasp of spoken humour was sadly lacking, although his brother's rapier wit did make up for it somewhat. In a fluid and single motion that Kaya immediately thought was much too spry for a man of his build, Salec was on his feet, still grinning ear to ear, and reaching for his Warhammer, which Kaya had learned is called, Thunderstrike and has been imbued to conduct lightning.
"Ha! Aye, lass. Though I doubt you quick enough to even nick me wit' a blade." he playfully shuffled his feet and weaved his upper body, mock fighting the air with one fist to show his apparent readiness, and holding Thunderstrike over his shoulder with the other. Kaya couldn't help but laugh at the site, and as his impromptu dance recital continued, several others were rousing from their slumbers, including Soren.
"Morning all!" he shouted very loudly, as he did every morning. Many of the soldiers grunted some noise of acknowledgement, many began the day, while some still lingered in sleep. After pulling on his boots and grabbing a few of his effects, Soren set off, "Ahh, my favourite part of the day." He always got giddy in the morning because in his own words, "I like kicking them lazy bastards awake." When Kaya observed this behaviour on the first morning with the militia and asked Salec about it everything was explained. The garrison commander used to do it during training and Soren hated getting up early. So now Soren has the power to, he enjoys making the soldier's mornings just that bit more miserable. Not something that made much sense to Kaya, but it seemed to work for this group, and none of the soldiers seemed to take it as any more than a mocking jab from their superior.
Though only with them for a few days, Kaya had already observed that the Lighthand were like a family. They were all very close, mindful of one another and every person there trusted every other to watch over, guide, mentor and challenge them. They trained every day, even when on the road, and kept faith in Calana, the Goddess of Light, Purity, Life and Forgiveness. The Lightbringers are well known for their dogmatic devotion to Calana and Kaya was glad to know that at least for the Lighthand, it's somewhat diluted. Soren, Salec and a few others explained some of the aspects of life within the Capitol and what being a part of the Lighthand means to them and why they joined up. Some for glory, others to protect something or someone they held dear. While she could relate to some parts of their descriptions and experiences, it was a far cry from any sort of life she had known, and they in turn were interested in her.
She told them of the Commencement Hunt, how every hunter must find a worthy prey, and afterwards, they are adorned with the hide of their kill, before all the village, as the start of a night of revelry and song, food and drink, and celebration that another has joined the fight to keep the balance. Some of the Lighthand asked if any hunters had died during Commencement, and while rare, it was not unheard of. She told the story of the last time it happened, only a few years prior, to the older brother of a friend of Kaya's. "His name was Meric, and he was a very good fighter, favouring the spear as his choice, and often carrying two or three of them to allow for throwing attacks, without disarming oneself." Kaya began, "He had decided to hunt a Khormangor, a six-foot tall, chitin plated, eight-legged, clawed behemoth, that hunts up and down coastlines. Three days hike away was the shoreline and when he made it, he waited for two days further, until his patience was rewarded and he saw the tell-tale bulge in the surface of the ocean give way to the creature's black and glossy mass. We don't really know what happened next" Kaya said to finish up the story, "We found his journal and a few body parts on the beach when a patrol went to find him, that was his last entry, speaking of spotting the creature some way down the shore." She chuckled, somewhat grimly at the memory, "He always was a glory hunter, wanted to be the best, you know?" the Lighthand that was listening to her story grunted in agreement, more than likely several recalling having had encountered fools just as brash, and even more likely, several were those fools to boot.
"Kaya?" Salec broke Kaya from the internal flashback of the last few days as her mind still struggled to really grasp the weight of all that had transpired in the last week. Blinking fast and shaking her head clear, Salec spoke up as he was preparing his gear for the day, "Listen 'ere lass, no good it'll do ya to dwell on things ought not to be dwelled on, nothing can be done now, aye?" he stepped towards her as he spoke and dropped his huge hand on her shoulder in comfort. She looked up and gave a half smile. He gently patted her shoulder and stepped back towards his pack, "'Spect breakfast be ready soon, best get down there 'fore Soren eats all the sausage and Porga again."
Kaya gave a half-hearted chuckle and gathered her things. She started over to the cook's station, set up every morning and evening for the soldiers to partake of meals together. There were hunters and gatherers in the Lighthand, plenty experienced enough to forage out a good meal every day, for at least breakfast and supper, and normally ready to go before the sun had even been up an hour. As soon as she thought about food and started towards the mess, her senses suddenly awoke, her stomach growled low and long, and she could smell all the wonderous foods being prepared. Wild Porga is made into sausages with herbs and cut into strips thick as an arrow shaft, eggs gathered from the nests of several different birds, and all manner of vegetables and fungi growing all around. That is if you know where to look as foraging in the winter months can be tricky, knowing this Kaya couldn't help but admire the resilience and resourcefulness of the Lighthand even further.
On her way towards the cook's station, she regarded the different skills on show within the Lighthand. A group of soldiers were maintaining weapons and fletching arrows, some were sparring, practising techniques, and discussing tactics and strategies. She had trained with them a handful of times while travelling with them, and many commented on her skill and accuracy with a bow, but also on the strange technique she used, for it was unlike any in the southern lands. Kaya would wear a quiver as normal, but rather than have it on her shoulder, she wore it around her waist. This is considered the way among the Mal'Katai. Also, while the southern lands tend to fire from upright and stationary, the Mal'Katai are trained to fire from many angles, heights and speeds with particular attention being paid to accuracy while moving. The final big difference in the way the bow was operated is the nocking of the arrows themselves. While the Lighthand trained to draw one arrow from the quiver and fire, Kaya used a method of holding several arrows in her bow hand, allowing her to draw and nock the arrow faster and in one motion. Using these styles, she could fire from a greater range with better accuracy and fire almost four times faster than the average Lighthand recruit. Although, they did comment her swordplay was woefully lacking, and Kaya knew it. She'd always shied away from blades, feeling them to be barbaric and rough, compared to the surgical precision of a well-placed arrowhead. Of course, she respected the Blademasters of her clan and understood that to match any of the blades of this camp would be a tall order for her, although they are willing to teach, and Kaya is always willing to learn.
As she made her way through camp, several more soldiers were sewing, some knitting, others playing flutes or lyres and some just doing not much. It amazed Kaya just how diverse and open the Lighthand seemed to be, considering the dogma of the Lightbringers and the mantra of anything they do in service of Calana is righteous and just. Several stories had filtered through the world to even the most remote lands about the wrath of the Lightbringers and the fury of their Paladins. How they had razed homes to the ground to smoke out a demon trying to hide among the humans, with no regard for the lives or safety of the innocent. They deem themselves saviours of the weak, but it seems they do not fear collateral damage if it means the demon they are hunting is vanquished. For the most part, the Lighthand seemed much more relaxed and easier to deal with than their uptight, armour-plated brethren. And although the Lightbringers are largely considered to be a good and just group, honourable and stalwart in defence, there has been more than one time in history when at least one Lightbringer did nothing but blanket darkness throughout the land.
"As expected!" She laughed at Soren, seeing him with a plate a full fist deep with sausages and crispy strips of Porga, bread and mead, "Is there any left for the others, brother?" Salec shouted as they approached, and some of the Lighthand waiting to be served hooted and cheered as Soren raised his hand high above his head, clutching at a large Porga sausage.
"Here ya go lass!" he cheered and threw the sausage at Kaya, giggling as he did.
Kaya ducked the sausage and a soldier behind her caught it in his plate, he chuckled and scampered off happy to have his extra sausage in peace.
"You're lucky someone caught that, we don't like wasting food, here."
A few of the nearby soldiers murmured about her remark, "We?", "You said we?", "You looking to join us?" until Salec arrived behind her.
"Alright lads, back it off, she knows she's welcome if she wants but it's her choice, AYE!"
"AYE!" the militia shouted back.
The soldiers settled down and went back to worrying about their own meals. As Kaya waited in the line to get served, she let her mind wander again, and imagine what it could mean for her to be a Lighthand. Though she didn't care much for the religion of the land, she wondered if this was the closest thing to a family she could ever expect to have. There were men and women among the Lighthand, no one person thought themselves above another, save Salec, even though he doesn't recognise it, the respect and admiration his troops have for him and his brother, make both of them feel revered among the ranks of the Lighthand. Kaya had to admit, that the feeling of comfort, knowing there was a group looking after her, was more than enough to warm her heart against the chilling grip of grief. As much as she tried she could not keep the thoughts from her mind at all times, and would often take her brother's blanket out to hold at night. She took a deep and long breath and sighed its release, for the first time in a while, Kaya actually felt a spark of something hopeful. After a brief exchange with the cook and breakfast on her plate, she sat down with Soren to eat and was soon joined by Salec.
"So lass, how are you feeling?" Salec said before forcing a chunk of sausage as big as an apple into his mouth.
"Was doing ok until I saw that!" Kaya exclaimed with mock fear and surprise etched across her face, Soren giggled as Kaya continued, "that's truly terrifying that is!" all three of them shared a chuckle and as they continued their conversation, they laughed and joked about Sorens bad eating habits. A few moments after the laughter had abated, they heard a loud rumble and boom in the distance. Looking up at the dark clouds Kaya knew the storm was coming, it had been building for the last few days, and it had seemed to follow them south as they made their way out of the foothills of the Headway mountains. Storms in the north can get disastrous very rapidly, especially if you are not prepared for it and even this far south. The wind was starting to pick up and Kaya could tell the storm would break soon, but she had never been this far from a shelter when a storm hit and knew of nowhere nearby that could offer them protection.
"We should find shelter before the rains come. It could be lethal if we are caught out in the open." She spoke with panic to assure her companions she needed to be listened to.
"A bit of rain being lethal? Who ever heard of that?" Soren laughed as he finished yet another sausage.
"Brain just as dead as that Porga then?" Kaya quipped, catching Soren off guard and stunned.
Salec laughed at his brother being insulted, "We should heed Kaya's warning brother, she knows these parts better than us, aye?"
Soren shifted awkwardly in his chair, "Aye..."
"So if she says we need to move now," he looked at Kaya who nodded firmly, and then back to his brother, "Then we move now." his voice changed for the next thing he spoke was firm and powerful, not the easy and gentle tone she was used to, "Get them ready, double time, good to march in 10, aye?"
Soren immediately stopped eating and jumped to action, "Aye, sir!" he spun on his heels and started to organize the Lighthand, who all moved quickly under his commands.
"You know anywhere we can go, though? While I know the forests and the trails, I've never been this far south and in need of shelter before." Kaya looked around and realised that the familiar snows and Whitewood trees had been replaced by the much wider, darker and greener Firwoods. There were mushrooms and flowers around she didn't recognise and all manner of wildlife that was new to her. She shuddered briefly for a moment, remembering how alone she felt when she made it back to her village and how alien everything in this world seemed to her now. "At least the weather is still northern." she thought to herself.
"Aye, there's a travellers rest stop about half a days march to the south-east" he looked over his shoulder at the darkening clouds, hearing the rumbles and cracks of a distant tempest, "Think we got that kinda time?"
"It'll have to do," Kaya said moving quickly and forcefully she stood, and urged Salec to follow. She gave instructions to the few militia members still around eating that they had to move now, and after Salec nodded to them to listen they ran off to carry out the command. Salec then went to help the cooks pack up the station and within 15 minutes, the entire brigade was ready to move. Kaya again found herself in admiration and respect for their prowess and organization.
"Lighthand, listen up!" Salec shouted and the brigade hooted as Kaya felt the first of the rains starting to fall, "We gotta haul ass to the Warriors Rest before that big, ugly bitch" Salec pointed up at the storm visibly growing in the atmosphere, "decides she wants to cut loose on us, and drown us in this death damned forest. Kaya has told me that storms can get real nasty in a real hurry up north, so we gonna double time southeast to that inn and I mean NOW! LET'S GO! I WANT US THERE YESTERDAY!! COME ON!" Salec continued to shout to get the troops moving. He gestured for Kaya to join him at the head of the brigade, "Ya show promise as a leader and soldier, lass" he started, "they would listen to ya, ya know? If ya wanted it, I think ya'd do good in command, just don't ya be tryna take me unit from me" his grin stretched his features again as he finished, "but I'll let ya join me family for now lass, till such a time comes ya decide ya don't wanna be a part o' it no more"
Kaya stopped marching, and grabbed his arm, he stopped as well and turned to face her, "I thought I already was, Salec?"
Salec smiled back, and sighed softly, "Aye, lass, that ya are." he rustled around in his jacket pocket for a time before cursing and looking in his gambeson, "here, this is for ya to wear, lass, if you want it." he stretched out his hand, and was holding a band of white cloth. She reached for it and when picking it up, realised it was a militia insignia, the Hand of Light. Kaya looked up at Salec who was smiling gently and slid the band onto her arm, she smiled proudly.
"Welcome, to the Lighthand Kayarona" he sounded very official, stood to attention and gave a quick salute, "we'll do the oath later" he chuckled after.
"Oath?" Kaya questioned, also at attention and returning the salute.
"Eh, it's no' a big thing, lass, and more pressing issues methinks right now!" As the sounds of rumbling thunder and cracking lightning seemed to edge closer and closer with every second, as the rains started to fall harder, Kaya watched the uniform steps of the soldier's march. Solid, predictable, dependable and rhythmic, she found it almost hypnotic when the brigade marched, and this time, as she smiled at Salec and turned back to continue, she was officially marching as one of them.