settlement when he stopped in his tracks,
the sentries may well be vigilant during the day, but what of the
night?
'Father?' he called as he walked into their home.
Cusband
looked up at him, he was ladling some broth into a wooden cup.
'So you have returned,' he stated. 'What have you learned from your
time in the woods?'
El-Vador
thought back to his encounter with the creature. His father must have
known he would meet it there. 'I have brought back a liquid that will
aid us in our struggle against the Orcs.' he said.
'A
liquid, you say?' asked Cusband, seemingly unimpressed. 'Were you
told how to use this liquid?'
'Well, not exactly.' answered El-Vador, stumbling slightly.
'When
do you plan to test this liquid?' asked the forester. 'Did you even
think to ask him how it was going to save us from the Orcs?'
'I
plan on attacking them at night,' declared El-Vador, 'I'm going to
smear the liquid on the arrows I fire and take them out myself.'
'And if you find that there's no difference?' asked Cusband
relentlessly. 'Do you think they will take kindly to your shooting at
them? They will torch the whole settlement because of your
ineptitude.'
'Then I shall test it first.' El-Vador said. 'There is enough in the
phial for many arrows, I can spare one. When that night arrives, the
Orcs will bother us no more.' He held his father's gaze, waiting for
his approval.
Cusband
shook his head, drinking deeply from his broth before answering. 'A
lone archer, even aided by this phial of yours, could not hope to
triumph against so many,' he said. 'The others would not rally to
your cause either, we lost too many warriors in the first fight,
those few that survived the massacre will not want to invite a
second. Fighting a pitched battle against invaders is one thing, to
drive off an occupation is entirely different. Even if you were to
slaughter every Orc and Goblin they would simply send more until you
were overwhelmed. There is nothing but death at the end of this
road.'
Such
bitter cynicism took El-Vador's breath away. 'Why did you fight the
invaders in the first place, if you felt like that?' he asked. 'Why
not bend the knee straight away?'
'If we could have beaten the bulk of their forces at once, they
likely would have given up the campaign as a bad job and gone home,'
said Cusband. 'They've done that before. Now with a single victory
they're settled on the land and they see it as theirs.'
'They may be settled, I still plan to drive them away.' El-Vador
said.
'If you drive them off they'll just be made more determined and
bloodthirsty.' returned Cusband.
El-Vador
couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'So we should just give in to
them? Those are the words of a craven fool.'
He
fully expected his father to swing for him, or perhaps throw the
remnants of the broth in his face. Instead the man fixed him with a
saddened look, as if there were no anger in him. 'That you would call
your own father that disappoints me.' he said. 'You do not know the
things that I have seen and done in order to have this little peace
in my life.'
'I
don't care what you've done in the past,' said El-Vador, surprising
himself with the cold edge in his voice. 'You cannot stop what I will
make of the future.'
'I
do not wish to see my son killed and the settlement destroyed.'
answered Cusband. 'You are too young to understand that every action
holds consequences.'
'Then why send me off into that part of the forest if I am such a
youth?'
Cusband
only shook his head. 'The other hunters were complaining,' he said.
'You were driving off all the game.' His eyes narrowed. 'Why do you
ask?
'You know why I'm asking,' answered El-Vador.
'No, you went into those woods to hunt, nothing more,' said his
father.
'Never mind then,' said El-Vador, the look on his father's face was
clear enough. They weren't going to discuss what happened in the
woods, or how he had obtained the phial.
When
El-Vador kept silent, Cusband nodded in dour approval. 'All right,'
he
the sentries may well be vigilant during the day, but what of the
night?
'Father?' he called as he walked into their home.
Cusband
looked up at him, he was ladling some broth into a wooden cup.
'So you have returned,' he stated. 'What have you learned from your
time in the woods?'
El-Vador
thought back to his encounter with the creature. His father must have
known he would meet it there. 'I have brought back a liquid that will
aid us in our struggle against the Orcs.' he said.
'A
liquid, you say?' asked Cusband, seemingly unimpressed. 'Were you
told how to use this liquid?'
'Well, not exactly.' answered El-Vador, stumbling slightly.
'When
do you plan to test this liquid?' asked the forester. 'Did you even
think to ask him how it was going to save us from the Orcs?'
'I
plan on attacking them at night,' declared El-Vador, 'I'm going to
smear the liquid on the arrows I fire and take them out myself.'
'And if you find that there's no difference?' asked Cusband
relentlessly. 'Do you think they will take kindly to your shooting at
them? They will torch the whole settlement because of your
ineptitude.'
'Then I shall test it first.' El-Vador said. 'There is enough in the
phial for many arrows, I can spare one. When that night arrives, the
Orcs will bother us no more.' He held his father's gaze, waiting for
his approval.
Cusband
shook his head, drinking deeply from his broth before answering. 'A
lone archer, even aided by this phial of yours, could not hope to
triumph against so many,' he said. 'The others would not rally to
your cause either, we lost too many warriors in the first fight,
those few that survived the massacre will not want to invite a
second. Fighting a pitched battle against invaders is one thing, to
drive off an occupation is entirely different. Even if you were to
slaughter every Orc and Goblin they would simply send more until you
were overwhelmed. There is nothing but death at the end of this
road.'
Such
bitter cynicism took El-Vador's breath away. 'Why did you fight the
invaders in the first place, if you felt like that?' he asked. 'Why
not bend the knee straight away?'
'If we could have beaten the bulk of their forces at once, they
likely would have given up the campaign as a bad job and gone home,'
said Cusband. 'They've done that before. Now with a single victory
they're settled on the land and they see it as theirs.'
'They may be settled, I still plan to drive them away.' El-Vador
said.
'If you drive them off they'll just be made more determined and
bloodthirsty.' returned Cusband.
El-Vador
couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'So we should just give in to
them? Those are the words of a craven fool.'
He
fully expected his father to swing for him, or perhaps throw the
remnants of the broth in his face. Instead the man fixed him with a
saddened look, as if there were no anger in him. 'That you would call
your own father that disappoints me.' he said. 'You do not know the
things that I have seen and done in order to have this little peace
in my life.'
'I
don't care what you've done in the past,' said El-Vador, surprising
himself with the cold edge in his voice. 'You cannot stop what I will
make of the future.'
'I
do not wish to see my son killed and the settlement destroyed.'
answered Cusband. 'You are too young to understand that every action
holds consequences.'
'Then why send me off into that part of the forest if I am such a
youth?'
Cusband
only shook his head. 'The other hunters were complaining,' he said.
'You were driving off all the game.' His eyes narrowed. 'Why do you
ask?
'You know why I'm asking,' answered El-Vador.
'No, you went into those woods to hunt, nothing more,' said his
father.
'Never mind then,' said El-Vador, the look on his father's face was
clear enough. They weren't going to discuss what happened in the
woods, or how he had obtained the phial.
When
El-Vador kept silent, Cusband nodded in dour approval. 'All right,'
he
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