Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king

The remnants of the rebel army pressed onward until nightfall,as usual. There was no fanfare when they stopped—only the hollow shuffle of boots over dirt and the muted groans of aching bodies. Without tents, they spread out wherever they could find a patch of ground, hastily clearing spaces for small fires to fend off the cold. Sparks flickered against the darkening sky as groups of men huddled around the flames, sharing what little food they had and muttering in low voices.

Lucius and Marcus sat on a fallen log near the edge of one of the makeshift camps, their faces cast in the glow of the nearest fire. They hadn’t spoken much during the march, both lost in their thoughts. Marcus idly poked at the dirt with the tip of his boot, while Lucius seemed to be staring into the flames, his expression unreadable.

A shadow fell over them, and one of their watchers stepped into the firelight. His face was grim, and his voice was blunt, short and gruff as that of an old man

”Inor wants to see you.”

The two exchanged a glance, neither surprised. Marcus let out an exaggerated sigh, running a hand through his hair. ”Of course he does,” he muttered as he rose.

Lucius didn’t respond immediately, rising to his feet and brushing off his cloak. He adjusted the sword belt he still wore, though the weapon had been taken away ”Let’s get this over with,” he said, his tone flat but resigned.

Lucius and Marcus were led through the chaotic sprawl of the rebel camp, their guard cutting a path through clusters of men huddled around fires.

When they reached the center of the camp, they found Inor seated near a modest fire, his cloak wrapped tightly around him to ward off the night chill. Like everyone else, he had no tent, no luxuries—just the barest semblance of comfort on the cold, hard ground.

Inor rose as they approached, his face gaunt from exhaustion but his eyes sharp and alert. He gestured for them to sit on a pair of logs opposite him. ”I apologize for the conditions,” he began, his tone measured. ”And for the... precautions. I hope you understand that I had little choice.”

Lucius sat down , folding his arms across his chest as he regarded the rebel leader. ”You didn’t drag us out here to apologize. What do you want?”

Inor allowed a faint, tired smile to flicker across his face before he leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. ”I need you to act as intermediaries. To convey my terms for a safe haven to your sponsor.”

Marcus gave a derisive snort but said nothing. Lucius’s gaze, however, did not waver. ”Quite the plan. But what makes you think we’d do that?”

Inor straightened slightly. ”Because I’m certain your sponsor has no desire for their involvement in this rebellion to become public knowledge. If I am captured, I will have no choice but to reveal everything I know. I am not so durable as not to confess under torture; of course that would mean painful death for me , so I have no intention of getting captured. Still in the event that it would happen, I’m sure you realize how damaging that would be—not just for me, but for whoever is behind you.

Also your lives are in my hands, so if you won’t do it for the sake of who is behind you, than perhapse you will do it for your own.Until now you have been our guests; I am sure you have no intention of becoming prisoners.”

The fire crackled softly between them, its light playing across Inor’s weathered face as he continued. ”I also have my suspicions about his identity,after all only a fool would trust un unknown hand without more information” he said, his voice lowering just slightly. ”The banners flying above the castles we took were... illuminating, to say the least. I’ve pieced enough together to have a fairly clear picture.I mean I would be a fool if I did not.”

Lucius raised an eyebrow but said nothing

”For the sake of all parties,” Inor said, his voice steady and deliberate, ”I will keep those suspicions to myself, as simple thoughts that my head wondered into. But that discretion depends on reaching an agreement. A safe haven for myself and my people. Nothing more.We want no gold, simply some lands to live the rest of our lives as what we know best, you will have no more trouble from us”

The silence stretched between them for a long moment before Lucius finally leaned back, a faint smirk playing on his lips masking the worry he felt inside . ”You’ve certainly thought this through.”

Inor didn’t respond.

Lucius leaned forward ”Perhaps,” he said slowly, ”we could start by building a little trust. Relax the watch over us, let us move about more freely. It’s not like we’re in any position to do anything.”

Inor immediately shook his head, his lips pressing into a firm line. ”We both know it is impossible,” he said bluntly.

Lucius opened his mouth to protest, but Inor raised a hand, cutting him off. ”Don’t insult either of us by pretending you don’t have a way to communicate with others . I’ve no doubt you’re resourceful enough to have a method, even here. All I ask is that you relay my intentions. My desires are simple—I want to make a deal. A safe haven. Nothing more.I am sure he can manage something considering what we have done for him”

”I’ll need to write a letter,” he said curtly, his tone implying that it was less a request and more a statement of fact.

Inor nodded, gesturing to a small bundle at his feet. ”My people rummaged through your belongings earlier, before the escape. They found some ink, quills, and the things you write on. You can thank me later for my foresight.”

Lucius rolled his eyes at the fact that people rummaged through his things.

Still, once the things were brought to him , he got on the ground as he had no desk to write on. Unfurling a crumpled sheet of paper, he dipped the quill into the ink pot and starting writing

Minutes passed, and Inor remained standing nearby, arms crossed, his watchful gaze fixed on Lucius’s every movement. Marcus, sitting a few feet away, occasionally glanced toward his companion but kept his thoughts to himself.

Finally, Lucius set the quill down.He straightened, rolling the letter with practiced ease before holding it up to Inor. ”It’s done,” he said ”careful; it’s fresh.”

Inor took the parchment from Lucius, his fingers brushing over the rough surface avoiding the lines of inks . He turned it slowly, his face unreadable, but there was something in his eyes. He held it up, the dim light of the campfire casting shadows across the uneven lettering.

For a long moment, he said nothing, letting the silence stretch until it became almost unbearable. Then, finally, he spoke.

”I can’t read,” Inor admitted, the words carrying neither shame nor pride. ”And neither can my men. Which means that whatever you’ve written here...”—he held up the letter between his fingers—”...we’ve no way of knowing if it’s what I asked for.You are the keeper of its content alone , I always wanted to know how to read; you know, any men that enlisted and were literate did not even go near the frontline.But worked in the logistics”

Lucius stayed still, his gaze unwavering, though his fingers twitched near his knee.

He did not like where it was going

”So I’ll ask you,” Inor continued, stepping closer, his presence heavy, like a storm pressing down on the air. ”From man to man. Did you write what I told you to?”

”I did,” Lucius said evenly, his tone betraying no emotion.

Inor’s eyes narrowed, his gaze hard and unblinking staring straight ”Then prove it. Read it to me.” He crouched down slightly, pointing at the parchment with one thick, calloused finger. ”Word for word. And you’ll trace each word as you read it. If you stammer, hesitate, or so much as look up too long...maybe to bullshit words as you read, ’’ he thought a little before nodding toward Marcus ’’ I’ll have my men kill your companion right here.”

Marcus’s head jerked toward Inor his eyes wide with disbelief. ”Why me?” he blurted ’’What I do?’’

Inor didn’t even glance at him. His focus remained locked on Lucius, as though Marcus’s protest hadn’t even reached his ears. ”I’m not repeating myself.I am giving you one last chance to come clean, one last chance to save him. Did you write what I asked?” he said coldly.

Lucius shifted slightly, not out of discomfort but to straighten his posture,or perhapse the opposite, his calm demeanor holding even under the weight of Inor’s scrutiny. ”I wrote exactly what you asked, word by word,” he said.

”Good,” Inor replied, his voice still low but carrying the edge of steel. ”Then read it. Prove it , and as you do know that you are the keeper of your little friend’s life and you have just betted on it .”

Marcus, still pale, looked between the two men, his hands trembling slightly at his sides. He opened his mouth as though to speak again, but the look Lucius gave him silenced him.

Lucius reached for the parchment, his movements deliberate, and picked it up from Inor’s hand. He glanced at Marcus once, his expression unreadable, then back to Inor.

”Let’s get this over with,” he said, his voice steady, though the faintest flicker of something, glimmed in his eyes.