Splinters of Hope: Adamant Fortress

Lady Vhaera brought her body closer to the flames and shifted her eyes around the fire brightly illuminating her face and projecting oscillating shades all over the place. The cold bit at her and threw itself against her cloak as if to remind them they were far from home. Smoke rose up and blended with the smell of wet soil and the burning of the trees. Jackdaws had done telling his story and his voice was still ringing in my ears like the last line of a beautiful melody. She had smiled at his jokes, rolling her eyes at his hyperboles; but now the words were gone, the quiet was oppressive – dense, as after the rain.

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. Where was that ever confident Jackdaw? I wondered as I looked at him tonight. His broad shoulders, which he always held back with pride, had a slight hunch. The light of the fire brought out fine creases of tiredness on his face, which even his smile tried to mask. He appeared as a man who had just come out of a war, not vanquished, but not triumphant as well.

Staring at the fire with a stick, she spoke the first words. “You know,” she said, and her tone was playful, but her eyes were serious, “it’s kind of weird listening to your story from other people.” We have always been in the middle of it all and it has always been like that. Watching from the sidelines? It’s not my style.”

Jackdaws gave a low, happy laugh, the kind that made everyone feel comfortable. “Well someone had to keep K157 together,” he said, smiling easily but his eyes were cold. “And who better than you? Never had any doubt about you once.”

She arched her eyebrow and smirked. “Still doesn’t feel right, splitting up like that.”

Jackdaws’ expression eased, and he looked at the fire. “You have to go with what you have, Vhaera.” K122 made sense for me, just like K157 needed you. Besides,” he said, and there was the grin that had made her think of a fox, “you’re the best damn fighter I know.” If anyone could keep things steady, it’s you.”

His words sounded like a reassurance of something she hadn’t dared to question in her head. Throwing her stick into the fire, she let her smirk grow. “Okay, okay, you win this round, let me off the hook.” But don’t think you’re escaping my stories. I told you, ‘You’re going to hear every gritty detail.’

Being laughed at by Jackdaws, the sound reverberated into the night. “Fair deal, Vhaera. Fair deal.”

She gazed at the fire, its constant flicker reminding her of the action in her head. “Adamant Fortress wasn’t like your story,” she started hesitating softly, “It was still and cold.” But it wasn’t clean, or triumphant. It was chaos.”

Jackdaws leaned forward, he was interested in what was going on. “Tell me.”

She paused, her thin foresleeves touching the hem of the cloak she wore. Then the memories poured out. K157 was not large enough so we joined with KAC. We believed that would give us some advantage, but WxC and HOH were ready for us—powerful, well-coordinated, and unyielding.

Her voice tightened. ‘We were late to the first capture.’ Ares was the first one there, and immediately after Grombold from HOH took it. Our rally leaders were restrained, and he accumulated too much time. By the time we could rally him out, it was like we were already on the back foot.”

Jackdaws whistled low, his face was serious. “And then?”

“WxC and HOH made a pact,” she went on, anger creeping into her voice. ‘They wouldn’t hit each other. But when Black Bear from KAC has successfully captured the fortress, both of them attacked us. Nearly twenty rallies, Jack. We couldn’t hold that.”

He scowled, clenching his fists on his knees. “What did you do?”

Her hand clenched into a fist. “We disbanded. Let them exhaust themselves on an empty castle.

It gave us time but then CCCPC arrived on the scene. She looked at me and sighed, turning red with the memory still fresh. “We couldn’t match him. It wasn’t even close.” The fire made a loud crackling sound in the ensuing brief silence.

“But you kept going,” Jackdaws said softly, his voice was not a question.

She nodded. “We had to. When Nightking took the fortress we saw some light at the end of the tunnel. He was strong but beatable. Each time we tried to remove him, however, another huge demonstration compelled him back into power.

She looked away, and the tiredness of the fight was reflected in her words. “We didn’t win,” she said after a while. Yet we were fighting harder than ever. It was not only the fortress anymore. It was about us – about our friendship, strength. It made something in us that no title could ever give.”

Jackdaws looked at her with some deference, the glow of the fire illuminating the contemplative look in his face. “Not always is it the fortress that is important, but the bounds that are created around it.”

He spoke the words to her gently and she felt that she was wrapped in a warm comforter. She allowed them to hover, her face beaming a faint smile. “Thanks, Jack. But don’t think you’re off the hook. Next time I will tell you the full story.”

He smiled and chuckled until the night enveloped him. “Looking forward to it.”

When the fire was low, so was Vhaera’s mind and she let out a sigh. They had been challenged during the fight for Adamant Fortress but had been destroyed and reconstructed. As they walked side by side through the night, under the sky with stars far above and the friend who had always listened to her stories and would invite her to listen, as well, to the narratives that she had never spelled out but which could be written down now, she realized the gravity of their words.