Chapter 291

291 The Boarder

***CONTENT WARNING: GROSSNESS***

The Highlands were around four day’s ride from Moonstone castle. The closer they came, the more barren the landscape became. The rolling, grass-covered hills changed to sparse, rocky outcrops as they went, making their destination seem almost desolate.

The Highlanders had lived in the north ever since the original capital had been built. They could trace their heritage all the way back to when the Star Continent was called Alconia. As they neared the boarder, Skye gripped her reins in anticipation..

Petrie had let a few things slip whenever he was with them. She knew that they were more advanced than the Alconians had thought they were. A thrill shot through Skye as she thought about all of the new discoveries awaiting them in the Highlands...

Tidas had a stern expression on his face as they rode. He didn’t like not knowing what they were riding into, and he didn’t like that his wife would be one of the first to ride into it. Their plan was to head to the boarder village, camp for the night, then ride like hell as far as they could to the Old Capital.

Until they found out what had happened to Petrie, it was pointless to try and find the Highlanders. The best thing that they could do was go straight after his uncle. He was a threat to both them, and the Highlanders.

Tidas thought that if they could take down his uncle first, then maybe they could foster some goodwill with the Highlanders for doing so. ‘If Drexel had taken Murdoc’s position, it will be difficult to convince them to sign the treaty..’

Shaking his head, Tidas tried to focus on the most immediate possible scenarios. If Petrie had failed, they would have to fight while being vastly outnumbered, and in the Highlander’s backyard..

‘They’ll most likely find us first.. The question that remains is: will it be a friendly first meeting, or will it be bloody?’

.....

As they rode, tiny structures came into view. Several people were beginning to gather as they watched hundreds of Alconians ride towards them. As they neared, Tidas held up his arm to slow the company, then he signaled Ralph to come forward.

When they saw just the two trotting forward, three men broke away from the other Highlanders. One was clearly the elder of the village, and the other two looked like they were his sons. They all had the same wide forehead, and the same nose, and ears.

When Tidas and Ralph stopped and dismounted, the old man coughed hard before saying; “We welcome ye ta our humble village, Prince Tidas. I hear congratulations are in order for yer nuptials.”

“I thank you kindly for your sentiments, Matloch. I just wish we were here under better circumstances,” Tidas replied while extending his arm in greeting.

As they gripped each other’s forearms, Matloch looked to the RMC gathered and remarked; “Awfully small arm to go to war with..”

Tidas’ heart sank as the old man’s words sunk in; “Can you tell me anything without betraying your code?”

They released their arms as Matloch spoke; “Oh, aye.. Murdoc gave me specific instructions ta tell ye that yer a dead man for what ye did ta Petrie, and that the Highlands would run red with the blood of ye southerners; should ye try to cross the boarder.”

“Oh, how lovely,” Ralph muttered, but Matloch heard it.

He chuckled, then coughed again; requiring one of his sons to hold him up. As he started to hack, a woman’s voice rang out from the group of gathered soldiers..

“Alright, where’s that cough comin’ from?! I canna find-You! Stay put! Tis not good for ye to be coughin’ like that in this cold at Yer age!”

As Skye made her way to the front of the line, many of the soldiers chuckled at her antics. They’d been dealing with her over-protective nature the past few days, and had grown fond of her because of it.

Any time Skye had heard a cough or sneeze, she’d track down whomever it was coming from, and check them over. One of the soldiers had even been in the same boat as Ronnie and his sister; he had a blood clot built up in his brain. After Skye had healed him, several others that had stepped forward and asked to be checked over.

Two had early onset diabetes, another had a heart murmur, had a pinched nerve that caused his leg to hurt and go numb on occasion, by the time they had reached the boarder: every RMC member was in their best form..

They cleared a path for Skye as she rode up to the front, then over to the five gathered men. The three Highlanders were shocked by the sight of her. Her black dragon armor made her pale skin and golden hair striking to them in contrast.

Tidas grinned; “Matloch, this is my wife: Skye Moonstone. Skye, this is Matloch, and his sons Ewan and Arran. He’s the Village Chief of Balchrìoch.”

Skye dismounted Thoth as her husband had spoken, then let go of his reins; which surprised the Highlanders. Normally one was very cautious not lose one’s horse in the Highlands. Getting stranded out in ‘the Waste'(the utterly barren part of the Highlands), was akin to a death sentence..

Skye bowed lightly to the three, then asked; “Would ye mind if I took a look at ye? Ima Shaman.. Among other things..”

Matloch chuckle-coughed; “I know who ye be, lassie.. Yer Da speaks about ye constantly when he’s up here tradin’ with us. He’s a good man, that one..”

Skye beamed at the elderly man; “Aye, that he is..”

It took Skye about thirty seconds to figure out that the old man had a flemmy kind of fluid building up in his lungs. It was brought on by a terrible upper respiratory infection. He was right at the threshold of bronchitis, and it would not be pleasant to get him back to healthy..

After explaining the situation to Matloch, he agreed to do whatever Skye told him to do..

“Just don’t try to inhale it back in.. Yer gag reflex will most likely kick in, so just go with it, okay?” Skye was already building her magic as she spoke.

“Aye, Princess,” he agreed, then Skye started to funnel her Shaman magic into him.

She forced the mucus up and out; sending the old man into the worst coughing fit he’d ever experienced. At least a gallon of snot and flem came up and out, but afterwards; he felt like he had the lungs of a twenty year old.

Matloch took several deep breaths as he stretched his arms up into the air. Since she was healing him anyway; she’d also healed a bit of old damage to his collarbone. For the first time in decades; neither his chest or shoulders hurt.

The old man danced around a bit before a woman caring a baby approached her, begging her to look over her baby. The child had jaundice, and had an infection around her where her umbilical cord had been cut. Skye healed her, then another, and another.. Untill all of the villagers with immediate health issues were taken care of.

While Skye took care of the villagers, Tidas continued his discussion with the chief. From what Murdoc had told him: the Alconians had killed Petrie, and were planning on raining their entire army down upon the ‘unsuspecting Highlanders’. In order to take their lands, possessions, women, and children.

Tidas scoffed; “And he believed All of that without proof?!”

Matloch sighed; “Well, the dead bodies found shortly after they left was proof that somethin’ happened-”

“Yeah: Drexel did. He’s the one who attacked us, not the Alconians!” Ralph bellowed in frustration.

Matloch sighed; “Of course that’d be the case.. That power-hungry fool.. I believe ye laddies, but without Petrie himself ta back ye, Murdoc won’t listen.”

“Then it’s simple: we find Petrie, and have him tell Murdoc,” Skye shouted as she tended to a child Highlander with his arm in a sling.

Tidas turned towards Matloch; “Have you seen Petrie? He should’ve come through her either yesterday, or the day before if he’s making good time.”

Matloch shook his head in the negative, then lit up like he’d remembered something; “We havena seen him, but there were tracks in the frost this morning that no one claimed. The guards didn’t see anyone, but they were there when the sun came up..”

Tidas perked up; “Do you know the direction that they were headed in?”

The old man pointed; “Northeast towards the seashore, I think..”

Tidas turned around; “Squad A Scouts! Front and center!”

Seconds after Tidas had called out, the six long-range scouting party came forward. He immediately started to hand out orders:

“I want Tamers to send out first recon, then report back! The rest I want an area search done within a click around! If you find and traces of people, call it back with the Companions!”

“Aye, Sir!” they yelled, then the two Manics hopped onto the Spped Tanks’ backs, then took off.

The Tamers sent out their bird Companions to survey the lands from above, while the others went on foot. The sun was nearly set, so they wouldn’t be gone long. Skye had finished up her Shaman work, and was now helping the troops cook.

Their meals were incredibly simple now, but still relatively good. The soldiers hunted as they traveled, so there were fresh rabbits and elk on spits, and put into stew. The Highlanders didn’t have much, so the soldiers gave them the rations that they would’ve used the night that they stayed in Moonshire.

Skye wondered for a minute if her father had guessed to they’d do that, then smiled.. ‘He knew that Tidas would.. I bet that’s why he’d insisted on feedin’ everyone.’

As Skye grinned and stared at the fire, Tidas came over with a heaping plate of food for her. They basically only had rice and potatoes for sides, and that had to be rationed, but Tidas wanted her at full strength for tomorrow morning..

It was going to be Skye’s first mission, and she was already exhausted from healing the villagers. He gave her some of his food, which she protested, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer..

“Being a member of the Scouts means that the safety of the rest of the soldiers lies with your ability to spot the enemy.. How are you supposed to do that if your magic is low? Being stubborn now could lead to the death of others later.”

Skye sighed deeply at her husband as she replied; “Alright! Geez.. I thought I was supposed to be the nag in the relationship..”

Tidas chuckled as he stated; “That all boils down to maturity, love..”

Skye sneered at him; “Maturity, hmm? If that’s the case, then I think ye got it backwards, husband.. How can you command the Company on an questionable stomach?”

“Yer both immature,” Ronnie muttered.

The couple shot him a look as he added; “That was supposed to be an inside thought.. Nevermind!”

As they watched him scurry away into the crowds of talking soldiers, Skye slid some food back onto Tidas’ plate while he wasn’t looking. When he went to take a bite and saw it, he looked at his wife and said; “See?! Immature..”

Skye chuckled; “I prefer crafty..”