A small snippet...

[Caoimhin Fearghul]

He stood watching the sun slowly crest the eastern hills, out beyond the keep, past the town below. He was standing on the balcony overlooking the courtyard of the fort, perched as it was above the market town...already in the courtyard the warriors began to stir, preparing for their morning practice, as he had long ago...his thick beard was tinted with grey, his long hair cut into a mohawk as was the style once for the kings cavalry...one that almost all save him had abandoned. He heard a quiet movement behind him, but he did not turn...he stood quietly contemplating the first light of the day...

After a moment he murmured, "You should know you cant creep up on me flower."

Then he turned to face the small brunette that had crept out onto the balcony to join him...she was clad in a thick warm robe against the slight chill in the air...a ever her eyes were alight with a sparkling laughter a joke in the world that only she seemed to see in these dark times...

He reached around, encircling an arm gently around her waist.

"Did you sleep well?" he enquired.

She laughed, like a quiet tinkling of bells.

"As well as ever in this draughty place...when will we be leaving back to the capital?"

For a moment a slightly pained look crossed his face, inside he knew he should tell her the truth...that there was an army only a days march away...that the roads to the capital were cut off...that only a single messenger had arrived in over a week...and he only with a single order from the king: hold to the last...but he told her none of this...he smiled and held her gently and whispered to her...

"Soon flower, soon..."