The Morning After The Attack

As the sun rose in the east and illuminated the dark gloomy forest of previous night. After the nights passing, the blood shade of previous night would have looked like a bad dream if not for the cold blood on the snow and the still lingering burning scent of the wood.

"How are two doing?" Alfred asked in a serious voice. He was currently sitting near a fire place and was holding a bowl of hot soup. Opposite to sat Newt and Graham who were realised by Alfred from there captivity.

Listening to Alfred's question both of them looked at each other and smiled with a little of embarrassment.

"Young master, as much it makes happy to see you here, it's quite embarrassing to show our faces in this condition. Beaten and battered, it pains me to say that we have seen better days." Graham said with a tone filled with embarrassment.

Alfred on the other hand disagreed and shook his head. Just as he was about rebuke Graham, Newt voice came for the side.

"Young master, you don't have to deny anything. Not only we were unable to accomplish the task you entrusted to us, we had ourselves taken hostage. In stand of helping young master, we not only became burden to you, but also had young master take an enormous risk and come save us. We are both really ashamed of our incompetence."

"Yes, young master, not only both of us are incompetent, we are also not able to live up to young master's trust. Besides, young master, we know that you are taking a huge gamble and risk everything just by neglecting the Everwinter fortress in such a precarious time just to save both of our lives, we don't know how to repay young master." Graham said to Alfred.

"Both of you…" Alfred sighed. "What generosity? What repayment? Don't you say both of you are family? So why are both of so embarrassed now? Do you think I am so petty and look down on me, so much so that it is embarrassing for both of you to be saved by me?"

"No, young master. It's not that," Graham hesitated for a moment before saying. "It's just that we fell we have made more trouble for in stand of helping. Both of us brothers, know how difficult this winter month is for the family. And how much you, the young master is burdened by the weight of defending the Everwinter fortress with measly force you had with you.

But what did we do? In stand of helping young master defending the wall or helping you arranging supplies, we were captured and taken hostage to be used against young master. Not only did we fail but dragged you down with. It is a stain on our honor, that will forever hunt us for life."

"Graham is right young master. We have indeed stained our honor. Not only that we have also let down young master's trust, as we were unable to keep our promise. On top of that, this new debt of young master saving our lives we don't know how to repay it." Newt chipped in.

Alfred was starting to have a headache. He did not know what he was supposed to say to these two. Although both of the brother was being humble, for the modern Alfred it was too much. So much so that, to him it was starting to sound like both of them was wining like babies.

"You two that's enough."

As Alfred was pondering how to calm both of them down, and life their sprits a little, Nathen's voice sounded for the cave entrance. Alfred's eyes lit up, as he looked towards the cave entrance and noticed that Nathen was approaching him.

Noticing Alfred was looking at him, Nathen saluted Alfred and made his way towards where he was sitting. Alfred on the other hand, simply nodded his head, casually accepting Nathen's gesture of respect.

"Both of you, quit whining like a drunk a Traven and get your sorry ass in order. The winter is not over yet and we still required all hand we have if we want to defend the Everwinter castle successfully. Besides aren't both of you merchants? When did merchants started to talk about honor? Don't you guys are more interested in counting your coins and filling the coffers than care about honor? What changed today?"

Nathen's words stung both Graham and Newt equally and alike.

"Hay, although we are merchants, we know enough about loyalty and honor to serve young master faithfully." Graham shouted back.

"Never doubt our loyalty to young master. We may not be knights, but our desire and resolve to serve young master is not less than either. Even if we are merchants, if time comes, we will not step back from holding a sword and fight for young master till the last breath." Newt declared.

"Quite a big word for someone who was whining a while an ago. But for now, I will choose to believe you two. So, cheer up and do what you must. By sulking so much, you are proving not your courage nor your loyalty. In stand both of you are becoming more burden on the lord." Nathen said to Graham and Newt.

After listening to Nathen, Graham and Newt realized what Nathen said was true. In stand of being helpful to their young master Alfred, they were becoming more burden. Both of them were embarrassed again, but this time they has learnt there lesson and decided to not linger on it much and rectify there mistake.

"Looks like you are starting to become wise, by staying with me Nathen." After listening to Nathen's words Alfred teased him from the side.

"Its all thanks to grace of you lord." Nathen replied with a chuckle.

Suddenly the sad and wimpy mood lightened up very much.

Alfred took a sip from his hot soup and changed the subject.

"So, did you complete the task I asked you to do?'

Nathen nodded. "It took a while but it is done. We now know for sure that the two families are behind this. The man we have captured, have confessed everything they knew and have reviled the faction they belonged to. For now, we know for certain that they are elites from the both Monroe and Campbell family, and attacked us by disguising themselves as bandits.

We also found out their target was just to loot the supplies in the start and sell them back to us when we were desperate enough. They said that capturing hostages was never their original plan and was just a coincidence. So, both of you it's not your fault at all."

"Ah that reminds me, how are the two hundred serfs we sent to retrieve the supplies? Are all of them still alive?"

Nathen shook his head. "It appears not, my lord. Out of two hundred serfs we have sent to retrieve the convoy, only less than one seventy remain. Most of them died fighting in the initial raid and others just starved or fell to the cold." Nathen said solemnly.

After listening to the news Alfred sighed. Graham and Newt hung there heads low in shame. Although they now knew its not their fault, they somewhat felt guilty. Nathan also decided to not to say anything to Graham and Newt, and keep his mouth shut.

Alfred not wanting to make the topic anymore depressing, decided to move one.

"Anything else we found out, Nathen?"

"Aside from some miscellaneous information, it looks like we are able to catch some big fish. I am sure my lord, you would be quite surprised when you see it." Nathen replied.

"Really? Show me." Alfred said quite interested in what Nathen said.

Nathen nodded and signaled his man to bring the 'big fish' from cave. Soon few solders emerged from the cave and with them they brought two chained man with them. Needless to say, they were Kyle and Albert. With their usual lustre and haughtiness gone, they looked like any ordinary prisoner with there beaten up face beaten up and swollen.

Still they were noble scions and had their own pride. So, noticing Alfred was looking at them, they put up a brave front and made there way towards Alfred. They stopped in front of Alfred with some fifteen foot of distance between Alfred them and stood proudly while showing their defiance.

Alfred did not mind. He was not bothered a single bit from the actions of the two in front of him. The reason was that he did not recognize the identity of the two that was standing in front of him.

He did try to search the leftover memory fragments of him predecessor but came up empty. He had no idea who the two in front of him were and how were they important. Still he did not want to ask anyone and embarrass himself, so he decided to keep his mouth shut and pretend to not care.