Story cubes #WriteFridays Challenge - Voyages

King Nikolai peered out the tall window, paced around the room, and returned to the window, looking out it again, searching the horizon. Clearly anxious, he turned and seated himself at the head of a long, heavy dark table and dined alone. His heavy crown was on the table beside him.

The only light in the cavernous dining hall came through the tall window on the outer wall. The sun passed behind a bank of clouds, the room darkened .

The king picked at his meal of boiled crab, distracted and agitated. The disruption caused by the increasing darkness only served to make him more disturbed.

He got up from the table and walked over to the sole window, on the ledge was his telescope, he picked it up and peered down the road leading to the castle. Where was Sir Argent? The knight had ridden off two days ago with a small entourage to collect the taxes due from the surrounding villages.

He spotted three horses with riders as they exited the edge of the forest. Sir Argent's banner was held by one, but it almost trailed on the ground. Another rider was slumped on the neck of his mount. Only one rode upright, Sir Argent, the king recognized his distinctive helmet with its golden horns. Ten riders had left; only three returned.

As the king hurried down the stairs, and through the passages to the drawbridge he wondered what could have happened. There were rumors in the kingdom the shopkeepers and the farmers were angry with the increased taxes that were collected to fund the war against king Ethelred in the kingdom across the Great Valley.

"Open the gates!" the king commanded. "Sir Argent is approaching." He watched as the guards applied their strength to the long handles on the gears that connected to the chains that lowered the drawbridge down over the moat surrounding the castle. The gears creaked, the chains rattled, and the huge gate thudded heavily as it hit the ground on the other side.

The three riders crossed the bridge, the king could see they were injured. Sir Anthony turned to the castle guard and commanded "Close the gates, they are right behind us!" He dismounted and faced the king. "Your Grace," as he handed over a small leopard fur pouch "this is all we could collect. We were attacked by a large angry mob in Middleford. Farmers, yeomen, the shopkeepers, there were too many of them. Sir Giles, my bannerman and I were the only to survive."

King Nikolai looked at the paltry few coins, he knew he needed pots, chests full of gold to continue the battle. This war against King Ethelred had taken a heavy toll.

© 2014 NoelHC

Story cubes

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