Notes:

   This has been very much revised compared to my first draft. If you haven't read my first draft, don't; at least not until you've read this one. I am leaving it on apricotpie only for history's sake.

   Thank you Anna for your comment, it has helped me improve this story a great deal. I have hopefully gotten rid of my major problems and added a few characters. (Well, I had them planned before, they just didn't appear until a latter chapter)

   About Penten; he does not appear in this chapter, and has actually been completely cut out of the story. That doesn't mean that I won't add any of his brethren.

   Read The Tale of Modeña: Prologue

The Tale of Modeña

Chapter I

   The sun shone down upon a road that cut through a thick forest. A cart moved slowly down the rough road pulled by a work horse. Next to it, on either side, walked two young men. One was broad-shouldered, and looked to have the strength of the work horse that drew the cart. The other was taller and more slender, and though you could tell he was a worker, he looked as one who loved knowledge. A sudden splintering sound caused Hezί and Jeshua to stop their cart.

   “What happened?” asked Hezί from the other side of the cart.

   “The wheel cracked,” replied Jeshua with dismay, “I don’t think it will hold.”

   Hezί came around to the broken wheel to examine it, “It looks like it should hold until we get to market; then we can get it fixed.”

   “Aye, and a pretty penny that will take,” commented Jeshua somewhat frustrated.

   “You hear that?” asked Hezί. The sound of horses galloping up the road met their ears; faint, but growing stronger by the second.

   “Who could be coming down this way with a lot o’ horses?” wondered Hezί.

   “I don’t know, but we better get this cart off the road before they run into it.”

   At that moment the horsemen rounded a bend into the cousins’ sight. They froze in their steps.

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   “Sir, a messenger from your father.”

   “Show him in, Járred,” was Zobed’s responce.

   The servant turned and left. “I hope he hasn’t gotten any threats from Jŭdum,” Zobed commented to Joseth.

   “Worse.”

   Both Zobed and Joseth turned to see the messenger in the door way, still breathing heavily from his journey.

   “Come in and rest yourself. Here take a drink of this, it will do you good,” Zobed said anxiously as he offered the man a cup.

   “Thank you my lord,” the man took a sip and set the cup down, “to get to the point, Serrát has invaded. It happened yesterday morning, the night before he was camped across the Serrát River and in the morning his whole army had already crossed. the King, your father moved quickly and stopped King Jŭdum’s advance. King Jŭdum has stopped, and does not attack. Your father the king thinks that he is waiting for more soldiers to reinforce him. He is anxious that you gather up an army and come to his support.”

   “When did you leave?”

   “I’ve been riding hard for two days,” was the reply.

   Zobed stood there thinking for a moment, then called for his servant, “Járred!” Járred came quickly. “Take this man, and see that he is put into comfort. Tell Captain Keðan and Captain Kôlec that their presence is required.”

   “Yes sir, immediately,” was the reply, as he snapped into motion.

   The cousins were left alone. Zobed turned to Joseth, “Joseth, I knew it would eventually come to this, but I was still not ready to hear it. How could this of happened? Serrát has been at peace with Modeña since the Kίshan alliance. Jŭdum was quiet friendly when he first became king, and now all of a sudden he turns on us; this should not happen! I am not a man of war, and cannot become one. If I were to lead men into battle, it would the sure death of them! Why is it that I am the one who this burden is laid upon?”

   “Calm down Zobed,” Joseth said, “We’ve been over this many a time. Jŭdum was only friendly when it served his purpose. Now that he has decided to rule the whole continent, he has changed his mind about peace. I say that we should have declared war against him a long time ago when he invaded Uthan.”

   “Yes, I’m sorry Joseth, I just can’t stand the thought of Modeña going to war, and so many dying. I guess that I am too similar to my father.”

   “Any righteous man would feel that way towards war, but when it comes, he will take up the sword to defend his land,” Joseth spoke reassuringly. “God has put this into your life to strengthen you. You are the eldest prince, and therefore shall someday rule this nation. You will need the character to lead this country. Zobed, remember, 'Preserve yourself in patience-'.”

   “‘For anger can be as an intoxicating drink.’ Yes it is a familiar verse, from the book of Gálanth,” he said, then added, "you have all the qualities of a leader, so why don't you become king?" Joseth did not respond, not quite knowing if that had been a rhetorical question. Zobed stood still, deep in though, “Ah, here comes someone down the hall.”

   At that moment, Captain Kôlec came into the room closely followed by Captain Keðan. “Sir, we have both been informed of the news and are awaiting orders,” Kôlec said bluntly, standing as a giant in front of him.

   “Good,” said Zobed, “Both of you send messages to every town and village, every highland or lowland earl or lord; tell them that we must raise an army to defend our land against an invading army from Serrát. This army is to gather here, outside of the gates of Kesheyn. All should be gathered in three days. Send out that message immediately.”

   “I will do that,” was Kôlek’s short gruff answer.

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   One of the horsemen yelled, and the horses slowed to a walk. They halted in front of the cart, and the front horseman, who looked to be the captain, spoke out in a commanding voice, “What are you doing with that cart?” and without letting either of the cousins answer, continued, “We will take this cart off of your hands make good use of this produce.” The man ended this with a mocking laugh.

   “What! But this is our's, and we shan't let you have it!” said Hezί angrily.

   Jeshua tried to quiet him down quickly, “Hezί, we cannot do anything at this moment; just cooperate for right now.”

   “Yes, listen to your wise brother,” the captain said annoyed at Hezί's defiance, “though he's a Kishan, he knows a thing or two!” At that all the horsemen broke out in laughter. "Now get out of here, lest I embed my sword into you thick skulls."

   Jeshua could see the blood vessels popping out of Hezί’s forehead and knew that he would explode any second. Acting quickly, he whispered into his cousin’s ear, “Run.” Jeshua grasped Hezί’s hand, pulling him around the cart, and they both ran into the vine maples that bordered the road. The laughing of the men fade away into the peaceful songs of the bird of the forest.

   The cousins continued to run until far beyond reach. They slowed to a stop when they reached a stream. The stream gurgled peacefully past, makeing it seem as if the previous scene had been imagined. Both of them knew that it had, though, and were still trying to process what they had just been through. After a while Jeshua spoke up, “Let's get back home, quickly.” He started moving downstream.

   Hezί followed suit, climbed over a log that lay in the path, and asked, “Isn’t this somewhat far for a raiding party to come?”

   “I don’t believe that that was a raiding party,” was Jeshua’s reply. The water continued to flow pass them, ablivious to their conversation.

   “Then what was it?” asked Hezί, who didn't listened much to news of the outside world, but was content with his own small sphere of life.

   “I believe that we are being invaded by Serrát, and should get home quickly to warn everyone,” again replied Jeshua, “for I fear that they may do what they have done in other countries.”

   “And what is that?” Hezί asked, looking inquisitive.

   “Have you not been listening to any of the talk at market? I heard it and did not want to tell my father, or your father, for I did not want to give them needless fear. They say that Serrát is doing what Jarrgôn did; they take some of the people away to a foreign land and bring foreigners here, weakening resistance. I fear that they may do this right away, before anyone is prepared to resist.” At this, Jeshua quickened his pace.

   Hezί was silent.

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   The two boys slowed to a stop outside of the village close to their houses. Half the village was in flames. Smoke went up in the sky like pillars, giant grey pillars of doom. The air was filled with screams, and shrieks, and of weeping. Horsemen were rounding people up. Strangely the other half of the village was untouched by flame and sword. The horsemen acted as if it didn’t exist. Several men came out of the untouched side of the village. They recognized them both as an elder and his son. They were both immediately surrounded by horsemen. The horsemen then dispersed leaving two bodies lying on the ground.

   “No!” exclaimed Hezί, at the sight.

   A horseman heard exclamation and turned his horse their direction. The cousins turned and fled.

   They went around the village and headed toward their houses, staying away from the roads. They came out of the forest, and into the fields belonging to them. Then they beheld something which made their hearts jump. Smoke coming from the houses in the distance! They began to sprint as fast as they could toward the group of three houses and several barns. As they came closer, they saw that two of the houses were on fire while the other was not.

   They sprinted into the small courtyard. They saw no one about, until Jeshua looked over to a barn that's roof was a flame. Jeshua’s little sister sat weeping over what loooked like the lifeless form of his father. He rushed over to his sister and embraced her. She grabbed a hold of him as to never let go. He held her, and glanced over to his father’s body. “Where was the rest of his family? What had happened? Why would the Lord do this to my father?” were a few of the questions that went through his mind.   Then he noticed that his father was still breathing. He turned, still holding his sister, and touched his father. His father groaned in pain and opened his eyes. His father had a deep gash in his leg, and blood was coming out of his side.

   “Father,” he said, his voice cracking. His swelled with emotion of the realization of the moment, “what happened?”

   His father’s eyes centered on him for a moment, “They came, and…I tried to save Lidyá,” he paused for a moment, “Jeshua. Take Lidyá and protect her.”

   “Yes papa,” was all that Jeshua could say. Tears filled his eyes, and he became a little dizzy.

   “Hezί,” Jeshua’s father addressed his cousin who was behind him, whom he had almost forgotten about. “Hezί, look after Jeshua and Lidyá. May the Lord look after you three.” He stopped, and Jeshua could tell he was having trouble breathing. All the four were silent, even Jeshua’s little sister, Lidyá, had quieted down. After a minute, Jeshua’s father breathed out, and did not breathe back in.

   “Why?” he muttered, and then wept bitter tears.

   “Hezί?” “Uncle Derίk!” came two confused, and frightened voices.

   Jeshua turned his head around to see two girls running toward them. The first was Hezί’s sister, Erina, who was about 17. The other was also his cousin, Amnina; she was Hezί’s age, 21. Hezί ran to meet up with them, and embraced his sister. Amnina tookup the folds of her skirt and knelt down next to Jeshua’s father; she realized with horror that he was dead and looked at Jehsua with dispare. His face reflected total sorrow.