Magnus did not expect soldiers to pour from the crevices to answer Rael Fire’s call. Tephra was not a typical kingdom of old and this new land did not yet demand a battle-tested army the way that it had once been. Peace was tenuous here and tepid, but still, there was peace. The sound of war did not sound on the borders of their land and no one lived in fear for what may march upon them in the morning.
Yet Magnus did not feel at ease.
He knew that the worst bloodshed was often born from the deepest silences and the longer this one stretched, the more he felt that itch between his shoulder blades, that discomfort. He didn’t trust that this peace would last, and he grew increasingly concerned about what would lie on the other end of it.
Not that he voiced those concerns. Not out loud and not to the others. Instead, he went about his day, venturing to the field and beginning to make his way to the other lands to get a feel for the political climate. Today, of course, was different, and he found himself pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the steady call of Rael Fire. She had been notedly quiet since stepping up in the meeting, and while he was hoping she would prove a worthy leader of the army, he wasn’t going to just hand the position to her.
Quietly, he made his way toward her, waiting for others to join, if there were any willing to step up and guard Tephra. He didn’t say anything, instead he simply stood several feet away from her and when he managed to catch her gaze, he dipped his head in greeting. He was here and watching.
magnus