Part Four

It was an erect, unhewn stone, taller than a man yet shorter than a house. Yet on it were angular symbols. A round glade surrounded it, and beyond the glade wild trees grew thickly, tangling up together. In the soft, white moonlight beaming directly upon the stone, these symbols could be clearly seen.
"It's a rune stone," murmured Galen in awe.
Nevsky scrutinised the letters, then said, "Can any of you read this?"
"Not me," Galen said. Meanwhile, Hideoshi stared at the foreign letters, and suddenly, he could read them as well as his native language.
"I can read it," he said, marvelling at his ability to do so. "It says: Anomijiah erected this in memory of his wife, Enya, for whom he mourns to the end of the ages."
Nevsky cocked his head and stared at Hideoshi. "Were you ever taught," he asked Hideoshi, "how to read runestones?"
"No, it just came to me."
"See, I told you that there was fairy blood in you!" Gloated Nevsky.
But Galen cried out before a bewildered Hideoshi could respond,"So what does that mean? I mean, who is Anomijah and this wife of his?"
"I don't know," murmured Hideoshi, still gazing at the runestone.
As he stared, a vision came to his sight. A woman, crossing a great plain of rustling grass, a child at her side. Mountains, the same ones Hideoshi knew from childhood, stood before her. Then, she was dead, lying on a stone bier in the mountains, but older, and her adult son stood beside her in grief. A man of Fairy race swooped down beside the body, and bore it away weeping inconsolably, while the woman's son gazed gravely after.
The vision faded, yet Hideoshi stood transfixed, staring without realising it. Nevsky and Galen, alarmed by his behaviour, shouted, "What's wrong with you?"
An orange glow appeared in the horizon, and the faint thunder of cannons booming sounded to the east. A faint roar like rushing water rose and fell.
"They're fighting again," said Galen. "Can you handle it like a man this time, Nevsky?"
"I'll try-verry hard," Nevsky replied, "but I'm so afraid."
"Come on then. Let's follow that glow," said Hideoshi.
They trudged towards the east, where cannon fire flashed white, and the deep orange glow of sunrise began to cut through the black horizon. Though there was no snowfall, icy winds from the west pushed them forward, lashing them with tingling cold. Numbness and sleepiness strove to conquer them, yet they marched on.
They stumbled into camp after a long while. Most of the soldiers were already fighting at Valash, but the Third Company remained, preparing to join the others in battle.
"Where've you all been? Since Galen's been gone, we've been short on a medic, a mailman, and a bearer of all news," some of them asked.
Galen replied, "We've almost been lost and frozen, Hideoshi and I, all on account of this newbie here!"-pointing to Nevsky, who hung his head while weeping silent tears.
"What's the plan for today?" Hideoshi quickly asked, while glancing at Nevsky.
"Oh, we're going to try out that cannon we captured. Hopefully, it'll blast some walls!"
"Okay."
"Third Company, march!" Shouted an officer. "To Valash!"
The company arose, dragging themselves and their equipment onto the road to Valash. The three joined the rest of the company, falling in line.
"Galen," said Hideoshi. "Why did you have to shame Nevsky in front of the others?"
Galen laughed. "It wasn't much! And his cowardice made me lose some quality snoozing!"
"I know, Nevsky's bothered me, too" Hideoshi murmured. "But what would you do, if you were new, shy, and alone in a hostile environment totally different from home, only to discover that home and the people you cherished were gone forever by a cruel deed? Would you stolidly continue on? No! You would suffer great loss and pain within. For to love is to suffer."
"Where'd you hear that?" Piped up Nevsky.
"From my father."
"But," interposed Galen, "I thought that love brought great joy."
"It does. Joy so great that the pain is borne with love"
Nevsky shouted, "We're falling behind!"
The three hastened their steps.
After wading through snow for an hour, the Third Company reached the summit of the plateau. Bodies were strewn about, and the tumult of screaming, shouting men accompanied with the booms of cannons resonated about them.
"Hideoshi!" Shouted a sergeant. "You captured this cannon! See if you can make it work!"
"Yes, sir!" Hideoshi replied while saluting.
"Nevsky, Galen, help me now, won't you?"
"Yep," said Galen, while Nevsky nodded.
They strode over to the cannon, a long, black tube of iron bound with steel hoops set upon steel wheels. Hideoshi looked it over, while sighing, "If only this thing would work for me."
Instantly, the cannon lit itself, and blasted a cannonball towards the walls of Valash. An impact, and chunk of stone were sent hurtling into the air, as that section of the wall crumbled.
A hush fell upon the battlefield, and the roar of the Valashian cannons ceased.
Galen, wide-eyed, turned to Hideoshi, whispering, "How'd you do that?"
"I don't know, but when I said that I wished that the cannon would make itself work, it felt like power went out from me, a strange, deep power."
Nevsky grinned slightly, but said nothing.
Again Hideoshi's cannon fired, collapsing more of the wall. Finally realising what happened, the Valashians resumed the firing of their cannons and crossbows.
"All of you, except Eighth Company, storm the breach!" Shouted the officers.

Part Three

Arrows began to rain upon the Third Company, hissing until clanging and ricocheting off the steel shields. A few penetrated the shields, pricking skin. The cannons of Valash continued to blast into the ranks of the beseiging army, but several trebuchets and catapults creaked in reply, hurling chunks of stone against the city walls. A section blew apart, collapsing into rubble, leaving a gap near one of the cannons.
Seeing the gap, Hideoshi cried, " Run forward now!"
The members of the Third Company who were not battering the gate rushed forward, clambered over the rubble, captured the cannon and its gunners, and dashed out ( making the prisoners tote the cannon) before the dazed Valashians could respond. Their major gasped when he saw their prize.
"Who thought of such a daring plan?" He exclaimed.
Hideoshi strode forward, saluted, and said, "I did, sir."
"Well, you and your companions may return to camp now," replied the grinning major. "You all deserve it."
"Thank you, sir," said Hideoshi, who saluted, along with his companions, and trudged back to the road that led down from the plateau.
Halfway on the way back to camp, Hideoshi became aware that he had not seen Nevsky since before the capture of the cannon.
"Where is he?" He cried. "He'll get killed if left by himself, the way he is!"
After being nicked by an arrow, Nevsky had followed Hideoshi and the others into Valash, but became bewildered once their prize was dragged out of the city through the breach. Soldiers dodging arrows, racing to the breach in the wall, fleeing cannon bombardment distracted him, caused him to lose sight of Hideoshi and his group.
"What should I do?" He questioned himself, as a tusnami of panic arose within him. Other soldiers pushed and shoved past him, screamed and shouted, while cannons and siege weapons boomed and creaked in concert. He tried to think, despite the tumult about him, but tripped once more over a dead body.
Nevsky, upon impulse, looked at the face of the dead soldier. Though streaked with blood, he recognised the corpse as the body of his cousin, Ivan, who had been in Fifth Company.
"No! No!" He screamed, but his cry of agony was lost in the roar of battle.
Once more, panic-caused by the fear of death-surged within Nevsky. He attempted to calm himself, saying, "I won't get killed! I won't get killed!" Repeatedly. But this only increased the feeling of terror.
A shadow passed over him, and looking up, he saw a Mazovian Fairy flying in a spiral over the city of Valash.
"Retreat to the camp!" Cried the commanding officers while the dark form soared overhead. All rushed to the road in panic, some even deserting their siege weapons. Nevsky remained petrified for a moment, then arose, darting after the last stragglers on the road down to the plains.
Hideoshi just started out to search for Nevsky when he saw a drooping figure plodding at the end of a line of soldiers.
"Nevsky, where've you been?" He shouted.
Nevsky approached, still drooping, and replied in a voice that mingled terror with despair, " My cousin Ivan is dead."
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Hideoshi, but meanwhile he thought, "One more blow, and he'll go berserk. I hope nothing else will shake him up."
Just then, Galen, the camp mailman, strode up to Nevsky and shoved an envelope into his trembling fist. Nevsky glanced at it absently at first, then slowly a grin covered his face.
"It's from my aunt Olga! I've not seen or heard from her in years!" He cried,ripping open the envelope.
Hideoshi and Galen moved in closer to catch whatever Nevsky said. At first, he scanned the letter, still grinning. However, his grin faded, he reread the letter, and he read it again, now gasping.
Galen and Hideoshi asked instantaneously, "What is it?"
A burst of screaming and tears poured forth.
"They're dead! My family, all of them! My father, my mother, my little brothers and sisters, my whole village, dead! Mazovians slashed them up and razed the village! My family!" Screamed Nevsky, hot tears streaking his flushed face.
Nevsky suddenly dashed towards the city of Valash, shouting, " Come get me! Come get me!"
"We'll have to get him," said Galen, groaning.
Hideoshi replied, "Then we'd better run, or he'll be killed!"
"There's a dark grey cloud moving in fast from the north."
"Not a blizzard! But let's go!".
Hideoshi sped after the deranged Nevsky, Galen following after thrusting the rest of the camp mail into the backpack of an unsuspecting soldier nearby. Soon, Galen caught up with Hideoshi, and together they pursued Nevsky, crunching snow beneath their urgent footfalls. Meanwhile, the storm cloud moved rapidly towards them over the white plains. The two finally reach Nevsky, seized him by his shoulders, and shook him.
"What on Arret were you thinking?" Galen screamed.
"Nevsky, I understand that this news is hard for you," shouted Hideoshi, "but this won't help! That's why we're fighting, to keep stuff like that from happening again! Now snap out of it!"
Right then, a flurry of snow swirled round them, the air became colder, and the grey sky grew greyer.
"We've got to start moving, unless you two want to become like ice blocks!" Shouted Hideoshi over the wind.
They grasped each other's hands, walking towards the camp. But snow flurries and grey-black night obscured their sight. Not even fire light could penetrate the wall of night in that snowstorm.
Still the three trod on, forcing themselves against the wind. Often they stumbled, upon what they could not tell. Numbness began to take captive their ears, hands, and feet, while snow blew into their eyes.
This continued for a wearisome while, until they began brushing against tree trunks. The snow flurries died down. The grey-blackness became dark blue, while a full, glowing moon rose above them.
Nevsky, peering ahead into to forest, cried,"What's in the middle of that glade?"
Galen and Hideoshi looked in the direction Nevsky pointed towards. A dark, looming thing stood erect in the center of the glade.
"Let's see what it is. We have weapons, if it comes to that," said Galen. Hideoshi and Nevsky nodded.
They crept forward, silent as shadows passing over the ground. Then they stopped, for they were directly in front of the mysterious object.

Part Two

"Oh, alright," said Nevsky.
Soon the soldiers halted, threw down their burdens, and began to pitch camp. Canvas flapped, resisting the restraint of strong hands trying to hold it down. Logs were stacked by others, and set to flame.
Through the roar of snow-laden wind came a sudden call, echoing: "Get your weapons, fall in line, and march to Valash! Now!"
"So we're going now!" said Nevsky. "I barely thawed out! I'm not used to cold weather, unlike you, Hideoshi."
"Where are you from? I've never heard," asked Hideoshi, as they fell into line and trudged off once more.
"I'm from the Andre Swamps, down south. In the summertime, the air just hummed with life; birds, insects. And that hoary gray-green moss draping from cypress trees that gave the swamps a melancholy air! It was so humid though, and sticky, which made one just want to lie down under a shade tree with a good breeze going. So long as a cypress root didn't stick in your back!" He chuckled.
"How was it like in the mountains where you're from, Hideoshi?"
"Well," replied Hideoshi, "it was a vast chain of craggy, gray mountains as far as human eyes can see, many perpetually capped in snow. It was remote, and for miles jagged peaks pinnacled to vast heights, while below them were rough trenches and gouges of deep-bowled valleys overcast by mountain shadows. Sharp, sudden gusts of cold air blew over the valley where I lived, where short, stubbles of grass grew in spring and summer.
My friends and I often would go mountain climbing. How grand that was! But we'd better stop talking now, unless you want the sergeants to stop us!"
"Okay. Thanks."
"And don't think I never get cold here!"
"Fine!"
For five miles they trudged in the darkness before coming to the one road that led to the city of Valash on top of the plateau. Up the road winded the column of soldiers, until the top was reached and the city stood before them.
"Set up the trebuchets and catapults, First Company!" Boomed an officer. "The rest of you will be ordered either to batter the gate, or to continue work on that mine near the back gate!"
Nevsky shivered. "We're both in third company. I wonder what they'll order us to."
"Probably to batter the gate, since our company's had the fewest losses," said Hideoshi.
Nevsky's eyes widened,and he began to tremble.
Meanwhile, the dark night was fading into a grey-blue light, enabling Hideoshi to see more clearly Nevsky's blank stare of terror.
"Not now!" Hideoshi thought. "That's the way with his kind. Let's see what I can do for him."
"Stick by me!" He called out to Nevsky above the clamour around them.
Just then a great "boom" thundered directly before them. Fire shot up from the ground, blasting skyward with great force a trebuchet and several men.
The pair dashed backwards, while more cannon shot blasted into the beseiging troops.
Hideoshi cried, "Why do we fight cannons-fairy (that is, Mazovian ) made with trebuchets and catapults? It's madness!"
"Third Company, ram the gate!" Shouted their major.
Hideoshi glanced at the dazed, petrified Nevsky.
"Stick by me. I'll be with you. I've done this before," he said.
Nevsky smiled shakily back.
"Thanks."
A large battering ram, tipped with a sharp iron point, was brought forward, along with many large, rectangular shields that curved inwards. Soldiers of the Third Company formed the shields into a tortoise over the battering ram, and marched towards the gate of Valash. But not there was not enough room for all the soldiers of the Third Company to carry the battering ram. These followed behind the ram, including Nevsky and Hideoshi.
Another cannonball shot overhead, barely missing the group.
"Nevsky!" Whispered Hideoshi.
"What?"
"I've got an idea. Since a lot of us can't actually batter the gate, let's capture a cannon!"
"What! We'll be killed!"
"No, we won't!" Hideoshi insisted.
Nevsky stared at him.
"How can you say that?" He asked.
Hideoshi, bewildered, said,
"I don't know, but I can somehow tell."
Nevsky scanned Hideoshi's features: Black, glossy hair, fair skin; and, though his eyes were green, they were narrow, characteristic of many Asian peoples. Finally, Nevsky asked
"Is there-by any chance- Fairy blood in you?"
Hideoshi glanced back at Nevsky, puzzled.
" Not that I know of, even though I am of mixed human race. But we must hurry if we're to capture a cannon!"
Nevsky shrugged, and muttered to himself as Hideoshi told the others about his plan.
" I wouldn't be surprised if he did have Fairy blood in him," he said. "But there's been only one Fairy-Human marriage in all of history, and their son had no children. Still- ouch!"
An arrow whizzed past, nicking his arm.

I have this story on a forum, The Tolkien Forum. Just to avoid being accused of stealing.

     An empty stillness, filled only with the sound of blowing snow, pervaded the camp. The pale grey-blue of twilight was fading into darkness as a solitary sentry gazed up at the city of Valash, which crowned the top of a grey plateau that rose like a wave above the white plains. The sentry blinked and used his hands as a shield to ward snow from his eyes.
      " How long will I stand here?" He muttered " I bet they're huddled up in their tents, cozy and all, while I stand here half-frozen, to keep watch so that those ungrateful men can sleep safe from a surprise raid tonight! I bet Nevsky forgot all about getting my soup!"
      His stomach growled, and he stomped his feet, from both frustration and as a futile attempt to warm his sluggish body. A soft crunching of snow behind him and the smell of something savoury wafting towards him aroused the sentry from lethargy.
      "Why are you so late, Nevsky?" He growled.
      Shivering with more than cold, Nevsky replied: "I-I'm sorry, Hideoshi, but Galen heard a rumour-"        
     "Camp rumour," scoffed Hideoshi,"and by Galen, too! Hah! Wasn't he the one that told everybody that we'd be home before autumn?"
      "Yes, but-," continued Nevsky, nonplussed,"- There's going to be another attack on the city tomorrow, and they're going to send some soldiers the climb up the sides of the plateau, while the rest of us storm the main gate. You'll be with the mountain climbers for sure."
      " Not another scheme! None of 'em have worked so far! Those generals need a reality check!"
      "What are we in the war for, anyway?" Asked Nevsky.
      "Well, the city of Valash, although it's a human city, is a smuggling point for the evil Fairies or Mazovians to raid our country. So, supposedly, taking out the city will stop the raids."
      "Do you think it will work, Hideoshi?"
      "I can't say."
      Suddenly. A loud whoosh flew over their heads, a great thud landed in the camp behind them,and an enormous explosion filled the stillness about them. Great clouds of snow, clods of dirt, tents, men, and other items were hurtled into the air. A great orange ball of flames, seething, billowed, then fizzled and died in the snow.
      "Blasted cannons!" Fumed Hideoshi.
      A loud cry sounded: " Pack the tents, then move forward! We attack Valash tonight!"
      "Now your supper is wasted!" Groaned Nevsky.
      Hideoshi laughed. "No, it isn't!"-and gulped down the soup.
      Another cannonball crashed into the camp. Soldiers scurried about in panic, dashing here and there, packing up camp. More cannonballs fell into their midst. Hideoshi and Nevsky dashed frantically to the kitchen tent, but Nevsky tripped while they ran.
      "Ahh! What's this?" He cried. He glanced at the obstacle in the snow that tripped him, and he blanched.    "Someone's asleep in the snow!"
      Hideoshi groaned. "Boy, you're really green! He's dead, probably killed by one of those cannonballs."   He looked back at Nevsky, and saw him standing dumbly, staring wildly at the corpse.
      "Yes, people are killed out here, silly!" Hideoshi shouted. "Now snap out of it and run,unless you want to keep him company!"
      He looked back again. Nevsky finally began to walk towards him, but he trembled violently, his face contorting with emotion.
      "He's one of the types that either goes mad, kills themselves, or gets killed, if they don't man up," mused Hideoshi.
      "Be glad it wasn't summer," was all Hideoshi said outwardly.
      At last they reached the kitchen tent, which they broke down rapidly and bundled up into a coarse sack. Other soldiers had already borne away the kitchen ware. Hideoshi and Nevsky hoisted the sack onto their shoulders, and trudged off, following the haphazard column of men that was heading to the nearby forest.   Snow whipped round then, confounding their sight in the dark grey light that grew ever darker. The wind penetrated them, sapping what little warmth they still had within them.
      They entered the pine forest, scarce noting the tall trees whose trunks stood straight as arrow shafts, except to avoid running into them. About them, they heard the trudging of other soldiers, heavy breathing, and the eerie moan of the wind in the trees.
      "Hideoshi?" Asked Nevsky, partly to reassure himself that his companion was truly there.
      "Yes?"
      " Well," Nevsky mumbled, "how come you're not afraid-of the war, that is?"
      Hideoshi trudged on, bewildered. What should he tell to this novice of warfare?
      Memories began to flash in his mind. The screams of wounded, dying men in their last agony. The panic that seized him before each battle. The wild frenzy of killing so that he would not be killed.
      "I'm not really brave," he replied. "I just got used to it all. People can get used to about anything."