Coming into a war

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 119358

A war? Folcrada felt dizzy. What had she been thrust into? "My love," she said breathlessly, "who are the Longrunners?"

He turned to her. "A rival clan. We have long clashed over land and hunting, and recently have gone to war. Tomorrow at dawn, it will end, one way or another - or at least that is what I said, until hours ago, the Great Voice told us you were coming. You shall lead us to victory."

Was the Great Voice a deity? Could it really promise this? She had promised to fight beside him, but she was suddenly beset with terror that their marriage would last no more than ten or twelve hours before she lost him forever. "Has the Great Voice ever spoken to you before?"

"It speaks only to the king, and I was crowned yesterday."

"Y-yes, all right, but... but I -"

"Fret not, my queen! You shall have a lifetime to learn of the Great Voice, of our customs and history. This eve, we celebrate. Tonight, we bed as man and wife. And tomorrow, we slay our enemies. The future is bright!"

He was so exuberant and joyful, and it was their wedding day; she could not continue to protest, and when he kissed her again, she kissed back with gusto. The night was long, perhaps irresponsibly so; Fred would have insisted a long night's rest before a battle, but Folcrada was deeply in love with Vodirk, and wanted only to spend time with him. Now, after some exhausting hours, when he lay in their bed, flung with pelts, deeply asleep, she wrapped only a bearskin around herself and stumbled out onto the moors under the moonlight, saying tentatively, her words slurred, "Great Voice? Voice from the wardrobe? Speak to me. Explain as much as you will. I must know... can you guarantee victory? Truly?" She waited, swaying slightly. After several seconds,

  1. a familiar voice echoed in her mind: "I can guarantee nothing. Whether this battle is won is up to you. But I did give you to Vodirk as a gift for this reason... among others."
  2. a familiar voice echoed in her mind: "Yes, Folcrada. You and Vodirk are to be channels of my will like no king of the mountain ever has before. You will always lead the clan to victory, so long as you trust me in all things."
  3. a familiar voice echoed in her mind: "I am no deity, though I play as one for these barbarians. This is about you, beautiful Folcrada, disgraced former knight. It always has been."
  4. a familiar voice echoed in her mind: "If you really want to guarantee victory - to help Vodirk - you cannot stay for the battle. Instead, you must fulfill a task alone."
  5. she tried asking again, but only silence answered her. Dismayed and very nervous, she retired to bed to get what rest she could.
  6. a sound came to her ears, and on the horizon, she saw it: an approaching army.

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