Chapter 17
The next day, the eastern quarter of Lint looked different.
Where there had been empty lots and old warehouse rows, a compact compound now stretched from street to wall. There was an open drill field, a square three-story administrative block, and a scatter of low barracks with shuttered windows. Between them stood a long shed of racks and straw dummies, a roofed run for archery, and a narrow lane where carts rattled in and out with crates.
Banner poles faced the road, each bearing the Stonewatch sigil.
"Wow, I don't remember there being a place like this in Lint." Alden said under his breath.
Renna's eyes skimmed the joinery, the new nails still bright, and the clean stonework. "This feels like it's been recently built." She murmured. "Lint's merchants must have pitched in a lot to get this done so quickly."
The open ground was already crowded. Recruits congregated by the dozens: leather-clad mercenaries, a handful of guardsmen out of uniform, bowyers with callused hands, caravan riders in patched cloaks, and more than a few faces Alden recognized from the Arena.
A team of scribes circulated with ledgers to check badges and names. Here and there, the brighter glint of a silver token caused some cautious look to shift towards their owners.
A clerk stopped them near the entry lane, verified their badges, and motioned them through a rope barrier toward the drill field. Alden pinned his new bronze insignia to the inside of his coat.
On the far side, a raised platform had been erected. Officers clustered at its base, most in plain dark coats with Stonewatch tabs, a few in better cloth with the Thornevale feather stitched subtly at the cuff.
Darius Blackholt stood there too, young face set in practiced disdain, speaking with a broad-shouldered woman whose sleeves were rolled to the elbow. He saw Alden and Renna, gave the smallest flicker of recognition, then looked past them like he was already tired of the day.
A bell sounded from somewhere.
The murmurs faded. Scribes moved recruits into loose ranks. The rope barrier was drawn aside. And then, with a hush, Isaac Thornevale stepped up onto the platform.
He wore no armor. A dark coat, a plain silver feather pinned at the collar, gloves tucked neatly in his belt.
Isaac waited a breath before he spoke, letting quiet settle properly over the field.
"Citizens of Lint." He started, voice carrying easily. "Fighters. Craftsmen. Men and women who have chosen to stand with us."
He didn't shout, but his words easily resonated over the field.
"You know why you are here. The last months have been unkind. Trade has thinned. Creatures prowl nearer our walls than they should. There are whispers in alleys and shadows that do not belong to lamp or moon." His gaze swept the crowd once. "We do not bow to that. We do not surrender our streets to fear, or our gates to chance. We build. We work. We guard together."
Alden felt the crowd lean in, almost despite itself.
"I asked our merchant houses for help." Isaac continued. "They gave it. I asked our craftsmen to work by lamplight. They did. We stand here because Lint remembers what it is: a place where labor becomes safety and coin becomes wall." He paused, then added, "and where courage, when it is scarce, is shared."
"The Stonewatch has a simple purpose. To keep this town strong. Inside, we will walk our streets, keep our markets open, and make sure our children sleep." His hand turned, palm outward, towards the distant fields beyond the wall. "Outside, we will scout, escort, and break what means us harm. We will learn the shape of the land again, and teach it the shape of us."
A handful of fighters grunted in approval, some whistled.
"We will make mistakes." Isaac said. "We will correct them. We will be tired. We will endure." His eyes moved across the ranks, watching the mix of old and young fighters. "If you stand with me, you stand with Lint. We will pay you fair. We will bury you proper if it comes to it. But while you live, you will have a purpose that matters."
He lifted a hand to the officers below. "Begin."
The bell rang again, and it felt like a breath of power had been infused to the Stonewatchers.
A pair of commanders climbed the platform and started calling: "Wardens to the north side! Hunters to the south!" Recruits broke apart in a rough tide. More than two thirds flowed toward the north. Older fighters, most of the ex-guards, a few with families waiting near the rope line. The Wardens' side looked thicker. It was the safer choice.
The southern side was leaner, perhaps three or four dozen people. Renna moved without hesitation to the Hunters' side. Alden naturally fell in beside her.
"Not many of us." Alden commented.
"Not many are willing to venture outside." Renna replied. "It makes me wonder why you're so brave, considering what you've encountered."
"I survived, didn't I?' Alden shrugged. "Plus, we'll have better opportunities outside."
Darius Blackholt strode down from the platform with a group of strong looking individuals. With a slate in his arm, he counted the Hunters, lips moving, eyes narrowing as if the numbers personally insulted him. "Thirty-five." he announced to the woman with rolled sleeves, the one he'd spoken to earlier. "That's it?"
"We'll do with what we have." she replied dryly. Then, louder: "Hunters, eyes front!"
They straightened.
"I am Captain Maree Voss." she said, her voice carrying easily over the gathered Hunters. "From today, you wear the Stonewatch badge. That means you answer to your captains, you watch each other's backs, and you carry yourselves like fighters of this town."
She let the words settle, her gaze sweeping the line. "The work ahead won't be easy. You'll be walking routes no one else dares, watching for threats before they reach our walls. Some of you will be close to the city, some farther out. What you find and bring back will matter."
A pause. Her expression remained hard, but not without a glint of respect. "That said, I personally command you for joining the hunters. It's not an easy decision to make. Whatever your reasons are, prove yourselves reliable, and the Stonewatch will not shy away from rewarding you."
She nodded once, then stepped aside.
Darius stepped forward with the slate. "Badges out. Bronze to the left line. Silver in the right." He didn't mention Gold. Those were people who automatically integrated the Cohorts group.
Alden patted his coat, felt the small weight of bronze, and stayed left. Renna stepped into the right without fuss.
Assignments began. Names were recorded and verified. Groups formed and re-formed. Alden found himself paired with a bowman who smelled faintly of oil, a quiet woman with scarred knuckles, a talisman fighter who kept his mouth closed, and surprisingly, Renna. Each group had to have 6 members, but since their group lacked a member, two silver members had been added to make up for it.
Just then, a whistle cut the air behind the group.
"Well, well, well." A rough voice said, lazy and amused. "This is quite the assortment of people we have here, I hope I'm not late."
Alden turned slowly towards the voice.
The Scourge slid into the space between squads like he belonged there, which, unsurprisingly, he did. He had the same dark coat, same easy calculation in his eyes as he took stock of the southern line. He looked around, smirked, then turned towards captain Maree. "Hello, captain."
Maree Voss frowned.
"You're late."
"Haha, yeah." He agreed easily. "I got a little lost on the way here."
Maree's eyes narrowed further, but then she caught the glint of the silver badge on the man's coat. "This is the first and last time, understand?"
He held a hand to his heart. "Understood."
"Mm." She didn't believe him. "Darius!"
The young Blackholt captain drifted over, slate hugged to his chest. His expression soured at the sight of the Scourge, then arranged itself into disdain with effort. "What."
"Squad allocations. Take care of this latecomer."
Darius looked at the Scourge, and stifled a sigh. "Fine, you're with me." He pointed with the slate. "Squad four. Bronze: Alden, Jaro, Lysa. Silver: Siv, Renna, and you. What's your name?"
Alden stepped toward the cluster as the Scourge introduced himself to the captain, still wearing that irreverent smile.
Just the day before, he and Renna had been wondering about how to find the man. And here he was. It was a nice surprise.
After discussing with the older man, Darius scanned their little group once more, expression flat. "Alright, how many of you need lodgings?"
Alden, Jaro the bowman, and Lysa, the woman with scarred knuckles raised their hands.
Darius sighed dramatically. "Figures. Fine. Follow me. I'll explain things on the way so we don't waste daylight."
He turned on his heel, already striding toward the row of fresh barracks at the edge of the field. The squad fell in behind him.
"We hunters don't get to sit around polishing spears like the Wardens." Darius started, tone half bored, half cutting. "Our job is simple: to scout. Every squad will have an assigned stretch outside the walls. You walk it, you check markers, and you report what you find. Nothing fancy."
He glanced over his shoulder briefly. "I'll be honest with you. There had been horror sightings and beast apparitions on the nearby villages. Odds are, you'll run into trouble sooner or later. That's why each squad has at least one Silver-ranked member. It's a risky job, but I'm sure you all have your reasons for signing up." He briefly flicked his gaze toward the group. "Either way, you're my squad now. You're my responsibility. So you better take this seriously."
"Sounds inspiring." Siv muttered under his breath.
Darius ignored him.
They passed between the barracks, the plaster still smelling fresh. Darius jabbed a thumb toward the nearest building. "Find yourselves a place. Don't expect comfort. Food's at dawn and dusk. If you miss a meal, that's on you."
He paused at the threshold, tucking the slate under his arm. "Settle in. You've got until noon. Then meet me at the administrative building."
With that, he strode away toward the administrative building, already muttering about the planning session with the other captains.
"Well, make yourselves at home, guys." The Scourge's grin was broad as he leaned against the doorframe, clearly entertained. "Beds, lockers, roof over your head. Better than most digs outside these walls."
Siv gave the room a once-over, then turned around. "I'll be taking my leave. See you at noon." Without another word, he slipped out, followed by the Scourge.
Renna lingered. She sat on an empty cot and glanced around the barracks with a critical eye. "It's not bad." she admitted. "Better than I expected from something thrown up in a hurry."
Jaro dropped his pack on the nearest cot with a groan. "Yup, I've slept in barns worse than this. At least here I don't have to share with sheep."
Lysa snorted faintly, already picking the cot closest to the wall. "These frames look like one good kick would snap them."
Alden pressed his palm against the mattress of the nearest bed. It dipped beneath his hand but didn't sag. He sat, testing the frame. The wood groaned slightly but held. He looked at Lysa, a faint smile tugging at his mouth. "Compared to what I've seen, this feels pretty good actually. Maybe even a step up. Beats the Arena bunks by several levels."
Lysa raised a brow, folding her arms. "That's a low bar."
"Maybe." Alden admitted, lowering himself onto the cot. The frame protested faintly, then settled. "Can't complain. It's free, after all."
From the side, Jaro tested his bed and gave it an approving nod. "Darius made it sound like we'd be sleeping on dirt. But this isn't bad at all."
"They're not up to his standards. He grew up in a manor." Renna interjected.
"Explains why he looks down on this place." Alden said, half amused.