Untitled
an excerpt

Chapter 1

Osso Bucco moved slowly thru the huddled mass of people sitting in the cave. As head man of his village he felt it his duty to try and reassure his people that they would be safe, even though he didn’t think so. When the nearby village raided, his men were both surprised and out numbered. They did a fighting retreat, but people ran to this cave complex for safety. Unfortunately the caves only had one exit and the enemy had them bottled up. Osso’s men were guarding the entrance and there was a spring in the back of the cave so thirst was not an issue. Food would be and soon. It came down to fight or starve and he could not ask that of his people. He and his men would fight to the last before he would surrender. The rest of his people would still wind up captured, but honor would be served and the enemy would be bloodied.

Osso checked the guards and they reported the enemy was still out there waiting. They had bunched up near the cave entrance knowing they had Osso and his people trapped. Osso kept thinking that if he and his men could somehow slip out and attack the enemy from the side they could rout them and at the same time kill enough to at least even the odds in the future.

‘Ho, Cremora. What are those dogs ouside doing now?’

‘My Lord. A small change. They are watching in shifts now. About one in three are armed and on watch. The rest are wandering their camp or sleeping. They keep just out of bow range and we can hear the yelling taunts at us. The younger men are getting agitated, but the older ones are keeping them in line.’

‘Thank you Cremora. I am proud to have a loyal man as you serving me.’

‘You honor me with your words Lord.’

Osso turns and grabbing a torch goes to the back of the cave to the area set up as the midden for everyone. Setting down the torch he starts to relieve himself. Suddenly there is a noise and Osso turns accidentally pissing on the torch and putting it out. Cursing, Osso turns and finishes in the dark. Looking off into the dark rear of the cave, Osso sees something gleaming in the distance. Shaking off and lowering his leather skirt Osso slowly picks his way towards the dim gleam. After numerous stumbles Osso reaches out for the gleaming object. Groping in the smothering darkness, Osso finally closes his hand on the small glowing object. As his fingers touch the cold smooth surface there is a bright flash of light in his head and a burning pain as if his head is going to explode. Suddenly Osso passes out with his hand tightly gripping the glowing object.

Osso wakes up in the darkness of the cave wondering how long he’s been out. The object is still in his hand but the glow is gone. ‘Damm I wish I could see that the hell is going on.’ He thinks. Suddenly the object start to glow with a whiteish light. Osso drops the object fearing he will get burnt. The object sits on the floor of the cave still glowing gently. Osso crouches down to examine the object closely. It’s smooth and has an egg like shape. Holding his hand near it he can feel no heat coming off so once again he picks it up and stands. Rolling it over in his hands he can see no openings or seams. It appears to be completely smooth all around.

‘What are you?’ he thinks.

‘I am Aide.’ Osso hears.

Osso looks around in the dim light seeing if anyone else is around.

‘Who was that?’ he says into the dark.

‘I am the object in your hand. You do not need to speak aloud. You only need to speak to me in you mind.’

‘Who or what are you?’

‘I am Aide. I have been the advisor to people of your world for many of your seasons. My last owner threw me back here so his enemies could not find me. You are descended from that leader that is how you can hear me. Search your memories, do your people not have a legend of a great leader of your people that was betrayed and slain in this area?’

‘Yes, I know of that story, but that happed hundreds of years ago. My mother use to tell it to me at night. She swore we were descended from that great leader. I thought it was just her trying to get me to listen to my teachers when I was young. ‘

‘You are descended from that great leader. If you were not you could not be talking to me at all right now. Only the original person that found me, and his direct descendants, can talk to me. If they have no descendants then, on their death bed, they must name someone to carry on and I becom
e their Aide.’

‘So what am I do with you or what are you to do for me?’

‘I am here to aid you, to help you, to guide you in ruling your people. You have become mush diminished in the years since you ancestor held me. I am not a weapon. I can only provide information. You will soon learn that information can be a powerful weapon, if you know how to use it. ‘

‘If your not a weapon, what use are you to me know? All my people are trapped in this cave. Our enemies are outside waiting for us to come out and fight or starve. Either way spells the doom of my people. Can you help me fight? Can you make food? Can you keep the little ones from growing sick and weak? If not I have no use for you and will bury you back here forever.’

‘Wait!!! No!!! I can help you. Do you understand the concept of a flanking attack?’
‘What is a ‘flanking’?’

‘It means to attack the enemy from the side. Where they least expect it. Do you understand that?’

‘Yes ,that I understand. If we could get out of here and take those dogs by surprise from the side don’t you think we would have by now? I’m not an idiot. There‘s no other way out of this cave. We’ve looked and looked. Myself , my men, we even had young children looking in all the smaller areas looking for another way out. There is none, we are all good and trapped in here.’

‘Have you looked at the spring?’

‘The spring??? It’s just full of water. There are no fish, no light, nothing.’

‘Can you swim and how long can you hold your breath?’