Determined to prove his worth by his victories on the battlefield, Jarvan fought with a variety of forces, including the ravening squads of winter's claws, warring tribes, and even a band of wandering mages. Under his command, the troops performed brilliantly, but Jarvan was always guarded in battle by death-guard guards, and he felt that his worth as a soldier was wearing thin.
In one case, Jarvan took his army with him when the Norkthass regiment raided the farm near the border with Demacia. They chased the norxas and bumped for days on the horse. What impressed Gavin deeply was that the enemy's atrocities were far more brutal than he had imagined. The Norkthas burned the town, killing hundreds of civilians, leaving only a handful of wounded survivors to recount the horrors they saw.
His officers advised an early retreat and returned to the army to ask for support from the larger forces. But Jarvan, shaken by the spectacle of so many dead, could not persuade himself to leave the survivors in desperate need of help. He intended to save the wounded and prevent the disorganized enemy from escaping so easily. And he thought the second Demacia's army would never have had time to come to help stop Norkthass. He decided that the moment was already on the line and had to.