Ch. 3

Consequences

For Honor is the property of its respective owners, Ocs belong to me

"Thank you for the help, doctor," Setsuka thanked the medical practitioner while hobbling out of the house with her chest, back, and head heavily bandaged where she cordially greeted any of the citizens she passed, but was met with scorn.

Sighing softly, Setsuka did her best to tune it out as she entered Ranja's palace and made her way through it where she came upon the door to Homura's home and heard what sounded like choked, stuttered breathes coming from inside. Crouching down, Setsuka opened the door a crack and widened her eyes when she saw Homura kneeling down next to a sickly, disheveled girl and seeming almost...sad? Was the Nobushi even capable of that?

"M-mom, i-it...it hurts," the little girl whined with tears streaming down her face where she let out a strangled, violent retch which caused her to hack up a copious amount of blood onto her clothes and the blanket she was using.

Seeing Homura sigh heavily, Setsuka continued to watch as the Nobushi reached forward and affectionately embraced her daughter where she placed one hand behind the little girl's head while the other on her shoulder.

"I know," Homura whispered to her daughter where she began to hum a lullaby while gently rocking her child all causing the little girl to smile and rest her head on Homura's shoulder.

Almost allowing a grin to tug at the corner of her lips, the former Orochi balked when Homura, with a single tear falling down her cheek, wrapped her arms around her daughter's neck in a death grip which completely cut off her the blood flow to her daughter's brain. Glowering at Homura, but unable to find the courage to intervene, Setsuka had to watch as the Nobushi's daughter gagged, tightly gripped the back of her mother's kimono, and convulsed before going completely still nigh instantaneously. Hiding when Homura stood up while clutching her daughter close to her chest, she heard the Nobushi scoff.

"Enjoy the show?" Homura barked making Setsuka scoff as she took this as the cue to enter where she saw the Nobushi gently place her deceased daughter atop a large, red blanket and begin to wrap it around her body.

"No, I didn't. Homiko trusted you and you betrayed that trust in her last moments! How can you live with yourself!?" Setsuka roared and before she even knew it, she found herself on her back with a swift, skillful hip toss which made her hiss as Homura mounted her and tightly clamped her hands over her nose and mouth.

"Don't start with me; she was at death's door and there's no known treatment for her illness so I made the hard decision to put her out of her misery. Would you rather I let her suffer until she wastes away?" Homura inquired in a icy calm tone of voice as Setsuka tried to turn her head, but the Nobushi's grip was like iron causing Setsuka to let out a desperate, muffled gasp for air that would not come.

"I loved and still love Homiko so I can live with myself knowing that I took care of my little starlight from the beginning all the way to the end," Homura coolly continued all while Setsuka clawed at her wrists and arms and even pounded the inside of the Nobushi's elbow, but Homura's arms weren't budging.

Panting, Setsuka's grip slackened and her arms limply fell to the floor, but just before her eyes rolled to the back of her head, Homura relinquished her grip on the former Orochi's face causing Setsuka to greedily gulp breathes of air. Snorting, Homura roughly grabbed a nearly comatose Setsuka by her hair and dragged her across the floor over to the other side of her home where she unceremoniously threw open the door of a room causing the occupant to jolt.

"M-mother, what are you doing here!?" the occupant, a tall, athletically built teenager, shrieked as she nearly dropped the tray of food and tea she was carrying when she saw Homura holding what looked to be dead body in her hands.

"My new subordinate needs new clothes and since your bigger and taller than her, you need to give her some of her old ones," Homura bluntly ordered which made her daughter scoff, but nevertheless set the tray down on the cabinet and rummaged through her closet where she picked out a red undershirt, trousers, kimono, and boots.

"These will suffice," Homura stated as she threw Setsuka face first onto her daughter's bed like a sack of potatoes and tossed her daughter's old garments atop the former Orochi's body along with a spare wakizashi she carried on her person.

"Both of you get dressed; the annual martial arts festival between the different houses is upon us so it's the perfect time to curry favor with Fujikiyo," Homura explained causing her daughter to narrow her eyes while Setsuka regained some presence of mind and climbed onto all fours making the objects placed on her back to slide off.

"What's to be gained by flattering Fujikiyo-dono?" Homura's daughter suspiciously asked which made her mother grunt and put a hand on her hip as the former Orochi clutched her head while silently watching their exchange.

"Gaining his permission for us along with a fleet to leave the Myre and go to Ashfeld in order to return with sacrifices for Ranja and whatever Fujikiyo asks in return," Homura responded which made her daughter widen her eyes before gritting her teeth and glowering at the Nobushi with a gaze that could kill.

"What!? No, no way! I don't want any part in supporting her perversion of Shinto!" Homura's daughter defiantly yelled which made Setsuka wince as she knew what was coming next, but hoped for the small chance that the Nobushi would let this slide.

Sadly, reality set in as Homura, far faster than her daughter could perceive, closed the gap between them and seized her shirt collar where she forcefully shoved the teenager onto the bed and mounted her. Pressing her forearm against her daughter's throat, Homura disdainfully stared down at her eldest daughter who writhed and struggled underneath her.

"You are nearly an adult so it's time for you to start pulling your weight beyond our household. Like it or not, Ranja is your daimyo and you will serve her," the Nobushi said in a deathly calm tone of voice where she didn't even flinch upon receiving a stiff, heavy punch to her nose and simply pressed more of her weight down onto her child's throat.

"How can you say that? What's she's doing to our people, the people we're supposed to be protecting, is terrible!" Homura's daughter choked out while slugging her mother in the kidney which, to Setsuka's surprise, actually made Homura wince before elbowing her daughter across the face which shaved off some of her daughter's skin.

"Of course it's terrible, but it's preventing Ranja from slipping farther into madness so it does serve a purpose and if our people follow the rules, I will protect them just like any other Nobushi," Homura retorted as she struck her daughter across the face once again making her child curse as a nasty bruise formed on her cheek.

"I'm so glad you can find a way to justify your cruelty!" Homura's daughter snarled with as much venom she could muster and to Setsuka's surprise, the Nobushi momentarily paused before she saw, to her horror, Homura reach into the pocket of her kimono and pull out a fistload resembling a horseshoe.

"W-wait! This is your daughter-"

"Do you wish to take her place?" Homura interrupted while narrowing her eyes at Setsuka which sent a cold chill like one of Valkenheim's freezing winters up Setsuka's spine causing the former Orochi to meekly dip her head.

"Don't worry, you'll heal in a few weeks," Homura assured her eldest daughter before brutally slugging her with the fistload which made the teenager howl in pain as her lip busted from the blow causing blood to splatter onto the blanket.

Savagely striking her eldest daughter again, the teenager shrieked as she felt as if someone was jamming a spike into her eye all while Setsuka watched while wracked with guilt that she couldn't find it within herself to help. Landing another punch on her daughter's forehead which opened up a nasty, bloody gash, the Nobushi saw that her child barely knew where she was at the moment causing Homura to relent and get off her child whose breathing came out in stuttered, pained spurts.

"You don't see it yet, but I'm toughening you up so you'll be able to handle yourself when I'm gone," Homura informed her eldest daughter while taking off the fist load and slipping it back into her pocket as Setsuka checked on her master's child, but gasped as she was roughly shoved away.

"Call it whatever you want, but when I'm an adult I'm taking Homiko somewhere far away where you can't get to her!" Homura's eldest daughter roared while spitting a glob of blood onto her mother's boot which made Setsuka widen her eyes, but to her relief Homura took this in stride.

"And where are you going to go? None of the other clans will accept you and the indigenous people are none too fond of us either so you won't find your special place in the Myre. If you go to Ashfeld, you and Homiko will be either be sent to prison where you won't see the light of day again, be sent to the gallows, or be made a slave to one of the many nobles. I should also add that given how exotic you'll look to them, they'll make you a concubine instead," Homura ruthlessly tore apart her daughter's dream, but her eldest child stubbornly held her ground which made the Nobushi snort and begin to walk toward her daughter.

"You'll face similar problems in Valkenheim as you and Homiko will either get killed in a raid, get captured and made slaves, get sacrificed to honor their heathen deities, or all three. Face reality, Hagane; no matter how much I mistreat you, no matter how much you dislike Ranja's perversion of Shinto, this the only home you know and will ever know," Homura remorselessly stated as she now stood mere inches away from Hagane and glared down at her, but Hagane stood her ground and balled her hands into fists.

"So put to rest any dreams you have of escaping here and rescuing Homiko because that's not going to happen, the latter part especially," Homura stated while saying the last part in a solemn, downcast voice which made Hagane's blood run cold as she stared at her mother with wide, desolate eyes.

"W-what...w-what did-"

"I put her out of her misery, something you didn't have the stomach for despite claiming how much you love her," Homura cut her eldest daughter off as all Hagane all the indignant, fierce fury in her eyes disappeared and was replaced with an empty, thousand yard stare.

"Now get dressed because we leave at dawn for the festival," Homura stated as she exited the room where Hagane couldn't find it within herself to move or do anything anymore; she just didn't see the point.

Noticing this, Setsuka contemplated what to do and even though her culture wasn't one for touchy-feely kind of things, she was willing to make an exception. Embracing Hagane and letting the young woman rest her head on her shoulder, Homura's eldest daughter jolted and went stiff before allowing herself to return the hug.

"I...I was supposed to protect her," Hagane whimpered which made the former Orochi say nothing as she held the teenager close to her and gently rubbed her back.

"You did everything you could. Now come on, let's not keep your mother waiting," Setsuka advised which made Hagane give a barely noticeable nod in response as she proceeded to put on formal wear from her closet.

For a while, the two women changed in silence with Setsuka putting on the clothes given to her by Hagane while wincing every now and when Hagane spared a glance at her, she widened her eyes at upon seeing her brand marks.

"How can you serve her? I mean, look at what she did to you," Hagane pointed out which made Setsuka to go as still as a statue where she looked down at the floor with a sad, weary gaze and sighed heavily.

"I don't have a choice; I'm already in bad standing with our clan so if I mess up again, my fate is death...or worse," Setsuka explained dejectedly which made Hagane widen her eyes and sympathetically stare at the former Orochi who continued to put on her clothes with a pained expression on her face.

"Does Homura always do that to you?" Setsuka inquired causing Hagane to nod bitterly as memories of her mother's abuse against her and Homiko flooded into her head like a tidal wave.

"Yeah, she justified it by saying that she was toughening me up which you saw earlier and fortunately, she never laid a hand on Homiko, but seeing me get hurt and not being able to do anything about it must have been hard on her," Hagane replied as she recalled her baby sister practically trying and failing to tug Homura off of her during one particular beating.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," the former Orochi told Homura's daughter which made the teenager smile appreciatively as she put on a somen resembling an elephant complete with a trunk and tusks jutting out of it.

"The same goes for you," Hagane responded which made Setsuka grin as she finished putting on her clothes where she scanned her surroundings to complete the outfit and noticed a thick, wooden training sword hanging from a rack.

"May I?" the former Orochi requested making the teenager nod which made Setsuka take the suburito off the rack and meticulously inspect it for any flaws and found none much to her delight.

Throwing out a few experimental swings, Setsuka eagerly nodded in approval when she felt the weight and force behind each swing causing her to tie the weapons to her belt with some cord. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn't mind that she looked more like a Nobushi than a Orochi as she beckoned for Hagane to follow her. Nodding, the teenager did so after grabbing her yari spear which had two prongs near the head, a rectangular, wooden shield, a tanto, and a kodachi. Exiting the house, they found Homura gently place a blanket containing Homiko's body onto a pyre she made from some kindling before looking over her shoulder at Hagane who was staring at her sister's body with downcast eyes.

"We'll cremate her when we get back from the festival," the Nobushi informed her daughter causing Hagane to say nothing as she, Homura, and Setsuka mounted their horses and headed into town where Ranja along with the warriors she handpicked were about to head out.

"You're bringing your little one?" Ranja said with a raised brow which made Hagane suppress an indignant scoff, but did narrow her eyes from underneath her mask which fortunately went unnoticed as Homura nodded.

"She's fifteen going onto sixteen so it's time for her to get more deeply involved in the well being of our clan," the Nobushi explained which made Ranja contemplate this before nodding as she motioned for the carriage driver to move while the mad daimyo's warriors rode beside her to dissuade any possible attackers.

"Why not bring your other daughter as well? It would be good experience for her," Ranja pointed out which made Hagane sadly dip her head with Setsuka consoling her by patting her shoulder while Homura sighed softly.

"Unfortunately, I put Homiko out of her misery earlier so she won't be joining us," the Nobushi solemnly commented which made the mad priestess widen her eyes for a very brief moment before sympathetically staring at her second.

"I'm sorry to hear that; do you want me to preside over the funeral?" Ranja offered in a genuine act of kindness which made Hagane and Setsuka glower at the mad priestess in disgust while Homura grinned ever so slightly.

"I appreciate the offer, but no thank you; I will see to it that Homiko is put to rest myself," Homura politely rejected the mad daimyo's proposal to which Ranja nodded while Hagane tightened her grip on the reins.

"As you wish," Ranja replied as she and her entourage turned the corner into toward a giant building shaped like a palace where they headed toward their designated area which was marked with their clan symbol consisting of their rose petals on red flags.

Dismounting the carriage, the mad daimyo beckoned her warriors to follow her inside where Ranja, her cabal of warriors, and Setsuka and Hagane followed her up the stairs toward a private area reserved for Ranja. Taking her seat on the ornate throne toward the front, Ranja sat up straight with her hands resting on the pommel of her nodachi while Homura and Yuuto took their seats behind her. Confusedly glancing at each other, Setsuka and Hagane just stood there while Homura motioned for a foot soldier to come closer where she whispered something into his ear.

"Ranja-dono, Setsuka-san and I will sit with the other ashiga-"

"No, you will not. You two will sit here for the duration of the festivities," Homura sharply interrupted as the foot soldier she talked to placed two kneeling mats at the feet of her chair causing Homura to blush lightly and grit their teeth while Setsuka narrowed her eyes.

"Mother, it's degrad-"

"I do not care what you refer it to; I gave you two an order and that's final," Homura cut Hagane off which made the teenager grasp her yari so tightly that her knuckles turned white while Setsuka snarled lowly, but nevertheless beckoned for Hagane to take her seat.

Giving the former Orochi a disbelieving look, Hagane growled under her breathe before she and Setsuka knelt down at the feet of Homura's chair like they were pets. Scanning the area, Setsuka saw Dokuja arrive and ever paranoid, sat alone in his box where his most skilled warriors were forced to sit with the ashigaru causing the assassin to shift her gaze where she saw Kizan and his group of warriors ascend the stairs of their box. This wouldn't be out of the ordinary were it not for the fact that Kizan along with his coalition of warriors had a concubine in each arm with some being the indigenous inhabitants of the Myre while others were citizens of the Chosen. Narrowing her eyes when she saw how clearly uncomfortable the concubines and boytoys were especially when some of them received firm slap on their rears, the assassin looked away from the obscene spectacle and saw that some of the boxes had yet to be filled.

"Oh look, little Ayu-chan has arrived," Homura mocked which made Setsuka and Hagane look around saw that Ayu had indeed entered the building where she sat next to her closest warriors which consisted of Okuma and Momiji.

"Without the Emperor's Champion, victory is almost certainly ours," Yuuto boasted while folding his arms which made Homura nod in agreement while Ranja snorted, but otherwise said nothing as she decided to scope out the competition.

"Little Ayu-chan has lost even when she did have the Emperor's champion, but you're right. Without him carrying her house to victory, we have already won," Homura stated less as singing her clan's praises and more as an absolute, iron clad fact which made Hagane snort while Setsuka huffed.

"You two might want to rethink your opinion," Setsuka interjected while flicking her thumb to the side causing Homura and Yuuto to raise a brow and look in the direction the assassin was pointing where they saw Seijuro and his house arrive.

While Seijuro was already disliked by his fellow daimyo, the scorn increased when certain members of the audience such as Homura, Ayu, and Dokuja saw that some of his foot soldiers consisted of the Myre's native inhabitants and some of his closest warriors were clearly of Warborn, Legion, or Native descent. Others, like Ranja, Hagane, Setsuka, and Kizan, were more indifferent to it as the mad priestess merely raised a brow, but otherwise remain stone faced while Kizan just shrugged and returned his attention to his consorts.

"I thought even Seijuro would have standards, but it's clear he's willing to go to any lengths to ascend to the throne," Ayu disdainfully remarked causing Momiji to grumble and cast a weary glance at her which was clear to see even with her mask on while Okuma uncomfortably rubbed the back of his head.

"Ayu, don't forget I descend from the so called savages," Okuma reminded as he thanked one of the servants for bringing him food and drink causing Ayu to grunt as she scoped out the competition and saw to her dismay that Ranja was in attendance.

"I'm aware, but you are better than your ancestors for accepting our culture over theirs," Ayu replied causing Momiji to resist the great, overwhelming urge to curse Ayu out and instead just shook her head as she thanked a Native servant girl for bringing her food.

"I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter, Ayu," Okuma gently, but firmly retorted with Momiji wondering how he did not flip his shit as she suddenly bolted upright and tightly gripped her weapon.

Without even looking to see who the Nobushi was alarmed about, Okuma quickly rose to his feet with his weapon ready to strike causing Ayu to look in the direction of the possible foe and narrowed her eyes when she saw an emissary from Seijuro's clan standing before them.

"Greetings, Okuma-san, Momiji-san, and Ayu-sama. Seijuro-dono wishes to extend his greetings to you all," the emissary, a woman with Legion and Chosen descent who was wearing a scaled down version of a Shugoki's armor, a chigiriki flail attached to her belt, a wooden shield similar to the ones the ashigaru utilized, and a somen resembling a komainu cordially addressed.

"His wish will go unfulfilled, now what do you want?" Ayu inquired with an ever so slight edge to her tone which didn't perturb the emissary as she held her hands up in a placating gesture.

"Seijuro-dono thinks that considering our houses have the least...tense relations compared to the others, it would be in our best interests to ally ourselves. After all, it's good to know whom you can trust in times of crisis, is it not?" the emissary reasoned, but Ayu wasn't having any of it as she motioned for the soldiers to get rid of the emissary who began to slowly back up while keeping her gaze on the daimyo.

"He says ally ourselves, but I know that he intends to be the dominant partner; away with you," Ayu dismissed causing the emissary to spare a glance over her shoulder where she saw Seijuro intently watching her and Ayu.

"B-but...but Ayu-sama-"

"I said, away with you," Ayu snapped causing the emissary to sigh in defeat and respectfully bow to her, Okuma, and Momiji.

"Of course, I'm sorry for bothering you, Ayu-sama," the emissary politely stated before taking her leave which made Okuma grunt, but otherwise say nothing as he sat back down while Momiji put a hand on her hip.

"She has a point; I'm sure if you talk to Fujikiyo and Tozen, they would be more than willing to help-"

"I do not want to hear anymore talk of alliances, Momiji. Our house is doing just fine on its own," Ayu interrupted which made Okuma shake his head while Momiji rolled her eyes which went unnoticed thanks to her mask.

"It was just a suggestion," Momiji grumbled making Ayu scoff as she saw Fujikiyo and Tozen enter the building with their warriors and go to their designated areas until Okuma patted her arm and gestured with his head to the side.

Looking in the direction he motioned at, Ayu's eyes widened before she tightened her grip on her odachi as she saw Homura along with an Orochi and a Spearmen before them.

"Time and time again you ask me to ally with Ranja and time and time again I tell you no. How has the point not gotten across?" Ayu nearly yelled at Homura, but managed to just raise her voice causing the Nobushi to smugly smirk and put a hand on her hip.

"Don't worry, the point has gotten across...Ayu-chan. I'm just asking to annoy you and to a far, far lesser extent, out of courtesy," Homura replied causing Ayu to growl under her breathe while Momiji glared at the elderly warrior.

"You will mind your tongue when addressing her, Homura," Momiji reprimanded, but the elderly warrior was more amused than intimidated as she stood toe to toe with the younger Nobushi and stared down at her where he smug grin turned into a savage, animalistic one.

"We'll shed our hostilities in the ring, little one. If you beat me, then you can tell me how I should watch how I speak all you want," Homura retorted in a rough, feral tone, but Momiji didn't back down as the elderly warrior walked away and gestured for her cohorts to follow her.

"Oh, before I go, I should mention that Yuuto has been dying for a rematch against you, Okuma," Homura remarked causing the Shugoki to remain impassive and grunt.

"I'm sure he has," Okuma replied with an indifferent shrug making Homura's grin turn into a derisive frown before walking away without even bowing to either of them with her subordinates in tow.


"Ah, that's it?" Isabelle groaned as she peeked inside the wine bottle for any trace of the alcoholic substance and found little to none of it causing the Peacekeeper to sigh heavily and fling the empty bottle over her shoulder where it shattered with a loud crash.

"It's no fun drinking by yourself. I wish Valentina and Helena were here," Isabelle grumbled as she contemplated on what to do before an idea came to mind, albeit one that would get her into serious trouble should she be found out.

Furiously scanning her personal study for any potential spies and relieved to find none, Isabelle undid her belt, slumped in her chair, and slipped her hand into her trousers...only to hear terrified screams and steel clashing on steel outside. Jolting, the Warlord of the Noble Legion rushed over to the window and didn't care about the fact that her pants fell to the floor where she saw, to her horror, viking marauders laying waste to her village with the local guard doing their best to hold them off.

"How did they get here!? They would have to get through Harrowgate first..."Isabelle trailed off only for a grim realization to hit her as she suddenly heard a violent, exuberant melee happening outside of the hall leading to her personal study.

"Dame Isabelle, Dame Isabelle! We're under att-hrghk!" a knight shouted only for sickening, gut wrenching squelch to echo throughout the hall and the sound of something akin to water to pour onto the floor as a Valkyrie kicked in the door to Isabelle's personal study with the half of her spear pierced through a knights' throat.

"So far, these fights have been pretty boring. Let's see if you put up more resistance," the Valkyrie remarked in her native tongue as a torrent of blood shot upward like a geyser when she freed her spear from the knight's throat which made Isabelle spare subtle glance at her trousers which had her arming sword and dagger hanging from the belt.

As if reading her mind, the Valkyrie smirked and kicked Isabelle's trousers into the hallway with her back foot and slammed the door behind her which made the Peacekeeper grit her teeth as she grabbed a wine bottle from her desk. Slamming it against the hard wood which splintered the lower half into razor sharp, jagged edges, Isabelle brandished her improvised weapon at the Valkyrie who let out a hearty, arrogant laugh and advanced on the Peacekeeper.

"What can I do? She can keep me at a distance with her spear and any attacks I try to do are likely to get blocked by her shield especially in such close quarters," Isabelle thought to herself as she backed up and quickly looked over her shoulder to keep aware of her surroundings as an idea came to mind when she saw the open window.

"It's not too far of a fall," the Warlord of the Noble Legion mused as she kicked a cup half filled with wine sitting on an miniature table at the Valkyrie's face making the marauder cry out as the wine smeared her eyes and temporarily blinded her.

Turning on her back foot, Isabelle sprinted toward the open window and leaped out of it just as the Valkyrie regained her vision causing the viking to confusedly look around and then jog over to the window where she saw the Peacekeeper falling toward the ground.

"Coward!" the Valkryie roared in Nordic as Isabelle braced for impact and hit the ground with a bone crunching thud making her wheeze and tightly clutch her gut as she slowly climbed to her feet with a pained groan.

Forcing down as much of the pain as she could, the Peacekeeper looked around for another weapon where she picked up a fallen, piece of wood and ran toward the nearest source of screams. Turning the corner, the Peacekeeper saw a woman and her child backing up from a Berserker who had split the father's head in two causing Isabelle to whistle to catch his attention while accurately kicking a rock at him. Jolting, the Berserker turned his head to the source of the noise only to grimace when a tough, stiff stone crashed into his forehead making the warrior stagger which Isabelle took full advantage of and charged toward him. Stabbing at his gut, the marauder regained his bearings at the last second and spun to the side while swiping at her head with his axe causing Isabelle to wait until the last possible second before ducking underneath the attack. Viciously stabbing the viking in his groin with her jagged wine bottle, the marauder howled in agony and collapsed on his back while tightly clutching his mangled, bloodied groin. Finishing off the Berserker with a stiff, brutal strike to the crown of his skull with her piece of hardwood which caved in his skull with a sickening crack, Isabelle turned to the woman and her child.

"Find somewhere safe and away from this madness and hide," Isabelle ordered making the woman fearfully nod and lead her child away where the Peacekeeper kept an eye on them until she was sure that no vikings were pursuing them.

Running to the next source of screams, she saw a captain of the local guard whom she was familiar with holding his own against a Raider, Shaman, and Warlord by blocking, parrying, and deflecting powerful, swift strikes aimed at him with a war banner bearing the insignia of the Noble Legion. Whistling again, but this time to catch the Shaman's focus, the mad woman looked in the direction of the sound only to be struck by a rock on the back of her head causing the Shaman to bare her teeth as she stepped back to avoid a thrust at her heart from the War Banner Captain. Surveying the area to find the new threat, the mad woman was blindsided when Isabelle suddenly wrapped an arm around her waist and proceeded to gouge her sides with her broken wine bottle. Hissing and lurching forward, the Shaman tumbled across the ground like a ragdoll when Isabelle rammed her shoulder into her gut causing the Raider to disengage with the War Banner Captain and advance on Isabelle. Swatting a quick axe swing aside with her improvised weapons, the Peacekeeper was unprepared when the Raider suddenly stepped into her guard and fiercely struck her across the face with the bottom portion of his axe on the backswing which knocked her to the ground.

Tasting blood, Isabelle, despite feeling like a stampede of horses just ran over her jaw, managed to see through her blurry vision the Raider bringing his axe up for the finishing blow. Kicking the marauder in between his legs, the Raider hissed and hobbled backward as Isabelle rolled to her feet where she stepped back to avoid a wild swing from her opponent and prepared to lunge forward and underneath the next blow. However, the Raider suddenly bashed her forehead with the pommel of his axe causing the cobwebs in Isabelle's head to come back with a vengeance where she just barely managed to bring her improvised weapons up to block the follow up attack. Despite this, the Peacekeeper winced as the axe grazed her arm which left a searing, superficial slash on the limb as the Raider feinted a swing from his weapon which Isabelle fell for when she normally wouldn't allowing the Viking to smash the shaft of his weapon against her gut.

Dry heaving, the Peacekeeper lurched forward causing the Raider to viciously slug Isabelle across the face making her see stars and hoist her onto his shoulders where he charged toward the wall as fast as his legs could carry him. Regaining her bearings, Isabelle plunged her jagged wine bottle into the Raider's neck making the Warborn warrior screech and keel over sending the Peacekeeper hurtling through the air. Tucking herself into a ball and placing her hands on the back of her head, Isabelle braced for impact where she cried out when she roughly hit the cold, unforgiving ground and uncontrollably fell end over end as if she was thrown from her horse. Groaning and rubbing her head, the Peacekeeper pushed herself off of the ground where she saw double only to hear something like a wild, starving animal rushing toward her. Knowing full well what it was without even having to look, Isabelle rolled to the side just as the Shaman landed on the part of the ground where her head once was and crouched down like she was an animal on the hunt.

Readying herself and grasping her length of wood with both hands due to her improvised dagger being stuck in the Raider's neck, the Peacekeeper slowly circled the mad woman only to hear something flying through the air behind her. Immediately sprawling to the ground, Isabelle watched as a javelin embedded itself into an abandoned cart where she quickly looked over her shoulder and saw the Valkyrie who invaded her personal study joining the fray.

"Mind if I join?" the Valkyrie asked the Shaman while brandishing her spear with a low, dark chuckle making the mad woman wildly grin and tighten her grip on her weapons as Isabelle looked around for something that could stand in for a dagger.

"To your heart's content," the Shaman replied making the Valkyrie smirk as she and the Shaman attacked simultaneously causing Isabelle to leap to the side and with adrenaline pumping through her veins, leaned her head to avoid a thrust from the Shaman's knife before trapping the offending arm underneath her armpit.

Bashing her forehead against the Shaman's skull to daze her, Isabelle spun the mad woman around and wrapped an arm around her throat along with pressing the jagged, sharp edge of her improvised weapon against the Viking's throat. Slowly advancing on the Valkyrie, the Warborn warrior growled and backpedaled while looking for an opening to both save her cohort along with dealing a severe blow to the Peacekeeper.

"Are you really this much of a coward!?" the Valkyrie barked at the Warlord of the Noble Legion who scoffed as she continued to move toward her foe which made the viking back up while gritting her teeth.

"Cowardice has a place on the battlefield as does valor, the trick is to know which one to use depending on the situation," Isabelle calmly retorted in Nordic as in one, seamless motion, she plunged her jagged length of wood deep into the Shaman's neck, shoved the mad woman toward her opponent, and appropriated the Shaman's hatchet and dagger for herself.

The Valkyrie's eyes went as wide as saucers as she stumbled back when she caught her ally who was violently choking on her own blood before howling in pain as a dagger embedded itself into her thigh while she was distracted. Gasping, the Valkyrie fell to her knees and unconsciously dropped her spear in order to grasp her leg which had blood pouring out of it like a raging river where she looked up and saw Isabelle looming over her. Snarling like a cornered animal, the Valkyrie wildly struck out with her shield...only for the Peacekeeper to lazily dodge the attack sending the marauder crashing down into the dirt face first.

"Yield, there is no need for further bloodshed. And before you say anything, I'm not going to make you a slave despite what your culture has led you to believe," Isabelle reasoned as she sat on the Valkyrie's back, trapped one of her arms underneath her armpit, and held the Shaman's hatchet overhead.

"So what!? I'd rather die than be your prisoner!" the Valkyrie defiantly roared making the Peacekeeper groan irritably and roll her eyes as she thwacked the viking on the back of her head with the pommel of her hatchet.

Yelping, the viking fell unconscious causing the Peacekeeper to bind her wrists and ankles and free her dagger from her opponent's leg where she focused on the Warlord who placed his shield against the War Banner Captain's chest and began shoving him toward the wall. Acting fast, Isabelle chucked her axe at the Warlord who cried out and buckled as the weapon dug deep into the back of his knee allowing the knight to thrust the tip of the pole through the Viking's mouth with a wet squelch. Yanking his improvised weapon free from the Warlord's mouth which caused a spray of blood to erupt from the Viking's jaw when he did so, the War Banner Captain attached the flag to his back and picked up his fallen longsword which he had been disarmed of earlier.

"Marco, give me a quick run down of what happened," Isabelle ordered while kneeling down and tearing off a piece of her shirt where she wrapped the cloth around the soldier's twisted ankle causing the War Banner Captain to nod gratefully.

"Of course; Viking marauders appeared at the outer gates earlier today so Adrian, members of the local guard, and I readied the defenses, but they made use of siege engines to get around this. I along with several others stayed behind to hold them off for as long as possible while Adrian tried to usher as many civilians to safety as possible, but as you can see, we weren't fast enough," Marco bitterly explained while gesturing at some of the fallen citizenry who were decapitated, eviscerated, gored, or all three which made the Peacekeeper sigh heavily as she retrieved her hatchet.

"I see; we'll mourn our fallen after we push the invaders back. For now, let's find Adrian and reinforce him," the Peacekeeper commanded which made the War Banner Captain nod as he ordered some of the soldiers who had arrived on the scene to take the unconscious Valkyrie to the holding cells.

Dutifully nodding, the soldiers carried the Valkyrie away as Isabelle followed Marco to where he last saw Adrian where the Peacekeeper contemplated as to how this attack could have happened.

"They only way the Warborn could launch on organized raid like this so far from Harrowgate is-"

"That they either conquered it or are damn near close to it," Marco interrupted which made Isabelle nod as she continued to follow the War Banner Captain while keeping an eye out for any stragglers.

"I'm still not sending any of my troops to Harrowgate; all this attack shows is that we need better defenses and more troops to man them," the Warlord of the Noble Legion replied which made Marco nod as they noticed a man trapped underneath some debris causing the War Banner Captain and the Peacekeeper to rush over to him.

"I understand, but perhaps there's something else the Noble Legion could do to help besides sending over much needed supplies?" the soldier suggested which made Isabelle grunt say nothing as the duo counted to three and lifted the rubble off of the man who slid out from underneath the wreckage.

"Th-thank you-"

"You're welcome, now stay hidden until this battle dies down," the Peacekeeper advised causing the man to fearfully nod as he hobbled back into the wrecked remnant of his home and hid behind some debris.

"Look, if Harrowgate has fallen, then from a logical standpoint there's no use in sending over troops to a battle that's already lost. Still, I guess it wouldn't hurt to send over scouts to check out the situation," Isabelle reasoned which made the War Banner Captain grunt as he led the Peacekeeper to the town square where they saw Adrian holding his ground against two Raiders, a Berserker, a Highlander, a Spearmen, and a Captain wielding an axe with his sturdy heater shield.

Having had his short sword and back up dagger knocked out of his hands, Adrian counterattacked with his staff resembling an ouroboros whenever the opportunity presented itself as Marco aided him in combating the Highlander, the Raider, and the Warborn Captain while Isabelle engaged the other Raider, Spearmen, and Berserker.

"You guys came just in time!" Adrian shouted with a boisterous laugh as he stepped to the side and batted away a strike from the Highlander's claymore while Marco clashed weapons with the captain for a split second.

Gritting his teeth, the War Banner Captain stepped inside the marauder's guard and angled his longsword so it was pointing at the Warborn warrior's heart where he thrust the tip of his blade toward the vital organ. Anticipating this, the Axe Captain stepped aside causing the longsword to pass mere inches from his chest where he used the momentum to strike Marco across the face with the bottom shaft of his weapon. Hissing, the soldier regained his bearings and leaned back to avoid a swing at his chest where he smashed the pommel of his longsword against the marauder's face making the Axe Captain grimace and stumble back allowing Marco to spare a glance at his cohort.

"The citizenry-"

"I got everyone I could to a safe location and the ones I couldn't I told to stay low and out of sight until it's safe to come out," Adrian interrupted as he was forced to his knees when he felt the full weight of the Highlander's claymore come crashing down on his heater shield making the Captain grimace where he saw the Spearmen advancing on him.

Ignoring the encroaching numbness in his arm, the Highlander gasped as he was tossed end over end onto the ground when Adrian shifted his weight as the Flag Bearer Captain saw the Spearmen rear his arm back. Skillfully, Adrian brought his shield up causing his opponent's spear to scrape the shield sending an array of hot sparks flying into the air where he thrust his flag into his foe's gut. Yelping as the spikes on the flag proved to be for more than show as they plunged a few inches into his stomach, the Spearmen staggered back which Adrian took full advantage of as he lunged forward and thrust the spikes of the flag through the viking's throat. Croaking, the Spearmen coughed up a spray of blood before hitting the ground while clutching at his throat causing the Flag Bearer to grimly shake his head before refocusing on the battle.

"Didn't know the tin cans let you whore around like that!" the Raider mocked while gesturing at the Peacekeeper's nearly bare lower body as he feinted a powerful swing with her right axe only to then lash out with a swift cut from the same side which Isabelle blocked only to be pushed back by the Berserker's relentless offense.

"You're judging me on my attire? That's rich," Isabelle retorted before gnashing her teeth as the Berserker made a vicious, brutal cut on her face starting from her right cheek and stretching all the way below her left eye.

Partially blocking the follow up attack only to grimace when the axe shallowly dug into her shoulder, Isabelle ducked underneath the next strike where she saw her foe had left her side completely exposed. Before the Peacekeeper could take advantage of this, her instincts screamed at her to dodge which she tried to do only to shriek as the Raider's axe sliced down her back making a nasty, savage laceration on her backside. Refusing to fall, Isabelle forced down as much of the pain as she could as she dodged a strike from the Raider only to hiss as the Berserker's axe raked down her chest making the Peacekeeper feel light-headed, but pressed onward regardless. Dipping to the side to avoid the Berserker's volley of attacks, Isabelle retched as the Raider slammed the shaft of his weapon against her gut and while she was doubled over, hoisted her over his shoulders and began to charge toward the wall.

"Dame Isabelle!" Adrian and Marco shouted as they tried to break off the fight to help her, but the Highlander, Raider, and the Axe Captain doggedly pursued them forcing the duo to begrudgingly focus on the fight in front of them.

Using her last ounce of strength, Isabelle expertly flung her stolen knife at the Berserker who yelped and stumbled about like a drunkard when the dagger embedded itself deep into her cheek before toppling over where she lay completely still. Feeling the air knocked out of her when the Raider slammed her against the wall, Isabelle crumpled to the ground desperately trying to catch her breathe where she saw her foe rear his leg back. Unable to lift her arms up, the Peacekeeper turned her face away from the strike as best she could where she grimaced as a sickening crack echoed throughout the battlefield when the Raider brutally smashed his knee against her face. Gritting her teeth as blood poured down from her cracked, broken nose and onto her clothing like a waterfall, Isabelle fought to stay conscious as the Raider tightly wrapped his hands around her neck and hoisted her up into the air.

"Hah! Weak just like the other knights we've come across!" the Raider roared directly into Isabelle's face which made the Peacekeeper spit a wad of blood onto his eyes making the Viking yelp and unconsciously release his grip on the Peacekeeper.

Grunting as she hit the ground, Isabelle scanned the area and saw the Shaman's hatchet she stole lying on the dirt a few feet away causing her to crawl over to it where she felt as if her body weighed a ton. Just as she reached out to it, she hissed as the Raider roughly grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her against the wall where he pulled his arm back.

"No armor!" the Raider roared as he viciously slugged the Peacekeeper across the face causing a spray of blood to fly from Isabelle's mouth and splatter the wooden railing of an abandoned shop like it was paint.

"No weapons!" the Raider barked as he harshly punched Isabelle yet again making the Peacekeeper wince and feel a tear welling at her eye as her cheek bone was crushed from the savage blow.

"And no skill!" the Viking yelled triumphantly as he socked Isabelle in the gut making the Peacekeeper vomit the contents of her stomach where she lost all feeling in her body as the Raider struck her yet again which made her head snap back and eye completely swell shut.

"Just another tin can trying to be a true warrior!" the Raider mocked as he let Isabelle drop to the floor where the Peacekeeper tightly clutched her gut and greedily gulped down breathes of air as her opponent brought his axe up.

Before he could bring his weapon down on her head, he quizzically tilted his head when he saw Isabelle...smirking?

"What are you smiling about?" the Raider barked as the Peacekeeper coughed up a mixture of bile and blood onto and wiped her lips with her forearm before looking up at the Viking with the same smug grin on her face.

"You didn't mind your surroundings," Isabelle said in a voice above a whisper as she suddenly rolled to the side and kicked a wooden plank which was supporting a structure lifting up a heavy stack of concrete blocks onto upper area of a building.

Widening his eyes when he saw the bricks come crashing down, the Raider quickly dove out of the way and with his heart racing, turned back where he saw the blocks hit the ground with an earthshaking thud where, after a moment, an arrogant grin of his own came to his face.

"That was the trick up your sleeve!? Hah, you certainly don't compare to the likes of Loki and-ugh!" the Raider started to boast until Gunnarr abruptly crashed into him with the force of a raging bull and forcefully shoved him all the way to the wall with Wallace not too far behind.

Crying out as he was harshly slammed against the wall, the Raider doubled over and couldn't do anything as Wallace brought his claymore up and swung it down on the marauder's head which violently split his head in two with a sickening, bloody crack.

"Should have just finished her off," Gunnarr remarked with a contemptuous shake of his head with Wallace nodding in agreement as the duo saw saw Bellatrix and Azusa helping Isabelle walk where they gently set her down on a chunk of wood.

"Thanks guys; don't worry, I can still fight," the Peacekeeper assured them as she bent her nose back into place and then spitting a glob of blood onto the ground before making an impromptu bandage and dressing with torn off pieces of her clothing.

"Just because you can doesn't mean you should," Azusa pointed out causing the Peacekeeper to grumble as she wrapped the dressing around her injured eye before slowly standing up where she sucked in a pained breathe.

"I'm aware, but my people are in danger and I won't stand idly by while they're being slaughtered," Isabelle retorted as she released the breathe she was holding and looked around for any weapons to use causing Azusa to hand her a spare kunai while Bellatrix gave her one of the gladius' she had on her person.

Gratefully nodding, the group of fighters reentered the battle with Bellatrix ruthlessly bashing her parma against the face of her foes or stabbing their feet, Wallace swinging his sword in arcs to keep his foes at bay and as momentum for his next strike, Gunnarr headbutting and then stabbing his foes in their chests, and Azusa accurately landing shots to the invader's exposed necks with her bow. Isabelle, despite the loss in depth perception, became a whirlwind of death as she mowed through the Spearmen with ease by either slitting their throats or stabbing them in the neck as Bellatrix left the Highlander punch drunk with a stiff punch from her parma allowing Azusa to land a devastating shot to the battle thrall's neck. Gargling, the Highlander dropped his claymore and clutched his neck as Wallace to ended his suffering by running him through with his blade making the marauder gasp and grasp the cold steel with shaky hands.

"Forgive me, brother," Wallace apologized to his fellow Highlander as he yanked his claymore out of his foe's chest forcing the dazed Highlander onto his knees and then decapitated him with a strong, swift strike of his sword.

"This is why I left; he most likely didn't want to be part of this raid, but he had no choice," Wallace solemnly mused before helping Azusa and Bellatrix take on what remained of the enemy forces in the town square.

Gunnarr, in the meantime, had engaged the Axe Captain when he gained the upper hand against Marco and calmly blocked the oncoming blows while waiting for his chance to strike.

"You fight for the enemy!? Coward, traitor!" the Axe Captain shouted at Gunnarr as he swung his weapon at the Warlord who stopped the blow in its tracks with his sword and then swatted the weapon away with a quick bash from his wooden shield.

"I'm not fighting for this legion or any legion; I'm just defending my home and neighbors," Gunnarr replied as he blocked another strike from his foe and slammed the edge of his shield into the Captain's chest in a punching motion making the Warborn warrior wince.

"You're the worst kind of Viking! You make nice with our enemies, you even marry one, and you pretend to be some sort of farmer! Valhalla is forever closed to you!" the Axe Captain yelled as he feinted a strike and then came downward with an overhead slash which lightly cut Gunnarr's shoulder making the Warlord grunt before smashing his shield against his opponent's kneecap forcing the marauder to his knees.

"Our people are farmers as well as raiders, young one. Besides, I always wanted to go to Folkvangr anyway," Gunnarr retorted as he plunged his blade into his foe's shoulder and then viciously smacked him across the cheek with his shield which completely shattered the Axe Captain's cheek bone and sent one of his teeth flying out of his mouth.

Releasing a breathe, the Warlord turned around and helped Isabelle, Azusa, Bellatrix, Wallace, Adrian, and Marco push the last of the invaders back into the forest where the Peacekeeper ducked under a wide, undisciplined swing from a Captain's sword and plunged her gladius into their unarmored leg and her kunai into their bare shoulder. Howling in pain, the Captain collapsed onto their knees giving Isabelle the perfect opportunity to harshly thrust her knee up into their chin making the Warborn warrior's head violently snap back and her helmet to go flying off their head. Advancing on her downed foe while motioning for Marco and Adrian to begin checking the bodies to identify which clan the invaders belonged to, Isabelle planted her boot on the Captain's chest and pressed the tip of her gladius at her opponent's throat. However, Isabelle raised a brow when she saw her foe was a woman from the Myre who looked no older than seventeen and had a brand in the shape of a crow on her face as if she were cattle which permanently bloodied the woman's sclera and grayed out her iris.

"You're a battle thrall?" Isabelle inquired in Japanese while sheathing her gladius and kunai causing the woman to widen her eyes before sadly nodding causing the Peacekeeper to extend a hand to her former foe.

"Y-yes; th-they told me if I didn't fight, they would kill my family," the woman responded as Isabelle helped her walk over to a plank of wood and gently set her down against it as Wallace and Gunnarr, overhearing the conversation, approached them.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but your family is most likely dead," Gunnarr tactfully stated causing the woman's eyes to go as wide as saucers and tears to form at her eyes as Wallace empathetically stared at his fellow former battle thrall, knowing exactly what the feeling was like.

"N-no...th-they said-"

"I know, but it was a lie. The only reason the other clans would send thralls onto the battlefield is if they needed extra bodies to soak up enemy fire and didn't want to risk the lives of their own clan to do it...or if they wanted to punish a particularly unruly thrall," Gunnarr gently explained causing the woman to just shut down as tears rolled down her face like raindrops causing Azusa to walk over and pull the woman into an affectionate embrace.

"I understand what you're feeling, young one. My people were conquered by the Vikings and we were always under threat of being wiped off the face of the Earth if we didn't comply with our master's orders. Defiance was...severe as you have seen," Wallace told the woman while patting her shoulder making the former battle thrall to jolt and inch further into Azusa's embrace to get away from him making the Highlander sigh, but understood her reaction.

"This seemed to be a joint attack, my lady, most likely to support their invasion. We found multiple bodies with different clan emblems on them," Adrian informed the Peacekeeper who nodded slowly as she started to get up only to fall forward when her body flared up in pain causing Marco to catch her.

"How many did we lose and how did the defenses hold up?" Isabelle asked while gratefully nodding at the War Banner Captain and gently pushing him away so she could stand on her own power where she sucked in a breathe and let it back out.

"We lost twenty of our troops and the defenses held despite the losses we've suffered," Marco answered which made Isabelle nod as she overlooked the destruction of her village and saw the citizenry gathering what belongings of theirs they could find.

"I'll oversee the funeral of our fallen; Marco, Adrian, help me deal with the corpses and then check out the situation at Harrowgate. If the battle looks salvageable, then I might consider lending more aid. If it doesn't, then we'll continue to hold the line and wait for the vikings to come to us," the Warlord of the Noble Legion ordered causing her two subordinates to dutifully nod and begin to head to the barracks only for Marco to suddenly pause.

"My lady, I didn't say this earlier because there were more important matters to attend to, but now that there's time I have to ask if one of the Vikings tried to violate you-"

"Y-yes...that's what happened," Isabelle interrupted while turning her head away and covering her face with her hand as light blush formed on her face causing the War Banner Captain to tilt his head, but shrugged as he began stacking the bodies on top of each other.

"What's your name and how long have you been a thrall?" Isabelle asked the battle thrall while putting a hand on her hip causing the woman to glance at Azusa who assured her that the Peacekeeper didn't have any sinister, ulterior motives in mind.

"My name is Taki and my family and I were captured when I was eight, I think" the slave warrior responded causing Isabelle to nod as she grabbed one corpse by its arm and flung it onto the pile.

"Well Taki, you're certainly in a...complex situation. Tell you what, help us deal with the bodies and I'll see what I can do about arranging transport to the Myre," Isabelle offered which made Taki's eyes light up like they were stars in the night sky and after a moment of befuddlement, eagerly nodded.

"Yes, th-thank you-"

"We can't just show up in the Myre claiming to have a lost citizen of the Chosen without knowing what house she belonged to and who she descended from," Azusa bluntly interjected which made Taki's elated expression fall from her face causing Azusa to put a hand on the former slave warrior's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, that was rude. However, we still need to discern more about your history before returning to your homeland," Azusa pointed out in a much calmer and less abrasive tone of voice which made Taki grumble, but saw what the Archer was getting at as Isabelle cleared her throat.

"We'll cross that bridge later; for now, let's deal with the bodies," Isabelle stated causing the Archer to nod as she reached down and tossed a corpse onto another pile Gunnarr started as the Peacekeeper saw a soldier approaching her while holding her trousers.

"My lady, you appear to have lost these," the soldier pointed out while holding Isabelle's pants to her causing the Peacekeeper to gratefully nod and dismiss the soldier as she put on her lost pair of pants.

"I need to start carrying a spare pair of trousers on me...and a lot more weapons," Isabelle mused inside her head as she attached the gladius and kunai she was given next to her arming sword and dagger on her belt.


Groaning, Valentina's eyes groggily fluttered open where she saw through her blurry vision that she was in a tent of some sorts causing her to instinctively try to sit up only to grimace as the wounds on her face flared up in searing pain. Hissing, the Warden clutched her heavily bandaged face and with herculean effort, got out of bed where she resisted the urge to crumple onto her knees as a servant girl entered the tent and saw Valentina favoring her left side while clutching her bruised gut.

"My lady, you should be resting! Maris, go tell Lady Sabine that her guest is up and about!" the servant girl ordered her fellow as she rushed toward the Warden and gently gripped her arm causing Valentina to narrow her eyes.

"Where am I?" the Warden tersely asked as she refused to budge when the servant girl tried to guide her back to her cot causing the servant girl to hold her hands up in a placating gesture.

"You're in Lord Cross's camp, my lady," the servant girl answered causing Valentina's eyes to go wide as it took a moment to process what she had heard.

"Cross, as in Holden Cross?" Valentina repeated causing the servant girl to nod as the Warden allowed the servant girl to help her walk to her cot where Valentina sat down while trying to understand the implications of this turn of events.

"Yes, my lady. Sabine and her scouts brought you here after you were defeated-"

"That fight didn't count!" Valentina yelled frustratedly causing the servant girl to recoil and back up where she felt herself bump into something causing her to turn around and immediately dip her head when she saw who it was.

"A loss can turn into victories if you learn from it, but that lesson seems to be lost on you," Sabine, the Conqueror who had brought Valentina to camp, coolly remarked causing the Warden to dismissively grunt.

"Ashley, thank you for watching my guest and please extend my gratitude to Maris as well," the Conqueror politely requested in a soothing, serene tone of voice making the servant girl nod as she exited the tent leaving Sabine and Valentina alone with each other.

"Are you feeling better?" Sabine inquired while grabbing a chair and setting it down next to Valentina's cot causing the Warden to nod slowly while tentatively touching the bruise on her face.

"I still feel a little stinging pain, but it's not debilitating," Valentina replied as Sabine nodded slowly and scooted her chair closer to the Warden's bed where she sat up straight and gazed at Valentina with her eyes narrowed.

"Now that we're better acquainted, can you please tell me why you've been giving my little sister, Helena, such a hard time?" the Conqueror politely requested causing Valentina's eyes to go wide as she stared at the sturdily built woman before her with her head tilted.

"Y-you're Helena's sister? I didn't-"

"She has two actually, but let's stay on topic. From what I read of the letters she sent me, she's enjoying her time in the Noble Legion and gets along with everyone...except for you. May I ask what she has done to earn your ire?" the Conqueror cordially asked causing Valentina to grumble and awkwardly scratch the back of her head before giving an unsure shrug in response.

"I don't know, okay! She's not doing anything wrong; it's just that whenever I see her with my mother-"

"Oh, I understand now," Sabine interrupted which made the Warden recoil before bolting upright where she glared at Sabine who remained seated and crossed one leg over the other.

"And what do you understand, huh!?" Valentina shrieked with an ever so slight blush forming on her face causing Sabine to just calmly stare back at her and gesture for the Warden to sit back down.

"You're angry that Helena seems to be closer to Dame Isabelle than you do. Have you considered that maybe if you didn't train all day, regurgitate the racist tirades of the knight you trained under, and didn't lord your position over Helena and the other troops that your mother would also acknowledge and reward your efforts?" Sabine inquired in a serene, yet ruthless tone of voice as she was completely relaxed despite what she said as Valentina's eyes bugged out of their sockets upon hearing the rant.

"I work just as hard as anyone else in the Noble Legi-"

"Oh really? Let's put that theory to the test, shall we?" Sabine cut the Warden off which made Valetina indignantly huff and ball her hands into fist as the Conqueror reached into a chest and pulled out a letter.

"Dear Sabine, yesterday Dame Isabelle ordered Valentina and I to help Roderick, Marco and Adrian guard the perimeter. Valentina, however, got a servant girl to fill in for her while she went off to practice her swordplay, archery, and horseback riding," the Conqueror began which made Valentina's face flush as she held up a hand and was about to speak until Sabine pulled out another letter.

"No one was attacking us at the-"

"Dear Sabine, when Roderick, Marco, Adrian, Valentina, and I were helping escort much needed supplies to the forces at Harrowgate, we were beset by viking marauders. Instead of taking defensive position around the caravan to protect the civilians, Valentina rushed out into the open and took on four of the marauders by herself. She fought and won spectacularly, but several of the civilians were injured which could have been prevented had she maintained her position," Sabine mercilessly continued as the Warden tried to get a word in only for the Conqueror to hold up a hand and pull out another letter from the chest.

"The caravan got to its destination regardless-"

"Dear Sabine, when Roderick, Marco, Adrian, Valentina, and I were overseeing the entry of refugees into our village, Valentina tried to turn away those who were of Warborn descent. She justified her actions by saying that their "evil blood" would only bring ruin upon us, but fortunately Roderick, Marco, and Adrian weren't having any of it. I do not know why Dame Isabelle continues to allow Valentina out into the field; yes, she is skilled in combat, supremely so, and she's great at making nice with the other nobles of the other legions, but those are her only good attributes," the Conqueror pressed on making the Warden growl embarrassingly as she opened her mouth only for Sabine to start reciting another letter making the Warden stamp her foot on the ground like an angry child.

"I will not suffer this mock-"

"Dear Sabine, today I overheard that Valentina made some unsavory remarks toward Gunnarr, Wallace, and Azusa and when I talked to them about it, they confirmed it. Incensed, I talked to her and politely tried to get her to rescind what she said and apologize to my friends. However, Valentina took it as me insulting her honor and challenged me to a duel to avenge the perceived slight to which I agreed to show that I stood by my words. Predictably, I was beaten down and had to spend the rest of the day in the barracks recuperating, but fortunately Valentina was put on latrine and stable cleaning duty for three weeks with Roderick supervising," Sabine coolly interrupted as she set the letter down and put it back in the chest as the Warden wanted more than anything to attack the Conqueror, but knew that she was in no condition to do anything.

"Dear Sabine, strangely I have nothing to report back to you and only wish to vent my thoughts to someone I trust. I will not say this to Dame Isabelle as I know that she loves her daughter despite her glaring flaws, but if Valentina wants to fight the Warborn so badly, she should just let her join the Blackstone Legion. Valentina's fighting skills would be put to better use and she wouldn't cause the Noble Legion anymore problems with her cantankerous, haughty, and racist behavior," the Conqueror finished as she put the letter back in the chest and stared at the Warden who was glowering at her with a look that could kill many times over.

"Alright, you made your point! I'm an arrogant, racist, blue blooded bitch, but I'm also, an arrogant, racist, blue blooded bitch who wants to rescue your little sister!" Valentina vehemently yelled at the Conqueror who scoffed and folded her arms while gazing at the Warden with a completely unimpressed look.

"Embracing and acknowledging one's flaws only makes the person viewed even more unfavorably in the eyes of others as they know why their fellows dislike them, but do nothing to change it," Sabine coolly retorted while never taking her eyes off of the Warden who growled lowly and marched right up to the Conqueror.

"I don't need a lecture on morality from a Conqueror of all people-"

"I guess we should also add stereotyping to your list of flaws, but I digress. While it's certainly not what I was hoping for in regards to an attitude adjustment, I do see that you want to rescue Helena despite your dislike of her," Sabine pointed out which made the Warden snort and fold her arms as the Conqueror walked over to the corner of the tent and tossed Valentina her longsword who caught it without even looking.

"So, what now?" Valentina asked as she attached her weapon to her belt and faced the Conqueror who gestured for the Warden to follow her.

"Now, we talk to Lord Holden and see if he can grant us a leave of absence to look for Helena," Sabine answered as for the first time since Valentina met her, the Conqueror let out a nervous sigh as she continued to lead her around the camp.

"Is something wrong?" Valentina inquired as she noticed the odd, wary looks the Blackstone warriors were casting her way which made the Warden shut them out and not give them the time of day.

"Yes, Lord Holden sees me as just another warrior under his command so trying to request a leave of absence by myself would be folly. However, with you here-"

"I stand a better chance of convincing him due to my status and position," Valentina finished which made Sabine smirk ever so slightly and tap her nose twice as she motioned at the Holden Cross with her shield who was talking to his second.

"Okay, follow my lead," Valentina told Sabine who nodded as the Warden slowly approached Holden Cross and his second with the Conqueror in tow.