After the taking of Plessis, the army began taking back every village they come across. Aside from killing Beastmen, they also liberated caged men who were to become food for the beasts while the women who had their minds broken from the violent treatment of their bodies under the Beastmen were placed in caravans and escorted to the Ville de Lumiére where they would be handed off to the Église de la Déesse.
During one of these raids, the Shield Companions proved themselves once more to the Dukes and Duchess after the army found itself attacked from the rear by Beastmen reinforcements. While the army tried to reorganize itself, the Shield Companions broke off from the main force and attacked the Beastmen despite being outnumbered. They gave the army enough time to organize a counter charge consisting of Calvet, Boudelaire and Lavaud Knights as well as the Shield Companions, Dawn Templars and Vallonton Resistance's own cavalry force. Effectively routing the Beastmen reinforcements and claiming their victory.
For their bravery, the Shield Companions were awarded once more by the Duke of Calvet. Earning the ire of the remaining Black Dog mercenaries. Their leader in particular, Mercenary Captain Louis, held a grudge against the Shield Companions. It all started when Jaune de Crevier took his men and terminated their employment under the Black Dogs to join the Shield Companions. Bringing the company's numbers down to 79 sellswords. Louis blamed the Shield Companions for not only stealing all the glory during Plessis but also his men.
When he confronted Baldur and challenged him to a duel, the Black Dogs Mercenary Captain ended up getting humiliated in front of everyone. Further discrediting the Black Dogs in the eyes of the Dukes and Duchess. This also saw a decrease in their weekly wage. Further angering Louis and his mercenaries.
The vengeful Mercenary Captain tried to convince the other mercenary companies to join him and kill the Shield Companions in the dead of night. Unfortunately for him, the other mercenaries either didn't care or were afraid of the Shield Companions. They saw what the Shield Companions were capable and they didn't want to piss off the giant Nord and his men.
With no support from the other mercenaries, Louis resorted to killing the Nord during their attack on the Town of Montaully. With all the chaos within the siege, Louis would strike the Nord when he leasts expect it. No one would blame him. It was a battle. Someone was bound to die.
While the Black Dogs Mercenary Captain schemed, the Shield Companions were busy having their new recruits settled into the company. Jaune and the other Mercenary Knights or anyone of his men that can ride a horse was placed in the Shield Companion's cavalry while the rest were placed in the infantry along with the Shield Companion Recruits. Surprisingly, all the mercenaries that joined Jaune in leaving the Black Dogs proved themselves and were allowed to join the company. Bolstering the Shield Companions' current strength from 140 to 160. That doesn't count the seven who were still recovering from their wounds.
On their way to the Town of Montaully, the army was ambushed in the dead of night by a large number of Centaurs from Montaully.
While the Dukes and Duchess tried to get some semblance of control over their army, the Silver Hearts separated from the rest of the army. Taunting the Centaurs to chase after them. Once they were a considerable distance away, the Silver Hearts quickly formed a pike square. Spearing the Centaurs who tried to charge into their ranks and dealing heavy losses against their adversaries.
In response, the Centaurs utilized their bow-wielding kin and rode circles around the pike formation while shooting arrows at the Silver Hearts mercenaries. Inflicting slight casualties upon the Pikemen.
While the mercenaries from the Holy Aurelian Empire kept the Centaurs at bay, the Lavender Company advanced to the flanks alongside the Rōnins and rained arrows and iron bolts on the quadrupedal Beastmen. This made them a target to the Centaurs who dispatched two groups to deal with the Lavender Company and Rōnins only to be chased off by mounted Templar Knights and Squires.
The night ended with the Centaurs driven back to Montaully while the army suffered only minimal casualties. Duke Calvet ordered that a scouting party to be immediately sent to Montaully to gauge the strength of the town's defenders as well as it's defenses.
The scouting party consisted of four Red Vixens who returned on the afternoon of the next day. They reported that the Beastmen had fortified the foot of the town's walls with wooden stakes facing outward. Archers were stationed at the battlements and the Beastmen had taken to foraging the surrounding area dry. Not just to fill their food stores but to also deprive the army of resources during the siege.
This was something that worried the Duke of Calvet as their baggage train were continuously harassed by Beastmen raiders ever since they took Plessis. This forced the army to forage along the way as they marched to the next village and so on and so forth.
At the Duchess of Lavaud's suggestion, the Silver Hearts, Red Vixens and Lavender Company would be tasked with escorting the baggage train while the remaining mercenaries would join the rest of the army in besieging Montaully. With the approval of the Dukes, the three mercenary companies left for Plessis where the baggage train was stationed while the army continued on to the Town of Montaully.
Just as they arrived on the outskirts of the Beastman-occupied town, a terrible storm arrived and prevented the army from besieging the town. The army split up between three forces. The Duke of Calvet's army would attack the southern wall as well as the main gate while the Duke of Boudelaire would attack the west and the Duchess of Lavaud would attack the east. They set up their camps in the middle of the storm while simultaneously repelling sorties by the Beastmen defenders.
Nearly a day passed before the storm finally ended and the army immediately began the construction of siege towers and siege weapons. It took them a total of six days to finish the construction of all three siege towers, three trebuchets and a single covered battering ram. All the while repelling sorties from the defending Beastmen.
By late afternoon, the Duke of Calvet signalled for the siege to begin and the siege tower was pushed towards the wall while the battering ram was pushed towards the main gate. Their trebuchet hurled boulders at the wall in an effort to disrupt the archers shooting at the siege tower and the battering ram. The Dukes and Duchess didn't want to destroy the walls too much as that would leave them vulnerable once they occupy the town.
Once the first siege tower reached the wall, the Shield Companions led the charge into the battlements with Baldur and the Axe Companions acting as shock troops. They slew scores of Beastmen and were about to take the southern wall entirely when the beasts from the eastern and western wall were relocated to the southern wall to reinforce the Beastmen there. This was exactly what the Duke of Calvet wanted and signalled the Duke of Boudelaire and the Duchess of Lavaud to begin their assault.
The remaining siege towers simultaneously advanced towards the lightly defended walls. The Beastmen learning of the army's plan too late and the siege towers arrived at their respective walls before pouring out soldiers into the battlements. Once both eastern and western walls were taken, the Duke of Boudelaire and the Duchess of Lavaud's army moved to take the northern wall through a pincer move.
By the time the nothern wall was taken, the Duke of Calvet's army have broken through the main gate and have taken the southern wall as well. Calvet Knights, Templar Knights and Shield Companion Cavalry rode through the breach and cut down any Beastmen in their path.
As the army poured into the town, Baldur and his Shield Companions had captured a number of Beastmen. The Duke of Calvet ordered that no quarter would be given and had expected the Shield Companions to kill the Beastmen on the spot. What they did, however, surprised him as well as the rest of his soldiers.
Instead of killing them, the Shield Companions proceeded to trap the Beastmen inside a building before the Nord himself set it on fire. He ordered the Spear Companions to form a ring around the burning building and prevent any Beastmen from escaping. Those that managed to break out of the burning structure were mercilessly cut down by the Nord and his Long Axe. This show of brutality earned Baldur a nickname among the soldiers who witnessed his actions. They began calling him the Brûleur d'Hommes-bêtes or the Beastmen Burner.
This also had the added effect of convincing Louis to abandon his plans to kill the Nord. Fearing that what might Baldur do to him should he fail would be worse than what he did to the Beastmen.
With the town of Montaully taken, the Beastmen only had one town, three villages and one castle left in their possession. Soon, the County of Vallonton would be back in Ken's hands. Tonight, however, the Dukes and Duchess decided to remain in the town and rest. The men had earned it.
(Line Break)
The sound of laughter and cheer mixed with the music played by the tavern's musician. Drunken mercenaries and soldiers sang songs as they drank and feast while some gambled and played games or sleeping with whores. The Shield Companions did so as well but refrained from the latter. It was, after all, against the rules they have sworn to uphold.
While the Shield Companions joined in the celebration of the army's victory, Baldur, on the other hand stood alone on the top of the battlements. Arms crossed and looking into the distance but his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts took him back to the end of the Swadian Civil War and the Fall of Tevarin Castle.
That night, many Shield Companions died fighting. Before the battle, they had been offered a chance to live if they simply gave Isolla to Harlaus but the company was still bound by contract and oath to protect the claimant to the Swadian throne with their lives. Besides that, the Shield Companions never forget those who had wronged them and Harlaus had wronged them dearly by taking from the company.
Protecting Isolla was just business. Killing Harlaus was personal. In the end, they failed. Tevarin Castle was lost. The war was lost. His opportunity to kill Harlaus was gone. But that didn't stop the Shield Companions from going about their usual business. They may have been defeated that night but they're still alive. Perhaps someday they would return to Calradia and pay Harlaus a visit.
The Nord was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps and turned his head to see Isabelle approach.
"Evening, Baldur." She greeted.
Baldur merely nodded before looking back into the distance.
"Trouble?" He asked.
"No. Just out for a walk."
"Hm. How's the hand?"
Isabelle raised the aforementioned 'hand' and moved it's fingers before forming a fist. It was made of Adamantine and enchanted by Halfling Enchanters in the Provincia Imperialis Incudum or the Imperial Province of Anvil. A Dwarven Realm which lay underneath the Mercator Reipublicae Rad or the Merchant Republic of Rad.
"It's strange to say the least." Isabelle replied. Her eyes staring solely at the prosthetic hand "I can feel when I grasp something but at the same time I feel nothing. Like my hand is numb but not quite numb. It's an... odd sensation."
The Knight-Captain hid her prosthetic hand back underneath her mantle and looked up at the Nord.
"I'll get used to it. Eventually."
"Hm."
Silence fell with Baldur staring into the distance while Isabelle looked to the stars. Minutes passed before the Knight-Captain spoke again.
"I heard that you are descended from the same people that founded the Principality of Feoh."
"Not directly. Sigmundr the Conqueror was a Nord like me and just like me he came from Norðurland or Nordland. Though I do not know where. Erik said that records of old were lost during the Great Fire of Ravnstad. Including accounts and sagas of Sigmundr."
"I see. What can you tell me about this Nordland?" Isabelle asked "I've heard you mention it before."
"Nordland. Heh. A cold hell far north of Calradia. Not a lot of farmland there but we get by. Still. Many packed their belongings and migrated off to the southlands but there were still those who chose to remain in the frozen north. My family is among them."
"Your family?" This piqued her interest.
"I am the only son of Sigurd Háraldsson and Þóra Eiríksdóttir and heir to the Frostrike throne. My father, the Konungur of Frostrike, taught me much about fighting. Half of what I know came from him. I was his heir but my uncle, Hákon, and my father's Huscarls assassinated him and drove me into exile with Hákon declaring himself as the new Konungur of Frostrike."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Isabelle muttered.
"Hm. Don't worry about it. It's in the past."
"Even so." A smirk then found itself on Isabelle's lips "It also sounds that you were some sort of royalty back in Nordland."
Baldur scoffed "I was. A konungur is a petty king. Frostrike is one of the many petty kingdoms that made up Nordland. Besides. I'm more comfortable with the mercenary life."
"But don't you want to return to your homeland? Take back what was rightfully yours?"
The Nord didn't answer immediately and Isabelle thought that was the end of it until Baldur spoke up.
"Perhaps someday. Just not today. Though I doubt I would receive a warm welcome from Frostborg."
"Ah."
"What about you? What's your story?"
The Knight-Captain raised a brow in surprise. She didn't expect the Nord to ask such a question but answered him nonetheless.
"Uh, well. I don't know my parents as I was left at the doorstep of the Vinlun Temple and adopted by Marjorie d'Auclair who was the Knight-Captain of the Vinlun garrison at the time. She trained me from a young age to be a Templar Knight and I participated in the Discordian Campaign shortly after I was knighted. When the Knight-Commander of the Calvet Dawn Templars was slain at the Battle of Dragonstooth months later, mother became the new Knight-Commander of the Calvet Templars while I was promoted to Knight-Captain of the Vinlun Templar garrison. The rest is history."
"Hm."
Another bout of silence fell between them and it appears it would stay that way for the rest of the evening until one of them decides to leave. That changed when Baldur saw something from the corner of his eye and looked to see Jaune de Crevier walking towards them. Behind him, Erik and an Axe Companion was holding a woman by the arms and dragging her towards them.
"Lord Baldur." Jaune greeted.
The Nord grunted. Unaccustomed to being addressed by that title after years of being a soldier and a mercenary but every Mercenary Lord on Eostia was addressed as such. He was no exception.
"Will any of you care to explain to me why you are dragging this woman?"
"She killed Aubert, my Lord." Jaune replied.
"And why would she do that?"
"He raped her." Erik answered bluntly "Oluf here saw Aubert drag her up the second floor of the inn and alerted us. By the time we reached her, Aubert was in the midst of violating her. She managed to grab his knife when we barged in the room and stabbed him in the throat. We got her off Aubert but he was already dead. Then we dragged her here. She's among the Vallonton Resistance's Peasant Militia."
Baldur grunted and stood in front of the young woman. He eyed her form and saw that her dress had been torn open. The only thing covering her breasts was the cloak given to her by Jaune.
"Look at me."
The young woman refused and Baldur asked again. More forcefully this time. She slowly looked up at and glared at the imposing Nord. Despite the massive difference in height and build, the young woman showed no fear.
"What's your name, girl?"
"Lilianne."
'She didn't stutter despite being held captive. Good.' He thought approvingly.
"...Let her go."
Jaune was confused, expecting the Nord to deliver some sort of punishment, while Erik and the Axe Companion, Oluf, wordlessly obeyed their leader and released the young woman's arms.
"Give this woman all of Aubert's belongings. His sword, shield, armor, coin, clothes, all of it. Dump his body in an unmarked grave or a ditch outside the town. I don't care. Just do it."
Erik nodded before he and Oluf left the battlements. Meanwhile, Jaune turned to address the Nord. Confusion evident on his face.
"My Lord?"
"Aubert had sworn an oath to follow the company's rules yet he broke one of them. His punishment would have been immediate expulsion from the company and everything he has ever gained while serving the company would be forfeit. That would have been the case but he was also slain by a peasant. Someone 'inferior' to him. The rules dictate that all of his belongings would be given to the one who had slain him and I would offer them a spot in the company."
Baldur then turned to Jaune "Do not think of Aubert as a Shield Companion. He forfeited that right the moment he broke the rules. Understand?"
Jaune was silent for the moment before nodding.
"I understand."
"Good. It would do well to remember that. I'll address the rest of the company in the morning. Let this be an example. As for you." Baldur turned to Lilianne "I'm offering you the chance to join my company and take Aubert's place as a Sword Companion. His spot in the barracks would be cleaned out and anything he had left there are yours to do as you wish. Keep it or sell it. I don't care. You can decline but all his belongings would still be handed over to you. If you have made your choice, find me in our encampment."
Without another word, the Nord started walking away. Isabelle followed after him but not before reassuring Lilianne that not all Shield Companions were like Aubert. Jaune, on the other hand, decided to escort Lilianne back to the tavern. Giving her his sword and dagger to show that he meant her no harm.
Meanwhile, the Knight-Captain eventually caught up to the Nord and Baldur spoke up just as she opened her mouth to question him about what just happened.
"After proving themselves worthy and surviving five battles, the Shield Companions swear an oath to adhere to a set of rules. Any of them so much as breaks a single one of those rules, they are expelled from the company. Anything they earned while serving as a Shield Companion would be forfeit and divided equally to the rest of the company."
"But why bury Aubert in an unmarked grave?" She inquired "I saw you sending your dead comrades back to the Duché de Calvet in a wagon."
"Because they are Shield Companions. If a Shield Companion were to fall in battle, their body would be sent back to Skjaldhǫll and buried with all their belongings. No one in the company may take a single item from the fallen before or after they are buried. As for Aubert, he wasn't a Shield Companion anymore."
"Because he broke his oath, yes?"
"Hm."
Isabelle pondered this information. Once more, the Shield Companions showed that they weren't just your run off the mill band of mercenaries. While they were officially a mercenary company, Isabelle saw them as more of a military order rather than a band of sellswords. They were certainly better than Mercenary Captain Louis and his Black Dogs who had done nothing but ogle and throw rude slurs and comments whenever they were near the Dawn Templars, Red Vixens or a woman in general.
Just the thought of them made her scowl. It wasn't just Louis and the Black Dogs cell he commanded that had earned her ire. The Black Dogs cell that was supposed to be in Vinlun had abandoned them in their time of need. Unlike the Shield Companions who helped the town repel the bandit horde even if Estelle had to pay them to do so first.
(Line Break)
As soon as the sun rose from the horizon, Baldur gathered his company and informed them of last night's incident. Many in the company generally agreed that Aubert deserved what he got. Some of them, however, didn't see a problem with taking a woman after a victory. Even if it was by force. Seeing it as a fine reward after a battle. They were quickly and painfully put in their place by Baldur who told them that if any of them break their oaths, he would kill them himself rather than expel them.
For the next three days, the army stayed in Montaully to fortify the town and assign a garrison to protect it. The Shield Companions, meanwhile, trained to keep themselves occupied. Batu, however, was tasked by Baldur to scout out the remaining villages and town and had taken all of the Shield Companions cavalry with him. In addition to training their mercenaries, the Shield Companions were also paid by Annais to help in training the Vallonton Resistance's Peasant Militia. She had asked the Black Dogs first but Louis refused despite the large amount of coin she was offering.
On the fifth day, Batu and his scouting company returned to Montaully and reported to Baldur who then relayed the information they acquired to the Dukes and Duchess.
The Beastmen had abandoned the remaining villages and retreated to the Town of Besanvin as well as the Château de Vallonton. Leaving only a small force in the remaining villages to slow down the army while the rest holed up in the town and the castle. Unfortunately, Batu couldn't follow the Beastmen further or risk getting caught and left to report back to Baldur. They also noticed that the Beastmen didn't forage the food from the surrounding area. This was good news for the army as it would allow them to leave the baggage train in Montaullt and forage while marching to the Town of Besanvin
On their way back, Batu and his scouting party were ambushed by a group of Discordians consisting of Dark Elves and Discordian Orcs. The Khergit managed to rally his party and slip past the Discordians without any losses though some had been injured in the escape. The Dark Elven arrows were designed and enchanted to pierce plate armor and some of the company's Knightly and Squire Companion Cavalry were struck by said arrows.
The news of Discordians in Vallonton had set the entire army on high alert. From the looks of it, the ones who ambushed Batu and his group were probably a scouting party for a much larger force but they didn't know how large. The Duke of Calvet knew it was only a matter of time before the Discordians moved in to take neutral territory. Especially since it used to belong to the Eostians.
Arnoult convened with Charles and Héloïse and the three agreed that the Duke of Boudelaire would remain behind with his army to garrison Montaully while the Duke of Calvet and the Duchess of Lavaud would go ahead and take the remaining villages and town from the Beastmen before launching a final assault on the Château de Vallonton.
They had already sent a letter to the Shield Princess informing her of the possible Discordian army within the County of Vallonton and their request for reinforcements. They knew it would take a while for Claudia to muster her forces and march from the capital to Vallonton so the Dukes and Duchess would garrison the towns and castle in the meantime with Héloïse taking the Town of Besanvin while Arnoult fortified Vallonton Castle once they have taken it back from the Beastmen. They planned to hold out in the towns and castle until reinforcements arrived and hoped that the Discordian army they would encounter wasn't that big or at least equaled in number.
With that plan in mind, the Duke of Calvet and the Duchess of Lavaud marched their armies to the next village. Taking it with ease before moving on and taking the remaining villages with no trouble as well.
By the time they reached the outskirts of Besanvin, they were harrased by a large number of Centaurs and Harpies. Winged Beastmen (Beastwomen?) that swooped down into the ranks of the army. Grabbing unfortunate soldiers and carrying them high up before dropping them to their deaths or dropping large stones down on the army.
Unable to get any closer, the army decided to camp where they were stalled and started building their encampment. All the while fighting off harassments from the Beastmen. These harassments continued even after they finished construction of a fortified camp. Centaurs galloped around the encampment and threw fire flasks whenever they get the chance. Almost setting the army's supplies on fire.
In response, scorpions were constructed and placed in each of the camp's watchtowers and the amount of missile infantry placed in the watchtowers were doubled. This succeeded in stopping the Centaurs from harassing the camp but the Beastmen sent the Harpies instead. To counter this, the Crossbow Companions were added into the watchtowers.
While not as accurate as the Crossbowmen of Lavender Company, they were decent enough to drive off the Harpies and make them think twice of attacking the camp again.
When night fell, the camp was attacked once more. This time by a pack of Lycans. The Beastmen managed to sow chaos the army's encampment but none of them managed to leave the encampment alive. The Shield Companions hunted the Lycans and were cut down. Their pelts were soon put into good use and made into mantles which the Axe Companions now wore around their shoulders.
Morning came and the army marched out of their camp and surrounded the town. Once more, they constructed siege engines and siege weapons while repelling continuous assaults by the Beastmen. The Duke of Calvet hoped that they can take the Town of Besanvin swiftly and with only slight losses. Who knows when the Discordians would arrive and many they numbered? They needed to take Vallonton before mounting a defensive against the Discordians.
(Line Break)
Geoffrey de Montaufort, Maréchal de Ken stood still as his servants finished securing the last pieces of his armor. Once they were done, his squire handed him his shield and arming sword before passing him his helmet. He had just received a letter from the Duke of Calvet informing him of Discordians inside the County of Vallonton and was requesting reinforcements.
While the letter was addressed to the Shield Princess, Claudia was busy dealing against a horde of Discordian Orcs in the bordes of the Comté de Carron. Leaving Geoffrey to answer in her stead. Geoffrey acted quickly and sent out a call to arms to the Duke of Beaugendre and the Duchess of Granet answering. Mustering their armies while ordering the Duchess of Rouzet to support the Shield Princess.
The Marshal, however, feared they wouldn't be able to reach the others in time. The number of professional soldiers were too few and the levies were not as well trained as their professional counterparts. Even if they had managed to muster a large enough force, Geoffrey wasn't confident he can keep their cohesion in check. Some might even desert the moment they see the enemy.
Times like these he wished Grave hadn't started losing his mind. His old friend had become a recluse and more prone to lashing out. Their friendly greetings had become curt and he once spotted Grave actively seeking out and speaking to the Black Dogs Mercenary Commander of Ken.
The Marshal knew how Grave felt about mercenaries but to actively seek them out? Something was wrong. If his cousin, Katharine, the Reichsgräfin von Malberg, was still here, she would know what to do. Grave would still be happy and Klaus would still have his mother. But fate has decided her life would be cut short.
Geoffrey shook his head and focused on the task at hand. He needed a mind clear of any distractions. Goddess give him strength.
AN: Not a lot of action here. Just a filler. I've been watching way too many Kings and Generals that I started hearing OfficiallyDevin's voice when reading this chapter.
• I saw Monstrr's review and he mentioned that the Shield Companions have a lot of similarities to Jomsvikings. He'd be right as I based the Shield Companions on both the Jomsvikings and the Varangian Guard with some obvious differences here and there.
• I'm sure I haven't mentioned this before but the story takes place maybe one or two years before the events of Kuroinu. At least the first arc or the first two arcs. The first arc would be the Shield Companions building up their forces and taking jobs within the Seven Shields Alliance territories. Increasing their reputation and expanding past Geofu. They would also travel to the other principalities. The next arc would either be them fighting in Garan against Origa's forces or the beginning of the Black Dogs' takeover of Origa's land and their war against Eostia.
• Also redesigned Claudia and the Dawn Templars. At least the ones ranking above Knight-Sister. Basically, the Knight-Sisters wear the same armor seen in the H-anime while those ranking above them wear something like this (Just remove the spaces): https: /www.deviantart. com/k2jc/ art/Grand-Mistress-Claudia-905328255
• One last thing. Thank you all for the positive reviews. Limited Face-to-face Internship in hospital laboratory are hard and tiring. It doesn't help that there are still cases of COVID here and there. Some people here still haven't gotten their vaccinations and booster shots yet. Seeing so many crowded people outside the laboratory waiting for results, waiting in line to be tested and etc. is a bit concerning.