First Contact

It was a suicide mission, there could be no doubt about that. Kharion's plan to ambush the Blackstone Legion would throw away any goodwill between the two sides, and only ignite wrath in our enemies.

"Berrat, you have to do something to stop this, Herongale cannot hope to stand against the Legion in a direct fight! Twelve rangers cannot dwindle their numbers in any meaningful way!" I practically yelled, only just keeping my voice low enough to prevent echoing through the great hall. Berrat's eyes were friendly and sympathetic, but he shook his head all the same.

"It is out of my hands, Warden. Our council sided with the Elder nine to three, I cannot stand against him with such little support." He explained. I growled and began pacing the hall, holding a hand to my head as I tried to think. I had likened this to a mass suicide, but only in my worst nightmares did I think that's what this actually was. This was beyond idiotic, it was downright demented! I had to stop this somehow, Kharion had to understand this was crazy.

"Let me speak with him, if I could have just a few minutes with him…" I tried to say, reaching my hand out towards Berrat. The Captain, however, was already shaking his head.

"He's already left to set up his attack points, I'm afraid. He's taken six other rangers, and I'm due to follow once defenses here have been established." He said sadly. It took everything in my power to not punch the wall. I couldn't believe how much of a fool Kharion had regressed into, it was a disgrace! Could he really not understand he was spitting on his father's legacy? His father wanted them safe, not as cannon fodder for some self righteous crusade! Was he so convinced he was right, so sure that he was the arbiter of this fight that only his word mattered?!

My fist clenched so tight that for a moment I feared my sword would cut through my gauntlet, a fear that relaxed only once I'd taken a number of deep breaths. Steady, I told myself. Rage would not solve this catastrophe, and it was far too late to walk away, and far too early at the same time. Taking in a few more breaths, I calmed myself as best I could and turned back toward Berrat, who returned a patient, understanding, but still sorrowful smile at me. I realized that if we were to succeed in any capacity, I would need to work with him, he was the only trustworthy person left in this hamlet.

"Thank you, for warning me at the very least. What comes next?" I asked. Berrat swallowed and crossed his arms, hesitating before he spoke.

"Well, I couldn't help but notice our escorts have blotted out their colors, and have yet to leave. I assume this means something?" He inquired. Perceptive, though I should have expected no less from a ranger captain. I nodded.

"They have chosen to walk away from Blackstone. They will now be serving me as Iron Legion." I explained. Hints of a smile crept onto Berrat's face before he regained his composure, nodding as he did.

"Alright, good. Well, if you are willing, I'd like to employ them here." He began, gesturing towards the back wall. "Behind us is miles of dense tree line. If you are confident in their abilities, we can have them wait there until Blackstone breaches our defenses. Once that happens, they can strike from the side, hopefully breaking their morale." He explained. Shock cavalry, a tactic was more than familiar with, and certainly something Blackstone wouldn't expect. I couldn't help but notice that Berrat had said 'when' the defenses were breached, it seemed he was as convinced of Kharion's plan's failing as I was.

"That can be done. Once the defenses are breached, we'll need an organized front to get our people out towards the fortress." I added. Berrat held a hand out in a halting motion.

"That can wait until the enemy is in disarray. If we try to commence a retreat right away, they'll keep pace with us easily." A valid point. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure one cavalry charge would be enough to disorient the legion, let alone enough for them to lose track of us. We would need something far more drastic for that, something I doubt I had the capability of pulling off. That didn't mean there weren't options, however. There were still a number of available militia, after all.

"Do you have access to any flammable materials?" I asked as a theory entered my head. Berrat brought a hand to his chin, contemplating for a moment before nodding slowly.

"We keep some tree sap on hand for medicinal purposes, but if we were to place it on the wooden barricades, I suspect they'd light up quite well." He said.

"How much do you have on hand?" Berrat shrugged.

"Most of it was sent away with the non-combatants, but I'm sure we could scrounge up enough of it to light at least a few of our defenses." He admitted. That was more than enough, Blackstone likely wouldn't expect their opposition to light their own home on fire. Once that tactic was revealed, there was no way for them to know how many more times it would be employed, or how much further they could go. That sudden uncertainty and hesitation would be exactly what we needed.

"Get your militiamen on it, if Blackstone is on their way, we won't have much time." I said. Berrat nodded and crossed his arms again, eyeing me closely as he seemed to think.

"And what of you, Warden? What will you be doing?" It was a fair question, but one I suspect both of us knew the answer to. If Blackstone truly would be attacking us on site, this place was no longer safe, and that meant I had to get Deborah out. Preparations or not, she was my priority. I only hoped I could return in time before the attack began…

"I must ensure Deborah's safety. I will ride with her to the fortress, then ride back as quickly as I can."

—-

The fortress was about what I expected. The whole thing looked run down and on the edge of collapsing from a strong wind. Then again, the armed rangers keeping watch on top of it seemed to prove otherwise, so at the very least it wouldn't collapse under its own weight. Even with that reassurance I couldn't shake the dread that had been building for the past day and a half. My father's killer was still coming for a slaughter, and this time he was bringing an army. The fact that Liam saw fit to get me out early didn't exactly help things.

The horse ride from the hamlet hadn't taken long at all, thanks to the path having been cleared days ago. That said, that probably meant Blackstone would be able to find us pretty easily. I know they say fear makes you irrational, and I know that on some level that's true. But that doesn't mean it's not valid, at least not in my eyes. I knew Belial wasn't some boogeyman who would kill everyone and everything with one swing of the axe, or that Blackstone was some invincible monster we had no business fighting. Good luck getting me to admit to any of that though, or even fully believe it.

The gates opened slowly in front of us as Liam slowed our pace, bringing the horse to a canter. Not much time was left now, the 24 hours from Blackstone had come and gone, with nary a hint as to what Kharion was planning. Real forward thinker, right? So now I was gonna be staying here, just waiting things out until their inevitable failure at the hamlet. It wasn't that I didn't trust Liam, believe me I did, but they were outclassed in every way that mattered right now and we all knew it. I only hoped I could convince him to leave once this was all over.

"Berrat said that his wife will be within the lone cabin at back of the fort, she can show you where you can get some rest." Liam said, turning his head ever so slightly towards me as the horse came to halt. He offered out his hand not long after, and I took it as I carefully slid off the back of the horse, grunting a bit as I did. The pain in my side was nothing but a dull soreness now, so aside from a brief cramp, I didn't feel much of anything as I walked around to Liam's side.

"Somehow it feels like all I've done is rest, and yet I feel like I've gotten none at all. How exactly does that happen, Liam?" I asked, turning up to face him. I could see him smiling even through that metal can on his head, and I returned it.

"If I had the answer to that, I'd have learned it a long time ago." He joked. I let myself giggle a bit at that as I looked around the fortress. Orange hues of sunset bathed the snow in faint glimmers of gold, all while Herongale residents went about completing various tasks. I could only imagine what was going through their heads at this point. For me, this was an absolute win so long as myself, Liam, and Stone got out of this alive. For them, even survival would probably mean the loss of their home. I knew all too well what that felt like, and my heart ached for them.

"How did this happen, Liam? How did we get to the point where this could happen?" I asked aloud, still looking out at the wayward souls. I could just see Liam's fist clenched the reins a bit tighter before slacking again. Poor man, his guilt must have been eating him alive at this point. First Svengard, and now he was trapped in all of this mess. At least he'd be on the right side of things this time.

"Pride rarely looks past immediate satisfaction of self, I'm afraid." He said, faint traces of disdain dripping from his voice. If that wasn't the truth, I don't know what is. Belial wrecked my life for pride's sake, Blackstone left Ashfeld a wreck because of pride, and now Kharion was darn near dooming his people all for his pride, or his father's pride, whatever. It didn't change the outcome, or how stupid it was.

"Forgive me, I must be on my way. I have to return to the hamlet before nightfall." Liam said, the clacking of horse hooves piercing the air. My stomach sank a bit as I imagined him going, then fighting in that hamlet. I'd stopped trying to fight away his presence in my mind at this point, it was as much a comfort there as it was in the real world. This time was different though, these thoughts did the exact opposite of comforting me.

Before I could try and push them away, I saw flashes of clashing swords, heard an echo of my father's scream, and saw blood stain the snow. Blackstone, every last one of them, seemed distorted, faces and helmets meshing into one strange abomination, like they were only partly human. I imagined bodies falling onto the cold earth, their weapons falling uselessly beside them. Perhaps worst of all, I pictured Liam on his knees, beaten and bloody, struggling to stand back up using his sword. The picture was so vivid, and so upsetting that it nearly made me want to vomit. Then I pictured him collapsing…

"Liam, wait." I said suddenly, reaching out my hand and turning to take hold of his hand, taking the reins with the other. The horse came to a halt as Liam turned to face me again, a patient look in his eyes. Wait for what, I thought? I didn't want him to leave but that was hardly a reason. I'm sure he didn't want to leave me here, but what other options were there?

I'm honestly not sure how long I stood there, just holding onto him. Bless his heart, he never pulled away, never even looked frustrated or impatient. He just kept his eyes locked on me. I knew I had to say something, but my mind was running completely blank. Come on, think, I had to say something! Of course looking right at him, my first thoughts went to Liam. Then I remembered that first night in the hamlet, when I'd drifted into daddy's old song finding one for him. I realized I still hadn't really written another new song since the incident, at least none that I'd performed. Then came the reason I'd joined him in the first place, inspiration, to find something to write new songs, new epics.

Did Liam have any epics? I couldn't recall any. No songs, nothing. That didn't feel right, I thought. He'd been a better knight than any other I'd seen, a better man than any I'd travelled with…. A better friend than those I'd known for years. He deserved a song. More than that, he deserved to live to hear it. I wanted him to live to hear it, most of all. Yeah, that's what I'd tell him, in my own way.

"Listen, Liam, I've been working on a song, a story about all this. About you." I began. There was a flicker in his eyes as he slowly brought his other hand over mine. Ever so gently he cupped my hand in between his, his gaze never wavering. For a moment I lost track of myself as I imagined a smile on his lips, and those hands holding me closer. Come on, what was I doing? He needed to leave, I couldn't keep him here even if I wanted him to, I had to focus! Clearing my throat, I continued;

"I want that song to be a happy one, Liam. With a good ending." My voice trembled a bit at that, and I think he noticed. He squeezed my hand softly as I tried to get a grip on myself. With one last inhale I finished my thought as quickly as I could.

"So make sure you come back alright? You make sure I can write it that way." I half ordered, half pleaded. Most days I would have thought myself pathetic for getting this emotional. But not today. Not for him. Liam, saint he was, never laughed, never questioned the suddenness of my words, never even recoiled. Instead he looked me dead in the eye, and nodded.

"It would be my honor, Deborah. I will do everything in my power to make it so." He said, voice softer than I'd ever heard it. There was something about the way he said it, as if he wasn't speaking to me. I can't describe it, it was almost like he'd seen my hopes, and confirmed them. I know that doesn't make sense but that's just how it felt, and it felt better than anything I'd experienced. I couldn't even try to fight back the smile on my face as he gave my hand one last gentle squeeze, then gently released me. I did the same, albeit reluctantly.

"You will see me again, Deborah. I swear it." He said, taking the reins with both hands and turning the horse back towards the gates. He hesitated there for a minute, as if realizing what he'd just said. His pause made me happy, for some reason. He shook it off quickly enough though, and sent the horse into full gallop without another word. I walked after him a bit, watching him grow small on the path, then slowly fade into the tree line.

I'm not sure how to describe how I felt at that moment. I was sad to see him go and scared for him, absolutely, but I was happy too. There was this strange eagerness, almost a need to see him again, and for that to happen soon. I almost couldn't even feel the cold anymore, that's how lost in thought I was. Eventually though, I could only think of one single thing.

"I'll hold you to that, Warden."

—-

There were too many shadows. Despite the speed of our march, I had been keeping a close eye on the darkness surrounding us, counting the shadows and the trees time and time again over our hours-long march. And there were just too many shadows. Only worsening my paranoia was the failed return of Captain Obadia. He and his men should have been back long before we made our way to the hamlet, something had to have happened. I could only hope they were still alive, somehow.

The soldiers beside and behind me moved carefully, and deliberately. Each step made in almost complete unison as the weather slowly grew worse. The clear skies had grown cloudy, with light snowfalls beginning shortly after the clouding hour of dusk. Something was waiting for us, I could feel it in my bones. Whether that was the mutilated bodies of our fellows, or an ill advised ambush on our army, I could not be sure. Perhaps it was something else entirely, but something was waiting for us, and I had to be sure that my men would be safe from it.

Belial's heavy steps seemed to echo through the tree line as he turned and looked to his left, and Helia's careful breathing was audible to all, though I admit I'd lost track of Mercy long before all of this. Perhaps she'd sensed the same thing I had, and taken the initiative to do something before the trap had been sprung. I could not be certain, and all of the piling questions were alarming to say the least.

"This section is clear, everyone keep moving." I ordered, hastening my pace ever so slightly. We were less than an hour from the hamlet now, the men were growing restless. I could hear it in the low mumbles of the cavalry, the eager clanging of steel from the foot soldiers, and the more forceful momentum we'd been building. It was all of it distracting, demanding my attention away from the ever present and unseen threats all around us, I worried that it would catch us all if I wasn't careful. Having these thoughts, I turned to my left once again, and this time, I saw it.

A faint flash of movement, barely noticeable, and gone within a fraction of a second. In any other circumstance I might have wondered if I'd even seen it, but this was not most circumstances. My men had gone missing, our enemy refused contact, and the fate of over two hundred rested on my shoulders. I knew what I saw, and it was not one of us. I held out my hand but did not stop, slowing, but not halting our forward march. I dared not say a word, lest our unseen stalkers know we were onto them. Many minutes and several feet passed with no sign of further movement, but I would not write this off as a trick of the light.

So I blocked out all other senses. The sight of flickering torchlight, the smell and taste of sweat, and the scent of dying and decayed wood. I focused all my senses on hearing, and pinpoint what I could sense around me. For a time, it was only the usual. A chirping cricket, the clanging of shifting armor and weapons, the crackling of a lit torch. For a good, long while, only these sounds entered my ears. Then I heard it, the gentle whine of a straining branch. The sound of something heavy pressing down against it unnaturally. The sound of…

"Ambush!" I yelled as the first arrows flew, striking just below my chest. An ugly crack sounded as the arrow head connected with my armor, sliding off as I pivoted to avoid as much of the shot as I could. Before long, the sound of battle reigned uncontested in the forest as my men yelled out in alarm and surprise. Without a thought I rushed to the tree line, just barely avoiding another arrow as it bounced off the trunk abs landed beside me.

Behind me, my men had texted quickly, shield bearers rushing to protect our archers as they fired blindly into the surrounding tree line. Two of them had already fallen, one writhing and screaming on the ground as the arrow wedged itself between his shoulder blades. The other laid cold, still, and dead, the arrow resting firmly in his neck. His eyes were still open in shock, frozen forever before he'd even had a chance.

"Where are they?!" I heard someone yell. I had no answer and could only briefly glance beyond my cover as more arrows flew, slamming onto our formation with reckless abandon. Out of the corner of it vision I could see Belial grab hold of one of the men's torches, wrestling it from his grasp and rushing towards one of the more full trees.

"They're above us! Burn them out!" He screamed, jamming the torch into the dead leaves and twigs. Before long the men had followed his lead, taking what cover they could as they frantically tried to light the forest ablaze. The strategy was only partly successful, as the driest of foliage did indeed light, but not enough to burn out our enemies. Looking above me, I could see faint flashes of movement. Quick, agile dashes making their way towards me. One of them, I was certain.

I wasted no time as I pivoted and readied my axe, extending it as high as I could and swinging with a careful, well aimed strike. The attack found purchase, and I felt the blade sink into something with a firm, but squelching resistance. The scream was a bloodcurdling one, sending chills down my spine as I ripped down and forward, slamming one of our assailants hard into the ground below.

It was a woman, donning ranger attire with her bow strung tight and a fresh arrow falling to the wayside. I knew immediately what this was. Herongale had betrayed us, their rangers had gone against our trust, used our kindness against us. I wished I was surprised, truly. But I had feared this result, ever since Kharion's petulant self righteousness. Well fine then, if they wanted a war, I would give it to them. One swing was all it took, the crunching of bone giving way to the unmistakable flowing of blood as I decapitated the warrior, her body falling limp in an instant. I could still see movement ahead, the warriors pushing out into the tree line. They would not escape us.

"Blackstone, forward! Kill them all!" I yelled, punctuating my order with a forward thrust of the axe. Fire slowly began to grow around us as the soldiers yelled, rushing forward in a rapid, but still structured rush of steel and wood. I could almost hear Belial laughing as he ran, taking point among all the soldiers. Only Helia seemed to hesitate, shaking her head as she led her company. Everyone and everything else from the first horse to the last man charged eagerly into battle…

…And I ran right beside them.