The Approaching Vanguard
It was a scene of madness when I arrived back at the hamlet. Darkness had already fallen, but the closely packed torches and trees were lit with a blaze that revealed every inch of the battlefield clear as day, visible plainly to me from the hilltops. I heard my men and the militia long before I spotted them, scrambling to smother the flames with snow, cloaks, and furs. The riders fought against the panic of their horses, while the militia fought against the panic among their comrades. My mind began racing as I approached, early bits of snowfall slamming into the cold metal surrounding me. Had something gone wrong with the plan? Or had Blackstone carried out a scorched earth tactic in anticipation of betrayal?
Focus, I needed to focus. The circumstances had changed, but our goal remained, maintain as much of the militia as we could, retreat to the fort. Looking to the now burning tree line, I looked for any sign of Stone, praying he hadn't been consumed by the blaze. No sign of him, only the riders attempting to rally. Lady Claire's horse Lefer seemed cool as ice as I adjusted him, turning my attention towards the front gates of the hamlet. There, my fears were eased as I saw my friend, he was taking charge, ordering the militia with a series of points and gestures. In the distance, I could see a faint flickering of orange and red, approaching flame. And with it, Blackstone's first vanguard.
A plan began to form in my mind in a matter of seconds. I needed to rally the cavalry, disarray or not. Blackstone still wasn't expecting it, and we needed every surprise we could muster. Once Blackstone was sufficiently delayed, I could link up with Stone, begin the retreat, so long as Kharion didn't further complicate matters. After that, all that mattered was getting to that fortress. Cross was a skilled warrior and a highly effective leader, but even he would find taking a fort difficult with no siege weapon.
With a deep breath I readied my blade and urged Lefer onward, snow and dirt flying as we galloped as fast as possible to the battleground. The beating hooves nearly drowned out the sounds of chaos before me, only just failing to silence the shouts of confusion and fear. My senses had already felt heightened before my arrival, and now I could feel the familiar sense of alertness and focus return as time seemed to slow. My heart was beating out of my chest, and I admit there were elements of fear within it. But I was ready, and I was resolved to see this fight through.
"Warriors of the Iron Legion!" I shouted as loud as I could muster. Amid the roaring flame my voice carried and echoed, drawing the attention of several warriors. I quickly raised my sword in the air and held it as high as I could, waving it back and forth as I had Lefer pace in the center of the hamlet.
"Rally here! Rally to me, Iron Legion!" I shouted out, watching as several of the cavalry began to adjust, gaining their footing and making their way towards me. One by one they filtered in from the burning woods, snow bearing down harder now as the wind simultaneously accelerated and slowed the fire. Nearly a dozen warriors stood before me now, their horses pacing from hoof to hoof as their riders adjusted their reins and readied their spears. Others still rode towards the center, but even without a count, I could tell some were missing.
"We're with you sir!" Replied one, who I recognized immediately as Obadia. So new to his service, yet he was already so quick to heed my call. For both our sakes' I hoped that his remaining riders were okay. For now though, what I had gathered needed to suffice, and they needed their leader, and so I would be. I had Lefer pace back and forth, making eye contact with each of them as I rode, sword clutched firmly in hand.
"Warriors of the Iron Legion, Blackstone approaches, and our strategy has fallen. But we are not done yet!" I began, increasing Lefer's pace as I spoke. "We are sworn to protect Ashfeld and her people, and we will not let this fire burn away our resolve! I implore you now to ride with me, face the Blackstone Legion, and stand by our oaths!" I yelled, hoisting my sword aloft at the final word. A quick, but impassioned yell followed as the cavalry lifted their spears with me, signaling their unity in my mission. I quickly adjusted myself to face the entrance to the hamlet, focusing on the narrow path I could follow with Lefer, and that my cavalry could follow me through.
"With me! Forward! Break their flanks! Buy the militia time to rally!" I ordered, pointing my sword forward as I spurred Lefer onward. Behind me I could hear the clattering of hooves as the cavalry followed, weaving carefully through the barriers as I twirled my blade. The orange light in the distance was slowly growing larger as we approached, sending even more adrenaline through my body. The air around me grew heavier and heavier as we cleared the barriers, riders now approaching on either side of me as they held their spears at the ready. The ground shook beneath us, though whether it was from our charge or the mass of enemies approaching I could not tell.
"Obadia! Take half and strike from the right! Everyone on my left, with me!" I yelled, diverting my sword to the left as I spoke. Obadia said nothing, but I could see him diverting to the right and into the tree line, several of the riders following as he did. Likewise, I veered to the left, taking note of those that followed me. I could scarcely tell them apart in the chaos unfolding around me, but I could count eight of them coming beside me as we weaved carefully through the trees. Slowly, the approaching lights shifted into faint shapes, charging forward with spears, swords, and axes.
I knew the horses would not charge headlong into the enemy's weapons, and so lead the men further to the left, towards the enemy flank. Their shapes were closer now, and I could just make out the faint details on them. Some had arrows jutting from wounds, broken to the head, while others seemed unharmed. However, every last one of them carried a conviction I was all too familiar with. They would not stop until Herongale burned, so neither could I. With a mighty yell I urged Lefer forward, the pounding of my cavalry behind me as the first of Blackstone's vanguard noticed us, too late.
My first strike did not draw blood, instead connecting with a powerful smack against the first soldier's helmet. The blow was still enough to topple the man over, sending him crashing onto his fellows who stumbled to keep their balance. Capitalizing on that delay, I thrust my sword forward to the soldier's neck, plunging it deep enough to send blood gushing from the open wound as his eyes went wide in shock. His compatriots fumbled with the body as I withdrew, not knowing whether to hold onto it or toss it aside. Not even a second after my retreat the cavalry charged in beside me, striking a number of them with an efficiency that bordered on supernatural. Eight spears thrust forward, and I heard just as many screams of pain, and even more of confusion and fright.
Almost as quickly as we'd struck, we had fallen back into the tree line, narrowly avoiding the still burning wood as the enemy fell into panic. Our shock cavalry's first strike was a success, but it was far from enough. This was only reinforced when I heard something whiz loudly past my head, then saw a black line quickly dart across my vision. Blackstone had opened fire against us. Now was when our riding mattered, the trees would provide us cover, but we would need to be careful to balance between having cover and having none. Too many trees increased our chances of crashing, too few would leave us as easy targets. I hoped that the cavalry were as skilled riders as they had been three years ago.
With another jolt of energy I pulled on the reins of Lefer, willing him to double back for another run. The horse followed dutifully, just avoiding another set of arrows firing before him. I could still hear the colliding of steel on steel, and worse, steel penetrating flesh among the shattering timber and torrential winds. My senses were facing assault on all sides as I swerved and dived between the trunks, my breath catching in my throat a number of times. All of this felt so familiar, yet somehow distant at the same time. How long had it been since I'd been in a battle like this? Had Svengard truly been the last until now? Focus, I told myself, none of that mattered now, I needed to focus!
Another powerful yell left my lips as I rushed back towards the enemy line, sword clenched tightly in my palm. One of the legion jumped away from his allies, his face obscured by a black and orange cloth as he drew a mighty looking longbow. In a fraction of a moment he released, just as I swung my weapon. An ear screeching shriek sounded as the arrow collided with the side of my helmet, just barely missing my temple. The archer never got a chance to fire another shot before my swing connected, feeling only the faintest hints of resistance before my blade carried through the man's shoulder, sending a spray of blood across the snow.
Instinct took over as I near mindlessly drove the horse back into the relative safety of the forest, more arrows whizzing by as one soldier jabbed a spear at me. Lefer whinied in panic as he jolted into the blaze, just barely out of reach of the weapon. Too close, that had been far too close. I braved a brief look behind me, and saw that the cavalry fared similarly to me. Several jabbed at the soldiers from a distance before retreating back into the tree line, keeping their spears straight as though to guide their mounts safely through the thicket. Blast it all, Blackstone had already adapted, after only two charges! Had our tactics been so poorly thought out? No, I realized, they were already on edge, ready for more surprise attacks, ready for unforeseen circumstances. Blast it all Kharion, how had this all fallen apart so quickly?
I knew I couldn't risk another charge with Blackstone at the ready, so I charged forward, back toward the hamlet. Raising my sword in the air I twirled as aggressively as I could, hoping I could grab the attention of Obadia's party.
"Back warriors of Iron, back! Regroup!" I yelled, just barely noticing and avoiding a string of arrows headed my way. The cavalry followed after me, some of them throwing what looked to be javelins into the chasing soldiers, others raised their spears and pivoted towards the hamlet. I still had no sight of Obadia or his riders, I could only hope they'd heard me. The arrows continued to fire as we approached the entrance, I dared not look behind me. At the very least, our diversion had worked. Much of the flame around the hamlet had died down, and Stone was now gathering a group of militia just inside the entrance. Hearing our approach, Stone turned to face me and waved both arms in an effort to get my attention.
"Warden! Here Warden!" He shouted, the sound of his voice nearly indiscernible amidst the growing chaos. I carefully pulled to the side of him, leaving just enough room for my fellows to get in the hamlet, or redirect back into the tree line. It was only now that I was able to get a good look at my friend, and he looked much worse for wear. There were already signs of soot and dirt on his armor, and I could see faint burn marks across his arms and hands.
"Stone, what's going on?" I demanded as Lefer shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof. Stone heaved a sigh as he looked from me to the militia, shaking his head as he did.
"We've still got no word from the rangers, the militia's been practically left out to dry and they won't leave! I have no idea what to do with them!" He explained, practically shaking a fist in frustration. I could feel my frustration beginning to mount once again at Kharion's reckless choices, but now was hardly the time to linger on them. The militia wouldn't last a minute against Blackstone, but I doubted they would listen to me, much less Stone. I needed to find someone who could order them to fall back, and knew only one man who would trust us enough to comply with that order, and had the authority we needed. I had to find Berrat, wherever he was.
"The rangers are somewhere in the tree line, I'll break off to find Berrat and bring him so the militia will listen to us." I said.
"There's miles of forest in there, how the heck are you supposed to find him?" He asked, throwing up his arms in exasperation. It was a good question, and one only complicated by the growing battle. Finding one man in all of this was going to take a miracle, only one of many that would be necessary to survive this. It was near suicide, and I knew it. But I was a Warden, I had a job to do.
"I'll find him." I said resolutely, jumping off the horse and leading it to Stone."I'll only draw attention to myself with the horse, take Lefer and lead the defense with the remaining riders, I will return as soon as I can." I said. Stone stepped back in surprise as he hesitantly took Lefer's reins, looking to the horse briefly before turning his attention back at me.
"Liam hold on, we don't even-" He tried to say.
"Stone, that's an order!" I shot back, my tone making it clear that this was not up for discussion. He seemed surprised, at first. I was quickly able to read approval in his expressions, however. Or at the very least, a respect that was enough for him to put aside his doubts. With little more than a nod, he began to climb the saddle, and I took off running.
"Godspeed, Warden!" He yelled. I did not turn to look at him, instead I turned towards the approaching horde. I could see faint shapes of riders still striking at the oncoming hostiles from a distance, something that seemed to slow them down even if only slightly. Grateful as I was for that, I knew it would not last. With a deep breath I sprinted into the tree line, snow now blasting even harder into my eyes. It was getting harder and harder to see, with only the faint traces of fire guiding my path.
All around me was the howling of the storm, its magnitude matched only by the howl of the roaring flame. At times it was hard to even stand, let alone trudge forward. Still, I pressed on, forcing myself to run even as the cold seeped into my very bones. I had to keep going. Out of the corner of my vision I could see the outlines of warriors breaking off into the tree line, three or four shapes carrying torches and swords. Blackstone was getting close, time was running out. All at once I realized one of the warriors had turned towards me, holding the torch high.
"It's the Warden! After him!" The unknown warrior shouted. No sooner than he'd said those words the warriors, now most certainly three, bolted towards me, their features finally clear. Their armor was covered in fresh snow, clinging to their armor like moths to their flame. Their armor was lighter than mine, I knew I couldn't outrun them. However, in their haste, they'd failed to realize one of the branches above had grown weak from the inferno. If I timed it right, I could drop that branch onto them, taking one out of the fight before it'd begun. Focus, I told myself, I needed to focus.
I quickly drew my blade into the all too familiar Schlussel stance, holding my weapon against the tip of my arm. I breathed deeply as I watched the warriors charge, holding their weapons at the ready. They would be on me in a matter of seconds, but I was ready. A loud snap sounded above me as a shower of sparks fell between myself and the warriors, and I knew it was time. Taking a step back, I over swung and struck the tree branch, my sword cutting through it like paper. I quickly returned to my stance as I backed up further, watching as the enemy charged forward, only to be caught by the burning wood. Two of them backed away in time to avoid it, the third stumbled as the branch crumbled into splinters atop his head, giving me my opening.
With a powerful thrust I lunged forward towards my target, and was rewarded with a wet squelching as the blade pierced his throat. The soldier's eyes went wide for a moment before I pulled the sword free, then turned my attention to his compatriots. The first had shaken himself free of shock quickly, just in time to block a swing to his right side. Our steel sang as the warrior backed away to allow his final companion a stab at me. This I parried away with a twist of the wrist, batting it to the left before swinging on him.
The blade connected with the soldier's stomach, but did not pierce his mail. Still, the shrieking of my sword dragging across his armor was enough to startle him as he leapt back, allowing his compatriot a chance to strike from overhead. Focus, I told myself. With another flick of the wrist I began my own strike, slightly moving to the right and backing the blade with my left hand. The momentum of his strike carried it safely away from me as I guided it, leaving him open as I slashed my blade right between his eyes. A terrifying scream rang in my ears as he backed away, bringing his free hand up to forehead as he collapsed onto his knees. Before I had a chance to finish him, I heard his compatriot yell out in anger.
Pivoting to face him, I saw him taking a large swing as he threw much of his weight into the strike. Trying to save his ally had caused him to forget his balance, however, and I dodged the blow. His forcefulness threw him off his feet, and he began to fall to the ground with a yell of surprise. He may have caught himself and recovered, had I not brought my blade down and caught him just above his neck, cutting a several inch long gash that spewed blood like a geyser. The final warrior shook his head as he tried to regain his composure, sending drops of blood over the now stained powder.
I did not give him his chance to recover, and aimed my next strike at the heel of his ankle. The man was caught completely off guard, and tripped over my weapon as he let out a shout of alarm. Taking my blade in both hands, I brought the handle of my sword down hard onto the back of his helm. The bang of steel on steel echoed through the trees as his head bounced once, then fell still, blood pooling from the injuries on his skull. My breath began to catch up to me as I realized just how quickly I'd killed those men. They hadn't even lasted a minute, just like… Focus, I told myself, I needed to stay focused. Berrat, find Berrat, don't let yourself dwell.
Turning my hand to block out the worst of the winds, I quickly looked around the forest, trying to catch any glimpse of activity. The fires burned brightly enough to pierce some of the dense snowfall, revealing a number of Blackstone soldiers and two cloaked figures, one standing, one prone on the ground. The standing ranger seemed to practically dance between the trees, parrying what looked like blow after blow from the Blackstone warriors. I couldn't tell from this distance if it was Berrat, but I couldn't ignore them either way. This was still my ally, and they were in danger.
Huffing in a deep breath I trudged through the rising snow, forcing myself forward even as the wind blew against me. Still burning embers fell all around me, nearly catching me in the face too many times for me to count. I think one even managed to fall between the gaps for my eyes, though that one thankfully had been extinguished before it fell through. Each laborious step felt like marching through a bog that was trying to consume me, and the further I pressed on, the more frightened I became at the prospect of my men marching through this with the militia. I knew, however, that I had to stay strong.
When I finally had gotten close enough to get a clear view of what was happening, I recognized that the ranger was in fact Berrat, and the ranger below was the blonde haired scout from our first meeting. She was laying with her back on the ground, blood gushing from every opening on her face as she clutched at her deeply bruised neck, gasping and sputtering among two dead Blackstone soldiers. I couldn't even see her nose, there was so much blood on her face. Berrat now fought against four, just barely holding his ground as he diverted blow after blow away from him.
"I'm with you, Berrat, hang on!" I yelled as I forced myself into a final sprint. My shout had gotten the attention of one of the warriors, who I realized now carried a flail and shield, a Conqueror. The other three carried long swords, each just as long as mine, but I knew these were no Wardens. It seemed Berrat had become a target, and I could only imagine how the other rangers were faring. The Conqueror growled and spun his flail as he turned to face me, malice in every step.
"Proditor…" The Conqueror growled. Traitor, Betrayer. I'm not sure whether that word surprised me or infuriated me. All I knew for certain was that it steeled my convictions. Treachery was a sin, but Blackstone had betrayed their oaths long before I'd walked away. Even if I was a traitor, these men had no right to judge me. With these thoughts I raised my blade, holding it ready just at my side as I waited for the Conqueror's first move. I did not have to wait long.
The rattling chain gave away his move before his swing did as it came quickly from the left side. I knew I could not keep my weapon in place, lest he wrap his around it and wrestle my blade away. With this in mind I stepped back and allowed the weapon to pass by me, but the Conqueror's stance was strong. Without hesitation he took a step forward and moved with the flail to bring it back around from the opposite direction. This attack came too quickly for me to dodge, forcing me to raise my blade and block.
As I feared, the sword caught the chain as the flail's head began to wrap around the tip of my sword. Hoping to alleviate this, I pulled the sword flat against me, bringing the warrior with as he held firm to his weapon. I then jammed my shoulder towards his chin, trying to disorient him long enough for me to break free. This, however, he had seen coming. In one fluid motion he raised his shield just enough to block my shoulder and shoving me back, sending a dull pain into my arm. Before I realized it he had swung again, and I was unable to block it this time. The full weight of the weapon crashed into my left side, sending thick, radiating pain to ripple through my side. I cried out in pain as the wind rushed out of me for a split second, and I stumbled away from him.
The Conqueror twirled his weapon as I took several steps back and inhaled deeply to regain my breath, breathing deeply as I readied my sword once more. The head of his flail bounced up and down as he maneuvered the weapon with careful flicks of his wrist, as if daring me to let him strike again. Taking a deep breath, I carefully watched him for his next move, trying to picture his next attack before it came. I never got the chance, for out of the corner of my eye I noticed the faintest glimmer of steel, and realized just in time that one of the lieutenants had turned their attention towards me.
At the last second I turned and raised my sword in a block, the two blades colliding in a ringing shriek. Forcing my weight forward I shoved the lieutenant as hard as I could, just making out the shape of Berrat holding off his own foes. I could not rush to him, however, as I saw the Conqueror charging me with his shield in an attempt to bash me. Swiftly as I could, I leapt back, letting him come to a halt just before me. Here, I saw my opportunity, as the lieutenant was now directly behind his officer, one good shove was all it would take.
"Miserum!" I shouted, putting all my power into my shoulder once more as I sprinted forward. The Conqueror failed to react in time as we collided, sending him near flying into his companion. Both of them stumbled and just barely caught themselves, but even that was enough time for me. With one swing I struck the Conqueror's side, then quickly pivoted my arms to catch the lieutenant with an upward slash. Neither strike drew blood, but the force was enough to fully knock down both.
Now visible to me, I saw that Berrat continued to struggle, only just barely keeping up with the blows of his enemies. What at first were masterful deflections were now desperate drags followed by rapid attempts to regain his footing, a prospect only harmed by the raging storm. He wouldn't last long without aid. Putting aside my foes for now, I stepped over them as I ran towards my companion, reaching out just in time to catch one of his attackers as he tried to bring down his sword on the Ranger.
Hatred bore into my soul as the knight glared at me and wrestled with me for his sword. For a time I fought back, letting him put his weight into his right side before sidestepping and releasing the blade. He caught himself quickly, but was nonetheless caught off guard by the sudden lack of resistance, and that gave me an opening to strike him at the wrists. Again, I drew no blood as I collided with his armor, but I did hear a loud thud as the man screamed and dropped his blade in pain. Placing a hand on my blade, I clutched the weapon with both hands and ran forward, shoving the tip towards his chest. Just enough pierced for me to carry him with me as he stumbled back, before both of us slammed into a tree.
The force drove my sword deeper into his chest until a solid few inches had pierced him, and struck his heart. There was no cry, no scream, not even a shriek of alarm as he crumbled to the ground, his eyes going lifeless in mere moments. I hadn't expected such a sudden death, it honestly unnerved me even after I pulled my sword free. The silence was broken by another scream, this one much closer. Turning behind me, I saw Berrat stabbing the second lieutenant with his arming sword, just between where the plates met. Without hesitation he plunged his dagger into the man's neck, silencing him before quickly pulling his weapons free and dropping him. He sighed before looking to his left, then extending his sword forwards as he pulled his dagger in close.
"Eyes up Warden!" He shouted. I followed his guidance just in time, seeing the Conqueror and his final lieutenant rushing back towards us. The lieutenant broke off and charged Berrat, while the Conqueror focused his efforts on me. Cursing internally, I raised my arms again, noticing how sore my side had already become. The Conqueror spun his flail behind him before launching forward with a flurry of attacks. Each strike came out faster than the last, nearly forcing me to block his fifth and final upward swing. Still, I had managed to avoid the swing just in time, counter attacking with another thrust. This however, he predicted, as he raised his shield and deflected the strike to go over his head. I kept my balance and retreated, returning to my stance as he twirled his weapon back around.
His shield was held directly in front of him now, ready to pivot in any direction to catch my strike. His defense and follow up had proven masterful, whoever this warrior was, he was skilled, very skilled. It was doubtful I could overcome his defense so long as he was focused on me, something I further doubted would change any time soon. I'd need to outsmart him, a feint, perhaps? No, too easy to see coming, besides, his shield would make that far more difficult for me to pull off. I carefully studied his stance, well balanced, sturdy. That's when it hit me. He'd already seen me try to manipulate his balance, if I could trick him into expecting that again, I could get him to open himself. Clenching my weapon tightly, I took the initiative.
My strike was easy to see coming, even I could see that. The Conqueror easily lifted his shield to block the bow, then followed it up by shoving the shield up. The force left me open, though I recovered quickly enough to drop my sword to intercept the swing of his flail. The metallic cry rang true as I batted it away, a crumbling branch collapsing just beside my adversary. As if guided by some outside force, he sidestepped it with an ease that bordered on unnatural as he swung once again. This time, I held my sword true, letting the flail wrap around it. When I tried to pull against it, he pushed into it, just as I'd hoped.
Quick as lightning I dropped to one knee, extending my sword forward and straight towards his throat. I could just see the Conqueror's eyes widen as he desperately clambered away from the sword, just barely avoiding it. Seeing my chance I leapt back to my feet and grabbed hold of the warrior, further catching him by surprise as I threw him even further into his charge, headlong into another tree. He was dazed now, his shield at his side and his weapon hanging limply from his hand. I wasted no time, pivoting my body and taking my sword in both hands, and swinging with all my might in a ferocious attack.
The blade struck true, finding purchase just below the Conqueror's chin onto the unprotected nape of his neck. I'm not sure whether it was a gargle or gasp that escaped his lips as his eyes began to roll back into his head, viscera gushing from the wound. My stomach churned slightly at the sight, and I found myself averting my gaze as I took another step forward and pulled the sword down. I could feel his flesh give way as I struck tree bark, and dragged it against the timber. I did not look back to confirm my kill, the wet sliding and collapsing of his empty husk was enough, I did not wish to see more.
As much as I wanted to take a second and compose myself, I knew I had to keep going. This was a battlefield, there was no room for breathers. Looking beside me I saw that Berrat had pushed the lieutenant forward, then rushed up to elbow him in the jaw. He held him there, locking him in an upward facing position with his sword arm before stabbing him just below his ribs with his dagger. The lieutenant made no noise after Berrat pulled his weapon free, collapsing as quickly as a sack of bricks. Berrat was breathing heavily know, even wheezing slightly as he looked to the ground, before his eyes fell on one of the bodies.
Kneeling beside it, I recognized them as the second ranger, now still amidst the carnage. I'd nearly forgotten about her in the madness that had followed, but even I could see how still she was, how pale she had grown in such a short time. Berrat quickly discarded his weapons and began gently tapping her on the cheek, trying to rouse her.
"Shephard, hey, Shephard!" He called, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her. When there was no response, Berrat began to become more frantic, I could see the panic beginning to set in.
"Shephard! Come on, don't die on me, we need you, Shephard!" He begged, his tapping growing more and more rapid as she stared at him, unmoving, and unblinking. It broke my heart to see him denying the obvious, all too often I'd seen men in his place, trying to rouse the dead as if all they needed was some mild encouragement. His pleading eventually gave way to frustration as he punched at the ground, yelling out after she would not answer.
"Blast it all! Blast it all Shephard!" He yelled, his voice cracking as it gave out on him. The Ranger Captain shook his head and kicked the ground angrily before he reached for his weapons, heaving and gasping as he pushed himself up with his blades. I was still catching my own breath when I approached him, coughing once before gaining my voice.
"I'm sorry, Berrat, but we need to go." I said. I hated to sound so callous, to so casually throw aside a life. If I had my way, I'd be able to pray for every life lost thus far, but there wasn't time. I needed to focus, both of us did. Berrat shook his head again and turned to face me.
"I can't lose any more of them, Warden. This price I'd becoming too great!" He said. I had no idea how many rangers had fallen thus far, but I understood his pain, I had even felt it many times before.
"Then we must act now. I know what you are feeling, and I weep for you. But Blackstone is still coming and I need your help." I pleaded. I could still see the fire in Berrat's eyes as his breath seemed to return to him in an instant. I swear the man had the resolve as a man half his age, for he simply nodded and looked at me, his fists clenching ever tighter around the hilts of his weapons.
"What would you have me do?" He asked.
"Stone and I can't get the militia to fall back, we need someone they respect to sound the retreat." I replied. Berrat looked behind me for a moment, I suspected he was looking for the hamlet. After a second or two, he returned his gaze to me and nodded, his resolve flaring brighter than even the sparks around us.
"Don't you worry, I'll make sure they get to that fortress." He resolved. I nodded in tandem and patted him on the shoulder with my free hand before turning back towards the militia. Despite his age, Berrat was nimble on his feet, and outpaced me within only a few steps. I could only imagine what a ranger in their prime was capable of. A small blessing that was, as before long I became aware of another loud cracking sound. Above us, I could see a massive branch easily the length I was tall collapse, falling nearly right on top of us . Berrat must have heard it too, for he avoided the branch with a masterful dive through the air before tucking back into himself upon landing. I was not so quick.
Before I could properly move, the branch fell, colliding with the cool snow and sending a shower of embers in all directions. I leapt away as far as I could, only just escaping a near molten shard of timber as it shot towards my chest. Only complicating the matter was that it was not the only thing to fly at me. Just where I'd been standing, an arrow slammed into the trunk of another tree, gaining my attention. To our right was a fresh entourage of Blackstone soldiers, among them, a number of archers. That, however, was not what drew my attention. Behind each of the archers was a behemoth of a man, carrying a poleaxe in both hands as he stomped the ground with a menace. His shoulders carried the visages of lions, and even beneath his helm I could sense his fury. Holden Cross had found me.
This foe was beyond me, beyond Berrat. My mind seemed to go into overdrive as I began to brainstorm. I had to drive him away from the militia, Cross was simply too great a threat. But so too was I a threat to his men, and I'd be willing to bet he'd pieced together what happened to his missing riders. He would want me, I had to leverage that.
"Berrat, go! I'll lead them away, meet me at the fortress, move!" I yelled as I waved my hands high in the air, then turned as another arrow flew my way.
"Warden, wait!" I could hear Berrat shout, but I ignored him. There was no time for debate, and it was as Stone said, I was a warlord now. I had to take the initiative if this hamlet was to survive, much less this legion. And yet even as I ran, I wondered amid the growing storm and the raging inferno if I was making the right call. Another fired arrow nearly shattered my resolve as it broke into splinters beside, causing me to stumble. Focus, I told myself. I needed to focus, and with that focus I steeled myself, got back on my feet…
…And ran.