Interlude; Marie's Odyssey

Author's Note: This takes place at the same time as the last chapter

"'ave zese creatures made any attempt to communicate?" Philippe le Bon asked his assembled commanders, "Demands for surrender, taunts, anything?"

"No, my lord," a tired knight called Francois answered, "Zey seem to simply attack anyone zey see, French or English."

Leaning against the table strewn with freshly redrawn battle maps, le Bon let out a weary sigh. Whatever these creatures were, it was increasingly clear there was no reasoning with them. Looking back up at his assembled officers, the blonde lord straitened himself out, and continued. "What about Marie? Do we 'ave any information on 'er whereabouts?" God, please don't let 'er be dead.

"Sorry, Lord le Bon, we've not 'eard anything from or about Marie." a battered swordsman reported. "Several companies 'ave filtered back in since ze monsters attacked, my lord. She may yet make it back."

Before le Bon could respond, a tired young soldier entered the room and approached the meeting table. "Forgive me, milord, but I've been sent from Paris with an urgent mezzage." The boy stood silently for several moments, until le Bon realized he was awaiting permission to continue. le Bon gave him an annoyed gesture and the messenger elaborated. "You and all ozere commanders in service to France are to withdraw to Paris immediately. Ze full might of ze French Army is needed to protect ze King."

A wave of shock and surprise swept through le Bon and his officers. The man himself was silent, but his men were more verbal. "Zat's madness!"

"It's ze King's order, we must obey."

"And leave Marie and ze rest?!"

"What about ze common people, we just let zem be killed?"

"I don't want to die out 'ere for some peasants!"

"Enough!" le Bon shouted, "We're not going anywhere. We fight for France, not its king." le Bon's men stared in surprise at the man's uncharacteristic so of strength. No one bothered raise an objection and the meeting continued.

#*#*#

Marie and her troops headed due south, toward le Bon's last known base of operations. There were many unknown factors, but Marie was confident her comrades would still be there. The tired French troops and those mercenaries that hadn't deserted had been traveling for hours. Knowing there was no point in running her soldiers until they collapsed, the lady fencer decided it was time for a short rest. The blue clad troops sank down off their feet, drinking from water skins, some taking bites of bread or dried meat. There was little to no talk or chatter.

Left to her own thoughts, Marie's thoughts drifted to le Bon. Marie hoped Philippe was safe. He 'as to be, I can't loose ze man I love, Marie did a mental double take at the unexpected thought. After a few moments, Marie admitted the fact to herself with a sigh; she was in love le Bon. He's alive, and we'll 'elp rid France of ze beasts together, the French commander resolved to herself, and zese feelings...we'll see what 'appens. Just as Marie was about to order the battalion to move out, someone shouted. "Look! Down ze road!"

All eyes turned in the direction they'd been traveling to see dozens of goblins and a handful of barbarians rushing up toward them. Jumping to her feet, shield and rapier in hand, Marie shouted orders to her troops, "Form up! Lock shields and keep zem at arm's length! Archers, fire at will!"

As the goblins rushed forward, Marie positioned her rapier so that it would be obscured by her shield. When one of the small monstrosities charged at her, the fencer struck at him from the side, but he managed to block her. Marie stabbed at the goblin from the side again, and was blocked again. A sly smirk half forming on her face, Marie lowered her shield and stabbed from the above this time and sure enough the goblin mistakenly went to block in the wrong direction, allowing her to sink her blade into the surprised creature's chest.

After repeating the trick, Marie glanced to her left and right to see the battle going almost wholly for her side. It was then that a shadow passed over the commander. She blocked and countered an opportunistic goblin's strike when a shadow passed over her. Marie reflexively glanced up and froze in shock. Hovering above the French troops were several creatures the young officer soon recognized as griffons.

Marie's mother was a duchess, her father a member of the French King's court, and as such she'd been raised in polite society to be a proper lady. Throughout her teenage years, she would often spend half her day learning etiquette, the other half with her fencing trainer, and she was a star pupil in both fields. Nevertheless, as beasts from stories her nanny scared her with as a child descended on Marie and her men, the lady fencer couldn't help making her governess role in the old crone's grave. "Oh, fuck me!"

The griffons smashed into the ground like meteors, crushing men under their talons and claws. As the flying beasts leapt back into the air, some carrying screaming soldiers and mercenaries, the formation shattered allowing the goblins and barbarians to rush forward and hack soldiers apart.

"Run for it!" Marie shouted, "We 'ave to get out of 'ere!" It was a somewhat redundant order as many of her troops where already fleeing. Still her lady fencers and a few other troops rallied around her and they were able to hack and slash their way out of the bloodbath with some semblance of order.

The greatly reduced force fled, eventually losing sight of their attackers, but knowing they'd be pursued. All of their mercenaries were now gone, and they'd also lost their mounted units. Only Marie's lady fencers, two troops of archers, and several men-at-arms and swordsmen remained. Panting heavily, Marie could already hear the monsters moved up behind them. Looking down the road, she could see a single troop of goblins emerging from a patch of forest and a desperate plan began to take form.

#*#*#

Hefting his massive sword over his shoulder, Redfang marched along with his fellow executioners, his friend Spinebreaker walking at his side. The barbarians had just had a good time chopping up the French, but now came the tedious task of tracking down the survivors. Along with them were two troops of goblins and some of the griffons that had been their trump card. The rest of their battalion had gone off in different directions.

"Hope we find somethin' soon," Redfang gripped, "Damn birds are lookin' hungry."

"Eh, they'll chow down on the goblins before they get to us." Spinebreaker said with a shrug. "Hey, check it out!"

Out in front of the monsters, several bodies were laid out across the road, a mixture of goblins and French. It seemed they'd stumbled on the aftermath of a fight. Disappointed that there'd be no more bloodshed, the barbarians moved forward to survey the scene.

Redfang's shoulders slumped when he recognized one of the bodies as the fierce dark haired woman who'd led the French in the battle. "That's a damn shame, I wanted to rape this one."

"I bet she's still warm," Spinebreaker said stepping up next to his friend, "ya probably still could."

"Yeah, but that's not as much fu-AAAAAAAHHH!" Unable to contain her disgust any longer, Marie jumped up into a sitting position and drove her rapier up through Redfang's crotch and into his intestines. Before Spinebreaker could react beyond a shocked flinch, she bashed the back of his knee with her shield, causing him to drop to his knees. She pulled her blade out of Redfang and drove it through the other barbarian's neck.

All around the confused barbarians and monsters, supposedly dead French soldiers leapt to their feet and attacked them. At the same time, more soldiers in blue rushed out of the trees and bushes on either side of the road. The griffins tried to take to the air, only to be peppered with arrows from Marie's archers just as the creatures cleared the human's heads. Those that were hit crashed back to earth and where quickly set upon by vengeful soldiers. The only two that made it into the air flew off, abandoning their ground bound comrades.

Marie bashed a goblin with the edge of her shield, causing his head to twist to the side with a wet crunching sound, before driving her rapier through an executioner's eye and out the back of his head. She took a deep breath to calm herself and looked over the scene. The fencer was pleased to see the end of the previous battle being reenacted with roles reversed. One panicked barbarian tossed his sword aside and tried to flee into the woods, toward the archers. He fell with three arrows in his chest, right beside the last two who'd made that mistake.

"Form up!" Marie called when the action had died down, "We don't 'ave much farther to go."

"Commander!" one of the lady fencers called. She gestured to a moaning, writhing barbarian that Marie recognized as Redfang.

"Let him bleed out," Marie sneered, "Come, we 'ave to move."

#*#*#

"Lord le Bon! Marie has returned!" Philippe le Bon looked up from the map he'd been staring at for nearly an hour and rushed toward the window almost in disbelief. True to the messenger's word, French troops with Marie's personal banner were making their way through the fortress's gates. He quickly spotted the familiar dark haired beauty at the head of the column.

In short order, a tired and disheveled Marie made her way into le Bon's war room and knelt before her lord. "Rise, Marie, please rise," le Bon said with a hand wave. He sighed as Marie quietly stood. "I'm sorry you and your men had to go through that alone. If I'd been stronger-"

Before he could deprecate himself further, Marie had seized le Bon by the shoulders and silenced the blonde man with a kiss. Breaking the kiss, she took a step back without letting go and said "You're strong enough, Philippe."