Chapter 34: Overshadowed… (Shenis)

"This has been quite a march hey Ali!" Dalton jokes as he walks at the rear of the pack. He is near the end just in front of the group's supply cart, which is now being driven by Caylor and Misty rather than Bryan who used to drive it. It was quite a different march. Yet all knew their purpose.

"Shove it Merc!" Highlight smiled back at his friend as he said it. Both shared a laugh. The group had been on a march now for a full week and were on pace to reach Runsa on the next day. Tension was slightly rising as the group had not fought for keeps in several months. And while people like Dalton had no fears or cares for military conflict as such was his career, and Issachar whose existence was a violent episode. Others, were more naturally peaceful, yet the crew had a hardness from their experiences, and while another march brought their days of peace and pause in the walls and hills of Imholt to a close.

Ion walked in the middle of the crew, with Claire often either leaning against him, or holding his hand. He was afraid and excited at once. He knew he loved this woman, whom he had spent much time with in his youth and whom he had travelled for a long time alongside. While he knew her skills in combat where much on the same level as his, with the growth of his emotion for her, his fear of losing what can and could happen blossomed into new heights that could be read through the pulse of his heartbeat. He kisses her cheek as they walk. "You don't have to be scared Ion. We are getting better with each battle." She reassures him.

"I know we aren't the scared kids running away from Til anymore, but I still…I have this fear in me."

"Don't worry boss Ion! I'll protect Claire and you." Kyler the youngest of their clique jokes. Ion forgets in this moment how young the three of them still are and he is happy as they march.

Tico is seen riding back from up ahead with the news of what the city holds ahead. Shenis calls for the unit to set up camp for the night as they are still far enough out to not be seen by the Bruin men absent a scout presence of which they had seen none. And why would they, the Bruin believed themselves too dominate, even with the minor skirmish losses to Shenis' band. They pull the cart off the path and set up their fire and bedding for the evening for those that desire or brought a pillow or rolled blanket for under their heads as they slept.

"Tico what is the layout this time?" Highlight asks as all gather round to hear the word while supper is cooked by Caylor and Misty. The two women liked to do more of these rolls in the camp, the daily tasks, so as to in their mind prove their value for being there even though all were happy to have them regardless of whether they could cook, or fight or not either. They were beloved by the group and to those that held them dear.

"Well. It looks a little bit better defended than prior. As I saw a ground unit of about 25 or so outside the main gate posted in a small encampment. But I also when looking on a higher bluff saw a good number of men inside there." The rider as he stretched out on the ground trying to loosen his back up from all the tension of riding.

"Are there numbers too much for us?" Shenis asks his friend.

"Well, it all depends on the quality of those they have there. Which with that news of the campaign to the coast I doubt he left the most stalwart of men in Runsa. Even though, they unseated the regent house." Tico's confidence or general optimism restored faith in the mission from the previous comments. The troop new they would be outnumbered, but they had people like Issachar and Dalton, they could handle this challenge. This was the thought around the campfire for the night.

"I think we have a plan of action then Tico. You say that side wall has hay from the harvest cycles still present making the wall scalable?"

"Should be my lord."

"Then we shall attack with a dual focus. We have distraction force attack at the front and keep those outside the city outside and fighting. While a small group goes over the wall and fights down the people from within."

"Let me guess Shenis, you want me and Issachar on the secret team, and will take Ion for backup." Dalton said essentially picking his team. Shenis laughed as that was essentially who he was already going to pick ahead of time. As he needed a larger group to stay outside and draw focus, and with a small group going inside he needed the best he had to ensure the potential safety of his people. Sure Ion was a very significantly high fall off from the prowess of Dalton and Issachar, but this was a needed move.

"Boss Ion, be careful in there." Kyler spoke to his elder.

"I will be Kyler, I am just glad its me going and not you or Claire." He looks at his woman while talking to the youngest of the crew. "Hey. And what is with this boss Ion stuff all of a sudden?"

"Let him have his fun Ion, he means it with endearment." Claire says as she moves Kyler out of the way and wraps her arms around her young swordsman. "Just focus on the battle and come back to me."

"You as well." He says smiling as he wraps his arms around her in return. The rest of the night is a simple and somber evening as all take rest and respite as best as they can. Some sleep easy, and others sleep comes with great and exhaustive effort.

The morning rises and the party sort up and leave the cart in the woods for their assault. The trio of Dalton, Issachar, and Ion break off and head off into the woods to reach the city from the side wall area spoke of with the supplies stashed on the wall allowing a scalable access. While the others made back to the main road and marched toward the city. Shenis at the head with his rapier drawn with purpose. The small band makes for the field with a frightful task ahead of them as they realize the situation at hand and the people in their unit. The best fighter is Highlight who being a knight in heavy clad armor with his lance and large shield was not the swiftest and takes primarily a defensive position on the field lines usually. Shenis knew that he would have to be a key front line combatant on this mission, as his party dynamic without Dalton and Issachar was very much lacking in tanking pressure. Somme and Caylor stood at the rear with their bows ready. Somme being a superior skilled archer and Caylor more of a novice by comparison. Misty and Kyler would stand beside them as support and cover from any flank attacks. While Clair, Dax and Tico formed the rest of the front.

"Careful Dax." Misty says as she takes her position with the party coming in view of the city. They can see up ahead a few hundred feet the people scuttling to their posts or getting their equipment sorted in a hurry.

"Remember guys, it isn't so important that we drive everyone of them out, but that we keep them occupied so they don't reinforce the city. We need to buy time for our guys to both get inside and claim the city. Many gulped in their throat as they took position. Shenis called for a halt as they were now just outside of archer range, but close enough to where the Bruin were in no way going to allow them to simply stay put and rest. As Shenis made sure it was obvious that he was a rival lord, with his cloak and rapier being waived.

"Best of us to go rip that ninny to shreds! We can't afford to have another route occur like the one we just heard about." A member of the troop spouts as the Brui regulars rally and begin to move in to attack. Tico was right there were 24 in total outside of the walls today and ready for combat. The walked forward absent a formation or clear stratagem. As if they just sought to end the little band of men.

"I AM SHENIS SAVOY! BOW AND SURRENDER RUNSA TO ME AND WE SHALL SPARE YOUR LIVES!" Shenis calls as they approach the goal here to force a strong response and to get even the city itself looking at the field and not the southern wall. Then enemy in the field and inside the city, as well as on the wall itself took notice. The battle was to ensue.

Inside the city and along the field all took notice and prepared, yet some were heavily reluctant and weary of the continued situation. "Is that Shenis, wasn't he from Jule, Nial?" A young maiden holding a cleric staff says to a man longer in the tooth than most of the others with a thick white beard to match. He is worn down but still in the ranks as a soldier.

"Yes Fahn. He is fighting to reclaim his homeland I think. And unlike our Bruin overlords his people still worship Kaya." This comment struck dear to the woman with the cleric garbs as she was from the clergy church structure of Dol and one of the clerics sent with Conner's subjugation army back when it first departed. She wasn't there by choice however, as she never thought this war a just cause. Yet, it was her ordered duty and the cleric believed she could help keep people safe.

"I wonder if maybe we've had enough of serving the side that bullies the world." She says as she looks about the city of Runs and seeing the different look of the city from when they first ran through many months ago. How they sacked Jule and put other minor houses to the sword, or how they forced the older man into the ranks mostly against his will. The sentiment they shared was different than many in Dol, at least in large.

The brutes and bloodthirsty men of the Bruin stationed outside rise to the challenge with all haste and desire to kill as they move to collide with the Savoy retinue on the field. They don't even bother to encircle they simply rush forward.

"Caylor wait for my signal." Somme speaks as the rush from the Bruin men move toward Shenis' group. The wife of Shenis has an uneasy feeling about of this, but tries to keep calm. Misty has a similar feeling as she draws her long dagger recently made by the smith, Dax.

"Good job guys." Dalton says as he and his crew look from a stretch of tress off near the wall. The Bruin men are fully focused on Shenis. The reputation of the Savoy for not having a true military army helped for this rouse to have the effect it did as with a force so small one would not think them capable of splitting their force. Dalton sees the opening and signals his strike team toward the hay bales. They are still stacked near the wall. The trio run quickly and scale up the bales, there is still a difference in height from the top of the bales to the top of the wall, but Issachar being a giant person makes the difference moot as Dalton and Ion are one by one boosted up by him and able to reach the wall top. They both brace themselves enough to then reach back down and grab onto each and arm of the giant. Issa jumps, and they clasp hard. The two men strain as the weight of the polar bear directly upon them is nearly enough to pull them both of the wall. Ion's face goes purple from the work of the pull. Dalton has to reposition himself to also have an arm around crown rock of the wall. They both pull as hard as they can, knowing that if they groan too loud that perhaps any cover they have will be blown in the moment. Dalton pushes with everything he has, using his legs against the wall and finally they make a dent, getting the bear's arms high enough to grab onto the wall itself as they release and catch a breath with Issa pulls himself to the top.

"GIANT!" A watchman and several in the city cannot be fooled as the bear stands too tall when he is atop the wall. The trio laugh at the result as such should have been expect, yet they are human and thus prone to mistakes.

"Ion, follow me, let's clean up the wall guard, Issa…."

"GRHHHHHH! Way Ahead of You!" Issa transforms into his bear form leaping from the wall into the city below. He is ready for his next onslaught. A couple soldiers move to him with spears raised by the bear has a stamina and thick hide that plays a natural bolster to his defense. He stands on the lances as they strike low and slow, breaking them with his sheer weight, as in his bear form his weight is nearly doubled. He then swats with his giant paw at both of them, breaking one of their jaws and ripping the face open on the other. The bear is once more a massive threat and focal point.

Dalton uses the confusion to move along the wall top with Ion as there are a few archers. The two draw their swords as they dash along the high rise. Dalton hurls his sword into the chest of the first man he reaches connecting true. He then grabs the hilt and kicks off, pulling the blade from the chest of the man and sending him to his finally resting place over the wall. Ion is swifter, being younger and less encumbered through years of scar tissue and liver damage. He slides along the high rise and slashes upward, taking life without error in his strike. His enemy is useless, and finds balance gone from him as he wobbles and falls off the ledge as well. The two continue moving. "Is there a leader here?" Ion asks Dalton as they flay their next victims with little challenge thus eliminating the wall based threat. Dalton looks around trying to survey the scene. No one is shouting orders, combat is merely taking place and it seems like just a contingent garrison and not a leader headed operation.

"I can't tell. Just clear out all of them." Dalton replies as he leaps from the wall and impales with his sword a soldier below. Issa yells with power as he runs right into two others in the main stretch of buildings. Runsa's walls and city had been repaired but the trio could see all the changes and damaged the constant fighting had put upon the small city. Ion descends from the wall to join Dalton as they continue to try and purge out whomever is around as they still cannot seem to find a viceroy or a leader. The chatter from the Bruin isn't centralized its more panic and chaos.

"PLEASE DON"T KILL US!" Ion halts his hands as two voices in front of him beg. Dalton, nearby hears this plea as he slaps away a sword and then knees the holder in the face, breaking teeth and knocking the man to his knees before the mercenary slides his blade into the neck of the man, pushing him to the ground to wallow in death.

"Why should I stay my sword?" Ion asks the two. He is conflicted and twitches a few times looking at the two. A cleric, which is a rare sight these days, and while the people of the serving profession to the faith of Kaya are usually seen as medical combatants, they are still people pledge to the enemy, and thus normal targets of war in the eyes of the blades-man.

"Please sir." The older man drops his lance. He places the cleric behind him. Shielding her from perhaps any attack that may come upon her next. "I am Nial and this is Fahn. We just want to not die here."

"And we're tired of serving the bullies of the land." Ion looks them over. He next looks to Dalton who simply shrugs his shoulders as he then turns his attention to a soldier charging him. The mercenary parries the lance thrust and then runs his sword through the man's skull.

"Look Ion, do what you think is best. Personally I don't like killing women. So I get it brother." He smiles as he darts off after Issa who was working his way into the keep, as the number of men stationed inside was proving fewer. Ion looked around still keeping his sword focused on the two. He saw why the interior was less of a warzone than first feared. Citizens were rising up. Caldrons, pots and pans the weapons of choice as the people of Runsa were taking their moment to pay back the Bruin for their months of occupation and their brutish dealings with the house of Cavan. Women and children and old men pick their targets wisely and beat them senseless, stripping them and injuring them over and over as a wild mob. They smile at Ion as they keep to their focus. Dalton and Issachar have already breached the Keep as he still finds the cleric and the old man pleading their case to his deaf ears. He shakes his head and refocuses.

"What are you saying?" Ion asks.

"I am saying good swordsman that I am a sworn cleric of the faith of Kaya. And the Bruin by in large don't even serve Kaya, they serve and pray, at least among the officers I heard, they serve and pray to Iagus. I cannot in good conscience continue working for them." Fahn says.

"You're a cleric, knowledgeable of healing arts, much like a priest right."

"The exact same except I am a woman and thus cannot be called a priest. Yes I am happy to be in these areas of war to heal the innocent and combatant alike. As even soldiers aren't all evil in an army, and some only seek to not starve. Yet, these last few weeks have….ruined my desires to stay pledged to their cause." Fahn and Nial both have a similar look in their eyes. Ion sees or at least hopes he sees a trusting pairs of eyes and souls. Though he cannot take the risk and still linger.

"Fine….look tie his hands stay close. Throw off your armor for now so we you aren't garbed as a Bruin soldier." He hands Fahn a small amount of rope that he sees nearby and Nial removes is light armor. They follow the orders to the letter. "Okay look, I want to trust you guys, but my lord will ultimately have to decide. Just stay close, and be ready to cast a healing spell. Also is there a garrison leader?"

"Not since the news came in 3 days ago. The leader of our group stationed here, Henny marched quickly with the other officers in the group back to Jule."

"What news?" Ion was confused as surely the news of Shenis' little march would not have stirred such a response.

"Ohh have you not heard…."

…..

Slashes and blocks. The toll of the frontline wears on Shenis as he is foreign to such fierce fighting. "Is this what Dalton normally does?" He groans as he sword clashes and holds to form with a Bruin mercenary. Their swords clatter and spark as they seek to overpower the other.

"BOOOM!" A hammer blow to the skull implodes the angry face and ends the struggle as blood sprays forward onto the lord. Dax smiles as plucks the hammer from the skull. The fight has been a taxing one but with the double archer prowess of Somme and Caylor with Misty keeping spirits high and arrows ready the duo had made easy work of the disorganized labor that barreled into Shenis' party. The fighting wasn't pretty and minor wounds were mounting upon the group as Highlight stood with his shield growing heavier by the swing. Yet he keeps his resolve as he bites down, clenching his teeth. The knight slams the great shield into the soldier nearest him.

"Any sign of the guys from inside?" He hollers hoping for good news, but the others are fully occupied. Claire especially as she employs every effort to not get stuck hard by lance and spear. She is cut here and there but nothing severe or inhibiting upon her frame.

"RHHHHHHR!" the sound of a thundering roar comes from the gate as they look ahead in the chaos to see Issachar still in his bear form covered, with red on his fur as he with Dalton and Ion run back toward the Bruin line. The sight emboldens the tired Savoy troop and they find a second wind while the remaining few Bruin men diminish. A couple even drop their weapons and sprint for their life in the direction of Jule. While the few caught without options fight and flounder to their death.

The next few minutes are a display of decimation as Bruin numbers evaporate from the world of the living and the danger upon the Savoy ends. As the route finishes up. Members such as Kyler and Somme go about, putting the wounded out of their misery. Shenis and Highlight take a seated position along the wall of Runsa as they are greeted by some townspeople and former servants of the Cavan household who were unharmed in the prior violent transition. Dalton smiles as he sees several of his favored women from his prior time in the town. He gives them a look that says "I'll see you tonight, and you for breakfast." He moves over to the lord and the knight. "Smoke?" He pulls out his pipe and loads it with tobacco.

"Sure.." Shenis covered in blood accepts the offer and takes a deep puff. He coughs a few times much to the joy of Dalton as the three just sit outside the wall and take in the scene.

"Ion!" Shenis recovering from the coughing. "Who are your friends?" Ion brings the cleric and the older man whose hands now with the fighting subsided he had unbound over to present to his lord.

"Lord Savoy, this is Fahn and Nial. Defectors from the Bruin." Shenis looked puzzled, Dalton just kept smoking while Highlight was still puking and gassed from the contest.

"Defectors you say?" Shenis sits up in his posture. "Why would you defect? And to us of all people?"

"Well you guys did win this battle." Fahn giggled, "Yet, it really is about faith. I serve the goddess Kaya and heal under the clerical arts. I am just tired of the brutish war we have engaged and created." Shenis understood, he could hear it in her voice as she explained further how all she really wanted was to be true to her order and help save lives. She notices in this moment a cut on Highlight's arm, and thus casts a healing spell on it.

"Thanks, feels good as new." Says the knight. Shenis lets the girl know that she is welcome in their ranks if they wish as they currently have no one with any clerical magic. Which makes her smile, even though it did mean further exposure to bloodshed going forward, though now she was not on the side of the aggressors who were secretly worshipping the dark god, Iagus, as she explained.

"Why would they worship him?" Dalton questioned. Iagus worship was popular, back before the Deity war, but in general afterward, no one worshipped him except a small fringe band of wild fanatics, but certainly no one in any real authority as all knew Kaya won that war and thus stood alone on Wiera.

"Eh…lets not get hung up on that right now." Shenis scratches his chin as he looks to the older man. "What about you? Why are you betraying the Bruin?"

"Look at me your lordship. I am nearing my latter years, and yet I am in military uniform." He look down over his clothing. "Or was earlier. I am waning in my general strength. My best days are past. I would have fallen in a prior skirmish had not Fahn here healed me. So I only wish to protect her in these trying times now, as she reminds me of my daughter I lost to plague a few years ago." Shenis extends them both a hand of fellowship and they all smile.

"Good work Ion, I think these two will make a fine edition. Nial can you go find your armor or just armor and remove the Bruin sigils and colors?" He nods in consent and takes off.

"Oh my lord!" Ion speaks as Claire rushes over to hug her man in thanksgiving of them both surviving another battle. "We found no leaders here in this city, and Fahn can answer why." He then shifts his focus to Claire and embraces her and kisses her in front of everyone. Caylor comes over and sits beside her husband as well as Fahn sits down in front of the group to explain what she knows.

"A few days ago a raven flew in with dire news that sent Henny who was the head of the garrison into a panic and he and his trusted officers left us all to go back to their base at Jule."

"What did the report say?" Shenis was very concerned.

"Conner's army invading Coastal Wharf, which had over 1200 men in that advance had been routed by Meagan Valtrex." All leaned forward and eyes widened. Fahn explained that reports said Conner survived and fled but that the small force of Meagan simply decimated and overpowered the army that outnumbered them by 12 to 1.

"Is Meagan really that strong?" Highlight asked. None knew the answer but the news was both amazing to hear as it showed the odds tilting heavily into the favor of the side of those resisting the Bruin banner, while also spelling the trouble of what perhaps enraging the Valtrex could one day bring.

"Also now Conner has a much smaller army and has only one way to go to resupply." Dalton mentions. They all quickly understood that soon, in an act of desperation now with most of his army gone and supplies dwindling that Conner would have to make a charge or push to break the supply route block that would be in place now that Shenis controlled both trade lines into the central plains leading directly to Jule. The news was exciting as well as troubling. Yet, that was the focus for the day no longer as all were thankful for their victory, safety and for the surprisingly easy victory thanks to the efforts of the Valtrex army. Much to the surprise result of Shenis as while they knew that battle was in the works, he in no way though that Meagan would pull out a resounding victory.

The party rested for a bit before handling needed duties such as, looting bodies, moving corpses to a burn pile, and then cleaning themselves of both blood and wounds. Shenis greeted the people who hailed him a victor, and he promised the people that he knew had suffered much that one day if they lived the Cavan family would return and be their just regents again.

The mercenary finds the swordsman after the commotion. "Well done in there kid." Dalton says to Ion. The young swordsman is slightly confused as generally the two of them haven't had the most communication over the course of their travels.

"Thanks." He says back with a waft of suspicion in the compliment.

"I mean it. Back there when the fighting starts, most of us…we see red. We no longer make the distinction between people and enemies, we just fight any that stand against us." Dalton pulls out a cask of wine pouched under his cloak. He pops the cork and sits down near Ion to continue their conversation with spirit. "I know I'm guilty of it. I mean heck, that is just the way of a mercenary."

"You know you are more than just a mercenary these days Dalton." He speaks this but doesn't continue in the compliment. Dalton was the best fighter, the fiercest warriors, the best in combat in the retinue, not counting Issachar, and even that contest might not be fully in the bear's favor. Dalton was no longer just the hired hand teasing everyone and trying to sleep with every woman, including Calle. Well….I guess he was still doing that part. But otherwise, he was now a hero in their eyes and not just some guy looking for a paycheck.

"I get where you are going at kid. But I am not a hero, I am just a guy with a talent for violence who discovered it to be a lucrative business."

"And yet you haven't taken a single bit of gold from Shenis since we lost Riserstead." Dalton laughed as he stood up and wandered off toward the ladies he had been friendly with on his prior visit to the city. As he wished to leave the conversation's gravity. Though both knew, that Ion was correct, and all in the party were correct as well. Dalton was no mercenary anymore. He was a hero. A hero in service to house Savoy.

…..

"Conner what happened?" Henny calls to the leader of the Bruin army of the central plains. A small band of wounded and beaten men finds their way back to Jule. A small band so meager that the number can be counted on two hands, and one of them is the General himself. Conner grabs a bucket and runs with a staggered step to the well, the few that return with him follow the same route. Directly to water. The white and chalky look of their lips betray the truth; that their retreat was forced and in a panic, and had them running the whole way to Jule without any supplies.

Conner gulps down an entire bucket before falling to his butt against the wall of the well. He then vomits the contents of the bucket because he drank with too much haste that his stomach could not handle the sudden change in volume and temperature as the cool water convulsed his insides. The bucket gets passed back and forth as people keep drawing water with a frenzied effort as the men now returned from the coastal wharf try and recover from madness of thirst.

"Henny….give me a moment." Conner continues to sit and try and collect himself. The others are equally in shock. Mostly they show signs of relief and gratitude as the men realize they are safe inside the walls of Jule. "Okay….We had the numbers. I just don't get it. We had her and her men outnumbered so much that it should never have mattered." Conner recounts how the battle outside Coastal Wharf looked from his point of view against Meagan and her small unit of 100 or men. "I have never seen a beast so fierce." Conner remembers the woman. Her raw strength, her ability and ease that which she wielded her heavy great axe. How she broke the chest of men wide open with her blunt strikes. How she someone wasn't gruesome but yet in her strength there was something womanly about her, and yet she was terrifying. How her scream made everyone on both sides nearly wet there pants in terror. She was the deciding factor Conner tells Henny. "That War Queen….she…is a monster and she is why we lost so many."

The battle went just as Conner explained. No Meagan isn't some endless ball of energy or able to summon a meteor to simply crush all the Bruin men. Yet, in her resilience and desire to overcome she bested one man at a time with her soldiers following her lead, even into their own deaths as she changed the odds minute by minute. Blow by blow. Conner had felt many things in the campaign, but this was the first instance of fear. And he felt it now more than ever as he sat there next to the well in Jule, a city not his own, with knowledge that in the past week he had lost the vast majority of his army. He now had roughly 300 give or take total men in Jule and surrounding fields. He still had a strong position as Meagan and her remaining men seemed to stop pursuing them on the 4th day of the retreat, yet he knew his mission had changed from one of conquest of the central plains to either escape or eventual death for his men. The Bolden man knew fear. So much so that when the news the next day came of the fall of Runsa to Shenis. The man panicked, knowing something quickly needed to be done. Yet, what could he?