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Barracker had explained his matter of urgency about the loss of his tower shield from the previous mission, just gone.  Eric and Warren had heard him out and procured him a tower shield from Paladin’s Respite armoury.  It was a good fit and the exact size he was used to, he had given his thanks.

Barracker rolled his shoulder with his shield arm to acclimatize to the weight.  The Burns brothers watched him closely and mentioned it took the two of them to carry the shield out.  “Inquisitor Franklin, won’t be too happy with us.  If he knows we helped you, but enough of that, come,” Eric waved Barracker to follow.  

Warren made clear his feelings on the current truce between them.  “Listen, we’re putting this aside for Valhiem’s sake and that’s it,”  he said with a sternness in his voice.  

[Color=Green]“Understood.  Our mentor Odis would be proud to see that we have done that today.”[/color]  Barracker replied.

Eric nudged his brother, and whispered enough said, before adding, “Oh that old turtle, wise, and just as grumpy.  Not afraid to tell you when you’ve done something wrong.”

[Color=Green]“I think he actually enjoyed it,”[/color] Barracker joked fondly.  The three men bonded over common ground of being students to apprenticeship under one of the best Paladins ever to grace Valhiem.  

Warren chimed in, “He was hard nosed, harsh toned but his heart was for the people.  It's a damn shame that he fell to Cerberus.”

Barracker clenched his fist, [Color=Green]“On my honour as a Paladin, before I meet Hades, I will see that beast meets Hell.”[/color]

Eric hissed a sceptical breath, “That’s a mighty big pledge.  That monstrous canine is of a legendary power.  Some suspect that it is a creature that survived from the Mythic Age.”

They got some good training in, until dark.  Eric, with the blessing of the crystal, wanted to take on Barracker in a duel.  

In the later hours of the evening, Barracker bid the two farwell and made his way to the top of the wall.  There was a mixed reaction, once at the top, he could see from the watchmen’s faces, their body language and the words they spoke.  The psyche here was low and was on edge with the pressing battle on their doorstep.  A rare handful of the soldiers were calm to the eye and stood unflinching in the way of the catapult bombs crashing down, above their heads.  Some were sitting inside the confines of the towers, some were muttering prayers.  Some had completely broken, their eyes showing visible signs of interacting with the new faces popping in or out of the room.  Barracker stood on the wall staring into the distance.  

[Color=Green][i]What will the outcome of Valhiem be?  Evelyne, was it a mistake to leave it like this between us?[/i][/color]