[Centre][H2][color=bc8dbf]Lord and lady Coswain[/color][/H2][/Centre]
[Centre][H3][color=bc8dbf]Town.[/color][/H3][/Centre]

Lord Coswain had stalked across the town with a smooth, but steady pace of assault. Not rushed, not slow, steady  controlled and eating up the distance efficiently without over tiring. His balde raised and ready, he checked with a precise and practiced movement of the veteran Guardsman. Unlike the younger soldiers who had not panicked, he kept pace, kept control even if he felt fear. Everyone felt fear. No one had no fear, but what mattered was how you controlled fears. 

Torch light glitter off Lunarian forged steel and cast hues into the dulled steel, not gleaming like the fresh armour of many new guards, this plate was worn and of an older design favoured a decade or so ago. Truth be told, since the Blight came, since the decline and loss of land, it had been harder to get steel of the best quality and they had simplified and modified equipment to be able to be produced more quickly and easily with less advanced metallurgy and craftsmanship. 

He doubted sadly if the blade he carried could be made currently, a particular area of Lunaris that produced the finest iron ores from the heart of a worn and ancient mountain rounded by time but its heart was a hard and smooth rock place that housed the variable materials in raw ores. 

Minutes of movement passed as he advanced but finally, he halted at a word, words as a voice rang out. Asking after a guard… he did not lower his blade but he would not strike straight away, it was not paranoid to be 100% sure, especially when they do mean to kill you.[color=6ecff6] “Royal Guard” [/color]He confirmed as he spoke clearly and defined without waiver and natural authority.  

[color=6ecff6]“Someone is able pass the message on and aid should be behind me. Or reserves from the gate camp. I seek to Protect the Princess or slay the foe. You saw anything, tell me.”[/color] What he said was a major risk, he had no other options but to take a risk and to rely on this woman's voice was not an enemy. Amber eyes glowed into the gloom, Blight had taken this one but she did not match the foe that had taken the guard at least, though that added the disturbing factor. Where was it?

Amber, orange, not red…where did he see such things, one who favoured the shadows and was cautious like a hunter that laid in wait? His mind ran a feeling he missed something, some fact or dot he had not joined atop a map. Though right now he was more concerned about the Princess to worry about his memory and old events. 

[i]But the event was real. 

1 year ago.

“We stick together, you sweep right, your team left, move along the river bank. I'll take the centre… no heroics, support formations will hold where I marked and deploy when battle is called. Cavalry have already cut the exit off to north, we took the pass last evening and quietly commanded it and the southern ford.” Lord Coswain said from a table set about a map in an empty building, a former traders warehouse they had taken over spread across the remains of some boxes and timber. They already have broken some up to warm their meals, but they had saved these for this use. “That includes You ... .maintain formation.no heroics, got it.” He glared at a certain guard and the Company squad leaders began to rapidly get their men and women into order ready to deploy. He had issues, that one had won but at what risk, they needed no fuck ups this time, the target was a known high level blightborn, a rumoured killer. 

…

He dashed forward, of course he had…he only put him in centre as he was a strong swordsman and earned his place in the vanguard. He shouldered a bush aside and chased, the foe was ready, she had him, his blood could be seen, too much blood. His command squad broke into a run, battle cries on lips as they made to rescue their comrade. 

…

He had hands clamped over the guardsman side, keeping him alive as he gestured for another to tightly bandage the wound. It would be very hit or miss if he survived, the red hot iron Would hurt like the 7 hells and more, but it would clean the wound he suspected would be tainted. This killer was no mere normal foe. It had evaded them though they had given her every attempt and drawn blood before she withdrew Into shadows. “Once I save your damn life, I'm gonna send you to the most damn boring, coldest ass village I can find.” He growled, his fingers bloody as they worked to save the young guardsman. 

…[/i]


What was just a glow, resolved into a woman, a blightborn woman who bar her glowing orange eyes likely would have passed mostly for humans, these were the most dangerous. Many Stood out, too wrong to blend in. This one, she had power of blight and was likely smart and able to hide amongst the normal living. 

He ignored the thing wiggling at the back of his mind, the thought. He had no time for distractions or delay.[color=6ecff6] “Have you seen the Princess, anything out here? I have bigger issues than if you or i like each other. Everything here. Is at stake. We already had one death.”[/color] He asked without pause, he had no time for pleasantly  but he refrained from insult. This town they had to try…try to work with those cursed, and the Prince and Peincess had set so much on it, it could not fail. He may not always like it, but he knew that their loss would be a grave one for the kingdoms. Maybe even the end. 

Maybe he was too blunt, but he had a mission, a goal, and a important one. He had one job to do. 


[@The Muse]