[IC] Fall of Vedrus

[RangerOfTheRit]

"Alright lets set up camp guys. I'll hitch the horses and start on firewood. You guys set up the tents. I'll take first watch tonight too." Leo dismounted and took everyone's horses by their reins and tied them to a juniper tree. He then took off his backpack, swords, coat and armor, only wearing his tunic, trousers, boots and dagger. He rolled up his sleeves and then headed off into the woods.

[SaikaAnge]

Crim watched him leave with a slight smile and started pitching tents. "Alexander, what do we do with her? She doesn't have a tent, nor food rations." she asked as she began to pitch his tent. "She can stay in mine. I can see if Leo wouldn't mind one more in his tent." Crim said with a slight smile on her face from the thought of being in his tent again. Hell, she had brought her tent as an extra, she didn't really ever plan on using it. "Do you mind helping me with the tents, Rosline? It would help a lot. And Alexander, you should go check on Leo, make sure he's alright with the sleeping arrangement."

Rosline walked beside Alexander with her head down. She felt disappointed she didn't get5 her own food rations or tent, but was grateful Crim was so kind as to let her use her tent. Roz owed Crim for this. "Thank you milady. I appreciate it." she nodded to Crim and began to help her with the tents. "If it does make you feel safer, you can tie my hands yourself. I don't want to cause issues with your king." Roz added looking down as she finished setting up the tent Crim was letting her use for the night.

"I was joking. It was mostly to make him smile again." Crim explained and finished setting up Alexander's tent. "I trust you enough. Besides, it's nice to no longer be outnumbered. Yo0u made the odds even." Crim smiled and laughed, causing Roz to smile and laugh to.

[jaybreezy]

Alexander looked at Crim, chuckling a bit before looking back at Roz. "Hands behind your back." Alexander said, grabbing some rope from his horse. He wasn't really going to tie her too much. He was going to tease her a bit for fun, something he rarely did as a soldier.

[SaikaAnge]

Roz stood straight and still, holding her hands behind her back. "Do you, sir, have a misses?" Roz asked blushing a bunch and hoping his answer would be no, but was unsure due to his handsomeness.

Crim laughed a bit as she watched the soldier tie her hands back. "He sure does. His sword." she laughed again and gave Rosline a smile. She had a feeling the girl was gonna ask that. Silly silly girl. "Don't tie her too tight, may need her help later." Crim added with a wink to Alexander.

"Lady Crim, could you maybe help me with my armor later? The fastens get stuck sometimes and well," she looked back at her hands for a second then back to Crim. "I'm kinda in a bind." she laughed a little at her little joke and got Crim to laugh as well.

"Of course." Crim responded.

[RangerOfTheRit]

Leo came back with a few logs and a bundle of small sticks. "I'll get to chopping the logs. Crim will you get the fire going?" Leo laid the small sticks on the ground and set the 6 logs near a stump. He removed his shirt and drew Roz's sword from his saddle, seeing as how they were lacking an axe. He set about to chopping the logs into halves.

[SaikaAnge]

Crim nodded and whistled. "Fire, girl." she said to her dragon. The dragon landed near the pile and spit a tiny spark, lighting the wood on fire. "May be cheating, but it's a lot faster." she smiled then realized Roz had stumbled to walk away from the dragon and had fallen. "Up, girl." Crim whispered to Seralth then went over to Roz to help her up. "Sorry,"

[jaybreezy]

Alexander smirked. "A misses? No. Why?" Alexander asked, catching on to her a bit. He could feel like she either wanted something from him or wanted him in general. He got off his horse and tied it to a tree before returning to Roz. "Fancy me or somethin'?" Alexander asked, not really thinking she'd answer. He chuckled a bit.

[SaikaAnge]

Roz blushed a hit and smirked a bit. "wouldn't you like to know." she responded trying to put her hand on her hips, but realized she couldn't so just stuck her hip. She tried to be as sassy as she could, but still polite. "I was just wondering. Wouldn't want to be surrounded with lovers. Get a bit unsettling." she smiled a bit, as she stopped blushing as much.

[jaybreezy]

Alexander raised an eyebrow. "Oh, is that right?" Alexander chuckled. He sat against a tree, removing his armor. It was uncomfortable and get in the way. He had a tight, black shirt the Goldenblades gave to their swordsmen. His had a rip through the middle, a harsh reminder of what happens on the battlefield.

[RangerOfTheRit]

Leo put his tunic and coat back on. He flipped up his hood and pulled his pipe from a pocket on the side of his bag. He lit it and went to sit next to Crim, putting his arm around her and resting his head on hers. He took a drag from his pipe and blew the smoke out in circles.

[SaikaAnge]

Crim sat with Leo smiling as Roz made her way between them and Alexander. She sat down with a slide thud due to her hand still being tied behind her.
"So is this the part where we tell war stories? Or are you guys the silent type?" she asked with a slight smile as she watched the flames dance around the longs like children running around their parents.

[RangerOfTheRit]

"Do you remember your first kill? Mine was some green boy at the battle of Red River Rush. I was part of a small cavalry unit, about 50 men, led by Captain Tomunn and we were dispatched directly from Duplil. Red River Rush was taken by Ironbane Mercenaries. The village is one of the biggest suppliers of fish and grain because it was built on the banks of The Red River, so of course the boys upstairs wanted it back. Our scouts had it wrong though. It wasnt 40 men in the garrison. It was 140. They had archers on the gates and the first thing they did was take out our horses. We made it to the wall without losing anyone but we had no way of breaking the gates. That was until i noticed the heavy oaken spikes they had around the walls. Me and my cousin, Omund, ripped one of them out of the ground, aiming the blunt end on the gate. It took us 5 good hits but we finally busted the bitch open. They had all their militiamen in front as meat shields. One gored my through the thigh but i barely felt it. I ripped the spear out and cast it aside. I saw Omund catch a shield to the throat. He died, choking on his own blood. So i ran to the boy who did it, grabbed his shield, broke his arm, ripped the shield off and bashed his head in. The whole time he was screaming for his mother. Needless to say we won the battle, i took out about 50 of them on my own. There was talk at camp that some of our men didnt even get one kill because of me, i doubt thats true though. Its funny, the rage that comes out when you lose family. Heh, well anyway, your first kill? What was it?" Leo never looked from the fire once, the entire time he spoke.

[SaikaAnge]

Roz had a wide smile other face when the question was asked. "Oh, what a question. My first kill had to be when I was just a recruit. Our training camp was attacked by cultists. So our commanding officers had all of us recruits take them on as a test. Didn't care if we died, but sent us to fight them. So took a sword from my captain and ran in. Most of the others either got eaten by dragons or killed by magic. My first kill, it was a dragon." Roz smiled at the memory of her beheading the dragon. It was a great day. "That was the day I got promoted. Got my own 50 man scouting squad." she stared into the fire remembering her fighting days when she didn't know how savage the Ironbanes were.

[RangerOfTheRit]

"Its one thing to kill an animal and another to kill a person. Who was your first human kill?" Leo asked, taking a drag on his pipe.

[SaikaAnge]

"The dragon's master. Killed the witch where she stood." Rosaline responded with a smile, not remembering Crim had a dragon and was a cultist. She looked over at Leo to see his expression and watched as Crim stood up and walked away toward the woods.

[RangerOfTheRit]

Leo shot her a glare and a growl. "Very subtle." he said before standing and following Crim. "Hey, are you alright love? I can easily shove a dagger under her chin if you want." he wrapped his arms around her waist.

[SaikaAnge]

Crim shook her head. She knew the cultists weren't the best of people, but even this girl considered her a witch. "Leo, am I a witch?" she knelt down near a stream and put her hand in the water. Seralth swooped down and sat across from her on the other side of the stream. "We are witches, aren't we?" Crim looked up at him with a bit of despair in her green eyes.

[RangerOfTheRit]

"No! You're a warrior. A scholar. A friend of dragons. You are a queen." Leo knelt down and kissed her, trying to convey what his words couldnt.

[SaikaAnge]

"But I practice magic. I could kill someone without touching them." Tears began to form in her eyes and drop into the steady flowing water. Seralth whimpered from across the way and started to come over when Crim hissed slightly scaring her back down. Seralth lowered herself to the ground and whimpered more. The dragon then turned her gaze to Leo and whined to him. "She shouldn't be here." Crim stood and walked further down the stream.

[RangerOfTheRit]

Leo picked Seralth up and followed Crim. "Stop. Crim please stop. She's some Ironbane wench. Dont listen to her. You're so much more than any of that. Please believe me."