@EldarionIJust perfect.
Her eyes lit up the moment she heard the dwarf stand up to that intolerable knight and proclaim that it would be he who took her to his room for the day. Just wonderful. Her snare may have failed to grasp that fool of a man, but now she had the mouthy dwarf, and that precious silver he boasted so proudly of, all to herself. Now, all Ashana had to do was bide her time till they were alone.
Oh, that knight, how he must be boiling with anger beneath his layers of cold steel Ashana thought, the very notion enough to paint a satisfied sneer across her beaming face. She had to admit while stealing their wealth was the main goal here, it was always a pleasure to her to see a man riled. The knight she would not forget however, oh no, for once she was done with the dwarf, she would come for him once more. Only the next time, instead of a lusty maiden, under the cover of night, the true Black Rose would blossom...bathed in the blood of her enemy.
But for now, Ashana waited, slipping an arm around the dwarf and shooting the knight a condescending smirk as her mark laid into him.
Shinji Takemitsu
m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp2oSuh1Hy0Snow fell like cherry blossoms upon his armor and horse through the thick pines of the forest, as he and three other men rode along down the winding path back to the camp. The chilling winds howled dicing through his armor, causing him to shiver a tad. This place, so strange. Winter came for but a season in his homeland, but here, it had seemed to be perpetual. The snow was so dense here, it was a challenge to see far beyond. A veil of white and gray was all that stood before him, and that made him weary.
No vision. The enemy could ambush them at any moment. As he rode, his hand remained upon his blade, eyes vigilant. He continued to scan and survey the area around him. The enemy may have the first blow, but it would be he who struck the last.
Eventually as they soldiered on through the snow and ice, they passed through the forest, and a small sliver of flame appeared deep in the sundered valley below, surrounded by makeshift tents and tattered banners flapping in the snowy breeze. A sigh of relief Shinji exhaled. They had made it to the camp. Men scurried back and forth. Horses bucked and neighed, their hot breath a mist upon the frosty air. Meats and vegetables roasted on spits over crackling campfires and blacksmith hammers beat against scorched anvils with a resounding clang as the armorers and weaponsmiths were hard at work to arm their brothers for victory.
As Shinji rode down into the camp, a solace befell him despite the bustling nature. It was a solace that overcame him many a time after bloody battle, the solace of returning home. He hopped off his horse and tied him to the post. By that time, a man, slightly younger than he, emerged from one of the larger tents, a fur cloak wrapped around his heavy plate armor.
"My brothers, you return!" He greeted them over the wailing winds.
"Tell me, what news bring you from the front?""Our men have cut off their supply lines from the north, captain." Shinji replied as loud as his voice could carry.
"They will starve to death before they reach our camps to the east.""Ha, good!" The captain said.
"Come, my comrade. We have more to discuss. Your efforts in this war have been a godsend. Soon we shall breach the walls of the capitol and bring the king to his knees. A new day shall dwan for the people of this land, my friend! Freedom and equality for all!""That is well and good, captain." Shinji returned walking beside him.
"But a throne without a monarch to sit upon it breeds anarchy. The people are in need of a ruler, one who is fair and just.""Indeed, my friend." The captain nodded.
"There will be such a king, and he shall rule over his people as you have said, fair and just, but for now, we must turn our sight not towards the throne but the battlefield. Our victory is at hand, but the king's men continue to press us from all sides.
We must continue to make our push to the capitol one city at a time."They walked into the main tent. A table sat in the middle, a map of the land sprawled out upon it. The captain strolled over to the map and leaned over it. Shinji stood on opposite side and removed his helm.
"See here." The captain unsheathed his dagger, pointing it at the map.
"We have taken much of the land in this area. Faelstad and Carthis are under our control. We receive fresh supplies from those cities daily, and our men garrisoned there will serve as a first defense against a push from the king's men towards the west." Slowly, his dagger slid across the map.
"While they hold our position east, we can resume marching our men forward to the capitol. Only a few cities stand in our way.""Gideon, Elanol, and King's Stead." Shinji muttered.
"Cities surrounded by great stone walls, one of which is guarded by the king's elite and four towering golems."The captain looked up, his brow furrowing.
"You doubt the strength of our forces? Why?"Shinji bowed his head.
"Apologies, captain. I did not mean to offend, but we must consider bolstering our ranks before pushing west. The king's men are great in number and strength towards the capitol, and the land is far more open. Here east, we may have a foothold, yes, but pushing west with our meager numbers will only thin our ranks and leave us vulnerable.""Ah, so you say we need more men. Is that it?""Indeed. While our men may be strong, we are few. The strength of the king lies in the number of his men and the breadth of his land.""And the fact that half these buffoons won't open their eyes to the tyrant he has become. They would rather throw their lives away for the bonds of slavery than fight for their freedom." Gruffly the captain sighed.
"So be it. It will be a stretch, but I will gather as many men and women as I can. We will also need to increase our supply to better suit our swelling numbers.
Until then, I want your men to continue their push to the capitol. The throne will be ours soon enough, then we can change this kingdom...for the better.
You are dismissed.""Captain." Shinji bowed again and left the tent. He thought of the young man, ambitious, but ambition without guidance was folly. It was good that he had come along.
