The beast lied on the road with dark red blood creating a pool underneath the slain beast, above the beast stood Geoff with a sad look in his eyes, Geoff looked over to Cole's body and looked sad
"Aron and Kajus go pick up Cole's body and put it into the caravan, don't place the body near the food or the architects" he said while picking up the beast towing it towards the forest.
Aron walked up to Cole's body and tapped the dead body's shoulder and said something to him, Kajus was too far away to hear what he said but he walked up to the corpse and helped Aron drag it back to the caravan.
The body was heavy and when Kajus took a look at the bodies open neck wound he felt his stomach turning, he manned on but when they were 5 steps closer to the caravan the head detached from the body making Kajus instantly vomit, the body fell down the moment he let go of it.
Seeing Kajus vomit made Grinda vomit as well then they heard a voice.
"Stop playing around and get this caravan going again you dirty sell swords"
It was from the leading architect that went out of his carriage to see what the hold up was, the architect looked proud, he was an older man with a long beard and a tall hat covering his head, his face screamed rich.
Kajus didn't care what that guy said because he was busy vomiting his guts out besides the corpse. Aron gave the architect a glare and told him piss off and get back in the caravan.
The architect humphed and went back into his carriage. Aron looked like he was in a real sour mood. Geoff got back after dumping the rabbits body into the forest, he held the monster's grotesque head with his right hand and picked the body of his fallen teammate with his left. They placed the body where the lumber was situated and Geoff gave Kajus the horse that was now without an owner.
The caravan kept going, it was getting dark so they had to find a place to make camp.
'I don't feel nervous around people anymore after i got that scar, the insecurity made by that scar made me more self conscious about my looks rather then how I got perceived'
'The night spent with Grinda patrolling the wall made me less nervous around her as well'
-
Their camp was made right outside of the forest's borders, they had 1 large fire with 4 tents, two of the tents for the clan members and two for the architects.
"Guess we will be sleeping in the same tent together Kajus" Grinda mumbled towards Kajus
Kajus nodded and went inside the tent to get some shut eye, following him Grinda walked into the tent as well, they were both going to sleep with their battle attire on.
"It will feel very nice taking the armor off when we get back home huh" Grinda said trying to make conversation
"Yes it must be an amazing feeling, it already is nice taking your heavy shoes off after training. I can't even imagine the relief one would feel."
They talked until they were too tired to muse each other and they swiftly fell asleep.
On guard duty Geoff sat watch near the fire pit, his eyes red and his mood down, he was close to crying he sat there thinking about Cole, he suddenly heard a noise coming from one of the tents, it was Aron. Aron had been crying in his tent neither of them wanted to show sadness in front of the new recruits, they were after all battle hardened veterans. At Least that's the front they decided to show everyone, they have never fought in any large scale crusades the hardest battle either of them fought was one group of un armored orcs, both of them fought that battle it was there Geoff got his scar, there were 20 humans ambushing 4 orcs not really something to be proud of but it was something neither of them would confess, they usually told a story about how they vigorously fought against an orc invasion and they alone a band of sell swords fought against twice their number and how hard it was.
The Condottiere usually only manned the walls and did small scale missions for some noble, their hardest task they had at the moment was scouting for wild orc groups near the border and then reporting to the number one clan in the town which was the royal eagle clan.
The Condottiere was a small clan with about 70 members, their captain was called Larthus he was a true man the only one among them who has fought against the orc invasion, the captain was a stalwart, a stalwart was the rank above knight, his strength is inhuman and he is also a mage, a light mage. The captain is a true warrior and he is currently in New Drifbredd. Everyone in the clan looked up to the captain.
Geoff greeted Aron and they sat there in front of the fire lamenting and grieving for their fallen comrade.
-
The morning came and it was time for the caravan to move yet again, they encountered only small wolf packs and gray panthers, nothing out of the ordinary, those animals never got too close to the caravan so the second day went without a hitch they camped yet again with Aron keeping watch.
The night passed and the morning as well, they were now finally in New Drifbedd. They could see the clan banner and their clans people coming to greet them.
'finally' Kajus thought, he was really tired he hadn't got enough sleep these 2 nights, at night he could hear Aron weeping to himself alone in his tent, that disturbed him greatly. He talked often with Grinda bonding a lot but he was properly tired, he has probably never been as tired as he has been now and when he saw the clans people and the flag hoisted in the city he felt incredibly relieved.