There she stands, a few feet short of Baldrum southern gate. She can't help but feel small in the face of it, most people seem not to notice but for her, its the first time she'd ever seen it. For sure she had seen a lot on her travels, from the peaceful wyverns hovering above the Sinking Islands to the magical fairy people of Yellowsfere. But constructions like these, man made marvels, she'd only seen in Eldor. She sighs, feeling quit nervous to her own surprise. What had she to be nervous about really? Who says he is still here? Their last letter was over 4 years ago, though they kept in contact the previous 10. She had been sending a letter every time she spends some time in the same spot and only moving on when his return arrived. 10 years ... hundreds of letters must have been send. 14 years she thinks. Was it really that long? She never realized, to her 14 years is nothing, a tiny part of her life but for a human ... He'd be 30 by now. If he is here, would he even remember me? Want to see me? Why would he, I've been away for such a huge part of his life. She is starting to doubt and paces around in the center of the road leading in, people passing her on both sides.
"Move out of the road! Typical elves thinking they own the place." She hears being yelled from a wagon passing and missing her only by an inch. I should not be here she thinks before turning her back towards the city gates, he build a life for himself, no need to reopen old wounds, what the hell where you thinking Jessalie. As she starts to walk away, back towards the forest, she hears a voice yelling from behind her. "wait, elf woman, hold on for a second." As she turns she see's a young man in a guards uniform running towards her. She looks at him questioning as to what this is about, she didn't even enter the city so she could not have done anything wrong right? The man pause as he reaches her, clearly out of breath and needing a moment to compose himself. "Miss, can ... can I ask your name please?" he mutters out, still a bit dazed by running a fair distance in plate armor.
"My name? What's that to you? I'm not even in your city so ... " she gets cut off by the guard.
"Jessalie?"
"How do you know my name!?" she reacts shocked
"Would you be so kind as to follow me miss."
"Follow you? What for? Explain yourself." She says in an almost fierce tone unlike her usual suiting one.
"I'll explain on the way miss, it's a fair walk where we are headed."
"Alright fine!" As she moves towards the gates beside the guard "Come on now, start talking."
"Hmm I probably should have lead with this but do you know Captain Marius?"
"Marius!? Little Marius he ... he send you, how did ..."
"Not quit miss, we all know his story, he used to tell it quit a lot actually. The captain never smiles, except when he speaks off you. Granted since the war broke out he hasn't anymore but who could blame him."
"War? What are you talking about?"
"The war? Baldrum got attacked in force a good 4 years ago, the northern wall is still not rebuild properly. The uprising hasn't relented ever since and more then a few battles have occurred over the years. The covenant has had to retreat more then once sadly."
"By the elders I did not know, i came straight here from Relia. But how did he know I was coming?"
"He doesn't, he hasn't spoken off you for a few years now, not since ... but when I saw you at the gate, i recognized you right away! The hair, the tattoo, the scar ... I've heard it so many times. It had to be you."
A silence falls over their conversation as she sinks away in thought. He didn't forget about her after all! Well until the war broke out, but who could blame him.
"Di ... did he tell you how I got the scar as well .. "
"Off course, you fended off one of those turnskin monsters and saved his life! Though i was always curious why you decided to let the beast live, the way he told it, you had it pinned down but instead of gutting the monster you just let it leave?"
I got a feeling he did not mention the part where he is the beast I let live, nor should he, clearly the necklace still works just fine thank the Elders.
"I took pity on it to be honest, its just a beast and the hunt is in its nature, it did not chose to be what it is so who am I to judge over its life or death."
"Hmmm ... I never really thought about it that way."
Without her realizing they where already in the city for quit some time now, as she looks around the busy street she can't help but feel out of place. There are a lot of different races all around her but not one elf in sight.
"Didn't you say the elves joined the war?"
"They did ... Ow I see what you mean, they lead there assaults straight out of their capital, they really don't communicate all that much. One battle they are there, the next they are not ... I don't want to talk bad about your pe ... "
"They are not my people!"
"Right right sorry you got banished wasn't it. Hold up, we are here."
Looking in front of her, there was an old looking building made of stone but clearly had seen better days. It's entrance almost resembles a barn, with big double doors standing open and guards on either side.
"Welcome to the barracks miss, Marius' company is on leave at the moment but he doesn't leaves the barracks much, so he should be here.
"Weren't you serving under Marius?" she asks, stalling a little as she starts to feel nervous again.
"I am, some of us volunteer for guard duty now and then, with the war still raging there isn't much else to do but sit and wait for the next attack anyway."
"ow" she mutters, thinking of a follow-up question as she is still trying to compose herself.
"Well i'll be on my way back, just follow the hallway straight true the end, last door on the left is his quarters. ... It was a real honor to meet you miss and please give the captain my regards."
He turns and walks off until Jess quickly turns and shouts "What's your name? I forgot to ask your name!"
"Galmeth, miss." He shouts back before disappearing into the crowds.
She takes a few steps towards the open doors, the guards simply nod at her as they overheard most of their conversation. It's harder then she thought, she remembers on the ship she felt so excited to see Marius again, little Marius ... Now that she's actually here it starts to down on her he isn't that sweet little boy anymore. So much must have happened, he must have seen some horrible things fighting in this war ... What if he doesn't want to see me ... Doubt filling her mind yet again ... Galmeth said he hadn't spoken about me in 4 years, maybe that means he does not want to see me. Why would he?
"Jess?"
A low, almost growling voice echo's her name from the back of the dimly lit hallway.
"By the bloody Elders! Jess!"
A man comes walking towards her in a dark brown, with golden trim, plate armor. Brown, somewhat curly hair moving as he walks and a scruffy looking beard to match. The closer he gets the more it sinks in ... Marius! Little Marius! Those dark brown eyes, it's almost the only thing she still recognizes about him. He has changed so much in all those year but how could he not, that little boy she knew grew into a man.
He pauses inches away from her, his size now her equal. Not that she was a particular tall elf but still he must be 6 feet easily. Suddenly she is pulled out of her train of thought as he grabs her by the shoulders, looking straight into her white glowing eyes.
"You haven't changed one bit, your still the same perfect vision I remember from all those years ago."
"I ... W ..."
"Ow but you have changed ... at a loss for words, that has to be a first. Or is the age finally kicking in after all."
She hits him with her fist balled on the chest plate, harder then intended and hurting her hand in the process. "Auw! See what you made me do." She utters trying her best to keep a serious voice. Before she could say another word he grabs her and pulls her close, his arms around her back.
"Honestly I thought I would never see you again, you hadn't written in years. I kinda hoped you would have found your place in the world, found a home ..."
"I kept writing ... maybe with the war they didn't reach ..." She didn't think of that before, maybe they just didn't reach him, that would explain everything. A city that was under siege, constants battles ... How can a simple letter survive such a thing.
"It does not matter, I'm just glad I get a chance to see you again ... Jess. Come, walk with me, I believe we have a lot to talk about." He says while gently nudging her towards the hallway with one hand on her back.
As they pass the guards she hears them whisper behind their back "Did captain Marius just smile? By the elders, I've never seen him as much as grin." followed by some chuckling. Marius probably heard it to but seems not to give it any thought. when we reach the end of the hallway, he opens his quarter's door for me. Its surprisingly small, little more than the stables on his farm way back when.
"Here, take a seat." he says motioning at the one chair next to a small table. As I take a seat he moves to sit on his bed, if you can call a couple of crates with fur on them a bed, on the other side of the room, using the word room very lightly in this case. With both seated a silence fills the room as they both just look at each other for what feels like ages.
"So ... we meet again, little Marius." She says in an attempt to break the silence, what did I miss in those 4 years? Last letter I received from you, you where only recently promoted to sergeant and your daily routing was mostly running drills and responding to the odd bandit attack."
"I presumed you did not hear about the war breaking out. It wasn't long after my last letter to you actually, a week maybe. Nobody saw it coming, there have been small skirmishes for many years but an all out attack on Baldrum without warning? We where caught off guard to say the least and have severally underestimated the Uprising. Thinking we where technologically more advanced was our biggest mistake ... They attacked at night, the city fast asleep, guards struggling to keep themselves upright until suddenly the first fireballs hit our outer wall. It didn't take more than 4 or 5 of them to make a piece of it collapse upon itself. With only a fraction of our forces in the city and the time it took to get them organized ... Orcs, centaurs, ... they where killing innocent people on the streets, burning houses, ... When I finally arrived I started to organize the troops and block section by section and contain the fighting to the already hit part of the city. Three days it took us to drive them out, three days with hardly any rest, food or drink, I think no one there expected to walk out alive and yet somehow I did. By the end I was so exhausted my mind started to play tricks on me and and a centaur charging at me in full battle harness transformed into on of those monstrous wolves ... I froze, shouldn't have, but I did ... I spend the good part of the following year in the hospice with ribs barely hanging together and sizable hole in my chest. Even the doctors told me it was a miracle i survived, let alone recovered from that. After I returned to active duty, got a promotion and I haven't stopped fighting since."
Taking a moment to take it all in, she unintentionally stares at him for a moment.
"Ow yes ... I DID finally grow facial hair." He says with a playful idiotic grin on his face."
"Wha ... oh by the Elders, you might have changed on the outside but your still just little Marius in there aren't you." She says laughing.
"Little Captain, please." He replies jestingly
"You ... Its good to see you Marius, it really is."
"How long are you staying?"
"Well i'm not sure honestly haven't thought about it. I just fell the urge to come here and ... Well I don't really know."
"Faith ... faith brought us together the first time, maybe it did again for a reason."
She smiles ever so genuine, clearly happy with his reasoning. They continuous to talk and engage in playful banter until the early hours of the day. When they do finally turn in, Marius sleeping on the floor this time around, its only for a few hours until the rooster crows and the barracks start to come alive.
As Jess opens her eyes slowly and their glow brighten the room slightly, she can see Marius already up and sitting on the lonely chair in the room, looking straight at her.
"I thought it best I keep an eye on you this time and hide my quill and papers."
Raising herself in bed, sitting upright now "I was waiting how long it would take for that to come up."
"Honestly it did me more good than bad saying goodbye the way we did." he reaches for his pauldron laying on the floor next to him, searching for something underneath it. It takes a moment but when he pulls his hand back ... her letter, he actually kept it.
"I kept the others a swell but this one, this one I keep with me at all time, my little good luck charm so to speak."
She does not know what to say, ever since she got near him she's been at a constant loss for words. Travelling all over the globe she's see so much, experienced things, met people ... and alone with lit ... Marius in a room she does not know what to say. So she shifts nervously on the bed. "That's actually very sweet, I ... I don't know what to say."
"Well enough of this sweetness then, there is a whole city for you to discover and I'm on leave for another few days, lets go make the most of it."
They both dress in something a bit more proper and part for the town, Marius pointing out all the interesting features, shops and architecture. The pair walks around for hours, Jess clearly enjoying herself and loosening up more and more as Marius struggles to get a word in.
Suddenly the town bells start to sound and in only a few seconds a panic ensues with people running and screaming all around them. "We need to get back to the barracks, now!" He grabs her by the hand and almost pulls her behind him as he makes his way true the panicked crowds.
"What's happening!?" she yells trying to get out above the screaming masses.
"We are under attack ... the Uprising is moving on the city again." He yells back at the top of his lunges. It doesn't take them long at his pace to reach the barracks where a soldiers are pouring out in full armor, armed with sword and shield or bow and arrows. They all part way as they see Marius rushing in to the barracks with Jess in toe and once at his quarters he immediately grabs his armor and almost throws it on the table. "Jess, you stay here, this is probably the safest place inside the city."
"What!? I'm not going to let you go out there alone!" She almost screams at him out of pure impulse.
"Haven't you seen the soldiers? I'll hardly be alone out there." He replies while taking off his shirt, revealing an immense scar running almost straight in the middle of his hairy chest. He immediately reaches for a padded shirt, made to lessen the burden of the heavy armor he is about to put on.
"You ... I'm coming, clearly you can use all the help you can get." Motioning towards his chest before quickly searching her backpack for her dagger.
"Fine fine, I don't have time to argue, but you do exactly as I say, when I say it."
"I'm not one of you .. "
"If your coming with me, you are. And go across the hall, its the armory, grab a decent weapon and some armor. No discussion."
She wants to disagree but she knew by his tone he was not joking around, this was serious, this was war. She runs into the armory, looking for something that would fit her elven figure somewhat and finding a heavy leather armored vest with pants to match and grabbing a bow and full quiver from the weapon racks. As she reenters the room, Marius is already in full gear, tightening his paldrons on his shoulders. She decides not to lose time and puts on the vest above her simple white shirt and pulls her shorts down without thinking, making Marius pause for just a second, though she noticed him looking out the corner of her eyes. Continuing she puts the lightly armored leather pants on, swings the quiver over her shoulder and grabs the bow while Marius sheets his sword. "Ready?" he says looking her in the eyes.
"As i'll ever be" she replies to seem confident. "But we are talking about you looking when we get back." she continuous trying to lighten the mood.
"If ... you mean if. Come on follow me, we need to be quick."
They race outside and are greeted by a full battalion standing at attention, there must easily be 200 men, humans, dwarves and a few fawns.
"Captain Marius, we stand at the ready" Galmeth says loudly while taking on step out of line.
"Move out sergeant! And send a runner to general Walters and tell him we are on our way, gives him time to come up with a plan."
"Dale, your our fastest. Your heard the captain. Run!" Galmeth shouts at the battalion when a fawn jumps out of line an sprints away.
"Alright men, move out!" Marius shouts as the men all turn simultaneously and start marching with Marius at the head. Jess unsure as what to do just steps in beside him and matches his pace.
"Do I go walk with your men or ..." she whispers to him.
"No, i'm not letting you out of my sight, you stick to me, that was the deal."
The remainder of the way they walk in silence true the now empty streets. It takes them a good while to reach the northern gate but once in sight they are greeted by Dale running back towards them. He pauses and salutes Marius before speaking. "Sir, general Walters is already out of the gate, we are the last to arrive. He's ordered us to take the left flank, sir."
"You heard the man, we head out double time, war is waiting!" He shouts at his men who quicken there pace to a slow run. Just as Dale wants to join them he grabs him by the arm. "How many and how far out?"
"The general didn't say, but I got a look. At most we have an hour and their numbers seem to at least match our own. Though I did not see any siege engines this time."
"Alright dale, join the others." He says in a low, almost worried tone.
"Is, isn't this good news?" Jess asks a little worried herself now. "And we have archers on the walls and I think I saw balista's in those guard towers no?"
"If you look at the numbers, its an even fight, tipping in our advantage even but ... have you ever seen an orc ... up close? Or centaur cavalry charging? Its ... well its going to be a hard fight. So please stay behind the line, fire from a distance and nothing more." Before she has time to reply he runs after his men who are already passing the gate. As soon as he get there a voice calls out to him "Marius! About bloody time!"
A bulky looking dwarf in ornate armor comes charging towards them. "I was starting to think I was going to have to win this one alone."
"I'm sorry general, we got here as fast as ..." he gets cut short.
"And who is this? Since when do we have elves enlisted?"
"New recruit sir, only arrived yesterday."
The general steps closer, glaring at her. "Hmm, judging from that scar she's seen battle, that's more than we can say from the rest of her kind."
"She is combat ready sir, not to worry." Marius says confidently to put the general at ease. "But sir, why are they attacking without siege engines? Can't we just pick them off from the wall? I mean why engage them when we do not need to?"
"Not my idea captain, the king wants a show off force and more importantly a victory to flaunt around with. You can thank me later we are not charging them as the king first wanted."
Marius shakes his head in frustrating.
"General, i'm joining my men, they are probably closing in."
"Aye, you make sure my flank does not crumble you hear! You haven't let me down yet, so don't start now Cromwell."
Marius gives a quick salute before heading towards his men who are already positioned with the rest of the army. Once there he immediately starts to shout out orders. "Infantry to the front, shields up, archers at the back. No waiting on orders to fire, the moment they are in range you let louse! Not a single one of those Uprising scum are making it true this line today! The king wants a win and we are giving him one!."
"Crom! Crom! Crom!" They start shouting back at him. Jess took her place along with the other archers at the back of the battalion as the opposing forces slowly come closer and closer. The waiting is the hardest part, knowing a storm is coming, unable to stop it but bracing yourself for when it finally hits.
Battle horns sound from the Uprising's forces. "Prepare for a charge!" Marius shouts as he unsheets his sword in one fluent move. Its just now she notices, its his fathers sword. The hilt fortified but unmistakably that's the same sword his mother ... her train of thought interrupted with arrows swooshing down upon them. "Shields!" The men without hesitation lift their shields up, protecting the archers and themselves. "Here it comes men! Make your peace with the Elders for you might meet them today! ... Lets send these green bastards back from where they came!" His words are barely spoken when a wave of orcs, goblin's and towering troll come rushing towards them. As ordered the archers start loosing arrow after arrow, picking off their front line one by one. Jess, quit the marksmen, easily took out 10 of them before the lines crash and Marius' battalion is pushes back a few feet.
"Hoooold!" He shouts while swinging his blade at the orc right in front of him. A spear shoots an inch form his head, yet he does not flinch and swings his blade again, striking flesh this time as the orc go's down in front of him. Yet it takes only a split second as the goblin behind the fallen orc lunges at him with a small spear, made for his size. Marius moves aside, just enough to doge the spear and to catch him in mid air, throwing him back from which he came. Foe after foe came before him and one by one he cut them down, almost with ease. Jess could not take her eyes off the man leading by example, fighting like a predator, like ... like a wolf. "Archers!! Take out that troll!" Marius shouts breaking her train of thought and motioning his sword to a giant troll trumping towards them. Jess without hesitation pulls an arrow out her quiver, draws and shoots, hitting the troll in the chest from quit the distance. It doesn't even flinch as its still trumping ahead and arrow after arrow starts hitting it. Jess draws her next arrow, pausing for a second, aiming steady and lets loose. The arrow hits it almost straight between its eyes, making the troll go down, taking a few of its own forces with it. When she looks over at Marius he faintly smiles and nods at her before engaging another heavily armored orc.
With the battle going on for some time, a cloud of dust is rising higher and higher and Jess is now shooting blindly over the heads of the Baldrum forces. Suddenly Marius voice rings true the dust cloud "Wounded coming true, loose formation!" As the line in front of her opens up, letting a few soldiers, covered in blood true before closing back up again.
"Galmeth, Galmeth, are you ok?" she shouts as she see's the young sergeant among them with a bloodies head, barely able to remain standing.
"A .. aye miss, my shield took the bulk of it, but those orc's pack a punch." He mutters, heavily slurring his words.
"Come sit, lets see if i still remember how to do this." She says while placing a hand upon his head and one pointed at the ground.
"Wha .. what are you .. " He stutters until her bright white eyes turn green and an aura of green appears around him. His wound slowly closing up until only a small scar remains and the pain ebbs away. "How? How did you do that!?" He asks with a look of pure wonder on his face.
"I used to be a druid remember, or did Marius skip that part of the story?" She says before grabbing her bow again and firing an arrow at an other troll's head sticking out above the dust cloud.
"Thank, thank you." He says crawling back to his feet and taking position again with the rest of the men. The other wounded seeing what she did for their sergeant lined up next to her with the first one asking "Can you do that again? We need to get back in this fight miss."
"I'll try." She replies. "I'm out of practice and this take a lot out of me." But she tries anyway, and by the time she reaches the last one she is visibly exhausted, struggling to remain standing. With the battle going on for hours now, both forces start to feel the fatigue hitting hard, except for Marius who is standing a few feet in front of his battalion line, still cutting down foe after foe in a spectacle of blood and gore. This was hardly the boy she once knew, this man was clearly forged in combat, he doesn't pause, he does not waver, not even the face of monstrous foe's ... It suddenly clicks, this is what he wanted to become, fearless, a protector ... An arrow shoots above her head, snapping her back to reality. "They are falling back!" Marius shouts as he cuts a fleeing orc down without hesitation. "The day is ours!"
Jess makes her way true the line of his cheering men until she finally reaches Marius at the head of it, covered in blood with his sword up in the air. She stands there, in front of him, just looking at the man he became. She feels something come over her, she can't stop herself ... She takes that final step closer, grabs his head, pulling it towards hers and kisses him. His men fall silent for a second, only to start cheering even louder than they did before. The moment her lips seize to touch his, he pulls her back in, grabbing her by the waist in a moment that seemed to last forever.