Princess Mylina's Story

Many of the Stargazers gather their things and beginning returning towards their tower, even with the importance of sending off the heroes, they have many tasks ahead of them. There are stages to this battle that go beyond what a commander can judge with his eyes, and to this end the Stargazers regroup to see beyond what normal men can see. They gather to tell of what will come, to serve as the King's wise advisers in the darkest of hours.

King Albrect is a strong willed man with the heart of a lion, but his body is aged and his nights have been restless, even as he stands before the selected heroes, expending his composure to appear strong before a tide of destruction. Many friends lost, many more still to lose, yet a King cannot afford tears nor sorrow. He lifts his hand, fingers gesturing to a woman standing far behind, a lady in service to the queen. The middle-aged woman turns and begins heading towards the inner part of the castle, where the royal family makes their home.

No severe questions came from the heroes, yet there were things that must be said all the same. After a deep breath and a moment of thought the king began to speak.

"No simple task awaits you in the west, there are many dangers, as I am sure many of you are familiar with. The Black Legion is marching upon us, and more of their numbers emerge with each day. Many of my men and women await for the beginning of this quest and they will give you the opening you need to make it to the cover of the woods. I ask that you honor their sacrifice, for they march out knowing they face death in leaving the city walls."

His eyes closed for a moment, as he pictured what he could remember of the paths beyond the western wall. His fist tensed as he struggled to recall a name.

"Many years have past since I once walked in the outer lands, my mind is not clear on the paths nor should I advise you on where to go when you enter. My daughter seems to feel the pull, her eyes sometimes drift, her attention absent as she peers off to something beyond out sight. Follow her gaze should you become unsure of the way to the Black Legions' lair."

He glanced over each of them, "You will have a short period of time in order to prepare yourselves, I had packs of dried food readied, bread and salted meat along with waterskins. It would be best not to take the time to hunt, unless need demands it. Every day it takes for this quest to complete is a day that we spend having to hold our walls. My generals tell me they believe we can hold against this siege for three weeks, I do not believe we have more than two. Rapacity is a virtue in this, mix it well with carefulness but dread to tarry. We place the fate of Orlay in your hands."

A woman, beautiful with a steady look appears in regal clothing, from her eyes it is clear that she has been crying though she has done her best to cover it up. Beside her is a younger woman, wearing plainer, yet still fancy, clothing. The first of the two is the queen, a necklace bearing the crest of the royal family intends to make it clear to those who would not otherwise know. The woman at her side is her handmaiden, a woman of distinction and scholarly wit. Behind the two, a small girl peeks out to see the strangers who have gathered in her home.

Neither woman says anything as they walk closer, nor does the girl, who swiftly returns to hide behind her mother. The King gives a brief glance behind him, hearing the clack of less practical shoes on the wood and stone of the floors.

"Here comes my wife with my daughter now, please forgive her grieving, she does not wish to see our daughter part from our arms. It is a thing of sorrow for us both, as I imagine any parent would feel. Excuse us for showing our hearts so plainly," the King spoke with a softer tone, his voice shifting from how he speaks to his subjects into how he speaks around his child and wife. "Have Mylina come over here, these are our champions, selected by the stars of destiny."

The little girl was lifted up by the Queen's handmaiden and carried over towards her father. Mylina desperately buried her face in the handmaiden's neck, hiding away from the unusual people who she was being introduced to. The handmaiden stood the girl beside her father and pressed a hand on the child's back with a whispered, "stand properly." The Queen stood back, watching from a short distance away, she did not wish to come closer as her heart was already pressing her close to tears again.

"This is Mylina. My only daughter. She was born with strange markings upon her back, circles and line with runes and other archaic markings. They were recorded and many have worked on deciphering what it means but to no avail. The Stargazers tell me that this is what will undo the bindings of the Black Legion and reduce them to dust before us. No other reason would I let my daughter part my sight were it not for the end that meets us should she not go. I am glad so many of you speak of dedication, and I ask that you do what you can to protect Mylina on the way there and back again."

The little girl's eyes glanced at each of the warriors gathered, her own mind barely understanding what was being asked of her. She had been explained that she would accompany them, but her young mind couldn't appreciate the importance of such a monumental task. Her eyes looked over each with confusion and fear, only a couple of them were anything similar to the people she was used to.

"Gather yourselves, your task will soon begin, follow my man," He gestured to a middle aged scholar who was walking into the room, "He will guide you to where we are getting ready." The King leaned down to hug his daughter, "Mylina, these warriors will guide you. Stay with them, listen to what you are told and try not to be afraid. I love you my child, I am sorry to ask you for so much."

The scholar gestured with a limp hand, "Right along this way," his voice was rasp and nasally with an unpleasant whine. He started walking towards a side courtyard where several attendants had bags in their hands to hand off and an armored man stood beside a small cashe of weapons and gear. A couple of younger ladies, hardly twenty, stood together holding several finely woven, and darkly colored cloaks, behind them remained the rest.

The Scholar spoke again, "Take what you will, if you need for anything else before you depart, simply let me know and I'll see if we can fetch it for you." His unpleasant voice did not seem to bother the attendants but one of the girls with the cloak seemed to cringe slightly as he spoke. His every word like fingernails on slate to her ears.

Minutes after the young princess was lead out by her father, held firmly by the hand. She was wearing a many layered dress of fine quality, and well crafted shoes for a woodland journey. She fussed over the rough wool cloak that covered her, the scratchy fibers were something she was unused to having to wear. Her father gave a stern look and she put her hands down, letting the cloak rest against her without further adjustment.

There came a child. Shurik wasn't surprised. A smaller detail would be expected should the princess be of age, if only because she could handle herself to some degree. No, this made sense. The assassin looked nonplussed. When the group was conducted towards the secondary courtyard, Shurik stepped forward. No guard moved to stop him, surprisingly enough, as his robed body moved with silent ease towards the queen. Once he arrived before her, the assassin, in a curious display of compassion, unheard of from the mostly cold and aloof man, he gripped the woman by the forearms and turned her to face him.

"On my blade, I swear that so long as I stand your daughter will not come to harm." Making a small gesture at his belt, he pricked his thumb with the sickle-shaped blade hanging naked at his waist, drawing a small amount of blood. He touched his thumb to his forehead, and then to the Queen's, drawing a thin line down the center of her forehead. "Dali hustur, i meela-sok shinai, milady. 'In blood, the life-bond is sworn'." His face remained unchanged as he delivered a single solemn nod, then swept back into the fold of the group. He sucked the last of the blood from his thumb and wiped it on the hem of his robe, approaching the armorer.

A fine sight greeted his eyes An assortment of blades, small and large, stood before him. From the pile, Shurik selected a brace of throwing knives with an integrated leather quiver of significantly better quality than the one he possessed. Shurik removed his old quiver and replaced the belt with this new one, then removed the old arrows from the original quiver and slid them carefully into their place. A shortbow in a waist-holster greeted his sight next, and Shurik, glad for the sight of a bow, looped it through his main belt over the sword, and then withdrew the bow and drew the string as a test of the draw. It was a bit light for his tastes, but it would do the job - and perhaps he could even manage a few overdraws out of it. It was taken from the royal armory, after all - nothing but the best for a king and his royal guard.

He moved to take a pack of dry food and water and threw it over his shoulder, accepting a spare cloak from one of the handmaidens - a brown hooded cloak with a green inner lining - rolled it, and tied it onto the pack with a handful of rawhide straps. As he stood, it was then that he noticed the king standing there with his daughter, Mylina.

The assassin did something strange then. First, he returned to the armorer and took an iron dagger from the counter. Then he removed his own dagger -- a much sharper, lighter affair -- and approached the princess. Holding the sheathed blade by the sharp bits, he nodded to the king and knelt before his daughter.

"Milady," he intoned in his strange, deep voice, "a princess must know how to defend herself. This is a knife of the Malud, one of the finest daggers in the world." He gave his attempt at a smile, which would only prove to be slightly disconcerting, so he quickly stowed it beneath his serious face again. "So long as you carry it, the shadow of the Malud will lay over you like a shroud; no harm will come to you so long as one of their number still stands." He turned the handle towards her, offering the blade and sheath.

"Be careful, it is sharp, and a blade such as this cuts both ways." It was his way of saying the knife was double-edged. He nodded slowly, waiting for Mylina to accept the blade.

Shurik didn't once question the fact that he was about to offer his favorite knife to a six-year-old girl.

For once, since being summoned and chosen for the quest, Rose felt something other than optimism. It was dread. Soldiers, men and women, were going to sacrifice themselves so that they may make it to begin the journey in earnest. She was taken aback by this revelation, she didn't know- or perhaps even wanted to know- how they were to break through the lines of the Legion. Now it dawned on her. They were to be given an opening by the sacrifice of soldiers, who believed that they, they would end this nightmare. Rose's eyes grew wide and for once since being called, looked distressed. How many of those being sacrificed had she known. It could be any of them. Lily, Adel, Caine, even her father. Rose bit her lip, tasting the copper on her tongue. Could they truly succeed, and make sure that this sacrifice would not be in vain? She didn't know... She just didn't know.

Rose was brought out of her dread by the appearance of a tear stained face. The queen. Rose bowed her head to the queen and looked up just in time to catch a glimpse of the little tyke hiding behind skirts. It almost brought a smile back to Rose's face, but her thoughts were still in turmoil. This would not be some grand adventure like she thought it would be. It wasn't going to fun, and the entire kingdom rest on their shoulders. Suddenly, she felt the entire weight upon hers, and no precious child would make her forget about it right now.

Mylina. Such a pretty name. And she looked so worried and confused. A hand went to Rose's forehead as her thoughts flew up into a flurry. Dammit, everything got some complicated in such a short amount of time. Not only was the kingdom in their hands, but this little child as well, no more than seven years old. Dammit. This wasn't her, this wasn't Rose. She wasn't some savior, she was just a loyal- if troublemaking- soldier, a proud member of the Valigart. Not some hero. Still though, she couldn't pull her eyes away from the child. The precious little thing in her daddy's arms, scared out of her mind. Her own thoughts went to her own father and he used to hold her like that. Finally, the tears began to roll down the conflicted archer's cheeks.

She was being selfish. This wasn't about her, how everything was complicated for her. It was about the kingdom, about her friends, and most importantly, about that little girl. "Dammit," She muttered under her breath in a cracked voice. She shouldn't be crying in front of this child like this. Rose was her protector, she couldn't seem weak in front of her. Rose pushed the tears back and put on her best smile and approached the king and his daughter. She nodded at the king with the same optimistic (if troubled) smile she appeared in. And although her eyes were red from tears, she tried her best to look brave.

She knelt to the Princess and ruffled the girl's hair, still smiling a wide and comforting smile. She placed a warm hand on the girl shoulder and spoke, "Hello there Mylina. My name is Rose," She said, "I'm one of your guardians. Don't be scared, and don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you- Ever," she said with full conviction, giving the girl her hand to take. "Let's go yeah? The faster we get done, the faster we can get you back home and to your mom and dad!" She said, optimism swinging back in full. Once again, she gave the girl the widest smile she could possible muster. Who would have thought Rose could be so... Sisterly. "Now go with your dad for the moment, I'll see you again in a minute, okay?"

With that, they were taken to a courtyard with provisions and gear. She had enough arrows and supplies to last a while, but she still took on extra provisions of rations and water- personally carrying the supplies that Mylina would need herself. Despite her not being the strongest of those assembled, she would bare the burden herself. Rose had decided to personally take up for the child, since she couldn't see a man like Shawn or the foreigner acting nice to the girl, and she would probably be frightened of the elf. It had to be her. She even managed to snag another quiver of arrows before picking out a dark blue cloak to wear over her armor.

Again, Mylina was lead out by her father in a wool cloak. It looked scratchy by the way she tugged at it before her father shot her a look- a look all fathers gave their daughters. Rose still got those looks from her own father. It made the archer giggle. She approached the child and knelt in front of her again, this time adjusting the cloak for her. "You'll get used to it eventually," she said with a wink. It was about this time the foreigner with the dark skin approached. Shurik was it? He did something Rose didn't expect the man to do. Comfort the child. He didn't seem like the one who would try to comfort a child, even if it was with a blade. It was a touching sentiment to be sure, one she couldn't help but smile at. She looked at Shurik with the same smile and spoke, "That's nice. But if she cuts herself with it, I'm cutting you," She said with a wink. Despite he was handing a dangerous weapon to the child, she kept her mouth closed (for once). Who was she to reject the sentiment on behalf of the child?

Then she chewed on the side of her cheek, thinking. "Huh... How about some some cookies for the trip?" Without waiting for the answer, she turned and barked at one of the star-gazers. "Hey! Someone fetch me a bag of cookies!" She called before standing and handing out her own hand out for the girl to take. She looked up to Albrect and nodded with a optimistic smile. "I'll look out for her, sire. She reminds me of myself," She said on reflection. Then she thought about it for a second...

"I don't know if that's a good thing though," She said, shooting another wink to the child.

Lead into the small courtyard with the others, Nate was currently hard at work looking through the weapons presented to the heroes. The medic had rarely been anywhere near the front lines during his service to Orlay but now he would soon see himself charging through them to get into the vast forest outside his kingdoms walls. It also didn't help the only thing close to a weapon he carried was a pike which was mainly used to create a magical barrier for quick patch jobs on the field. Finding a small collection of short swords, the young man grabs a simple looking blade and pulls it out of its sheath to get a better look. Taking a few practice swings, Nate finds that it should suit his needs perfectly places the weapon back in its holster before tying the scabbard to his belt. In a similar fashion the medic goes and finds a buckler amongst a pile of shields and secures it to his forearm.

After accepting a cloak from one of the servants, Nate makes his way over to the small crowd gathered around the princess. While he normally couldn't stand children, Mylina was a exception. If what the stargazers had prophesized about her was correct, she appeared to have some connection to the legion's power source, which apparently also doubled as a compass for leading them towards it. The medic's curiosity was abuzz with questions though he doubted anyone could really answer them so for now he did the logical thing and keep his mouth shut while the Valigart talked to the princess and the barbarian known as Shawn gave a typical alpha male speech. Sighing slightly as the brute walked off, Nate raised a eyebrow at the battle mage who then began growling and snarling as a form of communication with Shawn. If that was the way the barbarians communicated normally it explained why Orlay was able to fend off the simpletons for years.

Far behind the inner wall to the courtyard, beyond this small grassy patch smelling of sweet honey and lilac sprigs, there was a war. The battle was raging once more, and the faint clash of metal, the shattering of blades against blades haunted the air with a shrill reminder to those gathered in this safe place. Death ravaged on as time was spent here. Few smiles came to the faces of those servants here to assist, and for some, the only reason they were not in tears was because they had already mourned for the dead who still live, those swordsmen who held the privilege of being the front line.

The actions of Shurik were frightening to the young queen, who lacked the age, or years of battle her husband had. A small gesture from the King kept her reaction pleasant, she trusted her husband in these matters, despite the whelming fear that plagued her. She was not prepared for blood. She spoke in soft words, "I thank you for your kindness, bring my child back to me and you will have my gratitude for the rest of my days." Shurik's ways were confusing but, should anyone be able to do something like this perhaps this group of strange individuals was the best bet in succeeding. Or so the Queen thought as she watched Shurik step away.

Rose's comforts, along with those of Shawn were received with nods of appreciation from the King and strange stares from the young princess, she did not speak in response to either of them, she simply watched them with curious eyes. It felt like something more lay behind her gaze, something eerie.

In the courtyard, the girl held the knife she was given in her hands, looking at it the same way one might admire a piece of art, she held it gently. The King looked to Shurik, "thank you for your kindness. I am happy that you will be on this journey." The King smiled at Rosaline's behavior, "You will do a fine job. Orlay trusts you to guard our walls, and I trust you with my daughter."

Once everyone appeared to be ready and had things gathered the King gave a gentle push on the back to his daughter, "Stay with your guardians, listen well to them. It is time for your journey to begin and for all of us to play the roles we were born to play." He looked up towards the others, his voice spoke with more conviction, "We begin. Head towards the city gate, there will be several of the people of Orlay present to assist in this endeavor. Each is ready to do what they must to help, to guard you till you can escape the Black Legion. A last warning, stay together, work together. You will surely each come to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses." He held his hand up, "May the Ancestors watch over you, and the stars guide you."

The pathway down towards the city gate was made clear, any debris that might have been blocking the passage was now removed. By the gate a small group of riders in heavy armor sat atop fine horses equally armored. Groups of spearmen stood at the ready behind them, great shields in their off hands to create a wall to pass between. At the far back an elderly man stood, two apprentices by his sides held up paper banners covered in runic wards and geometric shapes.

The last bit to this plan seemed to be the arrival of the Princess and her guardians, though few at the walls could spare the time to watch their approach.

Rose nodded and handed out her hand for the little princess to take. With the last of the King's blessings, prayer, warnings they set off for the city gates. The trip itself was relatively uneventful. Rose was deep in her own thoughts during the walk. Mostly about how to best protect the princess during the initial dash to the forest. She couldn't carry the girl and fire off her bow at the same time. She couldn't hoist her on her back because of her bow and arrows, but she didn't want the princess to run herself. Rose figured the best thing would be to have one of the men carry her on their back as they ran, best case would be Shawn. He looked like he could carry and princess and protect her while running. Besides that would free up her hands to fire off her bow.

"Hey, Shawn," She beckoned in a muted voice, "When we break past the gates, can you carry the princess?" She asked. Whatever the answer, they soon appeared at the mouth of the gate. Men-at-arms, soldiers, archers, and all were there. Though Rose's eyes weren't drawn to the lancers on great horses or the infantry spear men, but the archers on the wall. Specifically, the Valigart. They must have gotten new orders while she was away. One of the girls, Adel, noticed Rose and waved at her from the wall. To her side was Lily.

"Damn! We have to depend on you? Well Shi-" She was jabbed hard in the ribs by Adel next to her, who then motioned to the child beside Rose, "... Shoot. You always seem to find the worst kind of trouble, don't you?" She called laughing. Rose pushed the blonde strands out of her eyes as she looked up to Lily, "You know you're gonna miss me. Hell, when I'm gone, who's going to keep you two straight?" She replied smiling, causing both Lily and Adel to laugh. Finally Adel spoke, "We will miss you, ya know? But all the more reason to get back quickly, yeah?" Adel then looked down the line of Valigart Archers and back. "The entire unit wishes you luck," She said to the agreement of a couple of archers who weren't busy firing into the legion.

"Look," Lily added, "We've bet a lot on you. We've got the whole kingdom riding you you and your friends' shoulder. Best not screw it up for all of us, got it?" Rose gave the thumbs up, "You know me, I always get the job done!" She said.

"Like turning my head gray?" A strong voice said from another part of the wall. The owner of this voice was an older man, about Albrect's age and he looked just as healthy, if not as muscular. His once blonde hair and beard was now more gray. Worry lines etched across his face, but his eyes were still a sparkling blue. He was thin and slender, but his arms were long bands of muscles toned from years of pulling a bowstring. As he approached the lip of the wall, he still had a light step in his gait. Rose was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the man, and still couldn't believe her eyes as the man descended a ladder.

"Daddy?" She asked as she made her way past the soldiers and met with her father. The first thing that either of them did was give the other a hug. You're a grown woman, and still manage to worry the hair off my head. Getting chosen like that, it's crazy girl," Athur said, still embracing his daughter, "Yeah, like I had a choice in the matter daddy," She replied, finally breaking the embrace. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you said you were planning today?" Rose asked, to which Arthur responded by pointing at the archers on the wall, "I was. Though I had hoped to meet you on the wall instead of down here. We'll cover your advance from up there," He added.

Arthur then looked at those who were chosen by the stars. "A good lot by the look of them. Trust them, Rose. Though keep an eye on the men," He said with a wink. No doubt Rose's single status worried her father as well. Rose sighed and groaned, "Daaad." Arthur smiled and kissed his daughter on the forehead, "Good luck and be careful Rose, we're counting on you. May your arrows always fly true and nail the son of a bitch that you're aiming for," He said, mounting the ladder to ascend the wall once more. "Thanks daddy, yours too... Love you," She added before making her way back to Mylina. She grinned at the princess, "Daddies never forget their daughters. But ours are going to be bald from worry when we return," She said with a wink.

The castle grounds were abuzz with activity, a familiar sight to the veteran warrior studying their movements as they prepared, himself preparing for the day his blade would be turned on them. In his boredom waiting on the others to pick out weapons and tend to their affairs before setting out, Shawn had decided to climb a tree and liberate a sturdy limb from the proud oak, and sat parallel to the gates as he whittled himself a sturdy club, watching the Legion intently as he did so. By the time he finished, the others were gathering near him, and decided to rejoin the group, with the one named Rose asking Shawn to tend to the child when they made their way out through the Legion.

"Shawn fight, not nurse. Shawn lead charge, crush Legion underfoot. Whispering man close behind, catch what Shawn wound, and girl in middle with magic user...", Shawn said as he pointed at Nathan, "...so strong can fight. Fire man behind them, make sure Legion can't split group, while others kill stragglers. Archer's have daggers ready, no need bows until we break through" Shawn replied to the suggestion, believing it to be a bad idea for him to care for the child when skulls needed crushing. He may be a brute, but even he had need for strategy on the battlefield... a Battlemaster didn't earn his title by being completely mindless like the beserkers.

"Shawn want test new club anyway" the beast of a man said, almost playfully as he swung the hunk of wood around, casually though to a trained eye one could tell he had bludgeoned with such a weapon before. "But Shawn best at charge, he and nine clan had break through Legion to get into city and only lost seven to Legion... Orlay archers kill other two clan when we enter range" Shawn said, shooting Rose and Bridget a glare, not knowing if they had been on the wall that day or not, but for the moment he assumed they both were, tensing his body as though he wanted to crush them on the spot, which he did, but restrained himself for the greater glory of defeating the Legion.

The outer wall shook with the might of the endless ranks of the Black Legion, the next wave of the assault reached the stonework with a clash of metal on rock. Arrows pelted fanatically downwards as the legion fell one by one. Their thinning gave little comfort as a sea of new warriors poured forward, marching upon their own fallen to get ever closer to overcoming the defenders of the city. Goodbyes were suddenly halted as the demands of the wall came to light. A stocky man of foreign origin fell from the wall, his dark screams quickly silenced under the unforgiving blade of a Black Legionnaire, for there were no prisoners taken by this army nor mercy shown.

The young princess made no noise, nor did she cower or show awareness of the events transpiring around her. Even as other children hid within the walls, weeping in fear or cowering in their homes, Princess Mylina simply watched. A man in his twenties standing atop a nearby roof, able to survey the other side of the wall shouted down to his captain, the man on horseback who would lead the Calvary out into the field. "Sir, they're all forward pressed, the gap is there!" the man's voice was hard to hear over the clash of battle, but he used every bit of his voice to cry out over the noise.

A young captain, identified by the overlay on his garment (though his years would indicate otherwise), gestured towards the group to come forward, the time had come to give an opening, to split apart the enemy forces in order to give the heroes the chance they would need to reach beyond the walls of the city. It was a half day's walk to the Great Wall, if they were swift of foot they could make it far sooner. Alacrity was as necessary as carefulness, a trial for a group of individuals that were little more than strangers to each other. Time would bind them closer, or seem them all destroyed.

A horn was blown to coordinate the various parts of this endeavor and immediately the old mage's hands began to gesture in wide arcs, eldritch power crackled forth from the two banners, the numbers and geometric shapes rose up and away from the page and began surrounding the elderly man, the life in his cheeks seemed to drain away as his gestures drew closer towards himself. Arcane energy polluted the ground below him in a mirage of color and distortion, a sight few would see again, a magic never before preformed and likely to ever be performed again.

The gates pried open with the turning of a spoked wheel, the archers above leaned over the wall to fire arrows at the entrance as the Calvary captain reared his horse and drew out his sword, glimmering brass in the sunlight. As his horse's hooves landed on the ground the horsemen all took their charge, galloping into the horde that lie before them. They were but the wedge to open the way, and they rode out with cries of bravery swinging their blades down to strike at enemies as their mounts trampled over the Legion. Behind them rushed the spearmen, holding open the gap by jabbing at the Legion.

The Valigart were given their order to keep watch over the heroes as they made their way through the gap, to shoot down any of the Black Legion that broke past the spears or horses. Their arrows were precise and well timed, pegging back each of the foes and slaying many of them. Even as they fired to clear the path, the wall below them was being marched upon, the legion edging closer to the archers. One seemed to stay her attention but a sharply barked order brought the focus back to where the other arrows flew.

Rose held Shawn's glare and looked back into the barbarian's eyes. "Orders were to shoot anything that moved," She stated in a matter-of-factually tone. Everything in the Legion's sea of bodies looked so alike, she couldn't say whether it was or wasn't her who gave Shawn's clanmates the killing blow. Even if she did, she was given the orders to protect the city at any costs, and she didn't feel regret at taking any of her shots. What she destroyed then meant one less she had to destroy here, and she wasn't going to apologize for it. But the conversation, if one could call it that, didn't have the chance to get heated as the order was given to open the gates.

The sounding horn indicated the beginning of this journey and the opening maw of the gate was just the start of their path. Rose took a couple of steps back to better cement her position of a rear guard and in one fluid motion had her bow in hand and an arrow in the other. The arrow's fletching was dyed red and orange and the shaft was expertly inscribed with mystical runes. Before gate had opened wide enough to allow for the onslaught of the calvary and spearmen, she began to play a song on her bowstring. She drew and loosed the arrow, firing it at the gap in the gates. In midair, it crackled and popped, igniting in intense flame and piercing the chest of the unlucky legionnaire to find itself in the path of Rose's runic arrow. Upon impact, the entire being burst into flames and like that, the mad charge was off to a start.

And a mad charge it was. Rose expected the barbarian to lose himself in the blood and war instintly, and she wasn't surprised when he did. What did surprise her was the tiny elf Marielle's raw ferocity, managing to even keep up with the barbarian. Next was the loud swordsman Django or Black Thirteen or whatever he called himself screaming no quarter at the fire mage. Shurik, well, the foriegner was gone in a flash, taking the princess along with him. Truth be told, Rose felt more comfortable with Shurik taking the princess than anyone else, as the man seemed least likely not to find a blade in the sea of warriors. Though Rose wished he wouldn't violently kill with the Princess in tow. They were supposed to protect her, not mentally scar her.

It seemed her and the medic were the only really sensible ones in the fray. As Nathan ran ahead to keep up with their companions, Rose followed behind at a clip, letting fly a couple of unruned arrows, each finding their home in the chest of a Legionnaire. Here, even Rose displayed another facet of her personality. The trained killer, a disciplined and lethal soldier of Orlay. She drew another arrow, this time one with deep blue fletching and runes. She nocked it and aimed to the side where the spearmen were busy holding the line. She fired past two extremely surprised spearmen and planted itself into the ground. Moments later and the runes kicked in, slicking the area around the arrow in a thin sheet of ice. Rose immediately nocked another arrow, and couldn't see the sight of a number of legionaries slipping on the ice to be dispatched by the spearmen.

Rose managed to keep step with her group as they surged forward. Wasn't hard to keep track of them really, just follow the bodies. After firing another unruned arrow, she withdrew two arrows, one with white fletching and another ice arrow. She fumbled the white arrow and dropped it on the ground, but managed to nock the ice arrow and sent it flying towards the front of the group. It impacted a Legionnaire, freezing it solid for either the Barbarian or elf to smash at their convenience.

The white fletched arrow would later explode into a heavy white mist, allowing the survivors of the charge to retreat back to the castle under cover. If she had timed it right, it would set off once her party had made it to the woods.

Rose sat on a rock and let her gaze drift skywards. The talking of the others were just a dull whisper in the back of her mind. She was too far lost in her own thoughts to make out what they were saying. She gripped he bow tightly as she thought. Before they broke into the forest. Before they had made it here to relative safety. She had seen some of the legion ascend the wall and attack some of the Valigart. She didn't know if they all nor none had survived the attack, and that thought frightened her. Her thoughts fell upon Lily and Adel and whether they were the ones who fell to the Legion. She could feel the despair in the recesses of her mind try to take hold of her mind.

Then she sharply tore her head away from the sky and those thoughts. Thoughts like that were not going to help anybody. Not the Valigart, not the princess, no one. Instead, she folded her thoughts up and tucked them somewhere dark. She leaned forward and came to rest her chin on the end of her bow. Despite being surrounded by brave men and an elf, she felt so very alone. Even if she tucked her dire thoughts away, that did little for her underlying dread. She was uncharacteristically quite as the others spoke. She didn't even return Shawn's hate-glare.

"Yeah, follow the river. Whatever," She muttered, throwing a glance back the way they came. What she wouldn't give for just a little bit of peace of mind. To know that her friends had survived. Even so, there was no denying that there had been loss of life either way and that hurt. She allowed her hers to drift away from the path they had trod and back to the matter at hand. Apparently, they were following the river. Sounded fine to her. She never really ventured out of the city, even before the Legion nonsense started. She could find nearly anyplace in the city, but leave that and she was about useless.

She glanced over at Shurik and the Princess. She mustered a forced smile at the princess, merely to fain airs. Then: "Next time, try not to behead anyone with the princess in tow, yeah? That can't be healthy for a girl her age," She said. She had no idea what kind of childhood the Dailak had, but she did know that Mylina wasn't Dailak. Despite being neck deep in legion territory, Rose wished to shield the princess from as much unnecessary bloodshed as possible. She then reached under her blue cloak and pulled out a waterskin. She pulled back and tossed it over to Shurik and explained, "It's the princess's."

Then her eyes drifted to Django, who was laying on his stomach listening to the stream. She was amused by the man. Much less so by his eagerness. She frowned and shrugged, "Dunno, but if it bleeds, then an arrow to the head will solve that problem," She said tapping on her bow, "Or we could have the big guy throw the elf at the problem until it goes away," She added, gesturing toward Shawn and Marielle.

"So are we going or what? I'd rather not stay in one place too long," She said, standing.

"Coddled?" Rose couldn't help but laugh. The last thing the soldiers were was coddled. Especially her, the daughter of the greatest archer in Orlay. She had certain expectations to live up to because of that heritage . "We may not throw our children off into some wolf pit to toughen them up, but the soldiers of Orlay are a hard sort. We would happily give our lives for our king and our home. Hell, we are fighting for our homes now, and we're cornered. And you best of all should know that a cornered beast is at it's most dangerous, barbarian," She said, staring daggers at Shawn.

"Especially the Valigart," she added, raising her head up high. Depression had shifted into indignation at Shawn's words. "Do you understand how hard the woman have to work to be recognized in Orlay? Much less to become part of the army? The Valigart is the best at what we do and that's to kill whatevers threatening our home before the bastards can even see us on top of that wall," She said. "These lifeless bastards don't have that drive, they don't feel like us. If the things weren't so damn resilient, then they too would have been crushed like everything else that stood against Orlay and her safety," She said, boldly implying the Barbarian's own tragedy. Then she shot a glance to Shurik, "We do not go down easily, and we do not lose our footing, assassin. Best you remember that," She said with full conviction. Their words managed to light a fire in her heart, and now she fully believed in her own words. The Valigart would not let some undead legionnaire bastards kill them, Rose included.

Without waiting a response from either of the men, she unclasped the cloak around her shoulders and tossed it to Marielle, "Hold that for me, please?" She not so much as requested, but demanded. Rose didn't harbor any bias against the elf, but that didn't mean she too was safe from Rose's mood. Then she pulled off a bag and pressed it into Kalad's hands, explaining that, "It's Mylina's. Don't lose it," she said, talking long steps away from the group. "Come on Shurik, didn't you say something about scouting ahead? Then lets get to it," She told Shurik as she pushed forward ahead of the man, nocking an ordinary arrow into her bow as she walked. She threw her head back to the others and then said, "And if the princess is hurt when I get back, I'm going to shove an arrow up each of your asses." The barbarian didn't manage just to start a fire, but more akin to an inferno. Rose couldn't help but want to see a Legionnaire and put an arrow square in the middle of it's skull.

"Come on people, let's get this done so I can go home and stop worrying about this," She called.

Django was shocked to see Rose's anger flare due to Shawn's and Shurik's attempt to calm her depressed mood, but all that did was make her pissed at everyone. He felt that he should finally get his own troubled spirits out in the open but he held his peace, only giving one small hint on what he did know about the legion and what they caused him by letting several tears escape him before his face turned into an calm, yet slightly angered manner in order to act the way he made his first impression.

"Well, Lesson well taught from a barbarian on how not to calm a lady down and have her insult in everyone's faces in five syllables or less." He stated. "But I agree one thing, if we don't get a movin towards the wall and find a way through it and steer clear from the legion baddies our gooses are as well as cooked, not to mention I don't want to take an arrow in the buttocks or worse an arrow in the kneecap."

With that said he looked at Kalad. "Fire-Mage. Since Mad-man with a blade is absent it boils down to you, Madam Marielle, or the Healer Man to carry the Princess if you please?" he asked in a hushed tone. "I'm carrying a Silver Blade on my back and would not like to drop it anytime soon for it feels as though I may need it for future reference. Also, I don't trust anyone who can comfort a lady from a depressed state into a severely angry mood to do the task."

With that he then kept his ears open for any ambushes as he traveled with the others to the wall.

The Legion continued to gather in the formations, with more coming across the wall with every moment, and endless stream of warriors to fuel a brutal and genocidal war. Their march echoed upon the ground, and while they could no be seen, those beyond the wall could be heard as trees were cut, animals were slain and the ground was stopped upon. The strange commander followed his personal guard to the front of the formations that were readying. They would make their march upon Orlay, and try again to breach the walls of the city. This strange creature was perhaps what they needed to shift the battle.

Marielle's ears picked up a distant shout, voices from past the other side of the wall and the faint noise of bone clashing against armor. It was strange, but not immediately related to what they were facing. The legion's own noise made it far too difficult to make out more specific information.

Rose and Shurik would be able to make it across in the gap that was available, if Rose were to over-fire an arrow she could bring attention to the area across from them and give a small window. But that was now, if they took the time to gather everyone to bring across then the situation could change. Shurik could surely make the distance if he ran and immediately hid, but that would leave him on the other side of the wall from everyone else.

Princess Mylina rose her left hand to gesture at the Great Wall before them, she spoke sad words, "It's dying. The wall... is sick." Her voice was an angelic whisper, melodic and innocent. Perhaps the magic's of the wall were weakening, if it were true than a pair of magi might be able to work together to breach it, though such a task would likely consume what remained of the daylight hours. The Princess looked regretful, but not worried and she did not cry though she seemed to sympathize with the plight of the wall.

Evidence would suggest to even the most inexperienced among the heroes that it was best to take action soon, or find a place further away to avoid detection by the Black Legion. Quick thinking, or a well placed plan would be the deciding factor of whether everyone would make it past or if some would perish at this early trial.