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 Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:13 am
heart heart heart
Erim gave the cart one last hard push with her shoulder. Her feet slipped deeper into the mud and her body went more sideways. The wooded cart jolted forward and then finally popped out of the hole. She dropped into the mud splattering herself from her waist up. She spit mud from her mouth and quickly got back up.
"Now get inside" she growled at the villager
He didn't argue and fled with his cart to the castle gate. There were a few more stragglers coming in behind him, old or injured. She held her ground until they had passed by. Slowly she walked toward the gate herself sporting a slight limp.
Once inside she could hardly find a place to rest. Everyone from the far side of the kingdom seemed to have fled here for safety. She recognized some faces from her neighboring towns. It was good to know others had made it out alive.
Erim sat on the edge of an empty fountain. Her sword clanked against it. She unhooked the sheath from her belt and set it beside her. She flinched. Movement was beginning to hurt and she could feel her tiredness start to drag her down. She tried to remove the mud from her face without any success. It smeared and stuck to her hand. She cursed quietly under her breath.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:35 am
"Need some help?" A young man sat nest to her on the edge of the fountain, offering Erim his canteen of water. He wore baggy clothes, tattered and possibly handed down, and looked like he was in his 20s, but very aged for someone so young. "You've got mud on your face. Looks like you had a rough day." He looked around at all of the people gathered in the area. People with tired and worn looks on their faces, some asleep huddled in groups trying to keep warm. "Looks like we all have had a rough day."
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 12:52 am
"Ive got mud everywhere" Erim grumbled
She accepted the canteen with a fleeting smile. She yanked her shirt up over her head and turned it until finding a clean spot. She poured as little water on it as possible and then scraped at her face.
"They attacked the whole western border" she spoke into the shirt "chased us halfway here. I only lost them in the hills"
With the mud scraped from her face Erim felt a bit better. She dropped her shirt to her lap and handed him back the canteen.
"keep a tight hold on that" she warned "Water may come in short supply soon"
Her words were kind but her face was filled with a sagging fatigue. Black lines were visible beneath her eyes and her lips seemed stuck in a frown. Light didn't seem to reach her green eyes.
She used the rest of the clean part of her shirt to wipe down the rest of her side.Without her uniform on Erim was slender with muscle fit for a woman who worked hard.
"Where are you from?" she asked politely "better still what is your name?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:06 am
"Dante. From a smallish village east of the kingdom. We were attacked and I was separated from my family. I tried to fend them off myself but there is only so much a low level mage can do against an army." Dante accepted his canteen back and put it in a holster on his side. He looked down at the ground and scratched his head, recalling the events that led him here. It seemed like he was leaving out more details of what actually happened, but might be a little hard for him to talk about. "Just hope they are alright. I don't know where everyone from my village went." He paused for a moment before looking back at Erim. "I'm sure they're alright. They are much better fighters than I am."
Dante repositioned himself on the fountain, making himself a little more comfortable. "What about you? What's your name? And not to pry or anything, but you're a fighter? From the western boarder?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:23 am
"I am from the village Acotas. It means group of horses. That is mainly what we do there, raise horses" she chuckled "I can fight because my father was a retired officer. Names Erimentha, Erim for short. There isn't much call for following old rules especially when no official knight wants to be out there. I've filled a role so to speak"
Erim gasped as her hand ran across a very deep bruise across her ribs. She let out a breath and didn't touch that spot again.
"I'm sure your family is alright too especially if they can use some magic. I didn't encounter any magic on the way so I'm not of much use"
She tried to reach for her boots to take them off but was unsuccessful. Her eyes started to close on her and she swayed. A great dizziness taking over.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:37 am
"Unfortunately, I'm the only magic user in my family. I just know that everyone else is too stubborn to let anything bad happen to them." He said, smiling softly. He looked up at Erim and noticed her start to sway, as if the tiredness were taking over.
"You really should get some rest while you can. Should be fine here to close your eyes for a bit. I'd be surprised if anyone tried to attack here. You need to let those bruises heal. Won't do you any good in a fight." The area was very crowded, but Dante was able to make enough room for Erim to be able to fully lay down and rest. The sun was starting to set, lowering over the tops of the trees and castle walls. The slight wind provided a refreshing breeze to cool all of the villagers. Dante took a small sip from his canteen.
"I have a feeling that this is the only time we will have to rest for a while anyways. Peace is never long for this world."
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:54 am
Erim lay down without an argument. She balled up her shirt to make a worthless pillow. It wasnt long before she was deep asleep. She only stirred a little during dreams, muttering under her breath.
A rather large man came walking over. He was about to say Erims name but stopped himself. He stared at her half naked and badly bruised body. She looked smaller curled in a ball on the city stones.
"You been looking after her lad?" he asked Dante
He spotted Erims sword still sitting on the fountain edge. He gently grabbed it and then tucked it under her arm.
"She'll be wanting that soon as she wakes up" He took a seat on the fountain with his legs resting protectively over Erim.
"You need anything let me know" he told Dante "A friend of Erims is a friend of ours"
He gestured toward a large group of people all settled in together around a fire. The elderly and wounded were being cared for and fed first. He himself rubbed at his hands a bit. They were wrapped in bandages.
"My names Faris"
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 2:07 am
Dante was very defensive at first as the large man approached. He soon realized that he was not posing a threat towards him, and answered his question. "I guess I am. She looked like she had been through a rough battle. Was just offering to help her out."
Dante watched as he placed Erim's sword by her and took a seat. His size was intimidating, but he gave a welcoming vibe towards Dante. Cautious, but friendly. "Thank you." Dante replied simply as he looked at the large group of people around the fire. It seemed as if they all knew Erim, and were willing to look after her as much as she would look after them. A real family feeling.
"Dante. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand towards Faris, figuring that more allies during this time couldn't hurt at all. "Are you all from Acotas? Erim mentioned it." He asked, genuinely curious about Faris.
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Posted: Sun Jul 11, 2021 2:34 am
"We are what's left of Acotas" Faris said "the village itself was burned to the ground. We did our best to scatter the horses but homes and fields are gone"
He very gently shook Dante's hand. He watched his people with a smile.
"She probably did not tell you" he said "But Erim is a lady in title. She owned all the land we lived on after her father passed. She has always done right by us common folk."
Erim stirred restlessly in her sleep until her eyes suddenly sprang open. Faris put a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned just slightly and let her eyes focus on him.
"Keep resting my lady" he spoke softly "night is upon us and we are safe. We are alive because of you"
Erim relaxed but kept her eyes open. Her mind swirling with too many thoughts and fears. Eventually she sat up and leaned against Faris's legs. He gave her his shirt to wear as he noticed her shivering. She closed her eyes and started to hum quietly to herself.
There was a very soft tap at her shoulder. She opened her eyes to find several kids standing there hugging small blankets.
"Are you going to sing Lady?" they asked hopefully
Erim sat up more straight but even that did not quiet feel right. Faris lifted her up to her feet and then supported her around the waist.
"Only one time. We must not bother the others too much ok"
She took a deep breath closed her eyes and then sang.
Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of comfort
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go
May you ride far to the fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
May you bring love and may you bring happiness
Be loved in return to the end of your days
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you
I'll just sit for a while and sing
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
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Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 12:41 am
Dante was a bit shocked at the reveal that Erim was a lady in title. He knew she had a strong presence about her and could tell that she was a great fighter by how she carried herself, but her status was something he would not have guessed from their brief meeting. "No, she did not mention it." He responded to Faris, looking back at Erim.
Dante watched as Erim struggled to rest. Faris pleaded with her to relax and sleep while they still had the chance, but it was short lived as the children gathered around and asked her to sing for them. It seemed as if Erim were full of surprises. Her beautiful, calming voice serenaded the children gathered around them. All of the chatter amongst the villagers ceased as they all indulged in Erim's song.
Erim finished singing, the children and villagers left with smiles on their faces. Somehow, they did indeed feel safe from harm. Erim's voice and reassurance in the lyrics made it seem like everything would be alright. Dante leaned against the fountain as the children began to go back to their families. "So you are a fighter, a leader of these people, a lady in title, and have a beautiful voice. Simply amazing." Dante said with a smile of his own. "Everyone here looks up to you. I do, however, agree with Faris. You really should try and get some rest. We don't know what tomorrow will bring."
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 12:50 am
Erim sighed. She took a quick look over her people. They were all bundled up and asleep now with few exceptions. Faris settled her back onto the ground.
"Everything is alright for now" he said
Her eyes started to close on their own again. Faris made sure she was comfortable and then kept watch as the fires dimmed. He stayed still as a statue and made no noise for quite some time.
When morning arrived Erim did not move an inch. She stayed fast asleep despite everyone stirring around her. Everyone left her to sleep near the fountain and spoke with Faris instead. No one was sure what to do now. They were in this strange place with little more than the clothes on their backs.
"Dante have you heard any news?" Faris asked
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:00 am
Dante sat in the same spot as last night, next to Faris and Erim. He had gotten up earlier to walk around the area and see what he could find as far as the next steps for everyone. "Nothing. No word of the enemy in the area. No one knows what the next step should be." He looked around at everyone, seemingly waiting for someone to instruct them on what they should do or where they should go next.
"I'm not entirely familiar with the area, but is there another safe place that you would know about? One where more people are meeting at? We could stay here, but would risk being found. Moving in a group as large as this would also be a risk though. How many of these people can actually fight, should it come to being discovered?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:21 am
"This place is a supply outpost according to Erim. It is the closest safe place to come in times of trouble. Its got high walls and is decently guarded. They should shelter us here but I believe to many have come. Its going to be rough sharing. There is another place just like it but its many miles from here. The injured would not make it and there are no trained men. Its mostly strong farmers and craftsmen defending their families"
He rubbed his chin with one hand and sighed.
"This is quite a mess. We've never been attacked by an army before."
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:30 am
Dante took another look around at the people surrounding them. Faris was right. Strong farmers and craftsmen would only do so much should they be attacked. Dante could only do so much, being an intermediate mage himself. The villagers would be safe here, but supplies would run out fast without taking any action to refill them.
"How many miles are we looking at? To another supply outpost?" He asked Faris, with a focused look in his eyes. "I can go to the next outpost and see if they have any food or supplies to spare, bring them back to help out here. It would be harder to track one or a small group of people. Of course, this is pending on if the other outpost is still standing."
This was the only option Dante could think of as it was dangerous to try and move more people, especially not knowing the state of the other outpost. What if they were already out of supplies? What if they had been attacked? It was a risk they had to take. The current stock would probably last everyone another two or three days.
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 1:46 am
"That is one idea and it would certainly help" Faris smoothed his hair back out of his face "You can't go alone. There has to be someone to help with supplies. You'll need a cart and you would travel quicker by horse"
"send a rider ahead first with a message" Erims voice chimed in "Then send a horse and cart to get the items"
Some of the fatigue was gone from her face but there still wasn't much light in her eyes.
"The rider will need to be quick. Its nearly a day from here. Can you ride Dante?"
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