Lightstar Family/Xarnelf/Roleplay 68
Salerim's Finger
"Tell them to pack up. We're leaving."
Mathias stared at Xarnelf for a few moments before nodding and responding quietly. "Yes, sire." As the captain turned to leave, the noble added something else, almost as an afterthought.
"Leave the siege engines. They will only slow us down."
(Roleplay from Salerim Mourmain)
"Now, there's one thing we must keep a close eye on," said Salerim, finger in the air, "and that is the movements of Duke Xarnelf. You have to let me know right away as soon as he looks like he's about to leave on one of his crazy missions."
The scout eyed the duke strangely for a second. He then gathered up the air and said
"Erm... he's already left, Sire."
Salerim's finger paused for a couple of seconds in the air before he burst out
"What are we waiting for then? Off we go!"
"For Yleina!!!" Xarnelf cried, as he started his charge. Then he spotted Salerim coming in from the flank and laughed heartily, waving his blade at the man.
After the battle, the hero turned to his fellow duke and grinned widely. "Hah! So I did not leave entirely unnoticed, I see... Well, glad that you arrived in time, my friend! Now, what say you that we take our leave before the welcoming party comes to greet us in force?"
(Roleplay from Salerim Mourmain)
"You... drive... a fast... march... my friend!" answered Salerim from among the fallen soldiers, winded from the battle.
He stopped for a couple of seconds, watching a Soliferan halberdier splayed at his feet struggling groggily to get up. "By all Aenil... That was a good battle though, eh?" Salerim yelled at Xarnelf and Adaria, and shook his bloody sword in the air. The halberdier managed to get one knee off the ground. He was now wobbling precariously with the other on the ground, trying to gather his balance. "Yleina would have enjoyed this!" Salerim yelled to them again, then brought the butt of his sword down with a bonk on the unsuspecting soldier's head. The man slumped back to the ground in painful groans, his helmet lodged deep over his eyes.
"...what say you that we take our leave before the welcoming party comes to greet us in force?" said Xarnelf.
"I'd say yes... Southern hospitality is all it's rumoured to be, unfortunately," answered Salerim looking around at the fallen enemies. "Well, let's be off, then I suppose..." he concluded, and started walking towards the setting sun. "Oh, you meant back to Anacan?" he said after a dozen steps and grinned goofily, turning around. "I thought you'd have liked to make the usual stop in Azros before going back," he added, and bonked the halberdier on the head again as he passed him.
Xarnelf threw his head back and guffawed loudly at Salerim's words and actions. Then he shook his head slowly, a wide grin still displayed on his face.
"Alas, if my men's equipment was not in such bad shape, I might consider pushing into Leod! As for Azros, however, the city seems too heavily defended at the moment. Perhaps after some repairs have been completed in Anacan, we can strike at Pates yet again!"
(OOC: Battle in Pates: 3 attackers (Greater Aenilia: 262 men, 110 casualties) vs 8 defenders (Soliferum: 257 men, 247 casualties); moral? a 176-man infantry unit in aggressive wedge formation is beast!)
