Lightstar Family/Adaria/Roleplay 29
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Mission Improbable III
Anacan
"M'lady, repairs are finished!"
"Ohreally? Yaaay! Quick, someone go tell Duke Lightstar that we're ready to move out!"
A few soldiers coughed awkwardly, but no one made any move to comply with the order. Adaria frowned and placed her hands on her hips, looking around at them.
"Why isn't anyone moving?"
"Err, His Grace already left Anacan a few hours ago..."
"Bah! Of course he did..."
Adaria sighed and waved her men away to prepare for the journey south.
Azros
Adaria had directed her unit to join in the defense of Azros after her scouts had reported a small advance force sent by the enemy from Leod, perhaps to probe the allied defenses. She had meant to move on to Arrmol without stopping, but her conscience had gotten the better of her. Thus, her archers had provided cover fire from the side, while the C'thonians easily repelled the enemy's siege towers.
She watched as the remaining Soliferites retreated from the field, then turned to gaze at the soldiers on top of the walls. From the distance, Adaria could not make out their expressions very well, but a few seemed to be waving at her. The girl waved back with a strained smile, for she knew that she could not remain to help them; Xarnelf would hear none of that, for their mission was more important. If all went well, the three of them would throw Soliferum into such a disarray that when Arcaea finally returned, the long war might finally see its end in sight.
Also, with reports coming in regarding the approaching forces from Leod, her presence would not be enough to defend the city. If she stayed, then surely the enemy would take greater casualties before gaining the walls, but defeat seemed inevitable; and it would only serve to endanger the mission, since they needed her unit for Hatdhes. So she thought, and so she had to believe.
That did not make it any easier for the troubled girl to turn away from the walls and head towards Arrmol, though.
Apelen 1
Adaria paced anxiously back and forth outside her tent after reading the short note from her cousin. He had sent a brief battle plan to both herself and Kenshue, describing the coming night's activities. They would scout Edairn and Hatdhes again before deciding which way to go, whether forwards or backwards. With a snort, the girl had a fleeting thought about them heading sideways, but that would accomplish nothing other than make the enemy laugh at their ridiculous movements.
No, there were only two possible directions, but it was yet too early to decide; they dared not tip their hand too soon. It would be a close call indeed, but that was something to which Xarnelf was quite accustomed, the young noble mused. She continued her nervous pacing, and even began biting at her nails, until her captain approached and quietly suggested that she should look more composed in front of her men.
Sighing, Adaria nodded in understanding and simply retreated inside her tent to continue being anxious, and without being observed. She was surely uncomfortable with the odds currently stacked against them in Hatdhes, but that did not bother her so much as the long wait...
Salerim's Interlude
(Roleplay from Salerim Mourmain)
"Alright, so where's Lady Adaria then?" asked Salerim, hunched over a map with his captain.
"By the last reports she is in Apelen," said the captain, pointing to a spot on the map. "And if previous history is anything to go by, she's probably heading deeper into enemy territory, together with Lord Kenshue and Duke Xarnelf."
"Hmm. While the rest of the army is all over the map, most of them heading back for a refit," mused Salerim. "And marshal Caim is unreachable. This army is a total mess! We need to get some discipline back into the ranks... Scribe!" he yelled over his shoulder.
"...Yes, m'lord?" answered the scribe rushing over, pens and ink pots clanging and clattering on the little writing table slung around his neck.
"Write this down, addressed to Vice-Marshal Adaria. Ready?... 'You are hereby stripped of your rank as Vice Marshal' ... Did you get that?"
"Yes, m'lord. Is that all it should say?" asked the scribe, a bit of colour having left his cheeks.
"Yes. Sign and date that and then send it to her with a fast rider. This situation will not do."
The scribe fumbled with the parchment for a bit, packed it and handed it to one of the couriers, who scrambled to his horse. Salerim watched him gallop away in a trail of dust.
"Now write her a second one... 'You are to assume the position of Marshal.' Underline Marshal. 'I expect you to take full control of the Army and instil some proper discipline into its movements. As it stands now we are spread out into varying schedules of leaving and returning to the front, which have diluted our strength. I want to see us moving as one, fighting as one, and I want to see you leading the army directly on the field.' Alright, leave a paragraph gap here. 'I understand you are on a special mission right now, the details of which I am unaware... I expect you to finish your mission, successfully, and then return to take direct control of the Army. You therefore have one week. I will be acting as second-in-command in the meantime, and organising the activities needed to leave on the next campaign. In two weeks' time I want to see you at the front of the army, wherever it may be found. Do not disappoint me.' Ok, let me see that."
The scribe finished writing, dried the ink carefully and then placed the parchment into Salerim's outstretched hand. Salerim read through it for a minute and nodded. "Alright, sign and date that too, and then send it. Tell this rider he can take his time getting there..."
Apelen 2
The scout had returned with the news that the units in Edairn were perfectly content to remain camped, with apparently no intention of bolstering Hatdhes. That was good enough news to make Xarnelf refrain from sending out another man to glance at the defenses of the city. He figured there was no need to look again, and besides, he was quite eager to just finish it regardless of any additional militia raised.
On their way, a haggard-looking rider managed to intercept them and deliver Salerim's first letter to Adaria, who stared from the outstretched note, up to the rider, over to Xarnelf, then back down to the note. Tentatively, the girl took the parchment, opened it, and immediately furrowed her brows.
You are hereby stripped of your rank as Vice Marshal.
What did she do wrong? Was the Duke of Nahad displeased because she had run off to follow her cousin, instead of staying with the army? Sighing forlornly, the girl figured that must be the reason.
"What is it?" Xarnelf prompted, after a long moment of silence.
Wordlessly, she handed him the note and shrugged.
"Hm, quite peculiar indeed..." mused the hero, as he quickly considered the implications. Either people had been unhappy with Adaria's general lack of guidance upon the field the last time they were all in Leod, dug-in to face superior odds, or this was a strange precursor to something else.
Xarnelf gave it no further thought, however, for they had more pressing business. He handed the note back to the girl and then called for people to start moving again.
Hatdhes
Adaria was not a happy camper later in the night, for they had suffered many unnecessary casualties. Since their march a week ago, the girl had harbored many misgivings about Xarnelf's continuing desire to disrupt control in Soliferum's inner regions. However, she was not about to try and persuade the duke away from his chosen course, for that was akin to asking the sun not to shine.
Thus, when presented with only two options--one being to follow along and hope for the best, while trying to reason with her cousin, and the other being to stay back and regroup with the army--Adaria had reluctantly gone with the less logical one. She would never forgive herself if Xarnelf fell in battle because she was not around to prevent such a disaster. Besides, he funded her entire unit in the first place, so she owed him that much, in a way.
Now, they had met with some bad luck, which could potentially doom their mission again. She was just making her way over to the hero's camp when another rider galloped in bearing news: a note from Salerim, and another from Tharion. Adaria nodded to the messenger and met up with Xarnelf before opening the letters.
Soon, she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown at the unexpected and mounting pressures placed upon her shoulders.
Idaol
"What do you mean he didn't come to meet us here??!"
"Uhh..."
"You mean he stayed in Masahakon??!"
"Uhh..."
"And he even charged the walls again??!"
"Uhh..."
"I knew I shouldn't have believed him when he said he was going to follow shortly, after he made some misdirection and took a last look around. Grr!!! Why didn't you make him come?! You're his scout!!"
"Uhh..."
"Gah! Hopeless! Stupid Kenshue getting captured. Stupid Marshal title. Stupid arrow. Stupid Soliferum. Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Well, he better be coming tonight! Or I'm gonna... gonna... gah! I'm gonna cry! That's what! See if he likes that! Hmph."
"Uhh..."
"What are you staring at?! Haven't seen a frustrated woman before? Huh? Huh?! Go on, mister scout, you're dismissed!"
"Uhh..."
"What! Stop stammering like a stupid moron and just say it!"
Adaria glared at the man, her petite nostrils flaring with every huffing breath. Gulping loudly, the scout managed to squeak out the rest of his report before running away:
"His Grace might not be coming to Idaol after all!"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOT COMING???"
The man did not look back as he bolted for the trees.
The next day...
"Oh, that's such great news, Xarnie! That means we can retreat to safety in Batesaor, right?"
"Most probably, though we had best be certain of the situation before heading into Zonasa. Besides, I am not yet ready to give up on our mission."
"What! Are you serious?? We're in such bad shape! Well, your unit is, anyway... And mine is quickly running out of arrows. How can we still continue? This all went downhill from Hatdhes. Why didn't you follow me to Idaol like you said you would?!"
Xarnelf smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
"I meant to do so, but the enemy chanced upon my position before I could depart, so I was forced into battle. On the bright side, I made it in time for this last fight."
"Yeah, so what do we do now, if we're not running to the city? Move deeper south?"
"Perhaps... I shall see whether any further news regarding the situation arrives before making a decision. You, however, should issue some brief standing orders to the army, based on Rebbec's letter. You are the Marshal now, after all..."
"Oh... right... Gah, I'm still trying to get used to everything."
"Worry not, Ada, you are doing fine."
"'Kays, if you say so."
Osaliel 1
"Did you guys manage to save his gold?"
The scouts shook their heads.
"By the time we returned to the campsite, the enemy troops already had the place surrounded. We couldn't get back in, milady."
"Burnt toast!" the girl cursed. The real possibility of a nervous breakdown still hung over her head, but at least she seemed calmer today, and more in control of herself. Adaria narrowed her eyes. She figured that vile serpent Viracocha must have ordered the theft, a despicable act in itself, but of course it was typical of him.
The noble kept reminding herself that she had to stay strong, because wily Xarnelf would break free of his bonds soon enough. A thought came to her then, and she asked her officers:
"Did anyone bring shovels and pickaxes?"
Adaria figured: when life gives you lemons, you just have to make lemonade, or, in this specific case, you just have to tear down the walls of Osaliel.
Later that night, she slumped down face-first onto her padded cot. First Kenshue and now Xarnelf. Everything around her was falling apart...
Todtpiz
"Your orders, m'lady?"
Adaria furrowed her brows, feeling the continuing effects of an annoying headache that had begun the night before. It must be stress, though surely anyone else in her current position would feel the same way. Once again, she flipped through the newest scout reports of the surrounding regions.
The same enemy archers were still located to the northwest and the north, in Azohib and Osaliel, while undead things continued to terrorize the countryside further south around Ortedail. For the moment, the girl and her unit were safe, ever since Elk called off his chase after his crushing victory outside Osaliel.
It seemed like the best course was to make her way over to Dsinanas and then swing back up to Hatdhes, hoping for allies to distract the Soliferites there, so she could make her escape. However, Adaria considered Xarnelf's potential reaction to that possible choice, and she frowned. He would not be happy to hear that she did not try harder to deal more damage.
Besides, she was getting fed up with all the bad luck lately. It was time to make something out of nothing, time to turn defeat into victory. She did not look up from the reports as she finally responded to her captain.
"Take their gold. All of it."
Azohib
Her situation became even bleaker as the latest batch of reports arrived. Soliferum was finally amassing militia for their cities on the front, it seemed, which meant that she would have barely any chance of making it out alive towards that direction. To make matters worse, Elk continued to shadow her movements, and even more troops seemed to have arrived in Ortedail.
Doubtless, other units were swinging down around Cutnipaniel as well to both drop more militia in the unprotected regions and to cut off her escape in that direction. Adaria prayed to the Aenil for a miracle to see her through this darkest of times.
"Damn! It's that same guy leading the same group of cavalry after us, isn't it?"
The scout nodded.
"Well, we'll just have to pull another Todtpiz then..." Adaria winked to her captain by her side. "I hope I'm giving him a headache chasing me around! We'll also have to say hello to those archers at Osaliel again, of course, just to be polite..."
"Of course, m'lady," Bartomar replied wryly and none too happily.
Osaliel 2
The noose was tightening around her unit, and if she did not move now, then she might never get the chance to escape. Thus, with grim determination, Adaria rallied her men and gave them new instructions:
"Boys, I think it's time we try to make a run for it. There's no way we'll get past Hatdhes or Masahakon, so we have one choice left... Zonasa. Let's pack up and move! We make it past Cutnipaniel, and we're safe!"
Cutnipaniel
"Milady, a rider approaches!"
Adaria immediately turned her head to Bartomar. "Quickly, douse the campfire!"
Her men strung their bows and waited anxiously with nocked arrows, as the scouts relayed back their observations in a chain. Soon, the rider stopped his advance in the open field and fired a single missile into the sparse trees surrounding Adaria's camp. Without waiting for any response, the man turned about and rode off, just as quickly as he had come.
The scouts noted the trajectory of the arrow and motioned for people to clear back a safe distance. As everyone backed away, the projectile whistled down to stick into the ground a few paces away from the still-smoldering fire. Adaria bent down to retrieve the arrow and noticed that a message was wrapped around the shaft:
---
Good luck Aenilian. You will need it now more than ever.
Cayhill Johanson (Knight of Idaol)
---
Sighing, the girl handed the note over to her captain while issuing new orders.
"Sorry boys, no sleeping tonight. We've got to move now! They've made our position..."
Some time the next morning...
"How far away are we, Captain Bart?"
He quickly conferred with a nearby scout before turning back to respond, "Several more miles, m'lady. Looks like we're going to make it!"
The other nine men brightened considerably at hearing this news, and all of them seemed to straighten their previously slumped backs.
Batesaor
The scouts led Adaria and her remaining men mostly along the border, hoping to avoid anybody and everybody, after their desperate run through Cutnipaniel. It was a close call, and if they had not all marched throughout the night after receiving that arrow-shot message from the Soliferite noble, who had wished her good luck and suggested that she needed it now more than ever, then they would probably have all been captured by patrols who had made their location.
Now, in relative safety and quickly leaving enemy lands behind, the young girl thought back upon her (mis)adventures alongside her brazen cousin and smiled wryly when considering the recent days, despite all the earlier mishaps in the 'mission'. She had evaded Elk and his cavalry time and time again, swinging around and moving unnoticed into his last region, while he had moved into her last region.
Then, Adaria snorted and shook her head at thoughts of the archers unit in Osaliel, to whom she had sent greetings not once, not twice, but four times, all whilst Elk was hot on her trail! She had to admit that Xarnelf's plans, although dangerous, fairly short-sighted, and so far relatively fruitless, proved to be extremely useful lessons in battlefield tactics.
The girl had indeed learned much from her time stuck behind enemy lines, with both her manly escorts thrown into prison. Now, it was time to return home and lead the next voyage as Marshal of Aenilia's prime fighting force.
Her jaw dropped at the Regent's letter. Apparently, her passage had not been as stealthy as she had thought it was. In addition, it seemed that her High King had either been misinformed, or something else had happened to alter the situation. Gritting her teeth in frustration as she re-read the missive, which clearly showed Zonasa's displeasure at her presence on their lands, Adaria folded up the letter and desperately tried to remain calm in the presence of the waiting messenger.
Putting on a strained smile, the girl gave her response:
"Good sir, please inform your good Regent that I have made an error that I do not intend to repeat again. I will be out of Zonasan territory by the next dawn."
As the courier nodded and went on his way, Captain Bartomar stared incredulously at his commander. He struggled for words and could only sputter out:
"B-b-but, m'lady! Surely you do not mean to..."
Adaria fixed a withering glare upon the poor man and cut him off.
"I do and I will. I dare you to try and stop me! They want to make it hard on me? Fine! Back into the dragon's maw we go."
She motioned for a scout, who hurried over with curiosity stamped clearly upon his face, for he had seen the heated exchange from a distance but had not made out any words.
"Make all haste to Idapur. Tell Duke Lightstar that I will not be coming back home through Zonasa, after all."
"Uhh..." the confused scout looked back and forth from the noble to the captain, before Adaria finally shooed him off.
"Go now!"
With eyes of smoldering coal, she turned and walked off again towards Cutnipaniel, without even looking at her men that she passed. At that moment, Adaria did not care whether or not they followed her back.
