Lisieux Family/A New Life
The news of the possible threat came when Amaury was still half-asleep. His captain, a young warrior named Barnabas, barged into his quarters, waving a scout report around. Within seconds, Amaury was upright and out of bed.
"My lord!", Barnabas shouted, and Amaury could not tell if he was worried or excited. "Troops from Myern have crossed the bridge into Ciarin Tut."
Instinctively, Amaury reached for his dagger. "How many?"
"Between twenty and twnety-five, my lord.", the captain answered. "Archers... longbowmen from what out scouts tell me."
"Who is their commander?"
Barnabas looked for the name on the report. "Dame Danielle Lisieux, my lord. A Dame of Shinnen."
"Ready my the men, and bring me my horse, Barnabas.", Amaury ordered. "We'll go and meet this foe... if she wants a battle, we'll give it to her. We'll lie in ambush in the hills... they will not see it until it is too late."
"But, my lord...", Barnabas objected. "We're outnumbered two-to-one... We'll be butchered. This is suicide!"
Amaury gnashed his teeth, and slapped Barnabas across the face with the back of his hand. "You coward... we would go and meet them even if we faced a thousand men.", he growled angrily. "But if you are that frightened, go and call upon the halberdier militia to protect you from the Menace from Myern.", he added cynically.
Barnabas rubbed the sore spot on his cheek. "As you wish, my lord..."
Hours later, the Capetian Longbowmen and Askileon Halberdiers lied in wait behind a hill next to the main road. Scouts and trackers peered into the distance and searched the surrounding area, waiting for the foreign troops. Amaury strung his bow a few times to loosen his muscles, when the word came that the enemy - as Amaury saw Myern - was approaching. The halberdiers lined up, ready to attack, as the archers mounted the hills on both sides of the road. When the foreigners passed between them, Amaury and his men came out of hiding. Amaury himself fired an arrow, which landed a few feet away from the hooves of Lady Danielle's horse.
"Halt, in the name of Her Majesty Queen Alanna of Pian en Luries!", he shouted. "Drop your weapons, or die at the hands of mine!"
Amaury Capet Count of Ciarin Tut
