Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Death Provokes Emotion
It was just short of a massacre.
Looking out at the sea of forces arrayed against them, Harmony had wondered why they had chosen to engage. More than half her troop were new, untrained striplings, and they had been both nervous and eager to get out and prove themselves. Now, most of them were dead, and she had no idea why...no idea if their sacrifice had been worth anything.
She reviewed the battle reports with her Captain Jorn, listening intently as he detailed what troops had moved where and how much damage each had done...and taken.
“I barely understand what you’re telling me,” she said in frustration, scrubbing her face with her hands, “Even with everything my father has tried to cram into my head...this is all still so new to me...I know what to do with a sword in my own hand...but telling these lads to march out and die...”
She shook her head and rose, “Breaks my heart, that’s what it does...I’m going to visit the healer’s tent...see how they’re getting on. We’ll wait as long as possible...get them patched up as best we can...before littering them up and pulling out. I want to be in Remton at dawn. Make the arrangements.”
Tired and filthy and completely disheartened, Harmony returned to her own tent after her visit to the healer’s. Fourteen dead...and two more looking as though they wouldn’t last the night. Sixteen families whose sons would never come home...
She needed a bath...she needed to rest...she needed...
Harmony sighed. She couldn’t have everything that she needed.
“Jenkins...get the names of the dead from Jorn and send the letters of regret out.”
“Ah...I’ve already started them, milady.”
She smiled at her secretary wearily, “What ever would I do without you? That’ll be all then...I think I’ll take a nap before we march.”
“No other correspondence, milady? Nothing...personal?”
At her curious look, Jenkins simply said, “He’s in Lantzas, milady.”
Harmony jerked her head up and gave him her full attention.
“Arlian...? Oh. Yes...a note then.”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Arlian stood aghast.
Few understood his decision to never engage in battle with other humans. Peasants were cattle, to be husbanded, but spent if needed, and they couldn't see why he took it personally. Frankly, though, Arlian didn't care if they understood so long as they accepted his terms of service.
He had been waiting in Lantzas to repair the region once the takeover had been broken. He'd known watching the battle would be hard, especially knowing Harmony would be down in the thick of things...But he'd never expected this. The Arcaeans had been slaughtered. Incredibly outnumbered...Where was the TCA? Where was Ohnar West? Lantzas was in no danger of falling to Greater Aenilia...They surely could have waited for reinforcements...!
By the time the battle was over, Arlian had already progressed to dry heaving, having long since emptied his stomach. He'd managed to remain kneeling this time, instead of falling completely onto the ground, but it had been a near thing. So much pointless death...
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Talex)
When she received Arlian’s return note, Harmony leapt to her feet.
“Jenkins! I need a messenger to lead me to Arlian’s encampment now!”
Jenkins took one look at her face and waved a letter in the air to summon a messenger to the tent.
Harmony stopped. “Ah...damnation...wait one second...I need some clean clothes...and water...I need to wash the battle off before I go to him.”
Hurrying as fast as she could, Harmony stripped and scrubbed then slid into clean garments. She looked gratefully at Jenkins who had cleaned her boots whilst she was bathing.
“That’s not really your job, you know...but thank you. I thought I was going to have to put on some girl shoes.”
She practically flew out of the tent after the messenger. Gods she hoped it wasn’t far.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Arlian was still on shaky knees when he heard Harmony approach. He tried to force himself to his feet, but legs like jelly slid out from under him and he dropped back to his knees, willing himself not to fall flat.
"Gods...Harmony..."
He gulped, straining to not heave again as he cried out in an anguished voice
"Why? The TCA could have returned, Ohnar West can't have been far, there was no reason for it..."
He felt hot tears burning his eyes as his fists clenched.
"I shouldn't...shouldn't have watched. I don't, you know. Not human against human. But...you were down there...and I just kept trying to find out why you were even there in the first place..."
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Talex)
“Oh gods, Arlian,” Harmony dropped to her knees beside him and wrapped her arms around him. For a long moment she just held him close and made soothing noises.
“I don’t know why...I don’t think anyone does...” she struggled to keep her own emotions in check, her own frustration and anger and sorrow...now was not the time to come apart.
“But sweet...you should never have watched it...it was bad enough...having to be there...you didn’t have to watch. It was...as far as I can tell..it was pointless. Maybe there’s some fine point of strategy that I’m missing...some greater plan...”
She shook her head and hugged him hard.
“Come on...let’s get out of this dirt and into your tent...if I help you...can you make it there?”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Arlian nodded, swallowing a last bit of bile, and they slowly made their way to his tent, before he collapsed onto the cot. Before he could speak, the announcement arrived that General Thalathafn had been replaced by Lord Aerywyn.
"Well...that...answers one question..."
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Talex)
Harmony grabbed a basin and filled it with water and rooted about in her pack for the skin of wine she always carried.
Returning to Arlian’s side, she bathed his face then offered him the wine.
“I recommend rinse and spit...then drink some down.”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Arlian smiled, and reached up to stroke her face.
"You are so good to me...Even when I know you don't understand..."
After following her suggestions, he closed his eyes for a long minute, never letting go of her hand. He could feel her just sitting and stroking his hand and face, and it helped...A lot...
"Alright. We need to get out of hear. The hunting parties are going to be out soon, and we're not going to break the takeover this time...But Remton and the other regions will need drafts run, and someone will have to see to the wholes the draftees leave..."
Arlian's eyes opened, and he managed to sit up more or less normally, hiding the deep breath he'd taken to do it.
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Talex)
“It’s not that I don’t understand exactly...it’s just that...it doesn’t hit me quite so...viscerally. I don’t think that I will ever...love battle as some do. Or take it as half-a-lark like Edara. Ordering my boys to go in and die...” Harmony closed her eyes and swallowed hard.
She leaned into Arlian and held him tightly for a moment before sitting back.
“My men are already preparing to march tonight. We’re planning to leave as soon as the healer’s have the wounded ready to travel.”
She paused, looking at him, “So...you go to Remton then? Will you...travel with us?”
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
Arlian nodded.
"Yes...I would like that. I need...Company, right now. And I think...I can handle the battlefield now. Shall we?"
He stood, offering a still-shaky arm to Harmony with a tremulous smile.
Sir Arlian Bedwyr (Knight of Talex)
“Why don’t we leave you crew here to pack up your camp, and you come with me now? We can get my lot in motion then and get on the road. And...I think we can avoid the worst of the battlefield getting to my camp. Besides...most of the...”
Harmony hesitated, wincing.
“The bad parts...ah...have been collected...and the diggers are already hard at work. There’s not so much to see on the field.”
She squeezed him tightly once more, and then led him from the tent. Still feeling a slight tremor in his body, Harmony supported him as much as she could, moving unhurriedly. She was bloody grateful to Jenkins for telling her that Arlian was in Lantzas...how unpleasant for him to have had to suffer through that alone...and for herself...taking care of him had distracted her own mind. And, even shaky, she felt comforted to be near him.
Lady Harmony Kindon (Dame of Nocaneb)
