Arcaea/Dining Hall Late 08-09/Esme's Excerpts

Esme was riding her stallion, Arion, through Arcaea, on her way to Lantzas. To battle! The pair charged ahead, her 27 men unit of infantry behind her. Her long, silky, raven black hair flowed behind her in the breeze her movement created. She sang softly to herself a song that she learned as a little girl.

Home is behind, the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow, to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade....

It calmed both Esme and Arion, for it was easy for them to get their nerves worked up for an oncoming battle. Esme had heard the odds were against them in Lantzas, but she didn't care. 'Ride for war, and ruin!' She didn't care one bit.

She looked over her shoulder to see how her infantry was keeping up. They weren't, they were falling behind. She laughed carelessly and pulled up quickly. Her men nearly ran into her due to the suddenness of her halt. With a big smile, she told them, "We are going to stop here for the night. Set up camp." After all it, it was nearly dark, and Esme did not want to be caught unawares in the middle of the night.

She hopped down from Arion and lead him to a nearby patch of trees. She took off his tack, setting his saddle against the tree, hanging up his bridle on a branch. She groomed him, taking the time to curry him well, and brush off mud that had gotten on his legs on the first leg of the trip. He nudged her, wanting a snack, and she nearly fell over. She laughed as she chided him, and fished out a carrot she had in her saddlebags. "Here you go, now place nice!"

She walked away from the dapple gray buck and moved out into the open, away from the encampment her men were setting up. She wondered where everyone was. She only vaguely saw her cousin Desiderata on their journey. She pondered this, and worried that she and Desi were walking alone into something that was way over their heads.

Esme Lisieux (Noble)