Lightstar Family/Yleina/Roleplay 18
Travel Disruption Disrupted While Traveling
Just prior to Yleina's capture, somewhere along the road from Taop to Pates...
"Uhh... cun sumone tell meeh uhgan why wer leavin' tha city?" questioned a young soldier, to whom everyone left in the ten-man unit referred simply as 'Bull'. Of course, his tremendous size for a lad of nineteen winters fit the nickname, but that was not the main reason for the call-sign. In actuality, Burt 'Bull' Millerson was one raging bull of a soldier, especially when cornered, and he had proved his reckless abandon more than once during the recent sieges in Azros and Taop. At least five of the remaining Silver Shards had been saved from certain death by this courageous adolescent. However, poor Burt was not the sharpest Shard, one can say (though he was definitely the most unpredictable in the heat of battle).
Erik, who was a seasoned veteran of numerous campaigns, guffawed at the remark and took the time to explain to the lad about their 'mission'. "Why, have you forgotten already, Bull? Perhaps you should consider laying off the ale! It does things to your memory, you know?"
"Uh, are yoo shure, Airik? Mah fathur alweys seys drinkin' ale iz lyke drinkin' melk... mayks yoo grow up real strawng!"
"Hah! Well, I'm sure ale is good and all, but still, you gotta take things in moderation, you know?"
"Says the man who beds every lass that money can buy!" a third fellow, Norman, burst out, laughing his ass off.
"Hey now! That's beside the poin--"
"Whoa there, Erik! No bedding the pony now, you hear? That's just sick man..." interjected Paul from up ahead at the middle of the line, who had slowed his pace to listen to the conversation going on in the back.
"Wh-wha?" gasped Erik in utter shock and disbelief, while Bull and Norman busted out laughing at his expense. Then Norman tripped over a rock in his fit of hilarity and ate the dirt, which started a new round of raucous uproar.
Suddenly, a lady's voice sliced through the laughter like a swift guillotine from near the front.
"What is going on back there? Don't you fools know how to keep quiet? You'll give our position away with all this noise! Enemy scouts could be anywhere, you idiots..."
Everyone hushed immediately and began to look meek at their leader's admonishment. A few mumbled 'yes, m'lady's sounded, as Yleina's withering gaze bore through each of the three in the back. Finally satisfied after a moment of awkward silence, the girl headed back to the front, where her captain stood watching with a smirk on his face.
"Sigric, how are we to disrupt travel if these fools announce our position to everyone within a mile? You'd think they'd be more serious, since this is, after all, a serious business. And you didn't tell anyone I left right? I wanted to hurry up, switch some road signs and have the boys dig some traps, and then return back to camp before nightfall. And I can't have Xarne worrying about me, even though he should, the bastard! Always running off into fights with the enemy alone! He's almost as bad as Tharion... Oh Tharion, my sweet Tharion... how I miss you already! Wait, where was I?"
The smirk never left the captain's face, as he let his leader ramble on with whatever was on her mind. She always got like this when she was nervous; maybe it was a women-thing, who knows? Just then, his thought process was interrupted suddenly by an alarming cry from the back of the line.
Meanwhile, at the back of the line, exactly two heartbeats after Yleina stopped talking and five steps before the cry sounded...
"So, uhh, do yoo guyz dink she's, uhh... mad? at us?"
"Eh, don't you worry Bull, I'm sure she's fine...you know?"
"Yeah, fine enough to bed, you mean?"
"Hey now! That's so uncalled for, Nor-mally-can't-get-a-wo-Man!"
"Why you little..."
THUMP!
"Uhh... guyz... eye dink sumone just shawt meeh... Dat bastar--urrrgh!!!" Burt's observation of his current state of health was cut short as another arrow pierced his throat. Erik cried out in alarm, as Norman drew his blade and turned all around to spot their attackers. Paul just stood there gaping at Burt, who had somehow sprouted a few more arrows and fallen to one knee by now.
"Those motherless curs!!!" cursed Erik, as he crouched down in an attempt to shield Burt, even though it was too late. "We're under attack!!!"
In moments, four more lay severely wounded, and they were surrounded by the foe. Yleina's hands were unceremoniously bound with coarse rope, and they were ushered towards the Soliferumite headquarters in Pates. Five men were left behind: the four who were too wounded to walk, and poor Burt 'Bull' Millerson. May he rest in peace...
