Hynes Family/Alois/Crusade/RP7

They had driven the Islanders from the walls, and nine of Alois' Legionnaires lay dead about him. The front rank of the box formation had marched gallantly into the fortified wall of spears, and Alois had personally lead his men over the palisade with Pate right behind him, carrying three spears and handing Alois a fresh one for every one he broke.

He had been down to sword and dagger by the time the Islander forces finally broke and ran, and had suffered several minor wounds himself. Once over the wall, the pitiful armor of the Islanders did little good against the superior 'runt weapons.

And now the nine men lay in a row before the walls, the crest of the Hynes Family sewn onto the surcoats worn over their chainmail marking them as Legionnaires.

"What now?" Pate asked as he looked down at the corpses. "Do we take them home?"

Alois shook his head. "No. No, it is too far. We will bury them here." The boy had taken the deaths better than he had expected. Maybe he was just not showing his fear, or maybe he was simply unaffected by the gorey wounds and blood after seeing a whole man torn apart by undead.

Pate pointed towards a corpse. "He was nice to me," he whispered, "A good man."

"They were all good men."

The boy only nodded. "Aye."

Alois pulled the wineskin from around his body, uncorked it and took a long pull of the sweet spiced wine had he brought from Xavax and savored the feel of the salty breeze against his face, the rays of the morning sun warming his body, and letting both sensations soothe him. He could feel himself coming down, the bloodlust leaving him, draining the strength from his body. He handed Pate the skin, and let the boy take a swig of his own as he sleeved crusted blood from his face and replaced his greathelm.

"Come, or we will miss breakfast."