De Haguns Family/Orpheu/The Mustering at Brive

War! The Knight of the Perdan Mines has arrived from the City of Lions after the successful mission in Alexandria to join the Blackmane paladins.

CHAMBERLAIN

She looked into the small mirror as she secured the pins in her hair, it was rare indeed to find such a perfect mirror. Previously she had used highly polished bronze, decorative mirrors, large and fixed. This small mirror would be precious to her.

Tightening the buckles on her armour she stride out to the waiting Lords and Knights.

"The Queen has called us to arms. We must answer that call to fight with dignity, honour, respect and with vigor and blood."

Her mind drifted achingly to Aurelian as he had lain in his father's arms as she had left Aix. "We all have so much to fight for. Fight for your glory. Fight for your families. Fight for your people, and those who would learn what it is to live in the honorable beneficence of Perdan. Fight for your Queen, she trusts in your eyes, and your arms to defend the principles she has worked so hard to project!"

She paused. "In the coming days and weeks, men and women will die... we do not take their deaths lightly, they are the honourable deaths that protect the future for the realm and our people. Do not waste their sacrifices, fight with honour and pride, follow your Marshalls and win the fields. Show Perleone that they can not have all things they see.... tell them they can not ignore the rights and sovereignty of Perdan.... tell them that they cannot keep that which they have abandoned simply because they decide it will be so.... teach them that the true Lion yet roars and protects the Pride."

"Drill your troops, and raise your cups. We work in these days that the Continent remembers what it is to hear the Perdan Lion Roar!"

DE HAGUNS

Sir Orpheu, still wearing light armor and atop the heavily armored and magnificent black stallion Thunderlight slowly approached the encampment of the perdanese main army. Following him close behind, Thea was armored in padded leather and mounting a chestnut mare. The Haguns Silver Guards marched behind them in organized fashion. What had once been an unruly mob of miners and just some soldiers was beginning to become a cohesive infantry regiment.

The Haguns knight had tried to convince Thea to stay in the City of Lions, as he did not wish for her to accompany him in battle. She would have none of that, for every moment spent without her lover was a moment wasted. And she had waited years, hoped and dreamed impossible dreams to be with him, to part ways now? No force, human, natural or unnatural would tear them apart.

The knight and his war party found a quiet spot close to the main body of the Army and set camp there. There was a main pavilion for the knight, and other small tents surrounding it irregularly. Orpheu left Thunderlight under Thea’s care and strode towards the main encampment. By chance, he met other nobles, lords and knights, as they waited for the perdanese Imperatrix.

Orpheu had heard about her, and read some of her letters. She had seemed by her style… somewhat difficult? He could not assess whose kind of person this lady Chamberlain was. And then she arrived. Orpheu observed the woman as she gave her rousing speech.

Once she had finished, the eager knight saluted her. “Imperatrix, the Knight of the Perdan Mines, from the Blackmane paladins, reports for duty. It will be a honor to fight under the Lion’s banner, and under your command.”

CHAMBERLAIN

She peered at the knight of Perdan Mines, there were yet one or two of the more recent emergent nobles that she was to meet, but she was meticulous about Heraldry.... the white dragon on the red field of House de Haguns.

She smiled tilting her cup.

"Well met Sir de Haguns, and the honour I am sure is also mine!"

DE HAGUNS

The Knight was quite pleased at being recognized by his coat of arms. A shy smile started to appear on his face.

The Haguns family, while old and proud, kept mostly to the Mines region and it was rare for any of them to make overtures to the rest of the realm. Save for the times some of his ancestors rode to rally with the armies to war, the House de Haguns remained stoically rooted in the badlands, unmovable as its sturdy rocks, watching carefully as lords and kings would come and go, detached from the perils of politics and striving to boost their own local influence. So far they had succeeded.

“Well met, Imperatrix, well met”, he replied, as he took a cup of wine and tilter her. “To Perdan!”, and with one sip drank it entirely. “Now, my lady, forgive my manners, but I must ask. When do we march? My boys are restless, and so am I. I imagine the plans are to cross the border and attack Montauban? I have a report from a scout I had sent in advance to ther border, before I arrived at Brive, and it seems those mummer's lions are fortifying their positions. Wouldn’t it be wise to attack at once and take the war initiative?”, asked the knight, as he handed her a small note with a description of all regiments that had been spotted in Montauban.

The young knight had not noticed the other knights nearby, focused as he was on hitting the drums of battle.

GOLDWATER

"We should drink to that -"

Jacelyn raised his cup, seemingly emotionless, but his eyes told another story.

"To death and glory that awaits us! To Perdan!"

His last words became lost in the shouts of bisciyan knights surrounding him.

"To Perdan!"

LATSTAR

Oliver stands with the others during the imperatrix's speech in all his gleaming, polished plates of armor; a new sickly grinning helmet tucked under an arm; the pauldrons engraved like thick maned lion, baring its teeth.

As soon as Lorelai had finished, Oliver waits until he can catch the warrior woman's eyes, and he tries to smile charmingly at her; waving high in the air in greeting. He turns then to the rows of his knights behind him; steadfast Captain Aldred and his imposing and loyal shieldmaiden Brynja are at their front. They all wear the new shining heraldry of the newborn Valiant order and of Perdan's lion; each man held a proud large banner with its fabric kicking hard against the blowing wind.

The newly-proclaimed marshal earl grinned confidently, and ever proud as he faced his soldiers. "Valiants! Show them how loud you can roar! For Fortune and Glory!"

They were waiting for this moment. The men and women of the new army whose banners surely outnumber all other assembled, slammed the butts of 70 staves against the earth in trained unison while cheering for their Marshal and the Imperatrix's speech.

OROBAR

Tsingu watched the Imperatrix give her speech. I didn't do much for him. He'd seen it all, he knew why they were going to war and what would happen. Still, he knew it was necessary to motivate the younger knights, to make sure they remembered why they were fighting when they faced the horrors of battle, so he appreciated her for taking care of it. While the crowd cheered, he looked at her. A mother leaving her greatest treasure behind to lead them. He admired the sacrifice and vowed to keep an eye on her.

Several nobles raised their cups towards her, Tsingu simply nodded when they briefly made eye contact. Then his attention was drawn towards Lord Oliver and his...parade. He considered the young passionate man a friend, but his latest decision he could not agree with. It was pointless, disrupted the military and only served to put himself in the spotlight.

Tsingu sadly shook his head, hoping the Earl would soon grow up. Looking at him standing in the middle of his so called army, he remembered his Wintergreen gift, a box of chocolates with an Oliver figure in the middle, and smiled at the resemblance. Sure, the sweets looked and tasted great. But as soon as he took one in his hand, it started to melt. And when he put it in his mouth, it was easily crushed between his teeth. Tsingu wondered if the same would happen to the Valiants when the heath was on and they had to operate under pressure. He hoped the Earl wouldn't end up alone in the field, on his way to his grave. He didn't doubt Oliver would find a way to make even dying look like an event of magical splendor. But a smirking, bare chested corpse is still a corpse. Tsingu sighed. An other one to keep an eye on.

GOLDHAART

Sir Dandro GoldHaart only had time to let the men repair and rest when he wrote a letter to his Lady Duchess Aila Storme and Margravine Delphine de Montigny before setting off to muster at Brive.

Sir Dandro made himself busy making sure to see to the men first then to his own armour making sure that his house crest was visible on his best and horse, even with the straps of his weapons wrapped around himself to make sure nothing moved out of place when they were moving and then Dandro made sure to put his weapons in their right places, the three hunting knives two on his legs and one across his chest, his war bow sheathed on his saddle with plenty of spare bowstrings with the white-feathered fletching arrows that filling two quivers on his house and two more quivers on his back, they were the tools of war designed to mark targets for his men to lose their volleys into at his command, placing his shield on his horse more to show his house crest than to be used in battle and finally his sword on the other side of the horse's saddle in its own sheath.

Making sure all was set Sir Dandro GoldHaart lead his troops to muster at Brive.

Arriving in Brive to hear the Imperatrix's speech, Dandro roared with the army to give voice to this oath. "For the realm and our Queen... For Perdan!"