Goldwater Family/Jacelyn/The Nights, after which the morning doesn't come

The Nights, after which the morning doesn’t come

The battle didn’t go as planned, that could Jacelyn see almost immediately as the armies formed up in the distance. Only a fraction of their forces arrived, the rest was probably delayed along the way.

The lines clashed together, with the Perleoni soldiers pushing hard against the Perdanites. Wails of the wounded and dying could be heard all along the line. Jacelyn’s knights, coming from his home, valiantly tried to hold their ground with resolve and sturdiness, typical to men of Bisciye. But for every Perleoni they slew, two more emerged and with renewed courage pushed the Bisciyans back another step.

A grizzled knight, named after his keep in Wolfdale, who stood next to Jacelyn and covered his flank, fell with a spear sticking out of his armpit. His shield has been so battered, that it no longer resembled any coat of arms and was held together solely by the straps, forming a handle. The young Marshal let out a fierce warcry to scare his enemies and swung his sword to the left, killing a poor bastard who tried to exploit the hole in the line.

One look around was all Jacelyn needed to assess the situation. The situation was dire, the Perdanite line has been broken and enemies poured through, attacking the remaining soldiers from the sides. Perhaps if they withdrew and reformed the line, they would be able to remain under the cover of their archers and wait for reinforcements, which would surely come.

“Reform the Lin-”

As the Bisciyan troops began to pull back, Jacelyn slipped on a pool of fresh blood and fell to the ground. His friends and men at arms, who tried to reach him, were pushed back by braced spears. Jacelyn’s leg hurt badly from the fall, but he knew he had to get up immediately. But as he managed to crawl back to his knees, a few common soldiers, dressed more like farmers, ran up to him and threw him back in the mud, drawing their daggers. Jacelyn raised his hand, acknowledging his defeat and subsequent capture. But unfortunately for him, these knaves knew nothing of court etiquette and rules of war, stabbing Jacelyn through the holes in his armour, exploiting weaknesses of his hauberg.

Pain. Terrible pain. Jacelyn didn’t fear death, but as he writhed in pain under the Perleoni daggers, he couldn’t help but wander back, to Bisciye, his home. Perhaps his father was right, he should have stayed in Foxville and take care of the family farms, pigs and other livestock. His mind wandered to Prince Nemean, his idol, his tutor, he could see him eagerly awaiting the outcome of Jacelyn’s first joust, preparing him for war. And his mind wandered to Lori, who put her trust into him and he failed her. He would not see her wedding, he would not see her son grow and become a true knight.

“Oh Leandra almighty, protect he-”

One of the Perleoni men at arms finally ran his dagger through Jacelyn’s visor, ending the young Marshal’s life.