Tales of Eldor - The Warden

Chapter V - The Battle

Marius lifts his head, waking to the sound of the barracks coming to life. Jess still sleeping soundly in his lap, making him smile while resting his head on the pillow once more. Until she starts to stir, turning towards him in loving embrace and slowly opening her eyes. "My hero."

He smiles "wasn't it idiot last night?"

"Can't it be both?" She says while moving in for a kiss. "So what mischief will we get into today?"

"Well we should see about getting you enlisted officially, if ... if that's something you would like?"

"Hmm ... Jessalie, soldier of Baldrum ... never thought i'd ever say that."

"You don't have to of course! We can figure something else out ..."

"I get to spend every waking moment with the big bad captain over here ... where do I sign?"

His smile widens at her words. "Well I only have 2 years left on my therm. Afterwords I can chose to sign on longer or ... retire to a certain farm I own ..."

"So I have to wait 2 years before I can stop sharing you with that little general? Good thing I'm a patient woman."

"You're ... ok with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be? I can wait another few years to have you for myself, beside we can have all kinds of adventures right here ... but for the love of the Elders leave that necklace on from now on." She jests but with an undertone obvious she meant it as well.

*knock knock* "Captain Cromwell?"

He sighs "2 more years, 2 more years." Whispering to himself before shouting at the door. "Just a minute." He crawls over Jessalie and puts his uniform on quick as he can while Jess makes herself decent as well. He looks back before opening the door, making sure she was completely dress before opening. "About time." General Walters muttered as he barges in without warning. "Ah that explains it." Looking at Jess and making Marius pause. "Don't fret Cromwell, I was young to ... once."

" Ye .. Yes sire."

"But enlist her properly with the clerk if she is staying here hmm. I would know if an elf enlisted ... don't think me turning a blind eye is a sign of stupidity." He says winking at Marius.

"Yes, wi ... "

"We where just talking about doing just that general, sir." She cuts in.

"Good. Now listen op captain. Since i get the feeling she will find out anyway i'm doing this in front of her ... We are attacking Rise tomorrow."

"What!? Why!?" He almost shouts at the general.

"The king wants this ordeal over with, so we are throwing everything we got at them. We asked the elves for aid but I doubt we will get a response, they might show but I doubt it."

"Sir, we won the last battle purely because we had the wall defenses. If we attack them thing wont go that smoothly, you have to know this.

"Aye aya captain, it was not my idea. But orders are orders, so its up to us to come up with a plan that won't get us all killed."

"Their city isn't as well defended as ours but still. Its walled off with a wooden palisade, they have catapults, their centaur cavalry and help from Dalin which is all to close by."

"Wooden palisades? Can't we just burn that down?" Jess plainly interjects.

"No it's not tha ... well ... it might actually just be." Marius says sinking in thought. "If we could get our balista's in range without them noticing and charging at us we could technically enclose their home in a ring of fire. But that's a big if. The moment they know we are coming they are meeting us in the field, they are not stupid after all.