The Warden | A For Honor Fanfiction

Returned

Returned
It was difficult to say how long I had been awake at this point. I couldn't remember sleeping any time during my watch over Deborah two days ago, so by reason, that meant I hadn't slept in three days. However, there were long stretches while traveling that I couldn't recall, as though lost in a dream. I knew sleepwalking was a phenomenon among many people, but to have enough of one's mind to keep marching? It just didn't seem right to me. All of this to say I was struggling to remain conscious while organizing supplies to be transported to the fortress. I had been tasked with doing so by Kharion, and while I had been happy to accept the task, my lack of sleep had begun to catch up with me.

Thankfully, I was not alone in my efforts. A number of residents who were unfit or unable to fight had been stationed with me in the storehouse, each of them looking through various casks and bags, searching for items that could be feasibly transported across the long journey to the fort. Thus far, only a few small crates of dried fruits and a few bags of flour had been properly prepared, each having been carefully placed at the far end of the storehouse. They were meager rations, but in a battle, you had to make do with what you could.

I turned my attention back to the crates before me, carefully moving aside a crate of colewort and taking a small, sealed box in my hands. Opening it up, I found what looked to be a small amount of dried and cured venison, carefully preserved with a small smattering of salt. It was by no means a large quantity, but dried meats like this would do wonders for the people. Closing the box, I carried it towards the slow growing pile of supplies, though I had to fight back a feeling of frustration seeing how small it was. True to my suspicions on my first visit, the storehouse had already been rather sparse thanks to Blackstone, and Herongale's storage had even fewer foods that could be easily transported. Less than ten items had been collected for travel.

I tried to force these frustrations away as I set the box beside one of the bags of flour, only to find myself stumbling as my head began to feel light. A strange wave of pressure seemed to pulse from the back of my brain and into its center, before expanding into the remainder of my head. Perhaps I was more tired than I'd realized, every part of me felt five pounds heavier than it should have. There was no time for rest though, not yet. With a deep breath I pushed myself up, briefly rubbing my forehead before I turned around, seeing another resident carefully walking towards the pile with his own box of mystery rations.

"Not off to a stellar beginning, I see." I heard from my other side. The surprise barely registered in my mind as I turned towards the source, coming face to face with Berrat, his hood now extended over the top of his face, covering his eyes in dim shadows. I wondered if it were his skills as a ranger or my failing senses that allowed him to sneak up on me. Regardless, I sighed and nodded, crossing my arms as I turned fully toward him.

"We've four bags of flour, two crates of dried fruits, a crate of greens, and one box of cured venison. I hadn't realized how little travel food your lot had at the ready." I remarked. Berrat simply chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder as he began walking, turning and pulling me along as he went.

"Yes, Blackstone was sure to strip us clean of that." He said. Of course they had, I thought. Food good for travel was a valuable commodity during the winter, especially in a state of war. Frankly, I doubt Ashfeld had seen a time of genuine peace since the Cataclysm. That in mind, it was no wonder that was the resource Blackstone seemed to claim above all others. I was fairly sure Berrat had fetched me to reassign me for that very reason, so I allowed myself to be pulled away by him.

A cool rush of air enveloped us as we stepped outside, and a soft snow had begun to fall as the horizon shifted to a golden hue in the fading hours of day. Just how long had it been since I arrived? It couldn't have been long after mid day, and it certainly hadn't felt that long since I'd met with Kharion. Then again, with how sleep deprived I was, it wouldn't be surprising that I'd lost track of time. Perhaps when this was all over I could rest before going to retrieve Stone and Deborah, if I was still alive when this was said and done. If not, I only hoped Heaven's gates would open for me. I shook such thoughts from my mind and turned back towards Berrat, whose arms had been folded behind his back.