The unexpected hero's

Chapter 1 the day

The first morning of battle, the last of many
Autumn's eyes slowly opened , the morning was cold much like every spring morning. Dewy grass and crispy air could be felt under her thin, woven blanket. Outside, she could hear loud shouting and sharpening of swords on stones outside of her tent. Autumn hoisted herself out of bed and slowly walked over to the little stove in the corner.She noticed the other two beds where empty and the boys had clearly woken up quite a bit earlier as their beds were made  and their armour was gone . She poured water out of the metal bucket and into the pot on the stove. The bubbles in the water has Autumn fixed, watching them float to the surface and pop, doing it over and over like some kind of dance. Suddenly Jack walked into the tent and touched Autumn on the shoulder she jumped.

"You okay?" Jack asked

"Suppose?" Autumn replied when she realised it was just Jack. Jack seemed to hesitate for a moment wondering whether to speak again. He must have decided against it and picked up his sword from the corner of the tent and left, Autumn sat in silence once more. Once Autumn had finished making her mint tea, she sat on her camp bed procrastinating what she was about to do. The dangers of the task she was facing, the risks and how death was all to much of a oncoming reality. She slowly sipped away at her tea and looked at the dewy grass under her feet.

Today was the day that the 12th battalion of Alvion had been sent to defend the kingdom from Lord Malus. Lord Malus had come to power when the old king of Fari had mysteriously died and instead of the prince taking over he had given up his place for no apparent reason and Lord Malus had suddenly taken over. At first everything was fine, people lived much the same as before until the killing started. Autumn had only been about ten but it was still ingrained deep into her memory, people deemed 'undesirable' or 'weakened' were slaughtered and taken away. Poor children left morning their dead parent and poor careers left to put their children into the ground having watched them be killed for being different .Autumn had joined the army as soon as she was able to, left the life she built behind and everyone she lived with it. She knew that the prince  wasn't just idol and given up his thrown, he was scared and waiting for an opportunity. Autumn was planning to be that opportunity, somehow?

Suddenly, still caught in her trail of thought , Matthew her close friends burst into her tent.
"your still in your nightwear?" Matthew commented.

This made Autumn blush, she was in vest and a pair of brown pantaloons.Both of which were more revealing than she'd have liked, especially in front of Matthew.

"come on get your armour on you're not going to battle like that".

Autumn rushed to her armour which was stood on a stand in the corner. She grabbed it off the stand and rushed behind the folding screen in the corner of the tent. Matthew swiftly left the tent smiling to himself .

Once Autumn was ready she walked outside of the tent to see men sharpening their swords, flexing there muscles and practising sword fighting in a stupid manner. Autumn looked over to see Jack and James sharpening their swords in a rather uncaring manner. The two of them had always been jokers, messing around and not taking life very seriously at all. James was showing off ,laughing about something that happened in the tavern a few nights ago probably. Suddenly James's hand slipped and he cut his fingers. He cried out in pain. Autumn rolled her eyes in annoyance at James's stupidity. "Seriously how we are we going to win a battle like this?Give it here" Autumn said. James looked confused so Autumn proceeded to just take James hand and clean it with some nearby cloth. "you're lucky your not dead" Autumn proceeded "honestly how you two are still alive baffles me, there you're lucky to still have all your fingers or any of your limbs for that matter you " she said having finished wrapping up his hand

Matthew walked over to Autumn and the boys. "oi, get on the battlefield the enemy have been spotted just under a mile away" James and Jack looked back at Matthew as if he was speaking French "Now!" he yelled. Autumn, Jack and James ran off holding their swords. The trio were however quickly parted by the crowds of men running around towards the field. Autumn grabbed her sword and felt a deep pit of fear condense in her stomach.

Only a few moments later the whole battalion lay in silence, waiting for that first cry or footstep. Autumn was huddled in between several men she felt as if she was compact in neat parcel, lay on the ground behind a little bank. Everyone lay in complete silence gravely aware that this could be the last day of life for all of them. Autumn swallowed hard. Suddenly there was a sound, like all the trees where blowing together simultaneously. The sound grew louder and louder. Then cries and swords and horses hooves bounded closer and closer until the noises echoed in the solider's ear drums .

Then a sudden cry of "charge" was heard and quicker than a horse on a race track the men surrounding Autumn leapt up and crawled over her. Autumn suddenly felt herself freeze, this was unusual she had never frozen like this before her legs wouldn't move and her armour felt like it was made of stone. She lay there knowing if she didn't move death was a certainty. She twitched her foot and kicked her leg. Then she bravely stood up and ran forward her heart pounding.

Moments later a dragon came swooping over her head and set a blaze to grass that was only several inches away from her and taking out several men in its hellish wake. Suddenly one of the army things approached her, she held her sword up ready to strike it. It was hooded like death itself it's eyes were fiery like screaming souls. The thing didn't touch her but held her up strangling her, she coughed and spluttered until she became unconscious like a puppet. She was able to feel herself clause onto the floor before everything engulfed her in black.