Accursed Wars of Immortalis

Chapter 4: Hunting the Rogue

Flann was woken early by gentle prodding on her cheek. She opened her eyes and found Walgen kneeling beside her, patient, but finger poised for another poke. She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"We'd best hurry up, Flann. I hope you have slept enough. We must depart shortly."

She simply groaned in response. Walgen chuckled and left the tent. Flann joined him a few minutes later, dressed in light wool clothing. It was the middle of spring, and the days were becoming quite warm – enough to discourage wearing more robust clothing. It was quite unfortunate for the vanguards, she found, that they would have to travel in armour while tracking the rogue Maledicti.

She ate a quick meal with Ragnhild, Walgen and the two other legionnaires, vanguard Kurt and priest Colton. They had their gear nearby. After the meal, Ragnhild took inventory of their gear, to make sure that all were travelling lightly.

Walgen had selected specific parts of standard legionnaire plate-and-mail; he wore a hauberk – a thigh-length mail shirt – and a plate cuirass. He also wore gauntlets, a mail coif and a barbute, a rather simple metal helmet that provides sufficient protection from slashing blows. His friend Kurt wore the same without the gauntlets, and had a round centre-grip shield which he would carry by hand. Walgen wore an arming sword on his belt and carried a poleaxe, which had a sharp axe-blade on one side, a hammer on the other and a long spike at the tip. Ragnhild commented on his choice of weapon, stating that he would struggle carrying it all day while keeping a fast pace, but he retorted that he was capable of it, and that it would be worth the trouble.

Both Colton and Flann were wearing standard-issue warrobes, which would do little to protect them from Maledicti claws, as Flann had once experienced, but would protect against glancing blows, if they were fortunate. Since the warrobes were light and flexible, it was not too much of a hindrance. Both had an 18-inch ha'rm sword and their lunerum wands.

Ragnhild was the most heavily equipped, but she was able to carry more than most men her height. She wore a whole set of mail, from head to ankles, with a plate cuirass. Hooked to her belt was her longsword, which she was able to wield in one hand as well as a skilled swordsman in two, and an open-faced helm and additional mail neck protection, an aventail. She carried her usual tear-shield.

Each had a sack slung over their shoulder, carrying a one-litre water-skin, two rations, a roll of bandages and a small flask of alcohol. Walgen suspended his from the butt end of his poleaxe and balanced the whole on his shoulders. The team departed just as the sky to the west began shifting to a deep purple.

Ragnhild was in the lead, followed by Walgen and Kurt, then Flann and Colton. They maintained a fast walking speed. The morning was cool; Flann assumed that the vanguards, especially Ragnhild, were happy to remain cooled in their armour.

A few hours later, the sun was well on it's way in the sky, and the day began to warm. They had already travelled close to thirty kilometers, yet they had not reached the end of the highlands. However, they could see the edge of the Ternen forest, far ahead to the east.

"Now would probably be a good time to discuss our strategy," began Walgen. He shifted around the weight of the poleaxe for the hundredth time.