Side by Side

Riftan honestly couldn't remember if he had gotten any sleep in the last five days. 
The battle was constant, give and take and give again. 

He knew his own stamina and knew that if he was growing tired then his men must be utterly exhausted. 

The air reeked of death and nauseating decay. Blood stained their armor, which was theirs and which was the enemies, they could no longer tell. 

For all their strength the Remdragon Knights had held their own but were now at a standstill. Both sides had fought hard, bitterly hard but neither side never yielded as the days of battle progressed. 

The knights were backed into a corner, at the base of the junction of two mountains, too steep to climb quickly if a retreat was needed. They only had the remains of a small fortress to protect them. They were running low on food, water, and energy and though morale was strong amongst their brotherhood, even it began to dwindle slightly. 

This would be their last stand. 

If they could not breach the enemy lines, they would not be able to get out and food would run out soon. 

One last time they decided they would ride out together to face their enemy, a legion of orcs, more than 10,000 strong.

As Riftan began to prepare Talon's saddle for their last ride his mind, as it always did, wandered to thoughts of his beautiful wife, Maxi. 

As he thought of her, his heart grew lighter than it had been in months. Where was she, he pondered. A ghost of a smile graced his lips as he thought of the fun his wife was having as she was traveling on an expedition with her wizard friends to study the history of ancient ruins somewhere in the northeastern portion of the continent. 

Riftan knew Maxi enjoyed being lady of the house and went above and beyond to fulfill her role, but he also understood that she was passionate about magic and wanted to explore and gain knowledge every chance she got. He couldn't deny her and had agreed to let her attend a short trip with her comrades, even if they would miss each other terribly. At least it would make their reunion all the more sweet.
If he survived to have a reunion, he thought darkly before mentally shaking himself of such thoughts. No, he would fight like hell to get back to her and hold her in his arms again. Failure was and is never an option.

The men charged out of the fortress on horseback in full armor. The men yelled and cursed as they charged into the thick of the battle. 

Just as they were about to be overwhelmed by the sheer size of their enemy's army, a brief but powerful burst of light shone from the top of the lip of the valley, hundreds of yards away. The occurrence was so distracting and captivating that both knights and orcs stopped to see what the source of light was. 

Riftan's heart soared while simultaneously dropping into his stomach. It was her, his Maxi. She was dressed in her wizard's robes and had a few pieces of armor on as well, protecting her vital organs. She had added a few personal touches and Riftan felt utter joy and pride because even at the great distance between them he could make out the emblem of the Remdragon knights branded on her chest plate. 

His heart lurched painfully as he saw her kick Rem's side urging the horse onward. The pair picked up speed as they raced down the hill towards the battle in the valley below. 

The orcs paid her little mind as she charged. After all, what could one little wizard possibly do against an army of thousands?

As she got closer, Riftan saw a look on her face he had never seen before, unbridled rage barely contained by a mask of focus and determination. She held Rem's reins tightly within one hand and the other outstretched to her side, her palm facing backwards, with the bright glow of a powerful spell emanating from it.