Warlords Of The Oaken Chalice

Reliasse: Another Fight

The fool had begged for something she couldn't give. Mercy. On the battlefield? In front of both friends and foes? Mercy wasn't granted to the weak or the strong, to the brave or the coward, to the footman or the Warlord.

Reliasse looked once more to the corpse of the fallen Warlord, a last silent twitch before he fell still. The Gods' Chosen had been abandoned, had been foolish enough to believe the gods would protect him, lead him to victory. No, the battle was over for The Gods' Chosen. Yet it was not over for the rest of them.

She turned to her forces as she kicked on her horse's stirrup and sped back into the ranks. Searching for her lieutenant, she called the orders.

"To the forest!"

She would need to defeat both The Demon Knight and The Bloodbath before she could claim the Oaken Chalice for herself, but not on that terrain. The rough ground made it treacherous for the horses, and there was no cover to hide from the archers. Her cavalry would be torn apart if they fought on The Demon Knight's ground, on his terms.

The sound of hooves stampeding echoed through the valley as the cavalry made for the forest. The battle-weary soldiers from her enemies' ranks did not give chase, no doubt relieved by the respite. Sunset wasn't far off; the battle would resume in the morning.

Her men soon dismounted and began preparing to take shelter in the forest for the night. They were seasoned, well trained, and required few orders. For all the discipline of her riders, it was her lieutenant that dared question her.

"What of the Oaken Chalice, Warlord?" he asked, a slight quiver in his voice.

"What of it?" she barked. "We have a battle to win, and no time for distractions."

"But," he protested, "it is your sacred duty. You must secure it, before another Warlord claims it for himself."

"The Oaken Chalice is protected in the keep. The Gods' Chosen may have fallen, but his remaining soldiers will defend it to the end. We do not have the men to fight The Demon Knight and The Bloodbath, and still begin a siege at the keep."

"But—"

"You have your orders!"

The lieutenant backed down. He wouldn't test Reliasse's mercy, he knew her far too well.

Camp fires surrounded her as the darkness set in. There was an uncomfortable silence amongst the men. What little blood they had spilt that day was that of unarmed soldiers, defenceless allies. Reliasse may well be merciless, but that didn't mean her men were too. They would need a good fight to recover, an honourable fight.

But even as she considered her strategy for the battle to come, her advantage was ripped from her fingers. The muted gasp of a man dying as his throat was slit echoed across the quiet camp site. A sentry. The enemy was here.

"Weapons!" she cried, rousing those already slumbering. "They're here! Weapons, now!"

She lifted her spear and glanced at her horse. The forest, meant to be a sanctuary, would be their undoing.

"Warlord!" urged the lieutenant, "the forest is too thick to—"

"Then fight on your damn feet, fool!" she shouted. "All of you, weapons up, set your backs to the fires. Forget the horses!"

Her shoulder collided with her lieutenant's as she prepared for the ambush. She should never have trusted The Demon Knight to wait for morning. Even after a day of battle, he pushed his exhausted men to fight in the darkness.

"Brace!" she shouted, as she heard the enemy approaching, rallying her troops before axes arrived. "The Demon Knight fights without relent, without fear, but they are weak from a day of savage battle. We stand now, unhorsed, but not undone. We stand together, readied, in defence of the Oaken Chalice. And we will show them no mercy!"