Search and Slaughter

The forest was quiet and damp. Fresh rain had fallen just the day before yet the fallen leaves on the forest floor were still wet and moist. That softened the noise made by the warriors as they tried to move about the forest as quietly as they could. Moving about in a quiet fashion was a challenging notion when wearing mail or plate armour yet the soldiers of the Order needed to be well protected if they were going to search for Scoia’Tael raiders on their own turf.

The Order of the Flaming Rose had been receiving many reports about attacks and ambushes on human trade caravans using the trade road which went through the respective forest. The attacks had gotten so ferocious that many merchants refused to even use the road anymore, taking their goods elsewhere. It had been decided by the leaders of the Order that it was time to put a stop to the attacks by nonhuman marauders on human caravans and eliminate all Scoia’Tael in the area, young or old, male or female with no exceptions.

Affairs like this were always brutal. No mercy was given and no mercy was received. These missions were more commonly referred to as “Search and Slaughter” missions since the soldiers and mercenaries hired to participate in them had to slay any Elf or Dwarf they could find. This particular one was being led by a mercenary named Eddard who was attracted by the money offered by the Order as rewards for slaying any Scoia’Tael and recovering the squirrel puffs they hung on their garments.

The soldiers advanced slowly through the forest trying not to alert any Scoia’Tael watchmen standing guard. If they did alert the enemy, they would either ambush Eddard’s company and slaughter them or retreat deeper into the forest where they couldn’t be pursued. Either way, it wasn’t an attractive option for Eddard.

His company was composed of about seventeen fighting men. He had been hired since a Knight of the Order couldn’t be bothered to lead this assignment himself. The men under his command were mainly lower ranked Order footmen and arbalesters. The only member of the Order which was somewhat more important than the rest was a young squire training to become a knight. Eddard had been ordered to watch him carefully and guard him with his very life. The young squire, named Fredric, was like most squires of his age, bold and arrogant. He knew the rules of chivalry yet he did not abide by them when he wasn’t at court. He was just as ruthless as any hired blade yet he had the skill you couldn’t find on the street. The skill one could only gain by many years of hard training with arms and armour of all kinds.

“How much more shall we have to skulk in this bog, mercenary?” the young squire asked with clear disdain in his voice. He obviously didn’t hold Eddard in high regard.

“Could you keep your voice down milord?” Eddard asked softly, as not to cause much noise. To his displeasure, he could see the boy’s face getting red with anger.

“It would be wise if a man of your rank heeded it master Eddard. As for the Squirrels, let them come. It’s time they tasted fine Temerian steel.” Fredric said as sweat poured down his face. Even in the cool of the forest, the squire still got overheated in his armour.

“Of course milord. When we shall surprise them you can kill to your noble heart’s content. Until then, we must remain stealthy. Fight fire with fire and all that.” Eddard said, trying to calm the squire down. He couldn’t care less if he angered the spoiled brat yet he was worried that the nonhumans might be alerted. Unlike most mercenaries, he respected his opponent and knew that, contrary to popular opinion, Elves weren’t stupid. They were more cunning that humans in some situations and just as brutal.

Silence set in once more as the soldiers advanced. The red surcoat with the symbol of the Flaming Rose worn by the squire seemed to shine whenever the young knight-in-training was hit by a ray of light falling through the canopy. Such was the weaving that went into all surcoats which belonged to knights of the Order. Beneath it he wore fine mail over a padded vest. At his side he had his trusty blade, a hand-and-a-half sword which also went by the name of a “bastard sword”. The sword had a copper gilt crossguard with a grip made of horn. The wheel-shaped pommel was etched with the symbol of the flaming rose. All in all, it was a true noble’s weapon, one the likes of which Eddard could never hope to own. At his side he also had his ivory horn, inlaid with small carvings of hunting scenes and mythical beasts.

The other men under his command wore surcoats in the same style of the one worn by the young squire, yet of lesser make. They were mostly armed with halberds and short swords, while the arbalesters had cross-bows meant to pierce armour. All of them had daggers for close quarters combat however, even the upstart squire.

Eddard himself was armoured rather lightly since he knew that plate armour or any armour which was heavy wasn’t effective in rugged terrain like the one you find in a muddy forest. To that end, he simply wore a light, sleeveless mail hauberk over a padded vest that would absorb blows and a cheap kettle-shaped helmet on his head. Eddard’s own sword hung from his old leather belt in a plain, undecorated scabbard made of cow leather. On his back hung his old wooden shield which he had acquired from a fallen opponent. It was filled with dents and scratches yet Eddard couldn’t really afford a new one so he had to make due.

***

After two more hours of wandering through the forest some of the men started thinking that the nonhumans had seen them and had ran deeper into the forest. Some started slightly protesting with regard to the purpose of the expedition yet they were quickly silenced by Fredric. After arranging his helm and his long, flowing hair which had gotten tangled up because of sweat the company set off once more.

After some more useless wandering Eddard himself started doubting that there even were Scoia’Tael in the forest in the first place. Perhaps they moved into another area when they heard that the Order had sent a party of soldiers to find and defeat them. Perhaps they were actually waiting for the opportune moment to set off an ambush. To Eddard’s eye it seemed that they had been traveling for the past hours in the same area, since the trees and the hills didn’t quite seem to change. They did find a stream after some more wandering where the soldiers could quench their thirst. Eddard rejoiced at the sight of the stream since, in his mind, this was a sign of the location of the nonhuman camp. It was probably set up somewhere near the stream so the rebels could be close to a water supply.

Wanting to search the area more thoroughly, Eddard split up his company into two groups, one led by himself and the other led by the young Fredric. While he himself chose to search upstream Fredric went with his men to search in the opposite direction, spreading out so they could scout out a wider area.

“Quietly men! We don’t want those cowardly bastards hearing us then coming behind our backs!” Fredric said to his men as he unsheathed his blade. It shone briefly in the light as Fredric held it in both hands. “Forward!”

“You heard our young and noble leader. Set out, but try to do so less loudly men.” Eddard said, almost whispering to his own detachment.

As the men advanced, Eddard slowly removed his shield and strapped it to his left hand. He then silently unsheathed his trusty sword in case they did happen to find any nonhumans. Even if they were simply refugees hiding in the woods, Eddard had orders to bring back trophies which proved the demise of the nonhuman raiders. In the Order’s eyes, the heads of innocent Elves were just as good as the heads of the ones fighting for the Squirrels. In the end, all that mattered to Eddard was getting his pay and he was prepared to slay innocents if it brought food on the table. There was no room for a strong conscience in Temeria, you either did what you had to do or you starved, simple as that. Eddard wasn’t prepared to question the way of things in Temeria, nor was he really willing. It wasn’t his duty after all. At the current moment, his duty was to kill any nonhumans he could find so as to please the Order.

***

Their small trek upstream finally led the soldiers under Eddard to a clearing in the woods. At first, it appeared to be a meadow with a few trees in the middle, yet at a closer look it was a marshy bog that was filled to the brim with mud. Just the place to set up an ambush, at least in Eddard’s eyes. Tall ferns and bushes made the ground look solid at first, yet a closer inspection yielded the truth. With a quick hand gesture Eddard stopped his soldiers. He then signaled them to keep quiet with another hand gesture.

As his men stopped right in front of the clearing all that could be heard was the babbling stream. Suddenly, in front of them at the opposite end of the clearing, they could see a fleeting figure going deeper into the woods. The clearing was too wide to circle so their only options were to go straight through it, if they wanted to follow the figure they had just seen.

As they saw the figure Eddard’s men all raised their weapons and prepared for combat, yet only minutes of silence followed. Whatever it had been, it ran off deeper into the forest and Eddard’s men weren’t really prepared to follow the figure, though they were all willing.

“Well, whatever it was it’s gone sir.” One of the soldiers said, breaking the tension.

“Perhaps it’s circling this grove, you can’t be certain. Perhaps those bat-eared bastards are surrounding us right now and we ain’t even aware of it.” A wolfish-looking soldier said, expressing his disbelief that the figure had nothing to do with them. “We should leave while we still can. Either that or follow that bloke we just saw.”

“Silence, both of you! It might have been a bear for all you know. I’m not going to risk going through that clearing since we could be easily ambushed in there. So, we’re heading back.” Eddard said, making himself clear. He hung his shield back on his back yet he kept his sword. “Time to find our little noble and see what trouble he’s gotten himself into.”

“You heard the captain you louts. Time to head back to town. The last one to get there buys the booze tonight!” the wolfish-looking fellow said as he sheathed his dagger.

“We’re not out of this gods-forsaken forest yet men, so keep your wits about you and your weapons even closer.” Eddard said in a cold voice, trying to keep the others alert.

Before Eddard could finish his sentence however he heard a sharp noise coming from the canopy. As he looked up he heard a loud cry of pain from the soldier next to him. An arrow had just hit him in the neck and he was starting to drown in his own blood. Eddard dropped to his knees and used the fallen man as a human shield since he didn’t have time to grab his own shield. Several more arrows pelted his group, wounding several more soldiers and slaying at least one of them, besides the one he was hiding behind.

As Eddard looked back he could see that the rest of his men-those who hadn’t fallen to the ground because of the pain caused by their wounds and those who hadn’t been hit with arrows-had fled into the clearing. He heard even more screaming from that direction. From his position, Eddard could see that his men were getting stuck in the mud as small, leaf-covered creatures emerged from the undergrowth. From their appearance they looked like monsters, yet the axes and hatchets that they were wielding didn’t suggest monsters. While Eddard looked on as his men were being slaughtered in the clearing, he could hear a horn blowing from the direction his group had originally come after splitting up.

It was Fredric the squire, leading his own group in their aid. As they ran towards the clearing, screaming insulting battle cries, Eddard rose from his hiding spot beneath the body of his former soldier. The men at first came to a complete stop at the sight of him, surprised by the apparition. Some even prepared to attack him, thinking he was one of the Squirrels. Fredric stopped them however.

“Master Eddard!” Fredric said with a concerned voice as he greeted his comrade.

“Watch out! Up above!” Eddard said as he raised his shield and pointed with his sword towards the canopy.

Arrows and crossbow bolts flew back and forth from the ground to the canopies. Two Elven bowmen fell to their deaths after being pierced by the bolts fired off by the Order arbalesters. One arbalester was also hit in the exchange however. As he fell to the ground he let out a stringent scream while he grabbed the arrow which had pierced his shoulder.

“There are others in the clearing! Follow me!” Eddard shouted as he ran off towards the clearing, almost stumbling in the small stream.

The waters of the stream had already gotten red from the blood shed by the soldiers of the Order being led by Eddard. The mud had been turned over as well and had become a bloody mess. As the surviving Order soldiers emerged into the clearing they saw a dreadful sight. The clearing was littered with the dead, both nonhumans and Order soldiers. The small creatures with axes turned out to be dwarves which were lying in wait, ready for an ambush. The wolfish-looking soldier was lying in the middle of the clearing with a dead dwarf at his feet. The axe that had slain him was still in his neck, bloodied. In the middle of it all was a tall man with milk-white hair, holding a bloody two-handed sword in his hands. He had a tattered leather jacket and a shirt underneath with two straps running across his chest. At the end of one of the straps were several small vials. His gaze was fixed on them and he had a solemn look about him.

“Who might you be knave?” Fredric asked rather hastily as he held his bastard sword at the ready. He was breathing heavily from all the running he had done. “Speak quickly!”

“I’d be more interested in the Elves behind you.”

“They’re attacking from behind!” one of the arbalesters yelled as he let out a bolt which hit an Elf straight in the chest, piercing the scale mail the Elf was wearing.

The two sides clashed violently, swords and scimitars being swung wildly in all directions. Eddard tackled one of the Elves then wrestled him to the ground. Once the Elf was down, Eddard hit him over the head with the crossguard of his sword, after quickly flipping the sword around. The impact was violent and the Elf was knocked out cold. Eddard quickly rose to his feet afterwards, only to see Fredric slashing an Elf across the belly with his blade then thrusting it into the disoriented Elf’s neck. The blood of the Elf gushed out abruptly, hitting Fredric in the face and blinding him momentarily.

As he staggered back a bloodied Elf, after driving his scimitar through an arbalester’s neck, came towards Fredric, his blade raised high. Eddard, sensing the danger, quickly charged the Elf. Shouting a battle cry, Eddard surprised his opponent and, after a few clumsy sword strikes which the Elf parried with some difficulty, slew his opponent saving the young squire.

His selflessness cost him however. He could soon feel the sting of an Elven curved blade in his backside. An Elf had gone behind his back and pierced his mail hauberk with a well-placed strike. As small chain links flew along with blood from Eddard’s wound, the Elf grabbed Eddard by the neck with one hand, intent on slitting his throat. Eddard however still had his sword and he drove it with all his strength into the Elf’s stomach. After a high-pitched yell, the Elf fell to the ground in an ever-growing pool of his own blood.

Eddard however was also wounded and soon enough he couldn’t stand. With a groan of pain, he fell to his knees then to the ground. The skirmish had ended by that time, with the Order victorious. The clearing had turned red with blood by that point however. As he laid down on his back, Eddard could see Fredric dropping to his knees next to him.

“You fought well Eddard. I almost fell when I was blinded by that Squirrel’s blood but you saved me. I will remember that. So will my father.” Fredric said with a warm smile of kindness, the like of which Eddard had not seen before in the young man’s face.

“I…appreciate your kindness milord but…if I won’t make it out of these woods…your gratitude would best be shown through a…decent funeral.” Eddard said as he coughed heavily.

“Don’t cough, that will only make it worse. And don’t speak such words of ill omen! When we shall return to Vizima, and we shall return to it, mark my words! I shall personally recommend you to one of the leading officers of the Order. If I’ll not make a knight out of you, Eddard, I’ll at least have a fine squire to stand at my side in future battles.” Fredric said with a solemn face while he held Eddard’s head. Eddard thought he could see a tear in the squire’s eyes, yet he could have been hallucinating because of the pain.

“Where’s that white-haired bloke? Did he…help in the fight milord?” Eddard asked with a weak voice.

“The men tell me he left while we fought the nonhuman scum. I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again too soon. Most probably a hermit by the look of him. He must be helping the Squirrels find their way around this forest, the bastard though I can’t realize why. He has just as much to loose as any other human if the Squirrels win.” Fredric said in a somewhat angered voice. He clearly considered the mysterious man a coward for not helping.

“Hermits…don’t wield…great-swords.” Eddard whispered as he closed his eyes.