Dylan Birtolo (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} eyezofwolf) wrote,@ 2006-01-23 01:17:00 |
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It Begins...
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Elliena kneeled at the top of a grassy hill and surveyed the scene before her. The peaceful green quickly shifted to a dark and twisted brown near the base of the hill. The ground had been torn up by an uncountable number of men and the horses they drove into battle. The churned earth had been mixed with the blood of the fallen. The carrion birds circled in the air over the harvest of corpses and threatened to block out the sun with their black feathers.
She stood, using her spear to push herself into a standing position. She stood still for a few moments, watching the field below her and feeling a tear carve through the dirt and filth on her right cheek. When she became aware of it, she narrowed her eyes and hardened her gaze. Under her breath she promised herself that it was unavoidable. Her gaze shifted from the field up to the head of the spear she carried.
The blade of the spear and the first few inches of the shaft were coated in dried blood. Coldly, she lowered the spear so she could clean it while she stood there. The metal plates of her armor were also soiled, but she didn’t bother to pay it any attention. It could wait until she removed it at the campsite. The wind picked up and tossed her sweat streaked hair in front of her face and carried the metallic scent of death. As she brushed the auburn strands away from her face she heard a voice faintly on the wind.
Staring at the field below her, she saw a person crawling through the bodies. Once the wind died down she could no longer hear the voice, but she did hear a mad screeching and fluttering of wings as birds were chased away from their meal by the survivor.
Elliena turned to look behind her at the remaining soldiers under her command. Most of them were injured and all of them were exhausted. The most seriously wounded were actively being tended to by those who could still move and function. It was a dismal scene, but they had been the victorious side in the battle. Her troop was left behind to survey the field and to insure there were no survivors pretending to be dead on the field.
She took a few steps back towards the camp, using her spear for support as she walked. Once she was lower than the crest of the hill, she signaled the courier waiting there. He ran forward and nodded once.
“Tell the troops to get ready to move. The ones who can’t walk will be placed in litters and pulled by the horses. They should leave immediately.”
“Yes commander. But, there’s not enough litters for all the injured.”
“Then make litters out of spears or carry them by the able bodied soldiers left. I will not leave a single man behind that we can bring back.”
“And what of those who won’t survive the trip back?”
There was a pause. “They will make it back.”
“Commander Ansel won’t agree with your decision.”
“They aren’t commander Ansel’s men yet, are they? He can lead his honor guard however he wants, but he is in no position to tell me how to do my duty. Make sure the injured men move on, I am going to give the field one final inspection.”
The courier nodded and ran down the short hill towards the remaining troops. Once he had turned around, Elliena climbed back up to the top of the hill. She spared a glance over her shoulder before heading down into the field of death much to the protestations of the feasting birds. The person that she saw moving through the field had stopped and was bent over another body on the ground. From her angle, all Elliena could see was his back, but she could tell that he was moving. He was wearing no armor, but his clothing was red and yellow – the colors of the enemy.
She walked up behind him slowly, with her hand tightened around the spear shaft. She stayed on the balls of her feet with her battle instincts overriding her exhaustion. Once she got closer, she could see that the survivor was barely more than a young boy. He was old enough to carry a sword, but had clearly not even seen fifteen winters. He jerked around when he heard the woman behind her and fell to the ground with his eyes wide in fear. His body was frozen and would not move as Elliena lowered her spear at him. She hesitated as she stared at him and her hands loosened on the spear slightly.
It was loose enough that when the body on the ground rolled over and swung his katana down on her spear, it fell out of her hands. The person that the boy had been crouched over was a man in his mid twenties and suffering from several deep wounds. His clothes were drenched in blood, but even with his injuries it was clear most of it was not his own. He had rolled over onto his left side and used the momentum to crash his sword against her spear. One of his eyes was swollen shut, but the other was filled with a calculating coldness.
“I can’t let you kill him,” he croaked through dried, cracked lips.
----------- Story Cut -----------
Just so everyone knows, these are rough drafts and I guarantee will have spelling and grammar errors.
----------- Story Cut -----------
Elliena kneeled at the top of a grassy hill and surveyed the scene before her. The peaceful green quickly shifted to a dark and twisted brown near the base of the hill. The ground had been torn up by an uncountable number of men and the horses they drove into battle. The churned earth had been mixed with the blood of the fallen. The carrion birds circled in the air over the harvest of corpses and threatened to block out the sun with their black feathers.
She stood, using her spear to push herself into a standing position. She stood still for a few moments, watching the field below her and feeling a tear carve through the dirt and filth on her right cheek. When she became aware of it, she narrowed her eyes and hardened her gaze. Under her breath she promised herself that it was unavoidable. Her gaze shifted from the field up to the head of the spear she carried.
The blade of the spear and the first few inches of the shaft were coated in dried blood. Coldly, she lowered the spear so she could clean it while she stood there. The metal plates of her armor were also soiled, but she didn’t bother to pay it any attention. It could wait until she removed it at the campsite. The wind picked up and tossed her sweat streaked hair in front of her face and carried the metallic scent of death. As she brushed the auburn strands away from her face she heard a voice faintly on the wind.
Staring at the field below her, she saw a person crawling through the bodies. Once the wind died down she could no longer hear the voice, but she did hear a mad screeching and fluttering of wings as birds were chased away from their meal by the survivor.
Elliena turned to look behind her at the remaining soldiers under her command. Most of them were injured and all of them were exhausted. The most seriously wounded were actively being tended to by those who could still move and function. It was a dismal scene, but they had been the victorious side in the battle. Her troop was left behind to survey the field and to insure there were no survivors pretending to be dead on the field.
She took a few steps back towards the camp, using her spear for support as she walked. Once she was lower than the crest of the hill, she signaled the courier waiting there. He ran forward and nodded once.
“Tell the troops to get ready to move. The ones who can’t walk will be placed in litters and pulled by the horses. They should leave immediately.”
“Yes commander. But, there’s not enough litters for all the injured.”
“Then make litters out of spears or carry them by the able bodied soldiers left. I will not leave a single man behind that we can bring back.”
“And what of those who won’t survive the trip back?”
There was a pause. “They will make it back.”
“Commander Ansel won’t agree with your decision.”
“They aren’t commander Ansel’s men yet, are they? He can lead his honor guard however he wants, but he is in no position to tell me how to do my duty. Make sure the injured men move on, I am going to give the field one final inspection.”
The courier nodded and ran down the short hill towards the remaining troops. Once he had turned around, Elliena climbed back up to the top of the hill. She spared a glance over her shoulder before heading down into the field of death much to the protestations of the feasting birds. The person that she saw moving through the field had stopped and was bent over another body on the ground. From her angle, all Elliena could see was his back, but she could tell that he was moving. He was wearing no armor, but his clothing was red and yellow – the colors of the enemy.
She walked up behind him slowly, with her hand tightened around the spear shaft. She stayed on the balls of her feet with her battle instincts overriding her exhaustion. Once she got closer, she could see that the survivor was barely more than a young boy. He was old enough to carry a sword, but had clearly not even seen fifteen winters. He jerked around when he heard the woman behind her and fell to the ground with his eyes wide in fear. His body was frozen and would not move as Elliena lowered her spear at him. She hesitated as she stared at him and her hands loosened on the spear slightly.
It was loose enough that when the body on the ground rolled over and swung his katana down on her spear, it fell out of her hands. The person that the boy had been crouched over was a man in his mid twenties and suffering from several deep wounds. His clothes were drenched in blood, but even with his injuries it was clear most of it was not his own. He had rolled over onto his left side and used the momentum to crash his sword against her spear. One of his eyes was swollen shut, but the other was filled with a calculating coldness.
“I can’t let you kill him,” he croaked through dried, cracked lips.
----------- Story Cut -----------
Just so everyone knows, these are rough drafts and I guarantee will have spelling and grammar errors.
