Are you sure this ISN'T summer camp?((closed))

[Gaven]

The ride back to the forest was to say the least uneventful. It would have been fine if the old mare wasn’t caring extra supplies. Sadly she had more supplies than she was use to so the time was double; almost triple it took to get there. Trusting full well in the horse’s ability Gaven did take some time to rest in the saddle in an upright position. To say the least it wasn’t the most fulfilling sleep he has ever had.

When he approached the fringes of the camp at night, a great cheer came out. Gaven wondered who it was for when he saw the men eyeing the wagon very greedily. They obviously couldn’t wait for a merry feast to wash away all their sorrows. The soldiers started to make the progress difficult but the mercenary leader settled that quite quickly. After shouting words of dismemberment he eyed Gaven warily.

”Did you get all the supplies?”

”Yes, sir” Gaven added the sir trying to sweeten him up before releasing the bad news. The man’s face remained passive so it was unclear whether or not the flattery had worked. On second thought the man had expected it so it wasn’t really flattery just obedience. Stupid obedience…

“Do you have any money left over”

“No sir”

”Good. I counted the exact money up, and all the shops I wrote on the list already have a no bargaining price. IF you still had money left it would either mean that you went to the wrong shops and got the wrong supplies, or that you stole money from the company.”

”Stole money?” Gaven says in horror.

“Yep, it has been proven in many studies by scientist , who let me tell you do nothing important with their life’s and still get paid more than us common folk, that if there’s money still left in the bag its more likely they stole something.” The man pauses after this before asking “Were did you get that from” pointing his finger at the Vulnerary. “Ahh who cares?" Obviously not you..."Its not important anyway. Though I do notice you’re missing something …hmm?”

“Ahh…” Gaven scratches his neck in one of his nervous habitats thus making him appear more suspicious. The man is staring at him with an expecting look. Gaven’ realizes that it might be better to tell the whole truth and not lie because contradicting himself with lies would be really bad for trust, so Gaven spilled the whole story about how he lost his lance and saved an innkeeper.

[Gaven]

“So you saved a lowlife who tried to steal AND kill you and lost the lance in the process”

“Well” Gaven pondered his words for a moment and realized he had hit the exact point but on a negative side. Gaven didn’t have the power to lie at this moment because he was way to exhausted to lie “When you put it like that yes”

Gaven then feared the older man’s retribution he received none. It was actually worse though because Gaven knew that if he lectured him the incident would pass but if it wasn’t talked about it would always remain there.

Realizing that this commander wasn’t going to volunteer any words Gaven asked very politely “Can I get a new one?”

The man didn’t notice his question for a second oddly. His eyes were glazy and unfocused when he asked it and it took a few more moments to snap back to concentration. “Yes. Go get a new one”. “Imbecile” he muttered under his breath low enough so Gaven couldn’t hear it.

Gaven walked solemnly to the armory with his head down. Upon reaching the vicinity the weapons master asked “Did you lose your weapon” Gaven nods his head.

The weapon master gives him a reassuring pat and says “Its okay. The commander doesn’t hold grudges too long. By tomorrow he will have forgotten all about this incident”

Gaven lifted up his head and a slight smile was playing on his lips. He heard the mans words and it brightened his very heart and soul hearing them “Anyway if I remember correctly your weapon was a lance?” upon asking this he went of to the lance section and brought it back, it was obvious he trusted his own memory.

He handed the lance reassuring to Gaven, then Gaven went to his sleeping corners…and well slept. After a good 10 hours Gaven was woken by a man gently pushing his shoulder. “Hay wake up. Were advancing today”

”Advancing?” Gaven asked from his sleep deprived body.

“Ya, we attacking an Illian forest today. Its time to prove Bern’s worth” the man practically squeals. So this is what the commander had been thinking of.Gaven gathers up his supplies and starts to watch the impending progress. Everyone was packing up their armor and such, so Gaven did the same. After donning his armor he quickly checked his supplies for the incoming attack.

He currently had a lance that was held with both hands and 3 drinks worth of Vulnerary to his right. “Well I am not prepared for this, but people rarely are.” He then started to follow the company of rebels towards the fortress.

[Gaven]

It took two days to reach the fortress. Two days of trying not to be seen by the lands occupants and not using the main roads. It would have taken only a day if they hadn’t had to take the least used roads. It was common sense but even common sense can’t stop men from grumbling about their occupation. Gaven was dutifully traveling in the front of the company when a dark outline started to take shape.

It was their objective. Gaven couldn’t see it due to the low visibility of the darkness but he saw the basic shape. It blended in so well due to its pearl black paint that would have been frightful in the daylight, but in the night it was dreadful. If the commander didn’t think they could easily win they would have never tried to attack this kind of fortress.

Spikes were lined upon the walls with archer platforms ontop of the walls. A drawbridge was closed across a moat that was most likely filled with vicious beings. Gaven had no idea how they were going to get in the fortress.

Luckily Gaven wasn’t in command because he would have been stuck being this close to the objective. The commander had brought ropes and siege ladders, without Gaven even noticing. They kept sneaking up quietly to the fortress and when they finally got close enough they used both to good use. Gaven was the fifth one to use the ladder and luckily he didn’t have a fear of heights.

When Gaven made it to the top though, he heard a man screaming from the ladder beside him when it started to fall backward. It crushed 3 men and a tower bell started ringing loudly warning the garrison’s troops that they were being attacked be enemies. “ATTACK! FOR BERN!FOR OUR NATION!IF WE DIE NOW IT ISN’T IN VAIN KILL THESE TRESSPASERS” the commander yells over the outpouring of soldiers. Gaven wasn’t a wimp but he was smart so he smarty waited till more of the soldiers came into the battlefield before he joined.

The screams of pain and agony and the smell of wet blood were fresh upon Gaven’s ears. He had never experienced mass misery like this, but he must do it for the sake of his country. A single swordsman stepped out in front of him as if challenging him.

The swordsman had a brown leather bandana holding his hair out of his eyes. His hair fell to shoulder length and was ocean blue. He held himself in upright posture and was decently muscular. He held his sword above his right shoulders and his eyes were dark and cold
__
Slim lance 29/30

Gaven readied his lance against this attacker and charged. He aimed it at the mans stomach and thrusted forward. The man sensing that he was gong to do this particular move moved his sword downward to deflect the point. He was successful in this venture so Gaven’s lance missed its mark.

He then countered by jumping forward and brings his sword across Gaven’s shoulder. His shoulder would have been cut clean in half if he hadn’t been wearing his armor. He was though but it still caused Gaven to have a moment of disarray.

___
Slim Lance 28/30

Gaven tried a different approach aiming at the man’s left shoulder this time. The man not expecting it was barely able to deflect it in time. Even so it still punctured the man’s shoulder. Gaven tried to backpedal a few steps to avoid the man’s blow.

The man though was faster than Gaven predicted. He sidestepped up close to Gaven and swung his sword in a cutting arc across his Gaven’s chest. Once again the armor saved Gaven’s life but the sword had almost broken a few of Gaven’s ribs. The man isn’t the smartest though because he goes back once again. He probably could have killed gaven if he had just swung again, but habits are hard to end. Maybe he thought he was being noble or something.

--
Vulnerary 2/3

Gaven realizing he couldn’t take much more of this, so he shakily gripped his lance with his right hand as he took out his Vulnerary from his pouch and was about to drink it when the man suddenly swung at him again this time aiming to decapitate Gaven’s head.

Gaven was able to duck just in time but had to drop his bottle spilling out some of the Vulnerary. The man shoulder was causing him pain making his sword speed slow. It didn’t all spill out but enough that would have arranted one use. This made Gaven mad that this man couldn’t even wait in a proper fight for his reaction. NOT FAIR! He then grasps both hands on his lace reading himself for what he was about to do.

--
Slim Lance 27/30

Gaven filled with anger faints with the right with his lance. The man aims to block it before Gaven switches it directly to his heart. The mercenary thinking he could predict Gaven’s movements was fatal in the end. He had tried cheating to much and it had cost him his life.

The lance slid through the man’s unarmed heart and was immediately colored with bright red. The man tried to keep his blood in but he ultimately failed. Gaven had heard stories about war and how terrible it was but he really didn’t feel any chrusing regret about killing this man. Odd... He would process this quite disturbing thought later.

Gaven quickly picks ups his fallen Vulnerary and clasps it firmly onto his belt. Then remembering his training starts searching the man for any valuables he might have on him. After searching the mans right pocket he found 20 gold. He didn't take the man's sword because it was too heavy to carry for convience. While doing this though Gaven realized that he couldn’t feel his right hand.

It was going off at a weird angle and looked broken. Due to his maneuver Gaven hadn’t stabbed right thus irritating the bone and moving it into an irregular position. Gaven then realized that he was breathing quite heavily and collected a quite deal of sweat.

[Gaven]

((writers block, beware of cliches...and shortness))

Gaven with the man’ money resting inside a leather sack around his waist let his right hand hang limply. Realizing that the battle was over and the Berneses soldiers had won he slipped the lance behind his armor. He walked through the courtyard of the fortress surveying what had taken place.

There attack had been relatively successful based on the dead number of Ilian soldiers versus the Bern soldiers. That doesn’t mean though that the rebel forces didn’t take a beating. A scholarly looking type was looking at each dead body and scratching down something on a rectangular piece of cardboard. He walked in the direction to intercept Gaven.

“Are you wounded” he asks in a tone meaning he doesn’t care which way. He had a job to do and he was going to do it. He was standing in Gaven’s way so Gaven had to answer.

“Sure. Now can you move out of my way?”

As the man went away Gaven caught what was on his rectangular shaped thing. There were multiple scratches in it. Gaven usually would ask about it but he was already daydreaming about sleep. He didn’t just plop on the ground and go to sleep because it would make him appear to be weak because he was the youngest member of this company. Stereotypes would not stop him from serving Bern. Weakness was also not tolerated by the commander.

He comes up to the commander and he looks down at him. “Well you lived. Better to say from some of these chaps.”

”Thanks sir”

“Also I suggest you ice that and not move it much.” After saying this he constructs another man to do with around 13 bounded soldiers “Kill all of them then put their dead bodies out of an illian city to show that Bern will not stand this occupation any longer.” The soldier just nods and him and a few other soldiers start making swift kills with their weapons.

While they were killing though one fought back and it looked like he was about to escape before a axe beheaded him. “Good job Roland. You have gotten quite good at your aim. i remeber when you couldn't even hit a dummy four feet away from you.” he says to the man who owned the axe. The man casually picked up the axe and cleaned off the blood.

“Go to the wounded” he instructs pointing at Gaven. “You’re not as injured as the others and you probably could be of some use.” Gaven just nods his head and starts to head toward the medical wagons. Upon reaching one Gaven reported himself to the woman who stood over a man with a staff.

“Ma’m I am here for” Gaven pauses trying to remember “Ahh yes, I am instructed to help you with the wounded.”

”You poor soul. You need some rest. We got it all covered.” She points to a bed and Gaven doesn’t protest because this is the outcome he had been hopping for. Unknownest to a world one boy that night enjoyed his sleep.
((level up, +3 hp 0_O,+1 str,+1skll,+1defense.))