Frost Warning. (Finished)
Dec 5, 2015 23:29:09 GMT -6
Post by Clair Feldsky on Dec 5, 2015 23:29:09 GMT -6
Clair stood silently and looked out over the lowlands around her, waiting for something. It was still early, the red rim of the sun just beginning to climb over the edge of the earth before her. Sunrise: when the night creatures settled for the night, and when the day walkers began their toils. It was quiet, but a different kind of quiet than the rest of the day could match. The morning was the time when people wondered what would become of their. More and more, those questions had started to weigh on her.
Now however it wasn't just the struggle that came with losing mastery over Bern. She asked herself what would become of her nation, since they'd started to slip. What would she have to do this day? Early on, the morality lines had greyed for her. Fighting to maintain control over Bern wasn't something that she would have considered a righteous goal. This whole war shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Even so, she'd continued it, and continued it well. Below, she could see the roads through the hilly valleys all around her. It was ruined now. More of war's handiwork, but also her own. On being pushed out of the east, she'd picked a defensible position atop a hill, and smashed the nearby bridges on the road. The woods and valleys around them hamper cavalry and armor if they tried to pass through, as well as supply lines. That left aerial cavalry and light infantry. There were plenty of both, that this Bernese revolution could throw at her and her Mistral Knights. These were forces that she could match and outmaneuver though, as many had learned, to their detriment in the past. It wasn't worth the troops to push against someone like her when there were other alternatives available.
The truth was, part of her success was due to the fact that the area the Mistral Knights protected carried no significance on its own. It was a good approach to another hotly contested location, but the Bernese Rebels would need to rebuild the bridges to make use of it. And to do that, they'd need to evict it's current occupants. From her watch post atop the hill, Clair could see down the roads in both directions. The rest of her small but determined cadre had a triangle of wagons set up behind the hill she was on. It supported them well enough, but only as long as supplies were delivered to them frequently, and the supplies had been growing thinner, as of late.
The blond haired sky knight looked out over the skies in front of her, still just beginning to lighten in the early morning sun. She saw a pair of her riders taking flight out in front to maintain the watch, a constant necessity in what they were doing. Her night hawks would be coming back soon. No word of trouble sounded this night. That made a week since the last push. Rebels had tried sneaking up the rivers in the valleys at night. They'd almost made it into the camp without warning. If she hadn't been restless that night, and taken a walk halfway up the hill, that might have been the end of her. Instead, the dark of night had yielded to the brilliant flashes of lightning from Stormlight, the thunderlance she'd found on Sacae. The attack had failed, as bolts of lightning had dropped on the rebels from overhead. It had been a vicious night, even so, and had demanded yet more care in their security. Her limited numbers were beginning to wear thin.
Turning away from the enemy's lands, Clair began heading down the hill, back to camp. She spotted Corona in the dim morning light. He was idly watching her from a distance, nibbling on grass to content himself. The massive pegasus had always done right by her, and continued to do so. Always at her side when she needed him.... He couldn't fill all needs though.
Shaking her head to clear it of difficult thoughts, Clair ran her hands through her hair, and tucked a lock of soft blond back behind he ear. Ahead, she could see the Mistral camp, a few of her soldiers up. One of her riders was looking back the other way though. Back to the west. After a moment, the girl turned quickly, and pointed back towards west.
"Commander! There's a lone aircav coming this way!"
Clair looked up, catching sight of the speck in the distance after a moment. A dispatch from headquarters, perhaps? What were they planning on doing now? Pushing an attack? Word was that even part of the eastern front was suffering from uprisings these days.
"I'll handle this, Julie. Go find Delia, and let her know." The Ilian Falcoknight's voice was clear as she spoke up to her rider. As Julie ran off to find the the other senior rider Clair headed towards the landing ground at the center of camp, feeling the shield on her back shifting as she walked. The lance in her hand crackled periodically. Something she was nearly used to now, after all this time carrying it. She waited at the center of camp for the rider to arrive. She hoped... she wasn't sure what she hoped for anymore. Nothing here carried hope anymore.
Now however it wasn't just the struggle that came with losing mastery over Bern. She asked herself what would become of her nation, since they'd started to slip. What would she have to do this day? Early on, the morality lines had greyed for her. Fighting to maintain control over Bern wasn't something that she would have considered a righteous goal. This whole war shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Even so, she'd continued it, and continued it well. Below, she could see the roads through the hilly valleys all around her. It was ruined now. More of war's handiwork, but also her own. On being pushed out of the east, she'd picked a defensible position atop a hill, and smashed the nearby bridges on the road. The woods and valleys around them hamper cavalry and armor if they tried to pass through, as well as supply lines. That left aerial cavalry and light infantry. There were plenty of both, that this Bernese revolution could throw at her and her Mistral Knights. These were forces that she could match and outmaneuver though, as many had learned, to their detriment in the past. It wasn't worth the troops to push against someone like her when there were other alternatives available.
The truth was, part of her success was due to the fact that the area the Mistral Knights protected carried no significance on its own. It was a good approach to another hotly contested location, but the Bernese Rebels would need to rebuild the bridges to make use of it. And to do that, they'd need to evict it's current occupants. From her watch post atop the hill, Clair could see down the roads in both directions. The rest of her small but determined cadre had a triangle of wagons set up behind the hill she was on. It supported them well enough, but only as long as supplies were delivered to them frequently, and the supplies had been growing thinner, as of late.
The blond haired sky knight looked out over the skies in front of her, still just beginning to lighten in the early morning sun. She saw a pair of her riders taking flight out in front to maintain the watch, a constant necessity in what they were doing. Her night hawks would be coming back soon. No word of trouble sounded this night. That made a week since the last push. Rebels had tried sneaking up the rivers in the valleys at night. They'd almost made it into the camp without warning. If she hadn't been restless that night, and taken a walk halfway up the hill, that might have been the end of her. Instead, the dark of night had yielded to the brilliant flashes of lightning from Stormlight, the thunderlance she'd found on Sacae. The attack had failed, as bolts of lightning had dropped on the rebels from overhead. It had been a vicious night, even so, and had demanded yet more care in their security. Her limited numbers were beginning to wear thin.
Turning away from the enemy's lands, Clair began heading down the hill, back to camp. She spotted Corona in the dim morning light. He was idly watching her from a distance, nibbling on grass to content himself. The massive pegasus had always done right by her, and continued to do so. Always at her side when she needed him.... He couldn't fill all needs though.
Shaking her head to clear it of difficult thoughts, Clair ran her hands through her hair, and tucked a lock of soft blond back behind he ear. Ahead, she could see the Mistral camp, a few of her soldiers up. One of her riders was looking back the other way though. Back to the west. After a moment, the girl turned quickly, and pointed back towards west.
"Commander! There's a lone aircav coming this way!"
Clair looked up, catching sight of the speck in the distance after a moment. A dispatch from headquarters, perhaps? What were they planning on doing now? Pushing an attack? Word was that even part of the eastern front was suffering from uprisings these days.
"I'll handle this, Julie. Go find Delia, and let her know." The Ilian Falcoknight's voice was clear as she spoke up to her rider. As Julie ran off to find the the other senior rider Clair headed towards the landing ground at the center of camp, feeling the shield on her back shifting as she walked. The lance in her hand crackled periodically. Something she was nearly used to now, after all this time carrying it. She waited at the center of camp for the rider to arrive. She hoped... she wasn't sure what she hoped for anymore. Nothing here carried hope anymore.