The night passed pleasantly and seemingly without issue. After eating a hearty meal, tying up some loose ends, and cleaning his weapons and armor, Boyd declared that they should all head to bed and that they'll get their individual orders tomorrow. So doing their best to obey, the boys climbed into their bedrolls and slept soundly. Well, soundly enough. Nerves and fear gripped everyone in the camp differently and not necessarily in equal measure, but grip them it did.
At first light, excited and with a healthy dose of fear, the boys headed towards the center of the camp and met up with the rest of the conscripts. Ozlo was the first to spot Elizabeth and waved for her to join them.
"Alright, the plan is simple. You stay in the center, don't branch out too far, don't lag behind the rear too much, stay alert, and stay alive." A gruff man with many scars on his face and patches of gray sprinkled through his beer gave this simple statement and then started walking forward.
Though unsure of themselves people started milling about and eventually fell into an orderly line, or at least the best you could expect them to muster being as inexperience as they were. Without looking back the gruff man trudge ever onward, leading his pack of conscripts onward towards the sounds of battle.
"Oh, and before I forget. If you have any food, eat it now. We're not stopping for breakfast and after the battle your stomach will be too sour to eat." Ozlo dug in his pack and pulled out a few bits of jerky which after a few pleading looks from his cohorts, was swiftly distributed equally.
"You know, this doesn't seem all that bad." Andrew spoke over a mouthful of jerky. "It just seems like we're going to be protecting the rear."
Ozlo nodded along but his nervousness kept him from taking his eyes off of trees. Something about the way they clustered together was calming, too calming. So calming in fact that he felt himself being lulled into a sense of safety and security.
"MAGE! Be alert!" The still unnamed man from earlier, scars and all, shouted at the group while sliding behind a large shield. "Keep your wits about you and stay down."
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Ozlo froze for just a moment, but soon came to his senses. Noticing his cohorts all hitting the floor and raising whatever defenses they had, Ozlo felt it wise to do the same.
Before they could properly group up and formulate a plan a tight snap could be heard. Looking around for the source of the sound, Ozlo soon found it.
"FUCK A DUCK! OW!" Andrew shouted and rolled around on the ground, an arrow protruding from his left thigh. "This hurts. This really hurts." Elizabeth rushed to his aid while Ozlo and John formed a small barrier with their bodies and stayed alert.
"Just relax, I'm going to remove the arrow and heal you. It's not going to remove all the pain and it certainly won't heal you completely, but stay still." Nodding his head in the affirmative, Elizabeth worked on Andrews leg while John spoke to Ozlo.
"Ozlo. We're going to have to run." John gestured to the trees. "Whoever or whatever shot that arrow could be anywhere, in fact, they could be listening to us right now." Ozlo, still numb from the shock of the situation merely nodded.
"On three, I'll pull it out. One, Two." Elizabeth yanked the arrow from the fleshy part of Johns thigh and immediately started using her card. "Elizabeth. Have I mentioned how much this fucking hurts?" Ignoring his pleas and colorful language, Elizabeth kept pressure on his wound as Johns flesh started to knit itself back together.
"Can he walk?" John questioned Elizabeth, eyes darting back and forth from his surroundings. "I don't know, I mean, he should be able to if he takes it-" Andrew painfully pulled himself up while interrupting her. "Fuck that, I can walk, I can run, I can do a little dance if it gets us out of here!"
John, having assumed the role of leader, ran onwards towards the larger formation. "Have I mentioned how much this hurts?" For all his complaints and bluster, Andrew kept up with the group only stumbling occasionally.
"There, just ahead, that's the main group." No sooner had John pointed that out, a barrage of arrows came from the left, impaling them all in a variety of places. Ozlo got the least of the attack, but Elizabeth had received the worst. While the boys sported a few arrows in their chests and legs, Elizabeth, being shorter, wasn't so lucky.
"GGGNGH!" A horrible gurgling sound was the last thing to leave Elizabeth's lips as panic filled her eyes. After flailing painfully for a few short moments, it was over. Elizabeth was no more, and thus their party was down to three. The gruff bearded man nowhere to be seen.