Song Two: Horse, Then Cart
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Kern woke up a few hours later, or rather, he was shaken awake. “Commander wants you to see him. You need to turn in your reports to Intelligence, too.” Kurde, an acquaintance from this outpost’s ten-strong Command division, was the one to wake him.
Gathering his logbooks, and then his composure, and then what focus he could muster through his grogginess, he headed straight to Intelligence to turn in his report, catching a few glances due to his disheveled look, before then going across to the commander’s office.
“Had a nice nap?” Jeks had a stern look on his face. “I know you’ve had it hard, but you know just fine what’s coming next.” Jeks continued making notes, scrawling orders, poring over the map.
“We’re retreating, and then regrouping.” It was too obvious. Everyone, not just logistics, was packing up everything other than absolute necessities. It meant they were abandoning this outpost, at least for quite a while.
“Correct. However, we won’t finish packing up until noon tomorrow at the earliest, and we'll leave then. You, on the other hand, will be leaving at dawn tomorrow, three bells, as a messenger to the Branch base.” His tone gave no room for dispute. Kern was a little surprised at the divergence from standard practice.
“Why me? Haven’t messengers already been dispatched?” Kern had his own suspicions, but held them to himself.
“First of all, you have all the details. That’s worth double a normal report, even if it's one written by you. Secondly, we both know you aren’t here to fight.” Kern knew. He knew very well, but he didn’t want to leave first. Everyone else was missing; everyone but him. He knew it was irrational, but he wanted to hope that staying just a bit longer would let at least, maybe one of them to come back. So he didn't have to turn his back first. So he wouldn't be alone. Jeks, though… he was a serious commander, despite his low rank, and with a good reason to boot, there was no way he'd let up. There was no way he'd risk a skilled Archiver dying in an insignificant skirmish.
“At least let me stay here until four bells. Five.” Desperation creeped into his voice. Rationally, he understood this decision. He just couldn’t be the first one to leave them behind. To abandon them, after several years acting together. It almost felt like betrayal, even though he knew it wasn't.
“Follow your orders. You are an elite, as far as this outpost goes. You are singlehandedly a third of our intelligence and reconnaissance value. If we lose you, this unit has lost a huge portion of its value, especially now that the others in your crew are missing. You know this, just as well as I do, so act accordingly, damnit.” Jeks sounded angrier than he looked, merely holding a stern countenance as his voice rose in volume.
Kern sighed, and then snapped to attention. “Yes, sir.” He held his heart and tired mind steady, and left to pack, resigned to the limits of rationale.
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Dawn approached, and Kern woke up. Should be about two and three quarter bells, though only the offices had a few mana-driven clocks. A few minutes to grab his things and tidy up, and he stepped outside.
The sky was still dark blue, the sun not up yet, but the ground and wooden buildings could be told apart, outlines just visible between the shades of grey. His hand looked pale under this lack of light, and the forest looked almost as dark as night.
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He headed towards the stables, to get a horse as per his authorization as provisional messenger.
Headed there, and caught sight of a woman in battered leather lamellar, bandaged all over, silver hair tied in a ponytail, and sky blue eyes unfocused and weary, just barely standing as she wobbled her way over.
“KAERIE!” Kern didn’t think of anything else, as he ran over to support her. “You made it back!” They began walking over to the commander’s office instead. Kern still had a bit of time left, so Jeks probably wouldn't blow up too much... probably.
Most of the main troop weren’t up yet, only the morning watch, the portion from Recon around the oupost, and logistics. That happened to be why the two didn't draw too much attention for their appearance and behavior. They hobbled their way into the office.
“C-commander Jeks, Kaerie reporting…” Kaerie’s voice was weak, her breathing still ragged from exerting herself over the past two days. The doorway was empty, so Jeks could see them both. He shot Kern a glare, before waving them in.
“I’ve already heard everything from Kern, up until the wyrm. Any information about the others?” Jeks went to the point, as Kaerie gathered herself.
“I-I split off from them as well… I did spot Helea and Erik, not too far behind me at one point… but I’m not sure where they are now.” She squeezed out what she knew. “Right after the wyrm emerged, Gintz got pinned by some direwolves… but Murik was helping him, so they might have made it out… That’s all I know, sir…” Her gaze turned down, her face downcast.
“I see. Go over to the infirmary and rest up. Kern, the stables, now.” Jeks looked to end the conversation right there, obviously displeased about Kern’s stalling.
“The stables?” Kaerie's head snapped up; she obviously wasn’t entirely sure what was happening.
He couldn’t bear splitting off so soon, and with so much uncertainty. At least he should help Kaerie, if not the others. At least, he could do this much. “Sir, at least let me-”
“OBEY. YOUR. DAMN. ORDERS.” Jeks’s voice was raised to a shout, and he was visibly angry, an imposing frown and glare. “Just because you’re an Expeditions team does not mean I do you any favors at the cost of my position. Do you understand?” Now, his voice rang icy cold in the dimly-lit office, a normal volume for talking belied by his continued glare.
Kern gulped. “Yes, sir.” Shaken, he could only respond weakly, and he and Kaerie turned out.
Hobbling out of the building, Kern moved to separate from Kaerie.
“…Will you be okay?” Kaerie looked over him with concern, the same look she’d have when worrying over him as he went out on trips stretching farther and farther from the orphanage.
“…Yeah. I’ll be okay… sorry. Worry about yourself, first, won’t you?” Kern hugged her, broke off the hug to see her nod, and finally turned away towards the stables. She looked over him, sad, but also glad he was and would be safe, or safer at least.
Requisitioning a horse, mounting it, and riding away, everything felt a little surreal for Kern. He was leaving them behind first. He was running away. They’d be stuck, deep in enemy territory, against so, so many enemy units, hunting them as trapped prey. Kaerie would have to endure harsh troop travel with her injuries… she might even be called on to work her medicine even while recovering.
He wanted to turn back. Every single gallop of the horse under him made him want to turn back, to grab his staff, and charge into the forest to find them. But he couldn’t. He didn’t have his staff anymore, and he didn’t have anyone to accompany him. Do it alone? He never had that strength. All he could do, was turn tail and run away.
He just hoped that after running, he could at least gather help to find them again. Gather help, push back the pack, and-
His thoughts were interrupted by a direwolf’s howl, not too far away. “It’s okay, it’s okay” he cooed to calm down his horse. The encirclement was already forming. Had he left only a few bells later, he might have been caught by these direwolves… and Kaerie and the main troop? They’d have to break through these forces in full, even though they had not a hundred soldiers.
He was running away. Running away as fast as he could. For that was all he could do, at this crossroads. Run away, and leave the others behind for now. Only for now. Definitely, only for now.