In the office, a heated discussion was taking place. Words fired inbetween the ones standing, glances darted across the room. One lady, seated at her elegant desk, clearly in an uproar, while another seems to berate and hack on one person in particular: Fia, the name she shouted and belligerently screamt out of anger. "Why would you-!"
She shook her head. “You’re really doing this?” Erica said, crossing her arms. “Charging headfirst into danger? What if you die..?" She followed up on her remark, driving the point home. "It's possible your father isn't even there! How can you be sure this is worth it?"
Ophilanna snaps right back. "I can't afford to lose this chance, Erica.. I know it's risky, but I need to do this."
Swaying back and forth, she seemed unsure of herself, what to say. "I need to do this. Mother - no - Lady Reina, I beg of you.. Let me join them."
In a bid to convince the Baroness, infuriated with the proposal, the girl pursed her lips at the woman, who has been staring her down, as if to tell her: "I can't believe you want to join the skirmish".
Naturally, her friend Erica was up in arms over this idea as well, protesting it strongly.
"While you experienced a hunt, this is real battle, Ophilanna... Fia." Reina emphasised the syllables in the girl's name - almost spelling it out for her. She wasn't keen on letting a young girl head to a battlefield, much less one so inexperienced and immature. Even if Adalbert, in all his might, would join.. it would be far too risky. No. This is like sending Ophilanna to her death. "You could die. I will not let you walk into your death, young lady. This is out of the question. Now get to your room."
Begrudgingly, Ophilanna quieted down. She was in deep thought, probably over how to protest Reina's answer. Intently watching the Baroness' movement, she began pleading. "As it stands, this is my one and only chance. I won't just sit it out. Please."
Silence blanketed the room, filled with fury and anger. Erica, wavering in her courage to keep Ophilanna from diving head first into danger, now felt like joining her - at least to keep her safe. If she was this deadset on going...
The room's atmosphere was displaced by a knock on the door, catching everyone's attention. "Lady Reina?", a rather deep, manly voice asked for permission to enter. "It is me, Adalbert. May I enter the office?"
It seems like the right person has entered the picture, Reina cleared her throat and told him to come in. "You may. This is the perfect time." She sat down, having practically exhausted herself over the argument with Ophilanna, with her incessant begging - no, demanding.. for permission to go.
Around a central table of fine wood, all the participants sat together. The air noticeably grew more awkward with each passing second of silence. The Baroness decided to talk first. "Fia here", while emphasizing with a hand gesture, throwing a glance at Ophilanna, "wants to join the soldiers en route to the Isrule skirmish. She would like to participate in the operation."
Seconds blitzed by as, in disbelief, Adalbert continuously picked up the shambles his face became out of how unexpected these words were. Putting emphasis on the latter, he asked the Baroness to repeat herself. "She wants to do WHAT?"
Without a hint of anger in his voice, he stared at Reina, then Ophilanna, Erica, and at the young lady, Ophilanna, again. Each passing moment, she grew worried over how he would ultimately react. There was only a semblance of shock and disbelief painted across his cheekbones, his lips. They seemd about to part, ending on a rather long-winded sigh, him ranting over Ophilanna's missing manners and her foolishness. "If Lady Mena knew.. she'd cut this brat down a notch! Can you believe it? A little child in battle?" His eyes trailed off to where she was sitting, growing concerned over her plans.
"Really...", he exhaustedly spoke, displeased. "Tell me. Why, Fia?"
He began scratching his head and reached for a glass, which Erica filled with alcohol, sitting right beside him and Ophilanna. Chugging it down like water and not knowing what to make of this, Adalbert was searching for answers. Her reasons.
"I'm not one to pry too deep in waters better left alone.. but I need a good reason here. Without.. it's a fool's errand. Go pound sand."
Ophilanna thought this was all rather.. overblown. Too much. In her childish mind, it just hasn't manifested yet how attached to her everyone has become. Even the servants, loving her cheerful nature, would protest her going. And so, Erica sheepishly begged her master, Adalbert, to join her friend. "Master.. If she goes, I will join her. Please.. last time, she almost died!"
In a bid to keep the conversation afloat, Ophilanna began explaining her reasons and explained that her father would need to die - to keep the Great Forest safe, at least a while. This, however, wouldn't be enough to convince the Baroness, despite her magnanimity. Adalbert, on the other hand, could notice her determination, and reached out to Reina with a compromise. One that would surely permit the yound lady to go, but still.. be safe.
Throughout, the Baroness' eyes frantically dove back and forth from Erica and Ophilanna, with resolves steeled and prime. She couldn't help herself, but wonder.. this was already set in stone, was it not? And despite the worry that overwhelmed her, she would need to tough it out. Adalbert broke her out of her facade, speaking the words she feared to utter.
"I say we let Erica accompany Fia. This way, she is safer, and there will be a voice of reason with the girl. It's miles better than her just sneaking off behind your back, Lady Reina. Not to mention", he flexed his muscle, "these arms personally trained that little girl. She's stronger than the foot soldiers!"
She tried to resist his efforts. "Still..", reluctantly, the words poured out of her. "There is at least one high-ranking officer. Whether it's her father, or another.. What if there's more? even stronger soldiers? Beasts? Who knows how many knights are swarming that place? They would kill her.."
Around the table, a wave of sighing swept through. Adalbert persisted and argued with his endeavour, finally able to convince the Baroness, just barely. "I will send a trusted friend of mine to shadow them."
"2 times out of 10 we spare, he wins. Is that enough to put your mind at ease, Lady Reina?", he chuckled.
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She frowned, but gave in. "Fine.. but if there is any sign of danger to them, tell him to protect the two. As for you, Fia, Erica, I will sternly reprimand you for this later if you get injured. See to it that you come back safe. I won't tolerate anything else."
The two hugged each other, although Erica grew seemingly worried. "Fia.. Don't be reckless, okay?", she whispered into Ophilanna's ear, who nodded in response.
Adalbert, shrugging, stayed behind, as the girls left the office to prepare for their mission.
"Do you know anything about that rogue platoon, Adalbert?", Reina ruggedly asked. His response was short. "A little."
She sized him up. "Tell me all of it, in detail."
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Erica sighed, her gaze shifting over the horizon, to the passing landscape and beyond, where mountains turned into meadows, hills and ultimately, forest. Having gained permission to join the mission, Erica and Ophilanna set off along with the other soldiers. Travel wouldn't be long - it was a few days, those went by faster than expected, and smoother even so. Every once in a while, a man detached from the platoon would ride by and check on them. They thought it weird at first - but given he was a friend of her master, Erica put up with it.
"That worried?", Ophilanna nudged her friend. "We're almost there. Let's do this and come back safe and sound." She grinned, a hopeful smile painting her face. Revealing a little smile herself, Erica pat her friend's back. They were situated in a carriage, and next to them, Adalbert's friend, who introduced himself as Elliot, would ride along. Sometimes, he went ahead, and other times, he stayed in the back - but this was largely ignored by the duo.
Damus de Firuet - Elliot - was a close friend for many years of the legendary swordmaster, who called in a favour to protect two girls during a battle, a mission they wished to join. Initially protesting, he reluctantly gave in.
One thing Damus remembered from his days of fighting alongside Adalbert was his alertness. As such, Damus would regularly scan the environment for hidden dangers, enemies, and traps. To many, it would seem erratic, but it was him making sure the duo was safe.
Being roped into the skirmish, however, was against his will.
On route to a garrisoned fort near the border, he could see the Great Forest. Ophilanna's head flicked towards it, as soon as it came into view. A majestic sea of trees sprawling out, its vastness understated. She didn't so much as smile with the pain overwhelming her.
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-Ophilanna
Having arrived at last, the commander - a rather foolhardy, strict young man - briefed Erica and me quickly on the ups and downs at the garrisoned fort. It was a crude contraption - a castle of sticks and stones. Yet here we were, along with Elliot, who would watch over us like a cherubine would over a holy site of Aria. A servant to the goddess, it was nothing but a winged child, incapable of battle, but capable of monitoring.
Having said that, the commander, introducing himself as Nekarte, was rather hostile to us. Erica clung to me as we passed him, being led to our tent. Along the way, we stumbled through mud and bush, arriving soon at our small tent within the make-shift fort. We had seemingly lost contact with Elliot. Whatever - he'd be back in no time.
"Are you fine, Erica? You've been really quiet..", I poked her shoulder, concerned over her silence. It was unlike her. Perhaps it was the harsh environment - or not? Anyway, she spoke up at last.
"I'm fine.. Nekarte though worries me.", she stuttered, staring off into the distance.
I entered the tent with her in tow, setting down all of our proviant and belongings for the fight we would face. Nekarte, being as rough as he is, would be fed up with us leading the platoon to them in the middle of the night - so we'd better be quiet...
All of this was annoying, I thought. "Let's rest a bit and then do reconnaissance, alright?", I asked, her joining in agreement. There were crude beds, which felt like sad excuses of the beds we had back at the mansion. I rested my head against the bed, lying down. My gaze shifted through the tent, landing on Erica, who was undressing some of her armour. Noticing the curves around her developing body, I felt jealous - mine was.. less womanly, to say the least.
"You've grown!", I giggled at her. She responded cheekily. "You didn't?", launching herself on top of me and tickling my sides. "Let me check!"
Having laughed for quite a while, we rested up and finished our shenanigans - still pouting over it, I packed things to move out. It was well past morning, not yet evening.
"We'll move at night.", prompting a nod from Erica. "While we do, let's eliminate any guards in our way stealthily. I can't risk us starting a small war here."
Our only problem was escaping the fort without causing a stir. Though this proved no problem:
After we emerged from our tent, Elliot greeted us.
"Planning to do reconnaissance?", he waved at us. "There's a little rat hole you can sneak out of. I'll come with."
"How did you know?", I asked. He shrugged, leading us in front. "Who's doing an attack in broad daylight? It's better to do reconnaissance now if you plan an assault tonight."
Granted, our plan wasn't complex or anything - but being read like a book felt.. humiliating.
"Let's go. It's here.", he said, after we trekked a short distance to the walls of the fortified garrison. A little hole one could crawl through was visible. We squeezed through the mud and rocky ground, now outside the garrison.
He told us to be safe, and he would be right behind. "Right, girls. Stay hidden!"
With those words, he vanished, leaving behind but a trace of smoke and mirrors.
We made way through the meadow, until we reached the plundered village, torn asunder by the raiders. Dead lay there in rest, having suffered from unjust attack so vicious...
It made me furious, and Erica anxious. Her hands shook gravely, but we continued and circumnavigated the enemy camp - to enter from the forest, where it was loosely situated.
Its northern entrance opened into the forest, while it had two others - the southwestern and southeastern entrance, opening into a meadow hardened by previous battle. It was undeniably risky to sneak in from the Great Forest - an untold swathe of beasts torment the lands within, as I would know.. but it was our best bet.
Through thicket and fog that had lain itself over the muddy ground, we waded and walked, trekking through difficult terrain and bushes, seeing light at the figurative end of the tunnel - the enemy camp. Our travel took us a while, but we mapped the best path we could find.
Naturally, sneaking around their base camp would be daring; so we stayed far away.
Erica would hush me occasionally, waving at me, as if telling us to go back. Time passed, until I poked her shoulder, telling her to look.
A morbidly obese man was stumbling through the camp, holding a bottle in one, and the hair of a woman in his other hand.
My vision blurred, turning red. Erica rattled me awake, telling me to stay quiet. A guard was alerted to our position shortly after I noticed the large man - my father. My pained grunt arose suspicions.
As he drew closer, Erica and I made haste and went deeper into the forest, seeing him lose interest shortly after. Dawn broke upon us, and we went back to our camp.
At the rat hole, Elliot greeted us with acclaim. "You did well there. I can only assume it is revenge you're after, Lady Fia, and you prevailed against your rage. Congratulations. I will meet you here at midnight. Rest up.", his hand rested on my shoulder.
I felt.. a mixture of confusion, sadness, anger, and nausea, throwing myself onto the bed to rest. Thoughts swirled like a storm inside me. Can I truly wait? How would it feel to be relieved of these disgusting nightmares, this guilt?
Will it even help me?
I'm torn.