I can’t claim to have known the late Jonathan Carmichael all that well, I don’t think anyone could, not within the company anyway. With the death of the Captain, he had at fourteen years served been the longest-serving member of it but his origins were unknown or to be more precise clouded. He was a born storyteller and it was hard to know whether or not whatever came out of his mouth at any point in time was the truth or not.
I had heard him tell at least half a dozen different stories about where he was from and what he had done before joining the company. He was the son of a farmer, a tanner, a merchant etc. and either took up their trade or been apprenticed to some other and either been fired or quit and wandered for a few years or just decided to become a mercenary one day to pick up a sword. And now he was dead and I would never learn the truth about him or hear one of his outrageous tales again.
But he wasn’t the first or even the tenth of my fellow mercenaries to die since I started and no matter how callous it might sound if you stick to this way of life, the mercenary path, you better get used to all the death after all life goes on even if you don’t.
“Roach deal with the enemy dead and see to it we all get our fair share, Barncastle go see if you can dig a shallow grave for Carmichael. Young we might have dealt with this bunch but they can’t be the only ones about so make sure we don’t get caught unawares like they were and I’ll go see to the others.”
“Yes, corporal.”
While we had been plotting their rescue Winter, Wentrope and Tendry Had been joined by another prisoner, someone I didn’t recognise so probably a local. Under normal conditions, I would have turned over command of myself and the others to Sergeant Michael Winter and did as he ordered but since they had likely given their parole to the enemy this wasn’t possible. Not under the standard form of parole anyway though it was possible one of the less widespread variants had been used instead not that they deviated all that much from the standard one.
As soon as one of the four prisoners spotted me heading in their direction they all got up from where they were lying down and headed towards me.
“Sergeant Winter, Corporal Ryder reporting, myself and four other members of the company have taken out those guarding you and your fellow prisoners, sustaining one fatality in the process, I presume you give them your parole?”
“Yes some of us quicker than others, we won’t be much help until and unless we leave the combat zone and will be unable to operate in the vicinity for the next ten years.”
“In that case Sergeant unless relieved by a higher-ranking member of the company who is not under parole I will retain command of the combat effectives until such time as we have left this lordship behind.”
“Under the circumstances that is the logical course of action, so who did you lose?”
“Carmichael Sergeant.”
“He must be the first to die under your direct command if I recall correctly that is, such times test even the best of us. I remember my first back when I was with the Fighting Phoenix Company though he took a long time to die did Frederick Pollard. It’s happened a number of times over the year since then and unfortunately, it never gets any easier I’m afraid.”
“It could have been a lot worse I suppose but that’s not any comfort now is it.”
“No, I suppose not, so Corporal how do you plan to proceed?”
“Well as you know theirs only really two options, both falling within the orders given to us by the lieutenant, option one we wait here until noon tomorrow or such time as the enemy is spotted headed this way. Option two we forget about anyone who might still be making their way here and head directly to our camp as soon as we are able to. The first option risks us not being able to withdraw if the enemy catches us unawares and the second will involve potentially leaving some of us behind who might otherwise escape. Frankly, I think by now everyone is here, already captured or has decided to bypass the secondary rendezvous entirely. We have enough horses for all of us and more remaining so we should plan to leave here within the hour.”
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‘Good a plan as any, pity theirs no sign of the lieutenant hopefully we’ll arrive at the camp to find him waiting for us.”
“Let’s hope so or the company’s done for.”
“Now who’s the local and will he be coming with us?”
“Corporal Ryder may I introduce you to Richard Covington younger brother of Sir Percival Covington our current employer and you’ll have to ask him what his plans are.”
I hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Sir Percival Covington but from what I’ve heard I didn’t miss anything, not perhaps the worst lord ever but far from the best. As for his brother, I had heard nothing about him, good or bad but I soon realised he was an idiot.
“Pleasure to meet you Corporal and as to my plans well I would appreciate an escort to my brother's manor.”
“Sorry that’s not possible as far as I am aware there is no mention of you in our contract and even if there was under the circumstances it’s as good as null and void. The best we can do for you is to escort you out of Gray Haven.”
“That will not do, not at all.”
“It’s that or you can make your own way home.”
“Do you know who I am, I’ll have you whipped I say.”
“I’d like to see you try, we depart within the hour you can either come with us or we’ll leave you behind the choice is yours, now good day. “
I could have been more diplomatic with the fool but his kind really gets up my nose, I left him and the parolees to get ready for our departure and headed back to the others.
“Disappointing haul corporal, not even two golds altogether and their equipment has certainly seen better days.”
“Better than nothing now have you seen Young!”
“He was about a moment ago but has since disappeared into the southern woodland, we heading out soon?”
“Half an hour to an hour unless something comes up before then so get ready.”
“Barncastle has the grave dug, it’s not very deep but it’ll do.”
The hole Barncastle dug for Carmichael's grave was about two to three feet deep and animals would no doubt dig it up not long after we left but we didn’t have enough time to make it deeper. It was the first field expedient grave of a company member I had seen since I first joined, we usually had the time to do it properly. The enemy wouldn’t even get that we piled their bodies up together and then left them for their comrades to deal with once we were long gone.
Once I inspected the hole I spent a few minutes talking to my friend Barncastle while I waited for Young to return. We hadn’t much to catch up with so spent much of the time talking about our dead comrades and the memories we had of them both good and bad. Thankfully Young didn’t have much to report when he returned, he hadn’t caught any signs of movement from either our enemies or our friends.
Everyone even Richard Covington was ready to leave on time but before we departed we placed Carmichael's body in his makeshift grave and piled the loose soil on top of him while I said a few words from the Book of Telibdian over his dead body.
We made good time to the border between Gray Haven Manor and its neighbour and didn’t run into any enemy forces on our way though we expected to, they must have been satisfied with the rout they had given us and what prisoners they had taken. Either that or they expected us to cross at the official crossing point or simply didn’t have enough men to cover all eventualities and didn’t pick the same spot we had.
Once we were across the border I handed over command to Sergeant Winter and we said goodbye to Covington before heading to Dungarven, the nearest small town to pick up supplies for our trip back to camp. We ran into another of our men on our way to Dungarven, private Shawn Lowee and another two, Privates William Falstaff and Henry Downes when we got there so once we got the supplies we needed for our trip we stayed another day in case anyone else showed up.
It wasn’t it turned out a wasted opportunity since another did turn up, Private Donald Cacker who arrived just after dawn the following morning. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the lieutenant so we assumed either he had been captured or for some reason didn’t wait around and headed directly to camp.
The eleven of us made good time and arrived back at camp just fifteen days after we departed Dungarven.
Contract: Gray Haven Manor Terminated
Objective: Defend Gray Haven Manor from all Enemy Action FAILED
Objective: Protect Sir Percival Covington from harm FAILED
Objective: Keep Casualties to a minimum FAILED
Objective: Return to Camp SUCCESSFUL
Enemy Killed:
17
Enemy Captured:
0
Casualties:
33
Taken Prisoner:
41 (44)
420 EXP Gained