Solace

[Kenshin]

Band of Sisters and Brothers

The arrival of dawn brought no relief from the cold. Sa'leyna felt a shiver run through her as she lay in the frost-covered undergrowth waiting for the all clear signal. Her mind wandered as the chill seeped into her. The past ten days had a fever dream feel to them. Could they really mean more than the eighteen years that preceded them? Her life had spun out of her control in a matter of days and she was not sure she wanted the order and predictability of her former existence to return.

The captain led them into Doron Amar, six Evereskan archers and six Flaming Fist sharpshooters. What the locals thought of the spontaneously formed company she could not tell. She felt every bit the stranger, however, as they strode into the majestic grove that doubled as an elven settlement. Sa'leyna had uncertain feelings about her mixed heritage for much of her childhood. Once she had entered the orphanage in Neverwinter she lived primarily among humans and everyone began to call her Sally. When general Scar had sent orders for the best marksmen with elven blood among the two Fist regiments encamped near Gullykin to report immediately for duty, Sa'leyna was the first one to be sent for. About a dozen of them lined up outside of the the general's tent the clearing around which was turned into a makeshift triage area for a group of battle-worn elves. That is when she first saw the captain...

The woolen tunic she wore under her chain shirt was soaked by the time they were able to move again. Their small party of three was able to ambush a few careless orcs early on in their scouting mission in the woods north of Doron Amar but over the last few hours they had crossed paths with several orc platoons which were apparently in the process of being repositioned. Alma, the elven ranger in charge of their party, decided that under the circumstances further reconnaissance was pointless: the orcs were clearly getting ready to make their final push within the next day or two. Sa'leyna made little effort to hide a sardonic smile, these elves may be superb with the bow, but they seemed to have little taste for the drudgery of war. It is something that she knew all too well, having served in one army or another of the Lords' Alliance over the last five years of her life.

[Kenshin]

It was midmorn by the time the patrol reached Doron Amar. Alma went to find the watch officer to report on their scouting mission. Chilled and hungry Sa'leyna returned to the tent she shared with Alcina, the other half-elven female detailed to serve in the Evereskan company under captain Jaufre. Alcina left the tent warm and was thoughtful enough to leave some porridge in a pot above the lit brazier. Sa'leyna felt the weariness of the last eight hours come upon her as she stripped out of her armor and wet clothes and put on a cotton tunic and a pair of ankle bloomers before settling down at the small table for a simple repast. The food here was much different than what she was used to as a member of the Fist. Elves, it seemed, ate a great deal less meat than the soldiers in the Gate's mercenary corps. In any case, the fare was nutritious and tasty, even if it never did give one a satisfying feeling of fullness. The porridge of leaks, grains and herbs raised dim childhood memories of meals with her parents. Sa'leyna quickly shook off thoughts of the past however, such reminiscences invariably ended with nightmarish visions of fire, screaming, and hiding with the palpable taste of fear reverberating through a child's dark and unforgettable experiences. Her meal finished the young, half-elven, female took a short stroll down to the riverbank and for a moment considered the possibility of trekking to the nearby hot springs. Fatigue and the cool late morning air convinced her to return to the tent instead. Sleep came easily, her thoughts were foggy as she drifted off, she did not have the will to focus on her sense of comfort. She just felt safe and at home...

[Kenshin]

Sa'leyna awoke just before sunset. The tent had grown cold while she slept, only a few dying embers remained in the brazier and Alcina had not yet returned from her watch. The young half-elf made a move to throw back her blankets but instead merely stretched as far as the covers reached. A few more minutes under the warm woolens would do no harm she decided as she let her mind roam freely.

Tall for his race, with long jet black hair marking him as a moon elf, the Evereskan captain had a face that, while not unhandsome, was sharp and angular. From the poise and bearing he projected she imagined that when not looking like he had just fought his way through half the legions of Baator the male would be nimble of movement and refined in manner. Even then, leaning upon a bow nearly as tall as himself for support, he had a cool composure about him that was a touch unnerving. He gazed at the Fist marksmen through unblinking, pale blue, eyes that incongruously appeared detached and yet had an intimidating intensity about them. After using the common tongue to formally thank the general for his generous offer of replacing the elven archers lost during the escort mission, he turned to the assorted Fist marksmen and addressed them in the standard elven dialect of Faerun. Some of those lined up before the proud elf frowned. Sa'leyna herself might have if not for the memories that came unbidden, flooding, into her mind. As she collected herself and regained focus she realized that the elven captain was peering directly into her eyes. How long he had been doing so she could not tell, but the challenge held in those cool blue orbs made the oath her father had taught her so long ago come tumbling out of her mouth, "I will fight for the lives and honor of my people!"

Alcina walked in just as Sa'leyna was dressing herself. The older woman smiled at her companion as she unbuckled her leathers and let the young half-elf know that they were all to report to the Jest for a banquet captain Jaufre was throwing for his company. Provisions were running short in the village but by then everyone knew that the orcs would soon make their move. The fare for their 'banquet' might be poor, but Sa'leyna still looked forward to perhaps the last evening their company would have to laugh, tell tales, and bond together before the war would exact a collective toll on them all.

[Kenshin]

The two of them walked out of the tent, drawing fine woolen cloaks, decorated with the emblem of House Rudel, against the early evening wind. Alcina, as usual, was in good cheer and wandered over to the men's tent. Upon noting that they were not yet ready, she proceeded to tease them through the tent's open flap. As loudly as possible without alerting the entire settlement, she offered the 'boys' advice about how best to make their cheeks appear rosy and their skin smooth to impress even the daintiest of elven lasses. Sa'leyna laughed a little at her companion's easy humor but she could do little to keep her mind from yet again wandering back to the details of the last week and a half.

Their journey to Doron Amar from the camp at Gullykin was mostly effortless. Well, the Evereskans said so anyway. Sa'leyna knew not how they behaved normally, but during this march they kept silent, their mood was tense and their eyes attentive only to their surroundings and to their captain. What emotions raged beneath their outward composure she could only guess at. They lost half their squad fighting their way through countless orcs and an elite force of the Black Network to get to the Flaming Fist camp. And then, injured, bruised and weary, they only stayed long enough to build funeral pyres for their dead and to resupply. The few orc patrols they ran across their mixed force dispatched with ease. Jaufre fought the orcs at close quarters with sword and shield, a blur of action, at times seemingly disappearing before materializing behind a befuddled opponent to land a deadly blow. The Fist marksmen aimed away from the captain but the elves did not hesitate to fire into the melee. They appeared to have a sixth sense when it came to fighting with their commander, their arrows missing him by only inches or striking a target just where he had been a split second before.

Niketas pulled her out of her daydream with a friendly slap on the back. He was the youngest of the men, and closest to Sa'leyna in age. He also shared with her a desire to prove himself best among the Fist skirmishers. He was easygoing yet could never let a challenge pass unanswered. He volunteered as much for a chance to prove his skill at archery against the famed Evereskans as for the honor of representing his mother's people. As the five Fist marksmen set out together, Sa'leyna considered her newfound feelings and the confusion and dislocation that accompanied them. Did she really belong here in this elven community? Or did the loss of the ambition and sense of accomplishment she once shared with Niketas and the other sharpshooters leave her more isolated and alone than she had been since that horrible day when, as a terrified child who had lost her parents, she was placed in the orphanage in Neverwinter?

[Kenshin]

A corner of the Jest was set aside for their gathering and moments after the marksmen entered the common room of the inn, Alma waved them over. After telling them to make themselves comfortable the graceful ranger informed the sharpshooters that the captain was attending a war council and would join them just as soon as he could. Before settling down to a meal the Fist archers drank a toast to their fallen companion, Marek, who was killed during a reconnaissance mission.

The table was laid with a simple fare of flatbread (made from yams, cress and herbs) an assortment of curds, and several flagons of wine. By the time Jaufre entered the inn the company was in good spirits and a relaxed mood. Sa'leyna watched the captain walk over to them while Niketas kept up a steadfastly flirtatious exchange with Alma.

"Niketas, it would be better if you would save your cheap propositions for the tavern wenches and camp followers of Baldur's Gate," Sa'leyna finally scolded her comrade.

"Nick will do just fine for me, Sally," the marksman replied with a smirk. "And I don't see Alma minding the attention over much anyway."

Sa'leyna cast a withering look at the young male and was about to fire back a retort when she noticed a grin on the captain's face. She swallowed hard and felt herself overcome with embarrassment. Her face flushed from more than just wine, Sa'leyna could not keep from frowning and the discomfort of the moment seemed to linger for her endlessly.

"We come from different lands and call different places home, each and every one of us here was forged through his or her own unique experiences," Jaufre broke the awkward silence. "Yet we all share a kinship of blood, a kinship that we now honor in a time of war."

"More than that though," the elf continued, his voice rising with emotion. "We are a band of sisters and brothers, not merely through ancestry but through the stronger bond of having fought and bled with, and for, each other."

"Such ties bind firmer than most," the young Evereskan commander concluded in a wistful, almost melancholy, tone. "When the battles are done and his pledge is fulfilled, Nick may return to his former life yet will he always remain our companion and brother in arms."

They all stood up then with their captain, cups raised high in a salute. Jaufre offered a smile and a slight nod to Sa'leyna. The young half-elf roused herself as if from a waking dream, and loudly led a cheer that was then repeated by them all, "To our fellowship of the bow!"