On Telana

[Noven]

-Kaane didn't know what to think of the Baron, however he was immediately suspicious, seeming to be nothing more than the typical, arrogant noble that he despised, but he held his tongue, and decided to surely at least wait and see what the man was truly like. Kaane shifted his focus to the others briefly, coming to the noble woman, and, as with Baron, he would wait to make any judgement. He took an initial liking to Eliana, having the daringness to insult Baron, however she'd done that. Kaane didn't understand why he'd ignored her, or why she'd went into giggles, however he appreciated the effect. It had flown right over Kaane's head, never being around those who joked. Barnabas had a nice air about him, Nathan seemed simple, and... promiscuous in his desires. Besides that, perhaps a sense of honor and pride that swelled within him. Either way, they'd all been accepted into the two societies, and that proved they were all strong and trustworthy, at least, to those who had suggested them in. Kaane was looking forward to learning more of these people.
-Kaane also wondered why the King had leaned in to everyone, surely he could speak in public to them for whatever he would need to say. Besides that, it had come almost as... a threat, a warning to use his power. Despite that, he nodded simply as he was spoken to.

-Kaane stepped forward while putting off his suspicions, "I am Kaane Ten'oio, and I departed years ago from the city where I was born, Tumba Toure. I do believe it shall be a pleasure to fight beside you all in the coming battle, and perhaps on further excursions after this will be done." Kaane nodded to those present, and continued, "And, fairest king, I humbly swear my service to you in the coming battle, when you fight for good."

[freemartialartist]

-The Von Eyres of fully of the opinion that idle time is wasted time, so all this inaction had unsettled him.
-"Well this is certainly an impressive establishment, but lets see about those troops shall we?," sprang Baron. Nodding to a nearby beefy guard he added,"if you wouldn't mind, sir, I'd like to see the barracks if at all possible. Any of the rest of you are welcome to join me of course. Marlowe, if you'll take our things to where ever it is we're staying, you're welcome to catch up as well."

[FinlandiaWhiteEyes]

-Caterina nodded in agreement.
-"That Baron, if I may be so familiar, is an excellent idea. However, I must see to the storage of my belongings and the settling of my horse before I do anything else. Your Majesty, if I may be shown to your stables, and then to the quarters you have so graciously provided? Oh, and would it also be possible for someone to fill us in as to the details of this conflict?"

[thatfallout3guy]

-"An amazing idea!" Nathan exclaimed to Baron, "These troops may be spending their final moments! It is our duty to encourage them! I will assist you in this matter Baron! We shall fill them with the fighting spirits of a million warriors! OR MY NAME ISN'T NATHANIEL WRATHGAR!" Nathan yelled as he was suddenly shirtless and flexing, the sparkles were also back.

[freemartialartist]

-"Glad to have you on board, Wrathgar. And your right, Caterina was it? You probably ought to attend to your own affairs first. Perhaps you'll rejoin us later. Well, if thats all, I think we ought be on our way. We're burning daylight after all."
-Baron and his newfound compatriot Nathan followed the bulky guard through the castle yard and out towards the barracks finding a large camp of soldiers. Some were training on dummies, some were sitting around playing cards, while still others were just silent in pensive contemplation of the battle ahead. Upon the arrival of the two new heroes, the guard loudly bellowed to the various companies.
-"FOOOORM UP!"
-In a mad dash the entire complex rushed around to form into rank. Several soldiers tripped over each other, some falling spectacular pratfalls. An unlucky few were painfully trampled, only to dust themselves off and shuffle towards their new position. They all held stark still at attention in their respective spaces, with the exception of those injured in the sprawl, who mostly just rubbed their sore parts.
-"The company on your left," cried the beefy man,"is Centaur Unit. They'll be facing the brunt of the attack. The company to your right is Minotaur Unit. They'll be turning the flanks.
-"Well," opened Baron," theres two of us, and two of them. I say we divide and conquer. Wrathgar, if you'll be so kind as to pick the one you'd like I'll gladly take the second."

[thatfallout3guy]

-"I shall handle the centaurs. My own fighting style is similar, and I think I will be able to relate to them quite well!" Nathan said as he took his place in front of them, "Gentlemen! You are the men who will take the front lines, and I shall be there with you! We shall strike as one! We shall hit them hard! We shall make them regret even THINKING about trying to invade the tribe of Bana! When they push forward WE PUSH BACK TWICE AS HARD! They bring out their toughest troops WE WILL NOT SHOW FEAR! If death comes to you tomorrow then so be it! You die protecting those you love and care for! What greater death could a warrior ask for?! Our goal will be to wipe the bastards from the face of Telana! We fight not for honor, glory, or pride, but for all that you hold dear and near to you! Now I ask, WHO WILL THE BATTLE GO TO?! US OR THEM?!" Nathan exclaimed, "US!" All the men exclaimed at the same time, "I DON'T THINK I HEARD YOU!" Nathan yelled back, "US!" They exclaimed even louder, "I DON'T THINK THE ORCS HEARD YOU! SCREAM AS LOUD AS YOU CAN TO STRIKE FEAR INTO THEIR WICKED VILE HEARTS!" "US!!!" All of them men screamed as Nathan eyed them with a smile, "THEN VICTORY SHALL BE OUR'S!" Nathan yelled as he unsheathed his katana and held it high into the air, "FOR BANA!" Nathan yelled, "FOR BANA!" All of the men yelled as they too held their weapons high into the air. A tear almost formed in Nathan's eye as he looked over at the confident faces of the men, 'Tomorrow is going to be a great day,' He thought with a massive smile on his face.

[freemartialartist]

-Baron did his best to adopt the face his father did when he'd give a speech to his employees. He walked down and up the line of Minotaur Company, cane tucked beneath his arm. When he was satisfied he found a good central spot from which to start his oration.
-"Men and women of Bana. First off I'd very much like to start by saying how very proud I am to be serving with such an honorable group of soldiers such as that of the northern tribe of Bana. However, I don't have to tell you the odds we're given in this upcoming battle. You're a force to be reckoned with, and never forget that. But its true that the upcoming assault at the hands of those ugly green bastards will be something the likes of which you've never faced. They know this is well. They're sitting over there in their camp, confident in their conquest. Well overconfidences begets laziness. Their vanity begets carelessness. We cannot do the same! I don't want you to fight them fair, I don't want you to fight with honor or dignity. You won't be facing other men out there. The orc is an animal. No more. A pest. A blight upon civilization, and it is your duty as a tribesman of Bana as well as a tribesman of Telana to wipe their sorry inbred leprous carcasses off our battlefield. They are not a creature that deserves mercy or restraint. They give no quarter and crave none. You know, in a sense, they're the perfect enemy. But don't let that intimidate you. The heart of the orc is weak. By their very nature their heart is weak. If you bring the hammer down upon them they will break into hysteria and panic, which is exactly how we want them. Now I know you've been practicing techniques in battles past and I'm sure they'll serve you well. But I want you to know right now that if you want to survive, fighting fair is not an option. I want you to go out there and eviscerate those worthless miscreations in the most hideous, ruthless, and cruel manner possible. I want you to rip out their living guts and use them as lanyards for our blades. And thats what you have to do out there: survive. Think of it this way. If you live, every man behind you lives. If you die, everyman behind you dies. So don't die! Nobody ever won a war by dying for his country. They won it by making the other poor bastard die for HIS country. And thats just what your gonna do."
-Baron walked up to a strapping young lad in the first row.
-"Let me see your war face."
-"Excuse me sir?" he replied, somewhat confused.
-"AAAAARGH!! Thats a war face! Now let me see your war face!"
-"Aaaargh!"
-"Nonsense! You've gotta strike terror into my heart!"
-"AAAargh!!"
-"Come on, put some murder into your voice!"
-"GAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!" he bellowed with hellish features marring his face.
-"Precisely! Bring that onto the field of battle! In closing, I'm sure you'll know what to do out there. Don't fight fair. The orc does not know respect. The orc does not know honor. Why waste time teaching them this close to the end of their pathetic, miserable, excuse for sentient lives? You've trained well. I can see it in your eyes. You're ready to fight, and you're ready to slaughter those green hellspawn. Now I want to hear just how ready you are! Everybody give me your best war face!! AAAAAARGH!!!"
-His battle cry was met with vicious feedback that would have made the most seasoned orc's jaunticed skin crawl.
-"AAAAAARGH!!" cried the nobleman once more!
-"RRAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!" returned the Minotaur Unit in a frightening din that shook the very earth. Moved by the moment Baron thrust his cane into the air with a final eruption of his lungs. Much to his surprise a monstrous fireball exploded from it flying far over the heads of the unit and slamming in the stone wall at the end of the compound. This sent the ruckus into a full on riot of anger and rage toward the green menace. Their raucous cries drowned out even the shock that coursed through Barons veins, who struggled to hide his surprise at his own action.
-By the time it had died down, Marlowe had returned. Baron had him train with some of the more experienced Bana while he personally coached some of the troops in some of the underhanded tactics he'd learned throughout the years. He did this until the day turned to dusk, and then returned with Marlowe to his quarters in silent contemplation of what he had done today.

[ballerscuba]

The King called Barnabas aside. "It seems to me that you would best be suited sent around the back of the enemy's line to try and sabotage their equipment if you can. If you cannot, then it would seem that the best strategy for you would be to stay out of the main fire of the enemy. I'm sure you could handle the line of fire from the orcs, but front line infantry does not seem the best suit for your talents."

The King then turned to Caterina. "Yes, your horses have been led to the stables by our best horsemen. They can be found near the entrance to our fair land, just to the left of the gate. I can assure you that they will be taken well care of there."

The King now addressed the rest of the travelers that remained. "I hope you will find our army suitable." A man entered the room. He was wearing plate armor that covered his entire body. "This is Captain Marcel. He is the captain of our army here. When the horde attacks, he will assume command of the forces, including you. He may not be the best warrior on the field, but he is capable of controlling the men."

Captain Marcel greeted those that remained. He then led them downstairs to their rooms, showing them where they were. The night is yours to do what you will. Then a scout, dressed all in dark green cloth. He ran up to the King and whispered in his ear. The King sighed heavily.

"It seems that our scouts have noticed an increase in the enemy's actions. It is our ardent belief that the orcs will attack on the morrow. Marcel, the plan is yours."

Marcel led the travelers to a large banquet hall downstairs, laying out a large map and holding it in place with small knives on the corners. The map showed the region of Namora, which resembled a knot in a rope, of sorts. He pointed to the narrow strip of land to Namora's north. "This is Bana," he said as he moved his finger from left to right, ocean to ocean. "It guards the entire region of Namora from the fiends to the North. We have been lucky to this point. The orcs have no real navy to speak of. They rely totally on their ground forces, and that is where we will best them. If they were to get a navy, they could travel around the Bana and attack Namora directly." He pointed just beyond the wall on the northern side. "This is the Valley of Bana. Here is where we will make our stand. We will meet them in the open field to protect this place from the trebuchets. If we can destroy the trebuchets before they get in range of our wall, we may stand a chance. Our infantry divisions will face them head-on. I do not know who will get the better of that fight. Meanwhile, our cavalry units shall flank them from the East, from a small forest here." He pointed just east of the valley. "Our archers shall form a crossfire diagonally, from here and here." He pointed to two small hills to the southwest and southeast of the valley. "However, if the battle turns for the worse, we shall retreat behind the wall and the women and children shall retreat inside the castle. The castle will become our last stand if necessary, and news shall then be sent to the rest of Namora seeking aid. We should be able to hold up there for a few months if necessary. If we are overrun, Namora may soon falter after that."

Captain Marcel then sighed heavily. "Get your rest, we will start the morning early, getting into position before the enemy. We hope we will be able to catch them off guard." He then sighed and saw the travelers back to the castle.

[lukuz13]

"Ah so you are from..." she trailed off staring at Caterina with a bit of intrigue, then leaned in a bit closer. "It has been a while since I was in presence of royalty, so excuse my...erm manners as my Captain would say, he always did want me to be more proper a paladin." Eliana chuckled, rolling her eyes to the thought. "Caterin...Cater... I think I'll call you Cat, or perhaps Kitty..." She giggled a bit. "You seemed a bit interested in my magic yes? While I can't teach you to do it, if you watch closely I'm sure you'll see it flying around in the battle on the 'morrow." She laughed a bit, mostly to herself as seemed to be the case before offering Caterina a bow, however short it was. Turning to Kaane, Eliana gave him the same smile she did many of the others. "Greetings elf! I am happy to see I am not the only of my kind around...well half kind." She motioned to her ears that, while pointed, did not match a true elf's ears. "Though its not often I see wandering elves... and I am tempted to ask...buuuut I think I'll leave it alone." She smiled again happily, flashing Kaane her bright green eyes and a flick of her long dark hair. "Ken!" She spoke happily. Eliana then turned her attention over to Barnabas, chuckling at his introduction.
"From that tone I'd guess you aren't use to allies?" She queried. "Don't worry yourself Barney, I'm sure we will get along swimmingly, long as you keep those knives between you and the foe." She motioned to a small mark on her neck. "The last assassin I encountered was not so kind, trying to stick his disgusting knives everywhere, really a waste of talent." She sighed, gesturing a long sigh then giggling again.

After the Captain arrived and interrupted them for a moment, bringing them to the war room, Eliana gazed over the map, her tone shifted a bit towards the serious, watching the man's finger move across the map and the situation he explained.
"It seems so... I would suppose that without the need to protect the sea it is understandable you would concentrate on land forces, though now I see why the Firmaments desired me to assist the Tribe of Bana, this bottle-neck protects the region. " Eliana seemed in thought by now before nodding. "That sounds good, taking out the Trebuchets would cripple their siege efforts, then we can mop up the remaining forces... They may have more powerful forces then just infantry however, so we should all be prepared. " Eliana turned her eye to the group in the room, before Captain Marcel. "Thank you Captain for informing us on the details, and if you need assistance in defense inform me, I may be able to help."

After the day's events were complete, Eliana found herself in her room prepared for her by the King, running over a few books she kept in her knapsack, some regards to holy magic, others simply for entertainment, she found herself clinching her necklace again with a sigh.
"That place...is calling me again." She sighed, feeling her heart ache as it did when this feeling arose. "Damn it... why now." She grumbled, staring at the eye symbol, as if it was staring right back through her soul. "I will return again... but not now...not now." She cursed, before taking a pose where she sat, holding her hands together as a soft white and golden glow over took her hands, then slowly crept up her arms. The glow shone brightly and lite up the entire room before it finally faded into the inky blackness of night. Eliana seemed to have lulled herself into a sleep finally, though it was obviously forced, it would suffice to give her the rest she needed.

[FinlandiaWhiteEyes]

-"My brother calls me Cat. Kitty, though....that's a new one, I must admit! Call me what you will."

-She listened intently to the Captain's explanation, and added her own thoughts to the situation. Then, on her way to the stables, she chatted with soldiers and servants alike, making them feel at ease and getting their views on the situation. The men were frightened about the enemy's superior numbers, but determined, very determined. At the stables, she checked on Torrado, examining his stall and feed with satisfaction. She groomed him herself, stroking his sleek neck and murmuring words of comfort to him. She was nervous about the upcoming battle. Caterina had not been raised to be a soldier- larged pitched battles were not her area of expertise. She would, of course, do her very best.
-Settling her beautiful horse to rest, she found her way to a shooting range, where she decided to get some practice with her bow before the battle. She stood for a few hours executing fast, long range shots that were, for the most part, dead on target. Laughing and joking with the men, she shot volley after volley with them into the rows of dummies. By the end of the evening, she had established a good rapport with her fellow archers.

-After the archery practice, she returned to her room. She lifted one of the dragon scales from her belongings, and held it in her hands, running her fingers gently over the smooth red surface. Then she drifted off to sleep, to await the battle in the morning.

[Noven]

-Kaane looked to the woman, Eliana, and mumbled the name back to himself "Ken...?" He then spoke louder, to her, "Eliana, that is rather odd to address me by, that is not my name. However it is fine to greet a person as... spirited as yourself."

-Kaane spoke to the captain, "I possess a magic myself, it summons a grand blade from the air, forcing itself down and producing lightning that jolts around the ground, shocking those it touches. It may prove to be a good asset in destroying the enemy trebuchets, or perhaps disabling those who would be operating the machines if not destroying them outright."

-After having attended the meeting, and speaking with the others in some small way, Kaane returned to his quarters, finding an easy sleep despite dwelling upon why the king had brought each person aside. Kaane did not focus on this, however, and was not really suspicious, feeling the king meant well, just curious as to why he'd gone about it in such a manner.

[freemartialartist]

-Back in the living quarters, Baron caught Marlowe doing some shadow practice with his cane. Dawning a concerned expression, Baron put his hand on the young man's shoulder to break the news to him.
-"Marlowe, you are not to attend the battle tomorrow."
-"I beg your pardon, sir?" exclaimed the servant, almost in outrage.
-"You're not experienced enough to withstand the tides of war. You are to remain in the castle for the duration of the fray. You are not to leave before then under any circumstances, do you understand"
-"Sir, I-
-"Do you understand?" Baron's voice became callous, almost cold.
-"Ye, yes sir." lamented Marlowe, clearly disheartened.
-"I'm going out, Marlowe. I shall return by morning. Do not wait for me."
-He left without a response. As he shut the door he held back a moment. After a bit, he heard the tell tale whips and footwork of practiced fencing. A wry smile almost made its way to the nobleman's visage, but couldn't quite reach the mountaintop. He tread through the shadowy halls of the castle, buried in his own mind.

[ballerscuba]

The night seemed to pass uneventfully. Captain Marcel showed everyone to their room, where they spent the night. As soon as light began to creep over the horizon, Marcel went to each room, banging on the door, saying to everyone. "It is time for battle! Get your things and get ready!" Marcel then met everyone outside the stables, where everyone who had a horse got theirs.

"Caterina, you will lead the archers to the Southwest. Nathan and Baron, you hold the front lines. Eliana and Kaane, you lead the cavalry to the east. Barnabas, you take our small band of spies and head behind enemy lines." Marcel then walked out, rallying the men, who seemed to be fully ready. Everyone set up in the valley as Marcel had instructed. He positioned himself in front of the infantry. He rode back and forth inspecting the men. As he did so, the orcs got their infantry into position. The orcs were about six feet tall, most of which were wearing chainmail, though some of them were wearing plate mail as they rode in front of the lines. Barnabas and his men were able to sneak behind the enemy lines by going through the forest on the east side of the valley. The trebuchets were far behind the army, trying to catch up. Each was only guarded by the four men that were dragging it forward.

Marcel paced on his horse, back and forth in front of the infantry lines. "Tribe of Bana!" Marcel shouted as he rode. "We are under siege by the terrible invaders from the North once again. However, this time, we are outnumbered. The orcs think they have won this fight before it has even begun. We will take that victory away from them today!" The men cheered as Marcel raised his sword. He continued riding back and forth, waiting for the cheer to go down. "The orcs threaten our very existence. They will destroy you; they will destroy Bana; they will destroy Namora. Will you allow that to happen or will you fight?" The men cheered again. "They know nothing about us, yet they wish our destruction. Remember, this fight is not for you, nor is it for me. It is not even for the King. It is for your wife, your child, and your land! My wife, my child, my land!" The men repeated the chant into a frenzy. Marcel raised on his horse. "CHARGE!" he yelled as he raised his sword and rode into the orcs. The men quickly followed suit, charging, though they could not keep up on foot with Marcel.

The orcs on the other side also yelled, then began to charge back at the Bana. Archers from both sides began to fire. Both men and orc began to fall from the flood of arrows that began to cover the field. Caterina as leading the archers to the Southwest while riding Torrado. An arrow hit Torrado in the back leg. Torrado reared up, knocking Caterina off as it rode off back to Bana. Baron was also hit by an arrow and collapsed on the field. He was dragged off by the medical men back inside the safety of the walls.

As the two armies clashed, the sound of the clash of metal on wood could be heard as the lines began to collapse, leading to only chaos in the middle of the valley. Suddenly, large trolls ran out from over the hill where the orcs had come out of, unarmored, but carrying large clubs. The trolls ran into the lines, swaying the battle in their favor by easily sending the men as well as the orcs flying with every swing. One of the trolls swung, hitting Nathan in the chest, shattering his new armor as he flew over the fray, landing behind the men of Bana. The cavalry then began their charge, led by Kaane and Eliana.

Baron awoke inside the infirmary, the King of Bana sitting next to him. "You know, Baron, it does not surprise me that you were the first to be injured here." He shook his head and sighed deeply. "From what I hear, your father was very hesitant to recommend you to the societies. After your murder of your brothers, he did not believe you possessed the character necessary to truly do well in the societies. However, the members of the societies insisted on reaching you before it was too late. I know your father puts up an effective facade, but it is truly not who he is on the inside. The tough exterior that he presents is simply for show. He truly is a respectable and upstanding man. He does good work." The King sighed again. "Now, as for your servant. What was his name? Marlowe? Well, we investigated the incident in which men of our army, our dignified and well-trained army, fell over and were trampled to death. We found a small metal wire had been planted in front of them. After further investigation, we found that Marlowe had put the wire there, making him responsible for their deaths. As such, Marlowe has been executed, the first execution in Bana in decades. Now, the way I see it," he said as he stroked Baron's arrow wound in his left side, "you have two choices. You can rejoin the battle, or you can retire from it, though that option will have further repercussions. The choice is yours."

[lukuz13]

Eliana sat upon Shadowrun, along with Kaane at her side.
"The battle ahead is sure to be hard, be sure to keep safe Kaane..." Eliana said with a serious tone, her voice solid, though her green eyes threw a hint of worry as she turned to him. "Don't you go dieing on me." She smirked "We just met after all." With that she turned over the men that where in their company ushering them forth quickly along side Kaane all of which called out
"FOR BANA!!!" as they went.

The company charged forward, rallying their battle cry that shook the air almost with power as they approached. Finally the slew of cavalry slammed into the flank of the infantry, their various spears and pikes piercing rows of Orc, making short work of the petty chain-mail. The creatures retaliating with their own wave right back at the horsemen, swinging clubs or blades and knocking off some unlucky few who failed to dodge. Eliana was at the head of the charge along with Kaane, who she lost sight of as the battle commenced, barreling right down on the infantry, the blade of her Halberd glowing a deep white and gold. As she contacted the army, Eliana swung the bladed end, sending out a small wave of holy magic, knocking back a fair few in front of Shadowrun, along with slicing through the unlucky few directly in front of her. She then turned quickly, leaping off her mount, and landing square on one of the beast's head, wrapping her legs around it's skull, twisting around to snap it's neck. As she landed on the earth, Eliana spun once more to keep the things from surrounding her, though the cavelry helped keep most off her back for now. Running forward, Eliana jerked her weapon upward, slicing directly into one of the beast's neck, then tore it out as she spun around, decapitating one directly behind her.

Eliana suddenly heard a loud rushing noise, quickly vanishing in a puff of smoke as a huge club smashed down where she once stood. Eliana then reappeared on the beast's arm looking up at him.
"Damn... your a big one aren't you." She managed softly to which it roared at her angrily, before running up the beast's arm, leaping at his face and attempting to gouge his eyes out with a swift stroke.

[FinlandiaWhiteEyes]

-Lying still, Caterina closed her eyes. She ached at the thought of Torrado's pain, but she knew that he was okay, somehow. Perhaps it was instinct, perhaps it was something still deeper. In her heart of hearts, she knew that he would be safe in the fortress, and that he wouldn't...
-It was too painful even to think of. She pulled herself up, and, eyes blazing, she continued to fire into the orc lines. Each shot was loosed with venom, and she was cold, now, to the deaths of their foes. This was the sense of purpose that she had when fighting for the queen, or in the battle that had nearly killed Syrio. As always in battle, she remembered her 'dancing master' and his lessons. It kept her strong.

-An orc broke through, face twisted with hate, and ran at her. Without stopping to think, her body in functional killer mode, she threw her bow at the orc, who caught it, confused. 'Never do what they expect'. In an instant, she drew her rapier and thrust it into the gap between helm and mail-clearly the orcs shunned gorgets. Her opponent gargled blood as she calmly took her bow from his hands, and stored it in her quiver as another orc ran in.
-She leapt back, dodging his blow and drawing her smaller sword. It was thicker and flame-edged, which helped both with durability and slashing. She watched the orc carefully as it swung its sword at her. She ducked and dodged his blows, waiting for the right chance. Then, as she dodged to one side she flicked her cloak over the blade, entangling it. 'It is the water dance; swift and sudden.' With her foe's blade caught, she slid the long thin length of steel into the eyeholes of this orc's helm. Another orc lunged at her, and she darted away.
-'Swift as a deer.' She darted around this new foe, stepping behind him and sliding the courtsword into the gap beneath his armpit. Another orc charged her; she could hear his thumping footsteps behind. 'Calm as still water.' She fell to her knees at the last instant, and the heavy swing missed her. She then thrust the courtsword up into the fork of the orc's legs. He wimpered as valuable parts of anatomy were severed. She returned to her feet in one fluid motion, and thrust her rapier all the way through the orc's neck.
-She pulled Nymeria out, then holding both blades in the air, she cried, "Just so! Castillunia! Castillunia and the Queen!"

-The rumbling roar of a troll sounded behind her. She span around to see it swing its club at some of her fellow archers. She gulped, her composure slipping.
-'Fear cuts deeper than swords, fear cuts deeper than swords, fear cuts deeper than swords'
-One of the men did not roll out of the way quick enough. His spine was shattered with the blow. Caterina's eyes narrowed. She sheathed her blades in one fluid motion, wincing that she had not yet had a chance to wipe them clean. She then pulled her bow and three arrows from her depleting supply.
-She held them loosely in her hand, lifting a rock from the ground with the other. She hurled it at the troll as it was about to turn towards some of the men it had knocked aside, but not hurt. The troll roared and charged towards her.
-Three arrows, on the string. She waited until the troll lifted its arm to swing its club. The movement of the huge swing twisted the head as well as arm, and exposed the creature's throat. 'The man who fears losing has already lost.' She fired her arrows into the troll's throat, now a larger target, then backed away swiftly, watching and praying. 'Wish me luck, Syrio.'