Jaelin slept through until early morning. He jolted awake and lurched over to Mila.

"She's alright," Clamor rasped. He was standing at a hole he'd made in the wall, just wide enough for him to peer out. "I haven't been ignoring her, you know. Even that scum imperial you saved is still alive."

"Thanks. Is there a problem?"

"Not yet. I just want to see it when it arrives."

"I'll keep watch for a bit."

"Thank you."

Jaelin studied the woods. They seemed empty but he knew better. They were in a sheltered spot, but the three imperials had clearly known about the hut. Surely it was only a matter of time before more came. At least Clamor was here, even if all that meant was they'd go down with a decent fight. Only on one hit point now, he didn't think Mila could survive being moved again.

When Clamor returned to his post, Jaelin reapplied the salve from her medic kit and dressed her. He examined the imperial, unfastening his hide armour. Clamor's arrow had punctured his chest, and he was making a wheezing sound. "Doesn't sound good."

"I know. Had to listen to it all night."

Jaelin applied some salve then searched his pockets. More hardtack. He joined Clamor and gave him half. "So, what's the plan?"

"One of us could try reaching the squad and bringing them back here. They'd have to get through the enemy lines, when they're out looking for us. Bit of a long shot."

"You might be able to do it. You're not injured."

Clamor just grunted.

"Or?"

"Or we wait it out and hope the Apples find us first. Assuming they're even looking for us."

"At this point they know we never reached the supply camp."

"But they have no knowledge of the Wildwood. All those who went exploring here were in our crew."

"Yes. That was a mistake. Unless Twerk made it back to camp."

"It's possible," Clamor said. But his tone said it was not likely.

"You should go."

"I was thinking not. Wouldn't feel right deserting crewmates."

"But you would escape."

Rittel looked at him. "I don't care much about that."

"I see."

They stood in silence for a while, staring into the trees.

"Why did you come to Gal'azu?" Jaelin asked at last.

"I was trained up for this life as a boy. Served a nobleman back in Hargony, in the north. Ambitious, brutal bastard, he was. Is. I didn't lose much sleep over it when I was scouting. Never really asked questions about the only life I knew. But he had us do other work for him. It's an unpleasant business, war."

"Certainly is."

"Anyway, in the end I started asking questions about what I was doing. Wished I'd asked them sooner."

"Better late than never."

"Maybe. A better man than me would have had more backbone. This bastard wasn't the sort you say 'no' to. I needed to leave. Thought to myself, a mercenary has the freedom to say no." He chuckled. "Still naïve. Nothing worked out in the Old World as I wanted it, so I came here."

"A good decision?"

Clamor's eyes widened, as if it was a question he hadn't considered. "Well. I haven't left yet, I suppose. What about you? Livania?"

"Yeah. Out on the Foot."

"Ah. Middle of nowhere."

"Still not entirely sure how my mother ended up there. I was born a slave. But it wasn't a terrible life. I had more freedom to roam than many free folks."

"Lots of wild places in the Foot of Livania."

"Yeah. I looked after sheep and pigs as a kid and dreamed of going somewhere exciting. I guess my dreams came true."

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Huh. Be careful what you wish for."

I could tell him my father was an elf. He's been around. Maybe he'd have some ideas about how that might have happened. What's there to lose if we're going to die out here?

Jaelin stared at the trees and let the idea float away. If we're going to die, what's the point?

The imperials came. Jaelin was surprised by his own muted response. Perhaps he'd simply had time to get used to the idea.

"I'm taking the roof," Clamor said.

"I'll take the door, then."

"Good luck."

The Hargon left him to it.

Jaelin glanced over at Mila. "Sorry," he whispered. He peered at the approaching soldiers through a crack in the door. I guess that's the thing with war. Death will find you eventually.

There were a dozen of them. No way to tell if they knew the hut was occupied. If not, they soon found out.

ACTION ROUND

Kuthenian Imperials

Human Warrior

Action Stats

EXP Level 2

Action Points 4

Hit Points 18

Clamor unleashed without warning. Six of nine arrows struck. Three were wounded, and three sent to the ground.

By the time Jaelin drew an arrow, they were retreating. Their shouts echoed in the woods. It suggested they had company close by.

When they returned, there were three score of them. The front row presented a line of shields. A dozen archers at the back began shooting. It didn't stop Jaelin from loosing his arrows but certainly disrupted his efforts. An arrow slammed into the door, inches away from finding him. Above, he heard Clamor swear when he was struck.

Between them, they dropped half a dozen of the enemy. But it didn't stop their progress to the hut.

Soon they'll charge us, and it'll be over, Jaelin realised.

A series of roars interrupted the scene and stopped the imperials in their tracks. Jaelin couldn't see Hubert from his position, but he watched the enemy switch focus to a more pressing priority. They turned to one side, the archers aiming at the new threat and the spearmen unsure where to put shield and spear.

Long may that continue, Jaelin thought, and took aim at a new target. He had to make every missile count.

Clamor launched himself from the roof and edged towards the enemy, a short spear gripped in both hands.

He's out of arrows, Jaelin realised. But taking on that number alone is suicidal. He was caught with indecision for a few moments. Fuck it.

He kicked the door open, nocked an arrow, and pulled back the string. Sidestepping around the unit of imperials, he looked for an opening. To his right he saw Hubert wasn't alone—a second bear was with him.

Then, on the far side of the imperials, he saw more Apples approaching. This was what must have persuaded Clamor to leave his position. The Guvnah, Greenblade, and Oripione wielded their magic swords, two of them with pommels glowing. Behind them, Vixen's sling was whirling. Next to her, Twerk had a hand on Sharptooth, holding the warg back from the fight.

They found us. Jaelin breathed free for the first time in a while. Careful, Ori. We need you.

The imperials were all but surrounded—the Apples, the bears, and Clamor coming from different directions. There was only one side free for an escape. Despite still having the numbers, they took the option.

They retreated in good order. Apart from a few sling stones encouraging them to leave, the Apples let them go.

Jaelin waved at Ori, and the tiefling ran over.

"It's Mila," he said, leading her into the hut.

She crouched down and assessed her patient. "She's too weak," the tiefling muttered.

Ashlyn entered the hut, looking down on her friend with concern.

"If I pull out these arrows she'll lose too much blood," Ori said.

No, Jaelin thought. Not after all this. "I can't lose her."

Ori rummaged in her kit and retrieved a glass bottle with a green liquid. "I have one healing potion from Stiff's supply."

"Will you use it?" Jaelin asked her.

She frowned at him. "Of course. Ashlyn, I'll need your help with this."

Jaelin fought back tears, struggling to control his emotions. He let the two women work, turning away when the time came to cut the iron headed arrows out of Mila's body.

"We're done, Jaelin," Ashlyn said gently.

Mila's eyes fluttered open, the potion rapidly transforming her lifeless body.

Jaelin grasped her hand, as Ori busied around her, checking and finishing off the many bandages. "I thought I'd lost you," he said.

Mila looked from him to the tiefling's work. "Last potion?" she asked, sounding more matter of fact than Jaelin was expecting.

"Afraid so," said Ori.

"We need to make sure we don't fuck up like that again."

"Agreed," Ashlyn said. "Those imperials are crafty bastards, though. They left the supply camp completely empty so they could spring that ambush on you. We've had to fight our way through this damned wood to get here." Her eyes drifted to the injured imperial next to Mila. "What's his story?"

"Can you heal him?" Jaelin asked Ori.

Ashlyn shook her head at him. "Heal him? We've spent the last day trying to kill the bastards."

"They could have killed me and Mila. Maybe they had orders not to, I don't know. But did these Kuthenians we're fighting get a choice about this war? I doubt it."

"I'll do my best," Ori assured him.

Ori was in demand. When she was finished in the hut, both bears had arrows that needed taking out. Neither was happy about it, especially the female Hubert had befriended. But the tiefling healer was gentle and patient.

When it was done, Hubert waved his head in the air, with what looked to Jaelin like a melancholic expression. Then he patted the warg on the head.

"He's trying to tell us something," said Wilson.

"Tell us what, gnome?" Clamor asked.

"That he's leaving the Apples."

Jaelin looked into those brown eyes. He wondered, not for the first time, how much intelligence was there. "Can't argue that he's better off living in these woods, far away from this war."

Every Apple present nodded their agreement. There was a shared silence for a while, as if everyone realised the same could be said for them. Maybe Hubert was the cleverest of them all.

The silence was broken when the two bears turned to leave. Sharptooth barked at them—a sound as mournful as it was ear splitting. He kept barking, until Hubert disappeared amongst the trees.

MISSION COMPLETE

SUCCESS: the Wildwood supply camp was captured

Some of your mercs improved their stats:

Clamor:

Grit +1

Hit Points +2

Action Points +1

Ori:

Intellect +1

Sharptooth:

Agility +1

Grit +1

Hit Points +1

Some mercs levelled up:

Clamor is now Level 9

Apple Infantry: 120

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