Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

"Thank you for my second chance. If not for you, Kell never would've reached out to me." Qira let her go then. "And I'll be at your side by the time you walk out of those gates the victor." He ushered her on. "Go, bring some peace of mind to the border."

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was deadly serious the moment that she stepped out of the tent. She passed by Fawke and gave him a glance, silently telling him that Qira needed his attentions. By the time she reached the Axemen, they were already prepared to leave for their mission. She paused briefly next to her father, kissing his cheek before she went to find Boar.

“You’re to be my protector temporarily.” She said in a casual tone, watching as he finished sharpening his axe. “I don’t believe I need to say anything more about why.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Yeah, I heard," Boar muttered, his whetstone rasping against the axe blade one last time before he cleaned the blade and slid it back into its holster on his back. "Saw Kell fer a moment when I came out 'ere. I doubt 'e told you, but it looked like 'e'd been in a fight. Not serious, but... I figured y'ought t'know, love."

 

[heartofcourage]

“I know what he’s doing and I don’t approve, but there’s little I can do about the situation.” Kate said as she looked her uncle in the eye. “There are things that not even I am privy to.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"I know. Jus' figured I'd give ya somethin' t'tan his hide over afterward," Boar offered a gentle smile at that, rising as Durban joined them, pulling on leather vambraces.

"My people are ready," Durban reported. While Boar and Brogan were Axemen leaders themselves, Durban was often considered their real Captain, in charge of the entire division separate from the Invernessian military. "Word came in from Henry, his people ought t'be ready by now too. All awaitin' yer command, Kate." He met her gaze. Although Brogan and Henry were her equals in title, she had spearheaded the defense of Paxton and Henry was giving her the floor after damage to her own people and land, so she was in the lead.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate looked between her two uncles, knowing that this moment would prove who she was as a queen. It was momentous, and she was calm but the slight tightening of her belly told of her second thoughts on the matter.

“Have the archers at the ready to provide cover. Uncle Boar and I will help lead the first charge with axes at the ready to be silent.” Kate said softly. “The rest can provide support until the gate is open for true invasion.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Done," Durban nodded, stepping away to send out the orders. Rather than the yelling of orders and wrangling of squadrons like with normal military matters, the Axemen organized themselves at no louder than a normal tone, and soon they were splitting into squads. Kate and Boar were given the best shields and hardest hitters with some fast backup and scouts, Durban took a group of heavy fighters, and Brogan took the rest of the shields. Those left were archers and small hit-and-run or distraction groups, and within thirty minutes, the camp was empty as they all moved out in the darkness. And among them came Kell's assassins, quietly watching out for the Axemen and for Kate.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate and Boar worked side by side, quietly making their way to the entry point that had been pinpointed by the rest of the group as the likely part of least resistance. The grate was easily removable, but it was small. Glancing at her uncle, she nodded for him to remove it and she would slip inside, opening the side gate to allow the first wave access to the city.

 

[KieranSoares]

One other followed Kate to watch her back, an assassin she had seen in passing a few times. Thanks to some intelligence from spies, Kate knew the layout of the gatehouse, and the typical patrols around and therein. There would be three guards directly in the way that needed to be done with, one at the door, one at the gate control, and one watching from atop the gate itself.

 

[heartofcourage]

Once Kate had made it through with the assassin at her back, the both of them waited patiently for their moment to strike. They would take down one guard, perhaps two in tandem, and the focus on the last. When Kate felt a tap on her shoulder, she moved silently in a crouch, waiting for the last moment to wrap her forearm around the guard’s neck, putting her weight into choking him out and bringing him quietly to the ground.

 

[KieranSoares]

The assassin was beside Kate in a moment, tying the guard's hands and taking a key from around his neck. She unlocked the door, peeked in through the crack, and drew her dagger just in case.

Lifting a finger to her lips, the assassin motioned Kate over for each to press against the wall beside the door. She mouthed to Kate 'One inside,' and then decided to knock rather than try to sneak in. Heavy footsteps came their way and the door swung inward. A helmeted head poked out and the assassin snatched him by the collar of his breastplate and tugged him down, smashing her dagger pommel into the back of his neck under the helmet. He dropped with little sound, the woman keeping him from collapsing completely and making a ruckus.

With Kate, she dragged both men into the gatehouse silently and turned to the ladder leading to a trap door to the gatehouse watch point. She motioned Kate toward the crank that would open the portcullis, while she began climbing the ladder and waited just under it. She knew the man up top would wonder what was going on when the gate opened, and she'd catch him the moment he opened the hatch.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate moved quietly and found the crank, waiting room the assassin to get into place before she started to turn the crank and the gate started to noisily open. Kate worked quickly, knowing that stealth was of the essence.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Oi, Tanner! The hell you doin'?" The guard above shouted, throwing open the trap door, only for the assassin to snatch him by the front of the helmet. With a short yelp, he was thrown to the stone floor, and the assassin jumped on his stomach, winding him and breaking ribs, before she put all her weight against an arm on his throat til he passed out.

Rising with a deep breath, she looked to Kate with a nod, and raced back up the ladder to give the signal to the Axemen. The agreed upon symbol was to put out the lanterns on the threshold and drape a red cloth off the front. In moments, Kate would just barely hear the quiet footsteps of the Axemen hurrying forward, and one looked in to motion Kate out to join her unit.

"Well done, milady," he whispered, directing her toward Boar's unit as it moved along the inside of the wall.

 

[heartofcourage]

“No congratulations yet.” Kate whispered as she silently moved to rejoin her uncle’s side. She traded a simple look with Boar and nodded toward him that she was alright and ready to proceed.

 

[KieranSoares]

Boar nodded back and they made their way along toward the west gate. He stopped the group just out of sight of the gate, hearing a sudden bugle from the threshold.

"Dammit," Boar muttered. "They were too quick." In the distance, shouts of soldiers approaching Rothbury could be heard, and soon city guardsmen were rushing for the gate. Boar pulled the unit back to an alley, bringing Kate and a couple officers close.

"Alright, here's what we'll do," Boar whispered. "Kate, yer the best archer. I need you an' five others t' get ready to shoot at the threshold. Darwick, get on the wall and get ready to throw down the ropes an' help th'ladders if we can' open th'gate quickly. Foster, I need you to run distractions, keep guards away."

The two officers bolted away with chosen men and Boar looked to Kate. "I'm gonna take th'gatehouse. The moment we bust tha' door down, I need you archers t'shoot th'men up top an' keep any more from flankin' us. It's gonna be a hard fight, but the moment we open tha' gate, we'll get backup."

 

[heartofcourage]

The news that she would have to take up her bow made Kate wince. She knew that she was the best among them, thanks in large part to her father and uncle Durban, but she also knew that using her bow would mean that someone would die. Slowly, she nodded her understanding and reached for her bow which had been strung along her back.

“I’ll do what I have to.” Kate said softly, glancing at the men that would follow her and retreating to their new location to wait for their moment.

 

[KieranSoares]

The six archers crept along beside Kate to a new position of cover where they could see the threshold, each with an arrow nocked. Once in position, one man whispered to Kate, "Kill or injure, milady?"

 

[heartofcourage]

"Injure." Kate said in an instant. "If any post a further threat, I will take care of them."

She got an arrow into position, waiting for the signal that they needed to strike. She hoped that this might be done with little death on either side, but she knew that was a hopeless dream.

 

[KieranSoares]

From their position, all arrows drawn as a number of guardsmen mounted the threshold, the small unit waited, hardly breathing as they watched Boar's men approach the gatehouse door, waiting for a moment to bolt in when no one was looking. Minutes passed, until finally a powerful swordsman barged through the door, his unit following. The last person inside looked toward Kate's position, raising a hand and beckoning toward the threshold.

Immediately, the archers let fly and each dropped their target with strikes to the legs if they could be seen, or to the sword arms. Each drew again, aiming for more men on the walls, but they wouldn't be able to do much more before they had to change position.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate, along with the others, waiting for the moment that their signal was given. Arrows were let loose on the guardsmen who patrolled the tower, taking them down nearly and effeciently. As her soldiers came through the doorway, her small group reloaded and started to move towards another position. It would be constant movement and constant vigilance as they worked to secure things for the main mission of the operation.

 

[KieranSoares]

Sounds of the fight in the gatehouse grew louder, and the archers dropped men running to reinforce the guards, until the portcullis began to rise and suddenly, horsemen were charging into the streets. While blows were traded and some would die, Henry had the same goal as Kate: take the castle and its owners with as little death as possible.

Boar came out of the gatehouse shortly after the gate opened, his men keeping the archway clear for Henry's army to flood in.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Keep then from running for reinforcements!” Kate called to her archers, training her bow on those that might try to run for help to stop the invasion. “And keep your eyes peeled for Alba trying to escape. He doesn’t leave this keep under his own power!”

 

[KieranSoares]

Answers of 'yes, ma'am' sounded from her unit, and as they continued to switch position, working further inward, they moved with little resistance. The city soldiers and guards were mostly asleep, and couldn't ready in time before Henry's cavalry charged to the barracks and took the place over. Kate was among the first to reach the small castle where a force of night guards and soldiers were holding the main doors against Brogan's unit who had arrived shortly before.

Kate would see her father, as in his prime, wielding his Claymore like an extension of his own arms, fending off attackers and slashing through them with his sure and fluid form.

Glancing back, Brogan saw Kate as his unit began to be pushed backward, the shieldmen diving in to protect any wounded. "They won' surrender easily, get over here!" He knew that his daughter was among the best fighting partners he could hope for, and together they could hold the line til more of the heavy hitters arrived.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was instantly at her father’s side, her Claymore at the ready and her bow back one it’s place. She would gladly fight at her father’s side, helping him to finish this battle. Her life in Onverness would have been filled with moments like this and she had been trained well by her father and her uncle’s for the moment.

“Lead the way, Da.” Kate murmured back, following his lead in the matter.

 

[KieranSoares]

Brogan pushed forward into the line of shields, and two men dropped back to unleash Brogan and Kate into the main fray. Brogan's blade was the first to arc forward, a heavily-armored soldier yelping as the Claymore bit into the join of his pauldron and chestplate, shattering the chainmail and rendering his sword arm weak. Brogan kicked him in the stomach, throwing him backward, and went on to the next.

As partners in training while Kate was growing up, Brogan had developed a particular style in fighting beside her. As she was so much smaller, he often kept his blade high and acted as her shield while she kept low. It allowed them to work very close together without hitting one another, so if anything went wrong and one had to drop back, the other was immediately in place to cover them.