Shield Maiden Gianna gently rubbed Rena's hand, "No, don't cry, Miss Rena. He's going to be okay."
"He said-- Zehr said... he was going to protect from-- from getting ravaged by the goblins~" Rena sniffled, an ugly trail of snot running from her button nose.
"You an... the kobolds, I think?" Gia smiled, pulling Rena into her sword arm's embrace. She shot a guilting look at Justus over Rena's shoulder.
Justus grit his teeth. Rena's bawling would attract the attention of every kobold within 5 or 10 miles-- and probably so goblins, too. He had to do sothing...
...But why was it always him that had to do sothing about it?
"Hey, Rena, listen..."
The archer left Gia's embrace, turning to Justus with reddened eyes, "Nope! No way!"
Justus furrowed his brows, "W-what do you an, 'no way'?"
"You're terrible at making feel better! You're just gonna make fun of my boobs or tell I'm dumb!!"
"What? No, I'm better than that," Justus bit his lower lip. That was exactly what he was going to do-- just not in that order.
Gianna's blue, icy-cold eyes continued to glare at him.
Fla take this archer girl! She was making him look horrible in front of his crush! Arrrghh!
"Rena, listen up. Decanus Zehr gave orders for you, too," Justus lied.
He figured he wouldn't get into too much trouble, speaking for the Decanus. Zehr seed more-or-less okay with Rena's flirting... He didn't respond back positively... but he wasn't negative, either? Seven hells, the man was hard to read.
"R-really?" Rena's lips trembled as she pouted, achieving an extra pathetic and pitiful look.
Gianna wrapped an arm around Rena, nuzzling her face, as they began to walk again, "Ohh, you're soooo cute, Miss Rena~!!"
Rena struggled out of Gia's grasp enough to question Justus again, "What'd he say? Huh? Huhhh?"
"You're one of the best scouts we have, Rena." Justus smiled, "The Decanus is counting on you (and ) to lead us out without any casualties."
It was a combination of half-truths that sounded believable. Even if Decanus Zehr found out, there wasn't really anything incorrect with the statent. But still, he hoped it would convince--
"OKAY!!" Rena pumped one of her arms in victory, "I'm on it!!"
Raising her crossbow in both arms over her head, she quickened her pace to scout ahead.
Gianna smiled with furrowed eyebrows, tilting her head, "Is... is she going to be okay?"
Justus grimaced, sucking air through his teeth, "I... I think so. Rena doesn't usually get upset for very long."
"Aha... Yes." Gianna chuckled, "It's a rather endearing trait, I think."
It was true. Rena was a rare light of optimism that always managed to shine through the dark clouds of his own brooding and worries-- and that of the others in the tent group, of course.
Justus absentmindedly looked up as he walked, reminiscing about older, simpler suns. Even then, giving up... surrendering to his insecurities was a common thought of his.
He trained in Leopardon with his father. He practiced with wooden swords and training dummies. He trained his body. He did hard labor throughout the village. It was hard. It was always hard.
He got rejected by the adventurer's guild more than once. And he was rejected by the local militia, too... He was too young. He was too weak. He wasn't made of the 'right stuff.'
He liked to think he always had a strong will. But Rena's cheering him on certainly helped.
And after all that, he sohow beca a--
The unmistakable twangs of a crossbow bolt fired in the distance. Birds chirped and fluttered away from further into the forest.
The traveling forward group stopped in their tracks.
Justus and Gianna shared a silent look.
A series of other crossbows echoed the initial firing.
Shortly, the sounds of running n and won grew closer, with Rena appearing with so of Decanus Constantina's scouts.
Rena bent over, gasping for breath. There was no bolt loaded in her crossbow, "Guys... guys..."
Gianna hurried over, offering her waterskin, "Miss Rena? What's wrong!"
One of the other scouts grimaced, "Kobold patrol-- at least a dozen, maybe 20."
"Get down!!" Gianna pushed the scout out of the way.
With a loud bang, a crossbow bolt glanced off of her heavy shield.
"To arms, brothers and sisters! We are under attack!!" Justus drew his sword and raised it up, "Honorable warriors ⌈Never Fall!!⌋"
Light shone through the treetop canopy and onto his sword, suffusing the blade with a warm golden aura that spread out through the nearby Rhodoks.
Ferrutius whistled, "Whoa ho hohhhh~! Decanus Justus, you've been holding out on us!"
"I... I dunno what ca over ," Justus stared at his glowing blade. "I just said what... felt right?"
Gianna bead from behind her shield, "It feels good, Decanus Justus, like you're keeping safe."
Ferrutius banged the flat of his blade against Justus' Decanus armor, "Best buckle that helm of yours."
Justus frowned, but hastily began to fumble at his helt strap, "Or what?"
"Or I'll get more kills than you, haha!" Ferrutius bounded off, shield and spear in hand.
Justus squinted his eyes in thought. As much as Ferrutius loved to brag, sotis he made no sense.
"He's... really excitable, isn't he?" Gianna offered. Another crossbow bolt dinged against her heavy shield as she smiled.
Another team of scouts ran towards them-- the lead woman raised a hand signal for them to stop. She lifted her hood slightly, revealing a scarred, smirking face, pale-green hair peeking out at the top, "Shields. Perfect."
"We'll hold them off, Constantina. Will you support us?" Justus asked.
The hooded Scoutmaster glared, "Who the-- Oh, it's you. That was my plan, regardless of your request."
She turned to her scouts, "Climb."
"At once, Decanus!" The various scouts ran to many-branched trees and began to climb.
Constantina turned to point at Rena, "And you."
Rena had caught her breath and stood up at attention, "Yes, sir! --I an ma'am!!"
The Scoutmaster shook her head, "You have good eyes. Survive this and I'll transfer you to one of my tent groups..."
Constantina narrowed her eyes, "--I thought I told you to CLIMB!!"
"Y-y-y-y-es, ma'am!!!" Rena babbled as she scrambled up a tree like a monkey.
"Decanus Constantina," Justus nodded.
The hooded Scoutmaster warily looked him up and down. "Decanus Justus," She nodded slightly, before ascending towards the treetops, up after Rena.
...
Justus crept around a tree, hearing the soft padded movents of the enemy. Peeking over, he counted nine... Five were ard with spears and lee weaponry, three with ranged. A single kobold carried a net on a pole... an insidious looking clay pot was cradled inside of it.
It would be just like earlier. The kobolds were an enemy that needed to be defeated... especially the crossbown. The bolts would bounce off their shields and armor, but a deep bolt to an arm or leg would cripple their small group's fighting strength.
Suddenly, one of the kobolds' ears perked up.
The three archers' ears went up almost instantaneously and they turned their bows up to one of the trees.
Decanus Ferrutius grinned from the branch he was crouched upon.
"Tyrion steel!!" He shouted.
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