Bitter Bodyguarding

Before the cheering could end, and well before the woman would be allowed a second song, the merchant had stirred to life. Unfortunately, for the appreciators of free entertainment, the Madame's mood had soured. The icy chills that Vinny had felt resonated with the others. Even Kyverian felt somewhat chilly from the stare, despite it not directed in his general direction. But The Madame was moving ahead of the Vanguard, defeating the purpose of their formation. While the guards slowed to a halt, Kyverian broke off from the sudden stupor from the earlier glare.

"Wait. You shouldn't get too far-"

"AMBUSH THEM!"

The enemy had launched a surprise attack, as an arrow goes sailing through the tundra. Rather than let it strike him, Kyverian takes a step back, narrowly avoiding the attack while drawing the bronze blade. In the two hour march, they hadn't noticed that they were slowly walking into bandit territory. But not just any bandits, unfortunately. These tactics were far too calculated, well put together to be just any brigand band. That was when Kyverian caught sight of the archer, noticing that they were wearing Nohrian colors, yet brazenly attacked the Nohr-aligned convoy.

"Form up! Deserters are attacking!"

The Caravan guards soon take up position around the mule, ensuring no stray arrows came sailing in their direction. While Kyverian reached out to pull Madame back towards the others, three deserters came charging after the two. One wielding an axe, another wielding a sword. The third and final brigand came forward with a lance. The fourth deserter remained where he was, preferring to shoot at them from afar with his bow.

With gritting teeth, Kyverian prepared for battle. It was time to combat the deserters to continue their journey to Macarth.

The deserters were slow on the flanking, or so it seemed. As soon as Kyverian and the The Madame got back safely to the convoy, four more Nohrian deserters emerged from the sides. They had split themselves evenly, two to attack the left flank while two attacked the right. The remaining convoy guard only had time to assist one of the flanks, unfortunately. That left the remaining four to Kyverian to face, or so the captain had assumed.

"Don't be foolish, you're just-"

The sparks that flashed through his eyes had made him abruptly stop.

The bandits didn't seem to notice, only seizing the opportunity to begin their attack. Before the attacks could land cleanly, Kyverian took the offensive to them, clashing blades with one while the other manages to catch a blow against the armor. The third strike misses, with the arrow flying just overheard, only to land near Vinny. It was a poor assault against four bandits, but the captain had to manage with something, rather than nothing.

There was one less bandit to worry about, but Kyverian was far too busy keeping himself alive to notice that one of the bandits was subdued. There still remained three more, unfortunately. The archer was the least of Kyverian's problems, though. Blade clashed against blade, but the spearman kept Kyverian at bay. The swordsman, however, was having trouble landing his hits. Once the spearman tried to circle around and stab into the captain's sides, Kyverian waits until the last minute to move. The spear-tip goes forward, grazing into the abdominal region of the armor as it hits the other deserter square in the chest.

"Hold the line!"

A cry to his fellow soldiers that were struggling to get the upperhand. Boosting morale was what was required, an act that'd certainly be difficult with the shaky morale. But Kyverian wasn't going to let the odds get to him, noticing that The Madame was moving away to deal with the archer. "Wait!" Was all the captain could say as the butt of the spear came sideways into his back. The captain stumbles, while the injured swordsman staggers after getting impaled.

The archer, on the other hand, seemed to have lost his nerves at the sudden approach. He had watched as the Madame had easily dispatched the axe deserter, fumbling with his arrows. Some of them spill out the quiver on his hip, finally managing to grab one and put it through the bow. By the time Madame eventually gets closer, the archer is hesitating, uncertain as to whether he should flee or fight.

The fight was still heating up, as The Madame dispatched the archer with scalding flames. The others, however, were far too busy trying to kill one another to truly pay it any mind. But it wasn't a woman's scream Kyverian had heard, assuming the Madame had a trick up her sleeve, his attention on the spearman and swordsman. The swordsman makes a move this time, his blow parried by Kyverian's sword. But before the captain could side step, the spear tip struck the armor. Right between the ribs, but not deep enough to puncture much, beyond the skin.

"Ergh! You'll pay for that..." The spear tip is retrieved, right as Kyverian took another step, attention on the spearman, the swordsman struck again. This time, Kyverian moved aside, bringing his own sword down onto the swordsman's hand, removing it with a severing strike. That was when, the spearman stopped to notice the archer was gone. The decision to keep battling, or suffer the same fate was weighed. But, rather than debate for too long, the spearman decides to flee, abandoning the other four deserters to fend against the other Nohrian soldiers.

"Don't wander off!" Kyverian commands of the Madame, clutching his wound momentarily before he returns to the fight at hand. The Convoy's left flank was suffering, the right side wasn't holding much either. One of the bandits was on the floor, clutching his stomach in pain. But one of the loyal Nohrians was also wounded. The right flank desperately needed help, as the fighting escalated into a two versus one.

"C-Captain! I need backup!"

Despite his injury, Kyverian rushes in to be of use, the bronze sword still clutched in his hand.

Over on the left flank, it was still very much a one versus one scenario, with the Nohrian spearman keeping the axe deserter at bay. When one went left, the other went right. A stalemate that was wearing down their patience. One of them was going to have to make a move, before their own comrade died from their wounds.

Despite the injury suffered, Kyverian refused to slouch when his men needed him. Immediately, one of the deserters are taken by surprise, the bronze sword swung to clash into the sides. The hit was enough to stagger the deserter back, long enough for Kyverian to shoulder bash the man down onto the ground. The loyal Nohrian soldier redoubles his efforts, gaining his second wind long enough to pierce the chest of the other bandit.

Kyverian, on the other hand, pointed the blade down at the prone deserter's throat. "Any last words, traitor?" The glowering stare in his gaze betrayed no hint of mercy. There was none to be found, especially when the captain was not in a good mood. "Pl-" The begging was cut short by the swift perforation of the neck. From there, Kyverian left the man, turning his attention to The Madame as she bounds around to the other side of the convoy.

"You didn't wander off... Good..." His nostrils are flared, eyes closed shut from the pain that persisted just under the ribs. "We did it... Those deserters though..." The soldier that had been grateful for the Madame's help came around, cautiously keeping her just within his line of sight. Kyverian didn't seem to be as wary of her as the soldier, however. But he had noticed that there was definitely something different about the woman. "We should be nearing Marcarth. If not, we find a clearing." The bronze sword slides into the scabbard, his attention soon brought back down to the traitors that were still near the convoy.

"Their gear is Nohrian property. I will send word for another convoy to retrieve it." Kyverian's palm soon clutches the wound in the armor, bent half-way in pain as he finally relents in his stoicism. "C-Captain... We should tend to our wounds..." An idea that Kyverian wouldn't refuse, as he nods to the suggestion. His attention soon turns away from the other squad members and onto Vinny, giving the man an appraising glance before his attention shifts to the Madame.

Were it not for the bleeding wound, Kyverian would have gladly stood and argued with The Madame over continuing their trip. But even he knew that Markarth was too far to walk the entire way there. The other soldiers look expectantly to the Captain as his lips are thinned in contemplation. The thought of being carried was undignifying. Were it not for the skirmish that ended not too long ago, the soldiers would surely mock him for it. Instead, he sighs a breath of defeat.

"We stop once we reach a good spot. It should not be much further..." The other soldiers stare on with great concern, the captain himself gradually struggling to breathe with each step he took. The adrenaline rush was already wearing off, but Kyverian insisted on walking just a tad further. "I refuse to be carried..." Both eyes are closed shut as he pushes the thought of being dragged the rest of the way to their destination.

"If you can move, move. We're going to find a spot to rest."

Unfortunately, Kyverian seemed alone on that regard, the other soldiers looking down at their feet. Eventually, they shuffle on over by the Madame, taking her side rather than Kyverian's. His bottom lip is bitten down with sheer force, refusing to acknowledge the group decision of resting where they were.

He says nothing, only moving off the beaten path and resting by the tree. A sharp exhale leaves him, as one of the still-standing soldiers rushes on over to hand him some bandages to dress the wound with. For now, Kyverian does not immediately move to correct his issue, preferring to catch his breath first before he'd begin treating the wound.

At first, he wanted to say nothing in the immediate moment. The proper response would be to turn away and let his thoughts be to himself. But, he owed The Madame some insight, given the risk she took to aid not only himself, but the men. Though, the idea of using the vulneraries on his own wounds was certainly something that rubbed him the wrong way. The helmet is removed first, his black hair filtering out the helm as it flows down just to his shoulders, hanging a bit passed them.

"We should press forward and find a better spot." But, it only took one glance over to see that only two out of the five other guards besides Kyverian were standing and dispensing the vulneraries. He soon returns his attention back to the Madame, facial expression softening, once he recognizes that the morale drop was larger than expected. It was far too sudden, too chaotic to truly gauge just how bad it all was.

"Perseverance. That's what we do." Holding out against the odds, struggling through the lands with wounds that were both mental and physical. That was the ideal knight, at least, for Kyverian. But these were no knights, they were the rank and file grunts. "We'll rest up and continue with better light." Traversing through the lands while it was dark was a poor idea, given the bandit situation.

Before Kyverian could remove a pauldron, a vulnerary is offered to him, the bottle is taken from the hands of the Nohrian subordinate with gratefulness abundant. There were no need for words, a simple nod sufficed. Kyverian had already spoken plenty with the wounds he currently possessed. Soon enough, the medicine is rubbed onto the wound, relief flooding through the body as Kyverian sags against the tree. It was comforting to feel his wound gradually fade away, but his moment of reveling comes short.

The Madame was still present and attending to him. A fact that he makes clear is no longer necessary by gesturing to the three guards that were in a dire state them him. Kyverian was pierced in the side, but the other three suffered far worse. Cuts, bruises, with one of them having gotten a concussion. But the Vulnerary was doing its job. The kit by his side is given a glance over, passing it to the guard that had brought him a vulnerary. With a single point, the guard is indicated to assist, a fact hat does so with haste.