Mount and Blade-
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The Warband of Wolves
By Indogma
Inspired by the Mount and Blade Series, primarily the game: Mount and Blade: Warband.
Download Games & Demos Mods & Add-Ons Patches Tools Wallpapers Trainers Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword - game update v.1.138 - v.1.143 - Download Game update (patch) to Mount & Blade: With Fire & Sword, a(n) rpg game, v.1.138 - v.1.143, added on Friday, July 15, 2011. Like Mount & Blade on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Public Archive. The King's Court - Suggestions. Sword Sisters are still in, and if you rescue a Peasant Girl you can upgrade her to a Sword Sister. As far as Women taking power. Make a Female character.
Dhirim.
The plains of Swadia south of Dhirim were blanketed with light and warmth from the noon sun assisted by a cloudless morning sky. A light Nordic breeze from the north, bringing with it cool temperatures that prevented the sun from scorching the earth below it. It was gorgeous weather today.
As the Wolves rode north, Roland inhaled contently, taking in the fresh breeze on that blew on his face, and exhaled happily. Then he grinned and looked behind him, he and the Wolves were making good time. After breaking camp in the wasteland, the Wolves made a large leap towards their next destination, Dhirim; passing Reindi Castle and the Yalibe in a mere half of day. They would have been there now, but they Wolves were distracted. By the afternoon, the Deshavi spotted a medium size group of bandits patrolling between the cliffs by Senuzgda Castle and the Ushkuru. No doubt looking for any villagers or caravans that came their way.
Eager to fight, most of the Wolves became excited when they heard the sound of bandits. After a few weeks of avoiding fights the Wolves needed one. Smiling lightly, Roland then led them in pursue. It took less then a half hour for them to have the bandits within their sights. Cresting a small hill, Roland and the Wolves looked and saw the Bandits slowly walking towards the village of Ushkuru. Roland chuckled at the bandits they were oblivious to them. The Roland heard someone ride up to the side of him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw it was Alayen. He was excited. 'Shall we charge, captain?'
Roland smiled and nodded towards the bandits, 'Go ahead Alayen, I stay here and let you lead them here.' He then smiled at Alayen, 'That is if you up to it?' The brown haired Wolf nodded quickly, 'Always, Captain!' The brown haired knight then turned and began to bark orders at the Wolves, preparing them for the charge. Roland then walked his horse to the side and let Alayen have command. 'Wolves!' Alayen shouted with authority, 'Charge!'
In one massive wave the Wolves the charged upon the bandits. The first ones to reach the unsuspected bandits were the sword sisters, the then heavier armed men caught up with the sword sisters. Roland knew that the fight was already over, it was unfair for the bandits.
'Letting someone wear ya boots, laddie?' Smiling at the accent, Roland knew who it belonged to. 'Just seeing what he can do, Katrin.' Reasoned Roland. He then smiled, 'Although I doubt these bandits will prove much of a challenge to him, but at least he will get some experience under his belt.' The aged woman smiled, 'Aye, better to have some knowledge of battle.'
He then looked at Roland, 'I suppose ya might need a new steward now that Artimenner is gone…' Roland glanced at Katrin, he had completely forgotten about needing someone to replace Artimenner's duties. The company's steward was in charge of overseeing the daily small maintenance with the company, making sure the equipment was in working order, organizing camp placements, and keeping Roland up to date with the level of food and water the troop had. 'I actually forgot about that.'
'Well ya better find one, a lot of the meat he had for the journey has gone rotten.' 'How much food is left is left?' 'Enough wheat to make a couple of meals of poor excuse for bread, plus some weak wine to drink. The last week has really taken a toll on our supplies.' 'And on our funds as well, I bet,' thought Roland. He'd have to check it tonight, but he could expect the Wolves to be in the red for this month. Not that they could not afford it. Roland had enough money to raise an large army and up keep it for a year without no other income. But he did not like keeping the troop in the red he did that mistake often his first year leading the Wolves, and he swore he would never do that again.
'Well we should be Dhirim by tomorrow. There we can restock on what we need and look for work. Plus I'm sure I can milk Henderson for some daners.' He then joked, 'I mean after all, I did rescue the bastard.' Katrin laughed to, then noticed the battle below, 'Ya better head down their laddie. Looks like they are finished with 'em.'
Roland looked and smiled, most of the bandits were dead, and the rest had surrendered. Roland then spurred his horse and rode down to the cheering men and then preceded to begin the clean up.
The results of the battle were less then envious. They captured, about 13 bandits of the original 38. Most of the bandit's equipment was tattered leather armor and cracked weapons. Roland predicted that they would not even add up to 200 daners. But Roland didn't mind the battle itself had proven to be worth more then the loot they gathered. It was a great tension relief for most of the men.
As the Wolves then preceded to continue North toward Dhirim, night seemed to quickly gain upon them. Before Roland knew it, the afternoon was leading to dusk quickly. He then order camp to be made, and for the Wolves to be settled in for the night. It took and extra half hour to get it set up, proving to Roland the urgent need of a steward. The experience made him miss Artimenner. When they finally got settled down, Roland then retired to his tend to some book keeping.
After a small tally, he concluded that the Wolves had lost about 3490 daners from their rescue mission. Roland then felt down, it was far more then he expected. He then shook his head; it would take a while and some lucky trading to gain that money back. But he brushed it past him, he could talk to Henderson, he was not a man to forget favors. He owned the Wolves big. Also the trip was not a complete loss. The Wolves had also met the Sultan, who welcomed one of them to visit his court. Not only did it open a new area the Wolves could work from, but four new cities to trade from. Sarrdak dyes and pottery were well coveted in the west, and in buck qualities, could bring in large amounts of profit. It was hard to hate the trip after looking back.
After dealing with the bookwork, Roland then made a patrol of the camp. With Artimenner gone he predicted that there would be a problem or two. Plus he was going to check the process of dinner. Walking around the camp, he dealt with a few small fires that arose with the disorganization, and putting them out before they could do any damage. After continuing his patrol, he then heard a voice come form his side, 'Oi captain. Out for a late night stroll?'
Roland glanced and saw Bunduk, the seasoned soldier of the company. Other then Deshavi, he was one of the better shots in the company, trained to kill with any sort of crossbow. He was in charge of training the sword sisters on how to use them. Since the heavier bows required more physical strength, often the women, other then Dashavi, could not wield then right away. So Roland then gave them crossbows to use, which had more of a punch and didn't require a massive amount of strength operate, the crossbow was a very fitting weapon.
Roland smiled, he had not talked to Bunduk in quite some time. 'Bunduk, how goes it?' 'Fair, sir. Fair.' The then grinned, as if he had a secret. 'Been talking with captured bandits. There's talk of a tournament nearby, and it seems like they were keen on pry on travelers to it.' 'Really?' Roland was surprised, but then he remembered that they were avoiding contact for the last couple of weeks and had little time for local news. 'Where?' asked Roland
Bunduk smiled. 'In Dhirim, sir. Seems like fat king Harlaus wants another reason to feast.' Roland smiled but only slightly. Everyone called the Swadian King 'Fat' due to his nature of holding feasts quite frequently, evening the middle of wars. Even his own subjects used this adjective to describe their sovereign. Yet the King had remained clueless to the whole name. Which made it all the more funny when Roland saw it. But he was informed that he was not one to really be tested with. When he was angry, the entire court suffered. So Roland never questioned him about it, since it had potential to upset him.
'When did they say it would happen?' 'It's supposed to start when King arrives in the city. He declared this about five days ago. It takes about ten days for his army to get really anywhere. So it could be in five days or a week.'
Roland then scratched his head in thought. A tournament could be an excellent way to get beck the money the Wolves lost in the endeavor. Plus it would be a entertaining event for the men. He then nodded, 'Go to know. Thanks Bunduk.' The man smiled, 'Your welcome sir. Now I better get back to the prisoners.' 'Make sure they don't get out in the night alright?' 'Aye, sir.'
Bunduk then went in the direction of the prisoners and left Roland to continue with his walk through the camp. He then stopped by Katrin's wagon and grabbed some cool bread made a few hours earlier for supper. As he munched it, Roland saw an open spot beside the fire where a group of Wolves had gathered to eat their meals and swap stories. Settling in, the Wolves' conversation didn't halt upon seeing their captain join them. They were used to a sort of informal-ness that Roland shared within the camp. As they sat there one of the sword sisters looked at Roland and asked, 'Where is our next stop captain?'
Roland then looked at her and smiled, 'I thought the troop could use a days rest or two.' Roland then glanced at the other Wolves, who were listening and nodding in agreement. Seeing that was what they wanted he then added, 'Dhirim, and from what I hear there is to be a tourney there. It will a good time to recover don't you think?' They all smiled, a tournament. It was exactly what they needed.
The night came and went uneventfully. And in the morning the Wolves broke camp and made their way North as soon as possible. Roland suspected that the inns in the city would be full by the time the king arrived to kick of the tournament. If it was Suno or Uxkhal, he could ask Henderson or Delinard for logging. But the city's ruler was Count Delgan. Roland had heard of him and had met him on several occasions, but other then that he was a stranger to him.
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As they role, Roland was surrounded by Ymira, Jeremus, Katrin, Alayen and Deshavi. They were listing names to find a new steward for the company. They had been at since morning and had very little luck. One by one they went through the companies personnel, seeing if any of them could take over Artimenner's position. None seemed to have enough knowledge to effectively take over. Then the suggestion of Haydee came up. She seemed to fit all the requirements, she was educated and smart, plus everyone in the troop seemed to like her. She was a candidate. Then Ymira made the observation that a second steward might come in handy, so that they would not have to go through this process again. Roland agreed, and said he would have to ask Haydee if she was fine with it, both being the steward and sharing the duties with another. But the discussion was brought to a close with the sighting of the city in the distance.
The city of Dhirim was not as busy as Roland expected it to be. With the tournament coming he expected the city to be crawling with fighters, mercenaries and any one else who was planning to compete, in addition to the local spectators who came to watch the show. But he suspected that the city would be seeing them shortly. After finding an inn, Roland and the Wolves then paid for their rooms for a week in advance, knowing that they would have to claim their space and protect it if they wanted to sleep in an inn for the tournament.
In the inn, the Wolves then settled in for the tournament. Roland paid the troop their entitled wages and let them spend it to their will. He never asked what the men spent it on, but he could take a wild guess that most of the men spent it on booze, food and women, while the sword sisters and the men with families preferred to save their money.
When the money was given out, Roland then gave a small group of men the order to remain in the inn and watch their rooms for thieves and the innkeeper pawing the rooms off to a higher bidder. The rest of the Wolves were given free reign in the city. They could do what ever they wanted, so long as they did not cause trouble. And most of the Wolves then left the inn to see the city, including Roland.
As he strolled along the streets, he caught sight of Haydee and Ymira walking together. He then rushed up and caught up with them, joining their little group in exploring the city. While walking, Roland then asked, 'Say Haydee, with Artimenner gone… we are in need of a company steward.' He then looked at Ymira who smiled back at him, 'and Ymira suggested you for the task.' He then smiled at Haydee, 'would you be up to it?'
Haydee stared at Roland surprised. 'What would I have to do?' Roland shrugged, 'It's not hard, I can show you the duties. All it really is keeping informed of out supplies and setting up came.' He then smiled, 'If you are scared of the amount of work that is involved don't worry. Artimenner made it seem more important then what it actually was.' Haydee felt reassured. 'Sure,' she nodded, 'I'll give it a try.'
Roland smiled, 'Thanks.' They then continued along the way until they reached a crossroads in front of the gate. The three of them stopped, due to a troop of men that were walking up the street towards them. There were about fifty of them, all of them seemed to bear an emblem of an lion on their surcoats. The leader was a big man in heavy armor that would rival any lord. He had thick brown hair and a long brown beard that matched his head in both thickness and in length. Roland knew who they were, even though he had never seen them before. They were the Lions of Swadia, another group of mercenaries that only ever sold their services to the Swadia nobles. For a high price.
Henderson had mentioned the Lions before; he said he had used them once for a job. While they completed the task, he said that he felt that they were asking too much for a simple job. After that Henderson avoided offering jobs to the Lions, and often asked Roland if he had a job.
The men were now approaching the three of them. When the big man passed the three he saw Ymira and Haydee, and looked at them oddly. Smiling he then said in a flirting tone, 'It's not everyday I see two pretty girls in armor. But I'd love to see you two without it on.' The two girls looked at each other, while a little flattered, they knew better then to fall for his hallow complement.
'Too bad that's not going to happen.' Said Roland crossing his arms, answering for them. The man then look crossly at Roland, upset for him to put down the complement he gave. 'And who the hell are you? Do you know who I am boy?' Roland smiled, 'Hagen of the Lions.' The man then leaned back, impressed that Roland knew his name. 'How'd you know my name?' Roland shrugged, 'it's not hard to tell the captain of the troop of men. He's more often then not the man that makes the biggest ass of himself as soon as he sees a girl.' Hagen felt the insult sting his pride, but he let it go. He was tried and didn't want to deal with a pup right now.
The man then saw the emblem on Roland, Ymira and Haydee wore. 'The Wolves?' The man snorted, 'I've heard of ya all.' 'Nice to know we are admired…' said Roland sarcastically. 'Shut it,' said the man crossly. He then leaned in close and look into Roland's eyes, 'Tell yer captain, if he is man enough, he'll fight me in the tourney in a few days. Can ya do that boy?' 'Trust me,' smiled Roland. 'he will hear it.' Hagen then scoffed and spurred his horse forward and the other men followed.
When Hagan had left them, Roland then looked at the to and smiled. 'This tournament is getting interesting.' 'Do you plan to complete?' Asked Ymira. 'Kinda hard not to when a rival mercenary captain calls you out. What about you two?' Tournaments were open for everyone, even women. Ymira smiled, 'Might as well try.' Roland then looked at Haydee who had shook her head. 'I'm not. I'd rather watch.' Roland shrugged, 'Suit yourself.' The three then continued to walk around the city.
Meanwhile, Alayen, Matheld and Deshavi were also walking around the city. The three of them were exploring the local blacksmiths looking for any fine weapons hidden away in the smith's shops. After locating one, they noticed a pair of sword sisters outside of it, facing what the three concluded to be the blacksmith. Both of them wore armor covered bright red surcoats with a rose emblem on it, and one of them was holding a broken blade and quite red in the face from yelling. 'What do ya mean you cannot fix it?!' 'I mean what I said, lady,' replied the smith. 'Yer blade is beyond repair. I can't fix it.' 'Some smith.' She said scoffing off. Then the two ladies walked away from the smithy in the opposite direction of the other three.
The other three looked at each other. They knew the emblem, it was Ali's of the Roses. The former Wolf was here, and most likely here for the tournament. 'Deshavi watch them slowly disappear into the city. When they had vanished, she said thinking out loud, 'This will be an interesting tourney… a very interesting tournament.' 'If Roland completes,' added Matheld. 'He will…' said Alayen nodding. 'He will.'
-End Notes
Hagen!
I had wanted to introduce Hagen as a character in the story for the longest time now. I thought he would make a nice rival for the wolves other then Ali. (Who is more of a betrayer then a rival, but I intent to have her own little story as well as a recruitment story.) Anyway he is your stereotypical mercenary, more meat then brains and only captain because he is the toughest.
Thanks!
To those who added their own M&B stories to FanFiction. It's great to know that I am no longer monopolizing the M&B fanfict page. Keep it up!
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