After her two days off were over Brigid made her way through the unfamiliar streets of Dhirim. She could roughly tell where she was based on the architecture, with the large open areas meaning she was on the eastern side of the city and the smaller organised streets meaning the west, but she'd never been to the town before. Stepping onto a wide, almost arterial, road she looked north, sighing in relief as she spotted a large castle built in the Swadian style, a pair of yellow banners featuring a standing bear hanging from the gatehouse. If it wasn't the town's main castle the people occupying it surely knew how to get there and she set off, keeping to the side of the road and out of the way of the horse-drawn carts going up and down the street. The guards at the castle gates spotted her approaching, one of the militiamen standing and moving towards her.
"State your business before going any nearer."
"I'm looking for the central castle. I'm supposed to use it as a guide to find the..."
"The House of Lions." The militiaman relaxed slightly and pointed at a tavern opposite the gatehouse. "There it is."
Brigid thanked the soldier before she darted across the street, pushing open the tavern door and stepping into the building. She easily spotted Louis, sitting around a table with the rest of the squad and a Knight she didn't recognise, and moved to the table, taking the empty chair for her own. Louis smiled as she settled at the table, gesturing at the unknown Knight.
"Brigid, this is Will."
The Knight courteously nodded at Brigid before rising.
"If this is your entire squad Louis."
The others rose and Brigid slowly followed, trailing behind when the group walked back onto the major road. Quickening her pace so that she was next to Louis she glanced at the older Knight.
"You told me only a few days ago that the Leonine Knights have a strong presence here. Is this one man that presence?"
Louis laughed at Brigid's question and shook his head.
"Will is hardly the only Knight here. I had the squad meet at the House of Lions simply because it's a central location. Didn't Mistress Renee tell you that here we're based out of the Knight's Temple?"
Brigid frowned at Louis, lapsing in a sullen mood before slowly responding.
"She might have mentioned it."
"State your business before going any nearer."
"I'm looking for the central castle. I'm supposed to use it as a guide to find the..."
"The House of Lions." The militiaman relaxed slightly and pointed at a tavern opposite the gatehouse. "There it is."
Brigid thanked the soldier before she darted across the street, pushing open the tavern door and stepping into the building. She easily spotted Louis, sitting around a table with the rest of the squad and a Knight she didn't recognise, and moved to the table, taking the empty chair for her own. Louis smiled as she settled at the table, gesturing at the unknown Knight.
"Brigid, this is Will."
The Knight courteously nodded at Brigid before rising.
"If this is your entire squad Louis."
The others rose and Brigid slowly followed, trailing behind when the group walked back onto the major road. Quickening her pace so that she was next to Louis she glanced at the older Knight.
"You told me only a few days ago that the Leonine Knights have a strong presence here. Is this one man that presence?"
Louis laughed at Brigid's question and shook his head.
"Will is hardly the only Knight here. I had the squad meet at the House of Lions simply because it's a central location. Didn't Mistress Renee tell you that here we're based out of the Knight's Temple?"
Brigid frowned at Louis, lapsing in a sullen mood before slowly responding.
"She might have mentioned it."
The Knight's Temple was a large estate on the northern edge of Dhirim. An imposing gatehouse, built in a mixture of Calradic architectural styles, protected the entrance to the estate and the thick gates were opened when Will led Louis' squad towards the gatehouse. A dozen Knights were practising in the courtyard, the clash of steel ringing out within the enclosed open area, and the lord of the Knight's Temple rang a bell when he noticed the new arrivals. The training Knights instantly stopped, moving to gather around the balcony the lord was standing on, and Louis glanced at Will as they made to join the gathering.
"What's going on?"
"There was a rider yesterday from Suno. Commander Duclos has ordered every Knight to return to the Leonine Keep."
"What for? And every Knight?"
Will gestured towards the lord.
"Master 'Parte will explain."
Louis fell silent as the five joined the crowd, feeling the lord's gaze sweep over him as he surveyed the assembled force.
"As most of you know, we had a rider arrive yesterday. A spy of King Harlaus has uncovered the location of the Lady Isolla..." Mutterings broke out between various Knights and the lord coughed, the courtyard falling silent again. "The Lady Isolla claims rule of Swadia, that our king usurped the throne. None of that matters, regardless of who any of you actually support. King Harlaus has commanded the Leonine Knights to apprehend the Lady Isolla and return her to Praven. We will leave for Suno in an hour. Make ready."
---
The Dhirim contingent of Knights arrived at Suno the very next day, having marched through the night. The Leonine Keep was full, nearly a hundred warriors assembled from all over Swadia garrisoned within the building, and everyone was divided into their respective specialisations. Leaving the rest of the squad behind Brigid went looking for Mistress Renee, finding her amid a cluster of female Knights in full plate armour.
"Sword sisters."
Brigid's awed gasp was loud enough to get the attention of one of the warrior women and Renee moved through the elite warriors.
"Brigid. I am given to understand that you acquitted yourself well in battle defending a noble of Swadia." Brigid mutely nodded and Renee smiled. "You are now a huntress of our company."
"Thank you Mistress."
The other four huntresses of the Leonine Knights congratulated Brigid when she joined them although the appearance of Commander Duclos dampened her spirits somewhat. The commander was stood upon a platform at the far end of the great hall, staring out at the crowded room.
"Warriors! Never before has our company gathered in such numbers, and it is for good reason that we are gathered! The Lady Isolla has been discovered hiding at Culmarr Castle and our king has commanded us to take her into custody."
The company rode out after an hour of preparation, the column of Knights swiftly making its way south from Suno towards the river crossing north-east of Culmarr Castle. The company was divided into the different types of mercenary, each group of men under a master's leadership and the entire female contingent under Mistress Renee's. Riding among the female group, only a few paces behind the sword sisters, Brigid glanced at the soldiers arrayed around her, checking out the vast differences of equipment between one mercenary and another. She could see the quality of weapons and armour improve even within the same grouping, typically the older mercenaries possessing the better gear, and looked upon her own outfit. Her mother's breastplate was scuffed, with a few dents from where she'd been hit, and when she drew her sabre she could see minor chips along the edge of the blade, the hallmark of a well-used weapon but also one that might soon break.
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