Dawn of a New Day

Smoke filled the air from one of the wagons that had been flipped over, the fire creeping over it crackling in the still morning. Other wagons sat nearby, driver-less with their draft animals detached from them, the goods that were within them spilled out across the ground so that they could be scavenged for items of value.

A group of disreputable looking men walked amongst the debris, here and there checking on one of the still forms lying in the tall grasses of the Arathi Highlands. Others leered at the small group of men, women, and children that were kneeling in the grass in a long line, their hands bound behind them.

It had taken the bandits only a few minutes to overwhelm the poorly defended civilian caravan as it made its way towards Refuge Point. With the Forsaken so close now and the tensions in Stromguard, it had been easy to arrange the ambush, and the thieves would make good coin from the items they were able to gather amongst the possessions of their victims. That and the coin they'd make from selling their prisoners as slaves and research subjects to the Forsaken.

One of the men laughed as a prisoner spit in his direction, moving towards the man and kicking him in the chest until he fell over into the grass. A few cries came from the other prisoners, but they were quickly cowed by the armed ruffians that walked up and down the line of kneeling forms. "That'll be just about enough of that. You lot will be taking a little trip with us, where you'll fetch us good coin. If you keep your mouths shut along the way, you'll live that much longer 'afore the Forsaken get their hands on you. So keep it quiet, before we m-"

His words were cut short by the curious sound of hooves clomping across the cobbles of the partially paved road just beyond the ambush site. By the sound, there were only a few horses and the riders should have been smart enough to stay away from the sight of rising smoke and the band of men converged around the wagons. Instead, it appeared that more victims had decided to casually waltz into the trap. The leader of the group smiled and made a few sharp gestures, his men gathering their weapons up.

They had only a moment or two to wait before three horses came into view. They left the road, heading directly for the smoking wagons and group of men. Each of the riders glinted in the morning sunlight, the heavy plate armor they wore reflecting brightly. Each wore a dark black tabard with golden trim, and as they got closer the men could make out the emblem of a golden bell on the chest of each. One of the three riders lagged back a bit, holding a banner with a similar design on the end of a spear. The three casually rode up to the group, stopping a few feet away. Their blank helmets gave little indication as to their thoughts as they surveyed the scene.

The leader of the bandits grinned wickedly, signalling to his men to spread out. The ragged group of humans began to move, encircling the three riders on their horses. Behind them, several of the prisoners whimpered, knowing that the three were about to be attacked by the ruffians. As the men got into position, the leader called out, "Throw down your weapons and dismount and you won't be hurt."

The statement was met with utter silence. Not just silence even, but stillness. The three armored figures didn't twitch a muscle, as if they were simply observing and deciding what would happen next. The leader of the bandits scowled, his fists clenching in irritation. He pointed at the closest of the three, "You're outnumbered twenty to three! Don't be stupid!"

Finally he was rewarded with a response, although it made him immediately turn red in anger. The closest of the three responded, Tobies's deep voice echoing from his helm, "Well, that's true. If you want, we can wait while you get more guys to make it fair for you."

Behind him, Adyta barked out a laugh through her own helm, which further spurred the anger of the bandit leader. He shouted, face red, "You think we're joking?! You will die right here knight! And the woman will make fine play for the men once we strip that armor off of he-"

The man never finished his sentence. Before anyone could even blink an eye, Adyta had grabbed the standard from the knight-recruit following them and hurled it through the air. The spear struck the bandit leader in the chest, impaling him. He fell on his back, the Divine Order's banner flapping wildly before settling as the spear came to rest upright in his corpse. Adyta's voice echoed from her helm, "Anyone else have any suggestions?"

Tobies chuckled, "D'aww, now there's only nineteen of them. Completely unfair now. A pity."

The rest of the men looked at each other for a moment and then roared in anger, surging forward in a disordered mob. The tactic, while excellent for taking down groups of civilians in the tall grasses, was not so well thought out when attacking a group of heavily armed and armored paladins who were used to being swarmed by huge mobs of ghouls and zombies after fighting up north.

Ady responded the fastest. She drew her sword and raised it over her head, yelling "YAH!" and flicking her reins. With expert timing and control, her warhorse lurched forward on its front legs, its rear legs lashing out. Steel-shod hooves slashed out, taking two of the men down instantly. She flicked the reins again and her horse surged forward, barreling over two that had approached her from the front. She added injury to the insult by slashing one with her sword.

The retainer that had been holding the banner drew his own blade, lashing down at a man and leaving him with a deep gash in his shoulder. He expertly turned his horse, using his return swing to block a blow from one of the bandits. His horse bumped into one, bowling him over.

As for Tobies, the larger paladin knew he didn't have the finesse of his allies. Instead he drew his sword and shield and leaped into the air. He came down with his shield leading, falling on top of two of the men that were rushing up towards him. Given his own weight plus the addition of his heavy plate armor, shield, and sword, a little over three hundred pounds of  man and steel descended on their fragile, unarmored bodies. Tobies himself was quite unharmed as he ground them into the soft Arathi soil before rolling off and bringing his shield up to block the downward strike of another of the bandits.

Men swarmed towards the paladin, and his blade and shield lashed out. The tall, flat surface of his bulwark slammed into the face of one of the hapless thieves, throwing him unconscious to the ground while his sword glowed with holy Light and plunged into the gut of another foe. Behind him, a man brought his weapon up to plunge it into the paladin's back, only to be blasted from his feet by a burst almost blinding radiance as Adyta brought her faith to bear. Two other attackers were forced to look away from her as pure light glowed from her body. She used the distraction to slam one with her blade, and the other was thrown from his feet by a shock of Holy Light.

The bandits began to falter as they saw their casualties mounting. Quickly they ran towards one another, trying to use their numbers against the paladin on foot. Tobies grinned beneath his helm and called out over his shoulder. "Board to board!"

Immediately Adyta and their retainer rode up behind him and jumped from their mounts. Each brought a shield up, holding them such that they covered the paladin next to them. Between the shields the deadly swords of the paladins could flick out and impale their lightly armored foes. As the bandits rushed forward, they found themselves slamming into a wall of impenetrable steel. The paladins struck back, hurling three to the ground who didn't rise again as the rest were forced stumbling back. It was a tactic that worked well against mindless tides of undead attackers, and it worked equally well against brainless bandits in the plains.

A loud report sounded as one of the bandits drew and fired a musket at the paladins. The projectile sparked as it hit Tobies's armor, piercing his shoulder pauldron but deflecting enough to miss his body. The ball-shot rattled as it fell within his plates and he scowled beneath his helm. He lifted his shield and hurled it, even as the men began to surge foward again. It collided with the legs of the nearest two men, the weighted edge breaking their legs and knocking them down. The flat disc skipped on the ground once before hitting the gunman in the knees, throwing him down. Even as Tobies threw his shield, Adyta and their retainer surged forwards, warcries echoing in the air as they met the last of the bandits blade to blade.

On the ground, the gunman grimly tried to reload his weapon as a shadow loomed over him. He looked up to see Tobies standing above him, the sun shining down behind the large man. Eyes wide and still trying to reload, the bandit stammered out a few words, "W-who the fel are you? W-where did you come from...?"

Tobies looked down on him, frowning beneath his helm. His voice echoed deeply as he spoke from beneath the metal, "When the sun rose this morning, it rose on a new day. A day when real men came to reclaim these lands and bring back the word justice. Welcome to the dawn."

His blade came down, the flat of it striking the gunman in the head and knocking him unconscious. Tobies grinned, sticking his sword in the soil and reaching up to pull his helm free. He turned to look at his companions, and his breath caught in his throat. Standing amidst the fallen and groaning enemies, Adyta had also removed her helm. The light that she'd been using still radiated from her like a halo, framing her raven locks of hair with a soft and beautiful glow. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled as she looked at Tobies, and her chest rose and fell quickly from the excitement of battle. Her armor was spattered with the blood of their enemies, the bright crimson a startling contrast to the shining silver metal. She tilted her head, noticing his gaze.

"Light Ady," he murmured, "If we were alone right now.." He trailed off, the thought unspoken. Adyta grinned, a hand on her hip and a fire burning in her eyes as she met his look. He returned the look with one that made her bite her lip and flush a bit before he broke the moment and stepped forward to see to the prisoners. As he passed, their gauntlets met briefly, clinking together in a moment of electrifying contact.

And then there was work to be done. There were prisoners to untie. There were wounded enemies to check on and heal. There were bandits to be restrained and escorted back to Refuge Point for trial. It would take them a few hours, but it had been worth the detour from their planned scouting mission into the Highlands. The Divine Order had brought justice to a little part of the mostly lawless land, and had helped the innocent be free from tyranny. It was what they were meant for, what they were born to do, and soon the Forsaken would learn of it as well.

Mists (of Lordaeron)

The fog was thick in the early morning, obscuring much of the coast and making anything more than a few feet away invisible in the soupy gray. To Tobies, even the top of the ship's mast was invisible, the fog covering it and the ship's sail as if they weren't there. The rest of the small cutter looked quite the same, with the crew moving about as half-seen ghosts once they were out of his immediate vicinity. The paladin looked down, staring hard into the rolling cloud banks around them, as if trying to see through them to the coastline beyond. He brought a tin mug up to his lips, taking a long sip of the steaming hot coffee the crew had made.

He'd set out before the sun had risen, taking a few of the Order's new paladin recruits with him. The ship had sailed in the early morning up the coast towards the shores that once were the domain of the human kingdom of Lordaeron, and now were nothing but lifeless Forsaken territory. After his discussion with Ady yesterday, it had seemed prudent to begin scouting so that they could plan their next steps.

It was time to put some more living dead to rest.

Tobies grinned, taking another sip of the black coffee and looking out in the clouds. Once they cleared with the morning's light, the ship would put him and his small group of men on shore so they could scout. They'd return via land to Refuge Point and he'd be back in Stormwind by the evening. It was a good plan, and now he just had to wait for nature to cooperate. Even as the thought passed through his mind, he heard a strange creaking in the mists around them, and he immediately tensed, turning to peer towards where the sound might be coming from.

He had only a moment to wait before a huge shape loomed out of the billowing clouds around them, a Forsaken warship drifting silently through the water towards them. It towered over the smaller alliance cutter, and Tobies immediately knew they were in trouble; there were likely over fifty seasoned fighters on a ship of that size. Even as the crew started shouting in alarm he turned towards the men he'd brought, his voice calm and controlled and cutting through the rising chaos with professional ease, "To arms! Two of you go release the horses below decks. We might need to swim for it and we'll need them! Go now!"

As the Order troops began to move, the Forsaken warship came up alongside the cutter. Hissing catcalls in gutterspeak rained down on the alliance crew as grappling hooks were deployed. The metal heads of the hooks struck the cutter's rigging and several objects on the deck, catching fast and pulling the smaller ship along the hull of the huge warship. Immediately Forsaken began to jump down to the smaller ship's deck and battle was joined in earnest.

Tobies was no green recruit; he knew that they were vastly outnumbered. If something wasn't done right away, the entire crew of the alliance cutter would be slaughtered and likely raised as new Forsaken. He had to act quickly before it was too late. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and shield, running along the edge of the deck closest to the Forsaken warship. He battered a few assailants out of the way with the huge piece of steel in his hands, running up to a point on the larger warship's hull. Due to its size and the way it was sitting in the water, one of the cabins was alongside the cutter. Its window was just about the right height and distance, and Tobies knew it was their only shot.

He jumped.

His body sailed through the air, colliding with the decorative glass window of the warship. The glass shattered around him and he rolled once on his knees at it clattered to the floor of the cabin. The room he'd entered was unoccupied, but he knew he had to move quickly. Behind him the shouts and sounds of fierce fighting could be heard through the shattered opening.

Rising to his feet, Tobies surged into the corridor outside the cabin, encountering no resistance. Immediately he spied what he was looking for; a ladder down. Without hesitation he jumped down to the floor below, not even bothering to use the rungs. His heavily armored body thudded onto the wooden deck of the ship's gundeck, where two Forsaken lounged around; the cannons had not been needed to attack such a small vessel.

Upon seeing the human, the undead yelled and began to draw their weapons, but they were no match for the seasoned fighter. Tobies rushed them, his shield leading and plowing into the closest enemies. It had about the same effect as a full grown horse running into a man, and the undead creature was hurled back. Tobies followed up with his blade, the weapon leaving a glittering after-image of glowing Holy Light as it cut through the air and into the second of his enemies, cleaving him nearly in two from the force of the blow.

As his first opponent fell lifeless to the deck, the second Forsaken picked himself up and rushed the paladin. He was rewarded for his efforts by receiving the flat of the paladin's shield right to his face. Metal clattered as the Forsaken's body tumbled to the deck a second time, and this time a heavy greave rushed down onto the fallen enemy's neck, snapping it. Tobies stepped over his dead enemies, not giving them another thought as he eyed his objective.

In front of him, the door to the cannon armory was wide opened, barrels of gunpowder waiting to be used in the cannons. Tobies looked at them thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded, taking out a small silver flask. He smiled as he looked at it, "I'm sure Father Grigori won't mind me using a bit of his private stock for this."

With that the paladin upended the flask, spilling the high proof alcohol along the deck. After he'd made a nice puddle he slid the still open flask down the deck and into the armory, a trail of glistening liquid leaking out behind it. With a smile, Tobies took out a gnomish lighter and lit it. He let it slip from his fingers and into the puddle of spirits, watching as they ignited.

Then he ran.

His plate armor clanked as he pounded up the ladder and then down the corridor above. A foot lashed out and kicked open the door at the end, revealing the deck of the Forsaken ship beyond and the swirling melee on the alliance cutter below. Several Forsaken turned, drawing weapons to block the human's path as he surged from the doorway. Tobies grinned, calling on the Light to aid him as he charged forward. To the Forsaken, the man had an aftereffect of glowing wings trailing away behind him as the Light surged in him.

His body slammed into the nearest enemies, his huge form bowling them over like they were not even impediments. His blade came up, blocking a slashing attack at his unarmored head as his shield slammed into another enemy and threw them away. He was heavily outnumbered, but his objective was not to stay and fight, it was to get free. He ran past those he had knocked down, dodging a few more strikes and then leaping into the air towards the cutter below.

And then time ran out.

The fire burned through the casks of gunpowder on the deck below and the powder detonated. The deck of the Forsaken ship seemed to heave upwards as a massive blast hulled the ship. Tobies felt the shockwave behind him as he sailed through the air. It picked him up and hurled him far out over the cutter and into the swirling fog and dark water beyond.

As he plunged into the water, combatants from the cutter were hurled into the depths with him as the explosion sank the warship and flipped the cutter over. Supplies, equipment, weapons, rigging, and ship parts plunged into the water all around him. His plate armor dragged him to the bottom, and he immediately calmed himself and opened his eyes. Using the glowing orange of the burning enemy ship behind him as a guide, he began to walk and hop along the bottom of the ocean floor towards where he presumed the shore was. They had been close, and it was his only hope.

Just as he thought his breath was about to give way in the depths he felt the floor of the ocean rising. Hope surging, he quickened his pace and a few jump-steps later his head broke the surface of the water. He inhaled deeply, sinking back down and hopping further inland until he could walk and drag himself from the ocean. Behind him, the orange glow of the burning ships lit the mists as the two vessels burned and sank.

A few other ragged looking survivors of the cutter slowly dragged themselves from the water. Tobies was proud to see that three members of his Order had also survived, their black and gold tabards dripping water and the blood of enemies spattered on them. He nodded at them once as they began to pick other survivors and a few pieces of useful equipment from the sea.

A short time later a band of survivors had gathered on the sands. Looking them over, Tobies again felt a surge of pride. Both his own men and the crew had survived something that should have been their deaths, and they knew it. Each of them had a grim expression on his face, each held their weapon tightly, ready to defend their new-found second chance at life. He grinned and clapped the nearest of them on the shoulder.

"Well done men. That was a tight spot there, but we got through it," he said, his voice confident. "Now we've a long journey on foot, but we'll get there together, and no deader's gonna get in our way. Least not for long."

He emphasized this by raising his sword up above his head. The other men grinned and cheered, their own weapons held high. Beyond them, the sun had begun to rise, the first rays cutting through the gloom. The first sign of a new day.

Tobies smiled and let the light shine down on him before turning and leading the men inland. It was high time that the true owners of these lands, that real men, came and reclaimed what was theirs. He'd told Ady he would help her liberate her homeland, and no dead thing was going to stop him. It was only just beginning.

The Forsaken did not yet know the meaning of the word war. Tobies Mcmaren would show them exactly what it was.

The Archives

In the archives of Stormwind, sitting amongst the military histories and other similar documents, there is a book detailing the regiments of the Argent Crusade. One of the entries in this book reads as follows:

Argent Crusade 4th Infantry Company, Special Command Regiment
Primary Command Group, Enlisted Officer Status

Name:                            Rank:                                       Status:                                           Notes:
Eliza Hensworth             Knight-Commander                  KIA
Gerald Stonemine          Knight-Captain                         KIA
Harold Geenfort             Knight-Captain                        KIA
Adyta Davette               Knight-Captain                        Retired                                           1,2,3
Lisa Darkpath                 Knight-Captain                        MIA
Christopher Ironshield   Knight-Captain                        MIA                                          Presumed Scourge
Grigori Von Klaussen      Chaplain                                  Retired                                           1,2,3
Ellera Stararrows           Scout-Captain                         KIA
Henry Deathsbane         Knight-Lieutenant                   KIA
Kerri Stonewall               Knight-Lieutenant                   KIA                                                  1
William Stonewall            Knight-Lieutenant                  KIA
Illanel Moonsky              Knight-Lieutenant                   KIA
Dethanae Whisperleaf  Knight-Lieutenant                   KIA
Richard Van Hausen      Knight-Lieutenant                   MIA
Irene Greensbourgh      Knight-Lieutenant                  KIA
Tobies Mcmaren            Knight-Lieutenant                  Retired                                               1,2,3
Keith Lightsfield             Knight-Lieutenant                   KIA
Carissa Fieldstone          Knight-Lieutenant                  KIA
William Brightaxe            Knight-Champion                   MIA                                        Presumed Scourge
Heather Morningsglow   Knight-Champion                   KIA
Marissa Feldspar             Knight-Champion                  Retired                                              1,2,3
Analellel Nightwhisper     Knight-Champion                  KIA
Ketheran Nightwhisper    Knight-Champion                 KIA
Heatherann Lightforge   Knight-Champion                  KIA                                                     1,2
Michael Tanner               Knight-Champion                   MIA
Brenan Elkslayer             Knight-Champion                   KIA
Kristina Goldsford           Knight-Champion                   KIA
Ronald Orcsbane            Knight-Champion                  KIA                                                     1

Notes:

1: Enlisted Officer was given one or more special commendations for valor for extraordinary bravery.
2: Enlisted Officer has served three or more tours of duty as an Argent Crusade officer rank.
3: Enlisted Officer has served in special-duty roles or has been cross-trained for post-war service. See separate post-war service entry for further descriptions

Love at First Sight

*Several years ago, Northrend.*

"More than half of you will be dead before the end of the month," the woman's voice rang out. It echoed strongly around the confines of Valiance Keep's central courtyard. "If you take the lessons you've learned today to heart, and practice the skills we've shown you, you have the chance to be one of the survivors. Remember that during your nightly devotions. You are dismissed."

Tobies paused as he heard the words, one of his armored elbows coming out to nudge the man walking beside him. The other turned, his face almost a mirror image of his brother's. "Is this how we're encouraging morale amongst the green recruits now Tristan? I'd think the scourge are already doing enough to take the fight out of the men!"

Tristan smiled, a genuine, warm smile that was infectious to any he was talking to. "You know how it is Tobies, we have to be as tough as possible on them or they just won't GET it. In the end, it'll save lives, you'll see."

In the courtyard in front of them, the woman, dressed head to toe in heavy plate armor, saluted the group of recruits in front of her, all of whom saluted her back before they began to disperse. She turned, making her way towards the armory, passing near where the two men had paused to converse.

"Even so, she could have been a bit less blunt about their chances," Tobies commented. He shifted in place, his armored helmet resting casually in the crook of his arm. The wind picked up, as it always did so far north, blowing the tabards of the Argent Crusade that both men wore and making the tassels that held their cloaks in place spin wildly, the gold color glinting in the light.

Before Tristan could reply, the woman whirled around, her hands planted firmly on her hips. Although they couldn't see her face through her helmet, Tobies could easily detect the glint of two blue eyes staring at him from within its depths, "What did you just say soldier? Do you have a comment on the way I'm conducting my training exercises?"

Tobies blinked stupidly for a moment while Tristan made an effort to hide the mirth that threatened to creep over his face. After a moment, Tobies managed to formulate a reply, "I was just saying that perhaps we should encourage the men rather than tell them how bad their chances really are."

The woman stepped closer, her breath frosting the air between her and Tobies, smelling a little of mint, "The men need to know what they're facing. They need to know that this is a serious fight against the scourge and that many of their companions are not going to make it back in one piece. They need to know what they're facing so they are ready for it."

"Look, I just think..." Tobies began.

The woman snapped back at him, "You are not being paid to THINK soldier. You're being paid to do your job and fight back against the scourge. We didn't come all the way up here so that you could sit and spout your opinions all over, especially when they might lead men to question the orders they have lawfully been given."

Looking irritated now, especially with Tristan practically laughing at him behind his back, Tobies straightened up and stared down at the woman, using his height to its full advantage, "Maybe if you were a little less negative, the men would have higher morale to begin with and would do better on the field, soldier." He followed this up by shifting so that his rank emblem of Knight-Lieutenant glinted in the light.

"And maybe if you were a little less of a fatass, you wouldn't get so tired after you're finished with the latrine duty I'm about to assign you, Knight-Lieutenant," the woman growled back. She lifted a hand up and moved her cloak aside to allow him to see her own rank insignia.

Knight-Captain.

Tobies paled a little even as Tristan's laughter escaped the confines of his body where he'd been trying to keep it contained, "I-I only meant, that is I was just trying to assist you Ma'am..."

Mercifully, Tobies's humiliation was quickly put to an end as another female voice drifted across the courtyard. "Tristan! Tristan there you are love!"

All three of the armored figures shifted as Ilhedith Knox walked up to the group, wrapping her arms around Tristan and planting a quick kiss on his cheek. "I've been looking everywhere for you! I have wonderful news! My cousin survived the fall of the city! She's been assigned to a unit that is heading here right now! I..."

Ilhedith trailed off as she realized the three figures had been glaring at each other. As her voice died down, the woman reached up and pulled her helmet off her head. Black hair cascaded down her back in waves and a smile lit her face as she looked at the mage.

"Illy! So you ARE here! It's so wonderful to see you again!"

Ilhedith's smile mirrored the other woman's and she surged forward to embrace her cousin, "Adyta! Oh Light I'm so glad to see you! This is a wonderful reunion even if the times are dark. Oh and have you met my fiance Tristan? You and he will have so much to talk about! And this man here is my soon to be brother-in-law Tobies Mcmaren!"

Adyta returned Ilhedith's hug and then nodded towards the two men, "We were just getting acquainted." Her tone was somewhat sinister as her gaze locked with Tobies's own gaze.

Ilehdith noticed none of this, clapping her hands together in excitement, "Excellent! You simply must come for dinner tonight. Tristan and I have quarters in the keep. Tobies you should come too! We've so much to talk about!"

Adyta grinned, the look seeming venomous to Tobies's eye. "Yes of course Illy. Allow me to go freshen up from today's training. I'll be along in a bit. I would just LOVE to learn more about your fiance and his VERY bright and intelligent brother."

Her sarcasm was lost on Ilhedith, who nodded happily and linked her arm with Tristan's, "Great! I'll see you in a little bit then!"

Adyta nodded once, turning to leave. She shot a murderous glare at Tobies before marching off. Tristan by this point could no longer contain himself, and burst into infectious laughter. Tobies stood stock still, swallowing hard as he watched the curves of the woman who had by now reached the door to the armory on the other side of the courtyard.

Ilhedith blinked, looking at her fiance in confusion, "What's so funny love?"

After a few more moments of uncontrollable laughter Tristan managed to get himself under control, sweeping Ilhedith up in another hug, "Oh nothing dear. I just think my brother may have finally found the woman that will ultimately be the death of him. Dinner should be QUITE fun!"

He clapped Tobies on the shoulder and then turned, heading towards the main entrance to the keep, Ilhedith walking arm in arm with him. "Do try not to be late Tobies. I would hate for you to upset Illy's cousin."

Tobies just shook his head as his brother's laughter trailed off across the courtyard, his eyes locked on the now vacant opening to the armory.

"I'm screwed," he muttered to himself before taking a deep breath and heading towards the keep himself.

Dinner would certainly be interesting.

A Business Dinner

Adyta paused as she entered the common room of the Blue Recluse, her eyes scanning over the crowd. After a moment she frowned as she failed to see the person she was looking for. With a sigh, she then made her way deeper into the busy tavern, moving around the various tables, chairs, and chattering patrons as she headed towards the bar.

Although the leather pants she was wearing were not overly tight and her shirt was loose fitting enough to be proper, they could not entirely hide the curves of her body, and several of the patrons eyed her as she moved past. For the most part she ignored the glances with indifference, intent on reaching the bar and then finding Tobies.

She was just about to reach the long wooden counter when a hand reached out from one of the nearby tables and gave her rear a squeeze. The patron had walked up behind her as she passed and decided to partake of a quick feel on his way to get his own beverages. Unfortunately, he gravely misjudged the wisdom of such an action. Before a smirk could even creep over his face Adyta had whirled and backhanded him, leaving a large red welt across his cheek.

The man, apparently a sailor based on his clothing, rubbed his face in irritation and pulled a small dagger from his belt, "Pretty AND frisky I see. Let's see if I can cut your attitude down a bit though shall we lovely?"

Adyta smirked, but before she could utter a reply the sound of a jingling bell could be heard and a large, calloused hand clamped down on the sailor's shoulder. A second hand grasped his wrist, and his arm was forcibly bent in an awkward angle. Over the man's shoulder Tobies's voice spoke to Adyta, "Evening Ady! We gonna have that bite to eat now?"

Adyta smiled and nodded as Tobies bent the man's arm further, forcing him to drop the dagger to the floor. It clattered against the floorboards and Tobies roughly shoved the man away. "That's a good lad. Now run along. We've business to discuss that doesn't involve you."

The large paladin eyed Adyta over and nodded once, stepping closer so that they could talk over the buzz of the chattering crowd, "Great! The Swiftblades have some really great food here! The last time I got some prime rib and let me tell you, it was perfect."

Adyta laughed, leaning forward against a bar stool, she spoke as she lifted it up, "Just like always, you're stomach does all the thinking for you Tobies." With that she hurled the barstool past Tobies's head. The projectile struck a man in the face as he was about to lunge at the paladin's back. The impact drove the man back into his two companions that had also risen to assault Tobies, and the barstool itself ricocheted onto a nearby table where two elves were sitting.

The elves leaped up, shouting loudly as they watched the humans fall into a pile on the floor. Behind Tobies, a table full of sailors got up, angry words rising up above the buzz of the crowd as they shouted at Tobies and also at the elves who were now shouting at them.

Tobies smiled at his friend and laughed, "You know me Ady; I'd rather not starve to death in the snow. Also, we don't have too many recruits right now where I could go around borrowing a bit of their lunch when they aren't looking."

As Tobies spoke, a mug flew through the air and shattered against the bannister near where the elves had their table. They shouted in rage and hurled their own mugs at the sailors and instantly the common room erupted into a roaring, ranged fight. Adyta just laughed louder, her hand reaching out and snatching a mug from the air before it could strike her. As she turned and hurled it back towards the crowd of sailors she replied with mirth in her eyes, "It's like the time we got cut off up in those frozen flats. The lads were all getting quite thin but mysteriously you kept on your love handles there."

Tobies laughed loudly even as a scrum of angry, fist-fighting sailors bumped into his back. As he slammed two of them together and threw their now rather limp forms to the floor he nodded guiltily. "Hey! I'm a growing lad. It's not my fault they weren't so good at grubbing up some food for themselves!"

Adyta laughed louder, reaching out to place her hand on Tobies's shoulder and using it as leverage to hoist herself up onto the table. One of her leather boots flashed out and took a sailor in the face as he was about to crack a chair over Tobies's head. "Growing Lad?! Really? Maybe your great grandchildren are growing lads Old Man."

Tobies turned to regard the woman, his face a false critical scowl that did not match the mirth in his eyes, "Now now lass, until my hair's gray I'm just as young as you, ignoring my old hip there. Besides, you're not a spring chicken yourself are you?"

As he was talking, a sailor came up and punched him in the jaw. Tobies tilted his head, cracking his neck and grinning at the man, who stood looking at his fist rather perplexed that he hadn't downed the paladin. Tobies grabbed the man with both hands and threw him onto the table where Adyta was standing, forcing her to jump over him as he tumbled off the other side of the table into a heap. The common room behind them was a swirling melee of flying fists and mugs now as the elves and other patrons charged the unruly sailors.

Adyta paused, looking over the crowded and shrugging, "I'm young enough to know you're a cheap date there Tobies." She grinned as she dodged another flying mug, this one sloshing with ale as it slammed into the bar.

Tobies grinned, "Only the best for you Boss. Besides, this place used to be respectable, but it seems like some toughs have moved into the district as of late. It's getting to be as bad as the Pig & Whistle now. Perhaps we should clean the place up a bit hmmm?"

Adyta grinned back at her friend before her boot lashed out and took down another combatant, "You do know how to show a girl a good time. I will warn you now though, after this entertainment the prime rib had best be as good as you claim, or you'll be sleeping at the Chapter House tonight!"

Tobies grinned and turned to grab another one of the combatants nearby, using the man as a projectile to break up another group of fighters, all of whom tumbled to the floor. "What do you think I'm doin' over there when you send me to move supplies anyway Ady?" He laughed and waded into the melee, his large fists quickly putting down a few of the more unruly men.

Adyta merely laughed and dove off the table, rolling and using her momentum to trip another of the combatants, knocking him to the floor where a quick blow to the temple rendered him unconscious. She rose up beside Tobies as he finished up demolishing another of the men with his fists, and the two looked at each other with laughter in their eyes. They stood side by side, the unspoken comfort they had in fighting together and the camaraderie that they shared warming each of their hearts.

Then they turned as one and began to clean up the bar. Business first, and then some dinner, just as they liked it.

******************************

Hours later, a ship captain at the docks would notice that a large number of his crew members were returning to the ship with black eyes and bruises all over. Several were missing teeth and two of them were being carried. Upon inquiring of his men what in the name of the Light had happened, he got a number of rather colorful responses.

"It was two crazy paladins sir!"
"That bitch broke a CHAIR over my HEAD!"
"I swear to the Light I broke a bottle over that guy's head and he just laughed at me!"
"That woman said we're not allowed back in there and that if she sees me again she's going to slam my head into a table so hard that my grandpappa'll feel it!"
"I think they hauled Jim and Alex off to the stocks sir! They wouldn't stop fighting and when the city guard came those two bastards were sittin' on 'em!"
"They said that we were pretty good but we needed to toughen up a bit if we wanted to be REAL soliders! Who the fel do they think they are?!"

The captain raised his hand for silence, shaking his head. It was always this way. The men would take shore leave and then, inevitably, one or two of them would get into a fight. Usually his entire crew didn't get their butts handed to them though. He made a mental note to keep them out of the Blue Recluse going forward.

Either there was some new law enforcement in town, or the Mage District was now the most dangerous part of the city. Either way, unconscious men couldn't help the ship sail with the morning tide.

Blades of Light

With sleep, the memories surged back up, forgotten moments playing out like frozen fragments of time.

Snow blew almost vertically as the storm raged around them, cutting down visibility to almost nothing. The flakes stung the eyes, and forced Tobies to keep his head down as his greaves crunched in the tightly packed snow. White particles stuck in his black beard and hair, clinging to his armor and presenting the threat that his sword would stick in its sheath if he hadn't already drawn it.

None of this mattered to him though as he pressed on into the wind, practically running as quickly as the snow, weather, and his armor would allow. Behind him the squad of men he was leading pushed on in the path he carved in the snow, losing ground on him constantly. He turned, looking over his shoulder as he pressed on.

"LIGHT CURSE YOU, GET YOUR ASSES MOVING!" he shouted, his voice bellowing above the howling wind.

He turned, trudging on and shaking his head in irritation. They had to hurry! The rear guard had been missing for hours now, ever since the scourge ambushed their work camp. His brother and Ilhedith had managed to evacuate the workers and civilians to safety, but the cost had been high; someone had had to stay behind to keep the scourge busy at the watchtower construction site.

Why did it have to be Ady? And why on the one day when we were field training new recruits?

The results of their tactical maneuver were obvious now in the snow all around them; the dead, still forms of Argent Crusaders and the scourge they had died fighting. Here and there movement could be seen in the blowing snow as a geist dined on the fallen. Tobies scowled, gripping his sword tighter and bringing his shield up; they had to hurry, they WOULD get there in time.

Ahead the paladin saw the stooped form of a woman leaning over the dead, her mouth chanting something and black magic curling in the air around her fingertips. It was a scourge necromancer, already arrived amongst the fallen of the battlefield to begin raising the dead and adding them to the Lich King's army. Without even making a sound Tobies altered his course, moving to intercept the woman. Before she could hear his plate armor crunching in the snow his shield had come up, bashing the side of her head in. Her body snapped to the side, teeth and blood flying through the air as she fell amongst the still forms around her, her magic ended before it could corrupt another innocent victim.

"LET'S GET MOVING LADIES! THEY'RE JUST AHEAD! READY YOUR BLADES!" Tobies shouted.

The wind died down slightly as he made his way up a rise, and finally he saw and heard what he was looking for; the remaining rear guard. There, fighting in the snow and surrounded by the fallen corpses of a dozen scourge stood three figures, Light flashing around them as they fought desperately. Upon seeing them, Tobies's heart raced and he picked up his pace, quickly outpacing his men behind him.

She was there, amongst the three. He could tell as he got closer; he could tell by the amount of Light flaring in the air around her. She spun gracefully, her mace coming down on the skull of a ghoul as her free hand flared with holy power, obliterating another of the undead. Behind her one of her last two men cried out as claws disemboweled him, knocking him to the ground where his life blood flowed out. The other survivor, wide-eyed with terror, took up a position behind Adyta, back to back against the foe.

Tobies wasted no time, his shield crushing two of the undead creatures between him and his sword coming down on another, Light flashing brightly along its edge as it cleaved the creature in two. His warcry echoed over the clashing of steel and howls of the undead, and Adyta turned for a moment, her eyes sparkling beneath her helm as she saw him and his men pushing up the rise to her aid.

And then it happened.

In less than a second chains flew through the air, wrapping around the crusader standing behind Adyta. He cried out once, briefly, before his whole body was hurled through the air and away. His trailing scream echoed mournfully in the wind as the sounds of his body being torn to shreds could be heard.

"ADY! ABOMINATION! WATCH OUT!" Tobies yelled.

She had only a moment to bring her mace up as the chains flashed through the air again. Her weapon stopped them from wrapping around her but she stumbled backwards from the force of the impact. The chains were whipped back and the mace was torn from her grasp as the ground shook from the weight of the creature that was driving itself up the rise through the blowing snow. A huge abomination appeared, the undead construct towering over the battlefield and giving an unholy roar of triumph as it bore down on Adyta.

"FOR LORDAERON! FOR THE LIGHT!"

His warcry drown out the sound of the abomination as he plowed his way through the scourge between him and the creature. Out of the corner of his eye, Tobies saw Adyta roll and doge a blow from the creature, her hands snatching up a fallen sword as she went. He smiled once, knowing she would survive and then his entire world became the impact of his shield and then his body colliding with the front of the abomination's gut.

The creature shuddered, roaring in anger as he slammed against it. Tobies grunted, his legs digging into the snow beneath him and his arms bulging as he applied all his force to pressing against the creature. He knew that it would buy the others time to act. With a final heave he shoved with all his might, and the abomination lurched backwards, its head tilting back as Tobies fell to one knee before it.

As he knelt, he felt a weight impact his back and then leave and he looked up in time to see something he would never forget in all his years. Time seemed to stand still for a brief moment as Adyta flew into the air over him, having used his back as a stepping stone to propel herself higher than she could possibly have jumped without aid. Her black hair trailed out behind her like ebony waves as she seemed to float there. In her hand, the sword she'd picked up from one of the fallen crusaders glittered with holy Light, her faith and might represented by the glow. Her face had an expression of the purest serenity, the absolute knowledge that the Light would prevail, and that she was its weapon.

The moment came to an end and Adyta's flight came to its climax as she began her downward descent. The abomination tried to windmill its huge arms to block her, but it was far too late, far too slow. The blade, held in both of her hands, slashed downwards as she fell past the creature, and its head followed her in her descent towards the ground behind it.

With a cry of triumph Tobies rolled out of the way as the huge creature fell, spinning and hurling his shield. It slammed into three of the geists coming up behind him, its weighted edges crushing the leading creature and bowling the others over. He surged to his feet, his sword coming down to behead one of the scourge and his boot crushing the skull of the other. He turned to look, seeing Adyta standing beyond the fallen abomination as she flicked blood from her blade. Her eyes met his and she nodded once, turning to face the remaining ghouls beyond them.

Tobies returned the nod, smiling as his men rushed up to join the battle. They exchanged no words but there was no need to. They were paladins of the Light, and this was the life they'd pledged themselves to. For the Light, for the fallen of Lordaeron, they would do this again and again, until no more undead walked the face of their world.

And they were damn good at it.

******************************************

Tobies jerked awake, his shaking hands coming up to rub his eyes. He'd fallen asleep while leaning against some crates he was moving, and the memories had returned. He smiled as the dream left him, shaking his head. All of it was so long ago now, so far behind them. He and Adyta and Ilhedith had survived what so many others had failed to survive, and now they had to make a new future for themselves.

He sighed, heaving his aching body to his feet. The white tabard he wore glimmered in the sunlight coming in through the open door of the building they'd rented. It would be the new chapter house of their Order, their new beginning. Perhaps they would just patrol the streets of Stormwind, or maybe they would again be called to battle for a higher purpose, their aged but experienced bodies perpetually prepared to do what needed to be done in the name of the Light.

Time would tell, but Tobies was certain of one thing; he was damn glad that at least a few of his friends had lived through it all. After all, who else could he share his stories with? Certainly not the green recruits they were currently training. No, it would be a long time before they understood just what it meant to make sacrifices for their country and for the Light.

Tobies paused, his hand coming up to his neck and clutching the small bell that hung there. Each of them wore one, to remind them of the fallen, to ward them against corruption, to announce the presence of the living to the undead, so that the undead would know that their end was near at long last.

Tobies smiled, leaning down to pick up a crate of supplies. "Damn it's good to be here. This is just the beginning Ady, just the beginning."