Winerose

Winerose glared at the drunk guardsman. "Put yer hand there again, and ye will wish yerself back on the Frontier!" The group of guards laughed and hooted, as she knew they would. It was bad enough having a name that proclaimed the fact the she was illegitimate, being the "flowering" of a couple who has too much wine. She never knew her father and suspected that her mother never knew his name.

Now she had to put up with half-witted, drunken sots, who think the can do what ever they want to a girl just ‘cause they wear heaps of metal. Sure enough, when it was time to refill the mugs, the offending hand was back. Winerose had had enough. She spun around and slapped the guard so hard that his helm flew off. The rest of the guards roared with laughter, while he made a drunken grab at Winerose. She deftly evaded the attempt and gave him a mighty kick to the codpiece. He collapsed and formed a quivering ball of metal.

"I told ye that this Rose has thorns! Me thinks that it's time that ye take yer friend home." After the group of guards left she limped over to the table to clean up. Kicking a man in full chainmail might not be the smartest thing to do, but she'd be damned before she would let them know she was hurt. ‘At least the louts left a good tip', she thought.

Master Graent had watched the scene with amusement. The small girl easily handled the drunken guardsman. Even if he hadn't been drunk, Graent would have bet on the untrained lass. Having just lost another outpost to the barbarians of Midgard, that was the kind of fire that Albion needed, and which too many guardsmen lacked. He finished his ale, left a healthy tip, and got up to leave. As he passed he smiled and gave a small salute to slightly confused looking Winerose.

The next day a young boy came running to Winerose while she was attending to her morning chores. "Master Graent said that you should see him at Prydwen Keep. He said that I were to give this to the Inn Keeper fer her trouble." He held out a grubby cloth. Winerose took the cloth and opened it up. Inside were 5 silver pieces.

The inn keeper gave a toothy grin and looked at Winerose. "Whatcha waiting fer?" She said as she pocketed the coins. "Get going girl!"

Winerose arrived at the Keep. The place was astir with merchants and crafters plying their trade. In the yard there were young men and a few women training with old battered weapons. "I saw the way you handled yourself against that lout last night lass, " A voice said from behind her. "In these dark days without Arthur we need every able sword arm we can get." She turned to see Master Graent walking toward her with badly nicked short sword. "Hibernia and Midgard constantly attack out outposts, bandits prey upon travelers and even the undead appear in greater and greater numbers. I think you have what it takes to do some good, and besides it pays better than being a serving wench." He added with a grin and held out the sword to Winerose.

Graent could see her hesitate. His visage grew serious. "The enemies are upon us, lass." He said solemnly. "Do you want it to be that the only ones with weapons in their hands are those drunken louts from the tavern?"

Winerose took the sword.

Wine took to the art of warfare with vigor rarely seen. She was smaller than the rest of the trainees, but that just made her work a little harder on those tasks requiring brute strength. She excelled at anything that relied on her quickness and was easily the fastest member of her group. The days turned to months and the tedium was only broken by a few forays to kill plague spiders or puny skeletons.

"Winerose!" Called Master Graent, "I need those quick feet of yours. Run down to the bridge to Salisbury plain and deliver this note to the guards there. A vile necromancer has been raising a force and we believe that they will be trying to meet up in the plains. This note will warn them and I'll be trying to get some reinforcements there soon. Now scoot!

She grabbed her twin short swords that were given to her by Master Aremis, on the day she was accepted in to the League of Shadows. She ran her fastest and arrive at the bridge at dusk. Out of breath bent over with sharp pains in her side she handed over the note to the Sargent. He read the note and muttered oaths as she caught her wind. "Ok, thanks for the warning lass, now get back before…"

"Too Late!" cried his companion, "Here they come!'

The Sargent gave her an apologetic look. "I hope you can use those blades lass." Winerose turned to the north and coming out of the mist, countless skeletal figures were shuffling their way toward the bridge. The out numbered armsmen laid into them with their polearms and after only a slight hesitation Winerose joined in. The skeletons were slow but numerous. Every time she slew one, another took its place and she could tell that they were pressing her small group back over the bridge.

Winerose noticed the danger. "If the push us off the Bridge they will be able to easily surround us!" She shouted at her companions. The Sargent grunted an acknowledgement. At the end of the bridge they tried to stiffen their resistance, but that was short lived as the junior most guard succumbed to the weight of the attack. Wine and the Sargent were easily pushed off the bridge and quickly surrounded. Winerose was wildly slashing at any bony hand the came at her. The small wounds she had been taken were coming at greater frequency, and her sword hilts were becoming slick with her own blood.

As she grew weaker she started to slow. That's when a large two-handed axe wielded by what have been the skeleton of an ogre was coming down on her head. Instead of splitting her skull, she saw a shining golden blade slice the haft of the axe in two, and then it proceeded to decapitate the skeleton. Attached to the Glowing blade was a short Briton warrior clad in blue armor. The knight quickly cleared an area around Winerose giving her a moment to catch her breath and admire the skill with which he fought. The undead were momentarily caught but soon regrouped and starting focusing on the Knight. Winerose resolve was renewed seeing such a warrior and flung herself back into the fray, keeping the skeletons off the noble fighter's flank.

By the Sargent, Winerose could see an enormous creature made of Ice fighting along side him. She had no time to puzzle that one out but was thankful all the same. Soon enough the skeletons started to thin, then stopped coming altogether. Winerose laughed aloud in the pleasure that she was still able to.

"I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself M'lady" he said with a grin, "allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Balar and this lovely woman at my side is Lady Delora a theurgist."

"I thank ye fer yer timely arrival M'lord." Winerose studied the knight. She could tell that a fire burned in his eye and he had a purity of heart. "I'm no Highborn Lady yer Lordship, Just a freeborn lass with penchant for a fight. I don't see many Nobles these days, but I can see a pure soul whens I come a cross one." Winerose knelt in front of Balar. "I'd be honored if ye'd accept me blades in your and your Lady's service, for tasks both great and small."

Balar smiled at Winerose, "M'lady and I would be honored to have such a spirited lass in our company. Come and join us and meet the others over a fine meal."