Returning to the Surface

The next morning marked the end of the brief peace of their time in Krazkhuraz. Now it was return to take the fight to the orcs with their new allies. Marcus had tried to ask his family to stay, for their safety but they insisted on coming. They all knew some kind of healing, either alchemical or magical, and Julia, while not a combat mage yet, could at least give some assistance. As much as it pained him to put them in danger, he relents and allows them to come on the promise that, when the fighting starts, they'll wait in the camp.

Before leaving the palace, he kisses his new wife goodbye and promises that the next time they meet, it will be with a legion at his back.

He meets up with General Grom and the army. The tension is thick among the soldiers. Nerves and excitement are eating away at them at the prospect of soon being under the sun for the first time in their lives. Marcus, Aine and Grom lead the troops at a march through the city. Dwarven commoners cheer the army, wishing them luck and glory.

When the gates to the city swing open and the light of the surface floods in, they all wince at the sudden brightness. The humans struggle after only a few days in Krazkhuraz so Marcus can only imagine how blinding it is to the dwarves. As they pass the gate guards, the man who first greeted them into the city salutes.

"Good luck, lad." He says. Marcus replies with a nod.

The dwarven armies first steps outside are... less than dignified. The disciplined marching soon descends into a staggering mess. Some stop and stare in awe at the sky or the open landscape before them, causing those behind to walk into them. Some start walking much more heavily as though trying to will themselves to staying on the ground. More than a few either throw up or faint.

Grom, to his credit, does his best to look dignified but he had gone pale and a cold sweat was beading on his forehead.

"You get used to it." The gateguard calls out to the army with a laugh. "I stand here all day and nothing's ever happened to me!"

The tenants of the camp outside the gate also watch the scene with either sympathetic or mocking laughter, interest and some cheers.

Marcus gives them an hour or two to get used to the experience.

During this time a hobbit on a pony rides up.

"Oh, good! You managed it!" He says excitedly. "Commander Amelia sent me. Things are getting bad, the orcs are on the move. They've already breached the border forts. The lords are delaying the orcs as much as they can but they don't have the manpower. The commander has put out a call to everyone from the 16th to gather. Those that had settled close are already with her, more come in by the day."

"Alright, thanks." Marcus says. "Where are they currently?"

"About six days east of here by foot when I left. I can show you."

"Good, thank you. We'll be moving out soon. They might not look like it right now but once they've settled, these dwarves will carry us to victory."

"Alright, enough delaying. Everyone form up, we've got a long march ahead." General Grom calls out. The dwarves are still a little uneasy but at least now are realising that the surface isn't some **** sentence or anything to fear.

Travelling with an army is very different to their previous travel. Now they had to set up a village of tents each evening. Dwarven war camps were not so different to legion camps. His own camps had always been set up with the same set layout, trenches were dug for waste, they had dedicated places and servants for bathing and cooking, wooden walls were built around the camp if the situation permitted it. The dwarves preferred a more tightly packed approach and put more emphasis on each soldier cooking and eating with their squad rather than having a dedicated cook. Otherwise things ran much the same. It's a comfortable place for Marcus, he'd been in similar camps most of his adolescent and adult life.

"So this is it." Aine said as she enters Marcus' tent in the evening. "This is going to be out life for years now isn't it?"

He looks up at her from the reports he was going over.

"It's looking that way." He says. "We've got a lot to deal with, orcs then goblins then maybe..."

"Your family." She finishes when he hesitates.

"Not just my family, the empire." He sighs. "The centaurs will take advantage of that so, if we win all that, we'll have to deal with them too."

"Sounds exhausting." She says, taking a seat next to him.

"Oh it will be." He smirks. "You might think I'm crazy, but I'm excited. I love this. The travelling, making a difference, the strategizing. It's where I feel at home."

Aine smiles and shakes her head. "Spoken like a true conqueror."

He grins. "Not yet. Last I checked you need to conquer for that."

"Oh but you have." She says. "Maybe not with sword but with your actions and words, you've already expanded your small empire. You have my castle and Krazkharaz already committed to you."

"Hardly an empire." He says with a chuckle.

"All empires start somewhere." She retorts. "But anyway, that wasn't why I came. I wanted to ask how you're doing? You've had a lot thrown at you recently and it might feel like you're being swept up in it all."

"I'm fine, mostly." He replies honestly. "I'm mostly worried that if the emperor acts against me, it'll start something that can't be stopped. The empire could collapse, or Krazkharaz invaded or... or I become someone I'd hate."

"You won't. Your family won't let you. I won't let you. We'll be with you. We'll shoulder your burdens and let you know if you push too far."

"And if you all died?" He asks.

Aine didn't reply. She couldn't reply.

"Hahh." He sighs. "It's not worth considering. We're set on our path now, all we can do is ride it and make sure we don't fall off."

"Anyone tell you that you're too pessimistic?" She says teasingly, lightening the mood.

He laughs. "Amelia, every day."

"Smart woman." She says. "You're lucky to have each other."

"I am, don't know how lucky she is to be tied to me." He says with a smirk.

"Oh please, she's completely devoted to you." She says. "She could've left after the 16th was disbanded but she stays with you because she cares."

"She's a good friend. The best I could ask for." He says, affectionately thinking of his short second.

"Just a friend? You've never thought about something more?"

The question caught him off guard. He'd thought about it, they were just teenagers when they met, full of hormones but there was always something more important happening and she was full of anger back then. Before they knew it, any time for feelings had passed and they'd settled more into a platonic respect and love.

"No. Not that she's not attractive..."

She tuts and laughs to herself. "Men..." She mutters. "She's so in love with you, it almost hurts to see."

"What? What makes you say that..?" He asks.

She just stands and leaves, only giving him a wink before saying.

"You'll work it out, eventually."