Eighteenth day Tenth Month Four Thousand six hundred and forty four rings of the Great White Tree

Lancia Ap Brywdr

He had just finished burying his friend he looked around at the army around him. Everywhere he looked there were wounded and dying elves. Dispersed around him the Priestess of the Glade were working their healing magic.

No longer were they the maiden's of the blade now they were the priestess of used theithe Glade and used their powerful magic to heal the most injured of elves. He watched as a priestess placed her hands on a elf with a terrible wound to his stomach and she chanted to the one tree.

The great white tree was the centre of the forest. The centre of their religion. The mother of the forest. The provider of the elven life.

The one tree must have heard her pray as the wound closed and the priestess slumped down on the ground. She looked drained and exhausted. He looked the priestess in the eyes. She was not the one he was looking for.

Sob he continued to wonder around the camp. Searching for one priestess who he had only met days earlier but who now meant so much to him.

He was starting to give up hope, fearing that she fell on the battlefield. When he found her. She was tending to an elf who was missing half his face. She had her hands on the wound and was chanting to the one tree.

He watched as the wound closed. The eye was still missing but the elf would live. Morwyn sat down on log. She looked exhausted. She was covered with dirt and blood. Still she was the most beautiful person he knew.

He sat down beside her. He looked into her beautiful blue eyes.

"I'm glad to see your alive."

As soon as he said that he felt foolish. He should have said something else told her how much she meant to him.

She looked him in the eyes and then she hugged him close to her. For a couple minutes they sat there arms around each other. Then they kissed. Forgotten were the injuried and dying. Forgotten were the horrors of the battlefield. For a moment only they existed.

Then a voice yelled at them.

"There's work to do, you two can do that later."

Grandfather barked the command. Bringing them back to reality. Around them the elves were preparing to leave. He smiled at Morwyn, then grabbed his gear, together they headed off ready for the next challenge.

Twenty third day Tenth Month Four Thousand six hundred and forty four rings of the Great White Tree

Rhinyll Ap Brwydr

What was left of the Elven army was moving deeper into the white woods. Most of his time had he had been trying to keep up moral. He looked over at Lancia who marched next to the blade maiden.

As much as he wanted to warn the boy of the dangers of falling in love with someone in the middle of a war he remembered back to his own youth and a sword maiden that followed him through the troubles of the time. Then she bore him a son and a daughter.

He hadn't spoken to either of his children in over a hundred years. Lancia reminded him of his son. He was determined to see that the boy survived the war.

Living as long as he had he remembered the battles and wars of the past. He felt that they had placed him in more dire positions but they were different times and places.

The reason moral was falling amongst the elves, they had felt deflated when their commander the Silver Fox had left without a word. For his plan to work he needed it to look like they were a defeated army.

He looked over at the once dour elf Crefyddol. Before the battle Crefyddol had been the most vocal critic of the Orcs. After the battle he was hailed as Crefyddol Orc Friend. He now carried an orc sabre as well as one of their crude pistols.

Crefyddol was perhaps the only elf that was deflated when the orcs slipped away. He now brooded in silence. Gone were his loud declarations of elven superiority.

He looked over at Lancia who was walking next to his blade maiden. The boy had found love on a battlefield. He remembered a blade maiden that he had once fallen in love with. She had also fought with him in battles. But that was a different time and hoped that this relationship would survive the war.

It was time for them them to stop running. The army was currently commanded by Wachodlu the Nghyrnol who commanded the veteran infantry who had joint the army with the Cyffredinol.

The Nghyrnol decided to stay with the main army when the Cyffredinol had left with his calvary.

Sliding up to the Nghyrnol he made a suggestion.

"Nghyrnol I think it is time we spring our trap on our pursuers."

Normally a Nghyrnol a commander of regiments would not listen to a suggestion from a Rhinyll. However it was well known in the army that this particular Rhinyll had came up with the plan to save the Army.

So the Nghyrnol began barking orders and the Elven army prepared to face their pursuers.

They did not have to wait long for the Union soldiers who were pursuing them to march through the forest.

There were less then a thousand soldiers left with the elven army. Many of them still carried wounds and injuries from the battle before. The Union soldiers number almost three thousand.

They halted when they saw the elves awaiting them. There was a bit of confusion in their ranks. They did not expect the defeated elves to choose to fight again.

Nghyrnol Wachodlu gave the order and they fired their muskets. He fired his own musket and watched as the muskets lead projections hit the union ranks. Rows of Union soldiers collapsed to ground dead or wounded.

Before the Union could fire their own muskets. Elven soldiers with pikes and sword maiden's with their swords emerged from the forest to their side of the union formation and vicious hand to hand combat began.

The Union soldiers may have been able to fight off these challenges if they had not been hit from behind by both the elven calvary and the orcs.

He watched as the Cyffredinol lead his elves into the battle. Like a Cyffredinol or General from the ancient past. Leading from the front smashing through the Union ranks he mowed down human soldiers with an awesome display of power.

He looked around at the rest of elven army they seemed more energised now that their Cyffredinol had returned to lead them.

He watched as Crefyddol fired his pistol and then raced into the fray with his orc sabre. He too seemed more energised. He wondered if it was the return of the Cyffredinol or the return of the orcs that caused this inspiration.

Soon the battle was over and all the Union soldiers completely defeated. They had won their first battle.

Tenth day Eleventh Month Four Thousand six hundred and forty four rings of the Great White Tree

Morwyn Ifanc Priestess of the Blade.

She was waiting patiently by Lancia's shoulder, as they prepared to ambush another enemy supply column.

There were ten of them in the squad which had been placed under the command of Lancia. He had been given the rank of Rhinyll.

His Grandfather had stayed behind at the base. He was digesting the news that had arrived this morning. Gellifew had fallen to Union and the prince had been taken prisoner. They had also confirmation that Prince Teynfradwr had allied himself with the invaders.

Lancia had questioned why he had been given command of the squad and not one of the more experienced soldiers they now made up the squad. Cyn one of the older soldiers quietly reassured Lancia

"We are just soldiers, where as you were born of a family of leaders, it's in your blood to lead."

The old veteran now carried one of the Union soldiers musket. He had discarded his pike and now was learning how to use the musket.

Lancia had introduced her to the rest of the members of his squad. The bard Brydyddoon, the cagey hunter Dyn Blaidd, Crefyddol Orc friend. Two members of his old squad remained at the camp.

Devin was continuing his training in the mystical arts. Indeed she had been told he had an affinity for enchantment magic and he had carved a few enchantments on some bullets for the squad.

Ysgolhaig who she learnt they called scholar had been made the quartermaster and was looking at logistics of keeping the army fed and equipped.

To replace Lancia's grandfather, Devin, Ysgolhaig, and the two that had been lost in battle the squad or line as they liked to call it now included herself.

Also new to the line was one of the surviving archers. Saethwr still carried his bow and arrows. He had elected to stay with the army most of his comrades had headed home after the battle.

Cot Las was the only member of the traitorous regiment that came from Dyffryn Dwfn to still be with army. When his comrades had turned on the elven army he had taken up his arms and fought them.

There was a member of the Phoniex Gaurd, Coch. This silent soldier who normally made up the king's personnal gaurd had become a member of the squad for reasons she did not understand.

The final member was Gochaf he was one of professional soldiers that had been part of the soldiers under the command of Nghyrnol Wachodlu.

The Union supply column that they had been waiting for had finally arrived. It was guarded by over thirty soldiers marching beside six large covered wagons.

Lancia gave the order to engage, muskets fired bringing down union soldiers. An officer had been brought down by an arrow from Saethwr.

She felt a surge of magical energy and saw a Paladin take command of the soldiers. The Paladin of Tyr were religious knights who fought with magic and swords.

Well this Paladin seemed to be carrying a number of flintlock pistols and a large two handed hammer was strapped to his back.

It was at this time that the Cyffredinol and a handful of his calvary, arrived. The Cyffredinol engaged the Paladin and duel engaged in the middle of the battle.

She could feel the air become heavy with the mystic energies. A protective aura formed around the Paladin. The Paladin swag his mighty hammer at the Cyffredinol.

The Cyffredinol a mighty knight in his own right, blocked the blow with his sabre. The Cyffredinol swung his sabre at Paladin. Who expertly blocked it. It looked like they were both evenly matched.

She decided it was time for her to enter the battle. She somersaulted next to the Paladin and engaged him with her blades.

The Paladins powerful strikes were unable to hit the graceful elf. Her blades dug deep into the side of the Paladin causing a deep wound.

He placed one hand on his side and shouted a prayer to his God. The wound closed over. A smug smile crept onto his face.

It was then that Lancia stepped out the forest and fired his musket at the the Paladin. A normal bullet would not make it through the protective aura that the Paladin had erected around himself.

However Lancia must have used one of the enchanted bullets that Devin had given him. For the bullet smashed through the protective aura and killed the Paladin.

The battle was not quiet over so she jumped onto one of wagons and quickly dispatched it's driver.

She looked into the wagon expecting to see weapons and food supply's for the Union army. However instead were cages with elves and orcs caged within.

Some of these prisoners were in dire need of medical treatment. She went to those that looked the most seriously injured and began to use her healing magic, she chanted a prayer to the Great White Tree. She felt the power rise through her and into the elf.

When she emerged from wagon, the battle was over and all the Union soldiers had all been defeated.

"Cyffredinol these wagons are full of prisoners some of them urgently need medical attention."

She informed the Cyffredinol.

The injured elf who she had used her magical powers to heal. Was now well enough to explain that he had heard that he and they other prisoners were being transported to a goal or dungeon east of here.

Some of the prisoners captured from the battle had already been transported there. The poor elf couldn't give much detail of what to expect there.

They transported the wagons with the injuried elves and orcs that were held in them, back to their main camp.

The Cyffredinol began speaking with his officers, the old elf, Lancia's grandfather stood with them.

She was still tending the injuried,assisted by other blade maiden's who had survived the fighting.

She almost collapsed from over using her healing magic, when Lancia caught her and lifted her out of tent where she had been tending the injuried.

"You need to relax, your exhausted, let's go watch Brydyddoon he is about to play some music."

She could already hear the music, Brydyddoon on his lute, a Hafling drummer and the Satyr on his pipes. They made an odd group but music they played helped everyone relax.

Already a sizable crowd had arrived. Some were even drinking elven wine which had somehow they had brought with them through fighting and battles.

Brydyddoon voice carried out over the camp

"The union soldiers came over the hill,

Down to the valley so bloody;

Our muskets fired and sang,

Till the white woods rang,

And with blood and courage we won the Day.

Ah di doo ah di doo dah day,

Ah di doo ah de da-a-why

The Silver Fox lead his soldiers,

Till the white woods rang,

And he won a battle so bloody.

We left our homes and city gates;

We left out own fond lovers,

We left our family and our homes,

To follow the army all over.

Ah di doo ah di doo dah day,

Ah di doo ah de da-a-why

Our muskets we fired,

Till the white woods rang,

And we won the battle.

He is no normal Cyffredinol,

But lord of these lands over;

With him I'll stay till my dying day,

And follow the Cyffredinol all over.

Ah di doo ah di doo dah day,

Ah di doo ah de da-a-why

Our muskets we fired,

Till the white woods rang

And he won the another battle.

The noise of our muskets came over the hill,

Down to the valley so shady;

They fired and they roared,

Till the white woods rang,

And he won the another battle.

Ah di doo ah di doo dah day,

Ah di doo ah de da-a-why

They fired and they roared,

Till the white woods rang,

And he won another battle."