“Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.”

Confucius

They had marched until the late afternoon and then, having an army camp to set up, they stopped. All around bustling with activity, Mireille was wandering about and did her best to stay out of it. “Hey you, yes you. Come and grab this tentpole with me.” Having failed at her self-set task, she sighed and went towards the three soldiers wrestling with the pole.

“Have you heard the joke? How many andrian Soldiers does it take to erect a tent-pole.” She ducked underneath a half-hearted swing in her direction. “If you don’t appreciate me I will be going!”

“Don't you dare.”

Having set the pole they introduced themselves.

“Tirus”

“Alvarm”

“Joshua.”

“I am Mireille.”

The three had the same darker skin and dark-brown hair as most people from the sunny south of Rivernlorn, the province Andria. Sometime in the past, should be around two hundred years, it was called the Andrian Republic of Free Men, having split in a great slave-rebellion from the greater realm of Sur Kesh still further south. There men had mingled with snake folk, a cold-blooded people trading mostly in living merchandise, because the land was largely part rocky desert or great disease-ridden swamps and marshes, save for the lifeline of the River Aravand-rud strung along which were the great towns of the region with the temple City of Ark Vendrad at the center.

After disastrous clashes with the armies of the Sur Kesh, Andria joined the confederacy giving up a bit of freedom for the aid of the much stronger armies of Rivenlorn. Aiding them in turn with the rich bounty of their fertile fields. Nowadays there was an uneasy truce, the south needing the food now brought in trade, and the north having other things to do than quarrel over mere ethical reasons

Populous as the region was, it gave its tithe of soldiers and more. “You are a Signed arent you? What are you doing with us riff-raff.” joked the smaller-framed Alvarm.

“Just wanted to have a good laugh at your misfortune.”

Joshua, a big man, looked a bit angry at that.

“Sorry, I was only joking. I wanted to avoid some unpleasant company back at the tents. We got all those the higher-ups wanted to get rid of.”

“Including you?” Joshua asked half-seriously.

“Most assuredly,” grinned Mireille. “Do you know our planned route?” she asked Alvarm who looked as if he was more familiar with gossip.

“Yes, it was mentioned that we will be going through Firswending, picking up a new share of soldiers and weapons, then probably the mountain road with Windkeep fortress as the final destination."

Windkeep was the biggest and most geographically advanced fortress the Confederacy still held. Before Ulsolm turned its attentions towards the southern regions, the borders extended a lot farther north and there were several big castles and a fortress town, now long since fallen to the enemy and most to ruin.

“We will also cross the river Tey there, the only bridge for days,” Alvarm concluded.

“You are light infantry?”

“Yes the third Riverwatch Irregulars, at your service. We had been escorting a Cleric of Cornac..”

he paused and Tirus who had been silent until now continued “..and then we were volunteered for this glorious adventure. As our Leutnant called it.” He looked disgruntled.

“Nice meeting you, but I fear I have to get back to my unit. I will be in enough trouble because of my wandering as it is.”

“Here have a piece of bread to tide you if they withhold your food. It would be predictable enough.” Alvarm smiled and handed her a bit of dry trail bread.

“Thanks for that! And have a nice evening.”

As she got back, the old sergeant in charge of her squad cornered her. “What were you thinking. This is the first day and you are absent without leave on roll call. Are you trying to get in trouble?”

“I did not know it would be such a big deal, I simply wanted to have a look around the camp.”

“And you getting into trouble with Alfred and Tom has got nothing to do with it?”

“They were harassing me and Clarissa.”

“Mostly her I wager. Little hero.” He sighed. “You will take last watch for the next week.”

“But!”

“No buts, ifs, or whens.”

As she came to the camp of the Signed, marked by the lazily flapping banner on a long wooden pole. She felt the malicious stares of the Carpenter boys on her. Snorting she went towards the women's tent. She and three others were housed there. Most of the other female Signed having been sent to the Starnborough Citadel on the border to Margrinar.

The corporal, Anjenne Locke looked up at her return and said “what did he give you- let me guess you were assigned to the night-watch?” Mireille nodded dejectedly. As she tried to enter the tent Anjenne shoved a bowl with some unidentifiable stew into her hands “it's lukewarm still, eat up.” And as she raised her head, much softer “thanks for looking out for her.”

Earlier in the evening.

Mireille had just helped set up the women's tent and then looked to escape further – in her opinion- unnecessary work as she stumbled upon three people a ways behind the mess tent. Clarissa was a mousy-looking brunette with short hair and an impressive figure – at least to Mireille, who was a bit envious. She was at the moment cornered by the Carpenter brothers, Alfred held her arm while Tom tried to get her to drink from an earthen jug.

“Drink up, you are too uptight, that will help loosen you up.” He guffawed.

“Please, let me go, I don’t want anything from you.”

“Just what I mean, come on, we are only trying to be friendly here.” Alfred tightened his grip eliciting a wince.

Mireille had had enough. “If you have more stale pick-up lines try them in a brothel. No self-respecting woman would listen to that drivel without being paid for it.” She looked at Alfred's hand on Clarissa's arm, “by Nirileth, you even have to restrain her for her to listen. Morons.”

Tom turned angrily. “Keep out of it carrot-top. You will get yours when we are finished here.”

“That's an all-time original, never heard that one before.” She slowly sauntered over. “Big bad boy like you.” Her voice turned flirtatious channeling her inner Challon. Alfred looked surprised and vaguely turned on. Mireille was quite pretty in a fox-like way if she wanted to.

“Eralasselyanthinar”

“What did you sayy…...urgh.” Lightning surging through her limbs Mireille gave a quick kick towards both boys' vulnerable nether regions, and while they were groaning in pain grabbed Clarissa in a princess carry and ran away. “What in the world….” the grabbed girl gasped while blushing furiously. Rounding the mess tent she set her down amidst the crowd winked and vanished, leaving the angry bellows of the two angry young men behind.

Clarissa was a water user and only had an ability with healing and cleansing spells. It was truly unfair for those two stoneheads, as she called the earth-ability users in the privacy of her mind, to bully her. And she was a nice one, had even given her a cookie yesterday.

So with the bribe fresh in her mind how could she leave her be in such a situation. Gasping from coming down from the lightning-induced high she progressed to part B of her plan of work avoidance.

Back to the present.

“Thank you.” Clarissa shyly smiled at Mireille. The latter looked quite embarrassed. “You gave me this delicious cookie, we are quits.” Another stocky, blond woman sharing the tent named Margaret interjected “you, my dear, are an idiot. But you did the right thing there. Let us try and stay together in the future. Then we can better protect each other.” She was a very proficient fire user in spite of her more ponderous temperament having the use of a fire-wall, fire ball, and the ubiquitous fire bolt spell.

And amidst such camaraderie, the night went very well with Mireille receiving another cookie to her great delight but sadly ending early with the late watch. And while Mireille stood shivering in the grey light of dawn she thought “still worth it.”