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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 4695192" data-attributes="member: 143">Chapter 7They did not linger long on the battlefield.  Insects and other carrion-seekers came quickly at the stink of death that blew down into the valley on the evening breeze, and by the time that the companions were ready to leave, there were numerous eyes watching them from the grass.  The ravens were bolder, darting down to seize bits of flesh, worrying them from the wyvern’s corpse with dedicated effort.  Vhael did not leave the soldiers to suffer such a fate.  He’d barely let Gral bandage his wounds before he took up one end of the crude sledge that Gezzelhaupt had put together out of branches and rope, helping the soldier drag the bodies of their fallen from the site of the brief but violent clash.  The eastern soldier and Carzen were the only survivors of the contingent from Fallcrest.  Allon had been unlucky enough to have had his skull cracked by a mule’s hoof as it fled the battlefield, so they put him beside Tomon, Ladren, and Chaffin, who had been slain by the wyvern in the first few seconds of the battle.  Jaron and Beetle had returned to the grassy hill to bring back what was left of El’il, dragging the remains in an extra cloak.  They buried the soldiers in a wooded glade a long bowshot further up the valley.  By then they’d needed torches to see, but Vhael still did not linger.  The mules were gone, likely halfway back to Fallcrest by now, but the warlord had insisted that each of them carry a few supplies in their backpacks, so they had at least enough food for two or three days between them, once they’d collected what could be salvaged from the slain. “We’ll camp up in the shadow of the mountain,” the dragonborn said.  “What?  You mean, we’re not going back?” Carzen exclaimed.  “Our mission has not changed.”“Meaning no disrespect, general, but we just lost half our force, and most of our supplies.  I think that under the circumstances…”“You misunderstand me, lieutenant,” the dragonborn interrupted.  “I was stating a course of action, not inviting comment.”  Shouldering a pack now bulging with twice its original weight of gear, ignoring what had to be a painful jolt from the bandaged wound on his shoulder, the dragonborn moved to the edge of the glade, back in the direction of the trail.  After a moment, Gral moved to follow, and then the halflings, after they shared a brief look between them.  Carzen turned to Gezzelhaupt, but the soldier was already walking after the others.  Vhael didn’t wait to see if everyone was coming; he’d already started back through the trees to where they’d left the trail, his heavy tread crushing dead leaves and fallen branches under his feet.  The halflings moved out to the flanks, scouting the route ahead, and vanished into the undergrowth within ten paces.  Within just a few heartbeats, Carzen was alone in the glade.  The young nobleman glanced back once more at the five fresh graves lying in a neat row in the center of the glade.  Then, his lips twisting back into a snarl, he checked his sword in its scabbard, and strode off to catch up to the others.</blockquote>

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