The Lost Legions- Teutoberg forest

[Banderas]

Decius thought Marcus mad to place his trust in this heathen witch.  Decius had several times witnessed ramifications of employing Cheruscii scouts and guides.  Indeed, it was likely this woman was leading them to an ambush.

Better to die with another Roman fighting at your side than die alone. 
"Bah.  At this point, I care neither for death or life.  I'll follow."

Decius uncorked a flask of water and took a deep gulp, then passed it to Marcus.

He watched fear grow in the eyes of the female savage.  She most likely thought he and Marcus were discussing cutting her heart out, roasting it on a spit, and drinking a toast with her blood.  These Germans were the epitome of ignorance.

He would throw her a surprise.

He cast a stern gaze at the woman, and addressed her in her native Cheruscii: "If you lead us to ambush, black witch, my first act will be to impale you against a tree." For effect, Decius motioned his hand towards his javelin. 

He continued, "I fear not death, but choose life.  If I and the Officer die, know that you will die first.  Do you understand me?"

[TheLegionary]

Lucius saw Gnaeus throwing the standard and using it to kill an enemy. Thank Mars. At least that stupid was doing something besides holding a symbol which would mean nothing  were all the legionnaires dead. After seeing that, the young legionnaire stabbed one Barbarian. The tortuga was gone.

When Lucius turned to his back, he was surprised: Where have all of them gone? The thick fog was making it impossible to see more than 3 metres. Maybe this could help him to save his own life.

[Anthea]

Brunhild gazed from one to the other for she couldn't understand a single word they were saying but the gaze the first one sent her made her feel compassion for he seemed to be exhausted and somewhat desperate. Could he be as scared as she was?
In revenge, she clearly understood that the newcomer wasn’t a kind one and she looked at him with eyes she wanted full of hate.
For the first time she regretted Alaric not to be around. No doubts he would have get rid of him within a heartbeat. She really didn’t like the way he had to look at her.
Her eyes widened when she heard this horrible man talking to her in her own language and jumped back screaming lightly, trying to hide behind the Roman who was holding her hand, blue eyes begging for his protection while the other was threatening her.
Ambush? Gods she would have give anything to lead him to ambush! Alas, there was not and something was telling her it wasn’t the right time to tell him she was as lost as them.  She nodded silently.

[Banderas]

The heathen witch nodded in assent.  She understood Decius warning.  He added as an afterthought, "No treachery from you, and you may go your merry way when the Centurion and I are far and gone from here."  How Decius loathed slaying women, even heathen women.  It was below his station.  He hoped this witch would lead them in the right direction, for all directions looked alike in this thick forest.  If she did, he would happily let her go.  If she did not.... 

What Decius really wanted right now was a hot bath.  He hadn't cleaned himself in almost a week and must have smelled ungodly to these two.  Ah, such were the ways of the Roman Army.  He received the flask back from Marcus, swirled a gulp of water in his mouth, and spat it out.  He smiled and winked at the witch, then faced Marcus.

"Sir, the witch says she will lead us to safety."

[Aiden]

"She is as lost as we are...regain your senses and you will realize that..."
Marcus was talking a moment to calm himself also, despair and fear was what killed soldiers, it was what caused the death of his brothers at the hand of the people the young girl was related to.
"We will follow the trail she left us, but we must make haste for I refuse to spend another night in this forsaken forest with those dogs nipping at out heels...the girl will make for good for trade if we are in need of it."

Snapping into action, he kept his focus on the ground and followed the clues the young girl had left behind through the forest. Over turned twigs, foot prints and any threads that came from her clothing were used as he followed they path she came from. What awaited him was unknown, a village?City a hobble in the woods, he prayed to the gods that it was not the armies that had killed his brothers. His concentration was following the trail he looked back at Decious for a moment.
"Stay on your guard, we are still in the enemies domain..."

[The Dark Raven]

Where was that girl?  Flower picking and traipsing around the wood, playing?  She should know better at her age...there were responsibilities...  Not to mention others to be tended to, not just dreams.  Soon enough she'd find out what it was like to be grown and taking care of her own family.

Brushing her hands on her skirts, she checked on her son, who had fallen asleep at the edge of the pallet she used for a bed.  Lifting him gingerly, she laid the child on the pallet and spared him a gentle look before heading out the door, purpose in her step.  She'd find that girl if it were the death of her...

Slowly, she set out into the forest fringed about her hut, eyes sharp for anything that might lead her toward her sister.  As the canopy grew darker, she slowed, coming upon the two bodies...one bloodied, one not.  Dropping to a crouch, she looked around her as she touched first one body, and then the other.   The bloodied one was cooling...dead.  The other was still warm...alive.  The dead one was dressed like her tribe, and she felt her stomach sink when she saw the man in the dimming light.  It...looked like Eadric.  Setting her jaw, she chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked over both men's effects, for something useful...something the dead would no longer need...but be useful to those left behind.  Unfortunately, there usually wasn't much. 

"Goodbye, my love..." she murmured softly, hardly above a whisper.

[Anthea]

The young girl looked at the roman smiling at her and pressed herself some more against the other one. That man was really disgusting. How could he smile at her as he had just told her he wanted to pin her up on a tree?
She decided she would hate him forever.
She noticed her favourite soldier was focusing on the ferns. What was he doing? Had he lost something?
Her heart suddenly stopped as she realised he was looking to find where she was coming from. The idea comforted her in a way because it meant he would certainly help her to return home but in the meantime, it also meant he would be able to go to the village too. No doubts the other one would follow them and Gods knows what horrible things he would be able to do there.
She decided to push this unpleasant idea aside for the moment. Most important was to leave the forest. She would have plenty of time to think about a way to run away from them later.

[Banderas]

Decius allowed the the Officer Marcus and the heathen to lead the way.  Decius surely had no clue which direction they were heading, but there was no alternative.  The look the heathen had given him warmed him inside.  Oh yes: She hated him.  Good.  These savages had always astonished Decius.  They had no appreciation for Roman civilization.  Instead, they chose to spurn Rome's great gifts so generously offered, and remain wallowing in pits of the lowest depths of barbarity.  To be sure, many of these savages had accepted and co-opted the ways Roman life, some of them even moving into Roman frontier towns.  Decius himself had served in a unit of Cheruscii auxilia as a noncommisioned officer during his previous assignment, learning the basics of their harsh language, and learning how they fought.  But most of these germanics clung to the old ways of drinking blood and howling at animal totems.  He guessed it would always be this way.  So sad.  But there was something romantic about it that he couldn't shake.

He decided to drop back a distance, no more than twenty feet or so, from the two and remove himself from what was now obviously turning into some sort of trail or track.  Instead, he walked parallel to the trail and avoided stepping on branches and twigs.  He made sure he kept Marcus in sight at all times, though.  It would have been unwise for them to be bunched together in a group should they enter an ambush.  He became their shadow.

He experienced a slight rush in pain every so often as he walked, due to the wounds he had received the previous night, but shouldered  on nevertheless.  He frequently glanced over his shoulder or reversed himself to see if they were followed.  Nothing so far, but it was only a matter of time before before he knew he must once again use his sword and javelin.

[Aiden]

As the sun began to set the forest itself became darker, Marcus no longer knew how many hours they had spent trying to make sense of the familiar trunks and occasional clues strewn about. Every muscle in his body was exhausted, his grasp on the girl's wrist has lessened when he realized she was allowing herself to be led away. Night came once more, his eyes looking up from the trees, cursing the gods for blanketing the world in the shroud of impending darkness. How many people had died last night? Personally he was hungry, his thirst rising after they had finished the leather sacks of stale tasting water.

Night came, the hints and clues the young girl had left behind gone in the dark. In the distance ahead a few flickering lights danced wildly, fire! Marcus looked at the girl, his hand clutching her wrist tighter as he signaled to Decius to be on guard. Approaching the lights, the only guide in the endless sea of trunks foliage. Little did Marcus know, they had found Brunhild's village, what awaited for them there was unknown.

[Desan]

His eyes cracked opened. inches away from him was the massive frame of the man he just killed. He laid there in shocked, and it felt like his whole body was made out of stone.

A rustle somewhere.

Gratus tried to roll his eyes in the direction of the noise. Act like I'm dead? Close my eyes? He thought to himself as the noise approached the two bodies. His eyes stared ahead, unblinking for the time being. It was definitely a person, and he could see a slender hand and arm move into his line of site. It was a girl. Softly, she whispered something before she began to move around the dead barbarian and prod the body. He was definitely dead. Gratus blinked quickly, hoping the girl did not see it nor the small curve on the edge of his lips. His first kill! But what now? His body was still trying to recover, and if that lady got closer to him...she would definitely notice that he was still alive.

[The Dark Raven]

Basina sighed softly as she turned away from the hulking form of her dead husband and turned toward the second body.  Prodding the second body gently with her toe, she knelt next to the man, moving him this way and that, hesitantly.

Was he...smiling?  That gave her pause.  Gods, but he was scarcely more than a boy.  Kneeling next to the boy, she thought he couldn't be any harm, she kept an eye for any movement, but started to check his belongings as well, with an expert hand at it.  This was how they lived, some days...and the soldiers didn't stop coming, so it was always a need to find new supplies.