Interlude -- Caelin Castle
Lyn has assured me that my mistake in the name of speed was an even trade; either way someone would have died. Leila has no formal medical training, and if we'd been any slower in liberating the castle Marquess Hausen would no longer be with us.
Nevertheless, I am more determined than ever not to lose a single member of our party.
Now that we have a chance to catch our breath, I'll be determining who to take with us in our pursuit of Lord Darin. His army is decimated, scattered and disorganized; we shouldn't need many.
Those I'm leaving behind:
- Dorcas — He served well as my bodyguard, but with the additional payment from Lord Eliwood, he and Natalie should live a comfortable life in Pherae. I wish them peace.
- Kent, Sain, Wil — House Caelin lost many good men these last few days. I would not deprive them of any more.
- Lowen, Rebecca — Fresh recruits. Great potential, but still too raw for such a dangerous quest. Eliwood is sending them back to Pherae now that we have more options.
- Raven, Lucius, Priscilla — Upon being informed by the captain of the guard of Raven's "hatred for Ostia", I determined not to bring him. I regret this—he seems to be an excellent mercenary—but I cannot risk any division or hesitation in our band. Curiously, both Lucius and Priscilla vouched for his honor, and decided to travel with him wherever he next goes.
- Erk — Relatedly, Erk, still under contract to escort Priscilla, has left us. I suspect perhaps he has more than a business interest. ;)
Our remaining troupe:
- Hector, Serra, Oswin, Matthew — Although they bicker, the Ostians are a tight-knit and friendly group. I'll be happy for their help. Hector is, as one of the Caelin soldiers described him, a "whirling vortex of doom". Oswin is an immovable Stone Wall and a moderating influence on Hector, while Serra and Matthew have useful non-combat utility.
- Eliwood, Marcus, Bartre — Eliwood has no great love for war, and though Marcus will never admit it, these last several battles he has shown his age. I'll be keeping them off the field, but they are the sponsors of our expedition, after all. Bartre, on the other hand, loves fighting as much as Hector—although he plays the fool a bit too well. If I keep an eye on him he'll be a great asset.
- Guy — I hesitate to bring the young swordsman for the same reason as Rebecca and Lowen, but he has nowhere else to go. Matthew has taken the responsibility of instructing him, and like every Sacaen I've met, he has great skill in his chosen field of combat.
- Florina — She's grown up a lot, but after her brush with death recently, I'd still prefer to keep her safe. She'll make an invaluable scout, however.
- Lyn — I don't think I could stop Lyn from going if I wanted to. Her skills have waned a bit from a year's peace, but she'll catch up in no time. And to be honest, I don't mind having a Hot Chick with a Sword around. Unfortunately I can already see the sparks flying between her and Hector.
