Farie Shalerin was lost in thought as he rode the last few leagues to the camp where his father and the delegation of Linden would be. Farie tried to not think of how that meeting would have gone. Privy to knowing of the alliance before it's general announcement Farie had had a lot of time to think about the advantages this would bring a view he knew was wholly unpopular. This was one of the reasons Farie had let his thoughts wander back to when he'd left the city... To Elisia...<br/><br/>Farie sat atop his horse as he looked down at the little demure figure of his fiancee, the female Elisia his mother had chosen for him to marry, as she held her hand against his leg. He leaned down and captured a light kiss from her before she stepped back. He gave her a gentle smile as his mother's arm snaked around her light figure clad in a flowing violet dress. He said very softly.<span style="color: #FF8080">"I will see you when this is over,"</span>he said and turned the black stallion to face the gate to their large manse. It was a show of wealth and power of course, Farie enjoyed the attention that this home got. Farie loved the attention he received. He liked to be the center of attention. It was about the only thing he had in common with other royals outside of the fact that he liked to dress richly and enjoyed the pleasures that came with richness.<br/><br/>He was dressed for war today. His rich dark red suit covered with his armour shining and inlaid with gold trim marking him for what he was, one born of the upper crust. His hair was bound at the nape of his neck by a thin band of black leather. His long white cloak lined with feathers at the neck was clasped with an intricate broach holding the coat of arms of his house. His sword a large broad sword designed more for war then for it's looks was strapped to his hip in it's scabbard. It was clear that even immaculately dressed, properly groomed and clean he was a warrior, even if he hated war. Even if the bloodshed and the chaos of the battlefield made is stomach knot.<br/><br/>Farie could still remember his first battlefield. The corpses lying everywhere in rivers of blood soaking into the muddy soil underfoot. The smells of war that permitted every inch of space. The carrion birds that coated the field with black swarms. He shook his head to push those thoughts away, he didn't want to remember that as he made his way out of the city to the nearby field where his men had gathered. His men. It was such a strange thought that at 27 he now found himself commanding a unit of man. He shouldn't be surprised after all his father was one of the Lords. Already present at the council. He wasn't overly surprised when he'd received the missive to bring a contingency of military force with him when he arrived. So here he was a day later facing for the first time a group of man, the same man who'd fought along side him and his father in many a scrapes in the past when Farie was finally old enough to go with his father. They knew him, not as their leader, but as one of their own. He wondered how that would change now that he was to lead them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #FF8080">"We ride this day to join the army, to lend our sword and our skills, to join with our brothers and to stand strong against an enemy that poses a threat to all of our way of life. I will ask you to test your courage and some of you might well lose your lives the coming days, but know that all of Lebidan will remember your sacrifice and songs will praise your courage and valour! We ride to war!"</span>Farie said the words simply flowing from his tongue. He hadn't known what to say to these man whom he knew he might well ask to die in the next days or months of this campaign. Yet here he was speaking words he'd heard his father use a thousand time and finally understanding the true weight of them. The sacrifice he was asking for. As he gazed at them he understood this now, some of these man he knew had wives and children, some lovers, some would soon be fathers. A darkness descended on him as the cheering subsided and they fell into formation around him. The thundering of hooves as they headed to the roads resounding in his ears like his own heartbeat from the earth...<br/><br/>Farie shook his head as he came out of his thoughts. He realized a young man had ridden up beside him. One of the scouts he'd sent ahead to check the roads and identify the location of the camp had been speaking to him and he'd not heard a word the young lad had said.<br/><br/><span style="color: #ff8080">"Forgive me, I didn't catch that?"</span>Farie said to the man, whose name he barely knew. He'd have to rectify that. His own thoughts, those he'd had when leaving and again just now reinforced the necessity that he know these man. Especially if he was to lead them into battle. He owed them that much at the very least. For sure he knew the older man of the unit those who'd been under his father when Farie was a lad.<br/><br/>"The camp is a few ticks to the east my lord," the man said and Farie nodded his understanding thanking him. He would find out soon how the alliance had fallen over. Yet even as the man joined the formation once more Farie took a moment to allow his thoughts to wander to the alliance itself. He, like most Lebidans, didn't particularly like the Lindens. However, Farie wasn't like most royals in that he didn't only think of himself, he was selfless when it came to the people. Farie knew the advantages of the alliance. They faced an enemy that Lebidan hadn't yet clashed swords with, they had not the experience against this foe that the Lindens did. Their knowledge could save lives. Bolster their forces with experienced man... and women he guess since Lindens allowed their woman to go to war how weird... Those that held the experience would share that knowledge with those who didn't so long as they were not complete imbeciles. The tactical advantage of this could turn the tide of the battle in one fowl sweep. However, to Farie it was more then merely tactical advantage, this was war.<br/><br/>Even if the Lindens were different from them they were still mortals. All mortals where threatened by this threat and must therefore unite. The squabbling of mortal kingdoms didn't matter when the extinction of a whole way of life was on the line. Differences could be set aside, had to be point of fact. They needed to unify, they needed to stand together. For unity in the face of adversity was mortalkins greatest weapon when faced with such a powerful enemy.<br/><br/>WIth these dark thoughts Farie found himself on a slight rise just above the camp. Everywhere he looked he saw tents and man and woman and youths going about their works spread out before his gaze. He slowed his stallion stopping just at the very edges of the small rise overlooking the camp. The column of man behind him formed up around him as they regarded the camp. Farie let his gaze assess what he saw before him. To judge the atmosphere he was walking into. He could see the camp was spread out easily. He could see the congregation of individuals as they mingled about camp. He saw immediately that there seemed a clear divide between the Lebidan side of the camp and the Linden side of the camp. This made him frown deeply, Farie didn't like to see this divide, it meant that things were not going as smoothly as he would have hoped. He knew his views on the matter where quite unpopular, but he had not thought they would be this unpopular. Then again what did he expect? That countless years of animosity towards one another would simply vanish in the wake of disaster. Damnation they were in for a rough ride on this one.<br/><br/>Farie didn't expect the tension that seemed to permeate the camp and drive itself home into the very marrow of his bones. He was no fool of the arrogance of his people. He shared a large dose of it too, but his father had showed him war, showed to him the true horror. If only once, it had been more then enough for Farie and it was no where near the war that awaited them. Could no other see the need to unite? Could they not sense the threat that this enemy posed to all mortalkind? Could they simply not grasp this concept? Unity was the only way to win. He turned then to his man, his saw their eyes on him. Less then a few feet from camp and within easy sight of the layout on the slight ridge he regarded them as they watched him. He knew his next words would be the most challenging of orders he could give them.<br/><br/><span style="color: #ff8080">"Unity is key to winning this war, I want every single one of you to treat any Lindens you meet as though they were Lebidans. I realize this isn't popular you think me crazy, but they have seen the enemy we have yet to see, they have fought this enemy and lost it all, if we do not learn from their mistakes we too will loose everything. So I will not order you to follow my commands on this, but I beg of you, realize that all mortalkind is at risk here and rise above our petty grievances with one another. Lead by example and more will follow our lead,"</span>As he had figured the moment he began to speak Farie noticed the change in his mans demeanour their looks soured and though did not dare to directly defy him or call him out, he could see he had lost ground with them this day. He hated that, hated that he was making himself a target of unpopularity, he enjoyed the popularity quite dearly and this ate at him deeply, rising his anger to the fore. It took all his will not to lash out at the injustice of it all. Yet he couldn't. He sighed heavily and turned from their condemning stares knowing that a few would see the logic of his words, while the youngest of them most likely wouldn't and though most would follow his words and commands some would defy him.<br/><br/>With that he descended the rise and entered the camp itself.