Jamie Davis's Blog, page 15

Strong Nurse Characters Are Few and Far Between

When writing The Paramedic’s Angel and, to some extent, Extreme Medical Services before it, I always knew I wanted a strong character to represent nurses in the books. I also wanted to have the nurse be some sort of Unusual, a creature of myth or legend. The question was what kind of Unusual should she be.

As a nurse myself, I am hyper-aware of how nurses are represented in mainstream media. Often the nurses are peripheral characters to doctors in a storyline. If a nurse is the main character, he or she is represented as a caricature of nursing, projecting nurses as deeply flawed or as people who couldn’t cut it in medical school. I wanted the primary nursing character in the Extreme Medical Services series to be a strong, stand-alone character who represented the true themes and history of nursing.

Then it hit me, and I created the Unusuals called the Eldara. While the Eldara are a creation of mine, they are representative of the divine messengers who are present in all myths and cultures. The Eldara are the messengers and representatives of the gods on earth, they are the angels, the valkyries, and the kitsune seen in many cultures. Sometimes they are warriors, sometimes messengers, and sometimes change agents. Ashley Moore is an Eldara Sister, a small group of these divine messengers who are healers travelling the earth to help humans take care of each other. In other words, she’s both an Angel and a Nurse in every sense of the word.

You can read more about Ashley in all of the Extreme Medical Services books, from the prequel The Vampire and the Paramedic, to the first book Extreme Medical Services. She really shines and comes into her own in The Paramedic’s Angel where she becomes paramedic Dean Flynn’s companion and guide through the adventure in which he has found himself. Check out the links below to find all the books and learn more about Ashley Moore for yourself!

Amazon Kindle

iBooks

Kobo eReader and App

Nook eReader

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Get The Paramedic’s Angel Now – It’s a Great Read!

My latest book in the Extreme Medical Services paranormal EMS series is out now as both a print and ebook. Get The Paramedic’s Angel wherever you buy books and ebooks.

Amazon Kindle

iBooks

Kobo eReader and App

Nook eReader

If you’ve read the book already, great! Leave a review at the link above where you bought it!

The post Get The Paramedic’s Angel Now – It’s a Great Read! appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Extreme Medical Services: Which Book to Read First?

Prequel Novella

I get a lot of questions on which order to read the first two works in the Extreme Medical Services series. I don’t think it matters which books you read first.

The prequel novella (short novel) “The Vampire and the Paramedic” comes first chronologically in the story line. It’s the story of paramedic Brynne Garvey and how she meets and eventually enters a relationship with the vampire James Lee.

ExMS Book 1

The novel “Extreme Medical Services” was the first book I wrote in the series and follows the story of new paramedic Dean Flynn as he enters the work of the Station U paramedics caring for the Unusual patients they serve, the creatures of our myths and legends. Brynne Garvey is his supervisor and eventually becomes his mentor.

My wife has an opinion on this, and I almost always follow her advice. She’s my beta reader and helps me shape the stories. She says you should read the first two books in the order that I wrote them. In other words, read “Extreme Medical Services” first, and read “The Vampire and the Paramedic” second.

The Paramedic’s Angel out Feb 25th

Out Feb 25

Of course, then you’ll want to get the next book in the series, “The Paramedic’s Angel” which continues Dean’s story and follows the entry of the angel and ER Nurse Ashley Moore into his life.

If you have your own opinion, feel free to share it with me and maybe we can pass it on to the rest of the audience. Leave a comment below on which you think should be read first!

The post Extreme Medical Services: Which Book to Read First? appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

The Paramedic’s Angel Available for Pre-Order

My latest book in the Extreme Medical Services paranormal EMS series is out for pre-order as an ebook, The Paramedic’s Angel.

Amazon Kindle

iBooks

Kobo eReader and App

Nook eReader

Book comes out as physical book and released as an ebook on Feb 25 to coincide with the EMS Today conference in Baltimore.

The post The Paramedic’s Angel Available for Pre-Order appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Paramedic’s Angel Cover Reveal (Finally!)

This is one of those “finally” moments. You know, like you’re finally done! I’ll finally be able to read the new Extreme Medical Services book. Or even, you’re finally posting another blog post here after over two months!

Well, I hope this is worth the wait. The cover of the new book, “The Paramedic’s Angel” (formerly titled with the working title “Paramedic’s Folly”) is now out. I worked with Christian at CoversByChristian.com and he came up with the perfect design for the book.

The book itself will be out for preorder wherever ebooks are sold by the end of this week. Look for it where you shop normally (Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, Nook, Smashwords). The official release date is February 25th, the first day of EMS Today in Baltimore. If you are in the area, look me up on Twitter (@podmedic) and maybe we can connect for a drink while I’m in town.

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Editing Extreme Medical Services: Paramedic’s Folly

Here’s an update for everyone out there waiting for the next novel to drop in the Extreme Medical Services series. I’m working with my editor, Sam Bradley, and my primary beta reader, my wife, to finalize the rewrite and edits for the second book in the ExMS series. It’s called Paramedic’s Folly.

Paramedic’s Folly continues the story of Dean Flynn and his preceptor, Brynne Garvey as they deal with the increasing attacks on their patients, the Unusuals. The Unusuals are the creatures of myth and legend living right alongside the rest of us. The paramedics of Station U are detailed to handle medical emergencies for these patients who used to slip through the cracks of the medical system.

Dean works on his conflicts as a new paramedic and with the realization that the world is not what he thought it was. He’ll gain new friends to help him along the path including Ashley Moore, an Eldara Sister (an actual angel). Ashley arrives to help guide him as she realizes that Dean is central to a looming confrontation between Unusuals and the rest of the human population of Elk city.

Can paramedic Dean Flynn and the rest of the Station U team get the job done and save the day? Stay tuned for this, the second installment in the Extreme Medical Services story, as we continue to learn about what goes on in the shadowy underworld of Elk City.

Paramedic’s Folly is scheduled for release in late December 2015. Check out the other ExMS novels at ExtremeMedicalServices.com or search for Jamie Davis in Amazon to find them over there.

The post Editing Extreme Medical Services: Paramedic’s Folly appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Chapter 19 – Cori And The Legion of Solon Start The Hunt

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

Start with Chapter 1 here.

Chapter 19

At dawn the next day, the entire Legion of Solon was assembled on the road north. Lord Logan and Wolf Company led the column, followed by Stag, Hawk, and Panther companies. Cori looked around and shifted her pack to settle the straps to a more comfortable position on her shoulders. They were carrying a lot more supplies than they normally would. Every Legionnaire was carrying three quivers of arrows, a full pack with dry rations for up to four days plus their other weapons, extra clothing and blanket rolls. Their tents were left in camp where they would be packed in wagons in wait for their return.

Cori saw the beaming pride on the faces of the new recruits Deanna and Leah. Leah looked down at the embroidered crown on the breast of her leather and mail jerkin and her finger absently traced the Stag on the clasp pin holding her cloak around her neck. It was strange how she remembered that same exuberance and excitement, the expectation of something big. It all seemed so long ago even though it had just been a few months of time. She didn’t feel the same way now that she was marching back northward. Cori felt different, and as she thought about it, it was with a grim determination to do a difficult task. She had seen death and dying. She had seen comrades injured and killed. She had known fear in ways she had never expected. Yet here she was marching back into battle, back to face that fear and make it back down. It wasn’t the fear of pain and death, at least not entirely. The greatest fear she had was that she would not live up to the expectations of her companions. She wanted to assure that when they needed her, she was going to be there, fighting alongside them, and watching out for their blind spots in the wild randomness of melee.

She wondered if others in the column marching north felt the same. Most of them had seen battle just as she had. Were they as afraid of failure as she was? Even Sergeant Neal, Uncle Vernon, had shown he felt fear. She had seen the relief in his eyes after that first chaotic battle on the road, seeing that she was safe and unscathed. His fear was that he wouldn’t bring her home from this war safely. She knew the promises he must have made to her father and mother before he left them to join the Legion. Those were promises that all of them knew were impossible to keep. A single blind chance of fate could break that oath for him. Cori knew that was his greatest fear.

Cori pondered this, and more, as the last of the Legionnaires cleared the picket lines of the main camp. As soon as they did so, sergeants called out orders along the line of marching troops and scouts from each company jogged out to cover the flanks of the column as well as spreading out to the front and rear. The Legion marched northward with a quest to rescue the royal family of Verona. Every one of them knew that it was considered an impossible task, and each of them knew that they would find a way to accomplish it. This wasn’t a Legion on the March anymore. This was a Legion on the Hunt.

—-

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

The post Chapter 19 – Cori And The Legion of Solon Start The Hunt appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Chapter 18 – Cori and The Legion Prepare For A Mission

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

Start with Chapter 1 here.

Chapter 18

The next several days were a whirlwind of activity, and most of the Legionnaires had a sense that something big was happening. Arrows and other supplies were pouring into their section of the encampment, and they were stockpiling those supplies into wagons for each company. No one knew what the hustle and bustle were all about. Each company was brought back up to full strength with new recruits, mostly from the northern refugees they had helped rescue. The Legion had lost about ten percent of their number to deaths and injuries that couldn’t be quickly healed by the monks who traveled with them. The new people were all hardy frontier folk much like most of them were, so they fit right in except for their accents and the different cut of their clothes. A supply wagon arrived with new armored leather jerkins like the others worn by the rest of the Legion. Now the new recruits would look the part as well.

There were also drills and training to bring the recruits up to speed with their methods and tactics. Each was required to memorize the standing orders of the Legion of Solon and to internalize the reasons for those orders. The Legionnaire was expected to know the mission of their company and to continue to fight to accomplish it even if their leadership was dead or unavailable to take the initiative themselves. Cori found herself with a few new female recruits to integrate into the second platoon.

Deanna Falk and Leah Grogan were both former farm girls from the northern mountains of Veron. They had been forced from their farms by the Imperial raiders, and they both had a strong hatred for the Empire and its soldiers. Deanna, in particular, was virulent in her hatred of them. She spit on the ground and uttered a curse anytime anyone mentioned the Empire. Both women were in their late teens, and both had extensive hunting experience that made the familiarization with Legion tactics easier. They didn’t like the ideas of scouting and not just killing the enemy whenever they encountered them. Cori and others in the second platoon of Stag Company found themselves having to explain that there were sometimes reasons not to kill Imperial soldiers on sight. Sometimes they could be questioned for knowledge they had. Sometimes they had to be left alive so that they could be followed back to their camp and that information could be relayed back to larger battle groups in the army so they could attack later on. Cori wasn’t sure they both bought into the idea, but they seemed willing to follow orders and Sergeant Neale said they’d keep them on a short leash in the near term until he could figure out if they’d follow orders or not.

On the fifth day back in camp, Lord Logan called a legion muster for that evening to talk with them as a group. After the supper meal, the whole Legion gathered around in front of their commander’s tent, organized by company, and waited for him to emerge and tell them what all the preparations were for. They didn’t have to wait very long. Cori saw Logan emerge from his tent followed by her brother Rad and Prince Welby of Rhodes. At the sight of the Prince, a cheer went up, and he waved to accept the accolades. The cheers settled down when Logan raised his hand for quiet.

“I know you all have been wondering about the preparations of the last few days,” Logan began. “I’ll get to that in just a moment, but Prince Welby wanted to say a few words to you first.” He stepped to one side and Prince Welby stepped up to renewed cheers from the assembled Legionnaires.

“Most of you know who I am and some of you I have even met on one occasion or another,” the Prince said. “I wanted to take a moment to tell you how proud I am of the way you all have acquitted yourselves so far in this conflict. I have sent several dispatches to my sister, your benefactor and future queen, Princess Alvina. She sent back this message that I received by courier today.” He pulled out a paper from his doublet and read it to the assembled soldiers in a loud, clear voice.

“‘My bold and brave Legionnaires, I receive word every day of your exploits on the battle lines and have learned of the many exciting deeds done in the service of the Kingdom. Know that I am with you all in spirit and will expect nothing short of the valor you have already been so ready to display on the battlefield. I know you have experienced loss, and I grieve with you for your fallen comrades, but I also know that they died defending the weak and doing what was right in this horrible conflict. My continued prayers go with you as you embark on your next endeavor in the name of the Princess’ Own Legion of Solon!’”

Prince Welby folded the letter and put it back in his doublet to the renewed cheers from the assembled troops, and turned to Logan, who stepped forward and silenced the cheering again with a raised hand.

“Legionnaires, we have learned some dire news recently regarding the disposition of the Royal Family of Verona. We learned of their flight from the capital after its fall from two noblemen rescued by members of Stag Company.” Cori looked at Shelby, and several of the platoon members around them clapped the two of them on the shoulder. They looked up as Logan continued.

“This information had the leadership of the army scrambling for more information and to simultaneously prepare for a large assault westward from the Imperial forces who were now freed from the siege of the capital city. Word had come in a few days ago that the Royal Family may have been captured by Imperial Forces in the mountains to the north of Veron. We are not sure of this information, but either way, a rescue of some sort is in order, and that rescue has fallen to us.” Logan paused and looked around at the assembled Legionnaires. “We have been given this job for two reasons. First, and foremost, we have the capability to infiltrate the enemy lines and operate on our own without assistance behind the lines of communication and battle. Second, we are seen as non-vital and expendable for this risky operation.”

There was grumbling around the troops at this last. Logan let if proceed for a moment while he paused. Eventually, he raised his hand for silence and the assembly quieted down.

“I tell you this not to make you angry at our leadership. Prince Welby and Princess Alvina have nothing but the greatest admiration for you and your capabilities. This is an opportunity for us, the entire Legion of Solon, to show the regular army leadership what we can do when given an impossible task. We will be heading north in the morning, then cut eastward, striking around and behind the enemy. Our goal is to locate the Veronan Royal Family, free them from captivity if needed and to bring them out from behind the enemy lines to safety. When we find them, we will follow our standing orders and not return the way we came. Instead, we will take the Royals north and west until we reach the shores of Lake Eron on the border with Padon. Once there, we will find the cached supplies we have been preparing and a relief force to assist us. That relief force will be commanded by Prince Welby and led by the Rhodian Royal Heavy Horse cavalry troops, among others.”

Logan looked around the faces of the troops, and Cori saw much of her father in him as he stood there addressing the Legion.  He continued. “This will be dangerous, and it is important that all of you know the reason why we do what we are doing and how we plan on doing it. If just one Legionnaire remains to fulfill that assignment, I’ll expect you to do complete it. The honor of the Legion, your Princess, and your Kingdom depend upon it.” Another cheer went up at this last statement, and Logan waited for the cheers to die down. “Go back to your places in the camp and prepare Legionnaires. We leave at first light. Godspeed.”

Cori watched as Logan, Rad, and the Prince went back into the tent and then followed her platoon mates back to their place in the camp. They sat in small groups and made their preparations. She sensed the excitement in the new recruits to be on such a mission. Most of them were Veronans, and she knew that they were excited to find their lost King, Queen and the rest of the Royal family. She walked over to Deanna and Leah were sitting with Kat, who was going over what to take in their packs for the journey. Kat’s broken arm was finally healed thanks to the acceleration of the healing spells from Brother Jerald. It was good to see her out of her sling. Several of the more severely injured Legionnaires were going to be left in camp because they still hadn’t healed fully of their wounds. Cori was glad that Katina was healed up. She was a fierce fighter and had bonded with the two new female recruits that would help them integrate into the platoon. Geb had taken the other recruit, Enrique under his wing so that each new recruit had someone in the platoon to watch over them.

Declan came over and sat down next to her. “How’s that nick in your tomahawk blade? Do you need me to take a look at it for you?” He asked.

Cori looked at him and suddenly laughed out loud. Declan blushed and turned to get up and leave, but she laid a hand on his arm and pulled him gently back down. “I’m sorry, Declan. I suppose that I shouldn’t have laughed, but that is possibly the first time in history that a tomahawk has been used to pick up a girl.” Cori looked into the other Legionnaires face, still red with embarrassment. “That is what you were doing, wasn’t it?”

“I guess I don’t know how it’s done among nobles like yourself,” Declan said.

“Oh, and how do you think we do it, exactly?” She asked.

“I didn’t mean that. I mean, I know that you do it the same way we all do.” Cori raised an eyebrow at the last bit and was rewarded with an even deeper blush from the apprentice blacksmith.

Cori took control of the situation that was getting out of hand. She didn’t want him to leave. Kat was right. He was cute, and he seemed to like her. She shouldn’t sit here and scare him away. She leaned over and kissed him. She hoped she was doing it right. She had never done it before except to her parents, and that wasn’t the same thing at all. Declan stopped his spluttering and placed a hand on her cheek before leaning in himself and returning the kiss. It was even nicer the second time, she decided. She was getting into the second kiss when a voice behind them cut the mood with a single word.

“Enough!” Sergeant Neale said.

The two pulled apart and looked back at him. Now it was Cori’s turn to blush. Uncle Vernon had a half smile on his face, but she couldn’t be sure how he’d react in this situation. He had never stopped Kat from her adventures with half the men in the company or Lissa and her dalliances with some of the women.

“I think you two need a night on guard duty to settle yourselves down a bit,” the Sergeant said. “Declan, take the first shift of guard over the company’s supply wagons. When the mid shift is sounded, you can wake your little lovebird here so she can take her turn. Understand?”

“Uh, yes Sergeant,” Declan said as he stood and almost sprinted away from them. Cori and Sergeant Neale were left alone.

“Uncle Vernon, did you have to do that?” Cori asked, using the familiar name for the first time in a long time.

“Lass, you and the boy will have time enough for that youthful nonsense,” the old soldier said. “But you need to be a Legionnaire now, and you’ll not get yourself in any kind of boy trouble while on my watch. Your brothers would all have my hide. Now off to bed with you. You have guard duty later tonight. I’m sure you can steal a kiss from your new beau when he comes to wake you for your turn on guard.”

—-

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

The post Chapter 18 – Cori and The Legion Prepare For A Mission appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Chapter 17 — Cori and Shelby Escape Pursuit

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

Start with Chapter 1 here.

Chapter 17

Cori and Shelby escorted their charges through the forest to the west. The Legionnaires knew that if they continued west they would reach the road on which the rest of their company were camped. The challenge they faced was keeping the two noblemen from bickering like two fishmongers about every aspect of the journey. Cori rolled her eyes as they argued about who should hold brambles out of the way for the other to pass without getting scratched. If her father had heard one of his vassal noblemen acting in such a manner, he’d have taken them out to the practice green and drum some sense into them with practice swords. She knew he had little patience with such behavior.

She was also concerned about keeping them safe from any enemies who might hear them arguing in the forest as they walked. Cori and Shelby took turns walking with the men while the other Legionnaire scouted to the rear of their track, watching for signs of pursuit. They reached the road in the late afternoon, as the sun was sinking into the west.

Count Deran stood on the road, looked north and then south. Then he turned to Cori. “Where is your army? You said you were leading us to the rest of your company.”

“We are going to meet up with our company, but first we had to strike west to this road,” Cori explained. “Now we can travel south until we reach their campground.”

Shelby, who was trailing their march at this time, exited the forest and said, “You should be glad, My Lord. The travel will be much easier than the trek through the forest.”

“I do not need two young girls to tell me the difference between a road and the forest,” Count Deran said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. “Come, Lord Aleran, let us lead to this supposed camp to the south.” The two bedraggled noblemen turned and set off to the north along the road.

Shelby looked at Cori, exasperation showing on her face. Cori shrugged and then called out after the two men. “Is there a message you’d like me to impart to my commander to the south?” She asked. “We will make sure to report it to him once we reach them along the south road.”

The Veronans stopped their trudging march north and turned to each other. Cori could not hear what they were saying. They turned around and started back down towards the two legionnaires.

As they passed Cori and Shelby, Lord Aleran snapped, “Your impertinence will be reported to your superiors.”

The two Legionnaires watched them for a moment and then trotted after them. Cori passed them and took the lead while Shelby trailed a few yards to the rear. They expected to reach the rest of their company soon. The camp couldn’t be too far to the south by their reckoning.

It ended up being only slightly farther than they thought. Cori was challenged by the first Legion sentries about two hours after dark. She could see the campfires beckoning in the distance. The two sentries from Panther Company recognized Cori as she got closer and passed them through the lines to the camp’s interior. Cori and Shelby led the two Veronan noblemen to the center of camp where they located Captain McAffrey. He didn’t hide the relief in his eyes or voice when he recognized Cori and knew she had returned safely. She could understand. He would not have looked forward to telling Logan that his sister was missing.

“Ah, Captain,” Count Deran said, stepping forward and pushing Cori out of the way. “I am Lord Count Deran of Veron. Your rude little soldiers were rescued by Lord Aleran and myself while they were stumbling around in the forest. You should know that they were rude and ignorant, and one of them even impersonated the personage of a noblewoman for a time. I trust you will discipline them appropriately.”

“I will talk with you in a moment, sir, I must consult with my legionnaires first,” Captain McAffrey said turning to Cori. “Lady Corinne, would you like to give a report and recommendation regarding the disposition of these rude gentlemen?” He winked at the last.

Corin would remember the shocked and horrified looks on the two Veronan noblemen forever, as they realized they had given offense to a foreign noblewoman of high birth and connections. She met the earnest eyes of her Captain. “These gentlemen were under extreme stress, Captain. They were found wandering in the forest north of our engagement with the Imperial forces on the road. I believe it is essential that the information the hold concerning the Royal Family of Verona be sent to the commanders of the Allied forces as soon as possible.”

Captain McAffrey nodded in agreement and turned back to the disheveled Veronans. “Gentlemen, Lady Corinne has decided not to take offense from your ignorant behavior. She seems to think the information you hold outweighs the importance of decorum. What news do you have of the Royal Family?”

Both men offered deep bows to Cori before turning back to the Legion Captain. Count Deran addressed the question. “We were part of a breakout from the City of Veron by the Royal Family. They decided that the city must fall and that they face extreme danger if they remained. King Aran and Queen Christina organized a counterattack to the north of the city where the surrounding forces seem weakest. During the attack, the King, and the Queen along with their children, the prince, and princesses, all broke through with some of the attending nobles like ourselves and rode off to the north into the mountains. We were separated from them and were seeking help from anyone we could when we encountered Lady Corinne and her companion. The King and Queen are still out there, without any support and in need of assistance. You must send a rescue force to find them.”

“We will take that under advisement, My Lord,” Captain McAffrey said. “We are returning to the central camp of our forces and will take you to our commanders to determine the best course of action. Please accept our hospitality in the camp here. Sergeant Verell will see to your needs while I attend to my duties.”

The captain turned to Cori as the sergeant led the two noblemen away. “Cori, I know you don’t like to trade on your noble birth, but I thought it was appropriate to put them in their place.”

“That’s alright, sir,” Cori said. “Shelby played on my nobility in an attempt to get them to listen to us and take our advice while we brought them here. It didn’t work, but it was nice to see the shock on their faces when you backed up the claim.”

“You and Shelby should go and get yourselves cleaned up,” he said. “We will be heading out at first light. We return to the main camp to the south and reconnect with the rest of the Legion; We will get new orders once we get there and talk with your brother.”

Cori and Shelby nodded and turned to find the platoon and their own gear, left in camp two days before. The greetings were subdued when they returned, and the two of them learned of the losses to the platoon and to Stag Company. They knew that Gil was dead, but the platoon lost three others in the battle or in the chase through the forest afterward. There was still hope that one or two of them might straggle into camp, just as Cori and Shelby did.

Sergeant Neale came over when he returned from an errand in the camp and clapped Cori on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you, girl. I knew you’d find a way to get out of there safely.”

“Thank you, I learned to find my way in the forest from you, you know,” Cori replied.

“You and Shelby should get some rest,” he suggested. “The captain want us moving south to the main camp at first light.”

“That is the plan, Sergeant. I feel like I could sleep for days.”

———

Morning arrived too quickly, and Cori still felt drained after the escape through the forest the day before. She and Shelby packed up their gear and joined the rest of the platoon as they fell in with the company march south on the road. It would take them several days to reach the main encampment to the south. Cori could see Count Deran and Lord Aleran walking with Captain McAffrey. They appeared to be still arguing some point between themselves, as they had been doing since Cori and Shelby found them two days before. She figured it was their way of dealing with the stress and horror of what they had seen in their escape from the capital city before it fell. The Legion group had also gathered their share of camp followers from among the farmers they rescued on the road. Some of them had decided to stay with the rescuers and offer their help around the camp.

A few had asked about joining the Legion, and Captain McAffrey had discovered that most had the necessary skills to be allowed to join. One such former refugee was a boy of perhaps fifteen named Enrique Kearton. He had been raised on a farm and had been out hunting when the raiders attacked his farmstead, killing his entire family. He was quiet and seemed resolute in his desire to inflict revenge on the Empire and the troops who had killed his family. Cori couldn’t say she blamed him for wanting revenge.

The trip south was uneventful, but they passed more refugees along the way. Many asked the passing Legionnaires for news of the war, but there was little news they could offer. A few said they were not retreating but meeting up to receive new orders, and that seemed to give the fleeing farmers and townsfolk some confidence and heart. After two days of travel, as predicted, the two Legion companies encountered the outer pickets of the encamped army. The small squads of sentries passed them through to the center of the encampment, and they soon trudged into their assembly area with the main army. Wolf and Hawk companies were already there. They looked as bedraggled as Stag and Panther companies and Cori learned in passing that they had only reached camp earlier that same day.

Sergeant Neale had the platoon set up their tents and make camp. Once that was done to his satisfaction, he detailed a squad to collect more arrows from their stores. They needed to resupply, and Cori didn’t want to run out of arrows, realizing that the missile attack from a distance was one of their strengths as a unit since they weren’t as heavily armored as many of the Imperials they were likely to meet. The resupply squad returned with bundles of arrows, and each of them filled their empty quivers until they each had at least ninety arrows each. Cori settled by her tent and began to work on her tomahawk blade. There was a nick in the blade from the battle, and she needed to file down the notch in the surface before she could hone the steel back to the desired sharpness. Declan saw what she was doing, and the former blacksmith’s apprentice offered some suggestions to her technique. He was patient and a good teacher.

“Are you going to go back to being a blacksmith when the war is over, Declan?” She asked.

“I think so,” he replied. “I’m only an apprentice, but old Harrison back in Gladestown has two sons who are apprenticing with him as well. He will likely hand over the business to one of them before he offers the position to me.”

“There are other frontier towns who will need your services I’m sure,” Cori countered.

“That’s true. We’ll see. I like traveling with the army. Perhaps I’ll find an armorer to apprentice with and work for your father or another lord someday to help maintain his weapons and equip his forces.”

“I think that you can do whatever you set your mind to,” she said in support. “No one thought I could go to war and become a Legionnaire, yet here I am.”

“Yes, you are quite capable as a member of the squad and platoon,” he said. “We are lucky to have you, and Sergeant Neale, too. He wouldn’t be here to whip us into shape if you hadn’t been here first.”

Cori thought about that last statement. She had initially resented Vernon Neale’s presence since she thought it meant he was here as her bodyguard. But he had taken a different approach to ensuring her safety, by essentially training the entire platoon to be bodyguards. The stronger the platoon was, the safer she would be.

Declan helped her finish honing her blade and removing the nick. She found that she liked his company, and his strong hands were gentle as he guided hers to do the necessary work. When she was done, she offered a thank you and he nodded and left. She watched him go and wondered at her feelings.

“He likes you, you know,” Lissa said from nearby where she was repairing a rip in her cloak. “If you gave him a sign, he’d be yours for sure.” Cori looked up to see tears welling in Shelby’s eyes. She was still in shock over Gil’s death in the roadside ambush. She shot Lissa a look and nodded towards Shelby. The former bandit looked at their comrade and shrugged, then got up and walked away.

“Don’t listen to her, Shelby,” Cori said. “I’m not looking for a guy right now.”

“You shouldn’t change what you’re doing just because of what happened to Gil,” Shelby choked out through her quiet sobbing.

“We have all been through a lot, Shelby,” Cori said. “You and I have been together since the beginning of this. I’m not going to abandon you now just because some boy flexes his muscles in front of me.”

Shelby laughed a little at that last remark and Cori was happy to hear it. Since the battle on that wooded roadside, Shelby had lost some of her light, no-care-in-the-world attitude that made her so endearing. Cori had been affected, too. She was having trouble sleeping at night. When she closed her eyes, she saw the faces of the Imperials she killed. Some of them looked no older than she was. Had they known what they were doing when they marched off to war in a foreign land? She had killed them without thinking about it, and now that she did, it bothered her. She thought about the dead and wounded Legionnaires, who had been left behind when they had to retreat. There would be others like them in future battles, she knew. Maybe she’d be one of them. That thought sent a chill through Cori as if someone just walked across the site of her grave. That was what the old legend said.

Kieran and Kat walked into the firelight of their campfire and laughed out loud together. Shelby and Cori both looked up startled. “What was that all about?” Cori asked.

“Lissa just came by and said to stay away from you two,” Kat said. She was still cradling her broken arm in a sling. “She said it was the capital of ‘Mopetown’ or something like that. She said it would just bring us down and depress us, too. We decided to accept the challenge and come over anyway.”

“Yeah,” Kieran said. “You two looked like the saddest two people we’ve ever seen.” He pulled out a small wooden flute from his belt pouch and started blowing a tune on it. It was a jaunty one and Cori caught herself smiling as she listened. Shelby even grinned a bit.

“My ma told me once that misery might like company, but good company could scare misery away.” Kat settled herself on the ground between Cori and Shelby. She started humming a light harmony to the whistling tune of the flute, her alto voice blending with the soprano of the instrument. By the time they were finished the tune, Cori had discovered she was tapping her foot along with the syncopated rhythm of the song. She didn’t know the name of it, but it had lightened her mood.

“What is the name of that song, Kieran?” Cori asked.

“‘The Merry Tavern Wench,’” he replied with a grin.

Shelby let out a roaring laugh at the title and soon they were all laughing along with her. The tension was broken and, as was often the case with sadness, sudden, surprising laughter lightened the mood in a way nothing else could. The former tavern wench went from sad to merry with the utterance of a song title. Their mirth shifted the mood and soon they were reminiscing about the happier times with lost friends, including stories of Gil during their training that brought smiles to their faces. Cori thought he would have preferred it that way.

She slept better that evening. The dreams she remembered were of better times and she woke the next morning with the memory of Gil’s loud bellowing laughter in her ears. She was still sad when she thought of him, but that sadness was tinted with the color of happy memories from the short time they had known each other. She hoped it would stay that way.

—-

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

The post Chapter 17 — Cori and Shelby Escape Pursuit appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.

Chapter 16 – Cori Is Blooded in Battle

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

Start with Chapter 1 here.

Chapter 16

Cori and the rest of the platoon were told to pack up their gear but to pack light. Leave their tents and packs, taking just their weapons and necessities for a two-day march east and back. Many of the farmers they had rescued stayed on and helped maintain the camp, and they would keep an eye on things while the legionnaires were gone. Their goal was to lay an ambush for the Imperial column with the combined company platoons from Panther and Stag Companies. They started off just after noon and marched long into the night until they reached the north-south mountain road they had been shadowing for weeks now. They settled in for a quick rest where each legionnaire was able to get a few hours of sleep.

Cori was awakened just before dawn by Geb, as he went along waking the sleeping members of their squad. Sergeant Neale explained they were going to set up an ambush along the roadside. The enemy column was expected to arrive sometime around mid-morning. Scouts had been sent south to watch for them. They would set up in an “L” formation with Panther Company on the long side and Stag Company forming the base. That put second platoon as the blocking force that would move into the road and block the advance and escape to the north with first platoon to their right and third platoon to the left on the far side of the road. They were told to empty their quivers into the enemy column and only close with them and bring them to bear when all had fired their allotted arrows. Everyone was given twenty arrows from the remaining supply. That would allow them to fire for just over a minute. The rest of the company had an average of ten arrows remaining.

Word came from Panther Company’s scouts to the south that a large Imperial column was coming up the road. The report said that there were over three hundred of the enemy arrayed in four companies. That was likely an entire regiment sent up to the north to quell the forces that were stopping the Imperial raiding parties. Cori and the others settled in where they could hide on the side of the road. When Panther company attacked in the rear of the column, second platoon would rush out and form a line across the road and begin firing into the front of the column while the rest of Stag Company poured their arrows in from either side. The hope was that they would collapse the enemy in on themselves and then mop up any remaining resistance after their arrows had done the job of softening the enemy up. At least, that was the plan.

They heard the Imperials approaching before they saw them. This group was different. They were chanting something as they marched, their guttural male voices carrying through the morning mists that still covered the forest and parts of the mountain road. She saw a platoon-sized element first leading the rest of the column by twenty yards. They were all dressed differently than the Imperials they had fought before when encountering the raiding parties. They wore green lacquered mail shirts of overlapping plates, carried rectangular shield painted with a green and gold imperial eagle and were armed with long swords. There were also crossbow carrying sections interspersed throughout the column. They seemed much more disciplined than the other raiders, too, in their march step and grunting chant as they marched. It made them seem more formidable, Cori thought.

The lead scouting force passed Cori’s hiding place and Panther Company still hadn’t launched the attack. This was going to be a problem because they would have a group of enemies at their back if they stuck with the plan to enter the road and attack the main force from the front. A light tap on her shoulder alerted her that Sergeant Neale was behind her. “We’ll focus on the lead group first, then enter the road and redirect our fire.” He moved on to Shelby and the rest, repeating the orders on down the hidden line of legionnaires. Cori saw that he had just reached the end of their group to her left when the call went out to her right, and the Legion companies launched their assault. Cori stood with her comrades and took aim on the lead platoon of the Imperial troops and started launching arrow after arrow into the rear of the advance element.

The first shouts of alarm caused the lead troops to turn around to face the rear. That put their shields to the front, and many of the arrows impacted there. About half of the Imperials were down up and down the road, but the rest had formed a shield wall that resisted all but the best-aimed shots from the legionnaires in the forest. Cori shot one imperial thought the eye but only about one in four of her shots struck home through the armored foes. Most of the other legionnaires did worse. When then she was out of arrows, she launched from the cover of the forest into the roadway, drawing her knife and tomahawk, following her fellow platoon-mates. There were still about fifteen heavily armored soldiers up in the lead element. They came out from behind their shield wall and moved forward to attack the charging legionnaires in return. Lissa took advantage of her throwing knives to strike at the newly exposed targets, and several more of the Imperials dropped before she drew her sword and dagger and charged into the melee. Then Cori was fighting for her life against a bearded soldier who blocked all her blows with his shield and longsword. She was forced backward a few paces as she had to block a flurry of attacks from him in return and then he fell backward revealing Vernon Neale pulling a long knife from the Imperial trooper’s back. He gave her a grim smile as he pulled the blade free.

She looked around and saw that the lead element was down, and she turned to survey the rest of the fight. There was a fierce melee happening in the middle of the road. Sergeant Neale called out for them to follow him and he led second platoon in a charge in support of first platoon, where they were engaged with the front line of the main enemy column. The weight of additional numbers coming in soon carried the attack and the Imperial resistance crumbled in front of them as the soldiers in the green lacquered armor turned and ran back down the road. Some of the Legionnaires started to give chase, but Captain McAffrey called for them to stop. It was a wise decision. They had no arrows left, and the retreating enemy were better armored than they were. It would be a straight up fight if they chased them down and Sergeant Neale had drummed into them never to get caught in an even fight.

Cori cleaned her blades and sheathed them and looked around. There were a lot of green cloaked bodies down along the road’s edge. She spun around and started looking for members of her squad and platoon. Shelby was crouched by the body of someone nearby, crooning and rocking on her heels. Cori walked over where she could see and saw that it was Gil, the tavern boy who had followed Shelby’s lead to enlist back in Gladestown. He had taken a sword thrust to the stomach, and his light mail armor had not turned the blow aside. His unblinking eyes stared up into Shelby’s as her tears rained down on his face. Cori felt her heart fall as she took in the scene and looked around for others who needed aid. Kat was cradling her arm, and it appeared she had broken her forearm in the battle, and Declan, the apprentice blacksmith, was holding a makeshift bandage to a gash on his head. He had blood all over his face.

Captain McAffrey strode along the northern section of road, calling out orders and the sergeants took up the call. “Legionnaires, prepare to march.”

She looked at him and then to Sergeant Neale. What were they thinking? They had wounded and dead comrades to tend to. Cori was getting ready to complain when Sergeant Neale turned to her and saw her standing there, doing nothing.

“Cori, we need to get moving,” he said. “Captain says that the southern scouts just came in from Panther Company. There’s a large force of Imperial cavalry coming, and the infantry we chased off are regrouping to counter-attack.”

“But what about Gil and the others who were killed?” She pleaded. “We aren’t just going to leave them here, are we?”

“It’s leave them or stay here and die defending their bodies,” the sergeant told her. “Grab Shelby and get her moving. We’ve got no arrows left, and we’ve got to get deep into the trees before the horsemen get here, or they’ll just run us down. Now move.” He helped Declan stand up and then pushed him towards the forest’s edge.

Cori turned and went over to Shelby. The former tavern girl looked up at Cori.

“I’m not leaving. I’m not leaving him here,” she said.

“Shelby, you have to,” Cori replied. “If you stay, you’ll be just as dead as him, or worse, end up a slave in some Imperial officer’s tent.” She grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her away from Gil’s body, pulling her into the trees. She could hear the drumming of approaching hooves on the road to the south. She was among the last of the legionnaires to leave the roadside. A few others were helping those who could barely walk limp into the tree line. Once Shelby was out of sight of Gil’s body, she stopped resisting and started running along with Cori. They were only a hundred yards into the forest when they heard shouts behind them and the crashing of the horses entering the woods from the roadside. Cori thought for a moment and then veered ninety degrees to the north. Hopefully, the cavalry troops would move in a straight line from the road, searching for the fleeing legionnaires and not spread out too much. She and Shelby could turn back to the west once they’d gotten away from the pursuing Imperials. Together they ran off into the deepening forest gloom hoping the shadows and brush would hide them.

———

The two of them moved northward for the remainder of the day. Cori was sure they had shaken pursuit but wanted to make a wide circle to the northwest to avoid any Imperial patrols that might be sent out from the pursuing forces. She and Shelby were alone, and they’d seen no trace of other Legionnaires since they turned north. Now it was getting dark, and Cori knew they needed to find a place to shelter and get some rest. They had marched most of the previous night to get to the ambush point on the road, and they were exhausted. Shelby spotted a rock outcropping, and there was a sheltered ledge beneath it that would offer some refuge from the wind and cold. They didn’t dare try to light a fire, and they only had a few strips of jerky and two hard tack biscuits between them for food anyway. Cori took first watch, and they settled in for a long, cold night in the forest.

Morning dawned, and Shelby shook her awake. “Cori, I hear voices,” she whispered.

Cori sat up and looked around, listening to the sounds in the forest around her. She heard the voices, too. Could it be fellow Legionnaires or an Imperial pursuit party? She continued to listen as she moved to a crouch and loosened her knife in its sheath. Whoever they were they were loud enough. That meant they weren’t Legionnaires, who would know better than to talk so openly in the midst of a forest full of enemies. It wasn’t likely that they were Imperials either. They wouldn’t announce their presence in such an overt way either. She motioned to Shelby to stay hidden, and she lowered herself to her belly and crawled around the stone outcropping to look in the direction of the voices.

“You idiot,” came one male voice. “I told you to stay on the road. Now we’re lost in this God-forsaken forest.”

“And I told you,” said the another voice. “The road would have been the first place the Imperials were looking.”

Cori saw movement through the brush and shifted her position to give her a better look. She was not expecting what she saw. There were two men, in full court garb, with torn and dirty silk stockings and large floppy hats. What were they doing way out here in the middle of nowhere? She waited a little longer, listening to the grumbling travelers while she ensured there was no one else with them and then slid back into hiding and told Shelby what she saw.

“They must be on the run from the Imperials, too. Perhaps from a group of refugees fleeing the capital to the south,” Cori surmised. “We should take them back to the camp and let Captain McAffrey and Captain Desai talk with them.”

“Whatever we do, we need to get them to shut the hell up before they bring the whole imperial army down on us all,” Shelby said.

The two stood up and made their way around the outcropping, following the sound of the voices until the men came into view. Shelby chuckled when she saw them.

“They’re not really dressed for the forest, are they?” She said.

The two men spun around looking around in fear. Cori and Shelby stepped forward, their hands on their weapons, just in case.

“Ah, good, some local wenches,” the man to the left said. He was wearing a tunic with a coat of arms that Cori didn’t recognize embroidered into it. “You will be so good as to direct us to the nearest road if you please. We have become lost in this accursed forest, and we must get to someone with the army.”

“You found someone with the army,” Shelby said. “We’re scouts with the Princess’ Own Legion of Solon from Rhodes. We can take you back to our camp if you’d like.”

“Before we agree to that, though,” Cori said. “You two need to keep your voices down. I heard you from a hundred yards away. There are imperial troops all over this forest.”

“Of course there are,” said the second man. “They are searching for us and the others who broke out of the siege around Veron just before it fell.”

“Veron has fallen?” Cori asked. That was bad news because it would free up more imperial soldiers to face the Free Kingdoms Army.

“Yes, it fell three days ago,” the first man interjected. “We were with a final breakout attempt by the King and Queen to get out of the city. We were able to ride past the soldiers fighting through the enemy siege lines and join the royal family in flight. But we were separated when set upon by another group of the Empire’s soldiers.”

“We’ve been on the run ever since,” the second man joined in. “We’ve seen imperial troops every day and decided to get off the road.”

“That’s a wise decision,” Cori said. “We attacked a column on the road and then were forced to split up and retreat when their reinforcements showed up. We can take you to the camp and our captain can help you from there.”

“Excellent,” the first of the two men said in a loud voice. “Lead on, ladies. We shall follow you.”

Cori cringed at the noise and looked around. If there were any imperials around, they would have come running by now but that didn’t mean they would encounter any. “Sir, you need to keep quiet, or we’ll just leave you on your own to be found by the Imperials. It shouldn’t take too long given the amount of noise you’re making.”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” number two said. “I’m Count Deran of Veron, and this is his lordship Count Aleran from Ilia in the east. We’ll not have two lassies like yourself speak to your betters that way.”

Great, two nobles who didn’t have the sense to rub two sticks together to stay warm in the winter time. Cori didn’t know what made her do it, but Shelby spoke up, poking Count Deran in the chest. “You don’t know who you are talking to. This is Lady Corinne Westgate, of Solon, in Rhodes and I am her personal guardswoman. We will most certainly leave you both here alone I the forest and you can take your chances alone, or you can listen to us, and we’ll get you to our camp alive. Understand?”

The two men stood there dumbfounded and they nodded.

“Excellent. Milady, after you,” Shelby said.

Cori shrugged and started off to the west. She whispered out of the corner of her mouth as she passed her companion. “Personal guardswoman, eh? Does my father know about this?”

Shelby fell in next to her, checking over her shoulder to check if the two Veronans were following them then leaned in to whisper back. “I had to do something, or they would have fought and argued with us all the way back to camp, and probably gotten us killed along the way.”

Cori saw the two men starting to pick their way through the underbrush after the legionnaires. “Let’s pick up the pace. They won’t be able to complain if they can’t catch their breath.” She and Shelby started jogging off westward with their refugee noblemen in tow.

—-

Disclaimer: This is a work in progress as part of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). You are reading the work product of a first draft writing session and not a finished product. Comments are welcome, but bear the first draft nature of the work in mind. Thank you and enjoy!

The post Chapter 16 – Cori Is Blooded in Battle appeared first on Jamie Davis Books Author Page.