[color=598527]"'We don't need to pay you up front now, its your civic duty to fight for Nohr!' Keep me press ganged with no pay for much longer, see what happens..."
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Ansgar trotted in formation with a group of other mercenary Cavaliers, part of the Nohrian army on the march to Hoshido. News traveled fast, especially as it was bad news for the Hoshidan people. Queen Mikoto dead, by a treacherous blade in the hands of some lad in Nohrian garb, captured by Hoshido after a border incident. Why that King Garon had made such an order was beyond the young Cavalier, but now it was open war between the two nations. He knew there were some Chevian knights in the army, and he had steered well and truly clear of them. If they recognized him, it would likely be as traitor, murderer, and coward. Nevermind that it was in self defense, they would judge him on his flight from the scene. He wasn't even sure the old man was dead, the blow looked fatal, and the gurgling that emitted from the helmet sounded it too. But Ansgar shook those thoughts from his mind, not like it could be dealt with now. He sold his own brand of Cheve born skills to the highest bidder, and lived his life from fight to fight, with no regard for his own fall. It was a good life, he conceded, free and fair compared to what many went through, or resorted to. But, speaking of pay, he had finished his latest contract with this band of Nohrian Cavaliers when word came for all able hands to march for Hoshido. And he was press ganged in, upon penalty of the laws Nohr held on traitors, which were very clear and left no room for interpretation.

So here would be where Ansgar found himself, riding with others, some also press ganged into service considering their mutterings during the encamped nights during the approach. But there wasn't running from this, and besides, Ansgar had been paid to try and breach Hoshido before and wreak havoc. It had failed, as Queen Mikoto's barrier had prevented them from enacting aggression against them. It sapped their will to fight, bizarre as that feeling had been, and he had never even attempted to journey to Hoshido with peaceful intentions in mind after that, let alone hostile ones. But here he was again, part of a Nohrian army, capable of breaching the borders of Hoshido, and putting the land to the sword. Which was what would happen, he knew how the Nohrians intended to operate. In the heat of hte moment, he cared little for anything other than the slaughter that surrounded him, be it friend or foe that fall, and he was in that mindset in anticipation for the massive battle that was sure to erupt from this. Hoshidan forces would not idly let Nohr march into their land, they would have a standing army in the way. That meant there would be hell to pay on both sides when forces unexperienced in fighting the specialists of both would get slaughtered. He was looking forward to it, perhaps he would get to face off with the Hoshidan Sky Knights? That would be quite the battle. Even if he wasn't getting paid for it, which was rapidly pushing him towards desertion. After all, coin was why he was working with Nohr, nothing else.

[color=598527]"If I don't see some coin after this, I'm finding my own way out of this mess. Maybe find some work as a guard until this blows over..."[/color]