Katrina was screaming at first, first Ashala, now Claus had fallen to the wicked men under the so called lord Andrew Manshrew. She didn't care people called him 'honorable' or 'noble'. To Katrina he was evil, his armies had killed her new friends and her employer.
Roogel almost needed to bother to keep her from running from his firm grasp. He held her around the torso with his left arm as he looked out a hatch in the wall intended for people to be able to look upon the enemies in relative safety.

-"Let me go! We need to save him!" Katrina was shouting with a hoarse voice, a hint of sorrow was beginning to shape her tone.
-"It's no use, we saw the bull topple over him, there's nothing we can do." Roogel barked with a stern voice, but it was obvious he liked the situation roughly as little as the young blacksmith did. He however was much better at controlling his feelings and focused on his job.

-"But we need to... to... save...." About here her strained voice gave up and her tears began to swell because of the pain. She sobbed in a sloppy and filthy way. She was not used to the life as a mercenary at all and was not prepared for handling deaths like these.
Roogel lost his temper here and groaned heavily, he didn't have time for this. He had a defence to organize here and he did not need his logistician sobbing like a child.

-"You, get her out of here!" He pointed at a trooper who saluted and dragged her out of Roogel's grip. He wasn't quick and strong enough however and she dodged the tired mans attempt and ran off.
The man cursed and was beginning to give chase when Roogel cut in with a bark.
-"Forget it! I need you back at overwatch. She'll probably survive in the meantime."

She ran crying through the keep, into some nicer portions of the stronghold. Rounded a few corners before collapsing with a clatter next to a nice red tinted wood table with brass decór. Her armour clattering as she took off the helmet and let it fall beside her, it wiggled a while like a bowl before settling.
She did not know what to do, the food was far less than she wanted, the arrows were running low and the bolts were far too few to keep up a proper rate of fire.
She wanted Claus to tell her what to do, she wanted him to make one of his poorly placed grim jokes and give her one of his telltale smirks. She realized she missed the smirks for some reason and a single laugh crept into her uncontrolled sobbing as she realized it.
Why did she care so much? They weren't her family. Her uncle was fine back in Nyhem, he was probably making some swords for the war. Her uncle wasn't the man who comforted well. Just 'stop crying, you are making a fool of yourself.'

Perhaps, perhaps the fist was becoming her family? She hadn't thought about it until now. But what use was it if they were all going to die...
She noticed a movement in a door over on the other side of the corridor, it was slightly open but when she realised it closed really fast. Katrina was sure she saw someone there.
She controlled her tears and wiped them off with her leather gloves, making them a bit snotty.
As she had gotten better control of herself she now kept a good look at the door which after a few seconds opened a tiny bit betraying someone's curiosity.
-"Don't... don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Katrina spoke with a sulking voice, wiping her face some more trying to make herself more presentable, albeit failing miserably.
It took a few seconds, but then the door opened and a young boy with short black hair in a nice rich outfit in black with a nice embroidery in yellow thread on the edges stepped out. Took a few silent steps and stood in front of Katrina.
-"Why are you sad?" He asked, rocking a bit back and forth.
A bit surprised, Katrina tried to clear her throat and then answered.

-"My employer... and my friend.... he is dead." As she said this she had tears begin to swell up again. But the young boy just said.
-"Do you mean that mercenary captain, Rotstein?... he kicked my brother. I don't know what i think of him."
Katrina accidentally laughed once at the boys bluntness at the mention of how Claus had punished the Tuania boy Orland.
-"But i don't think he's dead. My mother said that he is to stupid to die. Mum doesn't like him at all." The young boy kept going, Katrina could not help but smile a bit at the young boy's words.
-"Besides, he is supposed to keep us safe, so mother said he'll be in a world of trouble unless he does so. Mother does not allow people to not keep their word." The situation had gone from poor to having a semblance of fun and innocence which Katrina felt she wanted to be part of.
-"You mother seems very wise... I am Katrina Nikos, what's your name?" She asked the young boy, whom responded with a far more complex answer than she'd imagined.
-"I am Anron Tuania, 3rd child of Catryn and Grandin Tuania, Telmarian noble and heir to the north-east province." To which Katrina only managed an.
-"Oh..."

The two remained in silence for a while before Anron said.
-"You would be pretty if you didn't cry. So you should stop crying since mr Rotstein is alive. Since if he wasn't, my mother would kill him..." First Katrina thought he had said something wrong, but then he made a mischievous smile which betrayed his joke. To which Katrina laughed followed by wiping her nose.
-"Guess i'll have to stop then... my lord." She said to Anron, whom nodded his head in acknowledgement.
Before they could speak more, someone came around the corner and saw the two in the corridor.

-"Anron, what are you doing out of your room... talking to one of the mercenaries." An older kind looking handmaiden with greying dark hair said while skeptically looking at Katrina as she took the hand of Anron.
-"You know you are not allowed outside your room during the night." The woman with soft lecturing words said while she led the young boy away from Katrina.
-"But it was so boring, and she was sad." He said as two rounded the corner, before getting out of sight he waved to Katrina whom waved back as they disappeared. Their words mumbled as they moved away in the distance.

Katrina stood up and took her helmet and put it on her head.
Of course Claus was alive, can't argue with a noble. After all, Claus IS far too stupid to die. Katrina had gotten new vigor and was working on a plan.

[b]Later.[/b]
She had gotten hold of two volunteers, rather strong troopers. Both halberdiers since all the crossbowmen were guarding the walls while the halberdiers were kept in reserve to reinforce any point they were needed fast.
The plan was simple, use the rope to rappel down to the kill ground, go and check Claus. Screw it what everyone was thinking after that.

They moved, not silently but more like they were supposed to be there. As they got to the wall they tied a sturdy knot and were prepared to start climbing as a crossbowman suddenly saw them.
He looked at the trio, who looked extremely guilty, looked at the rope and then down into the killzone back to the trio.
-"Seems like you owe me a drink later. Give 'em a rough one from me!" The trooper said as he gave an obvious wink before he kept walking with a whistle on his lips.
Katrina could not believe it just happened but then just climbed down the rope into the killzone.

The massive bull was still there. The Manshrew forces had tried to move it but to no avail. It was far to heavy and the constant harrying with projectiles made the prospect difficult.
The trio moved silently along the right side of the killbox as seen from the fortress. They made it to the bull without trouble.
With effort, the two men used all their strength to tilt the head of the elephant while Katrine dragged Claus with all her strength.
She barely dared look upon him fearing the gruesome visage, but she had decided that even if he was dead, the enemy wasn't going to get him. Not on her watch.

-"Hey! You are not supposed to be there!" A patrol of Manshrew troops had spotted the fist's corps-men. The two troopers drew their maces and began to shield Katrina as she dragged Claus's lifeless body towards the gate.
One Mansrew archer shot towards them, missed. Another stood upon the dead bull and peppered the trio with arrows, one pinged of a breastplate, one struck a thigh which had the trooper hiss and begin to limp.
It was looking grim when two more archers crested the elephant. But as they nocked their arrows all the hatches on the gate suddenly opened and even the gate opened slightly letting light out into the killbox.
A loud rumbling voice echoed into the area.
-"You are all idiots! You will be reprimanded to the realm of Hizreus for this!" The words turned out to be Roogels, luckily they also heralded a hail of crossbow bolts which cut down the Manshrew patrol.

In a few seconds, they had managed to get Claus's body into the fortress and were safe and the wounded trooper was being treated. Katrina panted heavily but was otherwise happy with the effort even if she had to face Roogel's wrath later.