[@PaulHaynek][@VitaVitaAR][@Raineh Daze][@Psyker Landshark][@ERode]

A wet and heavy crunch sounded, as Artificer Elodie took it upon herself to expediate the death of Jeremiah, to leave no doubt as to whether or not he still drew his final breaths. Beyond a mild bunching up of her brow, the woman showed no great emotion in the act— nor had Gerard in witnessing it. They were both veterans of combat, and for all of his adoration of the ideals of knighthood, the sight, sounds, and [i]stench[/i] of death would never elude them. Even the most righteous, lionhearted, and merciful knight was still a warrior who donned armor and rode to battle.

[color=goldenrod][i]Fair enough.[/i][/color]

He would be wrong if he denied having the thought cross his own mind, but while he shared her disdain for the man and willingness to fight him with full intent to kill, it seemed she did not share whatever it was that stayed his hand. He wasn't sure what that restraint stemmed from, either; he knew he'd been ordered to stab corpses as a mercenary before and did so without issue. He certainly didn't balk at the thought— it had kept countless men alive in war. He had plied battles as his trade for seven years.

Maybe his expectations of himself [i]as a knight[/i] were unrealistic. 

...He would consider that once they were done here. The unofficial surrender of a majority of the bandits was already unfolding before them— their young Captain's command was likely all anyone was waiting for. It was simple enough when you said it, but that was still a lot of weight upon small, inexperienced shoulders.

Well, she hadn't abandoned her role nearly so much as he, once the rightward detachment had entered the fray.

[color=goldenrod]"I definitely still have much to learn."[/color] he responded to the diminutive and ancient Paladin's frank review of the engagement. [color=goldenrod]"Though compared to your experience, I fear I always will."[/color]

He wouldn't demur that fact either. If he was to lead again, he could not lose sight of the task so easily. That they faced little more than thugs outside of the Bandit King would not be a privilege he could count on in the future. If skilled troops met skilled troops, it would be the chain of command that utilized theirs better that won the day. He knew that he would need to be ready for that in his future. He believed himself so as one of those fighters, at least, before today.

But now that he had both met this man, who quite possibly overshadowed him in battlefield ability, and been chosen, be it just as a matter of haste on Fanilly's part or otherwise, as someone embedded within that chain of command— he could be much less prepared than he had believed just an hour before. 

The ride back would be a contemplative one, victorious or not.

Oh, speaking of.

[color=goldenrod]"Sir Jarde— I still owe you a horse, don't I?"[/color]