[color=A0A0A0][h2]Fleuri Jodeau[/h2][/color]

Despite being neither at the very front or at the flanks, Fleuri was not difficult to discern among the procession of knights.  He rode a few paces behind Lucas upon a caparisoned stallion, holding his lance upward.  Both the caparison on his horse and the pennant upon his lance bore the colors and symbol of the Jodeau family- a black fleur-de-lis on a white background.  This was not a mission where mounted combat would likely come into play, but he always preferred to be prepared.  Perhaps it was also due to his diminished but lingering desire to stand out.

From what he knew about this mission, it was a worthwhile cause to put these bandits and their "king" down.  They were more than just brigands, they were remnants of a traitor's army who refused to lay down their weapons when their cause was crushed.  Now they prowled the woods, preying upon innocent people.  Whether it was retribution against the people of Thaln for not supporting their traitorous cause, or simply ruthless acquisition of wealth and provisions, their predation upon the good people  Thaln was evidence that their cause was just as unjust and twisted as it was five years ago.

"It won't be much longer that we will need to proceed on-foot," the Knight-Captain ordered.

Fleuri didn't envy Captain Fanilly and the burden of command she bore.  To accept command at such a young age, especially after the impression left by her heroic predecessor, was a daunting task.  Sixteen years seemed like quite a young age for someone to win their spurs commanding knights in a battle, but it wasn't Fleuri's place to question the Iron Roses' customs even if he didn't understand them.  There were already many nobles that wanted the Iron Roses' traditions to be done away with, and in the face of such political opposition, the captain would to be supported by her knights.

As the brush got thicker, Fleuri did as the others did and dismounted, then drove his lance into the ground as a makeshift stake that could be used for tying his horse.  He drew his greatsword and hefted it over his shoulder.  It was a bit ironic, that only after he had let go of his lingering resentment and anger at not being able to participate in the war, after he made amends and set himself on the straight and narrow, that it'd all lead to him fighting the traitorous Cazt forces.  This would be a mere mop-up compared to the decisive battles of the War of the Red Flag, but it was nonetheless important that these holdouts be stamped out.

The sorceress-knight Katerina wasted no time speaking up to Fanilly, offering suggestions on how to proceed.  Fleuri hoped that the captain wouldn't be too overwhelmed with all the people telling her what to do and how to do it.  For his part, he kept back, not wanting to make a scene or make things more difficult for Fanilly.  Still, her boisterous talking was downright subtle compared to what came next- another one of the order's magic specialists, a feminine man named Hope, cast a spell and summoned a radiant, winged being.

If the bandits were nearby, they'd definitely notice [i]that[/i].  At the same time, a 200-plus procession of knights wouldn't exactly be stealthy in any way.  More concerning to Fleuri was whether the captain had ordered that- the notion of the mages using flashy magic without any input or go-ahead from the captain didn't sit well with him.  It was their duty to follow Fanilly's orders, the last thing she needed at the precipice of a battle was for her own knights to undermine her authority.  Still, he saw the logic of that summon.  These woods were a prime spot for an ambush, and the bandits were probably familiar with the terrain, meaning it'd be imperative that the knights not go into this blind.

Fleuri walked up besides, Lucas, a young mercenary-turned knight.  He and Gerard, another knight nearby, had originally been part of a mercenary band whose deeds of heroism earned them the opportunity to become Reonite knights.  It was good, he thought, to see people of humble origin rise to become knights through valorous deeds.  The nobility, diminished as it was and often grappling with the vices of entitlement and decadence, needed some fresh blood from time to time.

Lucas wasn't the only knight here of age similar to Fanilly.  Serenity, another knight of an old noble bloodline, was also only 17.  In fact, from what Fleuri had heard in the circles of high society, Serenity had been born under a full moon, which means she may have been a candidate for knight-captain.  She was certainly far more confident in herself that Fanilly, and if Fleuri had to guess, her confidence and skill at her age suggested that she may have been raised to be a potential candidate.  It wasn't unheard of for noble girls born under a full moon to be raised in hopes of becoming captain of the Iron Roses.

As curious as the other knights were, and as engaging as conversation might be, Fleuri kept silent and focused on the situation at hand.  He did not want to be caught off-guard, and besides, actions spoke louder than words, thus it would be during battle that the knights would truly get to know each other.  And that time was rapidly approaching.