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Lucas stood at the gaps of the palisade walls, waving the emancipated innocents urgently past himself.  [color=6ecff6]"Come on!"[/color]  Some of them weren't exactly in the best shape to keep up with a brisk pace, but it was hard not to be impatient, for here he was alone, feeling completely and utterly responsible over one of the Knight-Captain's top priorities.  If anything were to go wrong here, it would be on him.  [color=6ecff6]"We're almost clear!"[/color]

The group funnelled into a line to exit the camp.  Lucas knelt down to help a child onto his back, so that their mother (at least, Lucas assumed the woman was her mother) could move quicker.  Once clear of the camp borders, Lucas headed to the front and led the group away from camp and back toward the Iron Rose Rear Guard.

Perhaps giving the child a piggy-back wasn't the best idea, Lucas thought as he was hit with repeated spells of double vision.  [color=6ecff6][i]I must have hit my head harder than I thought.[/i][/color]  The clearing he'd charged across to start the battle seemed so much shorter before.  He'd abandoned the battlefield.  Paladin Tyaethe had told them to focus on bringing the beast down.  She and a few others had held off scores of bandits just so her team could do so.  And he'd left without seeing it dead.  He wanted to speed up, but some of the injured would not keep up.  And truth be told, he wasn't sure he could speed up anyway.  Adrenaline was keeping him on his feet, but this little girl felt like she weighed as much as a cow.

Heavy breaths. Slightly staggering steps.  But finally; sight of the rear guard.  [color=6ecff6]"Help!"[/color] was all he could think to say.  He wasn't sure how to go about this, but - as always - he didn't think much about it. [color=6ecff6]"Who's in charge!?"[/color]

A fairly tall knight emerged from the ranks and came forward, adding urgency to his steps when he started to realise the situation.  "Sir Einrich, at your service."

[color=6ecff6]"The prisoners of the Bandit King... as many as I could find,"[/color] Lucas told him as he dropped down to let the girl off his back.  Sir Einrich called for others to take the freed slaves away and get them some care.  Lucas received a few 'thank yous' as the group was escorted past and away from him.

"Your name, sir knight?" was the commanding officer.

[color=6ecff6]"Lucas... Sir Lucas Storm,"[/color] was the reply.  It still sounded strange, but there was a note of pride in the exhaustion.  He'd actually helped save some lives.  Amongst the desires and thoughts of getting back to the battlefield, his mind flashed him a vision of Sir Gerard on the night he'd saved Lucas' life and freedom.  [color=6ecff6]"I'm part of Paladin Tyaethe's team.  The battle is not yet over."[/color]

"Very well," Sir Einrich nodded in understanding.  "Good job lad."

And with that, Lucas turned back toward the bandit camp and started running.

When he arrived back in the battle, there wasn't actually much of a battle happening anymore.  He could see some bandits, hands up and weaponless.  Some of his comrades were no longer fighting, allowing their adversaries a chance to surrender.  Lucas advanced further into camp to see what became of the griffin.