Letters From The Front - Trisha/Michicora/War

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Dearly Beloved,

I’m not sure I can say how much I miss you Martha. Just know that I dream of you every night. I wish you could have been here before the battle that rages on before me. This place used to be a beautiful honey-plum orchard that spanned for miles. When our forces had arrived, many of use couldn’t help but pluck baskets of the fruit to eat and I even saved many of the seeds for us to start our own when I’m finally capable of leaving the Service. Sadly, the Orchard was destroyed in the preparations we had to do when we began to dig in our defenses against the Verdant Order that was on the way. While I do not know how they broke through the Coggies who had assaulted their Home Plane, the General and our Champion seemed quite displeased about it. Personally, if I hadn’t seen the proof that they were still alive, I’d have thought it impossible for such a primitive people to be able to destroy the Coggie’s steam cannon and Cog-Men. As it is, I and the rest of my cannon battery are perched up on a ridgeline in the aforementioned orchard overlooking the ten thousand green and black soldiers. Even though we outnumber them by half again and have an obvious tech advantage, I can’t help but have a sense of dread about the battle that is to take place.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve passed out your last few correspondences to my comrades who have no women like you waiting for them at home. Many others are doing similar since it lets everyone feel loved. Morale is the most important thing any army needs after all. I admit, several of them have begun to fancy you, I must admit. Thankfully they’ve agreed to let our engagement turn into marriage, but they’ve also mentioned that if you should ever find your heart unfilled by my amorous ways, they’ll be more than willing to take up the slack.

In regards to the issues with your sister, I am apologetic that I do not have any personal advice for a woman of such scandalous natures as I am quite out of my depth about such subjects. Even so, several of the aforementioned comrades say that they would gladly put in time to try and redeem her of her ways. As silly and inappropriate as that sounds, I do know a couple of them (primarily Jack, who I’ve mentioned in previous letters) would be a good influence upon her, and even if they prove unable to change Candice’s ways, would be quite a good match for her to give her some stability in her life. I believe that if you broach the subject of such a liaison with her, she might be a bit more agreeable to the idea than if your parents did.

Several hours later, the writing is continued in a different ink.

Our Champion just dropped by to reassure us about the coming fight, as well as warn us. He said Hate is here herself and that she isn’t alone. He says that Hate has a companion just as fierce as she is, a spirit of shadow that is capable of drifting through the night to take out entire companies herself. I’m not sure how much of it might be exaggerated, but I feel that War is just trying to instill some precaution into us. We might be artillery, but sometimes the enemy gets in a lucky breach.

My Battery has to get ready now, my Love, but there'll be a second letter following this one. Hopefully the Courier will reach you in a timely manner.

War folded the letter with a sigh and looked at the artillery officer's body. Closing his eyes in reverence, he stands and removes his hat before looking at the scene of carnage. Hate and her lover "Shadow" had come through before the battle had even really started and tore the battery to shreds. The three-pounders were sliced in half and most of the men had crossbow bolts in their throats or hearts.

He had warned them to be careful, but for all his experience he hadn't expected them to move so rapidly.

Tucking the letter into his breast pocket, he turns to the Courier next to him. "Go and tell the other batteries to load with cannister but to fall back if they get pressed." The man nods and runs off as War turns back to the rest of the bodies to look for more letters.

He'd deliver them personally when the time came.