The Bonds of War

5th Olarune 998 YK: The Bonds of War

I learned a lot over the years of campaigning; from many colourful, and interesting people. None have topped the lessons I learned in my time serving alongside the warforged of Cyran’s military.
 
Their sacrifices propped a slowly crumbling Cyre up; their ingenuity and skill was underestimated at almost every turn by our enemies… underestimated even by those who called them allies; though their value as tireless, disposable soldiers was never lost on those that commanded them.
 
During the autumn of 987 YK, I think sometime in Rhaan, I was stationed on the eastern border with southern Cyre - Valenar. In the lull following the Western Devastation we had been gearing up with a small force, our intentions to retake parts of southern Cyre if only for a morale victory that was sorely needed.
 
I was now 15 years old, stouter and somewhat more experienced. The prospect of going on the offensive was somewhat unnerving to me even so. I had never been a member of an incursion to other lands; far from it, Cyre had been on the defensive for decades at this point.
 
The Purple Stalkers were older, and fewer. Dylis informed us we were expecting a new recruit, in time for the offensive. A warforged unit: W-1262S. I had served with warforged before so I knew they were straight to the point; they followed orders to the letter. I was apprehensive of it at first. Dylis had told me stories such as the Massacre of Arythawn Keep which lingered in my mind whenever I dealt with any warforged, and although I always believed they were not to blame, I couldn’t help but be wary of them.
 
When it first arrived, it was shiny and clean… undented by war. “W-1262S, reconnaissance and espionage unit at full capacity. Awaiting commands.” It stood in the same spot for days, Dylis had neglected to state anything and so, it just stood. I stayed relatively clear of it. I had no reason to do otherwise. I had already been informed of its capabilities. It was an espionage unit we would use to help destroy infrastructure in our retreat once the offensive was over. I didn’t need to know anything else.
 
I awoke early one morning just before the sun had risen, to the sound of rapid, furious wing beats. I grabbed my halberd and tentatively stepped outside, ready to raise the alarm. Cockatrice’s were somewhat common and a lone cockatrice could cause chaos within a camp.
 
As I stepped out from my tent, I spotted movement in the corner of my eye. I spun to meet it, halberd held defensively in front of me. The darkness before sunrise made it hard to tell, but I thought I saw a figure moving between the tents. I called out to wake up the others.
 
We searched around the tents for some time, but found nothing. Dylis told me to speak with W-1262S and see if it had seen anything.
 
“This unit has seen nothing that raised suspicion above acceptable levels.” it told me. I sighed, wondering if I had just been seeing things but, as I turned to walk away and find Dylis, I spotted something unusual.
 
Sticking out of this spotless, shining warforged were some feathers stuck into various places across its body. I reached forward to pick one, but as I did W-1262S took a step backward… “This unit is sorry for it’s failures. Please allow it to keep the feathers. I like them.”
 
I was stunned.
 
I began talking with it. Asking about the feathers. It turns out that they had been sneaking around while we were asleep to feed the local birds. They told me they enjoyed it!

My preconceptions about these beings had been turned on its head. I had always thought they were always mindless automatons, built for nothing but war, but how could it be that it could enjoy something so mundane as feeding birds?
 
We called them Adardy after that.
 
Adardy and I became good friends in the following years. The offensive into Valenar fell through, but Adardy stayed with us. I grew a deep respect for them, for all warforged… the horrors they had to endure on our behalf. We were so nonchalant about their lives.
 
If I think of all the people I know, of all the quirks that they have. Their joys, their woes. The memories of those people. It brings only sadness to know I could have known so much more about the warforged I had served with. To have potentially brought them a modicum of happiness before their lives were extinguished.
 
The Treaty of Thronehold has many issues but, at least they got one thing right. The warforged deserve far more than simply being allowed to live.
 
I wonder where you ended up Adardy. Wherever it is, I hope you have found peace… somewhere with a lot of birds!