Note: From a cave far away was supposed to be a one shot, an experiment for me to test my abilities to write sex scenes as well as a way to pay tribute to the lore of For Honor, and the great potential within. Tough the subsequent chapters will carry on that spirit, there won't be smut at every chapter for it is a story first. A story that does not shy away from the sex lives of its various characters.

I'd like to thank Nakedowlman for introducing me to the idea of writing about sex with an actual story going on. (Be warned, his are non-consensual sex fic)

It was the middle of the day, on the outskirt of Nolden's old fortress. It was a ruin now, and an unstable one at that, the continuous wars had destroyed many of its wall, unbalancing the structure. It was quite a sight, to see a ruin being slowly swallowed by the swamps, as if the ground itself had decided of its fate. Still, life went on. Living off the forest nearby, a village had grown on the solid ground near it.

Just a few months back, the war stilled raged on between the Knights and the Samurai, before the Accords of the Shogun that stated the terms of the truce. This piece of land on the border of the Chosen's land was now officially out of the war, for at least a year, probably less. The people here had came in mass in order to rebuilt, to sow, and to harvest. But it was an old battlefield, and it was enough to plant a spade in the ground to discover the bones of a victim.

By decree, all Chosen weapons and armors were to be sent back to their land, and a small force stayed behind to ensure it was done. Many believed their presence would make the people uneasy, but it turned out they couldn't care less. After the first month without a raid, most were happy enough as it was.

So any corpse they found, they gave to the enclave. At first, they tried to respect their tradition and give them proper burial, but soon it was clear there never would be enough ground in this swamp. So they burned the bodies, and left the bones in a remote part of the castle, soon to be eaten by the

soil.

It was there that two figure were standing. In a roofless room overlooking the courtyard overflown with blacken bones. The woman was a Warden in full armor, seated like a gargoyle on a broken pillar. She was lost in thought, observing her long sword, damaged by years of battle, bearing the mark of hundreds of death. The only instrument of her order. The man was standing near the scuttled wall, his pants down, pissing on the bones below, a big smile on his bearded face.

"So this is what peace looks like hu! I guess those guys never got to saw it.

-Would it kill you not to disrespect the dead? Wearily asked Gwendolen.

-Well it's not going to kill them, that's for sure."

He put his pants back and readjusted his shirt. As always, Jacques didn't care much for decency or protocols. The man and her had fought side by side countless times, and just like her, he had sow death and destruction to the enemies of the Knights, whoever they were, but he always took a bit too much delight in it. She couldn't really understand why she never got mad at him for his behavior. Perhaps because for his cruelty, Jacques never glamorized the idea that they were all killers on their way to hell. Perhaps because of all his friends, he was the last that still could smile.

"So! This is Nolden? How long as it been, four years?

-Yes, things have changed here.

-Yeah people are like dung beetles, they know how to make big piles of shit looks presentable in no time.

-We should move, I don't think our presence will stay unnoticed.

-Hu? Ho right. We're deserters, right".

Jacques stopped suddenly, then exploded in a gigantic laugh. The very idea that a Warden would be a deserter never got old to him. One woman, defying her millennia old Order AND the whole Knight Legions. That didn't kept him from deserting with her in a heartbeat. It was hard to imagine that he had been a Lawbringer for most of his life, whatever age he had now.

Gwen got up. She was anxious, tired, sweating. It had been four years since that battle. Since that promise. Since… well, since Naomi. The Accords weren't the end of the war, certainly not with the Vikings still raging, nor was the truce an actual peace. It wouldn't even last, everyone knew it. But if there was a chance, one chance she'd be there…

"Thinking about her?

-How would you know? asked Gwen, surprised.

-Every time you think about her, you rub your thumb against your throat. Well, as much as you can over that helmet. She tried to slit it?

The Warden stayed silent.

-You're defecting for her. Ha! At least tell me it's some kind of juicy revenge.

-Let's just see if she's there. Don't forget your sword."

They elected not to go through Nolden. There was a Lawbringer in town, stationed here to keep an eye on the Chosen Enclave. If one villager started talking about a Warden around, he would become suspicious. There was little chance he would know of his defection, but she preferred not to tempt fate.

So they walked through the forest, far away from the road and the patrols. They were at risk with bandits, but it was better to be attacked by people with no reinforcement to send after you. Things had changed a lot. The swamp had gotten bigger, and the village had cut a lot of wood in order to rebuilt houses, mills, and granaries. It was harder for Gwen to find her mark, especially after such a long time, but she did not foolishly count the trees or the little roads. She had memorized the hills, the distance from the castle, and the rock formation. Years of travel had sharpen her senses on such things, and even after all this time, she recognized her way.

Jacques was following her with a light feet. Armed with only a sword, and with nothing but a leather armor on him, he was a stark contrast to his taller, grimmer, and more heavily armored friend. But anyone who had an eye for danger could see that the man was not to take lightly. His movements were deliberate, his weight almost non existent, and his hand always on his weapon. If Gwen was a boar, smashing her way through the difficult terrain, Jacques was a lynx.

It took them less than an hour to find the right hill, and no more that minutes to finally get to the cave. Gwen froze at the sight, fear eating her guts. It was just as she remembered. The sound of water nearby, the smell of trees carried by the north wind, the gray stone covered with lighter spots. This was it. The cave, far away.

"I don't like it, muttered Jacques. There isn't a soul here.

-She's probably inside.

-If she has a crossbow, you won't make it past the entrance.

-Wait here.

-Not a chance."

Gwen sighted. She never disclosed the true nature of her relationship with Naomi to Jacques. Then again, she never asked for his help. He went on his own, not knowing what to expect.

"Don't draw your sword, let me handle things."

The very air was making her shiver. She steeled herself, tightened her grip on her sword, and entered the narrow opening, Jacques just behind her. Nothing had changed. Gwen remembered every detail of that cave, every asperity, the inclination of the roof, the depth of the cave. It took an instant for her eyes to adapt to the dim light inside, but as she walked in, she saw her.

Kneeling at the very end, the Nobushi was waiting, her wooden mask identical as the one four years ago. She was immobile as a statue, her weapon at her side, her armor perfectly adjusted, her skin sublimely light.

Gwen sighted, and with a brutal movement, parried the surprise attack.

The Nobushi had stretched forward, extending herself like a snake in a lightening attack, making full use of the great range of her nodashi. The blade would have pierced the warden's helmet in one stroke should she had not reacted so quickly. Holding her blade on her side as sheathed, the way all Wardens did when not engaged in battle, she simply raised her arm and used the crossguard to deflect the blow upward.

In the same movement, the Nobushi realized that the warden's sword was now directed at her face, the blade perfectly parallel at her own, now useless, weapon. She only felt panic as Gwen took a step forward, plunging the points through her mask, her face, and her skull, in a horrible crack of bones and cartilage. An incoherent bleating was all her lung could muster before a violent shake finished to shatter her spine, killing her instantly.

The wooden face fell to the grounds, cleanly cut in two, soon accompanied by a gush of blood, and a dead woman's body.

Gwen just stood there, contemplating her act.

"Well that was anti-climatic.

-… That wasn't her.

-You're right. She was less two-face last time Huhuhe.

-I'm serious. Gwen insisted. It wasn't her. I know her, she's not the right size.

-What you sew her a robe last time you met? Mocked Jacques. Listen, it's been four years ok? She was exactly where she was supposed to be, she attacked you, you killed her. A bit straight forward I admit, but hey, dreams never hold up to reality.

Gwen just groaned. No. It wasn't her. She didn't doubt, she couldn't let herself doubt. Her mind stiffened, she would not think about it until the next night.

Both turned back. They heard noises outside, people. A bunch of them.

"Ho my, blandly exclaimed Jacques, I think we are ambushed.

-Good. People to interrogate."

She went first, walking slightly side way, Jacques just behind her again. This proved to be a sound tactic when an arrow flew to them, only to slide over the Warden's armor and break itself inside the cave. They were five, armed with thick swords, lances, and one with a katana and a bow. None of them were decently armored, nor looked that skilled. They had fire in their eyes however.

"Kono Yariman! Exploded the one with the katana, You'll die right here!

-They're serious, commented the ex Lawbringer.

-WHERE. IS. NAOMI. Thundered Gwendolen, with such aplomb the group slightly walked back.

-Sh… She's dead! And her last words are for you! SHINE"

The apparent leader threw himself forward, katana in the air, and stroke with all his strength. The blade never got to Gwen's armor however. It stopped mid swing so suddenly, the chosen nearly lost his grip. Jacques had intervened, and grabbed the blade with one gloved hand. The others were stunned, and after an instant, the one with the katana tried to move his weapons, to no avail.

"What do you think Jacques?

-Well I'd be pissed if it wasn't so cute. Look at them trying so hard! So I'll give them half a chance.

-Hear that? Said Gwen, arming her sword. Those who can flee will be spared. Those who can't..."

Using his sword by his other hand, Jacques slit the throat of his trapped victim, making blood rain over the grass and leaves around. The others hesitated an instant, but charged anyway. To their death.

One with a lance tried to impale her, but put too much faith in his range. The Warden charged him with her shoulder, making the blade screech against her armor and catching him with a sure footing. His face cracked on impact, shattering his nose gruesomely, sending him on the ground screaming incoherently. His companion just besides him took a sharp breath as the knight was now just besides him. Two slashes, and he was rolling on the ground, his fleshed exposed to the bone, his liver poking out.

Behind him, Jacques had used the hilt of the katana as a mace, and hit his lancer so hard his jaw broke in a sinister crack. He fell to the side, making way for the last opponent, charging wildly, blade above his head. Jacques smiled. He deflected the poorly aimed strike with another swing of his blade gripped katana, and slashed him on the leg with his sword. Blood splattered on the soil as the Chosen screamed in pain, but Jacques wasn't finished. With a quick kick, he dislocated the man's knee while he was distracted, silencing his scream and throwing him down on the ground. Very deliberately, he thrust his sword in the wounded soldier's shoulder who fell back upon impact. As he touched the ground, the blade penetrated like a hot knife through butter, and broke the bones inside.

His eyes screamed in utter terror, flooded by pain and anguish as Jacques, smiling all the more, was enjoying every single second of it.

"Behind you" laconically warned the Warden.

Jacques expertly dodged the spearman charging his back. In a swift move, the ex lawbringer tripped the man who fell on his dislocated jaws with great force, and quickly ended him with a raging stab in the neck. If there was one thing Jacques didn't like, it was interruptions. Speaking of which he looked at his living victim, twitching in the ground in a desperate attempt to flee. Licking his lips, Jacques pinned him to the ground with his foot, trampling on his destroyed shoulder. Than, slowly, he applied the guard of the katana on his throat. There was an instant where both knew what would happen. One tensed up in fear, the other laughed in joy. A powerful stroke later, the man had a katana's guard through him to the hilt.

Jacques looked around, to Gwen's wounded yet still breathing opponent. One was dead without knowing it, trying in panic to keep his organs inside. The other was just blinded, holding his face as the blood of his pulverized nose was flowing on his eyes.

"You're gonna finish those?" Eagerly asked Jacques.

With two swings, Gwen slit each throat and let them quickly succumb to their wounds.

All Chosen were now lying on the ground.

They were all dead.

She was dead.

Jacques sighted with satisfaction.

"I guess that's that then.

-… I guess so.

Jacques cleaned his sword with the cloth of their attackers

-What did you do to her so that she'd try to kill you, even dead?

-I don't know.

-You raped her or somethi-

-No!"

The simple thought. The idea. Gwen was losing her calm. She didn't do anything wrong to her. But… But maybe, it was inevitable. Maybe the knights had been too cruel, maybe the she came to regret the night. Gwendolen could have understood, if she had said it to her. But to think she was dead. To think her last breath were polluted by hatred for her.

She felt tears on her cheeks, behind the heavy helmet.

"How about we get out of here? Journey's over. Maybe they'll take us back.

-We can't leave. We killed people. She said trying to sound as impassible as she could.

-Yeah, that kind of happen a lot this days. Especially around me. Hehehe. Figures.

-Not here, not in Nolden. It's a war free zone remember?

-So what, deflected Jacques, let them deal with it.

-The peace is fragile. If they found corpses in the forest…

She stayed silent a moment, pondering on the honorable thing to do.

-I'm going to give myself up.

-What you crazy!

-If I don't, how long until Chosen retaliate? No. There must be justice.

-Listen here pal, hammered Jacques, dead serious. Justice is bullshit. They'll hang you in a corner and find another excuse to kill themselves, that's how it's always been.

-Yeah. I guess they will."

The warrior threw his hands in the air in frustration, then simply departed. There was no farewell, no wished of luck. As always, he went the way he wanted. As always, she chose the path of honor.

The Warden was dragged to the center of Nolden by the powerful grip of the local Lawbringer. It had been a humiliating walk through the town, forced by law to remove her helmet, and now bound over her armor as a common criminal. Humiliating, and humbling too. Rarely did Wardens feel the same justice as others, for they are often on the front lines. Law, there, is absent, and the only justice that exists is will of the winner. But it was a time of peace, she was obligated to report her crimes, as every civilians should do.

She had hoped the matter would be solved quickly. This was why she had accepted to give her sword away, and was doing her best to keep up with the surprisingly fast Lawbringer. Despite his heavy armor and bulky halberd, he was nimble, energetic, and unflinching. It was no surprise that Jacques, despite being shorter than most of his peers, had the strength of a bull without so many plates on his shoulders.

They stopped in front of the well, the core of Nolden, where many were waiting for them. Among them, the representatives of the enclave. All four of them were armed, despite being technically on stranger's land, and their falsy relaxed stance betrayed their experience on the battlefield. However, while they seemed deadly, Gwen had killed hundreds of them, armed or not. She slightly smiled at the idea that, even at peace, her mind was still weaving plans to kill everyone she met.

"I summoned you, started the judge, jury, and executioner, because of a crime that concerns us all. As a Lawbringer, I am mandated to bring justice to the matter, under the Accords of the Shogun, signed by the Legion's hierarchy and blessed by the Empress Ayu."

The four samurai slightly bowed at the mention of their empress's name. One of them was more richly clothed than the others, wearing a black and light red kimono. Even far from home, perhaps because of it, traditions seemed to be heavily enforced in the Enclave.

"Before you is Gwendolen, sworn to the Warden Order and allowed as such to travel unsupervised on any territory under the Legion's Law. As of a few moment, she reported a skirmish within my jurisdiction implicating Chosen immigrants, under Enclave supervision as per the sixth section of the Accords of the Shogun. Warden, swear that all your words are truthful, honest, and sincere. Then publicly report the event."

And so she did. She related how she and a friend who did not wish to surrender to the law were looking for a cave, and were ambushed by Chosen. She explained how they attacked her due to the last words of a dead warrior, and how she fought to defend their lives. As she described the event, she took a good look at the crowd around her. Their judgment had gathered all the village now, and the tension was filling the air. She could see among the faces some Chosen, in cloths much like those of the native of these lands. Some of them showed sign of mixed ancestry.

They all knew the fight could spark a renewal of the battles. But she was there to make sure it wouldn't happen.

"So you have heard, proclaimed the judge. Per ancestral decree, the word of a Warden is to be taken as truth until contested by another Warden or one above all suspicion. And so, I declare the verdict, in order for justice to be done."

The whispers died out, and the crowd waited in silence. The Lawbringer took his knife and cut the ropes around the Warden's hand.

"The Chosen have attacked the Warden, member of the army, and therefore declared themselves enemy of the Legions."

A wave of horror and stupefaction seized the people of Nolden. Many took a few steps back, watching each other in confusion, in fear. The samurai gathered approached their hand to their weapon.

"And so the sentence is death.

-Wait!"

Before any blade could be drawn, Gwen interposed herself between the Chosen and the Lawbringer. She couldn't believe what she heard, and yet it seemed so logical in his mouth. She had hoped that she could avoid this very confrontation, and yet her naivety threatened to spark war. But it was no time for that.

"You can't do that, she insisted, you're going to break the Accords!

-The law is clear, answered the Judge, inflexible.

-But…

-You are of the Warden order, people under their jurisdiction attacked you. They are guilty. Now clear my path or die too!

There was so much power in his voice. So much hatred. A lust for blood that rivaled Jacques's.

-I may not be a Warden anymore!"

That last, desperate attempt shook the Judge. Slowly, he broke from his fighting stance, putting away his intimidating halberd. The silence was absolute. Gwen knew that by doing this, she was possibly signing her own death. But the peace had to be protected.

"What do you mean?

-I was assigned a position on the south, but I deserted to come here. Until my order judge me, I may or may not be a Warden. She smiled, a bit relieved. So you see, they didn't attack a military target."

She was appealing to his rigid following of the law. Before his defection, Jacques was inflexible to the point of stupidity, something he insisted was better than the alternative. A Lawbringer is more than a judge, his oath is absolute, he can do nothing against the law, nor can he circumvent it. He may be able to show mercy or cruelty on special cases, but in no way could he make a judgment if it meant breaking the law.

She could not see the face of the Judge, but she could read his moves behind his armor. He was evaluating. Of course that meant that he could execute her right now for desertion, false testimony, or just to appease the masses. But the peace was saved. The Legion's law protected it.

"Our men didn't know that."

The declaration froze Gwen's blood. She slowly turned around to see who spoke so. It was the black clad samurai. He drew his sword, soon followed by his companions.

"We sent them when we knew a Warden was here. An easy prey we thought, he continued.

-You lie! Exploded Gwen. Those men weren't targeting me by accident.

-But I must insist, they did. On our precise orders."

The situation was senseless. They were lying. They were lying for what?

"Then that settles it! For breaking the accord, you are condemned to/"

An arrow shattered on his armor, nearly making him fall over under the powerful impact. The metallic head bounced back into the crowd, and a scream of pain was heard. Soon followed by sounds of panic. Like one man, the four Chosen charged into battle, ready to cut both the Lawbringer and the Warden down. Her instincts took over.

Still armored, she rose her hand to protect her head, and jumped in their midst. Their swords clashed against her like a deadly barrage, but she powered through without falling, despite the blows to her arms and legs. Her armor had held on, and she was behind the now. She had distracted them long enough for the Judge to have broke one's neck by an implacable hit of the hammer of his weapon.

"To me! Shouted the Judge, surrounded by samurai, To me warriors of the Legion!"

All around, confusion broke, and people began running around as if on fire, howling like animals. Nobody saw from where came the arrow, and already people had drawn weapons. Were they trying to join the fray? Were they killing innocents randomly? How many fought for the Samurai? How many for the Knights? Gwen was lost, confused as everyone, unable to know who she should protect, who would try to kill her. All she could do was surviving.

Without a look at the battle that was beginning all around, she drowned herself in the frantic crowd and disappeared.

The night approached over the clearing where Gwen had stopped to take the time to breathe. She had recovered her sword, and her helmet, starting to feel like a Warden again. But do a Warden leave a battlefield? Did she had any choice? Sitting near a river, a few kilometers away from Nolden, she was washing herself to gather her thoughts. What exactly had happened? She wasn't sure. All she was sure of was that her armor was now stained with the blood of weavers, farmers, blacksmiths, and other innocents caught in yet another battle. Some had died grabbing her, begging her. And there was nothing she could have done. Another massacre for Nolden's castle horrific reputation.

Who was the enemy?

The Chosen had lied in order to begin a fight, and the Lawbringer had been eager to answer their provocation. Who was right? Who was wrong?

She splashed some water on her body, and washed away the blood, the confusion that stained it. Mind clear. Remember the Oath. The old Code.

Horses on the road behind her.

They were far enough for her to put back her armor back and so she came to them, weapon drawn, clean body and soul. She was Warden.

"If it isn't the unkillable cockroach!"

Jacques. Riding one horse, guiding the other by the bridle.

"How did you find me?

-Well, he said while stopping his mount, I wondered where would be the most sensible place to go for a fugitive, and then went in the exact opposite direction."

His laughter echoed through the inhabited forest. Despite his faults, Jacques was a sight for sore eyes, with his long beard and his sparkling gaze. He had visibly stole some horses, along with food, tents, cookwares… Everything one would need for a long journey. It was as if he had read her mind. And knowing Jacques, he could very well had come close.

"I saw the smoke, he said as Gwen was climbing her horse, Things turned bad at Nolden hu?

-You can say that again. I went to help preserve the peace but…

She stabilized herself on the horse, partially because it had been a long time since she rode one, but also to order her thoughts.

-It's like they had prepared for war. Like they wanted it to happen. I was this close to succeed when…

-Haaaaa don't bother Gwen, I know the drill.

-… You do?"

He looked at her with his serious look, the one heavy with experience, the look of the old but not quite dead yet warrior. They both headed forward, leading their horse to a calm rhythm.

"You think you can change people Gwen? I mean really? We've been at war since… I don't know, I feel like we've always been. Every time or so people come around to talk, and every time it ends in blood. Like this one time I got called to a farm where villagers wanted some breathing room to cultivate crops. It was sound, good even. The Vikings also had farms around, and they accepted immediately. Everyone needs food right?

-They killed each other?

-Killed each other? Hahahaheha! Worse, they pretended to visit the other's farm and salted the damn ground! I was there to see everything turn into dust. At the end of the day, most of those farmers had killed each other. At the end of the month, the whole place was dead, good only for troops to go through.

-Blood… The Warden didn't know what to say. But why?

-Why?! Loudly laughed Jacques. Because we fucking love this war!"

His hilarity resonated around them like the sinister capping of some dreadful beast, roaming around in the forest. Gwen wasn't sure she understood. She wasn't sure she wanted to understand. All her life had been oriented toward the goal of peace, of preservation. They were Wardens, living fortresses for all those in need of protection. But the way people were clawing at each other, the enthusiasm with which they started the battle over a closed case.

The very fact that the Chosen had prepared an ambush. That the Lawbringer had armed men in the crowd.

It was a madness she wanted nothing to do with. Not anymore.

"Don't think about it too much, the accords weren't gonna last anyway. So, back to the Warden's Sanctuary?

-I'm headed toward the Chosen's swamps actually.

-Ha! Figures. Nothing is ever over with you hey?

-I'm going to find her tomb. And then… Well, I'll figure it out."

She could not really explained it. She just needed it. Just like in that cave, four years ago.

"Coming with me? She asked Jacques.

-Me? Ha! And how would you find one tomb in this madness without me. You don't speak Japanese. Hell, you don't even speak the Merchant's tongue!

-The what?

-Hehehehe! Ho you're a good one, did I ever tell you that? Yeah, yeah I'm coming with you Gwen. There's no way I'm missing this."