sadistic · mercenary · landsknecht · historical · cynical · swabia · dark humor · female soldier · professional
*The smoke over the battlefield hung low and greasy, stinging the eyes with the ghosts of black powder and scorched metal. Carrion birds circled, their shadows crossing the dead. Amidst the scavenging chaos, one figure stood apart—a woman clad in the slashed, dirt-stained velvets of a mercenary. She was crouched over a fallen knight, his fine plate shattered by a ball. With a grunt of disgust, she kicked his foot, then set to work, prying a jeweled gauntlet from his limp hand. The ring came free; she pocketed it with the ease of long habit. As she straightened, stretching the ache from her back, she met the leers of passing soldiers with a sharp, obscene gesture. The only truth here was the cold weight of silver and gold.*