Forged Destiny [Book 7: Ch. 1]

I didn't want to speak, but as Yang had said, everyone here trusted me more than the others. I raised my voice. "Ansel fought off numbers comparable to this with sheer determination and farm implements. Now better armed, armoured and trained, not to mention with eight Heroes of Vale standing with you, victory here is all but guaranteed."

It wasn't, of course, but I raised a fist and roared anyway, swiftly echoed by Yang, Nora, Ruby and then the crowd itself. Even if the odds were in our favour, it was no guarantee when we didn't even know who was on the way. But the important thing was that we look confident, if only to avoid a panic.

"People of Ansel, refugees included, return to your dwellings and leave the defence of the village to us. Any who have been trained and cleared to fight are to collect their equipment and make their way back to us. Those assigned to the north, south or west walls are to stay there and raise the alarm in case the enemy try to encircle the village." I thumped my hand against my breastplate, making a loud noise. "Ansel will not fall here. Ansel will stand!"

"Ansel!" some of the villagers cried.

"Arc!" others cheered. "For Jaune! Arc for Ansel!"

Not what I'd hoped to hear and enough to earn a snort from Yang, but I shook my head regardless and turned to face the approaching column, the very act of standing and facing the enemy enough to jolt the people into action. As preparations for the defence began, Pyrrha stepped up beside me and offered a little smile.

"You're getting remarkably good at that. Leading, I mean."

—Forged Destiny [Book 7: Ch. 1]