Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Jan 4, 2011 13:23:15 GMT -5
(OOC: this takes place in February 659 - Originally it was set in 657 but was advanced in time for plot purposes.)
The raft drifted down the river on the current. Normally it was poled, but today wasn't normal. Today, the occupants of the large raft were gathered in a tight circle around two men seated at a small table which held a chess set. The game was currently in progress and drawing to a close with three moves left.
All bets were on the man with the dark beard, for he had easily directed the game from the start. The underdog was abominably lousy at the game, having been checked several times and never even coming close to checking his opponent. Even now, he moved his king out of check, making it two moves left in the game.
Dark Beard grinned at the other man and slid his rook across the board to check the king again. The underdog leaned back, studying the board as he scratched behind the ear of a lean hound at his feet. There was no shift in the man's expression, but he wrinkled his brow with bemusement as he looked at his options.
"You're gunna lose." Dark Beard cackled. "You owe me ten gold for this trip!"
"Yer right." the underdog replied mildly as he leaned forward and slid his bishop over three spaces to block Dark Beard's rook. "Checkmate."
It took about ten seconds for the words to sink in. "What?!" Dark Beard let out a bellow and shot up straight in his chair to stare at the position of the pieces. "How did you do that?" he demanded, keeping his eyes glued on on the board.
"Easy," The man leaned back again in his seat and dropped his hand to scratch behind the dogs ear, tickling it with his fingertips and rousing the hound from his semi state of slumber. "I let you get an over-rated opinion of your chess skills."
Dark Beard glared murderously at the smaller man he had so grossly underestimated. "You can swim to shore right now, bub." he growled menacingly.
"That's fine. This is about where I wanted to get off anyway." the man replied, standing to his feet. He waked to the edge of the raft and waited calmly for someone to bring him his bag of belongings. Staring down at the water he said just as mildly as ever, "I can't swim."
"Good!" Dark Beard seemed to be maliciously heartened by that revelation, rather than disheartened by it. As one of the polers brought the man's bag and handed it to him, Dark Beard clapped a hand to the man's shoulder and grinned at him again. " Have a nice bath!" With that, he gave the man a firm shove sending him feet-first into the water. The polers dug deep with their poles at the signal and before the man had his knees in the water, they were out of his grasping reach.
The man in the water was in no immediate danger of drowning, however. He landed in water that only went up a few inches past his knees and stood there, facing the raft and watching as the hound and another, smaller, dog bounded off the raft and into the water, swimming toward him. A shout from the raft drew his attention back to it and he grinned as he saw the men pointing their fingers at him. His grin widened when he saw Dark Beard dancing with rage and shaking his fist in the marooned man's direction. Raising his hand, he waved vigorously back at them. That did nothing for the better improvement of Dark Beard's temper.
Grinning, the man greeted the two dogs who had now joined him, and waded toward the shore. "Next time he'll wait until he's past this spot before he goes dumping folks off of his raft." he predicted to the dogs. On dry land he waited while they shook themselves off and showered him with the excess water, observing dryly, "Thanks so much. Now if your quite finished?" He stepped past them and set out toward the city that showed it's rooftops through the trees, the dogs heeling behind him. --------------------------------
The man entered the ante room whistling cheerfully as he walked with jaunty step toward the far side of the room. The two dogs still trailed after him, seeming to be in as good a mood as their master. The small knot of people at the far end of the room looked up to watch as he approached, stopped, and gave a low, flourishing bow to the two women who sat in the middle of this group. "Your Majesty, and your Majesty's Highness, and your Majesty and Highness' ....." He trailed off with a frown as he searched for the address he wanted, couldn't find it, and settled for, "....daughter. It is good to see you once again!" he finished with another flourish. It was then that he realized that there were only two--and not three--people seated before him. "Oh."
The two women stared at him for a long uncomfortable moment of silence, before the younger of the two by far asked hesitantly, "Who are you?"
There were no flourishes this time as he replied. "Jango Turner, Ranger, at your service......Um....You know where I can find Crowley at? I...need to talk to him." And pull my foot out of my mouth! he thought as he shifted his weight uncomfortably.
The younger woman's face lit up as he said his name. "Jango Twobarrs, of course! I should have known it was you the minute I heard 'Johnny on the Moor' coming through the doors! Where on earth have you been?"
Jango gave a modest shrug, replying, "Oh, nowhere in particular."
The princess leaned forward. "Don't dodge the question, Jango! It's been forever since we last saw you. What have you been up to?"
Jango gave her a wide-eyed innocent look. "I don't know."
Knowing he'd dodged the question yet again, the princess scowled. Before she could press him about it though, Jango interrupted with, "So where's Crowley at?"
The princess gave him a dark look, letting him know that he wasn't entirely off the hook with her yet before she answered. "In his office, I believe."
"Why thank you your Highness! In honor of your merciful judgment upon this poor soul, I shall change my tune." Jango gave another exaggerated flourish and departed by way of the nearest door, signaling his dogs to join him. As he shut the door behind them, he started whistling 'Johnny on the Moor' again, making sure that the persons within the room he'd just left could hear him. Walking away, he heard a roar of laughter from within, and gave a smile as he went on his way.
Upon reaching Crowley's office, he checked with a mirror under the door to make sure that Crowley was indeed inside, then flung the door open with little regard as to who might be standing near it on the other side, and entered. "Hello, Crowley! Long time no see! How are ya?" Bracing both hands on Crowley's desk he stared into Crowley's eyes and asked, "Who are you?" as though he had never seen Crowley before.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 19, 2011 21:24:35 GMT -5
Crowley was sitting at his desk reading reports from his rangers across the country. Things were improving in some respects but crime was still a problem throughout most of Araluen. Winter crops in the south looked to be good this year which meant an easier winter and spring for everyone in spite of the toll the war had taken on the country, not to mention the long absence of King Duncan when he had been abducted.
He was interrupted from reading the report from Martinsyde by the faint sound of a scuff outside his door. He looked at it expectantly and nearly missed the mirror being slipped back from under the door. Crowley quickly eased his throwing knife out of its sheath and held it low behind his desk but read to throw as he watched the door fly open and someone vaguely familiar enter his office.
"Hello, Crowley! Long time no see! How are ya?" Bracing both hands on Crowley's desk he stared into Crowley's eyes and asked, "Who are you?" as though he had never seen Crowley before.
Crowley studied him for a moment and then eased the knife back into his double scabbard. “Jango,” he said calmly, though curious as to the rather strange behavior. “Indeed it has been a long time, especially since I got a report from you.” He eyed the ranger as he sat back in the chair trying to figure out why he had asked who Crowley was. Deciding to humor him, he said, “As you well know I am Crowley, the ranger Commandant, and your friend.”
Running a hand through his graying hair Crowley asked, “What has happened to you? Are you feeling all right?”
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Jan 20, 2011 11:03:11 GMT -5
Crowley didn't seem all that surprised to see him, although it had been quite some time since their last meeting. “Jango,”
"You're me?" Jango interrupted, "Now how on earth did that happen? For years I thought I was Jango, and now come to find out it's you. I'll be." Jango shook his head in mock wonder and amazement at this intriguing new fact, taking a seat across from Crowley as he did so.
“Indeed it has been a long time, especially since I got a report from you.” Crowley went on. Jango gave a guilty shrug of his shoulders at that. "Sorry, ran out of birds. It's not easy, sneaking messages past a bunch of river rats you know. They tend to start noticing things like that. But hey, I've only been gone, what? Two, two-and-a-half years? That's not so long, is it? Or maybe it is." he added under his breath as he thought about it.
“As you well know I am Crowley, the ranger Commandant, and your friend.”
Jango frowned at him wondering why Crowley was telling him something so obvious, then remembered. "That was rhetorical, Crowley. I know who you are."
“What has happened to you? Are you feeling all right?”
Jango squinted disconcertedly at Crowley. "What? Well of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be? I'm healthy as a horse. Always have been and always will be--at least until old age kicks in. As to your other question, the answer there is," he paused and a mischievous twinkle appeared in his eye, "nothing much!" It never failed to irritate whomever among his colleagues had asked the question.
Shifting around in his chair until he was sprawled comfortably in it, he snapped his fingers at his two dogs, indicating that they sit down beside him. "Might as well get comfortable. This is going to take awhile." he mused aloud. After a minute's hesitation in which to collect his thoughts, he plunged ahead into his lengthy report. ----------------------------------------------------
A few hours later, he wound up his oral report of chronological events to Crowley with, "And that's the last of it and you have the whole thing now. Now what?"
He tipped his head to one side awaiting Crowley's response, then remembered a question he'd wanted to ask earlier. "Oh, by the way, what's up with the King? I noticed he wasn't around when I stopped by on my way here."
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 20, 2011 12:27:11 GMT -5
(OOC: We actually have the King back in Araluen now, but we haven't role-played that all out, so that is why there isn't a big announcement on it.)
Crowley took notes while Jango gave his report, trying to refrain from interrupting him and asking too many questions. He had almost forgotten that reading a report from Jango was a bit like solving a jigsaw puzzle. The man was smart but he didn’t seem to think in a linear fashion like most of the rest of the rangers. He also had the infuriating habit of trying to irritate people, especially those in authority just for a good laugh. Crowley had to admit though that this tactic sometimes was quite useful in extracting information or influencing others and Jango was an expert at using it to his advantage.
"And that's the last of it and you have the whole thing now. Now what?" Jango finished up his report.
Crowley stood up and stretched and walked to the fireplace and poured him and Jango a cup of coffee and handed the mug to Jango before sitting back down again, trying to decide what mission he should send Jango on next. There were several things around the country that needed some investigating such as the bandit issue in Norgate, but the King already had some Knights investigating that along with the help of Norgate’s ranger. There were also all those disturbing murders that were happening to high profile criminals and seemed to be linked even though they were scattered all over Araluen and had been going on for well over a year now. No leads had been forthcoming in those deaths, but Crowley had to admit that he hadn’t spared an agent to check into them, given that all the victims were ones that seemed to get away with murder themselves. Crowley should bring the perpetrators to justice, but his heart just wasn’t in it. The way he saw it, whoever was killing these villains was doing him a favor. Still, the King didn’t condone vigilantes. Perhaps Jango could find out who was behind those murders.
To give himself more time to think, Crowley answered his question with a rather evasive one of his own, since Jango was so fond of those. “Well, I suppose now I will have to give you a mission, unless you would prefer a few weeks’ vacation?” Crowley raised an eyebrow at him. “You have been undercover for quite a long time and have earned week or two off at least.”
Crowley shifted through some of the reports on his desk, looking to see what other issues there were throughout the Kingdom. There were the river bandits and the missing apprentice from Marshwood, but Ringulf was assigned to that. There was surprisingly little to no news coming out of Picta and that concerned Crowley a great deal. Usually when things were quiet it was because they were up to something. They did have a truce right now, but it was a rather uneasy one and Crowley was certain that not all the Scotti were on-board with that truce, just as there was strong opposition from some Araluen’s that were stirring up trouble on this side of the border. Perhaps a foray into Picta might be a good mission for Jango.
"Oh, by the way, what's up with the King? I noticed he wasn't around when I stopped by on my way here."
“What? Oh.” Crowley looked up from his desk a thoughtful look on his face. “Well he is probably out making his presence known someplace around the city, taking care of affairs of state. He got dreadfully behind while he was gone.” Then Crowley realized that Jango probably didn’t know anything about that situation. “That’s right, you weren’t here. Duncan was kidnapped right from the Yule Ball almost two full years ago! Some pirates managed to grab him and spirited him off on their ship. He was rescued by a Baron from Gallica and eventually was returned to us, but not after several months.” Crowley was still amazed that no harm had come to Duncan other than the initial bruised head from the abduction. “Although the Princess did great in running things during His Majesties’ absence, there were a lot of things that got placed on the back burner government-wise and he is still pulling extra long hours trying to get caught back up and repair relations with some of our bordering countries.”
That reminded Crowley that he had wanted that Baron investigated. What was the man’s name again? He dug through a bunch of papers and pulled out one of Rick’s reports from Araluen Fief. “Ah yes, here it is.” Crowley said as he scanned through the report again. “It was one Baron R. Fallister Rathbone out of Gallica that found the pirate ship and rescued the King from their clutches. Still not sure why they would even attempt to kidnap a King either,” Crowley mused. “How did they hope to collect a ransom on him? I don’t know. Maybe they were working for another government and expecting to get paid from them. Either way they lost out. The pirate captain, one Tony the Razor is still wanted here in Araluen and as I understand it, he is wanted in several other countries as well. His ship is the Krackatowan Razor but he hasn’t been seen in an Araluen port since the incident.”
The more Crowley considered the issues plaguing the country, however, the less important it seemed to waste resources on the pirate. The navy would be a better tool for bringing that man to justice than the Ranger Corps. He was far more concerned with the situation in PIcta and the lack of news.
“So, if you don’t want a vacation, how would you feel about invading Picta and finding out what the Scotti are up to? It has been far too quiet along the border. We have a truce with them since the war, but there were at least three clans that were quite vocal about being against that truce.” Crowley looked at Jango, trying to assess his state of mind and how he felt about the possible assignment. “I could use an agent inside Picta to gather information on their activities along the border, assess their mood, and see how the treaty is being received over there, if the people like it or not and most importantly if there is any threat to Araluen from Picta right now.” Then Crowley remembered another disturbing tidbit from a report from Drayden Fief, “It also seems some of those mercenaries from Teutlandt calling themselves ‘The Grizzlies’ are still here in Araluen despite their band being broken up over in Gallica toward the end of the war. So if you see any men wearing these send that in a report straight away and find out what they are up to.” Crowley handed Jango a pendant made from twisted wire. It was shaped in a bear paw and the claws were denoted by red rubies set onto the wire strands. “Keep that, you might find it useful, but wear it sparingly, there are a lot of Araluen’s who recognize it and will think you are one of those Grizzlies and try to kill you first and ask questions later.”
Crowley sat back again, waiting for Jango to begin firing questions at him or accept the mission into PIcta.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Jan 20, 2011 15:47:51 GMT -5
(OOC: Oh, O.K.)
“Well, I suppose now I will have to give you a mission, unless you would prefer a few weeks’ vacation?” ......... “You have been undercover for quite a long time and have earned week or two off at least.”
"Oh, by the way, what's up with the King? I noticed he wasn't around when I stopped by on my way here."
“What? Oh.” ......... “Well he is probably out making his presence known someplace around the city, taking care of affairs of state. He got dreadfully behind while he was gone.” ........“That’s right, you weren’t here. Duncan was kidnapped right from the Yule Ball a year ago! Some pirates managed to grab him and spirited him off on their ship. He was rescued by a Baron from Gallica and eventually was returned to us, but not after several months.” .......“Although the Princess did great in running things during His Majesties’ absence, there were a lot of things that got placed on the back burner government-wise and he is pulling extra long hours trying to get caught back up.”
"Ah." Jango took a long swallow of coffee and absently tugged on Hambone's ear. "So he probably won't have the time for a good round of chess." He sighed, "Oh well, can't have everything going our way." He shifted in his chair again and leaned against the other side to play with Gravey's ears. "So, what kind of pirates were they? Ocean-going or river pirates? And what's the baron's name--in case I ever have the momentous opportunity to thank him?"
He watched Crowley shift through papers --he certainly had enough of them--on his desk til he found the one he was looking for. “Ah yes, here it is.” ..... “It was one Baron R. Fallister Rathbone out of Gallica that found the pirate ship and rescued the King from their clutches. Still not sure why they would even attempt to kidnap a King either,” Crowley mused. “How did they hope to collect a ransom on him? I don’t know. Maybe they were working for another government and expecting to get paid from them. Either way they lost out. The pirate captain, one Tony the Razor is still wanted here in Araluen and as I understand it, he is wanted in several other countries as well. His ship is the Krackatowan Razor but he hasn’t been seen in an Araluen port since the incident.”
"Ah. So he's an ocean pirate. Well, I suppose that's a good thing." He said reluctently. He turned his attention back to Crowley who looked deep in thought.
“So, if you don’t want a vacation, how would you feel about invading Picta and finding out what the Scotti are up to? It has been far too quiet along the border. We have a truce with them since the war, but there were at least three clans that were quite vocal about being against that truce.” .......“I could use an agent inside Picta to gather information on their activities along the border, assess their mood, and see how the treaty is being received over there, if the people like it or not and most importantly if there is any threat to Araluen from Picta right now.” ....... “It also seems some of those mercenaries from Teutlandt calling themselves ‘The Grizzlies’ are still here in Araluen despite their band being broken up over in Gallica toward the end of the war. So if you see any men wearing these send that in a report straight away and find out what they are up to.” Crowley handed Jango a pendant made from twisted wire. It was shaped in a bear paw and the claws were denoted by red rubies set onto the wire strands. “Keep that, you might find it useful, but wear it sparingly, there are a lot of Araluen’s who recognize it and will think you are one of those Grizzlies and try to kill you first and ask questions later.”
Jango took the pendant that Crowley handed him and studied it closely for several moments before leaning back in his chair and staring at it thoughtfully. Had he seen one of these a few--no, that was a maple leaf. Satisfied he let out a "Mm-hm." that made no sense to anyone who had no clue what he was thinking about. Yes, he could definitely see the usefulness of this.
Looking back up at Crowley he grinned at him. "Alright, so a few questions for you. First--what, pray tell, is a vacation? I've never heard of such a thing. What does one do on a vacation? Secondly--what's this about a war? What war? The Fens don't get all the news, and it takes a while to get there too. And lastly-- invade Picta, eh? Well hot dog, what are we waitin' for? Sure I'll do it! How many men do I get?" he asked, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm. A mischievous twinkle danced in his eyes as he waited for Crowley's response.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 21, 2011 13:20:04 GMT -5
"Alright, so a few questions for you. First--what, pray tell, is a vacation? I've never heard of such a thing. What does one do on a vacation?” Jango asked.
Crowley looked at him quizzically for a moment trying to decide if he was really curious or if he was trying to pull Crowley’s leg again. “A vacation is when you to have several days or a week or two where you don’t have an assignment or a fief to look after. You can go where you want to, visit your family or old friends, go on a drinking spree if you like, or whatever. Basically it is free time for you to do what you want or go see something you may have always wanted to see. You relax on a vacation. You unwind and the theory is after you have had a break from your normal duties when you come back you have more energy and enthusiasm for your job.” Crowley studied the look on Jango’s face. “Perhaps that wasn’t a good idea for you afterall. It seems you are the kind of person that likes to keep things moving along and stay busy.”
“Secondly--what's this about a war? What war? The Fens don't get all the news, and it takes a while to get there too.” Jango asked his second question, this one Crowely had been expecting.
“The war was between Aslavia against Toscano and Gallica. Toscano called for Araluen to come help and so we pretty much emptied the country of most of our able bodied men and sent them over to Gallica to fight. We managed to get assistance from Skandia for the transport of our men to Gallica. In the process we also negotiated a truce with the Scotti in Picta since the Aslavian’s were a threat to all of us, not just Toscano and Gallica and convinced the Scotti that it would be in their best interests to help send the Aslavians packing while they were still over in Gallica before they came here. The Scotti agreed, some more reluctantly than others, but they came and they helped turn the tide of the battle so that we won. One of our army units managed to kill the general leading the Aslavians and the Scotti and Skandians inflicted devastation on the Aslavians. After that they pretty much fell apart and retreated back through Toscano to their homes on the other side.” Crowley wondered how much of this was sinking in. Jango would need to know this background though if he hoped to guage the political climate in Picta.
“These Grizzlies, a mercenary group out of Teutlandt, were hired by the Aslavians, as nearly as we can figure anyway, to infiltrate the countries Aslavia was planning to invade and attempt to destabilize the government, create mayhem and rouse civil unrest in order to make it easier for the Aslavians to march in and take over” Crowley continued. “A couple of our rangers managed to capture the leader of the Grizzlies and disband the group operating in Gallica and sent most of them back up to Teutlandt. We are still having occasional problems with stragglers of the Grizzlies here in Araluen however. I am curious to know if they are operating in Picta at all, so that is one of the things you should find out.”
“And lastly-- invade Picta, eh? Well hot dog, what are we waitin' for? Sure I'll do it! How many men do I get?" he asked, clapping his hands together with enthusiasm. A mischievous twinkle danced in his eyes as he waited for Crowley's response.
Crowley shifted in his seat and ran a hand through his hair again, tiredly he said, “invade? Did I say invade? Bad choice of words…” he muttered under his breath. “Infiltrate – yeah, that is what I meant, infiltrate. I need you to infiltrate Picta and find out which of the Scotti clans like the truce with Araluen and which ones don’t. Then find out if they are up to anything to undermine the truce.” Crowley glanced at the two dogs. “Three. You get three and two of them are right here.” He pointed to Jango’s dogs, “if you want to take them and the third is your horse.” Crowley grinned at Jango. Two could play at this old game.
“Oh, and Jango, it would be nice if you didn’t wait 2 and a half years to report back. Some of us were beginning to wonder if you were lying dead in a ditch somewhere. You had better get a fresh supply of pigeons when you go restock your other supplies.” Another thought occurred to Crowley, “The Scotti don’t trust outsiders, so you will have to either disquise yourself as one of them, or come up with some character that will inspire the people there to confide in you. I will leave that up to you since you know your talents better than I.” He got up and moved to a strong box in the corner sitting on top of a wooden cabinet and unlocked it. Taking out two pouches he replaced the lock and then tossed the coins at Jango. There was probably close to 40 gold pieces in various sized coins between the two pouches. “The one is your back pay from the last two years and the other is operating expenses. If you need more than that for some reason while you are undercover send a report and let me know what it is for and how much. I will see if I can get you more if it is really necessary.” He pointed to the chain around Jango’s neck. “We should have ironed out the problems with the Araluen Castle Quartermaster and that silver leaf around your neck should get you all the supplies you need. If you have a problem, send word to me and I will take care of it.”
Crowley leaned against the front edge of his desk and reached down to pat one of the dogs. “Any other questions about your new assignment?” he asked, figuring he had better quantify the question instead of leaving it open ended or Jango might just ask him why dogs have pink tongues or chickens run around after their heads are chopped off or some other such silly question. He was happy to see Jango was okay and glad for the report, but he did have other business to attend to and Jango’s sudden appearance had just wreaked havoc with Crowley’s planned schedule for the day. He would be up into the dark hours of the morning again.
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Solo
Apprentice Cook
No! Seriously?
Posts: 82
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Post by Solo on Jan 31, 2011 10:51:45 GMT -5
“A vacation is when you to have several days or a week or two where you don’t have an assignment or a fief to look after. You can go where you want to, visit your family or old friends, go on a drinking spree if you like, or whatever. Basically it is free time for you to do what you want or go see something you may have always wanted to see. You relax on a vacation. You unwind and the theory is after you have had a break from your normal duties when you come back you have more energy and enthusiasm for your job.”
"That's supposed to be fun?" Jango asked, slightly appalled. It didn't sound at all fun to him--it sounded mind-numbing.
“Perhaps that wasn’t a good idea for you afterall. It seems you are the kind of person that likes to keep things moving along and stay busy.”
"Well yeah, what else is there to do?" Jango muttered under his breath as Crowley went on.
“The war was between Aslavia against Toscano and Gallica. Toscano called for Araluen to come help and so we pretty much emptied the country of most of our able bodied men and sent them over to Gallica to fight. We managed to get assistance from Skandia for the transport of our men to Gallica. In the process we also negotiated a truce with the Scotti in Picta since the Aslavian’s were a threat to all of us, not just Toscano and Gallica and convinced the Scotti that it would be in their best interests to help send the Aslavians packing while they were still over in Gallica before they came here. The Scotti agreed, some more reluctantly than others, but they came and they helped turn the tide of the battle so that we won. One of our army units managed to kill the general leading the Aslavians and the Scotti and Skandians inflicted devastation on the Aslavians. After that they pretty much fell apart and retreated back through Toscano to their homes on the other side.”
This was beginning to sound like a lecture. Jango forced a half-ways attentive nod at Crowley, encoraging him to continue.
“These Grizzlies, a mercenary group out of Teutlandt, were hired by the Aslavians, as nearly as we can figure anyway, to infiltrate the countries Aslavia was planning to invade and attempt to destabilize the government, create mayhem and rouse civil unrest in order to make it easier for the Aslavians to march in and take over” Crowley continued. “A couple of our rangers managed to capture the leader of the Grizzlies and disband the group operating in Gallica and sent most of them back up to Teutlandt. We are still having occasional problems with stragglers of the Grizzlies here in Araluen however. I am curious to know if they are operating in Picta at all, so that is one of the things you should find out.”
Alright, now things were getting interesting. This was information that he knew would actually have some possibility of coming in handy at some point.
“Infiltrate – yeah, that is what I meant, infiltrate. I need you to infiltrate Picta and find out which of the Scotti clans like the truce with Araluen and which ones don’t. Then find out if they are up to anything to undermine the truce.” ............ “Three. You get three and two of them are right here.” ......... “if you want to take them and the third is your horse.”
Jango eyed Crowley's wide grin and debated asking who he would get if he didn't take the animals. He decided against it, gave a sigh, and shrugged his shoulders.
“Oh, and Jango, it would be nice if you didn’t wait 2 and a half years to report back. Some of us were beginning to wonder if you were lying dead in a ditch somewhere. You had better get a fresh supply of pigeons when you go restock your other supplies.”
"I don't like pigons." Jango interjected.
“The Scotti don’t trust outsiders, so you will have to either disquise yourself as one of them, or come up with some character that will inspire the people there to confide in you. I will leave that up to you since you know your talents better than I.”
"Thank you. I always knew I knew something better than you did." Crowley ignored him and tossed a pair of lether pouches onto the desk. “The one is your back pay from the last two years and the other is operating expenses. If you need more than that for some reason while you are undercover send a report and let me know what it is for and how much. I will see if I can get you more if it is really necessary.” .......“We should have ironed out the problems with the Araluen Castle Quartermaster and that silver leaf around your neck should get you all the supplies you need. If you have a problem, send word to me and I will take care of it.”
"Sure, sure." Jango replied sounding bored with the conversation. Discussions about mundane things like old problems with the Quartermaster quickly lost his interest. He was glad when Crowley changed the subject. “Any other questions about your new assignment?”
"Well.....lets see. I have a Hambone, Gravey, and Whatever.....Would you like some soup?" He asked abruptly, mischief lighting his eyes once more. Turning more serious he asked, "Are we having trouble with anyone up that way? Anything at all? Or has it really been that quiet? Maybe they took to the plague."
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Post by Brandwyn on Feb 4, 2011 14:56:06 GMT -5
"Are we having trouble with anyone up that way? Anything at all? Or has it really been that quiet? Maybe they took to the plague." Jango asked.
Crowley rubbed his forehead again and sat back in his chair for a moment, considering the question. “It seems that for the most part the border has been closed off with none of the usual trade going on, with one notable exception.” Thinking back over all the reports from his northern rangers, Crowley did his best to give a clear picture of the state of things along the Scotti border.
“Normally there are a few raids here and there where the Scotti invade our side of the border or some of our bandits prey on folks on their side and usually the rangers, border patrol or the Scott’s patrols mop up those situations. Not so anymore as far as we can tell. The normal raids on farmers along our border have stopped and there is an entire bandit gang that was plaguing Marshwood that seems to have disappeared with no help from anyone on our side. We suspect they were killed after crossing into Scott lands to raid the sheep herders there.” Crowley took a sip from his mug, the coffee was going cold.
“Over in Norgate we have been dealing with a very large party of bandits, some of which we know are Scotti, but not all of them are and they have been behaving more like a small army than a group of common thieves. They are operating in Norgate, however and don’t seem to be making any contact with anyone across the border. There are several agents engaged in rooting them out right now. They seem to have an agenda that involves eliminating and harassing our Araluen military and their families, but again, we haven’t found out why for sure.”
Crowley wondered if Jango had picked up on the ‘exception’ he’d mentioned earlier. “Merchant trade between the two countries has halted. The few merchants who have attempted to cross into Picta by the usual trade routes have returned with tales of being beaten and robbed, their wagons and everything stolen by the Scotti bandits before they get to the border.” Crowley picked up a report from Marshwood. “The one exception seems to be a Skandian merchant named Glorfindel who calls her business ‘The Valkyrie Forge’. Apparently she got through the mountain passes undetected this past summer. She didn’t really have much news out of the ordinary though, I am afraid, at least not so far as the Marshwood report indicates.” Crowley turned the report over as if to see if there was any more to it, even though he knew there wasn’t. “She might have some useful information if you can find her. I understand she travels all over the north eastern fiefs and into Picta selling her wares and shoeing horses.”
Crowley thought for a moment, trying to remember if he left anything out. “Other than that there hasn’t been any word from Picta. I doubt that it is plague. I think we would have heard about that by now if it were.” Crowley remembered Jango’s last question. “No, I think they have closed off the border and the Scotti are plotting again. They would like to get their hands on some of this nice lush bottom lands along our side of the mountains you know. The truce has never been a very strong one and now that the threat is over from Aslavia, there is nothing to hold them to the truce.”
Standing up and pouring himself another mug of coffee, offering to pour Jango some as well, Crowley said, “Maybe you can unravel the mystery and find out what is going on and if they are up to something.”
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Post by Jordyn on Jan 24, 2014 21:54:32 GMT -5
Emily forced herself not to laugh. She had been hiding in the doorway of Crowley's private chambers, outside the fire light, and her cowl over her head. She slowly brought her throwing knife up and threw it to the left of Crowley, barely missing the Commandment as he sat down. She stepped into the light and pushed her cowl back onto her shoulders. ''The last time I snuck in here,'' She said, a smile playing on her lips, ''I was trying to steal gold from you. I can't believe you forgot were my favorite hiding spot in the entire castle is, Crowley, my......step uncle, if I may.''
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 26, 2014 16:48:05 GMT -5
Crowley didn't flinch as the knife thudded into the corner of his chair next to his head where, if one looked closely enough, one would see a few other knife blade scars in the wood. Calmly he pulled it out and set it on the desk in front of him.
"I expected you to turn up a good hour ago, Emily," Crowley said as he scribbled down a note and handed it to Jango.
"Jango, thanks for your report. Here is a note for the supply master here at the castle so you can get whatever you need for your journey," Crowley finished up with Jango. "Oh, Red is town this week. He might have dropped in on Greenriver down at his cabin. I thought you might be interested in that information. Off you go now." It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Jango coming in and giving his report in person, but he did have at least two hundred other things he had to get done today before he could get some sleep tonight.
As Jango left with his two dogs following him and the shrill whistle of 'Johnny on the Moor' wafting back through the doorway, Crowley turned his attention on his somewhat wayward 'neice'. 'Rangers are such a tempermental lot,' Crowley thought for at least the fifth time that day alone. Keeping control of them was like herding cats. Bringing his attention back to Emily he handed her knife back to her, hilt first.
"Who says I had forgotten?" he asked. He knew she, as well as a few others liked to eavesdrop on his study. He really would be better off in a more secure room but he liked the view and the big fireplace in this one, especially on these chilly late winter days. "So, My Dear, what can I do for you and how have you been lately?" he asked Emily. "Do you have anything to report - and please - if it is going to take four hours to deliver it, do me a favor and go write it down." He wasn't up for another report like Jango's at the moment.
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Post by Jordyn on Jan 26, 2014 17:52:48 GMT -5
. "So, My Dear, what can I do for you and how have you been lately?" he asked Emily. "Do you have anything to report - and please - if it is going to take four hours to deliver it, do me a favor and go write it down." He wasn't up for another report like Jango's at the moment. She sighed and reached into her pocket and grabbed the small bag of money she had wanted to sneak out. She traded it for her knife and sat down on the chair, her black eyes sparkling. ''Who said I had anything to report? What if I just wanted to come see when I could lealeave the castle walls before I go insane from not having anuthing to do?'' She smiled sweetly. ''I know the King said I couldn't , but why can't I? I've done everything I was told and its not like I'm about to rebel against him. I know where that gets you.'' She sighed again, a frown replacing the smile that had lit her face. She muttered something under her breath. ''Please, Crowley? Can I at least go see Pauline ? I haven't seen Halt in a while.'' She almost certainly knew what his answer was going to be. Tue same as all the other times she had asked.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 27, 2014 0:25:06 GMT -5
Crowley considered her request. Keeping a bored ranger cooped up indoors was generally not a good idea, however risking the King's wrath was also tempting fate. The fact remained that King Duncan did not trust Emily simply because of who her father was. If Crowley sent the girl on a mission the King would be sure to be mad and give him perhaps more than just a lecture this time.
On the other hand, Jango's visit had reminded him that there were several investigations that needed to be wrapped up. He got up and pulled out his file on the Krackatowan Razor. The file was fairly thick but most of the entries were from several years ago. In the last seven years there was only one negative report, but it was a doozy! One shouldn't be allowed to just walk away from kidnapping the King.
That whole incident was still hanging over Crowley's head and every time he spoke with Duncan he was reminded of the fact that the original culprits had not gotten caught. The problem was he wasn't entirely sure it had been the Razor and her crew that were responsible for statching the King that night in Norgate.
Crowley nodded, figuring if Emily were successful it would not only satisfy his own curosity about who did it and the King would probably get over being mad if there were some criminals found to be responsible for the kidnapping. He wasn't sure if the Razor was involved or not, but it was time to find out.
"OKay, I have something for you if you really do want to get out of the castle," Crowley said to Emily. "We have intelligence to suggest a certain ship named the Krackatowan Razor was involved in the kidnapping of King Duncan. Unfortunately the ship, its crew and most importantly its captain escaped. The Captain is Antonio de Cortino, a respectable merchant, he would have you believe. However he is actually none other than the pirate, Tony the Razor.
"What I need you to do is find out where his ship is and what he is up to now and then report it tback to me so I can have a team come in and arrest him," Crowley ordered. "The last word I have here is that he is wanted in Araluen, Hibernia, Toscano (his home country), Aridi and possibly Gallica and Skandia though there are conflicting reports on that. Oh and there is a bounty on his head from the Teutdlandt monarch. Apparently they would prefer him dead seeing as how the reward is half if you bring him to them alive."
Crowley scanned the top few pages in the file. "Looks like he was sighted a bit over a year ago trying to put in to a Seacliff port but he headed back out to sea. There is another report here stating that he made some deal or has someone helping him in Gallica who has very high political influence." Crowley looked a bit more through the papers. "There may have been a sigting of him in Hallasholm about 4 months ago before the winter got too rough."
Crowley wrote a note for her for the Quartermaster to get her outfitted and then he wrote out her official orders to track down Tony the Razor. He handed them over to her. "I would try to avoid letting the King know anything about this until you are on a ship and it is too late to recall you." Crowley suggested. He gave her a hug like a father would a daughter. "Good luck and take care of yourself and do NOT try to bring him in alone. You find him and report to me. Do you understand?" he asked sternly.
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Post by Jordyn on Jan 27, 2014 4:31:57 GMT -5
"I would try to avoid letting the King know anything about this until you are on a ship and it is too late to recall you." Crowley suggested. He gave her a hug like a father would a daughter. "Good luck and take care of yourself and do NOT try to bring him in alone. You find him and report to me. Do you understand?" he asked sternly. She hugged him back. ''And if I eun into him? One cannot lie to one's King.'' She was smiling, though on the inside, she was rolling over ideas. 'Calm yourself,' she thought, sullenly, 'Your not even outside the Castle yet.' ''I know, I know, Crowley.'' She said. She looked at him again, her eyes glimmering mischievously. ''And what would you do if I did try to take him down on my own? Or if I fall in love with this 'Tony the Razor'?'' She nodded, as if her questions were real. ''Aren't yiu mad that-'' She gestured toward the bag of money, ''- that happened? Because if you are I formally apologize. Why do I get a sinking feeling that I'm proving King Duncan's point?''
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 28, 2014 23:45:49 GMT -5
She hugged him back. "And if I run into him? One cannot lie to one's King." She was smiling, though on the inside, she was rolling over ideas.
Crowley saw the look in her eyes and sighed. "I know perfectly well you can make yourself invisible when you want to, so don't give me any of that. If you run into him its becuase you wanted to.
'Calm yourself,' she thought, sullenly, 'Your not even outside the Castle yet.' "I know, I know, Crowley,"she said. She looked at him again, her eyes glimmering mischievously. "And what would you do if I did try to take him down on my own? Or if I fall in love with this 'Tony the Razor'?" She nodded, as if her questions were real.
"Well, I said that out of concern for his hide as much as your own. We want him alive and in good enough shape to talk to us," explained Crowley. "Wait a minute! Did you say fall in love with him?" Crowley did a doubletake as her words sunk in. "Why would you do that?" The thought had never occured to him. 'Only a female ranger would ask a question like that,' he thought. Then he realized she was probably just teasing him and Crowley scowled as he leaned back in his chair again.
"Aren't you mad that-" She gestured toward the bag of money, "- that happened? Because if you are I formally apologize. Why do I get a sinking feeling that I'm proving King Duncan's point?'
Crowley looked down at the sack of coins she had purloined and returned. "I attribute it to bordum and your need to be doing something," He picked up the bag and tossed it back to her. "Besides, you are going to have operating expenses and will need travelling money on your way." He pondered her last words for a moment before answering. "His Majesty should understand being cooped up inside this castle, but in your case he is blinded by his hatred of your step-father, Mogorath." Crowley knew they'd already had this coversation a coouple of times, but he wanted to reassure her. "He really doesn't have anything against you, he just hasn't taken the time to get to know you." Crowley said.
"As for your tendancy to 'lift' things, it is understandable, given your childhood." Crowley mused. "Perhaps, though, we are going to need to do some retraining there to help you resist the urge in certain situations."
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Post by Jordyn on Jan 31, 2014 23:29:52 GMT -5
Her demeanor turned cold. She glared at the wall. ''You know that's a lie.'' She muttered. ''What he's doing is punishing me because of what my dad did.'' She caught the bag of money and put it in her pocket. ''Re-training?'' She asked. ''Why?''
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