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Post by Ringulf on Dec 7, 2013 14:33:26 GMT -5
(OOC This post is duplicated in the thread: "A Brave New Fife" were this thread will resume, all further plot from this story line can go there)
Ringulf gave Mylia a great squeeze around her shoulders before she rode off. He watched her as she disapeared down the Low Road that ran along the northern border of the marsh. He turned Chenlotte down the path that headed south to the Marshwarden's compound here in Westmarsh.
He dismounted as he drew near the stables. As he came to the gate he saw the large flatbed wagon with a skiff shaped box on it. That is, it was a skiff whose gunnels had been fitted with a hinged lid of sorts and made into the Warden's version of what Ringulf now came to realize was a coffin.
He saw Simone gathered with many of the Wardens by the wagon and also saw Aribjorn walking up from the quay with little Djolimar in tow. Djolimar split off to the main house but came out the front door with a load of things almost immediately and rejoined Ari as they all came together around the wagon.
Ari was the first to see the Fief's Ranger and called to him over the heads of the other Wardens whose backs were turned as they spoke with Simone.
"Ringulf! vell if you are not a sight for sore eyece I don't know vat iss!" called out Ari and many of the Wardens turned and raised warm but somber welcomes as well.
"Hello all! I am sorry to have been gone so long, but what has happened here?" he asked solemly, "and who is it that is no longer among us?"
"Simone stepped forward and the words caught in her throat. Ari put an arm around her and looked at the big Ranger, "Dere iss much to discuss vit you my Kinsman, ant ve must have our own little moot togedder to make our plans I tink."
"Yes we do!" said another voice coming down the path behind them "And I am afraid I have some additional news from the Port so I may as well join you." It was Geir just come west along the same Low Road from the Port to deliver his news to Simone. "I just saw Mylia on the way..." He stopped abruptly when he saw the wagon past the throng. "Oh no, who...?"
"It's Gracie Geir, Gracie is dead!" said Djolimar trying hard to be brave, but with a bit of a quiver still in his high, youthful voice.
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Post by Ringulf on Jan 27, 2015 0:05:23 GMT -5
Ringulf had said words over the fallen warden as all around bowed their heads. then the wagon and a group of the wardens moved set off down the pathway towards the main road to take their charge back toward her home and family in Westmarsh. Ringulf broke the solomn silence as he said in a gruff but comanding voice "Alright folks, we have work to do, I want to have all of you in the hall for a strategy session and I want to know everything that each of you know to this point, understood?"
"Um...Ranger Ringulf, Sir, what about me?" said Djolimar in an unsteady voice. It was not like him at all and Ringulf could see how shaken up he was.
Befor Ringulf could respond Ari interjected "Kinsman I tink you vant to hear vat Djolimar hass to say, I spoke to him before about de marsh and he had some very goot ideas!"
Very well Ari, there is wisdom in many counselors they say, age was never mentioned. Ringulf said with a warm smile to Djolimar.
Things had been cleaned up inside the house and the smell of some sort of large pasty was eminating from the oven along with some freshly baked bread set out to cool.
They all sat down to confer Ringulf, Simone, Aribjorn, Geir and Djolimar.
After hearing all their respective stories and recapping to put everything in order it was descided that Aribjorn would go back north and get back to his unit to try and see if he and a few of the Battleschool cadets could scout the trails for the possible wereabouts of the escaped criminals and Yule. Geir would act on and oversee the plan to get work crews and hunting parties from the local villages but also from Marshport's many refugees. He would go on ahead of Ringulf and meet with Katrina and see what had transpired with the brute squad letting Finn know Ringulf was on his way. Ringulf would escort Djolimar back to his cabin and stop to discuss some of the wisdom that Djolimar brought to the table as concerned the Marshmen and their remedies with Old Fowlur. Simone would rally the Wardens, recalling them all from their posts, homes and other duties and prepare them for a fight. Ringulf felt that with everything that was happening they should all be vigilent and expect a Scotti Raid from the North.
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Post by Ringulf on Feb 5, 2015 22:21:31 GMT -5
The two figures made a rather comical contrast if view from a ways down the road. A very large man walked beside an equally large chestnut horse and astride the horse was a rather small boy.
Only a short ways down the road Ringulf had climbed down off Chenlot and lead him by the reigns. He saw that poor Djolimar was walking as quick as a quale to keep up with his long strides.
"Djolimar, would you mind riding Chenlot for a bit? I truly need to stretch my legs and I would rather speak with you at or around eye level!" Ringulf said with a bit of a chuckle.
"Would I ever!" Djolimar said excitedly, "I don't think I have ever seen a horse this big that was not pullin' a plow or a wagon or something." Then he suddenly checked himself thinking he might have insulted Ringulf or his horse, or maybe even both.
Ringulf gripped him beneath the arms and hoisted him up into the saddle. He said a word to chenlot in Gaulic and the horse made no check in his stride as the boys weight slid onto his back.
"Em that is I never have seen such a big RIDING horse." He patted Chenlot's neck to make sure there were no hard feelings, He felt he was up so high he was likely to get a nosebleed and falling from here, or being thrown, would land him in a pile of hurt!
The leather creeked as he settled himself in the saddle and Ringulf shortened up the stirrups so the boys feet couild reach them.
"Chenlot is not your average Ranger pony Djolimar, I had always preferred to walk in the days after my...when I was on my own, but with apprentices to keep up with and a pretty big Fife to get around, well let's just say he was found for me because Crowley insisted I have a mount and I insisted that I needed one that I didn't feel like I had to carry on my back because of my size. With those Ranger ponies I feel like my legs might drag on the ground!"
"Is he trained like a Ranger pony?" the boy asked.
"Yes he is, exactly the same way, by old Bob. He has some draft horse in him, but he also has a bit of the big Gaulican warhorse blood too. He is as strong as an eliphant but he can run with the best of the ponys for speed, though his endurance in a gallop is less, he can canter for hours."
"Can I make him go by myself?" Djolimar asked with a wide eyed excitement.
"Sure, he neck reigns, so keep both reigns in one hand and just move your fist to the left or the right to turn. He will sense even your weight in the saddle so if you want to go forward lean forward if you want to stop lean back. he will start off in a trot then if you kick lightly he will increase his gates until he is galloping. Then for more speed, lean freward to his neck and stand in the stirups some, he will fly!"
"Um, actually I just wanted him to walk fast..." Djolimar said a bit hesitantly, "I am not much of a rider."
"Well I can't let you take him without giving you the right tools, so now you know just about everything, I imagine you understand the concept of "whoa" and pulling back on the reigns to stop?"
"Well yeah!" The boy said with a touch of exasperation.
"Well don't do that too hard or he will rear up and most likely kick whatever is in front of him. Old warehorse trick, also good for taking down doors and gates." Ringulf said with a devilish smile and one raised eyebrow. "Backing up is easy too, just pull the reins back to your right hip and twist your body slightly that way and he will know what you want."
Before long Djolimar was trotting and cantering down the road for a few hundred yards then turning and racing back. Chenlot thought it great fun and Ringulf laughed at the two frollicking about.
After a while Djolimar reigned up next to the big Ranger and was content to walk Chenlot next to his master as they discussed many things about his life on the marshes and the types of things he did day to day. They also spoke of Fowlur and the way they got along together as father and son. Ringulf had not made a very good start with Fowlur and was not sure why. Djolimar was convinced that it was due to the close relationship he had once had with the previous Ranger and the fact that he was killed. He also mentioned the fact that he thought there were men putting pressure on fowlur for some reason, back when the old Ranger, Ranger Donagal MacHeath, was still alive, he would protect Fowlur and Djolimar from any of the unsavory types like poachers and briggands, but he had never seen his father bring home so little when there was so much resource to be harvested as he had recently. He said that though he asked about the drop off, Fowlur would not speak of it to his son and told the boy to keep his nose clean and were it belonged.
It was a bit after nightfall when they could see the lights twinkling from within Djolimars cabin.
"Hey can I ride up on Chenlot and surprise old Fowlur, he will think I'm the headless Horseman!"
"More likely he will think a goblin stole a famhorse and is riding the banklands scarring the Marshfolk! But go ahead and don't get shot! I don't relish the thought of pulling arrows out of your behind!" Ringulf said as the boy sped off down the trail.
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Post by Firehead on Feb 20, 2015 4:36:41 GMT -5
As everyone filed out the door to prepare for their respective tasks, Simon lightly tapped on Ringulf's shoulder. "A word with you in private, if you can spare the time."
When they were separated from the others by enough distance that anyone wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation would be forced to be obvious about it, Simone went straight to the point. "We don't have enough marshwardens. Even once I've called up the reserves, we'll be short on manpower." She bit her lip, slightly nervous of airing her idea - even to Ringulf. "I've got an idea. I'm not going to say that you - or anyone else - will like it. But it would serve to solve our problem. I used to hang out with a lot of poachers back in Gallica, and they were as ready and willing to die as any soldier and just as loyal. You just had to convince them that the battle was worth the fighting. I'm not saying we convince my friends to come over here - THAT would be a nightmare...I'm saying we convince the poachers here. All I have to do is convince someone who has enough influence to convince the rest of them. And I know just the man." Here, she paused for a brief moment, before adding in a more thoughtful tone, "I just have to catch him first."
(OOC: that small but slightly important detail...lol) (PS:I'm ba-ack!)
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Post by Ringulf on Feb 20, 2015 10:31:07 GMT -5
I'm saying we convince the poachers here. All I have to do is convince someone who has enough influence to convince the rest of them. And I know just the man." Here, she paused for a brief moment, before adding in a more thoughtful tone, "I just have to catch him first."
Ringulf settled back with crossed arms stroking his beard as he often did when thinking. The poachers and the wardens knew each other well. They were sometimes brothers in the same family or friends who did their job by day and then would end up in the same Tavern at night.
"I like the idea Simone, We could actually do ourselves more than one service by pursueing that, the first is we get the type of "malitia" we need with men who both know the land and have cause to defend it, and we bring to light all of our known poachers. I may be able to pursued Baron Justin to declare amnesty for those who come forward and serve, I'm sure you and I could work out some form of limited time "game credit" for them to sweeten the pot."
"What will you need from me?" Ringulf said as he looked deeply into her eyes.
"How are you doing? are you sure you are up to this, you are tough...I know but, losing Gracie like this is a loss none of us were truly prepared for."
(ooc: I am so happy to see you back!!! Mylia is on her way to the cabin to see Finn and Katrina, and Gier will not be far behind)
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Post by Firehead on Apr 27, 2021 21:33:27 GMT -5
"I like the idea Simone. We could actually do ourselves more than one service by pursuing that, the first is we get the type of "malita" we need with men who both know the land and have cause to defend it, and we bring to light all of our known poachers. I may be able to pursued Baron Justin to declare amnesty for those who come forward and serve, I'm sure you and I could work out some form of limited time "game credit" for them to sweeten the pot."
"What will you need from me?"
"Amnesty for those who step forward to serve would be good, there's some that might decide to become Wardens, if we were to grant them a clean record. A game credit would work for others, but not if offered for a limited time--most of the poachers are doing so because they can't feed their families otherwise. You'd need to offer a limited game credit instead. Not all the poachers are going to come forward of course--there's some we'll never know about. That doesn't mean that they won't be willing to defend the fife or pass on information to us, but they'd rather remain anonymous. Poachers like their freedom. They also like having more than two options.
Oh, and if you wouldn't mind taking over things with the Wardens for a week or two, that would help enormously while I track down Oliver Frost." she added, naming the most wanted--and thereby the most elusive-- poacher in the fiefdom.
"How are you doing? are you sure you are up to this, you are tough...I know but, losing Gracie like this is a loss none of us were truly prepared for."
Simone shrugged, tucking her chin slightly. "Hurt. But I'll feel better once we bring Snow to justice....Oh, and once I've kidnapped Frost and blackmailed him into working for us." she perked up and grinned at him. "The Snows and Frosts have been blood feuding for decades!"
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