Mri
Apprentice Scribe
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Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Dec 24, 2009 20:49:38 GMT -5
Galen felt a tug of jealousy as Teresa quieted at Ian's words, but he hid it well...from all but Jock of course. That kid had this uncanny ability to read him like no other. He made a slight hand signal to the lad once he saw his eyes land hard on Ian's form, not wanting any extra trouble. Shoving his own emotions aside, he nodded. "Give it to her."
Galen had noticed Jock's earlier shifting of the body and puzzled over it now, wondering what the lad had seen. He had no way of knowing that Brandwyn had pulled a dagger as she woke for he had not eyes in the back of his head, but he knew something had signaled enough danger for the lad to react, albeit slightly. And it was the last part that troubled him the most. Jock wasn't one to make idle attacks, always going in for the fastest kill possible...unless the person was out of range, but if the lad had sensed danger, he would've warned them. So why just a shift?
And then his thoughts turned to the girl and Jock's previous actions, and his heart grew cold. He cared for the lad and wanted nothing but the best for him, but if the situation called for the girl's death, he needed to know that he could rely on him. Frowning on the inside, he wondered how so much could change in such short time. And how much could still go wrong.
His eyes traveled first to Teresa and then to Malleus before settling on Jock. He started to part his lips, when the lad dove at him, knocking him clean to the floor. A flash of light streaked above him and he quickly rolled into a crouch - Jock having already done the same.
Seemed like her screams had alerted them like he'd thought. But dang it, he'd thought they'd have more time...
He didn't give another thought to it as he moved toward Mallues to prod him awake. Another arrow crashed through the window, setting another fire. If they didn't hurry, they'd be trapped inside; but if they hurried too much, they'd run straight into their hands...Regretting the fact that he'd dragged two 'innocent' bystanders into this, but knowing that it couldn't be helped, he fell back on what he knew and grew emotionless. "You'd have a better chance with sticking with us for the moment, but the choice is yours."
Malleus reacted quickly as soon as he woke, guaging the situation by the smell of smoke and ignoring the pain in his arm. And so Galen ignored the flittering catch of it across his face. "Unknown targets; outside."
Malleus gave a nod of his head before making his way to a window. He felt three taps on his shoulder and knew Jock was beside him and three others were in the room, excluding him and Galen. He assumed who two of them were, but who was the third? As if reading his thoughts, Jock tapped the word for 'mother' on his arm. Thoughts and questions swirled his mind, but he quickly dismissed them, knowing there was no place for them on the field.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 27, 2009 15:36:03 GMT -5
Brandwyn cursed as a burning arrow streaked through the window, narrowly missing Galen and the boy. It crashed into the fireplace mantle next to her head and she ducked instinctively. The flames began to lick at the wood and she grabbed the nearest liquid to hand, the pot of soup from earlier, and doused the flames.
She handed the mug of sleeping draft to Ian as she lurched to the window just in time to see where the second flaming arrow came from. She launched her own arrow and heard a satisfying scream as it found its mark.
Unfortunately the second arrow had set the cabin on fire in the kitchen area and the others all started scrambling to get out. She grabbed her and Ian’s gear as he gathered up Theresa in his arms. She waited to hand him his crutches, being sure to stay out of the line of fire. She glanced at Jock, a look of fear in her eyes, wondering if he was as scared as she was. He didn’t look like it and she took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. If he wasn't afraid, then she should appear not to be as well.
__
Ian lowered Theresa to the floor and got her to swallow a few mouthfuls of the sleeping draft. He hoped Brandwyn had remembered all the right ingredients, but only time would tell. At least Theresa wasn’t screaming or fighting them now.
He glanced up in time to see Brandwyn shoot through the window and smiled proudly at her as he heard the arrow strike an opponent in the dark. It was an impressive shot – especially for someone who had only been shooting a bow and arrows for the last seven months or so.
Then the fire started spreading and he moved to gather his crutches and weapons. “You are going to have to carry her. I can’t with this broken leg.” Ian said to Galen. “Brandwyn and I can cover you as you go to the barn. You have horses?”
He completely missed the fact Galen was getting jealous of his attention toward Theresa, having no romantic thoughts toward her, but he hadn’t missed the way the man had looked oddly at Brandwyn. Though he wanted to get away from them, now was not the best time.
“This is probably a scouting party from the Aslavians. Could be a dozen men out there.” Ian stated the obvious. “We can run, or we can turn tables and go after them in the dark.” He looked around, knowing he was not going to be much good at that unless he were mounted. Brandwyn, on the other hand, had a natural gift for sneaking around in the dark. He suspected that the boy and Galen did too. Still… the odds were definitely against them and they would have to leave a crippled blind man guarding Theresa.
First of all they had to get out of this cabin. He doused the light, plunging the cabin into near darkness, the only light coming from the dying fire in the fireplace and the growing fire in the kitchen from the arrow. Smoke filled the small room and Ian knew they had to leave soon.
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
:)
Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Jan 1, 2010 18:51:06 GMT -5
The girl was a good shot, Galen acknowledged at the sound of it hitting true, but made no outward sign of it. He penciled the information into his mind for later assessment though, deciding if they were staying to help, he might as well know their strengths.
“You are going to have to carry her. I can’t with this broken leg. Brandwyn and I can cover you as you go to the barn. You have horses?”
Galen shook his head at Ian's question as he scooped up Theresa in his arms, but instead of turning to the door, he handed her off to Mallues. Jock had warned the man of Father's intention with a few taps on his arm and as she was deposited in his hold, Malleus gave a nod of his head in understanding. He knew these grounds well and considering his own inability to fight as accurately as the others, he'd be tasked with keeping her safe. He ignored the pain in his arm as he moved across the room to the door, ready to head out as they covered him.
“This is probably a scouting party from the Aslavians. Could be a dozen men out there.”
Galen gave a nod of his head even as Jock finished slipping out a back window. Even after all this time, he still admired the boy's ability to move without being seen. Despite all of Galen's training in such arts, he doubted he would've been able to slip out unnoticed with the cabin lit like it was.
“We can run, or we can turn tables and go after them in the dark.”
"We're fighting only enough to get out of here." Unless presented with an opportunity. Though the Family held no sides in this war, for their own country was not involved, they'd rather not have the Aslavians gain control over Gallica. Nevertheless, orders were orders and he wouldn't outwardly rebel against them, though in such a situation...a few extra deaths might be excusable.
As the cabin was doused into darkness, Galen dropped into a crouch in case they decided to shoot anymore arrows through the windows. He'd been on too many missions where a newbie let loose before guaging what the situation had now become after such a 'sudden move' to simply stand there. But seeing/hearing nothing of the sort, he made his way to the window before remembering that they had 'guests.'
"Wait a minute before making your way to the trees. Left side. Unless it gets too hot in here."
And with that warning, he slipped out to help Jock clear their path out of here. He managed to slip between two archers before circling around behind the one on his left. A knife was already in hand as he covered the man's mouth, giving him quick and easy access to the man's throat. Within seconds the man was limp in his grip and not wanting to make too much noise, Galen lowered him to the ground.
He tensed as he sensed someone behind him, but with two taps on his shoulder it was immediately dispelled. Jock had alredy taken out two others and their minute was just about up. He gave a nod as he bent to confiscate the man's weapons and clean off his blade in the grass before sticking it back in its scabbard at his waist.
He stood with the bow ready to provide extra cover even as the door to the barn opened. He doubted his aim was as good as the girl's, but he'd been trained in it (along with numerous other weapons) when he took the job and wasn't half bad. And as multiple arrows were loosened on the flinging door, he began to pick off where they originated from even as Jock slipped away with the same goal in mind. And not for the first time, he wondered about the boy's increased deadliness should the lad ever think to pick up a weapon.
Immediately after the first volley of arrows, Malleus darted out of the cabin, ignoring the heat of the flames. He made a zigzag pattern toward the woods, trying not to flinch or drop Theresa along the way.
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
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Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Jan 8, 2010 16:21:16 GMT -5
Malleus dropped into a roll on pure instinct, sucking in a breath as an arrow grazed his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, the roll would've worked well enough, but he was holding a woman - an unconscious (or rather ex-unconscious) one at that - so instead of rising to his feet within a second, he was left lying on the ground in full view of the archers.
An arrow hissed and he rolled quickly to the left, stopping with Teresa beneath him. He gritted his teeth as he hit his recentally retreived stump of an arm, but fought it as he heard her groan beneath him. She was coming to; she'd never been one to hold medicine well; Galen should've remembered to tell them to make a stronger dose...unless he had other plans in mind. Another arrow served as a reminder that he didn't have time to think on it now. He had to get them to safety.
He rolled again, coming up on his knees with the toes of his feet dug slightly into the ground. He shoved himself forward, awkwardly stumbling to his feet as he tried to hold on to her. She gave a minute twitch and he knew he didn't have much time. He'd 'seen' her like this once before - a good while back and had been sworn to secrecy, unable to tell even Galen.
Fear gripped him hard in the belly, but he shook it away as he moved under the cover of the trees. He'd given her his promise; he had to leave her. But first he had to get Jock off his trail...He knew the boy was probably somewhere close to give them 'cover' and whatever he saw, he'd take back to Galen. So first, Malleus had to find him...
He gave a low whistle. Silence. But he knew he was there.
"I'm taking her to safety. We'll meet-"
The snap of a neck - a slight ruffle of the leaves.
"- back up with you guys when it's safe."
Silence - minus the sound of arrows in the clearing. Despite his beating heart, he knew it'd probably been only thirty seconds since he'd left the door and without any further wastement of time, he took off into the trees, heading for town. She'd never make it. And neither did he.
She awoke within a few minutes, twisting violentally in his grip to arch herself out of his arms. He'd dropped her and jumped backwards as soon as he felt her movement, but she was quicker, swiveling on the ground to knock his feet out from beneath him. He toppled with a crash; his breath leaving him as he rolled in an attempt to stand. He'd just managed to get on his toes when two, small hands gripped his head - one cupping his jaw, the other wrapped arund to grip the left side of his face. His heart jumped into overdrive as he threw his forearms up to connect with hers and then twisted harshly to the left even as he ducked and shot out to the right.
There was no reasoning with women when they were 'sober,' but Teresa had been transported back to a memory she'd tried desperately to supress. The last time he'd tried to get her to let it surface completey - arguing that she'd be in confinement and guarded by the Famiy, but she'd retaliated with making him swear that he wouldn't inform anyone, including Galen. Unfortunately, he'd been forced into giving his word or he would've told as soon as they got back; he doubted such high supression was healthy. The current time only backed up his theory.
Teresa had jumped as soon as her target had broken her grip, spinning her body as she kicked out, connecting with his jaw. She heard a residing pop as it snapped out of place and then a thunk as he hit the ground. She spun around to face him and before he could rise to his feet, she brought her other leg straight up to shoulder height before dropping it down on the man's face - shattering his nose into his brain.
She bent to check his pulse to make sure he wouldn't inform his boss of her whereabouts, and only when she found nothing, did she stand back up and slip further into the trees. She'd find him before he found her this time. He'd pay for her torture. He'd pay for everything. Soon.
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
:)
Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Jan 8, 2010 16:37:02 GMT -5
Galen didn't think anything of it when Jock slipped back to his side and flashed his hands to relay Malleus' message. He gave a nod of his head despite his want of keeping Teresa close. It'd be less of a hassle if Malleus got her to a village doctor and treated before meeting back up with them and besides, the field couldn't be crowded with emotions if he wanted to keep them alive.
So shrugging his own wants and wishes off the field, he watched as Jock held up two fingers, shook his hand and held up seven more. Two more down, seven more to go. Bending of the hands inward, closing of the fists. Galen gave a nod of agreement.
"Time to draw them deeper and finish them off," he voiced for Brandwyn and Ian's sakes and without waiting for a reply, he slipped further into the woods in the opposite direction that Malleus had taken. They'd lead them right into a trap before circling around and finishing them off - save one if the situation allowed. He wanted them off their trail and if he could send the message of her 'death' back to Abdulah, he might just get what he wanted.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 11, 2010 12:47:05 GMT -5
Ian and Brandwyn launched a few arrows out into the darkness when they thought they had a chance of hitting something. Ian definitely shot and killed one man who toppled into sight from a tree and Brandwyn wondered how on earth Ian had known the guy was up there. She could only guess now that they were shooting regular broad heads instead of flaming arrows.
The cabin was growing uncomfortably hot. She took a moment and grabbed up their packs and tossed them both over her shoulder and staggered a moment under the weight. Then she readied another arrow on her string and nodded to Ian. She was ready.
“Go,” he ordered her and she darted out, dodging an arrow that slammed into the cabin wall behind her. She had seen exactly where that one came from and launched on in return. The man’s shrieks ended in a gurgle as the blood flowed from the arrow in his throat.
Ian moved with her, shielding her from the brunt of the attack and he shot another one just as they reached the door of the barn. She struggled to open it and finally ducked inside, only to find an Aslavian looming in front of her with a big grin on his hairy face. She lashed out with her foot and kicked him in the groin as hard as she could and when he doubled over, she brought her elbow down to the back of his neck at the same time as she plunged her knee upward into his face.
There was a sickening ‘crack!’ and the man slumped to the floor and didn’t move. Brandwyn stood there for a moment, staring at the side of his face that was turned toward her from a strange angle on his broken neck. Her stomach lurched and she moved away and threw up. Killing from a distance was one thing, but she had acted instinctively this time and she’d had no idea she would have ever been capable of breaking a man’s neck. She had seen the surprise in his eyes just before they stopped seeing anything ever again.
Ian patted her on the back for a moment. “I don’t mean to sound callus, Brandwyn, but we have friends out there who are in need of our help.” He handed her a canteen. “Just push it out of your mind for now and concentrate on the task at hand. We will talk about it later.”
Brandwyn nodded and took the canteen with a shaky hand and rinsed her mouth out. Then she quickly moved to saddling the horses and stowing their packs. Ian had moved to a window and was raining down deadly arrow fire on any target that presented itself, except their allies.
“They’re ready!” Brandwyn called softly and led his horse over to him. Ian shot off one more arrow and then mounted Bandit. Brandwyn jumped up on Asfala and then readied her bow.
“Do we have a plan? How are we going to tell the Aslavians from our friends?” She asked Ian.
“From what I saw, we won’t even see those two. So if you see or hear something in the woods and have a reasonable chance of hitting it, shoot.” Ian gave a signal to Bandit and the horse reared up and struck the barn door with both feet and charged forward as the doors flung open in front of him. Asfala charged out right on his heels.
They skirted around behind the burning cottage and Brandwyn saw an arrow fly out of the darkness. “Lookout!” She shouted to Ian, but it was too late. The arrow struck him in the shoulder and he nearly dropped his bow.
Brandwyn returned fire and heard a thud as if an arrow struck flesh, but she didn’t know if she’d hit anyone or not. She listened intently for any sign of the enemy but for several minutes the only noise she heard was the sound of Ian’s labored breathing as he re-knocked his arrow and led her through the trees, following in the same direction the old blind man had taken Theresa.
They rode at a walk for a few minutes, twisting through the woods in the general direction of La Rivage when Ian held up his hand for a halt. He gave the ‘freeze’ command to the horses and they stood there listening. Brandwyn hadn’t heard it, but Ian and the horses had sensed something.
Suddenly Asfala plunged sideways as a man dropped to the ground from above and knocked Brandwyn off the horse. Asfala lashed out with her hind feet as she fled in terror. Her kick knocked Brandwyn’s assailant off his feet and Brandwyn rolled over on top of him, pulling a knife. She held it to the man’s throat as he tried to throw her off. She pushed the blade into his skin, drawing blood in a deep gash, deliberately missing the artery. “Don’t move!” She said, not knowing if he knew Gallican or not. Apparently he did because he saw the look in her eye and stopped struggling. The knife he had held dropped to the ground as he released it, holding his hands up.
Ian trained his bow on the man, after making sure there weren’t any others in the vicinity. “Tie him up.”
Brandwyn rolled off of top of him and got some rope from her pack and tied his arms tightly behind his back after removing his weapons. She then stepped back, the man watching her warily as she sheathed her belt knife. “So now what do we do with him?” She asked Ian, not wanting to have to drag a prisoner all the way back to La Rivage.
“Quiet.” Ian said and he listened intently for several minutes. There was no sound of any fighting, and the sky seemed to be bringing in the faintest hint of light on the eastern horizon. Dawn was coming. “We need to find the others, see if any of us are hurt.” Ian looked at their prisoner. “Tie that rope around his neck and hand the other end to me.” He said in Araluen. Then in Gallican, he said, “And keep your arrow on him. If he gives us any trouble kill him. I don’t particularly want to mess with a prisoner.”
Brandwyn complied and gave a low whistle and Asfala came trotting back, not having gone far after the initial bolting. Brandwyn mounted up and then knocked an arrow and kept it pointed at the prisoner. He looked up at her, but the blue steel of her eyes made him look hastily away. He didn’t doubt that the girl would shoot him if she needed to. Ian and Brandwyn made their way carefully back toward the cabin looking for their new friends, the man walking between them, with the rope tugging on his neck occasionally.
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
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Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Jan 14, 2010 12:40:11 GMT -5
Galen mouthed a swear when he didn't find the two behind them, but before he could turn to Jock the boy was already slipping into the trees, having already understood what he wanted. Galen gave an awed shake of the head and followed.
The boy moved as if it was clear daylight, having seen what general direction they'd taken off to and picking up from there. He signaled to Galen that there'd been a man in the area last he checked, letting him know that they were entering a territory with slightly higher risk than where they just were.
A sudden flutter of wings had him veering to the right; vibrations in the ground had him tripling his pace, though his footsteps never made a sound. He darted his eyes around the woods, looking for signs of their enemies. The issuing noises had probably alerted anyone close enough to hear and he would rather not be taken by surprise.
A few more yards and he froze as he caught the sound of a whistle and felt more vibrations, whether in the air or the ground he couldn't say. He just 'sensed' them and having never been failed by them, he trusted them completely. Within seconds he had the two in his sights, his eyes narrowing slightly at the third party member. They seemed to have the situation under control well enough, but for some reason, he wasn't comfortable with it. His eyes trailed up to Brandwyn and when he felt his feelings increase, he gave her a hard glare, blaming her for whatever changes were happening to him.
"We should move out of the initial area; someone probably got wind of the struggle." Galen turned his eyes from Ian to their prisoner, then back again. "He'll be a liability." Warning given, he made off further to the left, wanting to head in the opposite direction from where he'd last seen Abdulah and his army. Any unwanted 'visitors' (ie: the rest of the group of men that'd tried to kill them) would be dealt with accordingly.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 2, 2011 14:02:22 GMT -5
Ian had to agree with Galen that the prisoner would be a liability, but he didn't have it in him to kill the man in cold blood. Nor could he in good concious let Galen do it. He halfway hoped the man would try to attack one of them which would then give him the excuse to finish him off. One look at Brandwyn, however and Ian figured the man would know it would be suicide to attempt anything under the current situation.
Apparently their prisoner figured that out because he went along docily, keeping an eye on Brandwyn and occasionally eyeing Ian as they pulled him along behind Bandit. Brandwyn could tell he was just waiting for an opportunity and she didn't like the way he kept pearing into the woods as if expecting help. She kept her eyes roaming the forest around them as well and this time she kept an eye on the trees they were getting ready to ride under. She didn't want to get kocked off Asfala again. The fall had jarred her back and she actually wasn't entirely sure she could draw her bow if she needed to, but she did her best to hide the pain she felt.
They walked for hours, as fast as they could drag the man along without literally draggin him and Ian chafed at the slow pace. He suspected Galen was even more irritated with it. Ian entertained the idea of draping the man over Band't rump trussed up hand and foot, but discarded the idea. Bandit would get worn out auick if he was carrying double. So they continued on until the sun started to go down again and Ian didn't hear any more sounds of pursuit.
"Galen, let's stop for an hour and rest." Ian suggested. "Aren't you worried about Theresa?" he asked as he dismounted and checked on their prisoner's knots. He found a tree and tied their prisoner to it, givng him a few sips of water from the canteen, but no food.
Brandwyn slid off Asfala and her feet buckled when they touched the ground. She held onto the saddle for a moment. A sharp pain pierced her shoulder and ran down her spine and into her legs and she let go of the saddle and crumpled to the ground with a whimper. She thought maybe she had been shot or stabbed again, but wasn't sure.
Ian was at her side and rolled her gently onto her stomach. "I need to look at the wound again." He pulled down her bedrool from behind her saddle and spread it out and then helped her to lie on it. Brandwyn undid her clothing enough so that he could pull up the layers and see the wound. "It is not bleeding again, thankfully. Just lie there and rest."
Brandwyn wanted to protest, but she only nodded and within moments she was asleep, stily lying on her stomach. As she drifted off to sleep she knew If they were to be attacked now she would not be any good whatsoever.
Ian broke out some meager food and passed some to Galen and the strange boy. "Tomorrow we should meet up with the Araluen army if we push it." He looked at Brandwyn, wondering if she could continue, let alone keep up the pace. "I may have to tie her to the saddle, but either way we are going to keep going."
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
:)
Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Aug 16, 2011 1:28:25 GMT -5
Galen kept his annoyance and slight anger concerning their prisoner in check. He never would have went through the trouble of allowing an enemy to trail behind them - any questioning he had he would have done at the scene. The only safe enemy was a dead one and he took that saying to the bottom of his heart having felt the sharp back stab of a mercy save twice before. It was true he wanted one for questioning, but that was only if the situation was to his liking and that only happened if the unlucky person was the last one alive. However, sensing that these two officials didn't think with the same empty feeling he did and because he respected them - if not their choice, he circled back around to do just that: those he found standing soon fell to the ground after having a knife plunged sideways into their neck and ripped out the front, while those that had fallen from previous attacks but had yet to pass over, were finished as they lie praying in their blood with a quick snap of their neck.
With each kill he gave a specific bird call that changed with each number as he followed the coded cries. After hearing that of an owl following his third kill, he wiped his blade and headed back to the two officials to find them standing guard over their tied prisoner. He eyed the knots with a critical eye and after not finding fault with them, he gave a slight nod before heading in the opposite direction he wanted to go - away from Theresa's and Malleus' course.
As they walked in harmony with the sinking sun, Galen made sure to stay close to Jock. The boy was even more harsher than he was in directing punishment to their enemies. It wasn't that they were without morals or emotions; only that they had learned long ago that it was not only useless, but deadly to find any hint of mercy for an enemy - a lesson Galen was ashamed to have had to be taught twice before finally taking it to heart and one Jock would never forget as long as he could see the white, jagged markings across his body that was given as a torturous thank you.
Galen had made it clear in silent code that the man was to be unnecessarily unharmed - simply having said "left alive" would have left him in a coma never to awaken. However, the repeating looks the lad threw at their prisoner combined with his coiled body told him he was simply waiting for a moment to strike. They needed to split soon if Ian and Brandwyn wanted to keep the prisoner alive and Galen highly doubted that the two had simply let him tag along for his over joyous company.
"Galen, let's stop for an hour and rest. Aren't you worried about Theresa?"
Galen's jaw clenched and Jock's eyes zeroed in coldly on Ian - neither of them signs of anger, but of frustration. Despite all their power and resources, Death could neither be defeated in combat nor bribed. All they could do was put her in the hands of a stranger and it killed them.
"Malleus is with her," was the only explanation Galen bothered to provide and to him, it was the only one needed. Malleus, though blind, was as fierce and highly trained as a warrior as any of them and Galen suspected he knew more about Theresa than even he did. He fully believed that Theresa couldn't be in better hands.
He went to place a comforting hand on Jock's shoulder, but felt only air as the lad darted past him. Instinct took over as he swirled around, knife already in hand and eyes cold...and then furrowed in confusion as he saw naught of an enemy. He turned his head side to side before focusing on Jock kneeling on the ground and with a realizing shake of the head he replaced his bowie at his side. So the lad had feelings, eh?
Galen crossed his arms with a father's stance and despite the situation he couldn't help a smile ease onto his face. Never had he seen Jock so out of focus as now and the lad didn't even notice. However, a quicker examination of the boy's face had him splitting into a grin. Oh, the boy knew it alright if the frustration glaring in his eyes was any notification. A warrior through and through with no room for feeling.
The older mercenary's smile quickly dropped then as he turned a stony stare on the prisoner. How different would Jock be if he had the childhood of a close and loving family? Would he trade his innocence with women with that of death and pain? Would he ever learn the vital parts of the human body? Or how to kill quickly, move so silently? Galen gave a vicious shake of the head before focusing more clearly on the prisoner, his palm resting easily on his bowie's handle to clearly convey his thoughts: he would not hesitate to use it.
He let his eyes leave the soldier only to scan their surroundings to make sure they weren't being creeped up on while they rested by either human or beast. He didn't bother to check to see if the man was cutting through the ropes - he always assumed his enemies were armed even if he watched them being pat down or were naked - because if he attempted an escape Galen could end his life while respecting the two official's choices...if Jock didn't get to him first. He had to hand it to him - that kid was a prodigy of assassination and murder. Grim maybe, but oh so true.
He turned part of his attention back to the others as he watched Brandwyn start to drift off to sleep and again when Ian came to hand him some food. He gave a quick nod of appreciation before scanning their surroundings and coming back to settle on their prisoner. "Tomorrow we should meet up with the Araluen army if we push it. I may have to tie her to the saddle, but either way we are going to keep going."
Despite that he didn't care for the girl (not to mix with respect), he knew the pain of having to make decisions in disregard of his follower's conditions all too well. Normally he would have pushed for a regular pace, but this time was different. He may not care for the girl, but he had high suspicions Jock was developing a crush for her...even if he didn't know it exactly. More than likely he thought her a witch - cursing him with an upset stomach and foggy brain.
He hid his smile with a turn of the head to survey their surroundings before turning back to face Ian.
"We'll cut the pace by a few strides - more if needed." He paused, shot a quick look to Jock who was now keeping an eye on the prisoner as he hovered over Brandwyn, before adding, "Or we can keep her unconscious for most of the ride." Despite that he didn't have any herbs on him that would keep her in such a state, they weren't the only methods of producing unconsciousness.
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Post by Brandwyn on Aug 17, 2011 21:52:10 GMT -5
"We'll cut the pace by a few strides - more if needed." He paused, shot a quick look to Jock who was now keeping an eye on the prisoner as he hovered over Brandwyn, before adding, "Or we can keep her unconscious for most of the ride."
“No you won’t,” Brandwyn opened her eyes and then sat up painfully. Gritting her teeth, she stood and rubbed her lower back and then carefully stretched. “And you won’t tie me to the saddle either.” Brandwyn glared at both of them. “I’ll be fine. Let’s go.” She mounted her horse and waited for Ian to mount Bandit. She didn’t miss the grimace of pain on his face as he was forced to put weight on his broken leg. She had no doubts that both of them could push themselves until the end of the next day, but it wasn’t going to be pleasant. She only hoped Ian was right and they would catch up with the Araluen army at that point. There was something unsettling about their new friends and their enemies were far too close on their trail.
They resumed their march and took turns watching the prisoner. Brandwyn also studied the young man when she thought he wasn’t looking. He seemed to be watching her almost as closely as he was watching their prisoner and Brandwyn felt like he was about to pounce on one or the other of them but couldn’t make up his mind which one to attack. She hoped she was wrong, but the kid seemed pretty nervous and highstrung.
The prisoner tried to slow them down as much as he could and at one point when he nearly jerked Brandwyn out of her saddle, instead of pausing to allow him to catch up, Brandwyn spurred Asfala forward and pulled the man right off his feet. She dragged him through forrest for several feet, but was afraid his screaming was going to get them caught, even though he had been gagged. When she stopped he lay there until she threatened to drag him until he was dead if he didn’t stand up right away. The man glared at her and then slowly got to his feet. Brandyn circled Asfala around him and checked his bindings. They seemed to have held and looked to be fine. She put a knife to the man’s throat and then tugged on the ropes binding his wrists. They held firm and so she resumed her pace ahead of him, keeping the rope that ran from his wrists to her saddlehorn nice and taut. She set a fast pace and they continued for hours.
Finally Brandwyn slowed Asfala and brought her to a stop. The horse’s sides heaved and she lowered her head in exhaustion. “Ian, the horses need a break, and I confess that I am dozing off in the saddle.” She glanced at Galen, knowing he wanted to hurry up so he would be rid of both the prisoner and Ian and herself. She didn’t quite know how she knew he felt that way, but she did. Maybe it was the way he kept looking at them with impatience.
Ian nodded and pulled Bandit up. “She’s right, My Friend.” He said to Galen. “We are all tired, I have no idea how you have stayed on your feet this whole time. Let’s take a bit and catch our breaths.”
He was about to dismount when he heard a familiar bird call that didn’t fit in with the time of day or the surroundings. He motioned for silence and knocked an arrow. He heard an answering call from far ahead of them and drew, aiming at the area of the woods he thought he’d heard the first bird call.
Brandwyn followed suit, though she did not draw her bow. She was ready to at a moments noticed, however, but she was too tired and hurt too much to hold it until she needed to fire. Actually she wasn’t even sure she could draw her bow right now with her back injury like it was, but at least she could look like she was ready.
The bushes rustled in front of them and a voice called out, “please don’t shoot me, Master Ian, I am coming out!” A familiar face emerged from the bushes. Ian recognized the Scotti sub-commander, Shamus and lowered his bow.
“Shamus!” Ian smiled. They must be close to the army now. “It is good to see you.”
“It is surprising to see you,” Shamus grinned back and glanced at Brandwyn. “What on earth are you doing out here?”
Ian glanced beside him to the prisoner who had dropped to the ground as soon as they had stopped and was laying flat out on his back breathing hard. “Oh just collecting prisoners for Sir Horace to interrogate. How far are we from the main army?”
“About a half hour,” Shamus answered. “Sir Katrina has us fanned out and we are making our way out to harass the Aslavians again. Any idea where they are?” he asked.
Ian thought for a moment and glanced at Galen, “I would say probably at least 12 hours behind us at a hard pace and a bit to the north of here. That is based on our position now and the last encounter we had with them.” Ian amended. “ They might have changed course though.” He turned to Brandwyn, “I think the horses can take another half hour if we walk them, don’t you?”
Brandwyn nodded and slung her bow back over her shoulder. She pulled Asfala’s head up and tugged on the rope of their prisoner. He didn’t move. “I think he needs a prodding or dragging. Let’s see which he prefers.” She moved Asfala forward and the rope tightened across her leg. She dragged the man about five feet and then stopped. He groaned and got slowly to his feet.
“Thanks Shamus and good luck. You and your men be careful out there because they have some elite warriors that are mighty good with bows and wicked swordsmen.” Ian shook his hand and fell in behind Brandwyn. Then he looked around to see if Galen and Jock were ready to set out again.
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Mri
Apprentice Scribe
:)
Posts: 207
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Post by Mri on Aug 18, 2011 12:11:51 GMT -5
“No you won’t. And you won’t tie me to the saddle either.” Galen gave a slight nod of respect before turning around to hide a small smile. If she was as stubborn as Jock those two would never get anything done - assuming of course, the lad realized that he was developing a crush. He wasn't exactly known for finding humour in such a horrendous situation, but he always did have a soft spot for the kid. And to think that he was finally figuring out what it meant to have normal human emotions. He really did try not to smile, but the suddenly narrowing eyes of his long-time companion informed him of his failure. ~ * ~ Jock might not know why he was smiling, but he was smart enough to realize that he was the cause of it and given his uneasiness over the girl - well, he didn't believe in consequences. He tried to sign a question, but before he could complete it Galen slipped off the trail, shrouding his form with the trees. As usual he would be taking turns creeping ahead to make sure they weren't about to enter an ambush and rounding back behind them to make sure they weren't being following. But he didn't even wait for him to finish signing, confirming Jock's belief that he was being laughed at for his uneasiness. Maybe Galen knew something about the girl that he did not? Or maybe he was smitten over her? The thought caused him to bristle slightly in anger as he turned his eyes to glare at Brandwyn. How dare she tempt his master like that? She would only distract him while he needed to concentrate. He took an instinctive step toward her before stopping himself, remembering Galen's orders that they were friends. His hands clenched slightly at his sides as they passed him, relaxing only when he was a good few paces behind them. Confident that Galen would be taking care of any threat that might be trailing them, he kept the majority of his attention on the girl. And her male companion. Though he doubted they would put up much of a fight in their current conditions he knew well enough to never underestimate his opponents. However, despite how much he thought he disliked the girl, when the prisoner nearly jerked her out of her saddle, he found himself lunging forward without a thought to retaliate. With gritted teeth, he stopped himself mid-lunge, scolding himself for showing compassion for the “wolf in sheep clothing” for despite that his two companions probably wouldn’t have seen it as such, there was always the chance that Galen was watching through the trees. Love and respect were no strangers to their strange band of mercenaries, but it was never to be displayed when working. Through scowling, he attempted to hide his urge to smile at Brandwyn’s own retaliation. ~ * ~ As the hours trekked on, Galen kept up a beaded sweat as he took turns swinging through the branches ahead of them and then behind, careful to keep a good ways off the trail. Jock undoubtedly would have been better at this, even with his injuries and at this quick pace, but it wouldn’t be healthy for him and Galen would rather have him in a fight if one broke out. Besides, his ragged breathing told him he could use the exercise. After finding no one behind them after about his thirtieth check, he scaled back down the trees and made his way over to the trail. He shot Jock a glance to ease the hardening of his eyes as he noticed his hands and hid a smile when the boy’s glare didn’t relax, but instead simply turned its attention to the girl. He too turned his attention to the girl, but before he could even ask her if she was seeing anyone to embarrass the lad, Ian spoke first. “She’s right, My Friend. We are all tired, I have no idea how you have stayed on your feet this whole time. Let’s take a bit and catch our breaths.”Galen nodded because though his legs were fine, his hands were stripped raw despite their callouses and his arms felt as if someone had placed them in iron casts. Unfortunately, however, before he could even lean up against a tree or collapse to his knees, Jock had dashed in front of him and was bristling with weary eyes. At first he mistook the boy’s aggression as a want to continue on, but then he heard the misplaced bird cry and followed suit. At the sound of a second, he freed his knife, cursing that he hadn’t checked ahead of them one more time before wanting to take a rest. He turned to keep Jock in his eyesight to make sure the lad didn’t push himself beyond his injured capabilities, but Jock was already gone – no doubt taking count of their enemies and slipping behind them to turn the hunters into the prey. Despite having known the lad for years, he was always amazed at how battle ready that kid was – and saddened as he thought about all the things that had forced him to be how he was. At the sound of rustled bushes, Galen yanked his mind back to the present. “Please don’t shoot me, Master Ian, I am coming out!”Oh ****.Galen searched the treeline for his friend, his eyes darting back and forth quickly in a better attempt to see movement. He strained his ears, seeking the soft crunch of leaves or the rub of branches even though he doubted he'd be able to hear him. He let out a few whistling notes, informing Jock that these were friends, but not wanting to alarm Brandwyn and Ian he kept them on a soft scale. Not hearing a reply, he started to get more than a little nervous concerning the owner of that second bird cry. He met Ian's gaze before slipping ahead of them as he continued whistling. With any luck Jock would hear him before - A yelp off to his right allowed him a sigh of relief, though it didn't stop him from breaking into a sprint for a few yards before coming upon an almost fatal scene. Jock stood towering over a man clutching his neck with one hand as he scrambled backwards on his back. Fear clouded his eyes as he kept them on the lad who had them now trained on him in a forgiving plea. A mixture between sadness and rage churned in his stomach, but knowing that no words would soothe Jock's fear of punishment he turned his attention to the man. Despite that his face was blanched white and covered with beads of sweet, that blood was slowly seeping through his fingers, and that his lips moved in a silent struggle, the fact that he was still alive, along with his previous yelp, informed Galen that Jock had stopped long before inflicting a fatal wound. Still, injuries to the neck were no light matter and he wanted to take a look at it. "Go get Ian." He didn't bother checking to see if his order had been carried out, instead keeping his eyes focused on the man before him. "Can you stand?" Weariness clouded the man's eyes as he debated whether he could trust the friend of the person who just harmed him, but figuring it had simply been a miscalculation on the latter's part, he gave a very slight nod of his head. He stood slowly and when he wobbled, Galen immediately ducked beneath one of his arms to keep him on his feet.
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