Bandit Bashing

[devon]

Jasen leaned against the stone wall of the stables, smoke from his pipe curling around his head. All around him other Guards and stable hands ran around, preparing horses and pack animals for the upcoming patrol. Warders moved among them as well, long color changing cloaks fluttering through the air, making looking at the commotion in the stables mildly nauseating. Jasen had taken care of his horse hours earlier, and so was able to enjoy a pipe in relative peace while everyone else rushed to finish their preparations for the journey ahead. Rising early had been a habit of his going back years, something that had arisen from many nights spent on patrol. First ones awake were the first ones to the cook pots, and he would trade a full belly for an extra half hour of sleep any day.

 

He was minding his own business and enjoying his pipe when he heard a shout from off to his side. Turning his head, he saw a group of trainees running as fast as they could towards the stables, shouting as they went. Trainees. Always late no matter the task. And loud. This should make for an interesting patrol. Jasen continued where he was as the trainees burst into the stables, turning an already chaotic situation into a nightmare. The young ones were seemingly everywhere, searching out their teachers and trying to get their meager possessions onto their horses. Jasen chuckled to himself as he banged out his pipe and ground out the dottle under his boot. As much as he would like to stay apart from the mess inside, it was time to get things moving.

 

It took a short while, but eventually all the trainees were mounted and ready to ride. The other Tower Guards and Warders were mounted as well, and judging by the looks on their faces they were not too happy to have been kept waiting. Jasen rode over to the front of the column of men and women. Raising his hand, he shouted out so that those in back may be heard. “Today, we ride out on a long patrol down the River Erinin. This is may be just a training exercise, but I expect every one of you trainees to hold yourselves as if this were an enemy marching towards Tar Valon. Stick close to those of us who have ridden out before, and learn what you must do to survive. We expect you to maintain the utmost vigilance while we are out on patrol, and we shall not tolerate foolishness. Now ride out!” Gripping his reins, Jasen pushed his horse forward, and the column rode out of the yards, across the bridge, and into the wilderness surrounding Tar Valon.

[Toy and Minion]

The morning air was ripe with the scent of a city. Icar had not grown up in the city, but he had spent a considerable amount of time in it; enough to be comforted as they rode down the familiar streets of Tar Valon. He had not slept, his mind too cluttered with recent events to allow him the luxury. He had packed only the essentials, one pack he would be able to carry over his shoulder on foot if the need arose. He had been outfitted with a plain shortsword that rested in its scabbard at his waist. They had offered him a shield, but it had proved to be more of a burden than a proper defense. Instead he had been given an armguard. Nothing special, but enough to save his arm from a glancing blow.

 

His mind yearned to be back in the practice yard, even as his body cried out its need for this simple ride. He tightened his grip on the reins. The horse rocked his head back and forward, sensing Icars turmoil. He patted the beasts neck soothingly. He let his mind wander. Had his father been where he was, riding out with fellow trainees, Guardsmen and Warders? Had he rode a horse much like Icar to learn the basics of patrol? What had been the thoughts of Halacar Tostig as he had lied awake in contemplation of this day? What kind of person had he been, and what kind of man had he become? Icar was forced to the realization that he did not know anything about his father. He shook his head. Thoughts of his father were dangerous. He was Icar, Trainee of the Guard. Icandar Tostig was laying in bed with a beautiful Illianer in a distant inn. It had to be so.

 

Still, the thoughts had made him wonder which direction they would be traveling. He turned to a nearby rider, not paying attention to notice if they were Guard or Warder. "Any idea which direction we'll be going? North or South? East side or West side of the river? Or by which bridge we'll be leaving?" He did not take into mind the oddness of the questions this late in the patrol. Nor did he take into mind formality.

[Sieve]

Grisham had just finished cinching the girth on the chestnut gelding as a herd of trainees bustled into the stable kicking up clouds of dust. He put his arm across his face to keep from breathing in the dust to no avail. He began a coughing fit that seemed to last an eternity. As the fit subsided he grabbed the reins of his mount, Ned, who must have been nearly seventeen hands.

 

The stable hands had chosen his mount well as Grisham was on the larger side than most here. He had grown heavier since coming to the yards much to the amazement of his instructors. With the polished Tower Guard’s armor he was even heavier. He almost felt bad for Ned, though he almost as big as a draft horse. Grisham led the chestnut outside where the air was much clearer. It was still filled with all the scents of a bustling city but at least it was free of dust clouds.

 

Grisham laughed to himself as he made his way outside. A few weeks ago he was one of those wild-eyed trainees eager to escape the day to day routine. He would have agreed to travel to Shayul Ghul just to do escape the doldrums of training. Even as a Tower Guard with only a few weeks on the walls, he still felt the urge to be away from the city. There was so much of the world he still planned on seeing and this was a perfect opportunity to do so. Only once as a merchant guard had he traveled near Tar Valon, and that was when he decided to stay and train in the yards.

 

Grisham climbed into the saddle then joined those that were waiting on the trainees. The other Tower Guards and Warders eyed the trainees, some clearly disapproved of their haphazard behavior and others looked on the verge of laughter. Aside from the dust induced coughing fit, Grisham was amongst the latter.

 

A voice nearby broke the relative silence. "Any idea which direction we'll be going? North or South? East side or West side of the river? Or by which bridge we'll be leaving?" Grisham turned his bulk to find the source of the voice. It was a dark haired trainee who unlike the other trainees appeared ready to ride. He nodded approvingly at the trainee as his low deep voice uttered “I’ve heard we are heading South along the Erinin. Which side or by which bridge I know not.” He shrugged, a bit embarassed that he did not know the answer.

 

A new voice shouted above the din. “Today, we ride out on a long patrol down the River Erinin. This is may be just a training exercise, but I expect every one of you trainees to hold yourselves as if this were an enemy marching towards Tar Valon. Stick close to those of us who have ridden out before, and learn what you must do to survive. We expect you to maintain the utmost vigilance while we are out on patrol, and we shall not tolerate foolishness. Now ride out!”

 

Grisham smiled at the trainee then spoke “Looks like the rest of your questions are about to be answered.” He eased on the reins and booted Ned falling in with the others as they made their way from the city.

 

Grisham Elmaren

Tower Guard

[JainFarstrider]

Elyan hadn’t been able to sleep, the nightmares were always the same and he couldn’t shake away the memories of all their faces, perhaps because some part of him still wanted to remember. Either way, he had been awake for hours and was sitting in a shadowed corner watching the Warders and the members of the Guard make their preparations for their patrol. They said that the training invitation extended to all of the trainees in the yard, but still Elyan was not convinced that included him. It had been several days since he returned to the tower, but he was still unsure what his position was, what he was supposed to be doing or where he belonged.

 

He wanted to join the group in their preparations, show them that he was a worthy investment and that letting him live wasn’t a mistake. Still, his nervousness kept his feet from moving, he feared they might shout at him, scream and curse, all the while their eyes filled with anger and judgment. He knew they wouldn’t, quiet and commanding, the Tower’s silent guardians, whose very presence demanded respect, without need for raised voices. Their silence was even worse, he could take the yelling, simply detaching himself into the quiet of his own mind and let the words flow past him. No, their practical refusal to acknowledge his infractions made him almost drown in his own shame, his guilt threatened to suffocate his very life.

 

Elyan was still trying to decide if he should join the group, when a band of late trainees came rushing around the corner, yelling at each other while they hurried towards the stable. Jumping to his feet, Elyan made his decision, and sprinted after them hiding in the chaos they made. With practiced hands Elyan swiftly fitted a horse, he was one of the most experienced trainees and so was ready before the others. He kept a distance between himself and the others, while the last of the trainees finished their preparations. As they left the stable and formed ranks for the march, Elyan kept towards the back and took up a spot at the rear of the column.

 

“Today, we ride out on a long patrol down the River Erinin. This is may be just a training exercise, but I expect every one of you trainees to hold yourselves as if this were an enemy marching towards Tar Valon. Stick close to those of us who have ridden out before, and learn what you must do to survive. We expect you to maintain the utmost vigilance while we are out on patrol, and we shall not tolerate foolishness. Now ride out!”

 

The turbulent thoughts in his mind quieted as they journeyed out of Tar Valon, the creak of leather saddles, the soft clop of metal on stone, the glint of steel armor and the disturbing motion of the warder’s cloaks. Everything was right in the world, he knew this is where he belonged. Typically during these exercises he preferred to take the job of scout, moving through the wilderness ahead of the group scanning every blade of grass for signs of the enemy, it was a lonely and quiet job, which might have been why Elyan enjoyed it. Today, being at the rear of the column meant he was tasked with watching for attacks coming from behind the group. Elyan repositioned himself in the saddle so as to not have to crane his neck to look behind them, and lost himself in scanning the trail.

 

Elyan Marne

Trainee

[U4ea]

Edana fought the urge to run all the way to the stable. Ok, so she really wouldn't have run, but anything that got her off wall duty was worthy of a bit of speed on her part. She grinned as she passed the schedule on her way through the barracks, again, fighting the urge not to draw smiling faces next to her name and the absolute lack of assigned duties next to it. She even winked at the guards on duty as she made her way to the stable, saddle pack slung over her shoulder. They surely wouldn't turn her into a pincushion if she was whistling a merry tune. Surely.

 

She hummed as she saddled her horse, murmuring calming words as he picked up on her excitement to be out of the Yard for a little while. She didn't even care if this was the most boring trip she'd ever been on, as long as she didn't have to stand on that wall freezing her backside off for a few days.

 

Her song broke as she heard the clamor of rushing feet and voices heading towards the stable. She didn't even have to look to see what was on the way, it was easy enough to pick out that these were trainees ready to take on the world with their fledgling abilities. She didn't care how old they were, they all reminded her of two day old colts with their shaky knees. She smirked and swung herself into her saddle, leaning close to her horse's ear as she continued telling him what a wonderful time they were going to have on this trip. "I might even spike your water with some ale if you manage not to kick one of those noisy trainees," she murmured softly. The horse whickered as if he were laughing with her and pulled on the reins.

 

She listened with half an ear as Jasen began speaking, her eyes focused on Elyan for a second before she forced her attention back to Jasen. She was very grateful when they started moving out and even shot a salute to the Captain who was just as happy to see her go as she was to be leaving. She grinned wider. Perhaps he'd found the 'gift' she'd left for him this morning on her way out...

 

~Edana

[Visar Falmaien]

Visar was awake extra early this morning. He needed to be, with the trip organized by Guardsman Jasen starting in only a couple hours time. He bid a rather sleepy Rasheta Sedai a quick farewell, kissing her brow as he left. She would probably sleep for another three hours at least, but she woke enough to wish him luck on the journey.

 

Preparations. Visar made sure he had extra clothing, especially a spare cloak; he'd wear his Warder cloak on the ride out to the city, but for the sake of those around, and for aesthetic reasons of his own, he'd change to his plain forest green cloak once they were outside the city. He wore his mail hauberk, but left most of his armor behind; he didn't think he'd need it, as it was just a patrol south of the Erinen. North of the Erinen was another matter, but things were still fairly safe to the south. His lance as well, he left behind, but took his trusty long sword and dagger. And more importantly than these safety precautions, he took plenty of food, enough to feed three people for almost a week, carefully packed by the kitchen staff into saddlebags which would be evenly distributed on his charger. If there was one thing he knew from experience, it was that one could never bring too much food on a journey.

 

Visar brushed his horse quickly and gave the mare an apple to munch on, in consolation for loading loading the poor animal with so much stuff. Then he was off, and arrived early where the others were gathering. The other Warders and Guardsmen gathered had everything underhand well enough that Visar did not have to do much to help. The trainees arriving in a rush, however, was another matter. Visar dismounted and assisted two of them with their saddles. It wouldn't do to have trainees break a leg falling off their horse. No, broken bones are for inside the training yards under my watch, he thought with a dark grin, though he did do his best to prevent injuries to trainees that listened to him. The trouble students were another matter, however, and Visar took a certain perverse pleasure in putting them in their place.

 

Everyone gathered, Visar listened with approval to Jasen's instructions. The man seemed to have everything well in hand; he certainly wouldn't need much of Visar's help. And Visar was along the journey mainly to enjoy the fresh air, and see how well some of his students were doing. Spying one of them, trainee Icar, Visar raised a hand in friendly greeting, though he rode past the trainee. No doubt the young man resented him for making him do the same things for hours on end. He then saw Edana, and he rode up to talk with her as they rode out to the bridge, and then from there, down the river.

 

"Morning, Edana!" he said with a friendly smile. Edana had witnessed him in one of his darker moments, when he had actually considered leaving the Tower behind. It had been months since then, and Visar felt he might finally be on the mend from all that internal drama. "How goes the night watch these days?" he asked.

[devon]

The column moved behind Jasen as they travelled along the river bank. He could hear conversations among those behind him, but he ignored it. The men and women behind him had been talking since they had left the yards, and would probably do so until they camped for the night. Light, some of them would still talk in their sleep! Some people thought that talking on patrol was bad, since your enemies could hear you, or something like that. Jasen was of the mind that if your enemies were close enough to hear your light conversations, it was already too late.

 

The column rode south for several hours. As they rode, the sun rose in the sky, until it was directly over head, turning the countryside into an oven. Jasen called a halt, judging the time to be a little over an hour after noon. Men and women climbed off their horses, and went to the river to drink. There was no point in wasting the water in their skins when they had a fresh supply. After a quick meal of bread and dried meat, they were back on their horses, heading east towards the nearby forest in an attempt to get out of the sun. Jasen knew this area well, and there was a stream which ran towards the river nearby. He planned on leading the column through the woods towards the stream, where they would camp for the night. It would be a shorter day than most the trainees would experience, but this was their first real patrol and there was no need to ride them into the ground.

 

The sun was still up, though obviously on a downward path, when the group arrived at the intended clearing. it was just as Jasen remembered it, down to the rocks with slight char marks from the last fire he had made here. Dismounting, Jasen ran through orders. “This is where we will camp tonight. You all know what you are supposed to do. I want to see horses rubbed down and picketed, camp fires going, and tents set up. I expect dinner to be ready shortly and I recommend you lot fund your bunks soon after. Tomorrow is going to be a long and grueling day, especially for you first timers, so be prepared. You know your watch assignments, now disperse!” Jasen walked his horse over to a side, and started undoing his horse’s saddle. He had the last watch, in the morning, and he wanted shut eye as soon as possible.

Edited February 11, 2011 by devon

[U4ea]

Edana smiled at Visar, shaking her head. "To be honest, I've been debating finding some crazy woman who'll bond me just to get me off that light-blasted wall. That should tell you more than anything how much I enjoy it. I'm pretty sure I'd drive her to toss herself off the top of the Tower by the end of the first week, though, so I finally decided that I was doing the Tower the best service by keeping to myself!" She flicked a glance sideways at him. "How is life in the headache inducing cloak these days? Still happy with your decision?"

 

She eyed the river as they made their way along its banks, her memory sliding over the water while she waited for Visar to answer. She'd met Sandre in that water. She'd even wandered the banks with Elyan a time or two. Her eyes shifted to his back just a little ahead of she and Visar. They hadn't parted on the best terms. Was he angry over that? She sighed inwardly and turned her attention back to Visar. There was more than one reason why she avoided being caught by an Aes Sedai. She had enough trouble keeping up with the men in her life, for Light's sake. Throw in a woman and there was bound to be the Dark One to pay.

 

~Edana

[Sieve]

The sounds of rustling leaves mixed with that of creaking leather and clinking metal. That combined with the numerous conversations and laughter brought Grisham back to his days as a merchant's guard. It was good to be traveling again, good to be out of the city. The air in cities became stale in his opinion.

 

Despite being involved in several conversations along the way Grisham was ever vigilant. His eyes scanned the forest on either side of the path they followed. One never knew when a group of bandits or the like would decide it was worth the risk of attacking a well armed group. Well armed groups usually had something worth stealing. One might think that the uniforms of Tower Guards or the color shifting cloaks of warders would be enough of a deterrent but some were foolish enough to oppose the White Tower.

 

A few hours after leaving the riverbank they were called to a halt and told to make camp. The area looked well used by travellers. It was a sizable clearing in the forest of oaks with a stream a few spans wide nearby. Suitable locations for campsites were not always easy to find, another thing he learned as a merchant's guard. Fortunately for their group Jasen appeared to know the area well.

 

Grisham tended to his mount then headed out to gather wood for their fires. He wanted to eat and rest a bit before it was his turn on watch, he had the second shift tonight. Maybe there would be time for a few games of dice as well.

[Toy and Minion]

Icar pretended to ignore the passing Visar as he waved. He smiled to himself at the back of the Warder. He had come to enjoy their training sessions together. But Icar could not let the Warder know that. Icar was just one more annoying trainee for the man to beat to a pulp in the Yards.

 

Icar smiled as they passed the Flaming Seat Inn. He breathed a sigh of relief as they traveled south down the east side of the river, the exact oposite direction from Jualde, his home. He was afraid to return in case anyone recognized him. That would not have done any good.

 

As they reached the campsite, Icar dismounted and began fumbling with his packs. Getting them free, he set them beside him and looked around to see what the others were doing. He had never been away from the city to the point of making camp. Stiffly trying to copy what the others did, he set up his bedroll and prepared himself for sleep. He would need it. He had the watch just before Guardsman Jasen. Not having slept the past night helped.

[JainFarstrider]

Elyan kept to himself throughout the days march, plagued with the occasional feeling of being watched. Still, he kept his eyes on the passing forest and did not engage in the quiet conversation that flowed around him. It seemed like only a couple of hours before Jasen called for a halt to make camp. The riders began scattering throughout the clearing, setting camps and starting fires. Elyan kept with the order but preferred to remain on the outskirts of the camp.

 

He was trying to think if someone had told him which watch he was supposed to take, he couldn't even remember if trainees were assigned to a watch. Perhaps the length of his absence from the tower had more effect on him than he had thought. Still considering the thought while he fixed his evening meal, watching the others scatter about their duties. He only now noticed that Edana was in the group, he had not spoken with her since returning to the tower, which was probably for the best as he would not know what to say, especially since he had lost the dagger she had given to him, probably somewhere in Caemlyn where he was first taken.

Elyan Marne

Trainee

[Visar Falmaien]

"To be honest, I've been debating finding some crazy woman who'll bond me just to get me off that light-blasted wall. That should tell you more than anything how much I enjoy it. I'm pretty sure I'd drive her to toss herself off the top of the Tower by the end of the first week, though, so I finally decided that I was doing the Tower the best service by keeping to myself!"

 

Visar chuckled, almost sorry that he had asked. Edana's sense of humor had not lost its edge. It was good that she was seeking a change though; he imagined no one in their right minds would enjoy much night duty on the walls. Was there even an extra pay incentive for that in the Guard? Visar hoped there was. Bonding was perhaps a lesser of the two evils for both of them, at least it certainly was not boring.

 

"How is life in the headache inducing cloak these days? Still happy with your decision?"

 

Visar rolled his eyes at her. "I find it doesn't give me a headache anymore, as I don't have to look directly at it. But speaking of that. . ."

 

They were heading out of Tar Valon proper now, and Visar thought the time was as good as any to do a quick change on the saddle. Out went his green cloak, in went the headache inducing one.

 

"Hopefully that's better to everyone else." he remarked with some satisfaction. He then realized there was a question he had still avoided answering. He continued in a quieter voice, hoping the trainees weren't listening too closely. He was their personal trainer for some of them, like Icar who was pretending he wasn't there, and he thought it wouldn't do for them to realize how emotionally weak he had been for such a long time. Blood and Ashes, but he would never hear the end of it!

 

"I feel much better that I did then. We all have moments where we struggle against the routine of our lives, but in this case, I think my choice to stay was for the best. I was meant to serve something more important than myself, I realize now. I would never have gotten far in my old life, because it used to be always about me and defying every order just to get away with it. I suppose I had a few months where I wished for that sense of freedom back again, but now is not then. I can serve the Tower best by being Rasheta Sedai's Warder, and I find I have more time to devote to training myself and with others when she's in the Tower, which is most of the time these days. Light, but that woman needs a good fight or at least another good trip to go out and see the world, or she'll surely turn into a Brown with all of her studies!"

 

They shared a laugh at the thought of Rasheta Ardashir being a Brown, and continued their conversation, which slowly morphed into sharing nostalgic memories about being trainees. They had a short break for lunch, and were on the road again.

 

With fairly good conversation mostly around, their short journey seemed to end even shorter, and Visar frowned with the thought of cutting it short. Still, some of their number were keeping to themselves and keeping a sharp eye out. Visar did it without even thinking but sometimes it helped to concentrate; you tended to notice a lot more. Visar helped set up a few tents, and took a meal by the small fire. They might need to camp without fires in the future, so he took the luxury of hot food while he could.

 

"Good night!" he called to Edana, and spotted Jasen and Icar going to sleep on his way to make sure his horse was properly tethered and the food stored. He then walked out a ways from the camp to take up the first watch, making sure he was well away from the fire so that his vision would be sharp in the fading light.

 

Nothing of interest happened on his watch other than witnessing an owl fail to take a rabbit in the darkening twilight. The bird hooted twice in annoyance, then swept off on silent wings seeking other prey. An omen, perhaps? Hard to tell. He sensed Rasheta to the north , still awake despite the gathering night. How late are you going to stay up tonight? he wondered. Visar could feel an intense concentration coming from her through the Bond. Whatever she was doing, it was obviously important.

 

Time passed. It was almost time for Guardsman Grisham to relieve him of his post, he thought, though even after doing this hundreds of times it was hard to tell the passage of time. A figure making its way to him from slightly to the side. Visar's eyes narrowed and focused on the dim form coming closer till he could hear its quiet footsteps. He couldn't tell yet if it was one of their group yet, though much closer and he would hopefully recognize them.

 

"Ash!" he challenged. Those among their group knew the responding password was "Flame" for Tar Valon. Simple, and they would vary the words if needed, but it worked most of the time. If the figure didn't give the right word, Visar would consider it a threat and sound the alarm.

Edited February 19, 2011 by Visar Falmaien

[Sieve]

Grisham's rest seemed all to short as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. Perhaps it was due to too many games of dice before grudgingly laying on his bedroll and closing his eyes. The noise of the busy camp might make it difficult for most to sleep though Grisham had no problem nodding off. His snoring was legendary amongst the men and women that shared his barracks. He hastily threw on his boots then donned his swordbelt and guardsmen tabard. Ready for service he went to find Visar Gaidin whom he was to replace on roving patrol.

 

After a few stressful minutes he found the warder. Most likely it was the warder that had found Grisham. Hearing the challenge word Grisham quickly replied "Flame!" in his deep gruff voice. He strode towards the warder then saluted,fist thumping his thick chest. He also nodded as a further sign of respect to the familiar warder who seemed to have trained most of those enrolled for training at the yards. The warder's skill with weapons was far superior to his own and he was a valued source of information especially in matters relating to warders and their Aes Sedai. Visar Gaidin was well aware of Grisham's quest to become a warder. Grisham listened intently as the warder gave his instructions then bid the man a good night.

 

After the warder retired Grisham began his circuits of the camp. Every so often he would stop and listen though all he heard were sounds of small animals and birds mixed with the occasional rustle of leaves due to the slightly westerly wind. The camp was quiet now, most of those not on guard duty had gone to sleep. It was so quiet that he could ocassionally hear the crackling of the camp fires. Grisham looked to the dark night sky trying to gauge the time though it was too overcast to do so. It was as if the clouds were mocking him refusing to show the star filled sky above. It always amazed him how time seemed to fly when you were resting though when you were on duty it seemed to crawl.

 

Grisham dutifully continued his circuit of the camp waiting for his turn to be relieved.

[U4ea]

Edana used the afternoon travel time to mull over her thoughts. She had plenty of time for that while her eyes scanned the surrounding areas for trouble. This close to the Tower, anyone dreaming of causing any was setting themselves up as target practice, but it was idiotic to be anything but vigilant. She hadn't told Visar the real reason why she was debating a bond. She snorted inwardly, her fingertips gently caressing the hilt of the sword on her hip. The sword Sandre had made for her.

 

She eyed the trainees ahead of her, wondering if any of them were going to turn out as annoying to the Captain as she was. In truth, she only annoyed him because she was lonely. She muttered under her breath at the thought. Being lonely could get you killed, if you didn't die of boredom first. She eyed those around her a moment and sighed. It wasn't that she didn't have friends. There were plenty of people who liked her well enough to stop for a chat or get a mug of ale after their shift was over. They always left, however, moving on to other duties or responsibilities. The truth was there, aching between her shoulder blades and festering like a wound that would have to be lanced soon or it would kill her.

 

She missed Sandre.

 

She failed to see how she could NOT miss him and also avoid falling back into the pattern that had landed her alone, but it was there, nonetheless. She missed his smile when he thought she wasn't looking. She missed his muddy boots shedding dust on her freshly-polished ones. She missed the smell of his soap on the pillow next to hers.

 

Needless to say, she was glad when they took a break for camp and gratefully volunteered to help the trainees with the fire and setting up camp. She barely stopped herself from volunteering to rub down horses, for Light's sake! She'd take anything that didn't leave her mind free to wander back down the dangerous path it was set to take. She had the middle watch, which normally would bother her, but she hoped she'd be far too asleep before and after for much thinking and far too alert during for her mind to stray.

 

She worked herself to a pleasant exhaustion that their small meal urged along and gratefully sank into a light sleep as she waited for the tell-tale call that would signal her turn at watch.

 

~Edana

[devon]

Jasen’s eyes popped open to the blackness of night. He lay on his bedroll, staring up at the stars in the sky. Even though it appeared to be the middle of the night, he could tell from many nights out on patrol that dawn was appearing. There was something about the air during the tail end of night. It was somehow colder, more refreshing when you breathed it in. The stars shone brighter, and the moon could only be described as looking desperate. He loved this time of night; loved the silence, the peace. But he could not tarry and enjoy the night as he wished. Long years in the Guard had trained him to wake at whatever time he wished and Jasen knew his shift for watch duty was up.

 

Climbing out of his bedroll, Jasen began pulling on armor. Even though it was heavy and miserable to wear while on guard duty, an arrow in the side or a sword in the gut was far worse. His hands moved of their own accord as leather straps were tied and knotted metal pieces into place. He threw his cloak on over his shoulders, but it did little do cut the early morning chill. Pulling the cloth tight around him, making sure to keep it away from his sword, Jasen headed out. He knew there would be others moving about, so he tried to be cautious. He did not want to cause another Guard to think him an enemy. Moving toward the predetermined meeting point for shift change, Jasen spied people moving toward him. “Ash” he shouted out, waiting until he heard the corresponding “Flame.” Even in the dim light of the night, he could tell the man in front of him was Grisham, and the woman moving up to his left was Edana, Jasen’s partner for the last watch.

 

The three of them greeted one another with nods and forearm clasps. Although they were more than likely alone in these woods, it never paid to give away your position. Grisham moved to his bedroll, most likely to get a bit of sleep before they left in the morning. The middle watches were always the hardest, since they forced you to break your sleep into pieces, but such was the soldier’s life.

 

Jasen began walking around the camp, Edana somewhere off in the darkness. They marched around the sleeping men and women of the tower, and as expected, saw no one. Dawn rose over the trees, and birds began to sing in the trees. Soon, it was fully morning and everyone began to rise. Cook fires were lit, porridge cooked, and bowls filled. With the watch over, Jasen grabbed a bowl and moved to eat it. He could taste slivers of meat in the porridge. One of the benefits of soldering for the Tower was the food. With the large coffers the White Tower had at their disposal, the Guard always had copious amounts of good quality food. Men and women around him joked and ate, while others prepared the horses and supplies for the day’s journey. Jasen just sat and ate his breakfast.

 

Finally it was time to leave camp. Hopping on his horse, Jasen barked orders out to those around, in particular chewing out a trainee named Icar who had decided to lounge over his meal instead of doing the his chores. But the group eventually got mounted and underway. Travelling cross country as the patrol was doing usually took longer than following the roads, but Jasen knew of some animal paths that would get them to an old trading road. Merchants had once used it to get to Tar Valon with their goods, but it was not paved and so the bigger caravans avoided it. In the spring or the fall the road was often impassable do to mud, but in the summer some intrepid merchants would try the ancient trail in order to get a leg up on their competition. These attempts usually ended with stuck wagons and tired oxen, but single horses tended to have no problem.

 

As they approached the road, Jasen noticed quite a lot of birds in the air. He couldn’t see them through the trees, but he could catch glimpses and hear their calls. From what he could tell they sounded like Ravens, which worried him. Where those black birds gathered, death had visited. He motioned for the group to quicken their pace, worried about what might await them outside the woods. The column burst out of the trees and into a horror scene.

 

A merchant had indeed tried the road, with a full nine wagons no less. The sky was full of dark ravens circling overhead, with larger vultures mixed in. The ground around the wagons was full of activity, as the carrion feeders jumped and fought over still shapes. Jasen led the patrol forward, and behind him he heard people retching. He had seen battlefields before, but no armies had fought here. Men, women and children rode in merchant wagons and now lay dead on the ground. The wagons themselves looked like they had been ransacked, but inside he could see more bodies. As the column moved, he sought the void and the emptiness it brought. What had happened here?

[Visar Falmaien]

After being relieved of his shift, Visar thanked Grisham and went over to his small tent towards the edge of the encampment. He took out his blunt practice sword, almost twice as heavy and not nearly as well balanced as his sharp, and worked through the forms as silently as possible. He didn't want to wake anyone that wasn't already awake. He was trying to break the habit of always grunting and going 'hut!" when he swung his weapon. Silent breath in, controlled exhales out without letting all of his air out. He might use the vocalizing in future fights, true, but he wanted to be able to choose depending on the situation. Some called for silence; others called for bravado.

 

Not quite satisfied that he had it down, Visar put his sword away, frustrated at himself yet again. He decided it wouldn't be a bad idea to catch a few hours of sleep. While he didn't always need to sleep as much as people without the warder bond, he tended to feel better in his body and mind when he seemed to get an "appropriate" amount.

 

Visar woke with the sunrise, later than usual. He stretched slightly sore muscles, happy that he felt decently rested. He didn't know what it was, but sleeping on the ground with only a blanket between him and nature made him sleep like a log. Getting up, he rolled up his blanket and packed his tent with the ease of years of practice. He was ready to go at about the same time as some of the other veteran guards and Warders who knew the routine; long before any of the trainees were ready.

 

Only then did he grab a little for breakfast. Just some porridge and a small bit of cheese to put on top; Visar was never one to eat rich food for breakfast, as it might not settle well in his stomach. He mounted up then, slightly amused at Jasen barking orders. He didn't really mind not being in charge; it felt more like a vacation that way. Visar wondered how Jasen thought he was handling things. He would probably be stressed trying to get the trainees to do what he wanted. But so far Jasen was doing well; Visar made no move to give him advice or to interfere with his authority, and it looked like he never would have to, which was reassuring.

 

They rode on, some clearly nervous as they went through the woods. Well, Visar could only understand, with members of the Dark One's Eyes flying above. It was strange to see how some carrion eaters could be entirely benign, while others, seemingly possessed, would attack you suicidally if they thought you were important. Visar hoped these were not the latter kind. He had had nightmares about those he had encountered in the borderlands. Was the Shadow's touch really this close? Visar made sure his sword would be easily drawn, but did not comment on the matter. Silence was better. They made their way quickly through the forest to clear ground, and found the caravan.

 

The scene of death pained his heart to see, but Visar did not let it affect his actions. He fed his feelings of sorrrow and anger linto obtaining a sense of clarity and purpose in the Oneness. He ignored the sounds of retching coming from those not accustomed to seeing the slaughtered remains of human beings. Sometimes it bothered Visar that he took such butchery in stride, like he had lost some valuable innocence, but now was not the time for second thoughts. Visar rode down with some of the other guardsmen to investigate the scene more closely.

 

The indiscriminate killing of men, women, and children instantly reminded Visar of Shadowspawn. But the likelihood of them being south of the Tower was rare, and beside that, he was picking up dozens of signs that it could not have been Trollocs or their relatives. For one, Trollocs would have taken many of the bodies; yet these lay undisturbed, faces contorted in their final death agonies. Visar took a closer look at a dead woman, her collarbone split open and the remains of her blood fanned out on the ground beneath her. The wound was too clean and too shallow to be from a trolloc's blade, which would have been more powerful. It had most likely been from an axe or a short sword. And while the people remained where they had died, the wagons were not untouched. Anything of value it seemed had been taken. Visar snarled and grinded his teeth when he saw another woman's breast laid open bare, and red marks around her neck. They had even searched the bodies and taken jewelry from the dead.

 

Trying to remain calm, even though his anger was beginning to boil, Visar mounted back up and rode back to Jasen, giving him his assessment.

 

"Not Trollocs," he said with certainty. "Perhaps brigands, but these were cruel men, used to killing; this was done by experienced warriors. More sensible ones would have at least taken the women and children for their labors, and paid respect to the dead. Flaming Darkfriends, they must have been!" Visar spat, wishing he had some idea of how many they were. He was not gifted at reading tracks, however, and there were hoof and footprints all over the place. There could have been from twenty to a hundred as far as he could tell.

 

Visar glanced back as some of the guardsmen and women carefully searched the perimeter of the caravan, looking for tracks leading away from the attack. Perhaps a more experienced eye would be able to tell how many there had been, and where they had gone. Visar could only account for the mindset behind the killers, who seemed to be among the worst sort.

 

Your call, Guardsman Jasen, Visar thought, hoping that the man in charge would not do anything as rashly as he might. If he was in charge, he would have taken the whole group and hunted the bloody brigands down to the last man, with no quarter given.

[U4ea]

Edana moved through the trees on silent feet, her eyes and ears focused on every little noise and movement in the darkness. Someone in the camp was snoring. It was soft, but enough that Ed could hear it. She was a little glad they weren't after stealth, as she'd have to wake the poor kid to point out the problem. As it was, she made it a point to find out which one it was so she could corner them and offer the suggestion of visiting someone who could take care of that before his next patrol.

 

Otherwise, the night passed pretty quietly. She closed her eyes and inhaled at the smells of cooking snuck through the trees. She made a last circuit of the camp before heading back towards camp and eating. Breaking camp was usually faster than creating one, so it wasn't long before they were on their way again. Her eyes scanning the brush on either side of their path, she didn't notice the birds, at first. It wasn't until one of them cawed that she looked up. Her eyes narrowed at seeing so many of the things and her eyes scanned the brush that much harder. She wasn't close enough to the front to know what was coming, but she wasn't dumb enough to believe it would be pretty when they found it. That many birds wasn't after a downed rabbit, after all.

 

She pulled her horse up as the rest of the line did and turned back, watching the trail behind them. The only sound to be heard was the birds overhead for a few minutes, but that was broken by the sound of someone losing their breakfast. She closed her eyes and sighed. Not pretty was apparently too minor a term. She ordered a few of the trainees who looked a little green to watch the path behind them and turned her horse back to the front.

 

The sight that met her eyes as she passed the trainees was an ugly one to say the least and she felt herself slip in to a frame of mind that could handle what she was looking at. The laughing Ed was gone. She swung out of the saddle, her hand on the hilt of her sword as she moved around the carnage. She heard Visar's opinions and agreed with them, completely. No trolloc would've left this much meat for the ravens. She turned her attention to the hoof prints pounded into the dirt, tracing the lines around the litter of broken wagons as much as she could.

 

"They're not armed," she said softly, as she noticed that not a single person she passed had a weapon in their hand. They weren't dressed like Tinkers, though. She narrowed her eyes and looked outside the circle of wreckage, seeing arrows embedded in the trees. They had been armed, it seemed. Were they just that bad a shot? She turned back to the wagons and, more specifically, the dirt around the wagons. Scuff marks marred the prints here and there and, though most of the attack seemed to be from horseback, she caught a few boot prints here and there.

 

She paused, seeing a set of wagon tracks on the side of the path, the ruts almost hidden in the brush. She narrowed her eyes some more and followed them as they disappeared off the side of the road. Was this wagon part of this merchant train or did it belong to the ones who'd attacked it? After twenty paces or so, she turned back to share it with Jasen and Visar. Regardless of whether it had arrived with the merchants, it sure hadn't left with them!

 

~Edana

[Sieve]

Grisham had seen death, seen men cut down before him. He had seen men hang voiding their bowels and kicking 'til death finally took them. He had even killed men but never had he seen slaughter like this. Slaughter of innocent women and children, it made his heart wrench. Who or what would do such a thing? Grisham wanted to draw his sword though to what end? There was no foe to fight, nobody to take his anger out on.

 

Quickly he summoned the void and reveled in the lack of emotion it brought. His mount danced sensing the mood of his party, sensing the death around them. Grisham reined him in becoming one with his mount. He looked to the others who were senior to him. Edana was down among the corpses, Visar Gaidin and Guardsman Jasen visually assessing the scene. He was not close enough to hear their comments as he took turns watching them then their surrounding as if there was a chance that whoever did this would return. He continued to do so waiting on orders from those in charge.

 

Grisham Elmaren

Tower Guard

[devon]

Everyone moved among the wagons in a daze. The ground was torn up, muddy with the blood of the merchant train. Soldiers knew what to expect being in their line of work. They knew they could be killed in the night, or taken prisoner. But these people weren't soldiers, they were just men, women and children just trying to make a living. There was a code of honor among soldiers. It kept war from turning into chaos, and made sure that the only people in danger were those who had chosen to put themselves there. Killing innocents was against this code, which is what had so shocked the party.

 

Gathering himself, Jasen began issuing orders, hoping to get people focused once more. "I want every wagon checked to see if there are any survivors. Also look to see if there is any thing remaining in the wagons. I want to know what was so valuable that someone would do this so close to TarValon. I want a number of you to scout the area. We need to know if whoever did this is still out there or if any of the people here fled into the woods. Someone start a fire and put water on. If there are wounded, I want to be ready to lend aid. I need someone to join me on funeral detail. For now, we gather blankets or cloth we can use to cover these unfortunate people up. Judging by the state of things, I think those who did this have most likely cleared off, but keep your weapons at hand. I don't want any surprises. Now let's move."

 

An hour and a half later, Jasen sat against a rock near one of the wagons. His clothes were stained from his grisly task, but he had washed his hands and face with water taken from a broken barrel. The scouts had returned bringing nothing but the news of tracks leading from the site. From their report, it seems like the group was large, but lacking in horses, meaning they could not have gone too far. The camp was much less shocking of a scene, looking almost normal as the Guards moved among the wagons and took care of their horses. But it was far from normal. Even though he could not see it, the line of blanket covered bodies consumed his thoughts. The image was tearing him apart inside, especially the smaller mounds. Light, who murders children! Jasen knew that they had to do something, that they could not just continue sitting here waiting. He knew what he wanted to do, but not if it was the right thing.

 

It was not long before Jasen sat upon his horse, waiting for others in the party to do the same. He had called a meeting, and explained to the party their options. Either return to the Tower with news of the incident, gather more Guards and return, or to hunt down those responsible now. There was no right answer in this situation, and so Jasen had let everyone have their say in the matter. He wanted to leave immediately and catch up to the murderers now, but others had argued strongly that it was their responsibility to return to the Tower with the trainees and come back with a larger force. The debate went back and forth until Jasen made his decision; the Guards would hunt down the criminals while the trainees remained in camp, avoiding any possible combat. He could feel the eyes of those who thought he was wrong staring into the back of his head, but the Guards were well trained and did what they were ordered.

 

A wave of his hand and several of the better scouts rode forward to follow the trail. The men and women of the Guard followed, as Jasen turned to face the trainees. "You must stay here while we deal with this. You should be safe, for their is no reason why those who did this should return. But still, be vigilant. If we do not return by tomorrow, you are to make your way to the river and follow it back to Tar Valon. Do not try to be heroes, just wait for us." Turning his horse around, Jasen followed the line of Guards into the distance. If he had known what was to happen next, he would have never left.

[JainFarstrider]

The scene before him made Elyan feel that he was still asleep, stuck in a nightmare of death. He would have been certain of, but everything around him was just too real, instead of the half imagined images of sleep. Even long dried, the metallic scent of blood, stung his nostrils. A torrent of fury raged inside him, and he embraced it, trying to use its heat to scour the images from his mind. His eyes would not focus and his hands gripped the hilts of his swords with white knuckles. The scene was too close to the nightmares, too close to other things he had been forced to watch.

 

Noticing the others scouting the scene he forced himself to move, but his mind was not part of it. The fury had burned away all thought. As the orders were issued, Elyan gained marginal control over himself and tried to search around the area for traces of footprints fleeing in panic, or those who had been injured and fled from there attackers, if anyone was left alive and needed help they would most likely have tried to make it as far away from the slaughter as they could. The fact that he found nothing only fueled his anger back into a blazing inferno.

 

Being left behind did nothing to improve Elyan's mood, if he wasn't able to help the people he had to at least do something. The other trainees stood a distance from what was left of the wagons, but Elyan had to do something. Removing a small hand shovel from his bag, that would have been used to dig fire pits and the like, in order to complete his morbid task. The physical exertion helped to ease his mind as he lost himself in the effort of the work.