The Dynamic Duo: The Legend Begins

[The Don]

"Why are you always so disobedient, Thadeus?" Kara al'Dobnan's shone with outrage at her son. This was not the first time, and it definately wouldn't be the last. But it would always end the same way... restriction to the manor for a week, and no allowance the rest of the month. Thad just shrugged his shoulders.

 

"You should be on your way to being a man now, son." Haran al'Dobnan shook his head slowly. "Light, when I was your age I was already running most of the estate." Thad nodded in feigned agreement. He had heard the same speech a hundred times.

 

"Are you even listening?" Kara grabbed his chin with one hand so she could glare at him.

 

"Yes, mother." Blood and ashes, just get on with it! "I understand totally."

 

"Then why do you still insist on being difficult? You started three fights in three different taverns." She said the word "tavern" with disgust. Nobles just did not go to those places, at least not in Amador.

 

"I never even threw a punch, mother! Anyways, how was I to know all three women had husbands that just so happened to be there?" Her face only grew darker with anger. "I appologize, mother. I'll be off to my rooms then."

 

As he started to walk away, she caught his sleeve. "Oh, no, my young lordling. Not this time. Haran, tell him his punishment. Haran!"

 

His father stared at him uncomfortably. "My son, I'm afraid we can't let you off so easy anymore. You're nearly a man, and a noble at that. Our House cannot suffer any more embarassment." He sighed, then looked at Kara, who nodded sharply. "You need discipline, son. If your mother and I cannot give it to you, we have no other choice. You and your friend, young Trevor, have been enlisted into the Children of the Light. You're escort to the Fortress will arrive in the morning."

 

This was the worst thing that possibly could have happened! "Blood and ashes!"

 

"Watch your language young man!" Kara scolded.

 

"NO! I will not! Burn me blood and bloody flaming ashes! You can't do this! I'm too young. Me and Trev are only sixteen."

 

"They are making an exception, Thadeus." Haran said. "If there was any other way... but the King insisted, and the Children were more than happy to oblige."

 

Of course they were. Bloody Whitecloaks were always in his business. It wasn't his fault the Dragon's Fang ended up on their bloody door to their bloody fortress. It was Trev's idea, first off. Second, the younger boys were more than happy to do it at the chance of hanging out with he and Trev for a night. Anyways, there was no proof he was in any way involved, but the Whitecloaks still suspected his involvment. It wasn't like every prank in Amador was their fault. It just wasn't fair!

 

Angry at his parents, at the King, at the Whitecloaks, at the bloody world... Thad stalked off to his rooms. Without hesitation, he gathered up his things. He always had clothes and money packed. He and Trev had always talked about leaving to see the world. Maybe open up their own tavern. As soon as he gathered his things, he stuffed the bed with pillows to make it look like a body under the blankets and climbed out from the blacony. If he knew Trev, and he did, he would be either waiting for him at the King's Blessing, or would arrive shortly after.

[Nargbert]

"YOU WHAT???!!!" Trevor winced. His mother's rages were legendary and he was on the receiving end of one that would be remembered for several turnings of the wheel. Something flew past his head and exploded in a cloud of gas behind him. Man, his mom was pissed! This wasn't going to be a normal punishment, he could already tell that. Usually he was sent to tend the sheep or something like that on one of their country estates. 'It will build character' his father would always say. Unfortunately for their estates, it usually lead to him corrupting the help.

 

"THE KING'S COUSIN??!! HOW COULD YOU?" MMmmm.... she was a looker. Hair the color of fields of golden wheat... plump red lips just made for kissing... hips that you just wanted to grab and..

 

"ANSWER ME!" Hmmm.... should he be quiet and just let her burn her self out? Uh oh... she reared back, ready to smack him... he better start talking...

 

"I didn't know she was the King's cousin mother! I mean... she was slumming it just like Thad and I and I just figured..." Hmmm... maybe slumming it was a bad choice in words...

 

"Don't you DARE SPEAK OF HER THAT WAY! She is the Kings COUSIN!!!!!" Yep, definitely a bad choice in words...

 

"Sorry mother... well, you know... she was making those eyes at me and..." Obviously the look he was being given meant that she DIDN'T know. He started weaving a fantastical story of how they met and what the spoke of. None of it was true, but he needed to slow his mother down. He always wondered what his father saw in his mother. Oh, he had heard the stories. How she used to be a sweet and kind little thing. Quiet and unassuming. Every nobles son was after her, thinking she would make the perfect, pliant wife. Trevor didn't believe it for a second...

 

"But you were hitting on her maid as well!" What? Oh Blood and Ashes. Did he miss a part. He thought it over quickly in his head. Ok, maybe he did miss a detail or two.

 

"Well, you know... she was following us around... figured she was the ugly friend... Might gain some points by buttering her up!" Hmmm... another bad choice in words. His mother's face turned purple with rage... She started to whisper... his brain started screaming at him DANGER DANGER!

 

"And...... her daughter... I believe I heard you two were caught up in a room in a rather compromising situation..." Daughter? Daughter? What daughter?

 

"Uh, her daughter? I don't remember a Daughter in..... oh wait... That part is a little fuzzy.... oh yeah! That other nice sweet piece of " Something else flew by his head and exploded behind him again. Why wouldn't she just relax? It was just another fun night on the town. Yeah, they told him to stay out of the taverns... but that was never the worst of what they had done. Well... maybe this WAS the worst they had DONE. But what they convinced the other kids to do... flaming dung balls in the street... cutting the legs of stalls in the market so when loaded up they crashed to the ground... just ideas they happened to pass along to others. There was the dragons fang on the fortress of light. Trev tried to convince Thad that they should get the kids to do it on the Lord Captain Commander's door... but for some reason the other kids just wouldn't go for it.

 

Uh oh... more whispering....

 

"I am done trying to teach you some basic manners. I can't even get you to behave at dinner, let alone act like the noble you are. Therefore you have left me no choice.." No choice? That doesn't sound good... Blood and bloody ashes... she just stood up straighter... RUN! RUN!

 

"Your father and I... along with the local authorities... believe the best place for you is the Fortress of Light." Trevor blinked... did she just say what he thought she did??

 

"THE FORTRESS OF LIGHT???? BLOOD AND BLOODY ASHES MOTHER! NEVER!" Wow... he was capable of yelling back at his mother??

 

"Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me young man. You and young Thadius are lucky the King didn't string you up by your neck. It took everything I could do to convince him to let you join instead of hang" Hang?? For what? It was all innocent fun! Mostly...

 

"But, we are only 16! They won't take us!" His mother grinned evilly at him. "Oh, they have heard of you two. I believe someone drew something on their door the other night and they were most.... excited... to get their hands on the perpetrators. Now... they will be here in the morning to take you away to your new life.... I suggest you retire to your bedroom and prepare yourself for what is coming. Now get out of my sight.... son!" She practically spit out the last word. Whitecloaks..... whitecloaks..... This was not part of the plan....

 

Trevor ran upstairs to his room and began packing a small sack of stuff. A few monogrammed outfits... his harp.... his hat with the feather sticking up... Then he tied up some sheets and threw them out the window. No one was sending him to the whitecloaks... not when the world had so much fun... booze... and women to experience! If Thad... good old The Dob himself... was getting the same rear chewing he was... and the same news... he knew he would make a run for it as well... And where better to meet than...

 

The Kings Blessing....

 

 

He was off

[The Don]

Thad looked at the Hell that was the King's Blessing. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany. The words his father spoke to him when he had first asked about it. It was his kind of place. Smiling, he walked in, unafraid. His goal was to find someone who could take he and Trev out quietly. Finally, he found the man. "One silver mark each." Dannil Onley was a peddler of low moral character. "So just the two of you, right? Not taking any young women with you this time?" Even he knew their reputation.

 

"Just Trev, me... and no questions. We wish to avoid any Whitecloak attention."

 

"Well thats the rub, ain't it, lad? Two sliver marks each, and we leave in one hour."

 

Thad nodded, he knew the price would go up, but it was necisary. "Two silver marks... and we leave as soon as Trev gets here. It wont take long for them to notice we're gone."

 

"Agreed." Dan put out his hand, and the deal was made. He went outside immediately.

 

Taking his last swig of wine, he looked around the room again. He saw Trev at the bar. As soon as his friend saw him he air harped. Thad smiled and harped back. They would be musicians one day as well. "About flaming time you goat kis..." Then the door swung open, revealing a mix of their fathers' guards, with a few Whitecloaks. "Burn it!" He ducked and motioned to the back door, where Onley was waiting.

[Nargbert]

Ahh, the Kings Blessing. Nothing like a grubby mug of ale and a woman of dubious character to make one feel like home. Of course there were the thieves, strong arms, drifters, scavengers.... and don't forget, musicians. Yes, a wonderful place that made his father shudder the first time he mentioned it. He made his way up to the bar, sat, and ordered himself up a mug of the good stuff. Ok, it wasn't really good stuff, but he always found the barman's look entertaining when he ordered it that way. Looking around he finally found Thad back in the corner. Trev air harped and grinned at Thad's reply. He was going to have to talk to him about his air harp. His left arm was slipping just a horse hair down. Form was everything!

 

"About flaming time you goat kis..." Thad wasn't able to finish his words as the door crashed open. "Burn it!" Thad yelled as he made a run for it.

 

"Light! Already?!" Trevor wasn't going to stick around and say hello, that was for sure. He saw Thad make a beeline for the back door and he quickly followed. They burst outside into the wonderful light as Thad looked around quickly. "What now Dob?

 

"We are supposed to meet our ride back here." Thad Said.

"Someone agreed to give us a ride? Do they know who we are? Do we know who THEY are??"

"Yeah, he knows us. It is Onley." Trevor smacked his head at this.

"Onley?? Light that man would just a soon as sell us to the whitecloaks as help us escape!"

 

And speaking of those dark and evil forces, two men suddenly rounded the corner. Their armor gleamed beneath their snow white cloaks. Their swords glinted in the sun as the men held them menacingly, a look of joy spreading across their face as they found their pray.

 

"Any other ideas there Thad... Because right now I am thinking..." Suddenly the doors to the inn's stable flew open as a team of horses and a cart came flying out. "Jump in!" Yelled the person driving the cart of death. It was Onley! Trevor and Thad ran and jumped onto the back of the cart, holding on for dear life as the horses charged down the whitecloaks, forcing them to jump aside.

 

Trev and Thad pulled themselves all the way in and sat up. They had escaped! "Party on Thad!" Trev air harped. "Party on Trev!" Thad air harped back. They began to rock out when suddenly Onley called out....

 

"Crossbows!!"

[The Don]

"Crossbows?!" Thad repeated. "Blood and ashes! We're just runaways! Onley get us outta here!"

 

"Blood and ashes!" Onley yelled. "Blood and bloody ashes!" He urged the horses carrying their cart as fast as they could go. "We aren't going to outrun men on horseback."

 

"We won't have to." Trev had that look in his eye, and he air harped. He dug into his bags and pulled out some fireworks. "Party on, Thad!"

 

Thad grinned. He truely had a partner in crime. "Party on, Trev!"

 

He lit one of the fuses and pointed it at one of the white cloaked riders behind him. It exploded in front of him, causing the horse to rear up and throw off the rider. Onley looked backed, clearly frightened, "What in the..."

 

"Fireworks, Dan." Thad laughed. "Just keep going."

[Nargbert]

BOOM!..... BOOM!...

 

Horses were rearing up everywhere. Onley's cart raced through the village, turning hard here... banking hard there. Trevor and Thad had used up almost all of the fireworks. Thankfully they had started no fires as of yet.

 

"Just one left Thad. I am going to save it for the right moment."

"Ok... Party on Trev!"

 

Suddenly they took a hard right turn and Trevor lost his balance. He dropped the fireworks to the bottom of the cart, but he began to tumble over the side. He grabbed the edge with one hand and held on for dear life. The wheels rumbled next to him. If he fell he would probably go under one and that would be the end of Trevor. Bummer. Suddenly a hand shot out to him as Trev looked up. There was Thad, hair rippling in the wind, backlit by the sun. Probably the best sight Trev had ever seen, and that is saying something! Trevor grasped the hand and was pulled into the cart just as two crossbow bolts embedded themselves in the cart just where he had been.

 

"Thanks Dob. Lifesaver as always!" Trev glanced around and saw old Mr. Connley's manure storage as they flew on by. This gave him an idea as he found their last fireworks and aimed it at the barn.

 

"What are you doing? That is our last one!"

"Relax. I overheard someone once mentioning what fire and manure can do. Might as well see if it is true!" Trevor lit it off as the firework flew true, through a window and into the barn just before the whitecloaks got there. Yet nothing happened. What a waste.

 

"Blood and bloody ash-" There was a sudden roar as the whitecloaks passed the barn. Trevor felt an immense amount of heat as he threw up his hands over his face. The only thing, besides a large fireball, that Trev remembers seeing was the whitecloaks being thrown a good distance off their horses. Wood flew high into the sky and shot out everywhere. Splinters fell like rain across the village.

 

"Light! That was Excellent Trev!"

"Whoah..." Was all he could say. The plume of smoke and fire made its way higher into the air as the cart road out of town.

 

"Our parents are going to hate paying for this damage." Said Thad.

"True... but I doubt the whitecloaks follow us now. Ride Onley! Ride!"

 

They Air harped to their success!