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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

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Posted

"Do you be alright?"

 

Squatting down next to Tyrian, Kalos laid a hand on the younger man's shoulder.  The young lad's side was bandaged and he looked a little pale but he nodded vigourously enough in response.  He'd pull through easily enough if given time to rest, but they would need every man when they stormed the Royal Palace.  Hopefully one of the channelers would be able to see to him, their healing was working wonders and saving many from fatal wounds, giving them a second chance they otherwise wouldn't have.

 

"Yes sir, I do be fine."

 

"What can you be telling me about what do be happening here?  Did you be freeing the Companions?"

 

"Yes sir."  Nodding, Tyrian gestured to the cells around them.  "A few of my fellow Militia do be still checking cells, using the logbook we did be finding to be determining who be here before the Queen came and who do be put in here afterward.  A few of the ones that do be from before have been freed as well, had the idea to be offering them amnesty if they do be taking up arms for the Queen, depending on their previous crime."

 

Nodding, Kalos approved of the idea whoever had birthed it.  They needed all the swords they could get, and these men would be fighting doubly for their freedom, as long as they were trustworthy.  It didn't need to be said that they would be watched, Kalos knew Tyrian and the others were smart enough to have already figured that out.  "How many Companions were down here?"

 

"We do still be going, but from the last count there did be a full six hundred imprisoned here.  They do be a bit weak, but apparently they did be fed well enough.  They did be saying that they were all offered freedom if they did be swearing to Ja'varan, some did be taking the offer but must did be standing firm."  Wincing as he shifted himself so he was more upright, Tyrian added.  "There do be something else."

 

"Something else?"

 

"We did be coming across a couple of unusual prisoners.  One did be an Ogier that did be calling itself Forge, at least we do be thinking he be an Ogier.  We no be sure of what to do with him till we did be coming across another prisoner who did be identifying the Ogier for what it was.  He did be calling himself Andular Rojvas and he did be saying that he knew the commander from Tar Valon, did be his master at one point.  Said he did be needing to speak to Con, but I did no be having enough men to be sparing to be putting a seperate guard on him to be escorting him.  He do be with the Companions and others."

 

"And where do they be?"

 

"Mess Hall, Da did be wanting to make sure everyone got a decent meal.  Then be giving them a chance to be washing themselves, get themselves in order.  The attack no be fo-"

 

"Its alright Tyrian, your father did be doing the right thing.  We do be needing to sort out a livery for our Companions anyway so they no be confused with that of the darkfriends.  Do you be fine here?  We can be taking you with us to the hall."

 

"It do be fine, my friends no be much longer I think.  Need to be staying here in case anyone else do be coming by."

 

Nodding, Kalos clapped the lad on the arm.  "Be sure to be having your friends take you to one of the healers when they do be returning."  Standing, he signalled the rest of the men with him to follow, to the Mess Hall they would go...

 

 

Kalos heard the Mess Hall before he saw it, the great double doors that led into a massive dining hall for the guards that were stationed in the palace.  As it was, it was flooded with men who were sitting at the tables and chowing down food or still lined up to get their meal as they talked.  His arrival was quickly noted as the cheers acknowledged, something he quickly raised his hands to quell.  Six hundred men cheering at once was gratifying, but he didn't want the sound carrying beyond the Palace.  Besides, he needed to speak.

 

"Companions!  Those of you who remained true to Sofia Stepaneos, as you must already know she is still alive and she is here!  Just before dawn breaks, we shall make our move against the Forsaken and her Darkfriends in the Royal Palace!  We are joined not only joined by the Militia of the Perfumed Quarter underneath Con Stavros, once Commander of the Tower Guard of Tar Valon, but by the Band of the Red Hand and the Asha'man of the Black Tower who have come to assist us in restoring our true Queen to her throne by the Dragon Reborn's order!"

 

That provoked whispers, but Kalos continued.  "They have proven trustworthy, without them we could not have gotten this far so give them your trust in turn!  Once your meals are finished, I am told you will be taken to the barracks baths to clean up and that will give us time to find some livery that better suits you!"  That provoked a small cheer.  "Every man is to wear a green bandana to mark them as loyal to the true Queen as opposed to those bastards that sold themselves to the Shadow!  They will be provided as we find the material and I shall be wearing one with you!"

 

"Now, get back to your meals!  And would the Ogier Forge and the man called Andular Rojvas both please step forward!"  Kalos waited even as the Companions turned back to what they were doing before.

 

 

Kalos Menaloaos

Illianer Companion

 

OOC: Kev and Steve you're on :)

Posted

Forge rose to his feet and over a thousand eyes followed him.

 

Standing twelve feet tall and heavily carved with muscle, he stood out most everywhere he went, and without his shirt on the tattoos that wrapped around his arms all the way up to his shoulders only served to enhance the powerful physique. He had become used to humans staring at him, but in his current condition he knew he looked rougher than raw iron ore. His time in the cell hadn’t exactly been wonderful.

 

He was shirtless, bootless, and in desperate need of a bath and a shave. His cell had no window or light and they had fed him irregularly, so he wasn’t certain how long he had been down there. Judging by his scruffy beard it had been weeks at least. His hair had grown longer than he normally wore it, and he smelled awful, too, but in this crowd and in his current frame of mind he wasn’t overly concerned with it. First he needed to figure out what to do next.

 

After hearing the speech that Kalos had given, or at least that was the name he attached to the man after overhearing talk at the table, the Ogier was much more inclined to see if he could help out.

 

In a very real way, fighting the Shadow was why he was in Illian.

 

If he had just kept his mouth shut and ignored the doings of the Royal Guard, then he’d never been thrown into the cells to begin with. But, of course, it had never been his way to turn a blind eye to trouble. The Guardsmen had been roughing up the innkeeper where Forge had been eating, and when things got rough he had entered the fray. In hindsight, he suspected he had only made things worse for the innkeeper, and he regretted that. Perhaps his time in the dark and lonely cell was penance enough, but if he could do more to set things right here in Illian then he would willingly pay that price as well.

 

Taking his platter of food with him, he hadn’t eaten in a long while after all, he strode forward to the leader of the rebel forces and introduced himself.

 

“I am Hamar, son of Dain, son of Madic,” he said in a deep bass that could have come from a bull. “But I am called Forge. You have my gratitude for freeing me from the cell. It isn’t the finest memory I’ve formed on my travels,” he added with a rich chuckle and a wide grin that nearly split his face in two.

 

After a moment’s hesitation, he asked, “Your men didn’t happen to see my axes did they? They were taken from me when I was captured.”

Posted

As he sat there eating his food to keep up his strength rather than because he was interested in it he fumed.  He could not believe his foolishness in getting captured and worse yet separated from his charge.  Listening without much interest to the speech the man who had entered the room gave he only paid attention when he heard his name.

 

Pushing back from the table he rose and made his way over to where the Ogier was already speaking.  He had come here with Lillian Sedai to count troops and supplies not get caught up in the middle of a bloody civil war. 

 

His mind raced as he waited for the Ogier to finish and finally interrupted. 

 

“I am Andular Rojvas and if you could just take me to Con I will gladly be out of your hair.  If your men have managed to find my bastard sword I would appreciate its return.” 

 

The man who called himself Kalos started at him curiously causing him to grow more restless. 

 

“Look I escorted someone into this city whose safety was entrusted to me.  I can assure you she is not being treated to a warm meal as I am at the moment.  I intend to find her and rescue her as quickly as possible so either show me to Con or let me go about my business.”

 

Posted

Kalos was somewhat surprised by the appearance of the Ogier.  He remembered seeing them once as a young lad, he couldn't recall seeing them sporting tattoos let alone ones like the ones this male, Forge, carried.  He certainly didn't remember them bearing weapons either so the question about confiscated axes caught him off guard.  Still, stranger things had happened, like a previously unknown Forsaken stealing the throne and masquerading as the true Princess of Illian.  Or the true Princess living in the Perfumed Quarter amongst fishermen, sheltering with the one time Keeper of Chronicles and the ex-Commander of the Tower Guard who later turned Child of the Light and now leader of a militia of the streets.  Or fighting alongside male channelers and soldiers of a long dead band of warriors of a nation that fell nearly two millenia ago.

 

Yes, stranger things had happened.

 

What Kalos did find passingly strange was when the man, Andular Rojvas, spoke.  Most people tended to have better sense than to make demands of a man while they were unarmed, but then maybe the man simply didn't have a good grip of himself, he did look a bit worse for wear after all.  Maybe he was just worried over his charge, and if Tyrian was right and Con had known Andular, that narrowed down who the man's charge might be.

 

Kalos had met Warders before, they tended to have a single minded purpose and this one seemed no different.  He'd also seen warders after they'd lost their Aes Sedai, if this one was still in the condition he was, then chances were his Aes Sedai was still alive.  Warder or not, there was little chance that he was going to let the Warder walk around unattended either.  Especially since his identity wasn't proven, that would have to wait until Con saw him.  Turning to one of his men, Kalos said.  "Milos, do be going and informing Con that there do be a man claiming to be Andular Rojvas here that do be wishing to speak with him."

 

Turning back to the pair, Kalos addressed the Ogier first.  "I do no be hearing about any axes, but inventories do be still being taken.  They do be either in the main armoury, or they do be held with impounded items in the prison, either way do be patient and in time they will be found if they are still here."

 

It was now the man called Andular that Kalos focused his attention upon.  "The same story do be applying to your sword.  Con Stavros do be coming when he be able and he be verifying your identity then.  Until then you do be staying here, all things considered I do believe you can understand why precautions do be necessary."

 

    *    *    *    *    *

 

"Sir?"

 

Frowning as he was interrupted, Con turned away from his subordinates to see who had addressed him.  Ah, Milos.  "Yes?"

 

"Kalos do be telling me to inform you that amongst the prisoners we did be freeing there did be a man that do be asking for you.  He do be claiming to be Andular Rojvas, and that he be knowing you."

 

Frowning, Con turned to his other men and told them to carry on before turning back to Milos.  "Do be leading the way."

 

As he followed the man, Con couldn't help but wonder what could have brought Andular to Illian.  His Aes Sedai was of the Green Ajah, unless the Tower knew that Ja'varan was here they would have no reason to send a Green Sister.  And if they'd known Ja'varan was present, they certainly would have sent more than one sister.

 

Perhaps an imposter?  It wouldn't be the first time someone had attempted to infiltrate their ranks, but it couldn't be an agent of Ja'varan's or the palace here would never have fallen.  It made no sense for another Forsaken to send an agent to Illian posing as Andular Rojvas either, unless he'd been picked up enroute to infiltrate their group.  What was Andular doing here?

 

Entering the Mess Hall, it was Kalos who called to him and waved him over.  Andular was sitting opposite him at one of the tables and there were a few others seated with them.  And an Ogier?  Walking over to them, Con held up a hand as Andular began to stand, it didn't hurt to be certain.  "Who interrupted my duel with Damian Gaillard during my bid for blademaster?"

Posted

Years of training had taught him to be patient but at that moment Andular was anything but.  His worry over Lillian was clouding his judgment he knew but knowing did not help his restlessness.

 

A group of men parted and Con was walking toward the table.  Horrible scars covered the man’s face and a few more grey hairs were scattered throughout his hair than he remembered but it was Con.  Standing as Andular repressed a smile at the others question. 

 

“Still as cautious as ever I see my old friend.”  Con waited the man had to recognize him but he answered none the less.

 

“As I recall it was a certain rodent that liked to attach itself to your shoulder in those days that sprang at Damian’s face.”

 

A broad smile crossed Con’s face and the two clasped hands then embraced.

 

“It has been too long brother.”  Andular greeted as their embrace broke apart.

 

Con excused them and the two men found a quiet table and sat down to talk.  Andular quickly filled Con in on what had brought him to Illian and the loss of the White Sister he had escorted.  Before Con could ask the obvious question he answered. 

 

“I am no longer bonded but that is a story for another time.  I am a mere Tower Guard now offering my services to a sister in need of them.”  Taking a drink of ale he sat the mug down.

 

“I know you prepare for war my friend but I hope that you can help me find her and bring her to safety.”

 

Con acknowledged his concerns but set them aside for the moment as the two men caught up on what they had been up to since they last saw one another.  Andular told Con news of friends and the events in the Warders yard for which the man seemed grateful. 

 

“When this business is said and done my friend I expect you to make me understand why you left you post.” 

 

The statement was not accusatory but one filled with a deep desire to know as well as concern.

Posted

Forge listened to Kalos and answered with nothing but a curt nod. There would be a time for questions and discussion, but now was not that time. The Ogier knew too little of the volatile, confusing situation, so listening and learning would be the best way to mend that shortcoming. Patience for now; the work would come later.

 

Returning to the table alongside Kalos, the towering Ogier sat down on the floor at the end and propped his elbows up on the tabletop, his powerful and vividly tattooed arms drawing many a glance. Even seated in such a way, his height enabled him to look the humans in the eye. It made for less awkward conversation, even though he had little to say, and it put him on a level to hear everything the leaders of the resistance were discussing without forcing him to hunch awkwardly.

 

Shoveling food into his mouth, like stoking a forge fire, Forge chewed in silence as he tried to make sense of the mess he had gotten himself into. It sounded like Kalos had a plan, and listening to the talk, Kalos appeared to have a sound, logical mind. Forcing himself to eat, even though his mind wasn’t on food, Forge weighed the news in his mind. Many things hinged on the outcome of the decisions made at this table.

 

He had a spot of work in front of him, but for now patience was called for. He could handle that, but he knew a time would come very soon when these men would put long handles on their axes… he’d need to know where to plant his axes before then. Forcing himself to eat his fill, he listened and waited.

 

The time for reaping was coming, but he didn’t know what the harvest would bring.

Posted

It was good to know that Andular was in fact Andular, and to get news of those he had left behind him.  Mia, Yrean, John, Leanna, Vasya and many others, though the thought that Aran was still at the Yards after all this time disturbed him.  Then again, so did the thought that the practitioners of the Path of the Blade, that aberrant school of fighting should have been shut down a long time ago.  But, that was no longer his concern as he had long since ceased being a servant of the Tower, he had his own calling now.

 

But, they did have to return to the matter, now wasn't the time to talk about why the Tower had become unworthy of his service.  Asking which Aes Sedai Andular had been guarding, Con raised an eyebrow at the answer he was given.  Lillian Sedai of the White Ajah, he would have to tell Arette, the two had been close as far as Aes Sedai were.  At least, from what he'd observed before he and Arette had broken away from one another.  Even if it was no longer the case, Arette would still want to know.

 

"The best way to be freeing her is to be helping us with our coup.  The Forsaken Serashada, an unknown, took the throne and do be masquerading as a member of the Stepanneos Royal family.  In the early morning, just before dawn, we do be storming across Tammuz square and do be winning our way inside with the help of our Asha'man allies.  If Lillian Sedai do be still alive, then we do be finding her after the Forsaken be dead and the threat do be removed.  Then you would be free to be finding her."

 

"In the meantime, you should be gathering what strength you be able to, getting a meal, be getting a bath and cleaning up.  Once that do be done, be visiting the armoury.  The Council of Nine's Palace do be housing an armoury for the Companions, the finest Illian steel do be there and while you no doubt be wanting your own weapon, armour would be wise with what do be approaching.  I do be heading down there myself now to be making sure that things do be proceeding smoothly."

 

Standing, Con paused before adding.  "There do be a place at the front alongside me if you do be wanting it."  Smiling at the answer he got, Con nodded and walked away.  There was still a lot to do, this counter-insurgency wouldn't run itself after all.

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