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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

Letters Home Attn: Loraine and Edana


_Kynwric_

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Edana stared at him. He'd asked for her? Sure, it sounded like it made sense, but... "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but, surely there was a Guard better suited for this mission. I'm flattered that you'd think so highly of me, but I'm not silly enough to believe I'm the only one in the Tower that has them."

 

She shook her head. "Ah, it doesn't matter, does it? We're both here. We both have to handle this the best we know how and then get home as quickly as possible. We both have reasons to get there sooner, rather than later, too."

 

~Edana

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"No, you're not the only one with those qualities. However, men and women with those qualities tend to be tied down with other obligations. One of them is keeping an eye on Loraine for me while I am gone, another is tending to students I was teaching. You can add to the list of reasons you are here, because you needed other exposure, outside the tower training. Think of it as a capstone to your training."

 

He nodded, "No, not really. We are here and we have duty. the sooner the duty is properly fulfilled we'll be back where we belong. The sooner the better."

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"No, not really. We are here and we have duty. the sooner the duty is properly fulfilled we'll be back where we belong. The sooner the better." Since they seemed to be of the same accord there, she picked her plate up again and finished the rest of her dinner.

 

While she ate, she turned her attention back to their purpose. "So, what do we do while scouting out the Seanchan? How deep are we going to have to get before we can say we've done our job?"

 

~Edana

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"That is hard to say from here, it is basically left up to me. When I feel enough has been done, enough so that I can honestly convince myself I have done what could be done and my duty is fulfilled, then we are done. I cannot say when we will reach that point. I can give you the list of parameters I was given, but the main one is don't die and don't be captured. So when the risk of that grows to great, that is likely when we'll be done."

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Edana laughed, reaching for his plate in a silent question as to whether he was finished. She took their plates to the sink, where she'd drawn water and dumped it earlier. "Whose orders were those, Mater Kynwric? Loraine Sedai's?" She cleaned the plates and set them aside, then returned to the fire. "So, we start out tomorrow, then? Or should we use the darkness tonight, instead?

 

~Edana

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Kyn handed up the plate and nodded. "One of the benefits of being a Warder is there is only one person in the whole of creation who can give you orders. Unfortunately, the downside is you have to obey those orders without fail... at least to the letter, if not the spirit."

 

He paused, "We'll start out tomorrow before first light, no need to try and sleep in the open when there's a perfectly good roof here."

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She grinned, shaking her head. "I'd like to see the tiny woman you are bonded to bossing you around," she laughed. "I think I'd pay good coin to witness it firsthand. Alas, we must live through this little expedition, first. Since first light always comes before I want it to, I shall bid you goodnight, Master Kynwric. Thank you for dinner and I shall see you in the morning!"

 

She waved and made her way back to the cot, stretching out on her back and pulling her shirt out of her pants. From there, she worked through forms in her head until she fell asleep. When she did, her lips were still smiling. Give Loraine a rolling pin and she'd look just like the fisherman's wife her father had taken her to see when he was in the mood for good fish for dinner. Formidable little woman, that one was. Loraine just looked too nice for that...

 

~Edana

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Kyn just shook his head as Edana went to bed. "If you only knew..." He sat for a while in front of the fire before kicking off his boots and stretching out there in the warmth.

 

The next morning came early and Kyn was up. He could hear Edana stirring in the other room. He pulled his boots back on and packed the few items he had out away.

 

Soon enough they were in the saddle and headed for the resistance. "I've been thinking... the resistance may just be not worth our time. I am tempted to abandon them in favor of just scouting the Ever Victorious Army. Thoughts?"

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Morning came and Edana was still smiling. She tucked in her shirt and collected her things before heading out for her horse. With the same purpose in mind, she and Kynwric didn't need words until the horses were moving. A nod hello and set about "breaking camp" was all that needed to be done.

 

"I've been thinking... the resistance may just be not worth our time. I am tempted to abandon them in favor of just scouting the Ever Victorious Army. Thoughts?"

 

Thoughts? She focused on her horse for a moment, the easy sway becoming hypnotising. "That sounds far more productive, if the Tower is concerned with a possible confrontation with them. Getting assistance from a resistance movement is one thing, but knowing the enemy is far more handy."

 

~Edana

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Kyn nodded, "Similar to what I was thinking." When they reached the road he turned left instead of right and headed deeper into the Seanchan controlled country. Finally a village was on the horizon and Kyn edged his horse off the road and into the sparse woods. "I haven't enough information on where the Seanchan are based from to start, so that's our first order of business. But I don't want to just ride into town as if everything is normal. So we'll skirt the road and then hop back on it after we get in real close."

 

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Edana nodded, guiding her horse alongside his as they left the road. She kept her eyes focused on the trees and brush around them, feeling distinctly uncomfortable with her sword strapped to Kynwric's saddle. She resisted the urge to brush her fingers over the knives tucked in her vambraces, but couldn't stop the twitch of her wrist to make sure they were still there, snugly waiting for her to pull them free.

 

She wondered idly if what they were looking for would be obvious or if it was something she'd truly have to train her sight to look for. She probably should've asked before they set out this morning, but if Kynwric didn't know, then she would probably feel worse for having asked it. At least this way, she could maintain the illusion that she was still a student on this little trip...

 

~Edana

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Kynwric picked a path through the brush and luck was with them in that they didn't run afoul of any locals or Seanchan in their passing. When they were nearly to the town Kyn pushed them out of the thicket and back up onto the road.

 

As they entered the town Kyn fought having his head on a swivel, trying to look as disinterested as he could in the surroundings. Finally he reined in at a inn called the Dusty goose and he dismounted, waiting for Edana to do the same. When they walked inside it seemed to be just like any other Inn along a road and Kyn was beginning to wonder if there were any Seanchan here at all. "Let's get a meal and maybe we'll hear something." He said to Edana before picking out a table and sitting himself and waiting for Edana to do the same.

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"Let's get a meal and maybe we'll hear something," Kynwric said, heading into the inn. She stayed near the door a moment, then made her way to the bar. They'd been seen coming into town together, so it would look strange if they separated, now. Under the premise of ordering ale and waiting for it, she kept her ears pinned around her. There was talk, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. She smiled and dropped coins in the keeper's hand as she turned back towards the table Kynwric had taken.

 

She slid the tankard in front of him and eased down onto a seat across the table. This way, she could see everything he couldn't, and vice-versa. "Anything good?" she asked, lifting the ale to her lips.

 

~Edana

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Kyn shrugged, "The man over there has gotten his mistress with child. The lady over there is plying her trade. The gentleman in the back corner has a strange accent, May be one of whom we're looking for, but he isn't dressed as a soldier." Kyn took a draw from the tankard Edana had placed in front of him. "You?"

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Edana shook her head slowly, her eyes downcast. "The men at the bar are all talking about horses," she said softly, taking a slow drink. She watched the people around them, realizing that they were getting odd looks. "I believe the reason we're not being successful has little to do with the actual activity, though." She nodded to the right of their table at a pair of men sending furtive glances their way. "I think they sense outsiders and are being careful of what they let slip."

 

~Edana

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"You're likely right, still we have no real choice. It would be too be too bloody easy if..." and his sentence trailed off as he saw a Seanchan soldier walk through the door. "Apparently the light smiles upon us." he gave a small shake of his head and noticed the rest of the mans unit outside. Half a dozen, not too bad... "Seems we found our lead Edana, we'll stalk them once they leave and see what comes of it."

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Edana saw Kynwric's eyes lift and stiffened before she could stop herself. That he stopped mid-sentence was daunting enough, but the calculating expression was enough to send a chill down her spine. "Seems we found our lead Edana, we'll stalk them once they leave and see what comes of it."

 

She nodded slowly, but didn't turn around. He didn't have to say what he'd seen, she could tell by his expression that it was precisely what they'd been looking for. Curiosity made her wait a few minutes, then look over her shoulder, though. She only looked for a moment, then turned her eyes back to her ale, as if dismissing the man as common place, the way everyone else seemed to be doing. HE'S HUGE! she screamed in her head. He also looked like he could handle himself if anyone thought to get one over on him. Was she truly the most adept person Kynwric could find in the bloody Yard to do this mission? She cursed a few strings worthy of her brothers and took a light sip of her ale to keep from muttering them aloud. If she lived to tell anyone about this, she'd be a very lucky woman. Perhaps lucky enough to stop and start acting like a woman... dress, husband, babies... the thought was enough to make her laugh and she raised her eyes to Kynwric, wondering if he'd see the humor...

 

~Edana

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Kyn noted the light in her eyes and wondered what she found amusing, he shrugged it off and waited for the man to be done. Fortunately it didn't seem as if he'd be staying long, and sure enough after a conversation with the owner and a couple of other patrons the man left back through the front door, turning his head to run his eyes over the pair of them behind Kyn's back. Kyn dug into his pouch for some coins and left them on the table as he began to rise, "Come on, time to earn our pay."

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Edana watched the conversations and the calculated look at Kynwric. They did neither for her growing sense of unease. Watching him leave made her feel a little better, but then Kynwric piped up with: "Come on, time to earn our pay." She nodded, rising with Kynwric and following, though she was running a litany of irritated babbling in her head. I am earning my pay by playing carrier pigeon, not by playing hero, she thought. Her eyes were focused on everything around them, as if waiting on something to jump out of the shadows as they followed the Seanchan out the front door.

 

~Edana

 

OOC: OK, I'm not sure how far you wanted to get with  my post. If you want me to make something... a gunfight in the middle of the street John Wayne style, just lemme know. *smirks*

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OOC: You've never worried about that before...

 

IC:

 

Kyn walked out the door and straight to the horses, trying to pay the now mounted and riding soldiers no attention whatsoever. Once both he and Edana were mounted he led them off in the direction the soldiers had been traveling. Fortunately it took longer to get a whole troop mounted and ready than it did just a pair. The direction he chose was a calculated risk, the soldiers were unlikely to return the same direction they had just came from and so Kyn chose the direction leading out the other side of town. He noted the look Edana was giving him at riding out in front of the patrol and he smiled. "=Tailing from the front, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But it makes most myrmidons, like soldiers, less worried about you tailing them." They were out of town now and he could see the patrol behind them about half a mile, "now we just match their pace as long as its reasonable."

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Edana mounted, following Kynwric's lead. She expected him to be a little slow about it, but he seemed to be in a hurry to beat them out of town. She wrinkled her brow, noting the two main exits. If the soldiers went through the other exit, this was all for naught. They'd have to race after them to do any scouting...

 

Tailing from the front, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But it makes most myrmidons, like soldiers, less worried about you tailing them." Edana nodded, understanding it. Someone in front of them that they could see was less likely to be strange, right? "Now we just match their pace as long as its reasonable."

 

They continued on, keeping that pace for a little while. "Master Kynwric," she said, knowing he was focused more on the group behind them than the fork in the road coming ahead of them. "Which way do we go? It's probably best if we either decide now, unless you'd prefer to pretend to be lost and have them catch up with us, instead?"

 

~Edana

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Kyn was looking at the road, checking for any clue on which way to go and finally just made a decision. "Right, we go right." And he bore his horse down the right fork. He rode on, keeping the pace steady and hoped that the patrol would follow him, but they didn't. "Bloody..." he cut the rest of the curse off. Once the patrol was out of sight he stopped and looked back down the road. "We'll have to wait a bit and then cut across to the other road. Turning around would be too obvious." He dismounted and led his horse to the side of the road. "I don't like this..."

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Edana kept her mouth shut, nodding her understanding and admitting it didn't make her feel comfortable either as she dismounted and lead her horse alongside his. "We'll lose them," she said, thinking out loud. "They weren't exactly running full out, but if that road has enough traffic, we'll be chasing our tails for a while until we catch their path." Her eyes scanned the brush along the side of the road, as if it were going to give her a brilliant idea that he hadn't already thought of. None was coming, so she settled into an uneasy silence, instead. What would her father have done here? She tried to remember stories that would be useful, but nothing came to mind. The sword at her hip was a small comfort, but she'd take any comfort she could get.

 

~Edana

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Kyn shook his head. "I don't think traffic will be a problem. I chose this road because it was more heavily traveled. It is just that now we'll be behind them instead of in front after they saw us take the other road. I doubt that 'I missed the turn' is going to cut it with them, it would make me suspicious at least." he tossed rocks at a larger one for a while, before deciding to move on. "Come on let's move... I'm tired of waiting and it isn't going to be any better letting them get further away."

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Edana watched him toss rocks out of the corner of her eyes, her eyes and ears pinned to the road behind them. She shook her head inwardly at his inability to be still. Was it being on his own that made him like this? "Come on let's move... I'm tired of waiting and it isn't going to be any better letting them get further away."

 

Edana couldn't agree more, so she swung herself back into the saddle and followed him back to the intersection of the two roads. They turned their horses down the other road and Edana felt the muscles of her back tense up. This was going to be a long, ugly ride. "What will you say if they recognize us?" She asked, already picturing some violent sword swinging in her head. "If, 'we missed the turn' doesn't work... what will?"

 

~Edana

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