Letters Home Attn: Loraine and Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn glanced at Edana as is she had been reading his thoughts. "I don't know... I suppose at that point it will be fight, run or be captured." He glanced up the road and sighed deeply. "Either way, this is what I'm here for and you're sucked in now whether you like it or not. Perhaps we can say we're mercenaries looking for work. Gotta be some of that around here, right?"

[U4ea]

Edana repressed a shudder. None of those options sounded good to her. She could only nod stiffly, her stomach tightening. She'd worried about Sandre not coming back from his time in the Borderlands. Suddenly the prospect of HER not coming back loomed ahead of her. Captured, dead, hired... she shuddered then and sighed. As he said, she was sucked in, now. Nothing else to do for it. "I am yours to command, Master Kynwric. I will follow your lead, whichever road you choose to take." Honestly, what other choice did she have?

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn looked at Edana out of the side of his eyes as she sighed, "I expected nothing less of you." he replied to her profession of support.

 

The pace had been slightly faster than that of what he judged the Seanchan patrol to have been making and after a most of a days riding the patrol was just on the edge of their vision. At that point Kyn backed the pace down and kept the patrol at a distance. He just needed to follow them, not actually keep an eye on them. The spying would come later, where there was more to see. With dark falling quickly he noticed a town rising again on the horizon, the patrol was nearly there. However they, themselves, would only make it there a couple hours after full dark. "Let's pick up the pace. They'll be well ensconced by the time we reach the town."

[U4ea]

Edana nodded, following his lead as she said she would and leaning low over her horse's neck as they barreled towards the town ahead. It was still a good hour after full dark when they drew reign a little ways away from the gates and proceeded towards it a bit slower. She let Kynwric do all the talking, but soon they were on the inside and the gates closed behind them. The town didn't look much different than any other she'd been in, though there seemed to be a lingering tenseness in the air. She kept her eyes straight ahead, though she paid the most attention to what she could see on the outskirts of her vision. She truly didn't trust the feeling of this place. "There seems to be an inn up on the left, if the sign outside is any indication. Do you want to stop there or keep looking?" she asked, though she did it quietly enough that only Kynwric could hear her. Anyone looking would see her deferring to him... that's what they'd expect, right?

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn glanced at the Inn and nodded. "Let's stop, I don't want to chance upon them again until tomorrow. Showing up tomorrow we might be curious, tonight we be alarming. I don't fancy alarming armed and armored soldiers... particularly ones who believe they are ever-victorious." he led his horse around to the stables and tipped the stable-boy well for both horses to be well cared for. "Let's get inside, I'm famished."

[U4ea]

Edana nodded, following his horse to the inn and swinging out of the saddle. She unlashed her pack and followed him inside, letting him to the talking once they were inside. She found a table and settled into it while he bartered for rooms, waving down the serving girl and ordering a plate full of food for them both. She surveyed the room while she waited, easily picking the soldiers from the local patrons, even though there wasn't a stitch of a tabard anywhere.

 

When Kynwric returned, the ale had just been set on the table. "There are soldiers covering this room and about three of them aren't here for the food, if my guess is correct. There's one by the door, one by the fireplace and the third sitting at the bar. Even the serving girls veer around them when they make their rounds." She followed one serving girl with her eyes a moment as she danced around the soldier at the bar. "They're not in uniform, which means they're looking for something. What do you suppose they're looking for?"

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn shook his head slightly and shrugged. "Could be anything, could be us, could be deserters, could be literally anything. Don't be alarmed by it." He took a long draw on his ale. "My, is that good after a long day on the road." He took his time checking out each of the soldiers Edana had pointed out. By now he was beginning to doubt they were looking for them, reinforcements would have arrived by now if they were... and that could only mean they were staked out for someone else in this room. Since they'd been eating and were nearly done. "I'm going to get us a room, I think it'd be better if we were out of the common room whenever whomever they're looking for shows up."

[U4ea]

Edana nodded, seeing his logic. She didn't relax, though. Just in case their prey didn't show up, she had no intention of being caught off guard. She kept her eyes down, occupying herself with appearing to be in thought over her mug of ale. Her senses were attuned to everything in the room, though. She felt the man on her left shift uncomfortably in his chair. She felt the serving girl arriving two tables away with a tray of food. She heard the scrape of a chair as a man who appeared to be drunk staggered out of the tavern. She didn't need to see it, she could hear and feel it in the air.

 

She waited for him to take care of their lodging and followed him up the narrow staircase towards the rooms above the tavern. She was really looking forward to a nice comfortable bed. The hut had been nice, but it was hardly a place she wanted to spend a lot of time. Especially resting on that mattress!

 

~Edana

 

[_Kynwric_]

The room wasn't much, but it had a bed and a chair. Kyn muttered under his breath and nodded to the bed. "Get some sleep... I'll wake you later to keep a turn of watch." He moved the chair so he could see out the window and settled into it, kicking it back slightly to rest the back against the wall. from here he could see the front of the inn as well as the doorway to the room, even though it was closed, shadows could still tell him much about who passed.

[U4ea]

Edana nodded and sank gratefully onto the bed. It wasn't long before she was asleep. She could remember each creak of the chair Kynwric was sitting in and every set of footsteps that passed the door. It was interspersed with short, strange dreams, but she could remember them.

 

When Kynwric woke her sometime later, she was a bit refreshed. "Did I miss anything interesting?" She asked softly as she sat up and rolled her legs off the side of the bed, stretching as she stood up.

 

~Edana

RP'ing when sleepy results in sleepy characters... did you know that?

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn shook his head. "Nothing, not even a peep from downstairs so whomever they were waiting on apparently hasn't shown yet." Kyn stood and stretched too, working some of the kinks out before trading places with Edana. "Should stay quiet I'd expect, then we'll see what morning brings."

[U4ea]

Edana nodded, adjusting her long frame to rest in much the same way Kynwric had. She smiled to herself, listening to the little town settling in. The music from downstairs slowly dimmed and died, the calls across the alleyway died, as well. It wasn't long before everything was quiet. It would've been so easy to lull into complacency, so she fought it for a long time. She watched the moon, standing every now and then to see the shadows shifting with the movement below the window.

 

It was quiet, so still she could hear the mouse in the wall...

 

She narrowed her eyes and turned towards the sound. That wasn't coming from the wall. She moved closer to the door, her feet silent on the thin carpet. She squatted next to the doorframe, listening to the scratching along the wall as it came closer. She held her breath, hearing the very muffled step of someone pausing in front of their door. After a moment, the person moved on, the scratching going with them.

 

She gasped audibly, her hand flying to the sword hanging at her belt as a door opening down the hall turned into a loud scuffle. She heard the bed shift behind her, but didn't take her eyes off the door. The scratching hadn't changed as it moved down the hallway. At least, not as far as she could tell. Had it been a curious customer checking out the noise or had that guard finally found who it was after? She didn't take a chance of opening the door, either way.

 

The noise died down and the inn was quiet again. She didn't hear any other doors closing, so she must not have been alone in her mistrust of their surroundings. She sighed, turning back to Kynwric, but not saying a word. How long would it be before she could explain what had just happened?

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn woke that morning at the normal time; which didn't seem late enough to suit him, but even after trying to roll over he couldn't sleep any more. He rolled to sit on the edge of the bed and looked at Edana who seemed spooked. "Anything interesting?"

[U4ea]

Edana's eyes swung back to Kyn's and she chewed her lip for a minute. Interesting was a bit of a stretch. Curious, perhaps. "I believe they found what they were looking for," she said. She explained the scratch and the scuffles down the hallway. "I didn't think we needed to rouse suspicions, so I kept inside the door. I've been counting steps and doors since the sun started hinting at coming up, though. The scuffle was two doors further down the hallway and across the way." She shrugged, half of her thinking she should've stepped up and done something and the other half knowing she'd likely have been in much more trouble for putting her nose into it. And not the kind of trouble she'd likely be able to find herself out of, either. "That's it, though. Not another sound until a few minutes ago when people started rousing and moving around their rooms and venturing downstairs again."

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn nodded, "Good decision, it wasn't our business to begin with. Let's get breakfast and be away, I'd like to actually have something to report in the next letter I send back." He rose from the bed and dressed himself from a nights sleep. "Got everything?"

[U4ea]

Edana nodded at his assessment and set about gathering the few things she'd taken off before she took her rest this morning. She checked herself one last time to make sure she had it all, then nodded to Kynwric. "Aye, I've got it all," she said, turning to follow him out the door and downstairs towards the heavenly smells that signaled breakfast in the tavern below.

 

 

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn led them down and they had breakfast without incident. The next step was finding out what as happening with the soldiery here and that meant finding soldiers, fortunately that was not as difficult as it sounded as a troop was gathering at the corner just ahead. "Looks like our lucky day," he turned to look at Edana with a smirk. "We'll just tail them and see where we end up." He tossed to stableboy a pair of coins for their horses and leaned against one of the supports while the boy got the horses.

[U4ea]

  "Looks like our lucky day. We'll just tail them and see where we end up." Was he smirking? The expression seemed natural enough, but... why did it make her nervous?

 

She waited for her horse, keeping her mouth shut while they were in ear shot of the stable boys. When she had her horse's reins, she lead him outside before swinging into the saddle. She eyed the collection of soldiers at the corner ahead and sighed. "Is that truly what you call lucky, Master Kynwric?" she asked quietly. "Finding someone to follow is one thing, but..." She counted the soldiers in her head, turning to meet his gaze with her eyebrows raised. "I'm not sure chasing a small army is a good idea if we're only after information..."

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn looked at her, "Its all a matter of reference, I call unlucky being 3 days into the blight with 3 or 4 fades, their accompanying trollocs and a draghkar or two while on foot, without food and running low on water unlucky. So, yes, this is lucky. So is waking up in the morning."

[U4ea]

Edana bit her lip to keep from laughing and turned her eyes back to the army so he wouldn't see it. She was terrible at hiding her humor, so she was pretty sure she failed miserably. "Well, when you put it that way..." she said, her voice dancing with laughter. "Lead away! Let us pray they're not headed for the Blight so I've no reason to test your version of unlucky!"

 

They waited until the band of soldiers turned and moved through the gate. Edana took the opportunity to watch the street around them. The morning was early, but folks seemed to be up and about already. She watched their strides and noted they seemed hurried, as if spending too much time in the street was cause for issue. She looked over at Kynwric, her brow wrinkled. "Do you think they're always in such a hurry or is there something strange making them think trouble is coming?" And could the trouble be them? It was a lot to think about...

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn shook his head at the scurrying soliders. "No, they're headed somewhere and in a big hurry." He pointed out the wagons and packed horses. "They've got orders to go somewhere and from the way they're moving they are a day behind. Which makes me think that they've received reports of some other army's movements and are reacting." While they waited Kyn retrieved his parchment and ink from his saddle bags, scratching out a note and details for Loraine.

 

My dearest Loraine,

 

The Seanchan troops are moving, still nothing new to report on the creatures I mentioned other than what I mentioned before. The Seanchan army is well organizedm, provisioned and informed. the locals are mostly left alone and allowed to live a normal life, so I think a full scale insurrection unlikely. There simply isn't the desire amongst the peasantry for such.

 

Yours,

Kynwric

 

He handed the folded note over to Edana, "Back as fast as you can. You'll find me to the left and rear of the troops when you return."

[U4ea]

Edana took the note and tucked it into her jacket pocket. She turned and watched the soldiers a moment, guaging the direction they were heading before nodding to him. "Be well, Master Kynwric," she said, turning her horse the way they'd come the night before. "With this lot, I'm reasonably sure finding a dead man would be harder than a live one!"

 

She nodded his way and started towards the gate. She didn't move quickly until she was outside it, though. No need to arouse any more suspicion than necessary. She flew towards the Tower as quickly as her horse would go, though it meant stopping and resting and even changing horses once before she made it within the Tower grounds. The horse barely stopped in the stable before she was off and walking quickly across the grounds. She smelled of horse and sweat and she desperately needed a bath. However, the longer she was gone, the harder it would be to find Kynwric again and she wasn't about to hear a lecture on that!

 

She knocked on Loraine's door, glad to see that the Aes Sedai didn't waste a lot of time opening it. She handed the woman the letter and Loraine opened the door a bit wider. "I knew you were coming, so I have a bath..." she pointed to the corner where a tub sat behind a screen. "I'll have a change of clothes sent for, if you like."

 

Edana wrinkled her brow. "But, how...?"

 

"I felt his urgency and then a bit of humor. He calmed down a bit after that, though I know he's still focused. It could only mean he was completely settled on his task, which meant he couldn't have been looking out for you, too." She smiled. "Please, I'll warm it for you. Am I wrong to assume you're in a hurry?"

 

Edana shook her head, too tired to contemplate what the woman had just said. She'd made it here in a little over two days. How had she known how long it would take her? She stopped questioning it as the steam started rising from the water. Her muscles screamed for the comfort that would be found there. She sighed, hearing Loraine send a Novice to the Barracks for her clothes. She sank into the warm water a few moments later, leaning her head back and trying not to fall asleep as Loraine opened the letter.

 

*********************

Loraine waited until she heard the water grow still and then hurried to her desk in the next room, tearing open the letter on her way. Her eyes scanned the letter, then she sat down and focused on it. They're leaving people alone? She wrinkled her brow. Perhaps that's why most places hadn't even put up a fight? She picked up another report, this one from a bit further West than where Kynwric should be. It read much the same as Kynwric's letter, with one notable exception. The army of the Seanchan had moved into the mayor's house. They hadn't kicked him out, but they had procured his house as their base of operations. The town must've been bigger or more strategically placed, but she couldn't honestly see why. It was puzzling to say the least.

 

Dearest Kynwric,

I have other reports from around your area that reinforce what you're seeing about the Seanchan. The biggest difference would be a town that is just West of where you are, where they seem to be establishing a base of operations. Have you heard anything further about the resistance group in that area?

 

I know you are investigating this area and I pray that you return to me safely and very soon.

 

All my love,

Loraine

 

She sealed the envelope and turned back to the other room and the screen where Edana was starting to move like she was bathing. She hated not giving the woman time to recover from what had to be a rough trip, but Kynwric needed this information before he stumbled on that town where the Seanchan were housing themselves. If he was expecting the same quiet that he'd witnessed so far...

 

~Loraine

 

******************

Edana pulled herself back onto her horse, praying this was the last leg of her journey to find Kynwric. She'd followed the nearly invisible trail the soldiers had left behind, but she hadn't caught up to them, yet. In fact, she didn't see any sign of them. It made her a bit nervous.

 

Somewhere around mid-day, the tracks became a bit more fresh and she sighed in relief. She moved off the road, using the trees for cover as she stayed to the left of the tracks. There were a second set of prints here and she smiled. "So nice to leave me a bread crumb trail, Master Kynwric," she laughed under her breath. The tracks stopped abruptly and she pulled her horse up short. There was no sign of a struggle, so she wasn't worried for his safety. In the eerie quiet, it was more her own safety she was concerned about...

 

~Edana

tired and tense...

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn had been watching Edana for about 10 minutes now, moving from cover to cover and finally taking a place on branch over the path she was following. "Yes, but bread crumbs don't climb trees Edana... you need to remember to look up every once in awhile, not everything hunts from the ground." He dropped to the forest floor and beckoned her to follow him, leading her off the path to a small clearing. "These Seanchan are a curious sort, but I've seen some rather amazing things since you left. They employ flying creatures, some small, some large; but nonetheless, they can mount an airborne assault if they wish. My horse is over there," pointing just off to the edge of the clearing. "Plenty of fodder and water, when you're done joion me, supper is about done too..."

[U4ea]

Edana jumped as she heard a voice over her head. It spooked the horse and the poor animal nearly bolted. She sighed, tightening her grip on the reigns. He was right, she hadn't looked up a single time since she'd started following his tracks. Had he been a wild animal, she'd be dead and her message shredded by now. Light, she was tired...

 

She swung out of her saddle, leading the poor horse to where his was hobbled. She pulled her bedroll free of the saddle and moved closer to the small fire he had going. She welcomed the heat, welcomed the distraction from her exhaustion. She was glad he wasn't beating her slight back into her head. She was pretty sure her conscience would do that for her in the coming days.

 

She passed him the message from Loraine and unrolled her bedroll. She lowered herself to it with a little less than her usual grace and sighed, her mind turning over what he'd said in her head. Flying animals? An airborne assault? How you do combat that when you're fighting with knives and swords? IF the animals get high enough, even an archer wouldn't do any good. She wrinkled her brow, waiting on Kynwric to finish reading the message before she pounded him with questions.

 

~Edana

[_Kynwric_]

Kyn read through the letter and pocketed it, there wasn't anything new he hadn't already figured out. this bunch was moving west and he had already surmised a base of operations was being established. He glanced at Edana after a moment and realized she was bursting with questions, "Well, out with it girl... they aren't going to be answered without being asked."