Tour of Duty? (Attn: Kennar)

[U4ea]

Edana saluted the Captain and watched him walk away. "Guard the wall," she said under her breath. "Make sure no one gets in the gate." She shook her head and turned towards the gate in question. It was the sully port gate. No one was coming in this way. She had to guard this little hole in the wall until sunup. "This is going to be a long night," she muttered, drawing her cloak around her shoulders.

 

She heard someone approaching behind her and turned, watching a shadow grow into a full sized man. She narrowed her eyes, her fingers playing with the hilt of the sword at her hip. The Captain hadn't said she'd have company, though she didn't know very many gates that didn't have at least two guards on it. This person was on the inside of the gate, too. She settled in the shadow against the wall, watching the shape pause before her.

 

Then she recognized him. She smirked and flicked a throwing knife to land about a foot away from his left foot. "Are you lost, Kennar?" She laughed, seeing his eyes glint in the speckled moonlight that filtered through the trees. "I don't recall the Captain telling me he'd send entertainment..."

 

~Edana

as a matter of fact, she doesn't have a death wish... ;)

[Sieve]

Kennar grumbled to himself over the idiocy of guarding Tar Valon against attack.  Surely the Great Lord of the Dark would not use conventional tactics to assault Tar Valon.  These light blinded fools would not stand a chance against the Dark One's forces.  Kennar could not think of another entity that would be foolish enough to attack the White Tower.  He wished someone would try though, he could picture the massive carnage.  A wicked grin formed as he thought of bodies being torn limb from limb with the one power.  

 

Kennar lost himself in thought as his boots rhythmically clicked on the cobblestone walkway.  What part would he take in the destruction.  What orders would his Mistress issue?  Perhaps she would allow him to torch a few buildings?  Preferably ones that were occupied.  Ear piercing screams filling the air to join the flames and smoke.  Or perhaps she would allow him to kill a few of those puffed up Aes Sedai.  He had a few in mind that he would love to send to the pit of doom.  After he had his way with them of course.  He would humiliate and defile them first before they met their demise.  When he was finished he would hack the bodies to bits.  

 

Kennar was getting excited just thinking about laying waste to Tar Valon.  Ooh how he hated Tar Valon and the light blinded fools that resided there.  He hated them more than was warranted though they stood for everything that he did not.  Again his thoughts drifted to the carnage and destruction.  Blood splattering their precious White Tower, crimson red pools decorating the halls, rivers of red running from every window.  Dismembered body parts littering the streets, flames engulfing every structure that would burn, smoke filling the air choking those fools as they prayed to the creator to save them.  Death wherever he looked and all the glory would be his.  Certainly the Great Lord would grant him immortality.  Maybe the Great Lord would give him that little Aes Sedai as a play thing!  To do with her as he wished.  He wanted to howl, to laugh maniacally though he held it in.

 

His wicked grin had left his face as he stopped to stare into the shadows near the sally port gate.  The moonlight spilled through the trees to illuminate where he stood though the gate was draped in shadows.  Kennar loved the night, that was when he preferred to work.  The darkness and shadows concealing what you did not want other to see.  Allowing you to sneak about or ambush your prey.  As much as the darkness aided his efforts it made little sense for the gate to be so poorly lit.  

 

Suddenly something fell at his feet, the sound of metal clinking on stone echoed through the night.  Kennar reached for his hilt out of habit then stopped abruplty staring down at a throwing knife laying on the cobble stones near his left foot.  The knife had been tossed not hurled.  Clearly the knife's owner meant him no harm.  He bent to pick up the knife. That was when he heard Edana's voice, "Are you lost, Kennar?" which was quickly followed by the sweet sound of her laughter.  From his knees he stared up into the shadows trying to catch a glimpse of her face.  "I don't recall the Captain telling me he'd send entertainment..."

 

Kennar laughed out loud as he stood flipping her throwing knife in his right hand.  "What a lovely surprise!"  He remarked as he began walking towards Edana.  "Apparently you are better at guarding useless gates than escorting trainees to the latrine?"  He chuckled offering her a smile. 

 

Kennar handed her the dagger then laid his hand on hers before he could retract it.  Confidently he said "The Captain said you needed the company of an experienced Guardsman.  Someone to show you the ropes."  He flashed an award winning smile.  "Lucky for me I drew the assignment though I had no idea it would be you"  He lied.  Kennar was so used to lying that he did it flawlessly.  "Lucky for you there is no one better at guarding a useless gate" he laughed. 

 

He could not say why but for some reason he felt something different for her.  With other women it was lust.  An innate physical attraction that a man feels for a woman, a craving to explore her body.  He kept the sinister smile from forming on his face as his mind explored every inch of her body.  That was usually as much emotion as he was capable of when it came to women.  It was different with Edana.  He enjoyed talking to her, drinking, and gambling.  Usually he couldn't stand to hang around with women unless he was taking care of his personal needs.  Other women liked to natter and complain though she was different.  She was lively and witty, generally fun to be around. 

 

It was odd for Kennar as he thought he could only feel this way for women sworn to the Great Lord's service.  Could it be that Edana was a darkfriend?  Kennar doubted it, nothing he knew about her had made him think she was one.  Either way he would have to do something about that puffed up guardsman of hers.  The guy was too full of himself for his own good.  He did not deserve Edana. 

 

 

[U4ea]

Edana's grin widened a bit as watched him flipping her knife as easily as if it were his own. She tucked the knife away, wondering a bit at how long his hand had lingered in handing it back. She paused, thankful for the shadows in this corner of the wall as she lifted her eyes to his. There was no trace of interest in his eyes, at least, as much as she could see. Was it just friendly banter, then?

 

There was a light heartedness in Kennar's demeanor that made her smile come more readily. In light of Sandre's all too serious persona, Kennar was a breath of fresh air. "Apparently you are better at guarding useless gates than escorting trainees to the latrine?" His chuckle drew her thoughts away from comparing him to Sandre.

 

"Ah, apparently I was too good at hauling the little ones to the latrines. The Captain swore he'd never been escorted there himself and vowed I was so terribly good at it, that I could spend my time mastering this post, too! I believe he truly has my best interests at heart." She laughed and shook her head. He'd actually threatened her with a job much like that after some slight she'd tossed his way. She fought back the only way she knew how. Escorting him to the latrines immediately after he'd waken up had almost been entertaining. Almost. "At least he sent me someone who won't bore me to tears all night. I was afraid he'd strap me to this gate with some new recruit who deserved a punishment." she paused and smirked at him. 

 

"The Captain said you needed the company of an experienced Guardsman.  Someone to show you the ropes. Lucky for me I drew the assignment though I had no idea it would be you. Lucky for you there is no one better at guarding a useless gate" His smile and laugh gave her another of those pauses and she shook it off.

 

She turned and stared at the gate a moment, tilting her head one way and then the other. "Call me mad, but I don't see a single rope on this gate." She flashed him a grin. "Perhaps you can explain to me how you plan on showing me ropes that are not here?"

 

 

~Edana

 

[Sieve]

He laughed uproariously at her story about escorting the Captain to the latrine.  He could picture her doing it.

 

At her last comment Kennar looked all around himself then even placed his hand above his brow as if he were shielding his eyes from the glare of the candlelight.  "Nor do I Edana, not a rope in sight" He followed with a chuckle. 

 

Shrugging Kennar went on "It's Just a saying, no idea where it came from though.  Just a joke anyway, there isn't anything to show you that you don't already know.  Guarding a gate like this is like watching grass grow, it's as boring as can be!  Can't say I've ever seen anyone use it yet we have to guard it.  I never liked stationary posts, I prefer the roving kind."  Kennar shrugged, it was just the nature of their duty. 

 

"Well it could be worse, one of us could be stuck here alone."  He finished with a smile, a sign that he appreciated her company.  Usually he preferred to work alone though he was glad Edana was here tonight.  When he was near her he didn't have to force or fake his smiles and reactions.  She was fun to be around, very witty, nothing like that stiff friend of hers, Sandre.

 

"Well we have another half hour until the roving patrol checks on us.  After that we have an hour before they check again."  It was foolish that they followed consistent intervals instead of varying them.  Another sign that nobody expected an attack.  Everyone in Tar Valon had been lulled into thinking they were safe inside the walls of the city.  They had grown complacent.  "Maybe a game of dice?"  He slapped his pouch indicating that he had them on hand. 

 

"Or perhaps we play a prank on another post.  We can go up on the wall and drop some small rocks on the gate guards below.  It's funny to see, especially when they have been on duty for a few hours and bored out of their minds.  They look about wildly wondering what is going on."  Kennar laughed again, a mischievous laugh that said he enjoyed pranks. "The other guards are usually new and too scared to raise the alarm.  They fear the Captain and know that he would not be happy to be roused by a sentry who had a few pebbles fall on him from above."   

 

Kennar said excitedly "What do you say? Unless you have a better way to pass the time?"  He smiled innocently.

 

 

[U4ea]

Edana's grin broadened. She hadn't driven the Captain crazy by smiling at him, after all. "When I was in Camelyn, we teased new guardsmen by leading them a merry chase from their duty posts. Much like your rocks, we'd throw them down a corridor and watch the little ones scramble to find the alleged intruder. I was nearly shot through with an arrow once, when a particularly sharp-eyed guard saw my shadow on the wall. Let us say I was never so careless as to be obvious again!"

 

She eyed the distance from their gate to the next one and measured it in paces in her head. "One of us could make into that tunnel before we'd be missed." She bent and scooped up a handful of dirt and stones, her lips twitching. "Care to play 'find the ghost'?"

 

She held up her hand and looked either way to make sure the patrol wasn't early, then sank back into the shadows along the wall. She darted into the tunnel, sneaking up on the patrol of the next gate over. If they were well-trained, one would stay on their post while the other investigated the noise. If anyone asked, she could claim it was a training exercise. Especially since it seemed the guards were off the shiny new variety. She grinned and climbed up to the walk above them, waving to Kennar below, before ducking over the side and tossing the rocks down the far corridor.

 

As expected, the guards scattered in search of the intruder, giving Ed plenty of time to get back to her post before the patrol made their way to their gate. "There, round one goes to me, I believe..." she grinned at Kennar, taking her post again.

 

~Ed

[U4ea]

OOC: *nudges the thread with the toe of her boot*

 

 

IC: When Kennar didn't reply, she turned her laugh towards him. It echoed off the wall, which would earn them a chat with the Captain if anyone heard it. She truly didn't care. She was nearly blind with boredom, anyway.

 

She flipped her knives out of their sheaths and idly flipped them in her hands, tossing them into little patterns on the ground in front of her. "What else can we do to make sure the other guards are awake?" She tilted her head and collected her knives before flicking them into a different pattern in the ground. "We could ask every ten minutes where the privies are. We could tell them the Captain needed them and not give up until they left their post to go wake him up and find out what they needed." She pondered the repercussions from that and nearly decided it was worth it. "To be true, I'd just be happy for a mug of ale and a game of stones!"

 

~Ed

[Sieve]

Kennar was deep in thought.  Edana's words were like a distant murmur as he watched a black cat approach.  The cat was used to the guards and did not fear them.  It rubbed it's body on Kennar's right leg purring softly.  Kennar appreciated their stealth and agility, wishing he could climb and jump as well as a cat could.  With a mischievous glint in his eye he picked up the cat and hurried off speaking over his shoulder to let Edana know that he would be right back. 

 

Kennar picked the gate in the opposite direction from the one which Edana has chosen.  Quietly he walked up the stone steps to peer over the battlements to spot the guards below.  He watched them for a moment deciding which was the junior of the two.  Hanging the cat over the crenellation he took a deep breath then dropped the cat.  It feel in slow motion landing on the shoulder of the younger guard screeching and clawing.  The younger guard screamed like a little girl.  Kennar did not stay around to watch the show instead taking the opportunity to hurry away in the commotion. 

 

Kennar returned to Edana still snickering.  "You had to see the fool spinning around trying to get the clawing cat off his back"  Kennar burst out in wild laughter.  He laughed so hard that tears ran streaming down his face.  "You had to see the older guardsman trying to calm his companion.  The youth would not listen nor sit still long enough for the older man to help him."  I wish I could have stayed longer but I hurried away during the commotion.  Surely an officer would be by soon.  As if his words had been a summons a Lieutenant approached their post. 

 

"Is all well?" the Lieutenant asked.  Kennar wiped his eyes then responded that all was well at their post.  Luckily the officer hurried off in the direction of the earlier commotion without inquiring what had had Kennar laughing so hard that he had tears in his eyes.  Once the officer was out of earshot he spoke to Edana "That was close...though well worth the price of a little punishment had I been.  I nearly forgot how much fun it is to play pranks on the other guards."

[U4ea]

Ed narrowed her eyes as Kennar picked up the cat and started walking away, then had to clap her hand over her mouth to keep her laughter from ringing out across the Yards as the screeching of a cat and the yelling commotion of a guard could be heard over the wall.

 

She opened her mouth to say something, but a Lieutenant appeared a breath after Kennar said one would be there. She kept her head down, knowing that most of the officers around the Yard knew her well enough to suspect her immediately if something were out of the ordinary. She was grateful for the shadows and that Kennar spoke up before the Lieutenant's eyes could make out who she was in the dark. She breathed a little easier when he disappeared, and turned her grin on Kennar.

 

"I think you scared a life off that poor cat!" She laughed, trying to keep her voice down. "What do you suppose the punishment is for dropping a cat on a guardsman who was probably nearly asleep at his post?"

 

She thought about that for a moment and laughed a bit more. "The Captain would probably assign you as sparring partners for the rest of the season, just hoping he'd get a few good whacks in with a lathe."

 

~Edana

[Sieve]

Chuckling he spoke "That cat was not half as scared as our fellow guardsman.  Ooh Light that was funny, I wish you could have seen it."  Kennar smiled at her, a true honest smile.  How long had that been?  He had become so used to faking smiles that he could not recall.  "I don't know what the punishment would be but I would gladly take the Captain's lumps and still consider it to be well worth it!"

 

"Shall we let the guards have the rest of the night free of pranks?  You did suggest a mug of ale and a game of stones earlier, did you not?"  Kennar's eyes had a gleam of anticipation to them.  A few mugs of ale and some gambling would be nice.

[U4ea]

Edana grinned, glad to see a few shadows approaching their location. "And it seems our replacements are right on time!"

 

She met them, still grinning, shaking hands and passing off the lovely time spent guarding a gate that hadn't opened since the Ogier left. "I wouldn't recommend leaving your post," she said congenially, nodding towards the Lieutenant who seemed to be doing extra rounds to find the person responsible for all of the ruckus along the posts. "There are cats falling from the sky and weird noises skittering down corridors. It truly is an ugly night to be about guarding this gate. Have a GREAT night!"

 

She clapped them on the shoulder, still smiling brightly, especially at the way the young idiots started looking around and up as if worried they were the next targets.

 

She got halfway across the yard and turned back towards the gate. "Well? Are you coming or are you volunteering for another shift, Kennar?"

 

~Ed