(OPEN) Home Coming

[Shepherd]

OOC: I’m setting up this thread to get myself posting again and be reacquainted with the Band. Since in real life I left DM for a while, I’m having Ram’s back story be that he left the Band for a while as well. Whether on a Scouting mission, or for some personal reasons, I’m not sure. But in any case, I hope this will be a fun start for everyone involved. All are welcome to join in.

 

IC:

 

The rain was thick and heavy, driven by a hard wind. It had been like this for most of his journey, causing him to move slowly as he tried to reach the Citadel. Ram shielded himself as best he could against the weather, but even his oil treated cloak didn’t keep him dry. In short, it had been a rough and miserable trip back home.

 

He wasn’t sure how long he had been gone from the Citadel, but he guessed it had been over a year… maybe more. The traffic to and from the Band’s home had doubled and the road was now more than a well beaten path. He was truly amazed that things had progressed so much in his absence.

 

Accustomed to sneaking into places unseen, for that was one of the many skills a good scout needed, it was easy for him to blend in with the people coming and going through the main gate. The guards weren’t checking anyone’s papers or searching for identification, so he simply kept his eyes strait ahead and within a moment he was beyond the gate and in the Citadel.

 

Ghost images flooded his minds eye as Ram started to study the new buildings and roadways inside the Citadel walls. It was eerie how much had changed, but still there was the shadow of the Citadels old spirit that remained.

 

“It’s changed, that’s for bloody sure… but, it’s still the same in many ways…†No one in the street seemed to take any notice as he talked to himself.

 

Ram idly wondered around, trying to get a feel for where things were. Yet, it wasn’t to long before his stomach got the better of him and his hunger caused him to seek out the nearest hot meal.

 

Just as Ram took one step toward the mess tent, someone from across the road called out to him…

 

OOC: Anyone feel free to jump in and say “helloâ€.

 

Scout Banner Captain

Bruce Shepherd

Ram

“There’s a thing called temper for both men and steelâ€

[Quibby]

There were times when the incessant reports and paperwork that accompanied rank became too much, and when this happened, his office was the last place that Mehrin could be found. He took whatever opportunity he could to walk around the growing Citadel. The bustle that accompanied its every step toward completion was one less worry on Mehrin's mind.

 

As he moved through the Citadel, Mehrin took in everything there was to be seen. Occasionally, a man or woman in the uniform of the Band would holler his name, but most simply let him be; it was well-known that the Band's commander had no real love for command. Even among those who didn't know what he looked like, Mehrin's unique mode of dress was enough to identify him. This led to Mehrin always being in a small, open space in the crowd. When he was in a hurry, Mehrin appreciated it, but not when he wanted to forget his post.

 

Mehrin's wanderings took him to the main gate, where a veritable river of humanity was constantly pouring through the gates. Traders and merchants, carpenters, masons, smiths, and the civilian population mingled with many men and women who had come with hopes of joining the Band of the Red Hand. It was people like them that surprised Mehrin. Since Cairhien and the successful attack on the bandits, the Band had recieved enough recruits to replace those who had fallen in battle, and then some.

 

The wind changed, bringing with it the unmistakable odor that often eminated from the mess tent. Despite the joking that everybody in the Band participated in, the food was actually pretty decent. Especially since they had gotten rid of the previous cook. As he approached the mess tent, Mehrin's eye was caught by one of the newcomers. The man carried himself with an air of confidence that was rather peculiar for a newcomer. The man began walking towards the mess tent again, turning a little as he made his way over, and Mehrin suddenly realized why the man seemed abnormally confident.

 

"Shepherd! No doubt you were on your way to report back in, as I know that you would do that before poisoning yourself." Even as he spoke, Mehrin closed the distance between them, a rare smile on his face.

 

[Shepherd]

OOC: Mehrin, thanks for replying!

 

IC:

 

Ram knew how much the commander hated being saluted, especially in public. With a wide grin on his face, he threw a casual salute at Mehrin, and said, “It’s been far too long since I’ve tasted Old Cookies trench muck. I couldn’t resist. But rest assured, after the medics treated me for food poisoning I would have been at your door, ready to report.†The two men shook hands in greatening.

 

“Well, since I’m with you now, and I can always sicken myself later, I might as well report in.†Ram reached underneath his cloak and retrieved a thick role of parchment. Handing it over to Mehrin, he said, “I know how much you do love your paper work…†His sarcasm wasn’t lost on the man he had once called his Sergeant, and who was now the Commander of the entire Band.

 

“…though, perhaps I should just give you a verbal account, so you don’t spend all day reading over the minor details.†They walked together for a little while as Ram told Mehrin about what he had been up to for the last year or so.

 

“As you know, I was doing the usual recruiting circuit, going from the Boarder lands, swinging west, and heading to the southern countries.†Along the way he had sent messages back to the Citadel, but they were just basic progress reports. “All was going as planed, and I should have been back here almost seven months ago, but… something unexpected fell in my lap…â€

 

Literally something or more precisely someone unexpected fell into his lap. He had just finished a long day on the road, stopping at Shol Arbela in Arafel. Ram had found a nice comfortable Inn called the Green Door, named after King Paitar Nachiman’s sister Kiruna, who was an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. The inn’s common room was filled with fighting men, each wearing two long braids over their shoulders with bells at the ends. He remembered thinking to himself, ‘Yes, this will be a fine place to gather some men for the Band…’

 

It would have been a good recruiting spot for the Band, being close to the Boarder and all, but unfortunately he never got a chance to...

 

The Green Door was the most popular Inn at Shol Arbela, and as the sky got darker outside, more people filled the common room inside. Ram paid the innkeeper for a room and ordered a meal at the same time. He made his way to a corner table near the hearth, which was next to a small platform. Eying the platform with a mild curiosity, he sat down at his table and started to thumb his oak pipe full of apple scented tabac.

 

It wasn’t long before the serving maid brought his meal and a tankard of bittersweet ale that was thick and dark. He slowly picked at his plate of roasted pork and potatoes, savoring the salty honeyed meat and savory vegetables.

 

Ram took his ease after finishing his meal, taking long gulps from his ale, and pulling slow drafts from his pipe, filling the air with its aromatic scent. As he relaxed, people all around him started to stand up and cheer. Before he knew what was happening, a pretty young woman dressed in a crimson dress came striding through the crowed of standing men. With an elegant leg, she gracefully bowed to those in the common room and took her place on the platform.

 

“It’s a stage!†Ram said out loud.

 

A man sitting at a table nearby only grinned at him and said, “Ay, that be a stage, and she be a songbird. If this be your fist time at the Green Door, ye be in for a rare treat.â€

 

The woman had long curly hair darker than midnight that reached almost to her waist. Her skin was the color of fresh milk, and her cheeks had a faint rosy glow that gave her face an innocent look. Though, her pink lips curved in a slow sly smile that suggested she might be anything but innocent.

 

When she was ready to begin, the young woman called out to the crowed, “Welcome dear patrons of the Green Door. I am Amelia Evestar, the Summer Songbird, and I shall try to keep you all entertained tonight…†Amelia gave the crowed a small shy smile and a big playful wink.

 

It was a full minute before Ram realized he had stopped breathing. He cleared the knot in his throat and took a long drink from his mug.

 

‘Light… I haven’t felt this way about a woman since… Anya…’

 

Ram had been hopelessly in love with Private Anya Winter, though she had never returned his feelings. This new found attraction to the raven haired borderland beauty caught him off guard. His life had always been about fighting. Even before he joined the Band, he had been a mercenary brawler. Woman had never really been apart of his life. Anya had been the first woman he had ever found deep feelings of affection for.

 

‘I had loved Anya at first sight… so, what do these feelings say about Amelia?’

 

Any further thoughts were halted immediately as the attractive young woman started to sing. Her voice was strong and true, but gentle and feminine at the same time. As Ram sat there watching and listening to this woman, he lost his heart for the second time in his life.

 

“Away, the red roses, away,

I’ll miss you all winter

Away, the red roses, away,

To carry my memories of you

Away, the red roses, away,

Promises of next summer

 

Fall, the white roses, fall

To time as the wheel turns

Fall, the white roses, fall

In my heart your love still burns

Fall, the white roses, fall

I shall wait forever…â€

 

 

The song went on and filled the room with such vibrant tenderness it captured the hearts of everyone in the room. It made Ram want to do nothing more than to hold Amelia in his arms. To soon the love song lullaby was over, and with its end he felt a piece of himself cry out, ‘No!! Please, sing on!!’ . He didn’t have to cry out though, because Amelia went strait into the next song, her lovely voice burning brightly.

 

Inspired by the woman’s voice, Ram got out his sketchbook and started to capture her image with charcoal and paper. He worked carefully, creating each line with perfection in mind. He did his best to copy the brilliant life that shone through her dark green eyes. Her smile, her delicate chin, and all the curves of her body, he wanted to draw everything to match her beauty.

 

Before he knew where the time had gone, the evening had disappeared, and it was becoming late night. Amelia gave her audience one more elegant bow, and said, “Gentleman, as always it’s been my pleasure. Yet, I’m afraid that’s all the singing I’ll do tonight…â€

 

The men raised a protest, Ram included, and they all gave a collective sigh of disappointment. Amelia put her hands on her slender hips, and said in a pouting voice, “I know boys, I’d love to sing for you all night, but I’m awfully tired…â€

 

She had them wrapped around her beautiful little finger. The men all nodded their heads in understanding, slightly abashed that just a minute ago they had wanted her to continue singing.

 

“…but…†There was a ring of hopefulness to her voice that made everyone think she might reconsider and keep on singing. Ram saw merry laughter playing in her green eyes and he could have died happily if she’d looked at him that way. He would have given her the world to hear her laugh.

 

“…but… remember, I’ll be singing tomorrow night, so you won’t be without me for long.†With that, she blew a kiss to the crowed and walked gracefully of stage and into the inn’s backroom…

 

 

 

 

As Ram walked with Mehrin, he thought he could still hear her voice if he listened hard enough.

 

“I… became… how to say it?†Ram shrugged his shoulders and gave the commander an awkward look. “I became distracted, shall we say.â€

 

Ram told Mehrin how he had stayed at the Green Door for a month, trying to win Amelia’s affection. In the end, he had succeeded. The many portraits of her he had given Amelia as gifts set him apart from her other suitors.

 

Over the next month, they had fallen in love. Ram decided to spare Mehrin the details of the happiest days of his life.

 

‘I was prepared to leave the Band for her, but she insisted I stay the fighting man she loved.’

 

“It was my third month in Arafel, and I was going to ask Amelia to marry me…†Ram’s voice caught in his throat, but he pushed onward. “...but the Wheel has no mercy. She caught a fever and… died shortly afterwards.â€

 

‘Dear Creator, she had said “Yesâ€!! We were to be wed…’

 

Ram couldn’t express the loss he felt. It had nearly driven him mad. He thought losing his entire family, his entire village, to trollocs had been the worst thing to happen to him. He had been helpless as a child fighting trollocs, so he had become a fighting man so that he’d never be helpless again.

 

‘All my skills were useless fighting a fever.’

 

A deep biting pain overcame his voice as he said, “She died in my arms. Wounded by an enemy I couldn’t see or stop…â€

 

He turned to Mehrin and said, “I fell apart, and it took me a few months to bring myself together. I’m sorry I failed in my mission.â€

 

Ram pointed to the papers he’d given Mehrin, “It’s all there…â€

 

Clearing the sorrow from his voice, he tried changing the subject. “Anyway, what’s been happening while I’ve been away?â€

 

 

Scout Banner Captain

Bruce Shepherd

Ram

“There’s a thing called temper for both men and steelâ€

[Quibby]

The scout's story was relatively common- man meets woman, man falls for woman, man offers to give up his former life for woman. It was, anyway, until the end. Light, that's the second! And the first left him for me. No man should have to go through that. "I'm... I'm sorry, Bruce." No one ever used Ram's real name, as far as Mehrin knew. "I don't think I ever did apologize for what happened with Anya, so once again, I'm sorry."

 

An awkward moment of silence followed, wherein both men tried to gain control of themselves. Finally, Mehrin rubbed a hand over his face and spoke again, forcing levity into his voice. "Well, I'm sure that your Amelia and Anya are exchanging stories and laughing at our silliness as we speak. Let's go get something to eat."

 

As they approached, Mehrin began relating what had been happening at the Citadel in Ram's absence, oftentimes with as much humor as he could. "Well, first and foremost, Old Cookie's been replaced. It seems that a batch of his trench muck jumped out of the cookpot and strangled him. The new cook is a bit better, so only one-third of the casualties in the infirmary are food poisoning." The talk shifted to how building on the Citadel was going, and then to the group of Asha'man that were now stationed at the Citadel, which in turn led to the events leading up to that- espionage, confession, and a near-riot. The conversation then turned to Cairhien.

 

"Light, the man is terrifying. Do you remember Bandar Eban, where you first joined us? Do you remember the vision in the sky? It's him! That man is the bloody Dragon Reborn! And we fought alongside him and his Aiel; many of them were at Bandar Eban, as well."

 

By this time, the two had made it into the mess tent and were seated at one of the long tables. Mehrin leaned towards the prodigal scout and said quietly, "I've been hearing disturbing rumors from the north. These rumors speak of a battle at Chachin. They say that the city has been obliterated. Did you hear anything about it where you were? It was said to have happened recently."

 

OOC: In the main storyline, Chachin has been destroyed, but it's not really known in the south.

 

[Shepherd]

Ram smiled as Mehrin called him ‘Bruce’.

 

‘It’s been some time since anyone’s called me by my proper given name…’

 

He remembered the day he asked Amelia to marry him and she’s asked if he was born with the name ‘Ram’ or something else.

 

She showed him that coy smile of hers she knew he liked so much, the one that said ‘innocence’ with her lips, while her eyes were full of knowing laughter.

 

“I want to know the true name of the man I’m engaged to.†She said before giving him a lingering kiss to help convince him.

 

Usually it made no difference to him if someone knew his given name or not. Yet, he was having too much fun teasing her to give in so easily.

 

“Perhaps after another hundred or so kisses like that, I’ll tell you…†his smile was just as ‘coy’ as hers had been, but soon he broke out in laughter at the look on Amelia’s face.

 

“You big hairy brut! You’ll not get one more kiss from me until…†her sentence was cut off as Ram took her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

 

Minutes later, maybe hours for all he knew or cared, he pulled back from her and said, “Bruce… my full name is Bruce Shepherd. My men call me Captain, my friends, call me Ram, but only my family ever called me Bruc…†Now it was his turn to be silenced in mid-sentence by a kiss….

 

…later, as Ram held Amelia in his arms, she quietly said, “I’ll be Mrs. Shepherd, wife to Bruce Shepherd…†Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes as she whispered, “…I’ll be Amelia Shepherd…â€

 

 

 

 

Ram shrugged his shoulders, and said to Commander, “There’s nothing to apologize for Mehrin. We both loved Anya, there’s no shame in that. It was her heart to give away, and you won it, fare and square.â€

 

‘But you lost her to, didn’t you Mehrin. Now we both know who it feels to lose a woman we loved more than life itself…’ It was a bitter thought but not a new one. He’d now lost two such women and he didn’t think he could ever bear to love another.

 

‘I don’t think I could stand the pain a third time.’

 

 

After the awkward silence, they walked to the mess tent and talked. Ram was saddened to hear Old Cookie had died, but his stomach was relieved that the food would be better now. The Asha'man wasn’t a complete surprise. He’d been in the field with some of them and had seen a man wield the One Power. But he was amazed that they had a group stationed at the Citadel.

 

He listened as Mehrin talked about Cairhien and the Dragon Reborn. As they sat to eat, Ram said, “Bloody Ashes, I remember Bander Eban like it was just the other day. Lots of that cursed lightning falling from the sky and strange men in even stranger armor trying to kill us. But, if you remember I was knocked unconscious during the sky vision.†He gave Mehrin a small nod of acknowledgment, “You saved my life that day…and you were Sergeant Deathwatch back then.â€

 

It had been Mehrin that dragged Ram back from the battle field as blood poured from his side. ‘I still have that scar… it was too big to ever go away completely…’

 

“As for Chachin, that rumor is all over. So many people are speaking it a deaf man could hear it in his sleep.†Ram pointed to his report on the table next to Mehrin. “I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, but as I was making my way south I met a man that claimed to have seen the place where Chachin used to be. He was some runaway soldier, and his account matched up with some of the others I had heard. I can’t say for certain, but I’d bet all the gold in the sea that the rumors true. It’s all in my report.â€

 

Ram tasted the mud brown lumps that were on his plate and grinned, “Your right, its better than Old Cookies.†He smacked his lips in approval. “Yes, definitely better… I think this cook uses less dirt and he might actually clean the pots when he’s done with them.â€

 

There conversation turned to lighter matters as Ram said, “Any plans in the works I should know about? Any scouting needing to be done? I hope my Scout Sergeants have been keeping up with the paper work and field missions.â€

 

He pushed his empty plate aside, glad to have eaten a hot meal. “And now that I’ve officially reported back, what work do you need me to do?â€

 

Scout Banner Captain

Bruce Shepherd

Ram

“There’s a thing called temper for both men and steelâ€

[Arinth]

Arinth's stomach rumbled as he hurried towards the nearest source of food. His morning training had let an empty pit in his stomach that was loudly demanding to be filled. He was thankful to be a Corporal as he passed soldiers hurrying past in both directions. Most recruits had their days filled with training and everyone higher up on the command list was weighed down with paper work. He had some work as a Corporal and he trained as often as he could but the moments like this made him enjoy his rank. He had a feeling it wouldn't be much longer before he moved up in the ranks...or died in a battle. That was the way of the infantry.

 

He stopped dead as he entered the room and several moments passed before he realized that he was staring. Was that Ram?! By the light, he hadn't seen the old man since he had been a raw recruit. Arinth had been young and fresh then. He had still been innocent then, though he had not realized that. The battle against the Aiel had changed that forever. He would never look at his fellow soldiers the same way again. He sighed heavily. That was not a good train of thought. It was too early in the day to begin drinking, at least for that reason.

 

This was a day for celebrating. Ram had returned. He could drink to that without guilt. He did not know where Ram had gone or why he had been gone so long, but any mission which took a year to complete was one worth celebrating when complete.

 

He began to hurry towards Ram when he saw Mehrin. He hesitated slightly they looked to be discussing something serious and everyone else was avoiding them. As he stood there trying to decide whether to approach the pair or not the conversation seemed to turn to lighter things.

 

"Ram! Last time I saw you, you had just earned your promotion to what, Captain? Banner Captain? Bloody General? Haha, its good to see you, where you been all this time. We could have used your help these past months." Arinth smiled as he took a seat. He hoped he had not interupted anything too terribly important.