On the Open Road (Elia,Rowul, Carnhain)

[Wretched Chaos]

He slipped quietly amongst the trees, vicious thoughts flowing through his head. He could see his next victim, the Lightblinded fool, who had betrayed him so easily. He anticipated the moment when he could drive that knife through his throat and watch the light leave his eyes forever. However, he would have to be careful in his movements, as that cowardly dog who sat no more then twenty paces in front of him, had taught him everything he knew. The man was skillful, he would give him that, but nothing a servant of the Dark Lord couldn't handle.

He dropped to his belly, and crawled silently, along the flat ground. The moon shone down that night. Just enough to see his quarry. The man would die soon and he would revel in his death. He snaked hiw way towards the log where his sworn enemy sat. He took as much time as needed, becuse he did not wish to screw up this opportunity.

He was finally close enough to his old mentor, to actually reach out and touch him. He drew out his blade tipped with the essence of death upon it. He made sure he drew it out, nice and slow, so there was no sound. He raised the blade slowly, aligning it with the back of the man's neck. The long awaited moment was finally at hand. He swung the blade with all his might, attempting to sever the neck in one blow. He felt the blade touch the back of the neck and slice cleanly through the spinal cord and out the front.

The head rolled backwards, landing in front of him. He started shaking violently. He stared straight, unblinking at the head in front of him, or what should have been a head. What he was staring at was a dummy's head. He checked the neck and found a piece of wood to act as the spine. He stood up and looked around the small clearing. No tracks leading anywhere. But he had seen the man enter the clearing and sit on the log, not moving. He checked the kit and found the man's personal belongings. Small pictures of his family. Of him.

He felt the cold feel of Eclipse on his neck. "I should have known that it was you, my son. You disappoint me. All those years of teaching you my trade, and you fail miserably. You are not worthy of the name Hellok. You are cast out of the family of Jaim Hellok, and I'll shall end your failure tonight. Goodbye Rodrik." The blade came crashing down towards his neck.

 

Rodrik awoke in a pool of his own sweat. That dream had been so real. So vivid. So painful. So... terrifying. He got to his feet and walked to the wash basin, and washed the sweat away. He looked at himself in the mirror and thought about what he had become in the dream. A Darkfriend. How that was possible, he didn't know. Why he was out to kill his father was beyond understanding. A betrayal? His father was the kindest man ever to walk the earth. He wouldn't betray anyone if his life depended on it. Rodrik pushed these thoughts away, and focused on the day's job at hand.

Today he was leaving on an assignment of his own. Well, not totally true, his mentor was going to be there, but he regarded it as his own. He dressed in fresh clothes, and strapped on his sword belt. He felt his blades to make sure they were there. Totenkompf, and Assault were what he had named them. He practiced with them everyday and had become fairly good at the Forms. He picked up his saddlebags which he had packed the night before, and slung them over his shoulder. He opened the door to his room, and exited the barracks. He walked to the stables and began saddling Thunder. He wondered what was taking Elia so long. He just shrugged to himself and continued with what he was doing. It was going to be a long road ahead.

He thought over his assignment. There was a noblewoman in Baerlon by the name of Assandra, who he was supposed to meet up with and escort. She was being given an escort only because of increased bandit activity in her area. Rodrik had been told that she had been given an audience with the Amyrlin Seat herself, so she must be important. Rodrik was happy with the fact that he had been deemed a good enough student to be given an opportunity like this. He hoped that nothing would slow down his journey as that was going to take a couple of months both ways.

He looked around the stables once more and saw the figure of Elia walk in. She nodded to him and saddled her horse quickly. They mounted and rode through the South entrance. He looked back at the Yards, which had been his home for the past year. He felt a little sad at departing it, but he knew he would be alright. He thoughts suddenly turned to the dream. What could it mean? A bad omen? Possibly. The future? Not likely. Just a dream? He was unsure. Only the Open Road ahead of him could tell.

[Ramza]

Rowul sat back in his saddle, well now "What have we here the newest calvary soldier it looks like, well this should be an easy mission, just don't you know, kill the person we are traveling with adn every thing should be ok."

 

Light having to take a noble any where, she wouold want to discuss Tear's noblity and she would want to discuss the lord of the land title would make him the best target for discussion and having a discussion. WHY AM I THE ONE THAT GOT STUCK WITH THis

 

Rowul visionaly shook himself waiting for the others to arrive

[Kaylan]

They were off on a mission, some fool noblewoman wanting an escort because of bandit activity, or some such, and Elia had been told to take her mentee along to get him some experience out in the field. She doubted that they'd see much action - from her own sources, things weren't too dangerous out in Andor, and as long as they looked like they meant business the majority of petty thugs would avoid the party altogether. She gathered her uniform, making sure to bring her heron mark with her, even though she usually preferred a plain blade, and wandered down to the stables. Rodrik was already there, no doubt excited to be going off into the world on his first 'real' assignment, and she smiled to herself, not wanting to explain to him that in all likelihood it would just be dust and boredom and a foolish noblewoman trying to assert her 'authority' over them. Still, she had to be alert, no matter what she thought would happen, because in the end you never could tell.

 

Her grey stallion, Grim, didn't look too fearsome, and plodded along at a leisurely pace whenever he could get away with it, but he was a fully trained warhorse in reality, and had stamina that made up for his lack of speed in the short sprints. She'd had him for a few years, now, but didn't get as many chances to ride him as she'd have liked to, so she often let other Tower Guards ride him - those who knew how to handle him, and that he was familiar with, at any rate - to make sure that he got enough exercise. She often joked about him turning into a fat old thing but he was in good shape, and she was glad that he got the extra exercise that she couldn't always give him.

 

As they rode through the first of many days on the road, Elia kept a watch out through the towns along the way. Situations could change overnight, but it was always useful to know of any conflicts or any issues that could pose a problem on the way back through. In a few days she would doff her red cloak, only putting it back on again once they were almost to Baerlon, but for now she smiled down at the children who looked at her red cloak and heron mark in awe, and smiled wider at the girls who looked at her in disbelief. The path of the blade was not an easy one to walk, but it was rewarding to those who went down it with determination, and she wondered if any of those girls would go to Tar Valon to prove to themselves that they really could do anything they wanted, even if their brothers laughed. The Tower Guard smiled wide at the thought.

 

~Elia Darnel

Tower Guard

[Wretched Chaos]

Rodrik was tired beyond belief. Two months on the road, with little rest was taking its toll on his body, if not nescessarily his mind. "Where are we?" He looked over at his mentor Elia. "Not far, two, maybe three days at most." He felt relief at those words. This trip was extremely boring, no action what so ever. Still, Rodrik had hope that something interesting would happen, after all, what could that dream have possibly meant other then that? He turned his attention back to his surroundings.

 

He scoured the country side with his eyes. If some bandit wanted to attack him, he wanted to know where they were coming from, and how many there were. Elia watched him looking around, and spoke," You won't find anything. This place is as quiet as a grave." Rodrik deflated a little bit after that, but he wanted to actually do something. "I'm going to go scout around a little bit, if that's all right." Elia nodded to him and he nudged Thunder into a trot.

 

They rode forward, towards some trees that he had been eyeing earlier. He halted Thunder at the edge of the forest, and dismounted. He ied the stallion to a branch and entered the forest quietly. Skills and memories of his childhood rushed back to him. He entered into the Hunter's mode. He crept from tree to tree, inspected every potential track and mark, looking for a sign of something, anything. But there was nothing. He walked back silently to Thunder, untied his friend and mounted up. He rode back to Elia before she could disappear on him. "Nothing?" she inquired. He nodded his head. "Let's get going, we have a ways to go yet." Rodrik nodded again and rode on.

 

They had been riding for another couple of hours and now the sun was beginning to go down. Rodrik continued to look around and hopefully spot something. His eyes swept back and forth across the land, when he finally did see something. It looked like a... face! He nudged Thunder close to Elia's horse. " I see something that way," pointing to where he had seen the face. " I think somebody is over there. I'm going to go check it out." He booted Thunder into a gallop, before Elia could call out a protest. He headed straight towards the point. He was so intent that time lost meaning but he didn't care. He raced on.

 

Rodrik called Thunder to a halt when he had reached the point where he had seen the face. It was dark. This place was farther away then he had thought it was. He studied the spot to get a good feel for it. There were a bunch of large boulders that looked like they could hide a man. There was a small pool of water that would probably be useful for watering horses. Rodrik decided to inspect the area. Anyone who might have been here would still be here. There was no way they could have rode away without Rodrik seeing. He tied Thunder to an outcrop on one of the boulders next to the pool. He then began to stealth his way around the perimeter of the area. He kept close to the ground, taking slow steps so as to not make any noise. He could hear Thunder drinking in the background, and ...something else. He couldn't tell what, but he could definitely hear something. He crept quietly around the rear of the bouldered area. Seeing nothing, he went through the boulders. He then heard something very distinctive, a horse's whinny. A stallion if his horse judging skills were still any good. Ten paces to his left. He smiled to himself. He backed up and went around the boulder. He smiled again.

 

There, standing no more then 3 paces away from him, were two men and two horses. One large and one small of both species. He could see well enough to know that these men weren't bandits. First of all, they were wearing good armour. Bandits did not have good armour. Second, these men had professional warhorses. Third, If these men were bandits, they would be carrying more equipment. Bandits, don't just have small saddlebags. They carry enough so they can live in the wild and not get caught by authorities in the cities. He stood up, and decided to have a little fun. "Playing Hide and Go Seek, friends?" The men jumped. They drew their weapons and stood at the ready. " Who are you, stranger?" Rodrik laughed. "I'm just a passing traveler. You wouldn't harm an innocent man like myself, would you?" They lowered their weapons and smiled themselves. Rodrik continued his speech," I was just passing this way with a friend of mine, and I saw this place. It looks like a good place to rest so I came. And then I heard you folks, and decided to play a little game with you."

 

One of the men looked around and spoke,"So, where is your friend?" Rodrik's smile fell off his face and he ran back to Thunder. He jumped on top of the stallion's back and stood up in the saddle. He looked around for Elia, but she was nowhere to be seen. He lowered himself on Thunder and dismounted. He ran back to the men, thinking of what to do. He looked at the men and thought of something." She seems to have disappeared. I need to get to Baerlon. Do you know the way? I'm Rodrik Hellok. And who would you be?" Rodrik hoped these men would help him, or he was royally screwed.

[Kaylan]

As Rodrik trotted off without asking her leave, Elia cursed softly to herself and wheeled around to approach the scene from another direction. She'd seen them, of course, but her mentee needed to learn a few good lessons before she could even consider him ready for being off his mother's apron strings, let alone to be a Tower Guard and responsible for other people's safety. Gallivanting off like that, he had no idea of what he was doing.

 

She dismounted, patted Grim, and approached the group, where Rodrik was now talking to the two men, and they were at least lowering their weapons. Fool child. Two months without any action and you rush off at the first sign of anything that isn't trees. Not that he got a whole lot of action back in the Tower, he was a Trainee after all. A foolhardy, headstrong trainee who was going to be cleaning the armoury from top to bottom every day until he showed patience enough to be allowed to handle a weapon again.

 

And now the two were asking about her, so they'd obviously seen the two of them as she'd seen them in turn. She was wearing her heron mark, as she'd decided to upon leaving the Tower, and they had no doubt seen it. Rodrik returned after a cursory glance to try to find her, and now he was asking them for help. With an exhasperated sigh, she walked out of her place and to face him.

 

"Just because I was born in a city doesn't mean I never learned to be silent, Rodrik." She looked at the two men for a moment, then whistled through her teeth for Grim. They were stuck with these two now, since he had rushed off like a fool, and so she might as well give them a few things to think about. Patting her charcoal grey pants to draw attention to the heron mark hanging from her right hip, Elia straightened up and stood tall. Her white silk shirt was dusty, it was true, but it was still silk, and her hair was fixed so that most of her black curls spilled down her back, but it was still up enough to stay out of her face if she needed to fight.

 

"Elia Darnel, friends." She could only hope that neither of them was overly familiar with the goings on of the Tower Guard, or her name would stand out like a beacon as a former Commander. She'd only resigned recently, so they might not even know of her replacement. But all she could do was hope that she hadn't been the stupid one by introducing herself, and she glanced at Rodrik again with a slight raising of one eyebrow to show they would talk about this later, but what she really wanted to do was slap him on the side of the head for being such a wool headed fool.

 

~Elia

Tower Guard

Edited to make a sentence actually finish. :oops:

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain yawned as he lazily rode behind his uncle. Allowing Black Fire to pick his own way through the woods after Rowul's mount Carnhain stretched his sore shoulders. As usual, he was bare-chested, parading the long scar down his front like a tatoo.

 

It had been a day of sweltering heat. The trees had done little to cut the heat and his shoulder length blonde hair hung damp against his face. It felt good to finally splash some water on his body and cool it off.

 

Rowul had picked a good campsite. The trees were thick, allowing for good shade and the pool of water was large enough to water their mounts. The rocks provided cover from the path and would protect their back upon the unlikely occasion a group of bandits would attack two obviously trained warriors.

 

Once Fire was watered and his nose bag in place, Carnhain stripped him of his tack and began to brush the horse down. They had set an easy pace and the horses were well rested, though their riders were sore from the nearly week and a half of riding and more often than not sleeping in the forest.

 

"Playing hide-and-go-seek, friends?"

 

Swearing, Carnhain spun, drawing his broadsword easily and leveling it to the man's throat. Light, but it would have been nice to have taken Kedyn along, this would never have happened had the Scout accompanied them.

 

"Who are you stranger?"

 

Rowul had joined him, the man's own blade pointed towards the man and Snaga, Rowul's battle axe, hung from Iron Heart's cantle.

 

The man was young, younger even than Carnhain's barely twenty years. His darker complexion marked him Tairen, while Carnhain was hardly well-versed in culture even he could pick out the more obvious physical traits.

 

What Carnhain was more interested in though, were the dual katanas on the boy's back, and his stocky appearance. From the way he moved that boy could use those blades and was both larger and stronger than the blonde Lieutenant. Even so, Carnhain would place bets on himself in a duel, even without Rowul behind him.

 

"I'm just a passing traveler. You wouldn't harm an innocent man like myself, would you? I was just passing this way with a friend of mine, and I saw this place. It looks like a good place to rest so I came. And then I heard you folks, and decided to play a little game with you."

 

Lowering his blade, though not sheathing it, Carnhain spoke, though his tone lay somewhere between cautious and hostile. "You're lucky I didn't put my blade through your neck boy. Few people take kindly to those who sneak up behind them when there's rumours of bandits in the area. So, where is your friend?"

 

While the boy ran back to get his companion, Carnhain glanced at his uncle. "Be careful, nephew. You're too hot-headed." The younger man scowled but before he could retort, the young man came rushing back, bringing his stallion behind him.

 

"She seems to have disappeared. I need to get to Baerlon. Do you know the way? I'm Rodrik Hellok. And who would you be?"

 

"Baerlon? Yes, I suppose we could go out of our way. My name is... Mother's milk in a cup! I'm going to put six inches of stell through the next person who sneaks up on..." Choking on his last words, he saw the heron branded into the woman's blade. It was her sudden appearance that had invoked his curses and now he was wishing he had kept a better rein on his tongue. Blood and bloody ashes, she was a blademaster!

 

She towered almost half a foot above Carnhain and held a deadly grace only a true Blademaster could accomplish. Other than the mark on her blade, though, there was little else to distinguish her from any other woman. True her shirt was silk, and her breeches of good cut, but she wore no armour or other markings. What would a blademaster be doing in the middle of a forest with a youngster like Rodrik? Carnhain began to second-guess the young man at her side perhaps he would have needed to have Rowul at his back in a duel.

 

"Elia Darnel, friends."

 

Softening his tone, for all his bold words to Rodrik he had no wish to anger a blademaster, he introduced himself and Rowul. "Lieutenants Carnhain and Rowul Stromblade of the Band of the Red Hand." He held out his hand in greeting, though his other hovered near his sword belt.

 

"There's plenty of room for you to join our camp for the night, Miss Darnel, Master Rodrik."

 

Suddenly, Carnhain felt very self-conscious. Her silk shirt spoke of wealth and possibly station. Never before had Carnhain encountered anyone who would qualify as 'nobility', besides those soldiers of the Band who had given up titles to join in the fight.

 

He had been trained in how to act around nobility, and one of the first lessons his teachers had given him was to dress properly. His cheeks flushed as he suddenly remembered just how tight his breeches were, nearing the line that would pass as scandalous, and that he wore no shirt. Turning from the two, the former inn slave went to his saddle bags and pulled a clean shirt over his head.

 

This was going to be a long night.

[Ramza]

Watching his nephew curse adn then a blademaster approach, all in the time it took for him to reach for Snaga. If there were any Axes that had been made with the power Rowul would have leapt to claim it, he was no blademaster, his own nephew knew more of the sword than him, but when it came to his battle ax snaga no one could stand to him.

 

 

Hooking his ax to his belt he smiled and stuck out his hand, "As my nephew said my name is Rowul Stromblade, You seem young to have earned that blade, but in truth age never has much to do with quick wrists and form memorization. Now tell me what are two young peopel doing out here all alone, you mistress my be able to handle yourself but your young friend here would most certainly be used against you in a fight."

 

Carhian walked back over wearing a white shirt, and seemed somewhat embarressed.

 

rule #2 never let a noble know you are embarrased or starteled

[Guest Estel]

As Rowul whispered in his ear, Carnhain flushed again: part anger part deeper embarassment. As haughty as he had a tendency to be, he was still easily intimidated by those he placed over him. Part of the inn slave still lived on in the young man know used to a certain amount of power.

 

He could not place the woman's accent or clothing, so he supposed her to be a northerner. Why she would be travelling with a Tairen he had no idea. She certainly had no need of a guard.

[Wretched Chaos]

"Well, since we all know each other now, and it's a little late to go travelling. Why don't we make camp for the night?" Everybody nodded to his question. He moved to his saddlebags to grab his bed roll and a blanket. He unfastened the strap holding the bedroll, and opened one of the sadllebags to grab the blanket. He turned around and walked right into Elia. She did not look pleased in any way, shape or form. Rodrik gulped and knew he had screwed up badly. He waited for the expected thunder from his mentor, but surprisingly, there was nothing. SHe walked to Grim to grab her kit and went about getting ready for sleep. He looked past her and saw Carnhain watching.Don't show your anger around strangers. It gives them an advantage against you. Shows them your personality. Rodrik remembered his father's lecture on controlling anger and emotion. Apparently, Elia had heard the same lecture somewhere else.

 

Rodrik nodded to the watching man and unrolled his bed roll. He lay down on it, and draped the blanket over him. He quickly drifted off to sleep and the dreams fell upon him.

 

He was close to his quarry now. He could smell the fear on him. Three days of chasing had finally led him here. His quarry sat on a log in the centre of the clearing. The man would pay for what he possessed. The man was a Blademaster though. Very dangerous. And yet, there was fear. A man of this man's skill shouldn't be afraid. Cautious, concerned, yes. Scared, afraid, never. He knelt down and drew his blade. He licked the tip for luck. This man would be dead very shortly, but only if he didn't know what was about to happen. The man would die slowly. He lay on his belly and crawled, silently. Inch by inch, foot by foot, he drew closer to the man. The stench was now overpowering. He continued on, closing the last few feet quickly. He drew up behind the man and Totenkompf flew in Arc of the Moon. The man's head rolled off and toppled over. His eyes drew back in surprise. This was no man, but a woman. A very large woman, with short hair. She was wearing the clothes of his quarry. He cursed his bad luck and looked around the clearing. He felt the cold steel of Eclipse on his neck. "A pity, son, that you have turned down this path. A bandit, and now a murderer? You have gone far from the path I set for you. You deserve to be sent to the gallows for this. But since you are of my blood, I shall give you a second chance. I will let you go free, so long as you follow the Light. But you will come with me first." The man led him out of the forest onto an open road. They travelled down the road until they came to a building. The man opened the door, and pushed him in. The man entered also and shut the door. He surveyed the room. A solid wooden desk with a man in armor sitting behind it. There was a cell behind the man with a straw bed on it. He instantly knew what was happening. "Father, what is this treachery? You promised to let me go!" The man looked at him. "You are too dangerous to let go. You must be hanged. I'm sorry." He made a run for the door and was tackled from behind. He struggled, and broke free. He made another run for the door, but his father beat him to it. "I'm sorry," he uttered, and swung a wooden club at his head. It connected solidly and he could feel his consciousness slip away. He spoke again before the black claimed him, "I will kill you one day, I swear." The dark took him.

 

He woke in the cell. His father was gone and so was the guard. He walked over to the cell door and shook it, seeing how solid it was. He sat on the bed and thought over everything. His only possible chance for life, was to call for help from the one thing in the world that he despised most. The Dark One. He called out loud, praying for the Lord of the Dark to hear his cry. "Great Lord of the Dark, I beg your assistance. I wish to be free of this prison so I can enact my revenge. In return I shall give you my loyalty, my soul if need be. Just free me." He sat down and waited for something to happen.

 

Rodrik awoke in another pool of sweat. Now he knew what the "betrayal" was. He now wondered why these dreams were coming to him. Why did they plague his sleep. Did they mean anything significant? He shuddered. He looked around and found the sun starting to arise. He got up and rolled his bed, and folded his blanket. He packed them away again, and changed his clothes. He looked for the others who had stayed with him that night and found they were all asleep. He moved to Elia's sleeping form, and went to wake her, but something stopped his hand. He turned to leave and she spoke. "Where are you going. You and I need to have a little talk about your behavior yesterday." Rodrik looked over his shoulder and nodded. She stood up and Rodrik waited for her to begin.

[Ramza]

Once rowul woke he woke Carhian and began his sparing lessons on how to defend against an ax-master...well really an ax man but since he was a master...*cue chuckle*

 

(ooc brb i need ot go off and do something)

[Kaylan]

Rodrik was awake early, and Elia had caught her sleep in short stints to be aware of their surroundings. It was strange to be surrounded by the sounds of three other people, not just one, and all these men made her miss Alex desperately, the wistful thought that he'd never do something so stupid as her mentee making Elia grin to herself. She could hear Rodrik approaching, but he hesitated and turned to leave, and Elia spoke quietly.

 

"Where are you going? You and I need to have a little talk about your behavior yesterday." She didn't want to do it in front of the others, but leaving it too long would be just as bad, and as Rodrik turned she stood and walked a short distance from the campsite with him.

 

"I don't care what you see or hear, I don't want to see you running off like that ever again. You could have stumbled into a pit of vipers, you could have been killed. I thought you had more sense than to run off with only half a mind on what is going on, and if you ever do it again, I will speak to the Mistress of Trainees about dismissing you. I do not want to mentor someone who is only going to get themselves killed by being foolish." It was barely more than a whisper - a hiss, even, yet she was sure that he heard every word. With that said, she simply walked back to her bedroll and began to pack up, not giving him a chance to say anything - to keep her from yelling at him as much as for any other reason. Tying her hair back with a leather thong, she saw that the other two were awake and picked up her sword, finding herself a nice empty spot to work the forms and sweat out some of her annoyance.

 

She'd meant every word - but there was a time for anger and a time for calm, and she needed her wits about her. Feeding her emotions into the flame, Elia danced, her katana an extension of herself, one with the void and precise in her movements. It was a deadly grace that came from years of practice, and a hint of it could be seen on the ballroom floor. Still, there was something about working with the blade that was both beautiful and terrible, and Elia embraced it as she danced.

 

~Elia Darnel

[Guest Estel]

After a short spar with Rowul, leaving Carnhain sweaty and bruised, the young man went to the pool and washed himself. Replacing his shirt- he was still confused as to why the woman made him feel so self-conscious, he only knew that she had an aura of authority about her, plus she held a heron marked blade.

 

In the morning stillness, Carnhain was able to hear the tell-tale rasp of steel leaving leather: someone was baring weapons nearby. Silently as possible he crept towards the noise- for the second time this trip he wished he had learned more from Kedyn- drawing his blade.

 

What he saw, wasn't what he expected. He watched, mesmerized as Elia practiced with her blade. She was easily as good as any of the best in the Band but she moved with a fluidity that neither Mehrin, Amon, Rorth or Ram had ever achieved. Carnhain had never before seen someone work with Sword Forms up close- one didn't notice them from horseback.

 

Replacing his blade in its sheath he sat upon the ground and watched.

[Wretched Chaos]

Rodrik winced at the sharp words. Dismissed! That was nearly as bad as being killed. The one thing he wanted more then anything in the world was to become a Tower Guard, and then possibly a Warder. He didn't know how he would be able to handle being out of the Yards forever. He pushed those thoughts away, and walked to Thunder, saddling the stallion slowly. Not much was going well for him since he had started having those dreams. A bandit and a murderer. He couldn't think of how that was possible, but, if he was put out of the Tower, that might be a path he would end up taking. Anything is possible in this world.

 

He walked quietly through the camp, and spotted Carnhain sitting on the ground, watching Elia practice her forms. He snook up quietly on the man, and spoke in his ear,"She's very graceful, isn't she." Carnhain jumped, but he was in no position to draw his blade, and Rodrik sat beside him before the man had a chance to draw it anyway. "Do you know anyone as good as her with a blade?" Carnhain appeared to think for a moment, and looked at Rodrik. "Maybe." He appeared to think a little more, before speaking again. "Where do you guys come from? Up North probably, but you have the look of a Tairen, and she, I can't say." Rodrik withdrew into himself and thought over an answer that Elia might agree to. "You are right about us coming from up North, but we are from an organization that trains Guards to protect important people." Hopefully it would show the Bandman, that he could trust them, but without giving away too much. He didn't know much about the Band and whether they took kindly to the Aes Sedai, and their Guards. Canhain nodded ans went back to watching Elia. Rowul joined them and continued watching until she finished practicing. They got up quietly, and walked away getting ready to begin their start from the camp.

 

Rodrik mounted up on Thunder and rode to the edge, watchingas Carnhain, Rowul and Elia, ounted up on their steeds as well. "Shall we get a move on," cried out Rowul, "Daylights wasting, and I want to get to Baerlon quickly. Everybody nodded and they booted their horses into a trot, fast enough to get them moving, but slow enough, not to kill their horses. They rode South, towards Baerlon, and towards the noblewoman. Rodrik set in for a long day of riding.

 

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

(Later that day)

 

Rodrik was bored beyond belief. Nothing exciting had happened, and Carnhain, and Rowul shook him off everytime he tried to talk to them. And he didn't want to go near Elia in case she started upbraiding him again. He decided to scour the land again, in case he saw something, like yesterday, only this time he was not going to go rushing off after them. He stared around eyes looking for something that didn't belong with the green grass, and trees. They rode for hours and he began to lose hope of ever seeing anything when he spotted it. He stared harder at the spot. There were eleven lumps in the ground., made of black, and brown. He rode closer to get a better look and he saw the lumps move. He watched as one of the lumps rose and stood, outlined by the sun. It was a man.

 

A bandit, it had to be. He rode to Elia and pointed them out to her. She drew a looking glass out, and looked through it, nodding. "We'll ride around them. Hopefully they haven't seen us." Carnhain and Rowul nodded at Elia's decision, although they looked kind of disappointed. Rodrik was happy that he had spotted them and he took a second look at them. Then he saw something he did not like. Eleven moving blobs. Moving towards them. He rode back to Elia, and blurted it out quickly. "They're bloody coming for us!" Elia, Carnhain, and Rowul's heads snapped as one towards the oncoming enemies. "Flaming Hell!" Rowul screamed. They all drew their swords, or in the case of Rowul, his axe. Rodrik performed Unfolding the Fan, kind of awkwardly in the saddle, but he did it none the less. Totenkompf came into his hands, and Assault was waiting to be drawn when it would be needed. "What are we going to do?" Elia just looked at him, and Rowul and Carnhain looked eager. He waited to see what was going to happen.

[Kaylan]

As she worked through the forms, Elia registered his presence, but did nothing to acknowledge the presence of the younger one they'd joined up with. Carnhain, a Lieutenant of the Band of the Red Hand, he'd called himself, and that intrigued her. Not enough to stop, though, there were few things that could keep her from a proper workout. Sweat trickled down her brow and a lock of hair had come loose, hanging in her face, but she was wrapped in the void and did not let either thing bother her. The void wavered as Rodrik approached, a flash of irritation quickly absorbed, but it - and the approach of the other man - signalled a time to end her practice.

 

Folding the fan, Elia looked at all of them, fixing Rodrik with a stare and speaking softly. "You should have joined me in that, Rodrik, we can all use practice." She practiced every day, at least once, and she needed to in order to keep her skill up. It was the price of being a Blademaster - you could keep a heron mark if you practiced every few days, but to be truly skilled you had to practice daily. There was no other way to do it - but that was a lesson best saved for later. She could imagine how hard she'd have pushed him if Rodrik had joined her, but now that she'd worked away her frustrations and started the day with at least part of her routine, perhaps he'd join her for a session in the evening. She looked at Carnhain in interest for a moment before returning to the campsite to roll up her blankets and ready herself. Light, but she'd be glad for a real bathtub and a proper bed once they got to Baerlon.

 

It was a long and uneventful day, with Elia staying silent for most of the ride, thinking about things back in the Tower and what she was going to do with herself. She'd accepted the short mission to help out her mentee, but with her mother's death and her resignation as Commander, everything was up in the air and she truly wished that she'd been able to stay with Alex. Soon enough, though, they'd be together again, but Elia missed him more than she cared to admit.

 

Her eyes scanned the foliage around them, but lazily - nothing had happened bar last night's adventure this entire trip, and she was beginning to feel that their presence would do nothing more than elevate an already big-headed noblewoman's ego. But the Tower had sent her an escort, and it was not Elia's place to protest. She caught a glimpse of what she thought was movement, but when she saw nothing, she dismissed it as a gust of wind. Rodrik rode back to her though, pointing to another spot, and through her looking glass Elia observed the men for a moment before making her decision.

 

"We'll ride around them. Hopefully they haven't seen us." There was no more movement and she put the glass away, looking at the two men from the Band for a moment before her thoughts were disturbed by Rodrik riding back again. At his words, she drew her blade, the red leather comfortable in her palm, feeling a connection with her grandfather who had carried it before she. Guide my blade, grandfather, and help us through this day. She had no idea of the skill levels of the two strangers, but she knew that it was her duty to protect Rodrik. Her mentee could hold his own in a spar, but a spar was different from superior numbers with the intention of killing and robbing you, and Elia fed her worries to the flame in preparation for the approaching fight.

 

~Elia Darnel

Tower Guard

[Wretched Chaos]

Rodrik made a spin with his blade, using the motion to calm himself down. He looked at Elia, she looked like the calm before the storm, ready to break upon her enemies. He looked to Rowul and Carnhain. They looked if anything, eager for the fight at hand. He turned to face the bandits riding towards them. They charged, and Rodrik wondered how he would feel in his first real fight. Would he break and run? Or would he stand and give as good as he possible. He would soon find out.

 

The bandits came closer and closer, and he became nervous. He could feel the sweat begin to bead on his forehead, and he quickly wiped it. He tried to rid himself of his fear, but he couldn't do it. He tried to make the Flame and Void that everyone talked about in the Yards. But try as he might, he could not even begin to gain control over his emotions. I'll have to learn that at some other time, he thought.

 

Finally the moment of impact was about to occur. The bandits were now no more then twenty paces away from Rodrik, Elia, Carnhain, and Rowul. All had their weapons bared, ready to face their oncoming opponents. The bandits rode into the rank of the four travelers, and the battle began.

 

Rodrik faced the first of the bandits that approached him. He tuned out everything else and focused on the fight. The man swung at Rodrik's head, attempting to take it off, but Rodrik blocked and attacked with Arc of the Moon. He controlled Thunder with his knees, and for a moment, he looked like he was in command of the fight, but his opponent gained a new sense of fierceness, and Rodrik was on the defence. The bandit attacked, and he parried. Whenever he attempted to attack, the bandit quickly blocked and Rodrik was on the defence again. The bandit was easily winning the fight, and decided it was time to make the odds go even more in his favour. The bandit lashed out at Rodrik with a fist, catching him by surprise, and knocking him off Thunder.

 

Rodrik rolled away from his horse and got to his feet. The bandit was bearing down on him and Rodrik went to a knee, and rolled out of the way. This occured a few more times, and finally Rodrik found a weakness in the bandit's strategy. The bandit could protect himself, but not his horse. The bandit tried to run down Rodrik again, only this time, when he went to his knee, instead of rolling, he only did a little hop out of the way, and hamstrung the horse.

 

The beast reared, and threw its rider off. He fell, and unfortunately for Rodrik, quickly got back to his feet. The bandit advanced on Rodrik, and Rodrik began to prepare for an all out attack to hopefully wound the bandit and run him off. The bandit closed to within two paces, and Rodrik launched his attack. Boar Rushes Down The Mountain and into Tower of Morning. The bandit blocked the first but missed the second, and a dark line from the waist to the chest appeared on the bandit's side. The bandit's eyes shone with a deep frenzy, but this only heartened the young Trainee to attack faster and harder. Moon Rises over Water, turned into Parting the Silk, and the bandit missed the parry again. Totenkompf bit into his opponent's side, and the blood sprayed quickly. A look of shock passed over the bandit's face, before his eyes rolled into his head and he keeled over. Rodrik made a quick check and found his enemy still breathing, but the breath's were shallow, and he would die soon from blood loss. Rodrik felt... relieved at the ending of his first fight, but shrugged it off and looked around for any more enemies.

 

He surveyed the battle scene. Blood was everywhere, but that was to be expected. Elia stood over the bodies of three bandits, blood dripping from her katana. Carnhain and Rowul both had blood dripping from their weapons as well. He counted four more bodies. That made eight. Eight out of eleven was a pretty good tally he guessed. Then Rodrik began to feel the pain. He looked over himself, and found several wounds. There was a gash running down his leg. A slice across his cheek, which he couldn't see, as much as feel. Cuts on his arms, and too many bruises to count. If these were the wounds he took from a single fight, he would have to hope he was better by the time he made it to his next. He looked at his companions, but couldn't tell if they were injured or not. There was too much blood to tell. He would see later.

 

He walked through the mini-battle field looking for Thunder, and he soon found him. He grabbed the reins and brought him back to his companions. Rowul gave him a smile, and Rodrik nodded in return. Elia looked at him, but he couldn't tell what she was feeling. And Carnhain looked tired, like a frenzy had just washed away from his body. But Rodrik didn't know what to think. He had killed, or if not yet, had caused the death of another human. He was stunned, yet relieved at the same time. He had stood his own in battle, and proved he could win. But what woud they do next? He looked to Elia. "What do we do now?"

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain watched the bandits advance, a small grin splitting his face. They were poor riders and unorganized, that could be easily seen from their pathetic charge. With a shrug at Rowul, both men nocked arrows to their horsebows.

 

Carnhain's first shot, caught the first rider's mount in the neck, sending it crashing to the ground. The downed mount soon became an obstacle for the rest of the charge. The rider had tried a vain attempt to regain his feet and join the fight, but with the momentum of the charge, the next rider could do nothing to stop his mount from trampling the helpless bandit.

 

Two more horses were brought down by the horse bows before arrows were given over in favour of blades. If he and Rowul had had lances, the fight would have been over before it had began but as it was, they were forced to be wary of the force created by the charging beasts.

 

The Lieutenant side-stepped as another rider came charging towards him, waving his blade. Almost lazily, Carnhain stabbed his broadsword into the man's middle as he rode past. The beast, excited by the sounds and smells of battle kept racing as its former rider writhed its last on the ground.

 

Wiping the bit of blood from his face, Carnhain thanked the Light the battle had been short and his blood lust had not had the chance to corrupt his mind. Even thinking of it he shivered, better not to think of it.

 

"Everyone alright?" he asked his companions. Seeing Rodrik, the blonde man went digging in his saddlebags and drew out a roll of bandages. "Tie those on, we'd better get moving. Better we don't have to fight anymore, especially if the group is larger than this one."

[Kaylan]

Though they were outnumbered, it was over soon enough, and Elia looked to the group to see what they'd managed. Eight of eleven - where the others had gone to she didn't know, but she hoped that it wasn't to get reinforcements to come for another try. Carnhain threw Rodrik a roll of bandages and told him to tie them on, and Elia watched her mentee comply before asking her advice.

 

"What do we do now?" Carnhain had already given his opinion, and Elia agreed.

 

"We ride. Hopefully there are no more around, but at least you three can hold your own if there are. I need to move forward to arrange a larger guard for our return trip, I should have put more credit in the woman's reports than I did." She realised that she was probably saying more than she should, but they knew her a swordswoman and hopefully would not question what kind of guard she was. Light blast it, did it really matter? They could have left them to die, but they hadn't, so it hardly seemed an issue if they knew them to be from Tar Valon.

 

"Baerlon can not be more than a days ride away. I will move quickly, and hope to see you there soon. I will be at the Badger's Hide waiting, once I have gathered some more troops, and I trust that you three can keep your heads and keep out of trouble. If you see more bandits, do not take chances. Ride if you can, do not stay for pride's sake, and only fight if you have no other choice. I wish I could stay but we are already behind time, and we need to be leaving as soon as we can. Take care of yourself, Rodrik, and you as well." She nodded to the other two before resheathing her sword, keeping her eyes and her ears peeled as she mounted Grim.

 

"If I don't see you in Baerlon within a day of me, I will come looking for you. Keep your heads and ride hard when you can. I will see you in the city." She felt a measure of guilt leaving Rodrik behind, but doubted that the two of them would be able to move as quickly, and doubted that the group would be attacked again so soon after having repelled one group. If there even were more groups in the area.

 

She rode hard for the first half hour, walking alongside Grim for ten minutes before mounting again. She knew the stallion's limits, and while she needed to get to Baerlon quickly, she also needed to have a live mount at the end of it. She knew she could make it by nightfall, and hoped in the depths of her heart that her mentee would meet her in the inn the next day, but fed her niggling worries to the flame and rode on. She had a mission to complete, and it had turned out to be more dangerous than expected. It was necessity for her to ride on and form a larger group, she just hoped that completing the mission did not come at too high a price.

 

____________________

[Wretched Chaos]

Rodrik watched Elia disappear over a hill. He was slightly afraid now that she was gone. Now he was by himself with two Lieutenants from one of the best armies in the world. He didn't know them well enough to feel completely comfortable, but if they had wanted to kill him, they would have that first night he had met them. Speaking of the two, he turned to them who were also looking in the direction of his mentor. "Maybe we should get going. Before those bandits come back with friends." Carnhain looked at him and nodded. "You're right. Let's get a move on."

 

Rodrik moved to mount up on Thunder, and found severe pain in his leg. The bandages Carnhain had given him were already turning red. He would have to get it fixed soon, or there would some problems. The pain subsided and he found himself lying on his back, flat on the ground. He picked himself up and he made another attempt at mounting. He moved to the other side of Thunder, and used his good leg to get a hold in the stirrup and hoist his weight up on to the saddle.

 

Carnhain and Rowul were looking at him with slight expressions of worry on their faces. He nodded at them. "Let's move." And with that he kicked Thunder into a gallop. The shock waves ran up his body, pain increasing with every single jolt. But he put up with it. At least, he did for as long as possible. He finally slowed Thunder to a walk, and Carnhain and Rowul came alongside. "Are you alright? You're face is white." Rodrik wasn't feeling very healthy at that moment. He looked at his leg again, and the bandage was soaked red, and there was blood flowing freely down his leg. He said in a weak voice. "I think I need another bandage." he tried to stop the black that was slowly creeping in upon his vision. But the force was to strong. The black took him.

 

Rodrik woke in a surge of pain. The screams were flowing from his mouth, along with several profanities. But the pain faded, and with it, the screams. He looked up, and found Carnhain kneeling over him. He stood up, and pointed to Rodrik's leg. Rodrik's eyes went to his thigh. There was a new bandage, and the remains of a crude stitching. He looked to Carnhain. The man shrugged and said simply, "Had to be done. It was this or death." Rodrik nodded a weak thanks. He looked around and was surprised to find that it was night time already. He must have been out for hours. He decided to ask. "I'm guessing we're staying here for tonight?" Carnhain nodded, and Rodrik continued. "How long was I out for?" Carnhain turned to him and looked like he was preparing what to say. He wondered what would require mental planning.

[Guest Estel]

ooc: I've written two replies to this thread, both of which have been lost...everytime I think it posts it didn't. I'm now writing posts on Microsoft Word to avoid this, but I cannot summon the energy to do anything right now. I WILL get to this first thing when I'm back from my LoA...REALLY SORRY

[Guest Estel]

The flickering flames of their campfire cast and dispelled shadows in the dark night. Its heat caused sweat to roll down his tanned face, the salty perspiration stinging his eyes. However, gooseflesh raised the skin on his back where the tiny fire’s heat could not dispel the evening chill. Carnhain checked Rodrik, the other man was still unconscious. The wound hadn’t been bad, but the young Lieutenant had been forced to stitch it together- rather crudely.

 

Suddenly, the man awoke, his screams penetrating the evening quiet. Jumping in surprise, Carnhain slapped a hand across the man’s mouth. “Shut up, you fool! Do you want to bring the bandits down on us?†Comprehension dawned on his and he stopped screaming, replacing it instead with questions.

 

“You were out for a while. It’s dark now, must have been at least six hours.†Quiet fell between them and the blonde man left the ring of firelight to keep a better watch. It wasn’t long- maybe a half hour- before he spotted one of the bandits. Apparently the man had spotted the campfire, and was now attempting to sneak in unnoticed. Working as silently as possible, Carnhain picked up his bow and got to his feet. From his quiver- once full, he now had less than a dozen shafts left. Standing, he hid behind the tree and drew the arrow to his cheek. Once he was ready, he stepped from behind the trunk and took only a moment to find his target. The arrow flew true, taking the man in the trunk of his body. Even if he didn’t die right away, it was unlikely his companions would waste time trying to help him, if they even could.

 

The exchange hadn’t gone unnoticed by Rodrik. The younger man was on his feet in moments and the Bander ran down to their campsite, already kicking dirt over the fire. “Pack up, we leave!â€

[Wretched Chaos]

Rodrik watched Carnhain move to the edge of the firelight and begin a patrol. Rodrik lay back and thought on his situation, now that he actually had time to do so. What an adventure! On his first trip out of the Yards, he had spotted two Lieutenants of the Band of the Red Hand. Then they had gotten into a real swordfight, in which he had killed somebody, and received a wound of his own. Wouldn't the guys back in the Yards love that one. And his mentor had trusted him enough to go off by herself and leave him with two men they barely knew. Now all he had to do was complete his task. He would have get up early to make up for the lost time when he was unconscious. They would have to push hard and keep going all day, so they would meet up with Elia on schedule. He would do it. He had to.

 

Rodrik pulled himself from his thoughts and looked around. He spotted Carnhain pick up his bow and nock an arrow to it. He stood behind a tree and seemed to be waiting for something. Rodrik stood up and cringed at the pain in leg. He walked to his sword belt, and strapped it on. He looked towards Carnhain and found the man running towards him. There was a hurried expression on his face and yelled out as he began to kick dirt on the fire, “Pack up, we leave!â€

 

Rodrik rushed towards Thunder, glad to find him still saddled and his saddlebags were attached. He mounted the stallion quickly, and regretted it, as it caused a surge of pain. But he bit it back, and wheeled the horse towards Carnhain. The man was already on his mount and riding towards Baerlon. Rodrik followed quickly, wondering what the man had seen. He asked him, and found that the bandits were still after them. Rodrik then became especially careful, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings, not wanting to be surprised.

 

They rode through the night, and Rodrik had a bad feeling rising through his gut. So much so, that every shadow seemed to jump out and attack, as if there was an army of bandits against them, waiting to ambush and end their lives. But he steeled his soul, and brought up reserves of courage to move through the night, and he found happiness when the sun began its ascent. It was as if calm rose with dawn. His fears subsided and they continued on, towards his final objective.

 

As the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, the feeling of apprehension came with it. Would they make Baerlon today? Or would they need to spend another night out in the wild? They rode on. Finally as the sun peaked overhead, Rodrik spotted something on the horizon. Could it be? It was. The town walls of Baerlon! He pointed it out to Carnhain, and they both began to ride harder.

 

The sun was on its descent as they rode through the gates, they rode through the streets, stopping at several inns, to see if they were the Badger’s Hide. None of them were, so they continued. Finally the stopped outside a three story inn, with a painted sign showing a badger hide, right as the name said. Rodrik dismounted and turned to Carnhain. He extended his arm. “Thanks for all your help. I probably wouldn’t have lasted if it wasn’t for you.†Carnhain grinned and grasped his hand. “No problem, maybe I’ll see you in the future.†The man wheeled his horse and continued down the street, towards the south gate. Rodrik watched his back until it disappeared around a street corner, then turned to the entrance of the inn.

 

As he opened the door, the first thing he saw, was his mentor. Elia, was standing there, talking with what looked a well to do merchant. He entered and Elia turned to see the newcomer. She nodded him over, and he moved quickly. She smiled and said in a kind voice, “What took you so long? I expected you hear yesterday.†Rodrik gave a half laugh and told his story. She nodded at the end, and inquired, “How is you leg?†Rodrik gave a quick glance at the cut in his breeches, and the scarring that was beginning to form. “It’s fine. When do we leave?†Elia nodded towards the merchant woman. “There is your charge. She is quite stubborn, and does not want to leave until tomorrow. So sit down, have some supper. Then go to bed. You’re going to need a lot of rest for our journey back. We leave at dawn tomorrow.†Rodrik smiled, and thought about the journey back. He hoped it went better then the trip here. He nodded at Elia, and moved towards a serving maid, to order some food. The Light had shone on him. There was hope that that would continue as he sat down.