remember what? me messing up, yeah, well, you'd know that, and it's something you wouldn't forget. :P

Beth??? like... WOA! Okay, when I said that Eb was a scout... I really was thinking of Beth! So I wasn't wrong, entirely. I just didn't say what I meant.

and sorry "Beth", I didn't realize it was you. :D

After an exhausting race around the Citadel gathering her new supplies, buiying clothes from a seamstress as well as ordering a new uniform, badges and pins and finding an empty room to call her own, Drea managed to find time for a bath and a nap. She was hardly rested when her stomach woke her, but she decided to get food anyway. Sleep would come more naturally after a large meal.

Searching through her new clothes- new! Drea hadn't had new clothes since she was 16- she was glad her uniform wouldn't be ready for a few days. She spent the past year wearing only one thing, and it was about time she'd gotten out. Drea chose a dark green pant, navy tunic and green belt over the tunic. She slipped on a pair of black boots and slid her daggers into her belt. Then, thinking twice, removed the daggers and hid them behind some of her clothes. She knew she was safe here, but that didn't mean she had to trust every body.

Leaving her still-damp hair down to air dry in black waves, she set off toward the mess hall.

Figures, she arrives just intime for the entire city to decide to eat as well. Shrugging to herself, she got in line and waited her turn. Drea smiled every now and then in embarassment as her stomach groweled loud enough for those around to turn and give strange looks. There was no one she recognized in sight, but then again, she didn't look herself either in civilian clothes. At last it was her turn to get food. Not knowing- or caring at this point- what anything was, Drea took a bit of everything and piled it onto her plate. Once out of the line, Drea spotted Mehrin and a few others. She walked over and sat down, plate over loaded with food. "Mind if I sit?" she asked.

Exhausted, Drea wanted nothing more than a bed, a beer and a bath. Not neccesarilly in that order, but all at the same time would be nice. Stepping outside again, and raising a hand to block the sudden sun from her eyes, Drea saw a man approach her, she assumed for Mehrin. She stepped aside to let him through when he spoke to her instead.

Drea ran a hand through her matted black hair. "I appreciate it, Toth, thank you. But I've had all the help I can take for one day." She forced a smile, but was fuming inside with frustration at being held up from her recovery. She gave a sloppy salute back and walked past him.

Before he entered the tent, Drea stopped and turned around. "Oh, and Toth." He stopped and looked back. "Be careful in there. Your Commander is worn out. Don't bring him news that will make it worse."

*shoves Cab away* oh... go drink alone.

:P

*kindly taps Amon on the shoulder*

hi. :D

that is such a Cab question... and no, she's not. happy? ;) Now you're going to think about it every time you see my posts! muuahahahaha

"Anything else?" Drea looked down at her physical state. She looked - and felt- horrible. "Nothing, except maybe tell me where I can find a new tent, clothes, maybe a horse..." She let her voice trail off, there was so much she needed right now, that she didn't want to sound needy by naming it all. One part of her pride she wouldn't let down, how much she needed something- or someone.

After Mehrin gave her directions to each stop she needed to make, as well as where the Barracks were-Barracks! She got to sleep in a real room- she stood to leave, stopping to look at Mehrin. Drea supressed yet another emotional breakdown. She was so happy to be home. Just one familiar face was enough, she wasn't sure she wanted to go out into the rest of the camp yet.

"Thank you, Mehrin, for everything. It means a lot to me, letting me back in." She nodded, unsure what else to say. "I'll see ya around."

See my new sig pic!?! YAY!! *dances with it*

thanks so much Ata!! You rock!

Drea nodded, giving Mehrin's request some thought. She bit her lip- a horrible habbit she started when joining the band, something about the air maybe?- and looked at the desk in front of her. She admired the piles of paper and jars of ink, remembering the days when she too had responcibility, the act of knowing you're important- something every woman dreams of having.

"Do not for a moment think I will demand a higher Rank, Commander." Light that sounded strange. "I am honored of your request to make me an advisor, and I'm highly tempted to take you up on it. However I have a few concerns. First off are the other officers. I understand the fact that I was Undercommander, but being away and out of practice for so long, I wouldn't be surprised if my skills were less than skilled. That being said, I would hate for you to give me a rank, and special attention based on what I used to be. I am a different person than before, Commander, and I don't know how I'd react to such pressure, or situations the band has to offer."

Drea realize she had stood and had been pacing back and forth in the tent. "I'll take the position, but you need to understand the emotional, physical and mental stress I've gone through. Understand that and I'll do my best to help you and the Band out."

Drea gripped the arms of the chair tightly. The news didn't come as a shock. Even before she saw Mehrin in the Commander's tent, she knew he was gone. It was just gut wrenching to hear it out loud. Swallowing hard to prevent herself from falling off the chair in complete exhuastion and heart break, she looked Mehrin in the eye, surpressing her own from watering.

"Though my heart was for Cab-a friend more than a love- my duty is for the Band. I will morn him when I have rested and have a clear state of mind. Now I need to take care of business." She paused, not to get a responce, but to gain composure and force a smile from her quivering lips. "Before you tell me where I can get a new uniform, tent, bed and clothes, as well as where the medic tent is located," Drea fingered a gash in her thy through a hole, "We need to discuss business. What do I do from here?"

Mehrin? Mehrin is the Commander? Panic flowed through Drea's veins. Cab was gone.

"What happened to you?" Mehrin asked, sounding sincerely concerned. By the look on his face- besides that of shock and amazment- she looked horrible, and that didn't surprise her. But for the first time in her whole journey, she noticed her tattered, worn, stained uniform- some of the patches barely holding on- and felt somewhat ashamed.

She slowly sunk into the chair besides his desk, Cabroci's desk. She pictured the way he used to lean back on the two back legs with his feet on the top, staining papers with mud and grass. She supresed a tear. She had business to do and she needed to be strong.

Taking an unsteady breath, Drea told Mehrin the story of her assistant, being poisoned by tea for months, and only remembering the two men. "One of them is dead for sure, the one with the crooked nose. I made sure of that. However the masked on is still a mystery to me, I only saw him once or twice. But he was definately had athority between the two." She continued by explaining how she found her way back through the woods, found a torn patch on a tree and followed the band's scent from there for the past month. "It's really not that great a story. I'm just glad to be home."

yay!!!

*has such an influence on people...*

-Drea

The Black Tower and the Band allies? Drea stepped forward quickly to recover from nearly tripping over herself. Acting as if nothing happened, and mentally blaming it on her fatigue, Drea looked up at this Dashiva and smiled.

"Peace favor your sword, Dashiva Somtaaw. My name is Xandrea Raylin, Undercommander of the Band of the Red Hand." She waited for his reaction. There was no way she could be the Undercommander, she'd been gone so long she wasn't sure anyone would remember her. He merely raised an eyebrow at her. Figures, a man with his title has to be reserved. "At least I was. It's a long story, and I'm pretty tired. If you don't mind just showing me to whoever the Commander is now and I'll let you be on your way."

Drea

Aprehention filled Drea for less than a second. What was this man doing? The gateway seemed to shimmer slightly when she shifted and glanced up at the stranger. Did she find a hint of impatience in his eyes? Even if it were there, she ignored it. If she could wait this long to see the Commander, he could wait mere moments for her to gain composure enough to step through some strange gateway. Besides, being home was the only thing that concerned her. She was so close, there was no way she'd let it pass this easily.

Taking a deep breath, Drea walked through without hesitating. As she passed, a shiver ran down her spine and her blood rushed cold then hot and her head began to spin, but one step later and she was on the otherside, the stranger next to her.

Drea looked up at him-as he was a hand plus taller than she was- and grimmaced. "Who are you, anyway? What is your relation to the band?" Her questioning skills definately needed to be touched up, but at this point she didn't care. She just wanted answers. Sometimes the only way to get them was to be forward.

Drea raised an eyebrow at the man, his ragged features resembling those of the same man slain with the daggers now held steady by her side. She had to grit her teeth to keep herself from trembling with anticipation. The Commander-whoever it could be now- she was going to be saved. She was going to be home!

His black coat and tired eyes did not speak of the Band, but the way he handled the scouts and presented himself told Drea he could be trusted, for a while.

She swallowed hard and continued across the shallow stream.

"Please." she forced herself not to sound to pathetic. "Take me to him."

-Drea

*rae*

bullet? Groin? *winces* I'm not sure I want to know. Glad you're "okay" and hope you get better. Oh, and glad you're back too. ;)

-Drea

Dark. Light. Dark. Light. Trees. Dark. Drea blinked one last time and forced herself awake. Sleeping was for those who had time, and time was a comodity Drea no longer knew the definition of. She crawled out of the small abandoned cavern she found to rest in, nestled between two giant oak trees. Her bones ached and she heard them snap in places she new couldn't be healthy. Drea made a mental note to see the medic when she got back -if she got backi. She'd been thinking that a lot the past few days -if- starting to lose hope of ever going home. Home. Drea chuckled to herself. After four years in the Band, she had just come to the point of calling the Band home. Until all this happened.

What had happened? Images flashed in Drea's mind. A young woman giving her a tea and a head massage. That woman she remembered but could not put a name to the face. Why? They had to be close or Drea never would have let her in the tent in her bed clothes. The same mysterious woman putting a pillow over Drea's face. Some more tea, a dark, cold and damp room, a man with a crooked nose, another with a painted mask and a black cape and a dagger with a jagged blade.

Drea shuddered. Who were they? Why did she only remember some things? A horrid taste filled her mouth and she swallowed hard. "Think Drea, you're a scout. You know this." Drea continued south, following the path she prayed belonged to the Band. No other group would leave a trail this big and this vile. At least she still remembered her scouting.

Why wasn't anyone looking for her? Did they even know? Of course they did. An army knows when it's undercommander is missing, like the Queen Bee. How old was this scent? The whole trail. Drea bent down to feel the soil. Firm, but not too firm. A month, maybe. She wasn't far now, they had to stop sometime. She was on their trail. But the trouble with being on their trail meant she was always behind them. Typical; just as Drea finds someone or something she loves, it's gone.

As the sun rose to it's peak, Drea stopped by a small stream. She rested her only possessions -the two small daggers she managed to fight back from the man with the crooked nose before she killed him with them- on a nearby rock and knealt down to cup her hands into the water. The weness felt good against her dry lips and she let some spill down the front of her tattered and stained uniform, almost unrecognizable as one from the Band. Drea watched the water stream down her front. Her eyes were caught by a stripe across her chest. She ran a finger along the green stripe and laughed out loud. Laughed for the loss she felt so deeply inside. Laughed because she was too tired to cry the tears she didn't have left.

A stick broke on the other side of the stream. Drea froze. She looked around, moving her eyes only. She slowly reached over for her daggers. Behind two trees she saw two heads pop out.

"I see you. I am armed" she said in a loud enough voice. She regreted being the first to speak, but she knew they saw her and she was too weak to defend herself anyway. Better to make nice before trouble started. "I am a weary travelor seeking a drink of water. I mean you no harm."

"You are on owned property, surrounded by many armed soldiers. Did you know that?" One called out.

Soldiers? Drea quickly stood and took a few steps into the stream, water soaking into her boots.

"Stay where you are!" The other warned.

If this was the Band, these were scouts-and new ones, as she did not recognize them or their voices. And scouts meant business.

"I need you to take me to your Commander. It is an emergancy. Please!" Drea heard the desparation in her voice and almost fell into the stream with relief.

Drea

OOC: *sigh* it's good to be back. Let me know if I messed up and this doesn't go here. :D thanks!

Sweet! I hear see that you're going Commando!! Good job! I'll need you soon for my intro back to the band.

-Drea

Hey! It's Quibs!! You still around? Sweet! me too!

-Drea

back

good point

*takes back mistake numero two*

-Drea

see, that was your first mistake... not thinking you'd join the band. I've never met a single person who hasn't wanted to join the band... well, okay, a single cool person. ;) second mistake? Bringing mud to the banders. We live in mud!

*does a cannon ball*

-Drea

fair enough. Just add me to your msn and we'll chat some day. I have a load of questions, and I can't find Drea's bio anywhere... which means I have to re-write it, which also means I have to spend time on that I may not exactly have at the moment.

we'll talk

Drea

*Splashes people near by with more mud*

SWEET! MUD FIGHT!!!

*tackles nearest unrecognizable bander and drags them deeper in the gross, smelly, icky mud*

-Drea