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Post by The Big Cheese on Sept 25, 2015 18:15:57 GMT -6
Farah had handed Barabas an even footing and he was not about to turn it down, nor try to make better of it. Still, he found her position curious and didn't quite understand.
"If it's your wish, I'll make good on it. It's an intriguing offer... and I suspect I have more to learn from being a good friend to you, my lady, than by not."
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 5, 2015 8:17:34 GMT -6
Tilo Hartmann's forces set out for Fort Verrist in the morning. They meet up with some of the other fragments of the rebel army, and their numbers begin to swell. Unfortunately, they're forced to stop and set up camp when the weather turns foul.
While they wait for the clouds to break, Tilo calls for the commanders of the forces that have joined his own to meet him in his tent to go over their plans once more. Three of the four major leaders are already present, while the fourth is supposed to meet them further along the path.
Tilo sits patiently in his tent. The first to arrive is Verron Wrenn, a crow laguz and infamous "reformed" thief. The short, unimposing man commands the smallest of the rebel army's forces, a mere three dozen men - three dozen of the most highly trained and skilled thieves, assassins, and spies in the world. Only a dozen of his men are present, as the others are all conducting work all throughout the kingdom. Verron gives Tilo a friendly smile as he enters, then goes to sit in the corner, quietly munching on an apple.
The two sit in near-silence, waiting for the other two to arrive.
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Post by GX1997 on Oct 9, 2015 16:53:21 GMT -6
After arriving safely at her destination Halcyon took a moment to consider how fortunate she was, but after that coleceted herself and wasted no time before knocking on the door and calling out to the occupants she had come to visit.
"Lord Caderyn, Lady Rena? This is Halcyon, the Keeper, again."
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Post by Neo on Oct 10, 2015 17:47:25 GMT -6
"I'll be right there Lady Halcyon," Caderyn calls out, giving his wife a quick kiss and slipping into his coat and boots. He turns to Leilah before he leaves. "The worst of the storm has passed now, and the rest shall soon follow. It will be safe for you and your Pegasus to begin your return journey. But you may stay here as long as you like, little Leilah. You are my guest. I have other duties to attend to now, and I may not be back for some time, so in case you leave before I return, it was a pleasure to meet you."
With that, he opened the door and walked out to join the Keeper. He gives a warm smile. "Lead the way, milady."
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As Barabas mounted Shadow, Farah shifted into her wolf form. She gave a toothy grin at Barabas's surprised look. "I prefer to travel as a wolf. And I'm a lot faster than I look. Why, I might even be able to give Shadow a run for his money."
Shadow neighed in challenge. For a wolf, she was unusually large, even giant compared to most, and her beautiful white coat was long and striking, and it gleamed silver in the early morning light. Despite her size, she was slender and athletic, and as she walked alongside Shadow, it was perfectly clear she was all muscle.
"I don't expect there to be much trouble, but the rebels are much craftier than we originally gave them credit for. Just in case my troops and I do have to fight, I want you to stay back with the Reserves. I don't doubt that you're very proficient with those knives of yours. But you aren't a warrior, and this is war. I don't want to risk you because of my own selfish decision to bring you along."
She smiles. "Tell me, Barabas. What do you make of this rebellion?"
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 10, 2015 20:36:03 GMT -6
"Farewell, Lord Caderyn! I hope to see you again soon!" Leilah calls after him.
As he closes the door, she turns to Rena. "Thank you so much, Lady Rena. Unfortunately, I need to return to my commander as soon as possible. Hopefully I can catch up to him before the attack on Fort Verrist begins... Um... A-anyway, thank you again. I can't begin to repay all you've done for me."
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Post by Deleted on Oct 10, 2015 23:17:40 GMT -6
Judah drew his arms close for warmth, and drew up his knees to chest. The subterranean caverns were bone-deep cold. Blackfish Leader has ordered him to be inprisoned down here. Even his body's natural abundance of heat lost against such cold. These bandits must have been skilled to remain here for all this time.
His white robes were sullied with grime, and his turquoise eyes peered at the bars. He could have transformed, but given the tight space, he would have killed himself or set the jail on fire. He toyed with that thought. It would be much easier to escape that way, but he had no idea if he'd harm the girls and women of the Five Maidens that way. He'd simply have to rely on his words.
The wooden door creaked open; the echo of feet on rock made its presence known, the owner of them pausing before the bars. They slipped a bowl beneath the small opening underneath, a strand of green hair falling forward. "Here, birdman. Mayelle and Kainé begged me to beg the bandits to allow one of us to bring you food. Cold soup. No heat down here,"
"I couldn't tell. Do you have water?" Judah made a grab for the bowl. Yes, cold fit the feel of soup down his throat. It was food, and any food was good. The side of his face began to ache. The bruise wouldn't go down in just two days.
Iscah peered from the gates, and then her head moved side-to-side. "Dirty water. I'm sure you're used to that, though."
"About as much as you've love of my company."
The wooden door opened. "Hurry it up, girl!"
Iscah turned around, letting her legs carry her up the steps. Her mouth twitched. Damned bandits. She wasn't finished speaking with the birdman. The door shut behind her, and she was guided towards a table.
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Judah finished the remains of his could soup, setting the bowl aside. Time didn't pass in this cell. The musky air was getting to his nostrils; his hair collected grime, and once he felt something trying to crawl up his neck and into the feathery-like tangles. He laid himself on the cold stone and slept. And slept. And slept until days faded like memories. Coming and going. Rinse and repeat. It was all the same. Each day a different member of the Five Maidens handed him his food. Even Fleura. The girls spoke about being treated well, but Blackfish Leader using them for a few raids on a village and the odd town or two. He didn't bother committing her name to memory.
They had added shackles for his hands. Someone must have been afraid he'd try to attack them. Very intelleigent of them. He rubbed his newfound shaggy orange-red beard with his shoulder. His face became gaunt; his skin lost its mocha tan color, becoming paler as the days passed. Eventually they began to bring him clean water. Blackfish Leader had raided a village with a clean water supply, and thus they saw fit to ship it back.
The wooden door opened, and he lifted his head. He expected one of the girls, but instead Maricia came down. She was dressed in a full-body grey cloak, her single eye looking down on him with frost.
"Hello, beastman,"
"Hello, fair maiden,"
"You are bold for one that's been imprisoned. I see you hasn't broken. I'm here to interrogate you. This can be quick, or this can be painful. That is your choice, beastman."
"I thought my name was birdman? I suppose not everyone knows laguz types."
Marcia's fist clenched and unclenched. Her shoulders, high and tense, lowered. "I see. That is the game you wish to play. Very well, birdman. We shall play your game," The bars opened from a device on the wall, and she stepped in with boldness. She observed his shackled hands. Her foot pivoted into his jaw, and Judah's head snapped to the left.
Maricia squatted and cupped his chin, yanking it so that his eyes could only look at her. "What do you know about Solgen and their military leaders?"
"This would be much easier if you let go of my head."
Maricia's hands fell to her sides. |
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Post by The Big Cheese on Oct 12, 2015 6:02:19 GMT -6
Barabas pauses a moment as he waits for the hairs on the back of his neck to stand down. Farah was anything but the first Wolf Laguz he had seen, but perhaps as a noble she was by far the most terrifying in form. In presence, though, she seemed no different than before. As he sets himself straight, he responds to her question without even considering it first.
"A bid for the highest seats of power with no understanding of the responsibility which goes with it. It's uncommon, I think, for Beorc to grasp the kind of freedom which comes with servitude. 'Children of ambition,' as they once said... I see no reason to take up their cause."
The thought of what the rebels' new world might look like does flash through Barabas' mind, but he deems the difference irrelevant. They would be the losing side anyway.
A pair of golden blonde cat ears silently poke through the tent flaps, darting every which way as if to scan the area. Apparently not picking up on much, the small framed woman attached to said ears slowly pushes the rest of her head in, rustling up against the leather entrance as she does so. The moment one of the two men inside meets her eyes, she immediately darts back.
"Phandra, what in Solgen's name are you doing?" A man asks outside.
"Yikes! U-um, just scanning ahead! Can't be too cautious, right? Heheh..."
"It's Tilo's tent..."
"O-oh, right! Well here... I... go...!"
After a short pause, the woman is abruptly pushed stumbling into the tent, looking quite harried. She whines, babbles amd protests until she regains her footing, then manages to calm down as the man follows in after her.
The blue armoured man shrugs his shoulders and takes a seat at Tilo's right, letting the jumpy cat laguz take a spot on the other end.
"All present." He says, making his exasperation clear in his tone. "Finally..."
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 12, 2015 23:02:02 GMT -6
Tilo tosses an arm around Jack's shoulders. "Jack, you old so-and-so, how are you? It's been too long! And Phandra, always a pleasure. You don't need to worry so much, you're among friends! Just me, Jack, and..." He looks over to the corner where Wrenn had been sitting a moment before. "Wrenn?"
Wrenn silently emerges from the shadows behind Phandra. He seizes her shoulders as he whispers inches from her ear. "Boo..."
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Post by The Big Cheese on Oct 14, 2015 10:32:31 GMT -6
Jack smiles slightly at Tilo's good natured attempt at getting Phandra and he into good spirits, and slightly more so when Wrenn sneaks up behind their cowardly compatriot for a little practical joke.
"OHMYGAWDSENEMYATTACKGETITAWAY!" The woman yells, immediately shifting into a golden yellow cat, swiping and scratching haphazardly in Wrenn's direction. She then turns around, bolting in the opposite direction. "Kuh--!"
Seized in Jack's begloved hand, Phandra begins hacking and wheezing quite pathetically, so the man takes some sympathy on the creature and lets her down.
"Wrenn is a friend, nominally... and I swear you do these things on purpose, Phandra." Jack says, before putting his arm around Tilo's and sitting back. "And far too long it has been! I'd bore you all with my exploits to the South, but I'm sure the courier boys will spread the news faster than I! Besides, I'm sure there will be more to be had at... where are we headed again?"
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 14, 2015 12:54:09 GMT -6
Wrenn sits in the corner cackling hysterically despite - or possibly in part because of - the blood oozing from the claw marks on his face and arms. Tilo gives him a dirty look. His laughter dies down, only to surge back a few seconds later.
Tilo sighs and ignores him. He unfurls a map onto the table and slams a finger down decisively. "Right here. Fort Verrist. It's a sizable fort that serves as the second line of defense should Solsen decide to invade. If we can capture that, it'll send a message that our movement's to be taken seriously! A rally point for new volunteers, and a stronghold to launch our next wave of attacks." He takes a deep breath. "Alright, so, here's the plan. Wrenn, you're the first in. Your team infiltrates at dawn while they're changing shifts."
"They'll never see us coming," Wrenn says. "How many do you us to pick off?"
"None. You can't afford to be caught."
"You think I would get caught killing a few dozen guards?"
Tilo folds his arms. "...I'll leave the decisions to you, but remember we're sunk if you get caught." He points to a spot a few miles from the fort. "Our main force will wait in these hills here. Phandra, your job's to bait the enemy into sending a force out of the fort. With what we know about the commander, she's headstrong, young, impulsive, and eager to make a name for herself. So just take your cavalry and beasts and just... annoy them. Stay out of their range and they'll come to you eventually. Since we're coming from the west, you'll start your attack in the late afternoon, because of... er... There was a reason for it..."
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Post by The Big Cheese on Oct 14, 2015 15:33:25 GMT -6
Jack chuckles a bit and shakes his head while shrugging. "Her job's to annoy them? You sure can pick 'em. If she performs up to expectations you and I might just not have to do anything at all."
"You mean I just have to attract attention and run around?" Phandra asks, ignoring Jack's teasing. "I can do that for days! Oh, what about Bartholomew? No fair if he gets to sit this one out!"
"Be more for me... but I think we're meeting him up ahead." Jack mumbles.
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Post by AlmosDug on Oct 14, 2015 16:33:37 GMT -6
Strolling into a food tent, Charles Philo and Jennifer Lupus made each stride a confident one. Charles was shirtless, his turban wrap draped around his neck. Jennifer was fully dressed for combat, her hands hidden under her cloak as she traced her fingers along the edges of her mask as it hung from her hip. Approaching a soldier sipping from an unappealing bowl of broth, Charlie slapped his back. "Heya! Where's the beef at? I want it."
"Over in the back. Pork and asparagus. It's getting cold and they're running low, so you might be able to get the rest of it."
Thanking the man, the duo made for the back. "Beyond me why you want that. Looks like s***."
"Yeah, and you act it! But I want your rude ass around too, hahaha!" Nearing the back, Charlie noticed another soldier asking a serving girl or a bowl, and promptly spat over a good distance, straight into the pot of soup. As both of the two surrounding it backed away from where the projectile landed, Charlie called out, "Yeah b****, that's mine, step off!"
"You, sick, motherfu-" The man's objection was cut short as Charlie planted his fist right between his eyes. The fight quickly turned into a full brawl as two other men attempted to interfere.
Ignoring the rowdiness, Jenny took a spoon from the now nervous serving girl and tried a mouthful of the soup. "Not as bad as it looks, at least. I'm not hungry though." The thief slid under one of the tent flaps, searching for something to hold her interest as she hummed a tune she'd been writing the day before.
Several tents away, she witnessed two of the commanders entering a tent, though the cat took her time before being forced in. While their names escaped Jenny's memory, their importance did not. She circled the tent, crouching down as she reached the backside, listening in on the conversation inside. Well, I know where I'll like to be during the assault. Don't know about Scene, though, there's multiple potentially large fights. Odd that Hartmann himself would forget pieces of his own plans. Not my concern though.
Back in the food tent, Charlie sat down on another soldier's beaten body as he sipped soup straight out of the pot. "Still warm."
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 15, 2015 19:53:40 GMT -6
Tilo sits with a look of concentration on his face. Finally, he snaps his fingers. "The Sun. That's it. We'll have the Sun at our backs and on our side. ...What were we talking about?"
"Bart," Wrenn answers, staring at one particular patch of tent wall.
"Right, Bart..." Tilo says. "We won't meet up with him until the attack. Which brings me to phase two. Phandra, when the enemy comes out to attack you, Jack and I'll start marching your way. But we'll take a while, so the decision to attack, retreat, or just hold your distance will be up to you. Meanwhile, Wrenn, your job's to lock the doors behind them and start picking off as many archers as possible. That's Bart's signal to drop in from the clouds and help you swarm the fort."
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Post by The Big Cheese on Oct 15, 2015 21:34:00 GMT -6
Jack makes a furrowed brow and scowls, planting his palm over his face like he forgot something important. "You see, that's why I don't like cryptic plans..." He says. "And Phandra, do note that you'll have to take options other than retreat."
"I-I know...!" Phandra says, her ears perking to the side of the tent near Wrenn. She looks over at his face, seeing the suspicion in his eyes and gulps nervously, shifting her seat away. "That's why we keep having to convince you that just trying to challenge Bastian Ferik one on one won't work, Jackie-poo. You humans shouldn't throw stones from glass houses."
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Post by SummerCrow on Oct 25, 2015 21:45:43 GMT -6
Tilo tries to hide a smirk. "Well, there's the plan. Any questions, comments, concerns? Phandra? Wrenn? ...Jackie-poo?"
"Nothing from me," Wrenn says. "What about you, Ms. Eavesdropper?" he raises his voice as he asks the tent wall, staring at the barely-visible silhouette.
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Post by AlmosDug on Nov 17, 2015 13:59:39 GMT -6
Well, s***. There goes that. Shrugging, Jenny admires the commander's awareness, and spins a lock of her hair around her finger. "Ah, nothing from me, sir! Unless you have specifics on how you'd like the guards killed or their bodies hidden, but that's something we can chat about with the rest of the sneaks, I take it."
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Post by SummerCrow on Dec 12, 2015 1:16:55 GMT -6
Hartmann shakes his head at Wrenn. "If there's nothing else, let's consider this meeting adjourned. Jack and I've got got some catching up to do..."
Two days later...
As the sun begins to rise, Wrenn and his team stand in the shadows of Fort Varrast. They're disguised in stolen uniforms, the ones capable of flight preparing to ferry the others over the wall. Two dozen of the best cutthroats, liars, and thieves in Solgen, all about to embark on a single mission. The fort itself looms menacingly overhead. Two stories of brilliant, white stone, capped with an impressively ornate set of ramparts. Eight buildings interconnected through narrow halls in the walls, still leaving a large, open yard and stables, further supplemented with an impressive underground larder.
"Let's go over this one last time," Wrenn says quietly. "Late evening, when Phandra baits the bulk of the out, we lock the doors behind them and start clearing archers. Remember about a quarter of these guys are laguz, so no stabbing - they'll smell the blood immediately. If you absolutely have to take someone down... be creative. Hopefully it won't come to that. So. Everyone, best behavior."
Wrenn brazenly pounds on the front gate. A hawk appears over the wall, hovering cautiously a few feet above the group. Wrenn flaps up to meet him. "Who're you?" the hawk demands.
"Reinforcements from the capital," Wrenn says.
"Reinforcements? We weren't informed about any of this..." the hawk says uncertainly.
"We're the messengers and the delivery all in one. Convenient, eh?" Wrenn slips a roll of parchment stamped with the king's own seal from his pocket. "Our marching orders. I'd prefer to deliver straight to your commander, but I suppose you could vouch that I dropped this off still sealed?"
The hawk pushes the message back to Wrenn, gives the group a once over. "...Wait here," he says, disappearing over the wall.
After a few moments, the gate grinds open. A young, female taguel strolls out. Wrenn makes note of the dozen armed soldiers in her wake, and the archers assembling on the roof. Perhaps a tad paranoid, this one. Wrenn snaps to attention. "Sergeant Blackwing, reporting," he says, saluting with one hand and extending the scroll with the other.
"Captain Vilagus. Acting commander of Fort Verrist." She snatches the missive dismissively, briefly scanning the seal before tearing it open. She reads through it, checks the signature, then places it in her pocket, all with the same cold-as-steel stare. "Expected attack by the rebels. Hmph. We've been preparing for weeks, about time they did something about it." She cuts herself off and stares disapprovingly at Wrenn. "Sergeant Blackwing. I'm sure your troops are exhausted. Quartermaster, deal with this."
A small, male cat comes forward, introducing himself as Fralt. He leads the group into the fort as the captain storms off, apparently in a bad mood. In truth, she's still mad about a quip about honey and her tail a messenger delivered the night before, and the last thing she wants right now is another crow hanging around.
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Post by SummerCrow on Dec 22, 2015 0:15:19 GMT -6
Wrenn and his troops spend the day acclimating to life at the fort. They learn procedures, they meet the officers and a few of the other troops. They conduct a few drills to help them adjust to their new unit assignment. Verrist's troops are generally friendly, unlike the commander. A few of the laguz are a bit arrogant, but none are overtly hostile. Vilagus' suspicions quickly fade, though her demeanor remains standoffish.
In the late afternoon, one of the sentries calls down from the western wall. "Ca-captain! You need to take a look at this!"
The captain emerges from inside her office a few minutes later. "What is it?" she demands.
"It's the rebels!" Wrenn announces, flying above the fort's center. "A whole army of them!"
"What!?" Vilagus asks, sprinting up the stairs. "Son of a..." She looks out over the wall to see a group of Hartmann's cavalry and cats.
Fralt clears his throat uncomfortably. "This is... OK. We're ready for this. But I'm really glad for a few extra hands!" he says, clapping Jennifer on the back. "We can do this!"
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