|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 2, 2010 18:32:38 GMT -6
“Left, boy, left!” he said sternly, tapping his iron rod against the young man’s elbow. “Why would you swing right if someone’s bearing down on you from the left?”
“I was going to dodge right, away from the blow, and get you while you’re open,” the boy explained, sagging on his own rod, panting and sweating even as the snow stuck in his hair.
“If that was your plan, then you weren’t moving fast enough—I came within an inch of dislocating your shoulder, boy. You’ve got to move those lead feet of yours,” he said, laughing at the boy’s scowl. “Alright, now, that’s enough for today. Hand me that and run on back to your mamma and tell her I’ll be by later.” He reached forward and took the young man’s rod.
“Cade!” a soldier called across the snowy court from the doorway of the barracks. “Cade, the Captain wants to see you.”
The iron rods clanged as he threw them in a heap of others, loudly echoing off the buildings. Cade gave the soldier no glance, but took up his sword belt. “Tell him he can wait,” he growled, buckling his belt and striding out of Snowhaven through the front gate.
Once out in the snowy pine woods, on a rising hill, he breathed the cold, clear, snowy air deep, looking out on the seemingly empty land before him. He felt better for the space around him. ‘Too long in the walls,’ he thought, sighing deeply.
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 17, 2010 0:04:14 GMT -6
She tromped through the snow into the woods following the perceivable, but not heavy footprints. He would have left as soon as the captain asked for him. He usually did and now the captain was in the habit of sending her out into the cold after him. Of course, Captain would never send woman alone into the woods. No, he had to send Guard Can't track to save his life with. His real name was Cerin or Kerkin, she really didn't care right now. She just wanted to find him before she froze to death. She idly pulled the cloak tighter around her body and continued to track the man's footprints. The Guard next to her said something.
"What were you saying?" , She spoke, lightly pleasant sounding. It was after all not the Guard's fault she was out in this weather.
"Are you sure those tracks are his? There are quite a few hunters out this time..."
"Yes", she snipped interrupting him and casting him a warning glance in the same moment. Having this idiot question her tracking was enough to re-direct her anger from Cade for the moment.
He turned pale. It seems he was surprised at her reaction. He had never escorted her to find Cade before, but she always seemed so pleasant in town. Though the other guards who had escorted her to find Cade had told him to be careful what he said to her. Now, he understood why.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 17, 2010 0:21:15 GMT -6
Footsteps crunching unceremoniously and, he thought, perhaps even angrily through the snow behind alerted Cade to the two's approach. Turning, he saw...her. Again. "What, you again? Can't he even let me breathe a pace before sending out his goons?" He sighed and laughed, running thick, scarred fingers through his hair. He ran his gaze over the two, surveying her, then him. "Guard Gattela. Brenden, wasn't it? How's your shoulder doing? Hopefully they put it right after our last session." He switched his eyes back to her and slouched slightly, taking a few steps forward. "And Madame Fists. Well, alright, I'm going." Cade marched purposefully past the two and back through the trees to the stone gates of Snowhaven. "I'm going, I'm going," he muttered, hooking his thumbs in his sword belt.
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 17, 2010 0:36:00 GMT -6
The guard stared at the young woman next to him. She continued to tromp through the woods a few paces behind Cade. She had taken up the position of crossing her arms indignantly under her breasts and boring holes into the man's back under the hood of her fur trimmed cloak.
He wasn't just some man though, he was the training master. He spent most of his time beating recruits to get them to remember his lessons and he was damn scary to see in battle. He was bewildered by his easy acceptance of the summons and perplexed by the nickname he had used.
"Excuse me miss..." he hesitated to continue, "Why did he call you 'Madame Fists'?"
She stopped dead in her tracks and redirected her gaze at the younger man. It was a chill y angry stare and if he could have made himself smaller to get away from her, he would have.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 17, 2010 16:21:51 GMT -6
Walking past two men in pieces of guard uniform who were sparring, he yanked the end of the rod closest, throwing the man's balance off. "Be ready for anything," he said cheerfully as he proceeded past them. Attached to the barracks that housed most of the soldiers stood a round stone tower that rose just high enough to see over the walls to the snow-bound hills on the other side. Access to the tower could only be gained through the back of the barracks and housed the carrier ravens at the very top, the Captain just beneath that, and the officers who didn't have families in town. Ascending the cold, frozen spiral stair, he knocked on a closed wooden door on a landing, the stair continuing on around behind him.
"Enter," a gruff voice called and he pushed his way in. In a sparsely furnished round room stood a bear of a man, nearly six and a half feet tall with thick, unkempt black hair, and brilliant blue eyes which glared fiercely across the room. A fire roared in the sooty fireplace along one wall. "Master Cade!" the man boomed, beckoning him forward.
Cade stepped to the center of the room, leaving the door open, lazily saluting him and muttering, "Captain Tremath. I believe you wanted to see me. What's so important I can't take the time to breathe the snow and you send," he waved a hand vaguely behind him, "Madame Oceanjumper to fetch me like an errant husband?"
Tremath let forth a rolling laugh that Cade thought ought to shake the tower to the ground. "Seems to me, Lady Oceanjumper's the only one who can get you back to stone. That's beside the point, though." He took up a letter from a desk with the remains of a seal on one side and turned to scrutinize Cade, tapping it on the inside of his hand. "A raven came a week and a half ago from further south at Wintersgate with rumors of hill-folk movement and more frequent sightings of Drow scouting parties--"
"But I haven't seen anything these past weeks after I put that last invasion down," Cade said perplexedly, his brows knit.
"I know." Tremath reiterated, "I know. That's the thing, Cade, that's part of the thing. Wintersgate's got movement but we haven't seen hide of 'em. But that's not the whole. The letter also mentioned a group of travelers headed this way and to be on the look-out for them."
"Well?"
"They ought to have been here two nights ago. Fact is, Cade, I think they've been kidnapped."
"Or killed," Deniel muttered, turning away on his heel. He sighed heavily, running his hand through his hair. "Alright, what do you want me to do about it?"
((Ziako, I know that these are really your first official roleplays, so I want to point out that Captain Tremath is an NPC, but he's controlled by me because I was first to introduce him. Your response to this post would be with Ziako and/or the Guard's actions, not anything with Tremath.))
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 17, 2010 17:46:34 GMT -6
The two guards who had settled unto the ground opposite of each other to discuss there sparring match jumped to there feet when they saw the young recruit sprinting towards them and readied themselves for any incoming danger. When they perceived a petite figure wrapped tightly into an unusual green wool rabbit trimmed cloak tromping toward them, one of the guard's immediately relaxed their muscles,beckoned for the other guard to do the same. Cade had only been through a few minutes before and it seemed that once again he had avoided her anger by directing it at someone else. The guard had spent many a night in the local taverns. He had also lost a good deal of silver betting against the tiny woman who was known for constantly wearing the cloak while outdoors. He wondered what had happened this time as he watched the young recruit Gattela, sprint into the safety of the enlisted barracks and he really hoped he had not seen blood splashed across the young man's face.
"Hey Zia!" The taller man called at the tiny figure. He was a tall a little over 6' 8" and broad across the shoulders. His hair was long, black ,and very neat in a warrior's braid to keep it away from a face that supported nearly black eyes. He was vain for a soldier, but no one would dare question his habits because he was too valuable as both a soldier and a tactician in the battle against the Drow.
" Sergeant Krell," pushing her hood away from her face and waving away the other guard's presence, "What are you up to standing out in the cold?" It was a teasing tone she reserved for the tall man.
"Helping train some green guards, while Cade was out.", he snickered and beckoned toward the enlisted barracks, "I see you were training in some recruits as well."
They walked toward the tower together without really noticing the trainee had absented himself, "The captain always sends me out with the dumbest soldiers, like any of them could provide me any real protection against the Drow."
His jovial laughter was loud and could easily be heard within the barracks, "I don't think Captain's worried about the guard protecting you when he sends you out. I think he understands that by sending you out with a young guard, you are training them."
She laughed lightly like a bell, " And how... pray tell... did you come to that conclusion."
"You teach them the most important lesson of all," snickering, "Things are not what they appear."They laughed together as they reached the tower door. He opened it to beckon her inside and she planted a light peck on his cheek. "You better not tell my wife about this.", laughing heartily, "Old Marta would kill me."
She winked at him and started inside. " I never do." Feeling once again light-hearted, She started upstairs to the officer's quarters. There was no way she would let Cade ruin her day again.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 17, 2010 19:13:14 GMT -6
Cade came swiftly down the stairs, bursting suddenly into the bottom of the barracks, his face scrunched with thought, eyes stern, concentrated, arms swinging as he strode out of the back room toward the outer door. "Oceanjumper, Krell," he said as he passed, patting her on the shoulder and pointing to Krell's chest. "Come with me; I have something I need to talk to you about." He turned and continued out into the snowy court to the pile of iron rods resting by the wall under the thatch awning running all the way around the interior walls of the buildings comprising the court, where the wind couldn't penetrate quite so far.
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 17, 2010 19:57:05 GMT -6
They followed, neither spoke they simple followed Cade farther into the city. Krell had to keep quiet; Ziako was seething. He never messed with her when she was in a bad mood. She plopped down next to the pile of rods hugging her cloak tightly around her. She had been in a good mood for all of two minutes and he had already ruined it. Krell was content to stand off to the side of Cade with Cade between him and Ziako. If she was going to be angry, Cade was a much better target. She was just thankful to be out of the wind.
"WELL? Is there a reason you brought us over here... or do you plan to stare at us all day until we freeze?"It didn't matter if she was out of the wind, he had still ruined her day twice already.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 17, 2010 20:16:21 GMT -6
"We've got a problem," he said flatly, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows and buttoning them to keep them snug against his arms. He stood surveying the court, watching women doing chores and children playing in the snow. Men went about their various jobs, military or otherwise. Cade sighed. "We've got Drow on the move down by Wintersgate and a batch of missing people. Captain's given it to me to go out and figure out what the Drow are up to, and while I'd prefer to do it alone, I know there's no way I can intercept a bunch of Drow and hope to do a thing about them. So. Anybody comin'?"
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 17, 2010 23:43:02 GMT -6
"Hah," Krell slapped Cade across the shoulder, a bit harder than he had intended. "Marta would never let me live down volunteering for a dangerous mission. No I think I should stay, take care of the recruits. Which means you'll have to protect Zia" He cast a stern glance at Cade.
"Who says I need anyone's protection and who said I was even going. It sounds like a pain that I don't need." She stood brushing the snow from her dress.
"So you are going! If you weren't, you would have already said no. Then, you would have taken a swing at Cade," He heartily chuckled, " and it would have been an interesting couple minutes."
She stared at Krell for a beat before turning back to Cade. She gave him a mischievious smile. "Man's got a point and he's right his wife has him way to whipped to let him go." she took on a lighter tone, "Guess it's just me and you, gutter snipe." Krell roared with laughter.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 18, 2010 14:46:14 GMT -6
Cade struggled to keep himself under control while they chatted, his lips twitching in amusement as he watched the fury bubble inside the girl. "Alright then," he said, resting one broad hand on Krell's shoulder, "if you're staying here, train those recruits as though I am watching you at all times. Remember, we don't know where the Drow are or what they're planning. They could come here at any moment. The recruits are the only ones to defend the town, let alone keep them from going farther south into the Isles. We are the northern outpost. Train them as such. I know you'll be fine. Now...." Cade turned his attention then to her. "Now. Lady Oceanjumper, you're coming with me, I guess." He couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm not sure how I'm going to explain this to the Captain."
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 18, 2010 19:40:30 GMT -6
"I could care less how." She flippantly replied turning away from him, hugging Krell, and walking swiftly toward her apartment in the city. "That's your department." she called back over her shoulder, " See you in an hour, I need to go pack and change, unless you expect me to wear a maid's dress on a scout mission."
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 19, 2010 0:16:15 GMT -6
"Yes, madame, you do that," he said. Sighing, Cade stood for a minute or so, leaning against the frozen stone wall beneath the thatch awning, breathing in the cold air that stung as it filled him. He relished the feeling, watching snow fall in steady flurries as it drifted through stiff air. Then he rocked himself forward and strode back in through the barracks to the tower stair. Going up two floors, he let himself into his own apartment which was half the size of the captain’s and even more sparsely furnished. The window hangings were pushed away and the wind blew in at a direct angle. The air was freezing in the apartment, but he didn’t mind. He disliked being closed off completely to the sky; even in the harshest of weather, Cade’s windows stood clear. Wind, rain, snow, birds, they could all make their way into his apartment with ease and he regretted none of them. A shining black raven startled as he came in, cawing raucously and leaping into the air to circle near the ceiling for a minute before swooping down and out through the window into the air beyond. Cade scooped up two of the furs that lay on the floor as part of his bed, rolled them up tight, and stuffed them into a hip sack along with a few other trivial belongings. He swung his way into the captain’s quarters one floor above him, securing the back around his waist where it could hang without interference. Captain Tremath stood facing his window, a raven that looked mysteriously like the one that had just flown from his own quarters hunched itself on the captain’s shoulder, looking broodingly behind him. His squawk alerted Tremath to Cade’s presence, who turned around and stood with his barrel-like legs firmly planted apart and his blue eyes scrutinizing him uncomfortably. "Deniel Cade, sir, asking permission to speak."
"You must be serious, Cade, if you’re being so formal as to ask permission." Captain Tremath was grave.
"I am, sir. It’s about what we were discussing earlier. I have considered your offer. I will go looking for the Drow and the lost travelers on one condition."
"What’s that?"
Deniel shifted a little from foot to foot, glancing quickly down at the stone floor and back up. "That you allow me to take Zaiko Oceanjumper with me."
Captain Tremath was silent for a moment, blinking twice, with a bemused expression on his face. The corners of his lips curled as he tried to control himself. The request seemed utterly ridiculous. No, it didn’t just seem. It was utterly ridiculous. "You’ve got to be kidding me."
"No, sir. I’m very serious." And he was.
Tremath contained himself no longer. He laughed uproariously. "What are you thinking Cade?"
"Sir, respectfully, it’s her brother who got killed in that last invasion by those Drow. She’s a little vindictive, if you hadn’t noticed. I think taking her out to look for them will be…beneficial to…her. I mean us. And, sir, she’s a sight better fighter than a good amount of the green ‘cruits we got in the last batch. She can take care of herself, sir. She wouldn’t come to more danger than if she stayed here and picked fights."
Tremath considered. "And Sergeant Krell’d be here to continue training while you’re away…."
"And it’s not like you let her clean anything in here anyway, sir," he said offhandedly, waving toward the soot piling up around his fireplace.
Tremath waved a hand, dismissing the fact. "Hardly the point, though, isn’t it, Cade?" He took a moment, stroking the raven’s feathers. "Alright. Take her. But be careful. I want her back in good enough shape to clean up this mess on return home." Cade snapped his heels together, bowed, and turned to leave. He paused at the pressure on his shoulder and turned to look up into the captain’s stern face. "Cade, I mean it. Bring yourselves home, but find. those. people. I want to know what those Drow think they’re doing."
|
|
Ziako
Junior Member
Posts: 52
|
Post by Ziako on Nov 19, 2010 9:50:35 GMT -6
It wasn't a very long walk to her apartment and it wasn't even that cold inside the walls most of the time. Less snow to tramp through, little wind, and Cade rarely came that far into the city and if he did; he never stayed for long. It was her sanctuary inside the city. She was simply perplexed that she had agreed to accompany the man on a scouting mission. He was infuriating. He could foul a good mood by walking through the door and there was no Krell to act as a buffer. She sighed, this was going to be a long trip. She went up the steps to her apartment in the only other large gray stone building, besides the military warehouse, the barracks, and the tower. It was a place were only single woman and young children could rent an apartment because according to the landlady they must be protected. She had always assumed Ms. Lovelace had meant Drow raids, but when she told other people she lived in the building they laughed. Opening the outer door, A little brown haired girl ran by nearly knocking Ziako over. She was followed by a boy maybe a year or so older. He screamed, "Get out of here, Drow Scum!' A very common children's game in Snowhaven Soldier and Drow, the soldiers always seemed to be destined for inevitable victory and there was nothing the Drow could do. Datalis had always made her play the Drow. She smiled and went into the common room. The apartments were too small to spin, or sew, or to let the children play in, so the massive common room that may have been bigger than the cafeteria at the barracks served the purpose well. It was always noisy, cheerful, and warm probably the pleasantest place in the whole city. "Miss Oceanjumper!" The voice was shrill and harsh enough to make a harpy jealous.
She smiled sweetly at the hard, but lovable old woman. She was wrinkled, bent backed and graying rapidly. She was known to carry a pine cane to support her weight on that she would use to rap the knuckles of children or adults who she thought were be indignant. "Ms. Lovelace, How are you today?", trying to manage the biggest innocent smile she could. Lovelace had taken her and her brother in for no charge when they were children. Ziako was still working to pay off the back rent that she owed the old woman for her kindness.
"I heard you took another stroll in the woods today to retrieve the indignant officer, what's his name, again." It was a statement not a question. The old woman had spies everywhere. Half the barracks had grown up in Ms. Lovelace's boarding house including Krell and she still treated them all like children. Men who she had this influence over; she could get to say anything.
She replied sweetly, "Captain's orders, you don't expect me to say no to the boss do you?" Whack! The hard hit across her knee with the cane almost sent Ziako to the ground and coming from anyone but a child or the old woman; it would have sent her attacker to the ground as well.
"Don't you sass me, girl."
"Of course, not Ms. Lovelace." she rubbed her knee. She was going to be limping the rest of the day. "I really need to get going. I have to pack. I'll be gone for a few days, but I'll have a nice stipend to pay off part of my debt." She waited for a response from the old woman. If she just left before the old woman dismissed her, she would be limping for at least a week. The old woman looked her up and down and Ziako knew that before the day was over Ms. Lovelace would have all the details on her disappearance. The old woman knew it to because she nodded in accent and allowed Ziako to go to her room. It was small, but comfortable dominated by a bed and closet. It was all she had ever needed though. She hurriedly changed into traveling clothes, leather pants, wool shirt, leather jacket. She packed a roll of fur and some dried food that she kept in the room. She considered leaving behind her green cloak, but it was easy enough to wear it to the barracks than switch it out for her brother's old traveling cloak. The last thing she grabbed was her brother's dagger belt. It was a gift from her made of hard leather and able to carry two long daggers and three short ones. They were all standard military daggers, except one had an unusual handle that had been replaced by herself with a carved bit of elm in the shape of a dragon. It wasn't a good carving, but her brother loved it. She swiftly stuffed the belt into her back and sprinted back to the tower. She was excited; she might get into some good fights.
|
|
|
Post by Lavinia Lionsgrave on Nov 19, 2010 17:20:43 GMT -6
Cade stepped lightly down the stairs and into the bottom of the barracks. Meeting Ziako there, he beckoned for her to accompany him and strode on into an open room where trestle tables sat thick-legged in lines all the way down the room. Many men, presumably soldiers, sat in little bunches at various tables dotted around the room, talking, eating, playing cards.... Cade approached a group who hastily stood up, knocking benches over with loud bangs. "Sit down you louts," Cade said laughingly. "I just one of you to run over to the Semfarra house and tell the lady of the house that Master Cade will be unable to attend her dinner this evening." One of the boys snapped a salute and went haring out into the snow in the direction of the houses. Cade then turned to the girl. "Alright, are you all packed up and ready to go?"
|
|