Closed Kleaning up Kabrin Road [Rodistair, Cromley, I'kizo]

[Ellen Ansgot]

17th of Fall, 513 AV What a cold and cloudy day. Ellen thought to herself as she paced around the Antinous Training grounds. Excitement flowed through her body, and kept her warm enough so that she was not too bothered by the recent course the weather had taken. Not unexpected though, as winter was quickly approaching, and the days seemed to flow by a bit faster the closer to her birthday it got. Cromley's was fairly close to her own, which was probably part of what led to them being friends as they aged together, becoming pages and squires roughly around the same time. Today would be the first time Ellen got to see Cromley in a while. She had been far too busy with all of her training, as she often allowed herself to be. The desire to achieve her best in every aspect of becoming a knight often completely consumed her, leaving her with little time for friends. Though it was more like 'friend' as Cromley was the only long term friend she had up to this point, but she knew he understood her determination. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be as excited to see his old friend as she was. Alexander had arranged for Ellen to come along with a group of others to patrol Kabrin Road. Jumping at the chance to head out on a patrol, the trip became even more enticing when she had heard that Cromley would be coming along too. Socializing was an important part of being a knight, and Ellen knew it. Though it wasn't that she was anti-social, she just constantly kept herself busy with training. That led to some interaction itself, through various spars and patrol partners. Going out in this group would be a good experience nonetheless. Pacing around the grounds, adjusting all of her gear, Ellen waited while the other members of the patrol group filed in. The grounds were the designated meeting place for the group before they all headed out towards Kabrin. Some of the knights who entered the grounds were some she recognized from around the castle, and others she had never seen before. None of them however, were Cromley. With more time on her hands, she thought of what might happen on this trip. There were plenty of things that could, and Ellen had heard stories from her patron about fights he had gotten in while on patrols. Still not incredibly comfortable with her abilities to fight, she was sure that if it came down to life or death, defending herself wouldn't be too difficult. The thought of a fight was both terrifying and exciting. She never showed it though, keeping her calm demeanor constantly present. After walking around for a few more chimes, Ellen noticed her friend finally arriving. Cromley was with another squire though, one she had never met before. The boy who was not Cromley looked very young, and she wasn't entirely sure if he was a page or even a squire, though the bruises somehow confirmed that he was. He looked young and excited, and his age surprised Ellen a bit, making her question why he was here. She had never been on anything as dangerous as this by his age. Though at his age, she had almost no fighting skill, planning at the time to go into tactics or some other branch of the Knights. Maybe the young boy was already more skilled than herself in fighting, but it wasn't really her place to question why he was here. He had obviously been invited by someone. Ellen began to approach them, keeping her same, almost stern look on her face. "Hello Cromley, it's great to see you again." Ellen said as she neared the other squire and his young companion. She reached out, offering her hand to Cromley for a greeting, and turned to the younger one. "And who is this? I don't think I've seen him around before. Who is his patron?" Giving the same hand to the younger one to greet right after Cromley returned her shake. Looking very serious, she smiled to neither of them while trying to hide her giddiness and awaited their replies.

[Rodistair]

Rodistair had spent almost all night polishing, cleaning, and checking his armor to the best of his abilities- from the gambeson to the plates that were lashed over the chainmail, all the belts, buckles, and yes- even whistles were shining, and in near perfect working order. It was his first patrol outside of the city walls, his patron had informed him that he would be joining a group of squires. From that moment, the young squire could barely contain his excitement, though he had clutched his copper pendent much tighter than he had in a long time, in secret of course, such a childish display would probably earn him some very negative remarks from both his patron, and the many squires he bunked with.

He said his almost obligatory prayers to the gods, he didn’t know as much about them as he should, he knew, but he knew that they were important, and meaningful to the order, and that they sometimes would give their blessings- whatever that meant. As the blue grey light of early morning shined into the dorms, Rodistair was already awake, checking his sword, and putting on his armor. It was a slow process, and one of the squires going with him had helped him put the armor on- it was still a confusing process for the boy. Rodistiar tried to memorize the squire’s name- ‘Cromley… Cromley… Cromley…I’m sure glad I brought my cloak to wear over my armor, its chilly…’ he said in his head almost the whole way to the training grounds.

When he arrived at the training grounds, there was already someone pacing around, probably another of their group. She was an older girl, probably about the same age as the boy that led him here. She carried herself in the manner he had seen many knights walk. He was slightly nervous now- he didn’t have much experience meeting new people, and while he wasn’t shy, he wasn’t really a master speaker. He waited patiently while the girl spoke to Cromley, since they seemed to know each other, then when she turned to him, with her flurry of questions Rodistair answered slowly, taking her hand in greeting. “My name is Rodistair Mooring, Iros is my patron.” He answered, trying to sound confident, and not like the child he was.

[Cromley Stronghammer]

Cromley had spent most of the last night awake. He tried to sleep for quite a while but could not for several hours. The whole time all he could think about was his impending patrol duty the next morning. This kept him up though, because although this was not his first patrol it was his first time seeing his childhood friend Ellen since their sparing match a while back. He was also kept awake by candlelight and a new squire he had met a few days prior who just got promoted. Cromley didn’t make much of an effort to learn his name until he learned with whom he would be patrolling. He learned that the boy was named Rodistair and his patron was Iros. I hope he doesn’t do anything stupid on patrol. I wonder if he’ll care if I call him Rodi though. Too many syllables in Rodistair to use effectively to get his attention if we get into a fight. Eh he probably won’t care. When Cromley woke up the next morning Rodistair was already awake and inspecting his armor and sword. As Cromley was not much of a morning person he laid in bed for a few minutes waking up and eventually rolled out of bed to have Rodistair ask him to help get his armor on. He got up sluggishly and started to help Rodistair put on his armor and secure it. He then proceeded to get his armor on and open the chest near his bed and grab his father’s weapon, a mace from his time in service with the knights. He then slung his cloak over his shoulder and they started walking across the training grounds to meet with their fellow patrol-mates. As they arrived Cromley immediately noticed Ellen pacing around. Impatient again I see. Oh well at least we’ll have fun breaking in the newcomer. “Hello Ellen. I see your injury is healing well,” Cromley said taking her handshake. As Ellen greeted Rodistair, Cromley could see that he was a little nervous, not enough to hamper his performance just enough to show how new he was to the situation. Quickly he said with a slight chortle, “You’ll have to excuse Ellen here. She can be a little serious on most issues. She won’t bite though. Not hard at least.” Cromley knew he could get away with such a retort though as he and Ellen had been friends for so long and though he may tease her, Cromley knew he could trust her to have his back in a fight. His concern however though was on Rodistair. He had not yet had much of a chance to see where his skills lie in battle so he was unsure of whether or not he could hold his own in combat. His only thought left though was, I hope he can hold his own if any trouble comes up. I don’t want to have to protect him and have Ellen scold him. That is the last thing a kid his age needs.

[Radiant]

The knights prepared for their usual morning patrol, consisting of about three knights and three squires, the leader of that particular group was Sergeant Knight, Titus Maximus, a 6'6" tall knight who wielded a warhammer. Once the patrol members had gathered, he bellowed out with his gigantic loud voice. "Alright! Now that's everyone is here! I shall begin! This will be an usual patrol! Go to the Kabrin Road, look around, and return! Then the next group will replace us! Everything clear?!" Even though his voice could scare birds from their nests, the group could feel no malice or pressure coated his tone, it was motivating and reassuring instead. "Alright! You new bloods! Squire Ellen, Squire Rodistair, and Squire Cromley! Make us proud!" He eyed the three squires, these boys and girls were the future of the Order and the Order always needed every help it could get. "Right then!" He then mounted his large Tiaden warhorse, followed by his two companion knights, a male and female human. "We're off!" Then they set off to the East Kabrin Road.

Meanwhile...

"Psst..." A shady man riding a horse with a hood covering his features spoke to his companion, also a hooded man with a horse. "Are you sure about this, Koert?" He looked back to their caravan, two carts each pulled by three horses... filled with slaves in cages. Both of the carts were covered with a black sheet so the slaves weren't visible to the naked eye. The slaver caravan had about eight guards, armed with swords and bows, they were all wearing steel armor.

"Why, Hons?" The second hooded man, called Koert, replied, no amount of worry in his voice.

"Why? Are you daft?!" Hons was irritated at his partner's nonchalant attitude. "Don't you realize where this road leads?! Syliras! If we're found out, we're DEAD! D.E.A.D, Dira's realm, I tell you!"

"Eh, no worries, Hons"

"What?!"

"Suspicious attitude like this is what get you caught, Hons. Look," He gestured to the caravan, all of their guards acting usual as if the 'items' they were carrying were food and equipment, not living, breathing, people. "Act usual, if knights come, just tell them we are carrying food." It may or may not be a foolproof plan, but it was high in risk for sure.

"...whatever, Koert, if we're dead by the end of the day, I will haunt you for the rest of my unlife." Hons rolled his eyes. It had been a long journey from Sunberth to Kenash and he had to admit, taking the sea route was far, far, harder than using these convenient roads, but... he couldn't help to feel venturing so close to the Fortress City where slavers were killed on sight was not a sound plan at all. Still, Koert was the boss so... he just hoped their heads would still be on their necks by tomorrow.

OOCThe turn order would be Ellen -> Rodistair -> Cromley -> Radiant -> I'kizo. Let's have fun!

[I'kizo]

Darkness. I'kizo was surrounded by darkness, though she was also surrounded by several other captive slaves, cold metal, a dangerous atmosphere, and even more dangerous people, but mostly darkness. While the Konti wasn't exactly fond of the sun, the darkness was a bit excessive, and definitely unappreciated. Being swarmed by a mass of fellow slaves was awful as well. In fact, there was nothing good about this situation at all. Even so, Iggy had somehow found a way to enjoy herself.

"Now is the month of maying, when merry lads are playing, fa la, each with his bonny lass upon the greeny grass. Fa la la, la la la la.
The Spring, clad all in gladness, doth laugh at Winter's sadness, fa la, and to the bagpipe's sound the nymphs tread out their ground. Fa la la, la la la la. Fie then! Why sit we musing, youth's sweet delight refusing? Fa la. Say, dainty nymphs, and speak, shall we play at barley-break? Fa la la, la la la la."

I'kizo's voice was soft and sweet, and brought a sense of hope and happiness to their dark situation. However, this was the third time she had managed to remove the gag in her mouth, which was indicated by the bruises and marks on her arms. Being a Konti, and valuable slave, they didn't leave any permanent marks on her body, but scrapes and bruises would heal, and could be covered easily with a long sleeved shirt when she was being presented to possible customers. It was likely that Iggy would be beaten again by her captors, but it didn't matter. She was a flame that would never be extinguished, no matter how hard they tried! They could do anything to her, it mattered not, I'kizo would rebel until she was beaten to death if she had to! Now if only she could get some help from the other slaves, but that was unlikely. They seemed as though their souls were broken long ago, and even the fair Konti's amateur singing (yet strong will) couldn't heal them.

[Ellen Ansgot]

Once the pleasantries were exchanged, Ellen didn't waste time with small talk and went straight to where the group was gathering. Titus was one of the knights she had managed to memorize, seeing as his loud voice was hard to be forgotten. The encouraging words were far from lost on the young lady squire, as courage and excitement pulsed through Ellen's veins when listening to the short speech given from the leader of their patrol. Watching them mount their horses with an intense readiness, though somehow relaxed through the years of experience and routine. Ellen wanted to do these knights proud. Mounting her own horse to follow suit, she jumped onto this unfamiliar steed. It shifted a bit reluctantly to the newly acquired weight of a person, but not as though to give her any trouble, since it seemed to follow her simple directions once they both situated themselves. Giving the horse, whose exact breed was unknown to Ellen, a light spur, she joined the rest of the knights and squires as they began the patrol. Leaving through the main gate, past travelers row and all of it's people, the small group made their way out onto Kabrin road. Not a moment passed that Ellen didn't enjoy. From the moment everyone had mounted their horses, every tick was more exciting than the last. As they rode down Kabrin, the young lady squire didn't say much to anyone, staying as vigilant as she possibly could. With the amount of members they had, it was very unlikely anyone or anything could slip past them, but Ellen looked around constantly inspecting everything she saw none the less. A light breeze flew by somewhere on their ride, chilling her a bit more than the others. This fall day felt a bit colder than the last few, but it wasn't unexpected as winter was quickly approaching. The cold air didn't bother her much since the excitement of their patrol was keeping her rather distracted from most things unrelated. Riding outside of the city gave Ellen a view of many things she didn't often see. Not leaving the city much, with training being her main focus, she didn't see much nature. Everything felt more calm and looked more beautiful outside of the city. The moments of silence they had during their ride, aside from the noise the horses made as they cantered down the road. After quite a while of riding, Ellen had allowed herself to lose track of time, and wasn't too sure exactly how far they were from the city. There was an interesting looking caravan ahead. Ellen wasn't quite sure exactly what she found interesting about the group ahead, but something made her excited and cautious at the same time. Preparing herself to follow any commands given, Ellen readied herself on the horse she road while they neared the wagons.

[Rodistair]

Rodistair brushed the horse he was to mount, it was a beautiful example of a warhorse, a well breed stallion, that towered over the boy. Its muscles were well formed, it brought a smile to the squires face as he mounted the horse on the left side- an action that took much of the boy’s strength, and a very strong leap up. He patted the flanks of the horse, as he squeezed the sides firmly, urging it forward to join the rest of the unit as they rode out of the city. His trepidation slowly turned into excitement, and wonder at what was to come.

He didn’t know what to expect outside of the city, the boy rarely went out of the gates, he had no real reason for it. He enjoyed the chill air, as it flowed into his lungs. He rubbed the beasts head, and adjusted his gear- a simple steel longsword, and a jousting shield lashed to his arm. He looked at the rest of the group, unaware of the dangers that lurked beyond sight. He had little understanding of what the world truly was.

[Cromley Stronghammer]

Titus' words echoed in Cromley's mind as he lashed his shield to his horse and mounted it. He had admired Titus from the day he got to see him training with his trusty warhammer in the training grounds. His mastery over it always awed him to the point that he was tempted to take up the warhammer himself, when his patron, Victor, told him to remain focused on his goals and training. Horses were still not very comfortable for Cromley, however. He did not even know enough about them to be able to tell someone the breed. As he mounted the beast he almost lost his balance when the horse shifted his weight but luckily he was still able to pull himself up on the horse while attracting minimal attention. Thank goodness Ellen didn't see that. I'd never hear the end of it. Once Cromley and the horse were situated and fairly comfortable, it took very little to get the horse to stay in formation. Luckily Cromley had landed a fairly well trained horse so the simple commands that Cromley was able to give it sufficed. As they rode towards the edge of town Cromley began to get excited. He rarely got to go outside of the city, and when he did Victor always accompanied him. This time however was much different. He was on patrol with his two best friends and his hero in the order. Life could not get any better for Cromley. After all his hero had, just minutes ago, mentioned him by name. This was Cromley's chance. His chance to prove to himself that he deserved to be in the knights and prove his abilities to his hero. It was a dream of his to get Titus to notice him. If he succeeded today he would have a great ally and hopefully, mentor in addition to Victor. As they reached Kabrin Road, Cromley became a bit uneasy and let his free hand rest around the handle of his mace on his hip. Being outside the walls, while exhilarating, was also dangerous. They were outside the protective walls of the city and there was nowhere to hide. They could get ambushed fairly easily. Although it was very unlikely because they were still very close to the city and if they were attacked likely a watch would inform more knights and they would converge. Not many people would dare to attack the knights so close to home. A few minutes into the patrol Cromley began to get a very uneasy feeling. Something was wrong but he did not know what it was. He looked around, though, and saw an ordinary looking caravan before them. Probably just delivering supplies and things of the sort. However Cromley's uneasy feeling remained for reasons unknown to him. That is until he noticed the cart. Cromley had seen many caravans enter the city in the past to deliver supplies, so what took his eye immediately was the black sheet covering the carts. Something was very, very wrong.

[Radiant]

The patrol group rode for a while, with Ser Titus leading in front, putting up his serious face. He had to look 'cool' in front of these squires after all, with his warhammer resting on his back and his immense height, the Sergeant Knight represented the mighty walls of the Fortress. These three fresh-meats, a young woman, a young man, and a boy; they still lack experience and skills to be a proper knight. By the end of this day, Titus would hammer their hesitation to determination, Maximus style! "What's with those scared face, squires?!! Look strong and brave! We are swords of Sylir!!" He bellowed, scaring some birds of their branches from the trees nearby. The giant knight could turn a mundane patrol into a loud parade.

As they rode further into the Kabrin, the sight of a caravan came up. Titus glanced at his companion knights and squires, gesturing to the upcoming caravan. "There! A caravan, usual procedure!" He examined the squires, he assumed they didn't know what 'usual procedure' was. "Alright! I'll explain! Usual procedure! See caravan, approach, ask questions, and check goods, once all clear, we'll let them pass!" The Knights were not just protector of Syliras, but the road and wilderness surrounding it. This should be a good chance for those three squires to prove themselves, if they couldn't do a simple task such as inspecting a merchant caravan, then they were truly hopeless. "Squire Ellen! Check the front, ask those merchants, 'who', 'to where', and 'why'. Squire Rodistair and Squire Cromley! Check the goods!" He issued his commands. "No time to waste now, pork chop!"

======

"Pssst! I told you it was a bad idea! Look, Knights!" Hons literally smacked his forehead with his right palm, sighing in frustration. Why did he even bother to wake up today? His idiotic partner would get them killed.

"I told you, act casual, and if you keep fidgeting around, YOU will get us killed." Koert, the calmer of the two, said with no apparent emotion, he kept his business-like merchant expression at the approaching knights.

When the squires approached, Hons would just keep silent while Koert regarded them. "Well, greetings, knights. What can we do for you today? We are simple merchants, carrying food and supplies." If the squires asked about black sheet covering, the slaver would answer flatly. "To protect the food, don't want them to get spoiled by sunlight or visible to bandits. Not that we doubt your expertise, but you can never be too careful."

[I'kizo]

There'd been quite a lot of inaudible commotion up at the front of the caravan. I'kizo wondered as to why they'd been talking to each other so much. They weren't dumb enough to drink, they weren't so ignorant as to make conversation with other caravans, and they certainly weren't jolly enough to be singing along to her song. When the cart stopped, followed by a slight jolt, she finally understood what was happening. Or at least she'd thought she did. Iggy assumed that they were going to pull her out to beat her once more. It was the only logical answer, and she couldn't help but continue to mock their insufficient bonding techniques by starting another song. Sure it hurt, but it was the only way the poor Konti could keep herself from breaking.

"Hey, ho! to the green-wood now let us go, Sing heave and ho!
And there shall we find both buck and doe, Sing heave and ho!
The hart and hind and the lit-tle pret-ty roe, Sing heave and ho!
Hey, ho! to the green-wood now."

It wasn't long, but Iggy figured that if they were coming for her, they weren't going to be taking their sweet time. However, when they didn't come shouting at the cage, even after she'd finished her song, she began to wonder. Maybe something more serious had happened. Could there be someone out there to rescue them? Just in case, I'kizo repeated the song once more, loud enough for anyone outside their cage to hear. Perhaps her singing would save them!