A Daring Rescue [Elijah/Cynan]

[Elijah]

Elijah was a bit relieved when he first arrived in Yuta. It was a quiet village that had seemed rather peaceful compared to the rest of Laus, and certainly compared to the den of a minotaur. While Laus was not quite on the Eliminean “end of days” level of terror that Ostia or Caelin were in, it fell somewhere in the middle of the two. Those undead monsters made their way across the border often enough, and Laus’ standing army was apparently heavily supplanted by mercenaries...or anything with a weapon that was willing to briefly pass as a mercenary.

Bandits did not rule the land like Caelin, but they were infinitely more common in Laus than most other fiefs. It left Elijah rather displeased. Laus had always felt a little cold to him, back when he’d worked in the fief on behalf of Nameless, but before Ostia fell it had been far more peaceful than it were now.

Ever the optimist, though, Elijah tried to focus on how close he’d come to his destination. Most travelers would likely dread a trip to Worde, given it was the battleground fief left to contend with the monstrosities that crawled out of Ostia with only so much assistance from other fiefs. Yet that was where Elijah would get his first clue as to the whereabouts of Astraea...or better yet - where he’d find her.

Indeed, he opted to remain hopeful in the face of potential gloom, though the smile he wore through the village faded when he saw a posting. He hadn’t expected a small place such as Yuta to have a notice board and yet it did, with but one missive on it. A request by a Gerald Yuta, likely the founder of the town or the descendants of the founders. Eli skimmed through the writing, and his expression narrowed before he finished.

Gerald’s two sons had been kidnapped. Held for ransom by some of the bandit-mercenaries hired by the fief.

Elijah made his way through the village and swiftly headed towards the largest house within. No doubt that would be the Yuta household. He was so close to Worde, but...especially given his situation he simply could not turn away from a request like that. It hit a bit too close to home.

[Cynan]

Cynan stared up at the large house in front of him, and wondered as to why he even bothered considering taking this job. After all, he was certainly no heroic fighter who could bust into wherever the kids were held and completely clear out the room in a matter of seconds. Although that may be the reason why he'd be good for this job, because he knew his limits and wouldn't try to do something as reckless and stupid as that. No, he knew he'd have to find a different way.

Truth be told, the way he saw it there was no big motivator to this mission other than the fact he'd get paid and not starve in a gutter somewhere. He didn't really care for the kidnapped children at all... at least he'd convinced himself of that fact. He didn't feel an emotional responsibility that would make him think that he NEEDED to help out, all in all his motivations were pretty much entirely for his own benefit.

He briefly looks around the village - it was quiet and oddly pleasant, nearly oblivious to the horrors of the rest of the world... although the silence was kind of solemn, almost like the whole village knew of the loss that Yuta had experienced and were prematurely paying their respects as if they knew the children would never come home. The thief shakes his head, I should probably just go inside, it doesn't seem like anyone else will be helping.

Cynan walks up to the door, and hesitates just before knocking, hearing the footsteps of a man behind him. He turns around, Somebody else coming to take this quest, maybe? He stares Elijah in the eye, and then realises that he probably looks like a criminal trying to break into the house, considering how he's dressed, and his overall shady appearance. "...Hey there."

[Elijah]

As Elijah approached the house he saw someone else had beat him to the door. A young man, shorter and smaller than he. Similar hair, though, but otherwise fairly distinct. He seemed dressed in rather plain clothing and had a green cloak draped around him. Reminded him a bit of similar cloaks worn by town guards in forested regions - for camouflage. As the young man stared at Elijah, the elder man noted he didn’t seem quite like an ordinary villager but didn’t quite have the look of a mercenary.

Could have been a friend to the family. A villager who wanted to offer some sympathies to the family.

“Hello.” Elijah gave a small smile. The situation didn’t call for his usual enthusiasm, but that was all the more reason to make sure he smiled anyway. “I take it you here to see Gerald Yuta? I’m sure he’d appreciate any sympathies you may have for him.”

Elijah stepped beside the young man and knocked on the door before he continued. “It’s a terrible thing that happened, really. I’m just here to help any way I can.” He wasn’t sure if the Yutas had hired anyone else. It wouldn’t be an easy task to tackle solo, but if he had to go at it solo then he would - simple as that.

The door to the manor was pulled open by an armored man who carried a lance in one hand. His armor wasn’t anything ornate but was practical - solid grey with multiple scratches and small dents. Similarly the wood shaft of his lance had been carved and cut in multiple areas, and the spearhead was in a comparable state to his armor. The man within had certainly seen combat before. “State your names and your business.”

“Name’s Elijah.” Eli answered with a smile. “I’m here to lend my sword to the liberation of the Yuta children.” After his introduction he paused and looked down to the younger man, and awaited him to do the same.

[Cynan]

The taller man's smile surprised the younger thief, and it became clear to him that this man had a vastly different temperament to his own. Nevertheless though, it seemed oddly nice of him, and reassuring in a way? He smirked slightly at how wrong the person before him was though, in actuality he had no relation to anyone here, and was just passing through, with no particular destination in mind. Upon a closer look, he could tell the man before him had quite an abundance of experience in battle, although it was odd that his appearance lacked much grizzle, and he seemed to have a nature so jovial that his personality wouldn't be amiss if it belonged to an optimistic young rookie. He seemed like an odd sort of paradox, and Cynan hadn't known veteran mercenaries to be so... joyful? His attention turns to the door as it opens, and the experienced knight awaiting there automatically rose suspicions in his mind. If this guy works for the family, why the hell isn't he helping them? He shakes his head, and realises that he should probably answer the knight's question.

His ears pricked upon hearing of the hero's intent of helping out the Yuta family, and he suddenly came to the conclusion that his job may now be easier than he thought. This man seems strong... which is all the better for me, he can do the intense fighting and I can still get a cut of the pay.

He moves one arm to his hip, revealing the iron sword attached to his waist, which had previously been obscured by the cloak. The sword itself was nothing impressive and all in all was rather generic, although it was clear it had a lack of usage, hinting towards the thief's tendency to avoid fighting. "I'm Cynan. A wandering... 'scout', of sorts." He didn't think that the man would turn down help from a common thief considering Yuta's desperation, but he assumed that it would be more beneficial not to admit that he was a "criminal". "I'm here to rescue those kids too, although I trust that there's incentive to doing it?"

[Elijah]

Seemed Elijah had been wrong about the boy. His name was Cynan, and he was indeed armed. He didn’t expect him to be a mercenary but...well, Elijah was likely a bit younger than even the young man before him when he first took up the blade. Everyone had their reasons, had their story. For that reason, among others, Elijah didn’t judge how swift Cynan’s request for payment. Realistically people often needed a material incentive if they were going to lend their aid to a cause.

Still, it did...trouble him a bit that the boy was so young. To be that pragmatic that early on reminded him a bit of how Cyrus was, a long time ago.

“Master Yuta will be detail your payment.” The guard’s answer was stiff before he pulled the door open wide and allowed the two to enter. Elijah nodded before he stepped into the manor. While the house was certainly larger than the others in the town, it wasn’t all that grandiose within. It was no castle, that was for certain, and could barely really be called a manor at all. Almost everything within was wooden, with no marble or stone. The house had a second floor and the stairs that led up to it were close to the door.

Further down into the room was a bearskin rug that lay on the hearth, and seated in a chair before it was an older gentleman who watched the two mercenaries approach. His eyes were difficult to read, but as Elijah drew near, he could see it. The lack of light. He imagined, during his darker moments, that his own eyes looked pretty similar. The eyes of a man whose entire world was left to the hands of fate, and could be lost before he could blink.

“Afternoon Elijah, Cynan. I am Gerald Yuta. I heard you give your introductions, and I know why you are here.” As Gerald spoke his guard came to his side. In his armored hands were twin sacks, each quite hefty and filled with coin. “Five hundred gold pieces each, should you succeed.”

Straight to the point. Gerald likely wanted to address concerns of pay right away, and Elijah didn’t blame him. His children’s lives were at stake - the last thing he wanted to do was bicker about what he would give for their safety. What was more important, infinitely so, were the actual details about the rogues that kidnapped them.

“Any further concerns?” Gerald looked between the two as he spoke. “Or can we move onto what exactly I’ll need you to do?”

Elijah hadn’t been concerned with pay in the slightest. He didn’t need much, frankly, beyond enough to afford food and travel. Though with his repeated confrontations with monsters and creatures tougher than men, he HAD thought of picking up a new blade. Still, Elijah shook his head and instead looked to Cynan.

[Cynan]

Strolling through the manor alongside the knight and the hero, Cynan could honestly claim that he was surprised by the inside of the building. Rather than being the elaborately decorated, pretentious location that the verdant thief had expected, it was actually pretty modest and it was quite easy to tell that this place had been around for a while. In his mind he had pictured obnoxious stone statues of the owner, with expensive jewellery on display for visitors to admire and also be incredibly jealous of. He was almost shocked by how foreboding it all seemed, an atmosphere of sadness looming over the interior of the building much like the one that seemed to blanket the entire town.

Eventually they came face-to-face with the man who Cynan instantly assumed to be Gerald Yuta, judging by the darkness manifesting behind his eyes which revealed the distressing thoughts swirling in the elder man's mind. They were void of joy, any good emotions having seemingly been swallowed up by the maddening thoughts that the man would never see his children again. Cynan often wondered if his eyes left the same impression on people, he had almost nothing to his name and had lost the one thing he valued many years ago. Loss. The apathy that the boy had deluded himself into feeling when it concerned Yuta's children slowly began to crumble, as he realised that the man was in a very similar situation to him when he was at his mother's deathbed, although this man would lose his heirs and die lonely of old age - a miserable end to a life. However, he also knew that this was not a certainty, after all, this man next to him, Elijah?, had pledged his sword to save those children. That was not all either, because as little as he believed it, he knew he too could have a role in determining the fate of Yuta's heirs, no matter how minuscule it may be.

Unsurprisingly, these thoughts flashing into his mind had caused Cynan to lose focus, and he came back to his senses with Elijah looking to him, and Gerald Yuta holding out two sacks of coin. He hadn't been paying attention to know how much was in there, although truthfully he doubted how much he actually cared about the reward at this point. He shakes his head, clearing his mind. "That'll be fine, tell us what you need."

[Elijah]

Elijah nodded once he heard Cynan’s response. He was glad the young man was satisfied with the payment - 500 pieces was not a small sum by any means. In the right hands it actually came close to a small fortune. No doubt the Yuta family was the wealthiest in the village, but even Elijah wondered if this was perhaps all the coin he had. Though he knew full that there was no true price on one’s children...so the sooner they heard all the details the better. “Pay’s fine with me as well.”

“Good.” Gerald waved his hand lightly, and his guard set the sacks down on a nearby table. “Markus and Nathaniel were taken three days ago. They’d been playing on the outskirts of town, and some…’mercenaries’ had come through to finish up with a job. They knew the boys were mine, and I suppose their pockets felt too light for them, so they thought a ransom deal might line them nicely.”

The father’s tone stayed even as he spoke. There was no sigh of worry or depression, or even a crack in his voice that conveyed fear or desperation. No doubt the worst of the emotions had passed since the boys were taken, or perhaps Gerald was simply a man of immense emotional fortitude. “I spent the night searching for the boys, only to return home empty-handed. There was a ransom letter at the doorstep, and they gave me a time limit of five days to pay for my sons’ lives.”

“How much did they ask for?” Elijah didn’t ask for curiosity. Bandits were often horrific when it came to ransom and negotiations. They were simply terrible at it. They’d set purposefully unrealistic goals and wind up slaughtering or destroying whatever leverage they had in frustration. Many of the men and women who joined these groups simply did not understand how much money the wealthy may possess. The Yuta family was wealthy compared to the rest of the village, but they weren’t a bloody marquis.

It took a rare type of bandit - one who was sharper or perhaps better educated, to be able to handle a situation such as ransom in a proper manner. They would know how best to intimidate, and to make their demands either sound perfectly reasonable or simply the only option that existed.

“Fives times what I have offered the two of you. An amount that I simply do not have.” Gerald’s jaw clenched in anger after he spoke. It seemed Elijah had his answer. The bandits in question were likely mere highwaymen who grouped together to take advantage of Lausian policy. No doubt they did do some honest work, but they wanted more - and didn’t mind if getting more meant dishonest work.

“The town has a small militia, and one brave young lady who rode deep into the woods to try and find where it was they stayed. She saw an old fort, abandoned some decades past, that the fiends had holed up in. We don’t know their numbers, I’m afraid, but the fort is modest. Not much larger than my house apparently.”

That was good to know. An assault on a fort made things particularly tricky in some senses, but easier in others. In want of a proper fort or buildings bandits either set up open camp, or holed up in an abandoned bear’s den or some other cavern. Such areas were difficult to attack without an all out melee. They were either entirely open or only had a single point of entry. A fort may be walled but, of times, there were “multiple” points of entry - and many options.

“I need you two to go to that fort and rescue my sons. If you kill every last one of those bastards, I’ll throw in an extra hundred pieces each. They cannot harass my family or this village again if they are dead, but your priority must be Mark and Nate.” Now the desperation could be heard. A light tremble in his voice. The boys had been taken three days ago and there was less than two days left to retrieve them. The fort was three hours away, but they did not know the numbers of their enemy. They would need time to prepare and to plan a strategy.

Elijah’s mind had entered a state he had long since forgotten. He could hear whispers of the past echo through his mind. Wisdom and tactics discussed over a war table…

“We’ll get the job done.” Elijah stated. Gerald took a breath and settled back into his seat.

“Good, good...any further questions? You may ask, but do so quickly.”

[Cynan]

Cynan stood there patiently, soaking in every detail. Considering that this mission may very well end in his death alerted the boy and made him extra cautious to not make errors or be ignorant of the magnitude of the situation. So they had two days to save his children... no wonder he was so accepting of any help... but why hasn't anyone else come forward...? His eyes widened slightly upon hearing of the bandit's demands, although he didn't know exactly how much he was getting paid, five times the amount he held in those bags was downright exorbitant - these kidnappers went beyond ambition, they were merely fools and degenerates. Then again, what more could be expected from cut-throats and kidnappers? That being said, to underestimate them would be an even more foolish act than the ransom the bandits had demanded; if they were mercenaries like Yuta claimed, then they clearly had some skill in fighting and a moderate amount of experience - something that Cynan lacked. It seemed like Elijah would actually be incredibly useful to the boy, he certainly looked like he had more than a modicum of experience in battle.

The knowledge that the bandits were holed up in a fort was slightly relieving to the thief, it would more than likely have a multitude of entry points which would heighten his chances of being able to slip in unnoticed, and avoid as much fighting as possible. It was certainly more fortunate than something that only had one point of entry, it would've been incredibly difficult to get inside a base like that, especially considering there'd more than likely be a guard at the entry point.

The request to kill all of the bandits made Cynan's stomach sink, he know knew why the man had offered so much and requested anyone: he was acting out of pure desperation to get his children back. Despite disliking killing or fighting, the boy was well aware of the fact that Yuta was correct, and that the mercenaries would more than likely come back for revenge if they weren't snipped at the bud. He wouldn't admit it, but he was actually incredibly thankful that someone like Elijah had showed up, he seemed to know what he was doing and Cynan was certain that he'd be a huge help if it came to exchanging blows with the criminals.

One question had been nagging at his mind however, and although they were short on time, he thought that it could be incredibly relevant to the situation. "I'd like to get started as fast as possible, after all, it's in my best interests to. ...But why are so few people willing to accept this mission? Surely more than just Elijah and myself would be willing?"

[Elijah]

After taking a moment to consider, Cynan did agree to take on the job. He brought forth a question first, however - one Elijah had already considered and answered for himself. Rather than cut-in, he simply crossed his arms and waited for Gerald to deliver the grim reality.

“Fear and caution alike, and far from unjustified at that.” Gerald spoke with a heavy sigh, seeming to sink a bit deeper into his chair. “The militia would rather stay and defend the village - their families. There’s no guarantee the dastards won’t just ride in and capture or kill more of us, even as they wait for their ransom. Not to mention the monsters that sometimes crawl forth from the deepwood…”

“Mhm.” Elijah nodded, his hypothesis confirmed. It made sense. Surely they wanted to help the boys, but if they rode out to that fort there was no guarantee they’d make it back alive, or that the boys were alive, or that the brigands wouldn’t just slip past them and sack the village. It was too heavy a risk and no amount of coin was going to convince ordinary citizens to give up their lives and the lives of their loved ones over such a dour gambit.

“That said, it will not just be the two of you.” The old man of the house straightened his back before he gestured to his guard, who turned his head sharply towards that of his master. “Rickard will be joining you.”

“Sir…” This seemed to be a surprise to Rickard, though his expression could not be seen beneath his helm. “There may be the militia but who will-”

“What is a father without his sons?” Gerald’s tone was firm - his decision set. He turned gentler eyes to his guard before adding on, “Besides, you’ve known the boys since they were born. They are as much sons to me as they are to you...bring them back, Rickard.”

“...Yes, Master Yuta.” Rickard formed a fist and brought it hard against his chestplate. Elijah noticed it was a bit off from that of a true knight, but it was close. Rickard had either been one in the past, or truly did like to carry himself as one for his ‘liege’.

“Your aid will be greatly appreciated.” Elijah said with a small smile. He stepped forward and offered his hand to Rickard. “Here’s to a successful rescue.”

Rickard stared at Elijah’s hand before he extended his own to meet it. “Aye.” Rickard replied, shaking Eli’s hand before moving to Cynan and offering his hand to the younger man as well.. “My lance will be at your disposal for this task. Thank you.”

[Cynan]

The answer to his question now seemed so abundantly clear that Cynan wondered why he hadn't considered it himself- this was a mere village that had no powerful militia that could storm a fort AND rescue the hostages AND defend the town from a potential attack, after all, if they did then they certainly wouldn't be so accepting of any form of help like that of an insignificant thief and a single warrior like Elijah. Nodding slightly, he agrees with the Gerald's reasoning, "Makes sense". Surprisingly, more good news was on the way, as the old man revealed that the duo would also be receiving the assistance of the man known as Rickard, who certainly looked as though he could handle himself in a fight. More muscle means less chance of me having to fight, which is always a positive...

As the thief evaluated their new ally, the words of Gerald suddenly stung and cut deeply into him - "What is a father without his sons?" - it hurt Cynan severely, the verdant thief's own father having left his family before the boy had even had a chance to lay his eyes upon him. The seemingly rhetorical question had spurred physical discomfort in the youth, as he uncomfortably balled up his hand and squeezed his thumb, an act that created a small crack in his apathetic armour. He hadn't known such jarring emotional pain very often in recent months to the extent where he almost wondered if he had become desensitised despite his young age. However, what was worse was that he couldn't identify the source of why this statement hurt especially bad coming from this man. Perhaps it was because Gerald Yuta was a good man and the antonym of everything his own parent had stood for; he was determined to be the ideal patriarch and attempt to save his offspring even in a dire situation like this. If only my father was born with Gerald's conviction...

In this flurry of searing thoughts, Cynan had almost entirely lost awareness of his surroundings, and broke out of his haze to the sight of the steel clad knight stood in front of him, extending an arm and clearly expecting a response. A deep breath managed to break the shroud of suffering that had temporarily been placed upon him, as he shook the man's hand and managed to mutter "...Thanks."
However, somewhere deep in his mind the words that Yuta had spoke still slumbered.

[Elijah]

“With that, let’s be off.”They’d spent enough time talking the situation over. Besides, Elijah had been rather moved by Gerald’s conviction, and his emotion. After all - he was a father, too. What would he be without Artorias? What would he be without Astraea? There were only so many loved ones he had left in the world now...he didn’t want to think about what would happen should he lose them too.

So the blonde man strode out of Yuta’s manor, eager to lead the group and focus on the mission at hand. The fort they needed to find had been described by Yuta as “modest”. It was approximately the size of Gerald’s home though likely a bit larger and not exactly comparable in structure. There had been a small group of villagers that had been willing to brave the woods to scout the area around the fort...if time weren’t of the essence, Elijah would want to track down those people to hear the specifics. Any details would be great; such as if they had noticed a pattern in the movements of the bandits that guarded the perimeter, or if any of them even saw cracks that could suggest a break in the outer walls.

Alas, Elijah was rusty. Those key inquisitive questions had always been Kei’s specialty back during his days with Nameless. He hadn’t thought to ask Gerald for their names, and it was too late to double back. They’d have to do some recon of their own. Unfortunately...Rickard wasn’t going to be too great at that. It would actually benefit them to have Rickard trail them by a few paces, or maybe set up a signal of sorts. He looked to be good in a fight - but terrible in recon or espionage.

...To be fair, Elijah wasn’t great at that either. At least he was traveling light - no armor save the tough leather on his coat.

All of these thoughts flushed through Elijah’s mind as he walked through the village path, headed to the forest entrance. He turned his gaze over his shoulder too look back at Rickard and Cynan. “Rickard, I’m thinking we’ll have you trail behind us. The look and sound of your armor will give our approach away to their scouts.”

“Understood. How many leagues back should I be?”

“After we’re about fifteen minutes into the forest, I’d say stop and wait for about three minutes. Keep forward at a steady pace. Odds are you’re going to have to face their vanguard alone, but so long as we’re already in the base we can prevent reinforcements. How many do you think you can handle?”

“As many as I need.”

Confidence, or perhaps just determination...that was good, but it wasn't a strategy. Elijah’s mind was still racing on a way to signal Rickard in when it would be necessary and safe. He didn’t want the man’s burden to be too heavy, and he didn’t want to risk miscommunication or poor coordination to result in Rickard getting overwhelmed before he and Cynan could cause a stir in the fort.

There was still time, so Elijah moved past the point for now, and turned his gaze to Cynan. They were still in the village, and Elijah slowed his pace a bit for good reason. If anything came up that required them to purchase extra equipment or tools then this would be their last chance.

“Cynan, have you ever handled reconnaissance before?”

[Cynan]

So, after leaving the household of Yuta, the trio had finally departed onto their "quest". Trailing behind the two older men along the village path, two things had become abundantly clear to Cynan; Elijah had become the leader of their group, and he himself was far out of his element. His first realisation had caused him no real bother because he was thankful that he had the support and leadership of a veteran who had a clear idea of what he was planning and furthermore, Elijah clearly had the best attributes for the position in comparison to the petty thief and reserved, dutiful knight. However, Cynan's second realisation was indeed more troubling than the first. As Elijah gave out strategic orders to the knight known as Rickard, and seemed to be formulating a plan of attack, Cynan soon knew that he was unfamiliar with conditions like this; he wasn't a fighter or a soldier, he was a common thief - and a young one at that - with no real knowledge of the applications of tactics in fighting. Leagues back? Probably a measure of distance? It would make sense considering Rickard was meant to be falling back.

Cynan was really just a greenhorn and most of his experience came from keeping look out as fellow lowlives stole and burgled, although he supposed he had at least one advantage over his team mates: he was much better suited for espionage, unlike the two larger men. Seeing as though Elijah was now the de facto leader, Cynan paid close attention to the man's words. Speaking up and trying to appear as though he was invested in the conversation (after all, people often accused him of seeming disinterested), Cynan responded to Elijah. "Reconnaissance?" He had heard the word, or had at least read it somewhere in a book back when he was tutored as a younger child. Those were not pleasant memories. "I've heard of it, I think." Recon? It seemed similar to scouting out a place before a robbery, something that Cynan had done alone once or twice, but mainly did in the company of the gang of thieves he once belonged to. "Scouting out an area, right? Looking for weak points? Trying to spot potential guards?" Cynan had done things akin to this when pickpocketing.

"I've done something... similar. But definitely not to this extent or with this much on the line. So correct me if I'm wrong, but you want me to snoop and have a look around?" Cynan knew that he'd have to be useful in some way on this mission, and he definitely couldn't be much use any other way.

[Elijah]

“Aye, lad.” Elijah answered with a smile. Cynan seemed to just barely possess an understanding of the term. Elijah took note of that without casting any judgement - everyone had to learn eventually. He’d just strive to make sure his language was kept as simple as possible. This wasn’t the time to be teaching the boy too many new words.

“When you and I are close enough to the fort that we can see it, we’ll want to scout the area around it. I’d mostly have you check for guards and any possible entrances into the fort that aren’t guarded. You may want to watch for traps, but I doubt they’d have taken the time or effort to set them up. I’ll be sure to run it by you again when we close in on the fort.”

As Elijah explained Cynan’s main role to the lad, he ran a check on any items that would be necessary for their job. He couldn’t think of anything that the town would sell, at least, but it bothered him because there was DEFINITELY something that could be useful. Aurora used to be the queen of inventory and was one of the major players in equipment management for Nameless…

Especially with how out of the game Eli was, it hadn’t really occurred to him just how difficult doing all of this solo really was.

As such the man picked his pace up again, and left the town for good to enter the forest proper. It was then that Rickard spoke up, “You’ve done this before, I see.”

“Spent about 20 years of my life as a mercenary, though I had retired for about half a decade until now.” Elijah replied. There was a nostalgic smile on his face, though he kept walking forward, his expression hidden as a result.

“Mhm, and you are...rather new. Doesn’t seem like you travel together either.” Rickard commented, his helm covered head turned towards Cynan. “Do you have combat experience boy?”

[Cynan]

Alright, I guess I had the right idea. Seeing Elijah's approving smile slightly secured the thief on his beliefs that he could be potentially useful, and he was honestly glad that he didn't make a fool of himself, despite not showing it. Keeping a lookout for guards? He'd done that before. Looking for potential entrances to buildings? He'd done that a few times also. However, identifying traps? He honestly couldn't say he'd done much of that in his line of "work". After all, it's pretty uncommon for people to leave such things as bear traps in their homes whilst they were absent. However, Cynan was unsure of how well this experience would translate when he needed to use it in order to break into a fort, which was a task he'd never undertaken due to it being far too risky and rarely ever rewarding enough to warrant it.

The vast forest was perfectly still and silent, with the shades of green and brown of the robust trees blending together almost like an oil painting. His surroundings gave a slight confidence to Cynan, as the green-garbed thief knew that the colour scheme of his outfit would surely give him a slight edge in sneaking around in places such as this. However, the serene stillness of nature was not to last as the grizzled old knight spoke up, questioning the blonde mercenary on his experience. Twenty years as a mercenary certainly sounded like it gave Elijah an abundance of experience, even if he had been out of action for around five years. The man spoke with a certain fondness, even if his face wasn't visible to the thief, who was hanging slightly behind the two older men. Cynan briefly wondered how somebody could be fond of fighting and killing, until he realised that it was none of his business and in all honesty, he didn't really need to care.

The young man was perfectly content with having little input into the conversation because he didn't see any point in revealing anything about himself to the men, considering how irrelevant he thought he'd probably be for most of this mission. Alas, this was not to last as a question from the experienced knight dragged him back into the discussion. He felt slightly irked at how it seemed as though Rickard was treating him as a child (even if he was only sixteen), simply referring to him as "boy", but he didn't care enough to start a confrontation over it. Especially considering he wouldn't stand a chance if it came to blows with the man. "I travel alone, and tend to avoid fighting." Cynan had attempted to keep his answer short and simple, although the truth was that he nearly always chose a way out that would result in less harm coming to him. His "pacifism" wasn't a moral choice; it was more of a survival technique that he developed. Purely cowardice? Perhaps, but you can't get killed in a fight if you're never involved in one.

[Elijah]

Elijah had expected Cynan’s response. Though he’d underestimated the boy during their introductions, there was simply no way he was a particular experienced combatant. He lacked the years and, more importantly, the air. It was difficult to describe, but no doubt Rickard would know exactly what Elijah meant. The two of them carried themselves differently than Cynan, mostly through subtle nuances in their posture and gait. In time, Cynan would probably carry himself differently as well...at least so long as he continued to take jobs like this.

All the same, Elijah agreed with the assessment Rickard was about to make.

“A wise choice - especially if you travel alone. Though I wonder why, then, you decided to take on this job. I am grateful that you both accepted, of course, but this is not a job that favors our odds - and it doesn’t seem standard for you, boy. Was gold really enough for you to step into this line of work?”

Rickard’s answer had come blunt at first, but his explanation and resulting question was reasonable - so Elijah did not feel the need to chime in at all. Rather, he was focused on taking note of the sounds of the forest. After all, it wasn’t just the three of them that made noise throughout the wood - birds and insects as well.

There was one such noise in particular that Elijah was listening for. One that he had been taught to listen for during such excursions, by a certain woman who had spent most of her childhood in a deep, wildwood on the isles.

Though Elijah was forced to split his attention when Rickard added a line. “This question is to directed to you as well, Elijah. Why lend your sword? Just for gold?”

“Hm?” In truth, Elijah never really liked explaining what he did. If he was too earnest he was worried he’d sound cheesy or fake - no matter how genuine his motivations or feelings were. This was something that had carried over from his young teens all the way until now - no amount of time had really stripped that childish worry from him.

So he picked an answer that was also true, but a bit more ah...understandable. Perhaps even shallow.

“Well, I spent the bulk of my life as a sellsword - particularly my youth and young adulthood. Old habits die hard, you know?” Elijah glanced back at the two and gave them a sheepish smile. In hindsight it was a weak response. The average sellsword did not feel the need to spring into action the moment they saw someone in need. Payment always came first - given the dangerous nature of their work.

Eli turned his head away, though, as that smile settled into an expression that was far more serious.

“Besides…”

A vision of a beautiful young lady standing on a hill. She stood before a small monument - her back facing Elijah. A gentle breeze tossed her medium-long hair about, and Elijah could hear the smile she wore through her voice…

“I’m a father too.”