Rogus
Thief
Arrogance is a virtue.
Posts: 178
Profession: Stealing yo' gold
Guild: SS
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Gus
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Post by Rogus on Sept 3, 2014 2:37:13 GMT -6
Rogus was sprinting beside the road, hopping over stray bushes and rocks trying to move as fast as he possibly could. The man was covered in a thin layer of dry dirt, blades of grass, and his cloak was missing entirely. He was sweating from the run, small drops of the liquid stinging his eyes, but he couldn't stop. The only thought on his mind was getting to the caravan. He had to tell them that only two or so miles away was a major obstacle. When he finally heard the hooves, and wooden wheels of the caravan Rogus only ran faster, but he dared not call out. The thief still felt the presence of Ilian soldiers, and a small part of his brain kept him from shouting at them. If it had been merely bandits, or a small patrol Rogus wouldn't have put himself into such a hurry. Hell, if he hadn't come within a few feet of being captured he wouldn't be running so fast.
The man leapt onto the road, just twenty feet from the lead cart.
Myscha... We have... A big problem!
Earlier that evening, Rogus had been following a rocky overhang over-looking the road the carts would be traveling on. The thoughts that plagued Charlotte had been gnawing at Rogus as well. The man replayed their time in the tavern over and over in his head, identifying every fuzzy detail and trying to make sense of them. He had to admit that he had a great time, but the way they both behaved toward one another was very unprofessional. It was in stark contrast to their first meeting when the two of them dueled with wit; they had enjoyed the other's company well enough this time, but he was uncertain of much else. Rogus thought it was funny that the two who constantly exchanged secrets now shared one. He certainly wouldn't tell anyone the details, beyond the great songs and dances that were had.
He didn't dwell on it long, thinking about the recent past tended to lead to over-examination and distraction. Rogus concluded that he would talk to Charlotte about it when they had the time, and thought no more of it afterward.
For the most part, his routine scouting run was uneventful. Beside spotting a peculiar looking rock formation, and a handful of wild animals, Rogus saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then came the loud screech from a wyvern. That was certainly new. Throughout the whole trip, Rogus had only spotted one measely patrol of four foot-soldiers the group had bypassed fairly easily, but a wyvern patrol? That was serious. Rogus scurried down from the rocky over-hang, and hid underneath it. The flapping of wings began to be audible as a wyvern flew uncomfortably close to where Rogus had been standing just a moment ago. At first, Rogus thought the wyvern-rider had spotted him and come down to look for him, but it was clear after a few moments that wasn't the case. It circled maybe 60 feet above where Rogus hid, the man hunched over, and hugging the under-side of the over-hang to remain hidden. After a few laps, the wyvern veered off to the north-west; exactly where the caravan would be headed.
Rogus knew the carts were maybe three miles behind him, and hadn't heard the wyvern, and he also knew that it was worth investigating. The thief followed the direction the Wyvern had gone in, and used the wood-lands on the opposite side of the road from the rocky overhang for cover. A few minutes into his search, the road veered sharply to the west, and through the trees Rogus could see the glow of torchlight, and just barely hear the sounds of people talking. This wasn't good.
The man had half the mind to run and tell the caravan right then and there, but he knew their weren't many other ways to make it to their destination in the area without risking serious damage to the carts. He had to know what exactly was waiting for them, so he moved in closer, just before the tree-line ended. There, he saw a make-shift fortress of sharpened logs forming a perimeter around a camp and a stable that housed two wyverns. The perimeter was an oval surrounding the road at both flanks, the only openings wide enough for a horse to fit through were the opposite ends of the road. There were ten, maybe twelve men, four were walking the perimeter and the rest were tending to their weapons, warming themselves by a fire, or both. The wyverns seemed to be tied down for now, and he could tell from their armor which soldiers flew the beasts. He was maybe fifty feet away from them, crouched low behind tall grass and the trunk of a oak tree.
He didn't have to think much on why they were there. Rogus had learned from Gerd that rebel activity in this area was high. This 'fort' was probably put in place to thwart smuggling operations in the area, and that was exactly what the caravan was; a smuggling operation. He was about to run straight back to the caravan to warn Myscha and the others when one of the sentries began walking over to where Rogus lay. The soldier couldn't possibly have seen Rogus, it was just his rotten luck that the guy decided to check the area where Rogus laid. The thief began to slowly crawl backwards, but stopped his movements when the soldier's eyes perked up, and he began walking at a much quicker pace.
Rogus did something he rarely did, he prayed. If he tried to move, he'd be spotted and the whole camp would be on him, if he didn't he'd be found and would have no choice but to either run and try to draw most of the soldiers away so the caravan wouldn't have much trouble getting past the checkpoint, eventually getting caught by the wyverns in all likelihood, or give himself up and hope they were lazier than they looked and wouldn't find the siege weapons when the caravan passed through. Either way, if they searched him he'd be executed on the spot for bearing the Ruinz Bandit's seal, and would probably be executed anyway for being a rebel, which he certainly was not. He could kill the man, but the struggle wouldn't be silent, and it would be within clear view of everyone in the camp.
The man drew closer, he was just ten feet from where Rogus was hiding. If his prayers weren't answered, he'd be running for his life in a few seconds. Rogus had to think, he couldn't just rely on a dead woman's blessing for help! He did the only thing he could, and grabbed the nearest object he could throw; a small stone. He tossed the rock gingerly at a nearby sapling. It was too dark to see a small pebble being thrown, and when the sapling rustled, the soldier's eyes darted to the new noise.
"There's somebody back here!" He called out and ran just a few yards to Rogus's left to the origin of the noise, and the other sentries, along with two others jogged toward the area. He had solved the immediate problem, but had created an even greater one. The soldiers would search the woods thoroughly, and instead of one there were now six. The only advantage Rogus had was that they began their search deeper in the woods to his right, a fair enough distance away that the thief could start moving away without being noticed. Rogus, as fast as he could manage, began to move away from the soldiers' search and into the area of the woods they had not yet begun tearing through. When he was far enough away, Rogus stood into a crouch, and unfastened his cloak, hiding it under a pile of fallen leaves. The red was too noticeable, even in the woods on a foggy night. He hated losing it, the cloak had been serving him well as a makeshift blanket for a few years, but he would rather keep his life than an old worn out cloak.
Crawling through the dirt created a shabby natural camoflage at least, and he carefully began to move through the trees, stepping over twigs and branches so that the 'Crack' sound they would make if he stepped on one wouldn't attract the attentions of the nearby soldiers. Eventually, he made his way back onto the road, far from the ongoing search and checkpoint. He was lucky that there was no point in sending wyverns to search above the forest, they couldn't see through the branches anyhow, but if they had the riders would have spotted Rogus sprinting along the road without any problem.
He'd gotten away.
Rogus could hardly speak between breaths. He was grimy now from the sweat mixing with the dirt on his skin and clothes. Though there was no time to really explain what had happened, his message was clear; stop the caravan.
There's... A check-point... two miles... twelve Ilians... maybe more... two wyverns. Rogus had his hands on his knees, panting furiously. He looked like a man who had just sprinted two miles with a hangover. After he was done with his rather hastened report, he began gasping for someone to bring him water, but it was cut short by a fit of dry coughing. Without the hangover, Rogus would be in much better condition, after all he had run much longer distances before, and considered himself to be in very good shape. However, he never ran in a dead sprint for two miles after a long session of heavy drinking. He ran/stumbled off the road, and found the nearest bush to hide behind as he vomited the contents of his stomach (thankfully, it wasn't much). Once a noble, always a well-mannered ex-noble, Rogus refused to let anyone see such a disgusting display even if it meant the extra effort of running.
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Cen
Cavalier
Cowards die many deaths, the valiant taste of death but once.
Posts: 196
Profession: Bodyguard
Affinity: Light
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Cen on Sept 3, 2014 15:19:48 GMT -6
In his time traveling Elibe, Cen had slept under some pretty harsh conditions. Tied to the back of a Wyvern, in a half flooded cave, on a very uncomfortable leather chair. Leaning against the edge of this cart wasn't the best sleep he'd ever had, but it was far from the worse. He was in a rhythm of sleeping for an hour or two, then suddenly being jolted awake by a bump in the road. It was fine, he felt no presence of danger, there was an actual calm each time he woke. As the cart trundled along, Cen snored softly, and was shaken awake by what he assumed was a stone under a wheel. This time as he was woken, he could feel something, something amiss.
As he looked around the caravan in a haze, he spied Myscha, and nothing seemed amiss. He closed his eyes for a moment, but couldn't shake the feeling. Pretending it was far more cumbersome than it truly was, the Squire sat up in the cart. Then he saw him, Silas, the red man running towards the cart. His shouts of Ilians woke Cen in an instant. In one motion, Cen stood and vaulted over the edge of the cart. He quickly turned and grabbed his Lance and Javelins from where they lay. After a moment of hesitation, he stripped his jacket away from his shoulders and strapped his breastplate across his chest. He didn't know if he had time to put on his greaves or pauldrons, so he simply slid his head guard on, followed quickly by his helm. Time to do what eighty percent of his mercenary work had been. Pretending to be a much better leader and fighter than he was.
In a flash, the tall young man stood in front of the lead cart, peering down the road. He quickly turned to Myscha, "How many weapons do we have? Swords or axes, we don't need to fight real soldiers with sticks. If there's a checkpoint, it's likely there'll be a confrontation, plus your man's reaction there tells me we have some reason to avoid Ilians instead of just bandits." Cen whipped his head back toward the road. Good, he thought. He'd kept his voice steady.
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Dayan
Thief
Posts: 40
Profession: Doctor
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Wyatt
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Post by Dayan on Sept 3, 2014 20:27:27 GMT -6
Dayan had gone out with Silas once or twice since the first night, but the man in red had stopped requesting his presence as of late. Dayan had a few guesses as to why, but he kept his speculation to himself. Tonight Dayan was wide awake, keeping his supplies in good working condition and waiting. That was what Dayan did when someone wasn't injured, he waited for that to change. He heard a commotion outside, as Cen jostled awake like he'd been doing every few hours. This time, however, there was something thick and foul in the air. Seems like their good fortune had run out, or so someone seemed to think.
Dayan felt more than a bit smug seeing how Silas was run ragged by the trip he just had to make. Still, it would be better for the man to be in fighting shape when whatever was ahead got to them. Dayan gathered up some of his medicines in a leather satchel and followed Cen out of the wagon.
While Cen went off to speak with Myscha, Dayan turned his attention to the bush Silas had chosen to relieve himself in. When Silas came back into sight, the doctor's stone expression would be the first thing he would see, likely unwelcome.
Dayan held out a small clay bottle with a cork in it. "Drink this. Slowly, but all of it. It's got a vile taste, but it will put you back in fighting shape quick enough," he instructed. He didn't stay around to see if Silas did it or not, because frankly he didn't care. He'd done his job, providing aide and assistance to the people of the caravan. If they chose not to accept it, there was nothing he could do for that.
Besides, no sense having Silas dehydrated and sick if a fight broke out. That wouldn't do well for anyone involved.
This little bit of excitement had made one thing abundantly clear. These people were working for the Bern Rebels. That should have been obvious, considering their starting point, but one could never be too sure. Still, if they were going to be fighting Ilians, that would stand to be the prime reason.
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Post by Charlotte on Sept 3, 2014 22:50:56 GMT -6
As soon as she’d heard the winded breath and stomping feet barreling towards the caravan, Charlotte had straightened up, barely spotting Rogus before he jumped in front of the caravan. “Ho!” She yelled, standing up and holding her fist up and out to the side in a clenched fist as a sign to the rest of the drivers. While she didn’t look behind her, she could hear the other drivers passing the signal down the line until all of the carts had come to a stop, waiting for the signal to go again. Some stayed in their carts, but the more able men and women jumped down as they had been instructed to in this situation, ambling around but ready for a fight if needed. Charlotte didn’t know if what Rogus would warn her about was 50 feet or 5 miles ahead, so she needed to be as careful as possible.
“Crap.” Charlotte mumbled under her breath and jumped down from her cart, jogging up to Rogus as he doubled over but kept trying to relay what he had seen. He was so out of breath it was hard to get a full sentence out of the man, but what he had said was enough to strike a bit of fear into Charlotte. A checkpoint with guards, they could deal with. But wyverns? That was not something she’d had in her plan. The rebels’ first round of scouts hadn’t had time to check this path for potential hazards, but the caravan diverted to it anyways to avoid another roadblock a bit further back. Now she was wondering if the other roadblock would have been easier to handle than this.
The blonde watched as Rogus stumbled off to the side of the road; she looked away but could hear him retch behind the bush. Unfortunately there was nothing she could do to help him get through his vomiting. Luckily, their doctor had seen Rogus rush off to the side and went to do his best to assist, which allowed Charlotte to keep her mind focused on the challenge at hand, trying to figure out what they could to about this blockade. Staring off into the pitch black road ahead, she started taking stock of everything the caravan had with them, as well as what capacities their members had in case they did get into a fight.
In what seemed like an instant, Cen was next to her, asking about their capabilities and apparently figuring out that something was awry. Charlotte sighed; Rogus’s panic had definitely telegraphed more than he’d meant, that was for sure. She knew it was pointless to hide the reason for the journey from their hired hands. She had to make an executive decision about what to say, especially since Doc was still in earshot as well. Even if they were still about a half an hour away walking from the checkpoint, they didn’t have much time to sit and chat. They needed a plan, and they needed it now.
“We’re well armed, no need for concern there,” Charlotte revealed, which might have come as something of a surprise to the men. While their “refugees” were a bit more built than average citizens, they were dressed as civilians and, except for the occasional dagger, were not outwardly displaying any weapons or armor. That didn’t mean the caravan didn’t have these items with them ready to use, however. It seemed Charlotte would have to call the men and women to action.
“I’ll be honest, we haven’t been entirely truthful with a few of you about the purpose for the trip,” Charlotte admitted, crossing her arms as she looked over to Cen, “But we don’t have time to explain right now. What’s important is the Ilians cannot stop the caravan from getting to its destination, period.” She mulled over her next words, looking behind her to see that the other cart and wagon drivers had made their way to the front as well, clearly waiting for their next directive. Charlotte turned, raising her voice to address them.
“There’s an Illian roadblock up ahead, which we know means trouble. They’re armed and ready.” Charlotte uncrossed her arms, placing her hands on her hips as she continued. “We can avoid them, so we have to try and pass through unnoticed. It’s not ideal, but if we can, it better for us. If we can’t, then we might be able to catch them off guard for long enough to give ourselves an advantage if we have to resort to fighting our way through.” She paused, pursing her lips and looking down at the ground briefly before looking back up to her driver first, then to the others. “We’ve already discussed the plan for this situation, so get our carts ready and make sure you guys do the talking, not your riders. Clear?”
The drivers nodded quickly before scurrying off, launching into the plan that Charlotte had made with the caravan in case something like this happened. A few of the riders were quickly donning leather armor before concealing themselves and their hidden swords and axes underneath cloaks before getting back into their carts. The drivers and a few others were making sure the siege parts and remaining weapons were properly concealed beneath their carts’ false floors and tarps, making sure the seams and gaps were covered by the simple traveling goods that served as dummies on top. They were prepared as they could be in this situation. Hopefully they would make it through unnoticed.
Charlotte looked back to Cen. “Cen, get the rest of your armor on and then stay up here with me. It’ll be more believable that one of our caravan guards is at the front rather than in the middle.” There was one other man donning heavy armor in their group, but he was stationed at the back of the line of carts. Cen had been hired for the front, but Charlotte preferred to keep someone in the middle herself as longer caravans tended to get sideswiped pretty easily. But considering they’d be walking into the Illians head-first, they needed to have as much manpower at the front as they could manage.
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Rogus
Thief
Arrogance is a virtue.
Posts: 178
Profession: Stealing yo' gold
Guild: SS
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Gus
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Post by Rogus on Sept 4, 2014 20:16:50 GMT -6
Thanks... Rogus mumbled as he took the bottle of liquid eagerly. He didn't care what it tasted like, if it did its job Rogus would be happy. Doing as he was instructed, Rogus slowly drank the liquid, cringing at the taste he could only describe as something between un-drinkable and torturous. Despite the flavor, texture, and smell, the liquid clearly worked exactly as advertised. Rogus began to feel more alert, and felt some stamina slowly returning. His legs ached worse than anything, but at least he didn't feel as a bad as he had before being given the concoction. Rogus turned to give the doctor the vial back, but by then he was long gone.
Yeah, yeah... I appreciate it. He murmured to himself, put off by the sudden disappearance. He dropped the vial in the dirt, seeing as he had no use for it any longer and Doc was nowhere to be seen. He didn't really have the time to return the thing when Charlie was trying to instruct what the caravan's preparations for what lie ahead. He began to limp toward where Cen and she stood. Each cart driver had quickly formed a grouping around her, waiting for their instructions, and Rogus hastened his pace so he could try and assist. He was about midway between where he had stumbled off the road and Myscha when it became apparent he hadn't explained the situation clear enough. Was that really the plan? It was logical enough under ideal circumstances, but these were far from ideal. The two wyvern riders, at least in Rogus's head, were issues that demanded a more proactive solution than going forward and hoping for the best. He'd told himself he wouldn't speak out against any of Charlotte's decisions on this trip, and until this point he'd never openly objected to anything she had done.
He tried to stop them from turning and going to prepare according to the plan they'd formulated in advance, but his voice was was drowned out by the calls and commands from the frenzy of drivers and guards. He cursed, and finally managed to get close enough to Charlotte where no one would hear him, other than Cen all the others were too busy, or too far to hear his raspy and rather quiet voice. At least no one other than Cen would hear him question her, knowing this group thats all it would take to spark some unrest about being led by a woman. He trusted Cen wasn't as closed-minded as the rest of them.
Myscha, that won't work. He turned and looked at the orderly chaos going on behind him. The checkpoint guards aren't going to let us pass without a thorough search. He had to take brief pauses still between every few words, but he was speaking much more clearly now. Whatever doc had given him was doing the trick. This area is known for its heavy rebel presence. Everything that heads their way will be under scrutiny, and to top it off they have two wyvern riders... I know the procedure, they'll take off once the carts come into sight and hover over us like vultures until we're cleared, but we won't be... He coughed dryly once or twice before continuing. Best case scenario if we follow the current plan? We defeat the foot-soldiers with minimum casualties and then get slaughtered a couple hours later by the reinforcements the wyverns would fly off to get. Even if we hide the carts in the forest, they'll be hunting us for awhile and that will put the shipment very far behind schedule if we aren't found in the first place. He was speaking forcefully enough to make his point, but despite the adrenaline pumping through his veins he managed to keep a relatively level tone, a testament to Rogus's skill when it came to speaking. He'd learned from experience what would happen if they met the Ilians dead on from similar encounters working with the Ruinz Bandits. He wouldn't say that, but it was true. Wyvern Riders and Pegasus Knights only acted as messengers and patrol-men when they were a part of relatively small units consisting mostly of infantry. They wouldn't risk themselves unless it was absolutely necessary; and frankly Rogus didn't think a few patrolmen and a make-shift fort on a back road in bern were worth enough to have them stay if their side was obviously on the losing end.
Turning around and looking for another way is what I suggest... Losing a day is more acceptable than losing the shipment and possibly our lives. Rogus paused, he looked down for a moment, and then back up at Charlotte, a weak grin on his face. But... If this is the only route we can take, I suppose someone could sneak in and make flight impossible for the beasts, or create a large enough distraction to get them all to leave their posts.
Anything is better than going in hoping they don't look through our carts with our only back up plan being drawing our weapons and trying to kill them before they burn a cart, kill a horse, or kill all of us.
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Cen
Cavalier
Cowards die many deaths, the valiant taste of death but once.
Posts: 196
Profession: Bodyguard
Affinity: Light
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Cen on Sept 6, 2014 14:13:21 GMT -6
Cen watched with eyebrows raised as Charlotte dived out tasks. He liked his, looking menacing, he really should have grown a beard. If only his genetics had been different this job would be a lot easier. As he walked back to his cart he realized that his genetics weren't to blame, all the men in his family had beards like wild men, it was just him who had a clean face. He pulled his greaves out from their spot in the cart. As he began to strap them on he thought about giving himself a menacing scar or a burn, but he was just as likely to kill himself if he even attempted your everyday maiming. After the greaves were on, he stood, checking to see if they were secure.
Then he strapped on the leather Cuisse he'd been given in Edessa a few months back, followed by the scale poleyn over his knee. He slid his boots into the steel sabaton he'd been given at Laus, then came the difficult part, putting on the arm armor. The armor. He placed the cowter of boiled leather over his right elbow first, and then brought the iron banded one to his left. He put his vambraces on instead of the gauntlets, he needed to look like a mercenary, and as little armor from one set he wore the better. The Ilians would probably assume he'd stolen the helm from some Lycian Knight who'd died in a skirmish. Let them think it, he wasn't Cedidale; he was just Cen, a mercenary with a refugee train. Not some great knight.
Cen took his time with the last piece of armor, his Iron Plackart. It was actually stolen from a Lycian Knight who'd died in a skirmish. A few months ago, Cen had been hired with a few other freelancers (even though Cen and his lance never work for free) to join a mercenary troop in rooting out Ilian bandits. Cen had admired the leader of the troop, a noble from Pherae who seemed to respect people for their ability instead of their birth. So when the man fell in battle, he did what any sane person would do, and stole the parts of his armor that would fit him. A cuisse and a plackart wouldn't be missed. After it was secure, Cen jogged in place, then adjusted the straps on his poleyn. Then he was satisfied.
The squire walked back to the lead cart, and stood next to Myscha. Silas was advising against going through the check point, but Cen simply smiled at the two of them, trying to make sure no one thought the only visible guard was scared. Then he remembered, menacing, and took on a scowl, returning his gaze to the road ahead. Then Silas brought up a point about the lizards at the checkpoint. Cen looked at Myscha and the good doctor, and then to the dehydrated man giving the briefing on the checkpoint. He was still winded, but of the three others, he was probably the most skilled in combat. He reached into his quiver, and pulled out two slim javelins. He handed them to him, "When you get your strength back. Just in case."
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Dayan
Thief
Posts: 40
Profession: Doctor
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Wyatt
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Post by Dayan on Sept 6, 2014 15:45:14 GMT -6
"Give me one hour inside their encampment," Dayan said as he walked over to the group. "I have enough Sleck Root to give a dozen men weak knees. Maybe even keep a Wyvern or two grounded. Dayan spoke, of course, of some of his more toxic herbs. Ingested, they would make humans violently ill, and a large enough dose could even be sufficient for disabling a Wyvern. He could 'poison' a water supply with them, temporarily at least. The issue was that they'd need to wait long enough for most of the men to drink from the contaminated supply.
"I assume if the defenders were sick and their wyverns grounded, you would have no difficult pushing through this checkpoint?" he asked, ensuring that he still had his weapon tucked into his coat. Large as it was, he was able to hang it on his belt without being visible, thanks to the long coat he wore. "Since Silas made it back on foot, I'm going to assume that these scouts are only a few miles off. Finding a new route doesn't guarantee they won't see us, and at that point they'd rain down fire even more. The only logical choice would be disabling the forces of the checkpoint and punching through. I'm more than capable of slipping into a place like that, but it doesn't seem prudent putting all of our eggs in one basket. Plus, I don't know exactly where it is.
Dayan turned to Silas with a neutral expression, though still speaking to Myscha. This was the only logical choice. "I think you should hold here and let us try to disorganize them. Silas knows where the place is and got away. You'll just have to take my word for it that I can handle likewise. The caravan needs you here, and armor isn't efficient for stealth," he said, gesturing to Cen.
This would be good experience for sneaking into more heavily fortified places.
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Post by Charlotte on Sept 7, 2014 22:02:44 GMT -6
Charlotte crossed her arms, chewing on the inside of her cheek as she mulled over the holes Rogus was poking in her orders to the caravan. Granted, she was very aware that trying to pass through would be one of the more challenging options, but what other choice did they have? Turning around wasn’t ideal, considering the parts needed to be at their drop off during a specific window or they’d be out their payment. They were already cutting it short with their diversion earlier.
But Rogus was right. They couldn’t risk the shipment, and they certainly couldn’t risk the casualties. It was still worthwhile to have everyone recover the carts and be on their toes, but Charlotte wasn’t too keen on going head to head with wyvern riders. As much as she would have liked to believe differently, trying to pass through on her guile and sharp tongue likely wouldn’t work on a bunch of soldiers with specific orders to stop people from passing through. So she sighed and nodded as Rogus finished. She kept her voice was low, her demeanor a bit more personal for a few moments as it was just the three of them.
“We can’t afford to lose the time,” she said, a hint of worry in her voice and on her features as she looked out over the movements of the caravaners. “If we miss this drop-off,” Charlotte continued, her eyes finally focusing on Rogus again as she crossed her arms, “a lot of people are going to be unhappy. Unfortunately we’re going to have to find some way through. We’re too close to backtrack at this point.” She grew quiet, breaking eye contact with Rogus and looking to the ground, thinking about other options for their safe passage. They had some time, but every passing minute was more time for the soldiers up ahead to mobilize their own scouts to spot out their caravan. A decision needed to be made and acted on in the next few minutes, and unfortunately the headache plaguing the young woman wasn’t helping her think.
It seemed Doc had more to offer to the group than just his healing abilities, however. Charlotte’s eyes darted up to meet the doctor’s as he offered a very interesting solution. She had no idea what sleck root was, but considering it might be able to ground a wyvern her attention was sealed on the doctor’s suggestions, shaking her head as he asked her of their capabilities. Throw some sleck root into their water barrels, wait a few hours for them to drink enough to get them sick enough for the group to show up and either pass through unscathed, or take down the checkpoint with ease. Having to sit around and wait worried her a bit, but the men could corral off to the side and get some rest while Charlotte and Cen kept watch for their companions. It was the best plan they had on the table, and considering Rogus would still be going along with Doc, Charlotte trusted he would ensure that the task was a success.
Charlotte didn’t want to waste any more time dawdling around, so she nodded. “Agreed. You and Silas are best suited to slip in and out unnoticed; Cen and I would do best to guard the caravan while we wait. An hour is all we can spare though,” she added, eyes darting subconsciously to Rogus as if to say they had better make it back. “So if you aren’t back by then, we’ll have to try to find another path... with or without you.”
Running her right hand through her long blonde hair, Charlotte looked around the small group. She had a feeling Cen would be fine with the idea, but she worried that Rogus might not be keen to working with on something so critical. They hadn’t had the best first impressions with one another, so her final question was really posed towards him as she looked around the impromptu huddle. “Is everyone okay with this? We don’t have a lot of time, so we need to act fast.”
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Rogus
Thief
Arrogance is a virtue.
Posts: 178
Profession: Stealing yo' gold
Guild: SS
Affinity: Fire
OoC Alias: Gus
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Post by Rogus on Sept 8, 2014 1:26:32 GMT -6
Rogus briefly smiled at Charlotte as she gave her consent to the operation. She seemed to glance over at him every chance she had, was Charlie worried about him, or making sure he was up to the task? A dart of her eyes toward him as she told the two men their time limit seemed to confirm the former. That made him give her a devilish grin in response as to say; 'No promises'. He knew the gravity of the situation as well as any of the others, and he knew the possibility of death was present. This knowledge made Rogus want to say good-bye to his companion just in case he was destined not to return. It was too bad Cen and Doc were still there, he would have tried to steal a kiss from her if they weren't, but his small 'no promises' joke would have to do for now.
You kidding? He put a comforting hand on Charlotte's shoulder. We'll be back in time for drinks. Rogus had his back to both Cen and the good Doc as he spoke. Rogus gave Charlotte a look that said 'Don't wait for me'. He didn't know if the woman would have or not, but they'd grown fairly close, it wasn't out of the question for him to assume she may give them extra time for Rogus's sake. Hopefully Charlie would respect that unspoken order. Rogus turned to doc and nodded, walking away from Charlotte and Cen toward the dark empty path that led to either death or glory. In Rogus's mind, there was no such thing as a compromise. A man had handed him a full canteen of water earlier, and he took a moment to quench his thirst as he walked. Now at least the vile taste of Doc's remedy wouldn't be stuck in his mouth.
You'd better keep up.
He wanted to say more, do more, something so he would be more prepared, but there simply wasn't time to tend to such matters. He'd have to work with what he had, and frankly it wasn't much. Thankfully, despite the short notice, and approaching deadline, Rogus had a knack for making solid plans on the go. Except, normally, they were for how to get out of places, not how to get into them. This would be a challenge, there was no doubt, and Rogus, after nearly a week of little action and abundant boring patrols, was positively itching to get started.
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Cen
Cavalier
Cowards die many deaths, the valiant taste of death but once.
Posts: 196
Profession: Bodyguard
Affinity: Light
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Cen on Sept 10, 2014 21:20:12 GMT -6
Or Cen was just an a*****e and Rogus didn't need any Javelins. That was fine, Cen loved looking like an idiot and offering someone his weapon, not only having his offer declined but having his offer neglected completely. Cen held the javelins for a few moments after the man walked away, then slid them back into his quiver, forcing a laugh. Silas and Doc were apparently going to go and attempt to poison the sky lizards in the camp, and maybe the soldiers to. Cen really hoped that sky lizards could be poisoned the same as humans, and that the poison wouldn't actually hurt them. He didn't love Wyverns, but killing them was like killing a horse because you fought the Knight, pointless and cruel. A beast of burden was still a living thing, even if Wyverns were particularly ugly compared to Horses or Pegasus. Cen had no reason to distrust Silas or the Doc, but he didn't long to play the fool. There was not a single person in this group who hadn't lied to him. He wouldn't be too shocked if in an hour Wyverns and Ilians fell on the caravan as if from nowhere, led by the two slim men.
Cen watched as they went, then leaned against the lead cart. He slung the quiver back over his back. He turned to Charlotte, ""So, any orders commander? Something you need carried or something?" Cen removed his helmet, and then his headpiece and pushed the hair on his forehead back on top of his head. He needed to cut this lime mop at some point. Cen thought about removing his greaves, but that probably wouldn't reflect well on his position in Charlotte's eves.
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Post by Charlotte on Sept 27, 2014 21:35:44 GMT -6
Charlotte smirked as Rogus gave his version of a ‘good-bye’ to her before turning and taking off. She shook her head and crossed her arms as she watched them go, feeling frustrated that she couldn’t go with them. She hated sitting on the sidelines during something so important to the group, but it was for the best. If anything happened while Rogus and Dayan were away, Charlotte and Cen were more than capable of coordinating and protecting the caravan.
Considering the young blonde was the furthest thing from military, Charlotte chuckled as Cen referred to her as the ‘commander.’ She had to admit, it was still a bit odd to her, managing such a large group of people. She was usually at her best when she was working alone, so partnering with Rogus in and of itself was outside of her comfort zone. But being at the helm of this group was different. She loved being in control, but to be honest it was a bit boring just having the lot of them listen. She like a challenge when interacting with people, but ‘giving orders’ presented nothing of the sort.
“I could definitely use some help getting the carts corralled off to the side of the road,” Charlotte replied, her hands moving to rest on her hips. “After that, you’d be best resting for a bit. Might be the last chance we get for the night.” Even if Rogus and Dayan’s little mission was a resounding success, Charlotte knew there would be some sort of fight before this was all said and done, and Cen and the other two “caravan” guards would have to lead the effort, bring the best equipped for one. For now, though, they would just have to wait.
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The allotted hour was coming to a close, and Dayan and Rogus were still nowhere to be seen. Sitting atop the lead cart and looking over the path south, Charlotte’s mind was racing with worry. They could only wait a few minutes longer before she’d have to get the carts moving again. Even though she was ready to do so, she didn’t want to have to take off without key members of the caravan present. Not having the Doc could hurt them if something happened while taking the long way around, and Rogus had proven extremely helpful as their scout.
But as the minutes continued to pass, Charlotte finally sighed, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips before looking over to Cen, who had elected to stay with her and keep watch for their brief rest. “I think it’s time for us to turn around. Can you help get the rear wagons ready? I’ll handle the rest up here.” Frustrated, Charlotte didn’t wait for a response as she jumped down from the wagon, looking for the lead cart driver so he could help coordinate the other drivers as well. She’d have to serve as the scout now with Rogus gone, and with as little sleep as she’d had in the past few days, she was nowhere near alert enough to do so. Still, it had to be done, so she readied herself to pass off some of the responsibilities of leading the drivers to Bush’s brother, Trent.
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Cen
Cavalier
Cowards die many deaths, the valiant taste of death but once.
Posts: 196
Profession: Bodyguard
Affinity: Light
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Cen on Sept 30, 2014 17:55:14 GMT -6
Cen picked a few blades of grass and placed them in his palm. He started to split them down the middle, until he had fibers in place of actual pieces of the landscape. Then he tipped his hand, and watched as they glided down to the ground. Nature really was a beautiful thing- and Cen was getting tired of staring at it. Right as he was about to force a conversation about the Bern mountains looking particularly mountainous today, Charlotte asked him to get the rear carts in the train ready to turn around. Cen wobbled to his feet and said, "Shouldn't be a problem." He then walked off with a smile. One, they were probably going to have to fight soon, and then his bluff would be called. Two, how in hell was he supposed to give orders to men twice his age?
Cen reached the back end of the train and clapped his hands twice, cupping them, so the sound rang in the ears of the men around him. "O-kay everyone, we're about to turn around, so all the things that that entails, do them. Ah will be here, ready to carry or lift things that are giving you trouble. If you see any particularly troublesome stones, please alert me immediately." A few men nervously sniggered, and started to do as he said. Cen watched for a few seconds, before nervously yawning. He needed a pipe. Then he heard something snap. He quickly moved towards the farthest back wagon in the whole train, now the lead. Great, just what they needed. He immediately assumed the worst, but as he came to the front seat, he saw the driver had simply broken a large stick over his knee. With a sigh he asked the man what purpose this would serve and the man said none. Cen supposed he wasn't the only one who sought to keep himself preoccupied when his nerves were up.
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Dayan
Thief
Posts: 40
Profession: Doctor
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Wyatt
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Post by Dayan on Oct 1, 2014 16:06:25 GMT -6
"I'd ask you to hold off on that until I give my report."
Dayan came out of the undergrowth surrounding the caravan, looking a bit worse for ware from the last time they'd seen him. "Depending on your personality, we may have a problem. They have Silas, though the mission was a success," he said, dusting himself off. He didn't wait to be acknowledged before continuing. If he was right, time was going to be of the essence. "From what I heard, they are going to detain him for 'questioning', but they had not figured out that there was more than him there, or that there were saboteurs. He was the one working with the wyverns, and since he had no herb on them when they caught him, I suspect it went off without a hitch on that part."
Dayan had a way of being quick and to the point. After all, one needed all of the facts to make an educated decision. Something told him that they would be mounting a rescue mission soon enough, but it wasn't good to make these assumptions. She might surprise him, after all. Maybe Silas really was just a pawn, to be used and discarded when he had served his purpose.
"And before you ask, Dayan continued, No, I cannot prove this isn't some elaborate double cross done to lure the caravan into a trap. There was that frank and obnoxiously honest style of speech again.
In actuality, this kind of situation was precisely why Dayan actually liked working in groups. Someone less skilled to get caught, and then he could slip away while the guards were busy with the clumsy one. It was always easy to find them, even though they kept getting themselves captured or killed.
No shortage of fools in this world, it seemed.
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Post by Charlotte on Oct 16, 2014 19:51:07 GMT -6
Charlotte nearly gave a weighty sigh of relief when she heard Doc’s voice sound from behind her, just as she had started giving instructions to the lead cart driver. Instead, she quickly turned on her heel. She expected to see both Doc and Rogus emerging from the brush, but unfortunately it was only Doc – explained why he was the only one to say something as he revealed himself. While it was good to know that Doc made it back safe, meaning they likely succeeded in their mission of “poisoning the water hole,” one question rang clear and loud in Charlotte’s mind:
Where was Rogus?
Luckily, Doc wasn’t the type of man to waste time, as he almost immediately explained how Rogus had gone missing while confirming they had indeed been successful. Charlotte could care less about their mission going well right now, though, more worried about the fact that the one man she somewhat trusted in this whole caravan was now at the mercy of a troop of Illians. Charlotte, you have to focus, a more reasonable voice reminded her. Closing her eyes, she breathed out through her nose as she listened to Dayan explain the situation. Rogus being nabbed was unfortunate, but it might actually end up working to their advantage.
Charlotte largely ignored the man’s attempt at covering his own backside, her mind already sharp and thinking of the task head. “Well, considering the situation we don’t have a lot of time to sit around and wait for everyone to drink,” the blonde said, fiddling with a loose buckle on one of her fingerless leather hand bindings. She looked over to the lead cart driver.
“Tell everyone we’ve had a change of plans. We’re back on course, and they need to be ready for a fight. We’ll be leaving within the half hour.” Trent gave a half shrug along with a nod before walking off to alert the drivers of yet another change in plans. She would hear some grumbling about this one, but there would be no changes now. They were heading into the thick of it, no matter what at this point.
Charlotte looked back to Doc, arms crossed as the rest of the caravan began changing their focus. The men were out of earshot, so she spoke more freely. She knew Doc would regardless of company, but she didn't want anything demoralizing these rebels before they reached the roadblock. “You’ve seen the checkpoint, so tell me: are we outmatched? Or can we take the soldiers?” Or, spirits forbid, the wyverns?
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Post by Charlotte on Oct 29, 2014 12:00:50 GMT -6
~1 hour later
Shoulders tensed and knee jittery, Charlotte watched the Ilian checkpoint grow closer by the passing second. What they were doing was risky, sure, but they didn’t have any other choice – at least in her mind. They needed to make sure the siege parts made it to the drop off point by any means necessary, and with the preparation executed by Doc and Rogus, they just might have a shot.
Still, there was the issue of Rogus being caught by the soldiers, according to Doc. Charlotte frowned as she wondered how he could be so foolish as to get caught. Charlotte believed the man to be essentially a functional alcoholic, but just because he was functional didn’t mean he was in tip-top shape, especially after their time in the tavern earlier that day. Charlotte could hardly believe just a few hours ago, the two of them had been laughing and dancing in the tavern.
It was reasons like Rogus’s mishap that Charlotte preferred to work on her own, as many moments on this job already had reminded her. She had not control over the actions of her partners, so when they messed up, she did as well, in a way. She cursed herself over and over, furious that she hadn’t gone along to make sure the job had gone right and that everyone made it out. Now, she had to not only get the caravan through the checkpoint, but she had to try and get Rogus out as well.
A loud whistle sounded in front of them, Charlotte spotting the three armed guards moving towards the still moving cart. Charlotte gave the signal to Trevor to stop the caravan as she jumped down from the cart, moving to stand next to the lead cart’s horse. Before she could stop, however, one of the guards called out.
“Halt, miss!” Charlotte stopped where she stood, not wanting to continue moving and risk their anger too early.
She waited, and as they drew closer, Charlotte flashed a smile. “Well hey there, how are you fine gentlemen doing tonight?”
The clinking of metal plates continued until the three soldiers came to a halt in front of Charlotte. All three wore helmets, but the soldier in the middle of the three moved to take his off and held it under his arm as he continued. “Miss, are you aware that this road is closed to all non-military foot traffic?”
“I’m all too aware, sir, but – “ Charlotte tried to interject, but the man continued, talking over her.
“AND are you aware that traveling on a military-only road, AFTER curfew hours is an offense punishable by a minimum 10 year jail sentence?”
“Of course, sir, but you must understand – “
“AND, are you aware that suspected involvement or association with the Bernese rebellion is punishable by immediate execution, without trial?”
Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. Of course she knew all this, but part of her had hoped she’d be able to weasel her way out like she usually did. Clearly these men suspected the caravan had some relation to the man they had grabbed, and she supposed the line of carts and 30 or so men in them also didn't help their cause. Lucky for her, they were armed and ready to strike under their cloaks and disguises. In, considering the response the majority had given when they discovered they really were going to have to go through the blockade, Charlotte could almost swear they were thrilled to get to fight.
So keeping her gaze affixed to the soldier’s, Charlotte crossed her arms behind her back. “Very aware, sir.”
Instantly, a roar rose behind Charlotte, men popping out from the carts and throwing their cloaks away, revealing their armaments. The guards looked shocked, but instantly drew their own weapons in response, while the man who had been speaking dropped his helmet, attempting to grab Charlotte. The blonde swiftly pulled her iron dagger from a belt on her leg, slashing at the man’s exposed hand. She must have made contact as she heard a painful yell sound as she rolled away and towards one of the carts. Meanwhile, the men from the lead cart lunged themselves at the three guards, steel clashing as they tangled.
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