Hunting for the source part 2.
Michael James Watson
The Trump gate opens and she looks into the Castle Courtyard on a normal day. People coming and going, the lobby of a medeival castle. She sees the various troops looking official. Lt, Garry Gavno, an ancient Elite of the officer caste, well known to all the Elites steps into frame. He has a large tankard of coffee. He smiles a typically sarcastic smile common among people from Calrobon. "Greetings and Well Met, oh Great Lady of the Blood Royal!! How can this simple shadow creature devoid of life without your regard be of service, there fore gain more reality in the eyes of the godly Royal Line of Bariman?" He takes a sip of his coffee, reaching out of frame to gather another tankard, offering it across the trump.
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex gratefully accepts the tankard holding it up in a salute. "Ah Thank you Lt. Gavno, and my my aren't we particular existentially conscious today." A small chuckle. "But be that as it may, i am on a mission for Arden and the rangers and i require a couple fireteams to support my company of Rangers. We are on the hunt of the source or some trouble and so far the source is tossing quite some trouble our way. What could you miss over there to help my mission out?" She knows full well most elites on waiting duty ard hust turning thumbs but she figures to respect the Lt. Gavno as she had slso served as elite under him. She knows most elites their worth. Calmly taking a long sip letting the Lt. Think an answer
Michael James Watson
As she accepts the tankard Gavno reaches to grip the twist in two fingers. "Second Warden.....By the teats of the unicorn, Alex!!!....Congratulations... Who would have guessed?... Alright. 10, 100, 1000, what do you need troop wise?
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex laughs "Hmm i know right? But then again who would have guessed me being of the blood." She then waves her hand "No wait never mind there must have been a bet going on about it here as well." She adds with a wink. "So i have a team of about 20 Rangers Dalt is here with a dozen of his troops. I would like somewhere along that range of elites. Like i said fireteams about 18 elites would be great. Last attack was a clan of thousand orcs so we would be able to manage with that." Alex adds with a slight grin. "No clue where we will end up or what to expect along the way. So anyone of the elites up for that kind of unknown danger is welcome."
Michael James Watson
"Lucky for you I have Bronze McKinney up here out of the dungeons. Prince Benedict said he was looking a little vampiric and needed daylight duty. I can send him, a couple youngsters, and say, 20 foot troops? Bow and sword?"
Amber Bronkhorst
"Well we can't have elites looking so dead'ish now can we? What would people say?" A moment of considering and a sip of her tankard Alex nods "Sounds good. The youngsters how young would they be? Or shouldn't i spare them?" Looking past the contact she then adds "Oh are some elites in need of getting some more disciplinary work done? I could use some extra hands and protection for the ones satying behind cleaning the battlefield of the two recent attacks. But for the ones joining me yes bow and sword sounds good."
Michael James Watson
He chuckles, "THe youngsters are Elite prospects. Solid. Most of the ones on duty now are from the Ober legion. I do have a group from the Seventh. Duelists you know. Might be good for them to get some woodland experience for city dwellers. But both groups are vets with at least 6 years under the flag or they wouldn't be Elite Prospects. Ya, if you are not being mauled by eldritch horrors I got 40 Duelists that could use some time in the saddle. You grew up here and are legacy anyway, so you pretty much skipped being a prospect. Your term as a Prospect was with the Rangers anyway. You didn't have to do a lot of wall duty. Lets say, 40 duelists for cleaning duty. and 30 from the Ober legion who will have grown up in and around north Arden and the Rangers. Hell, i think one of them is part fey..They all have bows. I got enough horse for both groups if you like."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex nods "Sounds good Lt. 40 for cleaning 30 with me. And yes if they got horses it would make the trip easier. And faster for that matter. " A wide grin. "Well yeah my training and path to where i am now was surprisingly fast and coordinated but now i know why, right. So you have them ready now? Or do i have to contact back later? I want to get after this trouble source as soon as possible. Yiu know my first command as one of the blood right. Got to make an impression." She chuckles and winks.
Michael James Watson
"Well, there was always something about you. Not too surprising in retrospect. Jos, Kist, Dangt, Fetro, get your walking bags. Assemble your squads. 2 minutes!!!!! Stables! 70 horse! " He turns and chuckles. "Call it 30 minutes my time. Will that do?"
Amber Bronkhorst
ALex laughs "hmm yes well i heard in Bright Edge they had a pool going on who my father would be... i think none had the right answer." She then nods and checks if she can sense the time difference between them. "Sounds good 30 minutes your time.. We will prepare here as well so we can move out as soon as all troops are ready. "
Michael James Watson
"There were some payouts in the Elite barracks but we had a bit better intell about Fres' activities. Once an Elite, always an Elite, ya know. Even won the biggest. Put 500 Gold Wing on Brand. paid 10 to 1. Anyway... Horse are ready. Ready to recieve. Have you done a transport by Trump? Some of the family can widen the trump gate. As it is the Trump gate here to the castle is unusual in that it allows two files to pass at a time. So... COming through"
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex laughs "Of course Even would know. " She then nods and focusses better on the trump gate trying to make it so at least 2 could pass through like with Duncan's contact. "Send them through. We're ready for then."
Michael James Watson
The horse and troops come through. There is a clear distinction between urban cavalier swordsman and the better equipped for the forest Ober troopers. They form up in good order though, both groups are after all, prospects for the Elites. They take orders well and while the duelists clearly do not relish scut work they take most of their fancy clothes off and get to sorting, skinning and burning under the direction of the Ranger prospects. The Ober troops understand the situation quickly
Amber Bronkhorst
When everyone that stays understand what is expected of them and the other troops are ready to leave, Alex calls Karieeena Dalt Callsal and Hannah with her. "Alright as this area is taken care of i want to ger going after this source. The only thing i heard is that the source is in a shade of Amber. But i do not intend to immediately go to war. I want to know what and where and assess from there. Though before we reach that point there is a good chance trouble will find us and try to stop us getting there. I want all sides on watch. Karieeena Hannah since i'll be focussed to follow this source and get our troops through shadow i count on you two wat h ny sides. Hannah when in doubt follow Karieeena her example." Alex stays silent for a moment to think she then nods. "Further planning is not really possible si ce we have no clue what awaits us along the way. So, all troops ready?"
Michael James Watson
The troops are ready. As the troops start following Alex's lead a cadre of horseman arrive. They seem to be dressed in chainmail and plate but Alex notices they have very high tech looking nail guns and well as swords.They also have bandoliers with grenades. They also have a pack of 30 or so war beasts. The beasts are 5' at the shoulders, with a mixture of scales and fur. Running in and among them are about 60 wicked looking dogs. The dogs act as if they are the pets of the war beasts. The war beasts seem to be two per human rider. Dalt calls a human over with 6 beasts. He says, "Kashkal, how was the hunt?" The human says, "We found you. We in a pack?" Dalt says, "Kashkal, this is Sir Alexandra, our commander. I see you brought extra beasts. Assign one to her. Assign one to that one over there, "Pointing at Hannah. Karieeena trots up, and Dalt says to her, "As promised. " Karineena extends a hand, and two of the beast softly bite her hand, tasting her blood, then back away. She beams at Dalt.. He looks to Alex as the rest of the troop continues forward, gaining distance before Alex returns to shifting shadow, "Yours are borrowed. They can smell your phermones. They will obey your commands. Theyare fierce, but get distracted in battle eating the dead."
Amber Bronkhorst
Alex looks impressed at the beasts along with the armed riders. She smiles a friendly smile. Which she usually does. She inclines her head as Dalt introduces her "Well met Kashkal." Seeing the exchange between the beasts and Karieeena, Alex smiles wide. Happy for her. She doesn't mingle in it. This is for Karieeena to enjoy. It's clear Dalt really does care for her. At the explanation of Dalt she nods "Got it, well to be fair i am happy with any help on the battlefield even if they are easily distracted. Like i said, no clue what to expect next. " Alex looks further ahaed and inhales deep "I'll try and see if i can focus in such a way that the source of these spikes can't trace us back as accurately But i have little hope for that. So lets just keep moving and hope we get to the source soon." Alex shows a wide grin "Time to poke the source and see what bites back." When they have enough distance Alex takes the spike in hand trusting Scully to keep steady pace. Moving her focus and her psyche towards the spike she imagines the line again they were following, which she had untangled with the help of Arlo and her mark. Carefully taking the line up again as a string of yarn and carefully giving it some tension. When she has a firm grip on it. She starts to shift again. Careful shadow changing along the line. WHen she has that familiar feeling going again. She taps on the mark. Imagining it as a sort of shield. A dome. Where from the outside to in stuff will be burned but from the inside to out things can be let through.
Michael James Watson
Forming the line the group moves forward. The tether of the spike tightens as Alex pulls along it. The body she leads walks through many realms and to detail the conflicts would take weeks as does the march., In a flat grassy land herds of bison are charged against the group providing excitement for the beasts able to roll the things and food food the cadre. A few days behind come the Ranger support troops who start rendering the Bison. A week of rugged mountain trails after leaving the plains finds a shadow with rocky low mountain ranges spotted with deep green valleys and terraced farms. In one they are attacked by Manticore. A few in one encounter and a singles often. They are aggressive and unconcerned with your numbers. After two weeks in the terraced lands they find a large village that seems to be the main residential area for the land. It looks small on approach but clearly sprawls out to form an almost overgrown metropolis. The people there are friendly, speak a heavily accented Thari, and have no knowledge of Amber. But they know of Arden very well and volunteer that they have their tribute ready but wonder why you have led people to collect it in person. The lead Alex, Dalt, and Calsall, Karieena and Hannah to a huge bakery where rice is flour is made. Dried fish, caught and made into flakes elsewhere you are told, is mixed with the rice flour and made into cakes. The Rangers, including Alex, recognize a nearly ubiquitous rice pilot biscuits that they have eaten for centuries. They even have some in their own supplies brought from Amber. The leaders are lead to a hall with dozens of alters. Natives walk up with tightly bound bundles a meter square. Placing them on the alter the parcels disappear. Moments later another parcel appears in its p[lace, they move them away. Checking the bundles they include fresh meat, strange vegitables, frozen blocks of ice, sealed bags of milk and cheeses. They seem to do this all day. They also seem very happy about it. Its as if they are part of a great circle of exchange where they contribute rice flour biscuits, breads, crackers and cookies and get back things not in their lands. Their only fear is weather and deadly beasts. Manticore, hippogriffs, dive birds, harrow them with deadly regularity, coming from the tops of the mountains. But since the dawn of time, the Lords of Arden have drawn their foe birds away as long as the tribute chain was continued. They still get attacked and have long spears mostly. While the group is there they kill a few manticore. They are the same type the Rangers have hunted for generations. The natives do say that they have been attacked by dragons every generation. Moving along the spikes tether they come to a terraced region heavily covered in forests. Speaking to the natives it seems this shadow is in the tribute chain as well and mostly provides mushrooms. They have a few manticore troubles but its the drakes they fear. Walking through a fairly established trail they come to a wide crossroad and a wing of a dozen winged lizards in the 20 meter range fly at them. Across the crossroad area, about a mile off, a dozen draked fight a group of people on the ground. The group consists mostly of horsemen but also has a few dozen trained kresh, a very large furry tigerish creature, helping in their battle, leaping high enough to grapple low flying drakes. This group sees Alex's, acknowledges them with a spear wave but continues their fight as hers begins to engage its foes.
Amber Bronkhorst
Following along the trail and seeing and learning what they do along the way, Alex starts to make notes for herself how things are done around and in the name of Arden and such. Was this something that was common but she just didn't known of. When they move forward and arrive at the crossroads with the drakes being fought at one side, Alex turns to the ones leading and nods ahead. "Battle along the road. Archers focus on bringing anything in the air down. " She looks at the warbeasts moving along with them. "How high can you jump? High enough to snatch some out the air? " As she speaks Alex takes her own bow, nothing as impressive as Duncan had but this was her first run as Second in Command. "Callsal, have a archer line ready and firing focus fire on the wings. Dalt. Just like before. I trust your insight in battle with your men. Important to pull them down and limit their range." Alex tries to keep the spike in the back of her mind but she wants to again focus more on the assistance of the Abyssal Mark in this battle. She believes these drakes can be a pain in the royal butt.
