The Summons...

[Lormegil]

Elkire

Elkire took another bite out of the plum he was eating as he looked up at the clear blue sky. The wind had turned cool, and Elkire sensed that some nasty weather was moving in.
As he walked across the plain, he closed his eyes and let the breeze ruffle his hair. His straw cloak floated up behind him, creating a quiet rustling sound. Suddenly, he turned his head slightly to the side. He thought he had just heard the sound of voices on the wind, but he was unsure. He listened closely, but couldn't hear anything. Then, the sound came again, carrying across the field on the breeze. Yes, he was sure it was voices this time.
He angled his course slightly in order to follow the sound, his spirits raised in hopes of possibly finding this mysterious "Alicia." But suddenly, he halted and stooped low to the ground, his fingertips tracing the outline of a deep print on the ground. He did not recognize the shoe on this horse, but it appeared to be some kind of workhorse. Yet, the number of tracks on the ground indicated at least 25 horses, and the only reason to have that many horses would be for... a military unit!
But why here? Why this close to the boundry?
"What's going on?"

 

[The GrandMage]

Egan

He grumbled, and slowly drew his sword. He looked over the party, and frowned. He looked up at the Rang'Shada. They'd just crossed over from the reach, and they were being trailed? They'd gone east over the mountains, and judging by the way the others had arrived, and the knowledge that Shota had seen them cross close....

"He knows. He's always known. From the start. We were being hunted before we even met Shota. The troops are clearing out the area, moving to block us. The Mord-Sith will come in behind us as we try to skirt around the men. If you're lucky, the Quads will take you down quickly. I'll pay the price of a traitor, and our sorceress friend, well,.....let's just say she'll be begging to die long before it ever happens. The rest of you move on. Silently, that detachment of men is ahead, waiting. Skirt around them. I'll stay here, see if I can buy you some time..."

 

[BlazeofLife]

Dismounting, Alicia walked back to Egan, pushing back her streaming hair and removing her sliding glasses entirely. Stopping beside him, she leaned close, aware of his discomfort around her, but unwilling to let the others hear their words.
"Are you sure of this? I know little of these Mord Sith and quads, except that they are most deadly to those gifted, yet I cannot think that splitting our numbers will help us to fare any better against them. What do you know that I do not?
"And is this truly necessary? You cannot survive alone against such numbers as you speak of!"

 

[The GrandMage]

Egan

"Quads aren't that strong. They're used to killing, but mostly hunting down women. They can't deal with magic users. Mord-Sith are the dangerous ones, especially for you. I can handle the Quads. My,...former students,...are the problem. You have to get away, fast. Mord-Sith do not know love, or mercy. But they do know anger. I have defiled them in ways that only the Keeper can dream of. They'll take me down before they follow. I can give them enough of a workout to allow you to escape if you move quickly. Don't bother covering your tracks, the Quads are experts. Run. This is a matter of steel against steel."

He gave his sword a few expert slashes through the air, and sighed, looking at her and raising an eyebrow. He showed no fear, only resolve, and a strength that had more than once made Mord-Sith back down with the deadly promises that danced behind his authority. "I said move! Go before I have to show you the only mercy you'll get, by killing you before they arrive. Go."

 

[Paendragon]

Darren listened to the discussion, and frowned. His eyes kept scanning the distance, and he already had an arrow ready, and his bow in his hand.

"We stay together. Splitting up only plays into the Quads hands. They specialize in hunting small groups."

He glanced back at the party, his face hard.

"And as for the Mord-Sith," he grinned, "even they'll die with an arrow through their eye."

He looked at Alicia. "If we're attacked, you worry about the quads. Egan and I will keep the Mord-Sith off your back."

He glanced at each member of the group in turn. "As for the rest of you, I recommend you stay in pairs at least, and watch each others back. If anyone has a bow, keep it handy. You might be able to get off at least one shot before their on us."

 

[The GrandMage]

Egan

He head rolled back, and he howled with laughter. Holding his sword out so as not to hurt himself, he hunched over, laughing wildly. Straightening himself, he looked around.

"Oh. You were serious? I'd hate to wreck you day, my friend, but Mord-Sith do not survive as long as they do because they are stupid. The Quads will move in to attack while the main force encircles us. The Mord-Sith will charge in with the Quads, coming too close to let you string a second bow. The Quads will go for the archers first. You'll have to waste time with aim, not wanting to hit an ally, because they'll be moving to fast for an arrow in the eye in the begining. Hit anywhere else, someplace that won't cause as much damage, and you'll only piss them off. Once touch of the Agiel, and they have you. The pain is too much to fight against. That's their only weapon. They'll come in, block your sword with their armored guantlet they have on one hand, and drive the Agiel to your gut. If you can manage through the Quad members, that is."

He shook his head. "If we hit two Quads, they'll be decimated. One will give them trouble, except the magic woman. But a Mord-Sith would demand her attention. She'd be vulnerable, the only defense getting away, and the Quad members won't make that easy, nor the normal men moving in. And that's what these tracks are. A small group of fighters to ensure no running. You look like you could take on a few members of the Quad, but a Mord Sith? A few light slashes in a swordfight are nothing, but a single brush from a Mord-Sith will leave your paralyized with pain. Distance is the only weapon for normal people. I'm Mord-Sith. I'll take care of them, try to cut down a few from the Quads. Besides, we're not splitting up. You're going on, I'm staying. Chances are I won't see another free day. Go. All of you. She said you'll meet another. Perhaps this is my fate for the quest? In the name of the Creator, GO! Now! If any of you try and stop me again, then you can stay and die with me!"

He turned at a sound, sword in front of him as he took a few steps towards the noise. "Go. Please."

 

[Lormegil]

Elkire

As he pondered on the meaning of the tracks, he noticed something. The outlines of the nails holding the shoe to the hoof could be seen in the print. Usually, the nail is so close to the material of the shoe that it is indistinguishable in a track, unless...
"These tracks are fresh," thought Elkire. "It looks as if they are not more than two or three days old. That means, the calvary is still around this immediate area."
Suddenly, he heard the voices again, closer this time. He nocked an arrow into his bow, and hurried towards the noise. As he got closer, he slowed down to avoid making sound, in case these were not friends. But then he made out a woman's voice.
"A calvary unit is not of the reputation for bringing along women."
As he looked over the ridge, he saw a group of what seemed to be travelers. Suddenly, he felt the compulsion to go towards them. The tiny voice in his mind was back, louder and stronger this time. It told him that these were the heroes of which he sought. These were not enemies, but friends - fellow adventurers.
He re-sheathed his arrow and strapped his bow to his back. He could just call down to them, but those soldier's could still be around, and the last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself. "I'd better run down there and quietly make my presence known," So, standing upright, he started making his way down the hillside, towards the group not far away.

 

[Paendragon]

Darren shook his head. "I haven't seen the case made yet, for lack of stupidity in Mord-Sith. Only a fool fights alone when allies are available."

He turned his horse with his knees, and looked off in the distance. "Besides, unless these Mord-Sith have found out a way to turn invisible, I never miss."

Then, as an afterthought, he muttered to himself. "They won't be the first of your kind I've killed, and if I'm right about this quest, they sure as hell won't be the last."

Louder, he spoke to the entire group. "If anyone else has any fool notions, let's have them now. Otherwise, prepare yourself. Someone comes..."

He couldn't explain how he knew it, but there was danger close by. The hairs on his neck had started to tingle.

 

[SpectralDragoon]

At the warning from Darren, Kyle hurriedly looked about. He was right, there was someone just starting down the hill. He was suddenly aware of how hot he was inside his armor.

His boots thumped to the ground as he dismounted and slowly slid his sword from its scabbard. He'd rather take his chances on foot than fighting mounted on a horse he wasn't too familiar with yet.

He took a moment and looked around again, this time at his companions, then started toward where Alicia was.

"Hey, if they're trying to surround us, we should head in one direction, all of us together, and break their line. Get out ahead of them, find a place to fight on our terms, where we choose. Maybe we can use the lay of the land against them."

 

[PmTick]

Benedict twirled his sword waiting for what was to come next.

 

[Lormegil]

Elkire

As Elkire approached the group, he noticed that some were preparing for a fight. "I had better assure them that I am a friend, and here to help." He waved, and called to the adventurers before him.
"Hail, fellow travelers. I am an ally, and wish you no harm."
"I hope I'm not drawing too much attention to myself," Elkire thought as he looked around for any signs of trouble.
He called again, "I mean no harm, I wish only to speak with you."

 

[The GrandMage]

Egan

He shook his head, back turned o the man who claimed such a thing. He was either extremely stupid, or extremely stupid. Mord-Sith were trained to fight those that were gifted enough so they would use their gift, so the Mord-Sith could steal it. They wore blood-red leather, but until they wanted to be seen, they could step on your foot and you couldn't find them. They dealt with wizards and soceresses on a full-time basis, and yet he thought that he could take them on?

Egan was amazed at how long he'd managed to survive. In all the time he had been a Mord-Sith trainer, he could name every one lost. Most of those were to their own trainers. He himself had killed the first one after him, and even then, he'd lost use of his arm. For some reason, the situation was going by everyone's tiny little minds.

Moprd-Sith took thousands of men when they hunted, not Quads. The main force was in the coutryside around them. As the Mord-Sith and Quads closed in, they'd signal the main force, which would encircle them. Unless these people were arrogant enough to think they could take on a small army as well as highly trained killers and Torturers who made the gifted no more than playthings in mere days,....

There was no way this quest was going to be a sucess. Not all battles could be one. And hre they were, standing around! He sighed, barely noticing the new person. On man could easilly be taken by the others.

"Very well, then. If you don't want to leave like a sensible person, you can stay and die too. Obviously, though, you don't understand. Quads are killers and trackers, but are very stealthy. They have to deal with Confessors, and one touch from them ends it. They have to make sure their presence is unknown until they attack. You think they'll just march into a clearing, giving you time to string an arrow and point it at them? They'll charge you from the side of the raod, right out of a bush maybe two feet away. You'll be lucky to draw steel, much less draw an arrow. But, if you truly wish to die, I'll hear no whining from you when they torture you to death. Everyone else, go. We don't have time for arguement. A fool is enough for me to protect, I don't need worrying about others. Go. Now."

 

[Paendragon]

Darren had long since stopped paying attention to the pompous Mord-Sith. He was reminded of the quote 'a man who argues with a fool is a fool himself'. If Egan wished to believe he was the only man to face this kind of danger, so be it. It's true, Quads are used to hunt Confessors. Even so, they count on them being alone, so when one of them is touched, the other three can get the job done. He'd seen a Confessor and three guards come through town with two members of a quad in tow, looking at their mistress like loving puppies.

Quads are excellent assasins, but not very good soldiers otherwise the entire D'haran army would be trained that way, and nobody gets within two paces of him without him knowing it. He could tell, without looking, where the entire party was standing to the inch, and had been the only one in the group to know the newcomer was near, and he was still some distance away. Still, he'd not waste his breath. Talking to Egan was like talking to the wind. If the Mord-Sith was so quick to die, than let him leap from the next cliff we come to. Darren wouldn't care one way or the other, as long as he didn't drag the rest of the party over with him.

It was then that he sensed the others. They were closing... maybe 50 yrads or so.

Alicia smiled at the newcomer, so he must be the person she was expecting.

"I suggest we either backtrack to the rocky outcropping we just passed, or prepare ourselves her. We've got maybe 10 minutes before they're on us."

 

[The GrandMage]

Egan

He was busy looking around. He couldn't believe he was arguing with this idiot. He definitely had a death wish. The men from Quads came from the First File, the men who proved themselves above others in the D'haran army, using the skills they were taught from birth. They were trained to track Confessors. With the power to only touch one of them, that was more than enough to take care of the hated Confessors. At best, a Confessor had a wizard with her. If not, she was alone, for no one else in the lands truly liked the Confessors. The Quads had to take down the Wizard first, which made their training beyond that of normal D'Haran soldiers, who were true killers.

Even without that, the Mord-Sith, and men that would ring around them were too much. They were talking about a good sized army for one of the smaller lands of the Midlands, and the pompus fool acted like it was normal. This was no danger, but death who stared them in the eyes. He had no more time to waste on the idiot. If the group wasn't smart enough to realize the danger they were in, he would simply have to lead it away from them. Mord-Sith were trained to take those with the gift, ones who could make themselves better than others with their magic, who could fight with force enough to kill many men, and Mord-Sith had to fight them hand-to-hand until their magic was used on them.

The man was an idiot. A fool. A pompus, stupid, muscle-bound idiot who did not realize what he was up against. There were four powers everyone feared, the Mord-Sith, Confessors, Quads, and Magic. A man who showed no fear was brave, a man who knew no fear was just stupid. "Do whatever. I care not. If you will not heed the advice of one who knows more than you, fool, that is acceptable. But do not toy with the others lives. They should run. I know it, you would know it if you had any sense, and I'm sure the sorceress knows it."

With that, he stalked off into the brush my the trail. Moving away from the group, he prepared to intercept the group. They were hidden well as they followed, but he knew the minds of Mord-Sith, and Mord-Sith were in control.

 

[Paendragon]

Darren could take no more.

He turned his horse to the sorceress. "I'm sorry, but I didn't sign on to this little group to die pointlessly. I planned on doing all in my power to live to see it done. There are some here who wish for death, or revenge, or both, and I say, let them have it."

His horse reared, and spun on it's hind legs. "Maybe I'll see you in the Old World, if your lucky enough to survive this."

With one last grin, he heeled Traveler hard in the ribs, and shot down the path like an arrow. Forty yards up the path, he fired one arrow, then a second and third in rapid succession into the shrubbery on his left and right. Two screams and a dull thud told him the party had three fewer to deal with. He wished them luck, they would need it. After several more arrows, one of which skewered a woman dressed in red leather through her left eye, He soon outdistanced the danger. Where his future took him now, was up to only himself.

 

[darkscribe]

All this talk of Mord-Sith and Quads had Cullen worried. Sure he had fighting skills but he never killed a person, the worst he ever did was get into a tavern fight. Sure he was able to hold his own then, but this here was life-or-death. For a moment he wished he got involved, but that thought quickly left as a stranger approached. His heart started to race, he scanned the area waiting for their persuers to arrive. Then Darren had told the group that their persuers were real close and that the group should move. 'This is not the day I want to die.' Cullen thought to himself.

Cullen had moved his steed towards the area that Darren had described and waited for what would happen next.

 

[Jerahmeel]

Jerahmeel

"Less go everyone you heard the old man. He is right this is not the time to fight the Mord-Sith. None of us stand a chance against them."I looked at Egan."I hope the Creator smiles upon you this day and keeps you safe."I looked at the other and started to leave. Thinking i would never see the old man alive again.

 

[PmTick]

Benedict looked at the rest of the group as the others attempted to intercept the enemy. "Well sounds like a good distraction to me, let's get the hell out of here."

 

[BlazeofLife]

OOC:

This is to announce that Paendragon has departed the thread, due to various reasons.
I ask that each of you disregard his previous two posts, excepting only the fact that he has left the group for his own reasons.
In regards to the persuing force, they are not far, but they are not by any means as close as has been made out, and a certain amount of time remains to deal with the situation. Keep in mind, Alicia has but recently received word that they were coming, and her means of communication is instantaneous, as opposed to the horses of the opposition.
The GrandMage appears to have described the situation best, in his views of the proximity of danger, and I would ask that you refer to his posts for details of the enemy that have not yet been posted by Alicia.
In the interests of keeping the consistency of this thread, this will be the last OOC comment, if you have any questions or comments, please PM or Email me with them, I will be more than happy to address them promptly.

Blaze

 

[Beethoven'sFire]

Onatah had stumbled on the cave quite by accident. She had been lagging behind and off to the side of the party, when from a distance she caught a patch of flattened grass behind her that was far too wide to have been left by her own companions. Glancing around, the woman saw nothing else, not even a flicker of shadow, and the only sound on the air was the soft echoing of birdsong. Still, the sense of danger was apparant, and Onatah spurred her horse forward, dashing off toward her counterparts with urgent speed.

The scenery blew past her in a blur, long streaks of green blending together on either side. Then without warning the landscape turned upside down and red flashed in the woman's eyes. There was the sudden realisation of impact, and she could see nothing but blue... the sky. Somewhere off to the side her horse screamed out in pain.

It took minutes for Onatah to regain her senses, and when she rose, her body throbbing, she saw that the horse was facedown in the grass, struggling to stand- Its front legs disappeared into the ground, as if the earth was extremely soft underfoot. She layed her hands on the horse's neck, trying to soothe the beast to little effect. Advancing forward, she tested the ground with her foot, only to find that the earth fell away, opening into a vast chasm underneath. A cave.

Carefully testing the ground, Onatah cleared away the loose earth, revealing the full mouth of the cave, which was obstructed by the large horse, which was still screaming. Judging from the appearance of its leg, it had suffered a severe fracture. Nervous of drawing attention to her position, Onatah quickly slit the beast's throat, taking a moment to regain her composure.

And then she ran. When at last she reached the party, there was a strange man approaching, and she was out of breath.

"Someone is approaching..." she gasped. None of them seemed suprised.

"I found a cave..."

 

[SpectralDragoon]

"A cave? Where? That may be just the thing that we are looking for. One thing is for certain, loss is unacceptable, so no-one will be staying behind to valiantly save the group and sacrifice their lives. We need the group as a whole."

"Onatah, is the cave large enough to shelter our horses as well as us?

Kyle looks between Onatah and the new comer who states he wants to speak with us.

"What do you need to speak with us about Sir," he asks, non-chalantly coming between him and Alicia but standing sideways so as not to hinder her line of sight to the man. He rests a hand on his swords hilt easily and waits for a reply with arched brows.

 

[PmTick]

Benedict looked around at his companions. He had slipped into the back of the group, so no one could really see wherehe was going or what he was doing. He had been traveling with the group for to long, if he was to find out his identity, he would have to go on his own way. He realized his mission wasn't the same as theirs, that was the precise moment he decided to part ways.

As they walked one way, he headed the other, silently. It was as simple as that.

OOC: Thanks again everyone. Goodbye.

 

[Guest]

Jerahmeel

Turning to leave I heard that man that had been approach arrive. He was not of the Quads. I turned back to see what he was and why he was here as i did somone said they found a cave. Maybe this will be a way around the Quad and the Mord Sith. I listened to here where the cave.I walked back in the group."Is it big enough for horses?"

 

[Beethoven'sFire]

Onatah pointed back in the direction that she had found the cave- then still breathing heavily closed her eyes and shook her head, waiting a moment to regain her composure before speaking.

"The mouth of the cave is much smaller than the chasm it opens into. Its a good drop down, but not impossible, and... my horse is stuck in it."

She felt questioning eyes on her.

"Oh, don't worry... its quite dead."

 

[SpectralDragoon]

Kyle was puzzled about her horse, his face showed this.

"Dead? How did the horse die, Onatah? Ah, no matter, we need to move quickly. There is a decision to be made.

Do we: Stay and fight?

Do we: Hide in the cave and lose our horses?

or, do we: Try to flee and break through their clutches?

Of course, if anyone else has any suggestions, now would be a GOOD time.

Losing our horses doesn't seem like a good idea to me, guys."

Kyle patted his horses neck reassuringly and looked to each person of the group for a suggestion.