The March to Ajhfeld

[Nascent]

~ S C E N E   M U S I C ~

"Allow me as well."

When the group he'd been tailing was suddenly toppled over headlong by an awkward figure in what seemed yet more awkward heavy armor, Caleb had decided it time to step somewhat from the passive and become active in what was going on. The hard truth of the matter was that, without these two strangers, finding the Duke's General would be a difficult task -- the sighted may have been able to identify such a one on sight by markings, heraldry, or uniform, but Caleb's mage-sight was as blind to such things as real-sight was to the spirit-flow of the world. The General could be standing right in front of him and the blind hunter would never have known... a grand irony, considering that was in fact the case.

Caleb offered his hand to those fallen, willing and able to help them to their feet.

[visualspice]

Igna would have gladly accepted any of the offered hands- but as luck would have it- it seemed she was near the bottom of the pile- well, almost. First was poor Jacen, probably half squashed beneath  her, then she herself- half squashed in her armor- and then right on top of her- that soldier from earlier who wore a suit of armor one size too big.

Cursing through her teeth, (which she knew was most unbecoming of a lady, but she didn't care) she struggled beneath Artemis and seethed.
"Get off!"

[Anadwen]

...Blood? That wasn't what he expected to taste when he hit the ground (and partially also Igna), but it was the exact taste he recognized. And it wasn't too pleasant. After a moment he concluded that he had to bite into his mouth or lip a bit too hard when he fell.

He rolled off the girl and took the closest hand nearby, staring into the ground in shame. "Thanks," he muttered shyly, brushing his hair into his face to hide how he blushed. The long strands of pale ashen blond successfully covered it - for his pleasure. Although now he could hardly see a thing.

[Wicked Basket]

Jacen was not feeling to good at the moment. Not only did he fall, but he ended up at the bottom of the pile with two people stacked on top of him. To make things worse, they were both wearing armor which added additional weight and elimatied any hopes of a softer impact.

"Let it not be said that I have not suffered for the cause," Jacen grunted from beneath Igna.

[Nascent]

"With luck, this will be all you are made to suffer." Caleb said, helping as best he could to untangle the human (and elvish) knot of bodies. The others might notice the awkwardness of his movements as he did, along with the fact he didn't actually meet anyone's eyes when they looked at him; otherwise, however, he would seem like just another person in the crowd.

"My apologies, but I heard one of you talking earlier about seeking out a General?" He took a moment to re-center his quiver and bow where they rested on his back; appearances may not have been important to the blind hunter but balance was, even when there was no cause for concern. "I would like to have words with him as well. I seek to enlist myself in this effort as a scout -- may I follow with you?"

[Alegretto]

Tertius and the man with the bow managed to untangle and right the three downed people, though with no small amount of effort involved.

As they were finishing their exertions, Tertius heard the bowman's words. He was looking for the general? Well as far as Tertius knew he was the only officer of that rank nearby. He turned to look at the man. He was well outfitted and he looked capable, but the more Tertius observed him the more he wondered at the man's ability to scout.

"I might be the general you're looking for, son. However, and I mean no offense by this, I don't know how useful a blind scout will be. And before I even think about hiring new troops, I have to deal with my current ones."

He turned to Igna. "I see you brought back our insubordinate soldier. I commend you for your efforts, and thank you for your careful execution of my orders."

He then faced Jacen, still under the mistaken impression that the boy was an actual soldier. "And you, are you prepared to face the consequences for your disrespect, soldier?"

[Wicked Basket]

"Maybe later, sir," Jacen replied putting a lot a emphasis on the 'sir'. "You're going to need someone with my talents."

Jacen still didn't entirely respect the general. Actually, he still didn't respect him at all. The only reason he would do what he said is because Jacen wanted to take down that mage camp. He still thought that they should have a general with a better grasp on 'modern' warfare. It seemed as though this guy was around way before guns were.

[visualspice]

Once Igna was on her feet, she worked quickly at dusting her armor off from the grit on the street, and made a face when noticed a ding. She supposed she'd get more of those in her armor soon enough; but something else caught her off guard, and she couldn't help but find herself staring at the blind mind curiously. She didn't put two and two together at first, just found herself observing the way he stared around, as if through things, rather than at them before the General stated the obvious. That's when Igna closed her gaping lips.

So a blind man wanted to be a scout? How very... odd.
Turning away she went to observe the rest of the motley crew when she found herself suddenly walking into Novak.

OOC: loool can't forget the really tall guy is there 8D

[Alegretto]

Something struck Tertius about the rifleman's words. "Going to need."

"Are you not already a soldier in the duke's army." Tertius asked, obviously surprised. That did explain a lot. The general suddenly laughed, all the tension leaving his body. The guffawing was loud and uproarious, completely out of place considering the occasion. "Well that makes a lot more sense now doesn't it. I believe there's been a misunderstanding, and I think I owe you an apology boy, for trying to court-martial you before you're even part of the army. It never struck me that civilians could own rifles nowadays. I must be more out of date than thought."

[Wicked Basket]

"Don't worry about it," Jacen said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I was a soldier at one point, but I struck a deal with my superiors to leave the military in order to help support my family."

[Anadwen]

Artemis listened to their conversation, but didn't dare to speak up till a while later. Moving a few wisps of his hair out of his eyes to allow him to see at least something, he studied all the people around him, wondering who'd be the most reliable source of information...

A blind hunter, an old general, that female soldier, the marksman, and the huge man. He decided to turn at the general, and stepped a little closer. "Sir, I need to speak to the duke, or someone close to him. I don't suppose he'd be that easy to get, though, so isn't there anyone else for it?" he asked, pretending to have the position for his armour, and quite successfully, except for the fact that his wonderful gear was now dirty and scratched.

[Nomad]

Following along after Igna and Jacen, Novak didn't notice the tag along Caled as he begins to follow after them, his attention remaining fixed on Igna as she leads the way. Out of the blue a white haired figure catches his attention however before he can react to it, Novak watches as the elf from before runs into Igna and sends the whole group, excluding him, to the ground. Coming to a halt Novak looked down at what was not a pile of bodies, a soft chuckle escaping the male at the sight before him.

Though he knew it couldn't be very comfortable it was still a slightly entertaining sight to behold. Lifting his gaze Novak glances to Tetirus as he offers the group a hand, though Novak refrains from offering a hand, instead letting the others help, perhaps a rather unkind act on his part though he was getting a kick out of what just happened.

With the aid of Tetirus and the man that had been following them the pile of bodies was dismantled bit by bit until the three that had fallen where all aided. Shifting his gaze Novak turns his attention to the new individual, Caled. As it turns out the man was here to aid in the good fight something Novak thought was a good thing given the more bodies the better! Tertius' response gave Novak reason to pause in having the new comer join them, the man was blind? Then again Novak did not take the time to watch the man so it could be true.

Either way Novak's attention is taken away from the two as Igna runs right into him. Feeling the contact between them Novak turns his gaze down to Igna and offers the woman a soft smile as he brings a hand up and places it atop her head, ruffling her hair some below his hand " I do believe you cannot walk through someone. " Novak says in a joking manner, " Though if you are seeking the comforting embrace of a mans arms, I am always available. " He adds, though with less of a joking tone.

[Nascent]

The General had been right there, the very man helping the others up off the tumbled pile. Caleb felt himself briefly flush with embarrassment, though he fought to regain composure as quickly as possible. To seem flustered would ill suit -- at such a moment, impressions would be everything.

Especially if he were to trust this man with his secret.

It seemed the one clumsy in the armor wished audience with the Duke, and made his request known. This presented a clear opportunity, one that the blind hunter could not quite afford to pass up.

"If I may interject," Caleb stepped forward, between Artemis and Tertius. The hunter quickly dropped to one knee, a sign of respect and humility before the General. "Yes... as you say, I am blind. From birth, in fact. However, my General, I am no feeble beggar -- I bear not the bow without the ability to use it, nor garb of the huntsman without having earned it. For many years I served in the Duchy of Vythe, in service to the Barony of Harstead, first as apprentice to the Baron of that land's favored hunter and then, in time, as the favored hunter myself."

At this, he removed his hat and drew the amulet from around his neck, presenting it for the General to see. It bore the mark of the Harstead Barony, one of the smaller and most forested of the southern noble lands. The General would recognize the amulet as a sign of that Baron's favor, an image of a falcon bordered in thistle wreath, sign most certain of Caleb's former occupation.

"These times have forced me from the lands I once called home." Saying that itself would give the General some notion of why Caleb, though blind, could still wield a bow and arrow and bear the hunter's role in a baron's court. "I would speak more on the matter, in private, but I can assure you of my skills, my General."

"For example, I can observe that," And here he turned his head in Artemis' direction. "One who wears the armor of a soldier and yet lacks dexterity and control with it must not have been wearing it for very long, nor practiced sufficiently since receiving it."

"Should such a one truly be brought into the presence of Duke Harmond or his court?" The implication was clear in Caleb's words.

The man in armor wasn't what he seemed.

[Alegretto]

Between the awkward armored figure's request and the bowman's accusations, the general was having a hard time keeping up with what was going on. That wasn't to mention the female soldier's conversation with the big man, or Tertius' own frustration at the rifleman's flippancy despite the general's heartfelt apology. And he still didn't know any of their names!

He could follow some of it, he was used to having multiple draws on his attention, and he was getting general impressions, but that wasn't good enough when people were making the kinds of implications he was hearing right now. Tertisus decided that it was high time to bring some order to the chaos.

In his commanding officer voice, the one that put a drill sergeant's to shame, Tertius shouted, "Alright ladies and gentleman. Before I answer any of your questions or requests, I need to sort out exactly who I'm dealing with. Now, each of you introduce yourself with your name and rank or occupation like civilized people, and maybe, maybe we can move on from there!"

[visualspice]

Igna made a face when Novak tried to joke with her- but the flirt made her eyes cut into him like a knife. She was in no mood to be treated like some woman. She was a soldier! And though she knew it was a man's world in Connlaoth, she had signed up like everyone else and trained just like the rest. She wasn't afraid to prove her worth here, or anywhere.

Turning haughtily away from Novak, she used Tertius's request as a means to break away from all the craziness she had been thrown into and threw up a hand in salute.
"General Tertius, my name is Igna Martisse- official soldier for the army of Turgall. At your service." And she dropped her head into a one kneed bow.

[Nomad]

With the remark, Novak keeps his attention resting on Igna, watching her reaction to what he had to say. Though he was attempting to make light of the situation and change the mood in some way it seemed his remarks and perhaps flirtatious comment towards Igna was not received well by her. If he were not so emotionally guarded perhaps the look she gave him would have had some form of effect on him, however Novak showed no sign of the look affecting him, rather continues to offer the woman a friendly smile.

Despite the fact that he had heard the request from Tertius, Novak kept his gaze resting on Igna for a brief moment longer, her response to the man's question coming first. Given that it would happen sooner or later Novak decides to follow in Igna's footsteps and lets is hand fall to his side as Igna sinks to one knee. For a brief moment Novak glances down at her before looking to Tertius. " And I am Novak, just a simple mercenary looking to make some coin. " Novak says, not giving any form of salute or sinking to one knee as Igna had done.

[Wicked Basket]

"I am Jacen, one of the best marksman in all of Connlaoth," Jacen said with an exaggerated bow.

He normally wasn't one to brag, but this generally needed to know that he wasn't just some kid with something to prove. He was serious business. He had a family to protect and country to pull out of the gutter, and he planned on doing just that.

[Anadwen]

"Arian Hunter." Artemis introduced himself, using one of his many aliases, and bowed, with perfect grace and elegance despite the armour being a little too big. He knew what to do now... Just pretend, just play the role, and everything will be good.

"I am a hunter and archer, and I work for whoever hires me. I understand you can't see that, but this armour is not fashioned for a soldier. I do admit I have little experience wearing it, due to the nature of my profession not regarding it, but for today, I needed something better than rugged leather armour - due to reasons that are my own, if you do not mind." he explained him in a slightly soft tone, perfectly calm. The mask has fit on its place, and nobody could recognize that it was just another role this master thief and actor played.

He took the crossbow off his back and handled it with expert care and proficiency. "You'll only find a few that can aim and shoot this better," he raised a half-smile at the men, and returned it onto its place.

[Nascent]

Still kneeling, Caleb heeded the General's instruction following the suspicious freelance hunter. "Caleb Draves, my General, former hunter for the court of the Barony of Harstead."

So, two of those assembled claimed to be superior marksmen. Caleb wondered if, perhaps, they might have opportunity for contest at some point. He doubted either had ever held a match of aim with a blind man using a simple bow and arrows before... or, he thought with a slight smile, been bested by one.

Unlike the rifler and the crossbowman, Caleb made no further claims, no boasts or brags. He knew what he could do and would gladly demonstrate if needed... but his utility to the Duke's endeavors wasn't something he felt ready to publicly announce. Time and cause would prove his worth, of that he felt assured.


(EDIT: Changes made to reflect the list of Duchies in Connlaoth. Thanks Spice!)

[visualspice]

Igna felt her brow twitch a little as one man said he was here for coin, and another- trying to vouch for his reason in wearing armor that was not his. So thieves and mercenaries would be working with her here? Pushing her thoughts on that matter aside, she kept her head low and bowed and simply waited to see what the General had to say. She at least took peace in knowing that each men obeyed him willingly and without tribulation.