A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

The World outside the Grey Tower is a vast place.
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Bella
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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Bella » January 10th, 2019, 3:42 am

Isla was perfectly contented to let Beron handle dealing with the guard. She knew from experience that many dealt better with a man than a woman, and since she was here under something of a ruse, she couldn't play the Aes Sedai angle. They both looked like swords-for-hire, mercenaries, and she kept her face expressionless to keep the appearance up.

Male sellswords could be easygoing and jovial, but the women were expected to be cold and hard. So she made sure to look as such.

Once they were past the gates, she allowed herself the smallest shred of relaxation. Just enough to keep her shoulders from knotting up any more than they already were. Any talk of the Children that wasn't condemning them made her very uneasy now, but she knew that she couldn't let that show.

"Let's find a room," she suggested. "I want to see that the horses are put up properly and dispose of our belongings so that we stand out less as being so brand new to the area while we go about the city."

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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Lugh » January 10th, 2019, 5:11 pm

Beron “Sounds good to me Isla, I would also prefer not having to watch our horses and gear while we look around,” Beron said as he tied off their horses, and trusting Isla to keep the more inquisitive away he walked through the courtyard and found a young man leaning lazily against a pitchfork.

“Boy, we’ve got horses that need bedding, food and a chance to rest. None of your shirking, and if they look good when I get back there’s a full mark in it for you,” Beron said sternly, chuckling to himself as the boy blushed and stammered through the instructions Beron laid out for him. “And remember, I’m Saldaean, and we know horses like most men know their wives, I find even a burr on them and you won’t stop running till you reach the mountains,” he added, a stern visage and steely eyes enough to convince the boy to take proper care of their mounts, and keep his hands out of pouches they shouldn’t be in.

After removing the saddle bags and other bundles, Beron walked into the common room and breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted no Whitecloaks or soldiers loitering. The common room was filled with teamsters, wagon drivers and other labourers clearly washing the day’s labours from their throats. The men turned for a moment when he walked in, and he could see a few appreciating Isla in her breeches, but her cold demeanour and the ease with which she wore the sword at her hip convinced them she was no lightskirt.

“Evening stranger, what can I get you tonight?” asked a weary innkeeper, her hair tidy and pulled into a tight bun. The bar she kept was worn, but clean and the food from the kitchen smelled enticing after a day on the road.

“Peace favour you Mistress. My wife and I need a room. Probably stay a few nights, maybe more if there is work to be found. But a good room, and a full plate of whatever smells so good in the back would set us up nicely,” Beron said with a warm smile and friendly nod to the woman.

“Well I can’t speak to the work, but your… wife… and you are welcome to a room if the coin is good. Got a few rooms upstairs, roads been up and down lately, so we’ll say four silvers,” she said with a sharp look at both of them.

Beron paused for a moment, knowing that four silver was a little high, but then he also hadn’t mentioned their horses yet. Taking his smaller purse from his belt, he made counted out the silvers, and took an extra two coppers, “Our horses, meals for our stay, and a good pitcher of wine to go with it. Four silver and the coppers as thanks for your roof,” he said in counter.

“Food here is the best in town, ask anyone Borderlander. Still having a man like you around might keep the rougher teamsters from starting trouble… tell you what. You scowl and keep the men from thinking with their chest hairs, and we’ll call it even at five.”
“Done. I’ll run our things to the room, and if you could seat my wife near the fire and bring the food, I’ll be right down,” said Beron as he slid the coins down the counter. Then conscious of the eyes of the room on him, he took the bags from Isla and with a kiss worthy of a Saldaean, he smiled at her, “I’ll be right back Isla, can you ask for water to go with the wine.”
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Bella
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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Bella » January 16th, 2019, 9:32 pm

Isla didn't miss the eyes of the men around her, and she realized that it had been a long time since she'd been in a proper city. Since she'd trained as a Yellow, most of her time in the learning ranks had been confined to the Grey Tower. The times to follow had been along forest paths and around Tar Valon itself, which was another matter all together.

For the first time in a long time, she wished for her Children tabard back. No one looked at her then.

Of course, this thought was swiftly swept out of her mind by Beron's toe-curling kiss before he left. It took all of the composure she'd learned during her training in the Tower, and then some, to keep herself together and not left the effect show. She simply nodded to him, and then turned to the inn mistress, who was eyeing her. Isla eyed her back.

Soon, she was seated at the requested table, with the pitchers of wine and water on the table before her, and filled cups. She had yet to take a drink of either, but sat with the cup in her hands. She spun it slowly, looking lost in thought while she actually just sat still and listened to the room around her. Taking it all in.

"...that damn girl went missing again. I don't know if she'll come back this time. She's been acting weird..."
"...the price of grain went up again! That bastard Sven is just greedy..."
"...we will be better for them being here, and you know it. Why, you know that those..."
"...been acting like a rabbit caught out in an open field with a hawk over..."
"...will probably make the journey again this year, but money has gotten so..."
"...don't care what you say. They will bleed this place, and we will never..."
"...so what if she did? If she ran because of them, there was reason, and good riddance..."
"...but don't you think that..."

By the time Beron returned, her head was nearly swimming with words.

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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Lugh » January 17th, 2019, 3:31 am

Beron Beron wasted no time getting up to their room, and checking over what would be their new home for the next few days. He realized he was worrying over Isla, and gave his head a quick shake as he took a calming breath. There was little reason to worry, it was not like anyone knew they were coming or that they had not anticipated the presence of the Whitecloaks within the city itself.

With his nerves calmed, he took the time to check the windows and was pleased to see the streets looked clear and easily watched in both directions. The door was stout and well made, and the lock should keep any prying eyes out. The security of Isla figured out, he flushed a little when he noticed the one bed; although he supposed that after the evening before there was little sense in ever sleeping apart again.

Coming back down, he saw that Isla was toying with her cup and he could spy the tension in her shoulders and neck. He had watched Isla working at the Infirmary, and spent many evenings with her; and so the telltale signs were there when he saw the woman he loved.

"...don't care what you say. They will bleed this place, and we will never..."
"...so what if she did? If she ran because of them, there was reason, and good riddance..."
"...but don't you think that..."

Beron overheard a lot of the tables as he made his way through the common room, and what he did hear would have made him frown if he wasn’t trying to keep his face friendly and inviting. With luck a chatty drunk would approach the table, and he could ask gently about the city.

Sitting down beside Isla, he slid in close to her and held the hand that was swirling the goblet. Looking into her blue eyes, he asked softly, “Tired from the road Isla? After the clean air and stars a packed common room can be a bit much, after supper it should clear out a little. Unless they have musicians tonight.”
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Bella
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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Bella » January 26th, 2019, 8:28 pm

The bond had told her of his approach before his physical presence did, and a small smile curved at the corners of her mouth with the welcoming warmth and stability that he provided her. As he came to sit, she looked up and met his gaze. His concern was fairly well clear in his eyes, his body language, and over the bond.

"It's fine," she said softly. Her voice was raised just enough for him to hear her. "I'm just..." Her eyes flickered around the room significantly before returning to him. "...taking it all in."

She paused and took a long sip from her drink, trying to sort through everything that she had heard in the short time he had been getting their room set up. The thought of the one room, likely with just the one bed, hadn't even occurred to her yet, as distracted as she was by everything around her.

Setting her cup back down, she looked up at him again. "It seems a lot of young girls have left the town recently," she commented, still quiet and still seemingly casually. But her words were pregnant with emotion and meaning.

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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Lugh » January 28th, 2019, 4:35 pm

Beron
The bond had told him much more than her quiet and casual statement ever could, and he was grateful for that as the bond was pregnant with meaning.

He was glad to see her take a long sip of her drink, and pleasantly surprised when he tried his own to find a good rich red. It wasn’t as fancy as could be found in Hama Valon, but the wine was good and spoke to a fairly good trade here.

Sighing, not having to hide his soreness after two long days in the saddle, he thought for a moment about what she had said, and looked around. Now that Isla had mentioned it, he could see the Mistress of the Inn was busy, running more meals and drinks herself than would be normal as the common room slowly filled up.

The common room was busy with chatter, lots of rumours and whispers that were increasingly hard to catch as the noise level grew. But Beron found himself wondering just how many young women had gone missing, and was it just the young women he thought to himself. Beron made sure to watch his wine, using a trick he had been taught to make it appear he was drinking more than he actually was, although as he chatted with Isla and stroked her hand softly, he spotted no immediately danger.

Shortly after they arrived, a pair of troupers began to flute, their soft music lively and pleasing to the ears. Although it effectively killed any chance of eavesdropping, he also knew their own conversation would be hidden as well. “Is that normal Isla? To scoop up a number of young women, that seems like it would be a move likely to anger the cityfolk,” Beron asked as he idly spun a coin on the table.

Isla was about to respond, when he caught sight of movement at the door, and squeezing her hand, brought him in close to him. “Pretend to be asleep love,” Beron whispered, and the bond filled with panic and concern as the common room suddenly fell silent.

In from the street, strolling through the door as if they owned the very ground they walked on, came a pair of Whitecloaks. Looking over Isla’s shoulder, Beron was relieved to see none of the cords that denoted rank among the Children of the Light; and he forced himself to try and keep his breathing easy and calm.

“We warned the pair of you, any more of your filthy bawdy tunes and you would be out on the streets. If you want to play music only fit for pigs to hear, you can bray with the horses in the stable,” chuckled the lead Whitecloak as he advanced on the troupers.

Beron noticed the wagoneers all had their heads down, and the Mistress of the Inn seemed to have vanished as well. She was probably having her girls hide in the back, given what Isla had overheard earlier. Luckily no one fought or spoke up to the two armed men, and Beron was glad Isla and him were buried in the back. After the Whitecloaks left, glowering at the men around them as if they were hiding Trollocs under the tables, Beron held Isla for awhile and let out the breath he had been holding.

After the conversation started up again, he could feel his tension still bleeding through the bond to Isla, and he stroked her hair gently. “Let’s go to our room love, I think we’ve have enough for the day.”
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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Bella » February 5th, 2019, 6:02 pm

"I don't believe they have all been taken," Isla had replied to him, very voice still outwardly casual and as quiet as it could be, under the circumstances. "I think some of them have outright run away." That was fairly common. The Whitecloaks would take a few for "questioning," but many others would just run away out of fear. Even if they did not have a real reason to be afraid,

The tabards of the Children of the Light could have that effect on a young girl.

Suddenly, panic thrilled through the bond, and Isla felt her breath catch in her throat from the intensity of it. She lifted her eyes to see just what had caused this feeling in her lover when he whispered urgently, "Pretend to be asleep, love," and pulled her into him. She easily leaned against his side, nothing more to the eye than a tired young woman with her husband.

Surreptitiously, however, her eyes darted everywhere they could reach without her moving away from his shoulder. His panic had flooded her, but the tide began anew at the sound of the sound of the voice and one look at that uniform, and that face... There was a full ocean of terror within her in an instant.

Isla took slow breaths, forcing herself to stay calm. They came in, acted self-righteous, scared everyone, and then left...which could be pretty on point for their usual behavior.

"Let’s go to our room, love. I think we’ve have enough for the day."

She found that she had no voice with which to speak, so she simply nodded. Sitting for a moment longer, just to make sure, she drank the last of her wine and then followed him to the room that he had procured. She forced herself to walk slow, without as much care as she truly felt, until they were within. She shut the door and locked it, turning to lean back against it.

As her eyes met his, she saw the concern.

"The one who insulted the players..." she said softly, almost as though she had disassociated entirely from herself. "His name is Ralthan, and he is not a native of Amadicia. He is from Tarabon. The one who was with him... That was Joreth. He is from Amadicia." She watched as Beron's brows drew down. "They are my father's men. Ones he trusted well and would never seen assigned elsewhere.

"My father's regiment is here." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "My father is here."

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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Lugh » February 6th, 2019, 5:19 pm

Beron

Beron took Isla up the stairs, conscious of the few snickers and even wistful smiles on the men’s faces as they no doubt remembered a time they would rather have gone to their room with a partner than stay for the conversation. Now that the musicians were gone, the common room was quiet and sullen, and he was glad Isla wanted to hear upstairs.

Once upstairs, Beron used a knife to wedge their door closed, the blade jamming tighter against the door and the wood surrounding it, he knew that wouldn’t stop a determined attack, it would just buy them some time.

Turning after that, he saw Isla sitting on the bed, her color still pale and she was staring at her hands. He couldn’t quite make sense of what he was feeling through the bond, and so he sat beside her. His concern had him practically vibrating, but he did his best to settle and give her time to collect herself.

Isla stood, checking the lock, and leaning against the door, with her back to it, as she looked at Beron. "The one who insulted the players..." she said softly, her voice distant. "His name is Ralthan, and he is not a native of Amadicia. He is from Tarabon. The one who was with him... That was Joreth. He is from Amadicia." Beron swore and checked the window and street below in concern. "They are my father's men. Ones he trusted well and would never see assigned elsewhere.

"My father's regiment is here." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "My father is here."

Beron swore, almost asking if she was sure, but biting his tongue. Of course she was sure, she had known those men most of her life, it would be like him meeting one of his father’s farmhands. He would just know. Anger, worry seethed through the bond as he watched her, “Oh Isla, I am so sorry. We had no idea, nothing in the reports made you suspect this did it?”

Sighing, Beron looked at Isla, the woman he loved and held her, “Does this change anything for you? We could ride out tomorrow, no one saw you. Or we could find everyone of those whoresons and make them crow food for what they did to you..”

Breathing deep, working to master his anger, he was suddenly full of fear, “Isla.. did your father do this sort of work before? Could he have been near the White Tower trying to draw you out?”
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Bella
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Location: New England

Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Bella » February 13th, 2019, 4:54 pm

Isla listened, but the words were somewhat muffled over the sound of her heart thundering in her hears. She put her head back against the door and took a slow breath. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to calm down. She needed to be at ease. Ironically, it was her father who had taught her that reacting with too much emotion in battle would be your undoing.

"This was my father's work," she said quietly, tilting her head forward again to look at Beron. "He is a Child of the Light, Beron. This is their work. They all do it. We were all taught that anyone who could channel was happily on the path of evil, and it was our job to root them out and correct them. By any means necessary."

Her pale brows drew together. "Before I came to the Grey Tower, I had no idea that the One Power could be used to heal. And to create."

Blowing out a breath, she shook her head slightly. "I don't believe he is here to try to draw me out. He was the one who freed me, with the idea that I would come to some such place and we would never set eyes upon one another again. I do not have faith he won't cut me down in a fight, but I do believe he wouldn't seek to draw me into that fight."

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Re: A Calling [Attn: Lugh]

Post by Lugh » February 17th, 2019, 7:48 pm

Beron
Beron gently took her hand and brought Isla down to sit on the bed. Curling behind her, he let her sit with her back against his chest, and offered what comfort he could as she spoke.

He flushed when he realized he had forgotten that her father had helped her escape the Questioners and their knives. “Well that’s small comfort, but at least we know it isn’t a trap. Does this change anything for you? I know you have experienced what these girls will be going through...” he sighed as he thumbed her finger, the one where her Great Serpent ring would normally be.

“You’re a lot stronger now, and a Healer at heart. I just want to make sure you are okay if the men we face... if.. if they end up being men you knew well, or those who did this to you,” he said gently as he touched her wrists.

He was worried for Isla, but also determined to help her see her goals through. “Your father, is his regiment elite? How skilled will this make the guards and patrols?” He asked, his voice concerned but steely, while he held Isla against his chest and slowed his breathing to give her an anchor to focus on.
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