Return of The Emblem Chapter Two: The Trail

[roymbrog]

Almost kill a man and then ask to have him healed? What the hell? Grumbling about her team decision a little, Synthia walked closer and healed the gash on his arm. No sooner was she done than she took a few steps away, just in case the man decided to do something rash. She wasn't willing to trust him farther then she could throw Gytha.

"Should I go find some rope or something? If he's as bad as you say, I don't trust him to behave unless you restrain him somehow."

[Mercakete]

"That's a good idea," she toled the healer before answering Amon's question, "Aye, we know each other. Crossed blades pleanty. This'ere's Damian: captain of what barely passes as a tiny pirate crew from Fairgale Port: where we're both from. Careful; ye can't trust pirates."

[roymbrog]

Synthia took one last uneasy glance at the subdued pirate before returning to the wagon and group. A short while later found her standing next to Raquel counting out coins from the rather large money pouch she received from Edwin. "Here, with the discount this is enough for the new staff, right? You can keep my old one, I don't think I'll need it anymore," she said, offering the merchant a handful of gold coins. "I'll explain what's going on over there with Gytha too, in exchange for some rope. Apparently we now have a prisoner."

[Phoenix]

"Yep, that's enough to pay for it, thanks." Raquel began, accepting the gold before Synthia explained the situation and the need for rope. "A prisoner? Please tell me it's one of the people from that group that ambushed us." she responded crossing her fingers.

"A pirate? Why would a pirate come this far inland? And you know him by name?" Amon replied. It seemed a little strange that she knew the man but only because he didn't understand why she hadn't simply struck him down when she had the chance. Had she been trying to capture him all this time or was it something else? Gytha seemed to have motives for things Amon couldn't understand at first blush. Maybe a little explanation would help. Maybe.

[roymbrog]

"Well... no. He's a pirate she knows from Fairgale Port. Apparently he's been working inland since his crew's been getting outpirated down there, or something. She wants to take him to the authorities," Synthia explained.

Edited March 3, 2011 by roymbrog

[Dark Sage]

"Yeah I guess so. I'm a seargeant in the Neviskotian military though," Domvoi whispered very quietly, making sure nobody but Veronika heard. "So I can help show you the ropes. I have the most leadership experience here I believe and I can adapt ok. Don't worry about it."

Unfortunately Gytha chose to attack a man nearby who was revealed to be a pirate. Apparently she and the pirate were enemies and wanted to take him to the authorities.

"Pirate eh? I don't trust him. We can't let him escape and he's going to hang anyway. Let's just kill him."

[-Cynthia-]

.

Edited March 3, 2011 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

"Craaaap." Raquel bled out in response. It was too good to be true. Then she remembered what Synthia had asked for. Rope. "No one ever needs rope so we don't really have that much. We're not going to be holding him long, right?" she asked as she headed to the back of the wagon.

[roymbrog]

Synthia followed Raquel to the rear of the wagon. "I hope not. We'll be able to drop him off in Ursaea, I think. I don't think we'll need too much rope, just enough to bind his arms, maybe his legs as well."

[Mercakete]

"We wound up fighting often enough that we learned each other's names. Heck, Maw learned Damian's scent," Gytha replied to Amon, "He caused'er a couple personal offenses. Once he knocked her fish she was eating into the sea while we were fighting. Annother time I deflected his sword and it almost hit her. Annother time he got her wet. So she has a bit of hatred to him by now."

Now Gytha's tone was fairly casual while she waited for the rope. Tying his hands behind his back is probably the best way to go. Takn' his sword, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maw hoped the man's dinner was knocked into the sea recently. With that wish, she began washing her face again.

[Phoenix]

Raquel soon found the rope ... all two feet of it. She stared at the rope alongside Chip for a good ten seconds before commenting aloud in the wagon. "... where did ...?" A thought occurred.

Both Jethro and Raquel stood at the edge of a pretty impressive cliff overlooking the ocean. A single long rope was tied to a tree and leading past them all the way over the edge. Something appeared to be tugging on the rope from over the cliff. Upon closer inspection, it was a lone man trying to climb back up. A fair ways down was a ledge that he had inexplicably found himself in.

"This would go a lot faster if you just help him." Raquel commented.

"I am helping him. We pulled over, we gave him a line. We're still here even though we're behind schedule. I'll even help him up if he needs it but he's not calling for it yet." Jethro replied.

"YOU PEOPLE! STOP THERE!" a man running toward them shouted waving a hand axe!

"This should be good. What is it?" Jethro muttered.

"That man you're trying to save is a wanted criminal!"

"You don't say. Well we'll hand him over to you once he gets up here."

"Not a chance!" the man said as he chucked his axe at the tree the rope was tied to. The axe severed the rope and embedded itself in the tree. The apparent criminal went screaming to the bottom of the cliff and dying on the rocks below. Jethro grimaced. Raquel covered her eyes even though her vantage point offered no view of his death. The screams reverberated in her head for awhile.

Turning to the man, Jethro asked "Now how do we know you're not some criminal yourself? You don't look like any authority I've seen before."

Raquel looked over at the tree. There was only about two feet of rope left.

The memory faded away leaving Raquel standing there with what was left of that man's last hope. "... dangit." she said exiting the wagon with it. Coming back over to Synthia she asked "Is this enough cause it's all that's left. I forgot about that incident with those two guys about a month back.

Meanwhile ...

"Don't enemies typically kill each other?" Amon asked, not sure why Damian was being treated differently than the enemy they just fought. He wasn't one to support executing someone, but he didn't see her reasoning behind not doing so at first.

[Mercakete]

"He's a seafarer. If we were at sea, he'd be at the bottom of the ocean right now," Gytha replied, "I'm not the sort who'd deny a fellow seafarer a death at sea. It's just shameful. And a'cause he's not really pirating so far as I can prove right now, I can't kill'im. Worst I can do is hand'im off to the authorities for piracy and let'im hang." Her tone was very casual, though she was still being careful to not let him escape. She wasn't about to let herself get distracted.

[Phoenix]

He MUST die at sea, but it's alright for him to hang not at ... I'm confused. "Uh, Gytha, what difference does it make if you kill him or he hangs? I don't think the authorities in Ursaea are going to bring him all they way to Urquium just to execute him out on the water. I can kind of tell you're holding to a code of some kind but we're a little too far inland for it to really apply here ... I think. Well, either way we should head over to the wagon. If we're taking him with we should get to it. Oh, and it's not that I think killing him right now is for the best ... maybe not at all. It's just this situation seems a bit ... strange. I've never seen anything like this before and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it." he explained.

[Mercakete]

"If he hangs, he hangs for piracy, but not at my hands. Tis a shame to die away from the ocean if yer a seafarer, but the authorities do things like that. I won't shame meself fer spilling this pirate's blood on land, especially since I initiated the fight," she explained as she followed the thief's example and brought the pirate to the wagon.

When they got there, Maw hissed at the man from her spot on top of the wagon. Seeing the two feet of rope the merchant was showing Synthia, Gytha asked Raquel, "That our rope?"

[Phoenix]

When Gytha and Amon returned Gytha immediately inquired about the rope, to which Raquel simply stated "Yep.", but then she added "So this is the prisoner, huh?" Well that's too bad. He looks like a decent fighter, except I guess we've already got the better fighter since Gytha beat him so quickly. Still, I'm more concerned with numbers, not ranks. We need mercs, not pirates.

[13th]

Damian sighed. "To Ursaea? Great. Not only do I lose my pay, I lose my life in the town that hired me." He grumbled about the thief and Gytha's words. When they arrived at the wagon, Damian then saw the rope. "Gytha, if you know me how much you do, you'd remember that when I'm beaten, I leave the winner alone. At least for a while. Surely tying me up isn't necessary."

[Mercakete]

"I don't trust pirates around cargo -- that means on land or sea," she replied coldly, "It'll just be yer hands." With that she took the rope offered her and tied his wrists behind his back. It was just enough. "No swordplay fer ye," she continued, taking the sword he had yet to sheath, "I'll take care of it fer now. Amon, watch'im while I tend to these." The mariner climbed back onto the cart and took out her cleaning cloth then she began running the blade of his sword through it, cleaning whatever blood was on that one before her own, whcih was likewise still unsheathed. I'll get to mine later.

[13th]

Damian frowned as he stood next to the thief. "She seems as headstrong as she ever was. How did ye start workin' with this Raquel?" He thought about his crew. Knowing my crew, they're probably all in Fairgale's prison, waiting to be hanged. "Hmph."

[roymbrog]

"I guess it was enough rope. You should probably buy more once we reach Ursaea, you never know when we'll have to tie someone else up," Synthia said bitterly as she watched Gytha bind the pirate's arms. She sighed and crossed her arms, glad that the situation was over, but a bit worried about carrying this man with them the next day or two. "I wouldn't talk to him too much Raquel, he'll probably just try to convince you to let him go."

[Phoenix]

"Let's see; the best way to protect the merchandise is probably to just keep him on the roof. There's already a few of you riding up there anyway so it should be fine." Raquel said, not speaking to any one person.

Amon was a bit surprised that Damian was asking questions. On the other hand, being a prisoner didn't necessitate silence, and he hadn't been gagged either. "I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to say anything specific, so I'll simply say it's 'complicated'." Amon replied.

"Okay, we've been out here long enough I think. We're definitely going to have to call it a day once we reach Ursaea which won't be til long after nightfall at the earliest. We'll have time to discuss any remaining combat team issues in the morning. Also feel free to discuss it on the way ... but no more duels." she concluded giving various people a dubious look.

Edited March 3, 2011 by Phoenix

[Kanami]

~~~~~~~~~~Back at Fairgale~~~~~~~~~~

A plump man smiled as the guards at Fairgale prison reluctantly accepted his money and agreed to what he'd been convincing them the past few minutes. Tucking an odd slate of metal back under his robes he walked into where a supposed band of pirates were being held. Rumor had of a bunch of sea ruffians getting captured had spread quickly, as it always did when local guards achieved something. Most likely propaganda to make themselves look good.

Frowning at the poorly kept building he shook his head as he followed his guide, not taking very long before several crowded cells came into view. Pausing for only a slight second before he put on his business smile and greeted the seadogs.

"Ah, you must be the the captains men" he said sounding cheerful, "I'm here to get you out" he added quickly before any of the men could make any snide remarks. He'd dealt with ruffians before and they weren't smart enough to be wooed, but they did react to immediate gains.

"I am Nige, a humble merchant, or at least I was until your captain and his friends attacked me on my way here, stealing my horses and merchandise" he paused frowning as a few of them jeered. "He's not coming back here" he stated bluntly silencing the jeers.

"Your captain has new friends now, and they're headed in the opposite direction from Fairgale and he's decided to let you all rot in here." The cheerful merchant smile leaving his lips and being replaced with a stern look of contempt.

"My proposition to you, is I will get you out of here, if you can retrieve my merchandise for me, no, you can keep my merchandise, but I just want one crate, it's full of gold and jewels that I was delivering to a noble in Ursaea and I'll lose my head if I don't get it back. So how about it? You can have my merchandise and your revenge, if you'll help me get back one single crate?

Edited March 4, 2011 by Kanami

[13th]

The pirates attempted to cheer him on. "Come on, mateys! Let's get revenge on "Captain" Malkatar.

[Kanami]

The merchant smiled, simpletons he thought to himself.

"Oh, I'm very grateful, I knew you men were capable trustworthy men the moment I heard about your feats at sea!" he said, his cheerfulness once again returning.

"I must say though, it'll be hard tracking your captain as he's headed inland, and I must get my gold and jewels, you may not like it, but I've hired a guide of sorts to help you find your traitorous captain, so that he doesn't get away with this" he finished Emphasizing "traitorous" as it had been the topic which had riled the thugs up the most.

A cold calculating smile crossed his lips for only a second before a figure who'd gone unnoticed stepped out from the darkness behind him.

"This is..." he started, only to be cut off by the man.

Edited March 4, 2011 by Kanami

[Zsword]

Shadrak crumpled up the paper, his expression unchanged as he had finished reading. The paper then turned into a wiff of black smoke which dissapated in the breeze. The Raven flutterred over to his shoulder as he pulled out a small, black book with swirling grey patterns on the cover and pen, scowling in pain scratched down a couple of notes before returning the book to wence it came. He looked over to where the rest of the group was converging. Guess someone new is coming along... or something, I guess I'll look into it later. This is more important.

He then reached into his robes and pulled out a small blank sheet of paper and began writing as well, though not quite as rushed as he did with the book. He had a rather contemplative look to his face as he wrote, as if something was troubling him.

[13th]

The Nomad had stepped in, leaving his horse outside. "I am Veil. I am a tracker of sorts. I know the inland well enough, and he promised me some of the gold and jewels. So, I will be the "guide." Follow me when you are ready." He turned, gave a quick nod to the Merchant, and left.