The Age of Heroes

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Lucy took some time to ponder at what gear he would neat. The woodsman was already fairly well equipped, but even he understood the importance of good gear in the heat of battle. His own bow would serve him well enough when it came to fighting, after all he'd made it himself and improved it's draw weight with time, carving a new bow as he felt his strength and efficiency improve with every hunt. But what would he need? Bowstrings of course, as poor weather or a nasty blade could quickly drive an archer into the corner, unable to use their preferred weapon until they could find a new string.

His blade was also good enough for hunting and carving, but may not stand up in the field of battle. A shortsword would do him well...hopefully there would be someone who could teach him how to use it, but even just getting a feel for it would be better than relying on a hunting knife against an axeman or a spear wielder. Lucy would...just have to hope he wasn't in range for anything, spears would especially be dangerous for Rose's health, and the last thing Lucy wanted was his lifelong friend to meet a sticky end on a spear.

Lucy's attention was brought back to the room by the familiar "thwing" of a string, followed by a hard thunk as arrow reached wood. He glanced over to the mushroom girl...Mion was her name. She had seemingly shot at the general, perhaps intentionally missing or maybe her aim was off. Still, she had done a transgression too great to ignore, even for the simple huntsman. Stalking up the Mion, the huntsman loomed before her, reaching out he quietly grabbed her shoulder, applying a firm grip...

and pushed it slightly down.

"When you shoot, make sure to keep your shoulder down. It sticks out, more power this way. Stronger shot."

after fixing the flaw with Mion's shooting, Lucy returned to making his selection, before grabbing three bow strings, an extra bow, and a short sword. He also took two more quivers, after all...the last thing he wanted was to run out in the middle of a fight.

Content with his inventory, Lucy nodded to the others, and then walked out of the room, heading towards the stables. He wanted to tend to rose, since after all he wasn't quite confident in the stable boys here, he wanted to make sure his friend was being well taken care of.
 
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A rather rude old man! He will see, we will come back heroes.
She set off ignoring the others for the moment and took a look at her own gear.
First she found an empty table and set her six throwing knives out on the table. Not the best shape, a few were chipped, one was rusted, and all were dull. She took a look around the room, and spotted a set of knives. Defiantly the nicest set of knives she had ever seen, each sleek and balanced good. She gripped the handle of one of the knives and flipped it, carefully catching the blades on its sides. Perfect for her. She would leave her current blades here, as a trade of sorts. Not a fair trade, but one none the less.
She gripped her climbing axe at her belt, enjoying the familiar grooves and leather grip. It was her uncles, and she intended on keeping it for him until he was freed of course!
She unrolled a leather pouch on the table and smiled down at it. Her lockpicking set was in pristine condition, a prize she won in a game of cards. Well she didn't win, she lost horrible, but she stole them afterwards. She doubted they even had replacements in a castle. They had no need to break into anything since they own everything.
The rest of her gear was trivial, but the sound of an arrow thudding into something made Victoria freeze, and was already looking for a way out. Instead, she spotted everyone else was tense as Mion fired an arrow between the old mans legs. A daring move. Her eyes darted towards a woman, Elyn, who gripped a dagger at her waist. Lucy took a step towards the girl, and another. He placed a hand on her, and Victoria felt the need to intervene before things escalated. Instead, the Elyn was kind to the old man, and Lucy corrected the Mions form.
Putting her gear back together, she glanced up around the room. About time she started making friends, bond together if they were to fight together. She glanced towards the womans daggers. Victoria gave the woman a smile and nodded towards the blades.
Those a nice blades, where'd you get them?​
 
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Ansgar cocked an eyebrow at the lady wearing the rather fanciful dress as she commented on both Lucy and and his own name. Ansgar, scary? Sure, he supposed, if a man who organized entire villages into running away could be considered scary. But, as other, silent folks came over to the group, he had one thing in mind. No one in this group was really a warrior of any sorts, at all. Hunters, trappers, scouts, and a noble looking lass. That was it. Not a grand army that would upstage the Serephim, that was for sure. Then again, not like there was really warriors anymore, not since the Serephim had come down to bail them out of all their troubles. And failed, the more he thought about it. What if they had deliberately weakened humanity? Dark thoughts indeed. But they would find themselves in front of a pessimistic general, if you could call him that, belittling their odds and condeming their efforts. Ansgar narrowed his eyes at the general, ignoring the arrow that the nobly dressed girl fired. No, he would not stand for that kind of attitude. "Actually, Million, " No, he didn't deserve his title, at all. "All we are 'robbing' is a coward of his trappings that make him feel safe."

"Vannar has better than all this, I've seen it first hand. While you cowered up here, lamenting fate, I was out on the periphery, getting people to safety. So, spare us your empty pessimism. At least we intend to rage against the setting sun, if it can be called that. If we fail, like you expect, I hope your death is quick. It won't be for the rest of Mercen." Ansgar's gaze turning towards the equipment available effectively dismissed Million and his pessimistic, useless attitude. His type died more often than not, they lacked the will to survive, to survive the hardships of escaping all they knew to escape certain death at the hands of Vannar funded bandits or, rarely, even their soldiers. Ansgar searched the armory for something to reinforce his leather armor with, since while the leather would help against some blades and bludgeones, common to bandits, real soldiering weapons would carve him to pieces. Eventually he did come across a thin, light piece of breastplate that fit him well, and he disrobed from the waist up, the wool tunic under his leather attire remaining on to buffer between metal and flesh as he fastened the breastplate into place and redressed, the metal no longer visible or even, thanks to its thinner proportions, apparent under the leather. Maybe he would get lucky against an attack now?

Ansgar had nagging questions about how man handled themselves prior to the Seraphim arriving to personally protect them against the forces of evil, as it were, and there was really only one person he could ask that about. The historian, Thaycin, might have those answers, so he approched her amiably enough, considering the situation, arms resting at his sides. A far less confrontational stance than he had when calling out the General on his pessimism. It was unnecessary at best. "Historian Thaycin, if I might have a moment? I am curious as to how folks who are not Tyrants handled this kind of situation before the Seraphim arrived. Maybe learn a trick from the past to fix things up for the future?"
 
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Tae trailed after the group, still struggling with her shoe but refusing to take it off. A little(a lot) discomfort she could handle; but she hated the looks that she would get, the pity, the questions. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she simply dragged her left leg forward before putting weight on it. While it was definitely not the most effective or most inconspicuous of methods, it made walking easier and allowed Tae to catch up with the group. It also created quite an interesting set of footprints, something Tae would have to admire later.

Tae blinked in surprise at the amount of weapons and armour gathered in the armoury. While the armoury certainly wasnt filled, it still had at least twice as many items as the nearest traing post back home, and most were better quality. While she struggled to fathom how someone would need more armour than this, the old man decided to say exactly what he thought of the group trying to supply themselves. Tae sneered at the old man, a deep frown furrowing on her face as she stiffened; already she was feeling a sense of protectiveness for the hastily cobbled group, and a wave of ire swept through her, the derision in his tone stinging like a slap to the face. He was quickly met with verbal parries from the others, and Tae struggled to keep her mouth shut; ultimately, fear of both drawing attention to herself and inflaming the situation made her turn away, eyes still bright with anger.

Still, hearing everyone talk about their sacrifices and goals soured her tongue and curled her shoulders with shame. Some were true heroes; thinking of their nation, sacrificing for the good of the people. Others were uplifting, or helpful, or efficient. And here she was, thrown in among the lot, lost among the others who had carved out a life in the wild and only going through the motions to find one person. She didn't deserve to be here; she definitely didn't deserve to siphon any more of the country's resources(especially not when she already had her hunting weapons and supplies, and cured leather armour to protect her from the beasts in the forests of her home). Tae stepped back and let everyone else take what they needed, eyes trailing after one man who abruptly left and wishing to do the same.
 
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Thaycin scribed the King's final words, the last to follow the line of heroes following Jonathon. In that delicate glimmer of a moment, even someone as she began to believe in, not the words, but the King's energy, the way he was so sure...

...

...It was not to last. How easy was it for a King to rally, the way Million once must have rallied around him. Thaycin had no armor for his words, they were that of a man weathered. His resentment, displaced. The historian understood, she knew the man from before, she could not help but feel dismay as he locked eyes and mirrored what her Master had said, albeit more harshly.

Duty was duty, there was no turning from this task despite anything she might feel...

Which, at this moment, was a particular sort of bemusement as the field-flower spoke. This one will give me wrist-ache... The sides of her lips tugged up, writing what she could. She paused a moment, taken by surprise when she-of-the-mushroom-cap addressed Thaycin.

"You needn't thank me," she bowed lightly nonetheless, in return thanks.

It was then she responded to the worn man, "General Million, I will heed your words, but I must see my duty through."

Not before a breath's moment, she was writing again. It was the woman of flame hair, and as the words were scribed, Thaycin considered them, they rang with a sort of temperence. Casting a glance to see Million's reaction, she caught Elyn's eye, who gave her a purposeful look.

That was twice now. Though Thaycin knew better to show it, she was lightly taken aback. Did they not see her as nothing but a pair of eyes? Wasn't that how... she tensed, her train of thought broken. But the dark look on the scarred one did not escalate to violence. No, odd... What a man of few words. He would make up for the amount she'd be spending shorthanding other's words. Both he, and the smaller woman, spoke sparingly. Another woman did not speak at all.

Or so far it seemed.

The other man was not so forgiving of Million's words. She had finished up the last cross to end her ciphered recording, when she was hailed by name, taking her attention. She nodded, and listened to him carefully.

"So far as I've read, before the Seraphim, the people did as we," she indicated the heroes, "do now, they relied on themselves. Or more accurately, on the those of the oppressed whom were willing to take a stand. In a way, close to what we have now," she gestured about the group, "But in these same texts, before the Seraphim, the frequency of tyrants were not as rampant."
 
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The general didn't even blink at Mion's display with the bow as the girl aimed it at his head. Nor did he flinch when it was fired in between his legs. His eye scanned the group properly for the first time, taking in their reactions to him and his words. He took in their replies and insults silently, noting when one left the room without responding at all. At Elyn's words he turned to face her, arms rising expectantly, until her final few sentences when they dropped back to his sides. His frown deepened and his teeth were bared as a dark expression overcame his face.

"A thief, who thinks arming the poor and untrained will do anything other than make more innocent corpses. A woman, no, a child who thinks to play at war. Another thief, settling her conscience by trading in her useless gear." He walked over and stood in front of Tae, barely a hands breadth between them, "A cripple who probably can't even run straight. A historian who's spent her life reading and writing books." Finally he walked up to Ansgar. "And a boy hero," he mocked, "who think he can tell a man's story from a single glance. Tell you what boy." He stabbed a finger into the man's chest, "Why don't you try commanding an army where every soldier has given up hope. Try convincing a king who cares for nothing but his own comforts that people are robbed and murdered by bandits every day because his soldiers are armed with pitchforks. Try spending decades watching as your country falls further and further into hell and knowing you can do nothing but watch your own soldiers die failing to stop it. Because every sword you lose is a sword a bandit picks up. Because every time you give a man a spear you have to worry he'll desert and turn on his own country, because its better pickings to fight against it than with it. When I die it will be with my nation's name on my lips, falling down on the stairs of the throne room giving my life for a king who killed us all. Of all these people here you look like you've seen the most. But you're just as immature and useless as the rest."

The man turned and walked back to where he had been standing when the group had first arrived. "All of you get out now." There was something dark and dangerous in his tone, it was clear he would follow through with his threat, "Before I have you thrown out of the city or hanged for thievery."

~***~

Outside at the stables Rose was standing alongside seventeen other horses, all saddled up and ready to go, though she stood a little apart. They had been split into two groups of nine and eight, the lead horse of each group had a lance affixed to their side. The stable boys were all moving about, making sure straps were tight and shoes were attached firmly. One was currently inspecting Rose's hooves one by one. Between the two groups stood a pair of soldiers who were happily chatting with each other. Both of them were dressed in blue and white leathers with a short sword at their hip and a shield on their back.

Neither would pay any attention to Lucy until the man approached Rose to take care of her. At this point one of them would turn from their conversation and wave to Lucy, "Hoh there hero. You the owner of that horse? We weren't sure which group she was going in so we kept her separate. Mind telling us if it's an even split between the two missions or is one group getting some luck with the numbers?"

The other man flashed Lucy a smile, "Greg and I here are the guides for the two groups so you guys don't get lost on the way there. He'll be with the Dreadwood, me Vannar." he held out a hand to shake, "Lieutenant Nesset Hoylen. Hope you guys are feeling good about this. There's a lot of people out there counting on you."
 
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Lucy said nothing at first. The huntsman examined rose closely, raising his eyebrows in suprise at how well she had been attended to. His mother had always said that city stable boys were a bunch of good for nothing thieves who wanted to mistreat horses and wanted nothing but your coin. Lucy's mother had been a fairly wise woman, but as far as Lucy could tell Rose was pretty content. She whinnied happily as Lucy brushed her mane, before the archer turned back to face the two scouts.


"The groups are even."


After briefly speaking, Lucy attached one of his extra quivers to Rose's side for easy access on the move. His back quiver worked great sure, but having more ammo not stored away while on the move was useful. It also wasn't a lot of weight, which was fortunate. Rose had great endurance and also speed but her lack of armor as well as breeding meant that she was more of a quick horse than tough. Compared to the warhorses, she wouldn't be able to take much. Fortunately for Lucy, Rose was pretty smart for a horse, and could handle herself...relatively well in a tough situation.

After finishing his attachment, Lucy spun around and gave a short bow to the two guides. "We are no heroes, simply people trying to do good. Just as yourselves are." Lucy gave both the men a warm smile. "I am Lucius, traveling with the Vanaar group. It is a pleasure." He looked between the two men, wondering what their specilties were. If they were guides, they knew the areas...was Nesset a local of Vanaar? Lucy would have to ask him sometime. For now though he could wait, there were horses to attend to after all. Nodding to the two men, Lucy returned to his checklist making sure Rose was ready to get going, He didn't want her being without whatever she needed.
 
Tae stood her ground, glaring defiantly at the man with teeth bared in the faintest of snarls, eyes simmering with pent up aggression. She steeled herself against soured breath and words turned bitter, simply closing her eyes and breathing through her mouth until the old man directed his misplaced resentment elsewhere. Tae wiped the spit from her cheeks and sighed quietly, giving the man one last glare before turning on a dime and leaving once the old man had finished his spiel and basically kicked them out. Tripping slightly on the threshold, Tae cursed, face prickling with embarrassment, before heading out as fast as she could, trying to distance herself from the situation(and the people).

It was sad, really. A man chained by his kingdom, serving under a ruined king. Tae wasn't really big on politics so she didn't know the specifics of what the king had done, but the state of the kingdom and the entire situation with the seraphim and the king didn't exactly scream competence. Still, that didn't mean he could lash out at the first target to cross his path(and probably the last). If they perhaps did succeed... Tae allowed a small smirk to grace her lips. To be able to rub it into the old man's face was worth any danger they would face.

Tae's mostly aimless meandering seemed to be leading her towards the stales, if the smell was any indication; indeed, it seemed to be particularity strong today. Wrinkling her nose and squinting against the sun, she faltered when she saw the man who had walked out conversing with a couple of men, surrounded by the hubbub and... Tae's eyes widened as she took in the multitude of horses, all strong and sturdy and quite obviously bred for some battle-related purpose. Shuffling in place for a little bit as she debated whether or not to approach, Tae ultimately inched closer; if they hadn't seen her yet, they probably would when she tried to hobble away.

"Are these horses... For us?" Tae called out, voice hoarse and slightly bashful. Her eyes strayed to the horses, wondering if they were being assigned horses, or otherwise. She hadn't had much practice with a horse; they were expensive to buy and expensive to care for, and at too much of a risk in Wendeer-infested forests. There were a few at the trading posts due to the established mountain paths cutting through, but the amount of times she had ridden a horse could most likely be counted on one or two hands.

"I'm afraid I'm... I've got no practice. With horses, that is."
 
The question from Victoria gave Elyn pause. She realized after a moment had passed, that her look of confusion was not a fair trade for the friendly smile and cleared her throat. "Ah- these blades? They were on the racks- there are more of them if you wish to have some. I intend to distribute them to the townspeople," she explained, thinking the woman referred to the swords in her bundle rather than the daggers in their sheaths on her back. The answer to the actual question was hardly one a hero would offer, so perhaps the misunderstanding was for the best.

The general's sour retort did little to earn him some sympathy from the red-haired woman, who in fact had to work hard to keep the smile from her face. She shifted her weight to her toes and bounced almost imperceptibly as if ready for a thrust- though in this case more verbal than physical. And when the man finally broke his tantrum to offer a threat of hanging them, Elyn simply could not resist. "Oh? You'd arrest the king's chosen heroes of Mercen? You... and what army?"

And then she was gone, leaving the room with an amused smirk. No it was not particularly heroic to kick a man when he was down, but then she was not originally the one to apply that adjective to her own motivations. She was here to atone, and given the difficulty of the tasks ahead, what was one more minor grievance to add to the pile?

Back into the courtyard outside the keep and Elyn was feeling pretty good about their mission. Not that they might succeed, oh no. But it would certainly be fun trying. Except... for all the killing. Fighting humans once more, preying on her own people- though, these were not 'her' people, she supposed. It occurred to her that the soldiers of this 'tyrant' might very well believe themselves the heroes. She vowed to find out more rather than engaging in wanton slaughter. Perhaps this entire standoff might be solved by words instead of blood. It was a thought that made her smirk at her own hopeful outlook. Only time would tell.

With no more cause to wait about and endure more of the king's pleasant hospitality, she ventured for the stables in hopes of finding a convoy preparing to set forth. Or even a wagon. Instead she found horses. Quite a few of them. The sight brought about mixed feelings in the woman. The journey would be long and the mounts could swiften it. But then the risks were still many; they could lose one and without a spare risk being slowed. They could attract additional attention; where a column of armed horsemen went, word of the spectacle no doubt preceded. And worse yet...

Elyn overheard Tae's dilemma and gave her a hopefully supportive smile. "Well then, the next few days may find you aching and stiff. Bring enough mead to lessen the pain!" she suggested helpfully. Though then again a rider both novice and inebriated might be even worse.

At least their guides were far less resigned to defeat than their esteemed general- optimism must be inversely proportional to rank in this army. "We will feel far better when the deed is done. For now let us dwell not on hope, but on determination for the task at hand." She did not speak in a dour way so as to dash Lieutenant Hoylen's morale, in fact she offered a hint of a smile to the two guides. "How far does your guidance extend? We can surely use any and all able-bodied men such as yourself to help us carry out our mission." She found herself holding back a laugh as she refused to trot out a line about making it 'worth his while' or some other similar line from a bawdy tavern song.
 
It took Mion a second or two to relax when Lucy came around to help her with her posture. For a scary looking guy, Lucy's name was perfect in an odd way. He was serene and adapted very well, almost like a flower hidden in the background. After the correction, Mion felt a stronger curiosity in her teammates. She was about to thank Lucy, but Thaycin's formal and polite words distracted her. Mion smiled brightly and hugged the bow with one arm as she lifted her dress to walk towards the old man. The others followed suit and began to criticize the man. Mion realized her mistake in speaking out like that. She fidgeted with her dress as she listened to him rant about how pathetic their team was.

At the very end, he managed to send the team off by threatening to have them hanged for stealing. Elyn left the old man with a nasty remark as to how feeble his threats were to her, leaving the room without anything good to say. Mion's guilt rose in her throat, "I...flowers would look nice," She blurted out. Mion covered her mouth with her hands and quickly waltzed to the side. She pulled out a few blue daisies from her dress and placed it on the wooden table. Heeding his warning, she left the room.

Mion watched as everyone filed up near the stables for horses. Lucy was talking with two other men about his horse and the others, "Lucy! You have a horse?" Her eyes sparkled with excitement as her bright red hair danced side to side. It didn't matter if Mion found the horse he was speaking about, she was referring to all of the horses, "They are so cute..! I wonder if my stuff can be carried..." Mion still had a carriage. She also had her friend waiting for her, "I need to go back to my carriage and get my luggage..hmm.." She had a choice to carry the carriage with them or to bring the essentials.

As she played with her hair, she listened in on the conversation involving the team's cripple. The mushroom woman grinned and wrapped an arm around Tae's, "Don't you worry! I'll find a nice one for you." Dragging the girl along, she hummed and examined the horses. Somewhere near the middle was a brown horse with dark patches. The horse had a small spot of white in between his eyes and small scars on his face, "This one!" He was larger than the others and much more scarier looking. Mion nudged the girl closer and left her side to go back to the group.
 
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Ansgar would have expressed his appreciation for the information provided, the noted lack of tyrants before the arrival of Seraphim was oddly fitting, considering the situation now. Men stopped standing up for themselves and relied on a finite, very destroyable force of, albeit powerful, beings, and they lost the means to defend themselves. Hell, he himself had been able to do little more than lead people away from danger. Now he would be riding full tilt, literally in this case, straight for one of the most dangerous places within the realms of man. Of course, the General did not take kindly to their words, but for the work that he had done, Ansgar never professed to be a good man. He was just good at running and dragging people along for the ride. But, they had been dismissed on grounds of being threatened with being hung, or worse, for thievery and Ansgar had little else to readily say to the man, so he departed after the others, letting his gaze linger on the beaten man for a few moments as he turned to leave. He might be right, sure, but that didn't mean that he couldn't go out there and try. Besides, if this Tyrant was going to best them, dangerous as he sounded, he doubted some light breastplate and miscellaneous blades would really tip the scales much farther. But if the man had really bested numerous Seraphim, where did that leave them?

It was possible that the Seraphim had tried, solitary, one at a time. Perhaps that was the strength of heroes past, not individual skill and strength, though they had likely had that in ample supply. It was the fact that most heroes had allies and other followers to support them. Or they had cheated and pulled off something their enemies didn't think possible, or that they would do. Ansgar was no hero, despite the nickname that the General had so venemously applied. Boy Hero, hell, he was no hero. Just some guy who got lucky enough times to make a name for himself, apparently, and run his way right into more trouble. Arriving at the stables, he found the rest of the 'heroes' gathering. Ansgar, personally, hated riding on horseback. Much preferred moving on foot, he was solely in control of where he went then. That, and horses tended to not like him. Oh, sure, he knew how to ride. But he didn't like it, and the horse didn't like him riding either.

"So, how many of us actually know how to ride, and the horses in question don't rebel at the idea?" Best to figure out who could ride, and who couldn't ride, and who could do it well. Have the good riders carry along the ones that couldn't, and leave the ones that were tolerable, but not good, to fend for themselves. Which included him, so he didn't feel too bad about the matter. Of course, any of the immediate horses near Ansgar seemed to shy away from him, he was certainly not an animal person, at least when it came to domesticated ones. The wild beasts seemed to be more tolerable, oddly enough, but he didn't dwell on the thought. He would likely choose a horse that didn't just try to move away at approach, regardless of appearances, and move on from there. Beggers can't be choosers, after all. And they were not in a position to choose, to put that mildly.
 
A sort of heat grabbed her heart, threatening to spill out of her mouth. And it wasn't for the words aimed at her, rather, the way he belittled the others, as if he had never once been green himself. Thaycin's mouth twitched downwards. "You've lost so much already, General. Why now do you barrel forward to lose your respect?" she said evenly. Taking a sharp breath in, Thaycin exhaled slowly. She didn't need to be told twice to get out, and left.

...

Outside, she felt a pang of regret, losing herself. But he knew better, he knew pushing against them for no fault of theirs would incite such a reaction in her. She made a slight wave-off gesture with her hand. It was the past now. And she could no apologize to a man who so easily threw it into another's face.

No, he hated his own self. Anything she said would allow him to lash out. How long would he last that way? And what shame... He had been so much more in the past.

Taking another breath, Thaycin caught scent something familiar. The mare from earlier...? No, this one was different. Similar, but not alike. A warmth touched the small smile on her lips, reaching out to brush the back of her hand against this different mare's face, before returning to the task at hand. Getting on the horse.

The mare from earlier was in the line. Had that not been the case, Thaycin would have been tempted to claim the warm mare. But she knew it was not any horse she'd seen raised here, it was likely the boy's horse who stood by her. She quickened her pace, making her way over to the horse she'd rode on earlier the same day. As she got on, she heard the one of the hero's question. "I know to ride. And I can teach simple steps for those who may not know." When she said simple, she meant that. No more than to get on, a proper way to sit and use reins, and what to do should one fall. The rest was up to luck and how quickly the new rider caught on.
 
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Million didn't reply to Thaycin's words or to Mion's minor attempt at peace, nor did he react in any way to either event. When the door closed as the last hero left the room there was silence and everything was still. And there was none to see the droplets of water splash on the wooden table beside the flowers.

~***~

"Bring your horse over to the smaller group then." Nesset told Lucy, waving him forward as he inspected Rose. The two guides then waited in silence, not sure what else there was to say given the other man's quietness, until he spoke again. It was then the second guide made to speak, but Lucy's attention quickly returned to his horse and the man closed his mouth feeling the conversation was over. Nesset turned to the other guide and gave him a shrug. The pair split up and moved to the heads of their respective groups, waiting for the other heroes to arrive.

The rest of the Vannar group arrived not too long after. The two guides let the heroes chatter amongst themselves now they were more numerous, content to simply listen. They picked up enough from the conversation to know a bit of instruction was needed for some members. With a nod from Nesset the other guide disappeared into the stables for a moment, before re-emerging with a mounting block. "Alright everyone, listen up." Nesset called out, "Since it sounds like a few of you could use some help we'll run through the process quickly."

He gestured towards the other guide who had placed the mountain block on his horse's left side between the legs. "If you're a beginner you can use the block to get up easily. Put your foot in the stirrup firmly, then swing your other leg over the side. Once you're settled on top find your balance, keep your back and neck straight. When you start moving make sure you squeeze your legs inwards, you want to hug the horse with your knees. Don't let them splay out to the sides even if it feels more natural." Every time he spoke the other guide performed the action. "Ok, try it yourself now but if you need any help just call one of us over. Or you guys can partner up, whichever you prefer. Everyone heading to Vannar get a horse on the left, everyone heading to the Dreadwood grab one on the right. Make sure you get on the right horse."

Satisfied with his explanation Nesset turned his attention to Elyn, who had earlier asked him a question. "Afraid not. I won't even be coming with you all the way to the border. You don't want to risk being caught by Vannar scouts with a Mercen soldier with you. Without me they'll probably just try to rob you. If they see a Mercen's colours they'll charge with lances. Plus we're both needed back here as soon as possible. The army doesn't really have resources to spread around you know?" He gave her a friendly bump with his elbow, "I'm sure you guys will be able to handle anything you come across anyway."

Meanwhile the second guide had made his way over to where Tae stood, abandoned by Mion next to one of the more experienced looking animals. Despite its battle scarred looking exterior the animal had recently returned from its medical vacation and was very calm. "Figured you could use some extra help getting up the first time." he said, flashing her a smile, and he couldn't completely hide his quick glance down towards her missing leg. He offered both the mounting block and his own shoulder as support for her.

Nesset, realising that everyone who had arrived so far was in his group, made his way up to the front horse and leapt on. "The horses are trained, so barring any accidents they should be complacent and follow orders." he said, replying to Ansgar without looking at the man as he examined the group, "Alright once everyone is up we can head out!" He looked down at his fellow guide, "Hope your lot turn up soon friend. Till then, good luck."
 
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[BCOLOR=rgba(255, 255, 255, 0)]Tae blinked owlishly at Elyn, unsure if she was joking or not. "Mead? But I don't ha-" stopping in the middle of the sentence with a soft grunt, glaring at Mion and tensing when the teenager grabbed her by the arm. Tae initially refused to budge and was a split second away from prying her arm away, but the strange girl was surprisingly insistent and that, combined with her skewed balance, nearly sent her falling flat on her face before she resigned herself to following dutifully, lips pressed in a stern line and a faint scowl of displeasure etched into her brow.[/BCOLOR]

Tae glanced apprehensively at the large horse, gaze perusing the scarred muzzle and battle-hardened body, muscle and sinew quite defined and rippling with every movement the rather large horse made. She stared at Mion for a second, hoping she was joking; but the young woman didn't seem to be teasing, or at least any more so than usual, and Tae found herself at a loss for words, eyes flicking back and forth between the two.

"You're kidding, I hope." Tae muttered incredulously, eyes scanning the rest of the horses. "Surely there is one... Smaller? And less... Fearsome?" She gave the scars littering the horse's face a nervous glance.

Her misgivings were not assuaged in the slightest with the impromptu riding lesson the Mercen soldiers gave, and she turned to the horse with a grimace. She was not looking forward to getting on, or riding, or being next to the horse, not at all. Slowly stepping onto the small block, she gripped at the saddle until her knuckles turned white, she paused when the soldier came over and offered to help. Tae's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and it took her a few seconds to form an adequate reply.

"Oh." She said intelligently. "Uh, thank you." Gripping onto his shoulder, she slowly balanced on her left leg -damn this unstable boot!- and quickly slotted her foot in and heaved herself up, her left foot clunking clumsily against the horse's side in her haste. The horse shuffled forward a step and Tae let out an involuntary squeak, surprised by the sudden movement and just a bit terrified as her left foot still wasn't in the stirrup.

Five unsuccessful tries later, Tae growled and cursed under her breath, irritated just enough to deter her shame for the moment. Reaching down, she ripped off the left boot, rolling up the pliant fur and leather, taking out the cloth stuffing the inside of the shoe, before shoving both into her pack. She was able to secure her left "foot" much easier this time, and she avoided meeting everyone's eyes as she simply waited for everyone to get ready, completely tense in her saddle; no matter how often the soldiers said that the horses were "well-trained" Tae would still have her misgivings, slightly convinced that the horse would just buck her off if she didn't sit right(which she clearly wasn't doing at the moment, but whatever).
 
Although not unfamiliar with the process of mounting a horse or riding, Elyn decided she could profit from a reminder and thus rendered her attention unto the Lieutenant. She recognized her own hubris, but her previous experience and maintained agility had her convinced she needed no assistance from a block to hop up. That didn't stop the lop-sided grin on her face as she imagined a spectacular failure and impending embarrassment as justice for her unfounded certainty.

She gave a final look toward the Dreadwood team, wishing them luck in their task- though at this point it occurred to her that she didn't know which undertaking would prove more impossible, really. The words of Nesset returned Elyn's gaze to their guide and she offered an easy smile and an unperturbed shrug. "All very sound reasoning, but your contribution will no doubt be missed." As was her way, there were several meanings to what she'd said, but the delivery was in a gentle enough tone to take the potential sting from her words.

Choosing among the horses for one of her own, she settled on a gray rouncey with darker coloration on its legs and neck. The mare's body was lithe but muscular and Elyn approached her with a calm confidence and gentleness, giving her time to acclimate. Only once she'd settled down did Elyn put her foot through the stirrup and slung her weight upward and over, bundle of swords placed on the saddle in front of her. She'd have to find civilians to distribute them to along the way, or at least someone to task with handling that job. She was sure they'd spend a night or two at an inn on the journey, so it shouldn't prove a difficult undertaking.

With her horse under control and most of the unsteadiness from a couple years out of a saddle quickly fading, Elyn gave a nod to Nesset and guided her rouncey to stretch its legs with a quick circle. "All is well, and I am ready to depart!" she confirmed, her excitement matching the slight bounce put on her from the mare's gait.
 
[BCOLOR=transparent]COLLAB BETWEEN TERRA AND AIDEE[/BCOLOR]​


[BCOLOR=transparent]As Mion finished up with her recommendation to her new teammate. She watched as the other guides lined up at the front, creating a semi-circle. Everyone's eyes were on them except for Mion's. It turns out that they were making an announcement about how to ride a horse. Mion clearly believed that she was going to be able to ride a horse without the help. She took a step back from the semi-circle and crept her way over to the only person with his own horse, "Psst! Hey, Lucy!" She tugged on the man's sleeve, "Can I get a ride to my carriage?" She covered her face with her hands, "I have...apples! For your cute friend!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~~~~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lucy had been silently paying attention to the two guides discuss their plans after mounting onto Lucy and trotting over to his designated position. Nesset and his friend were guiding the others to mounting their horse, and Lucy had to raise a brow at some of the others failing attempts. It was interesting to see folk who had such trouble with horses. Animals had always been a second nature in his own life...he couldn't count the times Lucy had saved his own skin. [/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]A soft tugging on his arm brought Lucy out of his thoughts, and he looked down to see the face of the mushroom hat girl named Mion. After hearing her plea, Lucy's only response was to reach down with his arm to assist pulling her onto Lucy. After the girl had caught her balance and gave him any sort of affirmation that she was ready, Lucy would set off away from the group, as he quickly gave an explanation to Nesset.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Going to pick up her ride."[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]After they had made some distance, Lucy turned around to check his riding partner was still there.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"You ride well." Was the only thing he said.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~*~*~*~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I had a couple of animals back home!" She chirped up with a happy tone, "But uh...I think you're the one steering the horse." She gave him a blank stare before clasping her hands together with a smile, "I don't remember thanking you for the tips!" Mion fiddled with her mushroom hat as her embarrassment ignited her face, "I want to try it out once we get to the carriage or something!"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Mion figured that she could change her clothes once she gets to the wagon. Or she could at least make adjustments to her long dress, "Her name is Rose, right?" Mion began to gush about the horse while speaking in a rapid pace, "She is such a cutie! How long have you had her? I wanna feed her all the apples I have! Does she like anything else? Maybe sugar cubes? I don't have any sugar cubes...I think I have carrots! You're really quiet, you know?"[/BCOLOR]


[BCOLOR=transparent]~~~~~~~~[/BCOLOR]
[BCOLOR=transparent]Lucy let out a soft chuckle at Mion's words. The mushroom woman was certainly a talkative sort. Rose seemed to be quite comfortable with her however, so Lucy supposed she must have been a good one at heart. "Think nothing of it. Shooting is a good skill, you're good at it yourself." Lucy looked down at Rose and patted her mane for a moment before continuing on. "Rose, yes. I raised her since she was a foal when I was a child. It was an...interesting experience. As for her favorite food...apples are her favorite, although I am sure she would love carrots as well." Lucy then turned around and rose a brow. "I hadn't thought of it, am I that quiet? You're quite talkative yourself you know." He gave her a warm smile before returning his attention to the path ahead.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"So how far off is your cart?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~*~*~*~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"It is…" She drew out her words while her mind wandered around to remember where she placed the carriage, "...right there!" Mion pointed towards the carriage with no driver or a horse pulling it, "Where did...Ravenman go? Fuck. I knew I shouldn't have trusted a thief…" Mion rubbed her head and wondered if Ravenman took any of her supplies from the carriage. Without much of a warning, she leaned to one side and dropped down from the horse. Mion immediately ran towards the carriage. She quickly scaled the side and peeked her head in the carriage. Her boxes were still intact. It seemed like the fellow only took the horse.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Too bad the horse is gone...I was supposed to return it.." Mion put her hands on her hips and hmphed, "What am I going to do now?"[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]~~~~~~~~[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Lucy gazed upon the scene in his usually silence, scanning for this "Ravenman" that Mion had said stolen her horse. The circumstances were strange, but Lucy wasn't interested in ruthlessly questioning the woman as to what had just happened. He continued to ride Rose forward until she was next to the suddenly horse-vacant cart.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"I may have an idea."[/BCOLOR]



[BCOLOR=transparent]A short while later, Rose was steadily pulling Mion's cart towards the gate, with Lucy sitting out in the front guiding his horse with the reigns. He looked back towards Mion.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]"Rose here should be able to pull the cart, she's done harder jobs back home." After finishing speaking, he turned his head to wait for the others. The cart may slow them down in the longrun, but it'd also prove valuable for transportation.[/BCOLOR]

[BCOLOR=transparent]Plus, Mion did seem to have most of her stuff in it.[/BCOLOR]
 
Eighty Two Days until the Eclipse​

"There they are." Nesset said, raising a hand to point across the plain. A kilometre or two distant the sprawling encampment of the Vannar army was visible. It was not even pretending to hide its intent, as the majority of the camp was situated over the Mercen border. Pickets surrounded the perimeter and regular patrols on horseback scouted the surrounding area. "Don't be too fooled by their apparent diligence," he continued, "They know there's no threat from the Mercen army. They're not looking for enemies. They're looking for targets."

"I'd recommend you guys take a bit of a detour, head a lot further south before you go west. Use the woods as cover to avoid their scouts." he said, pointing towards the heavy tree cover, "It might take a bit longer but you'll make it there without the risk of being caught. If you want to go a bit faster you can try cutting directly southwest towards the border fort. But if a patrol finds you be ready to fight once thy spot your weapons. They'll be looking to rob you of everything valuable you have. A tyrant breeds no chivalry in their ranks." He took in a deep breath and turned back to face the heroes, "This is also where I unfortunately leave you guys. I would like to help, but orders are orders and I'm needed elsewhere."

He turned his horse around and trotted forward to come up alongside the group, "Make sure you all come back alive. And I'll make sure we've got a victory feast prepared. Bigger than the one Greg throws his group." He threw them a quick salute and then kicked his horse into gear, galloping off. The previous night he had given them a map of the border area to follow in his absence. It was currently in Lucy's possession.
 
Victoria nervously glanced at the others. Some of them might be inching for a fight, particularly that Ansgar. He looks like the fighting type. Mion seemed a bit... childish, and might edge towards the quicker route as well. Victoria hoped Tae would choose the safer route due to her amputated leg. Victoria caught a glimpse of it when they were riding earlier, and imagined how hard it would be with it in a direct fight. The others were an open gamble, however, and might be as impatient as Mion. She quickly spoke as Nesset rode off.
Perhaps we should go use the trees as cover. Not too keen on locking blades this early in on an assassination attempt. If someone were to get away and inform this tyrant of a group of armed travelers heading his direction, he might get the idea something is up.
The thief nervously fidgeted on the horse, glancing towards some of the other members of her party, wondering what their thoughts were.
No doubt we could take them, but their are to many variables at play, many not in our favor. Besides, I want to be there for that victory feast.
She continued before giving a faint smile at her little joke. Looking off towards the Vannar encampment, Victoria was praying in silent that someone wasn't looking back towards her. Glancing to the trees, she felt safer. Defiantly would be slower however, especially on horse back. ​
 
Tae's pretty sure that she's so bruised and battered from riding that the lower half of her body shut down. She feels nothing but a strange, prickly numbness in her thighs, and she's has no idea if that means her legs have just fallen asleep or they simply refuse to bruise any more. Her lower back, however, is currently going through a world of pain; she's not even sure she can successfully twist her waist without cracking something, and slouching over is definitely out of the question. Her horse(that she's grown to begrudgingly accept, his surprisingly mild temperament making him quite likeable) probably doesn't appreciate her sitting like she has seven sticks shoved up her ass, but doesn't seem to be complaining. Much.

So when they finally stalled, Tae felt a small grin break out on her face and had a suddern urge to celebrate, something she felt absolutely horrible about a split second later because, hello? They were literally arriving upon a twisted, tyrannical, invading army outpost. Tae frowned at the army like a mother would to their misbehaving son, lip curled in faint contempt. This entire tyrant thing was giving her home a terrible name, was acting like a stain upon the populace; she couldn't wait to get rid of it. Them. Whatever. Half paying attention to Nesset while her eyes bore longingly into the familiar verdant forests of her home, Tae spoke up almost immediately, uncharacteristically eager.

"The woods. I know them, and we can't really afford skirmishes right now." She glanced pointedly around their ragtag group, before looking to the expansive and relatively polished Vannar camp.
 
Lucy had spent most of the time looking down at the Map after it was given to him, scanning it to see if there were any paths that might be useful to them. After Tae had spoken however, he looked up from it. "I agree with her." He said with a nod towards the woodswoman. "Going past the camp isn't worth the risk. Forests are better." Lucy knew they were on a time crunch, but to sneak past the camp would require near perfect stealth, and between the cart attached to Rose and the giant liability that was Tae's foot the group would likely be caught, and even if they survived a fight wounds would just slow them down.

He looked back towards Mion.

"We'll have to ditch the cart if the forest paths get too thick. You'll ride on Rose with myself." After speaking with Mion, Lucy returned to quietly studying the map. His own forests were far from this place, but even then there were similarities in trees and groupings. Maybe he'd even know some of the wildlife here...it would be useful. Until then however, Lucy made it his goal to study the map and memorize the features. If they ever lost the map, or it was damaged beyond comprehension Lucy wanted to make sure he'd be able to always have some sort of rudimentary idea of where they actually were.

Getting lost in a hostile country wasn't exactly in the battle plan after all.
 
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