Private Tales Something Amiss

[Lia]

Lia locked somewhat shocked, her eyes bulging as Kaska suddenly grabbed her.

She was about to say something, noticing the quiver still tied to Kaska, but decided it was better not to. Instead she simply patted the woman on the back. "Good."

That was really all that needed to be said.

"As far as the others are concerned." The Sergeant began with a slight smile. "Tell them that we now have a weapon against the Lich. One better than just a sword carried by one person in the group."

It would quiet some of the murmurs at least.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska nodded, rubbing away the grime on her face. "That will help things," she acknowledged, seeing the tact in the woman's choice.

She turned to simply leave to obey orders before stopping, half turning back to Lia as a thought crossed her mind. "...Do you think the... Priest did that to the arrows?" She asked carefully. Or was that her own carelessness taking the arrows from the vault without researching them.

 

[Lia]

"No." She answered honestly.

In truth Lia doubted that the priest had really done much of anything at all. Her fingers pressed slightly against one another, small cracks ringing out from her knuckles as she did so.

"They were in the Vault for a reason." The Sergeant said quiet enough for the others not to hear. "In the Templar section, and they only did that when they touched the Liches...blood."

Did it still count as blood?

Lia wasn't entirely sure about that, but she continued cautiously. "If we had a Templar here we could ask, but I suspect they made them before the War to fight undead."

Legends existed of a great war against the Undead, though the true history of it was lost long ago.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska frowned, rubbing the back of her neck. "I shouldn't have been so careless. I shouldn't have taken them like that, I nearly got us killed." She murmured, the apology very round about but being said none the less.

Regardless, she couldn't help but to feel fortuitous that she did. These were a great weapon to have in their arsonal, the group of 13 abruptly seeming less outclassed with three Templar weapons on them. Speaking of which.

"We should entrust one of them with that sword," she mumbled lowly, glancing around and stepping forward. "I was thinking .... Thier?" She offered, thinking that she wasn't being biased here. Not at all. He was large enough to handle it. Strong enough too. And with the training she had managed to get in with him, he was a good swordsman as well. Not good enough to outdo Lia. But then again. None of them here were.

He was a safe enough bet.

And that would mean he'd have to stick close.

 

[Lia]

Thier was a large man, big enough to wield the claymore. Even then it wouldnt be much of an infantry weapon, but at the very least they would have someone else with a holy weapon. Glancing over towards the rest of the Rangers she considered the others.

Most of them were well rounded combatants, a few great with the bow or a pair of daggers. Thier really was the best choice, not only because of his size but also because he was decent enough with a sword. Lia had beaten him many times in combat, mostly because his way of fighting was bashing with a sword until whatever was in the way simply wasn't anymore. The exact style of combatant that Lia did well against.

"He is a fine choice." That might have been taking it a tad too far.

He was okay.

"I'll let you do that." Lia added. "You'll have to explain it to him thought."

She frowned for a moment. "He's not that smart."

 

[Kaska]

Kaska gasped indignantly, hitting Lia's arm open palmed. "He is too! It was his idea to camp here!" Right. Definitely bias now.

"You're just jealous he came to my side in that explosion," she teased primly, her lips pursed to hide her satisfied smile. Her efforts to gain his attention had picked up in frequency ever since Lia pointed him out, though one could say Kaska was doing so with far more tact than she was known to use in the past.

Her shirt remained tied up and her hands to herself. But smiles were happening. And it wasn't clear if he was beating her at sparring because she struggled lifting the sword, or if because he outclassed her.

A lifetime of sword practice should amount to more than the girl was showing, though.

 

[Lia]

Lia rolled her eyes. She knew the quality of the man, she knew all of the people under her command.

She trusted all of the Rangers, but that didn't mean she hadn't researched all of them as much as she could. There was no way she would trust her life to anyone without knowing the worth of them. That simply wasn't how her world worked. Everyone had to be known, and everyone had to be checked. It wasnt a sinister thing, in fact she mostly did it so she would know how to better command.

"Just explain it slowly." Lia said softly, giving Kaska a rather pateonizing smiled.

She just didn't want the fool throwing the blade away for some reason.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska narrowed her eyes at Lia but let it go, turning to walk briskly away. It was late, dawn was only a few hours away, and Kaska was intent on getting as much sleep as possible before the morning hustle to launch them back into the river.

She brought herself onto the boat, passing on Lia's rumor of them having a better weapon to contend the Lich with. She was sure that by noon the reassurance would be known, and the fact that she had nearly blown them up would be less scandalous and more promising for the group moral.

Come morning she could be found sitting next to Thier, the claymore in her lap as she worked on explaining to him their situation and what they'd need from him.

Frustratingly, Lia was right. He was slow. And it took all her small bit of patience to not snap at him.

 

[Lia]

Lia sat on the railing of the ship, her sword propped up besides her as she watched Kaska with a bemused smile on her face. She tried not to rub it in, mostly for Thier's sake, but she couldn't help feeling just the smallest bit smug.

It was wrong, even mean, but she couldn't help it.

At least one of the other Rangers felt the exact same way she did though, the man chuckling to himself as he walked by Kaska and Thier. The two of them shared smiles, and then they continued as though nothing had happened in the first place. Better not to create any discord.

She didn't want anyone angry.

The Captain came to her only a small while later, hand rubbing his rather full beard.

"Two of the fortresses on your list will be closer together...well...connected in fact. They are a bridge fortress, joined by a river crossing just an hour from here."​

 

[Kaska]

Thier had the claymore and his orders. Kaska didn't linger to practice with him.

She went to Lia, her huff barely contained and the girl all around agitated. She heard the captains words as she approached, her frown deepening.

"But it's only mid day," she interjected. "If we dock now, it will be obvious." She glanced over her shoulder, scanning the treeline. While they hadn't seen anyone trailing after them, there was no doubt in her mind that someone was. Her shoulders rolled, the paranoia clenched there as she looked back to Lia.

"We have to find another way."

 

[Lia]

"Is there an alcove?" She asked the captain, seeing Kaska's point. "Somewhere that we could hide the boat before we reach the fortresses."

A slight frown touched the mans lips.

"Yes...though it would make your trip to the fortress nearly half a days walk."​

Lia cringed slightly at that thought, mostly because it would take up so much time. She well understood why of course, the boat cut down on travel time like nothing else, and if they hid themselves in this alcove she highly doubted there would be trails, roads, or anything like that.

They would travel through fortress. "Do it."

She and the others would just have to walk.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska grimaced, having grown fond of the boat travel. Still, it was her idea. And it was a necessary. Her protests were kept to herself, the girl glancing back to her stuff, where her quiver laid.

"Do you think he'd pick a place so large? Two fortresses, he couldn't even set up in one, choosing from the standpoint of two seems... unwise."

 

[Lia]

Lia shook her head.

"I doubt it." In fact she was almost entirely sure that he would choose such a place. Not only because it was so large, but also because it was also so out in the open. There was also another mitigating factor.

"It was a Templar Keep once." Lia hadn't known at first, but there was only one thing it could be from the Captain's description. "The Ranger's laid siege to it during the War."

Her lips thinned. "I doubt he would stay there, but..."

She didn't think she needed to finish.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska nodded in agreement. "Best be thorough."

She surprised herself with all of this. Two months ago doing into a pointless task-- a day hike to achieve nothing but satisfy thoroughness -- would have gotten no end of protest and flap form her. Now, she couldn't help but to see its importance. It wasn't worth it to assume and be wrong. If they passed up these forts and he turned up in them after all, the whole effort to get here would be pointless.

No, best to be thorough.

"I'll pick a new team." ... And let Thier get some rest.

 

[Lia]

"Good." Lia said as she motioned to the Captain to take his place at the helm of the ship once more.

The trek through the woods would be...a pain to say the least, but it would at least give them an opportunity to move around. Though travel by boat was relaxing, it certainly did have a tendency to make you sit around and do absolutely nothing.

At least for some of them anyway.

"Let's take Sarah." She didn't care about the others so much. "She's probably the best scout we have along."

Lia was good, Kaska was good, but Sarah was an elf. One of the few in the Rangers, and only a half-breed, but some of the talents and grace had transferred over.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska nodded, actually agreeing. Even if she didn't like the girl too much, she could see past her jealousy to know that.. this time, she should pick her.

She departed to do that, and if Lia would watch, she's she Kaska actually get down to the other ranger's level to pass on the order. Well. For all except Sarah. Jealous, jealous, jealous...

Fish were gutted and prepared for cooking as the Captain brought them into the alcove, quick fires made for an even quicker meal to be had before the group of six regathered. It was a larger number this time, a fact Kaska figured they could spare now that they were out of public eye.

She shouldered her quiver, a second set of arrows taken from the supplies and loaded in as well. No more accidental blowing up of fellow rangers.

She nodded to Lia, joining the group. "If these use to be Templar forts, there might still be Templar things inside. Be careful with them. ..Call one of us if you find any weapons."

 

[Lia]

Lia doubted that there was anything left behind. From the brief records she had surveyed most of what had been in the Vault's back at Ared'hol had actually come from this fortress.

In fact, their holy weapons might have been looted from this place.

It was an odd sort of thought, one that struck Lia as she stepped off the boat and glanced at the others. Sarah was standing at the front, listening attentively to Kaska. If the elf held any resentment towards the girl she most certainly did not show it, though Kaska's jealousy was a tad...obvious.

At least to Lia.

"There will be a breach in the wall." She added quickly. "That's how we'll get inside."

She was pretty sure they were on the correct side of the river for that, though the archives hadn't exactly been detailed on that. Still, she was confident enough, and without another set of orders she quickly headed off into the woods.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska was beginning to find walking wasn't so bad if you didn't mind were you were going. I mean. It wasn't like she was excited to go explore ancient Templar fortresses. No. That'd be ludicrous. But it also wasn't like she was on a journey to report back to her father. In fact, she was doing the exact opposite-- every step she took was one mark in the distance between them. And with the report back feeling so far away, and the return to Arillia even further, Kaska was beginning to realize how much freedom she had.

She was still in the beginning phase of a five month trip away from home. She had never been so long or far away, and it made her that much more eager to keep on walking.

The enthusiasm could be seen in her steps, her pace unwavering even as they broached the crumbling fortress wall. All eyes abruptly turned to Lia, one question shining in them all--

What's the plan?

 

[Lia]

The fortress was much larger than she had expected. Easily enough to hold a thousand men or more, the great stone construction seemed to flow and etch itself into the land. At one point it broke off and split across the river where it joined another similar Keep on the other side.

Fir a brief moment she marveled at the Keep. They sure used to build them bigger.

She thought to herself before quietly noticing that everyone was staring at her. Snapping back into reality Lia glanced between the Rangers, frowning for just one moment before she nodded her head and began to dish out orders.

"Kaska take two others and head towards the gate." It would probably be open. "Sarah, climb the walls nearthe riverbank, get a snipers perch. If you see anything make a horned owl call."

It would give them good oversight at least. "The rest of you with me."

 

[Kaska]

"Careful," Kaska murmured in a goodbye, nodding to Lia as she pointed to two and led them out.

Like before, they slipped through the wall and dispersed out, this time sticking closer together. Entering the keep, Kaska could hear her companions softly shuttling each in a room over, the grouping moving throughout the building as a unit. The pulled through, finding nothing, and nodded at each other in silent acknowledgement as they set back out for Lia.

Kaska shook her head at the woman, silently out of breath by the time they crossed paths. "Unless he was dying, I don't see why he would stop again after half a day's journey. Unless you found anything?" She murmured.

 

[Lia]

They met in the courtyard of the fortress, Great stone construction hanging over them as though it were trying its best to intimidate.

One could still see the holes within the walls, huge spots where stone thrown from a trebuchet or catapult had impacted against the wall. It was a marvel, and a show that Rangers had once formed a true army. As odd as that was to think anout really. She blinked slightly as Kaska spoke.

"Half a day for us. Like two or three days by foot maybe longer on horse considering the terrain." Perhaps Kaska was growing too used to bost travel.

Maybe Lia would make her walk on the shore for a little while.

"But no, nothing." She said as she glanced up towards where Sarah had perched herself. "I doubt we'll find anything in the other."

Three down, ten left to check.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska snorted in acknowledgement, frowning at the the overlooked fact of how long this would take without the boat. Were they really that fast?

Huh, she supposed so. She mental note for that in the future, wordlessly gesturing that they start back out again.

She pulled up to Lia's side, watching the others start forward and Sarah lithely slink back to the ground. "At this rate we could be through them all in, what, two weeks?" She murmured to her.

 

[Lia]

Lia nodded, it was why she had wanted the boat in the first place.

It was so much faster. "There's a few which are further inland that will take a day or two to reach, but most of them were built along the Sayve."

For obvious reasons.

The river provided not only access to trade, but a host of other benefits that was difficult to understate. Various organizations had built Keeps here over the years, the Templar and Rangers were really only the tip of the ice berg. A few had been created by local lords, one by a Merchant, and two had no origin written.

Those troubled her.

 

[Kaska]

"Wow," she breathed, for the first time grasping how much research Lia had put into this. Which was saying something, because Kaska had spent near a week in the Library with her before. She had watched the woman struggle.

She casted her a muted impressed look and walked silently behind her, glancing a few times over their shoulder cautiously.

"Maybe we should slow down a little," she mused carefully. "We were given ninety days. No need to do it in ten..."

 

[Lia]

"We're only spending the ten finding the damn thing." Lia said quietly, her lips thinning as she glanced around the inside of the fortress.

For some reason this place made her feel nervous.

"Once we do find them, we have to plan how to attack." Which would undoubtedly be rather difficult. Any occupied Fortress would be difficult to assault, even with twelve Rangers at her back. She was confident they could do it but...it wouldn't be easy. "Plus if we have to call the Templar..."

She sighed. "That time is going to fly."