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[Chevaleresse]

~OOC thread~

The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the Third Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose over the Spine of the World. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.

The wind rushed down the slopes of the mountain as if fleeing some great horror. It flitted past Cairhien, nimbly weaving through towers that still bore the fresh scars of war. Down the River Alguenya it fled, leaving the fair city to pass over merchants and weary wanderers as they traveled to their numberless destinations. It soared over the beautiful city of Caemlyn, proud and prosperous, and ran down the road, where it tweaked the green-fringed cloak of a woman with red hair and an ageless face, causing her to pull it more tightly around herself where she sat on her horse.


"It's unseasonably cold. I hope the winter doesn't come as soon as it seems to be threatening to."

"Andor's farmers have been through worse. Winters have been harsh before; if it comes to it, people know how to make do." The man riding next to the woman didn't so much as glance at her as he spoke, instead scanning the area continuously. Despite his age, his movements seemed to carry some lethal grace to them, like a predator always poised to strike.

"If you say so, Sefton. I've never had a Talent for predicting the weather, anyway." She paused, thinking of something. "Where are Hayate and Ercole? It's taking them far too long to get back from their errands."

"You would know better than I. Eirin, this business of secret-keeping doesn't make my job easier."

"The same goes for bringing up secrets in public," Eirin admonished. "Now, what was this favor you wanted to do for Alvienne and Lydia?"

"Just a bit of exercise for the newer mercenaries. I don't feel comfortable letting any sisters wander about the countryside with untested steel to protect them." He lowered his voice further before continuing. _{"Especially a White sister, of all things."}

"I see. Well, I suppose I do share some of your concerns, even if I think you're underestimating Lydia. She may not be the most deft with her weaves, but she's not weak, and I think her arms might suffice where the Power may not." She chuckled. "Some would say it's unseemly, but I do regret never being able to get her onto the topic of how she stays like that while practically living in the library."

"The weight of knowledge can be literal." Eirin snorted. "Leaving that aside, it seems we're pausing to let the horses rest. I believe now is the best time."

"Alright then, have your fun. Hayate and Ercole should be back soon enough to make it to your little sparring match." Sefton swung himself off his horse, then offered a hand to Eirin to allow her a more graceful passage off her own. She wandered off to speak with the merchant in charge of the caravan, while her Warder moved towards where the other newest members of the impromptu group were gathered. A wagon intended to hold ore from Baerlon currently provided transportation to those in the group without horses, though perhaps a bit less luxuriously than some of them might have liked. The wind whispered through the leaves of the trees that bracketed the road as Sefton approached.

"You four. Are you doing anything important right now?"

//Baronel, Camira, Andre, and Dola are in!

Meanwhile, one unusual passenger had managed to get a somewhat more comfortable seat beside the merchant. He claimed some long-lost noble blood, and carried himself well enough that, with his fine-enough clothes, he could pass for a member of a lower House without much issue.

"I have to thank you again, Lady Calderon de Mendez, for coming along with me on this expedition. I'm sure the partnership between myself and your father will be fruitful. _{So long as that bastard Risan doesn't sell me garbage ore again. . ."} The man's voice was somewhat higher than one might expect from someone of his stature, but not so much as to be offputting. He glanced to the side, catching something in the corner of his eye. "Ah, it looks like Lady Eirin needs to speak with me. I know how you feel about her sort, so I won't keep you."

//Hortensia is in!

At the rear of the group was a situation that many men would find uncomfortable. The gleeman headed in the same direction as the caravan had found himself isolated with two Aes Sedai. There was no actual danger to a man left alone with the women, of course, but that didn't stop many from feeling uneasy regardless. He couldn't channel, but stories of Red sisters sweeping sons and fathers away weren't exactly unknown to one that gathered tales.

//Lydia, Alvienne, and Thane are in!

Note: Lydia, Alvienne, Thane, and Hortensia will not participate in the prologue map.

[Swordstar]

Thanes was not exactly what would be considered happy right now. However, as a performing man, he couldn't let it show. His face betrayed none of his unease, something he could credit to his upbringing, not that he would ever admit it, and his actions were loose and easy. A quick check on his harp, still tightly packaged at his feet, and then he quickly pulled out a few brightly colored balls from under his cloak. No man would be exactly comfortable around Aes Sedai, especially not being flanked by two of them, but he wasn't about to let that beat him. Quickly tossing the balls up into the air, he soon had them spinning in an intricate pattern, and flashed them both a grin.


"Well then, a lovely morning, ladies. It seems that we are to all be traveling together for the near future, no? Perhaps I could offer you a story in this lull. Perhaps a song? Even Aes Sedai must enjoy the delight of a gleeman."

[GodofGamingRWBY]

Within the holdings of the wagon, a young woman sat with her arms folded, seemingly indifferent to the cold as she scanned the treeline, eyes retaining a sharpness one would expect out of any experienced warrior. Once she had been approached for this opportunity, Camira was fully expecting to be stuck with a trip through the countryside, one filled with peace, quiet, and a relaxing atmosphere one didn't find often in her line of work. Mostly for the fact that she was being hired alongside a few other mercenaries, and from her experience in the business, any bandit group that decided to raid a caravan would be deterred by one with enough of a defense. Depending on if there was a bandit group in these parts that was currently active, since being robbed was still a somewhat uncommon event.

Thankfully, partway through their little journey, the caravan she found herself in had come to a short break, and one of the men who had hired her had taken the time to approach them, causing the Borderlander to tilt her head in his direction,


"Not particularly, no. What do you need?"

[DragonRage]

Lydia turns her head to face Thane and stares at him, expressionless, for just long enough to make it feel rather awkward, and then a little longer, before finally speaking.  Her voice is very even, holding little tone to help him deduce what her expressions aren't giving away.

"Yes, I would be interested in your stories.  As a Gleeman, you must have travelled far, and visited many places in the world," She reaches down into her purse, and pulls out a charcoal pencil and a battered notebook, which she opens to a little past half-way, "It is through stories we learn of places and events that we have not ourselves witnessed.  I would be honored and delighted to hear one of yours."

[IamanElfCollaborator]

"Sure, I'm down."
Dola had been bored.

This wasn't a new state of affairs. She'd been bored for a very long time, ever since she'd stopped off to get a job. Going on the road was something she hadn't done in a while; she'd needed to, her coffers were emptier than some certain vaults she'd been to.

She had a feeling about what was going on here.

[SOLDIER First]

Sitting and waiting for so long like this made Baronel uncomfortable. It pricked away at his constant instinct to move even though, as he constantly reminded himself, he was moving. Just not on his own power.

The sensation of the wagon stopping did nothing to ease him. Nor did rewrapping the leather gauntlets around his forearms for the umpteenth time. He was midway through time number umpteenth-and-one when that man - Sefton was his name -  made himself known at the back of the wagon.

While an extended pause in the middle of their journey was the absolute last thing Baronel wanted to be doing at that moment, helping with some sort of task would be the perfect thing to get his mind off of it.

"I am not," he says after a brief pause and flips his hood down. Keeping it on all the time was a habit he'd made in isolation and hadn't quite broken during his time with the group. "What can we help you with?"

[Lucus Casius]

"As would I!"

If the White sister was stern and stolid, then the Blue was just the opposite.  As soon as Thane offered to entertain the two, the eyes of the Aes Sidai lit up, matching a bright smile as she clapped her hands together.  Alvienne, it seemed, was more than happy to make up for Lydia's deficit in the joy and excitement the gleeman might have expected from his usual audiences.  Maybe this wouldn't be so awkward after all?

"Ah, but what to have you recite?  Long as it has been since I have had the pleasure of a gleeman's talents, it would be remiss of me not to pick something that might appeal to my sister."

"Hm."

She closed her eyes, thinking.  A bare few moments later, her smile widened.

"Oh, I know something she would find interesting."

"Could you sing 'The Iron Lance of Caemlyn?'"

The smile never left her face as she said it.  But even so, something in her tone sounded almost she was making a joke at his expense.  Or, perhaps, Lydia's expense.  Given what the gleeman knew of that song...

Well.  It might have been a bit of a surprise to hear an Aes Sedai request it.

[RedMageCole]

Hortensia would not have been dragged onto an outing like this had her father not put her up to it. It was a chance to do a noblewoman's duty, to expand their name and their relations. It would help her mother to clear away the slander that had tarnished her name... and by extension, push that terrifying suspicion off of herself. For most of the journey, Hortensia simply kept herself silent and did not even dare to look at the kinds of people she had to travel with. It was bad enough to travel with commoners, even if they were merely bodyguards assisting her on her journey, but to have not one, not two, but three Aes Sedai so close by...

Her heart palpitations were stopped by the merchant speaking to her— she turned to him with a gentle smile. Hortensia was quite good at hiding the fears that lay within her, as etiquette tended to teach her. Not a single shred of doubt, anxiety, and that touch of loathing remained on that sweet face of hers.


"It is quite alright, Sir Isidro." Her hands folded in her lap— they had been preoccupied with fiddling with her necklace previously, but she did not want her posture to ruin her words. "For the sake of the partnership between you and my father, I will tolerate our... traveling companions as long as it is necessary." She had to hold back a wince from saying 'companions' to describe the others. "But please, do not mind me. I will be right here whenever you need me." The more she could stay away from the commonfolk and the Aes Sedai, the better.

[Swordstar]

Thanes raised an eyebrow at the request of the Aes Sedai, as a cheeky grin spread across his face.


"The Iron Lance of Caemlyn, huh? Interesting choice, Aes Sedai, interesting choice. Well, if you're sure."

He glanced around, eyes settling on the rather stuffy looking noble on the wagon. Giving her a once over, his grin spread wider. Tairen, he suspected, and an extra stuffy one at that. Well, he wasn't just here to entertain two Aes Sedai. He was here for everyone. The balls stopped their intricate path through the air, and were quickly stored back beneath his cloak. Reaching down, he opened up the stiff leather container at his feet, and pulled out the intricately carved harp and settled it onto his lap. A small stretch and he was ready. He would have to make sure to sing loud enough for everyone to hear.


"The Iron Lance of Caemlyn, a story of a beautiful city, and the dashing knight who sought to breach her walls... Yes, a fine choice, and one I know well."

A flourish of his hands, a quick strum across the strings of the harp, and then he launched into the song.


"Years ago in a delightful country, with hills of green and skies of blue,
Could be found a brilliant city, whose walls shone pure and true.
Many knights came to fight to breach her walls,
But not one of them was strong enough to enter her halls.
Her defenders stood strong, to protect her virtue,
For this city was prized, but only to view.


He strummed his harp, playing an extended interlude between the verses, glancing again at the noble woman, waiting to see her reaction.

[RedMageCole]

To keep herself occupied, Hortensia opted to watch the scenery and drown out the noise of the rabble in the background— at least nature was quite nice when she got out and saw it. It provided well enough of a distraction... until something started to catch her attention. Her head perked up on instinct— was that music? Singing? She was quite fine with the occasional instrumental, but the singing was just disruptive— she briefly turned her head around to the source... of course there had to be a gleeman in the group, as if three Aes Sedai weren't enough to test her patience to its limits. It was getting frustrating to listen to, enough that her hands reflexively began to jerk up to her head— she just as quickly jerked her hands down to her lap and turned her head away back to the scenery.

It's fine, he's done, he's just going into more instrumentals and that should be fine... honestly, the foolish things that these people can find as entertainment...

[Chevaleresse]

"As you may now, Lydia and Alvienne are planning on accompanying this caravan for some time. I don't mistrust you, but I want to ensure I'm not leaving two sisters with a group that can't protect them." He looked over each member of the party, evaluating the material he had before him. Each one seemed to get the same amount of attention, and the Warder betrayed little in his expression.

"I've already spoken with Isidro and his normal guards. I'd like to test your prowess while we rest the horses. As soon as Ercole and Hayate get back, we'll begin. Assuming this is not an issue, of course."

"All right, then. I suppose I don't have to offer much advice in her regard. . ." The mistrust in his voice was evident; Tear was not the only place where many felt nervous around the mysterious wielders of the One Power.

"Lord Isidro. Lady Hortensia." She made the barest hint at a curtsy; it wasn't clear if this was deliberate or simply a function of the less-than-pleasant weather. "I trust that my presence hasn't been overly burdensome."

"Not at all. And there's no need to flatter me with titles, though I do appreciate the sentiment. Has there been some problem?"

"Must there be a problem for me to speak to my gracious host?" She raised an eyebrow; the question made the merchant squirm a bit under her gaze.

"I suppose not."

"No, I was just wondering if you'd seen a particular sort of curio. . ."

[SOLDIER First]

Baronel returns Sefton's gaze with his own steely expression, repressing an old urge to jut out his chin and puff up his chest as he does. As hard as he tried to leave them behind, some aspects of his old life still clung to him.

"Caution is only natural for a man like yourself. I see no problem with it - I trust that we four will demonstrate we're quite enough to keep our friends of the priory safe."

"And this test of prowess; I don't think I should have to ask, but it shall be bloodless, correct?" Without thinking he rubs at his left arm, the one scarred by flame from his elbow to the back of his hand.

[Swordstar]

As Hortensia looked over to see what the noise was about, Thanes met her eye and then gave her a wink. A few more intricate chords, and he launched into the next verse,


"The tales of this city, of shining beauty
spread wide, along with her guardian's cruelty.
Who could thrust through her gates,
Strong and sturdy but as beautiful as lace.
Upon her pure white walls, smooth and soft
many a man have found their lives lost.


This time he only played a short series of notes between the chorus. He knew that even if she didn't want to be, the noble would be listening now. He'd gotten her attention, whether she wanted to admit it or not.



"A knight of Camelyn, strong and fair
in an inn heard of beauty so rare.
'I will pierce these walls of white
With iron lance of the knight.'
He bragged of his lance, sturdy and strong,
His weapon lean, hard and long.
'No wall can withstand this lance,' he cried
'This city so prized will be taken, on my pride.'"

[DragonRage]

Lydia scribbles rapidly away in her notebook, nodding occasionally, as she follows the song.

"History is fascinating, isn't it?  And songs allow far more accurate recall in an oral tradition.  I do enjoy attending these performances so."

Not that anything in her tone or expression would suggest enjoyment, but she is keeping her comments at a respectful, quiet whisper.

[GodofGamingRWBY]

For a moment, Camira simply stared at Sefton, raising her eyebrow in response to his demand for a demonstration. At least, for a moment, before she pushed herself from where she sat, keeping her gaze locked onto Sefton's,


"Honestly, if you had any doubts on my capabilities, I would've gladly put said doubts to rest. I had a few individuals whom I owed a rematch to in Caemlyn, and could've demonstrated there."


"... But no. I'll go along with your request, any excuse to test my sword arm is good enough for me, and I assure you that you will not find me lacking. I doubt we'll go far enough to lethally wound, but I would suggest going until first blood, or until one party surrenders from the duel. That way it is fair, and most importantly, honorable." she stated, expression still sharp and focused as it normally was... Yet at the same time, it seemed a bit brighter than it had been during the trip thus far