/bump cause I got to goto work <frowns>

/bumping to rid the boards of all the first page garbage

Azi and Crispian stood shoulder to shoulder against the towering lesser telamon while Tobyas called out blessings of healing. Holding her archmace firm with both hands, she swung hard, missing again and again. Crispian's strength was waning, she could tell. As he struck another hard blow with his sheild, Azi began a low chant to aid his endurance. Finally, the plated black giant fell to its defeat, and Azaeli and Crispian dropped to the ground in exhaustion.


"I'm not touching them.." Azi frowned, shielding her eyes from the sun to see Crispian smile warmly.


"ou will soon enough," his voice was gentle as his gaze turned to Tobyas, "And I'm enjoying the company." A glint of chainmail caught her eye over Tobyas' shoulder as she smiled at him. She squinted to the hillside to see a young warrior making her way hastily between two telamon stones.


"Emlae!" Azaeli gasped, throwing Crispian a concerned glance. Without a word, the three jumped up to greet the young squire.


"Emlae.." Azi's expression hardened, and Emlae shrank away. "I thought I told you to wait for me at Cornwall Station! What are you doingout here? You could have been killed!" Emlae looked to her feet, a blush creeping up her neck as she produced a bundle of fabric.


"Please, Lady Hammerfel.." she whispered, "I disobeyed, I am sorry..but this came with a message to the League Hall.." She pushed the fabric into Azi's hands. "I'm sorry."


The cloak wasn't very fine, and was charred in places from the spray of sparks. Azi ran her fingers along the embroidered emblem as the familiar smell of coal and steel wafted to her nose.


"Lexi's cloak," Azaeli whispered, looking at Emlae with tears in her eyes. "What happened?"

She looked into the tear-filled eyes of her Knight. She cared deeply for Azaeli for she had given her a chance to learn and one day be a knight herself. Fourteen years, but still aspired to be more. Azaeli was kind, compassionate, and she hated to tell her any news that could hurt her, but it must be told.


"Lady Hammerfel... this cloak was given to me by a courier in the city. He got your location from one in the league and sped down here to find you. When I told him you were away, he gave me this cloak and a message..." she found it hard to continue. The words she knew would wound Azaeli deeply...


"Emlae, what was the message. Tell me quickly." Azaeli returned.


"A merchant in the city, an elderly lady was attacked. She cried for help, and your sister ran down an alley to help her. She told me that the man knocked your sister out." Azaeli gasped, holding her hands over her mouth, but Emlae continued, unsure if she could start again if needed. "She said that it appeared the man was after your sister all along. For some reason your sister had no weapons on her, and she was bound and thrown over the man's shoulder... the man ripped off her cloak and tossed it to the merchant and spoke that she was now under captive by House Agiad and any move against the house would result in her immediate death. He then told the woman her name and she came to find one of us... the guard recognizing you were her sister sent word via the courier... Lady Hammerfel... he didn't say anything else or how and when your sister would be released. I'm sorry..." she did not shed tears, instead she bit her lip to control her rage. She wanted to kill this man for causing her Lady pain... she lowered her head to indicate the message was finished... and waited for the three...

/bump until I have the time to write

ooc


HEY! I thought someone actually posted here... <pouts> you got my hopes up azi =P hurry up and write =P <laughs>

/nump

family stuff came up

 

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Kanna cautiously rose to a crouch in the underbrush surrounding the camp. She pulled a branch aside carefully, staying hidden in the shadows, and peered out at Apolexia. Hecathia went off to sleep, and the conversation with her man rang true in Kanna's ears. Arcalan's name was spoken. Azi was right all along.


Her hand gripped her bow with certainty, and she chuckled quietly to herself. Who would she aim for in this camp of thieves? She had no love for that girl after all the trouble she'd caused in the guild. And more recently, when Azi had been captured by trolls, the two mixed words and Lexi had almost found herself full o arrows.


Kanna shook her head, alert to the hidden figures all around her. Azi had paid her well to follow her sister, an that kept her flask full. Thinking of that, she uncapped it and had a sip or two in silent thought. Without a sound, Kanna slipped from the underbrush and sprinted toward Camelot.


With a brilliant smile at the stablemaster and a a flip of her fire-red hair, she was on a horse and on her way to Campacorentin forest with no coin exchanged. She pressed her flask to her lips as she rode, thinking on the reward that was sure to come from her little discovery.

Azi's hand found her holy symbol as she turned to Crispian and Tobyas. Her heart was in her throat.


"By the Almighty.." her voice was quiet but strong as Crispian reached for her hand in comfort. What would they do? Any move against the house would be cause for Lexi's death, but they couldn't leave her there! Crispian looked at her with resolve, she knew they shared the same thoughts.


"We'll go back to Cornwall," he said decidedly, "and plan from there." He and Tobyas exchanged glances and together turned northward toward Cornwall. Azi followed, deep in her own thoughts, with Emlae close behind.


Azaeli couldn't help but feel that this was her fault. How could she leave her sister in Camelot with no weapons and no protection? She frowned. She hadn't even told Lexi that she'd gone off to find Crispian. Her hand gripped the symbol at her neck tightly as the four made thier way up the steep embankment. She felt Emlae's hand on her arm to assist the climb, which wasn't easy in full platemail, and turned to smile at her squire. Emlae frowned with worry as thier eyes met.


"ou've done well, Emlae," Azi said breathlessly as they crested the embankment, "well indeed."

'Ten years of searching for this one girl...' Dannindas thought. Though his thoughts were interrupted as one of his lookouts came to him.


"Sir, we are being watched. I saw a figure in the brush, what is your order?" speaking in Greek to Dannindas, wary of any others looking on.


Dannindas thought for a moment, Ilara was sleeping, and he could take care of this. "Where did she go Anilis?"


"Sir, she left to Camelot, and she rides south."


"Hm... is this the same route the courier from Camelot rode?"


"es sir!"


"Well then, this could be trouble. Chase her down, and kill her."


"Sir, I shall do this personally." Anilis bowed, then taking off with lightning speed.


Dannindas walked over to the girl Apolexia, awake but bound and gagged so not saying anything. He called over three of the other five left in the encampment. Anilis had left to kill the spy, and three others were scouting the hills. He was the tenth in the company. "ou three, I want you all to stand guard around this girl. When you feel sleep come for you, call over one of the other two and switch off. I want this girl closely watched, more so than what Agiad wanted."


"Sir..." one of the men walked closely over to Dannindas. "We spent ten years finding this girl, as is how we served the Agiad house. But sir, she is a girl with a limp, and though she has power, why do we not just leave her and return home? I fear staying here will just end up in our deaths..."


Dannindas put his hand to his chin. "I know what you say, and no I am not angry for you saying it since I have thought the same as of late. The gods have commanded us to follow the Agiad house, so we shall, even if she has been taken in by the darkest one of them all..."


"es sir, I and we all have always been loyal to you sir, and we shall follow you wherever you go or whatever you do."


"Thank you Onilis, and I shall pray your brother returns to us safely."


"I know he will Sir, but thank you."


Dannindas looked to the girl bound shaking his head. 'Though Onilis is right, I fear her plans will lead to our deaths. She said she does it for power... and she might never be satisfied till she is all-powerful, which I know will never happen. No one can be all-powerful, one only gains in power then seeks to gain even more power... I can only hope she leaves with all of us still alive.' his thoughts encompassing him as he falls asleep.