Welcome to Welles

[Malcolm]

16 Zi’da 716

The army had travelled for three full days and two long nights by boat to get from Andaris to Welles. During which Malcolm had spent a lot of time with his captains going over plans and tactics for tracking down the remaining forces of Qe’dreki. They had sent scouts ahead of them, and information regarding the rebels whereabouts in Oakleigh had surfaced, though reports seemed to be scattered, with groups spread out right across the Eastern Settlement. This meant two things for the members of the Iron Hand, the rebels were divided and would be easier to deal with, but it left them open to attack from all sides. Wherever he led his army, he would need to make sure they were never separated, because that was when they would run into danger.
The galleon ships weren't as fast as some of the schooners Malcolm had noticed sailing by, or the Volareon that owned the sky overhead. The warden found himself looking up to see if he could spot Elyna’s mount, wondering from time to time what is was she thought and felt while she was up there. It had been too long since they had last worked together, and a selfish part of him hoped this trip would bridge the gap and bring them closer together once more.
It was late by the time they docked in Welles. The ships dropped off their occupants and sailed away from the shore to anchor beyond the troublesome tide that followed the eastern shoreline from the north and whirled around the island of Pyke. They were careful also to stay out of reach of any catapults, not sure if Qe’dreki had made a deal with any of the local merchant families that ran these small townships across the settlement.
Malcolm wasted no time in securing a mount for the journey ahead, and went straight to the stables where he purchased another Andalusian, having been impressed with the one he had bought back home in Rynmere the season before. The gelding was a lot lighter than Mithril in colour, almost white, and when Malcolm inquired as to whether or not the animal had a name, the man at the stable answered “Mulki,” which he explained meant dead in Xanthea.
Malcolm smiled. “He does look a little like a ghost, I agree.”

The troops marched towards the township of Welles and made camp on the outskirts, hunting in the nearby forests for deer and rabbits. Malcolm helped set up camp with the intention of continuing on to the village. It was the last night he would be able to spend in an actual bed, and he wanted to share it with Elyna, things having been a little hectic before they had left the capital. With work at the university and intensive training for some of the lower ranked members in the army, he had little time leftover to spend with family. They had left Elsie with someone Elyna had interviewed and allowed to stay at her parent's house where they both trusted their daughter would be safe. Malcolm was sure Elyna would like him to check in on Elsie using his abilities to let her know all was well.
The knight went in search of the skyriders he could see landing on the other side of camp, but was stopped by Murphy Webb. “Warden,” the man called.
Malcolm turned around to look at him. “Captain.”
“We've had a scout return on horseback.”
“Very well,” Malcolm nodded, “see that he is fed and debriefed.”
“There won't be any need for food, ser.”
Malcolm felt his stomach tighten, that didn't sound good. “Take me to him,” he nodded to the captain and followed when Murphy turned to leave the camp.
They continued on towards the edge of the woods where Murphy’s men had kept the wounded horse and dead rider from the rest of the army. The scout had only been a boy, not yet twenty, just a wisp of a lad who had recently earned the title of steward. There must have been at least thirty daggers in his back, and he lay hunched over his horse, the fingers on his hands black and blue. It looked as if each had been held over flame, a horrible torture method Malcolm hadn't seen used for some time.
“Get him off the horse,” Malcolm ordered, and the men quickly did as they were told, bringing the boy down from the horse with care.
They took the daggers from the scout’s back and set them aside to wash and reassign later. Malcolm turned the young man onto his back and lifted his bloodstained shirt, Qe’dreki’s sigil carved into the man’s chest. “Immortals have mercy,” the warden breathed. “This is what happens when a bunch of spoiled, bored young men without discipline start an army.”
“There was a note, ser, folded up and left in the man’s mouth,” Murphy held the note out to Malcolm.
The words were written in Rakahi, and none of the men present had been able to read them. Malcolm could make out the odd word, but would need to have Benjamin or Elyna translate the rest. He put the note in his breast pocket and told them to clean up the body and see to it that the boy was sent home on one of the smaller, faster ships to Rynmere. With that, the warden led the wounded horse into camp and handed the reins over to one of their animal husbandry experts to care for. He would share a meal with some of the knights and later make his way to the village where he would then meet up with Elyna.

[Faith Augustin]

One cook, reporting for duty!

During the last two trials, Faith had done her best to stay out of the way. She wasn't a military inidividual, far from it, and the young woman still appeared, to all intents and purposes, to be a slave. Certainly, she was still branded should anyone spot such, although she tended to keep herself covered up. She didn't like crowds and she most certainly didn't like military groups like this; the last time she'd seen anything like it she and Lady Elyna had been prisoners and then attacked by zombies which was what happened before it all went to hell in a handbasket. So she stayed quiet and she stayed close to Padraig.

Wearing the armour that she had, Faith was wrapped up against the cold, she wore a long gladius with relative comfort, but it was the groups of people which caused her to largely remain quiet. It was strange, really. To those who knew her, this was typical behaviour for the young woman, but to the man that she travelled with, it was very rarely how she was. So, Faith pretty much kept close to her companion as much as she could, although she made sure that she said hello to Malcolm, who she called Lord Krome and spoke to most seriously in front of any military people. Or Warden. She rather wished that she'd thought to ask, in truth and if she could, she would ask him in whispered tones where no one could hear her before she actually spoke to him.

She greeted any of those who she knew, also, but during the boat journey, she tried to just keep out of the way as much as possible. If there was a cook needed, then a cook they had and Faith turned her cooking skill to the job with all due diligence and produced the best food that she could. She did also make sure to find out who was in charge of supplies and let them know what she had brought. Flat breads, sweet cakes soaked in honey to last longer, that kind of thing. Things which would last as long as possible and which she had baked in the trials preceeding their departure. She'd show them what she had, handing it over for distribution, but she would also point out that she had, for want of a better word, a magic bag that she could carry it in and which would store it. So, it was up to them, really. She was not afraid of hard work and always would rather be part of a solution than a problem so she put herself to whatever use she could be on the boat, whether that was cooking, cleaning or whatever it was, she would always rather be busy.

And she looked forward to just curling up to sleep, fully clothed as they both were, in Padraig's arms at night. Both of them exhausted, uncomfortable and in far too much of a public place to even hold a whispered conversation during the trial, but she took comfort from that time, and would have hated sleeping alone in such a cramped and, to her mind, vulnerable position.

So, she breathed out as they stepped onto soil again. Almost as soon as they did, Padraig went to go and buy a horse, which she was happy to leave him to do. When he got back, before she climbed up, Faith raised an eyebrow and asked, apparently most seriously "You sure you know which end to point where?" and she climbed up behind him "Last time I got on a horse it was in a military thing like that. Lord Venora told me that he believes horses understand common, but are cursed by not being able to speak it. I thought that he must have been deluded or something, so I talked to my horse the whole time. I named him, too. Horse." Should he glance, she was quite, quite serious. After all, she explained, how else would he know what he was?

When they got to the camp, Faith immediately set about helping to set up by getting the meal on. Feeding the troops was no small feat and she would gladly accept help was it offered. Hot, hearty food packed with flavour and designed to make sure that they were full and able to sleep well. In preparation for this campaign, as well as learning the rudimentaries of crossbow, working with Padraig to try and work out a way to beat the beast and, her personal highlight, buying a spelunking kit, Faith had made sure to read up and bring with her a number of recipes for hearty food which would be suitable. Most of it, she knew and the recipes were not necessary, but she was a belt and braces kind of person and so she did.

Faith would stay as out of the way, again, as possible, but the sight of Lady Elyna would have the young ex-slave stand and beam her greeting to the skyrider. She was delighted to see her friend and would, if there was a quiet moment to do so, press a small gift that she had taken the liberty of making for her and Lord Krome into Lady Elyna's hands. Two pairs of gloves but each glove peeled away into two layers, the top layer coming off and revealing a thinner, fingerless glove which cut off at the middle knuckles underneath. They were worked to the best of her ability and would, she assured Lady Elyna, help to keep hands warm, even if one had to remove one's gloves to undertake some fine work, as the bottom glove was made with a special, thermal stitch and could be kept on by virtue of it being fingerless. But she did that only if there was time and most of the time she spent sorting out the food.

"Where's our tent?", looking around the camp she frowned and glanced back at Padraig once they had eaten. For someone who cooked so much, she ate next to nothing, but she was pleased to see people enjoying what she had prepared."I can't see it. Did you lose it?"

Off Topic

Ingredients shopped for in previous thread and ledger all accounted for!

[Kylar]

Kylar walked past groups of people, fully armed and ready for any encounter. He had come alone, not even bringing Hunter with him this time. He had strict orders he had to follow from Malcolm. Stealth would be useful, and Hunter wasn't trained for such - despite saving his life prior to this. His new wing sat proudly in his pocket, but he didn't attempt to show it off in anyway. It was where it should be, somewhere that drew no attention. He was scared as it was, working so close to Malcolm. The only thing he wore was his black leather armor that Malcolm and the riders had awarded him, and the cloak of Andaris he had bought. He was offered the Venora cloak for free, but pink wasn't quite his color. Besides, who better to represent than the capital? The last thing he needed was to show himself off. Kylar wasn't much to show off, so showing himself up to be more than he was could be his worst idea yet. He didn't want to disappoint anyone - not this time. As such, he had come fully equipped. His crossbow on his back with the few bolts he had left. Five, to be precise. Then there was the dagger up his sleeve, which blended perfectly with his leather armor. Of course, his Stiletto by his side. He was ready this time.

As Kylar walked, he saw a few familiar faces from the last journey they had been on. A few smiled at him and he nodded back. "Oi, you leave the lion behind this time?" one chuckled, Kylar laughing along with him. He stopped to talk to the man.
"Unfortunately, the Warden didn't deem a lion appropriate for a stealth operation - which makes no sense to me" he said jokingly. Then he nodded to the man and bid his farewell, before heading to find Malcolm. He wasn't sure exactly what his job was here, but that came with being new. For now, he just had to get his briefing and get his final orders. He didn't want to keep Malcolm waiting.
As he walked, he was certain he saw Faith, the girl he had trained with once. She was with another man, and the two looked somewhat comfortable handing out food, so Kylar decided it wasn't worth disturbing them. He hoped they would get the chance to talk later though, he was interested to see how she was doing with the crossbow - if she even decided to take it up. He was also somewhat curious as to who the man was, though that was just general curiosity. He barely knew the woman, and as kind as she had been didn't care for her personally any more than he would everyone else. It seemed harsh to say, and it was no fault of hers, just that their time was cut too short. Instead of dwelling on it, however, he made the decision that he would remedy it as soon as possible. For now, though, a job was a job.

After some time, he saw Malcolm walking through the camp. He had just handed a horse over to the animal tamers and carers, and he didn't need to know much about animals to know it wasn't in a good state. How had some animal been injured already? Had some people gone ahead? Scouts, more than likely. Kylar prayed they returned in a better state than their horse did, though he highly doubted it. With that gruesome and somewhat dark thought in his mind, Kylar approached the Warden.
"Sorry for the delay, ser, I was trying to find my way to you. I was hoping you could brief me on what exactly is happening here?" he asked. Kylar then gestured beside Malcolm, asking if he could walk beside him. "May I accompany you?"

► Show Spoiler

ooc: Deducted 50gn from ledger for cloak, armor given for free because of new rank

[Atashi]

Atashi made his way through the camp, Lash following behind him. He was still so very impressed with his horse, he hadn't expected it to be so well-trained. He’d spent a fortune in the store he bought him from, perhaps the owner felt obliged to thank him for the business? As possible as it was, he'd gotten more than his money's worth for Lash, trained to be comfortable with Ithecal mounting and was excellent at following Atashi. He occasionally looked over his shoulder though, just to be sure that Lash was still following, he wasn't disappointed. He wore his uniform - A black leather breastplate complete with pauldrons, gauntlets and faulds. He could not wear the grieves he was provided with, obviously. He had chosen to wear a green cloak with his uniform instead of the traditional pink Venora cloak, he wasn't entirely sure why, but the pink cloak just wasn't intimidating.

Eventually reaching a more open area of the camp, Atashi gave the command for Lash to halt. He then went to work setting up his tent, talking to Lash as he did so. "Do you think we'll get the chance to fight with Kylar this time?" He asked, before realising Lash had no context with his question. "Oh, last time we met up like this I got sent home for being a dunce, as you can imagine." he grinned. His grin faded as he continued his story "Which meant Kylar was left to go to the burning mountains without me, and he got hurt." his throat burned a little at the thought, he still blamed himself for letting his fear and anger rule his actions that night, perhaps things would have been different otherwise. He returned to hammering in the pegs for his tent "Not this time though, I'm not getting sent home again, and I'm certainly not gonna let Kylar get hurt either." he spoke with confidence and purpose. That is until he realised he was talking to a horse. Sighing, he finished putting up his tent "Stay here, Lash, I'll bring you something to eat after" He instructed, getting up and making his way to the eating area.

As he approached the eating area, he noticed two things. One of them being that Kylar was talking with the Warden from the previous expedition, the other being that there was a cook at work this time. Atashi avoided Kylar and the Warden, not wanting to be recognised and instead tried to keep his head down. He proceeded to the seating area and moved one of the stools out of the way, planting himself at that space. Curious if they would be having stew again this time around, Atashi looked to the cook. The first thing he noticed was her eyes, Ethelynda have mercy her eyes. The Zi'da air didn't feel as cold anymore. Trying not to stare, he turned his gaze elsewhere. Was the cook blind? No that didn't make sense. Regardless, she startled him, he took a mental note to not look into her eyes again.

Notes

OOC: Deducted 50gn for green cape + 100gn for a trained horse (Lash) from ledger.

[Elyna]

Was it the biqaj blood that saw the woman dreaming of the wide open ocean? There was nothing quite like seeing the vast expanse stretching out ahead and the scent of clean sea air. Sights set on the distant land Elyna had guided her troop of ten volareon and riders across the ocean. The galleons moved like lame ducks in the water, easily slipping behind. With Rynmere vanishing on the horizon behind she felt, ironically, the burdens of weight lifting from her shoulders. In the air, she was free. The volareon took turns to sink down onto the deck of a ship and rest for a couple of breaks. It meant their riders could snatch a few breaks of sleep before returning to the sky.
They arrived ashore a few breaks before the Knights of the Iron Hand. The volareon taking some time to settle into their temporary roost. It was also a momentous task to help the creatures clean their wings and ensure that they ate, fed, and were able to rest. Tomorrow they would be needed for easier flying over the landscape as opposed to the long distance trek over the sea. The Knights had long since landed and start setting up their camp before the chores were complete. As such, most of the Skyrider’s chose to pitch their tents nearer the volareon and the outskirts of the main site chosen.
The smell of cooking fires drifted up through a sunset sky. The clouds painted orange and gold as Elyna finally straightened from her own task. Her boots were well oiled and rubbed with wax to keep them supple and waterproofed. But they were dusty after three trials of flying. The knees of her grey breaches had turned dark and soaked with pressed mud. She wore a shirt of dove grey beneath a dark tunic with long sleeves. It reached to her mid-thigh and was covered over again with a leather jerkin. Her cloak in dark blue was wrapped up securely in her bags, something Emily had spirited away towards the tavern, promising to arrange the room to the noble’s liking. The woman dusted her hands against her trousers and left them with their own fine coating of dander.
She and the other skyriders who’d flown across the ocean had a certain look about them. A little haphazard. Neat enough but slightly frayed around the edges. The mount Elyna had bought across the ocean had developed a sore beneath one wing. After the whole beast had been cleaned the skyrider had needed to spend time moving the limb around, trying to determined where the joint had rubbed. The culprit had turned out to be the scab of an old would that hadn’t fallen off. She’d mixed a poultice from the wild leaves growing in the local area. Heated she’d packed it and pressed the compound against the sore and the old would itself. Hoping to soften the flesh for a few breaks and prevent any further damage.
The volareon muzzled a dark face into her hand and caused her to smile. She found herself stroking silky fur and explaining to the creature what she’d done.
“Kit?” She waved the new Sargeant over. He put his own tools away and trotted to her command.
“Ser?”
Elyna pointed out the poultice that she had applied, “give it three breaks then bathe it off, let the wound dry overnight.”
He nodded his agreement. The young man had spent a considerable amount of time in the mews before the rebellion had prompted him to sign up. His experience in animal husbandry was proving to be invaluable. The Captain then took the time to check over the other mounts. The skyriders were under her command but she considered their mounts to be under her care. Satisfied that all had been done to make them comfortable she turned toward the main camp.

Her rank was almost indistinguishable. The wings that denoted her as a captain, covered, like most of the rest of her, in a fine dust and half hidden beneath the lapel of her jerkin. Elyna wove through the small cooking fires, peering at a few pots of pottage and stew as she went. Most of the soldiers however, preferred to take advantage of the meals provided. As Elyna followed her nose and drew closer, she spotted the chef and a smile spread over her features. A tired smile, but a warm greeting none-the-less. She kept her distance from the queue approaching with ravenous expressions and loitered at the edge of the large fire. The flames flickered and danced, golden shadows on her face as she watched the Warden meeting with his captains. Her own report had been delivered by Rafa when the Knights had first stepped on shore. It had been brief, they’d landed safely and would tend the volareon, preparing for departure the next morning.
Her attention was caught by a young man who had the look of a skyrider about him. She watched his cross around the fire towards the warden and tilted her head to the side. It was the movement of a tail to her side that startled her. The woman jumped with a soft noise that sounded something like a squeal, jolting to the side and away from the Ithecal.
“Oh!” She pressed her lips together in a thin line, she didn’t want to be rude. Really she should be more professional. If the man turned to face her, she’d keep her gaze fixed, determined on his face and shoulders. A tremor running down the base of her spine but she held herself rigidly and offered and cautious smile. Snakes, she hated snakes. She was sure the Ithecal was more than a competent soldier and yet…yet he had all the marks and appearance of a snake from the waist down. It was a hard fact to ignore.

[Padraig]

Two times now, Padraig had traveled by ship. And it had only taken one of them to convince him that he didn't care for travel by sea. It wasn't the rocking and rolling of the boat. He didn't suffer the ill effects of seasickness. Instead, it was the confinement. Nowhere to go to escape what felt, in spite of the reality, like a press of bodies everywhere he turned. He'd known that Faith was uncomfortable for other reasons. And just as she'd remained close to him, he'd preferred her nearby and had contented himself with reading in their cabin, or strolling on the deck after nightfall when there were fewer others on deck.

They couldn't have arrived in Welles too soon. He'd brought his leather armor, which fit nicely beneath the heavy coat. His sword and dagger, and the crossbow he didn't know how to use just yet but intended to learn if he could. He'd brought the other, more secretive weapons he'd crafted after all. And a crossbow in more skilled hands than his, might just come in handy at some time or other. The rest of their supplies they'd carried between the two of them.

He knew very few, if any of the others who'd come along for the journey. Surely, he'd make their acquaintance at some point. But he'd wasted no time finding a stable where he could purchase a horse for Faith and himself to ride together. She was light as a feather compared to him, so a strong sturdy mount ought be able to carry them with ease. And a reasonable, cooperative one too, considering neither of them were expert, or even what one might consider competent horsemen...or, woman. He'd chosen a mare with the look of sanity in her eyes in spite of them being a startling pale blue, sure of foot with a dark brown coat, a white snip on her nose and a shining black mane and tail. Nitelight was her name, the man said, because of those eyes.

"I've got a vague idea," he said dryly when Faith questioned his steering skills. "And what I don't know, I'm sure she'll work it out for herself." One would hope so at least, in the correct direction, and not thinking better of this outing on her own; just to turn round on them and bolt back to the safety of the stable where he'd bought her. Clever was a fine quality in a mount, he thought. Too clever, and they'd both be in trouble.

But once they'd found their way to the camp, while she helped with the cooking, he helped elsewhere, wherever he could. So that when she found him again they could sit and eat together. Their tent? "You haven't seen it, because I haven't set it up," he told her with a smile. "I thought that since it might be some time before we see civilization again, a night at the local inn wouldn't hurt." A room, nice and warm, a good soak, and time alone away from a small city of tents, along with too many sets of eyes and ears for her comfort.

[Sintih]

A few trials ago, Sintih and company, Heran's unit, had been lining up with everybody else to board the ships arranged for their expedition into the eastern settlements. Word of the Qe'dreki had come from there and the call had gone out once more. It had baffled Sintih that Malcolm was once again in charge of the campaign, especially considering his lack of achievements in the previous one. But high command always favored their own, nobles raised with golden spoons and enough money in their pockets to buy their way in. None of that would change any time soon. Sin adjusted the backpack he was carrying while they waited to register and board the ship. "Look, it may get more crowded but I think we should board the main ship, together with the Warden. We'll be more in-... One second."

Sin had been in the process of explaining something to the seven members of Heran's unit, all present for this campaign as well, when he'd spotted a familiar face. Breaking away from his group, Sintih had pushed through the mass of people towards the black haired, now former, slave girl. What was Faith doing here? For a split trill, Sin thought maybe she was here to see him off. After all, campaigns like these weren't without danger. But the thought faded as quickly as he'd formed it. Of course not, he was barely a recent acquaintance, let alone an important friend. Even in a crowd like this, she managed to get noticed by him. He was about to catch up with her when Padraig came into view as well, right on her tail.

Sin ducked aside, taking cover behind a particularly broad shouldered knight. Ugh. That guy again. Every time he saw him, Sin couldn't help but remember Doran's face. So Faith wasn't here for him nor should he try to get in touch. He peeked around the knight and watched as both Faith and Padraig boarded the main ship. What was she doing? Did she plan on going with the campaign? And what was Padraig doing not stopping her? No. No, not his problem. Screw it. If he wanted to go and die in a campaign led by the most useless Warden Sin had ever heard of, fine. If she wanted to go with him, who cared anyway.

Sin turned back and pushed his way through the crowd, back to Heran and his unit. "On second thought, maybe we should take one of the other ships. It'll give a bit more space and time to rest." He'd gotten some curious looks from the other men but they'd simply followed him to one of the other ships carrying less important personnel on board. Three trials later, Sin and company had arrived in Welles. Their ship was the last to dock and the harbor was filled with people. From members of Malcolm's campaign to industrious Wellesians thinking of making an extra nel by selling their wares to the newly arrived, there was a sea of people waiting for them as they landed.

The camp had been set up outside of the town of Welles, taking up much of the open space around it. The newly arriving knights either joined their friends at their tents or were directed to set up their own on the edge of the camp. It seemed chaotic from a distance but at least the warden's men were well trained and there was order in the perceived chaos. Following the directions given Sin, Heran and their unit set up their tents at the edge, quickly joined by more soldiers.

Aker went in search of supplies while Dimitri and Edward started on the fire. Sin helped Jaks, Filip and Max to set up the two tents the men shared. While the leather armor and purple tabard did very little to warm him, the physical exercise of unpacking and setting up a tent, quickly followed by the heat of a fire helped Sin to stay warm while they got settled. Heran did what he called oversight and watched them all work while he warmed his hands by the fire. Being in charge, he had the right to do so and nobody complained. Aker returned soon after with the supplies for the next trial.

"It'll take a while still, so you might as well get the formalities over with, Heran." Edward said as he finished checking the rations they had received. "You're the expert. Sintih, with me." With a whirl, the large man threw his cloak around his shoulders and checked to see if his weapon was properly attached to his belt. Heran's voice always sounded loud when he said Sin's name. Sin got out from the tent he had been putting sleeping bags in and grabbed his own cloak and sword. "Where are we going?" Heran looked at Sin for a moment before heading towards the center of the camp. "Reporting for duty."

As always, the commander's tent was much larger than those of the other soldiers. Despite needing to have enough room for every captain and steward in the warden's army during strategy meetings, Sin still found it to be a clear sign of the warden flaunting his noble nels. When they approached, Sin noticed the warden standing outside, talking with an Andarian knight. It took a moment before Sin recognized the knight as one having been present during the previous campaign as well, although the two had never spoken. Sin remembered him eating with the warden before despite his obvious non-noble look.

Heran waited for a moment, just at the edge of the warden's view, for a lull in the conversation between the two before suddenly stepping forward. "Steward Dreim of the volunteer units reporting for duty, warden." Caught off guard by the sudden move, Sin followed a trill later, stepping forward and saluting. "Squire Rathaan, reporting for duty, sir." Both man and Eidisi remained in salute as they waited for the warden to acknowledge their presence.

[Crimson]

Crimson had never been to this part of Rynmere before. She was nervous enough about that, but the fact she was now in a military camp scared her even more. But that fear was almost entirely overridden by the fear of losing Kylar. She knew that they had grown distant, and he knew it as well. Spending another journey apart was the last thing they needed - so she came with him. Not that he knew, he'd already left by the time she made her choice. But he had invited her, so she came with him.
Her lack of combat might prove to be an issue, but there was more than that she could do. She could help cook, fix any tears in uniform or anything else she needed to do that meant she wasn't just dead-weight. Besides, she was willing to take some combat training on the journey to help in a combat environment. She didn't have a weapon though, so that might prove to be a problem. It wouldn't deter her though, she could make this work - she had to.

Crimson walked around the camp in hope of finding Kylar, but wasn't honestly sure where to look. Perhaps the best plan would be to find someone that was familiar, from their wedding maybe? But there was nobody. Crimson frowned a little, continuing to walk. A few people looked at her, perhaps wanting to help her, or perhaps wondering what she was doing here. She didn't take much note of them though, she just swept her gaze around the camp trying to desperately find Kylar. After some time wandering, she found Atashi sat down in front of her. As she went excitedly to approach him, Kylar caught her gaze.
She stopped her path for Atashi and looked over to where Kylar was. He was talking to a man, who she presumed was Malcolm - Kylar's commander. For a moment, she stopped and just watched with pride. That man, wearing his full leather armor and armed with his weapons, was Kylar. He stood so tall, talking to someone as important as Malcolm. That Lotharro, the big idiot he was, was hers and nobody else's. She smiled at the thought.

When she finally saw an opening, Crimson walked towards the two and linked her arm gently with Kylar's. It seemed two other men had the same idea before, without the arm linking of course, as they introduced themselves to Malcolm. When Crimson arrived, she turned to Kylar.
"Sorry to disturb you, I hope it wasn't important. I just wanted you to know that I arrived as asked" she said sweetly to him. She then turned to Malcolm.
"My name is Crimson Voidfl- I mean, Fulthar. Crimson Fulthar. It's a pleasure to meet you."

[Malcolm]

“Of course,” Malcolm grunted in reply to Kylar, “I was hoping to find you here. Where is Atashi?” He inquired before stopping Kylar in his tracks by holding the back of his hand to the man’s chest. “Where are your wings, Sergeant? I'm happy to take them back from you if you feel you do not deserve them,” the warden warned, and after noticing Benjamin looking his way in the distance, summoned the captain with a wave.
Malcolm’s rank, the four swords, were tooled into the plate of his armour, and with the continued success of the campaign, he was up for another promotion upon their return, this time as lord. They had captured one of the key rebels for arrest up in the Burning Mountains, and if they were able to track down Qe’dreki, Malcolm was certain there would be more arrests to make.
“Go find Atashi,” he told Kylar, “Make sure each of you have a sword and meet me in the training grounds over there,” the warden pointed to a clearing where two knights were already sparring.
Malcolm was interrupted then by two unfamiliar faces, just as Benjamin approached. Benjamin was a giant of a man, standing just as tall as the Warden at six foot four, if not a little taller on the uneven ground. He had a hard look about him and unsettling, blue eyes that seemed to bore right through a man. Benjamin looked the steward and his squire up and down before cutting in. He leaned close to the warden and whispered something. Malcolm withdrew the note Murphy had found, from his pocket and handed it to Benjamin. “Can you decipher this for me before dark?”
“Right away, ser,” the captain agreed and took his leave.
Malcolm’s attention was pulled at again as Kylar’s wife approached them and introduced herself. The warden nodded, apologised that they had caught him at a busy time, and promised to catch up with the pair once Atashi had been found. “A pleasure. I'll see you over there,” he instructed Kylar again and turned to face the steward.
“Thank you for volunteering,” Malcolm acknowledged the man finally, “the more knights we have the better chance of success against the rebel forces. Please, help yourselves to a meal, your men are more than welcome to share with my own.” Malcolm knew a steward was accountable for five men, and the squire probably made six. He made a mental note of the new total they would have to ration for and would remind himself later to pass the numbers onto their head cook, Faith. “You'll have to excuse me, I was just about to do a spot of training before the men call it a night, though your squire is more than welcome to partake,” Malcolm offered, knowing both Atashi and Kylar had newly moved out of their roles are squire and airman.
Malcolm gave paused for their reply before heading towards the training grounds. The warden wore a longsword on either hip, one of fine, and the other of excellent craftsmanship. He stopped at the edge of the field and removed his wolfskin cloak, setting it down against the long grass before taking up both swords. The man was not trained in dual wielding, but thought the disadvantage would leave enough room for error that it might encourage the men he sought to train. He knew going into battle with one competent knight was like having two men at his side rather than one, and for every rank of experience after that, the odds were tipped in their favour, and increased their chances of success.
The warden checked his grip and stance, widening the gap between his feet a little before whistling for one of the nearby knights to attack him. The knight had a shield and longsword, Malcolm’s preferred choice for attack and defence on the battlefield, and he was eager to see how he would stand up against such. Malcolm knew he would have to parry a lot more, not having his shield to fall back on, and as the knight swung at him, he raised his weapons, marrying them in the air to block the attack, and made his riposte while simultaneously blocking at the same time, striking the knight’s domed shield. They carried on until Malcolm noticed Kylar at the edge of the field and called for pause, thanking the knight for his time, and the chance to warm up and come to terms with the new style.
He wandered over to Kylar and was pleased to see that Atashi had joined them. “Ready?” Malcolm smiled, he had taken the two of them under his wing and was keen to train them up. “Who’s first?” he asked, before taking a step backwards. “Or you have the option of partnering up and seeing how I do against the two of you?”
Dual wielding was a feat of skill, tricky to learn, and very difficult to master. Malcolm couldn't imagine that the technique would be any good on a real battlefield, but here in a class setting it was perfect for teaching and encouraging his students, as it were, what it meant to attack and defend at the same time. Once again he took up the correct position and waited for one or both to make their move.

[Kylar]

Kylar looked down to his pocket grimly. "My apologies Ser, that won't be necessary" he said, fixing the wings to his chest. "As for Atashi, I couldn't tell you. Probably eating, if he decided to join us - but I'm not sure." Kylar looked to the training grounds Malcolm directed him too, then pointed. Before he could do anything, however, he felt someone grab his arm.
"Crimson!?" he exclaimed, then pulled her tight in to a hug. The relief was evident throughout his entire body. He didn't want to act unprofessional in-front of the Warden, but he couldn't hold this much emotion back. He buried his head in her shoulder.
"Thank you so much for coming" he said quietly, trying to hold back the wave of emotion that wanted to break out.

Kylar moved to Crimson's side, standing up straight and formal when Malcolm spoke to him. "Right away Ser, sorry for the delay" he said then walked away with Crimson. After walking a few steps, he started to look around, sliding his hand into hers.
"I hope the journey wasn't too rough?" he asked her, before his eyes fell on Atashi. With Crimson beside him, he walked towards his friend, happier than he had been for a long time. Last time, he was scared he was alone. This time, he had both his wife and his friend by his side and the journey had only just begun. He gave Atashi a friendly wave, then approached. As he went there, he saw Atashi was beside Ser Elyna. He'd never had the pleasure of talking to her before, but he knew of her. She meant something to Malcolm, but that was all he knew in that regard. But her wings told Kylar that she was important though, a captain.
He stopped before approaching any further. "That woman there is Ser Elyna, she works alongside Ser Malcolm. Approach her formally, it's only respectful" he explained to Crimson.

As he arrived at the two, he waited for any conversation to finish. He then bowed his head respectfully to Elyna. "Ser Elyna, it's a pleasure. I'm sorry to be of bother, but Ser Malcolm has asked if I could borrow Atashi here for training? If that's not a problem of course, I'm more than willing to train with him alone - I'd just rather avoid that humility" he said jokingly. Despite his tone, he was serious to some extent, the last thing he wanted was to get shown up in front of everyone. But he wouldn't back down, alone or not.
"Atashi, if you are willing to join us, we will be training over in the combat area - where the knights are dueling now" he pointed out to Atashi. With that, he bowed respectfully again, and turned away with Crimson's hand still in his.

As Kylar arrived at the training area, he let go of Crimson's hand and looked at the selection of training daggers. They were all rather simple, none shaped into different daggers. He handed his Stiletto and crossbow to Crimson, then picked up a single training dagger. He wielded it in his weaker hand, but that wasn't a tactical error. Up his dominant sleeve, if it became useful, he still had his hidden blade. It may be real, but he had enough control, and it could prove good for a sneak attack. He would avoid using it at all costs, though. He turned to face Crimson.
"I want you to keep hold of that Stiletto for this whole journey, but I will need the crossbow back. If we end up in a fight, that Stiletto might save your life, understand? I'll teach you to use it soon" he told her. "Just...be careful with it, it's very valuable."

Atashi by his side, Kylar smiled as Malcolm told them their options. "With all respect to Atashi and myself, we don't stand much of a chance against you alone Warden. As such, I would like to work alongside Atashi for this" he said.
He then turned and faced Atashi. "What do you say, friend, shall we fight side by side once again?"

Kylar leaned by Atashi's ear and told him his plan quietly. "Circle him, then attack simultaneously. He has two swords, and with my dagger and your shield and sword, we have three means of attacking. At least one should hit, in theory" he explained. "Let's do this."
He turned and smiled at Crimson once, then held the dagger in a combat position and started to circle Malcolm. He kept his eye on Malcolm and Atashi at the same time, waiting for the right moment.
The second him and Atashi were opposite one another fully, he charged, swinging with his dagger for Malcolm's stomach. He could feel the difference between his dominant and weak hand, and it would mean that even if he did land a hit that it would be far too weak, but in this situation he was more of a decoy. He just hoped Atashi followed through.