The Song of Swords

[Dark Warrior]

Darios rode along a quiet woodland path, astride his faithful horse, Whitefire, aptly named, as her beautiful white coat opposed her fiery temper. However, she and Darios had spent years together, and they were the best friends the other had. By his side was his trusty staff, as tall as he was and with iron support on either end to make it a little more sturdy. On his other side rested his trusty short sword.
Nearly asleep in the saddle after his last few exhausting days, he was brought to his senses as he heard a woman's yell, followed by the appearance of a young woman bursting from the trees by the side of the road. Before Darios could react, she tripped and fell, 10 metres in front of him, and a man burst out from the trees also and charged her. When Darios saw the man's sword, shining in the midday sun, he urged Whitefire on, pulling out his own sword as he did.
The man turned, but too late, and Darios' blade slashed open his chest and left him in a pool of his own blood. Darios halted Whitefire and dismounted, stepping past the already dead man to the young girl, cowering. He offered her his hand.
"Milady? Are you alright?" he said in his quiet but firm voice.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

Glancing behind me every few steps, I check to see how close my pursuer is. With every ounce of strength I run as fast as I can. As I emerge from the forest I glance back again, not seeing the branch at my feet. I trip and fall. As my pursuer draws near I scream, closing my eyes and expecting to be killed.

Suddenly I hear the sound of hoofbeats. I hear another blade being drawn and then the sickening sound of a blade through flesh. A lifeless body falls to the ground with a dull thud.

At the sound of a gentler voice than that of my captor, I look up.

"Oh, thank you sir. I think I'll be alright. " I say as I take his offered hand and stand up.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios smiled as he looked the young, beautiful girl up and down. Despite her dirty clothes, she still seemed to have a regal presence, and he could not help but think that she was some lord's daughter.
"This is no place for a lady, and it seems that that guy didn't want to do anything nice to you. I am assuming this place is no longer safe, so you can come with me if you wish. My name's Darios, and may I have the pleasure of knowing yours?"

 

[Lethe]

It was a cold,misty day, and Morn rode through the trailing wreaths of fog at a hard canter. It seemed to him that the beating of his horse’s hooves seemed to synchronize with his heartbeat. Thump. Thump. A trickle of cold sweat ran down his forehead. Thump, thump. Morn resisted the urge to spur Beggar’s Wish into a gallop. Thumpthumpthump… It felt like his heart was going to tear from his chest.

He was dressed in simple, utilarian black clothes, as ever and a plain, undecorated sword and dagger hung from his belt. Morn touched them, perhaps for reassurance, or some obscure good luck token. When I find those who took Mirshann…

He was unaware of it, but his gloved hands had started to squeeze the blade hilts.

He hadn’t much to go on. Footprints in the mud from where the princess had been taken, leading to a nearby wood where there were the signs of horses having been tethered. Morn was no tracker, but these men had left an easy trail. Too easy. The king had sent guards at once to follow it. It led to the south. It took a mind like Morn’s; careful, halfway-paranoid and very focused to wonder if trails could be false. If wars could be desired. If there was more players in the game than anyone realised.

So Morn had used his royal commission to request the assistance of two of the king’s Royal Huntsmen and they had spent a long time inspecting the little wood. To find hoof prints, brilliantly concealed so that only a bent twig, a crushed leaf, revealed their presence. A new trail, this time leading eastwards.

What lay eastwards anyway? Just a few small towns and scattered villages, bleak moors and hills. And not the new King of the South.

Morn irritably shook his head. The politics don’t matter.Maybe it was some powerful conservative lord within his king’s own ranks warmongering. Or someone from the northern realm where Morn had been born.

Whoever it is, they’re going to regret it.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

"My name is Princess Mirshann. While out riding my stallion I was captured. I managed to escape but not without attracting attention. As you saw, chase was given. I owe you my life. I'm sure my father will be very grateful and give you any reward you wish."

I walk to Darios' horse.

"You have a beautiful animal." I say as I stroke the horse's neck, giving it a kind pat.

Turning back to Darios, I smile. "I shall accept your offer an accompany you. I would like to see the ones who kidnapped me brought to justice."

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

Darios stood still, his face fixed in an expression of sheer surprise.
"Did... did you say princess?" he asked.
Mirshann smiled and nodded.
"Well... ah, I... I mean, I really can't help... a lady of your rank." Darios gestured to his horse and what it carried. "All you see before you... this is all I have in the world. I am a traveller, and nothing more."
He remembered his years as a knight under the service of this woman's father, the King of the North. She had been near 10 years younger than him, a mere stripling of a girl. He wasn't surprised that she didn't recognize him.
"But," Darios continued, "I guess I could take you back to your father." He said, slowly getting over his surprise. "He will be surprised to see me once more, I should think." he finished, walking over to the horse to pat it also, running a hand through Whitefire's mane.
Darios gestured to help Mirshann into the saddle, but was surprised as she hauled herself up. Surprised, and impressed. She turned to say something to him.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

Before Darios can offer, I swing myself onto his mare's back. I laugh softly to myself as I see the surprised look on his face.

"I taught myself to ride while no one was around. They refused to teach me, saying it was 'un-ladylike'. So, I spent many eves in the stables with Velkryn, my favorite stallion. Those men or creatures who kidnapped me took him for themselves." I chuckle softly, "They're going to have a time with him. I was the only one who could ride him without being thrown. After proving to my father I could ride him, he finally agreed and allowed me to continue."

I pat the mare's neck again.

"You look a little familar. Have we met before? You mentioned something about my father. Were you one of his guard?" I say inquisitively.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

I took the horse's reins and began to guide Whitefire and her precious burden along the road east. He knew there was a crossroads not far ahead, and he could turn north there.
"I was one of his knights, for a time. My father was as well, and you may know him better, for he was a bit more famous than me, and put in many years of dedicated service. However, you would have been but a dot of a girl through the majority of those years, but you may have heard stories about him." Darios sighed, looking up to the gradually darkening sky, memories of his father filling his mind. Once more he saw the battle-hardened, but not unkind face, and he smiled at the memory. It made his insides glow with warmth. Darios looked back up to see Mirshann looking down at him expectantly, awaiting the continuation of the story.
"I, myself, spent little time under the service of your father. All of my years as a knight I had dreamed of living the life I do now, but I felt I had to do it... for my father. I felt it was my duty. But then, when my father died... and I still do not know how... I pursued my dreams. And here I am now."
I fell into a kind of reminiscent silence, my eyes lowered to look at the floor, dreaming of all that happened, and what might have happened...

 

[Lady_Siren]

Illynya watched the lone traveler from the tree tops curiously. She had a very curious nature, and new people intrigued her. This man seemed to be upset, his hand squeezed his sword hilts and his expression was dark and concetrated on the task at hand. So for the time being Illynya just watched and waited.

 

[Lethe]

Twilight was dying, cold blue suffusing the sky. Morn blinked, then shook his head angrily. He hadn't slept in two days. Much as he wanted to deny it, his fatigue was catching up with him. I won't do Mirshann much good by dying of exhaustion

Turning Beggar's Wish off at the next forest track, Morn made for a small clearing he knew to be nearby. Local foresters used it as a stopping point, stashing caches of firewood underneath the boughs of an ancient oak.

Morn dismounted, his movements stiff with repressed fatigue. Already warring with the exhaustion in his brain, he did not even bother laying out a sleeping roll or, an almost unbroken routine, rubbing down Beggar's Wish, his sleek black warhorse.

On the verge of deep sleep, his head full of aches and whispers, it seemed to Morn that he sensed a flicker of movement in the trees around him. He feel asleep then, or so it seemed, although a careful observer might have noted his hand casually moving towards the hilt of his sword as his breathing began to take on the slow rhythm of sleep

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

I sit in silence for a few moments, pondering what he has just said.

"Interesting tale. I am curious to know more about your travels. This is the first time I've been away from my father's kingdom. It definately wasn't the way I planned to leave." I laugh softly at the thought, "On a different note, would it be possible to try and track down my kidnappers and find Velkryn? I hate to think about what they would do to him once they realize they can't ride him."

I look down at Darios, awaiting more of his tale.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

"There is not a lot more to tell about my travels, I guess. I became a staff-fighter, moving from city to city to try and win my fortune."
"And as for your kidnappers... aye, if it was in my power, I would help you get your revenge on them. Unfortunately, I alone do not have the power. As for your horse... I am sorry, milady, but it is more than likely already dead. And my first duty is to get you home safe and sound. After that,..." I stopped and looked up at Mirshann. She seemed to be in a lot of grief.
"I... I'm sorry. But you must face the facts. The chance that Velkryn is still alive..." my voice trailed off, not wanting to hurt her more. I knew the attachment that some people could feel for their horses; I was one, and I could sense that the princess was too.
I desperately tried to change the subject. "So, uh, have you ever seen a professional Staff fight?"

 

[SpectralDragoon]

Bryant

Bryant crashes through the wilderness, running headlong. Trying to look behind and ahead at the same time while trying to keep his toes from catching any roots or fallen trees was not an easy feat. He stops, putting his backside against a tree and leaning over while clutching a sword in his grip, chest heaving as he fights for breath. After a minute of this, and his mind telling him to keep going, he's off again.

Bryant pushes his way through some brush and starts to make his way down a steep embankment, half jumping and running. His boot slips in some mud underneath a scattering of leaves and he goes sliding down the bank on his ass and tumbles into a clearing. The sword in scabbard that he had been holding onto goes skittering across the ground and he finds himself on his butt, looking up at black warhorse towering over him not five feet away.

"Whoa!, Holy..."

He frantically scoots himself backward on his hands, with his feet kicking to propel him, hoping this huge horse won't crush him under hoof. He's seen horses like this one, yes sir, when men came to make orders from him and his father. This horse would belong to a man who makes war. Maybe a man not unlike the one he was supposed to be delivering that fine sword to....

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

I gaze into the distance at the darkening horizen, silently hoping Velkyn hasn't been killed. I sigh and take up the opportunity to change the subject.

"No, I don't think I ever have seen a staff fight. Then again, I haven't seen much of any type of fighting. Father never let me watch the knights training or even attend the jousts for very long. Do tell me about them." I say, trying to control my voice.

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

"It is true, such things are not fit for a lady of your rank... but I like to think of staff-fighting as closer to an art than an actual fighting style. Indeed, it's origins lie in dancing, and that is a true fact. That's why its classified as sport, though, like many sports, can be deadly. As for jousting and the meleés, the sports of the Knight... well, they are much less... how to say it... dignified? The meleés in particular, a bloody mess they are. Throw a number of armed men, all-be-it with blunted weapons, all on foot and with the intention of beating the other men senseless... well, there's bound to be injuries. A lot less skillful. And the jousts... well, it's too flashy for my liking. The shining plate mail, the well-groomed and armoured horses... ah, but it brings back memories. I was never very good at either of those, but with staff-fighting... it's a lot more skillful, it takes ultra-swift reflexes, an iron will, and constant practice. I have trouble putting it into words. If it would suit you, milady, I would show you....?" I asked questioningly, looking up at the princess.

 

[BlkPnthr]

Elik

Strolling down the beaten path, Elik hears sounds coming from up ahead. Quickly taking cover in the bushes near by, he listens closely. Unable to clearly hear the voices, he mutters an incantation. 3 males and a female can be heard. Closing his eyes, he begins to chant in an arcane language. A semi transparent circle appears in front of him, and he peers into it, musing. Now able to completely understand the events up ahead, he breathes a sigh of relief, and steps out from the bush.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

I force a little smile.

"I have had more than enough excitement for one day, I believe. However, I would enjoy seeing what staff-fighting is like. I like to dance. My teachers always said I was very graceful. Then again, isn't that what they're supposed to say to a princess?" I chuckle softly, "Though from attending the occasional ball my father held for this reason of that, I will agree with them. I do enjoy it."

I look down at Darios, my eyes locking with his.

"The little I did see of the jousts was not much fun. They were usually held, so it seemed, on days when the sun was especially bright. The reflection of the sunlight on the polished armor of horse and rider was blinging. I don't know how anyone could see clearly." I say with a shrug.

 

[BlkPnthr]

Elik

Elik slowly, and cautiously walks towards the commotion up ahead. Not wanting to alarm anyone, he makes his footsteps stealthily. Less than 20 yards away, he can see a horse, mounted by a male, and a female. Off to the right of the path, he can sense a presence in the trees. Keeping a careful eye on the trees, he approachs the steed.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

OOC: oy... I can't seem to type well today. blinging= blinding

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

I made to reply to the princess, but it stopped at my lips as I saw the figure coming towards us. I spoke a commanding word to Whitefire, and the horse stopped.
"Wait here." I told the princess, taking my staff into my hand and stepping forward.
"Halt, there! What business do you have?" I asked, rising up to my full height and raising my staff, trying my best to look threatening.

 

[BlkPnthr]

Elik

Greetings, my name is Elik. I am a traveller from a far away town. I was strolling down the path, when I heard you and your company, and thought it best to make my presence known. WHat is your destination?

 

[Dark Warrior]

Darios

OOC: BlkPnther, I don't mind you joining, but if you wouldn't mind could you please post a character bio? Just the basics, name, age, race, role, height, build, hair, eyes, stuff like that.

IC: I looked this bold man up and down.
"My business is not with you, traveller. Give me a good reason why I should tell you this, or I shall have to ask you to step aside." I said, waving my staff warily at him. "I am in somewhat of a hurry, so if you will not move I shall have to make you."

 

[BlkPnthr]

Elik

OOC: Sure, thought you might have guessed part of that with my first post...sorry Elik is a mage, about the age of 35, human. His role is yet to be determined apparently, but he is not an evil character. He stands 5'11 with blue eyes and greying hair.

IC: Pardon me my fellow traveller, I was merely creating a conversation, and being gnerally polite. I mean you nor your party no harm. I am a seasoned adventurer making my way to the town of Randisha, and was seeking companionship if you travelled the same direction.

 

[AriaSilverfyre]

I sit quietly, my eyes watching cautiously and my ears listening. I pat Whitefire's neck while I wait.

"Interesting looking person." I think to myself as I watch, "I wonder who he is and what he's doing out here."

I continue to absentmindedly stroke the horse's neck.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Illynya watched the man fall asleep. She stayed in the trees watching him sleep. He wasn't half bad she thought silently, for a human anyway. Yet even in sleep his face seemed strained and he still seemed tense. Why was this man so serious? where was the laughter? the fun? that all people should possess. She heard alot crash and another man's voice. She looked as some young boy it seemed tripped and fell nearly crushed under the horse. She looked to the other man awaiting to see if he awoke