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Post by Admin on Apr 14, 2023 6:28:02 GMT
#s://i~ibb~co/n1Gnsps/Julian~jpg "Please, I'm telling you- uurk!" Edmund manages to get out before the leash is pulled tight again. "Had you any experience with Eric's servitors, the Weir? More human than animal yet even less able to control their instincts under the moon. He seems to have inherited such impulsiveness from his mother. I thought I had trained it out of him when he was a child. I see that it didn't fully take. Now he will need to be reconditioned.
"You will be contacted once he has been retrained and housebroken."One of Julian's hands holds the leash, the other a large switch of hazelwood. "Go now. I can not restrain my hound's hunger forever."
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Post by Ryland on Apr 19, 2023 1:01:47 GMT
Ryland gives a nod of his head, acknowledging Julian’s order, and withdraws.
“Now, where to go?” He muses to himself while walking.
He reaches out with his perception and settles on the familiar sight of Castle Amber, as seen from exiting Arden. Then slowly, methodically, he starts shifting shadows towards his destination. Ryland keeps his guard up, knowing all too well that Arden is not a safe place.
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Post by Admin on Apr 19, 2023 5:44:08 GMT
As Ryland leaves, Julian says: "When you see Rinaldo be sure to tell him that Arden is still mine. All I have to do is reach out and take it from him, and no fancy swords or rings can stop me."
As he rides back to friendlier climes, he senses Julian's Hellhounds following him. Protecting him or ensuring he doesn't turn around, Ry can not tell. Darkness intensifies, ghosts multiply then the way becomes easier; the grey cloud-covered sun of Amber, the green mossy trees, the black muddy ground of Arden. A squad of Rangers passes him with a salute.
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Post by Ryland on Apr 21, 2023 1:56:02 GMT
Ryland salutes the Rangers and keeps on his way back to Castle Amber. Both glad for the comfort of the hounds and a bit afraid.
As he travels, he thinks back on what a whirlwind this trip home has been. And how easy it would be to take a right turn and head out into the freedom of shadow.
As he thinks, he realizes that this mess never changes. There is always a villain, a plot, an advancing army, or a monster. He loves Amber and his family but still can’t understand why anyone would want to be the king or queen.
He thinks about all the information he learned and who, if anyone, he should share it with. Should he ask about his dead sister? She is dead. There must be a reason why Bleys hadn’t shared that information with him. How many more siblings did he have – alive or dead?
One thing that he learned, he wasn’t strong enough in the power. He needed to learn more about the Pattern and how to use it. And, maybe brush up on his magic too. Maybe after the castle, he would visit his aunt Fiona?
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Post by Admin on Apr 21, 2023 3:50:23 GMT
Now in Arden, he has no need to concentrate on shifting of shadow and can enjoy the ride. He passes the rusted heap of a Mercedes. His road winds around the base of a large hill. Julian's - now Rinaldo's - fortress sits high up on the crest of the hill, hidden by the screen of dense foliage.
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Post by Ryland on Apr 24, 2023 4:57:22 GMT
Ryland looks at the fortress and picks up the pace, not wanting anything to do with the confrontation there. Ryland enjoys the ride thinking back on his hunts in the woods and the good times.
But, the peace wont last as images of everything that happened keep coming back, swirling around and around. They make a pattern only to reform into another. Ryland can't help but think there is something he is missing.
He stops his horse, looking at the way to the castle and then looking off into shadow. What was Edmund trying to tell them? Edmund had risked physical pain from his father. And, more importantly, more of his father's anger.
"Shit."
Ryland forms the image of Julian and Edmund, when Edmund was trying to speak, to warn them. Ryland holds it clearly in his mind.
Take me to the information that Edmund was trying to tell us. Let me come across any allies who may help me along the way. Let's the clouds open-up in rain, and the clouds become purple when I arrive, Let me see a stag bounding in the distance.
Ryland heads to the right, out into shadow.
Shit. I hope this works.
Ryland buckled down and started shifting. Pouring his will into what he desired, stronger and deeper than he had ever gone before.
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Post by Admin on Apr 25, 2023 5:49:13 GMT
Ryland crosses back through Arden, but this time to the shadow reaches of the woods. Platoons of Rnagers pass him and salute as they do. Most of the soldiers are headed in the same direction as Ryland, a few returning to the deep wood. The clouds unleash a freezing deluge as he fights his way up the mountain roads toward the pass. At the end of the second day he reaches the pass, where a few small stone buildings have been constructed and where Rangers guard the road. Ryland senses more than sees a large number of Rangers bivouacked in the forest around him. A small number work in the gatehouse, stables and dorm.
"Well-met, Lord Ryland!" the pass-captain calls to him. "It is a poor evening for travel."
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Post by Ryland on Apr 30, 2023 22:24:18 GMT
“Well met, Captain. It is a poor evening for travel and a poor evening to be on gate duty.” Ryland replies.
“Are we expecting trouble on the other side of the pass?” Ryland asked.
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Post by Admin on May 3, 2023 5:27:42 GMT
"Only trouble if they start it. Lord Edward's army camped down the mountainside. The Lord and Lord's Xu and Motius have ridden to Kolvir. Action is considered unlikely, but they won't be able to take the pass if it happens. They look to have some good horsemen among them, but they won't be able to charge up a mountainside."
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Post by Ryland on May 5, 2023 2:43:40 GMT
“I understand your alert. I don’t expect them to advance with hostile intentions. I traveled with them until we got separated a while back. The leaders made no mention of hostility toward Amber, and they had an objective out in shadow. I think they are regrouping and looking for some support from the crown.
I’ll press onward and see how things are fairing with them. Also, if they do become hostile, I know that, at least one amberite will come to your aid, likely more. I ran into one who was spying on the army as I kept crossing paths with them. And, I think there were others I missed for the one I saw.
Open roads and safe fire, Captain.”
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Post by Admin on May 5, 2023 4:31:07 GMT
"Our thanks, my Lord. During this interregnum, all forces camped at the gates of Arden are suspect."
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Post by Ryland on May 9, 2023 2:22:06 GMT
"Wise choice Captain. Wise choice."
Ryland heads down the path and will hail a sentry for the army as he approaches.
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Post by Admin on May 10, 2023 5:20:01 GMT
He is greeted by the sentry and shown further into camp where Xu's man has taken command.
[OOC: Xu, want to RP the captain?)
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Post by XuLiang on May 10, 2023 9:12:05 GMT
(OOC - Why yes I would. ) He is led to the camp that has been created by the soldiers. Though no walls have been built, there is a ditch and the dirt piled up on the inside towards the camp. “ D gate’s No.” The sentry gestures to the north side of the camp. “ Jus ri arou and yo’ll see.” He then returns to his sentry duty. As he rides around the camp, he goes by a group of soldiers working to deepen and widen the trench. They work at a steady, but slow pace. They pause to watch him ride by and the officer and sergeant say nothing to them about it and salute Ryland as he passes. The men return to working without being told and officer and sergeant go back to using a spyglass to observe the tree line and checking the depth respectively. When he reaches the ‘gate’, just an opening in the ditch, he is quickly shown into the camp. There are a large number of new wooden buildings being built around the camp. They have been positioned for defence, creating choke points. Again, the men appear to be working, but slowly. Ryland can hear the sounds of archery practice from somewhere on the other side of the camp and smoke rises from a temporary forge that a smith has set up. From somewhere else the smell of cookfires waft through the air. At last he reaches the centre of the camp. The command tent is not large. It is a round yurt next to what looks to be a larger staff building when it is finished. When he enters, Captain Lu Meng is sitting and eating something grey from a plain bowl. When he sees who is entering the tent he hurriedly sets down the bowl, stands and bows to 45 degrees and then comes back up. “ Lord Ryland! It is good to see you.”
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Post by Ryland on May 11, 2023 1:31:26 GMT
"Hello Captain Lu Meng. It is both good to be seen, and good to see you, too. I hope you had safe travels and kind fires on your way here. Please keep eating, we work to hard to skip meals on purpose. We miss enough meals due to Fate." Ryland laughs.
"That bitch must like her men really thin."
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