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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:51 pm
Noj looked down the road, using Saidin enhanced vision to see men ahead. They definitely weren't galloping, more going a leisurely pace, though their horses didn't appear to be very quick in the first place. Heart pounding in his ears, Noj grinned, heart pounding in his ears, adrenaline making the world feel slow, at least everything but his approach. There were a group of them, around five, and they appeared to be brigands of some sort, though they finally began to hear the sounds of Light Dancer's hooves beat the ground. Using Air, he locked on of the left most horse's legs to the ground, then quickly did it to the man on the right most as well. Glancing among the remaining horses, he didn't see Cellyn among them, probably a rear guard of some sort, she must have really pissed off someone. Nearing another horse ridden man, Noj leaped from his horse and onto another, causing the horse being ridden to riot and kick back. Rolling onto his feet gracefully after hitting the ground, he popped up, glancing as the other horses reared around. Using fire, he engulfed the men in flames, walking up to the unhorsed man and putting a boot to his throat. Yes, it was a bit over dramatic, but the men at this point probably there frighten enough to sell their mothers, that being, if they had the morals to not do it in the first place. "I have a travelling companion who is currently willing to not only keep me company, but pay me for it, and I believe that you know who happens to have her. I think that it'd be best if you told me. Now." From what he'd seen, there were probably scouts around who would tell this to the perpetrator, which he wanted. If he knew he was being followed by a monster of a man, he'd do one of two things, go to the man who hired him/ where ever he based from to escape, or fortify himself in a singular position, mostly trying to hide his tracks from then on, making his movement significantly slower. Whatever happened, as long as they didn't kill him, he came out on top.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:30 pm
"So where are we going?" Cellyn demanded, noticing that Jurel and his men had slowly begun to pick up their pace until they were near a gallop. She was forced to hang onto the saddlehorn if she didn't want to fall - which wouldn't be so bad if she hadn't the sneaking suspicion her legs would be broken if they thought she was trying to escape. "Alive" didn't mean "whole" to these men. He snickered again, eyes hodded beneath his cloak. "I'd tell you, milady, except there's no point. If you escape," the word was loaded with sarcasm, "you'd know where to avoid. And as you're going there anyway, some anticipation won't hurt." "I wasn't traveling alone," she reminded him, almost desperately thinking of Noj. This proclomation earned a derisive snort from one of the men behind them. "The white-haired fool who didn't even come out of his tent to save you? He was awake, milady, make no mistake. Probably figured he'd gotten all his supplies up and paid for, why risk having his meal ticket dump him? Grab and run, it's what men like he and I do," Jurel told her, his tone taking on an annoyingly patronizing lilt that reminded her almost of Noj, that b*****d. Cellyn grimaced, forced to admit he had a point. She knew so little of the man - but the dream, that nagging blasted feeling she had whenever she looked at him straight on - delusion? As Jurel patted her on the head, it was then she wished she could channel, just once, just to blast him away.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:24 pm
Noj sighed as the pathetic man had spilled just about everything he knew from birth to present rattled off. Deciding he had what he wanted, he let the man go. Again, anything to speed up or slow down the kidnappers. Speeding up would make them easier to follow, and them slowing down the watch their tracks would mean they'd loose their horses, thus again, making them easier to at least get too. Noj was rather proud of his tracking abilities, but they weren't perfect. What ever the case, Noj would continue on. Giving a sharp whistle, he mounted his steed who had returned to him. For some reason, the men had been dumb enough to continue to follow the road. Maybe they didn't expect him to follow. He did have the look...and probably the smell, of a brigand of some sort, he should probably bathe more often. But getting a hold of hot water in the Winter was such a hassle. Meh, it built character, or something.
Following the tracks just short of a gallop, he kept an eye out on the tree line, looking for scouts and archers and the like. He wasn't sure just how many there were, but they had a rear guard. Apparently it was some branch of a famous 'Assassin's Guild' or something equally ridiculous. It was a fancy name for some kinda above average mercenaries with a flair to the dramatic in all probability, the someone, probably the girls father, had asked for her retrieval. It almost made him sorry for killing/injuring/whatever else he did to the men earlier, but only just almost. Over all, he didn't have pity for men how allowed themselves to be paid to kill others without any principle. At least when he worked in a military, they had a code of discipline, and a list of who you could and could go after, not just some random axe murdering of villages under the guise of a 'Guild' or whatever.
Noj took a bow he'd brought with him that he'd lifted from one of the previous idiots, shouldering a quiver full of arrows, which was more difficult than it sounded on a galloping warhorse of all things. He began suiting himself up completely, outfitting himself with daggers and an extra blade. He almost wished he had some mail or plate to put on, but not only was it nigh impossible to armor one self from horse back, but that would make him stand out even more than he did now, and would slow down his horse. Making a compromise of necessity and of supply, he put on a reinforced leather cap. It wouldn't deflect arrows or a blade, but who knows, every little bit helped. Glancing at the tracks, he slowed. It appeared that the party had dehorsed, and was hoofing it through the woods, probably to the nearby ruins that the squirrel had told him the 'Assassin's Guild' made their home. Whatever. Patting on Light Dancer's flank, he continued on. The horse would stay within earshot if he whistled, but he knew that Noj didn't want him following. He was probably laughing at Noj too. Blasted creature.
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:27 am
Cellyn had remained on the horse - her hands now tied to the pommel - as Jurel led it through the woods. She felt sorry for the horse and patted its neck as best she could, receiving a low whicker in reply. She glared at the assassin's back and he snorted, as if he could tell. "You're too pretty for such dirty looks, milady," he informed her. "Where are we bloody going?" she demanded, wishing she had the reach to kick him in the back of his head. "To our base," he informed her. He must have heard the rude noise she made, because he shrugged. "Think what you will, we have a proper base of operations. It's not pretty, but it's out of the way," he continued, gesturing in front of them. She could barely see for the snow and trees, but thought she could make out...ruins? "You can't even afford a hut?" she asked in amazement, beginning to laugh. "You have to squat in some old ruins?" Cellyn couldn't help the laughter, tinged with hysteria, which was cut short when Jurel slapped her face. She coughed, having bit her cheek hard enough to draw blood, and spat it at him. "Some respect won't be so hard, will it?" he asked calmly, wiping the blood off his cheek and looking forward once more. She hadn't even seen him move to hit her and she snorted. "Why should I? You're working for that beast," she retorted. They were in the ruins now, shadows having given her the illusion they were farther, and she remained tied to the horse as the group of men walked forward to meet someone.
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 12:02 pm
Noj spun, lopping off the head of a passing patrol men, tossing his sword aside and drawing his bow, stringing an arrow and loosing it, the arrow finding it's mark in the back of the second man who was running away like a coward. The men being on their toes was one thing, but them sending their entire outfit to kill him. Walking up to the fallen man, he took his arrow back out, glancing at it and deciding that it splintered too much for a proper second use. He was using a wooden bow with cheap arrows. He preferred iron bows or crossbows with iron bolts or arrows. Harder to draw, and aim, but the arrows shattered less, went further, and had more force. Ups and downs. Putting the bow away, he retrieved his blade and re-sheathed it. According to the majority of the paths that had been worn down led ahead of him. Maybe he should join the Assassin's Guild, he was a much better assassin than most of the men he was coming across. He hadn't even really needed to channel yet. Most of the men were largely under trained, and over confident. Their 'patrols' were just men walking through the woods. It was rather disgusting from the view of a former sergeant.
Anyhow, the ruins had fully come into view at this point, and again, it seemed poorly guarded. Their obviously main entrance had plenty of men, but in it's nature of ruins, it had more than one. The building appeared to be the an overturned tower, and they were living in the mostly intact fallen tower. Sigh. Drawing an arrow, he took aim at a man in a lookout position, said a quick prayer, and loosed it. The arrow hit it's mark and the man dramatically fell from his post to the ground. Immediately, Noj took off at a run through the tree line, looking for a hole in the guard that would grant him easy access. In any account, they'd know someone was there.
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:12 pm
Jurel and his men spun around as one of their companions fell to the ground from a lookout position, several colorful swears burning Cellyn's ears as she was ripped from the saddle, her wrists burning from the rope ripping her skin off as it was pulled from her hands. Jurel, who seemed to be the one responsible for her safety, threw her behind the horse and shielded her body with his, although it was doubtful she was the target. "Is it Noj?" she thought hopefully, although didn't want to gloat in case it was just some of the assassins' enemies come to collect. The man Jurel had gone to speak to had also dove to the ground for cover, while several of the men left the relative safety of inside to venture into the snow and try to find the man. "Don't be so happy yet, milady, you're going with him no matter who that b*****d is out there," Jurel informed her smoothly, deliberately gripping her wrists to amplify the pain. She bit her lip, determined not to give him the satisfaction of whimpering, and took the opportunity to donkey-kick him in the groin. He dropped to the ground with a faint moan - father always said she kicked like a mule anyway - and dodged the grab of another man to rush outside the tower. She was up a tree in moments, despite the weight of her skirts, and looked smugly down as the men tried to catch her and not get shot.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:22 pm
Noj ducked behind a tree and glanced around. It appeared the entire operation had on into alert with the mindset of killing him, which was a little unpleasant. Though, they seemed to think that there was more than on of them, cause it appeared everyone who thought themselves important had hit the deck, while underlings were sent to 'deal' with him. All and all though, there were still probably around a hundred of them, and one of Noj. By the Light, Cellyn better be there. If not, then he had a bone to pick with someone, not sure who, but some one. Luckily, most of the men they sent out were also very careful, not wanting to get shot, but were heading to where Noj was. Creeping up past them in a wide arc, he circled in, taking a look around. Creeping inside, he sneaked up to a bewildered guard and, with a knife from his boot, slit the man's throat. He appeared to be the only inside. On another bright side, these men appeared to have no uniform, so the only thing stopping him from fitting in was well, his hair, which he had hidden under a leather cap. Running up to the next person he called out. "Hey, where's Jurel?" The man from before had really told him a lot of things. "We're under attack and I was ordered to protect him."
The man looked bewildered, but shook his head. "He's right at the entrance with the girl, where the look out was shot."
Nodding, Noj ran off, giving a bit of thanks to the poor sap. What he saw next was interesting to say the least. There were a bunch of men half hovering near the ground and half trying to climb a tree. Huh.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:09 pm
"Get down from - umph!" the man fell back to the ground with a bloody nose, swearing at the woman. He fell silent when Jurel's boot connected with the back of his head, though. "Take the others and find whoever's out there," he snapped, glancing over at their employer, who was hiding on the other side of the tree, away from the ruins. "Make sure you kill him, I don't care if you have to cut his head off to do it, understand?" he snapped. Not waiting for a response, the assassin turned his head up to glare at the woman in the tree, who was looking far too self-satisfied for someone with rope burns on her wrists and bruises on her face, as well as a bloody lip. "Milady," he began. "Stuff it." Cellyn interrupted with a pleased expression. She had seen a strange man run past in the distance, whom she could have sworn was Noj, and was feeling rather relieved at the moment. She had positioned herself on the lowest sturdy branch on the trunk, so any of the men that tried to climb it were forced to get in range with her boots. "Milady, you're wanted alive, not unharmed." "Clearly." Jurel grit his teeth. "I will shoot you out of that tree if I must, milady." "Then go ahead," she challenged him. She risked a glance backward at the man hiding and nodded, her suspicions confirmed. "If you shoot him first, I'll come down." "What?" The assassin was temporarily stunned at this - most women burst into tears or fainted, something, in his experience. This one got violent and then offered to cooperate if he shot his employer.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 8:05 pm
Noj sighed. That woman knew how to make trouble, she was nearly half as good as he was, and that wasn't a good thing. Jumping from the bush, Noj put on his best 'I'm a stupid grunt' face and waved his arms. "Boss, boss, we caught the b*****d." He ran up to a bewildered man, Jurel if he heard right, and feigned breathing hard. "Da man's a snake, but we got him good! Though, he told me to give you something." Balling a fist, Noj punched the man in the face, knocking him to the ground. Glancing at the man Cellyn had wanted shot, he felt up his sleeve and through a knife at the man, sinking it into his exposed arm. b*****d deserved it, probably.
Finally regaining his where withal, Jurel popped to his feet, and pointed at Noj. 'It's him, kill him, kill him!"
A sigh escaped from his lips as he drew one of his blades with a spinning flourish, slicing open the throat a nearby thug in the process. This...wasn't gonna be easy.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:00 pm
"Hooray, a fight!" The thought went cheerfully through Cellyn's mind and she was only slightly shocked at herself before jumping off of the limb and onto the shoulders of the man responsible for the mess. He was shouting in pain, Noj's dagger still in his arm, and she twisted it deeper as they collapsed on the ground. "That's for my jaw, you Light-blasted milksucker," she swore, as he howled from the pain. He regained some composure and managed to knock her off, but she landed a solid kick to his own jaw before she got to her feet. Noj seemed to be doing well, although Jurel had the face of a man not to be toyed with. She hoped he realized that - the others were thugs, but for all his manners, their leader was definitely a trained killer. Cellyn hopped backwards, away from the man writhing in agony from a probably broken jaw, and resisted the urge to kick again. With her luck, he'd manage to pull her down.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:59 pm
Noj stared down Jurel, looking for an opening. The man knew what he was doing, unlike most of the others under him. But, he had Saidin, so, it wasn't so bad. Worst came to worse he had his back up. The only reason he didn't do it was because he had the feeling if he did, most of the men would lose their hesitation of shooting at him because he was next to their leader. So, it'd be an ace in his sleeve. Noj swung at the man's head, exchanging blows and parries with the assassin. The man was skilled, but not very experienced, and relied too much on his forms, instead of flowing gracefully between useful movements. After twentyish years fighting and conflict, Noj had become quite the opponent. Allowing his blade to be pushed aside, Noj reared back and kicked the boy in the chest, knocking him over and stomping on his sword arm, effectively breaking his arm. He hit a predicament. Killing Jurel would only bring the ire of his followers, and while it appeared that they at least wanted Cellyn alive, he was sure that if who ever wanted her was willing to use such underhanded tactics, he probably wasn't far from wanting her dead in a fit of rage. Releasing himself from his emotion, he looked down at the boy, who was obviously in pain. Probably had lost very many fights before. He was quite good, just that Noj had been fighting much longer. Mustering as cold of a voice he could, he spoke. "Boy. I don't know who is paying you, or why, but I'd suggest laying off. I doubt whatever they are giving you is worth your life." He ground his foot over broken part of his arm a little to elicit some pain. "I'm bringing her with me, and if you chase after me, I will kill you." Turning around, he grabbed Cellyn, who was a little worse for wear, and glanced down at the pompous fool on the ground before leaning over and rather forcefully ripping out the dagger, then wiping it on the boy's expensive clothing to get rid of the blood. "And I'll be taking my dagger." He glanced at Cellyn, rolling his eyes a little in exasperation. It wasn't going to be the last time he saw that boy, but it seemed to be the best way to weasel himself out. "Come on girl, before I change my mind." He hoped dearly to the Creator that he recognized he was just making an act and played along. Otherwise, he'd have a lot more fighting to do, and quite a few more holes than the Creator intended.
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Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:09 am
Cellyn mumbled something unprintable about Noj's mother, having caught on to Noj's act. She wasn't sure why he didn't want the man to know they were traveling together as partners instead of his macho attitude, but decided to go with it. She just wasn't sure how a submissive woman was supposed to act and played the part of a sullen wench instead. She kept her eyes to the ground, lest Jurel and the man see her laughter in them, and pulled away from Noj. "Not without my things!" she whined, deciding a spoiled wench was better than nothing. And she paid a lot of money for those things, by the Light. It only took a second for her to grab the bag, regretting leaving the horse behind too, and she stalked back to Noj. The defiant look in her eye wasn't an act, at least. "Fine, I'm ready," she said sulkily, managing to keep Noj between her and the other men at the same time. She let him pull her into the trees, where she saw Light Dancer after a few moments of rapidly striding over the snow and dead branches.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 8:51 pm
Noj glanced back, looking over the base they left behind. It appeared that the young man had finally gotten to his senses and was sending men after them. When Light Dancer came, Noj wrapped an arm over the top of the warhorse's neck, and touched his forehead to his head. He wanted the horse to run as far as he could, and he knew the horse knew it. Releasing him, Noj hoisted Cellyn into the saddle and patted Light Dancer, who turned and galloped off before the insufferable woman could come to her senses. This was probably the second time in the course of a couple of day's that he was gonna get himself nearly killed. Turning on his heel, he began picking off men who had begun charging at him with his unshouldered bow, until they got close enough that he tossed it aside.
Drawing a blade, he roared, charging forward, ripping Saidin toward himself and grabbing the nearest man by his face and lighting him on fire with the Source before shoving him into a tree. The young man wasn't running the most incredible little project, he only had like fifty men, and he'd already killed around ten, but that was still forty on one, which was only made slightly less suicidal by his grip on Saidin. Blasted woman.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:57 am
Cellyn held the reins in a death grip as the landscape sped by, her saddlebag wedged between her stomach and the saddlehorn. She pulled on the reins in a wasted effort to get the warhorse to stop. All thoughts of jumping were beaten out of her head when she looked down and saw how fast the ground was moving - not an option. "C'mon, Light Dancer! Stop already! I have to go back and help!" she yelled, although what help she thought she could be she had no idea. She was about to try pulling on the reins again when a bulky figure swung from a tree and landed beside the horse, grabbing the bridle with such force it was either stop or have its head ripped off. She stared at the man, who had to be well over 6'4" and wore a cloak she instantly recognized - a Warder. "If you can't control your horse, you shouldn't be riding it, milady," he informed her, his somber expression seemingly carved into his face. Cellyn ignored her instant reaction, one of insulted, for the greater good. If this man was a Warder...yes, there was an Aes Sedai around, but it evened the odds against that stupid bloody man back there. "I have a friend - he's being attacked by brigands back there!" she cried, falling into her helpless damsel routine. The Warder cocked an eyebrow, as if he didn't quite believe it, but nodded to an unseen word. Cellyn's jaw dropped open when he merely left her in the road, striding towards the fight.
The Warder moved with inhuman speed and quickly arrived on the scene, seeing the strange man not only badly outnumbered, but channeling. "Light save me from bloody heroes," he thought briefly, dispatching ten of the ill-trained assassins in mere moments. He reached the channeling man and whirled around, slicing the knee open of someone about to stab him through the shoulder.
Jurel groaned as a Warder appeared on the scene and backed away, already on the fringe of the battle. He liked to live, you see, and facing those two men ensured he'd die. "Bloody hell and ashes," he muttered, "I've never met such a troublesome woman." He dashed back to his horse and quickly left, ignoring the pain from his injury for the freedom of living, leaving the men behind.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:10 pm
Noj nearly swung at the man who could only be a Warder, before stopping himself. He might be able to take him with Saidin, but he'd emptied his reserves, and a refreshed Warder could probably treat him like a playtoy. Killing or driving of the men who were left, he collapsed to the ground. While the Warder's arrival had saved his life, Noj had managed to kill a majority of the fools, but it had spent him. He had a number of cuts across his body and his clothes in rags. He was a bit dazed from a glancing blow to the head from a buckler. Steadying his thoughts, he looked up to the gigantic man, mulling him over. If he was here, no doubt an Aes Sedai wasn't far off. And he was at their bloody mercy. If they so felt it, they could have him carted off to the Black Tower, depending on that Aes Sedai's disposition toward male channelers. By the Light. "Warder, why are you here. I won't complain, but my past few days have been lively enough that I can live without the intrusion of the White Tower as well." He probably should have acted more cowed. Most men had strong reactions to anything associated with channelers, but then again he was one. And his whole bumbling fool act was starting to tire him.
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