Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

The World outside the Grey Tower is a vast place.
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Craig
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Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Craig » February 16th, 2019, 5:13 pm

Ravak
There was a need for subterfuge, but Ravak's muscles strained against the nonchalant way he was holding himself. He wanted to spring into action, rush towards the battlefield with both blades in hand. His eyes slowly focused on the fight to come, imagining in gory detail the magnificence of the victory he would soon preside over.

"You still listening?" The question was accompanied by a stout jab to Rav's shoulder, supplied by the walking cane of the man sat opposite. He was in his late-sixties with more white than grey in his hair. A clerk for the local mayor, although Ravak judged he was more of a would-be inquisitor. His nose was unusually large and hooked for an Andoran.

Rav grunted, not from the prod but from being shunted out of his reverie. His fingers tapped the side of the mug, echoing hollowly. "Another," he shouted to the room, assuming some serving person would overhear.

"I said--" The cane approached once more. This time Ravak stopped it with an open palm. The cane shook as it tried progressing forwards.

"I'm listening, just thirsty. So he's a channeller?" His words were touched by soft scorn as he pushed the cane aside.

The clerk muttered before answering. "A powerful one. People are already saying he's the Dragon."

The Shienaran snorted softly. There weren't any Dragons any more, false or otherwise. Men could turn up to either of the Towers and find themselves welcomed in. No-one had to hide their gifts or prove their strength unless they ran up against the Children or the Seanchan. Even the Aiel were getting accustomed to Asha'man.

"And what people are those? Pig farmers? Peddlers? Has he actually raised a war banner, or is this just an aggrieved goodwife badmouthing some outsider?"

It was definitely more than just rumour. Mia and Ravak weren't the only ones out looking for information about this man causing havoc. The sightings were sporadic and disparate, although the notion that there were multiple channellers had been placed aside. The working theory was that this man knew how to Skim.

"Taravin. Pendar. Anshar." The man punctuated each name with a tap of his cane against the table. "They've all joined him."

"And how would you know that? Just pig farmers and peddlers."

The old man smiled, open-lipped so he could show off his teeth. "I work for the mayor," he emphasised proudly. "I hear the truth direct from their quills."
- - - When Ravak returned to Miahala three hours later, he had five messages tucked into a pouch on his belt. He emptied the curled scrolls onto the table, adjusting each one so Mia could readily see them. "Four Andoran Houses have pledged support for this 'Morsic Holt'. That doesn't even sound like a real name. But four houses in Andor? It can't be right." He lifted one of the messages from the table, still not believing the evidence before his eyes. The paper was right for a noble, thick and textured. The penmanship was suitable for a servant, and the seal seemed authentic. The grey wax was embossed with a fish.

"Norwelyn, Anshar, Pendar and Taravin. How do four Andoran Houses decide to back a man? They must really believe this is, you know, the real Dragon before they do this." He placed the message back on the table with a sigh. "If this is real, we need to nip this in the bud before the rest of Andor goes mad."
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Bella
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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Bella » February 19th, 2019, 3:11 pm

"And bunch of people going mad over nonsense?" Miahala drawled cynically. "Who could imagine?"

She placed one slender, pale finger on one of the pieces of paper, drawing it nearer to her so she could examine it for herself. Her mental results were similar to his own, naturally, and she let her mind roll over everything he said and showed her. Four noble houses backing a man they believed to be the Dragon...

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, although it felt like it had been a while. Then again, at her age, everything seemed like "a while" to her. Maybe because every was a while to her.

"For people who want to believe something, the right person with a hint of charisma can convince them of much," she went on thoughtfully, pushing the paper back and leaning back in her seat to lift those blue-green eyes up to meet the gaze of her husband. "It will be a hard fight to convince them otherwise, if they want to believe it more than they want to be convinced otherwise.

"And let's not rule out the idea that if this man is a channeler, he had used other ways of convincing them. Or at least strengthening his case with it." She offered a small shrug. "So we have to reach the source. Did any of your informants--" She waved at the scrolls. "--happen to know where he seems to be the most? Or was last sighted?"

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Craig » March 14th, 2019, 10:49 am

Ravak
Ravak stood opposite one of the windows in the room, staring down over thatched roofs and quiet streets. This town, Ofwell, was a home to many, but it looked just like all the other towns he'd been to recently. As generic or disinteresting as it was, it mattered to someone. Ofwell was within the sphere of influence of House Pendar. How soon before the people of this town rallied to Pendar's banners, in order to fight for a man who could channel. Generic or disinteresting as this place may be, this could soon be the home of an army rallied against... well, the world.

Rav rolled his shoulders before turning away from the window. "The latest sighting was in Gidleigh, about twenty miles east of here. But if he's a Skimmer..." It was like trying to trap lightning in a bottle, although maybe that was easier; he'd overheard an enthusiastic Dedicated proclaiming he'd done just that a tenday ago.

"How about this." There was a tonal shift in the Gaidin's voice. "We know this Morsic Holt is real, and he's got the support of four Houses. He's jumping all around Andor, but crucially he's jumping all around Andor, not anywhere else. Chances are he's Andoran himself, but that's not relevent." A flash of bemusement skittered along the bond, a mental "then why did you mention it then?" After a half-sniff and half-snort, Ravak continued: "But what is relevant, my darling love, is the support he's drumming up. He's at four Houses, so why not five? Why not ten? If we can't chase him down, why don't we stand in his path?"

Ravak paused for Mia's reaction, but a groundswell of perverse amusement rose up in his chest. It was schadenfreude, had Ravak known the word. "You know this means we have to play nice with some nobles."

Blue-green eyes glinted dangerously in his direction.
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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Bella » March 20th, 2019, 4:28 pm

Miahala pursed her lips slightly, one brow arching. "Wouldn't it just be easier to go kill all the nobles so he can't to them?" she asked with macabre humor, not serious...well, not too serious.

It was a well-known fact throughout the entire tower that Miahala ni Sha'hal t'Darrow loathed playing nice with nobles and politicians; she thought the Great Game was a waste of mental energy and physical time; and she would generally rather gouge out both her eyes with a spoon than actually engage in it.

...all that being said, she was perfectly capable of doing it and playing along with the best of them. When she had no other choice.

She took in a slow breath and then blew it out in a huff. "Alright. Fine. We'll play nice with the nobles and make ourselves a nice little blockade against the crazy man," she drawled. "Where do you think we should start?" It would seem that living beyond two centuries could bring you full circle to semi-petulant teenager at times.

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Craig » March 22nd, 2019, 10:45 pm

Ravak
Ravak gave a breathy sigh. Not at his wife, it had to be said, but at her question. "Pick a House. Though I suspect Trakand is the only one we can rule out." Assuming the Queen hasn't lost her wits too.

The Shienaran didn't need a map of Andor; he could picture most of the world in his mind, what with having Travelled all over it. Sadly that map didn't include where each House was centred, nor did it predict where Holt's Skimming would end.

"I will say, we don't have to go and play with the nobles. We could just camp nearby." That was strictly preferable, for both of them, compared to actually dealing with nobles.

"Anyways, where's House Sarand holed up?" Rav asked, plucking a House's name at random. To the best of his knowledge, he hadn't meant any Sarands in the Yards. Baryns, Haevins, Mantears, and Trakands, obviously, but no Sarands. "They're the one with the two boars as a sigil, I think." So somewhere near a forest in Andor presumably. He hoped Mia's knew more than that.
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Bella » March 24th, 2019, 10:57 pm

To pick a house at random, it would have to be Sarand...

Mia stifled a groan. Okay, no she didn't. She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I know where that house headquarters itself," she said with a clear distaste for the knowledge. The very name hopped her back quite a while in time and to less than pleasant memories. Oh, they weren't dramatic or tragic. Just annoying.

At her husband's curious look, she dropped her hand and favored him with a dry half-smile. "Lord Donal Sarand was one who visited the Tower on occasion, working on continued relations between the Grey Tower and his house in Andor. As some of the houses are wont to do, and on an occasion or two, I was required to be part of the matter.

"The fool learned that I was one of those Aes Sedai who had chosen to marry and have children, and he got it in his ridiculous little mind that courting me would be a good idea. I was told, by the Amyrlin at that time no less, that it would be remarkably impolite to light him on fire, but he was persistent." She paused and pointed at nothing in particular. "This was before I married Caden, you see."

"But that--"

She waved that pointing hand. "Yes, he must be rather ancient by this time. He was something of a young buck then who thought he was meant to rule the world and having an Aes Sedai bride would cement that. I assured him otherwise." She pursed her lips. "I've heard he's long since married and has grandchildren and so on, so I hardly consider this an issue. I just never liked him."

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Craig » March 26th, 2019, 2:31 pm

Ravak
Being the sixth or so husband of Miahala Sha'hal, Ravak was well aware that his wife had previous lovers, but the revelation of a living admirer brought forth a strange quirk of emotions that he wasn't sure how to deal with. For a moment he ruminated on it, sorting through the words Mia had just spoken. She'd been an unwilling participant to Lord Donal's desires, and she had set him straight. The protective fire that burned in the heart of the Warder-husband cooled at that.

"The ancient past," Ravak murmured. And if not, I'll put three foot of Power-wrought steel between him and her.

The fires hadn't cooled that much, even if jealousy was the unwarranted fuel source.

Ravak considered the depths of the ko'di, but the thought was enough to temper his emotions. He wasn't a young buck himself, needing to prove himself worthy of his wife's affections. Rav also knew that Mia never needed a battle fought for her. Sometimes the Gaidin thought his place was simply to limit the spread of the fire.

"I can name another House if you like. Candraed. See? Mantear. Norwelyn." He received a slight chuckle at that, but it seemed that Sarand was where they were heading. They were never ones to run from a fight once it seemed inevitable. "So Sarand. Do we knock on the front door, or can we find somewhere else to lie low? Or do you think your... history with Donal will make him a sympathetic ear against our latest Dragon?"
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Bella » April 1st, 2019, 10:26 pm

"With any luck, he's senile and won't remember me at all."

She favored her husband and warder with a small, wry-yet-amused smile. She appreciated that her husband loved her enough to feel such jealousy in the first place, yet respected her enough to sort it out without putting it upon her. "I don't imagine our history, such as it was, would make him sympathetic. And it may not endear me to his wife, should she live.

"I think perhaps laying low nearby and simply doing a bit of reconnaissance before we approach the house may be wisest. I would like to know the state of things, the state of the family and the its inward politics, as best we can before speaking with them. As I recall, there is a city near enough that we can do just that."

She paused, thinking and riffling through her memory. "Sarandor." She rolled her eyes slightly. "As you can guess who has funded the construction and growth of the place."

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Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Craig » April 8th, 2019, 2:39 pm

Ravak
"To Sarandor." Now resolved to a course of action, Ravak glanced around the room to start forming a plan. They hadn't unpacked many things, but now the Gaidin started the puzzle of putting everything back into bags or folios or pouches. Putting everything back neatly, of course. Miahala was unlikely to appreciate one of her dresses sticking halfway out of her saddlebags.

It didn't take a great deal of time before the room was emptied of the Borderlanders' belongings. Ravak settled remunerations with the barkeep whilst Mia readied the horses. "Leaving already?" the barkeep inquired.

"Some business in Whitebridge," Ravak murmured with the enthusiasm of a paid bodyguard.

"Mindful of this Dragon." Ravak flashed a wary smile, the sort that said he hoped to avoid that particular trouble yet still expected to land face-first into it.

At the stables, Miahala was ready with Impala and Seren. "We're all settled up," Rav reported.

Half a bell later on the lengthy road to Whitebridge, Ravak pulled Impala to a halt. He had been watching the road, and there hadn't been any travellers in sight for ten minutes. Seren slowed down beside him.

"It seems like the time to Travel the rest of the way, if that's the plan."
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Elan wrote:Of course, the problems with observing a chain of command arise when the one in command decides to do something unspeakably idiotic, like taking off on his own for no discernible reason in the middle of enemy territory.

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Location: New England

Re: Holt's End [Attn: Bella]

Post by Bella » April 12th, 2019, 2:32 pm

"What, you're not enjoying our peaceful ride through a land infested by Dragon fervor and rumor?" she drawled sardonically, adding a sickeningly sweet smile as the punctuation of her statement.

She didn't bother giving him room to answer, since her humor was never one to the waylay her pragmatism. There were no travelers within sight just at the moment, but that could change in an instant and she wasn't going to waste the opportunity. Embracing Saidar, she opened a Gateway to allow them to pass closer to the city they were headed for.

One downside to Gateways was the need to have an idea of where you were heading to, while an upside to being older than dirt and the turning of time was knowing just about everywhere and anywhere in creation...

Mia held up one hand, so casually as to almost be insolent, as the slash of silver appeared in the air and revealed a clearing just beyond it, where it would be a short ride on toward Sarandor. She held it there, giving her warder time to do what warders did and precede her through it to assure there was nothing untoward on the other side.

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