For Honor of Family [attn: Bella/Lysira Gaidin]

[Roan]

Riahana Ferria Gaidin

Ria let one form flow into another as the Trollocs circled her. She could see Lysira outside the circle, guiding her horse with her knees as she let one arrow fly after another. Those Lys didn’t hit with her arrows, Ria would cut down with her sword. Twisted beasts tripped over the bodies of their kind trying to get to Ria, and she’d take advantage of their stumble.

One Trolloc got too close, and his life ended as she went into Arc of the Moon. The others tried to close in, and she once again went into The Cyclone on the Plain to keep them back. One dared close in and she engaged it without hesitation. It tried to thrust, something she easily parried before following through with a thrust of her own through its throat.

The beasts towered over her, but Ria didn’t think about it. The Void enveloped her and kept her focused one move at a time, one kill at a time. Three surged forward, and she went into Lizard in the Thornbush again, taking out the one on the left before pivoting onto a knee to disembowel the one in the middle. The one on the right tried to bring his blade down but she didn’t hesitate as she launched herself inside his reach, sword jamming through his throat.

Pushing him away, as another charged, red hot pain cut into the back of her left shoulder. She stumbled, but had enough composure to parry the incoming frontal attack. A Trolloc fell from behind and to her left, and she realized Lys saved her life yet again. The felled Trolloc’s blade held her blood.

Ria hadn’t counted how many Trollocs she killed, but finally, the last body fell, leaving her in the middle of a circle of bodies. Blood dripped from her blade. Looking down, she was covered in blood. . .mostly theirs.

Lys came to a stop in front of her. Ria Folded the Fan to remove most of the blood from her blade before sheathing it, and shook her head, “I think we were not meant to make it to the next outpost.” She paused to whistle three short whistles. “Back where we came? I think we need to have another word with Cyrus.”

[Bella]

Lysira could feel her steed's body heaving slightly beneath her. The ardor of battle was no less lost on the horse than it had been on the rider, and being so near so many Trollocs would make any animal uneasy--even the best trained. Hers had done well, but she knew that it was in a bit of a lather from the stress of it.

She leaned down briefly to pat the horse's neck as her obsidian eyes flickered over her friend. There was no way her blood wasn't mixed in there somewhere, she knew. Those odds had been painful, even against a blademaster.

'Agreed,' Lysira signed as she righted herself. She watched as Ria's horse returned to her master. 'And a healer for you, to make sure you have emerged from this as hale as you went into it.' She continued to survey her friend, just to be sure that she would be able to ride and be well.

A small ball of anger sat in the bottom of her stomach and she told herself to not kill the man on sight, but there seemed to be no other answer: he had sent them here, and had sent them into an ambush. Just like he must have done with Miahala and her group... There would be words, and the man would be brought to the Tower for justice.

[Roan]

Riahana Ferria Gaidin, Mistress of Arms

Lex gently nudged Ria’s uninjured shoulder, and the Gaidin gave her horse a quick pat as she ‘listened’ to Lysira. “A healer would be prudent.” She looked over her left shoulder, “One of them put a nasty gash into my armor. . .and shoulder.” Leather armor could slow a blade, but it wouldn’t always stop a slash. With the Void still wrapped around her, the pain was more like a dull ache.

It became clear she didn’t have full mobility of her arm as she struggled to mount. It took a couple of attempts, and a grimace, but she did manage to pull herself up. “I don’t think we’ll get back before nightfall,” Ria warned. Looking around, she couldn’t help but frown, “Nothing to be done for it, though.”

Without another word, she turned Lex back towards the outpost they left at first light. Inwardly, she seethed. Back at the Tower, Gareth likely picked up on her agitation, and she wondered if he’d realized she’d been hurt. The mechanics of their bond fascinated her, though she didn’t fully understand how it worked. Just that it did.

Pushing the miscellaneous thought aside, Ria looked to her friend, “Keep me from running Cyrus through, would you? Right now, that is about all I can think about.” There was something almost frightening about the wry smile she flashed.

~~ Night Fall ~~

Riding between outposts in the dark was not ideal, but could not be helped. They were not far from the outpost now, though, and Ria could see torches burning. Her shoulder burned, but she ignored it as she looked to Lys, “Ready for this?”

The other Gaidin gave a simple bow of her head. Nothing else need be said. The pair approached the gate and identified themselves. As they rode through the gates, they were met by the outpost commander, “I did not expect to see you two back tonight.” He paused as he caught sight of the dried blood on Ria’s armor, “What happened.”

Ria grimaced as she swung herself down. It would be smart to see a healer first, but she didn’t want to give Cyrus a chance to make a break for it. “Find Cyrus. Bring him to your office,” Ria ordered. There was no room for debate in her tone.

The Commander paled, but nodded, “It will be done. Please. . .my office is yours.”

Ria exchanged another look with Lys, “I know I should see a healer, but there will be time enough for that.” The pair made their way to the office and a few minutes later, the Commander walked in with Cyrus.

The look Ria gave him was one of daggers. As the Commander closed the door, Ria slammed Cyrus against the wall with her good arm, “Why? And consider your words carefully, Cyrus. How you answer may well determine whether justice is doled out here and now, or at the Tower. I assure you, you will want to go to the Tower.”

Spoiler: show

OOC: Care to answer for him?

[Bella]

Lysira was not pleased at the idea that Riahana was not seeing a healer now--all the movement and time would have lost her a considerable amount of blood--but she was still upright, and truth was, she would have done the same. So she did not press the case and simply followed like a tiny silent shadow.

Once in the office, they waited tensely. And then the commander brought Cyrus, and Ria leaped.

She'd asked Lysira to keep her from killing him, but she wasn't really inclined to do so.

The man's eyes were wide with surprise to see them even before Ria had him jacked up to the door. Lys looked closely at him. He hadn't expected to see us again, she thought, and felt in her mind that it was confirmed. He had sent Mia and that group, some of them young ones, out into an ambush. As he had sent them.

Now his eyes, still wide with panic, looked at Ria. Then he fell oddly calm. "Nothing you do would compare to what would happen to me if I did speak," he said simply. "I tell you nothing. It changes nothing. Kill me now or take me to the Tower. I'm dead no matter what."

That said everything to her: he was an agent of the Shadow, probably no more than a pawn but he did their work.

[Roan]

Riahana Ferria Gaidin

Nothing you do would compare to what would happen to me if I did speak. I tell you nothing. It changes nothing. Kill me now or take me to the Tower. I'm dead no matter what.

The Void tended to envelop the Mistress of Arms like a second set of armor, but it wavered and slipped as Ria and Lys made their way back to the outpost to confront Cyrus. It was well and truly gone when she slammed him into the door, and emotions that would often roll away from her while wrapped in the Void’s embrace boiled to the surface.

All it would take was one quick motion with her sword, and Cyrus would be dead, and justice of a sort served. Reason won out, as you didn’t get to be Mistress of Arms if you let irrational thought guide your actions.

There was a guttural growl as Ria pushed away from him. “Lock him up. Make sure he is under heavy guard. He’s going back to the Tower with us,” she said. The Commander didn’t need to be told twice as he grabbed Cyrus and exited.

Once the pair were gone, Ria sagged against the wall and forced herself to take slow even breaths before she looked to her friend. “Perhaps now is a good time to go see a healer,” she admitted with a wry smile. Adrenaline was wearing off and fatigue setting in as she pushed away from the wall and headed for the infirmary.

“What do you say to leaving for the Citadel tomorrow with him in tow, and seeing about a gateway home?” Ria asked as she looked to Lys to see her answer.

[Bella]

Lysira forced loose the anger that had its claws in her as well. Her obsidian eyes glittered as she looked at Ria and nodded. 'That sounds like a good idea to me.' She moved with her friend to the door to find the healer that Ria really needed to get to before Gareth Asha'man came storming across the void of time and space...
* * * In the morning, Riahana and Lysira made their way to the cells. They would grab up their heavily shackled prison, ride to the Citadel, and then get a Gateway home. There, he would stand trial for his crimes against citizens of the Grey Tower and, more than likely, be executed for his roles in such dark deeds.

However, few things go according to plan.

As they walked in, the first things Lysira's keen sense of smell picked up was...the metallic tang of blood. Her dark eyes widened and she bolted the rest of the way into the dimly lit room with the iron-barred cell in the center where, sitting in the middle on a wooden chair soaked in blood, was their prisoner.

Without waiting for Ria, Lys jumped back out and spun on the sleepy looked guard at the door. She pushed both of her hands against his chest, making him wake in a hurry. 'What in blood and bloody ashes happened here?!' It wasn't always easy to speak angrily when you talked with your hands, but she managed.

Of course, the guard had no idea what she was saying or what had happened, and he turned wide eyes to Ria.

[Roan]

Riahana Ferria Gaidin

Ria’s sense of smell wasn’t quite so finely tuned as Lysira’s, thus she was surprised when her friend sprinted forward. Feeling a sense of dread settle over here, the Mistress of Arms ran to catch up and skidded to a halt when she saw Cyrus slumped in the chair. In that same moment, Lys turned on the guard, signing in a frenzy. The guard looked terrified when he looked to Ria.

“She wants to know what, and I quote, ‘in the blood and ashes happened here?’ I’d like to know the same thing for that matter. Have you been on watch all night?” Ria asked.

The man looked confused, “No I. . .I came on a few hours ago.” He then looked to the cell that held Cyrus and paled, “He. . .he was alive when I came on.”

Ria exchanged a look with Lys and resisted the urge to snarl, “You fell asleep at your post?”

“I. . .I . . .I,” the man stammered and couldn’t seem to answer.

“Wonderful,” Ria muttered under her breath. She grabbed the keys off the desk, went to the cell, unlocked it and entered. The blood on the floor was sticky, suggesting he’d been dead for a while. As she got closer, Ria saw a gash across the man’s neck. Looking down, something caught her eye, and she knelt down to pick up whatever it was. ‘It’ turned out to be a small but sharp piece of metal.

Cursing under her breath as she stood to face Lysira again, she held up the object, “I don’t know how he got this, but he killed himself, it seems.” She looked back to the guard, “We will be having words with the Commander. Falling asleep at your post is not acceptable. . .not out here.”

The guard paled. Ria looked to Lys and shook her head. “That’s it. I guess we go home.” The ‘empty handed’ went unsaid, but there was no doubt the Mistress of Arms was more than a little upset.

[Bella]

As Riahana had confirmed things for herself, Lysira had just stood and stared at the guard. Even though he was considerably larger than she was, he knew she didn't give a damn about that and she knew she didn't give a damn about that. He slowly shrunk in on himself, like he was trying to become part of the wall just to get away from her.

She felt the shadows around the edge of her mind again. It was the first time in a long time, and she almost didn't recognize them. The edges of her vision shook and became shadowed. Creeping, unrelenting.

Sound was drowned out and she stopped blinking. Riahana was talking to the guard but she didn't fully comprehend the words. The man in that cell had nearly gotten her family killed. Miahala, Tia, Ria... They were family to her. That it had nearly caught her life was a lesser concern than the ones she loved. No one hurt them. No one.

Death by his own hand was too good for him, and it was this man's fault...

"Lysira," Ria's suddenly sharp voice cut through the shadows, like a knife through vellum, and the shredded pieces abruptly fell away.

Finally, she blinked. Whatever look had been growing in her ebony eyes faded and she realized there was concern in her friend's expression, and Lysira frowned. It has been a while since that happened, she thought. Then "aloud" she said, 'I'm sorry. Lost...in thought for a moment. Yes. We should go home.'

[Roan]

Riahana Ferria, Mistress of Arms

The look of concern lingered on Ria’s face, but she said nothing in front of the guard. She gave a simple nod, then looked back to the man who’d been ‘guarding’ Cyrus, “You will have to answer to your Commander for this. We can’t afford the kind of incompetence you showed out here so near the blight. I doubt he will go easy on you, and I have no pity for you. You will not be given a second chance, man. I encourage you to do more than your best from this moment forward.” Her eyes seemed to burrow into the man’s very soul, and he attempted to make himself as small as possible.

Turning on her heal, Ria put a hand on Lys’s shoulder, “Come on. There is no reason to waste more time here.” Once the pair were outside in the main ‘courtyard’ of the outpost, she paused to face her friend and signed, Are you sure you are ok? She hesitated, then continued You seemed more than lost in thought, friend. You seemed. . .absent.

Before Lys could answer, a young boy came trotting over, “Mistress, Gaidin. The Commander wanted me to inform you your horses are ready to go.”

Ria looked to the boy and nodded, “Tell the Commander he has our thanks. We will be leaving soon.” The boy trotted off, and she looked back to her friend. I do not mean to pry. I am just concerned. she added, giving her friend the option to talk or not, depending on her preference.

[Bella]

The black-eyed, diminutive Gaidin tried to shake the residual shadows from her mind as she followed like a silent, ominous shadow behind the Mistress of Arms--her friend, her family. Lysira hadn't thought that she would experience that again without Jerid around, or without Cade being threatened...but apparently, she'd been wrong.

She saw everything Ria signed, but she waited until they were properly alone to sigh and look around.

'I am alright,' she signed, because now she was. Her shoulders rose and fell with another heavy sigh. 'To say further than that is a long story, and one that I fear is not for the telling now. Perhaps when we are home again, there will be a better time. For now, let us just return to the Tower. There is nothing more we can do here.'

OOC: Wrap this one up?