For the Republic IC thread

[Don Blake]

OOC Thread Here
(http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=11035343#post11035343)

***
Across the river, the campfires are burning. Hard faced men in bronze or iron or boiled leather are busy sharpening their weapons, stringing their bows, and digging long rows of trenches and fortifications. They're not overly worried- most of them have seen several campaigns like this already, as one warlord and then another arises in the Petty Lands and seeks to expand into the more fertile and less devastated farmland of the Tripartite League. They know what will happen- many of the enemy will desert on the way to the battle, more will die crossing the Leanabh, which though slower even than the placid Tonn-Slighe, is broad and deep and will slow the aggressors. Those with the will to fight after that will be relatively easy pay for the doughty farmland militia, to say nothing of the Thlassian and Djringi regulars.

Still, that they aren't worried doesn't mean that they're entirely sanguine about the coming bloodshed. After all, that the League will inevitably prevail is little consolation if you are one of the unfortunate few to receive an arrow to the gut. Besides, the wise man never takes anything for granted, and the wise general never risks his own men when he can safely risk others. All of which goes a long way towards explaining why you are on the far side of the Leanabh river.

The tent you're in is sparse, which is all very well, since it is sitting in what will soon be enemy territory. The sole inhabitant of the tent, the man who called you here, seems equally sparse- if someone were to tell you that there were Bonefathers with more flesh on them then this skeletal figure, you would not be overly surprised.

He steeples his fingers in front of him, and peers over them, and the map laid out in front of him, as you enter.

[Hiro Protagonest]

What's the inside of the tent look like?

[Don Blake]

The tent is in the rough shape of a tetrahedron. The entrance you came through makes up most of one wall, and the wall opposite it is blocked by a large board with various papers pinned to it. Most seem to be various maps of the immediate area- geographical, topographical, strategic, with various smaller and brightly colored pins marking enemy movements, lines of supply, and dozens of other more obscure considerations.

The lighting in the tent comes from a pair of torches, one at each corner of the tent wall, with the effect that the man sitting at the table is cast partially in shadow. The edges of his mouth twitch slightly as he watches you, although they don't come close to anything that could be called a smile.

"Do sit down," he says, gesturing to a single chair on the opposite side of the map from him, his eyes flicking from person to person in a manner not dissimilar to a lizard.

[Blackfish]

Willow moves to the chair and sits down, looking over the maps in front of her. She then leans back and crosses her arms.

"Alright, we're all assembled. What are your orders, boss?"

[Beowulf DW]

Phillip chooses to stand, but offers a chair to one of the ladies of the group.

"You have our payment ready for when the battle's over, of course."

[Ninjabob]

Phalong remains standing, saying "We will also receive proper recognition, correct?

[Don Blake]

"Thlass, of course, honors its debts." The man now addresses Willow. She has, after all, taken the only available chair in the tent, putting herself ahead of her fellows.

"And believe me, we will be indebted to you. The..." he turns for a brief moment to the board behind him, "The Righteous and Harmonious Society's First Expansionary Expedition is, as we speak, marching here. Within three days time, they will have reached this river. The day after that, they will attempt to cross. All this is well and good- another overly ambitious petty warlord to scrape off our boots.

"Except, of course, that this warlord has built his little kingdom slowly and with great restraint. Among my duties, I keep an eye on the Petty Lands near this river, and the Honorable and Revered Head of the Society has never moved when he does not feel he has a decisive advantage. I do not believe he is moving so now. And I wish you to discover what that advantage may be."

[Beowulf DW]

Phillip chuckles humorlessly.

"With army names that long it's a wonder they ever get around to fighting."

[Ninjabob]

Phalong looks in thought and says "If he believes he has the advantage, we will just need to counter his advantage. Or at the least, make him think that his advantage is gone. If he is as meticulouos as you say, perhaps he would turn the attack around.

[Beowulf DW]

"Indeed, my chemically inclined friend, but as our wizened host has said, we must first ascertain what that advantage might be. I'll get Babieca saddled. Let me know when we're leaving."

Phillip bows to the old man and exits the tent. Once outside, he begins saddling and armoring his horse.

[Blackfish]

"Where do you suggest we start looking? I'd rather we didn't stumble around until an army wanders through and kills the lot of us."

Willow shifts forward in the chair and stares at the odd man.

"Just point us in the right direction and we'll do what we're paid to do."

[Don Blake]

"In keeping with his caution, the Reverend Head is advancing slowly and carefully, with outriders on all sides of his army to bring back regular reports and prevent him from wandering into an ambush. This protects the main bulk of his army, but renders these outriders themselves rather vulnerable."

The man turns, reaching out one long bony arm and indicating a paper on the wall behind him. It shows the main bulk of the army, a sparse cloud of red pins. "The exact positions, of course, are estimates, but it should not be too difficult for a small, mobile group to find one of these groups of outriders and take a prisoner or two. Of course, it's hardly likely that the Reverend Head will have explained the full extent of his plan to the rank and file of his army. However, he likely will have made some sort of assurances to his outriders, in order to minimize the rate of desertion. It is, in any case, a place to begin."

[WrathOfLife]

Teak

Standing quietly at the back of the group Teak takes a slow drink from his flask. It seemed like an open and shut job. He couldn't help but wonder why Willow brought him along to the talking section. Willow knew he hated the talking section. If anyone asks him to stop drinking he was going to crack them with his flask, he decided with a nod.

Teak hated formal events.

[Hiro Protagonest]

Emily is pacing around the tent. She'd prefer to leave the talking to Willow.

[Blackfish]

Willow nods at the slight man.

"If you have no more information that could help us, we'll be on our way. You wouldn't happen to have another map for me, would you?"

She turns in her chair, looking at Teak. "Brother, if you would, tell those outside to get ready to move."

She turns back to the odd man.

"Which reminds me, do you happen to have any spare horses? We only have one between the lot of us, and it is spoken for."

[Don Blake]

"Horses are not inexpensive to raise and train," the gaunt man notes. "We will of course provide them if you so desire, but the price of any horse that you do not return will naturally be deducted from your payment."

The man turns again to the wall, stretching out one oddly long arm, and pulling one of the less marked maps off of the wall. "This should serve your purposes, without unduly disadvantaging us in the event that it falls into the wrong hands."

After handing the map to Willow, he turns back to his table, the mercenaries evidently dismissed from his mind.

[Ninjabob]

Phalong walks out of the tent, and heads over to one of the stables to requisition horses for the group.

[WrathOfLife]

Teak nods to Willow with a smile and strolls outside.

Seeing Phalong head out a short while later, Teak follows along, still drinking, and does his best to help in the most half hearted fashion possible.

[♠Spade♠]

Rory had been sitting outside on his pack. When Phalong and Teak exited the tent, he got to his feet and shouldered his pack before falling in with them. "What news?"

[Ninjabob]

Phalong
We need to cross the river and secure some prisoners. Hopefully we can do this without alerting anyone. Currently we are going to requisition some horses. We will be allowed to use them, but if they are lost, we have to pay for them. Willow has a map, you might want to check it out.

[Beowulf DW]

Having gotten Babieca ready, Phillip helps his comrades ready their horses.

"I'll help you saddle them. If we have to fight, a few of us should stay mounted and take the other horses away from the fighting. That's what most dragoons and other types of mounted infantry tend to do. That's what I was taught, at least."

[Blackfish]

Willow picks up the map and takes a moment to study the map, determining where they are and what direction the outriders would be in. She then folds up the map, puts it in her pack, and walks out of the tent.

"Alright everyone, time to move out. We've all got horses for this job, courtesy of our patron, so don't get them killed. Now mount up, we're headed that --" she points in the direction the outriders are in "-- way for the next day."

[Beowulf DW]

Phillip mounts Babieca and takes up his lance.

"Shall I ride on ahead, Miss Willow? If I see anything or anyone, I'll report back to you."

[Blackfish]

Willow grins at Phillip. "Your zeal is admirable, really, but we're three days away from them. I wouldn't expect to meet their picket line for at least a day. Just to be safe, though, you can start scouting in about half a day."

[Beowulf DW]

"Very well, Milady," says Phillip with a slight bow.

[♠Spade♠]

Rory was less than enthusiastic about the prospect of riding. Grumbling that he was an infantryman and not "some fool dragoon."

[Don Blake]

In the stable- clearly recently built, but fairly clean cut and sturdily constructed - a rather surly horsemaster takes down each of your names and a few relevant details before bringing you horses.

"Ye'd all best bring these beauties back healthy," he charges you. "It's a damn sight faster to find new mercenaries than it is to raise a new horse."

[Beowulf DW]

"They'll be well tended to, I assure you, horsemaster."

[Ninjabob]

Phalong takes his horse, looks the stablemaster in the eye and says Don't worry, they won't end up ugly like me.
With that, he strides out of the stable, leading his horse.

[♠Spade♠]

Rory fixed the stablemaster with, if not a glare, then a flat stare. "I hate horses. You always know where your feet are taking you, but you never know when a horse will just decide to go its own way."

[Beowulf DW]

Phillip pats Babieca, muttering, ""He didn't mean it, girl."

[Blackfish]

Willow manages, with some trouble, to pull herself onto her horse. She takes a moment to grumble. "All right, are we all set? Let's get going, we've got a lot of ground to cover and a dangerous mission ahead of us."

[Hiro Protagonest]

Emily quickly mounts the horse, her natural agility helping her.
"Ready," she says.

[Ninjabob]

Phalong carefully mounts the horse, before turning and saying "Are we ready to go? I suggest that Philip rides in the front.

[Beowulf DW]

"Certainly, my friend. Ho, Babieca! Away!"

Phillip spurs Babieca to a gallop, checking her speed every so often such that the less experienced riders (i.e. everyone else) can keep up.

[♠Spade♠]

Rory follows, more or less, unenthusiastically sitting astride his mount with all the skill and grace of a bag of feed.

[Beowulf DW]

Phillip rides as far as Babieca can go in a day without hurting herself before asking Willow to call a halt to make camp.