The Ranger (private thread)

[Jenny]

Vladik would rather you not know his name. He lives in shadow, in secret, a solitary life. He makes his livelihood preying on those condemned by humanity, sponsored by the purses of low lifes and cowardly nobles.

[Jenny]

You wouldn't even know the man was there. The only teltale sign of movement or life were the puffs of breath billowing momentarily in the cold. His cloak seems as if a living thing, shrouding the pale figure in darkness. Perhaps as a bat's wing would hide the sleeping form, or the wings of the eagle as it shivers in winter. Eyes glint in the dark of the alley as he waits for his employer to make himself known.

[KD]

The man who appeared at the alley's entrance peered in for a moment and stepped forward, addressing the darkness easily. He was a tall man dressed plainly but well the glint of a gold chain with a heavy pendant, some lord's mark, around his neck and the hilt of a jeweled sword gleaming at his side. "I hear you're the best."

[Jenny]

"Some say so," he replied gruffly as he stirred, moving from his roost against the muddied brick. "I don't tend to disappoint." Vladik's eyes roamed over the hilt of the jeweled sword and frowned lightly, his hard stare rising to the man's eyes. "What do you need?"

[KD]

"A guide. And a fighter. My men are well trained but the mountains are treacherous this time of year and our cargo is...very valuable to my master." He nodded toward a wagon in the street, completely enclosed with only a tiny door at the back. He turned his eyes back to the ranger. "I've made that journey before, I know what kind of monsters to expect. We're not enough without a good guide. The offer is 500 gold pieces now and another 500 when we reach my master's house."

[Jenny]

Whatever the cargo was, it didn't matter to Vladik. The less he knew the better... it was easier that way. Get in, get out and move on. More money to be had in quick work. "How many men are we talking about?"

[KD]

"Five, counting myself. The others are trained guards, they can hold their own."

[Jenny]

He pursed his lips then nodded. "It's a deal. Your cargo will be delivered safetly... but everyone had better keep pace with me. I don't appreciate soft men in a hard environment as the mountains. No better than pups."

[KD]

The man chuckled. "I expected no less." He handed over a heavy bag of coins and led the way to the wagon. "I'm Emeric, by the way." It was a testament to how much he'd made sure to learn for this journey that he didn't bother asking the ranger his name.

No one but Vladik would have called the men lounging around the wagon 'soft' but he'd be able to see while they were hardened mercenaries they were used to working in cities and homes. Not the wilderness. Still, Emeric had promised they were strong fighters and their training showed as they immediately snapped to attention, nodding to Vladik though the biggest of them sneered a bit. They took up position on all four points of the wagon, following the ranger and their leader on the way out of town.

[Jenny]

He gave a hard nod in response to the given name. His face lapsed into his customary scowl, his eyes looking over the men as the two of them walked to the wagon. He didn't care if they sneered now, the rough journey would wittle them down, the ice and snow would break them, and even the biggest may end up a snivelling pup scurrying with it's tail tucked between his legs. He could feel their eyes boring into his back as he led the small militia out of the city and into the wild.

[KD]

Emeric, he would learn over the next few days, was a force to be reckoned with. Nothing phased him, not ice, not snow, not the wild, not monsters, nothing. He took everything in stride and simply carried it along. It was clear why he'd been tasked with this. He was also more than willing to listen close to Vladik, rare for a man of his caste. He knew how to fight, he knew how to survive, but he understood the ranger knew even more, and therefore deferred to his judgment.

The mercenaries were split down the middle. Two of them respected him and were more than content to listen to what they were told and let him be. The bigger one...his name was Markus...and the youngest of the group who had attached himself to the big man...they were a bit of trouble. Markus seemed determined to get a rise out of him no matter how many times Emeric told him to back off. Emeric, however, was preoccupied with keeping the wagon in good condition, constantly checking inside it, around it, and adjusting what seemed to be some kind of ward or runes carved into the wood.

[Jenny]

And for that, Emeric slowly earned Vladik's respect, even if he was a noble in plain clothing. Never once had Emeric complained about a thing, save the occasion when he was disatisfied with the high maintenance task of keeping the wagon together on the harsh terrain.

Vladik was sure that at some point, Markus was going to take a shot at him. It was inevitable. He found the bigger the opponent, the greater chance there was that the lunk would choose to assert his dominance to put other's in their place. An alpha male can't run with another alpha male, so to speak. Vladik didn't care if he was hated, despised, or just plain disliked... if no one bothered him it was all for the best. But if someone stepped over the line...

[KD]

As it was, Markus's causing trouble came to a head not with a shot at Vladik but another way.

Markus showed as much interest in the wagon as Emeric did, although he seemed interested more in what was inside it. From the way they acted, it seemed to be some kind of exotic animal.

With everything going on, it was only a matter of time before Markus pounced on an opportunity. As Emeric and Vladik were ahead of the wagon checking on something, the ranger might see Markus disappear inside the wagon as his crony stood guard.

For a moment, there was silence, then a muffled scream. The wagon shook, something hit the wall and a figure burst out through the door, a dark blur that shot across the icy ground, aiming for the forest. Emeric yelled angrily.

Attachments:

[Jenny]

Vladik frowned deeply as, in the corner of his eye, he noticed Markus and his minion were up to something, but he turned his head back to Emeric for the task at hand. A bridge spanning an overpass had collapsed and they were negotiating an alternate route.

His head snapped back to the wagon when he heard the scream. Was that a woman's scream? Whatever escaped the wagon was his job to deliver. He dropped the map on the ground, turned and shot after the escapee.

[KD]

It was clearly a woman, and she was amazingly fast...inhumanly so. The only thing that kept her from escaping where they'd never catch her was the fact the trees were dead and provided no cover, allowing Vladik to track her easily.