Ashin's Commission, RA Style--Michael Alone

ajanders · Mar 4, 2007

Rystil Arden said:
*As it is a military base, either the lieutenant or his commanding officer clearly has a more detailed map somewhere for planning strategy, but perhaps they are afraid to show all that they know to Michael, so the lieutenant leads Michael to a small map with no markers on it for troops.*

"You know how to read maps, son?" he asks, unsure if Michael learned such things as a Cleric of Sela.

"Sir, yes sir!"
Michael is ready to add "Three bags full, sir!"

Rystil Arden said:
"We're here," he points on the map, "And the patrol should have been just...there," he points to a different place, this one to the east.

"Find the patrol and deliver the message and return to me, or if you can't, at least find them and learn their fates and return to me. Understood?"

Michael looks at the map, finds where he is. Not difficult, since the officer is pointing at it.
He looks at where the patrol went. Also not difficult. (Was that to the village, or someplace else?)
He tries to guess how the patrol would have gone from here to where they were supposed to be and back.
I doubt they'll be where they were supposed to be, somehow. If this was going as planned they wouldn't have lost the patrol.

"Sir, does the patrol have a recognition code or password, sir?"
A breath.
"To whom in the patrol should I give the message, sir?"

Rystil Arden · Mar 4, 2007

*The spot appears to past the town proper to the east, near some mountains on the map--perhaps this patrol was looking for possible enemy forces that were circling around? Or cordoning off the mines that are probably in that area for Fallon's own purposes?*

"Not one they'd accept from someone they don't recognise--just approach them peacefully with an announcement that you are a messenger. We don't shoot the messenger in the Fallon army. The letter bears an official seal and will explain everything to them, at least assuming it is unbroken."

ajanders · Mar 4, 2007

Or, Michael thinks to himself, they're as afraid of the village as everyone seemed last night.

It's possible that was part of an elaborate plan, conceived to delude any random cleric that surrendered himself for judgement, but it seems a little much for him.
Not likely. Any time a trooper is too scared to eat, something's wrong.

Michael cracks sharply to attention and waits to be dismissed.
If all they want is a messenger, a messenger is all they'll get.

Rystil Arden · Mar 4, 2007

"Very good., but one last thing. I'm going to need something of yours as collateral that you don't just skip town with this message or bring it back to those friends of yours in some sort of planned rendezvous. You're a cleric, so I'm sure your holy symbol is precious enough to you to count, but out of deference to Sela, I'll let you suggest something else. If you come with an adequate suggestion, we won't take the holy symbol. Of course, whatever collateral you give will be returned to you when you report back here."

ajanders · Mar 4, 2007

"Sir! There is a horse, sir!"

Michael does his best to keep his face absolutely straight.

Please take the horse. Please, PLEASE take the horse...

"Sir! If this is not acceptable, Sergeant Rollo retains my weapons and most of my healer's kit!"

And if something has bitten off your men's kneecaps, I have no healing spells and no healer's equipment, so they'll likely bleed to death. I don't care, but you should.

(OOC: They don't have the story 'The Ransom of Red Chief' in Enworld, but if someone read it to Michael, he'd think it was perfectly appropriate.)

Rystil Arden · Mar 4, 2007

"You'll need the horse to get there and back in good time, I figure," the lieutenant ponders, "But you shouldn't need weapons and armour for a delivery task. Wouldn't want to leave you with nothing to defend yourself though, just in case. How about the armour?"

ajanders · Mar 4, 2007

Michael looks at the lieutenant, finally fed up.
"Sir," and he starts spelling it with a 'c' in his mind, "if that's what you require, that's what I'll have to accept."
Someone else had better help them if they need it. I won't.

Rystil Arden · Mar 4, 2007

"Good, then it's settled. Your armour will stay here for the moment, and you can pick it up when you return. Thank you for your cooperation, son. You are a credit to your goddess."

*After securing Michael's armour, he hands over the letter and the sergeant releases Michael's weapons and healer's kit and lets him get to his horse.*

ajanders · Mar 4, 2007

Michael doesn't even dignify that with a reply, but gets on his horse and heads along his best guess of the route the patrol would take. After a few hundred yards, he realizes he's never seen anyone track from horseback, and gets off to see if he can spot a trail.
A few hundred yards later, he realizes he has absolutely no idea how to track and he's unlikely to get inspired today.
"Should've been a ranger. Rangers never have to take this crap."
And they always get the girls, too.
Must be something about two-weapon fighting.

He continues along his best guess of the patrol's route, keeping a wary eye out for trouble...and probably riding clear of cover by the route. Something ate that patrol, and it may still be hungry.

If he can't figure out what route the patrol might have taken. he'll try to use the village of Duvik as a waypoint, and ride towards it.
That would be towards, not into.
He can take time to watch it from a long way away: the bargain never specified when he was supposed to come back, and he'd prefer to do it with all his arms and legs intact.

Rystil Arden · Mar 5, 2007

*Michael rides north and east, skirting some rough terrain in a guess of the way that he thinks the patrol might have traveled. After losing all trace of anything he could use to guess a possible exact trail, he decides to use Duvik as a landmark, and he heads to the east, approaching the town in the distance but not entering.