D1: Ashin's Commission (El Jefe judging)

[ajanders]

Michael clings to his horse like a limpet. A weak, pasty limpet.
Most of his time is spent concentrating on not falling off the horse.
On the easier sections of road, he asks Mikal if he's heard any talk or news from Fallon or Duvik.

 

[Patlin]

Ironwolf will take point unless two or more others clamor for that position. If that happens, he'll take the rear position and keep an eye out for anyone trying for an ambush from that direction.

 

[Rystil Arden]

*Zaeryl stays in the middle. He remembers what happened the last and only time he agreed to take the rear.*

 

[ajanders]

Michael probably winds up at the rear naturally, just because he's not paying attention to pushing his horse.
He sways in the saddle most of the time, head hung low and looking slightly green. Sadly, he has no horse-sickness bags.

 

[B4cchus]

Hulgyr stays at the rear end, Not only keeping an eye out for ambushes from behind but also to keep Michael's horse in the group when it falls behind.

 

[ajanders]

Are we there yet? Just dreaming...

Michael sways with each step of the horse, wobbling rhythmically.
After a while, he realizes his head is staying still, but the landscape is bouncing up and down.
Somehow, that seems perfectly natural.

A shadow stretches over him: something is looming up behind him.
"It must be Hulgyr."

Michael twists in his saddle.
Hulgyr is not behind him: instead, a great red mesa rears out of the land, three hundred feet of rock casting jet black shadow towards him.

"You're not supposed to be here!" Michael flings the accusation backwards.
Unheeding, the mesa throws its shadow further and further towards him.

"Come on, you stupid horse!"
Michael abandons all the lesson's he's learned about caring for animals and starts thumping his heels into the horses sides. If only he was strong enough to actually thump...
The horse looks back as though these antics are mildly interesting.

"Move, move, move!!!" Michael shrieks as the shadow begins to darken the horses heels.
Somewhere behind him, Michael hears someone singing faintly.
He does not look back or listen more closely. Some things are better left only vaguely known.

"Run!!!!" Michael screams once more, before the shadow looms over him and swallows him up.

***

All around him is darkness and silence.
Michael looks up worriedly, glad to not be devoured alive, but expecting something worse.
"Where am I?"
"Where you need to be."

 

[Xael]

Almayce stays somewhere between around either middle or rear.

 

[Patlin]

ooc: Shall we say that's it for preparations? Anyone who hasn't yet posted a marching order preference can be assigned randomly, as it's unlikely we're disciplined enough to maintain an order 100% consistently anyway.

 

[ajanders]

Ooc

Michael's certainly not, what with the demon horse and the strength drain and the mystic visions and whatnot.
Today the horse decides the marching order.

 

[Erekose13]

Eternity would be somewhere to the middle but has no additional preparations she needs.