forum 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕠𝕟𝕘 𝕠𝕗 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕒𝕞𝕟𝕖𝕕 (Closed rp, 6/6!)

Started March 07, 2023 by @ScotchTapeWorm group

tune

Calix was quick to gather her belongings. Not that she had many, but she only kept what was important. Thankfully, nothing was touched, and she was able to get her things together fast; leaving the blood from the battle on her drying on her skin and spear, she made herself useful by helping those who couldn't- whether they were away, preoccupied, injured or dead- move their things. She'd been finishing up when she was called to the meeting.

With a respectful nod, Calix entered the tent. Embarrassingly, she was among the last there, but nothing appeared to have happened without her. She did not sit nor did she take water (even though she should have), but stood over the maps and plans on the table, arms crossed.

The skirmish left the soldier energized and ready to continue and carry out any plans. If it came to it, she would throw herself into combat a second time, but that was nothing new. While it was a quality she didn't see anything wrong with for herself, she hoped it wasn't rubbing off on anyone she worked for or with. It always felt right in the moment, but then in came the consequences of a lack in forethought. Calix liked the aftereffects of her decisions better when they were at her expense, not others'.

She looked over the others around the table. There were a few who stood out to Calix, but more than anyone, it was who she recognized as Romulus' sickly younger brother. She couldn't imagine what he was doing there, not in his state. Poor kid. She realized she was staring- she'd been told she had an… intense look before, so she broke it with a soft smile. She figured she might've appeared somewhat intimidating, with the blood of god-knows-who on her face and a spear strung across her back. Again, a little embarrassing.

Luan sobers up a little. "Same here. I'm doing my best with my Shadows, but. . . we're stretched thin across all our fronts. Combat, intelligence. . . hell, even training are all slowing down to a near stop because of the constant onslaught."

She watches as Kendra wanders over to Franklin and sighs softly; even the ones who had it easier with their duties still looked like shit in this war.

Calix came in, and Franklyn was reminded of why Romulus had taken to her so quickly. She seemed to almost be vibrating with energy, raring to go again. Rom was the same way.
Franklyn had often wished he had just a fraction of that energy. But, then again, he'd need to be just as…. intense as Calix. In fact, just now, she had fixed him with a stare that reminded him of some predatory beast. The blood and spear didn't help, and if he hadn't already known her, it would have alarmed him. A lot.
However, he did know her. And he knew, even before she gave him a soft smile like sunshine breaking cloud cover, that Calix had a heart under all that armor. He smiled back, as much as he could.

Luan's comment had caught his attention, and even as he smiled hello to Calix, he was running scenarios and making personnel calculations in his head, trying to come up with solutions. The Shadows were a necessary function of the Rebellion. They needed bolstering, and there were ways to do that. He'd have to get his ideas to the General later though. Unless that was what this meeting was about.

Despite the battle just ending, Victoria was already going over strategy for what the group should do next in her head, trying to figure out what General Levisay would think of to do next. And what she could have done better in the last battle. They had lost two people and a few more had been injured. Victoria remembered both of the missing members, their deaths making her think of her own brothers, despite neither of them resembling the young men at all. If only she could have done better, if only she could have figured out a better strategy before the lives were lost. If only she had been fast enough to get over there and jump in front of them, do something to ensure that neither of them died. Even the injuries were something she felt was her fault. Of course, the graceful young woman would never admit these thoughts to anyone else. She didn't like to tell others much about her past besides what was obvious from her mannerisms and way of speaking–she was raised a noble and defected from the crown to join the rebellion a few years ago. That was all anyone needed to know.

Victoria largely kept to herself, though it wasn't because she didn't want company so much as that she wasn't sure what to do with company. She always seemed to act very stiff and formal when not in battle, using the very graces that she had scoffed at growing up because it seemed though there was no other way to be. Despite her nearly three years with the rebellion, it sometimes felt as if she hadn't assimilated with the people here much at all. She did have a bad habit of pushing everyone away.

At any rate, Victoria had to stop dwelling on the losses from the battle when she was summoned to go to meet up with the other leaders of the rebellion. She was used to that routine by now, speaking with General Levisay and the others and talking strategy and everything. It was the only time she was very vocal outside of battle. She had suggestions, and she wanted them heard. But the small talk before it was awkward. At least Victoria's accidental habit of running just a little late to everything paid off in that regard. If she was the last to arrive, she had to do the least small talk.

She hurried over the general's tent, noticing that she was indeed among the last to gather there. Good. At least she would only have to contribute to the important conversation and then be done. She gave a nod to those already there, resisting the impulse–as she always did–to curtsey instead. How did those habits still have an effect on her mind? They had been ingrained to her as a child, she had to admit. "Apologies for my tardiness."

Luan notes the slight change of expression in Franklyn's face and casually walks over, casually slipping an arm around their shoulders.

"Relax for a bit. Relax that mind. I can handle my own team, alright? I promise. You've got enough going on elsewhere." she says quietly and kindly.

She gets up and wraps Calix in a tight hug, ignoring all the sharp pointy bits - they couldn't get through her armour anyways.

"How've you been sweetheart?" she asks the other woman.

She barely waits for a response before turning to the newest arrival - Victoria.

She squeals happily and rushes over hugging her as well. "Hey Vic!"

As she normally did when it came to any sort of affection, Victoria stiffened as Luan hugged her. She merely glanced up at the taller woman, cheeks flushing a bit at the sudden contact. She did tend to get a little flustered at any sort of physical contact, since it was unseemly for nobles to be too affectionate if they weren't intimately involved (and even then, in public it was very much frowned upon).

"Oh, um, hello Luan," Victoria said politely, glancing down at the woman's arms around her. She almost winced at how formal she sounded in comparison to the more laid-back thief. "Nice to see you."

Franklyn nodded at Luan. "I know you can, I just… wanna not be useless… want to to help." He gave her a small smile, before watching her make her rounds with the other leaders. Luan was such a gregarious type, which seemed completely at odds with her skill set. Ronnie and Ronni both were much quieter, and before he'd met her, Franklyn had rather expected that anyone able to lead the Shadows would be that type as well. Quiet, maybe brooding, certainly mysterious and dark.
Instead, Luan was a bit of a firebrand, a big personality who was able to corral and command all of those silent, deadly types under her. A big personality who left the impression of barely contained energy, who used all that energy to connect and guide.
And then there was Victoria. Franklyn acknowledged her with a nod and a smile. Her ever formal interactions were interesting, but according to Lucky she was an extremely competent cavalry commander despite having noble written all over her. She seemed nice, just… stiff. Still better than friendly and useless.

And now that their motley crew was assembled, Franklyn's curiosity had blossomed further.
"I know why we're here, General, but why are we here?"

Calix was distracted from her staring at maps when someone wrapped their arms around her. She stared down at Luan in brief bewilderment before putting an arm around her as well. At the time, she didn't know Luan very well. Not that she didn't recognize her or know who she was, it was just that footsoldiers and shadows didn't often cross paths. At least Calix didn't. She was also a little surprised by "sweetheart", but figured that was normal for Luan, so she ignored it. "I've been good!" she says, still a little confused. "What about y-?"

Lifting her head to see who'd come through, Calix stayed silent in Victoria's presence. For whatever reason, she felt a little strange around the former noble. Not that it showed in any way other than her silence. She figured it was because she was the last person she'd expect to see joining the revolution. That wasn't to say she didn't believe in her abilities, because Victoria was clearly very skilled in her field.. The soldier turned continued looking over the maps, to prevent herself from going on a mental tangent.

"I know why we're here, General, but why are we here?" Calix looked up at General Levisay. The lighthearted look on her face disappeared; She'd been wondering the same thing.

(Sorry for the delay, very busy day, time for Levisay! :D)

The general had watched each person come in, no- Each soldier.
Kendra had been first, he'd nodded back at her with respect. She did good work. He'd experienced it first hand, even if he didn't get out to fight as much as he used to. Much to his annoyance.

Franklyn second. It occurred to Kerrim just briefly that they were the only two men in the strategy board this time. It almost made the generals stony face crack a smile. Almost. He was the brains. Levisay returned the salute.

Luan. Another nod. For someone who so often worked in the shadows, the general was always surprises by the bright friendliness of the woman. He was grateful however, it helped break the tense mood of the meetings and it was good for some of the other soldiers to socialize. He made a mental note to ask about moral.

Calix arrived quickly, a third nod. Another brief thought of whether or not it meant something crept into his head. Kerrim shook it off, he wouldn't force his soldiers into rigid customs. They wasted time, and wasted time wasted lives. He was pleased to see someone take an interest in the maps, he still stood at the head of the table, arms held behind his back and standing at a loose attention. It felt natural to stand this way, a soldiers stance one quickly learned, when you didn't know if you'd be standing still for hours or thrown into combat the next minute. It was better to be prepared.

And finally, Victoria. A final nod. She wasn't the only noble the rebel army had. But she was by far Levisays most well regarded one. Calm, collected, and most importantly of all level headed in a fight. And one of the only ex-nobles he felt like he could trust to turn away from to breath without risking an immediate dagger in his back.

As a matter of fact there was no one at the table that the general found he could say that he honestly distrusted. They were all good women, plus Franklyn. Fighting for whatever it was they chose to put their faith in, he only hoped their faith wouldn't be misplaced when given to him.

Kerrim let his hands fall to his sides, and then grip the table, giving each member of the loose circle a sober look.
"We've had enough of these meetings and I feel I know each of you well enough that I can skip the formalities without much objection." He didn't wait for any.
"We were ambushed in our own camp today, not the first time it has happened, and it won't be the last. Each of you know we are advancing further inland into enemy territory. They know to expect us, they know what to expect of us over these past few years." The large man paused, wavering for just a second and something other than serious peaked through.
"But damn it we're close."
"We are currently here." A little blue flag was placed on the appropriate place on a map. A black one on the capital. "The whole point of this is.." Kerrim paused, running a hand across his face, willing himself not to show his exhaustion. He shook his head.

"We are maybe four weeks steady march away from the capital, weather holding and supplies willing. And we will be there for gods know how long, we expect a siege. I have been communicating with the other commanders and out forces will eventually be forced to merge, somewhere here." A green flag was placed at a roads intersection.

"We plan for two to three more large scale battles, and likely countless skirmishes and raids. Our men have still not yet been given the go ahead to pillage and they're getting antsy. I want suggestions to alleviate stress. All questions and suggestions will be taken soon." He gave a warning glance to some of the chattier people to not interrupt.

"However. I gathered you here now not to speak of what happened today in camp. All things considered it was handled remarkably well. Franklyn, commendations on not letting the fire spread too far, it was well handled son." Levisay didn't linger on the praise, but gave the kid a firm nod. It broke his heart seeing men this young, looking so exhausted. They should be out learning trades, chasing after girls, maybe going to school. Not massacring other boys their age. The general shook it off. Gods, he'd been doing this for a while now, he was letting his thoughts wander. He would rest while they rode. Or review strategies. The needs of the many came before the needs of the one.

"Luan. Quickly scan the perimeter. I want no prying ears, Kendra check for scrying eyes, and Calix, dismiss the two boys outside. They're not needed with you lot armored to the teeth in here." The orders were quick and quiet and Kerrim waited patiently for them to be obeyed. He shook off another long winded thought monologue about how strange it was that he was used to his orders being obeyed without question were. It wasn't the time. Philosophy was for men who had nothing else to do after a war. Levisay only hoped he'd make it long enough to write it all down.

Luan listens carefully to the General's word's hanging on to each one.

The words that General Livisay spoke were the only ones she could really, truly, wholeheartedly believe without fear of betrayal or lies.

She has to suppress a cruel, bitter smile at the mention of the siege. Cruel, because she could repay the nobles what they'd done sevenfold. Bitter, because once again, her soldiers - no, her friends - would be in the thick of it until the very bitter end.

She jumps to attention when Levisay says her name then nods, gone in a ripple of high-force wind as she speeds out of the General's tent to check for enemy spies. She knew exactly which faces were new and which were old.

She only checked over the new, since the old she knew were never going to be spies or defectors - she'd made sure of that with the last spy she'd caught who was a part of the old-timers of the rebellion.

Kendra watched the general closely as he spoke, her eyebrow slightly raised. She might not have been the most attentive individual in the group, but she could tell how exhausted the general was despite him trying to hide it. It wasn’t much of a surprises; the rebellion had taken quite the toll on everyone.

When he asked her to scan for scrying eyes, she tried not to show her uneasiness regarding the command. She had been trying to avoid using her power since the battle. She had used much of her magic while making a force field around the camp, after all, and magic was not an infinite resource. However, she avoided protesting against the general’s wishes. Instead, she closed her eyes, focusing to see if she could locate any scrying eyes among them. Eventually, she turned back towards the general, wincing slightly at the strain as she did so.

“We’re all clear,” she assured him. “There are no scrying eyes among us. At least none that I can locate.”

Franklyn listened carefully, filing away the information and working towards synthesizing solutions. The General's emotion and passion for the freedom of his people was touching, but Franklyn admired that the man knew how to do what must be done to secure that.
He could trust these people, and wanted them to be able to trust him. He gave a small smile at the General's praise, though internally, he didn't believe it. He hadn't handled it well, he'd passed out and people had gotten hurt, what was his point in being here if he couldn't help, how dare he sit here amongst these heroes and think he belonged…
He was pulled back to the moment by the General ordering secrecy and a sweep for spies. That was unusual, and it made him nervous. The women were all highly competent, but he could help with this.
The machinist rolled up his sleeve, where several objects that looked like bracelets were clamped around his arms. He tapped one, and it detached, the clamps turning into articulated legs. He set it, legs down, on the table, and the little metal disk clattered down off the table, moving like some armored spider or crab, and skittered out the tent flap. He pulled another, which followed the first one. They began circling the tent, as he rolled his sleeves back down.
"They'll make sure we're left alone." He said quietly, to no one in particular.

Calix watched and listened the man intently, not holding back the stare she'd taken off of Franklyn. She watched him place a blue flag down, then he paused. He'd seemed a little worn out lately- it was hard for Calix to imagine being a general, but it sounded (and looked) like it took some energy.

General Levisay continued and the thought was dismissed from the front of the soldier's mind. Four weeks, she thought. As he continued, Calix made sure she'd remember this information. She usually did, and was proud of her ability to recall small details and orders given ahead of time. She liked to think this made up for her lack in forethought.

The woman nodded at the order and poked her head and shoulders out of the tent. She glanced at the two. "The General dismisses you," she said before returning inside as Franklyn released his machinery. Calix steps aside for the little things to exit.

"Sir, if now is an appropriate time to ask, what "forces" are we merging with?" She took a seat at the table. "Who are they?" she asked, wanting to make sure she understands each aspect of Levisay's explanation.

Levisay took the opportunity as everyone attended to their tasks to take a breath.
He had precious few opportunities to do that now. Everyone was being pushed to their extremes and cracks would begin to show. The more people he surrounded himself with the more likely they'd be able to pick up for him if he were to fail or falter.
The general continued to absently study the map, thinking of what they were going to do, how to say it, how to make them understand.

Then, one by one, just like before, everyone came trickling back in. A bit of the tension in the generals shoulders relaxed, the perimeter was safe. One less thing to worry about.
Franklyn rolled up his sleeve, and Kerrim looked over curiously at the number of bracelets there. He took off two, and placed them on the table. With just a few taps, they turned into spider like automatons, and skittered off. Levisay frowned slightly, bending over and picking one up before it could skitter away.

He turned it over in his hands, then released it, letting it go. Levisay still had trouble wrapping his brain around Franklyn's work. It all seemed like magic to him, temperamental, strange, and fantastical magic. But the machinist insisted that it wasn't. Kerrim shook his head, watching the crab-like machine leave the tent, he couldn't deny these things had their uses. "They'll make sure we're left alone." Franklyn said quietly.

Levisay gave a half-hearted nod. He trusted that much, but perhaps he needed to brush up on his own reading. If he didn't understand it, he couldn't use it to its full ability.

Calix returned after a few moments and as the guards footsteps grew faint, asked a question. "Sir, if now is an appropriate time to ask, what "forces" are we merging with?" She took a seat at the table. "Who are they?"

The general nodded at the maps again.
"We're not the only forces on the move, soldier. Keeping our army grouped together would be too taxing for the whole and make it all too easy for us to be pinned to one spot. If we were backed against a corner we'd be slaughtered."

"We'll be joining with the other groups…" Kerrim hesitated briefly, his hand freezing halfway before finally grabbing a little yellow flag. "Like I said, we're expecting two to three more large-scale battles. However, we will only be there for one." He placed the flag at an empty spot, and he made a so-so motion with his hand.

Before any questions could be asked, Levisay raised his hand for silence.
"All of you are some of my best people. There are no others that I could trust so completely with my life and my plans. I know each of you would lay down your life without hesitation for either this cause or the ones you love. And I'm going to have to ask you to trust me."

"The army is a diversion. We're gathering out forces as a show of strength, maybe intimidation, but mostly a distraction. We won't be with them. We'll be at the capital." And then he waited for questions.

Luan had returned and was listening to the general, a brutal smile on her face.

"Our job in the capital is to. . . remove the king from his throne, yes? All you need for that is me." she chuckles darkly.

There was a violent gleam in her eyes that the people in the tent only see when she's thinking of ways to end the king's life, and the king's supporters.

Franklyn's mind began racing immediately, running various scenarios. "It's not just that, is it…" He looked up at the General. Luan was right, the Shadows were competent. There was something else at play.
"And even if it was," he said quietly, "you're underestimating the security in that place." He looked over at Luan, not wanting to anger her, but his voice full of honesty.
He looked back down at the map, thinking. His family would likely be sucked into the diversion, which would behoove him to make this as quick as possible. Whatever the objective is…

Luan turns to look at Franklyn and chuckles.

"I have an informant. Trust me when I say, I can get in and out easily." she replies. "And even if you're right, there's a reason why I'm the leader of the Shadows."

Everyone knew the story: the old leader had pissed her off one too many times, and had ended up very dead. Brutally dead.

Which is part of the reason why the General liked her. She had proven herself to be competent, if a little headstrong at times.

Franklyn looked at her for a long time, his expression unreadable, before turning back to the General.
Luan was wrong, regardless of who her informant was, but telling the group how he knew that or why he was so sure of it would have forced him to tell them more than he was ready to, about himself. About his past. And he didn't want to do that just to tell Luan she didn't know what she was talking about.

He would if it meant saving her life later, though.

Calix, again, payed close attention to Levisay's words. Until then, it didn't immediately occur to her that their forces could be pinned. She swore to herself to remember that.

"We are all here for a reason." Calix locked eyes with Luan, across from her. "I am sure we will all have something to contribute. It won't just be you and the Shadows, so we can all bring that tyrant's reign to an end, collectively," she added, trying to sound diplomatic. Again, she didn't know the woman very well. She was… confident. As was Alastair, but she wasn't nearly as sure about her ability to slaughter the king- at least not singlehandedly.