[It's enough. It means she isn't hit, and it means Blanche is fine. That's all he can think as he rushes the archer, and stabs him. The man doesn't need to be stabbed repeatedly in order to ensure he dies, but that doesn't stop Alaric - the archer's scream is thankfully cut short immediately, but he doesn't stop until he needs to catch his breath.
It's silent. Blanche is fine, Alaric is fine, and for a brief moment, it seems all is right with the world.]
You're unharmed?
[He frees his sword from the man's corpse and drags it across the man's clothes to clean it. Alaric's expression hasn't yet shifted back to his usual calm one; the adrenaline is still pumping, after all. They made it through this just fine, but it feels like he's forgetting something...]
[All Blanche registers for the moment is a moment of peace and calm as she looks upon the corpse of the mage. There's likely a few blood stains on her; she'll have to clean up in a bit, but gods there's still something in her shaking. It's perhaps an adrenaline rush of her own, but...
It may very well be the fact that she was nearly overwhelmed. It's a foolish mistake, really, and it feels strangely hollow for a moment.]
...Yes, I am fine.
[Blanche goes over to get a look at Alaric, though, her face about as stony and calm as usual.]
What of yourself? Did they injure you?
[...It strangely feels like she's forgotten something too, but for now, at least, there's no movement or indication of such a thing. But Blanche is going to look Alaric over, if he doesn't mind.]
[She isn't the only one wearing some bloodstains, but that's never been something that bothers Alaric too much. Well, at least not in the moment. He'll likely fuss about getting blood on his uniform later, but for now...]
They didn't.
[If they'd landed a hit on him, he wouldn't be standing here.
He's quiet for a moment before exhaling slowly, as if releasing the pent-up tension from the fight.]
I'm not surprised there are bandits around here, but we'll have to be careful moving forward.
[That's good, at least. He wasn't killed; he wasn't overrun like she nearly was, and even if they'll both likely need to freshen up in a river, they didn't die. That's...good. They're alive, and that's what matters.]
We will. I knew that bandits were opportunistic, but this is...
["Heh. Not bad, you two."
Blanche startles all at once and turns toward the source of the noise--the uninjured archer, high up on the tree, looking down at them with a surprisingly assured look on the other woman's face. Miasma charges in Blanche's hands once again, ready to strike, and--
"Oh, relax already! I'm not gonna kill you. Well, not yet, anyway. Not when our lady will be real excited to see you two."]
[Ambushing people certainly is a common thing for bandits, but there are only two of them. Sure, they likely look like wealthy targets, but sending this many men after them... Something's strange about it.
There's still the nagging sensation in the back of his mind that he's forgotten something, but it doesn't occur to him until the voice speaks up. Alaric's attention turns upward and he reaches for the dagger - only to remember he didn't retrieve that. It's somewhere in the brush, and finding it now isn't going to be possible. He readies his sword instead.]
Your lady? The mage who's been causing trouble around here, I'd imagine?
[This would explain why there are more of them. This would explain why they were tougher than ordinary bandits, and why they wear clothes that match. They aren't some ordinary bandits; they're mercenaries.]
[Oh, the archer perks up at that, but that look never leaves her face. No; she looks interested.
"Well, no point in beating around the bush, huh? Guess her reputation proceeds her. As it should." The archer takes out an arrow, idly just flipping it back and forth in her hand. "Say, where did you hear that, anyway? Gotta keep a habit of cleaning up all the pests. You get it, yeah?"
Blanche is barely holding herself back from just smiting the woman outright. Maybe she has useful information, but all she wants to do is splatter this woman across the trees--]
[That's fair, Blanche... He probably should have been more careful with how he chose to address her, but honestly, he wasn't actually expecting her to be this sharp. His mistake.]
You expect me to give up my sources after telling me that? I'll pass.
[They aren't in an entirely disadvantageous position, after all. The archer can only aim at one of them, after all. If it was necessary, he'd sell out the cleric - hell, he'd sell out the entire town - but that isn't something Blanche would want and as long as there are other options, he won't resort to it.]
[The archer shrugs, never once losing that expression on her face. "Well, it was worth a shot. Might've been a little more willing to let you both go on your way, unlike the boneheads."
And perhaps bafflingly, she puts her arrows back and looks at them with an all too knowing gaze.
"But alright, I see how it is. Guess we'll just have to clean it up ourselves." She flashes them both a two fingered salute. "But we'll be seeing each other again real soon. Next time, though? You'll be facing all of us. Good luuuck~"
And with that, the archer jumps off, from tree to tree in escape--Blanche attempts to fire her charged spell after the damn woman, but she's far too quick. Quicker than even the people they faced today.]
Damn it all!
[Blanche winds up punching the ground in her anger.]
[There isn't any time to think too much about her words, she's moving suddenly and though Alaric starts forward, there's no way he can catch her. Blanche's spells don't connect either, and with that, she's gone.
Just like that, whatever advantage they had is gone. That archer is going to go back to the mage and inform the rest of the mercenaries that they're coming, and they'll be up against even more trained fighters. They can handle a group of bandits, but mercenaries? This is going to be tough.]
...Well, that could have gone better.
[thanks, alaric.]
We made it out alive, at least. They're going to be expecting us, so getting close to that mage is going to be difficult.
[It sure as hell is. Blanche is very visibly trying to keep herself in some level of control at all of this, but losing control is still something that gets Blanche's chest feeling tight and her heart racing.]
We've flown out of the frying pan only to find ourselves in the fire.
[She's trying very hard to force herself to calm down. Panic is only going to make them sloppy, and it's deeply unbecoming of a queen to react like this.
And yet, she can't will it down enough to stop shaking.]
...We will need to be exceedingly careful when we face this band's full might. We must eradicate them all.
[If they even can, she thinks, and she tries to shut the thought out of her mind. This is your fault, is another thought, and that's...well, it's not wrong. She should have just killed her, rather than thinking she might have information, or gods forbid that the archer would strike Alaric down before she could act, how stupid can she be--]
Agreed. We need to be careful with how we approach this. Walking up to their front door sounds like a terrible idea.
Our first order of business should be to figure out where they're holed up. Depending on where it is and what defenses look like, we may be able to sneak in. If that isn't an option, we may be able to lure some of them out at a time to thin their numbers.
[But neither might be an option, and there's no telling what they'll do then. Turning around and leaving simply isn't an option, and they don't have any other leads. There isn't anything else they can do but throw themselves at this.]
The odds aren't in our favor, but I'm feeling lucky.
[And with that he flashes Blanche a confident, cocky grin. If there's one thing Alaric can do well, it's confidence.]
[Alaric speaks and flashes that confident, cocky grin at her so easily--he knows better than anyone just how frightening this prospect is. Blanche is used to having so many more pieces on the board, more to utilize, more to effectively win with. Can two people really hope to take mercenaries of that woman's apparent caliber?
The odds aren't in their favor, it's true. They're going to need to rely on elements that may not be in play for them. They're going to have to plan accordingly, see if they can truly thin their numbers without alerting anyone else. All in all, it seems like an impossible task, and one that may very well lead to their death.
...But...]
...I cannot help but find that I agree with you; we have certainly survived this long, after all. With our own skills, of course, but with plenty of luck as well.
[Blanche isn't quite at ease, but she does look up at Alaric. It's the usual stony expression, but she's at least willed down all of her shaking. Objectively speaking, there's little they can hope to do when that archer is likely telling them everything she was able to gather, but...
Well. Subjectively speaking, there's still ways to surprise them.]
We will need to see if we can perhaps find a good vantage point; if we can find something high enough, perhaps we'll be able to get a glimpse of just what their hideout looks like. And from there...well, we will have to proceed no matter what, but the information will prove valuable. I am certain of that much.
[There's a lot this relies on, and Blanche knows it. But she trusts herself, and she trusts Alaric; giving into panic now isn't an option.]
...And we will eradicate all of them, this time. Not a single one of them will survive this. I swear to ensure that much.
Agreed. We'll make sure they can't pose a threat to anyone else.
[It's good that Blanche is relaxing a bit now; she's still as stony-faced as ever, but that's to be expected by now. She isn't shaking anymore, and that's the most important thing. This isn't going to be easy and it isn't going to be fun, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
Alaric goes to retrieve his knife, but once he's got that put away and sheathed his sword, he fishes the map out of his pocket and unfolds it.]
That archer escaped off in this direction. [He draws a line across the map with his finger.] It could be a diversion to mislead us, but I doubt she needs to do that. She's likely confident in their numbers, so we can assume their base is somewhere over here.
[The area of the map his finger swipes through is heavily forested, but it's near the base of the mountains.]
We could go around this way, [out and around back, up the mountains] to see if we can get a better view of wherever it is they've holed up. There aren't any towns nearby, so they've likely just taken an older building or even built something of their own out here. We can't rule out the possibility that they're using a cave or something, though; so it's possible that getting up too high won't help at all.
[Blanche will gladly bring herself over to get a look at the map while Alaric points everything out. She certainly doesn't disagree with his assessment; the archer very well looked like she could have taken them out at any point, and deemed it fit not to. If she's gone in this direction and wants them to meet her lady, that's almost certainly where their base of operations is.]
That is an excellent point. [Hmm...] Though if that mage does use a cave for the base of their operations, I doubt that she'll be able to face us at her full power in there. That seems like a rather easy way to get herself and the rest of her allies killed.
[She's at least learned that much about the world. It'd certainly be nice and easy to simply aim above them perhaps and have the thing collapse in on them. Perhaps they aren't that smart, though, but one can never be too sure.]
I think that taking the path you have outlined will prove to be our best bet for ascertaining their numbers, and the base of their operations. If we can get even the slightest idea of what they are doing, we can use it to our advantage.
[Though...]
And as long as we are careful with our supplies, we should still be able to make it to Miramas no worse for wear, yes?
[...we could also just steal from the fucking mercenaries when they're all dead, but blanche has a little bit too much decorum to suggest that]
[Alaric inclines his head as he considers the state of their supplies. It's not like they've been careless with them, after all, but traveling up through the mountains for a bit may result in moving slower...]
We should be fine. [Probably.] But it wouldn't hurt to take whatever they've got once we're done killing them all.
[oh my god. why does she like you, you're terrible.]
Objectively speaking, you are correct. It's not like they'll be around to use them anymore.
[not you too!!]
But yes, let us be off. [...Excuse her while she swats a mosquito away, which lets her get a good look at herself and Alaric--] Preferably to the nearest river. We both look awful right about now.
Perhaps we did, but it was no less than what the lot of them deserved.
[Oh Alaric. Blanche is at least in agreement that this stuff is nasty and they could stand to get cleaned the hell up; at the very least she'll follow along to the river. Cleaning up will be nice and easy, and they can get on the road again in no time at all.]
[It doesn't take them long to find the stream and clean up, and their trek through the mountains begins. Thankfully, they don't need to travel too high up through the mountains, and even more thankfully, they don't have to travel too far. After only a day and a half, they're able to see where the mage's base is likely located, though that's where their luck runs out.
While there aren't any towns around here, there is an old military outpost. It isn't listed on any more recent maps, which is why they missed it, but this area must have once been somewhere important to the kingdom. The base is built into the mountain itself, with stone walls and a tower for looking out on the surrounding plain and distant forest. Much of it is crumbled and unusable now, but that hasn't stopped the mage and her lackeys from renovating the place. From their viewpoint, Blanche and Alaric can see that they've been rebuilding; there's only a couple of former small houses that look potentially livable, with plenty of tents set up in the area surrounding it. The main building of the fort is made of stone and mostly intact, and the walls are manned with archers and other mercenaries. It's difficult to get an exact number from here, but the place is definitely not short on soldiers.]
I had no idea there was a place like this out here... Seems like a good spot for them. It'll be difficult to break through.
[The front gate is the one looking out on the plains, which is obviously not the best way for them to approach.]
If we continue around like this, we can likely sneak in tonight.
[The walls of the settlement would be easy to get onto from the mountain, so getting in won't be a problem. It's just everything else...]
I'm guessing that mage is holed up there, in that building.
[He points it out - it's the main stone one that likely housed most of the base's military might a long time ago.]
[It is perhaps a blessing that they don't need to go too far out of their way in order to find the mage's hideout. Honestly, Blanche is impressed that they've managed to find it this quickly; of course, the problem lies with everything else here.
This old base is definitely something the bandits have made good use of; built into the mountain, it's certainly an excellent strategic point to renovate for one's own uses. And they've certainly done a good job with it, which makes it all the more frustrating. If Blanche had known about this area, she would've ordered something to be done about it before these bandits could get their grubby mits on it.
But from what they can see, there's houses and tents set up, and there appear to be archers and other mercenaries lining the walls. This mage is far more powerful and influential than she expected...]
I hadn't the faintest idea that this was near here either. It's certainly a troubling thing to not know anything about.
[Blanche doesn't let anxiety or anything else color her words; she looks coldly at their adversaries, thinking of all of the ways they can take them down quietly.]
But yes. We will likely need to be cautious as we sneak in; who knows what kind of traps or the like they possibly have in store. We must exercise caution.
[Of course, Blanche looks at the building where the mage likely is--and nods her head.]
I do agree with you, though. It's a strategically sound place for her to place herself. If her range is truly this long, we could be in trouble fairly fast.
[Hmm...]
I sincerely doubt she's hiding behind that building for no reason, however. Typical magus are trained in the mind, but not the body; if we can get close enough to her, we should be able to take her out quickly.
[Not that it'll be easy. It really won't, especially as Blanche looks up. There's clouds overhead, but they don't seem to be anything too stormy. Not yet, anyway.]
...The rest of them may pose a problem, but so long as we're careful, we should be able to keep ourselves alive and take them out.
[Alaric nods at that and moves to take the lead. The paths through the mountains aren't as well-worn or safe as the ones through the woods, but they aren't terribly difficult to traverse either, and by the time night has properly fallen, they're in position to move. From here, it's just a simple climb down to land on the wall, and once they're on there, they should be able to make it down and over toward the main building easily enough.]
If we're quick and quiet enough, we should be able to get in there without any problems. Like you said, the mage probably won't be as much of a threat if we can get close to her. They're going to be on edge waiting for us, but I doubt they'll expect us to try to slip in like this.
[It's still not a perfect plan, and there are so many ways it could go wrong. Still...]
[It's in this moment that Blanche is deeply thankful she opted for pants rather than a dress; these paths are definitely harder to transverse, but at least she doesn't have to worry about one of five million layers of skirt getting caught on something. All they need to do now is get down, and set the plan into motion.
It could go wrong in so many ways, and yet...this is their best option. They need to succeed. It's life or death, now.]
I am. Onward, at once.
[Her voice is quiet, but perhaps thankfully, they're able to make it down to the wall easily enough without being detected. So far, so good at least, and not even a scratch on them. It doesn't look like there's anyone down there, at least, so they can start climbing down and try to move over towards the main building--
There's only one problem with this, so far at least. It looks like we've got people up ahead; there does seem to be some people scouting around this area, and unfortunately, they've at least heard some footsteps. An axeman and a mage man look around, clearly suspicious.
"Oi, you hear that?"
"What don't I hear, you big lug? Come on, let's see what it is."
Shit. Blanche looks to Alaric; her magic isn't built for stealth unless she gets up close, and if they get spotted, there's going to be big trouble. What do they do?]
[The descent is quick and easy, but traversing this place is going to be more difficult than he anticipated. Once again, Alaric underestimated these mercenaries. Maybe he's grown soft serving so much time in such a cushy environment...
Anyway, he inclines his head a bit, indicating that Blanche should remain behind him and hidden. Her magic is powerful and could easily take out both of these goons, but it will draw far more attention than one swordsman will.
Alaric's greatest asset is his speed, and he puts that to use. He unsheathes his blade and dagger and lunges forward in a single motion - the element of surprise is on his side and he's able to toss the dagger at the axeman out front. It drops the guy to his knees for a moment, which gives Alaric all the time he needs to finish off the mage. By the time the axeman is ready to counterattack, Alaric's darted around to his side and finished the job with a stab in just the right location.
It's swift and quiet, which is in their favor.]
Let's go. It won't be long before they find the bodies.
[Trying to move them will only waste more time and likely draw more attention. Best just to keep going. He retrieves his dagger and moves to check the path down the wall and into the fort itself; he gestures to indicate Blanche should follow him.]
[Blanche nods her head; she gets it. He's definitely more suited to assassin-like business like this, at any rate. Blanche does as she's told, remaining hidden while Alaric takes care of the dirty work and keeping her eyes and ears peeled. None of them were able to get off any sort of distress signal before being taken care of...good.
It means that they're in the clear to keep moving. Blanche comes out of hiding to nod at Alaric.]
Yes, quite. Let's go.
[Blanche follows easily; the path down the wall and into the fort isn't exactly easy to transverse, but by some stroke of luck, they'll manage to get to the building undetected. It's giving Blanche hope; they can do this. They will do this, damn it. They won't fail.
It's definitely surprisingly well intact after all of these years, but it looks like they've got a clear ticket inside; turns out these people aren't so good at keeping their windows locked. How could one be so short sighted not to close that? Ah, well. It's to their benefit, and doesn't risk getting them immediately spotted; into the window we go, Alaric.
They'll be able to get inside fairly easily; it seems they've gotten themselves into a fairly unused room, but there's definitely people just outside of the door. Doesn't sound like a lot, but...
Well, ready when you are, Alaric. Let's do this shit.]
[It makes sense that there aren't many people patrolling the grounds here; they wouldn't expect anyone to be able to get past the front gate, and coming around the back is certainly odd. So they're in, and while this isn't exactly the best position, things are certainly going smoothly.
Alaric nods at Blanche and moves to the door, listening in. There's at least two people on the other side, but likely not more than that. One of them is likely asleep given the heavier breathing and regular pattern, while the other shifts here and there occasionally. Guard duty, then. Why are they guarding this room? Well, that's not the point, and Alaric steps back. He doesn't bother drawing his sword, instead he opts for two knives - he kicks the door down and both knives find the necks of both mercenaries before either have the chance to raise the alarm.
There isn't any time to waste, their element of surprise will undoubtedly be gone soon. He gestures for Blanche to follow him as he puts one of the knives away and draws his sword.
The hallway opens into another, larger room. It looks like a dining hall. There are some tables and chairs scattered around, with a few mercenaries still in here. There's three of them - two with swords and one in the back who seems to have been in the process of making drinks who's reaching for something underneath the bar. Time to move, Blanche.]
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no subject
It's silent. Blanche is fine, Alaric is fine, and for a brief moment, it seems all is right with the world.]
You're unharmed?
[He frees his sword from the man's corpse and drags it across the man's clothes to clean it. Alaric's expression hasn't yet shifted back to his usual calm one; the adrenaline is still pumping, after all. They made it through this just fine, but it feels like he's forgetting something...]
no subject
It may very well be the fact that she was nearly overwhelmed. It's a foolish mistake, really, and it feels strangely hollow for a moment.]
...Yes, I am fine.
[Blanche goes over to get a look at Alaric, though, her face about as stony and calm as usual.]
What of yourself? Did they injure you?
[...It strangely feels like she's forgotten something too, but for now, at least, there's no movement or indication of such a thing. But Blanche is going to look Alaric over, if he doesn't mind.]
no subject
They didn't.
[If they'd landed a hit on him, he wouldn't be standing here.
He's quiet for a moment before exhaling slowly, as if releasing the pent-up tension from the fight.]
I'm not surprised there are bandits around here, but we'll have to be careful moving forward.
no subject
We will. I knew that bandits were opportunistic, but this is...
["Heh. Not bad, you two."
Blanche startles all at once and turns toward the source of the noise--the uninjured archer, high up on the tree, looking down at them with a surprisingly assured look on the other woman's face. Miasma charges in Blanche's hands once again, ready to strike, and--
"Oh, relax already! I'm not gonna kill you. Well, not yet, anyway. Not when our lady will be real excited to see you two."]
no subject
There's still the nagging sensation in the back of his mind that he's forgotten something, but it doesn't occur to him until the voice speaks up. Alaric's attention turns upward and he reaches for the dagger - only to remember he didn't retrieve that. It's somewhere in the brush, and finding it now isn't going to be possible. He readies his sword instead.]
Your lady? The mage who's been causing trouble around here, I'd imagine?
[This would explain why there are more of them. This would explain why they were tougher than ordinary bandits, and why they wear clothes that match. They aren't some ordinary bandits; they're mercenaries.]
no subject
"Well, no point in beating around the bush, huh? Guess her reputation proceeds her. As it should." The archer takes out an arrow, idly just flipping it back and forth in her hand. "Say, where did you hear that, anyway? Gotta keep a habit of cleaning up all the pests. You get it, yeah?"
Blanche is barely holding herself back from just smiting the woman outright. Maybe she has useful information, but all she wants to do is splatter this woman across the trees--]
no subject
You expect me to give up my sources after telling me that? I'll pass.
[They aren't in an entirely disadvantageous position, after all. The archer can only aim at one of them, after all. If it was necessary, he'd sell out the cleric - hell, he'd sell out the entire town - but that isn't something Blanche would want and as long as there are other options, he won't resort to it.]
no subject
And perhaps bafflingly, she puts her arrows back and looks at them with an all too knowing gaze.
"But alright, I see how it is. Guess we'll just have to clean it up ourselves." She flashes them both a two fingered salute. "But we'll be seeing each other again real soon. Next time, though? You'll be facing all of us. Good luuuck~"
And with that, the archer jumps off, from tree to tree in escape--Blanche attempts to fire her charged spell after the damn woman, but she's far too quick. Quicker than even the people they faced today.]
Damn it all!
[Blanche winds up punching the ground in her anger.]
no subject
Just like that, whatever advantage they had is gone. That archer is going to go back to the mage and inform the rest of the mercenaries that they're coming, and they'll be up against even more trained fighters. They can handle a group of bandits, but mercenaries? This is going to be tough.]
...Well, that could have gone better.
[thanks, alaric.]
We made it out alive, at least. They're going to be expecting us, so getting close to that mage is going to be difficult.
no subject
We've flown out of the frying pan only to find ourselves in the fire.
[She's trying very hard to force herself to calm down. Panic is only going to make them sloppy, and it's deeply unbecoming of a queen to react like this.
And yet, she can't will it down enough to stop shaking.]
...We will need to be exceedingly careful when we face this band's full might. We must eradicate them all.
[If they even can, she thinks, and she tries to shut the thought out of her mind. This is your fault, is another thought, and that's...well, it's not wrong. She should have just killed her, rather than thinking she might have information, or gods forbid that the archer would strike Alaric down before she could act, how stupid can she be--]
no subject
Our first order of business should be to figure out where they're holed up. Depending on where it is and what defenses look like, we may be able to sneak in. If that isn't an option, we may be able to lure some of them out at a time to thin their numbers.
[But neither might be an option, and there's no telling what they'll do then. Turning around and leaving simply isn't an option, and they don't have any other leads. There isn't anything else they can do but throw themselves at this.]
The odds aren't in our favor, but I'm feeling lucky.
[And with that he flashes Blanche a confident, cocky grin. If there's one thing Alaric can do well, it's confidence.]
no subject
The odds aren't in their favor, it's true. They're going to need to rely on elements that may not be in play for them. They're going to have to plan accordingly, see if they can truly thin their numbers without alerting anyone else. All in all, it seems like an impossible task, and one that may very well lead to their death.
...But...]
...I cannot help but find that I agree with you; we have certainly survived this long, after all. With our own skills, of course, but with plenty of luck as well.
[Blanche isn't quite at ease, but she does look up at Alaric. It's the usual stony expression, but she's at least willed down all of her shaking. Objectively speaking, there's little they can hope to do when that archer is likely telling them everything she was able to gather, but...
Well. Subjectively speaking, there's still ways to surprise them.]
We will need to see if we can perhaps find a good vantage point; if we can find something high enough, perhaps we'll be able to get a glimpse of just what their hideout looks like. And from there...well, we will have to proceed no matter what, but the information will prove valuable. I am certain of that much.
[There's a lot this relies on, and Blanche knows it. But she trusts herself, and she trusts Alaric; giving into panic now isn't an option.]
...And we will eradicate all of them, this time. Not a single one of them will survive this. I swear to ensure that much.
no subject
[It's good that Blanche is relaxing a bit now; she's still as stony-faced as ever, but that's to be expected by now. She isn't shaking anymore, and that's the most important thing. This isn't going to be easy and it isn't going to be fun, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
Alaric goes to retrieve his knife, but once he's got that put away and sheathed his sword, he fishes the map out of his pocket and unfolds it.]
That archer escaped off in this direction. [He draws a line across the map with his finger.] It could be a diversion to mislead us, but I doubt she needs to do that. She's likely confident in their numbers, so we can assume their base is somewhere over here.
[The area of the map his finger swipes through is heavily forested, but it's near the base of the mountains.]
We could go around this way, [out and around back, up the mountains] to see if we can get a better view of wherever it is they've holed up. There aren't any towns nearby, so they've likely just taken an older building or even built something of their own out here. We can't rule out the possibility that they're using a cave or something, though; so it's possible that getting up too high won't help at all.
no subject
That is an excellent point. [Hmm...] Though if that mage does use a cave for the base of their operations, I doubt that she'll be able to face us at her full power in there. That seems like a rather easy way to get herself and the rest of her allies killed.
[She's at least learned that much about the world. It'd certainly be nice and easy to simply aim above them perhaps and have the thing collapse in on them. Perhaps they aren't that smart, though, but one can never be too sure.]
I think that taking the path you have outlined will prove to be our best bet for ascertaining their numbers, and the base of their operations. If we can get even the slightest idea of what they are doing, we can use it to our advantage.
[Though...]
And as long as we are careful with our supplies, we should still be able to make it to Miramas no worse for wear, yes?
[...we could also just steal from the fucking mercenaries when they're all dead, but blanche has a little bit too much decorum to suggest that]
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We should be fine. [Probably.] But it wouldn't hurt to take whatever they've got once we're done killing them all.
[LOOTING!!]
Sounds like a plan, then. Let's get moving.
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Objectively speaking, you are correct. It's not like they'll be around to use them anymore.
[not you too!!]
But yes, let us be off. [...Excuse her while she swats a mosquito away, which lets her get a good look at herself and Alaric--] Preferably to the nearest river. We both look awful right about now.
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[That gets him to actually pause and look at their outfits, which then earns a grimace.]
Ugh, you're right. Guess we got a bit carried away there. C'mon, there should be one over here.
[Gross!!! Blood is totally fine during the battle but it's on his uniform and it's white and that's awful and unacceptable!!]
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[Oh Alaric. Blanche is at least in agreement that this stuff is nasty and they could stand to get cleaned the hell up; at the very least she'll follow along to the river. Cleaning up will be nice and easy, and they can get on the road again in no time at all.]
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While there aren't any towns around here, there is an old military outpost. It isn't listed on any more recent maps, which is why they missed it, but this area must have once been somewhere important to the kingdom. The base is built into the mountain itself, with stone walls and a tower for looking out on the surrounding plain and distant forest. Much of it is crumbled and unusable now, but that hasn't stopped the mage and her lackeys from renovating the place. From their viewpoint, Blanche and Alaric can see that they've been rebuilding; there's only a couple of former small houses that look potentially livable, with plenty of tents set up in the area surrounding it. The main building of the fort is made of stone and mostly intact, and the walls are manned with archers and other mercenaries. It's difficult to get an exact number from here, but the place is definitely not short on soldiers.]
I had no idea there was a place like this out here... Seems like a good spot for them. It'll be difficult to break through.
[The front gate is the one looking out on the plains, which is obviously not the best way for them to approach.]
If we continue around like this, we can likely sneak in tonight.
[The walls of the settlement would be easy to get onto from the mountain, so getting in won't be a problem. It's just everything else...]
I'm guessing that mage is holed up there, in that building.
[He points it out - it's the main stone one that likely housed most of the base's military might a long time ago.]
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This old base is definitely something the bandits have made good use of; built into the mountain, it's certainly an excellent strategic point to renovate for one's own uses. And they've certainly done a good job with it, which makes it all the more frustrating. If Blanche had known about this area, she would've ordered something to be done about it before these bandits could get their grubby mits on it.
But from what they can see, there's houses and tents set up, and there appear to be archers and other mercenaries lining the walls. This mage is far more powerful and influential than she expected...]
I hadn't the faintest idea that this was near here either. It's certainly a troubling thing to not know anything about.
[Blanche doesn't let anxiety or anything else color her words; she looks coldly at their adversaries, thinking of all of the ways they can take them down quietly.]
But yes. We will likely need to be cautious as we sneak in; who knows what kind of traps or the like they possibly have in store. We must exercise caution.
[Of course, Blanche looks at the building where the mage likely is--and nods her head.]
I do agree with you, though. It's a strategically sound place for her to place herself. If her range is truly this long, we could be in trouble fairly fast.
[Hmm...]
I sincerely doubt she's hiding behind that building for no reason, however. Typical magus are trained in the mind, but not the body; if we can get close enough to her, we should be able to take her out quickly.
[Not that it'll be easy. It really won't, especially as Blanche looks up. There's clouds overhead, but they don't seem to be anything too stormy. Not yet, anyway.]
...The rest of them may pose a problem, but so long as we're careful, we should be able to keep ourselves alive and take them out.
[At your ready, Alaric.]
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If we're quick and quiet enough, we should be able to get in there without any problems. Like you said, the mage probably won't be as much of a threat if we can get close to her. They're going to be on edge waiting for us, but I doubt they'll expect us to try to slip in like this.
[It's still not a perfect plan, and there are so many ways it could go wrong. Still...]
You ready?
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It could go wrong in so many ways, and yet...this is their best option. They need to succeed. It's life or death, now.]
I am. Onward, at once.
[Her voice is quiet, but perhaps thankfully, they're able to make it down to the wall easily enough without being detected. So far, so good at least, and not even a scratch on them. It doesn't look like there's anyone down there, at least, so they can start climbing down and try to move over towards the main building--
There's only one problem with this, so far at least. It looks like we've got people up ahead; there does seem to be some people scouting around this area, and unfortunately, they've at least heard some footsteps. An axeman and a mage man look around, clearly suspicious.
"Oi, you hear that?"
"What don't I hear, you big lug? Come on, let's see what it is."
Shit. Blanche looks to Alaric; her magic isn't built for stealth unless she gets up close, and if they get spotted, there's going to be big trouble. What do they do?]
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Anyway, he inclines his head a bit, indicating that Blanche should remain behind him and hidden. Her magic is powerful and could easily take out both of these goons, but it will draw far more attention than one swordsman will.
Alaric's greatest asset is his speed, and he puts that to use. He unsheathes his blade and dagger and lunges forward in a single motion - the element of surprise is on his side and he's able to toss the dagger at the axeman out front. It drops the guy to his knees for a moment, which gives Alaric all the time he needs to finish off the mage. By the time the axeman is ready to counterattack, Alaric's darted around to his side and finished the job with a stab in just the right location.
It's swift and quiet, which is in their favor.]
Let's go. It won't be long before they find the bodies.
[Trying to move them will only waste more time and likely draw more attention. Best just to keep going. He retrieves his dagger and moves to check the path down the wall and into the fort itself; he gestures to indicate Blanche should follow him.]
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It means that they're in the clear to keep moving. Blanche comes out of hiding to nod at Alaric.]
Yes, quite. Let's go.
[Blanche follows easily; the path down the wall and into the fort isn't exactly easy to transverse, but by some stroke of luck, they'll manage to get to the building undetected. It's giving Blanche hope; they can do this. They will do this, damn it. They won't fail.
It's definitely surprisingly well intact after all of these years, but it looks like they've got a clear ticket inside; turns out these people aren't so good at keeping their windows locked. How could one be so short sighted not to close that? Ah, well. It's to their benefit, and doesn't risk getting them immediately spotted; into the window we go, Alaric.
They'll be able to get inside fairly easily; it seems they've gotten themselves into a fairly unused room, but there's definitely people just outside of the door. Doesn't sound like a lot, but...
Well, ready when you are, Alaric. Let's do this shit.]
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Alaric nods at Blanche and moves to the door, listening in. There's at least two people on the other side, but likely not more than that. One of them is likely asleep given the heavier breathing and regular pattern, while the other shifts here and there occasionally. Guard duty, then. Why are they guarding this room? Well, that's not the point, and Alaric steps back. He doesn't bother drawing his sword, instead he opts for two knives - he kicks the door down and both knives find the necks of both mercenaries before either have the chance to raise the alarm.
There isn't any time to waste, their element of surprise will undoubtedly be gone soon. He gestures for Blanche to follow him as he puts one of the knives away and draws his sword.
The hallway opens into another, larger room. It looks like a dining hall. There are some tables and chairs scattered around, with a few mercenaries still in here. There's three of them - two with swords and one in the back who seems to have been in the process of making drinks who's reaching for something underneath the bar. Time to move, Blanche.]
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