• Closed • Refugees? (Lynessa)

[Vivian Shiryu]

Timestamp: 25th of Ymiden
Location: The Stormlands

Vivian reached up to pat Speckle's nose as they waited outside the city gates. "No, she's not running late, you daft horse. We're soldiers, we're used to moving in a hurry. She's a priestess, they're more used to working in-city and on a loose schedule." she said, in response to the mare huffing and stamping her big hooves. Speckle wasn't, exactly, a war horse, but she had been Vivian's loyal mount in and out of combat since her first days as an Airman Skyrider in Rynmere. The horse was still fairly young, but she was beginning to show the strain Vivian had put her through. When her cousin got back in town, Vivian was considering putting the mare out to pasture, at least for a bit.

"But yeah, it's not often we get sent out on patrol in the Stormlands, is it girl?" she said, the mare whickering in response. Speckle wasn't intelligent, far from it, but Vivian had a tendency to talk the horse when she was alone and Speckle dutifully responded to make it sound like she was listening. "But Jonas and Tara are sick, so we've got to tag in for them. It's only day, and you need the exercise, you're starting to get a little tubby." she said, poking her horse in the stomach. Speckle whinied and went back to grazing on the grass by the gate, while Vivian looked back at the city.

She had gotten the assignment to head out to the Stormlands when she had reported in that morning, and had been told she would be accompanied by a Thunder Priestess. Vivian hadn't interacted as much with the sister branch of Ilaren's followers, but she was excited to be working with one of the sisters. She had gotten used to her new plate armor as well, and she looked down at the burnished steel, smiling as the lightning crackled across it. To any enemy of Rharne, she'd probably look a bit of a nightmare, though an experienced foe wouldn't be intimidated. Looking back up at the city, Vivian figured her companion would arrive soon, it was a good break into the day now.

[Lynessa]

It had been quite some time since she was assigned to patrol outside of the city. Her duties mostly made her stick to the city or Caervalle, or another nation entirely. Still, with all the madness going out inside and outside Rharne, there was need to improve their security and this was how her seniors planned to do it. And so, the young priestess set out for the gates of the city clad in her leather armor and daggers strapped on her waist and thighs.

Lynessa rode rather awkwardly on the unfamiliar, chestnut steed. While the priestess had been taught how to ride, she couldn’t claim that she was amazing at it. Not to mention, lately she had been training on how to right a Zephyrus rather than a horse, and the two weren’t exactly similar. Usually, she could really on Leth to take care of the riding while she just sat behind him. The priestess was now gently trying to guide the mount down the winding roads of Rharne.

Since it was a routine patrol, Lynessa had opted to bring Naera along. The violet-eyed Zephyrus had nearly exploded in excitement once they were traveling down the streets and tried to leap off from the horse, nearly giving her a heart attack. Knowing the cub wouldn’t give up, Lynessa decided to let her down and allow her to run along the horse. Fortunately, it was early in the morning and there was minimal traffic, only a few people milling along the streets.

There. She spotted the figure of a woman clad in armor. She looked down to make sure Naera was still following. The female kitten was inspecting a pot of flowers, curious about something. “Naera, let’s go.” She clicked her tongue to catch the Zephyrus’s attention.

Lynessa couldn’t remember the last time she was paired with a knight other than Leth. But, he was supposed to deal with his responsibilities by dealing with a bunch of squires and training them. Not that she minded the change. It was good for her to acquire friends and acquaintances from her fellow order.

She urge the horse to trot over to where the female knight was standing. The woman looked elegant, with pale skin and dark hair, yet there was also something stern about the way she carried herself. “I am Sister Lynessa, I take it you’re Vivian?” She glanced at the rising sun. “I am late, aren’t I?”

[Vivian Shiryu]

When someone spoke up, asking if she was late, Vivian turned to the priestess and smiled. "Not at all. I'm early, I think." she said, grasping Speck's saddle and hauling herself up into the seat. Once she was seated, she looked back at the animal following her companion. "Nice cat." she said, her tone cheerful. "I'm Vivian." she said, holding out one hand in greeting. Once introductions were made, she pointed her horse to the northwest. "We're to cover the north-westerly part of the Stormlands today, is my understanding. Shouldn't be any trouble, there's been no reports of bandits or such out there." she said, nudging Pakse forward.

It took them roughly a break to get to where they were meant to be patrolling that day, but it was an easy enough ride. Most of the patrol was quiet as well, as the day turned to afternoon. As the afternoon went on though, the clouds started to gather overhead. "Looks like rain." Vivian said, looking up at the sky. Then, she heard the chatter of distant voices, coming from a direction where she wasn't aware of any farm or civilian community. Honestly, they were pretty well into the woods at this point. "Stay wary." she said, before she nudged Speck forward towards the sounds. She figured them for a good 15 bit ride away, but sound carried funny in the woods, and it had evidently muted them, as they came across the source of the voices in no more than 4 bits.

What they found was a shoddy, poorly made camp with about 20 worn down, ragged looking people in dirty, tattered clothing, plus a few small children and infants. They were clearly tired and hungry, but she could practically taste the fear on these people. "So then," she said, taking off her helmet. "Who are you people?" she asked, noting that there was not a weapon among them. There was, however, recognition in the face of one of the men when he stepped forward.

"Lady Warrick?" he asked, and Vivian scowled.

"Shiryu. Vivian Shiryu. And I'm no lady. If you know of me, you know I'm no longer Rynmere nobility, and good riddance to it." she said, her tone firm.

The man blanched, but after a moment, he seemed to steel himself and decide to continue. "We're refugees, from Rynmere. Some of us...we're mages, we heard Rharne didn't persecute mages just for being what they are, so we fled. We were followed though, we've been running ever since. We...we're on the ragged edge though. We're afraid we won't make it to the city. You...you fought against the crown before the rest of realized how cruel they were. Would...would you help us now?" he asked, his tone cautious, afraid of rejection.

Vivian, for her part, sighed, then laughed and shrugged. "Still can't get away from old troubles." she said quietly, shaking her head to herself before looking at the man. "Well, you're in luck. I'm a Lightning Knight of Rharne and my companion is a Thunder Priestess. We'll see you make it to the city. Not going to let you get persecuted on Rharnian soil." she said, dismounting her horse. Looking at Lynessa, she spread her hands. "These people aren't going to be able to move in any sort of hurry. Let's see if we can help anyone who's sick or injured, figure out a plan while we're at it, yeah?" she said, before looking back at the man who had stepped forward. "Who needs help the most?" she asked, her tone gentle.

[Lynessa]

“Sounds good,” Lynessa replied with a grin, running her fingers through her hair as she looked at the other woman. The Lightning Knight seemed prepared, clad in good gear. She must be one of the more experienced knights. “Would be a pain to encounter some trouble this early in the morning.”

Naera, who was at least the size of a common panther, approached the knight’s steed, looking at it with intensity. She always had a tendency to study things closely, be in it other people or other animals or even objects. Determining that the horse wasn’t a threat, the Zephyrus purred cheerfully and returned to Lynessa’s side. The priestess gestured at her feline companion. “This is Naera, she’s my Zephyrus. She can be a handful sometimes so I hope you don’t mind.” As if the Zephyrus could understand, Naera looked at her accusingly – which made her laugh.

Their patrol started quite uneventful. They didn’t talk much, a slight awkwardness of strangers hanging in the air between them. As they rode, Naera would occasionally wander alone into the nearby woods before returning, unable to stay still and simply follow their trail.

But then, Lynessa heard the noises that took Vivian’s attention. People, it was definitely the sound of people. There were no settlements around this area and so the priestess’s wariness instantly increased. It wasn’t uncommon to find bandit encampments hidden in the woods. It was what she expected to find, to be honest.

It turned out that she was wrong. It was a makeshift camp, filled with a ragtag group with dirt covering every part of them and a haunted look in their eyes. These people was definitely surprised to be discovered, completely unprepared. She could see men and women scrambling to their feet, wondering if they should defend themselves. Lynessa dismounted and followed Vivian’s lead, watching the people for any signs of a threat.

Lynessa blinked in surprise as the man greeted the woman as Lady Warrick. As a warrior priestess, part of her training was to learn about other nations and since Rynmere was right next door, the priestess had some knowledge about it. Warrick was a noble house in Rynmere and Vivian was instantly recognized as one of them? It was certainly an interesting fact she needed to remember.

“Well, you're in luck. I'm a Lightning Knight of Rharne and my companion is a Thunder Priestess. We'll see you make it to the city. Not going to let you get persecuted on Rharnian soil.”

The priestess nodded and turned to the refugees. They all looked at her with a bit of fear and distrust. Not that she could blame them – they probably had gone through some rough times. Everyone had heard of the mage persecution and burnings in Rynmere. “You’re not in Rynmere anymore and no one is getting hurt under on our soil.”

“Who needs help the most?” the former noble asked.

An older woman with snow white hair and hardened eyes stood to answer Vivian. Beside her, a young man was lying on a makeshift bed, wrapped in bloodied bandages and shivering. “My son. He hurt himself trying to protect the group just a few trials ago.”

Lynessa tilted her head slightly. “A few trials ago? Some is still hunting you?”

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian laughed at Lynessa's comment about early morning trouble, then watched as Pakse and Naera met each other. Despite the predatory nature of the panther sized cat, Pakse just have it a sleepy look, then ignored her. Pakse was a pretty calm mare, rarely getting excited over anything. In truth, part of the reason she wasn't a great combat mount was because she didn't get all that excited for combat either. "She's beautiful." Vivian said, commenting on the cat, before they started their patrol.

When they found the refugees, Vivian was glad to find that Lynessa shared her views on them, but when it came to light that they might still be pursued, Vivian looked at the man who had stepped forward. "Someone is chasing us. We thought it might be The Order of The Mantis," he started, before pausing at a somewhat blank look from Vivian at the name. "The mage hunters in Rynmere. We thought they were following us, even this far. But...it doesn't seem like it. I think it's just peasants, because they aren't very good at following us." he said, grimacing slightly. Vivian shook her head at the news.

"Great. Enthusiastic amateurs that want to burn their own neighbors at the stake." she said, before her expression set into one that anyone who had spent time around soldiers would recognize. Vivian was prepared for a fight now, she was ready to kill to defend these people. "Doesn't matter. They're still a threat, and you lot are under Rharnian protection now." she said, as an idea began to turn in the back of her mind, a glimmer of a possible threat on the horizon. Looking back at the man as, hopefully, Lynessa was treating the injured boy, Vivian spoke again. "You stepped forward when we arrived, so far we're concerned, you're in charge. If you have food, get these people fed. As soon as we're able, we need to get moving. You're protected now, so we'll take the road again. It's the fastest way to safety, and we'll make sure you and yours aren't harmed." she said, and the man nodded.

Vivian went back to Speck as the refuges got moving, as it turned out they did have food, just not very much, and pulled out a map of the Stormlands. "Not much between here and the city. About two breaks to get back." she said, under her breath. After a moment, she walked over to Lynessa, both to help with medical work if she could, but also to talk. "Once we get back on the road, it'll be about two breaks for us to get back to Rharne. These wanna-be mage hunters are going to have a go at us on the way, unless they're completely incompetent. I'll be able to stay behind to fight them, but what will you do? These people don't know the area, very well, after all. I wouldn't blame you if you chose to stay with them and act as their guide." she said, her tone intent.

[Lynessa]

As Vivian was talking to the man, the priestess knelt down beside the injured man. While Lynessa was not a healer, she had seen enough battle wounds to know that he would not survive without professional help soon. There was nothing much she could do, but she helped the mother reapply his bandages and making sure they were snug. “Give him some alcohol, that would dull the pain,” she advised, seeing the man wince from the slightest movements.

Slowly, Lynessa stood and scanned the ragtag group surrounding her. They were in a bad shape and it would take a while for them to reach the main city. She could hear Vivian taking charge and instructing a man to starting feeding his people and getting. The people began murmuring among themselves, both hopeful and doubtful.

“We will get you safely into the city,” the priestess assured firmly as Vivian approached her. While not everyone would be happy that they brought in a random group of foreigners, she knew the priestesses would at least be interested. They hadn’t heard all that much about the mage hysteria in Rynmere. The information some of this people have might be invaluable. “We just need to move fast.”

“I can show them the way if they needed,” Lynessa said with a nod at the knight’s words. While the city was visible on the horizon, it would probably faster with her guiding them through well-used paths. “Guard the rear at least, I doubt we would be moving fast enough.”

Pressing her lips together, her mind whirled to come with a plan. She had no idea of Vivian’s capabilities – this was the first time they met after all. “Will you be alright though? We are still talking about a group of people. Taking all of them all at once alone probably isn’t the best of ideas.”

[Vivian Shiryu]

Vivian nodded at Lynessa's comment about guarding the rear. "Yeah. If we can get them on the main road, you''ll be able to guide them while playing rear guard. I'll keep their attention on me as best I can, but odds are, a few will slip by me. I can only fight so many people at once." she said, before smiling at the question of her capabilities. "Untrained, angry peasants are something I can handle. Rynmere isn't like Rharne, the people there aren't fighters, not by nature. They are...born and raised to be subservient. Peasants serve the nobility, the nobility serves the kind, and the king serves himself. From birth, peasants are raised to believe that they have no power to change this, and many of the nobility support it. The ones who didn't are either dead, exiled, or afraid." she said, her tone quiet.

The man who was in charge had approached while she was speaking and nodded at her assessment. "You are not wrong, dame Shiryu." he said, carefully not using her old name. "Our people are not only not taught to fight, we are taught not to fight. The nobility claims to protect us, that we do not have to worry because they watch over us. For a long time, I believed it, like so many others here. But the moment one of us steps out of line, or does something that might give us power, they turn on us." he said, before looking sadly at Vivian. "The only nobles who recognized the truth and cared to change things are as she said, dead or exiled or afraid." he said, before straightening himself. "My people are ready to move. We're slow, and our mages are not skilled in combative magics, so I'm afraid we rely on you for protection, barring myself and a few others strong enough to try and fight." he said, his tone showing he was ready for whatever came next.

Vivian nodded at him and worked a krick in her neck before she spoke. "Sister Lynessa will lead your people to the road, then provide a rear guard while you head for either the city or the nearest fortification. I will stay behind and deal with your pursuers. Rynmere's peasants do not know tactics or combat, so I'm not likely to run into much trouble, just a lot of anger and stupidity." she said, before she headed over to her horse as everyone made ready to leave. Vivian nodded at Lynessa as they led the group back to the main road, then stood her horse in the middle of the path as they started on their way. When Lynessa was about to leave, she looked at the priestess. "If you pass a fortification, get some of them to help you guard the peasants. If they can send someone my way as well, I would appreciate it. I'm not expecting any trouble, but we'll have to see." she said, before Lynessa left with the refugees.

A break passed before anything happened, and Vivian was beginning to worry she had been outflanked when a band of Rynmere peasants, who were in better condition than the refugees, stumbled out of the brush carrying crude weapons and torches. All six of them were mounted on ragged horses that had seen better days, and looked to have been stolen on top of that. One of them smirked when he saw Vivian and tried to nudge his horse forward. His lack of horsemanship showed, however, and he struggled for a bit before he got the horse to move forward a step. "Ho there, fellow knight! We are representatives of the illustrious Order of Mantis. We seek a band of criminal mages who have fled to this land. You will assist us in their capture." his tone attempting the arrogant superiority of the worst of the nobility. Unfortunately, he was clearly not practiced and sounded more like a whining child.

Vivian sighed and shook her head. "You're Rynmere peasantry, in no position to make demand of a Lightning Knight of Rharne. You've also clearly got little in the way of skill with those horses you're riding, and if they aren't stolen, then I'd be surprised." she said, her tone cold as she drew her sword, the crimson blade glinting in the fading sun, a sharp contrast to the blue bolts of electricity that crackled across her armor and shield. "This is Rharnian territory, and the refugees you're planning on murdering are under Rharne's protection. Turn back now, lest I be forced to teach you just how far from knighthood you rabble really are." Vivian said, nudging Speck forward effortlessly.

The six peasants were clearly taken aback to be so easily found out, but after a moment, they all started trying to push their horses into a charge. Vivian sat and watched them for a minute before they finally pulled into a charge. Being honest, she could have, rather easily killed all six of them by now, but she was trying to avoid their deaths. They were so inept that it would have been murder to do it, and she was trying to avoid that. Lynessa wouldn't have a problem, so Vivian let three of the faster, for lack of a better word, peasants get past her so she could focus on the other three.

The three she let get by whooped in triumph, clearly unaware of what they were in for if they managed to catch Lynessa, while the other three decided to just try and fight Vivian. One of them charged at her, and Vivian raised her shield and charged back, knocking him clean out of his saddle with the defensive instrument. Another, with a bow so crudely constructed that Vivian doubted it even could fire, attempted to put an arrow to his bow. Vivian just gathered lightning in her hand and threw it at him, knocking him out of the saddle with the bolt. The third, now the only one conscious do the impacts of the other two, looked at her a moment and threw his weapon the ground, raising his hands in surrender. "Congratulations, you're the only one of your band with a brain. Get off that horse." she said, her tone commanding.

The peasant nodded and slid to the ground while Vivian pulled out some rope and threw it at him. "Bind your companions hands, then wake them up. I'll bind yours when I get these horses unsaddled." she said, sliding out of her own saddle. The peasant nodded and got to the job, although he was clumsy at it. The horses, meanwhile, turned out to have been saddled and bridled for several days, looking at their condition. Vivian sighed and looked towards Rharne. She was going to be busy here for a bit, it seemed.

[Lynessa]

As soon as the refugees had packed up everything they could carry, Lynessa turned to Vivian once again. She nodded at her instructions, wondering if the people of Rynmere were mad enough to chase them once they got closer to the main city. It would still take a couple of more breaks of walking before they could reach the outer walls of Rharne, especially considering that some were injured and others were the elderly.

“Good luck,” the priestess said firmly as she turned to face the ragtag group in front of me. She hoped that leaving the knight alone would not prove to be a mistake. Still, getting these people into the city should be a priority. Once they were in, there would be hardly any need for them to worry. “Alright, everyone follow me. Once we get to the path, we should be good.”

Lynessa climbed onto her horse and started moving towards the head of the group and gestured at them to tag along. Her Zephyrus swiftly slinked through her side, taking in the strangers behind them before keeping her pace with Lynessa’s. The priestess looked down at the feline and an understanding seemed to past between them. Naera made sure not to leave her side, abandoning her habit of exploring alone.

It didn’t take long until they reached a worn path used by knights to patrol. Lynessa instructed the man who had come forward earlier to just keeping going down the dirt road – it would eventually lead them to Rharne. “Anyone who has a weapon and can fight, come with me,” the priestess called out as guided her horse to the back of the group. Let the weakest of the group lead, determine the pace so no one got left behind.

Their journey went along smoothly for the first break or so. While she was concerned about the fate of the knight she left behind, something told her Vivian was a lot more capable than her and there was very little to worry about. Still, the young woman could not help occasionally stopping and glancing back to see if the other woman would soon catch up or for the Rynmere mob to find them.

The priestess almost believed that they would be able to get to Rharne without any hitch until Naera returned from a quick run to see the roads behind them. The Zephyrus snarled in warning as she intercepted Lynessa’s horse.

With a sigh, the young woman slid down from her saddle. There was no telling how many people would come and she certainly couldn’t protect all of them should the men caught up to them. The refugees immediately noticed and paused. “Sister Lynessa, is something wrong?”

“Just continue down the road,” she said simply, her voice hard and not allowing any questions. They seemed to understand what it meant and nodded gratefully at her. “Should you see anyone clad in armor with a blue cloak, tell them about everything.”

As she heard the ragtag group continuing behind her, Lynessa kept her gaze on the road in front of her. She gestured at Naera to hide between the bushes after scratching her ear and whispering her plan to the feline. She didn’t expect the Zephyrus to truly understand, but it felt better to say it out loud, to make sure it wasn’t such a foolish one. Considering that she didn’t what she would be facing, it was better to possess some sort of surprise element. Vivian had said that these people were peasants, untrained in combat, and in such a case, it seemed unnecessary for her to unsheathe her blades. No, she only needed to give them a lesson – a harsh one at that.

The sound of hooves pounding against the dirt soon could be heard and she spotted three figures charging at her. Three men, each on their horses. If she had been an archer, she could pick them off one by one with no real trouble. But she was not. Lynessa was trained to fight in close combat, which meant she could only fight them once they’re off their horses. Which was precisely what she would make them do.

With each trill they came closer and closer but the priestess did not move the slightest bit as she stared them down. They must have thought her to be mad. It was only when they were about a stone’s throw away that she burst into action, she ran forward and called out to her feline, “Naera!”

The Zephyrus came out roaring at the charging steeds. She was definitely a sight to be acknowledged. She was at least as big as a panther and her fur glistened in blue and indigo. Her horn crackled with lightning as she turned towards them, ready to pounce.

All the three horses reared back in panic, throwing each of their riders of the saddles. It seemed like luck was on her side when one of the Rynmere men fell onto his head, passing out immediately. Now, she only needed to deal with the other two. Just like Vivian said, these were men unprepared for a fight, only their righteousness driving them forward.

Lynessa sprang towards them without any warning. Her eyes locked on the man with blonde hair who seemed to get his bearings somewhat quicker than his companion. Even when eyes widened at the sight of her, it was already too late. Her fist connected with the man’s jaw and before he could even sputter, the priestess had already dropped to the ground, her leg swiping at the man’s. As he fell to the ground, Lynessa turned her attention to the other one. Unfortunately, he already had the chance to pull out a small, rusted knife.

Here she thought that she might dispatch them quietly with no trouble. Of course, nothing was ever that easy.