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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 15:31:28 GMT -5
Aedan turned red but bit his tongue, feelings he had not experienced in years flooding back to him. He felt eighteen again, humiliated and angry.
"Are you going to let him speak to us like that, Uncle?" Esca asked, causing Drustan to turn around and shoot a glare.
"For God's sake, Esca!" Aedan shouted angrily, stunning the boy into silence "Shut up! You can think as little of me as you want, but I am the one who learned how to survive in chains. Sometimes being a man doesn't mean blowing up at every insult. Sometimes it's best to hold your tongue"
Esca growled "You might have given up, but I haven't, okay?"
Finally, Eoghann piped up "Your uncle is right, Esca. Getting angry does us no good"
-----------
Idelle followed Damianos inside.
"I know you're hurt. Look, I'm going to find out where they are. You can wait or come with me, I don't care. But I'm getting them back."
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 15:38:20 GMT -5
Morgan set a cold gaze upon the boy, and then on Aedan. Their incessant talking was swiftly starting to annoy the man. 'Gag them.' He ordered, and held his hand up as they moved to Eo. 'Leave the woman. Let her walk.' He looked away. 'Show her some respect.' He kicked the horse and continued to move, stretching his arms above his head.
---
Damianos swung on Idelle and released a vicious snarl. He hadn't exactly meant for it to sound so wild and dangerous, as what he had said was, 'no you are not!', but in wolf, it uh... sounded more like a threat. He snapped his jaws at her and limped to the doorway, standing in front of it. He wished he had the same connection to tell her what he was thinking, but he only had that with Aedan and Esca. It was making him more angry and frustrated. i need to heal. You're not going anywhere without me; damn this body, why can't I turn back?
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 15:45:30 GMT -5
Aedan shot an angry look at Esca as he was gagged, and the look was enough of a warning to stop Esca trying to fight the warriors gagging him. Thank god - he wanted to keep his nephew out of trouble.
Eo, however, was not amused.
"Hey, Morgan. To give respect you have to get respect. I have no respect for you, so don't pretend you have any for me. You laid a hand on my family, and I swear that if I wasn't carrying a baby your warriors would have a lot more than a few bruises"
---------
Idelle froze as he growled at her, and then simply sighed.
"Alright, well what do you suggest we do? We can't wait to long - they could very well kill them before we get there if we wait too long. And I can't let that happen, and I'm pretty sure you can't either. So, do you have any ideas?"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 15:54:27 GMT -5
Aedan shot an angry look at Esca as he was gagged, and the look was enough of a warning to stop Esca trying to fight the warriors gagging him. Thank god - he wanted to keep his nephew out of trouble. Eo, however, was not amused. "Hey, Morgan. To give respect you have to get respect. I have no respect for you, so don't pretend you have any for me. You laid a hand on my family, and I swear that if I wasn't carrying a baby your warriors would have a lot more than a few bruises" --------- Idelle froze as he growled at her, and then simply sighed. "Alright, well what do you suggest we do? We can't wait to long - they could very well kill them before we get there if we wait too long. And I can't let that happen, and I'm pretty sure you can't either. So, do you have any ideas?" Morgan looked at her calmly and swung his legs over the horse. He dropped down with a loud thud; he stood at least 6'9" tall and was largely built. This man was even larger than Damianos and Aquila. He approached, brushing dark black hair from even blacker eyes, and slowly leant down until their noses were almost touching. He placed a gloved hand over her stomach, and tilted his head. 'I don't tend to harm the women who come into my care.' He murmured, his bass voice a soft purr. A mountain lion playing nice. 'if you want it to stay this way so you can successfully carry this baby to term, I highly suggest you keep your mouth shut like your brother and the boy- or else this baby?' He smiled slightly and straightened. 'Will be arriving very prematurely.' He turned and moved back to his horse. --- Damianos looked at her blankly. speak wolf now, do you?He flicked his tail and yelped at the movement, sitting down and looking at her pleadingly to help sort out his back, or at least find someone who could do it for him.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 16:07:01 GMT -5
Eo went a furious red, trying to turn away from him, feeling very exposed now she couldn't protect her child. She had no way to protect herself now.
But soon they were walking again, though Aedan certainly looked angry about the encounter that had just taken place, blue eyes burning.
Drustan, who was walking and not on the horse - he had to get into the village without too much fuss and a horse would have caused way too much commotion - caught sight of this and approached Aedan, quickly flicking a piece of the man's hair back and revealing his clipped ear.
"Be careful, or you'll realise your worst fear of dying in chains. Don't forget your place."
Aedan looked away from the man, blond hair hiding his face.
"That's right." Drustan chuckled, walking back ahead to be alongside his brother.
They were almost there
-----
"What?" Idelle asked in response to his blank looks "You growled - I can take a hint. But I have no idea what you want, or what we should do. Maybe we could send the pack and the clan to rescue them? That would be very dangerous, though"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 16:14:00 GMT -5
((I'm loving this ahaha))
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 16:16:05 GMT -5
(Yaaas! I don't know why I love torturing charries so much...)
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 16:32:02 GMT -5
Morgan smiled down at him. 'Well done.' He said, praising him for the victory. 'You did well.' He gazed ahead and smiled as he saw their village come into view, and sped up the pace slightly. He couldn't wait to throw the three in with the countless other chiefs that they'd captured over the past week.
---
Damianos released an annoyed rumble, then jumped as a hand was placed on his back, and looked up at Nuellan. 'Let me patch you up; lie down.' Damianos sighed with relief and lay down, letting Nu tend to him. Aquila walked in, anger in his eyes but a calm expression on his face. His hair was starting to grey through. 'We'll go as a small group.' He grumbled. 'we'll wait for Damianos to heal up first- should only take till late tomorrow morning. That right, Dog?' Damianos nodded and looked at Idelle, pleading patience with his eyes.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 16:39:39 GMT -5
"Thank you," Drustan replied "Though these three seem to be more trouble they they're worth, in my opinion. Just can't seem to get them to mellow out"
Esca, in particular, seemed to get very high-spirited still, despite everything. After all, both his uncle and his aunt had been subjected to personal attacks and threats, whereas Esca had not. As a result, he still struggled every now and then, even as they approached the gates.
---------
Idelle bit her lip at the suggestion,and after a long time thinking she sighed and nodded "Fine. I understand how important it is to you that we go as a group, so I'll wait. But we're not waiting a moment longer than necessary. I can't lose Aedan and Eo again. I lived years thinking they were gone. And Esca....well...he's my son, isn't he? I don't need to explain that"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 17:07:03 GMT -5
Morgan chuckled low in his throat. 'Oh, they'll calm down.' He said, knowing the sight that awaited them wasnt pretty. They entered the village and led the three to a long house which served as a 'dungeon' or 'jail' of sorts. He hopped down and grabbed Esca roughly by the arm; his entire hand was the size of Esca's upper arm. He lifted him off his feet and shoved him harshly in front, before leading the way inside.
Inside, seven men and one women resided. The main were chained by their wrists to the wall, some in worse condition than others, appearing half-dead, beaten half to death. Others glared in silence as Morgan entered: but none glared with more hatred than the woman who sat at the very end. A collar of chains around her neck held her in place, her ankles and wrists chained as well. She was covered in blood and her hair was a flaming red, her eyes a very strange, bright violet colour. Her arms were tattooed with the symbols of the morrigan. She bared her teeth at Morgan as he approached and pushed Esca to his knees, chaining him to the wall. He chained Aedan beside her, and Eo beside Aedan- providing Eo with a fur for comfort- and then slowly knelt before the redhead, placing two fingers beneath her chin to tilt up her head. 'Have you made your decision yet, love?' He murmured. The hatred in her eyes burned as brightly as her hair, and she silently spat at his cheek. He smiled and stood, wiping it away. 'You'll come around, Brígh.' He looked at Aedan and Eo. 'Behave yourselves.' He purred, before leaving and closing the doors, leaving the chiefs to their own ends. The normal bustle of a village carried on outside, as though ignorant to the suffering of the people within.
Brígh snarled under her breath and strained suddenly against her chains, releasing a soft choked noise before leaning back against the wall, coughing. 'Damned... stupid...' she hissed.
--- Damianos gave Idelle a furious expression, feeling as though she was thinking less of him for not rushing straight into another fight. His life had come to a standstill the first time he'd lost Aedan; he'd struggled to get through the days, even with the help of Aquila and Nuellan; and now he'd lost him again, just as they had reached their peace and progressed in their relationship, and his world hadn't just stopped- it had crashed and burned. He snarled deep in his throat and made Nuellan jump slightly.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 17:21:12 GMT -5
Eo had shied away as much as possible when he approached, and she didn't move until the man had left.
Aedan, still silenced, moved as close to her as he could, hoping to give the pregnant woman some warmth from his body. Too cold and she might miscarry the child.
Eo had finally got closed enough to reached the end of the material gagging him, undoing the gag and leaving Aedan with a relieved look on his face as she reached to do the same for Esca.
Eo curled herself as much as possible around her stomach, trying to keep it as warm as possible.
"Don't let yourself get too stressed, Eo, or you risk the baby" Aedan whispered "Remember, he won't hurt you unless I try anything"
"Shut up," Eo said, her voice clipped, low and terribly angry "You don't know anything about this. Don't you dare tell me not to be stressed"
After a moment of silence, Eo turned to the woman.
"Brígh, was it? I'm Eo. Are you alright?" she asked gently,trying to be of some comfort
-------------
Idelle sighed at the angry look "Look, I don't blame you for anything. I want your help, too. I can't do this on my own. I'm just angry and upset, that's all. It's just the frustration that we can't help them immediately. But I don't blame you for that"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 17:34:09 GMT -5
Brígh looked over at Eo and took in her appearance. 'Whatever you ask for, he'll give it to you.' She blandly said. 'If you're cold, ask for furs. If you're hungry, as for extra food.' She looked away. 'And I'm fine, lass.' She glared ferociously at the doors. 'I'm going to gut him once I get out of here.' She shook her body to warm up a little, the bone necklace around her neck rattling against the collar, bone belt and bracelets doing the same. She examined Esca with worry in her eyes. 'Make sure you tell him that one is under the age of ten.' She then said, 'or he'll be taking him out to train for his own warriors. He's got my two boys out there.' She turned and stared at the door again, releasing a shaky breath.
---
Damianos released a huffy sigh and gazed at her, the red in his eyes fading to their chocolate brown. He sadly looked away from her, flicking an ear as Nuellan finished stabilising his legs. Aquila lifted him and pulled him onto Aedan's furs, and Damianos released a low whine at the scent of his lover. Aquila sadly stepped away and looked at Eo. 'We need to reconessiance when we get there; ensure we're not throwing ourselves to death.'
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 17:49:13 GMT -5
Eo nodded and turned to Esca "Hear that, Esca? From now on, you're not twelve, you're nine, okay? Please try and pass for nine. Your mother will kill me herself if I let any harm come to you."
Esca swallowed, but nodded. He knew she was right.
Then she turned to Aedan "And you, keep your damn mouth shut, got that? My priority is the boy, you can look after yourself, but so help me god if you get in trouble and put him in danger"
"Hey!" Aedan replied "I know how to take care of myself. Did you forget this, huh?" Aedan made a point of showing his clipped ear "this ear means I am very good at keeping my mouth shut"
Eo laughed bitterly and pointed out his scars "Evidently not good enough. You let your anger get the better of you"
Aedan sighed, looking away "Stop pretending you know what I went through, Eo"
"I'm sorry"
------
Idelle nodded "Okay. We'll do that. I mean, we can do a recce now while Damianos gets better and formulate a plan"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 18:03:44 GMT -5
'Will you shut up, woman.' Brígh snapped, her whining getting on her nerves. She looked away, closing her eyes and murmuring under her breath, before opening them. Her eyes rolled back to show the whites, and her body slumped hard, lifeless, against the wall. A nervous shudder seemed to pass around the room, and one of the chiefs shuffled where he was sat. 'Spirit walker.' He mumbled in the direction of Aedan.
---
Nuellan nodded and beckoned to Idelle. 'Come, us two will track them, find the village and gauge their defences, then come straight back.' He headed out after pressing a firm kiss to Aquila's lips. The Roman sat beside Damianos to watch them go, sighing softly.
Nuellan glanced up at a strangely coloured raven that landed on the roundhouse roof, and shot them a beady-eyed glare. He shuddered and led the way with Idelle, hoping the bird was not a bad sign.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 18:10:51 GMT -5
Aedan, Eo and Esca had all froze at what happened, watching as the woman's body slumped against the wall. Esca tried to move closer to his aunt and uncle, clearly afraid. He had certainly never seen anything quite like this happen.
A spirit walker. So that was what she was.
-----
Idelle nodded and followed Nuellan. She too caught sight of the raven and ducked in her breath, eyes glinting with fear. Was it a bad sign?
But he didn't have time to worry about this, so she just followed Nuellan.
"I hope they're alright. They had better not hurt them"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 18:31:45 GMT -5
Brígh remained in this state for twenty minutes, before sucking in a sharp breath, her eyes rolling back down. She squeezed them shut, panting gently. 'damnit, Wolf, hurry up already.' She growled, before promptly slumping forwards unconscious.
'That's normal too,' the same chief added awkwardly. 'Names Alister.' He offered Aedan a small smile.
---
In these twenty minutes, Nuellan and Idelle had progressed far enough to find the village, and Nuellan crouched in cover as he examined it cautiously. 'Huge.' He breathed. 'That's almost as big as my old home....' He chewed his bottom lip. 'Plenty of defences, too...'
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 18:41:21 GMT -5
Aedan's eyes widened at the mention of a wolf, and he turned to Alister distractedly "Uh, hi. I'm Aedan. The girl's my sister, Eo, and the boy's my nephew, Esca. Uh, do you know how long she'll be unconscious for? I want to ask her some questions. I know the wolf she's talking about. He's a friend, and he's been talking about a raven watching him for a while"
---------
Idelle nodded silently, scanning the area "It won't be easy to get in at all. We either need to go for a tiny group for stealth or a huge one for power"
Then her eyes focused on a large building "I bet that's where they're keeping them. God, my son's in there, right now"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 18:47:17 GMT -5
'That'll be her- the Raven's her pet. Well, she calls it a familiar.' He shuddered again. 'She'll be out for about an hour, I'd say- maybe longer. Takes a lot out of you... whole soul-leaving-your-body malarkey.' The chief gave him a half-hearted grin, then a tiredness washed over him and he sighed, lowering his head. 'Make yourself comfortable, kid. I've been here a long time.'
---
'We'll get them back, Idelle. My brother-in-arms is in there.' A fierce protective look was on his face, unusual for Nuellan to show any kind of emotional attachment. 'Let's go for stealth this time. And maybe the wolves can distract the village whilst we move in. Alright... let's head back.'
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 18:55:38 GMT -5
"A long time?" Aedan asked,swallowing "How long, exactly, if you don't mind my asking?"
He looked at Esca for a moment. If they were here for too long, it would soon become very obvious indeed that Esca was not, in fact, nine. It would be possible to pretend for a short time. But long term? It wouldn't work at all.
---------
Idelle looked at him as they turned back "Huh. I've never heard you show affection to anyone except Aquila before. Don't worry, we'll get them back. And in the meantime, I can't think of anyone more capable of taking care of himself than Aedan. He'll be just fine. Especially with Eo to yell at him. She'll keep him in check, I have no doubt in my mind about that"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 19:01:53 GMT -5
'Three months.' Alister replied, smiling at him wearily. 'I'm the longest one here.' He leant back against the wall and stretched his legs out in front of them, the bones cracking slightly as he did. 'Don't worry too much. Just don't get on Morgan's nerves and you'll be fine. Haven't really spoken much to his younger brother though.' He curiously said. 'Morgan's mostly here for the woman.' He nodded at the unconscious Brígh.
---
Nuellan blushed awkwardly and looked away. 'Don't get used to it.' He mumbled, making his way back to the village. 'Let's hurry home and get some rest before the morning; we'll need it.'
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 19:08:34 GMT -5
"Okay," Aedan let out a breath "We can do that. Three months...wait...three months?"
Realisation dawned on his face as he looked at Eo's stomach.
"She's due in less than a month. What about the baby?"
Be was too wrapped up in this realisation to think about the information about Brígh. That would be something he would ask her about later
----
Idelle silently nodded as they headed back, watching the sun begin to set. Tomorrow would be a big day indeed, if all went to plan
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 19:10:59 GMT -5
Alister shook his head. 'I can't help you there, friend.' He said sympathetically. 'I suppose all we can do is cross our fingers and hope Morgan has the same morals with the bairns that he does with our women.' --- ((Do you want to skip to morning? ))
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 19:15:24 GMT -5
Aedan nodded but swallowed, casting a protective glance over a sleeping Eo and Esca before falling asleep himself, a blackness engulfing him
(Sure!)
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 19:21:48 GMT -5
The next morning, Damianos woke as the sun was slowly reaching its highest peak. He slowly got to his feet, releasing a quiet grumble at the ache in his back and legs, and stretched them out- a few satisfying cracks later, the aches had mostly faded, and he looked towards his small group who were waiting for him. He nodded at them. 'Alright; we're going to sneak around the village and find our way in, and Nuellan is going to try and break into that large house- meanwhile, the Lykos will distract the soldiers from the front entrance so that they won't notice us.' Aquila said. Damianos nodded, liking the plan, and moved out to inform his pack. Soon they were ready to go, and the wolves milled around at the entrance waiting for the stealth-group.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 19:31:38 GMT -5
Aedan woke up before Esca or Eo, and as he sat, adjusting his chains for some more comfort, he took a moment to appreciate them. After all, there was no telling what was going to happen over the course of whatever time they spent here. There was nothing he could do except savour the moments of peace he and his family would be getting.
----
Idelle was ready, gathering with the others. On a belt she had Aedan's sword, which had been discarded by the warriors capturing him the day before. It would be useful getting in and Aedan may need it as they escaped.
She hadn't fought since she got pregnant with Esca, when she was twenty. But she would do it again now to save those she loved so much.
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 19:37:52 GMT -5
Brígh was awake, staring intently at the door with a deep frown on her face, her lips moving in deep concentration. She shuddered and spirit-walked, transferring her soul quickly to her Familiar, who took off and followed the group as they finally headed out to the enemy village. She soared higher and began to- once again- examine the village and all of its weaknesses, before she dove down and pecked at Damianos' ear.
--- They had been walking for a while now, the pack surrounding the stealth group to keep them safe from any harm that might come to them. Damianos yelped as the raven pecked his ear, and looked up with alarm. He watched it circle and caw at him with annoyance, before fly ahead and circle back, as if asking him to follow. He looked back at the others, then decided to trust his intuition and follow the raven with the strange, yet familiar, aura. He situated the pack at the front. 'Wait for me to signal.'he warned, then led the way ahead for the stealth group, Aquila holding Nuellan's hand as they walked. Brígh watched with panic and urgency in her heart. So close- so close to freedom. He'd get them out- he, The only other demigod she knew other than herself; not even of the same pantheon; but holding strength greater than her own. He'd break her chains and set her free.
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 19:45:59 GMT -5
Aedan watched as the woman spirit-walked. Going to see Damianos?
Then he heard the unmistakable cawing of a raven. Brígh's raven. Was Damianos that close? Was he coming to set them free?
He kept his gaze outside, to watch. He tried to stand but his chains kept him on his knees. He would just have to wait
----
Idelle silently unsheathed her sword as she followed Damianos and the others, eyes alert as they followed the raven. She wasn't sure why Damianos was following it, but she trusted him. She had to. He was her only shot at freeing her family.
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 19:51:30 GMT -5
Brígh landed on a part of the fence she'd discovered was faulty; she'd observed wild dogs and foxes coming through it to steal chickens. She pecked insistently on the wood to show him. Damianos looked at it curiously, smelling the ground where a ditch had been dug by feral animals. He leaned down and dug in his huge paws, dragging mud away to create an even bigger hole so they could all fit beneath the fence. The raven watched, hopping from leg to leg impatiently. It kept a curious eye on Idelle, admiring her strong demeanour.
---
Morgan stretched as he paused from polishing his sword, glancing over at Drustan. 'Which clan are we hitting next?' He inquired, always one to ask his brothers advice and opinions before deciding on anything. 'We've taken over a majority of the area for now, but we should keep expanding.'
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Post by ƤαƖƖαѕ ✧ on Jan 1, 2017 19:59:49 GMT -5
Idelle wordlessly climbed underneath first. She had already made it clear she was prepared to take any risks first, and this was the first one. As soon as she was under she moved behind a bush for cover while the others made their way through.
She could see the huge roundhouse now, and she yearned to go inside and free her son. But that was all up to Nuellan. She was just cover.
-----
"I think the Selgovae next," Drustan replied "But they're big. We may have to spend time gathering more resources from the slave's tribe before we can make anything of it. Do you know anything about the kid, then? Is he old enough to join the warriors? He looked old enough to me, and when we captured him we removed both a sword and bow from him. He already has some experience with weapons. He could be a club keep recruit if we can just break his spirit"
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Post by Bloodrose on Jan 1, 2017 20:07:17 GMT -5
Idelle wordlessly climbed underneath first. She had already made it clear she was prepared to take any risks first, and this was the first one. As soon as she was under she moved behind a bush for cover while the others made their way through. She could see the huge roundhouse now, and she yearned to go inside and free her son. But that was all up to Nuellan. She was just cover. ----- "I think the Selgovae next," Drustan replied "But they're big. We may have to spend time gathering more resources from the slave's tribe before we can make anything of it. Do you know anything about the kid, then? Is he old enough to join the warriors? He looked old enough to me, and when we captured him we removed both a sword and bow from him. He already has some experience with weapons. He could be a club keep recruit if we can just break his spirit" Damianos ensured they were all hidden, then he tipped back his head and released a quick, quiet howl which would carry to the pack. Almost immediately they released a loud chorus of howls in return, and he heard the gates to the village smash open as they rushed inside and went straight for the livestock as real wolves might, killing chickens and chasing cows. He watched the warriors panic and rush away from their stations, the area they were in going quiet. Nuellan stood and silently left cover, moving over to the large house. He circled it, then moved to the doors and strained against them, shoving them open. He slipped inside and pushed the doors closed, and breathed out softly. 'Hi.' He whispered. He moved over to Aedan, Eo and Esca, and crouched. 'Me and Aquila are going to make a second distraction and try and draw the brothers away from this area.' He murmured. 'Damianos will come break the chains.' He glanced up at the large group, and winced, realising this was going to be a larger-scale rescue than thought. 'Sit tight and get ready to run for it.' He swiftly left and ran back to the stealth group, crouching down to confirm Aedan was in there. 'Alright- let's go.' Aquila sighed, looking at Damianos. 'Good luck, brother. See you at home.' Damianos glared and headbutted him, then watched the old gladiators leave to create even more havoc and start fighting the warriors. He looked to Idelle, then jumped as the raven cawed at him and flew over to the house, watching him urgently.
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