Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Aug 28, 2007 3:57:03 GMT -5
Arthur was becoming frustrated with this elf. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she wasn't going to be of any help to him, and fifty paces was nothing. If it was true then he would already be able to see the knight from where he was standing. She was obviously not telling the truth to him.
"If you will lead me to him, then I will pay you a silver coin. If you say he is only fifty paces away then it should hardly be out of your way at all."
Theres nothing to be gained from being here, he thought to himself. If she wasn't going to help he'd leave and search for himself. He was just wasted time now, time which his soldier was still out here in unknown territory...
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Post by ShadowMask on Aug 28, 2007 17:14:28 GMT -5
She frowned slightly. Maybe this was not such a fool as she had thought. He was not going to pay her till she did as she said she would. ShadowMask let out a defeated sigh. She never lied, but she did like to find ways around giving the answers people want...though this man did not appear to want to play her games. " "You are no fun." She said with a tone slightly mocking and child like at the same time. "Though I will lead you to your soilder...but it would be rude for me to do such with out giving a name first." Now her tone was all mocking as she gave an over exaggerated bow with her sly smile. "ShadowMask, thief, ranger, warrior, woods guide, and elf at your service."
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Aug 29, 2007 4:03:55 GMT -5
Arthur bowed, and with cold eyes noted the mockery in her voice. It she had of been a human, he would have shown her her place. But elves were different, and stubborn. He would tolerate it... for now.
"My thanks to you, elf ShadowMask. I am the High Lord Arthur de Montford, Lord Commander of the Mylithian Royal Guard." His title was more prestigious that hers, but less frightening to a peasant. "Now where is my man?"
ooc: Short post... sorry
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Post by ShadowMask on Aug 29, 2007 13:17:59 GMT -5
ShadowMask did not even seem phased by the high title, they really meant nothing to her...unless she was counting the amount of gold they had. "My you are an impatient one." She said with a smirk. "But follow me." ShadowMask abruptly turned and started walking confidently through the forest. She did not care to look back at Arthur, as if deciding that he was not a threat.
((thats allright, so is mine))
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Aug 30, 2007 2:09:25 GMT -5
"There would be no need for patience if you were of more ready assistance elf," he retorted back to the elf as she turned around and headed into the woods. He toyed with the pommel of his sword before coming to a decision. He pulled a horn out of his pouch and gave it a loud, short blast. He could hear faintly in the distance men suddenly moving in their camp. They wouldn't take long to get here. But in the meantime...
...Arthur took a step over the log and followed the elf into the woods, his hand resting on his sword just in case. And it was then that he wondered about the deer he had seen before. The elf had seemed fascinated by it, maybe it was more than a deer. But at least he would be able to get out of here and back to the fortress soon...
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Post by ShadowMask on Aug 30, 2007 19:18:58 GMT -5
As the keen ears of ShadowMask were suddenly blasted with the sharp blow of a horn she could not help but flinch. Slowly she turned and glared at him. She caught herself wondering if this had all been a scheme for the bounty on her head but shrugged the idea off. She doubted that a human would tell the truth when faced with such a question, but the faint sound of a near camp had caught her off guard and nearly made her want to ask. Not that most humans put up much of a fight.
She did not know why but her mind was suddenly on that strange deer. Realizing that there were more important things at hand she pushed the creature from her mind and focused on her task ShadowMask suddenly stopped and turned to face Arthur. "Fifty paces stop here." She crossed her arms and nodded to a steap ridge that desended behind her. "Your solider lay camped below that cliff not a step away and there is only one path down." Her eyes narrowed on him as she was unable to hold in the question that had bubbled inside her since he met with his solider. "I will tell you the way only if you answer one question. Why are you and your men in this forest?" Normally the matters of others were not a concern to her, but she had grown to like the forest she roamed.
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Aug 31, 2007 2:44:58 GMT -5
"Oh what an idiot," he sighed as he looked down the cliff face. It wasn't exceptionally far to the bottom, but it would kill a man if he tried to take the fast and easy route down. If there was a path down it shouldn't take more that twenty minutes.
"Well then my patrol will start to search for his camp. He wouldn't have gone too far I think." Arthur took a step back from the edge and waited for his soldiers to arrive when ShadowMask asked him her question. "We are here in search of one of our lost men. Why else would we be here?"
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Post by ShadowMask on Aug 31, 2007 15:40:46 GMT -5
ShadowMask gave a courious look. 'All these men to search for one?'Allthough ShadowMask was not acustomed to caring in any sort of way, she doubted this reason. Either way she bit her tounge to remain silent. It could be a lie, or he could be working around the question, but it was not her place to care. "Very well..." She also let out a sigh. "Not long from here there is a willow tree, its branches hide the way down." She pointed a direction. "The way is steep, I doubt anyone could make it down on horseback...or back up for that matter, unless you to the way about a day and a nights walk away." Normaly she would enjoyed watching a human go the wrong direction after she riddled with her words, but she would not lie and she said she would tell him the way.
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Sept 1, 2007 19:51:02 GMT -5
The Lord Commander eyed her curiosly. She had said, "... Idoubt anyone could make it down on horseback...or back up for that matter," and now he wondered whether that meant a horse couldn;t make it back up, or if it meant you couldn't get back up full stop. "When you say I couldn't get back up, do you mean I couldn't make it up on horseback, or not at all?"
This was a lot of trouble to go to for just one soldier, and usually Arthur wouldn't have mattered about them. A casualty of war. But the soldier had seen some things and been a witness to events which Arthur needed to know about. He wasn't after the man, he was after the soldier's information. It had nothing to do with the elves though, and he wondered why this elf was being so difficult... or maybe that was just how she was.
"Why do you wear that mask?" The Lord Commander asked suddenly. He had hardly even thought about the question, it just sort of slipped out...
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Post by ShadowMask on Sept 1, 2007 20:57:14 GMT -5
ShadowMask frowned. He had seen through her tricks again. She forced the smile back on her lips and laughed lightly. "For your first question, a horse would not be much help againced the beast that lives there. The creature knows that those who go down will have to come back up so it waits." ShadowMask had hid her surpise when he had asked the last question and kept the forced smile onto her face. "This? Oh it simply hides the person I once was." 'And the moster that is hidden within.' She added to herself.
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Sept 2, 2007 1:12:53 GMT -5
"A beast?" Arthur looked down over the cliff and then back up at the masked elf. "Are you serious!? What kind of beast? Is my soldier even still alive?" He could hear his men approaching through the woods. They certainly weren't going about it quietly, although they probably had no thought about needing to be stealthy. But now The Lord Commander heard every step they took and cringed slightly at the noise.
He looked into the eye holes of the mask, and he could see her real eyes through them, but they betrayed no emotion. "Listen ShadowMask, I need to get that soldier out. If he's in danger or if he's been hurt than that goal is even more prudent. I need to know what you know. Please no more riddles or half-truths. This man's life could be at stake." He waited for her to answer, the thought about her mask pushed to the back of his mind for now...
ooc: I really like your new signature banner
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Post by ShadowMask on Sept 2, 2007 13:45:56 GMT -5
ShadowMask let out a defeated sigh. This man was very serious, his need very great. "The beast lives in a cave and resembles something of a wolf, but is much larger and has spikes covering the back that act like amour to blades and arrow. I have no name for it for I am the only one I know of who can make it past alive."'And if it were not for my other side I would surly have died with the rest.' She added to herself. The creature still from time to time tried to take her life after she had ventured down from the cliff side but it learned to be weary of her magic. "And yes." She said with a grin. "He is still alive. It is not nearly as fun to take a meal from a dead man." ShadowMask tilted her head slightly. "You owe me payment, but how more would be added if, for some strange reason, I decided to help you?" She was having great trouble staying put as so many more men were drawing near. ((Thank you I thought my old one was a bit too big))
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Sept 3, 2007 6:02:16 GMT -5
Arthur reached a hand into his purse hanging from his belt. He fastened is fingers around a large coin and flicked the piece of gold towards ShadowMask. It was by far better than the silver he had promised her. "There is more where that came from as well."
He subconsciously realised that he had just shown a thief where he was hiding his money, so he tied the fastenings tighter around the pouch and pulled them around to the front so he could keep track of them.
"How can one man make my life so damn difficult," The Lord Commander swore to himself. "Alright then ShadowMask. If you help me I will throw in five more pieces, plus supplies to last you for another fortnight. Our patrols always take out more than we need in case the worst should happen."
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Post by ShadowMask on Sept 3, 2007 12:28:41 GMT -5
As soon as ShadowMask had caught the coin she was checking to see if it were a fake. She had been tricked before but as she turned it over in her hand ShadowMask knew it as true. "Alright then." She flipped the coin down her sleeve. "We have ourselves a deal!" ShadowMask walked backwards towards the ledge. "Un-less that is, you do something so incredibly stupid that I will have no chance of saving you...do your self a favor and don't." She disappeared over the ledge with a jump and a sly smile. Happy that this day did not turn out to be a bore ShadowMask landed on a thin path and started to make her way down without waiting for Arthur. The path was hardly wide enough for a human but unless someone lost their footing a person had nothing to fear in making it to the bottom.
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Lord Commander De Montford
Men
Lord Commander of the Royal Guard[M:5600]
Because your heart is open. You hold nothing back
Posts: 157
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Post by Lord Commander De Montford on Sept 4, 2007 2:59:52 GMT -5
Arthur decided to dismiss her last comment and attack on his skill. He let that last bit sink into his memory for later. The Lord Commander turned around as four of his men came out of the bush behind them just as the elf jumped over the small ledge.
"Whats happened sir?" The sergeant asked. "Have you found him?"
"Yes. He's just down this cliff face," de Montford replied. "An elf is showing us the way. Follow me." The soldiers were noticably a little surprised at that, but they followed without a word other then a, "Yes sir."
Arthur jumped over the small ledge and landed on the small track, holding a hand up to the next man. "Watch you step here. I'd prefer it that you didn't take the short route down. And keep your eyes peeled. I've heard there is a large wolf here."
He helped down one man and started sidling down the ledge, one hand warily placed on his hilt, the other running along the rocky wall, with roots and dirt lodged hard in it. "Right behind you ShadowMask," He said, following after her back...
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