Topic: The Muster

Murelle GreyMantle

Date: 2014-01-18 18:43 EST
Dressing carefully, Murelle braided her hair into one long braid down her back. This would keep her hair from getting caught on undergrowth. She had donned leather pants with a long leather tunic, both with an earthy brown color so to blend in with the ground as much as possible. Her blaster was hung on a belt around her small waist. Then she pulls on ankle high boots. She made sure the talisman was secure.

Digging about in her wardrobe she pulls out a smudge stick, an alabaster shell, an eagle's tail feather as well as an ancient pipe along with a small bag of tobacco. She takes Gwyn's hand and leads her to the common room where Miles sits waiting for Mure. She speaks as she packs a little tobacco into the pipe and lights the sage stick, then blows the sage stick to stop the flame and a pungent smoke wafted up toward the ceiling.

"Ok Miles, I'm going to ask for a blessing from my ancestors."

Mure laid the smoldering sage stick in the alabaster shell, waved the smoke around Miles, Gwyn and herself. Setting the shell on floor near the fireplace, she fills the pipe and using a stick lit by the fire, she puffed it to life. She faced north and starts to chant.

"O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise my pipe to you. To your messengers the four winds!"

She turns toward the east, the south, the west and back to north, each time holding the pipe upward. She continues;

"Mother Earth who provides for your children. Protect us Mother as we face this un-named evil."

Murelle took a puff on the pipe and hands the pipe to Miles.

"Just a puff."

Her friend does so and hands the pipe back. Murelle turns around the four directions thanking her ancestors. Then cleaning out her pipe and extinguishes the smudge stick.

Squatting down to Gwyn she looks at the young girl in the face than embraces her.

"I will be home soon."

Murelle saw tears well up in her daughter's eyes, she kisses her on the cheek. "I love you."

Murelle stands and takes the plasma blaster that laid on the table and slings it across her back. Looking at Miles she says;

"Let's do this."

QueenTeleperien

Date: 2014-01-31 20:00 EST
Teleperien did not sleep that night. She could not, elves generally don't need much rest, but rest would not come until her task was finished.

She takes up her harp, it being in the likeness of Galadriel's own harp, she runs her fingers once across the strings. A gift, among others she brought from Valinor upon her return from the blessed realm. Carved from mallorn, it's reinforcements around the string holes and the tuning pegs are made from mother-of-pearl, and the column, neck and body of the harp are decorated with filigree inlay wrought from ithildin, which mirrors only starlight and moonlight. In the daylight, the harp would seem drab and unadorned, but the night would bring out its true beauty " the harp's body would glisten like water under the moon, and the finely wrought plant ornaments would seem to move like water weeds under a clear surface. She played song after song, tunes she had already known as well as those she learned from Galadriel. The music took a life of its own, images danced to the tunes of images, both moving and heavenly. Her final song, Tele gave homage to Elbereth.

~A! Elbereth Gilthoniel! Silivren penna miriel O menel aglar elenath, Gilthoniel, A! Elbereth!~

Setting the harp down, she stands and crosses the room to her desk. Sitting, she opens a leather covered book. Taking up her pen, dipping the tip in the ink-well she writes:

"As the rightful ruler of Eldicor, face a foe I have little knowledge of. I go in the grace and the protection of the Valor, yet should I be stricken down in this endeavor, the rightful ruler will be my daughter, Erwyn. I do not see my doom in this battle, yet not all is known. I have full confidence in those who ride to war with me. It will be a test to my ability to lead in battle, to act as the queen of this realm of Eldicor.?

A light catches the corner of her eye. Turning her head, Tele looks out the window. It is dawn. A soft knock on the door confirms it.

It is time.

Xenograg

Date: 2014-02-11 00:17 EST
The muster of the army is well underway. Xenograg has only the three hands of Rellugai and some local men hired as porters, and so finishes relatively quickly. He walks around the fields and baileys, informally inspecting things. Despite having seen it before years ago, he marvels at the Eldicorean war gear. Every warrior, whether Elf or Man, has arms and armor of superb quality. The high value placed upon each individual life is implicit in the expense shown.

Xenograg's movements are not aimless. He passes within view of the bailey's dais several times throughout the morning. Each time, he notes which members of the "war council" are present. Finally, he sees enough of them to put his plan into action. He approaches and steps onto the dais. Teleperien, Gwindor, Alderon, and Borin stand in discussion around a saw-horse table. Teleperien sees Xenograg first, and welcomes him in.

"Xeno, join us."

"Thank you, Majesty."

"I have seen you checking the muster," she says with a smile.

"Making myself useful," he replies, but she knows him too well.

"We are grateful. Do you have any recommendations, General?" she asks. Xenograg does not have to look to see High Captain Gwindor's face become an unsmiling mask.

"I have a proposal, Majesty. With your permission?" Teleperien nods her assent, and Xenograg turns directly to the high captain. "Gwindor, I recognize the...irregularity of my position here. I am an ally of Her Majesty, here by choice, but have brought little more than a bodyguard. That is offset by my singular experience, both martial and magical. I have given thought to how best employ that experience in this endeavor."

"I can find our enemies, My Lord, with a sense beyond sight or hearing. I will find them—large or small, few or many—through wood or fog or night."

"Make me your chief of scouts, of reconnaissance. Let me find the path forward, avoiding obstacle and ambush."

Erwyn

Date: 2014-03-15 22:48 EST
Late in the afternoon the muster now completed, the company starts out the gates. Erwyn is riding next to Teleperien on her left and Amanda on her right. Amanda's parents Xenograg and Amaltea are to her right. On both ends one carries the banner of Eldicor and of the next to Xenograg. To Teleperien's left is Gwindor, High Captain of the Elven guard.

The streets are lined with villagers and those who could not join with the invasion due to age, infirmity or other reasons. Teleperien did not bar women, she knew that some were just as skilled as or more so than a man. Those who chose to stay behind were to care for children. Flowers were strewn on the street in front of them and calls of good will. Ranks of dwarves from Ravenswing, the marines along with Miles, Murelle, and Toby rode behind the ranks of elves and rangers. Horses had been made ready from surrounding farms as well those of the castle's own stables. The marines were a little uncomfortable on them, not used to such transportation.

Erwyn looks to her mother; who is looking straight ahead, obviously deep in thought. Then she looks to Amanda. Her friend returns her gaze, having her friend next to her steadies her nerves. Amanda is calming to Erwyn's high energy exuberance. She turns around on her mount to stare for a moment at the android that was floating next to the newcomer, Toby. Erwyn turns back whispering to Amanda.

"Did you see that...thing...near Lady GreyMantle?"

Amanda looks up, her brown eyes wide, nodding. "I wouldn't want to go against something like that."

Now outside the village, the company picks up pace, banners flapping in the wind. Erwyn's heart is pounding in both excitement and growing fear. This is the test of what she trained for. She did not take this fact lightly. The sun just dipped below the trees. The company stops at the signal of Gwindor. They are out of range of the spiders" aim where they stop. At once the company starts setting up for the night's vigil. The different groups tended to set up camp within their own race. The marines seemed amused by the elves, rangers and dwarves, along with a handful of hobbits. More out of curiosity Erwyn approaches them.

"Greetings! I am Erwyn, daughter of the queen. I welcome you. If you have any needs, please don't hesitate in asking."

A marine who seems to be in charge came forward. "Thank you. I'm Sergeant Lisa Cole. We pretty much carry our homes on our back. But thank you for your hospitality."

Erwyn didn't hurry away but watched with fascination as Miles and Lisa set up their own camp. She feels a tug at her elbow. It's Amanda.

"Your mother is calling for you.?

With a wave Erwyn turns away and hurries away with Amanda and toward the group huddled around a make-shift table. Teleperien senses her daughter and moves to allow her to watch and listen.