Three Tasks --- &RPaward

[Ashlee]

Ely edit 26 Jul 2021:

1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.

Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: o

Total: 2 qps

*****************************************

This was a long time coming (new job got me all distracted!!!) Thank you to all who participated! It was a great honor to have you all there for this!

They rode forth from the Malkier Gate, traveling two abreast, under the cover of darkness. Many had come at her request, to strike forth in the heart of the Blight to recover that which had been stolen from the Shienaran Lancers.

Ashlee al’Aldian, daughter of the fallen nation of Malkier and Cavalrywoman of the Shienaran Lancers, rode forth at the head of a column that snaked its way through the lightly forested terrain of the Borderlands. She shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably, the familiar weight of her armor provided no comfort this day. It was rare for Lord Agelmar to take a direct hand in directing skirmishes north of the Blightborder. But he had called, and she answered. As would any Borderwoman. As would any Lancer.

She turned her body, looking over her right shoulder at those who rose with her. The sun was setting on the horizon, and already a dark chill was creeping through the forested land. Her column rode two abreast, and only the sound of horse hooves broke the silence. Her shocking blue eyes fell upon Zerroth first, the man’s eyes standing starkly against the coming darkness like molten gold fresh from the smelter. Past Zerroth rode Siegward, sitting straight on his warhorse with an ease born of all Kandori men in the saddle. Behind were two women, one young and the other with the ageless face of an Aes Sedai; Jubilee, an Accepted of the Tower, and Firimei Sedai of the White Ajah. Following closely behind them were two Gaidin, almost lazily astride their steeds. But no one, after one look at Kendall or Marshall Gaidin, would believe the men to be anything but dangerous. They were like springs coiled almost to the breaking point, ready to snap into violence with a moment’s notice. Bringing up the rear were Ranga Ellis’era Traofann, Tactician of the Legion of Unity with his piercing blue eyes, Gandred of the Borderlands, and Vaako Somnium, a Warder in training so Ashlee understood.

She turned back in her saddle, frowning. Beside her, Lady Shaista Gaidin narrowed her eyes. “Are you well?”

Ashlee nodded her head slowly, trying to find the right words, “It has been some time since a party of this size rode so deep into the Blight. I am uneasy.”

The other woman nodded in understanding, “Duty is heavier than a mountain.”

“Death lighter than a feather,” Ashlee responded before falling quiet. They moved deeper into the Blight without further conversation. Beyond the next few bends would be Shayol Ghul, and the towering fortress of Thakan’dar. Even after her many years of serving in the Shienaran Lancers, there was an unease to standing so close to the Dark One’s domain. Blood and bloody ashes, get a hold of yourself.

Ashlee looked down to where Zerroth was walking and nodded. The man nodded in response, slipping into the darkness as if he too wore one of the Warder’s color-shifting cloaks. They were close, but the approach would be treacherous without a guide or lanterns. It was too dangerous to make any light. Their task was difficult enough without bringing a fist of trollocs down on their heads. But Zerroth could see as well in the dark as she could on a cloudless day. Ashlee raised a gauntleted fist and the travelers stopped. She dismounted in a fluid motion, and the rest followed suit.

She turned to them keeping the faceplate of her helm up so she could speak in a hushed whisper, “Zerroth will mark the path for us, but we are not too far. Remember, we cannot dally long. The alarm will be raised almost as soon as we strike.” The men and women nodded, each loosening weapons in their respective sheaths. Ashlee locked eyes with Firimei and Jubilee, “Aes Sedai, Accepted, Marshall Gaidin will cover your retreat should the tides turn.” Jubilee nodded, but Firimei merely inclined her head, as if her thoughts were already far away.

Ashlee turned back to the direction Zerroth had taken, sliding her greatsword from its harness and gripping the shaft tightly. She kept her eyes downward, looking for the markings left by Zerroth. Shaista kept Ashlee from tumbling into a crevasse as she walked. They walked slowly, creeping across the blasted lands for several hundred feet before they rounded a small hill. Below them, a large complex squatted like a beached whale. Dull orange glowed from the windows and from around a large iron door. Movement to her left announced Zerroth’s silent return. She looked over her shoulder one last time, nodding to each of her compatriots before making her way to the irondoor. As her party spread out around the door, Ashlee took several deep breaths, slowing her pounding heart. Tai’shar Malkier, she thought. She opened her eyes and nodded. Ranga threw his shoulder into the irondoor, which opened open for but a moment before the man disappeared inside and the sound of steel on steel rang out. Siegward and Zerroth followed quickly behind, then Ashlee was through the door and met, almost immediately, by a towering trolloc.

Ashlee ducked below the beast’s horizontal swing, momentum pushing her forward. She swung her sword in a backward motion, severing the trolloc’s calf muscles and dropping it to its knees. She didn’t have time to finish her downward stroke before Shaista took the beast’s head. Ranga and Gandred traded blows with tall figures that looked as if they were carved from dark stone. Vaako stepped forward to protect Shaista’s flank, spearing a trolloc in the neck that had come to close to his Master. Ashlee had but a moment to take in her surroundings that, oddly enough, closely mirrored the Fal Dara forge. It was toward the back that she spied her mark, a tainted forger looking like a man of earth. He held a gray sword that he had just finished shaping with his bare hands. To one side was a kneeling man, no doubt a Borderman kidnapped in a raid on the Blightborder. The shadowsmith took a step forward, burying the sword in the prisoner’s chest. A crackling sound like grease on a hot frying pan rang out as the prisoner’s soul gave the sword its final tempering.

The shadowsmith took a step forward but was halted as a ball of crimson fire shot over Ashlee’s shoulder and slammed into the creature. The creature looked at its chest, as if curious, before moving forward again. Ashlee strode forward toward the creature, a pathway carved clear for the two of them by her comrades. Thakan’dar steel met her sword with a strength that shocked Ashlee, throwing her off balance. She was barely able to duck below the creature’s next attack, pivoting on her heels to give her space to regroup. The shadowsmith lumbered forward, brining that gray blade in for a low slash. Ashlee jumped over it, kicking out with her right foot. She smashed the creature in the chest, causing it to stumble momentarily. Ashlee landed in a crouch, allowing the creature’s next slash pass over her head. She came up and lunged again, but the creature snapped its wrist and slammed the pommel into Ashlee’s forehead. She spun away, bleeding from above her brow and seeing stars.

The creature’s next attack was intercepted by Zerroth, who caught the blade on his own and diverted it. Ashlee blinked her eyes, trying to clear the haze from them. She readjusted her grip just as a pair of trollocs diverted Zerroth’s attention. Ashlee threw herself at the shadowsmith and the two locked blades. They struck, parried, riposted, and parted quickly, trading blows so fast that the swords whistled in the air.
Behind them, the humans fought valiantly. Siegward and Ranga fought back to back, leaving a circle of death around them that the trollocs hesitated before entering. Jubilee and Firimei threw balls of fire and crackling white-lightning while Marshall dispatched with surgical precision any Shadowspawn brave enough to come close to his charges. Gandred fought two trollocs at once, dancing between them with the grace of a dancer and the deadliness of a viper. Shaista and Vaako cut down the trollocs harassing Zerroth, and the three pressed forward, back toward where Ashlee and the shadowsmith dueled.

The creature lunged forward, the point of his sword slicing a thin line of steel from Ashlee’s breastplate as she turned to the side. With both hands wrapped around the jagged edged warsword’s hilt, she brought the blade around and down, biting deeply into the creature’s side. The blade moved easily through flesh until it struck bone, driving the beast to its knees. Ashlee tried to whip her blade out and deliver the final blow, but she was too slow. The shadowmith struck with a backhanded slap that drove Ashlee to the ground as if she were kicked by a horse. But the shadowsmith didn’t have time to capitalize. Shaista, Vaako, and Zerroth descended on the creature, taking turns burying their blades in its flesh until it was nothing more than a twitching mass of flesh and blood.

Shaista walked to where Ashlee was laying and extended a hand. Ashlee accepted it thankfully, hauling herself to her feet. She looked around the large forge, counting silently. No casualties. The Creator smiled upon them this day. She wiped her blade clean and sheathed it. She kneeled, searching the corpse. When she found the folded scrap of parchment she was looking for, she slid it into her belt pouch. She drew a wicked dagger and slowly, methodically, sawed the creature’s head free of its body. She stood, hoisting the severed head in the air and smiled broadly. The first task was complete.

* * *

The Ogier were a pleasant group, giving the battle-weary soldiers food and water and respite. Ashlee, though, had no time for such things. She spoke in hushed tones with the Treesinger, pointing to the parchment she had taken from the shadowsmith. The Treesinger nodded, pointing to a mound of freshly moved earth below a towering tree. Ashlee followed the elder Ogier to the tree and the two of them dug into the earth, moving with an alacrity that belied the bone-weariness sinking into her body. But when her fingers touch fabric, a smile broke out across her face. The second task was complete.

* * *

Ashlee al’Aldian, daughter of the fallen nation of Malkier and Cavalrywoman of the Shienaran Lancers, stood in the annex to Lord Agelmar’s chambers, waiting patiently for her Lord to receive her. It was a room as purpose-made as the rest of Fal Dara fortress, with arrow slitsalong the walls and a heavy bar for the thick iron door. A table and a few chairs are the only furnishings except for two racks containing weapons and armor. Even here in the heart of the keep weapons and armor are ready to be donned at any moment. It was not long before Lord Agelmar, the ruler of Fal Dara, entered the room. Ashlee pressed her fist to her heart, bowing at the waist, saluting. Lord Agelmar responded by knuckling his forehead.

“Peace favor your sword, Lord Agelmar,” she said in a voice that sounded much calmer than she felt.

Lord Agelmar responded coolly, “And yours, Ashlee. You say you have something to report?”

Ashlee nodded, “I do, my Lord. With the galliant efforts of many members of the Light, we rode north and slew the shadowsmith, his apprentices, and many trollocs. We recovered this banner, hidden in the stedding among the ogier”

Ashlee removed a roll of fine fabric from a bag slung across her back. She unfurled it, revealing a black swooping hawk on a field of three blue and two white horizontal stripes. The Banner of Fal Dara Keep.

Lord Agelmar nodded, “Indeed. So that is what they stole from our vaults. May I see it?” Ashlee dutifully handed the banner to Lord Agelmar.
"Yes. Yes.” He paused for a moment before handing the banner back to Ashlee. “This banner would do better being carried by a Lancer into battle to strike fear into the Shadowspawn.”

Ashlee smiled proudly, taking the banner in her hands as if it were a Power-wrought blade, cradling it tenderly in her arms.
Lord Agelmar says 'You have done well Ashlee, I would like to promote you to the position of Lieutenant in the Shienaran Lancers. Your fight against the Shadow shows a true master.” Lord Agelmar cleared his throat, his voice booming in the antechamber, “All congratulate the latest master of the Shienaran Lancers, Ashlee.”

Ashlee felt her face break out into a wide smile, a rush of pride filling her as she looked out at her compatriots, who fought valiantly and selflessly in the Blight. She nodded to them, silent thanks for their support. She turned back to Lord Agelmar, who looked at her with an uncharacteristic smile on his face. “By your leave, my Lord. The Watch is not yet done, and the Blightborder still teems with Shadowspawn." Lord Agelmar nodded his head and Lady Ashlee al'Aldian, daughter of the fallen nation of Malkier, Lieutenant of the Shienaran Lancers strode out into the night. The third task was yet to come.

[isabel]

Ashlee, many many congratulations and so well-deserved! I am thrilled for you and Lancers. And this is so wonderfully written - Enjoyed reading it and actually got the chills

Tai'shar Malkier!

[Firimei Lang]

Wonderfully wrote!

It was a pleasure to be part of it Lady Ashlee!

[Atlan]

Nicely written, congratualtions, and sorry I missed it!

[Jubilee]

Great read, enjoyed it!
Congratulations!