"I hope you find them again." As Kemen says this, they round a hill and before them is a mist-shrouded castle of dark stone.
"We are here," says Alpida.
OOC: It's just what I get for making so many characters.
Thank you. As do I. *Fawn pauses for a moment to behold the ominous structure before them before catching up with the group*
OOC: Lol.
Alpida waves to the soldier on the wall, and he raises the gate to let them in. "Tell Garal I have returned with six applicants." As the soldier scurries off, Alpida leads them into a courtyard lined on two sides with practice equipment.
Thank you. As do I. *Fawn pauses for a moment to behold the ominous structure before them before catching up with the group*
OOC: Lol.
Alpida waves to the soldier on the wall, and he raises the gate to let them in. "Tell Garal I have returned with six applicants." As the soldier scurries off, Alpida leads them into a courtyard lined on two sides with practice equipment.
After a few minutes, they are joined by two men. The first is young, with close-cropped hair dyed the same jet black as Alpida's and wearing the same outfit as Alpida. He is carrying a plain-carved wooden chair. The second is older, with the same hairstyle framing a face marked with half a dozen scars. He wears a similar outfit, but the pants are cut short and tied off just above what would be his knees if he still possessed the lower halves of his legs. He moves with the aid of a wooden staff under each arm, swinging one then the other to imitate walking. The first man sets the chair down and the second sits.
The first man steps forward. "Welcome back, Alpida." He looks at Fawn and the others. "I was told six, but there are seven here."
Alpida nods. "Fawn will not be staying. After the others are settled in, I will be taking her to talk to an old friend."
The man appears about to say something, but stops himself. "Very well." He turns to Kemen and the others. "I am Garal, captain of the Shadow Guard. Behind me is Bakar. He outlived two previous sets of Shadow Guards before he was forced into retirement. He will be in charge of your training. If some of you pass the tests and actually become Shadow Guard, you will report to me. Until then, Bakar is in charge of all of you. Whatever he says, you will do, without hesitation. The job of a Shadow Guard is not to question, it is to obey and to serve. If necessary, it is to be smashed. Any of you who object to that will leave now." No one says anything. "Very well. Bakar, begin their training." Garal walks away.
Alpida waves to the soldier on the wall, and he raises the gate to let them in. "Tell Garal I have returned with six applicants." As the soldier scurries off, Alpida leads them into a courtyard lined on two sides with practice equipment.
After a few minutes, they are joined by two men. The first is young, with close-cropped hair dyed the same jet black as Alpida's and wearing the same outfit as Alpida. He is carrying a plain-carved wooden chair. The second is older, with the same hairstyle framing a face marked with half a dozen scars. He wears a similar outfit, but the pants are cut short and tied off just above what would be his knees if he still possessed the lower halves of his legs. He moves with the aid of a wooden staff under each arm, swinging one then the other to imitate walking. The first man sets the chair down and the second sits.
The first man steps forward. "Welcome back, Alpida." He looks at Fawn and the others. "I was told six, but there are seven here."
Alpida nods. "Fawn will not be staying. After the others are settled in, I will be taking her to talk to an old friend."
The man appears about to say something, but stops himself. "Very well." He turns to Kemen and the others. "I am Garal, captain of the Shadow Guard. Behind me is Bakar. He outlived two previous sets of Shadow Guards before he was forced into retirement. He will be in charge of your training. If some of you pass the tests and actually become Shadow Guard, you will report to me. Until then, Bakar is in charge of all of you. Whatever he says, you will do, without hesitation. The job of a Shadow Guard is not to question, it is to obey and to serve. If necessary, it is to be smashed. Any of you who object to that will leave now." No one says anything. "Very well. Bakar, begin their training." Garal walks away.
After a few minutes, they are joined by two men. The first is young, with close-cropped hair dyed the same jet black as Alpida's and wearing the same outfit as Alpida. He is carrying a plain-carved wooden chair. The second is older, with the same hairstyle framing a face marked with half a dozen scars. He wears a similar outfit, but the pants are cut short and tied off just above what would be his knees if he still possessed the lower halves of his legs. He moves with the aid of a wooden staff under each arm, swinging one then the other to imitate walking. The first man sets the chair down and the second sits.
The first man steps forward. "Welcome back, Alpida." He looks at Fawn and the others. "I was told six, but there are seven here."
Alpida nods. "Fawn will not be staying. After the others are settled in, I will be taking her to talk to an old friend."
The man appears about to say something, but stops himself. "Very well." He turns to Kemen and the others. "I am Garal, captain of the Shadow Guard. Behind me is Bakar. He outlived two previous sets of Shadow Guards before he was forced into retirement. He will be in charge of your training. If some of you pass the tests and actually become Shadow Guard, you will report to me. Until then, Bakar is in charge of all of you. Whatever he says, you will do, without hesitation. The job of a Shadow Guard is not to question, it is to obey and to serve. If necessary, it is to be smashed. Any of you who object to that will leave now." No one says anything. "Very well. Bakar, begin their training." Garal walks away.
Sanfor stumbles upon the group of trainees, his ankle taken care of.
He sees a scarred man missing the bottom halves of his legs, someone he vaguely remembers seeing swinging his way around the castle on two crutches, shouting orders at six other people. They are a tall, blonde man whose lazy smirk is only matched by that of the bow-carrying man beside him, an older man with a weathered farmer's face, a woman with sad eyes, a very large man, and a very small man.
