Sand in the Fist

Shoreline

''A jetty of blunt black stones stretches out into the river from this rocky strand of soil along the murky green edge of the river. The shore slopes gently upward as it leads away from the waterline. A broad prairie expanse can be seen beyond the ridge of the shoreline''.

Standing on one of the many large stones that seep their way into the river is a single woman, nothing really out of the ordinary, excluding the mask of shadows that curls its way around her features, hiding them from view. Her eyes are closed, and indeed, as time progresses, the shadows seem to grow darker, more potent than before.

The sound of twelve steps on the ground at a time begins to enter the area from the south. However, there are certainly no twelve people entering the area, nor are all these steps possessing an equal sound. Eight of the steps belong to shoed horses, one looking stronger than the other but both in good shape, and indeed, good horses. The other four are made by hobnailed boots, which are exceptionally adept at gripping the wet, rough ground near the river bank. So it is that Lucius Nepos and Hugo Wheat both walk along the shoreline in panopoly, leading their horses but otherwise looking vigilant. Perhaps the threat of Wildlings is still fresh in their minds, but they don't relax upon seeing a figure near the bank. Nepos leans in to whisper something to Wheat, who nods.

The steps don't make too much noise in the shoreline, but just enough that it draws the attention of a pair of eyes - eyes that flicker with a stirring of power. The mask wavers for a moment, slipping back down into translucency long enough to reveal pale skin before resolidifying into what it was before. She makes no movement, just watching both men.

"Hail, citizen. Identify yourself." Lucius stops, hand grasping vertically the second strap of his shield which is slipped over his palm. He is still too far to see who exactly it is, though a curious eyebrow raises up at the sight of the clothing. It looks.. familiar. Wheat, for his part, taps his fingers against his more standard tower shield.

"Hail, citizen. Identify yourself." Lucius stops, hand grasping vertically the second strap of his shield which is slipped over his palm. He is still too far to see who exactly it is, though a curious eyebrow raises up at the sight of the pants. It looks.. familiar. Wheat, for his part, taps his fingers against his more standard tower shield.

"Move along, Lightpraiser," the voice says simply, blue eyes focusing on Lucius with, surprisingly, a touch of pity. "Tonight is not your night to die."

Lucius Nepos knows that voice. His expression tightens in a not so sublte manner, his shield raising reflexively. Wheat follows in a similar manner. "And you, you praise the Shadow then? Truly, it is you deserving of pity, for those who are misguided enough to praise a force which gives them power at the expense of mental corruption are truly the object of shame."

Gale lifts a brow and gives a deep chuckle, turning fully to stare at both Lucius and Hugo. "Who is to say what causes corrption and shame," she replies. "Reina Seamel was corrupted, her mind twisted by what you Fastheldians all insist on worshipping. Why Light over Shadow? A zealot is a zealot, no matter what they claim to worship. I do know for a fact, however, that the Seamel worshipped power, not your supposed goodness. She was twisted, and had the cruelty of the Church, along with the stupidity."

"Perhaps. But she obeyed the law. The law is sacred, and so is the Light. The Shadow builds nothing. The Light has built both Crown's Refuge and Light's Reach, as well as healed many without destroying around it. The Shadow is unrestricted power at the expense of others. That is corruption. That is evil. You, Shadow worshipper, follow NO law but your own." Lucius growls in response, shoulders lowering in a cascade of metal. Wheat is at guard and begins to move away to the side, holding his shield out still. "Touched roam the Empire without being Lessened. You on the other hand deserve nothing but that fate."

Gale shakes her head, "You do not have the strength or power to take me and keep me long enough for Lessening," she replies. "Far too many of my brethren have been lost to such a fate, and many of your own kind. Believe me, Lightpraiser, your Light is no better or worse than the Shadow to which I worship and owe my allegiance to." A small frown twists her lips downward, "I have told Taran I would not kill innocents, so move along now, and you will be able to return to your loved ones."

Lucius Nepos bellows with laughter, though it is short lived. "I'm so glad you told Taran that. We disbanded the Church for the reason that they were tyrants. Show your face then, let's see if you're unmarked - if you are then Lessening is the sentence you rightfully deserve, but may not get. I will not be ordered by you, for I am a servant of the Empire, and the Light, which makes me superior to you in all but madness and magic power. Show your face, coward." Wheat continues to creep off to the side, circling around very slowly.

Gale points a finger in Hugo's direction, shaking her head. "He takes another step, he'll be regreting it." A smile curves her lips. "I am unmarked, and will continue to stay that way. Why should I be forced to reveal my nature to those who would just insist on destroying me to begin with? We have a right to keep our secrets."

"No, you do not. You live in the Empire at the discretion of the Prince of the Blood, who made this legislation to protect you. The Watch protects those who are Marked. It is irrelevant, in any case, for you have broken Imperial Law now, and one of the highest of them, which is murdering a citizen. You are no citizen now, if you ever were, and you will be killed for your efforts. If you harm Master Wheat over there your fate will not be very pleasant." All the same, Hugo does stop, though his sword is out, poking over his shield. He leans in a little bit. Nepos, for his part doesn't move from his ready position.

"We all die, Lightpraiser, so why not make life better for those like me?" Gale replies. "You are unTouched. You can walk through the streets without fear or worry of being murdered for what you are. You could never understand what it is we feel. It would be worse for those Marked, especially when bitches like Reina Seamel and her husband walk among us."

"Ah yes. And if Reina Seamel took action, then she is no longer a citizen either. It's that simple. I do make life better for those Touched with the mark. Imperial Law is that they are citizens and protected citizens. If someone breaks the law then they are criminals. You have broken the law. Reina Seamel had not broken the law. This makes you a criminal. Cry about your poor predicament, you whore of the Shadow, I don't care. The only thing you deserve is annihilation, and the Light will deal with you swiftly enough in the afterlife." Lucius is at an impasse it seems, gritting his teeth.

"If I am no citizen of this realm, and just an interloper," Gale says, looking amused, her features hidden behind the carefully crafted shadow mask, "Then what use do I have for the laws brought down?" she inquires lightly. "I have never belonged to Fastheld, and once my work is done, then I will depart. It is as simple as that."

"I don't care if you have use for the laws. You are in this land, and therefore the laws apply for you. You selfish bitch, you do not make the rules here - the Empire does. They are ordained by the Light. Leave this realm now, right now, and we will never search for you again. If you do not, your safety is forfeit." Lucius says coldly.

Gale still doesn't seem the least bit worried, shifting to keep a closer eye on Hugo, "My safety and life were forfeit the day I discovered my Touch," she replies lightly. "So you trying to threaten me is nothing more than a less than subtle reminder of the future."

Atop Prestissimo, In the warm summer evening, hooves clopping on the dark stones, comes the form of one green-cloaked bard, lighting his mount's path by the strings of a lute. Finding company in this desolate locale, he halts his progress, watching the pair.

"If you'd have taken the Mark to prove your allegiance to the citizens of the Empire and Imperial Law then the only fear you would have had would be from zealots. As it stands, you make it worse for your Touched brethren, for now you stir the pot and convince those citizens who didn't like Touched already to perhaps take action." Lucius says. Hugo advances two paces and then stops.

"Why should we have to take a mark to prove allegiance?" Gale retorts, a flicker of anger appearing, along with a crackling at her fingertips. "We have existed within Fastheld for as long as the rest of you. Do not even attempt to understand the Shadow, or what it could possibly do to a person. It is /power/, just as the Light is power. There will be those corrupted by it on all sides."

"Because the Shadow caused the Cataclysm which ruined us all, and consigned our realm to wallow under curse for near seven hundred years. Now flee our realm, you foul bitch. I'm done arguing with you. Flee, flee now, flee or the Empire will come crashing down on you." Lucius's leading leg extends outward, planting itself.

Taran remains still on his mare, halted and watching...but he does draw his cloak's folds over the Lute's strings.

Gale lifts a brow, "And yet many of your stature in life have caused wars and strifes within this wall," she points out. "Yet the entire group is not judged based on the actions of a selected group. You choose instead to fear what you cannot know, and make no attempt to understand it." Her eyes narrow, fingers flexing slightly. A thin sheet of ice forms beneath Lucius' feet, not far spread, or everly slippery, but if movement is too abrupt, then he is most likely to fall.

That does it. "Suffer your own wrath then." Nepos creeps forward, aware of whats under him until he's out from it. Hugo, on the other hand, moves forward at a much quicker pace, hearing the signal from his comrade. He moves towards a position to subdue Gale, rather than kill her, though in his hands are a shield and sword and nothing else.

"I will not fight you, Lightpraiser," Gale says, her voice low with force. "So put an end to this." She moves out a bit further on her rock, attention shifting repeatedly from between Hugo and Lucius, though now her attention mostly turns to the one much more rapidly approaching.

"Good. Then we can apprehend you without any worry." Says Hugo, slowing down and moving until he's within breathing distance of Gale, if she lets him. The older man's gruff appearance and voice bear an air of irritatedness. His shield and sword remain up, defensively. Lucius moves forward until he's about two metres from Gale.

Gale chuckles quietly, "I will not fight you, but I will not let you take me, either," she replies, shaking her head as she moves a bit further back, keeping as much space between herself and her would be captors as possible.

"Then you sign your own bloody death warrant." Hugo says, impusively. "I've seen too many Shadow related deaths in my time." And with that, he lashes out at Gale with his bronze shortsword at the ready. Nepos is even taken surprise by this, eyes widening greatly.

About a milisecond before Hugo goes lunging at her with a sharp object, a realization flashes over Gale's expression and she makes a hasty retreat, but not quite fast enough for the veteran ex-Blade. The tip of his blade makes a shallow cut across her arm, and in this process, the Shadow mask which had been protecting her features, disappears, concentration broken. Even as she's in the process of rolling away from the big man with sword, she's gathering her strength, focusing on a teleport. Not far, But putting at least twenty feet between herself and her attackers.

Hugo is rather shocked as Gale is there one moment, and gone the next. So shocked, in fact, that he stumbles forward into the river, which is thankfully, for him, shallow at this area. He struggles to push himself out of the water, growling obseneties to himself. Lucius, on the other hand, is far enough that the teleportation, while sudden, doesn't knock his wits out too. He does take note of something intriguing, furroughing his brow. Not seeing her in front of him, he looks behind to note the long feminine figure now twenty feet off. His pivot complete, the man takes two running steps before chucking his steel spear at her.

Not a moment of rest for Gale. As soon as she's safely back in the real plane, she's tossing herself out of the way of a spear. Her luck is just barely with her, once again, the edge slicing through more of the fine silk of her tunic, and the pale whiteness of her skin, though the cut is very shallow. She rolls once and moves to return to her feet instead of offering a counter attack of any kind.

As the spear is hucked and misses Gale, the hedge-knight's second spear is withdrawn from the compartment at the back of his shield. This being his final ranged weapon, he takes careful aim and runs another two steps towards Gale before letting loose.

In the water, Hugo splashes about making a big commotion and yelling, finally pulling himself from the tide. Of course, it appears his dagger's sheath has come unattached and floats down the river. He jumps towards it to retrieve.

Gale is still in the process of pulling herself back to her feet when the second spear comes raining down on her, arcing, and then finding a new home in her left shoulder, cutting through her flesh. This drops her back down to her knees, letting out a small whimper in pain.

Lucius Nepos removes his sword from his scabbard, looking back to Hugo and catching sight of the two horses, which are standing placidly. "Make haste, comrade! I got her!" His voice and expression display no joy at the fact, merely grim determination. He begins to charge up the small hill towards where he saw Gale go down, his hobnailed boots making good headway into the soil. Wheat, finally, finds his dagger and sheath and sticks it back onto his belt, then begins to try and swim out of the river, thoroughly drenched. Lucky for him it's a warm late summer night.

Taran shakes his head, and withdraws a gemstone from a pouch in his pocket. This is thrown *straight up* into the late evening sky, as hard as he can throw it. And then the bard rides foward, revealing the light from his lute-strings. "Hola!" he calls. "What is all this splashing!"

Gale continues to clutch at her new wound, whimpering. The coldness returns to her gaze as she takes a grip of the shaft, pain etched around her features. Taran's voice catches her attention, along with the approaching Lucius, but she remains where she is, on her knees.

Hugo looks up at Taran, drenched as he pulls himself out of the river. He points towards the crest of the hill. "Light speed, Master!" Though he's been in Taran's presence before, he doesn't recognize him apparently. "My comrade's chasing a murderer and errant witch up that hill! C'mon, help us out!" Wheat takes off, though his speed is hampered by the fact that he's shedding water like it goes out of style. Lucius, for his part, continues to dart up the hill, sword in hand.

Taran looks skyward for a moment, sighs, and urges his mare toward the designated hill. "One can hardly go for a ride in the countryside any longer without running into trouble," he laments.

It takes a moment of concentration, but in the darkening light, for a moment it seems as though Gale disappears, but there is movement, and the spear hovers in air for a moment before dropping on down to the ground, the mage's blood still staining its tip.

As Nepos rounds the crest of the hill, he comes to a woman who is partly here and partly not. His eyes grow wide, but he feels not hesitation. Shield pulled in front of him, he lifts his sword and thrusts it into Gale's neck... only for it to go right through. "What sorcery is this?" Demands Lucius, in a futile manner. He turns back to Wheat. "Hugo! Get horsed and go find the Watch, or a Kissed!" Turning back his eyes flare with hatred. "Was my spear a bit too biting for you, witch?"

Taran rides up easily enough. "...Well, good evening master Nepos," he says, as his lute-strings illuminate the area. "I must say such an overgrown locale is not where I would have thought to meet you again." He looks down at the phased Gale, then, and dismounts. "Ah. And what will you do now?" he asks, rather more softly - nor is it quite clear to whom the question is addressed.

Gale clears her throat a bit, one hand pressing against her wound, trying to stop the blood. "Apparently bleed to death because I was foolish enough to not fight back," she notes wryly, shivering a tiny bit.

"The first rule of combat is to take every advantage you can get." Lucius mentions keeping his combat position. A very soaked Hugo mounts his horse and rides off towards East Leg, some miles off in the distance. Nepos's eyes narrow. "I wait now. I gave you the chance to leave our realm peaceably. Now, I am protecting my fellow citizen by relieving us of an evil, evil woman. It is one thing to talk about killing your enemies, Gale, but another entirely to do it. Reina Seamel talked about it. You did it. This is why you will not survive the season."

"A good rule of life is to know who your enemies are," Taran replies quietly, and turns his attention to Gale. "I offer you a choice, now," he says. "I can get my kit and try to help you live, or I can give you a swift and painless death. This is the first choice, an ye can not teleport away this time. What do you choose?"

Gale eyes Lucius warily, "If he will let me shift back without hacking off my head, I would gladly accept your help," she says slowly. "But it does not mean I will allow myself to be taken and tortured to death in return."

"I will not torture you. I am not a cruel man, though I may seem so by telling you should be Lessened. Perhaps you should, perhaps not. I am not an Imperial officer anymore." Lucius states, simply. He does not say anything else. Nor does his position change. He still carries his shield over his body, sword pointed forward.

Taran nods, and gets up to retrieve his healer's kit from the saddlebags. "At least you removed the...spear...without doing further injury to yourself," he says. "Let me clean the wound and stop the bleeding..." Hands work with calm, quick efficiency. "As long as you live there are still choices."

Gale continues to watch Lucius with mistrust, "If he kills me, Taran, I /will/ return to eat you as some form of Shadow monster," she threatens with a weak chuckle. "There are choices, and... at the moment, I am choosing to trust you. And the dolt with a sword." One final hesitant look before she flickers back into substance.

"No. There are two choices here. You are bound by Imperial Law to come with me, Gale, to the nearest Watch Garrison. There you will be tried by a Marshal or a Captain and your sentence will or will not be handed out to you. This is the price of you being healed. You, Master Songbird, are bound by Law to assist me or step back." Lucius states with conviction. "If you do not choose to come, you are a fugitive of Imperial Law and I will hack your hands and feet off right here. It will not be pleasant. Those are your two choices." He doesn't need to move, being very close to Gale already.

A ways up the hill, an invisible form makes a weak clothy fluttering noise, like a flag on a windy day. The sound slowly, deliberately moves towards the three gathered figures.

Taran says nothing to Lucius' amendments, but works as he said the moment Gale's solid enough to touch. Vials are taken from the kit to dampen a cloth, used to clean the wound. A thick salve is applied over it, and bandages over that. It seems the bard has gotten some practice recently in such work.

Gale winces as the hands come down on her wound. "/Ow/," she grumbles. "That hurt." She bites on her lower lip, still eying Lucius something fierce.

"DID YOU HEAR ME? ACKNOWLEDGE ME OR I WILL ASSUME DEFIANCE." Lucius asks in a very loud and one might say commanding voice, glancing over his shoulder to the sound. "Show yourself." He looks back at Gale, before lowering his weapon for a moment to pick up the used spear. His sword is soon back in grip though.

Taran pauses, wincing. "Master Nepos, I am not one of your barracks-sweepers, to be intimidated by a shout," he replies mildly. "I have no power of Imperial Law - all that I can do, you are seeing me do. What agreements the two of you should make are not something I can force - not on either side."

The flag-waving noise softens as the sound doesn't seem to advance towards the group, remaining just over fifty feet away.

Gale's eyes focus in on the direction that the last known sound, a look of concentration passing over her features. Whatever it is she sees, it makes her draw back a little, awe rising up on her features. "Something powerful... very very powerful," she murmurs softly.

"I was not talking to you, Master Bard. Stand back." Lucius asides to Taran, his voice returned to a normal volume. Whether Taran stands back or not, Lucius moves to strike at Gale. However, it appears to be calculated - instead of using his blade to thrust, he reaches to smack Gale on the back of the head with the flat of his sword while she's distracted, hoping to knock her out.

Taran sighes as Gale slumps, shaking his head. "And now what will you do?" he asks Lucius, a hint of pain in his features as he wipes off his hands.

The soft flapping noise continues to stay where it is, poised a few dozen feet from the shoreline.

Flash of pain, followed by an unconscious Gale. Not a hard sight to follow.

Lucius Nepos kneels down by Gale's unconscious body. He reaches into a pouch and removes three bundles of white cloth, something one might use to staunch a wound. "I'm going to make sure she can't do anything with her bloody magic, the way I was taught to in the Blades, and bring her to a Watch garrison." He firstly ties her hands very, very tightly with one of the lengths of cloth. Then he takes the second one and wraps it a round her head at the eye level, doing the same. Finally, he stuffs part of the third bundle in her mouth and ties that one as well around her head, finishing the process. "Will you accompany me to East Leg, Taran?"

Taran nods. "I will," he says, getting to his feet and absently patting his belt pouch. Frowning, he looks into it. "Ah - just a moment," he says. "I'd bought a stone for my sister, I seem to have dropped it in my haste to find out what all the splashing was for. A moment to find it - I know my route well enough, the hoofprints mark it well."

"Fair enough. Lead Haste up here, would you please?" Lucius asks in a gentle voice, a far cry from his former gruff tone. He kneels by Gale after having tied her, oncemore wrapping his fingers around the hilt of his sword. He watches her, looks up to the sound, then back down.

Taran puts away his healer's kit in his mount's saddlebags, then retraces the mare's route, holding the Lute out for light until a sparkle on the ground reveals what he was looking for. Putting the stone in its pouch and making it quite secure this time, he then moves to bring Lucius his horse.

Lucius Nepos keeps a vigilant watch on Gale, but does not do anything unless he sees her stir somewhat. Taran hands Lucius the reins of his horse. "Why do you wish me to come along?" he asks curiously. "I did not take her."

"Well, you're an honest citizen of Fastheld, Taran. I also trust you. Another pair of eyes can never be wasted, really, and you'll be doing the Empire a great service. It looks good for all of us. It especially looks good for Marked mages to have brought in the murderer who killed an honest, Sunkissed citizen. You see where I'm going?" Lucius nods a thanks to Taran, sheathing his sword. He picks Gale up and gently places her over Haste's back. The horse grumbles a bit by snorting but doesn't seem to mind too much. Then Nepos mounts his horse, stepping into the stirrups. His final act is to reach into his left bracer and remove an obsidian dagger from a hidden sheath, tying it with a piece of rope to Haste's saddle so it's in close reach. "Good enough reason?"

Far up the hill can be heard the sound of hornets growing in intensity for a moment before disappearing. "I thank you for your vigilant awareness of my political situation," Taran replies cheerfully, and climbs into the saddle. "But it is likely best to hurry."

Atop Haste, "Not only yours, but others like you. With people stirring up discontent about the amnesty this should do something to help, I hope." Lucius says, nodding at Taran's assertation.

East Leg ''The riverside town of East Leg, founded two centuries ago by Yontalas Lomasa, has over time become a popular settlement area for those who have served in some capacity within the Emperor's Blades until they became too old to ride, patrol or defend against threats within and without. Old horsemen and bladesmen can often be found in the Clanging Gong Tavern, telling stories of their adventures in the Emperor's service''.

The township hugs the northern shore of the Fastheld River, and a busy dock juts out into the jade green waters.

''Market Road twists northeast, following the Fastheld on its way toward the city-state's commerce district. The Aegis Road cuts west, similarly following the course of the Fastheld, toward the massive wall that envelopes the realm; and a paved way cuts east to where the the mansion of East Leg's ruler lies: the Heron Hall''.

After a bit of riding, Lucius and Taran are in East Leg. Nepos stables Haste and drapes Gale over his shoulder, shield strapped onto his back now that he's in safer environs. It turns out that Hugo wasn't sent for nothing - a squadron of Watchmen wait with Wheat for the trio to return to town, and Lucius heads towards them with a bit of a smile. "So here is the murderer who killed Reina Seamel and Kess Kahar last night. She is an unmarked mage named Gale. Taran Songbird assisted me in making sure she didn't bleed to death and then helped make sure she didn't escape while we brought her here. So I hand her over to the authorities now."

Atop Prestissimo, Taran - riding along behind - bows somewhat in the saddles as he's named, tugging back the hood of his cloak so that his own nature is clear to see in the available light.

The Watchman in charge steps forward giving a gruff nod of his head. "We'll take 'er from 'ere," he says, gesturing two young men, barely out of boyhood, to join him. "Take 'er and make sure she don't go no where." One of the men steps up to retrieve Gale from Lucius' arms, holding out his own for a transfer. "She don't look like no killer t'me," he notes with a faint laugh.

Gale stirs weakly, but doesn't look very good, moaning in her unconsciousness. Her face is pale, and the journey doesn't seem to have done very much for her already weakened state. She does look quite helpless, and small.

"Of course she doesn't. Corrupt mages seldom do. I must say though - she is the most powerful mage, or one of the most powerful mages I've ever had the fortune or whatnot of meeting. And I've been to Crown's Refuge and in the Wildlands. Keep a /close/ watch on her, I beg of you." Lucius says, voice stern and rough as he hands the woman off to the young Watchmen. "Well, I suppose our work here is done, Guardian. Please make sure the heralds are aware of all the details, including that the Master Bard here helped. That's important." In addition to being stern and gruff, his voice now carries some sense of urgency to it.

Taran reaches over to lightly brush Gale's hair, and then run over her bandaged shoulder. "The ride does nothing for the injury," he says.

The Watchen just chuckle, "She looks harmless," he says, jostling Gale in his arms a bit. "What does she do, throw flowers at you?" He smirks in Lucius' direction. "Don'tcha worry, boss. We'll be sure to protect you from the big bad mage, when she wakes up. She could be a load of fun while she's wth us... cute enough." The one in charge however, gives both men a murderous look. "You don't touch the prisoner. You don't go near the prisoner. Just make sure she's locked up tightly, and safely unconscious for the time being."

Gale is definitely starting to show more signs of life, but remains mostly still in her captor's arms.

"New bodies, eh? I know the type. Used to beat 'em over the head with my Marshal's vine staff." Lucius winks at the commanding officer, looking towards the junior Watchmen. "No. She throws lightning bolts at you, or freezes the room over, or throws a Shadow curse on you like she did with three people last night." Finally, Nepos nods at the Watch. "Good night to you, soldiers. Light keep you all. I am Lucius Nepos, former Marshal of the Blades. This is Taran Songbird, master bard. And this is Hugo Wheat, former Guardian Leader in the Blades as well. He helped with the apprehension. A good night to you all." He turns his back and begins to walk away, sighing with relief and smiling. "Thank you Hugo, Taran. I could not have done this alone."

Taran nods, making it a slight bow. "As you say, master Nepos," he replies, though he himself stays near Gale, one hand on her uninjured shoulder.

The officer carrying Gale chuckles up at Taran, "Yer gonna have to feel her up some other time," he says pleasantly. "Gotta take her now, and do as ordered. You can't come with. Sorry."

Whether Gale is actually still unconscious or not is hard to say. But she is very still, perhaps overly so.

"Come now, Master Bard. Let us go inform the herald of what has happened." Lucius says, rather cheerfully. He looks right, he looks left - the streets are almost completely deserted, other than the group of Watchmen and Lomasa House Guard patrolling the street. He makes way towards the Clanging Gong anyways at a slow pace, that being the usual haunt of the herald at night.

Taran smiles at the watchman, making a show of running his fingers in a swirl sort of gesture across Gale's shoulder. "Why, I would almost think you jealous, good sir," he notes to the man. "Mind you do not give her cause for wrath; for such as she it is only a path to power." He then withdraws, turning to follow Lucius. "Be wise, gentlemen," he offers cheerfully.

The Guard winks. "Why would I be jealous? I'm leavin' with her, aren't I?" he points out, his companion flagging down a carriage. "We'll take her on to the garrison, sir," he adds. "And make sure she's secure by the time you arrive. Though she seems like she's going to be out of it for a long while. Don't know how hard you hit her, Nepos, but I wonder if she's ever gonna wake up." He shakes his head, climbing inside, already loosening the mage's gag, his fingers playing against her lips.

The carriage has only started to move away when it rolls again to a sudden stop, lots of noises coming from within the tinted windows. The Watchmen appear are crying out in pain, there voices growing louder and louder, most likely a little louder than really is necessary, but hey, they're in pain.

"LIGHT!" Exclaims Lucius with a start as the noises extend from the carriage, his eyes going wide for the umpteenth time this night. "Do these idiot recruits not listen to a thing?" Too quick to draw his sword, Lucius pulls his dagger out from its hidden bracer sheath once more and darts towards the carriage with it in hand.

Taran shakes his head, wheeling his mare around. "Clearly not," he snaps. "She learned from you to use everything at her disposal - well, she just happens to have a lot more at her disposal than most." Eyeing the carriage, he says, "You fight - shall I go see if his Grace needs a target?"

The door, when opened, shows that the guards in question have, by this point, passed out in their pain, and by the smell of it, wet themselves in fear. There are no immediate wounds present, and no one in the carriage seems to have the ability to move, bodies stiff and expressions dazed. The tools used to bind the mage are in a pile in one seat, along with the bandages that were applied to her wound. This said, there are a few splotches of blood on the seat and floor around this location.

Lucius Nepos slams his fist, and the oak pommel of the dagger down onto the side of the carriage in rage, smashing a piece of the wooden plan that makes up the vehicle in the process. He screams his anger, something that is not characteristic of him to do, and moves around to see the senior Watchmen, who had been conducting the carriage. Seeing that the man is also passed out he grits his teeth. "Can not ANYTHING go right?" Between breaths, he mutters, "She is like sand in a fist. You think you have a firm grasp on her and she slips away..."

Taran follows when he realizes that Gale is gone, looking into the carriage. He indicates the bandages. "She regarded your strike as a betrayal of trust," he says. "And the bandages say she holds me to blame for it."

"There was no betrayal. I did not cut her hands off. I told her I would be taking her to the Watch to face her crimes. I was honest with that bitch, and she slips away from us." Lucius sticks his dagger back into its sheath, the weapon dissapearing as he takes a seat on the ground next to the carriage, leaned up on the spokes of a wheel. He removes his helmet. "Light, and I did it right, too. Would you mind checking these poor saps to see if they're alright?"

"I am tempted to say they deserve to suffer a while for their stupidity," Taran replies tiredly. "The better to remember what they would have done. But certainly." He moves then to look over the injured, checking for any who are more than just dazed.

Neither of them are severely injured, but seem to be in some pain. They aren't moving, or speaking coherently, giving little whimpers and groans.

"Thank you." Lucius puts his head in his hands and sighs, muttering and mumbling something to himself.

Taran looks the men over, straightening up. "Give them a few hours," he says. "Nothing time won't cure. Once again, she has not used quite the level of force she could have. Perhaps her mercy will teach them wisdom."

"Wisdom would be next time to have a Marshal waiting to process judgement on her immediately and confer on her a punishment for her crime." Lucius answers, lifting his head back up. He rises from the ground.

Taran shakes his head, and heads back to his horse. "And you will - what, carry him in your pocket?" he asks. "She will resurface. When she wishes. For my part...East Leg is not a locale I prefer."

"No, I will have Wheat call somebody important next time. I did not think these imbeciles would do something such as they did." Lucius shakes his head. "I agree with you. I do not want to be here now. Thank you for your help, Taran. Keep safe... Light keep you."

Taran nods. "Light guard you and your family," he replies, getting into Prestissimo's saddle. "Until paths cross again." with little movement to be seen, the mare slides quickly into motion, and the bard is away.