The cool night breeze carried a hint of smoke towards the woman as she headed up the hillside just outside of town. Seeing the faint glow of a fire, sending sparks into the sky, she suspected she had finally found her objective.
Watching from a distance, she could see him, the one she has been sent to find. Slouching there against a large rock, this scruff of a lad, did match exactly the description she had been given. “Well. Okay then.” she smiled to herself “Let’s do this.”
Moving silently, keeping to the shadows, she moved around so that she approached her prey unnoticed. Gracefully climbing to its summit, she held her body close to the rough stones shape. Here she could observe him for a moment longer, and consider her next move.
Her initial thoughts had been to leap down beside him, unannounced, as he was drifting off to sleep. However, as he moved his cloak tighter around himself, and she noticed the crossbow laid neatly loaded in his lap, she decided maybe a verbal alert would be more sensible.
In a loud whisper she called sharply “Kailean! Wake up!” Then dropped back to watch the young man’s reaction. And react he did.
With a start he jolted himself awake, swung around and landed with his back upon the dirt, his crossbow raised and ready. “By the hells!?” he exclaimed as he looked up towards the source of the command. Keldaa let out a loud laugh as she watched him scramble on the ground. She raised her face from its hiding and called out once more. “Woah boy, calm down, it’s only me” she grinned, as she drew herself up in one swift movement and leapt down beside him. This did not stop the crossbow being trained on her, his face drawn into a scowl as he tried see her more clearly. “Name yourself or become nameless” he ordered.
“Kailean Thade, put that bloody thing down before you shoot me” she barked as her face and frame came into full view with the firelight. She stood before him confidently, “I doubt killing me would earn you many points. It’s Keldaa, open your goddamn eyes”.
Pausing, as he heard his own name being called, he squinted even harder to identify the woman before him. “I dunno any Keldaa?” he muttered, finger still very close to the trigger.
Keldaa shrugged slightly, because of course they hadn’t warned him in advance that she would be joining him – where was the fun in that? She sighed over-dramatically and looked straight into his eyes, "And yet you decide to kill me before we get properly introduced? Well aren't you the charmer?" She lifted her empty hands in front of her, as a sign to calm him. "Baralinion has sent me to you. Perhaps his name may be more familiar to you? I come with greetings from the Order".
This did seem to calm him as he lowered his weapon, but still kept his eyes fixed firmly on her. “I've heard his name. The Caun? Cerythael has been my... Handler? Teacher? I don't know… He said I had to undergo the trials. I don't even fully know what that means..." Keldaa nodded. She knew how vague that Elf could be, but she also knew as instructors go, she had met no finer. “He is my instructor also,” She confirmed, “He will guide you well, if you listen … and give him no cheek” she added with a grin.
She turned to warm her hands on the fire, before finding a reasonably dry piece of seemingly pebble free earth to sit on. “So what have you been up to so far, since they sent you up here?” she asked as she got herself comfortable, with the large rock as a backrest.
The lad, joining her back on the ground, picked up his backpack and started to root around, looking for something. The first thing he retrieved was a small neatly wrapped parcel of food, which he threw over, and Keldaa caught with a nod of thanks.
Next from the bag came a steel plate, which he tossed against the stones of the fire. It was an armour plate bearing a white hand. He stared at it for some time before shrugging. "An Uruk was leading a smaller pack of orcs... An elf visited me in the ruins while I was stalking them. We spoke a while. These things… They were in her home … They were performing the usual vile... acts..”. Keldaa’s face gave way to a small snarl as she listened, but she stayed silent, encouraging him to continue. “I knew what had to be done.” He kicked around at the dirt around the fire, and the flames danced upward. “I found them. And the bodies of some of the villagers they kidnapped. None of them lived. The villagers or the orcs."
She gave a gentle silent nod of approval as she listened and unwrapped her food. After giving it a cautionary sniff, she took a small bite. “Sounds delightful” she spoke mid-chew– “Anything else to report?”
Gesturing westward he continued, “Small village with some locals. They seem good enough people.. I'm going to try to start assisting them as I'm able. It’s a decent place. I may end up staying there between missions and such.” He looked over to Keldaa and bowing his head. "Y'should consider it too. It's not a bad place. Beats being out here largely."
After a slight pause, with a quiet laugh she responded "Well, I have been instructed to give you the pleasure of my company for a while… so yes, that seems like it could be a plan then." She began shuffling on the ground and removed a large stone that was digging into her thigh. “Maybe there might even be somewhere with a roof we could stay?" She had no intention on spending any longer sleeping outdoors, without so much as a mat, than she had to.
“They do have an inn of sorts, it seems. The help is nice but the owners a right foul dick.” he replied as he began to draw his cloak once more around his shoulders to guard him from the night air. “I have found most people on my journey to be good though. When I wandered through Arrowhaven on my way here I spoke to some of the locals. Lovely people there honestly."
Keldaa agreed with a smile, “Yes, I know some folks from around there. They are a good sort. And leave the Inn owner to me, I will sort us a couple of beds" As she began unbuckling her bag from her shoulder, she looked over at the tired looking lad. "You get some sleep now, I will take this watch.”
She watched as he began settle, once more setting his crossbow on his lap. “Just do me a favour,” she called over. “Try not to, y'know, shoot me in your sleep"
