The Great Ride
Not quite the youngest of the band that had now assembled on this qwest, Aeryck still wondered at his in experience. Of course, he had seen more than a few battles, but then he had settled in to the life of a bureaucrat. The recent attempt on his life while working to make Nazgorn a better region to live in for Tarans had changed his mind a bit, to say the least.
"I'm sure that the day will come when I take my chair beside the clerks again, but that day is not today. Today I ride for the glory of Tara, for my family in Andurus, for every troop leader and citizen in this glorious realm."
Today, not quite the youngest in a company of brave men, Aeryck began the journey to find out who he would really become in this life, and with five men by his side whom he would surely call brothers before it was over...
"Norland, huh? I've always wanted to go north to see the mountains."
It hasn't been long since the group embarked on their quest. All riding along down the path in the silence of the night, everyone was ahead of Aethelmaer. Owls hooting in the distance, the feint rustle of the trees. All of a sudden, Aethelmaer starts to see a strange dark form coming closer.
"Guys I see something off in the distance."
Tadhg replies, "I don't see anything, lets keep moving."
"You must be seeing things, cause there's nothing there," exclaims Xiahou.
The group rides on, Aethelmaer's blue eyes widen just as they come up to the form. Then disappears into thin air. Blaine speaks something to Aethelmaer, who was riding just ahead of him. When no answer came, he looked back and to his surprise, and the rest of the group, he was nowhere to be found.
Blaine glanced over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the darkness quickly. His brow furrowed deeply and he began to shiver a little as a chill ran through him.
"Aethelmar? Where are you?"
He waited a few seconds for a response, then put two fingers to his lips and whistled shrilly. The raven that had alighted on his shoulder earlier swooped out of the shadows, perching on his outstretched arm. Blaine closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"Sir Tadhg, Xiahou, Sir Aeryck, SilentKnight, I cannot find Sir Aethelmar. Can any of you see him?"
Silentknight rode along, pondering what it would be like to return to the northern mountains. He had been there once before a long time ago, but it was not an experience he spoke of. Suddenly the hairs stiffened on the back of his neck, something here did not feel right. Slowly he scanned the woods to the right, then he heard the sharp whistle from behind. He noted the absence of Aethelmar just as the question rang out.
“I cannot find Sir Aethelmar. Can any of you see him?”
Riding back towards Sir Blaine, SilentKnight addresses the warriors, one hand on his long sword.
“Something is not right here friends, prepare yourselves.”
The air began to stir as the group gathered close, and the bright moon disappeared behind dark clouds.
“Xiahou, you know the shadows better the most. What do you see?”
Tadhg rode along obsessed with his own thoughts.Suddenly a call came ut from behind him.
"Sir Tadhg, Xiahou, Sir Aeryck, SilentKnight, I cannot find Sir Aethelmar. Can any of you see him?" shouted blaine
Tadhg wheeled around from the front of the party to Blaine.He hopped down from his horse and scanned th ground.
"I dont understand.The tracks just stop.Its as if he has been swallowed by the earth."
All of a sudden his horse grew frightened.It was trying to break away from Tadhg's grip.
"Whoa Whoa" he called as he got the horse under control.He mounted again.From his back he drew the war-axe.His weapon of choice.
"Stand ready my friends" he said as he scanned the forest around him.
