Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

The group all nodded politely to Lynn's introduction, as they had for everyone else's. Mykal started to go over some basic strategy and plans regarding the mission. Nothing too detailed or interesting, but more as something to keep the air from becoming quiet while they moved. Lynn didn't mind it, considering the other option was perhaps awkward silence. Eventually though Mykal did run out of things to go over, and the air went quiet as the group marched along. They passed one merchant wagon headed past them, the ride giving a friendly way to the patrol.

Aside from the passing merchant the day was quiet. The reached a spot where they sat down to rest. Lynn took around and noticed this was the spot marked on the map where the investigation was supposed to start. Mykal confirmed her thoughts as she spoke. "We'll rest here for a couple minutes, but then we're going to get started. This area has been marked for investigation, so hopefully we'll manage to get something out of this place."

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn listened with rapt attention when Mykal began discussing strategy and plans for the mission. To some, these details might not be too important, she felt any extra information could save her life. The talking finally died down and an uneasy quiet settled over the group. The only activity to break the silence was the passing merchant wagon.

The team finally came to a halt, Lynn remembering that this was more or less going to be the starting point for the entire operation. Lynn dropped her travel pack in a heartbeat and sat down on the ground next to it, taking full advantage of the rest they had been given. This was going to have to be something she'll need to get used to for later missions and patrols: Long walks. The worst her duties ever entailed back at camp was night watch and 98% of the time nothing happened. While she sat, a part of her wondered just what they were going to find out here. If the reports were correct, the people kidnapping people was fairly efficient and left little behind. Finding anything would be a miracle.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

The short rest was very helpful to the patrol. They all seemed a bit tired and were glad to get off their feet for a few minutes. Lynn felt that though she was a bit tired, it could have been a lot worse. The sun was still rising in the sky, but thankfully there was a nice breeze, it wasn't too hot. She could hear Tom snoring a little, apparently the boy had dozed off in the short time they'd stopped.

Lynn took the time to look around. To the north of the road was mostly plains, she saw a river that ran alongside a ways out. She knew eventually this river would turn, crossing the road. It marked a little past the half-ways point on the trade road. South of the road was a sparse forest. Lynn could see through the trees fairly easily, and saw eventually the forest got quite dense. When Mykal finally stood up, she gathered the rest of the patrol with a short smile. "Alright, everyone listen up. I want to split into two groups. Lynn, you're with me, we're going to investigate north of the road, look for anything strange. Tom, Ger, and Marx, I want you three to head south into the forest."

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn let out a sigh as she felt the rather calming breeze pass by her. Part of her wished she could just lay down and fall asleep and forget about this messy soldier business. She noticed that Tom was at least doing part of it, and she couldn't help bit giggle as the boy dozed off.

Lynn looked at the surrounding area, in an effort to get a feel for the terrain. To one side, an open plain and a river. The other, a forest. Seems like nothing out or the ordinary. Lynn had little tine to waste thought as Mykal gathered the team and handed out patrol orders. Seem she was paired with the leader while the boys went south. Not wasting another moment, Lynn retrieved her pack, shield and spear before finding Mykal. "Ready when you are, Ma'am! "

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

The three guys gave a quick salute and a smattering of 'Yes, Ma'ams'. They gathered their gear and started south. They actually stopped to discuss a plan, how they were going to search and call signs for when they found something. They were quite organized and professional about it, something which Lynn could take pride in.

Mykal gave the girl a short smile as she came over to the recruit. "Alright Lynn, you're with me. I was thinking we'll just head towards the river and keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. If we spot anything we'll let the other know, right? If we don't find anything by the time we get to the river, we'll figure something out then."

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

The recruit couldn't help but admire the well oiled machine that the second team turned out to be. Save for Tom, the other two were old pros and must have had like 20 different backup plans. This did not mean she didn't have faith in Mykal. Lynn knew the more experienced soldier had a good head on her shoulder and she had little to fear. Having already retrieved her gear, she listened to what sort of patrol the two should go on. Seems simple enough. "Understood! Lead the way!" She couldn't help but be excited over starting her first mission but it showed and might have seemed funny to the more experienced woman.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

The two army girls set off after a few moments making sure all their gear was set. Mykal was carrying a sword and shield, like a lot of the members of the army. It was a solid and popular combination. She started off, keeping her eyes open. It seemed a little silly, but it was required. They wouldn't find anything if they didn't look. They could assume whoever was behind this was perfect if they wanted to, but that got them nowhere, so they had to assume some clue had been left behind.

Lynn also kept her eyes open as she moves. There were hills behind the river, but otherwise it was plains as far as the eye could see. The river was pretty far away, and the heat was starting to pick up. The wind kept it bearable, but Lynn could see the heat bend the light in the distance. They both made their way all the way to the river, not having seen anything. Mykal was frowning. "Alright. From here I think we should probably walk along the river. Let's each head one hundred paces in each direction, then regardless of if we see anything, meet back here. Sound good?"

As Lynn was listening to Mykal, she thought she saw something from the hills. The heat was bending her vision, she could swear it, but something was bending it differently, it looked like it came from one of the dips in the hills. It took her a few moments to piece it together but she was pretty sure it was the sign of a fire. Smokeless, so controlled, probably. To Lynn, that sounded like a campfire. "Lynn? You there?" Mykal poked her cheek, since she'd been spacing out. "What's up?"

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn followed behind the senior soldier, knowing she would have the right plan. Lynn was quick to imitate her superior, scanning the surrounding area with here eyes wide open. No one could be that perfect, especially if the perpetrators were human. Everyone made mistakes.

The heat of the passing day was going to make the job that much more difficult, but the region was nice enough to provide a gentle breeze. Finding nothing on their initial scan, Mykal made the suggestion to split up and the recruit was in no position to argue. She gave the senior soldier a simple nod before heading up her designated route

Finding nothing at first, Lynn was almost convinced that there was nothing to find. However, this train of though was broken upon seeing the tell tale sign of heat. And it wasn't the weather causing the air to bend. In her effort to confirm it, she was startled by the arrival of her companion. Reacting with a bit of a start, she spoke in a hushed tone. " I think ...I think I see something. See how the air is bending? There might be a fire over that hill dip. It could be a lead. What do you think we should do?" The apprehension was noticeable in her voice, unsure of what could be before them.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Mykal squinted her eyes, looking over to where Lynn had indicated. He bit her lower lip for a moment in thought. She nodded, dropping her voice. "We investigate. We're going to make our way to that hill, then do our best to see what's beyond it without giving ourselves away." She looked at the river, finding a shallow spot to cross over, waving Lynn right behind her.

Lynn would find that Mykal had picked a good spot. Though a bit of her clothes got wet, the water splashing against her legs felt good in the heat. Mykal started moving towards the distant hill, quickly and quietly. Lynn found it easy to keep up, especially when the leader crouched low. When they got to the hill, Mykal motioned for Lynn to stay quiet, moving up the side of it. She kept hear ears open. Lynn could hear the crackling of firewood around the bend. Her guess of a campfire had been right. There were a few sparse trees and bushes in the hills, not nearly enough to provide heavy cover or to hide anyone. Which was either fortunate or unfortunate, depending on how she looked at it.

The girls crept up the hill, and Mykal got on her stomach as they reached the peak. It kind of sucked, but Lynn knew it was the best way to stay hidden, especially in this terrain. The grass was a little longer here, just enough for them to hide themselves in. When they looked over the hill, they were a little surprised. There appeared to be a small camp, Lynn spotted the campfire that had originally given the camp away. She saw two men sitting at the fire, cooking. Mykal was apparently examining the rest of the camp, and Lynn found herself doing the same. It looked small, probably enough to support two to four people. There looked like a sleeping quarters tent, and a supply tent. The paths were a little worn, they'd been here maybe a week, probably not much longer. Mykal spoke very quietly after a few moments. "Looks like we've got something. Thoughts, recruit?"

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn kept pace with her superior, not wanting to fall behind. She crossed the river at roughly the spot, her pace a tad slower then Mykal.Finally catching up, she slowed her pace, doing her best to remain stealthy. Not having much experience made it difficult. The tree cover was sparse and made things a little easier to see. Her earlier guess was correct, finding the campfire and a camp with it. With this discovery, her fears only grew.

Lynn began crawling as well, trusting that Mykal knew what she was doing. She caught a view of the camp and followed in examining it. Seemed simple enough. As Mykal asked for her assessment, Lynn finally noticed the two men sitting near the fire. The color drained from her face almost immediately and she crawled back a bit, only saying: " No. No. No. " in a hushed but frantic tone. Not even waiting for Mykal to ask, Lynn spoke again. "We need to get the others! Now!"

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Mykal nodded a bit, though her face showed surprise at Lynn's reaction. "Probably, but we're not sure if they'll still be here when we get back. If we can take them now, it would probably be for the best..." she paused for a few moments as she though it over, then shook her head. "No, you're right, we were told not to engage in battle unless we have to. We're merely a scout force. Alright, we'll go find the others and head back to camp."

Mykal started to move back down the hill, motioning for Lynn to follow. As they reached the bottom and started to head away, she dared to speak, now figuring they were out of earshot. "Also are you alright recruit? You reacted pretty badly there...want to talk about it?

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn nodded the whole time, letting the senior soldier weigh the options. She almost broke into a cold sweat at the prospect of a fight but was relieved when Mykal decided against it and leave to rejoin the others. She remained silent the entire way back, finally raising her head when confronted about her reaction.

"Remember when I talked about my family? I mentioned my brothers and my father being very protective of me. There's a reason for that. When I was only...six, I saw my mom get kidnapped by bandits. I was feeding the sheep late one afternoon and mom was going to search for a lamb that got away. I finished feeding the sheep and went to get mom so we could start dinner. I heard yelling from the direction she went and I found her being attacked. All she had was her shepherds cane and as she was about to beat the two who attacked her, a third snuck up behind her and grabbed her. She tried to fight but couldn't get free. I was watching the whole time, too afraid to move. She saw me and yelled at me to run. This got the bandits attention on me and they started moving towards me. I finally snapped out of my daze and sprinted back to the farm. They didn't' follow but when I went back with father, they had left, leaving only the cane and one of her hair ribbons. We later found out that the bandits were slavers looking for women to kidnap. I still carry the ribbon with me, because part of me thinks she's still alive somewhere. Ever since, I've had an irrational fear of anyone calling themselves a bandit or slaver."

A part of her hated retelling this story, but it was such a big moment of her life that she almost had to tell it. Now she told her commander and she could only guess how she'd react.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Mykal nodded and listened to the story as Lynn told it. Her voice softened a little, and it was clear that the story had gotten to her. She kept them moving as Lynn talked, but was careful to listen to the full story. They were back at the river by the time she had finished. The older girl simply shook her head a little. "That's...that's terrible. I'm sorry you and your family had to go through that..." was the only thing she could say at first. They crossed the river, and Lynn felt just a bit better, feeling the cool water against her ankles again. Mykal found words again on the other side. "But I understand, thank you for telling me that." She puts a hand on the recruits head. "But don't you worry, you stick with us and rely on your friends, and you'll have nothing to worry about. And...I think you'll find your mother, someday...that's just what my gut tells me."

Mykal headed back to the road. Neither of them could see the guys, they'd advanced fairly far into the woods. She frowned, considering. "We could wait here for them to return, or try and go out and find them. If we try to search for them, there's a chance they'll come back, find us missing...then...yeah that might be a funny story in the future but I don't think that would work very well for right now." She seemed to mostly be muttering to herself by the end. "What do you think? Should we wait for them here or go searching?"

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

"It was difficult but we persevered. And I knew I was always protected thanks to my brothers" . Lynn spoke softly, knowing she had to out a strong face back on. " I knew I would have had to tell someone eventually. I'm kinda glad it was you. But I haven't given up hope of finding her. It's part of the reason I enlisted. To give me the strength I needed."

The confidence from before returned to the farm girl as they returned to the meeting place. Seemed the others weren't back yet. Mykal began considering the options, knowing that something needed to be done.The question was turned on her as to what to do. "Well we can't get both groups mixed up, but we can't just sit on our hands. How about one of us go look while the other stays back in case they do come back. That way, less people go missing and it will be easier to find one person instead of two or three "

Lynn knew her suggestion was crazy, but it was better then running around in circles or waiting.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Mykal nodded, smiling as the girl came up with the idea. Lynn realizes she'd probably already had it herself, though why she had asked her would remain a mystery. "Mmm, that seems like a good idea. You did good work spotting that shimmer, how about you stay here and I'll go look? You can keep an eye out for the guys, and call out if you see them. I'll head into the woods to see if I can't find them quicker." The long-haired girl paused to look up at the sky. "It's almost mid-day, so I'll try to keep an eye on there, and I'll try to be back here when it's noon. If I'm not back you should probably wait ten minutes, then head back to camp. Sounds good?"

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

"I guess I can't find anything wrong with that. Better that you go out anyway, cause I would have no clue where to start." Lynn grew a tiny bit nervous at the prospect of holding down the fort, but she had to stand tough. Now was her time.

"Wait till noon, if you aren't back by then, wait ten minutes before going back to camp..." she repeated the instructions, more then a little curious. "What if neither you or the guys come back by then? I should just go back solo? The commander won't be too happy."

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Mykal frowned a bit. "I doubt and seriously hope that that will not be the case. But if so, that's the worst case scenario. Yes, I'd want to head back to camp and tell them what I just told you. Best case we all just got lost, we turn up later in the evening after we sort ourselves out. Worst case someone needs to know what we saw. We got a lead today and if we all went missing we'd lose that."

That being said, she stayed to take any last questions the recruit would have before leaving. She gave a short smile and Lynn felt a little better, she was pretty sure that they'd all make it back safe. After all, they'd found the camp north of here right? Surely the woods would be empty.

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

" Just thought I'd ask, ma'am. It never hurts to be prepared. Plus, it would be more then a little embarrassing if only the new kid came back on time while all the old pros got lost. But if it does come to that, I'll make a beeline for camp. The farther away from those bandits I am right now the better."

Lynn had little else to ask the senior soldier and was more then happy to see her off. She returned the girls smile, in an effort to tell her that she would be fine. Whether that happened or not was left to be said.

 

[the64bitbot]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Lynn feels the breeze pick up as Mykal leaves. She can't help but smile slightly. She had done an excellent job in finding the hidden camp, and now all she had to do was rest and wait until the rest of the team came back. She found herself smiling slightly. The breeze was nice, even in the heat of the summer. She kept an eye out, listening for any noise. It was pretty quiet aside from the wind rustling the leaves. Then the wind stopped for a minute. Lynn wasn't sure why but she tensed up. The sudden quiet was unnerving, worrying. But it passed, and the wind picked back up.

She found herself sitting, just to get off her feet, the day was progressing. It had been maybe thirty minutes since Mykal had left, and she estimated it would be noon in a little under an hour. Then Mykal would return, and she could go home. But she kept herself vigilant, and something caught the corner of her eye. The heat had made her vision blurry, and she noticed something strange in the trees. Then it came into focus. There were two men hiding there. It looked like they were watching her, but it didn't seem like they had noticed she was aware of them yet. If she didn't freak, she might be able to use that.

 

[Aust_Nailo]

Re: Lynn (Aust_Nailo)

Seeing Mykal off, Lynn felt the breeze blow through her. The day was certainly turning out interesting. She could only imagine the praise she'd get when they got back to camp. She was the one who found the camp, and suggested they stay out of a fight that could have turned bad. She now earned herself a well deserved rest and was planning on taking full advantage. While she still felt a tiny bit uneasy, she dismissed it as simply her memories playing games with her. The breeze picked up once again and Lynn breathed a sigh of relief.

She took a seat on a stump, shield and spear off the the side. While some time had passed since Mykal left, Lynn occupied herself by humming to herself. Back home, she always use to sing or hum to herself to pass the time. Many of the songs taught to her by her mother, one of the few happy memories she still had of her. However, this did not mean she was neglecting in her duties. She was use to guard duty or night watch where she basically just sat around for 6-8 hours doing next to nothing. Now was no different. The mid day sun was just about to hit and the rising heat was very noticeable, with the slight bending of her vision being the obvious effect.

Her happy break however was broken by the sudden movement coming from the nearby trees. Lynn leaned forward and tried to get a better look at what it could have been. Part of her thought it might have been some stray animal or maybe a lost local, but what she saw made her nervous. Two men, watching her. She shot up from her seat, quickly picking up her equipment as she did. She held the spear pointed outward and held the shield in a very defensive stance, hiding her figure partially from view. Not sure who it was, she called out. "Who...who goes there! State your business!" Her nerves were on the verge of breaking, her worst fears possibly coming true. In her head, all she was saying is: "This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening!"