Memory

[Rezantis]

"If you're willing, I'd like to have you and a swordsman you deem trustworthy join me - I'd also appreciate it if you kept this matter quiet until afterwards. I'm not sure exactly what's happening myself, but . . ." Rez shrugs.

[Brian]

He nods, and says, "Wait here."  He dashes off between some tents and vanishes for a minute, while Alex experimentally hefts his axe, before nodding in approval, and slinging it onto his back, crosswise over his original axe (which is the blade that bears his heritage).

Edward comes back very swiftly, followed by another swordsman you've not yet met.  It's probably a brother or a cousin; the two men look very similar.

[Rezantis]

Rez grins to Alex - "You look like a kid who just got a new toy!" - then nods respectfully to the returning Caribou swordsmen.

"May I ask your name?" he asks the one-he-does-not-know.

[Brian]

"I'm Arthur Carst," the newly arrived swordsman says, bowing.  "Edward said you needed volunteers for a mission?"

[Rezantis]

Rez nods. "Glad to see you volunteering. We'll go and get briefed on the mission in a few minutes, we just need to pick up a couple more people . . ."

He blinks then mumbles.

"And I need to see if I can find another scabbard, actually.  In any case, shall we go?"

Assuming no objections, Rez leads the party off to find Sir Eric Kethel.

[Brian]

Both of the Caribou clansmen look at your lack of a scabbard oddly, and blink, but you're quickly led off to where Erik is.  He's further down the practice range, testing his bow for accuracy.

You think he's probably a better shot than you.

[Rezantis]

Rez walks down the practice range towards where Erik is, and calls out to get his attention. "Ho, Erik!"

[Brian]

Erik looks up from his bow, blinking as though he didn't expect to see you -- or the men you're hauling with you.  "Sir Nathan?" he asks, raising an eyebrow and standing at attention.  "Is something the matter?"

[Rezantis]

Rez nods to Eric.  "Nothing's the matter - Lord Kevin needs a few good men for something, and I was hoping you'd join me."

[Brian]

Erik nods at this, glancing again at Arthur and Edward.  "I would be honored," he says.

[Brian]

At about this point, Durant arrives, looking a bit surly, a bit sleepy, but otherwise okay.  "Yo," he says conversationally.  "Parthipan sent me this way.  Said I should help you out."

[Rezantis]

Rez blinks, surprised to see Paul here.

"Heya. And he did? Anything specific?"

[Brian]

"Just that I could ... uh ... borrow some stuff from ... Huitzil," he says slowly.  "And that I should help you out.  Somehow," he says, shrugging.

The Storm-riders eye him appraisingly, apparently at least willing to give him a chance before deciding he can't hold his own in combat.

[Rezantis]

Rez raises an eyebrow, then nods, turning back to the other stormriders.

"Sorry, but do you mind if I speak to this man alone for a moment?"

Assuming they are not highly disagreeable about this, Rez and Huitz walk about twenty-thirty metres that-a-way - somewhere where they can talk without people next to them, anyway.

So, making sure nobody's -quite- close enough, Rez speaks quietly.

"I was just talking to him myself, actually . . . and if you could, I could use a little information on the . . . 'old Rez'.  Past exploits, rivalries, family, et cetera. I'd try to find out myself, but . . ." Rez shrugs helplessly, "You could ask easier.  If you could, I'm also curious to what you could glean as an outsider about general stormrider morale, and where Phil and I stand in their general regard," He blinks, then smiles wanly, "Lord Philip Bloom is the king of the stormriders, again, by the way, just so's you know.  I'd talk more, but we have to go and do . . . something, the gods alone know what.  Sorry to drop all that on you. Did you need me for anything, and do you mind if I come and find you later to catch up on what I missed at the keep the last few days?"

[Brian]

Durant looks a bit skeptical.  "Sorry, man.  That's just too much work on top of 'Find and destroy every traitor within the keep'.  I'll keep an ear out, but no promises."