Return from the wilderness

[Anvil]

Anvil gestures for Batu to follow him and startsd to walk out of the tavern and head towards the barracks

"Walk with me Batu and we can talk"

[Sir Nichtmar]

Nichtmar starts to leave also, "Lord Anvil, I will speak to the council and I'm sure they'd all be happy to have your Defenders help. I'll find you later. And Batu before you leave stop by the Armory, I'll let them know your coming.". The ogre headed for his next post.

[Batu]

"I am grateful for your assistance. The people of Stormhaven will be also."

He bids farewell to Nichtmar and makes his way for the door behind Anvil.

"Sure thing"

Batu then makes sure his things are together and follows. He felt anxious and he was partly tense.

[Anvil]

Anvil made good time through the streets, and after Batu falls in beside him several cloaked figures follow a few paces behind.

"So what can I do for you Batu" Anvil ask as he stops and looks at a merchant's cart full of apples and pears.

[Batu]

Batu recognizes the cloaked figures (ooc: correct me if I'm wrong) from the woods at the feet of the Iron Mountains and encompasses Mittelmarch.

"Well, you see, I have sought your audience for no other reason than to pledge allegiance to the Defenders and learn the ways of your rangers."

He remembers back to all the people of Stormhaven oppressed, enslaved, tortured, or killed at the hands of feuding warmongers and dark princes. Batu was but one man, but this was something that might give the people hope--that somebody, some group even, was looking out for them.

"I am ready for your approval and instruction."

[Anvil]

Anvil hands some coins to the merchant and grabs a bag of apples, after getting one out for himself he tosses the bag to a nearby defender. He takes a bite out of the apple and looks Batu over, with a nod he turns and starts walking again.

"I will accept your pledge on a trial basis, we have a man in your area who is my eyes and ears there. He needs help and I need more warriors to send him."

Anvil lowers his voice and continues "We fight to keep people safe and to overthrow evil, we are not knightly in that pursuit, don't get me wrong knights are great folks to have on your side, especially in a large battle on an open plain. We do whatever it takes to bring peace to the innocent, sometimes it's a bit unsavory. I have done some things I'm not proud of but in the long run it saved lives and ended the suffering of the common people. If you are willing to do whatever is called for to ensure the peace we can train you and bring you into the fold so to speak."

As they approach the barracks Anvil stops and looks at Batu, "stay here a few days and get aquainted with some of our folks. Then you can take some supplies back to Stormhaven and find a man named Spoons, he is the sergent in charge of our folks there."

[Batu]

Batu takes the words in deeply, understanding that which he must do. Batu nodded. After which he paused for a moment.

"My blade is ready to be plunged into the heart of darkness"

He uttered with total conviction and determination. Stormhaven would see a new light and have renewed hope he thought.

"What will you have my first task be?"

[Anvil]

"To start relax and refresh yourself for a day or two, in a few days I'll be sending a small caravan of supplies to spoons, you can lead them to Stormhaven."

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

"His idealism is cute, Anvil-san. It is a shame the Darkness is far more elusive than he might ever expect." A figure appeared from behind Anvil, almost as if he had literally stepped out of the man's shadow. Anvil would quickly recognize Kyosuke's face. "Still, it is refreshing to see after all of my time chasing shadows that there are still those willing to step up and take arms against those who might threaten Mittelmarch."

[Anvil]

Anvil smiles and grasp Kyosuke's arm "It's good to see you after all this time, my deepest condolences on the death of your Lord, from the accounts I hear he died in great honor."

Anvil looks over to a couple chagrined guards who hadn't realized Kyosukes approach.

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke took Anvil's arm as well, only a hint of pensiveness on his face. It was something to get used to still, touching another person who one was not intimately familiar with, but such gaijin ideas were starting to rub off on the man. However, the mention of Tatsumura's death brought a grave look from the Samurai. "I had not heard of Tatsumura-dono's death. It seems I have been gone far too long."

Kyosuke's eyes look to the guards impassively.

[Anvil]

"Then I am saddend to be the one to tell you, I'll let you find one who was there to give you the full details."

Anvil looks over the face of the building he will be staying in until other arrangements can be made. It will do he thinks till something better can be secured. Thistle has probably started looking already for a better temparory home till he could get the new hall built for them to live in. Anvil turns back to Kyosuke and Batu,

"You both need to be careful in the city right now. My people tell me there is some sort of underlying tension building right now, though they are not sure why yet."

[Gillion Wyrddych]

The tight winding streets of the city are well known to Gillion.
As he makes his way through them, his thoughts constantly stray towards the news he had recently heard. For years his ambition had been to join the thieves guild as a rogue. Now, that was out of the question.
Though the city was by many respects a good one, it still had it's dark side. And he had no illusions about about trying to survive it alone. Especially not now.

Gillion ducks into a narrow alcove as some drunks pass by.

His business need not be delayed by them.

Rumors of the Defenders setting up shop in town had reach his ears shortly after the other, less happy, news had. They had a reputation for overlooking checkered pasts if one was honest and willing to work. He resolved to ask if they had room for one such as he. If the stories were true, Anvil himself was in town. Gillion knew the best place to ask about him would be at the Silver Tavern.

[Anvil]

Anvil looks at those around him, "Does anyone know where Baethor is currently? I need to see about getting started on our new hall."

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

"..." Kyosuke's face remained largely neutral as Anvil spoke, retaining a certain sense stoicism that Samurai were known for. Still, there was no small amount of uncertainty left by the death of the Shogun. It seems that a return to Kyuden Tatsumura would soon be in order.

As Anvil asked about Baethor, Kyosuke again remained silent. There was no need to waste the man's time with a lack of information.