Gultunga listens closely to the conversations betwixt the new
arrivals and those that have been aboard the 'Heart of Oak' in order
to determine the truth to whats been said.  After a few moments he
reaches several conclusions . . .

        Odd, Gultungas here for the coin as many of those on their
ships crew, and know not a thing of the current ruler of the city that
they've placed under siege . . . or for that matter that of the one whom
they currently fight for.  From wot Gultunga hath heard so far, it seems
that I know far less than I should and cannot deem my companions words
worthy of song.  Oft reasons matter not whence coin and the glory of bat-
tle are concerned.

        The Stridesmans curiously looks at the display of the newly acquir-
ed weapons of the new arrivals in order to note if any of the equipment had
the potential of destroying a cities gate.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:19, Sat 23 Jan 2010.

Jaleh dismounted from atop her horse to relax her bottom a bit from riding, though she stayed beside it and went about caring for the animal at a leisurely pace. Of course, all this was mainly a cover for her watching the new arrivals closely, especially the two women. She could already see the heads of her companions turning toward them. She wondered which of the women was the boy's mother, but also, she wondered further what they were doing here.

The thought she was having also led her to consider if she might end up having to kill either of them. They were already possible threats. It was also entirely possible that one could be here for her. Maybe even the boy, but she doubted that. He seemed too green. No, she was sure it was one of the women if was any body. She'd have to watch them more closely. Especially since she noticed one glancing her way, obviously checking her out.

Alyna listens to what Loukas has to say, and her eyes grew wide. "You have been working for the Emperor? Directly?" She seems to search for words for a moment, then she continues: "I had the honor of dancing in his presence in the Hippodrome. Are you certain you were deceived by him? Directly?" The thought was obviously unsettling to her.

"Pardon me, Alyna, but I should be clear that most of those whom you have met so far were recently hired or had been forced to become members of this ship's crew before we captured it and freed them. Our Captain, Miroslav, and we who have just returned were the ones who dealt with this Emperor's treachery... And, to the best of my knowledge none of us have met him. Nevertheless, we have each met one or another of his servants and if they have acted without his knowledge that makes me even less interested in serving him."

The young lad hangs back, overwhelmed by the war-ready riders, and they chatter of besieging a city. Holding lightly onto the skirt of Dyanna, half his face is hidden, and the brim of his hat is low, revealing only a random scatter of straw yellow hair, and one emerald green eye.On closer inspection his size and features might make him less then a decade old, though something in his features speaks to a soul that has seen much. If he has come from the fleshy paws of Constantinople, it might be a bit unpleasant to wonder what such a pretty lad might have been thru.

"Who are these people Dyanna? The captain seems to know them."

He glances at the new comers, measuring the inner strength of the Magyar, admiring the passion of the Roman Priest, and shudders at the shadowy spirit of the Hedonite. These and the others were all clearly dangerous, but the glance the female gave him seemed the most unsettling. He ventured to guess she had extra strength cooties.

The sight of her makes him cling all the closer to his female companion.

"So the Emperor might not have deceived you, he might not even know about you. That sounds more believable. I apologize if I seemed to have doubted your story, but Emperor John and Co-Emperor Basil do not usually deal with people like you and me." Alyna shrugs, smiling as if she shares a secret joke with herself. "I would like to hear the full story of what happened to you. But still, you must know that standing against the Roman Empire is not the best idea a man can have. Or a woman for that matter. Even here, the arm of the Empire is strong, and even if you take the city somehow, you must know that it will not last in the long run."

She pauses again, her brown eyes seemingly turning to a dark black. "And if you attack the city, what happens to the people living there? You already cut their water supply. Do you not care about the men, women and children suffering or even dying because of that?"

Alyna spoke with passion in her voice, she clearly has some experience that is awakened by this. Suddenly afraid of her own courage, she takes a step back and lowers her head.

Dyanna smiles at the child-like figure and places an arm protectively across his shoulders.

"They are more of these warrior folk, apparently, Pyotr," she replies.  "A puissant lot with arms, it seems."

Jean removed his helm allowing hair to fall free and strode closer to the conversation. His eyes appraised Alyna but there was no lust or threat there.

"In truth Loukas had not yet joined our company when we were approached by the Emperor. Twas the Imperator's trusted advisor Nicephorus who charged us with the task which preceded the treachery in question. Nicephorus in turn is charged with all of the foreign doings of the Emperor. It is highly unlikely that he acted without sanction."

He looks closely at the newcomers.

"Though you say you sailed with the Greeks you speak far to freely to be prisoners. Am I to assume then that you are allies? If so then you must adjust yourselves to these facts; yon city is the goal of the Knyaz and therefore you city is the future of this company."

He finished in a slightly softer tone.


"Only a swift end to the conflict can spare those people from excessive suffering."

"Neither prisoners, nor allies, yet. I am a Kiev Rus, in transit home to visit my mommy. I had no quarrel with these warriors..." he gestures towards the Dragon-ship and it's crew, "... when they attacked the ship I was on, and I have no quarrel with you, but I see no reason to aid you in the destruction of a city with no good reason. And before you exhale once more, be aware that 'loot' has as much interest to me as 'rape', and less then the pleasure of violence that so enthralls you big-folk."

He juts out his hairless chin defiantly, though his grip tightens on his female companions skirt; his demeanor is brash, but perhaps isn't backed up with as much courage as he had hoped to display.

"Be silent boy. Adults are speaking."

With a glance at the Frank, Loukas shrugs, and speaks to Alyna, "Quite right... I did not know Sir Jean or any of these others until I had joined their party as an agent of the Basilius. That said, my orders were not given to me by His Imperial Majesty, but whose orders are? Your naivete is charming, Alyana, but is naivete, nevertheless.

If you do not wish to join us, you may dive back into the Black Sea and find your way back to wherever you would rather be. Or stay here and the Captain my decide that we will deliver you wherever it is you wish to be. Those of us who have been thrown together by fortune or employ have a job to do... A job that we have taken as free men and one that I, for one, do not fear. And as Sir Jean says, our actions, I hope, will bring this siege to a quicker end than would have occurred otherwise. Such is precisely the Knyaz's point in ordering an attack on their gate. In doing so we ensure the Orcs defending the city that there is something worse, and quicker, than dehydration."
This message was last edited by the player at 06:19, Sun 24 Jan 2010.

             Gultunga is disturbed at the dancers audacity at having added
her voice to that of the  War Council whence her loyalties are quite quest-
ionable.  The Stridesman quickly adds his voice to that of the Council . . .

             "Hush Alyna!!!  Though I appreciate wot ye hath done for me,
I can not allow thee to attempt to dissuade or ruin the morale of those fine
warriors that are now gathered here for this War Council.  Alyna ye are nei-
ther a warrior, skald, or war priest to command such a voice here and now.

             Alyna doth thee not realize that thy words fall like chaff in
the wind.  Ye hath the hands of a healer, the legs of a dancer, but not the
authority, nor the knowledge to judge the way of things as it now stands; ye
are undoubtedly biased and hath motives most questionable whence considering
thy origins.  Obviously thy heart lies with that of the Romans and not with
our war band!"
This message was last edited by the player at 04:27, Sun 24 Jan 2010.

Bristling at the brusk dismissal by the knight, the lad avoids the urge to bring the Frank to his knees, and comforts himself with fact that numb-skulls like this liked to lead the charge, and more often then not ended up feeding the daisies.

If minds like this were in charge of this siege, however, his coin was on the city.

"We should go find a place to sit, Dyanna. Hopefully someplace with a nice view of the field of battle. I think I'm gonna enjoy this..."

Giving the knight a broad smile, the youth pulls three leather balls out of a belt pouch, and starts to juggle them as he walks away. Though they remain red, green and yellow, to a quick eye, it seems the colors are shifting. Maybe.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:12, Sun 24 Jan 2010.

Dyanna's smile at her youthful companion splits into a wide grin as he walks away.

Turning to the others she says, "Surely such men as yourselves, puissant in arms, can come up with something better than spilling your brains against a heavily fortified gate?"

"I would ride with you.  I've some skills that may be of use, and ofttimes the guise of an innocent is the best disguise of all.  Yet who says even this may be the best plan - what say we reconnoiter the gates of the city and make what plans we can at that time."

As the woman in the studded leather speaks, A'kos eyes the other.  When the former finishes speaking he barks at both, "Too much talk!  If you are with us, then come - we've mounts enough for you to keep up.  If you have doubts, then stay and be silent to the ways of war.  Share not your mercies and misgivings lest you spell doom upon those with strong sword arms!  We have set our course, 'tis not for you to offer counsel otherwise!"

Jean suppressed a chuckle at the petulant lad's antics. He was reminded of a young cousin who had sadly died far too young.

Turning back to the conversation he nodded in agreement with A'Kos

"True enough."

Jean extends his hand to Dyanna.

"If you will ride with us I would know your name? I am Jean D'Arzillieres."

Dyanna listens to the Magyar's rant, then says to Pyotr, "Come, it shall be interesting.  I shall carry you above the waves - I would that you ride with me."

Lifting her diminutive friend, she makes her way ashore holding him above the roiling waters, and approaches the mounted horsemen.  She looks up as the Frank knight addresses her, and studies him speculatively.

"I am called Dyanna, Sir Jean.  I carry no surname since the destruction of my village more than a decade ago, though I was born in the same hills where Leonidas I earned his fame so many years ago."

Alyna nods at Gultunga. "You are absolutely right. I am not a warrior. Therefore me participating in your charge is out of the question. If you do not mind me sticking around at the back, I would like to be there when the wounded are returned. And if you decide in your war council that the way of diplomacy could be the better way, i would gladly offer my services in delivering your message to the city and speaking on your behalf."

Looking at the Frank, Alyna adresses him directly: "Sir Jean, my city, Aleppo, was taken by the Romans just eight years ago. I know what i speak of when i voice concern about the innocents." She adds then in fluent Frankish: "And please, do not assume to know where my allegiance lies."

Alyna then walks a few steps back and sits down on a rower's seat, giving the men the space they seem to need to hold their war council.

"Innocents are going to suffer and die," Jaleh said, speaking up from where she stood beside her horse. "They always do. Mainly because of their rulers, such as this case. If the innocents don't want to suffer they need to find a way to convince their ruler to surrender. Rome is indeed powerful. But Rome's might lies in the legions. The Legion is not here currently, so we need not be overly concerned with them."

"There will be less suffering if the gates fall soon. I will ride with you as I did before, if only to try taking as many of the populace out of harm as it is possible."

Pyotr scrambles away from Dynna, grabs his bags, and slides over the front of the ship, sinking a bit in the wet sand, and heading for shore before the next wave approaches.

Turning back, he grins, and thumbs his nose at the grabby female. She wasn't the first woman to take liberties, he had lived in Constantinople, after all. At least now, he could avoid the discomfort of unwanted amorous advances.

Upon reaching a spot above the shoreline, he takes a seat in the grass, and resumes juggling his purple,red and gold leather sacks.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:45, Mon 25 Jan 2010.

In reply to Roderychus Venturos (msg #34):

"I agree Roderychus, but I am not sure it will come to a battle before the gates. By the time we have met up with the Knyaz's reinforcements the city will have realized that they have lost their water supply. The Orcs may be willing to fight knowing that, but the citizens will not be and we may find we have allies within the city we did not realize."

At long last, Balthazar tears his gaze away from Alyna and Dynna.  "I am Balthazar the Hedonite, it is indeed a pleasure to meet you both."  Then he nods to little Pyotr, "And to you as well."  He turns to Miroslav and Gultunga, "Glad to see you both in excellent health.  Where are Ulfr and Barmak?"

I didn't really keep up with the "setting sail" thread - would it be too much to ask to get a synopsis of what happened?

Then he asks Miroslav, "Will there be time for a short meditation before we storm the gates?  I have some bold new ideas and I wish to study my arcane tomes for a brief period."  (translation: went up a level, have 2 more spells I can memorize)

A'kos chafes at the delay, his sword resting across his legs as he stares down at the newcomers.

"What's this, a boy?" he laughs aloud.  "Perhaps we can set him in the front rank - likely he'll have our foes' hearts a tremble at the mere sight of his wee frame!"

"Enough, already," he finishes.  "Let us be on our way once again to see what we may find!"

       Gultunga gathers his accoutraments and all of his possessions, and
jumps down onto the shore.  The Stridesman makes his way over to a nearby
lone rider and readies himself to ride double . . .