The Amazons

[Caile]

A small town of tents has cropped up to the east of The Broken Dagger tavern. Row upon row of of ordered canvas, lines of horses staked and nickering quietly amongst themselves as their riders conversed congenially amongst the cookfires that dotted the camp. Ringing of hammers on metal could be heard as well as the mobile blacksmiths set to their work of pounding shoes and pegs for the tents, nails and axles for the carts and yolks for the ox teams. Some were set to repairing arms and armour while elsewhere fletchers fletched, cooks cooked and soldier after soldier after soldier sat and talked and laughed and ate while they fixed harnesses and saddles and armour, cleaned and sharpened weapons in neat, orderly little groups.

There were more than two hundred of them (two hundred and sixty five if one were to count carefully) and not one of them was a man.

The Amazons had arrived in Myrken Woods.

There were women of various cultures and races present of blacks and browns and yellows and whites (some few were even green and there was one woman with blue ink tattoo'd over her entire body). There were women who were once farmers, once wives. There were women who were once prostitutes. There were women who had served in armies for great kings and petty lords and women who had been mercenaries for as long as they could hold a sword. And at the heart of them all was their commander, their captain. A woman with olive skin and short, spiky black hair who had originally hailed from a small island south of Trae Kelsa.

She and her Amazons had been fighting wars and petty disputes all over the continent and even some of the closer lying ones from over the sea when things grew too dull on this one. Now though there were rumours of a war coming with the spring and she wanted to be in place to offer their services to either side once things began heating up. Soldiers may not march in winter but paperwork and politics never paused. They'd set up their camp here and would dig in until the warming sun melted the snows and battle lines were drawn up. Which side they would be on remained to be seen and it was up to the Captain to ferret out the rumours and information they'd need to make that decision.

For now they'd continue to improve their little tent city, building fortifications and even roads, shelters for meals and makeshift stables for the horses as they settled in to wait out the season.

[channe]

Up the road rides a woman on a pretty sorrel horse; she's dressed in dark forest greens and browns, and on her chest is an embroidered tree, the sigil of the militia of Myrken Wood. When she'd arrive at the camp, she'd identify herself as Agnieszka River, the chairwoman for defense of Myrken Wood, here to see the commander of the party.

[Caile]

She had been seen coming by the sentries who had let her pass but had signalled ahead there was a rider. She had been seen by the guards at the gates to the encampment, one of which asked her to wait where she was while a message was sent to Captain Kyme and once a response was returned via the same messenger she would be led to the largest tent in the center of the camp where she would be seen by the captain of the Amazons herself.

Agnieszka would no doubt recognize the woman who sat at the small wooden table inside the commanders tent, she had seen her twice before at the tavern though granted the first night she may have been too distracted. She'd definitely seen her the night previous when the woman had approached them on the porch and spoken briefly to her and her husband.

A young girl had taken the reins of the horse from the chairwoman with a wide eyed and solemn stare. The guard who had escorted Agnie to the tent assured her the horse would be well taken care of, and returned when her business here was complete. The tent was held open until she passed through and the flaps would be let to fall closed behind her, leaving her face to face with the seated Kyme in a cozy brazier heated canvas haven.

"Forgive me, I'm not sure which title you prefer. Chairwoman River? I am Captain Kyme, I understand you were looking for me?" A seat would be gestured to just feet from where Agnie stood, across the table from the captain. On the table itself there was a pot of tea, a bottle of whiskey and a small plate of various breads, cheeses and olives, the latter being a personal treasure of the captain's.

[channe]

"I am," she said. Slightly narrowed eyes, of course, but friendly enough for now, was Agnieszka; plus, they'd allowed her to keep her rune-sword, a gesture of trust if there was one in such society. Of course, you couldn't ask the defense chairwoman to take her weapon off in her own land, now, could you?

"Chairwoman River is fine," says Agnie, skirting the chair and then sitting down easily, as if it were her very own tent. Her eyes go down the olives; she's obviously never seen them. And then, oh, back up to Kyme. "Yes, Captain," she says, lifting her chin. "You have a large... army." A pause. "Of soldiers." As if it weren't obvious. "I suppose I'm here to find what flag you fly, and your intentions here in Myrken Wood. You must understand it is nearly winter, and large armed bands make the locals... nervous." She doesn't reach for the whiskey yet. Let it be all business, then, until she knows more of what Kyme is all about.

[Caile]

As the chairwoman spoke the captain popped one of the olives in her mouth, chewed carefully around the pit and then spit it discreetly into her hand before tossing it into a small bowl set aside for such things. "Well Chairwoman River, your Senior Inquisitor asked much the same thing the other night and I'll tell you the same I told him. Rumours of war have drifted to us on the winds, we are here merely to wait out the winter and hopefully receive offers of employment from those involved."

She paused and took a sip from the delicate teacup set within her reach. A matching cup and saucer sat empty on the opposite end of the table should her guest wish to partake as well.

"I assure you we are almost entirely self sufficient so no burden will be placed on your community and while the women will be allowed to mingle in small groups if there is any incident please notify me immediately and the perpetrator will be severely punished. We don't wish to cause any inconvenience." In fact if things went well the company would be injecting a great deal of income into the Myrken economy which could only benefit the community.

[Dulcie]

Tents.

Memories of days long ago flooded the wild woman when she saw the wind pressing on the temporary structures and for a moment Kacela was distracted from all other things in her world, ignoring the game that she been planning to hunt that afternoon. There were more interesting things to investigate now.

The wild woman tucked her bow and arrow away, grabbing hold of the branch she had been sitting on, spying on the camp from her tall tree. With an easy shift of her body she'd let herself drop down to the ground and off towards the encampment.

Within the trees and the brush she was able to travel quickly, moving at a pace that was far beyond that of any human, but she had no worries about being seen, for there was still a great deal of distance to cross, only slowing when finally she began to run out of trees to hide her from the view of the people in the tents.

She would approach slowly, creeping along the brush for as long as she could until it ran out, eventually stilling herself and settling in to watch the women who lived among the tents.

[channe]

The Senior Inquisitor. Of course. She smiles. "He did say that. Well." She pauses. "Then. We're glad to have you as friends, then." She extends her hand over the desk; definitely a swordswoman's, if not a complete veteran's. "I can't guarantee you work. We're focused on keeping the peace here, at a definitive cost; we're sick o' war an' death an' violence, an' the Thessilanean army has enough to dish for all of us. We're trying to avoid going to that dinner. But we'll welcome you over winter, and see where we stand come springtime. You.. never know." Her eyes flash.

[Caile]

Outside the woman was spotted but as she approached no further she was left in peace. The Amazons went about their daily business in relatively good cheer. The winter storms had yet to pile snow about and though the nights could grow chilly they were amply provided for as far as blankets, braziers and campfires. Some of the women even went so far as to sleep under the stars for the novelty of it. There was laughter, there were arguments and there were small groups of women coming and going from the campsite throughout the day.

Inside the Captain's tent Kyme just nodded, carefully ate another olive as she listened and discarded the pit before she'd speak again. "You may not have a choice come spring, avoiding the war that is. As for work, well if you don't hire us someone is bound to." She just shrugs. "Feel free to have a look around before you leave if you like, one of the guards will escort you until you're ready to depart."

[Dulcie]

The wild woman waited until she had gained a good sight of the women inside the encampment. Even within those few moments she had counted warriors, the kinds of weapons that they carried, and what seemed to be their general demeanor. She was curious about these strange women, and that was enough to try her luck with meeting them. She carefully assured that her weapons were all close at hand, but tucked away well enough to show that she intended no violence. She emerged from the brush then, knowing that she had been seen already, though now she made no attempt to hide her presence. She'd begin walking towards the encampment, waiting to see what sort of greeting they would give to her.