Rualtik steps out into the camp a bustling camp, full of children play and adults laughing, and eating. "You alright?" Ishoa asks sitting on a barrel cutting pieces off an apple. "I'll be fine, as much as I want to march to my kingdom and take it back, I know I'm gonna need help, I'll help you guys on one condition." Ishoa sticks a piece of apple in here mouth as she jumps off the barrel. "What would that be?"
"I pick who's going with us to check on your other thieves order." Ishoa looks away out towards the community eating another slice of apple. "I'll agree to that, we got enough people for you to choose up to thirty people." Rualtik looks out to the community noticing the little pup he brought with him playing with another group of dogs. "No, thirty people is to many, we'll bring three including myself and you." Ishoa sticks the last slice of apple in her mouth and puts her knife away. "That works for me, just let me know what you need and we'll get it."
"How long does it take to get the other thieves order?" Rualtik then notices to his left a woman sharpening a long axe. "Who is that?"
"Its about a years journey on horse back and her name is Thesia, she came here not to long ago, she said she was looking for a fugitive from the Norse Isles."
"We should take her, wouldn't hurt to take some extra muscle with us, especially with a years journey ahead of us." Rualtik notices the symbol on her leather shoulder pad, recognizing the symbol as the same symbol that was on his mother's old weapons and armor. "Curious, she has the same symbol on her armor that my mother did."
"That is a little weird, it's weirder that a black knight had a viking mother though." Rualtik smiles at Ishoa pointing at the varying scares across his torso. "Who did you think taught me to deal with all the pain I endure during fights." Ishoa smiles turning around waving Rualtik her direction. "Well we got two more person going with us, let's get some food, I'm starving!" Rualtik then follows Ishoa noticing everybody staring at him as he walks by, but he had a stiring feeling that someone was watching him that he couldn't see. "Why is everyone here staring at me?"
"Well, everyone here isn't used to having a black knight in thier presence, unless they're being chased or fighting one, plus you don't have a shirt on." Rualtik looks down noticing the only things he's wearing are his pants and his sword. "Huh, didn't really notice the shirt part, but if I'm here shouldn't they know that I'm here to do good?" Ishoa sighs as they walk up to the tent flap of a make shift tavern. "Just because YOU did good as a black knight doesn't mean they all did good." Rualtik follows closely behind Ishoa taking in the smells of ale, mead, and cooked meat. "Smells good in here." Ishoa smiles back at Rualtik leading him to a corner where one table is separated from the rest, holding up two fingers as they sit down. "Listen, the people here have not had a very good time with black knights, most of the people here have or had family members that have either died to the knight or dismembered by them, some of them are dismembered themselves." Rualtik then looks down at the table disgusted at what he just heard. "The black knight is supposed to stand as a symbol of protection, peace, and power."
"But that's where you're from, the farther you get from Ashenvyre the more the term "black knight" becomes a symbol of terror." Rualtik looks up at Ishoa. "I swear on my life I will kill every last black knight in these lands." The barkeep then bring Rualtik and Ishoa a bowl of stew and tankard of ale. "We'll take you on that word." Says the barkeep winking at Rualtik. "We all will." Rualtik then turns around to see the whole tavern looking at him, with one old man missing an arm. "If you truly mean the words you speak then all of us here will have your back no matter what." Rualtik stands to his feet walking over to the man and sticking his hand out to the man. "You have my word."
"You have the same tenacity as the one black knight that saved me long ago, when they actually protected the people." The old man shakes Rualtiks hand. "Good luck, knight." Rualtik looks at the man for a second longer before the man sits back down and starts eating again. "Well it looks like you made a friend." Rualtik sits down and starts eating smiling at Ishoa. "I'll show you guys that you can trust a black knight, well I guess I'm not really a black knight anymore." Rualtik then scrafs is food down leaving nothing but some sauce. "Man, that was great!" Ishoa waves down the barkeep to bring another helping. "Thank you for this, I truly appreciate it."
"Well, if you're gonna help us I figured that you need to be well feed." Rualtik smiles at Ishoa petting Fang. "What is he?"
"When I was little, about 8 years old, I was lost in the forest when a wolf cub found me, we played a little bit, finally when my father found me and the wolf cub he took both of us home, later on done the line Fang here died on the battlefield protecting me sense I was heavily injured, but how he turned into this liquid metal I have no idea." Rualtik points at the ground and Fang instantly lays down. "Positive side to it is he doesn't need water or food so it saves on food rations when traveling, and most of the time he fuses himself to my armor making it easier for travel, so win win."
Ishoa takes a long swig from her tankard.
"Well atleast you get to have your friend where ever you go, but let's get down to business, what else are we gonna need?"
Rualtik grabs another bowl of stew as the barkeep bring it to the table. "Well, we're gonna need a spell caster, and someone that's good with a bow or black powder pistol for distance, you got those?" Ishoa sits back crossing her arms. "We have an aracher and a gunsmith not sure we have anyone that uses a black powder pistol, he mainly works on our cannons and what not, but we have an archer that I would trust." Rualtik takes a bite of his food pointing his fork at Ishoa. "Whats the furthest shot you've seen him take?"
"I'm gonna say about fifteen hundred yards, and he's pretty good at sneaking around too, I've seen him take down an entire camp both from a distance and up close." Rualtik sets his fork down sighing tapping his stomach. "What about a spellcaster, gonna need one that knows healing, defense, offense, everything."
"Well let's go meet him, cause I'm not really sure what he knows, but our blacksmith wants to meet you." Ishoa stands up walking out of the tent. "Come on!" Rualtik quickly stands running to the door, but as he takes a step outside the tent a wooden plank is swung at his head, as it hits Rualtik in the face it shatters into splinters. "What was that for?" Rualtik then quickly catches the arm of something trying to stab him, looking down at the ground seeing Ishoa wrestle with one of the people of the camp. "Someone help me, I can't move." As another thief rushes Rualtik he grabs the knife out of the first ones hand swinging the first thief into the second one knocking them to the side, he then quickly jumps on top of the thief wrestling, pinning them to the ground and stabs them in the throat. "You alright?" Ishoa quickly stands up grabbing one of the thieves that attacked Rualtik slitting their throat. "Listen up, Rualtik is apart of our order now, anyone that has a problem with that can leave!" Ishoa kicks then grabs the second thief slitting thier throat swelling. "Anyone that attempts to kill either me or Rualtik for this reason will get the same treatment as these three, understood?!" The order then lowers down to one knee as if to apologize. "Let's go, we have business to attend to." Rualtik then stands up tossing the knife to the side following Ishoa. "You alright?" Rualtik asks patting Ishoa on the shoulder. "I'm fine, let's go meet the blacksmith." Rualtik then whistles and as he does Fang runs to him and starts following. "We're ready to go."
"Good, she said she was excited to see you again." Rualtik looks at Fang in confusion and shrugs following Ishoa.