(1866-06-14) Plans on Revenge
Plans on Revenge
Summary: Jaelynn, Thomas, Rhett and Sonya meet to discuss plans.
Date: 1866-06-14
Related: None
NPCs: {$npc}
Players:
Jaelynn  Rhett  Sonya  Thomas  

Tavern/Inn at Ironhold
Room description
06/14/1866

Jaelynn sits alone, until her cousin shows, the fact that he is heir now does not bother her much. Both nobles dressed down, this is a Tavern after all. Her fingers round her cider and she smiles, tucking her hair behind her ear "Hello Rhett." She relaxes "Trying to have one day of relaxing." she says to him as she dips her bread into the cheese. "Would you like something to eat?" she asks before she chews on the fondued bread

Rhett will take the seat across from her at the table and smile "A day to relax that sounds like a wonderful plan to me." He comments though the offer he considers "I think so, and something or a few somethings to drink." He wonders what he should have though. "It is good to see you out like this Jaelynn." he comments after his silence.

It has taken Baron Thomas Chandus quite some time to fully recover from the grievous injuries that he'd received at the 'Peace Ball' several weeks before. After some rustling outside, he and a small cadre of dust covered, tired looking soldiers come through the door to one of the public houses of Ironhold, their helmets tucked under arms and shields slung on their backs. Thomas himself, clad in a set of mottled green and brown brigandine armor, shakes and stomps some of the dust off of him. As people turn to look, a sheepish grin finds its way on his face, a silent apology at making an excess of noise.

Jaelynn turns her eyes also to the door - and the Baron with his guards, the young Arkanin has a guard as well. Her vision softens and she waves to Thomas "Come join us." says the small healer. She turns, looking back to her cousin and she nods "I feel guilty, wanting to spend more time in black and in mourning. But - people need me strong, Henric is not well." she says quietly to her cousin. "I wish I could do more."

The young man nods to her words "He has lost a lot, it will take time to heal his mind. I've heard only rumor and tale of his current state. You have done plenty I’m sure." Rhett turns as the door opens and he gives a nod in greeting to the one who enters if they look their direction.

Thomas's own expression brightens at the sight of Jaelynn. He nods to his soldiers and motions for them to move off, though the understood subtext is that they ought to stay nearby. This they do, moving to a table a comfortable distance in sight of the nobles. One can never be too careful in these days. Thomas himself strides over to the table, dipping his head first at Jaelynn, and then at Rhett. "My lady Jaelynn. You are looking far more healthy than when I last saw you, One be praised." His watery blue eyes shift to Rhett. "My lord. Thomas Chandus, Baron Repton March at your service."

Jaelynn smiles as the pair introduce themselves, her eyes move between her cousin and the Baron lightly she smiles to Rhett then she dips her bread in the warm cheeses to eat the stringed delight that reaches her lips. She draws her toung across the strands of cheese, trying to be delicate about eating and failing, but .. they need times like this to grin silly about.

"It is an honor. "Lord Rhett Charing." He says answering the introduction quickly enough motioning as well if the other wishes to sit. He will order a couple of ales and some food of his own. He looks back across the table and chuckles "You inspire me to try the same food m'lady."

Thomas's eyebrow perks up at the name of Charing, though he does as bid and takes a seat, first setting his shield on the wall next to him and his plumed steel helmet atop it. Gauntlets and forearm bracers come off next, in an effort to make himself more comfortable. Still, it doesn't appear that he's settling in for a long haul. "My lady, my lord. I am so sorry for all of your losses, of late. I assume, Lord Rhett, that you are the brother of the late Sir Aidric. He was a stalwart man and a good soldier, and the Kingdom is worse off without him. May I intrude on pleasantries to talk business, however, with you both? I fear I am only passing through Ironhold on the way back south in order to return to my fief and my soldiery." Turning to Jaelynn, he says, "I hope you will be able to join us. Your presence, courage and skill at healing are an inspiration to all."

Jaelynn nods to her cousin about her fondue bread, and she offers him a little smile before her eyes turn to Thomas. "I was hoping my cousin here could join you as well, however… Henric is very ill and…" she breaks there, "Can you get some skilled healers to stay here and watch after him?"

Rhett listens to the talk of business and ponders a moment his ales arriving he'll take a drink and another. He returns the smile to Jaelynn before looking back "I believe that the threat must end and so yes. I will travel and fight alongside you both. Your healing will be quite an asset to us I am sure Jaelynn." He comments before eating a bite of his own food.

Thomas frowns at the news of Henric being ill. "I ought to pay him a visit. I did not know that the Viscount had taken ill… As for healers, all those I know are you, here, and those out east - the Reliants." He flags down a server for two small jugs - one wine, one water. These he mixes in a cup and drinks to both slake his thirst and ease some of the travellers' soreness. After some silence, he says, "Lord Rhett. I think, provided that the Arkanin are amenable to you commanding their troops which, given your family's sacrifice already I'm sure they are, we all ought to convene to a private room in order to speak without any overhearing us. I think this is of essence. More than once, our enemies' ears have been bent to intercept our plans, I'm told." His eyebrows rise expectantly, a hand sweeping towards the staircase. "If you would not mind?"

Jaelynn nods her head to Thomas's words, her eyes move to the stairs and she looks to her cheese which will cool unless she takes them. She however seems to accept that her snack will wait, and she stands - her eyes look to her cousin.

The heir of Charing listens to the words spoken nodding both about the leader of the lands Henric and the meeting. He will take a few more good sized drinks cause well he needs a drink or two. "I am agreeable to meeting certainly. Rhett looks across to Jaelynn and smiles softly before he moves to stand so they can make their way."

Thomas motions to a server again - this time, with nonverbal instructions to bring up their refreshments to a room upstairs. Then, with an apologetic nod to the other nobles, he moves over to talk to the soldier in command of his small guard retinue, ranked a Corporal from the two downwards pointing chevrons on his sleeve. Half of them will head upstairs and the others stay to watch the door. Satisfied with the arrangements, Thomas leads all to a private room in the inn. Once all is up and ready, he closes the door behind them. "Now then. Lord Rhett. Perhaps it ought to be best if you join up with Viscountess Sonya Kaedon. She stands poised with her forces. If you join up with her, you could move into the Tarris Duchy and then the County Windholme from the west and scour the countryside of Thorns." He pours a new cup of watered wine. "Fitzroy and her Thorn allies are said to be very numerous. As in the Scales Campaign, there are far more of them than there ought to be, given that Fiztroy is a Baroness. Viscount Justin Daltre tried to relieve the County from the north. He was drawn south and then set upon by a horde and decimated. Out of his original fifteen hundred soldier complement, he's at roughly a third. Meanwhile, at least one thousand still invest him in an old fortress. Furthermore, there are countless others in the country side and investing the capital at Riverrend."

Jaelynn looks to Thomas as he begins to give orders, she listens as he moves telling her cousin about the campaign. She takes a deep drink of her cider. She folds herself up on a chair sitting with her knees up and her elbows on them leaning forward slightly her chin on her forearms.

Rhett listens to the man’s words about linking up with another force. He is considering everything and before he lets his ale get to much into his head "I believe this is agreeable and I may be of some use to the forces there. I would like to see this ended so there is a lasting peace finally." he says taking another drink. He looks to his cousin wondering what's on her mind but won’t ask at the moment.

Jaelynn nods her head to Rhett then also to the Barron, "My father’s men will listen to whomever you deem is commanding them".. she says quietly. Sometimes… well many times it’s easy to forget she is the Duke's daughter.

The three nobles, along with a handful of guards are upstairs in one of Ironhold's main public house and inns. Meanwhile, a few more guards downstairs would direct any trusted visitors upstairs to join.

"God be good, there will be. I know that both Lady Jaelynn's family's troops as well as Viscountess Kaedon's are both suited towards the type of warfare that I am requesting you to do - fighting in broken, hilly and wooded terrain of the countryside. You may need to split troops up in smaller detachments, or to keep them together should there be a large enemy force. I leave the particulars up to you, as well as the particulars of your logistic situation. Just know that there is unlikely to be much grain to support you in towns; the County has been occupied for over three months, nearer to four now. Foraging is still possible, though. As I said, the ground is mountainous and wooded. Broken terrain, similar to that which the Duchy of Wayston and County Kaedon are made up of." Thomas leans back in his seat. "I implore you to move as quickly as you can. It will relieve pressure on Viscount Daltre's force." He says. Then, the Baron asks, "What do you think?"

Having been directed upstairs Sonya makes her appearance now entering the room quietly and offering a polite nod to those present. She looks calmly to Thomas listening a moment before there is silence for her to speak. "My apologies for being late Baron Chandus. I was checking over the status of my men. It is good to see you again, and you as well Lord Rhett." She looks to Jaelynn next and offers a faint smile. "I don't think we have met before…Viscountess Sonya Kaedon." She offers a polite dip of her head to the woman and falls silent to listen once more.

When the door is opened, Thomas drops a hand to his sword belt, slightly rising from his seat. As soon as he realizes who it is, his hands fall to his side and he dips his head respectfully. "Viscountess Kaedon, a pleasure. We were discussing the Eastern campaign for County Windholme." He proceeds to fill her in on what they've talked about thus far.

Jaelynn looks to her Cousin and then the Viscountess enters, a bow of her head "Lady Jaelynn Arkanin - Healer." she whispers softly, her words gentle and as she does not know much about running an army, she listens and learns all she can from the meeting.

Rhett ponders the others words, well hmm the troops might be used to that style of combat but who says he is? He looks on "Sounds like no supplies outnumbered at times. If you think me best for this I will take lead. Though it will take a good bit of thought to be certain on how to proceed. He looks up quickly to the door but spots the one who enters. "Your Excellency, an honor to see you again." He comments."

Sonya lets Thomas fill her in and considers a moment her expression calm and thoughtful. "I have experience commanding my own troops but I'm also perfectly capable of deferring to another if need be. Honestly I will admit, I'm a fairly average commander truth be told…if Lord Rhett has more experience I will suggest he be in charge of our part of the army. The Shadow Snakes are archers mostly, scouts trained in the forests so moving quickly won't be a problem for them. The infantry will be a bit slower though. Do we know anything about the Thorns in the area? How they fight?"

Jaelynn frowns and looks to Sonya "via poison." she says flatly. Her eyes shift and she rubs her side.. she got hit pretty hard when tending to Thomas, but…it was the poison she remembers.

"I think that these are not my soldiers, Lord Rhett." Answers Thomas with a wry smile, his eyebrows rising in unison. "I merely suggest what Viscount Reine and I were thinking." He procures another cup and pours some wine for Sonya, leaving room for water if she's of the inclination to do so. It's no superb vintage, but it will do. He nods at Sonya. "Somewhat. As I've told Lady Jaelynn and Lord Rhett, we know of at least a thousand besieging Viscount Daltre. I would expect as many as three times that many Thorns in the County as a whole, possibly more. I was shocked by the amount of soldiers the Malkess brought to bear on my fief. Most were mercenaries and Caltu tribesmen, but even the Malkess themselves recruited enormous amounts of soldiers. The Fitzroys are a horse heavy house. This won't serve them particularly well in Windholme, so I expect they've filled out many numbers with mercenary and Thorn infantry. I'm afraid that details are sparse. Your scouts are excellent, however. I would suggest a good hold on your soldiers. The Thorns are wily, as Lady Jaelynn says. And, Lady Jaelynn - would you consent to travelling with the Arkanin-Kaedon army as their head healer? Your expertise is well known. It calms men and beasts and heartens them."

"As for us Easterners, we have Mother Viola and her Reliants. At the same time as you prepare your forces, given a few days I will be back in the Valley of Scales. The preponderance of our soldiers have been resting, recruiting, training and building supplies for this campaign. The County Windholme forces and our attachments from the Duchy will barge down to the Barony of River Wood and then break out from there, from the south. As your forces clear the countryside of Thorns, we will march to the relief of Viscount Daltre and attack the force there. Speed is now of the essence."

Sonya eyes Jaelynn calmly revealing nothing of what she thinks in her expression. "I am aware of that but there is a difference between how one conducts an assassination and how one fights on the field of battle." She looks back to Thomas now listening quietly as he speaks and silently thinking things over in her mind.

"The Thorns have tried many different ways to cut us off from helping one another they seem great at hiding where the source of it all is coming from." Rhett looks over to the Viscountess and nods "It would have been good to have Lady Raelyn for that.. huntresse's are legendary for such style of combat, but it’s not foreign to me completely. I don’t intend to march straight at them until we know more." He looks around the room. "I know during the Goldhollow campaign my brother lured them in to a trap a series of feigning retreats to draw them in and then forces encircling them and destroying them."

"The stratagems you use, I leave up to you, noble ladies and lord. All I ask is that you move as swiftly as possible in order to occupy and relieve some enemy pressure from Viscount Daltre. If the plan works, we will be able to strike hard at the enemy force besieging him. Then, if we have both proven successful, we can join together and strike on the Fitzroy forces besieging Riverrend, the County's capital. That is the current plan." Explains Thomas. He rises from his seat and, draining the remainder of his cup in one go, straps his shield and dons his helmet. "As I said, time is of the essence. I apologize for taking my leave so quickly, but we must take the river barge downstream so that we can make it to our starting point as soon as possible. Should you wish to contact me with important information, send moongazer to the capital of House Riven. That is where we will breach the county from. Viscountess, Lady Jaelynn and Lord Rhett - God speed to you. May the One and his holy saints watch over, shield and strengthen you in your endeavours. With divine will, we will meet up standing over our defeated enemies and soon." He bows his head and leaves the room.

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