Pursuit - TR 3

Told you it wouldn't take quite so long to get this page posted!

My brain is mush today and I can't be bothered to read and edit it again >.> so if you find a mistake please tell me!

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Page 3 - you are here
Page 4 - coming soon

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Panel 1
When they first met Logan had a difficult time believing that the saucy barmaid was his contact. In hindsight he realized it was perfect, no one ever thought rebellion or resistance when they met Helka. She had a sharp tongue, a no nonsense attitude with those she didn’t like, and a friendly smile for those she did. What most failed to see was the close attention she paid to the conversations her patrons held, and most were unaware of the sharp mind she also had. Helka never missed the opportunity to keep the drinks and information flowing, and whatever tidbits she picked up were then relayed to the correct parties.

Hitching Crisanto outside, and barely managing to convince Jamari to stay with the horse, Logan made his way into Helka’s current place of employment. Speaking briefly with the inn keep he purchased a meal and drink before sitting at the designated table. It was the least used table, situated almost in the direct center of the dining room. Normal patrons tended to avoid such a conspicuous seat and Helka was familiar enough with her contacts to know when someone else sat there by chance. It took her a few minutes to make her way over with his pint which he took directly and sipped before allowing a bit to splash onto the table.

“That’s alright deary, I’ve got ya covered,” Helka declared leaning over to wipe down the table. Lowering her voice only slightly she told Logan, “Two gents came through bragging about a large bushel of red apples, with a couple sacks of yellow ones too. If ya fancy I suggest looking for them near The Pass in the Vertwynne mountains, that is where they said they were traveling past on their way to sell their haul at market. Seems to me you needn’t rush much, they spoke of lingering a while so a few other vendors could catch up to their caravan.” With a last flourish of her towel she hollered “There y’are love!” Before moving on to the next table without even a backward glance.

It wasn’t an overly complex code but it sounded benign enough to curious ears. Finishing his ale Logan though over what Helka had told him. Her emphasis on the word through meant she believed them to be Gate travelers, implying at least some, if not all, of the horses were from places other than Ileph. A bushel translated to roughly over 10 horses, which Logan guessed meant the men had discussed numbers, however the mention of yellow ones meant, that in addition to the ten or so naturals, they possessed a few mutation Nordanners as well. The Vertwynne mountains were real enough but no one would ever linger there without a reason, too many dragons made their homes in the caves of the mountains.

Finishing his drink Logan left a few more coins from the allowance the resistance had given him on the table. Leaving the bar he stopped outside to stretc,h moving as if he had all the time in the world. His mind raced though, making preparations.
If the thieves were going to Vertwynne he felt almost certain they had to have a stronghold there. The mountain range, while haunted by dragons, also held a number of large unoccupied caverns, many of which could easily hid a large number of people and horses. Depending on how many partners were joining them Logan wasn't sure what the best course of action would be.
He could ride back to headquarters, or even a way station, for reinforcements, the return trip alone, however, would take a week. By the time they made it to the mountains and located the right cave the ring may have already moved on.
Then again, if he pursued the thieves on his own and was vastly out numbered he would waste even more time getting help after the fact. While his thoughts were roiling his feet had carried him to where Crisanto was hitched. Seeing Logan approach the horse let out a whinny and Jamari poked her head out of her special riding cup.

"We're in a pickle," Logan told the two, using his favorite Earth based expression. Both animals gave him blank stares in return. This was going to require more thought.

It took another day for Logan to plan out his next move. He ended up booking a room for the night and a stall for Crisanto, Jamari was more than happy to disappear into the surrounding fields and hunt for her food. In his room he studied his maps and laid out his supplies, figuring out how long his stores would last. After plenty of internal debates he made the decision to send a courier to the last way station and ride on ahead. It was a gamble, to be certain, but he couldn't risk the thieves' ring moving on and losing them again when he was so close.

Panel 2
Finally, after the night's rest, he woke early, paid his tab at the inn, and made his way to the stable. Helka had managed to slip up in the middle of the night, nearly scaring him to death, and after hearing his plan she had assured him she would find a reliable messenger. Knowing that at least that part was taken care of allowed him to focus on the upcoming journey.

The stable hand, a boy of no more than eight and the inkeeper's son, was good at what he did. Though the sun still lingered below the distant hills he had already fed and groomed the customer's horses, Crisanto among them. Giving the horse a scratch on the neck Logan let out a low whistle, calling in Jamari from where she'd spent the night. Leading Crisanto out the man proceeded to tack him up, leaving him unhitched. A very rare horse Crisanto never fussed while being tacked, and had never wandered away from Logan even when spooked, he seemed to relish the adventure as much as his rider. Reappearing Jamari spent some time running between Logan's feet and biting at bits and pieces of tack until Logan lost his patience and set her in her riding cup. She then proceeded to watch him woefully while he checked the last saddle bag.
They made a rather strange sight by the side of the road leading away from the inn. A few patrons making their way to the stable did double-takes when they saw the man, Nordanner, and Zenth. Nordanners were a rare sight to see being ridden by non-soldiers. Logan was lucky that his clothing and mannerisms were enough to give him an air of wealth, making it more plausible that he would own a Nordanner. That was why many of the resistance riders chose different less conspicuous breeds when running errands, Logan supposed he was stubborn in refusing to give up Crisanto.
Cinching the last saddle bag into place Logan told his group, "This is going to be a fast ride you two." Jamari gave him a blank stare. "Yes, I know we've done that before, but who knows what will be waiting for us at the end of this ride. He realized, after he spoke, that he had answered a non-existent question from his Zenth who, while intelligent, was incapable of speech.
"I've been with you guys too long," He muttered, swinging up into the saddle. Crisanto snorted as if in reply causing Logan to chuckle to himself. He supposed there were crazier things he could do than talk to his animals. Tapping Crisanto's side they headed off down the road after the horse thieves.

Panel 3
Logan wiped another bead of sweat from his brow. The early morning air was cool but riding so hard in the sun still heated him past a comfortable temperature. Patting Crisanto's neck he found the horse to be slightly damp as well.
"Hang on buddy, we're almost to the lake." It was only the second day of the journey but tensions were already high amongst the trio. Though improbably, it was as if all three could feel that they were nearing their goal. The Vertwynne Mountains were within view but Logan estimated it would be another day at least before they would start passing through the base on the way to The Pass. Crisanto chuffed and perked his ears off to the right. Logan knew the lake was in that direction and encouraged the horse to move towards it.

The water was cool and refreshing, Logan allowed Crisanto a little while to relax before they made their way back to the road. They moved at a slower pace through the rest of the day as the sun made its way across the sky. As the sun set they made camp a little ways off the road, excitement building among them as they grew closer to their goal. Somehow they all managed to get a few hours of rest despite this. Just before the sun began to lighten the sky Jamari stuck her cold nose into Logan's ear. The man came awake with a sharp yelp, rubbing the offended body party. He was grateful, despite the rude way she had gone about it, that the Zenth had woken him. She had an uncanny sense of time and the schedule Logan preferred to keep to when they traveled. It only took him a few minutes to strike camp since they traveled light. He used the early start to give Crisanto a thorough brushing which the stallion clearly enjoyed. Once all three were ready he mounted up, with Jamari next to him, and they headed out.

They were lucky that the ride was uneventful. They passed two other riders who greeted them but then carried on their way. Multiple times throughout the day Logan dismounted to walk Crisanto, making sure to give the horse rest periods and to not work him too hard. The wind picked up as they grew closer to the mountains, the coolness refreshing in the sunlight. By late afternoon it was a little more unpleasant, but Logan could almost ignore it with how eager he was to be nearing his goal. Crisanto seemed to pick up on his energy. In the last length of their journey the stallion gave an excited neigh and broke into a canter.

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_{References: link | link | link | link | link | link}

Nordanners © Cloudrunner64
Zenths © QueenHalloween
Art/Characters/Ileph © ShadowRaven1