[centre][h2]Chapter 1 – Agents of the Consano[/h2][/centre]

Buxton looked upon the large group of people now assembled on the street outside of the inn. Between the morning dampness, the horses and the recruits, the ground had quickly become soft and mushy, with more than one man nearly slipping over. Her own boots had sunk into the mud and she could feel the cold begin to seep through the leather. Each recruit seemed to have a slightly different expression, from those clearly fearing that they were about to set off towards their death, to those that seemed almost excited, and even a few that seemed entirely unphased or otherwise too disciplined to show their true feelings. The scent of alcohol even lingered on a few of their breaths. Buxton let out a quiet sigh, not loud or obvious enough for anyone to notice. Each man and woman brought something to the Consano, be it combat prowess, magic or some useful knowledge, but they seemed far from the elite platoon she was hoping for. Far from the elite platoon that they needed. Chester took a stand by her side, his feet shoulder-width apart with his hands behind his back; a perfect example of discipline if ever there was one. [b]“Will you be addressing them? Or shall I?”[/b] he whispered, secretly hoping that she would give him the chance (for it had been years since he was last granted the opportunity). 

[b]“I’ll address them; I am the leader of this taskforce after all.”[/b] she answered nonchalantly, not thinking too much about it. [b]“If you could get their attention though?”[/b] she shared a brief smile with Chester and begun trying to get her thoughts in order. 

[b]“Atten-shun!”[/b] Chester boomed, his voice striking fear into some nearby birds and undoubtedly waking up even more locals. The recruits seemed to freeze for a moment before taking in the order. The senior soldiers quickly whipped themselves into a straight pose with their hands by their sides, whilst others poorly tried to emulate the pose or simply stood there bewildered. [b]“Squad! When I say attention you better fucking stand at attention! That means you get into rank and file, and you stand up straight with your mouths shut! Understood?”[/b] he did not wait for an answer, but rather followed up with a repeat of his command [b]“Atten-shun!”[/b] This time the platoon complied correctly, although in a much more slow and clumsily way than either Chester or Buxton preferred.

Buxton gave Chester a small thankful nod before taking a deep breath. [b]“Recruits! You stand here today because you have bravely enlisted to the Consano. Because you have shown moral fortitude and strength beyond those of normal men. You are the only bulwark against an evil that threatens to consume this land and its people. There will be no legions marching north, no fleets weathering the harsh north seas, no priests to deliver a cure. You cannot fail. We cannot fail.”[/b] her words may not have been as inspiring as those found in the old poems and tales, but the weight of her message was heavy. [b]“Our goal is to investigate the plague, to learn of its source and those responsible. If successful, we will attempt to destroy the source and bring those responsible to justice. We will begin our inquisition by travelling to Minorhold in the East. We have not had contact with them for six days, but according to rumours circulating throughout the refugees it appears to holding itself. The forth legion under command of Sir Griffin should have garrisoned the city just after we lost contact. We need to discover whether the city still stands and if so, why they’ve cut off contact. Throughout the mission we will continue to send progress reports back to the King, so if anyone deserts they will become some of the most wanted men in the world.”[/b]

Buxton paused to let the words sink in. If there was a point where she expected people to suddenly back out it would be now. Happily however no one seemed to waver. [b]”We will have to act with precision, stealth and intelligence if we hope to survive. To do this we may at times have to act in smaller groups, and so you will be split into three squads. I will be leading Squad 1, Sir Chester will be leading Squad 2, and Walter Finn shall be leading Squad 3.

Squad 1 will consist of Karen, Shikoba, Mathis, Gawain and Gwenyfar. 

Squad 2 will consist of Orwen, Drusus, Sarah and Zacharias.

And Squad 3 shall consist of- well- you know who your lad’s are Walter.

From this moment on, you are no longer recruits. You have pledged yourselves and now are members of the Consano. You are not soldiers, knights or mercenaries, you are agents. May your Gods give you light as we enter the dark, may your swords stay sharp as you fight our enemies, and may your names live on in eternity as the heroes who brought an end to this plague. Agents, may luck be with us all.”[/b]

With that Buxton spun on the heel of her boots and strolled off towards her horse, a stocky russet mare with an unusually thick mane and heavy coat. Her name was Brogna, and she was a Highland Horse (or Cliff Horse) bred in the mountainous areas North of Cliffton. Countess Bree, the ruler of Cliffton, sent the horse to the Cross Roads as a gift to her daughter. It was not used to Buxton, nor Buxton used to her, but they would need to get used to each other quickly. 

Sir Chester, with his superior’s speech to an end, once again addressed the agents. [b]”Right then [i]Agents[/i]! Get yourselves saddled up! If you didn’t take the chance to get prepared then tough luck, we are leaving!”[/b]