[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjEyOC5hOTQyNDIuUVdSaGJTQkNjbUZrYzJoaGR3LCwuMAAA/angel-tears.trial.png[/img][/center][hr] "Check with Emrys, but I'm pretty sure we have some climbing equipment you all can utilize," Adam said. "Perhaps Morag can set something up for you." With that, seeing that everyone seemed in agreement, Adam nodded and stood from the table. "Alright," he said. "I believe that concludes today's meeting. As the plan, we will depart at dusk. Make sure you are ready on time- tardy soldiers don't get paid." With that, Adam left the tent and walked the perimeter of the camp, ensuring everything was running accordingly. He stopped by one of the company's carts, a canvas-covered wagon pulled by a large grey ox. The cart could hold ten people comfortably, the whole company, while the other cart held equipment and supplies. Adam surveyed the cart: the wheels properly-aligned, the canvas unripped, the harness in good shape. Adam pet the large grey ox, who nuzzled his hand and grumbled softly. "You're worry-planning," Amelia said, approaching behind Adam. Adam sighed, realizing he'd been caught. "Here we go," Adam grumbled, standing up and facing his daughter. "Alright, let me have it." "You're nervous cause you know I'm gonna be on that cart and on this mission," Amelia said. She shrugged and crossed her arms. "It's more than that, it's-" Amelia cut him off. "Give it to someone else," she said. "You do this every time I fight." Adam put his hands on his hips. "You know I'm just looking out for you," Adam said, bowing his head. "I'm supposed to, you know." Amelia put a hand on Adam's shoulder. Adam was always astonished by Amelia's strength: her grip on him was like a sailor's. "We're gonna be okay," Amelia said, smiling. "I was trained by the best knight in the whole goddamn realm." Adam shook his head, unable to suppress his smile. "There we go!" Amelia said. "See? It'll be fine! We beat these anarchist dipshits to a bloody pulp and haul their corpses off for cash! Totally safe!" Adam laughed— nervous-making as she was, Amelia always knew how to diffuse tension. The two of them walked off back towards the camp, Amelia's arm on her old man's shoulder. "And hey, if things get back," Amelia said. "I'll just have Iulian eat them. I'm sure he'd love some nice raw kidney of highwayman!" Adam couldn't help but laugh. [hr] [center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjY2LmZhZmFmYS5RbUYwZEd4bElGQm9ZWE5sLjA,/berkshire-swash.regular.png[/img][/center] [hr] The rest of the day's planning went off without a hitch. Climbing gear was obtained from the storage cart and given to Morag for modification. The teams assembled and prepared their equipment: Morag, Ceri, and Scrapbeak would be on the archer team, Senna and Rowan on the climbing team, Adam, Amelia, Irae, and Iulian on the cart team. Each soldier prepared their equipment for the day's combat: Adam polished and sharpened the blade of his partisan until it glittered in the midday sun. Amelia donned her armor and surcoat, and took out her mighty blade, a tremendous zweihander. The massive, two handed steel sword wasn't much shorter than Amelia was, the pommel nearly reaching her chin when the blade tip was placed against the ground. Such a massive weapon was not easy to use; it was heavy for a sword, ten pounds, and required an understanding of leverage and momentum to use. Amelia gripped the sword as she normally would, one hand on the handle and the second overhand in the space of dull steel between the crossguard and parrying hooks. She practiced a few maneuvers behind her tent; she quickly slashed across her body to the left, then jabbed forward, hurling the momentum of the massive sword to her advantage. Holding the sword this way made controlling it equal parts swordsmanship and polearm combat. She threw out several more attacks in the air: a thrust, quick parry to the left, catching an imaginary polearm blade on the parrying hook, then sliding down the shaft and slashing towards the neck. Satisfied, she stuck the blade into the ground and leaned both her arms on the crossbar. Adam always preached how mercenary combat was inglorious, but Amelia couldn't help but feel a tinge of heroism sometimes. "Time to bring down the bad guys," she muttered to herself, walking off towards the cart. [hr] [i]Dusk[/i] A single cart traveled down a dusty cobblestone road. The wheels grumbled and bumped, throwing clods of dirt into the air as the beast of burden, a broad-chested grey ox, labored in the falling sun. At the head of the vehicle sat a hunched-over driver clad in brown traveler's robes, a tattered hood pulled low over his eyes. A scruffy beard stuck out from a lowered chin. The ox snorted and shook its head to bat off flies. In the distance, three men approached across a wide field of yellow grass. The first man arrived at the road and stepped in the path of the cart. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a messy auburn beard and a grey hood pulled over his head. He wore a padded tunic and thick leather gauntlets, and he carried a boar spear in two hands. The other men, smaller but similar-dressed and wielding similar weaponry, stood by the side of the cart. "C-can I help you?" the voice of the cart-driver said. "Evenin', ol chap," the large bandit said. "What're ye haulin at this time er day?" "J...just supplies on their way to Jikari," the cart-driver said. "Mining tools and such. Nothing that would interest you young lads." "Well, it do interest us," one of the men beside the cart said. The larger bandit held up a hand to stop him and barked "quiet!" "As that 'ere smaller man said, it do interest us what yer haulin' and where. Ye see, this 'ere is our road. We own it, ya know. An' we can't 'ave ye comin' down it witout payin' the toll, else we'd lose our ownership." "Oh, my apologies," the driver said. "I d-d-didn't know." One of the other bandits, the one who'd spoken up before, stepped towards the driver's chair and brandished his spear. The driver leaned back in surprise. "'issl be easy than I could've dreamt," the large bandit said. The others laughed menacingly. "Alwroight, we'll be takin' all the gold on ye and 'alf yer load. Right quick, come on. Don't want ter 'ave ter spill peasant blood on me road, now do I?" "Oh, please sir," the driver held up his hands in fright. Behind the hands, Adam was grinning like a mischievous little boy. "I've got to feed my family!" "Well, so do we," the smaller bandit said. "So cough it up before I slice open yer windpipe and pull it out with me bare 'ands." "I don't think that'll be necessary," a voice came from inside of the cart. The movements quickened. The driver dove out of the seat onto the ground, his cast-off brown cloak fluttering in the wind. From inside the covered wagon, Amelia lunged in full battle regalia, Iulian behind her, both brandishing their weapons. Amelia caught the boar-spear with the parrying hook of her blade midair and shoved it to the side briskly, then went in for a lunge. The bandit caught the sword in a static block with his spear shaft. The blade dug into the wood. Amelia twisted the sword and ripped out a chunk of wood, then went in for another lunge. Adam was on his feet, sword drawn and in hand. He faced the large bandit at the front. "Well, that's half my cargo," he said. "Guess I'll pay the rest in blood." Adam ran forward and thrust his sword. The bandit caught it on the crossbar of the boar spear. The battle commenced, the archery team moved into action; they would fire upon the tower and take out the crossbowmen, then the climbing team would head out across the field and scale the side. Everything was going according to plan. [hider=Blue Skies and Battle][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0aX8kF3N6w[/youtube][/hider]