Barred by Ice (Kainan)

[Growl]

Fall 1, 511 AV (Shortly after Kainan's encounter with Cara) After finding someone to tend to Kainan's horse while he was away in prison, Jariah stepped out of the stables, and into the cool Avanthalian air. Several soft flurries of glistening white snow were falling from the sky at a downwards slant, adding to the pile of white fluff that had already covered the ground in its blanket. The sun was high in the sky now, extending its golden rays to the earth; the white snow shimmering beneath its gentle embrace. Jariah pulled her cloak up a little higher, trying to keep the wind off her chin and her cheeks as she waited for Kainan to follow her. "Keep close, and don't try anything stupid," she instructed as she continued on through the snow. She was heading south, away from the Hold, and towards the center of town. It would be easier to get to the prison from there. Jariah continued walking in silence, her bondmate following behind, and nudging Kainan whenever he failed to keep up their pace. "We'll be there in a few chimes," the woman chirped when they reached the marketplace, and then hung left, trailing out into the wastes. She kept on walking, until finally she came to a giant hole in a large, icy outcrop. On each side of the hole were two dire polar bears. Atop them, riding bare-back were their bondmates. The one on the right carried a large spear, the other had a knife strapped to its belt, and held a shortbow. A quiver filled with arrows rested across its back. Upon seeing Jariah approach, the rider on the right dismounted, and stood next to his bondmate. "Good day Jariah," he called. Jariah simply nodded, not recognizing the man. "Just bringing in a troublemaker," she called, before summarizing what had occurred, and why Kainan was going to prison. The man nodded and told Jariah to keep his sword, and go on her way. She simply nodded, and returned to her business. The guard strode forward and began to pat Kainan down. "Have to make sure you don't have anything potentially dangerous," he stated, as he quickly finished, and shoved Kainan towards the opening to the prison. "I'll be right back, as soon as I've got this one settled in," the guard called to his partner before he followed Kainan inside. "Just keep walking straight," he instructed, "and stop when the wooden board beneath your feet ends."

[Kainan Thorne]

"...The huge blade slid easily from its scabbard, the deadly metal shining in the sun like silver. All great blades had a name and this one was expertly forged and it had been passed down in his family, from father to son, ever since pre-Valterrian time. The greatsword was named Whisper. And now, with his strength leaving him, Kainan's father passed it along to him..." "The sword... Whisper... What did you do with it?" the stranger suddenly asked Jariah. He had been quiet for most of the journey to the prison, deep in thought, as if he had just remembered something important, something that had been lying there in the murky depths of his mind and had just resurfaced in a violent manner, after a long time of staying hidden. The Stranger looked at the bleak looking entrance to the prison for a few seconds, a nondescript gaze in his eyes. He followed Jariah in without complaint or objection. Upon reaching the guards, he simply stood and observed. 'Troublemaker' they had called him. A small word, not fit to describe how far The Stranger was willing to go if the situation forced him. "...'The greatsword is a unique weapon.' the quartermaster spoke to the twelve years old boy. 'Many would favor a lighter weapon that is easier to wield...' the old, scarred mercenary continued. '...but in the hands of a skilled swordsman, the greadsword is far deadlier than any other blade. You may have heard from others that the lighter, one handed longsword is a faster weapon. That is untrue.' he spoke and swung the blade in an arc, the deadly steel a blur through the air. 'You see, thing is, a greatsword is much heavier than an ordinary blade. If you know how to use that weight, your swings will be faster, more powerful and more elegant than if you used an ordinary sword.' the old man stopped for an instant to stare directly into the boy's eyes. 'I taught your father everything he knows about wielding a blade. And he's grown into the finest swordsman I have ever seen. One day, you will be as good as he. Perhaps even better.'..." The stranger turned towards the guard that was searching him and frowned. Then, when the guard shoved him, he barely resisted the urge to strangle him to death. He drew his body straight, standing a full head taller than the man and looked at him with an intimidating stare. "If the circumstances were different, then you'd have already been dead by now." he spoke. A subtle warning. However, he obeyed the guard's instructions and walked until the end of the large wooden board. Turning around, to talk to the guard, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Now what?" he spoke impatiently, visibly annoyed by the guard's behavior.

[Growl]

The guard's bondmate, who had not yet been out of earshot when Kainan made his threat, turned his massive body towards the prison entrance. He growled at Kainan, bearing row upon row of massive teeth, before he lifted one of his massive front paws. His bondmate stepped back, and gave the bear a stern look, as the creature swiped at Kainan's leg with one of his front paws. With the creature's reach being as great as it was, and Kainan caught by surprise, he had little time to react before the bear's claws had unleashed their fury. They raked against Kainan's right leg, easily shredding his trousers, before they cut across skin, spilling a great deal of blood, which dyed the snow a light pink. The bear had left three solid streaks upon Kainan's flesh, by the time his bondmate had managed to calm him down, and the bear returned to its post. "That's his way of saying you'd best not think to threaten me again," the guard commented, as he shoved Kainan through the prison entrance using the pointy end of his spear. "Now move it," the guard growled. Kainan crept forward, moving for no more than a few moments before the pair stopped in the central room, which branched off into a series of others. It was far too dark in the prison for Kainan to see, but he no longer felt the wooden board beneath his step. It seemed colder, telling him that they were deeper now. The guard could see, much like the other guards who waited in that singular room. The guards that were also on duty, and the prison warden. The group talked amongst themselves, as though Kainan were not there, getting caught up on what brought him there. By now, Kainan's leg was hurting more than ever. He could feel someone now, next to him, wrapping it, but applying no medicine. It would do, for the time being. "We should take him to the cells," a female guard finally said, cutting across the small silence, after the end of their previous conversation. Kainan could just make out the sound of her getting up, making him assume that she had been the one to bandage him with whatever she had at hand. "Sooner rather than later," she growled.