Closed Into the gale

[Karsynwa]

50th of Fall, 520 AV

It was the strangest dream. The grotto stretched out before him like a autumnal blanket as the sea churned in the distance. He was walking the narrow path that wound down the terrace, his hand gently sliding across the wrought iron rail to steady him against the stiff breezes that occasionally rushed across the cliff face. Although he was lightly dressed in a long gray tunic, the cold did not touch him. Quite the opposite actually. He felt encapsulated in warmth as if he was laying down beside the fire at home.

There was no one on the terraces with him. He was alone on this quiet evening with the sound of waves crashing against the base of the cliff to accompany his footsteps down the path. Without knowing where he was going, he strode with purpose as if his legs knew something he did not. Ahead the sun glimmered through the boughs of a large maple as Syna reached down to kiss the horizon. It was all so beautiful, but then why did he feel such dread?

Nothing about this beautiful garden evoked that in him, and neither could he recall anything that would bother him so in this world. Still he felt an increasing amount of fear as he continued down the stairs till his eyes focused on a against the side of the terrace he had just been on. It flowed away from his gaze, tendrils whipping as it flowed into a crevice in the stone. Karsynwa finally had control of his legs and stopped himself from walking anymore towards the crack in the wall. His eyes were wide with fear as he slowly blinked several times.

He opened them to the familiar sight of his apartment’s ceiling. It was dark, but a torch burning outside filtered a dancing orange light through his window. Breathing in deep, Karsynwa shook his head to dismiss the dream as he rolled over on his side, and propped his arm under the pillow. It was like that he lay for about a bell till the sun started to peak over the horizon, prompting him to get dressed for the day. The Cora apartments were full of early risers so he was joined in the hallway by others who were heading to their respective jobs. Karsynwa nodded respectfully to everyone he made eye contact with but he didn’t slow down to make conversation with them. He generally preferred to keep to himself most mornings before work, and today that was doubly so.

Fortunately, few shared his winding path on the way down to the lodge where he spied an unsettling glimpse of the grotto, still sheathed in darkness from its spot tucked up against the side of the cliff. He dismissed such thoughts as he entered the lodge, filing in amongst a few others of his squad to take a seat in the main room. There a few where having breakfast while a group of men in the back talked with Commander Nodorus. Karsynwa thought their faces were familiar, as he thought they lead other squads in the lodge though he had no personal experience with them. There was one unfamiliar face amongst them. A stern looking Akalak with a cleanly shaved head.

A look around the front table and Karsynwa noticed it was packed with his squad. He took a seat on the end, not taking his eyes off of the small group in the back till they separated a few chimes later. To his surprise, other than his squad the rest of the room filtered out till it was only them and the man Karsynwa did not recognize. He was standing at the head of the table now, speaking to the men on the end though Karsynwa couldn’t make out what was said over the causal conversation of the rest going on with the rest of the table. Eventually more people noticed that he was standing there at the end of the table, and the conversations slowly petered out until a brief silence took over the room.

“My name is Kavinal and I have been assigned to assume leadership of this squad. With winter almost upon us, all members of the Kuvay’Nas lodge are getting a full brief on their new responsibilities that will come with the season change.” Kavinal said, his face stern as he addressed the table. “Go ahead and get ready for patrol, then meet me in our quarters in five chimes.”

The words hung heavily in the air. He hadn’t mentioned anything about Arrel. That didn’t sit right with Karsynwa, and neither did this stranger assuming command of their squad. Part of him had thought they would have promoted from within. However now it was clear that had been a foolish hope. He felt leaden as he went through the motions of dressing for patrol, putting on his gear before following the rest of his squad down the narrow staircase that lead underneath the lodge. Their quarters were not far below. A rather large, empty room with rows of stone benches with small woven pillows on top.

Kavinal was waiting for them at the head of the room. He struck a defiant sort of posture, with his shoulders held straight and arms crossed behind his back. His eyes scanned the room unflinchingly. Karsynwa noticed that the man had a hard face with pale pink eyes set deep and close together. His nose was a short, flat mangled thing that looked as if it had taken a nasty hit in the past. His lips were small, and stretched into a thin light blue line as he studied them with a sever expression. Karsynwa took a seat towards the front of the room.

“I think most of you are well aware that this winter is going to be a difficult one. In addition to the majority of our grain fields burning down before harvest, our fishermen have reported issues with the Suvan not providing as it once has, and the orchard’s produce has been noticeably smaller. Because of this we are going to have to tighten winter grain rations for the majority of the populace, and hope those we sent to Syliras for supplies come back with haste. In the meantime we can expect the prices for other foodstuff to raise significantly if the supply cannot meet the demand, which many on the council have reasoned to be the case. Additionally, we believe there will be passed a similar rationing for water supplies as the Bluevein continues to drop lower.

What this means for the Kuvay’Nas is that every branch will have their roles expanded in order for us to maintain order within the city, and make sure that everyone is treated fairly. While the other branches will be tasked with the supply logistics, we will be focused on making sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

As a proactive measure, we will start by staking out every tavern as that is where the rationing will be doled out. A group of four will be assigned a tavern, with a pair on the inside, and a pair on the outside. The pair on the inside will be focused on gathering any intelligence they can on everyone that comes through. If you spot a potential person of interest, you are then to send one out to the pair that has been watching the entrance of the tavern. While that pair is following the person of interest, the pair inside will leave to go find their replacements before taking a position outside of one of the other taverns. We are in the process of procuring temporary bases near these tavern to shorten the time you have to spend finding your replacement.” Kavinal said, pausing for a chime to let that sink in. For Karsynwa, it was more than a little bit surprising the extent they were going to for one operation. It was larger than anything he’d ever anticipated them doing, and filled him with more than a little trepidation about their mission. This was serious business. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to be looking for, however looking at Kavinal’s face, he was sure that would be explained soon.

So far it felt like a sound, if complicated plan. There was plenty of room for error on their part because such a large part of their mission rested on the judgment of their members. Not to say that he didn’t trust his squad mates. Just he was well aware of the potential for human error to outright waste their time following most of the men they determined to be persons of interest. Wary, he decided that perhaps he should withhold judgment till he heard the rest of the plan, or plans as they were. Perhaps there was more to this briefing than teaching them a general intelligence strategy.

WC - 1,481

[Karsynwa]

“At the same time the rest of us will be embedded in patrols across the city. These patrols will be mostly made up of fresh volunteers with one or two of our own branch among each group with the task of watching them just as much as you are paying attention to your route. Of course, you are not to reveal your role unless the squad leader deems it necessary. Even then, you are there to observe, not intervene. Make sure that you all keep that in mind when you go out there or you will face discipline for your actions.” Kavinal said, his tone crisp as he panned the room.

“These operations rely heavily on your observations, so you need to make sure you are as accurate as possible with your reporting. This means double checking your information to the best of your ability before bringing it to your squad leader. Now to make things simple, the left half of the room will be tasked with monitoring the taverns while the right will be joining the patrols. Stay where you are currently seated and I will be around to personally give you your assignment. I will also answer any questions you may have so don’t waste the opportunity.” Kavinal said, turning towards Karsynwa’s side of the bench. He suddenly regretted now sitting up near the front is it didn’t leave him a lot of time to think about his questions, but he stifled that as his squad leader drew close. His eyes settled on Kavinal’s features as the man stood in front of him.

“Your team will be assigned to the Blue Bull, near the land gate. I-” Karsynwa raised a hand, stopping the man who looked at him with a frown spreading across his features. After a tick, he nodded for Karsynwa to go on with what he had to say.

“Respectfully, I must inform you that I am a known quantity in the Blue Bull so I believe I will have trouble blending in such an environment.” Karsynwa said, keeping his voice as flat and meeting Kavinal’s eyes squarely. His squad leader seemed to consider this for a tick before tilting his head slightly to the side.

“You will be a part of the outside pair then, and will be among the first to rotate to a new tavern. As I was saying, if you want to blend into such an environment I would suggest wearing old clothes that have a little wear to them if you can manage. The Blue Bull is not known to attract our best and brightest. It is also not a place for the old, as most of their clientele tends to be young warriors with more pride than sense. They are as quick to duel as they are to overindulge so I would caution to avoid proving any undo attention upon yourself.” Kavinal said, addressing two of the men that sat along the bench with Karsynwa. The man directly to his side that he figured was to be his partner offered him a slight shrug when their eyes met.

WC - 518

[Karsynwa]

Karsynwa simply nodded along, well aware of the reputation of the place. It was a bitter memory for him considering it was among the first places he’d visited with Arrel during his apprenticeship. Fortunate that he wouldn’t have to go inside of it, even if that meant he would have the much less interesting task of waiting outside of it.

Almost as if he picked up on Karsynwa’s thread of thought, Kavinal turned to glare at him. “As for the two of you, your job will be to keep a close eye on what happens outside of the tavern. One of you must maintain a constant position that affords you a view of the front of the tavern while the other patrols around it as unobtrusively as possible. You may switch up as you like so long as one of you maintains that position. This is because you will need to be readily available in case a person of interest is identified and you need to follow them. Then as a pair you will follow the individual while the inside team takes over both watches until they are relieved.” Kavinal said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he acknowledged Karsynwa’s raised hand.

“How will anyone know to relieve them? What if multiple people are found?” Karsynwa asked, speaking his questions quickly as he looked from Kavinal to the rest of his group.

“We will be switching out in two bell increments. If a person of interest is found after the outside team as already been deployed, then a member of the inside pair will go to a nearby base to alert them of the need for an earlier switch while the other member will follow the person of interest.” Kavinal said.

“When you are following these people make sure to remember to avoid obvious gestures. For instance, don’t start looking directly at them, or heading in their direction when they leave the tavern. Wait a little while, and watch them out of your peripherals. When it comes time to follow them, keep a good chunk of distance between you, while your partner lags behind you. Switch out occasionally with them, especially when it comes time to go down a narrow path or one that funnels you into an area. Try to look like you have somewhere to be, and are not just following a person around.” Kavinal said, meeting their eyes slowly as he said that last part loud enough for the rest of the room to easily hear.

As Kavinal moved down the line to the next group, Karsynwa turned towards the men on his right.

“So, you want leave it to chance to see who gets to patrol around the building first?” Karsynwa asked, eliciting a smirk from the man to his immediate right.

“Sure, I’ve got a set of dice we can use after all of this is over. We can switch after half a bell if that is suitable to you.” The man said before adding. “My name Callu.”

“Karsynwa” He said, patting the man on the shoulder. “That works out fine with me. I suppose we should take some time to get to know one another before this assignment.” It wasn’t odd to see so many unfamiliar faces within the squad. The Kuvay’Nas always had a strong volunteer backbone. Men who had to came and went as their professions demanded. Winter was usually the time most men came back to serve with the Kuvay’Nas as their work slowed down and they found themselves with ample free time.

WC - 591

[Karsynwa]

These men were farmers, fishermen, sailors, and tailors. They may not look like much but they were the backbone of the Kuvay’Nas. Especially in leaner times like these where extra hands were needed. Karsynwa knew that all of these men had served in the militia before for the simple fact that they found themselves assigned to this branch. Intelligence was not the branch for new recruits, for obvious reasons. For the most part, the Kuvay’Nas waited until volunteers had proved themselves capable in a general role before promoting them to train with one of the branches. An because of the sensitive nature of intelligence, members usually had to distinguish themselves with service while showing an aptitude for the sort of work this branch required.

“Great, I know a good place for a drink. My brother in-law manages the place.” Callu said as he looked across at the two others in their group. A man with a face familiar to Karsynwa spoke first.

“A few drinks it is then. After patrol this afternoon?” Brevar asked, looking to the man to his right. “What do you think Tiel?”

“I’d be amendable. Would be good practice for getting back into the swing of things around here.” Tiel said, chuckling quietly as he elbowed Brevar. Karsynwa nodded his acceptance of that decision as his thoughts turned over the task before them. Serious business loomed ahead of them, so part of him was glad that his group seemed open to getting to know one another. It would make it easier to work together when the time came, which would be key to running an effective operation.

“So Callu, when is the last time you followed someone?” Karsynwa asked in a hushed voice as Brevar and Tiel fell into their own conversation.

“Spring, just before I took my leave of the Kuvay’Nas for work. Was keeping an eye on a suspected smuggler around the docks. Man was slippery as shite.” Callu said with a wink, and a hint of a smile.

“How’d you keep track of him?” Karsynwa asked.

“Well started out that I only knew his house, and I’d lose him not long after he left it each morning. He lived near the base of the cliff where a lot of the foot traffic is going between the dock and market. He used the same start to his route each morning, so I knocked on a few doors along the way around where I usually lost him each time, and I found a couple of people who were willing to keep an eye out for him once I explained it to them. People don’t want to have neighbors that cause problems so it wasn’t so hard to convince them. From there I manage to work out more of his route until finally I managed to follow him to his stash. Strangely enough, he was hiding it right out in the open, in a crevice down by the waterline. He’d brick it up each time he accessed it so it looked flush with the wall.” Callu said with a smirk.

Karsynwa raised an eyebrow. “Slippery indeed. What was the man smuggling?”

“Drugs” Callu said, practically spitting the word. Wrinkling his nose in response, Karsynwa had to agree with the sentiment. He couldn’t understand the draw of partaking of such substances, nor did he approve of the lack of control that its users exhibited when under the influence.

WC - 572

[Karsynwa]

“I remember helping track down a smuggler several years ago that was supplying drugs to the Blue Bull.” Karsynwa said, feeling a pang as the words left him. It was another memory with Arrel in it. One that should have felt good but was all tangled up with the bitterness of recent events. Distantly he wondered if it might have been better if Arrel had stayed dead instead of coming back as a ghost. An he felt like shite for thinking along those lines. He’d like to blame it on his brother Finaewa, but he knew the truth of his own mind. These were his thoughts, and he would own them.

“I’m not surprised. Like Kavinal said, the Blue Bull is hardly the place for an upstanding Akalak.” Callu said, folding his arms across his lap. “Have you thought about how we are going to stake it out?”

Karsynwa shook his head. “I suspect we’ll need to find somewhere inconspicuous across the way. If this were anywhere else, I think we could try passing as buskers, but perhaps we could pretend to advertise services for a shop.” Karsynwa said, shrugging as he looked to see what Callu thought of that idea.

“I know a cobbler. Could wear a string of shoes around our necks without having to spend the mizas. Usually the kind of work for much younger Akalaks but if we dress sort of rough, we might be able to pass it off.” Callu said. Karsynwa considered that for a tick while he spared a glance around the room. Kavinal was near the back now, addressing another group.

“Sounds like it could work, though I wouldn’t lean too much on my acting ability.” Karsynwa said with a light hearted shrug.

Callu nodded. “Mine isn’t so good either. If we’re fortunate, we won’t be doing any talking, and just lots of watching. Shouldn’t run into trouble that way.” Callu said. “Just got to make sure the guards know its us so they don’t pick us for something more nefarious. Made that mistake once.” The man let out a raspy chuckle.

“How do you figure we should patrol around the building?” Karsynwa asked, his mind slowly shifting to the patrol that awaited him.

“We’ll want to get a close look at the exterior so wrapping around the building a few times seems to be the way to go. If we see someone loitering for a while, then will keep an eye on them to see if they get into anything they shouldn’t.” Callu said as Kavinal started walking up from the back of the room. Both Karsynwa and Callu turned towards the man.

“On the tenth of winter we will begin this operation to coincide with how the rations will be delivered. One thing to remember is to try not to provoke a response. This is simply an observation mission. To make sure that you are a effective observer, do your best not to stand out by ingratiating yourself with others. Be friendly and make sure that you do not provoke any fights. Keep an eye on how people interact with each other and compare notes with your squad mate to determine any unusual activity. An most importantly, verify your information. That will be all for today.” Kavinal said, and with that announcement, everyone got up to start filtering out of the room.

WC - 562

[Karsynwa]

It was sometime after his patrol that Karsynwa found himself outside of the tower of Nysel, the dreamer. A strangely serene tower rose up out of the center of the empty garden. In the evening light, the carvings on its surface seemed to tell a story of lovers sharing a quiet moment underneath a canopy of stars. Then as the flicker of a birds shadow crossed them before his very eyes the carving changed to a lonely figure that seemed minuscule against the shadow of a large mountain. Karsynwa rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, unsure exactly what he was seeing on that surface. His eyes then came to focus on the altar that glowed faintly with a small fire at its center.

Staring at it, he felt a familiarity with the scene as he remembered altars he had seen before. This one was notably larger than the others he had seen. In a place of prominence before the pyre rested a shallow stone bowl that was a beautiful shade of white mixed with strands of onyx. Inside was a small pile of miza’s that Karsynwa guessed was an offering of a sort, though not the kind he’d come here today to make. No, he had eyes for the pyre as his grip tightened around a well worn wooden spear he’d brought for the purpose.

It was a simple thing really, made long ago in his youth when he had yet to experience his first trial. Though the flint point had long ago been lost, the spear was still a treasured relic of his past. A reminder of a time when everything seemed a whole lot simpler in his life. When Zerous was still alive. Many of his favorite childhood memories were tied up in this spear which is why it made the most logical sacrifice to him. The most honest one he could give. An he did not know why he felt the need to, only that he felt it should happen after that dream he had. One that had been too vivid to simply let go. He’d sought out a priest but as the bell was late, that just hadn’t been realistic. So he guessed he was coming here to ask for clarity.

Slowly he extended the spear until its tip hovered over the fire. Watching rapt with attention as the tip smoked and blackened. He fed more of the spear into the pyre. Closing his eyes, he didn’t ask Nysel to explain the dream. Instead he asked for Nysel to have patience with him as he was slow to understand whatever it was that had been laid before him in that dream. He whispered that he would understand if given enough time, and that once he felt he did, he would come back here with his answer. Then he fed the rest of the spear into the pyre, slowly until nothing was left but a charred quarter of what had been. He watched that burn for a while before departing for his home.

WC - 510