Sign Me Up

[Reaver]

Long blond hair whipped around as it was tightly pulled, wound into a braid, and then slipped through a simple but effective knot of black cord. Valdis had waited long enough for the mass of perfumed stuff to dry, and had decided that perhaps, seeing her skill with her hands might help her attract the proper sort of attention. The sort of attention a lady seeking to become a guard would need.

She wouldn\'t want them seeing her graciously gifted body. As much as she liked being admired, the attention she wanted was serious. She needed to be taken seriously. So her ample chest was sufficiently buried beneath her usual tunic- and her glossy-black, fire treated leather armor. It fit snugly over her chest, back, and shoulders, and although difficult to get a full breath in from time to time, it served her well. The helmet, she had left back in the camp, where Magnus promised he would find a home for it when he began packing his own stuff.

She felt awkward wearing the sword, knowing that she needed a permit for it, but what else could she do? She didn\'t have the patience to unbuckle it from her belt, wrap it up, put it in a box, and present it with a smile. She wanted results, here, now. She either needed a permit, or she wanted to serve as a guard. Either way, she\'d be wearing a sword and going about the business of making sure Sigvald and Magnus were safe in this city. As an afterthought she added her own safety into the mix. No harm in being concerned for her own tender skin as well. Her thick skull was being packed away in camp. The men wore theirs internally.

Opening the door past the courtyard and walking in without breaking stride, she snapped her gaze to one of the counters and waved. It was a short, \'yes you exist, I see you there, now right to business,\' sort of wave, carried with a mischievous smile that had her eyes sparkling with barely restrained delight. Even if she walked away with nothing, she\'d be making some sort of impression today.

"Faith, hail." Finally slowing her stride, she came to a stop a respectful two-arm\'s length away from the counters. It wouldn\'t help her any to frighten them into action. Just frighten them. Or annoy them, that would suffice as well. "I was t\'being curious, o\'er who I should see \'bout joining you guards. Would tis\' be t\'right place \'den?" Barely giving them a chance to breath, she shifted her weight to one leg and flicked her braid back over her shoulder. "I\'ve experience and take little room, if that is t\'helping any." Raising an eyebrow, she raised her voice expectantly, as if giving concessions. "If no, would this be t\'place to get a permit for my sword?" She demanded more than asked, as if they should have known and offered such information on her entrance.

[Existentially Odd]

The two guards behind the desk could only blink, exchange glances and blink some more, for a good half a minute after the surprising-looking newcomer had walked in.  She looked ready for battle and announced herself and her interests haughtily enough that it seemed she would brook no argument in finding one to participate in.  Here in the entrance foyer, if need be.

She was altogether too much for the desk crew to handle, that much they knew, and one of them eventually stood up and stammered that they would go and get one of their superior officers.  They made their way very hastily up the nearby stairs to do just that, and soon re-emerged with said superior in tow, the huge, blonde man wearing a vague frown of consternation at the babbling of the young guard as he\'d tried to explain what had just walked through the Guardhouse door.

Once he stood behind the counter, Lieutenant Frederickson rather understood Guard Flint\'s loss for coherent explanation.  His own eyes widened as he looked Valdis over appreciatively - though whether his lingering gaze was admiring of the armour she wore or what was in said armour wasn\'t really open to interpretation.  After a quick assessment, he was back to watching her eyes.

"How can I help you, ma\'am?" he asked politely, his deep voice smooth and rich as he prompted for her story.  Flint had said something about joining the guards and getting a permit for her weapon; Freddy wanted to be sure the fool hadn\'t got it wrong somehow.  Hearing a few words spill from those lips wouldn\'t hurt any, either, he\'d quickly decided.

[Reaver]

Taking a long moment to look the lieutenant over, Valdis pointedly opted for silence. After a few awkward moments had paused, she smiled, nodded once, and pursed her lips together. "What you can be t\'helping me with m\'boy, is telling me if this \'ere is t\'place for joining t\'guards." Giving him another look over, her smile widened. "Y\'er a lieutenant, if me information is t\'being correct?"

By the looks of it, the man was admiring her more for her body than any possibility of interest in the guards. That, was assuming the guard who had been babbling to him as they came down the steps had even told him anything of what she had said. Raising an eyebrow, she tightened a strap at her side, drawing a quick breath at the sudden pinching in her lungs. Although, if weapons and words failed, sexual interest just might be a fun way to get into the guards.

"Otherwise..."

Slipping on a sly grin, she tapped a finger on the handle of her sword. "Otherwise m\'boys, I would like t\'be getting a permit." She didn\'t bother to ask if she\'d need a permit if she did get into the guards, she assumed they would take care of that. Also, it seemed she had found the right place. The two guards could have told her to go elsewhere, or that there was no such place or a desire for more guards, and she already knew it was the right place for permits; Magnus had told her.

[Existentially Odd]

"Ah," Freddy replied, his understanding complete.  "Yes, I\'m Lieutenant Frederickson," he replied with a brisk smile, all business now.  "And yes, this would be the place you\'d join the guard and get a permit for your weapon.  The thing is, we do two main intakes for the guard each year, and you\'ve just missed one of them by a couple of moons.  We always take new recruits in at the start of the cold season, because we always need to put on extra shifts and when it gets snowed in, there\'s not a lot else to do but train," he informed her.

A glance at her weapon and another at her armour brought a slight frown to his forehead, however, and he looked inquisitively into her eyes.  "Are you experienced?  You seem to be... well, civilians don\'t generally wear armour and you certainly don\'t sound like you\'re from around here so... where have you come from and what makes you want to join our ranks?"  If she had just moved into the area and had experience, then it was possible she might be inducted into the guard\'s ranks based on a few tests (of the sparring kind), but if she was just someone passing through, then there was no point.

It seemed a very odd thing indeed, to waltz up to the front counter of a guardhouse and enquire about joining them, without any prior association with their work.  She hadn\'t even divulged a name or described her circumstances, so who the hell was she?

[Reaver]

Valdis nodded. "I\'ve not been t\'getting lost \'den." She quipped, a sly smile ruining the attempted scowl. "Magnus told me about y\'lieutenant. Me name is Valdis Ragnhild," she murmered. The bait was set in that smile of hers; still a sly twitch at the corner of her lips.

"As t\'your question \'bout me..." she paused to tap a finger on her bottom lip, "experience." She paused to look at the lieutenant wide-eyed, unsure of how to answer. The word mercenary said a lot, and Magnus\' name said even more, but she wasn\'t sure she wanted to make it that easy for the lieutenant. "I\'ve been to havin\' a fair share o\'battle, m\'boy. Tis\' blade isn\'t for show, an\' I \'ardly be needin\' a corset." Tugging at the straps on the side of her armor, she hoped the message got across.

As she considered his last question, she realized she had no choice but to reveal all of the information. Here she wanted to tease him and make things difficult, and he went and asked just the right questions. Pouting, she shifted her weight to her other leg. "If y\'really need t\'be knowing, I was a mercenary, one o\'Magnus officers. Close friend, too."

She shrugged, "I\'ve nothing home, no home, t\'be honest with you. Travelled wit\' Magnus an\' now I want t\'be settlin\'. I sell carvin\'s too." Her sly smile widened, whites of her teeth showing as she let the implications set in. Skill with the sword, and a knife. Let the lieutenant go wherever he pleased with that.

[Existentially Odd]

A light of understanding lit Freddy\'s blue-grey eyes and he nodded as she spoke, immediately realising that her association with Magnus was likely the reason she was itinerant - the man had stated that he was looking for somewhere to settle down and it seemed his men were, too.  Well; his women, at any rate.  Did \'close friend\' mean anything more than just that?  Freddy was curious but wouldn\'t ask.

He had enough of a picture of her to pursue a few more questions, now.  His nod of acknowledgment past, he began that process, pressing his palms flat atop the counter so he could lean on them, each of them out much farther than the width of his hips - though he favoured the right, in the leaning - his shoulders somewhat hunched in this position, due to the height of the counter.

"And you think you\'d like to settle in Oberon permanently or... for a fixed amount of time?  Tell me, what about our guards appeals to you enough that you want to join our ranks after having been in the city - what?  About three weeks or so?" he queried, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully but not in a nasty way, just one that showed that she had his entire attention and curiosity focussed on her.  "I\'ve not noticed you around, so why us?  Simply because you find it convenient to go from soldier to guard?  They\'re quite different, you know."

[Reaver]

Valdis\' smile softened. "Not so different m\'boy. A soldier guards t\'front lines. Tis just more \'ectic." Guard the front line was an old phrase she didn\'t think he\'d get, but it was the motto of the Zirat as well. "We were employed fer\' more tan\' just battle lieutenant." Cold, curious eyes peering into the lieutenant\'s gaze, her smile dissapeared completely. "I plan on livin\' \'ere till I\'m driven away or rottin\' in me grave. Wherever tat\' may be."

Besides, she had been one of the officers. Aside from running around killing people, she also had a responsible to her charges.

Putting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head to one side and regarded the lieutenant quietly. He was to the point, and seemed genuinally interested in her answers. Was that because of her purpose or her body? She wouldn\'t mind the later, but the former was why she was still talking to him.

"T\'purpose of a mercenary isn\'t specialty, tis\' usefulness. If all we were good fer doing was killin\' den our employers would \'ave rather limited options to be making." She spoke slowly, put picked up momentum by the end, her usual edge working its way back into the scene around a smile.

[Existentially Odd]

It baffled him that she kept calling him \'boy\' because she certainly didn\'t look older than him but he supposed it was a habit of hers.  It reinforced the fact that she wasn\'t just a regular soldier, but was used to being in command which, to him, also signalled that she was possibly rather skilled and not to be overlooked for recruitment simply because she\'d missed the initial intake.  By the sound of it, everything they were teaching in basic training she\'d be able to do with her eyes closed.

"True," he agreed to her final point thoughtfully, chewing the skin on the inside of his lower lip as he watched her.  Silence fell as he started co-ordinating things in his head, his gaze shifting to being unfocussed as he contemplated.  It was a good thing she\'d said she was going to be staying in Oberon permanently, for he didn\'t like the idea of inducting someone who was there only on a whim or to spy.

Of course, he was also very aware that she could be lying about anything she said and he didn\'t trust her or know her well enough to figure that out.  For the time being, he took at face value with a level of caution erected beneath his surface thoughts.  She\'d mentioned Magnus and he had seemed the steadier, more experienced of the Gulbrands, but for all he knew, she associated with Dag just as much and was actually a spy nominated to keep an eye on things in the city, from the farm.  That would make complete sense, after the warning Lam had decided to open her big mouth and give to Dag, in fact.

The only thing he could do so far was judge her on her ability to fight and let the chips fall where they would during or after that.  He might have to do somequestioning or visiting to certain people as well, but he would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"Well, it seems you would be experienced enough to enter our guard program based on the merit of your experience alone, but I can\'t just let you waltz in," Freddy informed her, a smile lighting his eyes that wasn\'t fully realised on his lips.  "You\'d need to prove yourself in combat - or, more accurately, some sparring sessions.  Is that acceptable?"

[Reaver]

Valdis let out a snort, patting her sword\'s handle. "I\'d be more \'dan \'appy m\'boy. Just say t\'word, where\'er, whene\'er." The sentiment was followed with a wide smile, teeth arrayed carefully in a grin that somehow managed to accent her canines. Another habit she had picked up from the mercenary business. \'Smiling with teeth,\' a way of letting the enemy know she was still kicking.

Of course, she was more than happy to exhibit some skill, she just wondered if she was good enough. She hadn\'t seen any of the guards fight yet, and her own training had been textbook up until she turned twenty. Growling, she berrated herself for her lack of confidence. Magnus hadn\'t named her an officer for her looks. She wasn\'t without some merit in battle.

"What are \'de rules? No edge? First blood?" She paused, taking a deep breath. The area seemed less violent, so their testing would likely be less vicious as well. Perhaps no edged weapons, a certain number of strikes or first killing blow. Of course, she would be fine with any sort of challenge. It had been too long since she had last gotten a fight. She take one up if all she had was a bundle of reeds against a contingent of fully armed men.

Another thought brought up another question. One that would hopefully save her some gold. "If y\'are to accepting me as a guard," She smiled, "provided I prove meself, would I still \'ave to be paying for a weapon permit?"

[Existentially Odd]

"No," he answered thoughtfully, still pondering the rules for the proposed engagement, "guards are automatically permitted to carry weapons - you nominate one once you\'re accepted into our ranks full time and that\'s the one you\'re expected to use.  Foul play with other weapons would be frowned upon but you\'re still allowed a little leniency, due to your work," he explained, his voice turning a little gruff as what he wais began to feel like a lecture.

His hands fell to resting on his belt, looking her over once more.  She seemed a skilled enough fighter, but that had to proved and he supposed he was the one to help her do it, since it would be on his recommendation that she\'d enter the training program, if he thought she was good enough.  He hadn\'t exactly started this day intending on fighting so he\'d need to warm up but he assumed she\'d accommodate that.

"Best of three wins - but that\'s not really going to matter to you, since you\'re only out to show me what you can do, to prove to me you\'re capable of entering our ranks even after basic weapons training has concluded.  It shouldn\'t be too hard, if you\'re as experienced as you say you are.  We\'ll go to the training hall and use the wooden weapons there, so there\'s no blood, sound alright?" he queried, eyes narrowing on her.  He thought he might enjoy fighting this woman, and although he was confident in his own abilities, he was smart enough to know that he shouldn\'t underestimate her.  Overestemiation would keep him far safer.

[Reaver]

Valdis nodded slowly, before finally moving her hand away from the hilt of her sword. Wooden weapons, no blood. It seemed reasonable. It would be a shame to get cut up just trying to become a guard, anyways. How would she have any fun then?

Still smiling, "Sounds t\'be quite fair. Should I be keeping me armor \'den? I don\'t want to be \'aving any..." Her smile twitched, becoming a wolfish grin, "unfair advantages." She let the implications set in. After all, she did want to win fairly. She couldn\'t really think of how many actual fair fights she had. Now that she thought of it, she wasn\'t sure she had a fair fight before.

Did hinting that her body would distract him do the damage that actually seeing her body would do? She chuckled. Men seemed to have wonderful imaginations. If they couldn\'t see it, they thought of what they might be seeing.

[Existentially Odd]

Freddy laughed, lifting away from the counter he\'d been leaning on at last, his hands raising as he gave a shrug.  "It\'s up to you.  I won\'t be getting into my armour, so whatever you think is fair."  Distractedly, he turned away from her with a raised finger.  "Just a moment," he said as he walked over to speak to one of the guards at the desk behind him.  He kept his voice low and informed Flint, the weapons-level guard, that he would be out in the training hall for about half an hour, putting Valdis through her paces, should he be required.  Since there was another lieutenant on duty, he doubted he would be, but it was a courtesy to let everyone know where he was.

Once that was done, he walked briskly back to the counter and lifted the square of wood that barred easy access to the office and cell area, stepping through before replacing it quietly.  He smiled down at Valdis as he came up beside her, finding the \'large\' impression he\'d had of her on the other side of the counter was due to attitude, not so much her height.  That was fine, though, it didn\'t mean anything about what sort of guard she\'d make.

"If you\'ll follow me," he encouraged her politely, opening the door out of the foyer and allowing her to precede him through that - as any gentleman would - but taking the lead once on the outside.  He turned right and walked around the side of the main building, towards the west wing of the compound, where the training hall was situated.  He doubted there\'d be many in said space, because mornings were generally devoted to study of the law and the rules guards were bound by (the morning was the only time they could generally hold a recruit\'s attention for book learning in), while the afternoons were reserved for physical training.

They passed through a few arched walkways until they came to a set of closed double doors.  The lieutenant opened them and gestured his guest inside before following after her.  They were in the main training hall - and a hall it was, indeed.  There were ticked mattresses set up over most of the huge floor for people to spar on, a row of four combat dummies to their immediate left and right, six targets at the far end of the room and racks and rack of every weapon, armour and shield imagineable down both the hundred metre long walls.  The weapons were both regular and wooden.

As predicted, there weren\'t too many guards in the place but there were a few sparring here and there and one woman sparring with one of the training dummies to their left; seven people in all, besides them.  Everyone present was not a recruit, for he recognised them on sight - and nodded politely at the female guard when she saluted and greeted him with, "Sir!" - and knew there wasn\'t much point in introducing Valdis to any of them.  They wouldn\'t be her classmates if she was successful and they wouldn\'t be her workmates for even longer than that.  Mainly, he was assured that none of them would bother them.

"So... a sword for you then?" he queried, looking quizzicially down at Valdis as he set off towards the right wall.  About halfway down there was an empty mat that just so happened to coincide with an array of variably shaped wooden swords, from claymores to scimitars, from rapiers to kukris, there was everything she could hope to use and then some.  He was considering a sword and shield for himself, but was waiting for her to choose a dummy weapon first.  "Ladies before gentlemen," he invited with a cheeky grin, making a sweeping gesture at the crowded racks before them.

[Reaver]

Valdis trailed behind quietly, watching the lieutenant. You could learn a lot about someone from the way they held themselves and moved, but she wasn\'t quite sure. Some people were completely different in combat. Since she didn\'t know much about the man himself, she wasn\'t sort if he was the sort to hold himself in constant readiness, or if his demeanor would be changed completely.

When they arrived at the rack of weapons, she quickly searched for long curved blades, hoping for one similar to her own custom one. It didn\'t take her long to find a single-edged long sword, with a gently curved blade. She wondered who had made all of the practice weapons. They would be light, so she glanced about for some sort of small shield. Smaller would suit her needs, and hopefully it would balance her sword.

Another curious thought, she hadn\'t bothered to study the combat styles of the area. Would her usual tactics save her, or would she have to improvise? Either would be, interesting... but she did want to win.

"Is there to being anything else?" she asked with an innocent smile, blinking twice. "I\'d like to be getting this o\'er with so I can be loosing these straps." She tugged at the straps of her armor, making sure they were still tight.

[Existentially Odd]

His gaze was drawn automatically to her body, simply because of her gesture with the armour, and it made him feel embarrassed because he\'d fallen victim to that little action.

He only hoped his fair cheeks didn\'t pink up as he chose a wooden longsword and a large buckler for defense.  Rather than addressing her question, though, he simply stepped onto the training mat, hefting his weapon and shield meaningfully.

"I\'m ready," he announced, his feet braced comfortably, arms lifted into strong positions and his gaze roving her body constantly - not because he found her attractive, but because he wanted to try and predict where her first strike would come from.

There was an advantage to being the first on the mat and inviting the attack, he figured.

[Reaver]

Valdis grinned as she grabbed a small shield, holding her arm out to test the weight. "Fine equipment. Good to be seein\' the guards take good care." Said with a purr, she put her best sway into her walk as she moved onto the mat. If she could throw his focus off, she would. Besides, it had been too long since she had some real fun. Killing people on the battlefield was confusing, chaotic, messy. This was just a fight. Just the two of them.

Lowering her arm and letting the shield rest comfortably to her side, she spread her feet and lowered herself down a few inches, getting a feel for the tension in her legs. Should she have done stretches first? Frowning, she tried not to think of how sore she would be later. She\'d have to remember to do stretches next time.

"If you\'re t\'being ready, then why haven\'t we begun?" Valdis purred, smiling innocently.