Horse guards

[Koren]

Mathais walked out of the guard house. There was a bit of mess going on in there as the locked up everyone they had just brought back. He didn't need to be in there though. now there were less guards on the street as the dealt with them all so he had been assigned to the poorer district. The foot guards were still at full capacity there but they always liked some mounted guard. He hadn't had to patrol for the last two years though and it was strange to be doing so again. He shouldn't run into any problems as the city folk liked him. But he knew that they still saw him as a guard and they wouldn't hesistate to turn against him for the chance of food or coin. He grabbed a horses bridle, a simple chesnut mare that he was still in the process of training.

As the horsemaster for the guard he was responsible for training all the horses and also for training their riders, a far more frustrating task. He usually wouldn't have sent one of the newbies, or even the experianced guards out with this mare because she was too new, but he could handle her and it would do her good to get the experiance. He pulled her out of the stable and jumped neatly onto her back, making sure her tack was all good and his weapons were loosened so her could grab them easily. Leading the mare out in a trot towards the poor distinct he silently greeted those he knew on the way with a polite nod. His friends werent friends when he was working. They knew it and they understood.

He wasn't in the poor district more then ten minutes before a young theif tried to grab a money bag off the belt of a fat, and obvious merchant. He stopped her with a sword on her shoulder and she looked at him in fear. He nodded a gesture and she tied the bag back on to the mans belt and ran like hell. Mat didn't agree with bringing in every person for small things like that. For large robberies and bad criminals yes. But the girl had been stick thin and bruised. He recognised the look and the desperation. People that stole to feed their families he sometimes over looked the punishment part of catching them.

He rode deeper into the district, making sure to keep the mare calm and under wraps and to keep an eagle eye out for other crimes.

[Kozue]

Not too far up the path, near a well-known tavern, the young guard straightened his back and marched through the door.  The music stopped as he entered and all eyes watched him nervously clear his throat and speak.  "I'm-,"  His shaky voice cracked and the tavern patrons laughed uproariously.  He cleared his throat and tried again, a rich tenor coming out this time.  "I'm looking for anyone with information on the whereabouts of the criminal known as Diamond.  She was seen entering this bar last night and she hasn't been seen leaving.  If one of you is hiding her I'll-"

"You'll what?"  A bald man spoke up from the corner of the tavern. 

"I'll.. I'll arrest  you."  Was the guard's reply.

"Arrest me?  But if you do that, you'll have to arrest all of us.  And there's only one of you.  But I gotta whole tavern on my side."  The man in the corner grinned wickedly.

The guard gulped.  This wasn't how he had envisioned this turning out.  Then again, nothing he ever did came out right.  He heard the scuffing of chairs and realized that the patrons were getting up.  All of them.  Flustered and knowing he couldn't handle that many enemies at once, he ran back out of the bar and down the street, chased only by more uproarious laughter.

He had only gone a block or two when he spotted Mathais atop a guard-horse.  Breathless and panting, he approached and buckled at the waist, his hands coming to rest on his knees.  "Tavern... threats.... chased me..... just asking questions.... I didn't mean to offend!"  He was one of the newest recruits, a young man by the name of Wilhelm Bolden. 

[Koren]

Mathais saw Bolden before Bolden saw him and growled under his breath. Bolden also didn't have his horse and was running which meant that he had left it behind somewhere. Thats annoyed Mathais more then his cowardice did. Those horses took a long time to break in and train for anything. Mathais stopped his horse on the side of the road and waited for Bolden to approach. Mathais didn't remember his first name, and none of the guard knew his first except for the head of the guard so last names it was for him. Mathais had an almost natural glare to his hardened face, the only you only got but being out on the streets for a long time. He made no attempt to soften it as he approached. Nor did her say anything. He didn't need too.

It also didn't take him long to figure out what had happened. It really wasn't that hard either. He knew the tavern that was likely to be causing the trouble. It was a pain for the guards and also a pain for the criminals that hid there. Mathais hadn't had to enter the place in probably two years, but that didn't change anything. he tied his horse on the stake, the mare impressively considering how new she was waiting calmly and jumped down. He stood in front of Bolden. He didn't touch the sword at his waist, instead removing the heavy wood batton. it had a lead center so was certainly tough enough for most of the non lethal situations. and people knew exactly how much a well aims hit from one of those could hurt. The guard didn'y use them now, opting out for sword and daggers instead, but Mathais was an expert in its use, and they caused a lot less mess.

"They can smell your fear, Bolden. Your new and they know it, and they know exactly how to deal with it. Besides your meant to be with a partner." He didn't say much and his curt tone meant he didn't need to. He knew why Bolden didn't have a partner. They didn't assign them any more, but it was still irresponsible for him to try and go in alone. "Come with me. And work on that stutter."
Mathais didn't let stuff like this go down with his guard. They could run sure, but they always had to go right back and do it again. This time Mathais would take charge though. Because he had a feeling he knew why that had been so agressive.

[Kozue]

Wilhelm's face paled at Mathais seemingly uncaring response.  After several more minutes, he was able to catch his breath, and uprighted himself, but it didn't seem to change Mathais' opinion of him.  True, he was new.  Fresh meat, they had said when he finished training.  But that was no reason to be  so hard on him.  Chastised and somewhat defeated, Wilhelm chased after Mathais, puling out his own club out in an effort to help.  "I was just asking after Diamond, Sir.  Reports have her entering the establishment last night and they don't have her leaving.  I figured someone might be forthcoming with information.  I.. I didn't expect the patrons to be so.. unruly.  I'm sorry, Sir." 

He followed, unspeaking until he spotted his horse.  His mare hadn't been properly tied off and was happily munching someone's window garden.  Shock-stricken, Wilhem rushed over and grabbed the reins, trying to pull the horse away from the flowers it was tastily destroying.  "Clover!  No!  Don't eat those!  Come on Clover, be a good girl."  He tugged, but the mare was stubbornly refusing to leave.  She chomped another flower.  "No Clover!  Please!  Let's Go!"  He tugged and tugged at her reins, but only managed to make her turn and knock her rump into him.  The motion successfully knocked the young guard off-balance and sent him sprawling across the ground.  His club rolled off and hit the side of Mathais' boot as the dazed guard shook his head and slowly picked himself up off the ground.  This was just not his day.

[Koren]

Mathais saw the horse when Bolden rushed over to it. The poor kid. Sometimes he looked at some of his new ones and wondered how they managed to get into the guard. And What it was that they were doing here. Especially when it came to the idea of the horse masters. He watched as Bolden unsuccessfully tried to pull his horse away. Damn even his horse didn't respect him. All the horses should have known better then to wander off or eat on duty. But when given to a new handler sometimes they went a bit wild. He had seen it before. And that was exactly what seemed to have happened. Mathais sent out a short sharp whistle as Bolden went down. Clover lifted her head and came trotting over to Mathais, standing calm and straight as she was meant to. He paid no attention to Bolden as he tied Clover up properly.

Once the horse was taken care of he bent down and picked up Bolden baton. He had to admire the kid for taking one. They didn't have many left in the armory and to be given one meant that you had to show that you could use it fairly well. There were maybe only forty of the guard that had the skills to use the baton and you weren't given one without proving that you could use it. maybe this kid had promise after all. Grabbing his young guard by the scruff of his shirt her hefted him onto his feet, muscles bulging as her force him up right and gave him back his baton. Mat made sure the crowd around them kept moving, and that none of them were going to press the issue of being rude and then moved into the bar.

It went silent immediately. Mat stood in front of the door way, baton at his side glaring at the patrons. One man stood up. Hammond. Another theif that Mat had seen a long time ago when he had been on duty. Supposedly he was clean now. By the dagger he had hidden up his sleeve mat doubted that that was true.
"Captain Mathais. Haven't seen you here in a while, sir." Hammond spoke calmly and with respect. He knew what would happen if he didn't That scar on his temple had been one such incident with Mathais' blade. Mat didn't miss the bald man in the corner slinking back into the shadows.
"Listen up!" He bellowed with the voice of someone who has been on the watch for a long time. "One of you knows where Diamond is. You give her up and I won't call for the guard to arrest you all for obstruction of the guards duties."
The room was silent. Then the bald man spoke up. "Listen to the Dogs bark." Mat turned to look at him sharply. The guard use to be known as 'Dogs' a long time ago. Before the times changed. Very few people called them dogs these days, and those that did were asking for trouble.
"We ain't in your Kennel now, Dog. And you ain't got bite enough for all of us."
Silence filled the room, louder then any noise could have made it. The people cleared a path between Mat and the bald man.

[Kozue]

Wilhelm felt himself roughly lifted and stood up.  His baton was nearly shoved into his hands as he lingered there, mouth agape and quiet, unable to say 'thank you' without stammering.  Not only had he completely embarrassed himself, but he had done it in front of Mathais.  His eyes drifted to the cobblestones and he followed suit after Mathais, silently.

The bar was no less rowdy when they arrived, and it's patrons were no less rude.  But Wilhelm saw this as a good thing.  It meant that they hadn't picked on him because he was so green.  It was because he was a guard.  Or maybe the bald man just had it in for the both of them?  It was possible.  This was a rather infamous tavern.

Wilhelm gripped his baton tightly, keeping an eye on Mathais left and right flanks.  For all of his clumsiness & newbishness, he was damn good in a fight.  A part of him wished that's what it would come down to.  Maybe then his captain would see him as something other than a failure.

[Koren]

Mat watching the man with the bald head as he stepped forward.
"You aren't even a dog. you look weak enough to be a pathetic little pup not even weaned from yours Bitch Hanna's teats." Hanna was the head of the guard house and this ass hole knew it. he much have been in jail a lot. Mat didn't move. The entire bar went dead silent now, and some of the less subtle patrons paid the bar tender, who then let them out through the back entrance so they wouldn't disrupt Mathais eye line. None of the other people even tried to make a go at him. They knew better. This idiot clearly didn't. He approached Mat clearly aggressive and spewing out curses by the bucket load. The others backed away, not wanting any part of it. When he was closed enough Mat leap forwards with a singular hit and struck the man between the eyes, not with his baton but with his fist. The man dropped like a stone, still breathing but only barely.

Hammond, the thief, stood up and gestured to the basement.
"She's down there. I saw the bartender hide her last night. She ain't got no weapons so your trainee should be able to handle her. Want some help with him, sir?" He said politely.
"That would be appreciated Hammond. Consider the assault charge against you from my trainee here dropped. Clearly you aren't the culprit."
Mat said. The rest of the patrons cleared out through the front door as the bartender almost collapsed against the counter. Mat stepped forward to put the man in leather hide ties, hobbling his hands behind his back and his legs so he couldn't run. he didn't put up a fight. Everyone had seen what Mat could do with a fist. they didn't want to find out what he could do with a baton or a sword. Mat had handed Hammond a set of ties so he could hobble the bald man, and did so quite well. Mat gestured with his head for Bolden to take care of Diamond.