Fantasy A War of Kings

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

On impulse, Lawrence reached over and put a hand on Safia's shoulder. "You are too accommodating," he said, "or else I grew up with domineering sisters. Oh wait, I believe I did." He smiled.

WHUMP.

Out of instinct, Lawrence's head whipped around. His thoughts moved immediately from the formalities of conversation to the primal instinct that had been cultivated inside of him: the need to respond to threats appropriately. He did not know what dangers lurked in these forests. One could see for long distances in much of the Desert. Here there were trees and shadows everywhere. His scimitar was at his side, and Lawrence's hand itched to seize it, but he didn't quite yet. It could be nothing, or it could be something. His eyes were alert and searching in the direction of the sound...but he saw nothing.

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds—12 days before her wedding

She heard the sound as well, but she was not so alarmed as Ser Lawrence. She chuckled a little bit to herself, smirking at his over-reaction, before reminding herself that such a noise as snow falling from a tree, mundane to her own ears, was probably as foreign to him as the snow itself, as foreign as a sandstorm was to her. Still, she couldn’t resist a playful jab. “A bit jumpy, are we?

“It’s just snow falling off the trees. A common enough sound for this late in winter, and not at all surprising given the snow we had last week. Nothing to worry about--just watch your head.”

TAG: Trieste

 

Gavin Hunter
Castle Halls

Gavin should have guessed that it was the war that was affecting the princess so greatly. War casts doubt upon everyone, but among the privileged, who had only known the safety of the castle walls, it was even more disheartening. Gavin wished that he could comfort Maela. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to imagine a life that could never be his. As Maela took her hand off his shoulder and left down the hall, Gavin shook free of his delusional reverie.

Through the gap in the dining hall door, the Gavin heard exchanged words between father and son. He noted them, but did not deign to guess their motive. The King beckoned to Gavin and said, “Hunter, nice to see you were finally able to join me. I do believe I asked you to be here before dinner.”

Gavin bowed deeply, formulating. He remembered explicitly being directed to arrive after dinner, but he could not accuse the King of being mistaken. Rising from his bow, Gavin said, “Yes, my liege. I extend my deepest regrets for missing our appointment. I must have confused the message to mean after dinner, highness.”

Gavin bowed again, not daring ask for the King to continue their meeting. He would simply have to wait for him to be ready.

Tag: spycoder9

 

IC:Fleet
18 Days before the wedding, Desert Coast
Mirwyth, Abandoned Smithy

Fleet's eyes bulged in surprise for a brief second, then he cringed in quick remorse. Lorain was reminding him to be quiet. He turned red for a moment, then imitated her and placed a finger over his own lips, just as she had done.

*shhhh*

He took the admonishment well and remained quiet, listening to whatever instructions Lorain had for him. She was trusting him to do good work, so he would pay attention and do his very best. His blue eyes regarded her fully, as he gave her his undivided attention.

"We're gonna try all the houses near here. And the stables. We might get lucky. But whatever ya can find, grab it, and get out quick. Anything to eat, weapon, money, flask. Or if ya see something we can barter with. We not gonna spend too much time inside. But we be careful. Not gonna step out too far. Don't want them others to see us." Lorain tied down her hair, and pulled up the wrapping she wore around her neck and face. Still dressed in the pants and tunic she had changed to earlier, nothing on her looked female. She'd also found an apron, like her old work apron. After her brief explanation, Lorain gave Fleet a nod.

"Let's get going. Don't wanna spend to much time out. Keep them eyes and ears sharp now, and may the Gods find favor in us!" Lorain told Fleet, as she held up her hand. Tucking her sacks in her belt, she opened the door slowly, and stepped out, listening quietly. Not hearing anything, she signaled for Fleet to follow. Right now, they headed for first building nearest them, and as soon as they were inside, they went to work.

Fleet had copied Lorain and taken a few sacks himself, but not nearly as many as the woman with 'giant's blood' had taken. But now, they were out of the stables and Fleet focused on the work at hand. The sooner they finished here, the sooner they could return to Kaili with their much needed provisions, in order to leave the abandoned town.

Fleet was quiet as a mouse as he moved. He did not speak a word and stepped as lightly as he could. He let his eyes adjust to the dark interior of the building before proceeding again. He listened for sounds Lorain was making and his own. Anything else would mean they had unwanted company. Fleet searched the food stores first. There wasn't much there, but some dried fruits, nuts and berries of some sort. He took them just the same and placed them inside the first sack. He grinned at his find. Lorain had gone to the upper rooms and found some currency. Figures. A metal smith could smell metal miles away anyhow.

And so it went, the two of them seeking about town,, going from building to building. Fleet was actually having fun with this, but he did his best to contain his inner thrill; though many times he'd felt as if they were being watched, then turned around suddenly, but each time, there was nothing there. The sensation was quite odd and unnerving, but he managed to force it out of his mind.

Lorain was 'fortunate' enough to find a bloodied hammer. Fleet wrinkled his nose at it. 'Ewww.' THe thing was a bit crooked, and he didn't even wish to consider how it ended that way.

The pair continued their search. It felt like hours, but Fleet had lost track of time and just stayed focus and always looked around guarding their rear, and covering their tracks as best as possible. They kept going, scavenging whatever they could find, that is until they encountered a mule, which had been making some strange sounds and stomping inside a stall.

'A mule?' Fleet thought, wondering at the odd find. All he could do for the next moment was watch as Lorain went to work and managed to place a harness on the pack animal and lead it out of the stall, her expression of someone who was quite pleased. Fleet grabbed the feed as instructed. Now it was time to head back to the blacksmith. Them, the mule and their findings.

Once inside, Fleet noticed how Lorain allowed herself to relax a bit. This he took as a good sign. Now it was time to take stock of all the things they'd found. Lorain also took time to teach Fleet a few things he would need to know or their upcoming journey. The young urchin boy paid close attention as he always liked to learn new things. After the lesson, Fleet went to check on Kaili, just to make sure she was alright. He'd noticed she needed 'changing' again, and called over Lorain to do what was necessary. While she did that, he went back to packing.

Looking at their provisions and all the packing they had done, it really felt like they would finally leave this place. Try as he might not to get ahead of himself, Fleet felt a palpable sense of relief. They had survived another day, and it was now time to move on. Taking advantage of the momentary pause, Fleet stepped outside the room and once he was alone, performed a quick ritual of thanks, as Fuzzy Fredda had taught him.

Tag:Ktala, GM

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

"Taking the unexpected lightly can sometimes be dangerous for me..." Lawrence said. It suddenly struck him that there would be side effects of this sudden union. He had never expected to be married, so he had trained certain tendencies up and neglected others. Though he was comfortable at Kalkheim it was because it was familiar and expected there. The sorts of things that were unexpected were still familiar to him. He knew how to handle them.

Safia was quite unexpected. She was not someone she had expected to have in his life until a few weeks ago. He had expected to be alone. He had expected to only be accountable for himself and for his own conduct. It was quite unexpected to be held to the standards of another person, whether she would voice those standards or not. For all her swordplay and horseback riding, Safia had expected that this day would come. She may not have expected the groom, but she must have trained and planned for this. In the lingo of the battlefield, she held a decisive tactical advantage. She knew the rough contours of the battlefield, even if she hadn't known what enemy would come over the ridge. Lawrence had never expected to fight this particular battle and so he found opponent arrayed and ready while he was scrambling to ready his troops for combat.

Perhaps such adversarial language was not the best way to conceptualize an impending wedding...but it was the vocabulary that Lawrence had. Another side effect of never preparing for this day.

"Is this place more mild than it seems to me?" Lawrence asked, "You've lived here and know it well. The Desert has a reputation for being hot and barren, but the Fair Groves defy the stereotype. It is not so harsh as that which surrounds it. Perhaps then things are not so hard here?" The real question on Lawrence's mind was why anyone would ever willingly live in these mountains. He was sure that many thought the same of the Desert, the majority of which Lawrence had little love for, hence his . His home was a rare exception to the rule. Perhaps Shodaire was similar.

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds—12 days before her wedding

“I suppose to those who are not accustomed to the mountains, the environment does seem rather uninviting,” she admitted. “Most of the Mountain Houses have been here for centuries, a few even since the First Men, so they know how to live here and how to guide their subjects through the hardships that come with life in the mountains. Danger can come from other humans—outlaws and bandits, mostly.” Though not exclusively, she thought, as Reynard’s attack on Harrowmont went through her mind. “But considering what it takes to survive in the wild in these conditions, it’s rare to see such attacks. Nature is a persistant nuisance; it is always cold, and we can even get some light snows in high summer, but within the city we can weather the elements fairly adequately, and though there are predators, they aren’t too big of an issue.

“So yes, it can be hard to live here, but if you can handle the dangers, there is beauty as well, if you know where to look for it.” She was again thinking of the view from the west tower; perhaps later she could sneak up there for a little private time. She wasn’t planning on sharing that particular place with Ser Lawrence just yet, but maybe at another time. “I have heard some high praise of the Fair Groves, though. My cousin Marcus’s wife Leenah told she visited there once, many years ago. She says it is a very beautiful place.”

TAG: Trieste

 

Lorain Ashkey, Blacksmith Shop - The Deserts of Mirwyth
Near Aqarda, Abandoned Smithy, - 17 Days before the wedding


Lorain sighed a big sigh of relief, once they had made it back inside the Smithy. She led the mule over to an area of the room and tied its harness. She then had Fleet bring over the feed, and gave the mule a tiny bit, to keep him happy, as she fetched it fresh water. Once the animal was taken care of, she began to sort through the items they had found, and carefully began to wrap them up, preparing them for travel.

Lorain went thought each item, carefully looking it over. She smiled, as she sat Fleet down, and explained everything to him. Why she was collecting coals for the fire in the desert. Explaining how there would be no trees, so they would need to bring their only tiny things to burn, and to keep a flame going. The extra sheets, they would use as both tents and cover, for they would travel at night, and hide in the heat of the day. Extra poles. She explained how they would travel parallel to the main path, but not directly on it, unless they fell upon a caravan they could join. As she watched Fleet pack some things, she began to take some of the strips she had Fleet cut earlier, and began to quickly weave them together, twisting them, and making a small net. Lorain would try to catch a bird or something, just as the sun set, when they moved in to roost. It might be their only chance at some fresh meat before they moved on. She showed him what she was doing, but continued to move her hands quickly for now. Water was especially important. Lorain knew that there would be most likely one water point on the trail. That was the main reason that there WAS a trail. Caravans could not carry all the water they needed to cross a large desert. So trails were built along areas to get water from. But they would need to reach it. So she showed him how to wrap the bottles carrying water. How to put a tiny slip of cloth in a small bottle of water, so that they could sip the precious liquid, while crossing, and save from evaporation. She also showed him how to carefully wrap his face with a bit of cloth, necessary to keep the fierce sands that would be blowing around them.

She then let him take a break, as she began to pack the other stuff into packs, to be put on the mule. She had to make sure everything was balanced, to make sure the mule would be able to handle it. Once that was done, Lorain blew out a long stream of air, as she smiled. She leaned back, taking a break as Fleet went upstairs to check on Kaili.

Kaili. That was going to be tough. Lorain had thought about how would be the best way to move the poor woman. She had thought of building a sleigh, like Da used to do with some of the heavier objects, when they didnt have a wagon. But that would leave tracks. Most likely, she would be the one ridding the mule. Lorain could not dare try to carry the woman. Another reason to try and move only during the night. Lorain put a pot of water on to boil. They would eat one more 'hot' meal, and rest before nightfall. Then, they would move one. She mentioned later on to Fleet that he might want to 'make friends' with the mule, she told him with a grin.

Lorain looked up when Fleet called her. It was Kaili. She moved quickly upstairs, to check on the woman. Fleet had noticed that the bandages needed changing once more. With a nod, she thanked him, and gathered items to change her wrappings. She noted that Fleet disappeared back downstairs. Lorain moved to check on Kaili, as she pulled the next set of bandages she would need. As she took a bowl of water and sat down next to the woman, she noted that she had stopped sweating. Lorain leaned closer now, putting her ear to the woman's face. Her breathing was shallow. Far too shallow. She was losing the fight. Lorain allowed her eyes to water, for this woman she didnt even know. "Oh Kaili." she whispered softly. Fleet would be heartbroken. He had struggled so long, to try and keeping his friend alive. Kaili would be leaving the town. But she would not be leaving with Fleet and her. She had her own path to take now. Still, Lorain would make the woman's last moments as pleasant as possible. She changed her bandgages, nothing a change in the color. Not good at all. Lorain quickly changed the bandages. She would burn the old ones. She also made sure to clean her hands well, after the fact. She cleaned Kaili up, and then she looked around. After making sure that Fleet was busy, she quickly changed the woman's clothing, after giving her a quick bath, and scrubbing her face. She found a plain dress, clean, and without any bloody holes in it, and quickly slipped it onto the woman. She then reached down, and being as gentle as she could, fixed the woman's hair, pulling it up, and letting bits of it fall down around her shoulders and back. She wanted Fleet to have a good memory of his friend. A last chance, to look 'normal'. Lorain fluffed up her pillows, and had her sitting up slightly. A fresh cover. Lorain whispered in Kaili's ear. "Dont worry Kaili. I'll take good care of 'em." Lorain stood back up, whipping her eyes, as she stepped back and looked at Kaili now. Now, she looked as if she was simply sleeping. Except her breathing was far too shallow. But she looked much better now. At least her exit from this world of pain, would be far more peaceful, than what others had planned for her. Should Fleet and she be so lucky.

Lorain turned, and quietly walked back downstairs. Fleet was busy packing things. With a smile, she noted that he was doing all the things she had shown him earlier. Fleet was a very quick learner indeed. She continued on into the kitchen, and began to fix the last of the soup items she had. With the bit of flour she had found earlier, she made bits of bread that would be for in the dessert. Everything she could cook up and pack, now was the time. While that was going on, she slipped out the back, and set up her net as well. If they were lucky, she could catch a bird, before nightfall. She also kept a small veggie or two as well. She might need them to 'convince' the mule, once they got going. Sure, they had some feed for him, but if nothing else the lands had taught her, was that life was unpredictable indeed. Now, that she had a bit of time, she took the hammer she had found, and carefully washed it off. She then began to examine it. She had wanted a blacksmiths hammer, but for now, this would do. The handle was slightly bent, but it was not broken. That was good. She could use it then. A bit of a chip on one corner, but unlike a sword, that was not something to worry about. She was not making a weapon with it. For fighting, it would do just fine. She hung it on her belt, wrapping it with a bit of cloth on the handle, to make it easier to wield.

Checking her nets, she found she had caught a small white bird. A dove perhaps? "Im sorry my friend." she told the bird as she quickly dispatched it, and then brought it back inside, along with her nets. "May you're life help to extend ours." she whispered softly to the Gods, as she quickly moved, to clean the bird, and to cook it. She gave a sad smile. Fleet would enjoy it. It had most likely been a long time since he had meat. She continued her cooking, but she kept the wings, and a few small white feathers, and pulled them off to the side. She had an idea for them. Perhaps it was the will of the Gods that indeed the bird had been sent to them. So, their last meal within the city would be soup, a few bites of bread, and meat. A most fitting meal to travel on. Later, she would let the mule graze outside on the last bits of grass around them, before they all would take a nap to prepare for the journey, after they ate.

"Fleet." Lorain called to the boy, when all of their packing was done. She smiled, and gently touched his shoulder. "Ya done great. Now, alls we we got to do is rest, till the night falls. We eat now. Then we go upstairs, and check on Kaili, alright?" Lorain told him gently. "We see if she be needing anything else, or if she wants to eat or drink." Lorain smiled. "I bet ya nose, already tells ya what surprise I gots for us to eat before we leave." she added with a grin.

She nods at the young man. "Come now. Grab the bowls ya used before. Let's enjoy this." she added with a smile, as she sat down, resting now. "Tonight, we leave this place."





TAG: greyjedi125, GM

 

Ok, I'm about to commit myself to getting us through to Part 2 in the next month! First, I need to know everyone who is still involved. We've had new players and returning players and it's been a pretty crazy mess. Just like this post if you are still on board. There would be no hard feelings if anybody wants to leave now. I just need to know where to focus my posts.

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

The corners of the Knight's mouth turned up a little bit at mention of his homelands. "The Fair Groves defy the stereotype of the Desert," Lawrence said, "a limitless expanse of sand and stone that is good only for inconveniencing travelers to the Capital. A place where losing your way is a good way to die of thirst. There is some truth to this...but people forget that the Desert is spotted with places where life flowers. The Fair Groves is one such place.

"We draw our life from the Well of Kidrion, around which Kalkheim was built. How far down it goes I do not know, let alone how anyone thought to dig it, but without it we would die. The presence of water alone does not distinguish the Fair Groves from the Desert. As I think I mentioned, the climate is slightly milder than much of the Desert. It is this climate that allows us to grow our citrus trees. Unlike many plants, they do well in the heat with lots of sunlight. Here--" Lawrence motioned to the mountains, "--frost would kill a lemon tree overnight. Even our cold evenings threaten them. The Groves are planted on dirt, not sand. It is poor soil, especially compared to the Capital and the Plains, but it is enough for our lemon, orange, and lime trees. The Fair Groves got its name from the trees, which are everything to us. Without them we're nothing.

"The Groves themselves are surprisingly green for being in the middle of the Desert," Lawrence continued, "They don't exactly stretch as far as the eye can see...but it feels like it sometimes. The warm wind that blows across the Desert rustles the leaves in a gentle sound that I never heard the like of until I came to the coast cities and saw the ocean. But there was something hard about the sound of the waves that wasn't in the leaves.

"The alcazar alkheim itself, where I was born and reared, is built of sandstone. Its halls are cool, a relief from the harsh sun. I forget who built it, but one of my ancestors did. It sprawls more than things do here...but then again we have less of a premium on buildable land. Admittedly, the beige and tan stone does seem to draw on and on sometimes, but it is not without a subtle beauty. You'll find that we've imported many familiar comforts." Lawrence sighed. "It has its beauty for those who care to look. For me, it is enough. I have seen the Fair Groves from end to end as Knight Commander. The Desert does not forgive, but it is not so unforgiving to those who disrespect her."

Indeed and woe to those who would march across the Desert in ignorance, Lawrence thought, The walls of the Fair Groves are not high...but they are high enough to an army that has traveled over miles of sand.

"You know...I just realized that we're going to have to get you a hat," Lawrence said, "I don't know how that lily skin is going to survive otherwise in the Fair Groves. We can't have you turning into a lobster when you're not in the shade of the orange trees. I'll bet you'll want ribbons or feathers on it too."

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds-12 days before her wedding

Again, Safia listened very intently as he spoke of his home, trying to picture it in her mind. Though her past journeys through the desert to Valona had taken her near the Fair Groves, she had never actually passed within sight of those lands. Ser Lawrence’s description, however, made it sound like Leenah’s praise was not far off the mark.

"You know...I just realized that we're going to have to get you a hat," Ser Lawrence was saying. "I don't know how that lily skin is going to survive otherwise in the Fair Groves. We can't have you turning into a lobster when you're not in the shade of the orange trees. I'll bet you'll want ribbons or feathers on it too.”

He was teasing her, of course, but she found herself recalling one of her early visits to Valona, when, while travelling through the desert, she had been sunburned so badly, she’d had blisters on her skin. She had worn long sleeves and avoided the outdoors for over a year afterward, until the resulting tan had faded away, and even after that she covered up as much as possible whenever she went through the desert. She had learned her lesson—the hard way—and wasn’t about to make the same mistake again.

“I’m sure I can make do without ribbons and feathers,” she retorted, and was about to make some other clever comment when a large flock of birds went flapping overhead, raising quite a racket as they took off all together. Safia’s horse shuffled about nervously, and as she looked around for what might have startled the birds, the princess heard another sound. Humor forgotten, she fell silent, listening. It was getting closer—a low, rumbling noise. That is not snow falling off the trees—

She abruptly yanked on the reins and turned her horse back towards the Tower, looking to Ser Lawrence and hoping she did not appear too panicked. Avalanches were another common occurance on the mountain, but this one sounded closer than normal, and she had no desire to get caught in it. “Back to the castle, now. We need to get back inside the walls, before that avalanche reaches us.”

TAG: Trieste

 

GM Note

Okay, so first things first, I’ll be sending messages around to all those who liked my post. Some may be in groups, others separated. We are heading quickly to our finale of Part One, and I’m wanting to reach it soon. I have several key points I need to reach with every character and every place before we get there, but considering some characters have dropped out of the game, it’ll be rather simple to show some of those through my own posts. If things go as planned, I might have my first of the next series of updates out tomorrow.

I just want everyone who stuck with the game to know, I’ll try as hard as I can to make this ride well worth it for you.

 

IC: Fleet
18 Days before the wedding, Desert Coast
Mirwyth, Abandoned Smithy

They were really leaving. He could feel it deep inside himself. He knew when something big was about to happen because his stomach always felt funny. His body seemed to react to things before he even knew it. He was even shaking a little, but he didn't feel cold. Yes, he was excited, but there was something else, something he could not name or describe. Still, he sat and listened attentively, his blue eyes lit like big lanterns as he focused on Lorain. There was no way Fleet was going to miss a word, as this seemed very important.

Lorain was diligent and patient as she explained things to the young boy. She made sure he understood before moving on to the next topic. Fleet now understood why they needed
coals. No trees in the desert to burn kindling. Extra sheets for tents, cover and protection. They rest by day and travel by night, while moving alongside the caravan path. Crossing the desert seemed quite a journey. Fleet got busy and started to pack things while listening, as being idle made him more self-aware of his mounting anxiety. Lorain showed him how to make small nets, but the most important think was securing water. Lorain showed him how to wrap the containers, and he did his very best to do exactly what he'd been shown. The notion of 'evaporation' was new, and his eyes went even wider as he learned about the effects of heat on water. It was almost like magic, but only natural.

Wrapping his face with cloth was amusing and odd all at the same time. It was a bit harder to breathe, but Lorain explained it would protect him against blowing sheets of sand. This was going to be a very interesting experience, he mused.

Lorain gave the young urchin a break from his tasks, but Fleet still felt energized. He recalled the big woman saying something about him making friends with the mule, so he went down to where the animal was kept and took a bit of feed with him.

"So, you're going on a trip with us." he said to the mule, as he extended a hand with feed.
"That means yur goin' ta need a name."

Fleet watched the mule as it moved closer, smelled and smelled the feed before eating it from his hand. Fleet chuckled at the sensation, then took a moment to ponder a name. He gave the mule two more servings before a possible name dawn on him.

"Oh! I know, since yu were stuck in toun like us, and yur leaving' with us, guess we should call yu 'Freedom'. Do you like it?"

The mule kept on eating, but didn't seem to object.

"Then Freedom it is!" He said with a smile of victory and returned to Lorain, informing her of the mules new name.

"Lorain, his name is Freedom." he announced. But, the questioning look on her face informed him he'd left out 'who' he was referring to. "Oh, I mean…the mule, I gave 'im a name, I named 'im Freedom. 'Cause he's helping' us out of here." He beamed at her. Lorain was on her way to check on the mule and how he handled the things she packed, so it was good that Lorain now had a name for him. In the meantime, Fleet made his way to look in on Kaili.

The funny feeling in his stomach intensified, but he did his best to ignore it.

At first he watched her sleeping from the door, before slowly moving closer. Kaili looked so pale and still. This was not the vibrant sun-kissed woman he had met, full of life, kindness and drive. She seems so in control back then, now she was very vulnerable, at death's door even. Fleet fear he would lose her, but not just her, but the hope she had revived inside him. As he lay on the muddy floor of that nameless town, barely conscious, without having even scraps of food for perhaps weeks, she had succored him when everyone else had ignored him and left him to the fate of the unwanted. Kaili brought him back, and now she was leaving him.

Fleet's mounting sadness was momentarily interrupted by anger. Anger at the men who hurt her. Yes, he would remember these men. Inside himself, he vowed to avenge her, some how, when and if he grew up to be stronger. That's when he noticed the red stains at her side.

Fleet felt a pang of panic and went to get Lorain. He felt powerless when it came to helping the wounded. Lorain was physical evidence that the gods had not abandoned them entirely. She was the personification of the qualities he would need, that much he was aware of. Fleet waited outside the room while Lorain changed Kaili's bandages. He tried not to worry, but the strange feeling inside just grew larger. It made him shake, and he couldn't help it. He needed to keep busy and not think on it, so he went downstairs to pack.

The boy continued to secure packs and double check things, just to keep busy. The smell of cooking lifted his spirits somewhat. Whatever Lorain was preparing, he knew he would enjoy.

It felt like a long time, but it really wasn't. Lorain finally called for him.

"Fleet. Ya done great. Now, all we got to do is rest till the night falls. We eat now, then we go upstairs and check on Kaili, alright?" Fleet had been smiling at the mention of food, but only nodded once Kaili was mentioned. "We see if she be needing anything else, or if she wants to eat or drink." Fleet returned Lorain smile but he knew she was just trying to make him feel better. Kaili hadn't eaten a proper meal side her injury. None of them had, and from what they could put together, she could barely take in soup, much less anything else.

"I bet ya nose already tells ya what surprise I gots for us to eat before we leave."

"Soup!!" Fleet declared, suddenly excited, as he tried to guess what Lorain had put in their meal. "Come now, grab the bowls ya used before. Let's enjoy this."

Fleet thought for a moment as he tried to recall which pack had the bowls.

"Tonight, we leave this place."

The young urchin grind at hearing those words, since Lorain had warned him against making any loud noises. Fleet went o get the bowls as instructed and returned in short order. Once the meal was served, he was astounded that there were bits of cooked meat in it. His eyes went wide as he chewed the first bit, and after that, he really worked on finishing every single bit of his food.

"Lore…" He said with both gratitude and astonishment mixed in his expression, his empty bowl before him. " you're amazin' …" He declared, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, a happy grin plastered on his face. But the expression did not last long as he looked up, towards the upper room. Fleet glanced over to Lorain, who encouraged him with a smile and a nod, which he returned. The boy cleaned out his bowl with a piece of cloth, then poured some soup, which he took upstairs with him. He sighed deeply as he crossed the door and forced himself to look up, but when he saw Kaili….his eyes widened in surprise.

Kaili looked so beautiful. Her hair was combed and her dress was nice, Lorain had even changed the bed covers. She looked so fresh, despite her being asleep. Fleet came closer and placed the soup bowl on the adjacent stand. He sat next to her and caressed her face. He was about to call her name, when she opened her eyes, as if he had been waiting for him. Kaili smiled up at him, which made Fleet's eyes fill with tear. So fixed on her face and her attentive eyes was he, that Fleet did not even notice when she reached up to feel his face. Her hand felt cold, but he did not mind. She brushed the tears from his cheek and felt the warmth of his face.

She spoke his name, but he could hardly hear her. Kaili barely had the strength to speak. The old sparkle in her eyes, it was there…but it was different. It was like a candle that was about to go out, just as a gentle breeze passed and caused it to burn bright for one last time. Fleet leaned closer, so his ear was next to Kaili's lips. The woman who had saved him spoke for a short time, speaking low, but clearly, as she mentioned things that he would not understand. Fleet only listened, happy to hear her voice, to have this moment. Kaili had finished speaking, and Fleet rose up slowly, her hand falling from his face as he did so and unto her chest.

The young urchin did not bother to stop his tears as he sobbed silently. The momentary light in Kaili's eyes was now gone…for good. But the expression on her face; she looked at peace, one that was beyond understanding. Fleet was not aware if Lorain was in the room or if any animal howled outside. Slowly, he laid his head down on her bosom and let himself mourn his friend. The gods had called Kaili to home, to the palace beyond the veil, but at least they granted her a peaceful passage, for that he was grateful.

"Sleep now, Kaili." Fleet said almost inaudibly. "And watch over us…."

Before they left, Fleet intended to keep his promise.

"I'll never forget yu…"

For now, he just wanted to remember all the good things about his friend, so she would live forever…in his heart.

Tag:Ktala,spycoder9

 

Lorain Ashkey - 17 Days before wedding
Leaving Abandoned Town, Near Aqarda, Desert Coast


The moment had come.

They had gathered everything they had been able to find, and carefully packed it all together. Lorain checked the mule, that Fleet had named 'Freedom', and checked to make sure his hooves were good. She found some scraps of heavy leather, that she would use to wrap his feet, if the sands got too hot, or he had trouble walking. He was important, and Lorain knew they would have to take good care of him.

They ate their soup, and Fleet had discovered the meat inside of it. The look on his face was priceless, and gave Lorain a bit of joy. She wanted to remember that. She tried not to think of what was next. But she knew. When Fleet finally went upstairs, carefully carrying a bowl of soup, she followed a few steps behind him.

She saw him pause, looking at Kaili. Then he crept into the room. Lorain walked to the doorway and stopped, even as Fleet walked over and sat next to the woman. Lorain bit her lip, as she saw Fleet touch her face ever so gently, and she opened her eyes, a smile on her face. She was quite pretty. She was more calmer, more clearer this time, as Lorain hears Kaili call Fleet's name, just barely. Fleet leaned over closer to Kaili, and Lorain can see the woman's lips move, but she can not hear her. She gives the pair their moment. It is the last time, Kaili will speak with Fleet. So she dosent want to disturb the moment. For a moment, Lorain see's the woman slowly look up towards her.

A look. A pause, and then just the barest of nods. Lorain looks towards Fleet, and then back up at Kaili. She nods slowly. Kaili smiles.

And then, the moment is gone. Fleet slowly sits back, as Kaili's hand falls away from his small frame. And Fleet begins to sob silently, his shoulders shuddering as he laid his head down on her chest. Silently, Lorain entered the room, letting him cry. At least her way out was peaceful. Should they all be so lucky. Fleet lays there, sobbing softly. Lorain did not want to rush him, but if they were to go, then they would need to take care of one last thing before they left. And they would need to do it soon.

"Sleep now, Kaili." Fleet said almost inaudibly over Kaili's body. "And watch over us…."
A pause. And then even softer, he added, "I'll never forget yu…"

Lorain carefully crept up behind Fleet, and gently laid her hand on his shoulder doing her best to offer what comfort she could. They both had seen far too much death already. At least Fleet got a chance to say goodbye to his companion. And while she would never admit to it, Lorain was almost relieved. The thoughts of trying to cross the desert with the severely injured woman had weighed heavily on her mind. Now, that was gone. Kaili would be traveling another path now.

Lorain spoke gently now. "I can take Kaili to the Grove. It is .. peaceful there. And a bit green. I think she would have liked it." Lorain told Fleet softly. There she can rest peacefully, like you wanted."

She backed away, and gave Fleet a bit more time with Kaili. She moved downstairs, taking the bowl of soup with her and began to pack the items they had together, before finally preparing them to be put on Freedom. But she would wait till the end for that. The soup was stored, and the bowl packed. Once more, she headed out, but this time, she had another purpose. A small shovel she took with her, as Lorain headed back out to the Grove. She found an out of the way spot, hidden, away from the trees. Someplace that would not most likely be noticed or disturbed, and she began to dig.

Later, Lorain slipped back inside. She took the wings and feathers she had found, and headed back upstairs to where Kaili lay. The loose feathers, she slipped into the woman's hair, before carefully wrapping her, preparting her for her last journey. Later, just before the darkness fell, Lorain carried Kaili to her final resting place. She did not make Fleet follow...that was up to him. He might wish to remember her last moments alive. She could understand that. She had something else, she had made from a few scraps of sheets. Something so silly, but she felt it needed to be made anyway. When she got back to the place, she very carefully laid Kaili down. A few silent prayers to the gods, she reached down placed in Kaili's hands a small doll, before wrapping the covering around her. On top, she gently laid the wings she had saved, crossing them on top. Kaili was free now. The doll, a tribute, for both Fleet, and the missing child Jakob, who she called out to. Then, Lorain filled in the spot, Rocks first, then soil, making sure to clear the top, so that it didnt looked recently dug. She would hate for wild animals.. or those wicked Knights to find and disturb her slumbers. No one deserved that, no mater what they might have done.

"Rest well, Kaili. I'll watch over Fleet for ya now." she spoke softly.

Finished, Lorain turned and came back into the building, silent. She washed her hands well, and then began to pack Freedom for the trip. She made sure he was well watered before they would leave. She rested a little bit, waiting for the sun to finish its decent. Lorain then walked over to Fleet.

"It's time to go, Fleet."

They would travel by the light of the moon for now. A howl came from someplace. It seemed appropriate for the moment. Lorain listened one last time, for any strange noises, before she had Fleet left their temporary haven. They would follow the road for just a tiny bit, before they left it, to move parallel to the road. Enough to keep it in sight. She did not think many would be moving at night, but they had no choice. That might have to change later on, but for now, they just needed to put some distance between themselves and those cursed Knights. Lorain hoped that the Fair Groves certainly lived up to their name, and that the gods would look over them on this journey. At least this time, she knew where she was going. She just hoped this part of the journey would be less exciting than the first part had been so far. For now, she was not alone. And she was going to do her best, to make sure that Fleet had a chance to grow up.

The pair disappeared off into the darkness, Freedom leading the way.




Tag: greyjedi125, spycoder9

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

The flock of birds was enough to get Lawrence's attention. His hand had slipped to the hilt of his scimitar warily, his danger sense tingling. Just because he'd been paranoid before did not mean that nobody was out to get him.

Safia had decisively turned her horse around with a jerk on reins. "Back to the castle, now. We need to get back inside the walls, before that avalanche reaches us," she said urgently.

The Knight needed no further urging. He spurred his horse without a second thought and sent it galloping back the way he'd come. The horse had carried him well in his friendly race with Safia and he trusted in its speed once again--especially as the stakes were considerably higher. The truth was that he was putting quite a bit of confidence in his mount and its ability to navigate the snow.

Lawrence knew what an avalanche was. He'd read about them. He'd just never seen one. He'd never stopped and thought about what it would look like, and he had to admit he had a curiosity as to whether it was impressive as the accounts he'd read. However, he'd hoped that he would get to see one from a distance, not from his current position of apparent immediacy. Nor did he want to find out what it was like to be caught in one.

At least you have a little warning when a sandstorm is coming, Lawrence thought. He wouldn't have minded that little extra notice right now.

Tag: JediMasterAnne and spycoder9 potentially

 

IC: Fleet
17 Days before the wedding, Desert Coast
Mirwyth, Departing the abandoned town

He was responsive to Lorain's touch and her gentle words, but he did not respond with words, for he could not, at least not at the moment. Fleet simply nodded when he needed to, or moved when asked. His eyes remained red and his expression sullen. There was no easy way to deal with the loss of a dear friend, no matter how much mental preparation one may have exercised. The reality of it always did take a toll.

Though silent, Fleet did take great comfort in Lorain, the woman with giant's blood. She was a balm to him…and even though he said not much, Fleet also assisted in their preparations to depart the abandoned town. Nothing would prevent that now.

"I can take Kaili to the grove. It is…peaceful there, and a bit grew. I think she would have liked it. There she can rest peacefully like you wanted."

Fleet simply nodded. He couldn't bring himself to speak, but he did squeeze Lorain's hand as the woman passed. He sat there for a moment, trying to bring it all under control, his torrent of emotions, or at least to keep it check and from spilling out.

When he was sure he would not suddenly break again, he moved and went to find Lorain. She was now digging Kaili's grave. Fleet did his part and helped. Somehow, this was comforting to him, making sure that she would put to rest safely, away from cruel men and wandering animals. Fleet offered a ghost of a smile to Lorain once he noticed the feathers and the doll. He would have been totally lost without the giant woman.

Fleet silently joined Lorain as they prayed over Kaili, and he felt inner relief for his friend and partially for himself.

"Rest well, Kaili. I'll watch over Fleet for ya now." Lorain spoke softly. The urchin boy squeezed her hand again, if only briefly, before moving away a short distance. Everything felt so surreal at the moment. NOw, it was just the two of them, and a mule. Freedom.

The boy had been drifting in and out of sleep, when Lorain roused him.

"It's time to go, Fleet."

The boy nodded, a brief hint of a smile on his face, but when he moved, he did so with purpose. They moon was the light under which they traveled, and from a distance, some animal howled. It was an appropriate send off. Fleet did not look back as they rode on, he kept his eyes forward, though his mind was filled with memories. Everything was about to change again, and this time he hoped for the better. As the abandoned town receded in the distance and was swallowed by the obscuring night, Fleet began to feel better. Hope was still alive in his heart, thanks to Kaili and Lorain; and so, the two took to their journey, bravely moving on to their new adventure, ever forward, upon the steps of Freedom.

Tag: Ktala, spycoder9

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds—12 days before her wedding

Ser Lawrence had not needed telling twice, and as soon as he took off, Safia dug her heels into her mount and sent the horse racing after him. She could hear the mass of snow behind her coming on faster and faster as it gained momentum--normally, the forestry would help to break up the avalanches and slow them down, but the woods were not so thick here, and she could hear some of the smaller trees loudly snapping like twigs as the oncoming wall of snow swept over them.

The birds were not the only wildlife attempting to flee from the avalanche, and Safia’s horse was startled by a small deer that shot into its path. Safia tried to steady the mare, but in its already fearful state, the animal did not respond to her efforts, rearing up on its hind legs and then losing its balance, sending both itself and its rider tumbling to the ground. A snowdrift cushioned Safia’s fall to a certain degree, but as the horse was struggling back to its feet, the princess’s foot caught briefly in the stirrup, painfully twisting her ankle before she was able to free herself. The horse raced off before she could seize the reins again, leaving Safia behind. A look back showed her that the avalanche, though appearing to have slowed down a bit, was still approaching.

Safia knew she had no chance of outrunning the avalanche on foot, even without the twisted ankle, and she could not see Ser Lawrence anywhere, so her best hope was to get out of the open, to find something large enough to take shelter behind until the slide stopped.

Fortunately, there was a tree nearby, a sturdy-looking one with a trunk thick enough to shield her from the rushing snow. Ignoring the pain that shot up her leg, Safia quickly ran to the tree and pressed up against it, listening to the rumbling as the avalanche came closer…closer…closer—

And swept by, snow riddled with sticks, rocks, even a few smaller tree branches. It took a few moments before it slowed, then finally stopped; by then, the snow on either side of the tree was higher than Safia’s knees.

Safia breathed a sigh of relief, then scowled at the deepened snow. She could not very well walk back to the Tower in that…and even if she were not injured, she was no longer entirely sure of where she was in relation to the castle.

And where was Ser Lawrence? Had he gotten away safely? Did he realize that she was in trouble? The immediate danger of the avalanche had passed, but she was still stranded. “Ser Lawrence!” she shouted out, hoping he was near enough to hear her. Surely he had not gotten far… “Ser Lawrence!”

TAG: Trieste and maybe spycoder9

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

Lawrence's horse, spurred by the imminent danger, had guided him out of the path of the avalanche. It stopped only when the terrible rumble had died down, leaving the forest calm once more. The truth was that the horse had not run for home but for what it perceived as safety. Lawrence had no idea where he was in these strange woods. The trees hid the Tower from his view, though he was sure that he could strike it eventually. Though he had a vague idea of where he had come from, attempting to backtrack had revealed that the avalanche had predictably wiped out his tracks.

And Safia was nowhere to be found.

This was not an ideal first day with his wife to be. Allowing her to have died would not be anywhere close to ideal.

"All right there boy," Lawrence said, leaning down a bit and patting the steed's side, "You know these lands better than me. Let's find your mistress."

He gently spurred it forwards in the direction he thought he'd come. The avalanche had ripped trees out of the ground, roots and all, and pulled rocks and sticks along in its cold path of destruction. The destructive force was unlike anything Lawrence had experienced. A sandstorm blew into your eyes, blinding you. Tents could be carried away in its gritty gales. Yet when a sandstorm was over, it was just gone. One's things might be covered with the sand, but everything was still and didn't look much different from they had before. This was different. It reminded you of its chaos with its broken wood. Everything had been changed by the rolling snow. It altered all that was around it violently and savagely.

"What a country," Lawrence muttered to himself.

The deep flows of snow challenged the horse. It was slow going plowing through them. Lawrences feet were dragging through the snow. It was cold and wet going. It occurred to him that Safia could be underneath this snow. He might not know he'd found her until his horse encountered resistance in the drifts. Maybe he would think she was a rock and simply go around. Perhaps in the spring with the melt they'd find her preserved body, looking the same in death as it had in life...

What morbid thoughts. Lawrence shook his head. Yet morbidity was a fact of life, a fact of his life lived by the sword.

"Safia!" she shouted periodically, "Safia!"

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds—12 days before her wedding

She pulled her cloak a bit tighter around her, shivering in the cold air—her clothes were damp now from her fall and from stumbling through the snow earlier, so she felt the chill a bit more keenly than before. And though it did help to numb the pain of her twisted ankle, she did not care to get sick (or freeze to death) less than two weeks before she was supposed to get married. Bad enough that she might be limping down the aisle if the injury to her ankle was worse than what she was thinking. Maester Wilkins would have to look at it when she got back to the Tower.

If she got back to the Tower.

Stop that. Surely Ser Lawrence wouldn’t leave me out here. And if Karridan knew what was happening, he wouldn’t rest until he found me. Neither would Father. Someone will come.

Looking around her, she was slightly unnerved to notice the remains of some unfortunate animal that had not been able to escape the avalanche, caught in the drift. She couldn’t tell for certain what it was, and she quickly decided she didn’t want to. That will be me in a few hours, if I don’t get out of here.

She couldn’t just sit here; she had to move. If anything, just to keep her blood moving, to keep warm. Since the thick trunk of the tree had diverted the snow around it, there was a sort of rut between the snow drifts where the snow was not so deep. Perhaps she could make her way downhill, past the destruction zone to where the snow would be more shallow. To make it easier on herself, she could try just going from tree to tree; there was one just a few yards away that hadn’t been ripped up by its roots…

But pain shot up her leg again as soon as she put weight on her injured foot; apparently it wasn’t as numb as she’d thought—

“Safia!”

Her head came up, listening. She was sure she’d heard—“Safia!”

There he was again. Ser Lawrence’s voice sounded close by. “Ser Lawrence!”

TAG: Trieste

OOC: Totally irrelevant, but this was my 1,000th post. Only took me nine years...

 

OOC: That 200th post I promised. Their is still some backtracking to do for some Isles characters, but this gives all you the basic idea. . .

---

The Reclaiming of the Homelands

Delmaristead, Isles

10 Days Before the Wedding




Seagulls flew by overhead.

A cloud drifted past the sun slowly.

A whole day’s battle, as the sun finally began to set on the horizon. The baby blue sky turned a deep, frightening reddish purple.

Korianton Rynquist stood on the highest spire of Delmaristead’s castle. He held his sword, dripping with the fresh blood of the watchmen..

The first battle of the Isles Independence was fought not against the common enemy, but amongst the ranks.

An invasion had been necessary. The fact that it was on his own people frightened him some, that the citizens would revolt instead of waiting for their King to return. His ears rung with the former sounds of screams and bonging of the bells. With his one free hand who reached over to the pole which had former held the King’s banner. It had been ripped down.

He pulled slowly at the cords, and the banner rose. Uncertainly at first, it seemed to gain confidence and swung up to stand tall.

Korianton looked down off the spire, where his men were everywhere, cutting down the final rebels. It had been a bloody mess, especially when they reached the main village. Actual people had been there, some who hadn’t been involved at all. Those that cared for less the politics. Korianton had watched a maiden get her arm cut away for trying to stop them from hurting her husband. He put the wench out of her misery.

In the village smoke rose. On the coast the harbors were splintered and the boats were crushed.

Beneath him the final strikes were made as he realized the castle had been regained, along with most of the island.

Raising his sword in the air, Korianton shouted to the ranks, “FOR THE KING OF THE ISLES!!!”

The chant went on for what seemed like hours, and every second Korianton’s smile grew wider and wider.


TAG: None, or perhaps All

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

Lawrence heard what sounded like his name. He wheeled his horse (well, that was a relative concept given the depth of the horse) towards the noise. "Safia!" he called out again.

Led by her voice, soon enough he found the blonde princess in the shadow of a tree. The horse weaved through the debris of the avalanche, rocks and trees, strewn about haphazardly.

"Safia!" Lawrence said again, dismounting from his horse quickly and leading it by the reins as he plowed slowly--yet as quickly as he could--through the snow towards her. "Are you hurt?" he asked, he was going to ask if she was okay, but somehow that didn't seem like the best question right now. She didn't look particularly okay. He reached her side before she responded. "You're wet and shivering," he observed. He knew enough about the cold to know that she shouldn't be out here for long. He bent his knees and put his arms around Safia and lifted her up onto his horse. Using one of the fallen trees he mounted the horse behind he and reached around her body to take the reins. He turned the horse back the way it had come to make use of the path it had made in the snow.

"We need to get you back to the Tower," he said, "Though I don't imagine your father's going to be too pleased with me."

He spurred the horse to move faster. Lawrence found that the snow had lost its novelty.

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Grounds—12 days before her wedding

She could hear Ser Lawrence’s voice coming closer, and soon enough she spotted him approaching, seeming unharmed. That made her feel a little better; she regretted getting them into such a dangerous situation, and she was a little bit embarrassed at needing to be rescued. She would have felt even more guilty if he had been hurt.

In the deep snow, it took him a minute to reach her, but she was just glad he was there. And for someone who had never been in such circumstances as this, he was very much in control, and before she could get a word in, he had swept her up onto his horse, climbed up behind her, and turned the horse back around to head back to the castle. Safia was both surprised and relieved.

"We need to get you back to the Tower," he said, "Though I don't imagine your father's going to be too pleased with me."

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said, tugging her cloak as tightly around her as she could. “I should have remembered that it is avalanche season, but they usually aren’t this close to the castle.

“And it isn’t as if either of us was seriously hurt; I twisted my ankle when my horse ran off, but other than that… I don’t think Father will be that angry.”

She smirked. “Especially when he hears how you came to my rescue.” She winced a bit as her foot bumped against some piece of debris sticking out of the deep snow, jarring her ankle. Growing serious, she added, “Thank you, by the way.”

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Castle grounds
12 days before his wedding

Lawrence drew his arms closer to Safia as he urged the horse faster, focused on getting back to the castle so Safia could get medical attention. He'd still kept one ear on what Safia was saying. She seemed in better spirits than he did at the moment. This was an act of V'hallar (though an avalanche? From a sun deity? Lawrence was not so sure there were not other gods responsible for such things and that they were not pleased with his presence here...even if the thought of other gods was a sacrilege to his faith) and not his fault. Yet he still felt responsible for Safia's welfare.

"Think nothing of it," he told Safia, "Though if you're going to be so accident prone it's a good thing you're marrying a knight. I hear they have a habit of rescuing damsels."

---

The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
9 days before his wedding

Safia had been returned relatively safe and sound to the Tower by Lawrence three days ago. There had been plenty of concern expressed by servants and courtiers as to her state. Lawrence had made his apologies to King Desmond and shockingly not lost his head, so all was relatively well on that front. Lawrence and Safia had seen each other sparingly since then, mainly at shared meals and the like. One reason had been to allow Safia's ankle to heal, another reason was the diplomacy inherent in this visit. Though Lawrence was to be married, the political ties of his trip were of primary importance to his House. Lawrence had reiterated the support of House Kildare and the Fair Groves for the three Kings and confirmed that Lady Ginnifer had answered her duties as a bannerman to King Mors and supported his rule of the Desert. Lawrence had also been informed of the events at Harrowmont. It had set Lawrence on edge. The news he'd received said that Harrowmont had been sacked a week and a half ago. It was a long way from Harrowmont to Shodaire, so if King Fenton did move against the Mountainmen there was a lot of very rough ground to cover and a lot of space for Desmond's bannermen to stand against Fenton.

Though this worried the tactical part of Lawrence's mind, there was something else equally troubling him. Something that needed to be dealt with now.

He had enough bearings about the Tower of Stone to find Safia's apartments. He stopped at the door and respectfully knocked.

Tag: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Chambers—9 days before her wedding

Her ankle was not too badly injured, but Maester Wilkins still insisted on her staying off her feet as much as possible for the next few days. Today she was at least allowed to move about in short little stints, but she wasn’t yet permitted to leave this floor of the castle without someone to assist her, meaning that Safia was mostly confined to her own chambers, except for meals.

She hated it.

Sitting down all the time meant she could not engage in her more preferred activities—though it did save her from having to stand with the seamstresses all day—so she was forced to entertain herself in more quiet ways; reading, mostly. But quiet and idleness made her restless. Karridan kept her company when he could, but at the moment, their father had him engaged elsewhere. And fortunately, it apparently had not occurred to Synthia to take advantage of a perfect opportunity to pester her cousin, and Safia had only seen her at dinner. The same was true of Ectarion, and, to Safia’s disappointment, Ser Lawrence.

She had not seen much of her husband-to-be since their return to the castle after the avalanche three days ago—again, except for meals and a few other occasions when he’d had some free time. Though of course their coming marriage was the main purpose of his being here, that did not mean he was free from other official duties until the wedding. With no one to sit with her, she was currently settled in a chair by her window with some sewing (she had grown bored with her books) and watching the castle gates for any guests arriving for the wedding. There was no sign of Samule yet, or the Delmaris, or any of her Tarvick relations. Hopefully, they would be here soon.

A knock on her door made her jump, but she recovered quickly, setting aside her work and going to answer.

Her betrothed stood in the corridor outside. “Ser Lawrence,” she greeted him with a smile, then moved aside to let him past. “Come in.”

TAG: Trieste

 

IC: Ser Lawrence Kildare
The Mountains, Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Safia's chambers
9 days before his wedding

"Thank you," Lawrence said, stepping inside. It was his first time inside Safia's rooms and he looked around with what he hoped was at least veiled curiosity, "I hope I was not disturbing you, but I wanted to see if you were mending. Your injuries have not been far from my mind these last few days."

That was not why Lawrence had come, but it was a good prelude to what was to follow. Though their ride together had broken down some of the unfamiliarity that stood between them, they had still only known each other for a few days--really less than that given her injury and his preoccupation. It would not have been fitting to get to the point. It was convenient for Lawrence that he got to dance around this matter a little longer.

TAG: JediMasterAnne

 

IC: Safia Rolmar
The Mountains of Mirwyth
Shodaire, the Tower of Stone
Chambers—9 days before her wedding

She nodded as she moved back to her chair, indicating a nearby vacant seat for him, if he desired it. She still had a limp, but it was far less pronounced than it had been three days ago, and would certainly continue to improve. “I am much better, thank you,” she told him as she sat down. “Maester Wilkins says I should be fully recovered in the next few days.

“You’ve been quite busy over the last few days,” she observed. “I can’t help hoping that your duties will be somewhat less demanding in the coming days.” She knew her injury was also cutting into the time they could spend together before the wedding, but even her recovery would not make much difference if he was so occupied with official business.

TAG: Trieste