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 Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:29 pm
 Gabriel looked around as he walked. He knew this area and if he remembered correctly then not long ago it was here that he had met the young hatchling. It would be nice to talk to another again even if that someone was only a child. He rarely got to talk to others much beside his sister but he hadn't seen her for the longest time.
Having decided on a corse of action, Gabriel changed his path enough that he was heading closer to where he remembere the cave he had dropped Salano off was. He just hoped this didn't get him into trouble with any parents since he wasn't looking for a fight at the moment.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:55 pm
 Salano preened herself as she sat upon a rock outside the family cave, back erect, head held high as she soaked in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day... Made even more beautiful by the soothing feeling of getting your mane cleaned. Salano had taken a spill into a briar patch earlier that day while practicing a little royal dance... And had gotten a mess of thorns caught in her mane. But now Aprio was cleaning it, and it felt nice...
It was good to have a personal servant. She'd asked Ithnan to do this once before, and he had just rolled his eyes and gone to talk with - her mistake, talk AT - Naiosalas. That little common brat. Why Salano's father insisted on insisting that Naio was his son was completely beyond the young princess...
"Ow!" Salano cried as Aprio finally managed to dislodge a rather big clumb of stickers from the young dragon's fur, "Aprio! Be careful!" "Yes, Princess Lano," Aprio nodded obediently, tugging softly at another briar. Some dragons would have resented the little princess for making them do such a task... But not Aprio. Aprio would do anything for her little mistress. It was an honor to serve the Princess of Dragons...
Aprio's downcast eyes shifted to her shoulder, where there was a blue splotch with a large white star surrounded by two smaller stars. The royal mark. Salano had found some of the blue dye that the humans used to distinguish their goats, and had used it to put the mark on Aprio, as a symbol of whom Aprio served. The little princess had rather generously offered to do the same to Ithnan, but he'd refused.
Aprio resisted the urge to give a small sigh. Ithnan. He was such a loyal servant to Salano's father, the king...
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:13 pm
It hadn't been to hard to find the cave and when he got close enough he spotted two dragons. Silently he moved closer to get a better look, not wanting to show himself if he didn't know either of them. He was close and as he looked he reconised the smaller of the two. It was Salano but grown, but to Gabriel she was still a child. Looking at the dragon with Salano he studied her for a second. She seemed to care for the young dragon if the grooming was any indication and she was quite lovely but the mark on her shoulder confused him, it didn't look like a natural thing. Shrugging that out of his mind, he hoped he didn't frighten her to bad but it would be pointly to come all this way for nothing.
Stepping out of the shadows, he gave a small head tilt to Salano, remembering how she liked to play when he had met her. "It has been a while your highness."
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:24 pm
Aprio's eyes widened as a rather intimidating red and black dragon approached. Did he know the princess? He seemed to, and she seemed to trust him; her eyes lit up at his approach. Still... Aprio tightened her grip on the strands of Salano's mane that she was holding.
"Gabriel!" her majesty squeeled in delight, trying to rush forward to greet him and getting a handful of mane nearly yanked out. "Ow! Aprio!"
A bit stunned, Aprio released the young one's mane, and the little princess jumped off the rock, hurrying towards the red and black dragon.
"Y-Your majesty, I really must insist that we go back inside the cave now!" Aprio stammered, eyes wide.
"Oh, relax, Aprio," Salano rolled her eyes, "He's just my royal assasin. He's scary-looking, right?! He's perfect for the job!" She scampered over and sat in the grass before Gabriel, tilting her head forward in a conspiritual ((Gack, is that the word? XD)) way.
"So," she grinned, "have you been eliminating enemies of the crown?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:38 pm
((OoC: Lol I'm not sure but I understood what you meant))
"I assure you I don't mean you or lady Salano any harm. I came across the little princess when I was traveling and she was misplaced in the woods and I saw to seeing her home." Gabriel tried to reasure Aprio before turning his attention back to Salano.
"It would seem there are few out there that would be considered a threat. In fact since I have left I have come across none that would wish you harm." Of corse, Gabriel handn't come across any dragon for that matter but phrased this way it would fit into Salano's game better.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:52 pm
"Princess Salano," Aprio corrected absent-mindedly, wondering whether to believe him or not. He seemed... Well, he definitely didn't seem harmless, but he didn't sound as if he wanted to kidnap the young heir to the throne... Aprio decided to keep a close eye on him, but not to force her mistress back inside the cave just yet... Aprio didn't have the authority to give the princess orders... But if it was really neccesary... Once again, Aprio fought the urge to sigh. Ithnan would know what to do... He had so much more experience than Aprio...
"Excellent," Salano grinned happily, "This means that everyone is accepting the Monarchy... That's good..." She frowned suddenly. "But Daddy said that he met a lot of enemies to the throne! He's even had his life threatened before! When he was just a hatchling!"
She took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and deepened her voice, in imitation of her father, who had no doubt imitated the original 'enemy to the throne' more than once. "Syoto, if you don't stop taking Ithnan's meals - and I don't care whether he offers them or not! - I will KILL you!" She shrunk down and whispered the name with wide, frightened eyes. "Cartography..."
She scowled. "This must mean they're all hiding in the North regions! And the second we let our guard down... They'll come down and attack! The whole kingdom is in danger!"
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:20 pm
Gabriel was amazed at how fast the young dragons mind could jump to the most horrible things. Not wanting her to get worked up Gabriel used the same soft voice he had used when his sister had been scared. "I'm sure if there is a danger to you, your highness I will find it in my travels, but from what I found so far you need not worry."
Frowning, "As for this Carography, if he is a threat to you, I will not allow him to harm you."
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:05 pm
Salano relaxed a little.
"Well, keep your eyes open... And your claws sharp," the little princess ordered, clawing the air a little for emphasis.
Aprio silently watched the proceedings, still regarding the black and red dragon with a good deal of... caution.
"Mistress, is this dragon a member of the pack, then?" she asked in confusion. She then addressed the dragon himself. "Sir... Gabriel. I beg your pardon for not knowing, but I'm new to serving the monarchy myself, so I wasn't certain..."
Salano's eyes brightened.
"Excellent point, Aprio!" Salano grinned, "He is officially my assasin... But I don't believe he's a part of the pack yet..."
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:15 pm
"As you wish," Gabriel said to Salano before turning her attention to Aprio. He was confused but didn't let it show when she began to talk about the monarchy. Was she just playing along with Salano as well? Deciding not to care Gabriel gave her a slight nod of aknowledgment at her apology. A pack? He really wasn't pack material especially since he was looking for his sister but he had a feeling where Salano was heading.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:31 pm
"Good!" Salano's eyes gleamed, "Then... kneel."
Without waiting to see if Gabriel obeyed, she looked around, surveying the ground... "Uh.... Aprio! Find me a stick! A big long one! Like the one I used to induct you into the pack!"
Aprio nodded.
"Your father found one yesterday and designated it to serve for just such purposes," she murmured, going into the cave for a moment... A few seconds later she returned with a long stick in her mouth. She set it gently at her mistress's feet. "Here you are, your majesty."
"Excellant," Salano grinned. She frowned and tried to itch the back of her neck, at a place in her mane where she could just feel a huge knot of brambles. "Well I certainly can't induct anyone into anything with that there! Aprio?!"
Aprio nodded and began plucking at the brambles carefully.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 7:18 pm
Gabriel watched on for a moment and figured why not. If it made Salano happy then he would kneel and be inducted to the pack. He had no plans to stay around and would only stop in when he was in there area. Kneeling in front of Salano he mused that at least this time he didn't have to bend down so far.
"I do not mind being a part of the pack but I must in form you I am not the type to stay in one place. I have...other duties that call me away." He was thinking of his sister but she didn't need to know that.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:19 pm
"Of course," Salano nodded, "duties like tracking down enemies of the throne. If you were to stay at the royal cave all the time I would no doubt suspect you of being lazy and not doing your job..."
She frowned, examining the kneeling assasin. Salano briefly contemplated standing on Aprio's head to do the inducting ceremony... but decided against it.
Aprio smiled slightly in satisfaction as the knot of thorns came out of Salano's mane.
"All done, your majesty," she told her young mistress, "you may begin the ceremony now, if you like."
"Excellent," Salano said again, grinning. She straightened up to her full height, standing on her back paws with her neck craned out, although she was pleased to find that she didn't need to crane forward quite so much as last time. She tapped him on the shoulders once each time with the stick before settling back onto her haunches.
"Sir Gabriel, Royal Assasin, Crusher of rebellions, Slayer of enemies to the crown," she began, remembering the official title she'd given him that first time she'd met him, "I hereby induct you into the pack of the Monarch. May you serve the king and all his family faithfully to the end of your days."
Aprio bowed her head in respect, glad to be allowed to witness such a ceremony. It was such an honor... Her own induction ceremony had been just as thrilling... even if she hadn't been entirely sure what was going on just then... But now that she knew the full extent of what had occured... It was awe-inspiring.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 4:16 pm
Gabriel waited as Salano inducted him into the pack his mind skipping to thoughts about where he would be heading after he left here. So far he hadn't found any signs of his sister but he was still hopeful she was still alive somewhere out there.
Once the little ceremony was done, Gabriel stood, "Have you any need of my services before I leave? I have plans to look further north."
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:59 pm
"Not anything specific, that I can think of, other than eliminating enemies of the crown..." Salano's thoughtful frown suddenly turned into a scowl. "Unless you want to eliminate a nest of pesky magpies before you set off again. They're so noisy! They keep me up at night... And a princess really needs her beauty sleep..."
Aprio frowned slightly. Why was her Majesty giving Aprio that look? That expecting, slightly annoyed look... Oh! Of course!
"Milady has no need of beauty sleep," Aprio recited, sounding sincere, "she already shines with double the radiance of her mother, the Queen, who sits upon the throne in the public view."
She wasn't just sincere-sounding. She really was sincere.
Wasn't she?
((Ooh, 'Twice' the radiance of her mother? Salano's a little big for her britches. xd ))
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2009 3:42 pm
Gabriel frowned and looked towards the magpies in question, "I'm afraid my talents do not lie with small birds, but things much bigger. Perhaps if you have someone light a fire under the nest so that smoke flows up into it they may leave on their own."
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