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Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
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 Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:29 am
Rachael looked from Adonnith to Elizabeth and back again, then nodded.
It took her a moment to work out how to make the sword and the cape be friends, but she figured out what she needed to do eventually, then turned to face Elizabeth again.
"Better go and see if there are any nice horses to rescue, eh?" Adonnith observed behind her. "Not very often you get to chose the horse."
Horse? had she heard him right? Had she understood him right? Well, of course knights rode horses, but her? Did squires...?
You're misintepreting him.
Right, so what did he mean?
I don't know. Not that.
How do you know? Excitement began to bloom in her chest. I can't think of any other possible--
"I suppose," Elizabeth began after Adonnith had left, "now would be a good time to teach you how to ride."
Yes!
"My shift, should it stay the same, doesn't start until noon so we have plenty of time."
"Yes, yes-s-- er." Rachael stumbled. "I think I have a lot to learn," she observed, turning red at her slip-up. "About everything."
((Edit: I gots go-ggles! I gots go-ggles! They have wing-things, which is less than ideal, but who cares! Clunky, almost-steampunk goggles! W00T!))
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 9:39 am
Selden turned his head to Scarlette as she spoke, "Poison? I suppose that would account for the large number of deaths... But where was it put?" The golden-haired bard fell into a thoughtful expression once more, all the while peering at Scarlette herself. "Where would you put poison if you wanted to kill off an entire barracks? Why would you want to kill a whole barracks in the first place?"
Elizabeth gave the little squire a little smile before leading her out of the room and away to the stables. "You can start off on my horse, Kate. She'll listen to you. That way you'll know you're doing it right." she murmured, her metal-clad hand pushing open the loose door into the rickety stables.
It smelt of old hay and the warm smell of the horse's fur, as well as their manure. Despite the rickety appearance of the place, it was almost pristine - there were only a few sections of the floor and the sides of the walkway that had hay and straw where either the horses had thrown it out or dropped whilst eating. Mostly there were stalls, the animals' hind quarters facing the walkway, but nearer the back there were a few box stables, a familiar white head lifting sharply over its door and training its ears upon both humans. The horse welcomed them with a small whickering noise, setting most of the other animals off.
A black horse, seemingly in distress gave a high-pitched neigh whilst a yesoppe made a growling noise before it faded away, the animal looking out of place between two heavy-built draft horses.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 2:00 pm
Scarlette sighed as she gently shook her head to the man's question, not totally sure herself. She shrugged before she began to answer. "My guess is probably in some ale they may have drank... But why, that I do not even have a guess to. Unless someone wished to take them out to help with the small battle we seem to be waging." She let out another, more heavy, sigh. She slowly walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge. Her right leg crossing over her left and she slowly sinking back with her shoulders against the wall.
Her crimson eyes slowly opened and turned to the bard, ravne brow raised. "Not that I do not enjoy speaking with you but are you not meant too help with hte Elizabeth woman?" She questioned, lashes batting delicately against her cheeks as she asked ever so inquisitively. She was quite curious about why he was still here. She perked up a bit after her words. "Not.. Not that I don't like your attention but ...." She began, slowly stopping before she built up a bit of courage, the irony for someone such as Scarlette who was normallly confiedent and bold. "Do you want to kiss me?" She asked, being quite abrupt with it too but hten not caring. Could be either passed off as a joke or just wondering or even that she meant something by it. His choice.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 3:56 pm
Selden gave a little sigh at her answer, "Could be.." he mumbled to himself before watching Scarlette closely as she positioned herself on the end of the bed within the room.
"..are you not meant to help with the Elizabeth woman?" Selden was about to correct her naming of what used to be his charge, but she spoke before him.
"Not.. Not that I don't like your attention but..."
Ah, he knew vaguely of why he chose to stay in this room. He knew that Elizabeth could probably look after herself by now. Well, that wasn't really the reason but--
"Do you want to kiss me?" she asked.
Selden blinked and gazed at her sitting on the bed. He swallowed and shifted his weight uneasily between his feet. That was unexpected. Yes, he did want to kiss her, but he normally wanted to kiss a lot of elfen ladies. But, he had a duty.. to.. Err.. What did he have to do again? And since when could females bat their eyelids like that?
The bard took a small breath, trying to sort out his mind as he subconciously stepped closed to her. "Well.. I, err." Selden stammered for the first time in a long time - possibly by fluke, he would like to think, "I shouldn't really. I have a duty-"
The tall elf had stooped and lightly pressed his lips against hers, effectively cutting himself off.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:06 pm
Scarlette took in a deep breath at feeling his lips against hers, crimson eyes quickly falling shut with the contact. She sighed a bit contently, her lips happily keeping contact with his as they returned the light kiss put to her own lips. Her right hand slowly lifting and resting at the side of his neck to pull him just a little closer to her. Her mind briefly wandered to the elven boy but was soon back to the man in front of her.
Oh how it felt so nice to finally have such a contact with another. She could not remember the last time that something of this sort happened to her. Frankly, she was voting for half a century, in teh least, thaat she had. Maybe that explains why she seems so bitter. One never knows. That was not the point at hte moment, now, she would gladly keep her attention to the man in front of her.
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 12:58 pm
Unlike the barracks, the stables were warm, and full of the smell of hay and horses. Rachael found the smell rather confronting, almost overwhelming. In fact, whe was even a little scared, surrounded by so many of the huge and beautiful beasts.
All the horses had their back ends facing toward them as they passed, a wall of furry flesh, shifting as the animals shuffled their weight and occasionaly flicked their tails, to a soundtrack of breathing, snorting, and occasional whickering. Toward the end, there were boxed-in sections. Equipment rooms?--
Rachael jumped, and almost cried out as suddenly a white head popped up over the door of one of the boxed-in-thingies, and gave a soft whinny. The small sound of greeting set off a chorus among the other animals. Rachael moved a little closer to Elizabeth.
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Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:17 pm
Selden smiled slightly at the reaction he had envoked from the elf before him, before realising that it was highly improper for him to be involved in such activities. He pulled away swiftly, clearing his throat and running his hand along his jaw, over his non-existant stubble.
"I-I think we should go and see what's happening." the elf murmured. Did he just stutter? It was too late to ask, however, for he was soon half running out of the door.
"He smelt of wood varnish." a little voice piped up from beside Scarlette, the little boy sitting there looking quite proud of himself and smug that he had said something. The child seemed to be perking up from feeding and rest, but still appeared dangerously frail and weak.
~#~#~
Elizabeth gave a light laugh at her squire's reaction, leading the way down the middle towards the patiently waiting white horse, "So long as you stay away from their rear ends you're fine - there's only a few you need to watch out for." the female knight explained as her armour gently chinked away as she moved towards the white horse.
It was at this point that four metal-clad hooves clattered across the cobbles leading to the stables in a quick three-time beat. It was Elizabeth's turn to jump at the sudden sight of a horse almost covered completely by white cloth. The rider was also completely white, a cloak and scarf wrapped about his (she presumed it was a he) form to conceal something or other, most likely his appearance.
The rider laughed happilly, seeming out of breath, and it became apparent that Elizabeth was entirely wrong in her assumptions. The laugh, quite clearly, belonged to a young female and the age was roughly confirmed as the rider pulled the scarf down and let down the hood of her cloak. She was not much younger than herself, now that the knight thought about it, but the way she composed and held herself suggested she was quite childlike.
The ranger, with matching white trousers leapt nimbly off the horse that was still trying to run, fidgeting and bouncing around as if trying to escape from something.
"And who was it who said all of the night watch were old grumpy men?" she declared before making a noise and running after the horse that was escaping down another aisle of animals, mostly Yesoppes this time as the walkway led off round a corner to the right. "Come back!" she called to the animal, soon disappearing out of earshot completely. Elizabeth stood in half stunned silence, wondering how she had never come to meet such a woman before in all her days at the barracks.
[Added Yserowne to the NPC Trunk]
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 6:46 pm
At the seperation of their lips, her slender fingers slowly moved to hers, her crimson eyes following him as he seemed to run from the room. She sighed heavily, her eyes slipping closed as she all but flopped against the wall again. She really did not know what to think at the moment and it was annoying her. Qutie a bit actually.
She jumped at the sudden voice beside her, turning her eyes down to the elf and laughing softly. Yes, laughing, a warm and true smile forming to her lips as her eyes stayed to his. She was happy, too, with this boy beside her. She truly felt that he was her child or maybe even less drastic and like the little brother she oh so missed.
She sighed, nodding to his words. "That he did." She said simply before standing up and holding out her hand. "Wish to follow? YOu can hop on my back." She stated, happy he had spoken and knowing he was able to made it better. She now knew the things she said, he understood. Okay, she hoped he did not think less of her for her prior words to the bard but who knew.
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Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
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Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 5:08 pm
Lesson one: Rachael noted down mentally. Avoid the rear end of horses. Reason why: as yet unknown.
She had scarcely recovered from her first fright, though, when a white-clad horse and rider came barrelling into view. She could only stand and stare, gobsmacked, as the rider revealed her young face and dismounted, laughing. "And who was it who said all of the night watch were old grumpy men?" she declared with a kind of mocking grandeur, before her horse decided it had other plans than standing where it was meant to. The young woman disappeared down a walkway in its independent wake.
Rachael stared up at Elizabeth. "What just happened...?" she asked slowly, stunned.
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Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 9:29 pm
Malek stared ahead, completely unphased. He seemed to be the bodyguard of the group, watching for people that may cause them harm. His main job was to keep Brin from provoking people and saying generally stupid stuff. He was the peacekeeper.
The little girl trudged on, watching the Yesoppe struggle. She wished it would feel better soon, or that it would be pitied, at least. Will pouted and gave it a reassuring, pitying, and sad smile.
Brin was silent for once in their little journey. Of course, it was only because of the prods and glares from Malek. It seemed that as soon as she opened her mouth to curse at the guards he glared at her. She was predictable. She cursed at them under her breath as they shoved the rag-tag band into the barracks.
((There you go Yunners. ))
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 2:45 am
The little pointy-eared boy made a little noise whilst lifting his arms up to her, declaring that his legs were tired. It wasn't that they were tired in reality, it was merely a case of muscle wastage. His arms seemed to be quickly regaining their strength on the other hand, but his bones were clearly visible through his skin and the thing rags that couldn't really be called clothes.
~#~#~
"What just happened..?"
"I.. I don't know." Elizabeth answered, before shaking her head to free her mind and set it back to the task at hand. Within a few minutes they were in the stable with the gleaming white horse, someone having come in beforehand and groomed it well it seemed, and she was currently murmuring the finer points of behaviour around horses.
"It's unwise to make sudden movements around them." she explained whilst heaving a light tan saddle onto the horse, the leather well-used and unpolished, "You could scare them, and quite a few of the horses in here are jumpy. Also, they cannot see right under their nose, so keep that in mind." The white horse, meanwhile, was currently making Elizabeth's life difficult by trying to eat hay and peer at Rachael at the sae time, the horse moving back and forth between them whilst Elizabeth herself half staggered after the horse, trying to pull the strap that held the saddle on tightly.
After another few minutes of struggling with what was supposed to be the best behaved horse in the stables, Elizabeth had successfully put all of the items on the horse and was now leading the animal out of the stable whilst it chewed on the metal bit in its mouth, the clanking of it loud.
~#~#~
The barracks greeted the trio with their escort with silence, a single elfen bard marching down towards them with something on his mind.
"Err.. Sir, what happened? Where is everyone?" a guard hesitantly asked. The bard stopped, looked at them and then looked behind him just to check they were talking to him.
"They're all dead, that's where everyone is." he answered bluntly.
"Dead?" both of the guards choked in unison, "But where are we going to put these troublemakers now?"
"Lord knows. What they do?"
"Suspicious activity."
"..." Selden the bard did not look amused, "Fine fine. I'll put them in the care of a knight. Sir Scyllrush!" Adonnith cursed under his breath for re-entering the building, "Where might Elizabeth be? She's good at looking after people. Escort these... People... To her."
Adonnith continued to mutter and grumble as he took Malek and Will be the shoulder and led all three of them out towards the stables. They were greeted by a white horse looking suprised and chewing noisily on its bit. Elizabeth turned to regard them, wondering why on earth a man like Adonnith were looking after a rag-tag group.
{Yaay! Fanku Zeffie-kins!}
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 4:59 am
Scarlette smiled warml at the boy, hoisting him up into her arms and noting the rags on his skin. She glanced around for a moment, placing a forefinger to her lips before it moved to the tip of his nose and soon enough a furry cloak apperaed wrapped around the boy's small figure. "Now, no telling anyone that, alright? One time only thing. Okay?" She asked before beginning to walk out of hte room and try and find the bard.
It was not as ifshe had made the cloak it was more that she had taken it from her home. IT was hers when she was younger, still big for the little boy that she held onto so nicely. Now, onyo finding the bard. She was happy that she can always play the whole 'nothing happened' card. IT was a bit of a gift she had. NEver mentioning anything. NEver blushing. Only keeping to the business at hand. But oh how she was sadenned that he had left so swiftly.
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Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 2:46 am
Lessons two and three: No sudden moves, they can't see right under their nose. Rachael nodded as Elizabeth explained both these new rules. She watched carefully as the knight hefted the saddle up onto the great beast's back and buckled it. There was no way she was going to remember where along the animal's back was exactly the right place. She watched with increasing concern as Elizabeth festooned the animal in leather and metal, trying to remember everything, but knowing full well she wouldn't. It made her more nervous still to see how unco-operative the beast was... but this was all easily pushed aside by excitement as, finished at last, she followed Elizabeth and the horse out of the stable.
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Posted: Fri Nov 17, 2006 12:19 am
Elizabeth frowned at Adonnith, shaking her head, "No. I'm not looking after them..." she stated firmly, "I have work to do." Adonnith growled at her, muttering that Selden had ordered it so.
"I don't care much for what the elf says, sir knight." Elizabeth grumbled, turning her attention to her animal that had quietened down a little.
"Listen here, Squire." Adonnith spat, saying her name as more of a title than name, Elizabeth picked up on this and turned to glare daggers at him, "I don't care what business someone like you might have, but you certainly don't belong here. If it were up to me, Peasant knight, you'd be out on the streets pulling along a cart of cabbages or whatever it is that you family did. Oh wait, you were too poor to even have a cart weren't you. You have no right to be here and no right to even stand in the sight of such an animal!" The animal in question laid its ears back and lifted its head sharply at the shouting that was occuring in front of it.
Elizabeth remained silent at his words, seemingly stunned, but after a while, with a stiff upper lip, she stood up tall infront of the knight and shoved an accussing finger in his face.
"How dare you!" she cried at the man, "It is you who are acting the peasant! How dare you resort to such low measures? How dare you even show your face with such an attitude to someone who just might happen to be a beter knight than you are!" Something in the pit of Elizabeth's stomach turned at her last accusation, knowing that she'd probably pay for that later. "Get out of my sight." she eventually spat, dropping her hand to her and turning her gaze away, mimicking one of the generals when all she wanted to do was go somewhere nice and quiet by herself and let the tears that were welling up free to run down her face. Hopefully the male knight wouldn't be able to see the beginning of tears.
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Flynn MacCumhaill Captain
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 3:28 pm
Rachael, mostly hidden from Adonnith by the horse's flank, watched the exchange with a certain degree of surprise, and a greater degree of disappointment. This kind of ... discussion was not at all unfamiliar to her, but she was stunned to see it coming from a knight, directed at one of his own comrade.
A little frightened, in fact, she moved closer to the horse's side, her head down, and pretended to be invisible, as she listened to the exchange. She bit her tongue at Adonnith's string of insults, thinking of the way that Da Vaille would laugh at such things. As he finished, here was a ringing, resounding silence.
Rachael fully expected Elizabeth to fold, then. It was always easier: keep you head down, learn to say "yessir" as easy as you breathe, and laugh at them behind their backs later. That's what Da Vaille had taught her, but that was not what broke the silence.
"How dare you!" Elizabeth spat back at the man. Rachael's eyebrows shot upward, and she raised her head, stepping out away from the horse to watch as the young woman reprimanded the self-absorbed knight, as if she were his superior. She wanted to cheer as Elizabeth finally ordered him out of her sight. As the knight turned her head away from Adonnith, Rachael stared up at her with big, admiring eyes.
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