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Some time after the end of the impromptu card game he'd stumbled into, Brenley decided he needed a walk. He made it all the way around the lake once and was about to start a second lap when he noticed Smiles—or rather, Ignatius—sitting under a tree, looking for all the world like he was about to lie down and take a nap.

He knew what the ones huddled around Lancelot were whispering and pledging and sacrificing and he wanted no part of it. It was a relief to see that there were others who felt the same.

"Taking a break?" he said, rearranging his armor and weapon so he could sit comfortably an unobtrusive distance away.

Piper was a proper lady and wasn't bathing in the lake near the boys. Well, not too near anyways. Her robes were filthy as were what scant armor pieces she had elected to wear, and it was hard washing everything with only water and sprites around. The last one she had attempted to ask for help from had literally spat a stream of water at her face and cackled as she sputtered away--thus why she was bothering to try this with her own two hands at all.

She wanted no part in the selective dying process, thanks. She was too baller at battles to give herself up, knights or not.

Even with their distance, however, Piper was able to listen in on the trio, and eavesdrop she did; memory blank or not, she still was a nosey girl. As unobtrusively as possible, she continued to clean and observe them.

Arrakis took the invitation and sat where Ignatius indicated, drawing his knees closer to his chest and leaning forward, arms loosely draped over them. He had stolen a moment at some point to bathe and so was no longer covered in days of blood, sweat, and whatever else. His clothing was permanently stained, though, as nothing was going to get out some of the things he'd been splashed with. His hair was still a tangled mess, however, and was tied away from his face with obvious impatience. It would take several hours and a sturdy comb to undo the matting; it would take plenty of water and even more patience to get all of the blood out of it where washing had only been able to remove so much. But, for now, it would be clean enough.

"I can't say I disagree," Arrakis ventured. "Or at least, not like it is, and not for a rather long time." He folded forward until his chin rested on his knees. He was aware of the conflict between that and volunteering himself up, but... he wasn't counting on being able to leave it behind him anyway, so what did it matter? Better to be able to have some measure of control over things in the future, right? "So, when this is all over, what are you two planning on doing?" He turned his head to make sure Brenley heard him as well.

He didn't notice either that they were being watched.

There was a momentary observation from Ignatius' still hyperactive head that Arrakis, there, had some damn long legs. Seriously. He probably was able to take some long strides with those...

There was a definite conflict between Arrakis' words and the facts, but he left them alone. Instead, he would focus on the ideas of what they would do in the future. Of all the things Ignatius liked thinking about, it was the optimistic ones, even when it seemed they were so doomed to being knights forever and dying that way.

"Somehow, you seem quite suited to healing," offered Ignatius, with a laugh. "I plan on helping rebuild, first. Once that is accomplished, perhaps I'll help lead a village or something. There will be leaders needed after all this and I think we've got quite the experience, now." Yeah, that was probably putting it lightly. Quite the experience. Augh. A hand went through red hair, still pulling a few bits out of it. At least it was mostly clean...

Probably because it was way shorter than Arrakis' there. Or... Hey, what was Brenley staring at? Ignatius followed his gaze, finding Piper, who likely also had hair that was hard to clean.

His pike was a bit harder to playfully sinisterly wield, considering how long it was, so he instead tapped his fingers together a leaned his head down in a more comically sinister manner.

Nothing said he couldn't have a little fun.

Bren paused in his ministrations to consider whether or not he should be offended. What did it mean to look like a healer? Did he not seem like a fighter too? Did it matter? The fact that he had to ask himself that question was probably reason enough to believe he didn't really care at all. He went back to smiling his small, inoffensive smile, especially when he noticed the blue knights looking at the girl.

"Help lead a village," he mused with a nod. "I think you would be good at that. Both of you." Yes, he was refusing to admit that Arrakis had signed up to be a sacrifice and would likely die. He was fairly sure there would be a great many casualties. But now was not the time to dwell. Now was the time to sit around a lake. It was a shame none of them had any real memories to discuss while they relaxed.

Content to leave the girl to her bathing, Bren instead brought up another question that had been gnawing at him. "These weapons. Where we got them. It was strange, hm?" He almost sounded as nonchalant as he might have liked, but his genuine curiosity still bled through. Had they all visited the same pond, had a strange memory? Maybe they were all meant for more than death, somehow.

"I'm not sure I'd be that great at leading an entire village," Arrakis confessed with a quiet chuckle. "That's... a lot of people. A lot of people wanting a lot of things, different things." Potentially leading a small group of people into battle was one thing... Making many more people get along with one another was something else entirely. Ordering people--not that he had any intention of that--was one thing, and convincing them was another. He would probably pull all of his hair out the first time he had to resolve a petty dispute not worth the air it took to explain to him, the first time he was left sitting there wondering why grown adults could not figure out their own problems peacefully.

Ah, right, their weapons. Arrakis was somehow unsurprised that all knights seemed to have gone to that underground pool in order to obtain their weapons. He patted Hadyn absently, settling back a little bit. His memory didn't bother him. It... brought him a fair bit of comfort, to be honest. Whoever that woman had been--aside from his mother, anyway--had been someone he could look up to. She had believed in him, which... was nice, admittedly. Not because no one else did, but because it helped him think maybe everyone else wasn't crazy for believing in him.

Maybe. She had been his mother, after all, whoever she was. He knew that much. And weren't mothers supposed to believe in their children? Was it really that remarkable that she'd believed in him?

Since the other two didn't volunteer anything about their memories, neither did Arrakis. Ignatius wasn't the only one reflecting on a memory's likely fate, as Arrakis sighed almost unnoticeable at the thought that it didn't matter how much his mother had believed in him. She was probably dead now. Arrakis looked over at Ignatius and Brenley. Speaking of hope, he hoped that the two of them would both make it out. Piper, too, wherever she was out in the lake. It was going to be rough if only a couple of them were left standing on the other side.