FE on the Forums: Scarlet Crown [IC]

[BlueCalibri]

While Verden certainly doesn't feel like he should be done yet, he does have to admit that Rhian might have a point by now. There's only so much one can shrug off before damage starts mounting up, and he can feel some of it already - probably some bruising under the plate of metal under his robes, slightly sore spine, a dull ache in his jaw about where he got punched, and his arms feel like they're on fire by now from the weight of shield and mace. A moment of rest might do him some good... Or, more accurately, a moment with the healing staff.

 

"I... Suppose you're right. Still not used to this..."

 

He wanders over to where he left the staff, one hand awkwardly holding the mace while he carefully feels his jaw to make sure everything there is in order, then he carefully removes the shield from his other arm and moves to put the mace down, picking up the healing staff instead. He doesn't seem to need to actively channel it for it to work on him - his stance slowly starts getting a little more comfortable just by holding the staff. While waiting for his injuries to heal themselves properly, he turns to Rhian again, now trying to assess how she's doing. Granted, he sees no reason why she'd be hurt by anything that transpired so far, so his assessment is more one of general mood. Besides that, he's not sure what else he ought to do, aside from wait until he's better again. Maybe a question or two would be suitable here, if only he knew what to ask...

[aliettite]

He... hadn't thought of it that way. Imagining his own nearly decade's worth of training and practice being dismissed by nature of him not yet being recognized as a man would be incredibly insulting. So, if women were allowed to be warriors where this Rhian woman came from, and she willingly chose to become one like he himself did, then... then that would be disrespectful to dismiss just because she's a woman. Flynn's still pretty sure there's something to be said about the fact that just because women could become warriors and fight with a sword (after all, nothing's physically stopping anybody from doing that, unless you didn't have arms), doesn't necessarily mean they should become warriors. But that was probably beside the point here.

 

"Mmm...Looking at it that way..." He sighs, shoulders drooping as the weight of realization settles itself heavily on them. "Yeah. I guess anybody'd be insulted by someone saying something like that about something they can't change, and dismissing all their practice and training. I'd be pretty pissed too if you said that to me about still being a boy. I...I guess hadn't really thought about it like that."

[rokubiraijuu]

Ceridwen is dismayed. She can understand and acknowledge that much. But more than that is beyond the limits of her station. Johanna simply gives a smile — encouraging, but painted in professionalism. Between subordinate and commanding officer, there always exists a gulf of separation; there must. Attachment is a slippery slope to favoritism and then corruption; she would hate for any of her Guardsmen to think she would evaluate them on anything beside the performance of their duties. 

 

"You were chosen to be here out of the eligible candidates, Ceridwen," she replies. "It wasn't random."

 

She decides not to respond to her last remark. It would be unkind to agree. Not that she didn't want to listen to her concern — that is an important part of her duty too — but that she was not in a position to offer the kind of support Ceridwen needed. "Have you tried talking to the others about this?" she asks, turning back around to continue on her way to the weaponsmith, indicating Ceridwen should follow. "I can give you advice, but besides that..."

 

---

 

"Yeah!" Fless beams, the idea seeming to really brighten his mood. "I'll show you how much better I've gotten then. If you guys are looking for the library, it's over that way near the elder's house. There's not much in it... we don't usually write down a lot of stuff. I don't know if you'll find much there, to be honest. I hope I'll see you all again someday!"

 

---

 

Seeing one of the men of the Allied Guard walk up to her stall, the young lady hurries to the front again, putting on her best smile, though it's clear she still seems a little perplexed at his showing marked interest in tomes despite his gender. 

 

Still, it's not as unheard of as women wielding swords and axes like some of the other outsiders she's seen milling around, though usually she's only ever heard of Warriors Village men picking up magic as a secondary weapon to supplement their swordplay. "Hm? How they're made? Oh, well, we break down rune pieces into fine powder, and use for ink in the tomes. The inscriptions and seals set into the pages carry the magic with them, until it's used up, of course."

 

She looks curiously at him. "I've heard that's a bit different from how it's done in other places, but this is how we've done it for as long as I can remember."

 

---

 

The older woman stocking the shelves of the supply store near the back turns around when she hears the girl's voice. "Oh!" Still carrying some boxes in her arms, she comes to the front to hear her request. 

 

"Are you talking about smellingsalts? Yes, we do have some of those here. If you'll give me a moment..." She moves to set the boxes down on a nearby table. "Now what will you be needing those for?"

[Chevaleresse]

Rhian, for her part, was maybe a bit more worn than the practice fight warranted, and a healer's watchful eye could tell that she was still sore from yesterday with the way she was moving. As for emotions, his aura of calm. . . didn't seem to have much of an effect. Over her usual core of sullen irritability was another layer of active irritability and frustration, with sources that were likely fairly obvious. On the very surface was a thin coating of what appeared to be genuine concern for Verden's condition with traces of even more frustration. Of course the only one around to fight me is a damned healer. 

"You should take it easy. I've been training since. . . Well, a really long damned time. It doesn't come overnight." She waved a hand at him in a vague gesture - was it dismissive? - and turned toward the exit of the yard. "I'm gonna go find Johanna or something and make her let me hit her instead. Or pick a fight with one of these pricks, I dunno."

[BlueCalibri]

She seems troubled, Verden thought to himself. He didn't say that out loud, of course, for the obvious reason of not wanting to make matters worse. His eyes flick over her for a moment, and internally, he can't help but wonder if she might need to follow her own advice at some point. Busy with his thoughts at the time, he fails to notice the gesture, although he seems aware at least that Rhian's starting to turn her attention elsewhere. He closes his eyes and inhales briefly, opening his eyes and moving to return the mace and shield back to their proper places, then turns to face her again.

 

"I see... Do you mind if I tag along? I... don't know this place very well."

 

Perhaps not the greatest reason he could come up with, but a reason nonetheless. Besides, it'd probably be best to make sure someone is nearby in case a fight breaks out, or even to prevent a fight from breaking out in the first place. Lord knows earning the animosity of the village in general would set up something of a bad reputation for the Allied Guard. Yeah, best to be safe, rather than sorry...

[Powder Miner]

"Ah-- um-- uh-- I didn't, no. Maybe because you're the only other Dragon Knight here, I guess."

Ceridwen followed Johanna to the weaponsmith, and once Johanna turned around to move, Ceridwen's expression became a confused one, mouth slanted and eyebrow raised. Ceridwen wasn't really sure how to feel now. Johanna had definitely done a lot to try to reassure her, but she could definitely sense the distance there -- she was right, probably. And that was kind of sad, maybe. Johanna would definitely otherwise be the easiest person for her to talk to, just out of being the other Dragon Knight in the Allied Guard. Everyone else was from outside the Stronghold, and that made things a bit strange to the redheaded dragon rider. Hmmh. Maybe she needed to get over it... she wasn't sure who she'd talk to. Argos... no. Definitely not. She hadn't talked to any of the others much at all. Michi maybe? Michi had been pretty nice before.

 

As Ceridwen got more and more lost in thought while following Johann, a large and scaly head was suddenly plopped upon hers -- Ynddi had matched her pace behind her. This drew a little squeak out of Ceridwen, and then a little smile, Ceridwen proceeding to stroke her dragon's head.

[Chevaleresse]

Rhian looked back at Verden, then grunted noncommittally. 

"I guess." She doubted he would actually get lost if she left him behind, but she didn't have a valid reason to tell him no, either. Other than "you'll probably try to stop me from hitting somebody." Which, if she was being totally honest to herself, was probably a good thing. . . but she still really wanted to hit somebody. Rhian slowed her pace as she walked toward the exit of the training grounds and in the direction of where she'd last seen Johanna, waiting for Verden to catch up before increasing her speed again. "Wouldn't want to leave you to the sword fondlers, lest they try to stuff you in a dress or something." Well, he was already in a robe, but they were different. Sort of. She didn't wear either.

[rustytengo]

Kris smiled at the old lady "Smelling salts? They smell really bad and don't make good seasoning for food but that's not quite what I was looking for." Kris dug around her folds and pockets and pulled out the Vulnerary that she was carrying. "I'm looking for this stuff." She said showing it to the lady. "I wanted to get some more of them since I didn't get enough jingly stuff in the last battle to liberate a cutie with so I figured those would the next best thing I could get. After all, I think we used a good amount of them during the battle. I know I did at least when I needed to get the honeybee back up on her horse." 

[BlueCalibri]

Verden seems happy enough to come along, just taking a moment to make sure everything is in order before sprinting over to Rhian to keep her from having to wait too long. While he seems a bit out of breath on arrival, he soon recovers, capable enough of keeping up with Rhian's pace for the time being. He can't help but snicker a little at the dress remark, also briefly contemplating whether or not his robes could be seen as such... It doesn't matter either way to him. After all, does it matter what one wears, so long as it isn't some over-the-top impractical design?

 

"Ehe... They'd probably think I'm already wearing one."

 

He giggles briefly at the thought, then gets a hold of himself and turns his attention onto more important matters. Namely, the matter of finding out where in the village everyone else had gone. He begins taking a look around to see if there's much notable to see, then returns his focus to Rhian, seemingly the most comfortable when focused on a familiar presence.

 

"So, if you want to find Johanna... Any idea where she may have gone? I'm not sure where everyone else is..."

[Swordstar]

Kerr smiled.

 

"Sometimes you just need to learn to look at things differently. We've all been there at points. It's part of growing up and becoming the person you want to be, not the person society tells you to be. Sometimes those are the same thing, but it needs to be a choice you make, not just the thing you do because it's what everyone has always told you to do."

 

Hmm, that was maybe letting a bit too much of his own past seep in. Either way, the teenager seemed to have gotten the point.

 

"Right then. We're probably good to head back. Your bruises feeling any better?"

[Chevaleresse]

Rhian slowed down at Verden's question, coming to a halt just at the entrance of the training grounds. 

"Uh. . . I don't really know." She shrugged. "Wasn't really paying attention when I headed over here. Kerr was supposed to be coming back, though, could just wait for him." She supposed they could always just check back at their lodgings, too, but she didn't really want to backtrack that much. "Or just look for the dragons. They're not exactly subtle."

[ElfCollaborator]

Michi speaks up finally, having been deep in thought since the confrontation with Flynn.

 

 

 "Perhaps we'd be best served looking for them in the village. As I remember, we were gathering supplies and weapons for the road ahead before we left, correct?'

[rokubiraijuu]

"Give that a try sometime," Johanna says to her subordinate as they draw up to the open-air forge that Argos and Dulcibella had been at previously. "I know it's strange... working with others outside the Stronghold. But it's good experience — for me, too, not just you."

 

Seeing two women approach the forge, the weaponsmith from before puts down his hammer and looks up at them curiously, as though unable to imagine what kind of business they might have here.

 

"Excuse me, sir. I'm interested in purchasing an axe as replacement for my own, which has gotten scratched up. Just a simple iron one will be fine."

 

"... Boys still swinging wooden swords looking to buy my best steel, and now women replacing their axes. Ffff." The weaponsmith shakes his head as he pushes himself to his feet, then casts an exasperated look at Ceridwen and her dragon as he moves towards the back. "And what about you?"

 

---

 

"Oh! Some vulneraries. Not a problem." The woman sets down her burden and heads to the back of the shop again. "So honeybees ride horses where you all come from, too? Are they very tiny horses?"

[BlueCalibri]

Verden similarly slows down. No need to wander on out of the grounds if they won't be walking that far, and that's not exactly guaranteed anymore, given the potential other option available. He seems fine waiting around to see what the ultimate decision is regarding what to do, where to go, etc. "I'm fine with waiting if that's what you want to do," he replies, now leaning on the staff while seeing what Rhian does next. Of course, heading out of the area to go take a look around is also an option, so he's not trying to get too comfortable here...

 

Hearing Michi speak up, Verden turns to face the armored fellow, nodding in reply. "That sounds about accurate. The real question is whereabouts in the village we would find them..." 

[krim]

That made sense. If there wasn't a way to inscribe the runes, nobody could use them. But now he was left wondering what other methods people have figured out. If there were multiple, there had to be a most efficient or powerful practice, right?  "Hmm. And where exactly do the pieces come from, if you don't mind me asking?" Fallon said curiously.

 

It didn't seem like the village did much trading with how isolated it was, let alone from somewhere as far away as Foen. Then again, he never thought to ask the old man back there where they came from either. Looking back on it, he kind of regretted that.

[rustytengo]

Kirs giggled a little at the old ladies comment. "Na, only one honeybee rides a horse and I don't think its that much smaller than a regular horse. Though it could be tiny the honeybee is even smaller than me and that doesn't happen too often." Kris leaned on a counter a bit as she talked watching the old lady. "Did you need any help with things? It looks like you're moving some heavy stuff around." Kris said casually poking at something. 

[Chevaleresse]

Rhian shrugged.

"Probably the blacksmith or something. Or wherever they can grab provisions. Something tells me I should probably be the last one to visit those places." Generally didn't bode well for supplies if you beat the tar out of the one, well, supplying them, and with the amount of mouthing off that boy had done, something told her he wasn't the only one around here that felt that way. "Let's just wait for Kerr. Worst case scenario he brings the kid back and I hit him again. 'Cause, you know, I'm such a weak little woman. Pah." 

[Aurorix]

"Oh we will for sure see each other again! Just don't die on me ya hear?" He said waving goodbye to Fless walking away a bit before turning back to Dulcibella.

 

"Soooooo, where do you wanna go first? We still got to go to that library though Fless did say they don't have too many books... Also that one bow place, if you needed a new one we could go there. Maybe we could go to the elder's house too, if anyone would know stuff about the war it would be him!" Argos spoke, listing off ideas. Honestly, to him reading sounded kinda boring. He wouldn't know how long he could last in that library. Not that he would ever say that to Dulci after he suggested they should do that last night.

[ElfCollaborator]

 

 "That boy will learn one day, comrade. Beating him up wasn't the only way to make him learn, though it certainly gave him a nice reminder that women outside his village exist."

[BlueCalibri]

Hearing what Rhian's best guesses were, Verden just nods. Briefly, it seems a slightly stronger smile of amusement crosses his face when he remembers that oh yeah, she kind of beat the shit outta that kid earlier, although given he's supposed to be... well, not a sadist, that smile is gone quickly enough. He briefly turns to face Michi, nodding again, then pauses and glances back and forth between Rhian and Michi. Something occurs to him.

 

"...If the matter of waiting for others to arrive is based around setting up training fights, perhaps the two of you could square off against each other? Just a thought that crossed my mind..."

 

Verden now seems to have a curious look in his eyes, wondering if what he's just said will lead anywhere interesting. Maybe it will, maybe it won't... Waiting and pure waiting just seems somewhat boring right now, when there is potential for activity.

[Sentient Bowtie]

On 12/31/2018 at 12:04 AM, EXLink32 said:

"Soooooo, where do you wanna go first? We still got to go to that library though Fless did say they don't have too many books... Also that one bow place, if you needed a new one we could go there. Maybe we could go to the elder's house too, if anyone would know stuff about the war it would be him!" Argos spoke, listing off ideas. Honestly, to him reading sounded kinda boring. He wouldn't know how long he could last in that library. Not that he would ever say that to Dulci after he suggested they should do that last night.

 

"Well, to be perfectly honest with you, I don't know how long I could stick with reading before I would get tired of it. It happens with doing things that don't require a lot of active thinking. After a long enough time they start to bore me, but they don't really bore me, do you know what I mean?" Probably not, since most people didn't, but...

 

"Why don't we go talk to the elder instead? As you can tell I'm much better at talking than I am at sitting around and reading."

[ElfCollaborator]

 

 "Now, that hardly seems....fair. I have some skill with the sword, but I'm a mage, and my comrade here is far more physically inclined."

Even as Michi says that, the fact that they're physically rather large (as far as the armor can tell) and the modesty within their words seems to point at them concealing something.

[Aurorix]

"OH THANK THE GODDESS!" Argos give a large sigh of relief,  "I don't know how long I could've lasted in a library. Honestly, I'd probably die before 30 minutes had passed."

 

"I didn't want to say anything because I was the one who suggested it but I'm glad you spoke up. So lets head to the Elder's place then, Fless said it should be that-a-way, right by the Library!" Argos began leading the way forward,  "I just hope the Elder doesn't mind visitors."

[Sentient Bowtie]

"I wouldn't have said anything about it if you changed your mind, you know. People do that sometimes." Dulcie nudges Argus in the arm.

 

"Hmm... Well, if they don't, I guess we're going to be leaving sooner rather than later. I hope they like talking about history." She plays idly with her bow as they walk, which reminds her: "Maybe after this we could see the fletcher?"

[Aurorix]

"I-I mean, of course. I don't know the first thing about bows and stuff but I'll go with you! I mean I did drag you all over the place it's the least I could do, ya know." Argos gives an awkward chuckle, just now realizing what he's been doing. Geeze he must seem like a total dork right now... oh well...