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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Jul 23, 2018 14:13:10 GMT -5
Destrian slowly dragged his mind back into conscious thought. "Thank you..." he managed to say, sitting leaned against the side of a crate. "I don't know what happened..."
The Elf Marshal, Chaia, pushed through a group of a few younger rebels, a smack to the back of one's wrist causing him to yelp and drop the sword he'd still been brandishing. "This treachery is something we must be aware of and be prepared for. It pains me that such a thing came to be, but we must be strong if we are to stand better against such things in the future!" she looked around at the faces of her comrades, determination shining on her face. She turned to the Orc Marshal, and spoke more quietly, "We need a full search of camp, and a double check on the perimeter guards. And I want to know who exactly was on the escort that brought these soldiers into camp." The last part was barely a whisper, no need to cause more unrest among the others.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Aug 11, 2018 19:15:04 GMT -5
"Apparently, the King decided to be cheeky," Thayer muttered, returning her knives to her belt. She offered a hand out to him to help the man stand to his feet.
The orc Marshal, Xago, nodded his head. "I'll see to it myself," he muttered as quietly as his gruff voice would allow. His size and build gave him the kind of voice that was naturally booming, so whispering wasn't really his strong point. However, he knew that the less that got overheard, the better. He glanced around as Túel and her assistance rushed into the crowd, the Elven Healer shouting at the well and healthy to get out of her way and do something useful. With her causing some sort of scene, Xago took his chance to slip from the pavilion, starting his investigation.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 0:07:32 GMT -5
Destrian gladly took Thayer's hand, looking around, still feeling a bit shaky but his mind calming down. He caught sight of two of the Marshals talking for a moment before the stirring of people to make way for medical care caused him to lose sight of them. He still hadn't met any of them, he realized, but he'd seen those two once before, and their demeanor was unmistakably that of th Marshals. "I don't know that 'cheeky' is the best way to describe that..." Destrian pondered out loud. "But this deserves justice."
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 8:33:00 GMT -5
Destrian realized he hadn't thought of food since catching sight of the royal soldiers, and admitted he was indeed still hungry. More so now, he thought; it seemed an unfathomable amount of time had passed since then even though it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. "That sounds good, actually. Thank you, Thayer." He gave her a somewhat forced smile, but it turned genuine in a moment.
Just then, two men walked up, one obviously dwarven and the other looking like a half dwarf. The half dwarf spoke, standing just a few inches taller than his companion, but carrying an odd sort of similarity to him. "Thayer," he greeted, crossing his fists on his chest. The other gave the same motion, and a slight nod. "I hadn't seen you for some time and wondered what you'd been up to. Glad to see you're in one piece. Who's this staff wielding menace you've brought us?" He gave a grin to Destrian, eyeing the crutch a moment.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2018 19:07:43 GMT -5
"You can thank me after you have food in your stomach," Thayer told him. The smile she gave him appeared more natural even if it was just as forced as his was. She recognized the effort he had taken to make things feel somewhat normal, and so the woman matched him. Besides, it was easier for her to appear calm because she had seen these types of things happen far too often. Never on this scale, but always with casualties for either side. It was war, after all. One had to learn to pretend things were alright even if they were still coiled tighter than a spring.
When the two men crossed their path, the woman stopped. It was clear they were their own men, but it took her a moment to remember their faces. A laugh escaped her lips at the sight of the brother's and their greeting. "Hammer, Dagger, you should have known I would be still kicking. Very few can get close enough to kill me," she returned, over-exaggerating her own abilities in jest. "Gosh, it has been a long time, hasn't it?" There was more to she would have liked to ask, but she held off until she introduced Destrian. "Aye, a sad tale of this one, it is. Ambushed by both wolves and King's Men, he nearly got one of my arrows through him as he came crawling into camp. He's lucky I'm not a quick shot." She placed a hand on his shoulder, more for comical affect due to the man's towering height over her. "He goes by Destrian. He's staying with us until he recovers. We were just on our way back to his tent, but since you two have arrived, why don't we go back to mine? It's closer and we can all share lunch together."
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 20:51:09 GMT -5
At that, the dwarf, Hammer, gave a wide grin, and spoke heartily. "Ah, well then, let's welcome our new friend Destrian here in a proper manner! Since you're having us over I hope you can feed a dwarven appetite and a half!" He let out a chuckle, sensing the desire in them all for a lighter mood. Hammer held up his fist, and Dagger struck wrists with him, holding up his own fist and grinning as well.
Destrian took it all in with a blink, a smile spreading on his own face.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2018 21:08:37 GMT -5
And just like that, the previous tension clinging to the air evaporated. At least, for Thayer it had. Shaking her head, she motioned the men to follow her. "You're lucky I'm allowed to go hunting on my own," she called to the brothers. "Otherwise I wouldn't have enough for you two to even graze." In fact, she, as well as several others, hunted for the entire camp. They were lucky that their foot hold here had plenty of forest in which they could roam. Had they not been so lucky, hunting would be scare. In return for providing for everyone, the hunters were allowed to keep some of the game for themselves. Of course, they didn't have the means to keep a lot, but any fresh meat was welcomed. Most of the time they would dry it for camping rations. Other times, like this one, they would treat family or friends.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 21:19:49 GMT -5
Destrian set in beside Thayer as they headed for her tent, Hammer walking on the other side of Thayer and Dagger striding beside him. "You have the blessing of Naemohr undoubtedly if you escaped both wolves and the King's men, Destrian." He nodded towards Thayer, "She has held the blessing of the Hunt no doubt, but Naemohr's will is not so easily influenced. Many honors to you and your kin." Dagger tapped a single fist across his chest.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2018 21:31:16 GMT -5
Thayer cast a grin over at Destrian. "If you are not familiar with Dwarven customs or religions, you will soon be," she warned him. She herself knew a fair deal of them. Her father, being a scholar, was knowledgeable in many things, including a lot of knowledge of the races of the worlds. She learned a great deal in customs and politics at a young age. The woman just hardly uses them. Only in times where offense was too great a risk to take would she carry out the proper ways to interact between the more magical of races. To Hammer and Dagger, no such courtesies were there. They more or less trained together and were sent on many missions together from time to time. They had an air of familiarity about them that excused her from such things. Or, at least, that's what she believed. She waved her hand to indicate the brothers. "These two talk non-stop about it. They'll educate you whether you want to hear it or not."
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 21:50:15 GMT -5
"Ah, the mud woman speaks!" Hammer exclaimed, giving a playful wink at Thayer, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "If you weren't offering me food and company, I'd think you meant to drive a wedge into my stone heart!" He gave a pouting face, and Dagger burst out laughing, clapping Destrian on the shoulder. "I might side with the mud man here, brother! He brings out my soft side, I have to say." Dagger winked at Destrian. "Besides, lad only has one good leg, so he can't be much good. Say, Destrian, how does a metal leg sound?" We'll rid you of that soft mud leg if you want!" He gave a skip mid-stride, bellowing another deep laugh.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2018 22:09:59 GMT -5
Thayer laughed along. "I'm hurt that you would think me capable of such a thing," she responded. Because of her laughter, she was not able to feign any sort of hurt to her words. "Then I would have to put up with Dagger on my own. Now why would I want a fate such as that one?" She led the small group through the sea of tents. Some were big enough to house four people, yet as they walked further away from the middle of camp, the tents grew smaller. Thayer's tent was on of the first few in the section of single man shelters. It wasn't because she chose it, but she certainly enjoyed it. No, those who were sent out most often tended to have tents to themselves. That way they wouldn't disturb others. Not to mention most scouts dueled as spies, and it was easy for a man to let slip certain information when drinking with tent-mates. "Sit, get comfortable. If anyone wants to start up the fire, I won't stop you," the archer said upon reaching her tent. There was a small campfire pit right outside her door with room enough for all of them to gather round. The food, however, was stored away inside the tent. So, leaving the men to settle themselves, she entered inside to fetch lunch.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 9, 2018 22:21:30 GMT -5
Destrian let out a chuckle, settling into the mood. Dagger gave a look of mock surprise. "We'll I'm definitely siding with the mud man, if you two are scheming about ending people! He seems to have a knack for resilience..." His eyes lit up a moment later, "Hey, maybe he's already part metal! Hammer, mind if I smack him with you?" He gave a snicker as if the joke about his brother's name never got old. Hammer just rolled his eyes and sat upon an upturned log, gesturing Destrian to the spot adjacent. "Let's see if your appetite is bigger than your mouth, eh?" He jested.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 10, 2018 12:34:05 GMT -5
Dagger tilted his head. "So the elf fixed you up, eh? How long did she keep you penned up for?" He asked Destrian. "Long enough to wonder if I even needed the leg," Destrian answered, "Thayer was all that kept me sane." He added a bit more seriously. Hammer nodded at that. "She has a way of poking you in just the right places, but rest assured you've found a good one here. I'd argue that most all in this camp are good, in fact. Even if you don't want any part in the war, we'll make sure you're safe, warm, and welcome." Destrian pondered that for a moment, then smiled a tight smile. "I'll do my part in whatever it takes to make sure more people can have that." He said slowly, giving a definitive nod.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 10, 2018 12:45:12 GMT -5
Thayer quickly got a cook fire started and was freeing the game from their wrappings. "Well, I couldn't just let you completely lose your mind after saving you, could I?" she asked, flashing the man a playful smile. Then she returned to her work. "You'll find others, though, that are in the same boat as you, so you won't have to worry about keeping your sanity intact. Here," she tossed Dagger one of the packages, "be useful and put those onto a skewer. There's two pheasants in there, plucked and ready to be roasted."
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 10, 2018 18:59:30 GMT -5
Dagger gleefully obliged, skewering the two pheasants with a quick and obviously practiced motion, then laying it across the fire that now lapped into life in the pit. Hammer straightened from bending over the flames, putting away his firestones, and gently placed a bit more tinder on the flames as they grew.
Destrian watched, interested, at their expert movements in even the simplest things. Sure, he could start a fire and roast meat just fine himself, but he'd never seen such simple grace in movement that these men displayed. They weren't rough or clumsy as he now felt ashamed having expected.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 12, 2018 11:33:35 GMT -5
Hammer nodded thoughtfully at her question. "Aye, the North camp rests fine. But we'd heard rumors that tensions were rising sharp down here, and came to see for ourselves. Looks like the rumors were right." He said with a grimace. Dagger gave a sound of agreement. "I think your handling things just fine here, but a handful in the northern camp have whispered doubts of Artur's strategies." He sighed, "And we all know that inner chaos is the last thing we need. Which is probably what the king was trying to achieve with this event." He added.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 12, 2018 14:32:26 GMT -5
Dagger looked uncomfortable for a moment, and Hammer just busied himself with finishing the fire before he finally spoke. "Dwarves, Lady Thayer, as you know, can be suspicious of the other races. We entered this war much like the others, but no dwarf has ever fought for the king. Some of our kind... They fear that loyalties to each other among humans, and orcs and elves as well, could very well undermine loyalty to the Primer ideals."
///Can I just reiterate how sorry I am for taking such a long break, and how happy I am to be writing this again? ^.^ ///
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 12, 2018 15:29:44 GMT -5
Thayer gave a slow nod. There had always been that issue: the underlying loyalties of each race that set them apart from everyone else. Now race was exempted to this. The humans, while those here share the opinions of the King as their comrades, have felt the ties to some higher blood family in some form or fashion. If not to the Royal Family, than to the lower baronies or dukes which govern their lands. The elves had a governing system of their own. Smaller than King Perrin's, the elves paid more heed to their own leaders than those that oppress them. Orcs were a different story altogether, and probably the race she knew the least about. But she had seen the close knit workings of orcs and their brethren. While no one had ever risked betraying an order due to any personal ties or bonds, she knew that there were many in the camp that formed cliques with each other.
"If all goes well, the war will not last for much longer," she muttered. "Then no one will have to question anyone's loyalty to whom anymore. But if the unrest grows faster than I'm aware of, we may have a bigger problems than the king on our hands." It was all a bi mess, politics and war alike. It was the simpler things in life she preferred to dwell on, yet those things couldn't be enjoyed as they should at the moment. Still, she tried to lighten the mood by turning the focus of the conversation to a different aspect. "And what have I told you about calling me 'Lady'?" she asked. "We are no where near my father's house. I do not wish to be called 'Lady' anything. I prefer mud woman to that stuffy title."
(Haha, you have no need to apologize. It's funny, actually. I was just thinking about this plot the other day, and, lo and behold, I find that you've responded shortly after. It is really good to be exploring this world and the characters again. ^^ )
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 12, 2018 15:40:41 GMT -5
Dagger, glad to be away from the more serious topic, let out a half-suppressed chuckle at Thayer's response to being called 'Lady'.
Hammer just shrugged. "As you wish, mud woman." He gave a slight mock bow with it, hiding his grin from her, and winked at Destrian.
Destrian was pulled from his own thoughts on the war then, and smiled. He would have to remember not to accidentally refer to Thayer formally, not that such things were accustomed to him anyways.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 12, 2018 16:08:12 GMT -5
"Mostly patrols, from what Varik told us." Dagger said, "We were supposed to receive official instructions at lunch and-- OH! We were supposed to be told where we're staying too. I guess we should figure that out before tonight, eh?" He trailed off, lost in some thought.
Hammer picked up the conversation. "Part of why we came down here was for a bit of excitement, to speak truth. It was boring up at the North camp. You haven't heard of any extended patrols happening, have you?" He inquired.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 12, 2018 21:12:39 GMT -5
Destrian agreed solemnly, looking off into the distance at nothing in particular.
Hammer gave a grave look then, and he nodded. "We'll be volunteering for that no doubt. Dagger picked up a good bit of nature watching from his mother as a boy, and he's honed his skills as a scout since then." He looked over to Destrian, then back to Thayer, letting the man remain in his thoughtful state. He gave a pointed look at her, and glanced sideways again at Destrian, making it clear he wanted to know more later.
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Post by Demitraeus Dehlfvaen on Oct 18, 2018 22:52:29 GMT -5
Dagger gave a shrug. "That deer had to have been in cohorts with you, Thayer, I swear! There's no way it could have heard me coming!" Hammer just chuckled, and Destrian looked a bit confused, not knowing whatever story they were referring to.
"I'm joining that patrol as well," he said, determination sounding in his voice, "It was my home, and so it's part of my duty to be there, Primer or not." He still hadn't decided that he fought alongside them as comrades, but friends they were for sure.
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