Be it to the north or south, Basantha is characterized by harsh climates most Lambastians prefer not to trek. To the north are the frigid Fe'gan Mountains, Lambastia's highest and coldest peaks. Further south you'll encounter the arid expanse of the Wilt'no Desert, where most life only comes out during the night. Travelers find little escape to the west, even though the Tuun Mountains aren't quite as harsh.

Moderator: Retired Staff

Return to Basantha

Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 12/05/2017 11:03 PM

[*Note: Hokthes and Flame both have permission to control any and all characters present in this RP]

Image

Caelius, by the grace of God, king of Cenovice, to all subjects of the kingdom of Cenovice,

~*~

My loyal subjects, it is in times of peace that we find ourselves most at war, not as a kingdom, but as a people. It is not in the times of conflict and strife that we define ourselves, but rather, in times of harmony and plenty. While we have basked in the warm glow of peace and prosperity for many decades, there is strife yet in the kingdoms of Ilinov and Estalia, across the great Avidus Sea. Though we find ourselves separated from them geographically, let that not be an excuse for us to be blind to their condition or deaf to their plight.

As with every war of nations, this conflict has produced countless casualties, and while most remain unseen to us from the safety of our shores, there are those who seek to escape its indiscriminate brutality. It is in this time of need that those displaced souls seek shelter and safe haven within the walls of our kingdom. By my command, should either Ilinovian or Estalian solicit your aid, you are to give it freely, so long as doing so does not bring harm unto our own kingdom. Cenovice will not ally itself with or against either nation in this ongoing conflict, but neither shall we turn away from those who seek our aid. Any man or woman who disobeys this decree will be punished harshly by the laws of our nation.

Let violence not be the only or the strongest force that unites us as a kingdom. Let us stand as one in our resolution to grant aid to those less fortunate than we, and let our kindness and generosity be our banner and make Cenovice a beacon of hope to all in these troubled times.


~*~

User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 12/05/2017 11:04 PM

“'Times of plenty'? How can we afford to coddle refugees when we can hardly put enough on the table to provide for our own families? Why should we obey a king who deigns to feed strays before his own people?"
---

"Pah, he may sit on a fancy throne, but he’s no king of mine. Those farlanders have never done us any favors in the past – we fought long and hard for our lands and our way of life, why should we burden ourselves with their suffering?"

---

"We are blessed to be living in such an era of peace and prosperity – it is only just that we share in some small way our good fortune. After all, should we one day find ourselves to have fallen into a plight such as theirs, would we not hope that a kind soul would take pity upon us?"
---

"The king seeks to bring war down upon us! Is sheltering a few refugees worth the risk of provoking outrage on both fronts?"

---

"Do you really think the war is going to reach this far? Ilinov and Estalia are an ocean away, and I can’t imagine many refugees would have the means to traverse the open seas, especially not if they’re being hunted."
---

"Caelius has never led us astray in the past, but…I heard rumor that he spurned the counsel of his advisors on this particular matter. The man is wise, no doubt, but more so than the collective wisdom of his counsellors? The king has advisors for a reason, after all."

---

“I heard that the farlanders have demons instead of echoes. Do you think the king would really bring that down upon us?” “Well I heard that they don’t have echoes at all.” “Shhh, you can’t say those kinds of things! Can you imagine how horrible that would be?”
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Hokthes » 12/06/2017 10:50 PM

ImageImage

Despite the cool autumn air, sweat dripped down his temple as Alastair eyed his opponent. His arm ached from the repeated impacts against his shield, a feeling that he had grown quite accustomed to. Physical shields absorbed blows differently than his echo; each hit delivered a fresh spike of pain at the specific point of impact as opposed to over the entire body of the shield. Once you reached a certain level of proficiency, a simple wooden shield, no matter how large or thick, could never compare to the protection you provided with your echo. Unfortunately, that didn’t change the fact that the shield currently strapped by leather to his arm was unmistakably wooden. But he trained with both mediums enough that he knew what to expect.

Standing no more than 3 meters away from him, Alden gasped for breath. Alden was a little larger than most swords, and certainly the largest sword in Bayhallen. However, next to Alastair, one would think Alden a child. If Alastair donned himself in plate, nobody would be able to tell him apart from the royal guard. He was not much taller than the average man, but he had the ideal build for a shield: broad shoulders, arms like a blacksmith and legs as thick as tree trunks. Alden’s eyes had lost the fire present at the beginning of the fight and instead stared emotionless at Alastair’s shield. Both he and Alastair knew the fight was over; Alden barely had strength to pick up his sparring sword and his echo had begun to flicker. This was a fight they had fought dozens of times with the same outcome each time – Alastair seemed an infinite pool of stamina and strength that could never be toppled. Fighting him was akin to taking a castle with nothing but dead leaves and sheep’s wool as weapons.

Nogah, the leader of Bayhallen’s militia, seemed not to notice the lack of spirit left in Alden’s stare as he screamed “30 SECONDS!”. Alden briefly glanced at the noise before directing his gaze back at Alastair. With a sigh and tremendous effort, Alden timidly raised his wooden sword halfway and took one final charge at Alastair. He knew a frontal assault would only end with him on his back seeing stars, but no manner of trickery ever got him anywhere else anyways. Alastair assumed the standard shield stance: dominant leg forward, shield towards the opponent, and half squatted to increase stability. Alastair watched not Alden, but instead Alden’s echo. Alden had a terrible habit of giving away his intentions through his echo before he acted, which made these fights incredibly predictable. Sure enough, a split second before Alden reached Alastair, the flickering echo shot towards the ground. Alastair grinned, dropped his shield to the ground, and pushed as Alden began his slide tackle.
User avatar
Hokthes
Beginner
Beginner
Pets | Items
Keystones: 55
Donate
Joined: 11/15/2016 2:34 PM

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Hokthes » 12/06/2017 10:56 PM

Momentum finished the fight. Alden audibly grunted as he slid full force into nothing less than a solid wall. Before Alden had time to react, Alastair quickly pivoted as he grabbed Alden’s ankle. Standing as he turned, he flung Alden who landed with a thud on the ground before flopping on his back in a daze. Nogah sighed before yelling “TIME!”. He walked briskly to the center of the skirmishing ground and eyed them both.

“Alden, even a novice would be able to tell your next move just by watching your echo. I realize that in a real fight you would be wielding your echo and this wouldn’t be a problem but you won’t always have the energy to hold the sword form. Stop drooling on yourself and clean yourself up: you’re on watch duty in 2 hours.”

Nogah eyed Alastair with both respect and resentment. Through strained teeth, Nogah addressed him. “A shield should never be able to actually beat a sword in a fight. At best a single shield should be able to stall a sword. The fact that you always end these fights unscathed may not be indicative of your actual skill, but the lack of your opponents”. He eyed Alden disdainfully as he slowly bent over to pick up his sword, mud sliding down his trousers. “Don’t get complacent or cocky just because you’re the biggest fish in the pond. You’re likely to get rusty here if you slow down. Personally, I think you just should go ahead and join the military; you’re talents are wasted defending this town from boars and wolves. You’re done for the day, but don’t forget in the morning. Dismissed”.

Alastair matched Nogah’s gaze with a calm intensity as he replied. “I understand, and appreciate your continued guidance Nogah. If you need me for any more training today you know where to find me”. After saluting his superior, Alastair calmly returned his shield to the weapon rack near the barrack entrance, and without even glancing at the crestfallen Alden returned inside, gathered his few belongings, and set off for his home.

As he left, he overheard Nogah begin lecturing the rest of those in training. “Now, before the next match can anybody tell me what Alden did wrong during that skirmish?”
A recruit replied; “Yeah, he tried to beat Alastair.”

Alastair stifled a grin as he closed the barrack door behind him.
User avatar
Hokthes
Beginner
Beginner
Pets | Items
Keystones: 55
Donate
Joined: 11/15/2016 2:34 PM

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 12/10/2017 12:36 AM

ImageImage
[Gwynneth] [Flick]

Bayhallen’s barracks were located north of the center of town, a little ways away from the bustle of day-to-day village life. Its grounds sprawled in a way few other buildings in the town did, made up mostly in part by open fields that could host any number of training drills ranging from single armed combat to coordinated mounted exercises. Stables, weapons storage, and other miscellaneous cabins fanned out in a radius that centered around a large, oak- and iron-wrought building that sat at the very heart of the grounds. By comparison to any other structure in the town, the barracks were a veritable fortress, although by any sizable city’s architect’s measure, it wasn’t much more than a simple - if sturdily-built - great hall.

As the town was protected to the west by the rest of Cenovice, including the kingdom’s capital, Glenmere, and guarded to the east by the Avidus Sea, the placement of the barracks put the militia in a strategic position for defense against northerly attacks. The location of the barracks themselves stood as a memento of the fact that this town had been a helpless victim of the war which had torn through the land only a handful of decades ago. The people of Bayhallen had been woefully unprepared then - a village of farmers, tradesmen, and merchants who could hardly weather a winter, let alone a war, and too far-flung from Glenmere for their cries for aid to be answered. Stories of those days still occasionally filtered through from those who had seen the violence and lived to tell the tale, but most days, any mention of the war only precipitated into stony silence.

The main hall of the barracks themselves served primarily as a mustering ground for members of Bayhallen’s militia, but secondarily, it also served as housing for a handful of those individuals as well. For the most part, those who called the barracks home were either of the younger generation, seeking freedom from their parents in the bosom of the militia, or those who didn’t have families of their own to go home to. True to the militia lifestyle, the amenities available in the barracks were basic at best, and only those who were truly dedicated (or otherwise felt they had nowhere else to go) chose to live where they worked.
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 12/10/2017 12:40 AM

Alastair was one of the few who’d willingly chosen to take up residence on the barrack’s grounds, and it was towards ‘home’ that he was headed when he made his way off of the training grounds and into the main hall. The sun had already begun its steady descent toward the western horizon as he made his way indoors, the first hints of the impending winter chill nipping at his heels as the heavy door shut with a thud behind him. Although he’d certainly come out of that last fight less disheveled (and considerably less muddy) than his opponent, he still intended to wash away the sweat and grime of the day of sparring before supper. Perhaps if he was lucky, it wouldn’t be Lleuwyn’s turn to be on cooking duty tonight. Combat of any sort, he could stomach, but he’d yet to meet someone with a gut or appetite strong enough to withstand Lleuwyn’s utter lack of culinary aptitude.

“So, who was the unfortunate victim today?” The voice drifted down the open expanse of the main hall, and Alastair’s immediate reaction might have been defensive if it wasn’t for the familiar tone which accompanied the quip. Its owner currently sat on a worn (and more than slightly rickety) wooden chair by the large hearth which warmed the entirety of the main hall. Gwynneth was two years Alastair’s junior, a short-haired and “high-spirited” (as many of the townsfolk tactfully deemed her) scrap of a girl with a wit and a temper to match. She also happened to be his sister, and like him, she too had aspirations of one day joining the Cenovician army. “Judging by that grin on your face, I’m going to guess...Garrick?”

“It was Alden.”

“Oh, come on, that’s even worse! The guy is barely stout enough to pass for a sword himself, let alone wield one, and even I know that his echo is a dead giveaway in any fight. I mean, you’ve seen him at cards - he might as well have every passing thought that crosses his mind written across his face.”

Alastair grunted noncommittally in response as he trudged towards where his sister was seated; everything Gwynn said was true, but in spite of all that, it was Nogah who made the pairing calls and not him. “You know that Alden wouldn’t have been my first choice in sparring partner, but I wouldn’t be doing him any favors either if I went easy on him.”
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 12/10/2017 12:41 AM

Pausing at her current task of oiling her bow, Gwynn feigned a sigh of disappointment, tsking as she shook her head at her brother. “Excuses, excuses. These are the kinds of things that make me question Nogah’s judgment.” The comment was off-handed enough, but Alastair knew that there was a lot more that was left unspoken behind that statement, a suspicion that was confirmed as he watched Flick, her echo, twitch irritably from its perch on her shoulder. While Gwynn lived in the barracks, helped upkeep the grounds and gear, and occasionally participated in training exercises with the recruits, she wasn’t actually an official member of the militia herself. Growing up as children, both of them had their hearts set on joining Bayhallen’s militia - nothing sounded more noble than being the sword and shield that kept their family safe - even if Gwynn’s dream was more or less inspired by her older brother’s.

However, while Alastair very quickly gotten the hang of the art of forming Havel into a solid shield, Gwynn - to her great chagrin - never quite managed to grasp the skill of materializing Flick for any significant length of time. She’d tried the entire range of weapons with no better luck, and by the time Alastair had mastered a tower shield, Gwynn still struggled to keep Flick in the form of even a small dagger for longer than a few seconds at a time. Naturally, that made her a liability more than an asset in a military force that focused primarily on echo-conjured weapons, and while her skill with physical weapons would have been passable on its own, it wasn’t enough to get her into Bayhallen’s militia. Nogah had been sympathetic to her plight though, and seeing the girl’s sheer determination during training exercises, grudgingly allowed her to stay in the barracks with the prospects of her eventually mastering some useful technique. Plus, the lifestyle Gwynn currently led wasn’t exactly a glamorous one, and it wasn’t every day that someone simply volunteered to take on the tasks which she was now responsible for.

“So, what’s the big occasion?” Alastair indicated the bow in Gwynn’s hands with a tip of his head as he came to a halt next to where she was seated. Years of living with his sister had taught him that when it came to the subject of joining the militia, it was sometimes better to simply try and change the subject to take her mind off of it. “Did someone mistake you for a boy again?”

That seemed to do the trick as Gwynn made a quick swipe at him with the hand which held the greasy cloth which Alastair deftly sidestepped, and the reluctant grin on her face told him that he’d succeeded. “I’d be preparing something a little less elegant if that were the case, you dolt. No, I’m on guard duty for the hunting party headed out to Westvale at dawn tomorrow.” There was a definite hint of satisfaction in her tone at the mention of her task, and understandably so. This would be the first time she’d been sent on a job in this capacity, and it spoke to Nogah’s certainty in her abilities, even if hunting outing were generally relatively safe affairs. “Who knows, maybe I’ll even get to fight something tougher than Alden. I hear badgers can be pretty mean when provoked.”
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Hokthes » 12/15/2017 1:08 PM

Alastair did his best to hide his surprise but after growing up together, Gwynn was able to read him just as easily as he had read Alden’s echo. More than anything he was surprised at how politically sound a decision this had been on Nogah’s part. Gwynn tended to get anxious the longer she went without some meaningful task; she craved as many opportunities to prove her worth as possible. This would give her a chance to provide a much-needed service to the town, and on even grounds with the rest of the hunting party as well. While she had minimal control over her echo, echos weren’t terribly useful for hunting to begin with. An bowmen with solid aim and a well-crafted bow could just as easily down game as one using an echo derived bow, and Gwynn was one of the better shots in the militia. This would be an excellent opportunity for her and would likely keep her satisfied for at least a little bit. However, if they were to come across an actual threat they would be woefully vulnerable.

Before she could question his look, Alastair blurted out: “The militia aren’t usually the ones who go hunting, are you on guard duty for the party or do you plan to partake? Who else is going? And who’s going to shine my boots while you’re away” The local wildlife wasn’t exactly threatening, the most dangerous thing one might find was a territorial boar. Normally hunting came down to the local townspeople, but these were trying times. He hoped that she didn’t interpret his momentary look of surprise as doubt in her abilities.

Gwynn paused her task and shot him a suspicious look. “It’s just me. I’m on guard duty but I don’t plan to come back empty handed, I’m a better shot than anyone I’m guarding anyways. I think the royal decree has got Nogah nervous, you know how much he mistrusts people from outside the village, much less from outside the kingdom. I haven’t actually talked to him myself, but I’m pretty sure he’s afraid the hunting party will come across some Ilinovians so he’s sending his best shot to keep them safe.” She seemed to inflate as she spoke, beaming with pride. “I don’t know much about them but if the country itself loves war, I’d assume the runaways at least have some capacity for violence. The chance of running across anyone this far inland is pretty slim, you’d think they would all head north to Glenmere and never set a foot west. But here we are.” Glenn gently set her bow down next to her chair. “Why the look? Don’t think I’m capable of protecting some hunters from a rabbit?” She glared at Alastair as she awaited his explanation, her echo flickering more rapidly than the fire behind her, her air of pride replaced with a subtle aura of anger.
User avatar
Hokthes
Beginner
Beginner
Pets | Items
Keystones: 55
Donate
Joined: 11/15/2016 2:34 PM

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Hokthes » 12/15/2017 1:08 PM

Alastair groaned internally; Gwynn had noticed. His next words needed to be quick, but clever. Failure would mean he’d be mending his own gear for the entirety of winter. Scrambling, he replied; “You know I have complete faith in you. I’m more surprised that anybody is going out hunting right now at all. This is the tail end of harvest season, most everybody is busy prepping their storage for the winter. Hunting is scarce too, most of the game have settled down for the winter. I’d be surprised if the party came back with much of anything. It just seems like an unnecessary risk.”

Gwynn stared unblinkingly at Alastair for a moment. Alastair’s echo, now in its bullfrog form, lazily drifted down and landed on his shoulder, returning Gwynn’s unblinking stare. Gwynn smiled, saying “you’re lucky Havel is cuter than you are. I can always forgive him.” Her echo quickly darted over and swirled quickly around Havel, who seemed to neither notice nor care. “The townsfolk have decided to try and gather any extra food for the winter that they can find. Unlike Nogah, I think most people here are willing to help aid any that come through our town. Currently we have enough to keep everyone happy through the winter, but if we get even a few refugees that decide to stay with us we may start having issues. Apparently you haven’t noticed, but the harvest is all but done so a group have set off for the coast to purchase some fish, while the group I’m with have decided to try their luck in the forest. If we don’t find anything there’s no harm done, but we could get some meat to dry and spread things out a little more comfortably. Besides, I’ve been aching to do something other than dishes lately”. As she spoke, she picked her bow back up and resumed oiling it. “Speaking of cleaning, you reek, and this fire is only making it worse. Go wash up, Lleuwyn is cooking tonight.”

Alastair didn’t bother to hide his disdain as Havel gave a disgruntled croak and drifted out of sight into a pocket. Silently nodding, Alastair took his leave. On his way to his chambers, he made the decision that he would approach Nogah before the night was over to attempt to join the hunting party. Gwynn performed at her best when he was around, whether it was to impress him or because he bolstered her confidence was irrelevant. Aiding her would keep his mind at ease, and he was sure that he could get out of guard duty.
User avatar
Hokthes
Beginner
Beginner
Pets | Items
Keystones: 55
Donate
Joined: 11/15/2016 2:34 PM

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Hokthes » 12/15/2017 1:09 PM

---

“No.”

Nogah sat at his desk filling out paperwork as he did most nights. His echo, a small pygmy owl, floated listlessly in the air. Nogah never even looked up as he replied. “I know your reasoning, you want to help Gwynn in the hunt, that’s as plain as day. I need you to stay behind and do your job as a shield. For the first time in years I’m nervous about the coming months and I need everyone on high alert. Towns nearby have been aiding those… foreigners… and there’s been unrest among their populations.” He said foreigners as if the word left a foul taste in his mouth. “By the wisdom of King Caelius we’ll provide them with rations for the road and a stable for them to rest in, god forbid they travel this far west, but a strong military showing is the best way to keep the town at ease. We’re sending a small team with the group traveling to purchase fish, so there aren’t many of us remaining in town. Currently, you’re the strongest military showing we’ve got so expect to be on guard duty often until this dies down. Without a healthy fear I’m certain that some of our more zealous neighbors may cause issues. I’ve got you scheduled every morning until both parties return. Be thankful for the extra wages that will be coming your way. You are to report for guard duty in the morning. Dismissed.”

Alastair was taken aback, but stood his ground. “Sir, with all due respect I think the hunting party requires more protection than Gwynn can provide. You know she is less capable with her echo than most, and..”

“The hunting party is traveling to the forests west of us, near the mountain range. The most threatening thing they’ll come across is a bear, which frankly would be a big win for the food reserves. Frankly I don’t expect them to find much of anything. Gwynn will be more than capable by herself. The largest issue we face is in town, which is why you need to stay and report for guard duty in the morning. Dismissed.”

An awkward silence ensued, broken intermittently by the scratch of Nogah’s quill on his equipment requisition form. His echo had ceased its aimless floating, and now sat perched on the tip of a nearby pot of ink. Nogah had yet to avert his gaze from his task.

Alastair paused a moment, swallowed, and prepared himself for one last attempt. Before he had the chance to enunciate a full word, Nogah ceased his writing and stared directly into his eyes, saying “You are to report for guard duty in the morning. Dismissed.” They locked gazes for a time, before Alastair nodded and took his leave. As he closed the door, he heard the steady scratch of quill on paper, albeit a little quicker and a little harder.
User avatar
Hokthes
Beginner
Beginner
Pets | Items
Keystones: 55
Donate
Joined: 11/15/2016 2:34 PM

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 01/23/2018 2:43 PM

Gwynn was awake and out of bed well before the first rooster’s crow, her sheer air of anticipation more effective than any cup of coffee could be. She’d washed up and packed what few things she intended to bring with her in a worn leather pack just as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon, splashing warm hues of pastel across the morning sky. The trip would take three or four days at the very least - after all, Westvale was a hard day’s ride from Bayhallen, and that was with a horse unladen by the spoils of a successful hunt - and at most a week, depending on the nature of the game they managed to bag. Nevertheless, Gwynn didn’t have much by means of personal belongings to bring, and there were only so many times she could check her pack to ensure that she had everything she needed. Still, that didn’t stop her from pacing restlessly between her bed upon which her pack sat and the small dresser which held all of her belongings, as if the simple act of moving between them would jog her memory and remind her of something she’d forgotten.

This would be her first extended outing away from the safety of Bayhallen’s walls; sure, she’d ventured out before on various errands that had taken her to the outer reaches of the town’s territory, but never far enough to keep her from her own bed for a night. Now, she would be gone for at least three, and while the task she’d been given wasn’t a particularly titillating one, the anticipation for the adventure was enough to keep her on her feet and pacing between the walls of the small chambers which she called home.
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 01/23/2018 2:44 PM

“Girl, if you don’t quit that stamping about, I swear on my mother’s grave that the hunting party will be eating Gwynn stew this winter instead of traipsing around in that god-forsaken forest.” The gruff grumble came from a shapeless mound hidden beneath a thick blanket on a bed across the small room, the irritable rustling revealing the fact that there was indeed a person (or at least something person-like) hidden somewhere within those swaddled depths. “Unlike you, some of us value the opportunity to sleep, so I’d thank you to either sit still, or get out and take your restless pacing elsewhere instead.”

The voice was a familiar one, and instead of acting contrite, Gwynn merely grinned in response instead. To her credit, she did at least quit her pacing, but not before she’d marched over to come to a standstill next to the talking blanket lump. “Come on, Marla. You know as well as I do that you wouldn’t get much meat off of these scrawny bones. You’d be better off tanning my hide to use for a rug instead, or pitching me up to use as a scarecrow.” Gwynn giggled at the exasperated groan which met her words, the shifting of the covers looking suspiciously like a person struggling to cover their ears. Marla, the housekeeper of the barracks, had been something of a second mother to Alastair and Gwynn growing up. After all, by this point, they’d likely spent more time in her presence than with their own parents, and the woman had always been fond of Gwynn in particular, perhaps because she was the only other woman to take up residence in the barracks.
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 01/23/2018 2:45 PM

“Aww, I’ll miss you too, Marla.” Bending down, Gwynn planted a rather loud, exaggerated kiss on the mound that was most likely the woman’s head, earning herself another half-hearted grumble, this one slightly less vehement than the last (although it was unclear as to whether it was because the woman was moved, or simply because she’d given up hopes of protesting the indignities). “Keep an eye on Alastair for me while I’m gone, will you? No doubt he’ll manage to find his way into some kind of trouble.” A rather ironic thing to hear, coming from the barracks’ most notorious troublemaker.

“There’s some breakfast for you on the table, before you leave.” The statement was mumbled, as if Marla was already teetering on the cusp of sleep once again. “And Gwynn...be safe out there.” With that, the mound fell silent once again, and Gwynn tiptoed away, snagging the aforementioned apple and hunk of cheese off of the small tabletop before making her way to the door, snagging her pack as she went. As she quietly let herself out of the room, the soft sound of snoring drifted into silence as she pulled the door closed behind her.
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic

Re: Distant Echoes [Private]

Postby Flame » 01/23/2018 2:45 PM

The halls of the barracks were empty and only half-lit at this hour as Gwynn made her way towards the main hall, her footsteps guided by habit and the rhythmic flickering of the braziers which lined the walls. The graveyard shift would be ending soon and the morning guard would be taking their places, but for the moment, it was as if she had the entire barracks to herself. Shifting her pack more comfortably on her shoulder, she took a small detour from her usual path and emerged out into morning chill. Her feet crunched lightly on the frostbitten grass, breath streaming out like a plume of smoke from a dragon’s maw as she stepped out onto the training field, shivering as the cold washed over her.

She sat back on her heels to admire the cool pallor of dawn as it washed everything around her in a coat of blue, biting into the apple which she held in her hand after absentmindedly polishing it on the front of her tunic. Luckily for her, the apple-picking season was just winding down, so the fruits were still plump and fresh instead of being brown and wizened after overwintering in some farmer’s cellar. As she ate, she watched as colors slowly seemed to awaken from the half-dark as the sun began to peer over the distant horizon, chasing the chill of night away. It would be some time before she saw these familiar sights again; even though her journey would only last a few days, she wanted to commit this sight to memory, as if a small part of her were convinced that seeing a little more of the world might just alter the way she perceived everything she thought she once knew.
User avatar
Flame
Well-Traveled Specialist
Well-Traveled Specialist
Pets | Items
Keystones: 6027
Donate
Joined: 09/04/2007 12:41 AM
Status: Optimistic


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


cron