Off to War [IC]

[Spade]

Gareth blinked at the first question, having not actually considered it before. He resolved to fiddle with his shield later to figure out how to get it to comfortable sit on his back.

"I actually hadn't thought of that." The teen wished he had a free hand to smack himself in the head with, but settled for a sigh and a sheepish chuckle before nodding and motioning back the way Fallon should still be with a hopefully calm Gnoll and walking that way. "So, you're a lord? Of where?"

 

[Zerith]

“The Raven’s River, a countship. Geologically small, and also valuable. This said I take it from your asking ‘of were’ you think all lords are rulers, not unlike a secondary king; but that is not true. The average lord is akin to a prince, all be it a minor one. My father for example, is Count Alexander Ravensworth the third… oh my, forgot to tell you, I’m Alexander Ravensworth the forth…” He commented before rolling his eyes at his comment with a grin. “Tradition, a, nay the perfect excuse for a complete lake of originality and, from what I can tell, because apparently the longer ones full name is the more powerful one appears and there is nothing like a large number behind ones name to toss one’s given name over the top; be happy I’m sparing you the use of middle names.” He continued on unimpeded as he happily both lightly mocked his heritage and took pride in it. “And I’ve ran off the road of my thought again… As I was saying, a proper, no, traditional lord is the son of a count or duke, or even a prince, or any of their female counterparts, although their daughters would hold the title of ‘Lady’. The other lords gain their title as a reword of rank rather than a right of birth. ‘Lord’ Bairan Roetir for example, is really a duke, and yet still not a true noble just yet; I mean him no disrespect, he has earned his lands and thus they are rightfully his, but his lineage is of common stock. I do believe that while he is able to stand firm among the nobles of Pesh, his heir will suffer two fold once the great bear is gone; Bairan’s reputation and standing with king Haspen is more than heavy enough that no noble is willing to take action against him or his heir to be, but that will vanish in half when he dies, and the other half is tied to Haspen. Then, once both are gone, Bairan’s heir will have to stand on his or her own reputation that most assuredly shall be seen as far lesser then Bairan’s, and his heir will still also be seen as an outsider by the nobles, who will be sensing weakness. I could go on at further length about this but I feel that I’ve wondered too far off topic.” Alexander rambled on and on seemingly without end. He enjoyed speculating about the hidden deals that happened in the dark of the ruling parties of the nobility, but he also knew he would have to wait to get into that game less he wanted to be the one used and not the one gaining a pawn. But that was alright with him, all the more reason for him to be where he was for the time being.

 

[Spade]

Gareth blinked at the onslaught of informative rambling, managing to make out an answer to the question he had asked somewhere in there. The details on lords, because the youth had no real interest in nobility and it's politics, were discarded into the soon-to-be-forgotten bin of his brain.

"Only a little." The teenager commented once the man had finished talking, a little amused but not otherwise put-off, voicing an after thought as it popped to mind. "Kind of funny that people would fuss about it, since their founding ancestors or whatever would have been like Bairan too."

 

[Zerith]

Alexander looked at Gareth with a blankly dumbfounded expression, and then started cracking up. “Good one they all started out like Bairan, I’ll have to… oh.” He started very amused before rolling his eyes upwards, realizing Gareth was not making a joke. Still grinningly amused he continued “Not really, some family lines brake and their inherited to other noble families or even a commoner; other times a man of wealth just buys so much land that they can carve out their own kingdom without a drop of bloodshed, or it is gained through conquest. There really is no set way of acquiring one’s lands at the beginning of things, and Bairan gained his through a just reward” Alexander stated chirpingly and informatively “He is the exception, and by no means the rule. Also, note that his existence is a seen as a threat to all the incompetent nobles who can’t hold onto their own lands by themselves, and through them, a threat to the nobles who hold sway over the incompetent ones. To you he might be a bringer of prosperity and hop, of what you may become, but for an established noble who has amassed numerous pawns, he is a harbinger of chaos who was not in their plans, an interloper, who threatens everything they worked so hard for and for so long. I don't think he is not honestly welcomed by large, but only a fool would openly oppose him. And his shacking of the foundations will make things easier for me once it is my turn to amass pawns, instead of working through decays worth of plans I will only have to work though several years worth.” Alexander started rambling again before he thought of his own question.

“So, Gareth, how old are you any ways? Fourteen? Maybe fifteen?” he asked, he was starting to wonder what Gareth was there for, he originally figured messenger, haled, runner, possibly stable boy do to being armed with a militarized pitch work, but the shield and armor seemed woefully out of place for such roles, and he figured asking the youth his age would be less rude then some of the alternatives he was thinking of, and inspirit of that gave his age as well, but again strung his wards together as to not give Gareth a chance to speak before he said his pace “I’m Seventeen, by the way.” He finished smugly while riding his high horse, the animal was transport and humor rolled into one, and he never grew bored of either.

 

[HolyMan]

The two young men continue talking (or at least one does a lot of talking) as they approach the fire where Fallon sits and the gnoll continues to bleed.

Little did they realize the two soldiers followed quietly behind and when they reach the area the smaller one cries out at seeing the gnoll, "Hey they aren't allowed in camp!" He yells as both he and Jaxs draw swords.

The gnoll growls and reaches for it's axe.

 

[Zerith]

Alexander was, notably, aggravated by the duo’s stupidity. His was twisted into a frown and he cased his horse to turn about abruptly. That they could not keep up with simple things was aggravating, and that they already knew the Gnoll was there before hand only to act with pointless brawn now just made it grate on him worse. “Halt!” Alexander roared as he leered down at the two. “The beast has already cleared the camp’s guards; you knew it was here before you even saw it and you did not but murmur! Now stand down and be Silent!” he yelled at them further before recomposing himself and having his horse slowly move towards the two.

“Now, the two of you are welcome to stay here and make sure it does not try anything foolish, you are welcome to go up the food chain to see if it should be removed, But your are note entitled to slay it without orders from a superior officer. Prisoner or otherwise, unless it acts to endanger the camp, you cannot take imitative of how this is dealt with. For all you know, it knows something Duke Bairan himself needs to know.” Alexander lectured the two, he did not hold the same enjoyment that he did in his previous lectures, he was honestly annoyed at the two this time and it shown.


[FONT=&quot]“Now, Think before you make sparks while not knowing if they will ignite flames we cannot afford! This is hardly the time to agate the Gnolls and have them rise a war party against while Treylor looms over us!” he snarled at them, as his face was again twitching in disgust at the duo; he simply would not tolerate a fiasco when for all he knew, for all any of them knew, they had a diplomat who was ready to propose some kind of an alliance, or at least a truce, while the Treylor threat was dealt with.

Assuming the duo backed down into their places, Alexander would turn his attention towards the Gnoll.
“Forgive their stupidity” he would speak to the Gnoll in a low growl and a slight nodding of his head before turning to Fallon, who he assumed was the standing authority in the situation. “Now, what is it that needs to be conversed?” Alexander then commented to Fallon.[/FONT]

 

[HolyMan]

The gnoll looks startled that a human spoke to it.

Fallon looks startled that someone spoke to the gnoll, than reprimanded Bear's soldiers like a drill sergeant on the field.

And the two soldiers look startled that they aren't being listen to or obeyed on the spot.

It is all very... startling. But the soldiers gather their wits first.

"You little loud mouth," the smaller soldier says throwing his sword back in his scabbard. "We'll see what Lord Dellex thinks of this. Come on Jaxs!" he says stomping off with the larger guard following close behind.

"Now that, that will not do," the older man in a brown robe says shaking his head. "Best, best to heal him and let him leave quickly."

"And you Alexander Ravensworth, whatever number, as I have lost track over the years. Yes I know who you are. In here you are just Alex and you are subordinate to all those save the other irrgeulars. Keep throwing your weight around like that young man and stirring up trouble, and I will have you scrubbing pots and peeling potatoes till you want nothing better than to marry a scullion girl and live in a cabin alone in the woods."

He turns back to Gareth and notices the slacked jaw and uncomprehending stare, and gaffs. "Of all, all the people in camp." Fallon says but then shakes his head and mumbles something as he tends to the gnoll. "I did promise, promise his parents I would look after him, but still I didn't think it would, would be this bad. Nobles!"

 

[Zerith]

Heal it and let it leave quickly, how so few words could ruin his day so, quickly… what was previously looking to be a splendid day just became dreadful. The lack of amusement shown on his previously grinning face as it drew to an emotionless blank that was only pierced by an agitated tick in the left side of his lip.
He was tempted to let himself have another explosive out bust, but one hade just bit him in the ass it would seem. ‘And to think I was belittling them for making sparks…’ he thought while deciding what action would best helped his situation.

He had already picked his side and while he was tempted to ask what had was going on, as it was then apparent they were doing something they shouldn’t have been doing; doing so would only act to force him into the position of informed accomplice, and for the time being he wanted to keep all of his options open, questions that did not resolve the situation could wait for the time being.

“I’m no healer, I’m a linguist, so answer my question: what needs to be conversed?” he said blankly and nearly mono tone. He would have stayed on the horse but literally being on a high horse would not much impress Dellex if the man, or another figure of authority, cam along, so he dismounted and tied the horse to a solid enough object while he spoke.

 

[HolyMan]

Fallon watches Alexander tie off his horse on back of the supply cart. And as he approaches he notices the little changes in the young lord. Nodding the old man looks to the gnoll.

"Please tell, tell him that his soul will not be taken in, in exchange for the healing. Gnolls tend to, to believe only in natural magic and they tend to believe we humans give, give our souls away in exchange for the powers granted us by the gods. It is a misconception I have tried many, many times to clear up, and I could kill Martomum for his part in what he called, called a 'good joke', *sigh*. "

Then the older man watches the gnolls reactions as Zerith speaks to him.

 

[Zerith]

“Very well…” Fallon had just given Alexander a good challenge, he was starting to remember why the idea of talking to a Gnoll brightened his day; even if the smell was starting to sour it again.
Alexander had three ways to convince it to let the Fallon heal it: convince it that Fallon was the only one paying any price, convince it that there was cost to be paid at all, or convince it the price was something else entirely. He chose answers two and three.

Alexander turned to the Gnoll with hint of a grin again perching on his face. “The…” Alexander brifly paused while trying to recall the posturing and tone needed to conveyed what he wanted to “..Sacrifice is time and worship.” He began slowly while readying himself to ‘speak' what he wanted to, and the Gnoll probably recognized his jesters and dialect as dated and overly formal; perhaps even exaggerated, but none the less clear. “Thy soul is not suspect regardless of if or if not thou accepts the healing.” He added with a yap of transcending pitch.


“Further, that one” he continued while motioning towards Fallon with a turn of his head and a flicking of his eyes, “has accepted and sacrificed already; your refusal only serves to let the boon of his sacrifice rot to nothing save lifeless sand.” He yapped onwards, throughout his conveying he had relatively neutral poster, a subtle sign of trust and equality, but it was also ever so slightly and unintentionally puffed up, a telltale sign that he was egotistical; the language had an expenses on posturing and, as such, subtle tweaks and twitches in poster were better signs of emotion and intent then tone of voice.