Off to War [IC]

[Zerith]

[FONT=&quot]Alexander noticed the shrug and smile; he was tempted to just say it left, but if Fallon wanted that that Fallon would have said so. Alexnder’s expression was more puzzled then anything, however, he did not mind playing along: doing so might cause the midget to have to clean up after the horses after all.

Also, the cloak’s choice of words were poor, he did not know where it was, beyond “not here”. While he knew it was in the camp, he did not now in what direction; he was not to keen on knowing, Fallon was a remarkable distraction, perhaps Alexander was underestimating the old man. Also, since it was not there, there he obviously could not be harboring the thing. The midget blundered dearly it would seem, and all the while Alexander would be complying with the question as it was asked, all be it, not in the spirit it was asked. “I do not know were one is nor can I point were such a smelly, uncivilized, and unsightly mongrel is at present.” Alexander commented, dryly but ended as if the mere idea of one being in his ‘noble presence’ was sickening and the idea that he would do something for such an undignified and rancid beast offensive.
He did so while maintaining a dignified air about himself, every bit playing the part of spoilt noble brat, who would not be found dead in the presence of such a filthy, horrid thing; His reaction to the guards themselves however, was natural baring the early bows that did little more then signified that he, respectfully, acknowledged their presence.

“Good hunting, and I pray one won’t spoil the day with it’s presence.” He finished; truth was he was hopping Moondancer would not spoil the day with his presence, he wanted the midget to clean out the stables as it were. That said, his young noble veil that bleed seething amounts of ‘keep filthy things away from me!’ was nigh impenetrable. All the while he spoke with the word one and not it, subtly saying he had not seen one with out a word while also hinting that the only reason he did not admit such was because if there was one he did not wish to seem incompetent.

[sblock=OoC] Alexander likes talking, and he is good at it
Note that nothing he has said denies anything [/sblock]
[/FONT]

 

[HolyMan]

"I take it this is the young noble arse you spoke of?" the blue cloak says over his shoulder to Jaxs.

The big man nods and the blue cloak turns to address Alexander once more. "You are to join us and accompany us back to the regulars camp."

Fallon jumps up at those words, "Why? Why?" he asks quickly and excitedly. "There is, is no gnoll here and nothing is, is wrong. This man is under my, my jurisdiction."

The blue cloak holds up a hand and Fallon falls silent but ready to once again start up. The blue cloak speaks with great respect to the old man but is still firm. "It was witnessed that this young man knows how to speak to the gnolls, so his presences is required by those of... greater authority than even you."

Fallon nearly gasp and whispers, "He, he means Dellex."

"Mount your horse young man and follow me." the blue cloak orders and turns to speak with his men. Two horsemen make a quick circuit to make sure no gnoll is present and then they all await Alexander to mount and follow.

 

[Zerith]

Alexander rolled his eyes in apparent annoyance, as he continued to play out his noble arse role “They never ask ‘Can anyone here talk to the man eating, fire breathing dragon?’ No, no… it’s ‘Bark to the flea bag!’” he mumbled beneath his breath as if pouting while letting the "young noble arse" bit fall on death ears; for the time it suited him to be an annoying cut out, and the more an annoying cut out spoke real sentences the more of a cut out and the less of what it pretended to be it became.
He knew what most expected out of such an arse and had to change remarkably little in his attitude to act the part; he just had to act stupid, and, not talk as much as he normal would.

Truth was he was pouting for no reason other than for show, and when, not if but when, it suited him to drop the act he could shed the act seamlessly without dishonesty. Then while numbing incoherently, and with big words around the theme of his ‘great talents’ being unappreciated, he untied his horse and mounted it; his black, gold embroidered, cloak flowed dramatically as he did so. doubtlessly because his ego demanded that it have a minor enchantment to do so, and obviously not because he grabbed it and flicked it around while one of his hands was hidden behind him as he mounted.

He then bid his mount to fallow as he drew in a deep breath and then exhaled through his nostrils; after doing so his mumblings halted and his manner became chipper but still bleed of a holier than thou through and through. Him then taking the effort to give himself a once over mad it obvious that his shift in attitude was in preparation to meet with another lord; the early numberings could also be speculated as getting it out of the way so as to have the meeting go smoother.
Alexander was keen on subtly playing up the noble brat card, and part of that meant that the only people whose opinions mattered were other nobles; this was his general theory anyways, but he also knew the value of not making enemies out of commoners: they were more than cross enough just from taxes after all.

 

[HolyMan]

Alexander follows falls in at the middle of the group and rides through the irregulars camp as if they were an honor guard and not just guards.

After a few minutes they reach the open area that resides between both camps and enter a truly different area. Each tent is white without a single patch and they are arrayed out in exactly the same manner. They have to the stool and woodpile exactly the same look about them and leave nice neat paths unlike the irregulars hodge podge camp.

At the center of this encampment is the command area (as it should be) protected on all sides by troops and within by blue cloak guards standing at every tent.

The group dismounts on the far side near a small horse line and walk back to the command area. They are left alone as they advance but Alex knows had he not the escort with him he wouldn't make it a step and a half into this area.

A large white tent, inside which stands the smaller guard from earlier and a man in a purple robe with a gold sash going from shoulder to hip. The smaller soilder from before looks nervous and as soon as he sees Alexander he points and in a shaky voice says, "That's him milord. He's the one who spoke to the gnoll and acted like he was The Bear himself."

The thin man sitting behind an ornate desk looks at Alexander with precising eyes and asks in a commanding tone. "Really? And who might this boy be?"

 

[Zerith]

This was interesting, the twerp did go over the CO’s head; Alexander was curious as to who was going to get cracked under Dellex’s heel. It was obviously going to be the twerp; native lands aside, the fool plunged headlong into his domain, Juvenile or not, the lion never feared the jackal in its own den.

Confidence aside, Dellex was not a born noble or lord; as such Alexander could not just get away with as much as he would have been able to otherwise.

Alexander moved his right forearm in front of his stomach and leveled it against his ribcage; he did the same with his left arm, but had it rest behind his back with his cloak beneath it before bowing elegantly and addressing the question. “Lord Alexander Julian Ravensworth, the fourth.” He spoke in a level tone before rising back to his previous stature. He cast down the briefest of black and golden eyed glances to the unnamed lout before turning his eye towards Dellex while he moved his right forearm behind his back and cradling it in his left.

“And you are Lord Dellex Kilgrane, I presume?” he addressed his fellow lord in the same unwavering tone. Dellex’s tone was not lost on Alexander, but he did not have to act like a sniveling worm to show that he was respectful of Dellex’s authority; by title he and Dellex were equals, but he knew more than well enough that he was not the wizard’s equal, not where they were anyways. If he had thought so he could have spoken to Dellex in the familiar as if he had every right and privilege Dellex had just because he looked pretty, instead he stood at attention; he did not do so very soldiery though. He did not spread out his feet or amend the few minor flaws in his posture, but the gesture remained.

 

[HolyMan]

"Ravensworth?" Dellex says questioningly mostly to himself. He looks the young man up and down a moment and then a small grin forms over his face.

"I had no idea the Ravensworth clan had joined us here. Where is your father your brothers? How many men-at-arms did you bring?"

 

[Zerith]

[sblock=OoC] I take it Dellex forwent a Knowledge roll on Alexander? XD
Also, I can send it to you again if you misplaced it :3[/sblock]

Alexander’s brows arched violently at the sounding of ‘brothers’ Dellex obviously did not do any homework on the house of Ravensworth; the young lord’s eye gave a flare of intense ire, the kind of which the small soldier hadn’t yet seen from him while he straightened out and loomed over the two.
It would take no stroke of genius to see a rode of salt was just violently jabbed into an open, festering, wound.

It was only due to Alaexander reminding himself that the wizard had not been a lord too long yet that kept him from exploding at Dellex. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled a long and low, rumblings breath before recomposing himself as best he could. The flare of rage burnt itself out as quickly as it roared to life, but the embers endured as he could not fully smother them.

“It would behoove you to know that my only brother has been dead several fold longer then Duke Bairan’s rule, that my father has not left Raven manner longer still, and that either of my nephews are even remotely of fighting age” he answered, his earlier tone tried to return, but it was warped with a simmering rage that steamed out of every tiny crack in his words.
“As for retainers,” Alexander continued as his rage ever so slowly ebbed away “while hair apparent I chose to forgo the boons of my inheritance in my quest for glory; I did not bring any. However,” Alexander commented while his inner fury was sealed tighter and he developed a small grin of his own. “House Ravensworth, doubtlessly, still has yet to fill its full obligations to the general war effort; my word could help ensure the deployment of several iron golems, and an artificer or two, into this region, but I can’t presently say if additional troops would be sent along with them. Also, as I’m sure you know, they are not renowned for their speed and The Raven’s River is on the other side of Pesh; it will take them a good deal of time to cross the distance.”


Alexander would have just called the midget’s card into play; he was offering to have golems, plural, brought into the region and thus under Duke Barian and Lord Dellex’s command, but the longer the conversation lasted, the more reserved he could make himself again, and the more foolish he could get the midget to look. So instead he finished on an other note “I’m sure you can imagine why I did not bring any number of twelve foot tall behemoths with me on my quest to prove myself; if I had them fight at my side, my victories would prove no velor; and if I held them in reserve it would only prove that I’m a egotistical coward that won’t take any real risks.”

 

[HolyMan]

"No your family's assistance against the Treylor is not needed here," Dellex says standing and moving around the desk. "We will be moving out inside the month and then extra swords and golems would most diffenently be of use."

He then looks at the small soldier and says, "Your dismissed. Lord Alexander and I will talk alone."

The man bows quickly to Lord Dellex and then exits the tent in a small hurry. A guard in a blue cloak enters awaiting instructions and Dellex orders him to ready his horse for they will be leaving.

Turning back to Alex he says, "When I heard there was a gnoll in the irregulars camp I was very upset. They shouldn't be allowed to learn anything that they may later use against us. They are tentative allies at best, and we could be at war with them next."

Dellex starts to don a pair of riding gloves and a cloak. "But then they told me that there was man with the gnoll that spoke to it. And I was glad that we had finally found someone else who could speak to them."

When ready he looks at Alexander with an appraising eye and then says, "You say you wish to prove yourself? You want victories to prove your valor? What would you say if I asked you to become commander of the gnoll battalion, to lead them into battle against the Treylor?"

 

[Zerith]

Alexander normally snappy reply was momentarily delayed as he pondered the virtues of the assignment. While having golems doing his bidding in battle stank of ‘spoilt noble brat’ leading Gnolls to war would imply to most nobles, and commoners alike, that he had a force of will so strong that it could cause savage beats to obey his command; he liked that.
“While I cannot proclaim I’ve ever dreamed of leading Gnolls into battle, I also cannot say the idea is not intriguing when proposed.” Alexander began slowly as he briefly mauled the proposal over one last time in his mind; Dellex’s attitude towards the Gnolls had spoken volumes as towards his view of the Gnolls, in short, highly expendable nuisances; so expendable and such nuisances that he was ready to dump them on the first noble brat who could issue commands to them.

“So, I would say: I accept. But, I would inquire: To whom would I take my orders from, to whom would I be reporting to, would I need any documentation, what would the primary mission be, how much autonomy would be expected of my leadership, how much autonomy would I have in deploying them, what should I know of the Gnolls before going out to lead them, and will I be needing a runner when I need to contact you or do you have other means you would like me to contact you with? If the former, who should I use for a runner? From your earlier comment I doubt you would appreciate me sending in random Gnolls regardless of the situation.” Alexander ended, actually pleased with the development.
Alexander did not know what Dellex expected of him, but he knew, or at least thought, the wizard was not foolish enough to just hand a young unproven noble a battalion of anything, even expendable annoyances, without any kind of over sight, and from what Fallon had said earlier, he suspected the dwarf would be his over seer. But then again, Moondancer had said he was, more or less, working under Martomum’s command: why replace a veteran with a working relationship, who Alexander could only assume could also speak Gnoll, with a young upstart who was brought to Delex's attention by a guard who, undoubtedly, claimed he was blatantly, boastfully, ignoring the chain of command.

Very odd, but he had no reason not to play along, with blind ambition, for the time being; after all, from what he could gaze at the time, he and Dellex were like minded. Alexander would have even hinted at what a ‘acceptable lose rate’ for the Gnolls was, but repetitively decimating the Gnolls would be foolish for him to do twice over: if he got the lot of them killed he could be seen as incompetent after the war and, more importantly, they could turn on him if one noticed he was taking too many risks. Every thing worked out better, for him, if the gnolls got out of the war mostly intact; that said if he found a reasonable opportunity to use them to cripple a superior force of Treylor, even at withering losses, he would not hold his hand.

If all other things are equal, the army with the more ruthless commander was the one most likely to claim victory: to the Victor gos the spoils.

 

[HolyMan]

Dellex almost smiles. "You will do nicely, better you than that blasted dwarf. As for the gnolls and their uses it is still to be determined. They have recently joined on as skirmishers and Bear was thinking of using them along with the Outriders as flankers. Their will be plenty of time to develop them into a fighting force as we march towards the front."

Mounted your small party (as four blue cloaks follow also on horseback), makes their way away from the main camp into the thick woods north of it. The woods are thick and only a small path helps you navigate through the thick underbrush and trees.

After a short half an hour ride you reach what must be the gnoll picket lines as three of them come out of hiding to block your way. One barks a "Halt! What do you want?"

Dellex nods to Alexander as if to say this is your chance to start a little barking of your own.