It was moments like this that
Ralene often counted herself lucky for having taken the opportunity to open the door to friendship with him. Elias may have preferred his solitude but there was a man standing before her, smiling handsomely, that so many others were missing out on. She'd never been the greedy sort, but Ral supposed it was alright by her that she didn't necessarily have to share him with others.
"Right," her smile persisted, losing the pinch of her brow for amusement instead. She turned and headed back out, taking him further into the residential district to where the larger flats for the higher ranks could be found.
Vel Caster was a city of stone carved into what had once been a mountain. It sat atop the flattened plateau overlooking a massive river with the sands of the
Amol Kalit further to the west and the flatlands that lead eventually into the
Falwood to the east. The last frontier of
Vel Anir before their rivals in the Empire and their foes further south in
Cortos. Trade here was healthy despite it primarily housing military numbers, but the fortress city had grown exceptionally prosperous over the last few decades.
She lead him to the Road of Steel where the many Knights of the West Army were housed. Larger homes where they lived eight to a flat.
"I'm here with Davi, Sparrow, Fern, Mess and Mizer, and by a stroke of rotten luck ... Cookie," a smirk at that fact. Cookie had earned his name for the obvious reason of his ability to cook up a storm and feed their entire retinue with good food. They ate well, much to her chargrin. Which meant Davi would quickly be putting on the pounds if she could keep him eating, too. So long as he was home, anyway, which she presently knew that he was not.
"One room left open for you," Ral informed him,
"I'm sure a quick word to Holstag will get you moved in short order."
Keying open the lock, Ral stepped inside. It wasn't a barren place like what they'd been acustomed to at the academy - but a home that looked and felt lived in. The smell of tonight's meal lingered in at the entrance where pulled off her traveling cloak and hung it on a peg near the door,
"Black!" she called casually into the home.
A moment later a reply, "Red!"
Then another, "Brown!"
Ral smirked, glanced to Eli, shrugged,
"It's a ... thing we do." There was over ten years of history between them that no one at the Academy had been privy to. Ralene had spent her childhood growing, training, learning, and going on missions with this crew. They'd become family.
