Private Tales Something Amiss

[Saul Talith]

Saul looked at her with confusion for a second. "N-no?"

It wasn't like he was cursed or something.

"I mean maybe that Noble in Vel Anir, but those bastards are crazy on a good day." The infighting and politics played in that city was like war in it of itself, and probably more dangerous. Being there had set his teeth on edge to a degree he couldn't even really state.

He'd been more than happy to leave at the time.

"Who knows." Saul shrugged.

 

[Kaska]

She frowned, no further soothed. If anyone could had empathized with what she had gone through, it should have been this lot. But even the Commander was looking at her odd.

What good natured spirit that remained in her melted out, the stress of the months weighing heavily on her.

"I see." She cleared her throat. "Right, well if we're done here." She pushed on her knees to stand.

 

[Saul Talith]

"You need to learn to relax." Saul said, wagging a finger at her...which was half covered in his own blood from touching the wound in his side.

Part of being a Soldier was knowing when to take down time, and right now? Right now was just about the best opportunity. In the following days they would be charging head first into a Lich.

"I realize your friends are in danger." His head shook. "But if you carry the weight of the world, the world will crush you."

The Lord Captain always said that. "Take a breath. Enjoy a night. Maybe share a drink with us."

He shrugged. "You might be dead day after tomorrow."

 

[Kaska]

Kaska pursed her lips, considering him on the ground as he was. "I'm sorry, but Templars? Relaxing? Do you really plan to remain sitting here or is this some joke-- I don't want to be toyed with," she warned briskly.

 

[Saul Talith]

He shrugged. "We relax just fine."

Despite the rumors, they really were just human...well most of them anyway. Broken Sword had one or two from another species, and there were Chapters that were entirely of a different race, but all of them here were Human.

"Especially when a few of us are about to die." He reminded her again. "No point in staring the Abyss in the face if you can't stare back."

Slowly the Templar Commander pushed himself to his feet. "Enjoy the minutes you can."

He told her.

"You won't be able to forever." Particularly with what was coming.

 

[Kaska]

Her frowned softened, the woman looking troubled. "I hadn't thought long on that," she admitted, almost apologetic. "What this will cost your men." She bit her lip for a moment, then offered softly.

"...One night on dry land. With a fire. And a warm meal. .... Would be better to arrive in the dusk of tomorrow, anyway."

 

[Saul Talith]

He shrugged again, noting that he'd been doing that quite a lot through the midst of this conversation. A smile touched his face, though why he had no idea.

"This is what we do." True enough.

They didn't generally work for Rangers, didn't come when called like lost dogs but...well whatever way worked he supposed. Templars were the hunters of the undead, the stalkers of those who would stalk the good of this world. That was what he told himself.

What they all told themselves he supposed.

"It's either this or some other creature somewhere." He glanced towards where he knew the boat would be. "It would be better."

He agreed.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska nodded, glancing at the boats as well. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to return. She didn't want the eyes, the tension, the reminders. She just wanted to not think for a moment. To not fret. She felt ready to snap, the pressure of it all leaving her clenched fist to visibly shake.

 

[Saul Talith]

"Relax." Perhaps he saw it more easily than her, perhaps because there was less pressure, perhaps because he was in a way used to this sort of thing. Death was not welcome, it was not something to look forward to, but for the Templar it was always there.

Ranger's did a different certain job than them. Their work was dangerous, sure, but nowhere near what they did.

He flashed her a smile. "If you're worried about them judging you, nobody cares."

Sure the rivalry was there, jokes, jabs, but they were here. They were all of them in this together in an odd sort of way. He had picked the men he'd picked specifically because he knew that they were all smart enough to realize that. Ranger or Templar, it didn't matter much in the long run.

Not with something like this.

"Really." He told her, gently reaching up to stroke his mustache. "Nobody cares."

Probably not the most encouraging words, but truthful.

 

[Kaska]

"Maybe not, but I do," she admitted, her throat tight. Yet she didn't care that she felt week by saying it. She didn't care the impression she was leaving. Something in her mind felt like it was cracking. And she needed a moment to care for it, her pride and appearance could wait.

"I .... I'm just going to bring food and drunk back out here. You... do as you will." She pushed past him, resolved.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul shook his head. He could not have guessed what was going on in the girls mind, nor did he truly wish to. Things were already hard within his Chapter, adding in Ranger troubles to it?

Seemed like a recipe for disaster that he didn't want to mess with.

For a moment The Templar Commander lingered within the small clearing, considering for just a moment before he followed after Kaska. His gauntlets clinked slightly as he did so, and he spotted Leane standing in the tree line. His eyes caught hers, his head shaking slightly.

A frown touched the woman's lips, and slowly she nodded.

No words passed between them, but quickly the other Templar rushed to meet up with the others, whispering something in the ear of the first one she met.

 

[Kaska]

The woman did as she said, speaking with the captain and her ranger before picking up her pack an moving with fresh supplies towards the clearing, intending to follow through in her words till morning. Call it a one man outpost. A watch.

 

[Saul Talith]

By the time Kaska reached the camp she would note that none of the Templars paid her any real mind. Some glanced at her, others took a quick look, but mostly simply let her be.

The jokes, the rivalry, whatever had been in the air seemed to have melted away. One of the Templar was even speaking with the old Captain, apparently sharing a story of the only other time he'd ever actually been on a boat. Saul overheard a few bits, though not much.

There was a small fire going, a stew of some sort boiling over it.

"Caught some fish."
​

Owinn explained as he gave him a confused look.

"Apparently this is the best way to cook them for multiple people."
​

The young man shrugged, and Saul only returned the gesture. Though they were from one of the greatest sea faring cities in the world, none of the Templar were anything close to sailors. Land was their domain.

 

[Kaska]

As much as Kaska appreciated the sudden lessen of tension in attention directed at her, it didn't change her path. She slipped back out with her stuff and Adam in tow, going to wail on him instead. He was less likely to rat her out and set Lia on her.

An hour later, Adam came back in looking sore, though he smiled good naturally and had no trouble accepting the warming atmosphere of templars and joining them to break the first supper.

Kaska did not step back though. She decompressed in her little clearing, a fire going and a little flask open at her side as she played cards with herself.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul remained on the shore for most of the night.

The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed, and although he heard a few jokes tossed between the other Ranger and his own men, all of it was in good nature. The moons eventually rose above them, peering through the crowds and filling the night with a pale light.

There was something unsettling about that light, something he could not have explained if he'd tried. A frown touched his lips, head shaking. "Imagining things."

As the night went on, Ranger and Templar both settled down, readying themselves in an attempt to get some sleep upon dry land for once.

Saul watched for a time as everyone pulled out bedrolls, some settling faster than others. Eventually he turned and stalked into the woods, intending to check on Kaska before he settled down himself.

 

[Kaska]

"Back again, stranger? And here I thought you were done getting your ass kicked for the night," she mused, flipping over a card then putting down that hand to pick up the one for the opposite opponent.

She glanced up at him with a light smile, skin a little flushed from the buzz she had treated herself too.

Don'ttellLia.

 

[Saul Talith]

"If you want." Saul began as he stepped up to the little hill. "I can go get my armor and we can try again."

He'd spent most of the day polishing the armor and replacing the small gaps that had gone missing through the course of fighting. He knew that it would need to be at it's best when they engaged the Lich, especially when he still didn't know exactly what they were walking into.

Something that rankled him slightly. "Though I doubt you can stand right now."

He mad a 'tsk' sound with his tongue, though from his tone of voice it was obvious he was simply mocking her rather than just judging.

 

[Kaska]

She grinned devilishly.

"You'd be surprised the things I can still do in this state." Her tone was thick and full of playfulness, no seriousness in her words as held out the cards in silent offering.

"Do you play?"

 

[Saul Talith]

"Not particularly." Gambling had never really been a talent of his.

Ana had always told him that he wore his emotions on his face, meaning that he was terrible and bluffing and in general didn't have a talent for lying.

It made him a good Commander, but a poor gambler. He supposed that wasn't the worst of fates. Dice was easier, at least there chance was involved. Saul had always been lucky. "But I'll wipe the floor with you."

That was a lie, but confidence was key in life.

 

[Kaska]

"Well sit your ass down, we'll have a go. And here-" She held out the flask to him. "Level the playing ground, will you. Don't want to deal with you whining all tomorrow when I rid ya of that chain you got on there."

It had been given to him as a gift from Ana the day he had been awarded Commander. It was simple silver, thin and delicate. She hadn't been able to afford a thicker chain, but she did not skimp on the solid circuit of silver that hung from it, a crest molded onto its front.

None of them had had family or crests to call their own, so one play night they had all sketched one out on paper and dubbed it theirs. It was silly, really. But very Ana to gift a momentous occasion with something like it.

"Alright, one-two-three- You know Spittle, right?" A game of gamble and chance.

 

[Saul Talith]

"This chain?" He fingered the crest for a moment. "I wouldn't part with it for my life."

A statement of utter truth.

There were very few things that the ten of them had ever had. Most of them were Orphans, picked up off the street and seen as the Templars as a way to replenish their numbers. They had no family save for one another, money had always been short, and gifts like that?

They were more precious than life. "Perhaps we'll just play for coppers."

He mused, though in truth he didn't have much of that either.

Still, he sat himself down on the rock opposite her.

 

[Kaska]

Kaska gave him a knowing look, her coins admittedly ... sparse herself.

When she had left Alliria with Lia that day, she had thought it would be a day mission ... five tops. It had now been over three months. She had not prepared properly for it.

"Killing blow on the lich," she counter-offered, pushing the cards over to him.She grinned a little wider.

"And loser drinks."

 

[Saul Talith]

He blinked. "Do you even think you can reach it?"

From what she'd said the things magic had already disabled her more than once, and she had none of the tricks he had to keep herself alive.

Haggling over something you couldn't claim was foolish.

"We'll leave the true drink for after." He offered, knowing he was unwilling to walk into tomorrows fight with a hangover. There was fun, and then there was foolishness. "Perhaps something more...fun."

A smirk touched his lips. "Signed parchment from the loser, declaring supremacy of the others Order."

 

[Kaska]

Kaska narrowed her eyes, her lips pursing. "Oh. Interesting." She clearly considered, her eyes not leaving his.

"Fine. But it remains out of sight to any eyes that come down with... consequences." Aka, her father. She would absolutely never see the light of day if word of such blasphemy got out.

 

[Saul Talith]

He chuckled, not having actually thought of that aspect of the conversation. Saul supposed it could have been leverage of a sort, but there wasn't really any value to something like that.

"No no." He waved her off. "A personal artifact."

Not like they could actually do anything with it, amusing as it would be. Perhaps he would have it framed, hang it on the wall and then laugh when he saw it.

There would certainly be no small amount of amusement. "No one else need see it."

Except every single one of his best friends, obviously.