Private Tales Those Fallen

[Anastasia]

Sleep washed over her unwitting mind, the lull of the boat... his arms... the luxurious bed, the wine, the injury, it all created in inescapable concoction that pulled her under before she had a chance to even realize it.

She slept hard and heavy against him, that restful sleep he had wanted for her gained and then some. She barely moved, her cheek smeared into his chest even as the sun rose and the awaited knock came rapping at his door.

"Saul?" It was Owin's voice, the rouge spy of the group. It would come as no shock he had rose early and rowed out to keep tabs on the other players of this war.

"News has broken. He's sent messengers into the city." He knocked again. Ana didn't stir.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul did at least, pulling himself free of the bed and managing to untangle himself from Ana's grasp. He frowned for a brief moment, letting out a loud sigh as he sat on the edge of the man.

His head was swimming slightly from the wine, though it wasn't a true hangover. Lips thinned as another knock pressed against the door, the sound of Owin's voice dragging the Commander from the bed. He shifted only slightly, pulling on a pair of trousers and running a hand through his frazzled hair.

A moment later he unlatched the door. "What is it Owin?"

The lad had always had a habit of waking up before anyone and everyone else. It made him an exceptional sentry, though more than once it had also proven to be extremely annoying.

Oddly enough it was no different now.

 

[Anastasia]

Owin stood there, no less awake and alert for the feeble amount of dawn light spilling in behind him. "News has broken," he repeated. "He sent messages to Lord Hawfield and Tilse."

Owin didn't know what to do with this information, that wasn't his area of expertise. He just reported it. "They were summoned to the compound." So no action yet, but soon. And by two Lords who had had little interest in Templar affairs before, it was a strange correlation. All they possessed was control over city guard.

"Shall I... go back out and wait to see what they do?" Owin offered, realizing that perhaps he had come back prematurely. He had just wanted to make sure no one was caught unawares.

Everyone was on edge now a days.

 

[Saul Talith]

A frown touched his lips.

Saul knew those two names well, he'd encountered both more than once. Tilse was a decent enough man, second in command to Lord Hawfield who was...well suffice it to say he and Saul had nearly come to blows more than once over a particular issue. He frowned for a brief moment, then nodded.

"Head back out and watch the compound." Owin nearly turned to leave, but Saul reached out and caught his arm before he could go too far. "Be careful."

It was something he could not stress enough. "They'll be prickly."

Any one of them falling into Arrawaith's hands would be absolutely disastrous. The man had to be near enough unhinged by now, and Saul didn't want to know what it would look like if one of them fell into his clutches.

 

[Anastasia]

Owin paused long enough to hold Saul's gaze and nod solemnly. And then he was gone.

Saul was left to the quiet of the deck behind the door, no movement beyond their sentries. Stillness from the space behind him, Ana spilling across the warmth of the mattress he had left behind. There was nothing but the gentle creaking of wood and the lapping of water, the morning quiet yet.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul closed the door gently, turning to the Captains cabin and considering for a moment. His eyes closed, thoughts running through a multitude of scenarios.

Was the City Guard with Arrawaith?

It seemed possible, even likely at this point. The man had a way about him, even Saul could admit that, but the city guard? That seemed somewhat unlikely. Lips thinned for a brief second, his head shaking as he glanced at the map still arrayed on the table in the middle of the room.

If the Guard was against them things were truly lost.

He couldn't fight an army, he couldn't fight all of Alliria. Not with the resources he had. They would all die under those circumstances, and Saul simply couldn't allow that.

 

[Anastasia]

It was a few hours until Anastasia stirred, the heat of the rising sun warming the cabin and urging her to throw off the furs in a fit of heat.

The world had stayed quiet, Owin did not return. She felt blindly across the bed, taking his pillow smushing it over her face. She was never an easy riser. Though she could be heard murmuring something incoherently against the pillows. A good morning, perhaps.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul wasn't concerned quite yet about Owin not returning.

He had told the man to watch the Compound, and knowing him that would mean he'd stay until there was nothing left to see or something important enough to report.

Still, a little bit of worry clung to the Templar Commanders heart. He couldn't help but feel antsy. They had so little information, so little to go on. Arrawaith now knew about the Vault, but..what would he do? There was no telling now, the man had already become unpredictable.

A frown tugged at Saul's lips, and then he noticed Ana wriggling slightly.

He smiled, stepping over to her and gently kissing the top of her head.

 

[Anastasia]

"Hmm?" The pillow flopped off her face, the topless blonde squinting sleepily up at- She blinked in recognition. "Saul?"

Ah, right, her expression seemed to abruptly say, remembering the events of last night. She relaxed for a moment. Then startled to, practically ripping her stomach back open as she sat up with a gasp. "There's news?"

 

[Saul Talith]

"Not much yet." Saul said, being somewhat honest.

There wasn't really much to tell at this point. Owin had given him a small snippet, but that might lead anywhere at all. The City Guard could be working with Arrawaith, but they could also just be taking a report and a complaint about the incident in the square.

No real way to tell yet. "Owin in watching the compound."

He told her as he gently brushed her hair.

"He saw some people from the City Watch enter." A frown flashed across his face briefly. "Not sure why yet."

 

[Anastasia]

She fell back, clutching at the bandage and groaning. In relief or pain, it did not matter. "Oh, hell," she cursed, letting the sharp adrenaline spike quickly burn through her. She ached violently today, a process of healing, no doubt.

"Probably just wanted a report," she gritted, reasoning it all. "They should been there, they weren't. He's furious."

 

[Saul Talith]

"Possible." There were of course darker options, but Saul preferred not to think of those.

The idea that the entire City Watch had turned against them was something he didn't even really want to consider. The consequences would be...dire.

"I'm not too worried." He told her, sitting down on the side of the bed. "We'll hear back soon and see whats going on."

Perhaps he would have to send out more scouts throughout the city though.

Owin was good, but it helped to have multiple eyes. There were a few others among them that weren't well known, and without Templar Armor no one would be able to pick them out of a crowd.

 

[Anastasia]

Anastasia grimaced, pulling herself upright.

"We're going to need supplies in the meantime. Food. Leathers. ...Clothing." A blush was on her cheeks, a very pointed effort made to remain unabashed about her state of.... undress. It wasn't as if they hadn't all encountered each other in varies forums of nudity throughout there lives.

Hell, she had once caught the boys sword fighting nude.

Still. With Saul. And their... development. Her cheeks only grew redder, a hand reaching for the blanket.

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul glanced at Ana for a moment, smiling at the red of her face. Amusement flared through him, though he tried to remember her words from last night.

That was yesterday, now it was today. "We can send some folks out along with the scouts."

Unfortunately, those that had gone on yesterdays heist were likely too obvious to go much of anywhere by now. Saul was already a pretty well known face around Alliria and there was no doubt that yesterdays stunt had only made things that much worse. They would be on the look out now.

"Everyone will have to be careful now." He smiled. "But we'll be alright."

He was still confident in that.

 

[Anastasia]

She nodded slowly, not entirely convinced but too tired to truly push it. She found the moment relaxed enough to yawn and fall back a little, abruptly crumbling to her previously sleepy state.

"So we wait then."

And perhaps... get a moment or two more of sleep? Nooo...

She flopped sideways into the pillows, grunting at impact. "Captains should't have beds this comfy, it's a trap," she lamented.

 

[Saul Talith]

He smirked slightly.

There was a sneaking suspicion in his mind that this bed had likely been specially bought for the Captain of this vessel at one point. There was no way for him to prove it of course, but Saul doubted very much that this sort of thing was standard on all ships. Especially merchant vessels.

"Better than back home." Saul agreed with a slight smile on his face.

Even the mattress that was in his quarters was nowhere near as comfortable as this one. In fact he might as well have been sleeping in straw all these years.

"Should take it." Saul smirked. "Bring it back to the compound."

 

[Anastasia]

She made a noise of agreement. "Fight you for it," she murmured, slipping under the blanket and onto her side, facing him.

She yawned, seeming about ready to settle down before her eyes tore back open. "Wait. Our allies left behind. The ones we need to free. What if he takes this out on them?"

She went up on her elbow, lips pressed together. "What if they pay for this?"

 

[Saul Talith]

He shook his head. "Not with the city watch there."

Luckily for them Alliria wasn't some lawless barony that one could do whatever with. There were rules and laws that had to be followed, and the Compound was in range of those laws.

One could get away with certain things, but summarily executing dozens of prisoners? The Merchant Council would have no choice but to intervene at that point.

"He won't kill them." Though...he may very well torture them. A fact that he decided not to point out to Ana. "Plus I'm hoping Owin comes back with good news."

Something they could act on. "Arrawaith has lost his money. He can't pay anyone off anymore and he's never been much of one to collect favors."

The man had always preferred the 'now' rather than later.

 

[Anastasia]

She breathed in relief at his logic, slowly flopping back and staring at the ceiling. The ship creaked under them, swaying with the tide as it pulled away from the shore.

Once again, the future felt incomprehensible to her. She didn't know how Saul did this. How he led, how he planned. She could think of no farther ahead than Owin returning. Of him stepping onto the deck and opening his mouth to speak. But what might be said afterwards? The different paths? The places they would lead them?

She saw none of it. It was blank to her. And that frightened her senseless. She always had known her future before.

 

[Saul Talith]

His hand slowly floated over her hair almost unconsciously.

Saul found himself half lost on thought.

There was so much going on, so much happening all at once that it was difficult to actually process. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if they'd released some sort of chaos demon along the way and it was now wreaking its havoc. His head shook for a moment as he took in a deep breath.

"Breakfast, I think." He mused out loud quietly.

It would be a good way to start themselves off at the very least. By the time they finished Owin would return and then they could get a better picture of what was going on. He hoped his theory was correct, that Arrawaith was fumbling.

The other scenario would be...well, he didn't want to think about it.

"In here?" He asked. "Or with the others?"

 

[Anastasia]

Her eyes flickered to his hand in her hair, a sense of... something sparking in her gut. Anxiety? Fear? ...Excitement?

She couldn't identify it, but it drove her to sit back up with another grunt, answering quickly, "The others." While he was set on their path, she was not. He had come to the decision on his own, she ... would need time. And coaxing. And a new tunic!

For the meantime, she slid off the bed and grabbed her bloodied one, gingerly slipping it on. She didn't look at him as she did so, trying to recollect her head.

"Think the others are even awake yet?"

 

[Saul Talith]

He gazed at the blood stain on her tunic, frowning for a moment and making a note that she would need a new one sooner rather than later. "Someone will be up."

He was sure of that.

They had nearly two hundred people on board now, doubtless one or two of them were already up and about. Saul didn't know everyone on board by name, but the faces were all familiar.

"A few will be hung over." He seemed amused at the thought. "But fresh air will fix them up."

Saul spoke as he slipped on his own tunic and grabbed his boots.

 

[Anastasia]

Anastasia rubbed at her own head, more thirsty than not, but otherwise unaffected by their own little drink the night before.

"Right. Air," she responded, amused. She tied back her hair then glanced down at her own boots, a little apprehensive at the concept of bending over. She dismissed it although, opting to go bear foot as she moved towards the door.

"Let's hope no one gets sick of fish."

 

[Saul Talith]

Saul chuckled, smirking at her. "What about the people that never liked fish to begin with?"

There were more than a few of those on board.

"Imagine the torture they're going through." He seemed endlessly amused by that. "Maybe we'll get something at the market for them."

He glanced at as she opened the door. "Along with your new tunic."

Saul suppressed a chuckle.

 

[Anastasia]

She shook her head at him as they walked across the deck, the morning sun bright and harsh against her skin. "If they have to deal with fish, I can deal with a stain. I'll wash it later," she dismissed, still a scrimper at heart. She ducked below deck and was left blinking, stopping short in the way as she struggled to adjust to the dark again.

"...That's annoying," she grumbled.