eachdraidh | fourth arrow → VIDEO → both courts

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[Merida appears to be outside the manor when her locket flips open, brushing out some of the feathers in Angus' wings since he doesn't seem to know quite how to preen them himself just yet. She's wrapped up for the weather, a warm-looking cloak draped over her shoulders and fur trimmed dress, held together at her breast by a hand carved cloak clasp. She tugs the cloak around her a little more, depositing feathers into a bucket before she turns her attention to the locket.]

When I first got here, I was already familiar with th' terms Seelie an' Unseelie, an' Drabbish is close tae th' language of my people. Seelie means 'lucky' or 'blessed', while Unseelie means 'misfortunate' or 'unholy'. [She shakes her head.] I don't believe there's a difference, personally. In all th' stories I was told as a wee lass, Seelie were known tae tell just as many lies as Unseelie. Th' only difference was, Unseelie were more honest, believe it or not, while th' Seelie's words were like roses. Pretty, but not without their thorns.

[tl;dr - all fae were assholes.]

There's many a tale of both of them lurin' men from their path, or kidnappin' children in exchange for their own young, that sort of thing. There was a man who came into DunBroch claimin' he'd been down a sìth for th' last few hundred years. We even have a demon bear who used tae be a prince that roams th' lands.

[She brushes her hands off, then slips them further into the sleeves of her dress as Angus leans his head down towards his water trough, ear flicking as his wings fold back properly into place now that they've been groomed. Merida pats his neck, then tilts her head as she sits down on a bench in his stall, not caring about the hay or snow littering it. There's two saddlebags near her, both appearing to be carrying as much as she needs. Leaning back against a wall of the stable, she fidgets with her cloak clasp as Angus leans over the stall, nuzzling at another horse.]

I suppose what I'm tryin' tae say is, people are more alike than they care to admit, even those who are too prideful tae say so. [She gives a small sigh, lips twisting into a wry smile as her eyes shine with a bit of guilt.] I'm...a lot more like my mother than I'd ever have thought before I arrived. She'd be Seelie if she were here.

[Merida shakes her head, pushing her hair out from her cloak, the material falling down around her shoulders.]

I'd also like tae apologize tae those of you who I suggested come tae th' manor or those I was goin' tae do things with, but I'll be unavailable. I have some travelin' tae do.

[a.k.a she's getting the hell out of dodge. The redhead opens her mouth to say something else but she's interrupted when one of Angus' wings flick over her head, fluffing her hair up over her head and causing her to fumble and drop the locket, cutting the feed on her next cry.]

Angus!

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[A fairy fluttered through the air from behind Lancer, darting out of the way before the eagle could snap and catch it. He smacked the eagle with a tight frown.]

Ah, this. [Lancer turned over the paper message the fairy had given him for Merida to take and read--the one that describe the Queen's gifts to him. It didn't describe how he got those rewards. It simply said he was owed them.]

My master's generosity is threatening to steal me away from you. If what she's offering me is real, I'm in for a shocker.

Edited 2015-01-03 05:30 (UTC)

[She wouldn't have cared much even if the paper had described the reasons for his rewards, given her stance on the divide and war as a whole. Merida took hold of the paper with both hands, though her eyes go wide even as she was about to respond to the first part with snark.

Still, she puts a hand to her chin before she hands the paper back, lips pursed together.]

I'd almost say it's impossible, but...well, considerin' where we are.

[If there was anything this world was capable of, bringing such things from the past could be possible, considering how they had all been brought here themselves.]

[As Merida spoke, Lancer carved a rune of flame into his forearm. Rather than using his usual enhancement magic to strengthen himself, he intended to cause himself harm. The rune 'broke' pieces of magic shattering and floating through the air before becoming ash.

At least one of the gifts had definitely come true. He looked a little less wary.]

Well, I just have to call out to the location when I find it. Admittedly, the blueprint in my head's not as big as it ought to be, so it's likely she's just offering the keep and the outer walls. The territory walls would have to be built by hand.

[His own hand, he thought. Not a big deal--surprisingly something he thought he could do in under a week.]

Course, if I were summoned with more strength, I could do that on my own, regardless and wouldn't need the gift.

[Speaking to Merida as he stepped off of the eagle and walked past her towards the trees, Lancer opened both hands and planted them on the bark of a rather massive tree that looked more like a wall than something that had grown naturally.]

Now--mind if I borrow something from you, big guy?

Makes sense. Movin' an entire fortress from one realm tae another would tax even someone like th' High Queens.

[She could only imagine the trouble and magic moving all of DunBroch would take, even as her stomach gives a small twinge of jealousy at the thought. Merida fought it down as Angus snuffled at her shoulder, causing her to reach up and pat his snout, tilting her head in thought before she smirked a little.]

An' I suppose a guy like you is too prideful tae ask for help.

[Not that she would, but she was already running her friends through her head as to who might be able to raise territory walls. Korra stood out the most, given her abilities. Merida turned her head, watching him walk past her and raising an eyebrow as she looked on.]

Hit th' tobacco a bit hard, did ye?

Ah? No, my pride lies elsewhere. Receiving help from an ally is something you should be happy about. [The problem lay in the fact that he was stripped of his strength to begin with. His runes were mostly returned, but it seemed Solais may have wanted him to prove himself. With a sigh, Lancer dug his fingers into the bark. Instead of the bark breaking though, his skin was cut. Blood was left behind. Beneath his fingers, a number of his runes formed a spell which 'spoke' to the tree. One of the branched curved down and 'snapped', curled into the shape of a staff. It was heavy at the top end and thin at the bottom.

Lancer tested the weight of it against his palm, the blood that he left behind on the tree getting absorbed into it.]

Ah, as for that-- I've heard blood magic is one of the most effective things, here. I have an unfair advantage, having turned into a god of fertility after I died.

Maybe you should talk tae Korra then, if she's not busy.

[She watches curiously, fingers running through Angus' mane and fur as she rested her head against his neck, other hand going to her hip. Having watched him use runes before, they weren't surprising to her as they would have been back when she'd first arrived, but it's the first time watching them be used like that. Merida tilted her head.]

Figures it'd be somethin' like blood magic. [Well, considering that Angus' wings were made out of a spell involving faerie blood...] What do ye plan on doin' with that then? You're a bit young for a walkin' stick.

[Ever the tease even in situations like this.]

Edited 2015-01-03 11:31 (UTC)

Walkin' stick? [Lancer lifted a brow at that, turning the staff over briefly. He pointed the end of the staff over towards a large boulder which had been wedged between two trees, as if it fell and became stuck after a landslide. When Lancer gestured with the staff, one of his runes became fully active and--

A ball of flame lashed out from it, breaking through the boulder scorching it without so much as getting even a bit of flame on the trees.]

Pretty handy for a walking stick, I'd say. Anyway--what's that about Korra?

[She can't help but stare a little as the boulder gets hit with the ball of flame. Even with everything she'd witnessed in the last three months, things like this still surprised her, even though she probably knew she shouldn't be so much when it came to him. Merida then shakes her head, lifting a hand to thread her fingers through her hair.]

Ah, right. Well, Korra can earthbend, right? Why not get her help buildin' th' walls if she's not busy with her own preparations?

[The eagle began ruffling its feathers, picking a few out at a time as Lancer began rolling his shoulders in a similar gesture. After spending some time together, it became clear the eagle was taking on its masters habits, bit by bit. Lancer tapped the staff he had on the ground to shake some ash from it before he looked to Merida, again.]

Earthbend? [Admittedly, he'd never really seen her do anything other than bend water to relax his warp spasm. He didn't remember the rest of what she did.]

Dunno what that really means, but seems a bit unfair to ask her for that kind of favor. What would she get out of it? I haven't got a bit of coin to my name, y'know.

She can manipulate th' earth. Well, other elements too. [Merida pulls back the sleeve of her cloak and dress to show the armband around her left wrist.] She made this for me back durin' Samhain, an' I saw her bend th' earth...

[She trails off then, pulling her sleeves back down. At the mention of money, she shook her head with a small sigh. Reaching into one of the saddle bags near her, she pulled out a small pouch, tossing it to him with a jingle of gold.]

I got more than enough gold when I shot th' White Hart. It's yours.

[That was strange.

There was once a story about a greedy Queen who counted her coins and competed with her husband in every bit of wealth.

Though in the future, people would disparage that kind of ruler, but in his age, that type of woman was applauded and revered as an ideal monarch. The only issue was--Lancer was expecting Merida to be more protective of her gold, rather than handing it off to a man who could scarcely be trusted with a barrel of grain.]

Hmmm. [He looked at it, awhile. Love and admiration were two amazing things, but trusting one's wealth--in his time, their self worth--to someone else was a tricky matter.

He had to wonder whether Merida simply didn't believe in the same things or if she really was giving him that much trust. Matters of the heart were easy, but things like 'money' weren't when it came to the Hound.]

Thank you, Princess. Normally, I'd critique you for trusting a knight with funds, but I'll let it slide, for now.

I'll take it as reassurance of your good faith in me. [He leaned in close to her and gave her a peck on the forehead, nearly beaming.]

[In truth, the amount of gold she'd garnered from the hunt was more than she needed. They traded in DunBroch rather than dealt with the coin that the Romans had brought with them. It was true she'd spent some while looking around for Yule gifts at the Station, those that she didn't make herself at least, but she'd learned since coming here that gold could be used as a way to buy information and goods.

Anybody else would probably see her as foolish, giving gold to someone else. If she didn't have anyone to share her wealth with, she didn't see it being useful for much other than sitting in her vault in Caer Scima collecting dust. It was true she didn't believe in the same kind of things as most people, and that was likely one of the things, but she didn't really care.

Her cheeks flush as he leans in close, tilting her head a bit so he doesn't have quite so far to reach down to kiss her forehead. It's strange how her stomach flutters still.]

Good. I would've punched you if you'd refused to take it.

[Her expression says she's joking but her tone says otherwise.]

You'll have to excuse me, really. I'm not very good at receiving gifts. [Nothing he didn't believe he earned, anyway. Charity and kindness weren't encouraged when it came to him. Though in many ages, gods would receive gifts just for the merit of being gods, Cu Chulainn was raised by a number of crafty tutors who knew he was already too arrogant as a child to become worshiped in his later life. It would be best if he never got into the habit of tribute.]

We'll see if it's necessary. Next time, I'd rather you treat yourself instead though, alright?

[And allow him to give his own gifts, if he could think of any. The last season reminded Cu that he really had no sense of taste when it came to those things. It was easier to weave an unbreakable knot than pick a good gift.

If only it were as easy as talking to her.]

Alright.

[She didn't need nor want anything, which was probably why the concept of having her own gold to use was strange. As a princess, she was used to having everything on hand already, whether it was food or clothing. Merida had been getting better at learning when she'd need it though, and although she'd said she'd keep away from Caer Scima for this duration, she could always sneak back and loot her vault for more if she needed it.

Merida lifts a hand to tangle her fingers in Angus' reins when she felt him nudge her shoulder, looking back over it at the manor. She'd barely stayed in it since Ariadne had offered it as a home back in November, but she felt a little guilty about leaving still, even after talking with Diarmuid. She'd probably always feel a bit awful.

She huffs a bit and glances back at Lancer, placing her free hand on her hip.]

Shouldn't we get goin' so we can reach wherever it is you're plannin' on puttin' this?

I suppose so. Admittedly, I'm putting it off. It's boring trying to talk mid-air. Flapping wings make it tough for me to chat with you.

[Though, Lancer hadn't at all considered the locket, seating himself on the back of the giant eagle, who raised his head in response. Lancer relaxed, lying on his back.]

[Cheeks turning red, Merida lifted a foot into Angus' stirrup and swung her other leg over, seating herself fully on his back. The saddle felt a little uncomfortable, but other than that it was a decent fit, one she'd made sure to do. Angus snorted as she drew on the reins, fishing her locket out of the chest of her dress and letting it dangle between her fingers.]

I'm likely goin' to be spendin' most of it makin' sure we don't crash anyway.

I'm sure Angus and the big bird realize how to do this, by now.

[The big bird, especially. The eagle understood what Lancer said, but didn't mind it. The guy gave him booze and things to eat, so he was pretty much gaining favor by the day.

Heavy flaps of the beast's wings lifted him and it into the air.]

You won't crash unless I say something particularly distractin'.

We're not exactly th' best fliers.

[Even though her cheeks take on a deeper red, she puts her locket back where it came from. Still, Angus paws at the ground with a hoof with a snort and, with a nudge of her knees, starts in a gallop before his large wings spread, his rider leaning close as they take off. Angus hasn't quite figured out how to simply lift off the ground just yet.

Once they're in the air, Merida checks his posture before looking over to Lancer with an incline of her head.]

Well, now. Remind me to not take you on as my coach.

[He snickered, his eyes shut as the eagle made headway and began circling around Merida and Angus. Part of him just wanted Merida to start getting competitive--]

If you sound so worrisome, won't he feel the same way, too?

Nay, he's usually th' worry wart. I can't count th' amount of food I had to feed him at Samhain to get him used to th' fae.

[Angus halts a little in the air when the eagle starts circling around them, an uncertain whicker coming from him before Merida placed a calming hand on his neck. She frowns a little in his general direction, before it becomes a slight scowl.]

Are ye tryin' to make somethin' of this journey, Cu?

I try to make something of everythin', Princess. Don't go pullin' yer hair out tryin' to figure me out just yet.

[He would have admitted that it was simply him being leisurely. Lancer reached up to pinch the eagle's neck a bit, earning a little cry from it. The eagle didn't realize it was being rude.

Teasing was one thing, but a predator's habit was another.]

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