eachdraidh | Video; Seelie-locked

[Poised on a stretch of snow-capped cliffs looking over Cothromach's strong-hold on one side, Cu Chulainn posted on his locket and gave it a wide grin. His spear was resting over his shoulder and he looked absolutely unbothered by the razor-sharp, freezing winds lashing at him. In the far distance, a plume of black smoke rose up from a camp that he had recently razed and destroyed. Lancer made his distance earlier, to avoid being scouted too easily]

Hey there. It's come to my attention that we've got some unwelcome Unseelie soldiers sticking around Cothromach. I think they figured their camps were pretty well-disguised, but after awhile--it gets tough to hide that many soldiers. So--

[With a grin, he stood up straight and began walking up the cliff-face, scaling the mountain on foot. At that point, the mangled and burning Unseelie camp could be seen more clearly in the opposite direction as Cothromach. The mountain face gave Lancer an eagle's view of that camp, though it was largely too difficult for most people to scale as quickly as he had.]

I'm usually the type to hog the glory, but I'm missing a few of my precious abilities, so I'll need some help rooting those folks out and running them out of these lands. Who's in for some raids?

[OOC: Plot planning is here!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, that'll explain that. [Dwarves, though. He's seen plenty of phantasmal folks, but never dwarves.

So, he'd definitely take a gander.]

You can call me 'Lancer', by the way. No 'sir' or anythin' like that.

[ one name deserves another: ] Lady Sansa of House Stark. [ a heartbeat. a flutter of uncertainty. ] And Keeper of Cothromach.

[ for now, at least. and for a long time yet should she navigate her political seas with enough pluck. ]

Edited 2014-10-16 19:29 (UTC)

Well, now. I was thinkin' you sounded pretty timid, but to call yourself Keeper of a fortress like that--

[He laughed at that, ducking as a harsh wind threatened to cut his voice off for a moment.]

Pleased to meet you, Lady Sansa.

[ fortress. she tries not to rankle under the word. to each their own vocabulary -- she must navigate them all. ]

Well met, Lancer. [ ... ] Are you certain there is no better title I can give you?

Well, I wouldn't mind givin' out my real name if we were better acquainted, but I'm sure you've got better things to do than get worn down by chatter from a rustic, old soldier.

[For the most part, he was also fairly busy, himself.]

[ a real name! she hadn't thought he'd given anything but -- but now she had to lapse into silence for a moment. after all, sansa had held a false name for some time in these lands. she'd not shed alayne stone until cothromach had become hers by inheritance. ]

I'm sorry. [ she curses herself. her trade minister would shake his head to hear her apologize. ] I was not trying to pry for anything sensitive. Only...there is a certain appropriate comfort taken in calling each other what we are meant to be called, don't you agree?

Hah! Sensitive? I might have had that problem a few weeks ago, but I don't have a need for that kinda secrecy.

Rather-- [Touching his chin, Lancer found himself snickering devilishly.]

--It's more fun as a game, isn't it? Normally, knights have to exchange names when they duel to the death, but this isn't that kind of situation and it's rarely an issue of comfort.

To a lady of court, if I'm to give out my name, I'd rather it be while I'm in a more peaceful attitude.

Then I imagine I might never learn it. [ they are, after all, in the middle of a war. ] If it's what you prefer, then Lancer is what I will call you.

That's no good. I thought I'd tease a bit, but you took me way too seriously.

[He shook his head, his smile persisting.]

You've got to pry a bit harder, missy.

I aim not to pry at all.

[ though what did he just call her? she's not certain whether she ought to be offended or not. ]

[He gave Sansa a little bit of a sigh in return.]

You've got to, y'know. A 'Keeper' of a City should be more demanding with a mere soldier.

-- If I have things to pry about, Lancer, I assure you they will be more pertinent then a soldier's name.

[ after all, he'd already refused the title of 'ser' -- so she can't think too much of him. or his brazen criticism. how indelicate. ]

[And yet, Lancer had nothing but appreciation for Sansa's smidgen of venom.]

As you might think--but, it's not only an issue of trust and something to seal an allegiance, but my name's an important one.

There are such things as famous knights, after all.

And you do not wish for your reputation to precede you?

I used to operate like that. I died after having a pretty enviable life and I don't want to repeat it as if that wasn't enough for me.

I'd rather just live as I please, you know?

[ so -- bravado but not too much bravado. she frowns. ]

You died--?

[ medieval record scratch. ]

[A lot more bravado than she even gave him credit for. 'As I please' was still limiting him to honorable decisions.]

I did. It was a pretty good fight in the end, but I guess I was overcome.

You could call me a 'heroic spirit'. Apparently, I did well enough in life that when I died, the world remembered me.

[ -- like some knight from the age of heroes. or a champion. florian, come again. she frowns. ]

I-I'm sorry. For your death, Lancer. My condolences.

[ having met two dead men in these lands already (her father included) she is not so confused by having to speak these words. ]

[Lancer's smile had vanished. Sansa left him confused--apologizing for a death she had no part in. Was it just a courtesy for the dead, then?]

That ain't necessary.

[When he decided to chalk it up to manners, his expression slackened again.]

Warriors hope their deaths amount to something in the end. I was pretty lucky to die for my country. For the most part, I still won that fight.

[That was to say that his 'death' was the end of the battle, but he decimated the enemy army to the extent that advancing on Emain Macha, the capital, would have been suicide for the remaining forces.]

How proud your people must be.

They were, once. Course, that's a society that's long in the past. In the modern age, folks like me would just be considered unwanted relics.

'Eras of Peace' don't seem to favor great warriors, y'know?

An era of peace. [ a moment. ] I was not aware peace could ever last an era, and not merely just the precious gasp between wars.

[ or so it now feels to a young woman. ]

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