The Kinslayer [Moony, Hawk]

[Emma]

The forest around here, I’d noticed, was in various stages of corruption.

Considering that Kirtan not only bordered the desert, but had also been besieged by it ever since its founding, I was not particularly surprised at the state of its foliage. While the rest of Du Weldenvarden was obsessed with nurturing beauty, which they considered as the most precious aspect of all life, this city had forsaken that in favour of staying alive. Despite being one of the smallest settlements, Kirtan put any fortified city to shame. With its barbed fences and merciless warriors, badly-behaved soldiers were often sent here for one simple reason- they weren’t likely to survive for very long.

Even this journey of official business from Ellesméra to Kirtan required me to have bodyguards- and a lot of them. I, the Du Weldenvarden general of ten years, rode in between four heavily armoured soldiers whose weapons were unsheathed and held at the ready. Even my mare, Nenya, wore finely crafted horse armour that was tinted spring green to match the foliage. We hadn’t run into any danger on the entire trip, but as Kirtan appeared in the not-so-far distance, the soldiers rode closer and the horses snorted and tossed their heads as the powerful stink of the ironworks of Kirtan wafted towards us.

I gazed at the blighted flora and fauna, either killed by the fumes of the ironworks or by the amount of blood spilled in this area. The trees grew more and more stunted until I could see clear over them from where I sat on Nenya. The ground foliage had been cleaved apart so many times that now only the hardiest of plants grew underfoot, and the horses had to avoid spiked roots and poisonous flowers. I had battled at Kirtan’s side many times over the past two hundred and fifty years, but I too had abandoned them when I was a high-ranking colonel during the Cleansing. I didn’t expect a warm reception.

As we entered the city limits, I swung my head around slowly, watching the citizens through the eye slits of my helmet. Even the poorest of the poor, covered with soot and sweat, watched our small procession with unflinching gazes. I admired the people of Kirtan. They were survivors of the highest calibre, and I felt no resentment or misunderstanding at their hatred of their own kin’s betrayal. However, showing pity on the surface would give viewers the idea of weakness. Even though they couldn’t see my face, I kept it grim, and my ice-blue eyes flashed dangerously.

As we arrived at the center of the Kirtan- the last guaranteed safe place, as the side facing the desert was full of soldiers and spiked barricades awaiting the next Urgal assault- we finally came to a halt. We were in the main plaza, which also happened to house the Iron Citadel, the seat of Kirtan’s count. I wasn’t meeting him, however- it was Lieutenant Eilia Rylinnell, one of the highest-ranking officers in the city, that I would be speaking to. I would be doing an entirely routine check-up on the soldiers stationed here, but there was another reason Dellanir had sent me personally- she feared a revolt.

After so many years and so many lives lost, Kirtan’s people weren’t about to abandon their own city, but she was convinced that one day they’d put up barricades and block out Du Weldenvarden as well. It was highly unlikely, considering they entirely relied on Osilon for their precious iron and the country as a whole for fresh soldiers, but Dellanir was dangerous when she was paranoid, and I wasn’t about to disobey her. And either way, there could very well be a grain of truth to her fears. I was here to see what that miniscule truth was, and uncover it before it grew into something dangerous.

I dismounted, seeing the lieutenant standing on the steps leading up to the Citadel. I passed Nenya’s reins to one of my bodyguards and gave the mare a praising pat on the neck. I was in full armour, the silver scales catching the light of the sun when it occasionally peeked out of the heavy cloud cover. I also had my closed helmet on, which I never removed in public, although my long ice-blonde hair tumbled out of it and down my back. The lieutenant didn’t look pleased to see me. That was obvious even with the intervening distance. With a deep sigh, I made my way towards her, my heavy boots clacking loudly.

“Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eilia alfa-kona.” I began the traditional elven greeting with a terse nod. Behind me, I heard my soldiers dismounting their steeds. Nyx willing, I would find this seed of revolt as quickly as humanly possible and go home.

Words;; 800 exactly! Yay!
Muse;; REALLY tired, so it could have been better.
Thoughts;; Ehh... never written with her before and I didn't really get to explore her personality here. So, not incredible. XP

[moony]

Shadow, in and amongst itself, is a dark place. Many foul deeds are carried out in shadow. For instance, an assassin does not walk up to his prey in broad daylight, yell "You're it!" and deal a killing blow. That would be assinine. No, an assassin sneaks up upon his target in the dead of night and kills people in their sleep. Also, walking down the great hall in Ellesmera, one will not be robbed by some ruffian. No, no, it's much to bright: in lighting as well as in occupants. However, not all shadow bodes evil afoot.

The shadows during the very early morning are the darkest, or so Daine thought as she slipped unnoticed through the city of Kirtan. Most likely, this was pure wishful thinking, for everyone knows that when the sun first begins to rise, it's at it's brightest. Daine wouldn't allow herself to think such thoughts though as she hastilly tried to avoid the detection of yet another elf. In the past 50 years, she had only come across a handful of them. Here, in an elven city, they were everywhere...go figure. Now, knowing that Daine, an elf, loathed the presense of elves, one is probably wondering why or how such an elf would come to be in a city of elves.

She had been kidnapped, taken hostage against her will. That had confirmed a thought that had been nagging at the back of her mind for years: her father was still looking for her. Which means, she had disgraced the family name to the point dear old dad could not even denounce her. That was fine by her since she had denounced them years before. The ruffians that had taken her were definitely the typical elves: stubborn and selfish. They all three wanted the bounty from turning the girl in, and not in a way that made them willing to share. Daine had worked with that.

She had managed to make them all believe that the other two were plotting with each other. This caused them to not rest...at all. Finally, when exhaustion took them, which it does, even to elves, Daine made her escape. And not a moment too soon. Or was it? Now, it was morning and Daine was tired. Also, she was sick of hiding. Instead of showing herself that she need to rest, the girl was much more interested in lying to herself, saying that she was fine and was being a wuss as she tried to traverse the maze that was a waking city.

And...she took a wrong turn. Before she could retrace her steps, she found herself looking at none other than the General Myaja Kolbjorn. No one had armor quite like that...except her. Being only a few paces away, it wasn't possible that the general hadn't noticed her. In fact, was that an acknoledgement of her presense? Yes, probably. Daine thought it best not to go anywhere. Of course, if there was anyone who would be honor -- or money -- bound to take Daine home, it was Myaja, but the elf girl really couldn't see any way around it and stood silently.

[/color]



charrie;; Daine
tags;; Myaja
words;; no idea
lyrics;; none
comments;; blech. short. sorry.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[pterodactyl]

tell me once upon a time
i close my eyes
and see myself reborn
righting the wrong
i won’t stay to stand in line
or wait for god to shine all over me
i wait for the storm

A hawk circled overhead, searching for a small animal to become its next meal. There was nothing; what did one expect, here in this wasteland? At one time, this place had been beautiful. Now, the trees on the outskirts of the city were barely fit to land in, let alone make a nest for a family. Letting out a shriek, indicating that it was fed up with these wastes and was going to move on to greener lands with more hope and life, the hawk pulled out of its circle with little effort and smoothly flew on.

Eilia Rylinnell had no such luck.

As the lieutenant of Kirtan, she was obliged to meet the general of the entire elven army, Myaja Kolbjorn. This afternoon it was a routine soldier and equipment inspection, but there was almost no reason for that. Eilia ran a tight ship, and all of her equipment and soldiers were kept trained and in good condition. This excepted the soldiers sent by the army's higher officials as punishment for misbehavior, who had to be beaten into shape and were frequently not as willing to give their lives to the cause as their brethren.

So if there was no need for the inspection, the general was definitely here for another reason, and Eilia knew something of Ellesmera politics. Kolbjorn was likely under Dellanir Drottning's thumb, and when she put on the pressure, the general would do or say whatever she was asked. An expression of distaste crossed Eilia's features at this thought. Politics. What a load of Urgal manure. Dellanir thinks Kirtan is dangerous because the army abandoned us, and she wants Myaja to keep an eye out. Well, good for her. We are dangerous.

The lieutenant quickly schooled her thoughts and her face, not wanting to hand Myaja the upper hand on a silver platter. She knew enough about the Grand Game from her time in Ellesmera to know how to play, although she held it in distaste as Kierlan had those many years ago. Her posture, though, was something she wouldn't budge on. Eilia stood on the steps before the city chambers, as she was often found doing in the early morning or late at night. These steps were quite shallow and there were many of them. One foot rested on a step one higher than the other foot, giving her the look of someone holding dominion over something she'd conquered. It was something her mother had called a power pose, although that probably wasn't the word Myaja would use.

It was then that the general's entourage entered the city. Eilia couldn't see them yet from her post at the top of the chamber stairs, but she could feel the ripples in the crowds of citizens and hear the murmurs as people stood aside to let the horsemen past. As the procession of general and bodyguards neared the chamber building, the elven lieutenant could easily see which was Myaja: the one in front with the silver armor. Nice display, that. The general dismounted and approached; while this was going on, Eilia noticed the appearance of an elf off to the side, trying not to be noticed, but didn't give it much of a thought. She had to be focused if she was to survive this meeting.

“Atra esterní ono thelduin, Eilia alfa-kona,” the general began. Lieutenant Eilia was momentarily impressed by this show of deference from a superior and far elder officer, but realized it was likely a ploy. Without skipping a beat, she returned the second line of the formal greeting:

"Mor'ranrlífa unin hjarta onr, Myaja alfa-kona." And now? She was only to wait.

muse: eh.
notes: first rp post!
tags: daine and myaja!!
listening to: none, today?
words: 619

[Emma]

On my approach, I’d noticed the appearance of Kirtan’s citizens surrounding the main plaza. I allowed my eyes to rove the heavens. Tinges of blue still stained the western sky, but the east was pink and orange, illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun. It was still very early. I glanced about at the citizens, whose expressions ranged from obvious caution to open hatred. Well over two hundred years of hard training told me to grip the hilt of my sword and to loosen it in its sheath, but instinct told me that the people around me might take such an action as a sign of hostility. I was careful to stay my hand.

“Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr, Myaja alfa-kona,” came Rylinnell’s sharp voice, with soldierly speed. I finished the opening greetings immediately, not wishing to waste any more time on them. I found them irritating and unnecessary.
“Un du evarínya ono varda.”

I never used the tradition of formal elven greetings, let alone began them, but the people of Kirtan were both worthy of my hard-earned respect and, while I was here, had full control over me, no matter my status. I did not pity them or feel remorse for their abandonment- what was done was done, and wasting my time on unwanted apologies when the past couldn’t be changed was nothing short of unnecessary. I could, however, show deference most elves would not think twice about giving. I was not their guest while I was here; I was their prisoner, and I wasn’t fool enough to forget about that.

“Now that the formalities are over, lieutenant,” I said calmly, “let us retire to the private quarters of the Citadel. We have much to-”

Footsteps that made me prick my ears up, and Rylinnell’s eye being drawn to something behind me, made me grip my sword on pure instinct and draw it as I swerved around, pointing it at my assailant. I paused, however, when I saw that it was nothing but a very young woman who was barely out of adolescence. Like all elves, she was beautiful, but she’d clearly been through something difficult- her blonde hair was tangled and she was shaking with exhaustion. I frowned, looking closer at her. Something about her was very familiar, but I was sure I’d never seen this woman before in my life.

“Get up,” I ordered, motioning with my blade. She hesitantly did so. Her clothes were in a sorry state as well, but she didn’t look like she’d been in a battle. She seemed more like a traveller. But at the same time, there was a certain way she held herself; a pride and powerful air that was always seen on one of noble birth- But nothing else about the girl exactly screamed ‘nobility’. Nothing about her made sense. With a sigh, I sheathed my blade. “You’re not a citizen here. You’ll come with us.” I motioned to my guards to follow, and then turned back to Rylinnell. “After you, lieutenant.”

Words;; 505
Muse;; Not bad.
Thoughts;; Ehh... so short! D=

[moony]

For a moment, Daine thought she had managed to go undetected. That moment was quickly gone, however, when the sound of metal leaving leather filled her ears. She couldn't even see how fast the general turned. Within a heartbeat, their eyes met. Daine found herself not breathing, as if she could hide in plain sight. "Get up." Sighing inwardly, Daine straightened to her full height. The girl couldn't help the fact that she looked and acted like a noble, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Daine touched two fingers to her lips, but said nothing as the older woman scrutinized her.

Finally, the young elf girl stole a glance down. She looked horrible. Her clothing was in tatters and her hair was an absolute mess. She heaved a deep sigh and stood a little straighter, daring the general to say anything as to how she looked. Instead of the visual reprimand, the general simply said, "You're not a citizen here. You'll come with us." Daine shrugged and ambled over. General Kolbjorn had obviously not yet recognised her. That was a slight repreive from the days before. Of course, it probably wouldn't last long, she had to clean up eventually.

Daine turned to the other woman, who she figured -- after the general called her liutenant -- that she was the ranking officer in this city. Daine forced a smile upon her grubby face, desperately wishing for a bath and wondering if she'd be able to make herself clean with magic. Probably not...but she ran over the words that could be used in her mind anyway. Unfortunately, the ancient language was fickle in nature and would probably make her regret trying something as complicated as removing the dirt and grime that is the road off her skin.

[/color]


charrie;; Daine
tags;; Myaja and Eilia
lyrics;; none
comments;; I'mma go die in a hole now. sooo short.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[pterodactyl]

tell me once upon a time
i close my eyes
and see myself reborn
righting the wrong
i won’t stay to stand in line
or wait for god to shine all over me
i wait for the storm

Eilia nodded inwardly with Myaja's seeming irritation towards the formalities of meetings; it was something she shared. The general's entire persona, though cold and brisk, was something Eilia could only admire, having learned the same behaviors herself after many years spent in and leading a city besieged.

“You’re not a citizen here. You’ll come with us,” the general ordered the young, disheveled traveler. Why Kolbjorn was so interested in this one and not the other thousands of similar elves inhabiting the city, Eilia didn't know. In fact, the elf's appearance raised many questions: why had the lieutenant never seen her before, in her many years in Kirtan? Why did Myaja wish to bring her into the Citadel while on a diplomatic outing?

No matter, though; those were General Myaja Kolbjorn's orders and they would be followed. Beckoning to one of her nearby soldiers outfitted in light armor shiny with the city's colors, Lieutenant Rylinnell directed him to take care of the general's party's horses while they were here. As he moved off, clicking his tongue softly at the horses, Eilia took one last breath of city air before pivoting on the steps to enter the Citadel. Most elven newcomers wrinkled their noses at the fumes coming from the ironworks, but in the early days of their time in Kirtan, Eilia and Kierlan had come up with a spell to block the scent. Some other citizens used it, Rylinnell knew, but quite often visitors were not aware of the option.

"Follow me into my office," the lieutenant said rather unnecessarily. Having mounted the steps, Eilia pushed open the double doors of the Citadel, not paying attention to whether the general or the elf girl were following. The Citadel itself was a white building, cleaned by magic every morning. Nonetheless, it wore a new cloak of soot and dust every evening. The building was beautiful on the inside, however, speaking to Kirtan's former glory. There was a high painted ceiling, and fluted columns stood like soldiers off to the sides. In between the columns, doors branched off into different halls and offices. The whole thing was modeled after Ellesmera's natural buildings, sung from trees. Eilia had an office all to herself, but it was sparsely furnished with only a desk and a few seats. A clerk was present outside the office to take care of all of Eilia's more menial administrative tasks: supply shipments and weapons and such, after Eilia had made the decisions and communicated them. She was a military leader, not a secretary, as she'd stated on many occasions.

Leading the two elves into her office, the lieutenant shut the door behind her and waited for someone to speak.

{ muse } passable?
{ notes } um...
{ tags } daine y myaja
{ listening to } well, trying to listen to iTunes, but the update won't let me.
{ words } 457. uck, i feel crappy about this one.

[Emma]

Rylinnell responded with the speed and sharp precision I expected of her, first motioning to a soldier to cater to my horses before turning on her heel and making her way up the steps without so much as a glance over her shoulder. Before following, I turned my head and motioned to three of my soldiers, touching my eyes and then slicing my gloved hand across the air. They immediately moved to take the lookout positions that we’d discussed on the way here. One remained; a tanned, white-haired giant of a man named Azari. He waited next to the elf girl. I peered down at her through my helmet visor.

“I will warn you now, girl, that I will not treat you like a child, and neither will anyone else. This is Kirtan, our only stronghold. Survival of the fittest is the only law here.” I looked away from her. “Now walk, lest Azari yank that pretty hair out.”

I marched up the steps after Rylinnell just as the first rays of sunlight appeared over the few remaining trees, glancing off my ivory and ultramarine armour. I ignored it, reaching the top of the steps just as I heard the lieutenant pronouncing that we follow her into her office. After a few moments of reflection, I decided that I liked Rylinnell- for now, at least. What I’d seen of her so far was the perfect image of a soldier, but there was no telling how she might react to my encroaching on her territory. Local forces, like when I’d visited Osilon and Nädindel, sometimes had issues with that.

The interior of the Citadel was somewhat surprising after the hornet’s nest I’d observed outside. I reminded myself, however, that the ivory columns and probably recently cleaned stark white walls were likely nothing but a ghost of what Kirtan had used to be. It had always been somewhat of a soldier’s paradise, but never the spiky fortress it had turned into during the Cleansing. I followed Rylinnell down a series of hallways before slowing to a halt as she entered a sparsely furnished room, obviously her office. I turned to Azari and motioned to him to stand guard. The girl would enter with me.

I walked swiftly into the room, the Spartan décor reminding me of my time as a lieutenant. Until I’d been promoted to general, I’d had little in my own house besides a day bed and a wash tub. As Azari closed the door behind the girl and me, I decided to remove my helmet. Unbuckling the chinstrap and closing my eyes, I pulled it off slowly, letting my ice-blonde hair fall over my shoulder so that it covered one eye. The foul scent of the Ironworks irritated my unprotected nose, but I pushed past it. Loosening my scabbard’s buckle, I seated myself in a chair and looked at the two women before me.

“We have much to discuss before I make my rounds, lieutenant,” I said briskly, “but first, I want to know who she is.” I flicked my chin at the ragged blonde. “Tell me your name, girl, and why you attempted to sneak up on me.”

Words;; 530
Muse;; Not good!
Thoughts;; Gah! Short. D=

[moony]

Daine stood in silence as the older women conferred in their short military styled way. There wasn't much for her to do. If she spoke, it would clue the general in. So, the poor girl stayed as silent as possible, trying not to breath in the acrid scent that was this particular city. If she lived to be a thousand, she'd never come here again. The LT turned and walked into the city's central building. Before Daine could even ask what was going to be expected of her, the general began speaking. Myaja had always sort of intimidated Daine, but not in a way that actually made the girl afraid.

Daine listened in silence. It would not do to be pert to one with so much more power than herself. She recognized that Azari must be the gaurd that was attatched to her side and that he was probably loyal to the general alone. Daine almost rolled her eyes. Barely, she stopped herself. I've been around humans far too long... she thought bitterly. As it was, she had been in their midst for somewhere around 50 years. Half a century had she been in her self-imposed exilation.

Without a response, Daine follwed inside. Unlike many, she couldn't care less about the insides of buildings. Not even the homes in Ellesmera could make her catch her breath. She had grown up near the great palace, why would this make her think. To her young eyes, it was just a military camp that had obviously seen better days. In fact, she thought the entire city would be much better looking if it would all burn to the ground. Then again, Daine was a little biassed. Life hadn't exactly been easy over the last few days.

Without paying attention to her surroundings or where she was going, Daine walked where directed. After a few moments she realized that even if she managed to escape, she would never be able to get out of here. An inaudible sigh escaped her lips. Not for the first time, Veralidaine Decessus wished that she had been born a simple merchant's daughter: no one of any real importance. But, of course, that hadn't been the case, and now she felt as if she were fighting for her life...when she wasn't really fighting at all.

Sometime while she was trying to figure out what to say to the inevitable questions Myaja would ask, Daine heard someone speaking to her: the general herself. At first, Daine was insulted. She had not, in any way, tried to sneak up on the general of the elven armies. What was she, an embicile? Then the familiar jut of Kilbjorn's jaw made Daine remember the respect the older elf had gained when Daine was only a child.

Without thinking about her answer at all, Daine sputtered the truth. "My name is Veralidaine Decessus. And I know better than to sneak up on you, Myaja. I wouldn't get very far. For a moment, I tried to sneak past you, but obviously, I wasn't successful with that either." Daine shrugged and smiled ruefully. Too late, she remembered the lie she had come up with about being a wanderer and accidently being in the wrong place at the wrong time, which technically wasn't a lie, but it was close enough to keep the general from guessing the truth. Oops.

[/color]

[pterodactyl]

tell me once upon a time
i close my eyes
and see myself reborn
righting the wrong
i won’t stay to stand in line
or wait for god to shine all over me
i wait for the storm

Myaja was paranoid. That much, Eilia could tell. The woman was taking precautions (namely, a large and intimidating bodyguard) against a weaponless girl. Of course, paranoia was to be expected when one held a position of such authority in Du Weldenvarden and wanted to live. Still, the lieutenant had to school her features against a slight frown at the way Myaja was treating this poor girl, about to collapse with exhaustion. Eilia was also just a bit offended at the general's proclamation of Kirtan's law: "Survival of the fittest is the only law here." As far as Rylinnell was concerned, she was the law in this city.

The lieutenant pressed down on her rising feeling of awe as Myaja removed her helmet, knowing that it was a rare occurrence but refusing to acknowledge that she was naturally impressed by the general. The spell, however, was immediately broken by the general's nonchalant manner of moving about Rylinnell's office. She can't just flounce down like she owns the place, Eilia seethed inwardly. Her irritation didn't show on her face, thankfully, having been slightly assuaged by the knowledge that the stink would be getting to Kolbjorn any second now.

As for Myaja's demand to learn about the girl, there was no response from the lieutenant. She had never seen this one in Kirtan before, and had no idea who she was (or, again, why she was so important). Moving around the desk to sit in her oak and leather chair, Eilia simply waited for an answer from the girl. If none came, she supposed the general would simply break into the girl's mind and take what she wanted.

The lieutenant was thankful, then, when the girl spoke up right away. The name--Veralidaine Decessus--was vaguely familiar, but Eilia could not call up the memory. With the more informal things the girl--Veralidaine, Eilia corrected herself--said afterwards, though, Rylinnell suspected that there was a past relationship between the general and the wanderer. Hm. Well, things would play out how they would play out, and Eilia would be here to watch and maybe glean some information she could use in the future. I've begun thinking like an Ellesméra politician already, she frowned to herself.

{ muse } ugh.
{ tags } daine/myaja
{ words } 378. just smack me in the face right now.

[Emma]

The moment the question left my lips, I paid attention to the girl’s body language. All elves that grew up in the manipulative hellhole that Du Weldenvarden often was learned how to shelter themselves to at least some extent, and this girl was no different. She was also very young, however, and I could see her irritation in the occasional twitch of her cheek as well as the fact that she looked like a frightened deer. I wasn’t expecting manipulation or any particular resistance from her. She just wanted to leave. Rylinnell said nothing of the entire situation, merely watching us with rapt attention.

“My name is Veralidaine Decessus.” I was surprised at the speed of her reply. “And I know better than to sneak up on you, Myaja. I wouldn't get very far. For a moment, I tried to sneak past you, but obviously, I wasn’t successful with that either.”

She gave me a wry smile, one that seemed somewhat forced. The back of my mind blatantly alerted me to the fact that the name was certainly familiar, as was the face that matched it. But who this girl was and her importance was still lost on me. Momentarily, I tucked that information into the back of my head. I’d remember it soon. There was no point in worrying over it. I was irritated that this Veralidaine Decessus had referred to me by my first name, and she hadn’t even answered my original question. I had half a mind to ship her off to Ília Fëon and become a Nykese Virgin for a few centuries or so.

The name ‘Lord Ília’ sprung into my mind then, and the realization hit me full force. Banished from Ilirea, on the run from her own high-ranking parents, Veralidaine Decessus was not exactly Ellesméra’s poster girl. An enormous ransom had been set up for her, and if I were more oriented towards money or sheer cruelness, I could very easily make her life a living hell as of this moment. And by law, I was required to send her home to her family, tied up in a sack if necessary. However, I had no intentions of revealing my recognition of her. Things worked differently here in Kirtan.

I also knew that she couldn’t have escaped decades of persecution without a few tricks up her sleeve. Her training in Ilirea was minimal, but learning on the job and facing perils on a daily basis taught far more than those cowardly turncoats ever could. And she had, after all, managed to come up directly behind me without me or my guards’ noticing it until the very last moment. It was best to lead the little lamb along until she was sent to the slaughter. After all, most runaways were merely disowned by their parents. Decessus was obviously highly vital if her family was still hunting for her.

“I asked you why you attempted to sneak past me, not on your failure to do so.” I said sharply. “You are not a citizen of this city; that much is clear from your appearance. At best, you are a wanderer. So why, I wonder, would you be sneaking about in the plaza before the day has even begun?” I settled back in my seat. “And on another note, I do not recall being on close terms with you, Miss Decessus. You will refer to me as either ‘General’ or ‘sir’. Is that clear?”

There was an urgent-sounding knock at the door before the outlaw in front of me could reply. Rylinnell gave them permission to enter, and I raised a light eyebrow in interest as I saw a young, low-ranking soldier poke his head into the room. He wasn’t half as gritty or as intimidating as nearly all of the citizens here. In fact, he looked like he’d just returned from Ilirea. He also appeared to have just run a very long distance. After stepping in, bowing in deference to both me and Rylinnell, he took a moment to regain his breath before standing up and saluting his commanding officer.

“General. Lieutenant… sir, the Captain urgently needs to see you outside. If you’re not terribly busy, that is.”
Rylinnell gave me a half-glance that suggested she very much wanted to go outside, whether I agreed to let her or not. I gave the slightest of nods and watched her storm out before turning my icy gaze on Decessus again and mouthing, ‘Well?’

Words;; 745
Muse;; Still... recovering...
Thoughts;; Not bad except the hideously rushed ending. -pokes Hawk- In order to pick things up, I'm thinking Eilia gets called away due to an impending Urgal attack or some such. =D If it's okay with you, of course. XD

[pterodactyl]

tell me once upon a time
i close my eyes
and see myself reborn
righting the wrong
i won’t stay to stand in line
or wait for god to shine all over me
i wait for the storm

“General. Lieutenant… sir, the Captain urgently needs to see you outside. If you’re not terribly busy, that is.”

Well, thank the heavens above and ground below. I would cut off the Queen herself to leave this wasp's nest, my young savior. Lieutenant Eilia Rylinnell was not pleased to have the elven General in her city at all, and was not in the mood to sit by and watch while her superior officer dealt with a haggard girl. The only part of Myaja Kolbjorn the Lieutenant wanted to see was her back, riding away with her entourage. If nothing else, this fresh-faced soldier (Iylar, she thought his name was) would give her an excuse to abandon Myaja to her traveler until the General was ready to conduct her business, so she gladly escaped.

"Sir, the scouts have spotted approaching Urgals," Iylar informed her, cringing slightly. Eilia only smiled. This was perfect. Myaja could sit in her office and wait for Kirtan's forces to neutralize the threat. Eilia could prove her army's worthiness and then Kolbjorn could leave. Clapping the young soldier on the back and bringing forth another cringe, the lieutenant almost chuckled. "Time for you to earn your stripes, then...Iylar, is that it?" He only nodded, opening the Citadel doors to expose the bustle without. Citizens scurried for their shelters, soldiers marched double-time to their posts, and captains shouted orders to their units. The captain in question trotted over to meet Eilia, and they exchanged some military details involving the position of the Urgals and the arrangement of units on the battlements.

"There are a considerable number of Kull with them," the captain explained. "But mostly we were wondering what to do with General Kolbjorn's guard. Should they be involved with the fight?" Eilia frowned at this question. Kirtan was strong without any reinforcements from Ellesméra, as it always had been. They would be able to fight off this next onslaught without any help. Straightening, she shook her head, craning her neck to watch a unit of archers in light armor move past.

"We don't need them. Send them to surround my office. They'll want to keep the General safe, should the Urgals break through," she sneered. Her captain cracked a smile and nodded, going off to inform Myaja's guard. Turning back to Iylar, who was still standing next to her uncertainly, Eilia smiled. "Come up with me, soldier. We've got a battle brewing." That familiar zing bubbled in her blood, her senses sharpened, her fingers itched. Myaja forgotten, the lieutenant made her way on light feet to the top of the wall, looking out on the black mass of Urgals coming to attack her city, her people. The taller ones were Kull, placed at the front of the mass like a battering ram to break Kirtan's defenses for the others. Maybe today was the day Eilia would meet up with Kierlan's killer.

Let's go.

{ muse } meh.
{ notes } feel bad for skipping moony, but i don't want to keep emma waiting too long either.
{ tags } myaja/moony
{ listening to } 3OH!3
{ words } 508. better this time.