IC Scene - The Meeting

Aelos sat still during Morek's stitching. Although the man from the Radiant Cross judged it to be a minor wound, Aelos was afraid his role in Windholm was largely over. Even though he had come to make sure Alatin wouldn't start a war, he had longed for an opportunity to prove himself.

"But..you are always welcome in Rane for a third time. Perhaps you'll let me win next time?"

[OOC: God damn Arcanum! I had to edit it again!

"Hmph, if you are looking for a third time, you'll have to earn your victory. Third time's the truth and all that."

Gilaver sheathed Mistral and shakily rose up from the ground.

Morek rose from his place crouching by Aelos's side and replaced the partly depleted roll of bandages and thread back from where he had procured them. The tips of the leather glove part of his gauntlets were now stained with blood from where he had touched the bloody skin. It turned out shaking his hands wasn't going to remove it. He frowned, this was the 3rd pair he'd managed to stain this way. He motioned at the other Dragon Knights.

"He's fine to move now should he choose to do so. Get him something to eat later and it'll be like this never happened." He looked at Aelos, "That's probably going to scar though."

"I guess this will be a testament of Sir Gregale's skill."

Aelos looked in in the distance as he added "And it will increase the renown of the Griffon forces, prolonging the peace."

Rayvs was sitting down, watching the duel closely. When Gilaver threw the knight down, Rayvs smiled, getting up to see the carnage, but unfortunately, the griffon moved his sword at the last moment, saving the Dragon's life.

"I'll have to watch out for that one..he's may be more skilled than me." Rayvs mumbled.

He sat back down, not heeding Morek's instruction, and continued to feverishly polish his dark blade.

Captain Jorm nodded to Lord Wulfred and left with most of the guards, leaving a handful with Wulfred.

Valdor rose from his chair. Those closest to him could hear him mutter, "Now that I think on it...why did I have them bring this furniture out here...?" He and Barbarossa nodded politely when Selucia whispered to them.

When Rayvs approached him he was cordial, nodding and then bracing him when he staggered. "Are you alright?" he asked. Not waiting for a response, he continued, "Perhaps you should sit down for a moment. It looks like something is happening over there." He nodded to Gilaver and Aelos.

The rebel party was silent following the duel. Finally, Barbarossa said, "They are...quite skilled."

Valdor's eyebrows popped up. "My friend, your penchant for understatement belies your charisma. I'll be along in a moment." The merchant walked over to Rayvs, shadowed from a bit of a distance by a pair of the Mystmountain mercenaries. "Feeling better?"

Alm would spit on the ground the Mystmountains mercenaries walked on, if the wind could carry his spit that far. Instead he growled at their sight and his fists clenched. He had lost his father in a Mystmountain raid and was unable to forget the sight of his mutilated body.

The other Dragons held a keen eye on the barbarians as well, but no one was so tense as the huge boulder they called Alm.

In the meantime, Aelos put Icebreath back in the scabbard. Feeling slightly disgraced, he knew his Drakes would never have a chance if all the King's greatswords fought like Gilaver Gregale.

"Klovis, divide my armour between the horses. It's useless to me now." he told one of his Dragons. The linen tunic he wore underneath his plate armor was reddened by his blood, but he would have to wait until after the next meeting to change it.

Aelos would feel a tap on his shoulder and when he turned around Morek would be standing there. He gave the Dragon a roll of bandages.

"You're going to need these if you don't want to lose that arm to infection. Replacing the bandage seems like common sense but you'd be surprised at the number of casualties who get careless and die."

After he spoke he looked over at the Mystmountains and then the accumulated Dragon Knights. It didn't take a genius to figure out that they were upset.

"I must say that it surprised me to see men of the Myst tribes this far south, I thought they stayed near Rane and Poinsbruk." Morek shrugged. "But it seems that Valdor is just like any other merchant, his bodyguards have to be flashy to allow him to show off no? Unless they are here for another reason."

Aelos nodded gratefully for the bandages, but his focus was with the Mystmountains as well. Bloody barbarians should've stayed in the ruin of Poinsbruk.

"Bodyguards, bah. They're raiders and nothing more."

The first part of the meeting ends, and Javier watches as the two knights duel each other. He watched as it reached its climax, the Griffon stopping only when he thrust his weapon just a centimeter away from the other's neck. One thing was certain, Javier did not want to get on his bad side, despite his honorable nature.

As much as Javier would have loved to be elsewhere, he felt an obligation to continue his attendance. So, he sat back and made himself comfortable until he was ordered elsewhere. He then took the time to continue his conversation with Ser Rayvs, which was interrupted when the meeting started.

"Failures are exploits of their own when worded properly. Do not imagine yourself being massacred, recall the defiant last stand as each soldier died for the cause. Do not pity the man who hanged himself, he protects the world from knowing the horrors he has witnessed. A change of wording is all that it takes to keep one's mind and body sane, or to manipulate lesser minds."

Javier smiled slightly at the last statement. He then takes his personal canteen from his belt and drinks the contents within before continuing.

"You spoke of an attempted assassination on the day before? Please, indulge me on the events therein."

Morek nodded at Aelo's words.

"Aye, they're raiders through and through just like the Vanskerries and the snake cult in a way. I'm just thankful that another Wolfbode the Slayer has not risen from the North yet." He paused as he considered the mercenaries. "It seems to me that Valdor only brought them here to get you dragons tempers flared and hot. Don't fall for some denar pinchers trick."

Words passed between Conrad Valdor and Rayvs. The merchant seemed amused by something; perhaps the recent duel. Finally, he stepped away, motioning to Captain Barbarossa. "We shall return at midday."

"And I hope you have the Duchess in tow," added Barbarossa. "I think even she knows we cannot do this dance forever."

The rebel party retreated to the path leading west, leaving the furniture they had brought behind.

While Aelos and the other Dragons were busy ogling at the Mystmountain raiders, Gilaver walked away from the scene. He still felt rather distraught over the event and wanted to think about things in peace. The aesthetically pleasing grounds of the church were more than appropriate for that. Not even the still-throbbing wound could annoy him enough to break his stroll through the grounds, nor his regained composure.

It would take some time until midday, though.

Evedas glanced at Javier, then laughed out. All this meeting had been pretty boring until the duel. He never liked politics.

-Funny question, very funny indeed.

Rayvs stood up from the chair, and walked over where he began to talk to Javier.


"Some woman ambushed me from behind some barrels, seeking to kill me. She was knocked out by Haroun, and I...interrogated..her for information. She's Eventide property now. Or, actually, Evedas's plaything."

Rayvs smirked, saying, "I hope you make her stay comfortable, Evedas."

-Indeed she is. She's sleeping I'd say. She'll wake up an Eventide. Then I will have fun and dig out what little information about her old employer. Say sir Javier, from how you've been looking at the Legionaire girl over there, how about I make her your girl?

Evedas smirked.

-Say brother Rayvs, should we just wait here, or go out and look for what we came here for. I have no interest in this petty dispute. You know, I have connections inside the town I can use.

Javier smiled a little when he heard the results of the attempted assassination.

"I see."

On the offer of turning the Legionnaire...

"As interesting as warrior-women are, I'll pass on this one . I do not wish to wake one day to find my corpse impaled with a dagger. Every rose has its thorn, as they say.

However, since both of you know more than I and have more important matters to attend to, I can remain here as the Eventide representative. Besides, my untimely arrival does not help me as I know little of our reasons for being here."

Javier finished making his offer and remembered that the meeting will not resume until midday. Until then, he would have to find something to keep himself occupied, provided his brothers agreed to leave him at the meeting.

Rayvs smiled and then gestured at Javier and Evedas.

"Come closer, brothers."

He then whispered something to the both of them.

Javier nodded in affirmative, whispered something back to his fellows, and returned to his seat. Once more, a bored expression crawled onto his face.

Sir Natir wandered through the city, staying alert , he searched for the church. He was unfamiliar with the city and so traveled with caution. His men kept an eye on the peasants and scattered souls in the street in light from the morning sun.

He after finally arrived at the church, looked around. He saw no sign of the rebels, but merely the signs of an abandoned meeting. Sigh he called to the nearest knight (the nearest knight=anyone nearby) from horseback.

"Is the meeting with the rebel leader over, or am I early?"

Since his fellow knights decided to stay at the meeting, Evedas decided to take a fresh breath outside of the church. As soon as he approached the entrance, a strange figure asked him about the meeting.

-Yes if you call a petty dispute over some ruler of Windholm and two monkey fighting a knight's meeting then come on in, I'm going to take a breath outside. You're late by the way.

He left while holding his left hand with his right hand, heavily breathed. He felt great pain from his left arm, something he had been suffering since whenever his left hand was injured.

-It is not the right time to expose such thing, especially when this is the Dawn's territory and it would be very problematic.

He murmured to himself and tried exit the church.

Another man in black armor approached the new arrival, though this one bore a large white cross emblazoned on his breastplate and shield.

"You're late clarion. I guess the jnight captains outburst with the duchess took longer to resolve than you were expecting. You didn't miss much, though apparently there is to be a meeting between all the parties who have a stake in these troubles at midday. Now all we are missing are some silvermists and every order will be represented." The knight said with a low chuckle.

Sir Natir nodded to show his understanding of the what the two knights said, but since the eventide Knight walked away, Natir turned and responded to the other. "Yes the duchess was quite understanding, but organizing took longer than expected, and the Knight Captain has been ordered to remain outside the city, and you need not fear such an outburst from me.

He dismounted and gave the reigns of his horse to his men.

"So I'm too late for the first meeting, but there will be a meeting at noon, That is good to hear, but the other knight mentioned a fight? What was that about?"

"good. I have no wish to see Astrea's holy ground stained with blood from rash or impetuous actions." The Radiant clasped his arms behind his back as he spoke.

"Nothing to do with the rebellion if that is what you were asking. It was just a duel between one of the Kings Griffons and a Knight of the Dragon. Bugger me if I know what it was for though, if I had to guess it was just to pass the time while we waited for the meeting to begin after Guildmaster Valdor and Captain Barbarossa were finished talking."

Morek tilted his head as he recalled the duel having seen it first hand.

"You missed quite the show Clarion, the Dragon had a blade as white as the pure snow on the Mystmountain peaks against a two handed blade from the Griffon that would have made a Forlorn Hope proud. It was over so fast, a few blows, a spurt of blood from a well landed blow and then the Dragon was on his back, his breastplate split completely asunder by the Griffon in a single blow. Now I know why that one is called Windblade, I doubt that the wind moves half as fast as that sword did. Almost killed the Dragon too, I just about had to deal with a severed head as I did some stitching afterwards."

Morek held up his gauntlets, the tips still stained red with Aelos's blood from his ministrations earlier.