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Post by Omni on Jan 11, 2015 21:41:30 GMT -5
When Zoya told the knights about Andrei's behavior, Orrin looked back at the kid. He certainly didn't look like the type to cause trouble. But then again, he knew one couldn't always judge by appearance. He wanted to talk to the kid, but had effectively no way of communicating. Plus, he could use something to eat - the horses were already getting fed, anyway - and they needed all the intel they could get. the half-dwarf gave Zoya a nod. "Sounds great. Thank ya, miss." Orrin's ready for da foods. Also, to ask about the vamp.
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Post by Shinko on Jan 11, 2015 22:12:14 GMT -5
Sieg was surprised by the assertion that the child got into trouble sometimes, but Zoya did say it was unintentional, and Sieg knew from experience the sorts of mischief an otherwise good kid could cause when they were bored. After all, he'd almost gotten himself and his younger sister attacked by a bear once as a child. The half-elf looked after the boy sadly for a moment. Then he shrugged it off, nodding when Zoya offered to let them come inside and discuss the vampire. They were lead into the house, to a room with several wooden benches around a table. At Zoya's invitation the knights sat, and Sieg leaned forwards, bracing his forearms on his knees. "Alright, I know this is probably an uncomfortable topic, but... the sooner we address it the better for everyone involved. Please, tell us whatever you can- even if it seems trivial, it could end up being very important." Time to get to the nitty gritty!
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Post by Celestial on Jan 12, 2015 11:57:08 GMT -5
The room was relatively closed in, with only a few small windows providing any light. An enormous white-washed chimney stood in the corner, taking up much of the space on that side of the room. Variou bits of furniture, shelves and storage cupboards, were dotted around the place. However, the walls were once again brightly painted with various patterns and the wooden columns that held up the ceiling had carving of animals, birds and plants etched into them. The table at which the knights found themselves was meant for a larger group of people and the same could be said for the food that covered it. On an embroidered cloth sat an enormous dish filled with a pile of oval-shaped rolls, baked to a golden brown glaze. All of them identical save for the marks on their tops. Some had crosses, some had simple straight lines and some were unmarked. Keeping in the warmth, but not the heavenly smell of baking, meat and fruit that emananted from them, was another, plainer cloth that was draped over them. Beside them was another plate filled with various cured meats, fish and pickled vegetables and mushrooms, though since the food was cold, it was open for the diners to pick and choose whatever they wanted. A large clay jug of fruity-smelling crimson liquid stood by the dishes, the bottom of which was covered in berries. Six bowls sat in front of the benches, three large shallow ones and three smaller but deeper ones. Zoya waited until the knights sat down and poured some of the drink into the smaller bowls in front of them, showing their true use a cups, before she sat down herself. Though she was opposite the knights, she made sure to sit closer to Sieg than to Orrin. "Help yourselves. We regard hospitality as sacred and I do not want you going hungry. The buns all have different fillings, that's what the marks are for," the noblewoman gestured at the food and smiled. "I had this laid out for you anyway. I ate before I came to find you so am not hungry. Besides, given our subject of conversation, I don't think I want to eat while talking about it anyway." Here, Zoya's smile faded a little and she glanced downwards. "Nobody in Tarpan likes discussing the vampire. We fear what we do not know and we definitely do not know what it is." Zoya suddenly snapped her fingers and murmured something. "Just to ward off evil, in case it is listening. Can't be too careful. Especially because it tends to attack more on the edge of town than around," she swallowed, "This has been happening for just under a year now. It began a few months after I came here and as far as I know, nothing changed. The only saving grace is that it tends to prey on people passing through the town, like the merchants and various other travellers. Except sometimes it takes locals." She clenched her hands together and shifted a fraction of an inch closer to Sieg. "Some people survive, some people don't. There's no pattern to who lives or dies, except the community is wary of those left alive for a while, for obvious reasons. We are a superstitious people, though in this case you can hardly blame us. You'll notice a lot of people around the town hiding their necks to try to dissuade it." "Whatever you are looking for...I personally think two things: it lives out in the woods and it isn't human. And I'm scared of it just as much as other people," her head suddenly shot up and Zoya looked at Sieg, smiling again. "But, now that you're here, I don't have to be afraid, right?" she cleared her throat and looked away, reaching over to pour herself a drink from the jug, "Do you...do you have any theories on what it could be?" After a description of the house and the food, Zoya exposits some stuff about the vampire and acts nervous, as you would if there was a horrifying beast stalking around killing people. She then asks the boys for theories.
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Post by Shinko on Jan 12, 2015 12:35:55 GMT -5
Sieg was surprised by the selection that had been prepared for them- and on rather short notice too, unless Zoya had instructed her servants to begin preparing it before she left. His estimation of her rose slightly, and with a smile and a polite murmur of thanks he did begin eating- though he hoped that he wasn't somehow embarrassing himself by displaying manners that were improper at an Langian table. The half-elf kept his expression sympathetic through Zoya's narrative, nodding to show that he understood where it seemed appropriate. At her hopeful glance his way the knight had to suppress a sigh. Of course he'd protect her, that was his duty, but he didn't want her to take that as a cue to cling to him. "We'll both do our best to keep you and the other villagers safe," he said, putting careful stress on the word "both" and hoping she'd catch the hint. He really didn't have time to try and nurse the woman through heartbreak if she decided to take his rejection badly, but hopefully as long as he was diplomatic about it she'd give up the idea on her own. Turing his attention to her words about the vampire, he frowned. "Hm... what makes you think it isn't human? Or at least doesn't resemble one anyway, I mean I'm only half human and Orrin's not human at all but we look at least hominid enough to be mistaken from a distance or in the dark. If you don't think it's human, does that mean someone's seen it and it looks like some sort of wild beast or something? That doesn't make sense though, we spoke to some folklorists in Destrier before we set out to find out as much we could about vampire lore, and they indicated otherwise." Sieg optend not to mention that the lore had come from Wooist monks- if these folk did not worship the Lord Woo, there was no telling how they'd feel about that, and it might lead Zoya to dismiss their words on principle. Continuing with his thread, he said, "We were told that they do look human, at least physically. Human, but far stronger than any human should be, and with paler skin." He shook his head, "I mean Stephen's information has proven inaccurate or incomplete before, but for the most part he was correct about the majority of what he told us... And you said it might be listening to us? We were also informed that vampires are only active at night." He leaned his chin into his fist, looking down thoughtfully. "If you're right about it living in the woods... gah, I had hoped we could avoid yet another needle in a haystack hunt through a forest. If it's inactive during the day I'd say to try and look for it in the woods around the edge of town while the sun is up once we know more, but if that's not true... has anyone been victimized during the day? If so we seriously need to rethink our strategy." Sieg eats while he listens to Zoya (though I left HOW he eats deliberately vague because I'm not entirely clear if they're supposed to be piling plates or if it's mostly finger food, sorry Celes ^^; ). He also tries to redirect her flirtations towards him by stressing that he is not the only knight present and both he and Orrin want to help her. Then he contributes his thoughts to the conversation about the vampire.
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Post by Omni on Jan 13, 2015 18:46:19 GMT -5
While Orrin found the spread of foods appealing in general, his curiosity drew him to the rolls. He grabbed one at random, finding himself holding one with a cross on it, gave it a sniff, and took a bite. He was pleasantly surprised to find it stuffed with meat. "This is pretty good," he commented. "Would ya mind passin' my compliments to the cook?" As Zoya continued speaking about the food, a thought occurred to him. "Say... How'd ya know we were goin' to be here today? I didn't know how long the trip would be, and we could've got delayed by bandits or somethin'." When the conversation turned to whether or not the vampire was human, Orrin felt he had to contribute his two copper. "She might mean 'not human' in a different way," the half-dwarf said, talking to his fellow knight. "I've heard people use the word 'human' to mean... more like the way a person behaves. Someone could be 'human' without bein' a human, and it could go the other way, too." He turned to Zoya. "Is that what ya meant?" The half-dwarf gave Sieg a sideways smirk when Zoya asked if he'd protect her, then turned back to the conversation when she asked their opinion on what it was. "I think it's too early to have any real theories. All we know about it is what we've heard so far, and it doesn't seem like much to go on, to me. That, or it doesn't match up." The Stallion knight took a sip of the juice. "Is there anythin' else ya know about it that ya can think of?" Orrin enjoys the food, though wonders how Zoya knew when the knights would be there. He theorizes that Zoya may have meant that the vampire may have lacked human-like qualities, rather than being another species. He says he doesn't have any real ideas on the vampire so far, and asks Zoya what else she knows.
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Post by Celestial on Jan 14, 2015 10:32:02 GMT -5
At Sieg's suggestion that the vampire might be listening to them, Zoya's hand flew to her mouth and she suddenly burst into clear peals of laughter. It took a few moments before she recovered and looked up at him, her eyes glimmering with amusement. "Oh Sir Braham, if every Kythian takes every word as literally as you do, it is no wonder that your people think that us Langeans are idiotic barbarians. You have ways of warding off evil and so do we, even if said evil is unlikely to be present. Besides, isn't that a Kythian saying; 'speak of the 'Pit and it shall appear', even if you are not really expecting the 'Pit, as you call it?" she leaned forward as her smile faded and her gaze lowered. "However, to answer your question, no, the Trickster decided to be merciful and there have not been any daylight attacks." When Sieg mentioned her use of the word 'human', Zoya shrunk back a little, as though she suddenly realised what she said. The flush in her cheeks suddenly became more noticable and she opened her mouth to speak. However, Orrin got there first, giving her some breathing room. She nodded in response to his question. "Yes and no," she clapsed her hands, her fingers fidgeting, "Nobody has seen it so everyone has different ideas. Some people think it is human, according to one set of legends. Other people think it is a wild beast, according to other sets. And nobody can confirm or deny that because...because nobody remembers the attacks. All they know is...is the fact that this creature, whatever it is, has a mouth full of very sharp, pointed teeth, like no human ever had.But it definitely isn't human no matter how you look at it. Even if it has a human face, it cannot be anything but a monster." she looked up suddenly at the knights and bowed her head. "Um, I do apologise if my careless remark caused offence. I am just...not used to dealing with p- anybody like you." The noblewoman picked up her cup, putting it to her lips. When she took it away and put it back down again, she put a hand to her cheek, checking to see if she was still flushed, before breathing in and sighing. "I would not trust what somebody in Destrier says. A Kythian cannot know what is going on out here, not truly. All I know is what I have heard and what...has happened. I'm sure others will have more information to give you but that is all I know." "On lighter topics," A bit of a smile returned to Zoya's face as she leaned over to face Orrin. "His Grace told the estimated days, according to how long it usually takes to get here. I did ask a few people around town that I know to look out for two knights matching your description to tell me if they saw you. It was quite tough to convince them that I was sane when I told them about you, Sir Ironbeard," she giggled and shook her head. "I happened to be out in town when I spotted you, which was quite a bit of luck. As for how His Grace knew when you were coming, well," she shrugged. "That's not for me to know or to question." She gave Orrin a nod and pushed the buns towards him. "I'll tell my cook. She usually makes more than I can eat on my lonesome so help yourself. Otherwise it will go back to my servants," she laughed again. "Sometimes I swear I pay my servants in food." A silence descended over the noblewoman as she paused to ponder some more things. As opposed to before, when she had first met the knights, her merriment seemed to come and go. "I'm just sorry I could not give more information about the vampire. Whatever it is, it's hiding well. And it's keeping us all in the town so scared in the process. Nobody knows who is going to be the next victim. Even if you've been bitten, that's no guarantee you're safe," she buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders convulsed a little. "I pray you find it. I pray the Trickster decides he has had enough fun with our lives." Zoya clarifies some more points, including commenting on Kythian and Langean relations. She is embarrassed by the 'human' gaffe and tries to lighten things up but talking about the vampire is having a strain on her.
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Post by Shinko on Jan 14, 2015 12:10:31 GMT -5
The half-elf frowned, a faint flush crawling across his face again, though it was clear annoyance was stronger than embarrassment this time- he was getting heartily tired of being flustered and embarrassed today. "As I said before, when it comes to situations like this we can take nothing for granted. I have to work under the assumption that until proven otherwise, what is said is exactly what is meant. I'm sorry that I am not versed enough in Langian culture to understand such things- to be completely honest I'm not really that well acquainted with human lore and superstition in general. I live among elves for the most part and for all that they are legendary in their own right, elves are very practically minded." Trying to pull back on his frustrations, he shot a fleeting smile towards Orrin- at least he seemed to have gotten over whatever was making him so quiet earlier. He ate some more to give himself space to think, and then said. "I think in the absence of evidence in either direction, we shouldn't make assumptions about the nature of the vampire, human or otherwise. And Zoya, I never meant to suggest that someone in Destrier would know more about what is happening in Tarpan than a local- I only sought clarification. But I doubt this is the first instance of such a thing, so there's no reason to assume Bern might not have had it's own experience with vampires to work off of. I'll keep an open mind, but I'm not ready to completely dismiss Stephen's words when they're more or less all we have to work with." The half-elf shuddered a bit. "If no one remembers the attacks, that does match with what he mentioned about vampires being able to manipulate people through suggestion at the very least." Realizing he'd gotten a bit stiff, he sighed and rubbed his face. "Listen, I'm sorry that relations between the Tarpan area and the rest of Kyth are so tense- it's understandable, given the history. But we do mean well, and we will do our best to stop this. Regardless of borders, politics, and the fact that they don't really like us, the folks here don't deserve to suffer under the whims of a blood-sucking fiend." He offered Zoya a wan smile. "Orrin and I may not be 'human' but I assure you we are 'people' just the same as any of your friends out in the city. Regardless of if our source in Destrier is right our wrong, regardless of if the vampire is a human, an animal, or a vegetable, we will find it and we will stop it." Sieg's getting a bit miffed with being flirted with and giggled at, on top of the passive-aggressive implications that all Kythians are biased against Lange and think they're smarter (after all he's been nothing by polite to Zoya so far). In an effort to not act out his annoyance he defaults on being neutrally elf-polite. Then he realizes he got stiff for a minute there, and apologizes, trying to reassure Zoya that one way or another they will figure out what's really going on in Tarpan and fix it.
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Post by Omni on Jan 14, 2015 13:51:09 GMT -5
With the way that Sieg and Zoya talked so much and focused mostly on each-other, Orrin was starting to feel less like a member of the conversation and more like an observer. Sure, Sieg had given him a brief smile (which the half-dwarf wasn't sure what that was about), and Zoya had addressed some things to both knights... but he mostly found himself observing Zoya as he continued to eat (and grabbed a couple more of the straight-line rolls once he found out they had mushrooms inside). When it came to words, it didn't feel like Orrin had much to add that his fellow knight hadn't already expressed. Not much, but still something. "Hey now," he said to the noblewoman. "There's nothin' wrong with bein' paid with food," Orrin said with a smile and a slight joking tone. "And I'm alright with the 'human' bit... but I'd like to ask that ya be a little more kind talkin' about His Grace. I know he can be a little... off-puttin' sometimes, but he generally wants what's good and can actually be pretty friendly. "And just because yer house answers to his doesn't mean ya can't or always shouldn't ask him questions; or that yer somehow less important." He gestured toward the noblewoman with a half-eaten, jam-filled roll. "Heck, I'd bet that Alain'd like to hear from ya and learn what he can about ya." Orrin feels the others have mostly focused on talking to each-other and sort of left him out. He thinks Zoya may have been a bit rude talking about Alain, and suggests that the Grand Duke might actually like to get to know her.
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Post by Celestial on Jan 15, 2015 17:57:25 GMT -5
Zoya's head turned away from Sieg and down towards her cup as she caught wind of his tone. She listened as the knights talked at her, pondering what to say. It was clear he was annoyed and she was losing the trust she wanted and needed from him. Orrin was a little more friendly but he was also not saying much. There was also the cultural differences that were seeming to manifest from their conversation. She was going to have to pick her next words carefully, lest she keep accidentally offending them. At Orrin's joke, however, her smile returned and she looked up at him. "My servants have families to clothe and house too, not just to feed. I feel like they would object," she laughed. At the mention of the Grand Duke, however, she bowed her head again. "I have nothing but the highest respect for his Grace. Which is why I will not question his decisions. That is considered very rude in my culture, to question your superior. I hope you understand. If he wishes to learn, he should ask, I feel like his Grace knows enough about my people to understand that," she smiled and ran a thin finger around the rim of her cup, "As much as I admire Kythians like you two, Sir Ironbeard, Sir Braham, who can question their superiors, I do not think I could ever bring myself to do it. It's the difference in our cultures." The noblewoman turned back to Sieg and bowed her head, the pearls in the earrings she was wearing tilting forward. "I am very sorry for offending you again, Sir Braham, and I pray you are not too annoyed at me for my poorly-chosen words and actions. I do not mean to discredit your friend in Destrier and you are very right, we have to assume nothing, since even in Tarpan, all the reports are mixed and it's hard to pin down a single version of events. I will gladly admit I am wrong if you find anything to contradict otherwise, since my experience is...limited," she looked up at him, meeting his eyes and giving him an earnest look, "I pray I am not a hinderence to you, going outside the role his Grace asked of me. I know a translator should be neutral and unbiased. But it is difficult for me, in this case, I will admit. I am afraid." However, the ghost of a smile began to return to her face. Zoya looked between the two knights. "And for what it is worth, I am grateful that you decided to try to help us. Most people would not be so selfless as to risk life and limb to help strangers who barely even speak their own language. I do believe you when you say you want to help, it's written all over you. And it is appreciated, believe me. The people of Lange may not be the friendliest but we are not ungrateful and I am grateful to you. You are good men," she paused at that word, "If I may use the term." Zoya shook her head. "Regardless of our nationalities or species, we do have a common enemy: the vampire. As I said before, whatever you want me to do, I will do it for you," the noblewoman bowed her head again. "I am at your service." She paused for a moment, ruminating over the words before deciding to spit them out. "For what it is worth, I do feel more hopeful now than I have felt since the attacks begun. At least somebody wants to help us. And I am very glad for it. I don't want to be afraid anymore." Zoya goes quiet as she notices Sieg's annoyance and hopes she has not offended the knights. She explains the Langean position on authority and why she doesn't challenge Alain but he is hopeful now that the knights are here. And offers to do whatever she can for then, even if she is scared.
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Post by Shinko on Jan 15, 2015 20:59:18 GMT -5
At Zoya's words, Sieg felt very much like an insensitive jerk. He looked down, mentally kicking himself for letting his temper get the better of him. "No, it's I who should apologize. I've always been a touch socially awkward and easily flustered, and it grates me sometimes. My inability to keep myself composed is hardly your fault." He sighed. "Admittedly, I'm usually with a much larger group of knights, and while I often play translator since elves have their own language, I am seldom in the role of diplomat myself. There are others far better suited to that task than I." He rubbed the back of his head, hesitating for a long minute, before finally adding softly, "For what it's worth, I do know how it feels to live in fear of something you can't hide from or fight- a fear that damages your quality of life." The half-elf looked towards Orrin, his mouth quirking in a grateful smile. "It does make a difference, having someone willing to help. Not feeling like you have to face a problem alone makes a world of difference." He sobered then, and folded his arms. "So now what? I suppose our next move should be to talk to the townspeople and see what we can glean. Then... figure out how to approach things after sunset. We definitely don't want to be caught napping and end up with someone getting hurt or dying tonight." Sieg apologizes for being a jerk, opens up a little bit to Zoya to try and express his sympathy, then brings up what their next move should be.
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Post by Omni on Jan 18, 2015 0:17:33 GMT -5
"It does make a difference, having someone willing to help. Not feeling like you have to face a problem alone makes a world of difference."Orrin found himself giving a touched, but awkward smile. As glad as he was to hear that Sieg appreciated his efforts, he wasn't sure if it was the kind of thing he wanted to mention in front of others, especially people they barely knew. Granted, he supposed it was Sieg's problem, so it would've been Sieg's choice to share. Sieg then folded his arms. "So now what? I suppose our next move should be to talk to the townspeople and see what we can glean. Then... figure out how to approach things after sunset. We definitely don't want to be caught napping and end up with someone getting hurt or dying tonight.""We definitely wanna gather info," the half-dwarf said. "After that... we might need to wing it. I guess we can do what we did in Haflinger and try to get some sleep before night." Orrin appreciates Sieg's gratitude, but isn't sure now is the time to share it. Right now, his plans involve 'gather info,' 'sleep before night,' and 'wing it.'
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Post by Celestial on Jan 18, 2015 15:40:56 GMT -5
She looked directly at Sieg and gave him a warm smile before briefly dipping her head down to him. "It's quite alright, all is forgiven. I certainly understand having to play translator and diplomat, even though I must confess I might not be the most suitable person for it," the noblewoman fiddled with the end of her braid. "I am still quite young and the only reason I do this is because I'm one of the only members of House Sable who lives here. Most Langean nobles stay away from the cities, since much of our power is based on agriculture and the serfs," she paused for a moment, pondering something. "Or rather, it was, at leastin our case. But it's hard to relocate the seat of the House," she said before shaking her head. "I am sorry, I do go on sometimes." At the suggestions that the two knights made to continue investigating before nightfall came, Zoya shook her head. "No, that...that won't be necessary," he hesitated and lowered her eyes. This was going to come as a blow for the two, especially given their conversations earlier, but it was inevitable that it would have to be mentioned sooner or later. "You asked about a pattern of attacks earlier? The vampire attacks every few days, sometimes up to a week. And it," she shuddered. "It fed last night. I don't know who on but rumours say a merchant who had come in for the festival. I don't know if he lived or died but...either way, I don't think the vampire will attack tonight." She sighed and bowed her heard, murmuring a quick prayer for the man's soul before giving the knights a weak smile, a smile that threatened to break at any second. "But that's good, right? It gives you some time to rest and investigate properly so you can find it? And...and get rid of it," she glanced between both the knights, her eyes once again lingering on Sieg. "Please. You're the only ones who can." Sieg's comment brought an expression of puzzlement across Zoya's face. She tilted her head and gazed at him curiously. "I don't understand. You're a knight who is going to face a monster that leaves most people here quaking in their boots. Sir Braham, what could you possibly be so afraid of?" Zoya knows the feel about not being a diplomat but having to be. She then gives the knights some terrible news about the last vampire victim and tries to look on the bright side of the horrible murder. And then, oh no, I don't think this is a question you want to ask, girl. =/
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Post by Shinko on Jan 19, 2015 18:40:58 GMT -5
Sieg was about to agree with Orrin, but when Zoya revealed that the vampire had just attacked someone the previous night, his head snapped around and his jaw tightened. "That's..." he cursed softly in Elvish, covering his face with a hand. "If we'd just been a little faster..." Sieg shook his head, "You should have told us that already, Zoya. It's important for us to know these things." He looked to Orrin bleakly. "I suppose finding out who this person is or was would have to be our first priority- If they're alive, they might be able to tell us something. If not, well... a fresh attack might at the very least afford us a chance to survey the crime scene if we can locate it. I seriously doubt the people here would consent to letting us examine the body for clues, but we'll have to do the best we can. Woo above, though, we just missed it?" The knight crossed his arms at Zoya's suggestion they take the night off. "As to resting, I'm of two minds. On the one hand, I don't like sitting around waiting for the enemy to corner me in some dark alley at night- better to seek it out and fight it on our terms. On the other, going straight into it's den, wherever that is, is an equally bad idea. Not to mention we don't even know where to begin looking, aside from 'in the forest, maybe.'" He shook his head. "I suppose for now, finding out what we can is the best we can do- no point in trying to plan on no information." At Zoya's question, however, he flinched. "It's hard to explain to someone who's never seen real combat. Let's just say that I've seen things I don't like to remember but my mind won't let me forget, and leave it at that." Sieg talks to Orrin and Zoya about strategy and his frustrations with the fact that they just missed an attack what really? Also he evades Zoya's question because of course he does.
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Post by Omni on Jan 24, 2015 1:01:11 GMT -5
Orrin blinked in surprise when he heard that the vampire had just fed, his eyes widening somewhat. Quietly, he slowly set down the pickle he was tasting, making sure to swallow before speaking. "...Well, I guess we gotta use every advantage we can get, one way or another." "I do think it'd be better to get what information we can now. The longer we wait, the more likely somethin' will get... mixed up." He glanced out the window. "Of course, if we don't want to get caught off-guard, we probably should be back before nightfall. And if we want to do that, we'd probably be better get goin' now." He decided not to say anything about Sieg's nightmares. As far as he was concerned, the sooner they got away from that topic, the better. Orrin thinks they should try to get info right away, and be back before dark.
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Post by Celestial on Jan 25, 2015 7:05:21 GMT -5
Sieg's flinch did not escape Zoya's notice. She tilted her head slightly, her curiousity piqued by this cryptic non-answer but in the end, she gave him a nod. "I understand, better than you think. You're hardly the only man to feel that way and I am familiar with others like you. The stress of battle is one all Langeans know, even the women. We are the ones who have to tend to our men when they come back, after all," she looked up at him, her eyes open and earnest. "I won't force you to talk about something so painful here then. But know that there is no shame in feeling that way. Even the strongest men can be cut down by the fatigue of war, by killing otherwise good men and by losing the comrades they care so deeply for." The noblewoman lowered her head into her shoulders at the knight's slight reprimand, clasping her fingers together in her lap. "I am sorry. I didn't know when to bring it up, since I knew that you would be disheartened by this news," she swallowed and tried to smile weakly at them. "It's not your fault, you couldn't have known. And now that you're here, at least you can do your best to make sure nobody else dies. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it does buy us a little time to figure things out. Even if you don't think rest is a good idea, which...you're probably right. As much time as we have, it isn't long." Zoya then lifted up her hands and put them on the table as though to push it away and looked up at the two knights. "If the rumours are correct and the victim was a merchant, it is likely he would have been staying at one of the inns. However, it is best to check at the Temple, since that is where the body would be delivered eventually. I'll do my best to let you see the body before it is burned," she paused for a second, "That's our custom, we don't bury our dead. Especially those who are the victims of vampire attacks or died far from home." With that, she got up from the bench she was sitting on. "Whenever you are ready to leave, we can go," she gestured at the food with her hand. "Take whatever you want, I'll get my servants to put the rest away." Zoya is sympathetic towards Sieg's PTSD, since being a warrior culture, it is well known in Lange. She agrees that it's probably best to check out the victim now and tells them that she'll do her best to let them see the body.
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