Completed [The Rearing Stallion] Another dream? Or Reality? (Septimus)

[Viper]

By now the shock of seeing Septimus was beginning to wear off. And as they settled into their conversation, he did still find it almost humorous how two people who have never physically met could simply do so as if they had been friends forever. It was a good feeling. Especially since it had been a while that he had an actual friend to pass the time with.

Viper kept taking occasional sips from his beer as Septimus cryptically spoke of some threat to Syliras that seemed to not be great as much as a nuisance that just needed to be stopped. Perhaps had even just gone to far and was beginning to get out of hand. Her desire to keep the details a secret though only served to make Viper want to know more. It seemed something interesting was afoot, but debated in his mind the wisdom of getting involved in Syliran affairs. He had heard plenty of stories of Syliran Knights being very unforgiving for even small offenses.

He had been surprised by her earlier declaration at never having tried meet before, and now smiled as she seemed to savor the taste. "Well I take it the house meal for the evening is good? I might have to order one myself. Never a good idea to drink on an empty stomach anyway. Otherwise the alcohol goes straight to your head." With that, he flagged down the barmaid who had helped him earlier and ordered a meal for himself.

Turning back toward Septimus, he contemplated her last question for a second. "Well, I am ambidextrous actually. So my goal is to learn to duel wield my cutlasses here." He said as matter of factly while nodding to the two swords on his back. "However, my skills with a bow are by far superior to those with a sword." He confessed with a mix of both pride and slight displeasure. "As for my current defense tactics..." He shrugged. "Honestly, range and appearances are my greatest allies currently."

A smile broke out across his face as he thought about it. "It's actually kind of funny. You put a piece of cloth around the lower part of your face and carry a few weapons in easy to see places, and people tend to think of you as a lot more fierce than you may actually be." A low chuckles escaped his lips as he then continued. "I mean don't get me wrong. I can handle myself well enough in a fight as you saw from our dream. But I am not the greatest fighter out there. My quarry tends to be animals, not men."

He took a gulp of his beer before continuing. "But that's why I'm looking forward to our training sessions. I wish to become as deadly against men as I can be to animals. For defenses purposes of course, and helping my friends out of tight spots. I'm sure as a squire, you can understand that. And how about you. How has your training as a squire been going? You looking to be made a Knight any time soon?"

[Septimus]

Viper spoke of a weakness he had: that was his cutlasses in which he wanted to work with. Septimus had no experience with them herself and had let alone not even seen one. However, she had a faint idea that she would soon enough become familiar with them if their plans to practice didn't fall through. This would also aid in Septimus' experience for she could learn how to deflect again certain techniques and how to deal with different blades.

Then he spoke of his strength: a short bow. Septimus needed to work with a bow, but she had watched the difference between shortbows and longbows. It appeared that while shorebows were more compact, longbows had more range and were more powerful. Septimus would perhaps work on it later on her own time. If she still felt it was a prominent need at the time of their next practice, she might bring it up.

He proceeded to ask her of how training was going and Septimus had to think for a second. How exactly was training going? In Septimus' mind, it wasn't good enough. Nothing was nor ever would be good enough. She would always think that she would have room for improvement. Thus, she would.

She took another drink from her bittersweet beer and swallowed another piece of the juicy meat with a low and short hum as she thought.

"It's been going fairly well. I've always got room for improvement and I always feel like I could do more, but overall, I'm pretty satisfied. And my Knight status will only come just as fast as I work my ass off to get it. It's coming steadily but I think I'm pretty happy that I'm getting this experience as a Squire."

Another bite and a drink from her beer, only then to be followed up and diluted with a large swig from her water.

"I've been getting better with my broadsword but I'm still not quite there yet. My shield has become a very important tool as well when it comes to defense but I'm gradually learning that it's pretty good offensively as well. I have yet to begin a ranged weapon but I'll attack that problem later."

"Talk"

[Viper]

As the conversation continued, Viper's meal soon arrived, and he too began to dig in while listening. Not bad at all, he thought to himself after taking the first bite of the meat. Course then again, it wasn't difficult to best the kind of food that could be prepared in a field kitchen with limited supplies. He savored the flavor of the morsel before taking another swig of his beer to wash it down.

"Well that's good to hear." He pondered for a moment. He really was getting the better end of this particular deal. Her training with him, would be little benefit to her when she could train with someone else more experience and advance faster. Perhaps he could offer a little bit more. "Tell ya what, if your interested. I'd be happy to show you how to use a short bow a bit if ya like. That way it's not just me benefiting from the weapons training. I mean I know it wouldn't replace your sword or anything. But it never hurts to have a back-up weapon. Or even a ranged weapon for surprise, or attacks when getting close just isn't an option."

He took another bit of his food to let his additional offer sink in before he continued with another question. "Tell me though, in regards to the swords. Is there much of a difference between fighting with a broadsword and fighting with a cutlass? They both seem fairly similar, unlike them and say a rapier." While waiting for a response, he downed the rest of his beer and with a playful smirk, lightly slammed the empty mug onto the table. "Three." He finished with a wink. If they were indeed going to be spending more time together, he was beginning to think that this was going to be a favorite past time. For he knew all two well, she didn't like backing down from a challenge, and was not usually willing to admit defeat.

One thing he was starting to wonder about though, is what other knights might think of his hanging around and training with one of their squires. For he had no clue what their protocols were on such dealings…if they had any at all on the matter that is.

[Septimus]

Septimus nodded at him as she chewed the last morsel of meat on her dish, loving it and savoring every little drop of juice the piece of cooked flesh left in her mouth or on her tongue. Septimus swallowed then cleared her throat with a long and slow drink from her second beer, chugging it. She pulled her lips away from the bittersweet drink, sending a tingling feeling down her throat and up her spine.

She finished it off with a sigh then chuckled "Two. Hit it again. I'll go back stumbling before I'll admit defeat. You should know that much, Viper." As her glass was once more refilled only then did she address him with the thought of learning bow.

"Well, I would say I'm interested. I could use any and all of the training possible anyways. In that case, I do believe that I'll have to take you up on your offer. I need to learn a ranged weapon. I don't believe that I'll always be able to handle everything with a broadsword and shield. I'll need the practice and certainly any and all skill and experience."

Septimus began to work on her potato then mushed up the insides with her fork to the point where it was easy just to scoop a bit out and into her mouth. It was somewhat bland as it was welcomed on her tongue. Nothing compared to the slab of meat she had just devoured. A few more bits of it and the small potato was gone as well, following closely behind the steak.

Viper then proceeded to bring up a subject that intrigued Septimus' mind and she sat completely up and sat her eating utensils down with a slight shrug. "Well, I think really that everyone has their own personalized ways of fighting with different weapons. You may learn the basic ways from someone and then later, you may disagree or find that another way is an easier fit for you personally. Thus, you end up creating your own customized style all in all. I mean, I'm not exactly an expert but that's mostly what I've observed. I mean, the general idea is the same but the mechanics to accomplish that in the process may vary, if that makes any sense."

"Talk"

[Viper]

He laughed at her sudden surge of confidence in her drinking ability. Though in this case, he was fairly confident he would come out the victor. "Actually I do believe that is three for you already. You had one before joining me. Which means we are tied once again. Still I wouldn't suggest you attempting to bite off more than you can chew squire." He said in a confident tone. "I do believe you will find yourself HOPELESSLY outmatched in this case!" He finished in a half joking manner, goading her further, curious to see how far her insatiable desire for victory would push her. He couldn't help but admire the woman's tenacity though. Even he couldn't recall ever seeing such a strong willed woman. At least not one that was still a pleasure to be around.

When she went on to accept his offer to teach her about the short bow, he nodded. "Wonderful! I look forward to it then. But I do understand where you're coming from. I sacrifice having a shield currently to be able to carry my weapons. I sort of have a mindset of a good offense is a good defense." He shrugged as he listened to Septimus go on to answer his last question.

A hand raised to his chin as he listened carefully. Viper may be able to drink her under the table currently, and best her with the short bow, but she was by far the superior when it came to sword play. And her response intrigued him. He had often wondered how if everyone fought the same way with a certain type of sword how anyone would really win since both sides would know all the moves. He had supposed before the answer to lie in simple speed of action, and/or experience with executing those moves smoothly. But customizing a style to suit ones needs would make more sense, in addition at least. It meant anything could happen even in a certain style of fighting. Simply to many variables to calculate. Speed, experience, unexpected personalized tricks, perhaps even just dumb luck. Very interesting. "Mmm, yes it makes perfect sense."

His earlier concern began to naw at the back of his mind again. Not wishing to cause any problems, he finally decided to simply ask about it. After taking another gulp of his fourth beer, he inquired. "So Septimus, I'm curious. As a squire....I imagine, you're supposed to be training with other squires or perhaps even other knights correct? How exactly would your brethren take to you training with an outsider? Someone who's is not even a resident of the city. A person who it seems will not only be teaching you, but also learning your fighting techniques." After finishing, he took a couple more bites of his vanishing plate of food, soaking up the juices of the meat with his potatoes so as not to waste a single drop.

[Septimus]

"Gah! Damn it, Viper! You've already got me forgetting how many drinks I've had!" A hearty laugh escaped her warm lips as she began to work on her fourth cup. A slight buzz was beginning to come on as she was getting the numbness feeling coming upon her face again. Her nose was tingling and her lips were as well. She pushed the glass away and took a drink of her water to try and dilute it. If the buzz could wear off soon, she might could finish it.

"I'm headstrong, not stupid. Too much of this shyke and I might as well be fighting the bloody damn chickens again with my bare hands." Another chuckle escaped her lips slightly as she shoved another bite of food into her mouth; this time the variety including the last category of morsels on the plate left; the greens topped with nuts.

It wasn't nothing like she was expecting but it did carry a somewhat vague taste of a certain spice. The crunchy leaves and crunchy nuts satisfied the uproar of her equine brain. Afterall, she had just ate meat much to her mind's displeasure. The taste was well worth while and the meat packed protein to an extent that the nuts wouldn't exactly cover.

A swallow and another drink from the water when Viper asked a question that caused Septimus to go silent for a bit. She rubbed her forehead, then her eyes as she began to think, her blond locks falling in her face, but with a quick and thorough run through from her hand, they were back in place. She needed to think a bit harder as far as this went for the alcohol in the beer was beginning to slow her brain down a bit with the slight buzz.

"Well Aaden," a slight smirk appeared on her face for the quick change in names was more than likely to take him by surprise "I'm actually not quite sure what they think of it. I ain't in trouble exactly, yet, though. I mean, it's training for me and my progression. I'm sure it's not the crime of century though," Septimus shrugged then pursued this thought silently in her head, actually beginning to wonder.

It wasn't exactly just him that she was training with, so it wasn't like she was giving everything away. She was very seclusive on subjects either way so it wasn't like she was exposing the secrets of the Order in any way. It was just that; training.

"Talk"

[Viper]

Viper laughed right along with her when she made the realizing comment about how many drinks she was actually up to. And continued to do so with her analogy of fighting those god awful creatures with no weapons at all. However still in a playful tone he retorted starting with a mock gasp. "Nobody hear thinks your stupid Septimus....but dare I ask. Is that...defeat I hear in your voice? Can it be that the mighty Septimus is throwing in the towel so soon!?"

A victorious grin quickly appeared on his face. "So soon" wasn't really the case in this situation. Even he was beginning to feel the effects of the establishments brew. He was already feeling a bit warm, and his face was starting to redden ever so slightly as it always did whenever he would drink. Though he was still at least 2 or 3 beers away from being at the point where he might have trouble walking a line.

He began to drink some more when her use of his real name had indeed caught him off guard. To his credit he didn't really show it, save for a brief pause in the middle of his drinking and a slightly confused frown that appeared. The expression quickly vanished though as he continued to drink, a small smirk appearing as he set his beer back down on the table to listen. Curious he thought. Wonder what that was about... more than trying to figure out her sudden shift to being more personal in the use of his actual name, he reflected on the strangeness of hearing it spoken by someone not his family. It had been quite a while since he had heard it uttered after all, by anyone in reality.

As she went on to calm his concern about what her fellow knights might have to say about training with him, he finished off what left of his food. He always was a fast eater. Might of had something to do with eating out in the wild a lot. The need to constantly be on guard tended to make one move quickly through things that could distract such as eating. Turning his fork upside down and resting it on his plate, he washed the food down with another gulp of his beer, savoring the flavors of the different items he just enjoyed.

"Well good then. Wouldn't want to get you in trouble." He said with a grin. Waiting for her to finish her own plate of food he then held up his mug to her. "Ok Septimus. I won't push you past 4 beers tonight. BUT! You have to at least finish the fourth....that is if you're up to it! Bottoms up!" He then waited for her to grab her mug and was going to down what was left at the same time she did.

[Septimus]

"No! I'm definitely not throwing in the towel... more like setting it on fire, but no, not throwing it in." She paused with a sigh then looked at Viper for a brief moment "You know, you ain't exactly helping me out provoking me, Viper." A smirk growing on her face only then to fade to a nothing with a sigh.

"I really do have to watch it though." Septimus swished the rest of the half of her water left in her glass and took another bite of the greens and nuts, savoring the taste in her mouth and chewing it slowly to cause any and all flavor to sink into her mouth and soon every single bit of it was gone as her sapphire eyes seemed to grow dull.

Tired was the word to perhaps describe her right now as well as on the verge of growing slightly tipsy. She found that she seemed to grow slightly more spunky and outgoing after a few drinks. Maybe it was a good thing or maybe it was a bad thing. One thing was for sure and that was the fact that Septimus had a double opinion on the topic.

One side of her said it was a bad thing; a poison in a drink to your body that corrupted your mind and your way of thinking. Thus, making it bend your mentality and your body to its will. If your body put up a fight, it was your tolerance. The other side of her mind said it was a good thing; it helped ease stress and become one way to relax. It was good in okay portions and amounts.

"Four beers? Shyke." Septimus looked at her plate, put the fork on it and shoved it to the side and took a swig of her water. She leaned back and crossed her arms, looking at Viper for a while to make a judgement. After a bit she sighed "I ain't kidding, Viper. If I can't walk straight, I'm gonna kick your ass." He held up his glass and with a smile and a shake from her head, she grabbed the glass to chug it. It was only about half a glass.

The dark beer's taste went down and left her with a warm sensation in her throat. The bittersweet aftertaste was left and when Septimus put down her mug she coughed and took a deep breath and then looked at Viper with wide eyes. "Damn it." A laugh escaped her lips and she leaned back in her chair, put her arms behind her head, then looked up at the ceiling. Only then did she direct her cobalt irises towards Viper.

"Talk"

[Viper]

Viper chuckled lightly at her warnings. He had to admit, she was a hoot to drink with. Been a long time actually that he had a good drinking friend. It was definitely the welcome change he had been looking for. When she made her 'threat', he once again let out a hearty laugh. "Septimus, if you aren't able to stand, I doubt you'd be able to kick your own chairs ass much less mine!" He laughed again, but soon stifled the gesture as he started to drink right alongside her, almost as if racing to see who could finish their beer first.

A few moments later, they both finished. ....She may have actually beat him, though he wouldn't admit that just yet. Setting his mug down with a semi loud thud, he couldn't help but laugh again as she seemed to stare up at the ceiling a bit before returning her gaze downward. With a clap of his hands, he said proudly, "That a girl Sep! Good for you! We'll make a decent drinker out of you yet." He smiled for a few more moments, temporarily getting lost in her eyes for a second. Shaking off the action to not seem so obvious, he finally rose to his feet.

"Well squire." He said offering a hand to her politely. "Shall we see if there is a need for you to carry out your threat? I did promise I'd get ya back to your barracks safe and sound after all." He raised an eyebrow to see how bold she really was. Would she take his hand, or shy away and try and do it on her own. Either way would surely be interesting to see. So he waited. "Besides, we can talk along the way. Shall we?"

[Septimus]

"No, I'll end up kicking it's ass. Probably by falling on it and breaking it." Another bright laugh escaped her lips as she actually seemed to picture it happening in her mind. A six foot, five inch woman collapsing on a chair after only a few drinks. The thing was, another two and maybe it was actually possible... it was also pretty damn sad.

When he got caught in her eyes, she didn't really notice. She really couldn't notice. A large hulk of a man brushed by her seat and distracted her for a moment, moving her seat and causing her to make sure she had good seating. A mellow "Sorry about that, ma'am." was returned as she looked at him and her face returned to her current company. "It's alight, Sir."

His remarks made he roll her eyes with a smirk on her face, the buzz beginning to grow strong. Another one and she more than likely would be pushing it. More like along the lines of not behind able to think straight she supposed. She didn't want to reach that point. She had seen how drunkards had acted and she wanted no part of it. She had control... in a way.

Need to carry out my threat? Her cobalt eyes looked at him with her own eyebrow raised and another smirk growing in her smile. He held out his hand and Septimus chuckled and went to stand up, but it was much too fast and there was no way she could have stabilized herself in that split of time. She grabbed his hand and used her other to grab the edge of the table, pushing some of her weight onto his arm and some onto the table.

Making sure she had her footing, she used the hand from the table and rubbed her forehead and shook it. "Luckily for you, I can stabilize myself." A wink from her turned her head to the floor and she looked at her feet. She was making sure she had paid.

They headed out the door, her using him as a key ingredient to make sure she wouldn't bend to gravity's will and fall face first into the ground. It wasn't as bad as last time but she had consumed a different beverage and a different amount.

The air from outside the tavern hit her face once she exited, and she sighed.
"How long does it take to get used to this shyke? Better yet, how many to be considered a heavyweight?" Pride was a powerful thing and it was something Septimus had. Especially in her respect. Heavyweights were apparently something to be respected or at least she was under the impression of this.

Her horse form's mind was conflicting against so many things right now. It was almost to the point her head was throbbing, figuratively. Much like the fact that she had went out of her comfort zone and tried a substance capable of putting someone off their feet in certain amounts pertaining to the individual. It was also, still somewhat pissed at her human form's mind for eating meat. That was a highly controversial matter and Septimus was still surprised her conscience was thinking about stupid stuff like that.

"Viper, if I'm gonna end up going to bed like this every night, I might just be better of a lightweight."

"Talk"