Flashback [Sunset Falls] The Further We Fall… The More We Break

[Alevadra Druva]

52nd of Fall, 502AV “Come on, Morning glory, get a move on.” Patrick was dressed in his fall linens, strapping on his armor as Ale loaded up Lyris. It was an early, chilly fall morning. Alevadra was turning 18 years in less than a season; she was nearly a knight in truth, her training nearing completion… Soon she would have her quest and Patrick would have to watch her go to complete it. Alevadra was loading up Lyris with food for the day, and the basics they would need. The two were not going far; it was a short trip to the sunset falls. Patrick wanted Ale to practice a bit more of her archery, and the season was just right to find a few birds. The squire grunted as she hefted the saddle upon Lyris’s back, strapping it under her belly. Her hair was long now, pale blonde strands braided down her back. A few strands about her face never seemed long enough to tuck into the braid, instead, Ale fought with them constantly to keep them out of her eyes. “Just about all set, Ser,” Ale said, adding the last bit on with a touch of poison in her words. Patrick laughed and shrugged. “Hey, soon, you’re going to be a knight and I won’t have anyone to do all this work for me... I better enjoy it while it lasts, right?” He laughed, while rotating his arm to check the range of motion and assure the pauldrons were on correctly. Ale gave him a look before huffing and leaning against Lyris, patting her side. “Alright, both horses are loaded up, I should wear full plate?” Patrick waved it off. “We’re not on patrol, just a little training,” Ale waited for a full answer. “Bring your half plate with, but don’t bother with the full plate, we want to be back by night fall if we can. The armor will still slow you down.” Patrick was so used to his armor that he could ride his horse without any issue at a gallop. Ale was still learning to do such things on a horse. The squire nodded and went about packing the half plate to bring along; they wanted to get moving early. “We’re following just behind a patrol, we’ll encounter no problems, if we do, the patrol will encounter them first.” He smiled slightly, watching Ale move about the stable. “Good, ready to go, Patrick?” She turned to face him, holding a few sweets and giving them to the horses. “You and those petching sweets… I think you eat more of them than the horses. It’s amazing how tiny you remain despite it.” He stood and prodded Ale’s skinny abdomen. “Ow! Hey!” She frowned while putting a sweet in her mouth. “Alright, Morning Glory, let’s get going.” He tugged on his warhorses reins and began to lead the stallion from the stables, Ale soon followed with Lyris. The two were outside the gates and mounted in no time, beating the sun to start the day. Just a sliver upon the horizon was all the hint of morning available. “I can’t remember, have you been to the sunset falls?” Ale paused to think about the question before shaking her head no. “I think my mother was going to take me there once I was older and able to use her bow,” It was a place Jasme` had enjoyed going, it was peaceful and a real test of skill with the extraneous sounds. Patrick just nodded ever so slightly. “Seems like a fitting place to go before you get your quest,” It was more fitting considering its significance to Ale’s parents. Jasme` had always loved going there and Victor would take her there often. “Lets see… The last time I was there was on patrol a few seasons ago, you remember when you got that terrible cold? Where you began to sound like a man?” “Yes, thank you for that reminder,” Patrick laughed and nodded. “Yeah… That was the winter I had patrol! Ah… Winter patrols, I could go the rest of my life without another of those.” Their talks became casual, the patrol they were following had left a bell earlier, and their tracks were still fresh in the soft, fall dirt. The air was sweet as they entered the Bronze Wood, the scent of fallen leaves decaying over the rich soil filled Ale’s nostrils. It was a soothing scent, one of simultaneous death and birth. The leaves were dying, but in their end they were making it possible for life to flourish the following Spring. Without the nutrients the leaves left to the soil, the flowers, trees, shrubs-even the weeds would not breathe such wonderful life into the forest. “Patrick,” Ale broke the momentary silence that had fallen over them as they had entered the woods. “Yes, Ale?” She fiddled with the leather strap that was Lyris’s reins. “When you got your quest, did you feel like you were ready for it?” His green eyes shifted to Ale, looking at her with a stern gaze for a long moment. He thought upon his words, Ale could see that in his face, in the thin line that was his lips. Attention moved back to the road as he spoke. “Yes… And no. I was ready to go on the quest, however, it was not until I received it that I was truly ready. Victor was… A hard teacher, first and foremost, I was to be a knight, to serve and protect—everything else was secondary.” The man leaned back in his saddle as his warhorse continued on—clearly bored with the rather dull task at hand. “Your question isn’t what you really want to ask, Ale. I know you well enough to know what you want to ask. Did I feel ready to be a knight?” Brown eyes looked away from her patron, golden strands hanging about her cheeks—for once their rebellious nature was a benefit. “I cannot answer that for you, Ale. You will not get your quest till you are ready to be a knight. I was ready from day one, Victor saw that, which is why I was his squire.” Calloused fingered brushed the blonde strands from her face as Ale moved to look at the man beside her, her fingers holding the golden bits to the side of her head. “You doubt yourself, little Druva, which is such a pity.” Silence fell between them once more as the horses continued onward. “I do not doubt that I will be able to be a knight… I doubt that I will be a knight worthy of my name.” The man beside her made a rather startling noise, a mix between a laugh and what Ale imagined a half-strangled Dhani would sound like. The sound made her start in her saddle, only encouraging Patrick to continue the bizarre noise. “Oh, Ale. If I have learned anything from you, it is that above all else… You are worthy of your name and then some. You are surely your mother’s daughter and your father’s daughter. You are relentless, driven, you will be more of a knight than I could ever dream of being.” Ale’s face screwed as Patrick continued on. “You are beyond committed, Ale. You are sworn. You have taken on this world, this duty you have pledged to as more than just your duty or even your life. You breath this, you bleed this, you are, without a doubt in my mind—I swear by Tyveth—A young woman who will be a knight from dawn to dusk and in your sleep.” Patrick watched Ale, who could only managed a silenced stare. “You’ve been like that ever since your mother died. She would be proud to know that her only child will do her family proud.” His attention went back to the road—as did Ale’s, as the young woman tried to digest everything her patron had just said. Patrick was known to encourage Ale, her regular self-criticism was always an adventure to deal with. She was hard on herself; her expectations of where she should be with any given task were always… Extreme. The victories she did experience were small and often plagued with “I could do better. I need to do better.” Patrick, of course, was the roots of the tree, he kept her stable, upright, positive. He knew the things to say to keep her going, to brighten up. Patrick always said the right things. It made being around the knight more than comfortable. Since the death of her Mother, Ale spent more time with Patrick than anyone else. He’d become her family, her home, her life revolved around her duty as a squire and her constant personal battle to better herself. “Come on, Morning Glory, you’re making this awkward. I just said you’re petching perfect Knight material and all you can do is sit there sulking?” Her head jolted up, looking to him and shaking her head. “Oh! No! No! I’m not sulking! You can’t expect me to have any idea what to say to that!” The knight looked rather triumphant. “Ah, Ser Frent has made little Alevadra Druva speechless, this is a date to record and remember for eternity.” He jested. “Enjoy it while it lasts, Ser, not likely to happen again.” Patrick winked at the blonde. “Oh, I wouldn’t count on that, Ale… I have a few tricks up my sleeves.” Ale laughed and nodded slightly. “Right, I’m not going to hold my breath for those… You’ve yet to use any of them. I’m starting to think the only thing you’ve got up your sleeves are arms.” Patrick rolled his eyes and continued on. “Don’t doubt me, morning glory, you’d be surprised what I’m capable of.”