Closed Waiting for Morning Light (Alevadra)

[Orion Michaels]

10th Day of Winter, 513 AV
The Bronze Woods
Evening
Continued from here

Orange flames kissed at the cool winter air, the crackling of fire the only sound in an area otherwise devoid of it. Beyond the knights and their horses, not a thing had been seen along their patrol. It was both comforting and worrisome. Scarcely a bird, a deer, a woodland creature of any kind had crossed their paths. It was possible they knew something that the unsuspecting remained blissfully unaware of. It would always serve the knights best to be ever vigilant, but on this eve one particular member would be of no use.

Orion sat by the fire, stirring at the pot that sat over it. Traveler’s stock was a pretty interesting creation, and one that he’d made use of on all of his patrols outside Syliras. While he didn’t have enough to really care for everyone nightly, he didn’t feel right keeping it all to himself. So rather than him getting to enjoy it by his own, he’d decided to split it up. By doing half servings to augment the trail rations, he’d be able to pick four evenings on their trip and boost spirits with a bit of warm broth to help in choking down the stale bread and dried meats.

All he’d really had to do was fetch some water and toss the appropriate amount of the stock in the water and then he was set. It was simple enough, and at the moment he only had to make sure it didn’t boil over. So he would continue to stir, staring into the seductive flames beneath the metal pot. His mind was anywhere but on the meal before him.

Once talkative and witty, the squire had fallen silent many bells earlier, and in the process had possibly soured things between he and another in record time. At his choosing certain subjects arose that almost paralyzed his ability to talk. To try and avoid one sensitive subject, he’d foolishly brought up another. He could still see the confusion and worry in her eyes. Sera Alevadra Druva had been speaking with him, engaged in playful banter while expertly deflecting any flirtatious marks with a wink of her own.

Everything went fine until he decided to shake those skeletons from his closet, if just for a moment. She’d joked about dragging them out, but he’d made it unneeded. Her words still tore at him on the topic, as well.

“If you ever change your mind, Orion, I would be happy to hear the tale of whatever is it you’re running from.”

That had invoked a myriad of emotions from within Orion, though what in previous encounters would have been an aggressive outburst was instead silence. He didn’t understand her seemingly genuine concern for a complete stranger. He understood that the knights looked out for one another, but he’d thought that to be in combat alone. Instead, she was offering ear, knowing full well he had specters from his past he’d yet to face, but did so without being pushy or claiming to know anything about him.

He didn’t know what to do with it. People weren’t selflessly kind to him, there was almost always a string attached.

”Maybe if I pretend like it didn’t happen we can move on. Was a rather enjoyable conversation.” Orion muttered to himself, annoyed at his stupidity. At least stirring the pot didn’t take much at all. There he would sit, not crestfallen, but unsure. It was a state he’d lived much of his life in, and one he never seemed to be able to escape.

[Alevadra Druva]

The silence between Orion and Alevadra lasted much longer than a bell as Ale had suggested. The knight wasn’t going to press the issue of conversation as Orion’s demeanor had shifted dramatically and did not wish for their budding relations to sour so quickly. As such, Alevadra held her tongue, her eyes sticking to the woods, only glancing to Orion every dozen or two chimes. The quiet was both relaxing and uncomfortably unsettling. Distant chatter of the pair in front of them traveled through the air, arriving in a mix of misunderstood sounds. It seemed Orion and Ale were the only on the trip to remain silent. The woods were also as silent, as if to force the quiet to bear down upon Ale, slowly squeezing her until her ears began to ring. The knight was tempted to hum, as she often did while alone and the silence became overbearing, but it didn’t seem the appropriate thing to do in the situation. Instead, Alevadra spent her time trying to figure out what she was supposed to do. Make a joke? Clear her throat? Talk about the patrol? Ale opted for silence, it seemed the best option. Give it a few bells, let him settle, try again? The vibrant rays of day had nearly vanished by the time they reached the first stopping point. All the knights went about getting things settled, taking off the saddles from the horses, feeding them, getting some water to replenish water skins and fetch water for horses. Alevadra made herself busy, glancing to Orion from time to time as she carried water to horses, took off the saddle from Lyris and removed her armor. It was refreshing, getting out of her armor for a bit, setting the heavy metal inside her tent with the saddle and saddlebags. Under the armor, her long woolen tunic was belted about her waist, the surcoat with the glassbeak she’d been wearing over her armor was neatly folded and left beside her armor. Out of all the regalia, armor and symbols, Ale looked just like any old commoner. By the request of Ser Linton, Alevadra went out, fetching wood and twigs for fires. The woods were silent, as if the silence she’d experienced with Orion had suffocated all the living things in the woods. Every step Ale took in her boots sounded like stomps—no matter how lightly she stepped. The knight gathered twigs carrying back to their camp two handfuls, each return trip offered a glance to Orion, who had set himself up at the fire the knights had made, stirring a pot. A pause would hold her as she looked to him, as if hoping to see some sort of change in his demeanor. There was none. After nearly a bell of gathering twigs and wood, Alevadra had found a collected enough for the evening and tomorrow morning. The woman slipped back into her tent, wiping the sweat from her brow from the last bundle she’d carried. A moment was spent, digging through her saddle bags, grabbing rations—and of course—sweets. She exited the tent, into the dark, cool knight, the main light was from the two fires that had been built, one for cooking, one for warmth and general gathering. Orion remained by the fire, stirring the pot. It was as if he hadn’t moved in the slightest since he’d taken up the spot. Silently, she stood by her tent, looking at Orion’s back, silhouetted by the fire. A short sigh, and the woman moved forward to the fire. From over his shoulder, a small hand would appear by Orion’s head, in the open palm was a familiar little honey-yellow sweet. “A dame with a frown like that will never be saved by a knight in shining armor,” The small woman would plop beside Orion, still waiting for him to take the sweet. “I’ll try to get some game for tomorrow, you could throw that in the stock, smells delightful already, though.” She turned and smiled to him. “If you want, we can just sit here silently.” The woman shrugged lightly, brown eyes moving to the fire as she pulled off her boots, stretching her small feet towards the fire to warm. Her rations were set beside her as the woman leaned back on her hands, pressed into the cold dirt. She remained silent for a moment before speaking again. “I’m running too.” She admitted, attention remaining on the flames. “Sometimes knowing you’re not the only one makes the burden more bearable,” She looked over to Orion and smiled. “Well! If you don’t mind talking, what cooking magic do you think you could work on some rabbits in these conditions?”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion had expected Alevadra to approach him again at some point. She’d shown a certain tenacity, and her concern for his sudden shift was clear enough, but more notable was that the worry seemed genuine. Soft, cautious footsteps approached to his rear, the snapping of twigs and crunching of fallen leaves betraying her approach. The squire gently smiled at her words, looking up to her as he replied. ”Summon me some bandits and show me your lovely smile again so I can play the hero, then. It certainly beats being the heel.”

It surprised him to see the candy in her hand once more. That it was there, well, it shouldn’t have. She was demonstrating her sweet tooth more and more as they went along. It had only taken her a day to nail down this truth in Orion’s mind. With a chuckle the squire took the candy, his hand lingering over hers for a moment before snatching the treat up. His eyes flicked down to the honey candy for a moment before he placed it on his tongue, savoring the sugary sweet flavor.

Is she a hunter, too? Orion hadn’t yet mastered the different companies and their duties. She’d given her post earlier that day, but he didn’t know what their area of responsibility was. ”It’s just a broth, but it’ll give us some extra nutrition,” he said plainly, continuing to stir. He sighed softly when she offered to sit there in silence. Orion wouldn’t have been bothered by her being there at all, but he’d given her the wrong impression. ”No, no. This silence is unbearable. Woods are kind of eerie at night.” He flashed a half smile Alevadra’s way. ”I’ll feel much safer with you here protecting me from the wicked creatures of darkness.”

He joked once more, but there she was, back to the topic he couldn’t ignore. Yet, instead of pressing him on his own struggles, she offered the faintest of look into her own skeletons. He opened his mouth to speak, only no words came forth. It was rightly embarrassing. A man who prided himself on a silver tongue and a quick mind was completely disarmed by acts of kindness. ”T-thank you,” he finally managed to choke out.

Blue eyes trailed back down to the broth, the bubbling liquid releasing a lovely aroma into the winter air. ”It would certainly liven up this meal, though I’m not intending to serve it every eve,” he said, lifting the ladle fully from the food and pouring out the contents of the utensil before setting it back down into the warming fluid. ”I don’t have enough for everyone to get a full serving of it, but if I split it into half servings it will last longer and give us a little something to look forward to. The key, I’ve learned, is to build desire for something, but never really give it fully. If I served it every night, one we would run out, but two, it would become expected.” He gave a slight glance towards Alevadra as he spoke. His words, he felt, applied to many things in life. ”If I split it up, only offer a taste, and only when I want to, it becomes more of a treat. Something that uplifts spirits. Maybe it’s too simplified, but I’d like to keep morale up.”

Orion released the ladle, letting it rest against the side of the pot while he crossed his arms and looked up past the pot over to where the other fire sat. ”The trip’s just started and I can feel their drive dipping already. I wonder, are all winter patrols so draining? I’m hoping that the occasional warm broth will really help things out. How absurd is that, Sera?” Smiling once more, he rotated his rear on the cold ground, turning to face Sera Druva.

”As for what I would do with a rabbit,” he began, swirling the hard candy about on his tongue. ”It would certainly add something to the soup. Probably rotisserie. A lack of seasonings would make it pretty plain, probably gamey, but…Oh gods, listen to me ramble. I thought you said I wasn’t a foolish man, Sera Druva. I’m doing what I can to change that opinion, aren’t I?” His eyes fell on her face as she stretched out by the fire. Alevadra was a different woman out of the armor. While she was far from menacing within the metal plate, she looked even less the part out of it. He couldn’t help but grin.

”Why do you do what you do?,” he blurted out suddenly. ”I’ve still got two questions left, right? Well, one, now?” He scooted closer to the knight, enough so that his knees were nearly upon her. ”I’m confused out of my mind, Sera. I’ve never seen anything like this, like what the knights do. Or maybe it’s just you. Forgive me, my exposure to other knights has been..lacking. Dinah…Sera Lorene has limited my exposure to others. Sometimes I wonder if she’s ashamed of me, but I just want to hear it from your lips. If it’s too much, put me in my place. Just..help me understand.” He knew he sounded ridiculous. She was around his age, but he felt like a child seeking answers.

Dinah had spent much of her time teaching him the ways of combat, and the ways of honor and virtue, but the camaraderie they shared was something he knew nothing of. Being possibly the oldest squire in the order, he didn’t build the friendships that many of the other squires held. He was used to relying on himself; strangers just didn’t offer them his ear, not without expectation, not without judgment. There had to be a catch.

[Alevadra Druva]

Alevadra laughed at his bandit comment, shaking her head as she replied. “I’ll be sure to get right onto that, Hero.” She gave him at least half of his request, flashing him one of her vibrant, lively smiles. At least Orion seemed to be more back in his normal sorts—perhaps the evening could yet be salvaged! The squire took the candy, his fingers brushing against her palm, lingering a moment before pulling the sweet away and promptly placing the item in his mouth. He moved on to explain the mixture he was stirring, sure, it was simple, but Ale’s experience with food was mainly what was given to her at a knight and distant memories of her mother’s cooking. To say her culinary experience was minimal would be more than true. “Good, I quite hate the silence, to be honest. But, it seemed to be what was needed at the time.” She nodded slightly to the eerie nature of the woods at night. They were… Off putting at night, distant sounds of creatures and who-knows what. The wind whispering to the trees, the creaking of branches and the bitter chill that even the heavy canvas tents couldn’t keep out. Ale feared the forest—at least, she feared being in the forests alone, unprepared, vulnerable. “You’re lucky to have such a dashing, heroic knight beside you,” She joked, nudging Orion’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you safe from the boogey man.” It seemed Ale had a way of making Orion uncomfortable—or at least partially speechless. All she was trying to do was reassure him, perhaps that was the issue. Openness and genuine kindness were not a common for him. Or, perhaps, it was something entirely different. The woman dropped the subject, just bobbing her head slightly, acknowledging his thanks before they topic moved back to food. Just a taste. Ale smirked, that seemed to apply to more than just food and sweets. Give someone a taste of what it is they want, and they’ll keep coming back, hoping for a little more. “It’s an effective way of keeping up moral, get the others to have something to possibly look forward to, even if it were not to be tonight… Perhaps tomorrow.” The woman nodded slightly and smiled to the man. “Smart.” The knight thought to previous winter patrols. They usually were much more dreary than Spring, Summer or Fall. A frown crossed her features as her head dipped slightly. “They tend to be like this. Dreary, exhausting. It’s the weather, the lack of light. There isn’t as much energy in the air. We barely heard a chirp the whole trip, Orion, it’s hard to continue on when it feels as if death is pressing down upon you.” The woman made a slight shrug. “I think your broth will lift everyone up a little. Something warm, familiar, soothing, that would be helpful to bring everyone up a bit. It will certainly help me,” She paused a moment, letting the candy roll over her tongue. “Almost as much as my sweets.” A wink, if It wasn’t already, it would become clear that for Ale, her sweets were here little “pick-me-up” through the patrol. Something to look forward to and enjoy. When he started talking about Rabbit, Ale just watched him talk, grinning all the while. Ah—now, there was the Orion she’d gotten used to on their little venture so far. Ale was fighting back giggles by the end of his talk of rabbits and being foolish. “No, no…” She snickered, shaking her head. “No foolish, a foolish man wouldn’t know what to do with a rabbit. You’re a very smart man, at least, that’s how I see it.” Alevadra didn’t mind the rambling, it was actually quite nice compared to their bells of silence. “I much prefer to listen to you ramble about cooking rabbits than have deafening silence between us.” She admitted. His sudden question caught her off quard, and her expression showed it. A confused look in her eyes as she tried to put together an answer. Why do you do what you do?” “You mean… Why am I a knight?” She assumed that was the question as her brown eyes moved to the fire, not before noting his rather close proximity. “Yes… Yes you do have two questions,” She smiled slightly, seemed a strange question to ask, but one that Ale hadn’t been seriously asked in years. “I suppose the long version is preferable? After all what good is a question if you don’t get a satisfactory answer.” The woman winked, she’d elaborate. “As a child of a knight, and not just a knight, but the 2nd Wing of Black company, well, you’re expected to be a knight. Having the name “Druva” left me little in the way of options. I was to be a knight. Since my birth and till my death, I will be a Sylirian Knight. I never considered being a baker, a doctor… I always worked for being a knight; I always looked to my future as a knight.” She paused a moment, wiggling her toes near the fire before pulling a foot closer and rubbing the arch with a thumb. “However, I no longer see it as what was expected of me nearly as much as what was destined.” She let out a small chuckle, shaking her head. “If you believe in silly things like destiny,” She glanced over to the man before continuing on. “There is purpose for everyone in this world, Orion, my purpose is to live a life of honor, truth, chivalry and bravery. I take those words as my own and live by them. While I may not be like other knights, I take the words and use them as I see fit.” Her foot went back to rest before the fire while the other moved to have the arch rubbed idly. “There is nothing in this world that I wish to do more than to give all I can for those around me.” Alevadra smiled. “Don’t worry, Orion, every knight is different. You may be a completely different knight from I, which is as it should be. You must find what it is about the knights that you wish to embody. Compassion, truth, dignity, love, whatever it is—it must be yours.” Her index finger prodded his chest with a smile. “I don’t think Sera Lorene is ashamed of you. If she was, why would she let you spend a whole patrol with the 2nd wing of black company’s daughter?” Alevadra winked. While Victor and Ale had a strained relationship, it was one of work and little love, which was alright as far as Ale was concerned—it’d been that way since Jasme had passed. “Everything I do is selfish, even if it doesn’t seem that way. I do what I do because I feel that I must. Talking with you? Caring for you even though I’ve known you for less than a day? It’s selfish.” She shrugged, it may not have made sense to him, but to Ale, it did. “I feel that it is what I need to do.”

[Orion Michaels]

It was good to see her smile again. Orion had a bad habit of ruining a beaming face with his unpredictable and erratic emotions. So many appearances had melded and faded into his depths of his memories; for now hers would avoid such a fate. "Great! Half way done. Now we can wait and see if some idiots should choose to test their luck against such a powerful duo." If worst came to worst, there were several other knights about. Surely a group of bandits would stand no chance against their combined might

"From time to time I have to remove myself from a situation," he admitted with a slight shrug. It was better than the alternative. Exploding on a knight wouldn't do much for his future prospects. "Sometimes a bit of silence is all it takes to get me on the right path. You have my gratitude for indulging me." The further they traveled from Syliras' impenetrable walls, the more suffocating those moments of silence were sure to come. The squire hoped to avoid them as best as he was able. "I don't know what I would do without you. I'm sure to sleep peacefully with that knowledge resting in my head." Orion stuck out his tongue in jest as she gave him a friendly shove, rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness of their words.

It took some effort, but they were navigating through the initial awkwardness of their first encounter. Orion usually had pretty accurate insight into people, unless there was a chance at offering insight to himself. He was then liable to freeze up, freeze out, or worst of all, lash out. It held true in almost all his recent memory, so why should anything change now? Fallon had left to go off on some adventure, feeding him some line like she did every time. Tourmal had disappeared without a trace. Even Hadyn had drawn his ire with probing questions, analysis of who he was, and forced decisions. Yet Orion knew quite well that he was the common factor in all those situations, as much as he'd tried to blame everyone around him. 

"It can be the little things in life, Sera. For some it's their sweets. For others it's that first taste of booze. A bit of Syna's rays. The smell of the sea spray." He'd shared those little moments with dozens of people over the years. It was so tiring that all of them became nothing but faded memories with strangers of times past. "Maybe a little broth will endear this fellows to me. They've hardly given me a look, but for when you've been laughing." 

Orion looked up the dark sky, frowning at the fall of snow. It was quite unusual, but hadn't everything about their adventure been as such? The powdery substance was a rarity during the Syliran winters, but it seemed that they would be paid a visit by Morwen. "Sounds draining," he commented. The patrols were like that, and usually without the accompaniment of snowfall. What was even worse was the fact that snow was sticking to the ground. Orion pulled up the heavy winter blanket around him, looking down to the area they'd cleared when the fires were set up. "Even worse with this weather. I hope it's not this bad throughout our patrol." He raised his eyebrows fighting off a grin as he spoke. "Can you imagine eight armored warriors all cuddled up against each other for warmth? Quite the sight, I'd say."

Orion's cheeks turned a light shade of red as the knight laughed at his comical outburst, or rather more red than the wintery bluster had already made them. "You quite embarrass me, Sera. I hope you understand it was nothing you did that caused that silence. I rather enjoyed the conversation until I placed my foot in my mouth." 

It wasn't exactly what Orion meant when he had asked his question, but he listened thoughtfully as she explained what had led to her lot in life. A Druva joining the order was hardly shocking; that's how it was with any of the main families in the knighthood. From their lineage came many proud, powerful, noble, and virtuous knights. From the way she carried herself, Orion had no doubt that she would do her name honor.

Yet it was the compassion that he could see within her actions that unbalanced him. His experience with the knights prior to becoming a squire had been far from pleasant. They were, in a word, stern. He'd never truly gotten himself in trouble, but there had been extremely heated moments and dangerous misunderstandings. Never had he seen a kindness like this; was it reserved for those in the order?

A smile spread across his face when Alevadra poked him in the chest, making her point quite clear to the elder squire. "You care about me? Aren't you moving a little fast? I haven't even finished taking you out to dinner," he teased, reaching over and giving her shoulder a nudge in return. Looking past their banter, Orion appreciated her words; she'd ended up answering the question he was actually asking. It didn't matter why she joined, but who she was. "Thank you for your insight, Sera. I feel so out of place here. In the order that is." Orion reached up to brush snow from the top of his head, dragging himself back over to the broth. He gave it a quick stir and brought the ladle up to his lips to sample their dinner. 

"Ahhh..plenty warm." Orion turned to look at Alevadra, smiling as she found relief in the heat of the flames. "I can understand why not many adults join. It's one thing to be raised in it, it's another to learn a whole new lifestyle." Orion began to wave over the rest of their companions; having eagerly awaited the warm meal, they took no time in making their way over. "Now now, one at a time," he said, grinning as he served the weary warriors. A half-serving, not enough to fill the belly, but enough to warm the soul. Before he knew it the squire was at the bottom of the pan. 

"Looks like it's you, Sera," he said, dishing out the last of the broth into a tin for her to enjoy. "Gonna be a long, cold night. Keep warm. I can't imagine what I'd do if my gallant knight fell ill."

[Alevadra Druva]

The knight let out a small, amused laugh at Orion, shaking her head slightly. “I doubt they’ll even dare show their faces… I bet their quivering in their boots. Though… That might just be because of the cold.” It was getting colder than it usually did at this time of the season—it was unnatural, as was the snow that was beginning to lightly drift down around them. Perfect. Alevadra frowned; she wasn’t a fan of the idea of being on patrol while it was snowing. Removing one self from a situation was not always an option, but Ale was glad she was able to assist in easing Orion from whatever other path continued chatter would have caused. “Of course,” She shrugged slightly. “I promise not to taunt your skeletons anymore without your prompting.” A smile and a wink to seal the deal. Of course, the knight still hoped that he’d indulge her curiosity and air out his skeletons a little bit—she was still rather curious about Sunbreth. “Such a flatterer. My ego will barely fit in these woods at this rate.” She stated with a chuckle, shaking her head. “Without me, hmm,” She thought a moment, tapping her chin. “Your ride would have been dull and you likely would have had to chase after your horse after lunch… You know, because I doubt anyone else would recommend tying him up.” The woman than nodded wisely, as if these were facts. “Well, I certainly doubt your smile will do for most of them, you’ll probably get Sera Linton on your side, but the other fellows will much prefer your broth.” Alevadra, however, was surprised that the other knights only seemed to look at Orion when Ale was laughing. A confused look passed over her face before glancing over to the group huddled by the other—now larger—fire. “They do?” She asked, glancing back to Orion before looking back to them. Perhaps they thought her being too friendly with Orion, bordering on flirtatious—which Ale wasn’t not particularly known for. “Prudish lot, I suppose.” She joked. The snow began to stick and Ale could only frown. Of course it would snow. And of course—the snow would stick to the ground rather than melt. It was a sign, surely, this patrol would be anything but ordinary. “A sign of what’s to come, I suppose.” The woman sighed, curling forward towards the fire. “Likely moral will be an issue, but Ser Linton has been on many winter patrols, I wouldn’t worry too much about moral.” However, the idea of all the knights huddled together in their full plate did fill Ale with a case of the giggle, snorting suddenly as she tried to keep them in. “I think I would pay a good number of mizas to see that.” “Ah, I don’t mean to embarrass you. There’s no reason to be embarrassed around me, after all—the things most would be embarrassed about Sera Lorene has already informed me of.” The woman winked, she knew about some of his past, portions an average knight would try their damnedest to keep silent. “Well, you can’t take the full blame for that, I believe I assisted in the matter by bringing up the subject again.” “Who could resist caring for your little hurt puppy dog look you get when in bells of silence?” She gave him a glance, eyes returning to the flickering flames as her cold fingers moved to place another log on the flames to keep them going. “I suppose I do move a little too fast, I’ll slow down—don’t you worry.” She retorted as he nudged her back, making a mental note to not be overly caring and have her reactions interpreted by Orion and the others wrong. She laughed—surprisingly—to Orion’s honesty. “Of course you do. And you’ll probably always feel a little out of place. You have to wear different masks sometimes, I do it quite often,” She nodded towards the other fire. “They’re a wonderful lot, but I can’t be as honest and natural around them.” She shrugged softly, it wasn’t that she was a misfit—Ale had just learned how to adjust to those around her. “But, I think you fit quite well in the order, perhaps it’s just because I finally have someone I can tease.” As the other’s began to come over, Ale pulled back on her leather boots, now heated by the proximity to the flames. The Druva couldn’t imagine switching from a normal life into a life of servitude with the Sylirian Knights. As such, the woman remained silent, trying to imagine what such a culture shock would be like. The other knights happily came and got their half servings of broth, thanking Orion before returning to their little huddle around the other fire. One serving was left, though two people. Her attention was grabbed once more once the other knights had moved back to their area and Orion spoke up to her. Looks like it’s you, Sera, Ale looked to the little tin filled half way with steamed, dark fluid. The woman frowned and shook her head. “Ha. A knight with the sniffles is nothing; the doctor with the sniffles could be the death to us all. I assure you, my bedside manner is atrocious, you don’t want to need medical aid from I.” She waved off the tin, opting for her stale bread and dry meat. He was stubborn—And Ale knew that, but so was she. She wasn’t about to take a moral booster when—honestly—she wasn’t doing to bad moral-wise. “Anyways, I think you’ve had the rougher day, could do you some good.” She finished her stale bread, holding her fingers toward the fire. “It’s yours, Orion.”

[Orion Michaels]

”I cannot say that particularly enthused about the snow.” Orion pulled the blanket even tighter, shaking where he sat to try and knock the powder from it. They wouldn’t be able to stay out in the elements much longer. Once everyone was satisfied and warm as the broth would make them, they would head into their tents to get some rest for the coming travels. Save for the poor souls that would have to do watch. Orion could only guess who would pull part of that shift.

Orion was more than happy to let their conversation on his past rest. The memories which tormented him needed no taunting to come forth. They returned to his forethoughts when they pleased, and never at a time most convenient. Orion nodded in acknowledgement of her statement, but said nothing further on the matter.

”Flatterer? I’ve been called worse things in my days,” he replied cheekily. ”You hardly strike me as the egotistical type, Sera Druva. Honorable, kind, driven, sure. But an ego? Never.” Orion bit his lip suddenly, exaggerated in his movement. ”Ooops. Is that more of the same? Maybe I’ll birth some ego in you after all.” He couldn’t argue with her assessment of what would have been. ”No doubt I would have been stuck with Ser Scruffington over there,” he said, motioning to a particularly gruff looking knight with a beard wild as they came. ”When my horse vanished, I’d be forced to ride with him, and when the cold became too much we would both be forced to retreat to the beard for warmth. No, Sera. I’m quite glad you’re here.”

He wasn’t quite sure what to make of her reaction. She’d been enjoying the back and forth with him but now caution was ripe on her face. ”Well of course. You’re not exactly quiet about it,” he deadpanned, giving her a challenging smirk. He hoped he would diffuse this situation before it became strange or awkward between them once again.

”I don’t recall the last time it snowed this much so early in Winter,” the squire remarked, inching slightly closer to the fire. Greedy flames licked at the air, and Orion welcomed the controlled burning with pleasure. The blue eyed man couldn’t remember when he’d been so cold before. ”Maybe a prayer or two that this precipitation slows would be in good form.” Little puffs of frozen breath hung in the air around the group of knights and squires, each of them struggling to deal with the weather in their own way. ”My smile earns me twice or even thrice as many enemies as it charms,” he admitted with a half smirk. Perhaps if he weren’t so blatantly flirtatious, it wouldn’t irritate those around him. Rumors of his misdeeds had arrived to the order long before Orion had, after all. Infamous was the most polite word he’d been called, of course.

Orion nearly choked when she spoke of the knowledge Dinah had imparted upon her. Earlier it had appeared she knew only the basics, but if she knew of anything that could actually embarrass the squire, perhaps there was more knowledge out about him than he’d realized. It was a past he was trying to escape, a persona he’d wished to bury, but no matter what he did it was there, smacking him in square in the jaw. His lips pursed for a moment before he took a deep breath to try and regain his center. Like pin pricks the frosty air tormented his lungs. Orion winced, almost surprised by the harshness of the winter weather. All he could do was hope it wouldn’t get worse, both the weather and the reality of how much Sera Druva already knew about him.

He let the previous subject slide by, hoping they could move past it without further discussion. He was already a wreck; those topics were going to do nothing to help. It was worrisome, however, that she seemed to take his joking to heart. Concerned that he’d shot himself in the foot, Orion spoke. ”Forgive me,” he said simply. ”I’ll be more mindful of our ranks, or lack thereof in my case.” While not expressly forbidden, many frowned strongly upon anything but the most professional of relationships between squire and knight. Even the appearance of anything, despite reality, was strongly discouraged. He’d learned it the hard way with Dinah. He wasn’t trying to do so again with Alevadra.

”It’s one of my biggest struggles,” he offered up with a sigh. ”Squires are supposed to be fostering friendships with other squires, right? Turns out most fifteen year olds give me a strange look when I sit at the table in the dorms. ‘Creepy Old Man’ is one of my favorites. ‘Grandpa’ certainly hurts, but then I remember, the youngest of squires are closer in age to my daughter Emily than they are to me. You can only get so mad at them, then.” He smiled softly as he prepared to battle Sera Druva over who would enjoy the broth. ”My peers are those who are training me to be a knight. It’s been quite the year.”

After everything they’d been through this day, after all the ranting and rambling she’d endured, there was no way Orion was going to let her give up the broth. ”Not a chance, Sera. I got a couple tastes while I was cooking it. You need the help to listen to me drone on. It’ll put you to sleep, I’ll talk all night and you’ll wake up in the morning with me none the wiser.” He shook his head and offered her the broth once again. ”Drink up. Doctor’s orders.”

[Alevadra Druva]

“If anyone will birth an Ego within me, I believe you would be the one to do it with that silver tongue of yours.” She wasn’t egotistical, but Alevadra did have an ego in regards to certain things—such as her ability as a knight, she knew she was good and never felt the need to deny it. “Oh, but I hear that Ser Scruffington has a marvelous singing voice.” Ale played along—who was a knight that Ale honestly didn’t know. She’d seen him in passing, but never really was acquainted. When Orion’s next words came from his mouth, Alevadra turned red with laughter. Once her breath was able to be caught again Ale responded, shaking her head all the while. “If you get cold, you’ll still have to retreat to his beard for warmth,” she rubbed her smooth chin. “I’m afraid I just shaved mine off.” The knight jested. The Druva looked back to the other group for a while, mulling over what Orion said. “Perhaps they’re just sad to miss out on all the fun,” The woman stated, light-heartedly, waving off the entire issue with a smile. Regardless of what the other knights thought, it mattered little to Ale, so long as whatever they perceived and what was actually going on did not interfere with their patrol, she saw no issue. Snow was such a rare thing—especially in this sort of amount. It was uncomfortable, and Ale feared for the horses and knights alike—they were not use to the cold and snow. “Maybe we’re not in the bronze wood and we’ve actually made our way to Avanthal.” The woman said with a bemused sigh. “Perhaps a few prayers will keep us from waking with our tents completely covered.” “I think your tongue has more to do with that than your smile, Orion.” He was quick with words, and those that weren’t on that level—well, Ale could understand their displeasure with the quick wit. At Orion’s shift in demeanor and sudden apology, Ale frowned, waving a cold hand. “Oh please, Orion, don’t get all formal and stiff on me that will make this trip terribly unbearable.” The woman patted his lightly snow dusted shoulder . “Just when in the company of others be mindful.” She winked once before her hand moved to warm at the fire and then become tucked close to her stomach. “I believe befriending young men would be… Strongly questioned… So you are in quite the pickle, Orion.” The woman frowned at the names he’d been called, shaking her head. “Any squire worth an ounce to Tyveth would never dream of speaking such names to a fellow squire, regardless of their age.” She frowned and shook her head slightly. “You’re an odd case, Orion Micheals,” She inched closer to the fire, curling in on herself tightly. “How about we make a deal, hm?” The woman spoke in a low voice, assuring the other fire didn’t catch wind. “I get a little dreary always dealing with the rigid sorts,” Her head jerked over to the other fire. “I’ll be your secret knight-friend” The woman made a small sound, pft, shaking her head and nodding towards him. “Orion, doctor’s orders or not… I am your acting patron,” She hummed, a coy grin curling her features momentarily. “But, it is never wise to ignore what a doctor recommends, so how about we find an agreeable middle ground, hmm?” She picked up the tin, swishing around the broth. “I will drink half, but, only if you promise me you will drink half,” the hand she’d pressed against her abdomen appeared, held out for him to shake on. “Do you think we could have a deal, Orion?”

[Orion Michaels]

”Perhaps that shall be my new goal. To what heights am I capable of puffing the head of one Sera Alevadra Druva,” he said conclusively, nodding as he spoke. ”Yes, yes. That will do well. I’m sure you’ve got the skills to back up any ridiculous claims I make, yes? ‘She can wrestle bears!’ or ‘she can shoot arrows out of the sky!’. None of that sound too farfetched?” He bit his bottom lip to stifle his own laughter. It had been far too long since he’d just let loose.

”I can only imagine his voice is the sweetest we’ve ever heard. Sounds like a perfect evening, Sera. Sipping broth by a fire, listening to the dulcet tones of Ser Scruffington as they escape from the depths of those whiskers.” Orion gave an over the top sigh, as though he was sharing some dreamy fantasy from his youth. ”I could probably die happy if that happened.”

”Are you sure?” The squire reached up like he was going to touch her cheek, extending his index finger to point at a specific, unblemished spot on her skin. . ”It looks like you missed a patch….” Orion trailed off, withdrawing his hand and bringing it to his mouth. His fingers covered his mouth as he gave her an inflated look of shock at his own words, though his cheeks gave up note of any seriousness, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile.

Avanthal. There was a city he knew nothing about, except that it was apparently cold and snowy. He’d met a few of the Vantha that called it home, but that was about it. ”If this is what they deal with all the time, they can keep it. Give me the mild Syliran weather we’re used to.” The squire breathed lightly into his hands to try and keep them warm. As long as they had fires it would be fine, but it didn’t seem like the weather had any intention of letting up. It was going to be a long and miserable trip, outside of their conversation it seemed.

”I haven’t the faintest what you speak of, Sera,” he lied with a chuckle. ”Just because the jesting flows freely from my lips doesn’t mean theirs should be sealed with displeasure. A quick tongue can get you in as much trouble as it can get you out of, this much I know too well.”

Orion remained silent as she was dismissive of his apology. It was a fine line to walk, and one that Orion had seemed to blur with every knight he got to know. It was a strange, strange thing when the person training you was only a year or so older than you. He’d flirted incessantly with Dinah the first time they met, it was only his personality after all. ”And to me, they’re thirteen and fourteen year old boys and girls, seeing something strange and unusual. Since when do people with no knightly capability join up in their mid twenties?” Orion’s eyes trailed down to the broth they were ‘fighting’ over. It was going to get cold before they came to any sort of conclusion. Before he could turn the topic to the dinner, she made a curious offer.

Blue eyes lifted back to Alevadra’s face, his smile lighting his face once again. ”Secret knight-friend,” he said in a hushed whisper. ”That sounds exciting. It’s like a secret affair only not at all. Just what does it mean to be secret knight-friends with Sera Alevadra Druva?”

He frowned at her proposal for a split of the already minimal broth. ”We’ll neither get anything out of it if we do that, Sera. How am I supposed to impress my S.K.F., that’s secret knight friend, if she won’t accept my sweet, kind, and unrequested self-sacrifice.” His tone overflowed with sarcasm; he tried to minimize how much he took seriously, and they’ve already had more deep conversation that he’d really wanted.

Orion extended his hand to take hers, his hand hesitating for a moment with just a skin’s width of distance between them. He exhaled, shook his head, and then took the hand in a firm grasp. ”Alright, alright. If it weren’t so blasted cold I would fight you to the ends of this planet, Sera. But I think we could both use a little pick-me-up before the broth freezes. Bottoms up.”

[Alevadra Druva]

“Oh, that’s not farfetched at all. I believe any would believe such tales. Hearing it now, myself, I’m trying to recall when I managed those feats.” They were outlandish, but it was an amusing thought—Ale wrestling a bear and shooting arrows out of the sky, how ridiculous. While he held in his laughter, Ale let out a small chuckle, shaking her head as the thought, brown eyes regarding the fire. The knight shook her head, rolling her eyes at his over-reactive joke. “I’ll ask him if he’ll indulge you, you might just be his type… After all, he isn’t married; maybe you’d have a chance to be with the beard from now till the end of time.” She shook her head slightly, what a silly thought. “Or perhaps he would only manage to break your heart with his beautiful voice and inability to commit?” Her hand came up, whacking his away from her face. “Oh!” She huffed frowning. “You certainly are too good at this, Orion.” Her faux frustration gave way to a wide smile. “I’ll have to get my beauty tips from you, then, won’t I?” She raised a brow, as if insinuating that he knew some deep secret about feminine beauty that Ale was still in the dark about. “Agreed,” The knight hissed, rubbing her hands together to encourage the blood flow. “I suppose once you adjust to such a climate, it is no real issues to live with it day in and day out… Though, that being said, I have no intention of ever visiting Avanthal if it is remotely like this.” She’d only heard stories from other knights and travels, and all she’d heard pointed to the fact that is was too petching cold for Ale. The woman shook her head, at least he knew how to get himself out of trouble. “And I suppose you can turn someone’s sour opinion of you around as well?” A brow cocked as she asked him. “My opinion was never soured, so you cannot use me as an example of success. Surely, though, you can win over any hearts you wish.” She shifted, the ground crunching under her as she moved. “You should have gone into politics, Orion.”[/color [color=purple] “Oh, don’t assess yourself so harshly. You may not see it in yourself, but you have more knightly qualities than many squires I have met. Do you think Sera Lorene such a fool to ask someone who, by no means, was fit to be a knight to be her squire?” The woman shook her head. “It’s up to you to see it. But I assure you, you have more qualities befitting of a knight than you even realize.” The woman hummed softly, smiling to the flickering flames as they caught onto the log she’d recently placed on the fire. The knight let out a chuckle. “Yes, just like that, but, not at all like an affair.” She dug the toe of her boot into the hardening dirt. “There are many benefits. For example, when I’m just your secret knight friend, you can call me Ale.” Of course, that was when others weren’t around. “However,” She nodded towards the other lot, who were happily sipping their broth. “Around other knights, I’m Sera Druva.” A hand pulled away from her abdomen as an index finger tapped her lips. “I won’t call you a moron,” She paused a moment. “Much,” The woman continued to think. “Ah! And most important. I won’t judge you as what a squire should be. I’ll just take you as you are. A womanizing-commit-a-phobic-father-of-two.” The woman grinned and nodded. While she said it quite planning, it was clear that none of that bothered her. “I’ll also take you as a doctor who saves lives, defending of virtue, chivalrous—though perhaps a little miss-guided—Squire and smiled upon quite lovingly by Cheva.” The woman nodded again. “And you can take me as however you best perceive me. Perhaps a bit foolish in my choices in friendships.” She laughed at the abbreviation, that was clever, she’d have to remember that. “Orion, you’re going to drink half if I have to sit on you and shove it down your throat.” She said with and uneasy level of sweetness. He took her hand though, and Ale smiled, gripping his for a moment and shaking. Ale took the tin and took a large sip until half was left. It was still hot—thankfully and the knight handed it to Orion. “Don’t worry, I haven’t any weird diseases you need to worry about.” She stated plainly, giving the tin to him before looking back to the flames. A moment passed when the other fire spoke up. “Sera Druva!” The woman’s attention turned to the other fire, unsure of who had just spoken. “Yes?” There was a pause before the man’s voice broke through the cold air again. “You’re on last watch, yeah? I’ll wake you once I’m done, I’m on second. Which tent is yours.” Alevadra motioned towards her tent. “Very well, see you in the morning, Sera.” One of the men stood from the other fire and went back into his tent. “Ah, suppose I better get to bed if I want a chance at a decent amount of sleep.” She rubbed her face for a moment, her hands moving up to comb through her hair. “You alright, or do you need your S.K.F. for anything before she passes out?”