Open Sleep is for the dead apparently.

[Alexander Faircroft]

7th winter 515AV 5:30AM - Squire quarters. A rough night, a sore sleep or rather what little of it Alex could find. He'd grasped a hold of three maybe four hours. He rubbed the tired sleep from his eyes the sleep he had was neither full of dreams nor peaceful. He's never gotten much long lasting sleep as such, he'd found himself growing accustomed to the small flits of sleep he did get having to be as quiet as possible just to motion to the window and watch leth trail the sky and quell his errant thoughts. Though as he woke this morning he felt a weight on hos shoulders. Jogging laps in full plate mail had made his shoulders and knees stiff from the effort. More accustomed to being free of armour and most encumbering weights. Rolling his weight to the side he shifted his sore body to the edge of the bed. Up well in advance of some of the other recruits by a full half hour. He stood stretching to shake some of the wear and reinvigorate himself a little before pulling his clothes on, belting his quiver and daggers around his waist, and slinging his bow over a shoulder. He picked up his loop of icons holding the grouping close to his chest before sliding it over his head. Slipping his boots on he Stepped lightly towards the edge of the room Sliding his feet just above the floor to seek out any...unwanted attention. Testing the floorboards with his toes lightly for squeaks, it may have taken him a full minute to leave the room, but at least he left it without alerting his fellow sleeping squires. The jog down the stairs and out into the brisk morning air was a strong enough slap in the face to jolt him free of what little sleepiness still held him. He shook his head Taking off in a light footed if brisk jog. Not sure where to go but knowing he needed to build up what lousy stamina he had. 7:45AM - the fighters pit. The hours passed and Alex found himself lost within the walls of the city. Hunkering over and sucking air now into his burning lungs his shirt plastered and slick with sweat he coughed lightly trying to fight the burning inferno that was his body, quelling the blaze with icy air. Two bells fifteen chimes passed since Alex had awoken. Coughing lightly Alex's eyes slipped over to a large pit to his right, watching the people within training their skills with all manner of arms. Pity there was no archery range he'd have to look elsewhere for that. Still though he pulled free the dagger his father had gifted him since his leave from home turning the blade over in his fingers he felt the sharp edge bite him as he did, Wincing lightly he shook his hand a little and stuck the tip of his finger in his mouth, only a small trickle of blood but enough to tell him the blade was sharp and not a toy. He slipped it back into his belt looking on at the fighting pits before him. These were people who knew their craft like his patron...Something to aspire too but not someone to aspire to be. Alex sighed crouching to sit on the ledge of the fighters pit one leg dangling into the pit the other bent and supporting the hand clutching the icon of a small blue flame at his chest leaning back on his free hand. "One day. One day." Alex muttered to himself loud enough for anyone nearby to hear but those at range would just see his lips move silently. Aspirations are all well and good but you need to stamp out the corruption that you know lies in places. Isn't that just cold blooded murder though? Does that not go against the teachings of Sylir. Peace is achieved through force. But force without restraint is just brutality. A crusade is a noble thing. But without mercy it's just slaughter. Thoughts whipped and whirled around inside Alex's head half focusing him on the display of skill before him and half blinding him to the things around him.

[Suresslynn]

Lynn rolled around irritably in her bed, trying to get back to sleep. The Dhani had been awoken by the fire in her room popping and the unfamiliar sensation of having walls around her in such a fashion had kept her up. Finally she sighed and got out of bed, picking her coats up off a chair and putting them on. "Should've slept in snake form..." she muttered as she left her apartment.

Shivering in the cold, Suresslynn headed to one of the only two places in the city walls she was really comfortable in, the fighters pit. There weren't many people on the streets just yet, and she made it to the training ground without running into anyone. Stepping inside, she sat down on a bench to watch the other patrons practice as she warmed back up.

After a moment, she noticed someone else sitting and watching the others and looked over at him. She saw him say something, but she was too far away to hear what it was and as she watched him, she saw that he seemed rather distracted. After a moment, the Dhani shook her head and walked over to sit next to him. "Are you all right?" she asked, her tone more curious that concerned.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Alex watched the fighters his mind anything but focused, concentrating was something he couldn't do right now. Lack of sleep, pain in his bones from training with the knights, a swirling mass of hatred and anger towards a darkness he didn't know, A feeling of devotion, the will to live up to someone he knew he never could, and the ever sitting sponge of information he simply held his eyes over the fighters. Before long the bleeding of his finger stopped still he kept the edge of it braced against his teeth lightly, as if lost in a land that was not this one, his mind followed through the motions he was watching people make trying to find holes, something to exploit, something to attack. It’s no use…Too inexperienced, too slow. You couldn't capitalise on any of these openings. They’re there far too briefly for your slow and wild motions. Only when it was too late to react did his mind snap back to attention with a soft question. Prying but not aggressive. As he turned to the direction of the voice he nearly leapt out of his skin, jolting back slightly his balance slipping he fell back slamming his head on the hard stone ground. Ow. That’s gonna leave a mark… Blinking the stars from his eyes he took a glance at the figure next to him. Long black hair and…almost venomous green eyes. That was dumb getting lost in thought like that. Keep it together man. Sleep deprivation is something you've got to learn to work with. Pushing himself off of the ground now with both hands, the point of impact throbbing. “Sorry I didn’t see you there. Lost in thought. Amongst other things. As for if I’m alright…I’ve been better but it’s nothing mu-“ Unwillingly he cut himself off with a strong but small yawn pushing through. He snapped one of his hands to his mouth to not appear rude. “Maybe I didn’t get enough sleep it seems…” His words calm not through steadiness he was mad at himself for not hearing someone approach till they were this close. No his voice was even due to the lack of energy he felt. “So what’s a Young woman like yourself doing around here? Not that you don’t have a right to be here I just think it odd for anyone to be here this early.” Subconsciously as he spoke his fingers lifted to the loop if sigils around his neck tugging at them slightly but absent minded. Snapping his attention back to the pits he heard a loud crunch. A familiar sound. The sound of wood rending bone. Followed swiftly by a loud but sharp grunt. And one of the fighters dropping to one knee clutching his now fractured arm. No trace of pain on his face but instead a twisted and almost predatory smile. Watch closely. Use that, bottle the pain, channel the anger. “Seems people, get hurt often around here.” A small smile with a look of worry hit his face.

[Suresslynn]

Suresslynn blinked as the man slipped and hit his head, but he seemed fine when he got up, so she wasn't overly worried. She smiled at his eventual response to her question, then grinned at his own question to her. "Sort of the same thing. Didn't sleep very well, since I'm not really used to sleeping inside. Besides, this place and the shop I work at are really the only two places in the city where I feel comfortable." she said quietly.

At the sound of breaking bone, Lynn turned her attention to the fighters. Noting the expression on the face of the man with the broken arm, the Dhani shook her head sadly. "Fighting angry won't get you anywhere. Embrace the pain and channel it, ignore the anger." she said, before noting the man's question. "Fairly often, though I doubt it gets that bad very often. After all, you don't learn anything about fighting if you never took any hits." she said cheerily, smiling slightly as she said it.

"So what about you? Have you ever practiced here?" she asked, looking curiously at the man. He didn't exactly look like a fighter to her, but after having been beaten by a clay squirrel, she wasn't about to judge on appearances.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Alex watched the events unfold hearing her words rattle around his mind. Was sleep something deprived to people? And the fact she was used to sleeping outside. Was she an outdoors-man like him? Or did she just simply have a history with the wilds. What caught him off guard the most was the fact that the only places she felt comfortable was here and her shop…What exactly did she work as? A hunter? Certainly the frame for it. A fighter…Given how much of a weakling he was he wasn’t like to put it past her. “I suppose sleep is something that escapes people in this city.“ Alex raised his hand from the loop of symbols at his chest using that hand to scratch at the light scruff around his chin. “So what exactly do you do around here then, if the only two places you feel comfortable are around a place like this I suppose your work place is equally violent?“ He finished off the statement with a light smile A flash of the two silver teeth could be caught on the right side of his jaw if she was fast enough. Her sentiments on the fighting hit home that she was a combatant of sorts. The words rang true with his instructors and his patron’s mind-set. Pain is only fuel for rage. Again she was right with her following statement, if you’re not getting hit you’re not learning. If you’re not learning you can’t grow. Alex sighed lightly letting his head droop a little. What kind of knight was he to have to be re-affirmed of things he was just being taught by someone who wasn’t a knight? Her third question struck a chord with him. He hadn’t been around here before but then again he didn’t need to be. “These aren’t my usual stomping grounds. I normally find myself up training with the knights. Still only a squire.” He didn’t want to add how bad he truly was with the weapons of his craft though. The only thing he’d ever shown any real skill with was the bow. But that was more of a hindrance than a help in some situations. Wait…She’s a fighter and she‘s comfortable around here…I have a sinking feeling that I’m like as not to get beaten badly if I was to even train with her. Something about her smile now set him on edge. Was she trying to lure him into a state of calm and then pummel him into submission for the whole arena to laugh at? Or was she genuinely curious about the situation. Either way Alex felt himself set on edge internally. His hand slipping back down to the loop of icons and finding the blue flame just long enough to ask for the discipline to hold himself together. “I take it then that you know your way around this place then?” His tone calm as he could muster. Bust still a small shake hit it. “I suppose that means that you know how to handle yourself in a situation that’s gone a little sour then?“ He scrambled to his feet attempting to hop up from his seated and previously prone positioning. Now standing he saw just how much taller than her he stood, a good heads height above hers.

[Suresslynn]

Suresslynn smiled slightly at the man's comment about sleep being lacking in the area, then outright laughed at his question about his job. "No, my work isn't dangerous at all. I'm an antidote maker for the Stormhold Salves." she said, still laughing slightly. When he explained that he was a squire and normally trained with the order, she laughed again. "I keep meeting squires. I swear, I know more squires than anyone else in this city."

Then for some reason the man seemed to work himself into a nervous spell, seemingly worried about her skill for some reason. Raising an eyebrow at him, she sat down and leaned back with a clearly relaxed air. "Calm down. It's still too cold to get that excited. And yes, I can handle myself in a fight well enough, but I mostly fight as a sport, not for life and death. It's why I use my fists instead of a sword or spear or some such." she said with a slight smile.

"And yes, I come here fairly often. I'm not part of the knights, so I can't go practice with them, so I come here to do it. Though I have trained with a few squires, such as Garland or Archailist." the Dhani said cheerfully. "And this is a good place to train if you need it, honestly."

[Alexander Faircroft]

Non-dangerous work? So something that didn’t require the use of force but intellect. Antidotes and salves? A healer? And she kept meeting squires. Given who it was that could be either very good or bad fortune. “Seems there’s a squire around every corner. Not few and far between unlike the knights which seem to be stretched a little thin as of late.” A slightly nervous chuckle exited him as he shifted his weight on his feet, the bow slung over his shoulder pulling taught against the sore spots from the beatings of training the days prior. Her manner kept to an even keel even trying to calm down his frayed nerves. The small nervous tick of his fiddling with his necklace seemed to have probably caught her eye. And she’d probably noticed the slight jumpiness to each of his motions. Too cold to get excited. Too tired to jump at shadows. Maybe she was right but then again he’s learnt not to trust everything that was being said a long time ago. Instead of sitting back down he crouched down bending his knees to rest his forearms on them. Fighting for sport? He’d heard of such a thing but Alex only trained because he had too, fought because he had no choice and hunted because he had to eat. A rangers morals. “I suppose it’s good to fight for something other than survival…Sometimes it’s hard to find a way to vent everything that’s kept pent up.” The arrows in the quiver at his waist rocked lightly as he shifted his weight a little. Though the names she followed for training with were names of squires he wasn’t acquainted with. “Garland and Archalist. I’ll keep an eye out for them as they’re names are unfamiliar to me.” And this was a good place to train if he needed it? Yeah a good place to show just how fragile I am. How glass like my skills, and have them crushed into sand again. “I may visit here eventually to see if I’ve improved…I’m not exactly skilled with martial items…yet at least.” He felt a genuine chuckle escape him. “A squire whose not good with weapons…An odd thing don’t you think?” He smiled a little brighter this time, not forced but not a true smile. If I follow through with training here I’m asking to get crushed under heel, people her have been training much longer than I and look at them I’m a twig with legs in comparison to them. His tone evened out as he spoke again. “It’s not something that I enjoy, fighting that is, but there are times when it’s unavoidable. There’s nothing you can do but fight.” As the words left him his expression seemed a little distant as past events followed thought his mind. He didn’t mean to look as empty as his face showed him to be but after a few moments he snapped himself back out of it. “Forgive me we’ve been talking all this while and I haven’t even given you my name, where are my manners. I’m Alexander Faircroft. Squire of the syliran knights and aspiring hunter. And yourself?” A shift in him had occurred the nervousness had seemed to slip to the back burner as he remembered his resolve. The cowardice burning inside him had given way to a stronger desire. One that he had there all along but wasn’t oft liked to show. Alex’s eyes then shifted back to the pit. The cool jade within calm like a forest lake. I’m no true fighter…Not yet. And when I am I will swing my blade in defence of those that cannot defend themselves as you would want. He smirked and watched the collapsing beatings of warrior’s progress. “So miss you said you do not use weapons to fight. I assume that you know how to best people without a blade, whilst they have one then?” He smirked and flashed the two silver teeth in his mouth again. He wasn’t asking her to fight more curious about how she could carry herself, if the situation called for it.

[Suresslynn]

Suresslynn laughed as Alex said the knights appear to have been stretched thin. "Well, with so many people arriving this year, it's not that surprising for them to be busy." she said quietly, as the man seemed to go introspective again. After a moment, he comment on it being good to fight for something other than survival, then said he wasn't very good with his weapons yet, which seemed to worry him somewhat.

While she agreed it was odd, she nodded when he said he didn't like fighting, then laughed slightly as he sometimes there was no way around it. "That's true, sometimes you have no choice, if you want to keep your morals and standards. But I think people fight more often than they actually have too, risk lives where more pragmatic solutions would win the day as easily. Maybe it's a human oddity." she said, half talking to herself at this point, before looking at the man as she realized he might be human. "Um, no offense intended, with the human comment." she said quickly.

When he introduced himself, she smiled and nodded. "My manners were just as bad, don't worry. I'm Suresslynn, antidote mixer, novice herbalist, and amateur boxer." she said, grinning slightly. Of course, she was more a poison mixer than antidote mixer, but the knights apparently preferred to risk lives than rely such simple solutions.

At his question about her fighting style, Suresslynn just shrugged. "Yes and no. With just my fists, no. I'm not that good, not yet. But if someone's trying to kill me, then I won't be fighting with just my fists. Sand, rocks, my own venom if need be. As I said, I prefer to fight for sport, not life and death. In a sparring match, or just a friendly fight, without risk of life or limb, I'll stick to just my fists." she said, her tone quiet.

After a moment, she looked up at him curiously. "If you hate fighting, why join the order. It's a requirement for you to fight as a knight. And if it's just to protect people, there's other ways. Become a doctor, or as a hunter, scout out threats before they reach innocents, so that you can warn them away. Why a knight?" she asked.

[Alexander Faircroft]

She was right, as of late the gates of syliras has flung open and people of every creed, culture, race and morality had filtered in to the city. The cheer lack of manpower was something that he thought a problem and the number of squires called up to act was ever growing. He sighed lightly before responding the talk in kind. “When you open the gates to everyone, you’re either vigilant or you’re asking to be attacked. That’s why were so thin. It’s better to be on guard and a little overworked than allow something to happen to the people you’re bound to protect.” He smiled a little his fingers fiddling with the small icon of a watchtower amongst the mass of others. Her statement about having no choice was one he agreed with but not in its entirety. Sometimes it was something unavoidable, Sometimes it was completely avoidable. “Having to fight…There’s always a choice given, but most of the time it’s not yours to make. And that is why most altercations which could end in a peaceful resolution are often dropped into conflict.” He simply chuckled with her follow up apology. “No offence taken. It’s not just a human trait however it seems stronger in humans than other races.” He followed on with her words slowly letting them filter on with her wordings. Fighting with whatever was on hand if it came down to life or death but preferring to use her hands or rather fists as her weapons if she had an option. But venom? Hold on I thought she said she was an antidote maker? She would fight using poison? A small click snapped in Alex’s head as he took her full measure in. “I take it with the human comment you’re not? And venom? I thought you were a curer of poisons not a purveyor of them….” He gave her a short quizzical look before she continued her sentiments of what was on her mind. If he hated to fight why join the order if he wanted to protect why not be a doctor or else such. Why a knight? Yes why a Knight indeed. “I’m fulfilling as promise I made to someone a good length of time ago. If I balk from this path I break my word. I want my word to be strong. Something that doesn’t break, doesn’t bend even when I have too. So why a knight? It’s a matter of forging a will that can keep up with my word.” He flicked his eyes sharply across at her. “I intend to become a ranger knight. To scout ahead of the others and warn. To be allowed to travel free of the main host and do what I can to spread peace. Be it through the tip of a sword or the point of an arrow, if all other means fall deaf to people. And within that sound of silence I’ll show them that actions can speak louder than words ever can.” He spoke with a resolution in his tone. Yes…That’s what I’ll do I’ll be a messenger of peace. Remember though refrain from force until you have no alternative. Peace through force is subjugation. “I intend to offer a way for people to live free from those who would harm them.” At this point he realised what he was saying and that he’d taken a much sterner form than before and much louder voice, standing almost like a proper knight. Then swiftly shrank back down into the nerve wrecked shell due to the strange and almost jeering looks, at least to him that's how they felt. Little known to him he'd given a few of the people nearby a little more hope in the knights, that they could raise this much passion in one of thier squires not even a full knight. “I know it all sounds like grand aspirations coming from one as weak as me.” He turned his eyes from the sky and the pits to simply gaze at the floor. Grand words boy. Champion a cause. Never. No, fight the tyrants. He looked stern, if a little afraid of his own ambitions of grandeur. “What about you Suresslynn, why a herbalist? Why boxing?” He was a little curious and got a little too caught up in his own world for a moment there. Feeling the embarrassment for himself crawling over him. Even with a few stray odd looks from passers-by. “Have you any aspirations Suresslynn, any dreams you want to reach?”

[Suresslynn]

Suresslynn had simply nodded in agreement with Alexander's comments on the cities populace change and the fact that it was often someone else's choice to fight, but at the comment abut her being not human and a curer of poisons as opposed to a purveyor, she laughed a bit. "Right, I forgot how touchy people are about poisons here in Syliras. Okay, three things. First, when something you eat makes you sick, it's a poison. If something bites you and it makes you sick, it's a venom. They're different things." she said, her tone turning mildly lecturing.

"Second, I'm from down in Eyktol. They have a different attitude towards poisons, and that's what I actually trained. I started making antidotes here in Syliras." she said, shrugging as if the change of vocation from poisoncrafter to antidote mixer was of no real notice. "Finally, you're right, I'm not human, I'm a Dhani, specifically the viper subrace. Out of three forms, only this isn't venomous." Suresslynn stretched and relaxed onto the bench.

When he answered her question about why he joined the notes, she was surprised at the heat and passion in his voice as he explained his reasons and goals. When he finished, he seemed embarrassed and said it must sound silly, calling himself a weakling. Gritting her teeth against a sudden surge of anger, the Dhani gave Alex a steady look. "You're not weak, Alexander Faircroft. It takes courage and strength to aspire to something like that, and more to see it through. Never let anyone tell you different. And if you're undertrained, so what? You think your patron was born wearing armor and swinging a sword?" she asked, her tone going from angry to amused as she spoke. "Don't undervalue yourself. Even I can see you have strength."

At his question about her motivation and goals, the viper just laughed a bit. "Long story, about the herbalism. My mother taught me to make poisons, but when I found out they were illegal here, my employer started teaching me to make antidotes. But for a lot of them, I have to learn about herbs. In the end, I enjoy my work, either back home or here in Syliras." she said, shrugging slightly. "As for boxing, it's just something I enjoy as a sport. It's...exhilarating. And my...aspirations...I don't really have any. I just tend to go through life moment to moment. Nothing ever really got me wanting to dedicate my life to it."