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I Appear Missing (Eckhart)

Started by Tide, November 23, 2017, 07:28:25 AM

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Tide

@Eckhart_Von_Musel

Thomas Crow was having the roughest morning. The kind of morning that put all prior mornings into perspective. He'd given up hoping there was some colossal headache due, some pain and confusion around the corner. He could've awoken in a haze, it could've felt just slightly like a dream, but no. Instead his every thought came as readily and clearly as an echo through an empty chamber. It was awfully... lucid.

There was a solid aim in mind when he dragged himself out of those bloody mountains. Couldn't face returning to Falkenrath, but there were some things he had to know. He lost count of how far he walked circling the Crystalsong, with practice regressing his gangling lurch to a more convincing march, though he couldn't help his facade. No way round it, he looked strange. Wreathed in tattered, stained rags and rusted plate it was like he'd crawled right out of Hell, and maybe he had. God only knew why this happened. Had his share of mistakes. If this was his test, Ansgar had a sense of humour.

Coming to a road, he tried to fool himself into some doubt when he saw someone driving their carriage. Maybe his eyes played tricks on him - he wanted to think, though the damned things were long gone, a mere mockery in their place. But he still had his voice at least. He 'cleared' his 'throat', out of habit more than necessity. "... Greetings," he sighed. The lad he caught up with did a double take. "You move fast mate, gave me a start." There was quiet as Thomas adjusted to the contact, it had been a long time. "Came off the lakeside. It's as fine a view as I remember." He made to rub the back of his helm. The boy's face shifted; good, then he'd decided the walking suit of armour wasn't here to rob anyone. "That's truth... er, d'you care to hop on? Long way to Reajh." A longer pause. Countless questions called his attention, but it wasn't the time or place. Putting some confidence in, he chirped "No, thank you, I'm fine to hike. Have a good one." He'd have to make a concerted effort to move slower in public, realising his manner of dress weighed men down.

The cross country stroll did him good, let him get some thinking out the way. The city sprawled in front of him not looking too different from the outside. Perhaps a bit taller. Getting past the gates was a nightmare in itself, but he had the patience of the dead. After dickering his way in he had a very simple task ahead of him.

Passed the Duke's Head, still standing. Not like he could stop for a drink. All the same, a lot of memories in the place. Front was completely redone but it was the same old building. Busier than before with fresh faces spilling out, pouring in, crowding round. In the bustle of the city it was as if no time had passed. Some of it he didn't recognise, sure, yet all things considered it hadn't really changed much. People went about their business all the same, and life went on. Though he'd swear things were a bit tighter, more hurried. Right, his goal - he needed to soak in what was going on.

He'd drop by the church first. People's prayers could say a lot about the times and if anything stayed the same, it was the faith. He just looked up for the nearest, oldest-looking spire and set his course. Eventually he found one he seemed to remember, and with a deep pretend breath he pushed through the creaky door.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"I just got back."

It always happened this way. Gwendolyn would return to Reajh weary from battle, only to be given another assignment. Sometimes she was able to spend a week in the city before she was sent away again sometimes she only got one day. This time, it had only taken an hour for one of the priests to approach her.

Father Perry gave her a sympathetic look. "Yes, I know." he said. "If it makes you feel any better, it's an easy job- you're just escorting a nobleman to Uthlyn." 

Gwendolyn exhaled, gripping her shield tightly. "When must I leave?"

"About forty-five minutes from now. If I recall correctly, he's already waiting in his carriage near the city gates."

Gwendolyn nodded, her eyes tired. "Thank you." Walking away, the knight stopped and turned to the church alter. "Ansgar guide me." she silently prayed, bowing her head slightly. 

She turned and walked town the isle, shield at her side. Upon reaching the door she moved to open it- only for somebody to open it from the outside. As Gwendolyn didn't have time to move, the door knocked up against her shield. She quickly stepped back, allowing the door to open fully. "I apologize sir." she said to the armored man who stepped inside. "The shield gets in the way sometimes."

Tide

Having walked restlessly for miles into the Hollow, Thomas was unsettled by the fact that his feet scraped against his will only now, when he approached hallowed ground. Got to thinking he was unwelcome. In some sense of futile defiance he pressed on, leaning heavily on the door yet barely registering the impact on it.

After stepping into the room he stood completely still, gripping the handle, his mind hushed. There was an odd sensation he could only describe as being not all there, and for a while he just stared straight through the shield-maiden in front of him. Eventually, he tilted his head towards her.

A fighting woman, it was a strange sight particularly somewhere as secure as the capital. He puzzled it out for a moment, and finally he understood. Mordecai. Adhara, evidently. He was grateful to still be on his feet. Just like that, the spell was broken... so to speak.

Shuffling out of the doorway, he fell into military posture. "It's fine," he assured her with a lazy wave, noticing the slackness of the gesture. Adding a terse laugh, he muttered "bloody ale," as an afterthought. "The Grand Duke's elite I see. I'm... I was regular army up north. Where are you headed?" Making conversation was hard, but he thought he was doing pretty well, considering.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

The man stared at Gwendolyn before quickly moving out of her way, giving her a lazy wave of the hand. Gwendolyn couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by the man's gaze- it was as if he wasn't all there.

As it turns out, he wasn't- as the man began to speak, it was clear from his slurred voice that he'd been drinking. Gwendolyn allowed her shoulders to relax. "Calm down. There's nothing to worry about here."

Gwendolyn exhaled. "Uthlyn." she replied. "Simple escort job, should be a nice change of pace from the usual assignments." She gripped the rim of her shield tightly, and scratched the back of her head. ""I wouldn't call myself "elite" though." She gave the man a forced smile. "I'm... Just a soldier."

Tide

Started feeling pretty vulnerable. It was clear he couldn't match an Adhara; might be found out right then and there. His only option was social stealth, not really one of his strong points. Though she accepted his weak deceptions... he'd agree it was more plausible than the truth.

One struggled to picture a more prestigious office than serving under the Grand Duke. "Respect the humility, but that's nonsense. You 'breakers saved our arses more times than I could count." Except for that last time. Kind of died, that time. He had yet to really process that in a healthy way.

He tried to straighten out and speak up. "So escort, huh?" He looked aside in thought for a moment, then raised a finger. "Need any backup?" That was asking a bit much, he was trying his luck there. But it'd help him to hear a bit more, ask some questions. A soldier did a lot of travel, saw things how they really were.

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