Welcome to Our World [M]

DragonSong · July 28, 2018, 06:51:38 AM

The lord of the manor heard his ward's footsteps from halfway down the hall, despite Sharrow's well-practiced stealth, but out of propriety he waited until the knock before he muttered, "Come in," without really bothering to glance up from the reports still strewn across his desk.

quaggan · July 30, 2018, 08:27:45 AM

Sharrow entered, closing the door behind him. His gaze was immediately drawn to the papers on the desk, but didn't linger - while he could read writing turned the other way as well as mirrored, he didn't want to pry. If it was something Lord Saroian wanted him to know, he'd say so. Old habits of gathering information died hard.

He dropped to one knee and began speaking immediately. Lord Saroian was reading, so he probably wouldn't look up and give him the leave, it must be one of those situations where he was supposed to just give his report immediately. "I have achieved partial success. I've managed to discover that Lorian was making creatures from blood magic to serve them. She suggested that he might be doing it in order to acquire something that wouldn't avoid him, the way most animals react to vampires." From what he heard of the nefarious overlord, he wasn't the kind to care about servants' comfort, so it must have been driven by convenience, rather than consideration. "Rather than push for more information, I opted for backing off and not risking driving her away." It was something he believed Lord Saroian would approve of - vampire longevity had a way of making one partial to long-term gains rather than temporary short-term advantages. And the way he talked about the girl, it seemed like he wanted to make her an ally.

DragonSong · August 13, 2018, 10:09:41 AM

Alexander glanced up, then bit back a sigh. It seemed some habits were simply impossible to dissuade. "...Very well. Thank you for the report."

He tilted his head, resisting the urge to immediately look back to his paperwork. "What do you think of her, Sharrow?"

quaggan · August 13, 2018, 07:48:31 PM

"She's understandably cautious and wary of people, especially vampires" he began. "Considering that her sire is Lorian, I don't find it surprising. Combined with he moral standards, it's easy to say that she isn't happy with being turned, and is probably painting all of her kind with the same brush due to lack of interaction with anyone else than her former master and his cronies. Because of this, and her... personal beliefs, I think she is a good fit for the Council."

As... concerned as he was with his human weakness, he couldn't help but notice how it worked in his favour this time. Because he was not a vampire, and he wasn't used as a blood bag, she was intrigued enough to speak to him - and his presence was proof of Lord Saroian's dedication to his beliefs. He would have to consider it in more detail later - it would be irresponsible to ignore facts.

DragonSong · August 18, 2018, 06:27:19 PM

"Hmm...none of that is surprising, I suppose." Alexander was quiet a moment, considering. When he spoke again, he almost seemed to be musing aloud, rather than asking a real question.

"Sharrow. Do you like her? That is...do you think you could get along?" An idea was forming, but he certainly didn't want to put his faithful ward in an awkward situation.

quaggan · August 19, 2018, 09:08:31 AM

Sharrow blinked, surprised to hear this question. He quickly composed himself - for the principle only, of course, he wasn't as arrogant as to think that Lord Saroian wouldn't be able to pick up on it. He should take care to be more composed and not let his weakness show.

"I think it's too early to say" he confessed. Perhaps this wasn't the answer Lord Saroian expected, but Sharrow would give him nothing but the complete truth. He could lie to others, but not to him. "To like someone, one must first know them - and I can't claim to know her well enough. We only had one conversation, after all."

DragonSong · August 22, 2018, 10:55:22 AM

Hm. Perhaps he should rephrase the question.

"True enough," he responded after a moment of thought, "but what I was really asking-- well, would you object to spending more time with her?"

quaggan · August 23, 2018, 09:23:00 AM

"I would not" he responded. "Quite the opposite, I think it's a good idea. Since I am human, I would not be hindered by her dislike of vampires. I think this particular... view can be altered, but that would take time. Therefore, it's best to assign someone like me. Is this my follow-up mission?"

DragonSong · August 27, 2018, 02:02:03 PM

Alexander considered a few moments, tapping his fingers on his desk. Eventually, he stood and crossed to the front of his desk.

"Yes...I believe it will be. But Sharrow..." He opened his mouth, hesitated, then sighed and shook his head, chuckling quietly. "Never mind."

quaggan · August 28, 2018, 12:35:26 PM

Suspicion crept into Sharrow's mind, but he quashed it down. As much as he wanted to know, to ask for more, he knew better than to give his curiosity voice. If it was something he was not meant to know, then he would not seek it out.

"What should be my next course of action?" he inquired. "Should I wait in the stables for her to return, under some pretext? Or would that be too nosy and only push here away from our cause?"

DragonSong · September 01, 2018, 08:19:03 AM

Oh boy.

Quite despite himself, Zander chuckled. "Sharrow..." He smiled, leaning back against his desk. "Don't think of this as a mission, lad. She's-- she's scared. She's alone. She's wary. Just...make her feel welcome."

quaggan · September 01, 2018, 11:25:57 AM

A chuckle wasn't exactly the kind of reaction he was expecting, but he said nothing. It was not his intention to play jester, but it was better to cause amusement than irritation. "I apologize if my phrasing was... ill-chosen. I intended no offence, and I will choose my words more carefully from now on." He couldn't help but notice that Lord Saroian didn't offer any advice he requested. Either he had no wisdom to offer, or it was to be a test of Sharrow's abilities, something he had to accomplish on his own. Both possibilities were... troubling.

It might not be a mission, but it was something Lord Saroian wanted him to do, so he would treat it with equal importance. He waited to be dismissed.

DragonSong · September 16, 2018, 02:34:41 PM

Zander bit his tongue, irritated with himself. He should have known the boy would take his words so literally.

With a soft sigh, he moved toward his vassal and clapped a hand gently on his shoulder. "You've nothing to apologize for, my lad. Just...talk to her. Try to be her friend. Gods know she probably needs one, after all she's been through."

quaggan · September 19, 2018, 07:23:11 AM

Sharrow's body relaxed slightly at Lord Saroian's words. This was one assignment he never wanted to fail at. He would have to work hard to make the fledgling vampire comfortable in the castle.

He glanced back to Lord Saroian, just to make sure that there was nothing else he wanted to say. No, that looked like a dismissal, although he probably wouldn't get a clear verbal one. The old armsmaster was still fond of military terms and procedures, but it was not something his master shared.

Upon leaving, he glanced out of the window. He didn't see any horse coming in, so their guest was probably still on her ride. That gave him some time to consider his options. He would have to be careful. It wouldn't be the first time he had to befriend someone - it was a good way of gaining new assets and informants - but this time, he wouldn't get the advantage of being able to investigate his target-

No, perhaps he would. He would have to put in a request with the spies observing Lorian, and wait, but it was doable. They should probably be able to help - someone must have informed Lord Saroian about the fledgling vampire's existence, and volunteered information such as her connection to horses. That would take time, but he was confident in his ability not to scare her off until then.

For now, he headed back to the stables. She wasn't back from her ride yet - he could wait for her there. He immediately began asking questions to the staff - if he knew more about horses, he could engage her - and it was a worthy area to study as well. He wouldn't always have the luxury of all those stable boys to handle everything for him.

DragonSong · October 01, 2018, 07:10:31 PM

Gwen stayed out on her ride as long as she could feasibly manage. When she finally turned her mare back to the fortress, back to the stables, she was surprised to see Lord Saroian's ward waiting.

Surprised, and not sure if she was pleased or irritated.

"I thought you didn't spend much time in the stables," she commented shortly as she swung into a graceful dismount, leading Teirna into a stall so she could groom her.

quaggan · October 03, 2018, 11:15:58 AM

Sharrow inspected the vampire quickly. She didn't look displeased to see him - that was good, if she had had enough of him, he would have to leave. Pushing and prying was never a good approach to take, especially with someone so distrustful. If she wanted him gone, he would have to leave and try again another day - or perhaps even later. There was a saying one of his tutors liked to repeat, "Trust takes a lifetime to build, but a second to break". It could be applied here.

"I didn't" he admitted. It was true - he rarely visited the place before. "That's why I'm here now. It's a gap in my knowledge that should be filled. I don't feel comfortable passing up on learning something useful."

DragonSong · October 15, 2018, 07:05:25 PM

"Oh." Gwen blinked. She patted Teirna's neck for a few moments, then offered cautiously, "You, uh...you want me to show you?"

quaggan · October 16, 2018, 09:57:54 AM

Sharrow nodded. "Yes, please." This would be perfect - he'd be killing two birds with one stone. Lord Saroian made it clear that the fledgling vampire didn't have an ability to read minds, but people frequently had gifts that couldn't qualify as such, and gave them an edge against artifice anyway. It was good to have some genuine interest and desire to learn on his part, just in case she could pick up on it.

DragonSong · December 02, 2018, 05:34:47 PM

The fledgling vampire blinked again, then shrugged. "Alright. We can start with grooming then. Grab a brush."

She gestured carelessly toward a basket of grooming supplies hanging by a nail on the far wall of the stable, turning her attention back to her horse.

quaggan · December 03, 2018, 05:44:39 AM

Sharrow didn't even think twice, let alone complain about the act. He trusted in her ability - she had more skill with horses than he, it was clear. Grooming might not have been what came to his mind at the thought of riding, but it was an important part of handling horses, and something he probably should learn. He wouldn't always have an access to the stable full of staff to do it for him. If he ever had to pretend to be a groom during one of his infiltrations, he had to know what he was doing.

He headed for the basket she indicated. As soon as he pushed the lid off, the first problem presented itself. There was quite a variety of brushes of different shapes, textures and lengths - and he had no idea how to tell them apart. He thought of asking Gwen, but he probably wouldn't be able to understand professional lingo anyway. He picked the whole basket and carried it back to where the vampire stayed.