Duty Calls

[Ivory]

Audric didn't really care much for drills and for training, but he understood the necessity of it.  In the two years he had been back in Allar, Audric had stepped up the training regiment for the palace guards, demanding the men become the best soldiers in the country -- at least, better than most palace guards.  The men, without exception, were accustomed to the drills now -- and they knew Audric would make it up to them later while off-duty.

Audric had a fairly good rapport with the men under his command.  They respected his experience and leadership, and, although the Connlaothian borders were, by and large, quiet these days, Audric had been in his fair share of scrapes -- both in and out of uniform.  On duty, he expected his men to disciplined and to behave as professionals, and off-duty, well -- they were off-duty, and soldiers would be soldiers...and Audric was usually among them.  Just as he was the first to leap into the fray should the Duke's personal guards be needed, he was also the first to jump into trouble outside the palace.  In other words, he was human -- and that was something the other guards appreciated.

Well, today was no exception.  Audric watched the drills with half an eye as the men were put through the paces.  Today, they were having a friendly match -- but, ultimately, it came down to seeing who had improved and who had not, who could deliver a killing blow and who could stop one.

Taking a bite of the red apple he had scrounged from the kitchen, Audric turned his head slightly at the sound of hooves entering the courtyard.  Guests of all sorts came and went frequently, but Audric had been a soldier too long not to study every man, woman, and child who passed through the gates.

The one thing he was not expecting to see was, of course, a Mordecai.  It was bound to mean trouble.

He strode away from the fence post he had been leaning against, moving out into the courtyard to meet the representative of the most elite branch of their nation's military.  "Can I help you?"  The question was delivered with all the wariness of an on-duty soldier.

[Ycharley]

Minala jumped off her large horse, landing gracefully as she pulled her hood back. She looked over the man who stood before her. "I'm assuming your Audric," She stated, the pitch of her voice being a rich nearly musical tone.

"I have orders to be here, to help protect Audric," She continued to speak, looking over at the palace guards training. "There has been a threat on Duke Calent's life, I magical threat, so I'm here as a safe guard for him," She continued to speak. Her dark crimson eyes continued to look over the area, doing her own evaluation of the area.

The large stallion that stood at her side scrapped its hoof against the ground impatiently. "You should get the appropriate servant to take my horse to the stables. I would like to do a run through of the area, see if there are any big obvious weaknesses in any defenses," She said, it was clear she was ready to  do her job. She didn't like talking to people, she wasn't use to being social of having to talk to people. She had never had to really be social, it was always get your orders and do your orders, nothing else.

She rubbed a scar on her left wrist, a nervous habit, something she had only developed when dealing with people. She never got nervous on the battle field, she was at home there.

[Ivory]

Audric's frown only deepened as she spoke.  Trouble indeed...and the worst kind.  He ran a hand through his short hair, mussing the platinum blonde locks with the gesture.  He didn't seem concerned; he was a soldier, not a dandy, and his hair was often a lot worse, frankly.  Besides, the wind would only blow it about again anyway.

"Very well," he stated reluctantly.  He lifted two fingers to his mouth to whistle at his men.  Two fingers became one, and he jerked his hand to indicate someone should come over.  One of them -- a gangly youth that looked both curious and nervous -- jogged over.

"He'll take your horse to our barracks stable," Audric informed the woman before him.  "Have you given any consideration to where you'll lodge?  Our barracks is already full."  Well, there were a few extra bunks -- there always were -- but the barracks was no place for a woman, even if she were Mordecai.  "I'm certain a bed can be arranged in the palace, if you like."

[Ycharley]

"I'm not concerned with my bunking, I can sleep outside if it comes down to it. Of course I'm more comfortable bunking in the barracks, but if it comes down to it I guess lodging in the palace would be plausible," She said, her eyes returning to the training men.

For being palace guards the men training were rather impressive, they weren't completely useless. She then turned her gaze to Audric. She knew that he wasn't just a palace guard, she had heard the stories of his battles. Audric's ability to command a battle field with seemed ease. She knew that working with him should be good, though, she knew how men were, how they underestimated women.

"Good luck in your continued training of these men, there half decent, I must admit that I'm impressed," She spoke with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk.

[Ivory]

A smirk tugged at the corner of Audric's lips at her compliment.  "High praise from a Mordecai," he stated, and he meant it.  Mordecai were nothing to underestimate, after all; he had spent too many years on the battlefield to have never encountered the elite warriors, and he knew they were dangerous, men and women both.

He extended a hand towards the palace, an invitation to accompany him.  He fell into step beside her.  "I would like to have you introduce yourself to the Duke first," he stated.  His tone was pleasant, but it was hard; this was not a negotiation.  "And I will tell the staff to arrange a room."  If she didn't like the room they chose, she probably had the authority to choose one for herself; when it came to that, she could probably barge into the barracks and demand a bunk, for that matter.  But it wasn't proper, and he would stand by his decision unless ordered to do otherwise.

"Once he has been made aware of your presence and mission -- and I promise you, it will not be a long conversation -- we can begin wherever you would like."

They were inside by this time, moving into the palace through a wide hall.  He gestured to a servant, uttering a few quiet words, then moved on again towards the Duke's study.  He could hear the sounds of the piano even from the hall; Calent would not like the interruption, but there were few things he really liked at all these days.  He was just going to have to be a big boy and at least make an effort to be polite to their guest.

She was here to protect him, after all.

He rapped purposefully on the door, then opened it without awaiting an invitation.  "Duke Calent, there is a Mordecai here to address you."

With the announcement made, Audric stepped to the side with his hands clasped behind his back, awaiting for the exchange to end.

(OOC: Quick stop-off to see the Duke, and then Audric and Minala can be on their way!  However, protocol is protocol!  Just tag me when you two get done, and I'll jump back in!  Audric will just stand off to the side until then!)

[visualspice]

His fingers pressed into the ivory keys, naturally moving, striking notes and recreating raw emotions tending a story through his song.  The music was tense, but beautiful, with rippling notes that bounced and hummed and echoed across the wide expanse of his music chamber.  With polished, marble floors and massive columns adoring the room, and great windows stretching all the way towards the sky, the room was truly fit for a king, a duke, for that matter.
Upon the great, tall windows hung rich, dark velvet curtains, a color that lit the room up with the simplicity of one.  The only other ornaments was a few paintings and tapestry adorning the walls and a few smaller pedestals with a vase or two, and an urn.


The song came from memory, from feeling and expression; it was a way that he could speak without words, playing his melancholy to the world, and also the ferocity that burned within.

The song had been titled 'The Jade and Whisper'- a piece he had written earlier that year. And he had been playing it ever since his father's death, perfecting the pitch, feel and tempo as he continued to express the song, fingers gracing across the keys.


It was as he was crescendoing- the notes called out, roaring through a hum and growing more and more intense, as if angrily blocking out the knock at his door, which he had heard, and yet he still played onward, fingers tensing striking the notes until...

a single note hung into the air... and as it faded away, a few more notes called out...
Then a chord.


Then there were none.

For a moment, Duke Calent stared across the piano and into the vast, emptiness of his room.
Then rose slowly turned from his bench towards the door, his eyes silent upon Minala.

[Ycharley]

Minala kneeled before the duke with respect, bowing her head slightly and placing her closed fist over her heart. She felt his eyes, they sent chills up her spine, a sensation she rarely ever experienced. She wondered what had happened to the Duke that he acted as such, had something so tragic struck him? Or was he simply weak, someone who couldn't handle any pain or hurt or suffering in there lives. She pushed the thoughts away, she would have time later to ponder on the things.

"Duke Calent I'm Minala, I am a Mordecai" She stated simply, she wondered how would he react, she knew some people of high stations took it as insults when people were sent to protect them. She hoped he wouldn't be one of then. She didn't want to be punished for doing her job.

"There has been a threat placed on your life, a plan to end your life has been set into a motion, one that will be played out by magic users. I'm here to ensure that the magic users plan will not be successful," She continued to speak, her voice strong and confident even if she wasn't.

[visualspice]

For a long moment, the duke merely stared at her, his eyes briefly drifting towards Audric before he nodded.
It wasn't unheard of for assassination attempts towards men of power, but he knew the precarious position he was in. Unwed. Without heir, and time was ticking. The rumors were there, but he hadn't had time to think on it, nor the consequence. He simply nodded towards Minala.

"I see," his voice came out soft, almost dry as it echoed briefly in the open chamber.  "Is that all?"
He stared at her, face plain, without expression.  He could deal with informing his advisers and guards later.  And Audric..
He would have to confront him about this.. interruption at another time.

Rising, he bowed light to her and gestured for her to rise, and again, his eyes wen to Audric's, though this time there was a stir of emotion as he looked at his friend, but the emotion cooled when he turned his green eyes upon Minala.

"I'm sure Audric can show you to your room." and he said no more, simply walking away from her after giving another polite bow before he strolled across the room, his foot steps echoing behind him as he paused before a stand, bending over to pick up his violin as he rested his chin and cheek upon it, steadied his fingers, then sung the bow across the strings and began another song, his back toward Audric and the open door on the other side of the room.

[Ivory]

Audric did not miss the briefest flicker of annoyance on the Duke's face.  He allowed himself a mental chuckle, although, typically, most considered it dangerous to annoy the Duke.  Audric was not the sort of man to be bullied, however, and so the Duke's temper did little more than make him shake his head and view the Duke even more as a wayward, spoiled child.  Although Calent was his senior, Audric often felt as though he were a nanny for a young boy, and this was no exception.

The soldier stepped forward so that he could speak quietly to Minala.  "Come," he said softly.  "I'll show you the outer wall."  The audience was at an end -- if it could be called a proper audience at all.

[Ycharley]

Minala let Audric lead her out of the room in silence. She was surprised at how the Duke had acted. She then turned her gaze to Audric. She had caught the gaze that the Duke had sent him and she could easily tell it wasn't a pleased one. She took a deep breath once they were out of the room and the door was closed behind them.

The room was tense, or at least she felt it was tense. She cleared her throat softly, raising an eyebrow. The more she knew about the Duke the better she would be able to protect him, or at least that is what she kept telling herself to excuse why she was about to start to meddle.

"So has the Duke always been this way, antisocial?" She stated to question, her voice soft, nearly a whisper. There foot steps clicking as they walked down the hall. "And that look he gave you, you're in trouble," She continued, looking around. She had always been very paranoid about spies listening into conversations she was having.

"Him being with out an heir puts a bigger target on his back," She continued to talk. Yeah she wasn't super social, but she did like going out with the guys to the tavern.

[Ivory]

"The Duke is a very private man," Audric answered, as much in answer to her questions as in avoidance of them.  Audric himself wasn't privy to all of the details of what had happened to change Calent so dramatically from the cheerful boy he had been, but he had pieced together enough of the local rumors to have an idea.

His grin at her next statement was rather roguish.  "And don't worry about me.  I'm always in trouble with the Duke.  That's just how I let him know I'm here every day."

Reaching the door, he held it open for her and waited for her to pass through.  As they crossed the courtyard, he went on, "You'll find things are different here in Allar than elsewhere.  The Duke is a stubborn man who doesn't let anyone, least of all his personal guard, dictate what he should do or how he does it."  Audric gave his head a slight shake, although he was smiling fondly as he said it.  "But you shouldn't be fooled.  He is a very capable man -- and a very capable fighter.  And his people like him."

[Ycharley]

"I wasn't questioning his ability as a fighter or as a leader," She spoke, her eyes taking in the details of the courtyard, memorizing everything. "All I was saying is the more I know, the better I can protect, the same as you, yet I have more responsibility resting on my shoulders. I protect him against any magic that will surely be thrown this way," she spoke popping her neck and back.

She walked in silence for only a few moments, her mind filled with a check list of things she needed to do. She yet again started to run her finger over the scar on her wrist, the first scar she had ever received.

"I will also need to know when the shift changes happen, where palace guards are stationed and any other details that you think would be useful to me. You were a soldier once, I'm sure I don't have to go every detail."

[Ivory]

"You did say you wanted to know about him," Audric pointed out mildly.

He glanced sideways at her, frowning at her choice of words.  Audric wasn't out on the battlefield these days, but he still thought of himself as a soldier.  He was sure she hadn't meant for it to sound the way it had, though, so he only said, "We'll start here."  Better to start in one corner of the palace and work his way outwards.  "We keep men posted around the clock.  Have you spent any time on the border?"

That was, after all, where Audric had gained most of his experience, and he employed it here.

[Ycharley]

"Its where I am posted until something like this pops up, then I'm set to where ever I'm needed. So yes, I spend most of my time there," She spoke with a nod. Where ever magic needed to be weeded out she was sent. Most of the time that was needed in the borders, that is where most of the magic problems came up.

"How do you do your shift changes? Is there an over lap?" She asked looking over at him. She wished she had time to train, she itched to fight. She was always fighting on the borders so it was hard to get out of the habit or it.

[Ivory]

Good, Audric thought, then she would understand what he meant without having to explain every detail.  "We run on the same rotation schedule," he began.  Audric launched into a description of the protocols and procedures, explaining everything to her as he would another experienced soldier.  Woman or not, he trusted in her experience as a soldier and in their common cause.

Audric moved across the grounds and through the palace as a soldier's pace; he was thorough, but he did not dawdle.  He answered her questions as effectively as he could.  She was shown the barracks and stables, the training yard and courtyard, until, at last, they came to the room the servants had provided for her.

It was the last stop on the tour.

"This is where you'll be staying," he said, pausing outside the door with his hands clasped behind his back, at parade rest.  "I asked the servants not to bring up your bags."  He left it as a question; Audric himself was rather particular about his meager belongings.  Most soldiers were.  "Would you like to retrieve them now, or would you like me to send a servant?"

[Ycharley]

The walk was informative, and she was pleasantly surprised. Most palaces had a lot of gaps in security, this one didn't. The Duke was lucky to have such a good head guard. There was a few things she would change, but every soldier had there different techniques.

"Thank you, I will go get my things," She said turning to walking. She didn't need him to lead her around, she seemed to already know the place. If he decided to walk with her, well then that was his choice, she wouldn't stop him. She really didn't like sleeping where she was, but, if that is where he really wanted her to sleep, then she would work with that.

Her mind then returned to the Duke. She would have to go to a local tavern to figure anymore out though. She didn't think that Audric would tell her anymore. She could tell that they were friends of sorts though.

[Ivory]

Audric glanced after her a moment, then jogged a few paces to catch up to her, his long legs doing so easily.  Well, they may as well head back downstairs together; it would be rather rude for Audric just to stalk after her, wouldn't it?

This was a bit of a sensitive question to ask.  Audric had worked with all sorts of people, and, most, he felt, he could read pretty well.  This woman, however, was nearly as stoic as the Duke and let just about as much information slip.  Why he was constantly surrounded by people like that was beyond him.  Just lucky, he supposed!

There was no helping it: he would just have to ask. "Do you work alone?"

[Ycharley]

"In most cases, yes," She answered not even turning to look at him. She was expecting him to answer it, and was revealed when he finally did. "You must realize that most places don't have palace guards with your- Background," She continued to speak.

"I'm not paired with other Mordecai because my powers and fighting abilities don't call for it, or I would have come with more Mordecai. When it comes to jobs like these, well, most palaces guards aren't much more then farmers with swords," She spoke with a shrug. She didn't mean it as an insult, but that had simply been her experience.

She walked out of the palace doors and quickly made her way to her things, quickly picking them up before she turned to Audric. "When do you train, with your soldiers, I might want to both join them and observe them."

[Ivory]

"Fair enough," Audric answered with a light shrug.  Palace guards were the butts of a lot of jokes out on the borders, after all.  They were trained, of course, but most had little to no real experience in anything other than standing around and looking pretty.

"You're welcome to join, of course.  Most of my men have never met a Mordecai.  It would do them some good to have a woman kick their collective asses."  He could lecture all he liked about the dangers of underestimating opponents, even women, but until they experienced it first-hand, the lesson would never sink in.  He looked at her sideways and added, "No offense meant."  There was no telling what might offend the woman, after all!

Audric held out a hand towards her as they reached her gear.  "Want a hand with that?"

[Ycharley]

"No offence taken," She said offering a polite smile. It was hard to offend her, she had grown up in the barracks after all. After that there wasn't much on the list you haven't seen or heard about. Soldiers would be soldiers.

"I have it, but thank you for the offer. I have never had help before, and I wont once I get back to the border, no reason to spoil myself," She replied with a nod. She would love to kick some of the palace guards asses. She knew she would have to take it easy, she never underestimated an opponent, but she had gotten really good at sizing one up, it come with observation and experience.

Minala knew, even with Audric's casual, easy going attitude, she knew he would be fierce in battle.