Silver & Blood: A Kingdom's Currency (Rynn01 x Kami GearX)

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"I certainly can't give you weapons from the armory or armor for that matter." Tousa stated. "However I know that I will need a bow for hunting if we are to be traveling light, a spear is only so effective. Dried meat will only last us so long."

Tousa paused and then looked at Anja and at where they were. "You'll be in shackles certainly but here is probably not the best place. I would come back in two hours and you would be dead. No, you will be sticking close by."

He then took a long sigh. "That being said you certainly can't act like you've been given a free walk either. Do you understand that?" Tousa glanced to Anja with a neutral face. He was clearly in a strategy mind.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

"You know, I bet I'm better with a bow than you are. Shall we put it to the test in the practice area?" Anja didn't know if he would take the bait. She was betting not.

"These shackles aren't needed. I will not run, you spared my life, for now. I am indebted to you, and I always repay my debts" she gave a dramatic bow, "But of course, you don't see it that way."

Anja crossed her arms in front of herself and got serious, "Yes I know. No fooling around, no talking out of turn, right? No wandering off, that would also get me killed in here. I'm in enemy territory, I'm not stupid." She held herself to stop from shaking. At least she wasn't in immediate danger, "Shall we ride out today. This place is getting stuffy." she smelled the air and recoiled, "What they hell is that smell? It smells like one of your men has a stomach ache and took it out of the ground, literally." she had to plug up her nose  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"I will not be handing you a bow or quiver. You've already proven your accuracy with a bow to me by nearly killing me with a few hastily placed shots. I would rather not see what you would do with an aimed one." Tousa stated.

"I will need to write a letter to my father to tell him that I have decided that I will be executing you at the capital instead of this fort. The soldiers will buy into that excuse as well, even if they won't enjoy it. We will ride out at night, if we leave during the day they will expect me to take an escort for my safety. I wish to take this journey alone." Tousa took a sniff and wrinkled it, he could certainly smell it, perhaps not as sharply as Anja could. "We're going back up and going to the officer's quarters. Act like you've been condemned to death still... Because for everyone's knowledge you still have been."

Tousa turned and walked out of the room, picking up the greatsword again, the ceremonial executioner blade well decorated and something that seemed like it cost a fair bit to have forged and made. The military certainly seemed wealthy enough for the state that the country was in.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

"I wasn't aiming for you. If I was, you wouldn't be here. You never saw those arrows coming." Anja was quite proud of herself for that, "Ah the capital, I've been on the outskirts before but not in the city. No matter where I go, they all know I'm not human. I think its the hair and the fact that my eyes glow when I'm agitated, or riled up."

Anja shook her body and kept up the face that was in shock but still knowing she was going to die. It was a sad, but brave face. Anja followed Tousa with her head hung low. She only looked at his feet with a grim expression. She didn't look at anyone, didn't have to, to figure out they had really cruel expressions on their faces. She said nothing and did nothing but walk into the officer's quarters. They still weren't alone so she didn't break character. She stood and waited until he told her to do something, much to her dismay.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"Stand in the corner prisoner so you don't get in the way of others." It was a simple demand as Tousa walked towards a desk, not even bothering to look up to see if she did as she was told. Instead he had already drawn a quill out and ink, writing down something in haste.

An officer came up to Anja for a moment and looked her up and down. "Are you keeping her as a pet your highness?" The man asked, turning.

"No. Lycan are dangerous and feral things. I would not risk myself or my men for something as trivial as a pet. I'm keeping her alive to execute her in front of my father, the King of Darinest, the execution will relieve some of the tension in the court for my father at the very least. Political maneuvering is something that is just as important as strategy when it comes to war." Tousa stated, still writing away.

"The nobles would certainly appreciate it, the troops aren't happy with you right now though Prince Tousa, they were really looking forward to the display, it's not every day you see a Prince behead a creature." The officer stated, glancing back at Anja with a scowl and eyes filled with hatred.

"Like I said earlier, she is a woman before she is a beast, and she has acted nobly in the face of death. Do not insult my prisoner as she showed more discipline than the men outside. Think of the change in location as punishment for acting like a mob instead of like soldiers." Tousa looked up finally, glancing first to the officer, then to Anja before it was back to the officer. "I don't care if you have to beat your men into discipline, when I get back from the capital, I expect these men to be whipped back into a fighting force that would kill themselves if given the command to do so. You are dismissed Sir Borvel, and not another word from you or the other soldiers about my decision."  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja stood in the corner and looked up from the floor. She remained in control of herself, even as the officer looked her over. She puffed out her chest and held her head high. When he wasn't looking, she sneered at him, even stuck her tongue out. She would go back to normal each time he looked over at her until he was gone.

Did she really come off as feral? In a manner of speaking, yes she supposed she has. That was normal for her. Still, she had to give it to him. Keeping up a lie and appearances just so he wouldn't lose face over the fact that he couldn't kill a female who raised a few questions about his men.

"That was rather exciting to watch." Anja looked around the place while staying still, "Looks great in here. Do the decorating yourself?" she crossed her arms in front of her again. She got to see a few of the maps that were on the table. A lot of activity going on, and none near her den, thank the moon. They were safe, for now.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"You would do well in a court then if you find politics and wording so exciting."Tousa stated dryly, taking a deep breath of relief of not having to keep up a straight face or lie to his men. "I'm assuming you're acting out of character because no one is in hearing range of this conversation."

He glanced around the room and then back to Anja before shaking his head and simply going back to writing his letter in quiet. After a moment he tapped the quill against his chin in thought and then gave a nod, jotting a few words down and crossing out a few others. Then, once the document was complete he set it aside and grabbed a new piece of paper, glancing back and forth from the sheets of paper as he worked, copying the first draft to the second paper.

"And don't think I don't still have my suspicions about you by the way. I think our enemy has hired you to put these raids on and you're going the extra mile to whisper poison into my ear." Tousa stated suddenly, setting the quill aside and going to light a candle, waiting for the wax to melt as he folded the document up like he had done with the documents the night before, taking off his sigil ring from his hand.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

"Yes, of course I'm speaking up when there is no one to hear me." she shrugged. At least she would stay in this one spot. If anyone else came in here, then at least she could get quiet real quick. It would look strange if she had been right next to him.

"Why send out two letters if we are only going to one place? Can I read it?" Anja spoke before he could say anything, "Yes I can read and I can write. Big surprise, or is it?"

"If I wanted to whisper poison in your ear, that is so not what I would have said."  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"Considering you are a leader, or precious to someone who can give orders. No it is not surprising you can read or write. You are not the only group that strikes at our caravans either so I would not be surprised if it was a coordinated effort." Tousa stated before sliding the unfolded piece of paper over to the other side of the desk, not even bothering to stand. "When presenting letters to those of the court you make sure that there are no errors in what is written. This prevents any miscommunication from what was said to occur."

"As for the idea of whispering poison, you have set up an ideal situation for such a thing. We will be travelling with only the two of us, no one will know which route we will be taking, and my last known whereabouts will be here." He pointed at the map. "And our goal is here." He pointed to the capital. "Which is a few weeks worth of travel. Such a large area to off someone, or capture them, or whatever else you may or may not have been hired to do. The point is, I do not trust you or what you have said to me thus far."

Tousa took the candle and dribbled some wax into a small holding vessel which he then used to pour the wax onto the letter he was sending out to seal it, printing his seal against the cooling wax and waiting a few moments before pulling it away and giving a nod. It was a clear imprint of the ring, and one he was satisfied with.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja raised an eyebrow, if he only knew, "For someone who doesn't trust me at all, you are really making some really bad decisions. I mean, travelling with me alone, at night, taking a route you are not telling anyone, and not telling others when we are leaving? Do you have a death wish?"

"But you know I won't do anything, don't you?" Anja said to him  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"What I believe you will do and what I know you will do are completely different." Tousa stated. "I believe that you won't do anything. However I know you have every reason, in your eyes, to take action against me as soon as we are out of sight of this fort." He slipped the ring back onto his finger, cleaning off the small ring of wax that remained on the outer rim of the sigil.

"I am a soldier, and I am the future ruler of this kingdom. I had a death wish long before you told me anything." Tousa stood up after that and walked over to a larger map on the wall of the known world. He pointed to Darinest, a small kingdom in the grand scheme of things. "I wish to expand our borders to three times this size by the end of my rule. We are a small kingdom now, but we are important as a central hub for various other kingdoms. If we fall now, this region will be turned into a battlefield for several more generations and it is not a risk I wish to take with my people."

Tousa made a circling motion of what he roughly wanted in terms of size. If he got what he wanted, it would certainly be a respectable nation at that size. "My heirs will have something of that size to rule, and their children something even greater I suppose. However I will not live to see it. I wish to establish a foothold for them to do what they wish however."  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

"If you believe that to be true, then why don't you have other join us on the way to prove the raids that I spoke of are true, on the way to my execution?" He wasn't making sense and Anja was tired of it, "Just admit it, you want to be alone with me because you like me. You like my bravery, courage and the fact that I stand up to you when everyone else shuts up."  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"If I did that do you not think they would make sure such activities were avoided while I was with them? Scouts riding ahead to warn other soldiers in the essence of scouting. My whereabouts being unknown is the one thing that will allow me to see if your word holds true. with my own two eyes." Tousa stated back.

"I am willing to risk everything else on that one advantage I will gain. It is the key advantage to this entire plan after all." Tousa then shook his head. "Trust me, if I wanted something like that I would be in the capital and would have simply made my way into the city under the curtain of night and paid for such a service. No, those things do not concern me, nor is it the reason we do this."

"A mercenary band is more than willing to do all of those things just as well after all." He then motioned to the door, picking up the sealed letter. "We're heading to the armory for weapons next. Then to the coop to send this letter out. After that, a meal."  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja rolled her eyes, "Fine, I can see your point. Oh and before you asking, I won't need a horse, if you were going to offer one to me."

"Lead the way. After all, I'm your prisoner and I don't know the way. But judging from the smell I'd say it was to the left. Am I wrong?"

Anja was looking forward to a meal. And keeping her strength up was very important.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa looked at her. "You will be riding on horseback whether you like it or not. I can't have a giant wolf running through the countryside and spreading terror. Unless you think they will bolt at the very sight of you, which I have read to be the case with some, but not all Lycan."

He moved for the door, leaving the greatsword behind this time. He had no need of it as they exited the oficer's quarters and began to make their way to the armory. She was indeed correct that it was towards their left, however it was not directly beside the officer's quarters. Instead it was next to the barracks, where a majority of the troops slept.

At the sight of Anja, the mood in the barracks soured almost immediately, and whatever they were doing was slowed as they watched her. Tousa for now ignored them. The officers had their orders, if they did not follow through on those orders by the time Tousa was back at this fort from his trip to the capital, he would have to deal out appropriate punishment