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

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

"I don't have to be in that form, I can go fast without it. But you won't let me. Fine. I spook horses even without being in that form. They can sense it."

Anja followed him, this time with her head up. She still kept a grim expression on her face. They were all watching what she was doing, just in case she wanted to attack him. Pathetic, although, her pack would be doing the same thing. Had to admire their adiration.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa stepped into the armory and looked about, seeing the rows of spears, swords, bows, crossbows, sets of armor, quivers, barrels full of arrows. Target dummies, and practice pells. They were all there to be moved outside and put back in. For as common place as this Fort seemed, the amount of weapons they had stockpiled was more than enough to field double the amount of soldiers that had been seen thus far.

Tousa simply moved and grabbed a spear before going to a bow and picking it up, pulling the string back and looking at Anja for a moment before relaxing the tension and setting it down. He continued down the line of bows, repeating the process over and over again. Pick up a bow, draw the string back, look to Anja, release the tension slowly and set it back on the rack. He then moved on and picked up a crossbow and glanced to her once again, shaking his head and going back to the bows, ow rubbing his chin as he stood silently trying to select one.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

'

Anja was impressed by all of the weapons they had. What she didn't like was the fact that he looked at her each time he pulled on a bow string. Was it meant as a warning

"You keep looking at me and I'm going to blush." she walked over to the bows and placed her hands on them. She knew a few of these, had seen them in action. This was Snow's bow. And this was Lena's. They had made them themselves. She got quiet.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa took up the first bow she touched, slinging it across his person before going and grabbing a quiver and filling it with arrows, arranging it around his waist. After that was done he simply motioned for her to follow and left the armory. "We're delivering the letter next. Come on, we haven't got all day lycan."

Tousa looked to the men that were now watching him walk out with a bow and quiver of arrows as well as a spear. "Get back to your duties soldiers." Most of them did, a few didn't. Instead they began to grumble. Tousa watched the group for a moment.

"You five, you were given an order by your prince and commanding officer. Why are you not following through? Were my orders not clear?" Tousa asked, watching them carefully.

"They were clear your grace. We just want to know why you aren't killing that monster now. She was part of the raid that killed some of the men you were leading! She's dangerous and a criminal!" One soldier stated.

Tousa took a deep breath and walked over to the group of them. "I am not killing her now because I will be killing her at the capital in front of my father. This is a punishment not only for how all of you men acted while on ceremony for an execution, but also to show the nobles the dangers you men go through. You work hard and you risk your lives against such beasts. Perhaps once they see one such creature they will stop complaining about emptying their coffers to fund your livelihood for a while. Or would you rather have nobles withdraw their support for this war and have your enemies spill over the border and kill your family? Right now, in the court, that is a very real possibility."

The soldier stared at him and then gave a very slow nod. "Now get back to work, you have your duties to attend to soldier." He glanced to the other four. That same reasoning applies to the four of you as well. I don't want a single idle hand in this barracks. Is that clear? There are always tasks that need done, and if you are resting when you are on duty, then you are allowing that risk to grow ever so slightly. Remember that. All of you."

He turned to look back at Anja. "Let's go prisoner. To the coop."  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja grumbled as they left but got silent as they strode through camp. She looked at the men who spoke up to him. Not very smart. She had to hold in a smile as they headed for the coop.

They got there and all she could smell was bird, bird poop, and paper. She almost gagged the smell was so strong. Anja put her hands on her nose trying to plug up the smell  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa moved up to the hunched man who took care of the birds. "Another letter." He stated to the man.

"Another one already? Doesn't have to do with the Lycan there does it your grace?" The keeper asked as they took the letter and gathered a pigeon.

"It does, but I just need the message sent to the capital again. To my father's bird keeper specifically."

"Two messages for your father in one day? That is a rarity for you Prince Tousa. Wherever you found the girl, she seems to have an influence to you already. Be wary of that Prince, you know what they say about the wiles of a woman." The keeper offered a smile and attached the letter to the bird before whispering into its ear.

If Anja was listening she would hear the language, it was an old language, forgotten by most now. The bird keeper wasn't well practiced by how crudely and slowly the words were coming out, but it was none other than the language of the Old Ones. The ones that taught Druids their secret language and one that animals recognized.

"I know what they say, and no she does not have such an effect on me, she is a prisoner and she will be treated as such throughout the journey." Tousa just watched the man do his strange whispering's before the bird was let go to fly off to his father.

"As you say Prince Tousa. Are there any other messages you wish to send out for the day or shall that be the last of them? The birds are eager to fly today after all, and I can hardly blame them with the weather that we have." The bird keeper cracked a grin showing poorly kept teeth.

"No that will be all for now Keeper, you're the only one that can send letters out anyways so if I need to, I will be back." With that Tousa turned and left, now heading towards the mess hall, which was active pretty much all day as soldiers moved in and out and were working their shifts.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja recognized the language but she didn't know it. It was very old and was impressed that anyone still knew it. Her parents had known it. Never taught it to her, didn't have the chance. She was grateful hen they left, she could breath through her nose again.

That trip was not fun. But, getting closer to the mess hall she smelled meat cooking. Against her will, her stomach let out a grumble. Anja could smell deer, rabbit, cow, pig, chicken and something else...... "Bear meat?" she accidently said out loud  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa took a moment to smell to see what she was talking about, sadly his nose could only just smell meat and food in general without the specifics. "If there is bear meat it came from the local area which means that whichever group killed it are gloating over the fact they took down a bear."

Tousa entered the mess hall and didn't even pause as he made his way over to the fire, taking the carving knife and slicing off two slabs of meat and then setting them on nearby plates and walked to one of the long tables and sat down at the edge, setting both plates down, one of the plates across to him while he simply dug in without any utensils or proper eating ware. If it wasn't for his fancy clothing, armor, or way he carried himself, he would probably just look like another soldier. A very well groomed soldier, but a rank and file member nonetheless.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja sat down and hesitated. She could feel the stares on her back. Still, she got over it and picked up the meat. She started eating it at a good pace. Eat what you got, when you can. And according to the taste, it was deer meat. Pretty good, "Thank you." she said low enough for only him to hear  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

"You need the nutrition and a good meal. We have a long way ahead of us and properly seasoned meals like this will be rare to come by along the way." Tousa glanced up from his meal, soldiers were certainly staring at her, but those who were not staring were gambling for fun or generally having a good time and relaxing.

"This environment is a relaxing one. Seeing the men able to spend their time like humans after they have worked hard is a reward in and of itself." Tousa stood suddenly and moved away from the table, going to grab to wooden cups and going to a barrel, filling each of them up from a tap and then going further away to gather up more food for the both of them, leaving Anja alone for a moment.

His eyes however, would glance her way, just to see what the soldiers would do and how she would act. Without him around she wasn't safe here, he knew, but how far were the soldiers willing to harass her? That was what he wanted to see. She had mentioned they acted differently when he was not around, but how far did he have to be for them to feel safe from his vision?  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja wasn't expecting to be left alone, and neither did the men. She didn't do anything but sit there and mind her own business. She knew he was watching her from somewhere. What was the point in all this. She found that out when one of hte men who passed by her, purposefully bumped into her and spilled his drink on her, "Watch it beast! You made me spill my drink!"

Anja calmly looked at him and spoke, "You are mistaken, you bumped into me." the man got furious and slapped her, "You are nothing and as soon as you get to the capital, you will die." Anja did nothing. If she did anything, it would give them a reason to kill her where she stood. Instead she rose up and snarled at them, flashing her fangs at him. Well didn't that make him go weak in the knees. She sat back down as if done with her point.

The man recovered and made a move to remove his dagger. He put it to her throat, "What makes you think I won't slit your throat right now? I'll be doing everyone here a favor. I don't care about his orders. I take pleasure in killing beasts."

Anja did nothing still and looked straight ahead. The fact that she could still smell Tousa meant he could be watching all of this.  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa watched from his position, taking a drink of the mead, many around him also watching the scene. After a moment he picked up the two bowls of soup he had gathered, and picked up the second cup in his other hand and moved his way back.

He didn't even comment, setting the bowl of soup down in front of Anja, and then the cup of mead next to it before setting his bowl down over on his side and his half finished cup next to his own food. He very calmly sat down at his food. It was only then he looked up directly at the soldier who had the knife. Still eating.

After he chewed a bite of meat he finally spoke up. "So. Whose going to explain why there is a knife to my prisoner's throat? Anyone?" Now he began looking around at every soldier that was looking at the scene. "Well, come on, someone fess up."  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

Anja raised an eyebrow at him but remained silent. The knife was removed from her throat. The man was silent, as was everyone else.

After a minute the guy spoke up, "This beast here tripped me. Made me spill my drink. I shrugged it off and then she growled at me and then proceeded to threaten me. Can I kill her for such insolence?" No one else spoke up. He brought he knife to her throat again and grabbed her hair and pulled. The men grumbled but didn't agree or go against it, not wanting to condemn a man or be killed themselves for lying to the Prince  

[Kami GearX]

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Rynn01

Prince Tousa of Darinest

Tousa looked around for a moment. "No one is putting up an argument? I see." He gave a small nod and took another bite. Then he stood up and picked up his spear, thrusting the tip through the arm that was holding the knife up, slicing through muscle with ease before twisting the spear to lock the tip firmly into the mans arm. "You're a cruel and evil man with no morals to your name. You will stand there until I say you may go."

He looked around. "What is this soldiers name? You have a minute to offer it up before I take you all outside and spar you one by one until your all flat on your asses and crippled to the point where you can no longer walk. Since you all don't seem to be willing to tell the truth, I'm going to need more than one of you to confirm this soldiers name."

Tousa's face was contorted into a snarl, a frown that did not suit the Prince's face at all, marring the once calm features and distorting what he considered a refined image. It was clear what he disliked here. Truth seemed to be the most important matter to the man and from the looks of it, hiding it was one of the worst things one could do while in his presence.  

[Rynn01]

Kami GearX

The man shouted and held his hand with his other one.

At once several men stepped forward saying the same name in unison, "Erik Longstrom, your Highness." the all bended the knee, then the rest of them bended the knee.

Anja looked at all of them. She was almost touched. She still said nothing. She looked at Tousa, waiting or him to do something. Her hair was still wet from the ale poured on her. It bothered her but wouldn't do anything about it until she was able to