the azure blade

"Aye, we've not tried our hands at Leap o'Faith yet, after all!" she motioned for him to follow her, leaving the rejected merchant behind -- but smart enough not to press his luck. "Should be comin' up soon enough."

Once they were out of earshot of the man, she gave a snort.

“I admit I have some experience in turning down would-be suitors,” Aymeric said. “My position as Lord Commander afforded me some leniency when it came to marriage proposals,” – no one had any reason to think a soldier remaining unmarried was a big deal – “but now that I am a politician and not a soldier, many folks think I need to ‘settle down’ and get married.”

As if he had time for courting someone properly!

"I fought so hard for Ishgard because it was my home. It was the war I grew up being told I was going to fight for. I wanted to see the end of this. But that came at such a price. I am so mentally unwell now that I don't think I can help, despite them saying I need to."

Could she just tell them no? Surely if she made the point of how unwell she was, they'd listen. It probably wasn't going to be the case.

Aymeric understood better than anyone that war heroes never had ample time to grieve. For people like Eliane, the Warrior of Light, it was always one conflict to the next, with no time in the middle. People did not seem to understand that the woman had just lost her husband, the father of her son, in such a violent, horrific manner. Aymeric himself could not even begin to understand, and he understood this.

He set his teacup down and made to stand. “I will get you the information you seek in short order,” he told her. “A chirurgeon well versed in this sort of thing. I have one in mind that I often send my men to.”

He went over to the door of the parlor to call for a servant to tend to him. After a moment, he returned with a piece of paper, which he handed to Eliane.

"Aye, lad, 'ppreciate th'hospitality." She reached and swiped the drink up and downed it all in one gulp, head tossed back. That clearly took the merchant's attention off of Aymeric; he looked quite pleased.

Then she finished the drink and handed the cup back to him.

"Bit weak, but good all th'same," she concluded cheerfully. "Thanks!"

And then she fully turned back to her conversation with Aymeric.

"Anyroad -- you feelin' up tae another round o'grub, or should we get back on th'floor?"

The merchant's face fell. He bristled, then seemed to calm himself. "If your companion isn't up to it, lass, I'd be more than happy to join you."

“Well, you’re not my usual type to try and ‘knock boots’ with anyway -- ”

“I’m sorry,” Aymeric said, standing up to his full height. He was of a fairly average height for an Elezen, and the merchant even had an inch or so on him, but Aymeric was used to making people feel small. “I was under the impression that this conversation was over. We did not come here to find someone to go home with, as I’m sure you have now gathered. Therefore, we have nothing left to talk about. If you would be so kind as to leave us alone, I’m sure you can find someone else to bother, though I would recommend a softer approach in the future.

“Now. Meiko. Let’s quit this area and see what else they have to offer here.”

"Then let us be about it, yeah?", he asked the men around him, eager to press on and to rescue those that were waiting.

The sooner this was taken care of, the better. He'd rather not imagine what it would've been like had he been lost in the howling winds and blinding snow. The thought alone is enough to make him shiver with anticipation... but it isn't like he's had worse before. True, when recalling the grand adventures he'd been on with his brother, he cannot help but to hold onto the hope of success that he'd given him and everyone else when diving through. His brother was an inspiration, and he too, would endeavor to be even just the slightest bit like him.

But when pressed to give a few words, nothing comes to mind. Sid can't help but to fret about what could possibly be out there, awaiting them. With the rogue's hood drawn, he makes good to hide his uncertainties and wavering doubts. That's just like him though, and were Jun not occupied elsewhere, he'd have the sense to slap him upside the head and to forget these ruminations. Exactly that, were he here, he'd tell him that it was going to be okay.

Out there, he makes way for his bird, reaching up to take her reins as she happily makes her way over to him. Kaze nuzzles into his cheek before he hoists himself up and onto her back. With that, he was ready for them to lead the way.

He could not feel his fingers any longer by the time they left camp.

The two search parties split up just outside the gates of the camp in Whitebrim, with one party, led by Drillemont, heading to the east where they were supposed to be going, and the other, led by Aymeric, heading to the southeast in case the squadron had been headed the same direction as he ended up going.

The wind was harsh and the snows did not so much as fall as blew sideways. An icy mixture of snow and hail beat down on them the further south they went. The birds, although bred for the cold, were warbling and huddling in on themselves, and Aymeric felt a pang of guilt for bringing them out like this. Of course he had no choice – going out on foot would be tantamount to suicide in these conditions.

Sid rode beside Aymeric, stoic and quiet as ever, even though the wind would have stolen their words. The weather was poor enough that Aymeric was slightly worried about Sid, although it wasn’t lost on him that he should have saved his worry for himself. His vision was a blur, but that was just the snow falling. His responses to things were sluggish, but that was common in the cold.

All at once, he realized he could not quite remember why they were out here. However, even that didn’t seem important.

Were they far from...from...where had they come from again? Whitebrim, of course. Were they far from there? They ought to turn back, or...or...build a snow shelter, yes. Wait out the storm. Things were getting fuzzy, and he knew he needed to get warm again.

“Master Sid!” he called, hoping to be heard over the roar of the wind. He was so cold, he wasn’t even shivering any longer. In fact, he didn’t even feel all that cold. It was just the storm they needed to wait out. “We must stop here...build a snow shelter...”

Was she going to have to protect the Lord Commander's vir...virginity? Modesty at the very least. It's what Lucia would have wanted.

"Hiya!" She greeted the Elezen a little too loudly, sticking her hand up in greeting. "Thanks for th'drink. Was it for both o'us or just one?"

The Elezen chuckled. "Well, I intended it be for your friend there," he confessed, "But I wouldn't be opposed if you shared it, eh?"

He smiled disarmingly at the Elezen now standing at their table, ignoring the heat in his ears. “I appreciate your interest,” he said politely, “but I’m afraid I cannot accept this.” He slid the drink across the table toward the man.

The Elezen man was flaunting his fancy jewelry and clothing in a way that made it clear he was trying to show off how much money he had. It was very...Ul’dahn, and it couldn’t have been more of a turn off for Aymeric.

It was a bit relieving to know she wasn't alone struggling with such a thing. It's an unfortunate thing to happen to anyone, but at least there was some help out there.

"If you could point me in the right direction later. I'd appreciate it." She sighs, her eyes narrowing in on the untouched cup of tea. Finally reaching out to pick it up and take a sip. "For now, I'd much rather have the company of a friend."

At least she can sit and talk to someone who's been through similar things with the war. She'd tried to talk to her fellow scions, but it felt like the only advice she'd been given was to simply move on. It wasn't as easy as some make it sound.

However, he had only been counted on to end one war, and while that was a feat in and of itself, he would never be counted on to end another in the same way. Eliane, on the other hand, was in high demand all over Eorzea, and in the pieces broken off of Eorzea by the Empire. The scions worked to end the Ala Mhigan occupation too, and she was at the forefront of their efforts. It was not fair at all, how these things ended up.

The Warrior of Light, he had said. At the mere mention of the title, he can feel his eye twitch. He meant... well, they were twins. He wasn't going to correct him, not that it'd matter. Hydaelyn's blessing rested with him, and that was all he'd need. With this gift given to him, he'd help to find his retinue, and hopefully soon. If a few minutes out in the cold was enough to freeze the Lord Commander over, she must not be fairing all that better. He tugged his hood back over his head before nodding to Lord Drillemont.

"If you intend to join, then you'd better do so with haste", he spoke with warmth, "It wouldn't do to keep them waiting...", he folded his arms before he glanced back out the door. His chocobo waited for him, her wings shaking off the frost as she paced in waiting.

They were heading for Camp Dragonhead, so they wouldn't be all that far, truly. Hopefully they'd be found quickly, and none too worse for wear.

Of course it was a bad idea for him to go out again. He knew this well from months of training to deal with the cold, a training all of the Ishgardian military was subjected to once it became clear that the snows were not leaving Coerthas any time soon. He knew, yet all he could think about was how Lucia and the others were suffering worse things than he was, thanks to Sid’s timely arrival.

“Then I shall hurry,” he said, stripping off his heavy shoulder armor right there, along with the cape attached to it. “Lord Drillemont, I require a change of clothing.”

“My lord, please, at least talk to the chirurgeons before going out again,” Drillemont begged, but it was clear that Aymeric had made up his mind, and he outranked Drillemont. Even as Drillemont tried to make a compromise, he bade a lower ranked man to get Aymeric a change of clothing.

“Nonsense. My retinue cannot afford the delay,” Aymeric said shortly.

Within only a mere handful of minutes, Aymeric was dressed again in House Durendaire colors, which normally would have been a faux pas, considering his position. But it was required for the timely nature of his mission, so it would have to be looked past for the moment. He placed his large sword on his back and toweled off his hair one more time.

“I am ready. How fare the rescue parties, Lord Drillemont?” Aymeric asked.

"I do not blame you for what happened." She finally picked up her tea and took a sip. She blamed herself. If things had been done differently or noticed the spear sooner, they both could've avoided it. Although the wound on her hip came to heal, her mind seemed to haven't healed.

She takes a deep breath. "It's mostly that it all keeps replaying in my nightmares. Sometimes it's not even then. It'll just come along. I really don't know how to explain it other than it haunts me." Overall, she no longer really felt like herself. It was like she was there but wasn't at the same time. There was really no motivation to do any of the scion stuff, either. Honestly, everything was happening too fast. She found herself wishing they'd just deal with things for a while.

It should not have been a surprise to hear that Eliane was struggling with it, with all she had gone through. Not many people had seen the things the Warrior of Light had, if any had at all.

They chatted a bit more, nursing their drinks -- well, Meiko finished hers and ordered another -- for a bit before a waitress came over and dropped off another glass. Mei tilted her head.

"Ah, s'not ours," she tried to put the drink back, but the waitress shook her head.

"It was sent from the gentleman over there at the end of the bar," the waitress informed her, gesturing to a male Elezen that looked to be a local Ul'dah merchant. Meiko looked over at him. Then she turned to Aymeric.

By the time the next drink came, he was feeling quite a bit lighter, and the fact that he was going to have quite the headache come tomorrow morning was not lost on him. Ah well, he had come here to have some fun with Meiko, and he could afford to get a bit drunk. Meiko would get him home. She had a frankly incredible alcohol tolerance, as far as Aymeric was concerned.

He looked at the drink on the table, then at the Elezen at the bar – who smiled and waved at them – and then back at Meiko.

“Oh, for you, surely,” Aymeric said, a little embarrassed at the prospect of someone possibly coming onto him. It wasn’t that he had never had a potential suitor, it was just that not many people were so brazen as to straight up buy him a drink. He supposed he was just another anonymous face here, though. No one knew who he was.

"Aye! S'one o' the stronger drinks they serve in th'Forgotten Knight," Meiko nodded eagerly. "Back when we were hidin' out in Ishgard, I'd oft have at least two nearly every night! Reminded me o'Blackbelly whiskeys from La Noscea, cept s'got more heat tae it. Which makes sense, considerin' th'climate."

“I can see why you like it,” he commented with a wry smile. “I think I will need to stop after this one, though.”

Long gone were the days when he and Estinien would get drunk at the Forgotten Knight together after successful missions, whether or not they had to be up the next morning at 6 AM for drills. Long enough ago that he was not sure how well he’d handle himself drunk. Good thing he had Meiko here to keep him from doing anything stupid.

Maybe.

Aymeric de Borel

After the 7.0 Graphics Update

"Absolutely not. It won't do if you freeze up again, you should be worrying about drying off and staying warm", Lucia was lucky to have someone who cares so deeply about her. The parallel between their situations is not lost on him. Had it been this way... ah, but that's neither here nor there.

"A few of the Lord's soldiers will be more than enough, so really... you have to rest and let us handle it", but a bit of parley likely wouldn't quell any of the other's qualms. If needs be, he wouldn't have an issue with forcing him to sit down.

But it seemed not everyone agreed with him.

Sid was adamant about him not going at all, which did not sit right with him. He could admit that he had needed the help prior to this juncture, when he had been alone in the ice storm, having completely lost his way. But that was the past, and he had warmed up now, in spite of the shivering and the burning sensation in his fingertips as feeling slowly returned to them. With a chocobo and a group of well armed and seasoned fighters, he could still lead a search party.

“Lord Commander!” It seemed that Lord Drillemont had finally made an appearance. The elezen made a hasty bow. “My men briefed me on your condition, but I would hear it from you directly.”

“We need to arrange search parties for my lost retinue,” Aymeric said, going to stand. “The Warrior of Light here has generously offered his services to find them, though I would feel better with a party at hand. And I would like to send two, if we have the manpower. Will you spare me some of your men?”

“Of course,” Drillemont said. “And you must visit the chiurgeon.”

Seeing things change around her was nice. No doubt it looked a little rough around the edges. But that is bound to happen with stuff like this. No in her wildest dreams did she expect to see the war end. Though, she felt like no hero. Only a minor part a grander thing. She was hardly worthy of such a title. Especially when real hard work is just starting to transition into something new.

At least one of her friends seemed to being alright. She hadn't a clue if Estinein was doing alright, but she can only assume he's fine enough for travel.

"I am glad you're doing alright. I was worried about the injuries you sustained that might be doing too much." She worried her friend would be overdoing it considering his injuries. But he seems to be doing okay. "I might not know of politics and government... uh.. stuff. But I do get along with the dragons. Let me know if you ever need me for any of that." She has her dragon blood and the fact that her father had gotten along with them because of his research into the subject.

But she wasn't alright. It had been hard trying to bring it up with others. Especially when everyone saw her as a hero, which meant she had to be alright. It's taken a lot to convince herself not to quit this whole scion thing in general. That's why she's asked to talk to a friend who's been through this whole thing with her. But also to check in.

Aymeric’s smile slowly faded from his face, however, when Eliane went on, admitting that things were not so good for her. He did not know what she referred to precisely; however, it would do him no favors to forget she had recently lost her lover. And he hadn’t – Haurchefant’s passing affected him too, although he did not know the man as well as she did, obviously.

“Eliane,” he said softly. “I understand that you lost a great deal, and solely for my sake.” He was not quite sure what else to say here. “I...regret making the decision I did, going to speak to my father when the outcome of which was all but certain. I was blind to think he would hear me out, or know not what we had discovered.

“I will try the Sabotender’s Luck, then,” he decided as they approached the bar. “Since it comes with a special recommendation.”

To say a lot has happened since the final conclusions of the dragonsong war was an understatement. But ever since the vault, the fight with Thordan, and saving Estinien, she found her mental state at its lowest. Even the title warrior of light felt undeserving.

It felt as if the events were haunting her dreams and day to day life. Figuring she must be losing her mind after putting up with too much in so little time. But she also assumed she couldn't be the only one dealing with the events that happened.

So she decided to see if her dear friend, Aymeric, had a moment. She just wanted to check if he was doing alright. Especially with some injuries that occurred during this time. But as much as it was checking on him, she also was in desperate need of someone she could talk to.

So much had happened. So much was different now. And it wasn’t a bad thing by any means; peace had finally come to Ishgard after a thousand years, an alliance with the scalekin was in the works, and the corrupt theocracy overturned. And it was all thanks to Eliane, a scion of the disgraced House Hestia, one of their own who had been cast out as naught but a child.

“I shall always have time for the savior of Ishgard,” Aymeric said with a smile, accepting his cup of tea and raising it to his lips for a sip. Hmm. Not sweet enough for his liking. He stirred in a little more birch syrup from the tray. Better.