{ protected by the wind }

Such events had never been to his liking. 

Richard busied himself at the table, perusing at length over the various foods more in hopes of avoiding conversation for a few moments than because he truly all that hungry. One could only fake pleasantries for so long and he could feel his patience with everyone’s facades growing thin. Everyone here spoke of bettering Pendrago, bettering Rolance as a whole, but none sought anything save their own gain. The world would never find peace while people clung to such selfish desires. 

The voice turns his head, one he is not immediately familiar with and finds a woman vaguely familiar at best. He does not doubt that their paths have crossed in the past, for she does not seem out of place here despite her more humble attire. Rather she wears the simple style well, in a way that made her appear far better than those overwhelmed with gaudy trinkets and baubles. 

“It is not terrible, though I would advise against the tartlets,” Richard answered pointing to the small fruit topped pastries. “I’d one earlier and the fruit was a bit sour. If you’re hungry, I would try some of these,” he offers with a courteous smile, gesturing to a selection of flavoured breads and dressings. “I found the spiced one in particular to my liking.”  

“Forgive me, I feel as though we have met before, but my memory does not serve. Might I ask your name?” 

“Are they now?” Rose glanced at the fruit tartlets critically, before gingerly picking one herself and then considering the breads for a moment. If she kept her manners, it wasn’t great to be just stuffing her face, but she hadn’t been kidding about how hungry she was. Too much time dancing and chatting and paying attention to a dozen things at once, trying to get the latest updates on all important information, not enough eating.

Ah screw it. Rose not-so-shyly piled her plate up with the bread, a nice big wallop of butter and some other flavoured sauces, topping it with a side of yoghurt and fruits. Dessert, lunch, what was the difference?

“Thanks!” She grinned mischievously as he asked for her name. “ I’m Rose, of the Sparrowfeathers.” She gave a quick modified curtsy, given that one hand was now balancing a fairly full plate.

        “I know you could kick my butt if you wanted to!” Let’s not forget their earlier encounters when she was concealing herself as the Scattered Bones leader. “You’re a good Squire, Rose, you have been since the start.”

Anima was a little surprised to be approached, though he shouldn’t be, he reckoned. His smile was a tired but hopeful one.

“Just to sell a few things from out by the woods, and maybe buy some extra clothes and fabric, if you have that.” He was considering a proper hunting knife as well, though he’d made no final decision on that. Basics, sure, but necessities.

From up close, she’d easily tell he probably lived by the woodlands, if not directly in them. He had the scent of lake water.

“Let’s head to our stall and see what you’ve got. We do have some fabrics although maybe not for your needs.” The latest fashions from Ladylake didn’t quite seem like they’d fit his walk of life. “But we do know a store that carries some sturdy textiles. We can help you work out a deal.”

I thought I’d never see you again. He could say the same thing if he was honest. Approaching Maotelus, Sorey had accepted the fact he’d never see her again, or any of them for a long time. Yet it seemed the Lord was full of surprises, and he wanted to see what became of the world. While malevolent, there was a form of compassion deep inside.

Deep… Deep inside. Deeper than the ocean, probably.

The tension is broken when she punches his arm, and he moves to rub it with a laugh. She hadn’t changed it seemed, comforting. He’d admit that much. “Hahah.. Well, I suppose we did leave quite a mess behind and you can’t say you weren’t involved!” He sticks his tongue out at her, playfully of course!

“Well, Maotelus isn’t exactly.. Ah.. He’s not as cooperative as I hoped but right now he just wants to look around.”

It was weird, seeing Sorey like this. Still so young, still as she remembered him despite the passage of more than a decade. A little snapshot of another time, as her own time flew past. Even as she had to deal with living in a world without him, so he too would one day have to do so without her.

“That big old dragon’s with you?” Rose inquired at the name of that Great Lord.

“--Uwahh!!” For once, he actually caught her off guard. All that training must be paying off, and the boss might be a little distracted. As Yuri landed, Rose dropped the heavy ledger book she was reading and kicked back in her chair in alarm-- too far. With arms flailing with futility, the chair tipped backwards and crashed to the floor.

She was up on her feet in an instant. “Oh you are going to pay for that!”

your job is to give life, mine is to take it-- got that?

“We just did what we had to, nothing more. That’s not “saving” anything if you think about it.”

She’ll do what she’s gotta do, because someone has to protect the weak and helpless in a world where the system won’t. And if that means bearing the weight of blood on her own soul, then so be it. She doesn’t pretend that what she does is right or just, only that its necessary

“But it’s true that a world where we don’t have to kill is best.“