All the King's Men

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Marlowe

Marlowe

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  1. Female
  2. Primarily Prefer Female
The moon was slowly climbing its way up the sky, the pale orb radiating a soft, white light. The Morcrest castle stood against the backdrop of ebony in all of its glory; its fancy spires reached up toward the great expanse of black, and the garden's torches were the only thing that provided light in the darkness. Several people lingered around the courtyard's shrubbery, enjoying the cool air against their skin. The smell of food wafted through the hallways and into the courtyard itself. Many of the people stopped their chattering and entered the castle's halls, heading toward the feasting hall.

Zuria was one of the castle's visitors whose mouth watered at the smell of food. She hadn't eaten a proper meal in ages; the Exalted Wardens only ate what nature provided them on their travels. They had only been roaming back and forth, striking down the rogues that lurked on the sides of supposedly peaceful roads. The nuts that they gathered and ate were bland and tasteless, making one thirsty. But now, they were going to eat a hefty amount of quality meat, salad, soups, and desserts. She felt as if she was going to gain a few pounds after she ate... but she was going to burn it all away, anyway. After this, they probably were going to eat something that wouldn't even come close to the taste of the food they were about to eat.

The blonde-haired woman stepped inside the banquet hall, her eyes resting on the spread of food that rested in front of them. Zuria noticed that many of the Wardens beat her to the food, much to her surprise. One of them was a Wildling with large, powerful wings. Her appetite was probably just as powerful; she was tearing into a turkey as she clumsily handled her fork. She smiled as she took a step deeper into the room.

"It smells good, doesn't it?"

Zuria looked to see Stroud standing beside her, his serious expression firmly set on his face like always. "Sure does," she agreed, her voice loud and robust. "I can't wait to stuff my face full of the roast pig!"

The woman giggled and scampered away to grab a seat closest to the pork.

Stroud sighed, shaking his head. He randomly chose a place to sit down and began to cut into a smaller turkey than the avian Wildling was tearing into.
 
Sëríé was nervous, it was the first time that she was entering a castle as a guest. She glanced left and right, seeing that all the unknown faces around her, but got herself together and quickly made her way to join the banquet. After finding a seat that was sufficiently far from the greatest concentration of people she, not particularly hungry, just took a few small pieces of food and any non-alcoholic drink she cloud find. As she begun to slowly eat, mostly to kill time, her eyes flied across the room and adsorbed the scene.
"Who knows, maybe one day this scene will become a famous point in history and will be painted in books, on murals and other works of art," Sëríé though while looking over the room.



Aliese was at that time already in the hall and leaned on one of the walls without much interest in the happenings in the room, rather she was busy polishing the knife she used to skin and cut prey from her hunts with a piece of grindstone. As always a quiver and bow hanged from her shoulders and armor made out of dual-layered leather covered most of her body, with the rest being protected by gloves and boots, with a simple hood to hide her face and hair. It was a joke amongst the member of the guild that she used to work for, that Aliese slept in that clothing with the bow and quiver right next to the bed , well the bow and quiver part was true but she slept in simple wool clothing or in fur when camping outside in the cold moths. She smiled remembering the assassins that she used to work with as she polished her knife.



Yrïé was late due to a simple reason, she had to smash the "gems" of a bastard that tried to have his way with her just because she was a Wildling. Yet she managed to make it despite this and proceeded to enter the banquet hall. After a quick look around she spotted Zuria and Stroud, two Warden veterans just like her and well know faces. Without a wish to try to find anyone else from the veterans she came up to the two and greeted them: "Hello there Zuria, Stroud." She sat down next to Zuria while adding, more out of curtsey then as an actual question "You don't mind if I join you right" and begun filling her plate with food using her right arm while grabbing a cup of beer with her left.
 
Unfortunately for Zuria, Sildana had already claimed over half the pork for herself. She was one of the first Wardens to make it to the banquet, and had already ate quite a bit. Not to mention drank more than her fare share as well. Some other woman might be concerned with her weight, or possibly drinking too much. Sil didn't care about that. She was going to work all of it off later anyways, either by frying someone, slicing someone with her sword, or practice. Not to mention this was probably the last decent meal they were going to get in awhile, so she was determined to enjoy every delicious second of it. And that meant possibly messing with her fellow wardens.

She spotted Zuria, a fellow magic user. Sildana didn't particularly like the fact she was a magic user - but she couldn't bring herself to dislike the woman. Sildana was always wary of magic, even her own. She knew she could trust herself not to turn into some demon possessed monstrosity, but others? Not so much. Mages were a fickle sort, and in her experience always meant trouble. But right now, there was a feast. It was a time for being merry and having a good time. She wasn't going to let her own prejudice stop her from having one. The friendly atmosphere reminded her a bit of home, and that was something she wasn't going to disrupt.

A small twinge of pain shot through her left shoulder as she thought of her home. She frowned a bit, setting down her mug as she placed her hand on her shoulder before stretching her arm as she massaged the sore spot. Thankfully, it didn't last long and she could go back to enjoying the food in front of her as Zuria decided to take a seat close to the pork, across from her.

"Oi, sorry Zuria. Need to be faster if ye be wantin' the good stuff." Sildana teased as the magic user, as she took a seat near the pork as the silver haired woman took a large bite out of the pig she had already put on her plate before swiftly downing it with the last of her beer. "I was thinkin' I was gonna get ta' eat all this tasty food myself." She laughed, reaching for another mug of beer as she noticed Yrïé, giving the wildling a small nod of acknowledgement. "Might' want 'ta hurry up before I stuff my face with all of it." She loudly laughed.
 
His nose twitched as the warm fragrance of food drifted through the room, making his mouth water in response. Arthfael generally had a stomach the size of a walnut, with an appetite even smaller, but the scent pervading the stuffy air of the hall was too much for him to ignore for very long. Arthfael popped up out of his creaky wooden chair and slung his bow over his shoulder so that the string crossed his chest, with one hand holding it there, and approached the long table of food.

"What even is this?" he murmured as he picked at something that vaguely resembled a lizard. Well, the physical resemblance didn't seem to matter much to him because he picked it up anyway, and moved on. Not a moment later and Arthfael had sat himself down on the ground near the end of the table, digging into his plate of meats in various stages of preparation. When was the last time he'd eaten food like this? He couldn't quite remember, but his mind was on other things right now-- mainly, how he was going to fit more than one delicious morsel into his mouth at once.

He looked up occasionally to take a glance at his fellows, feeling the terrible onset of loneliness. He supposed that was just life for a newbie Warden, and he was alright with that. As long as they provided good food for him to stuff his face with.
 
Roshi was off doing what she did best. Namely, a bandit who had been well known for killing the houses he raided, just found himself on the wrong end of Roshi's twin daggers that she liked to call Karma and Mercy. Roshi walked forward into the alley, pushing the thug deeper into the darkness. "Go ahead, offer me money!" she smiled, pushing forward Karma into the man's chest.

"Okay, name it! Name the amount!" he was back to the wall now, and the point of Karma was starting to dig deeper and deeper into his chest.

"Sorry, I only deal in lives, but I do enjoy irony in the idea that those were probably the last words of your victims. You see, the only reward you get in the end is the endless void, so perhaps you'll enjoy the company of the murderer there." Roshi grinned and pushed the point deeper, drawing blood. "Shek'ah nas valaan liknaa ono tiis." (May your soul be purged from this world and the next.) with a flick of the wrist, the bandit was no more and she was walking away from the murderer, but she spit back at his corpse. She heard bells and checked her armor, it seems that she'd made a bit of a mess of her armor and with no time to clean it either. A shame, but it'd make for a good entrance at the very least.

She wasn't the first to arrive, but she was there. She walked to an open spot and grabbed a portion of food for herself with her cleanest hand. "Sorry, I had business nearby. It got a bit messy with him running and that I hadn't planned it. Ah well, to the Exalted Wardens! May we continue to wipe away the scum of the earth!"


Rill, however, had been early. She watched the rest start to filter in, somewhat amazed that there had been so many in one place. It had been a year, but she was still in awe a little bit. So many people who were distinguished sat around the table, but Rill knew how to stay focused. She wanted to eat that free food soon. She'd been traveling and warm food that didn't look like her "gravy" was a welcome sight. The feline wilding had to try and remember her human manners with all the roast pig in front of her.

However when the harpy wilding dug in, Rill grabbed handfuls of the meat, defensively holding it close. When she saw what she'd done, she placed the handfuls on the plate and started to cut it with her knife and fork. "Ahem. Sorry about that." Rill said, "so, does anyone know why we're having this huge feast or is the king merely feeling generous today?"

She was genuinely curious. Typically they went out to deal with bandits or small bands of warriors. They weren't doing much that required a feast for a reward. This was something to think about, because it might mean more fights to come. Harder fights and more purposeful fights. Both weren't necessarily easy, but she wanted to know what the king had plans for. Even now she felt uneasy thinking of herself as a pawn of the king, but... she wanted to help. If that meant taking down a few mages in the meantime.... all the better in her opinion.
 
The night was pleasant: cool, but not uncomfortably so, and the wind gentle. The carefree chatter of the other Wardens was not so loud as to disrupt the rest of the courtyard, and Lauchlan had contently seated himself on a stone bench, opting to read instead of converse -- no doubt dinner would make demands of that. Having received a summons, the man had a sneaking suspicion that such a feast was being given as a send off - and that they would soon be setting out with a considerable task, though he had little complaint about such. Despite its many discomforts and dangers, traveling was always something Lauchlan enjoyed, and getting out of Morcrest again would be a welcome change of pace.

Tantalizing smells of the banquet had begun to waft out into the night air, leading many people into the great hall in anticipation of the feast. The reader had waited until the torchlight began to wane, making the small text too difficult to discern, before he snapped the volume closed and tucked it into his tunic. In no great hurry he got to his feet and followed the raucous sound of talk and laughter into the banquet hall. He was greeted with a vast table filled with a great array of victuals - as well as many of the other Wardens, talking loudly and tucking into their dinner. Picking his way around chairs and bodies, he claimed a seat near the end of the great table and went about setting his plate with a few variants of fruits and vegetables -- and what he hoped was some sort of game bird. He selected a chalice of what he presumed was mulled wine or mead, and settled into his chair.

He had never been terribly fond of dining in front of others, having always found it odd that people enjoyed conversing through mouthfuls of food; it also meant removing the fabric concealing the lower portion of his face - as he'd yet to find any respectable manner of eating while keeping it in place. There was no particular concern with the other Wardens making a fuss over his appearance, but the covering had become a comfort from which he did not like to part.

He'd been about to start in on his dinner, when a peculiar noise drew his attention downward and he glimpsed one of the newer Wardens seated on the floor with a plate. Vaguely perplexed at the man's actions, Lauchlan kept his focus trained down on the elf, arching a scrutinizing eyebrow.

"You do know that you needn't sit on the floor, yes?"
 
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Xanthus moved silent through the hallways as he followed the delicious scent of the feast. He himself was not that hungry, having eaten a few hours earlier, but there had to be wine there, and he was always time for that. As he moved down the hallway he noticed two pretty female servants emerge from a side door, they both gave him a glance of surprise at seeing him, he smiled and winked as he moved, hearing them giggle as he continued towards his destination, the banquet hall. His leather boots clapping against the stone floor as he walked.

He rubbed his scruffled chin as he stepped through the doors, counting heads of fellow Exalted Wardens as he entered. He knew the names of them, just hadn't spoken very much to most of them. He moved towards the table, avoiding bumping into the people spread around it, until finally, he found where the glasses and refreshments were. He poured himself a glass of red wine, then took a sniff of it. It smelled tasty, it wasn't insanely expensive wine by the smell of it, but it tasted good as he took a sip, then looked at one of the other Wardens who spoke up, Rill, a wildling female, she was wondering about the food.

"To celebrate my arrival, I assumed. Word of the great and legendary Xanthus coming to your castle spreads quickly," The warrior said jokingly, a smile on his face as he spoke. "One must hide the booze and women and pray he does not find them." He added, still smiling.
 
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Arthfael swallowed whatever was in his mouth and cleared his throat to speak. He presented the man who'd questioned him with a lopsided smile. "Yes, I know that," he said airily, verging on a light chuckle. "But I prefer eating alone, and this seems to be the best way to do that!" It wasn't that Arthfael was antisocial-- quite the opposite, actually. But eating in front of others seemed a bit strange to him, and so he'd found an empty spot away from the rest of the Wardens and planned to approach them for conversation later.

Of course, there was always the fact that Arthfael's latent awkwardness around humans reared its ugly face at these events. But that was nothing more than a minor annoyance.

He popped something small into his mouth and began picking at what was left on his plate. "Really, though. Those chairs are terribly uncomfortable." He adjusted his bow and shifted it out of the way to make room for him to lean back, a satisfied smile on his face. It was unusual to be around so many people at once, especially such a diverse group as this. Wildlings, Humans, mages and warriors all in one place-- it had taken him a moment to get used to when he'd first arrived and signed on with the Wardens.

He glanced around a moment, and wondered if there was anything harder than wine in this place.
 
Aslaug was late. But be assured that if she'd cared to show up on time, she would have. Certainly Bjorn could have flown her there with great ease, but she'd sent the Griffon away hunting for the day and she'd made her leisurely way towards the Morcrest Castle. Honestly, she had no mind nor desire to waste time on banquets. No matter how good the King's intentions were, it seemed a frivolous waste. He could as easily have just gathered them in one of the Border Forts and given them whatever assignment he had planned.

Aslaug had been tending to some Bandit trouble on the Northern road when she'd recieved the summons. She had not ceased her attack on the highwayman's camps until she absolutely had to leave, so she turned up at the King's gates still in armour that had dried blood caking in the crevices and with her shield thrown across her back. She marched into the halls, sparing no glances for the pretty courtyard, nor paying attention to the lavish sounds and smells that filled her senses. She had no particular appreciation for such finery. She prefered harsher beauties and cleaner scents to this extravagance.

In any case she strode into the banqueting hall and quickly grabbed a hunk of buttered bread from the table. Her fingers were grimey so she took care to touch only what she would eat, squashing a sliver of hog inside her bread and retreating to a wall to lean against it and chew on her hastily prepared meal. She hadn't eaten all day, pushing herself to reach the Castle and not really thinking or needing to stop for food. She supposed, in that respect, she was greatful for the feast.

Looking out across her assembled brethren, she noted many new faces amongst her older comrades. There were no ordinary soldiers here. Everyone seemed to quirk one way or the other somehow, making their team a useful if chaotic bunch. Aslaug had found it played to their advantage for now. No one expected such a diverse range of talents to travel together. In any case, she didn't need to speak to anyone for now, so she remained against the wall, awaiting the King's speech.
 
The brothers Radnor and Ruskin walked into the courtyard of the castle and looked around carefully. The two brothers were never far from each others sides ever since they were children and when they fought in battle together you could see the effectiveness and the tight bond that they shared even more tightly. Ruskin protected Radnor from afar and Radnor wouldn't let a single enemy near his brother. The perfect fighting duo some say but simply it was just that they were family. They followed the rest of the Wardens into the dining hall and looked around slowly "ahh its finally nice to be off the road ey little brother? finally we can get a warm meal in our bellies and sleep in a nice soft bed at least for one night"

Ruskin gave a slow nod from behind his mask and looked around slowly. He never went into a room or building without getting a slight idea of the layout due to his cautious nature. Even if he was among friends he knew all to well that there was always a danger of some surprise attack from an unseen foe and he'd rather be caught on guard and have a plan then get caught off guard and end up dead. He walked over to one of the tables with his brother and sat down. Radnor as soon as his butt hit the chair began digging into the hearty meal in front of him. piling a plate high with succulent roast pork and gravy with potatoes and a big chunk of bread he began devouring the meal as if it was his last.

Ruskin on the other hand took his time he slowly filled his plate with some meat and some of the other dishes and looked down at the meal. Once he had what he wanted he lifted his mask up to reveal his mouth. On the right side of his mouth the traces of the permanent scar he had received from the mage years ago could be seen on his face. He ate slowly and tried to keep his head down so no one would stare at the scar even if it was only slightly showing. He hated it when people stared and much more when they stared at the disfigurement that had been permanently been burned into his face.
 
Morcrest Castle
Vidar​

"It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, lad!" The man bellowed, his voice booming throughout the entire corridor and surprising some of the inattentive guards.

"I understand, but—" Vidar didn't have much of a chance to speak before the other thunderous voice interrupted.

"But?! You don't understand at all, lad! They were four of 'em! Four, young and willing, and you just... just...!"

The guards curiously watched the two men as they briskly marched through the corridors towards the banquet.

Vidar was ahead of the other man, still wearing his armor as he believed it symbolized his readiness as an Exalted Warden.

The man behind him was a giant whose loomed over Vidar. He was not just tall, but large as well; his body was comparable to the trunk of a tree. Though he had the shape of a man, he was adorned in heavy plate armor that covered every part of his body. Gigantic pauldrons made his shoulders appear twice the size they actually wore (as if they weren't big enough), and massive leather belts hung on his waist and torso. His long tunic of muted blue with golden embroidery would be an oversided dress if worn by anyone else. He was a fairly well-known Exalted Warden due to his prowess in battle and his explicit refusal to take off his helmet. He explains that it is so he could be seen as an impersonal symbol, an unyielding wall of armor rather than as a man that breathes and bleeds just like any other. This often leads to confusion about his race, but he doesn't hide the fact that he is a human.

Vidar kept glancing behind at the giant with a strange mixture of annoyance and remorse.

"Forgive me, Anzo, but we really need to—"

"No, lad. The king wants us to go to this here feast. You want to listen to the king."

Vidar looked back angrily, but Anzo continued.

"What we need is to enjoy our short lives whenever possible, see? Especially when we're in this sort of occupation."

"We can listen to the king and enjoy our lives!"

"We're never going to get that chance again. Creator's ass, lad, I'm twice as old as you and that was the first time I ever had that chance!"

"Anzo, we…" Vidar hung on his own words for a moment before exhaling sharply, deciding that Anzo wasn't going to listen to anything he had to say for himself. Still, he didn't like things ending on such a sour note. Vidar also recognized that even if he didn't particularly want to do that, Anzo was all for it and was greatly disappointed when Vidar declined their offer. "Anzo, listen, I'm sorr—"

"Save your apologies, lad," Anzo harshly cut Vidar off. "After two weeks of having to stare at your pretty face and wonder how many ladies were disappointed when we left Portsmouth, you just had to drag me away from a soft bed and the warm embrace of four lovely—"

"It's not like you could even keep your helmet on," Vidar scoffed quietly to the side, getting ready to ignore this rant that he had heard enough times on the road already. Anzo, however, somehow managed to hear Vidar's remark.

"Eh?! They should allow me to… It's not like it's written somewhere that… I-it's not like it's a law or anything! I mean, even if you don't normally see someone keep their helmet on when they, uh… It's not the face that counts! No one would be bothered if I wear… I hear some even prefer to have a masked partner!"
​
Vidar was struggling to keep a straight face as he listened to Anzo try to think up excuses and then shoot them down inside his head before he finished saying them.

"Let's… let's just get this damned banquet over with…"

Anzo heaved a depressed sigh, giving up on his dream and forgetting his anger towards Vidar. As they finally approached the banquet, Vidar could make out who of the Exalted Wardens had arrived. Vidar had been an Exalted Warden long enough to know everyone's names and has heard a few bits and pieces about their personalities from rumors and the like—he may even have spoken to them once or twice during a mission—but he didn't have any sort of personal connection to any of them other than the fact that they were fellow Wardens. He wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even know his name. Anzo had wandered over to one of the servant girls as Vidar rehearsed everyone's names. By the time he noticed, Anzo and the lady were all smiles and giggles. Vidar frowned at how Anzo had pestered him beforehand when he could get over it so easily.

Vidar, now alone, debated in his mind on what to do. While the thick fragrance of fine wine and lavish food made his mouth water, the manners of some of the Exalted Wardens was more than enough to convince him against sitting at the table. What troubled Vidar more is how every group seemed to have a Wildling or Elven Warden conversing with them. He liked to think himself as tolerant, but he couldn't lie to himself about how anxious being with non-humans made him. Still, having a king's feast once in a while couldn't be so bad.

…Though the feast might be gone by the time I find a seat, Vidar mused to himself. He should at least salvage some food before it disappears. Even if he didn't find a place to sit, he'd regret missing the taste of high-class food from a king's kitchen. However, he had confidence in his experience as a servant! He knew the best cuts, the tastiest parts, the hidden gems within any meal. He was more than capable when it came to cutting meat, be it pork, bird, venison, or some other strange animal! Mixtures of flavors, combinations of food, even the preparation and appearance to make it most appealing—Yes, he could make this work! Vidar approached the table with renewed confidence and purpose!

Don't underestimate an ex-servant!​
 
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Zuria was disappointed to see that someone had already snagged a significant portion of the roast pork she had her eye on. The spellsword pouted at the other magic user, a look of disdain on her face. Sildana always teased her, and she didn't like that one bit. Well... only if it was about food. She wasn't selfish or anything, it was just that she was always hungry. The nuts and leaves that they were forced to eat at one time weren't filling at all. Maybe for an elf like that new Warden, but not for her. She ripped a juicy part of the pork from the rest of the body, narrowing her eyes up at Sildana.

"Greedy, aren't we?" she joked, stuffing a piece of the meat into her mouth. The fox Wildling came up to them, and she offered her a smile. "I have no issue with it!" she piped with her mouth full. She grabbed a tankard of beer and swallowed the food in one giant gulp. "We're all visitors of the king, so we should act like it, shouldn't we?"

Stroud, however, stared at the Wildling's tail and ears. It was still strange to him to see such a creature. Sometimes he wished he could be one; he could soar as an eagle or roam as a cougar. But the Wildlings were despised creatures, and he could see why, judging from the avian Wildling not far away. They weren't human-- they didn't have the manners of one, at least, most of them didn't. "S-sure," he stammered for a moment, growing uncomfortable with the growing amount of women around him. He took another bite of the turkey, relishing the delicious taste.

His dark gaze flicked around the room. More and more people were entering the banquet hall, some louder than others. One of the Wardens that had just arrived was still standing, and Stroud wondered if all the seats were really taken. Either King Akard didn't expect so many of us to show up, or he didn't know how many of us were there. He idly sucked on a bone, trying to get all of the taste out before it was disposed of. By the Creator, the food was delicious.

Even though Aria's wings were neatly tucked away against her body, she felt like spreading them out and crying out with happiness. She hadn't had food that was so tasty, before. She didn't even care if there were humans and mages; food was food, and this was human food. That meant that it was well-seasoned and roasted to perfection. Back in her tribe, they caught whatever they could and sometimes ate it raw. The taste of raw chimera wasn't good at all... she didn't even know that chimera could be eaten until then. Aria shoved another morsel into her mouth and devoured it in a few split seconds, licking her lips before diving into the turkey again.

Someone approached her side, grabbing a handful of the cooked foul and tucking it close to her chest. Aria turned to see another Wildling. The feral woman probably wanted some food as well... and she supposed that she wasn't eating in a mannerly fashion. Blushing, the avian-winged woman wiped some of the gravy from her face. "Sorry," she murmured, sitting down on a chair and placing some food on her plate. The humans' sharp, poking tools that they used to eat with were confusing to her. She picked up the fork, much like Rill had, and stabbed it into a large piece of turkey.

At Rill's question, a man approached. He stated that the feast was in celebration of his arrival, and Aria's bright eyes widened. "Really?" she appeared to be in awe. Humans are strange... I never knew they held celebrations for arrivals. The Harpy Eagle Wildling glanced at Rill, her wings unfurling slightly as if asking her a silent question.
 
Yrïé gave a quick nod of acknowledgment to Zuria's last comment while beginning to politely eat the food she collected on her plate with occasional sips of her bear. The veterans well knew that she was not a person of many words and that if anything except common courtesy, she only spoke about stuff that she could not ignore. "I guess the King called us to tell or order us something important," she though as she silently chewed a piece of roasted beef.


Aliese in the mean time noticed a blonde woman in a bloodstained armor about which even she knew about. "Aslaug the Griffin Knight," she silently said while observing the veteran Warden. With nothing else to do after finishing polishing her knife, Aliese came up to Aslaug and spoke: "Hello there Aslaug. I see that you rushed here from a battle. From where were you cleaning scum this time?" Aliese took a neutral stand, not to friendly and not to hostile while speaking, knowing little about Aslaug except the stories she heard over the years and Aslaug probably knowing even less about Aliese who made her name in the shadows of this world.


Sëríé was quietly eating her meal, still to nervous about this new situation and on edge due to the amount of pressure she felt from being in the room. I mean, she Sëríé, an orphan and ex-assassin is going to be in the presence of a king for a reason that is not to assassinate said king. She actually begun shaking a bit as she though about that and cloud not calm herself down. "At this rate I might faint if the King actually appears," she though still shaking slightly.
 
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Aslaug watched the Assassin approach. It was very easy to tell her line of work, the way the woman held herself was poised and lithe and she had a build for running and acrobatics. Her arms, Aslaug noted, were well defined with the muscle of a talented markswoman and the Warrior was pretty sure the only reason she had noticed Aliese's approach was because the girl wanted her too. In any case, she offered a genial and welcoming smile, though a brief one, and held out her hand to shake.

"Ah, Warden Aliese! Yes some fine gentleman decided to ply their not-so-honest craft on the Great Northern Road. Morcrest has enough to deal with without their traders being waylaid every league." She gave her a small grin of confidence before looking her up and down. The rogue was new to the Order, but Aslaug was pleased with what she had seen of her, appreciating her level head and seemingly thoughtful nature. Aslaug leaned back with one hand resting unthreateningly on her sword pommel.

"You look dressed for battle yourself! Then again I think we both share the policy of never being caught out of armour if we can help it." Aslaug's tone was clear and brisk but still easy and conversational, generally finding social interaction advisable when amongst allies and comrades-in-arms. Just because Aslaug was perfectly happy to risk her life for people she barely knew, didn't mean everyone else was and didn't mean it wasn't nice to know who she was fighting for.

@gamer5
 
Aliese accepted the hand, shaking it for a few moments while saying: "Well more without bow and arrow in my case. And to be true and to the great disappointment of gentlemen, I find myself most comfortable in clothing fit for battle, except when sleeping." The hand-shake ended and Aliese leaned on the wall next to Aslaug. "Interestingly we almost run into each quite a few times during the past years, for example four years ago in a tavern near were the borders of Morcrest, Vanthorn and Vardéndale meet. I came into the tavern maybe a hour after you left it and the guess were all "Aslaug that" and "Asluag this". And I think there was one or two occasions when there were tournaments in this very city. But the closes was in front of that noble, Lu... something. You probably didn't even notice back then that at the same time while you were down at the table in the hall I was up in the beams of it," Aliese talked about her, and in some way Asluag's, past with a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

@Erranruin
 
"Ah."

Lauchlan's brusque response was accompanied by the slightest of shrugs and he once again keened his attention on his dinner. Judging by the overall manner many of the Wardens were exhibiting, he may very well need to steal his plate away so as not to lose his selections, and he could find little reason to blame Arthfael for wanting to eat in solitude. Despite his own dislike of such pageantry as banquets, he had attempted proper decorum as he had never been a guest within the castle -- not for such an event, at any rate. However, the more Wardens that trickled in, wearing their armor and dirtied from a day's work, the more he felt a burning embarrassment spreading through his face.

After receiving the summons, Lauchlan had cut his day short, taking the time to bathe and assemble clean attire - reluctantly sans armor. This was the first time he'd ever felt concerned with his own attire; possessing nothing befitting a king's banquet hall, he had been wary of appearing discourteous. Had he known that arriving in full battle regalia was an option, he would have gladly spent the rest of his day outside of the city gates -- and he felt a slight pang of resentment for his ignorance.

His attention was drawn momentarily back to the elf as he made comment about the chairs and Lauchlan replied with a noncommittal utterance; he found the chairs no more or less comfortable than expected and he saw little reason to discuss the furniture. Instead, he shifted his focus over to the cluster of wildlings, to the spell-swords and archer, and then to gryphon-rider -- all of whom were dressed in their standard. His flush of embarrassment darkened and he continued scanning the vast room. Surely he wasn't the only one who'd thought it necessary to stand on ceremony?

Largely ignoring his food, (his appetite was waning with the growing crowd) Lauchlan set to the task of draining his cup of the honeyed wine before seeking out something stronger to help bolster his mood; he rather wanted this over and done with.

Two servings of brandywine later, Lauchlan had begun developing a slight headache from the rising din and he and found himself longing for the quiet of the courtyard. It did not seem that King Akard would be gracing them with his presence any time soon, and the warrior turned his eyes toward the doors. Leaving so early on would likely be considered offensive -- but perhaps he could slip back outside until the announcement was to be given...

Wrapping the pale cloth back about his face and rising from his seat, he abandoned his plate to the mercy of the other Wardens and headed slowly for the door in what he hoped was an inconspicuous manner.
 
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@Ketori @gamer5

"Indeed!" Sildana boisterously replied. "Tonight we should eat an' be merry!" She continued with a hearty laugh. "And if anyone so dares as to start somethin' I'll throw them to the wolves meself! Or maybe Aslaug." She laughed at her own joke. "That woman can scare anyone." She continued, shooting the Wildling a friendly smile as she swallowed a portion of the pork. Sildana didn't have any problems with any race - to her, everyone was a friend, even those that she hadn't met yet. She didn't hold any notions that one race was better than any other. No, they were all people trying to live their lives. No one man was inherently better than the other. Except for mages, she didn't view anyone with inherent disdain or hate.

"Ja, sit down foxy." She teased the Wildling, though by now the wildling had already sat and started eating. "We're all friends here."
 
Aslaug grinned warmly. It was nice to hear that your exploits were recognised and known of. It was also nice to hear you were remembered! She tried to recall the moments Aliese spoke of and some vaguely returned to her thoughts. "Ser Lucas perhaps? Disgusting man, if so. I'll hope he was your target. Indeed, I knew nothing of your presence, although I do remember feeling uneasy at the time." A brief smile tugged her lips at the memory. She unhitched the shield at her back as it became clear the King would be a little while yet and she rested it against the wall beside her.

"As for Tournaments, I do not believe I have entered more than one in my life. I prefer my battle styles to be familiar only to my Allies and dead men. Only a fool gives themselves away for a bit of fame and coin." She thought for a moment. "Although I believe I have a few imposters who enter Tourneys with my name?" She snorted derisively at that thought before turning her eyes curiously on Aliese.

"You, however, I have never heard of. Though that speaks well for you considering your profession. How did you come to the Wardens?"

@gamer5
 
Ah Xanthus. He was a Warden too, Rill thought, but she couldn't place him. He was newer than her, but... "I'm sorry, who are you again? I don't believe we've met. Although we may have, but you seem so unremarkable that I probably forgot completely about you. My name is Rill, leader of the Red Claws. Flirt with me like those servant girls and you'll find yourself missing something vital." Rill said all this with a straight face, completely unmoved by his boasting. "Plus, I could probably take you in a straight fight so... just remember your place, 'great and mighty' Xanthus."

New recruits always seemed untempered and ready to test their mettle anyway, and Rill was feeling crowded by all these people. Besides, the fact that no one seemed phased by the older Wardens walking in covered in blood unnerved her somewhat. It was less the blood, but the fact that no one seemed to pay any attention to their surroundings.

@FrenziedAce

Roshi, however,was bored. Nobody was paying any attention to her when she wanted to be paid attention to, so she moved on to her next favorite activity. Harassing the recruits that were still in their first year. One was an elf and sitting on the floor and the other was a human who was leaving early. Her grin bordered on insane as she stood up and slipped outside behind the recruit. She paused a moment to think about the best way to scare him, and drew Karma.

"Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but leaving a party after spending all day preparing for it seems a bit rude. After all, we should enjoy the free food, don't you think, Lauchlan. Now, what would Rill say if she heard that you were sneaking out without even asking to excuse yourself?" the elf made it a point to know all the Wardens and keep track of them when she could. She also knew that Rill, despite being younger, and not that much more experienced in being a Warden would often be around to annoy him. It was an interesting relationship that Roshi would keep tabs on, but never interfere in.

@PetticoatLane
 
Radnor and Ruskin continued to eat their meal in silence. It wasn't that they were antisocial it was more that they still hadn't gotten used to being with the Wardens and their other companions. Right now they were more focused on just making through each day without causing any trouble for anyone in their party. Once that was over with they would focus more on getting to know the others. Maybe even spark a romance if they were lucky but who could say at this point? Ruskin being the more cautious of the two was watching each member of their group carefully and quietly.

It wasn't that he didn't trust them it was more because he was still trying to figure them out. Although when it came to the mages of the group he was even more cautious he never let one of them get behind him at any time and tried to never let them out of his sight either. He trusted each of the Wardens but a mage Warden or not would take a lot of time for him to warm up to. As he thought that he absent mindedly touched the scar on the right side of his face.

Radnor never missing a movement from his brother gave a small smile and patted him gently on the shoulder "relax brother..we are among friends here and no matter what I've got your back I'll make sure no one turns you into a frog haha" He gave him a playful shove before he turned his gaze to wander the room full of the other Wardens. Radnor was always more open and wanted to go out and talk to them. He didn't however want to leave his brothers side since he didn't want his brother to feel left out. He would wait until he was comfortable then he would go about making friends with the others.
 
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