Fantasy Never Meet Your Hero [sam136/pastel]

[PastelWitch]

Character Intro ​

]Name: Rosalynn Vatoris
Age: 19
Gender: Female
Pronouns: She/Her

Description: Her bright orange hair and sparkly blue/green eyes have always made her stand out among her peers - she has freckled across her nose and often braids her hair back into a ponytail adorned with a feather.
At 161cm and with a slim frame she seems the unlikely type to want to become a squire for a heroic knight, but she can definitely pack a punch.

Profile: Behind her constant grin and bright smile, Rosalynn is feisty and knows what she wants - she works hard and won't stop until she reaches her goal no matter how hard that might be. Living with just her father she's always strived to be someone who can be strong and make her father proud.

Rosalynn isn't a fool, but she aims for perfection and if a task isn't done to the best of her ability she'll re-do it until it is, earning her a little bit of a 'teachers pet' reputation but she would stop at nothing to meet the mysterious Hero Knight who invaded most waking second of her thoughts. She used every trick in the book in order to work her way up the ranks and persuade the Captain of the Guard to allow her to be this hero's very squire! A dream she'd soon learn wasn't all sun and roses...

​

 

[Sam136]

Name: Walter Loch
Age: 23
Gender: Male

Profile: A Knight like no other, a legendary figure who did what was deemed impossible. He who slayed the tyrannical dragon that had reigned upon the land for as long as anyone could remember.

How did they do such a thing? How did they accomplish impossible? Honestly. That's a question they'd like answered too. Really, what lead to their "glorious victory" was nothing more than a series of extremely unlikely coincidences one after the other.

Walter is no legendary Knight. In fact, he's not even a particularly good Knight. He's better than average but nothing like what people think. A problem when they're saddled with a reputation as great as theirs.

A young man who feels an intense burden to live up to the image people have of them, but also knowing it's impossible. They know they're a fraud but they can't exactly just tell people they aren't anything special… even if they did they all that'd do is give them a reputation for humility.

Walter prefers to stay out of public view and have his second in command Jeremiah handle most of the requests and missions sent his way.

 

[PastelWitch]

Rosalynn was used to the dirty work, she'd cleaned out stables and worse before and yet somehow it all seemed so, so worth it as she stood, beaming proudly, as the Captain of the Guard commended her for her efforts and congratulated her, promoting her to squire. Her, some nobody now a squire - and not to just anyone but to a literal legend.

Sir Walter Loch was the kind of knight she dreamed of becoming, a hero to all, someone who was strong, someone who could defeat dragon and rescue princesses. Bards sang of his tales and bandits went running at the mere mention of his name! Rosalynn had been working all her life to be even a fraction of a knight that he was, she'd heard endless stories, how capable he was and his endless success - she stood to attention as she was given her own sword and told that she would meet Sir Walter soon. She looked at the heavy sword in her hands, she'd practised endlessly with training ones, ones with dull blades and wooden sticks - repeating the same movements day in day out and now she would be able to get lessons off a man who's skill exceeded all expectations.

While Sir Walter may not know it, Rosalynn hailed from a small village once overrun with beasts and demons, it was a nightmare, especially for farmers who had small underlings keep stealing and ruining their crops - Sir Walter was one who had protected their village, the one to defeat the beasts and save her village. she hadn't seen him that day, but all of her people exclaimed at how wonderful he was and it was from that point she had made up her mind and decided her future. She was passionate and excited, almost trembling with anticipation, today was the day she would meet her hero!

 

[Sam136]

Walter was going to murder someone. A rather specific. A certain captain of the garden. He was going to murder a specific captain of the guard who went by the name Leonardo. A pleasant surprise… this was anything but that. Their last conversation comes to mind, the cause of all this.

~~~

"A squire? Well yes… I have thought quite a bit about it. But sadly none of the ones I've seen feel right"

And to his words the honest captain of the guard smiled an innocent smile and gave a thumbs up. Walter knew that somehow this was going to bite him in the future.

~~~

So Leonardo had apparently taken it upon himself to find them a squire. They'd also made their mission so clear and well known that there wasn't a chance of Walter burying this. He was stuck with a squire and his mind was racing thinking of how to handle this.

His original plan had been to have Jeremiah deal with this whole thing but they'd been called away on an urgent mission and no one knew when he'd be back. Which meant Walter was on his own for this whole fiasco.

The young Knight comes to a sudden stop. A wooden door stands in front of him. He'd arrived at the captains room. They take a deep breath and calm themselves, it's all they can do.

Walter opens the door and comes face to face with a large blonde haired man, with a beard so large it was reminiscent of a lion's mane. He doesn't pay attention to them though, his eyes scan the room until they land on orange hair. A young girl, well younger than him at least. Older than the age most would choose to become a squire but judging from the material of her clothes, she was a peasant. She must have never gotten the opportunity before this point, that or something convinced her to go on this path at a later point in life. Walter was no detective it could anything honestly.

What he does know is that Leonardo would have chosen for a reason. Either she was ridiculously skilled or had some untapped potential. She'd have to, to be chosen over all the other nobles. Just perfect, his squire might even be a better fighter than him.

"Are you the one? I assume so, considering there's no one else in the room… perhaps it would be better to introduce ourselves. My name is Walter, who are you girl?"

His words are a bit blunt, Walter wasn't the best at talking to people if he was being honest. Either way, his eyes stay on the girl watching her intently. He'd need to know what she was like to best plan his next moves.

 

[PastelWitch]

She was practically buzzing with excitement, unable to hold her expression as Sir Walter walked in, he looked as cool as the stories told, cool and indifferent with an air superiority that was well-deserved. Captain Leonardo laughs heartedly, something that she didn't expect, and for a split second she forgot what she was doing here - she didn't even wait for the Captain to explain anything and bowed deeply, throwing her head down dramatically.

"I'm Rosalynn Vatoris Sir! Though most just call me Rosa. It's an honour to be by your side." she said a little too loudly and not staying bowed for too long she shot back up, eye's sparkling and full of admiration. He was perhaps a little skinnier than she had imagined, but she wouldn't dare judge a book by it's cover, after all she herself wasn't exactly the image of a knight.

She could feel her heartbeat in her ears and was positive she looked like a child on their birthday but she didn't really care, not in the presence of her idol.

"I'm ready to serve you no matter what Sir" she said, placing a hand on her chest and standing straight. She could hear Captain Leonardo's laugh, hearty and loud, he seemed to smiled but it wasn't exactly warm, nor at her but at Walter... she wasn't sure why but shook her head of unnecessary thoughts. She'd been given such an incredible opportunity that every move she made came with the fear of her position being revoked and she simply couldn't let that happen. Her new sword at her side she remained vigilant and steadfast against Walters rather intense gaze, hoping her cheeks weren't burning too red.

 

[Sam136]

They reminded him of a puppy. A small little bundle of nervous energy that had no idea what it was in for. By the gods, this was going to end in disaster; he just knew it. Walter didn't particularly want to dash a young girl's dreams, again, but he had a feeling it was inevitable.

"At ease Vatoris. Your excitement is not… uncommon but work to curb it. You shall be my squire and so we will be working together quite a bit. Seeing me as some idol will only get in the way. Treat me as just another Knight or even just an instructor I suppose"

He had no idea what he was going to teach them, or if he even could teach them anything. And yet, she was his squire and he was honour bound to teach her of the ways of chivalry and combat. He'd have to do his best and hope it's enough.

Walter's eyes then move to Leonardo and he just stares at the man for a moment. Was all this planned? Was it an accident? He never could tell what Leonardo was thinking.

"No point in wasting time. I'm leaving now Leonardo. Follow me Vatoris. If you are to be my squire it is imperative I know what your strengths and your Weaknesses are"

With nary another word the pale Knight walks out of the door. He doesn't even look back, there's not a doubt in his mind that the young girl is following.

"I'll have you show me exactly what you're capable of in the training field but for now words will have to suffice. Well then Vatoris, are you capable of that? Since this is your training I will endeavour to keep your wishes in mind for any plans I make"

 

[PastelWitch]

She couldn't stop smiling, she tried her best to calm her nerves but honestly, she simply couldn't believe that she was going to be Sir Walters squire. He seemed a little short with her, but that was probably to be expected, she was a rookie after all, it was probably a nuisance to have to train a newbie like her.

"Y-yes sir." she replied, trying to still her fidgety fingers. She wasn't exactly sure how she would see him as only an instructor but she'd do anything he told her to.

She followed Walters eyes to the Captain, wondering what exactly was going on between them, she feared for a moment that perhaps this was all a joke and they'd turn around and tell her to go home. The sword felt heavy on her side.

"Yes sir!" She responded again, falling into step behind Walter, his words were a little cold and he seemed rather annoyed at the fact she'd been chosen - Rosa supposed he'd been expecting one of the boys from a noble family, not some village girl. She'd been training for a long time, her sword skills were unmatched against those stuck-up posh boys, that's why she was chosen! ... Well, that's what she kept telling herself.

Something about Walter felt a little, off. She'd expected him to be a little nicer, to smile at her or at least shake her hand. She shook her head vigorously, no no, she was getting too far ahead of herself this is probably what it's like to be a knight. "Of course sir! I'll demonstrate everything I've learned" She followed him to the training grounds and headed onto the dirt patch where people often sparred, her new sword was heavier than she was used to but after a few practice swings she grew accustomed to it.

Wanting to do her best, Rosa knew she'd have to put all her energy into her swordsmanship, and surprised even herself at how well her blade sliced through the mannequins and training dummies. She was fast, yet powerful, able to make clean cuts and deliver deadly blows with accuracy, sure it wasn't perfect and it wasn't going to be anywhere near Walters skill level but she felt pretty proud of herself as she stood out of breath and panting, wiping the sweat from her brow and placing her sword in it's sheathe.

"I-I hope that was satisfactory, sir?" she asked between panted breathes.

 

[Sam136]

What in the world had Leonardo found. It's all Walter can do to not show his surprise. Her sword had bloody well battered the wooden mannequin to pieces. Forgot the human body, this "girl" looked like she could tear through literal armor. He'd never expected to meet two ridiculously powerful humans like that in his life and this one was still in training… under him.

Walter's eyes glance to the pile of splinters that could have once been called a training dummy. He was going to have to train that?! One little hit and his torso was going to go flying! Oh walter knows the girl can control her strenght… but she won't bother with him. Oh no, if they sparred she would put everything she could into it. After all, he could "obviously" handle something like that. No way was the great and powerful dragon slayer going to go flying in two different directions.

That's a problem for the future though. One thing at a time. So… advice. He needed to give advice. There isn't much to say though. She did everything perfectly. Walter scans the girl up and down looking for anything out of place, anything at all. Well there might have been one thing. It seems be a bit much to focus on but Walter doesn't have anything better to go off. He'll need to confirm it first though.

Walter comes close to the girl and opens his mouth to speak. And then without the slightest warning gives her a shove, sending the girl crashing into the sand.

"Your stance, your footwork. These are the very basics of combat, in other words the foundation upon which everything else rests on. It must be maintained always"

Hmm. He has just scolded her. That may have less lead to some negative feelings. He should say something nice, experience has shown pairing bad news with good works well.

"But other than that your swordsmanship was quite exemplary. I saw both strength and skill, you are definitely the best in your age group, you could very well be a match for a properly trained knight"

And now for some more scolding perhaps.

"I also noticed another… issue. You are completely exhausted are you not? If I, or really anyone, were to strike at you right now would you be able to fight back?"

"Exhaustion at the end of training is to be expected but I wish to make it clear that this is not something you can allow during a battle. You will rarely encounter a single foe. Learn to pace yourself Vatorys, lest you put your all into defeating an adversary only to be stabbed in the back by one you never saw"

Walter lends his hand to the girl, helping her off the ground. He gives her a moment to collect herself. A moment.

"Words will only go so far though. Pick up your blade. I shall show you what I mean. You needn't worry, I can tell what you're thinking. I will not be putting my all into this spar"

The albino says grabbing a wooden sword. Their squire was something else but Walter did have one edge, experience. A few years worth of them at that. With the girl exhausted like this he shouldn't have much difficulty defeating her, even while holding back. It would hopefully prove his point, while also keeping his reputation intact.

 

[PastelWitch]

Out of breath and sweaty, Rosa tried to not act like a complete mess in front of Walter - attempting to steady her breathing and wiping her forehead in a rush. She felt slightly warm, cheeks growing a little red as she only really realised that Walter would have been watching her intently; she was nervous but excited, would he compliment her maybe?

She looked over to him and wondered if she'd done something wrong, he seemed quiet and didn't really show much expression on his face, Rosa hoped she hadn't just acted like a complete fool and he was about to turn around and tell her to go home. He came over and for a split second she'd thought a well-deserved pat on the back was due when without warning he pushed her down into the dirt.

"Hey-" she started, her knees hurting from the fall, but then he explained her shortcomings. She looked down to the ground, well... perhaps he was right, but that didn't mean it was ok to push her! She went to protest her exhaustion but he didn't let her, and in all honesty she was tired and spent - her arms felt like jelly and her knees now ached.

"Yes Sir" she replied, unsure on how to react to the cool, indifferent knight. Something irked her about the way he spoke to her - maybe she had just hoped he'd be a bit more... friendly? She accepted his hand and stood up, wiping the dust from her clothes and watching him pick up a wooden sword.

"It'll be an honour to spar against you sir" she added, bright smile returning despite her tired and achey muscles. Rosa wondered what it would be like to fight him full-on. She remembered his words and got into proper stance before taking a step forward and starting her attack.

 

[Sam136]

The point was to hammer in the importance of not tiring yourself out too quickly. So his battle plan should incorporate that. Despite having his blade at the ready Walter does anything but attack. He dodges, he parries when possible but he doesn't counter attack, not at the moment.

The girl doesn't notice at the start. Her excitement seemed to get the better of her again. It doesn't last forever, he would have been worried if it did. It’s quite clear that Walter was waiting for her to spend the last bit of energy she'd just recovered. When she starts to calm down, go for a more controlled pace, that's when Walter strikes.

He harasses her from any angle he can. His attacks light but rapid. Easily defended against honestly, that wasn't a problem. He wasn't legitimately trying to stab her. He was tiring her out. A duel couldn't be won if you were just defending but once you've lost momentum it's not easy getting it back. In other words, the girl was stuck in a vicious cycle. She was too tired to mount any good counter attack but every moment she defended she only got more and more exhausted.

At least that was the plan. And all things considered it was going well enough. One itty bitty issue. The kid was still standing! What was Leonardo feeding them?! He'd expected her to be lying on the ground unable to move ages ago…

Not wanting to remain like this for who knows how long Walter has no choice but to go further. The light but precise strokes of the blade are replaced by harsher ones. His blade slams towards her over and over. Each time he adds just a little more force.

Finally after ages the girl falters and the wooden sword slips out of her grasp. Just in time too, any longer and Walter would be the one panting which would be, quite frankly, embarrassing.

He gazes at the girl for a moment, thinking about what to say next.

"I trust that little spar of ours shall suffice as evidence? For the most part I limited my skills to the level of a freshly trained recruit. Even then you were barely able to hold on… but you did hold on. It wasn't until I applied additional pressure that you faltered. I suppose congratulations are in order, that was impressive. You have endurance if nothing else"

Another moment's pause.

"This is enough for now. I was only seeking to get an understanding of your capabilities and that has been accomplished. A proper regimen will be established later, when I think of one. For now… "

Walter takes a proper look at the girl. Covered in sweat and dirt, courtesy of him shoving her to the ground and forcing her to fight until she was at her very limit. He most definitely intended for her to go through worse… but perhaps it was just a bit much for the first day. Especially right after meeting her "hero".

"You did well, now go and get yourself cleaned, you're a mess. After that… I suppose we could have a bite to eat. I shall pay this time"

And now Walter must prepare himself against his oldest and deadliest foe, social interaction. He has a feeling the girl will want to engage him in conversation. It is not something he enjoys, but he can do that much at least.

 

[PastelWitch]

Rosa was eager to go all out on Walter but he had explicitly said that this was simply to test her; despite her tired and achey legs she did put as much effort into her attacks as she could muster - surprising herself a few times when she managed to clash her sword against Walters in a way that made her wonder if he was really trying - he just seemed to block her or dodge out the way which kind of made her a little annoyed.

They fight for a few minutes, exhaustion very clearly setting in as her right arms grew heavier and heavier and she was starting to lose her footing. Walter began to strike back, successfully jabbing her a few times and managing to force her into a defensive block rather than be the attacker. She practically growled; holding her own and trying desperately to not look weak in front of him, she jumped back after their swords clashed and tried to take a moment but Walter smashed right against her wrist forcing her to drop her sword.

She yelped and jumped back, holding her arm - at first she was mad he seemed to use her own tiredness against her but then he complimented her... kind of? "Thank you sir" she said, trying to catch her breath, "I hope to learn much more from you" - something struck her as weird though, she didn't really expect to get beaten up on her first day under Walters guidance, and neither did she expect him to be quite so... cold, towards her. She huffed, shaking her head and trying to rid those thoughts.

"A bite to eat? That sounds wonderful thank you sir! she exclaimed, almost acting like she was never tired in the first place. Excited and beaming despite dirt smeared across her face and sweat on her brow. She bowed and ran for the barracks; washing quickly and dressing in more civilian clothing of a blue top and brown trousers, her boots staying the same. She braided her hair and headed out, no one would think she'd just been brought to her knees after a gruelling fight as she looked as chipper as ever.

She arrived at the tavern looking for Walter, confused as to why he chose a small and slightly isolated little booth at the back, but nevertheless she took a seat opposite, excited to see him in such a casual way. "Thank you for earlier, I feel like I'm getting stronger already!" she exclaimed, flexing her bicep and then rubbing the sore muscles; "I hope to learn much more from you, especially when it comes to slaying beasts."

Acting a little shy she fidgeted with her fingers a little, "I-if it's not too much to ask, I'd love to hear the story of how you slayed the Goblins that raided Direwind Village? I'm not sure if you knew but I come from there, I never got to see you or thank you for helping our village..."

 

[Sam136]

"I would ask you to speak a bit softer, Vatorys. I use this tavern because I trust the owner to be discreet. If my identity were to be known it would cause a fuss, one I would much rather do without. As such, if you must address me do so as Wally. Tis the pseudonym I go by for occasions such as these"

With his instructions given Walter thinks of the village Vatorys mentioned. Ominous name for a village if you ask Walter but who was he to judge another's naming sense. But goblins… he's having a hard time remembering. The name Direwind isn't ringing any bells either. Not exactly strange, he's been to a lot of villages and there's no way he'd remember all of them. It's possible that this was just another rumour? But the girl was legitimately from this place so that seems unlikely.

For a moment Walter just thinks, goblins in a village… goblins in a village… goblins in a- Ahh! He remembered now. There was that one time a goblin attack had happened while he was travelling through. He was lucky he'd decided to bring about a good number of men as bodyguards during the trip. Otherwise things could have gone badly.

"I believe I know the event you refer to. Well… there isn't much to say. I didn't even kill that many, most of the goblin corpses that day were courtesy of Enbarr, my horse. They're too short to easily reach with a weapon so I just… ran over them for the most part. Enbarr crushed, kicked and even bit any of them that dared come near. I did have a crossbow at hand, I used that occasionally to pick off the archers. It wasn't much, I was under little personal danger. None of the goblins could pierce my armor. Most of the time spent was just chasing down and routing the ones that left. It was… routine all things considered"

Really the biggest concern was limiting casualties, though even that was easy once the goblins realised they were getting quite literally butchered. They'd very quickly decided to just cut their losses and run. Didn't help them much, Walter made sure they were all dead. He doesn't leave a job unfinished after all.

Walter opens his mouth to speak some more but suddenly just stops. His normally neutral expression is replaced by a vicious glare as he sees one of his most hated of foes arrive.

The tavern rustles with glee as one of the city's major bards Rodriguez shows. The man smiles and waves with the charisma expected of his station. The man catches Walter's eye and winks playfully while Walter's glare deepens, it seemed the two knew each other.

"Ahh Wally old friend. A pleasure to see you here again. Will we be entertaining the crowd together again?"

"If by entertain you mean me poking holes in the made up stories you parade around as legends oh most definitely"

"I shall take that as a yes my friend. Barkeep, send Wally a drink courtesy of me", the man says with a jovial smile.

Before Walter can voice a complaint, the barkeep in question has already poured out a glass of goat milk for them. Walter's glare deepens but he doesn't reject the drink. No point in wasting food after all.

The man's eyes drift to the girl by him and he raises an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You have brought a young lady with you? Oh my, this truly is new. You're usually alone. Though I confess she seems a bit young-"

"She's my squire Rodriguez, don't make this weird"

"Aha! So you are indeed a Knight. That's one mystery about our grouchy loner revealed. I must thank you, you've just won me a silver coin. But where are my manners"

The bard bows, takes Rosa's hand and places a kiss on her knuckles. A standard greeting amongst nobles, not so common in a tavern. If you asked Walter he'd say the bard was playing at being someone of class.

"I am Rodriguez, my lady. A humble weaver of tales and man of songs. I would love to chat but my audience awaits and so I must take my leave"

Walter takes a sip of his milk. He keeps his eye on the bard, so focused is he on his task that he doesn't even notice the milk "mustache" he'd developed.

"I'd advise ignoring him Vatorys. He's a bard, they're all like that"

Finally noticing the milk on his face, Walter's eyes widen and he hurriedly wipes it away with a handkerchief.

The bard in question weaves through the crowd until he stands at the center of his stage. With a gesture of his hand the tavern quiets.

"It is my pleasure to meet all of you again. Oh most respectable of gentlemen, and most beautiful of ladies allow me the privilege of gracing your ears with yet another story I have found. It is that of a familiar figure. The man of moonlit hair and piercing eyes, the dragon slayer ser Loch!"

Walter groans in embarrassment while the crowd cheers.

"Today I shall regale you with the tale of how they won the heart of the silver maiden on the 3rd day of the fifth month this very year-"

"First of all! I wo- I know for a fact Ser Loch would not seduce some women without proper courtship so I suggest you stop with the lies right here. Second! Everyone knows that Ser Loch was at the king's gala at that time. So unless they can be at two places at once your whole charade falls apart"

Walter interjects paying no heed to the crowd's mutterings. Some of the patrons seem annoyed but others just take a sip from their drinks as if seeing the start of some play they knew by heart.

"And as my dear friend Wally-"

"Not your friend Rodriguez"

"Pointed out. Ser Loch was indeed seen at the gala. So how could this be true? Well then my audience let me regale you with a tale of politics and intrigue"

Walter makes a noise that can only really be described as a squawk when his own words are used against him. A common scene judging from the reaction of most of the tavern goers.

The white haired man grumbles as he takes a sip of his milk and decides to speak to his acquaintance.

"This is why you should stay away from bards, Vatorys. Always twisting your words against you and spreading dumb rumours. Truly they have nothing better to do", The knight grumbles.

Walter pokes at Rodriguez's story a few more times as time passes but it's to little avail. It's a surreal scene for those in the know. The knight that was being praised as a hero like no other was right there in the tavern, arguing against the stories being told about him while his words fall on deaf ears.

 

[PastelWitch]

Rosa cleared her throat and whispered a small and meek "sorry" after Walter asked her to not be quite so loud, she understood of course, being a Hero probably meant he often got a lot of unwanted attention and she should do her best to respect his wishes as his squire. A strange protective feeling washed over her, like she should perhaps act a little more like a bodyguard ... o-once she was stronger of course. "Then please call me Rosa"

Walters story of the goblins wasn't exactly what Rosa had expected, she'd been told that he'd single-handedly slain them with his sword, that his men all cried after his heroics and that he gave the village it's much needed freedom all while being rather humble about it. She furrowed her brow, unsure how she was supposed to feel about his side of the story - if anything his horse was the real hero and that fact sat festering in her mind for a little while. Rosa wasn't quite sure what to think.

Still, she supposed he did still technically defeat them, right? Something felt off.

She watches as his face changes dramatically to one of malice as he looks just over her shoulder, she turns to follow his gaze and see's a handsome and eccentric man approach; dressed in lavish clothing and with a charming smile Rosa couldn't help but stare in awe of him. Their small greeting makes her believe they're friends, in a way, but she doesn't really know how to respond when the handsome stranger takes her hand and kisses it - treating her like some kind of noble lady.

She blushes bright red, stammering her words, "I-It's a p-pleasure... sir"

Rosa barely recognises the glass placed in front of her as she watches Rodriguez in fascination, he moved in such an elegant way, charming all those he came across. He and Walter had a small back and forth that once again made Rosa think about all the stories she had heard, and wondered just how much truth there was to them, she wasn't stupid, she knew bards would often embellish stories to make them dramatic and more interesting but there was something about Walter's reaction that didn't make sense.

Rodriguez began to tell the tale of Walter's many legends and Rosa watched the two bicker before he turned to her and she couldn't help but giggle at the white moustache made of milk.

She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't help it. Made funnier by the fact it matched his hair she struggled to keep her laughter, she burst out with a chuckle, "Well, Sir Wally, perhaps stories always have some element of truth to them the next time he sings about you having rather spectacular facial hair hm? And, it's Rosa... not Vatorys"

She took a sip of her own drink after catching her breath, grimacing slightly as milk was definitely not her drink of choice.

Rosa listens to Rodriguez's stories and songs for a while, while sometimes glancing over at her Hero Knight, and wondering why it seemed that Walter didn't appreciate it - it didn't seem like he was just being humble. Walter seemed to hate the stories being told about him.

She attempts to listen more to the stories but it's not long before the bard is engulfed by women and ladies of all kinds (probably much to the dismay of their partners) and so she turns back to Walter. "I was unaware you disliked having your legends told" she admitted, "I was also unaware you'd enjoy a setting such as thing, I kind of imagined long halls and private chefs" she added sheepishly.

Being a village girl she didn't want to admit that in reality she had no idea about the class difference and what was expected of her as a squire; she'd expected to be treated a little like a maid but with some sword fighting in between jobs.

 

[Sam136]

Rosa? Walter wasn't exactly comfortable calling someone by their first name so easily. He was a naturally formal person. Part of it was actually out of their subpar communication skills. They preferred formality because all the rules of conversation and etiquette were very precisely written down, much more clearer than the unseen expectations of an informal setting in his opinion. Still, it couldn't hurt and saying no would be seen as harsh and rude if he's guessing right.

"Very well. Henceforth you shall be referred to as Rosa"

Walter doesn't say much after that, allowing Vatoris to speak her thoughts.

"Private chefs and long halls… you would be correct in that assumption normally. That is how I prefer to dine when in the privacy of my home"

"But this is not my home, either of them. This is the capital city, filled to the brim with nobles and politicians. If I were to choose a more… formal venue like as not I would soon be dealing with the company of such individuals. It has happened before and my meals often become minor political battlefields"

Walter takes another sip from his drink. He also eyes the barkeep, as if asking what was taking his food so long.

"A tavern is preferable to that and I confess I do not mind the rowdiness of such a place every now and then. Though, me frequenting places like these isn't too common either. I felt that one such as you would be more comfortable here"

Finally some steaming hot chicken is placed at Walter's table, followed quickly by Vatorys' order. The knight carefully picks up his knife and folk and proceeds to eat. As he eats he notices a strange expression on the girl, as if she looked confused. It then hits Walter, this wasn't exactly how a Knight and squire acted.

"You must be confused. I have not been treating you as a squire for the most part or rather I haven't treated you as most knights would their squire. There's a very simple reason for that. You're a commoner. Well that and it being the first day"

"When I first heard I was getting a squire I was expecting a noble. I confess, I initially planned to have you shovel shit. Character building, that's a lot of what the squiring is about. It's getting young men of relatively higher status used to more menial work. Of course part of it is also them learning but I do feel the main goal is to teach them some manner of… humility"

"There's no point with you. You've done work like that all your life. I would be wasting both our time if I treated you as only a servant. That's why it would be more productive to instead have you gain the skills you are undoubtedly lacking"

Walter wipes his face. The crumbs from his meal are quickly removed and he resumes his speech.

"You've likely never owned a horse, so it is unlikely that you know how to ride one. On a similar vein, how much experience do you have fighting while armored? You definitely cannot afford a proper set but perhaps Leonardo was able to find you you to practice with. Regardless, we shall be working on such things on the morrow. You will be preparing my mount and my armor, as if you were readying me for battle"

With all that said Walter pauses and catches his breath, he'd talked a lot. His eyes glance at his nemesis and the albino sighs. That bard never learned, did he? Of course women were going to go after him if he kept up the seductive persona. Why did he even do it? From what Walter remembers it's just how bards are "supposed" to be. Idiot. If what he what he knew about the man was right they weren't even interested in all those ladies.

 

[PastelWitch]

Rosa listened to Walters replies; she wasn't exactly sure what he really meant by it all either - she accepted her order with a courteous nod and helped herself, still trying to listen - it seemed to her that Walter was very good at talking, he had a way with words that made him seem very confident and intelligent. She wondered for a moment if he came from a noble background himself, he definitely had the skills in language that a commoner wouldn't learn. Or maybe Rosa really was just that much more different from those in the Capital.

"Y-yes well, I might not know a lot about customs and what's considered proper here in the capital but I'm a fast learner." she paused for a minute, putting her fork down, "I'm not exactly what Captain Leonardo saw in me if I'm honest, the glares I get from the others is sometimes a little much but I was chosen to be your squire and no matter if it's fate or even some kind of joke I'm proud to serve you Sir"

She gave him a grin, resuming her food while listening to the distant melodies of Rodriguez. She wasn't sure how well she would deal with horses - some of the other farmers in her village had a couple but she never got too close to them and learning to get one ready for battle was a little nerve wracking - still she was never one to shy away from a challenge.

"Wait... i-is this the same horse that saved our village?"

She let out a small chuckle; "Maybe I should call him Sir Enbarr - the true saviour"

She finished her meal and thanked alter for buying it, "I feel bad for having you buy it for me - but thank you. It was delicious. I hope to treat you to something one day in return!"

In the distance she could hear a chorus of giggles from multiple women ad Rodriguez seemed to flirt and tell tales to them, it had been a long day and now, full of food and listening to the commotions around her she felt like she could finally relax a little. It was still a little unreal, to be sat in front of Walter as if they were just hanging out, but she let herself enjoy the ambience and the company. She caught the conversation of a couple behind her;

"Have you heard about the tournament coming up? Are you taking part? It all sounds rather exciting don't you think? If I was maybe a bit stronger I would consider joining myself"

 

[Sam136]

"You may call them what you wish. Though the term would be inaccurate. The only equine to ever be awarded knighthood in this nation was Ser Incitatus"

Walter takes a sip, his expression barely shifts. They were being dead serious.

"Not too common though. The king during that time period was… unique. We have yet to ever have a horse as a Knight again. Though there was a donkey that almost became chancellor… "

This was a land with a rich and storied past. A strange past but a rich one nonetheless.

"Do not worry about the meal. It is a pittance compared to my usual expenditure"

He was many things. Poor was not one of them. Dragon slaying was a lucrative business. Kill one dragon and you were set for life. If you were that one person in a million who survived of course.

"I don't usually participate in such events. I prefer to send Jeremiah in my stead"

It wouldn't be a good look for the nations greatest knight to be humiliated in front of the entire world to see now would it?

"Though… perhaps I may end up taking part in the jousting events. Some acquaintances of mine have suggested that it wouldn't look good for me to not pay any attention to such events"

Suggested wouldn't be the word he'd use if he was being honest. Ordered. Walter had been ordered to go and fight or participate or do anything really. Another one of the king's plans it seemed.

Walter supposed they had a point. If he ran away from every public fight people would definitely get suspicious, it'd only cause more trouble in the long run.

"I am planning on using Enbarr for those events. If there's anything I'm confident in it's the skills of my mount"

Walter nods happily, he trusted his horse. They were a good horse. Also, participating in an event like that had another advantage. If he humiliated himself he could always blame the animal.