Take Back the Crown


Phaedra looked at Ayda and raised an eyebrow. The poor girl had been left behind in the search for firewood. She couldn't exactly call her useless in this case, because she actually did them a favor and she did a wonderful job at that. Even still, she couldn't feel pleased with Ayda's reappearance. It wasn't that she didn't like the young woman, but it was more because she disliked her lack of self-confidence. It was something that she couldn't hold against her, but she did.

"Just set it near the fire so we can keep the flames strong." Her tone was sharp and dismissive. Then, as if to compensate for it, she softens her tone slightly and she patted at a spot beside her. "Quickly grab yourself a bowl of soup that you're late for and sit. Svetlana will be sharing a story soon."

She perked her ears at the sound of a familiar voice - laughter. Phaedra looked to see Bo sitting beside the princess and gave a half grin. She didn't know what exactly was so funny - maybe the princess told a joke? She wondered what it was - but at least she knew that some folks were enjoying themselves here at the campfire like herself.

@QueenSaiko
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"Oh! You can sit by me, if you want." Bo piped in after Phaedra, his face lit up at seeing another familiar face. That was the girl they'd protected from the imps! He felt kind of bad that they'd sort of... left her behind. He hoped he could make it up to her by being friendly. She looked so lost.

 
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"O-Oh ok." Ayda was slightly surprised at Phaedra's sudden order, but quickly did as she was told. She was , after all, used to being ordered around considering her main job was being a maid and servant.


After setting down the tediously collected wood close to the fire, Ayda looked at the soup and bowls shyly.


"Is it really ok if I have some? I..." Ayda lost the courage to finish her sentence, trailing off.


'What if I take too much and everyone things I'm some kind of glutton? Ah stop it Ayda! I'm sure I can take some soup! But... But what if someone else comes to eat and it turns out there's not enough left for them because I took too much?!' Ayda thought to herself, over thinking the situation like she always did. Normally she wasn't this hesitant to do things but being around so many strangers made her really jumpy and nervous.


@TeeKay @soundofmind
 

She looked at the girl incredulously. Really? She couldn't just grab herself a bowl? How tiresome. It didn't help that she was mildly annoyed by Bo's invitation to Ayda after she had just offered a seat to her. Maybe it wasn't the kindest way of offering, like he had, but.. still, she tried to control her tone.

"Yes." Phaedra stated plainly, doing her best to mask her frustration. Her reason for her agitation was very petty and she decided it was an ugly thing to reveal, especially considering that Ayda nor Bo had done anything wrong. It was really her own fault for finding an excuse to distance herself from Ayda, while really desiring to get to know her. "You need to keep your energy up. Eat. There will be more like earlier today."

@QueenSaiko
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Lucas' eyes widened as the stone thing spoke. It was small, sure, but it did. He grew exited Andy was about to speak again when he became aware of how many there were in the wagon with him.


"Sorry" he whispered as he shoved it back in the bag.


Time skip





Lucas sat very quietly with the others, digging a stick in the mud. He found it funny how shy the nice girl who helped him at the beginning was and as she sat he scooted around to sit next to her, on the other side to the huge man. He then decided he needed to learn some names. It had been too long of a day to worry about clinginess and he was scared to talk to his sister, she seemed so...official for lack of a batter word, but it was more than that.


He still held the bag containing the stone man who talked and he couldn't wait to investigate further but he knew he couldn't just leave now, while it was dark. He would wait till most of the others slept
 
'I'll go keep watch. This is a perfect opportunity to either shoot us in the back or rob us. I'm speaking as the one who would usually do that.' Dorian sent out to Garrett and then Svetlana, because that woman was basically the leader of this group when one excluded the princess, which he did not want to address telepathically. The hawk leaped into the air and flew off to search for the best places to get into the camp which another thief like him could take, so that he would later know which areas to better watch over.





@Lo Alyssa
 
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"Of course, how stupid of me." Ayda mumbled, remembering how she always threatened to force feed her siblings if they didn't eat their dinner, because 'you need to eat or else you'll have no energy, dummy!'


Ayda quickly grabbed herself a bowl with a small amount of soup in it, before smiling a sweet but small smile politely at Bo.


"Excuse me, but I shall sit next to this Miss for now, as she asked first. Maybe next time." Ayda said quietly, before heading over to Phaedra and sitting a metre next to her, and taking small sips of her soup.


".... My name is Ayda... What is yours?" She asked Phaedra, glancing at her with her dark, almost black, eyes.


@TeeKay @soundofmind @A Simple Egg
 
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Phaedra's mood towards Ayda considerably softened for two reasons. One - while Phaedra absolutely despised her lack of self-confidence, she didn't enjoy hearing her beat herself up for something so simple. It made her heart ache. At least for a moment. Two - her mood lightened when she heard Ayda would take a place beside her first. Maybe she could stand to be an ounce kinder to the girl. It would be good to get to know someone who looked closer to her age.

"Ah.. Phaedra. My name is Phaedra." Phaedra spoke quietly and her voice was warmer than how she had previously addressed Ayda. She was feeling a tad apologetic for her previous behavior, and perhaps Ayda would notice that as her eyes met Ayda's. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. Tension was a little high during the battle."​
 
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Her eyes were red and a little puffy. It had been a sad parting from her father. "I'm surprised I came back as well." She sighed and placed a bag with herbs and such on the ground so she wouldn't have to carry it. She just stood there, a little reluctant to join the group.
 
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"Phaedra. That's a wonderful name." Ayda said, taking another sip of her food.


"That reminds me, I haven't properly thanked you." Ayda turned to face Phaedra and smiled at the woman.


"I'm really grateful that you helped me. Once this is all over, please allow me to repay you somehow." Ayda said, before looking at Bo.


"You too, Sir. You two really saved me back there. I'm sorry that you had to go through the trouble."


@soundofmind @TeeKay
 
Thora waited to be served last, for she didn't need nearly as much food as the others. She took a small bowl, giving a faint smile as thanks to Yaroslav who served her, and then took a seat. The campfire made the nymph nervous, of course, but she wanted to be with the group. So she chose a spot not too close to the flames but not so far away that she was isolated from everyone else. She sat on her legs, hands folded on her lap (after she had finished her food obviously), and waited to hear the story Svetlana had promised. She pulled her ridiculously long hair over her shoulder and began to braid it with her delicate fingers.
 
"It's Bo." He said, figuring he should throw his name in there, "And you're welcome. But really, it was Phaedra who pulled you over to us. She deserves most of the credit."


@TeeKay @QueenSaiko
 
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Nameen had made herself useful gathering extra firewood while the rest of the band settled in around the crackling and sparking pit. She'd spent a good chunk of time scavenging in the woods, and came back with her arms full of thick logs which would burn well for a long time. She approached the camp where everyone seemed to be occupied with their own affairs. Rather than bother anyone about it, Nameen dumped her logs just outside of where the adventurers sat in a circle around the fire, relaxing after the long day.


Being hungry of course, Nameen ladelled some of Yaroslav's warm soup into her bowl and proceeded to find a spot to sit down. Unsure where to settle, Nameen sat herself next to the pile of firewood she collected. The logs would keep her company.
 

That sealed it. She really needed to treat the woman more kindly. Phaedra's cheeks flushed. Most would interpret it as her blushing at the compliments, but it was really because of her embarrassment at her contemptible behavior. Here the girl was praising her, when really it was Bo who had been kind to her. Phaedra felt she played little part in rescuing her, despite having been the one to pull her out of danger.

"Ah, no.. No, that isn't necessary." She rubbed the back of her neck, feeling a little uncomfortable with the genuine appreciation Ayda was showing. Why did she have to be so nice and make Phaedra feel bad? Well, it was nobody's fault but her own... "I disagree with Bo. If not for his skills, we both wouldn't have pulled through. But, I suppose we aren't here to argue who did the most work... Just tell me why you didn't fight back?"

Phaedra had just remembered why she had rescued Ayda in the first place and, here they go again. She spiraled into her usual habit of asking questions, deeply curious. After all, who wouldn't at least attempt to defend themselves from imps? Phaedra could understand being hesitant to fight other folks, but it seemed that imps were fairly mindless hive creatures with no real purpose to serve.

@QueenSaiko @soundofmind (@RP Marshall - sorry about the quip about imps! Heh)

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"Why are you sitting so far away? Join us in the circle." Garrett turned around to smile at Nameen, remembering how wary of everyone she had acted in the tavern.


@Rydellius
 
@TeeKay @soundofmind


"I believe that both of you helped just as much as eachother." Ayda said to both Bo and Phaedra, before coughing awkwardly.


"Well... Well you see, I didn't fight back because I.. I don't know how? I hate weapons, and fighting in general. I'm a real dummy, sorry."
 
People are more interesting than logs I suppose.


Nameen shrugged internally. After fighting off the imp swarm, she found herself more willing to to try and get to know some of her companions. She scooped up her bowl and strode over to seat herself next to Garret, one of the mages she remembered who had conjured the fire to wound the imps.


Sitting with everyone, Nameen still found herself feeling out of place. Even if the trust barrier had been cleared, she still was not very experienced socially, being one who normally kept to herself.


@L1d1ja
 
Valeiah sat down against a tree were she had put her bag. Seeing scattered remains of bodies had ruined her appetite. Though she appreciated that they cared enough to even give her food, she set it aside.
 
"The imps were quite a mess, weren't they? I didn't expect us to get attacked so soon." Garrett said to Nameen, trying to engage in conversation. "What other creatures do you think will leap at us?"


@Rydellius
 
Nameen, having only heard of the quest when Garret had told her of it in the tavern, hadn't had too much time to think of what might be coming for them.


"I believe we took care of the imps quite well," she answered after a moment's thought. "The demon lord will know. Whatever comes after this is going to be much worse." Hating to be such a pessimist in a happy and joking atmosphere, Nameen quickly added, " This is a very talented group though." She gazed around at everyone in the firelight. "We'll be able to complete this quest if we stick together."


@L1d1ja
 

"You're not anything of the sort." Phaedra said sharply. She didn't like hearing her devalue herself. It was horrible. Even if her vocabulary to do it was mild, it still didn't put her mind at ease. Continuing more calmly, "You can defend yourself without weapons, or harming others. I've seen it done in some styles of hand-to-hand combat. I can understand why you'd be wary of harming others, but.. in that particular case.. they were only imps. Mindless creatures who only seek to harm."

She felt that she couldn't reason with the girl because - as she thought to herself earlier - she was old enough to make decisions on her own. Despite that, Phaedra still thought she would offer the option to her. It was a terrible mistake to not know how to defend yourself in any way whatsoever.

@QueenSaiko
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Oceana watched out of the corner of her eye as the timid human woman, Ayda, conversed with the others. Ayda seemed quite unsure of her role here, yet Phaedra and Bo were trying so earnestly to help her.


The elf sighed in irritation.


Ayda's attitude was particularly aggravating because it didn't stem from true ineptitude, but indecision and uncertainty. And Oceana had little love for indecisive folks.


If Ayda couldn't find a place in their group, then they would just have to make one for her.


We'll just have to train her then.


"Miss Ayda, was it?" Oceana, asked rhetorically.


Her voice was low and stern, trying to make known the gravity of the situation.


"This will be a harsh journey. Today proved that. You must learn to fight, with or without a weapon. Otherwise..." here the elf maiden tried to sound gentler "we may... lose, you someday."


Then the raven-haired elf inwardly cringed at her own words.


That dinnae come out right at all... Oh Oceana you're such a downer! Stupid stupid...


@QueenSaiko @TeeKay ?
 
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Phaedra found herself instantly drawn to Oceana's personality - this woman was right in line with her own thoughts on the matter. She quickly nodded her agreement to the elven woman's words, adding to them.

"She is correct. We may not always have the chance to scoop you out of danger, just in the nick of time. You were lucky today that I noticed you. If anybody else were in my place, they would not have been able to get you to safety, Ayda. You could have died today."

While Oceana seemed to regret her own bluntness, Phaedra was not adverse to put it out there plain as day with a straight face. She did not wish to see anyone die - it's just that this was the reality of the situation, regardless of how excited she felt to be a part of this potentially historical event.

"It doesn't make you stupid to not know these things, Ayda. This journey isn't for the squeamish, however. Allow us to teach you how to defend yourself at the very least - to properly parry and dodge anything that comes your way."

@QueenSaiko @OlKaJa77
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Ayda visibly winced at their words, grasping her hands together. "I'm sorry.... I... I guess you guys could train me... But I'm really hopeless when it comes to fighting." Ayda sighed, knowing that learning how to fight would be for the best. If it meant being able to stay on this journey, Ayda was willing after to give up a few of her morals. A few, that is.


"But no weapons, please?" Ayda said. She was willing to learn how to fight hand to hand or something similar, but no matter what, Ayda would never resort to using a weapon.


@TeeKay @OIKaJa77
 
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