Fantasy Vampire Corps of Eldergaard

[Reynarda]

Astrid's eyes narrowed at the implication that she didn't care about her people. She opened her mouth to remind Georgiana that they would never hurt civilians, but she snapped it shut at "slaves". She took a small step back, her eyes darting to where Leo and Alyx were at least pretending to sleep. She had no come back for that because the princess--curse her--was right. No matter how Astrid acted or cared or treated them, the fact remained. And the princess didn't even know the half of it.

This was bringing to mind another argument--though that one had been far more heated. Astrid had tried to justify her people's treatment of vampires but pointing out that the vampires would die out if the Eldergaardians did, and they would all be returned home once the war was won anyway, and Alyx had coldly asked, "So the end justifies the means, does it? It doesn't matter what horrors you commit as long as everything turns out in the end?"

Astrid flicked her eyes back to Georgiana and shook her head. "The sacrifices you make matter. The needs of the many might outweigh the needs of the few, but that doesn't mean you can throw away the few. You may reach the end of your journey victorious, but if you sacrificed everything to get there, what kind of victory is that?" Astrid shook her head. She and the princess were not going to agree on this. She sat, doing her best to look like she was relaxed instead of wanting to hug her knees to her chest and stare out into the dark mountainside. "And anyway, what good will you do your people dead? Cyn seems to be a really smart engineer, and Rose is... whatever the heck he is, it's got a vampire commander on edge. You're a leader. Those skills seem important for the needs of the many."

 

[jones573]

Gigi swallowed.

"I am well aware of my sacrifices," she said evenly, thinking of the way Crane's fingers had scrambled to grip the side of the Nighthawk. Of the other friends and family who hadn't returned home, and never would. "And very aware that I wouldn't be making them if Allaria had not been attacked," she pointed out.

"It seems odd for you to council me on victory and good leadership," she said lightly, one eyebrow raised speculatively. "Though considering today's events... Can it be you are less than devoted to the military successes of your mother's dictatorship?"

She knew a thing or two about disagreeing with one's parents- Though she tended to view her own as incapable, and not malevolent.

 

[Reynarda]

Astrid huffed air through her nose. It didn't seem like Georgiana was aware of what and whom she was sacrificing. "I have no intention of justifying my country's reasons for invading yours. You're not going to sympathize anymore than I will about being the invaded."

"No offense, princess," Astrid said when Georgiana commented on counseling her, "but--with the exception of getting imprisoned for prostitution--I've done a bit more than you."

Astrid rolled her eyes. "It's not a dictatorship. And you seem to think my mother needs my help. I'm a captain--which is the lowest level of a command a person can have. But I am devoted to ending this war." Pausing, Astrid pursed her lips. That wasn't exactly what the princess was getting at, but Astrid wasn't sure if she wanted to discuss it. After a few seconds of hesitation, she decided she would rather the princess not think her a mindless drone than mask her misgivings, and she sighed. "But if you're asking if I give my mother a blank check for everything she does--no. I used to. You think your parents know everything, but then you get out in the world and realize they taught you to see the world how they see it, and they might not always be right." Astrid smiled. "But as the fates would have it, Admiral Jorgenson assigned Draya to me to thwart me. My mother didn't stop him, telling me to either grind Alyx into submission or see her killed, but it backfired on both of them. Not only is the Dragon one of the most successful ships in the entire fleet, but I've realized the vampires are not the monsters I was taught they are." Astrid shrugged. "So I am far more concerned for the lives of my vampires than the average captain, and I trust my commander with my life. It's Alyx's obvious unease about this that drove me to bring this up in the first place."

 

[jones573]

"It was solicitation," Gigi corrected mildly. "And I'm quite sure you have."

She did not sound approving of the things Astrid had done with her life.

"Ah, so you're one of the 'good ones'," Gigi noted dryly. "Rust, my brother Fredrick would have a field day talking to you- He and Crane used to go round and round on the indenture system for hours," she said fondly, thinking of the many evenings she had passed listening to them bicker. "He had this whole reform platform he was going to pass someday, once he convinced the right folks on the Council of Nobles- Though he might have been doing better on that if he hadn't kept expanding it," she admitted with a slight chuckle.

"He'd have something pointed and profound to tell you," she mused, trying to channel him for a moment. "That.... Realizing they aren't the monsters you feared is only the first step. Proving that you aren't the monster they fear- That requires action."

 

[Reynarda]

Astrid rolled her eyes at the correction. It was the same thing.

She arched an eyebrow at the mention of yet another sibling. And an indenture system? "Isn't 'indenture' to slavery as 'solicitation' is to prostitution?" she asked dryly. "And here I thought Allaria had a leg to stand on in this argument. Who have you got indentured? Whatever the science version of elves would be?"

Astrid snorted. Now Georgiana was starting to sound like Alyx--a comparison she swore to never make aloud as she had no doubt neither party would not appreciate it. Though, perhaps it was just that Georgiana's brother sounded like Alyx.

"Well I hope your brother liberates the people you have indentured. The Council of Nobles might listen to your brother, but you may be shocked to learn the generals will not listen to me. Maybe I'll try for Supreme General, and then I can outlaw taking slaves for war," she said, half sarcastically. She had said as much to Alyx entirely sarcastically, and Alyx had seemed to think it was a feasible plan--which was madness. Astrid had no desire to be a general, much less the supreme one. It was way too much work to get in a position where she could take the position, and then it was too much work to take the position, and then it was too much work to be the position, and then way too much work to maintain the position. No thank you. She would sail in her airship with her crew until she got too old to do that, and then she would teach at the academy like her father.

 

[jones573]

"Disadvantaged people, mostly," Gigi said with a shrug, not looking over at the others sleeping. She assumed they didn't want her to know, and they would certainly not want Astrid Leon to.

"Children, lots of times. It is awful - I can't argue that," she admitted. There were some key differences, she felt. You could hypothetically pay off such an arrangement someday, though from her brother's research it seemed rare. And rather critically, she felt, you still had control over your mind. But Fredrick had always warned her about making excuses- Too easily they could lead to justification, he'd claim.

"Fredrick is never going to liberate anyone," she said grimly. "He enlisted himself in the infantry. He died half a year ago, trying to defend a village on the northern front. Like the rest of the soldiers in that fight, his body did not return home," she told Astrid evenly.

Townspeople always buried bloodless corpses in mass graves as quickly as could be done- To leave them out was too grim a reminder of the vampires and the commanders that now controlled their lives through fear.

 

[Reynarda]

"Children?" Astrid gasped. She was about to exclaim that Eldergaard would never--but they had, hadn't they? And if she claimed they hadn't--because technically it had only happened once--Alyx would sit up and glare at her, regardless if she was asleep or not.

"He what?" Astrid gasped. Everyone knew you didn't enlist in the infantry. They were really just vampire fodder at this point. She had no siblings, so she couldn't imagine how it would be to lose one. Perhaps she could at least put Georgiana's mind to rest? Give her some closure? She frowned, thinking. Northern front? Who was usually there? "Do you know which squadron it was? If he was obviously a prince, Alyx might be able to ask around. You could at least know he died protecting his people."

 

[jones573]

"He was always the noble sort of idiot," Gigi allowed. "Didn't think anyone should be asked to do something for their country if he wasn't willing to do it, too. I doubt he would have told many people who he was- Certainly not the enemy."

Not that we would have had a chance to.

She'd always known he was going to die, risking himself to prove a point- She only wished she hadn't been right.

"Crane and I were on the northern front last month," she admitted. "I was able to speak with some of the refugees from Holden," she said, naming the small town. Collection of huts, really. "They said the soldiers were able to hold the defenses until the village had been evacuated and they suffered minimal losses- Apparently the squad leader gave them a gold hair pin and some other effects, so they could better obtain food and safe passage."

She rolled her eyes. She'd given him something for good luck, and he'd given it away before heading directly into danger.

 

[Reynarda]

Astrid nodded. She knew some noble idiots. They tended to die--a wasted sacrifice, in Astrid's opinion. She had once thought that sounded noble, but being a captain on the front lines for several years had made her realize that nobility got you killed and the only real goal was to survive.

Astrid nodded. She didn't think he would look very princely, but it had been worth a shot. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew which squadron it had been, anyway. Maksim Grivvin tended to starve his vampires so that they would rip through the opposing infantry or marines without a second's hesitation.

"May his soul find rest in the beyond," Astrid said softly. "He was a brave soldier--he will be honored for his sacrifice for his people."

She didn't know if the princess would care much for the traditional blessings on the dead, but Eldergaardians thought that honoring the courageous dead--even if they were enemies--was important.

 

[jones573]

"Thank you," Gigi said after Astrid's blessing. It seemed the polite thing to say, even if she didn't believe it. There was no honor in war, as far as she was concerned, even for the dead. Especially for the dead.

If she could pull this off- which was a big if- and if she returned home- another big if- she could mourn then.

The rest of the watch passed quietly and with little incident- The conversation came and went, stilted and uncomfortable but not as hostile or angry as it had been initially.

When Gigi glanced at her watchpiece for the half a dozenth time. She stretched and nodded at Astrid.

"Your generals have crossed your quarter line," she told the Captain with a gesture at the starry sky. "I'll wake Barlowe if you do Draya."

Gigi may have been known to be reckless, but she wasn't stupid- No way was she going to stand over a vampire commander and shake her awake.

She knelt next to Rose, and touched his intact shoulder, pushing lightly.

"Rose? It's your watch shift," she told him quietly.

 

[Reynarda]

Astrid had to admit, she was glad the hostility eased a bit. She hadn't really achieved anything, but at least she felt she understood Georgiana a bit better. She was still young and reckless--though, to be fair, Astrid was really not that much older. The only way Astrid was going to make sure nothing went sour was to stick with the princess.

Astrid eyed the sky. "So they have."

She rocked to her feet and stretched. Then she turned and strode over to the four sleepers. Astrid hesitated. She generally sent one of Alyx's vampires to wake her. She had tried to wake her one time and had ended up with teeth in her arm.

Alyx must have sensed her stare, because she shifted, pulling the hood back from her face. She yawned and slipped from under the blanket, doing her best not to disturb the other two. Then she passed her scarf to Astrid.

Astrid took it, and was surprised to feel the energy humming through it. Alyx just shrugged at her raised eyebrow, so Astrid wrapped it around her shoulders and took Alyx's spot by Leo. It was warm and she was tired. She was asleep in seconds, and Alyx snorted fondly.

Alyx slipped from the sleeping area, moving as silently as a wraith. Closer to the wards and Rose's trash line, she stopped and stretched, trying to wake herself up more. She kept an eye on Rose as she did so. Just because they were on watch together didn't mean she trusted him.

Alyx finally folded herself onto the cool ground. She said nothing, staring out into the darkness, as she weighed pros and cons. Really, she should just sit the watch in silence. But everyone else was asleep--or should be--and she might get more genuine reactions without the princess or Cyn watching. And she should try to learn something.

But then how to go about it? Barlowe probably wouldn't say much if she was sneaky. He had shown himself to be observant and shrewd, so chances were that he wouldn't even respond to her attempts to trick information out of him. It would probably be best to go for something that would elicit an emotional response. Then, depending how that went, she might be able to taunt information out of him--maybe. She might just have the one chance.

Then what to ask? What would catch him off guard and get him to show himself?

Alyx slid her eyes to Rose and studied him as she weighed possible questions. So many she wanted actual answers to, but too few would get the emotional response she was looking for.

Alyx composed her expression. Her typical neutral expression made her look permanently over the situation, so she chose the one she used when she stood before the Allarian prisoners and offered them their choice. She lifted her chin slightly, allowing a small smirk across her face and just a glint of malice in her eyes. Rose might not be able to see her as well as she could see him, but he wold hear it in her voice.

"So how did you loose the arm?" she asked. "Was it a vampire?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose woke the instant Georgiana touched him, his eyes snapping open. For a moment he stayed still and silent, before he nodded his head and got up. He glanced back at the three using the blanket and scowled. He had laid that out for the princess, but... He wasn't going to wake his brother up to steal it back from them. If it had only been Astrid and Leo, maybe.

"Thank you for waking me, princess," he said politely, then stretched himself. He was a bit stiff from sleeping curled up on the ground, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He eyed Leo, who had been cuddled up against Alyx's side, and was now clinging to Astrid like a teddy bear, and Cyn, who was snuggled up to him in turn, his head rested on his thighs. Well, at least they were comfortable.

He stiffened when Alyx addressed him, his mouth tight. He had to take a moment before he answered her, drawing in a few deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. He couldn't allow his grogginess to let him get out of control. It had already been shameful enough, what he had shown to Lieutenant Crane back on the bridge of the Dragon. He did not want to allow another display of weakness to his enemy.

He debated whether he should answer her for a moment, or whether he should ignore her and take watch quietly. Eventually, he rolled his good shoulder around a bit to get the stiffness out of it. He didn't know a lot about commander Draya, only what his contact had told him. But he had gained a little bit of insight over the day, and, well. He didn't actually think she was the kind to be horrible for the sake of being horrible. Trying to protect her squad, maybe? She did seem to actually care about them, and Rose knew he could be... threatening.

He wasn't about to just give her his life story, though.

"We're not doing that," he said bluntly. "That thing where you try to rile me up to get information out of me."

It had upset him, more than he really wanted to show, but he was capable of handling himself. If he fell for every enemy taunt, he wouldn't be very good at his job.

"I don't mind answering /some/ of your questions. But I'm not going to do it for free. You ask one, I ask one. If you won't answer, I won't answer, and if I won't answer, you don't have to," he suggested. "Nothing involving military secrets or the finer points of work, because neither of us is stupid. But if it would make you more comfortable to know a bit about me, I don't mind sharing."

He closed his eyes. They were not far enough away from the others that he could guarantee they weren't listening, but if they kept their voices low like they had been it was unlikely they'd catch too much.

"Since you already asked one. I lost it in battle," he explained. He debated over answering the second part of the question for a good long moment. It could give a bit too much away, but... "And yes, it was to a vampire."

He looked up at the stars, trying to figure out exactly how late it was and how much time they had left in watch.

"Your squad. Do you care about all of them the way you do Leo? Or is he an exception to the rule?"

 

[Reynarda]

Alyx was disappointed. She had gone straight for the throat and he had merely gone rigid. No defensive anger, no flickers of fear, nothing. She supposed she could gauge a bit based on how well he controlled his response, but it was not nearly enough to determine much.

She let out a small sigh and rested her chin on her hand. Well, that hadn't worked.

She was a little startled when he spoke. So he had seen through it. Well, rats. She brightened, however, when he made his suggestion. This was a game she was familiar with, and she was good at it.

She really didn't care much about military secrets. She had a decent amount of confidence in Astrid's crew's ability to counteract whatever the Allarians threw at them, so that wasn't a problematic stipulation to agree to. The finer points of work was a bit, but then she didn't even really know what he did or where he had come from--Leo said something about Barlowe tailing the princess? She also didn't appreciate that he acknowledged that she was nervous about his presence, but she supposed he hadn't survived all of those scars by being dumb.

"Fair enough," Alyx said, dropping her malicious voice.

Well that answer gave her no information. A little unfair that he declared the rules after she asked a question. But then he answered her second question. She raised her eyebrows. She had just been taking a shot in the dark--which was a great way to get people to contradict her with the truth. But silver, he had survived a vampire attacking his arm? Alyx was honestly not feeling the slightest bit more comfortable.

Alyx tensed ever-so-slightly at his question. That was another thing they did not need to acknowledge. He already knew he could get at her through Leo, what else was he hoping to gain? She thought about simply answering, "yes" because that was all the question required, but that was also not the way to get him to answer her questions.

Alyx thought about her answer, fighting the urge to fiddle with something. "Yes and yes," she said after a few seconds. "Yes, I care about all of them, but Leo is..." She resisted the urge to glance back to make sure the vampire in question was asleep. "More like a younger brother."

Part of her wanted to explain--justify herself. But that wasn't how the game was played.

She leaned back, thinking. There was so much she wanted ask. Who the silver was he? How had he survived losing his arm to a vampire? What vampire? Would he actually kill Leo if it came down to it? She wasn't sure if any of those--except the last one--were actually important.

But what questions would he answer? She didn't want him to pass or declare it not within the rules.

Rose had obviously fought vampires before--and lived--so that told her a little about his profession. She thought about the commanders who had died and wondered. But she seriously doubted he would tell her about what his job actually was. Her current guess was spy of some sort.

There was one question he shouldn't pass on, and it would help her plan and perhaps tell her a little how he thought. "What do you plan to do once we reach the territory of Clan Salazar?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose looked back at her, resting his chin in his hand as he learned forward. It was a bit harder to balance with only one hand, but it was comfortable enough.

"I'm only asking because I'm curious," he said, because the whole point of this exercise was to get them a bit more comfortable around each other. "It's different to what I've seen on the battlefield. I was just guessing before, back on the ship, because you looked like you wanted to claw the princess' eyes out for flirting with him. But I shouldn't be surprised. He's good at making people care about him, infuriating as he is."

He would never admit that he also saw him as a bit of a little brother, because they didn't talk like that.

Still, it was interesting to note that she cared about her whole squad. It was certainly unusual, but not in a bad way. If she had a heart enough to care about her soldiers in a way that the other commanders didn't, it gave insight into her character more than a few words from a third party would.

He considered her question for a while, tapping his finger against his chin.

"That depends on how long the arrangement goes on," he said. "And the terrain around their territory. Most likely I'll come back here. The location is good and secure. I heard a stream a little way back, so there's a water source, and you proved earlier there's wild animals for food." He hadn't had to make his own traps in a while, and he didn't really have a whole lot of resources to work with, but in a way that made it a bit more exciting. He could also explore the area a bit more, though he was very tentative about the wild magic. He had only a small bit of experience with that sort of thing, and he didn't like it at all. Cooking without a fire would be an experience, but as long as he only kept it burning during the day for short periods, it might be ok.

"I don't want to stay in one place for too long, though. If these negotiations take more than a week, I might switch camps. A month or more, and who knows."

He didn't really want to be in the Eldergaardian wilderness for a month or more. He could probably do it, if he was very careful and took proper precautions, but it would be extremely difficult, especially with one hand. Maybe he'd steal some supplies from the village Alyx had mentioned. He didn't like doing that, but it was unlikely they'd trade with him and they'd probably just as soon hand him over to the army.

He considered his next question carefully. He was mostly interested in figuring out who she was as a person, but he couldn't be too invasive, or she'd refuse to answer. After a moment he spared her a glance, raising his eyebrows.

"Can you eat wyrms? Not that I want to run into one, but. I've eaten lizards before in a pinch, and I don't imagine they'd be too different, but you never know with magical species. Actually, let me amend that question. Is there anything I shouldn't hunt? I don't want to get cursed, particularly."

 

[Reynarda]

Alyx eyed him. She didn't believe he was just curious. But then she flushed slightly. She hadn't meant to be that obvious. Leo hadn't seemed very comfortable around Georgiana, and she had been exhausted and--well. And he hadn't made her care about him. Well, maybe he was a little naturally endearing.

But yes, she was a bit different from what he had seen with other commanders, and Rose could pretend to be gruff all he liked but she heard the fondness in his voice.

She nodded. That seemed wise. And if she knew he was going to be back here, she could always run to get him if something went wrong or she needed to pass the princess off quickly or something. Heck, she could probably dump Leo on him if the Salazar clan got to be too cruel.

Alyx blinked at his question and then let out a short laugh. She quickly stifled it with her hand, but her shoulders continued to shake for a bit as she bent over her crossed legs. Had he just asked if he could eat wyrms? Of all the things for him to ask! Still chuckling, Alyx shook her head.

"You are full of surprises, Rose Barlowe." She drew up one leg so she could rest her left elbow on it. "Yes, you could technically eat wyrms. I wouldn't advise trying to. They are more intelligent than your average beast. Not as intelligent as dragons, but pretty smart nonetheless." She considered. "Honestly your best bet for food are the goat species that climb the mountains. They're fast, but you could probably shoot one with little trouble. The rabbits, too, but as you saw, they're quite small. The deer, are another good option, but if you left meat out for longer than a day, it might attract fire wolves. I would advise burying the meat. Fire wolves can set things on fire, so maybe don't hunt them, either. You can eat the little green weeds with the yellow flowers--they taste the best in my opinion. I tested the stream--it's a little sulfur-y but not enough to be dangerous."

She paused, thinking. Was there anything else she should warn him about? "Be careful moving about the area. There's still the wild magic from the war--not this one, the one between the Eldergaardians and the clans. You might be able to sense it. It'll prickle like energy--electricity, perhaps?--on your skin. If you can't feel it, take a stick and feel along the ground before you step there."

She glanced over at him, arching her eyebrow. "You know, I would have told you all of that for free if you had asked. I'm not exactly interested in you dying out here." She sniffed. "I don't want to have to deal with your princess for any longer than absolutely necessary."

She felt more relaxed, but there was a question she had that burned in her mind. It might shatter the truce that had settled between them, but it would eat her up if she didn't ask it.

"You seem pretty loyal to her--or at least your mission." Nah, she was pretty sure by his constant chiding of Leo that he was loyal to the princess. Alyx took a deep breath, trying not to clench her left fist too tightly. "Would you have done it?" She flicked her eyes back to Rose. "Back in the Nighthawk, if I had made a move towards the princess would you have carried out your threat?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose frowned as she tried very hard not to laugh out loud at him, and he rolled his eyes as he waited for her to finish. He did take note of everything she said, though. He tended not to try plant species unless he had to - the vegetation in Allaria was far more likely to be poisonous or give you horrible diarrhea unless you knew exactly what to look for, but knowing which weeds were edible was a boon. He wished he had a pen and paper to write all this down, but really it was simple enough. He was already going over what kinds of traps to build in his head when she made the comment about telling him for free.

He frowned, because insulting the princess was bad and dangerous. But at the same time, Gigi /was/ asleep. He tried not to glance back at her, for fear of waking her up before he sighed.

"Royalty and nobility can be... trying to deal with, if you're unused to them," he said, keeping his voice down. "But believe me, there are far more irritating hostages you could have grabbed."

He remembered Camellia complaining for days about the nobleman Pierot, who she had escorted through Northern Allaria because he wanted to go bear hunting for a trophy, and to prove how brave he was for daring to tread so close to the border. 'Close' being miles away, but still. Apparently he had made her change his shoes for him, because he was above doing such menial tasks himself. At least Georgiana seemed to have a head on her shoulders and an ego smaller than the nation itself.

He did frown at her next question, though. He couldn't say it was completely unexpected. He hadn't really wanted her to ask it, because he knew that she would be dissatisfied with the answer. But he wasn't about to lie to her. This was about building trust, because they were undoubtedly going to have to rely on each other for a while yet.

"You want a yes or no answer for that," he began slowly, staring off into the mountains in the distance. "And in that case, yes. I would have done it. I would not have been happy about it, but I would have done it. In turn, if you had asked him to kill Hyacinth or myself, he would have done it as well."

He chuckled a little, a grim smile coming to his face.

"We all have our allegiances, and we all have to make choices about what's important to us, but I'm sure you know that it's never, ever as simple as one person living or dying. Let's say I hadn't threatened him. If I had allowed him to take Hyacinth hostage, and take us back to your ship. The princess would likely eventually be killed in your custody. My brother and I would likely be killed as well. The royal family would grieve, and the morale of the people would fall. Somebody would have to take responsibility for my mistake, and would be punished. It could be somebody I know, it could be somebody I don't. But somebody would likely end up dying as a result. How many soldiers would die as a result of a decision I made to spare somebody I cared about?"

He was probably being a bit too honest. He knew that it was a lot better for the enemy to think of him as a cold-hearted killer who would make hard decisions without a single thought because of straightforward loyalty.

"If I had killed him, you would grieve, and Cyn would grieve. But to the rest of the world, he's already dead. He's not an important player in the war. Nobody would be punished because of his death." He closed his eyes again, dropping his hand down to the dirt. It was cool, and grounding. "I'm not saying that it's right to think that way. In a way, I envy your ability to put the people you care about first, but..."

He wasn't strong enough to do that. He wasn't near strong enough to die knowing that his hesitance would result in so much destruction. So he would never hesitate. It was so much easier to just regret things afterwards.

"This got rather depressing very fast," he said dryly. It would be best to ask something more lighthearted to get the mood back up to what it had been before. He clenched his fingers into the dirt and sighed.

"I guess it's my turn to ask a heavy one. I think I already know the answer, but... Can I trust you to try and keep my brother safe when you go in there?"

He had no doubt Georgiana could take care of herself, but Cyn was significantly softer. It wasn't something he particularly wanted to ask of his enemy, but.

 

[Reynarda]

"This is why we don't take hostages," Alyx sighed. "But you know how leaders can be when they get ideas in their head."

Alyx tensed, but she had felt she already knew the answer. But when Rose finally said it, she felt the tension leave her shoulders. He would have done it. She took a deep shuddering breath and let out. She almost protested that she never would have asked Leo to do that, but she stopped herself. Would she have? She had assumed that this man was the older brother Cyn had mentioned, so he probably knew Leo and vice versa but...

She had expected that to be the end of it, but Rose went into a detailed description of his thought process. She listened intently. He did have a point. She could certainly see his point of view. And at least he admitted to caring about Leo.

However, when he said he envied her ability to put those she cared about first, she laughed. It was quiet, not loud enough to wake the others, but there was something harsh and mirthless in it.

Alyx leaned back on her hands, crossing her ankles. "You assume much, Barlowe," she said, giving him a joyless toothy smile before returning her gaze to the darkness. "You assume I have something else in this world to hold onto. And depending on how this goes, I may have condemned someone else I care about by not going for your princess--if he's not already condemned for my decision to hide my captain's involvement in this. My only hope is the Supreme General is smarter than that and will keep him alive as bait. Sometimes you have to burn bridges as you come to them." She flicked her eyes to Rose. "Your princess is fortunate I did not know what she was up to before the crash. I might have gambled my speed would win over yours."

She would have won. Probably. Or she might have at least gotten to him before he slit Leo's throat if not before he broke his arm. Probably.

Alyx chuckled in agreement with his assessment of the turn the conversation had taken. Maybe she shouldn't have asked the questions she had or told him why she clung so tightly to the few people she had. But, well. She was glad she had. She smiled. "Perhaps. But it is nice to get everything on the table."

She nodded at his question. Instead of going with her gut reaction, she considered the question with the seriousness it deserved. "They should respect his position as the princess's crew, but yes. I will protect him as best I am able. It would be a shame to have spent all that energy breaking him out of the Giffin's brig for nothing." She sobered slightly. "Though, I assume you have guessed my priorities." She shrugged. "As much as I downplayed it in the hopes my captain would decide this was a bad idea, Clan Salazar will respect my clan name as well as my position in it. If they don't, I'll make sure they regret it."

Alyx shifted back to her previous position, wishing she had the hem of her scarf to fiddle with. "Why did you get into this..." she waved her hand vaguely. "What did Astrid say you are? A mercenary? I'm not asking what you do--just why you do it. King and country? Glory? Why?"

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose chuckled, though it sounded just as dark as Alyx's had.

"I guess we're both pretty messed up. War'll do that to you, I suppose," he said. It was easy to think of hypotheticals, and to waver over morality and sentiment, but in the end, all they could really do was make the choices they deemed right. Whether they worked out or not was up to fate. Rose guessed he was just lucky he was mostly happy with the results of his decisions so far.

"So that was you, huh? I figured it might have been the princess, though I guess I'll thank you for it." He sobered a bit when she mentioned her priorities, but he wasn't about to argue with her. She had her own reasons for why this was a bad idea, and it wasn't as though he were too concerned with whether the princess' alliance worked out for her or not. It might be better if it failed, in the long run, but he couldn't say that.

He stiffened when she asked her next question. He could just refuse to answer. It would be the easiest way to answer and they could shift the topic to something else. But it was /nice/ to talk to somebody for a change, who didn't judge him based on his position, and who wasn't his immediate family. He didn't really want to ruin the mood, so his lips were a bit looser than they maybe should have been.

"Well. Money, you could say," he said with a shrug. "And owing somebody a favour. It's a long story, and I doubt we'd have the time to get into it before we have to wake up the boys for the next watch."

That was technically true, and was all he was really willing to say. It was probably already too much. Camellia would have scolded him for sure if she were there.

He looked up to the stars, eyeing their position across the sky. They had talked for longer than he had expected.

"I think we have time for one or two more rounds before that. Let's see..." He had asked everything that he really deemed was important. He glanced back to Leo and Cyn, then grinned. "I'll have you settle a debate for us, instead. Do you, or do you not think Pepperoni is a silly name for a cat?"

 

[Reynarda]

Alyx grunted. It seemed to be the case. War did indeed mess people up.

"Well, I couldn't just leave him there," Alyx sighed. "Besides, he saved me a ton of energy so that I was later able to hold off Maksim--uh, Commander Grivvin--and his goons. Your brother has a habit of worming his way into a person's affections, as well. He reminds me of someone I know."

Alyx frowned at his reaction to her question. Dang, apparently that was the one she should have opened with. She had not at all meant it to be one that was sensitive. She had half-expected him to pontificate about the morality of king and country or something. She almost apologized for asking, but she figured that would be drawing attention to it, and she wasn't sure if that would make it worse.

Still, she supposed a mercenary being in the job for money was not odd. But they way he had acted when he said it was. So she just nodded when he said the explanation was too long.

Alyx chuckled at his question. "You know, usually when I play this game, the other person tends to ask a lot more prying questions," she said lightly. She also didn't exactly want to admit she wasn't sure what "pepperoni" was. Perhaps it was an Allarian flower species? The rest of them were named after flowers, so perhaps their cat was as well? But this was a name, so it needed to be taken seriously.

"Well, that depends. Does it fit the cat? Tell others a little about the cat's nature and personality? If so, I would say it is not a silly name in the slightest."

She considered her next question. He was asking her to settle a sibling debate, and she didn't want to ask another question that would make him uncomfortable.

Names were always a good question. "Speaking of names, do you know why you and your siblings were given flower names? I can see Hyacynth's--very sweet. And yours..." She smirked slightly, deciding to attempt to lighten his unease about her previous question with a bit of teasing. She arched her eyebrow. "Beautiful but dangerous, perhaps? I don't know enough about Camellia to determine how her name fits. My name means 'protector', so that quite obviously fits me well."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose couldn't help but look back to Cyn - who was still sleeping cuddled up to Leo and Astrid - with a smile.

"Yeah, he does do that," he said softly.

At her next response, he laughed. He hadn't expected such a serious answer.

"Perhaps. Although I think Cyn just named him because of his colouring. And because he's a bit fat," he admitted. It seemed Eldergaardians put a lot more stock in names than they did. "He and Leo exchanged many, many letters arguing about it when Cyn was in university."

As if he sensed he was being talked about, Leo shifted a little, though he didn't actually open his eyes. Rose had thought it would be funny if Alyx had said the name was fine, because he knew Leo would be mortified. He had gone on a very long tirade about how undignified it was to name a cat after a meat product made from another animal.

He considered the next question, and he couldn't help but smile. It was a little wistful, though.

"Our mother just loved flowers, is all," he said. "She used to go out to the edge of the city to collect wildflowers. She'd bring them back and sell them on the street corner. Occasionally, when she had a little bit of extra money, she'd buy seeds from the grocers and grow them, and sell those too. She just had a way of making them look nice."

He had only been about five years old, but he remembered marveling at the flowers, wrapped in paper and cheap ribbon. It didn't make them too much money, but he figured she just enjoyed it more than anything.

"Names in Allaria don't really need to have a meaning, per say. A lot of times people will choose a name because it's something important to them, or because they like how it sounds. In noble houses, it's common to have the same name used for generations. Cyn's husband is Lord Finnegan Charles Bicksley the fourth, but commoners don't usually bother with that sort of thing. Though many people will give their children the names of their loved ones to honour them, especially if they've passed away. It's like a way of ensuring their memory lives on, even when they don't."

He looked back at Alyx and couldn't help but smile.

"I think it does suit you," he said honestly. He could tell that she took the safety of the people she cared about seriously, no matter what she said.

He looked back up at the sky, then stretched again. It was well past midnight by now, probably sneaking up on two or three am. The sun would likely rise at around six, and it would be best to start moving as soon as it got light.

"We should probably wake them up soon. Unless you want to let them sleep." Cyn was probably exhausted, and Rose had no issue with letting him and Leo get some more rest. But it would also be dangerous if he and Alyx were too tired the next day.

 

[Reynarda]

Alyx squinted, wondering how a cat could have the coloring of a flower and what his weight would have to do with it. Perhaps pepperoni was not what she thought it was. Perhaps she should ask Leo when she got the chance.

She chuckled, however, thinking of Leo and Cyn writing each other to argue over the name of a cat. Seemed about right.

Alyx listened carefully as he explained the origin of their names. She tilted her head. Cyn had mentioned he had grown up in an orphanage, so she could only assume... "She sounds like a wonderful woman," Alyx said softly, thinking of her own deceased mother.

However, she was shocked to learn Allarians didn't take naming seriously. They just chose names because they sounded nice? What an odd practice. She did like the idea of naming a child after a deceased loved one to carry on their memory, however.

She had meant the names discussion to be lighthearted and so felt more than a little flattered at the honesty in Rose's voice when he agreed with her that her name fit.

Alyx sighed. Yes, it was time to wake "the boys" as Rose had called them. She considered his suggestion they leave them to sleep and keep the rest of the watch themselves. While she would prefer that, they would both need to be sharp the next day if he was going to evade vampires and she was going to deal with vampires. While it would be rough for Leo and Cyn to have less sleep, it would be dangerous for her and Rose to have had very little sleep. "As much as I would like to let them sleep, you and I are counted on for much. I think we should at least get a few more hours of sleep."

She rocked to her feet and stretched her stiff muscles. "Thank you, by the way, for answering my questions."

Her hand resting on her chest, Alyx dipped her head in a vampire acknowledgement of an equal.

Then she turned and slipped back up to the sleeping group. Standing over Leo and Astrid, she shook her head fondly. Astrid still had her arm wrapped around Leo. How was she going to untangle them without waking Astrid?

She crouched and rested a her fingertips on Leo's shoulder. Quieter than any human ear could hear, she whispered, "Leo."

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Rose was a bit surprised by Alyx's comment on his mother, though he did smile. It seemed that the game had worked to ease the tension a little bit, and he was glad for it. Plus, it was nice to just talk to somebody about things like his mother and his brother's cat with no real consequences.

"Thank you for answering mine in turn," he said. He felt a lot better now about trusting Leo and Cyn to her care while they were dealing with the clan. "And yes, you have a point."

He could definitely use a few more hours of sleep himself. He would likely be sleeping lightly when he was on his own, so he'd take advantage of having somebody to watch his back while he could.

Leo squirmed a bit when Alyx touched his shoulder, then slowly opened his eyes. He blinked blearily for a few moments, then wrinkled his nose. He had been very comfortable. Though a glance to Astrid at his side made his cheeks turn a bit pink. It was not considered good form to snuggle with your captain, and he was a bit embarrassed. He tried not to wake her as he slowly and carefully extricated himself from her grasp.

Cyn groaned next to him, wiggling around to try and get comfortable again, but Leo rolled his eyes.

"Our turn to take watch," he said softly. Cyn mumbled something sleepily and buried his face in the crook of his arm. Rose laughed quietly as he made his way back to his spot by the rock wall, settling down again. He kept his eyes open until he was sure that Cyn was awake - because he had a habit of sleeping through alarms when he was tired - but after a bit of gentle shaking Leo had managed to get him somewhat cognizant.

"'m up," he grunted. Leo huffed and put his hands under Cyn's arms, hefting him up until he was standing. He made a startled little noise at that, but luckily it wasn't too loud. Leo smirked triumphantly. Had they not been short on water, he would have dumped a bit on Cyn's head to wake him up. But they also didn't know when they'd reach the clan, so it would be foolish to risk him catching a cold for a prank.

"Come on, sleepy head," he said as he moved to where Alyx and Rose had been sitting, just far enough away for their conversation not to bother anyone else.

Cyn grumbled a few more things under his breath, though once he was up and moving he started to wake up a bit more. Leo sat down on the ground, and Cyn sa5 down next to him with a big yawn.

"You would never make it in the military," Leo said with a little smirk. Cyn gave him an unimpressed look. He was almost grumpy enough in the mornings to flip him off, but not quite. Instead he just had to show his supreme displeasure with his face alone.

"It ain't normal to be awake before the sun comes up," he muttered as he rubbed at his eyes and yawned again. Leo seemed more amused by his reaction than anything, and eyed Rose's bag. It wasn't too close to those asleep, so he grabbed it and brought it over. The rations were mostly the same gruel from the night before. Cyn had been very grateful for Alyx catching those rabbits, though Leo shifted around before he pulled out a small bag.

"Huh, I didn't know he actually ate normal food," he said with raised eyebrows as he pulled out a bag of dried chickpeas. Cyn rolled his eyes, but he took the back and opened it up as quietly as possible. It was one of those zippered ones to keep food fresh, and the bag was already half empty. He had a feeling Rose would be sad at the loss of his snack, but Cyn was hungry, and it was better than rehydrated egg substitute.

"He 's, yanno, a normal guy," Cyn said as he popped a few chickpeas into his mouth. He tried to chew quietly, though he figured if their conversation wouldn't wake anyone, his crunching wouldn't. Leo rolled his eyes, because 'normal' was not the word he would ever use to describe Rose. They settled into a comfortable silence after that, with Cyn eating a few more handfuls before zippering the bag up again. Leo watched him, leaning back on his hands. He didn't really want to ruin the atmosphere, but something had been bugging him for a while.

"So," he said finally, not quite meeting Cyn's eyes. "When did you figure it out?"

Cyn went very still, then shifted his weight as the duffel bag suddenly became very interesting.

"Figure what out?" he asked, and Leo snorted through his nose. Clearly he had been right. He was surprised that he hadn't caught on sooner, though he supposed maybe he had been too wrapped up in what he hoped was true rather than what was.

"You know. That I was me," he said as he stretched. "You weren't acting nearly surprised enough back on the nighthawk."

At first it had been easy to believe that he just hadn't noticed. He could be a bit dense about things sometimes, but... He wasn't actually dumb, despite what he said. After a point, his ignorance had been too obvious, and he had switched to calling him by his name far too quickly. Cyn made a guilty face, and Leo sighed softly. He wasn't actually angry. Disappointed in his own lack of observation, maybe, but...

"'round the beginnin', I guess," Cyn said finally. Leo blinked at him in surprise, and Cyn tapped the back of his head. "You were wearin' that hair clip Camellia 'n' I made you for your birthday when you were six."

It had been old, and the little flowers, made out of clusters of pennies on a bit of floral wire, had lost a fair amount of their pink paint. Leo had kept it for sentimental value at first, and then because it was the only familiar thing he had left. It was one of the few things he had managed to bring with him from Allaria to Eldergaard, and he had worn it almost every day. He had almost forgotten where it had come from, and now he could feel his cheeks turning red as he thought about it. Cyn politely pretended not to notice.

"You aint seemed like you wanted me to know, so I aint said anythin'," Cyn continued. "I figured you'd bring it up when you were ready. And if not, I'd be cool with that. I aint wanted to force you to talk about complicated stuff."

He leaned back and stretched, laying down on the ground to look up at the sky.

"'sides, one o' your squadmates told me he was Allarian, so it confirmed it for me. And only you woulda known to call Rose. If you were tryna hide, you aint actually did a very good job of it." He said it with a goodhearted smile, and Leo huffed. Here he had thought that he had done a perfect job of outsmarting him and everything, but he had been completely read. He crossed his arms and pouted. Cyn laughed, and then reached over and pinched his arm. "'ey, it ain't a big deal. I was really happy, to see you were ok 'n' all. I really thought you were dead for two years. That was hard. It was like losin' my little brother."

Leo had been about to cheer up, though he really felt like sulking after that last comment. He tried his best not to pull a face. It wasn't like he hadn't known that was how he was seen, but still. Cyn chuckled again, smirking at him.

"You want a hug?" he asked, and Leo made an indignant noise.

"I do not need your hugs," he said stubbornly, but Cyn pulled him into one anyways. Leo tried not to squawk too loudly, because people were trying to sleep, but he had been caught a bit off guard. He just sort of raised and lowered his arms a few times, unsure what to really do with them, before Cyn graciously let him go. Leo made a point to straighten his clothes, though he couldn't lie and say that he was too bothered by the affection. He opened one eye to look at Cyn, then turned his attention to the mountain. "I lost that hair pin in the crash anyways."

Cyn looked like he was trying not to laugh again, his mouth tugged into a little half-smile.

"'S'ok," he assured him. "It kinda sucked. 'm surprised you kept it for so long."

He eyed Leo's hair then, one of his braids half-undone while the other two looked messy and disheveled. He hadn't bothered to fix it before bed, so Cyn reached over and began to undo them all. Leo stiffened, but then let him do it.

"Sure got long, though," Cyn said as he combed his fingers through his hair. It fell almost to his waist now that it was all loose. Leo made a noncommital sound. "What'dya want me to do with it?"

Leo thought it over for a moment. The elaborate style he had before was just for show, and he doubted it would impress anyone in the wild.Besides, he had nothing to keep it in place. He could do a simple knotted bun, he supposed. As long as it was kept out of his face when they went on their trek in the morning--

He went very still all of a sudden, his eyes narrowing in on a spot just shy of the wards. He couldn't help his immediate reaction, his lip curling up into a defensive snarl. His family was sleeping here, and this was an unexpected guest. More than one. He was angry at himself that he had let them get so close when he had been the one in charge of keeping watch.

Cyn stopped, his fingers half-way through Leo's hair when he started acting weird. He squinted into the darkness, but he couldn't see anything. His heart was pounding, though, and Leo got to his feet, standing in front of him protectively.

"Go wake the others," Leo instructed, trying to pinpoint just what their numbers were. It seemed the clan had sent somebody here to meet them. Cyn stumbled back to Alyx and Astrid, shaking the captain's shoulder roughly before grabbing Gigi's and doing the same thing.

"Somethin's there," he warned, watching Rose startle awake and rub at his eyes.

 

[jones573]

Gigi had glanced at Cyn and Leo curled up with the blanket, and decided against it. She was a princess. She didn't cuddle.

If it was just Cyn, she might have but..... She sat down away from the others and took her coat off, turning it over to use as blanket. The wings- now bundled tight and flat- she settled on top of her chest and hooked one arm through a harness strap as she laid down. It wasn't that she was concerned that someone might try to steal them- though it was a consideration- but more habit. When she was away from her suite in the palace, she preferred to sleep with a weight on her chest if possible. It wasn't the warm, purring comfort of her old cat, but it was as close a simulation as she could get to a similar anchor.

She let herself cry silently for two minutes, thinking of Crane. She had made her peace with Fredrick's death, but it seemed unfair to lose the old lieutenant too. And she needed to accept that he was lost. All day, she had been expecting he might catch up to them, having miraculously survived- But. She knew she had to bury that hope. If he was alive and able to find her, he would have already done so by now.

When she felt the tears running down her neck and to the ground, she scrunched her nose up until they stopped. That had been enough for now. She could be sad later. She concentrated on her mediative sleeping exercises, and drifted off about half way through.

----

Gigi had not exactly been sleeping deeply- The ground tended not to provide the comfort needed for a peaceful slumber. When Cyn shook her shoulder, she woke quickly. He'd moved on to wake Rose, but Gigi scrambled to her feet in a hurry. It was still fairly dark out- Whatever Cyn was waking them for, it wasn't breakfast.

She slipped the wing harness onto her back, not bothering to tighten the straps before throwing her coat on over it. She backed up towards the other to form a tighter formation within the wards unasked, and had pulled her gun out and was pointing it out into the darkness, though she hardly knew what to aim at.

"What is it," she asked quietly, before amending her question. "How many?"

 

[Reynarda]

Alyx had laid down next to Astrid with her head resting on her captain's shoulder. There was no reason to fight it. She would end up with Astrid practically on top of her regardless. Might as well fall asleep to the sound of a human heart beat.

Alyx felt like she had just closed her eyes when the sound of footsteps woke her. Groaning, she extricated herself from underneath Astrid. Astrid jerked awake at Cyn's shake, but Alyx was already up and across to Leo.

"How many?" she asked, stopping at his shoulder. They were outnumbered, she could tell. How long had the clan known they were here? Had they been watching from a safe distance away, waiting for the youngest of them to go on watch? If she had been awake, she might have sensed them flirting with her wards--but no. It didn't matter. Leo and Cyn had seen them, and Leo's noticing them had at least given them pause.

She could sense the vampire's unease and hesitation. They hadn't expected wards, and they hadn't expected another vampire. The one she guessed was their leader eyed Leo with confusion--she could feel it radiating off him.

Astrid took up position next to Alyx but facing in a different direction, her pistols drawn. Her coat was once again around her waist, and her skin prickled slightly in the cool early morning air.

The ground rumbled as the vampires called on their magic. Alyx widened her stance. Oh, they wanted to play, did they?

"Can they--" Astrid began, but her question was answered as the earth erupted outside of the ward and rocks began flying through towards the ring the group had formed. The ward screamed its warning, and Alyx cursed. She hadn't expected the vampires to attack them, so she hadn't warded against magic flying earth. They wouldn't be able to touch the ground inside the ward, but that was it. They would also probably be able to destroy the ward if they tried. While more specific and precise, ward magic was far weaker than soul magic.

"Alyx!" Astrid called, and Alyx responded as if the one-word command was all she needed. White-blue energy ignited at the feet of each of the vampires, illuminating them for those without vampiric vision. There were about ten of them surrounding the group. Astrid fired a second later, taking one of the vampires in the shoulder. It wouldn't kill him, but it would hurt, at least.

Alyx thought about warning them not to kill any of the Salazar Clan, but they had started it. If they couldn't take the heat, they shouldn't play with fire. Alyx charged the air around the leader to disrupt his magic--he deserved it as she was pretty sure she knew who he was anyway.

"Cover me!" Astrid shouted, drawing the knife Rose had lent her and leaping past Rose's trip line and the wards.

 

[Mikotsuhime]

Ten against six were not terrible odds, but they were worse than what Leo particularly wanted to deal with. Especially since Cyn would not be doing a whole lot of good on the battle front. The princess... Well, actually she could probably handle herself.

"I'll get the left flank," Leo said, because it was best to divide and conquer when dealing with an enemy outnumbering them. He drew his sword and charged in, watching his footing to make sure that the earth under him didn't move too much. It would probably be better to taunt them into the wards so that their magic was useless, but they were likely too smart to fall for that. He faked left before moving around to the right; he might not have had the sheer power of somebody like Rose, but he was fast, and good at being annoying. Small attacks at key locations, before switching targets and then going back again was the best way to win. He had about three opponents, and he wanted to incapacitate them quickly, before they caught onto his strategy.

Cyn scrambled back towards the rocks behind them, eyes wide.

"'re they the vampires?" he asked, while Rose quickly stepped in front of him. He didn't want to get in front of Georgiana, because she had to be able to aim to protect herself, though he did take note of her location. It seemed that the others were splitting off to divide and conquer, and he debated for a moment whether he should rush in or not. He was good at close combat and ranged fighting, but with only one arm he was at a clear disadvantage. He would not be happy if he dragged the others down. Besides that, projectiles would be difficult to use with the enemy throwing the actual earth at them.

Coming to a quick decision, he drew a knife from beneath the waistband of his pants, then followed after Leo. Astrid had Alyx to cover her, and it looked like the vampires had split into two even groups of five to fight them. Leo had managed to incapacitate one with a slice to the leg (along with several shallow cuts to the arms) but they had caught onto how he worked and were attacking in unison. Rose brought his knife to the shoulder of a woman who had grabbed Leo by the hair and yanked him backwards, and then spun around to block another attack as Leo managed to free himself. The two of them stood back to back, and Leo huffed out a small breath of air.

"I did not need your help," he grumbled, taking a move forwards and making another shallow cut to his current target's wrist. It wasn't deep, but it was sure bleeding. Rose did not look impressed, nor like he particularly believed him.

Cyn watched with wide eyes, trying to keep his legs from trembling.

"They're, you're here to talk to them, right princess?" he asked, his voice shaking. "C-can you ident'fy yourself, or somethin'?"