Days of Old

[Max452]

Bray's light armor clattered briefly as he adjusted his stance against one of the balcony's railings; his helmet under one arm. His eyes scanned the courtyard, and then outward beyond the castle's gates. Nothing seemed amiss; it was quite calm and peaceful - something that Bray was unused to.

It had been a week since Colonel Elias had left and placed him with the duty of guarding Lady Eliza (though he would never tell her that). Under the pretense that he was to gather more supplies for the army, Bray was thus stationed here until Elias dictated otherwise; a duty he had no qualm about.

As he thus contemplating on his duties, Bray heard the soft approach of footsteps behind him.

[Tismri]

Eliza gazed up at the wall for a moment or two, occasionally glancing back at the portrait in the servants' hands. Finally, she gave a disappointed sigh.
"No, it cannot go here," she said, swiftly moving on to another location. She had been hoping to place a new painting in that spot soon, but this one was just too large. She paused outside the double glass doors that lead to the balcony and turned to face the wall directly across from it. The window faced the west, but the hall was wide enough that by the time the drapes that concealed the windows for privacy at night were drawn in the morning, most of the portrait would be out of reach of the sun's harmful rays. She gazed for another moment or two.
"Here," she said. "This should do nicely." She stepped back to allow her servants to do their work, then stepped out onto the balcony.
"Ah, Bray," she said, her tone mildly amused and annoyed at the same time. "I see you are still here. Are the supplies coming to you, or are you simply taking a break?" She wasn't going to let him know, but she knew the true reason why he was still here. Elias wanted him to keep an eye on her. She knew her brother well enough to know the truth of that. Why else would he allow such an important soldier as Bray stay behind to perform a task that anyone else could do? In truth, she did not approve. Elias was going out to face battle, and she wished Bray were at his side rather than hers. There was no one she trusted more to keep her brother safe, and if he died, she would never forgive him.

[Max452]

Bray was not surprised that it was Lady Eliza who was behind him, nor was he surprised at her words and tone; he suspected that the Lady knew exactly why he was here. He turned around and inclined his head politely to the Lady of Belatona. "I am doing as I was commanded, my Lady." He replied, his face betraying nothing, but knew his words held a double meaning. "I anticipate our supplies to be stocked and ready by the end of the month." He added, not blinking as he spoke to her. "I appreciate your hospitality for allowing me to reside in the castle as we restock and replenish the majority of the army's goods. I can understand if you are bothered by the military presence."

OOC: I am wondering on how you feel about doing an Ayati arc? I like Bray to at least let Arash out briefly...

[Tismri]

OOC: Hmm...sounds good to me.

Eliza gave a tiny smile at Bray's words, knowing that they were more or less just toying with their words. He was one of the few people who would banter with her, rather than become somehow confused or offended.
"I don't mind the presence of our military, Bray," she assured him. "Especially when they are friends of my family. But what I do mind is their absence from the battlefield where duty has called." She gave him a meaningful stare for a second before turning to face the overlook of the city. Her expression turned thoughtful.
"I wish I could do more to protect this place," she said whistfully, gazing out at her home. "Had I the option, I would join my brother on the battlefield. I would feel much more effective than I do sitting here trying to predict how the tide of battle will affect the economy and adjust my rule accordingly." She leaned forward. "I believe one of the nomadic tribes will be visiting the city within the next few days. I would like to see if I can make a mutually beneficial deal with them somehow."

[Max452]

OOC: Awesome. Now we just have to think of some plot with it. lol.

"There is no point in fighting if there is no home to return to." Bray replied, keeping up the pretenses of their speech. "If my duty is to protect the home, then I am content." He added, feeling a bit nostalgic for his own home...a home that he felt he no longer was apart of. Bray had taken care of that, a part of Arash had thought. He was thankful when Eliza gazed outward, allowing him to recompose his thoughts. "You do much good here, Lady Eliza; you should hear the praise that your charges give. Do not doubt that your duty here is meaningless." He too gazed outward. "Nomadic tribes?" His voice slightly dropped. He idly wondered if it was his old tribe, but they were known to avoid large cities, unless supplies were very limited. Perhaps it was one of the tribes that resided north. Or Celesti; they were known to barter in cities.

The part of him that was Arash longed to see his native tribe, but he still had a debt to pay, as well as his own insecurities about his blood lust. He adjusted his helmet and unconsciously placed a finger to scratch the bottom portion of his tattooed cheek. No one but Elias knew about his past and sometimes he wondered if Lady Eliza had deduced it; she never mentioned it. Realizing what his finger was doing, Bray placed his hands down and returned to his more stoic and composed stance. "I am sure that you will manage a just trade, my lady." Bray replied after being mute for a moment. "Do you know when they are to arrive?" He asked her, wanting to make sure that guards and soldiers were in place should any one attempt to harm the Lady of Belatona.

[Tismri]

OOC: Aaaand the thread immediately died. Poor underused Ayati.

Eliza placed her hands gently on the balcony railings as she gazed out at the city below. Bray's praise did little to allay her concerns. Belatona was her city, and no matter what, she wanted to be sure her people were treated fairly. Nasuada had to win this war against the Shade Rider, or her city would suffer along with the rest of the Empire.
Beyond that, she was also worried about Elias. He was going into battle, with more strangers at his side than friends. If he were to perish in battle, Eliza knew that she would be left unfit to rule this city. Her brother was like her other half. That was why she wanted Bray out on the battlefield with him. She was safe enough within the city, with guards and walls and gates standing between her and any who wished her harm. But Elias was going to be out there surrounded by enemies. He needed Bray so much more than she did.
She brought her mind back to the present when she heard Bray ask about the expected arrival of the wandering tribes. "Within a day or two, I should expect," she replied. "They'll likely spend their arrival setting up their camp outside the gates and wait to begin trading the next day."

[Max452]

OOC: Then let us amend it! I'm a bit rusty, but let's see if we can fix that, hmm?

Bray watched Lady Eliza carefully, noting the somber atmosphere that permeated from her. He deduced the origin of the mood, knowing how close she was to her twin brother. He shifted his helmet into his other hand, so that he could carefully place the now free hand onto the balcony railing, next to Eliza's own. He would not normally perform such an action (as it was both inappropriate for one of his station and was very out of character), but knew that his Commander would not desire to see his sister stressed or worried. "Do not worry, Lady Eliza; Colonel Elias is too stubborn and far too fearful of your wrath to get himself killed; bear with it a bit longer. I will join him as soon as I am satisfied with the defenses here." He kindly inclined his head to the Lady of the city. "I will attend to the city's defenses before the tribe arrives; the home must be protected." He added while idly wondering which tribe would be arriving.