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Post by ravigen on Mar 18, 2015 5:41:23 GMT
Sayoko offered Josey a smile and a wave as he departed, taking the opportunity to subtly move closer to Bron now that they were relatively alone, taking a moment to just relax, stare into the fire and ponder.
"Of course, you have your duties as I have mine, but you showed me your people, I feel it is only kind to do the same. Even if it isn't right now, I can wait, as long as I get to see you it is a good time." |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Mar 18, 2015 6:05:00 GMT
Bronsyn smiled, feeling happy deep inside at her words. Gently he lifted a hand to brush a lock of her hair from her face and leaned a little closer. "Seeing you now is certainly a good thing," he said, "I'm really happy we survived and that you came to see me tonight."
By the look in his eyes, he was considering kissing her, but then were was the sound of a person running up and he leaned back turning around to see one of the King's servants jogging up to the tent. "Lord Alistair," the man said, using Bron's surname, "King Azlyn and Daimyo Naozumi wish you to join them on a ride around the camps."
"The Daimyo is here?" he asked in surprise. They couldn't quite see the King's tent from here, but Bronsyn looked in that direction anyway, as if he expected to see Naozumi looming over them.
"Yes, he came this evening to speak with the King."
Bron glanced at Sayoko and then got up. "Forgive me for leaving before dinner," he said.
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Post by ravigen on Mar 18, 2015 6:13:35 GMT
Sayoko nodded slowly, a bit disappointed with the timing but accepting it, her father was surely doing something important for the clan and she'd find out what it was later certainly, she hated being interrupted like this, especially since she had a good feeling where it was going.
"Of course Bron, I understand, pass on my greetings to my father will you and I hope to see you afterwards." she winked. |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Mar 18, 2015 6:26:35 GMT
He smiled and kissed the top of her hand, before getting his horse and joining the messenger, walking back toward the king's tent.
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Post by ravigen on Apr 15, 2015 4:54:51 GMT
If the denizens of the Western Elonese villages had chanced to look up into the sky at the right moment they might have been treated to the rare sight of a dozen Gryphons flying over the land, if they were exceptionally keen they might notice the Gryphons had riders but most did not.
Ikegami Sayoko laughed as she flew through the air on her Gryphon, the sound was mostly lost to the wind but she did not mind, the spring weather was great and from up here she could see for miles, the landscape was incredible to behold and she loved every minute of it. But she hardly forgot that she had a purpose, somewhere nearby were newly build Elonese villages, Sayoko had barely gotten the updated maps before she was off and riding, a dozen bodyguards in tow.
She might have been following a few rumors that some rangers had been sent by the Queen to the western villages and she might have heard a vague rumor that Bron was with them and with slight blessing of her father (he didn't know exactly where she was going but that was a minor detail), she was off to look for him.
Now if only she could find the villages for direction. |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Apr 17, 2015 18:24:44 GMT
Alestri was a settlement on the edge of the Golden Forest, so named for the number of aspens which turned bright golden yellow every fall. Now however, they were all bright spring green and the small leaves rustled like a lady's petticoat in ever breeze. Budding underbrush and vines grew up the back of the taller hard woods of live oaks, pecans and red wood cedar trees and of many were in bloom already. Birds were busy in all the branches and bees buzzed around looking for the sweet nectar within the spring flowers.
The people of Alestri seemed just as busy. The sound of chopping wood could be heard echoing through the forest and men were pulling out tree stumps along the bottom of a flowing creek, plowing new fields and clearing space for new houses. Almost all of the buildings had the fresh clean look of newly built homes, many were log cabins though a few of the nicer ones were made from split planks. The homes were spread out in the manor of men who cared more about independence and prosperity than security, but a larger building which looked like it might one day become a fortified longhall was in the early stages of construction in the center of town.
As the gryphones flew along the forest edge with a whoosh of aspen leaves, men shouted and several got out longbows. Sayoko noticed that they were mostly dressed in rugged leather amer similar to what Bron wore and she guessed that several of the men here might also be rangers like him. Thankfully no one fired on her, but the people all gathered near the center of town and clearly the rangers weren't the only ones armed. Every frontiersman there seemed to have a bow, gun or sword, but they gathered in an undisciplined group showing them to have little military training.
Then Bron showed up, coming out of one of the new buildings in response to all the commotion. He was clean shaven for once, and compared to the rugged frontiersman, he was actually the most refined looking man for once. His brown eyes looked up at Sayoko and his face seemed to brighten, his long brown hair blowing back in the wind beaten down by the gryphon's wings.
"It's alright, everyone," he called to the others gathered around, "They're friends. Put your weapons away." The rest of the Elonese must of trusted Bron, because they did as he told and most of the faces shifted from wariness to curiosity.
Bron waited for Sayoko to land and then bowed to her, one hand held over his heart in the manor of the Ikegami. "Lady Ikegami Sayoko," he greeted, "This is an unexpected honor. Welcome to Alestri."
No one else bowed, but they didn't seem like they were trying to be hostile or rude. They were frontiersmen and less accustomed to bending before authority, or respecting others simply for reasons of class and status. Their lords in the west were men who lived lives as tough as any of them and their warriors were the wild, undisciplined rangers, who wondered from place to place as willing to help a pig farmer as they were a king.
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Post by ravigen on Apr 17, 2015 18:43:09 GMT
Sayoko smiled and shrugged lightly as she descended from the Gryphon, pausing to adjust her armor, the blue lamellar bearing the traditional Ikegami crest, with another gesture her fellows also dismounted, a dozen women in similar armor as her nominal escort for this trip. Her father would mind if she left without at least a few bodyguards.
"It is a pleasure to see you again Bron, I hope you've been well, I had heard you might be here on the frontier so I decided to come and say hello."
She looked around, offering smiles and nods to each she saw, so this was the frontier and the people who lived here. It was already proving to be a fun and educational visit. She understood their wariness she supposed but she had no intention of bringing harm to them, reaching up she undid the braid that had been holding her hair up and sighed as she felt the wind move through it, the mountain air of her home was fresh but chilly, here it was warmer and she could actually feel the sun's warmth as well.
"You did say I should come and see the frontier some time, well I decided to take you up on it." And well she got to spend time away from home for a bit, which was always nice. |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Apr 17, 2015 19:00:44 GMT
"I'm glad you did," Bron said smiling, "Allow me to introduce you to the rest of the town," Stepping slightly to the side, he waved to the other villagers, besides the men and the rangers, several wemon and children were now gathering in the clearing near the center of the town. He spoke Elonese, apparently the common Serveak was less well know out in these parts, "I present Lady Ikegami Sayoko, princess and heir to the Ikegami nation of the mountain far to the north east. Her people are good friends and allies and the Lady Sayoko is a personal friend."
At the last words, the last remnants of distrust faded and warm smiles showed on most of the faces. Titles like princess and words of far away nations were impressive, but they trusted the personal voucher of friendship more than anything else. People drew closer many of the men and wemon offering words of welcoem in both Elonese and Surveak and several others looking at the Gryphons with awed curiosity. There were some wild gryphons that lived on along the coastal cliffs of Elon, but they were a rare sight and a tamed gryphon was something no one had ever seen.
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Post by ravigen on Apr 17, 2015 20:28:03 GMT
Sayoko smiled and waved, offering returning greetings in Survaek as she reached up to scratch a bit of fur on the Gryphon, the beast leaned into the scratches and laid down to rest a bit, it was harmless outside of battle and she was content to let him rest from the long flight as she stepped closer to Bron.
"I have to say from the air this is a beautiful place, I can certainly see the appeal, what have you been doing lately Bron?" She reached out to grab his hand, wanting to hold onto it if even for a moment. |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Apr 25, 2015 21:38:27 GMT
He took her arm and waved his free hand around at the new village an the many recant constructions. "All this mostly, Queen Chello and King Azlyn named me Lord of Alestri, so I've had a lot of responsibilities to take care of." He smiled up at her, finding himself marveling slightly at the sight of her. "There still isn't much out here, but I'll be happy to show you around what's been built so far."
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Post by ravigen on Apr 26, 2015 3:32:57 GMT
Sayoko smiled, gripping his hand tighter and following his arm as he let it sweep across the village, it was quaint and a different style than her people's villages, something she always enjoyed was her father's architectural room, dozens upon dozens of drawings of theoretical projects and ideas that had come and gone through his head.
"I would like that a lot, and you're a lord now Bron? That's good to hear, you deserve that much at least." It also made this whole thing she was doing slightly easier for her but she hardly cared about the legal problems this might provoke, she'd smash through them if she had to. |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Apr 26, 2015 4:49:01 GMT
"I don't know about deserving it," Bron said with a slight smile, "Out here, being a lord apparently means all the hard work and responsibilities without any or the wealth or honor lords get in the east." He shrugged, "I don't think I'd feel right living differently from everyone else, even if they did decide to give me a castle and call me My Lord"
He showed Sayoko around the little village. It was rough, but sturdy and despite being small the people in it seemed to have an industrious manner in how they tackled the task of carving civilization out of the wild forest. Meanwhile, the villagers had started setting out great pots over cooking pits, and organizing a feast to honor the arrival of the Ikegami princess. Corn and wild turkeys were being roasted in no time and crayfish from the local streams and ponds were being cooked with spiced sausages and vegetables.
The tour took less than fifteen minutes and Bron tried not to let his nervousness show. It was one thing for Sayoko to see him at the royal feast or on a battle field of honor, but here in the rustic backwood and wild domains of his home, he was sure that she's finally see how common he truly was. These were his true people and his true roots in this world. The rough spun clothing and leather coats, the log cabins and frontier Elonese dialect was all a part of who he was, even if he'd learned how to cover much of it up when dealing with the outside world.
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Post by ravigen on Apr 26, 2015 5:01:41 GMT
Sayoko took in the entirety of the village during their tour, her twelve bodyguards following at a respectful distance, close enough to rush to her defense if need be but far enough away that they weren't being intrusive on the conversation, Sayoko liked the tour, the village was quaint and rustic and it reminded her of the days before the Ikegami had broken their isolation, when they were still an isolated backwater with none of the wealth they had accumulated in recent years. Even privileged as she was she remembered when her people were hardly the power they had become.
"Being a Lord is more than living in castles and great wealth and honor, it's a responsibility to your people, to keep them safe and protect them, at least that's what my father has always said. As long as you're working for the benefit of your people you're more than deserving Bron." She could feel the nervousness in Bron and squeezed his hand again, trying to reassure him, taking the chance to move closer and lean against him, sighing deeply and taking a moment to stare up at the clear sky.
"In my opinion you're more than deserving of it." |
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Post by missmilkmaid on Apr 26, 2015 5:25:11 GMT
Bron glanced at a few of the nearby villagers and back at Sayoko's bodyguards. The local Elonese were cocking eyebrows, even though most didn't understand the language and he knew the gossip was probably half way around town already. He blushed and cleared his throat slightly, but he didn't pull away or let go of her hand.
"Thank you for saying so, Sayoko," he said, before leading to where some stumps were situated around a clearing near a little stream. It was hardly a fine parlor, but it was a nice place to sit for a while and away from most of the prying eyes. "Has your father said anything more about making a venture out to the Waistlands. King Azlyn is in favor of making a diplomatic outreach and also mentioned possibly doing some mission work on behalf of the Veakirate."
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Post by ravigen on Apr 26, 2015 5:33:39 GMT
Sayoko couldn't help but smile at his nervousness, she found it oddly charming and didn't mind seeing it more and more but she took the seat nonetheless. The stream was pretty to look at but Sayoko paid it little mind, preferring to focus on Bron and answer the question posed to her.
"It has been discussed but it seems tensions are rising in the east and my father's focus is drawn to our border with the Commonwealth, potentially nasty business but it'll hopefully be resolved peacefully." |
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