| A Forest Excursion |
| Summary: | Aidric and Kira go for a ride and talk among other things. |
| Date: | 1865-11-22 |
| Related: | Related Logs (If there aren't any, use None. Don't this entry leave blank. If there is a log, use full URLs, like http://eternalcrusade.wikidot.com/logtitle) |
| NPCs: | {$npc} |
| Players: |
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| Woods Outside Firen |
| Room description |
| Novembre 22nd 1865 |
It's early morning, the air is brisk and cool enough to see one's breath and the frozen ground crunches under the hooves of the horses. Kira is in her leathers, astride her favorite mare - Flight. The mount is not nearly as fine as most of the Romante stock and is perhaps a bit past her prime but the girl and horse know eachother well enough that only a minium of direction is needed between them. A bow is set behind Kira on the saddle on one side, sword on the other, readily at hand. She shifts her dark fur cloak around herself as she waits for her hunting partner.
Kira does not have to wait long. Aidric arrives on the back of his own horse, a dun gelding of obscure stock and yet new to his current rider. All the same the Charing knight guides him ably bring him to a halt beside Kira's mount. Aidric is dressed in a warm fur mantle, hunting leathers and has a bow and sword by his side. Smiling as he sees Kira he inclines his head. "Didn't keep you waiting long did I?" he asks.
Kira smiles, her cheeks flushing a bit from the cold, "I was enjoying the fresh air." She glances over him for a lingering moment before a glint of mischief flashes in her eyes. "I hope you can keep up…" She nudges the horse then, to a gallop, away from the city, towards the woods.
Aidric smile, eyeing those flushed cheeks as he says, "Clearly, and it suits you." Then Kira is off towards the woods. "Crows take you," he curses with a laugh before nudging his own horse into a gallop and charging along after her.
Kira laughs as she rises hard, until both she and the horse have lathered up a good sweat and they've left the city behind in the distance. As th trees start to thicken around them she slows down. "Ahhhh isn't it so much better to be away from it all?"
Aidric is flushed when he slows his lathered horse to a walk and his neatly kept hair is tousled and wild. Still, he seems pleased by the run of their horses and he grins "Much better," he says before leaning over to steal a kiss if he can. "It is good to break free once in awhile."
Kira allows it, even encourages it, reaching over to grip the fur of his mantle as their lips press together. Her flush is not entirely from the cold when she leans back into her saddle. "Indeed it is."
Aidric smiles brushing those flushed cheeks with a hand before he settles back into his own saddle. "So, the woods are more your domain than mine, how do you wish to proceed?" he asks of their outing.
Kira looks around slowly, "It deepens what you would like to hunt?" She looks around at the skeletal, winter thinned forest. "I just wanted to escape the walls."
"Then it seems we've both gained what we're after already. You've escaped, and I've gained your company. So, ride, hunt, or whatever else we do will be fine by me," Aidric offers watching Kira watching the woods.
Kira grins and nudges her horse to a walk, watching the forest around them, "How have you been this last week? Have you been keeping busy? Any news from the Soktar or do I have you a while longer?"
Aidric nudges his horse on to keep up with Kira. "You'll have me for awhile yet," he confirms. "No news of plans to march. So it seems we may indeed winter here. Especially if many of our knights go north for the tourney in Lyionesse, it'll be the new year before they're back again. Expecting that, I've tried to make a few friends, the Countess Claire, and the courtesan known as the Sphinx. What about you? Any word of the plans of the Cassomirs or of the Viscount finding you a Sokar match?"
Kira smiles a little, "The Countess is very dear to me. I am glad you are friendly with her, she really could use more friends in Firen. As for me I am free to winter where I likereally, I hae no need to go with the Cassomirs as soon as they leave. I think I will stay until some business with my family is sorted."
"We do not see eye to eye on her brother, but she was gracious enough despite that," Aidric says of the Countess. That and she is but a sword stroke from being Queen does much to recommend her. "Ah, and where would you like to winter?" Aidric asks. "And while we're at it, what business?"
Kira looks over him curiously, "Oh? And what is there to disagree about regarding the Duke? Besides his refusal to marry have have legitimate heirs like a decent Duke should?" It's a long standing disagreement between the Romante and Tarris.
Aidric turns his head, surprised Kira had to ask "Oh, only the betrayal of all our hopes and the slaughter of our friends and kinsmen. To be honest, the less he spreads his seed the happier I will be."
Kira looks over Aidric thoughtfully, "I do not think I can ever begrudge a man for doing what is necssary for his survival and that of his family. Many of our surviving friends and kinsmen would call us both traitors as well."
Aidric shakes his head. "If his family was in danger I could understand it better, but all he had to do was keep faith with our uncle and he'd have been the first man at court instead he threw it all away to be the Betrayer. That's the maddening thing of it." The talk of being thought traitors earns a scornful shake of Aidric's head "The old king named no heir and we chose our closer kin for the good of our families. What treason is there in that, save for losing the damn war?"
Kira smiles a little and nods, "This is true." She pauses. "Though those who cleave to the old cause would beg do differ. I would love to bury my blade in the belly of who ever it is that perpetuates all this blood shed."
"True," Aidric agrees the heat of his anger cooling some. "As for the one behind all of this, I'd gladly open his belly for him, but I'd shake his hand first, for his war bringing me back into the realm's good graces." A pause and a smile. "If nobody was looking."
Kira laughs softly, "Indeed. We are scavangers." She looks ahead, "Aidric?"
Aidric nods with a smile. "Sad to say it," he says of their fates before he turns his head to her, "Yes?"
Kira shakes her head, "I am not sad to say it Aidric. The fox tends to outlive the wolf for good reason." She shifts her questioning. "Is your family alright? With the dutchy locked down as it is I worry for why… what may be happening there."
Aidric tilts his head thinking about her words. "True enough," he says before a little thought is given to my family "They should be fine as things stand now. While my Uncle the duke is reluctant to fight, I do not think he has fully sided with the enemy. As to why? I think the duke and duchess like to watch their rivals do their fighting for them."
Kira frowns and nods slightly, "I do not like it." She admits openly. "It speaks of a lack of loyalty to the Queen and kingdom. And I worry for your mother and siblings, isolated there if things should turn badly. But that is… as it is."
"I like it little either," Aidric says of the situation with a shake of his head. "I am working with Sir Thaddeus, to bring the Duke to heel, but, carefully and keeping my name out of the matter so not to bring more danger to my family. It's all I can do at this point at least."
Kira nods faintly, her hand straying over to reach for his. "Just be safe. Please."
Aidric takes her hand and brings it to his lips. "I will. Do not worry," he says. Then a thought occurs and he says "We could see that my sister at least is invited to court."
Kira smiles a bit, "I could invite her… if I stay here. I could ask that she come. She's my cousin after all and I am a Romante, I can ask for that I think."
Nodding, Aidric opines "You should be able to request that and she'd be a suitable companion, with you both being the daughters of Viscounts," he says.
Kira smiles a little, "I'll ask that for you then. I hope she knows how to ride…" She teases. "Alright." Nodding that that business is done she looks over him and around. "You know, I don't think there's anyone around for miles."
Aidric nods. "Appreciated," he say before he slows his horse to a stop and glances around. "Yes, it's seems you're right," he says before swinging down from his saddle and looking up at her. "Come down here then, and we'll make the most of it."
Kira slides down herself and pats Flights neck lightly before reaching for his arm with a bit of a smirk, "If it wasn't so cold today, I would suggest I hunt you."
Aidric laughs as she takes his arm "Well we could always dine at the manse tonight, if that's the sort of sport you're after," he offers before he pulls her to him and claims a kiss.
Kira's laugh is muffled against his lips as she returns his kiss, "Mmmm…. I meant to practice my tracking. Though I would not have you cowering in the cold out here today."
"Oh," he says as their lips part and he keeps her wrapped in his arms. "Not the sort of sport I had imagined then," he says, smiling. "And do you really think I'd cower?" the question is offered lightly, teasing.
Kira leans into his side, "Well after I found you I would certainly have to enjoy you… my reward." She winks up at him. "And no I can't imagine you cowering."
Aidric pauses to consider the sport. "Perhaps it's not so cold after all," he suggests with a grin. "Or shall we simply skip to the reward?"
Kira pulls at him, backing up off the path, "Perhaps we ought to… will you then? Reward me?" She asks, her skin flushing with the warmth of anticipation.
Aidric follows, casting a glance about the wood briefly as he does so. "Reward you?" he asks her as they leave the path for the cover of the trees. "What for?" he teases pulling her back into his arms for another kiss.
Fade