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Post by twi on Jan 12, 2010 16:23:39 GMT -5
Celeste felt the wind blow her hair this way and that, getting it tangled up in the back, making her wince. She wanted to just cut it all off, and not fool with it anymore. Just a small thing could make her life so much easier. If only the rest of life was as simple and quick. But no, here she was in Araluen.
She was currently in Araluen because she needed to get out of the house, away from the farm, away from her aunt. If there was an award for nagging, her aunt would win first prize. Sometimes it made her wish she was deaf- it wasn't like she talked too much anyway. Funny how she wished for the worst, when most would dread being impaired in such a way. Would rather die, even. But those are the ones who are shallow and narcissistic, the ones who think you either are close to perfect or no use in living. Celeste was on the other end of the spectrum when it came to things like that, and it separated her from a lot of people. But that was more than alright for her.
The castle loomed before her, as she quite close to it. It was quite a long walk to some, yet she enjoyed escaping for a few days. Her aunt's cousin had come for the weekend to help out with the farm, and she quickly jumped at the chance to allow her cousin to sleep in her room, while she went away to pick up a few things. Her aunt didn't understand why she was going to Araluen, but then again, she was adult and could make her own decisions. What did it matter if the farm was being taken care of? Besides, she wanted to be as far away from that place as possible.
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 12, 2010 17:58:57 GMT -5
Muse had sent Gwen away for the day. Not with Crowley or one of the other nearby Rangers, either, just off to have her own time. He didn't know where she'd gone, and at the moment didn't care, but if he needed her, Rye would help him find her. He was good at that.
For now, though, he wandered through the city. He had tried to avoid his blood trail from the other day, but he had gone up one of the main cobblestone roads on Kookie's back, and his blood was easily visible, even a few days later. He saw many people looking curiously or concernedly at the thick trail as they walked along, doing their daily business, but, knowing it's origins, he didn't spare the blood a glance. Naturally, he didn't want to be reminded.
The long cloak and his tough Ranger attitude concealed his slight limp and the bulge of bandaging just above his knee. The cowl of said cloak hid the wound on his head, now exposed since he'd taken off the bandaging that morning.
With enough fresh air and his sore leg, it was time to head back to the castle. He had been recovering, though, in the few days since he'd been shot. He could walk a little bit longer each time. He'd been on his feet for about an hour or so, he guessed, and it would take about as long to get back, get some food from the kitchens - if he was hungry when he got there, with a concussion one never knows - and then return to his suite.
They were nearly back at the castle when Rye began barking. It was a happy sound - someone he knew, and liked. Gwen, maybe, or another Ranger. Maybe even Ed or one of Gwen's friends, like Sir Ector.
But as Muse looked down the street, he saw it was not a Ranger or a friend of a Ranger. Well, a different Ranger. Because the person ahead was most certainly Muse's friend.
Rye bolted, weaving though crowds of startled people to get to her. Muse followed behind as quickly as his leg, slightly queasy stomach, and constricting crowds would let him. Fortunately, many people hurried out of his way at the sight of the Ranger's cloak and longbow.
Rye was in front of the woman, standing on his back paws with his front paws up in the air, as if he were jumping on her. He wasn't, of course, because he didn't jump on anyone but Muse. He wasn't allowed to jump on anyone else because Muse knew many people didn't like it.
"Celeste," he said as he got closer. "Celeste. It's been too long." Maybe a year, or more. No, a little less. Last Christmas? Yes. So no, wait, a little more then. A grin broke out on the Ranger's face. He had missed her. But it had been so long, he wasn't sure how to greet her. Handshake? Hug? So he stood a bit awkwardly, and threw back the cowl on his cloak so she could see his face. Of course, she would know Rye and Muse's voice, but he wanted her to see his face, and he wanted to see hers without the cloak in his way. Not that it was, but it was one of those irrational and random things people did, like shading your eyes when the sun wasn't really in the way.
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Post by twi on Jan 13, 2010 17:27:25 GMT -5
Celeste sighed, watching the people hurry to and fro, seeming as if they only had ten minutes left in the world. They had their whole lives ahead of them! Why hurry life up? But that wasn't any of her concern, even though she often made it so. It was why she didn't get along with most people- she was too judgemental, so quick to assume, so nitpicky. Well, what do you know- she had more in common with her aunt than she had first thought.
In the near distance, she heard a dog barking. The sound was getting closer and closer, and it wasn't until the dog was a few yards away that it really caught her attention. Her eyes wandered around, finally landing on the huskey. It was a dog that seemed familiar, but she couldn't place where. She certainly didn't have a dog, as her aunt was allergic, even though it could be helpful on the farm. She walked a few steps, reaching out with her hand to pet it, 'it' not being able to tell if it was a girl or boy and she definitely wasn't going to look, and stroked it's head a few times. The huskey seemed happy to see her, and there were plenty of other people around, so she had to know him.
At the sound of someone saying her name, she looked up from the dog and at a Ranger, it seemed. And then finally it all clicked. Muse, a friend she had knew awhile ago. She didn't normally want friends, but he was a nice person, one who got on her nerves quite less than others. "Good afternoon, Muse," she replied, a hint of formality in her voice. It was how she grew up, and old habits die hard. "Very long, I shall say. How have you been?" She crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a tad awkward in this situation. But talking could hide it. When he uncovered his head, her eyebrows went up. "What happened?" A slight tinge of concern laced her tone.
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 13, 2010 18:58:20 GMT -5
Muse took hold of Celeste's arm, just above the elbow, and led her into a small side street, which was much narrower. Much fewer people were on this street, and only a few spared the pair a glance. "I've been... pretty good, I guess." At the last second he held back from saying 'missing you,' but he wasn't sure why. He scratched Rye behind the ears absentmindedly.
He blushed when she asked about his head, partially because he'd forgotten that when he took off the cowl and a little bit because he could hear concern in her voice, and he liked that. Plus, a Ranger never liked to admit defeat. "I was hit in a fight with the Assassin's Guild. They had the upper hand - coverage, could see us coming down the road...." He trailed off. He didn't want to bore her with tactics, or make it seem like he was trying to defend himself and say he wasn't weak or something like that. He flicked the cowl back up self-consciously, and changed the subject.
"What are you doing here, anyway? Redmont isn't exactly close. Or did you move, and leave your aunt's farm? Were you here to go to the Ball?" He could easily have missed her, since he hadn't expected to see her and was busy with Ranger duties most of the night. Muse didn't normally ask so many questions or talk that much in public, but with Celeste, there was an exception.
The two had met some years ago, soon after Muse had gotten his silver oakleaf. He had been stationed just south of Redmont, where she lived, and had been ambushed by some members of the Assassins' Guild - or something similar, he could never confirm - near the Redmont border. He killed one with his saxe, paralyzed one with his throwing knife, and broke the third's leg with a striker. The other two had been taken out by a fellow Ranger, and Muse, with a severe concussion, was brought to the nearest castle, which happened to be Redmont. Later he was on his way home and stopped by a farm to refill his water skin. It had been Celeste's aunt's farm. Celeste wasn't the most beautiful or friendly girl Muse had ever seen, but he could talk more easily around her than anyone else. He began making excuses to go see her more and more often. When he was reassigned to Norgate, he could only see her once of twice a year, for the past six years. Last Christmas, he had gone to see her with Gwen alone as well. She was a new apprentice at the time, so it was a little awkward going for a social visit and bringing along a young girl he hardly knew and had to constantly train, but it was worth it to spend time with Celeste. In fact, it seemed that everyone but Muse himself knew he was in love with the farm girl.
Muse led Celeste a little further away from the main road so they could talk more easily, and repeated his original question as Rye stood on his back paws, front high in the air and panting. "So, what are you here for?"
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Post by twi on Jan 14, 2010 11:31:05 GMT -5
Celeste allowed him to move her over to a side street, thinking it would be better to talk there than the busy one they were just on anyway. She hated crowds, and never wanted to be in the middle of one. It just made her feel as if she couldn't breathe, couldn't focus. It was one of the few only good things about the farm- it was mostly quiet, and not many people ventured out there. Every so often they got a few strangers now and then, wanting to stay the night, or ask for some food or water. Not unlike how she met Muse, several years ago.
She nodded as he explained his wound, letting him know she was listening. When he trailed off, she realized maybe she shouldn't have even pried like that. After all, with an injury like that and what he just said, admitting some type of weakness wasn't easy. Celeste knew this all too well. The conversation changed, for which she was glad.
"I had to get out the house, the farm, everything. My aunt has just gotten worse by every year she grows older. Too controlling for my tastes. It would be easy to leave, and hard to stay, yet that isn't in the question," she said, with a small sigh. She just couldn't leave her aunt to take care of the whole farm herself. Celeste rarely felt guilt about anything, but she knew she would regret the decision of leaving, if that ever happened.
"The ball? Lord, no. I hate places like that. They are dull, too. I don't see why anyone would want to go, but I can't speak for everyone. What about you?" she asked. "Are you staying here long?" She was quite glad he was here, minus the injury part. When she set out to come here, she didn't exactly know what she was going to do. At least she knew someone, and that someone was a friend.
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 14, 2010 18:51:56 GMT -5
Muse grinned. Of course she hadn't gone to the Ball, he hadn't really expected her to. "I went to the Ball with my apprentice. She dragged me along. Remember Gwen? Well, we're a lot closer now than we were when you met her. She's a nice kid, a really good friend to have around." Muse's grin grew wider. He loved his apprentice like a younger sister. Twelve years younger, but still. They had gotten really close in just a year. Muse dreaded the day she would gain her silver oakleaf and he, Rye, and Eton would be left alone again. It was still years away, but he dreaded it nonetheless. The cabin in Norgate got lonely, and he hadn't realized it until it wasn't anymore.
He wanted to offer a place to Celeste in his cabin, but he had two bedrooms with one bed each, and a couch, and he doubted she wanted the couch. He would be more than happy to take it if it meant Celeste would stay at his place, but of course, over long periods of time, that would kill his back. Not to mention that she would never leave her aunt alone, no matter how much she wanted to. Celeste wasn't that kind of person. And while that was one thing Muse really liked about her, it did annoy him a tiny bit because it was what kept her from him.
Of course, while he was in Araluen, they could see each other more. He could have an extra bed brought in and she could sleep in the suite with he and Gwen, even, at least until he had recovered enough to go home or she felt the need to return to her aunt. But until then...
He shoved the thought aside. He'd bring it up later. "I'm here for... I don't know, a while. What with the injury and all..." She didn't know about his leg and he'd like to keep it that way, so he was careful not to pluralize 'injury'. But even as he had the thought, his weight shifted unconsciously to his left foot and his knee buckled. He let out a gasp of pain and caught himself on the wall of the inn they stood behind.
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Post by twi on Jan 15, 2010 19:36:35 GMT -5
Celeste nodded, vaguely remembering the girl he was talking about. Yet the name did seem familiar, but she just wasn't good at putting names to faces. Why would she need to be if people were none of her concern, anyway? She just much rather go through life without all those trivial details. "Well, did you have fun?" she asked, a bit curious. It was always interesting to see who actually had fun at those types of social events. Ironcially enough, she used to have to go to all of those things, because her parents did. She came from a life of servents and grand houses, of balls and pretty dresses. Oh, if her parents could see her now. Celeste had been such a prim and proper young lady, but now she was constantly getting dirty feeding the cows and planting vegetables. What a shame.
She nodded, her mind distance. However it snapped back into focus when he let out a sound and suddenly moved. Her arm reached out subconsciously, as if she could steady him. Just a reaction, but a stupid one. Working had toughened her up some but she was still weak as a fly. "Are you ok?" she asked, her mouth pursed.
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 15, 2010 20:53:45 GMT -5
Muse recovered and stood up, most, if not all, of his weight on his right leg. He shook her off, though he liked her touch on his arm. "I'm fine," he told her, then pretended that had never happened and snorted. "Me? Fun? At a ball?" He pulled out the smooth black rock he always had in his pocket, which had the word 'trust' carved into it. "I kept rubbing this at the beginning. Then I got too distracted. Another Ranger's apprentice fell off the ceilings beams, God only knows why he was up there in the first place. Shortly after that got sorted out, my cousin Bryce got poisoned by the Assassin's Guild."
He stopped there, unsure of whether or not he should tell her the next part. After a quick internal debate he settled for telling her - but not there. "I'll tell you the rest - including why I almost fell just then - but not here. Come on." He took her hand - his stomach did a back flip - and led her towards the main street again. With the saxe knife in his hand, people quickly moved out of his way, and Muse moved as quickly as he could without exposing his injury, Rye padding silently ahead of him. From time to time he turned his furry head to look over his shoulder, as if to say "Well hurry up already, aren't you coming?"
They were let into the castle without a word, as Muse had his silver oakleaf outside his tunic. He didn't let go of Celeste's hand until he pushed open the door to his suite and led the way inside. The rooms were empty but for two servants, one in each bedroom, who scurried out when they saw Muse had returned with a woman who most certainly was not his young apprentice.
He sat on the couch and motioned for her to do the same, then launched into his story, almost word-for-word what he'd told James, then Crowley.
"My cousin Bryce was poisoned at the Ball the other night. Shanna of Seacliff and I were sent after the man who did it. Her friend Ed tagged along too. While Rye here pretended to be hurt on the far side of the street, I kneeled and exposed myself to fire. By doing so, I put myself in good position to see what was going on inside the building, but I took a shot through the thigh. Missed the femoral artery but bled like hell. Dashed into cover, Shanna got a glancing blow off the arm, Ed's bow broke. I managed to get off two shots, didn't hit on either of them. Took an arrow off the top of my head" - he pushed the cowl back to show his head again - "got a minor concussion, but got myself out of the way and bandaged up so the others didn't have to worry about me during the fight. Later the three of us got back to the city having shot only one of the assassins. The other two escaped, and latter on last night Shanna and Ed found the last guy, but he committed suicide before they could truly question him."
Muse had eyes only for Celeste, watching her face for her reaction.
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Post by twi on Jan 18, 2010 12:00:47 GMT -5
The corners of her mouth turned upwards when he spoke of the ball. It wasn't funny in that people got hurt, but that they got hurt at the ball to begin with. Shouldn't balls be fun and relaxed to most people? Certainly not filled with people getting poisoned and falling from the ceiling. Now she was most certainly she didn't go. If she wanted to go to the ball in the first place, she wanted it to be calm, not the circus he described. Maybe that was a bit of exaggeration, but oh well.
She sighed as he started leading her to some unknown place again. What was so private, anyway? But it did rouse her curiousity, so she went along with it, ignoring the strange stares. Her eyes wandered the castle, although brief, wanting to see what it looked like inside. Oh, how she missed nice decorations and the comfort of living like this. But it was no time to be selfish or envious- what was done, was done. She instead focused on the present, and what Muse was going to tell her.
She sat on the couch, turning a bit to face him. He went in to detail about the ball, about a fight. Celeste listened word for word, nodding her head a few times to show she was listening, out of habit. When he was done, she could only sit there staring at him. What a story. And dangerous, at that. Celeste didn't oppose fighting, but she wished killing didn't have to happen, even though she knew it was going to anyway. "I'm sorry," she said finally, her voice soft, a bit of sympathy in there, although she tried to mask it. "About the injuries. And them getting away. And well... all of that happening in the first place. Is your cousin alright?"
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 18, 2010 13:03:54 GMT -5
Muse caught the sympathy in her voice but ignored it, because he could also tell she was trying to hide it. "Oh, Bryce is fine. He just throwing up a bit, but it wasn't too serious he was back on his stool in no time. And by that, I mean he was playing his lute for cash. Bryce is a jongleur, you see. Actually, that's what made him such an easy target. A man came up and paid him, even gave him a song request, and offered to get him some water. He took Bryce's canteen and filled it, brought it back to him, and ran off. The water was poisoned but Bryce couldn't see the slight green tinge of it through the leather skin."
Thoughts of the Ball were bringing back thoughts of the King. He had noted the other day that he hadn't seen him for a while, and later he'd passed Crowley in the hall. The Commandant had been walking much more briskly than usual, and in a way like he was worried. Turns out that's exactly what it was. Muse had caught him by the arm and asked what was wrong, only to find out that King Duncan had been kidnapped the night of the Ball. Muse was more annoyed that he couldn't help rescue his King due to his injuries. After all, as a Ranger, he answered to Ranger Command, and ultimately to the King. Not being able to help the man was driving him crazy.
But at least the concussion nausea wasn't as bad as it had been the last time.
He decided against mentioning this to Celeste, instead choosing to stand up and take off his cloak. He tossed it on the coffee table, then propped his left leg up on the table, too, and laced his fingers together behind his head, leaning his head back. "So all in all, it's been stressful lately."
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Post by twi on Jan 22, 2010 19:46:11 GMT -5
Celeste agreed. "Certainly sounded stressful," she replied. At least nothing ever got old. She couldn't help but wonder if the interesting life was worth all the danger. Especially if you could easily lose your life in a matter of seconds. People were at risk at that everyday, but there is a small chance for someone killing Celeste. And obviously, she liked it that way. But then again, she would never be in that position- nor does she want to be. A boring life is better than a dead one, in her book.
"So... has anything good happened then? Or just all those things?"
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 22, 2010 21:08:21 GMT -5
Muse thought back. No, nothing good had really happened lately. Except seeing Celeste. But he couldn't really say that. It would be a little awkward, and awkward was not what he was aiming for. "Not particularly. Nothing good has happened in a while. Or at least not significantly good. Although I'm not dead, that is pretty good, if I may say so myself."
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Post by twi on Jan 22, 2010 21:52:10 GMT -5
She would have smiled and jokingly agreed, yet coming from him it was serious. After all, from just the past few weeks things had escalated into fatal circumstances, so it was nothing to take lightly. “I’d say it was more than pretty good,” she said, with a small nod. Death was a subject people- well most people- didn’t joke around with, yet death didn’t scare Celeste. If she knew she was going to die, it wouldn’t bother her much. And why would it? It wasn’t as if her life was exceptionally exciting or anything. Just average. The only problem would be leaving her aunt, but then again, you can’t stop death. She would have to deal. But as for Celeste herself, she didn’t mind. It didn’t upset her, didn’t make her cringe when people talk about it. It was a part of life- you are born, you grow up, and you die. Nothing more to it. And when you think about it that way, it did seem a bit bland and boring. But life was boring- no matter what you do, someone else has done it in the past. Nothing is ever new. There may be new inventions or methods of doing stuff, but how long does that stay new? Not very long indeed.
Even though death held no interest for Celeste, she often wondered what happens after death. Was there a heaven? A hell? Or is your soul just gone, lost in the universe, dying along with your physical form? Celeste liked to think there was a heaven, yet with that came hell, and she didn’t want to think about that. Who wants to go to hell, unless there are things such as demons? Besides, Celeste was absolutely terrified of fire. Ever since she was a child and trapped in the flames that held her parents and house a prisoner. That memory was etched in her mind just as clear as if it happened yesterday, no matter what she did to try to erase it from her head. She remembered hearing the screams, over and over again. Louder and louder. Then silence, except for the crackling of the flames building higher and higher. Why couldn’t have someone put it out? It made no sense. Well, it had made no sense for months after it happened. The origin of the fire was man-made, purposely set, as she found out later. Her aunt had told her the truth, about the mysterious man who wanted to get revenge on her father. Oh, how he had gotten the best revenge. Yet was it what he wanted? Maybe he wanted her father to live, to watch as his family and prized house were destroyed. Instead it was little Celeste who stood by watching, eyes wide, reflecting the dancing flames. And she had done nothing to the man- she certainly didn’t deserve this revenge. However, just like she liked to think there was a heaven, she liked to think everything happened for a reason. Whether that be just because, or from God, she didn’t know. But that fire had to happen for a reason. And not just to instill that great fear of fire in her.
Or to give her the ugly scars that blemished her otherwise flawless skin, the scars that made her oh so self-conscious about herself. She hated meeting new people, especially in the summer. In the winter, she could cover it up with a scarf, much like she was doing now. But in the summer, it would make her look foolish with heavy winter clothing on. And without it, people starred. Either wondering what happened or because they were just rude and cruel, she never knew. But it didn’t matter- they still starred. Just another reason to keep to herself. There were scars on her neck, from the same strange man who wanted to hurt her father. Again, what had she done? That was the only question going through her head back then. But she was younger and more naïve. The little girl who couldn’t believe someone would just take a knife to her like that. Now she knew that the world was a dark, ugly place. She missed that childhood innocence. Everything was simpler back then- all she worried about was who she was going to play with in the gardens, or how to make her mother and father proud of her. All of that died at the hand of the flames that burned her house down.
“Well, I guess you got be optimistic about things. It could have been worse. And things are bound to get better, right?” Of course, that could easily be a false statement. Things could always get worse. Someone could die, you might lose everything you had, or you died- a bad thing to some. Yet…things could always get better. Celeste focused on that little statement- no need to be negative, especially with things that didn’t concern her. It was Muse who had to think differently. “So…” she felt it best to change topics. After all, the conversation at hand wasn’t too uplifting or happy. “What did you do for the past year? Or was it pretty much the same as what just recently happened?” A lot could happen in a year. It hadn’t seemed that long until she last saw him, but when thought about it- a year was a long period of time. Celeste didn’t really keep track of time, anyway. She just lived day to day, with no thought to the future. Besides, things just kind of blurred when you are stuck in one place all the time. Her thoughts turned bitter at this, yet she knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Well, maybe that evil stranger, but not her aunts. If anything, it was her fault for thinking that. But everyone had their selfish moments.
She focused her attention back on Muse, deciding she had been in deep thought enough. She was probably letting on to this too, by her facial expressions, so she controlled them as best as she could. She had practiced that a lot, until now she was just an emotionless person. It worked rather well for her, too. Emotions just led to trouble. Made her feel guilty for thinking selfishly, made her feel self-pity at times, made her feel sympathy for Muse and her aunt. Not to mention angry at the world sometimes, and scared of letting anyone close to her. Nope, there was nothing good about them at all. And there she was running off with her thoughts again, when normally she was calm as a steady stream.
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Muse
Apprentice Scribe
I'm not a man to cross. I'm a Ranger.
Posts: 113
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Post by Muse on Jan 22, 2010 22:36:04 GMT -5
Muse mimicked her nod in response. While not being dead was, of course, good, Muse was prepared to die any day. He could easily have died a few days ago when he was shot, if the bolt had pierced his femoral artery. Or if the Assassin had aimed for his chest. Muse had no doubt that, if he had, he would not have missed. And that would have been bad, very bad indeed.
He pushed thoughts of death out of his head and reached out to Celeste's neck, where she had tied a scarf. Nothing new there - he had met her in the summer, so he had seen her scars and grown accustomed to them. He gently pulled the scarf away and draped it over the back of the sofa, and ran a finger down the scar on her throat. As he did so, his vision blacked for a moment, but he hesitated for a second and it passed. He pulled his hand away and began to pet Rye, who had gotten up from his bed in the corner and trotted over to them.
“Well, I guess you got be optimistic about things. It could have been worse. And things are bound to get better, right?” Muse was reminded again of his missing King. No, things would not get better, at least not for a while. If he healed up soon enough, he would be sent off to help find and rescue his King, but if he didn't he would be left virtually alone to guard several fiefs. And of course, he wasn't supposed to let the general public know that their King was missing. Word would get out soon enough, but for the time being, he and the other Rangers were to keep quiet.
"Mostly I've been training Gwen. The Scotti aren't pestering us too much right now, so things have been pretty quiet overall. Certainly nothing important or significant has happened up in little ol' Norgate Fief." Muse could tell she was a bit distracted, and thinking, for she had been silent for minutes at a time, though she didn't seem to notice. He didn't mention it to her, of course, just noted it to himself. "So how's Redmont been?" As one of the Kingdom's larger fiefs, Redmont could get pretty hectic at times. Some of the Kingdom's best Rangers and knights lived and/or trained there.
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