CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
7
Renown
Male
Ash Lands
i wish you were here. i wish it were morning.
168 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 28, 2023 15:39:32 GMT -5
It is a fortunate thing that Leandros Aurthurian is a man cut from diplomatic cloth.
The first language Askr learned to speak when he was thrown into the tumult of the Ash Lands was the one spoken through steel and silver, syllables enunciated through every swing of a blade and clash of one weapon against another. He is not the kind of person anyone looks to when it is time to approach things with care or with diplomacy; he is there to follow orders, to lift a blade against whatever opponent he is sent after, and to handle things from there. So as soon as the goblin raises his voice, rage cresting in his tone at the mere notion of pity, Askr is at a loss for words regarding what to do.
But Leandros is serene in his approach; he keeps his smile gentle, the sweeping gestures of his hands graceful and subtle, made with the kind of steadiness one would use to calm an infuriated steed. And yet, it works-- Murizag seems begrudgingly willing to hear him out as Leandros beckons for both of them to settle by the campfire with him, his voice soft and even as he lays forth introductions, lays forth a suggestion, careful not to provoke the goblin sitting across from him in any way, shape, or form. Askr pulls his knees up to his chest, gaze flitting carefully between the emblem of the forest and the picture of nobility beside him, observing their movements and words in near-silence.
"Not a one of them thought to be diplomatic," Murizag begins, his eyes narrowed still-- is is the visage of skepticism, Askr thinks, the look of a man unprepared to trust. "Why should I do the same? Hmm?"
Askr perks up, then, his voice quiet as he speaks up. "...Mister Murizag, sir, if... if they realize this is not a case of ghosts, they very well may return anyway. And... that could quickly turn violent."
Murizag pauses, fingers tapping his staff in thought. "...then what sort of terms do you propose, human? What sort of situation do you think everyone can win in? Hm?"
|
|
Noble
IS OFFLINE
32
Renown
Capitol Landing
619 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 28, 2023 16:28:02 GMT -5
"Perhaps the others were too afraid of your mighty army." So, he may be laying it on a little thick, but even if somewhat jokingly, at least it was showing recognition to the goblin which seemed to soften the edges. Though he would still be a prickly pear.
"They should be lucky I am being so nice and not uprooting the whole forest." The goblin barks, rebuffing Askr's concerns that things would grow violent, though he would eventually calm and see what the humans had to offer.
"Well I am in no position to give away land, but I can tell the humans how far in they are allowed and where your domain lies....An agreed upon border would give you and your people safety knowing the humans won't come any further and if they do? Well it's your land, what happens then is your call. I think the problem now is the villagers believe they can lay claim to this part of the forest where you already live. A border will clear up that confusion."
Murizag rubs his chin, thinking this over. Admittedly a druid like himself knew little about borders and the fabricated things of a so-called "civilized society." The concept did intrigue him though, it would be nice to have a place that was definitively theirs to keep. It sounded tempting for sure, but he was still cautious. "An' how do I know the humans won't just overrun us if they get bored?"
"If that happens, then find me. I will drive them back on your behalf. Human or not, I am not keen to ally myself with those who would break a promise."
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
7
Renown
Male
Ash Lands
i wish you were here. i wish it were morning.
168 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 28, 2023 20:45:29 GMT -5
It is... strange to hear Leandros speak with such conviction, with such genuine intent poured into his words as he speaks to Murizag, those blue eyes of his shining with a promise and all the determination in the world to keep it. Askr is not sure exactly how Leandros would manage to walk all the way across Charon should the humans of the Hauntwood suddenly decide to infringe on the boundaries of the forest-going goblins, bringing a solitary reckoning on a halberd's edge, but the knight speaks with such infallibility that there is no room for doubt that he would somehow find a way.
Askr knows little of fairy tales, of fiction, but he knows of the fantasy that surrounds knighthood. Warriors in gleaming armor and embroidered tabards, bearing shields and crests, holding up a shimmering code of chivalry and nobility as eagerly as they hold their blades-- he has long thought such a thing to be myth, but Leandros is living legend.
"...I can vouch for Leandros," Askr says quietly, a sense of muted earnestness poured into his gaze as he looks to Murizag. He has not known the knight for long at all, hardly enough to be able to attest to his virtue, but they need to resolve this, and placing faith in a man like Leandros, even temporarily, seems like a safe bet. "He... is a man of his word. If you are disturbed, or your boundaries ignored, he will walk across all of Charon just to come to your aid."
Once again, there is that ember of what must be skepticism in Murizag's eye, but it is slowly dimming. "...I see, I see. And you would do all the talking for us?"
"Mm," Askr nods. "Just... give us your terms, and we will pass them on."
|
|
Noble
IS OFFLINE
32
Renown
Capitol Landing
619 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 28, 2023 21:03:37 GMT -5
"It's as Askr says." Leandros pauses to take a map out of his pack, unrolling it from the scroll case, pointing roughly to where they are in the forest. "We are about here...if you would like to roughly give us an idea of how much land you think is reasonable. We will take it back to them and see what they say. You are welcome to come to ensure we are not betraying your trust."
Murizag taps his chin before quietly snapping up the map and walking over to the horde of squirrels. The chorus of chitters begins as it seems they are discussing just how much space they will end up needing. Leandros chuckles softly as he stands, putting his hands on his hips as he watches.
"Thank you for throwing your support behind this, I know it's somewhat of a far-fetched idea...but you saw here yourself....they aren't looking to harm anyone. They are defending their home as you or I would." He smiles serenely watching the discussion between druid and squirrels.
Eventually Murizag comes back with a circle drawn in mud on the map outlining the territory they wanted. "That seem right? Henry thinks we should ask for more, but Henrietta says he's just being greedy wanting more acorns."
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
7
Renown
Male
Ash Lands
i wish you were here. i wish it were morning.
168 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 29, 2023 21:57:01 GMT -5
As is typical, the look on Askr's face as he watches the druid converse with his band of squirrels is illegible, nearly blank; his lips are drawn into that same thin line, a distant light of what might be curiosity gently flickering in his eyes, a tiny matchlight hardly fostered by the wind. He's never really been privy to discussions like this before; he knows land disputes are not necessarily uncommon across Charon, and the Ring of Cinders has been brought in a few times before to settle them with steel, but he's not usually allowed to sit in for diplomatic matters. It is... interesting to see the way it goes on, to get a bit of a feeling of how meetings over borders might be meant to go.
...Ah, though... maybe they involve ink and quills instead of sticks and mud, proper paperwork and signatures instead of makeshift materials. That feels a bit more likely.
He watches in silence a moment longer until he hears Leandros's voice once more, specifically addressing him-- he blinks, looking over to the side to look to the knight beside him, tilting his head just so at the gentle serenity settling warmly over the man's expression. It is... strange to hear him mention the notion of defending one's home, as though Askr is accustomed to such a thing; to be truthful, he does not quite understand what a home might mean. In terms of living quarters, Askr typically spends his nights on one of the couches in Captain Bleier's hideout in Darkveil City-- when all the other mercenaries have slipped away for the night, have laid down their steel and armor, cleaning bloodstains from their hands to return to whatever awaits them at home.
It is a nice couch. Askr supposes he would defend it.
"...Mm. It is... not so far-fetched," he says simply, opting not to elaborate, for that is the moment when Murizag returns, presenting the map for them to glance over. "...I think it looks good. What do you think, Leandros?"
|
|
Noble
IS OFFLINE
32
Renown
Capitol Landing
619 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Leandros Aurthurian on Jan 30, 2023 15:21:37 GMT -5
"Well it seems fair, but we can't decide that, we will have to head back to village. Askr and I can negotiate on your behalf, but it's my belief that it would be better served if you come with. It will be easier to foster friendships if people know you are real and not actually some ghost."
Murizag seemed to look over both men, squinting and checking their details once more. It's clear the goblin was happy to have a conversation and not have a fight, he himself carried no weapons and the two relatively towering men did. This was probably the best luck he had ever stumbled in. After a thought he offers out a grubby hand for a dual handshake with both men, Leandros does not hesitate to take it.
Leandros smiles at the handshake and is more than happy to lead the group back to the small village where the knight had first heard of the ghostly pranksters. It was clear from the space they entered, this was not a rich or lucrative town where an adventurer could make a lot of coin. The people seemed pleasant, if a little off-put by the goblin at first, but none lived lavishly.
He heads towards what he knows as the elder's home, holding open the door for everyone. After a brief explosion of fear and confusion, the elder is calmed down as is Murizag, and negotiations can begin. As different as they claimed to be, it was a little funny how similar they were. Both Murizag and the elder were grumpy older men just looking out for their people. Thankfully, though, an agreement is eventually made. Crisis successfully averted.
"Thanks again friend." Lee grins and clasps Askr's shoulder as they leave the home, letting Murizag head back to the forest with a victory under his belt. Inside the home, Askr did witness Lee turn down any reward for solving this matter for the village, offering instead any reward could be given fully to Askr if he so chose.
|
|
CCS Courier
IS OFFLINE
7
Renown
Male
Ash Lands
i wish you were here. i wish it were morning.
168 POSTS & 0 LIKES
|
Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 31, 2023 14:15:07 GMT -5
Askr spends the remainder of their journey in a bubble of careful silence.
Diplomacy and negotiation are still not languages he speaks well; they require parsing too much of the intricacies of human expression, the hidden weight of words, all these tiny things that work together in a structure he cannot yet understand. People so rarely plainly say what they mean, opting to wrap truth up in strange packaging, delivering a different message in the veil of another. It is difficult to fathom. He cannot pretend he can begin to understand.
He remains a silent sentry at Leandros's side for much of the discussions with the small village's elder, allowing the knight to ease the negotiations along with his pearlescent smile and gentle voice and twinkling eyes. He is a good peacemaker, really, carefully tying off the threads of tension before they can become entangled, keeping discussion on track, helping the wary elder and warier Murizag find their common ground. There is nothing Askr could say to improve things, nothing of merit he could add, so he says nothing, simply sitting in place and nodding along and serving what little purpose he can grasp from the maw of this odd situation.
And then it is over. There is an agreement, there is amicability, and Murizag walks off into the woods and the elder looks at them both with gratitude as if Askr has done much to deserve any of it, and even so does Leandros deny the offer of any financial reward with a smile. It is... odd. Vexing. Strange.
Askr declines the offer, too. It is only fair.
"...mm," he nods, looking up at Leandros with that same blank expression, though a gentle curiosity crests at the edges, one last flash of something ebbing in before it slips away. "...You did much of the work."
He pauses for a moment, glancing around this strange little village and this strange man who does not accept rewards he deserves and who smiles despite odd circumstances and knows how to talk to people no matter how rage blinds them, and then he gives a short nod once more, lifting a hand in brief farewell, and he turns to the exit, ready to wander back to the Ring of Cinders, however long it takes.
When he wanders back into Lilicors that evening and Teth sweeps him back to the inn, a dozen questions on her lips, Askr will merely tell her that he met a fairy tale in the Hauntwood. She will laugh, short hair swaying around her chin as she calls him an odd duck, marveling over the things he can say with a strange face.
Askr will merely think of a strange knight all in blue and silver, and feel a surge of something, something that might be hope, that his smile persists.
|
|