Bird of prey

[Lady Edfeil]

The table had been set in the hall. Roast deer, soups, cheese, pottage, breads, and desert promised. She'd been ready for a happy meal with her family when a guard rushed in and showed her a small round token with a few words.

The effect was remarkable. The queen rose from her chair without a moment's delay and rushed through the hall towards the courtyard and the main gate. Sergeant Lan was on her heels, sword out of the sheath even as he ran, just in case. His task nae had been a hard one till shortly, yet he had nae lost any of the vigilance and discipline that had been instilled in him.

She would have rushed passed even the main gate, but the darkness would nae allow sight of the man who had been there but moments ago it seemed. And she had promised to be careful, she remembered as guards seemed to surround her almost like a briar hedge. Far away they could still hear the clip clop of a horse.
For a moment longer she stared into the black of night. Then a slow smile curved her lips. She turned and with a few words to the guards that would assure he was granted access.

Upon her return to the hall, she had the token shown to Lan and for once had the distinct pleasure of seeing the usual implacable guard's eyes widen in surprise and shock.

Hawkmoon.

*The word was going round the castle swiftly. Was the Hawk returning?*

[Lady Edfeil]

*She had given word and description to be spread soon around for the guards and ranger's patrols. And before next eve had come, a group of guards and rangers together had spotted the man spoken of within the village. The Queen's words had been clear: tell him I hope to see him, yet nae hinder him. And thus Sir Hawkmoon, knight to Windstorm and the Crimson knights, and lost within the darkness of his past had set foot once more in Windstorm.

A blessing? Was it such? Had God send him to her to show she had nae failed against darkness if the memory of light had still remained within him? She nae knew. But she knew what she had felt when her eyes had lit upon him again: joy and gratitude.

There had been a sound of metal on wood when the goblet that Lady Dream was holding had fallen to the floor. The hand of Prince Kendrick had retrieved it and handed it to a gaping Millie.
His first words had been the name of a friend. Dream. Then he had proceeded to her as queen and bend his knee. He nae had looked well. The palid features, almost bloodless in their lack of color, the new scars even on his face, and the near animal way in which he moved all bespoke that the years outside of Windstorm had been hard ones.
There was a greeting. There was a welcome. There were the quiet words that reassured that home was here and that friendship and care was here to find what measure of peace could be found.

He returned to the inn for the evening. And stories and truths exchanged with all would have to wait to another day.

[=Siya Maiden=]

Since the night that she had spent with the two Queens in the Librarium, she had taken up a guest room within the castle. She had been lonely at the inn, she had not seen her husband for a few days and she needed company, so she was more than happy to stay within the castles walls for the up coming days, weeks, months who knew when she would leave, or even if she would leave again.

The hour was late, well past midnight. She sat awake in the room chair, idly reading over a few scrolls, not really paying attention to the information she was trying to take in, but once again, lost in her own thoughts, after all she had so many thoughts swirling through her mind.

While deeply engrossed in one of her thoughts a loud rapt sounded upon her guest room door. She must have jumped at least 6 feet into the air. It frightened her to within an inch of her life. For a second she sat there and stared at the door, her hand pressed to her chest as if trying to keep her rapidly beating heart from piercing through her chest.

She now rose to her feet and moved towards the door. The only person she could possibly think of that would disturb her so late would be her husband. Her fingers gripped the door handle tightly as she twisted and pulled the door open. Her lips parted as if to speak before her eyes had even fallen upon the figure that stood before her.

Again a hand rose to press down upon her chest as her deep hazelnut eyes widened for she had not seen the figure of this man that stood before her in such a long time. A small rasp of, well lets face it, a pathetic amount of air passed her lips in her fist attempt to speak to the man.

Ger .. Ger .. Gerben ...

She grunted a little as she cleared her throat and spoke his name again, this time more confidently and solidly ... and fully, with just the right amount of sarcasm that she knew would set him off.

Master Sergent Gerben ... what brings thee 'ear upon such a ghastly 'our? ... ye 'ave taken me by surprise, I was nae expecting company let alone expecting te see thee standing at me door ...

For those that knew the history between the two, it was kind of a love lost relationship that they had. Both ego's were bigger and brighter than the others, they were always very competitive. Most of the time, they couldn't stand each other, though, when it came down to the nitty gritty of it all, down to the honor of the home they once shared together, they did in fact have great "concern" for each other. Still, unless it was more than necessary to show such care it was kept to the clashing of each others ego's, the talking down to one and another, the spiteful jesting. It was his turn now to speak, and as he did, he looked her up and down. His look of arrogance and somewhat of a disgust in her shone through his eyes clearly.

Siya, I have come baring some, what ye would call, word ... that I think ye be unaware of.

A smirk pressed upon his lips, it was almost as if it pleased him but at the same time disgusted him to be telling her this "word". She had screwed her face up at him already, the oh so familiar look he was giving her, it just made her want to sock him one right then and there, but in her absence for such a very long time, she thought it not be wise, well, not at this very moment anyway. She now returned the up and down look at him, as her hand left the door handle and she swung around making her way back into her room, heading back towards her chair, her back now facing him. Leaving the door open for him to enter if he wished. She spoke with a certain tone of arrogance that he was quite accustomed to coming from her.

Oh ... thee 'ave word fer me aye? ... Please do share such "word" with me shall thee Gerben, such a word that 'ad te be shared at such an ungodly 'our and that could nae possibly wait until the first light of the morn ... and iff'n ye must, ye may enter me room.

She let out a rather sarcastically exhausted drawn sigh, she was but a few steps away from the comfort of her chair when he spoke the words that stopped her dead in her path. She could feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of her head, the tone of his words indicated that he wore a very smug grin on his face as he knew, he fully knew that this word would affect her in a way that no other words would affect her.

Well, Siya ... it appears that Sir Dorian Hawkmoon, ye dear Father, has returned to the walls of Windstorm once again. I thought that that may just tickle your intrest ... "M'Laaaady"...

The emphasis on him referring to her as "M'Lady" was full of sarcasm, even a deaf person would have known this. She had frozen mid stride. A deep chill ran through every bone in her entire body. From head to toe a tremor ran through her. Still she had not turned back to face Gerben. Even though she knew he knew her reaction, she refused to turn and face him so that he could see her facial features. He paused for a moment obviously to let those words linger long enough for his own personal enjoyment and then, as per normal, he let the insults fly. A sarcastic chuckle escaped his breath as he began to spew out his words.

It is typical. Completely typical. Ye both leave, just ... disappear, leaving the rest of the enforcements to pick up the slack and the responsibilities around Windstorm. Then out of nowhere ... ye both just decide to show up within a matter of a month or so of each other and expect that we shall ooooh and ahhhh at the both of your return? Tell me Siya ... did ye both plan this? Huh? Ye think that ye are both people of Honor here now? Prithee Siya, please do indulge me? At the best of times I nae trusted ye Father ... and the apple does nae fall far from the tree, when it comes to thee both, would ye nae agree with me? Speak up child ... I can nae hear ye and I be wanting answers... explanations... ye owe me and the rest of the Windstorms enforcements such answers...

Now normally, at this point, her hands would curl into fighting fists and if history served right, she would be taking a swing at him. But as much as he made her blood boil, he had, in some instance had a right to say what he was saying. She knew not that her Father had left after she had. She did not know why he had left. She had yet to explain to all those that resided here and that she called her friends and family. But at the same time, she cared not for the tone he spoke to her in, nor for the way he had delivered the news of her Father, nor for insulting them both.

For a moment, she lost track of the conversation, in real, it was just a minute or so, but in her head, as these thoughts ticked over it felt like hours. Her FATHER was back. She feared him. Oh how deeply she loved him and she would die for that man, but after she disappeared without a word to him she feared him, for out of everyone, even her husband ... it was her Father she was most afraid of facing upon her return.

Though she had not got around to discussing this with anyone of old, she hated that she almost felt relief when she had heard he too had taken leave from Windstorm. But NOW ... now the news of his return. Would he detest her for just slipping away into thin air with naught the concern for anyone but herself. Would he disown her for doing such? Would he even recognise her? Would he even consider her still to be his daughter or would he strip the "Hawkmoon" name from her? She knew she must have bought great shame to him when she took off, especially in the high regard she had earned within Windstorms walls, the honor bestowed upon her here and she so selfishly gave it up without warning, without reason ... without care for anyone or anything.

She was deathly scared of facing him, but at the same time she longed so very much to have him embrace her in his protective and loving hold that he so freely gave to her, even before she bore his name. What would happen when they meet face to face once again?

She gathered herself, her annoyance at Gerben was unable to be masked as she turned to face him, her irish accent strong, it always became much thicker and stronger when she was annoyed to a certain point. She growled at him, her eyes darkened and bore down upon him.


While I be respecting ye need fer answers Gerben, I nae be respectin' ye tone that ye be deliverin' them in ... nor de I be respectin' the need te insult me and me Father. While I be understandin' o' ye questions ... I shall be "politely" delcinin' te answer them at this point in time ... I will 'owever be makin' it clear te thee, and I speak on be'alf o' me Father when I say such ... that although we may 'ave left our 'ome on such notice, and that I with nae a missive as te why ... that the both o' us 'ave nae e'er given Windstorm a reason te nae trust us, and I assure thee that we 'onour Windstorm Castle and thee Queen with naught but great respect...

I be thankin' ye fer deliverin' me such word on me Father ... now I be askin' ye ... NAE, I be tellin' ye te leave ... afore I am te perhaps make a move I shall later regret ... which would truly ... nae be so respectful ... iff'n ye be understandin' what I mean? ...

By now, during their heated words, they stood face to face, almost touching noses, ego's both too big for them to bare. Both their faces were a flush with a crimson heat that could start a fierce fire. She could feel his breath upon her as he most likely could feel hers. Steam could almost be coming from their ears and noses. His lips pressed sternly shut. It was almost as if he was keeping in a few words that best be kept in rather than out. Many times had they ended up in this situation, many times it had lead further than an exchange of words. The sparring pits. A place they spent a lot of time together in, although it often looked to others as if they were training, but a large amount of the time, it was them sorting out their "differences".

Before she knew it, he had made the first move, his hand raised swiftly, she did not budge an inch. Then, as much as it surprised her and she was preparing herself for far worse, his hand just sat upon her shoulder for a moment. His features did not change, it was still that of a raging bull, but it was the moment and gesture that shocked her. She felt a squeeze of her shoulder. It was not tender but it was not harmful. It was just simply a squeeze and as quick as it happened was as quick as he retracted his hand.

Before she had even had then chance to take all this in and for her lips to part, for her brain to even form some sort of a reaction in words to what had just happened he turned upon his heels and headed out the door, though not before bellowing out a few last words in his typical fashion, and for all that was within hearing distance would hear, even though the hour was very late.

'twas my pleasure to inform ye of such word child. Just so ye know, this isn't the end of this discussion ... there will be repercussions for
ye actions. Go to bed child, ye look like ye are in need of a good nights sleep.

With that, her room door slammed shut and she was by herself again, the argument, the moment of gesture, the news of her father, her return to Windstorm. It was overwhelming, instead of returning to the chair, she went straight to her bed and though she did not cry, tears did well in her eyes and for a while she was too distracted by her thoughts to sleep, but after awhile it was almost as if her welling tears were like super glue, and they welded her eyes shut and she found sleep. It wouldn't come peacefully to her that morning, but at least it came to her in the end.

[Lady Edfeil]

((*LOL* Great post, though a bit harsh of our usual fatherly iron eater. He mellowed out a bit over the years.))

[=Siya Maiden=]

(( perhaps Siya's return has fired up the old man again! He must have missed her terribly over the years! ))