ghosts in the walls

Usually Echo tried to avoid visiting places in the Lowlands that came close to touching the borders of the Mainland. The people of Edinburgh were fine enough; practical and hardworking, usually she got on well with most of them. Not many still held the beliefs of the Highlanders, or even the Lowlanders further north, so she didn’t feel so... out of the loop. Being born in the College made her a Lowlander but being raised by an Outsider meant she’d missed out on much of the beliefs and culture. It made her feel like she didn’t belong almost, and at least coming down south meant she didn’t have to try to pretend like she belonged. Unfortunately, there was usually the problem further south of royalists, and it was really the only reason she didn’t travel south very often. Alas, where there were ruins and ancient places to explore there she would be. Even the threat of running into royalists wouldn’t keep her away from her bounty. Since leaving the College she’d found some interesting places and even more interesting artefacts for trade. It wasn’t as safe or as peaceful as her time in the College had been but at least she enjoyed it. And she supposed it was peaceful in its own way. There was something to be said for spending time in the silence of dusty old ruins. Ghosts, she’d decided, were much better company than people. Presently she was nose deep in a smaller ruin not too far from where most civilised Lowlanders made their living. At first she’d wondered if it was even worth exploring seeing as anyone would have been able to access it but it was always worth checking. It was not the grandest ruin she’d ever explored. She enjoyed the one made of stone that sprawled out across the countryside. This one seemed to be made of more wood than stone, but there did seem to be two levels to it. Echo had left a rabbit and a pheasant outside on the grass - her meals for later when the job was done - and beside them was a small pile of items that she’d plundered that may or may not be tradeable. She’d go through them properly later. The small female did not feel any need to be quiet about what she was doing. The wood creaked when she walked over rotten patches and sometimes items would clatter as she inspected them or knocked them over. Now, if she could find another book that would definitely sell for a pretty penny! "Speak."

"It's kind of..." Victorian stopped for a moment, tipping his chin up to stare at the crumbling structure. Moss and ivy grew along the stone and chunks of missing mortar gave way to the void within. If he got closer, perhaps he would see rotten wood or strange trees that had grown into rectangles (bookshelves, as they were called). These caves were unlike any others, and they were often full of little knickknacks that grew nowhere else. "Pretty."

A dark ear twitched and the soldier glanced at his presiding general. The timber wolf was larger than Victorian and surefooted, easily carving a path through the tall grasses to the dilapidated cottage.

Victorian followed at the man's shoulder, conscientious of where he placed his paws and how closely he hovered. He needed to be close enough to provide support, yet not so clingy as to become a burden should a northern rebel leap from the bushes. Granted, none has been so foolhardy. Most seemed to have bent a knee to the crown, however bitterly.

As they neared, he couldn't help but feel his belly rumble. Amber eyes widened and he found his muzzle being inexplicably drawn to the right. And, as he approached (straying from Kvothe's side), he realized why. A pheasant and a rabbit, both plump and still warm with the blood in their bodies, lingered nearby a crumbling doorway.

In an instant, hunger gave way to anxiety and Victorian's gaze whipped back to his commanding officer.


@Kvothe @Echo

for king and country

Edinburgh was familiar. It lingered, complacent and comfortable, on the outskirts of the lowlands, having been the first of such to bend knee to the mainland king. The rolling hills and quaint trading towns were not so very far removed from the more civilized castelry, and they made for a calming, routine patrol. It was rare that any of the Army encountered trouble in this quarter any more - but that was no-doubt thanks to the regular presence of the Imperial Guard. Allowed to stagnate, or left to its own devices, there was no doubt that the land would slide back into its old, superstitious ways.

Fortunately, Kvothe was diligent in both duty and discourse. He made a point to assign himself - and his men - to all reaches of Lowland patrol routes, as much to be seen as to gain experience with the terrain. He had a working relationship with some of the main tradesmen in the area - strained, but cordial. It was as best as he could hope for, and he did not overstep the bounds of his office. That was something he'd impressed upon his men, too - he would not tolerate abuses of power against the peoples they were sworn to protect.

His ear twitched as Victorian's voice complimented the unexpected beauty of the crumbling ruin. He could say something trite, about how beauty and danger often went hand in hand. He could offer some warning on the poisonous draw of the deceitful lowland. He could admonish the boy for becoming distracted in his task. But Kvothe was nothing if not honest. "I have always found it so," he agreed, his courtly, cultured voice hushed in genteel reverence.

As they continued walking along in relative silence, Victorian's stomach complained into the comfortable quiet. Kvothe turned his head, about to gently reprimand the younger male for breaking formation - when he abruptly noticed the direction of the darker male's gaze. Kvothe halted in place, too experienced not to note the sudden tension that tore into Victorian's body, too wary not to catch the desperate anxiety in Victorian's questioning gaze. Kvothe's eyes narrowed upon the abandoned offering. The bodies lay innocently in the entryway, too neatly slain - too precisely placed - to be an accident. A small pile of items lay piled beside them, almost magpie-like.

A trap? A lure? Or a simple case of forgotten foodstuffs? Looking around, bi-colored optics alighted upon trail and track, ears twitching as a sudden bang and rustle echoed from within the shelter. Kvothe silently gestured for Victorian to take up a flanking position, while the Colonel himself stepped forward and called into the abandoned cottage.

"Who goes there? "

code by claerie

Echo was oblivious to the two men standing outside eyeing up her dinner and spoils. If she'd thought it through rather than diving in eagerly she might have thought to hide her items from sight rather than displaying them so brazenly out in the open, especially so close to the trail. As it was she was far too focused on finding every last secret this abandoned structure had to offer. She even made herself jump when her rummaging ended up knocking several items over. The resulting dust that flew up into her face made her sneeze and she almost didn't hear the voice that called to her from outside. Echo froze, eyes darting around as her mind raced. The voice had been stern, authoritative. For a moment she dithered, wondering whether she could get away with pretending she wasn't there before remembering the items she'd left outside. There was no way she wanted to lose them. Slowly, cautiously, she peeked her head from around the entrance to the building, blue eyes landing on the two larger men. Great, she thought. She couldn't tell just by looking, of course, but she wouldn't be surprised if they were soldiers. Her gaze jumped from one to the other and then to her pile of items. Thankfully it looked like they hadn't been touched. She only stepped out far enough that they could see her face, her ears flattening against her skull warily. "... Yes? What do you want?" Her tone was neither friendly not antagonistic but she knew she had to be careful. Already she was outnumbered, and she didn't want to anger them. "Speak."

As Kvothe stepped forward, Victorian stopped. He swallowed, nodded stiffly, then drifted to the left. Amber eyes uneasily skirted the surrounding underbrush. Mere moments before, it had all seemed so friendly. The rustle of the leaves had been born of the dancing wind, not faceless rebels that had yet to bend the knee. Although guerilla attacks had grown increasingly infrequent, Victorian had experience enough Highlander ire to know that few would accept a treaty of any kind... let alone one so shoddily made.

Victorian absently chewed on his lip. The slight pressure kept his mind focused while soothing his imagination before it ran too wild. It was possible that this was just a family exploring the castle and meandering about. Outside of wartime, the displaced foodstuffs would have struck him as perfectly ordinary.

There was no need to be so... uncertain. And yet...

"... Yes? What do you want?"

A wolf's face became visible. Dark fur, blue eyes, and the rest swathed in shadow. The rest of her was concealed by the castle walls and his suspicions rose. What was she hiding? Were there others? Victorian glanced at Kvothe, eagerly awaiting his commanding officer's orders.


@Kvothe @Echo

for king and country

The dark face that peered out from the shadows was wary, suspicious - blue eyes were cautious, ebony ears flattened against an arched crown. It was a familiar expression, one he'd seen repeated on lowlander brow and highlander mask alike. If they did not fear him outright, they despised him - and even in the best case scenario, most viewed him with abject distrust. It was the rare town and the rarer commoner that welcomed the king's army in any capacity, and thus Kvothe had long since grown immune to the slings and arrows of the populace's disdain for the soldiery. The stranger was merely an echo of the common political sentiment, and so he did not hold it against her.

The Colonel kept his focus upon the unknown female, trusting in Victorian to watch their back. He did not meet the woman's inquiry with antagonism or brutish displays of authority - he did not swagger or sway, and his posture was kept in comfortable formality, neither demanding nor giving ground. He did not quite trust that she was alone, and was still wary of possible ambush...but his courtly training served him well, and he gave no outward indication of anything other than courteous attention.

"Your pardon, Miss. We were passing on patrol, and heard noises coming from the ruin. We stopped to be sure that nothing was amiss." Softened in conversational explanation, his voice was polite, genteel. He had never seen the merit in boorish bluster; his superiors often mocked his 'softer' approach to the natives, but if flies must be caught, then he was better equipped to do so with honey rather than vinegar.

Technically speaking, the stranger had committed no crime...that they were aware of, at least. Looting was frowned upon in most social circles, of course, but unless the ruin was claimed by a particularly cantankerous nobleman, there was little merit in arresting her over a few scavenged trinkets. The lands were public, and so her hunting had not crossed the line into poaching. It remained to be seen, however, if her presence heralded some more nefarious purpose. "I am Kvothe Immortalis, Colonel of His Majesty's Imperial Army. What business brings you all the way out here, Miss...?" His voice trailed off, inviting an introduction in kind.

code by claerie

Echo's sharp gaze darted from wolf to wolf, tracking their movements with a critical eye. The dark one, he was younger and looked to the grey wolf often, perhaps waiting for an order or a signal. It was clear who was in charge between them and only made her more suspicious of who she was dealing with. Echo did not totally dismiss the younger male but most of her attention moved to rest on the one who clearly had senior authority. When he addressed her it was politely and his stance gave her no indication that he was gearing up for a confrontation. She didn't like it. She expected him to be blunt and boorish and demanding and his gentle manner set her teeth on edge. Perhaps he was waiting for her to step a toe out of line before showing his true colours. "I'm not trespassing." Her words were stiff and she shuffled out of the shadows a bit further. "This doesn't belong to anyone." She motioned with her muzzle to the dilapidated cottage, unintentionally mimicking the younger man by worrying at her lower lip. Echo counted herself lucky that she'd been found on public land - noble claims had never stopped her before from exploring where she wanted. She couldn't catch the sigh before it left her lips, a resigned sound once it was made crystal clear who it was she was dealing with. Could be worse, she supposed. They could be bandits, though in her own head the distinction between brigand and soldier was blurry. It took her a moment to reply as her blue eyes scanned between theirs until it bordered on awkward, perhaps rude. "Echo." She supplied her name, albeit reluctantly, and she shrugged, not sure what they expected of her. She wanted to say something sarcastic but managed to reign it in. "Just... looking. Collecting... Making a living. Is that alright, Colonel?" Okay, so maybe the pointed tone at the end wasn't needed but Echo could rarely help herself. "Speak."

Rather than bristle and make demands, the Colonel adopted a more diplomatic approach. In fact, one could almost call it casual.

A conversational lilt stole Kvothe's every word and bathed it in hints of warmth and honey. It was as though he spoke of the weather or the local hunter's catch of the day. There was no indication of tension, no betrayal of discomfort or suspicion.

Victorian did his best to try and mirror his Colonel but, alas, he had yet to adapt a facade so smooth and unbroken. His lips formed a neutral line (at least not a frown) and his eyes were largely unreadable. Occasionally, those golden irises would flit to Kvothe's face but, by and large, he stared at the woman, gaze drifting from paws to shoulders to face. He wanted to know, to find a crystal ball in her fur that would tell him if her intentions were pure.

But alas, he had no fated ability for prophecy.

He did have intuition, however, and the woman's icy demeanor did not defrost from Kvothe's kindness. If anything, she seemed to cling to brevity as if it was a lifeline in this sea of conversation. Despite himself, Victorian felt a nerve twang as her blunt attitude played against his patience. Nothing she said was overtly disrespectful and yet...

Dark ears flicked in outright annoyance as she pointed her words at Kvothe as though her tongue wielded a sword. Still, Victorian remained silent.

Well, almost silent. A huff escaped from him before he could tighten his teeth together.


@Kvothe @Echo

for king and country

Though he was careful to project a calm, smooth exterior, the effort seemed to grate against the suspicious loner. She eyed them with, if anything, more derision than before - as if by subverting her expectations, they had offered her personal insult. Kvothe kept his mask firmly in place, neither perturbed nor wholly surprised by the woman's icy demeanor. It was a song and dance he was well familiar with - and for all that it had nothing in common with the wicked waltzes and perfunctory promenades of the court, he liked it just as little. Still, his experience as both soldier and courtier had inured him to the slings and arrows of contempt and aggression, and he stood like an iron wall before the venom and vitriol of those who would dash themselves against the ivory stone and concrete mortar of his practiced bastion.

She asserted that she was not trespassing, defending her actions with the blunt edge of words wielded like weapons. But Kvothe wore armor, and stood unaffected. "No, Miss. I imagine our conversation would have begun quite differently, if it did." His voice was mild, and his mien was unruffled, even as the silence wore pointedly on. When she eventually spoke again, it was to proffer her name, though the syllables wore no softer the second time around. The soft huff of breath that Victorian chuffed out behind him was answered only by a flick of a single, dark ear on Kvothe's part - they did not need to meet antagonism with antagonism in kind. "A pleasure then, Miss Echo." He dipped his head cordially, though his eyes never wavered from the woman's face. He did not address the pointed question levied in regards to her making a living, markedly ignoring her scalding tone. "I beg your forgiveness for the interruption."

His personal preference would dictate that they simply let her be about her own business, though her claim to any spoils was questionable at best. If they were to adhere to the very letter of the law, all valuables scavenged from public property should go to the crown, for assessment and dispersal. At the very least, a portion should be levied for taxes. That...was probably not going to be the case, here. Still, if they let her go, and she was apprehended by another soldier later on...Or worse, if it turned out that she had been up to some more nefarious purpose after all, and they had not done their part to properly investigate...

He was loathe to make trouble for trouble's sake; the army's relationship with the natives was tenuous at best. Kvothe bit back a growl of frustration. He was loyal to the King, but oft times the agents of the crown cut off their nose to spite their face. And sometimes, he was made to wield the knife, whether he willed it or no. "We would gladly offer our aid - and when the work is done and the ruin clear, I would be more than happy to transfer the crown's tax directly to the Barracks, to save you the journey." It was a genuine offer, and a warning, spoken in the same breath. His courtier was showing - all the more so as he looked to Victorian with steel and starlight behind his bi-colored gaze.

code by claerie

No matter the sharp words she flung his way, the soldier seemed to take every stab and slash in stride, never once rising to the bait, her subtle antagonism rolling off his calm demeanor like water off a duck's back. Honestly, she wasn't really sure how to react to it. Part of her wanted to lash out just to make them prove their true, unsavory colours, and the other part was almost happy to go along with the cordiality, knowing that the less she pushed, the less they were likely to push back. Despite her making trouble for herself an awful lot Echo did prefer things in life to be easy. The younger wolf huffed, clearly not as unaffected by her as his superior was. She merely narrowed her eyes at him, almost daring him to step a toe out of line just so she could see if the other soldier would let him. "A pleasure then, Miss Echo." It wasn't a pleasure, and she was sure it wasn't going to become a pleasure, but she chose not to say anything smart. At the very least, he was one of the more polite soldiers she'd come across. Ugh, he was trying to kill her with kindness, she knew it. Deflecting her jabs with eloquent ease. She let him, albeit with a grimace. Two against one, she decided this was not a fight she wanted to pick so she merely sighed and shrugged. "It's... fine." It wasn't, not really. But maybe now they would leave her alone. Except, they didn't. The trio stood for a breath staring at each other, waiting for someone to make the next move, and when it came it elicited a short bark of laughter from Echo. When she realised he really wasn't joking her jaw snapped shut with an audible clack and her eyes pointed heavenward as if the answers to her problems could be found in the fluffy clouds that drifted above. It was incredibly obvious she was trying really hard not to say something that would get her in trouble, her cheeks puffing slightly as she chewed on the words she really wanted to say. She knew he wasn't as nice as he was making himself out to be. When she looked back at him her smile was tight, forced, as was her now polite tone. "It's really... no problem." She forced out as cordially as she could. "I'm going in that direction anyway. I'm sure you have many more important duties to attend to. Lands to keep safe, bandits to eliminate... that sort of thing. I hear they're strife around these parts. Thieves and brigands... pretty sure I heard someone scream earlier. Came from that direction." She pointed very obviously in the direction they'd come from. "I dunno it... sounded important. Should probably investigate." "Speak."