A New Start

[Existentially Odd]

She looked him over assessingly, her gaze raking him from head to waist (which was all she could see with him standing where he was) and back up again, inadvertently tilting her head as if she was weighing up his greatest attributes for a reward of some sort.

"It\'s only a lunch at the inn, what you\'re wearing is fine.  Who\'s Pandora?"

[Kysis]

Kysis was about to answer her that question when the door came open behind the Captain, a little girl with bouncy blond ringlets and big, blue-green eyes came bounding in, skipping past her and straight towards Kysis.  She hugged him as soon as she was in proximity.  Rico, looking exhausted, came inside just after her, holding a bag which he tossed across the room, Kysis catching.

"I had to chase her all around the marketplace to get that." Rico was breathing heavily, his fancy clothing not helping any.  He glanced over at the Captain with a cocked eyebrow, deciding not to say anything further.

He was about to introduce Pandora when the girl walked towards the Captain, offering a hand up to her.  "HI.  I\'m Pandora."  She giggled a little, but kept her hand offered up for a shake.  Her big eyes were expectant.

"My daughter."

For a second Pandora turned her head, asking a question back towards Kysis. "When is mommy coming to join us?"  She turned back to look at the Captain in time to miss his flinch, the sudden painful closing of his eyes.  Kysis still had yet to tell her.  The time would come for that.  It wasn\'t now.

Kysis was not going to let Pandora disrupt them for much longer, but since Pandora seemed adamant on meeting the Captain, Kysis would humor her.

[Existentially Odd]

Wilson blinked, taking in the newest entrants\' behaviours, as well as the reaction of Lord Liari when asked about his daughter\'s mother.  How interesting.  Filing that tidbit away for later, she crouched down in front of the beautiful child (feeling her excessive height even more when faced with such a pint-sized person) and took her glove off in order to shake her little hand sombrely.

"Hello, Pandora, I\'m Captain Wilson.  You speak wonderful English, you should fit right in here in Oberon," she complimented, realising that the mother subject was a touchy one and hoping that her comment didn\'t persuade Pandora\'s thinking back to that.  She released the delicate little hand with something close to awe, tucking her own hand back in atop her thighs, finding the enormous eyes and bouncing curls of the little girl before her fascinating on a maternal level that had no place in her life right then.  She could\'ve looked at her for hours, finding the parts in which she could identify the Lord most interesting of all.

[Kysis]

Pandora grinned, happy that her tutoring in English had been successful.  Rico wasn\'t that terrible of a teacher, after all.  She gave a little curtsy as soon as her hand was let go of, since she was wearing a little light green dress.  Pandora was spoiled, to say the least.  Helen had enjoyed doing that, and now that Helen was dead, Kysis couldn\'t bring himself to deny Pandora anything.

During that little exchange Kysis had vanished behind the counter.  He was standing again now, wearing a different tunic, this one high collared and more suiting to his station.  It was dark blue, matching his eyes, probably one of Kysis\' favorite colors.  It did not help his mood any though.  Kysis was not wearing the ring, a tan line marking where it had been.  The ring was on a chain around his neck, his signet ring hanging from that same chain.  He felt like he didn\'t have the right to wear either since he had failed both.

Kysis walked out from behind the counter, striding towards them.  He forced a smile for Pandora but it did not reach his eyes. "I\'m ready now.  Sorry for delaying you."  Kysis put a hand on Pandora\'s head, ruffling her curls a little.  He did not look at her while doing it.  Looking at her now would remind him of Helen, whom everyone was sure Pandora would grow up looking like.  Kysis agreed.  But now...

He dragged his thoughts away from that, looking at the Captain.  She did not seem to mind the delay.  Pandora looked up, or at least tried to, then skipped away and went out the door past Rico, who let out a frustrated sigh and chased after her.

[Existentially Odd]

"It\'s no problem," she dismissed the apology offhandedly, unable to help admiring the new cut and colour of his tunic as she raised herself to her feet, her gaze travelling the length of his body very naturally.  He looked regal and handsome and it really emphasised the colour of his good eye.  "Very nice," she told him approvingly, smiling at him in a way that was definitely approval from a woman to a man, rather than one business associate to another.

She didn\'t linger there any longer, however, feeling it would be best to begin the official side of their interaction.  "So you would want to do your demonstration out the front, yes?" she enquired, stepping forward and out of the shop, expecting her companion would follow and describe in full detail the exact area he anticipated would need to be partitioned off (which would tell her how many men she\'d need to contribute).

[Kysis]

Kysis ignored the comment about his appearance, as he really didn\'t care, but a hand was still run through his straight, platinum hair, pushing it back from his face.  The strands arranged themselves neatly around his face, much to his dismay, but Kysis did not have time (or the care) to concentrate on it, walking swiftly outside after her.

This is where he clicked into business mode.

"This area,"  Kysis walked in an arc along the front, the two buildings next to his making up two of the walls enclosing it already, his store the back though the front was still open, "will be roped off so the circle here can be the demonstration area.  We plan on having some armored dummies and wood blocks to demonstrate on.  If anyone comes, they can watch from behind the rope, on the market side."

Kysis hoped his walking around and verbalization would help her decide what would be needed.  But he had forgotten a point, "Two of my own guards will be in the shop with the new hired help, and two guards plus my Retainer will be helping out in the exhibition itself.  And me."

Alexandri and Jax had been the first two to volunteer, Kysis having to bribe Rico to join in as well.  Rico had driven a steep offer.  Oh well.  It couldn\'t be that bad, having to watch over his own daughter for a week.... right?

[Existentially Odd]

She watched the area he described, visualising as he did and calculating as well.  She was surprised, realising only then that his contacting the Oberon had guard had really been a formality, rather than a necessity.  The man was smart, to be showing such courtesy to those that governed his new home; he was obviously an expert tactician.

"I see," she said, smiling a little.  "I don\'t think we\'ll need to provide too much assitance, then.  Perhaps two guards on a standing station and a patrol moving through the crowd?" she enquired, betting that he had exact figures and even a plan for the itinerary in his head.  She would allow him to tell her what he thought and let him think she was thinking it was all her idea, when she knew it was his.  He was experienced and she liked seeing just how much.

As he answered, she began walking them in the direction of the Scowling Boar.

[Kysis]

"Two would work, if one was at each side of this arc.  One moving through would be tricky, but great for this."  Kysis nodded.  Originally he had been thinking of three stationary guards, one at each side and one in the center, but the roving one sounded better. "Can that many guards be spared?"

Kysis looked over at her as they were walking, glad to have her at his left.  Kysis was left handed, not to mention blind on the right side.  Having people on his right made him nervous.  This time was no different.  Kysis did not even trust Jax at his right.

If not, Kysis had a plan to cover for that as well.  Arivos and Alexandri could be out front then, cutting it to just Jax, Rico and Kysis doing the exhibition.  They had all been on the field of combat before, and together, so it would not be a problem at all.

However, it would be good to have Oberon\'s guard present.  That would show the people that this new business had their stamp of approval, which Kysis wanted more than their protection.

[Existentially Odd]

"A standard patrol is a pair," she corrected.  "I can spare four duty guards but my first lieutenant and myself will be present as well.  Just to satisfy our curiosity," she smiled vaguely, glancing at him as they strode along.

She liked that he was about as tall as her and that he moved with purpose and gracefully.  She didn\'t feel she needed to qualify her steps at all, which was a change.  Even her own guards tended to defer to her when they patrolled with her, simply because of who she was.

"Have you decided when you\'d like to stage it?" she queried, finding they were making excellent time towards the inn (where she\'d taken the time to drop in before her morning shift and warn the keeper that she and a companion would be coming for a late lunch and checking that there would still be food enough to impress the foreigner).

[Kysis]

Well, that was better than he had been expected.  The Captain and the Lieutenant both?  It was a victory in Kysis\' mind, a good first step towards getting his weapon\'s business settled in Oberon.  That would be good.  If their operations continued undiscovered in the back routes of the Kreos mines, they would still have the good steel.  The forge would be different, but that was ok.  They had managed to save all the staff before the Ottomans assaulted.  They had also managed to collapse the front entrances to the mines, so the Ottomans could never touch that steel unless they found the back entrances, on the other side of the pass.

It was a tactical situation Kysis had planned the moment he saw Ottoman ships on the horizon.

"You honor me."  It was a comment about her and the Lieutenant attending.  Of course, he was already on to other matters. "I would like the exhibition to happen after the shop is finished, like a grand opening.  It should be finished in a week.  We were going to have the print maker do some posters to put about the market, if that is alright."

Kysis had thought this through thoroughly.  It had given him something to think about other than all that was lost on his way up to Oberon.

[Existentially Odd]

"A week," she repeated thoughtfully, cementing the date in her mind and giving a nod to the rest of his statement.  "Yes, posters are a good idea, assuming they have a lot of pictures, not just words.  The general populace isn\'t highly educated," she warned, then gave a little laugh.  "Although, the clients you\'re expecting to attract will be, I suppose, so it shouldn\'t matter if you favour one over the other.  Both will get a good mix of observers."

Their conversation about the exhibition continued in the same vein for a few more minutes, by which time they\'d arrived at the Scowling Boar for their meal.  Wilson led the way to their table once she\'d opened the door for Lord Liari to precede her - an odd move to be sure, but one she felt right in making, as the \'host\' of the meal.  She\'d requested a table in a corner, behind a low wall that left them rather secluded and she left her guest on the spot as she went to the bar to let the innkeeper know they\'d arrived.

When she returned to the table, there was a barmaid in hot pursuit.  She sat and ordered an apple juice, allowing her companion to state his fancy for a beverage for the meal, then the girl moved away.  They\'d only had time to talk a little about the decor  of the place and for Lam to tell him that the establishment was generally host to the nobles of the city, before their meals arrived.  She explained that it had been a set menu - roast lamb and baked vegetables smothered with gravy, with a generous slice of bread each - and stated that she hoped he liked lamb.

Once they were settled into the meal and she\'d ascertained that they wouldn\'t be overheard (there was no-one near them and she felt that Lord Liari appreciated the corner she\'d chosen as well), Wilson felt more comfortable about broaching some of the questions that human curiosity - rather than business dealings - had aroused in her.

"So tell me, Lord Liari," she entreated as she stopped eating long enough to take a sip of her juice and then replace the tankard on the table, "what\'s made you decide to relocate to Oberon?"

[Kysis]

Pictures and words?  Alright.  Kysis still had most of Alia\'s sketches, a lot of which were done of the guards sparring, which would serve perfectly.  A lot of those sketches had been around his room in Kreos, a memory of his little sister who had died too young.  Kysis had managed to save most of the sketches in his mad dash to get everything he could out of the keep before escaping himself.  Luckily most of the people had gotten out as well.

It was easy to talk to the Captain, Kysis quickly found out.  He did not have to dumb down any of his language, or spend time explaining things, like the weapons terminology he used here or there.  There was no pausing either, and soon they were seated together, with drinks (Kysis had asked for a suggestion, since he hardly knew what Oberon had to offer), discussing some more.

Kysis almost laughed when asked if he liked lamb, mentioning that it was common fare in his homeland.  It was probably that comment which made her ask about his homeland.

Sharply Kysis looked down at the table, mouth going dry.  It still hurt to think about it.  It was too close behind him not to hurt, even with how cold he had become.

"The Ottomans attacked my homeland.  We barely made it out...." It was true.  Kysis had managed to get the city itself evacuated before the Ottomans attacked, but not the keep.  They were too busy collapsing all the entrances into the mines, trying to take what ore they could, emptying out the forges.  The Ottomans came down on them faster than Kysis thought they could.

It was all replaying in his eyes, showing there.  His right eye was blinded in those battles, barely healed now.  He had still not gotten used to it.

"My Master of Arms is from Ravenshom.  He suggested we come here." Tiberius had luckily made it out, with Calista and their child.  They stayed in Ravenshom for now, with Tiberius\' family.  Marcos and Arna had stayed even further south, overseeing the work at the other end of the mines.  The family was scattered, but still alive for the most part.

[Existentially Odd]

So it was war she was seeing reflected in his eyes, that dictated the tension in his carriage.  She assumed that that was where his wife was, that she\'d perished in his home land and he hadn\'t told his daughter yet, but she didn\'t know the man well enough to pry into such a personal matter.

"I\'m sorry to hear that," she said respectfully, her voice showing that she was genuinely troubled by this news.  "You must be relieved that you have Pandora?  She\'s beautiful," she smiled, trying to get him to focus on the positives.  He\'d got away with his life and his daughter, he had to be happy with that (unless he was like her father and resented the world because he\'d lost his wife and would take it out on the little blonde for the rest of her life... she supposed that she secretly wanted him to confirm he wouldn\'t do that, too, because she wouldn\'t have wished her life on another innocent child).

[Kysis]

Kysis nodded, glad that he had managed to save his daughter.  It had all come to the minute amount of training she had received.  Kysis had shown her a safe place to hide if something bad happened, and that she was not to come out unless he came to fetch her.  During the full Ottoman raid of the keep Kysis had dashed to that spot, grabbed his daughter and ran for dear life with her.

Somehow they had managed to get out and on Atropos without coming across any soldiers.

Luck, or fate, had been on their side that day.

"We managed to evacuate most of the people before the full attack."

Kysis just wished he had been able to save more.  That would be a brand of guilt that would rest on his shoulders for a long while.  Helen, however, being as stubborn as usual, had been part of her own demise.  Kysis would rather not think about it.

"I heard this place was peaceful, had no real enemies, so..."  There was no need to elaborate.  Kysis wanted peace after the bloodshed he had seen in Kreos.

[Existentially Odd]

"I can\'t imagine," she murmured, though she could, in a way.  It was right before her, in his ravaged countenance.  His final comment managed to drag her thoughts away from imagined atrocities and back to the present, making her thankful for her position.
 
"It\'s true.  Oberon is heavily fortified and well guarded; we haven\'t had to endure any attacks in recent memory and certainly not in the five years I\'ve been captain," she smiled, her gratitude for that evident in her eyes.  "I\'m not sure what we\'d do if and when it happened, though we do have escape routes and plans in place for the royal family.  We just have the guards, not an army who would be mobilised to take the fighting elsewhere."
 
It was a difficult thing to think about but really, if she didn\'t broach such uncomfortable issues, who would?  Just because they hadn\'t been attacked recently - for hundreds of years, in fact - didn\'t mean that it couldn\'t happen.  The world was an ever changing place.  "I might need to come to you for advice, if ever there was wind of trouble," she murmured, taking a drink of her juice and another bite of food before she continued.
 
"So why Oberon and not Ravenshom?  If your Master At Arms came from there, why did he recommend here not there?  Are you not the sea-dwelling type?" she asked playfully, thinking about the beautiful city on the ocean.  She loved it there; most likely because it was the place she and her lover snuck away to whenever they wanted a bit of peace and quiet (and they weren\'t fighting, like they currently were, of course).