peerless_thayet | (no subject)

(no subject)

Just before dawn, the raiders close in on the village and Pirate's Swoop, expecting to tighten their net and catch the Tortallans unaware. Instead they invade an empty village and face the castle's closed gates. On the wall, warriors and villagers alike stare down at them, fully armed.

Their surprise is a morale boost that is sorely needed when the sun's light spills over the horizon and the unnatural fog rolls in, the dampening spells contained within making Gifted individuals weak and unable to work the simplest magic.

Ignoring Buri's token protests, Thayet finishes a quick meal, pulls her hair into a tight bun and climbs the stairs to the observation deck with her bow and arrows. She takes two trainees along, Elnore and Padrach, and nods to George and his guards.

The fog is thick, almost gritty on her skin. Aside from various consultations with George, Onua and Numair, all she can do is wait.

[Scene and some dialogue taken from Wild Magic, by Tamora Pierce.]

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Just behind her a throat clears itself. It's a sign of respect that Raph gives the Queen that much of a warning of his whereabouts.

"Ma'am."
Over the years his Brooklynese has faded considerably, but there's still no doubt to any native Tortallan that this is a foreign accent.

His accent is definitely distinctive. To anyone who had been beyond Tortall's borders, it probably wouldn't pass for Gallan or Tyran or whatever country Alanna used to claim he was from. At the moment she can't recall. The night was long and sleep unattainable.

Checking her bowstring, Thayet glances up at the fog.

"Don't you start with the needless formality," she chides Raph. Her voice is pitched low, keeping her words between them. One or two guards stand within earshot and sometimes, under such circumstances, the rules and familiarity of tradition help keep some people from feeling lost or scared.

Raph never seemed the sort, however.

Edited 2009-06-15 18:46 (UTC)

"No offense? But it's been my experience that there ain't no such thing as needless formality when addressin' a lady with a weapon."

She doesn't have to be looking at him to know that his smirk is there.

Thayet lifts her head and laughs quietly, the sound rich and clear, then lowers it once more to continue going over her bow.

Again.

She's checked every inch of it and her two daggers at least twice since arriving on the observation deck.

"No offense taken, Raphael."

Her smile is an invitation to speak freely.

"Good to know."

He approaches the wall properly, brow furrowing as he attempts to see through the fog. As if distance from the wall itself was what was making visibility so poor.

"I hate this."
Waiting. Fog. Waiting. The uncertainty. And yeah...mostly the waiting.

Quiet for a long moment, Thayet nods.

"As do I."

She reaches a hand over the wall and swirls it through the air, before closing her fingers into a fist, like she's capturing the fog and wringing out its secrets.

"Do you know what this is?"

"Fog," he replies lamely. "Only, it's not not like anythin' I've ever seen in person before."

Now is not the time to try and explain movie SFX fog machines.

"There're rumblings that this ain't what you'd call natural weather."

A faint smile.

Thayet tells him, "The rumblings are correct. Our enemies hide behind it, waiting to strike, but they have also packed this fog full of dampening spells. Every Gifted individual within these walls is feeling it press heavily down upon them."

Her gaze flicks to Numair. He's standing at the other end of the deck, hands on the wall, looking strained.

Yeah...that's what he was afraid of.

"i hate magic," he says before he can stop himself.

"It has its uses," says Thayet, "as well as its disadvantages. Why do you hate it?"

Polite curiosity lights her eyes, even if the truly courteous thing to do would be to leave the question unasked. If he intends to fight a battle in Tortall, he may very well have to get used to it.

He grunts.
"I don't trust any weapon I don't personally know how to use. Last thing I want to have to worry about in battle is whether or not what's being used to back me up is going to work."

Like...say...NOW for instance.

"That's understandable," she says, though she doubts that is the extent of his dislike. "These spells are powerful. I can't imagine they are the work of just one mage, and thus would take a great deal of strength to unravel. Isn't it strange, then, that our second most powerful mage was called away just before we came under siege?"

The look she gives him is both thoughtful and pointed.

"Yeah...now that you mention it? That is kinda a little too well timed to be mere coincidence."

Raph turns away from the fog, looking instead at Thayet.
Give him a head to break, and then consider it broken.

"Isn't it just."

Thayet might be cool and collected on the surface, but there's an undeniable hint of anger in her eyes and thin smile.

"I suppose it was the Stormwings spying on us," she adds. "A chilling thought."

"Certainly not one that's going to help me sleep easy tonight, that's for sure."
Said as if sleep was at all an option.

That gets a laugh.

"Sleep? Oh, I very much doubt they'll want to allow us any of that. Although," she remarks, smile widening, "it might take them a while to regroup from the shock they received at dawn. I almost wish I had stayed behind in the village to better see their faces when they found it empty and the walls manned."

Raph snickers.

"You an' me both, kid. You an' me both."

What he wouldn't have given to have placed a camera down at Village level.

One regal eyebrow lifts: kid? Now he's done an about face. Thayet would point it out, but her levity is short-lived.

"They will be after us," she says evenly, "when they come. Roald, Kalasin and myself."

He nods, but suspiciously his amusement doesn't seem to abate. Raph does so enjoy a good fight.

"It'll never happen. Not on our watch."

"No, it won't."

A level look.

"However, the Lioness trusts you and Adam to see the triplets to safety if need be, correct?"

He nods again. "It won't come to that, but yes."

Yes, he is that sure, why do you ask?

His assurance is appreciated; ignored, but appreciated.

"If it does," she says firmly, "I'd like to know that my children will be similarly looked after. The additional responsibility is a lot to ask, I know, but my lord and I would be eternally grateful."

She'll fight to the end, if she knows Roald and Kally are safe.

Raph only allows himself enough pause to blink in surprise, before responding.

"It would be my honor."

He's making a mental note to figure out exactly how to break news of an oath like this to Abigail.

The prince and princess will be fiercely guarded by everyone within these walls. That said, there are reasons Thayet asks this of Raph, and they have everything to do with who he truly is and where he's truly from.

"Thank you."

She wonders, briefly, what Abigail would make of Milliways.

"Since that is settled..." White teeth flash in a quick smile. "Has your sweetheart forgiven you for being on a first name basis with the Queen of Tortall?"

Yeah...remember how he was damn near oozing bravado a second ago?
Not quite so much anymore. In an effort to avoid further eye contact, Raph has once again begun to scan where he believes the horizon to be. Damn fog.

"Time will tell," he says with a sigh.