i'll look after you

"Sometimes it's good to stop a moment, get off your horse, and see things a new way." [associated w/outrealmgates!!;; closed rp]

[calmcavalier]

Mistakes Were Made | Oscar + Stahl

[lancepaladin]

Oscar was always proud to talk about the Greil Mercenaries “We were a band of soldiers brought together by a man named Greil..we’d fight bands of thieves and thugs and protect villages, just that sort of stuff. I guess that’s about all you really need to know..but yes Elincia is very nice. I know she will be too.”

[calmcavalier]

"Wow. You guys sounded like you have a blast doing that kind of thing. But I suppose we're the same way. Are Greil and his mercenaries still around?"

"I hope I get the opportunity to meet both her and the other knights one day if I ever get the chance, then." He nodded at Oscar once more, but suddenly remembered something. "Speaking of which, where is Kieran? The last time I saw him was in a town a few ways away. Did he ever manage to meet with you?"

[calmcavalier]

Horse Boys || Frederick & Stahl

[frederikthewary]

Try not to scold him on his bad table manners this time, Frederick. The lack of a table at all would have to serve as a good enough reason to let it slide this time.

"Perfect! Sword and lance skills are always worth perfecting. I’m certain the other units will appreciate having another instructor as capable as you. I look forward to the evening now!"

After flashing Stahl a smile, Frederick returned to finishing his meal. Actually, he seemed to eat a bit faster than he was before. Maybe Stahl inspired him to get training earlier himself?

[calmcavalier]

(Time skip, woohoo!)

Evening had rolled by after the both of them finished Frederick's shared lunch. Stahl hadn't noticed how much time had gone by, too immersed in conversation with the other knight.

By the time the sun was about to set, the two set off towards the training grounds. Once there, Stahl greeted the younger trainees, deciding it would be best to start off with lance training, considering that he was better with them than swords.

With a lance in one hand, the green knight began to thrust it forward, demonstrating to the others how to properly position the weapon to effectively wield it in combat.

" .. Hyah! Just like that," He stepped back after stabbing one of the training dummies, motioning for the others to try as well. For a moment, he glanced over his shoulder at Frederick, wondering what he thought about his training methods.

He slowly gave him a thumbs up and a bashful smile, hoping he'd approve. He knew for a fact that Frederick took his training seriously and that his own methods probably differed greatly. Stahl never really had much experience with training others, anyways. It was him, most of the time, who had to be trained. 

[calmcavalier]

Mistakes Were Made | Oscar + Stahl

[lancepaladin]

"I certainly can believe it..Well can’t argue with peace now can you!"

"Hmm..of sorts. We mostly act as the Queen’s Knight’s and do any fighting necessary by the castle in pursuit of peace..From the way the Shepherds sound though I would probably liken it more to the Greil Mercenaries…Oh, sorry about that, but that would be Elincia! She’s a friend of mine and fairly new to the throne."

[calmcavalier]

"Exactly!" Stahl replied with a laugh.

"Is that so? It kind of sounds like what we do. Chrom is the lord of Ylisse and the head of the Shepherds. Who're the Greil Mercenaries, if you don't mind me asking?" He stared curiously at the other, a small smile on his face. "Elincia sounds like a nice girl though if she's your friend. I'm sure she'll be a great queen." 

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

[axepaladin]

Strange to many he knew, Kieran’s eyes and hearing (contrary to popular belief) were both perfect. Whether he used them properly or not could be argued, though. 

Kieran looked over to Stahl as he caught up, a smile on his face. “Full of energy?” he laughed. “I guess you could say that! Er, plenty of others have, anyway…” he shrugged it off, looking ahead as he rode on.

"It certainly seems so! Mountains and forests are both plentiful! I have yet to see much of this land, but I’m certain what we have is likely larger!" Surprisingly, he wasn’t just saying that in hopes of his land seeming superior. 

[calmcavalier]

"Huh...it certainly sounds like a really nice country," Stahl complimented, gazing around at their surroundings. It made him wonder, in fact, if he'd ever get a chance to see Crimea. Venturing off to another country always seemed like an interesting idea to him.

"Is there anything that really stands out in Crimea, if I may ask? Something you don't think any other country has?" His tone was completely and genuinely curious. 

[calmcavalier]

Mistakes Were Made | Oscar + Stahl

[lancepaladin]

Oscar shook his head “Can’t say I have. What is it you all do? Certainly an interesting name for an army..potentially misleading if I may say so.”

[calmcavalier]

"We simply try to preserve peace for our country. Haha, that's not the first time I've heard that." Stahl shook his head with a small grin. "I'm assuming the Crimean Knights do the same? Who hails over your country?" 

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

[axepaladin]

"Correct!" Kieran replied, trying to hold up his proud knowing of the unknown. "What did you say this land was called again? Elise? If you could direct me to Elise’s nearest town I would be most grateful, friend!"

Before awaiting an answer, Kieran patted his horse’s side and took off ahead of the knight in green. It seemed like Stahl had an odd day ahead of him.

[calmcavalier]

Stahl wondered if Kieran was both hard of hearing, had bad eyesight or was simply forgetful. He was sure that this would take some getting used to. "Er...Ylisse." He corrected with a small laugh. "I'd be happy to do t- h-hey! Wait up!"

As soon as Kieran began ride away with his horse, Stahl made quick work to follow, eventually catching up to the red head. "...You sure are full of energy, aren't you?" He let out a huff, gently motioning for his horse to walk beside Kieran's.

"So, is Crimea any different than Ylisse? Is it more mountainous or is it greener than it is here?" Considering how much energy Kieran had in him, the green knight assumed it wouldn't hurt to continue his small talk with Kieran. Maybe he'd learn a lot more about Crimea that way.

[calmcavalier]

Mistakes Were Made | Oscar + Stahl

[lancepaladin]

"Ha ha. Yeah. Lively definitely is one way to put it. Well, its great to meet you Stahl."

Oscar nodded “More or less. We’re part of Crimea’s Royal Knights..Its less conventional army really, my brother does that. We work more directly with the Queen..Who do you serve under? Those certainly isn’t mere civilian armor after all.” 

[calmcavalier]

"Crimea's Royal Knights...Kieran mentioned that too, actually. Though I can't say I've ever stepped foot onto a different country than Ylisse." 

"I serve within The Shepherds army, led by a man named Chrom. I don't suppose you've heard of Ylisse or The Shepherds?" 

[calmcavalier]

Mistakes Were Made | Oscar + Stahl

lancepaladin:

"O-oh..did he?…Well I’m sorry about that. He can get a little..uh..carried away sometimes. Ha ha. Well sorry for his confusion, I guess you already know my name so no sense in introducing myself, but its nice to meet you all the same."

Stahl shook his head, holding up a hand to keep Oscar from apologizing any further. "Don't worry, it was no trouble. Though he is.. how do you put it.. lively? Yeah. He's really energetic." He chuckled at the memory of meeting Kieran for the first time. "Oh, right. I'm Stahl!" 

Looking at Oscar now, though, he did wonder how Kieran managed to mix them up..but considering that he had spotted him from afar, he could sort of understand. "So, I suppose you both serve in the same army as well, then?"

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

[axepaladin]

"Lost?" he swallowed. It wouldn’t be very knightly of him to seem so hopeless. No matter the truth, he decided he would be better off keeping it to himself. "Hah! Me? Of course not! I’ve never been lost in my life." He was lying through his teeth.

"I simply don’t know the area well, that’s all! You see, it just happens that I know my own land so well that others aren’t exactly simple to remember!" He chuckled, proud of how believable he sounded right there. His smile faded at Stahl’s question, though. Where was he headed?

"Hm… I er… I can’t say I remember where I was headed.” he frowned, rubbing the back of his head. Today was turning out to be one loss after the last.

[calmcavalier]

Stahl wanted to beg to differ. Kieran seemed quite the opposite of what he claimed to to never do. Nevertheless, he wanted to provide any assistance he could so that Kieran could safely be on his way.

"Ah, so it is your first time stepping onto this land, huh?"

"Well, there is a town nearby. Is that perhaps where you were headed? Maybe to look for your friend Oscar?" That seemed to be the likely case, at least. 

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

[axepaladin]

Kieran sighed exasperatedly. Another who had never heard of the Crimean Knights? Just what was this army made of shepherds? He was beginning to wonder if he even was in Crimea anymore.

Wait— Come to think of it Kieran didn’t recognize his current location, and he did pride himself on his knowledge of his beautiful home country. Things were making less sense by the minute.

"Ahem… tell me then, good knight… What country do you serve?"

[calmcavalier]

"Well, I serve the country we're in. It's called Ylisse," Stahl replied, trying to be helpful. "Are you perhaps lost?" He wasn't exactly sure how to go from here. "Maybe I can help point you in which direction you need to go. Where were you headed?"

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

[axepaladin]

"Who’s…?" Kieran paused, suddenly embarrassed by his mistake. Gods! He should have noticed. This man’s horse looking nothing like Oscar’s!

"Y-you’re not…" he coughed, glancing away. "O-of course you’re not Oscar! I… I knew that! I was just reminded of him when I saw you and… got excited! Ha ha! Yes, that’s right! Good to meet you, Stan."

Kieran gave a nervous smile, feigning confidence. “My name is Kieran, second in command of the Crimean Knights! Apologies for any confusion, civilian.”

[calmcavalier]

Stan?

Stahl decided it would be best not to correct the very excited individual that he now knew as Kieran. "Kieran, huh? Nice to meet you." He nodded at the red head, smiling.

"Crimean Knights?" He couldn't say that he'd heard of them before. "Are they apart of an army in this region? Haha, I'm not a civilian, either. I serve in an army as well, known as The Shepherds." 

[calmcavalier]

Gluttony // Libra & Stahl

[battlefield-saint]

Though Libra looked up, it took a moment for him to see the knight and understand him. The dying firelight cast flickering lights across Stahl’s face, and was in turn reflected in the priest’s gaze. He sighed softly, glancing down in the pause between the Shepherd’s encouragement. It was a luxury, to be the recipient of words chosen with such care. Despite being so unworthy of them, it would be a grave sin to reject them.

It was shameful to admit, but even after all this time, Libra had not thought of himself as a link in the army. The Shepherds were his comrades—of that, there was no doubt. But, had he not simply been carrying out his duties as a priest? If there were those who could appreciate him for who he was and what he could do, then, perhaps his assumption was wrong.

Though, imagining Stahl as a fellow brother of the cloth was quite the stretch. It would be difficult enough for him to reign in his tardiness and appetite—he did not need a strict spiritual regiment on top of that. Finally, Libra smiled faintly, a worn but gentle expression with more gratitude than remorse.

"… Thank you, Stahl. You truly are kind beyond comprehension. It’s no exaggeration to say that I have much to learn from you," he spoke softly as he watched the flickering fire burn down to embers. "You yourself are indispensable to the Shepherds’ cause. Should the gods see fit to take me to their side, I would rest assured knowing Lord Chrom is served by you. You are stronger than you believe, and sharper than others may think. Yet, you’ve managed to remain as gentle as you are. I’m truly grateful that you hold me in such regard, and to be blessed with your compassion."

[calmcavalier]

All the tension and anxiety Stahl had felt up until now seemed to be lifted off his shoulders once he saw just how.., honest Libra seemed, in that moment. To the knight, it always seemed as if the priest carried such a large burden upon his shoulders. Libra always managed to save others, one way or another, yet Stahl couldn't understand why Libra couldn't save himself.

And even if the burden had yet to be lifted, he made a silent promise to himself that he'd do his best to help his companion to conquer it, step by step.

Stahl stared at him, an almost embarrassed tint of pink dusting his cheeks. ".., Well, I could say the same for you. You may not be able to see it yourself, but everyone else can! Today taught me a few things about both you and myself, Libra. This talk helped me understand you just a little bit more. I hope we can talk like this again, sometime soon."

[calmcavalier]

(Horse) Love Story // Sully and Stahl

[sassycavalier]

She rolled her eyes, “You’re the one who said you’re hungry, you tell me.” She grumbled a bit at the end of her sentence. Of course, leave it to Stahl to not know where the hell he’d wanna go out to eat. Like Sully, Stahl wasn’t a picky eater himself. In fact, he was far from it. She’s seen the way he eats. “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go check it out.”

"And hey, if we can’t find anything, I could dish something out for us." Every bit of that sentence was sarcasm. So maybe she can’t cook or sew or do anything feminine whatsoever; it’s the thought that counts, doesn’t it?

[calmcavalier]

"But it's my treat for you, so of course I'd want you to make the final choice." Stahl continued to insist for a but longer, but was satisfied when she agreed to go into town with him anyways.

His eyebrows shot up at her suggestion. S-she was willing to cook?! ".., Really?" A slightly amused but genuine smile was on his face. He knew that Sully wasn't the camp's best chef, but he could tell that she tried her best whenever she did try her hand at making dinner. "I'd like that. Sure."

"Let's head out then, yeah?"

-

By horse, it cut their time to reach town in half. Soon enough, they were strolling through the dimly lit streets, trying to spot any tavern or restaurant that was open. 

"Do you see any place you'd wanna eat at yet?"

[calmcavalier]

You Need Glasses - Kieran and Stahl

axepaladin:

"Oscar!" Kieran shouted over to the knight, riding over on his horse's back. There was a certain disappointment to his expression. "Bah! I had thought I beat you here... I must not have noticed you passing me!" Was there something different about his hair? ...No. Not possible. The squinty face was exactly the same!

'Huh?'

Upon hearing someone ride up beside him, Stahl turned his own horse towards the stranger. "Who's Oscar?" He questioned, genuine curiosity laced in his tone. To his surprise, the owner of the voice was someone he'd never seen before. 

"Er.., I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm the guy you're looking for. The name's Stahl, not Oscar."

[calmcavalier]

Horse Boys || Frederick & Stahl

[frederikthewary]

Frederick chuckled knowingly. Of course, he expected no else from Stahl after knowing the man so long. This was just like him.

"No worries, old friend. I never mind sharing a meal." He took another bite of his sandwich as he finished his sentence, looking over at the others that were spread across camp. "You seemed to need the food much more than I did, anyway."

A moment passed before Frederick turned to face Stahl once more with an odd look of realization on his face. “Ah, what you just said. That you hoped to make it up tp me?” He paused as if waiting for Stahl to reply, then continued a second too soon. “Why not join me in training the new recruits then? You’re plenty capable, and you did just say you wished to watch. Did you not?”

[calmcavalier]

Stahl was certainly enjoying his half of the sandwich, already down to only half of what he had just started with. With his mouth decorated in crumbs and sauce, he smiled slightly at the other. "Wheawy?"

'Remember to chew and swallow before talking, Stahl.'

He quickly wiped his lips with the back of his hand, making sure that his mouth was food free before repeating  himself. "Really? I'd love to help! Are you putting them through any specific training right now? If they're working on using swords or spears, then I'm your guy." 

[calmcavalier]

Gluttony // Libra & Stahl

[battlefield-saint]

The stunned silence after his words made the priest realise he may have said something inappropriate. Libra glanced at Stahl as they walked, seeing the concern in his eyes, before facing forwards again. His heart was heavy by the time they returned to the camp—steeped in memories he had put aside for the sake of progress. He kept their parting conversation short and retreated to his tent alone, not wanting to force the cavalier into an uncomfortable position.

***

Being one who did his utmost to be of use to his allies, Libra usually took his meals alone—long after the designated gathering times in the mess tent. It was only on nights such as this that the priest had the chance to leisurely interact with the Shepherds. He smiled, spoke with the soldiers, and shared his food with the children (particularly those who wolfed down their meals in the blink of an eye). It was nights such as this that reminded him of what he was fighting for, and the sacrifices that had already been made for the sake of these peaceful moments.

Eventually, the crowd dwindled, until the only ones who remained were Stahl and himself. Libra had given the knight a gentle smile between conversations several times throughout the night, but no more. He’d not wished to disturb him on what was meant to be a jovial occasion. After the pleasantries had faded into sleepy content, the murmuring chatter had faded, and left behind an unlikely pair. The priest had brought it upon himself to see to it that the fire was extinguished properly. It seemed Stahl had decided to remain, as well.

The bonfire had been reduced to a few small, flickering flames over the course of the night. Libra stared into the embers, drawn into a silent world of recollections. Though time had stopped in his mind, the world continued to turn, and Stahl’s hesitant call coaxed him out of his reverie. The priest blinked and looked over the crackling logs before smiling slightly—still distracted by his visions of the past. "Yes?"

[calmcavalier]

He hadn't expected him to reply so quickly.

Out of nervous habit, Stahl began to twiddle his thumbs and bit his bottom lip. No, don't chicken out now, Stahl! He's your friend! You have to make sure he's alright.

Gathering his courage, he looked up. Stahl cleared his throat before speaking. ".. I noticed how zoned out  you seemed during dinner. About our talk earlier.. you know, about your brothers?.. I know apologizing won't do anything and I don't know what happened, but what I can say is that, I think, they'd be really proud to see how far you've come. You're an amazing healer and a great addition to The Shepherds. We all appreciate your hard work and I'm sure your brothers can your accomplishments."

The brunette paused for a moment to scan Libra's expression. He hoped he wasn't saying anything out of line. The one thing he didn't want to do was upset him any further.

"What I can apologize for is speaking about your brothers like I knew them. But, if I was your brother, then I'd definitely be proud of you. Heck, as your friend, I'm very proud of everything you've done since you've been here. So.. try not to think too hard, alright? We're all here for each other." He finished his sentence with a tender smile.

[calmcavalier]

Gluttony // Libra & Stahl

[battlefield-saint]

"Not at all—you were looking at it quite intently. It would have been stranger if I hadn’t noticed," the priest chuckled and waved a hand. "Thank you, Stahl, I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer in the future, Libra said with a grateful smile and followed the cavalier out of the store. He squinted, gradually getting used to the light as he looked up at the streaked sky, and he sighed at the sight he had forgotten for all their time at war.

"That would be lovely… It’s been too long since I’ve enjoyed a sunset," he murmured, almost to himself, as faint sorrow showed on his smile. They began to walk at a languid pace, and Libra chuckled at Stahl’s suggestion. "I’m far from an expert when it comes to medicine. I’m sure you and your brother would know more than I. I only learned the basics at the monastery from my brothers. … If they had survived, they would have aided the Shepherds well, I’m sure," he spoke softly with a downcast smile.

[calmcavalier]

Stahl slowed visibly, his mouth open in shock. Of all things, he hadn't expected Libra to confess something like that..then again, seeing as he was a man that kept to himself, it wasn't too surprising. But, it was sad, nonetheless.

"..." Unsure of what to say, Stahl decided to retreat to being silent, his eyes showing concern for the other.

// time skip //

Dusk had long consumed the once colorful sky, replacing it with a cover of stars, blacks and blues. 

Stahl was currently seated in front of the bonfire that The Shepherds had started earlier. It was one of those nights again, where instead of eating their meals alone, they all gathered around for some quality time with each other. One by one, after finishing their meals, everyone had begun to retreat back to their tents for the night.

It seemed that only Stahl and Libra were the only ones left in front of the brightly lit flames, seated across from one another. The Great Knight had long finished his meal, now merely glancing at his surroundings. For some reason, despite their easy going conversations earlier in the day, he was finding it hard to speak.

Even so, the sounds of crickets and the crackling of the fire were bothering him more than the silence that fell over them.

" .. Libra?"