Aversa aproaches him and hands a bubdle of maps " they are updated maps of this year , i think you will make good use of them " she says with a smile . At the exact same time , the former king of plegia passed by and ploped a long object wrapped in brown paper . . . It was a new sword ! ! The ginger just continued on his way , leaving Aversa to give Robin his "marry christmas brother . " ( ( from mynxght & madkingtrashking ) )
Rising from his seat, Robin gently removed one of the mapsfrom the pile and with a single sweep of his palm flattened it out on the table.The fine vellum upon which the map was drawn felt smooth against his skin, buteven the quality of the paper wasn’t enough to prepare him for the absolutely exquisitework that would greet. Dark eyes widened slightly as Robin felt his breathcatch in his throat.
Stretched out before him in all of its splendour wasPlegia. It was evident that every dip and curve of the nation’s shorelines andborders were painstakingly inscribed by the hands of a seasoned cartographer.The rich wash of ochre pigment that spilled across Plegia’s vast deserts andthe beautifully illustrated mountain ranges were simply breath taking tobehold. Robin stood over the map, trying desperately to drink in every inch of it witheyes but alas, there was simply too much. In his eyes, the maps were much morethan a tool to be used, but rather a work of art to be admired an cherished.“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful,” he intoned as he lovingly tracedthe path of a great, winding river with his finger, “Aversa, I don’t knowwhat to say…I’ve never seen maps as gorgeous as these.”At this point, he could not imagine objecting to being called “olderbrother”…at least not for the next couple of days. It was the least hecould do for accepting such a find gift. With some reluctance, Robin rolled upthe map, his homeland vanishing from his view as he did. The others would beadmired later in his quarters after the day’s supper. “Really Aversa,these are brilliant. Thank-you so much.”Then a lumpy parcel was dumped unceremoniously onto the newly freed space on hisdesk landing with a heavy ‘thud’. The noise was enough to startle the youth,who flinched at the sound. Over Aversa’s shoulder he could make out a certainred-haired trickster making a quick retreat. “I apologize Aversa, but willyou please excuse me for a moment,” with an apologetic incline of hishead, Robin grabbed the wrapped package - it was only when he took it into hishand that he realized how weighty it really was - and started after the man’sretreating form.
The man appeared to either have failed to hear Robin’s calls or was simplyfeigning temporary deafness, because Gangrel carried on his merry way withouthesitation. Grumbling to himself, Robin broke into a run. He decided that ifYlissean couldn’t reach him, perhaps their own mother tongue had a betterchance of breaching the former king’s barriers. «Gangrel! Pleasewait!»Even after years of study, Plegian sounds alien to his ears and yet, as italways has, seemed to roll effortlessly off his tongue. Fortunately, the switchin language was enough to bring the older man to attention. «Gangrel, youdropped this on my desk,“ Robin continued in Plegian as he held out theshoddily wrapped package with both hands, «This…this wasn’t meant forme, was it?»The awkward expression on Gangrel’s face and his silence was especiallytelling…but Robin found himself deeply moved by the gesture. «I wasmeaning to order a new blade…but it seem that you’ve taken care of that forme,» he said with a smile, his eyes flitting down toward the bundle in hishands so as to avoid causing the older man any further discomfort, «This means a lot Gangrel…truly, so thank-you.»
