red knight

KIERAN, second-in-command of the crimean royal knights

[fireemblempickuplines]

“Hope you can keep up, sweetheart. My Brave Lance can always go an extra round”

Submitted by: awildninetales

[mercifulrenewal-blog]

… Geoffrey! Wh-what did you just say? [She was flabbergasted; Elincia was pretty sure she had heard correctly, but to hear something such an obscene implication from her dear friend’s mouth? The queen was at a loss for words, although she certainly could feel herself reddening.]

[divinebladeragnell-blog]

[Sees this in the corner of his eye] Why Geoffrey! I had no idea you had such vigor for battle. [The general nodding his head while doing the slow clap.]

[swornrival-blog]

As expected of the intrepid leader of the Royal Knights! Ah, I hope some day to be able to match your endurance, sir!

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

Kieran grinned. “What was that, Oscar? Are you finally acknowledging my greatness?”

Really, his performance hadn’t been particularly spectacular. If anything it was just standard for a proud member of the Crimean knighthood! But hearing those words from his rival definitely counted as a victory. 

There would be time later for their constant battle of one-upmanship though. Turning his mind back to the task at hand, Kieran gestured towards one of the remaining shacks. 

“I’ll take the right one. And of course I’ll be quick! Who do you take me for, man? Justice strikes in no manner but swiftly! You’d better keep up!”

Having said that he strode up to the door of the shack, sizing it up as he did so. There were a few windows along the sides. Not viable entrances though, with his armor. Just as well, he preferred the straightforward approach anyways.

Reaching the door, Kieran paused briefly as he waited for Oscar to get into position as well.

[mounted-green-chef-blog]

He should have never given Kieran that compliment, Oscar concluded, as he watched the red-clad knight’s chest visibly puff out slightly. Well, there was no point in taking back his words now and risking some other pride-based chaos. With a slightly resigned sigh, he walked over to the other shack, grabbed the doorknob and looked over at the other paladin. Nodding quickly, Oscar turned his attention back to the door and abruptly swung it open. At the first sign of a bandit, the silver paladin grabbed the non-bladed end of his lance and whacked it soundly over the man’s head. The other bandits, in brief shock at the sudden and immediate incapacitation of their comrade, began to yell and grab the closest thing to them in order to protect themselves. “Who are y—” one bandit attempted to ask, but Oscar took the time that he used to formulate the sentence to wordlessly knock him unconscious as well. By this time, the one other bandit had been able to properly arm himself with what appeared to be a club, and held it in front of him as he faced the green knight. “Yew ain’t gonna get away from here,” the other man snarled, revealing his not-so-clean teeth. “Bein’ all sneaky-like, dat ain’t proper for a knight.” If Kieran were here, he would probably agree, and Oscar mentally did as well, but he wasn’t going to let that bother him too much right now. Strategically, they had to do it this way… even if it didn’t sit well with him. As Oscar was pondering this, the man suddenly lunged forward, swinging his club. Forced to raise his lance defensively, Oscar was pushed into a position that forced him backward toward the door, leaving him less space to maneuver. This can’t be good. How could I let my guard down like that? After giving himself a quick mental berating, he looked around at the surroundings, trying to see how he could make use of the space. There was a shelf on the right side full of objects, some of which looked quite heavy… Using all his arm strength, the paladin took the blade of his lance and rammed it into the shelf. The force of the movement shoved the bandit to the right as well, since he had put so much energy into forcing Oscar’s lance backward. Once he felt the blade comfortably lodge itself into part of the shelf, Oscar quickly shifted his grip to the left slightly, and pulled down on the shelf. The shelf - and all of its contents - came crashing down onto the surprised bandit, falling just short of Oscar’s feet. Oscar knelt down to the fallen opponent, quickly checking his vitals. Alive, but unconscious… well, that was good. He swiftly grabbed all their weapons and headed back out of the shack, closing the door behind him to make it look as normal as possible. Walking to his horse, he shoved the extra weapons into the saddle pockets and waited for Kieran to finish up his part. It wouldn’t take too long, knowing him.

[swornrival-blog]

At the same moment as Oscar swung his door open, Kieran kicked his in. In his immediate sight line were three bandits seated around a crate turned makeshift table. From the looks of it they had been in the middle of a card game. 

There seemed to be a tangible moment where all four of them just stared at each other before the knight started running his mouth. 

"Playing around on the job? It would figure that a pack of delinquents would show such a lapse in diligence!" 

That seemed to snap them right out of their stupor. The three bandits quickly began scrambling to their feet - with nary an ounce of elegance, Kieran had to note. As the quickest of the lot lunged for the blade beside him - it had been knocked to the floor in their rush to get up, so clumsy! - the gold knight sprang into action. He'd indulged himself enough, waiting for them to get to their feet. As much as these dirty tactics didn't sit right with him, there was honour and then there was foolishness.

...admittedly the line between these two wasn't always clear to him though.

Kieran dashed towards to the first bandit, managing to kick the blade out of his reach before he managed to grasp it. Growling the man took a wild swing at the knight, which he aptly dodged. Taking the opening given to him as the force of the punch brought the bandit stumbling forward, Kieran delivered a blow to the back of the man's head with the base of his axe. The bandit toppled over, either unconscious or stunned. Not the safest method, to be sure, but the most straightforward. Besides, a proper man should be able to take a few hits.

The other two were throwing curses at him now, and when Kieran turned around it became apparent they were also armed. Well. All the better the challenge.

Or not, as it turned out. A loud crash - what on earth was Oscar doing? - emanating from the other shack distracted the remaining bandits for a moment. Oh, for the love of-- these men would make the most awful soldiers. It was offensive, really. 

Rolling his eyes, Kieran rushed forwards, immediately catching the bandits' attention. Their reflexes could use some work though, as he was almost upon them by the time they even thought to bring their weapons up. 

Suddenly veering to the side, Kieran hooked a foot under the crate the bandits had been sitting at earlier and kicked it towards them. The crate itself didn't even come close to making contact, but the resulting flurry of airborne cards and mugs of ail disoriented the bandits well enough. From the way one of them was furiously wiping at his face, the knight had been lucky enough to splash one of them in the face.

Turning his attention to the one who wasn't blinded, Kieran quickly moved to disarm him while he was still distracted. Before the man could react, Kieran had the blade of his axe hooked under the bandit's own. Twisting, he sent the weapon flying to the side where it clattered uselessly to the ground. Wasting no time, he brought the elbow of his free arm crashing into the man's head, sending him to the floor as well.

As he made to incapacitate the remaining bandit, however, the man began to swing his sword around blindly. The blade actually managed to nick him in the area of his upper arm left uncovered by armor. Grimacing at the sting, the knight knocked the bandit out before the latter could do any more damage. 

Kieran took a moment to catch his breath before looking around the shack purposefully. Catching sight of a coil of rope in the corner, he snatched it up and immediately set to work tying up the bandits. If he made the knot rather uncomfortably tight, well, the filthy sheep-stealing dastards had it coming! The villagers could come deal with these thieves however they pleased later. 

He made sure to kick the weapons, laying haphazardly where they had fallen, into a corner far out of reach before he made his way outside to join his waiting companion.

"Oscar! How dare you finish your end before me! Are you sure you didn't miss anything with those squinty eyes of yours?"  

[swornrival-blog]

((Oh gosh, uh, hi guys! I’m so terribly, terribly sorry for disappearing so long. I’m ah… sort of back? OTL;; I know I owe quite a few people responses but since it’s been so long I understand if it feels weird continuing where we left off and you’d rather just drop it. And it looks like some people are on hiatus anyways…? 

So… if anyone actually wants a response to one of those, just let me know! I’ll get right on it!))

[datseriousknight-blog-blog]

«OOC: It’s okay! I’ll just wait up for some random Christmas Knight shenanigans XD! »

[swornrival-blog]

((...Christmas Knight. I like this name. I like this name kind of a lot. xDDDD))

[swornrival-blog]

((Oh gosh, uh, hi guys! I'm so terribly, terribly sorry for disappearing so long. I'm ah... sort of back? OTL;; I know I owe quite a few people responses but since it's been so long I understand if it feels weird continuing where we left off and you'd rather just drop it. And it looks like some people are on hiatus anyways...? 

So... if anyone actually wants a response to one of those, just let me know! I'll get right on it!))

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

mounted-green-chef:

swornrival:

mounted-green-chef:

Oscar quietly chuckled at Kieran’s response - the gold knight’s mental torments were always clearly written on his face. That aside, he was happy that his partner agreed to the strategy, since he would rather not kill if he could avoid it, and frankly Kieran’s long-range aim was mediocre at best… He waited until Kieran moved in position closer to the clearing and the shacks, watching from the edge of the trees, thankful that his green armour allowed him a little bit of camouflage amongst the foliage. The bow at his side, he picked it up and strung his arrow, carefully aiming just past the guard’s face. Carefully… Oscar eyed the fencepost to the right of and behind the bandit, thankful that there weren’t any sheep in that area. Checking Kieran’s position once more, he looked down the shaft of his arrow and fired in one fluid motion, the arrow flying from his hand towards its target. From where he was in the trees, he saw the bandit look up in surprise, following the direction of the arrow to where it had impaled the wooden fencepost. The guard still hadn’t shouted anything yet; Oscar only hoped that Kieran was fast enough to make sure he wouldn’t alert his fellow bandits in their shacks. Perhaps they were lucky that the guard was a little slow - he was still looking around to see where the arrow had come from.

Kieran crept along the edge of the trees until he found the optimal position. From here he was as close as he could get to the sentry, without breaking cover, while still maintaining a clear path towards him. It would have to be a straight dash since there wouldn’t be much in the way of stealth after he started moving. Not with all this armor. Well. He’d rather rely on his speed alone anyways. 

Wasting no more time he got into the ready position for a dash and signaled okay to Oscar. Impatiently, he watched as the arrow flew, itching to move.  

As soon as the bandit turned his gaze to follow the arrow, Kieran sprung into motion. He’d made it halfway when the bandit suddenly turned. He was just about ready to throw the silence ruse out the window and just take all the bandits head-on when he realized the guy wasn’t even looking at him. The man was just staring off into the trees trying to make out where the arrow had come from. Goddess above, what a slow lout! 

Or perhaps not so slow, as it seemed he had heard Kieran’s approach now and was turning towards him. The red-haired knight grit his teeth and flipped his axe in his hand so that the end of the handle was facing the bandit. If the sentry managed to get out a warning, it would be all over. There was no way that was happening on his watch. 

Kieran leapt the final step just as the bandit came to face him and opened his mouth. Any forthcoming shout was silenced though as the gold knight brought the hilt of his axe crashing into the man’s jaw. He stumbled backwards, stunned, and Kieran took advantage of the momentum from the previous strike to deliver a blow to the left temple. The bandit let out a grunt and fell, unconscious. Kieran, belatedly, grabbed him by the arm and just managed to soften the impact and thus the sound of his body hitting the ground. 

Still tense, the knight looked to the shacks and waited to see if the brief scuffle had drawn unwanted attention. After a moment with no reinforcements forthcoming, he relaxed and motioned his partner over. 

Oscar quietly dismounted his horse and guided both his and Kieran’s over to the shacks, trying to remain as quiet as possible; they needed the mounts for a quick getaway and to round up the sheep, but they couldn’t afford them giving their position away. He stroked their manes gently - Oscar’s quietly bent down in understanding, but Kieran’s, as if to reflect its master’s reluctance to agree, whinnied a few times. The silver paladin sighed, but only hoped that the horse would soon calm down. After his partner’s mount finally settled, Oscar hooked his bow and quiver on his mount’s saddle and grabbed his lance, approaching Kieran. He looked down at the knocked-out bandit on the ground, a bruise developing on the victim’s temple, and back up at the red-clad knight. “Well done,” the silver paladin said, though he slightly regretted the words the moment they left his mouth - with the way Kieran got about praise, it may not have been the best moment for him to be complimenting him. But alas, it was said, and there wasn’t much he could do about it after that. Taking his mind off the matter, he turned to look at the three shacks; noticing that they still hadn’t barricaded one of them, Oscar gingerly grabbed the stray piece of fence he had pointed out earlier, walked to the nearest shack door and gently propped it underneath the door handle, blocking the exit. He looked over at Kieran, asking, “Which one do you want to take now? I’ll take the other shack - and let’s try to finish it quickly so we don’t bring too much unwanted attention to ourselves.” Oscar cast a quick glance at their surroundings; being this far from their horses, it would be bad if they were ambushed at this moment.

Kieran grinned. "What was that, Oscar? Are you finally acknowledging my greatness?"

Really, his performance hadn't been particularly spectacular. If anything it was just standard for a proud member of the Crimean knighthood! But hearing those words from his rival definitely counted as a victory. 

There would be time later for their constant battle of one-upmanship though. Turning his mind back to the task at hand, Kieran gestured towards one of the remaining shacks. 

"I'll take the right one. And of course I'll be quick! Who do you take me for, man? Justice strikes in no manner but swiftly! You'd better keep up!"

Having said that he strode up to the door of the shack, sizing it up as he did so. There were a few windows along the sides. Not viable entrances though, with his armor. Just as well, he preferred the straightforward approach anyways.

Reaching the door, Kieran paused briefly as he waited for Oscar to get into position as well.

[monkwatching-deactivated2012012]

Javelin?! (Lute/Oscar/Kieran)

[swornrival-blog]

monkwatching:

mounted-green-chef:

Oscar scrambled back from the sudden attack, alarmed by the feral onset, but then noticed that blood from the gash was dripping into the mage’s eyes. He stepped to the girl’s side, gently pushed her wrists downward and, before she could retaliate further, began to wipe the blood away with the handkerchief. “I apologize for my partner’s reckless behaviour,” he began. “We should get you to a healer as quickly as possible…” He looked around for Kieran. Where could that knight have gone?

[She hissed angrily when he grabbed her; and she hissed even louder when she heard his words]

Get me to your partner! I’m going to rip him apart!

[Struggling agains this grasp, she continues to hiss furiously. She also looks around for any kind of magic she could use, whether it was Light or Anima - a simple Elfire Tome would be perfect right now, but there were no tomes in sight.

And with that, she grabs a staff nearby, dropped by someone, and begins slashing around with the healing device. She was able to heal herself, but right now she was only intend on finding this man’s “partner” and teach him there was no way he’d ever be able to hurt her without dying.]

[In retrospect, his flight had been quite untoward, Kieran mentally berates himself as he makes his way back towards the scene of the crime.]

The proper course of action now would be to turn oneself in, of course! Why, if it hadn't been for the surprise of the moment-- 

[He trails off as he catches sight of a figure rapidly approaching from the opposite direction. The girl looks positively enraged and her every step seems to promise pain. Huh. Any other time he'd ask about what it is that's troubling her, but the current task holds precedence.] 

Ah... Hello there! Might I inquire as to whether you've seen a javelin fly by around here somewhere?

[swornrival-blog]

[Kieran / Hector ]

[swornrival-blog]

armads:

swornrival:

armads:

swornrival:

[Slowly, his outrage ebbs away as the other man continues to speak. Kieran still isn’t sure what this person’s intentions are but at the least it would seem he hadn’t been intentionally provocative. He certainly does mumble a lot though… Really, a man should speak up! He— Kieran’s train of thought cuts off however as his attention fixates on the stranger’s last lines.]

Why yes, I am! One of the very finest in fact. Sub-commander of the Crimean Royal Knights, Kieran, at your service! Ah— hmm…

[He tilts his head slightly and thinks for a moment before it clicks. Understanding, he grins.]

Oh. Ohhh, I see now! If you wished to test your skills against a man of my caliber, all you had to do was ask! I apologize for my insinuations earlier, they were uncalled for. Yes, a spar would be excellent. I am ready for your challenge at any time! Be it dusk or dawn, why, even in the middle of battle— 

[He continues listing occasions, once again forgetting about his audience.]

Hector started thinking seriously the guy fought people by knocking them and their eardrums out cold with his… voice.

“Ready for a challenge anytime? Huh, you don’t say…” Indeed, he thought the redhaired knight was more ready to face an onslaught of lawyers rather than… a lord with an axe. Even he could barely follow Kieran’s words that he lost track of it. Twice. “Fine by me. Call me whenever you’re not busy doing your speeches, eh? Oh, and I’m Hector. I’m Marquess Ostia’s brother.”

He turned to leave (“Man, I wonder where my favorite sparring partner has gone off to…”), but as he did a few steps, a thought struck him. Crimean royal…?

He turned, facing his newfound ally. “Hey, Redhead. You said you’re a… a subcommander of sorts, right? Then you gotta know that guy… Blast, what was his name again? Georgie? Jolly? …Nope, I forgot. Anyway, this guy with blue hair and the shining horse, he gave me one heck of a mouthful about manners and stuff, man! The guy is general all right.”

[Kieran blinks at the sudden information.]

Oh…! You’re— forgive my lack of manners, Lord Hector, I had no idea to whom I was speaking! It has certainly been a pleasure to meet you!

[He cocks his head to the side as Hector turns back towards him. Georgie? Jolly? Mm… nope, no Royal Knights by those names. He would know. After all as second-in-command it’s his duty to remember all the Knights’ names. Oh, but… blue hair, radiant, impeccable manners… why that sounds like—]

Ah! You’ve met General Geoffrey? Yes, he’s brilliant isn’t he? A shining paragon of knighthood that all should aspire to! As commander of the glorious Crimean Royal Knights he could be nothing less! It is an honour to serve under such a man!

But how do you know the General, Lord Hector?

“Right, right. Hey, and drop the formality stuff, got it? I’m no good at niceties and— Huh? How do I know—”

Yeah, how. How did he come to be acquaintances with the blue haired knight anyway, let alone meet him? He had lost count of the number of times Geoffrey had complained about his manners, shouted at him when he carried Lyn around like a sack, much to her dismay, or overreacted as he was ‘telling’ Florina for the upteenth time not to fall on his head… in his own way, of course. Geoffrey sure was overreacting all the time, but he couldn’t really say he wasn’t to blame at all either.

“Well… you can’t really miss the guy, I suppose. Shining plates and lances and all that… very… knightly stuff, you know. And it’s not that easy to keep going with your training when you got a manual of manners shouting in your ears all the time, see! Man, talk about overreacting!”

'Drop the formality'? But a knight always respects the rules of etiquette! It would only be right to address you by your proper title, Lord Hector! ...then again, I guess you could say respecting the wishes of others is also proper etiquette... hmm, I mean... or not... nah... 

[Kieran frowns and crosses his arms. Such a dilemma! He huffs a breath in frustration.]

I suppose I must respectfully request more time to think regarding this issue, Lord Hector-- Er, Hector-- Ah... In any case...! The general, yes! Hm, I couldn't picture him overreacting though. General Geoffrey is always calm and composed! The quintessential knight! He always speaks out of good reason! You should take his words of advisement to heart, sir!

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

mounted-green-chef:

swornrival:

Part of Kieran desperately wanted to find fault in Oscar’s plan, despite agreeing with just about all of it, if only for the sake of not concurring with his rival. Letting such petty emotions get in the way of a mission was unbecoming of a Knight of Crimea though. Besides, he assuaged that side of himself, he would have to learn to work with the green-haired man anyways once Kieran convinced him to rejoin the Royal Knights. He should consider this preparation!

Most of him, however, was focused on the task at hand. He certainly approved of avoiding bloodshed. Without a doubt, if the Queen or the General were here, they would too. Perhaps there was a true knight in the squinty dastard, yet!

He considered Oscar’s suggestion again – how to agree without sounding subservient? It wouldn’t do for his rival to think he was getting the upper hand on him – while looking back at the bandits’ camp. He frowned as he noticed movement through the windows of two of the shacks. By his guess there were likely more people in those two buildings. Either that or the inhabitants of the third might be sleeping or not present. Hm…

“All right. Let’s target those two,” he indicated the two shacks he’d noted the movement in, “The inactivity in the third would indicate it might be less of a threat once the element of surprise is no longer on our side. It would be foolish to assume they couldn’t break through our barricade.”

Having said that, he dismounted and guided his mare into better cover. There would not be time to come back over here until all the bandits were subdued. Grabbing his axe, Kieran turned back to his partner. He could ignore rivalry for now in deference to duty.

Oscar quietly chuckled at Kieran’s response - the gold knight’s mental torments were always clearly written on his face. That aside, he was happy that his partner agreed to the strategy, since he would rather not kill if he could avoid it, and frankly Kieran’s long-range aim was mediocre at best… He waited until Kieran moved in position closer to the clearing and the shacks, watching from the edge of the trees, thankful that his green armour allowed him a little bit of camouflage amongst the foliage. The bow at his side, he picked it up and strung his arrow, carefully aiming just past the guard’s face. Carefully… Oscar eyed the fencepost to the right of and behind the bandit, thankful that there weren’t any sheep in that area. Checking Kieran’s position once more, he looked down the shaft of his arrow and fired in one fluid motion, the arrow flying from his hand towards its target. From where he was in the trees, he saw the bandit look up in surprise, following the direction of the arrow to where it had impaled the wooden fencepost. The guard still hadn’t shouted anything yet; Oscar only hoped that Kieran was fast enough to make sure he wouldn’t alert his fellow bandits in their shacks. Perhaps they were lucky that the guard was a little slow - he was still looking around to see where the arrow had come from.

Kieran crept along the edge of the trees until he found the optimal position. From here he was as close as he could get to the sentry, without breaking cover, while still maintaining a clear path towards him. It would have to be a straight dash since there wouldn't be much in the way of stealth after he started moving. Not with all this armor. Well. He'd rather rely on his speed alone anyways. 

Wasting no more time he got into the ready position for a dash and signaled okay to Oscar. Impatiently, he watched as the arrow flew, itching to move.  

As soon as the bandit turned his gaze to follow the arrow, Kieran sprung into motion. He'd made it halfway when the bandit suddenly turned. He was just about ready to throw the silence ruse out the window and just take all the bandits head-on when he realized the guy wasn't even looking at him. The man was just staring off into the trees trying to make out where the arrow had come from. Goddess above, what a slow lout! 

Or perhaps not so slow, as it seemed he had heard Kieran's approach now and was turning towards him. The red-haired knight grit his teeth and flipped his axe in his hand so that the end of the handle was facing the bandit. If the sentry managed to get out a warning, it would be all over. There was no way that was happening on his watch. 

Kieran leapt the final step just as the bandit came to face him and opened his mouth. Any forthcoming shout was silenced though as the gold knight brought the hilt of his axe crashing into the man's jaw. He stumbled backwards, stunned, and Kieran took advantage of the momentum from the previous strike to deliver a blow to the left temple. The bandit let out a grunt and fell, unconscious. Kieran, belatedly, grabbed him by the arm and just managed to soften the impact and thus the sound of his body hitting the ground. 

Still tense, the knight looked to the shacks and waited to see if the brief scuffle had drawn unwanted attention. After a moment with no reinforcements forthcoming, he relaxed and motioned his partner over. 

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

mounted-green-chef:

swornrival:

mounted-green-chef:

Oscar raised an eyebrow at Kieran’s words, but said nothing; it was good that the gold knight was beginning to properly consider strategy, he supposed, although it certainly shouldn’t be something that he applauded for someone at Kieran’s rank. Either way, he was right - with their two against the bandits’ fifteen, stealth would be much to their advantage… or rather, survival. He fingered the quiver tied to his saddle, taking out an arrow while removing the bow slung over his shoulder. Drawing nearer to the clearing, the silver knight spotted a few shacks - that must be the bandits’ hideout, he thought to himself. There was also a large fence, and lo and behold, a few dozen sheep running about, watched over by a single guard. “Should I fire off at that bandit first?” Oscar asked as they neared the site. “If we’re lucky we can minimize the amount of combat we need, and the sheep will stay unharmed while we take them back.” It seemed to him the most rational course of action, anyway, though his partner might have had other thoughts. Checking with Kieran was best, in any case; Oscar didn’t want to deal with any problems they might encounter with different tactics and whatnot. Because those could happen. A scary thought, but Oscar certainly wouldn’t deny the possibility.

Kieran surveyed the encampment before them, eyes falling on the guard Oscar had indicated, before taking in the rest of the area. There were four shacks, three of which resembled living quarters while the fourth was very obviously a storage building.

The red-haired knight let out a frustrated breath. He really would prefer to face his enemies on even grounds but Oscar did have a point – however grudgingly he had to admit this. If they brought the battle outside they risked hurting the sheep and a true knight should always put the welfare of the citizenry first. Or, well, in this case the sheep of the citizenry. All the same really, as the welfare of both were connected.

“Yes, yes, do that,” Kieran grumbled, resisting the urge to add an ‘if you must’ at the end.

He would never be much of one for this sort of strategizing. There was no glory in such sneaking around. But all his years with the Knights had certainly been educational and he was nothing if not a quick learner! Learning from past mistakes was—oh. Now that he thought about it…

“Ah! Wait! Can you do it silently? If not, we should decide on the rest of our plan before accidentally alerting the enemy of our presence.”

He flinched internally at the memory of a certain mission in the past – ah the folly of youth! – where he had too quickly jumped into the fray.   

“We want to minimize casualties on their end, as well… they may be bandits, but as far as we know no one’s died yet.” As a knight, Oscar knew that both he and Kieran had their fair share of killing - as if the Mad King’s War wasn’t enough, the incident with the Goddess had been a whole new can of worms. And as a mercenary, it was sometimes necessary to kill when the job dictated safe conduct of a client, but the silver knight still disliked it. As for the bandits, Oscar knew they had also taken away the children tending to the sheep, but that they were being held elsewhere. He only hoped that the group sent to rescue them was doing all right… He looked over at the shacks again; if one of them was an empty storage shack, then they could block one of the doors while incapacitating the people in the other two and take the sheep away. It involved the least number of people while still being relatively secure for an escape, and the sheep wouldn’t get as riled up. Scanning the area near the shacks, Oscar caught sight of a piece of old fence tossed to the side - the height and holes would make for a perfect door stop. “Okay, how about this?” he said, as a plan formed in his head. “I’m going to shoot an arrow past the guard to distract him. You dismount, run up to the guard and knock him out as quickly as possible, grab that fence piece there - ” the green-clad knight pointed, ” - and jam one of the shack doors. We each take one of the other two, knock the bandits out just in case, and take the sheep out.” It certainly wasn’t a flawless plan, and Oscar could immediately see a dozen things that could go wrong - what if the guard shouted before he got knocked out? What if they couldn’t block the door? What if the sheep panicked? - but it was the best one he could come up with, given their circumstances. They had to keep the panic level to a minimum in order to make sure the sheep would be able to follow them back. Now that was another problem altogether that the silver knight wasn’t too sure how they would tackle: getting all of the sheep to follow them back to the guild base. He had never been much of a herder, and he certainly didn’t want to lose any on the way back to the base…

Part of Kieran desperately wanted to find fault in Oscar’s plan, despite agreeing with just about all of it, if only for the sake of not concurring with his rival. Letting such petty emotions get in the way of a mission was unbecoming of a Knight of Crimea though. Besides, he assuaged that side of himself, he would have to learn to work with the green-haired man anyways once Kieran convinced him to rejoin the Royal Knights. He should consider this preparation!

Most of him, however, was focused on the task at hand. He certainly approved of avoiding bloodshed. Without a doubt, if the Queen or the General were here, they would too. Perhaps there was a true knight in the squinty dastard, yet!

He considered Oscar’s suggestion again – how to agree without sounding subservient? It wouldn’t do for his rival to think he was getting the upper hand on him – while looking back at the bandits’ camp. He frowned as he noticed movement through the windows of two of the shacks. By his guess there were likely more people in those two buildings. Either that or the inhabitants of the third might be sleeping or not present. Hm…

“All right. Let’s target those two,” he indicated the two shacks he’d noted the movement in, “The inactivity in the third would indicate it might be less of a threat once the element of surprise is no longer on our side. It would be foolish to assume they couldn’t break through our barricade.”

Having said that, he dismounted and guided his mare into better cover. There would not be time to come back over here until all the bandits were subdued. Grabbing his axe, Kieran turned back to his partner. He could ignore rivalry for now in deference to duty.

[swornrival-blog]

caelinlord replied to your post: ooc:

[[Ahh I’ve been really busy too o.o Plus my internet hasn’t been working at home and just now I managed to steal somebody else’s BD my /overdue/ reply to your post (on Tana’s blog) is still on my drafts as well and I’ll work on that soon as I can]]

[ooc: gosh, what is up with all the internet problems right now anyways. xD go ahead and just take your time! i can't say when i'd be able to respond either anyways with all the stuff going on right now, haha. xD;;]

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

mounted-green-chef:

swornrival:

mounted-green-chef:

“Kieran, have you ever wondered why someone would steal someone else’s sheep? Perhaps because they… feed and clothe people?” Oscar wasn’t quite sure why he had chosen to respond to Kieran’s outrage; after all, arguing with the gold knight was (in his many and varied experiences) futile. But he was basically asking for it with that angry glare, and if Kieran could even see the green-haired knight’s eyes, he might have caught a slight twinkle. After all, this was their first mission together in a very long time, and even if the Royal Knights’ sub-commander was for the most part irritable and a terror to deal with, Oscar would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him. At least a little. He rode onward along the forest’s gently outlined path, waiting for some outburst to come his way any moment. As if she could sense the impending verbal onslaught, his mare tensed slightly and whinnied quietly. Oscar stroked her along her mane, trying to calm her down, but knew that this tranquility would not last very long. Too bad; the forest was so much more enjoyable when it was peaceful…

“Pah! Then that makes it worse! Knowing full well the depth of their crime and doing it anyways! I’ll never understand the likes of such men!” 

Growling, Kieran continued to unleash a stream of colourful invective which lasted several minutes. Eventually he trailed off, not because his rage had diminished in the least but because according to the information they had received, they should be approaching the bandit stronghold shortly.

Really, trust Oscar to argue the bandits’ perspective. A certain amount of circumspection was to be admired of course - it was one of the things that made him such a worthy rival after all. But some things, he firmly believed, should just be that simple. 

Thoughts cut short, the gold knight squinted into the distance where a clearing was just coming into view. Ah, so that would be the bandits’ base of operations! Soon sweet justice would be served! 

Kieran guided his horse to the outskirts of the trees before turning to address his partner in a low voice. 

“The reports place their number between ten and fifteen. While I’m loathe to face my enemies in any way but a direct challenge, I am forced to admit the element of surprise may be our best choice here,” he muttered grudgingly.  

[ooc: man i keep worrying that i either make kieran too rational or too -irrational-. i figure being second in command he’d have to have a good enough grasp on strategizing though, right?]

Oscar raised an eyebrow at Kieran’s words, but said nothing; it was good that the gold knight was beginning to properly consider strategy, he supposed, although it certainly shouldn’t be something that he applauded for someone at Kieran’s rank. Either way, he was right - with their two against the bandits’ fifteen, stealth would be much to their advantage… or rather, survival. He fingered the quiver tied to his saddle, taking out an arrow while removing the bow slung over his shoulder. Drawing nearer to the clearing, the silver knight spotted a few shacks - that must be the bandits’ hideout, he thought to himself. There was also a large fence, and lo and behold, a few dozen sheep running about, watched over by a single guard. “Should I fire off at that bandit first?” Oscar asked as they neared the site. “If we’re lucky we can minimize the amount of combat we need, and the sheep will stay unharmed while we take them back.” It seemed to him the most rational course of action, anyway, though his partner might have had other thoughts. Checking with Kieran was best, in any case; Oscar didn’t want to deal with any problems they might encounter with different tactics and whatnot. Because those could happen. A scary thought, but Oscar certainly wouldn’t deny the possibility.

Kieran surveyed the encampment before them, eyes falling on the guard Oscar had indicated, before taking in the rest of the area. There were four shacks, three of which resembled living quarters while the fourth was very obviously a storage building.

The red-haired knight let out a frustrated breath. He really would prefer to face his enemies on even grounds but Oscar did have a point – however grudgingly he had to admit this. If they brought the battle outside they risked hurting the sheep and a true knight should always put the welfare of the citizenry first. Or, well, in this case the sheep of the citizenry. All the same really, as the welfare of both were connected.

“Yes, yes, do that,” Kieran grumbled, resisting the urge to add an ‘if you must’ at the end.

He would never be much of one for this sort of strategizing. There was no glory in such sneaking around. But all his years with the Knights had certainly been educational and he was nothing if not a quick learner! Learning from past mistakes was—oh. Now that he thought about it…

“Ah! Wait! Can you do it silently? If not, we should decide on the rest of our plan before accidentally alerting the enemy of our presence.”

He flinched internally at the memory of a certain mission in the past – ah the folly of youth! – where he had too quickly jumped into the fray.   

[swornrival-blog]

ooc:

[oh man, i am so sorry for the sudden disappearance, especially after having just joined. >__< things have been rather hectic the last week, having moved into my new residence for school only to find apparently their internet wasn't functioning. or their shower for that matter, gosh i'd hoped to be able to jack some internet time on campus to type some replies but there really hasn't been enough time for that. 

we've got the internet semi-functioning now though, so i'll endeavor to get on those responses soon! internet connection periodically dies though (was dead all day till now), and considering all the stuff going on with the start of school, i probably won't be around as frequently. again, sorry!  

also, just to check if i missed anyone, i have hector, the mission with oscar, and the javelin thing with oscar and lute in my drafts. if there's anyone else i owe responses please let me know!

 (holy crap, oscar, just when you were going to make the post for me the internet started working again, haha)]

[swornrival-blog]

@Vanessa

[swornrival-blog]

freliastrustedwings:

swornrival:

[Hearing the name ‘Greil Mercenaries’, he rears back, startled into silence for a moment. The Greil Mercenaries? The same motley crew to which Oscar - that squinty traitor! - sold his loyalty to his homeland? Why, the sheer absurdity of that statement! He blinks, recovering.] 

The Greil Mercenaries? Pahh! I spit upon the name and all those affiliated with that wretched nemesis of mine. But you have been most polite, Lady Vanessa, so let us excuse that terrible confusion. My allegiance is to the valiant knighthood of Crimea and that alone! No one would ever call Kieran anything but loyal! 

[Completely over his shock now, he moves on to the next point that caught his interest.]

Ah, but you are a pegasus knight of Frelia you say? It seems I am suddenly meeting many people from this fair country! Tell me, are the skills of your pegasus knights as great as those of Begnion?

[ooc: Hi and thank you! I’m glad to see there are so many other new people around. It helps a lot with the nervousness. xD;]

Well whatever she was expecting it was not that, the explosive reaction to the mercenary group startled her abit.

“I’m, I’m so sorry Sir Kieran I did not mean to trample upon your honor.” She assuaged, still recovering from the sudden outburst. Who the heck blows up over something like that? Was it something she said? Perhaps Oscar would know, he was with the Crimea Royal Guard. “I don’t understand your reaction but I assure you I think you are nothing but loyal as far as your defensive-ness is concerned. I actually admire your vigor.” If it wasn’t so startling and all, Vanessa could have done without the loud speech.

“I do not know of this Begnion but I can tell you we knights of Frelia are very competent and skillful. I myself have been a captain and my sister a commander.” Another country she guessed in relation to Crimea. Now she was curious. “Are those of Begnion know for their Pegasus knights?”

Why, thank you, Lady Vanessa! Your praise warms my heart. You need not worry, I'm sure that was just a misunderstanding.

[Perhaps someone he has slighted is running around spreading filthy lies about him... or perhaps a prank... perhaps that dastardly Oscar is trying to soil his reputation in order to usurp his position! Kieran wouldn't put it past him. Regardless, it's nothing he can't handle later. Putting those thoughts aside he turns to address Vanessa's words.]

Oh, you are a captain? I should have known one of such poise would have to be of rank! I myself was a captain for some time before the end of the Mad King's War... And your sister as well! Your family must be most proud! 

Ah, but returning to the subject of Begnion... Yes, the pegasus knights of Begnion's Holy Guard are quite skillful! Though of course they still do not measure up to Crimea's might.

[Having said that he is suddenly reminded of one particular pink-haired individual.]

One of Crimea's own even was once a member of that order! I'm honoured to say I've had the privilege of bettering my own skills in her company. Hm... Oh! Perhaps you would be up to a spar some time, Vanessa? I believe we could learn much from each other!

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

[swornrival-blog]

mounted-green-chef:

swornrival:

The red-haired knight narrowed his eyes as the forest’s dense foliage gave way to a burst of sunlight for just a moment before fading once again into comfortable shadow. The sun was already getting quite strong considering that there were still some hours left before noon. 

Between the crunching of leaves beneath his horse’s hooves and the ambient forest sounds, the mood of the external world contrasted wildly with Kieran’s growing affront. This mission had been grating on his nerves since he first heard of the situation. They could not reach the bandits’ base sooner! Of all the vile acts—

“I can’t believe this! What despicable villains would steal someone’s sheep! Of all the nerve! Why, a farmer’s sheep are to him as my horse is to me! His brothers-in-arms, who feed and clothe him! Anyone who dishonors this sacred bond has no soul! Miscreants, the lot of them! Scoundrels!”

He continued to rant for some time before turning to glare at his companion, as if daring him to refute those words. 

“Kieran, have you ever wondered why someone would steal someone else’s sheep? Perhaps because they… feed and clothe people?” Oscar wasn’t quite sure why he had chosen to respond to Kieran’s outrage; after all, arguing with the gold knight was (in his many and varied experiences) futile. But he was basically asking for it with that angry glare, and if Kieran could even see the green-haired knight’s eyes, he might have caught a slight twinkle. After all, this was their first mission together in a very long time, and even if the Royal Knights’ sub-commander was for the most part irritable and a terror to deal with, Oscar would be lying if he said he didn’t miss him. At least a little. He rode onward along the forest’s gently outlined path, waiting for some outburst to come his way any moment. As if she could sense the impending verbal onslaught, his mare tensed slightly and whinnied quietly. Oscar stroked her along her mane, trying to calm her down, but knew that this tranquility would not last very long. Too bad; the forest was so much more enjoyable when it was peaceful…

"Pah! Then that makes it worse! Knowing full well the depth of their crime and doing it anyways! I'll never understand the likes of such men!" 

Growling, Kieran continued to unleash a stream of colourful invective which lasted several minutes. Eventually he trailed off, not because his rage had diminished in the least but because according to the information they had received, they should be approaching the bandit stronghold shortly.

Really, trust Oscar to argue the bandits' perspective. A certain amount of circumspection was to be admired of course - it was one of the things that made him such a worthy rival after all. But some things, he firmly believed, should just be that simple. 

Thoughts cut short, the gold knight squinted into the distance where a clearing was just coming into view. Ah, so that would be the bandits' base of operations! Soon sweet justice would be served! 

Kieran guided his horse to the outskirts of the trees before turning to address his partner in a low voice. 

"The reports place their number between ten and fifteen. While I'm loathe to face my enemies in any way but a direct challenge, I am forced to admit the element of surprise may be our best choice here," he muttered grudgingly.  

[ooc: man i keep worrying that i either make kieran too rational or too -irrational-. i figure being second in command he'd have to have a good enough grasp on strategizing though, right?]

[swornrival-blog]

[Kieran / Hector ]

[swornrival-blog]

armads:

swornrival:

armads:

swornrival:

armads:

“Hey! What do you mean, sneaking up!? I just walked— Huh? Treachery? What are you talking about?”

[He couldn’t help but stare and scowl at Kieran as the guy scanned and examined him like he was some… some kind of alien he had never seen before.]

“Listen, smartypants, the only treachery here is that big talking mouth of yours. How the heck am I supposed to take a nap if you keep shouting like a gossiping magpie? Man… you swallowed a megaphone or what?”

Huh… a megaphone? Haha, oh no, this volume is all natural! A gift I was graced with at birth! 

[Kieran laughs but trails off slowly as the rest of the blue-haired stranger’s words register. He frowns.]

I— what? You’re accusing me of treachery? For a knight there can be no greater slight against his name! I demand you rescind these accusations!

[Hector couldn’t believe that guy went around talking so much and so loud all day…  Graced with at birth all right. For some reason, the idea of a peaceful, quiet, afternoon nap was slowly starting to sound pretty unlikely to him…]

“Uh… Hey, hold your horses! And gimme a break! I wasn’t being serious! That was a, you know… a, uh… figure of spee— Aw man, you know what, forget it. Nevermind that. …There’s just no way you’d shut up for a while, eh?” He muttered, almost as if he was talking to himself.

[Somehow he got the sharp feeling that, no matter how he talked or not, Kieran wasn’t going to stop rambling soon about his… knightly stuff anytime soon.]

“Say, you a royal knight or something, right? How ‘bout we spar a little one of these days?”

[Slowly, his outrage ebbs away as the other man continues to speak. Kieran still isn’t sure what this person’s intentions are but at the least it would seem he hadn’t been intentionally provocative. He certainly does mumble a lot though… Really, a man should speak up! He— Kieran’s train of thought cuts off however as his attention fixates on the stranger’s last lines.]

Why yes, I am! One of the very finest in fact. Sub-commander of the Crimean Royal Knights, Kieran, at your service! Ah— hmm…

[He tilts his head slightly and thinks for a moment before it clicks. Understanding, he grins.]

Oh. Ohhh, I see now! If you wished to test your skills against a man of my caliber, all you had to do was ask! I apologize for my insinuations earlier, they were uncalled for. Yes, a spar would be excellent. I am ready for your challenge at any time! Be it dusk or dawn, why, even in the middle of battle— 

[He continues listing occasions, once again forgetting about his audience.]

Hector started thinking seriously the guy fought people by knocking them and their eardrums out cold with his… voice.

“Ready for a challenge anytime? Huh, you don’t say…” Indeed, he thought the redhaired knight was more ready to face an onslaught of lawyers rather than… a lord with an axe. Even he could barely follow Kieran’s words that he lost track of it. Twice. “Fine by me. Call me whenever you’re not busy doing your speeches, eh? Oh, and I’m Hector. I’m Marquess Ostia’s brother.”

He turned to leave (“Man, I wonder where my favorite sparring partner has gone off to…”), but as he did a few steps, a thought struck him. Crimean royal…?

He turned, facing his newfound ally. “Hey, Redhead. You said you’re a… a subcommander of sorts, right? Then you gotta know that guy… Blast, what was his name again? Georgie? Jolly? …Nope, I forgot. Anyway, this guy with blue hair and the shining horse, he gave me one heck of a mouthful about manners and stuff, man! The guy is general all right.”

[Kieran blinks at the sudden information.]

Oh...! You're-- forgive my lack of manners, Lord Hector, I had no idea to whom I was speaking! It has certainly been a pleasure to meet you!

[He cocks his head to the side as Hector turns back towards him. Georgie? Jolly? Mm... nope, no Royal Knights by those names. He would know. After all as second-in-command it's his duty to remember all the Knights' names. Oh, but... blue hair, radiant, impeccable manners... why that sounds like--]

Ah! You've met General Geoffrey? Yes, he's brilliant isn't he? A shining paragon of knighthood that all should aspire to! As commander of the glorious Crimean Royal Knights he could be nothing less! It is an honour to serve under such a man!

But how do you know the General, Lord Hector?

[swornrival-blog]

Recovery Mission (4b) [Oscar/Kieran]

The red-haired knight narrowed his eyes as the forest's dense foliage gave way to a burst of sunlight for just a moment before fading once again into comfortable shadow. The sun was already getting quite strong considering that there were still some hours left before noon. 

Between the crunching of leaves beneath his horse's hooves and the ambient forest sounds, the mood of the external world contrasted wildly with Kieran's growing affront. This mission had been grating on his nerves since he first heard of the situation. They could not reach the bandits' base sooner! Of all the vile acts--

"I can't believe this! What despicable villains would steal someone's sheep! Of all the nerve! Why, a farmer's sheep are to him as my horse is to me! His brothers-in-arms, who feed and clothe him! Anyone who dishonors this sacred bond has no soul! Miscreants, the lot of them! Scoundrels!"

He continued to rant for some time before turning to glare at his companion, as if daring him to refute those words. 

[swornrival-blog]

[Kieran / Hector ]

[swornrival-blog]

armads:

swornrival:

armads:

“Hey! What do you mean, sneaking up!? I just walked— Huh? Treachery? What are you talking about?”

[He couldn’t help but stare and scowl at Kieran as the guy scanned and examined him like he was some… some kind of alien he had never seen before.]

“Listen, smartypants, the only treachery here is that big talking mouth of yours. How the heck am I supposed to take a nap if you keep shouting like a gossiping magpie? Man… you swallowed a megaphone or what?”

Huh… a megaphone? Haha, oh no, this volume is all natural! A gift I was graced with at birth! 

[Kieran laughs but trails off slowly as the rest of the blue-haired stranger’s words register. He frowns.]

I— what? You’re accusing me of treachery? For a knight there can be no greater slight against his name! I demand you rescind these accusations!

[Hector couldn’t believe that guy went around talking so much and so loud all day…  Graced with at birth all right. For some reason, the idea of a peaceful, quiet, afternoon nap was slowly starting to sound pretty unlikely to him…]

“Uh… Hey, hold your horses! And gimme a break! I wasn’t being serious! That was a, you know… a, uh… figure of spee— Aw man, you know what, forget it. Nevermind that. …There’s just no way you’d shut up for a while, eh?” He muttered, almost as if he was talking to himself.

[Somehow he got the sharp feeling that, no matter how he talked or not, Kieran wasn’t going to stop rambling soon about his… knightly stuff anytime soon.]

“Say, you a royal knight or something, right? How ‘bout we spar a little one of these days?”

[Slowly, his outrage ebbs away as the other man continues to speak. Kieran still isn't sure what this person's intentions are but at the least it would seem he hadn't been intentionally provocative. He certainly does mumble a lot though... Really, a man should speak up! He-- Kieran's train of thought cuts off however as his attention fixates on the stranger's last lines.]

Why yes, I am! One of the very finest in fact. Sub-commander of the Crimean Royal Knights, Kieran, at your service! Ah-- hmm...

[He tilts his head slightly and thinks for a moment before it clicks. Understanding, he grins.]

Oh. Ohhh, I see now! If you wished to test your skills against a man of my caliber, all you had to do was ask! I apologize for my insinuations earlier, they were uncalled for. Yes, a spar would be excellent. I am ready for your challenge at any time! Be it dusk or dawn, why, even in the middle of battle-- 

[He continues listing occasions, once again forgetting about his audience.]