#denydawn

[vesselrot]

❛ consider this an apology if he bites you, ❜ he flicks his eyes to the dragon, then back to her. ❛ though he tends to like ladies more than i do. ❜ - to dolores!

“i fear your dragon as much as i fear you—not at all. but, i am glad he’s more likely to enjoy my presence.” dragons were still such a new concept to her. they didn’t exist back home and were something of fairy tales; she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to see one in person. beautiful black, glimmering scales with such a smooth sheen. it almost makes dolores jealous of his beauty. her fingers trail the underside of it’s chin as she gently scratches. was this an appropriate manner of affection for a creature so large?

the only sort of creatures they had back home were twisted, cursed beings. nothing like this. undead folks, fae, something simple. not something like a drake. a low rumble emitting from the beast startles her away. a purr or a growl? she would not find out. dolores pulls away quickly. there was no need to tempt fate today when things were already looking well. “i suppose he’s had enough. thank you for not biting me, i appreciate it.” though she’s certain if he bit her, she’d be nothing more than a midday snack to him.

@denydawn

[fatestaken]

@denydawn says:

❛ pardon me, my lady, ❜ there is plenty of smugness on his tongue. ❛ but if i may say, i told you so. ❜ - to adela!

'usually, referring to a lady of noble birth by her title is meant as a mark of respect but from you, it sounds as though you are mocking me.' if she had things her way, he would have no reason to speak to her at all but fate (or perhaps her father) has turned against her. not only will she have to continue to endure his prattle, but now, the powers that be have decided that cináed's determination to protect the people of the realm is so commendable as to require hightower involvement. she had assumed that her father would at least listen to the hedge knight but she had been adamant that he would only make sympathetic noises and then send the man away with an apologetic shrug.

how could she have so miscalculated? 'you may not say so.' adela mutters in a barely audible grumble as she pointedly averts her gaze. 'i have no idea what's come over him.' it's not that she disagrees with her father's decision to take a more keen interest in affairs of the realm and its people. it's a strategy she's advocated for time and time again but why is it only now that he's decided to become more active? she refuses to believe that her father's change of heart comes from cináed's power of persuasion.

'well, whatever he says, i do not have to accompany you, you know. perhaps i would prefer to remain right here at home.' she's acting obstinate on principle because she's all too aware of the years of her life that she's spent longing to see more of the realm, to be more than just an idle spectator. this was an opportunity. an opportunity that felt akin to a punishment given the company that she'd be required to keep.

and should she not be pleased that her father's chosen her rather than his adored heir, her elder brother? or maybe she should be insulted because he thinks the task of insufficient worth as to require the attention of his eldest son. better not to ask!

'if i do agree to accompany you, i will do so on my terms. if the whole point is to add the voice of house hightower to your chorus, you will do well to heed my counsel on how to approach the other great houses.'

[fatestaken]

@denydawn says:

❛ mind your distance, ❜ his eyes flicked about for all of three seconds before returning to the dragon, ❛ he is not terribly fond of strangers with blades. ❜ - to branden!

'And I am not terribly fond of overgrown lizards so i would say the dislike is mutual.' the quip is spoken in a brisk, cavalier tone but his pale blue eyes spark with wariness as he eyes both the stranger and his dragon. even without the presence of the creature, branden might feel hostility for the stranger on principle. in a mercenary's line of work, it was always prudent to steer well clear of strangers.

not that he thinks he's in any particular stranger from this man or well, he wouldn't be if it wasn't for the presence of the dragon. without the creature to consider, branden is fairly certain he could take the other in a sword fight if need be with little effort. 'i have traveled the realm a great deal and yet i cannot say i have ever come across a simple knight with a dragon in tow.'

the dragon is certainly far more entertaining than the man. no doubt he's one of the realm's many hapless knights who runs around on errands for some lord or another, always working for others and so rarely gaining anything of consequence for himself.

'no offense—' and by this, he inevitably indicates that he couldn't care less whether his words are insulting or not, 'but i doubt you're capable of handling such a creature.'

[fatestaken]

@denydawn says:

❛ and here i thought the sight of my blood would please you, ❜ it's a grunted quip with no levity behind it. ❛ i would urge you to turn your head away, but i fear that would rob you of the distinct privilege of seeing me bleed. it does not happen often. quite a rare sight. ❜ - to adela!

'and what gives you the impression that i am anything but elated?' an almost feline smile flickers across curved lips as the brunette replies coolly, 'i shall enjoy it all the more then for knowing it to be a rarity, i suppose.' spite is not an emotion particularly becoming of a lady of her station but...cináed has been the cause of far too many headaches for her to feel particularly sympathetic for him. after all, are blood and toil not part of a hedge knight's trade?

if anything, maybe this has humbled him a bit and he won't be so annoying all the time! a foolish thought given that there is no one aspect of his demeanor that grates his nerves but rather his very person. that their paths have even become intertwined to such a degree is unfathomable.

to remain an immovable bystander would be far preferable but it is not lost on her that she needs the man alive. for the time being, he remains the only path open to her if she wishes to not only live a life free of the taint of her family's past treason but also see her family restored to preeminence. the fact that she has to rely on a hedge knight to accomplish such feats is an absurdity (one she broods upon often) but fate must be allowed its amusement.

'regrettably, you are of no use to me if you bleed out.' she admits with a grimace as if it physically pains her to confess as much. 'and then all the tedious conversation i have been forced to endure in your company would be for naught. sit and let me try and bind the wound. unless you think you can do better, of course.'