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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 12, 2011 16:44:56 GMT -5
I decided on the White Hart Manor for a drink, because there weren't any good places for drinking in the Palace District, and Night's Doorstep didn't seem like the right sort of place just at the moment.
Reza and I arrived in due course and took a table near the back, where I could watch the exits. It was a habit leftover from the Akkadian war, but one that had always served me in good stead.
I ordered a pint of ale and then sat back to regard her, this woman soldier, and I wondered if we came to war how good she would be on the battlefield.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 12, 2011 17:47:42 GMT -5
It hadn't taken me long to freshen up and I'd chosen to put on one of my few gowns, sewn in plain deep-grey fabric, the pendant of Shemhazai I always wore on its silver chain around my neck and my sword still at my side. The place he'd chosen for a drink was respectable enough, though after so long at various posts I had a good tolerance for almost anywhere that arrows weren't raining down on my head, but I still appreciated the thought. It may well have been a sign of some respect, though since I didn't know the Commander's nature there was no way to tell.
Once we'd been seated I opened a simple mug of mead after Jaime had requested his ale, then turned back to the table to notice him reclining back and examining me with a speculative eye, though I didn't think it was to wonder about my bedroom prowess. Or at least if it was, then there was another motive to it as well. Unperturbed I smiled my usual half-smile and cocked my head, raising a brow questioningly though I wasn't at all offended. "Perhaps, Commander, it would be easier if you asked your question," I said in a more relaxed tone than I'd used earlier on the practice ground, well aware of the more casual surroundings.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 14, 2011 22:51:11 GMT -5
"Questions... yes," I said, her directness intriguing me. I shrugged and took a long look at her. She was so unlike the women I was used to: tavern whores or highborn, different and yet the same, but this woman I could sense was not truly like either.
"I don't have specific questions, per se, though I admit to being curious how a woman like yourself should come to the military. It is not unheard of, and yet in my lifetime I have only seen it on rare occasions. I suppose that rarity makes me curious, though of course, if I am prying, you need not tell me anything."
Our drinks arrived in short order, and I took a long drink of mine while I waited to see if she would indulge my curiosity.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 15, 2011 12:01:12 GMT -5
I wasn't sure whether the Commander simply wasn't used to being in such a casual environment with his soldiers or women, but for some reason I had the feeling that I could be wrong on both counts. It wasn't for me to speculate though, not about a superior officer. Those like me were few and far between, and most of the women who joined did so just long enough to make their mark, find a husband and retire with their status intact. We were d'Angelines but a good deal of people still had a hard time reconciling affection and warfare outside of the random battle-lust after a hard-fought skirmish.
"In all honesty I don't see it as prying, sir," I replied with a wider smile, my tone calmer and more sedate than it had been and my mead still resting on the table for the moment. "Though the story may be something of a long one. Shortly after I turned sixteen my father died and my only choice at the time seemed to be the path toward becoming a Priestess of Shemhazai. Then I realized there was another option, and one that would allow me to make a difference, so I took the little money I'd been left and bought my commission." Perhaps that wasn't the story with all of the details but it was the general gist of it and my smile warmed slightly near the end. Picking up my mug I took a graceful swallow of mead and set it back down.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 15, 2011 22:57:37 GMT -5
"It speaks to your character, however, that you pursued a course that was of interest to you," I said, "Rather than simply doing the easy thing and following what was expected." So many people did that, myself included, for I had never chosen the path of a military man, though it did indeed suit me.
I sipped at my ale, not wishing to spend another night sleeping it off, things were too tense in the City for that. "It's interesting, isn't it, the things people do because they think they're supposed to..." I was thinking about my own life, my own reputation, something I sometimes felt compelled to live up to, whether I wanted to or not.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 15, 2011 23:24:17 GMT -5
There seemed to be something of a deeper matter being discussed here, but the subject of philosophy wasn't one that bothered me, especially when it came to things like free will and human destiny. The Commander, Jaime, seemed to be a very deep person for all of his preconceptions and that was interesting to me, in much the same way I seemed to intrigue him. That thread of commonality was more than enough to keep the conversation going so long as neither of us became uncomfortable with it, and I was interested in seeing that through.
"There are times it would be easier to do exactly that," I replied calmly, taking another sip of my mead and then setting down the mug, my hands relaxed on the surface of the table as I looked at him forthrightly. "But after enough looking within myself and thinking about the choices that I had I realized it would be more difficult to remind myself every day that the life I'd chosen was based on a decision made by someone who didn't know me. I was lucky enough to have that chance to think and gain knowledge before I made my final choice, but everyone can make that decision in their own time."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 19, 2011 18:18:34 GMT -5
I nodded, agreeing with her assessment as I took another drink of my ale. "It's important to make our own choices, otherwise, we spend our lives wondering what could have been." Sometimes I did wonder what might have happened if my life had gone another way, I thought about my sisters and the duchy that I possessed and yet only barely governed. I wondered if I'd ever have a wife, children... all those things flashed through my mind.
"What are your thoughts on the current situation with Skaldia?" I asked her over my tankard. It hadn't quite come to war yet, but I was interested in taking the pulse of the City, especially the soldiers, because it very well could come to that, and any day now.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 19, 2011 19:06:31 GMT -5
This may have been the only chance I had to find out more about the commander in chief of the military, a man who could have in his hands the decision of how the Captain, myself and many others may live or die. To see that he was both intelligent and capable was refreshing and I was able to relax more fully and enjoy the time rather than concerning myself with exact decorum. I was very good at following orders and being polite but that wouldn't change just because I was less formal and I was aware of that.
As soon as I'd made that decision and took another drink of my mead Jaime asked his question and I thought deeply for a moment, collecting my words carefully. "There isn't much news that reaches Siovale, especially in the more outlying areas," I said after a moment, meeting his gaze forthrightly. "But from what they say there's more raids along the border and word of a unifying leader. These aren't the best signs and could well spell some damage to Terre d'Ange itself if history is any indication. But the information that's coming in is scarce. What isn't known can't be fought."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 20, 2011 21:51:30 GMT -5
I nodded along with her words ... for once the news that spread was fairly correct, or perhaps she was just more discerning about the things she heard.
"It's the unifying leader that bothers me, we've seen how detrimental that can be to Terre d'Ange." I was thinking aloud now and I continued in a low voice. "I think sometimes that we could save a lot of lives if we tried to make a more lasting peace with the Skaldi instead of simply reacting to their whims. It has to be possible, or maybe that's just wishful thinking." People might find it odd that a soldier desired peace, but there it was, I never enjoyed war.
"Well, I suppose that is a matter for cooler and smarter heads than mine," I laughed softly and finished my ale, ordering another with a nod at the server.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 21, 2011 11:47:36 GMT -5
It seemed that the Commander had become more relaxed as well and I listened carefully to his words, though there was a sort of quiet, contemplative air that made me wonder whether he was mostly speaking to himself or confiding in me. I was used to both in my own way, as I tended to pay close attention to the things that were said to or around me and Royal often asked for my input on his plan. I owed it to this man to do the same if I could, as I had for others, including the Dauphin the one time we'd met. His fate was an unfortunate thing and hopefully the wisdom of Shemhazai would be with those trying to cure him and those working on the puzzle of how he'd been poisoned.
"Having the idea to make peace is the first step toward reaching it, or so I'd think," I said in a sedate tone, my own voice pitched as quietly as his as I met his gaze. "Perhaps it's overstepping my bounds to say so, but finding the way to that peace could be the same as that used to gather knowledge. We know little of the Skaldi save what we discover during battles and the occasional outreach toward peace. Perhaps it would help to discover more, to have someone live among them and hear what they can for the sake of both eventualities. Also, I would say that from my limited interaction with you as well as the rank you hold I would never doubt your intelligence. I have too much faith in my nation for that."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 22, 2011 17:42:13 GMT -5
I thought about what she said, and realized that she was right. One of the reasons peace had been reached in Khebbel-im-Akkad was because our troops had lived there for so long. Some men had taken wives there, had children. We had learned to respect their culture, and they ours. That sort of thing didn't stop a war, but it helped, it gave people a reason to broker for peace.
"Truly, that is probably the wisest thing I've heard in weeks of trying to figure out what to do. Perhaps when this is all over, some kind of peace will be possible. With the Skaldics uniting under one leader, it makes it easier to negotiate with them, if it's true." Unfortunately, there would be no peace at the moment - they had gone too far in murdering our Queen, and they would have to pay for that.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 22, 2011 17:58:07 GMT -5
For a few minutes I simply waited for him to consider what I'd said, taking a sip of my drink from time to time and casting the occasional glance around the room as was my habit, one learned from a long time in the military and some of it dedicated to watching my Captain's back. Even in safe places there could be any number of unexpected things that might occur and I wasn't the sort who liked to be surprised by any of them. Forewarned was always forearmed.
When the Commander finally spoke again I smiled more widely and bowed my head in respect, this compliment meaning more than he would have likely understood. "Thank you, sir," I simply replied, then considered what he had said afterward while setting down my empty mug and pushing it away slightly. "But with respect perhaps it's still better to find out what we can sooner rather than later. On the borders in Siovale there were always some Euskerri and Aragonians who would keep their ears and eyes open to tell us what they could about the slavers who lived deeply in the mountains. If one had ears and eyes among the Skaldi then they would be able to discern what they were planning next."
Perhaps that was a bold statement, but I wasn't one who held back what I thought could be useful advice, whether or not that turned out to be the case. Perhaps he would reprimand me for it, or perhaps not, but I wouldn't know for certain until I said my piece.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 27, 2011 20:22:12 GMT -5
"If one had eyes and ears among the Skaldi, one might be in a damn sight better position," I muttered into my drink. It was impossible to get men in their camp because they were killed on sight, and besides, finding someone who even spoke Skaldi was harder than one might thing.
"I do have some contacts along the border," I said with a sigh. It was not even a secret, because they barely ever brought me anything useful. At this point, war was inevitable, but it would be nice to know more about this leader that the Skaldi were purportedly flocking to. Not to mention how the hell he had managed to get someone in the City to poison the Queen and the Dauphin. It wasn't very likely for D'angelines to cooperate with Skaldi, but their hands had been in plenty of other pies, every clue pointed to them.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be waxing melancholic about war while we're just getting to know each other," I said with a laugh. I could always save that sort of thing for Cygnus. "Besides being an amazing soldier, what else does a pretty girl like you like to do?"
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 28, 2011 13:17:21 GMT -5
There was some bitterness in the Commander's tone as he replied to what I said, but that was only to be expected, especially if things were going poorly. It would be frustrating to have a task that needed doing and to be unable to complete it, especially if it appeared all ideas had been conceived and summarily proven uneffective. Part of what I did in my role as second in command was putting plans into action though, taking the larger picture that the Captain had and making it into a workable tasks, then seeing them through. Hopefully the Commander had someone like that to help him in the same fashion, and he seemed like a wise enough man to realize the usefulness of that sort of help.
"It doesn't bother me to hear such things, sir," I assured him once his mood had cleared up a bit, though his compliment caused my brow to rise with a rueful sort of amusement. I knew what sort of women they had here in the city and I was almost certain there wasn't much in me to compare to them. Nevertheless it was flattering and I smiled a bit more widely at it. "When I'm not soldiering I actually like to experience new things, or do the things I don't have a chance to when I'm at the front. What do charming commanders do when they're not busy with their work?"
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jun 29, 2011 22:01:17 GMT -5
She thought I was charming? That cheered me up immensely, and I lounged back in my chair with a bit of a rakish grin. I knew that if Cygnus was here, he'd be rolling his eyes right about now.
"Oh, this and that," I said, waving my hand and then laughing. "To be honest, since I've gotten back from Khebbel-im-Akkad, I hardly ever have 'free' time anymore. This Skaldi business takes up an unfortunate amount of my time. In the books and songs going to war is portrayed as being some grand thing, when in reality it takes a lot of work just to gather up the troops, much less have them ready to march."
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jun 29, 2011 22:20:25 GMT -5
It seemed like my simple statement of fact had been taken as a compliment, which wasn't a bad thing, and the Commander relaxed a good deal, at least enough that he seemed more ready to talk. Keeping the conversation going didn't seem like a bad thing at all at this point and I was glad to have stumbled across some way to accomplish that, especially since I was generally too introspective to do so easily.
The topic that seemed to be underway was one I understood well enough and I nodded as he spoke, finding that I identified with his statement quite easily. "I could understand how that could happen. The paperwork and logistics for taking care of one company is quite extensive. I can only imagine how much must be involved to keep an entire military force running smoothly." True, I did most of that sort of work for my Captain as he was generally at a loss with it, but that was something that would be hard to admit without my leader looking bad under scrutiny. "I count it as even more of an honor that you found time to speak with me under those circumstances."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jul 2, 2011 20:51:39 GMT -5
"Well, even a Commander must stop and smell the roses - and the talented swordswomen - occasionally." I laughed and ordered another round, though she was drinking a lot less than I. I supposed she knew what she could handle and thought no more of it.
"But yes, it is quite an undertaking, but we all do what we must. When it is over, hopefully we will have bloodied the Skaldi's nose and taught them a lesson." It had occurred to me, moreover, that we could expand our territory if we bloodied them enough, though I was biding my time before bringing that to the King. Not the Queen, I thought as a woman she might be too softhearted for such things, or not as ambitious as a man might be, but we would see how it would all fall out.
"In the meantime, it's good that you're training, because every sword arm will be needed."
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jul 3, 2011 12:36:57 GMT -5
By now I'd finally finished my first mug and I took the next one that was brought to me, unconcerned with exactly what it was and already feeling a bit more relaxed in the setting and the conversation. I was familiar enough with drinking from the times I'd done so with Royal and occasionally with the other soldiers but I didn't want to give the impression that I was the type to drink to excess either. In fact if anyone did it was the Captain and that was why I was there to help remind him of how much he'd had and gently steer him toward other things. With the weight of his thoughts though and those dreams that kept him up nights it was no surprise though.
The mentioned necessity of continued training drew another nod from me as I set down my mug quietly. There were times in d'Angeline history when we'd done just that, pushed out those invaders who wanted to take our land and held the borders that extended as far as we could easily maintain. There was always the question of expansion in some circles, even those who thought it would be advisable to conquer other nations and disperse or kill their people to give us further advantage but to me that was more a question of morality, politics and religion. "Whenever my arm is needed I'll be there to give it," I replied with a smile, then picked my drink back up and took another sip. "Though I imagine there are far more skillful ones than mine. Every effort can make a difference between failure and success though, or so I've come to believe."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jul 4, 2011 10:08:20 GMT -5
I agreed with her, not about there being people far more skillful than she, from what I'd seen she could handle herself well, but about every effort making a difference. Wars had been won and lost on the backs of so-called 'lesser' men.
"True, every sword arm matters, and every person has a part to play," I said, even if that part is simply to die in battle, but I left that part out. "And does your captain employ a similar philosophy? I should like to meet him some time." I did make it a point to know my higher ranking officers, at least in Akkad, but it was much harder here, being in charge of the army as a whole, because there were just so many and of course there were forces spread out among the Provinces as well.
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Thereza de Soigneux
Military
First Lieutenant
Second in Command to Captain de Etalon
Posts: 233
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Post by Thereza de Soigneux on Jul 7, 2011 16:33:15 GMT -5
The fact that this conversation was still continuing strongly and hadn't yet had too long of a silence was a very good sign in my book, especially as I was rarely one to make small-talk. This was anything but though, and when asked to speak about my job and the people I served with I was more than willing to say whatever I thought or felt in complete honesty.
"Captain de Etalon believes that every person can make a difference and ensures that every person is well-trained and well-placed enough to make the largest difference possible," I replied with a slightly wider smile as I thought of the familiar comfort of the camp. It may not have had everything the City could offer but it was, in a sense, home. "He's in Siovale right now but he does come to the City from time to time on leave. I'm sure he'd be most eager to meet with you as well."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jul 11, 2011 20:39:09 GMT -5
"Well, it seems as if we shall have a need for every arm sooner rather than later," I said, though I took no joy in that prediction. "But I suppose war is the price for peace, is it not? One day perhaps people will be content with what they have and not look to take from their neighbors, but until then, we will all do as we must."
I finished my glass but did not ask for another one this time. "All this drink is making me somewhat morose," I laughed, shaking my head. "Which is not a feeling I enjoy, not I'm sure that you would care to witness." When the server came back, I ordered some bread and stew instead of more ale. "Would you like to eat as well?" I asked her, though she did seem to be holding her alcohol well enough without it.
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