• PM To Join • [Oakleigh] Protecting DOOR

[Sintih]

Ymiden, 77th, 717th Arc
Duke of Oakleigh's Estate, Oakleigh, Eastern Settlements

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he horse seemed to protest as Sin pulled the reins to the right, fighting his commands. A second, harder, tug turned the horse into the road leading to the white estate up ahead. The warmer weather of Ymiden had done wonders for Sin's condition after his return from Viden. The light of the sun on his back shifted to his side as he turned and started riding up the road. Even from this distance, Sin could see the splendor ahead. Several windows reflected the sun in his direction as a dance of light broke through the trees on the side of the road to his right. It was a peaceful moment while he drove up to the heart of a potential death trap ahead of him.

He stopped his horse near the stairs leading up to the house and climbed down from the saddle. The later hour of the trial meant that any staff that potentially worked outside, taking care of the estate, was already done for the trial. Sintih grabbed the horse's reins and tied it down to one of several posts specially placed for that purpose. He wasn't sure how long he would be here but he could always ask for someone to look after the horse if things dragged out too much. A duke probably had people just for that anyway. Sin reached for the saddlebag and opened it, carefully pulling out a cylindrical container. Inside, he had put the message he was here to deliver.

He hooked the cylinder to his belt as he walked up the white steps in front of the estate towards the large double doors and windows that made up the face of the building. As he walked up he pulled his leather gloves off and hooked them in his belt, opposite to where he'd hooked the cylinder. With a casual graze across his belt, Sin checked if the short sword was still in place on the back of his belt, ready to be drawn, just in case. When he reached the top of the stairs, Sin pulled the fur-lined, red velvet cloak closer around his shoulder, covering most of his armor underneath. It was difficult to combine armor with stylish and fashionable clothing. It wasn't that the armor was dirty or anything, it had been thoroughly cleaned and oiled specifically for this visit, but the military nature of the armor didn't match well with the more... flamboyant red and fur of the cloak.

It had been quite a ride getting back to Andaris and into the swing of things. Or more the lack of swing of things. In his absence Andaris, and Rynmere by extension, had gone down the drain. Magic had become illegal, his position in the Iron Hand was still ground to a total halt and the king's marriage to the empress was stirring up even more anti noble sentiments in the populace. With all that change around him, Sin had woken up one trial and decided to do the same. An early morning cup of tea while reading the gazette and now he was here, climbing up the stairs to a house owned by a man Sin had been unable to respect until recently. Tristan Venora wasn't known for his political ability or useful skills but had somehow managed to land himself the position of Duke of Oakleigh, despite the obvious protests from the locals. That was something that Sintih could respect.

Sin grabbed hold of the handle and pulled it down, releasing a ringing sound inside of the house. He pulled a second time and let go before unhooking the cylinder from his belt and holding it. As he waited for someone to come and open the door, Sin turned towards the sun, watching it crest on the horizon, slowly setting into the night sky. Even if things went exactly as he envisioned them, he'd be riding home in the dark. When he heard sounds coming from the door, he turned to look at the person opening the door for him. "Good evening. Is the Duke home? I've come to deliver a message from my employer to him." Sin held the cylinder up so the person could see it clearly. "I apologize if it is an inconvenient time but I rushed over as quick as I could. It's important that I deliver this message to his lordship." Sin's empty white eyes bore down on the person in front of him, waiting for their response.

[Tristan Venora]

The person that opened the door was a woman in her twenties. She had short auburn hair and lots of freckles, and she was heavily armed which made her job obvious. She was a guard. She was there to protect the Duke of Oakleigh and his family as well as stop intruders from, well, intruding. She looked at Sintih for a while, perhaps trying to determine if he was being truthful or a threat, and then she smiled at him and remarked, “Nice cloak!”

Realizing that the comment probably hadn’t been very professional, although the cloak was indeed very nice, she continued in a polite tone, “Please follow me inside, sir. I will take you to His Grace’s office.” She had considered making him wait outside while she asked Lord Venora if he wanted to talk to him, but if the message really was that important, then it would be better to take Sintih to her employer right away, she decided.

Provided that Sintih did indeed follow her, she would then take him to the office, except that His Grace wasn’t there. There was just a big black cat with sulfur-yellow eyes that seemed to burn with an infernal fire lounging on a stack of papers in the middle of the desk as if he belonged there. Maybe the duke was a Becomer and had turned into a cat?

Apparently not.

Upon seeing the cat, the guardswoman closed the door again and continued to lead Sintih through the house. They found His Grace in the garden where he was enjoying the pleasant evening weather. Tristan was sitting on a comfortable looking chair, dressed in a white silk shirt and black pants and very flashy red shoes and reading a book – a book that explained the political system of Rynmere, of all things.

He hadn’t known anything about politics before his unexpected promotion, but he was determined to learn everything about it now. He wanted to be a good Duke, he wanted to make his new subjects like him, and he didn’t want to disappoint King Cassander who he still considered a friend in spite of what people said (they had claimed a real friend wouldn’t send you someplace where people hated you).

On a table next to the chair stood a bottle with a cool drink and a bowl with chocolate cookies. Another one of Tristan’s guards, Lianne, his favourite guard who also shared his bed and got drunk with him sometimes, was nearby. She was protecting both Tristan and his baby daughter that was sleeping in a small cot that had been brought into the garden.

As the freckled woman entered the garden, Sintih in tow, Tristan closed the book and looked up, studying Sintih as he did so. He didn’t recognize him, but he definitely recognized the cloak he was wearing! “So you are the man I sent my cloak and my painting to! I’ve always wondered what you look like!” he remarked excitedly. “Did you like my gifts? Have you come here to …” He stopped abruptly and looked at the cylinder in Sintih’s hand.

“He has a message for you”, the freckled woman – her name was Hannah – stated the obvious.

Tristan nodded. “Who is it from, and what is it about?” he wanted to know from Sintih before he turned back to Hannah. “Can you take Ayla inside and watch her, please? I’m not sure how long this will take, and I don’t want her to wake up.” Hannah nodded and carefully took the baby who had dark hair and brilliant blue eyes into her arms and carried her inside, thus allowing Sintih and Tristan to talk without waking little Ayla up and making her cry.

[Sintih]

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he woman opening the door lacked many of the expected manners of a servant of a duke and the amount of metal on her person told Sin that she was working to protect the duke. For now. As she sized him up, he did the same to her, determining her worth by her appearance. He was pulled from his thoughts as she mentioned the cloak. His mind jumped back to the note that had come with the painting. Ladies like men who look all noble and important. That's what the letter had said. Sin smiled back at her but before he could reply she continued in a more professional tone to invite him in.

He stepped in after her and closed the door behind him. The Duke's estate lived up to its name. The entrance hall was large enough to fit Sin's house in, possibly multiple times. They crossed the room towards a door which the woman opened and looked inside. Sin could only see an empty office until the door started to close again when he noticed the cat sitting on the desk. Before he could catch any other detail from it, the door closed again. He followed the woman once more, heading through the main hall and out the back into the estate's garden. As he walked through the hall, Sin couldn't help but notice the lack of paintings in the style he had come to associate with Tristan Venora's reputation. There were no animal paw prints on any of them.

Sitting in a garden chair, Sin saw a young man, younger than him, closing a book and placing it in his lap. He looked at the young man and their eyes met. Before the guardswoman could even introduce him, the duke started talking about his cloak. It seemed that Tristan Venora was well aware which material possession had once been gifted by him, even when he didn't know who he had been gifting it to. Sin let a soft smile draw the corners of his mouth upwards as the duke stopped talking and the guard seemingly interrupted him. Sin held the cylinder a little higher so the duke could see it properly but the man's attention turned from the Eídisi to the cot next to him. He watched the exchange between the two, satisfied to see that the duke had at least one person listening to him.

While he hadn't seen it when he had entered, Sin looked carefully towards the little baby being lifted from the cot by the guard. At the same time, Sin felt impressed by the fact that the duke was already a father, he looked barely like an adult to him, and the fact that a baby would complicate things should the duke agree to hire Sin. Babies were incapable of defending themselves and made excellent hostages to any parent worth their salt. Much could be accomplished with a single baby in the opponents hands. Sin watched the guard walk back towards the house before turning back to the duke. He was here for a reason and he needed to convince this man that he was needed here.

Sin reached for the cylinder and started to pull the cap off of it. "My employer has recently returned to Andaris from his travels and heard about your appointment here in Oakleigh. He tasked me with this delivery to you and made sure I would get it to you personally." Sin pulled the scroll out carefully. The message was sealed with a darker blue wax. It was imprinted with an empty seal, leaving the obvious imprint in the wax but without a crest of any kind. The lack of crest would tell Tristan that it wasn't one of the major noble houses of Rynmere, nor one of the many influential merchant families either. Yet, the obvious presence of the empty seal meant it was someone with means. Or someone trying to be seen as such. Sintih held the message out for the duke to take it. Like a good servant, Sin didn't try to sneak a peak at the contents of the letter once the duke broke the seal and started reading.

To the Duke of Oakleigh of Rynmere, Tristan Venora

Allow me to congratulate you on your acquisition of your newest title. I know it is late but you must forgive my tardiness. I was not around at the time of your receiving your title so you'll have to forgive this little lapse of mine. In returning to Andaris I quickly picked up on certain rumors about your position and the people you're now ruling over. The Settlements have always been free spirited and this change of leadership is a difficult time for them, which makes it a difficult time for you as well. In time they will come to accept you as you are, their leader, but until then I worry. The King's decision to appoint you has been a wise one, there is no denying that, but I feel you have been sent to a dangerous place while lacking the necessary security and safety befitting one of your status.

The world would be a bleaker place if it lost such a paragon of the arts.

To this extent, I have sent to you the bearer of this message. He is my most trusted man and stands before you hoping to serve you to the full extent of his abilities. When I told my associates of my worry for you and my desire to help you find your footing in Oakleigh, he was keen to volunteer. Knowing that he doesn't think too highly of the noble born, I was surprised at first so I questioned his motives. He told me that wealth, status or noble blood meant nothing unless one earns it through their actions. A man who saved his king and became the Duke of Oakleigh as a reward has done more than enough to earn both it and my assistance. I shall not tell you too much else about him. It is always best to make up your own mind about people.

Should you feel me overcautious, my worries ungrounded or if you have already made other arrangements toward your safety and decide not to take him, I have made him my proxy for Oakleigh and he has a second set of tasks I have given him in case you deem his presence unnecessary. Whether by keeping you and yours safe or by making Oakleigh safer for you and yours, my worries will be eased and his task will be accomplished.

May Ilaren bless you and keep your cups filled forever.
Sinra Khan

It had take Sin quite some time and many drafts to come up with this letter. He'd spent hours trying to remember what little he'd picked up from the man that one time he had met him in a bar. He tried to take as much information from his reputation as well but most of it was negative and he couldn't really do anything with that. But in the end, Sin had been satisfied with the result and had sealed the letter shut with the dark blue wax. He looked expectantly towards Tristan as the man read the letter, making sure to not seem as if he was trying to read what was in the letter.

[Tristan Venora]

Sometimes Tristan wondered how Eidisi could see out of those eyes. Humans that had such eyes were usually blind. If he were evil, he’d probably remove their eyes and conduct all kinds of experiments on them to find out, but he was not evil, and he knew better than to ask Sintih how his eyes worked because he was a duke now, and he needed to behave and not ask too many weird questions. So he simply listened to the man’s explanation.

“A lot of people are very interested in me all of a sudden”, he remarked in a comparatively light-hearted tone. “I wonder where they were when I was simply the son of Noah Venora.” The words were not meant as criticism. Tristan was simply making an observation, and he didn’t really mind the sudden interest in his person either. In fact he enjoyed it, most of the time, and was even amused by it to some extent.

He furrowed his brow as he noticed the empty seal. So the man’s employer didn’t come from any of the seven noble houses – or were there ten noble houses now that King Cassander had turned the Eastern Settlement into three duchies? Maybe the message came from one of the merchant families in Oakleigh then. No, he remembered, they had crests as well. Sintih’s employer was probably a commoner – a very influential commoner. He didn’t mind commoners. In fact he preferred them to his fellow nobles most of the time.

He broke the seal and started to read, furrowing his brow some more as he did so. He also stopped once to take a large gulp from his drink because reading and thinking always made him thirsty. As he read the bit about Sinra Khan wanting to help him he almost laughed. Did he want to help him out of the goodness of his heart or because he hoped to gain something from it?

He pondered the question for a bit and then decided that he didn’t really care after all. Besides, he needed any help he could get if he didn’t want his subjects to kill him or at least overthrow him (after which he would probably have to run away and become a pirate because he was pretty sure that King Cassander wouldn’t take him back after he had failed).

“Who exactly is Sinra Khan?” he wanted to know and put the letter down again. “And who are you, and what can you do for me?” He paused briefly and pointed at his bottle. “Do you want a drink, by the way? There isn’t any alcohol in it – I was told I should drink less alcohol now that I have a child – but it’s still pretty good. I can ask a servant to bring you a glass. You can have some of my cookies as well”, he added.

[Sintih]

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e smiled softly and simply listened to the duke wonder to himself why he was suddenly so much more interesting than before. Or rather more useful as he'd always been interesting. Sin was smart enough to know not to answer the question so he simply waited for the Duke to finish musing about all the extra attention he was suddenly getting. He could see the duke's puzzlement as he observed the seal but it lasted only a moment before he broke it and rolled out the scroll. Sin looked away, instead focusing on the remaining guard for a moment.

He couldn't really tell much about the woman standing near the duke. She didn't seem outstanding in any way except maybe the fact that she was outstanding at hiding how outstanding she was at other things. No exotic looking weaponry, in fact, no weaponry at all even. Hidden weapons or an unarmed combatant? Sin continued to scan her. No obvious brands, awakenings or revelations to indicate magic and no visible immortal marks either. His deduction of his future colleague or immediate enemy left him with very little new information apart from the fact that she seemed to give of a vague impression of veterancy, something he kept a mental note of. His attention moved back to the duke as he was addressed.

At the offer of a drink, Sin shook his head. At the offer of the cookies, Sin couldn't help but see a child in a grown man's body standing before him. Sharing cookies with a duke? It seemed Tristan Venora hadn't changed that much in light of his promotion. "I'm fine, thank you for your hospitality. My employer, I'm sure, has mentioned something about people having to make up their own mind about others." Sin couldn't help the small smile as he looked at the duke. "So I will leave you to do that should he ever have the time to visit." Powerful words, indicating to a duke that a crest-less, faceless person decided when they had the time to visit a high ranking noble of the kingdom. That seemed to be all Sin had to say on the subject of his employer as he moved on to the duke's second question.

"We met once before, you and I, when I was still employed by the Iron Hand. A bar fight that got way out of hand because of a beautiful woman, of course. You wouldn't remember, I'm sure." The lack of honorifics and titles in Sin's words showed just how on the mark Sinra Khan's letter had been. "I worked for the Iron Hand as a tactician and strategist, which is what I would be bringing to your table. As a duke you have places to be, people to visit and negotiate with, babies to hold and bless, other nobles to entertain and, I'm sure, some of these people you meet might not like you very much in the beginning. You have a big house with many rooms and entrances that would need proper protection and, as I just learned, a daughter who might become the target of those people who don't like you. Maybe, in the future, once you're more used to your position, you might know of people who think the world is better off without you and you feel the need to go and persuade them to think otherwise, you might require knowledge about the person sitting across from you at the negotiation table. Or, like Ser Khan has trusted me this trial, you might be so busy you'd need to be in two or three places at the same time. All of these things and anything else you and I could come up with, my associates and I could help you with."

Sin stopped for a moment, to let all of it sink in. At the same time, Sin had not only informed the duke of all the ways he could protect him, he'd also shown him there were most likely way more weak points in his life than he'd previously thought. An experienced person might be impressed by Sin's grasp of the life of a noble of the kingdom and the tasks of a duke. A paranoid person might suspect Sin of indirectly threatening them with all this information. "Now, I don't expect to be trusted with all these duties starting tomorrow. Basic security, to start things off with, and when you feel that this isn't purely a power play by my employer and you start trusting us a bit more, we can discuss further ways we can be of assistance to you."

It could have been wrapped up a little better but Sin had said all he'd wanted to say, more or less. He shifted the cloak a little so the fur lining stopped tickling his ear and waited for the duke to process. He hoped it all worked out.
The benefits that would come with working for a Duke directly far outweighed the freedom he'd have going with plan B. Once he got in properly and the duke trusted him enough, he'd even be able to combine both plans together.
The future looked promising to the young Eídisi. Yet, without Saeri to share in that future, it felt just a little less bright and good. The schedule would be more hectic in the beginning but Sin quietly promised himself to devote as much time as he could to the development of his Rupturing so he could spend some more time with her until her Iron Hand promotion allowed her to decide to move to Oakleigh as well.

[Tristan Venora]

“Well, if you change your mind and realize that you are hungry after all, the cookies are here“, Tristan remarked and pointed at the cookies in question. “They are delicious, and they are not poisonous. I don’t poison my guests”, he added, in case Sintih was worried about that. Or maybe, he thought, the Eidisi was shy and had a problem eating in front of others. He had met people like that before. Tristan on the other hand could eat anywhere (and he even had decent table manners most of the time!).

Tristan didn’t care about the fact that Sinrah Khan decided when he had time to visit him. Dukes weren’t the only people that were busy. Commoners could have quite demanding jobs as well. So he just nodded, and then he remarked, “I remember that woman. She reminded me of my former slave. There was this man that looked like a bear as well. He worshipped Ilaren, I think, and he was jealous that I had met her first.”

He wondered what Fridgar would have said if he had told him that he had not just met Ilaren first, but actually shared her bed. He would probably have beaten him up, so it was probably a good thing that he had decided to keep that piece of information to himself.

Sintih wasn’t telling him anything new, and he didn’t even word it in a particularly exciting manner, but Tristan decided to listen patiently nevertheless and didn’t interrupt him because that would have been impolite, and a Duke should be polite in his opinion, at least most of the time. He only started to speak once the man had ended.

“I’m already aware of all that. I know that Ayla might become a target, and I know that my position is still somewhat precarious and that I need better protection. You are telling me that you can help me with that. I have to admit, I really need help. My family promised me troops, but I have the feeling that might not be enough. My experiences with the Iron Hand have been very good so far. One of your colleagues taught me how to fight with a crossbow. Kylar. Do you know him?”

He smiled briefly as he remembered their meeting. He’d requested a swordsman, but the Iron Hand had sent him somebody with a crossbow instead. At first he’d been mad, but then he’d decided to give it a try nevertheless and found that he really enjoyed shooting things. They had ‘killed’ a few of his old sculptures that nobody had ever wanted to buy.

He paused briefly and drank from his glass before he continued, “How do I know that you really are a former member of the Iron Hand though? You haven’t told me your name yet. I need to know at least that much about you before we continue this conversation. And why did you leave the Iron Hand? Not that it really matters – as long as you didn’t commit a murder – but I have to admit, I’m curious.”

Tristan often seemed like a child in the body of a grown man, but he was not naïve. He was aware that people lied and had hidden motives. It was entirely possible that Sintih only pretended to help him and was really in league with the RCA or the Alliance or some other noble-hating organization – which might lead to a few interesting experiences, but would ultimately not be conductive to him becoming a successful duke.

[Sintih]

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ridgar really had looked like a bear. The man had been one of the stranger relationships he'd ever had. In the span of two seasons or so, Sin didn't quite remember, they'd met over a woman, fought each other with their magic, Fridgar got arrested by him and then they'd done some late night killing in the snow once. After that Fridgar had disappeared from his life and he had no clue where the man had gone. Knowing his personality and lifestyle, Sin was sure it was either jail or death. Not that it mattered much to him now.

Sin had to admit that hearing the duke talk about owning a slave disappointed him. He wasn't really sure why he'd expected the man to not have had a slave in his entire life. Having been born a Venora and now a duke, owning a slave seemed something that just came with the territory. Despite that, the rumors surrounding Tristan Venora, before he became the Duke of Oakleigh, had given the idea that the man would have gone against slavery simply because he was expected to partake in it as a noble. The fact the slave was 'former' only lessened that disappointment slightly.

As the duke explained how well he was aware of his current position, Sin couldn't help the smile on his face. It had started as the polite thing to do when he'd met the duke. Etiquette and whatnot, but the way the duke handled things, especially in light of his old reputation, Sin had to admit that the duke stood much firmer in his new shoes than Sinra Khan, he, had thought. With the mention of Kylar's skill and name, the smile froze to his face. The worst moment of Sin's adult life jumped to the front of his mind. Once again, Sin hoped that Aelig would send chaos her way, steal her happiness or something. For a moment, the anger bubbled up and clouded his face, his eyebrows drawing down and to the middle before he controlled himself. To try and mask it, Sin brought his hand up to the red fur lined cloak and adjusted it slightly. "There are many crossbow wielding knights in the Iron Hand. But I do happen to know this one."

"As for the troops you've been promised, that's good to hear. But troops are like crossbow bolts. You need a good crossbow, a commander, to fire them with or you'd simply be throwing the bolts yourself without any results. While a commander without troops is about as worthless as troops without a commander, troops are much easier to acquire. Mercenaries, slaves, poor people, foreigners. There are enough sources to draw from." Sin was quite proud of how he'd managed to put this little bit of crossbow information into a good metaphor. How much military training did nobles get in their youth? He actually hadn't known any nobles in the military, not personally at least. There had been more than enough of them in higher ranks who were too good to deal with him personally. He remembered that.

"My name wasn't in the letter?" Sin's illusionary eyes widened in fake surprise as he 'learned' he had been sent and introduced to the Duke without actually being introduced. "Actually, that doesn't surprise me. It does sound like something Ser Khan would do." The surprise shifted into a knowing smile. "I am Sintih Rathaan. My service to the Iron Hand under my last name is a matter of public knowledge to someone with a rank like yours. You could request my paperwork from the Iron Hand and they'd send you a copy without hesitating, especially if you mention it is for recruiting purposes." The file probably wasn't the glowing recommendation he deserved but what did those higher ranking guys know about talent anyway.

For a moment, Sin thought about shining up the story of why he was here but if the duke did decide to request the file he'd got a relatively true story from there anyway so he decided against it. "I got stuck in the Iron Hand. I trained, I patrolled, I fought, I did all the chores required, I went on campaigns against the Qedreki and I even killed, but never murdered. Six arcs of my life in service of the kingdom and they were all spent as a squire, never deserving of promotion because the people giving out the promotions couldn't see past this." Sin's hand waved over his own body. The bitterness in his voice wasn't fake or a show either. It was deep seated and impossible to get over in the short span of a few seasons. "So I took my leave, looking for someone who would recognize and utilize my skills to the fullest. Ser Khan did and here we are."

"I have no intention of lying to you so ask about the things you doubt or worry about now so you can trust me later when your life or your family's lives are on the line." If this introduction turned into an interview right here and now, Sin would save himself quite a bit of time and work later.

[Tristan Venora]

“Oh“, Tristan made as Sintih told him that he knew Kylar, and his eyes lit up. “What did you think of him?” he wanted to know. Personally, Tristan thought that Kylar had been a really great guy, and he hadn’t protested much when they had shot the sculptures that he had made of the Sacred Seven (which was something that a lot of people would have had a problem with since religion was a somewhat touchy subject for them), but it would be interesting to hear what somebody else thought of him nevertheless.

Sintih did have a point when it came to troops without commanders, Tristan decided. But on the other hand … “But on the other hand you could just promote the most promising member of your troops, and then you’d have a commander! Maybe you’d have to teach them the ropes, but still … most commanders were ordinary soldiers one trial. Crossbow bolts on the other hand would be totally useless without a crossbow – unless you used them to stab somebody with, I suppose”, Tristan added and imagined himself standing there fearlessly with a crossbow bolt in his hand, ready to stab the undead monstrosity that was coming at him in the eye with it.

“As for sources, I’d rather not have an army of slaves”, he admitted and shuddered. He was fine with slavery most of the time – he had really enjoyed owning Faith, it had been the best time of his life – but this was something that he strongly disagreed with! “I want the people that fight for me to do so more or less voluntarily. Slaves don’t have a choice. But I get what you mean, Ser Rathaan”, he remarked and briefly wondered if that was the correct way to address the man before he decided that he didn’t care. Everybody liked being called “Ser”, right?

He then proceeded to listen to Sintih’s story about why he had left the Iron Hand. “That really sucked”, he informed him. “I would probably have done the same. In fact, I would have told them ‘Fek you, I’m out!’ much sooner.” He stopped and looked the Eidisi over, furrowing his brow as he did so. “There’s nothing wrong with you”, he decided. “Sure, you are a bit thin, but imagine being a huge, muscular guy that is a total imbecile! That would be much worse! An army needs people that are capable of logical thought as well! I’m sorry that the Iron Hand didn’t appreciate you more!”

“I’m not worried about anything”, he told Sintih. He knew his name now, so he could just request his paperwork from the Iron Hand if he wanted – which considerably decreased the likelihood of Sintih being an assassin. Unless he was an Empath and had manipulated the member of the Iron Hand that was responsible for handling paperwork? He pondered the question for a moment and then came to the conclusion that such probably wasn’t the case. It certainly would have made for an interesting story that he would have been able to tell his friends and turn into a play later on though.

“In fact I like you. Anybody who has the guts to leave the Iron Hand gets a huge plus in my book. I’m just wondering how exactly you would increase the security of this place. Tell me that and impress me, and you are hired!” he said and grinned.

It occurred to him that most people would probably take it slow and request the paperwork before they made a definite decision, but Tristan preferred to trust his instincts. And his instincts told him that somebody who had weird eyes, was all mysterious and had quit the boring Iron Hand would probably be a lot of fun to work with.

“Before I forget”, he added and gestured towards the young woman that was still standing there, watching the two of them. She still appeared to be completely unarmed – because all her weapons were hidden. She usually carried at least two or three (or four) daggers!

“This is Lianne, my bodyguard. She’s also a fantastic actress. It was impolite of me not to introduce her.” Most nobles probably didn’t introduce the people that worked for them and ignored them until they suddenly needed them, but Tristan always did so because they mattered to him.

[Sintih]

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t was difficult to keep himself from telling Tristan just how he felt about Kylar. They'd known each other for a full five bits after which Sin lost any sort of credibility he'd gained in the five or so arcs before that. There'd been other people as well, a total of five opponents, in some form or another. In the end, two of them had turned out to be decent people. Atashi, who he counted as a friend now, had gone on to other things outside of Rynmere. Elyna, who could have been more but hadn't, still reigned in the skyriders.

Luckily, Sin had other things to focus on so instead of the Kylar question, he explained his view on the soldiers and commanders that were crossbowbolts and such. It was all very confusing once Tristan got into the metaphor as well. Sin didn't fully agree with his view on the commander promotion. While true that all commanders were once ordinary soldiers, Sin didn't think you could simply pick the most promising person out of a line up and decide on them being the commander starting then and there. But he kept that to himself, choosing to focus on what was important instead.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that Tristan shared at least some of his vision on slavery. A slave army was inexpensive and disposable but usually lacked morale and conviction. Best case scenario were professional, career soldiers. Hopefully, an arc from now, Tristan's position would be such that he'd have those at his command. Sin would gladly take charge of them once they got them. "Indeed, slaves wouldn't work for very long or very well. If you'd be able to get your hands on a standing guard with people you trust, that'd be the best case scenario." Not a standing army made up of soldiers loyal to some family member with who knew what sort of plans of their own.

When he finished explaining how he had ended up here, Sin listened to Tristan's more emotional story of how he would do things in leaving the Iron Hand. His illusion raised his eyes once more as Tristan exclaimed that nothing was wrong with him, apart from being underfed, basically. If only it was that simple. Sin hoped he would never have to explain what was actually wrong with him. It didn't get in the way of his job but it was all people could think about once they knew. Sinra Khan knew but it would be impossible for him not to know.

And then they got to the point, finally, after all that verbal dancing around. Specifics. Sin nodded and smiled as a reaction to Tristan's grin. He really wasn't duke material. Yet. "Well, as mentioned earlier, a commander without soldiers is about as useless as soldiers without a commander. I have a section of skilled individuals at my command, five of them to be exact, who will keep you safe. At first, simply increasing the number of guards around you is the quickest and easiest deterrent we can utilize. After that securing your most frequented locations and finally your entire trial routines. One of my men and I will always be with you whenever you're not home or at the town hall in Oakleigh. This will be difficult at first but we'll get better at it and you'll get used to the company before long. As I don't know of any specific threats against you or yours yet I can't give you any specific details on your security yet. If you know of any secret entrances or exits in your estate, it would make my job a lot easier should you tell me."

Sin realized that it wasn't the impressive and romantic answer someone like Tristan Venora would want to hear but it definitely was the grounded and realistic one. Sin turned towards the female, who had been standing near the duke during the entire conversation, and nodded towards her. A future colleague then. Tristan continued to break the traditional stance the nobility took towards their servants. It seemed he had been right about the man. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Lianne. I hope we'll get along well, for the duke's safety." He'd have to ask the duke for their paperwork once they got started as well. It was always good to know who else was around, especially when they weren't handpicked by him.

[Atolini Venora]

Atolini had free reign in her brothers new domain, the more she wandered the halls and gardens the ever more delighted shed become. She was a younger sister doing little sister things like listening to adult conversations by cracking the door just a smidge to listen in on the gossip, its what youd expect.

And here she was listening in on a conversation about personal safety, Atolini was flabbergasted that her brother seemed taken in by a hedge knight that tossed a few names around. Her brother always had high hopes for everyone he met, and was nice to these vultures and cockroaches to a fault. It was always the same story with her big brother, hed give them everything they want and then some and like the leeches they were theyd want more and more and when more was given it was never enough. Thats why you couldnt trust the rabble, theyd always try and stick it to you while they climbed the ladder. Theyd pretend to like you or have feelings, Faith used her brother and when her brother gave Faith the freedom to love him unconditionally she left him for Padraig but like the dog she was she always came back to the table for his scraps.

Atolini had heard enough and opened the door to see herself into the conversation although she had not been asked.

With all this talk going on with commanding, wheres the loyalty Brother?

You see the soldiers from fort Venora have a long tradition of defending our family, these hedge knights only care about coins. Whos to say this peasants employer doesnt have alterior motives. Do you want the same guards that watched us grow in our cribs or low lifes that donned armor and wield a sword for nels.

She looked at the Eidisi a bit dissatisfied with the whole idea of letting mercenaries have free reign on the premesis.

I think the venoran soldiers who ride under the Dukes banner should be entrenched in the estate, and the rabble goes were the rabble belongs;'outside.

As a buffer to weather the storm

Atolini felt if her brother wanted to pay people for loyalty then they should be the most expendable.

My brother is the Duke of Oakleigh, Sintih was it?

And you talk about commanding his troops without loyalty while you cling to your employer surrounding him with unknown faces with easy access to blades.

I think you should demonstrate your loyalty by severing yourself from your current employer Kahn, and choosing the best venoran soldiers available to preside by the Duke.

I think that mercenaries should the Duke see fit be employed to lessen the casualties of venoran soldiers who we know are loyal to my brother.

But all this is just what I think and its trivial.

However if you had to choose who would it be Sintih. What if your employer wanted the duke dead for financial gain? Where do you stand?

Atolini wanted to cut this topic wide open as she spewed the last question like verbal diaharria, it was the elephant in the room that needed to be addressed. It was the Dukes decision, but being so blunt on her last question so fast might give some indication of intent for her brother to work on. Atolini was adamant that the the guards needed loyalty, and that Sintih if put in a position of authority should be loyal to and only the Duke and his family.

The freedom she enjoyed in Oakleigh was special. And Atolini wasnt sure how to accurately gauge how much trouble she was in. Sticking her nose in her brothers business, the Dukes business. But he was family and she wanted what was best. She refused to end up like her grandmother who watched her brother die in a tournament because of foul play from some upstart.