RAHAL-PERCIVAL LOG
Log: Rahal and Percival
What: Rahal goes riding with Perci and discovers they have more in common than either thought...
Rahal came into the stable, his longish hair drawn back in a single neat braid, wearing only his lighter under tunic and dried leggings, boots crunching on the dirt. He left his sword within his room, advised it was not in his best interest to walk around armed with the Zexen Councilors on the prowl. He spotted Percival, the rather handsome Zexen Knight, saddling whom he assumed to be Midnight. "Good morning, Sir Percival," Rahal smiled at the man as he headed for the large box stall Flail occupied, he heard already trying to stick out the window, having scented Rahal and eager to see her rider.
Percival glanced over his shoulder, having heard the boots in the dirt before even being addressed. "Oh, good morning, Commander Rahal," he responded, busy fumbling with the buckle on Midnight's bridle. "How was your first night at Budehuc?"
"Oddly refreshing," Rahal admitted as he unbolted Flail's door, the dragon-horse making her stately way out into the ail, nuzzling at Rahal's chest as he stroked her muzzle. "I trust you slept well also, Sir Percival?" he inquired as he went for a small bag hanging from the stall and produced a special brush to shine Flail's scales.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Percival replied evenly. "I was good and went to bed at a decent hour, as much as I might want to socialize with all the new people who've arrived at the castle. I, unfortunately, have work to do, and I'd rather be awake and alert for it." He finished with the bridle and loosely draped the reins over the stall door while he went for the saddle, leaving Midnight to mouth the bit and look over at the big blue creature nearby.
"Naturally," Rahal agreed. "I understand the feeling. I need all my wits about me to deal with the Council, especially those willy old men that would rather I not have the position I do." He paused, putting away the brush. "Ah, yes, do you mind holding a moment so I may saddle Flail and join you on your ride, Sir Percival?"
"Certainly." Percival patted Midnight heartily on the flank to get him to let out the breath he was holding - stupid horse thought that trick worked every day, and every day he was wrong. "I'm not in any hurry. We can wait, it would be nice to have some company on the ride."
Rahal smiled warmly and finished polishing Flail, and went to get the lighter version of her saddlery. She accepted bridal and saddle gladly, even lowering herself to a whistled command so Rahal could better reach around to tighten girth and straps. He stroked her muzzle and kissed it, the dragon horse trilling low in her throat happily. "All right," Rahal looked to Rahal. "Ready whenever you are, Sir Knight."
Vaguely amused, Percival turned from where he leaned on the post and gathered up the reins to mount. "Of course," he noted before jamming his boot into the stirrup and swinging up, "the first thing we get to do is find out which steed has to keep pace with the other. How fast is a dragon-horse at normal pace?"
Rahal didn't answer right away as he led Flail out into the morning sunshine and whistled. Flail squatted with dignity and Rahal swung up, riding out Flail pushing back up and shuddering to get everything settled. He looked down at Percival as he pondered it. "I think Midnight will be the one to keep pace, but it is perfectly all right with me if I must slow Flail. I do not want her going to fast over unfamiliar territory anyways, and this will be a good change to work on her gating."
"All right, then." It was already obvious that Rahal was going to be at least a head higher than him, Percival noted as he rode out alongside the dragon-horse. He gave Midnight the opportunity to crane his neck and sniff the strange creature, to grow accustomed to her, before beginning the ride. Midnight snorted when satisfied and shook his mane to show that he didn't have a problem, at which Percival laughed. "Well, I guess that takes care of introductions. Shall we?" He smiled faintly as he gave the horse a nudge with his heel.
"Lead the way, Sir Knight," Rahal chuckled, whistling in low. Flail shook her head and snorted, taking long, measured strides, easily keeping pace with Midnight as they started out. "How long have you resided here?" Rahal inquired.
Percival settled Midnight into a brisk trot, wanting to give him a good workout instead of a lazy ride. "Technically, I don't," he replied, tilting his head. "The Zexen Knights are headquartered in Brass Castle, inside Zexen. I've only been stationed here since..." He thought about whether to include his convalesence, or an explanation, and decided to simplify it all. "February, I think."
"Well, I must admit I am not aware of the date here," Rahal chuckled. Flail snorted, and Rahal puckered his lips, giving a high whistle. Flail seemed to look at him with a sting of 'do I have to?', but nonetheless began a more energetic walk that involved a hopping step. It was no faster than before, but it exercised her more so than the regular walk. "But I must assume that is some time." He looked down at Percival as he sat the bouncing walk easily and smiled serenely. "You like it here, then? You do not seem a disgruntled soldier.”
"It's nearing the end of August, if that helps," Percival said mildly. "My, it seems we only just had a summer festival, and the autumn equinox is only a month away." He shook his head slowly. "Budehuc is a lovely little castle. The people here are interesting. If I had my way, I could stand to be stationed here until I retire...but I might get bored in the meantime."
Rahal laughed, Flail's tail raising, glad for her rider's good mood. "It does seem a precious little place. Already I feel... relaxed. To be honest, I think I need this, though heaven only knows the trouble my absence will cause." He paused, thinking on what he just said and smiled sheepishly at Percival. "I suppose that makes me sound like bad Commander, does it not?"
"I don't know..." Percival looked idly his way and smiled back. "Every good commander knows when he or she needs a break, lest the army life break them first. All work and no play wears very thin after a while."
"Yes, yes it does," Rahal agreed with a heaved sigh, idly flicking his braid back over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I am a revolutionary Commander, and this has made some of our older captains less than pleased. It took me months to push through rules and regulations that should have been enacted immediately."
"Revolutionary?" Percival raised an eyebrow. "How so? You seem more than experienced to me, commander."
"Well... for some time, only men were allowed into the calvary," Rahal explained. "I pushed through a rule that allowed women to join, and I have made it so that young men and women receive their dragons sooner, for a better bonding. I am also trying to get a care and training booklet put together, and I wish to promote several people for good service. None of the captains seems to think any of this is necessary, either, and I am very much on their bad side for letting women in as well as establishing a new sector of the Calvary." He glowered and let out a tired sigh, Flail making a worried sound in the back of her throat and looking back at Rahal.
Percival gazed at him a moment, his mind grasping to understand all of that without benefit of a background of the country of Falena. He'd been reading up on the war, but only in bits and pieces, nothing of a linear understanding of the country. "I see," he remarked. "It sounds very much like Lady Chris fighting against the Zexen Council for every little move the Knights need to make. I suppose I can understand your frustration, then."
"Oh, I am sorry!" Rahal cried out, his cheeks flushing. "Here I am prattling on about my own troubles! I must be boring you to death, and I know you did not allow me to ride with you bore you to tears like this!"
"Ah, no, it's all right," Percival quietly assured with a wave of his hand. "I was just thinking about work again. I really ought to stop doing that when I'm supposed to be relaxing."
"Roog tells me that all the time," Rahal chuckled. "It's hard, no?"
"Especially when the last thing you want to think about is work, and you do it anyway," Percival sighed with a faint hint of amusement. "So, Sir Roog is a friend of yours, not just a colleague? Everyone pestered him about you when he arrived, as if he'd have you in tow."
"We have been partners sine we were young and training to become Calvary Knights," Rahal nodded. "The only time we have been separated for so long is when I sent him away to be the new Captain of the Sun Palace Calvary. I sometime regret that, but he is the person I trust most in that position." He sighed and rubbed a temple. "Though, I sometimes wonder what he has been telling people from what they have said since I arrived. Especially that Hervey fellow..."
Percival laughed a little. "Well, Hervey is...Hervey. I'd worry less about what Sir Roog said and more about how Hervey took it."
"Not well," Rahal flushed. "His first words were 'you're the one that looks like a girl' and then he went on to Roog's wonderful story of how I dressed like my sister to save the baby dragons from enemy forces." His face was beautiful scarlet at this point.
Percival's head turned towards him, his eyes wide. A reflex of his hand tugged the reins enough to get Midnight to stop in place. "Wait a minute. Are you the one Lady Miakis told me about?"
Rahal groaned. "Oh no. What did Miakis have to say?"
"Something about..." One of Percival's hands made a motion like he was holding fruit in front of his chest. "...melons..."
Rahal jerked on Flail, who snorted indignation as she came to a stop. Rahal seemed to almost choke on his own spit and his face was bright, bright red. "She did not!" he cried out in disbelief.
Percival pointed at him now. "You're the one she compared me to! Oh dear Goddess!" He clapped his hand over his face. Midnight snorted at being forced to wait.
Rahal groaned. "Oh my Runes, she told the melon story," he cried. "In my defense I was ten, and it was a prank my twin sister and I were playing on a visit to my parents!"
Percival lifted his head. "Well, I suppose that explains that," he said warily. "Pranks and twin sisters, I can understand. But Lady Miakis seems to have this idea in her head that you - and I, by proxy - emit some kind of 'lady-killer waves' that have women swooning after us." He tilted his head in a shrug. "Not that I don't have fans, but that's not the point."
"Oh, you have the same problem?" Rahal blinked in surprise
Percival blinked back. "A bit, yes...you do as well?"
"With women? Quite," Rahal sighed. "It's rather bothersome, sometimes, and can lead to rumors I would rather not deal with. Do you suffer the same?" he asked sympathetically.
"You could say that," Percival grumbled, turning Midnight back to the trail and resuming the ride, at a walk now to see if the dragon-horse could keep a slower pace. "Some of the other knights have told me that there's a fan club chapter in every city in Zexen. They're always bothering me when I'm on patrol, trying to give me food they've baked or ask me to look at their new dresses. It's positively annoying, but I don't have it in me to be short with them."
"Oh, I understand," Rahal said, whistling to Flail in a low, short tone. She kept her strides short and slow, easily keeping pace so Midnight didn't have to work as hard. "It made life at camp difficult in the war, and now traveling places can take me twice as long if I am not discreet."
"I can certainly sympathize." Percival smiled a little less stiffly at his companion. "It isn't so bad here, at Budehuc. I still attract attention, but it isn't anywhere near as obvious and I have plenty of things to do to keep me out of trouble."
Rahal chuckled. "Ah, then we must help each other avoid said ladies, shall we? Being bombarded my declarations of love and baked goods is not as wonderful as it sounds," he grinned sheepishly, and Flail shook her head with a definite snort, as if agreeing.
"What I don't get," Percival began to rant, gesturing with a hand while he kept the reins steady in the other, "is why everybody else thinks we ought to love that sort of attention! Like we're somehow abnormal if we find it the least bit annoying!"
"Oh, I know!" Rahal cried out in relief. Someone who understood! "It is pleasant every now and then, but when one receives it all the time it becomes annoying rather than pleasing. The same thing over, and over again. None of those women like us for us, they like us for our reputations and looks." He huffed in the saddle, cheeks flushing in his irritation.
"Exactly," Percival sniffed, wearing pretty much the same expression. "It isn't about us as men at all. They don't even know us, they only know our names and reputations. As that's enough to build a relationship on!"
"Indeed not!" Rahal agreed full heartedly. "I am so glad you understand this. Roog only teases me about it."
"Augh, so does Borus - my best friend," Percival cried, amazed that someone understood so well. "And then complains because I ought to be 'passing some of that along' to him. He can have all of them, as far as I'm concerned - but no, he's got too much of a temper and scares them off. Honestly!" He bristled in the saddle, but Midnight was paying little attention to his mood for once.
"Oh, Roog is the same," Rahal sighed. "It's not like we ask for it, and I have enough to deal with as Commander. I don't need a woman hanging on me." He didn't add he really didn't like women all that much, but he didn't feel the need to tell Percival this.
Percival laughed a little. "Well, it sounds like we have a few things in common after all, Commander. The same problems, and the same insensitive best friends."
Rahal laughed, smiling at Percival brightly. "Yes, indeed it does. I am quite glad I came on this ride after all!"
What: Rahal goes riding with Perci and discovers they have more in common than either thought...
Rahal came into the stable, his longish hair drawn back in a single neat braid, wearing only his lighter under tunic and dried leggings, boots crunching on the dirt. He left his sword within his room, advised it was not in his best interest to walk around armed with the Zexen Councilors on the prowl. He spotted Percival, the rather handsome Zexen Knight, saddling whom he assumed to be Midnight. "Good morning, Sir Percival," Rahal smiled at the man as he headed for the large box stall Flail occupied, he heard already trying to stick out the window, having scented Rahal and eager to see her rider.
Percival glanced over his shoulder, having heard the boots in the dirt before even being addressed. "Oh, good morning, Commander Rahal," he responded, busy fumbling with the buckle on Midnight's bridle. "How was your first night at Budehuc?"
"Oddly refreshing," Rahal admitted as he unbolted Flail's door, the dragon-horse making her stately way out into the ail, nuzzling at Rahal's chest as he stroked her muzzle. "I trust you slept well also, Sir Percival?" he inquired as he went for a small bag hanging from the stall and produced a special brush to shine Flail's scales.
"Nothing out of the ordinary," Percival replied evenly. "I was good and went to bed at a decent hour, as much as I might want to socialize with all the new people who've arrived at the castle. I, unfortunately, have work to do, and I'd rather be awake and alert for it." He finished with the bridle and loosely draped the reins over the stall door while he went for the saddle, leaving Midnight to mouth the bit and look over at the big blue creature nearby.
"Naturally," Rahal agreed. "I understand the feeling. I need all my wits about me to deal with the Council, especially those willy old men that would rather I not have the position I do." He paused, putting away the brush. "Ah, yes, do you mind holding a moment so I may saddle Flail and join you on your ride, Sir Percival?"
"Certainly." Percival patted Midnight heartily on the flank to get him to let out the breath he was holding - stupid horse thought that trick worked every day, and every day he was wrong. "I'm not in any hurry. We can wait, it would be nice to have some company on the ride."
Rahal smiled warmly and finished polishing Flail, and went to get the lighter version of her saddlery. She accepted bridal and saddle gladly, even lowering herself to a whistled command so Rahal could better reach around to tighten girth and straps. He stroked her muzzle and kissed it, the dragon horse trilling low in her throat happily. "All right," Rahal looked to Rahal. "Ready whenever you are, Sir Knight."
Vaguely amused, Percival turned from where he leaned on the post and gathered up the reins to mount. "Of course," he noted before jamming his boot into the stirrup and swinging up, "the first thing we get to do is find out which steed has to keep pace with the other. How fast is a dragon-horse at normal pace?"
Rahal didn't answer right away as he led Flail out into the morning sunshine and whistled. Flail squatted with dignity and Rahal swung up, riding out Flail pushing back up and shuddering to get everything settled. He looked down at Percival as he pondered it. "I think Midnight will be the one to keep pace, but it is perfectly all right with me if I must slow Flail. I do not want her going to fast over unfamiliar territory anyways, and this will be a good change to work on her gating."
"All right, then." It was already obvious that Rahal was going to be at least a head higher than him, Percival noted as he rode out alongside the dragon-horse. He gave Midnight the opportunity to crane his neck and sniff the strange creature, to grow accustomed to her, before beginning the ride. Midnight snorted when satisfied and shook his mane to show that he didn't have a problem, at which Percival laughed. "Well, I guess that takes care of introductions. Shall we?" He smiled faintly as he gave the horse a nudge with his heel.
"Lead the way, Sir Knight," Rahal chuckled, whistling in low. Flail shook her head and snorted, taking long, measured strides, easily keeping pace with Midnight as they started out. "How long have you resided here?" Rahal inquired.
Percival settled Midnight into a brisk trot, wanting to give him a good workout instead of a lazy ride. "Technically, I don't," he replied, tilting his head. "The Zexen Knights are headquartered in Brass Castle, inside Zexen. I've only been stationed here since..." He thought about whether to include his convalesence, or an explanation, and decided to simplify it all. "February, I think."
"Well, I must admit I am not aware of the date here," Rahal chuckled. Flail snorted, and Rahal puckered his lips, giving a high whistle. Flail seemed to look at him with a sting of 'do I have to?', but nonetheless began a more energetic walk that involved a hopping step. It was no faster than before, but it exercised her more so than the regular walk. "But I must assume that is some time." He looked down at Percival as he sat the bouncing walk easily and smiled serenely. "You like it here, then? You do not seem a disgruntled soldier.”
"It's nearing the end of August, if that helps," Percival said mildly. "My, it seems we only just had a summer festival, and the autumn equinox is only a month away." He shook his head slowly. "Budehuc is a lovely little castle. The people here are interesting. If I had my way, I could stand to be stationed here until I retire...but I might get bored in the meantime."
Rahal laughed, Flail's tail raising, glad for her rider's good mood. "It does seem a precious little place. Already I feel... relaxed. To be honest, I think I need this, though heaven only knows the trouble my absence will cause." He paused, thinking on what he just said and smiled sheepishly at Percival. "I suppose that makes me sound like bad Commander, does it not?"
"I don't know..." Percival looked idly his way and smiled back. "Every good commander knows when he or she needs a break, lest the army life break them first. All work and no play wears very thin after a while."
"Yes, yes it does," Rahal agreed with a heaved sigh, idly flicking his braid back over his shoulder. "Unfortunately, I am a revolutionary Commander, and this has made some of our older captains less than pleased. It took me months to push through rules and regulations that should have been enacted immediately."
"Revolutionary?" Percival raised an eyebrow. "How so? You seem more than experienced to me, commander."
"Well... for some time, only men were allowed into the calvary," Rahal explained. "I pushed through a rule that allowed women to join, and I have made it so that young men and women receive their dragons sooner, for a better bonding. I am also trying to get a care and training booklet put together, and I wish to promote several people for good service. None of the captains seems to think any of this is necessary, either, and I am very much on their bad side for letting women in as well as establishing a new sector of the Calvary." He glowered and let out a tired sigh, Flail making a worried sound in the back of her throat and looking back at Rahal.
Percival gazed at him a moment, his mind grasping to understand all of that without benefit of a background of the country of Falena. He'd been reading up on the war, but only in bits and pieces, nothing of a linear understanding of the country. "I see," he remarked. "It sounds very much like Lady Chris fighting against the Zexen Council for every little move the Knights need to make. I suppose I can understand your frustration, then."
"Oh, I am sorry!" Rahal cried out, his cheeks flushing. "Here I am prattling on about my own troubles! I must be boring you to death, and I know you did not allow me to ride with you bore you to tears like this!"
"Ah, no, it's all right," Percival quietly assured with a wave of his hand. "I was just thinking about work again. I really ought to stop doing that when I'm supposed to be relaxing."
"Roog tells me that all the time," Rahal chuckled. "It's hard, no?"
"Especially when the last thing you want to think about is work, and you do it anyway," Percival sighed with a faint hint of amusement. "So, Sir Roog is a friend of yours, not just a colleague? Everyone pestered him about you when he arrived, as if he'd have you in tow."
"We have been partners sine we were young and training to become Calvary Knights," Rahal nodded. "The only time we have been separated for so long is when I sent him away to be the new Captain of the Sun Palace Calvary. I sometime regret that, but he is the person I trust most in that position." He sighed and rubbed a temple. "Though, I sometimes wonder what he has been telling people from what they have said since I arrived. Especially that Hervey fellow..."
Percival laughed a little. "Well, Hervey is...Hervey. I'd worry less about what Sir Roog said and more about how Hervey took it."
"Not well," Rahal flushed. "His first words were 'you're the one that looks like a girl' and then he went on to Roog's wonderful story of how I dressed like my sister to save the baby dragons from enemy forces." His face was beautiful scarlet at this point.
Percival's head turned towards him, his eyes wide. A reflex of his hand tugged the reins enough to get Midnight to stop in place. "Wait a minute. Are you the one Lady Miakis told me about?"
Rahal groaned. "Oh no. What did Miakis have to say?"
"Something about..." One of Percival's hands made a motion like he was holding fruit in front of his chest. "...melons..."
Rahal jerked on Flail, who snorted indignation as she came to a stop. Rahal seemed to almost choke on his own spit and his face was bright, bright red. "She did not!" he cried out in disbelief.
Percival pointed at him now. "You're the one she compared me to! Oh dear Goddess!" He clapped his hand over his face. Midnight snorted at being forced to wait.
Rahal groaned. "Oh my Runes, she told the melon story," he cried. "In my defense I was ten, and it was a prank my twin sister and I were playing on a visit to my parents!"
Percival lifted his head. "Well, I suppose that explains that," he said warily. "Pranks and twin sisters, I can understand. But Lady Miakis seems to have this idea in her head that you - and I, by proxy - emit some kind of 'lady-killer waves' that have women swooning after us." He tilted his head in a shrug. "Not that I don't have fans, but that's not the point."
"Oh, you have the same problem?" Rahal blinked in surprise
Percival blinked back. "A bit, yes...you do as well?"
"With women? Quite," Rahal sighed. "It's rather bothersome, sometimes, and can lead to rumors I would rather not deal with. Do you suffer the same?" he asked sympathetically.
"You could say that," Percival grumbled, turning Midnight back to the trail and resuming the ride, at a walk now to see if the dragon-horse could keep a slower pace. "Some of the other knights have told me that there's a fan club chapter in every city in Zexen. They're always bothering me when I'm on patrol, trying to give me food they've baked or ask me to look at their new dresses. It's positively annoying, but I don't have it in me to be short with them."
"Oh, I understand," Rahal said, whistling to Flail in a low, short tone. She kept her strides short and slow, easily keeping pace so Midnight didn't have to work as hard. "It made life at camp difficult in the war, and now traveling places can take me twice as long if I am not discreet."
"I can certainly sympathize." Percival smiled a little less stiffly at his companion. "It isn't so bad here, at Budehuc. I still attract attention, but it isn't anywhere near as obvious and I have plenty of things to do to keep me out of trouble."
Rahal chuckled. "Ah, then we must help each other avoid said ladies, shall we? Being bombarded my declarations of love and baked goods is not as wonderful as it sounds," he grinned sheepishly, and Flail shook her head with a definite snort, as if agreeing.
"What I don't get," Percival began to rant, gesturing with a hand while he kept the reins steady in the other, "is why everybody else thinks we ought to love that sort of attention! Like we're somehow abnormal if we find it the least bit annoying!"
"Oh, I know!" Rahal cried out in relief. Someone who understood! "It is pleasant every now and then, but when one receives it all the time it becomes annoying rather than pleasing. The same thing over, and over again. None of those women like us for us, they like us for our reputations and looks." He huffed in the saddle, cheeks flushing in his irritation.
"Exactly," Percival sniffed, wearing pretty much the same expression. "It isn't about us as men at all. They don't even know us, they only know our names and reputations. As that's enough to build a relationship on!"
"Indeed not!" Rahal agreed full heartedly. "I am so glad you understand this. Roog only teases me about it."
"Augh, so does Borus - my best friend," Percival cried, amazed that someone understood so well. "And then complains because I ought to be 'passing some of that along' to him. He can have all of them, as far as I'm concerned - but no, he's got too much of a temper and scares them off. Honestly!" He bristled in the saddle, but Midnight was paying little attention to his mood for once.
"Oh, Roog is the same," Rahal sighed. "It's not like we ask for it, and I have enough to deal with as Commander. I don't need a woman hanging on me." He didn't add he really didn't like women all that much, but he didn't feel the need to tell Percival this.
Percival laughed a little. "Well, it sounds like we have a few things in common after all, Commander. The same problems, and the same insensitive best friends."
Rahal laughed, smiling at Percival brightly. "Yes, indeed it does. I am quite glad I came on this ride after all!"