The Difference ~ War Room

[Lady Siobhan MacLeod]

`` I do not know you, but I ponder your name...ponder your mind..ponder what you think of me..``

Siobhan || Turas Lan was always a busy place it seemed, but when it was the heart of village, it always happened to be that way. Coming from a good day's ride away, it was no wonder that every time they came to visit, her and her father, along with other clan's men, normally found themselves staying within the city for those few days before and after. In the early morning hours, her father had to hold court with the Duchess since her return back from Aberdeen, which left Siobhan, to either sit and listen, or to wander about alone, along the court yards and stables. At the age of 17, she already had her duties picked out for her, which unlike most daughter's, she had found herself enjoying the choice. To become an advisor between the Aberdeens and the Macleods - one of the major loyal clans upon the lands- so it was no wonder why staying and listening would have been among the better choice for her. The news to report, she knew and perhaps that was why her father had instructed her to go and enjoy the day as it was warmer then normal in the lands. Obediently, she gave a nod, sending dark, soft waves over her slender shoulder, before lifting the plaid gold, green and black skirts upwards to head from the hallway and down past the many servants that were working as she passed. Traditional wear was always held when it came to walking within Turas Lan and beyond. Only at major events did she wear more of the finer things, such as silks and solid color cottons, but among the normal day, the colors of the Macleod's were proudly worn upon her slender form. The only solid color on her body would be the white tunic with ruffles upon the arms that was found under the light cotton dress, leaving long sleeves to hang from her elbows and expose her forearms to the world. Cadet blue colored eyes took in every detail of the walls as she passed them, before moving beyond the first set of doors she found and entering the court yard, or perhaps it was a meeting area for others. Sand lay upon the ground with foot markings all over, showing that here training was held, maybe even hand to hand combat. How exciting would that be to watch as men readied themselves for battle or wars that had yet to come? A traditionalist in every way, her father had taught her well to understand that war and battles were some times needed to keep your freedom and Scotland had seen more then it's share of them; more then likely would see more as the years came and went. Fully Scottish herself, she found pride in her heritage and people, hoping they would keep their lands well beyond the years that were still to come. Moving beyond the small opened area, she found herself moving through more doors and into a long hallway that lead into the weapons hall. Eyes of cadet blue widened slightly at the many different styles and types of weapons found here. Should she be in here? Perhaps not, but that did not stop her from pulling her pouted lower lip between her teeth and moving forward towards the large swords that were placed along the walls, held by thick pegs with the handles facing towards the ceilings and the blades to the ground. She had lifted a sword once or twice, feeling it's heavy weight and understanding the muscle that male's needed in order to swing such a weapon with control. One such weapon caught her eye among the others. The handle held a bird of some kind upon it with a handle as black as knight. As she leaned closer to it, she made out that it was a crow, or a raven perhaps, before eyes trailed down the thick, long blade. It had to be as thick as her arm across if not more. Standing on her tippy toes, she leaned over more, getting as close as she could to see the design.

Lucius || Having a permanent stable life was not something that Lucius was use to, and was partly surprised that his father settled down as a local blacksmith for his main trade. To be frank, a part of him missed the daily adventures in the world around him, going to a new place and never knowing where you would go. Lucius found it fasinating to hear the stories and histories of a country, place, or even a town of antiquity. That boyish fancy with knights of valour and armour had particularly peeked his interest, and with a promised chance of settling down perhaps long enough to gain a step toward knighthood, well Lucius would take any chance he could get! He longed to be one of those fabled knights of old, like Lancelot without the sins of stealing a man's woman, or Percival in his quests for the most sought Holy Grail. Percival...was just like him, a stable hand that turned into one of King Arthur's most trusted, and truest knights of old. Why could he not have the same fate? Were legends and myths all without some kernel of truth to them? Lucius liked to think so. Already they had been residing in Skye for a few months now, and Lucius still found himself becoming adjusted to the life here. At the permission of his father, Lucius was now a squire under the knight Sir Liam, a most valiant man with a rather thick mustache and beard, not to mention on the stockier side, not at all tlal and regal like his father. He was said and thought to be too old at first to be a squire, for that ripe age for such a position began at fourteen and now he a few months over seventeen, but Sir Liam was gracious in taking him under his wing, and Lucius would soon not forget it. Earlier that day, Liam required his sword in the weaponry, for he had it remade and crafted especially for him. Oh where was that sword! Rushing into the armoury, he slid on the stone, brown boots finding little traction it seemed on the floor as he skidded and nearly crashed into the array of swords. Lucius managed to keep his balance and instead of slamming into the long blades, he came to a stop, and dark eyes browsed the sword. Sir Liam was waiting! Sighing, he picked the one he supposed was it, with the Lion's head, and sure enough, God graced him with mercy. Now, after a day of riding and following about his master, Lucius could feel it in his bones. How much work it was to be a knight, and he was only just a squire! Sighing heavily, he slowly scaled the steps that led toward the armoury, and with his shoulder and arm, pushed the door open. His hands were full presently with swords from not only Sir Liam, but others as well that seemed to load him with work, and so many swords in one pile did tend to add in weight. Dressed in the typical pale tunic and brown breeches tucked into tall boots, he grunted softly with the effort to budged the door, and when it finally did open, he stumbled a bit, nearly dropping a sword. Well that would have been a bad thing to happen. The studded leather brigandine did well in protecting his chest and back from a day's ride and work that was required of a squire. Dark hair fell in his face, and with a soft huff, he blew a strand from his face, and jerked his head to also shift hair from his sight. Adjusting the swords in his arm, he quickly padded over to the table, and with a loud clang, he dumped them onto the wooden surface and sighed heavily. That was when he finally looked up, and noticed...that he was not alone. There was a...rather lovely, woman in here as well. Lucius cleared his throat and offered a tired smile. `` Might I assist you in finding something, my lady?`` He tried to keep his breathing steady, but from running around and carrying those swords, he was just a tad out of breath, but it was returning quickly.

Siobhan || Where these weapons of war? Did each belong to a certain knight or were they spares for the army in case it was needed? Perhaps her father had told her too much, for her curiosity for weapons of men was growing each day. It was a hard balance to understand, being brought up every bit a woman and looking much the same, but having the fire of your father inside you that wanted to come out every day. The itch to reach out and touch the blade was calling to her so great...just to grab the handle and feel the weight of it in her hand. No doubt, it would lower itself to the floor and she would have to drag it along, for the muscles in her arms were not use to such a heavy item. Slender fingers did a quick shimmie, drumming against the side of her dress so she felt the pressure beyond the material of the plaid only seconds before she lifted a delicate hand and pressed a finger to the carved design in the top end of the blade. The pointer finger tip traced along the vine like designs, before the door opening had her hand quickly jerking from the blade and head snapping towards the younger male who was moving in with a sword of his own...perhaps? Cadet blue eyes stared at him for a good few moments, taking in his features, the sharpness of them, the dent in his chin that made him look perhaps older then his sensitive eyes were. He looked tired..a stable boy perhaps? Eyes lift him for a moment and stayed on the swords in front of her. `` Nay. I am simply wandering about and stumbled into this room. Am I allowed in here, or would the Lords prefer me not to be here? `` Eyes moved towards him then as she turned to face him, unsure of his social statues and not wanting to disrespect him incase it was higher then it appeared. Both delicate hands moved in front of her and laced her slender, en longed fingers together softly before her lower stomach where the skirt flared out slightly with under dressings. Part of her hair had trailed over her shoulder, while the rest of the thick bundle was resting along her back to her rear. Her face; the beauty of her mother; looked more older then she was herself. `` If I might be able to stay and look around, you would be free to not bother yourself with my needs. ``

Lucius || With the stack of swords free from his hands, Lucius finally raised a hand and fingers raked through his hair, pushing strands back and away from his face even more as he stood there, staring at the girl for a moment. Her eyes were the first thing he noticed, clear as blue water in a crystal lake with the sky in its reflection. Such charismatic eyes and he had the dull and bland brown hues as plain as the strands that came from his head. Her lightened flesh was a sharp contrast to her dark hair, but it served only as a perfect contrast to her exquisite eyes. Who was she? Lucius had never seen her before...but then again he knew few of the people here, having not resided in Skye long enough for such a thing. Taking another deep breath, the tall squire tore his eyes away from her and down to the swords, which were piled in a mess and not neatly beside each other. Oh..right! Quickly he began the task of shifting the scabbards about so the swords were lined up perfectly before he would put them away later and where they belonged. Dark eyes did glance back up to her as the woman finally spoke. Stumbled? What a lovely place to stumble into! Thousands of weapons and swords that had a history in Skye's making, who knew what untold stories each one had by the carving of its wielder! `` I do not think the Lords would mind. If they did, I doubt there would be a tolerance for squires and simple men to come and go at their requests. `` He replied, grinning a bit as he turned back to the swords on the table, one of them Sir Liam's. The Lion. Mighty, strong, and...lazy. `` Feel free to stay. I could not blame you for wanting to see the weapons that forged Skye's destiny and libration. `` He said, before picking up three swords and carrying them over to the empty slots on the wall. `` Who knows what tales these blades have to tell. Quality of Skye truly is a marvel, another thing I have noticed myself here in Skye, is that men put such personality and character into their weapons...a part of them displaying so proudly. Flattering, really. `` He spoke as he fitted the sheathed swords into their posts on the wall and racks.

Siobhan ||Judging by his reactions to the weapons laid upon him, she assumed he was perhaps a stable hand or a squire. Perhaps no more older then she. She had long since learned to ignore how others stared at her eyes. They were upon her features, the ones that stuck out the most and many took the extra time to look upon them. With his words, she glanced around, a bit amazed that so many of different classes could come into this room. A squire he must be then, for why else would he have so many weapons upon him? That smile, charming and boyish showed through, making one of her own almost come out, but she held back so that only the calm expression stayed on her face. Destiny and Liberation. The worlds seemed to stick in her mind and were rolled about as he moved with the three swords; more balanced then they had been before; and placed them into the slots. She had quickly side stepped him, leaving him all the room in the world, yet following him as the swords he carried were taken to their rightful resting place, and lined up along the wall to stand tall with the others. `` I do find myself agreeing, for there have been many times when I have seen a male who was as large as a bear, pull out a weapon that was as large as he, before using it as weapon and master perfectly aligned together. It is fascinating how a weapon seems to work with the body and once one learns the skills, they can become impressive in how they move with the weapon. `` Oh. She had gotten carried away with herself, to a squire no less. Ha. The thought was rather amusing. `` I will leave you to your work then. `` Soft shoes moved along the harden stone floor as she headed for the door and out it without another glance. She did not even wait for him to say much of anything else, before she vanished down the hallway and back the way she came to find her father making ready to finish with court, though upon entering, she had found them about to leave and take a small trip to the docks. She did not find the need for herself to be there though, so instead, she had asked her father if she could move about Turas Lan by herself, but that was quickly turned down. While she had much love, she was under a strict hand because her father was the clan leader and with the rebellion so close at hand in so many different forms, not to mention the Lord Marhsal's assassination attempt, she would no longer be able to wonder about alone. She did not wish to drag the men of her father about for a simple adventure outside the castle walls either, so she settled for asking a few men to head to the stables with her in order to ride Eva, her gray mare; about the immediate area. With two men by her side, that was where she headed while her father made his way towards the docks. Greeting Eva, she quickly saddled her and moved from the stable to head out into the small range area where she could walk Eva in large circles and the two men of her father could watch her closely as they stood by the pen she was within. Plaid skirts were ruffled down over her legs so only the soft black boots stuck out and no leg was exposed as she sat tall on her steed like a princess of some sort and moved around in the circle over and over, at a slow trot, before slowing her horse to a steady walk. How boring.. but the time was well spent with Eva.

Lucius || Call it a boyish fascination to be among the tools of revolution, but Lucius could not help himself. His dream, his aspiration was to becoming a great knight, to uphold his name of not only himself, but of his father as well. Both of them had been scarred by a woman that he called mother. It was not until a few years ago, when Lucius asked, that his father told him the truth as to why his mother was not with them, and where she was. Such a hurtful past to know that your mother cared not enough about you to leave you as she fled for her life and from a man that she had scorned. He could not blame his father's anger...and could only imagine what it must have felt like to be so disposable to anyone...even a woman. Were they all so heartless? The Duchess did not seem as such, nor did the Lady Aislin, who somehow loved even the hardest warrior that was their Lord Marshal. He could hear her soft footfalls behind him and when she spoke, he could not help but smile softly at her agreeing. `` Yes, yes it is. Swords are crafted for their wielder...and truly do become an extension of your arm. Perfectly complimentary to your body and its movements..a rahter fascin-- `` But he was cut off when she excused herself and left him to work. Oh..well. Perhaps she had other duties to tend to as well. Lucius nodded, and dark eyes watched the woman with long hair retreat from the hall of weapons. Inwardly, he sighed, but continued on with the task of putting the swords away, simply one of the duties and tasks he had to carry out in a day. Next, was to see to Sir Liam's horse. Bryley, the old gray stallion that was climbing in years, but still as strong and dependable as ever. Leaving the weapons hall, Lucius moved over to the stables to let Bryley stretch his legs and giving him a proper brushing. The old stallion was tended to, leting him walk around out of his stall for a bit, before he went to brushing the horse down. Peering over the stall, he noticed...her..again. How odd to see her twice in one day. A small smile touched his lips as he watched her collect her horse, but seemed to notice him not as she passed him by with her two guards. Lucius looked away and bent over to rub Bryley's legs down, massaging the muscles before giving the animal fresh water and hay to graze upon, before he turned to his own stallion, Valerius, the steadfast Friesian stallion that his father had given to him upon his birthday. Already they ere friends for life, as he stroked the black horse's cheek and grinned. A knight was no one without the aid of a good horse, loyal to the end and a constant companion. The horse snorted and nuzzled his shoulder, and Lucius chuckled before picking up the brush and tending to his horse's coat, helping that black coat shine gloriously.

Siobhan ||Siobhan was truly in her own world at times and this was among the many times one would catch her as such. A constant problem of day dreaming it seemed, and her father tried relentlessly to stop her from doing it. He had asked her many times if she were unhappy with her world so much that she sought escape in the one she wished to create, but that was never the case. In her own mind, she could be anything, where as here in reality, she had a limit of what she could be. So few choices, but being brought up in these lands and in her status for her lifetime, she knew and expected such. She had her choice of a duty and she chose to be an ambassador of sorts. Sadly, her marriage would not be her choice as it seemed. Traditions still held steadfast and she would be the tool of a strong alliance. She worried not though, for her father was even more picky with her suitors then she was, hence her age and being unwed at the moment. With a spit of naive ness in her, she hoped it would last much longer then it had yet, for she had many things she wished to do before becoming a wife and mother. A muffled sound made her jerk from her thoughts before the strong voice of one of her guards, broke through her daydream so that she looked to him as he said it was time to come in and retire for a bit. With a nod, and ever obedient still, she moved towards them so the one could grab the reins of her horse and the other helped her down, careful of her skirts before she walked to the front of Eva's muzzle. `` I can take her. Thank you. `` Taking the reins, she moved for the open doors and paused to see the male from the weapons room, brushing down a beautiful black stallion. The gray mare snorted and cadet blue eyes looked to the male once, until his eyes would look to her as a moment of locking eyes together was stolen before she shifted her own away and moved for the stall that Eva would be staying in. With the help of her two guards, she unsaddled the horse once more and brush her out as the men got the hay ready and changed the water. Not another word passed from herself to the unknown male, though when she came back from the stall, she looked towards him and the horse once more, before turning and heading out from the stables to go back towards the castle. Both larger males with kilts and sashes of their colors, much like her own; followed directly behind her.

END THREAD