Gryphons in Greenden
"We almost got arrested ourselves just for looking cross-eyed at a Red on the way into town," you remark offhandedly as you dig in your purse for a few silvers.
The smith nods sagely. "They're gettin' numerous and some take themselves real seriously, you know. The prisoners they were taking through here looked like well-built fellows, but the Reds knew how to keep them under control. You mind that you don't get arrested for anything dumb."
You grin at the smith as your mind races through the implications. "Yes, sir, we'll be careful. Thanks very much."
"Where you boys headed?" the smith asks as he walks you to the front of the smithy.
"Greenden Center is the plan right now," you tell him. The smith turns away for a moment and you turn to Erric, whispering. "Put back anything you took."
He rolls his eyes and puts back a small silver throwing knife.
"You just cannot help it, can you?" you hiss at him as the smith turns back around. "We are knights - we don't steal from good people!"
The smith has been saying something and you finally pay attention again. "...Center is the best place for sword work."
"That's what we were thinking, that it would be the best place."
The smith looks at you like you're thick. "I said I don't think it's the best place. I'd recommend going North to Tunboro. That's where those Reds went and I hear there's plenty of sword work up that way."
You blink, registering this. "Thanks for the advice, Master smith. Hope you have a good day."
You depart the smithy and Erric smirks at you. "He never would have missed it."
"We don't steal. Knights don't steal."
Erric rolls his eyes. "We're not Gryphon knights now, Mychael. We're just a couple of sellswords and where's the honor in a sellsword?"
You feel a rush of anger at his words and you whirl around, sticking your finger into his chest. "You may not be a knight now, Erric. You might never have been a knight. But I worked damned hard to get where I am, and I am still a Gryphon knight, no matter where I am or what disguise circumstance forces me to wear, do you understand me?" You are heaving with fury and are surprised at the depth of your anger. But you are right and he is wrong - being or not being a knight does not stop when you take off the uniform and armor. It is a lifestyle.
Erric is staring at you, incredulous, and you can see the faint glow of anger in his dark eyes at your words. With some effort, he calms himself. "Mychael, I know you are a thousand times a better man than I will ever be, but maybe you should allow the rest of us mortals our shortcomings without lecturing all the time."
You are relieved that he doesn't react angrily and you are willing to drop it as well. You aren't really angry at Erric, after all, just at the situation you are both in - forced to disguise yourselves as sellswords in Greenden, utterly without support or direction, and ordered to find the Princess or not to bother coming back.
The smith nods sagely. "They're gettin' numerous and some take themselves real seriously, you know. The prisoners they were taking through here looked like well-built fellows, but the Reds knew how to keep them under control. You mind that you don't get arrested for anything dumb."
You grin at the smith as your mind races through the implications. "Yes, sir, we'll be careful. Thanks very much."
"Where you boys headed?" the smith asks as he walks you to the front of the smithy.
"Greenden Center is the plan right now," you tell him. The smith turns away for a moment and you turn to Erric, whispering. "Put back anything you took."
He rolls his eyes and puts back a small silver throwing knife.
"You just cannot help it, can you?" you hiss at him as the smith turns back around. "We are knights - we don't steal from good people!"
The smith has been saying something and you finally pay attention again. "...Center is the best place for sword work."
"That's what we were thinking, that it would be the best place."
The smith looks at you like you're thick. "I said I don't think it's the best place. I'd recommend going North to Tunboro. That's where those Reds went and I hear there's plenty of sword work up that way."
You blink, registering this. "Thanks for the advice, Master smith. Hope you have a good day."
You depart the smithy and Erric smirks at you. "He never would have missed it."
"We don't steal. Knights don't steal."
Erric rolls his eyes. "We're not Gryphon knights now, Mychael. We're just a couple of sellswords and where's the honor in a sellsword?"
You feel a rush of anger at his words and you whirl around, sticking your finger into his chest. "You may not be a knight now, Erric. You might never have been a knight. But I worked damned hard to get where I am, and I am still a Gryphon knight, no matter where I am or what disguise circumstance forces me to wear, do you understand me?" You are heaving with fury and are surprised at the depth of your anger. But you are right and he is wrong - being or not being a knight does not stop when you take off the uniform and armor. It is a lifestyle.
Erric is staring at you, incredulous, and you can see the faint glow of anger in his dark eyes at your words. With some effort, he calms himself. "Mychael, I know you are a thousand times a better man than I will ever be, but maybe you should allow the rest of us mortals our shortcomings without lecturing all the time."
You are relieved that he doesn't react angrily and you are willing to drop it as well. You aren't really angry at Erric, after all, just at the situation you are both in - forced to disguise yourselves as sellswords in Greenden, utterly without support or direction, and ordered to find the Princess or not to bother coming back.