Closed [Lavender Ruins] Exploration

[Skylar Draykin]

Day 1, Season of Summer 514AV Skylar sat on the bench looking at the map she had borrowed. Her face was contorted in a very confused look. She was never good at directions but never really liked asking for them. So she continued to stare blankly at the piece of paper until she couldn't sit by any longer. She stood up and walked over to an elderly man."Excuse me. Can you show me the quickest way to the Lavender Ruins?" She asked politely. The man looked at her oddly before answering. "I must insist against going to the ruin, young lady. They are dangerous for a young girl like you." he replied. Skye became slightly frustrated. "I'm sorry, but i really want to go to these ruins." She had to. For Klove. Skye and Klove had always wanted to travel. A place they had always wanted to go was the ruins. Klove always wanted to visit the history. Skye just wanted to see ghosts. Klove would always laugh at the simpleness of. Skye. "I meant no offense ma'am. You just look like you could use protection when traveling." said the man. Skylar clenched her jaw as the man walked away. Then she felt a tap on her shoulders. She turned and saw a young man clad in armour, a scabbard hooked around his waist. "I couldn't help but hear you wnt to go to the ruins? Without an escort?" He asked? Skylar huffed out a long breath before answering. "With all due respect,sir , I wasn't asking anyone's permission. I only want directions." she said with a glare. "M'lady. As a knight of Syliras, i urge caution and insist on an escort. I'm not saying a whole troop. Just one would put at least my mind at ease, and also your life." Skylar growled in frustration. It was obvious no one understood she could take care of herself. So finally sh. said "Alright! If it'll get you off my back, send a stupid squire or knoght or whatever out. Just make sure he can read a map. she huffed again and plopped down on the bench as the knight sent for someone by the name of Wynn.

[Wynn Argall]

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There were several things that had gone wrong within the span of about a half chime. Firstly, Ser Normit had assigned Wynn to patrol around the main gate. It wasn't really even much of a patrol, rather more of a "stand around and watch people do things" sort of task. While Wynn understood the need to keep the peace everywhere, he found the fact that there were so many knights and squires from so many different companies that he was, more or less, unnecessary. Secondly, perhaps due to his complete and utter lack of useful contribution to the guarding effort, the other squires handed off any bit of work they could to him. It wasn't so bad, but when the other squires had begun to realize Wynn wasn't above washing the filth to the sides of the streets or listening to the complaints of the grumbling elderly, he quickly changed from useless to overused. And finally, when he thought the day could not get any more confusing, one of the supervising knights, one Ser Brock (he'd never given his name), told him he'd be escorting a young woman to the Lavender Ruins.

Wynn had heard tales about the abandoned husk of a city. He'd heard how a hermit had taken up residence there, how ghosts and ghouls and specters haunted the remains of what was left after the Valterrian, how people could disappear without ever leaving a trace. Some of the stories seemed to suggest the missing persons had been killed and devoured by the hermit, but Wynn found these allegations to be - if not entirely preposterous - unlikely, as the knights would have surely taken care of it otherwise. Having no reason - nor place - to refuse, Wynn followed the knight back to where the young woman who had requested help stood. Upon arrival, Wynn found her frustrated frown to be the sort of expression worn by those who did not, in fact, want help but received it anyway.

Having just finished helping some men clean up and reload a spilled cart of crates and their various agricultural contents, Wynn had stripped off his armor, choosing the free (and airy) movement of his linen shirt and leather britches over the protective (and stuffy) plate mail of the Order. His axe, however, was strapped across his back. Patrolling without armor was one thing, but patrolling without a weapon was just foolishness. His mussed hair shone wet with perspiration from the job he'd just completed, and though he wiped some of it away from his brow, the sun still glistened against the moisture of his skin. The knight gave the woman a nod, "A single, capable squire, Miss." He pushed Wynn forward with a little shove, muttering under his breath, "Introduce yourself, lad."

Shuffling forward, Wynn gave the young woman a tentative smile. It was just his luck to be sent on a one on one escort with a woman. He didn't trust them with their gentle curves and long eyelashes. They were too pretty to be up to any good. Clearing his throat, he saluted and stated both his name and ranking in the Order. "Squire Wynn Argall of the Purple Company." Delivering a short, respectful bow, Wynn finished with, "At your service, as it pleases." Because it certainly didn't please him. Why she even wanted to go to the ruins in the first place was a mystery to him, though he had no intention of inquiring unless she brought up the subject. If he could help it, Wynn wasn't sure he even wanted conversation at all. Women had a way of setting him on edge and making him uncomfortable.

Ser Brock, pleased with the introductions, excused himself and disappeared into the bustling crowd. Wynn, uncertain how to proceed, glanced at the map in the woman's hands, then about the area for any sign of transpiration. Spotting no horse that appeared to belong to his newly acquainted companion, Wynn gave her an quizzical look. "No horses? It's a good walk there from here, you know." His voice was steady and clear, but didn't carry any condescension in it. He was merely surprised she would think to go so far on foot, as she didn't appear to be the most travel hardened maiden. Though, to be fair, neither did he, and he'd made walks of similar distances on a regular basis.

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[Skylar Draykin]

Skye sat cross-legged on the bench as she waited for her 'escort'. She didn't feel the need to conversate with the knight since he wasnt the one who was taking her. Though if she was honest, Skye didn't want to conversate with any knights. Her oppinion on knights wasn't really much of her own thoughts. Her grandfather was a knight (and a proud one at that) bit due to hard times, after retiring, he and his family moved to Sunberth. Skylars father, who was five years before the move, basically grew up in Sunberth so his fathers stories were slightly muddled by the views of the natives, and soon it twisted them so he knew a lot about the knighthood, but didn't fully understand the meaning of it or what it really stood for. He had joined the Suns Birth shortly after marrying and so passed what he knew, or thought he knew, down to his kids. Skye, being born as a true Sunberthian, reflected more of her upbringing than her heritage.So despite the fact that her father was a mock version of a knight, she did not care for knights in general. "Ah, here he comes." the knight finally said and Skye stood to meet him. She couldn't believe what she saw. A man who looked no older than Skye herself was trotting towards them. But he didn't have any armour, only an axe strapped to his back. I don't believe this, she thought to herself. They don't want me to go because of how i look, but they're going tk send me with some squire who looks just as bad? Skye kept her thoughts to herself,though, and forced a small smile. Skye bowed her head slightly towards him before the knight ran off to do his civil duties. When the man asked her about a horse, Skye had to think quick. She hadn't really thought about transpertation, her morning was completely consumed on how tto get to the ruins. Sp she tried playing it off. "Walkings half the fun, isn't it?" she said. She shoved the map into his hands, though being a squire he probably knew most of the outlining areas like the back of his hand. "Well, I hope you didn't have plans for tonight. I brought enough water and food to feed a horse," which she ironically didn't have, "So we should be good for the journey up and back. So, sir lead on." she said, finishing the statement with a mocking low bow. Being almost forced to take an escort had put her ina bad mood. It wasn't Wynns fault and she knew it. She would apologize later....maybe. As they walked towards the exit of the city, Skylar turned to Wynn. "By the way, my names Skylar Draykin. Since we'll be spending so much time together today, you should at least know my name." she said, sticking out her hand.

[Wynn Argall]

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It appeared the woman was just as happy for him to be accompanying her as he was to escort. In a way, Wynn found their smiles to boarder on comedy, as each employed a different emotion behind a similar action to hide the same reaction. Letting his smile gradually grow into a true expression, Wynn grinned at her response regarding walking. It was about as believable as her smile, but calling her out on it would be rude and unnecessary. "It's half of something, all right." His wit was returned with a mess of parchment thrust into his empty hands. Wrestling with the map, Wynn pulled it open to stare down at it with a concerned arch of his brows. Everything was all in the wrong place. His cheeks turned a bit pink as he realized it was upside down before rotating it to the proper orientation. He'd never personally been to the ruins before, but he'd been around the surrounding area several times on patrol. It wasn't incredibly far from the gate, and she'd luckily marked the destination with an "x", as the ruins weren't an actual part of the markings on the paper.

Glancing up from his study, Wynn met his companion's gaze as she assured him she was prepared for the journey ahead pairing it with her own uncertainty as to his own readiness. Apparently not wanting a response from him on the matter, she continued on with a heavy dose of sarcasm following by a low bow. Having dealt with plenty of sarcasm and false decorum from his fellow squires, Wynn knew better than to return the gesture in like. Ignorance, while often blissful, was also a very handy weapon for fighting those who used an acid that only affected the wary. Offering the woman a practiced smile, Wynn took the lead, rolling the map up and tucking it into the waist of his pants. While useful, the parchment wouldn't be much needed until they reached the woods, and they were at little under a bell's worth of walking. Before they made it very far along the road that led out from the mouth of the gates, the woman offered Wynn her name, for the sake of simplicity was the inference.

Wynn took her extended hand in his, giving it a good shake before releasing it and turning back towards their destination. He decidedly was not a fan of physical contact with women, though handshakes were simple enough that a few shakes of the hand weren't enough to cause him much discomfort. Skylar's face, however, with its disconcerting dislike and feminine curve was more than enough to keep Wynn's attention focused more outward than open towards any kind of casual discussion. He didn't dislike Skylar so much as she just made him uncomfortable. As their feet crunched into the dried dirt of the Kabrin Road, Wynn settled into silence, letting the chirps of the birds and the creaking wobble of the occasional wagon or cart fill the lack of conversation.

The woods were clearly visible, swaying in the distance to some unfelt breeze somewhere up in the sky. The road stretched on for a good distance, though a fork where the road split was just discernible on the horizon line. The weather was warm, but not at such an unbearable level that Wynn found it uncomfortable. The weight of his axe, however, certainly served to increase the required effort from step to step. In a short while, he felt his body responding to both heat and burden with sweat. When the sea breezes swept over the grassy outskirts of the city, the perspiration that dotted Wynn's skin like dew cooled, allowing him a moment of refreshment before pressing on. It wasn't until they arrived at the fork in the road that Wynn finally spoke, gesturing to their left. "The Ruins are over that way." Not really sure what else to add, he stood there lamely for a few moments before heading down the road.

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[Skylar Draykin]

ooc=OOC] Sorry its taken so long to post. I'm sort of in a slump on some things. Skye noticed the man didn't retaliate to the obvious sarcasm that she spoke. Instead, he remained silent, only speaking when necessary, which diddnt seem too often. Following Wynn out of the city, Skye took her que from him but quickly hated the silence. She didn't feel as if her comments were welcome at the time, which she figured was a result of her greeting. Skye never tried to hide when she was irritated, resulting in many pissed off people, including a knight or two. She had to admit she had never came into contact with a squire before. She began to wonder if there was much difference except the squire being at a knights beck and call. Recent events were the only reason she didn't avoid knights at all cost. It was something she promised to look into so maybe walking with this guy would be a good thing, no matter how much she hated the situation being forced upon her. Almost a bell had passed with no words passing between the two travelers. Skye was starting to feel bad for the way she greeted Wynn. It wasnt his fault he got stuck escorting her, that much was clear when they met. If she was correct, he was pretty much in the same boat as her: each being forced into a situation where they had to deal with someone they didn't want to. So, when they reached the fork, they continued down the path and Skye spoke. "So....you know much about the ruins?" she asked in a lame attempt to lighten the mood a bit. She herself didn't know too much about it, only things Klove talked about. She had heard about the ghosts being mostly passive, but she wasn't sure. She knew the history somewhat. But she was mainly there to just see it. Just being there would be worthwhile, for all the times her and Klove spoke about them but never got to investigate.

[Wynn Argall]

When she spoke, Wynn's next step jumped a little bit higher than before. Doing his best to cover up his startled jerk, he turned his head to face his companion. She was woman enough that he found himself refocusing on the forest's path ahead of him instead. "Just rumors." Aside from the ruins's location that had been divulged by both Skylar's map and Linnae during one of her late night visits with Abathur and him, the ruins were merely a large focus of rumors among the squires. Ghosts, hermits, murders, romances... The list was long enough to run the path they'd been walking for the past bell or so twice over. The chances of the rumors being real only existed due to the sheer volume of them. Not having much else to say about it, Wynn did feel a bit uncomfortable as the silence set in once more. Her voice had held a fair bit of restrained politeness, which Wynn had taken as a tentative apology for her acidic greeting, only he didn't have much to offer. Deciding it was better to at least try than to give the impression her message hadn't been received, he venture out one of his more favorite rumors.

"I... Did hear there's a hermit who lives there." He kept his pace steady, as his legs were long since too fatigued for anything more than an amble through the spotted light that shone through the leafs of the trees. "They say-" He gave Skylar a glance out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to stare directly at her. He found women to be disturbing enough without having to look at them. Skylar was, if anything, worse with her moody handling of situations. "The other squires, I mean." He continued, letting his gaze flick from tree to tree as they slowly passed them, gazing at the ridges and divots of the bark. "They say he fell in love with death, and now he serves her as a guide to the lost souls who still reside in the ruin." For a moment, a small, sad smile played at his lips before he cleared his throat. "But none of us have seen him. Or..." He shrugged. "Even been to the ruins."

They were starting to get close to the ruins, so Wynn pulled the map from his hip and unfolded it, taking care to step with caution now that his vision was obscured by the inked parchment. He made an educated estimate as to how far into the woods they'd gone, then traced with his eyes to see how much farther (and what direction) they had to go. From the looks of it, it was more or less in front of them. He figured at their pace it wouldn't take more than half a bell to get there, but he kept the information to himself as he refolded the map and stuck it back into the hem of his britches. He wasn't known for his impeccable map reading skills. If anything, he was more infamous for getting himself lost rather than finding his destination. They map certainly did help, however, and Wynn was confident he could find the ruins eventually, at the very least.

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[Skylar Draykin]

OOCSuper sorry for taking so.long. I'm gonna post more frequently from now on Again, real sorry ^_^. Skye looked at the ground as she kicked a small rock. She watched it roll into the tall grass as Wynn recalled a rumour about the ruins. Skye had never really held much awe for knights, let alone squires. So to hear the rumour was circulated among the squires, it didn't have as great of an affect on her she might have hearing it from a well knowm gang in Sunberth. Still, Skye had to admit it was an interesting theory. "Sounds creepy. Why would anyone worship death?" she asked, more to herself than anything. Admittedly, the idea of death scared Skye. She wasn't really ever taught what came after death and she never really cared to look into, afraid of what she might find. She knew there were ghosts and spirits that lingered on the earth, that some were left behind because they had unfinished buisness. Skye had even heard of possessings, where the ghost woulf take control of ones body for a period of time. The idea didn't appeal to Skye much, though. The continued to walk in silencee for a few more chimes. It was obvious Wynn was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable with what, Skye didn't know. But Skye didn't care for the silence much so she tried another approach. "So, why become a knight?" she asked bluntly. " A man of your stature, you could be doing a lot of other things. Other things that don't involve the whole 'yes sir. no sir. how high?'" To Skye, that was almost as bad as slavery. Why Klove wanted Skye to look into knighthood with the way she was, Skye didn't know. She only knew she had to, for Kloves memory. And it wouldn't be bad to try to get some information from a real squire.