[Windmount Stables] Foiled Again! (Jaelyn)

[Lucas Arias]

Spring 60, 511 AV Lucas ... well, he didn’t really hate horses – hatred was too strong a word for that – but he wasn’t too fond of them either. He didn’t mind riding them – it was fun sometimes – but he wasn’t as much of a fan of them as some of his fellow squires were. They were too big, their legs were too long, and they had the habit of kicking you. They weren’t too intelligent either, not as far as he was concerned at least. Besides, it was hard to stay on the horse, look good and wield a weapon at the same time. Lucas very much preferred to have both of his feet on the ground. He was good with a sword then. He’d even been called somewhat talented. As he walked towards the Windmount Stables the squire pondered the possibility of a horse kelvic that would let him ride him (he didn’t want to ride a female kelvic – it would be impossibly awkward and embarrassing). Kelvics understood the human language. They usually didn’t kick people, and they were intelligent. He really wanted a kelvic, but unfortunately he hadn’t met one yet, and thus he would have to practice on a real horse for now. His knight had told him that his riding skills needed a lot of improvement. He was almost good enough with a sword, but he would give all the knights of Syliras a bad reputation if he were knighted and all he knew about horse riding consisted of „how not to fall off a horse“. Before he climbed on a horse the squire wanted to have some fun though. For that reason the redhead had a bucket full of ice cold water with him. Bucket in hand, he stood in front of the entrance to one of the barns, pondering how he could get it up there. He wanted to place it on the door so that the next person that entered the stable would get a nice, cold shower. But the door was so high! He really needed a ladder – or a Symenestra that could climb the wall and place the bucket where he wanted it to be. The problem was, Symenestra were just as hard to come by as horse kelvics, and he didn’t know where he could find a ladder! Maybe he could just try to climb himself – or jump?

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Jaelyn took a deep breath as she emerged from Stormhold armed with only her sword and wearing her typical clothing. It was another fine day, and Jaelyn intended to take full advantage of it by getting a horse and going to train out in the woods. She had looked for Dimitri in the dorms to see if he wanted to come along, perhaps try that game again, but she had had no luck. Not wanting to waist the day she would at least go alone.

Crossing the courtyard towards Windmount Stables Jaelyn was glad she had decided to carry her helmet instead of wear it. There was a pleasant breeze that carried just a hint of the smell of the ocean with it, and she paused to let the wind tease her hair and tickle her nose. She didn't stay still for long, training still very present in her mind.

Approaching one of the barns of Windmount Stables Jaelyn still had a pleasant smile at her face. Even if the training today would be hard she knew it would be pleasant.

[Lucas Arias]

While Lucas could jump just about high enough to be able to reach the top of the door without the heavy bucket, doing so while holding it was unfortunately impossible. Climbing the door like a Symenestra was likewise not an option. He quickly discovered that his soft, human hands were not made for such a thing. If he had a barrel or a crate that he could stand on though ... That was how Jaelyn would eventually find him. As the female squire approached the barn, she could see a boy with bright red hair who stood on a large wooden crate directly in front of the door, an old bucket in his right hand. He had raised his head and was looking at the door quite intently. Lucas had his back to her so that he couldn’t see her, and he was much too focused on the task before him to hear her. While he could reach the top of the door now, putting the bucket there so that it wouldn’t fall off again right away turned out to be quite a challenge. It was almost too heavy, and the door wasn’t particularly wide. He had to balance it just right!

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Finding such an odd sight Jaelyn could only stop and stare in confusion for a few moments. Unable to figure out what the young man was doing she finally cleared her throat softly and asked, "Excuse me, might I ask what you are doing there?"

Maybe he was trying to clean the door, but that just didn't seem to fit what he was doing. She couldn't think of anything else that it could be, and the thought of it being a prank didn't even enter into her mind.

The fact that he seemed to be struggling wasn't lost on her, and so after a moment of hesitation she smiled softly and offered, "Would you like some help with it?"

[Lucas Arias]

Lucas froze for a moment as he heard Jaelyn’s voice. Petch, he thought. He’d been caught again. Of course the Windmount Stables weren’t the best place for a prank – they were always busy – but what was life without taking a certain risk every now and then? Still, he would have preferred to be successful this time. Maybe he’d take the bucket back to the dorm and try it there instead. There were a few boys that desperately needed to be taught a lesson. On the other hand, judging by Jaelyn’s words not everything was lost yet. The girl didn’t seem to have any idea what he was doing. He almost laughed out loud. Maybe he could turn her into his accomplice! Maybe she could help him put the bucket on the door! „You want to know what I’m doing here?“ he asked as he turned around and stepped off the crate. A bit of water lapped over the edge of the bucket and left a dark stain on the ground below. He made a face as he noticed that. It meant less water for his victim. „I’m trying to clean the door!“ He gave her a radiant smile and came a bit closer. „It’s dirty, you see? There’s horse piss here, a bit of manure there, and I think one of those naughty stable boys even tried to paint something on the door – something really obscene!“ He put a noticeable emphasis on that word. „I think the horses deserve a nice home. They let us ride them every day and do so much for us. I think we should do something for them as well!“ „I was just trying to put the bucket on top of the door. There’s a lot of dust up there on top of everything else. I thought it would be easier to clean if I didn’t have to step off the crate every couple of seconds or hold the heavy bucket in my hand the entire time. I'd really appreciate your help.“

[Jaelyn Baroth]

Jaelyn listened quietly as the young man explained his reasoning, her gray eyes wandering over the door as he spoke. It certainly was dirty, and she thought she could make out the hints of that obscene thing he was talking about.

Quickly turning her gaze away from the door she gave a nod and soft smile to the vaguely familiar young man, "That is certainly a kind thing to do. If you would like I could help hold the bucket for you to help you out," she gave a quick glance around the area, and after a moment she asked, "Do you have a brush or something you are using to scrub the door?"

She had to admit she was finding this young man rather impressive. She hadn't really met anyone else who was willing to give of their time to clean up the door to the stables. He must really love horses.

[Lucas Arias]

„I think more people should be kind and selfless“, Lucas replied. He was thoroughly amused, but he managed to look halfway serious and sound as if he really meant it. „Mizahar would be a better place then. I’m trying to be a good example for others.“ Having said that, he took a closer look at the young woman who was not only an inch or two taller than him, but also looked kind of familiar. For a moment he had the distinct impression that he had seen her before. But where? And should he ask her about it or try to remain incognito? „As I said, I’d appreciate your help“, he continued. „There is no need for you to stay here the entire time though. I’m sure you have better things to do. I just need to put the bucket somewhere where I can easily reach it.“ He really didn’t want her to be next to him the entire time. He needed to get rid of her before he had to clean the door (and the entire stables) for real! As much fun as pretending to be a nice guy who really loved horses was, in reality it was a lot of hard work! „A brush?“ Lucas repeated and made a face. „Let me see ...“ He rummaged through the pockets of his pants. „I know that I have forgotten something!“ he exclaimed, and then he removed a handkerchief. Realizing that there was a bit of snot on it, he quickly wiped it off on his pants, hoping that she didn’t notice that, and then he presented it to her. „I have this. If you don’t think we can use that, maybe you could find me a brush? I’m sure there is one somewhere inside the stables.“

[Jaelyn Baroth]

As Lucas spoke and gave his explanations a faint downward turn touched Jaelyn's lips. There was something off about his words and actions. He spoke of being kind and selfless, but he didn't seem to take any joy out of what he was saying. Still she could think of no other reason to be hanging around the stable doors with a bucket of water other than to clean them. Perhaps he had been ordered to, and was simply trying to put a good face on it all?

"I think it would be best if we had two brushes," Jaelyn offered a small smile to the young man, "I will help you clean. The work will go faster that way. Let me go see if I can find some brushes for us to use."

Jaelyn turned and made her way into the stable itself, looking amongst the stalls and tools for two brushes they could use to clean. As she looked she called over her shoulder to the young man, "Are you by chance a fellow Squire? You look a bit familiar."

[Lucas Arias]

Almost as if he had picked up on Jaelyn’s thoughts, Lucas‘ smile widened a bit. He tried his best to act as if he was having fun, as if he really was an idiot that loved doing hard work and expected nothing in return, but it wasn’t easy. He wasn’t as good of an actor as he thought he was. A little bit of the real Lucas was always visible. It didn’t help that he was beginning to grow a bit restless as well. He had the bad feeling that he wouldn’t be able to escape her, no matter how hard he tried, that he’d probably be trapped in the stables all day long and his prank would be history. „Two brushes would be best“, he agreed and nodded. „Thank you for your help! If we both clean the door, we’ll be done in no time!“ He watched her as she made her way into the stable, pocketed his used handkerchief and thought about what he should do now. Maybe he could run away while she was looking for brushes! Maybe he could empty the bucket over her head! Maybe ... As he heard her words, he froze. Maybe not. „Yes, I am a squire as well“, he replied somewhat reluctantly, realizing that that was probably why she looked so familiar. „What's your name?“ he wanted to know. He couldn’t remember it right now. He also came to the conclusion that running probably wasn’t an option anymore. If she was a squire as well, there was a chance that they would meet again or that she would go looking for him in the dorms and want to know why he had disappeared. Of course he could claim that he had been called away on important business, but ... He spent so much time standing there, thinking and being indecisive that he was still standing there when she returned!

[Jaelyn Baroth]

"Jaelyn Baroth," Jaelyn called back as she continued to search the stalls for two brushes they could use, "Squire under Ser Raynard Darcy, and you are?"

Finally she found a pair of brushes that seemed like they would work, old and water stained as they were, and she quickly returned to the other Squire. Finding him apparently in thought she smiled softly and offered him one of the brushes, "Shall we get started then?"

While this was certainly not the reason why she had come to the stables today it still felt like the right thing to do. It seemed that the Squire didn't really enjoy the thought of cleaning the door, so he was probably assigned to by his Patron, and it was nice to help other Squires out when it came to the more menial chores