Walking along the road from Salarain to the Forest

((OOC: This thread continues from Art's adventures in Salarain in this thread ))

Artimus continued to walk with Indis at his side.
They had agreed to share blame for Indy's death.

I wish I was a better diplomat. Maybe then i could try and diffuse the situation between Aegis and Aurora. But I'm not. I tried once and I'm not cut out for it. I guess that's why I was never on the council.

He looked up at the sun, which had long started it's slow descent towards the horizon. It wouldn't be long now before it vanished for the day. He stopped walking, and rested one leg on a small rock outcropping, facing the setting sun, his hair blowing gently in the wind. He could almost hear stirring music. If this Duke was right, then it was a dark time for the island.

They'll be coming from Icehold, and I would imagine they would be marching for Salarain and Meriddia.

He knew the island like the back of his hand, having lived here for most of his life.

Although, if it were me leading the advance, my first strike would be Grorr to disable the military, then a fast march to Draco to contain the Mages. After that, Salarain to secure any incomign supplies and blockade the harbour, then turn all attention to Meriddia.

He looked at Indis.

I hadn't worked any of that out in advance, in case you were worried I was planning a coup de tete myself.

He remained staring at the setting sun, his mind working and not liking what it was coming back with.

Ironically, the safest place on Aegis will be Del Fuaco.

~she nodded and listened to him as she paced alittle thinking on her own.~

~she raised an eyebrow~

"With the pirates? You want to take you and Jade into the pirates stronghold. The way you two find trouble I am not to sure I like that. Then the question comes up...Jade...She might not go to far from Tiberious. Honestly I know war scares her but she is our daughter and she will do what is right just like you will. Just like I did. I had to help even tho it was the death of me. We did save alot of people."

~she sighs.~

"I just don't know. This is her home now too. Its funny how love makes you call a place home. You were the reason I stay here. Now Tiberious is her reason and you too. She will fight for it."

Artimus turned to look at Indis, knowing she said what he was feeling, but didn't want to admit.

She's not ready to fight yet. I need more time!

He turned back to the setting sun.

It's all going wrong. She wants to be near Grorr, but I'm not allowed in the city. We're safe in Salarain now, but that's too far away from Grorr for her liking. he shook his head.

I need a stable enviornment for her. SHE needs a stable enviornment. Away from distractions and decisions.

He turned to look at Indis.

I'll tell her will be best if she moves out of the cave and goes back to Grorr. She can be close to him then, and maybe he can find time to train her.

He looked down to the ground.

He's clearly the better fighter out of the two fo us. And she needs to be taught by the best.

~she looks to him~

"She fights more with our style then his brute like style. And with her abilities...do you think she told him about them?"

~paced back and forth~

"Well when she gets back I think we all need to sit down and have a talk. I don't think Tiberious is going to want a distraction from his duty and I think she would be that to him. Which means he may push her away...which is going to affect her alot...I know she knows his duty is important and she knows how he acts but I fear he might hurt her more then he realizes or it may push her in some other direction. You are the only one that knows how she feels when she feels something strong."


~she looked at art~

"Your going to have to be her rock. Can you handle that?"

Artimus turned and looked at his wife as she spoke/

I hope she hasn't told him. The less people who know the better for all of us.

He turned away, continuing to watch the sun.

Finally he spoke.
I was prepared to have her wrenched from me, but you're right, Tiberious IS the kind of person to push her away. She'll want to fight alongside him, but he's too set in law and order to allow her - an civilian in his eyes - to go along for the ride.

He turned back to her.
I can be her rock; I can let her take her aggression out on me, but we both know she'll want to go fight. Just like I keep wanting to.

His face changed slightly.

I wonder if Tiberious has thought the tactics of defending the island out as I have? I'll have to send him a message. And we both know he'll at least to Jade...

~she watches him.~

"You would do them good with the planning. Jade really hasn't been in any major battles. A few fights but nothing like the scale that is coming. We are just going to have to be careful. Because with her. If we push and pull her to much I have no idea what she will do. When I died it changed her. Now with even more to loose this time."

~she sighed and runs a hand thru her hair.~

"We will just have to talk to her and see what she says."

Artimus nodded.

Let her have her night of fun with him. Hopefully she'll be back to the camp tomorrow and we can have a serious discussion about it then.

He looked back to the sun, then to Indis.

We better carry on. We'll never make the camp at this pace.

The break had been his own choice of course. There were times when he liked to stop and watch the world move. You could learn a lot from stopping every once in a while.

~she nodded but walked up to him first and kissed him softly~

"It will all work out." ~she took his hand and smiled~

He nodded in agreement and turned back, remaining silent for a long while, clearly thinking things through.
After a while he turned back to her.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to ignore you, I just.. There's so much going through my head right now.

~she smiled~

"I know hon. I am just happy to be around you. quiet or not. I am just happy to be in your presents even if your head is somewhere else. And I know how you are thinking. If i could do anything about it I would be in that mode too. but being the state that am in I can't."

Artimus tilted his head slightly.

Just because you're.. you can't fight, doesn't mean you can't help plan. You're a good tactician, a former general. You don't get that sort of ranking just from fighting people.

He realised he didn't actually much about the way Glenn havens used to do things. maybe they did...

We need some sort of counter-measure to whatever they want to throw at us. A shield as it were, to defend the island....

The last few words were spoken slowly as a new thought dawned on Artimus. Yes.. a new thought. One that could work. One that the council - or the Queen - wouldn't sanction at all. But it would work.

We need a wall, a large wall, to defend against whatever it that is coming. And I think i know where to find one!

There was a tone of enthusiasm in his voice, an excitment that he hadn't heard in his voice for a long time. He knew what needed doing, and how to do it. All he lacked was....

I don't think we'll be going back to the cave tonight. We need to stay near Salarain.

That cocky grin was on his face.

Not too close, I don't want to interfere with whatever jade is getting up to. But tomorrow, we shall return to Salarain, and I'll put my plan into operation...

Jade wouldn't be happy. Tiberious either. In fact, he'll be furious. And for some reason that thought made him smile even more.

~she grinned at him~

"Oh I have see this..."

"We are going to camp here then? " ~she looked at him~

He kept that cocky grin.

Somewhere around here I think. I'm not feeling anything from Jade, so I should be out of range, and it's close enough to walk back tomorrow.

His eyes were sparkling, there was a passion there that hadn't been in them for a while.

All I need to do now is work out what exactly I'm going to say...

~she sat on the ground and tapped the area next to her.~

"Come lay your head in my lap and think and throw ideas out to me."

~she smiled she loved seeing him like this she missed this so much~

He walked over and sat down next to her, leaning on her shoulder to start with.

I don't know where to start explaining it. What I'm thinking is, maybe encouraging some of the more adventurous citizens to pick up a sword and learn to fight. I'll bet there are people in every town who would want to help defend their city. Tavern owners who want to defend their taverns; shopkeepers who want to keep their property safe. Fathers who want to keep their families safe.
But I bet a lot of them haven't got a clue how to go about learning. They have full time jobs which prevent them up and leaving to take guard training.

So maybe if someone was willing to teach them, in off time to let them continue fitting it around their other commitments. Obviously it wouldn't be an army, but a group of townsfolk ready and capable of taking up arms to defend their city should someone come knocking. A "shield" if you like. It would help the proper military out - they don't need to be mobile as the townsfolk are already there - and it helps increase the numbers.

I could initially train a core group of people, who in turn can the teach others leaving me free to move on to another city. Over time we could create a shield for each city.

It would be a huge undertaking, and be very time consuming - time he had promised Jade he would teach her.

~she nodded and listened to his plan~

"That is interesting. So staying in the cape for awhile then it will seem. Do you think you should see the duke about it first? Best not to get on his bad side. I think Kharne would be fine with it but that new guy..."

Artimus tucked down, lying on the ground and resting his head on her lap.

I don't know. If I go and try and sound this out, and they decide not to go for it because I can't describe it properly... I'm thinking I should set it in motion and then we can show how it works.

His eyes darted up and lock onto hers.

Sometimes it's easier to ask forgiveness than it is permission.

He smiled.
He knew this could work.

~she ran her hand thru his hair as he laid down. She listened and locked eyes and smiled a little.

"Well how do you think you will get word out?"

He smiled at her.

I'll start recruiting in taverns. I'll make it clear i don't want instant sign-ups. I want people to go away and discuss it with family and friends before committing themselves. That will help put word out.

He closed his eyes, although he wasn't falling asleep yet.

~she leaned down and kisses him softly and runs a hand down his chest.~

"Well I will always be close with you love. So i have your back as much as I can."

He kept his eyes closed, but smiled as she ran her fingers down his chest.

I know. And you'll always be close to my

He touched the pendant, still smiling.

... neck

That didn't sound as romantic as he's hoped it might.

~she chuckled softly and smiled one hand playing with his hair the other on his chest. Leaning down and kissing him again.~

"Your such a romantic love."

He kept his eyes closed, but smiled at her.

If only you knew... There was a hint f playfulness in his voice, it was clear he wasn't keeping a secret from her.

The nights i used to stay up, writing and rewriting letters of love to you. I was never any good at composing them. He gave a small laugh of humour.

One night, after trying to write the words about 20 times, I wondered if maybe you would prefer one of my battle reports instead. I think the paper factory went out of business once we stopped writing to each other.

~she chuckles~

"Oh yes. But I loved everyone of them. I still have them with my things. From that first day I saw you...I knew my life was about to change. It did too. And now I call this place home. I have you and Jade. And I just want you two happy."

~she leans down and kisses him again~

Artimus had to be honest with her.

I didn't feel quite the same way at first. You were with the group trying to "invade" my patch. And it was meant to be my night off.

He smiled, yet kept his eyes closed, remembering it well.

And you were too stubborn to accept a healer.