A new night

~Ralean stands on the battlements, hands resting on the cold stone, staring at the stars in the sky. It was well before morning, while most were asleep. He was dressed simply, a think silver-white cloak of winter wolf fur draped over his shoulders. He was wearing black besides from that, his family blade and shadow dagger on his belt. he sighed, glancing down at the city outside the keep, and then across the the scar-like brilliance of the new stone in the tower from the dracolich's attack. How time passed, and things changed.

He oft found himself on the walls at night now, finding comfort in the darkness and solitude and open air. There was a weariness about his eyes, the look of a man that has grown very tired. he drifted from the wall and walked further along the battlements, his stride quiet and measured, contemplative. His days were spent in planning and fighting, often meeting Giligian to spar, with both men leaving covered in bruises. A certain fatality marred his nature, could be seen in the storm growing in his eyes. He breathed deeply, allowing the crisp night air to fill his lungs as he made his way back to the courtyard, and towards rthe gardens~

~~Gil stands in the garden, bare-chested, his muscular six-and-a-half foot frame glstening with sweat. His long coat and swords are on a bench, his top hat on top. His throwing axes were on theground underneath, with a pair of daggers and bracer of throwing knives. Gil himself was holding a fire-hardened wooden staff, a lantern hanging from a tree limb casting shadows as he moed seemlessly through a series of manuevers, again. He found the nature of the gardens more appealing than the hard packed training yard. Here, the smell of life could reach him. he spun the staff low, snapping an end out lightning quick at an imaginary foe, jaw set in concentration ats his body rippled through the movements. Sweat sprayed off him as he spun low in a sweeping gesture with the staff, setting the near end in the ground for leverage for a spring kick that lifted him off the ground, landing with a muffled thud on the soft grass as the end of the staff slipped from the ground.

Gil coughed, a little taken back from his fall, and grinned a lazy, boyish grin, the kind of effortless expression that comes to those with no worries. he stands, brushing himself off as best he can and taking a deep breath, hooking the jug of water near his equipment through the hand with the end of the staff and letting it slide down towards himself, taking a long pull from the cool, clean water within.~~

~Sleep was eluding Tiberious at the moment. He had tried to get some, but there was too much on his mind. So he dressed in a pair of loose pants and a light shirt and decided to get some air. He took his sword belt with him, maybe he would find some local trouble to relieve the boredom. The hour was late now and most taverns would be turning the drunkards out. Of course the city guard were more than capable of handling those few who wished to renter the tavern, but it never hurt to be prepared. He left the barracks and started walking the streets, not paying attention to where he went.~

~After a short time he found himself near the Castle. Being a member of the military meant he had no problem entering the outer sections.~

~And so it was he walked round a corner and spotted a man he recognised sparring against an imaginary foe. He leaned against a tree and silently watched, trying to remember the mans name. Ah yes, that was it. Giligan.~

((OOC: Good to see you again Gil. Nearly 6 years to the day since our first meeting too!))

~she had pushed azure hard she had to get away from her father the feelings he was throwing out was just to much especially with Tib in Grorr. She was Lost in thought good thing Azure knew the way so well. So much had changed since she was at the castle last... She had run into her lost father...Their connection strangely strong...Finding the Ghost of her mother at the library...She had left the castle without a good bye.. Because her Father thought he was wanted. But Jade had found out that he wasn't. Then all the trouble with Louis and Erika. She finally wasn't alone. She wanted to see if Gil was back and tell him about things. She need to see if they had sent the trunk of things of her mothers. She moved Azure to the stables. She had pushed that poor horse so hard. She made her way towards the castle she a guard stopped her and she tilted her head as she realized she knew him.~

"They made you a guard here." ~she smiled softly. He then said it was a new posting so she asked if he had seen Gil or Ralean. He said that Gil was in the Garden and He believed that the Duke was in the castle. She nodded. And decided Gil would be the one to talk to. she chuckled thinking about that first time she ran into him or tho she didn't really budge him at all. She blushed thinking about the rest of that night. She walked out to the garden. She heard a cough in the distance. and she grinned. She made her way to the garden.~

((OOC: He didn't see you fall over, so you're safe on that one ))

~He remained watching as Giligan drank some water, thinking about moving forward to introduce himself, but the thought was broken as he heard someone else moving to the garden. The footsteps were light but not very well disguised. Unless it was a large overweight man. He slowly turned his head towards the direction of the footsteps and his mouth gaped open as he spotted Jade.~

~What was she doing here? She was meant to be in Salarain where it was safe for her. Was Artimus with her? Was her mother? A chill ran down his spine. Had her mother been watching; had she seen what Tiberious had done? Had she gone running back to her daughter and told her, making Jade leave the sanctity of the cit to come here for a shouting match? And how had she found him? He hadn't told anyone he was coming here. Hells, he hadn't known himself until he arrived.~

~No, she didn't appear to be looking towards him, she was going over towards Gilian. What the in the nine hells was going on here?~

~she walked out into the opening where she saw Gil. and Smiled. She called over to him.

"Hey stranger." ~She playfully crossed her arm with a smile.Jade was dress in a dark brown leather pants and boots. Her shirt was a half shirt that showed off her mid section and her hair was up in a ponytail with her bangs out. Dagger on her side one in her boot and off course her hidden one.~

~~Gil looked over, still drinking deeply from the clay jug, and grins as he recognizes the woman behind the voice. "And well met to you as well." his grin is impish, a very humorous sight on such a large man. he leans against the staff, resting his weight on it. "May I ask what business you have here?" his tone is teasing and slightly mocking, continuing the small game easily with an effortless optimistic smile.

Glancing past her, he notices Tiberius leaned against a tree along the path, and gives a slight nod of greeting. He had noticed his presence, but felt that he would introduce himself in time, and so had paid it no further attention. The brief moment of acknowledgment gone, he moves his eyes back to Jade, offering the water jug. "Thirsty? It's just water, but better than nothing, I think."~~

~Ralean catches a snatch of voice as he steps around a corner, seeing the three people. He recognizes Giligian instantly, and Jade a moment later. The third figure, leaning against a tree further down the path, is across the clearing from him. He decides that he himself will watch a moment, only out of curiousity, and a desire not to interrupt. Seeing the weapons, he guesses Gil had been training, exercising. He smiled grimly. Soon enough, he feared, their blades would all come to bear on foes, and they must all be ready. he flexed to feel the soreness of muscle and ache o bruises from their last spar.~

~she smiled and moved closer to Gil.~

"Sure I could use it. Been travelling. I came to get the things I had sent here." ~she took jar and took a drink it was alittle long of a drink she then handed back to gil.~

"How have you been. I been wondering what you have been up to. Ever since I left kinda quickly. I ran into my father one day.. he came back.." ~she smiled~ "Finally not alone I have family that is alive. So I moved to be by him so i could get to know my father. Its amazing how much alike we really are. Even with us not being together until now. " ~she thought to herself."Oh geez am blabbling again." ~


~she smiled~ "Sorry Blabbling again. I seem to do that around you."

~~Gil reaches down and picks up his shirt, slipping it on as she speaks, and he grins broadly, almost beaming. "That is wonderful news! Nothing quite compares to sudden light in those dark palces of your life."

he gives a wink. "Babbling? I knew my good charm was contagious, but my stupidity too? It seems that simply letting your run itno me my have jarred something loose, eh?" he chuckles

resting the staff against a tree his begins to buckle his weapons back into place on his body, his hands moving deftly, with a type of practiced ease. He continues grinning. "Here, we've just been working hard." he lifts his coat, pulling it on, and lifting his top hat in one hand. "There are dark tidings in the wind, and it's best we all be ready to do what must be done."

Looking at her, he allows himself a soft smile. "And I'm not sure if your things arrived. if so, they were probably sent to the rooms you were using before." he shrugs a little, with an easy grin~~

~He nods in return to Giligian but stays where he is.~

~she walked over close to him and gave him a hug.~

"I always seem to babble to you when we meet. Usually ends with us having a drink and sitting by each other but a fire too." ~she smiled~

"Well at least we both have someone to call family. Well am moving to the Cape. So I wanted to come see if they had sent the things. They were suppose to. I bet it is in my room here." ~she smiled again~

"So no girl steal your heart yet?"

~~Gil chuckles. "Aye. Well, fires are warm, and you have a beautiful face. It tends to make a man content." He grins, returning her hug and allowing it to linger, his wrists resting on her shoulders. He looks at her a long moment and nods. "I suppose we could always go see. I think I still have the keys to the rooms in this damnable place, somewhere."

at the mention of his heart, he tilts his head, lifting an eyebrow. "My heart? No. A good thief only steals things of value, and I'm too clever by half for a bad thief."~~

~she smiled and blushed as the hug lingered. She tilted her head to the side a little.~

"Yes lets go see if its here. Its good seeing you again Gil."

~~Gil grins and ofers his arm. "SHall we, then?"~~

~she takes his arm and wraps hers around it. and smiles and giggles alittle~

"Its nice to have someone in my life that is family. Makes things not so lonely."

~~Gil grins. "Ayre, I know how you feel. It's nice to have a place, anywhere."~~

~she looked around as the walked up to the keep.~

"It sure does. Do you have your keys?"

~~Gil pats at his coat and pockets, frowning slightly, reaching into a pocket or two, and sighs. "Apparently only the keys to my rooms, and nothing else. A quick stop then, if you'd permit it?" he grins. "not that you have a lot of choice if you want to get in the room."~~

~she chuckled~

"Of course." ~she smiled she couldn't help to giggle a little when around gil.~

"Its the only way to get my things."

~~Gil smiles and offers his arm gesturing to the lit entrance back to the keep. "Shall we then, Miss?"~~