“I do not want you returning to Camp Dragonhead as of yet. Lord Theron took well to meeting you. Serve him and his family for now. They are close personal friends of mine. I will send word when you are to return to the regiment.
-Idristan Tournesâ€
Roen read the letter one more time, as if reading it again would change the wording somehow, or to even glean some new, hidden meaning from them that she had not before. She sighed and folded the missive, tucking it away in her breast pocket. She tugged at the fringes of her long-sleeved shirt and straightened the leather vest that closed tightly around her chest. She leaned on the counter as she continued to wait for the cartographer to return, her fingers drumming restlessly against the polished wood.
Was there still discontent amongst the soldiers at Dragonhead after the aevis incident? Did anyone still suspect the Xaela warrior that happened to have arrived the very same sun? Even though Khadai had been an active and essential part in defeating the Dravanian thralls and protecting the aetheryte?
Roen knew Idristan Tournes well enough to know that his decisions were solely based on the welfare of Ishgard and its soldiers. So for him to order her to stay away... either he saw her and her affiliation with the Au Ra as a disrupting influence, or somehow he thought it best for her own welfare.
“Constantin would appreciate your morals and your passion, I would think,†the knight captain had told her just before he introduced her to Lord Theron, head of a small noble house over a fortnight ago. She had not known then exactly why she was meeting with a midlander Ishgardian noble, but now the reasons were made clear. Constantin Theron and Idristan Tournes had agreed to have her serve as a tutor for the young adopted son of the house, Astidien, in the ways of the sword and shield.
It felt strange, being out of her usual armor. But it felt wildly out of place walking around an aristocratic home in full plate just to mentor a youth, and it was even politely suggested by a retainer that she find more fitting clothes for lessons as well as tea. The paladin fidgeted; her footsteps felt lighter and her feet felt more acutely closer to the ground in the leather soled boots. She realized with some chagrin that she had grown accustomed to--and perhaps even preferred--the heavier armor around her frame.
The paladin also felt strangely displaced being in the city proper for suns on end. Initially after she had escorted Edda and Khadai across the Gates of Judgement, there had been an unease that preoccupied her mind, as many eyes seemed to look upon the Xaela with suspicion and wariness. But as suns passed without incident, and after fitting Khadai with new Ishgardian armor, Roen’s anxiety for the Au Ra warrior lessened. That was when the paladin found herself starting to get restless.
There were still more than a few affairs weighing on Roen's mind. The evidence of the grisly Au Ra killing they had come across... well, she had written to her knight captain on the matter. But she knew she too was a foreigner here and it was not her place to seek out proper justice. And then there was the matter of her missing brother. In Roen's last meeting with Delial and Kage, both seemed intent in their desire not to have the paladin involved.
It was something that had begun to have its own weight as more time passed: her refusal to care, her self-imposed exclusion. Deep down, Roen did worry, there was no doubt. But she still did not believe she would bring anything but more despair and ruination if she were to get involved. That had been her recent lessons, had it not? Roen winced slightly at the memory of her final parting words to Delial, when she confessed to killing a good man.
It was an admission that still twisted her insides whenever the paladin remembered it. She was just starting to shed some of the suffocating weight of her regret, the darkness that hovered over her for many moons finally allowing small shafts of light to break through. Nero’s face no longer haunted her dreams every night, nor did he occupy her every thought as he had before. Roen was starting to question her true purpose here in Ishgard, that perhaps it was more than just to run away and forget.
Or perhaps it was Khadai’s words. Discovering that the Xaela warrior was an idealist, that he held many values that she used to hold dear, it caught her off guard. Even finding one of his own kind speared through the chest and left to freeze in the snow did not deter his fair outlook on the rest of the world. A strange one he, she had yet to meet anyone like him. Efficient to the point of callousness, painfully blunt at times like a hammer on an anvil, and yet with a surprising integrity at his core… he was an enigma that confounded her.
So in suddenly finding free time to herself within the city walls, Roen had taken to the task of acclimating Khadai to this unfriendly place as best as she could. He seemed much more at ease in sharing his thoughts when they spoke at the graveyard, and again when she took him to the armory. And both times, he questioned her of who she was and why she had lost her faith in her people.
The paladin refused to answer, and he refused to accept. He would learn, as I did, how hard this world can be. How ruthlessly it treats those who want to believe that people are fair and honest, Roen told herself.
But as soon as she did so, a cold pang shot through her chest when she realized what she was trying to convince herself to accept. This cruel lesson that she herself had learned, would she just stand by and watch it happen to another? A part of her already knew the answer.
"Here you are, Ser Deneith." The announcement broke the paladin out of her reverie as the Elezen cartographer placed a few rolled up leather maps in front of her on the counter. "Drawings of the surrounding areas, with the letters inscribed as you requested."
Roen gave the map a once look over, and nodded with satisfaction at seeing the cleanly written letters at the bottom of each region naming the various locations. She had shown Khadai the postings on the board outside the Forgotten Knight. It was at least one sure way he could make some coin while residing in Ishgard. But that was when she learned that he could not read any of the letters on the hunt bills. The renderings of the creatures were easy enough to identify, but he could not read the their names nor the regions where the bill stated the marks to be. These maps would help him scout out the area easier and perhaps learn the regions by their names written on the bottom. He could learn to read the letters on the map and the hunt bills, she could at least aid in that. It was a small step in learning to read, but with practical application.
The paladin curled a small satisfactory expression as she nodded to the cartographer and placed a stack of coin on the counter as payment.
“The maps should get you to find the roads with ease, and some landmarks as well.†The Elezen mapmaker smiled at her. “Although I thought you were quite familiar with the area already.â€
“Ah, these are not for me.†Roen shook her head as she rolled up the maps and tucked them into her satchel. “But I am certain it will be well appreciated.â€
Khadai might not even need the maps at this point, for all she knew. He had been surveying the lands outside the Gates for a few suns already. But it was an idea that had seeded itself in Roen’s mind and she wanted to see it through. She could see that he still felt very much a stranger here, despite the native armor that he now wore. His rigid and silent demeanor when she and the Xaela warrior had accidentally come upon Ser Heuloix and Lady Dufresne was clear evidence that his unfamiliarity with social etiquette made him quite uncomfortable. It was after that meeting that Roen thought perhaps in giving him some freedom to exert himself outside the walls and earn coin, that some of his unease would be lessened. The paladin patted the contents of her satchel idly as she stepped out of the store and into the snow.
"It is a thing. This thing will affect… a process. It is a… solution? It is meant to prevent a decay. Reverse it."
That was the best that Khadai could do to describe this object that he had come to Eorzea to find. Even as awkward as he was in conversing with the two Elezens, he had answered their questions as truthfully as he was able. Neither Ser Heuloix nor his lady friend were able to glean any idea as to what this object may be, but their eagerness to help was evident. And now Roen had some vague idea of what his assignment was as well. To prevent a regression of sorts amongst his people.
"It seems… mayhaps you have found another reason to lift your shield after all, mm?"
Roen still recalled Ser Heuloix’s words as he smiled at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes. The Duskwight knight from the Cathedral assumed she was starting to find her convictions again.
The paladin had said nothing then, and shook her head even now at the memory. She was just aiding a lost stranger in a foreign land. It was easier to aid someone she did not know, rather than risk heartache in failing someone she cared for deeply. She told herself this, and a part of her almost believed it.
Letting out a quick exhale to dismiss her restlessness, Roen squinted up at the snowfall and the grey skies above. She was not due at Theron manor again for a few suns, so she would take the opportunity to don her usual armor and head out toward the Convictory. She hoped to find some ease in focusing her thoughts and energy elsewhere outside the walls, and perhaps even deliver a map or two.
-Idristan Tournesâ€
Roen read the letter one more time, as if reading it again would change the wording somehow, or to even glean some new, hidden meaning from them that she had not before. She sighed and folded the missive, tucking it away in her breast pocket. She tugged at the fringes of her long-sleeved shirt and straightened the leather vest that closed tightly around her chest. She leaned on the counter as she continued to wait for the cartographer to return, her fingers drumming restlessly against the polished wood.
Was there still discontent amongst the soldiers at Dragonhead after the aevis incident? Did anyone still suspect the Xaela warrior that happened to have arrived the very same sun? Even though Khadai had been an active and essential part in defeating the Dravanian thralls and protecting the aetheryte?
Roen knew Idristan Tournes well enough to know that his decisions were solely based on the welfare of Ishgard and its soldiers. So for him to order her to stay away... either he saw her and her affiliation with the Au Ra as a disrupting influence, or somehow he thought it best for her own welfare.
“Constantin would appreciate your morals and your passion, I would think,†the knight captain had told her just before he introduced her to Lord Theron, head of a small noble house over a fortnight ago. She had not known then exactly why she was meeting with a midlander Ishgardian noble, but now the reasons were made clear. Constantin Theron and Idristan Tournes had agreed to have her serve as a tutor for the young adopted son of the house, Astidien, in the ways of the sword and shield.
It felt strange, being out of her usual armor. But it felt wildly out of place walking around an aristocratic home in full plate just to mentor a youth, and it was even politely suggested by a retainer that she find more fitting clothes for lessons as well as tea. The paladin fidgeted; her footsteps felt lighter and her feet felt more acutely closer to the ground in the leather soled boots. She realized with some chagrin that she had grown accustomed to--and perhaps even preferred--the heavier armor around her frame.
The paladin also felt strangely displaced being in the city proper for suns on end. Initially after she had escorted Edda and Khadai across the Gates of Judgement, there had been an unease that preoccupied her mind, as many eyes seemed to look upon the Xaela with suspicion and wariness. But as suns passed without incident, and after fitting Khadai with new Ishgardian armor, Roen’s anxiety for the Au Ra warrior lessened. That was when the paladin found herself starting to get restless.
There were still more than a few affairs weighing on Roen's mind. The evidence of the grisly Au Ra killing they had come across... well, she had written to her knight captain on the matter. But she knew she too was a foreigner here and it was not her place to seek out proper justice. And then there was the matter of her missing brother. In Roen's last meeting with Delial and Kage, both seemed intent in their desire not to have the paladin involved.
It was something that had begun to have its own weight as more time passed: her refusal to care, her self-imposed exclusion. Deep down, Roen did worry, there was no doubt. But she still did not believe she would bring anything but more despair and ruination if she were to get involved. That had been her recent lessons, had it not? Roen winced slightly at the memory of her final parting words to Delial, when she confessed to killing a good man.
It was an admission that still twisted her insides whenever the paladin remembered it. She was just starting to shed some of the suffocating weight of her regret, the darkness that hovered over her for many moons finally allowing small shafts of light to break through. Nero’s face no longer haunted her dreams every night, nor did he occupy her every thought as he had before. Roen was starting to question her true purpose here in Ishgard, that perhaps it was more than just to run away and forget.
Or perhaps it was Khadai’s words. Discovering that the Xaela warrior was an idealist, that he held many values that she used to hold dear, it caught her off guard. Even finding one of his own kind speared through the chest and left to freeze in the snow did not deter his fair outlook on the rest of the world. A strange one he, she had yet to meet anyone like him. Efficient to the point of callousness, painfully blunt at times like a hammer on an anvil, and yet with a surprising integrity at his core… he was an enigma that confounded her.
So in suddenly finding free time to herself within the city walls, Roen had taken to the task of acclimating Khadai to this unfriendly place as best as she could. He seemed much more at ease in sharing his thoughts when they spoke at the graveyard, and again when she took him to the armory. And both times, he questioned her of who she was and why she had lost her faith in her people.
The paladin refused to answer, and he refused to accept. He would learn, as I did, how hard this world can be. How ruthlessly it treats those who want to believe that people are fair and honest, Roen told herself.
But as soon as she did so, a cold pang shot through her chest when she realized what she was trying to convince herself to accept. This cruel lesson that she herself had learned, would she just stand by and watch it happen to another? A part of her already knew the answer.
"Here you are, Ser Deneith." The announcement broke the paladin out of her reverie as the Elezen cartographer placed a few rolled up leather maps in front of her on the counter. "Drawings of the surrounding areas, with the letters inscribed as you requested."
Roen gave the map a once look over, and nodded with satisfaction at seeing the cleanly written letters at the bottom of each region naming the various locations. She had shown Khadai the postings on the board outside the Forgotten Knight. It was at least one sure way he could make some coin while residing in Ishgard. But that was when she learned that he could not read any of the letters on the hunt bills. The renderings of the creatures were easy enough to identify, but he could not read the their names nor the regions where the bill stated the marks to be. These maps would help him scout out the area easier and perhaps learn the regions by their names written on the bottom. He could learn to read the letters on the map and the hunt bills, she could at least aid in that. It was a small step in learning to read, but with practical application.
The paladin curled a small satisfactory expression as she nodded to the cartographer and placed a stack of coin on the counter as payment.
“The maps should get you to find the roads with ease, and some landmarks as well.†The Elezen mapmaker smiled at her. “Although I thought you were quite familiar with the area already.â€
“Ah, these are not for me.†Roen shook her head as she rolled up the maps and tucked them into her satchel. “But I am certain it will be well appreciated.â€
Khadai might not even need the maps at this point, for all she knew. He had been surveying the lands outside the Gates for a few suns already. But it was an idea that had seeded itself in Roen’s mind and she wanted to see it through. She could see that he still felt very much a stranger here, despite the native armor that he now wore. His rigid and silent demeanor when she and the Xaela warrior had accidentally come upon Ser Heuloix and Lady Dufresne was clear evidence that his unfamiliarity with social etiquette made him quite uncomfortable. It was after that meeting that Roen thought perhaps in giving him some freedom to exert himself outside the walls and earn coin, that some of his unease would be lessened. The paladin patted the contents of her satchel idly as she stepped out of the store and into the snow.
"It is a thing. This thing will affect… a process. It is a… solution? It is meant to prevent a decay. Reverse it."
That was the best that Khadai could do to describe this object that he had come to Eorzea to find. Even as awkward as he was in conversing with the two Elezens, he had answered their questions as truthfully as he was able. Neither Ser Heuloix nor his lady friend were able to glean any idea as to what this object may be, but their eagerness to help was evident. And now Roen had some vague idea of what his assignment was as well. To prevent a regression of sorts amongst his people.
"It seems… mayhaps you have found another reason to lift your shield after all, mm?"
Roen still recalled Ser Heuloix’s words as he smiled at her, a hint of amusement in his eyes. The Duskwight knight from the Cathedral assumed she was starting to find her convictions again.
The paladin had said nothing then, and shook her head even now at the memory. She was just aiding a lost stranger in a foreign land. It was easier to aid someone she did not know, rather than risk heartache in failing someone she cared for deeply. She told herself this, and a part of her almost believed it.
Letting out a quick exhale to dismiss her restlessness, Roen squinted up at the snowfall and the grey skies above. She was not due at Theron manor again for a few suns, so she would take the opportunity to don her usual armor and head out toward the Convictory. She hoped to find some ease in focusing her thoughts and energy elsewhere outside the walls, and perhaps even deliver a map or two.
