Author Topic: The long road home to Ossaet, with boulders  (Read 1428 times)

Scarlett

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The long road home to Ossaet, with boulders
« Topic Start: April 20, 2013, 06:05:39 PM »
Galiard Scarlett looked out over the harbor as his armored column of Very Special Forces rode past. The King had previously been Old; now he had graduated to Frail, though he still wore a chain hauberk and a sword made of some foreign steel whose unnaturally light weight enabled the old man to swing it when he had to.

"I think TNaismith has been on nearly as many campaigns as we have," observed Ser Ulwitt Dodd from atop his old warhorse. "Shame they don't have archery competitions at tournaments; I can't hit the broad side of a barn but not a war goes by where you don't see him and sixty or seventy bowmen crashing about the place. I expect that if you turned around and ordered him to put an arrow in the Emperor's hat from here, he would."

"Ossaet may as well be the Emperor's hat," replied Galiard dryly, "but then one expects it is a bit more precious to ... well, everyone other than him."

Dodd snorted. "If m'lud should ever see fit to make me a Duke, I should like that title: Duke of the Emperor's Hat."

"Sounds suggestive," said the King.

Near the turn-off to the ancient monastery of the Osai was a planter: nothing extravagant, maintained as it was by the long-since unfashionable Osai monks. Rosemary, sage, and a handful of other herbs and vegetables that pervaded the sea air for a short while.

"My wife planted those," said the King.

Dodd glanced over sharply, but said nothing for a moment. "You do not speak of her often," he observed.

Galiard grunted. "It was a different time."

Dodd squinted at the monastery in the distance. Few travelers were on the road, whether due to the much more popular destination of the Temple of Sartan or the invading army; there was little commotion with the locals on the road, and some of the older townspeople stopped to wave at familiar banners that had once set out from Ossaet to conquer Anacan's mighty walls. "How long, now?"

"Fifteen years ago tomorrow," replied Galiard.

Dodd squirmed uncomfortably. "I meant until we reached the castle," he said lamely; "but I had not realized--"

Galiard smiled. "It is of no concern," he waved Dodd off. "She would be glad to know that we were back here; and besides, she never cared for the castle. She won't mind that we shall be pelting it with boulders. In fact I think she might have preferred we did so while we were still in residence to give her an excuse to renovate the South Hall."

Dodd glanced around and observed no-one else taking particular notice of the King's nostalgia. "Then we shall be happy to oblige Her Grace the Queen." He beamed. "Let us prepare the Renovators."