Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Phoebe's declination was not particularly surprising, but it was a tad disappointing; Liam had been looking forward to rejoining his brothers- and sisters-in-arms. But he understood her concerns. Though he did not know Sohalia personally, he knew of her - at least enough to consider her younger and inexperienced than any leader should be. Perhaps that would work in peacetime, but how would she - and therefore Stormbreak - fare under the threat of conflict?
He didn't like to imagine it.
"I understand," Liam said. "I will always love Stormbreak, and I would like to be a part of the Dragoons again if they are indeed spreading across Caido in an effort to be a worldwide peacekeeping force rather than tied to one region. But my primary concern now is the Greatwood. I did not move here to only do things halfway. You have my loyalty - and my sword, should the need arise." He blushed faintly, realizing that their conversation had turned rather deep. "I would be happy to start a peacekeeping force here, however, if we can get enough members. In the meantime, I can offer basic training to those who may be interested."
"My no is not a not ever, just a not now." she said with a soft smile. She would see how this continent wide peacekeeping force worked first before committing her only soldier to it. More importantly she would see how Sohalia fared under pressure. She was too young to have gone through much strife yet.
But as Liam continued, her smile broadened to a cattish grin. And when he blushed, she laughed lightly. "Is this the part where I knight you?" she teased with a grin. "I think the best thing you could do is train the people to fight for themselves. They need not be soldiers, but if they can be competent people might think twice about attacking us." she said.
"Speaking of, I would like to train with you sometime. There is always more for me to learn and I recently gained my first offensive magic." she said with a proud grin.
she sprouted love like flowers grew a garden in her mind
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Liam smiled. "Even if it was, I defer to your wishes as our Guardian." Sure, perhaps he was laying it on a bit thick, but he was sincere and earnest all the same, eager to show Phoebe just how committed he was to becoming a full member of the Greatwood - with all the responsibility and loyalty that required. Besides, he could understand the concern. A soldier's duty was to the region they served first and foremost. Having a Dragoon - even if the peacekeeping force was reaching beyond Stormbreak - living among the trees left potential for split loyalties. And in wartime, that was something that no one could afford.
Of course, it was always possible that the regions would be allies in whatever was coming. Personally, Liam hoped for that outcome. It would never be good for Caido for the regions to be divided.
At Phoebe's teasing, Liam's blush deepened. "Shall I kneel? Do you need to borrow my sword for the ceremony?" he asked wryly, almost forgetting that he still didn't know her well enough to joke around this way. But, for once, there was laughter in his eyes and a smile on his lips, and for a moment, he wasn't wracked with guilt for living while his family lay dead in the ground.
"I'd be happy to train with you. What kind of magics do you have?" he added, curious.
Phoebe smiled back. She could tell he really was a soldier at heart. His fervent loyalty was flattering as well. He hadn't been here long and didn't know her too well yet, but he was committed to her. The least she could do was appreciate it and do her best to be worthy of it.
His darkening blush made her laugh. He was so easy to tease, but she was glad he had the fortitude to tease back. "No, no. I do not think such formality is necessary. Things are much more laid back here in the Greatwood." she said with a grin.
As for her magics..."I have mostly healing magics, one defensive magic, and and offensive magic that sends razor edged petals at my enemy." she explained.
she sprouted love like flowers grew a garden in her mind
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
It was funny, how easily he fell into the flash of ease and happiness; but it passed quickly, and immediate guilt crashed over him as he realized that, for a moment, he'd forgotten his family's fate. To hide the shift in mood, he took a sip of his whiskey, focusing on the way it burned as it slid down his throat. He toyed with his glass, a slightly sad smile on his face, lingering in the lightheartedness of their teasing while simultaneously feeling the shame that accompanied such feelings for him, these days.
Talking about training was easier, and he focused on the list of Phoebe's magics. "Razor edged petals?" he asked, raising a brow. He made a mental note to be sure to bring a shield to any spars with Phoebe, lest he be impaled by sharpened flowers. What a death to imagine. "That sounds useful." And slightly terrifying. "Well, I won't be any use with magic, but I can certainly help train you in more mundane matters. How much experience do you have with self-defense?"
Phoebe's head tilted. A sad smile...why? They were having fun, weren't they? The alcohol was starting to work its way to her head, relaxing her muscles and loosening her tongue. "What's wrong? Did I say something?" she asked, curious about his sudden change in mood.
At the question she nodded. Yep. Razor petals. But it wasn't magical practice she was looking for. She could work with others for that. "I have some experience. I've trained with a few people before, but I am sure I could still improve." she said. Fighting wasn't her forte but it was a necessity in Caido, at least so she could defend herself well enough to heal others.
she sprouted love like flowers grew a garden in her mind
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Liam had never been good at concealing his emotions, and he flushed again as Phoebe noticed the sadness that had crept into his face. He shook his head, rueful and contrite. "No, of course not. I just..." He hesitated, unsure whether to or even how to give voice to his inner turmoil. But then he sighed. "Sometimes I feel guilty for having a good time. For forgetting about my family for a moment."
It was good to hear that Phoebe had some experience with self-defense; Liam strongly believed that everyone should know some basic martial arts. One never knew what could happen in Caido, and even civilians could be pulled into an altercation - as he knew all too well. "Good," he said crisply. "I look forward to seeing what you can do."
Their waiter returned for their food order, and Liam looked to Phoebe to order (ladies first and all that), sipping his whiskey as he waited his turn. "I'll have what she's having," he said after she'd ordered. He wasn't picky, and he hadn't been paying attention to the menu. When the waiter withdrew, Liam turned his attention back to Phoebe with a smile. "So, other than razor-edged petals, what other secrets do you have?" he asked teasingly. "Anything else I should be on the lookout for?"
Ah, so it was guilt, not specifically sadness. She smiled a little and reached out to take his hand. "It isn't that you forget your family, you forget your grief. And that is a normal part of the healing process." she said gently. She knew this all too well, having suffered her own losses since coming to Caido. "And I am sure they wouldn't want you to be sad. They would want you to have a good time and enjoy life." she said.
Her hand withdrew as the waiter appeared and she ordered a hearty but simple meal. Such was a good choice when drinking after all. As far as what else she could do? "I have defensive magic - a rainbow that can protect me and one other for a short period." she explained. "And my healing magics, which you already know about." she said, recalling that she had used them on him when they were building out her government office.
she sprouted love like flowers grew a garden in her mind
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
Phoebe was perceptive - it was something that Liam admired about her, and he nodded as she amended his statement. "You're right," he said softly, squeezing her hand where it sat in his. His late wife and their children had always been full of light and laughter. For him to spend what time remained in Caido sad and grief-stricken - they wouldn't want that. And neither did he, really. He didn't want to forget them, didn't want to move on from them, but he did still want to live. And that, at least, was an improvement on where he'd been in the weeks after their deaths.
As for Phoebe's other magics, Liam blushed faintly at the mention of her healing magic, which he had most certainly not forgotten about. "You could have warned me about the side effects," he said wryly. Of course, knowing Phoebe better now, he could only assume that she'd gotten some kind of amusement out of seeing how he'd react.
Phoebe smiled, which then turned to a smirk. "You've been married before. You should know the woman is always right." she said teasingly, hoping to lift the mood back up. She clasped her hands and rested her forearms on the table, straightening into a prim and proper pose. "Now, as your Gaurdian, I demand you cheer up and have a good time." she said with a grin, sounding serious but looking far too cattish to mean it.
At his complaint she laughed and took a sip of her drink. "And miss you nearly falling over? Never." she said with a smirk. "I'm a demigoddess of Frey, you should have expected that my powers had side effects." she added.
The waiter came by and refilled their drinks, and she murmured a thank you to them as they walked away. "So how has the Greatwood been treating you? Feel like home yet?" she asked curiously, watching him over the top of her wine glass.
she sprouted love like flowers grew a garden in her mind
Tell the tales of the trail of dead Lovers learned from slower hands
It was a lesson that Liam had learned early on: even when he was right, he was wrong. "Yes ma'am," he said sheepishly, giving a little salute. And she was right. It was silly to linger in the past when he could have a perfectly good time. He could feel guilty later, when Phoebe wasn't around to witness it.
As for Phoebe's teasing, Liam made a face. "I'm not very experienced with magic," he admitted. He was from Stormbreak, after all. No magic allowed, and all that. He'd always thought that healing magic was just that - healing. He'd never anticipated secondary effects.
His whiskey refilled, he murmured a polite thank you as the waiter departed. He took a sip to give himself time to reflect on Phoebe's question. The Greatwood had been wonderful so far, but to say that it felt like home was a bit of a stretch. He still missed Stormbreak, the Dragoons, visiting his family's graves... "The Greatwood is well-named," he said after a moment, chuckling softly at his bad joke. "It's been great. It's been peaceful and quiet - very different from what I was used to in Stormbreak. I think it will feel more like home as time goes on - so far, I still feel a bit like I'm on an extended vacation."
