Jerod nodded when he mentioned the name of the knightess. Yes, Thalia was how she introduced herself. But that was neither here nor there, the rest of the group was partying it up while he was stuck down here being assigned to inventory supplies. Oh well, he decided, such was the life of a soldier and mercenary. Menial jobs came side by side with life or death scenarios. All part of the job, really. The orders dispatched, he nodded, glancing at the rather alarming color of hair moving about doing inventory already. "Ach, an' 'ere I thought I'd seen everythin'. Aye knight lad, ah can git on tha' bloody inventory of yers." Walking over to a section of resources that had not been checked yet, he listened as the knight introduced himself and made mention of, from accent alone, that he did not originate from the Halidom of Ylisse. Smirking, the mercenary began taking stock, quickly moving from one box to another, clearly having done this before at some point. Not for good reasons, of course, but that was neither here nor there now. "Aye, I would reckon I ain' one from 'round these parts. Ain' from nowhere specific, don' rightly remember actually. Guess ye could say I ain' got no home, jus' where I lay me head."

The Exalt clear her throat looking at Lorne. "I believe this a dinner for my family and invited guests, Jacob I'll make exception for you but visitors dine in mead hall down by the barracks." She rested her hand on Falchion, hoping the idiot would get up and leave, or Marianne idea of dinner could be coming true shortly. The princess looked at Lorne warily. "I suggest leaving, before I get Thalia and contingent of guard to escort you out." She took her boot back ready to break his shin if need be. Andres cackled at his apprentice. "So picked out a girl already, I see you like crazy then lad. I think a pegasus knight would have been a better fit for you." Jacob blushed a deep red and froze, looking down at his arm Marianne was still clinging to him. He had no words as the comments flew from the others, he blush growing deeper. He just sat there wishing he had the power of that legendary shepherd that slip from anyone's view.

Isacc sighed at the barbarian's response at least he assumed it was a barbarian considering he was dressed as one and even had some axes on him. Isacc felt like it would end well enough though at the same time he had an eerie feeling like they were going to be attacked or something it isn't impossible either I mean their enemies attacked Jacob in broad daylight in the middle of the city must be assassins hanging around. Isacc also got odd vibes from Andres something just didn't feel right about him what was he thinking about? Regardless Isacc knew the barbarian would be a problem at the moment though maybe he should give him a chance and see if they could get along. "I'm sorry to interrupt but who exactly are you sir just out of curiosity I don't think I've seen you with the others before are you a new recruit?" Isacc was hoping this would prevent the barbarian from doing anything stupid further at worst he'd try to annoy Isacc though it wouldn't work so there isn't that much to worry about.

Thalia seemed a little surprised to see that Marianne was present, but judging from the fact she was hanging onto Jacob's arm, she assumed that he had brought her as a personal guest. Could it be that she and the Champion were...? The girl's lips curled into a smile that quickly faded upon the arrival of a completr stranger at the table. Pushing herself up to her feet, Thalia immediately placed herself between the princess and the man. "It is as the Exalt says, sir," She spoke carefully but politely, her eyes wary, "This is a private gathering. Perhaps you meant to be somewhere else? I would be happy to escort you to your destination if you were to ask." Having an unfamiliar face in a room full of important people was making her a little nervous to say the least. God forbid anything happen to them while she was on duty.

Lorne's eyes fell from the fancy-pants around him to the eye patch girl from before when she called out for him. It was almost nice to have someone so enthused to see him, although her judgement of the menu did dampen that feeling of joy. Bloody dark mages and their morbid obsessions. He raised his hand to wave back to her, but it was then that a volley of voices came flying at him. The first seemed to come from the lady at the head of the table, probably the leader of this high class social. Her words were... cold, as was the disdain her saw her in eyes. He even noted her hand was drifting towards her sword, as if to threaten him. He didn't like it. He didn't like the way she spoke to him one bit. It was talking like that which got you killed back in Ferox, but she was a lady. Didn't have to worry about any of that. The princess chiming in with an equally threatening statement didn't help either. Probably should've expected that, coming from the bluebloods. The fancy looking fellow he followed in also seemed to direct some words at him, namely to his identity. **"One of your soldiers."** He answered, placing his hands on the table and slowly pushing the chair he had sat upon away from the fine wooden furniture. **"'Spose you wouldn't want to dine with the people fightin' for your cause though."** He muttered as he rose from the chair, looking to the small lass to his side, one of the guards no doubt. At least she offered to show him out, rather than reaching for her spear. **"Think I'd like that. Don't really tell you where to go when you sign up."** The Feroxi said, gesturing towards the door for her to take the lead.

The Exalt sighed moving her hand away, she refused to respond to the comment. This could be the last time she would see her children, she just wanted a meal with them in peace. Caroline sighed looking over at Jacob. "So would care to introduce mother and I to the girl clinging to your arm like a lost puppy?" Caroline could be a bit stuck up, but she care for the people. Andres sat quietly now, observing the girl, you get the feeling he plans to test anyone who wishes to get to know his apprentice better. Either he's looking out for the boy or wants a excuse to fondle and talk to young women, possibly both. As they spoke the food arrived, a traditional Ylissian Royalty favorite, bear. Jacob groaned, his mother had a obsession with it, she hunted them in her youth. The meat was served in cuts as hot vegetables and wine were brought to each guest. Jacob looked at the man who was leaving. "My mother and sister do not mean to be rude, it's just that we wish to spend sometime together, I've been away for awhile, it's not about soldier and nobles, it's about family. After all soon we will all be dining together as we march towards Ferox." With that he sighed and took a very large gulp of wine. He hoped Marianne would let go or at least take the chair beside him.

Watching Mister Yelling Man be taken away and escorted out of the dining chamber, Marianne found herself frowning at the sight. True, he did barge into a private dinner, one she had admittedly sneaked in herself, but the thought of seeing her friend carted off so coldly was a little disheartening. At least, she figured they were friends already, seeing as the man had returned her wave. _"So would you care to introduce mother and I to the girl clinging to your arm like a lost puppy?”_ The Dark Mage smiled, taking no offense to the comparison. Perhaps she was just that; a lost puppy looking for a master to hold on to. Then again, she found Jacob to be much more _**interesting**_ than that, so she wouldn’t exactly categorize their blooming relationship into that category. Of course, she was specifically forgetting the fact that the two had only been in each other’s company for about…what, two hours at the most? “Ah, forgive me for not making my presence known, my Lady,” she said. “I am Marianne. And the fearless leader…Jacob, has taken the liberty of courting me though his fancy. He seems to be taking a liking to me…and it was all so sudden…it was such a rush when I offered him the severed eye as a token of my admiration! Oh, but the fearless leader is much too noble, and so denied my gifts…how humble he is.” Absolutely content with her speech and herself, Marianne promptly dragged Jacob away from the table over towards where some of the spare chairs lay. With one hand snaked around the Champion’s arm and the other clenching the chair, Marianne shuffled back to the table and took her place by his side, all while holding her claim over Jacob. “Apologies if that was too sudden,” she said softly to the Champion. Sighing happily, she leaned back in her seat and proceeded to partake in the best part about this dinner. Staring at Jacob as he ate.

Looking up from his work upon hearing another voice, Rylan offered Jerod a short "hey" in greeting. Ah yes, the mercenary who had caused Marianne to have that little meltdown earlier, right? Whatever the case, he was just relieved to see that he and Marius wouldn't have to deal with the inventory alone. Three people wasn't a whole lot, but it still better than just the two of them chipping away at the pile of work that had to be done. "Huh," He paused to watched Jerod's hands as he worked, noting how quickly the man got through each box, "You're pretty impressive. Done this before?" In contrast, Rylan was taking his sweet time going through the contents of the boxes, his movements languid. At the very least, he was making to count everything carefully and ensure that his work was accurate, but he didn't seem willing to exert any more energy than was necessary. "Where the hell is everyone else, anyways?" He asked a moment later, glancing towards the doorway, "It's quieter than I thought it'd be in here." --- Reminding herself that this was a part of her duties, she offered both Caroline and the Exalt an apologetic look and quietly excused herself. Gesturing for Lorne to follow her, she made her way out of the dining hall, waiting until she was out of earshot of the others before letting out a quiet sigh. Walking into the Exalt's private dinner of all things? It certainly had been a careless move, though she was relieved that the situation hadn't escalated into something unpleasant. Folding her hands behind her back, she glanced over her shoulder at the stranger. "So you have joined the Champion's cause, then?" She couldn't recall seeing him today, either in the meeting when Jacob and the others first arrived or around on the grounds, but he could have easily been recruited by someone when she hadn't been looking. "With the exception of the few who are dining with the Exalt, I believe the other soldiers are partaking in inventory duty in the barracks. I'll bring you to them." Now that Thalia wasn't in the presence of royals and nobility, her expression and posture had both relaxed. Turning to walk backwards so that she could face him as they talked, the pegasus knight gave him a faint, lopsided smile. "What is your name, sir?"

Following with an irritated flicker in his step, Lorne followed the lady knight out of the dining room. He resisted the urge to spit on their fancy stone floors, if only to not make his interactions with the woman leading him through the halls anymore awkward than they had to be. **"As conceited as he sounds, yeah, I suppose I have. Gold is gold at the end of the day."** He said as he strode behind her confidently. Being a sellsword of sorts would probably harm his reputation further, but there wasn't any point in lying about it. The mention of being stuck on bean counting duty made him sneer. He was hired to kill, not count the deficit between pointy bits and poles to put them on. But, he'd cross that bridge when he got to it. For the time being, he had this girl to deal with. At the very least, she was more pleasant without her ladies and lords watching over her shoulder. The 'sir' remark got a bit of a grin out of the hardened Feroxi. **"Name's Lorne. Mind if I ask yours? Not often I come across a smilin' knight, let alone such a pretty one."** The warrior retorted, the slightest bit of flirtation coming across in his smile. Chatting up a soldier on duty wasn't the best idea, but a compliment never hurt anybody and they had time to kill.

Ah ha, another mercenary then. Thalia couldn't say that she had anything against them personally, though the knowledge that a number of them were driven more by gold than morals did make her a little uneasy. She supposed that there wasn't anything for her to worry about so long as they weren't the type to be easily swayed to betray Jacob. Perhaps it would be in her best interest to gauge this man's intents, then? His sly compliment took her aback, and he earned a somewhat tentative "thank you?" before she gave a little shake of her head. "My name is Thalia. And is a smiling knight really that unusual?" She arched a brow, thinking back to her friends in the pegasus knight squad, "Though we take our duties seriously, I assure you that knights aren't much different from others, Sir Lorne. We are just as capable of facial expressions as anyone else." Smiling wryly, she turned her back to the man as they continued on towards the barracks. She knew that she'd best get him to Sir Marius and then head back to the dining hall, but this seemed like a nice opportunity to find out just why he had decided to join Jacob. "So, if I may ask...is gold the only reason you are here? You called the Champion 'conceited' a moment ago, so it doesn't sound like you have the best impression of him."

Jacob sighed looking at Marianne as she pulled him around, he drank quite a bit as he ate. Jacob looked at his mother shaking his head. "Marianne, I'm glad you enjoy my company but can I have my arm back?" He gently tried to remove it from her grasp patting her head. The Exalt sighed, either they would end up married or Jacob would have to break her heart, and she doubted he had the balls for that. They chatted and talked about Jacobs work and Caroline's recent magic training. As the meal came to a end the Exalt got up calling over Jacob and Caroline, she hugged them both tightly. Andres walked over to Marianne watching the family hug, he placed a hand on her shoulder."You realize if you want be with him, your going to have to show him you can do normal life. He's a smart boy, honest... Almost innocent if I hadn't been his teacher. You want to win his heart? Prove your human to him, you seem to scare the boy right now." He turned walking away slowly, it was time to retire for the night.

"Cinna sees that you gentlemen are busy. He won't be in your way." Cinna said politely to the people who remained in the barracks. He backed up to the door, bowed, and stepped out side. "Food seems to be the word of the hour, and Cinna doesn't mind if he obliges." He hopped a little, then skipped down the hallway to the dining hall. However, that wasn't his real destination. He turned at a corner and made his way outside of the castle. He stood outside, gazing at the late evening sky as the breeze blew through his hair and hat. He knew he wouldn't be able to do this every night, or his secret might get out. But tonight was a special night, and he had a special craving for only the freshest of food. Silent as the night, he dashed off into the late evening, promising himself he'd be back before any suspicion arose.

_"Marianne, I'm glad you enjoy my company but can I have my arm back?"_ At the sudden movement upon her head, the Dark Mage tensed up before immediately sighing happily. Anything for her fearless leader. Slowly unclenching each of her fingers, she finally let go of Jacob’s arm and backed away slightly, no doubt letting the blood flow freely once more in his limb. Humming softly, she noticed that the sky had become quite dark outside from a nearby window; as she did so, a idea began to worm its deep way into that dark head of hers. Yes, she would wait until the moon was high and then…for her beloved fearless leader…she would…. _"You realize if you want be with him, your going to have to show him you can do normal life. He's a smart boy, honest... Almost innocent if I hadn't been his teacher. You want to win his heart? Prove your human to him, you seem to scare the boy right now."_ Marianne’s gaze widened in clear distress upon hearing the old Grandmaster’s words. Jacob was afraid of her? Well now that solidified all resolve to accomplish her plan. She would definitely prove to him that she was a completely and utterly normal human girl! Spinning on her heels, she gave a quick farewell bow to the Exalt and the Princess before smiling sweetly at Jacob. Without another word so as not to delay them any further, she skipped out of the dining room chamber and headed straight for her destination. It wasn’t too difficult to locate Jacob’s not so personal sleeping chamber. All it took was a little questioning from some servants-seriously, Ylissan security needed a little more improvement than this-and the Dark Mage soon found herself standing before the door. Chuckling to herself, she opened the door slowly and slipped inside, closing the entrance behind her and blending into the shadows. And here she would wait. Wait for her precious, her beloved, her oh so _**interesting **_fearless leader to settle down for the night while she remained concealed. And when he finally slept…she would personally show him just what a good, normal girl she really was. “Hmm…Jacob….Jacob, Jacob, _**tasty, yummy, Jacob**_…” she began singing softly to herself to pass the time. "Aha, easy now girl. Control yourself just a little bit longer...."

Caroline and Jacob walked down the hall talking about the days event and childhood memories, while they didn't look similar they were unmistakably siblings. They arrived at there rooms, both across the hall from each other, hugging each other the two siblings walked into there rooms. Caroline sighed, simply jumping in to bed and going to sleep. Most unbecoming of a princess but she didn't care, she was just happy her brother had come home safe, now she could protect him. Jacob entered his room, taking off what little armor he wore before curling up with his cloak and lighting a candle, he planned to read a few pages in his new strategy book, this copy written by mark and annotated by Robin. He did not yet notice the girl in his room. The Exalt and Andres bid each other good night, Andres heading toward the barracks and his room. The Exalt and her contingent of guards headed up to her bedroom. Andres walked the halls quietly before stopping looking over the three men before chuckling to himself. "Sir Marius, we have squires for tasks like this. You and the others should head over to the mess hall." The old man smiled as looked over the hard they had been doing finding it amusing.

**Marius** **"Sir Marius, we have squires for tasks like this. You and the others should head over to the mess hall."** Andres recommended to the three busy-bees. Marius turned around, seeing the strange old man standing at the door. Andres was not strange like that Dark Mage. He was strange like a teenager trapped in the body of an elderly man, except that teenager has not accepted the fact that he is old. God knows what type of person he was back when he was actually young. He probably has some bastard children hidden away somewhere. After hearing what Andres’ voice, Marius looked toward his two helpers. The expressions on their faces seemed as if they were begging him to say yes to Andres’ offer. Was doing inventory really that bad? “Fine. Sir Jerod. Sir Rylan. You are now dismissed and may venture over to the mess hall. I, however, shall remain here until the squires have arrived so that I can show them what we have done so far and what needs to be done. There is no need for them to sort through the materials that we have already checked.” Marius made a gesture towards the door where Andres was standing, signaling that Jerod and Rylan were free to go.

Jerod had been quiet after his statement and response, making his progress through the inventory of the cache before Andres, that pervert of an old man, came by to tell them more menial lot could do this job. Jerod could have told any of them that much, that a mindless fool could do this work. Of course, the knight lad dismissed them, which was a strange concept. Wasn't often folks 'dismissed' him as of late, he usually took his own leave. Granted, he would have anyways once he grew hungry enough to make concern of it. He did his own thing, he could follow orders, but those would be from Jacob. He was the man putting coin in his purse, after all. "Aye knight lad, I can grab me som' grub. Enjoy yer waitin'." Like that, Jerod was out the door and gone, nodding to Andres as he moved off in a beeline for the mess hall. Food was something he could get behind, especially after mindless work. Walking in, he grabbed whatever muck they were serving at that time of evening and a bottle of whatever they had on tap, hopefully booze of some sort, and found himself a seat and dug into the meal, not worried about taste much, washing down the food with the drink every now and again. It was a mercenaries mentality, don't worry about food taste or drink quality overmuch, on the march, one doesn't have the luxury of find foods and smooth drinks. Get it down before the taste buds register it, and it won't be as much of a potential problem.

Seeing Jacob light the candle, a brief glow illuminated the bedroom and Marianne instinctively recoiled back. This wouldn't do....no, this wouldn't do at all! She supposed she could just outright hex him here and now, but that would only ruin the plan further! He needed to be asleep for her to make her move; she could only evade her presence from within the shadows for so long. Even so, the prospect of completing her goal was much more profitable than the possibility of failing. Because of that, she decided to wait and linger until her fearless leader was soon sleeping. Just a little bit more…. Jacob yawned; after a few minutes he had started to feel the weight of his eyelids. Soon, he placed the book down on his night stand and put out the candle. He pulled the blankets over himself before shutting his eyes. A peaceful night’s sleep in his own bed would do him some good; maybe he could even wake up early and make breakfast. He had enjoyed dinner and he was glad mother hadn't made him sing or play music. Finally, his mind rested as he started to fall asleep. Marianne waited....and waited...and waited some more...if only to ensure that he was truly asleep. When she noticed the calm breathing that now filled the room, she had to slap a hand over her own mouth to muffle the mad giggles that threatened to spill forth. Indeed, it was time to prove just how special she was to him; to show how much her fearless leader meant to her! Padding softly to the side of the bed, she reached over towards him, only to suddenly pause. His sleeping form was too vulnerable, too helpless, and too malleable. It made her shiver in delight and she smiled down at him, red eye gleaming in the moon light from above. Slowly, gently, she crawled onto the bed and straddled him. Reaching into her dress pocket, she produced something held clenched within her palm before brining her other hand dangerously close to Jacob's face. Jacob groaned as a strange weight on the bed made him shift in his sleep. Moments later, he heard a soft, almost beautiful, angelic voice. "Hmmm....even now, you interest me so much, my fearless leader," she mumbled, as if caught in a deep gaze. Grinning from ear to ear, she brought her fingers down and lowered them towards the Champion of Naga's right eye. Jacob slowly opened his eyes, only to be greeted with the sight of Marianne sitting above him staring deep at him. He stared back into her eye, scared, yet also curious; he wanted to know what she was doing almost as much as he feared it. "Marianne, what are you doing?" He spoke softly, kindly, as he didn't want to scare her. "Hmm? Oh hi fearless leader!" Marianne said, her voice devoid of any trace of guilt over what she was doing. "My, my, you're a light sleeper. Hold still while I finish up, ok?" Prying open Jacob's eye-lid with her fingers, she giggled before raising up the mystery object concealed in her other hand up, like a knife ready to stab down. She brought her fist towards the eye, revealing.... "There! Do you like it?" It was....an eye-patch. Jacob chuckled and sat up slowly, putting it on. "Marianne... did you get this for me?" He smiled, looking at her. He gently hugged her to show his pleasure with the gift; he knew it was a strange gift, but she was trying. She seemed to really care; maybe he didn't love her but he could give her a chance. "I wish I had something for you." "Oh don't worry about it fearless leader," she said, embracing the hug and nuzzling him softly. "I...felt bad for blowing up holes in your castle, so I gave you the next best thing! I was actually considering delivering that Archer girl's head on a silver platter to you...that wouldn't have been hard. I'm sure Mister Jerod or Mister Yelling Man or even Miss Timid would have gladly helped me, aha." Marianne's teasing gaze slowly softened, and her voice became more serious. "Consider it an apology gift....you really do interest me, my fearless leader. So interesting..." Her eye narrowed as she said this, and she reached over to gently open and close both of Jacob's eye-lids. Apparently, this small action alone was enough to amuse and entertain her greatly. "Open, close....open, close....open, close...." Jacob chuckled gently, reaching over. He knew it was a nice moment and he wanted to make it special. He placed his hands on her head before smiling. "I promise I'll stay interesting. Because you’re very interesting too." He suddenly lifted her eye-patch daringly as they sat on his bed. He wanted to know. The shadow of a blush, which had began to flare onto Marianne's pale cheeks, receded back within a heartbeat. Reeling back, she slapped his hand away viciously before holding one hand over the cloth, the other eye raving with a variety of emotions; anger, hatred, fear, delusion, and many more. "**_Not yet_**," she muttered, more to herself, as traces of clear insanity could already be heard leaking into her voice. "_**N.O.T. Y.E.T.**_" If the air could change with one's mood, then the night air certainly got chillier in that moment. Marianne continued to shield the patch with her palm. Suddenly, the playfulness in her posture and the affection in her voice was replaced by a tone that could freeze one's very heart. "That being said, there was something I wanted to ask you, my fearless leader," she said lowly, her gaze holding nothing but apathy and unreadable emotion now. "I wanted to ask you specifically...what do you know about the....the Fell Dragon, Grima?" Jacob gently sat up placing a hand on her shoulder. "I know quite a bit. I know of Grima's death, battles, life, and his great and terrible power. However, Grima is dead Marianne. He can't hurt us." He had been shocked by what little he had seen underneath the patch, and it was...worrying. He knew she was from Plegia and that all dark mages could be traced back there. "It's okay... I promise I won't tell anyone about what's under the patch... But you should know I care. Whatever happened, I promise I'll protect you from anything else, My brain tells me it has a link to Grima or the Grimleal and Plegia." He took her hand and held it trying to comfort the girl in front of him. A dark surge of energy formed on Marianne’s palm and she directed the curse at Jacob's neck. "**_You better not_**," she hissed, already predicting the outcome of what this single night would bring for the both of them. "_**And stop saying that....Don't ever sat that, ever A.G.A.I.N. It's not connected to Grima or the Grimaleal or Plegia so don't ever say that like everyone else does! N.O.T. A.G.A.I.N. And if you do...no, when you tell them, I will be sure to slaughter each and every last one of my "comrades". As for you, my beloved fearless leader...I'll think of something utterly horrific and nasty J.U.S.T. F.O.R. Y.O.U.**_" Narrowing her single eye, she slowly lowered the other hand away from her eye-patch and cast the burning and eager curses away from her fingertips. Jacob jumped back a little before wrapping his arms around her. Sighing, the Dark Mage moved forward to rest her head on the Champion's shoulder. Honestly, she was getting quite tired of repeating this speech, only for people to... "_**Human are inherently stupid creatures**_," she hissed bitterly into his shoulder. It was evident from her voice that she was tiring out. Even psychopaths tended to get exhausted. "They can never just _**P.A.Y. I.T. N.O. M.I.N.D.**_" "Marianne, I'm not stupid; in fact, I'm a genius. Or, so my master tells me. So I promise, the others won't know your secret. You’re safe here with me so just relax and enjoy laying here." He ran a hand through her hair and leaned down putting his face in front of her's. "I'm interesting remember? Maybe it's because, like you, I'm different from others." "Yes. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. You're _**interesting**_," Marianne whispered, seeming to have calmed down for the moment. "Genius is a bit of a stretch but...oh, but you're my fearless leader. My precious leader..." Closing her eye, she gently nudged her forehead further into his hand, enjoying the warmth of him all together. Still...she had played a very dangerous game just now. She was grateful he didn't push forward the Grima subject, because she was still convinced that if he knew the entire story, she would no doubt have to kill him. No, he was special...next time, she would consume him herself. But for now, she would enjoy this moment with her beloved. "Fearless leader," she said sleepily, closing her one eye shut. "Hmm....I'll stay by your side. Even if humanity's only purpose is to fail...I can at least find solace in you, my fearless leader. My Jacob. Heh, it's funny how you're Naga's Champion....you're just so...interest.....nng...." The Dark Mage was breathing soft and deeply, having fallen asleep in the Champion's embrace. Jacob smiled wrapping her in his cloak as he started to fall asleep. He decided to be brave; besides, she wouldn't remember it anyway, so he pecked her cheek with a kiss. He didn't love her, but she had seemed so scared and fragile just now. He had to know more…tacticians have always craved knowledge. Well she was a discovery he would be proud to unearth. Gently placing a hand on his new eye-patch, he smiled and fell asleep with the little Dark Mage, no doubt forgetting that his sister would wake him up bright and early.

(Meline side) Meline began to sleep dreaming of what to expect in the coming days would things go well or would everyone die? regardless she was more curious about what kind of people she'll be working with and began wondering what kind of guys she'll meet. (Isacc side) Isacc thought it was a good meal and felt it went by without much Issues though he still felt like something was wrong but he didn't know what yet. Isacc let out a yawn and stretched then began walking down the halls see what he could find maybe an open patio to stare out at the sky then head to sleep. so Isacc kept walking along and soon found something similar to what he was looking for then walked out to stare the the sky it relieved abit of his worries but he still felt like something big was going to happen soon... Isacc then muttered "wonder what's going on with everyone else are they asleep already?" after having his fill of starting at the moon he began heading towards the barracks to see if anyone was still in there. once there he let out a yawn then peeked inside to see a knight with the old man from the feast he decided he may aswell see what's up. "Hi there what are you guys doing up so late?"

**"Nice to meet ya, Thalia."** The bandit-turned-sellsword said upon her introduction, finding her witty little retort to his implication that knights never smiled to be rather amusing. **"Don't think I've ever seen a knight that was happy to see me. Capable or not, haven't seen any of 'em grinning before... aside from you, I 'spose."** He admitted with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, mail jingling slightly as he did so. In truth, not many knights had reason to smile at him... but, maybe he'd try to change that before this little church fiasco ended or some fanatic gored him with a lance. Her second question forced him to quirk a brow. If he didn't know any better, it seemed like she was trying to test him. He had no reason not to answer, though. **"Course it is. I'd be a real shit sellsword if I didn't fight for the pay."** He answered, but he figured she wanted more than that, so he continued on. **"Of course I don't got a good impression of 'em. Just threw me out of a feast. Besides, call me a godless heathen, but the whole 'Chosen by god herself' thing is a load of shit in my eyes. He's probably just another privileged lil' shit, one who'll look down on his men and expect them to follow his orders cause 'god' said so."** He made little effort to hide his disdain. Maybe for the sake of not spooking the girl, he did throw in a last bit. **"Luckily, he doesn't need no holy mandate to get my axe on his side. Just a good chunk of coin. Helps the other side wants me dead too, I 'spose."** Unsure of how long the walk was going to be, Lorne decided to shove the conversation to a lighter note. **"Your armor ain't that heavy, so you can't be one of the wall of steel type knights. Looks a little light even for horse back. You one of those pegasus fliers?"** He inquired curiously. He hadn't seen many of them, only a couple on his way to the castle after passing down into Ylisse from Feroxi. Would be interesting to talk to one of their riders.

Andres waited a moment before twelve squires filed in taking over the jobs working like a well oiled machine. He then walked away head back to his room. The dirty old man taking a moment to stop and stare at pegasus knights grooming there mounts. He waited only a moment before returning to his room, sighing he sat down to read, he seemed planned to go to bed in a moment.