She blushed, having really wanted to do her best for him. He was a great warrior she knew, and hoped to impress him with her willingness to learn. Not many 12 year old girls she knew would want to dirty their hands or risk breaking a nail...
"Yes Sir. I'll do better next time! I promise! I didn't mean to drop it. My hand was slick..."

She tried not to let him see her palms and fingers, all wet with serum and blood. She was just too soft. She'd have to find some ways to toughen her hands without scandalizing her attendants. Maybe if she could find some soft gloves, it would help somewhat.

She took the mace and helped him take the other things in and clean them up, restoring them where she thought they went.

"I can come again sometime then? I'll have to sneak out so I'm not sure when I can make it, but I'll try really hard to get here as soon as I can."

"We all start somewhere, Empress," he assured her. "It took me ten years to become a knight...I was about your age when I started as a squire. We would feed and care for our Lord's horses, clean and oil his armour and weapons, and train with weapons. I am trying to teach you in a few weeks what it takes many people years to learn."

Raynald replaced the shield upon a rack. "As Empress, I hardly see why you should have to sneak out of anywhere, Highness. Who is to stop you if you tell them youa re going to weapons training? Your father, I'll have you know, was a very skilled warrior. He was the first Emperor in a very long time who actually lead the armies into battle."
Raynald felt a bit of nostaligia then. The Emperor had been a great man. It had saddened the old General when he had been told it would be his task to lead the armies once the King had died.

"Yeah, but he was a man. I'm just a girl, and only a kid, they think I should be happy being kept in a cage and being a pampered princess! But that's boooooring! I don't want to be a pampered caged songbird, I want to live life and see things and do things, you know? I don't really have all that much free will. Rulers never do, don't you realize that? Can I just up and go on a trip, or go fishing, or go shopping, or go sailing? Not a bit of it! I have to get permission of my guardians, then they have to check everyone out, and arrange guards, and get all my attendants, and all that. By the time we do all that, it's just not fun anymore, you see? I bet even you can't just up and go without arranging for someone to take over your job till you get back!"

She tried to get him to see how her life really was. It wasn't all fun and games. It was a lot of work being pertty and sweet to everyone, no matter how you hated them, and to be a clotheshorse for all those extremely heavy cloth of gold and silver and begemmed things. It was a royal pain!

"Right you are,Empress. It is a burden of our positions. However, it is one we must gladly carry, because Arn needs strong leaders."
He grinned, looking from her to the soldiers, who were back at training.
"I might have a proposition for you, Empress, though I am uncertain just how viable it is."
He took a breath, before continuing.

"When I was your age, I saw my first battle. The armies of Arn fought those barbaric Thestrians. Naturally, our forces crushed them."
He looked down at the young Empress. "With the permission of the court, perhaps you might see your first battle as well? It would be a superb experiance, let you see just who our soldiers are fighting, our attack techniques, formations. It would let you see our enemies as well. You would, of course, be very well protected. My Praetorian Guard would be there at all times."

The Praetorian Guard, the General's own house-guard, were some of the best warriors on the field. Wielding longsword and bucklers, they were elite footmen, and had saved Raynald's life at least twice.
"How about that for adventure? Nothing would inspire the soldiers more than seeing their leader there...Make them feel like the old times have come again."

She looked at him with her mouth hanging open, and eyes as big as saucers.

"You mean it? Wow! Oh, but they won't ever let me go. They are all too scared I'll get hurt. I know! If you could go ask Feyda... She'd probably see it as Educational and see to it I went, so I'd understand what my soldiers have to do for me and my country! I know she's in another country, and some people are scared of her, but if she could talk to you, she'd probably okay it."

"Oh, those nose-thumbing nobles would still be running in circles, trying to decide what to do by the time we went to battle," Raynald said. He seriously doubted the effeciency of the nobles. Indecisive they were.
"If you believe speaking with Feyda will help, however, I will do so...Educational..."
He almost laughed aloud at this. The only thing educational about battle was that it showed just how terrible it was. An experianced tactician, Raynald thought he had very little left to learn about his foes. He knew what formations were best to defeat them, and where best to position his forces in such formations.

She looked up suddenly, snapping her fingers, then winced at the pain of the blisters.

"I know what! There's a caravan of spices and inense and perfums heading toward Calipha Feyda Bint Karinelle's Capital soon, why don't I assign you to guard it?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:54, Tue 02 Oct 2007.

"As it is currently, Empress, I needed to speak with Feyda over troubles with Thestria anyhow. This is an ideal opportunity to speak with her over that matter as well as seek her approval for your attendance at the battle."
A nobleman in his own right, Raynald simply had no interest in the affairs of the Royal Court. He visited his own estate, a fortress-city on Arn's border, every season. Aside from that, he stayed with the army, or oversaw training at the capital city. As General, however, he also had the responcibility of maintaining military relations with other nations. With Valkandis and Feyda, as the Empress' sister, there was very little issue. With the Thestrians, however, there was always tension, always skirmishes.

"When does the caravan depart?"
He could well imagine that a caravan of spices and perfumes would need heavy protection. Wagons and carts in the hundreds, spead over miles, always begged for trouble. They always needed a sizable force for protection. The payoff, however, was always worth it. It had been some time since Raynald had visited Valkandis, where females always ruled. He was grateful in that respect that he lived in Arn. There were no harems.

She looked thoughtful for a few moments then looked up at him again.

"I believe it will be leaving in just a few days. 3 or 4 perhaps? I'm not exactly sure. There's a final wagon load of stuff still coming to join it. Can you make arrangements for going with, and guarding it too?"

Raynald nodded. "I can go with it, Empress. Commander Sirus will be in command during my leave. I don't believe you've ever met him personally, Empress, but he is a good man and a capable commander. He's one of the old Guard, so I doubt you'll have to worry about loyalty."
Sirus was an old man, sixty five years of age, with iron grey hair and a patch over one eye. Still, he had a mind for strategy and a decisive attitude. He would do fine during Raynald's absance from Arn.

"Great! I'll look forward to meeting him sometime. TIME! Oh my goodness! I'm late for my lessons with Brother Galen! He will be SOOOO disappointed with me...and his disappointment is harder to take than many people's anger, he's so nice! I got to go! Thanks Sir!"

She bowed slightly then turned and ran toward the wall, where she shimmied up and over like a monkey up a tree.

Raynald gave the Empress a bow, even as she hurried away. She would grow up to be a good ruler, he believed. As long as the power didn't get to her head, and her 'advisors' didn't corrupt her.
He sighed, turned back to the training. The men were finishing up for the day. The last bit of training each day was pretty easy: A run in full kit for one mile, up heave-gut hill, then a mile back. Raynald could do it these days no trouble. Principle demanded he do it every once in a while with the new recruits, just to show them that their leader could do it as well.
Today, however, he needed to speak with commander Sirus, and prepare the Praetorian Guard to accompanie the caravan.

He joined in the run as well, though he was a bit hard put to keep it up. His career hadn't always been good for him, and he had a gimp leg where a spear went through it to show for it. But he had an image to keep up and he'd be damned if he'd show weakness in front of the grunts or his General.

"All right you lazy bums, get your gear on and get your asses in line NOW! What do you think this is, a Spa resort or something. HUP HUP, get those lazy asses moving!"

Raynald exited the training field, and headed toward the Barracks. The General found Commander Sirus inside, trimming his iron grey beard.
"I've been given an assignment, old friend," Raynald said to the older man. "I'll be heading for Valkandis with a caravan. I need to speak with Feyda about the Thestrians."
He saw the Commander nod. "I'm taking the Praetorian Guard as well. You will be in command during my leave. Continue the training regimens, and deploy another legion to the Thestrian border. Other than that, do as you see fit."
The Commander nodded again, and Raynald exited the barracks, heading toward the palace.

OOC: Off I go!

   Stomping across the training field, the Chief Jailor searches for General Raynald Von Zinzer while and two guards flank the prisoner, Crow. The din of men practicing with sword and mace, shield and spear surrounds them.  The Jailor squints as he sees the gleam of metal to the west, then gestures in that direction to the guards.
  "I see the General, let's drag this mongrel over to him and have this business done." Carefully picking their path around the mock combats raging across the field, the four men approach the General. Stepping a few paces forwards, the old Jailor nods his head slightly, clearly not used to being formal. He finds it difficult meeting the Generals keen gaze, feeling suddenly as filthy as he looks.
   "Um, Your Gen'ralship?  This is the prisoner chosen for the Sultana's gift. I've cleaned the lad up and brought him to you as requested.  He's all your's now, and good riddance...um, Sir."  Leaning close to the General he whispers so only he can hear. "The boy can sing, Sir, not sure if'n you knew that. Might make the lad more valuable? Is that worth a centem or two to you eh Sir?"

Raynald was overseeing the training of new recruit in the field. Their weapons and shields were double weight, and he took a small satisfaction in knowing he'd been able to do it no trouble.
He turned at the approach of the jailer, eyeing the newly washed and cleaned Crow Reeds.
"Job well done, master jailer," he complimented. "You've managed to make him look half decent. Put a bolt of cloth on a pile of dung, and it looks alright."
He grinned a bit at this. "But it can sing too, can it? I doubt that will matter much to the Empress nor her sister, but I will let them know either way. Take out an extra quarter pay for your salary today, my good man. Cleaning this whelp and picking the fleas out must have taken quite a bit of patience."

"Eh?  Eh?" Crow swivelled his head around from side to side as he scanned the training field.  He stared at the weapons and shields as a wave of nostalgia hit him again.  He remembered when, just for fun, he picked up two practise swords even though he could barely lift one.  He accidentally hit one of his friends' face into a barrel of lard as a result.  He smirked at the faraway memory.

When he was brought before Raynald von Zinzer, Crow immediately recognized the General right away.  Considering the general's height and build, one would assume someone like Crow would be intimidated... and if he was, he certainly wasn't showing it.  The youngster was used to seeing big guys like Raynald and defeated larger opponents before.

"Oh... so you're General Raynald von Zinzer?  Nice to meet you again," Crow grinned.

"I am."
Raynald looked down at Crow, a slight frown on his face. "And you, lad, would be wise to whipe the smirk from your face. You have been nothing if not too foolish for your own good up until this point. You might not have come to where you are now if you had kept your head down and not been such a smart-ass. Instead, you will be brought before the Empress, who will review you before we ship you to her sister's harems. Understood?"

   The Jailor smirks and nods. "Aye, he cleaned up well enough alright. Glad to do my part for her Royal Highness eh? Oh yeah, he sings like a bloomin songbird so he does. I'm sure he'll keep the Sultana entertained...one way or t'other.
   He leers at Crow, then hearing the General Von Zinzer's grant of money his features take on a greedy, unpleasant look and he rubs his hands together. "Thank YOU very much your Gen'ralship Sir, you are indeed gen'rous Sir, the lads and I are obliged to you. Good day to you and good luck with the whelp your Gen'ralship."
   Grinning a gap toothed grin from ear to ear the Jailor walks off with his fellow guards, then looks over his shoulder to Crow.
   "Farewell, lad, and may whatever gods you favour go with you, you're going to need them!"  His laughs echo in the air as he saunters across the field and does not look back again.

"Oh, I very much doubt my smiling had anything to do with my being here," Crow continued to smile without looking away.  The key of the game was the maintain eye-contact so that Raynald wouldn't notice what he was up to.  The fact that his hands were chained behind his back was a big help.  With the help of a fish hook, he silently worked on the manacles on his wrists.  Of course... he didn't plan to run.  "As for being shipped off to join a harem... I understand that much, but... is there any chance I can change your mind if I prove to be more than just a singer?"

"You're right. Being a jobless smart-ass is what got you here."
The General had little patience for these sort of people. Jobless miscreants who thought they could joke their way into being someone.
"What do you think you'll do?" he asked Crow. "Are you planning to open those manacles? A pointer, boy: Next time you decide to do that, don't let me see your arms move when you're trying to do it, and don't try to act so innocent."
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:00, Wed 07 Nov 2007.

"What're you talking about?" Crow asked without a hint of faltering in his voice.  His thoughts went back to a lesson he once learnt way back then.  He was shown two lines; the one on the left was longer than the other.  In a group, when asked which of the two lines was longer, of course you'd say that the left was longer... but if everyone else said the right one was longer, then you'd be most likely to follow suit.  Crow brought his hands up and showed that they were free... but where were the manacles?  "What manacles?  The one on your left wrist?"

"I'll give you you're a smart ass," Raynald conceded. "But we can always put better manacles on you. We've got a pair with no way to unlock it, you know. Once they're on, only way to get them off is to chisel them off. Or, if you'd like, we can simply tie your hands and feet together behind you for the entire trip."
He gave Crow a bit of a smirk. "Never show your tricks to your captor, smart ass."
He turned to go. "Now come. We must go to the Palace."

"Yep... anyone else would look down and get a kick in the face... or better yet, raise their hand and get a manacle and a fish hook there," Crow laughed as he brought out the manacles and the fish hook from behind his back.  He dropped them at the general's feet, causing them to clatter on the ground.  "I guess I can't escape that easily after all.  My skills are meagre... but I'll beat you even if I have to cut my own hand off to escape."

With that declaration, he followed the general to the palace.  The thought of stabbing the general in the back flashed through his mind, but he decided against it.  It was too cheap a trick for even him.

 Reaching the Barrack Anu headed directly toward the Generals quarters. He had been here before, and spent many hours on the drill fields and the train9ng rooms learning to fight with knife, staff spear and sword. While he carried only a dagger he could quickly lay his hands on a weapon at any time, and was trained in many forms of up close fighting.

Taller and more heavily muscled than many slaves he was a dark and ominous sight when he felt the need to be intimidating. Of course he alspo knew when to blend in and seek a corner and blend into the surroundings.

"My pardon General Von Zinzer, Sir." Anu bowed as he aproached the general."By instruction of Her Imperial Highness Sidi, I am instructed to inform you that Her majesty awaits you and will be prepared to recieve you shortly."
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:28, Wed 09 Jan 2008.