Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20160609223302/@comment-5543592-20160614033848

Crimson hated writing letters. Mainly because he had to make his spelling good, but also because he only wrote them when someone died. Not all the Keshik had family in camp, most sent wages back home. Crimson wrote condolences to each family of those who had died, and tried to mix it up letter by letter, so what he wrote was, well, rote. He put to paper what he knew and liked about the deceased, and since he knew that wasn’t enough, he also included a contract that would lay out a five year pension.

“Crimson.”

The Archer looked up from his desk, which was so unreasonably large he almost looked childish behind, but Crimson had requested the desk to be ‘good fun, so if I ever picture myself behind it, I’ll laugh instead of dissolve into a puddle of tears’ and this was what he and the carpenter had come up with.

Heartbender stood in the tent entry way. This wasn’t the command tent, but Crimson’s personal quarters, where he did his sleeping, writing, and other stuff. It was what you would expect of an officer’s tent—full-sized bed, desk, rug floor, table and chairs, armor stand, polished wooden furnishings, and the interior canvas was a finer red color than the rest of the tents in the camp.

“What’s up?”   He asked, looking down his letter again.

“I want to talk about what happened today.”   Heartbender said, crossing the room, and coming to stand on the other side of Crimson’s desk.

“’Bout what? The attack by the black thing?”

“Yes, that is the subject I would like to breach.”

“And why’s that?”   He wet the quill in ink again. “Not much we can do about it.”

“That is exactly why I am here. I am curious how we are expected to fight something we cannot even injure.”

“Well the solution seems pretty simple ta me.”   Crimson said.

“If you would share it…”   Heartbender said, raising a brow.

“Well ya don’t fight it, obviously.”   Crimson said, looking up and grinning.

The Imperial didn’t even offer the hint of a smile back. “You misunderstand. I am not here to be reassured or to ask about plans. I am here to tell you that we are out of our league. The Keshik are not trained for this.”

“Pfft, sure they are.”   Crimson looked down to add more to his letter. “So we had’a bit ov’ trouble with a monster. That’s no big deal. We’ll be better prepared next time.”

“And how are we going to be better prepared next time? What game-changing element do you have that could prepare us for facing it?”

“A little spit and hard work is what I got. Along with certified geniusosity.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“That is not reassuring in the slightest.”   Heartbender said.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson looked up again. “What do ya think we should do ‘en, Bender? If ya think my idea is so bad.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You mean your nonexistent idea.”   Heartbender corrected. “And I do have a better idea than doing nothing. We should leave. Return to the mainland. It was a mistake to board ships and cross to the Isle in the first place. Your initial plan of working with these people was good, and we’ve acquired more fame. The Keshik are an army meant to be free of political restraints, and by alienating the entirety of the new Empire, we've likely restrained ourselves. Not to mention the lives we've wastes on this. Now let us capitalize on it, and not risk so many lives by sticking our heads in deeper than we can go. We can cut ties with these men and women, and return to how things used to be done.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson stared at him for a moment, before smiling, and going back to his letter. “Nah, I’m not going to do that. I’ve gone and given these people my word, Bender. And I meanta see this thing through to the end. You’re not even a bit curious ta see if we can eventually beat the thing?”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Not really, no.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“Well that’s bad sportsmanship of ya, then.”   Crimson concluded. “I gave’em my word, and I gave it good. I’m not-ta one ta go back on my word, and I won’t start such a thing now.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“You’ve helped these people enough, Crimson. We do not owe them anything.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson knuckled his eyes with his free hand. “It was never ‘bout owing anyone anything. It’s about doing what’s right. And I’m not goin’ ta back down over it just because you’re worried about fighting hard battles with no promise of pay.”

<p class="MsoNormal">“I’m not like the rest of them out there Crimson.”   Heartbender said. “I didn’t follow you because I had no choose or because I was after money. I choose to join the Keshik because I saw someone who had exemplified the qualities of a leader, who wouldn’t toss me to the wolves if it brought him any manner of wealth.”

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson nodded, thinking he exemplified most qualities quite nicely, he did.

<p class="MsoNormal">“It’s only now I wonder if I was wrong.”   Bender added, causing Crimson to pause mid-nod.

<p class="MsoNormal">The Archer looked up to watch Heartbender turn, and walk out of the tent.

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson frowned, before hesitating to add more to his letter. He wasn’t conflicted over giving up--he’d never given up on anything before and wasn’t about to start—but it was the other thing Heartbender had said. He did wonder it himself, whether he was leading the Keshik to ruin, but never had anyone actually aired his thoughts back to him. And from Heartbender, no less, a man Crimson thought was unshakeable, who Crimson trusted as a friend, as someone who didn’t worship him. He was doing this for the Keshik, leading them on this quest. It wasn’t about personal glory, although how he’d defended himself had sounded that way. He’d taken Heartbender’s quotes as insults to his own honor, which was perhaps the wrong way to deal with it.

<p class="MsoNormal">He had an inkling that Heartbender had overheard dissent among the men. Heartbender was loyal to Crimson first, but his concern for the common Keshik was a close second. People tended to say things around Heartbender they wouldn't say around Crimson. Anything negative, really, Crimson always had to hear second hand. Bender was likely just taking up the concerns of some of the men to Crimson, and meant no harm by it.

<p class="MsoNormal">''But what about that last thing he said? It was almost like he was genuinely angry with me.''

<p class="MsoNormal">Crimson shrugged, before lowering the quill to the paper again. He just had to hope Heartbender came around. It was an easy hope, as Heartbender usually had his heart in the right place.