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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 1:02:47 GMT
The mess tent is where the Ashen Band's cooks prepare and distribute meals to the company's hungry soldiers. Common sellswords, irregulars, and officers alike spread through the tent and outside it, eating their meals, swapping tales, and discussing what lies on the horizon ahead of them. Today's meal is some sort of spicy stew, better than most of the food the cooks serve due to the proximity of the markets of Volantis.
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 1:07:16 GMT
Lewyn Longlance exits the tent with a steaming bowl of stew, finding a seat on a rock next to a fire nearby. He scoops some of the stew with a wooden spoon and eats with all the manners one might expect of a sellsword of low birth. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he looks around to see if he recognized anyone nearby.
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 1:32:49 GMT
Draconis Sha'sar peered down into the bowl of stew he carried, face shifting from looks of curiosity to caution. Taking a small sip from it, he lets out a relieved sigh and then looks around. Eyeing the crowd, he spots Lewyn fairly quickly. "Ah, Lieutenant Lew! A good day, isn't it? The food's a pleasant relief, for once."
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 1:40:35 GMT
Lewyn yawned, catlike, as he stirred his bowl with a wooden spoon. "A good day, Draconis?" the Rhoynishman drawled in response. "Another day camped outside this city with no action to be found high or low seems no good to me." He took another sip of the stew, then shrugged. "But the food could be worse."
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 1:46:43 GMT
"Always a calm before the storm, isn't there? The longer this bore lasts, the greater the storm, and the more money to be made. Besides, it's good practice for my men to find certain things in the busy markets." Draconis smiled, taking another drink of his stew before shrugging. "Not much to do for a man and his beast, though."
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 2:00:08 GMT
"Scouting for our enemies among the cheese-sellers and fishwives, hmm?" Lewyn smirks. "Or perhaps your men began with a thorough search of Volantis' brothels instead. I have done some scouting there myself, and though I confess that some of these Volantene whores are quite frightsome, I have yet to find any enemy legions hiding underneath their sheets."
He grinned at his own joke, but the smile soon faded from his face. "But the pleasures of the flesh can only keep a man occupied for so long, particularly when that man is on a limited budget. The irregularity of our bloody work is starting to become irksome to me."
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 2:05:30 GMT
"The only threats we'll find in the brothels is to our lightening coin pouches." Draconis smirked back, patting his own with a shake of his head. "Hopefully we do get a few contracts soon, at least. Browsing the markets has brought items to my attention that I would very much like to have.."
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 2:11:04 GMT
"Such as?" Lewyn asked, raising an eyebrow.
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 2:13:38 GMT
"Strange arrows with black heads made from dragons, just like my bow, or a more comfortable saddle. These markets likely have anything one could wish for."
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 2:22:56 GMT
Lewyn laughed. "You'd be better off trading that bow for a real man's weapon, Sha'sar. An axe, a sword -- or may I suggest a spear? You kill a man with a spear, and he knows just where he stands with you. He looks you in the eyes as you kill him, you see." The cavalry commander put two fingers up to his own eyes for emphasis, then lowered them and shook his head dismissively at the bow on Draconis' back. "But a bow? A cowardly way to fight a man."
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Post by Raithe Nightwalker on Nov 11, 2014 2:33:32 GMT
Most of the men gave Raithe Nightwalker a wide berth as he sat down to enjoy his stew, likely through ignorant belief he could curse them with a glance. He chose a spot with as much shade as he could find, his pale skin not yet adapted to direct sunlight. The Asshai'i had still not become accustomed to being provided food and water for simply being a member of the company, accepting it with a mix of suspicion and disbelief. He put an inordinate amount of salt on his food, having only known the taste of imported and therefore heavily salted food before coming to this strange land. As a result, everything required at least a handful of salt to be palatable. Raithe ate quickly, occasionally glancing around as if he expected someone to take the meal from him.
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 3:05:25 GMT
Draconis smiled at Lewyn, patting his bow affectionately. "Some would say it is the smart way to fight a foe. To throw oneself into battle by the thought of glory in death is misguided. I have too much to live for to die from a lucky strike or a stab in the back. Believe me, on the day I fight the man I hunt, I will look him in the eyes as he dies." Trailing off into a quiet whisper, he smiled again after a moment. "I'll look into buying a spear, however."
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Post by Lewyn Longlance on Nov 11, 2014 3:22:26 GMT
"The glory ain't in the dyin', my friend, but the killing. But who wants to die of old age anyway?" Lewyn grinned easily again, his eyes roaming across the campsite until they crossed the Ashai'i, a man who always stuck out at meal times. "You heard that one's story yet?" Lewyn asked Draconis, nodding at the pale man. "I hear in his land they drink blood instead of water, and their women have three teats."
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Post by Draconis Sha'sar on Nov 11, 2014 3:25:15 GMT
"Not a story I'm familiar with, but in this camp, we're all allies. He can drink all of the blood he wants as long as it isn't mine, but I'm sure he prefers mead and two teats like the rest of us. One way to find out." Finishing his stew, Draconis lets out a quiet 'Hmm' before walking over towards Raithe. "How are you today, efendi?"
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Post by Raithe Nightwalker on Nov 11, 2014 6:06:11 GMT
Raithe glanced up from his stew coldly, annoyance tempered slightly by the increase in shade the man looming over him provided. He did not know what "effendi" meant, but assumed is was Qartheen for "demon."
"Well enough." he replied, never having understood the obsession with small talk these people had. Words had power in Asshai and were not worth wasting on mindless platitudes.
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