Lands
Patrick and Lucian watched in astonishment from the battlements at the field below them. It was littered with soldiers, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, troops visible in every direction and their numbers stretched for miles upon rolling miles. It was an marvelous sight. They silently trained, in formation, in synchronicity and they were impressive. The sound of it was akin to what you might expect of the rush of angels wings.
"Phenomenal," whispered Lucian. "I am beyond words at this point," he muttered under his breath as he shook his head left and right. Turning to his immediate right, he greeted Kurt with a nod and motioned for Galen to join them as well on the west side overlooking the great plain adjacent to the shipyard.
"What astonishes ye more Lucian, that they are precise in their movements or that a blind mon leads them?" asked Patrick.
Lucian took a long deep breath and leaned his back against the stoney wall, crossing his arms for emphasis. "I suppose what astonishes me more than anathing is that ye took the advice of Odetta Burke. And - I can't say as I have as much faith in her as ye do."
"Ye called for me, Milord," Kurt interjected, bowing courteously before Lord O'Malley and nodding towards Lucian. "I've brought Galen as well, in case ye have need of spiritual counseling."
Lucian snickered and met eyes with Patrick. "He's no need of yer spiritual advice Kurt, ye know verra well we are druid priests, it's no' been a secret for some time now." Kurt nodded stoically and sent a cutting glance to Galen, the cleric who had taken his place as clan priest after he was stripped of his position.
"Thank ye Kurt, but that's no' why I sought ye," replied Patrick. "Galen, thank you for coming, but ye are dismissed," he said, adding to the mystery of the invitation. "Kurt, have some wine won't ye? And, take a seat, we've something of a delicate nature to discuss."
Kurt accepted the goblet offered by the servant and shot a wide gaze across the territory, noting with peculiarity the absence of Flynn, the Chieftain, in the fields. Instead, as noted by the flag-barer, there was Jamie Burke and his regiment and they seemed to be leading the current exercises. There were also the O'Malley soldiers, wearing the O'Malley tartan, and the Burke soldiers who were also wearing the traditional O'Malley tartan. Seeing as how the enemy was the remaining Burkes in Burke territory, there shouldn't have been any confusion between soldiers. There was also a tartan Kurt didn't quite recognize, it was similar to O'Malley plaid, but a different shade of blue.
"Pardon me, Milord," Kurt interrupted, "but what soldiers be they who wear the royal blue plaid?" he asked, leaning far over the edge to get a better view. "I've never seen such a pattern."
Lucian smiled and elbowed Patrick. "Yes, Milord," he said, "please do tell Kurt about those other soldiers."
"I canna' believe it!" Kurt added, clasping his hands above his head in disbelief, and then turning back around to take another look, stretching and leaning animatedly over the edge at this point.
"Patrick, they are..." Kurt began before taking another long swig of his wine. "They are..." he attempted again.
By now, Lucian was laughing out loud and Patrick was smiling a mischievous smile. They hadn't intended for this to be the manner in which Kurt was told, but it would have to do. "Kurt," said Lucian slowly, "the soldiers are indeed blindfolded."
"But, that's not the best part, ye know?" interjected Patrick, motioning once again for Kurt to take a seat.
"It's not?"
"Nay," broke in Lucian.
"Ye see the soldiers in the new tartan?" asked Patrick.
"Aye," whispered Kurt, turning back around in disbelief.
"Those soldiers are women."
It took some moments for the color to return to Kurt's face. Some long, intensely amusing moments for Lucian, who Patrick was either unable or unwilling to admonish. Before long, both men stood before Kurt laughing and jabbing
Patrick and Lucian watched in astonishment from the battlements at the field below them. It was littered with soldiers, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, troops visible in every direction and their numbers stretched for miles upon rolling miles. It was an marvelous sight. They silently trained, in formation, in synchronicity and they were impressive. The sound of it was akin to what you might expect of the rush of angels wings.
"Phenomenal," whispered Lucian. "I am beyond words at this point," he muttered under his breath as he shook his head left and right. Turning to his immediate right, he greeted Kurt with a nod and motioned for Galen to join them as well on the west side overlooking the great plain adjacent to the shipyard.
"What astonishes ye more Lucian, that they are precise in their movements or that a blind mon leads them?" asked Patrick.
Lucian took a long deep breath and leaned his back against the stoney wall, crossing his arms for emphasis. "I suppose what astonishes me more than anathing is that ye took the advice of Odetta Burke. And - I can't say as I have as much faith in her as ye do."
"Ye called for me, Milord," Kurt interjected, bowing courteously before Lord O'Malley and nodding towards Lucian. "I've brought Galen as well, in case ye have need of spiritual counseling."
Lucian snickered and met eyes with Patrick. "He's no need of yer spiritual advice Kurt, ye know verra well we are druid priests, it's no' been a secret for some time now." Kurt nodded stoically and sent a cutting glance to Galen, the cleric who had taken his place as clan priest after he was stripped of his position.
"Thank ye Kurt, but that's no' why I sought ye," replied Patrick. "Galen, thank you for coming, but ye are dismissed," he said, adding to the mystery of the invitation. "Kurt, have some wine won't ye? And, take a seat, we've something of a delicate nature to discuss."
Kurt accepted the goblet offered by the servant and shot a wide gaze across the territory, noting with peculiarity the absence of Flynn, the Chieftain, in the fields. Instead, as noted by the flag-barer, there was Jamie Burke and his regiment and they seemed to be leading the current exercises. There were also the O'Malley soldiers, wearing the O'Malley tartan, and the Burke soldiers who were also wearing the traditional O'Malley tartan. Seeing as how the enemy was the remaining Burkes in Burke territory, there shouldn't have been any confusion between soldiers. There was also a tartan Kurt didn't quite recognize, it was similar to O'Malley plaid, but a different shade of blue.
"Pardon me, Milord," Kurt interrupted, "but what soldiers be they who wear the royal blue plaid?" he asked, leaning far over the edge to get a better view. "I've never seen such a pattern."
Lucian smiled and elbowed Patrick. "Yes, Milord," he said, "please do tell Kurt about those other soldiers."
"I canna' believe it!" Kurt added, clasping his hands above his head in disbelief, and then turning back around to take another look, stretching and leaning animatedly over the edge at this point.
"Patrick, they are..." Kurt began before taking another long swig of his wine. "They are..." he attempted again.
By now, Lucian was laughing out loud and Patrick was smiling a mischievous smile. They hadn't intended for this to be the manner in which Kurt was told, but it would have to do. "Kurt," said Lucian slowly, "the soldiers are indeed blindfolded."
"But, that's not the best part, ye know?" interjected Patrick, motioning once again for Kurt to take a seat.
"It's not?"
"Nay," broke in Lucian.
"Ye see the soldiers in the new tartan?" asked Patrick.
"Aye," whispered Kurt, turning back around in disbelief.
"Those soldiers are women."
It took some moments for the color to return to Kurt's face. Some long, intensely amusing moments for Lucian, who Patrick was either unable or unwilling to admonish. Before long, both men stood before Kurt laughing and jabbing
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