Jeremy
"How delightful brother, when I think anti-slavery activist, you're always the face that comes to mind" Kharlyle sat back with more bread crust. "Well, I see no more crust, bread or pie, dinner is coming to a close I believe" Kharlyle looked at the candles, most extinguished by their own wax "Well by the gods, it's been two hours already... You're really the only person I can talk to for two hours without noticing the time, hmm"

Whalren looked at his wrists "Oh no ser Duke the kind, yeah, after the battle, sum of these guards 'ere yeah saw me 'avin tea wit' sum of the livin' ones an' they loaded me up into your carriage ser" Whalren looked at the guard to get his approval, the guard's complexion didn't change. "Yeh, sum big man came up behine me wit a club, and strucked me roight in the head, I'm not confident I know wot he was tryna do, maybe instill a sense of fear" Whalren shrugged his shoulder and looked at the guard behind him.

The guard sighed "He was attempting to strike you unconscious... That's why he did it twice" 

"Hmm, I didn't remember the second time, well regardless, what did I say Duke, this one 'ere, a friendly one yeah, he'll just talk you off, yeah?" Whalren's cheeks went rosy.
Frankie
High in the hills of Northwind, Amaryllis was taking advantage of the few short months of summer and the rich green grass that carpeted the rolling hills before they were blanketed with feet of snow again in winter. She'd been up here in the mountains for about a week now, fully healed from her encounter with the shifter the past winter, though she now walked with a limp wherever she went. It was slight, so most people didn't notice it, but it was a limp all the same. 
She had a cabin here in the mountains, passed on to her by her parents after their death, and a corral for her flock. Most nights, however, she slept under a blanket of stars upon a bed of grass, surrounded by her flock and keeping an eye on them for the whole night. Her flock had grown that spring, and she now had dozens of little lambs bouncing around her wherever she and the herd went. It was a lot of work, and dangerous too, for a young shepherdess to have a flock this large and take care of it all by herself, but she was happy and free. 
That being said, she was roughing it for most of those months, so her dress was rather tattered and she didn't get to bathe frequently. She certainly smelled like sheep! Thankfully, that didn't stop the traders from trading with her as they travelled through the mountain passes. She generally stayed relatively close to the roads so that she could trade with anyone that came along, as trade picked up quite a bit in the summer. Everyone took advantage of the short summer months to get as much done as possible. She would trade sheep and meat, vegetables from her garden, wool, and yarn in exchange for supplies like food. Sometimes, she'd indulge herself and buy little trinkets. It mystified her to know that, somewhere far away, someone was living a life that was so different from her own, yet she was able to have small part of their life.

As such, she always grew rather excited when she saw a party travelling along the road in the distance, having mistaken them for a trading party. A smile lit up her face and she made her way down to the road, her flock following along after her and making that awful racket that a whole flock of sheep always makes. She saw the men on horseback leading the way and waved at them, hoping that they would stop and trade with her. If nothing else, it would give her someone to talk to for a time! She found that it was best to make good relationships with the people that travelled along these roads. Many would come back next year and trade with her again, provided they survived their journeys. She would give aid to travelers as well, and there had been a few occasions where that rewarded her quite handsomely. 
She noticed that the man sat tall on his horse and had the bearing of someone of importance. She quickly realized that she had made a mistake and that this was not a trading party, but there was still a chance that she could trade supplies with them. Or information. Either one
Eddie
It was the first time that Tagus found himself far from his zone and comfort and his homeland. The rumors were that anyone assigned to guard duty for the privileged daughter of Clovis Merovingian would live a happy and long life in the shelter of the Merovingian House, but the truth was that only the best were tailored to that task, for the time would come to test their abilities to the limit in the pilgrimage she would set out on. That moment came to pass with the cryptic order of Clovis himself. Lady Josephine was to cross the lands of Marin and visit the kingdoms on her way north to the Witherlands, where she was to perform the rite of her Coming of Age.

Each and every one of the knights that followed her in her quest had been chosen by the noble hand of her father to help her succeed in that endeavor, though he also said that the last stretch could only be walked by Josephine and Josephine alone. Tagus didn't want to think about leaving his charge and, more importantly, his friend on her own. He stood by her every step of the way, with both riding their preferred mounts as they had grown with them since the young man was accepted into the Merovingian household.

Winter was at an all time high, though the day wrestled with the cold temperature. A sun struck high and pelted the snow with its rays, melting its surface if only a little. Against it was the ever chilling breeze of the high altitude of Northwind's mountains. The knights came prepared, with fur cloaks draped over their shoulders and their backs.

They moved up the pass in a line until the path widened and allowed their formation to stretch to the sides. In the center was Josephine, strapped in lamellar armor and a cloak that covered most of her body. Even her face was covered by a veil, not to hide her identity exactly but to conceal the features that only a handful knew of. Tagus was by her right side, wearing half plate and with patches of hardened leather under the plate and around it, in a lighter armor akin to lamellar. He had a large sword strapped to his back, held by two straps of leather that kept it in place. Its hilt stuck out from behind his right shoulder in a diagonal fashion. He didn't wear a helmet, nor did half of the knights, with the head protector hanging from the side of their saddles.

The knight leading the escort was a man named Roderick. Sir Roderick was not only a loyal knight of the head of the Merovingian, he was one of his oldest and closest friends. Roderick was the one Amaryllis noticed as bearing the presence of someone important. He had brown eyes of the darkest tint that many mistook for black and black hair. It was cut short and groomed, for the man cared about his appearance in contrast to some, like Tagus, who sported a messy hair, unkempt.

Roderick ignored the shepherdess, for he did not believe she could be of use for their mission. He was focus driven and let no distraction bar his concentration on the task at hand. Their charge was to lead Josephine through Northwind and into the Witherlands. However, the same couldn't be said of Tagus or even the Lady herself. While Roderick acknowledged Amaryllis from the corners of his eyes, Josephine and Tagus turned their heads and nodded at the girl, who had a mighty following of sheep and lamb behind her. The Lady could be seen leaning towards Tagus and whispering something close to his ear. The young man nodded and raised his hand as he shouted briefly. "Halt!" Then, he used the reigns to lead his horse towards the side of the road. "Greetings, fair miss! It's been a long trek and we haven't had a chance to rest since morning! Would you happen to know of a safe place to set up camp in the next stretch of road? We are foreigners and know little of the lay of the land." He chuckled a bit nervously. Social calls weren't his forte, but he always indulged Josephine's requests, as long as they made sense.
Frankie
Admittedly, Amaryllis was now rather nervous. The man in front had a bearing of so much importance. A haughty attitude that made her realize that this must be a party of some wealth and quite possibility, which left the young woman rather embarrassed and shy. She knew she looked a mess, with her hair rather unkempt and her face and clothing dirty and ratty. She'd never had much money, and usually it didn't matter, but when she stood before people of this stature, she became painfully aware of it. She never felt this way about the traders she dealt with, but someone with obvious wealth and power... It made her nervous. She was even more unnerved by the sight of the weapons that the men carried. Her eyes flicked to the sword strapped to Targus' back, then at the other men in the party. If they chose to attack, she wouldn't stand a chance, but she saw a woman in the bunch, and that gave her a bit of comfort. They probably wouldn't attack...
She tried to be as friendly as possible and smiled at Targus, raising a hand to her brow to shield her eyes from the sun. The man was so tall! And even taller on horseback. He positively towered over Amaryllis, who was a rather petite, short woman. 
"Yes, sir," She replied rather formally, dipping a little in a very slight bow. "There's a box canyon just up the road a ways, and you can get shelter there." She paused for a moment, glancing at the woman in their party, then added, "But I have a cabin not too far from here, if you're looking for something a bit more civilized."
Eddie
The young knight listened intently to the petite woman, and it was clear as day that every other knight and the noble woman in the group listened to her as well. Tagus was a bit embarrassed about being addressed as sir. After being knighted, it was still weird to be called in such a formal manner, which showed in his own nervous look. He turned his head specifically to Josephine and waited for a sign. No other word mattered more than hers. It proved to make Roderick feel discomfort, as he was the appointed lead, yet he couldn't override the lady's wishes, as she would always have the last say on their decisions. They were serving her after all.

Tagus saw the nod Josephine made with her head and repeated it to her. He turned his attention back to Amaryllis and mustered a genuine and humble smile. He vaulted his left leg over the back of his horse and dismounted, so that he wasn't so far out in the sky for the shepherdess to look up to. "We would like to accept your humble invitation to your home, fair miss. My name is Tagus Portus Ibericus. I am a knight under the service of Lady Josephine of House Merovingian. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He offered her a deep and chivalrous bow. "I promise we will keep a knightly conduct and not occupy your private quarters. You will also be under our protection for the time we spend in your home."

His way of keeping it formal was obviously rehearsed. Tagus didn't have experience in speaking with proper social etiquette and he only did that because he was accompanied by his peers. The others weren't exactly excited to sleep under the stars or under the cabin's roof. There were some among them that thought a peasant's house was beneath them. They did not voice their opinions, but held stern or arrogant faces.
Frankie
Amaryllis blushed deeply when Tagus bowed to her and acted so formal, and a quick glance at his companions told her that they did not approve. They wouldn't have bowed to her! She looked rather cute though, with her shy, embarrassed look and her rosy pink cheeks. She instantly decided that she quite liked Tagus! That being said, her mind was a bit frazzled at the moment. Would this party actually fit in her cabin? Perhaps. Did she have enough food? Yes, it should be fine. A bit of protection might be nice. She could pen the flock and perhaps get a decent bath in the creek!
It was actually her flock that roused her from her thoughts and snapped her back to reality, as one of the lambs jumped up and put its feet on the back of her legs as it grabbed at her dress and gave it a tug. She couldn't help but smile at that and scratch its ears, while at the same time, she looked up at Tagus and replied, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance too." She struggled a little over the word "Acquaintance", but she got it out! Didn't have a clue what it meant though.
She bowed to the rest of the party and said, "You're all welcome to my home, ma'am and sirs. If you'll follow me..." 
She then turned and started to work her way down the road a ways before branching down a faint path that went up over a hill. Her flock trotted after her, and she frequently glanced back at the party on horseback to make sure that they were still following her. Occasionally, her flock would get distracted and she would let out a little high-pitched call that made their heads snap up before they'd come trotting along after her.

Finally, they arrived at a small cabin nestled in a clearing. It was clear that what Tagus had said about not occupying her private quarters would have to fall by the wayside, as the cabin was literally a one-room abode. The sheep scattered through the clearing and began to graze, while Amaryllis turned to the party and said, "There's a stream that way where you can water your horses, and there's plenty of grass for them to graze. If you're concerned about them, you can pen them up in the corral."
Eddie
The young man broke his knightly character to scratch the back of his head and crane it a slight in his own fit of embarrassment. While the other knights did not approve of this untimely shatter of persona, Josephine couldn't help but smile behind the veil that covered her face. She quite liked how Tagus was genuine and stayed true to his feelings more than his appearance. She was glad that they met Amaryllis too, because the shepherdess fell well in the lady's eyes.

The knights dismounted as soon as Josephine did it and caught the reigns of their horses with one of their hands. They saw the noble woman pull her horse as she followed the shepherdess and Tagus followed, both walking side by side behind Amaryllis. Although Roderick didn't approve of the trust applied to the Sweetford girl, he also didn't want to spend the night outdoors. The other knights were of similar opinion.

Halfway through their journey up the hill and to the girl's cabin, she turned to her flock and released a melody the young man was not prepared for. It was sweet and made his ears ring smoothness from the lobe to the drum, making his jaw slack and eyes widen in surprise. He wasn't alone in his awestruck expression as Josephine joined in on the admiration and some of the knights did as well.

"You shame every bard in Marin, miss shepherd." The lady said. She was very young, two years younger than eighteen year old Tagus, and her voice was smooth and gentle. She did not have a regal attitude or stance, but her being emanated a regal aura about her that made others understand she was of a fine upbringing. It wasn't so much the title, but the way Clovis taught his daughter how to live, more so than how to act.

The information Amaryllis gave the knights was heeded and Roderick dispatched half of them to take care of the horses, give them water and then pen them. It wasn't a surprise that the knights were disgruntled about the size of the cabin, but their word was to be kept, so they made arrangements with their supplies to set up camp. Even Josephine would stay outside lest Amaryllis invited her to sleep indoors.

"It's a pleasant house you have. Thank you for letting us stay in your land for the night." Josephine said, slowly unveiling her face and pulling the hesdwear off her hair. She had long and dark blonde hair and green eyes, ears that disappeared into the strands of her wave pattern hair. "My name is Josephine. But my friends call me Josie. So please... Call me Josie?"
Frankie
Amaryllis had blushed quite a bit at the compliment over the call she gave her flock. It wasn't really meant to be pretty or even really be a song. It was just.. A call... The high-pitched notes rang well over the mountainside, and she could call her flock from quite a distance. Still, it made her feel good to be complimented, and the young woman's voice sounded so warm and kind that Amaryllis took quite the liking to her as well. 
As the knights disbursed to care for the horses, Amaryllis turned her attention to the few knights still with Roderick, Targus, and Josephine. She bowed to the young woman, assuming by her demeanor that she was the knights' charge and some degree of nobility. Amaryllis knew next to nothing of nobles, but then, her life was a world away from theirs. That being said, she admired Josephine and found her to be quite pretty and kind. A woman who, if Amaryllis was right in her assessment, had beauty inside that matched the outside Amaryllis found that she was usually correct in her judgement of people. 
This young lady seemed quite young though, mid-teens, perhaps? What she was doing here in the mountains heading north was beyond Amaryllis. She seemed kind though, and her eyes were stunning as they gazed at Amaryllis with a kind of earnest kindness. 
Amaryllis bowed to the woman and avoided her gaze, too shy and unnerved to look directly at Josephine. She felt bad, but at the same time, there was such a disparity in class that it made her uncomfortable to call the young woman by her first name, despite the fact that Josephine was perhaps 6 years her junior. Amaryllis herself was young-only about 22 years old- but a hard life of shepherding had added years to her body so that she appeared older.

"Yes, ma'am," Amaryllis said awkwardly. "I mean... Of course... Josie." She glanced up at Targus and Roderick, then back at Josephine as she said, "You're welcome to stay in my home. It's small and just the one room, but you could sleep comfortably in my bed, ma'am. And there's room enough for the men, I think. " She had lapsed back into "Ma'am" Without thinking about it.
She turned t her cabin and opened the door, stepping aside to let the others in as she said, "Please come in, ma'am, sirs."
Eddie
Sir Roderick lined up the knights in front of the house and Tagus stood beside Josephine, but facing away from it. The guardians were at the ready with straightened forms and arms beside their bodies. The knight commander stood on the left flank of his men , facing Josephine. "The knights will excuse themselves to their duties now, my Lady." The young woman was uncomfortable with the formality, as she had always been confined to her father's decisions. She was lectured in the ways of writing and reading by Clovis, she learned some concepts of mathematics from him and then searched for her own references in the library to increase her knowledge. Clovis tried to teach her to set mental challenges for herself, though he did not see her as merely a daughter. He knew of her mother's origins and took her selflessly. Josephine was his child, born into this world to know how to survive in this world he saw with his own two eyes. He showed her many weapons at the age eleven and told her to choose one. She experimented it on him, with certain words of encouragement. None would say he was impatient or unfair. He persuaded Josephine, tricking her small mind with dirty tricks for some streetwise enlightenment. And in fencing, the world took an interesting turn. Fencing wasn't very popular in the realms, as far as Clovis knew. But certainly there had to be someone that could teach Josephine how to fence. There was a book, perhaps, or a man that could show the way of fencing. He even thought how he had a rapier to begin with, when she showed her all those weapons.

"You're dismissed. Thank you for being here, with me." She didn't admit to it, nor anyone took notice, probably, to the twist in her gut. She didn't only lose herself in certain books. She had a little thirst for knowledge, the little one, so she decided to read many books. First, she thought the simpler ones could teach her about the complex ones. Then, she thought the complex ones could teach her about the rarer ones. As to fencing, she still had that rapier at her side, under her dress. The tip of the sheathed blade leveled her dress on the bottom a slight.

The knights bowed in synch and then went about their assigned devices. Out of the eight, all of them set up the camp they would stay in a few dozens meters away, in a good choke point Roderick chose. Tagus, who had bowed before, then stood in a more straight, but slack formal. He was a bit distracted looking at Amaryllis and the cabin. His eyes seemed to dart between her and the house in a rather casual and slow pendulum as she talked, until he let her finish and took his turn to gaze at Josephine. She eyed him at a glance and then back at Amaryllis. "You're really kind, Ryllis." The words came clearer and with greater relief because she didn't need to be in some manner of position or status that her House made her be. It couldn't be said that she was in her rebellious years, but she always tried to shy away from her standing to hide in the library or the noble barracks. But then again, she had to follow protocol in this instance with Amaryllis and that unsettled her a bit. There was no real giveaway in her form, but she was very trusting right at that moment, trusting of the older young woman before her. Not that she was a woman yet, really. She'd have her

Coming of age in the Witherlands, right?

"Thank you, Amaryllis." Tagus stepped inside the house and looked around rather quickly, taking in the cozy interior and furniture, the windows off to cardinal points. He noted that and turned to nod at Josephine so she could enter the cabin. Roderick could be seen leaking a little smirk of approval. At least the peasant knight took his job a little bit seriously. The knight commander felt like a chaperone, really. But it didn't move his duty in any way, as he felt wrong to feel like a chaperone either way. He would be knight commander and ensure the safety of the lady's decisions. As long as they were sane. Amaryllis was a peasant. A weird, lonely peasant with an unsettling limp, but she couldn't be a witch. Could she? He never truly showed a stand on magic. Was it real or not? He dismissed himself and joined the men, who would be in the process of making camp or lazily finishing it.

"I should go, too." Tagus said. "You're safe, Josie."

"Fiiine."

Inside the house, the two were certainly acting more casual and relieved about the whole ordeal. Tagus, however, had to go back to *Knightly* Duty.

He closed the door behind his departure and huffed.

"I've never been to a cabin! This is... So..." She couldn't find the adjective. "Can you tell me more about you? Is it bad manners if I ask you about your limp?" Ever the curious girl, a bit excited too. It wasn't always she managed to get out of the House's grounds. And not so far away.
Frankie
Amaryllis relaxed a bit without the overbearing, condescending countenance of Roderick looming over her, and the young woman at her side brought a certain cheer to her home. Since the death of her parents and siblings, she had been alone for a long time, save for when she wintered in the city, but Iron Gate was as lonely as the mountains for her. It was nice to have someone to talk to and share with!
She smiled as she bustled about the house, starting up a fire in the fireplace and getting out a pot, which she hung over the fire on a skewer that ran across the fireplace inside. 
"Just a moment," She said in response to Josie, then ducked outside with two wooden buckets in her hands. A quick jaunt down to the spring for some water, and a few minutes later she was back. She moved quickly, but that made her limp more pronounced, and she could practically feel the eyes of the knights on her as she scampered about. She had so much to do with guests being here!
Her cheeks were rosy with exertion when she returned, but that didn't stop her as she bustled inside. She was barely through the door before she was already talking, chattering, "Sorry about that! I want to get dinner on for everyone, and I haven't been home in... A while? So I didn't have water." 
She bustled to the fireplace and poured one pail of water into the cauldron, then poured some more water out of the other bucket into a little pot for some tea. It was a drink that had been introduced to her by some traders and she loved it! It was one of those things that she would share with her guest, though she doubted that Josephine would be as thrilled with as it as she. 
She continued to work as she talked, putting some meat and vegetables into the water to make a stew. Stew was the easiest thing she could think of to make that would feed everyone, and the mountains could still get rather chilly at night, so the stew would definitely be welcome to the men outside.

"Isn't bad manners at all, ma'am," Amaryllis replied. "You kin ask me whatever you like. The limp came from a run-in with a shifter ( 
She paused for a moment, then smiled at Josie as she said, "I think the word you're looking for is poor, ma'am."