Visiting the city

[Isoldé Sabela-Roza Sylvanas]

Isolde took a chance and told her Advisors she was taking a trip to Stratenvale so that she could see the other kingdoms in the lands and possibly learn more about the rulers. She knew she would have to make an official trip soon enough to possibly talk of treaties and such but right now she just needed to see other places beyond her palace walls after all she was not a prisoner of her title. She smiled softly at that thought, so many thought all she did was sit in the palace but she had to get out and here she was walking around now looking at the way the city was moving and breathing.

Isoldé walked looking and keeping herself as traveler like as possible. She didn't want questions asked nor gain attention of anyone who could cause trouble. She had worn forest green riding outfit. She didn't wear any thing beyond her necklace for jewelery. She wasn't sure what to expect as she walked around.

Isoldé took a minute to pause and get some fruit so that she could start relaxing before she got on with her recon mission she was doing here. She took a deep breath and pulled her hair back and got an apple. she paid for it and went to find somewhere to sit and eat. She watched the world pass by like she was just apart of the scenery and she didn't mind that. She took a deep breath and wondered what she would find out today or if she would actually interact with anyone. She wanted to find out more about the half elves and see how they interacted with the world around them.

[Aslim Gath Boud]

Aslim glowered, his face clouded in a deep anger. The incompetent fool, it seemed, had struck again. He tossed his dirty armour to the floor. Sighing to himself, the large man pushed his way out the armoury, his face as dark as thunder. The servants scurried out his path, and quickly went inside the armoury to see what was wrong. A great commotion went up as people tried to point blame. Aslim ignored them and moved to his chambers to get his leather jerkin, and his sword. Finally viewing himself as ready, he moved off to the stable, hoping his horse would be ready for him. Also, he was not. Tristram, Sage and Hellic remained contentedly munching their hay, with not a stable hand in sight. If he was not in so much of a rush, he would have let their indiscrepencies He sighed and went to go get Sage’s tack himself. In flurried, practised movements, the riding stallion was ready for him. Glaring at the stable hands that had just appeared, Aslim led Sage from his stable.

“I’ll deal with you when I get home,” he growled, as he swung into his saddle. The stable hands bowed and apologies but Aslim ignored them. They were lucky that he was on his way out. Clucking to the horse, he moved off t a steady walk out of the cobble stoned stable yard and onto the road to Stratenvale. Satisfied, he asked for a canter and the ground beneath his horse’s hooves flew. The trip to Stratenvale was a short one. His father’s fiefdom was just outside the main city and was the provider of a great amount of the cities fresh food. The great walls shimmered into existence and with that the first smile of the day echoed onto his face. A fresh sigh touched his lips, and he urged his horse to go faster. Obliging, the space between the horse and rider and the city diminished.

Finally, his horse’s hooves graced the entrance and an echoing smile of relief touched Aslim’s face. His anger had evaporated in the journey here. He walked through the city lazily. Sage, a little tired from the run, snorted in relief, and gently arched his neck. He stopped as he saw a beautiful woman paying for an apple. While it was not the time for idle chit chat, he could grace a few minutes he supposed. Riding up to where she had chosen to sit, he looked down at her.
“You know, those apples are grown in my father’s fiefdom. I do hope they’re to your satisfaction,” he mused, really more to himself.

[Isoldé Sabela-Roza Sylvanas]

Isoldé looked up at Aslim and smiled "I bet it will taste very good because things grown with love for the people your growing them for makes fruit all the sweeter," she said as she took out a traveling knife and cut a piece off and tasted it and felt how sweet the apple was and nodded. "I was right, it is sweet," she hoped he would accept the compliment.

As she offered him to join her if he wished with a small gesture. she wondered what had brought him into town today and hoped that she wasn't keeping him from his work. Isoldé continued to eat her apple slowly enjoying the sweetness of the apple. Looking up she wondered what she could talk about now as she thought about it she smiled and said "I can't wait to try the other fruits while I'm here for my visit," she said as she sat there.

Looking around she wondered more about the city and if she could look around without getting into trouble and finding out what was going on here this week. She blushed as she said "Where are my manners, My name is Isoldé, you are?" she asked smiling

[Aslim Gath Boud]

Aslim smirked at the woman’s words. He would regard her as sweet, he guessed. Sighing internally, he attempted a smile at the dark haired woman. She did not look like she was from around here, and the lack of her eating the city’s food. He nodded to her compliment.
“My father will be pleased to hear that,” the knight replied, his mind running over the figure of his father. The former knight had taken to planting fruit instead of defending his land. He always took to throwing fruit at people he was not pleased with. Such was the life of growing insanity.
“More like the product of many years of growing dementia,” he laughed with a sharp bark.

He looked down at the woman, faintly amused when she gestured to him sitting by her. However, he complied, dismounting from the black stallion, which touched his nose to his master’s back. The knight unlooped the horse’s reins and held them lax in his hand. The horse stood patiently, eyeing up the strange woman curiously. Aslim found himself agreeing with the horse; she was probably very different from the usual woman in the city. Whether it was a good or a bad thing, he was yet to decide.

“Isoldé,” he let the name roll over his tongue. It was most certainly exotic. “I am Aslim.”
He did not give much more away. Even woman were not to be trusted, especially those who seemed sweet.
“What are you doing in fair Samarid, Isoldé?” he asked, his voice betraying only curiosity. “Most people do not come here to try the fruit.”
A small, twinkling smile touched his lips.

[Isoldé Sabela-Roza Sylvanas]

Visiting good sir, just visiting, I haven't been out much and wished to see places outside my home," she said softly as she rolled the apple gently in her hands. "Fruit is good after a long journey in my opinion so i guess i might be an oddity, it seems" she added as she looked at Aslim.

As she rolled the apple in her hands she felt the smoothness of the remaining skin that she had not disturbed. She knew someone had taken great care of the apples if they were this firm and yet tender. She smiled as she came out of her own thoughts and said "Why were you away from the city if i may ask, i don't mean to intrude if my question strikes you strangely." she said as she took a simple breath and relaxed. She didn't like to seem to pry into others lives if they didn't want to share.

Looking at her riding clothes she touched her necklace and decided while she waited for answers to her questions she took another bite of the apple and wondered how sweet one would think the fruit of her homelands would be, or what one would think of the traveling rations she carried when making journeys just to be safe. She looked at Aslim and wondered what to think of him. He did seem like the kind of man that wouldn't be afraid of a few questions as long as they didn't get to personal or to specific about himself she felt as she tapped the toe of her boot in the dirt at her feet in a calming manner.

[Aslim Gath Boud]

Visiting? It seemed a foreign idea to Aslim. He never truly visited anywhere else. Being a soldier, he saw many exotic places but never really visited anywhere for pleasure. The foreign lands he visited were cold and cruel and every minute spent there he wished he could have spent at home away from the horror of battle. They said battle was glorious, but nothing glorious would make a grown man howl in anguish and sob. No, he was not one to visit and he suspected people who did visit. There were no tourists in war. “Where are you from, milady?” he asked, as graciously as he could manage his suspicion stirring. One might think that it is folly to suspect a woman, but spies were often woman and children. Usually they were poor woman and children, forced into the position because they had no other choice for food. Aslim had some compassion but was constantly reminded of Rivadon, a city for refugees of the war. No, they had no real reason to turn spy when Samarid would offer safe haven.

“Fruit is refreshing,” he agreed, knowing that after a long expedition with scarce fresh supplies, returning to an abundance of fruit and fresh meat was very welcome. It truly made him appreciate the finer things in life. He regarded her carefully as she spoke again.
“I do not live her, milady. When I am not on the battle front, I run my father’s fiefdom,” he said cagily. “I am here for counsel. The Queen has requested it.”
He looked up to the sun, quickly gauging the time. It seemed as though he still did have enough time to stay and chat to the beautiful, yet suspicious woman. Trust in outsiders was not a strong point for most of the people of Samarid, After all, war was an act of hostility by outsiders.

Aslim had seen too many of his friends die at the hands of outsiders to remain naive and optimistic about anyone. He had his loyalty to the queen and to his people. Aslim glanced over the market, his eyes settling upon the cider. Quickly, he walked away, leading Sage with him. He tossed a coin toward the man and took two bottles.
Returning to her, he said, “You must be thirsty.”
He held one of the drinks out to her, his eyes clouded in confusion. He could still not quite place why someone would travel so far to Samarid. Perhaps she was fleeing to Rivadon or maybe her intentions were pure.

[Isoldé Sabela-Roza Sylvanas]

I come from the elven lands, that's all i can say really," she said softly as she looked down. "we all must protect our homes you understand," she finished saying as she looked at Aslim and smiled as he offered her a drink. She took one hand and gently grasped it and said "thank you for the drink," she took a sip and let it run over her toung and enjoy it.

she knew she had to be careful not to drink to much of the cider knowing her race tends to get drunk more easily then most. She did enjoy the flavoring. "Very nice choice," she said as she held it in her hand and looked at Aslim curious about him a bit but knowing she couldn't keep him all day.

"I see so you enjoy your father's lands more then the city i take it, as most would if they are kept from home so much," she said as she looked down at the ground. She had lost both parents and taken the throne so young most thought that she's practically grown up as the queen. Shaking her head to clear those thoughts Isoldé looked at her company and wondered if she should let him go or tell him the truth.

but do i really want to give up my cover so quickly? do i really want to be bothered with proper greetings and such? I think i shall enjoy my cover a little longer, she thought as she took another small sip of the cider. She wished she had brought more from her homelands so she could share its rich culture with Aslim but maybe one day he would visit her home and she would have the honor of throwing a feast and including honey wine and sweet bread.

[Aslim Gath Boud]

Elven land? Aslim quickly glanced over her, looking for signs of her being an elf. He cursed himself for only noting the strange ears now. So she was an elf. Bitterness boiled up within him. There had been much blood spilt on behalf of Samarid and the elves had not come. He kept his feelings curbed. He had lost many good people, and was very sensitive about the subject of war. He truly hated war, and he hated that they were forced into it.
“I understand,” he said gruffly, his voice stiff and cold. He nodded at her appreciation of the drink, his eyes clouded over and his demeanour became stiff and formal. He always carried himself very upright and his discipline dictated his position.

“I am glad you like it,” he said stiffly, unsure of what to say around the elf. He could say that he hated how Samarid was left to itself, that war was tearing their world apart and they had no true allies to protect them. Aslim gave his drink to a passing peasant and swung up on Sage again. The black riding stallion snorted uneasily, sensing his master’s unhappiness.
“My father’s land is certainly more peaceful than the city, but I enjoy each equally,” he said gruffly. At home he had the peace of the country side, while in Samarid he had the comfort of his oldest friend, Silisia, even though the barrier of royalty had been built between them over the years. After all, she did not have enough time to keep friendships. It saddened him slightly, but perhaps the meeting today would be a chance to catch up with his childhood friend.

“If you would excuse me, milady,” he said stiffly. He dipped his head and pressed his heels to his horse’s side. The great animal moved off, relieved to be on the mover again and in prospect for resting somewhere with decent food. Aslim did not look back, knowing he was being rude. He had self damning pride, he knew, but he would not be friendly to a race who had caused the deaths of so many more of his friends.

[Isoldé Sabela-Roza Sylvanas]

Isoldé was shocked at how swiftly his attitude changed. She sighed she should have expected it, it seemed that because she valued her people's lives and not allowing many to know the existance of her kingdom they thought they abandoned them to a war that would claim many lives. She sighed and knew the war had just barely begun. She didn't have much to say as he pretty much left after she said she was from the elven lands.

She sat there and wondered if all shared his hate and distrust towards her kind. She knew that her Per-Edhel, kin or half-elves were not treated any better. She sighed and held her head in her hands as she set the drink to the side. She took a breath and decided maybe it would be best if she returned home but not today it was far to late already. She sighed as she finished the apple happy for the conversation it had brought but wishing the ending could have been better.

Looking to the sky for a moment as she sat there, Isoldé wondered if the humans could ever give up their hate or at least the distrust of her people, she didn't want to see her kingdom destroyed because they were found or even the needless killing of her kind along with not allowing her people to fall into a war like stance that would last some time after the war would end. She was one with to many troubles and decided she needed to rest for the night. She had a long day's journy ahead of her and that was no lie.