Pirate's Swoop

Nov 08, 2010 17:09

Alanna didn't find herself riding alone much anymore. It was a feeling she missed and was taking full advantage of, even if it was only a few hours of solitary riding after she had parted from the company she was with. Moonlight seemed to be enjoying the ride as much as she was ( Read more... )

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 01:55:48 UTC
The new kid to join the Swoop guard, Josua, was lumped with the unpleasant job of lookout as high up as he could manage. He'd erroneously reported three lots of pirates and a caravan of bandits. He was over-enthusiastic and driving Dal, who had decided to stay around after the Swoop renovations were complete, crazy.

He was right about one thing though - the Lioness was on her way. No one believed him at first, which was why Charlie was in a rush to meet her in the courtyard.

"What are you doing here?" It probably wasn't the nicest way to welcome her, but the smile showed he was happy to see her. "You know it's getting colder down here?" A wind was cutting through the area that was enough to give anyone a chill.

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 04:11:10 UTC
Alanna was trying to look angry at the greeting, but her smile kept threatening to break through. "That's the greeting I get?" She asked, hands moving to hips. "I come all the way out here, into the cold as you noticed and not to the very pleasant desert, and all I get is a 'what are you doing here'?"

She would have looked more severe if she wasn't trying to laugh at the same time.

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 06:10:36 UTC
Charlie took a few strides towards her, not minding the attention they were getting from the Swoop's servants who had grown significantly in numbers since Alanna's last visit. The place looked much more like a functioning castle since then too. "Not all you get," he promised. "But it's a good place to start for someone who's not crazy about the cold. I know we're further south than Corus, but we've got a hell of a wind out there. Plus I want to throw in a 'how you doing?', 'what's new?' and 'Gods I missed you.'"

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 06:20:54 UTC
Alanna closed the distance between them and planted herself firmly in Charlie's personal space. "At least you're not getting as much of a draft anymore." She noted. "And you seem to be picking up quite a following."

She pretended to consider the questions very seriously. "Much better for some reason, but I think there's a hot bath in my future that will make that even better. I have letters and news from Corus. And I may have missed you too. Just a bit."

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 06:24:38 UTC
"Only a bit?" Charlie asked, sounding a little disappointed. "I'll have to try harder." He gave a smile that was only ever intended for her. "You here for a while?" Snow wasn't far off and anyone riding down here now knew they were risking getting cut off from the north for a while.

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 06:33:43 UTC
"How long will you put up with me for?" Alanna asked, trying for casual and somehow missing it by a bit. She was very well aware of the risks and hoped Charlie recognized how much she was sacrificing to stay somewhere cold without direct orders.

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 06:52:56 UTC
The Swoop residents had shuffled off to do their work, the younger ones herded away by the veterans, telling them to stop gawking at the Lioness. Charlie pretended not to hear. "It's your home too," he replied, his tone suggesting an invitation. "And the heat's even working."

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 07:01:13 UTC
Alanna was rather impressed. In Corus, getting the gawkers to leave sometimes involved threats. "You know the way to a girl's heart." Alanna told him. "With an offer like that, how can I refuse?"

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 07:03:42 UTC
"I made sure it would be hard to turn me down," Charlie revealed. "Though if the plans for some of the heating set-up here leak, I might accidentally start getting a name as an innovator or an inventor or something." Such was the risk when you introduced 20th and 21st century Earth ideas to Tortall.

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 07:16:33 UTC
"Please don't invent the computer by accident." Alanna reminded him. "Or what was it, the postal service? I think that was the one." She broke off and her smile was meant only for Charlie. "Does the offer extend past the winter?"

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 07:25:36 UTC
This wasn't the place or the time he'd planned to have this conversation, but he learned a long time ago that planning a place and time with Alanna only made the 'gods' or whoever influenced this place laugh. "I was going to wait until Midwinter," he admitted. "Pull you aside, out in the garden where we were after the royal wedding." Charlie glanced back at the rest of the Swoop, needing a moment of breaking eye contact to word it right. "The renovations are done. It's a proper home now. Stay. Then when you have to go and be the King's Champion, come home."

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threeweapons November 9 2010, 07:37:16 UTC
Well, he definitely made at least one small god with purple eyes and a lot of fur laugh.

"When has anything we've done been by plan?" Alanna asked, thinking along the same lines as Charlie. "I would love to stay here. With you." She added, in case that part wasn't obvious.

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kawalsky November 9 2010, 07:40:20 UTC
His eyebrows went up. He wasn't exactly surprised so much as caught off-guard by getting a straight answer. Their conversations weren't exactly known for them. "Is there a 'but' or are you saying you'll marry me?"

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