Kingsley Family/Erik/Brave as You Were

Erik accompanied the Valentic Crusaders for moral support as they journeyed East to assist Halcyon with repelling an Outer Tilogian invasion. He did some preaching along the way and met with Amélie Tempest with whom he had maintained a friendly correspondence.

Tempest

Amélie was at the head of the Crusader party making its way to Bode Batura. It would be a lie to say she wasn't a little nervous as this was Lady Tempest's first real taste of command but that would be a fact lost upon the Crusaders of the Valentic Order. The Lady Marshal had her normal look of confidence and composure for all to see as is expected of any noble commander regardless of the circumstances. Lady Amélie was sharing the road with several other noble crusaders but so far the trip was quite quiet.

"Pairhaps le othairs are also nairvous" the Marshal whispered to herself in thought. Well it was up to Amélie to break the ice as it were. Many of the nobles are still new to Wetham including herself. Why Lady Tempest still did not have a proper meeting with most in the crusading party she was now leading.

Amélie turned to her scribe, "Francois, Invité our féllow partay membairs to a chat, pairhaps a suppair zis evening whilé we sharé le road." Her scribe simply replies "Yes milady," but before he could ride off his Marshal had one more request. "Ai think our young priest Erik rode ahead, make sure hé gets la message as well. Ai cannot wait to meet mon darling Lord een pairson." Lady Tempest finished and Francois set off to relay the message. "Merde" Amélie shouts to the surprise of her men "I'll need zum food to sairv." The Marshal has a few of her best hunters set out to catch some fresh game to prepare for their supper on the road. Hopefully they come back with some duck Lady Tempest thinks to herself as it is her favorite roasted over a fire.

Kingsley

Erik had ridden ahead of the army, sat his brand new steed Dancer. An old beast but a noble one. He hadn't realized it when he bought Old Dancer that the horse was older than he was, for the thing looked rather healthy to him and the seller had proved he was a prized race and show horse, . It was not until after he had bought both the seller's lie and his horse did Erik learn that the beast was just over 20. Still he was a good horse and Erik didn't mind him after he spent a few days getting attached.

He took a deep breath of fresh air and sighed contentedly as he and Dancer walked down the road as well. Erik had grown to hate army life. Everyone was always busy and bustling, people yelling at each other. They had to wake up early and the marches were long. And everyone kept looking to him for answers about things he had no idea about. "What are the orders for today m'lord?" and "Can you give me the blessings of the Highfather?" were constantly thrown at him. Erik didn't have the answers to either of those questions. He just needed to get away even if it was only a little bit ahead of the column. Thankfully he had Dancer and the still breeze.

As they wandered the road together, the young priest and the old horse, Erik spotted an aged ramshackle farmer's fence, the top falling in on itself, and got an idea.

"Are you still so brave as you once were my friend?" He asked Dancer leaning forward and scratching his neck. Erik led the horse to the fence where he inspected it carefully. With a little kick forward Dancer stepped over it carefully, clearing the low fence with little trouble. Erik smiled and led him a ways into the abandoned pasture and lined up. Instinct must have taken over for Dancer for Erik could feel the beast shift into easy position. With a kick and a snap of the reins Dancer charged forth towards the fence jumping perfectly and galloping back up the road. Erik gave a delighted whoop as he slowed the old beast to a halt. Laughing as he ruffled Dancer's mane playfully.

"You've still got it old man!" He cried to him. Dancer simply snorted.

Feeling bold Erik decided to head back to where they had cleared the jump before when he spotted another horse approaching from the direction of the army. He frowned realizing his jumping would be cut short. Probably for the best, Dancer was old after, sure he could clear it but he didn't want to push the creature too hard. Instead he sullenly waited for the rider to arrive. At least he had gotten to bear witness The man came bearing a message which Erik read and shrugged.

"So which one is Amélie?" Erik asked as he and the messenger approached the column. The messenger gave an exasperated sigh likely because it was the fortieth question he had gotten in the past twenty minutes from the young lord. Dancer simply snorted.

"She is here, my lord, with the dark hair, I will introduce you as is proper."

Erik wasn't entirely sure what was proper. He had been taught etiquette and such by his family but things were different in Wetham, and he also knew Lady Amélie was not Wethan. Perhaps she had some totally other idea about what was proper. He was about to ask the messenger, but they had already come upon the young Lady, dressed knightly and gallant upon her horse. She was pretty, but there was a fierceness in her eyes that was fairly concerning to the young priest. Erik and the messenger fell in alongside her as the army continued their march.

"My Lady," The messenger began, getting her attention. She looked at the both of them and the messenger bowed respectfully in his saddle. Looking over at him, Erik panicked and did the same. Hoping not to offend this woman who had written him such kind letters. "Before you, Viscount Erik Kingsley of Lavraz."

Viscount Erik Kingsley replied to that with an uncertain look and a meek wave.

The Baroness replied to that with something Erik could hardly at all understand. He opened his mouth to say something but instead just stared at her dumbly.

Tempest

Lady Tempest's scribe had brought Viscount Erik before Amélie and formally announced the lord. Erik must have been nervous as after being introduced he only offered a meek wave and a odd face. Quite the departure from Erik's personality displayed in his letters. Not deterred the Lady Marshal wasted no time introducing herself, "Mon chéri Erik, ai am Baroness Amélie Tempest. Ai am thrilled to finally meet you een pairson and ai must sai you are just as adairable as ai imagined." Erik just returned the introduction with a dumbfounded stair. Amélie thought to herself, Oh no my accent the poor boy can barely understand a word I am saying.

Trying again Lady Tempest would speak more slowly this time, "Je Suis... merde non... Ai am Amélie. It... eez a... pleasure... to meet you. Ai am difficult... to undairstanding... and ai am... sairry. Shall we just share ze road fair awhile as we can become bettair acquainted just riding togethair?" Lady Tempest would motion towards the road, have her steed start trotting and again motion for the young Lord Erik to follow.

Kingsley

The Lady spoke slower as Erik listened carefully to the strange incomprehensible words she was saying. Well not all were incomprehensible.

"I am Amélie, pleasure to meet you, share road, together."

I am Amélie, a pleasure to meet you, we can share the road together.

"Oh Excellent! Yes Lady Amélie, we are indeed sharing the road. It's a nice one too, better than I expected, though I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest, never been this far east, Portion and Wetham mainly. And Lavraz once when I had to go check on it because the kin-"

Amélie interrupted him with a look and a motion further down the road, a little ahead of her company. "Oh uh... Sure."

Together they road a little further ahead. The countryside was still and quiet, and so were they. Lady Amélie seemed contemplative, like she was perhaps thinking hard about something. Erik wondered where she must have come from; her speech was quite different. When she spoke slow he could make out most of what she was saying. Why is she so quiet? He glanced around for something to talk about, and realized that they had reached the section of road he had visited earlier. Getting a little excited he spotted the old run down fence.

"Lady Amélie," He began some what excitedly. "This horse might not seem much does he?" Dancer was indeed a bit old and tired looking. Well groomed enough but it was quite clear the beast was past his prime. He snorted in response. "Well he's actually a champion! Here let me show you." He turned the horse expertly and trotted off towards the fence, old Dancer stepping over the broken section with ease. He looked at the gap Dancer had jumped over earlier and then his gaze followed the fenceline. Not all of it was in such sorry shape, he positioned the beast in the direction of the fence, this time on a section whose top rung still held firm.

"Alright Dan, you can do this." He told the horse, but also himself as he was not actually sure if the elderly beast could clear the jump. The last one was easy enough. He winced and gave Dancer a kick forward as the horse began the gallop towards the fence. The wind flowed around him as he leaned forward. He felt the horse's hind legs press hard into the ground and spring forward clearing the fence and turning and galloping down the road just has he had done before. "You are a champion." he patted the old creature again. "I think a sweet is in order." He said proudly as the Lady caught up to him. He gave her smile as he reached in the saddlebag for the bag of sweets some of the village children had given him in thanks after he had given his "sermon".

"He's definitely still got some tricks up his sleeve. Or, his coat I suppose. Horses don't wear clothes. Though sometimes during winter it does well to keep extra blankets and such on them, though I don't think that would be clothes." He found the bag and pulled it out, immediately fumbling it and dropping it straight to the ground where some of the sweets spilled out over the road.

"Ah beans!" he muttered, quickly climbing off his horse and trying to scoop up the little candies that fell out. He stumbled trying to reach them all but was able to keep his footing and collect them. They were quite dirty and would not do going back into the little pouch. He grabbed the pouch and hooked it on his belt, looking around for a good place to dispose of the sweets so that some animal did not come by and choke on them, and not finding one sighed and just tossed them in the saddlebag loosely. Finally he snagged one of the clean ones from the sweets pouch on his belt and held up to Dancer who sniffed it and grabbed it with his tongue. Erik heard the little crunch as the sugar snapped between the mighty teeth of the horse. Satisfied with a job acceptably well done, he climbed back into the saddle and settled in.

"Oh." He realized. "Did you want one too? These didn't get on the ground. Some village children gave them to me as thanks for visiting their hamlet."

Tempest

Lady Amélie had watched as Erik had so proudly jumped his horse Dancer over a nearby fence.

With a smile and a light clap she applauded the boy as she caught up with him. It was somewhat hard for Lady Tempest to believe that Erik and herself were the same age. A man by rights but all the appearances of a sweet innocent boy. Amélie was growing quite fond of the young Lord, almost akin to a nephew or little brother. Erik was finally opening up to Amélie as he went feed Dancer some candy but not before he spilled a bunch of them on the ground. Lady Tempest watched with a light chuckle escaping as Erik climbed down off Dancer to the road below. Hastily retrieving the candy off ground for reasons that alluded the Marshal, Viscount Kingsley remounted his steed and offered the lady some fresh candy.

"Why thank you mon sweet boy" Amélie replied reaching out her hand to accept the candy. With candy now in her mouth Lady Tempest would probably be even harder for Erik to understand "Eet seems those children ave excellent taste, Ai tak eet you brought zem la waird of our highfathair." Lady Amélie would ride along side Erik and stroke his hair with her hand messing it slightly before continuing, "Come Mon Cheri, we are almost to Bode Batur and you weehl ave many maire children to preach la Highfathair to. With a flick of her reins the Lady Marshal galloped on ahead.