Prose log with Chris

[percivalthegale]

Who: Percival and Lady Chris (zexen_knight)
When: yesterday - before the tavern mingle!
Where: the stables
What: agreeing on the visit to Vinay

The fresh snow may have been pretty, but it was a pain to take care of horses with damp coats afterwards. Percival had tied Midnight in the center of the stable and was rubbing him down vigorously, slowly turning him back from white-flecked to bay like he should be. All the while, he was either humming to himself or talking to the horse, not caring who heard him.

Chris was restless. The news that Louis being released had given her some solace, but wondering what condition he had been release in caused worry. She decided to head to the stables and check on Phoenix, hoping that patting the horse would alleviate some of her concern.

Midnight's snuffling alerted Percival that someone else was nearby, so he glanced around - and then smiled brightly. "Well, fancy running into you here, milady," he teased.

"Hello, Percival," Chris said, smiling back at her knight. "Did you just return from a ride?"

"Ah, no...I let him out in the paddock so he could run around for a bit," Percival sighed, straightening up and leaning on the horse. "Snow is better than rain, but he still got plenty wet. And enjoyed every minute of it," he added with a pat for Midnight.

Chris nodded. "I'm sure. It looks like rolled, even." She held a hand out to the horse's muzzle to see if he would nuzzle it. "I should put Phoenix out but I don't have a heavy enough blanket for her."

Percival grinned as Midnight stuck his neck out to snuffle his captain's hand. "If she's feeling at all frisky, there's plenty of mud to roll in, and then you'll have a bigger problem on your hands," he laughed. "It's probably for the best, at the moment. Until you can get a proper blanket, that is."

"When I go to Zexay, I'll buy one," she said, tepidly. "I'm sort of afraid to go there. I don't want to know what they did to Louis and yet it's killing me not to know. Does that make any sense, Percival?"

He nodded slowly, sobering. "Yes, because I feel the same. If the news is at all grim, I'd hate to have that on my conscience...yet how could we not care about him? You can't win, either way."

"Sorry to dampen the mood but sometimes I think you're the only one I can voice such concerns to lest Salome worry to much and the others think I'm weak." She sighed, patting Midnight on the neck.

"Oh, Chris..." There were few times Percival felt able to drop the honorifics, it actually took effort to break the habit. He turned toward her. "It isn't weak to care. Certainly not here, around people who always care to the extreme end. But if you need, I will always listen. You know that."

She smiled and reached to touch his shoulder. "I know, and I appreciate that more than I can say. I really should go to Zexay, though I think I will travel without my armor. I don't want to attract too much attention. That may not be good for Louis."

"Mm, I would imagine by now they're trying to bury everything under the rug with as little publicity as possible," Percival mused. "I see your point. So, if I were to accompany you, I ought to be thinking low-key as well..."

She nodded. "I think that would be best, yes. Should we leave tomorrow? I think the weather will hold out."

"I believe I should be able to be ready by then," Percival decided. "It occurred to me after you mentioned it, that I could stand to do some shopping in the city."

"All right," she answered with a small smile. "We can stay at my house, if that suits you? I haven't been back there in quite awhile."

Percival's eyes widened a little - he'd never been invited to crash at the Lightfellow estate before. "It would probably do in keeping the low profile," he agreed, "as opposed to staying at the barracks. I'd be honored."

She smiled. "I should go get packed. Thanks again, Percival."

"Certainly, milady," he smiled back. "I'll be sure to be up and ready to go when you are. My visit to Brass Castle can wait until later in the season."

"We could stop on the way," she said. "We have to go through it anyway. Is there something in particular you wanted to do there?"

"Ah..." Percival laughed in embarrassment. "...honestly? I wanted to meet up with Borus and have a boys' night out. It's all right, it won't be necessary to stop this time."

With a chuckle Chris nodded. "All right. Well, see you tomorrow, Percival."

He kept the boyish grin on his face. "Yes, milady. Bright and early!" He gave her a playful salute.

She laughed, and then walked back towards the castle.