Prose log with Rahal

[percivalthegale]

Who: Percival and Rahal (bluelamphinian)
When: yesterdayish - late late evening
Where: the baths
What: idle conversation

April showers were good for a lot of things, but patrolling in armor was not one of them. Even if the weather was wonderfully spring-like, Percival had taken to ending his day with a long soak in the hot baths just to warm up. It seemed odd to fight the wet chill with being wet again, but there really was no better remedy than the bath. After washing, he came into the bath area with a small towel around his waist, stepping down into the hot water with a content sigh.

Rahal sent whatever god was listening a private thanks as he made his way towards the bath through the rain and slick mud. Flail was healing beautifully - most of the shallow wounds had their stitches out, but he kept bandages on them, and she was standing for longer periods now on her wounded leg. She would be well enough to take swimming in about a week or so, which would be easier on her than walking for exercise. In a month or so, he could start riding again. But, caring for Flail and doing his tailor job made his fingers cramp and left him covered in straw and stall dust. He shrugged off his muddied clothing, knowing Lo Hak had such items cleaned while the occupants bathed, letting his hair fall about his shoulder-blades and a towel around his waist. He smiled when he spotted the familiar figure in the baths, sliding in quietly. "Percival," he greeted.

Percival glanced up upon hearing his name. "Hm? Oh...Sir Rahal. Goodness, I didn't even hear you come into the baths. And how are you doing, today?"

"Wet," he chuckled, settling close enough to Percival to talk easily, but not make the man nervous. "Yourself?"

"Much the same," Percival chuckled back. "At least it isn't an all-day rain, but the scattered showers still leave a man unpleasantly damp after patrol." He sank into the water a little further, up to his shoulders, and sighed happily. "This, however, makes it much better."

"Indeed. Bless whichever god brought this place Lo Hak and his baths," he grinned, working his hair up behind his head before he sank lower. "I will say I'm not going to miss this mud when the rain clears though."

Percival let out another quiet chuckle. "Neither will I. Midnight thinks he's a colt again, he loves rolling in the mud whenever he gets a chance. That only means more work for me."

"The only thing keeping Flail from rolling about in the mud is her leg," Rahal rolled his eyes. He looked over at Percival, suddenly bowing his head towards him. "And thank you, for helping Flail."

"Ah...not a problem." Percival sobered slightly; he was grateful that he had been fast enough to get out there and see to the injured dragon-horse, even if all he did was let Midnight walk up to calm her while he silently stood guard. "I'm just glad I was around to help, and not busy on some other errand."

"So am I," he sighed. "First she was sick and then this. If she gives me one more heart attack, I just might quite being a dragon knight all together."

Percival cast him a gentle smile. "Now, you and I both know that's not true, Sir Rahal. No matter how many times our steeds get into their own trouble, we can never give them up. I didn't walk Midnight through bouts of colic and that nasty thrush infection that one winter just to quit the cavalry."

Rahal sighed, as if defeated. "To true, to true. The things we do for love, eh?"

"Indeed." Percival sank even further, up to his chin, and closed his eyes. "How is she? I've given her stall a wide berth, so as not to disturb her. Were the wounds deep?"

"Most of her chest wounds are healing up nicely," Rahal dribbled water over his face. "Her leg is doing nicely too. She's slowly standing on it for longer, and I think in a few weeks I can get her down to the lake to swim for some proper exercise a few times a week."

"It's fortunate, then, that dragon-horses can safely lie down," Percival noted. "A leg injury like that in a horse would be irreparable. Fatal, essentially."

Rahal nodded. "That I've heard, and am glad it is not in a dragon horse - at least not in this situation. Loosing their tail can be disastrous - it's what helps them balance."

"Oh, I can imagine," Percival nodded. It was probably much the same as the Lizard Clan fighters - he had never seen one without a tail. "Still. Make sure she moves around so she doesn't develop pressure sores on the other leg."

"Oh of course," Rahal nodded. "I make her walk twice a day - not for long, but at least walk some. When she's well enough to go into the water she can be out longer."

"Then, it sounds to me like the injuries were not as bad as they could have been." Percival shook his head knowingly. "Boars are easy to take down if you have the drop on them, but if they surprise you, they can be horribly tough. I've battled my share, let me tell you."

"I was terrified," Rahal admitted quietly. "I didn't have my sword with me - I had left it back with Flail at the camp. I had hoped it would just move on.... But by the Sun I was lucky Flail showed up when she did. If not for her, I would very likely be dead or seriously wounded and none the wiser right now."

"That is what war steeds do, though, isn't it?" Percival said, fondly thinking of his own. "The bond with their masters allows them to fight on their behalf when they can't. I'm not surprised in the least that she came for you."

"How she knew, I don't know," Rahal shook his head. "I didn't dare whistle or make a sound." He smiled fondly. "But then I guess we've spent so much time together, and in the way of animals she knows more than I ever could."

The hot water was making Percival drowsy, so he sat up a bit and rested his arms on the lip of the bath. It helped to cool down, that way. "All things considered, you're both very fortunate. Though, had it attacked you, something tells me Flail would have raced for the castle to try and get help. I can almost see her dragging Kathy by the shirtsleeve."

Rahal snickered. "She would. You, Jeremy, Kathy, Clive - any of you that would listen to her. And she's incredibly hard headed. I dare say she might have just picked someone up by the trousers and run off with them."

"I think she knows Midnight better than she does me," Percival said with a smooth laugh. "Let's hope nothing happens to test her knowledge of the people around the castle, hm?"

"She'd probably fair a far sight better than I would," Rahal chortled. "She gets more visitors being a curiosity than I do as a tailor."

"Well, there is something to be said for curiosity. It's only natural. But how many of those people does she actually trust?" Percival waggled one hand around while he talked - discussing steeds made him ramble. "Midnight may know a fair number on sight, but I believe no more than a handful can actually touch him, let alone saddle him or control him. I doubt anyone but myself and Kathy can actually ride him."

"Oh, Flail won't let anyone ride her that I don't expressly help mount her myself," Rahal nodded sagely. "She trusts you and Midnight, Kathy, Jeremy, the people from the war I am friends with. She enjoys attention as far as petting goes, but she won't be above skewering them either if they decide to be threatening - as per her training."

"Naturally," Percival nodded. "For the most part, there shouldn't be reason for anyone other than their masters to ride them. Emergency situations are so rare." He swirled his fingers through the bath water idly. More than a year ago, he had been in that situation, but Midnight had run wild across the battlefield while medics tended his crushed ribs.

"True enough, and most people are to scared of her to try," Rahal mused to himself, tugging at the end of his hair thoughtfully, recalling his first battle. He had been unseated, and Flail had spent the better part of several hours snapping and roaring over him, keeping the enemy at bay until the medics could come and tend to the broken arm and badly bruised ribs, not to mention the spear wound in his side.

Percival raised an eyebrow curiously. "Are other dragon-horse knights unable to earn the same trust? I mean...for example, Midnight would not necessarily submit to Lady Chris or Sir Borus, even if he knows them. That goes for peaceful situations as much as the frenzy of battle."

"We train them to respond to only one rider, and one rider alone. She can distinguish friends and whatnot, but as far as taking direct commands - only me. Since most of our commands are the vocal whistles or flute notes, it's imperative we do so else they will become confused on the battlefield," he explained.

Percival nodded wisely. "I see. Then, it's even more stringent than our own cavalry. The war horses only respond to one master out of instinct more than training, though you will occasionally run into a real lover, who can't help but befriend every knight who has ever given it a treat."

"I fear Ax and Nick will be as such," Rahal face palmed. "That dragon is far too friendly and Nick can barely pass off as a toddler playing with their father's flute."

"Oh dear." Percival smirked. "Some trainees you were saddled with back home? Er...no pun intended."

"Not mine, no, but I made a point of visiting Gordius and helping with the training, yes," Rahal chuckled. "I will admit he did have a hand in saving the hatchlings back when Godwin took them and Gordius as hostages in the war."

"Oh, my. Sounds like...quite the story, really," Percival remarked, leaving it open to Rahal to tell it if he wanted, or to leave it be. He made a curious face at the name "Gordius," but couldn't place where he had heard it before. Probabaly Rahal himself. "War does bring out the worst in people. Even I can attest to that. Things we would find abhorrent suddenly become...strategic. It's unfortunate."

"True enough, and I cannot say it was a bad move either. But, we had to free Gordius. If the hatchlings were killed it would damage the calvary immensely, and finally got us to move with the Prince rather than remain totally neutral. It's... it's where I had to cross-dress to distract the soldiers guarding the entrance down into the hatching cave."

Percival snorted before he could stop himself and covered his mouth with a hand. "I'm sorry. Ah, so that's where that persistent bit of reputation comes from."

"Yes, that's where it comes from," Rahal said, not in the least embarrassed really. "As I said then I say now - if one has an asset then one must use it to its full advantage when the situation calls for it."

"That's a rare situation - I suppose your opposition should be embarrassed that its soldiers were so easily fooled." Percival shook his head, not even able to imagine it happening anywhere around Zexen.

"Oh I'm sure they were," Rahal chuckled. "But then again, I don't quite blame them either. Gordius, at the time, had only men in the camp. Poor men must have been starving for some softer company."

Percival tilted his head back to gaze at the ceiling of the baths. "And so, the curse of all men strikes again. I suppose not even the most disciplined, dedicated soldier can claim to be immune from such...needs."

"It's the point of leaves," Rahal nodded. "Let them take care of such needs and they'll do a better job, or so I think."

"I...can't say as I ever really saw it that way," Percival said, blinking. "I tend to take leave when I'm exhausted, or injured, or have a family obligation to attend."

"Well, many of our younger men do," Rahal amended. "The married men and older, more mature men have your view - though there are a few that like to think they are still sixteen or twenty years old and try to act as if they are."

"Ah, well that certainly is not limited to one army alone," Percival said dryly, swirling his hand in the water again. "Or soldiers, for that matter."

"Isn't that the truth?" Rahal shook his head. "I am glad we have started letting women into the Calvary. While we discourage... intercourse, looking at women seems to at least ease the ache."

"And you're not concerned about fraternization?" Percival scratched the back of his neck. "I mean...that is usually the reason military powers tend to segregate. Zexen has never expressly forbidden women from becoming knights - as seen in Lady Chris - but so few women ever really want to become soldiers that it never was a problem."

"Well, we keep them in different parts of the camp, but we do not stop them from conversing, and if they choose to get together outside of their duty hours, then we are not ones to stop them," Rahal shrugged. "To be honest, we have little control of their personal lives when they are on leave, and the women can easily fight off the men if they have to. So far I nor any of the Captains, Generals, or Trainers have had problems with it."

"Interesting." Percival kept his smirk privately to himself. "I wish you continued luck on that front, then."

"I have a feeling I shall need it," Rahal sighed. "For now I let it go as I focus on more immediate reforms. Slowly I'll introduce more rules on that front, but for now it's easier for them to get used to the presence of females in the calvary if we are loose for the time being."

Breathing a long sigh, Percival considered that part of the reason he was feeling so sleepy had to do with being in the hot bath too long. "Goodness, I think I've over-soaked again. A quiet bath and good company tend to do that." He felt his own forehead to make sure he wasn't overheating.

"Are you all right?" Rahal asked, noticing the motioning and frowning, not wanting to think he had kept Percival so long with inane chatter that he had caused the other to take ill.

"Oh, yes...fine." Percival hauled himself up out of the water and sat on the edge of the bath for a moment. The cool air hit his skin and made him shiver a bit first, and then he smiled. "But I think it's time I got out, before I get any more cooked." He reached for a dry towel and began ruffling it over his hair.

Rahal watched him, lifting a hand to wave good bye. "I think I'll soak a bit longer," he grinned. "The smell of dragon tends to stick."

"Suit yourself." Percival draped the towel around his shoulders while he pushed himself to his feet, and gave a similar wave. "Take care, Sir Rahal. I'm glad to hear Flail is going to be well."

"Be sure to stop by. I think she'd like a visit from Midnight and you," Rahal called before sinking back down into the water with a happy sigh, soaking away the aches.

"I will let the big oaf come by and touch noses with her," the knight promised on his way out the door, chuckling to himself at the thought.