The Homecoming 41.

A Keep...

Riley Hait the mercenary ranger looks over at sir Percavelle Lé Dic. And wonders if the heavily armoured knight is looking agitated because Dorc da Orc is sitting behind him on the floor.
Or because his ex wife isn't here at the moment, as she's up the tower in the keep. And that her husband is here instead.
The mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen suspects the former earl of Lé Dic isn't agitated because the large ork is so close to him. It's because of the latter,
The ranger Hait glances at Tamric Drubine, and slightly nods. The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin who is sitting beside sir Percavelle, sees this and nods back.
Riley Hait then looks back at those who are doing most of the talking. Primarily sir Galmot, as well as sir Barid who just came in again, when Tam, Percy and Dorkindle made their way inside after being out in the yard behind the keep.
The two nobelmen who have come from castle Lé Dic with about a hundred and twenty soldiers and others. Are talking mostly to sir Pomd'ot. The husband of lady Marsaé Duc de Laér.
The mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider of the southern tundra, who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait. Wonders why the lady of the keep, didn't take her husband's last name.
Probably being married to Percy put her off from doing that, Riley Hait the mercenary ranger thinks to himself. As he can imagine being married to the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, couldn't of been easy for the local noblewoman.
Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman goes back to concentrating on the discussion. Where talk of some of the soldiers from the Duc de Laér castle will be joining those who have come from the Lé Dic castle, and going onto the border town of Falshire. Which has been taken over by the forces of baron Harkonin. The ruler of the neighbouring fief to the east.
As talk of how many local soldiers will be joining those in the army of the fief continues.
The mercenary ranger who was brought up and trained by some of the warders of the elven principality of Envadarlen. Catches something out of the corner of his left eye.
He looks that way and spots lady Marsaé Duc de Laér come down the stairs from up in the broach tower that makes up most of the keep, here in the castle named after her family.
Those seated in the main hall of the keep, stand up as the lady of castle Duc de Laér enters. With the exception of Dorc da Orc, who remains seated on the floor.
Both Riley Hait and Tamric Drubine glance at sir Percavelle Lé Dic when his ex wife enters the hall. The heavily armoured knight doesn't look her way. He stands there, staring at the wall behind the high table where lady Marsaé takes the seat next to her husband.
The two foreigners, the mercenary ranger from the elven principality of Envadarlen. And the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin. Aren't the only one's to looks Percy's way at the entrance of his ex wife. Just about everyone else in the main hall of the Duc de Laér castle look his way, at the appearance of his ex wife.
Who after an initial look in his direction, ignores her ex husband, as much as he's ignoring her.
Hell, they must of been a pair, Riley Hait dryly thinks to himself as he looks between the lady Marsaé, and sir Percavelle.
After everyone is seated again, the conversation continues. With the lady of the castle, occasionally chiming in with something to say.
As she does, the ranger Hait watches her closely. And like he did when he first saw her. Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson comes to the conclusion that though the lady Marsaé is a bit taller than her younger sister the lady Hollis.
There's a haughty looking quality to the older sister. As if there's a streak of disdain in the look of lady Marsaé compared to her younger sibling.
The mercenary ranger will admit that both noblewomen are attractive. There's something less likable to the older sister Marsaé. The ranger Hait doesn't know what it is. But that's the impression he's got from only briefly watching the lady of castle Duc de Laér.
The ranger Hait looks at the husband of lady Marsaé. Sir Pomd'ot looks a fairly bloodless type of individual. He might look that part, sitting there wearing heavy plate armour. With his long blond hair slicked back at the moment.
But Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson, who has been traveling since leaving the southern tundra as a teenager, and is a fairly good judge of such things. Suspects the husband of lady Marsaé, probably hasn't even been in a battle before. And more than likely, has never used his sword in anger. Or outside of sparring, or a tourney.
It's no wonder he's slowly going over with sir Galmot, what the local solders from here in castle Duc de Laér are expected to do in battle and other things. When they join up with those who have come from the massive castle that's the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family.
The ranger Hait glances over at Dorc da Orc who loudly grumbles something in his native language. Which causes a brief pause in the conversation at the high table as people look his way. The conversation continues, though the large ork, who previously wasn't the slightest bit interested in what's been talked about. Now looks more displeased as he looks at those at the high table talking about what should be done.
After glancing back at the scowling ork warleader sitting behind the bench they're on. Tamric Drubine glances at sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is sitting beside him.
Though the former earl of Lé Dic doesn't have his helm on at the moment. Tam suspects he'd like to be wearing it as he listens to the conversation, and watches those partaking in it, at the high table.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che is constantly tapping his fingers on that table they're seated at. A sure sign that he's agitated at being here.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin glances back at Dorkindle, who grumbles again in the ork language, though not at loudly as the first time.
"What is it Dorc?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine, with a deep scowl upon his face, Dorc da Orc tells the nobleborn teen "These cunts are fucken useless" the large ork continues with "It's not fucken hard to decide which cunts gonna come along, and which cunts not".
The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin tends to agree with the big, burly ork. The discussion taking place at the high table, is unnecessarily long with what's to be decided.
Tam suspects sir Galmot the army commander is just drawing things out. Allowing sir Pomd'ot to ask him question after question about what they'll do. For the simple fact that sir Percavelle Lé Dic is here watching things. And that lady Marsaé Duc de Laér is now in attendance.
The nobleborn teenager, who just a little earlier defeated the former earl of the fief as they sparred with their swords out in the yard behind the keep. Looks at sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who asks "Tam good fellow, what did that stinky beast just say?".
Tamric Drubine lifts an eyebrow in surprise, as the former paladin usually couldn't care less at what the ork weaponsmith says. The nobleborn teenager suspects the heavily armoured knight wants to take his mind off his ex wife who is sitting at the high table, not that far away from them.
"He's just complaining that they're wasting time" quietly says Tamric Drubine who slightly nods towards those at the high table deep in conversation.
"And that it should of been decided quickly who is coming along, and who isn't" adds the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who after a slight pause, says "I agree". After a pause of his own, sir Percavelle Lé Dic nods, and says "As do i".
Sitting behind the two nobles, one local, and the other foreign. The brow ridges above Dorc da Orc's eyes rise in surprise at what the former earl of the fief just said.
The warleader of the ork race who doesn't normally listen to anything sir Percavelle Lé Dic says. Listened to him as he heard his name being mentioned. Or to be exact, the former paladin's description of him.
Dorkindle grunts, then says to the heavily armoured knight "Hey Percy piss pot".
Percy piss pot? Tamric  Drubine thinks to himself, as Dorkindle continues with "Tell 'em to fucken hurry up, me getting hungry and wanna fucken drink too" the large ork continues with "You the big boss around these fucken parts, well you was, now it's that little humanling who is your rally" he then adds "But evens, you still should fucken tell 'em what to do, since you is still family's with the little humanling".
"It doesn't quite work like that Dorc" quietly says Tamric Drubine to the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks. The nobleborn teenager knows the large ork doesn't know the intricacies of the nobility here in the kingdom of Druvic, or anywhere really.
And doesn't know that sir Percavelle Lé Dic, as the former earl, no longer has any direct power or rule in his family's fief. And is unable to command anyone really, apart from commoners who must obey anyone of noble birth.
"It fucken shoulds" mutters Dorkindle, Tam slightly shakes his head. While Percy, who usually doesn't pay attention to anything the large ork says, actually nods his head in agreement with what the ork warleader just muttered.
The nobleborn teenager looks sharply at the former paladin, who puts his hands down flat on the table, as if to stand up, Tamric Drubine, quickly and quietly says to the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che "Maybe you shouldn't say anything Percy".
"Maybe i should" says the former earl of the Lé Dic fief, the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin looks quickly over to where Riley Hait is sitting at another table, and sees that the mercenary ranger has already spotted the heavily armoured knight standing up.
Then Tamric Drubine looks to the high table, and sees that those sitting there, look in this direction too. As one by one, they notice their former earl is now standing.
Fuck, here we go, Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman thinks to himself, the ranger Hait was waiting for Percy to speak up, as the discussion to decide who is coming along from castle Duc de Laér is going on far too long than it should be.
Sir Galmot, who has direct authority from lady Linara Lé Dic, after all he's the commander of her army. And has the ability to take who he wants from any local noble's soldiers.
Should of made a decision decisively, and quickly once he learnt the numbers of ready fighting men in the land that the Duc de Laér family has authority over, here within the fief.
But he hasn't, and the ranger Hait suspects why. And it's this. A reaction from sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
"This is all very well Galmot" says the former earl of Lé Dic in his overly loud voice, the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che continues with "But the town of Falshire has fallen to the upstarts across our border to the east, and justice must be served quickly and decisively against the Harkonin rabble" the former paladin then adds "Make a decision promptly, and those coming with us can ready themselves for departure".
Sir Barid, and a few others nod in agreement with their former earl. And others within the main hall of the keep murmur in agreement with the heavily armoured knight, who once ruled their fief.
Sir Galmot glances at sir Pomd'ot, seeing if he'll say anything in response to this interruption from the former earl of the Lé Dic fief.
Then the army commander quickly grins when someone else responds to the heavily armoured knight who is the uncle of the lady of the fief. It's who sir Galmot was hoping would confront the former knight of the first class.
"Tell me, why should we listen to a so called nobleman who abandoned his fief when he ruled it, to go off and fight in meaningless wars that had nothing to do with this land and it's people, let alone the kingdom" says the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér in a rather caustic tone of voice, she continues in disdain with "Who wasn't even here in the civil war, and by all accounts wasn't even in the kingdom during that time of turmoil" the lady of the castle that bears her family's name then adds "Who wasn't even here when his own brother, who took the position of earl because he was forced to by royal decree, was killed in battle against the Harkonin's. And who was not here when his young niece was thrust into the position of ruling the fief when her father killed".
There's silence in the hall as all look at lady Marsaé Duc de Laér and her ex husband, sir Percavelle Lé Dic. Into that silence, the lady of the castle named after her family, says "Tell me, why should we listen to anything a man such as this should say". There's now anger in the voice of the noblewoman as she speaks. Though it doesn't show on her face.
The former earl of Lé Dic, who is normally never shy of saying anything. Stands there in silence after listening to what his ex wife has just said.
Then sir Percavelle Lé Dic slowly sits down, and stares at the table top infront of him, oblivious to all around him. As those in the hall look at him, and his ex wife, the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér . . . . . .