"Most excellent, my Lord," Verdant said, following him far quicker than any of the others. It seed that he too had wanted a word alone. He brushed the tent flap aside, and kneeled in front of him. "As always, you showed no hesitation to do that which others could never have conceived. Allow to express once again my continued faith in the Lord that I have chosen."
"…Which matter are you complinting on, Verdant?" Oliver asked, dryly. The matter with the heads had left a sour taste even for him. It would have chilled him to hear that Verdant did not have any criticism for it.
"Why, the matter of the heads, of course," Verdant said, without hesitation. Oliver almost choked on his grape juice.
"Seriously?" Oliver said, twisting his lips. "Aren't you ant to be my voice of reason? If I have two of you urging towards those kinds of twisted tactics, what am I to do?"
"Two of us?" Verdant said, tilting his head. "Whatever do you an, my Lord?"
"A good showing, at last," Ingolsol purred, offering his praise when Oliver least wished to hear it. He noted that Claudia did not even spare him a whisper.
"Nothing," Oliver said at last, almost wishing that the juice was wine – not that he'd ever been drunk.
"You look despondent, my Lord," Verdant said. "Does the decision trouble you to that degree?"
"Less than it should," Oliver said. "That is what troubles . On the faces of our comrades, I see how I should be reacting and yet I am not."
"It is that reason amongst many why you are suited to be in command, my Lord," Verdant said. "You should not assu to need the attributes of a normal person, when you are, by your very position, a singularity."
The tent flap stirred once more before Oliver could respond. Nila saw Verdant kneeling before Oliver and raised an eyebrow. "Are you nobles always this formal?"
Verdant smiled at the rather flippant remark. "Only when there is a man worth being formal towards, my Lady." He dipped his head towards her. "You have impressed considerably, Nila Felder."
The girl blushed, an odd thing to see from Nila. She'd grown so used to commanding people, but it seed that she still hadn't grown used to complints. "I-it's nothing," she said, looking around the room for so sort of way to change the subject. She spotted the jug that Oliver was holding. "Oh, is that juice?" She took it from him, and poured herself a glass.
Only when she did so did she notice its deep red colour. With a gulp, she slid the cup away. "On second thoughts… I might leave it for now."
The tent flapped was pulled open again, this ti by a more rigorous hand, as the main at of their upper command ca in. This ti, it was everyone that mattered. Firyr had been left in command of the slave n, given that he had stories to occupy them, and Judas for the first ti that day was freed of his post. He made an awkward grimace as he made eye-contact with Oliver.
For so reason, the man seed embarrassed. Apparently, no one else noticed, for Northman quickly saluted his greeting.
"Captain," he said formally. "Here for the eting."
Oliver gestured for him to be at ease. Cormrant quickly gave the sa greeting, and the few Sergeants that they'd brought with them hurried to do the sa. Rofus was amongst their number, and he apparently couldn't stop himself from making a comnt in addition to his greetings.
"Captain!" He said, more excitably than the rest. "I'm a little jealous, I've got to say. I think the boys are too – we're wondering why you didn't bring us along when you went scouting."
"There will be opportunities aplenty in future, Rofus," Oliver replied. "Save yourself for them."
"Just do the greeting, and shut your mouth," Northman said, clobbering the man on the back of the head. "This is why I didn't want to bring you."
Rofus yelped, and held his head from the pain, but at least now he had the good sense to remain quiet.
"Sa for , Ser, I've got to say…" Judas said, scratching his head awkwardly. "I should have been there, if I knew there was a fight going to break out."
"I didn't know either," Oliver replied. "You kept the n in line whilst I was away, you perford your duty. There's nothing to be ashad of."
"But there isn't anything to be proud of, either," Judas said. "I'm jealous for that."
"You don't need to prove yourself to , Judas. When the ti cos, I know you'll be ready. Leave that space to the newcors for now," Oliver said. "They were lucky that opportunity greeted us before the main battle, though whether they recover from it or not is another question. Where's Blackthorn?"
"She retired to her tent," Cormrant inford him. "She didn't seem to realize that there would be a eting ongoing."
Oliver nodded. "And, Jorah, where are your usual companions?" Only Jorah himself seed to have made it to the eting.
"The sa thing, I'm afraid," Jorah said. His face was pale. He did not look a well man. Oliver expected that the majority of the newcors were likely in the sa boat. "I shall fetch the three of them, my Lord."
"No, leave them," Oliver said. "You can go as well, if you wish. For your first battle, I forced on you so horrific sights and tasks. Apologies." He dipped his head, aning every word. The action caused a stir amongst the n, and it seed to alarm Jorah, and it provoked a frown from Verdant.
"No, no! My Lord, please, do not bow your head to !" Jorah said, panicked. "From a strategic standpoint, you could not have given us a safer battle. It is obvious to all just how carefully you are handling us – I do not brush aside or miss that fact whatsoever. You gave us a battle you were certain we could win for our first. What more could we have asked for?"
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