(Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board)

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Wed Apr 23, 2014 2:39 pm

All the depressing things Atleon had imagined finding upon his return to the initial meeting place with the other defenders – as they seemed to have called themselves unofficially – what he actually found was absolutely not what he had expected.

He had come upon the group seated eagerly all around the Spined Shadowdragon and was absolutely stunned when he realised what was going on. With all that he had wanted to do and say, everything he had wanted the people to know, it had not occurred to him to just sit them down and just narrate it all to them in a way they understood probably way better than any other way it could have been told to them. People remembered stories, anecdotes, but they didn’t remember what other people wanted them or urged them to do. If anything was going to get the word out, this definitely would.
Rilos was living proof that it seemed to work to at least get people to listen in a first stage, and if the many sitting around him were anything to go by, the dragon had more than achieved his goal.

The prince couldn’t help himself but leaned against a wall on the outskirts of the place they had commandeered and just listened in, a small smile playing around his lips. The stories might be grim but they were truthful. There was no whitewashing anything, there was no hiding anything; it was plain and simply a retelling of what had occurred in Racksom, of what had happened to Rilos and Kagan.
Atleon hadn’t been sure what had happened exactly to the two of them but listening in now, his sympathy for the pair grew, despite the goblin’s attitude.

He waited, not saying a word, but observing the crowd, observing Rilos and trying not to let the terror of what had happened wash over him. He didn’t have time for that.
His eyes were still on the Spined Shadowdragon when the latter uttered his final word, followed at first by the stunned silence of the crowd.

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Sat May 17, 2014 2:57 pm

Rilos didn’t spot Atleon lingering at the back of the crowd when he appeared, too many people milling around for him to notice one more man, and anyway, he had a story to attend to. It was a little frightening, to have so many pairs of eyes on him, drinking up his appearance, so many ears listening to the words he spoke. He faltered now and then, trying to put things nicely, trying not to show up the Defenders and reinforce the bad opinion that already seemed to haunt Harglen, but instead turn them towards their cause; that was what the Prince wanted, didn’t he? More Defenders, more soldiers, more backing their case. Or at least, for the word to spread, of what had happened in Racksom, to stop pilgrims travelling from one power Stone to the next from visiting the city. It wasn’t safe there any more.

He came to a faltering end and looked towards Kagan, then out at the crowd that were already starting to become noisy again. So soon! It seemed only his story was on the lips of those in front of him however… good, although… strange. Strange for it to be him in the limelight, so to speak. The crowd went back more than a few layers now, causing a blockage and disturbance to those that wanted to actually use the square; perhaps that was a good thing, but also not so much, Rilos didn’t want to cause trouble…
“Oh! My Prince.” Finally he spotted Atleon, skulking at the back of the crowd with... well, pleasure, hopefully, on his face. He caught the man’s eye, then remembered protocol and dipped his head, hoping the crowd wouldn’t mob him after hearing all they had heard. Sure enough, whispers and heads started to turn, Rilos still a focus of attention, and more than a few waiting for more tales, or wise words.
The Prince…

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Wed Jun 04, 2014 8:53 pm

When the whispers started, Atleon felt a shudder race down his back but he suppressed any outwardly visible signs of it. He wasn’t quite sure what he had expected of the crowd – a sentiment that was starting to be far too familiar for his liking – but he was wary of the many gazes that suddenly turned towards him, inspecting him, weighing him, measuring him.

He dipped his head back to Rilos as the dragon bowed to him and offered him a smile. “Hello, Rilos.” The dragon still had many people hanging off his lips even though he wasn’t talking anymore and Atleon felt a little awkward with the silence. He didn’t want to break it but it shouldn’t stretch on for ages either.

All of a sudden, the decision was taken off his hands when a fairly young men, almost a teenager still got up from the middle of the crowd and showed off his muscles and swinging a tree branch shaped into a walking stick around. “I will fight for you!”

It sounded corny and looked like a young child’s demonstration of inexistent muscles, but Atleon was moved by it nevertheless. All the more so when suddenly more of them stood up. They were all so young...
On the other hand, there were those starting to throw blame in his path. He could see it in their faces, in the words whispered to their neighbours, and it wasn’t long until the first one of them stood up. Apparently it was the first boy’s father nonetheless, taking him by the scruff of his shirt and shaking him.
“You want to fight? For him? For the so-called prince who dragged his people to death without batting an eyelash?”

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Fri Jun 06, 2014 12:48 pm

A smile found its way to Rilos’ mouth as Atleon greeted him, excited that the prince remembered his name. He felt rather special, when he was greeted by someone that all these others just gawped at.
“Hello… uhm. These humans wished to know of Racksom.” He gestured around with his nose, seeing how there was now a split of eyes towards him and Atleon. A few people jostled to see, pushing against one another, and Rilos eyed them in concern. He certainly didn’t want anything bad to start off from his words, like a riot or something similar… His head snapped back across at the new tinny voice shouting from the crowd, pleasantly surprised at the words.

“I will fight for him! Didn’t you listen to the dragon’s words? They need fighters. I will fight, I can fight!” The boy scrambled to prize his father’s fingers away from his clothing, still holding and waving his walking stick in the air.
“You are crazy. Preposterous tales, that’s all these words are. I’ll knock some sense into you.” The man gave his son another shake, refusing to back down. “The pair of you, spreading these stupid tales and lies. You’ll get my son killed, under your reign!” A finger was pointed angrily at Atleon, a couple of other voices raised in agreement. There were others that shouted for the Prince’s side, but they only added to the din and confusion, the quiet enrapture of Rilos’ words completely broken in an instant. “We want none of your words here! Harglen for peace.”

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:34 pm

Jackdaww had been listening to Rilos' speech from near the back of the crowd, keeping an eye out for any potential threat to the Prince. It had been years since he left his training to be an actual guard, but somehow the old instinct kept creeping back. And to hear the man shouting, criticizing the Prince, sent a shock through him. Dragged to their deaths? No, nobody had been 'dragged', the battle in Racksome had been fought to protect a great city - a cause worth fighting for, no question.

"Don't you see?" He called over the noise of the crowd, surprising even himself with the outburst, "There won't be peace in Harglen if you don't listen! You think that the Surhanian armies will just leave you here, in peace?" Measle was giving him a sharp look, which seemed to say 'stop talking before you embarrass yourself', but the crowd was watching him now.

Jackdaww swallowed, suddenly realising just how many people he had just shouted at. "Well, they won't. You can either fight for your homes, and your lives, or stay here and be wiped off the map. With the Prince, you actually stand a chance of surviving the invasion and securing a bit of peace in the future."

The man shouting at his son looked up angrily, as Jackdaww’s addition to the argument seemed to have convinced the boy that he wanted to join them even more. The rest of the crowd was awash with whispers and mumbled thoughts, and Jackdaww couldn’t tell if he’d helped, or just made things worse. He hoped that at least someone would realise that they spoke the truth and agree to help them.

((I am SO sorry for the long delay in posting! If anything needs changing let me know))

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Wed Oct 29, 2014 10:30 am

Before Atleon could step in to try and appease the father and maybe to even douse his son’s spirits a little – it was valiant and he loved the enthusiasm. Heck, they needed enthusiastic and willing fighters – because he really was so very young, Jackdaww suddenly spoke up.

The usually quiet knight had the crowd’s attention quicker than he probably would have thought and no sooner had the words left his mouth that the whispers took up again. There were more people talking now then before, the last of Rilos’ storytelling magic now broken.

It was impossible to figure out whether people were condemning Jackdaww’s words and thus Atleon’s actions, or whether they were finally starting to see sense. It was odd. They had heard all of what had happened through Rilos and Kagan; he himself had talked to Thanis though it was no surprise that the latter was not keen to listen to any advice; they heard the other survivors talking and most of all they saw the evidence! How could they bury their heads in the sand?

When he spoke up to quieten the crowd, he let none of his frustration show. “I understand that all you want is peace. I understand that you do not want to leave your homes, lose your loved ones or lives. I understand that this all seems implausible and reckless. I understand that you’d much rather wish you had never heard any of this. It doesn’t make any of it any less true though. You heard Rilos’ stories. You can see the evidence of the truth behind his words on his own body. You can see it on anyone else who has been travelling with this courageous dragon. You heard the conviction in Jackdaww’s words. And still you doubt?”

He wanted to add more, he wanted to keep talking, but there was no need. Either they would see or they wouldn’t, and if they didn’t, then there was no need for him to keep talking at them, because in that case, his words would never get through to them, no matter how much he embellished them, no matter how much he tried to convince them that he understood how they felt.

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Wed Oct 29, 2014 1:36 pm

Rilos dipped his head in modesty at Atleon's kind words, reminding himself to thank the Prince for his thought later. He was wholly thankful for the backup, when things were still threatening discontent. The dragon could happily (or as happily as the news rewarded) tell dire tales, but when things turned to debate and argument, he quickly baulked from the situation.

His tails twitched and curled around him as more harried words followed Atleon's small speech, tucking the ends under his warm belly and watching with concern. This was not what he had wanted from his actions; he had wanted the townspeople to understand and sympathise, not gripe and feel anger. Certainly there was a lot of it around, faces dark and unconvinced- although there were those amongst the crowd that looked fearful, and even a few determined, with nods of understanding and a will to help.

"There are plans to be made, my Prince, and the wounded to restore hope to. If Harglen wishes for its peace, then there is no more that can be done to change its mind. Others that also require aid are waiting," Rilos reminded softly. If the citizens of Harglen did not wish to fight against the invading Surahnians, then there was nothing that could be done about it; but when they regretted their actions once they had been turfed from their homes and threatened under new regime, they could not justifiably say that there had been no warning and no thought of defense or aid.

Rilos rose to his feet, slowly stepping his way through the gathered crowds of humans; they could only step aside as he carefully weaved through them, his bulk too much to ignore. It wasn't his place to tell them what they should or should not do, as a dragon and an outsider, but he did think them rather obtuse to ignore completely warnings that obviously had merit.

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Tue Dec 09, 2014 10:34 pm

"I can only agree with Rilos - if the good people of Harglen wish to aid us, they should have no difficulty finding us." Jackdaww said, loudly enough to be heard, but not so loudly as to cause another commotion. His momentary courage had vanished - he could deal with fights, but talking to crowds? Well, let's just say Measle was wise to distrust him.

He started moving as if to leave,and the crowd exploded into murmuring once again. There seemed to be more of a mix of positive and negative opinions than when they arrived, but Jackdaww couldn't tell if anyone would actually come to their aid. They had all said their piece though, and it was on the townspeople to decide whether to follow the better path that the Prince was presenting.

Measle joined Jackaww in walking in the vague direction of the camp where the wounded were staying, not wanting to create a fuss, but his attention was still on the crowd behind him, in case Prince Atleon should require his aid. A life living in the wilds hadn't detracted from his training as a guard, and being part of the army had brought that side of him out again.

Subject: Re: (Harglen) Somebody Help? (25th Board) Mon Dec 15, 2014 12:51 pm

Much frustration, but Atleon kept the lid tight on it and stuck to his public expression for these kinds of things. For those who knew him, and Rilos seemed to be able to read him rather well already, it would be clear that he wasn’t all too happy about the outcome but there was nothing to be done about it right now.

It was frustrating because these were his people. They were his to protect and they were in his charge. It was his duty to make them aware of these things and to keep them safe from harm. But if they refused to accept help, if they refused to believe what they were told – with proof if the refugees’ condition was anything to go by – then what more could he do?

With a heavy heart, Atleon followed the others away from the crowd and towards the injured. They were right, those people needed their attention more than those who refused to listen and accept what they were being told.

Only time would tell what the future held in store for them.
For now, they would stick to Harglen until they were rested up, at least a little. And then they would move on. The university would hopefully provide more open hearts and ears, and more help in what they were soon going to have to face, whether they wanted to or not.

» C1 Racksom~~~~And then, there was War~~~~(5th Board)
» The Destruction of Quinsilla.....T1 (1st Board)
» Welcome to the Northern Academy! - ONE DAY BOARD FOR EVERYONE
» ~~The City of Thieves~~~ (7th Board)
» ~*~ Guardians Peak (8th Board) ~*~