Campsite Troubles - VK

"It's been quite a day and everyone has earned their rest. We will be heading out first thing in the morning so make sure that you don't overtax Jezarine's supply of hangover medicine." Nygozy spoke to the whole camp and gave a curt nod to say they could go but looked to the Trouble Twins.

"You two are with me." She said calmly then walked into her tent. She picked up two apples and started tossing them up and down, almost juggling them until the men were in there as well. As soon as she heard where they were standing she threw an apple at each man and looked at them, "So why did you do what you just did?"

Both men stood at parade rest, infront of Nygozy. They caught the apples, then looked at each other and nodded, before returning their gaze to the Warden Commander. Rakot spoke in a formal tone.

"We spotted the thunderstorm over the location of the Warden Commander's group and deemed it to be magical and hostile in nature. Deciding that an investigation was urgently needed, we did not wait for an order from Ser Sinjan and rode ahead instead. Arriving at the sight we spotted Ser Wolfram levitating in the air, incapacitated by a spell from the being known as Kraven. This, Kraven, has shown hostile intent twice now, and it was necessary to respond in force. I chose to disregard the Commander's orders since they were illogical, thus I assumed that the Commander was emotionally compromised at the time. The Commander saw the fight and the after effects unfold before her eyes, so I'll end my report."

"Good reflexes, men." A third apple was grabbed and tossed into the air as she went for one for herself then sat down comfortably on her cot. It was a pleasant feel making her want to just tell the men to get lost, literally, and go to sleep for the rest of eternity. But she didn't. With great responsibility came great headaches.

It did not look like the dwarf was watching the humans but she was out of the sides of her eyes even though she was rubbing her apple on the bedding to clean it off then inspecting it for anything unpleasant. Their look at each other did not go past her notice or the fact that Rakot was the one to speak. Not unusual at all. Rakot was the one who tended to not mind being in the spotlight and had balls enough to be direct and to the point with her.

The comment of "I assumed that the Commander was emotionally compromised" made her smirk but she let it go past her until he was finished his report. Another toss of the apple then she bit down into the flesh and relished the taste before pointing towards the two men.

"'Emotionally compromised.' Interesting choice of words. Care to expound on your investigative reasoning for that result?" She showed no emotion as she said this but bit into the apple again once she had completed speaking.

Rakot's expression did not change, he continued his explanation.

"I have seen the creature known as Kraven demonstrate hostile intent twice. That being fact, I deemed that the logical course of action was to terminate it, or him, whichever the Commander prefers. The Commander ordered me to stand down, which seemed like a very illogical thing to do at the time, what with Ser Wolfram being harmed by the creature's magic. Thus I had no choice but to assume that the Commander's judgement was compromised by some outside factor. I further assumed that perhaps the emotions brought up by the shock of seeing one of her subordinates come under fire in front of her eyes was the factor in question."

Ostef gave Rakot a look, as if saying: You think she is going to buy this bullshit?, Rakot looked at him in reply as if saying: No, but it never hurts to try, also you're inbred and stupid. Ostef then retorted with a look that said: You're a cow molester. No words were exchanged but the two men understood each other perfectly, as Rakot smacked Ostef on the back of the head. They looked back at Nygozy, awaiting her reply.

Oh but he was a good bronto shitter and she knew it but did not let on that she did as she continued to eat her apple. These two actually thought she would take that line like it was medicine and toss them back into the group without another word. She had to admit that they were quite funny. Ha ha.

"So ... let me get this straight? You are saying that I, the one who razed the Darkspawn in Denerim and killed the Arch Demon must have been emotionally compromised by one of my own being attacked and badly hurt?"

Nygozy turned to look directly at them and her one brow rose in curious amusement, "Or could there be a better reason for what could have been, as you believe, affecting my judgement making me ill prepared to make any comprehensive decisions? Is your next answer to be that the Warden Commander must be on her moon days and the loss of blood was making her faint and unable to think or command clearly?"

"Damn, that actually sounds better."

Ostef muttered and then Rakot threw a gaze at him, which he interpreted as a strongly worded suggestion to keep his mouth shut.

"Well...anything could have happened, I was making those assumptions as my weapon was in mid-swing after all. The base argument still remains, that I could not accept the Commander's order to stand down as logical, while a 'comrade' was being attacked by a being which at that point could only be identified as the enemy....To drop the sodding bullshit and speak plainly, he gave me a reason to kill him, so naturally I tried to do just that."

"Now that is what I wanted." Her attention was suddenly on the two men in front of her as she tossed her apple core into the brazier heater that had been set up to keep her tent warm, "Full out honesty and not all this dung you've been throwing about to swivel out of this."

Nygozy hopped off her cot then walked towards the two men, stopping just close enough so she could look at their faces without straining her neck to do so, "Don't think I did not hear that comment about shaming myself." She smirked as she snorted, "Now, you are probably waiting for me to dig my claws into you and rip you to shreds or try to considering you wouldn't give a damn. You see, the point to all this is that you have very little reason to trust me and that goes the other way around as well. This does not make an optimal situation."

"No, it doesn't, but my belief is that trust should be earned with action, not words. So no matter what you or I say here in this tent, it will not change the way things stand. I would however like an explanation, just so I can wrap my own mind around the concept. Why the sodding shit, did you not order your men to respond to the attack on one of your own? Especially you, as much combat as you've seen you must know that then you're a leader on a sodding battlefield, any hesitation WILL cost the men under your charge their lives. Its kill, or be killed, those are the two sodding options in combat, once weapons are drawn, time for words is over. Its not that sodding complicated! Your reaction baffles me, it goes against everything I believe in! You want sodding trust?! How about we start with some simple sodding understanding first?!"

Rakot raised his voice a few times during his speech, playing the event over again in his mind, his irritation spiked up.

Kai snarled from the shadows of the tent and stepped forward. "Watch your tone! The only weapons drawn today were your own. There is room on the battlefield for thought but I doubt you have the brain for it. You almost killed a warden recruit today in your blind effort to reach the 'enemy' and you don't seem to have even noticed."

Kai had tried to stay silent as was his place, but he simply could not when these idiots began yelling at the Hero. They were like spoiled children who had had their favorite toy taken away when they had been denied the kill. Children. They were all a bunch of children. These two should go play with Alistair. They could all go play king together.

Kai shook his head in disgust and dissapeared back into the shadows.

"You should get that remaining eye of yours checked out, elf. Have you missed the part there Wolfram was floating in the air in pain? Not that his state of well being is any of my concern as of late, but still, that happened, and I only reacted. Thinking and talking are all fine things that should be done before a battle starts, once it does however there is only time left for killing, because anything else will get you killed. Now try to wrap your puny elven mind around that, and go sit in the corner while adults are talking."

Rakot grinned, his irritation was building up, though he was still fully able to keep it in check, given the situation he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Unlike Rakot, Nygozy stayed calm and waited as he made his angry retort. He may have been big, a berserker and extremely upset but that did not matter to her. It was time to wait and listen. Let him rant and get some of his frustration out in words but if he so much as tried to attack then that would be a different situation and she'd have no trouble laying him out flat and take out Ostef in the process if he got into it as well.

Yet she knew the berserker would not put it past words. Not yet anyway.

Then Kai spoke out and she smiled as it was something she was getting to so figured might as well deal with that now, "No. Kai is correct. You could not stand down even when it was a recruit who was trying to help. Is your berserker rage that difficult to control that you can't stop or even think? And don't bullshit me saying that's what a berserker rage is because I've known berserkers who had control over their abilities. You ... do ... not ... have ... that. Either you see red and can't stop or you see red and refuse to stop. If Kassina had not changed into a rabbit you would have wounded her, possibly even fatally. There is a time to fight but there is also a time to control yourself."

"Helping? Helping would have been if she was facing towards the enemy, ready to attack, not wasting my time by making me swing at her. I have control of my rage, question it as much as you wish, I care not. There was no need for control, the situation was clear as day, a hostile being attacking one whom I at the time considered my comrade. What if he didn't stop? What if he killed Wolfram? Or do you trust that creature so much, that you accept it harming your people as a friendly gesture? Perhaps that is so, but that defies common logic, and naturally I was not aware such backwards customs existed. If this is how you lead, then it is a wonder that so few serving under you have died. The Stone must favor you indeed, or perhaps its just dumb luck. Regardless, you don't like the way I do things, and I obviously have a problem with the way you do them. Pulling rank doesn't really have any hold on me, I am only here because I gave my word that I would be here, but my pledge did not include blind obedience. You're quite welcome to release me and I'll be on my way, I've been doing this for a long time, I can find things to kill on my own."

Rakot looked down at her with a cold stare.

His cold stare was returned, "Oh I wasn't going to pull rank. I was testing to see how you would respond and it was as expected. You have no clue how my group got through? Why don't you ask them and see for yourself. Alistair is still here as is Leliana, Drake and Sinjan. They survived because they knew when to and when not to question things. Did they never rebel? Of course they did when they felt it was necessary and I have respected them for that."

Nygozy sighed, "There are things you do not know or understand and Kraven certainly did not give you any reason to believe he would do anything else but kill Wolfram. He did react in a negative manner in the morning and was a danger when he attacked Wolfram. However, I didn't get to where I am by just running into every situation with weapons out on the battlefield to kill. I've gotten here knowing my enemies and my friends, who could and could not be trusted, and when an attack will or will not work. It doesn't mean I am perfect, far from it, and I'd much rather not be fighting with you about anything let alone something that does not seem to be a situation we can agree upon at all."

Kai shook his head in wonder. "You truely cannot see a way other than your own can you? To her you were the enemy charging at a comrade. That hostile creature you keep talking about saved her life yesterday. You she does not know at all. Yet she chose to stand in your way rather than attack you incase she had the situation wrong. When you consider she seems to have the mental maturity of a six year old... you must be like three."

He turned away from the humans and looked down at Nygozy. "These two obviously don't have a brain between them Hero, make them someone else's problem. Or do what you should have when they kidnapped one of your own."

"I may have some measure of respect for the Warden, little elf. But you, you I have non for. You once again give your take on a situation which does not involve you, nor do you have the ability to grasp. I do not care what that recruits reasons were for standing in my way, neither do I care if every man I kill has family and children waiting for him back home. If there is an obstacle in battle, you tear it down, or you hesitate and die. There are casualties in war, many of them unnecessary, yet its just the way things are. But I'm not here to teach you basic common sense, and adults are still talking, so why don't you be a good lad and sod off?"

Rakot looked back at Nygozy.

"Where is nothing further to discuss. If I can not have confidence in your leadership, I will continue to defy you, and we will end up in these situations over and over. Do what you will, let me go, or have me hanged. But know that I don't have chains around my wrists this time, and I will elect dying in battle if you choose the latter option."

Nygozy listened and waited as Kai and Rakot spoke at each other and dissembled everything that was being said. She was concerned about this problem with these two but was not able to work it out in her mind at the moment. There was more than enough there to deal with and she was trying desperately to see if anything could be done but it seemed more and more likely that these two were not willing to work with others besides themselves.

"Rakot. You leave. Ostef stay."

Ostef was satisfied with being able to stay quiet during the argument, but the Warden's last words had him raising his arms in disbelief.

"Wait a moment, now, Commander...you're going to have the only person in here I can trust leave, and you expect me to take it with a 'Yes, ser' and a smile? Why do you need me anyways? I'm not as good a fighter as Rakot is, and I have the same exact reasons for being here as he does, which is to say not of my own free will."

"Don't bother finding any sense here Ostef, at this point I don't think there is any to find."

"Hell no, I may have a family I need to take care of, but I got my own head on my shoulders too. I can do mercenary work like I did before."

"Its not up to you, you gave a word, she made a decision."

Ostef step forward and looked down at Nygozy.

"Commander? Release me, I agree with everything that Rakot said here today."

Nygozy rubbed the bridge of her nose between her eyes, "Damn it's been a long day. That is not what I meant. I meant for Rakot to go to your tent and I would talk with you, Ostef."

Ostef exhaled in relief, Rakot left the tent without saying another word. However instead of finding his rack he walked into a field just outside the camp and began practicing with his weapon. Ostef remained in the tent, not quiet sure what to do, but waiting for the Commander to speak.

Jezarine had gone to get some water and was walking back towards hers and Ianto's tent through a field, pulling the bucket along with both hands as she had taken a lot more than she could handle easily, not wanting to take a couple of trips. She stopped a few times then suddenly looked up and stopped stock still as she saw Rakot.

She took a deep breath and decided to speak, as well as possible, "Uh ... hi Rakot I ... you aren't feeling much pain are you cause it shouldn't hurt too long but Ostef needed a lot more concise healing so I held back a bit with you I'm sorry but I didn't want any clots going to Ostef's brain."

"I don't think I ever got a chance to talk to just you without Rakot doing the speaking." Nygozy said as Rakot left, "It seems an interesting mix with the two of you. I've seen how you work together and it is quite impressive."

She knew he didn't like being alone without Rakot unless it was with his family but he seemed the much cooler head of the two men.

"Yeap....impressive is what we are, I still got lots to learn though. The training I've received at Koru's estate is much appreciated....You'd think I am lying Commander, but I am actually the vocal one out of the two of us. You have to understand that I find myself a bit out of place, only two years ago I was just a village doctor's son and a farmer...most of my life was really not that exciting. And now I am here, among warriors and mages and gray wardens...I simply tend to get lost then I have little idea of what is being discussed. Now if you want to talk about ale, women, shields, longswords, and many amazing different ways to milk various farm animals, I can hold a conversation better than anyone alive today. I consider it a personal achievement and a matter of pride in fact."

Ostef stopped and scratched his head.

"But I take it that non of those topics really concern you...so...awkward silence? Yeah, lets do awkward silence for a while and see where it takes us. Somewhere less awkward I hope."

AGAIN!!!

Rakot thought to himself as he swung once again at a large rock in front of him. The blade of his weapon went in and cut the stone in half. He was sore, and the physical activity reopened a few of his wounds, but the stinging did not bother him.

AGAIN!!!

He lined his sights on another large rock and was getting ready for a swing then he heard a familiar voice coming from the edge of the camp behind him.

"Uh ... hi Rakot I ... you aren't feeling much pain are you cause it shouldn't hurt too long but Ostef needed a lot more concise healing so I held back a bit with you I'm sorry but I didn't want any clots going to Ostef's brain."

Rakot turned around and lowered his weapon. His face remained serious and concentrated, but he spoke without any malice.

"Don't worry, Jezarine, I'm feeling fine. Once again I appreciate what you did for me, and for Ostef too, considering our past history that must have taken some heart."

Setting up the tent that Jezarine had bought didn't take long, though it did take a little longer than normal. It was new and completely unused, so working it into the proper shape took a little longer than a well-used tent would have taken, but he didn't have any problems with it, and once he was finished he stood back and looked it over with a satisfied eye. Sure, he'd spent most of his life in a chantry, but he'd been on the road long enough by now to know how to pitch a proper tent.

But, it had taken a little longer than normal to pitch it, and Jez had left to get water before he'd even started, so for her not to be back by now . . . he turned with his hands on his hips to look out at the forest, frowning a little. "Maybe she just tried to carry too much water," he muttered out to himself. Of course, nothing bad could happen with everyone around the camp here, and her not so far away . . . but hadn't that happened at the Keep, too? Hadn't she been stolen right out from the noses of everyone who loved her. A surge of panic rose up in him then, and for a moment he was absolutely certain that she'd been taken by some Tevinter magister again before he forced the feeling down.

No problem, no problem. Jez was fine, and he was being paranoid. Still, he should to look for her, even if only to help her carry back the water. Maker, he thought as he stomped off into the woods, he never should have let her go alone. Even if she was fine, he was going to give himself a heart attack one of these days.

"Yeap....impressive is what we are, I still got lots to learn though. The training I've received at Koru's estate is much appreciated....You'd think I am lying Commander, but I am actually the vocal one out of the two of us. You have to understand that I find myself a bit out of place, only two years ago I was just a village doctor's son and a farmer...most of my life was really not that exciting. And now I am here, among warriors and mages and gray wardens...I simply tend to get lost then I have little idea of what is being discussed. Now if you want to talk about ale, women, shields, longswords, and many amazing different ways to milk various farm animals, I can hold a conversation better than anyone alive today. I consider it a personal achievement and a matter of pride in fact."

Nygozy listened and smiled as it was actually interesting to her to heqr from those who were not so heavily involved in militaristic adventures. She chuckled about a few things but not loud enough for the farmer turned mercenary would hear it or at least not much. Through the conversation she decided that she liked Ostef when he was not with Rakot. He did not seem as opinionated or hard headed as his friend and did have a sense of humour. It was too bad that the man listened to the other so much even with the negativity.

She waited as Ostef scratched his head without making any comment or reaction.

"But I take it that non of those topics really concern you...so...awkward silence? Yeah, lets do awkward silence for a while and see where it takes us. Somewhere less awkward I hope."

It was the awkward silence comment that warmed her the most and she laughed out loud. While still laughing went to the table and puuled out a chair for him then sat on the cot with her legs in front of her, crossed as if she were going to meditate or something, "Believe it or not, Ostef, I do like to talk about farming with those who know how and to just chat with people. Unfortunately that isn't the plan today but I would certainly love to have a long chat about what you like some day. Mostly I wanted to see what you were like without Rakot around and get your view of things. You seem much easier going and not the type to be defensive and ready to chop one's head off even if you disagree with that person. You probably won't believe that I truly want to come to terms with the two of you but I do and maybe you will listen to my reasoning where he would not. I know, I am not iron handed and like to know and work with others without the militaristic attitude of 'everything your leader says is always right' because it is not always that way."