Lantessama

Isla Weyr

The Escort

"Mireille dear, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Eliane asked.
"Yes mother. It's my duty."
Eliane smiled at her daughter and said "I raised a good daughter."
Mireille, her only daughter and heir to the land was 23 and able to make her own choices. She had been raised to do so. To know that she had to be responsible. Eliane felt pride of the great destiny that lay ahead of her daughter, but also some sadness.
Of course she would still be able to see her daughter in the Temple, but the feeling of motherly care would be gone forever. High priestesses of the Phoenix were wise women, not girls who needed advice. Eliane was going to miss that feeling of secrecy between her and Mireille.
"Is daddy ok with me leaving?" Mireille asked.
Mireille loved her father above all people. He had learned her all she knew about taking care of a mansion and it's surrounding land. He had never looked down upon her because she was a girl. Not like so many other fathers did on Gremyne. Most men would've just found a suitable man to run the business and hope for male grandchildren. But not Trevore.
"He is hurt, but too proud to show it. You know he won't dawdle long. In fact, I heard he's already attracted some promising nephews to take your place."
"That's daddy." Mireille said with a lump in her throat.
Her leaving hurt her too. But she had no choice. Turning down the offer of the Temple was pure sacrilege. Mireille didn't want to get her parents in trouble just because she wanted to stay home. The Phoenix Temple wasn't so bad. She would have food and clothes aplenty, she'd be important and sought for advice... a lot of the things she had really wanted to do. But one thing the Temple wouldn't have were her parents. Or the freedom she enjoyed in her present state.
Eliane didn't know how to act when she so clearly heard the tension in her daughter's voice. She twitched her hands and folded some of her dress' fine silk. She opened her mouth to say something -anything- to break through the silence when a door opened.
"Lady Mireille is asked to attend a meeting with Lord Trevore at the watch tower." the servant spoke and then gracefully disappeared.
"Better not keep your father waiting." Eliane said and smiled at her daughter.
"Yes Mother." Mireille said and left. Her mother had wanted to say something, but what? 
Mireille was still pondering that question when she heard her father shout down from the tower.
"Mireille!" her father said, "Just the person I was looking for."
Mireille watched as Trevore ran down the stairs, a habit he had always had and one that made both his wife and daughter fear to find him at the bottom of stairs someday with a broken leg or worse. Mireille laughed as she saw him jump down the last three steps. A game they had both enjoyed in earlier days.
"You asked for me, daddy?" she said.
"Yes I wanted to introduce your escort."
"An escort?" Mireille said startled, "Can't I just ride on Iver alone?"
"We can't risk you getting hurt on the way. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you."
Mireille knew he was still speaking as a father though some ignorant people might think he was already protecting what was rightfully the property of the Temple. She sighed and followed her father to the inner court. All her pondering had made her oblivious of the extra horses and the two men sparring. 
"Ehem." Trevore coughed and the two men stopped sparring.
"Mireille, I'd like to introduce Ikron and Evron to you." Her father said pointing to first the dark haired and then the light haired man. They wore the official guard guild's uniform. Grey and blue or purple designating their rank. Mireille was surprised to see the dark-haired one named Ikron wore a blue shirt. Blue shirts were normally only issued out to royalty. Though she was touched by her father's concern she was also thinking of the money he'd squandered on them.
"Dad..." she started.
"Don't worry dear," guessing what she what she was thinking, "I am still sane enough to handle my money. Evron," he pointed at the blond one again, "is here to take his exam to promote. I was lucky enough to be able to pull a few strings."
Mireille smiled. Just like her father to see this opportunity.
"Thank you Father." she said and stepped toward the men to shake their hands.

Ikron watched as the young woman came toward him and his brother extending her hand. For a moment he was baffled. Handshakes weren't commonly used by women as they preferred bows... or did they prefer them because they were taught to like them? It only took him 2 seconds to also extend his hand and shake hers. She had a firm shake, not hard, but one that showed confidence. 
"Pleasure." he said and took a step back so she could shake his brother's hand. Doing so he quickly glanced up at his brother's face. Evron saw the quizzical look and nodded unnoticeable. He had gotten the hint. He also took her hand and shook it.
"So, you will get me to Derpell."
"It is our duty to get you there safe and sound miss." Evron said.
"Good. I want to leave tomorrow at sunrise."
"We will be ready." Ikron said and gestured his brother to follow him outside so father and daughter would have their privacy again. They were barely outside when Evron whispered:
"That was unusual."
"Very." Ikron said, "How do you think she'll act?"
"Like a real man I'd bet."
Ikron nodded, but in his mind a voice yelled: 'But she isn't a man, is she? No she's the woman you've been looking for since you were old enough to dream.' Ikron shook his head. Any relationship between them could never be. Besides, he'd never see her after this trip. The Virgins of Phoenix weren't exactly flaunted in front of the men. It was a women's religion. 
"Ikron?" his brother said.
"What?"
"Nothing, you were just about to step into a ditch. I thought I'd better keep you out of it." Evron said.
What Evron didn't say was that he had been talking non stop to his brother and that Ikron hadn't answered one question. He had that look on his face... The look that had always gotten them in trouble. Evron sometimes wondered how his brother had been promoted before him. He was older yes, but Evron himself was much more dependable. Maybe it really was because he didn't take enough initiative. 
"Where are you going?" Ikron asked him.
"I'm going for a walk in the forest. I'll be back before dark."
"Ok. I'll see you tomorrow before dawn."
"Good master." Evron said, jumping in the salute-position.
At least they left each other laughing. Evron knew his brother had a problem with the girl. What problem Evron didn't know. Maybe she was the sort that got herself into trouble though she hadn't seemed that way to him. Evron stopped his thinking about Ikron, he had things to work out for himself too. Like this promotion.
Was this really what he wanted? And if this wasn't what he wanted, what did he want then? No, he would have become a guard any way he turned it. Every man in his family had been a guard and all of them had died young too. All except his father. Evron spat on the ground at the thought of his father. The man had left them alone when they were young, children still. He had deserted and was never seen again. It had almost killed her mother.
They had had it hard to prove they were nothing like their father. No-one had wanted anything to do with them at first. Thinking they'd be untrustworthy. Ikron didn't have as much problems as Evron since he didn't look at all like his father.
Evron sat down on a hill and watched the skies until the sun started to set. He still hadn't found an answer to all his questions, maybe he had found more questions. Exhausted he climbed in his tent and wondered what his brother was doing since his bed was still empty.

Continue

All images made by me
Font used is called First Order and can be downloaded here.