thefeywood | why don't you figure my heart out?

"Hmm."

Estinien contemplates the meaning of that decision as well. To him it would seem like more of a challenge to manage a squadron of new recruits than more veteran soldiers. There was a reason that retired knights and dragoons often became teachers once their glory days were past, as opposed to up and coming commanders.

It could either mean a particular trust in his abilities, or it could be yet another passive-aggressive way of making things difficult for him. This subject has easily stolen his attention away from the ordeal that is being known.

"...Mayhap that will be for the best," he says. "Younger knights will have fewer biases and ideally less pride to contend with." He narrows his eyes. "What do you have you doing?"

Aymeric nods as he chews, not at all in disagreement of the assumption, though he does have to note when he is able to speak again,

"Ser Saidine has plenty opinions to make up for the rest of the team," though it is something he says with no small amount of fondness. "But she joined the Temple Knights not out of necessity, as with so many who are not of the higher Houses, but her own desire to serve the city to some degree. She will be instrumental in our success."

The greater success, he means, since his answer to Estinien's question will likely give a clearer picture on just how minor the tasks he has assigned to his squadron are.

"We have been assigned patrol in the Western Highlands, between the Warrens and Hemlock. Not an area terribly wrought with Dravanian activity, mind you. But the Black Iron Bridge is not far."

"Hmm," is all he says at first, mostly because he has food in his mouth. He is more than familiar with the area, at this point in his career. The Knights Dragoon can be directed to nearly anywhere in Coerthas at a moment's notice, and he's spent more than enough time lurking the area during local missions.

"Sounds like a fine place to gain experience, at any rate," he says. Given that one of their earliest and most formative Temple Knight experience was having their entire unit slain around them, he would not wish the same on other recruits could it be avoided.

"Ser Saidine must be a knight after your own heart, then." He smiles slightly at the thought.

He nods again in agreement. As eager as Aymeric is to prove himself to his squadron, his peers, and the powers that be, he does understand that patience will pay off in the end. It is a trait he has had to learn well against his baser instincts to trudge forward. Many would be surprised to know how often he holds himself back.

"It is, though it does not mean that we can take the assignment likely regardless. Ere the week's end, the Lord Commander may hear of a joint emergency drill proposal." His proposal, making Aymeric a little anxious to have it appraised.

He gives a pleased huff and rips the rest of the bun squarely in two, forgoing his polite picking.

"I am glad of her presence and the authority she naturally wields. If this squadron grows as I hope, she would be my first pick for Lieutenant."

To make such plans all ready does give him hope for what they will yet accomplish in the years to come.

"But there is naught to tell that is worth sharing yet. Tell me of your travels, Estinien."

Estinien falls silent for a few moment as he finishes chewing the rest of his food, obviously considering what he's going to talk about. It's nothing particularly weighty, he just has to consider what's worth going on about.

"The Azure Dragoon has returned to Ishgard for the time being," he says. "He had summoned us to scour the borders of the Dusk Vigil, speaking of imminent horde activity, but none in particular arose."

He speaks with no fondness. Aymeric will already be well aware that he doesn't hold much esteem for a man, despite him holding the office that Estinien would one day claim for himself. It isn't a sense of competition to much as a clear disapproval of how he wields the power.

All it has done is to prove to him with even more clarity that it is a task he must take for his own, if he is to ever find the satisfaction he craves.

"I would almost say he was wasting our time, but I'm sure that would be considered insubordinance."

Aymeric listens, though the first part he had known, as the comings and goings of the Azure Dragoon are of paramount import to the Temple Knights and their planned defense, as well as the politics of Ishgard as a whole. When in the city, the peoples seem to feel more at peace and protected, as if the weight of the war with the Dravanians lay squarely on his shoulders.

Shoulders that Aymeric also knows have yet to earn Estinien's respect and trust. He can sympathize with having a superior officer that he does not get along with nor particularly believes is worthy of the position, though Aymeric is decidedly more skilled at keeping that to himself.

But here is a safe space to air their grievances. Aymeric finishes off one half of his bun as he listens.

"The Dusk Vigil?" A pause, Aymeric frowns lightly. "...That strikes odd. Did House Durendaire call for aid?"

"Not officially," Estinien drawls. Yet, it seems entirely likely that it was the Azure Dragoon, one Ser Draneux de Durendaire, playing favourites with his house of origin. He wouldn't mind nearly as much if he didn't keep getting pulled into it.

"Yet, I oft feel that the Azure Dragoon sees the rest of us as Durendaire's personal army, rather than all of Ishgard's." Estinien scowls down at his knees, having already eaten the entire bun before Aymeric could finish half.

"It seems unlikely, how often we are pulled to their territories specifically." It irritates him on a very primal level. Whenever Alberic had spoken of his duties, it was on behave of all of Coerthas. As a Hyur with no ties to the high houses, he had always made the more utilitarian choices in his defense of the city.

Ser Draneux de Durendaire clearly wages war against the dragons with only one pillar of the city in mind.

"Hm..." Yes, odd indeed. Aymeric chews thoughtfully on the remaining side of his bun while he rummages back into his satchel with his free hand. He pulls out a small package of cookies, shortbread with some sort of fruity hardened syrup in the middle.

"'Twould be unbecoming of the Azure Dragoon, but he would not be the first to come from House Durendaire."

He shakes his head. "Mayhaps he is privy to intelligence we are not."

Estinien glances over at Aymeric, momentarily frustrated by him trying to make excuses for the Azure Dragoon's behaviour. Though there are more reasons for Estinien to dislike Ser Draneux beyond his choices in missions, it is the favoritism on display that embitters him on a personal level. Such behaviour could very well get people killed.

Maybe Ser Draneux sensed that ire in Estinien, because it is clear that he is not favoured by the man. An ill omen for someone wishing to take his place - surely it would be an easier path if he could receive some manner of recommendation. Yet, at times Estinien has felt specifically targetted, as if Ser Draneux was hoping for his failure.

It had yet to materialize into anything, with Estinien surviving whatever challenges were put forth. Yet, suspicions linger heavily in his mind, even while he keeps his more personal complaints to himself. He'll complain about irrational commands, but he's been leaning away from discussion of his own perceived bullying.

"Mn," is all Estinien says, after a lengthy pause. He stares downward at the city, his bristling not difficult to notice.

Estinien's silence speaks volumes, as they often do with him. Aymeric allows it to settle between them for a moment, a little more intense than usual. It's a thinking silence, though Aymeric knows that it is not exactly directing discontent towards him.

"You think it unlikely," Aymeric finally supplies, opting to take a cookie for himself even if Estinien abstains for the moment.

Estinien's brow furrowing, the silence lingering for a bit longer as if he isn't sure he should get into it. His gaze continues to linger downward, at it feels like he is holding himself at a particular distance.

"The Azure Dragoon should serve Ishgard, not his house," he rumbles. "It is not a duty to be pursued for the sake of glory or greed."

Of course, to Aymeric it may be unclear how much of this is Estinien's own natural mistrust for others. He tends towards disliking people, after all, and chafes against authority. It would seem natural for him to struggle with this.

Aymeric exhales through his nose. "We are in agreement." Lest Estinien believe otherwise, but he does not believe so. He tilts his head to the side, regarding the other man for another quiet moment.

"This another line in a growing list of complaints against this man, is it not?" His personal complaints, that is. "Should his alliances not lie with Ishgard...surely the other Houses would take notice, if not the Vault."

...Right?

Estinien offers another wordless grunt of uncertainty, his fingers gripping at the edge of the rooftop they sit on. His thoughts are wandering elsewhere, thinking of the Azure Dragoon, and what that means to him and the rest of their nation. The intensity of his investment tugs at his heart.

"The Holy See does what benefits the balance of power in Ishgard," he says. "After all, the High Houses are the chosen lineage, are they not? Blessed by Halone without ever having to do a thing."

In any sensible world, there should be checks and balances to this sort of thing, but Estinien has never had much faith in that.

The chosen lineage...for understandable and unsurprising reasons, the idea of relying solely on the bonds of blood to deign who has the right to rule, who is the most deserving.

"That is what they say." A non-answer.

Aymeric quietly chews a second cookie, but stops there for the time being.

"Yet the duty of the governing is, in the end, to serve the best interests of the governed." A pause. "If only it truly worked that way..."

He shakes his head, knowing it does little to just entertain those thoughts. Only concentrated action will allow change.

Estinien hums again in agreement, falling silent for another period of contemplation. He was never particularly enthusiastic about the people in power, and even less so after growing close to Aymeric. From the combination of allowing the High Houses to run wild, and from the Archbishop's potential indifference causing so much trouble for his friend... there is not much to love about then. Even beyond what they inflict on everyone else.

He can't claim to have the spirit for politics, nor is he much of an activist. Yet, he believes in Aymeric's choice to pursue these things, and it frustrates him to watch as the gears of the city continue to turn unchecked.

With him as a lowblood and Aymeric as something even more complicated than that, neither of them have much claim to sovereignty. It is critical that it not be allowed to stand in their way.

"All the more reason to take the eye off his hands," Estinien finally says, with a bit more levity. That's something to look forward to, at least.

To be disappointed in the Azure Dragoon's alliances is something that he believes most could empathize with, yet Aymeric knows that seeing someone undeserving in the position that Estinien himself wants to hold some day--and with a greater sense of honor to the cause, if not for vengeance--is easily troubling at its best. Progress is slow in the grand scheme of things, yet the two of them are making quick strides to their personal goals comparably to their peers, and that alone has garnered them a bit of attention.

Not all of it positive, mind you. Rumors of Aymeric's own rise to young Captaincy were unsurprisingly plagued with the same blood-related favoritism that is dually supposed to be his downfall, while Estinien's prowess but combative attitude has earned him some ire. Still, forward they move. That he has someone to go on this journey with offers no small sense of comfort. Someone to share in these accomplishments.

Aymeric shakes the bag of cookies, quietly reminding Estinien of the offering should he need it.

"A task yet to be completed, but you will undoubtably accomplish." He may have a habit of talking Estinien up, but it is not because he is simply fond, he believes in his friend's abilities and his raw determination, almost to a fault. "In some was we aught to be glad that our current grievances are trivial in nature. It has been some time since we suffered a true assault from the horde."

Estinien nods his head in acknowledgement of that bit of truth - there hasn't been an assault that truly tested Ishgard's mettle in a while. Maybe that's why Ser Draneux feels at liberty to flex his influence in such a way. With no large scale assaults, the dragoons have less of a focus, leaving them to contend with the same slow waves of Dravanian assaults that are always happening somewhere in Coerthas.

Yet, he's never been someone capable of being at ease. To be lulled into unearned security would surely be something the dragons would want - and if the dragoons were to be distracted by some feckless personal project when a true assault began...

He's been thinking of it for a while, but as Aymeric shakes the bag to get his attention, he reminds himself that he is able to say these things out loud, here.

"I worry that..." He trails off, because Estinien isn't the sort that likes to admit to being worried all that often. His furrows his brow, thinking of how to better explain his feeling. "We have not been truly pressed, but... to expend Ishgard's key resources in such a reckless manner..."

He pauses to take a cookie, still frowning deeply.

"If we are to face the Dravanian's next piercing assault, I would not be whiling away the hours in some arbitrary corner of the realm." He stuffs the cookie into his mouth. His imagination easily supplies the kind of damage that might occur.

No, Estinien really is not the sort to voice concerns that are not criticism of something or someone, though Aymeric knows that he has them as anyone might. However closely Estinien chooses to keep them to himself, any time he does feel comfortable enough to share them, Aymeric is ready to offer an ear. For the most they are concerns they both share, maybe that is part of why he feels that he can voice them from time to time.

Aymeric gives his words a moment's thought. Valid worries and he finds himself nodding silently as he considers them. Despite centuries of waging a war and the knowledge that comes from such an experience, there is always room for improvement. That Ishgard has been unable to end said war is testament enough.

He straightens suddenly--not rigid, but his shoulders expand a little as he turns his attention directly to Estinien.

"Say...do you believe the Knights Dragoon would be amicable to taking part in the joint drills proposal?" Why he not thought of asking Estinien before? Maybe because they have been constantly on opposite schedules of late. "The Lord Commander would give it more serious consideration with Dragoon support. And as we know, the timely appearance of the Knights Dragoon is oft a turning of the tide in battle. It would behoove all branches of the military to work more seamlessly in tandem."

Estinien's eyebrows lift, not in an expression of surprise or doubt, but in a release of tension. He hasn't given much thought to the idea because administration is rarely his focus, but seems like something that should have a simple answer.

"...I can see no reason why they wouldn't be," he says. He frowns again, but this time in thought. "I could present the idea to my fellows, but it would require the Azure Dragoon's approval... and I may not be the most compelling messenger, in his mind."

Mostly on account of them not getting along, which probably isn't a surprise.

Aymeric smiles despite the tentative nature of the success of his proposal to the Azure Dragoon--such an offer would be one the man could easily turn down, but if they are truly otherwise unencumbered by obligations to the horde, it would look good for all parties to take part in joint efforts. At least in Aymeric's eyes.

"Mayhaps having a few of your cohorts vouch for the idea as well may yet sway his opinion?"

Yes, he is a little hopeful at the notion not just for seeing his idea blossom, but the idea of getting to work on the field again with Estinien. Potentially.

"Something to think about, at least. I may be getting a little ahead of myself...Ser Handeloup himself had shown some interest in the drills I suggested in passing, so I am eager to see things move apace."

Ser Heustienne would doubtlessly go for it, he thinks. She was always eager to take on whatever additional challenges she could, and was especially inclined towards cooperation with the other dragoons. There were a few other dragoons he could imagine appreciating additional training as well. Maybe that'd be the best place to start.

He nods his head. Estinien isn't exactly the best at convincing people of things, but when it's an idea that is highly rooted in common sense, it shouldn't require much persuasion.

"Coordinating our effort would be to the benefit of us all," he agrees. "If your plans manifest in earnest, I will be sure to do what I can to push them forward."

He would also like being able to work with Aymeric more directly.

He visibly brightens at Estinien's agreement. Truly if Estinien thought the idea was a folly and there was no chance of cooperation of the Knights Dragoon he would say as much--his honesty and frankness being two of the traits that drew Aymeric to him in the first place. Such things he values still.

"As always you have my unyielding gratitude," he says, bumping his knee with Estinien's in an almost boyish manner with ease he is only prone to when they are alone.

"Now I should hope that concludes our professional business for the afternoon! Tell me what else you have seen of late. You do travel farther than I will ever be stationed."

Estinien blinks at him, as if incredulous that he thinks that Estinien has any life outside of the professional when Aymeric is away. But he supposes he can talk about the sights at least.

"We did see the closest edges of Dravania," he says. "Further into the mountains, where the trees stand aloft on great roots, each fork rivalling a full Gridanian oak. An entire manor house could have been build beneath them... only for the canopy to be a small dot of coloured leaves on top. Backwards things, they were."

He thinks about it a bit longer, then shakes his head.

"The terrain made it difficult to see much further without taking us dangerously far above cover, but we could still behold Sohm Al looming in the distance."

Edited 2020-11-22 01:31 (UTC)

Aymeric is happy to chew on another cookie as he let's Estinien paint a picture for him. It is not the most descriptive, but he can still allow his imagination to fill in the gaps. Tall trees hovering above the ground, long and naked but for a soft top of foliage at the top. Trees so large that it would dwarf the manors of the high houses--he loves it.

Long has he wished to see the great trees of the Shroud in person, and to think that Dravania has similar flora makes him brim with excitement.

"Sohm Al..." he breathes, turning his eyes to the western horizon. Somewhere out there behind the jagged mountains, the holy ground to dragonkind.

"What I would I give to gaze upon that peak under...better circumstances."

Estinien wishes he could offer that chance, but it's not as simple as ferrying him up to the top of the Vault or other places in the city. Even for the dragoons, it's a constant risk to be that close to the Dravanian homeland - Sohm Al in particular.

"The top is severed and floats above, much like the islands of the Sea of Clouds. I could see a light radiating within it, but I know not what from. Crystals, I would think."

He lowers his gaze.

"One day, I would see Ishgard take the fight to the wyrm's doorstep. Mayhap then."

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