[Featured characters: Borus, Percival] Budehuc Castle: Lake Road This is a small band of land which makes its way around what apparently used to be the old walls. While the walls are crumbling away, the area itself is bustling with newly opened buildings and shops. Like all of the buildings in Budehuc, they are nearly uniform white houses of brick and wood, with red-tiled rooves. These are surrounded by little wooden fences, which are rather unevenly made. Shops line the eastern side of this pathway, while garden plots dominate the road on its way westward, towards the lake. Over towards the east, there seems to be a large ranch. ===== The morning is calm, still early enough that the lake road is quiet and deserted, with most sane residents still in bed. Lake and sky are a steely gray, and the still air has a definite bite. But it's a pleasant sort of crispness, familiar, with a touch of a scent that Percival always associates with his home. It makes him long for a moment to return to Iksay, but while the thought is tempting, his duty won't allow it. Spending his time here by the lake is good enough for now. He needs to reflect on things; he still hasn't managed to catch Chris, and what he has to report isn't very encouraging either. The village is still in shambles, tensions between allies still run high... time to relax is a rare commodity. One has to take it when it presents itself. There are few things that Borus enjoys about this castle, but one of them is the air and view in the pre-dawn hours from the back of his horse. Having just returned from a rather spirited ride, he is in the process of untacking. With an harsh jerk he drops the cinch, and then carefully sets the saddle down on its pommel. The steam rising from the horse's withers and the sweat on its neck shows just how hard he pushed the horse today. He hasn't taken notice of his friend as he leads the horse for a walk towards the lake shore. The other knight's presence registers slowly with Percival, whose eyes are still fastened to the far shore of the lake, and the shadowy tips of mountains shielding Vinay del Zexay. His thoughts are rather unfocused and sleepy, so it takes a moment for him to abandon his contemplations and turn his head in Borus's direction. Perhaps it's a good thing he is no longer on duty - were his friend a foe instead, he'd have his throat slit nicely. "Hail, Borus," he calls, raising a gloved hand. Borus is leading the horse slowly behind him as his glances across the lake towards his home become increasingly longer. The large bay charger nudges him in the back, and rubs it sweaty, itchy face against his shirt. He doesn't bother to push the horse away, and when it finishes, continues walking around the lake shore. He might be here at Budehuc Castle, but his mind is wandering back to Vinay del Zexay, and thoughts of his family. Perhaps he should write them a letter? But what would he say? Percival's voice makes him return to this place of reality that he has learned to accept as fate--this run down, smelly, old castle. He waves his free hand in response, hoping that he isn't going to get a tongue lashing for abandoning a fellow knight the evening before. Shadows still smudge the skin beneath Percival's eyes, and the pale half-light of the morning washes his skin pale, almost uncharacteristically so. Despite his apparant fatigue he still has a smile for his friend, slightly crooked, with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't expect to find you out here... isn't it a little early for you?" One could probably say the same for him. He isn't known to appreciate early mornings, even on his good days. The blonde knight guides his mount over towards Percival, and one might notice that his black pants and boots are a little muddy, and some of the filth extends up his lower back (although some of that might be from the horse's annoying habit of rubbing). He grins at his tired-looking friend, "Early, but I wanted to ride right after the night rain." He doesn't bother to explain why this is preferred time, but instead pokes a poignant question to his comrade. "Any word on when we're going to be able to leave?" "Hmm," is the amused response, as Percival gives his friend a quick once-over. He'd prefer to stay, personally, if only for Budehuc's proximity to his home. The castle has a certain charm to it, even if it is a little run-down... and /far/ too small to accomodate the armies flocking to its location. There's a reason one has to sneak out before dawn to find peace and quiet. "We'll leave when the war is over, presumably. We found very little to aid us in bringing that about during our last rounds." He presses the heels of his hands against his back and stretches. Crack. "I hope the next group has more luck." Borus frowns, more in contemplation than in sadness. "The war. You know I would never second guess Chris, but can we trust some of these people?" He pats the horse on the neck, and content that it has cooled to the touch, lets it lower its head for some grass. It is in an uncharacteristic quiet voice he continues, knowing that such a sentiment is safe to be imparted to Percival. "Sometimes I fear that Karayan girl is going to just pop up and put an arrow in my back while we're supposedly on the same side." Percival scratches his chin, looking back out over the lake. He'd figured something like that might come up, but he has been away for a few days, and is thus out of the loop. "Which one? Not that it matters, I suppose." Borus always seems to have a thorn in his side when it comes to Grasslanders... most people in Zexen do, unfortunately. He can't say he himself is very fond of them after what they did to his village, either. But allies are allies. "If she does, she'll earn the wrath her tribe." Percy shrugs, casting a sidelong glance to Borus. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Despite propaganda, Karayans have a code of honor among warriors. Shooting a foe when his back is turned is a cowardly act. I doubt she would be stupid enough to do such a thing." Always the one with the rationale thought...that's Percival for you. But even the other knight's sensible words don't still all of Borus's fears. He lifts the horse's head from the ground and starts to walk it back to the stable, but stops to turn and look at his friend, an image of self-hate painted on his face. "I don't suppose I should worry about her, or any of them doing it. I guess I should wonder if I deserve it."