Determination that burns in your eyes

[Guest]

Be prepared....

For what was all Seamus could think about for two weeks. He had tried to research the entry test but no where had he found any information. So he has packed a back pack full of everything: Survival kits, first aid, rations and a change of clothing.

But he was worried the test was something he wouldn't pass....what if he failed? Before he even got to see Fiachra. The days building up for today were long and sickening. He couldn't even eat and even when he could it was only something like soup....well all he had was a kettle and a microwave.

Come the fateful morning he slowly awoke to his phones alarm. groaning he buried his face in the cheap pillow that smelt of dust and things he really hated to think about. the thin blanket pulled over him as he shiver inside his pinstriped pyjama’s. Damn the library for there lack of heating. Blinding reaching out for his phone he stare at the screen.

7:30am.....

7:30am......

7:30am.......

7.....:30.........am

7:30AM!!!

HE WAS GOING TO BE LATE!!!!

In his shock he fell off the sofa and landed on the floor with a thump and yelp. A pitiful whine escaped him as he nursed his bruised behind. Grumbling he slowly stood shuffling to the bathroom.

Splashing water in his face as he scrubbed the sleep off it before brushing his teeth. He stared at himself frowning as the brush scrubbed in and out of his teeth. He was going to die....He was in way over his head. He had been signed out of the required service due to doctors advice. Concerns over his mental health had saved him from possible trauma and now here he was....trying to join the toughest and hardest group in the military.

Soon dressed and on the journey to the palace he sat on the bus reading the letter over and over again. Trying to find a hint...a clue to this test but his efforts as always ended in failure. Sighing loudly he rested against the window watching the scenery as he pondered. Today...he would meet his father. He wondered what the man would look like. One image was a gallant man skilled in hand and built for speed with short curled dark hair. Or would he be smartly dressed behind a strategic board mind spilling over maps and tactics. The possibilities were endless.

And I know your asking why not just google a man like Fiachra seeing he would have countless pages and images being one of the top men in the country. But a certain fear gnawed at the boy stomach when he tried. Holding him back from pressing search on google and making him want to throw up. In the end he left it closing the page. At least...now when he met the man there would be no way to get away.

The bus pulled to a stop just down the road from the palace and Seamus got off. Slowly willing his feet to move he carefully headed to the visitor section. The whole way up he just wanted to run back to the bus and beg it to take him far away from here. He had been so absorbed in his inturnal debate he hadn't noticed how close to the reception he was until.

BANG!!!

Stars danced in his vision as he nursed the forming bump on his brow. Oh that had been promising...he hadn't even entered the build and he was making a fool of himself. Shyly looking around to see if anyone saw he presumed the coast clear and slipped in.

The woman behind the desk had been clicking away on something and as he got closer he could see the reflection of the screen. He grimaced. Farmville? In work? How on earth was she allowed to do that? Coughing lightly he gave a feeble greeting. “Um...hello...I'm here for the....um..this!” He thrust the letter to her and watched as he eyes roamed over it. The look of pity that she gave him did nothing for his nerves. She clicked her tongue. “Just head out that door and follow the path till you get to the clearing. The Falchou should be waiting for you Mr Lynch.” She handed the letter back and returned to her virtual crops.

Passing through the door it lead to a quiet path that lead towards a field. Slowly following it he could feel his heart in his throat. Beating so loudly it pounded in his head and wondered if any one he passed could hear it. His collar suddenly felt chokingly tight and a whimper passed through his lips. Entering the clearing he couldn't stop the squeak that escaped him. “H...hello?”

[Rosaleen Quinn]

"You're application will be considered Captain, but given current standings I'm sure you'll understand if we are a bit... hesitant." The man speaking to her shifted his weight to his other foot, his discomfort at the situation between them quite clear in his voice no matter how diplomatic he was trying to be. There were some advantages to being blind. The fiery red head merely nodded her head slowly to the man who would probably have been either her comrade or superior had things been different those years ago. He needed to learn more tact though, oi. "Of course. I can assure you, however, that I have forgotten none of the training I received when I was younger. I'm glad to see that the military is keeping an open mind as to those its receiving." Ooo she could just feel him squirm. It was handy being an old fart too, generally people respected you being their elder.

The man chuckled and gave her a smile before offering his hand to her, "Always! Take care Captain, you will be contacted regarding this." He spoke before walking off, surprised at the strength of her grip. Rosaleen 'stared' off after him, his footsteps creating little vibrations in the ground, and those vibrations bounced right into her 'pinging' of the Dragons Pulse. Sonar imaging was how she functioned now since her eyesight had been robbed of her on that mission... it had to be at least five to seven years ago now.. Five to seven years since she had begun her life as a disabled individual. But she hadn't just laid down to die. No, quite the contrary. Taking a light sigh, her skirts swished as she left the interview offices for Falchou, the corridors winding till they opened up into a lovely open clearing.

It was quieter here, less footsteps and voices echoing about, less human contact. How long had it been since she stood in this building? How long since the first day she handed in her application for the military? It made her smile, almost sadly as her green eyes turned upwards to look around the room. It all felt so similar and yet... so very different. The youthful excitement was gone, the dream, the novelty. She was just a middle age woman now trying to reclaim what she felt was missing from her life, clawing at the taste of her old life that Gavin had so kindly given her. Just because her recon mission had ended, did not mean she was done. Not if she could help it. Sure she loved being a bartender and being with her father, but she missed serving her country, her king, and her people. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap... She was no longer alone.

“H...hello?” It was a soft voice, a mouse-y voice that squeaked out the word with such nervousness. Well, well, what did we have here? Turning slowly, Rosaleen smiled warmly to this newcommer in the hopes of easing his mind, the heels of her boots clicking against the ground. A fresh ping, a fresh image. He was a cute boy, and heh, young. This must be his first time entering this realm. A piece of paper was clutched tightly in one hand, the sound of its crinkling reaching her ears. "Hello." The word was soft with the hint of a lyrical lilt, her heels clicking as she walked up to the young lad. "I'm going to guess that you are applying for the Falchou?" While there were other offices about, the group predominantly resided here, so it was a question mostly for conversations sake. "Is it your first assignment for the military?" He seemed like such a green leaf to her, like some of the other recruits that had been with her all those years ago. Oh to be young... hehe.

[Guest]

The silence that sat down the hall belied any presence at all. However, within a few seconds of watching and waiting, something became painfully clear--there was something down there, it wasn't small, and it was heading this way. With each step, any loose pieces of material on the walls were dropped to the earth, and shaken on the ground. If one were to peer down the hall, they would see a large shadow approaching, far too great to be that of a real human. With each step, it would grow in size and approach, that being the moment when one would see that the door next to them was by far larger than average. Of course, the source of these earthquake-like steps was not actually paying attention to where he was going. His head was down, reading through the latest papers he had been given. "Seamus Lynch, huh? Mother's name is Maire Lynch... why does that name seem familiar?" Tapping his chin, the man stepped forwards and continued on his path. "He's applied enough times, what's he trying to do--prove himself completely to the cause? Fool." The man chuckled quietly, and yet continued along his path without stopping. "Then again, I can't fault the poor kid. I must admit, though, his school marks are off the charts. Why did he not study at a University? I may be funding this boy to go, yet." Laughing softly, the actually-rather-studied-himself leader of the Faolchú finally stepped through the breach and into the main office room, looking around for whomever it was that he was supposed to be looking for.

Looking over in another direction, he could notice a woman and a youth standing next to each other, among this crowd. One of the greater things that he noticed was the fact that the woman was a Miss Rosaleen Quinn. Hm. She was here as well? Maybe, just maybe, she was also considering to apply for the position around here... Grinning softly, he approached. It was always difficult for those with something of a physical 'disability' to be considered for a position within the elite, but Fiachra's mind was different. Fuck the bureaucratic assholes that ran this section. If Fiachra wanted someone in his Faolchú, he would have someone in his Faolchú. Nodding now, he stepped beside the pair and loomed down at them. "I assume that you're my newest candidates. Yes, I said candidates. Seamus Lynch, your intelligence has made me wonder exactly why you weren't accepted to this earlier. Rosaleen Quinn, you don't need to worry about the red tape. This is a formality: if someone can prove themselves to fit within my ranks, then why the hell wouldn't they?" Laughing softly, he stepped backwards and bowed slightly, still standing at a rather tall height above them. "If I may introduce myself properly," said the man, taking no heed of the gasping crowd around him, staring at this person who overshadowed all of them in height, wearing clothes that were really not of this time, "My name is Fiachra Brennan, current leader of the Faolchú, also known as 'Iskander'. If you would be so kind as to follow me..." The man turned away from the pair and started to head back down the hallway he'd come through, "Your testing shall begin..."

[Guest]

"Hello." A soft lyrical voice echoed in his ear's like a sheet of the finest music. He blushed as he saw a beautiful woman walk over. He looked down shuffling nervously. "I'm going to guess that you are applying for the Falchou?" Well she clearly wasn't Fiachra Brennan. Wait was this so much of a joke to the that he couldn't bare to come and see his test? Was this just a bit of pity. He could hear the twittering chuckles of some passing men finding seat's and the nausea and hot tear's of humiliation formed in his eyes. "Is it your first assignment for the military?" He gasped lightly on the hard lump forming in his throat. "Is...he not coming?" His voice was small and so defeated. Maybe his step father was right and that he was so useless no one wanted him to be around them.

The ground shook under him and a cry escaped his throat. "What the..." Some tear's shaken from his lashes as he looked over to see the large man walk over. Oh dear lord! That had to be some trick. Could there really be a man that tall? He whimpered staring up at the figure. He was going to die. He would be ripped to shred by this man and left a broken pile on the floor. Then he wouldn't meet his father. Maybe it would be for the best.

"I assume that you're my newest candidates. Yes, I said candidates. Seamus Lynch, your intelligence has made me wonder exactly why you weren't accepted to this earlier. Rosaleen Quinn, you don't need to worry about the red tape. This is a formality: if someone can prove themselves to fit within my ranks, then why the hell wouldn't they?" He whimpered slightly as he was completely towered over by this monster of a man. He stepped back and bowed. "If I may introduce myself properly,"

"My name is Fiachra Brennan, current leader of the Faolchú, also known as 'Iskander'. If you would be so kind as to follow me..." What.....this monster of a man was Fiachra Brennan. He quaked and shook staring as his head whirred. This....was his father. This man...was strong most likely extremely intelligent and everything he wasn't. He whimpered again as tear's brewed up spilling down his cheeks. "Your...Fiachra Brennan...." He lost the feeling of his knee's and suddenly the world went fuzzy and blurry. He couldn't tell him....the man would be disgusted by his uselessness. Maybe he would be like his step father due to the discuss of his useless. He didn't hear his last sentence as he pitched forward leg's crumbling under him in a dead faint.

[Gavin Etheridge]

Work, work, work. it never ended. You'd think that being King meant he'd get the easy shift and could just schluff all the boring stuff onto someone else and let them deal with the crap. But no, Carraig was such a small nation and the King had always been the one to oversee everything; Gavin was no exception, especially since he was the one king that decided he had to go making so many radical new changes. New laws that had never been in place before, new policies being questioned by half the people. For every person who loved the changes he was trying to implement was at least one person who would rather Carraig go back to the old ways that had suited the country for centuries. There were plenty of peopl who honestly would have just preferred the nation go back to providing mercenary services to the world and using that as their income and hated sitting idle as the world tore itself apart. Really, there was no pleasing everyone.

Walking at a decent pace, Tavin sipped at a travel mug of rather strong tea, reading over a notepad with a file on top of it. He had a rather full day, including a meeting with an Esparian dignitary later that afternoon to work out some of the new food export agreements. But before all that, Fiachra had wanted him to pop by and look over the newest candidates for his Faolchú. He couldn't stay and dedicate too mcuh time to it, though Gavin did love seeing Fiachra at work and testing new candidates through strength, agility and cleverness was always a thrill to see. He took another sip, heading down the cooridor, Artemis on one side chatting to him about his schedule, and Cinders at his other side, padding along loyally. The giant dog's claws clicked against the hall floor as he walked and ignored all other soldiers milling about. They turned once more, heading to where Fiachra typically met with new candidates within the building before taking them outside to test.

Ah, good. Fiachra was already there with what appeared to be a reed wearing a young man's clothes, and... Rosaleen. Gavin couldn't help but smile warmer now, taking another sip to drain his cup as he walked a little faster, passing the files back to Artemis to give a wave. He paused, passing his cup to a runner to go refill as he reached for his speech aide, and watched as Fiachra introduced himself. Gavin would wait until after they'd met him to make his own presence known. The boy looked terrified of Fiachra, pale, very thin, and.... now unconscious. Gavin's eyebrows raised, blinking. Did the kid really just faint? Really? Gavin tapped at his speech aide as Cinders moved forward, sniffing at Seamus' hair. "Stout-hearted lad, I see." Gavin smiled faintly as he shook his head. Usually the newbies didn't faint until the testing was underway. He tapped at the keypad again, looking from Fiachra to Rosaleen.

"Nice to see you both. What brings you here, Rosaleen?" The retired captain was listed as special service when Gavin had delicate issues that he felt she'd do well for, but there wasn't anything crossing his desk offhand that he'd thought to call her on. Perhaps Fia needed her services?

[Guest]

She walked beside Gavin her long ponytail swishing behind her as her hips swayed. "Seems like Fiachra is having a good turn over recently isn't he." Today was another test and this sounded like it was going to be interesting. Well if there pillow talk was anything to go by. She stretched and looked to Gavin. "Maybe we need to get you an assistant...your stressing yourself out..." Laying a comforting hand on the kings shoulder as Cinders trotted beside them. She loved that massive beast of a dog so much.

As they entered the training grounds she smiled seeing her lover there. Jogging ahead she threw her arms round his neck pulling him down to kiss him. Luckily the people of the Faolchú had enough fear and respect to know to keep there mouths shut.

Twump

Blinking as she looked to see the boy had toppled over in a dead faint. She looked to Fia. "Don't they normally faint at the test....not before?" Poor kid looked like he should be in high school not here. Looking up to see the other person she smiled and waved. "Morning Bree." As usual getting the name wrong. "I didn't realise you were testing too?" She watched as Cinder's sniffed at the boy and sighed. "Fia you better be gentle on the poor scrap...your pinkie most likely could snap him in half alone...."

[Shula Brighton]

{BUMP}

[Rosaleen Quinn]

It was a bit hard to read any facial expressions since vibrations could only carry so far and detail so much of the human form, so she had little to no idea just how nervous he was. Except for the possible trembling of his knee's. She could, however, detect tears. Moisture on the flesh was something outside of the body and responded to her pings on their own. And this boy, had tears gathering in his eyes. There was more of a mass about them, she could tell. "Is...he not coming?" Who? Rosaleen tilted her head ever so slightly, not losing her gentle smile as she stood there before him. Who could he... Ah! "Do you mean Fiachra? I'm sure he'll be here, he is the one to run the tests." She spoke softly, resisting the urge to reach a hand out to this boy who was clearly upset for reasons that were certainly beyond her full comprehension.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The heavy footsteps registered like earthquakes on her sensors, startling Rosaleen as she turned her head this way and that since the vibrations he was causing were simply so massive! It took a moment for her to get a clear read of the source that was approaching them. "What the..." She found herself smirking slightly as her body turned slowly to face the giant of a man that was the head of Faolcú. "I assume that you're my newest candidates. Yes, I said candidates. Seamus Lynch, your intelligence has made me wonder exactly why you weren't accepted to this earlier. Rosaleen Quinn, you don't need to worry about the red tape. This is a formality: if someone can prove themselves to fit within my ranks, then why the hell wouldn't they?" Seamus Lynch must be the green horn boy beside her. Had he let out a whimper, or was that just her? Her smirk only grew as Fiachra's laughter echoed about the hall. To hear him say those words meant far more than that other twit of a man she had spoken to before.

"If I may introduce myself properly, my name is Fiachra Brennan, current leader of the Faolchú, also known as 'Iskander'. If you would be so kind as to follow me..." Most excellent, most excellent indeed! Rosaleen was about to walk after the man she hoped would be her boss until she sensed the weakness in the form beside her. She immediately whipped about, already stepping forward as the tears rolled down the poor boys face, his words taking prevalence to Fiachra's. She didn't even notice her king and his guard approaching, nor how the guard had kissed the giant man so. "Your...Fiachra Brennan.... Catching him as he fainted dead away, she was surprised by how light his body felt in her arms, cradling his head in her lap as she remained crouched on the ground. He was so tiny! But what in the world had caused him to faint so? His words indicated it wasn't the testing so much as the man that would be testing them to be the cause of this fainting spell.

"Stout-hearted lad, I see." She knew that voice. Blinking, Rosaleen snapped to attention as she had to remember to ping the Dragon's Pulse (she had forgotten to after catching Seamus), finding that it was indeed Gavin. Her expression softened even further, the smile that spread across her lips one of pleasant surprise. She hadn't had a chance to see him since their last meeting so it was welcome to get to "see" him again. "Nice to see you both. What brings you here, Rosaleen?" She turned her head slightly, her emerald eyes seeming to focus upon Artemis. "Morning Bree. I didn't realise you were testing too?" Hehe, she would eventually correct her on the name but for now it wasn't necessary. "A pleasure as always sir. Good morning Artemis." It was the sound of sniffing that drew the retired Captain's attention next, smiling softly as she reached out a hand towards the dog before chuckling softly. She did love dogs so.

But now to answer their questions. Lowering her hand, Rosaleen shifted her grip on the boy and rose to her feet, carrying him in her arms bridal style. He really was so light, would he be alright for this test? "Well, I figured I may as well try my luck returning to active duty and Faolchú seemed as appropriate a place as any. If nothing else I'm curious to see how I would fare." She smiled warmly to the two of them before turning to face Fiachra once more, "Do you know this boy from before perchance?" She couldn't help it, her more motherly instincts were trumping anything else at the moment.

[Csilla Angelis]

{BUMP}

[Guest]

"Your...Fiachra Brennan...." Woah. Kid had a weak body and knees. As the male fell before Fiachra, he had to stand there and wonder if this really was good for him. Then again, he most certainly incited such a reaction quite often in the faces of those with lower constitutions. Chuckling quietly, he knelt down in front of Seamus, looking at him with worried eyes. Why did he react like that, though? Was it the shock of seeing him, or was it something else? "Stout-hearted lad, I see." Chuckling quietly, Fiachra slowly stood back up. The sound of that computerized voice was something that he'd never get over--but would always be most used to. Smiling to himself, the man looked over at his King, Gavin Etheridge... and smiled brightly. "Nice to see you both. What brings you here, Rosaleen?" Since Rosaleen was the one being spoken to... Fiachra turned his attention away. Stretching, he prepared to pick the boy up, when--"Seems like Fiachra is having a good turn over recently isn't he." Aha. Grinning at this, the man stood up straight and turned back. Standing there was, above all else, his current lover--Miss Artemis Sciath. Arms were thrown around his neck, and the pair embraced in a quick kiss (Fiachra had to lean down. Of course.)

"Don't they normally faint at the test....not before?" He chuckled quietly, turning back to the kid and sighing softly. "Fia you better be gentle on the poor scrap...your pinkie most likely could snap him in half alone...." Hm. That was true. "You have a point there. Maybe the testing will be slightly different this time. I'm thinking... a nice game of chess." He chuckled softly. It was true. They kept a chess board here for a few situations. It was useful for planning battle strategies with singular soldiers... or actual chess. "Do you know this boy from before perchance?" He knelt down in front of Seamus as Rosaleen spoke once more. "Not a clue... his mother's name is familiar to me, however." Sliding his arms under the body of the youth, he picked him up and held him over his shoulder... in a way that would be quite uncomfortable for those of the waking. "However, this makes for a good testing situation. We will begin the test proper when Seamus awakes. To the chess board." He grinned, walking off in the direction that he had come. "Artemis, Gavin; you are both welcome to attend if you wish." He would nod, and then start off down the hallway, passing familiar doors and counting to himself in his head.

Three, four, five.. there we go. Passing into the room with ease, he knelt down and placed Seamus on the floor, next to what appeared to be a two-foot-by-two-foot black square. There were more of them, too, alternating in white and black. And on parts of these squares... there were chess pieces. Each was made out of steel-plated concrete, so they were most certainly not light. Fiachra could pick'em up, but he was one of the few who could. As well as this, the man would make his way over to a wall and pull open a door--several objects were present, everything from ropes to steel bars. It was easy enough to move these pieces with objects like this and a few people. "And now, we wait. Seamus must awaken, and both you and he will play me in a game of chess. Is that fair, Rosaleen?" He chuckled. With Rosaleen's blindness and Seamus' apparent physical weakness, it would be difficult for them. Something to overcome. Something to test with.

It would be glorious.

[Guest]

A soft grunt escaped the lips as fia placed the boy over his shoulder. The horrible uncomfortable feeling dug into the boy gut slowly helping him out of the dark oboist. But even with the rough feel of the man's shoulder the soft fur brushed his cheek and a warmth he had never felt before. Eyes blinking part way opened revealed the swishing cape as the man carried him. His initial taught was to panic but then the strong heart beat pulsed against him. It was odd for a second there hearts beat together and it calmed him.

Gently placed on the floor he completely stirred to find himself staring at a monster of a chest board with pieces that towered over him. Almost as if it had walked out of a harry potter film. "What the..." He stuttered sitting up and looking round. Why were people sniggering or staring. He flushed as he struggled to stand. He had fainted on sight of his father....This was not good. Looking over to Fiachra he couldn't help but stare with his jaw open. The man was HUGE! There was no way they were related....It couldn't be...

Shaking his head he bit his head looking to Fiachra struggling to even look at him. “Seamus Anders Bre.....Lynch here for the test.” His hand held out for Fiachra to shake in a gentlemans greeting, yet trembled showing his clear subissiveness. He looked over the chest board. A test of logic and tactic it seemed. He looked to Rosaleen and then back to Fiachra. “White goes first...” He said softly wondering if he was white or black. Unsure how on earth he was to move the piece. .

[Rosaleen Quinn]

At least Fiachra bent down to examine the boy upon his fainting, Rosaleen currently trying to remember if she had her flask so as to help the boy wake up with the smell of the alcohol. Ah but they were moving onward already. "You have a point there. Maybe the testing will be slightly different this time. I'm thinking... a nice game of chess." Chess eh? It couldn't just be a regular chess match, could it? Aye, that did seem much more suited to the young Seamus but there had to be a catch. Unless she was just being overly paranoid which would have been a shock since that would mark the first time she was since she lost her eyesight. In any case....

Fiachra was bending down again, Rosaleen's green eyes raising to look at the large man as he gazed down at the boy. "Not a clue... his mother's name is familiar to me, however." He knew his mother's name? What did that mean? Were they friends, old comrades, something else, lovers, what? She let him take the boy, but had to bite her tongue against suggesting he carry the boy another way. The blood would return to his head, but she didn't want him to have a heart attack upon awaking either. "However, this makes for a good testing situation. We will begin the test proper when Seamus awakes. To the chess board." Oh dear. Turning back to Gavin and Artemis, she offered them a bow of her head, unsure if they would follow or not. "Artemis, Gavin; you are both welcome to attend if you wish."

Ack. Giant. Footsteps. Can't... See.... She had to close her eyes so she could focus even harder on her pings, her hands raising a little as an added precaution to her not bumping into anyone or anything. The vibrations he set off cut right through her echolocation and made the images she normally got static-y or extremely distorted. She made sure to walk at least seven feet behind him. That barely lessened the distortion, at least she could tell the floor wasn't jumping. She followed him along the hallway till they got to a door, her hands feeling the frame as he disappeared further inside. The farther he was, the more she could "see." Much better. Her hands lowered back to her sides, and she slowly walked into the room, trying to extend her senses to examine the room they now found themselves in. Her focus immediately came to where Seamus was now laying, on a very slightly raised, different section of the floor. In fact, that difference extended a great way to a giant square that took up most of the room, huge statues extending from points. Her eyes widened slightly, it was a giant chessboard. "And now, we wait. Seamus must awaken, and both you and he will play me in a game of chess. Is that fair, Rosaleen?" "What the..."

"Aye sir." She merely glanced to Seamus before she strode forward with her hands extended, placing her palms along the surface and feeling along it. Cold. So either stone or metal. Didn't have the same glaze as stone, so probably metal. She knocked a hand against it and heard a very muffled ting! Metal indeed. Metal coating something. “Seamus Anders Bre.....Lynch here for the test.” Good, he was definitely awake. Rosaleen noticed where Fiachra was standing now, and walked over to the doors, her brows furrowing as she peered inside. Different things that she supposed would help her move those monster of pieces. In all honesty, she wasn't really sure if she could move them alone. Seamus would be no help no offense to the boy, and he would need to be her eyes anyways. She couldn't distinguish between black and white blocks on the floor. Then there was the matter of weight.... She picked up one of the steel bars and a loop of rope to be safe before returning to the odd pair, tying her hair back since there was no way she could have it down. “White goes first...”

Stepping up by Seamus, she gave him a warm smile and nodded once to him, glancing around at the board with a light sigh. "I will need you to be my eyes, I can't distinguish the color of the tiles. I can worry about moving the pieces if you do that." She spoke to him softly, already wishing she had worn gloves today. Rope burn was not fun in the least bit.

[Gavin Etheridge]

Watching Fiachra test new candidates was always a thing of beauty, especially since even Gavin didn't always know what to expect. Tests of strength, cunning, speed and courage were what was given to herald in new members of the elite forces, and the tests were always a little different depending on the person testing. Direct tests of brute strength told only one thing, but were certainly no accurate gauge for all a soldier's merit and mettle. The boy on the ground certainly looked nothing like most of the other soldiers of the Faolchú, but Gavin knew that certainly wasn't enough to scrtch him off the list. "Maybe the testing will be slightly different this time. I'm thinking... a nice game of chess." Gavin took another lance at the boy on the floor as Fia checked on him. Chess seemed to be a better idea if one were just going on looks alone, but knowing Fia, it wouldn't be at the board Gavin would sit and play him at.

"Well, I figured I may as well try my luck returning to active duty and Faolchú seemed as appropriate a place as any. If nothing else I'm curious to see how I would fare." Gavin smiled lightly, a little surprised and rather impressed that the retired Captain would not only try to reenlist, but go straight for the top of the army's ranks. There were two ways to get into testing: you either applied for it, or you were invited, and either way you were pitted against whatever Fiachra could throw at you. The Faolchú were the best for a reason, and it took a lot to get just to testing. Gavin knew how impressive Rosaleen was, but knowing she'd test in to join as well... Well, that just kind of added another little sticker to her record. "Artemis, Gavin; you are both welcome to attend if you wish."

Gavin looked between the three of them, and then at the notepad with today's agenday. Busy as it was, Fia did ask him to drop in to oversee the event a little, and the candidates were certainly of interest to the king. Gavin smiled faintly as Seamus was passed from Rosaleen's arms to Fiachra's shoulder, gavin taking the aid in hand to type. "I wish you the best of luck on your skill test, Captain. Fia, I can spare a little time to watch. I want to see how they test." He gave an easy smile to Rosaleen as Fiachra began to walk down the hall and then glanced to Cinders, raising his hand to get his attention and subtly pointed at Roasleen, silently telling the massive dog to walk beside her as she followed behind. Five doors down Fiachra tromped, everyone following in tow, leading into a room that was a giant chess set, tall cement and steel-plated pieces covering the tiles of the floor.

It had been a while since Gavin had seen Fia challence anyone to his chess, and the pieces took no small skill to move; even using the series of ropes and poles was more than a little challenging. Seamus began to come to as Rosaleen fitted herself with a pole, Gavin taking a seat near the door to watch. Cinders came in and sat down, tall and panting lightly as he joined in the watching. "White goes first," Seamus had sad as he got his bearings. Rosaleen positioned herself to man the pieces, the two of them working together to take on Fiachra. Well, this should prove intersting. Gavin wondered if he'd have time to watch the whole test. His fingers padded on the keys of his aid lightly, watching with a piqued curiosity and enthusiasm shining in his eyes.

"The best of luck to you both," Gavin stated, giving the two a look as he studied them briefly and then looked back to the board, already wondering which strategy Seamus would employ first.

[Guest]

Content noise escaped her throat as they shared a short affection before he looked back to the kid. Poor thing...he clearly was in way over his head here. She wondered what it was that made Fia bring him here. "You have a point there. Maybe the testing will be slightly different this time. I'm thinking... a nice game of chess." She chuckled slightly. Knowing Fia it would not be so simple.

As Rosaleen question Fia on the boys odd reaction to meeting him she shook her head and sighed. "Maybe she worked here once? We had a large turnover of the maids the other year..." She said tapping her chin. "However, this makes for a good testing situation. We will begin the test proper when Seamus awakes. To the chess board." She chuckled as Fia threw the boy over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Poor thing.... "Artemis, Gavin; you are both welcome to attend if you wish." She smirked. "I was going to even if you said no." She purred at him sticking her tongue out.

Soon approaching the over sized board with pieces as tall if not taller then her she blinked. "If it was any other man Fia i would say you were over compensating for something...." She ran a finger over the queens face staring into the stone cold dead eyes. "This could be fun." Ah the little one appeared to be waking and now confused by it all. She smiled and waved as he blinked and slowly took everything in. Moving over to sit by Gavin Oh yes this might be interesting...

[Csilla Angelis]

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