Target Practice

Note that there is a split thread of conversation between Stonegit and Haddock and Stonegit and Blue, so it is more than possible not all the text has been recorded yet. 
== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
=== Part 1 ===
Emily: Emily went off to find the King, seeing him deep in conversation with Stone and Blue.
She stood a bit away from them, trying to keep out of earshot so as not to disturb them.
=== Part 2 ===
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit stood by a small, misty pond that had formed due to the water that seeped down off the ice fortress. He drew back on the strong of a small bow, breathing in the morning air, and then let the arrow fly from the taunt cord, watching it go slam into a dead tree a few meters away. The projectile hit off to the side, as usual. He drew again, heaving a sigh, his eyes narrowed. “Jackson’s an idiot…” he muttered to himself, even though he didn’t mean it. “And so is Haddock.” 
That he did mean, but saying it didn’t make him feel any better. Another arrow smashed into the wood, splintering it. “And confound it how does that even work?! I could I have pulled off that level of magic without even getting Hemlock’s help?” 
Stonegit hesitates when he sees Blue approach, but then get’s back to shooting. “The King is secure just so you know…I’m not slacking off.” he murmurs.  
Blue: "I don’t care if you’re slacking off, honestly." Blue insisted, dropping the stick he had been using earlier down and tucking his journal back in his cloak as he observed him. 
"You’re free to tell me what happened." he insisted, watching him quietly but with an air of rigidity. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit jerked the bow back and released with a touch more strength than necessary, the arrow splintering as it went astray and hit a rock. Stonegit lowered the bow with exhale, rubbing his face. He turned to Blue. “The King’s heart was not as well as I thought it had been, so I tried again, he’s better now.” he said simply, turning away. 
"Although I have a question myself. Who exactly is Tree? And who is the Warden? I have been hearing strange rumors lately about possession and am not entirely sure who is who anymore…"    
Blue: Blue knew that wasn’t the whole story, for the man was as stiff as a board and the fact his expression was so taut proved he was trying to hide something more tender. “I see. I’ve been out of the loop lately so.” he explained. 
"Tree was the guard of the dungeon previously, yes? And Warden is using her body. I’ve been possessed by the Warden once, it was quite an..experience." he said with a bit of a huff. "If it’s any consolation, I’m able to detect who is possessed." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: "Well that’s good to know," Stonegit said thoughtfully. "So the Warden is some sort of ethereal being?"   
Blue: Blue shrugged his shoulders at that question and paced slightly. “I’m not really sure. The only proper glimpse I got of them was when they were invading my mind, and it’s not like I could exactly focus then. They’re definitely something of that sort, but not benevolent.” 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit fires off his last arrow, dropping the bow and crouching down where he stood and starring off distractedly at the arrow riddled tree. He sat there for a moment of silence, then grunted and got up, walking over and beginning to pull out the arrows rigidly. “Well whatever the Warden. It’ll have to let us go eventually.” 
Blue: Blue’s gaze followed after him momentarily before he traced another symbol in the ground with his foot distractedly, he’d been doing it so much it was like his body was just doing it to keep himself busy. “I hope so; they’re after the King.” 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: "They?" 
Blue: "I believe a few more people are involved. They wish to bring back Vox, or so it appears, but I think there might be something far more harmful to it." Blue said, leveling his gaze. "Plus the way they wish going about doing it isn’t really logical, but mine wasn’t either so. Cheating death is never easy." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: "But Vox was a friend wasn’t he? He died early during the revolution…"  
Blue: "Sure, but do you really want to sacrifice the King’s soul to bring him back?" Blue asked with a raised eyebrow. " 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit whirls around, a brief explosion of flames and smoke burst from his hands. “What?! Bloody hell no! Gods is that what’s going on? Is Haddock even considering something that daft?  
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock steps forward, apparently having been wandering outdoors idly, but distracted by the sounds of voices. “What? Did I hear my name?” he asks. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit turns his head, panting heavily. “Good morning Sire I hope…” he closes his mouth, gritting his teeth slightly. “I’m sorry my King but did somebody try to bargain Vox’s life for your soul? Or am I mistaken?”   
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "Those rumors are flying around, are they? Well, they would be partially right, but not completely. I suppose you of all people should know, if anyone does… it’s all a ploy. I’m trying to watch my back best as I can, but I’m expressing willingness to people about bringing Vox’s soul back… it’s a good way to learn information and get people to talk more. And in these times where information is critical, I’ve been delving perhaps a little more than is safe in order to hopefully learn that information and have it pay off in the future. 
"But no, I’m not stupid enough to sacrifice my soul in the chance to save Vox’s. That seems like a good way for situations to cycle down even worse than they are now." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit nodded, working his jaw. “Ok.” he ducks his head, clearing his throat once. “How’s your heart Sire?” 
Blue: "I’d thought so, I hadn’t taken you to being an idiot, Haddock, so I’m glad I was proven wrong." Blue murmured idly, crossing his arms with a curious look as he observed the two. 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "I’ll need my back watched nevertheless, to pull off a stunt like this. I’m afraid that by pretending to be interesting I might accidentally find myself caught in a rabbit hole I can’t pull myself out of. It’d be nice for others to watch and make sure my ruse doesn’t put me in harm’s way. Thanks for asking and making sure I was at least not so stupid as to sacrifice myself for Vox. 
"As far as the heart is concerned, well…" Haddock reaches his hand up toward his chest, then puts it back down "…as well as can be expected, I suppose. I’m no doctor." He glares down at his crutches. "Personally not much of a fan of doctors." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: "Well as long as it doesn’t feel cold." Stonegit grunts as he tugs on the arrow. "As for watching your back… *grunts as he tugs again*…I’ll be right there as always, just keep me *tugs* updated." 
Blue: "If it’s important at all, I can assist you with dealing with other magic." Blue offered, wondering what it would be like to directly serve the king. His mind had been rather muddled anyways, and perhaps a solid thing to do would get rid of his trepidation. 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "I’ll keep you updated, assuredly," Haddock responds with a respectful nod toward Stonegit. 
"As far as magic is concerned… I must admit I know just about it as I know about doctors, which is that it’s dangerous, but you do your job, sometimes successfully, sometimes… not so successfully. What sorts of services would you provide?" Haddock seems more than a little queasy thinking about magic. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: While Haddock sorted out what Bule’s role would be, Stonegit continued to pull harshly on the stuck arrow, his eyes getting increasingly drawn together.  
Blue: Blue watched Stonegit out of the corner of his eye, pursing his lips as he considered the prospect of what he could in fact do. “I think what I can do that would concern you the most would be being able to detect magic in the first place, such as when you are being tricked or when someone is being possessed, or any sort of magic present in general.” he explained. “Perhaps maybe even a shield, but your guard over there seems to have that sort of aspect covered.” he mused, jerking a thumb over at him as he remembered how he had summed the fire briefly. 
"I know you may be wary of it all, but I’ve come a long way to be an adept so I’d like to think I could do something like protect a king, and perhaps put this magic to a use other than keeping Jackson out of trouble which I have failed at as of late." 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock nods thoughtfully. Though he still looks a bit queasy about the prospect, he admits, “That could indeed prove useful. How, um, likely are bad side effects to this magic?’ 
Blue: "Stonegit is right, though I can’t be too far away since direct magic cant travel that far but I don’t have to be around you all the time since magic appears to make you uncomfortable." Blue explained. "As for side effects, you really shouldn’t worry about it since they will fall on me, and I do believe I can handle the effects of minor spells." 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "Uncomfortable to say the least, I will admit that. But… it’s in part because I’ve seen what magic can do, and how it makes me uncomfortable, that I realize I need some protection against it. You have not been in my camp long, but if Stonegit can vouch for you, I would be pleased to invite you into my direct services." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit jerks the arrow again, crying out slightly as he pulls something in his arm. He let’s out a low growl, gripping his head tightly, and then lets out an angry yell, pulling out his ax and slamming it violently into the rotted tree. The wood around the arrow splintered and flew away, the arrow itself getting cleaved in two."Gods trollfucking half breed!" Using both hands the young Viking used both hands, hitting the tree repeatedly until it was reduced to a splintery mess. He turned around, hurling the ax away.  
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock stares, perturbed, at Stonegit’s reaction. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit, panting harshly, stared at Haddock, not even registering Blue's question. He finally broke eye contact with the King, lowering his head. “Sorry…I’m a little out of sorts…”    
Blue: Blue glanced between the two silently, feeling the sort of tension as if it were tangible. He took a half-step back, touching the edges of his cloak idly as he observed. “I hope you didnt get any splinters.” he murmured mostly to himself, offhandedly. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit lets out a shaky breath, uneasy by Haddock's silence. “Well…?” he asked. “Aren’t you going to say anything?” Stonegit hiss, curbing his harsh words. “Apologies my King.” 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "Apology accepted," Haddock answers. "Mind explaining precisely why you feel out of sorts." 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit swallows dryly. “It’s just that I a…” he hesitates, and then continues. “It’s just that you seemed quite upset last night after your heart was healed, when you sent us away and all. And I was just concerned that you…may still be upset…about something.”  
Blue: Blue was still quiet, scuffing the ground lightly with one of his boots. He wasn’t quite positive what had transpired before, but that’s what he got for holing himself up in the forest. “What exactly happened, if you don’t mind me asking.” he chimed in softly. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: "I already told you," Stonegit murmured, still waiting for a response from Haddock. 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock frowns and stiffens, retorting defensively, “My heart was cold. As far as everything else is concerned and whether or not I’m upset, is it really your business? That’s really no reason for you to respond so violently all of a sudden…” 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit grits his teeth. “Well I do have a fucking dent in my head! And what’s so wrong in asking if you’re upset with me!? It’s not a big deal!”  
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "I’m not upset with you! This has nothing - NOTHING AT ALL - to do with you!” Haddock is shouting by this point in time. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit spreads his arms. “Oh yeah! Nothing to do with me at all! So what DOES it have to do with HUH?! Whatever that THING is that you keep talking to? Does it have to do with that big plan you have that could end up GETTING YOU KILLED!?  
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: FOR THE LOVE OF ODIN, FREYA, THOR, AND THE WARRIORS THREE! You want to know what it deals with? You want to know why I had you leave the room? Why I don’t like people touching me? Why I get snappish? Why I don’t trust lots of people? Why I’m short-tempered and reclusive these last few days? 
Because I am frightened OUT OF MY SKIN. It doesn’t matter if my heart actually is cold or not, it always feels cold. Why? Because that day Jokul almost killed me cannot get out of my head. I always feel on edge. I have flashbacks. I can’t sleep that well. I realize how close I was to death at that moment and I can’t shake it. I wanted you out not because of any fault you have, but because who bloody wants to see their own king, who’s supposed to be the most caught-up, responsible, put-together human out there, going through a mental breakdown from the stress of past traumas?
Are you happy?
Are you happy now?
You just got your king to admit he’s going through some serious psychological shit!
Not if you want to help me out, put down that Odincursed bow and load up my dragon Windwalker with me. It’s time for my appointment with Tree. You can criticize me for going into a plan that might get me killed, and you can hassle me all you want about that ‘other person I talk to,’ but I’d greatly appreciate if you stay by my side and get on this dragon and we all go out with Tree and see if we can stop this problem, we can uncover why they want my soul and how they’re going to use it, and you can protect my back, and…
* deep breath *
Sorry. That was a ramble. Let me try again.
I’m leave now on my dragon. I’m going to fly with Chief Akkey and Tree to wherever Tree wants me. I’m going to pretend I want to sacrifice my soul for Vox. It’s the only way to get to the bottom of this information. If you’re so worried about my safety, come with… or stay there pouting and destroying trees. Your choice. But either way, make it quickly. We don’t have much time. 
Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss: Stonegit locks eyes with him for a moment, and then scoops up his ax, clipping onto his belt, marching past him. “I’ll go get Shovel,” he turns around. “And does it have to be your soul? Or just any human soul?” 
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: We’re finding that out right now. Come with me. It begins now. 
Category:Season 1
Category:Events
Category:Blue
Category:Stonegit Brotchurn Elmiss
Category:Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second
Category:BOTGD
Category:Blue Heron