RP:A Reunion

From HollowWiki

Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc



Summary: Having ventured to the Dancing Destrier in order to sate her appetite and her curiosity, the knight is mid-gorging on cakelog when she is found by Alex. The bard states his disbelief in seeing her and speaks about orders issued to him by Leone, which Hildegarde had no idea about. They plot to reunite in Vailkrin, when Hildegarde has regained her strength and her allies.

The Dancing Destrier

Hildegarde had been enjoying the hospitality of Kyl’oriel’s home, but she had a strong need to go off and stretch her legs. She was still weak, but every day she grew in strength under the watchful eye of her hosts and her beloved giant companions. Mikael never let her stray too far from his sight, always fearful that the dragon would fall prey to the machinations of Balgruuf and his cohorts. But she had wandered off to the Dancing Destrier, the local pub of Xalious, in search of some idle banter and some sweet treats. She was quite worried her tastebuds wouldn’t be the same after death. But with her second helping of cakelog, she soon discovered that her tastebuds were indeed fully working!


Alex staggers through the doors of the tavern that had long ago claimed the side of a rocky mountain as it's home (which wasn't too wise considering land slides and all but hey, to each their own). The bard very unkempt in the now dirty and torn clothes that once belonged to Daermon the elder vampire as well as his choice of sporting a rather rough case of bed head though despite other lacking features those blue eyes of his still beamed brightly as they scanned the establishment for any sight of friend or foe, the constant paranoia of frost giants leaping out from behind even the smallest tree that kept him up at night still ever present in his mind. What he finds is indeed friend, an undead friend who's rather occupied with shoveling junk food into her mouth as quickly as possible while Alex's own falls open with a look of astounding disbelief leaving his chin nearly touching his neck. Unless this was some cruel trick by a wicked illusionist or a side effect of sleep deprivation then the stories were true, Hildegarde the Silver had been reborn and walked among the living once again. Shuffling over with quiet but shaken steps the man hovers over the rounded table the knight claimed as her own and shifted his gaze between her single eye, worn body and the cakelog that was quickly falling victim to her appetite be finally retaking control of his suspended jaw to run his tongue delicately across very cracked chapped lips before speaking a single, unemotional word from his sandy parched throat, "Hi."


Hildegarde gulped down a chunk of cakelog as she heard a familiar voice greet her, immediately wiping at her chocolate smothered lips as she turned in her seat to get a better look at the bard. “Alex,” she said with a smile, her voice a little croaky from the month of disuse, “it’s so good to see you,” she tells him fondly. Of course, Hildegarde isn’t entirely sure what to say. She doesn’t want to dive into conversation and act as if she’s never been dead, but she also doesn’t want to make that the focal point of every encounter she has. Though, no doubt, it would likely be the focal point. “You look tired. Have you been sleeping?” she asked, with that familiar frown of concern.


Alex is justified in his assumption that the person seated before him was who he thought she was and if it were any other day, the man would have likely broken down into tears and pleaded for an explanation of some sort in the hopes of finding a hidden bit of reassurance he could cling onto as a lifeline that promised everything was going to be ok. Today however the human moves to the chair across from the dragon, pulls it out, slowly seats himself, folds his hands into one another, props his elbows on the table and stare at Hildegarde before telling a white lie, "Yes. Just haven't had much time to clean up."


Hildegarde watched as Alex took a seat opposite her, smiling at him and believing his lie to be the truth. “Well, you should wash up. Run a comb through your hair, too,” she told him, before her hand reached out across the table to touch and hopefully grasp his own. “It’s good to see you, Alex,” she said it softly, meaningfully.


Alex allowed Hildegarde to take his hand though it took a few seconds of silence before his thumb would finally branch over the back of her hand and return the hold with a squeeze, "You have no idea" he claims in a bold tone. A deep breath taken to be followed by a shaking exhale as blue eyes hide behind fallen lids for only a moment before a very hushed tone is provided, "I've followed my instructions. What am I to do now?" He asks before looking back to Hildegarde's stare hoping Leone filled her in on something or well, anything to do with the bard. He had been sent to rally supporters for Lady Silver against old blood beard and he had found them... well, her. One. A single supporter that would prove a useful ally regardless of the situation though the man didn't wish to speak out of turn or loudly in front of the strangers of the Destrier. He hoped for something useful, something that he could put his mind too in order to avoid the constant panic that he was feeling, give him orders, give him direction.


Hildegarde looked confused at this mention of having done what was asked of him, having followed instructions of some kind. Leone had lapsed into a comatose state. There was no way to pry answers out of her now. “What instructions?” she asked him quietly, her fiery brows having furrowed into a clear point of confusion. “What’s happening?”


Alex can't stand the sinking feeling that occurs in his gut as she responds with genuine confusion in response to his question, his lips press together hard enough to drain the pink color to a white tint that matches his complexion as he leans closer to Hildegarde ensuring his voice can only be heard by her, "I was banished from Frostmaw by councilwoman Leone and instructed to find supporters for you... that you were returning. I've only found a single woman but she's well worth her weight... I need to know what to do now, Hilde, I don't have anything... My instruments, my clothes, my money it's all back home and I can't go back. I want to go home, Hildegarde what do you -need- me to do?" His voice changes from the same emotionless tone to one that is shaking with either anger or fear and his hand squeezes the knight's tighter as he literally clings to her until she can offer something to help his burden.


Hildegarde offers a little squeeze to Alex’s hand in some show of reassurance, not knowing about his plight until that very second. She hated not being in Frostmaw, she hated having missed all that happened and being there to protect her friends and her people. They had needed her and where had she been? Laying there dead and being of no use to anyone. “Hush, my friend, hush,” she soothed, trying to keep the bard as calm as possible. “I need you to be calm. I need you to bring your friend to me at some point, but we can sort that later. I need you, right now, to calm down. To eat and drink something, then to wash and go sleep. I want you to rest. Then we will figure out our next step. I plan to go to Gualon soon, when I have some strength about me. Then I will go to Vailkrin. Will your friend be in either place?”


Alex shakes his head fiercely at the idea of food or rest "I'll drink some water but nothing more" his tone stern as if daring Hildegarde to try and make him rethink his decision before he moves onto the more pressing matter his eyes filled with fear at the mention of Vailkrin. "She is a vampire, I will bring her to Vailkrin. Where can we meet you?" the man's mind screaming a thousand curses at the idea of having to venture into the dark land, his phobia of vampires clawing away at his every being causing him to physically shutter in the knight's hold.


Hildegarde seemed to nod in acceptance, as if letting it slide that Alex would only drink water and nothing more. Often, when people were worked up into such a state, it was for the best to just leave them to their own devices and let Alex take care of himself. “I will not be there for a while yet. I will send you word before I am due to leave for Vailkrin, all right? I’ll figure out where I can go, though it will likely be Kasyr’s former home.”


Alex is hesitant in his speech and a long lingering pause is provided after Hildegarde's promise of sending word with him, what if he didn't hear from her? What if one of the two met their fate before their next encounter? A poisonous scenario that scratched at the man's mind though he was well pressured to retain a calm demeanor. His hands slip away from hers and he offers a serious of three short nods in confirmation with her instruction while rising out of his seat, a smile of pearly white teeth flashed to the knight as he speaks in a low voice "I look forward to it then... be safe, Lady Silver."


Hildegarde nodded as he rose from his seat, bidding her to remain safe. “And you, Alex,” she said softly. “I will see you in Vailkrin when my business in Gualon is concluded.”