Post by Delilah A. Black on Nov 16, 2013 22:25:16 GMT -8
David's Post :
OOC: Due to the time frame of the funeral thread, the entire army, including home defense, of the Dragons is 300 men. This takes place at 4pm in the afternoon, the day before Zero Akechis funeral.
The sun was baking the earth. A heat to match the fire in the heart of the men who marched behind him. David was decked in his full military gear, his armor a black and purple to match his Elder Color. Behind him were two hundred and thirty soldiers. They marched with a grim set, an eye toward the destination.
Around a corner they came, and about eight hundred feet in front of them, the walls and gates to the Crows Nest. They marched on, knowing that the Crows probably saw them by this point. David didn't blink. He would wait until they came close, likely listening to the shouts from the wall. Two hundred feet away, he held up a fist, his army stopping behind him. He continued forward with five men for about another forty feet, then called out.
"Attention Crows! I require an Audience with First Crow Delilah Black immediately! Please, and thank you!"
And so he stood, waiting.
Delilah's Post :
The Crows on the wall were understandably alarmed to see the Dragons approaching the Crow territory, armed and marching. It was soon, too soon, after the Barker attack. An alarm was sounded, and while they refrained from acting, it was plain to see that they would not hesitate to move if they needed to.
"Attention Crows! I require an Audience with First Crow Delilah Black immediately! Please, and thank you!"
A minor scramble would happen at the wall as the soldiers got a hold of the man holding a radio, who swiftly relayed the information.
It would be about five minutes before the gates swung open, revealing a narrow corridor. Delilah stepped through, clad in nothing as formal as David was. Torn jeans, stained shirt, sneakers. It was not that she didn't take what was happening here seriously; but the darkness under her eyes and the paleness of her skin, tied with the presence of an extreme sadness that exuded from her features would indicate she was not herself.
But there was steel in her eyes still. She feigned a smile at David as she strode forward.
"First of Crows, at your service." Her voice was husky and hoarse.
David's Post :
David watched her approach, sadness gripping his heart like a vice at the sight of her. As she drew near, likely about fifteen feet away, David stared. He said nothing for several moments, before finally taking a deep breath.
He clapped a fist to his heart, and bowed his head, going to a knee.
The amassed army behind him walked forward calmly, no weapons drawn, and stopped about ten feet behind him. They all clapped a fist to their hearts, and fell to their knee. David voice was strong and calm, head still bowed.
"First Crow Delilah Black. Less than a week ago, you defended your lands against the onslaught of the enemy, and drove them back. In doing so, you lost a comrade, a leader, a good man. We did not know of this attack- or we would have bled with you. I apologize for this failure. For not being here to defend your men, and your leader."
He would wait for her to tell him to stand.
Delilah's Post :
The two leaders stared at eachother over the small spanse of area that separated them; David more intently than Delilah. Or so she assumed. She was able to meet his eye, but wasn't quite...focused. Staring past him, rather than at him. It was hard for her to directly lock gazes with anyone at the moment, as if such intimacy would expose further the chinks in her armour of dross.
David took a deep breath, and Delilah's eyes drifted shut for a moment; only to open when she heard the loud clatter of metal hitting stone. She gazed, wide-eyed, as the Dragon army followed suit and knelt, with hands clasped to their hearts in the Dragon salute before her.
"First Crow Delilah Black. Less than a week ago, you defended your lands against the onslaught of the enemy, and drove them back. In doing so, you lost a comrade, a leader, a good man. We did not know of this attack- or we would have bled with you. I apologize for this failure. For not being here to defend your men, and your leader."
Delilah balked, blinking rapidly as she stared down at David. This was...unacceptable! She shook her head rapidly from side to side, "Aaah, please don't kneel, you have nothing to apologise for. No one is to blame; word couldn't be sent out until the battle was nearly over. If I hadn't been patrolling, we might not have known Barker was even coming. There's no way you could have known.
"...Crow losses are my responsibility." she added with a heavier note to her voice.
David's Post :
David came to his feet, as did the men, hands clasped behind her back when she told them not to kneel. They had held it for a second longer to make a point, but once on their feet would stand at attention. David would watch her as she spoke, but as she said the word "responsibility" he walked forward and put his arms around her. David and Delilah were close- that wouldn't change. He knew how harshly she treated herself in matters like this.
"People die in war Del. You can't blame yourself."
He held her at arms length, and stared down into her worn eyes.
"Mourning is normal. And we will help."
David let her go and turned back to his men.
"DRAGONS! TELL FIRST CROW BLACK YOUR MISSION TODAY!"
One man stepped forward- August.
"SIR! WE ARE TO DEFEND THE CROWS!"
He glanced at Delilah, then spoke to them again.
"TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THE FOLLOWING DAY YOU WILL DEFEND THESE PEOPLE TO THE LAST MAN! YOU WILL GIVE YOUR LIVES BEFORE HARM GETS A GLANCE AT THEM! YOU WILL DIE BEFORE A SINGLE ENEMY SWORD CAN SCRATCH THOSE WALLS! AM I CLEAR?"
They snapped fists to their hearts, and bowed their heads- a definitive yes. David turned back to Delilah.
"I know weakness and Lax security, even during a time like this is unacceptable. Your men are strong, and stand at the walls in their grief. My men will camp outside your walls for the next three days. You may pull as many of them as you like into the walls, to gaurd your banisters. They will even don the Crow colors and uniforms, if you wish. Barker will not see another Crow body during this funeral- or for the next two weeks. After all, he wouldn't be the first to attack when an enemy is weak and in sorrow."
David pointed to the right, indicating a large road.
"For the next two weeks, one hundred men will be stationed a block and a half down that way, within shouting distance, should you need them. I encourage you to take as many of your own troops as possible from defense of this place, and allow them to attend their leaders funeral and mourn with their brothers. My men will stand in their place, vigilant, for their allies. However many you wish, from wherever you wish. They know to follow your orders for this time as if I were giving them. This is just a part of what I hope to repay for my failure. Use them, please."
Delilah's Post :
David walked up to her, quickly. Her gaze switched to his, puzzled. Her frazzled nerves, for whatever reason, interpreted his serious gaze as impending pain.
But then he hugged her.
"People die in war Del. You can't blame yourself."
A hitch formed in Delilah's breath, which she quashed with a soft growl of annoyance at herself. He pulled away, telling her mourning was normal, and again had to avert her gaze. She and David knew eachother too well for her to play up any false bravado she might have been inclined to use as a mask for her pain. "B-but--" she stuttered, trailing as David released her and turned back to his men.
"DRAGONS! TELL FIRST CROW BLACK YOUR MISSION TODAY!"
Delilah watched with wide, shining eyes as David and his men made their intentions clear; to protect the Crows during their mourning from any force that might attempt to take advantage of their turmoil. David turned and spoke the same things she was thinking, along with more offers.
The raven haired mechanic stared hard at the ground as though she found something increasingly interesting there. She ground her teeth, clenching her hands. Trying to force the tears back, though her body shook slightly with effort.
"You don't need to do that," she choked, her voice quiet so that only David could hear. "I'm[/i] the one who..."[/color] she trailed off long enough to quell her own shaking before raising her head...smiling genuinely, if sadly, for the first time in days, her voice now steady.
"...I can't thank you enough, even just for offering. It would be...a gift to many of those on the duty roster for some reprieve. We welcome you, Dragons, brothers and sisters in arms, into our walls and into our time of need."
She clasped her own hand over her heart, performing a sharp bow to David and those he brought with him. [/size]
David's Post :
David gave a small nod in return. He spoke to August.
"Make camp. For the next three days, you and the army are under the command of Delilah Black- even when I'm around. Follow her orders, and defend this city. Am I clear?"
August nodded, and would turn to Delilah.
"We will be here, whenever you wish to make use of us, First."
David would heave a sigh, and if Delilah had any commands for the men, would wait for her to finish before he spoke
"If at all possible...I'd like to stay inside and attend the funeral. I didn't know Kiyroshi that well- but if you let me, I'd like to be there for him and your people."
Delilah's Post :
Delilah nodded her agreement as she lifted her head. "Of course. We'd be honoured. We'll call on those who are more suited outside the walls should we need them...but we did deal Barker a rather heavy blow." She begrudgingly allowed herself that small ray of positivity.
David's Post :
David Nodded.
"Damn right you did. Think of this as a...just in case, if you like."
He'd smile and follow her inside, if she left, August turning to the men and ordering them to get things unpacked and settle in, as they would be here a while.
Delilah's Post :
Delilah nodded, turning to lead David inside, "Right. Just in case."
