Group role-play: Maeyja, Raife

Part 1 - Dance
Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Raife | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Raife | Maeyja | Maeyja | Maeyja | Maeyja | Raife | Raife | Maeyja | Raife
Part 2 - Recruitment

Raife - Raife's double-edged sword
The Angarak clan hall was alive with preparation. It had been only a week since Raife was named Commander of the Horde and since Murgos were not known for their lighthearted nature invasion plans for the West had already begun.
Raife and his staff of advisors were going over maps of the Eastern escarpment when Cyras entered the room. Silence fell over everyone immediately as people stopped mid sentence at the presence of the disciple of Torak. Everyone understood that regardless of what soldier held the title of commander it was the Grolims that had the real power, and here was Torak's own disciple. 
Slightly dumbstruck Raife began reciting a greeting to the Disciple. We are humbled by the presence of Torak's right hand, how might we serve our Dragon God." 
Without a hint of why he was present Cyras said "The Dragon God wishes for me to talk with Raife in private." 
At hearing that the advising staff, looking rather relieved, bolted for the nearest exit, leaving the new army commander and the ancient disciple alone in a silence that could be cut with a dull knife. 
I am very pleased with your accomplishments Raife, you have thus far proven yourself to be a commander that I can count on. I have brought a gift, my way of showing you how obedience to Kal Torak is rewarded."
Cyras left the room for a brief moment and came back with a rather stunning Nadrak woman. The woman looked at Raife with a fire in her eyes that made Raife rethink the looks he was directing at her.
This is Maeyja.

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Maeyja - Maeyja the slave dancer
She bowed slightly to this scarred Murgo before her. She was a bit perplexed by this exchange. Only a day ago was she purchased by Cyras today she was being given to another. She felt slightly displeased about being passed around as a gift. She did not profit from being a gift...but then again, Cyras paid very well for her and she would not argue with his decision. 
'She is the most beautiful Nadrak woman on the market and a wild dancer' he said and looked toward Maeyja. 'Dance for him Maeyja.'
Cyras called for a servant, requesting the room be cleared and a beat be prepared for her. She shook off her confusion and slight irritation and moved to the center of the room. The slave bells wrapped about her ankles jingled airily in the silence that befell the room.
She unclasped her cloak, revealing a sheer crimson dress, that reached about mid-thigh. A mass of black waves flooded down her back as she unpinned her hair, shaking it loose against her creamy skin. She moved aside from her cloak, the glint of her silvery daggers beneath her dress catching the light of the fireplace. 
Without warning, a steady rhythm poured through the hall. Maeyja's body almost unconsciously began to sway in a fluid motion. She danced in circles across the floor, her hips undulating rhythmically to the sounds around her. She glanced quickly at Raife, satisfaction shooting up her spine as she saw his eyes ablaze with lust. She worked herself over to his seating position, purposefully brushing her fragrant hair against his skin. 
The rhythm began to fade and her motions gradually stilled. She finished her dance by kneeling before Raife, boldly challenging his gaze with her sultry eyes. 
'Well?' Cyras asked, waiting for Raife's response.
'I am honored to receive such an exquisite gift. I will accept her,' he said, his voice thick.
He reached out to take her, but her hand was already on her dagger.
'She's a deadly one Raife. Don't forget yourself,' Cyras said with a pleased smile. 'Think of her much like you would think of me. While you keep me satisfied you will be rewarded, but the minute you disappoint me I will stretch you across the altar and give your blood to Torak.'

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Raife - On with plans
As Cyras left the room, Raife was left alone with his new gift. He looked at her and then at the door the disciple had just left through, trying to decipher the hidden meanings in the disciple's abrupt entrance and departure. Maeyja moved slightly, jingling her bells, bringing Raife from his contemplations. 
I must say I admire your...Dancing. Raife said looking towards the beautiful Nadrak standing before him. She nodded her head ever so slightly in acknowledgement but her eyes were steel. This made Raife a little uncomfortable so he asked her to wait in the sitting room while he called in his advisors to finish their invasion plans. 
My Lord, one of Raife's many general said, "If we set up siege engines on the top of the escarpment then we can keep the Algars at bay while we bring our troops down the ravines." 
A decent strategy, admitted Raife, trying hard to concentrate on the battle plans but drifting to thoughts of Maeyja. He wondered how he was going to be able to cope with this woman, she was stunningly gorgeous but the knives she carried spoke volumes. Raife brought his thoughts back to the problem at hand. 

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Maeyja - A woman's battle tactics
Maeyja sat patiently in the other room, pressing her ear against the door, curiosity overwhelming her. It took her a bit to focus the muffled noises, but finally she could hear their discussion. It appeared to be some sort of battle strategy, which intrigued her further. She heard only the last bit and some rustling and then the door swung open. 
She sank back, trying to look a little less conspicuous, bending her head to the ground so as not to show her surprised expression. Raife raised his eyebrow curiously at her. 
'Were you eavesdropping? ' he asked with an accusing tone. 
'Well, yes, ' she said quite honestly, realizing that lying would get her nowhere.
Raife laughed. 'What a bore that must have been for you. Women know know nothing about war.'
Maeyja scowled at him, her blue eyes turning icy. 'I know a great deal about war. In fact, I can tell you with a great deal of confidence that your plan is flawed. '
He seemed taken aback by her bold statement. He expected some kind of retort, but certainly nothing as far as an insult. 
'Even if you do hold the Algars at bay and you make it down the ravine, you have no way to retreat. The Tolnedrans will move to assist the Algars, fearing your invading army will be aimed at their borders. Tolnedrans always believe the world revolves around them. I'm a little shocked that someone as high ranking as yourself wouldn't have considered the Tolnedrans earlier. '
He frowned, slightly wounded by her statements. 'I didn't ask for your opinion woman, ' he grunted disapprovingly and began walking out of the room.
She shrugged and began following him. 

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Maeyja - A remnant of the past
Weeks passed since the day of her arrival to her new home and Master. She saw very little of him during that time except when he returned to his bed chamber to sleep. And even then, the only thing that came out of him was a few guttural noises with no meaning. Their only interactions existed on pure routine. But, every silence is eventually broken, and on one especially dreary evening, Raife sparked a conversation. 
'Where did you learn about war tactics?' He asked, a hint of long-awaited curiosity carrying in his tone. 
'Well, since this is the first time we've decided to speak and I'm very fond of chattering, I will start from the beginning. But first, let's get you out of this armor.' 
With nimble fingers, she started unfastening his clothing. 
'Hmm, that's a new wound,' she said, pointing at a fresh cut on his leg. 
He said nothing in response and only waited. She brought out some soft linen for him to wear. She was sure that he would wear his armor to bed if she let him. After she was satisfied with that, she headed toward the fireplace and stretched out on a finely woven rug. 
'I grew up with my parents. My mother was also a dancer. I suppose that's fairly obvious, otherwise I would not be here today. My father was a spy, a much respected one at that. He taught me how to use my daggers,' she paused, playing with one of her daggers for a little bit. 
'In any case, I was sold when I was 14 to a very old man. It was a very nerve-wracking event. Up to that point I lived in the comforts of my home. I found it strange that someone so old would want to purchase a dancer, but he paid well and I didn't think too much about it. Later I found out he was just lonely and wanted to share the rest of his days with someone.' 
She peered up at Raife to make sure he was still paying attention.
'Hey! Listen to me!' She demanded, her voice rising up and octave. He turned his gaze back to her and grunted. 
'Anyway. To get to your question, this man was a war veteran. He had years upon years to tell me about his experiences including his strategies and plans. I liked his stories. He was very excitable. And that, my Lord, is where I learned all about war.' 
He nodded. 'So how did you end up here?' 
'Well, as would be expected of any old man, he died. In the last few weeks of his illness, he sent me to a slave auction. And here I am, sitting with yet another man preoccupied with war.' 
She stared off into nothingness for a while, her face slowly growing sullen. 'He was such a dear old man. Almost like a grandfather to me.' 
She sighed, turning away from Raife to face the fire.

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Raife - Dreams
Raife turned away from Maeyja, not wanting to interrupt her while she was reminiscing. He soon drifted off to sleep, also overcome with nostalgia. Quickly, sharp images of the past began to arise in his mind. 
The first day of his life, when he saw his family for the last time and became a soldier at the age of 6. He trained hard and long as was the Murgo credo, honing his skills with weapons. He filled his head with Angarak paraphernalia and his mind with military strategy. He studied the strength of the Angarak army and the weakness of the kingdoms of the west. He listened daily as his military instructors, retired generals and colonels explained the logic behind an expansion to the west, and why it was not yet time to set those plans into motion. Grolim priests occasionally came to preach of the Dragon Gods slumber and his return to rule over the world. Kal Torak would come and the armies of the east would be ready to lay waste to the west. 
His first was fight on the plains of Algaria while in a Murgo raiding party. Bashing the skull of an Algarian herds keeper with his mace. The crunch as the vile scum's skull cracked under the blow, brain matter oozing out of the cracks, mixing with the black flow of blood. The scream and grunt of death music to his ears as the horseman slid from his saddle. The corpse was trampled on as the raiding party drove dozens of horses over it and back up the ravine. 
Becoming commander of the eastern army. He began planning for the day that Kal Torak would come and command Raife to lay waste to the west. The anticipation set him to a strict regimen of battle theory and soldier training, along with his own practice to keep up his skills.
The two edged sword Cyras gave him, Maeyja. "Think of her much like you would think of me. While you keep me satisfied you will be rewarded, but the minute you disappoint me I will stretch you across the altar and give your blood to Torak. What would Maeyja be to him, the altar or...the altar?

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Raife - A Simple Question
The months went by as Raife and Maeyja became acquainted with each other. It took a month just to learn how to be civil. From the start Maeyja had been defensive, but this slowly dissolved as she adjusted and her sharp tongue grew a little bit more controlled. She even began to enjoy the time when her master would return to his chambers where she would routinely tend for him and prod him to talk about his day.
Their time together wasn't always smooth and Raife received a few knife wounds during the time. Despite the occasional knifing, he felt pleased with his most prized possession. Maeyja was the envy of Raife's advisors. Due to Murgo custom, they never voiced their opinions or even hinted at their feelings to either commander or Maeyja. But, their eyes mirrored their feelings and it was quite obvious how they felt. With a bit of prodding, Raife began allowing Maeyja access to the libraries of Rak Urga, where she could study history and war. Eventually, he even went so far as to let her listen to his strategy meetings, putting her in a spy room that was occasionally used by the spies he commanded. She became his personal advisor, in secret of course. While Murgodom would accept he owned a Nadrak woman, they would not accept that he listened to her advice in political and military matters. Raife was amazed by how keen she was at making war and began to greatly admire his woman for her mind.
Plans for western invasion were chugging along smoothly Raife had already doubled the Murgo presence in the west, increasing the amount of "merchants" to and from the land. One day, after a particularly long discussion with Maeyja, Raife asked "Would you like to accompany me on an ambassadorial trip to Gar og Nadrak?"

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Maeyja - The beginning of business
Maeyja's eyes glittered with delight at the thought of being home. She quickly agreed and made some necessary arrangements for her leave. Silk dresses were not suitable for riding, so she, with Raife's gold, picked out some leather attire for riding. 
She didn't really question the trip and believed it to be entirely procedural. Her master was, after all, a Lord and it was his duty to oversee certain events. And he, of course, would want her to be there to help him socially for her beauty and quick wit would certainly help his standing. Although she doubted Murgo's cared much about that sort of thing. Either way, she thoroughly enjoyed getting out of the dreary military base. Her focus shifted onto a million things, absorbing it all in as they rode. 
A few weeks later they arrived in Yar Nadrak and were promptly escorted to the King's palace. Upon their arrival, they were dispersed into various rooms into the hall. Maeyja found herself strangely saddened that she would have her own room. But at least she'd have a bed to sleep on. 
The evening of their arrival was quite an event for Maeyja. She had never experienced so much royal behavior. So much bowing and polite talk. While it was a new experience and she certainly took what she learned and applied it with great skill. 
It began with a knock on her door. A servant poked his head it and announced that dinner would be ready in an hour. She nodded, sent him away and started readying herself. This would ultimately be her time to shine. 
The dinner was a bit slow and it seemed like everyone was beating around the bush about something. It was all very tense. Murgo's are not very good conversationalists either, so she took it upon herself to keep the conversation from running dry. She happily absorbed all of the attention, even managing to impress King Drosta from time to time. 
Then, as the fire in the hall was burning low, and the men were lounging about full and drunk, she was asked to dance. She prepared well for this event as she knew every detail would be key to her success. She also knew that King Drosta would have seen plenty of dancers by now and she had to keep it interesting. 
Her dance was slow and lulling. The men were already sleepy and she knew would be too disgruntling to them to snap them out of it with something fiery. Her bells tinkled a soft lullaby against the drum beat. She locked her gaze on the King's, slowly entrancing him with her music and her dance. His expression was listless at the end and he had a faint smile on his face. She didn't know if he was truly pleased, but he seemed to be amused at least. 
She bowed formally to him after her dance had finished. He nodded to her, giving her the cue to leave the hall. As she was leaving, she was surprised to see a great number of Nadrak men awake and also carrying that same listless expression. Silently they all adjourned for the night. 

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Maeyja - Jump to conclusions
Maeyja returned to her bed chamber, feeling exhausted. She pried off her cloak and threw it aside, collapsing on her bed. Ahh... A bed for once. She was used to sitting on the rug before the fire in Raife's chambers, talking his ear off until he fell asleep. Once she realized he wasn't listening anymore, she would stretch out and read until she, too, fell asleep. 
Just as she was getting comfortable, she heard a rather strange sound. She wanted to roll over and ignore it, but curiosity finally got the best of her. She rolled out of bed and peered out into the hallway. 
A dark figure in a hooded cloak slipped quietly through the halls, blending in with the shadows around him. Maeyja waited a moment before leaving her room and silently followed, keeping a safe distance behind the strange man. After passing through a series of hallways, he stopped in front of an obscure room and slipped through the door. 
'Interesting, ' Maeyja mused to herself silently. She waited a few moments before coming upon the door. She carefully pressed her ear to the heavy oak and listened.
Some muffled voices were heard within. One seemed vaguely familiar although she wasn't sure who it was.
'Did you take care of it?'
'Not yet my Lord, he wasn't quite asleep at the time... Although he should be soon. '
'Ah... Well, in time then. But make sure it's quiet. And try to blame it on that slave girl of his. Did you get one of her daggers?'
He sighed. 'Maeyja, I thank you for your concern, but there are many men here all with Nadrak slaves. I will certainly keep one eye open, but there is no sense in jumping to conclusions. If it makes you feel safer, you may remain here.' 
She paused, staring at the floor to hide her embarrassment. She had not thought about that earlier. Meanwhile, Raife set his sword close beside his bed and settled back in it to bed. 
'Why are we really here my Lord?'

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Raife - Rumors
'Can't this wait 'til morning?' Raife asked plaintively. 
'Absolutely not!' Maeyja commanded, 'Someone is trying to kill you!'
'Someone is always trying to kill me, I'm commander of the eastern army, but, if I cannot convince you to let this wait until morning...' He trailed off hoping she would forget the issue. 
'You cannot put me aside, I want it all out now.' Maeyja protested. 
Raife gave in, 'Okay okay, but then you must let me sleep.' 
He went on to describe the political position of the Nadraks, how they seesawed between supporting the east or the west. Currently they were playing neutral, choosing to wait and see which army would be superior. The ambassadorial trip was more of a reconnaissance mission to see whether rumors regarding Drasnian influence over the Nadrak king were true. The west was attempting to create another border for the eastern army to fight on. Fighting on two borders would split the Angaraks in two. 
'If we have to fight on two borders we will only be able to defend until the Malloreans cross the sea of the east.' Raife explained 'By then the west will have been able to fortify and we will loose at least three fourths of our army. I'd like the west to be controlled by the Murgos, not the Malloreans. I don't see why Cyras insists that the Malloreans play a role in this campaign, if we strike within the year the west will crumble." Raife paused to catch his breath, talking about his invasion plans always excited him. "Does that satisfy your curiosity for the time being? Sleep calls to me, Raife finally said once he caught his breath. 
'I think that will do for the night, but I expect more detail tomorrow. Until then I will watch over you so that you may sleep safely.' Maeyja stated with a tone that declared debate would be futile. 

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Raife - The end to a night's sleep
Raife slept soundly and awoke the next day to find Maeyja still standing guard at his door. She was tense from standing in one position all night but her eyes were very alert as she glanced over at his waking movements. Raife turned in his bed for a few minutes before he decided to get up. He looked over at Maeyja with a slightly concerned expression. He knew sleep was important to maintaining health and he didn't want his most valuable possession in poor health, especially in Yar Nadrak. 
'I see you kept me safe during the night' Raife commented as he stepped from his bed and began to dress himself. 'Will you be joining me for breakfast or do you need to sleep to gather your strength for tonight?
'I don't find that amusing' Maeyja said harshly. She was tired and spent the night worrying about her Master. She was not in the mood for snide comments. 'I shall take leave of you until noon. I must regain my strength if I will be spending another night entertaining my kinsmen.' 
Maeyja quickly departed for her own chambers to rest for the remainder of the morning. Raife took his time dressing and belted his sword tightly about his waist. If Maeyja's concerns were valid then he might need to use his trusted weapon. He went down to join King Drosta for breakfast and to begin their political banter for the day. He turned through the night's discussion as he walked down to the dining chambers. 

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Maeyja - A convenient nightmare
Maeyja stormed back to her room, her fists clenched into tight balls beside her waist. She spat a number of lewd insults in her head, all mentally directed at Raife. 
What kind of dolt just rolls over in bed after finding out he is potentially at risk for assassination? She cried in her head with a certain kind of exasperation. 
It wasn't so much the fact that he turned a blind eye to the situation. That did seem rather stupid to her, but it wasn't exactly what made her furious. What drove her off the edge was the fact that she would even care at all if her Master was murdered or not. A dead Master means a pocket of gold. But... As much as she hated to admit it, she rather fancied this thickheaded Murgo. He listened to what she had to say and gave her a certain kind of freedom and respect. Her hands loosened and a slight smile drew across her face just as she entered her room. 
She stepped into her room, threw off her clothes into a bundle on the floor and collapsed into bed. The moment she closed her eyes, she was asleep. 
In her void of sleep, vivid images began emerging in her mind. They were incoherent. A garbage of images of people that she didn't recognize. She heard voices. The familiar voices of the previous night. Then, in one random flash, she saw a man standing over her in with a dagger to her throat. Just as he was above to tug it across her flesh, she shot up in bed, sweat beading on her brow. 
'I'm sorry, did I startle you? '
It was Raife. He was peering at her from her doorway. She scrambled to cover herself with her blankets and restructure her thoughts.
'No, not at all. Just a strange dream. What did you need?' 
'It is well past noon. I came to check on you. Are you sure you are all right? '
'Yes, yes. Fine. How did your... Erm... bantering go this morning?' 
He sighed. 'I suppose I'm not one for social grace. Dress yourself and we can discuss it before dinner. '

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Maeyja - To the tavern
Maeyja stretched leisurely, thinking back to her dream. She assumed it was merely her worries being exposed in her sleep. Most of her dreams seemed to happen that way. She shrugged and slowly pulled herself out of bed. Raife waited for her outside her chambers while she prepared. 
She didn't feel like rushing through the day, so took her time dressing. Rather than dressing in her usual garb meant for dancing, she put on black leather pants and lace up, heeled boots. After rummaging a bit, she found a light linen tunic and wore a leather vest over it. She finished off her outfit by tying a dagger at her waist and placing the other two in her boots. 
She left the room and saw Raife right outside. He was seated on a chair, dozing off. She knelt down before him, then realized that he wasn't quite asleep. 
'Tricky, ' she said in a manner that was meant to be a compliment.
He raised his head, a smirk planted on his face. 'I see you have something in mind.' He looked meaningfully at her leather outfit. 
'Yes, I'd like to get out of this palace. May we go somewhere to discuss the events of this morning? Perhaps a tavern, over a drink? '
'A tavern?' his eyebrow raised. 'That's hardly suitable. '
'Well, I suppose you could spend a few silver on some good mead or half that sack of gold at your waist on silly little trinkets for me. Although I imagine you'd rather be caught dead than shopping with your pretty Nadrak slave.'
'I don't like either of those options although I find it amusing that you seem to believe you're in charge here.' 
Her expression suddenly became sullen and her lips turned downward into an irresistible pout. 
After a moment Raife sighed. 'All right. We will go to a tavern. But behave yourself. And if we're going to go out in public, you should probably wear this.'
He pulled out a leash.
She growled. 'I hate those things. Always chaffing my neck.' She clasped the leash around her neck, handing Raife the end. 'Well my Lord, lead the way.'

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Raife - The Stench of Guardians
Raife and Maeyja walked through the corridors to his chambers, where they found Raife's master spy Mernak. On this trip he was playing the role of man servant to Raife. 
'I see you have found your woman, my Lord' Mernak stated boldly. He was not pleased with being a manservant but knew how to play his role when others were around. 'We have discovered a Guardian ambassador in the palace he is staying in the west wing. Would you like him disposed of?' Mernak asked, only a slight hint of anticipation showing in his voice. 
'I'm sorry my friend, we must let the Guardian live for the time being, an accidental death might look a bit suspicious at this moment in time. ' Raife replied, looking somewhat disappointed himself. 'See what you can learn about this Guardian’s visit, I want to know what they are planning.'
Raife left Mernak to his duties and accompanied Maeyja out of the palace grounds and onto the main avenue of Yar Nadrak. They walked towards the nearest tavern and entered. It wasn't anything fancy but it had some small comforts, stable chairs and tables and decent beer. Maeyja and Raife sat down at an open table and looked around at the group of people either starting early or still finishing up from the previous night. The barkeep came to the table and Raife ordered two beers as he and his dancer began a conversation. 

This RP continues here.

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Maeyja - Return from Yar Nadrak
The trip to Yar Nadrak was another seemingly futile attempt. The Nadraks would perpetually remain neutral. But, while their allegiance was weak in either direction, Raife ultimately retained his power. The Nadraks feared the Eastern army and that fear gave him control.
The ride back to the military base in Rak Cthol was without hassle. Maeyja's worry about Raife's potential assassination attempt had been forgotten with the passing days of traveling home. Their trip felt long and tedious. Raife wasn't one for conversation other than his usual instructions to set up and take down their tents. Maeyja chattered idly as she cooked and mended his clothing in the evenings but remained silent during the day. She soaked in the outdoors, realizing that this could be the last time for a while that she would be outside of the base. Raife had some strange ideas about what was appropriate for a woman. To him, a woman leaving her home was completely inappropriate. Maeyja could think of things substantially more inappropriate than that. And with that thought, she grinned impishly.
Finally they returned to the base late one afternoon as the sun was setting. Raife was immediately bombarded with updates of the affairs from when he left and of those set on hold for his return. Maeyja obediently returned to their chambers and set up a fire. She settled down on the great Mallorean rug and read. After several hours, she broke away from her reading, noticing that it was well past dark. She sighed, laid back and fell asleep.

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Raife - Reports
The reports Raife received were not pleasing. He was been informed that while he was away the West had secured the Legionnaires in a treaty that he could not work around. They must have given their right leg for Legion acceptance to such a binding treaty. He wondered briefly what it was in his frustration. Slightly less devastating to Raife's moral was the fact that Cyras had decided a Grolim priest would be a necessary advisor on Raife's staff. It seemed Cyras wanted to remind him of his place on the food chain.
Gethrk was a mirror image of Cyras, but could not command the same obedience. Lucky for Raife, his reports consisted of very little and he was soon gone from Raife's sight. Raife breathed easier once the Grolim was gone, religious fanaticism was not something he wished to participate in. 
Mernak reported his findings on the Guardian ambassador in the Nadrak palace. Apparently the Guardian had as much luck as Raife did in securing Drosta's allegiance. That was one small piece of good news. 
The reports drew on and on until it was deep into night. Raife finally removed himself from the briefing room and went to his chambers. When he entered the room he saw Maeyja curled up on rug. He looked to her with a softness that rarely touched his eyes. Taking a blanket from his own bed he carefully placed it over Maeyja, being careful to protect himself in case a dagger suddenly flew from her hand. Even after a long tiring day the sight of Maeyja eased his worries. Of course, he would never inform her of this, she could be irksome enough without this knowledge. Raife quietly undressed himself and fell asleep. 

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Maejya - In Limbo
Raife was constantly about, busy with endless affairs. He frequently returned to his chambers long after Maeyja was asleep and left before she awoke. Weeks passed and she felt like she was in limbo with only the comfort of books to pass the days.
'I've had enough of this,' Maeyja muttered under her breath, returning a book she recently finished to the library. 'Raife isn't around long enough to know where I am anyway.'
She rather hastily came to the conclusion that she would leave the grounds for a short time. She knew it was her duty to inform Raife, but she didn't want to spend the hours trying to track him down. She slipped on her leather garb, tied on her velvet cloak, and took a small pouch of gold from a niche in the wall. 'Oh Raife, you hide your money in the most obvious of places,' she murmured with an evil grin.'
She left their chambers, walking down a few hall ways until she reached a side entrance to the base. One of Raife's henchmen was lounging about, watching her as she approached.
'Raife has instructed me to go out to the city and purchase a few things.
'Oh he has, has he?' the man asked condescendingly. 'I find it strange that such a busy man as him would stop by his chambers to tell his silly little Nadrak woman to go on a useless shopping errand.' 
She gritted her teeth. 'You've got a lot of nerve for a man with a dagger directed at his belly.'
He looked down, seeing the dagger just before his stomach. He laughed. 'I'm not afraid of any woman, but I will let you pass. After all, I am just following orders. Poor woman, I pity you for you will have to bear his wrath.'
She chuckled at that, giving him a sly wink as she passed. She saddled a horse and headed to the city. A good number of hours passed before she was satisfied with her purchases. The sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon when she finally returned with her wares.

This RP continues here.

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Raife - A Kitten
The weeks rolled by quite slowly now that Maeyja had no access to literature. She made sure Raife suffered as much as she did. Every waking moment was filled with pouting or passive aggressiveness. She even went so far as to place salt in his bed from time to time. Every night was another nightmare. Neither Maeyja nor Raife enjoyed the time they were spending together.
Raife made as many excuses as he could to stay out of the room he had imprisoned Maeyja in. He even enjoyed the company of Gethrk, Cyras' lapdog, from time to time. The dusty Grolim spewed his religious shenanigans any chance he got. The fevered speeches he gave made Raife wonder why Cyras had actually sent him here. If he was a spy, he seemed to be too wrapped up in his own gospel to do any spying. 
After what seemed to be a more excruciating day then most, Raife finally broke down and sat down to talk with Maeyja. 
'We need to talk about our current situation' Raife stated in a very monotone voice. 'I cannot live in this type on environment, coming to my chambers after a long day is supposed to be my calm, not chaos.' 
Maeyja snorted at the comment. 'I keep this room much like you keep me, in constant torment. If I cannot find peace neither will you!' 
Raife gave a great sigh. 'Then I think we will have to work through our differences. I was afraid you would torture me so.' Raife quietly got up and went out of the room for a brief minute. Muffled conversation was heard from outside the door and when Raife came back his hands were behind his back.
'What have you brought with you?' Maeyja asked icily. She obviously wanted to vent her frustrations instead of work out a solution that could be made to satisfy both their needs. 
Raife studied the Nadrak woman for an instant before beginning. 'I have decided you have been punished for long enough. I grow tired of this bickering and would like to come back to a peaceful nights rest instead of a nightmare. You are granted access to the libraries again but I have also brought you a companion.' Raife pulled a small kitten from behind his back and gave it a slight look of disgust before passing it to Maeyja. 
Maeyja's icy resolve crumbled as she saw the adorable kitten. Her eyes watered slightly as she looked from the cat to her owner. 'I-I-I' she stammered, trying to put some coherent sentence together. 
Raife interrupted her before she could complete a sentence. 'I understand why you left the apartments and went shopping and have devised a way to keep you from disobeying me. I figured if I could keep you occupied you wouldn't come up with mischievous ways to infuriate me.' He gave a chuckle, 'I wanted to give you a Chandim Hound but I don't think you'd appreciate the beast and I have enough Grolims in the base as is. Along with the cat you will also be allowed to stroll the inner courtyard of the facility. It is used for practice so you must stay out of the way but at least you will get fresh air.' He glared at the kitten once more. 'I also expect that thing to be well taken care of and trained to relieve itself outside and not on my rug.'

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Maeyja - New Gift
Maeyja was only half listening to Raife. She was thoroughly preoccupied with this mewing fur ball in her hands, showering it with kisses and hugs. 
‘Dont worry, she won’t be relieving herself on your rug. I have to sleep there, remember?’
He chuckled. 'Well, you don't have to sleep there,' he said with a completely serious tone. 
She looked up raising an eyebrow. 'I bet your bed feels like stone and those coarse wool blankets you sleep in would itch terribly. Not to mention I would have to share it. Oh, and there's a fresh batch of salt in there.'
He growled. 'And you're planning to shake out my bedding, right?'
'Of course, it's the least I could do. ' She set the kitten down, lovingly watching it prowl around the room. After a moment she turned her attention back to Raife who was staring critically at his bedding. 
'Well, I am sorry for my behavior. I suppose it was a bit unfair. I did disobey you after all. ' She stood up and walked over to his bed, hauling his blankets. 'How did you know I like kittens anyway?'
He shrugged. 'You're a woman. You like helpless small things. Just look at babies. Women become absolutely ridiculous around them. I imagined that a kitten would be the next best thing.'
'I'm surprised you know anything about women. You're around such brutish men all the time.'
He knitted his eyebrows, perplexed at her sarcasm. After a moment he relaxed. 'I think I am beginning to understand your humor. I don't think I like it. '
'Ah well, I suppose you'll be getting used to it, won't you? Perhaps you can learn to have a sense of humor yourself. I'm sure I will rub off on you.'
She turned back to the kitten, scooping it up once more into her arms.

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Maeyja - Riddle
Maeyja was in a state of euphoria since the arrival of her new friend. She spent most of her time coddling the little fur ball, amazed and delighted at its every movement. The kitten responded adoringly to the attention and followed Maeyja about everywhere she went.
Raife continued coming home late in the evenings although not by his own choosing. It seemed as if every Grolim in the base had a task for him to accomplish and every warrior beneath him had a concern to be dealt with. Although he was losing sleep, he felt a little more reassured knowing that it wasn't because salt had been dumped in his bed by an angry Nadrak.
Tonight, however, would be the night that he would lose sleep from something completely different and even more despicable.
'Maeyja!' he roared, clasping the little kitten between his rough hands as it meowed and flailed about helplessly.
'What?' she muttered sluggishly, rolling over to face him. The moment her eyes laid upon Raife squeezing her beloved friend she shot off the floor.
'Put her down Raife,' she demanded sharply, rushing over to his bed. His expression of complete disgust was focused intently on the helpless ball of fluff. Maeyja pushed Raife's hands aside and the cat flopped loudly on the woolen sheets beneath it.
'Why couldn't you keep it off my bed?' he growled, annoyance ringing clear in his voice.
'Well, I'm not about to stay up day and night watching her movements. Cats have a tendency to prowl at night. Perhaps she wanted to say hello.' Maeyja laughed quietly as the cat glared reproachfully at Raife. He returned the look ferociously.
'Am I ever going to get any sleep around here?'
'Probably not,' Maeyja laughed again and sat on the bed next to Raife to watch the kitten pounce around in the folds of the bedding. 'Are you tired?' she asked, stretching her legs out on the bed. He shook his head in response. 'Will you walk with me?' 
He peered at her, a little perplexed at why she would want to be about this late in the evening. 'All right,' he said apprehensively. 'Would you mind getting me some clothes?' 
She turned around and gathered up some linen for him to wear. He pulled it on as she dressed in something more suitable for walking around the grounds. 
'We're leaving... that thing here right?'
'Of course.'
They slipped out of their room and walked out to the inner courtyard of the facility. The moon cast a soft glow on the earth that was marred with the presence of previous training. A bit of foliage grew weakly about the area.
'You should get a gardener,' Maeyja said, picking up one of the livelier flowers in her hand and putting it in her hair.
'There would be no point,' he muttered, watching her poke around the shrubs.
'You are right. You serious, brutish warriors would have no use for such silliness. Perhaps the idea of having something so soft and fragile around your warriors makes you worry that they too would turn soft.' 
Maeyja headed over to a small patch of grass and tugged off her boots. She hopped up and down on the ground for a bit before lying down.
'What are you doing?' Raife asked, watching her sternly.
'Are you blind? I'm lying in the grass. It's quite nice. Come join me.'
He trudged over to her, eyeing the ground before sitting down next to her.
'So tell me about you Raife. I'm almost positive that there's some hint of life under this rough exterior of yours. Or perhaps all Murgos are the same.'
'There is nothing really to tell. I have been doing this all of my life.'
'It sounds like a wonderful childhood,' she scoffed sarcastically. He watched her pull the flower out of her hair and feel the petals between her fingers. She smiled gleefully. 
'It's just a flower,' he pointed out dully.
'Is it?' She pushed the flower in his hands and closed his fingers around it. 'It's quite soft.'
'I can barely feel it. These calluses numbed my hands long ago.'
'But you can still feel it, can't you?' Her eyes twinkled as she took the flower back from his hand.
'You speak in riddles and I'm afraid I don't understand,' he said helplessly.
'Perhaps you really don't understand,' she sighed, closing her eyes, humming quietly to herself until she fell asleep.

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Raife - Damn Kitten
Raife watched Maeyja until he was positive that she was sleeping. The silly girl had drug him out of bed in the late hours of the night and managed to fall asleep before she could even hold any type of sensible conversation. Raife slowly picked up Maeyja to take her back to his room, trying to be cautious incase she woke up and decided a dagger would look good in his chest. While walking through the hallways he considered his situation with the Maeyja. She was a gift from Cyras. The must be a reason behind her being with him. The right hand of Torak wouldn't just do something out of the kindness of his heart. Either Maeyja was an extremely good spy or there was some other motive behind Cyras' scheming. 
Raife suddenly realized he was at the door to his chambers. He must have been thinking so hard that he didn't even realize he was walking. He struggled a little to open the door without interrupting the Nadrak's slumber. Entering his chambers he was greeted by the disgusting little fur ball that he had given to Maeyja. The kitten meowed and meowed as it swerve in and out of Raife's feet, trying to trip him. Raife thought to himself that it might have been a mistake buying the thing. 
He placed Maeyja on the rug next to a low fire and covered with a small blanket. She murmured something incomprehensible as he quietly moved to his own bed, all the while the cat was trying to get his attention. Raife laid on his bed to stare at the ceiling, pondering what Cyras' motives were. Unfortunately he couldn't gather his thoughts because the kitten kept jumping on him. Finally, having enough, Raife picked the kitten up and held it in his hands. The little thing purred as Raife held it, causing visible pain to the Murgo. Attempting to play with the beast, he found a string and wiggled it about for the kitten to chase. A slow smile crossed his face as he watched the cat pounce at the string. Watching the cat hunt was quite satisfying.

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Maeyja - Morning interruption
Maeyja awoke early, still a bit tired from being up so late. She was extremely frustrated with herself and spent the better part of the morning lying on the rug and arguing in her mind.
Finally, she pulled herself off the rug and sauntered over to Raife's bed. He was sleeping very heavily, completely unaware that the little animal he loathed so much was sleeping soundly on his chest.
'If only you could see yourself now,' she murmured, scooping the sleeping cat up in her arms and burying her face in the soft fur. The cat yawned broadly and stretched in her arms.
'What time is it?' Raife groaned, rolling over in his bed.
'It's time for you to get up.' She poked Raife who was trying very hard to resume his sleep.
'Stop that,' he demanded, slowly sitting up in his bed. 'I feel like I've been hit with a brick.' 
'Well, if you were hit in the head, it wasn't because of me.'
Maeyja sat down on the bed beside Raife, plopping the cat down on the wool blankets. It padded around on the covers before settling into Raife's lap and curling up into a tiny ball. 
He looked at the animal with disgust. 'Well, I ought to be getting up. I'm sure my advisors will be looking for me about now to give their reports.'
As he finished his sentence, there was a loud rap on the door.
'Come in,' Raife instructed. A senior advisor walked in, looking a bit out of breath. He paused for a moment, looking apprehensively at the half naked Raife in bed with his scantily dressed slave.
Maeyja, noticing the look he gave her, wrapped herself up in a blanket. She apologized briefly for her appearance.
'There's trouble Lord,' the advisor said, shooting a look of disapproval at Maeyja. 'There is movement in Algaria.'
Raife nodded. 'I'll be there in a minute.'

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Raife - Damn Algars
Raife quickly dressed himself and left the chamber with only a curt nod to Maeyja. He hurried to the war room to see what information his advisors had for him. Upon entering the room he was met with six grave faces. Apparently all his advisors were not here but the senior advisors were, and of course, Gethrk. 
'We received a report from an advanced scout that the Algars have begun building fortifications along the escarpment. ' His advisors informed him as soon as he settled down. Raife took the information fairly well, with the calm collectiveness he was known for. 'Algars are a nomadic people, why would they build fortifications? ' Raife mused in an eerily quiet voice. 
Gethrk hurried into the silence with his explanation, 'There must be a spy in the premises! The Algars should not of known of our plans. Your men cannot be trusted! ' Raife droned the Grolims fanaticism out for a while before he asked the rest of his advisors what they thought the best plan of action would be. This was clearly a major setback to the invasion plans, one that he did not like. 
After thorough discussion, everyone decided that if the Algars fortified the escarpment the only path to take to the west would be through the Nadrak forest. Which meant negotiations or invasion of Gar og Nadrak were necessary. Raife did not like the thought of having to invade his cousins' territory, he would lose more soldiers then he wanted to admit and would be weakened before he even got to the western territories. 
Raife needed to take his mind off these worries for a while, he decided he was going to find Maeyja and see if she wanted to watch the soldiers train.

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Maeyja - Faltering ruse
Shortly after Raife left, Maeyja awoke and changed from her nightly wear to something more appropriate. She slipped on her leather attire usually wore for riding or leaving the grounds and waited. After a few moments there was a knock on the door.
'Come in,' Maeyja called as Cyras strode in the room. He looked at her fiercely, making her wish she could be invisible. The Grolim quite frankly scared her to death.
'I'll have your report now,' he demanded, eying her dubiously. 
She took in a deep breath to relax herself. 'Lord Raife's business in Yar Nadrak was not extremely successful, although that is how it usually is--'
'I'm not asking for your opinion, just straight information,' he cut in, irritation thick in his voice.
Maeyja shrank back a little. 'I apologize. There was a potential assassination attempt on Raife's life. He became very busy upon our return. Since then I have seen little of him.'
'Oh? Is that so? Then what are you two doing taking an evening stroll? What's this about a kitten? Luxury items? I sense that you are not entirely telling me the truth.' He scanned the walls of the room, a disapproving frown creasing his face.
'I was merely performing my role as his slave,' Maeyja protested firmly. 'I must pretend to live a normal life to secure my identity.'
'Tell me Maeyja, why did I hire you?' Cyras' voice was icy.
'You hired me as a spy under the guise of a dancer to keep a watchful eye on the leader of the Angarak army. I will periodically make reports to you and you will in return pay me.' Her response sounded rehearsed and filled with sorrow.
'Correct. That is all you have to do. If I hear any more about romantic relations I will give my Grolims the pleasure of sacrificing the both of you. Sleep with him if it satisfies the weakness within you as a woman to love, but do not turn him soft. I will have no use for him then. Your next report better be more accurate. Don't try to hide things from me.'
He dropped some coins on the ground at his feet and glared at her menacingly before turning to leave her chambers. 'Don't try to fool me Maeyja, I see your thoughts,' he called back to her before he shut the door.
Maeyja sank helplessly into Raife's bed, shaking uncontrollably with fear.

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Raife - From bad to worse
Raife strolled idly through the halls on his way back to his chambers and more importantly, Maeyja. The morning's news had ruined his day and he hoped Maeyja would be able to lift his spirits. Just thinking about his woman made him feel a little lighter. Raife was experiencing emotions that he thought could only be felt when going to war. A strange sensation filled his stomach, and for once it wasn't for an impending battle. He did not know what to think about his feelings this was a completely new world for him. Perhaps he would ask Maeyja what it was. 

A few corridors away from his chambers he heard running from behind. Quickly, he turned around to face the approaching footsteps. It was Gethrk. The wheezing Grolim was waving his hands towards Raife. 'I must speak with you now! This is an urgent matter! ' Gethrk sputtered from in between gasps of air. 'Okay' Raife muttered 'What do you need? ' Raife felt his lightheadedness fading back into steel. Gethrk began describing the urgent need for more Grolims in the facility and explaining how the reli of the soldiers have been deteriorating over the months due to lack of religious services. Raife found it hard to believe that sacrificing Thulls was a religious service but he chose not to bring that point up. The Grolim had tracked him down to explain this? The matter was of no importance, why would Gethrk waste his time so? As quickly as he could Raife got the Grolim out of his hair. 

Continuing his quest to make it back to Maeyja, Raife picked up his pace a bit. He turned down the hall to his chambers just in time to see Cyras closing Raife's chamber door behind him. A dark expression crawled over Raife's face before he could conceal eyes it as his eyes locked with Cyras'. 'Might I ask what the right hand of Torak is doing in my chambers?' Raife said. He failed horribly at keeping his voice from showing his frustration and was surprised that Cyras had not blown up from the gaze he was trying to soften. Cyras merely grinned slightly at the Murgo warrior. 'I was checking in on my gift to you Raife. You look so offended. Perhaps cutting out your heart would diminish that stern look you're directing at me. ' Cyras cackled a maniacal laugh and strode by Raife without even waiting for a response. Raife turned his head to follow the Grolim, all the while wondering why his eyes were not spewing forth lightning bolts. After the Grolim rounded the corner Raife quickly went into his room. 'What was Cyras doing in here? ' he asked Maeyja, unsuccessful in keeping the anger from his tone or expression.

This RP continues here.

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Maeyja - Forbidden
Maeyja stared at the door after Raife left, her face stricken with a look of horror. A bitter tear trickled down her pale skin, landing with a soft splash on the stone floor at her feet. Sluggishly, she walked toward the door, noticing the gold Cyras' had dumped on the floor earlier.
She paused, staring at the blood red pieces helplessly. 'This gold used to mean so much to me. I craved it more than anything in the world. Now I realize how useless it is. I have nothing to spend it on. No power to gain. It can't buy my freedom. Or love.' Tears began flooding down her cheeks.
'Well, at least he hates me now. In fact, he completely distrusts me. And now he's back to the way Cyras wants him. Raife, the coldhearted, ruthless Murgo warrior, leader of the Angarak army, enemy of Alorns...and his slave'
Maeyja walked toward the fireplace and sank to the ground on the great Mallorean rug. 'Why should I care? Murgos are a disgusting race. He's not even attractive. Who would be attracted to race that hideously maimed their face like that? All those scars. Perhaps it is because he is only my second owner. In fact, I'm sure of it. I cared for my last master although in a different way. He was fifty years my senior after all. Murgos are purists anyway. I'm sure he wouldn't want to defile his race with a Nadrak.'
'Oh this is ridiculous. I knew what I was getting into. And I'm making more wealth than any other woman. Who knows, maybe Raife will get killed in battle and I will be rich.'
She leaned back on her heels and continued conversing with herself in her mind. Her excuses became more elaborate to comfort the sadness she felt within. 'That's settled then,' she mumbled. 'No more frivolous ideas of love. It is not possible.' Her declaration made her heart harden into stone, encasing the feelings she held for the Murgo that could not be. With an exhausted sigh, she laid down on the rug and fell asleep.

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Maeyja - Nightmare
The human form of a man lies still upon a slat of bloodied stone. A silver dagger hovers above him held by a black robed priest. A gong rumbles loudly as screams from unknown distances fill the room. Slowly, the priest lowers the dagger, blood spilling across the olive toned flesh of the man as the tip inches inward with agonizing slowness. The man yells a harsh cry, his voice strangely familiar. A waterfall of crimson rushes to the floor as the priest reaches inside the fresh wound and pulls out the man's still beating heart. The man on the alter goes limp, his body pale and lifeless. The priest turns, his eyes glowing red beneath his hood. He smiles wickedly as he puts his hand forward.
'You wanted his heart didn't you? Well, here it is!'
The figure cackles maniacally, his voice ringing with sick pleasure as he sets the still beating heart into two, pale hands.
The priest fades, his laughter still echoing in faintly. The lifeless man upon the altar slowly becomes clearer. The small hands slide into the shape of a pale woman, her blue eyes filling with sorrow, holding the man's beating heart in her hands.
A blood curdling scream rips through the dream and it shatters.

This RP continues here.

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Raife - A Calm Mind
Raife quietly closed the door behind him, the events of the past hour weighing heavily on his shoulders. He knew that Maeyja served some purpose in Cyras' scheming, but after months with her he did not want to believe that she was a spy. Her knowledge of battles and war fascinated him. Was this all a part of Cyras' plan? The situation was too complex for him. He was too worked up to think about it rationally. 
He needed to calm himself and turn his brain off for a while. He started walking towards the practice yard, his steps echoing in a hall that seemed oddly quiet. After a few minutes of stalking through the halls he entered the training grounds. The bright sunlight expressed the vivid colors of the grass and the gleaming armor of a legion of soldiers. Raife quickly sought out the man he was looking for. Vogar, Raife's drillmaster, stood about a hundred yards away furiously barking orders to a group of new recruits. As Raife grew closer he could tell they were a very new group from the way they turned every which direction when Vogar barked, 'About face.' 
Raife quietly walked up behind his drillmaster and waited. The recruits in front of Vogar recognized their lord and immediately stiffened, bringing their weapons and shields to their proper places. 'Not bad you dogs!' Vogar roared. Noticing that his new soldiers were looking past him he turned around. 'Commander,' Vogar stated, coming to attention. Raife gave Vogar a nod and allowed him, and the company, to stand down. 'I need to hone my skills, Vogar, and need a sparring partner. Would you be kind enough to join me?' Raife requested of the drillmaster. Vogar quickly turned around and commanding his new troops to report to the mess hall. 
Turning back to Raife he said Shall we?' and followed Raife towards a weapons rack. 
Each man chose their favorite weapon, Raife drew a pole arm and Vogar picked a flail. They equipped themselves in the practice armor that allowed them to fight with little fear of mortal injury. 'May your flail fail to seek its target,' Raife chided Vogar as they took up positions. Vogar bowed and they begun to circle in a slow stalking stance. Raife struck first with a quick half thrust at Vogar chest, but Vogar easily jumped aside and attempted to wrap his flail around the pole arm and yank it from Raife's hands. Raife held on tightly but was pulled forward a foot by a quick yank from Vogar. The lord responded by pulling his pole arm towards the ground in an attempt to tumble Vogar, this force Vogar to release the pole arm for fear of falling face first on the ground. 
The fight picked up as the two warriors struck and parried at each other. The officers in the area began huddling around the two and soon the soldiers did as well. There was a large commotion as everyone watched Vogar and Raife duel. One soldier was eagerly taking bets as to who would win the event. Sweat began to drip from the two combatants as the fight grudgingly continued with no clear signs of one man having advantage over the other. Panting heavily Raife said, 'I think I have cleared my mind enough, thank you for appeasing me Vogar but I must ask we finish this at a later time.' There was an audible sigh from the surrounding group at this news. Vogar replied, 'It was my honor commander, always nice to have a good fight.' Each man, while gasping for breath, grinned at the other. The duel had definitely eased Raife's emotions. What he needed know was to bathe and sit down in a quiet area to decide what needed to be done about Maeyja. 

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Raife - Deep Thought
The cool water cascading over Raife's body was very refreshing. His muscles thanked him for the soothing relief. The only problem was he was showering in the soldier barracks and the accommodations were not as pleasant as he remembered them. Maybe it was because he was so use to having his own private bathing room. 
Stepping out from the shower Raife placed a towel around his waist and went to find a soldier uniform to wear while he waited for his attire to be washed and pressed. He didn't want to go back to his room for another set of his clothes because Maeyja was there and he was willing to sacrifice the discomfort of a wool uniform. Anything to keep him from seeing her until he decided what had to be done. Finding a uniform that fit him, he quickly dressed and set off to the mess tent. The duel had made him ravenous and a full stomach was important when making decisions. 
Grabbing the gruel that was being served, Raife found an empty table where he could collect his thoughts while he ate. Setting the tray down he began pouring through the information he had on Maeyja. One, she was a gift from Cyras and therefore served some greater purpose then simple companionship. Two, she was a brilliant strategist and had a knowledge of all the major battles fought over the last one thousand years. Three, she was a Nadrak woman, very skilled at dancing. Four...Raife did not have a four. For the life of him Raife could not think of anything else about his Nadrak. How had she put the wool over his eyes! He would never have allowed this to happen with anyone, he even knew more about Cyras then the girl. This was most troublesome, he worked out his plan of action while finishing the gruel. He would have to learn more about the Nadrak before he could decide her fate, in order to do that he had to spend time with her, time he was cautious about taking. 
The sun was setting as he walked through the hallways to a room he had commandeered for the night. He hoped the captain he had forced to sleep in the barracks was not too upset, but he need a good nights sleep away from his headache causing woman. Tomorrow he would go to her after the meeting and lay down some new ground rules. For one, he would not be sleeping in the same room with her until he felt comfortable again. Besides that, they would dine together and occasionally go on walks. This would allow him the ability to probe her brain for clues as to her purpose. If she refused, he would threaten. Yes, a good night's sleep and tomorrow the investigation would begin. 

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Raife- Steps
Raife woke up the next morning with a kink in his neck and a sore back. He was already rethinking his previous day's decision. That idea quickly faded as he began to work out his tired muscles. He must have been out of shape because he was much sorer then he should have been after yesterday's fencing match. Rolling out of bed he put on his uniform and left began the long walk towards his chambers. 
Each step down the corridor sent thoughts rattling through Raife's head. He knew he had to confront Maeyja today and lay down the regulations of her stay with him but with each step came a reason to put it off a little longer. This wasn't like Raife at all, he wasn't one to back down from anything. Why was he so frustrated over this insignificant speck in the grand scale of things? Maybe it was because this wasn't just a speck in his way, it was a boulder, and it was much harder to move a boulder then a speck. That's what his scattered thoughts were trying to tell him, to go around the boulder, this was a battle he might not survive. 
The door was in front of him, the minutes crawling by as he stared at the decision facing him. Slowly his hand reached for the door while his mind raced. He turned the knob and entered the room...

This RP is continued here.

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Maeyja - Alternative motive
Maeyja appraised her new living quarters with distaste. The room was completely covered with a layer of dust and dreadfully bare. After speaking with one of the guards posted outside of her door to bring her some new bedding, she turned to cleaning up the place. It took her well into the afternoon to make the place livable, but she didn't worry too much about it as it was only a temporary arrangement - at least she hoped. 
With a weary sigh, she lay back on her bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. 'Well then, what am I going to do now?' she muttered to herself, absently braiding a stray lock of black hair. She began mentally sifting through the events of the past week, trying to sort out the details in her mind to formulate some sort of plan. Cyras' chance meeting with Raife after leaving her chambers was rather unfortunate and caused Raife to hold strong suspicions. It was because of this suspicion that she was held imprisoned. Under normal circumstances, she would have fought with Raife over the situation and not tolerated any of this nonsense in locking her away, but she was already in enough of a predicament with Cyras let alone adding Raife's hostility.
She paused, frowning deeply as a thought struck her. Why would Cyras hire a spy to watch Raife? Did he have suspicions about Raife? And if he did... Wouldn't he already know? Can't he see his intentions? 
'It appears that this game is getting a little more complicated,' Maeyja murmured aloud, sitting up on the bed and staring intently at nothing in particular. 'Perhaps Cyras had something else in mind when he purchased me.' 

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Raife - Spies
Closing the door behind him Raife gave the orders to his guards. They were to do anything asked of them except allow Maeyja to leave. After all, he wasn't really punishing Maeyja, just putting her in a position where he could observe her better, a position where he would be able to see past the end of his nose. 
Raife strolled through the halls of the facility, heading towards the headquarters of his master spy. Upon reaching Mernak's chambers, he rapt on the door and waited a few seconds before entering. The man was leafing through papers on a desk covered in various envelopes and letters. 'Greetings my Lord' Mernak said simply as Raife came and sat down in front of the desk. 'How might I serve the Dragon Banner?' Mernak asked looking up from his piles of paperwork. 'I have an interesting request,' Raife responded while sitting forward in his chair to conspire with his master spy. 'I need you to find out why Cyras has brought this Nadrak into my presence, what is his reasoning is behind it.' Mernak's eyes looked far off as he considered his Lord's request. 'It seems like a reasonable request, but very difficult. I will most likely lose men in the exchange.' He paused for a moment. 'But that could be solved with increased funds for my operations.' Mernak said slyly, seeing an opportunity. 'You drive a hard bargain old friend' Raife smirked, agreeing to Mernak's demands. 'I assume you will make all the usual arrangements and inform me when your tasks are complete,' Raife said, standing up and getting ready to exit. 
Raife exited the spy masters room and walked through the halls to the war room where he was to meet with his advisors. He was not looking forward to the meeting, things were not going his way lately and he didn't need the ranting and raving of Gethrk to accompany everything else. After the meeting he would visit Maeyja and begin to try to puzzle out what he was going to do with her. 

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Raife - Dinner
Raife reappeared later that evening wearing a suit of chainmail as opposed to his regular blacksteel armor. His dark hair was still damp from bathing and he smelled distinctly of harsh soap. He took some liberty in bathing as it was his only time to peacefully relax and calm the thousands of events rushing through his head throughout the day. 
He approached Maeyja's new room and nodded to the guards posted outside as they saluted. He knocked on the door and entered upon hearing her response. He greeted her politely and then surveyed her for a moment. 'I asked you not to leave,' he said casually, noticing that her hair was also still damp from bathing. 
'I know. I had one of your guards escort me. I had been cleaning all this afternoon and felt the need for it. I assumed bathing is not breaking any rules?' Her question had a slight edge of sarcasm to it. 
'No, I suppose it is not,' he said with a shrug. 'Are you hungry?'
'Yes, famished actually. I suppose that is why you are hereto escort me to dinner?'
Raife nodded and waited for her to tie on her velvet cloak and join him. He led her down a series of hallways to a room adjacent to one of the kitchen's set up in the base. A large rectangular table was placed in the middle of the room and a fire burned in a hearth positioned to the right wall. Two chairs had been placed at each end. Raife held out her chair as she sat and then moved to sit opposite of her. 
'This room is meant for private dining... Usually for meetings. It was vacant tonight so I thought I would make use of it,' Raife stated plainly, unclasping his black wool cloak. Maeyja nodded, surveying the surroundings and also removed her cloak. 
Two serving men from the kitchen brought out plates of food for Raife and Maeyja. They talked sparingly of recent events, but neither of them appeared to be listening, instead they seemed lost in their own thoughts as the meal progressed. After finishing their meal, Raife escorted Maeyja back to her chambers. 

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Maeyja - Beguiling
After the previous night's attack she decided she would speak with Cyras. It was about time she made her report and she decided she would rather go out of her way come to him than have him come to her and risk another incident. After the meeting she fell into a confused daze. Cyras' requests were obscure and made little sense to her.
Maeyja sighed. 'Make him fall in love with me? You're cruel Cyras,' she uttered under her breath as she entered her room. While it would appear to be in her benefit to seduce his affections since she kept such feelings for him, she knew it was not so. 'And even then after I secure his love?' she thought to herself. Her eyes widened suddenly as a thought struck her. 'Perhaps she wishes to force him to grow soft to have reason to dispose of him? But why? Has Raife been failing? Why would he decide this now?'
She sat down wearily on her bed and rubbed her temples. 'What cruel games you play!' she hissed through clenched teeth. She refused to acknowledge the feelings she held for the estranged Murgo, but eventually she would have to come to terms with them. 'Perhaps Cyras is playing match maker,' she muttered and chuckled ruefully. 'Why do I doubt that?'
She glanced out the window, noticing that it was nearing dark. Raife would come soon to escort her to dinner. 'Well, time to start persuading...' she thought to herself, standing up and rummaging through her packs. She pulled out an alluring silk gown and adorned herself with jewels. As a finishing touch, she swept up her long black hair, exposing a bit of creamy skin. Then she heard a knock on her door.

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Raife - Feints within feints within weaves
This story is continued from Mernak’s 'Reports'.
Raife exited Mernak's chambers and walked through the halls to his room. The walk back gave him the opportunity to think about how he would handle Maeyja. Her mission from Cyras was a bit odd. Why would the Grolim want such a thing to occur? He mulled over the situation. If he ousted her then Cyras would kill her and he didn't want that. An enemy spy was very useful if you knew how to work them to your advantage. Allowing Maeyja to pass on information would benefit him greatly. On the other hand, how would he allow her to believe he was in love with her? Sure she impressed him with her strategic planning and military mind, but that did not mean he would bed her. That would almost be an act of treason against Murgodom.
Finally coming to his room, Raife stepped inside and began preparing for his evening with Maeyja. He knew her objective, to make him fall in love with her. That meant she would try to dazzle him with her figure. He needed to look presentable. He chose his formal attire, a splendid three piece suit made of Melcene blue silk. That should be impressive. Two could play this game, he thought to himself as he fastened up his blazer. He brushed his black hair back away from his forehead and gave himself a quick check in his mirror, then exited the room and began the journey to Maeyja's room. The mission had begun and his task was to convince Maeyja he was in love so that he might bend her to his biddings.

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Maeyja - Deception
Raife turned the handle of Maeyja's door apprehensively.
'Hello,' Maeyja said quietly, standing before him in a clingy silk dress that immediately distracted his eyes. She smiled demurely at him, tossing back a stray lock of black hair across her exposed shoulder. Inwardly, she was amazed that this Murgo could possibly look presentable. He was wearing a rather expensive looking suit and he smelled clean. Maeyja was almost amazed.
Raife, on the other hand, was a less impressed. Under normal circumstances, he would have told her to be a decent woman and cover herself, but he refrained. Instead, he played along. 'You look nice,' he complimented, offering his arm to her.
'Thank you,' she replied, smiling up at him. She felt like retching. Never in her life would she ever be so submissive and flirtatious with any man.
They left her room and walked through the halls. She sparked a conversation about his day and made points of batting her eyelashes and turning in such a way as to reveal a bit more of herself to him. His responses were characteristic of any male, which disconcerted her slightly. Raife seemed to fall into her hands too easily. She could even feel tension floating between them. Something about this wasn't right.
Their meal was drawn out. Raife seemed a little too interested in what she had to say and played into all of her behaviors. She grimaced inwardly. Now who was the deceiver?

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Raife - Walks
It had been about a week since Raife and Maeyja had begun playing their complex game of cat and mouse. The question of who was the mouse still hung in the balance. Each night Raife and Maeyja attempted to gain the upper hand through appearance or subtle hints. Each night they impressed each other over dinner with a civil tongue and quick wit. Their conversations covered a breadth of topics from strategic warfare to implementations of battle. They even had very in-depth discussion on the merit of tar in aggressive siege tactics. Each night brought on a new trick and new discoveries.
Raife walked along to courtyard with Maeyja on his arm. The moon was casting shadows along the marble stones as the echoing of Raife's boots filled the silent night. An owl could faintly be heard hooting in the distance.
'You must admit, the military prowess of the Legions is unsurpassed' Maeyja joked as she gave Raife an impish grin. Giving Maeyja a disgusted look, Raife stated 'I know the strategic know how of the Imperial Army is impressive but I would gladly take a Murgo army any day.' The banter went on for a half an hour or so as the two strolled along. Finally they came to a bench and decided to rest for while. Raife sat Maeyja down and rested besides her, his hand in her hand on her lap. 'Tell me why Cyras gave you to me,' Raife asked in a very honest but direct voice. Maeyja looked a bit startled at such a direct question and pretended to yawn in order to give herself time to think. 'I do not know why I am here' she came back in response. 'Why would Cyras give me to you, surely you know the mind of the grolim better then a little Nadrak dancer?'
Raife floundered with the idea. He should know the grolim better then Maeyja but everything Cyras did seemed such an enigma. The murgo seemed to zone out for a moment as he thought of the circumstances. As if realizing he had been focusing too long on the Maeyja's question Raife blurted out his next comment without thinking. 'If only you weren't a Nadrak.' Maeyja was definitely thrown off by his comment, but not as much as he was by it. They both looked at each other with befuddled expressions. Raife did not know what Maeyja was thinking but he was trying to decide if he really meant what he had just said or if it was all part of the game.

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Maeyja - Breakfast mishap
The next morning, Maeyja awoke with start. A loud crash sounded from just outside of her room followed by a loud thud. She jumped up from her bed, wrapped a cloth sheet about her, and slowly opened the door to her chambers.
'What's going on out here? ' she demanded harshly, glaring at one of the guards who was sprawled out on his haunches.
'It was merely an accident,' the guard grunted, standing up and brushing himself off. Beside him was a younger man who was rubbing his forehead and looking around at the tray of food sprawled out before him.
'What is this about?' she asked, pointing at the food and platter on the ground.
'I was sent to deliver you breakfast,' the young man sputtered, gathering himself up and bowing before Maeyja.
'I didn't order breakfast. Now if you don't mind... '
'It was sent from Lord Raife as a gesture,' the young man interrupted as he frantically picked up the food around him.
A slow smile spread across Maeyja's face. 'How thoughtful,' she said silently to herself.
'I see your breakfast hadn't arrived as I hoped,' a deep voice said from a little further way down the hall. Maeyja broke away from her thought and turned her gaze to the directions of the voice. It was Raife.
'I... I apologize my Lord, it was an accident,' the young man sputtered, bowing deeply before Raife as he approached.
'Don't worry about it this time,' he said, waving the frightened man away. The man gathered up his things and bolted from the hallway. Raife nodded to the guards and they dispersed.
'I suppose I will be taking you out for breakfast,' he said with a sly smile, propping one arm up on the frame of Maeyja's door.
Still caught up in the small gesture, Maeyja giggled childishly and smiled warmly up at the Murgo warrior. 'Will you wait while I change?' she asked, looking down helplessly at the massive sheet wrapped around her.
He nodded and stepped back from the door way. She smiled once more to him before shutting her door and rushing to change.

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Maeyja - Confusion
Maeyja frantically rummaged through her packs and pulled out a pair of leather pants and a light woolen tunic. She hummed lightly as she changed and brushed her hair.
'Wait a minute, what am I doing?!' she exclaimed aloud, slapping her brush down on the nearby wooden table. 'What is HE doing?' Rather abruptly, the smile that had been carried on her face turned into a deep frown.
'This doesn't seem right at all. He's a Murgo! And a warrior! A ruthless beast! Is he even CAPABLE of nice gestures? There has to be some motive behind this,' Maeyja declared, suddenly overwhelmed with confusion. She thought back briefly to the previous night and the strange words that flew out of his mouth. 'They seemed so unplanned... So genuine.' She sighed.
'Maeyja, are you about ready?' Raife called from outside her door.
'Just a minute,' she hollered back, still in deep contemplation.
'Don't forget what you're supposed to be doing,' she muttered to herself. 'Perhaps he's just behaving like any other man who has the misfortune of being wound around a woman's finger. But is he really that senseless?'
Maeyja frowned, throwing her sheet back on her bed. She hesitated a moment before turning the handle of her door and pulling it open. Raife was leaning against the wall opposite of her door, his arms pulled across his chest as he stared blankly at the stone floor.
'Ready?' she asked, smiling again... Only this time less genuinely.
Raife smiled back, offered his arm to her and they set off for breakfast.

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Maeyja - Progress
Several days had passed since the breakfast incident. Maeyja and Raife spent a considerable amount of time together early in the mornings and late in the evenings. During those times, Raife and Maeyja battled within themselves constantly. Raife was terribly confused about the strange feelings that seemed to flit around in his belly every time he was around the Nadrak woman. He was still trying to weasel the truth from her, which she carefully evaded every time he brought it up. This perplexed him even further, for her knew she was lying and he knew he should do something about it. Maeyja, on the other hand, was busy reminding herself of her purpose and talking herself out of the affections that kept rising in her chest every time she was around the brutish Murgo. While she behaved sweetly to him and complimented him often, she realized that her words were becoming honest and unforced, which disconcerted her a great deal.
They also had several more "incidents" in those days where either one of them would slip something out revealing the complex emotions and thoughts that they held for each other. While Raife didn't quite grasp the concept, he was beginning to love this woman and often he wished he could just turn her into a Murgo. He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spent with her but also felt relieved when he was away from her and taking command of the army beneath him. If there was one thing that he understood well, it was war and he thoroughly immersed himself in his work. It was a pleasant reminder that there was still some stability and straight forwardness in life.
Maeyja was not fortunate enough to have something to take her mind off the situation. Since her duties were fully focused around him, her entire life revolved around everything they did together and apart. She knew she was succeeding in seducing his love. It pained it as much as it thrilled her. Cyras' intentions for sending her on a mission to convince Raife to love her were still abstruse and it frustrated her greatly. She was also given the strange impression that Raife was concealing something from her. Her days seemed to be filled with endless inner turmoil that she couldn't rectify.
Finally, on one particularly drab evening, Maeyja slipped.

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Maeyja - Unraveling
'Raife, there is something I must tell you.' Maeyja said, in a rather anxious tone. Her grip upon Raife's hand tightened and lines of worry spread across her face.
The moment the words came out of her mouth, Raife knew the truth was about to come out. Unconsciously, he pulled up an invisible steel barrier around himself. 'What is that?' he asked, his tone held even.
'I haven't been quite honest with you,' she said, squeezing his hand even tighter. She took in a deep breath and braced herself for the words that would plainly tell Raife that she was a liar. 'I am not entirely a dancer.'
'Oh?' Raife asked, raising an eyebrow and watching her fidget with slight amusement. He'd been waiting for this day for some time now, although strangely he still wasn't quite prepared for it.
'I've been working for Cyras since the day I met you. He offered me gold to spy on you and report to him. He instructed me to make you fall in love with me and I just can't bear to do it anymore.' She said it all one quick rush as if a dam had broken within her and she could no longer hold the words inside.
If Raife had been any smaller, his hand might have been broken under the pressure of Maeyja's crushing grasp. He stared at her for quite some time, watching her become more and more disheveled until she was finally on the brink of tears. 'I know,' he said flatly, loosening himself from her grasp.
'You know?' Maeyja asked, completely astonished.
'Yes, I've known for quite some time. I had Mernak watch you and he spoke to me of this. Do you know why you were sent to do this?' Raife asked coolly.
'No, I've been trying to figure this out myself since the day he asked it ofme,' Maeyja said dumbly, tugging at her hair ruthlessly as a way to vent her inner frustrations. 'If you knew about this, why didn't you kill me?'
'Why would I do that? You could have been a useful tool.'
She didn't like the way he said 'could have' at all. The implications made her body freeze into an indescribable terror. For the first time in her life, and probably the last time in her life, she began to beg.
'Please don't kill me Raife I didn't want to do it. It's all become so much more complicated. I'm afraid for my own life and yours and now Cyras must know that I've failed because the Grolims see everything and I'm most certainly doomed because one of you is going to cut my life short and...'
'Stop,' Raife demanded, cutting her blubbering short. She snapped her mouth shut and gave him the most pathetic look he'd ever seen in his entire life. 'First of all, I'm not going to kill you. I need to find out why Cyras is doing this. You know even less than I do, so I suppose I will have to find this one out on my own.' He turned and began walking back to the base.
Maeyja quickly followed after him. 'But then what purpose do I serve you now? Surely you aren't going to let me live at being so traitorous.'
'Do you want me to kill you?'
Maeyja frowned at him and stopped moving. Her worry suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a hot fury. 'You have some nerve Raife! Leading me on like that! Making me believe you love me! Your cruelty is worse than death!'
He spun around and looked at her curiously. 'What has gotten into you? I'm sparing your life and you decide to pick a verbal battle with me?'
'Have you known me to do anything different?' she asked hotly.
'Well, the past few weeks you haven't quite been yourself. I'd almost forgotten your sharp tongue and icy comments. You've been so complacent and doe-eyed.'
'Is that what you make me out to be? Some submissive hopeless woman? Well, you are wrong! And I will not stand for you hurting me like this!'
'Hurting you?' His expression became puzzled.
'I love you, you dolt! And you sit here and pretend to love me as well and deceive me... ' she cut off sharply, realizing what she had just admitted to.
Raife's calm expression that had been held through this entire situation suddenly changed into utter confusion. 'First of all, you deceived ME. Wait... You what?'
Maeyja turned her back to Raife and crossed her arms across her chest. She was frustrated beyond belief and on the verge of crying. The last thing she wanted to do was allow him to see her cry.
'I am going to retire to my chambers. This is too much for me to decide right now. I will trust that you will go back to your chambers,' he said with a heavy sigh and disappeared into the base.

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Raife - One Fish, Two Fish
The next morning Raife decided it was best to occupy himself with things other then Maeyja. The previous night's events weighed down on him heavily and he was going to need more then a day to mull over the information learned and settle on a course of action. In fact, he was going to need more then a few days to even postulate at what had and was happening between them.
Instead of going to Maeyja's room as he always did for breakfast, Raife determined it would be a good day to dine with the soldiers and see how they were doing. An inspection always use to cheer him up. He almost felt sorry for the people he was going to scrutinize today, being that he was going to focus all his energy on the inspection in order to block out thoughts of his recent predicament. The mess hall would provide a few hours of distraction and a decent meal.
Once he was done with his breakfast, Raife strolled to his war room to discuss daily happenings and future military pursuits with his advisors. They all seemed shocked when he paid them more interest then usual. 'My Liege' a wrinkled advisor exclaimed, 'We have reports from Yar Nadrak that the Guardian Ambassador seems to have been killed. No word on the cause or culprit.' Raife smiled at that and made a mental note to reward Mernak for his job well done. The assassination would by him at least a few more months of uninterrupted negotiations with the Nadraks. Raife quickly put that thought in the back of his mind since thinking of Nadraks always led to thoughts about one particular Nadrak. 'Continue with your report' Raife commanded to the advisor. With a nod, the wrinkled man continued. 'The Algars seem to have completed their fortifications, and have settled in about a half a mile from the escarpment, just out of reach of our siege engines. We are bringing in the Melcenes to create a siege engine that might possibly reach the fortifications. ' That information pleased Raife, if they could destroy the encampments while killing Algars then they would greatly weaken the Algarian nation before they even began their decent down. That would minimize his casualties until the real battle started. Raife gave another slight nod and the man reporting stepped sat down to allow others to report. Gethrk, the Grolim advisor and spy, stood up next.
Uncharacteristically, Gethrk had valid information instead of the same old dusty phrases he had been saying since Cyras placed him here. 'It has been reported that there is a spy in the base. I have yet to learn of a name or position but apparently she -- I mean he -- might be linked to the Guardians of the West. I will personally see to it that this matter is taken care of and report when the needed tasks are complete. ' Raife sat there slightly stunned from that point on. Gethrk said she by mistake, or was it a slip. As the rest of the advisors reported various mundane events Raife contemplated the Grolim's words. It was odd that the first real report the Gethrk gave happened to coincide with the previous nights events. This was going to force Raife into decision faster then he would of liked. He hoped that a rushed decision did not lead to failure.

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Raife - Red Fish, Blue Fish
Coming out of the war room Raife made haste to go to his master spy's room but was overcome by one of his corporals. He was asked to come inspect a group of soldiers that was nearing completion of military training. Raife felt that is always boosted the moral and loyalty of soldiers when their supreme commander noticed their efforts and congratulated them. It also gave him the ability to discipline them when needed. One could not have balance without both. Raife and the corporal strolled through the ranks of cadets on the verge of gaining their rank. The men were in fine formation with each breastplate gleaming in the red blood hue that symbolized Murgo power.
The inspection took a great many hours and it wasn't until evening was coming on that Raife finally reached Mernak's chambers. After knocking, Raife entered expecting to find his master spy looking over papers at his desk. To Raife's surprise the man was absent from his room. With a disappointing grunt Raife left the chambers and strolled back to his own apartments, thinking idly how he would typically enjoying a nice dinner with Maeyja at this time.

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Maeyja - A woman's hysterical rant
Maeyja returned to her room feeling all jumbled up with a thousand different emotions. She responded to her inward feelings by throwing herself into fits that flitted from one extreme to another. One moment she'd be pacing the room, shouting lewd oaths to nothing in particular and then be in a bundle on the floor, sobbing hysterically. Finally, after several hours of her fits had passed, she collapsed wearily into bed and sank into slumber.
She awoke the next morningor rather afternoon as she slept well past the morning hours, feeling completely numb and frozen. The room was a bit chilly, but not enough to make her feel so paralyzed.
'I'm afraid my emotions have gotten the best of me,' she muttered in her mind, pulling the mass of blankets tightly around her. She called to a guard for a fire and he obliged, looking at Maeyja with an air of distaste before leaving. She rolled her eyes at him as he left and threw the covers up over her head. After a moment she felt a tug and poked her head out to peer at the intruder. Her kitten of whom she recently named Opal, since the cats fur seemed to change color with the firelight much like an opal would, mewed softly and batted at her face.
'Opal,' Maeyja began dramatically, scooping the cat under the covers and burying her face in the soft fur. 'I've been damned with the ultimate curse of being a woman. You haven't a clue how terrible it is. ' Opal meowed again and began purring as Maeyja continued her ranting. 'Why do men get all the perks? I don't see them with any weaknesses. I am subject to all sorts of emotional distress and trauma. And what about men? Nothing. They're just brutes who seek pleasure and war and beer and take delight in making women suffer. Yet, strangely enough, there is absolutely nothing charming about them, but we fall for it anyway. Ridiculous isn't it?'
Opal mewed again and stretched in Maeyja's arms. 'Now I haven't the faintest idea what to do. I'm afraid I'm the most complicated predicament I could ever imagine. If there's one thing you learn in the art of spying is you don't develop sympathy for the person you're employed to watch. That only makes it harder. And here I go... Developing something a little beyond sympathy. I don't even know why I'm being so light hearted about this. For all I know, Raife or Cyras will come bursting in at any moment with the promise of sacrifice.'
Maeyja sighed. 'Well, no matter, I suppose whatever happens will happen. My foolishness has gotten the best of me. It was a good life so far I suppose... ' her voice trailed off and she yawned lazily. 'I think I will sleep the rest of my day away. Care to join me?' Opal yawned in response and settled her hand on her paws. 'Well then, goodnight my kitten, I'll see you when I awaken... If I awaken.'

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Raife - Two dilemmas
He slept fitfully that night. Plagued by questions he did not have answers too. Gethrk let slip that he knew of Maeyja's declaration of love and refusal to complete her assignment. That meant Cryas knew or would know shortly. Now he had Gethrk and Maeyja to deal with. Two complex problems with no simple answers.
Upon waking Raife decided to immediately seek out Mernak. He had known the spy since he was young and could trust him to keep a secret if he did not wish to get personally involved. Perhaps Mernak would be able to help him formulate a plan, or at least formulate his own thoughts.
Knocking briefly on Mernak's chamber door Raife entered and found the man still groggy from his own night’s sleep. 'My lord' Mernak yawned giving a slight nod. Raife looked at the spy, 'Good morning Mernak, shall we small talk or get straight to business?' 'Let us commence with business, I am just waking and in short, irritable right now.' Mernak stated. 'Let me cut right to it then' Raife replied 'Two nights ago Maeyja cracked and told me everything. She also confessed her undying love for me. Yesterday Gethrk let it slip that he knows she is no longer in Cyras' service. That means I have two dilemmas. One, what to do with Maeyja and two, what to do with Gethrk?' Mernak looked a bit startled by the declaration. He did not reply but sat there with a worried expression on his face.

This story is continued from Mernak’s 'Why can't we all just, get along?'.

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