07.09.3013: Two Knight Lieutenants Walk Into A Cafe
Summary: Agnes and Jarek have a talk about where time has flown.
Date: 09 July 2013
Related: None
Agnes Jarek 


First Quadrant of the Halo — The Ring
The Halo is a thick circlet that arcs around the equator of the Ring's main sphere. It is one of the busiest regions of the Ring as it connects the six disks that stretch out from the Halo like spokes on a wheel. The Halo itself feels like a tall, but still somewhat narrow, tunnel with wide mezzanine walkways running along its sides, and the monorail below where sleek trams quickly ferry travelers around the circle. Spaced equally along the Halo are elevator bays with lifts that run up along the exterior longitude of the sphere to the various districts. Transparent composite panels line the outermost wall of the Halo to provide breathtaking views of the Eye and its Lashes as the Ring continues its own orbit around the blue gas giant.
09 July 3013

Sir Agnes Peake is still on the Ring, waiting to disembark back through the Ways to Arboren. Her right arm is still in a sling, but she doesn't look overly pained by it. The tall woman is seated at a small table in a caf, sipping coffee and reading her datapad. She is out of her armor and in a simple pair of breeches and a leather vest, with a tunic of some soft grey material beneath it. As usual, she is free of makeup or adornments.

Jarek walks into the bazaar, he'd heard about it and after his debriefing and subsequent meetings with the Orelle about the Primus battle and future efforts to thwart more landings, Jarek is looking to just relax some… though for knights of his rank that rarely happens. He's in his uniformed best as he strolls into a cafe to order a drink. "Double espresso please."

Agnes glances up from her datapad and she inclines her head to the other Knight Lieutenant. "Lord Jarek," she greets. "You will be awake til Thursday if you drink that." She offers a faint, wan smile.

Jarek turns and smiles, then nods to Agnes. "Lady Agnes, with the paperwork, training, squires, and patrols… I need it." he looks to her arm, "How are you healing?" Once he has his drink he moves to her table, "May I join you?"

"Of course," Agnes replies, gesturing to the empty seat at her table. "And I am healing rapidly, thanks to the medical knowledge of my nephew, Brigham. Mind you, half the time I'm afraid the boy will blow something up before he fixed me, but I should be good as new in a few days." She sets her datapad aside and lifts her coffee cup with her left hand. "And you? I was tending to some of my bannermen during the battle, I did not see how you fared."

Jarek takes the seat, adjusting buttons on his coat so it fits more comfortably on him. He takes a sip of his drink after lifting it to her in a small toast of sorts. "I fared well, only a single small slash on my arm that healed over night. I stayed behind and made sure the attacked pressed on, we won the field and Sir Simms was happy about that, enough that her constant frown eased up for two seconds." he chuckles softly.

"That is a remarkable feat. I'm sad I didn't see it. I've never seen his frown set on anything other than 11," Agnes quips with a small chuckle. Then she sighs. "We had a lot of casualties, in spite of our side having overwhelming numbers. That is disturbing to the extreme. Six to one odds, we should have taken them with no effort."

Jarek laughs a deep chested laugh, "Indeed." he responds about Sir Simms. "We did, and several were of my people… I knew them all personally and it will be hard when I start to make the rounds." his tone shifts to something more soft and pained. "The Hostiles were tougher than I'd thought… this was my first encounter with them personally, though I've read reports about other fights."

It was my third. The last time one nearly did me in entirely. I spent a week in the hospital in Landings being put back together again," Agnes notes grimly. "I have some brand new artificial ribs and part of a cybernetic lung thanks to them."

Jarek blinks and nods gently, "That is terrible to hear, but I'm glad you survived." he takes another sip of his drink, "How's the forest these days? I haven't been there in a while, used to go hunting once in a while years ago." he removes his coat now, draping it over his chair.

"To be honest, I don't spend overmuch time in the woods. I'm of the mountain, Lord Jarek," Agnes explains. "But I've visited it a bit more recently, as an old friend of mine has been teaching me some archery. I'm afraid I qualify as absolutely dreadful at it." She smiles. "Lady Aelewen tends to shoo everyone out of a thousand foot radius when I've a bow in my hands."

"Then we should have an archery competition, the Drakes would suffice… there aren't enough people for us to randomly maim when we both miss terribly." Jarek laughs, and smiles "Lady Aelewen, sadly I only know the name and the tragedy related to it. I'll have to make a visit to the Spine, the forest… and the mountain."

"I used to watch her children when they were little, told them stories and sang songs to them. They're all grown up now. One is about to be squired," Agnes murmurs with a shake of her head. "Where does the time go?"

Jarek chuckles softly and shakes his head, "I have no idea… I've spent the last ten years being a knight. I've only known the Chantry and the Drakes." he shrugs slightly, "Hard to think back to my ceremony and go, was it really that long ago? Seems like only a month passed."

"Indeed," Agnes agrees. "But our experience is badly needed in this war. We have the next two generations to train before it will be over, unless we find some final solution to the Hostile problem, or they wipe humanity out altogether." She eyes Jarek then. "I do not recall if you have children or not, my Lord, forgive me."

Jarek smiles, "Very true, and no. I have no children… though I have a feeling my father might spring a betrothal on me the minute I walk into the Drakholt… I've been avoiding going home because of it." he grins sheepishly, "I don't care for arranged marriages, even though I honor the duty to my family, they just don't sit right with me, you know?"

"I feel much the same, Lord Jarek," Agnes admits. "Which is why I am still unwed myself. However, as the years are gaining on me, I've granted my brother permission to find me a match. It is our children and grandchildren who will finish this war, and in that I understand the duty of us all to wed and have heirs." She shrugs slightly. "Circumstances have dictated that it's time I grow up and do what I must."

Jarek nods, "Circumstances dictate that we must all grow up and do as we must." he agrees, "The duty to the family is paramount to our own feelings… and I have faith in the Sage to grant my father insight enough to know what I'd work best with." he smiles again, "However, it isn't ever a bad thing to consider who'd you'd like to marry. Have eyes on anyone Lady Agnes?" he asks in a soft teasing tone, like a friend.

Agnes blanches a little, and her cheeks color slightly at the question. "I do. I did. But he is so far out of my reach as to make the orbit of the Fifth world seem like a trifling distance." She rubs at her forehead with her off hand and grimaces. "So I have left it in Trentin's hands to find someone compatible."

Jarek chuckles and nods with an aha sort of feel to it. "I see… I have a similar myself. Though it's not so much her being out of reach, just that we could not be married for our positions in related families… and lack of knowing each other I suppose." he shrugs slightly, and chuckles again. "I guess I could let my father just spring whomever on me, but I just don't want someone off field. My wife should be able to join me in battle… as much as he might think otherwise." he shakes his head, "I'll have to have a talk with him at somepoint, letters seem impersonal when your family is a close knit as mine is… plus, he's not so busy he can't see his oldest son." with that statement of surety Jarek finishes his drink.

Agnes gives Jarek an appraising look. "I would think any woman would be honored to wed the heir of House Saimhann. You are a good man, a brave one, strong, and not unpleasant at all to look upon. Also, you have a respectable status as an Heir. I do not think it will take your father long to find you a plethora of candidates, My Lord."

Jarek waves lightly at Agnes, "It's not about having a plethora of candidates… I only want one, and one that fits close to my own likes." he pauses, "Thank you, however, for the compliments… and I'm shocked that Lord Trentin hasn't found someone for you already."

"It's only been a few weeks since I gave him leave to, Sir Jarek," Agnes murmurs. "I don't expect there to be many candidates. I am a woman taller than most noblemen, older than many of the pretty young things, and I am merely the sister of a Head of House. And I love my brother, but he is a busy man."

Jarek chuckles softly, "Indeed most of the men about our age are heirs, or married, or maimed gruesomely." he sighs, "And most women about our age, are about the same. I would prefer not to marry someone who could almost be my child… regardless of how attractive they are." he shrugs slightly. "Busy might not have everything to do with the delay though, a brother has a hard enough time growing up and dealing with a sister having a love life… then to be in charge of finding a husband for her?" he chuckles.

Agnes laughs. "Oh please, he's wanted me wed for a decade and a half now. He worries. But I was focused on the Knighthood and the protection of Haven, and never quite had a lovelife to speak of. When you are taller than the boys from about age 8 on, dates are not quite forthcoming, Lord Jarek. He could also be waiting on word from that someone I mentioned, if he even thought to send him a message about me."

Jarek laughs and nods, "I understand entirely, I'm similar in that I put Knighthood first, then my duty to the Chantry. I've worked hard for ten years… and father was never happy that previous women, daughters of rich Valen who came to hunt drakes, didn't live up to my devout standards." he grins slightly, "I should hope a letter was sent to this mystery man. The Maiden's blessing that something positive is sent in return."

"I do not think it will, Sir Jarek. As I said, he is far out of my reach. So I wait, with the patience of the Crone, until some word arrives from Trentin and my fate is decided." Agnes stands then, and gathers her datapad. "I have to depart for Arboren, but it was a pleasure talking to you."

Jarek nods and rises, gathering his coat. "I'll walk with you to the Ways if that's alright, I should return to Spikka… talk to father." he smiles, "It was nice to have met you Lady Sir Agnes, hope to see you again and on the field as well." with that, he'll walk with her if she agrees to it. Otherwise he'll just make his way home.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License