The prince arrives.

[Drasanil]

A look of horror came over Jimmy, as he stood a top his soap box on the ramparts and observed the small unit of knights heading towards the keep, the halfling was visibly shacken and it looked like if he was about to cry, if not wet his pants.

"What the bloody fook is wrong with ye? Tis nae but a bunch o' shiny umgi knights." Thrandur the castle's defacto chief engineer spat out, "Normaly ye'd be jumping up and down wit joy at them easy pickins' , ye thievin' bastich." the dwarf continued with a hint of disdain in his voice, he knew that Jimmy like all halflings was a kleptomaniac, and normaly couldn't resist such rich marks.

"Its true, he's coming..." the halfling replied in a whimpering fashion as he continued to stare at the knights who were steadily making their way, "...I'm in for a beating if he spots me..." the halfling blurted out before he jumped down and tried to run away, only to have Thrandur grab him by the back of the collar. Now the dwarf was just plain confused if not a little entertained, that goody toe shoes Diodore had kept Jimmy from getting the tar beaten out of him so many times over the past few years he had lost count.

"Lad!" the dwarf replied as he slapped some sense into the halfling much to his amusement, "... the castellan always pulls yer thievin' ass out o' the fire, ain't one o' them lads that'll touch ye if Diodore tells 'em nae to..." All the while Jimmy was squirming and flailing about in vain, trying to get the dwarf to drop him, but it didn't work Thrandur had a steel grip and he wasn't about to let go unless he felt like it. "See there the really shiny one in the middle with the cloak an' all..." the halfling finaly blurted out as he regained his composure, before continuing as Thrandur nodded in responce, "...thats the prince's son, last time he dropped by I 'found' some of his things... not knowing who he was of course, and well he caught me, the bastard gave me such a beating I spent the next week in bed, he didn't even flinch when Diodore told him to stop, finaly he had to knock the bastard out to keep him from ripping my arm off! That one's got a temper, I wouldn't cross him if I was you.... Now let me go! I gotta hide before he gets here!" Jimmy replied franticly as the dwarf loosened his grip causing the halfling to drop to the floor with a resounding thump. "Looks like he ain't all bad... for a daisy pickin' elgi..." Thrandur remarked to himself with a slight smirk, as he watched the halfling race off into the castle.

--- --- --- --- ---

"Greetings Diodore..." Ianthuil stated in a flat voice as he dismounted and one of the keep's guards took his horse off to the stabbles, "...I see you're still looking young." the prince continued as he removed his great horned helm, this time his voice bore a slight hint of warmth, but over all the elf didn't seem like he was the sociable type. His face was calm almost disturbingly so, his violet eyes were as cold as a block of ice, he bore neither smile nor any sign of emotion what so ever, infact many people doubted the young prince could even feel anything except anger, hatred, and vengence. His father had brought him up to be the 'perfect' noble, cold, distant, aloof and virtualy devoid of pitty or empathy. The prince knew it would one day be his duty to rule and he would do so faithfully and with out hesitation, had he been in Naggaroth he would be treated as a child prodigee, unfortunatly for all concerned he wasn't. So after much prodding from his mother, Caldath finaly agreed to send him off to the fey woods, something which Ianthuil wasn't overtly fond of. The prince had heard the humans talk about how 'flaky' the wood elves were, if his mother was anything to go on they couldn't be all bad, but then again he assumed she wouldn't be considered in her right mind by most of her kin for living the way she did. Ianthuil had no idea quite what he was supposed to learn from them, infact he wasn't even told what he supposed to do over there, just spend some time with his 'extended family' which left the prince in an even sourer mood as he viewed the whole thing as a waste of both his time and that of those primitives.

[Grumbaki]

Diodore looked at the prince, his golden eyes staring at him. A small smile spread over his face, though it was fake. It had been a century since he had ever given a true smile. Everything to him was based on logic and faith now, emotions meant nothing to him. He never got angry, or sad, or anything. His life was devoted to the lady and to the cleansing of all who would defy her. That was the purpose of his keep and that was also the purpose for trying to make those within it as happy as possible. He was still a knight, and that meant that he had to be a gentleman.

"No, I am not young. I just look like I am, there is a difference. But you have not come to talk about my age, have you? I would have expected your father to have sent a messenger to tell me of your arrival, perhaps he died before it could reach me? A shame if that is so. Are you here to assist me in the war against the tainted, or is there a different reason for your arrival?"

[Drasanil]

"If only..." Ianthuil replied with a hint of annoyance in his voice, given the choice between fighting beastmen and spending time lolly gagging around, he'd much prefer the beasts. "My father informed me that a group of wood elves should be journeying to your keep in a few days, unfortunatly I am to return to the fey woods with them. Some nonsense about spending 'time' with them... but I suppose that untill they arrive I can assist you in cleansing some of the filth from the tainted lands, I hardly have anything better, or more amuzing, to do." the prince continued in his usual cold voice, he knew that Diodore being a grail knight was more or less above emotions or offence. Something which made the prince appreciate him quite a lot, after all he wouldn't need waste his time on courtesy and other dull platitudes which most people obsessed over. Although the fact that some one could be offended by his behaviour had never prevented him from doing so any ways...

[Grumbaki]

"If that is your wish. Tommorow there will be a small expidition into the tainted lands, as there have been reports of a manticore that needs to be hunted down. One of my scouts returned to be two days ago with the location of it's den. Should you wish to accompany us on the hunt, then come to the courtyard at the break of dawn. Your room is already prepared, all you have to do is ask any servant you come across where it is and you will be taken to it."

[Drasanil]

"As usual Diodore, you are always on top of things." the prince replied with an oddly notisable hint of warmth in his voice, something which was quite rare and usualy indicated the prince's favor. "As for this manticore which you speak of, it sounds as if you are looking to get yourself killed taking on such a monster, I do hope you have taken the proper procautions, none the less I shall join you..." the prince continued in the same fashion as he looked the grail knight square in the eyes, normaly another person would have flinched under the prince's gaze after so long but the grail knight didn't seem to react at all something which impressed Ianthuil quite a lot.

[Grumbaki]

"To be honest, the only others who were willing to join me are a group of slayers. Very odd group, actively seeking their own death. From my experience, it is best to give them a target immediately, or they will wander off by themselves and die uselessly. Give them a large enough monster and they will come together and then they might actually do something. If you would like to meet them, they are currently in the mess hall playing a drinking game. They assured me that they will be ready to march at dawn though. I am not worried though, as just ten years ago a similar group brought down a hippogryph. I do not see why we will not be victorious again."

[Drasanil]

"It seems we keep good company..." the prince remarked with a hint of sarcasm at the thought of slayers. Normaly he wouldn't come with in ten pases of one of those madmen knowing their reputation all too well, although these were special circumstances so he was willing to make an exception, "I should like to meet them, though knowing their reputation it might be best if you came along as well, I've heard say they get aggitated rather easily." the prince added in as he walked over the Roasted Pig and motioned for Diodore to follow him, in truth he didn't particularly care if the knight came along or not, but he knew Diodore would make a fine bodyguard if those slayers got out of hand, which would make his life a whole lot easier.

[Grumbaki]

The two of them entered the mess hall just in time to hear the last part of a drinking song in Khazalid. Fifteen slayers were sitting around a table that was made to handle four times their number. Already there were three empty casks of ale, and it looked like they were ready to go through many more. At the moment none of them had noticed the two of them enter, as a brawl had just broken out between a dwarf who was missing three fingers and another one whose nose had been broken so many times that it looked like someone had flattened it against his face.

Diodore looked at the Prince with indifference. "And they are the volunteers. To be honest, I was hoping that some flaggelants would come along, but the last group who came in is already out of the keep looking for beastmen. Are you sure that you still wish to come along? I usually try to keep groups apart who do not get along well, and I don't think that they will see your presence as a good thing. But the choice to come along is, of course, yours."

[Drasanil]

"Make no mistake I would normaly not travel with such company how ever, there is little else to do here..." the prince retorted with a hint of boredom in his voice, as he walked over to the table where the slayers were, most of them seemed drunk enough already but then again knowing dwarves there was never such a thing as drunk 'enough' lest they had passed out. "So you were the only ones insane enough to go Manticore hunting with Diodore? I do hope you know what you are doing." the prince stated coldly as he snatched one of the halfling waitors by the back of the collar, he would have need of him in a few moments...

[Grumbaki]

One of the slayers turned around and noticed Caldath. He stood up, swaying on his feet slightly and pulled out his axe.

"Oy! Looks what we've got here. A wee elfling. What are ye doing with that halfling, elfling? I think that ey's got a bit o' a fetish for halfling lads!"

At this the rest of the slayers broke into laughter, forgetting the two of them who were fighting. The slayer with the broken nose slammed the head of the other slayer onto the stone floor and then got up, laughing as well. About thirty seconds later the other dwarf got to his feet, holding his head which was now bleeding.

Diodore looked over at the prince without a hint of emotion.

"I think that it would be best if we left, and I also think that you should unhand my servant. He is under my protection, if you want something from him you should address him first."

[Drasanil]

Ianthuil looked more than a little annoyed, but not at the slayers their behavior was to be expected, but at the fact that Diodore would presume to tell him what he could and could not do in his own lands, only two people in the whole of the Yetzin Valley had the authority to 'suggest' anything to him and neither of them were currently present. "Indeed, a 'wee elfling' who is lord of these lands..." the prince replied calmly as he looked the dwarf square in the eyes, "...I simply thought that since you were preforming a service to the people of Yetzinburg, you should be properly rewarded before you get yourselves killed tomorrow." the prince replied with a slight but none the less cold smile on his face, before smacking the halfling behind the head as he saw him try to reach into his pockets, and turning his attention to him; "Ask Jimmy what happened to him last time he tried to rob me before you go and do something stupid..."

"Now as for your reward..." the prince stated flatly as he looked the leader square in the eyes, "...you and your friends may drink all the Bugman's whatever its called you desire, I'll not see you drink poor man's grog on the last night of your life." the prince added as he released his grip and dismissed the halfling so that he might fetch the dwarves' ale.

[OOC: I haven't gotten around to posting it yet, but the Roasted Pig has more less the same prices and options as the Screaming Grobbi or Headless Orc.]

[Grumbaki]

For a moment the slayers regarded the prince. The largest of them finally spoke up. "That sounds fine and good. Now get us our ale and get the fook out o' here. d**ned elflings, everywhere these days!"

This was met by a round of laughter as the slayers turned away from Ianthuil and went back to drinking their grog and ale.

[Drasanil]

"Well, that wasn't too bad..." the prince remarked with a hint of sarcasm as he turned to face Diodore and walked out of the roasted pig, all things considered those dwarves were quite lucky they would most likely die the following day, with such behaviour the prince would normaly have been disposed to have them killed for drawing their weapons in his pesence, and he would have most likely made sure they died in a very dishonorable way.

"You are quite right Diodore, I shall not be coming with you..." Ianthuil remarked flatly his voice showing no sign of emotion, before he stopped midway through the court yard and looked the grail knight square in the eyes. "Though I suggest you make sure the slayers have all... 'redeemed' themselves before your return tomorrow." the prince added in his usual bland voice, a fact which only served to confirm he knew exactly what he was asking of Diodore...

[Grumbaki]

"I'm sorry to hear that. But I can't ensure anything. If they die, they die. Don't worry though, I'm sure that they will find their fate soon enough, there are more than enough dangers in these woods. But, enough about them. Is there anything I can do to make your stay here more comfortable?"

[Drasanil]

"I don't suppose so..." the prince replied in a bland tone as he looked around. For the most part the Keep was little more than functional, it had a few shrines for the convinience of those who were about to get themselves killed and an inn for patrons, but not much more besides warmachines and guards, "I'm sure I shall find something to pass the time while I wait for those wood elves." the prince added at the last second as he walked off into the keeps central tower too find a servant.