Aldarn listened, as something - presumably a rodent - scrabbled across the grounds and he knew that every man in the cramped cell was waiting silently; watching eagerly. He understood: Aldarn was hungry, though he wondered if it was worth eating, or if that was only prolonging the misery.. His only thought was that he'd been right - his birthday was in November, and if he could stay alive for days longer he'd be a man when he died. Though his father had always wanted him to be married.. "Hey! I saw it first!"
"Save your strength for fighting our enemies." Vathek and a shadow he couldn't recognize stood to brawl, but Vathek gave off under his glare. He didn't know who, his father intended him to espouse - he knew that two years Drake had been kidding that the lack of a wedding would be because he was secretly sapphic[0], but he was only jealous that Aldarn had managed to actually make a friend worth having; out of Caleb no less - and Aldarn was certainly not interested in undermining himself to 'fix' one of Drake's many ladies, which depleated the far most of the female rebellion (not all being elligable ladies at that), though his father would most probably pride himself that his son had married despite what was barely even considered an improper lady anymore. Aldarn shook his head and stood - the lack of food not so much, but that of noise was creating a pace in his mind. He didn't generally like to think about things. "MY MEN MUST HAVE FOOD!"
Footsteps. All thoughts of what could have been; who he could have become, were lost as the scent of bread hit the room: dry and stale, but that fact only causing the yeasty scent to become stronger as a guard stood with a bag, and he found himself immediately being shoved back. Sent to the opposing wall as men pushed and shoved and he was disgusted that it had been one day. He and Caleb had gone a week before - and that had been simply because they'd been busy; still, even, in the Infinite City's walls. He wished he was that hungry now; his stomach had been fully clenched against the lack of food, but he'd never seen anyone so animated after six days: Caleb had planned out an entire battle to at least twenty different back-ups, though they'd all be useless now, they had been old news since the guardians and besides, the Mage would've hissed in rage if she had known that they were leaving. She was empty: dead, he was sure, but until now she had been clever. Now she just kept talking to Caleb when he wasn't there. When no one is there. She was always talking to him, and she'd never spoken so much in his lifespan with her.
"Hey!" A gruff voice sounded and the guard's obvious laughter ceased, before his men started shouting out pleas like women. They were cowards, if they were so undeniably hungry after one night, and he was sorry if Will was in here. Not in this cell, she wasn't, but Caleb would have been going for Phobos, and what if she was here, somewhere, without them? ..She'd probably be pillaged. If these men would offer their information for food already, he doubted the loose attempts at being called the good that fought Phobos evil would strain themselves from violating her. He could only hope that Drake was with.. Aldarn made a face and slid to the ground. Perhaps not - he'd never known where Drake stood, and he'd never been good news, but he'd never seemed as bad as some of them.. Aldarn had come to like him, simply because he was older and told him secrets he ought not know about a woman, and besides, Drake quickly began to call Caleb Caleb. "The Prince will have our heads!"
"Lord Cedri-"
"Prince Phobos sends them spoils.. Besides, the murmurers can eat from the battlefields." Aldarn's head shot up to fast at that, as bile rose up in his throat.. And he felt the silence that eminated through men, and he hated every one who'd thought of Caleb first. He hated himself. And he hated that no one even cared about those bodies - that could be their fathers or their brothers or their friends - whilst digging fists into bags of more bread than they'd seen in weeks. He was wrong. /this bread was fresh and warm, and Aldarn swallowed his saliva, but found that he could only use the loaf to thaw his fingers: holding it, but finding himself unable to bite.. If anyone was left out there, they'd probably be eaten alive.
[0] Gay. Yes, even medieval boys would probably call each other gay (a far greater insult; to the father as well mind you), and of course it'd be more worrying {what with homosexuality a sin and all} for the first while - if not Aldarn's less likely being - Caleb obviously showed no interest in women, and the mind would wander to such an evil creature having such preferences (especially seen as Phobos wasn't known - probably seen as asexual with a chance of either).