Oscar set the brush aside as Kieran entered the stables. His horse nickered as the knight came forward and addressed Oscar. "Oscar! Where might you of slunk off to… to plot and scheme of ways to escape my-" Kieran paused as the horse nickered again, tacking notice of an extra pair of legs coming from the mount's stomach. "Ho ho! Oscar, are you there?" A displeased sigh drifted from the horse's side.
"Yes, I'm sorry to say."
Kieran grinned happily, patting the horse's shoulder and walking around. "Don't dawdle, then! I have written you something!" The redhead ignored the slight grimace on the other's face and slung an arm around his shoulders, pulling him from the stables.
"Couldn't we wait, Kieran?" Oscar questioned as he was pulled to a tree stump, left to stand as the crimson knight rose a foot upon the stump and raised his arm dramatically, as he'd been instructed. With a quick look at his palm, he'd drawn pictures on the calloused skin to remind him of his words, he took a deep breath and began.
--
Volke turned his eyes to the ceiling and counted slowly as the door began vibrating from a furious pounding. Bastian glanced at the door in surprise and stood from the bed, struggling into his britches and pulling a shirt over his chest. He stopped before the door, adjusting his collar, and flung it open to reveal a distressed knight.
"Knight Kieran! Be there trouble afoot?" The count asked, head swirling left and right in the hallway suspiciously.
"Failed!" The knight moaned, running gloved hands through his cropped red strands. "I have failed! Your worthy advice was wasted!"
Bastian pulled the man inside, ignoring the growl from the bed, and sat the disappointed knight in a chair. "Be not deterred, for true love dost shine upon thee! Your companion needs but little coaxing. He was not overcome with joy and affection from your heart felt sonnet?" Volke stood as Kieran moaned his answer, ignoring his clothes as the two Crimean men began to think of another tactic.
--
"Oh, Kieran…you're back." Oscar greeted, ignoring Boyd's snicker.
The just arrived knight grinned. "But of course! Did you think you were rid of me so easily?" he questioned, sliding from his horse and leading it to the stable with Oscar.
"No," the man replied, patting the black mount. "I never dreamed of it."
Kieran grinned and stumbled as he pulled an object from his saddlebag. "Good! For you would have dreamt in vain! Ha!" He thrust the square object into the other knight's reluctant hands and stood back proudly.
Oscar patted the objects front and scratched at the brown paper questioningly before giving into Kieran's commands and opening the package. "Well, it's…it's-"
"A glorious masterpiece of my love! Does it please you?" Oscar took another look at the picture; it seemed to depict a stick figure with an axe attacking some sort of animal in the forest, and scratched at the red coloring.
"You…you made this?" He asked as some of the red flaked off. "Yourself?"
Kieran laughed delightedly. "But of course," he proclaimed, balancing himself against his horse as dizziness raked his mind. "With my own blood and flesh I did toil on that for you!" The other knight's squint deepened as he picked at the red.
"Your blood?" Kieran nodded excitedly and showed Oscar the reddened bandage on his pointer finger.
"That is the final one I made. The other four were not deserving of your ownership." The knight explained, before falling to the stable floor as spots of light doted his vision. "Ha, I didn't think a simple picture would require such an amount of blood! Ha ha ha!"
--
"If you open that door I'm leaving,"
Bastian paused, his hand outstretched, and turned to glance at his companion. "Yes, I will." The other man continued, seeing the doubt in emerald orbs.
The count glanced aghast at the door to his chambers, quivering with the force of the visitor's knocks. "B-but, dearest! This unhappy soul requires instruction in the ways of the heart! To turn away such a man in need would be an insult to the glorious existence of this elusive love!"
The replied "I don't care," was unheard as the door fell forward from its frame, hinges snapped in half.
"Count Bastian! I grew worried, as your door remained closed. Perhaps some vile fiend has trapped you in your quarters against your will?" The red armored knight panted, rubbing his sore shoulder.
"Oh ho! Good knight Kieran, hast your endeavors proved fruitful- No, no. Don't leave, darling Volke! Never a splinter of the door did I touch!" Bastian shouted in frustration as the russet haired assassin pulled his mask over his nose and leapt from the balcony.
--
Boyd looked up from his plate and motioned out the window. Oscar followed his gaze and dropped his fork, eyes becoming a darker line. "I think he got you a pet!" Boyd roared in amusement, laughing happily as he gulped his tea and watched his older brother march outside.
"Ho, Oscar!" the Crimean knight called as the green haired knight appeared. "Turn your unhappy squint upon this!" he proclaimed happily, pointed his boot at the furry mound at his feet.
Oscar sighed heavily as he came closer and the coppery smell of blood grew. "Is it dead?" he asked, rubbing his forehead tiredly.
Kieran nodded joyfully. "Yes, the beast has been overcome by my-"
"Why did you bring it here?" Oscar interrupted, prodding the corpse with his foot.
"For you, of course! I thought such a creature would make a grand-"
"Bear tonight!" Gatrie called joyfully, standing over the ebony bear with a happy grin. "How about I buy you dinner tomorrow, Shinon?" he asked hopefully, lifting an arm of the animal over his shoulder. Ignoring the answering grumble he began to drag the carcass towards the compound.
--
"My boy! How did your face turn so blue and ghastly?" Bastian whispered, throwing a glance over his shoulder at the sleeping brunette in his bed.
The knight grumbled unhappily. "You said I should bring his token from nature, so I killed a bear for him. I thought he could mount its head, or have its skin!" he proclaimed in irritation, overlooking Bastian's gesture to quiet down. "Then a thief, a wicked blonde haired thief, stole my love's token! Oh, how I fought him! We still ate the bear," he grumbled unhappily. "I managed to grab its skin...How shall I gain his affection now?" He asked loudly, standing from his chair. Bastian cast a quick look at the bed before forcing the aggrieved knight back.
"Not to worry," the count soothed warily, whispering. "-for I have pledged to-"
"-make a fool of him and yourself." a voice finished. Bastian turned to see Volke stand from the bed and walk forward, arms folded over his chest and golden eyes set in annoyance. "I'm going to tell you exactly what to do, knight, and your going to go find this guy and stay with him for awhile." he continued. "No coming back in a week, no breaking down the count's door, no interrupting us, got it?" Kieran cast a quick look at Bastian and nodded hesitantly.
--
How very much he would like some water, Kieran thought unhappily. His axe became buried in the tree trunk and he strove to reclaim it, but his arms gave feeble quivers as he tried to lift them and he concluded that he was tired. Very, very tired, he thought drowsily. His stomach was empty, his mouth was dry, his feet felt like lead and his arms hung woefully at his sides. Kieran twitched his lips into a triumphant grin and slowly stalked from the forest with a purpose.
He finally made it the compound, shedding his garnet armor by the stable in exhaustion and continuing forward. He passed the well and slowly pulled a bucket from the pit, tossing the water over his head and body to wash the sweat, he brought another up to splash a second time. Kieran made a quick journey inside to change his drenched clothing and ran away slowly from Rhys when asked why he appeared so exhausted.
But exhaustion was the key, as the mildly trustworthy assassin had said, to be exhausted past speech and activity. Kieran stumbled his way to the apple tree near the back of the compound and stopped a distance away, eyes swimming tiredly and limbs quivering.
He noticed an emerald head and forced himself forward, dropping to his knees next to the seated knight. Oscar looked up from his book in surprised, thin wire glasses slipping slightly from his nose. Kieran yawned before dropping his head into the other's lap, words muffled as he pressed his face against the man's stomach. He finally fell asleep as a pale, long-fingered hand tangled softly in his red strands.
--
"Kieran's back," Boyd announced to his brother's room, turning his head when he saw that it was empty. He searched the kitchen and the stable; the arrived knight's horse had already been taken care of. Scratching his ear in question, Boyd shrugged and returned to the kitchen to help Gatrie steal the rest of last nights roast.
Oscar reclined against an apple tree in contentment, eyes closed and breeze playing against his lanky hair. The emerald eyes opened at the sounds of a distant axe and he stood, sighing. He started towards the forest, ready to remind Kieran that he didn't need to exhaust himself anymore.
--
Because Kieran and Oscar need more love, and because this counts as a partway Bastian/Volke fic.
Yay! This is also given to LA, for she is cool and likes Kieran/Oscar.