Nettle & Bone

 Callanwolde ached, body spent after a thorough patrol of the Hollow. The Lowblood sequestered himself well away from the preferred royal haunts, holing up in a bordering alcove cut into the mountainside. 

 Having found the femur of some poor shit not in need of it anymore, he settled in, cracking the bone to release the stale marrow.

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Percival had been sauntering, desperately looking for some sort of attention. With his other duties being taken care of, he was in the mood for an afternoon nap. But, just as he was going to settle, he saw his brunette beast lounging, too, so he decided to join him.

"Ah— just the brute I was looking for." Percival cooed as he plopped himself down a tail-length away from where Callanwolde sat. The beast was smelled grossly of blood, but there was a comfort in it that Percival found. He wouldn't say that to anyone else aloud, however. "I simply cannot believe all these nomads beckoning our borders as of late. Wouldn't you agree?" He talked to the beast playfully, casually. It was moments like these that most wouldn't see.

 

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 The glorious peace of solitude was shattered by the largest bell. 

 Callanwolde snapped the bone in two. 

 This was as much a test as any other - a puckish kind of torture, niggling and insidious. 

 The great beast looked up, leveling his gaze at the King. “Dunno why you bother letting them in.”

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Percival let out an elongated sigh, deep and hefty. He almost startled at the sound of the bone cracking in two at the mercy of Callanwolde's jaw, but he refrained from showing it externally. His beast was beginning to get antsy. 

"I wouldn't if I didn't need to, you know that just as much as I." It absolutely saddened Percival's heart, but he knew deep down that Callanwolde appreciated this chat— why wouldn't he? "But my family keeps falling out of the sky, and there's work to be done. I wouldn't dare make them do it." It was obvious. Why would his family need to work? It was his job to protect them from harms way. Simply put, work was dangerous.

Only those bone-snapping beasts could handle that work. "Frustrating, isn't it?"

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 What the AuClair's called purity, some would call inbred weakness. Callanwolde had no doubt of their incapability. 

 And he was their slave. 

 “Could use a medic.” He noted in half-agreement. “And some cannon fodder.”

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Percival hummed as he listened. Or for whatever part he picked up. "I think I could've been a good medic." He spoke suddenly, looking to the sky as he rolled to his back. 

"But you've definitely got a point. Medics. We need them desperately." He weighed in some other options. "Maybe some sparring partners for you."

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 Callanwolde grunted. “Medics see more blood than you think. 'Specially if you find those sparring partners.” 

 At that the beast smiled, showing a crocodile grin of yellow teeth. “Sure you'll get yourself some enemies soon enough.” He continued, speaking more than usual. “Then I'll have something worthwhile to do.”

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Percival let out a coarse laugh at Callanwolde's blatant honesty. Many weren't honest with him— why would they be? The High King was not someone who you would simply spill your heart to; opinions on the table. But Percival had known Callanwolde far longer than most, and allowed such tasteful words. 

"You truly believe me so unlikeable?" Percival knew that if his kin heard such volatile words from lowbloods like he, they'd want Percival to kill him. But Percival had no qualms of such a task. "Please, Callanwolde. If my kin heard you speak such words, your head would be on a stake."

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 “And will you be wielding that ax?”

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Percival hesitated. Such a heavy-weighted question for lowerblood to ask their Higherkin. For that alone, Percival could have Callanwolde bleeding on the floor, but he didn't let that thought bloom. 

"It would be my duty." Percival was now stating the facts. But this isn't what he had wanted. "But not willingly, no."

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 The bull went back to his bone. 

 It was a question of capability - and he wondered what their kingdom would be without the lowblood's toil. What would happen to them if he simply left?

 The private respect the High King extended was a rare show of recognition. In the construction of Highvalley's grand house, rafters needed beams.

 For without the rafters, the beams would remain.  

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this feeeeels like a good place to end it - if you wanna keep going lemme know and I will happily edit!

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