``I SIGNED UP FOR THIS GAME ; VAUGHN

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra was mildly disappointed with the results of the day - or rather, lack thereof. It was the first time in two weeks that she'd donned armor and reported to train with the other knights, and absolutely nothing had happened. They hadn't even done any of her preferred excercises or duals so that she could play a bit with the sword; instead, they'd focused on aspects that she could care less about for hours and hours, to the point where she was certain she'd go mad with the sheer boredom involved in it all, or perhaps the heat caused by being trapped in a suit of metal in the hot sun.

It was so warm, even, that despite the fact that evening was approaching, she didn't dare ride Iron at more than a trot, lest the massive animal suffer a heat stroke. Alegra was not so concerned, however, that she immediately returned home - no, that would only further serve to put the day to waste, this time under the needling scrutiny of her mother. Instead, she found herself riding wherever her horse's legs decided to take her, doing little guiding on her own but keeping decent track of where they were. There was no need to get lost; that could only result in disaster. At the moment, she was moving briskly but not quickly through the forests of Balor.

Breathing through the helmet, however, was getting very tedious. Up until now, she did not dare remove it, just in case someone was to notice her... but who else would be out here in the forests as she was? A warning flashed in the back of her mind, but her side of the argument sounded much more pleasant, and so, without even slowing down, she dropped the reins and removed the bloody thing. Alegra could think of no time where fresh air had felt nicer to her than at that moment as she shook her head out, letting her hair fall back down to its normal lengthm her cheeks flushed red from being stuffed in the blasted contraption for so long. Holding the helment in the crook of her arm against her body, she grabbed the reins again quickly and slowed back down to a walk. Now that the air she was taking in wasn't being filtered, she wanted to enjoy herself.

[Vaughn Adeney]

If there was one thing Vaughn could do, it was lurk in the shadows of the night. It was border line creepy at some times. After all, who would want a mysterious man watching them and then sometimes jumping out at the opportune moment. But when Vaughn was in places such as the Forest of Balor in the dead of night, and there happened to be someone else around, his curiosity got the better of him. Who would be out at this hour, in this place? He had no sense of purpose in life and it was rare to come across people who shared that sense of lacking purposefulness. He continued to watch, about to approach the night when he saw something that could only be best described as unexpected.

The knight was not a knight, but rather a woman. How strange was that? This captured Vaughn's attention even more. Now how could be possibly turn away after seeing this strange sight. Perhaps tonight was going to be more interesting than he initially thought. He revealed himself from the place he had been peeking from, the moon providing enough light to get a clearer picture of the woman. Yes. She was definitely a woman. Her dark features with fair skin was enough to capture the attention of any man. Vaughn was no exception to this fair generalization. "My, my. That armor does not suit your figure at all." He spoke with a playful smile on his lips. "If you need help removing it, I would be more than happy to assist you," he added in a flirtatious manner. Vaughn may be lacking morals, and decency, but he was one to act boldly for he feared nothing. Especially not rejection.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra had taught herself long ago to be stubborn, willfull, unwavering - and that included any expression of surprise. In her experience, it was best to refrain from letting the opposing figure see that they had shocked her. So, when a figure suddenly appeared before her, her face remained impassive, completely blank as she looked at him; but that did not alter the fact that she was, indeed, surprised, and even more so, panicking. Someone - not only someone, a man, a knight in fact; she recognized him almost immediately - had seen her face paired with her armor. Her brain was working at a breakneck speed, half of its energy dedicated to chastising her for her foolishness and half of it dedicated to coming up for some plausible excuse regarding her attire.

However, it seemed it was not needed. "That armor does not suit your figure at all." She stared at him, utterly dumbfounded. That was his reaction? He'd watched a fellow knight remove his helment and reveal himself to be a girl, and that was what he had to say? Well, she certainly wasn't going to complain. His next statement caught her attention even more, and she found herself quirking a brow in amusement. Her mother would faint if she saw her, of course; the only appropriate response to his statement would be a blush, a glance away, perhaps a hint at courting. Alegra would have none of it. "Is that a statement you expected a response to?" she wanted to know, torn between being offended that a stranger would talk to her in such a manner and being... well, entirely entertained. She fought the urge to grin.

[Vaughn Adeney]

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Vaughn watched her carefully for any reaction but she, much like himself, controlled her emotions and gave him a blank look instead. It was a skill that took mastering, and she was probably one of the few people he had come across who was able to do so. "Well it clearly elicited some sort of reaction from you," he began to say his smile ever so slightly widening. He was now rather close to her, or her horse rather since she was still mounted on it. "But yes, it is something I would expect you to react to. You are a woman after all, somewhere underneath all that heavy armor."

As he said that his eyes scanned her body as if he was imagining what was underneath that armor indeed. She looked very petite. Now that he was closer, he could get a better view of her and he noticed that her height was not that great and so if she was well proportioned, she would have a small frame. He said such things because after all, women liked flattery. One did not have to be particularly bright to know that. But it was all in the way one spoke to them. Knights were regarded as charming, smooth, suave.....Vaughn could be these things when he wished to be. In the presence of a woman, one such as this one, why bother refraining?

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Her other eyebrow rose to join the first when he declared that she had, in fact, reacted - but she had to admit that it was true, if only because everyone reacted to something said to them, at least in one way or another. "You are correct," she admitted, albeit grudgingly. "You are a woman after all, somewhere underneath all that armor." She snorted, not ladylike in the slightest but somehow still sounding feminine about it. "Somewhere underneath," she agreed, grinning unabashedly now. "Perhaps very far down, however. It's rather thick." She was doing her best to sound uncomprehending, ignorant like most women were expected to be; and failing miserably at it. At a social gathering while wearing a dress, sure, she pulled it off effortlessly. But there was something about their surroundings that simply refused to allow her to be anything but herself... a fact that may very well get her into trouble.

Alegra noticed right away that he was looking her over. Most men were more discreet about it, of course, but she supposed it didn't really matter whether or not they were; they all did it. Being the tease that she was (and trusting her skills with her sword in the event that she got into a skirmish for it), she quickly dismounted, standing beside Iron and resembling more a child trying on its father's armor than anything else. She managed, however, to seem proud even so, and her chin was raised slightly with it. She placed one hand to her hip, waiting for him to finish; not that there was terribly much too see through the metal plating.

[Vaughn Adeney]

Whether she was knowingly encouraging his flirtations or not, he was unsure. Never the less, it was still a fun idea to play around with, and playing was something Vaughn loved to do. Hell, all of life was a game to him. No fear. Maximum amount of risk. It was the only fun life provided from the mundane and routinized days. He watched her hop off the horse and he looked at her, emitting a deep chuckle. She was so......tiny. Like a little doll really. Well, minus the armor. It was not flattering at all on her, but seeing her facial features seemed to redeem her masculine attire.

"Maybe we can find just how underneath it is," he said, still humoring the idea of it. He took a step closer to her, invading her personal space, something he knew most others felt highly discomforted by. "I do not think your father will like the fact that his young daughter is out in the woods on her own, playing dress up in his armor." That was really the only logical explanation for why she would be dressed like that. Though Vaughn could not ignore the fact that the armor seemed to fit her rather well. Maybe her father was an unfortunately short man. "What brought forth this rebellious act of yours? Did he not buy you a pony?" She had to be nobility at least. Vaughn could recognize one extremely easily. It was not only apparent in the way she dressed, but also in her confidence and the way she carried herself. She did not look like a woman of a lower class.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra snickered softly. "And what would you do if you stripped me down only to discover I truly am a man?" she wanted to know. Of course, everything about her made it obvious she was not, down to the shape of her eyes and the pitch in her voice; but if he was going to humor himself, so was she. No need to make the amusement one-sided, and she truly was curious as to what his reaction would be if the small, outspoken maiden was in fact a boy who was obviously very hated by whatever was responsible for his appearance.

When he stepped closer, suddenly much too close, her eyes narrowed but she did not take a step backward; she was certainly not the type of woman to be intimidated by a man's advances (in this case, literally). At his comments regarding her father, she very nearly informed him that her father had disappeared years ago, but then thought better of it. It was best not to give him information that could later be used against her. Especially since he had been a knight, it would be easy to find out who had gone missing and go from there, and she would, without a second thought, take death over her mother finding out that her daughter was dressing up like a man in her free time. "He bought me a pony," she assured him, gesturing to her large horse. "But a simple horse is not enough to appease me, of course. I have much greater wants." Her eyes sparkled mischeviously; really, she was simply asking for trouble.

[Vaughn Adeney]

Vaughn continued to smile, and even chuckle at her question. "Even underneath all that thick armor, it is easy to tell you are in fact a woman. I do not think a man could display such ravishing features." Was she truly entertaining his idea? Humoring his comments? It was rather odd. Most women were taught to be modest, virtuous, they were even taught to be shy. As if someone could be taught that, but bold women were not looked at with the greatest favor. And here she was; encouraging him. Then again, it was not as if he could expect much more from a woman dressed as knight.

Much greater wants. Interesting. "And what sort of wants are these? I could help you fulfill those wants." He obviously meant it in a different way than she did, as he was moving on from the idea of a pony. But if she said it in such a way, then he could not resist in replying in the way that suited him best. "The armor must be dragging you down. Such a fragile and delicate woman should not be burdened with all this heavy metal."

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Ravishing features? Alegra was not at all adverse to compliments, even from a man whose motives were obviously far less than pure. She grinned at him (despite the awkwardness of his close proximity), noting, "You do not think, but do you know? There could even be some sort of sorcerer's spell on me, could there not?" She certainly never wished to be a man, though at times she could not help but play with the thought that her life would be so much easier than it was. This was an exception. She could honestly say at the moment that she very much wished that were the case, for the sole purpose of shocking the bloody hell out of the man that stood before her.

She heard a rustle in the bushes several yards behind him, but declined to pay attention to it in favor of what the man was now saying. Fragile? Delicate? The words had her bristling with indignation, though she knew she could not defend herself against them and still have any hope of him believing she was merely a woman making a so-called fashion statement. Still, they were interesting when applied to her, especially when considering that her opinion of herself was rather biased. She did not consider herself to be fragile because of her skill in swordplay, but in terms of her body, it was appropriate; try as she might to improve, she had never been physically strong, and she'd broken enough bones in her life to ascertain that those were no better off. "It is a burden," she agreed, sounding somewhat wry though it was actually the truth - the armor was heavy. "But I fear even the creatures of the forest would not very much enjoy it if I chose to run about naked."

[Vaughn Adeney]

Vaughn had encountered sorcerers in the past. "I highly doubt it." He was going on pure instinct. Though he was not naive enough to believe that some sorcerers had illusory powers, and could affect ones eye sight, even the mind at times. He had no higher opinion of them than he did anyone else. All it had proved to be was a greater challenge. Her next comment was a rather enjoyable thing to imagine, particularly for a man who held no respect for others. A woman, running around naked. Interesting.

"We should put that theory to the test." Assuming she knew what he meant by that, he gave her a bit of a wink. "I can not speak for all other creatures, but I can assure you that at least one person in these woods would have no objection or complaint." Obviously, him.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

"Doubting gets you nowhere in a world where knowledge is everything," she informed him cheekily.It was no wonder that her mother was always so exasperated with her; she was perhaps the only girl of nineteen years that existed that would speak in such a way to a knight, not to mention allowing all of his little innuendos (and in fact encouraging them for the sake of her own humor). As he went on, she could not help but chuckle a bit. "Your flattery is very direct," she observed dryly. Before she could say more, however, she heard the rustling again, much louder this time - and what was that metallic sound? It was difficult to see much of anything in the dark, but the glint of light off of something - an earring, as it turned out - alerted her to the fact that merely feet behind the man she spoke with, there was at least one man.

Her sword was out in an instant and she thrust it forward, for a moment looking like she was going to stab the man she spoke to, but she moved it to the side of him at the last moment. Whoever was behind him was far enough back that even with her arm fully extended, she only nicked his skin; his leg, she assumed. However, the sudden outcry of curses made it clear that she had been correct in her assumption that this was no animal, and all at once there were many of them swarming about.

[Vaughn Adeney]

Vaughn was amused by both her statements and was about to express such amusement when there was another unexpected guest that made himself known. Or guests rather. Vaughn's instincts were quick, but this time he just watched the small girl playing dress up....stab a man? Well that was rather surprising. Yet Vaughn did not act surprised. Quite the opposite in fact. He just stood there, watching her. Did he know that there were many others swarming about them? Yes. Did he care? A little bit. Did he react? Not at all.

He wanted to watch the lady playing dress up, and see the extent of her abilities. As more bandits began to surround them, they tended to look at Vaughn first, seeing him as the first potential threat and more formidable than the woman. But he just stood there, extending his hand forward towards the woman. "Be my guest," he informed the bandits, practically inviting them to attack the girl. Vaughn was just spectating, enjoying the scene unfolding in front of him. Watching a female knight, which in itself sounded like an oxymoron, not only play dress up, but fight...well, it was not a common scene Vaughn witnessed.

Unfortunately, Vaughn could not get away with the role of silent spectator for long. One of them came to attack him, and in one swift motion, a blink of an eye really, Vaughn pulled both swords from their sheaths, which were strapped to his back. In the matter of a couple of seconds, the man's head who tried to attack him, was separated from its body. He lay on the ground decapitated and Vaughn was not even the least bit phased by what he had just done, or the image of the body and the head lying apart. Damn. Now he was going to have to fight. Still, he played more of the defensive role rather than the attacker. Anyone who came at him with a dagger or sword, would feel the tip of his own, or both swords, through his body. He still tried to watch the woman knight. He had no instinct to protect her, but was highly entertained by her combat abilities.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra took the time to note that there was no movement in her peripheral vision, and she turned her head briefly to watch him. He was just... standing there, not even an expression on his face. Did he really intend to just let them slaughter him? Both of her eyebrows rose. He had two swords, and she could think of no good reason why he wouldn't be using them (though, at the moment, no one was really attacking anyone). Perhaps he was... out of practice? But that really made no difference when you had honest skill, and she was certain she'd seen him fight before. He could be a friend of the bandits? She entertained the thought briefly with a sinking feeling in her stomach; if that were the case, she was surely doomed.

She was just about to ask him why, exactly, he was refraining from drawing his sword when he essentially answered the question on his own. "Be my guest." At first, she didn't understand, until she noticed he was gesturing to her. Almost comically, her face transformed into utter shock, all notions of hiding her emotions flowing out the window; and then, within the next moment, it changed into an expression most accurately portrayed by "-_-". That settled it, then; he was either friends with them and she'd been set up for molest, or he was a man with no morals whatsoever. Either way, her annoyance could not be hidden. So much for a man with valor, she thought simply, shooting him a glare that was surprisingly potent for someone of her rank and, even more so, size. When he was abruptly attacked and so smoothly beheaded the attacker - she held back a wince at the sound of his head thunking to the ground - it became clear that the latter option was the case.

She had no more time to speculate, however, only now noticing that there was suddenly a barrage of men lunging at her; clearly, they had taken his offer to heart. If she got out of this, she decided, she was going to castrate him. She ducked to avoid a fist that was rather unskillfully directed at her head. What did they want to do, kill her or knock her unconscious? It didn't matter - neither were acceptable. She shoved the flat side of her blade against his stomach, knocking him back and quarter-turning in time to parry a blow from his outraged companion, her eyes narrowed like a cat's. He pushed their linked blades forward, and she was grateful for her height as she bent backwards almost like elastic, throwing him off enough for her to stab him in the side and send him sprawling before turning to whatever unfortunate man was next to cross her.

[Vaughn Adeney]

He watched her, occasionally interrupted by a random bandit who thought they would try to attack him. For Vaughn however, it was like swatting away a fly. Blasted interruptions. He was trying to watch the show featuring a female knight. It was just so....strange to see her move so flexibly in the armor. It meant that she had been training for some time, and her unique technique with a sword only confirmed this assumption. How had she managed to get away with posing as a knight, or even being knighted as one was expected to be showing their face while bowing in the presence of a king. Vaughn obviously knew from personal experience, so it just made no sense. Her facial features looked to be a woman's, so how on earth had she played the role of a noble as well as a knight.

He thoughts did not cloud his judgment for he was still swiftly, quite literally, stabbing away any opponent who recklessly charged towards him. But his entire focus would always be on her. Exactly how many of these ridiculous men were there? They seemed to stop emerging from the trees, and now the only ones left were the few that surrounded her. Vaughn made no move towards her to offer aid. Instead, he continued to observe. Completely stationary. Except for the small smirk that was only getting wider as she continued to fight man after man. "Only three more to go," he told her in mocking encouragement.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

Alegra fought without hesitation, her skill undeniable if a bit unconventional. The more they came at her, the more furious she got; she practically glowed with anger. Even so, she was not so enraged that she lost her senses completely, and she made sure that they stayed where she could see them; if they got tangled up in the trees or brush, she'd probably do more harm for herself than good. And, throughout it all, she was mentally cursing her observer's very existence in words of multiple languages that could make a full-grown man blush. By the time he had informed her that there were only three left, she was ready to take off his head, though she supposed that was not the best of plans. Even after so much fighting, all she had was a cut across her cheek to show for it; she remained otherwise entirely unscathed.

There was no denying that she was tiring, however, so it was certainly good news that only three of the obnoxious rogues remained. Driven by her desire to be done with the whole mess, she sent them to the ground quickly and efficiently, then took one last look around to make sure that there were no others. Once this was confirmed and she was content with the knowledge that the danger had passed - unless Sir Gallantry over there decided he wanted to have a go at her, as well - she leaned over, resting her hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath. This was not how she had expected her night to go, and while it had certainly cured her of her boredom, she didn't have any idea how she was going to explain to her mouth where the cut had come from, and the sting of it was making her eyes water slightly.

[Vaughn Adeney]

When all three were finally dead, Vaughn still kept watching her, silently. She leaned over to catch her breath, and he did not ask her if she was alright, even though he did notice the cut and the fact that it was a bit deeper than a scratch. Instead of expressing any concern, he brought his hands together and made three, long and drawn out claps. His gloved hands muffled the noise a bit, making it more deep than high pitch. "Excellent performance." At least that much was true. "Except that you have a little something right here," he added, pointing to the same spot on his own cheek where her cut was. He was of course just pointing out the obvious, but enjoyed doing so in a bit of an annoying way.

"So not only do you like playing dress up, but you like acting like a knight too." He knew it went further than acting. She was rather skillful with a sword, that much was undeniable. But he was not one to give a person too much credit; he never cared enough to do so. "Who would have thought. A rich little spoiled daughter of a noble who is barley five feet, fighting with such anger and determination. I must say, what is this world coming to." He was still smirking, evidently entertained by what had made her so tired.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

For several moments, she didn't move, simply glowering at him. He was clapping? As if she was some sort of court jester as his service, who needed a show of approval? Oh, the nerve! And he even regarded her cut with such callous amusement, a cut that would no doubt result her mother's refusal to even let her breathe the air outdoors for a solid week. She was so irked that she completely failed to realize the display she'd just made, in front of a fellow knight, no less. However, his next few statements provided her with a forceful reminder, and her lips parted in sharp surprise. What could she do? It wasn't like she could simply take her actions back, and he was not stupid enough (at least, intelligence-wise, she thought bitterly) for her to take off and leave him to assume he'd been dreaming.

All at once, before she even knew she was doing it, she was laughing, the sound bubbling out of her throat as if the situation was the funniest she'd ever been in. Alegra didn't know if it was fatigue, panic, or actual amusement that had her giggling so hysterically, but she found herself entirely unable to hold it back. What point was there in begging or crying, after all? This was not a man who would be swayed by such tactics. The situation was completely hopeless. If only to be obnoxious, he would no doubt follow her home and report his findings to his mother or even Prince Arthur, and she would have to face both domestic and public punishment. Instead of shaking in fear, the thought only made her titter harder, to the point where her stomach began to ache with it. "You saw," she pointed out, helpfully, speaking between gasps and peals of laughter.

[Vaughn Adeney]

Vaughn did not join her in her uncontrollable laughter. He did what he did best: stared at her. The smirk was not wiped from his expression however, and he just smiled at her while she broke into a fit of hysteria. He was not sure what was so funny from her perspective. He only understood the humor he felt himself. She had already demonstrated that she was not like the other noble woman. So her laughter should not have surprised him. "I was quick to judge. Perhaps you are not sane, for that would be another explanation." He did not believe she was not in her right mind. He was just continuing to mock her. He had not stopped when she was in the face of danger, why would he stop now?

"Either that, or you have far too much liberty that you do not use wisely." Were her parents not concerned? It did not surprise him. He was not a people person, and so would never trouble himself worrying over others, and what they may or may not be feeling. "You are after all here, in the middle of the knight, with a complete stranger." Yes, the world was changing quite a bit.

[Alegra Silvertongue]

"I am probably not," she agreed, calming down some but unable to hide her grin. Oh, what a mess she'd gotten herself into this time! She nearly fell back into her giggling as she thought it, and so she tried very hard to repress it and take up a stoic expression. The effort she put into being impassive, however, only served to amuse her more, and the grin flickered back within seconds. Alegra shook her head at herself, wondering how she had gotten to this point, nearly silly with the confusion regarding it all. She could only hope she was insane, that she was ill in bed with a fever and having hallucinations.

When he spoke of her liberty, she sobered up instantly (which, in and of itself, was funnier to her than when she'd tried to calm down, but she refrained from laughing and spoke in its stead). "Liberty is one of those 'wants' I was telling you about," she informed him boldly, nearly surprised with the memory. That conversation seemed months, not minutes, ago; her sense of time was entirely askew now, and she was rather at a loss for what to do with herself. "I am not here with you, you approached me," she reminded him, then doubted if that statement had made any sense whatsoever. In her mind, it did, but then again, very few things that she put together were also put together by the people around her, and she was too busy having a mental conniption to understand whether or not she was even speaking the correct language.

[Vaughn Adeney]

"You have a strange sense of perception." Was she going to stop laughing any time? He supposed it was better than her crying. He did not find people crying funny. He found it irritating and more than likely would have walked away. Well, maybe not when it came to her. She was a peculiar person who had caught his attention. When the world was filled with such boredom, he had to find ways to entertain himself with what he could. She however, was amusing enough and he did not even have to provoke her or create a situation. "You are not confined. You ride freely into the night with no guardians, in a dangerous forest that is well away from your home. One of your wants should be others concern for your well being, because clearly your family does not worry about your safety."

He knew nothing of her family, but if she did have one then they were rather lenient to let her come here. She probably came against their will but still. If she was able to escape so easily, there was not a strong hold on her and that was the assumption he was going on. "I may have approached you, but you remain here. I have not forced my company upon you. You are free to go whenever you please," he said, gesturing to the clearing where she could take her horse and ride off into the darkness of the Balor Forest. "But something keeps you here." He took a step towards her. "Something makes you bold enough to keep you here."