rules of the game (eragos)
Oisea wasn't that far of a ride, at least not by the standards the Riders would be used to. But after a full day of it Eithne couldn't go on and stopped them. They'd rode right out of Simanel without fanfare, although she was pretty sure Agrippa would know within days that they were no longer within the Castel. She didn't worry about that, she worried about what lay ahead of them. It wasn't an easy task, by any means, to get into the Circles and be accepted. She needed them to do that, but they had to know more about it.
She really didn't want to tell them any more than they needed to know.
The Acierran Plains were a very warm place, especially from the east side of them, once they were closer to Oisea it would be cooler, not by much, but cooler. The night had fallen abruptly because the sun had fallen behind the mountains to the west so Geoff an Cols were busy trying to build a fire, while Martine seemed to be setting some kind of tent for himself up. Eithne was busy in her thoughts. Cross legged on the ground. When she looked at them they all appeared so different than they had in the castel. It was weird, to say the least, to see them in plain clothes and not a uniform. Eragos in his high collared jacket and decked out in blades. He wouldn't need them in the ring.
She hadn't mentioned that yet.
Eithne had one knife, the one that she'd never returned to Eragos. But it was stashed away in her pack and there only because she didn't leave it anywhere. Always with her. She didn't feel odd in normal clothes, anything but the uniform felt good. Martine apparently was sick of attempting to start a fire the normal way and was looking at her pointedly. Dragged out of the Castel with her was not his idea of a holiday apparently. Eithne was too busy thinking.
Now they were all looking at her.
"Oh." She said suddenly, just noticing them, and reached forward with a hand, it didn't take much from her at all but the fire roared to life in front of them, her hand stayed there a moment until she was satisfied with it, and then put her hand back in her lap and looked off over Martine's shoulders. What to tell them, how to tell them, what to explain and what to leave them in the dark about. Fuel for the fires of revenge, as likely all of them except Eragos was looking for a way to return the favor for dragging them along here. Likely to get in trouble with Agrippa eventually.. Well. She didn't want them to be able to hold anything over her, but for Callum? She'd suffer their laughter, their revenge if they took it, and any meanness in general. Even if she was kicked out of her meal ticket for it..
"Ahem." It was Martine again. Eithne refocused on the older Rider. "What?" "So where are we headed?" "Oisea, for registration - But I'll do that part. And then we'll..." But Eithne dragged off, looking at the fire now. There was no way around everything. "Look, it's a lot to say." "I'm listening." Cols piped up.
Eithne almost scowled. "My friend was part of a secret organization of fighters. We aren't known by a singular name, but the places where the matches take place are all hidden. 6 of them, they're called the circles. Depending on your level of skill, you advance from them or stay in one place and take on people of the same level. We're headed toward the first one because the only way I can get information from the people who were close to Callum, whom are scattered between the circles from what I've been told, is to start from the beginning. The only way in is to join." Eithne rubbed her hands over her knees and didn't meet their eyes.
"And the only way in is money. Everyone is funded by someone, normally a Lord, or some wealthy merchants. Every fighter has a team, a second, a healer, and a manager of sorts. The manager sets up when you fight, and likely who you fight. A second will finish a fight should you be unable to continue, or die in the ring. Killing isn't allowed.." Eithne saw all of them seem to look at her harder when she'd mentioned it, even with her eyes turned away from them. She felt it. "But it's happened." Eithne buttoned up right then, and looked up.
Eithne looked right at Eragos. She'd tried to talk to Cols. But talking while riding was still a skill Eithne was severely lacking in, the jerky motion of a horse still made her feel ill. But from what she'd gathered.. How did she tell Eragos that?
"Any questions, so far?" She did mean to tell them more.