A respectful visit to the Dame Commander

A roleplay transcript by Lyrena Auberan and Iskrin Orin'Darr

Iskrin Orin'Darr stepped into the Barracks. The changes were subtle but apparent - signs of the new proprietor settling in. He assumed Lyrena would be using the Commander's office, and so he headed to the door, rapping gently with his knuckles.

Lyrena Auberan had been up for quite a while now, although the dawn was still so fresh. Judging by the bags on her eyes, the Blood elf had certainly gotten fewer than eight hours of sleep, same as the night before. Already she was at her desk, trying to sort through all the paperwork that needed doing, regarding her new position. Considering how sudden her promotion was, there was certainly a lot Lyrena needed to go through. It wasn't going swiftly either way. She still wasn't too fluent in Ansa'fel's language, and had to constantly pause while writing to make grammatical references from other documents and books. Her long ears jolted as she heard the knock on the door. "Come in.", the blonde calmly invited, pausing her writing to peer at who was about to enter - another Guardian, in all likelihood.

Iskrin gently pushed the doors open and stepped down into the office. "Good morning, Dame Commander," he said with a smile. "I trust I am disturbing you?" He chuckled. "Sorry, my little joke." The heavy doors closed behind him, swinging back on their angled hinges, leaving the two of them to privacy in the room. Iskrin cast his eyes around briefly, noting the evidence of research and reading strewn across surfaces and some parts of the floor. Then he turned his attention to the blood elf, who looked more tired and a little less vibrant than he'd seen her before. "And how is command suiting you?"

Lyrena briefly widened her eyes in some surprise as none other than the First Estril made his way into her office. She leaned back in her seat, nodding in greeting at her fellow elf. "First Estril.", she called out. "Good morning to you as well.", she said, mustering a brief smile despite her overworked and slightly sleep deprived state. "You are disturbing me.", the Blood elf confirmed. "But I do need a break. From this.", she said, peering at the quill and papers in front of her. "So far I have done more writing than leading, but that is to be expected. But my Guardians have their assignments. No one is without something to do.", she assured the First Estril.

Iskrin smiled. "As it should be," he said. He moved over to look out the window across to the Palace of the Falls from where he had just come, then turned back to look at the seated Dame Commander. "Quite the elevation," he said with a smile, though there was a slight edge to his voice. "I regret doubly that I could not stay for your audience with His Grace the other afternoon. It seems I missed quite a discussion." He moved finally to sit in front of her, easing himself into the the chair nearest the window so that he could continue to enjoy the fresh morning breeze. "I will ask you the same question I asked Lady Silmariel when she was appointed to the King's Council. Please don't take my question as anything other than professional interest: Why did you say yes?"

Lyrena planted the quill back in its pot, though continued to occasionally sort through some of the papers in front of her. "I asked for far less, I promise you.", the Blood elf softly assured, her eyes meeting with Iskrin's once more. "No doubt you wanted to hear the reasons for my promotion.", Lyrena said, before pausing herself a bit upon the First Estril's last query. "It is unwise to refuse a king's offer, I am often told.", she started off with. A slightly jesting response that her tone suggested was about to be followed by a more serious one. "When I was younger and still at home, I was never one for responsibility," the Blood elf started off with. "Not… Entirely my fault, but that is besides the point. My home, Silvermoon… Not too long ago it was infiltrated and attacked. Much like Ansa'fel. Only Silvermoon suffered far more greatly in the end. Back then, I was soft and careless. And afraid. I watched people die around me. In front of me," she added. Her tone had become more grim, and eventually, Lyrena just paused herself with a grumble, and ceased that train of thought. "Call it atoning for past mistakes. I will not tell you that I am some great warrior or a seasoned commander. Nor did I tell the King such. Even so, he… Seemed to believe in me. I enjoy this city, and its people. And I suppose it is time I stopped roaming through the countryside as a mercenary."

Iskrin listened with his head tilted slightly to one side. He made suitable noises at the descriptions of hardship, making a mental note to look up Silvermoon and its story in the High Kingdom's archives. "I see," he said, as Lyrena came to the end of her train of thought. "And now that you have - wisely - accepted the King's offer; and now that you see - or I assume you do, given the amount you seem to have been reading - what sort of shape the Guardians are in; what are your plans?"

Lyrena lowered her head and snickered for a moment. "Wisely.", she reiterated, more sarcastically than how Iskrin had used the word. "Lord Commander Qiwenys was in this position for sixty years. Just a bit fewer than the years I have lived.", the Blood elf stated. "I cannot attain his experience in a week. And if these… Attacks on the city persist, that is how quickly I will have to learn." There certainly was a bit of worry in Lyrena's tone, despite her stern tone. "Enough men and women have died that we are now stretched thin. Too thin. The Guardians have many roles to play in this city - even more now considering our recent circumstances. In the coming days I will have to start a recruitment drive. And…", she hummed. "That Tyrasius fellow. The large one following Etain. He is in fact a Guardian. However, considering the King himself has given him his latest assignment… And stated no completion date on it that I can see…", Lyrena softly grumbled, trying to find the ledger with the roster of Guardians on it again. "Then I will have to rely on the King's judgment, that Tyrasius is being used appropriately in these trying times."

Iskrin nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed they are trying times," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Strangers appointed to key positions by a King for whom I have a great affection, but whose judgment I am increasingly concerned by…" he trailed off. "Still, both you and Lady Silmariel have shown yourselves eager and willing to defend this city, so perhaps Malekith has the right of it." He paused, mulling over her comments about the Guardian roster. "No one expects you to be like Lord Commander Qiwenys, Lyrena, or indeed like Lord Commander Malekith. Were Malekith looking for a clone of himself or that old relic, there are plenty of others to choose from. No, he has chosen you for reasons that he has not shared his counsel on with me. But you are a different choice and it is important that you be different. That you make of the Guardians that which you see fit." He smiled. "And if you fail, the AmranKai are always here to pick up the pieces and imprison the guilty." His smile faded a little and a more serious look crossed his face. "Not that I expect you to fail," he said. "And to that end, I offer you whatever service or advice it may be useful to you to seek from me. Use me and my resources as you wish to reform this institution so that it is worthy of this great city." He stood. "And as for Tyrasius - I would not interfere where the King and his women are concerned. I am not sure what fascination he currently has for Etain, but if he has taken Tyrasius and put him on such duty, his emotions are running strong." Iskrin turned towards the door and then paused, looking back. "Everything I say to you, Dame Commander, is in the strictest confidence. Not even the King will hear of our conversations from my lips. I assume he will not hear of them from yours. Our duty is to protect him and this city for the glory of the High Kingdom - and, I think you are I are on the same page here, for the people who live in Ansa`fel. To do that, we must be able to be candid with one another without fear of political repercussions. Agreed?"

Lyrena perked her brows again upon the mention of Lady Silmariel. "So her promotion - it is also a new development.", she reiterated, nodding to herself with a curious hum. Upon the comment of her potentially failing, Lyrena didn't look particularly offended, though she did regard the other elf's words with an appropriate sternness. "Your aid is appreciated, First Estril. Considering the King informed me that -I- am to be at -your= service. When necessary and appropriate.", she clarified. "You will forgive me for I doubt you will never relay my words to the King.", she rather bluntly retorted later. "But sometimes secrecy is not the answer. I imagine nothing only ever is or isn't, when the fate of a kingdom is at stake." As Iskrin stood up, so did Lyrena, in respect. "Speaking of the King's… Reasons for my promotion.", she hummed, her hand rising to briefly halt Iskrin before the elf took his leave. "The King himself was in this position before he took the Crown, he told me. He knows many of these men. He has fought alongside them.", she surmised. At this point, Lyrena spoke a bit more quietly than before. "I do not mean to imply that the King has put me in a dangerous position. But why would he not trust any of them more than me? Surely he has friends and allies in this barracks - friends and allies, who, if given my rank, would gladly do whatever he commanded without question. So why an outsider? Why risk it?"

"Because the Guardians have failed him too often of late, Lyrena," Iskrin said simply, "and they need reform. Much needs changing about the way they are managed: their habits, historical ways of doing things, the stories they tell themselves about why things must be 'just so'; all of it. Keep the good, yes. But the bad must be cut out. And no one from within can do it. I warn you, you will not be well-liked for it, but this force must reform if it is to cope with the new and varied demands on it." He shrugged. "At least that is what I assume. Malekith is wise enough to know that no matter how well he commanded them, they are no longer the force they need to be." Iskrin looked her up and down as she stood. "And I suspect that you will find a way to do it and still be well-liked, if I am any judge." His eyes lingered on her armored chest for a moment, though his comment was not intended to be about her appearance. "As to secrecy, I suppose you are right," he conceded. "Then let us be clear with one another: I will not tell the King anything with the sole intent to harm you. Where what I tell him may be inconvenient for you, I shall do my best to give you fair warning. Can you make that agreement with me?"

Lyrena stood in silence as she considered the First Estril's words. The justification, the theory Iskrin presented looked to make sense to her, even if it didn't wipe away all the uncertainty on her tanned visage. "My brother Neryl, he is a Sun Knight of Silvermoon. Or was…", she reminisced. "An order much like this one. We all looked at them and admired their nobleness and righteousness. Until my brother started telling me stories.", she added. "There is foulness everywhere, it seems. I will do my best to get rid of it here.", she nodded. Upon the mention of her potentially not being liked, Lyrena snickered again with a dismissive 'pfft'. "Do you think they are thrilled right now, as it is? Following an foreigner, with a foreign dialect? Who hasn't climbed the ladder to reach the top?", she asked. "…But the King was right. Despite their… Reluctance, most are good men and women. Respectful. They do their duty in spite of their opinions of me. Aside from a few scowls and scoffs, there has not been a big scene yet.", she said. Iskrin's final words she did not take long to consider. "Deal.", Lyrena readily agreed, reaching forward for a handshake. "And I will show you the same courtesy. I look forward to working closely with you, First Estril. Visit me again whenever necessary." With that, the Blood elf let go of the other elf's hand, and bowed her head before returning to her seat, while Iskrin made his way out of the barracks. Lyrena once again looked down at the small mountain of paperwork she still had to sort through, and closed her tired eyes for a moment, a sigh rasping through her closed teeth. Back to work.