“What do you think he’s talking about?” Ryker asked Percival.

“I’m the main outreach on four of ‘em, but I’ll travel with the others to their villages if they need it, particularly during harvest and planting season,” Gendry said. “I’m the busiest then.”

“Make an effort to learn it on your own first,” Suzanne said with a sigh, writing something down on her pad of paper, ripping it off and holding it out to him. “This is the book to get from the library, it’s a growth spell in chapter 17. Be careful, and read the fine print, or you will run into issues. If you’re struggling, or can’t figure it out, then you can bother me.”

“I have pressing news and good news,” Will said. “As you know, I intended to invite Prince Eric to spar so that I could get closer with him and get his blessing regarding Amelia. When we talked today, he gave his blessing willingly and said he would help on his end, but...when I offered to spar, he said he would rather make a public affair of it and it will be an event for spectators tomorrow.” Will knew he needed to be clear and concise with his father, even though nerves gripped at his spine.

“Well, I’ve told my story with Inora, you’re up,” Ryker baited Percival.

“Most likely yeah,” Gendry said, laughing a little. “Sometimes the farmers let me stay the night since it’s easier than coming all the way home just to go back out.”

“You can’t impress me if I have to tell you how to do everything, Camus,” Suzanne said, stepping back out into the hallway. “Common room. 7pm,” she said, heading down the hallway to the next dorm room.

“That is what he’s implied, yes sir,” Will said.

"Anything," Ryker said. "Not picky. I really don't know much about the war."

"Ah, thanks, I'll do my best," Gendry said.

Suzanne huffed and rolled her eyes, and settled into the routine once more. At least she had one student that wasn't absolutely boring.

"I have to do it, to back down would be social suicide," Will answered. "I will try my best to win, but so long as I put up a proper fight it should be likewise commendable to hold my own against the crown prince."

"Well, off the top of my head I can think of a rather decisive skirmish we fought once, and a logistics gaff that we made the best use of we could. Which would you prefer to hear about?" Percival offered.

Gene and Brenna had continued reading together for a while, but as dinner time came around the two took to the kitchen to cook dinner together. They tried not to make too much noise, not wanting to wake Gendry up, but also couldn't help but joke around and mess with each other while they cooked.

Camus yawned as he got up from his bed, his room finally made with the very little he had to fill the space. He was used to getting up early and working through the day at his family's shop, then going to sleep early so he'd be rested and ready for the next morning. He'd have to adjust his schedule significantly if later day events like this were going to be common, and he suspected they would be.

"Indeed it would be. Where is the event going to be held?" Gavin asked.

"Very well then." Percival leaned forward in his chair, leaning on the table. "The battle in question took place several miles west of Nethandrin, a small village west of Arcana. We had run several raids on a large Elodesian force over the course of days before they were forced to chase us, a small force led by myself, and the knights Lancelot and Gawain. Our leader, Pendragon, had entrusted us with the task of running these raids and collecting substantial supplies to send back over the course of these raids, and thin out their forces where possible. Thanks to an informant within Arcana however, we had gleaned some information we believed could be used to wipe out the Elodesian forces in one decisive blow. We led them around for days, dispersing our forces and giving them chances to take up positions around the area in wait for the exact day and time in question. At the peak of the third hour of the morning, five days into our chase, we led the enemy forces into an open plain where all vegetation was gone and the ground felt hard and brittle, dry as could be." Percival smiled at that point, clearly proud of what was to come. "We brought our horses to a stop, and hunkered down for when the ground began to shake. It shook violently, and the ground cracked apart before us. At that moment our positioned mages exacerbated the destruction underfoot the enemy forces, creating a small ravine that dropped many to their deaths. Once the shaking ceased, our positioned archers knew it was time to take up their own horses and ride to the battlefield, raining down arrows from afar to pick apart those left alive in the chaos. It was over in minutes, the longest part being calming the horses down so we could end it." He leaned back against his chair again. "So, it was rather decisive, with naught a loss on our end, and a legion of Elodesians wiped out entirely. Pendragon was less than pleased we took such a risk without consulting him, but nonetheless was proud of what we'd achieved."

"If you do that again I'm going to flick this spoon at you." Gene jokingly warned Brenna, holding the spoon to the pudding they were making as desert for the meal that was nearly done, roasted pike with assorted greens and a light cream sauce. "I'm trying to get this sauce done already so we can eat, you stop messing with me." Brenna countered, too busy using the spoon to stir to threaten Gene with it in return.

Camus made his way into the common room, knocking on the door frame as he entered. "Camus Goldfelt, reporting for duty ma'am."

"Then I'll be sure to attend. Do make sure you win, I can't have you giving a sloppy performance on the assumption you'll be fine even if you lose." Gavin replied. 

"They had no reason to, we'd circled past the place once already so some of our men could run off and wait for the signal." Percival responded.

"Gen's asleep anyway, I'm not in a rush if I need to slow you down some." Gene jokingly threatened further before going back to stirring the pudding.

"You want to eat don't you?" Brenna replied in turn.

"I figured you could use the company, is all." Camus replied before taking a seat nearby. "Also I had nothing better to do." He responded more seriously.

"Good. Anything else I need be made aware of?" Gavin asked.

"Such is war, brutality and efficiency are the keys to winning, especially when you're outnumbered, out supplied and are the invading force." Percival shrugged and sighed. "One key mistake is all it takes, to send it all crumbling down."

"Oh hey, you're awake." Gene remarked upon noticing Gendry.

"You didn't have something you needed to do, did you?" Brenna asked.

"So what's up with your cat being deceptively fat?" Camus asked, leaning into his seat in boredom. "He was way heavier than he looked earlier today."

"It is, but the ones to win over are the princess and her father. Eric's support of the union matters little in the long run. When you win, I will use it as an opportunity to prompt your potential as a suitor for the princess to the king, and see if something can be arranged." Gavin explained.

"That I do." Percival agreed. "Just got to keep going, and do better this time."

"Roasted pike, got some greens and a cream sauce to go with them." Gene replied.

"We've got a pudding too, but Gene's making it so be careful." Brenna added with a smile.

"Well I'd be able to focus on it if you stopped distracting me." Gene jokingly spoke to Brenna.

"Excuse you, you're the one that kept poking me while I was trying to cook." Brenna retorted, and the two would likely continue to faux-argue with each other if Gendry didn't interrupt.

"Sure looks like one, what is he then? A brick?" Camus asked, able to pick out the signs of someone finding something amusing from the little hints. Tensing of the cheek bones, the slightest of pitch changes in the voice, it wasn't much but it was a start. The goal wasn't even to try and get with her at this point, if he could make a serious and droopy woman like her laugh or smile he'd consider that an achievement. One he knew was possible, now.

"I am confident she will as well, but we cannot leave things to chance. Trusting the heart is a fickle and foolish method, the brain and logical recourse is far more reliable. She will see in the long run an arranged marriage was the best choice, saving her from trusting her heart and choosing someone based solely on surface appearances." Gavin explained, using the same logic he had before to explain the separation of him and Will's mother. He had used his heart to choose a wife, and it chose a woman who was an underlying devil. It was only logical he'd apply that same logic to Will's future, as he wanted what was best for Will and the family as a whole.

"Someone to save." Percival agreed, raising his glass as well.

Delsin quietly watched them, taking note. So this was comradery between soldiers.

"I'll fight both of you right here and now, and STILL get this pudding cooked perfectly." Gene replied.

"Oh, we better stop messing with him Gendry, he might end up ruining the pudding." Brenna warned him.

"Don't you have a sauce to be stirring?" Gene pointed out, which Brenna still was.

"He almost made me go face first into the dirt, I think we're even now." He stated with a warning point toward the cat.

"Then if that's all, do make sure you're good and rested for tomorrow. Excuses do you no good." Gavin stated in turn.

Percy finished off his as well, but did not get another.

"Nah, no way you could ever hate me, so my powers could probably work on you." Gene replied with a smirk of his own.

"I just assumed you knew it was gonna happen when you ran off." Camus shrugged.

"No, I have my own matters to sort but I believe your docket is completed already, is it not?" Gavin replied.

"I do have things to do tomorrow, so yes unfortunately." Percy replied. "I'm not much of a drinker anyhow, I must confess."

"Aye, not all'a ya can handle a whole glad'o-lick." Delsin laughed.

"And that's all it takes, I'm just that good." Gene shrugged with a smirk at Gendry's actions, tapping the spoon on the side of the pot. "I think the pudding's about done."

"Sauce should be fine too." Brenna added.

Gene bent down to put the fire out, not wanting the food to overcook.

"How'd you bond with your familiar anyway? Gotta be different from how I handle bodies as a necromancer." Camus asked.

"Then you're free for the rest of the night." Gavin replied.

"A glass 'o' lick." Delsin replied, equally confused that neither of them seemed to understand.

"Whew, let's eat then." Gene stood up, ready to eat.

"Mhm, I'll grab the plates." Brenna moved off to do so.

"Gotcha." Camus said, giving a thumbs up at the answer. He didn't speak further for the moment, having already pressed enough for now. Baby steps, can't quiz a girl on her whole life story on convo two, after all.