Old Friends Visiting Once Again (5/9 morning Cyrus/Gilys)

[Cyrus SanJar]

The world was changing, rapidly. Cyrus knew he needed all his contacts strong, if plans were to go as he might wish. And one of those was an old friend from Lacharn, who had been hosted and feasted in Susa, taken with him to Hazir, and become even an advisor of sorts for the time he spent in Cyrus’ company. Now he wanted some advice from the same man, and some time to simply have a drink and recall times past.

He’d sent a letter inviting Gilys to come sit with him at Guy Wintour’s manse. There was a small sitting room that looked out over the lake, with doors that could be open wide to let the sun and air in. Cyrus had them open. He also had wine waiting.

Now all he needed was Gilys.

[Gilys Haven]

And right on time, Gilys Haven had arrived, briefly escorted by a servant until he knew where he was going. Dressed as loud as he always was in purples, reds and, that Haven color pink with black boots shined to perfection. A bright smile on his baby face face accompanying his greeting, speaking Sanjar's native tongue.

"Cyrus SanJar. It has been too long."

[Cyrus SanJar]

Cyrus grinned and switched from Forsilvran to Hazirm.

”Too long my old friend. I hope you remember how to speak my native language.” Forsilvran was the official language of all of Ahestere, but Susa still kept to the old language and all high born and often merchant and high serving classes were required to learn it as well. The streets were often a mixture of both languages, and many in the peasant class didn’t even bother with Forsilvran.

”Come, eat and drink with me. And speak to me of where else you might have travelled”

[Gilys Haven]

"Remember? If anything I've only improved my command of it. Wouldn't be very good at my job if I didn't, although admittedly-" Continuing his long winded reply as he took the time to get comfortable. "I rarely get the opportunity to use it these days now that I'm stationed permanently at home. I mostly work with a few tongues from the east that make port in Hyre. Traders and what not. I've seen so much of it all, it can get rather tedious. Thankfully a good time is never that far behind." Gilys laughed.

[Cyrus SanJar]

Cyrus couldn’t help but smile. ”You have done very well! I’m impressed!” And he had to admit he liked the idea that he could communicate with his friend from Lacharn, share news and stories, without the ears of Guy’s household listening to it all.

A servant approached, and Cyrus looked up. The woman was only bringing another loaf of fresh bread, hot and piping straight out of the oven. It smelled delicious. “Thank you,” Cyrus told her in Forsilvran, before waving her away. Guy’s servants were ever present it felt like, and while their service was excellent, he suspected they were also looking to inform their employ of his business. He didn’t trust Guy Wintour.

”I should learn other tongues as well. I can speak a bit of the Maélazan, but their speech is so heavy, even more so than Hazir, that I find it difficult on the tongue. You should come visit again, you know. Take another trip to Hazir with me sometime. You’ll get better practice that way.”

[Gilys Haven]

"I don't doubt that at all." Gilys began while reaching for the newly left loaf of bread with a gloved hand, silently offering a thanks of a nod to the servant since Cyrus already verbalized one. "I always did prefer just going out and learning myself. Never could stay cooped up in those study houses for too long. That's probably why it took me the better part of a decade to finally return home and take office..." Then his head tilted slightly to the side as though he momentarily contemplated something "Though, I suppose the plague was more or less to blame for that. A little too dangerous to really do any traveling, then." Finally biting into the piece of bread he'd broken off for himself.

[Cyrus SanJar]

[i]”You are right about then travel then....[/]” Months after Anzira’s death, Cyrus had finally been strong enough to pen a letter to Gilys to let him know she’d passed. Anzira had adored the Lacharn man, who was upbeat, jovial, and excited about learning her language and about her homeland. Anzira had taught him more of the language than Cyrus had. It had almost broken his heart to pen that letter, but Gilys had been a true friend to both and deserved to know.

”But not now. I know you serve your house, and I would never ask you to leave that service, but if you even wish to take a break from Haven, I could use you in my household. I could use a friend too...” His own brothers were friends, but it was not quite the same. His brother were bound by blood. He and Gilys were friends because they truly wished to be.

”I believe things will be changing...”

[Gilys Haven]

A small smile to his lips and a single nod of the head, a grateful gesture at Cyrus' offer. He knew if he ever really needed to get away, there was always some reason. Searching out and acquiring new bloods from foreign lands to be translated, copied and then, resold elsewhere was one of his duties after all. The last of his friend's words, however, had Gilys moderately puzzled. Things were always changing, he figured. Still, ever the optimist, "For the best, I hope." Not posed as a question. He really did hope.

[Cyrus SanJar]

"Well we all hope that, Gilys. But I am afraid it will not be so."

He lifted his drink, the dark red wine reminding him of the deep color of long dried blood. He could still remember the color as he’d come into Anzira’s room and see the deep stains on her blankets, before he’d yell at her chambermaids to get to them changed. But they couldn’t keep up. No sooner were they changed than she had soiled them again.

Would that he could have saved her that pain.

“Our ties with the Hazir have never been stronger though.”

[Gilys Haven]

Gilys raising his own glass just a short second later to add his own sentiment, "I'll drink to that, my friend." And he did, having himself a sip before continuing, "Frankly, the very thought of being isolated from any a people of any nation on any level is..." His head tilting just slightly to the left as he searched for the right word, "unbearable. And war? I dread war the most, you see? A man like me? I fell in love with what I do because it allows me to travel, explore, learn, integrate... but war? I would probably be stuck 'decoding' enemy documents or sitting in on interrogations to translate back and forth. Neither of which I have the stomach for."

[Cyrus SanJar]

“Even during times of war there is still a need for emissaries. Terms must be sent. Hostages exchanged. Although, your skills would benefit anyone. But we can hope that none of that will come to pass. The king may never find out who tried to kill him, but I know that it was no one on Ahestere. We have too many others issues.”

He lifted his glass and drank, glad again that he and Gilys could use a language the men of this house were not like to know.

”You are too nice of a man to have been born in these times,” Cyrus laughed.

[Gilys Haven]

"Oh, save it." Waving the notion off, laughing along. "There's no going back to the 'good old days', whatever anyone means by that, anymore. Before now? Plague... before that, war... before that, occupation. Neither of those times sounds so fit for me either. History reads more like a series of bad hands and, I've got enough bad beat stories to fill a few volumes... enough to know you have to be patient in waiting for those right cards to be dealt. Might only be a couple of twos but, twos win too." Holding up two gloved fingers, shaking his hand to accompany the words.

[Cyrus SanJar]

”Not all times were so bad,” Cyrus laughed, although Gilys made a good point. ”I suppose we just have to make due with what the gods grace us, which might be little enough to get us through. He took another sip of wine and looked out the window. He wanted to know that everything would be fine, but there was no way the gods would ever be so kind. They had, after all, taken Anzira, for no good reason either. She was young and beautiful and should have born him another three or four children. Instead she was sleeping with Amelie.

”So you will go back to Hyre then? And serve your nephew?

[Gilys Haven]

"Of course," Confirming that with a nod of the head while he hand started doing something of a wavy dolphin kind of gesture. "With a few trips here and there. It's difficult to resist the urge."

[Cyrus SanJar]

Cyrus could have hoped that Gilys would be lured by the thought of visiting Hazirm with him, but he supposed that blood was thicker than friendship, and Gwilym Haven was his lord.

"Perhaps before we depart you can introduce me to this nephew of yours then? I would be interested to make as many connections as I can before we depart."

[Gilys Haven]

"Absolutely." Lighting up at the very mention of the prospect with a wide smile. "I'm sure he'd take a liking to you, Cyrus. I'll have to have that arranged sooner than later, no doubt." And sounding pretty excited about doing just that.

[Cyrus SanJar]

”I would appreciate that more than you know, Lord Gilys. I may well need more friends here in the future. With what happened to Jon Fitzwulf and the King, we all must be careful.”

He did like that it was so, but the times were troubling. And the raids from the south hadn’t exactly stopped either. Which possibly meant twice the conflict. ”I know the woods to the north are open for hunting. Does your nephew enjoy such things?

[Gilys Haven]

It took Gilys a moments thought and a tilt of the head before letting loose with words, "I imagine he would. My lord has more of his grandfather in him than I do, that's for sure."

[Cyrus SanJar]

"Then perhaps a late hunt before we go would be in order. And maybe someone of House Prothero? I would not be opposed to meeting the young heir." Surely Gilys had some connections there. Perhaps too he would invite Lydon Alysworth. The man had been pleasant to speak of, and would help him cement connections across the other provinces if he needed them in the future.

[Gilys Haven]

Enthusiastically throwing out a gesturing arm to go along with his words, "I know just the man! Might not be the best hunter but a man very much in need of some time outside. I'm sure I can manage to break him out for the occasion. I mean, I'm no hunter myself, mind you-" Motioning to himself with a gloved hand to his chest. "but, I can't deny, it sounds like a lot of fun, regardless. Not the best experiences hunting on my end, you see? Not the most flattering hunting stories but, still... still..." Just nodding his head a few times to end that train of thought before it got derailed although that was already more than taking place in his head as the ridiculous memories flooded in and widened his smile.

[Cyrus SanJar]

“Then it’s settled. We’ll hunt next week, before our lords quit this place and head for home. In the woods to the north. Perhaps we can travel enough to see the dormant volcano to the north. I should have gone earlier, but there has been too much to do and this will be my last chance for some time. Have you been there? With all your travels?”

The island was a beautiful place, he had to admit, but Forsilvra would not be home. Nothing compared in Cyrus’ eyes to Hazirm and Susa and the grandness of his ancient world. But there was something to be said for learning of other places, of knowing them.

Especially in rocky times.

“More wine?

[Gilys Haven]

Going wide in the eyes at Cyrus' first inquiry with rising excitement, "No! Never. I would have never thought to visit it, truth be told." A tilt of the head followed. "Well, more truly, it's just because I rarely found myself here. By time I considered spending more than port-time in Forsilvra, the plague started popping up in greater numbers. So, that sort of just decided things for me, you see?"

Then looking down just momentarily to the nearly finished glass and considered the question. "More than enough," He decided, holding up what he still had in the glass. Gilys never was much of a heavy drinker... or a regular drinker for that matter, finding himself best to be 'game-ready' at all times.

"And you?" Motioning across the table to Cyrus. "You've been there? Is it safe?" Because frankly, Gilys had no idea what to even expect of a dormant volcano.

[Cyrus SanJar]

Cyrus filled his own glass and then set down the wine. “Is it safe? I’ve never been. I’ve only been told it hasn’t erupted in years, but I think thermals from deep below are what keep the lake warm.” He sipped his wine and wondered at that. If the lake was warm, did it mean the volcano was only sleeping?

Still, volcanoes could erupt slowly and do no damage. The city and castle had been here for at least two hundred years, and there was history to show any issues for them.

"Have you heard otherwise? I can admit you are far more studied than I am, my friend."

[Gilys Haven]

Eyes widening with surprise for just a fraction of a second, quick to admit, "No, I haven't heard anything. Either way," A smile reverting back across his lips. "It's sure to be quite the experience, I'm willing to bet." Of course, Gilys would be willing to bet. That's kind of what he does... a lot.