Snippet #1278235

Oliver's hand lowered to the hilt of his shortsword for the third time that day - although his armor was removed and now moved carefully to a corner of the room where it would not be touched, his short blade never left his waist. He stood patiently and watched as Ekken - always one to show his emotions, completely the opposite of his stoic brother - destroyed a perfectly innocent table with his greatsword.

He listened patiently to his brother, then as tears threatened to roll down his face, Oliver placed one large hand on his brother's shoulder. "You needn't stain your face with tears, brother." Oliver said calmly, releasing the grip of his shortsword. "They will all be given the rights befitting them, and they all died in the name of their queen and their country." He removed his hand and stood straight. "Now I understand your anger, but you must remain calm for now. The king will need every able-bodied member of the order on hand with my absence, and that means that you mustn't end up in the stockades for destroying inoffensive furniture." He smiled slightly, signalling that the final bit of his statement was an attempt at humor.