forum The Raven ((closed - oxo))

Started July 17, 2020 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

Hylas nodded in lieu of an immediate reply, almost surprised at the prince's offer to start a fire. He hadn't reckoned that such confidence would come from a royal, but he was finding himself more and more surprised with the things he was learning about Cas. Moving closer to the cave, Hylas shouldered off his rucksack, letting out a heavy sigh as he stretched in the last of the bright sunlight. He hadn't realized how sore he'd gotten; closing his eyes and wincing at the tension of his rigid shoulders as he rolled his neck from side to side. It could have been worse, He told himself, retrieving a few of his sleek throwing knives from the bag, It could have been much worse. Reminding himself of the worst would almost console him, in pain. The practice had dulled the severity of most of his unpleasant memories, but the pain was still fresh in his mind. Learning how to give himself stitches, the screams that followed cauterizing a wound, and being so full of agony that trembling turned into feverish convulsions; those were the earliest ones he could remember, anyway. "Right," He said with another sigh, slipping the knives into his pocket at glancing at Cas. He wanted to say he trusted him not to do anything foolish like wandering too far, or going after him— or waiting to surprise him on his return. The prince hadn't attempted an escape yet, but if he was planning to kill Hylas or get away from him, this was likely the time. Hylas looked through the rucksack for his tinderbox, wordlessly handing it to Cas. "I won't be a moment," He said as he turned to leave, then glancing back at him, "Oh, and— use some of the bark of the river birch trees around here. It's good kindling."

Cas graciously took the tinder box, taking it in his hands with a small nod, "Will do. I'll see you back here in a few." Chewing on his lower lip, the prince set the box down where he planned to build the fire, watching the assassin wander away before turning to path they had just trekked. He wasn't going to lie, the thought of escaping had crossed his mind once or twice, but the more rational part of him told him no. Not only did he not know where he was, he had no weapons and no money, no way of contact. The thought of stealing a dagger from Hylas had occurred, but he knew he'd probably be dead before he even tried. Leaves and twigs cracked underneath his feet as he picked up any sticks or branches that would work for a fire. Cas' thoughts wandered back to an escape. He supposed he could kill Hylas. But if he lost there definitely wouldn't be any trust between the two of them. There wasn't now, but the fact that Hylas wasn't opposed to letting him wander off meant there was a morsel there, at least. Even with all of that, Cas knew that he needed the assassin. He had to get that letter written, and he couldn't do that without the proper resources. Unfortunately the only way to access those resources was through Hylas. Sighing to himself, Cas brushed those thoughts away. Now was not the time to be thinking about all that, not after the long day the two of them had had, the prince knew they both needed a break. Maybe some food would do them good. He only wandered back to the camp when he could no longer pick up any more wood without dropping the entire load. Placing it down, he figured he'd collect the bark for the kindling first before making the fire see presentable.

Hylas sighed as he set off into the undergrowth. Surely the prince would be there when he got back. Surely. He wouldn't be stupid enough to compromise himself and the fate of the kingdom. He shook his head, almost smiling. But then again, I don't know him. Maybe he is that stupid. Still, his mind wandered to thoughts of the prince as he fashioned a snare trap along a rabbit trail, leaving it to hunt elsewhere in the meantime. Cas was a mystery to him. Beloved, strong-willed, learned, quick-witted, and so quietly charming, especially when he spoke of things he loved. As Hylas sat on the trunk of a fallen tree, twirling a throwing knife in his hands and waiting for movement In the brush, he followed the strange curiosity that surrounded his idea of Cas. He's a slave to his emotions, I know it. Everything he does is an effort to hide how he feels. A shuffling beneath the leaves. He straightened, gripping the blade with intent. He notices things…the way I notice things. And he— Stop. Focus. Angling his posture in the direction of the prey, his arm drew back like the tensive string of a bow. And he cares so deeply for his people— A woodland hare hopped into a clearing of patchy grass, and Hylas' flying blade cut through the still air, pinning the twitching rabbit to the ground. He can't help but care. They had only known each other for a day, but even being away from him, Hylas couldn't keep his thoughts from circling back to Cas. He told himself it was because they were involved in a an important matter. He told himself it was because he had never been in the company of anyone other than barmaids. He told himself many things to excuse his curiosity, and he wanted to believe it all. After a long moment, Hylas retrieved the hare with a sigh, forgetting to feel sorry for the thing as he walked back towards the river. His thoughts dwindled from worries to unanswered questions as he walked through the silent woods, his heavy steps the only thing sounding for miles. He thought he spotted thick patches of wild berries deeper in the brush, and he told himself to remember them for their breakfast tomorrow. Another hare was waiting in the snare, and he felt a quiet sense of pride for having hunted dinner so quickly; though scarce, there was still light in the sky when he arrived back at their camp. "I hope you're not opposed to rabbit," Hylas said after stepping into the clearing, not bothering to carry a throwing knife but half-expecting to be surprised with an attack.

By the time Hylas had returned to camp, Cas had a fire in full bloom. The spare sticks, twigs and kindling sat further back into their little cave in case they needed to top it up later into the evening, but as for now the bright red and orange shone brightly in the early evening light. Cas felt quite proud of himself, leaning back against a wall close enough to feel the heat faintly on his cheeks. At least he'd done something useful with his time. Sitting there rose the temptation to steal a look through Hylas' bag. For a weapon maybe, he wasn't quite sure why he wanted to, but he did, and he got close to giving into the thoughts but had to quickly remind himself the consequences that might follow. Trust. He sighed. You're not gonna get anywhere if you don't at least have a little trust. He almost laughed. Who was he kidding, trusting an assassin? It might be the thing that costed him his life. All of those thoughts vanished as he was dragged away from them when he heard Hylas' footsteps return, then he voice. Glancing up from the fire and towards him, he noted the two hares and a dash of a smile crossed his features. Impressive, but, he wouldn't expect anything less from the best assassin anyone had ever known, "Even if I was I wouldn't have much of a choice, would I?" He returned, tilting his head ever so slightly before it rested against the stone wall behind him. He could tell by the way Hylas walked, the slightly too tight grip he had on those hares that he had thought Cas was going to jump him. He made no comment, however, choosing to stay quiet and relaxed where he was sitting. It made sense that Hylas was still on edge. Anyone else probably would have tried to attack him, probably would have made a run for it while he was off hunting their dinner. Cas was stupid, but he liked to think he wasn't that stupid at least.

"Not really, no," Hylas replied, his gaze catching on the prince's near smile. He glanced at the fire with an air of quiet satisfaction and walked over to the cave, setting down the hares as he reached for his rucksack. "If you know how to make a fire, I'm guessing you know how to assemble a spit-roast over it," Hylas assumed, kneeling as he brought out a smaller, thicker curved hunting knife, a thin board of wood, a cloth, and a roll of string. With a quick check, he determined that there weren't any knives missing, and he turned to lightly throw the string to Cas. "Use some of these greenwood branches, hm?" A faint nod to the young trees, "They won't burn. I'll be by the river preparing the meat for roasting." At least Cas wasn't planning anything immediate. He stood up, letting out a heavy sigh as he rolled a sore shoulder, wincing a little. It wasn't typical of him to tire this easily, but the lack of sleep and the emotional shock of interacting with another person had him ready to collapse. And even though the prince was known as a fine man, Hylas' curiosity was all but a muddied disquietude. Communicating what he was thinking and where he was going— it was so strangely exhausting, and he couldn't fathom how people in their towns and cities could afford social interaction for every day of their life. Hylas reached for his tools and the two hares, turning to make his way to the river.
"I won't take long," He said over his shoulder, taking one last glance at Cas before heading down the uneven path of jutting rocks and fallen leaves. The sounds of the river bled through the trees, and following the promise of comfort, Hylas reached the banks of a steady stream. Setting the hares down on the wooden board, he got to work skinning and preparing the meat for skewing. The practice was simple; familiar enough to him to do it without thinking. It always reminded him of his years as a boy, learning to fend for himself in the woods without any guide but the sky, the wind, the earth, and the river. Softly humming as he worked, he prompted the thought of how Cas might've learned to live out in the elements. Again with Cas. He sighed, shaking his head and dismissing those thoughts.

Cas caught the roll of string with one hand, giving Hylas a small salute with his other, "Yes boss." He watched as he moved off into the trees, noting the wince and making sure to remember that piece of information for later. The weight of this whole situation was taking a toll on both of them. Cas knew that that weight would be different for both. It was clear Hylas wasn't used to this level of interaction unlike him. Hopefully tonight the two of them would be able to gain at least a little sleep and be able to recharge for tomorrow's journey. Standing, the prince moved off towards the trees Hylas had pointed to, gazing off into the direction where the other had gone to prepare the rabbits. He was a strange man, Cas noted, but then again years of solitude and murder would do that to a person. Maybe not strange in a bad way, but strange in a way that Cas had not known a person to be. Quiet, strong, and maybe the slightest bit emotional if the way he acted back when he was deliberating taking Cas' life or not indicated anything. It's almost sad. Cas couldn't imagine living the life Hylas did, what they could do to a person after so long. To then be swept up in the throws of the greatest war this continent would ever know.. Cas couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The prince was quick to shake off those thoughts, gathering the branches Hylas had indicated to and heading back to camp. The thoughts of Hylas were quickly replaced with the memories of his brothers. The times when they would camp out in the gardens and then soon after in the woods. The times where their father would join them, or the Captain, and they'd learn the necessary skills to survive. A long time ago, a young Cas would have deemed it foolish, but now he couldn't help but feel grateful for those moments. He hadn't set up a spit in a long time, but as soon as he started assembling the branches, trying them together, it all came back to him. By now the last light of the sun was well and truly fading away into nothing, the moon beginning to rise in the opposite direction, bringing its own form of light to the woods. At least the fires bright.

(hey, lifes been rough, I’ve been maladaptive daydreaming aaaand I have a few ideas of a timeline of stuff; feel free to add/say no/suggest other things. also its cool if we dont make it this far or skip-write over longer parts. its a bit late so excuse this random thing & bad grammar .

So hylas gets real bad nightmares, & usually goes off to sleep near a river. maybe tonight or some other night, Cas is like ??? anyways they spend some time at the safe house writing letters to Eirus, maybe cas tries 'teaching' a shy Hylas to use a longsword? hylas teaches Cas to throw knives? get to know each other better, banter. when the king establishes enough war prep, he wants cas back; and cas kind of wants hylas to come with. cover story: hylas is a farmer/traveller who served in war & knows the geography of the continents really well, & happens to be very useful. hylas is in awe of the palace inside and Cas is making excuses to 'keep an eye on him' and be around him while preparing for war. they get more info about zaros. hylas opens up a bit more about past.

eventually they head for the battlefield stationed in ?south Valthea? real shyness between em. they have to pretend hylas is like nobody. hylas teaches some troops to fight, etc etc skip. spend a lot of time sneaking away to meet.
Moving central base, they end up in an area close to Hylas’ old home; cue flashbacks. they explore alone and find (?ruins) of his old home and pained Hylas remembers more. theyre around different ppl sometimes; jealously from both sides here and there. then kind of confess feelings.

they end up on the border of this kingdom they need to pass through/use; but the king wont allow it unless Cas marries one of the daughters. (by this time him & hylas r pretty much together, secretly) and though cas doesn't want to, hylas convinces him to accept. maybe they go to some local festival & dance?

one of the knights/soldiers suspects hylas is the raven/a spy for zaros; finds a way to prove it, and drives him into zaros' side of the fight. and Hylas catches a glimpse of Zaros; & goes into a bit of shock. cas tries to fix things with people knowing he's the raven and gets him back. Hylas is panicking and explaining zaros is his father. Lots of internal conflict; even Cas is unsure about what he might do, but supports him. eventually after some fight they end up (mostly) alone with Zaros, with cas being restrained. zaros explains to hylas everything that happened to their family and how he got here etc etc. zaros wants hylas to join him, and cas is like nononono he wont. But then hylas slowly steps toward zaros, then tries to stab him. Zaros stops him, and guts him. Cue hylas bleeding out a bunch, cas in hysterics as he’s dragged away. Cas ends up escaping/rescued; goes back for his body. Turns out hylas is somewhat alive, rescued by some other kingdom. Relief, a little recovery. zaros comes back to kill both of them; end up fighting by a river, and ??maybe Hylas kills him with the sword of riverglass.

Hylas is just about dying but 'recovers' enough to regain consciousness and talk etc. he’s with cas, talking laughing in bed and then just,,,,dies. More hysterics and sadness from cas. Buries him by the river. Organizes politics stuff while he’s grieving, takes a trip to the safehouse & nearby waterfall. something happens. Hylas stumbles out of the waterfall alive !!! reunited & ?cottage life

again this was very random / I just had a bunch of ideas . again, you can suggest or veto stuff . we can also skip stuff that spans over a long time?)

('and then just dies' omg I love all of that. I hope you're doin okay too man! Anyways yes, I love all those ideas, there's so much we can do here. I was thinking of potentially tying in the whole Maelin crown of starlight thing later on - potentially in the final battle between them and Zaros, maybe? dunno yet, we'll see.

also, when they're at the palace, conveniently their rooms could be placed near each other for 'cas keeping an eye on him' and at some point hylas walks in on a very stressed cas planning for the war and is all 'hey you good man?' and we get a bonding moment where we get some more depth with hylas' past, maybe cas explains why he doesn't believe in fate - something to do with his tattoo - and then they like - kiss - but don't acknowledge it for a while however at that point they're both like 'damn.. i think i'm like in love with you or sum'

i like the marriage idea, maybe we could have that somewhere up north like Kienheim or some other northern region since Zaros is supposed to be heading up that way away? we could also have his wife be like 'i know you like him dude and this is just politics and i'm also really gay too bro' since they're already going through enough, or she could be a total bitch about it - maybe she dies too, dunno, just throwing around ideas while we're here

oh! forgot to mention lmao, i made a playlist of songs that remind me of these two because i have nothing better to do with my time, here’s the link if you wanted to listen aha you don’t have to tho but i put it on if i’m thinking of them :) https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0RwMZCRI4sEnOlJ6BCE8Ol?si=oc3fNDVqTeSEg9ox86ZNow&dl_branch=1 )

(!!yeah!! The crown thing sounds good, but do u have an idea about how it could be found/used; is it like a weapon that can help or just like a symbol? But I think that hylas should kill zaros (again with the riversword thing) cuz its groovy & he’s his father. room thing sounds great !! cause hylas has insomnia, if they had adjoining balconies cas could be like hey whenever hylas sneaks out for air while they’re staying there.

for the marriage thing; I thought zaros was coming from the north with witches in the east? but— So I was thinking since they need to be granted passage/ aid, that kingdom should be in between Eirus/Valthea, and the north. cause they're gonna be preparing around ?spring, warm weather sounds good, and hylas is gonna find his old home with cas when wandering away from the camp AFTER they kind of confess?

maybe I should draw a map to help visualize.? What do you think? Also: I dunno if she & cas should get married straight away; but maybe have like an engagement festival where he & hylas dance/sneak off? only because it would give us time to think if cas+the princess or cas+hylas should get married & if it makes sense to have her conveniently die. The princess could be an interesting character to write: cause if she’s really eager or charming, there could be some jealously going on on hylas' side. 0_0 Also they could be like 'lets wait til he’s king/ the war’s over” and then cas just doesn’t marry her at all in the end. and marries hylas instead (if Eirus isn't homophobic) also if they are like fully aware of their feelings/together at this point, hylas could try to push him away like "no you're engaged, it would be a scandal, I'm the raven we shouldnt be together etc etc etc." but then later on stubborn cas is like "!!no I want to .we should" and hylas is like. fine. yes.

so leave and stay at palace > leave for ?south valthea to prep for battle > find hylas' old home > travel up to new kingdom +engagement > chilling at camp, fighting small battles, drama with raven suspicion > hylas realizes who zaros is and then betrayal + hylas gets stabbed; cas thinks he's dead > hylas recovers, big ass battle, kills zaros w/ sword (maybe cas finishes off zaros' army with the crown) > war over. hylas super injured but recovering & in good spirits. then just fuckn dies. > Cas broken. goes to safehouse/cottage to mourn > hylas just comes back to life from like magic in the waterfall > reunited and yay. figure out the rest.

dude!!! that was such a fun playlist veryvery accurate. Now im considering making a Pinterest board but that’s a huge rabbit hole. Maybe ill make a map tho. i need to make a doc of this planning so i/we don't forget. Also: did u say there were, like, dragons n stuff? If yes, how do you wanna utilize that?)

(Just created a google doc that you should be able to edit, if not lemme know, that way we can add playlists, pintrest boards, notes, maps, etc in there so we have easy access to it https://docs.google.com/document/d/1He54dBSRV9DFb5E48wFmwoLbo-TaYQXEazLoZWpdc0I/edit?usp=sharing

yeah in the prompt I put that there was magic, dragons, etc in case we wanted the the characters to have magic, find magic, and so on if we wanted to and so there's more possibilities that we can do with this world, you know? With the dragon's specifically, we could maybe have a subplot (maybe around the time cas has to get married and there's loads of jealousy going on?) where hylas and someone from the guard go off to find them and see if they wanted to help with their cause? that way they have and aerial force to help against zaros and then cas is super jealous because hylas and the guard get kinda close?

With the crown I was thinking maybe at some point during the final battle cas kinda gets lost for a little while, ends up finding the crown, comes back and helps Hylas. there could potentially be some magic involved with the crown which helps cas defeat the army while hylas tries to kill zaros

okay so I just reread the little part when they discovered the plan with zaros. so big dude zaros is located in the west atm gathering more troops before he begins to move north, then he'll move to Eirus which in my head is located in the east, presumably near the witches or in that general area. Valthea is located above? Eirus, that way they have to move upwards through the south to find Hylas' old home, there'd then be another unnamed kingdom above that which is the one they have to pass through and then we could have the marriage plot there - that way the final battle can be a confrontation in the northern regions. It also gives us chance to have hylas and cas go south to gather allies maybe before they move up to valthea? we can have some more bonding moments, hylas seeing how cas runs things and all that and maybe a colder side of him? but yeah, a map would be good if you wanted to do that so we both have sometime to visualize.

I like the engagement festival idea, there could be some cute moments between the two of them there and also confict with hylas saying cas should agree and cas saying no he wont)

(!!!the doc is brilliant yesyes. and subplot with dragons + jealousy sounds good. and,,,what if you wrote the dragon hunter/guard, and I write the princess cause yknow. hylas is jealous of the princess & cas is jealous of the dragon guy. and having hylas maybe riding a dragon??? and cas demanding him to stop cause its "too dangerous" ?? yes.

as for the kingdom placements, I'm making a map rn !yes. but I wrote a few times that they were heading south of eirus; cause the weather's getting hotter (not colder) as a result (doesn't snow in valthea); I thought of it as the farthest kingdom south, with eirus above it. and then to me, it made sense to have the 'marriage kingdom' (we need a name lol) a bit east/west, so they'd have to go a little south of valthea 'its faster'> find Hylas's old home on the way to the ^^ kingdom, right? and because white silver is rare in valthea if the kingdom was above Eirus and close to Kienheim, I don't think it would be rare. but if eirus is in the east? noted. it'll be better explained on the map in progress; and we (I, editing the map) can always change stuff if we like. again, idk if cas & the princess should be married right away, cause that would kinda seal things off for hylas & him. i was thinking that they could gather allies on their way to facing zaros in the north/west. I'm thinking of having the final battle in the north, yeah, but I feel like ice/snow would complicate things, so maybe no snow, just,,,rain? also unrelated: there needs to be a moment(s) where hylas points out constellations to cas, cause he knows all of them and,,yeah.
mhm. so need names for surrounding kingdom(s), & start thinking about princess/dragonguard characters. !!!)

(Okay that's good for the placements, that makes sense lol sounds gooood. And yeah that's cool with the seasons, rain and mud in the final battle but no snow, got it, will note that down in a second on the doc. once the map is down it'll make more sense lmao with the placements so we don't get confused.
I agree with the not having them get married right away. Maybe it's in discussion between Cas and his father + the king of the other kingdom. It could be that they agree to get married after the war is over so it's safe and the two can produce heirs blah blah, maybe they do get engaged? we can think about it closer to the time since it's still a while away.

so we have Valthea as the southernmost kingdom with Eirus just above that in the east. Kienheim in the north. We need a name for the kingdom between Eirus and Kienheim, something for the witch kingdom, too, when they show, and a name for another southern kingdom for when hylas and cas go south again for politic purposes before moving north. Oh! and a name for the dragon kingdom, too. Any other names we might need for the map? - the princess and dragon/guard characters we can think about after the map lol)

Cas caught the roll of string with one hand, giving Hylas a small salute with his other, "Yes boss." He watched as he moved off into the trees, noting the wince and making sure to remember that piece of information for later. The weight of this whole situation was taking a toll on both of them. Cas knew that that weight would be different for both. It was clear Hylas wasn't used to this level of interaction unlike him. Hopefully tonight the two of them would be able to gain at least a little sleep and be able to recharge for tomorrow's journey. Standing, the prince moved off towards the trees Hylas had pointed to, gazing off into the direction where the other had gone to prepare the rabbits. He was a strange man, Cas noted, but then again years of solitude and murder would do that to a person. Maybe not strange in a bad way, but strange in a way that Cas had not known a person to be. Quiet, strong, and maybe the slightest bit emotional if the way he acted back when he was deliberating taking Cas' life or not indicated anything. It's almost sad. Cas couldn't imagine living the life Hylas did, what they could do to a person after so long. To then be swept up in the throws of the greatest war this continent would ever know.. Cas couldn't help but feel sorry for him. The prince was quick to shake off those thoughts, gathering the branches Hylas had indicated to and heading back to camp. The thoughts of Hylas were quickly replaced with the memories of his brothers. The times when they would camp out in the gardens and then soon after in the woods. The times where their father would join them, or the Captain, and they'd learn the necessary skills to survive. A long time ago, a young Cas would have deemed it foolish, but now he couldn't help but feel grateful for those moments. He hadn't set up a spit in a long time, but as soon as he started assembling the branches, trying them together, it all came back to him. By now the last light of the sun was well and truly fading away into nothing, the moon beginning to rise in the opposite direction, bringing its own form of light to the woods. At least the fires bright.

After a few quiet moments of cleaning up, Hylas was finished with preparing the two hares. He glanced up at the bruise-coloured sky before heading back into the woods, surprised at how dark it had gotten. The cool evening air fell through the trees like a sightless fog, mixing the shadows into a long cloak of darkness. Hylas took a long breath, recalling his way back without much effort, and soon the gentle glow of fire was in sight and he was stepping into the clearing with a tired sigh. He wordlessly placed the skewered rabbits over the fire on the spit-roast, barely acknowledging Cas as he put away his knife and tools. Hylas figured his exhaustion was showing through, and with a few hard blinks, he tried overlooking his fatigue in an effort to stay alert for any surprises from Cas. It would be the perfect time, after all. Catch me when I'm slow to react. Paranoia was eating at him, and though he knew better than to suspect Cas now, the thought wasn't something he could ever switch off. Even when he was far from any danger, there would always be men ready to kill him at the first chance. "Hmm, the moon's full," Hylas remarked, taking a seat under the threshold of the cave and feeling a weary smile tug at his lips. Nestled between ash-coloured clouds, the moon hung in the sky like a bright silver coin; always out of reach. White pinpricks of stars were just beginning to flicker into view, and through his clouded thoughts, Hylas felt the familiar spread of excitement in him of whenever the night was clear enough to observe the constellations. A soft look fell over his features, and he smiled without the faintest hesitation. "If I were at the safehouse at this moment, I'd be out laying in the fields," He almost whispered, his heavy gaze anxiously predicting the faint patterns out of the early night, "Nights as clear as these only come around in the spring and summer. And it's always warm enough to fall asleep outdoors, so, that's what I end up doing."

"Sounds peaceful." Cas remarked, watching Hylas for a moment before he, too, glanced towards the sky. He'd never truly studied the stars, not like Hylas seemed to have done. As a child it had never interested him, and then when he did start to take a fascination, the first war came and then he was training to become king. There was never any time to enjoy or study the subjects that took his fancy, not anymore. Tearing his gaze away from the sky and towards the food, since Hylas seemed to have no intention of watching it so it didn't burn or become under-cooked, he stared into the dancing flames and watched the meat roast tenderly over them, "As much as I love the stars, I've never had a chance to properly lay under them and just admire them, not like you probably have done." Cas could tell that was something he did quite often, and with the way he spoke at the ball about astronomy, the prince couldn't help but wonder if maybe in another life, the assassin would have been an astronomer instead, "It all seems too complicated as well, I don't know if I'm smart enough for that." He let out a soft chuckle. Too lost in other worlds and stories to learn what needs to be learnt. As much as he loved his father, as a child Cas hated the way he forced him to read and learn what he deemed necessary. Taking away his books that he deemed 'distracting' to his studies. It wasn't until he was a young adult that he took more interest and put effort in. Those years were long behind him now, and there was no time to become lost in those books he had once done as a child. Once this war was over, ruling Eirus was his priority, there would be no time for him to explore the rest of the world, not with the papers and treaties and meetings and endless piles of work that had to be done. It gave him a headache just thinking about it.

Hylas glanced at Cas with a curious look. "Never admired the stars?" He asked, smiling as he shook his head, "No, that can't be right. You live in a palace— and what about that abandoned farmhouse you spoke of earlier? Even as a child, surely you must have spent an hour or two in the evening, just…" Hylas trailed off, dropping his gaze as he recalled the early stories in the night sky. And that one is Teryx, you see? The pointed wings, here. Yes, there. The great raven of the north, His father had told him, laying out in the ocean of tallgrass and staring up at the diamond-dotted sky, The First Men followed the bird down from what is now Kienheim. See: its beak always points to the south, to Valthea; to home. Hylas let out a quiet breath, his gaze flickering back to the prince as he fell out of his reverie, suddenly realizing the silence between them. Sorry, his hesitant smile told Cas. Gods, how hard is it to stay…present? And hold a conversation? Another thing to make him self-conscious around Cas. He averted his gaze, moving to tend to the roast in need of a turn. "In any way, you don't need a great deal of intelligence to appreciate the sky. At least in my case," He said with a faint shrug, feeling warmth spread over his features as he faced the fire, "Reading and writing isn't my strong suit. And books on astronomy are mostly illustrations. Charts, maps— written explanations, of course —diagrams and scrawled notes from those who had it before me." Of all his humble belongings, those books were the most prized. Each one came from a different kingdom; a different set of stars, a different set of aligned folk tales.

"Maybe years ago as a child, but back then I never truly admired them as I might do now." Some nights when he'd been at his little hideaway, Cas had gone out just to look at them, but he'd never learned about them. Hadn't picked up a book to understand what each constellation meant, how they could help him in a time of need. As a child he thought it was pointless. Why go out into the night and look at the stars when he could be reading and immersing himself in worlds far beyond his own, "I've admired them, yes, but not in the way you have. It's… different, when you're a prince. You don't get the freedom to truly study and learn the things that start to interest you the most. And anyway, as a child I didn't take an interest. It wasn't until recent years I started to understand how fantastic they are." Cas looked up at Hylas, "When you're preparing to become king there isn't much time to learn about the things you admire the most." He sighed softly. You mustn't lose focus, Caspian. When you're king there will be no time for day dreaming and wasting away your days in books. Your focus is on your kingdom. There wasn't much he could do to change the past now, and his future seemed to be set in stone if they won the war. The stars would have to remain a mystery to him, whether he liked it or not. It felt like Hylas seemed to have more freedom than he did. To have the time to study what he wished when he wasn't off killing someone. When he had downtime it was for him, if he ever got any. The ways of an assassin was strange to him. Cas couldn't even fathom the idea of killing for money, he hated the thought but he supposed you have to do what you've got to to survive.

(oOoh "when you're preparing to become king there isn't much time to learn about the things you admire the most" cas. sir. you're going to learn plenty about hylas hhahaha)

Hylas wore a gentle frown as he considered the prince's words, wondering how such a wealthy and powerful man was made to abstain from the knowledge of something as common as the sky above. It was so strange and wonderful to learn of his simple desires, and though didn't know— and would never consciously admit it, Hylas wanted so badly to understand Cas' experience of the world and how it compared to his. Perhaps it would be beautiful, and his pained envy towards the prince would nestle itself a home in his heart. Perhaps his story was cold and colourless, and even with the vibrant hues of luxury, the joy of simple pleasures were foreign to him. And perhaps, Hylas thought, feeling his heart jump, Perhaps his place in the world is just as unforgiving as mine. He held Cas' gaze with thoughtful consideration, trying to understand the greenness of his eyes while forgetting that he was expected to reply. What was Cas saying? About wanting to pursue things outside of royal duties? "—Well, maybe that's something you should change, once you're king;" Hylas foolishly suggested, feeling a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth, "Mandatory leisure time. Allotted for you, to do what you like. So you don't go mad and compromise trade routes over a game of chess." Simply, he wanted to laugh; he wanted to make Cas laugh, and forget, for a moment, that they were so different from one another. The day had been long and tiresome, and with every shared moment, he was easing his guard. But it was only because Cas was a person speaking to him in the moment. Not because of any feeling, or outstanding curiosity Hylas had as to how he got that scar through his eyebrow, or what his family was like, or what he loved about Eirus. Not at all.

(ehe he'll definitely be learning about something he admires then)

Cas held the others stare, almost feeling his cheeks heat as the silence dragged on before he spoke again. At the suggestion, he huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he turned the meat over the fire, "That's not quite how it works, Hylas." He said gently, "That's one of the downsides to being king, you can't have downtime. Maybe on the off chance you get an hour to yourself but to rule an entire kingdom, to monitor trade routes, organize alliances, maintain them? Work with the people on things that need to be improved, helping the poorer parts, and that's not even the half of it.You can't take time off." He shrugged. A foolish thing to suggest, but then again, Hylas didn't know what his life was like, just as Cas didn't understand his. Stop talking about yourself, change the subject. "Foods nearly done." He said, moving the conversation away from him and his troubles. They couldn't even compare to what Hylas had most likely gone through. He could only presume it was nothing good. The thought made his heart sink a little. Besides, why would he want to hear Cas talk about all his duties, anyway? It bored him most of the time, and even so, they might not make it out of this war alive. Mavadora might be left without a prince and his assassin in the end. For now they could only eat, rest, and hope. Cas could see the wariness and tiredness that had fallen over Hylas since he came back from skinning the meat. How with every passing moment he seemed to ease off ever so slightly compared to when they first met. Strange to see the assassin in such a light.

Hylas felt his heart jump at the sound of his name being said. Hearing it after years of anonymity came as a quiet shock, and he thought, perhaps, he liked it. The prince's frustration was bleeding through his words, and though he shifted the focus of the conversation away, Hylas had opened his mouth to speak— only to close it in the sudden hesitation and reminder that he was speaking to a prince. Of course that wasn't how it worked. How could he have suggested such a thoughtless thing? Even if he had only meant to ease the serious nature of the conversation, Cas was a prince, and Hylas was a wanted man; a commoner without the faintest understanding of royal responsibilities. Forgot my place. He figured the subject was bothersome for cas to think about, and perhaps it was best to leave it for the time being. Hylas nodded to himself, letting the silence settle around them before turning away to fetch a knife from his rucksack. He stood, moving to cut two wide leaves nearby and setting them down as their plates. Without thoughts to fill his mind, he was suddenly reminded of his hunger; the tightness in the pit of his stomach that had been ignored for the better part of the day. The woods around them had grown silent and full of shadows, and as Hylas made his way back to fetch the roasted meat, he felt the weary comfort of night in the forest. No crowds of voices to tease worry out of him, no guards pacing the pebbled market roads; nothing that could prompt fear. And a moment without fear was always a blessing. After taking the hares off the spit, he handed Cas his skewered supper and sat down in the cave with his own, keeping an eye on the fire as it crackled away. "Well," He said with a sigh, wordlessly handing Cas a knife to help with cutting away the meat, "If we leave at dawn we'll arrive at the safehouse in early noon. I found wild berries while I was out hunting. That might be our breakfast."

Cas gladly took the knife, a little surprised at first however he didn't make a comment or fuss about it. At least Hylas wasn't too worried about him stabbing him during dinner, he supposed, but it seemed they were both too hungry to really care. The prince nodded when Hylas began to speak again, carefully carving away at the hare to form a bite-sized piece, "Having the berries would be the wisest choice," He replied, taking the piece of meat he had cut off and placing it in his mouth. Once he had finished his mouthful, he continued to speak, "That way we don't have to spend time making another fire or catching any more meat. We can eat on the go." Arriving by earlier noon was good, Cas supposed. They weren't going to get there any faster and they still had to get supplies. That gave him at least another hour or so to think before writing. It was the best they were going to get without leaving any earlier, anyway, "We'll have to stop off and get parchment and such, too, remember?" And hopefully a weapon. Maybe by that point Hylas would have a little more trust - something that Cas knew he needed, however little it would be - in him. If they had to go straight to the fight from here then he needed a weapon in case they encountered anything else along the way. It's not that important right now. No, it wasn't that important. The letter was the most important part, which meant the parchment and ink came before another else. He didn't know how much money Hylas had. If he didn't have that much, he could go without a weapon for now. He'd find one eventually.

Hylas nodded, having nothing to say, but wanting to fill the silence. "Mm, I remember," He said, blowing on a steaming cut of meat before hurriedly chewing it. It was bland, a little tough, but at that moment it hardly mattered. Hylas hadn't had a warm meal in weeks, and though he had grown used to hunger, by the crackling fire his body eclipsed weariness with heavy relief.
"But what is it that you plan to say to the king?" Hylas asked, swallowing a bite of meat, "In the letters, I mean. If you keep your word and say nothing of who I really am, it would be wise to start thinking up a believable story."
The night was warm and forgiving, easing the worry of a frigid sleep. Hylas didn't want to think about what might happen if his secret was found out, but the man before him served as a ceaseless reminder of the path he'd chosen. His safety; his future; his entire life depended on the prince's promise to leave his identity out of the picture, and he wasn't taking any chances. The 'useful skills' that the Cas saw in him didn't tell him much about his plans for Hylas' involvement, but he prayed to be kept on the sidelines and out of sight. He leaned back on the rough wall of the cave, meeting Cas' green gaze with a look of quiet consideration.
"To be honest, I don't wholly understand what you plan to do with me," Hylas said, voicing his thoughts with a quiet sigh, "But I don't think you should reveal through the letters where it is we're going— where we'll be. If, by chance, knowledge of our— your location ends up in the wrong hands, we'd be leading this Zaros straight to us."
He raised his shoulders in a faint shrug, sighing as he chewed another bite. They had to be careful now, even the slightest mistake could cost them their lives— or the war.
"I'm supposed to have killed you by now, with this following week to take care of things; arrange a place for him to see the body, and settle the payment. It would seem that to stay 'missing' for as long as you can would be the best option, though we have to be out of Valthea before word gets out that you're still alive."

(oooo i am making a Pinterest page + playlist; ill put it on the doc ;;;)

(i love the pinterst board omg, i'll have to listen to the playlist when i'm not about to fall asleep :))

Cas drank in Hylas's words, considering them with thoughtfully. He intended to stay true to his promise about keeping Hylas' identity a secret. He might have been an assassin, a ruthless one at that who, in some people's eyes, deserved to be ratted out, but Cas was a man who stayed true to his word, no matter who it was. A part of him rationalized that it was because Hylas had kept him alive and still hadn't killed him. He could end me now and be out of this war. Make it out safely… But the prince knew there was another, much larger part, that wanted him to stick around for other reasons. Ones even he couldn't bring himself to think about for too long. He didn't know if he even wanted to.
"It's difficult to fit everything that needs to be said into one small letter," He said, placing down his food to pick up a nearby stick, "You have to fit in the fact that I'm safe and alive, Zaros and how we know about him, you, and what we need to do next." He drew a square on the ground, almost emulating the letter itself, "The first half has to go on, about me being alive and the threat, that's the most important part, therefore it takes up the most space," He crossed out the first half. By now he was really talking to himself, speaking his thoughts that had been taking up his mind for the past day, "Then we get to you." Cas looked to Hylas, pointing at him with the stick, "I'm assuming in your line of work that you;d know this continent like you know your little toe. The best 'persona' we could give you that encompasses that and the fact that you can fight, would be something about how you fought in the last war, you're a traveler, you helped be escape the Raven and so on. That way you can stick around with no suspicion."
Cas looked back down to the ground, crossing out more of the space, "That will take up more room than necessary. I suppose I can reduce it but…" He shrugged, "We'll figure it out. Then in the last part there has to be something about potential plans and allies, what we can do next. Nothing too detailed but enough so my father knows what I'm thinking." He crossed out the last little space, "In case it gets intercepted I can just use one of my brothers names instead of my own." He placed the stick down, once again picking up the food, "My father will know it's from me, hopefully others won't. Easy." It wasn't easy, but Cas knew he had to sound a little more hopefully than he was.

(!! ;)

Hylas nodded as the prince spoke, chewing his meal thoughtfully as he considered his plan. It all made sense; the vague backstory explaining his abilities. "That's smart," Hylas quietly told him, averting his gaze. Here was a look into the plans forming in the prince's mind. War, allies, compromise, and strategy; Eirus would be creating battlefields out of farmland for the second time around. Hylas sighed, recalling the rotting aftermath of the last war; how hard it was to go a day without seeing the blood-soaked earth or heaps of corpses being cleared away. But I was lucky. I am lucky. "You could always write another letter," He cooly suggested, looking into the dark silhouettes of the trees as he thought of his messenger raven. Clever thing. It knew how to recognize house sigils from all the years of travelling alongside him. "We'll likely be waiting days for your father to collect you. I could draw a map for them to meet us someplace," He said, wearing a faint smile as he looked down at Cas's scrawled drawing in the ground and raising his shoulders in a faint shrug, "Write that I'm a cartographer from Crowen. I found you tied in the woods. And yes— that I fought in the war." He had just about the skills of one, though he had only drawn maps for himself and for the hidden caches of supplies scattered across the continents. But his directional memory was unusually clear in his mind, and one might think his affinity for orientating himself was all but uncanny. He nodded to himself, running a tired hand through his dark hair as he thought of all that was waiting for him in the days that followed. Death was something he couldn't even consider as his a possibility to him; he'd made it this long on his own, and he'd be damned if some witch or common knight bested him on the battlefield. But blood; it would flow freely. And perhaps he'd come to regret his decision of choosing the fight, but at that moment, as he stared at the lines etched into the earth, he felt a peculiar spark of willingness to do all that was needed from him: whatever Cas asked for.

Cas was quiet for a little while, finishing off the last of his food before he replied again, "The chances of my father coming to collect me are low," He said, picking his stick back up to make circles in the sand, "He wouldn't risk leaving Eirus when there's a war at hand." No, he'd want to be in the city, in the palace, until they moved off to their first fight or their first camp. Cas didn't blame him. He'd do the same if the roles were reversed. No, if his father wanted him back they'd have to travel to him, not the other way around, "But anyway, I'll make sure to add that to the letter, about you being a cartographer." He sighed softly, "I can tell you and your bird have a strong bond, and knowing your background he's probably very well trained but we can't risk being found out. The more letters we send, the higher the chance someone will find out that I'm alive." Zaros most likely had spies everywhere all over the continent, and if Zaros had hired Hylas in the first place… the chances of him trying to find anything that could lead him to his location was even greater. Especially since after this week Hylas should have been going to collect his reward for his death. Not showing up would put him under greater suspicion, "And you, too, Zaros will probably look for you somewhere to give you your reward as well. The chances of him having some sort of special group out to look for you is great." Cas knew in the back of his mind his father would only write one letter back briefly explaining what his plan was going to be. He, too, knew the risk of being found out in war. He'd send a letter when he wanted Cas back but other then that, one letter would suffice.