House Cleaning

[Brieda Vaun]

It was a calm, sunny day at the Clan Vaun Estate. Birds chirped in the coniferous trees, the man-made brook that ran along the edges of the entirety of the promenade gardens babbled calmly, providing life to the trees, plants, insects, and animals around it. Everything about the garden was warm and familiar to Brieda.

And now it was the only place she felt safe in her own home.

The transition of power in Clan Vaun had been seemingly smooth. Her brother had told her that that might have been the case. Their clan was about as far from traditionalist in their values as a 'Mandalorian' clan could get, more a den of thieves than a tribe of warriors.

The chirping of birds suddenly stopped, replaced by the sound of gravel crunching under armored boots. "Lady Vaun, the vessel you were expecting has arrived."

Not moving from her seated position atop a medium-sized rock, Brieda nodded her head in acknowledgement. "Very good. Please, go and bring him to me yourself."

The stance of the figure changed ever so slightly, just a slight raising of the shoulders, but Brieda knew what that meant. She cut her guard's objection short before he even spoke. "Go. I can handle myself."

With a grunt, the guard turned around and began walking for the treeline. Leaving Brieda alone for a few precious moments as she awaited him to bring back her guest.

[member="Aodhan Linn"]

 

[Riamah]

This was the first time Aodhan had been off of Lorrd and it probably showed. For people that were known to be visually unemotional, he clearly was not like that. At least today.

He hadn't done very much gaping at things while on the journey to here. That all changed when the ship landed.

It was a good thing the area where the Vaun stronghold was close to something he was used to. There was still so much green on this world and this is what surprised the teen.

His attention was on the life around him but it snapped into focus as a man approached him.

[member="Brieda Vaun"]

 

[Brieda Vaun]

Dartell clutched his rifle tightly against his chestplate as he marched onto the Estate's outdoor landing platform. There was only one other person on the landing pad beside himself - a wide-eyed young boy who hardly struck him as being a person of importance. Could this truly have been the person that his A'lor had requested to meet?

The Mandalorian's helmet tilted slightly to the side as he glanced the newcomer over. A silent second passed before he readjusted his helmet to be at a level angle again.

"The A'lor extends her welcome, as well as an apology that she cannot be here to greet you herself."

Dartell's voice was slightly muffled by his helmet's audio transmitter, but it would not fully conceal the tiredness in his voice, or the grizzled tone acquired from many years passed living on the fringes of the galaxy.

"Tell me, what's your name?"

[member="Aodhan Linn"]

 

[Riamah]

The teen had yet to master keeping all his actions hidden from people. He was improving, but intelligent eyes looked Dartell over from head to foot and back up his body before resting on the helmet again.

He suddenly wondered if that was something he should pick up. The face was masked totally and everything was hidden. The armour lacked full freedom of movement in his mind, but it did provide protection.

"Aodhan Linn."

Two words were all he said to the man, but he did include a small nod of his head in acknowledgement of his previous statement.

[member="Brieda Vaun"]

 

[Brieda Vaun]

For a boy that had only moments before been looking around at his surroundings with obvious curiosity, Dartell thought Aodhan handled the sight of an armor-clad Mandalorian more than fairly well. Folks of proper dispositions often shrunk back when approached by a 'faceless' hunk of metal that was a Mandalorian in beskar'gam. Dartell's shoulder pauldron's lowered a hair.

"Alright. Your name is good."

Why Brieda would request this boy's help was still beyond him, but perhaps Aodhan possessed some unique talent that he had not perceived.

A blip on his motion tracker pulled Dartell out of his thoughts as two more Mandalorians made their way into view behind him. They stopped and stood on the walkway that connected the landing pad to the estate proper. Their gold-colored armor made the two figures beacons under the sun as the two turned towards each other and began talking.

"Follow me. We need to get some distance from this landing pad."

Before waiting for a response, Dartell turned around and began slowly walking back the way he had came, grip on his rifle tight as ever.

[member="Aodhan Linn"]

 

[Riamah]

Having taken notice of how his family dressed, Aodhan wore what would be far more suited for a desert than anything else. It was really all he knew though and just how he was. Happy to be away from his family and on his own, some of them still remained a part of him.

Giving the Mandalorian a slightly dirty look when he said his name was good, he wondered what he meant by that. The look was likely missed since it was directed at the backside of the man walking away.

Falling into step with him, for once Aodhan listened to directions and didn't rebel.

"Why do we need distance?"

Not even asking for the name of him, he did voice his question.

[member="Brieda Vaun"]

 

[Brieda Vaun]

Tendrils of ice shivered down Dartell's spine and his eyes went wide as Aodhan asked what was a completely reasonable and seemingly harmless question. Dartell could have sworn that he heard a crack in his left hand as his grip on his rifle stock tightened further.

Not so loud.." Dartell's voice came out of his helmet as a low growl. He wasn't frustrated at Aodhan, but at the A'lor for apparently not giving the boy any significant information before he got here. As the two got closer to the two Mandalorians now stationed at the edge of the landing pad, Dartell looked the markings on both of their armor plating over thoroughly without moving his helmet in their direction.

The two Mandalorians stopped their conversation and moved their helmets to look at Aodhan. The boy's desert dress had warranted such an exaggerated action, but other than that they did not move or speak to the duo as they passed by.

After passing the two Mandalorians and entering the castle's outermost wall, the stone masonry of the Vaun clan hall became visible. The clan hall's dome towered over both of the estate's stone interior curtain walls, and its shadow loomed over Dartell and Aodhan. Taking a sharp right, Dartell planned to lead Aodhan down a narrow cobbled path that would eventually deposit them at the mouth of the gardens.

"Before we go any further, why do you think you're here?" He hadn't answered Aodhan's question earlier, and he hadn't been ordered to explain to him what was going on, but perhaps his question could help the boy put two and two together.

[member="Aodhan Linn"]

 

[Riamah]

It was probably a good thing Dartell walked in front of Aodhan because he totally missed just how his question affected the man. Even though he was wearing a suit of armour over his body, the tightening of his hands wouldn't have gone unnoticed. Blinking at the back side of the man in front of him, he fell silent and didn't question anything further.

He had brought his weapons from Lorrd and thankfully they were hidden in his clothing. If it was known by these guys he had, the welcome might have been different. Looking straight ahead as he passed the guys looking at him, he did not make any odd moves or even indicate he was aware of their attention.

One thought did cross his mind, but he didn't give voice to it. How can one live in a stone house?

Sadly he was busy looking around after they got out of the line of sight of the other two and almost ran into his guide when he stopped to ask his own question. Almost jumping back, one of his hands bunched up into a fist but Aodhan did not attempt to make the punch and stopped himself.

"To get away from my family, help Brieda and learn more of what there is beyond Lorrd."

[member="Brieda Vaun"]