(514-09-19) Personal Hells
Summary: Niclas tries to snap Wilhelm out of his deep melancholy - and things only get worse and more than blood is spilled.
Date: 09-19-514
Related: Road to Recovery; Heavy Rain
mari niclas wilhelm 


The sounds of the Summer Tournament have long since vanished, any glory gleaned from them put aside, for the Dorset/Salisbury skirmishes were heating up. One of the causalities of the battle, Wilhelm de Horton, is still in his bed, having suffered a major wound to his side that has limited his mobility and another to his shoulder. Sitting on the bed as much the same way as Lydia first found him, the knight sits in bed, his knees drawn deeply to his chest, head hung low. The nurses only tend to him as he needs it and do not speak. Lydia seems to be the only one he wants to talk to as even Cariste was forcibly removed from him as the young man was enraged as she tried to talk to him. His eyes are open and he just stares forward, seemingly towards nothingness, his food untouched.

Having gone to the tourney, prepared to help with Dorset, Niclas is more fresh than anything else. Having word of his brother and this mood of his, he comes bed. Sir Mari was met along the way, invited to go to Sarum. Talk more of dancing probably, she did have his favor in the tourney. An old seashell on a necklace, picked up from Grandfather's time in Carlion. Now, they were off to see his brother. "He seems to have moods normally, but this one is worse. Let me approach him and see how he is." As if suggesting she stay back just a little, as he doesn't know how the other may react.

Then he turns to see his brother. "Ah, here you are, loafing about. Your family needs you Wilhelm, here and now. Lydia is being sought by some man of Newton, Enfys is after who knows who for now. And you're here lost in another world." A grin as he approaches, but weary eyes towards Wilhelm.

It's with a limp that Mari walks in with Niclas, she had come with him as he had requested. Perhaps he wanted the help from an armed knight or maybe he just wanted the company. Or someone to watch him get killed at his brothers hands. Either way, she's here and she's loitering in the doorway, because walking into the room was dreadfully scary.

Wilhelm, usually quick with a smile, or a quip, or something to try to take the edge off of things, is in that same deep and dark place he was in with his father's death. The same one that caused the young knight to disappear for months into the south lands and landed him with the Pagans. "My lance failed them.." he says, shouldering a burden he ought not shoulder. "..if it had not.. the line would have held.. we would not have been routed.." he just continues to stare, the battle playing over and over in his mind as fresh tears threaten to break through a face that had only been cleaned recently by his sister's hand. Talk of family? Love? None of that exists in this world, at least as he sees it as the knight just rocks slightly against his wound. "..is was a disaster. And I was the linchpin."

A snort from Niclas, "Yes, your lance … shove that!" He's not hearing any of it, he moves near the bed, to lower to his knees to find the eyes of his brother. "There were more lances in that line. You and those that returned are here. You are here to show Dorset again how well our lances are trained." The simple part. "You've done your best, and I'm certain you all have each other to thank for making it back alive now. You dwell over what cannot be changed, and your family worries Wilhelm. You know we love you. Now, look at this, you got me talking emotions. But sisters aren't here to say it, I'm saying it for us all. Get out of that moment, go again, take the chance to prove yourself again and not live in that one moment of a mistake." Then he'll reach a hand for the other shoulder in that moment. A slight flex in his body just in case in this moment, knowing the man to be in a dark mood.

Critical Fail!
Niclas checked his love for family of 15, he rolled 20.
Success
Wilhelm checked his love for family of 15, he rolled 7.
Success
Mari checked her love for family of 15, she rolled 6.

"Lances? What do /lances/ matter, Niclas?!" Wilhelm suddenly is alert and aware as he feels the hands on his shoulders and he grabs his brother's arms in return, staring up at him. "Dorset?" We were routed - their prisoners massacred! And I was there, and I failed them!" he yells as he stares Niclas in the eyes. Then he says something he's never said in his life as he suddenly and irrevocably goes on the attack, shoving his brother back. "Just as I failed our father!" he roars, tears of frustration, grief, anger roiling over him. "He needed a sword, and I was trying to fetch one for him and they were trying to take me prisoner.. and.. and father.. he.. gave himself up for me and they ran him through!"

Success
Wilhelm checked his dex of 13, he rolled 4. (+10 Modifier for Enraged)
Failed.
Niclas checked his dex of 13, he rolled 15.
Wilhelm rolls 2d6 and gets (2 1) for a total of: (3)

Whoa, surprise, it shows on Niclas' face. Usually he is a touch arrogant at times, or overly confident. But he is shoved back and falls over. "Jesu Christi!" Curses the other knight from Horton. Falling over backwards for the moment, he'll look up at his brother, arms raised defensive at least for now while his brother flies into a rage. He takes a bruise from the fall. "You can stay in self loathing, if that's the case. The world on your shoulders."

It was getting real all up in here. Mari takes a stumbled step backwards when the yelling starts. Her leg almost giving out at the unfamiliar action of moving backwards, the muscles tightening. Grasping on to the door frame to catch herself. "This isn't the way to settle things." Her eyes move to Niclas to try and beseech him to stop or.. something! "Stop fighting!" Reaching for Niclas' shoulder, she almost stops him from falling, but he falls anyway. Looking down at him, she tries to.. convince him somehow. "This isn't like you, Niclas, just leave him to it for now."

"What do you know about any of that? Up there, in Horton, hiding behind our brother's armored arse!" Wilhelm is not backing down, now fully provoked and coming out swinging as he comes off the bed, intent on continuing the brawling as Mari suddenly tries to interfere and the knight wheels on her. "And you! You claimed to be my friend, you you taunt and tease, you and my brother claiming there is nothing betwixt the two of you.. well.. I have news for you, Mari. It's the worst kept secret between our two houses. And it's sickening. Just bed him already so the two of you will stop moping and carrying on like you have no attraction, because it's all a lie!" And with that, he's swinging another punch at Niclas, not allowing him retreat.

Failed.
Wilhelm checked his dex of 13, he rolled 18. (+10 Modifier for Enraged)
Success
Niclas checked his dex of 13, he rolled 4.
Wilhelm rolls 2d6 and gets (4 3) for a total of: (7)

Even hands up, he takes the hit. On the cheek, it leaves a mark. Niclas doesn't throw punches back. "I'm doing what I'm told, not moving off to Wilton to be away from the family." Of course he shouldn't of gone there, his brother is in a rage for the moment. That blow fresh to his face for now. "Leave Mari out of this, its family. She's a friend!" Trying to make sure the rage stays focused at him for now. He pushes back a little with his feet, to get away from his brother and get up. Still, back to his feet, doesn't mean his brother is likely to stop any time soon.

The attack on her wasn't expected and Mari looks at him, taken aback. "Sir Wilhelm, I thought we were friends?" Seeing him in his rage hit his brother, she tries to get his attention from Niclas. "Why don't you tell me how you really feel, Wilhelm?" Trying to give Niclas a chance to get to his feet by getting between them. Too bad Nic doesn't allow it.

"Do you even know why I'm going to Wilton, Niclas?!" Wilhelm's rage has reached it's peak as he storms after his older brother, even as the wound on his side is reopened, fresh blood staining his bedclothes. "I still want to make a difference. I still want to try! I don't want to sit on my arse and pretend the world's not changing! I don't want to live in the shadow of you, Branoc, or our father anymore! And why leave Mari out of this? Scared to admit how you feel as you have forever.. or.." his sneer becomes dark, cynical.. this is a side of Wilhelm that is very rarely seen, and there's a reason for it.

"…do you prefer redheads?" He totally went there as he lowers his shoulder, trying to slam Niclas back into Mari, pressing the two of them together uncomfortably so as he does so.

Failed.
Wilhelm checked his dex of 13, he rolled 17. (+10 Modifier for Enraged)
Success
Niclas checked his dex of 13, he rolled 8.
Wilhelm rolls 2d6 and gets (4 5) for a total of: (9)
Failed.
Niclas checked his dex of 13, he rolled 17.

This time, the blows continue, Niclas can do little but take more blows from him. Another hit, his lip splits and red trickles towards his chin. "Then stop, stop living in the shadow. Next time realize when we come to help, its to come help." Then its about Mari and redheads. "What, redheads?! I like Mari, yes, but I'm not forcing anything …. Jesu Wilhelm, this is why we don't come for you when you're wallowing in petty." Again, he shouldn't of said that. He really tries to get his hands up this time to avoid blows. He falls back, but not to Mari, rather the floor. Still looking up t Wilhelm, he will try to get to his feet when his brother isn't swinging.

Wait, redheads? "Have you been to that barmaid?" Yes, like Wilhelm, Mari went there. The fighting pauses, in her mind anyway, as she contemplates how she feels about that. Finally, she growls, "Not likely," to Wilhelm. When Niclas falls yet again, she yells out, "JUST STOP IT, YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!" And she had seen enough death, so much that she throws herself over the top of Niclas, despite him attempting to get to his feet.

With Niclas on his knees, Wilhelm raises his fist one more time, the pain roiling, the blood staining his side growing thicker as the knight snorts a cold laugh. "Help? Help?!" he cries at the idea. "Where was your help when father died? Where was your help when I was being run through? The only person you care to help is yourself!" And he starts to swing, but when Mari sacrifices herself to place herself between himself and Niclas, the young knight breaks. Sinking to his knees, as the tears joining with the staining of his clothing and blood, he sobs. "…out of my sight.. both of you." he says, head lowering into his hands as he weeps openly and bitterly. Over all the losses. Over all the pain. He's deeper in that pit of self-shame he's cast himself into him, and now with the failure of his older brother.. it is the older sister that arrives, come to tend to Wilhelm as she has since he arrived.. but had missed Niclas and Mari's arrival.

Moving to stand now that the onslaught has stopped, Niclas rubs at his cut lip. A glare in his eyes, "As you wish." To getting out of his site, he looks to Mari, shaking his head, "No, I've spent no time in taverns. I wouldn't lie to you." But he can't speak for her if she's coming. He does wait a moment to see if she will come, but turns to leave.

Mari tumbles off the top of Nic when he gets to his feet anyway, so when he turns to the door, she tries to get to her feet also, but it's difficult with her hurt leg that is aggravated from the tournament and not given the proper time to heal. She stumbles once, catches herself, the with as much dignity as she can muster, she limps out, not following Niclas, but cutting off another way, leaving the Horton's to take care of their own.

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