Gwendolen gave the man a rather dubious look when he informed her that his position was “complicated.” Normally that meant either “illicit lover” or “illegitimate child” when dealing with complicated positions at the palace. Of course, on rare occasion the two complex positions intersected within a single person. That was usually when coups and civil wars started. And then suddenly she was wondering if the elf man wasn't going to announce he was a not so distant relative and/or stealing into some lady's bed when he shouldn't—or some lord's if the gods had decided to make her life [i]really[/i] interesting.

And then the first words out of his mouth were “we” and “I” and she was sure she was about to have a [b][i]bloody[/i][/b] heart failure because this man was about to declare that he was her brother or cousin or something just mind bogglingly ridiculous. Only he didn't. He was apparently a member of something called the “Red Ravens” who rather pointedly sucked at their jobs. Secret organizations among nobility and commanded by nobility did not startle her. Kings rose and fell by them and kingdoms were often build and turned to dust from such shadowy dealings. And it seemed as though it might very well be her kingdom's turn to fall to the pages of history if she did not take her throne back from Roland. She was a bit cross her father had never told her about these Red Ravens but she supposed that would have come in time. Though if this was any example of their work, her father might not have bothered to tell her about them for their sheer uselessness.

With the image of her father's final moments still so painfully vivid in her mind, she wanted badly to snarl at this elf man. She wanted to point out his incompetence and pick at it like a crow. But she knew better. She would get nowhere sating her pain and anguish with the pain and anguish of others.

“Well,” she said a bit tightly because it really was hard not to curse the fool for whatever incompetence these red birds had that let this coup run unimpeded, “I assume these 'brothers' and 'sisters' of yours are of the order as well? Perhaps they will be able to redeem themselves by aiding their future queen.” Then she turned to look about the lands, “Nonios should still be wandering these hills.” she gave a sharp whistle through her teeth, “He can take us to your raven nest.” she could not keep the little bite of bitterness from her voice at mention of the ravens as she sheathed her sword. She only needed call twice more before a black figure came galloping up from the distance and charged across the land to them like some hell hound.

Gwendolen smiled and stepped forward, arms open for her dearest friend as the terror of a black horse came to a grinding halt some paces from Gwen and then began to prance lightly on nimble hooves, tossing his head like a happy pup greeting its master. Gwen cooed at the horse for a time, rubbing his neck and kissing his face before she took to his bare back. She turned Nonios towards Ryder and offered him a hand to pull him up, “You will need to guide me but Nonios can surely make the journey in quick time. There is no horse born yet that Nonios cannot out ride.”