[color=00aeef]Adalia supposed that a death with honor was an individual assessment. How could a whole group agree on what was an honorable way to die? She understood the tradition and the thought behind it when Chalsea explained it, but to die with honor, you would have to have some kind of measuring system for what is honorable and what isn’t. At least that’s how Adalia thought about it, but she supposed it was just their tradition, and traditions, like the White Stone city’s own, usually had no logic behind them as such. Traditions and religion, or beliefs, as some would call it, was impossible to prove. You could guess and you could tell other people about your own beliefs, but you would never have a way of proving what was right and what was wrong. Even magic couldn’t tell you what came after life, but many people did believe that there was something after life ended, and that gave comfort to a lot of people on their death beds, or when they had to go into battle. [color=ed145b]“I suppose that it’s a good way for them to die, even though it is very different from our beliefs.” [/color]Adalia said softly. 

[color=ed145b]“You say that it teaches you a lot of things living there, but your way of evolving, is just one way of many.” [/color]Adalia explained. [color=ed145b]“You may think it was a way that led you to become a hardened survivor, but a person who has read books about the wild, studied the wild life and the nature and have lived in it, on their own free will, have evolved to be a survivor just as you. However, that person might still be as peaceful as the birds you see in the sky, whereas you have become a survivor in the sense of kill or be killed.”[/color] She was still standing with her towels around her body [color=ed145b]“You are mercenaries yes, but one that has studied the nature and the wild life might be equally dangerous as you and your men. The difference is that they might be able to poison you easier, instead of defeating you head on in battle. Don’t misunderstand me, I don’t try to offend you, I’m merely trying to explain that there is always more ways to achieve the same skills, even though the personalities might be different.”[/color] She smiled. [color=ed145b]“But I’m glad to hear that you’ve never taken a job that was about payback, in that sense anyway, it tells a lot about a person that they decide what they want to do, despite that they are mercenaries and so on.”[/color] She nodded. [color=ed145b]“Glad you got paid from that king though, whoever he was, he probably didn’t deserve his throne by the sound of it.” [/color]She giggled. 

[color=ed145b]“If there were shamans on the battlefield, then it’s just proof that they have been forced into action. Whether or not that they agree to take action, they have still chosen to do so, and they didn’t seem to be that annoyed about it. But still, the shamans are probably not too satisfied if they were forced by another race or dangerous force, to start expanding the orc territory.”[/color] She said with a small nod. She would hate to see a stronger and more intelligent race than the orcs appear. Even if the orcs weren’t that intelligent, they were still strong and one orc could easily be equal to two-three human soldiers, depending on it’s age and experience. If someone could force a brute like that, to do it’s bidding, then there was something dangerous lurking around in the dark corners of the world. [color=ed145b]“Well, we do have a few siege weapons, but the orcs were too close to us before we could put them to use. I realize we should always have them ready, but I feel like that would just be to put fear into peoples’ hearts. Out of sight out of mind you know? So by not having them standing in the city all the time, the people are more at ease. But I appreciate your thoughts about it, and I will see if there is a possible way to make it faster to deploy them, if we actually see the enemy coming the next time.”[/color] She shrugged. 

[color=ed145b]“Well if you hadn’t been alive, we probably wouldn’t have been alive today either. Or we might have been, but we would have been on the run and the civilians would probably have been killed by the orcs, or possible turned into more orcs if they are still using that method.” [/color]She shrugged. [color=ed145b]“Even though I know you said most of them are born orcs now, they still have methods of turning other races into their kind, and it is probably a fast way to expand their army as well, if they are on the move. So I’d rather not see my civilians fall to their destructive nature.”[/color] She said, shrugging slightly at the thought of her civilians being tortured and turned into those, monsters. 

[color=ed145b]“I think my men has seen a living nightmare before, rather literally.” [/color]She said with a shrug. [color=ed145b]“While this is a peaceful city, we do have our way of training as well, even though it’s not exactly the same kind of training as you’re talking about.” [/color]She smiled gently. [color=ed145b]“But most of them will not back down from the training, even though they at times fear death, they do not run away from danger, and they want to protect the White Stone City as much as I do, which means they will all go through it, just wait and see.”[/color] She said with a lot of confidence. She clearly had high thoughts of her soldiers, then again, they had managed to keep the orcs away from the walls of the city until reinforcement had arrived, which was rather impressive. [color=ed145b]“But I am still grateful that you are taking your time to train them and make them sharper in the battle.”[/color] She smiled. 

[color=ed145b]“Well, tonight is a special occasion, funeral and a tour in the city. I’ll make sure to have a bottle for when we take a tour around the city. It’s even more beautiful to walk around when you have a bottle of wine with you. It just gives you such a nice emotional feeling.” [/color]She smiled, already feeling the emotions she always felt when she walked through the city in the moon- and starlight. [color=ed145b]“And it’s good that it won’t be raining tonight then, it will make it a more pleasuring walk and a more pleasuring funeral then. It seems you have quite some skills after all.” [/color]She said, giggling a little. [color=ed145b]“We have many cloudless nights here; almost every night is like that, despite when it rains of course. But the steppes are really home to cloudless nights, it’s rather amazing.” 

[/color]It sounded like a tournament was indeed a great idea. [color=ed145b]“I’m sure we can have your second in command fight my vice-captain.” [/color]She smiled. [color=ed145b]“We can always say that if he wins over my vice-captain, he can get to fight me as his prize for winning. That should make things more interesting.”[/color] She smiled. [color=ed145b]“Though of course he won’t win, but the intrigue of it might be enough to make your second in command agree to join the tournament, and he might be getting a tougher fight than what he thinks.”[/color] She smiled. [color=ed145b]“My vice-captain is not someone who is easily beaten in combat. Obviously, or he wouldn’t be a vice-captain.” [/color]She laughed softly. 

Adalia watched as Chalsea got out of the bathtub and wrapped herself in a towel as well. She then nodded to her request [color=ed145b]“Of course, I will have them clean your clothing and dry them for you. Don’t you think about any duties for the next few days, just think about relaxing and enjoy your stay here.” [/color]She smiled. She then walked over in front of her. She placed her arms around Chalsea slowly and softly, almost like a lover’s embrace, with her forehead against Chalsea’s and her eyes closed. The least she could do to Chalsea from having saved them was to give her a little gift. As she held her forehead against Chalsea’s forehead, a warm energy would move from Adalia’s body and into Chalsea’s body, which should make Chalsea feel happy and warm, like this day was just one of the best days. Adalia wasn’t human, that was for sure, but what she was, was a mystery. The feeling she was moving over into Chalsea, was almost like a soft, long, gentle and passionate kiss, though their lips never touched. She then slowly let go of Chalsea and moved her head back from her, smiling gentle as she did, and took a few steps back. [color=ed145b]“I hope you like my gift, please enjoy your day.”[/color] She said softly, smiling at her. After Chalsea had responded to her actions, if she did, Adalia would leave the bathroom and prepare for the evening. 
[/color]