[color=Goldenrod][h3]Isolde[/h3][/color]
[hr][hr]

She felt...nervous? Sick? Tired? Some odd combination of all three?

An odd feeling. Normally even if she was feeling under the weather, she could still manage a smile, friendly demeanor and go about her day as usual. These past few days had been much the same - she had tried to improve everyone's moods the best she had been able, even at her own expense with her clumsiness. She couldn't stand the palpable gloom that hung in the air. The tension that made it seem like there wasn't going to be any good outcome of this no matter what happened. She hated the feeling but there was little she could do to make it go away - only do what she did best and try to lighten everyone's moods if she could. Even Kergin and his normal ill tempered self seemed to put some effort into not causing trouble.

The Wyvern in question nudged her shoulder from where he was standing impatiently behind her. Isolde turned, placing a hand on his nose and giving him a reassuring grin, petting him lightly. He could probably sense how nervous she was even if it didn't entirely show on her face. Unlike some others, she hadn't spent the past few days practicing or trying to drill herself to death. Sure, she practiced with a little more serious oomph behind her swings, but tiring herself out wouldn't help anyone. Her father may have been a strict man, but rest was just as important as practice.

[color=Goldenrod]"Hey,"[/color] She whispered quietly as Rioga offered the Sacred Stone to Reina. [color=Goldenrod]"I already fed you this morning! If you want more wait until we get out of the castle, okay? We'll find a nice juicy sheep for you."[/color] Kergin narrowed his eyes, growling lowly as Isolde made her best attempt at normalcy, some might say making light of the situation. The Wyvern merely gave her another sharp nudge, nearly sending her stumbling forward. [color=Goldenrod]"I'm fine, Kergin. Really."[/color] She smiled, reaching up and petting him right behind his ears, seeming to placate the beast a little. Though he kept irritably turning his head towards the doors to the throne room, likely ready to pounce on anyone that so dared to intrude.

Isolde's attention turned back to Rioga and the others gathered, keeping a hand placed gently on Kergin's snout as she tried to get a better look at the stone in Reina's hands, unable to hide a bit of childlike wonder on her face. She heard the stories, every kid had. Her mom and dad both used to tell her stories of the heroes of old. She was a little embarrassed to admit it, but those stories played a major part in why she was here now. Fighting in glorious battles, heroically saving the day...her father made sure to bash any romanticist notion she had, but she couldn't help it, really.

As her name was called by Rioga, pulling her out of her own thoughts she stood straight, giving the King of Grado a rather hasty and awkward salute.

[color=Goldenrod]"E-er, of course!"[/color] She replied in a cheery voice. [color=Goldenrod]"Kergin and I'll keep Reina safe, promise!"[/color] Kergin yawned, not seeming too interested in the prospect himself as Rioga went on to address the others. Reina. She had been friends for most of their lives, and often times had been sparring partners. It was easy to tell the other girl was distressed, and Isolde wanted to say something to her but didn't want to interrupt them when they were so short on time already. So she opted for a friendly, reassuring wave if Reina's gaze happened to drift in her direction - which subsequently lead to one of her famous bouts of clumsiness as she wasn't entirely paying attention.

[color=Goldenrod]"Wah!"[/color] Aldo tossed the Tactician's Stone at her, Isolde only noticing at the last second. As she made a move to catch it, it slipped right through her hand and smacked her square in the forehead. Kergin rolled his eyes with a mildly irritable huff as she juggled it for a few seconds before finally managing to secure it in both hands, barely catching the end of the explanation - and was immediately enthralled by the item.

[color=Goldenrod]"Oooh..."[/color] Isolde's eyes lit up, staring wide eyed at it as the vision of the battlefield filled her mind. Even with the number of enemy troops surrounding the castle, this was a neat little trinket and Isolde couldn't help but to be mildly intrigued by it. It was a short lived intrigue however, as the gravity of the situation pressed down on her once again with Rioga's final sentence. Quickly, Isolde put the stone in her pockets, scrambling to climb into Kergin's saddle - nearly getting her leg caught in it from the hurry, as Reina made her final farewells.

[color=Goldenrod]"Hey hey, Lord Rioga tell Tilda when we get back that I wanna see which of us is the better Wyvern rider, alright?"[/color] She ended the request with a wave and grin. The cheery words tasted bitter on her tongue. That was a message likely never going to be delivered, but if even if her words could help a bit, then that was fine. Whatever the case, she urged Kergin to follow Aldo and Reina, the beast seemingly eager to get moving himself before things got worse.