Training: Eyes and Hands [Eitan & Brenner]

[Brenner Dornkirk]

"Oh, have you?" Brenner smiled wanly to Stefan. "I forget if I told you already, but I met with her a week or so ago... Just a few days after the gala. We'd been talking about Gereon of Geleros and she wished to share access to a few rare tomes I hadn't chanced to get ahold of. We took tea and pored over pages..." He trailed off, as he recalled the intimate, at times even awkward, encounter. Brenner wasn't well accustomed to spending time alone with women of stature, and he worried at the time whether it was appropriate visit her unattended. It had been she who'd posed the invitation, however, so he settled in and found himself pleasantly surprised once more.

While things were being set up for skeet shooting and the gents in the traphouse had been informed of the shooters' intentions, Brenner went to fetch a shotgun and some birdshot. When his turn rolled round, he stood and rolled his neck, pausing near Stefan instead of passing him en route to the stall.

"You know, gents..." He cast a glance over his shoulder to include Eitan and Piers as well, "I was actually shooting clay the day I met Dreyfus Montilyet." He cocked the shotgun, "He made a valiant showing for a man who was trying to shoot pigeons with a pistol." Cracking a grin, he added: "I won, of course."

With that said, he made his way into the stall and poised himself with his barrel lined up for the high arc he anticipated based on Stefan's round.

"Pull!" He called, and moments later a disc went soaring into his sightline. Then there was thunder, then there was powder raining down in the lane before him.

"Ha ha!" He grinned, cocking the weapon for another shot.

[Eitan Angevin]

Eitan watched each brother for his reaction to the other's plans with Jane Farraway. The Dornkirks were quite close, and their companion was unused to even the idea of them being at odds. It seemed to him that Stefan would defer his own happiness for Brenner's, but that Brenner would certainly do his duty to the family should Stefan's needs or desires come into conflict with his own.

And he also kept an eye on Lightborn. The man was quiet; sometimes too quiet. Eitan knew well enough that being quiet was often the best way to acquire intelligence. He didn't distrust the man, but it would be foolish to trust him entirely. He offered some small encouragement to Stefan, who certainly improved from one shot to the next, then laughed with compersion at Brenner's top notch shot.

"Well done, well done," he said, his rifle already primed and prepared for his turn when Brenner completed his own. Perhaps his mind was too focused on the interplay of personalities and the possibilities for the future, as his first shot merely grazed the clay pigeon, knocking it off course but not knocking it out of the air in pieces.

The second time, of course, he reined his mind in.

"Pull," he said, sighted the thing, and destroyed it as it flew through the air. His smile was slow in coming, but he managed to let go of his disappointment for the first shot to at least be content that he could follow up properly. He nodded to Lightborn as he stepped aside so the hulk of a man could have his go. If nothing else, he would be a rather large meat shield if they came under fire from anything in the Warrens.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

As Eitan, and then Lightborn stepped up to take their turns Stefan continued his conversation with his brother.

"Did you really?" He asked, though it redundant, sounding entirely pleased that Brenner had spent time with Jane outside of the public sphere. She wasn't the type of woman he usually saw Brenner with but the idea of having her around more, or even being at some point called his sister was something to look forward to.

"Do you think we should have her for dinner?" Thinking about their mother's reaction to Miss Farroway he added, "At the club, perhaps?"

Inviting her out in a way that was at once personal and public would mean things. Not the same things as inviting her to the Manor to meet their parents, but still, it would speak of association to Zaichaeri High Society as a whole.

When his turn again came again he was feeling looser, less tensed by the addition to their shooting party. The rifle's weight felt good against his shoulder and he remembered to breathe correctly as the clay target flew. He managed to break the first and properly shatter the second, turning to Brenner, seeking approval with a proud smile that he would never have shown their father.

He found himself moving to stand beside Eitan with almost as much comfort as he did with Brenner as Brynn stepped up to show them all up again. Lowering his voice he said,

"I don't suppose you know anything about," He cut his eyes toward Lightborn, "him?" He trusted Brenner's instincts, of course, but something about the huge man got under Stefan's skin. It might have just been how unexpected and intimidating his presence was but it felt like more. Something about him felt a step outside of normal, like walking into a room and knowing something is different but not knowing what.

[Brenner Dornkirk]

"I did." Brenner confirmed with a wry grin, "And we should!" He liked the notion of better acquainting himself with the young lady. The notion of courting her had certainly crossed his mind. Like Stefan, Brenner hadn't envisioned marrying a girl like Jane, but now that he was nearing his thirtieth year on Ransera, his priorities were shifting. He'd always known in theory that marriage was a political and professional partnership, but he'd never internalised the notion until recently. Sacrifices and compromises were always going to have to be made, but if he could find a woman whose priorities and beliefs aligned with his own, much of the rest might be surmounted.

"You're up, old boy." Brenner informed Piers with a cordial pat on the shoulder that yielded a slight wince from the larger man. For such an imposing figure, he struck Brenner as being perpetually on edge. He'd been treated to a few tales of Piers' time in the Warrens serving the Kalzasern 'Dead Legion' and so he understood the source of the man's trauma, but it still surprised him in practice. Still and all, it lent to the alertness that would serve them best on the mission to come.

Piers had never boasted any prowess with firearms, but his first shot was nearly flawless. The clay disc exploded into powder and drizzled down onto the grass below. It might have been beginners luck, though, as his second shot missed completely and the pigeon flew peacefully off into the distance unimpeded.

"A shift in the winds, mate! Happens to all of us." Brenner called over as the scowling Piers returned to the bench. To Piers' credit, he turned to Brenner and requested pointers on how best to improve his shooting, which the Air Commander happily delivered.

[Eitan Angevin]

Eitan decided he would definitely look into Miss Jane Farraway the way the boys were talking about her. His own memories of her were mixed, but most of them were from childhood and now they were a man and woman grown. If she was destined to be a Mrs. Dornkirk, he would have to get to know her and, if possible, get on her good side. He didn't want his best friend's wife to hate him. He watched with keen attention to Lightborn's turn, wondering if it had all been luck or he had whiffed the second to make them think he wasn't as fine a shot as his first would imply. His eyebrows rose and he considered, listening to Brenner give him asked-for tips before the Air Commander went off again.

"As much as you do," he murmured back to Stefan in Kathalan just to be safe. "Asks for help to improve, which is a good sign. Don't worry, Stef. I plan to look into everyone who makes it onto the roster for this expedition, even those you bring to the table."

He turned to smile and wink at the overprotective brother.

When Brenner was preparing for his next shot, Eitan offered a bit of advice as an addendum to what Lightborn had already had from their soon-to-be Captain. He offered a tight smile to punctuate it, friendly but not overly so. The hulk of a man didn't seem the friendly type, but that needn't mean he wouldn't be good at his job.

Eitan would listen to whatever Brenner shared about him and whatever the man shared about himself, and then he would go and do research of his own. That was what the Order had trained him to do, after all, and this would be a mission of the highest priority. It would serve them well to have some redundancies while they were still in the Brass City with all their various resources to play.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The conversations moved around him as they each took their turns ending the 'pigeons' offered up to their sport by the unknown man that controlled their clay fate. For once Stef didn't have trouble keeping up with each. Well, there were only two that he had to participate in, and a separate set of listening to the good advice of the airmen on the subject of the proper aiming of a rifle.

When Brenner circled back to him he considered leaning his head on his brother's shoulder but thought better of it. This place belonged far more to the younger Dornkirk than to the elder and he wasn't entirely sure what image that entailed. He did lean closer as he said, low,

"I spoke to Eitan at the Gala, asked him to arrange some meetings with Delia for me. I think..." He hesitated over the excuse of a gun's retort and then met eyes so similar to his own,
"I think I'm serious this time, I think I'm ready. And," He added before any answer could be offered, " I think it might calm our parents down about us both leaving without a real explanation if I am safely settled."

He raised a brow, seeking Brenner's opinion in a manner that clearly stated it held the greater weight when compared to that of their parents. Stefan did care, very much, for what his parents thought and wanted, it was just that it somehow always managed to be unpleasant for him.

When he was with Eitan again and the man was speaking of the care of things that Stefan knew he would never be suited to he found himself only relieved. Nodding he thanked the man, clapping him briefly on the shoulder but with a greater weight of gratitude and appreciation than the same gesture from Brenner might have held.

It seemed that Lightborn and himself were roughly equally skilled with a rifle and so he listened and tried to absorb what information he could, tried to watch the movements of the other men while they showed off their prowess even when he was in conversation. It was a heady mix, discussing his future, Brenner's, their mission, as though Stefan's life, quiet and as normal as he could make it, had taken a decided turn from the mundane into the storybook, and, surprisingly it was fun.

[Brenner Dornkirk]

Piers nodded and fixed his eyes on Eitan's as the man offered advice. He wore a scowl, but it was the same one he'd arrived with so it didn't seem to bespeak any umbrage at the pedantry. He seemed to listen and nodded along until Eitan had said his piece, at which point he replied: "Acknowledged." And turned his attentions toward observing the next round of shooters.

Whilst Eitan spoke with Piers, Stefan leaned in for a personal aside and Brenner tilted his head to offer his ear. He cocked an eyebrow and his face flushed so quickly he might have wondered whether Stefan could feel the heat emanating from his cheeks, close as he was.

"Oh really?" He asked without unclenching his teeth, "Well." His eyes fell toward the pile of dust and debris his first shot had made of the clay. "If you're ready, then I shall be happy for you. PULL!" He drew away sharply, and raised his weapon in time to fire at the pigeon that flew from the traphouse, but not in time to actually hit it.

"Fuck!" Well, there was actually a benefit to missing his shot, despite of the embarrassment. At least this way he could channel his disconcerting confoundment at what ought to have been good news into his botched shot, whilst he processed it. He didn't know why it should upset him that Stefan might marry soon. He'd encouraged it only months earlier, but now... Was he jealous that his brother would beat him to it now that he'd just found a lady he might court for himself? Was it the death of another chapter of their youth? He didn't wish to dwell on it. Instead he would focus upon his next shot and making sure it wasn't as embarrassing as its predecessor. This time he lifted the rifle first, taking rough aim before repeating the command to:

"PULL!"

[Eitan Angevin]

Eitan nodded, acknowledging Lightborn's acknowledgement. If he wasn't going to be friendly, at least he wasn't going out of his way to be unpleasant. Sometimes Stefan liked to fade into the background while he and Brenner kept up a clip of conversation, and so perhaps Lightborn was like that, as well. But then, this was work for him, and when it came to mercenaries, capability was more important than comportment. But as he had said, he would look into Lightborn's background through his own channels, and offer up what he found to the brothers Dornkirk.

But for now, he enjoyed the breeze, the sunlight, and two-thirds of his company. He was happy to exchange tips with Brenner, as well as observations. He also learned by watching in between his turns trying to take down their clay adversaries. There was little doubt their adversaries in the Warrens would be more dangerous than the pigeons. At least for now, it was fun and games as well as practice and learning. They would be as well prepared for the expedition as they could be while keeping everything under their proverbial hats.

If Brenner's reaction to his missed shot was outsized, Eitan didn't comment on it. Perhaps he would ask later if everything was all right. Presumably, there would be libations after this. There usually were. It was probably best they kept to the more reputable places this season, though, as they couldn't afford to get tied up in red tape should their presence in the low quarters occasion more police actions.

Pleased to see Stefan taking his words of wisdom to heart, he was only too happy to take his own turn again. There was a pleasure in practicing something one was skilled at, growing that skill, and having that skill acknowledged. He only hoped they would be as keen shots when the stakes were higher.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan did notice the color that rose in his brother at the mention of his possibly upcoming nuptials. Perhaps he had embarrassed Brenner by bringing up such a personal family matter in public, in front of a stranger, in fact. He had been circumspect and there was really no chance that Lightborn, or even Eitan, who would also be intimately connected to the matter, would have heard. When his brother stepped away from him so abruptly he was worried he'd overstepped. Brenner would be right, of course. In matters of social correctness, Brenner knew far better than Stefan did and he made a note to try and apologize for his embarrassing mistake later, if they got a moment alone. No use making it worse by having that possibly overheard as well.

When his own turn came he managed to implement the suggestions and advice of the two seasoned riflemen and shatter both his pigeons. Stefan always seemed to do better than he thought Brenner was displeased with him, as though by giving his best effort he might assuage the younger Dornkirk's ire and earn himself back into good graces.

He hoped to make a regular thing of the outing, if not every weekend, surely the two commanders would be too busy for that, at least several more times before they ventured below. Lightborn would be welcome, he supposed, but the man could also find time to practice on his own, since he'd been hired by Brenner it was unlikely he would have much else to do to earn his keep until it was time to depart.

In a spare moment when Eitan had moved to show Lightborn a feature of his own, personal rifle, Stefan leaned close to Brenner again and said,

"I apologize, I didn't mean to bring up something like that with a stranger around. Very bad form of me. Forgive me? I haven't told anyone, of course. I just wanted you to know first."

Eitan knew, but Eitan was the one helping him set up the meetings with Delia, so it wasn't as if Stefan had needed to tell him.

[Brenner Dornkirk]

Brenner's next shot was a palpable hit. The thunder of the rifle was followed by the more lyrical explosion of clay struck in several places by the well-centred breadth of his birdshot. It was satisfying, after a fashion, but his hackles remained raised as he turned and stalked back toward the benches, where Stefan took him aside.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Brenner replied, archly. There was a coldness to his expression that would bring Lady Sylana to the mind of any who knew her. He might have been imitating her for how stark it was, and Stefan would recognise this as Brenner's bluff when he was still processing emotions he didn't feel confident in loosing unto the world. When something took Brenner Dornkirk aback, he was more prone to clam up and retreat into solitude to figure out whether his response was justified, rather than making a fool of himself over something that oughtn't upset him.

"There is nothing to forgive." His lips curled into a slight smile that his icy eyes failed to complement. "If you are content with the arrangement, then so shall I be."

He really didn't know why he was perturbed by this news. He'd been encouraging Stefan to make moves toward starting a family just months earlier but it had always seemed so hypothetical. In a way, Brenner still felt like a teenager fantasising about some distant but necessary future. His rational mind recognised that this was good news, and yet... Something needled at him.

Before Stefan could reply, Brenner shot his attention toward Eitan as he took his next, impressive shot.

"Well done, old boy! Hip hip huzzah!" He applauded, as he took a seat on the bench and kept his gaze locked on Eitan as to avoid Stefan's all-too-familiar eyes with vehemence.

Fin