Let Me Be Your Tourniquet [Stefan]

[Reiner Dornkirk]

"Let Me Be Your Tourniquet"
The Morning of 45th Ash, 122
Location: CLASSIFIED

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Although he’d indulged in a bit of R&R since arriving on the Islands, Reiner Dornkirk was glad to be put back to work. It wasn’t that he didn’t or couldn’t have fun during the much needed leisure time. Kuno had seen to it that the younger private let loose, even in the early days when his shyness was particular potent. Even so, in these dark days for Zaichaer, there was no escaping what Eitan had called ‘Survivor’s guilt’. It was odd to drink, dance and carouse, knowing what happened, what was lost, and what was still going on in the hellscape below.

Per Dienerin’s instructions, Reiner arrived at his cousin’s office in the Windworks bright and early. Per Kuno’s advice, he decked himself in one of the uniforms he’d brought from below. It would have been inappropriate to have worn any of the civilian clothes he’d gotten up here, most of which fit moderately well, but not to the standards of a Minister of Zaichaer and lord in his own right (Even if Reiner did note a bit of reluctance toward both roles from Stefan). It would have been overkill to wear his dress uniform again, so he was in his combat greens. They were recognizable enough that they broadcast his role in the ZDC and simple enough that he could do anything from office work to manual labor in them. Since he had next to no idea how he’d be employed, the outfit felt like a perfect compromise.

Dienerin greeted the private in the outer office and offered him a seat and a cup of coffee, which he happily accepted- black. Caffeine wouldn’t help his nerves, but it would clear his head of some of the clouds he’d earned with ale and a later night than he should have brooked. He was halfway through the cup, when the door into the office proper opened and the familiar figure of his statuesque cousin stood framed there, cutting a dashing silhouette. Reiner rose to his feet, swapped his coffee to his left hand and saluted with his right. The great work would soon begin.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Stefan was not sure what he was anymore. People still called him Lord, though the title had little meaning in present circumstances, they called him Minister, though he was no longer overseeing the scientific progress of Zaichaer, they called him Boss( though rarely to his face), despite the fact that the Windworks was not running in anything like its original capacity, nor was he able to pay his workers. Technically the family banking account still held the money his family had stored in its branches in the Imperium, but he could not access it. The only estate his family had owned, outside of the one in the city, was the hunting lodge that they had left behind the day before.

The area was set up with both wards and more physical protections, as well as a significant number of the unit of men that had once been housed in the same hotel his young cousin had occupied. According to Eitan the men had been willingly evacuated onto the airship that Eitan and Reiner had taken down in the hopes of warding the position against attack. Attack had come, fiercely enough that the commanding officer of the post had lost his life. The remaining men had been gratefully absorbed into the troops inexplicably under his own control. Believing they would be needed more for both their defensive capabilities and their physical labor in changing the lodge into a base he'd stationed them under the command of Delia's formidable grandmother who, unbeknownst to Stefan or his wife, had once had some position in the Order that she was unwilling to speak of.

Despite not knowing what he was, Stefan had work to do. He understood the work and was capable of doing it, so he did it. The colossal ships were now making their way toward the forward headquarters of the Riverlands Corp and the supplies quartered within. He did not know how much the men he'd previously exchanged orders with nearly daily knew, and he could only hope they would be willing to listen to his reasoning.

The trip to what was left of the airfields had rendered up enough bounty and Stefan had left a crew, well warded and guarded, to begin readying the Academy complex for take off. After the Windworks it held the most useful knowledge and technology remaining in the city. It would be a month at least, likely longer, before it would be ready to take to the skies but Stefan had learned from the first two attempts and the process would, he hoped, be smoother. There was enough left over to take the storehouses he hoped to find into the air as well, if he had calculated correctly.

Finishing the dispatch he'd been writing to the men who ran the Riverland's supply dumps he stepped from his office and handed it to his man servant,

"See that this is copied four times, please. I'll need the copies by morning." The slim man gave a single nod, taking the letter carefully.

The elder Dornkirk noticed the younger at that moment and returned the salute, having gotten back into the habit as Minister.

"Ah, Reiner, I'm pleased you're here. Come," He gestured into his office and followed the younger man inside. Sitting in his own chair behind the massive desk he said,

"Thank you for accepting this post. I hope it doesn't seem trivial after the work you had been doing. I need someone to relay messages for me as we don't have a comm system up here and I'm not sure I would trust it if we did."

His frown was chagrined, as thought he were disappointed with the world for rendering even technology possibly unsafe. Shaking the look away he continued.

"You'll be here, or in the outer office most days and you may have to run messages for the Captain-Seeker as well, from time to time. He usually has men of his own to do it but things most quickly at time. Sometimes I'll have information that I need delivered further afield, and, as you have field experience I would like you to run those as well. In those cases you'll be given an airship escort and will likely have to return messages back to me. There may be other duties, sometimes things crop up that need immediate attention and, once I know you better, we can coordinate when things are needed. Do you have any questions?"

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner smiled winningly as he was beckoned into the office. There was excitement stirring his blood today. New jobs always made him at least slightly nervous, and the fact that this one placed him directly under the last of the lofty Dornkirks made it especially exciting. He stood behind a chair, hesitating to sit without being expressly told he should. He'd had more than a few commanding officers who would use such a scenario to test the training of their men. It had been annoying and, to Reiner's mind, rather juvenile, but he supposed he could understand the purpose. In any case, Stefan had exhibited no signs of being that sort of martinet, so after his momentary pause, he claimed one of the chair across from his cousin.

"It doesn't seem trivial at all." He protested with a dismissive shake of the head. He sat forward, literally on the edge of his seat with his back straight and his legs crossed at the ankle beneath the chair.

As Stefan went into the description of his duties, he nodded along with each point. At the mention of longer treks and airships, Reiner parted his lips slightly. He thought to ask whether Kuno would be his escort on such missions, but he didn't want Stefan to think (albeit correctly) that it was a request on the private's part, if it wasn't something he already had in mind. He certainly didn't want his fondness for his roommate to be regarded as unprofessional.

"Just one, sir, and um... 'sir' is rather the point. So, I know you shirk formality at the supper table, but... In my capacity as your subordinate, is there any particular way you'd prefer to be addressed?"

[Stefan Dornkirk]

Reiner taking the post seriously settled something in Stefan; it felt like approval of his need for an aid. Dienerin had filled the role but now the man himself had bigger things to worry about than running sensitive messages, fetching people and otherwise performing the hundreds of small tasks that kept government wheels turning. The shattered-glass part of his mind that saw his brother overlaying the Private inched closer like an animal edging closer to a fire, desperate for warmth while still fearing it.

The question was an interesting one, and dealt directly with the questions that had been running through his own mind just prior to his cousin's arrival. He gave it a moment of obvious thought and then said,

"I think 'sir' will be fine when we're working. I will probably refer to you as your rank, possibly by our last name, but I don't want to confuse anyone."

His expression shifted to one of apology, albeit one from a superior officer to an inferior one. Ranks had to be kept and respected, particularly in such uncertain times. If something happened, if there was an attack, he would need to snap off orders and know that no one would be offended by them. Once that issue was addressed and there seemed to be no more immediate questions he pulled out a new sheet of paper and began writing on it while also speaking,

"That letter I handed off to Herr Dienerin was a set of orders that I need to be delivered to the commanders at each of the Riverland Forts. We will need to make contact and assess the level of supplies available for the army over the coming season. With all good hope nothing of what occurred in the city effected the storehouses."

He paused, frowning, obviously worried as he thought about the number of additional lives that would be lost if the stores he had so carefully set aside to ensure Zaichaer's military were fighting on full stomachs during the cold season had been compromised.

"I will need you prepared to take the letters tomorrow morning. The Noble Gambit will be your escort and I am entrusting any replies to your care, whether verbal or written."

Some men became too paranoid to use written word in times of great distress.

"You will need my personal coded phrase so the commanders know you come directly from me." Looking up from the paper after signing his name he met the younger man's eyes and told him the phrases that would ensure each of the four men that he was an authentic messenger. He waited for Reiner to be able to repeat them back correctly along with the names of the men he was to speak them too. Stefan was a patient teacher and a small, genuine smile creased at the sides of his eyes when his cousin proved a quick learner.

"Good. If you need anything for the journey that you don't currently have let Dienerin know. Your new uniforms will be ready tonight. They'll be delivered to your apartment so you can don them for the trip. Now,"

He folded the paper and quickly sealed it with his signet ring.

"Take this down to Orator Beeman in the lower levels. Anyone can give you directions if you don't know the way. Come back when you're finished, I'll have more."

With a nod that was both encouraging and an obvious dismissal he pulled out another sheet of paper and began writing.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

"Of course, Sir..." Reiner nodded, straight away. The private was far from put off by the formality. He very much preferred it. His role since coming aboard the islands had felt nebulous and confusing. A bit of decorum was a relief. It felt like a deception to pretend he was Stefan's equal, as he'd had to do at supper. This felt more familiar and more appropriate to him.

The private tilted his head, attentive to the exposition about the letter Stefan had handed to Dienerin when he'd first emerged from the office.

"Understood, sir." He inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of the orders. The young soldier had started out cleaning latrines and had served mostly as a scout, lately. The duties of a page were far from beneath him. He knew it was a cushy position, but he was glad to know that it wasn't simple or safe. He wouldn't just be toting missives across the hallway. He'd have to traverse more than a staircase. Danger would be brooked and his martial skills might need to be employed. At least his cousin didn't think him some helpless waif.

He was attentive to his orders and did retain the code phrases rather quickly, since he was putting effort into it. He knew that attention to detail would be pivotal in this new position, and he would need to employ it with the impending verbal replies, so it seemed important to display that he could do so with the passcodes.

"New uniforms?" He couldn't help but smile, excited at that notion. He hadn't packed many clothes originally and even after having stopped at the Schiller, there hadn't been time to pack much more. He had casual clothes now, thanks to Kuno's guidance, but new uniforms would be welcome.

"Sir, yes sir!" He replied, taking the offered page and bowing slightly, before turning on his heel and heading back into the outer office. He did, indeed, need directions, but he wasn't shy about getting them. He may have been a bit bashful in his personal life, but when he was set to a mission, he cast his personal aversions aside and did what needed to be done. This one couldn't have been easier, and so he hand delivered the missive to the orator with a formal, stoic countenance. Unless there were instructions on her end, he would promptly return to Stefan's office to await further orders from his immediate superior. New jobs were fun.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The Orator was distracted when Reiner was shown to her make-shift laboratory by a lower member of the Order. Make-shift was growing to look as though it would soon become permanent. Walls had been added to the space that had once been a bay to build stealth ships, dividing the area into a space with the same lay out as the offices Beeman and her team worked in at the College of Minders complex. The aesthetic of carved dark woods and inlaid marble flooring was missing but as most who did work there rarely spared time from their studies to see their surroundings it had little impact. The bays had almost all been repurposed, though the ones that were currently being used as mess halls and refugee living quarters would soon be emptied and available for other things. There was a central, raised hall way that ran along a single path and connected all the underground bays. To one with vision it was becoming obvious that the area would become the central hub for the government, Order and law enforcement of the Islands.

When Beeman saw Reiner her bespectacled face snapped up, giving the impression of a large insect. She took and read the note and nodded, looking like she was going to return to her work before saying,

"Tell Minister Dornkirk that I may have something for him tomorrow, or the day after... hmm." Then she forgot the Private.

Upon the Private's return he found his cousin to be deeply engrossed in something he was writing. He wrote quickly in one notebook while referencing another and then stood abruptly and moved to one of his bookshelves to retrieve yet another notebook to flip through it as he sat back down until he found whatever it was he'd been searching for. With a decided nod that seemed to imply the third set of notes had borne out whatever idea he'd been trying to prove or disprove he set it down and made a final notation.

Only after all this did he glance up as though the part of his brain that handled sound processing had been patiently waiting in the wings until there was enough processing power available to inform Stefan that someone had come into the office.

"Oh." He said and blinked at Reiner for a moment while his mind tried to shift gears from his study to interacting with people.

"I apologize. I was... well, it doesn't matter. Did Beeman have anything to report back?" The older man tried to keep his expression neutral but something around his eyes said that he was eager, almost desperate, for the answer.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

"A communique from Minister Dornkirk, ma'am." Reiner said, as he handed the note across to the bespectacled woman and gave her a moment to peruse the contents. He repeated her reply in his head a few times to lock it into his memory.

"Will do, ma'am." The private bowed his head respectfully, and took a backward step, before pivoting on the heel of his boot and marching out into the corridor. He'd been so fixated on his first task, that he hadn't really taken in his surroundings on the way down. Now that he was making the trip back, he slowed his pace slightly and let his eyes wander. The smell of the mess hall reached him before the sight or sound, but he marked that as a spot to get lunch if he had time later in the day. He was still sated from the breakfast Kuno had insisted he wolf down, even though he'd been reluctant because of the first day butterflies that were already occupying his stomach.

Upon returning to Stefan's office, he found the door was open. He'd have knocked if it was closed, but such as things were he just sort of awkwardly haunted the doorframe like a bashful ghost until his cousin acknowledged him, at which point he stepped further into the room.

"No worries and, um, yes! She wanted me to tell you that she may have something for you tomorrow or the day after." He considered telling him that she'd seemed just as busy and engrossed in her work as he'd been moments earlier, but he ultimately decided that information wasn't pertinent and remained mum, awaiting further instructions. It felt a bit strange to be around people who were busy with more mundane tasks than fighting off zombie hordes, but he knew that their work, while ostensibly calmer, was in the effort of making things easier for the people on the ground facing more immediately life-threatening endeavors.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The elder Dornkirk's face did not fall, but something quietly left him, as he gave a nod to the information that he would have to wait. Beeman was usually good with her estimates but, even if she did have 'something' for him in the next couple of days it would not be what the most foolish part of him was wanting. He needed to give up on the notion that something of his brother remained in the strange artifact that was somehow Brenner's remains. He would not. Absolutely would not be giving up on it, but he knew that he should and that caused the illogical hope to at least dampen to a level that it could be contained.

A smile was not something he was capable of at the moment, but he hoped his expression at least conveyed gratitude for the job done regardless of the disappointing nature of the reply.

"I appreciate your promptness. I have to finish this," Stefan's hand gestured to what he'd been working on but he did not mention what it was, "And then I have several meetings. I will likely have messages to deliver afterwards and Dienerin has several notes that I left with him in case you didn't return until I was in a meeting. Two need to go to White Knight Hall, you should be able to catch a small ship over, and the other is to go to the group of men taking stock of the metal stores we have left. Get the ones to the Hall first, if you please."

He waited a moment to see if there were questions or comments before sitting again and returning to his notebooks.

[Reiner Dornkirk]

Reiner tilted his head, observing Stefan's visible disappointment with curiosity. Of course he was naturally interested in what sort of note he'd been conveying, but he also recognized that it wasn't his place to inquire. If Stefan had wanted him to know, he'd have told him. To ask, would have been beyond unprofessional.

"Of course, sir..." He replied with a faint smile at the acknowledgement of his alacrity, feeling vindictaed that he hadn't taken time to dally.

"Will do, sir. I'll check in with Herr Dienerin straight away." He bowed, took a backward step, then pivoted to return to the outer office, where he would approach his cousin's man about the task at hand.

"Herr Dienerin." He inclined his head, "The Minister told me you were holding onto some missives I'm meant to deliver?" He would wait for the older man to hand over the post, and offer any further instruction he may have. He didn't want to bother the minister with his question about where the third note was to be delivered, but he did inquire after the group of men he was to visit after he'd finished up at White Knight Hall.

Having been ferried to the minister's residence before, he knew where to catch the shuttle across, so he made a brisk walk over and checked in with the pilot who knew to wait for the young private, and seemed to recognize him- Even though Reiner didn't remember having met the fellow.

Taking a seat on the bridge of the rather comfortable air yacht, he sighed happily to himself. The nerves he'd woken with had given way to excitement. Stefan didn't seem quite as scary anymore, even if he was his direct boss now. In the context of his office, the man's directness and aloof bearing seemed more practical than they had at the supper table. He was resolving it with himself that rich people were just a colder bunch, and trying to accept that his cousin didn't hate him just because he often wore a scowl. That was, it seemed, just his default expression, whereas Reiner's was warmer and more open.

[Stefan Dornkirk]

The ride to the Hall in the bright chilly morning was pleasant, particularly as the interior of the small yacht (which seemed to have been designated as the ferry between the two islands until something better came alone) was heated to a pleasant early Searing temperature.

The wind was brisk when the little ship docked and let the Private out, and the walk between the docking platform and the entrance to the house was not a short one. Anyone walking the distance would be windblown and disarrayed by the time they arrived. When entrance was requested Reiner was shown into the entrance hall where the head butler greeted him and asked his business. Taking the two letters he examined them and handed one back,

"Lady Dornkirk has gone to the mainl... To the Windworks ship." The 'proper' terminology for the larger of the two ship had, it seemed, not bee worked out yet. The man cleared his throat before continuing, "She is meeting with the workers wives this afternoon, I believe, but decided to leave early."

He gave an address that had once been a middling sized textile shop,

"If she is not there then she has surely gone to meet with Lord Dornkirk. I shall see that this," He held up the letter not addressed to Delia in his hand, "Is delivered immediately."

He hesitated for a moment as if wondering what the etiquette on tipping the delivery boy was under the circumstances but, eyeing the military uniform he decided against. With an inclination of his head he turned and exited the entrance hall via the stairs.

The yacht could be seen to be still waiting from the windows of the Hall, almost like it was now Reiner's private transport.