Out on the Aralorian Farms

[Liam Donnelly]

[KEIRAN] In the quiet part outside the bustling Aralorian marketplace, where the nobles reside and the birds still chirp their merry songs, the sun rose high and bright above in the sky, casting its radiance down on the peaceful scenery.

"Out! GET OUT!" And that silence was very soon disturbed by the antics of a particular roguish farmer. Glass and ceramics shattered as heavy thumping, like that of moving furniture out of one's way, echoed from a particular house. "Get out of my house, you disgusting ingrate, before I slice you open and yank out your innards!" screamed the nobleman as he waved his sword madly in the air, thudding after Keiran who tried to escape his wrath. "Father, please! Stop!" cried the man's daughter who was currently covering up her nude form with a blanket from her bed. "Shut up, you little whore..." "Now, that's not a very nice thing to-" began the rogue, whose words were swiftly cut off as the older man's blade was held far too close to his throat, pausing him instantly with hands raised up at his sides. "You...do not speak," the hefty man threatened, his voice suddenly calmer than before. Perhaps he was coming very close to just ending this vagabond's life. "You defiled my daughter..." Keiran couldn't help that smug grin, the shock of having a sword about to impale him suddenly becoming ineffective to his actions, "Believe me, sir...someone's been there before."

This, naturally, only pissed the man off more and he made an attempt at bringing the sword back in order to decapitate him with a violent swing. Wide-eyed, Keiran ducked to avoid the blow before he proceeded to run around frantically with the obese noble following close behind, collecting his missing clothes as he rushed towards the door. The angry father continued to scream at the top of his lungs until his face was red, the farmer's son sprinting through the halls with his clothing held before him to shield his nether parts...though his pale derriere was left exposed for all the manor's servants to see. Managing to flee for his life unscathed, Keiran burst out from the home to run across the lawn and eventually find safety in the brush and trees just outside the marketplace. Which just so happened to be wide awake with people. Shit. Despite his predicament, he was suddenly remembering that Liam had needed him to pick up some supplies. Part of the fence had collapsed and needed repair and it was proving impossible to keep the animals corralled. On top of that, the house was beginning to fall apart. So, instead of doing what a good brother should, he had gotten...distracted. Fuck. He had to be quick before Liam got here. He was supposed to meet him with the cart. [d]



[LIAM] Keiran wouldn't have a whole lot of time before Liam would get there and know that he had not done what had been asked of him. He guided the horse pulling the cart behind him, down the path and into the village. It didn't take him long to spot Keiran as he stood by the bushes, with very little clothing on. And no supplies anywhere around him. He groaned and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He stopped the horse just as they were approaching his careless brother. "Are you serious, right now?" Liam sighed out his words, clearly aggravated at his brother, and only imagining what he had been up to instead of what he was supposed to be doing. "What is wrong with you?" But he couldn't help but laugh and he shook his head. "Once you are dressed, please come help me get what you were already supposed to have by now..." He grumbled and continued on with the horse, cursing under his breath as he made his way into the marketplace. [d]



[KEIRAN] Shit. This was his own fault that the gods were cursing him, because his brother was already there. What time was it? He didn't think he had taken that long, but she had been very...vigorous in her demands. And she was lovely...whatever her name was. Hopping into his pants, he was tying them when Liam came around with the cart, berating him yet unable to hold back his laughter. His brother offered him a cheeky grin. "I was on my way to see Eugene when she was just...standing there...right in her window..." In the house that was way over the hill and not as close to the marketplace as he would try to claim. He couldn't help it sometimes- he could get very easily distracted, and Liam should know that by now. At least he wasn't gambling their money away, which their father had inevitably been doing in the last few years of his life, leaving his sons the shithole of a farm. Keiran was quickly trying to dress himself before he was running after the cart. A quick leap, he hopped right onto the back of it, his grin wide and cheeky. "Shiny objects, Liam," he confessed as if still needing to explain himself. [d]



[LIAM] He rose a brow at his brother when he tried to explain what had happened, and he couldn't help but shake his head again. His dear brother, god love him. But he wanted to smack him alongside his head. He was glancing back at Keiran leaped into the cart and he laughed at that cheeky grin and his words. "You're ridiculous, brother... I hope you at least recognize that..." He continued down the path until they came to where Eugene's shop was. He motioned for Keiran to get out of the cart and go make himself useful with getting the supplies needed, while he dropped off the crops that were picked and would be used to barter for some of the supplies they'd need. The man, in turn, would sell their crops for profit, of course. It would seem they'd never make money off of their hard work. [d]



[KEIRAN] That grin never left his face. "Always," he answered Liam with all honesty. He was worse than ridiculous, but he wasn't going to admit to that. Keiran was just the type that needed to live in the moment. He had witnessed first hand how hard their father had worked...only to lose everything during the war. It had been hard to recover from the damage, thus it sent the man spiraling into drink and gambling all their money away. At least Liam seemed adamant on keeping the farm going no matter what, and Keiran didn't have the heart to say no to him...even when he strayed off course. Fortunately, it didn't happen all the time. With a salute to him, he jumped right back off the cart towards the neat stacks of wood to begin hauling some of it over. [d]



[LIAM] He eyed his brother as he saluted him and went off and started to heed his request. Grabbing a basket of vegetables out of the cart, he carried it into the shop and was instantly greeted by the older jolly fellow. "Ahhh...there you are! What do you have for me today?" Liam grinned and set the basket down on the counter and the man instantly began to look through it. "Have some corn, and carrots and some pumpkin..." Eugene grinned and clapped a hand on Liam's back. "Perfect! This should cover what you said you guys needed for your repairs."

Liam smiled and shook the man's hand. "Thank you. We appreciate you working with us and helping us out. Anything else you need, just let us know... We'd be happy to help you with whatever you need." He nodded and walked around the store, picking out a few of the things that was on their list of needed items. Eugene nodded in approval before Liam stepped out and found Keiran again. "Got the nails and some twine." He showed them to him before putting them into the cart. [d]



[KEIRAN] He was already becoming tired...but he supposed that was his own fault for tiring himself first thing in the morning. Cue the brow waggle. Keiran simply grinned at these thoughts while he loaded up the cart still. As his brother came out with the rest of the supplies, he leaned against the cart as he caught his breath. "Do you think we'll ever catch up?" he asked honestly. They barely made ends meet because the land was still in such ruins. And it wasn't just their farm. Their neighbors over the hill had lost several of their horses...and they were breeders. He heard the lord of that household was missing, leaving his son and daughter in charge. Everything was such a mess. It would be great to actually having a proper, working farm with crops they could actually sell. [d]



[LIAM] He was helping to finish loading the cart while Keiran decided to take a rest. At his question he paused for a moment, as if to think or try to calculate in his head. He finally nodded, but shrugged his shoulders. "I think so... if we keep at it... and stop fooling around so much. He raised a brow and gave Keiran a warning glance. He needed his brother's help more than he let on, because he couldn't handle it on his own, as much as he hated to admit that. But it seemed he could not get that through his brother's thick skull. He shoved him lightly and laughed. "Come on. Help me finish here." [d]



[KEIRAN] He looked a little offended at his brother's insinuation...but it lasted only a few seconds and he wasn't really bothered by it. Because he was offering that wry grin. "You wouldn't be chiding me so much if you got yourself a woman, brother," he answered so matter-of-fact, but he continued to help load up the cart regardless. "It would...lessen a lot of the tension and stress. I'm just saying." That made him chuckle as he tossed another bundle of wood into their little cart. [d]



[LIAM] He worked on loading up the cart as his brother spoke. Eyes rolled slightly and he laughed. "I had a woman, did you forget? Look at how far that got me." His relationship with Rebecca had caused nothing but tension and stress. She had fallen for a wealthier man and ran off with him. It used to be a touchy subject for Liam, but he had gotten over it by now and accepted that he would never be anything more than a poor farmer. It was in his blood, it was what he was meant to do. He sighed slightly. "Besides... One of us needs to stay responsible..." He chuckled softly and shrugged his shoulders. [d]



[KEIRAN] "No, that woman was crazy," Keiran told him quickly. Anyone willing to run out on his brother was certainly mad in his book. Sure, the family had basically no money left, but when did that really matter? Not that he understood the idea of love- he'd never loved a woman like that before. "But, you don't necessarily need one woman...I'm just saying..." Perhaps Liam would know better than to listen to that advice, considering Keiran might possibly have a parade of angry, vicious woman coming after him one of these days. He couldn't help himself sometimes. He'd thought about, maybe, finding one to settle down with, but...they all bored him when they weren't naked. What was even the point? [d]



[LIAM] He laughed and shook his head. "Not crazy, Keirnan...just looking for a better life than this." He motioned around them and sighed. "This life isn't for everyone, I suppose..." He shrugged and threw the last bundle of wood on the cart before laughing at his brother's suggestion of sleeping around, basically like he did. He rolled his eyes. "Look at the trouble that gets you into!" He grinned and motioned for them to head out. "Besides... you know how I am... I'd get attached to every girl who let me sleep with them..." Liam was an honest man. He couldn't just sleep around to have fun. Unlike Keirnan, he didn't get bored when they weren't naked. [d]



[KEIRAN] Well, sure, they didn't have the most glamorous of lives...but it was what it was. Would he have loved more money? Of course, but Keiran had gotten so used to this and accepted this way of life that he didn't much care. What he did care about was if all of this time and effort to get the farm going again would be a waste. He still didn't care for Rebecca. The woman clearly had not loved his brother enough to handle what this life was... therefore, she could go fuck herself. "Trouble?" he asked, trying to legit sound like he was confused. He'd hop back onto the cart as it seemed like they were done. Keiran was rolling his eyes at him then. "So, you rather just be miserable for the rest of your life..." It wasn't really a question. "I see." [d]



[LIAM] He hopped onto the cart and urged the horse forward before glancing at his brother, laughing. "Miserable?! Who said I was miserable?" He really wasn't, so had he missed something? Did he come across as miserable? Sure, he threw himself into his work and was the responsible one out of the two of them, but that didn't mean he was miserable, or was he in denial of something? He sighed and shook his head. "I'm not miserable... Just... busy." Rachel had really hurt him, and maybe he was still getting over her, because he had thought she wasn't like that, that she loved him for who he was, and not what he had in his pockets. It took him by surprise, and ripped his heart out. Though, he kept most of it to himself and barely let on that he had been bothered by what she had done. Maybe Keirnan had been able to see through him, though. [d]



[KEIRAN] He just looked sidelong to him as if he had lost his mind. "No sex...means misery," he said flat out, before he finally just laughed at him. Or maybe laughing at himself. He knew how much that woman had hurt Liam, but Keiran wasn't the type to pry...not even with his own brother. He would tease and taunt him about everything else, but not that, because he wasn't sure how much he'd wish to be teased about it had it been him. But, this was why he wouldn't fall in love. It was too much of a hassle. "Whatever you say, brother," Keiran finally relented, slapping him on the shoulder. "So what are you forcing me to work on today?" [d]



[LIAM] Another laugh escaped him as his brother admitted no sex means misery. Well, then, he must have been a miserable asshole, because he hadn't had sex since Rachel left him, which was six or seven months ago. He just shook his head, laughing still. Liam honestly didn't know how Keiran did it, or how he even found these women so willing to just give themselves up. Though, Liam wasn't much of a charmer as his younger brother was.

He shook his head and elbowed his brother. "Oh, I force you to work on things, do I? You are unbelievable." This was something they both were supposed to be working together on. A partnership. So why did he have to ask or force him to do things? Even so, he sighed and answered him. "We need to repair that bloody gate to keep the animals in..." [d]



[KEIRAN] Uh, could Liam not see this face? How could women not want to jump all over him? And being Keiran's brother, well, Liam had a damn good chance. He was handsome (just maybe not as handsome), so he didn't entirely need the charm. He chuckled quietly to himself at the ridiculousness of it all before he was being elbowed. Ow. Okay, now his brother was annoyed. Keiran rolled his eyes. "If I really meant it, I wouldn't be here," he admitted. He would've run from home a long time ago. There had been a time when he wanted to be a knight...but that was really a boyish dream. That, and being a farmer meant it was impossible anyway. "Did we lose the damn cattle again?" For being big, slow animals, those beasts were a real pain to wrangle. They should really get another horse...but horses were pricey. [d]



[LIAM] He laughed again. "When was the last time you've been home, Keiran?" Clearly, not recently, or else he wouldn't be questioning about the cattle escaping. "Yes, we lost the damn cattle again! So the sooner we can fix the gates, the sooner we can go wrangle them back up. Yes, he really should look into getting another horse. Or two. Eventually. Maybe he could at least barter for one, somehow. Or a herding dog. Something. He clapped his brother on the shoulder. "We'd be back by now...if someone hadn't gotten sidetracked..." [d]



[KEIRAN] "Last night," he answered him sternly. Late last night, but...whatever. It was too dark to notice the stupid beasts were gone. "They've probably wandered onto the Hawthorne estate again. Leith had brought a couple back last time." He paused, thinking of the man. "You know that kid is trying to get a position in the castle? Must be nice..." But the Hawthornes had a bit of money, even if their own lands had suffered after the war. The lord of the manor had gone missing, though- a lot of people had spoken about it, unsure of where he had gone. And Keiran had an ear for news and gossip. Sometimes it came in handy. But today he had to give his undivided attention to a broken fence. So much fun. [d]



[LIAM] He was silent, steering the horse down the path and back towards home, until Keiran brought up the Hawthornes. "Ahh... yes... Hopefully they all wandered there...Although, they may start charging us boarding costs if they keep wandering over there." He laughed and shook his head. "And Leith... is he? What kind of position?" He was a good kid and a hard worker, so whatever it was, I'm sure he was working really hard at trying to get there. "Maybe he can put in a good word about our crops and the queen will want to buy from us." Wouldn't that be great? To say they supplied the queen with their crops? A lot of other farmers struggled after the war--they at least were able to salvage a lot of their crops. But when someone had to barter everything away to make other repairs and changes, it was hard to make any money off what they did grow. [d]



[KEIRAN] If the cattle knew what was good for them, they'd go to the Hawthornes. He chuckled at his brother's comment about them charging for boarding. "His sister's a bit if a hard ass-" he began, speaking from experience. Nice ass, though. "So, I wouldn't be surprised." But that wasn't what he was supposed to be remembering. As nice as Leith was, Keiran hadn't paid full attention to him when he had spoken. Not entirely anyway. "Uh...guardsman, maybe?" Another laugh at Leith putting in a good word. "Should ask him." In truth, their farm was possibly the better off on the entire island...which wasn't saying much. They really did just have to get things up and running again, maybe afford to higher some hands to help... because he certainly couldn't keep doing it all! Okay, half of it. Alright, alright...a quarter of the work! [d]



[LIAM] Leith's sister. What was her name? Kathleen? yes. He thought. "She is a bit frightening..." Liam laughed, his attention turning back to Leith as Keiran answered his question. "Ahh... Well, good for him. Maybe I should talk to him." It would be a huge help if they could somehow get word out that they had decent crops still. They worked hard at restoring what had been damaged, and to keep what hadn't been from failing. It was a lot of work, and Liam was exhausted from it--though he pushed through it all, even still, because it's what was needed to be done. They would need to get help if there became chance for demand of their crops. The two of them couldn't continue to do all of this on their own...Especially when Keiran's mind wasn't fully into it all the time. [d]



[KEIRAN] Melena, actually. And Keiran only remembered that because she was one of very few who hadn't cared for his flirtations. It was strange, really, but he didn't think he wanted to bother with that one...there would be no getting rid of her easily after, which was why he stuck with the far more classier broads. He shrugged, "Couldn't hurt. Getting anyone at court to come to us would be a plus." But that meant making everything look pretty, which has been a very, very slow process since the war ended. "I could, uh...go advertise," he added with a waggle of his brows. Obviously he was joking, because that would be pure disaster. [d]



[LIAM] He was never good with names, though he really did try. It was probably a good thing he did not sleep around—he’d most likely get himself into trouble for not remembering names. A simple nod was given in response to him. Yes, it would be a huge plus. But they needed to make all of these repairs before they could focus on trying to get the business. Liam laughed at Keiran’s suggestion and he shook his head. “No. That’s quite alright…. Just do the work on the farm. Please.” He laughed again and slowed the horse as they neared the farm, but he turned slightly to head towards the Hawthorne’s property, to check and see if their cattle had wandered off there. When he saw most of the herd there, he grumbled and rubbed his face, frustrated. “Do you want to go talk to them, or should I?” He laughed, shaking his head. [d]



[KEIRAN] He seemed to have cracked himself up a bit, especially at his brother's response...but when he noticed where Liam was stopping them, the laughter quickly began to die down. Then he was posing that question. "Is that a trick question?" That meant, 'no, I do not wish to speak with them.' His gaze drifted towards the herd that decided to gather on their neighbor's land. Seriously, what was the difference? Stupid animals. [d]



[LIAM] He sighed but then laughed. "No, it's not a trick question. Can you please? You're more of a charmer than I am." He smirked and nudged him. "Just ask if they could either hold them off until we can get back... Or if they'd mind helping us get them back now?" He shrugged his shoulders. "You owe me... So get to it..." He pushed him forward, urging him on. [d]



[KEIRAN] Was he serious? Of course he was. "You don't understand...I already pissed that one off." Meaning Melena. Leith was fine to deal with...but what if she was there? But his brother was practically already shoving him off the cart, and he stumbled off to the ground. "If she skewers me..." he began to warn, but didn't bother finishing that threat. But he would haunt Liam forever. Fortunately, as he began to near the estate, glaring at those damn cattle that he swore were glaring at him, he spotted Leith amongst them...clearly unsure of what to do with the beasts. But they didn't seem to be interested in moving any time soon. "So, uh...I see you've found them?"



[LEITH] "Yeah..." he replied, not seeming very annoyed. "They caused a bit of a ruckus with the training pen...and Melena's not happy." He turned his head to look back towards the house, knowing she had been lingering somewhere nearby. It had actually been fairly dangerous, so Melena's anger was justified this time. The bull had spooked the horse she was training before rushing off. Leith thinks she went off to try and wrangle him. [d]



[LIAM] He stepped out of the cart and made his way over to a couple of the cows that had strayed from the rest of the herd and were closer to him. He sighed and clapped his hand on the back of one and shook his head. "You guys really need to stop doing this..." He grumbled, eyes glancing over towards his brother who was now speaking with Leith. Well, at least it was him and not Melena as he had feared. He waved a hand over at Leith and shook his head in disbelief. He started to lead that cow towards their cart, not sure how he'd get it back like this, but hey, it was a start. [d]



[KEIRAN] He rolled his eyes, as if he really knew Leith's sister. He knew of her more than anything, just like the rest of the family. Lord Hawthorne had disappeared sometime before the war, perhaps back further than that, and Leith was the only one that seemed to bother conversing with the populace. By the state of their manor, they had money...but not a terrible lot. They were horse breeders, and he wondered if they still were. "Well, do you think you could keep an eye on these beasts while we fix the fence?" A pause. "Really fix it this time..."



[LEITH] He grimaced. Leith had a feeling Keiran was going to ask that. It seemed to be what they always did, and he didn't know why the damn cattle liked to come here all the time. At least it made it easier for them to find? Spotting Liam quickly, he waved back in return as he hesitated replying to the other Donnelly. "I'm...not so sure about that-" He instantly paused, because he spotted his sister coming down the road atop her favored horse...leading the bull by a tether. Leith didn't know whether to laugh or not, because her face had nearly gotten as red as her hair earlier on.



[MELENA] The cows lingered on their property, but not the bull. You would think he would remain where all of his females were...but she supposed he was just like his damned owner. His neglectful owner. On her way home, she had calmed a bit, even if the spooked horse she had made so much progress with would need even more work now. However, the moment she spotted the very idiot talking with her brother, she began to grow aggravated again. "Shall I just keep these cows since you never seem to want them?" she inquired sharply when she was within earshot. [d]



[LIAM] He had gathered some of the rope from the cart and tied some around the one cow he had caught so far and tied her to the cart. It was after that, that he heard the horse approaching, and he glanced up to see Melena and their bull. He sighed and hung his head before he quickly made his way over towards her, as if trying to intercept to smooth things over with her. He knew she probably wasn’t happy. And his brother would just make it worse, he knew. “My word! You caught him!?” He laughed, offering a sympathetic and appreciative smile. “I am so sorry these damn beasts keep wandering off and into your property… We’ve been trying to repair the damn fences… But this asshole….” He pointed at the bull and shook his head. “Keeps breaking through it and setting them all free.” He laughed, frustrated. “Anyway… I’m sorry. To both of you.” He looked at Leith and raised a hand as if surrendering. [d]



[KEIRAN] Yes, he probably would make it worse. He, too, heard that horse before hearing her speak...already berating him. Why did Liam make me do this? As he was opening his mouth to reply, his brother was already on his way to try and smooth things over...so his jaws snapped shut as he took a couple steps away.



[MELENA] Taken aback by the sight of the second brother, she had nearly forgotten that that idiot Keiran actually had one. And Melena didn't have high hopes that this man wasn't a complete fool, too. He was trying to placate her by apologizing numerous times, and she brought the stallion to a slow halt in front of him. "You clearly need a stronger pen," she so obviously pointed out, seafoam green eyes narrowing just slightly in curiosity. She gestured with her chin towards the far hill. "You've got a few hiding away up there as well...but you should probably tie this asshole-" she repeated his words, the curse almost a surprise coming from her lips. Mel tossed him the end of that tether she had on the bull. "Up somewhere before he startles any more of my horses." It wasn't a suggestion, and the bull was already huffing in his annoyance. That actually made her grin a little. She was great with horses which often had so much personality...she wouldn't have expected cows to be the same, really.



[LEITH] He chuckled lightly as Liam tried apologizing, and Keiran was slowly backing away. What did he say to his sister? Or what did he...do? No, Leith didn't want to know, but he also wasn't terribly worried. That rogue wouldn't get anywhere with his sister, because she was too preoccupied with providing the best horses Aralore had ever seen. Just like father. Only, the war had depleted the island of many things and it was a slow process. Something the Donnelly brothers undoubtedly understood. "Give her the right horse, and she could wrangle and catch anything," he said with a grin, not meaning to boast about his own sister. She had bigger balls than he did sometimes...not that he was going to share that. Often, he wondered how she would do in the military. That was kind of a frightening thought. After Liam's apology, he shrugged. "It's fine. They don't cause any harm...well, except for that one," he said with a pointing finger at the bull. One of the cows actually mooed and nudged him a little. [d]



[LIAM] He caught the end of the tether Melena tossed his way and he nodded. "Yes, again... I'm so sorry. We do need a stronger pen....as well as many other things... But we're working on it." He sighed, defeated. As Leith spoke, he glanced his way and at his words, he suddenly had an idea. "Think you could help us wrangle these up, later? Could really use the help... And we can throw in some corn and wheat... Or whatever else you'd like from our farm... As appreciation for your help, and for the trouble this asshole has caused...along with his female friends..." He glanced around and sighed, laughing slightly, because this had gotten ridiculous. [d]



[MELENA] Well, at least this one didn't appear like his brother. Or he was just trying to flower her with all of these apologies that only partially calmed her annoyance. The fact of the matter was, this kept happening. How could either estate rebuild from the war when they kept having to chase cows around? Still, she drew in a long, deep breath, looking to her brother as if asking him to stop when he boasted about her. It was only because she was a good rider, nothing more. Liam's question brought her light green eyes back over to him; a brow raising at his question. "I suppose," she answered him. It would make things go faster. "You can borrow a horse, Mr. Donnelly, so I hope you know how to ride." As far as "payment", she didn't respond to that. It wouldn't be right to ask anything of these men, regardless of this current setback...but she wasn't going to speak up about it just yet. "Fix your fence, and then we'll get these beasts back, hm?" Melena didn't wait for an answer as she spurred Siyavash around and urged the horse back over the hill towards the manor.



[KEIRAN] See? Why didn't Liam just do this from the beginning? Melena seemed a bit more receptive to him...maybe because Liam was groveling. Now, Keiran was all for getting down on his knees, but...not like this, and not for this. He actually rolled his dark eyes when his brother apologized for what seemed like the hundredth time, and surprisingly, Melena accepted it. When she rode away, Keiran spoke in a mocking tone, "I'm soooooo sorry. My cows are mad, will you help me? I'm sooooo sorry." At least Leith found it funny, because he was bursting out into laughter beside him. [d]



[LIAM] He offered a genuine, but charming smile to Melena as she agreed. “Of course I can ride. Thank you.” He bowed slightly to her, out of respect…And then he suddenly felt foolish for doing so and didn’t know why he did. His gaze followed Melena as she rode off, but his brother’s mocking tone grabbed his attention and Liam rolled his eyes, rushing over towards Keiran and grabbing him into a headlock, rubbing his knuckles over the top of his head. “Shut it, you!” He laughed, holding him tighter in a headlock, refusing to let go. “That’s what you do when something is your fault, Keiran. You apologize… Not make matters worse by being an ass” He playfully shoved him aside. “Let’s go fix the damn fence.” He waved to Leith again before heading back to their cart. [d]



[KEIRAN] Noticing him bow and watch Melena leave, Keiran grumbled. Now, he told his brother to find a woman (or two, or a few), but not that one. He might've made a comment about it if Liam wasn't rushing over and pulling him into a headlock. "Oi!" Well, this was embarrassing, and he hadn't been prepared to find a way out of it quickly enough. "I was never an ass!" That was a lie. "I was always a gentleman!" That was also a lie...kind of. Finally, Liam shoved him away, and he filtered fingers through his hair to try and fix the mess. Leith was laughing even harder...but now at his expense. "We'll keep an eye on your beasts," the future guardsman told them, waving back. Keiran just grumbled before following his brother back to the cart. [d]



[LIAM] He threw the tether of the bull at Keiran. “You can take care of this asshole.” He laughed but looked at him sternly. As they got back to the cart, he hopped onto it, but grabbed hold of the cow he had caught already and led it along the side of the cart as they rode back to the farm. He hopped out of the cart when they arrived and led the cow back into the gated area, not that it would do much, since the fence was broken, but the noise of them repairing it, might keep her back from running away again. He started to unload the cart, then, not wasting any time with getting to work to make the repairs. He did not want to burden or further anger the Hawthornes by making them wait too long. Hopefully with the supplies they had gotten, would make the fence stronger this time. [d]



[KEIRAN] Cringing when the tether was tossed at him, his eyes followed it to the bull...who happened to be looking straight at him with those big, black eyes. "I, uh...I think he might kill me..." he murmured to Liam, who was clearly not listening. Or didn't care. Maybe it was both. Slowly and carefully, Keiran began to climb onto the cart, but never took his eyes off of the bull who would begrudgingly follow alongside as they began to move along. As they made it back home, he warily led the bull into the fenced in area and removed the tether before moving to help his brother in the task of unloading the supplies and fixing the fence. It seemed like things were just breaking down all over the place, no matter what they did. [d]



[LIAM] He was silent for a while as he just focused on building, repairing, whatever he could of the fence. Neither of them were the greatest of carpenters, but they could get by with things here and there. He had once heard that the future king, and the queen’s brother were going around helping others with rebuilding, and he wondered why or if they would find their way down to their farm. He was sure they had better things, more important things on their hands then to help everyone out.

When he finished up with a section of the fence, he shook it hard, as if to test it. It was pretty sturdy and he grinned, proud of himself. His glance shifted over to Keiran. “How are you doing over there?” He asked curiously. [d]



[KEIRAN] Every now and then, he looked over to make sure the bull was still there and hadn't moved too much. He had been drifting a little further, but the sounds of the hammers kept him from bothering to charge the fence. That was a plus. It was true, though, that neither brother knew what they were doing, but they knew enough. For the most part...he supposed. After a couple of hours, they managed to repair the gap of the pen, as well as fortify any spots they thought might be weak, and still had some leftover wood to spare. Maybe for the fire or other repairs around the farm, whichever came first. "Well-" he began to answer Liam, he tried shaking the fence. "It's not falling over." He flashed him a cheek grin. "Guess you need to go play cow wrangler now, eh?" He sure as hell wasn't doing it! [d]



[LIAM] He laughed at Keiran's comment of the fence not falling over. Well, that was a good sign. It just needed to be able to withstand that damn bull. If it didn't, well, then... They would need to figure something else out because repairing the fence like this wasn't seeming to help. Eyes narrowed at his brother, then. "You're not going to help? Seriously?" He shook his head, "Then at least make yourself useful and find something to do around here. Pick some crop... Get together some things to give to the Hawthornes..." He wasn't asking Keiran, he was commanding it. And before he could argue, he was walking off to head over to their neighbor's property. [d]



[KEIRAN] Perhaps they should just get rid of the damn bull...but, they probably needed him, and mostly for protection of the cows. But still, he was proving to be nothing but a damn nuisance. "I told you...I'm not dealing with that girl." Maybe Keiran never told Liam that he tried, uh...wooing Melena at one point. And that ended badly. "Leith will protect you," he joked. When his brother was giving him orders, he waved him off, "Yeah, yeah...Don't worry, I won't wander off, too." Even if he really wanted to at the moment. [d]



[LIAM] He could only imagine that his brother didn't like or want to be near Melina because she had turned him down if he had tried wooing her. From what little he saw of her, he could tell that she wasn't into dealing with men like Keiran (no offense to his brother, but he knew how he could be). He rolled his eyes and laughed, moving on towards the Hawthorne farm. When he arrived, he cursed at all the cows just grazing and he found his way to their front door, knocking gently. [d]



[MELENA] As Liam knocked upon the door, it was promptly opened by an elderly man, standing perfectly upright and looking to him with narrowed, brown eyes. "Yes?" But before he could answer, Melena was just walking the hall adjacent before she caught sight of who was at the door. There was a bit of surprise on her face, because she hadn't expected them to finish the fence until at least tomorrow. She was prepared to help Leith gather up the cattle from their yard (as he was currently already doing) and put in the training pen temporarily. "Ah, Mr. Donnelly, you're already here," she spoke, making George back away from the door, bow swiftly and step away. She was in the process of trying to gather up that mass of red curls into a ponytail with a ribbon and she looked passed him as if expecting to see his brother as well. Guess the fool wasn't as dumb as he looked. "I suppose we should get started, hmm?" Grabbing her cloak, she met him outside the door, shutting it behind her. "Some of your stock wandered off to the east, I'm afraid, but we should be able to retrieve them." She was all business as she led him towards the stables. She immediately went to saddle up that black stallion, gesturing to the pen across where a white mare resided. "You may take Lilly there." [d]



[LIAM] He was a bit taken aback when the older gentleman answered the door. He was not familiar with him, but before he could answer, Melena spotted him and seemed surprised that he was already there. He hadn't wanted to impose or cause anymore aggravation by making them watch over their cattle for longer than needed. But he still said nothing, because she was heading out the door and suggesting they started. He listened to her as she explained some of the cows had wandered off, and he sighed, defeated. "Alright... Thank you." He followed her into the stables and when she gestured to the white mare, he smiled and wandered into that stall, quietly coaxing the horse to be calm and trust him and that he appreciated her. He saddled her up and led her out of the pen. "Thanks for allowing me to ride her." He smiled and gently stroked the mare's neck. [d]



[MELENA] Stroking Siyvash's snout, she flickered her attention to the other stall as Lilly calmed at Liam's touch and allowed him to saddle her up. The lovely mare was one of the most trusting and well trained horses the estate had. Even if he happened to not be an experienced rider, Lilly would take care of him. She faintly grinned, "Anything to get those cows off my land," she replied jokingly. Or, well, more like half joked. They were becoming a nuisance just wandering about aimlessly, eating the grass meant for the horses. But even she knew it wasn't exactly their fault- she knew a lot of the land was still suffering and trying to rebuild from the war. And it was proving difficult to restore it all. She silently prayed this alliance with Tresteria helped, because it has been slow-going. Grinning and shaking her head at herself, she led the black equine from the stables, grabbing some rope along the way, before she climbed up into the saddle. With a quick glance over her shoulder at him, she made a clicking noise with her tongue against her teeth and urged Siyavash into a gentle trot. [d]



[LIAM] He laughed, but only slightly, at her comment. He truly felt bad for the nuisance that they had become, not just for Melena and Leith, but also for him. "Well, I appreciate it... We can supply you with milk, for all the trouble they have caused..." He grinned and mounted Lilly, carefully and followed behind Melena and Siyavash. Despite what Melena might have thought, Liam was an excellent rider. He had grown up on a farm, and even though they did not have a lot of horses, they had always had at least one that he trained and rode as necessary. He caught up to her and rode alongside, but remained silent, not really knowing what else to say. He wasn't the greatest conversationalist, which was probably why he differed so much from his brother. [d]



[MELENA] "It's not necessary," she told him, those green eyes crinkling in subtle amusement. She might be a little tired of milk after this. Looking sidelong to him as he caught up, she noted that he appeared to be familiar with how to ride a horse. Most people did, at least the basics, but that didn't mean they could ride properly. Aye, he was drastically different than Keiran. That man rarely shut up, the few times she dared to tolerate him. Leith seemed to enjoy his company, unfortunately, but she supposed you should be friendly with your neighbors, especially in such trying times. Which was precisely why she was trying to be nice now, even if this was a bit of an inconvenience and she had a terrified horse because of it. "Rebuilding has been difficult?" she dared to ask, not wishing to pry. But she knew other farms and estates had gotten hit far harder and would most likely never be able to recover. It was such a shame. [d]



[LIAM] Oh yes, Keiran barely shut up at times. He spoke for the both of them most of the time. And he often made things easier to follow in a conversation. Unlike now, where Liam felt clueless about what to say or talk about. Though when Melena asked him about rebuilding, he sighed and nodded. "Yes... Unfortunately. Ran out of money, our father pretty much helped with that, too... so most of our crops go to barter for things, and milk and crops an only go so far for supplies." He laughed. "We can't seem to catch up." He shrugged. "And you? How are you faring after the war? And is there anything we can do to help you?" [d]



[MELENA] She really wouldn't have cared if they didn't speak another word to each other during this entire thing. To her, it wasn't necessarily rudeness from either party. Sometimes there just wasn't much to say. Melena hadn't exactly been to court since her father left and never returned. She poured herself into the estate and the horses, because she didn't know what else to do. There really was nothing else, sadly. At least Leith was trying to do better with his life, and she was proud of him for it. As Liam mentioned his own father, it told her that the rumors were true. His father had completely lost himself and fell to gambling, further putting them in debt. It was sad, really, but they weren't the only family struggling...if that was any consolation. "I'm sorry," she replied quietly. At him offering to help, her green eyes crinkled lightly. "We're fairing a bit better, but thank you." It wasn't necessarily a rude dismissal, but she tried to be polite about it without making him feel...well, inferior? She hadn't meant it that way, at all. "We're okay, I suppose. Leith got a position at the castle, and well...maybe people will have a bigger need for horses again." She patted Siyavash's neck with a grin. Unbeknownst to her, there would certainly be a need with a war lingering on their doorsteps again. [d]



[LIAM] Their father was either never around, or he spent his days in a drunken state, barely able to leave the house or do much of anything. Liam had to quickly take on most of the responsibilities since he was the older of the two brothers (not by much, but Keiran certainly acted a lot younger). At her apology, he just shrugged, but said nothing. He had gotten used to it. At her dismissal, he simply nodded and smiled. "Well, that's good, then. And that's great for Leith!" He sounded excited and happy for him-- mostly because he was making something of himself and not sticking to the farm life like the rest of them seemingly were. "And I am sure they will... We are hoping that maybe, eventually, once we can get things going again, that our crops will sell more. Guess we can wish." He laughed and glanced ahead, seeing some of the cows that had wandered off. He grumbled under his breath. "Well... There they are." [d]



[MELENA] "It is," she said in agreement about Leith. "He's wanted this for awhile...and him joining the Queensguard makes a lot more sense than me wanting to be in the cavalry." She was laughing at herself now, because it sounded absolutely ridiculous to say it out loud. Sure, it had been a dream as a young girl, maybe...but still? Truthfully, she thought about it every once in awhile, simply because. Especially during the war. Melena nodded to his hopeful words. "Sometimes we just need to hope. Hard work and hope have to get us somewhere, hm?" Her gaze drifted to him towards the cattle as he spotted them...just grazing there like they owned the place. A soft shake of her head, she was still grinning lightly over this whole thing. She'd never met such headstrong cows before. "Alright, so...we may not have to wrangle them. If we each flank them at a decent pace, we can box them in...force them to move." Yep, she really did want to be in the cavalry because this was beginning to sound like a military operation. Unfortunately, it sort of was. But the cattle should respond well enough- they were wild things. "And, after this-" she began, turning light green eyes to him. "You may want to think about getting yourself a dog. Other than your brother, that is." Oh, look, she made a joke. [d]



[LIAM] His brows furrowed in question when she seemingly dismissed the idea of her being in the cavalry. "Why does it not make sense for you to be in the cavalry?" He could pick up on the tone of her voice that she had once, or maybe still wanted to. But it was time to get to work, and she was explaining her idea with such strategy, he could pick up on the fact she wished to be part of the military. He looked to her as she suggested getting a dog--and he hadn't expected her to add in that last part about his brother. Liam burst out into laughter and shook his head, unable to speak right away, because he was too busy laughing. That had been the funniest thing he had heard all day, at his poor brother's expense, though. "Oh boy... Am I right in sensing that something may have happened between the two of you?" He raised a brow, his grin was lingering in the remnants of his laughter. [d]



[MELENA] "I'm a woman," she answered him quickly. It was as simple as that. Sure, Aralore seemed to have some females in its military, but the cavalry was different. Anyone could see that Melena was very slight, which didn't bode well. However, a cavalryman should be able to wield a blade as easily as he maneuvered his horse. She was good at that. It didn't matter anymore, though. What mattered suddenly was his burst of laughter. Well, look at that, she could make decent conversation. But it didn't seem like it was difficult to make fun of Keiran Donnelly, and his brother clearly agreed with her. "Let's just say...he was far too persistent and didn't hide his intentions very well. What did he say...?" She watched the cattle again as she tried to remember, deepening her voice as if trying to mock Keiran. "'Do I know you? Because you look like my next lover.'" Green eyes drifted back over to Liam with an exasperated expression. "Does that ever work?" She drew Siyavash to a slow stop, watching the cows again to ensure they weren't bothered or spooked by their presence. Luckily, they didn't seem to care, which would make their approach probably fairly easy. [d]



[LIAM] "Oh god, he didn't say that, really, did he?" He laughed, covering his face embarrassedly, shaking his head in disbelief. But maybe he did believe it. Oh Keiran. And his brother thought he needed help with women? How did this sort of thing work for him? He laughed again at her question and he sighed. "I...... honestly have no idea.... Apparently it does for him..." He rubbed his face as his laughter finally tapered off. "You'll have to excuse my brother... He is a dog... and a moron." He smirked, slowing his horse down until he was stopped as well. Eyes glanced around at the cows, pleased that they weren't rushing off from their presence. "And... Just because you are a woman... You shouldn't let that hold you back from what you want to do." He shrugged and urged the horse forward again, preparing to urge the cows to gather up. [d]



[MELENA] "Yes," she said, slightly amused. "Unfortunately, he did. And some other things I rather not repeat." Which was why she looked at the man in such digust and disdain. It was a wonder any woman would fall for such ridiculous words. Melena supposed he could be truly charming if he wanted to. He was rather handsome, after all. They both were. Shaking her head, she offered a light wave of dismissal as he tried to apologize for his idiot brother, "Quite alright." She had dealt with worse before, believe it or not. At his words about the dream she deemed impossible, Mel glanced back over to him. Even if she knew what to say, she wouldn't have time as he was moving forward. There was a soft glint in her eyes and a small smile, because, well, he was right. In a way. She shouldn't let anything dictate what she can and cannot do. Following after him, she steered Siyavash to flank from the other side. The cows mooed in annoyed protest, but they moved and clustered closer together. "Stay there, and I'll urge them around." With him and the horse acting as a sort of barrier, she moved her equine around to get the bovines to turn around in the direction of his farm. Once they faced the right way, she nodded to Liam to begin riding again. "Keep a slow pace, don't let them drift." If was far easier with more people, but fortunately, these animals were finicky and simply moved along at their slow pace. [d]



[LIAM] He couldn't stop his eyes from rolling as Melena admitted Keiran had said things she did not wish to repeat. He could only imagine. He laughed , shaking his head again. He wanted to apologize again, but he had been doing a lot of that, for things he unfortunately had no control over. He could lay into his brother, but he'd probably not listen anyway.

A nod was given to her as she instructed him to stay put while she'd urge the cows towards him, so he did, until they were there with him, and he slowly rode on, leading them in the right direction. "Right..." He responded to her with a nod, urging the animals to keep together and to head in the direction of the farm. Liam was silent for a bit, until he brought up her and the cavalry thing again. "I think I have seen women in the military, anyway... Maybe you could meet with one and they can help you get in?" [d]



[MELENA] One of the cows tried to break away and cut in front of Siyavash, but Melena was quick to maneuver the stallion and cut the beast off, ushering her back into the group while the continued on. A hand gripped tightly to the horse's reins as she stroked his neck with the other. "Good boy," she soothed in a whisper. She had this horse since he was a foal, and her father helped train him for her. It was where she fell in love with the trade, and horses. Seafoam green eyes turned back to Liam when he broke the silence. A soft nod, "I'm sure there are." A pause, she held back a sigh. "Some." Probably very few. "I do not think I can, though. There will be no one to keep up with the horses...at least until my father returns." But it was that hesitation that made it clear that she wasn't very sure that Byron would return. [d]



[LIAM] He nodded in appreciation as Melena ushered the straying cow back into the herd. But as she gave another excuse why she shouldn't join the cavalry he frowned and then shrugged his shoulders. "I can help out whenever possible... I know a thing or two about horses and animals... Except for how to keep a damn bull behind a fence." He laughed, grinning a wide and charming smile. Liam had heard about Byron and that no one really knew where he had gone to and if he were ever coming back, and he felt a little sorry for Melena and Leith. Though he could relate, somehow. They had lost their mother, and their father was slowly losing his mind. [d]



[MELENA] She looked a little surprised at him, and it was probably obvious that Mel was trying not to laugh at him. "If you can't handle a bull, Mr. Donnelly," she began, only in a slight tease. Although his brother was an ass, she wasn't trying to make Liam feel bad. "Then I'm not sure you can handle an untamed stallion." Maybe she was a little curious about that, but she wouldn't say so. It might've sounded like a bit of a challenge, but even Leith didn't want to deal with the horses sometimes...and it was supposed to be in his blood. Clearly his sister had taken after their father a bit more in that regard. [d]



[LIAM] He chuckled softly at Melena's tease and shook his head. "Ahh... touché..." He waved his pointer finger and grinned then shrugged. "Maybe you could show me a thing or two?" He was often up for a good challenge, regardless of what it was. Maybe his brother was up to the challenge of wooing women, Liam was up for challenging his skills and bettering himself. "And maybe I'll become better at taming that damned asshole of a beast..." He laughed and urged a cow back into place as it started to drift away. [d]



[MELENA] "Show you?" There was that soft curiosity again; green eyes narrowing gently in thought. And dare her mouth curl in the lightest of grins from it. Her attention drifted ahead of her and she shrugged a single shoulder. "Well, if you ever have the spare moment," she began, spotting his farm once they herded the cattle up and over the hill. "Feel free." Maybe her tone sounded like she was challenging him, if only a little. Then she spotted Keiran inside the pen they had recently repaired...arguing with the bull? Melena shook her head, trying not to laugh at the sight. Especially when the man quickly backed away when the large animal tried nudging him. "Seems as though the beast has your brother fairly tamed..." [d]



[LIAM] A spare moment. Yes, that was the dilemma, what was spare time? He laughed and shrugged his shoulders. "Alright... I am going to hold that to you, then." Maybe he would find some spare time. His brother seemed to. Eyes glanced ahead of them, spotting the farm, and he felt slightly relieved at the sight of it. Once these cows were back in the pen, he would feel better. But, he too, spotted his brother seemingly arguing with the bull. At Melina's words, he burst out laughing again. She was rather funny. At least to him, he liked that type of humor. "Oh yes... It seems so." He grinned and shook his head. As they got closer, he let out a loud whistle to get Keiran's attention so he could open the gate and allow them to steer the cattle into the pen. [d]



[MELENA] A cant of her head, she watched as Keiran blurted something out, only to quickly turn and high-tail it out of the pen when the bull tried prodding with his horns. The man could run pretty quickly when he was danger, she noted, and he was quickly slamming the gate closed. Surprisingly, the bull didn't continue to charge. Well, that was a plus.



[KEIRAN] The bloody thing was mad. Yes, he had been arguing with an animal, but the asshole wouldn't leave him alone. It was like he knew he was the weaker brother...he knew he could get passed him. Not that he would ever tell Liam this. He was laughing right in the bull's face as it seemed to stop when the gate was closed...only to hear that whistle. "Open the gate?!" he called. It was quite obvious that was what Liam wanted because he and Melena were steering the cows his way. "Dammit..." The bull huffed as if he was laughing at him. Fortunately, when the cattle were close enough and Keiran opened the gate, the bull didn't try to sneak back out or break the fence again. "Yeah, that's right," he taunted the beast. "You back riiiiiight up." [d]



[LIAM] No, keep the gate closed so the damn cows could continue to roam around, of course he wanted him to open the gate, what else was he thinking? As they got closer and Keiran finally opened the gate, he urged the cows into the pen, hearing Keiran taunting the bull. A brow rose as he looked at his brother, was he going crazy? He was lucky that bull hadn't speared or trampled him at that taunting he was doing. He laughed, though, and shook his head.

Carefully, he drove the cows into the pen, until they were all in, in which he motioned to Keiran to close the gate. Hopefully, their handy work would hold them in now. He climbed off of the horse and brushed his hand along her neck, smiling softly. "Thank you, Lilly." The reins were handed to Melena and he smiled up at her, nodding. "Thank you for allowing me to ride her and for your help. Can I get you some milk, vegetables? Something, to pay you back with?" [d]



[MELENA] For growing up a farmer's son, Keiran didn't appear like he belonged on a farm. Honestly, she didn't know where he belonged. She idly wondered if he even knew that himself. Refraining from rolling her eyes, she helped Liam lure the cattle back into the fenced in area where they would, hopefully, remain secure. That certainly was far easier than she had expected it to be, and perhaps that was due to the fact that Liam wasn't as disjointed and obnoxious as his brother was. Taking Lilly's reins from him, she looked down at Liam from the saddle. There came the softest laugh as she shook her head, "No, it's fine. Really." The Hawthorne household was fortunately doing okay- there was no need to take anything from the Donnellys when they could use that for trade or profit. Times were hard, and sometimes she often forgot that neighbors should be helping each other more. "But should you need a horse-" she began, turning Siyavash towards home. She gave a glance over her shoulder, a hint of a smile. "Just ask." Or, if he was brave enough, perhaps he could tame his own to keep. "Have a good day, Mr. Donnelly." Soft green eyes barely flickered over to Keiran in acknowledgement before, with a click of her tongue, the stallion was going off into a gallop with Lilly in tow.



[KEIRAN] A sigh left his lips when the gate was closed and all the cattle were now mooing at each other from inside the pen. He had gone around and tried to make sure he fortified as much of the fence as he could while Liam played wrangler with the neighbor. The neighbor who was barely even acknowledging that he was there. Damn, had he annoyed her that much? Or was she just distracted by his brother's stupid face? Although he was silent, Keiran's attention was flickering back and forth between the two. She wasn't yelling at him. She wasn't scoffing or rolling her eyes at Liam. That son-of-a-bitch. Once Melena was out of earshot, Keiran regarded him with wide, blinking eyes. "Um, so...what?" A pause, he put on a mocking tone. "'Milk...vegetables...something to pay you back with?'" He batted his eyes for affect. [d]



[LIAM] He watched a moment as Melina rode off, but his brother's obnoxious voice kicked in and stole his attention back. He shook his head and laughed. "Oh, shut up! She didn't have to help us...but she did. No thanks to you... The least I could do is offer something in appreciation that she did take the time to help. Or should I have told her she looked like my next lover?" Eyes looked at him sternly, hinting that she had told him what Keiran had said to her, and he did not approve of such behavior. He shook his head and moved towards the gate, shaking it to ensure that their work was strong enough, hopefully for good this time. [d]



[KEIRAN] He was about to argue that she only helped so that these damned animals would get off her father's land, but something Liam said had him pausing quite suddenly. His eyes only a little wide now. "Oooh, is that what I said?" He clearly hadn't remembered, and was laughing as he flinched. "Yeah, that line...not some of my best work. It has worked before, though." Just not on the redhead. Often the blondes loved it because they were easy pickings...not to stereotype or anything. [d]



[LIAM] He rolled his eyes at Keiran, laughing slightly. "You're ridiculous, brother..." How many times had he said those words today? "I'm surprised that has worked before... It seems a bit desperate, even for you." He grinned, eyeing his brother with a hint of a warning. "Women aren't play things, Keiran. They do have feelings...And one of these days, you're going to hurt someone and there will be consequences. So... Be careful." Yeah, he was probably just talking to air right now, but he truly was concerned. [d]



[KEIRAN] "So you've told me numerous times..." And not just today. Liam probably said it at least five times each day, and it wasn't likely to stop. Keiran shrugged, chuckling lowly. "Sometimes I am desperate. I thought that...one day I'd settle down. But what do I have to offer?" Arms extended out at his sides; but his cheeky grin clearly stated that he meant more than just his dashing looks. Let's face it, the Donnelly men were very good looking, and Keiran knew it. "I go into these...dalliances thinking, 'Hey, maybe this will be the one. This one will stick.' But, to be truthful? I can't catch one that intrigues me enough." So sue him. Dark eyes were rolling into white as Liam gave his warning. "The same could be said about women, no? They're vipers." He was insinuating Liam's own plight, something his brother had dealt with in a way simply because their family was poor. Still, although he brought that topic up again, his tone was light. He'd never mock him for something that bitch had done. [d]



[LIAM] Hands rested on his hips as his brother spoke, explaining his ways, and Liam couldn't help from keeping that dumfounded grin on his face, chuckling at him and how ridiculous he was. But he loved the man to death. "Oh Keiran..." He moved over to him and pulled him into another headlock, running his knuckles along the top of his skull. "You are going to cause me to age far more than I should be..." He laughed loudly and let go of him, but pulled him into a hug. "But still, I love the hell out of you..."

He knew women could be just as bad--which was probably why he had no interest right now in dealing with them, unlike Keiran who wanted every part in dealing with them.

He playfully shoved his brother away from him then and laughed, "So... The gate is repaired. Now what should we do?" [d]



[KEIRAN] "Oi!" he exclaimed as he was ceased into a headlock. Again, he had been too slow, and his brother was already messing up his hair no matter how much he struggled. "I hope you go completely grey this year now!" Considering he was going to make him bloody bald with all of this nonsense. Dammit, and he had a nice head of hair, too! Liam was just jealous. There came a fake grunt of annoyance when the man was drawing him into a hug. His brother must be dealing with mood swings because now he was shoving him, causing Keiran to stumble a couple steps back. Still, he chuckled. "I don't bloody know. Take a break?" Right, because they had been working all day already. [d]



[LIAM] "Well, gee, thanks!" He exclaimed as Keiran placed a curse on him to have a full head of greys by year's end. He laughed and started to pick up the tools that they had been using that were still on the ground. "A break?! Are you tired already, Keiran?" His voice was mockful and laced with sarcasm. It was only mid afternoon now, but they really hadn't stopped. "Are you hungry?" He asked seriously. They could probably take a break and get something to eat and drink. [d]



[KEIRAN] That's what he got for messing with his perfect hair! C'mon, he should know better by now. "I was up early," he reminded his brother before that sly grin was creasing his lips. "And I was very busy." So, of course he was tired. But he was always tired because...well, he was allergic to work. Chuckling, he began to help him clean up. At his question, though, he paused and looked to Liam as though he were insane. "Brother...you know you never have to ask that." [d]



[LIAM] He looked at his brother and rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you were..." Still, he chuckled at him and shook his head in disbelief. Keiran got to be careless and reckless with his life, while Liam was forced to be the responsible one and have to worry about everything to ensure they'd survive. Maybe he was a little jealous, though he'd not admit that to Keiran. Still, it would be nice to him to care once in a while and see that he was picking up most of the slack that he caused when he was out gallivanting with women. He sighed and motioned to Keiran to head towards the house, so they could go inside and get something to eat, and take this break that he wanted. [d]



[KEIRAN] It was unfortunately true. Being the eldest, Liam had to take charge. Keiran knew he could do more to help, and there were moments when he honestly tried...but he couldn't help but stray. This life held little for him, he felt, and the only thing keeping him from up and leaving, besides the fact that he actually did care about his brother, was that, well...he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He joked about all these women, but it wasn't a life. He was still secretly searching for that one thing, that something to cling to. A purpose, maybe. All these thoughts had him pausing briefly before he inevitably followed Liam back towards the house. [d]



[LIAM] He hadn't waited or looked to see if Keiran followed him in, but once Liam was in the house, he moved into the kitchen to search for something to eat. Most of the food they did have were things that they grew--vegetables, fruit and whatever they could make with the cows' milk. He wasn't the greatest of a cook, so whatever they had for meals were usually simple. He pulled out a couple of potatoes and was searching for some of the beef he had cut earlier in the morning. He wasn't sure what Keiran was in the mood for, but it was basically all they had at the moment. [d]



[KEIRAN] He was a bit slow to do so, but he was making his way towards the kitchen. There was still stuff to be repaired on the farm, but as far as he could see, it wasn't a terrible lot. But, what did he know, really? As his brother seemed to be searching for something, Keiran was grabbing a sharp knife to begin peeling the potatoes. He didn't cook often, but when he did (or at least helped), he liked to think he was pretty good at it. "So, there's the south field..." he idly began to talk. It was currently overgrown with high grass because there hadn't been enough people to help maintain it, thus plow and grow as many produce as the farm once had before. "How much time and manpower would we need to clear it?" He imagined it would be a lot. But if they were able to, able to start growing more there...maintain it enough, could they not grow more, then sell more? [d]



[LIAM] He found the cuts of meat he had prepared and he started to prepare them to cook over the fire. As Keiran started speaking about the south field, he nearly groaned in frustration. There was so much work to do there and he honestly didn't know where to start with it. He sighed and looked to Keiran. "If it's just the two of us, then probably a couple of weeks if we put in the extra hours of work every day...But if we could get a couple men to help, then we could probably get it done in a week. Maybe less, depending." He shrugged his shoulders. "Why? Do you know where we could get the manpower? And the time?" He laughed and turned back to the fire to pay attention to the cooking. [d]



[KEIRAN] That was the dilemma, wasn't it? Not having enough produce to sell, but not having enough time to make the space to grow more. Their father used to have a whole smooth running household...and now they had no one because they couldn't afford to pay anyone. Shrugging, he kept his attention on his task, thinking about it. "Well, that's just it...does anyone have enough manpower? Mostly everyone is just barely getting by but we're not getting any further. Not even the Hawthornes." Leith had mentioned it. And with him moving into the Queensguard shortly, his sister would lose his help. Then again, no one could afford to buy a damn horse anyway, because they weren't making enough money. Even though a well bred horse (or a few) would help tremendously on any farm, or even to travel the distance between villages and the city. "What if...there was a way we could ban together? Work each land, somehow, because that would give us the numbers. Just...don't know if that would cause things to dwindle further." He was just rambling out loud now. If they took turns with each estate, would that be enough? Or would the days they weren't working their own land make it fall back into ruin again? [d]



[LIAM] He stepped away from the fire to allow the meat to cook, and he stood by the counter where Keiran was peeling the potatoes. He leaned against the edge and listened to his brother speak his ideas. When he finished, he thought about it, as if calculating something in his mind, and finally, he nodded. "I think that might work. But we would still need to spend a few hours on our farm, caring for the animals and keeping up with those chores... We wouldn't be able to leave those unattended." He was silent for a moment. "I also heard that the future king... and the queen's brother are offering up help... Maybe we can send a request?" He laughed and shook his head, his suggestion sounding completely stupid as his words left his mouth. "Never mind. Forget I even said that." He laughed again and stood up straight. "Or we can hold a meeting with all the surrounding neighbors and run the idea by them and see if there are any other suggestions...If they would be willing to ban together, too." He shrugged. "It's a good idea..." He clapped his brother lightly on the back and grinned. "For once, you have a good idea." [d]



[KEIRAN] The idea was so random and sudden that he didn't even take a moment to contemplate it and make sure it made sense. It still kind of didn't to him, but Liam was beginning to think so, at least. He did laugh at the suggestion of contacting the crown, because...well, that didn't seem likely. Surely the queen had far more pressing matters to attend to right now? But, a poor farmer could still hope. He was shrugging at the idea but not saying he shouldn't not try it. "For once?" he repeated his brother's words in mocking shock. "I've had plenty of brilliant ideas." Right...like the time he began to fall into their father's footsteps and gamble. Only, Keiran had the more ingenious idea to ensure his success by cheating. And, well, it had worked for a time... Changing the subject back to the original topic at hand, "Do you think the others would go for it?" In all honesty, what more did they have to lose? They were all floundering. [d]



[LIAM] He grinned and nodded in response. "Yes, for once. And what other brilliant ideas have you had, hmm? New pick up lines for women?" He laughed, teasingly and shook his head. Liam was glad that Keiran didn't fully fall into the footsteps of their father with the whole gambling thing. He didn't need to deal with two of them. He rubbed the back of his neck in thought and shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. I don't really see why not, as we all would benefit from it, right?" [d]



[KEIRAN] "Yes, actually!" he laughed back in only half seriousness. "I'll let you use one on Ms. Hawthorne if you're nice...but only if I can watch to see if she crushes your head under a horse's hoof." Ouch. Just the thought of that made him cringe. Keiran chuckled, finishing up on the last potato before he began chopping them up. Grinning, he nodded when Liam thought it was a good idea. "Wonderful! Then you can go tell everyone. They like you a lot more." He couldn't argue with that! [d]



[LIAM] He laughed at Keiran's response and then shook his head. "Oh stop it. I won't be using anything on Ms. Hawthorne. So you can stop right there." He lowered his brows as if to scorn him, but it didn't last long because he was chuckling a little. "Nice to know you'd like to see my head crushed under a horse's hoof, though. Thanks a lot for caring." He turned away to go back to the fire to check on the food he was cooking. "Of course I'd have to be the one to tell everyone." He rolled his eyes. But they did seem to like Liam more than him. Maybe he was a bit more charming after all. Or smarter. [d]



[KEIRAN] "I said if she did...I'd like to watch." Right, because that was so much better? Keiran laughed quietly at himself as he prepared a pot of water to bring it to a boil. "But, yes, brother...you tell them. If it came from me, they would begin to wonder what the catch was." He wasn't an idiot, he knew how he was perceived...and he also knew that it was mainly his fault. But hey, at least he was trying to help! This was a good plan, was it not? [d]



[LIAM] "Oh, ok... Right." He said sarcastically, as if his excuse regarding Melina trampling him with a horse was better. "She wouldn't want to crush my head under a hoof anyway...Just your thick skull." He grinned teasingly. "You really made quite the impression on her..." His tone was sarcastic, of course.

"Yeah, yeah...I'll tell them, fine." Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "You can organize it, then...and get everyone together." He waggled his brows and pointed a finger at him. "Don't even argue with me about it. .. That's your job! Your idea...Your job." He smirked and looked back at the fire, turning the meat over on the flames. [d](edited)



[KEIRAN] Despite his brother's very clear sarcasm, Keiran still turned quickly with a brow lifted in curiosity. "I did, huh?" Oh, he knew deep down that the impression he left wasn't the right kind, but he was pretending to be oblivious right now. Which was often what happened when around or speaking about lovely women. "So, was she asking about me?" Twin brows wiggled before he was chuckling at himself...only to roll his eyes with Liam's mention that he would have to gather everyone together. He didn't argue as he turned back around to toss the potatoes into the slowly boiling pot of water, but he wondered if anyone would even come then. Guess they'd have to wait and see. "I'll write letters...and sign your name to it. They will certainly meet with us then." A finger tapped against his temple as if further insinuating how much of a genius he was. [d]



[LIAM] He couldn't help but roll his eyes at Keiran. Again. Perhaps she should have specified what kind of impression he left on her, though he knew Keiran knew he was being sarcastic, so he just waved him off, not answering his question.

At his genius idea, he laughed. "Right. Do whatever you need to do, then." Keiran was always doubting himself (except when it came to women and sex). For everything else, it seemed like he used Liam to get what he needed otherwise. Perhaps he shouldn't cater or give in to such things and make Keiran figure out how to get things on his own without doubting himself. But he wasn't going to argue right now. Not when he knew they needed people to come to this meeting, and Keiran was probably right--no one would come if he initiated it. He laughed again and then sighed, breathing out, "you're ridiculous..." And he playfully shoved him. [d]



[KEIRAN] He really did doubt himself, and some of it was his fault. If only because he really didn't know what to do with his life...and now he had no choice but to work on the farm because their own father, who rarely came out of his room, nearly destroyed the decent life he and Liam had before. They had the money to pursue their dreams, and not have to stay here...but that had been many years ago. Regardless, Keiran knew he was reckless, if only because he didn't think he was good enough for much of anything. It was why he hid behind that wide, charming grin, his antics, since it was all he felt he had. "Thanks for the go ahead that I reeeeeally didn't need," he laughed. Because, yes, he would have done it anyway. Keiran just shrugged then, though, because Liam knew it was true. He was curious now, however, wondering if this random plan of his could actually work, and actually help their farm and the others. [d]