Everything seems perfect again. Perfect enough. Otto is back and Goddard is laughing and smiling. Then then warm glow from the fireplace dims and the shadows dancing on the walls feel sinister. Otto doesn't seem to notice, but Goddard begins to panic. The shadows become tentacles and claws, grabbing at Otto, pulling him away. Goddard screams, but there is no sound and he can't breath.
He jerks awake and whimpers, "Father?" He looks around the room before his eyes fall on Aara beside him.
Aara rolls onto her side, blinking slowly. "Nuur'eni?" She mumbles, pushing her hair out of her face and laying her head on his chest. "Another dream?"
ReplyDeleteHe nods. "I want to go find Sethai, but seeing Sethai doesn't prove that father is here now. I just have to take a deep breath."
ReplyDeleteShe yawns. "He's here, love. Your father." She sits up and stretches her arms over her head. "All right. Let's find Sethai."
ReplyDeleteHe quickly gets out of bed and goes into his room. He can easily see the almost shimmering white dragon in the darkness sleeping in the center of the mattress.
ReplyDeleteAara follows, pulling his robes on and trying not to trip on the hem. "See?" She whispers, hugging him from behind. "Everything's fine."
ReplyDeleteHe turns around in her arms and hugs her back. "I know. Sometimes I just can't believe it or my mind won't let me believe. I don't blame it though. My brain has been through a lot."
ReplyDelete"I know," she yawns. "I feel the same way." She makes sleepy noises and tugs on him. "Let's go back to bed, nuur'eni."
ReplyDeleteHe goes back with her and climbs under the covers. He stares up at the ceiling and sighs.
ReplyDeleteCurling up against him, she outs a hand over his eyes and giggles. "Sleep, Goddard. Our lives are mad enough without being sleep deprived."
ReplyDeleteHe turns and snuggles against her. "I'll try my best," he yawns. "I love you."
ReplyDelete"I love you."
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take long to fall back asleep, even though she feels as if she's still awake. Sitting up, she finds herself in bed, Goddard sleeping easily beside her. Seeing a light under the door, she slips out of bed, clutching his robes around her, and goes i to the other room.
The door opens to the Slaneeshi pit, and she's hit with a wave of stench and sound. Gagging on the smell, she slides her arms into his robes and walks barefoot into it. The door closes behind her with a loud slam, and she flinches.
"You don't remember, do you?"
She turns, seeing a woman dressed in blue. She looks like any other arabyan woman, pretty but normal.
"What don't I remember?"
The woman smiles and touches her arm, and Aara sees a faint outline of her marks appear. "Why they're gone."
She opens her mouth to say more, but Aara feels a burning Iain through her middle and looks down to see a druchii blade sticking out. Turning, she sees Goddard's dead wife smiling smugly.
Aara cries out, tumbling off the bed and hitting the floor.
Goddard jumps and has a moment of panic when Aara isn't beside him. It doesn't take long for him to realize what has happened and he peers over the side of the bed. "Lecai?"
ReplyDeleteShaking all over, she runs her hands over her stomach. "I'm fine," she says unevenly. "I'm fine, right? She's not here? She can't get me?"
ReplyDeleteHe slides down to the floor and scoops her into his arms. "I'm not sure who this she is but no one can hurt you. You're fine."
ReplyDeleteAara buries her face in his neck and takes a deep breath. "Nobody. She's dead. I don't even know her name." She takes another deep, calming breath. "I'm fine, love." She looks up at him shyly. "Can we stay like this awhile?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard holds her tightly. "As long as you need." He doesn't want to let Aara go even for a second so he hooks a corner of the sheet onto his horn and jerks his head, dropping it over both of them. "Ah nice and warm and dark," he chuckles.
ReplyDeleteShe grins, curling up against him. She knows he's just as nervous and on edge as she is, but she feels calm and safe with him, and after a moment, tells him so.
ReplyDelete"If I can't do anything else for you, I'm glad I can at least do this."
ReplyDelete"You're wonderful," she assures him. "You give me courage."
ReplyDelete"You help fuel whatever courage I have. We make the other better. Who knew that was even possible with how perfect we were already."
ReplyDeleteShe chuckles. "I was pretty perfect when we met, wasn't I?" Her myriad of bracelets chime in the dark. "I did something to make my marks go away," she says quietly. "That scares me. This place scares me. I-" her voice drops even further. "I scare me."
ReplyDelete"Why would you scare yourself?"
ReplyDelete"I'm not sure. It all feels too good to be true."
ReplyDelete"This wasn't anything you could control. I understand being afraid of everything else, I find myself overwhelmed by it all too sometimes, but not yourself. I know I'm not afraid of you and neither are entirely too many others."
ReplyDeleteShe nods, hugging him tightly. "Whatever happened, I'm grateful." She yawns and settles in his arms, feeling sleep start to win over her anxieties.
ReplyDeleteHe wraps his tail around one of her legs and relaxes, letting sleep take over.
ReplyDeleteAara wakes the next morning, stretched out on the floor and tanked up in sheets and Goddard. Propping herself up on her elbow, she tickles his nose with a bit of his hair.
ReplyDeleteGoddard tries to blow the annoyance away a few times before he slowly opens his eyes. "Good morning," he smiles. "You look like you got some sleep."
ReplyDelete"Hmm yes," she says with a smile. "You did, too."
ReplyDelete"Maybe sleep will be a new trend for us?" He stretches. "Let's get washed up and see what kind of fancy breakfast those two sent for you, I mean us, obviously for all of us."
ReplyDeleteDressed, she goes into the common room to find Two lying on the couch eating bread and jam. "Well good morning," he chuckles.
ReplyDelete"Where's your friends?"
"Oh they left hours ago," he tells her. "You didn't think they'd stay, did you?"
She shrugs, pouring a glass of fruit juice. "I didn't know."
His expression gets serious. "How did you sleep?"
She shrugs again. "A dream, disturbing but nothing too terrible."
Gath is lying on the other couch eating as well.
ReplyDelete"I'm sorry I didn't come back to help out with the magic," Goddard says. He tries to sit down by his legs but Gath pushes him away with his foot.
"I see how it is," Goddard huffs, going to the table to grab some breakfast.
Aara laughs and pats Gath on the head as she passes. She sits on a chair and draws her feet up, balancing her glass on one knee and plate on the other.
ReplyDelete"Any plans for today?"
"I should probably do a lot of reading and," he looks at Gath, "teaching? Magic?"
ReplyDeleteGath shrugs. "I thought maybe I could go buy something useful instead of candy and jewelry. Armor perhaps."
Aara nods. "I need to replace some straps."
ReplyDelete"You could teach me, Sheik," Two says awkwardly.
Goddard groans. "Fine fine. I don't want you blowing us up accidentally."
ReplyDeleteAara goes to get ready, patting Two's foot. "Don't blow yourself up either."
ReplyDelete"Oh he'll be fine...fine enough?" Goddard mutters.
ReplyDeleteGath goes to find the pouch of coins among Goddard's things. He spots Sethai wrapped around the pouch sleeping. "Like a true dragon," he chuckles.
After setting out her laundry, she waits for Gath by the door, fiddling with a broken buckle.
ReplyDelete"Ready?"
He nods, tucking the coins away. "Maybe they'll blow each other up?" Gath snickers as he walks by her.
ReplyDelete"I hope not," she say as the door closes. "I'm rather fond of them."
ReplyDelete"Of course you would be. Sadly, I don't think Two is powerful enough to do much with magic and my lord is too smart." He shrugs and sighs. "You haven't started setting things on fire now with a touch have you?"
ReplyDelete"No. I probably won't, either."
ReplyDeleteFeeling as if she doesn't want to talk, Gath doesn't ask Aara anymore questions as he tries remember where he had seen a place to get armor.
ReplyDelete"I hope these buildings don't move," he mumbles to himself.
"That would be impressive," she says, looking around. "I smelled smoke and iron from that way last night," she adds, pointing.
ReplyDeleteGath nods and leads the way through the people moving along the street. "Does this place ever sleep? Always feels crowded."
ReplyDeleteShe follows close behind, eying the crowd. "It doesn't seem to. I don't know how late we were out, either. Or generally what time it is now..." She looks up at the sky to gauge the time, but sees only more city. Quickly she looks back down.
ReplyDelete"You two had fun? I assume Two did. Unnecessarily loud. All of them."
ReplyDelete"We did," she says suspiciously.
ReplyDeleteHe just nods and finally spots a building that looks as if it were covered in armor itself. "Strange when a building like that isn't terribly easy to find."
ReplyDelete"Leather worker is across from it. I'll meet you there when I'm done."
ReplyDeleteGath heads into the shop and is impressed with what he sees. He knows exactly what he wants and can't wait to feel heavy armor again and finally get something to keep his face protected.
ReplyDelete"Hello miss," says a young man wearing a leather apron. "Can I help you?"
ReplyDeleteShe nods, putting several torn and worn out straps on the counters. "I need replacements. Four of each length."
He nods, and she wanders the shop, admiring the artistic tooling and clean leather scent.
Gath finds an ornate set of half plate armor. The metal is dark and has polished patterns reminiscent of skulls and daggers . It reminds him of the armor he used to wear in Naggaroth when he wasn't sneaking around. His favorite part is the half mask made of polished metal, fashioned to look like a fanged skull. He's surprised to find out he can pick it all up tomorrow and wonders if the magic this place obviously possess is responsible for it.
ReplyDelete"Oh, I like this," she murmurs, picking up a black mask tooled with thorny vines.
ReplyDelete"It's part of a set," the apprentice says. "Special order no one picked up."
"No one picked it up? This?"
He shakes his head. "Been here so long my boss just puts it on display. Too small for anyone to wear."
"Can I see it?"
"Alright Two. The most important part of magic is precision. If you aren't precise, nothing will happen. Your words must be perfect. Your motions must be perfect. Whatever component you need for the spell must be used perfectly. Seeing as how you think so highly of yourself, you should be able to at least come close to this level of perfection." Goddard tells Two.
ReplyDelete"Luckily for you, this light spell only needs words," Goddard mumbles as he runs his finger down the page of his spell book. "Aaaaaaand..." he rumages through various pouches, jars and boxes before he finally pulls something out and holds it out to Two. "This. It's moss that will glow or you can catch fireflies and use them."
"So it has to be something that will light up?" He asks. "So how did it happen to a pillow?"
ReplyDelete---
The apprentice shrugs. "Don't see why not. You might could wear it."
Aara holds the mask up to her face. It fits perfectly. She gets a thrill of excitement as be leads her into a shadowy back room.
"No no some spells have components you need with you to make them work effectively each time. That's why my belt has so much junk on it. I use all of that for spells and potions."
ReplyDelete"Keep that jar of eyes in mind next time you drink a potion I've made," he snickers.
"Anyway. You cast the spell on an object you touch and it glows. So a pillow, or a glass or a rock. Whatever."
Two nods, listening attentively.
ReplyDelete--
After assuring him that she could dress herself, Aara starts trying on the leather armor. Just as beautiful as the mask, the black leather is nearly silent. Tying the mask on with a length of silk, she looks in the mirror.
"Well I'll be. You might be the first person to fit it."
She turns to see an old man watching. "Are you the artisan?"
"Wouldn't call myself that. I'm an armorer, miss. You gonna buy that?"
"Now. Repeat after me and really focus on what you're trying to do." He shoves the moss into one of Two's hands and a smooth sphere from a centerpiece in the other. He recites the words as he writes them down, sounding them out with him before he hands the paper to Two.
ReplyDeleteTwo does as he says, no playfulness to his demeanor, but nothing happens.
ReplyDelete--
Aara looks back in the mirror. "How much?"
"Well...it was a custom piece..."
"That you've been unable to sell."
"Makes a nice display."
"Get many women commissioning armor?"
He chuckles. "Not especially. Men don't like the flowers."
Aara gives him a number, underestimating greatly. After a moment of deliberation, he nods. "But you have to commission new sheaths and leathers to match," he decides.
She shakes his hand. "Done."
"Well now, let's go get some measurements for you."
"It doesn't always work the first time," Goddard says. "This is why we spend a ridiculous amount of time reading and studying. I can only show you so much before the rest of it comes down to just practice."
ReplyDeleteTwo nods, sitting cross legged and closing his eyes. Closing his eyes, he stays silent, meditating on the spell for a long while before trying again.
ReplyDeleteThe sphere flickers faintly.
I'm surprised he took this seriously.
ReplyDeleteGoddard flips through the pages and settles on a spell. He mumbles the words, does the motions and a flurry of crows rushes forward, slamming into a table and flipping it over, knocking everything on it onto the floor. "Shit!" Goddard curses. "Sorry...sorry...I hope I didn't break your concentration."
Two brandishes a cushion without opening his eyes. "You'll have to try harder, Sheik."
ReplyDeleteAara changes out of the armor and leaves it with him, agreeing to pick it and her new accessories up late tomorrow evening. After paying for her straps and a can of leather balm, she heads outside to find Gath.
Gath is holding a bundle of leather, most likely supplies to care for his new armor.
ReplyDelete"Did you find something?" He asks Aara.
"Armor," she says. "My scales were too damaged at the field. I don't think it even came with me here. You?"
ReplyDeleteGath frowns. "I found armor as well. I can't think of anything else useful. I have weapons. I now have equipment to properly maintain them. I'll have armor tomorrow. Much better than what we got yesterday."
ReplyDelete"Picking mine up late tomorrow," she says slowly, wary of his poor mood. "You can't really be too disappointed in your purchase last night. You seemed interested in your alcohol."
ReplyDelete"Hey that was necessary and we went into that store because he wanted to go find chocolate. May as well make the most of it."
ReplyDelete"He deserves his indulgences," she says gently. "Whatever it is."
ReplyDeleteGath doesn't argue with her and he almost shrugs slightly as if he agrees with her.
ReplyDeleteShe takes her time in the area, purchasing small necessities she was too bewildered to think of last night. If he decides he wants to talk, he will. I'd like to think after being trapped that he'd feel he can trust me...
ReplyDeleteGath also purchases a few small things he thinks they'd need and then stop to examine a small mortar and pestle.
ReplyDelete"He has one," she tells him with a small smile, examining a round blue bottle made to hang from a belt. "You'd do better with the tool kit. He loses pieces. Two of these, please," she tells the seller.
ReplyDelete"I know he has one. The stone on this one is just different. That's all and he can buy his own tool kits."
ReplyDeleteShe accepts her purchases with a smile for the man before scowling at Gath. "Well I won't try and be helpful again," she says with a sniff. "Be miserable on your own, jerk."
ReplyDelete"Help me with what? I didn't need your help."
ReplyDelete"Clearly," she snaps, walking into the crowd. She quickly moves to disappear into the crowd and starts heading back to the inn.
ReplyDeleteGath groans and tries his best to keep up but with so many different people catching his eye, he loses her. "Damn she's fast."
ReplyDeleteShe makes it back without incident, occasionally slapping at small hands reaching for her purse on instinct. She runs her hands through her hair, wishing it was some other color to blend in with the crowd. No sense wishing, she thinks, you don't seem to have any magic. Two and Gath, sure, but not you, Aara.
ReplyDeleteIntent on being invisible and slipping through the crowd, she doesn't notice her hair becoming a bright, almost white blonde.
Goddard doesn't look up from his book. "How's it going over there Two? Any luck? Wow this magic is really stable compared to everything before. Interesting."
ReplyDeleteTwo sighs and sets the sphere back on the table. "Some flickers, nothing like last night. Kryn must be one hell of a spell component," he chuckles.
ReplyDelete"You must have had better focus. Or you weren't focusing too much? Could be a few things."
ReplyDelete"I was-" he chuckles "-quite relaxed."
ReplyDeleteAara enters the busy common room of the inn and sees Gill and Tallyn at the bar, the latter sitting in front of it, the former tending.
"Well hello lovely!" Gill calls, waving her over. "Oh, I like the hair!"
She smiles, sitting next to Tallyn. "I really enjoyed last night," she tells them.
Tallyn chuckles and sips his wine. "A shame you didn't come back," he tells her. "Gill filled me in on your..."
"Hallway adventure," he supplies. "Have dinner with us tonight?"
She nods, accepting a quick sip of Tallyn's wine. "I don't see why not. I need to take these upstairs. Send me a note with the time?"
"We'll be going out, so west something pretty!" Gill tells her as she hurries upstairs and into their apartment.
"Then try to relax more. Hell, think of what you did with her if it helps at all," he suggests. "You do what you have to do I suppose."
ReplyDeleteTwo grins sinfully. "You imagine Four naked and squirming when you cast spells, Sheik?"
ReplyDelete"Gods, that's something to walk into," Aara quips, walking past them to out her things in her room. "I bought you buckles, yours are looking worse for wear."
Two stares at the half elf with long, pale blonde hair sweeping past them as if she lives there. She's dressed in the style Aara favors, but looks nothing like the woman he knows. "Uh...thank you?"
"I was using magic way before Aara," Goddard sighs.
ReplyDeleteHearing only her voice, Goddard greets Aara. "Hello lecai." He looks up and doesn't see Gath. "Hey where's Gath?" he asks, going into her room after her. He sees a woman with long pale blonde hair standing in the room. "And who are you?"
"Hell, I hope," she says cheerfully, walking over and kissing the top of his head. "I got you these, too," she adds, handing him the two round blue bottles. "They have a seal on them, so no lost corks."
ReplyDeleteHe takes the bottles and tilts his head."Lecai? What did you do to your hair? I thought you were going to get armor."
ReplyDelete"I went for new straps, but I found some gorgeous leather armor. Much easier to move in than the scale mail I'd had. Quite a deal, too."
ReplyDeleteGoddard walks up to her and touches her hair. "How in the world did...was this some potion?"
ReplyDeleteShe grabs some of her hair and pulls it forward to look, but it's black, as always. "What are you talking about? Nothings different."
ReplyDeleteGoddard shakes his head and blinks a few times. "You can do it too? I'm going to have to teach all of you aren't I?"
ReplyDeleteShe laughs and pats his cheek. "You're studying too hard already? Did Two wear out your lovely brain?"
ReplyDelete"I know what I saw," he huffs. "It wasn't black a few seconds ago. That might be the same one Gath was doing."
ReplyDelete"I've already dealt with one bad attitude," she snaps back. "And I know that nothing happened to my hair because it's on my head!"
ReplyDelete"On your head and yet you don't even know what color it is?" he crosses his arms. "And speaking of bad attitudes, where is Gath?"
ReplyDelete"Who cares? He's just going to rest everyone as if we're the reason he's so damned miserable! He doesn't want anyone to be pleasant to him. Why should we? We should ever be grateful he even deigns to look down on us!"
ReplyDelete"That's not true!"
ReplyDelete"Oh not you, my lord!"
ReplyDelete"Four, calm down-"
She slaps at Two's hands before he can reach out to her. "Don't touch me!"
"Aara what's gotten into you?"
ReplyDelete"Nothing."
ReplyDeleteTwo gifts his hands and backs away, remembering too clearly her habit of carrying a vulgar number of knives. "Fine, Four. Did something happen while you were out?"
She ignores them and slams the door to her room, breathing heavily and closing her eyes as she leans against the door. I'm not jealous. I'm scared. Frustrated. Hurt. A hundred other things.
But I am not jealous.
Goddard goes into his room and gets to her bedroom through the bathroom. "If something happened you have to tell us," he says sounding worried. "We don't know anything about this world. You can't shut down."
ReplyDelete"Nothing happened," she says, squeezing her eyes tight when been she resides how petulant she sounds.
ReplyDeleteHe's in love with him.
I'm not jealous.
Goddard walks up to her and wraps his arms around her. "Please talk to me. I can't help you if you don't talk to me."
ReplyDeleteStop that. Don't be sweet to me. I hate the person in love with you.
ReplyDeleteShe sighs so deeply it feels like it must come from her feet. "Gath is an ass. Why don't we abandon our retainers and be a pair of roaming vagabonds?"
"We can't do that to them. I'm not a fan of Two and I couldn't actually do that to him. They are as lost as we are."
ReplyDeleteShe pouts, hating herself for it. "They'd manage."
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "Alright Two might be able to just fine. For a while anyway. Until he loses his hair."
ReplyDeleteShe looks away stubbornly. But Gath would need-
ReplyDeleteStop it.
I'm not jealous.
"Why do you suddenly want to get rid of our only friends here?" His smile fades. "What the hell did Gath do to you? Is that why he didn't come back?"
ReplyDelete"Gath isn't my friend and you hate Two. I don't know why he hasn't come back."
ReplyDelete"I thought you two had some sort of something when we were all trapped."
ReplyDelete"Apparently I was wrong."
ReplyDelete"Well, he's obviously done something horrible." He hugs her tightly. "I'll fix it. I don't know what he did, but I'll fix it."
ReplyDelete"I don't think you can fix a wretched attitude."
ReplyDelete"I can tell him to leave you the hell alone. Pretty sure he's still afraid of thorns bursting from his chest and I might be able to still do that and if I can't, I can lie."
ReplyDelete"Don't say anything to him," she asks. "It won't help."
ReplyDelete"Well I have to do something, especially when I see you like this after going shopping with him. And since you won't say anything, I'll have to go after him for information. I'm sure he'll talk. He seems to have pride in making people miserable."
ReplyDelete"I mean it," she insists. "I'm just mad. And I wish we could go home and have our lives back, but I know we can't."
ReplyDelete"I can't just ignore this," he frowns.
ReplyDelete"Yes you can. You ignore things all the time."
ReplyDelete"What do you mean? I don't ignore you lecai."
ReplyDelete"You ignore when I water your wine after you've had too much." She looks up at him. "I'll handle it. In my own way."
ReplyDelete"You do? That's not ignoring anything, that's not knowing what's going on because wine," he chuckles. "Come on. Let's go watch Two fail at casting light. Alright?" He opens the door to the common room just as Gath walks in and slams the door behind him.
ReplyDelete"Gath!" Goddard snaps.
Her face going blank, Aara takes a step back into her room and closes her door again.
ReplyDelete"Gath what did you do!?"
ReplyDelete"What did I do?" Gath asks, trying to not react to randomly being yelled at.
"What happened with Aara?!"
Aara busies herself replacing the leather straps she bought, trying to smother a burning desire to escape through the window.
ReplyDeleteI'm not jealous. I'm not. Why should I be? I told him he could have whoever he wants.
But why did he have to fall in love with the camel's ass?
Gath shrugs. "How am I supposed to know. One minute she's fine, the next she's storming off into the crowd."
ReplyDelete"There has to be a reason! You did something!"
Two watches them closely, seemingly forgotten. Now what about this jerk made her so mad? He's always rude and surly, how did he get under her skin?
ReplyDelete"If I knew what I did, I'd tell you," Gath says. "Maybe she's just as prone to fits as you are?"
ReplyDelete"One of you needs to just tell me what happened!"
"See? Having a fit..."
Aara braids her hair, looking out the window and plotting a way from the top floor to the street.
ReplyDelete"Just leave her alone!"
ReplyDelete"What am I supposed to do? Stop existing? I didn't do anything other than say I didn't need her help picking out mundane supplies."
"You're always like that."
"Exactly," Gath sighs. "She's the one who has a problem with me for whatever reason. Even after I tried to be kind in the pits."
"If you go out that window I'm going to have a hell of a time keeping up."
ReplyDeleteShe looks over her shoulder at Two. "Not if I don't want you too."
He comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her. "You are a mess."
She nods. "I know."
"If I see her upset because of you again I'll..."
ReplyDelete"You'll what?" Gath cuts Goddard off. "You'll threaten me for nothing and then do nothing because I did nothing," he says coldly, pushing past Goddard and going into his room.
Two lets her and opens the window. "Go. I'll stall him as long as I can, and don't break your neck on the way down."
ReplyDeleteAara jumps up on the windowsill, pausing to kiss his cheek. "I love you."
"Liar," he laughs, watching her gracefully climb down a drain pipe. "And be careful," he calls.
Goddard goes back into Aara's room and finds only Two. "What happened? Where's Aara?"
ReplyDeleteGlancing down, he grins as she disappears around a corner. "I don't know, Sheik. Can't go too far, she left her stuff. And me," he says brightly, turning around.
ReplyDeleteGoddard looks out the window and sees no one. "She couldn't have," he mumbles. He goes into his room and throws himself onto the bed beside Sethai. "You're going to chirp at me aren't you?"
ReplyDeleteSethai chirps and nuzzles Goddard. "I thought so. I feel alone again. Father's off doing who knows what, Aara left, Gath is mad at me and Two is Two."
Two follows him. "She did, and if you know anything about her childhood, you know that when she feels overwhelmed, she runs away." He picks up a heavy glass ball with black and green running through it off a table. "She'll be back," he assures him, taking the ball back into the common room.
ReplyDeleteGoddard follows Two and sits with his book again. "Do you know what's wrong? What is she not telling me? I can't tell if I actually make her happy or if I just make her miserable."
ReplyDelete"She didn't tell me. But you make her happy. She gets this look..." He shakes his head. "I only ever saw it once before I saw her look at you."
ReplyDelete"Really? Why won't she talk to me then? All I want to do is keep her happy."
ReplyDelete"Sharing isn't exactly her skill set. Maybe she didn't tell you so you can have the greater joy." He folds his feet under him and looks at Goddard straight on. "Our Ustadh choose our names when we graduated. When he called her Aara, her whole being lit up, like she'd finally found some missing piece. She does that every time you look at her."
ReplyDelete"How could it be for my happiness when all it does is make me unhappy? Or does she not realize that? I feel that way about her too. Do you think she knows that?"
ReplyDelete"Again, she doesn't share. Maybe by keeping her feelings from you she's shielding you from something else. But you're the only thing Aara and Surly have in common, I'd bet she thinks she's doing the right thing for you." He grins and the sphere lights up. "She just doesn't like it. Hey, look at that!"
ReplyDelete"I just don't know what could have possibly happened between them. I thought they had a moment. She said he hugged her and now this." He smiles at the glowing sphere of light then sighs. "She wants to just get rid of him."
ReplyDelete"Another reflex from childhood. If you can't run away from it, hide so you don't have to deal with it."
ReplyDelete"That isn't how life works," he says annoyed. "Especially now that she's going to live longer. I assumed we'd all just stay together," he mumbles. "Probably stupid but we'd have to get along. I'd even have to get along with you."
ReplyDelete"Give her a few days to adjust. You've always been unusual and long lived. She was bound to have a breakdown soon enough."
ReplyDelete"Should we go find her? Or just let her be? I want to give her space if she needs it but I need to know she's safe. Or maybe Sethai can find her more easily." He covers his face with his hands and sighs.
ReplyDeleteTwo pats Goddard on the shoulder. "If that woman's not safe on her own, no one is. Give her a few hours. She has a lot to think about."
ReplyDeleteAara wanders alone, not really paying attention to where she's going. Arms crossed, she keeps her head down and tries to rationalize her actions to herself.
The thought of Goddard sleeping with other people doesn't bother me. But I suppose sending him off to a lover is much easier than watching him catch one right in front of me. And watching Goddard fall in love with someone else... She blinks away tears. If it were just khyrkhan he could do whatever he wanted with Gath and I wouldn't care.
Goddard nods and tries to go back to his reading. "We all have a lot to think about I suppose. It's not everyday you travel across worlds like this."
ReplyDelete"No, but on the best days you come out a better version if who you were. Things changed for us, Sheik, but she lost something important to her. In her eyes, those marks made her something important. I'm sure that's what's really at the center of all this."
ReplyDelete"I don't understand how that changes who she is. She's still everything she's always been. But I'm not what she feels she is so I wouldn't understand. I really wish I could help her. I wish she'd talk to me."
ReplyDelete"I'm not even what she is." His eyes crinkle with his smile. "She's trying. She told me you make her feel like she can be vulnerable, but she hasn't learned the trick of letting down near guard. Even with Koroush, her best friend, she was guarded." He picks up the sphere as the light goes out. The size of an orange, he admires it. "Put something useful in those bottles. She'll like that."
ReplyDelete----
Aara notices the sound first. The general bustle of the ward fades into softer voices, trickling fountains, and birds. Where am I? she wonders, looking up. This part of Sigil is cleaner, more refined. Seeing a large park across the street, she heads in, wandering through the hedged walks until she finds an arbor covered in climbing roses.
At least this world has this.
Sitting on the stone bench beneath it, she looks down at her hands. What did I do? Uzzaya, can you hear me? Aara closes her eyes, trying to remember whatever it is she's forgotten.
"I think she would too," he smiles and closes the book. "Thank you and keep up the good work with your spell. You'll be a pro in no time."
ReplyDeleteHe goes into his room and prepares to make a potion for the bottles.
Biting her lip, Aara takes of all her jewelry and looks at her hands, blank for the first time in over a decade.
ReplyDeleteSo much of what I am was in those marks. I can hardly remember the girl who didn't walk with Death. The design is echoed in everything Rayya gave me. I feel naked without them. Part of me is gone. No amount of jewelry can change that.
After a while, Goddard finishes filling the bottles and lays face down in bed. He hears his door open and turns his head to see Gath sitting on the bed.
ReplyDelete"Go away," Goddard mumbles.
"How am I supposed to master that spell if you won't help me?"
"Figure it out yourself."
"You know I can't." Gath gently picks up the end of Goddard's tail and smooths the hair on the tip for a few moments.
"Fine." He let's the tail drop after a dragging silence. "I didn't do anything to her. I know how much she means to you and I can't keep getting coin from you if I torture the most important thing in your life now can I."
"You look like a woman with a man on her mind."
ReplyDeleteAara looks up to see an astonishing woman standing in front of her. She has long black hair piled up on her head, violet eyes, and wears what looks to be a blue evening gown.
"Not really..."
The woman's lips curl in a small smile. "Good, let's keep it that way. My name is Hera."
"I'm Aara."
"Well my dainty thing, let's go have a drink, shall we?"
"You can get your own coin. Why hang around me?"
ReplyDelete"I'm your retainer."
"You don't have to be if you don't want to." Goddard says and then instantly regrets it.
"I'll only work for druchii."
"We aren't druchii. Not anymore. And they don't exist here."
"We'll always be druchii."
"Did he actually say what was wrong with your hair?" Hera asks, running her fingers through Aara's hair.
ReplyDelete"Just something about the color," Aara tells her, throwing back another purple drink. "But it was black. I looked."
"Can you do it again? Wish for something simple?"
Aara wavers a little. "Uh. Maybe?"
Hera puts her hand out, whispers a word, and Aara gasped as a small column of sparkling lights flicker there. "Try. For me."
Aara hiccups and outs out her hand. Nothing happens. She focuses on her hand for a long moment, before sighing and running her hands through her hair. "See? Nothing. My idiot Two can make things light up but I can't do anything."
Hera laughs and pulls Aara's hair forward to show her. It sparkles as if it's been spangled with tiny diamonds. "My dear, you have magic."
"Plus it isn't a very good idea to walk away from the only people you trust. The first few people you've trusted in hundreds of years."
ReplyDelete"I thought you couldn't trust anyone."
"Hmmm I'm starting to think that's actually the case. After all, you didn't come back when you said you would, you didn't belive that I did nothing to her, she tried to get me in trouble. I have to wonder," he says sounding overly suspicious of everything. "I can't even trust Sethai to be Sethai anymore."
"I'm sorry." Goddard sits up and faces Gath. "We'll start now. With the spell."
Aara stares, mouth open. "I...what..."
ReplyDeleteHera laughs and pours her another drink. "Prestidigitation, darling. Small magic, really, but intensely useful. You can do almost anything," she says, waving a hand and lighting a candle in front of them.
"It can change my hair color?"
She nods. "Temporarily."
"We fought...over this?"
Hera strokes her cheek fondly. "Is there something else bothering you?"
Aara looks down, fidgeting with the jewelry lacing over her hands.
Goddard explains prestidigitation and how spells in general work like he had done with Two. Gath gets the hand of it much more quickly.
ReplyDelete"That was easy."
Goddard slaps the book shut. "So easy, you didn't need my help right?"
"I probably could have figured it out myself," Gath shrugs.
"Then why come in here and bother me?"
Gath lays down on the bed and closes his eyes.
"You have your own bed," Goddard mumbles.
"Don't want to talk about it?" Hera asks gently.
ReplyDelete"Not really..."
"Well." Hera tames another shot. "Let's get you drunk. Where did you say you were staying?"
"The Goldenglow."
"Oh, Tallyn and Gill's place! Quaint, isn't it? Shame they don't get out more." She pours them another. "Have another, we'll pour ourselves into my current beau's carriage later."
"Yes but..."
ReplyDelete"It's because I'm not there right?" Goddard jokes.
Gath doesn't say anything and Goddard lays next to him. "Tell me what happened. Why you're careful when you get drunk."
"Why?"
"Because you mentioned it and I'm curious."
Gath waves his hand dismissively. "I was drunk. I didn't mean to mention it."
"Then get drunk again," Goddard chuckles. "And then tell me."
"Hey Gillyfish!" Aara laughs loudly, stumbling into the inn.
ReplyDelete"Whoa, sweetheart," Tallyn chuckles, catching her before she falls. "Aara, are you drunk?"
She shakes her head. "A very nice lady bought me some purple drink earlier."
"A lot of them?"
She shakes her head and holds up four fingers, seeing eight. "No mor'n two."
Tallyn looks back to Gill. "Take her upstairs," he suggests.
"Ooooooooh no," Aara moans, burying her face in Tallyn's jacket. "Nonononono."
"How about my apartment?" Gill suggests, coming over and lifting her face. "You can nap there."
She brightens up and nods. "Yeah! I can do that!"
Gill nods, brushing hair off her cheek. "Take her up the back way," he tells Tallyn gently. "Don't let anyone see her this way. I'll let the others know."
"No Gillyfish! I don' wanna see 'em."
"You don't have to, sweetheart."
As Tallyn helps her up the stairs, Gill calls a maid.
"I don't want to move."
ReplyDeleteGoddard groans and pushes himself up to move but Gath pulls him back down. "I was young. Very young. And you've asked before if druchii ever love or something stupid like that..."
"It isn't stupid!"
"It it and they do and I was."
Goddard gasps dramatically. "You? In love? With something besides your own face?"
"Why are you alone?" Tallyn asks, keeping her upright.
ReplyDelete"I'm not. I'm wit you."
He chuckles. "Well I can't argue with that. So why aren't you with Goddard, or your brother?"
She hiccups and giggles. "Because they don't know."
"How do they not know you're gone?"
"Mighty fine drainpipe you got outside my window."
Tallyn laughs outright this time. "You're telling you climbed down my drainpipe and ran away from your friends?"
"Oh no," she says, aghast. "I shimmied down." She wiggles her whole body in example.
"Oh gods," he laughs. He managed to get her in their apartment, a spacious, elegant set of rooms not unlike her own. Sitting her on a couch, and puts an arm around her shoulder. "Now, why don't you want to see your nuur'ninny?"
Aara collapses into giggles and lays across his lap.
"Aara?"
"I'm a horrible person," she says quietly. "Petty. Jealous. Especially jealous."
"Yes I know," Gath sighs. "It was stupid of me. But I loved her. More than anything and for political reasons, we were to be married but I didn't see those reasons. I was stupid. She was probably the best actress I had ever seen or I was just too blind to notice how fake it all was."
ReplyDelete"Now, it was a good political move for us to get married, but it was an even better political move for her to kill me and that's what she tried to do. She took my love of wine and my love for her and she got me to a place where all I could do was feel. And I felt pain. A dagger in your back will sober you up quickly."
"But she was more stupid than I was. She missed stabbing me in a place that would have killed me or even just slowed me down. But I knew what I was doing."
"Did you..." Goddard whispers.
"I had to," Gath shrugs. "I wouldn't be here now if I didn't and yet, I still regret it. Everything."
"Is that why you're such a terrible, grumpy person?"
"Yes."
"Who are you jealous of?"
ReplyDeleteShe thinks a minute, and when she speaks, she sounds surprised. "Goddard, I think."
He laughs, petting her head. "Why him?"
She turns her face toward him and hides. "Because everyone wants him and he wants them back," she mumbles.
"Well...that's part of what he is."
"But he's not supposed to get all starry eyed over his stupid retainer!"
"You didn't really think either of you would stay completely faithful all these years, did you?"
She looks up, confused. "I didn't?"
Tallyn laughs. "It's rare at best. Gill is the biggest flirt and most faithless dog ever."
She gasps. "Gillyfish? A tramp?"
Tallyn chuckles. "It's not a big deal. We've been together seventy five years. Sex is just that. As long as we love each other and end up in our bed at night, it doesn't matter."
"But...how?"
Tallyn shrugs and rests her head on his chest. "We each put each other first."
Aara's bottom lip trembles, and she bursts into tears. "Yeah but I don't have my marks!" she sobs.
---
Drying his hands, Gill pens a quick note.
She's here. Come down to the bar.
- Gill
"Here, take this up to our friends in the suite," he tells his assistant.
Goddard sits up. "I don't think any of us will stab you in the back."
ReplyDelete"She might," Gath scoffs.
"She won't," Goddard says, patting his knee reassuringly. "But I should probably find her. No matter what Two says. It's been a while and I haven't heard the door or anything."
"I'd help but she hates me."
Goddard sighs. "I know." He leaves his room and opens the door to leave the apartment.
Gill's assistant jerks his hand back so he doesn't knock on Goddard's head. "Oh. Sir. Here you are," he says, handing him the note and walking off.
ReplyDelete---
Bewildered, Tallyn holds her while she babbles about blank hands and gods and switches into a language he doesn't understand. He manages to get her back to common before she raises her heads and kisses him. Gripping her arms, he reluctantly sulks her back.
"Aara, you're drunk."
"Yes," she agrees, leaning forward. "Let's try that again without interrupting me."
"Oh no. I'd like to kiss you, but sober. Maybe later?"
Tears spill over her eyelids and she buries her face in his shirt. "This is the worst place ever and I want to go home and get my hands back!"
Goddard unfolds the piece of paper and reads the note. "Oh Aara," Goddard sighs and quickly makes his way downstairs.
ReplyDelete"These aren't your hands?"
ReplyDelete"No!" she wails!
Goddard gets down to the bar and looks around for Gill or Tallyn or Aara. I hope she's alright. She has to be alright.
ReplyDeleteGill walks over, wiping down the bar. "First, she's fine. Horribly drunk, but if that was the carriage I think it was, it's not surprising. Hera does that to people. Can I get you something?"
ReplyDelete"You could get me Aara?" Goddard says flatly.
ReplyDeleteGill smiles apologetically. "She doesn't want to see anyone."
ReplyDeleteHe scratches at the the bar with a claw then stops. "Sorry. I...do that..." He sits down in a stool and sighs. "Fine. I'll have whatever isn't going to cost me an arm, a leg, and another get together with you two."
ReplyDeleteHe chuckles. "If it's any consolation, I think she's more embarrassed than upset. Here, have this," he says, giving him a small glass of gold liquor. "You two fight? She seemed fine when she came through earlier."
ReplyDeleteGoddard picks up the drink and examines it. "And why should I tell you anything?" he asks before quickly downing the drink. "Oh that's good. I'll have to drag Gath down here one day."
ReplyDelete"It's the Glow's special. Expensive, but this one's on the house." Leaning on the bar, he shrugs. "Because I'm tending the bar, it's a slow day, and last night you couldn't keep your eyes off each other and today she's in my apartment with my husband, drunk and sad."
ReplyDelete"Expensive? I'll get him just one then...but I guess I can talk. Maybe, since you've been with him for so long, you might actually be able to give me advice. Maybe."
ReplyDelete"Seventy five years."
ReplyDelete---
Tallyn sighs and lets her cry. "This isn't how I'd hoped to be alone with you," he says, rubbing her back.
"I've been alive for a little longer than that," he laughs. "She went out with my retainer, Gath, to buy supplies and armor. She came back without him, angry about him. So mad that she suggested we get rid of both our retainers. He came back and she thought escaping through the window was the best idea. She won't tell me what happened."
ReplyDelete"Do they usually get along?"
ReplyDelete"Gath doesn't really get along with anyone," Goddard shrugs. "But before we ended up here...there was a hopeless life and death thing that was going on and I thought they worked that out. He took care of her while I wasn't there."
ReplyDelete"Sounds traumatic. What's changed between then and now between the three of you since then and now? And how did she get down to the street from the window?"
ReplyDelete"She's a ninja?" Goddard shrugs. "And I have no idea. I don't think anything has changed between the three of us except the traumatic experience and you'd think that would make us closer for surviving, not make her want to ditch the only other two people we know here."
ReplyDelete"Sounds like she's not handling the relocation as well as the rest of you." He polishes a few glasses. "I obviously don't know her as well as you, but it sounds like today is just a cover up for a deeper problem." After a moment's deliberation he speaks again. "Kitchen's behind me. Servant's stairwells on both sides. Take the one on the left and go all the way up. Knock on the second door on the left."
ReplyDeleteGoddard nods. "Thank you. I hope I can figure this out or maybe she'll just talk to me and everything will be fine."
ReplyDeleteHe gets up and follows Gill's directions. Once he reaches the door, he knocks and waits for someone to answer.
Tallyn gives her s pillow to cry into and goes to the door. "Thank the gods, Gill-" He steps out and closes the door behind him. "I'm not sure you want to see her like this. She's raving about losing her hands and being jealous of you and some gods I've never neared of? Did something happen to her? Did she need an operation or something?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles and shakes his head. "She had tattoos on her hands and their gone now. They held meaning to her. It wasn't an operation."
ReplyDelete"That explains so much." He gives Goddard an appraising look. "I'm pretty certain she doesn't realize that she isn't still ruining my shirt. I'm going to go back in there, and you're going to knock louder, and we'll have a little argument over whether or not you can see her. That way you can swoop in and comfort whatever wound she's nursing."
ReplyDelete"Sounds good to me. Hopefully it works. I'm running out of ideas on my own. I'll try your plan no matter how silly it sounds."
ReplyDelete"Did you find her in a convent?" he asks before he opens the door. "Elves who don't embrace an open agreement? It's like she's barely fifty."
ReplyDeleteGoddard looks at him, confused. "Open agreement...what? And she's no where near fifty. She's not even thirty."
ReplyDelete