< ... > or is in the Kildean language
"...from that moment it 'twas as though we were of one mind, one
blood."
- Sydney
It was late in the morning before Ashley was able to shake off the last of his bizarre dreams and crack open his eyes. The fire and candle had burned out in the night and the light coming in the windows seemed strangely muted, adding to the sleepy feel in the air.
There was a woman... a woman dressed in mists and veils and gems... and the men who watched her dance were driven to extremes of creation or destruction... and yet I felt nothing... as if I was but a ghost, the world was mad around me yet didn't see me... no one saw me but her... and her eyes were like the moon... but that was a dream, and this is real. I'm in a cottage... in the settlement of Arlia...
His memory grudgingly surrendered facts from the night before as he slowly stood and stretched complaining muscles. In the dim light he could just make out the slim form on bed, placed exactly as he had been the night before, chest still moving in a steady and comforting rhythm.
We broke free of the forest well past midnight, the town was already asleep for the most part so I had no choice but to leave him in a stable and ask at the tavern if there was a quiet house that would permit guests after hours...
The villagers, rightly suspicious of the filthy stranger who had enter their midst assured him of a very quiet house on the edge of town.
They were most certainly surprised when I took them up on their offer, I can believe they thought no one in their right mind would willing agree to spend the night in a house that until last year was rumored to belong to an old witch. Superstitious fools, as if sharing a room with the ghost of a little old woman would bother me in the slightest after walking the breadth of Léa Monde. Not that there was anything here when I arrived of course.
Ashley dipped into the small bag of supplies he had all but bullied out of the barkeep. Sifting amongst the rolls of bandages and various foodstuffs he found several candles and re-lit the lantern and hearth. The cottage looked just as worn and dirty as it had appeared the night before, but feeling refreshed and alert the knight quickly realized that it had once been a very homey and comfortable place, even the thatch roof was tight and dry. Confident that Sydney would sleep the morning out, Ashley banked the small blaze and after finding a small pot in a cupboard ventured outside.
The village was far off the beaten track, a tiny impoverished place full of those who would in other times be called serfs. They were a full day's journey from the coast, and nestled in their little valley they had heard nothing yet of the cataclysm that had engulfed the ruins of Léa Monde, nor were they likely to for several weeks.
If they had, they likely wouldn't have been quite so welcoming.
The day was misty and wet, the rain fell softly but quickly soaked the fighter as he inspected the exterior of the house and well. The bucket was old but serviceable and the water when pulled out looked and tasted as it should so Ashley filled his pot and headed back indoors, promising himself a proper wash later on. Cleaning the little house while cooking a simple breakfast proved therapeutic for the Riskbreaker who frankly had had his fill of killing things for the time being. His hands swept and wiped from memory as his mind turned over the various problems he still had to face, foremost among them was how to put his companion back together again without alerting anyone unnecessary of their presence. Throughout the entire day Sydney slept on, his color improving slightly as his bleeding finally slowed then stopped.
By evening the only thing in the cottage that hadn't received a thorough cleaning was Ashley. Locating a second bucket, he boiled more water, anticipating the luxury of his first real bath in days. A suitably nervous delegation from the town had approached him late in the afternoon to ask after the health of their visitors, and Ashley, having met them at the door assured them that he still lived, hadn't seen the ghost, but was in desperate need of a clean shirt. After a very brief conversation and the surrender of one of his less valuable stones, he was well contented with the bundle of food and clothes deposited at his doorstep.
The bucket of warm water steamed into the cool evening air as Ashley meticulously scrubbed himself, thankful for the secluded location of the house. The shirt was too tight at the shoulders and he put it aside, but the pants were comfortable and clean and after soaking the last of the grime out of his hair he felt nearly human.
... ashley?...
The evening was filled with the usual forest noises as the Riskbreaker dumped the buckets, but for all his solitude, the sound of his name had been unmistakable. Looking around quickly, he continued tidying up and securing the house for evening.
Ashley?!
The voice, startling, nearly caused him to drop the bucket into the well as he re-hung it. However Ashley didn't bother looking for his invisible petitioner again. The voice, louder now, had become recognizable as had its overtones of fear, worry and severe pain.
How is possible that he can make himself heard in my thoughts?
"I'm coming... I'm coming... be patient whelp." He shook the last of the water from his hair, his two long 'tails' still sticking to the sides of his face, and went inside.
Fumbling awkwardly for leverage in his nest of blankets Sydney awoke suddenly, feeling very disoriented. The bed was warm and soft, but he was disturbed by the fact that he could remember nothing of how he came to be there, or why he was so weak. Then he made a movement that upset the precarious stability of his bandages and froze as the pain washed over him. He remembered.
Guildenstern tried to skin me!
Laying very still he focused on his breathing, waiting for the darkness and stars to lift allowing him to see again. Listening over his sobbing breaths for the sound of someone, anyone nearby.
By the Lady... That hurt! ... I'm... alone?...
Fighting the panic that threatened to rise up, he closed his eyes and tentatively reached out, finding the Rood-Bearer's mind with startling ease.
He burns so brightly now... I wonder is this how the others saw me? Why Ashley, what preoccupies you so... Oh...
Sydney pulled his mind away quickly. The flash of inadvertent 'contact' with the VKP's mind had brought the pleasant sensations of satisfaction and contentment, as well as a jumble of impressions, including the feel of warm water on bare skin. He suppressed the urge to blush and firmly told his imagination to shut-up, faintly glad for once that he couldn't in fact see anything. Seeking to distract himself from what was certain to be a dangerous train of thought, he sent his mind out further to learn more of his surroundings.
I think the first thing I'll teach him about will be shields... while it's all fun and games for a normal man to have a mind like an open book, the Rood-Bearer ought to be ... a little more discrete.
Not stretching himself, he 'felt' the rhythms of the rest of the village. Sydney could sense nothing threatening, but tired and a little lonely he reached for the Riskbreaker again; and sensing that he had completed his bathing, attempted to call his name. His mental voice was surprisingly weak, brushing ineffectually against the bright light that defined Ashley. Sydney quickly realized that with the Rood no longer his, he would have to remember how to rely on his own lesser strength. Focusing his energy on the task at hand he called again and felt definite contact, Ashley's presence filled his mind as the startled man instinctively sought to discover the source of the contact. Somewhat cautious of the older man's powerful and fumbling thoughts, the cultist pulled back inside his shields content that he had gotten his successor's attention and willing to wait for his return.
An Ashley, the likes of which he almost couldn't comprehend, padded through the door a few minutes later.
He looks...
Sydney raised his head for a clearer view and blinked in amazement. Receiving a half-quizzical, half-annoyed look from the object of his study.
He looks so young...
Caught in the half-light of the fireplace Ashley looked as though he might have been cast in bronze. The flickering light accented the smooth muscled contour of his bare chest and arms, and ghosted over the hard edge of his jaw. Focusing on his face Sydney noted amusedly how normal the Riskbreaker's 'antenna'-like fringes looked when they were wet and hanging straight in front of his ears. His dark hair and eyes seeming like smudges of shadow. They stared at each other for a moment, frozen by surprise and something else that neither could explain.
Ashley broke off the staring match with an irritable snort, putting aside the queer urge to be embarrassed, and moving intently to the fireplace to check the stew. He could feel the enchanters eyes on his back, could see them still, wide and dark in the gloom, studying him in amazement. His shoulders twitched slightly not liking the feeling caused by the gaze sliding over the symbol now etched on his back. The fighter wondered idly if the Rood gave any visible sign of the tingling he felt between his shoulders, almost expecting to see it cast a flickering light of its own, a cold fire to mimic the ordinary one.
"Well, you got my attention," Ashley's voice was low hovering somewhere between amusement and frustration as he turned to face the younger man. "As glad as I am to see you awake, I'd appreciate in future if you didn't startle me like that again. I have enough to worry about without having to concern myself with hearing voices." He looked closer at the blond, noting signs of fresh blood on the bandages. "It seems as though I should instead be wishing you slept the week out, your waking-up has wrought ill for both of us." Ashley's frown spoke volumes as Sydney guiltily allowed himself to be assisted into a sitting position.
The bowl of stew which was carefully placed in his hands, defied him with its normalcy. Staring at it perplexed; Sydney cursed himself for a fool twelve times over, despising that he was so helpless in front of a man whom he had once dominated utterly.
From ring-leader to invalid, in less than a day... thus does fate make fools of us all. He carries me, he cares for my wounds, he cleans, he even cooks... and by the smell he's far better at it than John or I ever were... All of this he does unstintingly, for what? So that I can keep breathing for another day... so that I can look down on him with my handful of years of study and experience and tell him "It will be alright"? I may have told many lies in my life, but I don't think I can tell that one. But for good or ill, I'm awake now... and it has come time for me to sing for my supper.
"Eat, Sydney." The knight's smooth voice interrupted his meditations. "You've not broken fast for almost two days, much longer and you have no strength to heal yourself with." The blonde shook his head in an attempt to get his jumbled thoughts to cooperate and slowly coordinated his clumsy fingers to manipulate bowl and spoon. Without the Rood, actions that were once a simple as breathing required attention, and his arms, for so long an almost natural part of his body, felt heavy and awkward.
I was right... he can cook... damn the man.
Although he was not initially hungry he worked through the stew methodically and when the bowl was empty he wordlessly accepted the cup of watered wine. Throughout the quiet meal he felt the Riskbreaker's eyes on him, carefully observing his every move and noting every tremor in his uncooperative body. It was unnerving to be studied so, the dispassionate gaze bringing back memories of long forgotten tutors from childhood.
"Do you need aught else?" Ashley felt his muscles tensing, the need to get information from the frail man was almost unbearable yet he forced himself to wait. Rushing matters would only tire the prophet unduly and Ashley desperately needed the man to recover. Sydney shot him a knowing look over the rim of his mug and silently proffering it for more water, felt his old confidence returning. He had the information the man needed, well most of it, and in teaching the Riskbreaker about his new abilities he could stave off feeling useless for a few more hours.
"Ask what you will Rood-Bearer, I am completely at your disposal."
"Don't call me that." The knight grimaced at Sydney's playful tone before settling down to business. "There are so many questions that I honestly believe that it doesn't matter where I begin so I will start with the most recent ones... What you did just now, how did you do that, call to me without words..."
Sydney sipped at the water, composing his thoughts. "I did it in much the same way that you 'read hearts', I imagine, although it is more complicated than that... The Dark, provides many gifts to those who are willing to serve. These abilities can be divided into several categories be it far-sight, fore-sight, telepathy, empathy, kinetic abilities or even the ability to shape the very stuff from which worlds are made, what you would call sorcery. As Rood-Bearer you are unique in that if you choose you can do all of these things, although you will always have an affinity for those things you did best before... I for one could never get the knack of seeing through walls... walking yes, seeing no... thus Hardin's services were occasionally invaluable." The enchanter smiled bitterly. "The ability to speak with another mind-to-mind is not so far from what you previously experienced, but instead of passively "riding" your rhythm, I deliberately "matched" it, thus allowing an exchange of information. For an instant our minds were joined, so the thought I wished you to have, my calling your name, became realized in your head. Simple is it not?" He caught the Riskbreaker ruefully shaking his head in disbelief.
"Even when you try to speak plainly Sydney, your words sometimes baffle me." Ashley sighed and watched the fire for a moment, attempting to puzzle the new information out. "The idea of a person's rhythm is one I feel I grasp, but the rest, these are words I do not know. Tools of your particular trade perhaps?"
Sydney shifted a little attempting to find a more comfortable position. "Then let us start with those then, for it is very certain that you will be hearing them till you are sick of the sound by the end of your questioning." He noted the man's displeased face, and lowering his shields a little, recognized feelings of uselessness emanating from the man that echoed his own.
Perhaps this won't be so bad, he is truly determined to learn despite his lack of understanding... Having to depend on him is acceptable because we will depend on each other...
The cool air felt refreshing as he worked through his morning exercises. The patterns grew progressively more challenging, and the knight felt his focus returning as his sword cut clean lines through the mist. For a few minutes he allowed himself to put aside his increasingly odd dreams, and the lessons of the previous evening and simply let his body move in its deadly dance.
It's a hopeless task, really, what Sydney's trying to do... I'm a fighter, not a mage, it doesn't matter how powerful I am... my head's just not geared for such nonsense.
Ashley lined up his strokes and exploded into a much faster paced routine, grinning as he felt his body flowing with the new strength that the Rood could provide.
That at least I can handle, the increased physical attributes, what fighter in their right mind would be angry to find one day he was a little faster, a little stronger... even if it is unnatural I can live with it... but the rest? Having to learn dead languages, studying spells, raising demons? What do I know of these things... nothing What do I care for them ... nothing. Mahaps Sydney did not choose as well as he had hoped... but then who else was there... I would not grant this gift to any I called friend.
The knight ended the dance abruptly, holding his final position and contemplating Sydney's alternatives. There was no one else, his conscience made it perfectly clear. The only others who could have handled the shock of the Rood had all been church-men and so their motives were highly questionable. Destiny or not, the prophet had apparently made the best of a poor selection. Thoughts of the man instantly brought him to mind, and Ashley felt a little guilty. Both men had stayed up late into the night. The blonde never impatient or short with the often repetitive and wide ranging questions that the Riskbreaker asked. When Ashley finally caught the cultist yawning thrice in the span of one answer he realized that the lesson had gone on for more than long enough.
And to think he protested when I told him to sleep. Something's driving him... almost as if he knows that he isn't ... But no, he said he was recovering I have to believe that... the alternative is unacceptable.
Suddenly uncertain, the knight opened his mind a little, and concentrating being as un-intrusive as possible, reached towards the house. The man was still sleeping, his aura calm. It still felt strange, the shielding and the reaching, but the younger man had made a good case for its importance, and they had practiced the skills for some time. Ashley was gratified that the cultist did not once attempt to take unfair advantage of his 'open' mind like on earlier occasions. He always allowed the Riskbreaker his distance, allowing him to puzzle out the techniques on his own despite the fact that his solutions were often incorrect. Sydney's mind, a silver flickering, would carefully inspect each attempt, and gently show where the weakness lay. Finally Ashley built a wall around himself that Sydney could not slip past, and he watched in amazement as the mage threw progressively more and more energy at it until even the frail man was satisfied that it would do.
I shouldn't have let him do that... More than anything that must have depleted his reserves... If only magic would work! The only herbs to be found in this place are weak at best, and the supplies I found in Léa Monde are gone, lost during the final battle.
"The Dark... I suppose it would be easiest to think of it like water... like the sea. It has its own patterns and rhythms you see. When you cast a spell using the Dark, no matter how simple or how complex, it is as if you are looking down at the water trying to catch your reflection..." Sydney's eyes were dark and distant as he struggled to put his explanation into understandable terms for the knight. "Yes, a 'reflection' is a good example... so when the water is calm, you look and see yourself easily. When the Dark is tame, it submits to shaping easily and thus magic is at its most potent. But like water, the Dark can have disturbances in it, ripples and shocks, they make it harder to actualize the shapings, thus your cantrips become less and less effective... until there is so much disturbance, resonance, that no matter how you try, you cannot compel it to take any form at all... like water, you must wait until it calms... or search out a safe-harbor in the storm." He looked up and smiled wryly at the Riskbreaker's thoughtful expression.
But what if I carry the comparison another step...
Frowning Ashley re-sheathed his weapon. An idea that had been idling in his head since he awoke was suddenly blossoming in the front of his mind.
Something about the words "Safe Harbor." What if like water, different sources of the Dark, separated by natural boundaries, can be unaffected by the trauma of their neighbors?
He stared idly at the low mountain ridges surrounding the village, so old and gentle that he almost hadn't noticed the climb in his hike through the woods. The stream he had followed had disappeared into a crevasse at the base of the hillside, apparently spilling forth from some deep fount. He had then pushed further, driving his tired limbs up and over the muted summit, relying on instinct to guide him through the remainder of his journey.
'Basins' that's the word; if water can act differently in different basins... would not the Dark be similar? But what acts as the boundaries? Not simple mountains, surely... If we could reach such a boundary then we could find a place not affected by the destruction of Léa Monde. A place where magic will function normally...
Ashley felt suddenly driven to move, to search, now that his mission was known. Moving softly he donned a coat, the black leather soft and supple with age and set off into the woods to attempt to meditate.
I don't know how Sydney did it... even in a village this small, all those minds, all those thoughts and emotions swirling, it's impossible to concentrate on anything with my shields down. It is akin to holding a conversation in a mob. Valendia will be a challenge, 'tis sure... so many people so close together.
The woods were blessedly silent and when he was far enough from the town that he could drop his shields freely, he found a comfortable perch and began to search in earnest. The Dark, no longer drowned out by the incidental noises of the village, throbbed and pulsed through his mind, an almost hypnotic heartbeat. The Riskbreaker tapped it, and allowing his consciousness to flow out through the paths, attempted to prove or disprove his idea.
The evidence was easy to find, it hit him like a well placed hammer to the chest as soon as his mind streamed up over the edge of the valley. The power spilling from Léa Monde burned behind his eyes like the sun, knocking the air from his lungs in response as he desperately pulled his mind free. Unlike the almost sluggish, mellow flows in the valley, the power of Léa Monde shivered and screamed twisting in maddening, impossible patterns. Ashley saw that attempting to tame this power would have been to risk utter insanity and dissolution.
And now I know what resonance is... Gods, how could I not see that when I was in the midst of it? And why was it stopped so abruptly at the line of the hills? Did I inadvertently stumble into exactly what I seek? How could that be...
Ashley held out a hand and cautiously attempted the simplest spell he knew, a short couplet he had used often to purge all traces of poison from the blood. The Dark responded, but slowly, creeping into his hand rather like thick treacle. Willing himself to be patient, he coaxed it and after focusing it through the Rood-Inverse was at last able to unleash the spell. The result was naturally limited as he was in perfect health, but he gauged the intensity of the spell to be adequate enough to call the experiment a success. The consistency of the Dark had been troubling though, as torpid as it had been, pulling enough for a healing spell of the magnitude he required would take time.
Luckily, time is something I have in abundance this morning. As for the rest... maybe the Dark is like this when near a town... Rosencrantz did mention boundaries raised against it which surrounded the cities... but a hamlet this small... I think not... the church could hardly be bothered with the welfare of these simple people. No, there's something here... something that makes the Dark sleep... annoying perhaps, but if this is why the power of Léa Monde does not rage wild, I will not think too ill of it. Mayhaps Sydney will know more.
Settling more comfortably, Ashley began to gently pull again; forming the gathering energy into a single mass and holding it inside himself with the Rood. The process was pleasantly methodical and he let himself doze slightly.
The cheerful afternoon sunlight filtered through the freshly cleaned windows and, as if to spite him, spilled directly across his pillow. Hauling himself into wakefulness like a swimmer breaking the surface, Sydney was content at first to simply tolerate it, waiting for his mind to fully grasp what it was that caused him to attain his current state.
Still alive it seems... and alone... this is twice in two days, a new record methinks.
Moving very slowly so as not to repeat the previous day's mistakes, the mage worked his legs under him and sat up. His shoulders were still raw and painful, but it was familiar and he welcomed it as a sign that he was still attached to the living world. Sydney was beginning to fear falling asleep. It wasn't that his dreams were ominous or even unpleasant, they were simply growing more intense. It was weeks prior to the events of Léa Monde that Sydney had started these dreams, and they came to him every night, always the same. Prophet that he was, he knew the meaning.
I'm dreaming of the Shadow-Lands... of journeying to the center of the Dark... This isn't good... Please Lady... I need more time... just a little more time... not for myself but for him he is not ready...
"< They never are, child. >"
A gentle voice whispered in the recesses of his mind and almost caused him to smile. It had been too long since she had spoken to him.
< Tell me that I can stay... that I can see him safely fledged... Please... I will give you anything you like... >
"< Silly boy, you have already given me your life and soul, what do you have left? >"
Her voice was full of dry humor but Sydney could hear the curiosity in her tone. He hoped that he still held a place in her affections as he assumed his most innocent tone and decided to take a risk.
< My obedience... ? >
"< You are a sly one... Sydney. >"
< I had an excellent teacher my Lady. Do I have the time? >
<" Stubborn too. >"
< It is said that no man may be fully altered from his fundamental nature, my Lady. >
"< He means so much to you then, this Riskbreaker? More than my love? You seem determined to choose him over me. >"
< How could you say such a thing, of course I love you. It grieves me to think you find me so fickle. I just.... feel responsible for him, that's all... >
"< responsible hmm? Very well troublesome child, be assured you will have all the time that it is in my power to grant... but you know what you must do... >"
< I understand Lady, thank you Lady... >
"< I admit your choice is ... interesting. He possesses great strength but no ambition... we shall see what you can make of him, and after... we will see how obedient you can be... >"
Sydney heard her laughter while her presence faded. The glow of his minor victory over Müllencamp was short lived however as he realized the magnitude of the task before him. There much to do, and little time.
And Damned but I'm tired of hurting and being alone. Where are you Riskbreaker!
Sydney smirked remember how it still bothered the fighter to communicate mind-to-mind. Deciding to give the absent man a few more minutes to surface, He gingerly stood up and finding his legs sound, stumbled over to the hearth. The blonde had just finished leisurely making his way through his bread and cheese when his companion returned. The knight was curiously hunched over as though in pain but the grim satisfaction in his smile hinted at far more.
"You're awake I see, good. I wasn't sure how long I could hold this." He stumbled against the door, motioning for Sydney to stay as he was when the young man rose to assist. "I'm fine, it's just that this is harder than expected. I think... I think I have a surprise for you."
The mage watched in wonder as Ashley pulled himself up right and slowly joined him on the hearth. The knight's mind was tightly shielded, his plans unfathomable.
"I don't think I'm in much a mood for surprises Ashley, but as you wish, what is it? Are you injured?"
"First things first... I think the bandages will get in the way of this..."
Sydney suppressed a shiver as the Riskbreaker deftly worked to untie the knotted cloth on his chest. The man's hands were cold but held him steady as the more delicate work of removing the cloth from his back caused him to flinch in pain. At last satisfied that he could begin, Ashley allowed something of his satisfaction show in his face, determined to be able to gloat over the smaller man, even if it was absurdly childish.
"I've decided I'm tired of taking care of you, so I have thought of an alternate solution." As Sydney blinked, confusion and alarm obvious in his face, Ashley gathered together the energy that was threatening to blow him apart. "I won't ask you to trust me, but I swear to you, here and now, I will help you... whether you like it or not." Sydney continued to stare at him and eventually nodded.
"I trust you."
Ashley sighed in relief, he had not wanted to compel the mage to cooperate and was ready to show Sydney what it was that he had wrought. In a planned move he dropped his shields and began casting, holding the younger man firmly by the arms. Sydney's eyes went wide as the tendrils of healing energy flowed through his body. His pain fading, he sighed in pure relief and sagged forwards in to the Riskbreaker's hands. The knight watched carefully as the deep wounds slowly sealed, and the new skin, pale and unblemished, crept over the gaping sore. He concentrated on the comatose man, sending the energies deeper, trying to fill in the voids he sensed. Sydney's body accepted the energy voraciously but soon no matter how he tried, there were injuries that he could not comprehend.
'Tis as if as whatever is sent to repair the damage is bleeding out as fast as is added... He's much better to be sure, but these voids are troubling, if they cannot be sealed... he will eventually bleed away ...
I think I'm getting rather tired of passing out and being tucked into bed as well...
Sydney opened his eyes and blearily tried to reassemble the events prior to his falling asleep. He found himself staring stupidly at the thatching and listening as random birds chirped their evening songs. He was carefully bundled-up the blankets, warm and comfortable, and he felt deliciously relaxed, in a way that he usually equated with just recently having had really good sex. Somehow that seemed rather unlikely though, and desperately feeling that he was missing something obvious, he suddenly sat up.
"You seem to be feeling better."
Ashley's eyes were warm with concern and curiosity, and very close, as the blonde met his gaze, startled. The knight had apparently dozed off while watching him and was half propped against the bed. His rather rumpled and drowsy appearance added to the list of incongruities that Sydney had begun to tally about the man.
He is both very much alike and then completely unalike what I expected. Not surprising, I suppose given how little we truly know of one another... I can no longer sense his memories, he no longer has Miss Callo with whom to scrye souls, and his particular heart-reading abilities don't seem to work with me. But what has happened? I remember a surprise, he said something of a surprise... Ah well, the confusion is familiar enough, but at least I didn't wake alone...
"Sydney." A warm touch on the young man's shoulder brought his attention back to the matter at hand and the cultist had an epiphany. Staring in wonder at the older man's worried face, Sydney cautiously rolled his shoulders and then deliberately stretched. Movements that used to be excruciatingly painful were suddenly as they should be. He was whole and unscathed for the first time since Léa Monde.
"I'm..." words failed him. "You... how? How was this wrought? This is nothing I taught you... was it?" Sydney felt both profoundly grateful and shocked his student's precocious endeavor. He desperately wracked his mind for just what had happened the previous evening that had inspired Ashley to go to the lengths he obviously had.
"Both yes, and no..." Ashley chuckled ruefully. "It was what you said about "safe harbors," calm places hidden in the midst of more turbulent ones. It stayed in my thoughts as I slept, and this morning I followed my instincts and discovered that this valley was precisely one such place... but I was hoping that you might know why? The Dark is calm here, 'tis sure, but it is almost too calm, as if it is sleeping... It also seems simply too convenient to my mind that we just happen to come to this valley in our wandering..."
Sydney frowned, mulling the Riskbreaker's words over in his mind. He was quickly distracted however as he stared at the dull finish on his arms and the dust and grime caked into his pants. The prophet could not suppress his growl of disgust and determinedly rising form bed gave the knight a sharp look.
"It can wait." Ashley blinked in shock. "I'm filthy, Ashley, I've been filthy for days." He stalked over to the pile of clothes the knight had rejected as being too small and riffled through them. "I want to bathe, now, I'll spin you tales until you're blue but, after I'm clean, I beg you. Where's the well?" Following the silent man's vague gesture he gathered a bundle of clothes together and stormed out of the cabin fiercely shutting the door behind him.
The Riskbreaker stared in amazement at the door. The younger man's sudden burst of energy had been startling.
I guess... I guess I should've expected that. He was energetic enough in the city. God knows that the cultist managed to stay one step ahead of me right up until the end. I would have never considered him a fastidious person though... just shows how little I know... how does he manage it I wonder, with claws, did he get waited on hand and foot? Does he need help?
Shrugging off the potential for embarrassment, Ashley considered joining the smaller man outside but changed his mind. Hoping to forestall any further shocks to his tired body, he reached out and touched Sydney's thoughts.
Sydney. Do you need... did you find... is everything all right?
A jumbled series of impressions flickered through his mind as well as the sound of Sydney's laughter. The prophet had obviously sensed something of Ashley's emotions as well as the words he projected. The man was shivering in the cool evening air as he pulled the bucket out of the well and stirred it with a claw.
I'm fine, Riskbreaker. I have had my claws for several years now... you could say I've become rather adept at manipulating them. I suppose you left the soap somewhere?
Seeing through the cultist's eyes was a little disorienting for the knight and he focused on keeping himself well grounded. Ignoring the potentially painful process of becoming adept at tending to daily needs with claws, Ashley focused on the conversation at hand, certain that Sydney would pick up on his discomfort.
'Tis on the bench... I think. By the window... and stop laughing whelp it was an honest concern.
Yes mother your concern is appreciated... but think, what ever would you have done if I did need your help?
I would help you, what else?
Sydney allowed himself a happy chuckle as he carefully severed the strings holding his ragged pants to his hips and began the slow process of scrubbing the blood and dust from his body. The knight's simple answer was heavily laden with aggrieved overtones. The prophet decided that it was vastly more entertaining to tease the Riskbreaker then his previous companions in Müllencamp. Unlike his fellow cultists, Ashley's reactions were not tempered by fear or respect, only by the man's natural politeness. It was fun to watch the stern knight's composure waiver when faced with such every day human interaction.
'Tis like even he is startled to realize that under the training and cold reason, there remains somehow the man he must once have been. As little as I know... I think I like this man, he's more gentle than the Riskbreaker ever could be, and I begin to see a sense of humor as well. What ever the VKP did to fashion their perfect soldier, it was monstrous to mutilate him so, to attempt to kill such a brilliant soul...
Sydney shivered again as he poured the cold water over his body and began to carefully soap his hair grimacing as his sharp fingers occasionally clipped the strands instead of combing them. He hadn't been lying about being able to tend his own needs, his freshly cleaned skin attested to that. However there was no way to comb the knots out of his hair without using his claws and the sacrifices they entailed. Sighing, he rinsed his hair and drying himself he donned the new plants, satisfied with their dark color, and then reached out for a warm woolen robe.
Adjustments... so many adjustments... but that is the way of things, and now it seems that I must come up with answers for my irate lawman.
"Tell me Agent Riot, have you been dreaming lately?" Sydney shut the door primly and claimed the bowl silently offered. The tall man took in his damp appearance seemingly unfazed while he pondered the question.
"Truthfully? Yes. But they're of a peculiar nature and quickly dismissed upon waking so I didn't think to trouble you."
"Tell me of your dreams, Ashley." Sydney stared at the man, forcing him to meet his eye. "They're likely far more important than you realize."
"They're nothing..." He grimaced at Sydney's doubtful expression. "As it please you then, but they make little sense, I find myself in a land of mist, where everything, the sky, the ground, everything is gray. Sometimes I am alone, sometimes I can see shapes, shadows, and hear voices. There is a woman as well... a very beautiful woman." Ashley trailed off suddenly, aware that he was rambling and looked up to see Sydney staring into the fire.
"Müllencamp."
The knight was uncertain how to reply to the word, sensing Sydney was deep within a memory. The cultist looked suddenly old and impossibly wise as he studied the flames. The firelight washed what little color was contained in his gray eyes out to pale burnished silver. Eternal and melancholy, Sydney's profile was magnetic.
"Sydney." Ashley was loath to shake the man but needed answers. "Sydney, what does this mean? Also, when I was healing you, there was something odd, Sydney I need you to stay here with me, focus, Damn You. This gift will do me little good if I cannot control it. And I do not comprehend fully what is happening to me, or what I am seeing." His frustration and worry leaked into his voice despite his determination, and made it harsher than intended. The raw emotion seemed to jog the smaller man out of his trance, and his eyes focused on Ashley with disturbing intensity.
"Then listen well Riskbreaker, for I will tell you all."
yeay made it through part 2! Having troubles figuring out how to NOT have every waking moment detailed for the sake of the sanity of the reader but hopefully these 'hints' at larger conversations are doing the trick...
So now we've met all the key players... Ashley, Sydney and Müllencamp! ("John" is John Hardin, Sydney's recently deceased...hmmm.... Friend : ) ). Hurrah
Anyway next chapter is set 1.5 weeks later in Valendia, skipping to the action etc. If you want to know all the nitty gritty of being a Rood-bearer come whine to me after you get a Rood of your own!
Lunar.