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Post by Guest on Nov 26, 2010 1:28:59 GMT -5
((11-5, occurs the day after Picking Up the Pieces: Maison Leferve))
Stay safe.
Delicate fingers pressed against the thick parchment, a slow trail as two nails traced the hastily written font.
Live free.
The night, as always, had been engulfed by another day, yet even with its first languid rays touching the land, its now steady work of casting away yesterday’s shadows, none of these occurrences made what was now upon her any easier: to understand; to forget. With sleep had come failure, and waking brought with it only more confusion.
Olivie had chosen to leave. And the elf found herself not quite knowing how to feel.
Glancing down at the letter once more, grey eyes stubbornly scanned, taking in each sentence as if it were the first time, something new perhaps found with the arrival of morning that simply could not be found with the close of night. But it remained the same: inked words unchanging, mocking her for these futile attempts until she simply could not read it any more.
Why...Why now?
Kaiera's grip on the parchment tightened, knowing her question would likely always go unanswered: the other woman's purpose had obviously been satisfied; there was simply no need to travel together anymore. But did she have to leave so abruptly? Could she not spare the time to at least tell her of her decision to her face?
The entire event was…unforeseen. Painful, in a way she did not think possible, a similar facet of reality she did not wish to have to endure a second time. Both of her original traveling companions had been lost to her now; both going their separate ways whether by choice or by force. And here she remained in Lydes: alone.
No; her mind reminded, you have Aure still.
Though, somehow, it was not the same and the fact did not properly comfort. The young noble was her sister, the one the elf continued to, and always would, care for above all others, yet…something had changed; shifted. Something neither could deny. When they spoke at the cafe, it was as if they could merely grasp on what had been; when they looked in each other’s eyes, they avoided shadows where once they could face them openly. It was as if they were strangers awkwardly trying to fit into a preordained intimacy, their attempt at recalling fonder memories like the stretching of old clothes.
While Kaiera did not begrudge the fact, it very possible their location supported this sudden inability to truly connect, there were now noticeable gaps in their lives. Something lost along the way. Before, each woman knew every factor of the other’s existence extensively. It was undeniably selfish, but she found herself hoping that nothing would truly change, and that everything, once frozen from her departure, would simply resume when the two saw each other once again. It had been a foolish thought, the elf now realized. They had both changed. Aure did not look upon her as she once did; a mixture of surprise and something she could not yet name...Disapproval of what she had become? And, still, there was the moment in the cafe where she had asked the noble to trust her and...It was brief -- so very brief -- but it looked as if she could not. Just that had hurt more than she could say....
Have we grown so far apart?
Kaiera shook the grim notion away. If anything was to save their relationship – what they once had – they would need to talk; truly converse, away from the public’s eye, with masks unworn. Rising from the formerly made bed, the elf smoothed her long skirt, soft, temporary wrinkles there from sitting. It had been so long since she had last donned a dress, but the manner one held when in one, came back naturally. In an attempt to please Aure, to give an image once remembered, she had picked one of her own creations: a soothing dark for the bottom, a forest of green folds that draped pleasantly about her legs as if silk. The top and accompanying shawl, a simple ivory with tastefully plunging neck, small red ribbon adorned at the top of each full sleeve. Elegant, yet simple, Kaiera even choosing to leave the curly waves of her brown hair free as if to further convey a sense of openness her earlier updo had not.
.
Looking in a provided mirror to check her appearance one last time, she left the room without a sound, wishing to keep her resting Peko the way he was. While not a long way, Aure's room had been on a higher level, the quality and price of rooms also rising with each floor; the elf glad she did not meet her sister's chevalier bodyguard at her door, he perhaps grabbing something to eat or even sleeping still. Ignoring the sudden assault upon her nerves as she reached her door, Kaiera's hand was already held out, gently rapping on the wooden entrance.
The door opened and the corner of her lips curled upward in a smile, the same smile that always came when seeing Aure’s face. “Good morning. Did you rest well?" Her expression became slightly apologetic. "It is early, I know, but I had hoped we might have our discussion now. I…need to speak with you.” It was not a slip; her use of ‘need’ was entirely intentional: the elf wished to immediately show a vulnerability of sorts…And perhaps promote some of her sister’s own.
Being allowed in, Kaiera’s eyes instinctively took in her surroundings: gaze not only viewing the room as appropriately tasteful, but also all the locations an intruder could hide. It was another trait gained from her time with Olivie, though, she used eyes where the human had danced about the room, searching.
Hearing the door softly shut behind her and discovering no threat, she released a small sigh, “So here we are, at last alone.” Pausing, Kaiera eyes rested momentarily on the neutral walls, before roving back to blue orbs. "Olivie has...left." She did not wish to linger. "I am still willing to answer whatever questions you may have, but not now;” not now…, “let us talk – just…talk. As we used to. Can we...Is that all right?” Such choppy sentiments: but she knew no other way to phrase it, this desire to speak on any subject other than the business they had here, but prayed Aure would agree as she allowed herself further in. Turning around and reestablishing eye contact, she waited; sitting without invitation in another’s quarters would be the very definition of rude.
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Post by Aure Balfour on Nov 26, 2010 16:37:06 GMT -5
Aure knew before she opened her eyes that she was not in Val Royeaux. She did not float in some blissful state of warm confusion where her surroundings were familiar, yet not, as she did nearly every year they traveled from the city to the country to spend time enjoying the sunshine and the fresh air and slower pace of summer life.
The walls of this inn were entirely too thin. Had the place been constructed of boards instead of stone? Secret passages and decades of dust and secrets did not insulate these walls, each room abutted the other, and she’d heard voices in the night; voices in the hallway and voices in the street outside her window. Muffled thumps attested to the clumsiness of the tenant next door and more rhythmic sounds betrayed those on the other side. The stairs at the end of the hall creaked oddly and the building shifted in ways that differed from the quiet groans and odd protests of the ages old Balfour estates.
Rolling over, Aure let her gaze rest on the window. The drapes were drawn, their centre split by a harsh line of bright sunlight, as if the day either mocked her or sought to entice her from the bed. While comfortable enough, it was not her bed. The linen, thickly banded damask, pleased her, as did the light warmth of the goose down quilt. But the pillows did not cushion her head just so, despite the softness of their cover. And the scent of lavender did not drift from the fibres; the linen almost lacked scent, as if it had been boiled until no trace of life remained. Perhaps it had.
There were myriad other reasons why her surroundings irked her, but to lay beneath the quilt and bemoan them all silently to herself would only serve to sour her mood and she hoped to greet the day optimistically. She had found her sister and even if the presence of the maid, Olivie, did not entirely suit her plans, the woman might provide more answers than questions, if she could talk of something other than poisoned cakes and exposed windows and oblique shadows.
A knock sounded at her door and Aure’s brow creased in irritation, an unconscious reaction to the interruption of her thoughts. Then she recalled her request the evening before, that Kaiera attend her this morning. Surely that would be her now? She always did like to rise at an indecent hour.
Throwing the covers aside at last, with no trace of the reluctance she previously felt, Aure collected her robe and slipped it about her shoulders before walking to the door. After ascertaining the identity of her visitor, she opened the door to find her companion standing there, a familiar smile at her mouth.
After a polite exchange, Kaiera’s face assumed a repentant look. "It is early, I know, but I had hoped we might have our discussion now. I…need to speak with you.”
Slender, dark brows drew down in concern and Aure stepped back, inviting the elf into her room, reaching out as Kaiera passed to place a hand gently on her arm. “What is it?” she asked, worried by her tone and choice of words.
Instead of immediately answering, Kaiera let out a short sigh. “So here we are, at last alone.” She paused, her gaze roaming the room once more and Aure turned, wondering what she looked for? The room had an understated elegance about it, a plainness she did not find altogether displeasing. Perhaps the elf sought poisoned food and shadows at the window... "Olivie has...left. I am still willing to answer whatever questions you may have, but not now;” Aure frowned as Kaiera continued, “let us talk – just…talk. As we used to. Can we...Is that all right?”
My sister has changed so much, how is it she still looks the same, sounds the same, but is not?
Dropping her hand, Aure surprised herself and perhaps Kaiera. She asked no questions, she simply nodded and said quietly, “Of course.” Gesturing the arrangement of chaise and chairs set before the fire, Aure applied herself to the drapes rather than waiting for her companion to do it for her. She pulled them aside, letting the weak autumn sunlight flood the room, lighting a square of floor and chasing shadows to their corners. The light only served to highlight the blandness of the furnishings, but Aure welcomed the brightness, hoping it would similarly banish the shadows she perceived in the other woman.
Taking a seat on the chaise, Aure invited the elf to sit with her. “Sit with me, Kai, as we used to…” she deliberately used the diminutive name and echoed the words of her request, as we used to, and she prepared to take the woman’s hands in her own, as they sometimes did, so they could connect, properly, and evict the spectre between them. The manner of her departure, her new found independence, her choice of traveling companion (who had left, oddly, and so perhaps had not been such a good choice after all) all faded into the background as Aure made herself available to a different request. Kaiera had used the word ‘need’. Her companion rarely used words without thought. “…and you can tell me of your days since last we spoke.”
This had been a ritual once, though it usually occurred before evening firelight and not harsh morning sunlight. But always they spoke of their days, keeping one another apprised of the important and the trivial, as sisters did.
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Post by Guest on Nov 27, 2010 22:37:00 GMT -5
“Of course.” Two words so key in her remembrance to breathe....
Kaiera exhaled her relief with the confirmation, every burden, every doubt that this discussion would actually take place leaving with the gradually departing stream. It was obvious the other was worried, and she had not meant to concern her so, but it seemed that even she could not successfully conceal this new urgency.
“…Thank you.” There was a time when such need not be spoken, when one would simply know the other’s gratitude, but she had meant the statement from her very heart and felt the need to show this…Just in case another connection between them had been lost.
Her sister then proceeded in opening the curtains while she adverted her eyes from the sudden, pale light that began to invade the room, watching, as it shooed away fleeing shadows with its efforts to bring in the day. The very action itself, subtle as it may be, showed a shift – that perhaps, the noble lay dormant; sleeping still. Aure was a proper lady in every sense of the word; never, would she allow another to see her only in her nightclothes, covered solely with robe – unless she was comfortable with that person, did not care they saw her without the aid of make-up and pretense – something she hoped to be one last saving grace.
A thing more than the desperate clinging of one who has just realized everything has fallen apart…
“Sit with me, Kai, as we used to…” Aure had seated herself on the chaise longue, the action almost immediately triggering a memory of when hand and listening ear had been offered – and refused. How it equally warmed and pained her heart that her sister was willing to leave herself vulnerable to such rejection yet again…But this was no fight for her freedom; no ominous debate loomed on purpose, so the elf stepped forward: every motion showing she was appreciative of this offer. “…and you can tell me of your days since last we spoke.”
My days... “Yes.” She sat close to the other woman, not needing space to echo this new distance between them, wishing more than anything to prove it wrong. Her hands, pausing for but a moment as they hesitantly hovered, gave a ghost of a touch to Aure’s before fingers threaded intimately with her own “I…” The words clung stubbornly to her tongue and would not come loose, piling up with their lack of departure like cotton at her throat. How did one begin this tale – this yarn where all prior naivety had been lost? How could she tell her sister of this change, of the dream that was Val Royeaux and the harsh reality that was everything else? Kaiera felt the foreign, yet familiar sting, the damp warmth forming at her eyes in frustration and...
Helplessness?
A tear made its wet descent down her cheek.
This had not changed, this was how it always was when so close to Aure, and perhaps this was how it always would be. Such liquid emotions: a mere lock of their eyes and she felt stripped bare – could hide nothing. There were times past where it felt like a horrible intrusion, when she wished to somehow veil how she felt, always keeping a secure hold on what was shown and what was not, but now…It felt welcome? Desired. Here she stayed with the one person in all of Orlais that she wished to open up to – ‘could’ open up to – and the realization of this, the lessening of her guard and dropping of her wall when she could not do so for so long…Each became a vicious crack in a dam that could no longer hold.
"Lonely..." It was a despondent croak, the one word, the only accurate summary she could think to give of her journey, and, immediately a hand flew to her mouth as if in horror. That had surely been too dramatic – she had shown too much...Maker, but was it not true? To say it -- to finally birth it into the air and give it tangible life! The dam flew mercifully open. "Each step brought with it the thought of you -- of the loss. Times I could not sleep, the despair so strong. Always -- always -- would I try to escape it; never for long, never..." The words trailed off, her bottom lip quivering as Kaiera pulled back her hands, grey orbs darting away in shame. She should have no right to say such things; she who decided to leave -- she who made all of this possible. But was it so selfish to admit to Aure that she had missed her? That ever since they parted, something had not been the same? "I...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't..." She could not finish.
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Post by Aure Balfour on Nov 28, 2010 21:33:41 GMT -5
Aure watched quietly as Kaiera appeared to think over her journey. While her companion always chose her words carefully, she did not usually deliberate for quite so long. Something had happened then, something she struggled to articulate. Something worse than sea sickness and a hard wagon bench.
The tear, she did not expect. Brows dipping towards one another in a frown, Aure pursed her lips as the elf started, stopped, started, then gave in to emotion and let the wetness of her eyes spill over to trace a line down her cheek. Kaiera did not cry, not usually, and Aure found herself unprepared for the sight. Did she tend the elf as she would a simple creature? A nervous horse responded well to a soft word and firm touch, a cat to a dish of cream and particular pillow in the sunny spot beneath her window. Peko enjoyed a song and Aure had sung to the bird, privately of course, during Kaiera’s infrequent absences and feathers ruffled and chirps fretted. But how to comfort her companion? She opted for something subtle, a gentle pressure upon her fingers entwined with hers.
She sensed the other woman wanted return to what once was, when a look confirmed a shared thought and a laugh might start at the same time. Could they be so close again? Sisters grew together, did they not? Not apart?
The elf managed one word: "Lonely…" and Aure stiffened. Yet still she maintained control of her tongue though it pressed to the back of her teeth, ready to turn the single word back upon its owner in retort.
"Each step brought with it the thought of you -- of the loss. Times I could not sleep, the despair so strong. Always -- always -- would I try to escape it; never for long, never...I...I'm so sorry. I shouldn't..."
Aure’s first thought was uncharitable. She fought the natural urge to verbally swoop upon the weak and exposed woman before her and tried to console herself with the fact she would never admit to such despair. Never! Kaiera had witnessed it, of course, but they did not speak of it. Ever! Her companion had not seen the most recent episodes of rage and despondency wrought upon the Balfour household, however, because she had left... and had been the cause of them.
Fingers plucked from the tangle and Aure gestured the carafe of water on the bureau before rising to fetch it. Kaiera could, should, get it for her, but the young noblewoman needed to remove herself from the other’s presence, quickly, before she lost control of her temper. It would do them no good. They had had that discussion and Kaiera had left. Recrimination gained nothing. Revisiting the reasons her sister had abandoned her would only cause more harsh words to be exchanged.
Placing both hands flat atop the cool surface of the bureau, Aure leaned into them momentarily and took three deep, calming breaths. Then she gathered the tray, seeing that two glasses sat on it, and returned to the chaise, setting it on the low table before them. She poured the water, she handed it to the elf, the role reversal stunning her even as she did it. But the simple motions had served their purpose and she felt ready to continue their conversation, except… she had yet to speak.
“So the mai-, Olivie, was not good company then?” she said, her voice dry and soft. At one time such a callous remark might have been met with giggles from them both, an exchanged look that said: We are terrible, but we speak the truth! She meant it as an opening, an attempt to cajole a smile from her companion, an offer to change direction. Would it be taken that way?
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Post by Guest on Nov 29, 2010 1:48:25 GMT -5
A mistake.
To say such things; to open up; to be vulnerable…And this had been her reward: words perhaps heard and then, in her state, ignored. Aure said nothing, wrenching free and retreating from her as if she could not possibly part fast enough; leaving the elf behind cold. And something shut down. A wall had been summoned, so fast, rising against this person she so readily called ‘sister’ – this person she thought to confide in when there had been no place else – no one else, after so long.
But she had been careless. Foolish. Momentarily, forgetting the very essence of what it was to be an Orlesian, and now, paying the price.
The game never ended.
Reaching into an expertly concealed pocket of her skirt as the noble leaned into the bureau and paused, Kaiera retrieved a small handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes and cheeks until they were dry; counted slow, deep breaths until emotion tinged and burdened them no longer.
Aure had then come back: serving, pouring, offering, all a role not hers as the elf could only instinctively take the glass. “So the mai-,” A soft tone began before immediately rectifying, “Olivie, was not good company then?”
Was…this jest? It had taken a few moments for it to actually process, and Kaiera could only stare at the unreadable expression before blinking and looking away. Hands; floor; feet; wall…Until the comment was still inappropriate. Still insulting. And it was as if the rift between them had only widened.
Foolish. So very foolish….
She spoke only when sure her words would not be tainted with unnecessary emotion. “You should not burden yourself.” Not for my sake. “Say she is your maid – she would not care. Should I?” Grasp on the glass now tighter, Kaiera willed her hand not to shake as she raised the glass to trembling lips, only to set it down. “I will tell you of my days. Discount everything said before.” Pain… “I did what was required.” This terrible pain… “I sought to find this stolen artifact and the maid accompanied me because she held information that would help. I traveled also with another elf that was an acquaintance of hers, and he served as our guide.” Something inside burned.... “With two strangers, I traveled through wilderness, night and day; sleeping on earth and scavenging for food until days merely blended into one another.” An incessant throb… “When we had finally reached a city, I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing a woman – an elf – molested by a chevalier. The crowd gathered, staring, did not see fit to act, so I did. I pulled a dagger on the knight and he knocked me to the ground; he-” This incompletion, this hitch, was not a part of the story, but the elf had no tears to show, “he attempted to do the same. I was hunted. Saved by our guide, who in return, had to flee for his life in exchange for the continuance of my own.” She swallowed her guilt now, a bitter taste. “The maid did not leave me even though I am certain many, in that situation, would. I then experienced how it is to want to kill another: to want, with every fiber of your being, a person to feel more than death – more than pain…And how it was to be denied it. An attempt to save a fleeting innocence. And then, accompanied with the maid and paranoia, came Lydes: where I found you.” Not here for her; only here.
It was a dirge complete, the elf finding herself empty of anything more to say.
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Post by Aure Balfour on Dec 2, 2010 8:58:21 GMT -5
Why did she do this? Why could she not admit the same? I am lonely too... No.
Aure’s reaction comprised many facets, no small part of the combination being pride. A noblewoman rarely expressed her true feelings except before those closest to her, such as companions and sisters. Both roles Kaiera had left behind with her departure from Val Royeaux. Aure could no more make herself forgive the elf for leaving than she could forgive her mother for dying or her pets for sickening or her father for sending Leon away. These things were facts and apparently beyond her control. What place forgiveness where she had no sway?
She could still feel the anger, the loss and the grief. She could no show it, however, because to do so might invite Kaiera back in and that she would not do. A bird once free chafed at its confinement ever after.
They needed to begin again, on a different footing. One more… equal.
Kaiera told her story. Though the elf kept her tone even, a hand trembled and eyes betrayed her. Did she forget that for nineteen years they had sat side by side and told everything? Aure knew her sister’s joy and pain, and despite the drift of the past two years as the young noblewoman sought to secure her position in Val Royeaux society, she could still read the other, intimately.
Surely she speaks fiction, some fanciful tale spun to fool and evoke reaction, to repay my coldness? Aure only had to look at Kaiera and hear the hitch, the pause as she told of the chevalier knocking her to the ground… because she had pulled a dagger -- a dagger! -- on him in protection of another… to know the elf spoke the truth.
This chevalier then attempted to molest her sister.
Bright spots of colour appeared on Aure’s pale cheeks and her hands, which had been resting lightly in her lap, curled in upon themselves, nails biting into palms, the clench reflected all over her form. Her shoulders drew back, her chin lifted and her lips pressed into a small, hard pout. The blue of her eyes might have deepened as the familiar pull of utter outrage swelled within. Rationally, she knew her anger would serve no purpose, it never did. It left her drained, shamed and with a headache that often took days to recede.
As Kaiera swallowed visibly, Aure did also, her throat tight with repressed emotion, and pain flitted across her features, briefly, as she forced the lump down and away, pushing with it a visible reaction to the tale.
And so her companion had come to Lydes by way of misadventure rather than a brief visit with discomfort. She had fallen from the nest and hit the ground with a resounding thump, and yet remained upright. Pride of a different sort swept through Aure and the young woman turned her face away at last, lest her eyes betray her. The window amplified the weak sunlight and it felt warm upon her cheeks. Closing her eyes against the brightness, she studied the orange glow behind her lids and began the task of letting go, fingers unfurling, shoulders falling softly, chin dropping once more.
I should tell her the fault is her own, she should never have left.
I should tell her I am proud of her courage and compassion.
I should tell her…
Opening her eyes, Aure spoke to the window. “I should never have let you go.” She turned and sought the grey gaze of her sister, her own eyes bright with the last complete thought, communicating both the pride and compassion she had sought to keep to herself. “I am so sorry, Kai.”
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Post by Guest on Dec 2, 2010 16:38:24 GMT -5
Empty. In every sense of the word, Kaiera felt this.
Bare…
She had parted with her tale, finally exhaled the burden of it to another and had no more to give; felt nothing. No relief. Nor respite. An odd brand of emotion passing through as she merely observed -- how one was supposed to feel, yet not being able to properly touch it.
This was not how it went in the stories; there appeared no happy ending in sight – so what was one to do? Come, absolution: was that not your cue? And where was healing, so proverbially tasked to this very moment – should it not be, now, proudly striding in? The elf had waited, waited in the terrible silence that now gripped them both, yet they failed her, and still, she felt nothing.
The elf had not been blind to her sister’s reactions; the flush of color; her rising temper: she just could no longer feel them – did not wish to feel, it so safe where she was. Numbness provided a different wall, one to be hidden behind until pain ran away. But she was no longer naïve, and even as she gave into it, she knew the victory only temporary. Pain lessened, if one proved lucky, but never did it leave.
But Aure had turned away, and everything, now, was the tiniest bit easier as Kaiera watched the rapport between her and the window with cold eyes, this invisible connection between them she could not give.
“I should never have let you go.” Instantaneous. Her eyes widened with the shock, words hitting her like a physical thing, hard and unyielding.
This cannot…
She cannot…
I…
Quickly, the elf attempted to guard herself, to convince that the statement had been taken the wrong way: that it was nothing more than a flat mourning for a lost possession…But it was too late – and she could not mute her reaction fast enough. The woman’s head turned to face her, to capture everything of her expression that should not have been revealed while her .
“I am so sorry, Kai.” The emotion -- the vile emotion -- was there; finally. Finally...
And the elf found she could not stand it. How easily it came to the human to completely drain her of everything – everything – she was before snapping her back in, stunning her with the heat of her words and leaving her helpless, all over. Kaiera refused to cry; refused to break.
Yet always…for her: A glance to her hand, I bend…
So slowly, the air left her now parted lips. “You had no choice in the matter.” The statement was not intended to be harsh, but an acknowledgment that no steps could be made forward without absolute truth. “I had departed long before that day. In body, I remained, but I was always elsewhere in spirit; you, my only anchor.” She took the other's hand, turning it until palm was revealed and angry red marks greeted her, fingers smoothing the warm surface, thumb seeking to erase the four indentations made by her nails in anger. “So, do not be sorry. You…are the first I have told.” The noble could not know how much this meant -- she could not. “Olivie was there when it happened – saw when it occurred – but I could not tell her.” The wall…Such a subtle descent…. “Do you understand? I could not share this before you.”
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Post by Aure Balfour on Dec 3, 2010 11:18:55 GMT -5
The undercurrent of anger she felt from the elf was not unexpected. It had been there all along and the flare of it, following her words, matched the dip of her own. Aure appeared to make a careful study of her fingernails, then, though the perfect, creamy arches failed to capture her attention. Instead she wondered at what to say next. She had her own small news to share. Though her interview with the bard hardly compared to Kaiera’s adventure, she looked forward to picking over the meeting with a like mind, studying every nuance of setting and conversation, limited as it had been, for hidden meaning.
“You had no choice in the matter.”
No, she had not. Though it irked the noblewoman to admit this, and she would not verbally, she had had no choice. Therein lay the root of her despair. In letting Kaiera go she had acknowledged the elf as a separate entity to herself. Though a part of her understood the difference between an allowed freedom and a true departure, she never liked to dwell upon it. The matter highlighted the gap between them as human and elf, one she had learned to acknowledge as time passed and her father’s indulgence towards her ‘sister’ waned.
Kaiera continued to speak, but Aure let the words pass by with little notice. She did not attempt to understand the difference between the role of witness or confessor; instead she felt fatigued by the argument below the surface and sought to put an end to it once and for all. Taking her hand from Kaiera’s, she reached for the second glass and poured herself water. She sipped at it, surprised by the parched state of her throat as the water glided past the imagined bruise. Putting down the glass, she turned to her companion.
“And now it is shared,” she acknowledged quietly. A quick twist of her lips as she gauged the other’s expression. Could they move forward now and avoid the mire of regret? Aure chose her next words carefully. “We will work together now, you and I, if you still wish to pursue your goal, that of aiding our family.” Our family, not mine alone. “I will endeavor to treat you as you deserve, Kai, and I beg your forgiveness for when I slip. Old habits… long learned, not easily forgotten.” The colour still stained her cheeks at speaking so plainly, but Aure determinedly cast aside the temptation to skirt truths and mask emotions. This new, equitable partnership would only suffer from such artifice. Straightening her spine, Aure resumed her noble bearing and continued, her tone less plain, her voice softer. “I will always be what I am, Kaiera. When we are out there,” she gestured the window, “I will play my part.”
“Shall we move forward?” A simple question encompassing many complex issues.
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Post by Guest on Dec 3, 2010 19:43:45 GMT -5
"And now it is shared,”
Yes. Kaiera gave a nod that echoed the thought. Yet where does that leave us? She had no true desire to go into detail – not yet, and there was a tension that still lingered in the air, this second parting of their hands, a whisper inside that it would be better, for now, if that merely moved on. She let her sister continue.
“We will work together now, you and I, if you still wish to pursue your goal, that of aiding our family.” She said this to strike some sort of chord, perhaps, but there lay a fact never hidden: Aure, alone, was her sister. The elf sought the artifact, not for her father, but in an effort to repay all her sister had done. “I will endeavor to treat you as you deserve, Kai, and I beg your forgiveness for when I slip. Old habits… long learned, not easily forgotten.”
Her brow rose, surprised at this declaration and how very straight it had been delivered. "Then I am grateful. Both because I know this will be difficult for you and that there are many who do far less."
Aure's back then straightened, and it was as if she could view the mask's triumphant return. “I will always be what I am, Kaiera. When we are out there,” she gestured the window, as if it were an entirely different world. Isn't it? “I will play my part.”
“I see. It seems we all have our parts to play." Her tone was jaded; the human would always have more roles – more choice – and that is what she sought to change. "Though, I would ask, when we are alone, together as we are now; you are only yourself. The sister I know, and not the noble life ordains you be.” While she assumed that request would be easily accepted, she had her doubts on what she would bring up next. “I will not, however, be playing the part of servant. I did not leave Val Royeaux, endure everything I have, only to become lady's maid once more. Others may assume what they will, but we travel as equals, Aure -- nothing else.”
There would be no negotiations; no compromises, and Kaiera let it hang between them before being asked if ready to move forward.
Is that not all we can do? She attempted a smile. “I fear I have been selfish. Please; tell me of your days while I was away. And, more importantly, how you fare, Aure -- truly now.” Body angled even more to the woman across from her, Kaiera hoped to convey she gave her full attention. "From what you told me earlier, it appears you have your own purpose for being in Lydes, but we were never able to get to the 'why'. I apologize for my...antics at the cafe, but I was not sure who was listening and you spoke so very openly, all with hushed tone and tilted head." The elf had meant to tease with the last bit; they had both just passed such a great hurdle: the rest of their conversation need not be so grim, did it?
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Post by Aure Balfour on Dec 5, 2010 13:36:22 GMT -5
"Though, I would ask, when we are alone, together as we are now; you are only yourself,” Kaiera asked. “The sister I know, and not the noble life ordains you be.”
Aure tried not to frown. Had she not just said that?
“I will not, however, be playing the part of servant. I did not leave Val Royeaux, endure everything I have, only to become lady's maid once more. Others may assume what they will, but we travel as equals, Aure -- nothing else.”
The young noblewoman’s face became stiff with the effort against frowning. Breath out a small breath, not a sigh, more a noted exhalation, Aure pursed her lips and said, “I do not expect you to be my servant, Kaiera. But to travel as equals, to pose as such, outside this room, I…” Kaiera’s grey eyes seemed to speak her response – on this she would not compromise. A proper sigh forced its way out. “I will try, this is not Val Royeaux, after all.”
Kaiera attempted a smile. “I fear I have been selfish. Please; tell me of your days while I was away. And, more importantly, how you fare, Aure -- truly now.” Her companion continued, reiterating their attempt at conversation in the café and asking her to excuse the ensuing fuss, even while admonishing Aure’s apparently startling lack of tact.
Smoothing her hands over her robe and blinking at the pale violet silk as if only just realising she had yet to dress, Aure attempted to explain her own ‘antics’. “Well obviously I am here on business; I did not see the harm in saying so. One would hardly visit Lydes for any other reason.” Certainly not for the market. “My father allowed me to take a meeting in Val Royeaux with a most unusual individual. His entire manner served to twist perception – his room, his clothing, his voice and his words. But knew which direction you had gone, I suspect soon he will also hear of your further adventures. This man also had news for my father.” Here, Aure smiled and Kaiera would see the woman she knew well as a certain spark lit her blue eyes. “I think the marquis hoped I would be so put off by my meeting with the bard that I would discontinue my course.” She caught her companion’s eye. “He was wrong of course. I am here to deliver a message on his behalf, he now thinks a night aboard a boat and a dusty wagon ride will dissuade me. Again, he is wrong. I intend to see this through.”
Aure loved her father, deeply. That affection transformed both her expression and her voice as she continued. “He is so troubled, Kai. I cannot return until have that which he seeks.” Dark lashes brushed her cheeks as she recalled all that her father had told her: what he sought and why. He had confided in her, properly. The pride at being trusted had won out over the trepidation at her course. I will not fail that trust. Opening her eyes once more, she twisted her fingers in the satin folds of cloth across her lap. “I will not return without this artifact.”
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Post by Guest on Dec 5, 2010 23:21:31 GMT -5
Aure smoothed the invisible creases that supposedly marred the delicate silk of her robe before answering, and Kaiera felt a small twitch, a smile made real as her sister blinked, as if in wonder, at the rich material. It is as if she only notices now she still wears her night clothes. That, in itself, was impressive as much as it was appreciated: appearance was never far from a lady’s mind.
“Well obviously I am here on business;” Obviously. She had to quell a troublesome giggle, it tickling its way up her throat, pressing insistently against her lips; her noble appeared proud of her role, and she did not wish to take that from her, “I did not see the harm in saying so. One would hardly visit Lydes for any other reason.”
“Oh, Lydes is not so terrible.” Grey orbs strayed to the window as if challenging the city to defend itself. “It possesses a sort of…rustic charm, no? Flat and plain...And the dust finds such charming places to settle….” The transition was beautiful, a normal exchange now like the putting on of an old glove. The mountain had been endured, and she welcomed this calmer valley as her sister went on.
“My father allowed me to take a meeting in Val Royeaux with a most unusual individual.” The tone of their conversation shifted once more, all humor and cynicism leaving her eyes as she listened intently. Unusual? “His entire manner served to twist perception – his room, his clothing, his voice and his words. But knew which direction you had gone, I suspect soon he will also hear of your further adventures." Slender brows dipped just so, the elf finding herself unsure of how to feel on that particular revelation -- on how this unknown of a man having knowledge of her location: took an interest in her. It seemed, once more, she was to be reminded of her failed role in playing a 'simple elf'. Placing such thoughts away for now, she let the other continue uninterrupted. "This man also had news for my father.” Aure smiled, it, the tiny crack in her demeanor as she smiled as well, eyes cast demurely away; Kaiera had not missed that she mentioned the discovery of her location before the marquis's news. “I think the marquis hoped I would be so put off by my meeting with the bard that I would discontinue my course.”
A bard? And you went to see this man alone? The elf’s first instinct was to scold her. Her sister was no helpless maiden and knew her way about the sword, but bards were not to be trusted, even if one appeared docile – it was a fact every Orelesian knew.
Yet, the same pride touched her tone now, and Aure captured her gaze as if vying for approval; an acknowledgment of being affected. “He was wrong of course.”
“You are safe. That is all that matters.” You were reckless, but I will not bring it up.
“I am here to deliver a message on his behalf, he now thinks a night aboard a boat and a dusty wagon ride will dissuade me. Again, he is wrong. I intend to see this through.” Such conviction...Kaiera found herself reminded of her cause: this was why she searched -- this was why she would succeed in finding Leliana. Recovering the artifact could not repay...But it would suit as one last parting gift.
“He is so troubled, Kai." A tightness grew in her chest; Aure's trembled with this confession, as if a breath held for so very long. "I cannot return until have that which he seeks.” Her eyes closed and the mask was allowed to slip; a face so open: the slight quiver of eyelids, the thin line of lips – all of it showed how much she cared for the man; her father. All of it, the open declaration and honesty, somehow foreign…
Because I am no longer servant. A servant is not privy to their master’s intentions.
Blue eyes then snapped open, the clear depths carrying a new intensity. “I will not return without this artifact.”
There was a pull, passing yet powerful, to grip the other’s hand once more – to squeeze it with a firm reassurance…But, the elf resisted. Two attempts, earlier made, had been so easily broken, and she did not wish to force a connection that would not be wanted. “I…we, will find it. I swear this. You will not return to Val Royeaux with nothing to show.” Your father will be proud. And, you will be happy. She prayed; she hoped.
“Tell me more of this message. To whom is it to be delivered? What are its contents?” Immediately, she felt a focus come into play, a new crispness of tone that came when knowing there were things to be done. "I would also like to know everything that the marquis has relinquished to you so far." We must be on the same page. "Afterward, I will do the same: we will compare what we have gathered and go on from there."
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Post by Aure Balfour on Dec 6, 2010 20:17:25 GMT -5
“Oh, Lydes is not so terrible,” Kaiera started and Aure arched a single brow as if daring her to find something to recommend the place. “It possesses a sort of…rustic charm, no? Flat and plain...And the dust finds such charming places to settle….”
Aure smiled. “Diverting as it may be, I doubt I will be mentioning this particular sojourn at Lady Deniaud’s next fete. I will have to say I visited the country, out of season, or perhaps Val Chevin, the autumn is pretty along the coast.”
As she related her encounter with the bard, Aure received the distinct impression Kaiera thought her foolhardy. Something in her posture, a brief shift of her features. “You are safe. That is all that matters.” A patronizing tone?
“The marquis arranged the meeting; he would not expose me to unnecessary danger.” He might aim to unsettle me, frighten me, but nothing more. “And I had Ser Gerard with me, of course.” The chevalier had remained outside the oddly furnished room, but he did not carry his sword for the purpose of mere ornamentation.
She continued detailing her purpose in Lydes, oblivious to Kaiera’s thoughts.
“I…we, will find it. I swear this. You will not return to Val Royeaux with nothing to show,” Kaiera said and Aure dipped her head in a quick nod that said: Of course. Her companion then had a list of questions and Aure listened politely until an exchange was offered: what her father had confided in her for what information Kaiera had gathered.
Though the noblewoman’s demeanor did not change, she withdrew slightly. The questions she would answer, the request for information she would skirt. What her father had told her had not been written down; it existed only in his mind and now hers. Though Kaiera felt she must help, she did not seek the artifact for the same purpose; it did not mean to her what it did to the Balfours. Also, the elf had yet to adequately explain the presence of Olivie, and what purpose the maid had had in aiding her. Aure did not think her companion would betray her, but she had done more than leave her service when she set foot outside the Balfour residence that day. She had, in a sense, left her sister behind.
“I have a letter to deliver to the Silk Stocking,” Aure began. “It is addressed to a ‘Monsieur Gravet’ in Denerim. Apparently mail between assassins and bards does not travel via the usual routes,” she commented dryly. “The last person to see this artifact, a bard named Leliana, is in Ferelden, but she may be heading here, to the Dales. Monsieur Gravet sent word she left Denerim for somewhere north. Perhaps she intends to take a ship?” Which would place her in Jader, probably no sooner than the tenth.
Aure stood and paced to the window, coming to rest beside the drape so that she could see through without being seen from without – not that she suspected anyone would be looking for her, not really. Turning to face Kaiera she began asking her own questions. “Do you know of this establishment, the Silk Stocking? I fear it is a low class lingerie shop; it is not very discreetly named.” A single brow arched in amusement. “Now, what news have you? I must admit I still do not understand why you were traveling with the maid.” With her equilibrium restored, Aure no longer faltered over calling a spade a spade. It did occur, of course, that Olivie had been in her house for a purpose other than changing sheets and sweeping up the remains of shattered snow globes, but Kaiera would enjoy telling her so and so she left the details to her companion to share.
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Post by Guest on Dec 7, 2010 1:42:09 GMT -5
“I have a letter to deliver to the Silk Stocking,” The name conjured no immediate image, no specific location; though, if this was a letter with content that pertained to the artifact – which it had if in her sister’s possession – it would no doubt be similar to the place she met Mr. T. “It is addressed to a ‘Monsieur Gravet’ in Denerim. Apparently mail between assassins and bards does not travel via the usual routes,”
The noble had no idea of the truth in her words. With Olivie, her mind had been opened to an entire underground system, one that went far beyond the coded words they seemed so fond of using. “Monsieur Gravet”. If the letter you wish to deliver is from your father, then they are contacts, correct?” Kaiera thought on the name, but, it too, was unfamiliar. This likely having something to do with the fact he lived in Denerim. Why would the marquis contact this man? Unless, what he searched for.... It remained a likelihood and there were things that could be inferred at this point. With what the elf had asked, she sought to answer far more than the presented queries. “Also, the bard you mentioned earlier, the one in your meeting; do you know his name? A persona he goes by?” The man remained a concern. She did not have her former companion’s contacts, but she did have the power of her name; it was possible she could send a message to this bard, make an ally or monitor an enemy.
Continuing on, Aure told her of Leliana, and how it was suspected she made her way to the Dales, the bard spotted heading somewhere north by the marquis's adviser. “Perhaps she intends to take a ship?”
So, the thief is in Ferelden. But a ship? Kaiera wondered if her sister's guess was simply that or derived from another's information. “Are you confident she makes her way here? If she were headed toward water, would the marquis not fear an escape?” Unless...the artifact is not on her. And, is somewhere else. Kaiera paused, a thoughtful visage fixed to convey a pensive moment, but truly – truly – the elf reviewed the information shared…Was that really all Aure knew? If so, it was…disappointing. The elf had hoped that, given her father's supposed role in all this, his daughter would know far more. From her own words, the man appeared significantly troubled, and the elf could not see a reason he would not eventual share his troubles with the persistent young noble. Perchance, the nature of the artifact was even revealed...But she was not after that. Always, the elf had focused on Leliana's whereabouts more than on the treasure stolen; trouble always came from knowing too much, and her way was much simpler. “During my travels, I have been made known of the bard as well – this Leliana. I was led to believe that she was here, in Lydes. But, I see now, that is no longer the case.” Her sister’s words confirmed this and so did Olivie’s failure to find her informant friend. “If she does head north of Denerim, it could, unfortunately, still mean a variety of places." Her Ferelden geography was not prolific, but she knew at least its major cities. Amaranthine; Highever...Then, the Waking Sea...
Turning from her view of the window after pacing for a time, Aure began a more specific interrogation. “Do you know of this establishment, the Silk Stocking? I fear it is a low class lingerie shop; it is not very discreetly named.” Her sister appeared amused while Kaiera shook her head with a small smile: given only a month ago, she would have no doubt thought the same thing. “Now, what news have you? I must admit I still do not understand why you were traveling with the maid.”
“I do not know of the establishment; no. Though; I do not think it a lingerie shop.” Perhaps, a brothel. That would make the far better cover if it indeed was a part of the underground. A place men would flock, both for woman and drink. Drink… A thought suddenly occurred. “There is a bar, in the city: the Rusty Mace. After your business at the Silk Stocking is concluded, I will need to go there.” Thinking on her other questions, Kaiera could only sigh. “As for news, there is nothing that you do not already know. The thief is the bard Leliana and I assumed she would be in the city – it is the sole reason I am here. I had no clue she was not even in Orlais." It was a disparaging thought; all this time, all this effort, and she remained none closer. "As for Olivie. I have already told that we traveled together because we shared the same goal: the thief. She did not seek the artifact, but came of a personal matter." One the elf was not willing to share; the very least she could do was keep Olivie's motivations her own. “But, it matters not. She is gone and has assured me her role in all this has come to an end. What we should focus on are the leads we have.”
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Post by Aure Balfour on Dec 8, 2010 13:33:10 GMT -5
“Monsieur Gravet”. If the letter you wish to deliver is from your father, then they are contacts, correct?”
“Yes,” Aure confirmed. “Monsieur Gravet is a recent contact.” Casting a sly look at Kaiera, she assumed rather than asked: “You read my father’s correspondence. It was in the secret drawer, the one we discovered. So you know there is a Fantôme somewhere in the Dales, one who is directing this correspondence back and forth, putting bard in touch with noble with assassin.”
After a thoughtful pause, Kaiera pursued her line of questioning. “…the bard you mentioned earlier, the one in your meeting; do you know his name? A persona he goes by?”
The young noblewoman shook her head. “No.” A quick lift of the shoulders, offered in apology, and she pressed forward with her news, detailing some of the information she’d obtained from her father.
“Are you confident she makes her way here? If she were headed toward water, would the marquis not fear an escape?”
Touching the tip of her thumb to pursed lips, Aure pondered this. She had asked her father the same question and now she gave Kaiera the very same answer he’d given her. “She spent some time moving about the Dales before she disappeared. Either she laid a false trail, or she left something here and tried to cover her tracks. It is no coincidence, I think, that so many interested parties are gathered here. People are missing and others are turning up where they should not be.”
Kaiera began sharing what she knew – apparently Leliana’s identity had been revealed to her also. “If she does head north of Denerim, it could, unfortunately, still mean a variety of places."
“True, but a moth is drawn to flame, is it not? We are all here; I cannot help but feel the stir of something greater than dust in the marketplace.” Aure dipped her head, a light flush taking her cheeks. Kaiera will think I have read too many dramas. But the notion that she had become involved in something greater than the exchange of malicious gossip over paper thin porcelain tea cups caused excitement to grip her and her fingers curled towards her palms once more. “We must go to Jader, Kaiera, when our business here is concluded. I have the funds to procure a pair of horses, if suitable mounts can be found in such a backwater.” And I would much rather ride than endure another hard wagon bench.
Kaiera had not heard of the Silk Stocking, but inferred it might not be a lingerie shop. Something in her tone or perhaps the shift of her eyes conveyed exactly what she did think with might be: a bordello. It would be difficult to approach such a place, as a woman. They would have to come up with a plan. (While aware women did patronize such establishments, it did not occur that she would or could, she was a noblewoman after all. She did not have to pay for her entertainments and her tastes were easily catered to by the gentlemen she did spend time with.)
“There is a bar, in the city: the Rusty Mace,” Kaiera noted. “After your business at the Silk Stocking is concluded, I will need to go there.”
Why? Aure asked silently, blue eyes alight with the question.
The elf attempted to explain, once again, Olivie’s role in everything. Apparently she sought Leliana, not the orb. "But, it matters not. She is gone and has assured me her role in all this has come to an end. What we should focus on are the leads we have.”
“She must have found what she sought – Leliana.” Aure nibbled on her lower lip in frustration. Olivie, and her part in the affair did not sit comfortably with her, but she sensed her companion’s reticence to talk further on the subject and so she let it drop, for now. Letting the reddened curve of her lip go, the noblewoman plucked at her robe. “I must dress and then we shall do as you propose. Focus on our leads.” Catching Kaiera’s grey gaze, she asked, “How are we to approach a brothel?” Her eyes narrowed in thought a moment and then they widened and sparked with amusement. “We could send Ser Gerard.”
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Post by Guest on Dec 8, 2010 16:02:07 GMT -5
Kaiera saw her sly expression, and merely smiled when Aure claimed she read her father's correspondence; a furtive glint to her eye that told she was right in her assumption. A girl must have her secrets… This particular secret was rightly won, and she felt nothing more need be said on the matter.
She found herself disappointed once more, however, when she was met with a negative, her sister claiming she had no knowledge of the bard’s name. Another tactic then...“You had a good look at this bard, yes? Certainly so if engaged in conversation. Tell me then, what did he look like – was there a distinctive trait or marking, perhaps?” Anything would be better than nothing, and she could certainly not ask for information only on the pretense of it being on a ‘male bard’.
Aure further answered her questioning of the thief's intent in travel, providing a response that left her impressed. “It is no coincidence, I think, that so many interested parties are gathered here. People are missing and others are turning up where they should not be.”
Such as? It was a tempting thought, and immediately, her mind went to Olivie's informant that had suddenly gone missing...But it did not touch her tongue -- there would be time for that later.
Kaiera had concluded their had been other places Leliana could go, but her sister answered confidently once more. “True, but a moth is drawn to flame, is it not?” It would be more precise to say a bird… “We are all here; I cannot help but feel the stir of something greater than dust in the marketplace.” Kaiera chuckled, her sister spoke of such drama. This excites you. She caught the curl of her fingers, the light brush of color across her cheeks, but it was not so surprising; Aure remained a noble and they took such perverse pleasure from these sorts of things. “We must go to Jader, Kaiera, when our business here is concluded. I have the funds to procure a pair of horses, if suitable mounts can be found in such a backwater.”
The elf nodded. “Then, we will begin search after we are done with our tasks. The city is a gateway, of sorts, and I can only imagine many people pass through – there must be proper mounts somewhere.” Just the notion that she would not have to walk was almost enough to make her swoon; all the walking had kept her fit and her body trim, but it was such horrible, repetitive work on the feet.
She had seen many emotions dance about her sister's blue orbs, it now clear that she wondered on the 'why' when declaring her intentions in visiting the Rusty Mace.
Her face betrayed nothing but nonchalance. “It is merely another place that provides information. And you are not the only one with something to deliver.”
Giving what she did about Olivie, she was not shocked that Aure did not appear satisfied. “She must have found what she sought – Leliana.” No; but it was easier still to let a person draw their own conclusions in these situations; Aure then switched focuses, plucking at her robe. “I must dress and then we shall do as you propose. Focus on our leads.” She suddenly looked at her inquisitively, “How are we to approach a brothel?” A good question; though Kaiera wondered more on how her sister had accurately captured her thoughts. She had not said she thought it a brothel aloud, did she? But she suddenly inclined a brow when witnessing her sister's eyes narrow and then widen with such obvious humor. “We could send Ser Gerard.”
The unexpected proposal set a slow smile to her lips, one of revelation. "We could..." Yes, let the bodyguard be ordered to such an irreparable place; though, from her experience, it was not so far a stretch for one of their rank. Of course, logic, as always, swiftly sunk in and her expression dropped. "But no -- I have business there as well." Not only did she have business there, but she did not trust the knight to not make a fool of himself. "And, if this is the sort of establishment that I suspect it is, they would have already known him with you -- they may even know he is a chevalier." We can't risk that. "You are too important, Aure; they all watch your every move." She did not expound on 'they', a hand rising as she shut her eyes in obvious aggravation, two fingers now massaging her temple. "I will have to accompany him." Kaiera ground the words out. The Maker was a cruel, merciless bastard, of this she needed no more convincing. "As a willing...escort."
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