-╪ Tuatha De Dannan ╪- [ Medieval Fantasy / Steampunk ]

[Talise Anora]

Rikki Tikki Travi

"I feel it best that I warn you of Miss Anora's penchant for jokes. I doubt she would attempt such a thing within these walls, but be ready just the same." he said with a wink.

Nae blinks at the mock warning and feels her cheeks flush slightly with the wink. Despite his earlier, and confusing, behavior the young knight did possessive something of a roguish charm. She offers him a warm smile and a small curtsy as he took his leave. Upon rising she noticed a swish of sparkle and sheen coming down the hallway towards her. Cyrillia had emerged.

The smile remains on her face as her friend and fellow apprentice approached. Briefly her eyes trail over what the other young lady was wearing, then down at herself and her own attire. A simple, lightly patterned thin red linen dress and her silver armband. Nae recalled how plain she felt in comparison to the blonde when Cyrillia first arrived at the tower. Jewels in her hair, shimmering gowns. She was the perfect example of elven nobility. It had surprised her when the other apprentice had continued to dress in her finery, even when some of their apprentice chores were, let's say less than delicate by nature. But, she supposed, once a noble always a noble. Nae knew in her heart that Cyrillia would make a fine nobleman's wife someday.

"Good morning Cyrillia. I hope you slept well, even with our eventful night," she greeted her companion pleasantly. Her eyes fell upon the spellbook clutched against the green bodice. "Are you off to memorize your dailies? I have already started the water for the Kae'dryn's tea, just in case. I'm not sure when Heron will be back, though I hope it is early. Until he returns you and I will need to be extra vigilant I think. Heavens knows what kind of mood the mistress will be in when she comes down."

I am a leaf on the wind...

 

[Thaedrian]

Cheshiyre

Ash lightly knocked on the edge of the crate. "Evalin?" she called to the inhabitant within. "Are you in there?"

Never mistake tears for sadness...

That timelessness between curling up and the sound of Ash's voice had been a relief. Even now she could feel the deep sleep trying to reclaim her but instead of instilling a sense of peace it merely compounded her panic and inability to think. The ridiculous position she found herself in... Gods above, she was mortified. How impaired had her mind been however many hours ago? How much time had passed, anyway? Evalin didn't want to move. Infact, she wanted to give in to the childhood instinct of pretending to be asleep in the hopes that Ash would go away and somehow forget...

But no, she wasn't a child anymore, no matter how often she might act like it. Inwardly wincing, she drew a deep breath and rose. At least, she had meant to rise. Instead she banged her head on the cover of the crate, jab herself with an arrow, and found that her left side was entirely cramped up. Muttering some choice words about foolish decisions, she made a more cautious ascent, this time managing some of the grace supposedly inherent to her heritage though there was no chance of diginity at this point.

The cover was drawn back and she swung her legs over the edge, dropping to the floor and managing to support herself as the cramp in her left side eased. With a sense of confidence she did not feel, Eva met Ash's gaze and smiled wanly.

"Good morning. And to you, Asmyrra."

Evalin did not look at her, could not look at her. She would start laughing hysterically if she did. As if she needed to add 'possibly insane' to their suspicions. As if it wasn't already there... The smile remained, fixed, but her left eye began to twitch slightly. It was too much.

...that will only bring you grief.

 

[Seraphi Thorne]

She couldn't help it. She really couldn't. Oh, how she tried... And failed.

To contain the snrrk of amusement that escaped at the muffled «THUMP!» that burst from the crate as the person within shifted.

Even as the sound of snuffed laughter sneaked it's way out, Asmyrra had turned and raised a tattooed hand to her face, trying too late to hide the entirely inappropriate amusement. It wasn't her fault, after all. It wasn't like she was laughing at Evalin, and her invisible struggle. But as the curses and thumps continued briefly, Asmyrra's mind could all to clearly imagine either situations very similar that she had traversed "gracefully", or seen others try to handle with dignity themselves. She understood all to clearly...

Mornings were the worst part of the day. For everyone.

Clearing her throat with no small amount of chagrin, Asmyrra exerted her determined will towards stilling her (apparent) amusement by the time Evalin had managed to conquer the crate, and emerge victorious. Indeed, as the other woman offered the morning pleasantry, Asmyrra's nod was only marred by a faint touch of crimson on her otherwise pale azure features, and those dark lips seemed to be struggling to remain un-quirked. Feeling her amusement struggling to win over once more at Eva's disheveled appearance, Asmyrra cleared her throat again, and turned that slanted gaze more critical, as though looking for signs of injury.

"A good morning to you as well, Evalin... Though I am surprised you elected to stay in the crate, rather than your hammock," that purring soprano replied to the other woman. "Are you feeling well this morning? Your injuries, are they still troubling you...?"

There was no mistaking the sincerity in that last question, at least. She really did seem worried that Evalin would still be struggling with the grievous wounds she had suffered...  

[Thaedrian]

Never mistake tears for sadness...

It was, unfortunately, impossible to sink through a solid floor in shame. Oh, but how she wished for it in that moment. Even dying from embarrassment would be preferable than having to face this. Evalin's gaze ended up settling somewhere over Asmyrra's head as she turned toward her, cheeks a deep crimson by now. The curse of her pale complexion; Evalin could only do so much to hide her true feelings at that moment.

"I am quite well, thank you. Just a scratch, really."

Understatement of the century made, and in the most blasé tone she could manage, Evalin sneaked a glance at Asmyrra's face. The question was... well, it made sense, didn't it? She had to ask. But the emotion behind it was... troubling. Voice soft, she added "Honest word, I am fine. Clearly a little disoriented," She gestured to the crate with a rueful smile. "Nothing a little rest won't help."

...that will only bring you grief.

 

[--Winters-Cruel-Fate--]

The young girl looked up and smiled as she saw Naelonni, "Good morning, Nae!" she stopped as she now stood before her friend. She noticed the look that her friend gave her, nothing bad but it was the usual look that seemed to ask 'you're okay wearing that?' Cyrillia knew that her clothes were outlandish if anything, she was an apprentice yet she still found herself wearing the dresses and clothes her parents gave her before they left and never returned.

Maybe she would try wearing clothes that were bought from a tailor?

Shaking the thought from her mind, nodded as Nae mentioned the fact Heron was still on leave as well as the chores, yes Cyrillia had to hurry to get back of course the elf was considering to push her spell aside until after all was taken care of or test it on her break. "You are right of course, I do not wish to make the Kae'drynn any angrier than she might still be." she now said, her brows furrowing with worry for the visitors.  

[Cheshiyre]

Ash had waited patiently after tapping on the crate for some kind of answer from the presumed inhabitant. She had not, however, expected the reply to come in the form of several abrupt and painful sounding thumps and some colourfully exclaimed mutterings. A pale hand lept to her mounth, muffling the surprised giggle before it had the chance to escape. Eyes absolutely dancing with mirth darted up to connect with Asmyrra's likewise amused gaze. For a brief moment, the angel felt a little guilty for waking the girl in this fashion, and also finding the situation so entertaining. But really, Eva had hidden in a box. What other form of reception could she have possibly expected?

The hand at her lips dropped immediately with the emergence of the halfling and the angel schooled her expression as best she could. Watching the girl climb out and awkwardly adjust herself, Ash took the opportunity to inspect her movements, attempting to detect any pains beyond the predictable discomfort from spending the night in the small, enclosed space. Even as the girl exchanged words with the commander, the angel could not find anything truly outward other than Eva's bizarre choice of sleeping arrangements.

"I am relieved to hear you are doing so well," she answered the halfling's reassurances sincerely. "I would still very much like to take a look at you, if only to confirm your health. However, I think we should consider moving this conversation to the tower before we go much further. You're companions will likely be up before Relm makes an appearance, and I admit I'd really like to speak to all of you in private before she comes down. I've really made a mess of things. I'd hate to see any of her annoyance with me destroy any chances you had with her."

Biting her lip worriedly, she glanced between the two Elven bloods. "She'll forgive me for my foolishness eventually. But she'll have no qualms tossing you lot out on your noses without a second glance." Her concerned gaze settles on Evalin. "Are you well enough to walk a short ways, or do you think you'll need to be carried? It is uphill but the path is relatively clear."
 

[Talise Anora]

Nae Nae waited for a moment after Cyrillia finished speaking, then gave a silent sigh when her question to the other apprentice was left unanswered. First the knight, now Cyrillia? Nae was starting to wonder if there was just something about her that encouraged people to simply forget her. She took a deep breath, recovering her calm, and gave a polite smile to the other young lady.

"None of us wish to upset the Kae'dryn. And I'm sure if we work together, we will be able to make the day as pleasant as possible. Now," she tells the other woman gently, "I have attended to everyone here on. Do we have any idea what happened to the other guests? The angel and the Kael'dori? They are the only two I haven't accounted for. Perhaps you could find them and see to their needs while I finish up breakfast?"

I am a leaf on the wind...

 

[Thaedrian]

Never mistake tears for sadness...

Evalin regarded the woman with some amusement. Ash seemed to think she would be capable of carrying her... well, maybe that was true. She could have meant by some magical means and yet this ridiculous mental image persisted.

"Ah, no, thank you. I will be grateful for the chance to stretch my legs."

Retrieving her cloak, Evalin debated for a brief moment over her bow. Perhaps this Kae'dryn would see such things as a threat. Likely not. She would feel safer with her weapon of choice by her side. Slinging the quiver over her shoulder, she lifted the yew bow and winced, ghost pains spiking through her middle like needles. Well, if she could even string the thing, that would be an accomplishment. Even her arrows that pierced all magic would be useless. "Wonderful," she muttered. Before the pain could get worse, she placed one of the roots in her mouth without thinking then turned back.

"Well, shall we?"

...that will only bring you grief.

 

[Seraphi Thorne]

It was still perfectly clear that there was an element of doubt in those violet-hued eyes as Asmyrra watched Evalin prepare herself for travel, but... She did manage to remain quiet, despite her concerns. Giving Eva a firm nod, Asmyrra lead their merry group back up to the top of the ship. Allowing the other two passage before her, Asmyrra sealed up the entry door to the lower decks as she'd remembered the ship's captain doing so the previous day. No need to get the high-strung little inventor worked up more than was necessary, especially in regards to her precious ship...

Once at the railing of the ship, however, those concerns for Eva's health would not be ignored. A dive into near-freezing water, followed by a strenuous swim to the shore? No... she was not willing to subject the probably still-injured woman to such difficult conditions. Stars, even she was loathe to take that plunge, and her own injury was more of a nuisance at this stage than a concern.

Instead, two of those tiny down feathers were withdrawn from her pouch, and Asmyrra turned to her compatriots and explained the spell. A simple matter, really... Reduce the weight of the enchantment-bearer to virtually nothing for a few minutes, and allow Ash to glide them to the shore. No need for a frigid swim on anyone's part, that way...

Once explained, Asmyrra allowed the other two a chance to voice any disagreement, before she began working the enchantments to allow them to begin the trek towards that slightly off-center tower just beginning to be graced by the light of the sun cresting over a nearby peak...  

[Seraphi Thorne]

Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the bed. Domini had not really slept in one of those things (other than the one in her cabin) for a fair number of years. The lumps were all wrong... That, or they were just missing.

Maybe it was the strangeness of the tower. The little inventor's mind had been all kinds of aflutter from the chaotic events when sleep (read: unconsciousness) had claimed her. Indeed, the food so generously provided by the other diminutive Kael'dorei elf had actually been left unfinished...

...Not that she remembered that, anyway...

But maybe it was the warmth snuggled against her back, instead. The warm drifting of air across the nape of her neck from the person curled contentedly behind her. The slim arms twined around Domini's waist so comfortably... So many reasons that the little inventor found herself beginning to stir a good handful of hours before Talise might have expected her to. And after the momentary disorientation of waking up in a state other than alone, the unexpected relaxation and burrowing back against the happily unexpected warmth that followed...

. o O ((My apologies for the delays on posting for the last few days, been struggling with a lingering writer's block. Promise to be working on it, if for no other reason than to give Cheshiyre something enjoyable to read before her insane work days... ^.^; )) O o .  

[Cheshiyre]

The appearance of the small feathers drawn from Asmyrra's belongings brought a nod of recognition from the angel, signalling for the commander to proceed with her spell. She tuned out slightly during the explanation, which was really more for the halfling's sake anyhow, and scanned their surroundings for any signs of movement. Briefly she closed her eyes and extended her senses through the divine, searching for any of her winged brethren that might be lurking in the midst. Despite how ridiculously improbable it would be to find any other winged guardians this far north, the pale angel's paranoia would not quiet until she'd taken every precaution. Perhaps it was too many years on the lam. Perhaps it was the gravity of the possible consequences.

Or maybe it was the memory of what an utter fool she'd made of herself back at the tower.

Either way, she did not shed her cloak until her minor scan came back negative. Ash folded the fabric once and draped it over an arm, then took a step back to give herself some space from the other two. She hesitated for a moment and seriously considered the intelligence of her next course of action. Although it was reasonable to believe Evalin might have seen one of her brethren unmasked before, she was uncertain how the girl would respond to her unveiling. The halfling was not nearly high enough in ranking to have any idea that the leadership circle in the Order were actually real angels and not just mortal men blessed with divine providence. How would she react to someone she thought outside of the Order displaying those gifts?

With a faint shake of her head, she mentally pushed aside such thoughts. There was only really one way to find out and she'd come too far to turn back now. Closing her eyes tight, Ash steeled herself as she waited for the familiar soprano voice of the commander to finish chanting the spell. As the weightlessness effect fell over her two companions, the angel shifted, allowing her wings to appear and unfurl, stretching out fully around her. Before either of the other two had a chance to react, she lept from her spot, snatching one of them in each arm before coasting off away from the ship and over the lake. The shore wasn't far, but she did not stop there. With a few healthy beats of her wings, she took the opportunity the spell provided to fly them as far up the path as time would allow. Asmyrra had cast this spell many times before, so Ash had a pretty decent idea of its duration. She was very pleased that she managed to get them up passed the steepest region of the path before necessity required her to set them down again.

The landing was ginger, but steady and the angel released her two passengers with care. Again she took a step back to distance herself slightly, although this time the act was more out of a self consciousness than spacial comfort. She could not bring herself to lift her eyes to the halfling's face, unsure as to what expression she'd find there. Silently she cursed her own cowardice. How would she ever face Gabriel's wrath if she couldn't even withstand the surprise of a foot solider?

Quickly she vanished her wings and donned her cloak. Without a word to the others, she turned on her heels and headed up the path, her internal chastising continuing with every step she took.
 

[Thaedrian]

Never mistake tears for sadness...

Eva could feel the spell being cast around her and wished yet again that she had the strength to do what once would have been done without thought. To string her bow, cast her own spell, defy gravity... to walk to the the sorceress's tower without the worry that she might collapse. She had never been infirm in her life. Mild illnesses, sure, and an inconvenience of a few days at most. This was different. So the self pity was new. Mentally sighing, Eva prepared to jump over the edge of the ship. The water was bound to be cold. She had assumed that was how they meant to depart when she saw no ladder. But then they were in the air and as the ground sped past beneath them, all Eva could think was 'AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH".

Upon rejoining the ground, she managed to keep her feet, barely. Eyes wide, hands clenched into fists, Eva could not speak. She couldn't even think--what had just happened?? The idiot had wings?! But that was... it wasn't possible... WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED?!

How it came out was more along the lines of: "Wha... how did... what?? You don't just do that without warning!!" This last directed at the retreating back of Ash, the apparent... not angel. Eva just could not even consider that right now. And what had she done? She had transported them off the ship without a dip into probably freezing water. So Eva should probably be thankful except who the hell just grabs people like that??

Raking her fingers through her hair, Eva crouched on the ground and tried to get her breathing under control before she started hyperventilating. Her calm self, her rational self, was slowly taking over. What, exactly, had she seen? Wings. She had seen wings. That may have looked rather like--No. It wasn't possible. It wasn't. Her nails were digging into her scalp, red hair twisted between her fingers. "Nnngh..."

There was that doubt again, insistent now that she could not run. Could not rationalize it away. And yet, her rational self murmured. And yet. Her hands dropped away as she rose up. Silent, shaking, unshed tears stinging her eyes. A deep breath and the tears went away. Straightening, shoulders back, she turned to follow Ash. Even as she was screaming on the inside. It wouldn't do to break down now. She did not have that luxury.

...that will only bring you grief.

 

[Seraphi Thorne]

The thrill of flight was something that would probably never get old for Asmyrra. Were the shaping of the Weave not so exhausting (or obvious), it was a work that she would often use. Thus, having some experience from the previous day with Ash's tendency to come up from behind and aloft, Asmyrra was prepared for the sudden seizure and departure from the ship.

Indeed, Asmyrra found her breath catching in her throat as their benefactor beat those magnificent wings above them, causing the ground to rush past at delightful speed. The desire to call out in exuberance warred with the spectacular combination of terror and exhilaration within her muscles, trapping her voice and causing her breath to quickly become an excited gasping. Indeed, by the time the pale angel alighted on the ground a fair distance up the path, Asmyrra was as out of breath as she would have been had she run the path herself.

Once on the ground, Asmyrra glanced over at her companion-in-flight, her violet eyes almost aglow with an inner glee... A glow that quickly dimmed and vanished as she saw the anguished state Evalin seemed to be in. Indeed, as she saw the other woman's fingers tightening in the tousled red tresses, Asmyrra took a hesitant step or two towards her...

Idiot. Foolish, foolish idiot.

Of course someone who'd lived most of their life in the Cathedral would be completely unfamiliar with such joys. Indeed, she had been among her and Johannes's own troops for so long that she hadn't even considered how alien... how heretical... her shaping of the Weave might have been taken. Half-extending a hand to Eva, Asmyrra struggled to recapture her voice...

...Only to let the effort dissipate as Evalin seemed to gather her fortitude and rise. Dark-coloured lips pressed faintly together in concern as Asmyrra watched the other woman pull herself together, and another note was added to the mental list regarding the suspicions and concerns about Evalin. Asmyrra turned to follow the other two women, allowing the last part of the journey to the tower to pass in relative silence...  

[Cheshiyre]

Evalin's startled protest did not fall on deaf ears and Ash winced at the exclamation. The girl sounded a little breathless, a reminder of her previously wounded state that caused the angel to slow her step a little in consideration. She could fear the footfalls of the archer in her wake, or at least she assumed it was the archer given the slightly unsteady gait trudging through the rocks behind her. Knowing that Asmyrra would not be far off, the angel pressed on. The sooner they could get to the tower the better.

As she led them through the familiar mountain corridors, she reflected briefly on the events of the previous twelve hours. Although at first glance it seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong, that thought was quickly dismissed. It seemed as though her presence was still unknown to her brethren, and that in of itself was a blessing without words.

But, Johannes's voice echoed in her mind, annoyingly calm and ever present, you did make some easily avoided mistakes on your first time out again.

Indeed she had. Emotionally trying blunders.

I've never been in a situation where there was more than one person to keep track of emotionally... well, more than one person I cared that much about, she mentally protested, the excuse sounding inadequate even to her.

That isn't true. There was once that Gabriel meant something deeper even to you. Once before he left us no choice.

Relm demanded a choice, she reminded the voice, long passed the novelty of arguing with herself.

No, Relm demanded action. The choice was made by consequence of his own behavior. She only pushed us to do what was right for you... for us.

I've never had your patience with the man, she admitted to herself, unable to quiet the bitterness that rose from the statement.

Centuries of hard built tolerance and forgiveness that I had developed for him was destroyed in just a few short weeks, the deeper voice placated her gently, Even with all of my efforts to move forward, what happened cannot be erased. I will never be able to forget what he did to you.

To us, she corrected herself firmly. How she wished sometimes that she could just crawl back into the blackness and let Johannes deal with all of this on his own. If she really wanted sympathy, she could remind herself of her lack of experience, her youth, her reckless courage and overruling sense of justice. But then she remembered everything he had given up for her. Everything he had sacrificed to give her life. All of the hopes and dreams that had been shattered during that brutal, pointless war.

A single broken heart.

To me. The words repeated in her head, though with his voice or hers she could not say. That stubborn fortitude was rising to the challenge. She would not let Gabriel win. Asmyrra would stand with her in this, just as Relm did. Ky and Evalin, they were probably going to be dragged into this as well. Evalin... Ash had to make her see.

We're here, that deep voice prodded gently, causing the angel to wonder why the voice of reason in her head always had to be him.

Blinking out of her reverie, Ash realised that her inner monologue had lasted the entire trip to the tower. She hoped the others had remained silent during the walk as well, or at least had not directed any conversation towards her, as she could not remember a single word being spoken. Pausing for a moment, she allowed the other two to catch up to her as she surveyed the structure standing proudly before them. A flicker of amusement came as she noted that she had never approached it from this angle. It really did look different from the ground.

"We're here," the words coming from her own lips this time, and directed to her companions.

 

[--Winters-Cruel-Fate--]

"Yes, of course Nae." Cy replied shifting a bit, she glanced around there was much to be done. Or at least to the higher ups, she took a deep breath and held out her book to her fellow friend. "I'll do this later or something. I'll take care of the rest. Thank you for doing so much thus far." she smiled.

The book was a bit heavy so Cyrillia had to use both hands and a lot of strength to hold it out to her elf companion. She wondered if perhaps she should speak with her friend about her thoughts the previous night. Her desire to want to go with the newcomers and help save as many people as she could but.. how would she even bring it up? With how Naelonni had acted the night before Cyrillia could only imagine the disdain she would receive by letting the girl in on her thoughts.

It was settled. She wouldn't say anything.

It was only a thought anyway right? Cyrillia couldn't really do it right? Was she trying to assure herself? So many more questions arose when thinking about it, she did not know if she even had an answer for any of them.