[PLOT] Betrayal Within the Council (Rais and Amadorine)

[Teigra]

Pacing in his quarters, Rais wondered idly if it was possible for one to feel the weight of one's seasons from more than one life. He was starting to suspect it. He paused in his restless movement, forcing himself to remain calm and rubbing an increasingly-taut muscle between his neck and shoulder. Why was it that when troublesome things happened, they traveled in packs? First, the troubles in the land, culminating with the attack on his wife, and even threats against their Seer. Granted, the return of the Faunies had been welcome good news, if stressful in its own way, namely in trying to find homes for all the new arrivals as well as helping them adjust and settle in. But then, his wife had been feeling ill more often than not lately. His concern weighed heavily on his mind, while his people were diverted by rumors of grand balls, parties on the land among gods, if one believed such.

The Chieftain had not been pleased when his second-in-command had returned...now female.

He'd momentarily forgotten his concern regarding rumors of other troubling events occuring at this party. What sort of madness and magic...?!? It was as if some force seemed determined to mock him and make him appear foolish. For all the troubles since Laisidhiel had rejoined the Isle, Rais wasn't sure he'd ever felt so focused a target of the universe's mischief. Surely, it couldn't get worse...

But, of course, it always could. Matters...reasonably settled with his second-in-command, they would be left for now with the hope that this 'gender change' magic was temporary, and that Mo would soon be back to his normal, male form. With that aside, Rais' thoughts had returned to the original troubling news that had had him so upset following this odd party on the Isle. Rumors that one of his own Council...was a traitor.

Perhaps that was a harsh word...but the betrayal felt seemed appropriate, given the circumstances. There were rumors that one of his own, the Pathfinder of all Faun, had accepted a public marriage proposition...from a Blood Pae'il. Rais would have understood had it been any other Faun...their history with the Blood Pae'il was not widely-known in this age. Only those of the Faun Council and those others present during their official acceptance ceremony would have heard the history that the Earthmother had presented. How the Blood Pae'il had once tried to wipe out the Ancient races in their lust for power. But the Faun had been protected, long enough to hide away, hidden and forgotten for hundreds of years before returning to the Isle only recently. And already, the Isle whispered of troubling things, conflict on the horizon. Would it come to Laisidhiel? Were the Blood Pae'il plotting once more to finish what they attempted ages ago?

Peace was a worthy dream. Rais wished he could afford to endulge in such a dream; but he had to consider his people first, and any risks that might be posed to them. No matter how unlikely. Only until they could be sure that the Blood Pae'il had truly changed, and he had no proof of such as of yet. Until either he was proven wrong or right beyond a shadow of a doubt, he'd hold his suspicions and guarded nature to himself. Yet, his Council were to share in the truth, to better keep their own eyes open for signs.

Knowing this, how could the Pathfinder...?

Rais shook his head, crossing to take a seat. He rested his head in his hands. His thoughts were running away from him again. He needed to wait, be patient, and don't react until there's something definite to react to. He had borrowed some of Gulliver's hunters, sending them out with a message for the Pathfinder to meet with him immediately. Those on Guard within the Tree had been given the same message to deliver to Amadorine if she returned to the Tree before any of the hunters found her. One way or another, the message would reach her, and until she returned to answer for her actions, all Rais could do was wait.

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Amadorine sat at a riverbed, rubbing water over her face in an attempt to bring clarity to her mind as her heart beat wildly in her chest while a Hunter stood beside her with a stone face. On her way to the Great Tree, she had recognized and intercepted one of Gulliver's hunters and been informed of what she had already known; Rais was insisting on her immediate presence. And she had a feeling it wasn't just a 'report' that the Chieftain was looking for which only made her feel worse as the pit in her stomach grew. She should have confronted him a while back, but with the surprise hatching of the eggs, she'd found it hard to do anything outside of making quick rounds outside the island. And this wasn't a matter that could simply be dealt with through a note or messenger.

Gazing at her reflection, she calmed herself and tucked a strand of purple hair behind her ears. "Alright, lead on please." She gave the hunter a nod, indicating she was ready to keep going, and followed beside him with her lantern swinging from her hand.

As soon as she stepped hoof into Laisidhiel she had been escorted through the Tree and right up to the doors of the Chieftain's quarters. Before the Hunter was given a chance to go in to announce her presence, Ama stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Give me a moment please." It was all she could ask as she felt the panic rising up inside herself once more. With a deep breath, Ama steadied her trembling hands, chanting repeatedly in her head to remain calm and to keep a leveled head; the moment she lost her head was the moment she lost any chance in this situation.

Confident that she was ready, the Pathfinder removed her hand from the Hunter's shoulder and nodded, watching the faun enter into the room and announce that she had arrived. Rolling her shoulders back once to try to loosen her bracing muscles, Amadorine stepped into the room, placed her fist over her heart and bowed to Rais. "Sir."

Teigra

OOC

[x] This was an RP that was just logged and took place before this and will have points relating to this RP. -^^- Just wanted to make sure it was readily available since it was something done offsite.

 

[Teigra]

Rais looked up as the hunter entered his quarters, announcing that the Pathfinder had been found and waited outside. Finally. He nodded to dismiss the hunter, now free to return to his normal duties. As the hunter exited, the Pathfinder entered.

Rais stood, rising to his full height to tower over the orange Faun. He remained silent at first, taking in her quiet, polite tone, he body language, and any number of other minute details before breaking the silence, his voice measured, steady and betraying no emotion as of yet.

"Amadorine. It has been some time since your last report. Tell me, what news have you?" He would not be the one to bring up her possible transgressions, at least not immediately. She would have a chance to answer for herself, and if she avoided the subject instead, well...for her sake, hopefully she wouldn't try to avoid it if there were anything to hide.

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Ama hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until Rais spoke her name. The first thing she noticed was the absence of their seer; she wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that the female wasn't here with them.

"There hasn't been much activity as of late, Sir." She began, glad to hear her voice far steadier than she thought it would be. "All seems to have been quiet as of late. The events that have happened are all circled around Venus and her group." The Pathfinder set her lantern down and loosely grasped her hands in front of her as she continued to report the party that has been thrown, making sure to include the appearance of Eros and the events that happened in the maze.

"There was something peculiar in that Maze though; the creature that attacked myself and my partner was Faun-like in appearance, but he was huge. He completely overshadowed me." She hesitated a moment before continuing again. "In my opinion, I think this Eros was far more interested in picking a fight with Venus, and those of us present got away, but she is certainly something I'm keeping an eye and ear out for.

"There's a bit more, even stranger, that comes from this whole thing." At this point she pulled off one of her cuffs on her wrists to show some deep scratching. "Some of us left the party with these decorative eggs. A short while ago, mine hatched, but it wasn't exactly a full bird that came out; it was a bird like creature that to some degree resemble a pae but with bird wings and talons and with feathers instead of fur." She held up the scratches and gave a weak smile. "Baby's first bath. Continuing on, I've been taking care of a pair of them to see what their behaviors are and to find out what I can about them. I've never seen or heard of a creature like them before."

She waited for Rais to take in what she had said before continuing a bit. "There is another matter I needed to address with you, but it's on a more personal level." Already her mind was racing with how she would broach the subject, how she would bring up the fact that Thom felt he had nothing with the Angels and wished to align himself with the fauns.

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Rais lifted an eyebrow at her assessment of 'not much activity' of late, but said nothing, letting her give her report. If recent events were nothing to speak of, then the Earth help him when something really did happen, by her scale!

Word of a great creature, Faun-like in appearance, but enormous was news to Rais, however. While he figured any male should stand over the female, the way she went on, he must be some sort of giant. Another lost brother, perhaps? This would require further investigation, to be sure. Stranger things had happened; it was not beyond question that it could be another lost brother. "The more I learn of these so-called deity," Rais muttered, shaking his head, "the more I feel they should keep to themselves and leave our people out of it." He thought again of his now-female Adviser and resisted the urge to rub his temples. "However, if they are holding one of our own as a prisoner, we cannot overlook this crime. Inquiries will be made before we can proceed further," he stated plainly, the final word on the matter before waving his hand to signal that the Pathfinder should continue.

He calmly eyed the scratches and listened to her explanation. Afterwards, he nodded calmly. "I have already seen one of these creatures. One of our new residents brought home an egg from that 'party'," he related, using the term loosely. "She has made arrangements to raise the creature elsewhere until we can see what becomes of it as it grows. I'll admit, I am loathe to trust a strange creature with wings, especially with no idea of where it came from," he grumbled, looking aside towards the window. "But, I suppose that we have our new brethren, the pegasi, to consider as well. Wings are no longer the easiest sign of telling friend from foe. At least they are obviously not Angels," he finished.

The report had been short, but the Pathfinder had seemed distracted. Now she seemed to be getting to the true heart of things. Attention centering back on the orange Faun, Rais prompted, "A personal level? Yes, it has been some years since I've seen you last. Since you were bestowed your gifts that came with this position, in fact, was it not? I would have thought that you might have brought me word previously of some of the events on the Isle. Most recent, the return of our brethren from across the sea, even! They journeyed across the Isle for many days after landing on our shores; who knows how long they traveled before that. And before that, these strange teenage Angels and Demons poking around our Tree, bringing dark creatures and threats of violence with them. My own wife, attacked. And yet...you've only now returned to us." He fixed his gaze on her, intense, but still definitively neutral. "Tell me, Amadorine. Just how have you been spending your time out on the Isle?"

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Amadorine stood quietly as Rais made his mumblings about the strange 'deities', doing her best not to let her lips quiver into a smile as he gave his assessment about them. She agreed with him, that she wasn't too keen on these Pae either. At the mention of needing further inquiring, she nodded in agreement. "Understood, and I'll alert you on anything else I find that pertains to this."

Her heart lept with hope as Rais mentioned already seeing one of the egg-hatched creatures she had described. Her thoughts instantly went to hope that he knew what it is she and Thom had brought into their home. That hope was short lived as she was hit with the one-two of him not knowing much else on them and then followed with the statement of not trusting anything with wings. She struggled to keep her face neutral as she focused her thoughts. She had an objective, and it was going to be very hard to get to it, but she needed her mind calm and open and not let her psych herself out.

With that in mind, she pushed herself into explaining the 'personal' side of her absence. "I do apologize for my greatly extended absence in your court, sir, and I can assure you I haven't taken the gift that was blessed upon me lightly. It started with my intentions of finding what I could about the other Leaders. Unfortunately, that massive storm hit and with the damage that was done a lot of Pae vanished. Including my father's wife and their son." She paused there taking a deep breath, a sad look coming over her face. "I stayed with him, helping him build a new home, literally and figuratively, since he lived in a building that now no longer exists. By the time I felt it was alright to leave him on his own, I returned to my own home to find my own missing loved one had returned. It took far longer than I expected for all the rebuilding, and for that, I truly am sorry."

With a deep breath, she steadied herself; now was the time to segway into Thom. "I do have a matter to speak to you about a certain individual in my life. For years now, even before I was graced with my roll in your Circle, I've been deeply attached to him. He is someone I know I can trust my back to, and someone who understands that I can not entirely belong to him. That being said, he has asked me to extend his intentions of aligning with the Fauns, knowing that my people mean the world to me." She felt her heart racing in her chest as she plunged into the final bit of information. "Although he is Angel, he holds no ties or feelings to his own blood, holds no malice towards us, and understands that in his decision he will protect us first and foremost should anything happen."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Rais listened quietly as she gave her answer. Searching for the other leaders had been important, and a primary objective given at the meeting where the new council members had been given their honors. Yet, his own scouts had not had any luck aside from some knowledge of the Naiads from the Isle's lake. Other than that, there had been no news thus far from any of the other Ancient races. It sounded like his Pathfinder had had little more luck before being distracted by other matters.

She had never given him such information herself; however, the Faun Chieftain had been informed that she had others on the Isle that she held ties to, after the festivities. He'd been wary at first, but...the spirits had pointed to her as one of the many new council members that day. While it was odd, Rais had thought, to give such an important scouting role to a woman, who was he to speak when his own Seer had also been reborn female? Besides, Amadorine's familiarity with the Isle, having been born and raised there as one of the acorns lost in the Isle fall, was sure to be a boon for such work. Those that had grown up on the Isle may have been less familiar with the ways of Laisidhiel, but they were already more in tune with the other creatures of the Isle. Who best to report on strange happenings and events there than one such Faun?

Doubt and uncertainty did not sit well with the Faun Chieftain. Even now, these feelings grew and twisted, tainting his thoughts and causing him to second-guess decisions already made. Even more absent than the Pathfinder, his Grand Geomancer had still not returned from his travels. Then, there was this business with Mo, while not necessarily his fault, nor a matter that directly affected his duties, persay...was upsetting and unnerving at the least. And now, more doubt about his Pathfinder...which she seemed about to confirm.

Rais was quiet, watching her silently as she wrestled with her confession even as she made it. Though he didn't show it, Amadorine may as well have stabbed the Faun Chieftain through the back with a spear. In his mind, the betrayal was the same...as was the pain in accepting it. No, he'd not had long to get to know the female before she'd vanished, but, she had been made a member of his Council nonetheless. That implied a level of closeness and brotherhood...or sisterhood perhaps in this case...a trust that was shared by all those within. Those Faun in the Council, and any who had chosen to attend the fireside meeting had been trusted with sensitive information, the truth of the past dealings with the Blood Pae of the Isle. They had been warned to watch and be wary. Just because they were not enemies now did not mean that they never had been, nor would they again. And with the troubling events as of late, all should be put on their guard.

The Faun Chieftain had fixed his stony gaze on the Pathfinder as she spoke. Now, as she fell silent, he continued to study her for a moment before speaking. "So...it's all true then? As I've heard it, there's more to this than just some winged stranger who wants to be a Faun. Tell me, Amadorine, and tell me true. Did you, or did you not, accept a marriage proposal from this Angel?" Rais voice was even, but only just. His calm, collected tone of 'dealing with normal business' was long gone. This was something far more personal. "And if that is true," he continued, "Perhaps you could tell me, with all you have been privy to, what in Laisidhiel's name you could possibly be thinking?!?"

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

The fur on Amadorine's neck began to stand on end as Rais stared at her for what seemed like forever. When he spoke, she could feel her muscles bracing herself for the worst that was to come. Still, she kept her head high and thought carefully before she responded. Everything was laying on the line as she spoke, that much was clear.

"It is completely true," she said softly. "He was the first family I had when I moved away from my father and his new family. He is the only one who knows that I have a son who I was never apart of in their life, and that I regret every day I didn't get to see him; aside from you now, of course, sir. He has been someone who was by my side when I first gained my density shift, and he helped me with getting the power under control. I have shared so much of my life with him, especially prior to Laisidhiel's reappearance in my life, that without him my life feels like half of me is missing.

"I know I have not been around enough to truly develop a deeper relationship, not like those of the circle closer to you, but I hope you do believe me when I say that Laisidhiel is where my loyalties are. If I believed for even a second that this man who I have lived with since before I knew who I was, or what Laisidhiel was, would harm even a hair on any of my family here...." She shook her head, her fist clenched at her side. "I would not hesitate to take him down, or bring him in for questioning. My loyalties are with the Fauns and are as sure as the sun rising each day."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Lost for words, Rais took a moment to try and process what he was hearing, finally dropping his gaze to the floor and freeing Amadorine from his piercing glare. He shook his head, muttering aloud, "A son? Is he even a Faun?" For all he knew, this woman could have some half-breed spawn out there somewhere already, and this was the first he was hearing of it. If she wasn't allowed to see him, then where was he? Why? He was getting off-topic here, but he wasn't even looking for this new revelation. Wasn't there enough to address already?

"If he's so important to you," the Faun Chieftain started again quietly, voice raising in volume as he lifted his head, "don't you think you should have mentioned something earlier? Say, before accepting responsibility for being our eyes and ears on the Isle? Hell, what about before that, when you sure seemed interested in becoming my wife?!?" The woman had been one of the final candidates...what if he'd chosen incorrectly? Why was she even there if her heart was bound to another as she claimed? By the Earth, the mistake he could have made if the spirits had not guided him correctly.

And yet, they'd guided him to grant her the position of Pathfinder nonetheless. Had that even been correct?

"What part of our history was unclear to you?" The fireside meeting had laid out the Faun history, their dealings with the Blood Pae'il, and the betrayal by them before the attempted genocide of their people. "They have betrayed us before; how do you KNOW that they do not plan to do so again? This Angel could be only a tool being used by the others. A plan to get to you and the knowledge you possess, in order to get to the rest of us. Did you not consider this?"

"The Blood Pae'il have proven themselves to be manipulative and devious in the past. Their very souls are tainted by that betrayal and what they attempted to do to our people hundreds of years ago. And yet, you seek to bind your soul to one of them? I very much doubt that such a corrupt thing could be joined with that of a Faun, but even if it were possible, I'll have no part in such a bond." Faun tradition held that only the highest members of the hierarchy could bless a union and perform the sacred ceremony to bind two souls together. Rais would have no such thing attempted while he was in charge.

"Besides," he continued, taking a few, slow steps towards the orange Faunness. "Even if you could do so, and he DOES turn on us, what will you do then? If you still take the side of your people, that makes him your enemy. If the need called for it, could you do it? Could you destroy a part of your own soul?" He narrowed his eyes, attempting to read her, though he knew, such a question could not be easily answered until the time came that it must.

"As a member of my Council, you are privy to sensitive information. There is an inherent trust among us that this information is to be kept safe with the hope that there is no need to use it, but the understanding and willingness to do so if the need arises. How am I to trust you when you have already betrayed me and our people in this manner?"

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Despite everything that was happening a rather proud, but sad, smile came on Amadorine's face. "My son... You and our Seer know him better than I, unfortunately, is Takis. And I've kept this secret out of shame and fear, because his father wished for me to have no part in the boy's life and I agreed thinking I wouldn't care. And I have never been more incredibly wrong in my life. I could never tell the boy out of pure shame now."

Ama lifted a hand and touched her cheek, blinking as she found them wet, and instantly felt herself growing more embarrassed. Quickly, she used the back of her hand to dry the unexpected tears as the topic at hand was turned back to her and Thom.

"Because at the ceremony, I honestly wasn't sure. I wasn't sure of myself, of how I truly felt for him or if there was even a possibility of anything. We certainly weren't a couple, and I was young enough to know that it was possible that there was nothing but infatuation. In hindsight, I know now that I should have spoken up then, or even sooner than just now, but by the time that I realized my feelings weren't changing, and neither were his the storm took him from me and it felt pointless to bring up the subject on someone I thought forever lost."

She swallowed, feeling her heart suddenly hurt at the idea that Thom could be working with those that meant harm. "I have considered this, sir." Her voice was soft now. "But as I said before, if I had even the slightest doubt in him, I wouldn't hesitate to bring him in."

Her voice grew stronger now and she straightened her back. "I am the Pathfinder, and my loyalties are with my Brothers and Sisters here. I have seen what it has done to my father to lose his other half. If what seems like the impossible to me does happen, and Thom does show colors that I have never seen before, then yes I will destroy my other half to save my family." Her thoughts floated to Belvha, the wonderful and sweet female that had become Rais' wife. "I have friends and blood here in Laisidhiel, all of whom I would give my life to protect. I pray that the time does not come to test this, but I assure you, I will pass should it happen.

"I am well aware that I come into contact with information that best not fall into the wrong hands. I also know the people who I can and cannot talk to about said information. Unless the individual is a higher rank, I have no business speaking of Faun business. That being said, Thom does understand that and has not once pushed or pressured me into speaking such things. He's aware that there will be times where I am gone and cannot tell him what I am up to or where I have gone to."

Taking a deep breath, Amadorine decided to put everything on the line. "Would our Seer be able to tell us if he has any malice? Because if he does, I swear to you, Rais, I will turn him over for questioning and break all connections I have with him."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Rais' frown deepened, but he knew better than to get sidetracked now. For a moment, doubt touched his thoughts...another of his Council? How many could he not trust? Then, the explanation: the boy didn't even know. And surely if there was something off about him, the Seer would have noticed by now...

He pushed the thoughts away dismissively. He didn't need to start questioning the rest of his Council without reason. Caution was turning to paranoia. He was letting the stress get to him.

Attention back on Amadorine, he considered her promise. "Words only go so far. There are some situations where you believe you know what you will do, but until such a thing happens and you are forced to act, you will never know for sure. Action validates a promise, not words alone."

"Perhaps you do not have doubts about his intentions," he continued. "But what about his people? If you are bound, he becomes your weakness. What's to stop his people from using him to get to you? If they believe you have vital information, who's to say that they won't do anything in their power to manipulate you? Are these things you have also considered?"

Rais shook his head in disbelief; some Angel wanting to swear fealty to Laisidhiel? By the Earth! If it was even possible, he'd never be comfortable with the idea. He raised his hand to massage his temple. "As for swearing fealty to our people," he started slowly, shooting Amadorine a look. "Do either of you understand what that means? It is not a choice to be taken lightly by any, but by an Angel? He'll be denying his very nature! I cannot say that Laisidhiel would even accept him! Those who have come to us from outside have at least already had some tie to the Great Tree. If not Faun, they carry Faun blood in their veins. But him? I cannot guarantee he will be able to even if I were to allow him to try."

Rais had begun pacing in his frustration and he whirled on Amadorine with renewed energy. "We've been talking of 'what ifs' for a while now. Here's another one. Say the Blood Pae do declare war on us again, they march on Laisidhiel to burn us out and kill us all! If he throws his lot in with us, there will be no going back. He'll be a traitor to his kind and they won't be any more merciful in their retribution than I would be!" The final sentence was punctuated sharply, the Faun Chieftain looming over the Fauness in an intimidating manner. Frustration and anger had been building for some time, and now could almost be felt radiating from his frame. He was mere inches from Amadorine, his muscles tensing as if in preparation for a fight, but restraint held his movement here. For all the show, the truly terrifying sign of his fury had likely not been noticed: the subtle gravelly tone that had slipped into his voice.

Suddenly, he seemed to halt, as if remembering he was terrorizing a single, female Faun, and he shook the fury away like fallen leaves, taking a few slow, steps backwards away from Amadorine with a glower. He turned away from her and moved towards his window, pausing before slamming a fist into the wall next to the opening, albeit at only a tiny fraction of his possible strength. The voice that reached Amadorine next was much quieter. "Some advice: soulmates and soul-bonds made are not necessarily always the same thing. And sometimes, what you want is not always what is best for everyone. Consider that carefully."

The matter was closed and there would be no more talking. He turned, fixing his gaze on Amadorine once more. "Amadorine, Pathfinder for the Faun. You came here expecting punishment for your actions. You will not be disappointed." He spoke with a clear, authoritative tone now, all traces of earlier emotion cast aside. "You realize the grievous mistake you have made, promising yourself to one of our former enemies, even knowing what you were told in confidence. You were to be our eyes and ears on the Isle, protecting us by keeping us informed. Instead, you have become a liability. You have lied to us by the omission of truth. They are no different. Therefore, we can no longer trust you with the sensitive information shared by the Council that may spell out the difference between survival and destruction for our people. You are hereby relieved of your title and responsibilities as the Pathfinder for the Faun."

He paused, his look softening...somewhat. "However, in full knowledge of your mistake, you returned to answer for it, and today have told the truth in regard to your actions. There will be no further punishment. You will be allowed to come and go from the Tree as you please. You are still one of our people; you still care for the well-being of those beneath Laisidhiel's boughs and respect our laws and authority. You have been relieved of your special duties and will have no further business with the Council. That is all."

He would not speak of this 'marriage' nonsense. If she chose to run off still and try to soul-bind herself to an Angel, that was her problem...though he'd likely keep a close eye on them both at that point. "As for this Angel," he continued. "He will report to the Seer. She will tell us what, if anything," he added reluctantly, "he has lied about. The Seer's approval is the minimum necessary before I want to hear another word about him swearing loyalty to the Tree. We shall talk about what else is required IF he gets that far."

He watched the Fauness for a moment, then finished with, "Is that understood?"

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Amadorine was silent as her Cheif barraged her with question after question, given no chance to answer as he paced. Finally with a break, she opened her mouth to speak, only to have Rais suddenly upon her once more. The fury radiated off of him, and though she did no flinch, Amadorine was frozen in place from the unexpected and her fear of him flashed in her eyes. Time stopped for her as she watched him, hardly able to draw breath while her eyes caught every twitch his muscles made; her body felt completely frozen.

Time suddenly started again as Rais stepped away from her, and her body suddenly found it's ability to move. Her hands trembled strongly and she clasped them in front of her to keep the tremors from being noticed. She stayed silent as he crossed to the window, then started when his fist came out and slammed the wall with a deafening sound in the silence. The words that followed surprised her, almost like it was a matter he had experience in. It was a shame she couldn't ask him for more advice on what to do: she was flying completely blind, not knowing which paths were the correct ones to follow, and there was not a soul out there who could tell her that everything was going to be ok.

When Rais turned back to her, she sensed that the discussion was closed and that they would not be revisiting the matter. She listened silently as he spoke out her crime, and as her title was stripped her head tilted down to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes. She waited for him to continue with banishment, torture, or some form of imprisonment.

There will be no further punishment.

What?

Her head snapped up and the pure shock was clear on her that the rest of his sentence, or rather lack there of, was a complete surprise to her. Her eyes were still wet from being stripped of her duties, but deep inside hope still smoldered. She didn't need a title to keep on the look out. Hell, if anything, she was even more determined to be on the look out for anything because Rais was correct; Thom could be used as a means of psychological warfare, and that meant the clawed Twin Terrors and him could be a vulnerable point for her.

As he brought up Thom, her breath caught and she waited for him to completely finish his instructions. Her heart hammered and all she could do for a moment was nod until she had found her voice.

"I understand, Rais." She paused, then placed her fist over her heart and bowed her head deeply; a much more humbled version of the customary bow she normally gave. There had been such a great sacrifice for Thom and the Twin Terrors today, and while she had lost part of her identity she had secured a chance to keep their family together. "I cannot express how grateful I am for both your mercy and kindness." That said, she stepped towards him, and stopped a little more than a foot away, holding out her Pathfinder's Lantern to him. It took everything to not cry as she allowed herself to give it up. "I will still be spending a good deal of my time outside the Tree; should I see, hear, or find anything I assume my reports will be to Gulliver now."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Stoicism back in place, Rais watched the Fauness with a judgmental eye. Overall, she seemed to be taking this rather well. She had to understand that she was getting off rather easy with all this; though, he supposed, it wasn't completely over yet.

Her question came as something of a surprise, though he only raised an eyebrow in response. "You have no further responsibility to the duties you had before. However, you do still serve the Tree, as do all Faun. If you do come into possession of relevant information, you may deliver it to any of my Inner Circle. You will not receive sensitive information in return, but if relevant, your information may benefit all Faun under the Tree's protection and would be appreciated."

"You will inform this Angel," he continued dryly, "that he is to meet with our Seer for a reading. If he has anything to hide, he should think carefully before accepting this meeting. We will arrange for her to meet with him outside the Tree." He made a private note to himself to assign guards to her as well. She wouldn't like it, but too bad. He wasn't trusting any Blood Pae any time soon, and he certainly wasn't going to leave a member of his Circle alone with one if there were any chance of this being a betrayal.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he looked her over. "That is all. Unless there are any final questions, you are dismissed."

Kira of Flames

 

[Kira of Flames]

Amadorine nodded at Rais' instructions, setting her lantern on the floor with a tenderness. "I understand, sir." As she stepped back from the lantern and Rais, it felt strange not having the light-giving tool in her possession. She had gotten used to carrying it around, even during the day, that it had become a part of her. Granted, she occasionally left it at home, and even those moments did leave a feeling of missing a piece.

Now, however, she knew that the lantern was gone; it wasn't going to be waiting for her at home, nor was it even hers now. "Alright, I will make sure to inform him over everything regarding what his choice will entail. I'm sure he won't change his mind... but I wish for him to have the time to think things over once more."

Giving another bow, she turned and walked towards the door, keeping her head held high, though her shoulders slumped a little. Opening the door, she paused and looked back at her Chief, her eyes wet with tears. "Sir... Thank you." Her words were heartfelt, as she realized that though she had lost part of her identity in this, she was gaining the ability to truly protect those who she held dear.

Gently, she shut the door behind her as she left the room to head home and prepare for the next step with Thom and the children.

Teigra

And that's a wrap, I believe?

 

[Teigra]

As his door closed, Rais crossed to pick up the lantern, looking at it thoughtfully. The spirits had guided him to give her this position, and now he was forced to take it away again. Had he been guided so wrongly? Had he misinterpreted the signs then?

How many other choices had he made wrongly that day?

Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he crossed to set the lantern on a shelf. No, if he started questioning the spirits now, everything else fell apart. What choices could he trust if he started questioning everything he'd done in the past few years? Perhaps...this was what was meant to happen? He couldn't imagine how that could be true, yet...all he could do was trust the spirits, as well as the council that he had left.

The lantern would wait until a new Pathfinder was shown to him. Until then, perhaps it would help light his own way.

Kira of Flames

(The end. XD)