|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:12 pm
Valin was left to her own devices for a good period of time. Mas D'aun seemed to have his own diversions, so it was with a tenative knock upon the door that a slave in a yellow and green jesters leotard announced his presence. He waited just a few moments for a response to come, if at all, before he carefully openedd the door and peeked within. True to Mas D'aun's words earlier, the slave held what appeared to be a bundled up mass of silken garments in his arms. While he was no boy child anymore, he still had a youthful air to him as his crimson eyes flicked about within. "L..Lady?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 7:31 pm
Sitting for so long within the small room had not helped Valin's mood, in fact, she could easily be more angry now than she had been when Mas had fled from the room. She almost laughed at the word 'fled'. It served him right; hopefully this little dinner she was required to attend would help shed some clarity on the matter and she would be able to hear what it was the Matron of this House and her grand Matron's intentions in sending her here were.
If indeed the male had been lying to her she couldn't exactly predict what it was her reaction would be. His only hope would be that he would not actually attend the dinner and have momentary repreive from the wrath she was sure to extend upon him. Oh yes, much wrath. She did not appreciate being lied to or manipulated, it meant she had not learned properly the lessons her Mother had tried to teach and was thus still the weak little girl she had been when her Mother had passed on.
She idly fingered the cold metal ring that encircled the top of her sheath, finding herself longing more than anything to have the void that yawned within the sheath to be filled with the sultry tang of steel that was meant to be there. There were no excuses. She would find the sword and her mother's killer and give him or her her own version of the blade's bite. And if that, Mas, or, whatever his name was, decided he was not finished toying with her, then she would have to greatly resist giving him a taste of her real potential.
Her menacing thoughts were interupted by a knock at the door and she turned with narrowed eyes to watch as it swing partially open. She swept a hand out and her mists immediately enveloped whoever it was who had peered in, soaking eagerly into the massive bundle the Drow had been weilding. Her eyes softened a little when she reached the door by her own devices and swung it open to behold a servant boy. She placed a hand on the bundle and her mists immediately retracted to make his load lighter as she beckoned him into her room.
"I do not bite servants," she said, inwardly hissing the detestable word, "I assume you are here to call me to dinner, though I am sorry you had to drag those garments allt he way here as I will not be attending in them." Waving her hand in the air again her mists retreated further into the room behind her and settled for drifting about underneath the bed. She turned and loked the servant boy in the eyes, not using her Siren's song just yet, but all the same addressing the servant before she left.
"If it would not trouble you I would like you to warn any other servants who might enter this room and disturb my mists; they do not play well with any who might perchance upon them and try to rid them for any reason. I'd hate to see another servant end up suffocated because they tried to clean," she explained. She could very well take them with her or return them to the bathroom, but she prefered not to call too much attention to them yet she still desired them to be able to arrive quickly should she call for them.
With that she turned again and left the room, only a few strands of mists swirling about her ankles receiving the honor of joining her for the now somewhat dreaded dinner. As she did not exactly know where it was she was headed, she paused at the doorframe, concluding that the boy who had brought her the dress was supposed to escort her to the dining hall as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 5:47 pm
The young man was, without a doubt, unsettled. Though he did obediantly nod his head when spoken to, and laid the clothing upon the bed corner after hearing that Valin had no interest in him. His eyes often shifted to the strange mist in the room with a untrusting gaze. He had not yet spoken, more out of apprehension then anything else, as Valin in her mood was a thing for a mere slave to be worried about. He was more then eager to leave her strangely mist filled room, in order to lead her...or rather to catch up and lead her down to the dining hall.
As the guest rooms themselves were upon the third top floor of the spire, the slave needed to lead valin to the main staircase and down two more floors before the faint scent of roasted meat hinted in the air. The slave glanced over his shoulder from time to time, and spoke as they approched the dining hall. "The dineing hall is in the center of the third floor Lady. There are a total of eight doors that open inwards, and they all open into the dining hall, so it should not be too hard to remember where to come when it is meal time or when you wish a snack. Someone is always present in the dining hall in just such a case." He paused then at one of the doors he spoke, and pushed it open wide so as to admitt Valin.
~~~~~
The dining hall was just as undecorated as the rest of House Barrith. A large long table dominated the center of the dining hall. It's rare wood surface gleamed at a high polish, and about it three dozen matching wood chairs were evenly spaced. Mas D'aun, in his traditional purple and blue robes stood a few paces away from the head of the table, speaking heatedly to another drow. Micarreth had choosen to come to dinner in his typical clothing choice, that of a black cloth pant and shirt set, and with a brilliantly crimson cloak wound about his waist, chest, and neck. However his clothing was showing signs of being torn in various places. His shaggy white hair was uncombed and a touch unkempt, and upon his hips he bore a black sword and dagger. Both matching in decoration and with bright red gems set in the hilts. Micarreth crossed his arms, a satisfied smirk upon his lips.
"This has to stop Micarreth. You are embaressing the House with these...these...foul actions!" Mas hissed at his brother, his hands clentched into fists at his side.
"Feh! As if our House isn't enough of a disgrace as it is! With a Faery blood as the first son and a Matron as mad as a Bugbear with fleas!" Micarreth snidely responded, his head tilting upwards a notch in a show of uncaring arrogance.
"Bite your tongue Micarreth, or so help me...I will have you confined to your bedquarters!"
"Oh-ho! And how shall you manage to do that? You don't have the power or authority to do anything to me." Micarreth shot back at Mas.
"I am the First Son and I have all the authority I need to deal with you." Mas grumbled. Though Micarreth had no problem speaking loudly enough that his words easily echoed through the hall, mas kept his voice to a softer tone.
"Go suck a surface elfs arlyurl." Micarreth replied vulgarly while lifting a hand to his chest in mimic of grabbing something there and squeezing. Mas' face bloomed with heat as he made a small gagged sound at the street slang term.
"Gutter filth! I should have you dragged to the dungeon and whipped until that snide attitude of yours becomes more civil!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:16 pm
(Gah! Short! XP)
Valin silently followed the servant down to the dining hall, pausing as he opened the doors to address him before continueing. "Thank you," she said, "But cease and desist with the title of 'Lady', I do not answer to such a name. Do not forget about my mists." With that she turned and strode into the dining hall.
"Well, this is certainly impressive," Valin commented loudly as she set foot into the room and came upon the bickering siblings, "I don't suppose it is always this lively in every House?" She could not help but smirk a little at Mas as he was clearly frustrated. Whatever it was that could make his face turn such an amusing color she would greatly like to know if she was to be trapped here for the next few weeks.
Wishing to be comfortable while watching the entertaining battle of words, she chose one of the nearest chairs and seated herself, letting her mists revolve around her ankles. Her large doe-eyes glanced momentarily around at the hall, taking in the details of the table and chairs and the walls that, although spacey, were still enclosing and stuffy. Returning her gaze to the quarreling brothers she let the smirk grow into a small grin.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 6:36 pm
The argument came to an abrupt halt as Valin would enter and make her presence known. Both males turned to look at her. Mas with his frustrated and angry features drawn, and Micarreth with his arrogant yet slightly surprised look. Mas's voice failed him as he watched the female enter and find a seat for herself.
Micarreth on the other hand had no problem speaking in the least. "Who the vith are you?" He demanded as his surprise wore off. Mas reacted to the coarse language of his younger brother with a blink, then rounded on him to hiss.
"The Matron's guest, now watch your mouth!" He snapped. Micarreth choose to ignore him and sauntered his way over to where Valin sat so he could get a better look at her.
"Roth piss. Mother can't dress herself so much as invite a guest here." Micarreth candidly returned. His lips curled into a half smile that was neither mocking, nor friendly. "What are you doing here?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:30 pm
Valin sighed, "Such profanity I have not heard in a long while, you must go into the city often, yes?" Her mists rocketed from around her ankles to angrily circle around Micarreth's neck, forming little daggers to point at his throat. She twitched a finger and the mists calmed somewhat, ceasing with the display of daggers, thought they continue to circle.
"Your Matron wrote to my Matron who wrote back and sent me with the letter; I am here to find out what it is I am here for," her mouth slipped into a wry little grin as her doe-eyes slid over to rest on Mas, "Since I clearly cannot get a clear answer from the help." She looked back to Micarreth in boredom, wondering if theivery was in his profession. Her hand clenched unbidden to her empty sheath and her eyes studied him warily.
"So, what the vith are you doing here? Surely you cannot also be part of the help?" she asked, her voice forcably soft and calm as her Siren's song began to creep into it. Her doe eyes turned sleepily unconcerned with his presence and a little hum began to dance about in her throat, the echoes of the serene Moldau found nowhere within the malicious tones eminating from the vibrations in her own ears, as yet undetectable to all but the most able of hearing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:02 pm
Mas clentched his hands into fists inside of the sleeves of his robes. It was bad enough having to fight with Micarreth. Now he had the female to contend with. Was things not hard enough for him?
Micarreth jerked slightly at the weird actions of the mist. His hands lifted a second later, to bat uncomfortably at the mist circleing his neck. His attention was focused more on trying to disperse the mist then the female before him.
"As if there is any other place in the city half as interesting." He growled. "I am the second son of Matron Barrith. Not some damn servant. What letter are you talking about?" Micarreth turned to shoot a overly suspicious look over at mas. "What letter?"
Mas unfurled his hands and made a curt gesture with one. "It is none of your concern Micarreth. It is just a request for a females presence to be here while mother's health is failing. I suspect she doesn't want any lesser House lunging for her throat before she's gone." Mas attempted to keep his tone aloof as he began to walk towards the table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:11 pm
"Is there any other place in the whole of the earth that is half as disgusting and noisy?" she scoffed back. The hum had died for now, though she would keep an eye on this Drow. She smiled at his obvious aversion to her mists, "Something trouble you?"
Her fingers twitched again and some more of the mists circling her ankles jetted up to thicken the mists around the male's neck, her allowance of the water doplets to pick back up in their imitation dagger dance making them resume with twice the vehemance as they moved to circle not only about his neck but about the wrists of the offending hands trying to disperse them.
"Yes, unfortunately," she added to Mas's explanation, "Though the details are as of yet fuzzy or nonexistant." Her eyes narrowed in their focus on the prissy Drow, as if the longer her gaze lingered the more inclined he might be to tell the truth. But, of course, that was just in her mind, only a hopeful passing thought that such a ploy might work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:27 pm
"Feh" Micarreth responded with a single sound in accordance to Valin's disdain of the lower streets. He liked them just fine...but he did not like this mist. As it thickened and circled now his wrists as well as his neck, he sped up the motions of his hands to drive the mist away. So determined was he that he did not notice the manner his brow and nose wrinkled up in vexation. "Damn...stupid...Gah! Stop it!" Micarreth raised his voice in a shout at Valin as he ceased fighting with the mists to direct his angry amber gaze at her.
Mas ignored the stare, and the words, and even the flimsy attempts of his brother to disperse the mists as he approched the table and began to draw out a chair. Though his blue gaze snapped up as Micarreth would raise his voice to Valin, and Mas in turn raised his at Micarreth.
"Micarreth! You do not raise your voice to Matrons guest!" He admonished heatedly.
Micarreth turned to flick a overly obscene gesture at Mas in response. "I'll do what I please. Your not the head of this House and you have no authority over me, Faerie blood!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:34 pm
The look on the younger brother's face and the way he continued to flail about was too much hillarity for Valin to witness at one time. She burst into laughter and nearly fell out of her chair at the scene and couldn't help but twitch her fingers just a little more to drag some of the mist that was stored away in the bedroom down to join the frey.
"Is he always this much fun?" she asked after she had finally gotten her laughter under control. The mists continued to swirl about Micarreth, pointing daggers at not only his wrists and neck, but now his ankles, midsection, and a place that would be very painful for a male if the mist daggers were actually able to peirce him. Her eyes lit with glee and a giggle escaped her throat, which made her calm herself a little more as she realized how out of character she was getting to be.
"So," she asked, clearing her throat and dragging her eyes from the amusing spectacle to look over at Mas, "When is said Matron going to make her appearance?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2008 9:51 pm
Shortly after the vulgar insult thrown at him by Micarreth, Mas slipped into his own seat. He placed his elbows upon the table and buried his face in his hands. He felt like he was being engaged in battle from multiple fronts. It made him sick with frustration. Were it not for his Matrons decree for his presence at dinner he'd have likely walked out then and there. "Ah?" Mas lifted his head from his hands to look down the table at Valin.
"Matron Barrith appears for dinner at the eighth hour. We only have..ah..here..." Mas fell silent as a pair of doors opened to admitt a short line of slaves dressed in yellow and green jesters leotards into the room. There were eight in all. Five carried covered silver trays and the remaining three bore slender wine decanters with glasses.
Micarreth was busy kicking and squirming away from the mist, all the while backing himself up towards the wall in an attempt to get away from the mists.
The ervants said nothing as the five trays were set down upon the table. One was placed before valin, along with a wine decanter and fluted glass. Another set the same before Mas. The final three were set at empty seats at the table. One was set at the very head of the table, one directly to the left of the head, and the final across from Mas.
Mas remained silent until the servants left, then turned to Valin. "Matron Barrith will show up in the next few moments. Then you will see what I meant about her condition."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 1:16 pm
Valin remained silent as well as the servants set the table, the glasses and trays something she had not really seen before. Her grand Matron had called her back to the House, but that didn't mean she stayed there to eat; she hadn't even met her cousin yet. With a sigh, she resigned herself to simply waiting with the amusement of a flailing Micarreth to pass the time.
She finally grew bored of his panic and her fingers twitched once more to calm her mists. When they had settled, though they were thicker now than before, to swirling around her ankles once more she fingered the fluted glass, wondering exactly what this 'condition' of the Barrith Matron was.
Eccentricity, madness, senility... She shrugged; there might not even be a condition. He could be trying to string her along some more to get her to follow along with his little game. Well, she frowned, too bad for him. She wasn't going to fall for it.(Sorry, I know it's short XP )
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:51 pm
Micarreth heaved a sigh of relief when the mist edged away from him. He stood, feelinglike something of a fool, then crewpt quietly to the seating across from Mas. Only the setting at the head of the table and to the left remained unclaimed now.
Conversation was not easily picked up now. Micarreth was sulking over the mist problem he had faced. Mas twirled a lock of hair about a finger nervousely as he waited for his mother to appear. Niether of the boys wished to look down at Valin where she sat alone.
By merit of grace, they were not left in silence for too long. A pair of doors opened at the head of the room, and a pair of four muscular and naked drow entered. Or rather, they appered to be naked, as they all wore, for lack of a better term, a black thong that matched their skin tone. Their heads were all bald, and glowing runic tattos covered every inch of their body. Three of them formed a triangular guard around the fourth, whom held a silk wrapped bundle. Mas shifted uncomfortably as the guard crossed the room and gently deposited the bundle in the chair sitting to the left of the head seat.
With what was almost a tender touch, the guard pulled back the layers of silk to reveal a withered corpse looking drow. Her hair was thinned and nearly bald in patchs. Her left eye was milk white, and the right a cloudy blue. She sat stiffly in the chair, held up in place by two of the guards as the third lifted the tray's lid and in silence announced it was time for the meal to begin.
Micarreth ignored his mother completely. He simply lifted his own lid and began to eat heartily. Mas Removed his own, but was less interested in eating his food as he was in gently poking it with his fork. The fourth guard that had uncovered the Matron scopped up a piece of small chopped Rothe and placed it in his own mouth. Chewing it himself, he did not swallow, but rather he spat the chewed food out onto a waiting spoon, and gently inserted it into Matron barriths own mouth. From where Mas sat he could hear the audioble wet 'shluck' sound as the matron swallowed, and he gently placed his fork down on the table.
Normally the meal would carry on in sielnce at this point. Micarreth would finish his food, rise, and saunter off. Mas, more proper then his brother, waited for the Matron to finish eating and to leave first. His blue eyes remained fixed on his untouched meal while he waited. However, as Micarreth pushed his empty plate away and rose, Mas never knew how he managed to swallow it down so quickly, the Matron's head lifted at the sound of his chair scraping back on the stone floor.
"Neh? What's that now? Leaving before the meals done?" Her voice was dry and raspy. Rattling about in her throat the way gravle would in a metal tube. Micarreth looked up the table in surprise at his mother. "Sit you down...which one are you again? Which one's that? Mas?" Her head turned, looking blindly down the table it would seem while the guard beside her replied.
"No Matron. That is your youngest son. Micarreth."
"Youngest? Son? No no. I have a daughter. Where is Mas?" She insisted rather vehemently. Mas lifted a hand and placed it in embaressment over his eyes as the guard continued.
"Mas is your Son Matron. You have two of them. Remember?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 5:10 pm
Valin's doe eyes rested on the guards and the strange bundle, neither blinking nor looking away as the prosession separated and set up around the table. Her brows arched slightly at the sight of the old Matron, but her mouth remained closed, merely her ears and eyes observing the scene before her. One that obviously neither of the brothers were wanting to get involved with.
Her head finally turned at the same time as the old Matron's lifted at the sound of Micarreth's chair. She had to stifle a small laugh at the Matron's way of speaking, the confusion and senility of her age clarifying what Mas had said about her 'condition' to Valin. Her fingers twitched to cover the grin that threatened to take over her mouth when the Matron insisted that Mas was her 'daughter'.
"Well," she ventured to speak softly, her wide eyes finally narrowing and refocusing on the member of the family who had met her first, "This explains a lot." Her eyes only left Mas to take in the Matron once more, debating whether she should wait for an inquiry as to who she was or to get to the point and introduce herself right off. If she didn't then it would probably be Mas who tried to smooth over her reason for being here at the same he made the Matron aware of her presence.
Even so, she decided to wait. One could never tell with lucidity of the mind; it didn't seem as if she usually caught the younger brother trying to leave the table, so maybe things were a little above the norm that night. Whether it was Valin's presence that caused that abnormality she was unsure, but it seemed worth it to her to wait and find out what else the Matron was capable of. Another grin sidling to one of the corners of her mouth, she finally uncovered her plate and picked up her fork.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 5:48 pm
Micarreth lowered himself back into his seat, but he did not pull himself back in to the table. Instead he merely crossed his arms and watched the discussion between the Matron and her guard. His lips quirked upwards into a rather unpleasent smile.
"Don't you correct me you bothersome beast!" The matron argued with her guard. She lifted a hand and made a small swipe in the general area where the Guards voice was coming from. He made no move to avoid the strike, as it was obvious she lacked the strength to deliver a actual blow. "I'll have a daughter if I decide I have a daughter!"
She then paused a moment, her head tilting as she heard Valin's voice from further down the table. "Ah! There now see! There is my Mas....Mas why are you sitting so far away?"
At this point Mas could no longer keep himself quiet. He avoided glancing at Valin, as now he was certain from her comment she understood exactly what he had been at before.
"Matron. I am Mas. The Lady you hear is from House Piranor. You sent her a letter requesting someone come and visit us for a bit." Mas waited, expecting to hear the matron begin her ranting. However, at hearing his voice the matrons face squiched into a scowl.
Silence followed, as it was obvious the old drowess was deep in thought.
"Mas...yes... I remember now... Your a cursed bit of worthless maleflesh... I remember... Piranor...my old friend.... Ah! yesyes!" Now she seemed to clear in thought. Her blind eyes widening much to the Barrith boy's surprise.
"Came? Someone came! Thank Lloth! Now then!" Her skeletal hand gestured down the table in the general direction of the boys.
"Who came? Ah! It doesn't matter. Thank you for coming my Dear. I can't tell you how badly I'm in need of someone like you. My House is about to collapse and my worthless son is such a disgrace I haven't had a single female offer to take him off my hands." The Matron matter of factly nodded her whispy head slightly. Her guards exchanged looks between themselves at the motion.
Mas stiffened in his seat, his cheeks flushing with a heated blush. Across from him Micarreth covered his mouth to stifle his sniggering.
"I need him whipped into proper shape.Presentable enough...or at least interesting enough to get a female from another House to come and claim him. I need me a grand daughter! Barrith only has a few more years left and I'll not have my House crumble to dust because Lloth wouldn't fix my firstborn!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
