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 Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:54 pm
She looked up. "Oh, the act in and of itself is not odd. It's the person you were paid to target. Normally, one is only targeted if a business deal is about to go very good or very bad..or, if someone really, really doesn't like you. But then, it becomes personal. The only thing that should be personal around here is money."
"Now you know why I hate the people I'm employed to."
"Mental note never to employ you, then."
"I wouldn't hate-....But I thought you wanted your brother dead...?"
A smirk lifted her mouth, "Worse case scenario, I take care of him myself. You could help me get rid of the body, though."
"Bodiless assassinations cost extra. But let me know, I might make an exception."
Alright, he won - she laughed first. Shaking her head, she closed the case again. "Well...we'll see what happens. As much as I hate it, he does still hold a few cards...but only for a little while. After that, he's fair game."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
She and her family were, apparently, expected to arrive among the first of the guests. Why? Iris didn't much care, but she chose to meet her family there. This time, more characteristically, she wore jewelry - gold, her favorite - but mostly to please her mother, who always had something to say about the attire of her daughter. Iris wore a strapless, fiery red satin gown with silvery embroidery along the top with a slanting bodice to show off her figure. It wasn't as form fitting at the bottom as her last choice, but it didn't need to be. A circle of platinum around her neck with a ruby and diamond pendant was all the jewelry that she wore. Heh, mother had nothing to say when Iris greeted her...though that may have been because Iris had an angry fire of her own in those dark eyes.
"My dear, your brother told me that you have been acting a bit strange lately..are you alright?"
She put on a half-fake smile. "Of course I am. You know Amun's about as full of it as father can be at times."
The older woman laughed. It sounded a lot like Iris' laugh - then again, Iris also looked a lot like her mother. The woman had hair and eyes just as dark..only, the age was starting to show a little in the color of her hair. But her mother had, so far, aged gracefully, which was a relief. However, the lady's mind had not aged in the least. Good for some, bad for others.
"I myself have noticed," she began, softly, as the two walked by some of the other early guests. "That your brother's finances look a bit...odd. Might you know anything?"
Heh. If only she knew. "Other than that he is entertaining a bit more than usual, no, I know not a thing."
"Entertaining?"
Iris put on her most innocent face. "Ask him. I don't like meddling in his affairs. That's a long dark corridor that I'd rather not get lost in."
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:55 pm
Just....why was he stalking her?
Making a very hard attempt not to just up and kill somebody - or her - himself, Deste gave another mental smack at his brain, then continued his rather broody watch of the festival going on below him. Hidden in the shadows of a slanted roof, he perched, unmoving, like one of the stone gargoyles stationed not too far away, faces contorted into an eternal snarl. He felt like snarling right now too, actually.
Her safety was none of his concern. But in vain did he keep telling himself that...though, he did come to an agreement with his warring mind that if Iris was killed, he'd never find out what it was about her that attracted him enough into following her every move. He'd been watching her since the last event he had spirited her away from, since their friendly banter in her room....she hadn't noticed his presence, luckily. Ma'at, perhaps, had sniffed out Kalei, or the scent of the male on Deste, every so often, but hadn't taken note of the man's presence. Maybe he wasn't threatening to the bird anymore...feh.
As for the reason he was watching her now, well....Rumor had it that a huge fiasco was to occur tonight, a murder of several individuals on the estate of one of the most successful men in the area, on the night of a festival that he and his family prided themselves on.
He hadn't been able to find out the exact details of the crime-to-be, but he thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. Not that he really cared if the mother or brother died. Just Iris and her father were important, and the latter solely because Deste thought he might later get hired by the grieving husband to off someone.
But so far...nothing. The bandit didn't even know the identity, age, sex, anything, of the person hired to do this rumored deed. Or if there was more than one person. Probably at least several...which made chances slim that he'd be able to preserve the girl's life if there were multiple assassins going after multiple targets. So....irksome. And she had to leave her griffin home tonight. Just when it would have been handy to have the sandy avian's cousin around to wander off and be followed by the owner....hopefully Kalei could be fast enough if he sensed danger.
---
He had been about to give up on the whole vigil when it happened. He watched his flurry of mottled feathers bolt out from...wherever he was hiding and make for Iris. Luckily, the griffin was fast and the distance short. With a warning cry, he leapt into the air, and turned his back towards his target as to not damage his fragile wings. Well...Deste hadn't been particular in telling Kalei how to try and keep Iris safe. Tackling her was a good enough method, he supposed. Especially when he spotted the pair of knives sticking out of the ground where she had previously been standing.
Unfortunately, he hadn't caught the location from where they had come from. He watched in building vexation as people stared in shock, as her brother appeared and attempted to shoo the griffin off his sister, to no avail; Kalei only continued staring up towards Deste with an expression that seemed to be hissing. And then he shrieked.
Not a second after was the brother on the ground with another knife sticking out of his bleeding arm.
Kalei hadn't been staring at Deste; he'd been staring up near his perch because the damned assassin had been utilizing the same hiding place as him. God damn....either the man was losing his touch, or the person he was about to make an enemy was -very- good.
He noticed movement to his right; the hired dagger was on the move, probably because people were pointing up at the roof, considering that the griffin was screaming and rearing while staring at it. Slipping out some steel of his own, he waited until he had a clear view of what he was targeting....and threw as the assassin stood to flee. The knife pegged him in the shoulder, and after a startled grunt of pain, he whirled around to face his fellow.
Deste didn't recognize him, but it wouldn't have mattered if he had. This man would die tonight...for no reason other than he was obviously someone who could, potentially, be hired over Deste himself. Couldn't have that in a town he'd marked as his own. Disregarding the nagging in the back of his mind about Iris, the thief reached back to grasp one of his own long fighting daggers and slipped two more of his throwers into his right hand. Apparently people were starting to notice them now, since someone kept shouting, "Up on the roof!" over the din of Kalei's continual shrills. Jeez, the bird needed to shut-
His opponent had returned the throw with his good arm; by the way the other was hanging, Deste figured that he had injured it enough for it to be useless. He dodged the flying knife, but not without pain; left shoulder had been grazed. Eyes narrowing, he made a false movement with his right arm, then cast the real throw a moment after his faux pass. Miss...damn it.
The fight continued onward like so for what seemed like hours; in reality, Deste later figured it to be three minutes at most. In the end, his enemy decided that it might be better to try and flee, and he attempted to run, and the now-thankfully-quiet griffin's keeper had sunken a dagger or three into the man's leg. He rushed up, drawing one of his fighting blades to finish his enemy off, when the shock of injury coursed through his right thigh. Biting back a curse of pain, he leapt in to sink his dagger into the man's unguarded back. Hmph...the b*****d had tried to do some last-minute damage right before his death. Glaring furiously at the dying body, he withdrew his blade and kicked the corpse off the roof; it landed with a crunching thud below amidst a chorus of female screams.
Growling, he withdrew the throwing knife from his leg, studying the odd shape before tossing it aside. It was rather stubby for a throwing knife, not very sharp either...and then a thought struck him. Carefully feeling along the point, he noted that the very tip seemed to be missing. Poisoned knife. Oh, the irony of it all. If he died tonight, it would be for the sake of a woman that he hardly knew. He'd admit that on his grave, yes.
Sighing with disgust in himself, he made his way off the roof, not sure where exactly to head now. It occurred to him that there might be other assassins around, but in a poisoned condition, he would be of little use.
The journey through the city became a blur at some point as the poison began to grip his body, and the last thing he remembered was breaking through glass and hearing the shriek of a griffin.
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:57 pm
Her eyes widened in shock when she looked up at the creature on top of her. It was...Deste's griffin? That meant he was here. Frantically, she looked around for him - he had been haunting her thoughts for quite a while...always feeling just out of reach. But now, he was here...but something was very, very wrong.
Her brother went down beside her. Glancing to the side, she noticed it was only an arm wound - he would live. But the battle apparently going on on top of the roof was gaining in intensity. From her vantage point, she could see very little..especially with the griffin refusing to get off of her. Had he meant to protect her?...to save her, judging by the knifes embedded into the ground? Why was he here, anyway? Well, she wasn't going to get anywhere if she didn't get this bird off of her. She kept struggling, finally managing to push the creature off enough to where she could sit up..
And then, a body fell from the roof.
She nearly paniced..and then noticed that it was not Deste, but the one who had tried to kill Iris and her sibling. Looking up on the roof, the woman saw Deste inspecting something..then slowly moving off. Another fight to get up, and she was on her feet. Something was wrong...leaning down, she picked up the two knives intended for her. One was just a knife, but the other looked a little different....she needed to leave, now. Ignoring the myriad of 'concerned' faces and grabbing hands, all intent on stopping her flight from that God-awful festival, she pushed her way out. She needed to get home. If he was following her, if something was wrong...perhaps he would go back to her home. She hoped so, anyway, because the Egyptian woman had a feeling this was going to be a long, long night.
Her drivers looked absolutely stunned when she came bursting out of the door t'wards them, a strange griffin squawking at her heels. Hopefully they would be able to find each other, because now she had his griffin in tow. Whatever. Iris grabbed one of the drivers by the shoulder with a deathly urgent grip and made sure he heard her, getting right up in his face. "You are to find that healer that owes me a favor back in that party, and get him to my home immediately. I don't care what his excuses are, I don't care what he's doing - you tell him that if he doesn't beat me there, I'll call in a little favor of my own."
"But ma-"
"Do. It." she said, hissing with all the ferocity of the griffin behind her. The other driver of her carriage jumped when she pointed her finger at him. "You. We're leaving. Now."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She wasn't exactly sure what was telling her to go to her house, but she didn't have time to think about it, as her driver drove as fast as she had ever seen him drive. They reached the estate within ten minutes. The carriage barely stopped as she burst out of the door, griffin still loyally following, and tore into her house to find her healer friend only just in front of her, heading up the stairs. He stopped to speak, but she shook her head. "What are you doing?! Get up there NOW!"
He did, to say the least.
She held a hand to her mouth when she entered her room. He was curled up on the floor, glass all around him, Ma'at furiously fluttering all around the body....he wasn't moving. "Quickly! Get him into the bed!" she said, as they both carefully picked the injured man up and carefully set him on the expensive sheets..which were now getting stained with blood. She didn't care. Iris stepped back and let the healer take over from there, at least until he spoke - "Poison."
"What kind?"
"Snake....but I don't know what species."
"It doesn't matter." she said, going to her closet and digging deep into its contents. One of the reasons she was so infatuated with the Egyptians - besides the fact that she was one - was because of their intelligence. She pulled out another black box, opening it to show several bottles of potions..one of which handled most snake venoms. Thank you Pharaohs. Handing it to the healer, she explained its contents. "Think you know how to use it?"
"Yes...give me ten minutes. I'll call you."
"No, I'm staying here."
He looked at her...she just stared.
"...alright."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later, and she was told that he was stable. Sitting in the corner of the room, she watched her healer friend as he worked, cleaning up Deste and making sure the poison did no further damage..it was bad, but not beyond repair. Or so he said. Iris trusted the man - it was the only reason he was in her house. As he packed up..she felt like an apology was needed.
"Thank you....I apologize for my behavior earlier. Heat of the moment, if you will."
He smiled. "Apology accepted. I understand...besides, I owed you anyway. We're even."
She nodded, and bid him farewell..but asked him to stay close, just in case. And reminded him that this never happened, if he liked living. Coming back inside the room, she shut the door and leaned on it, sighing and closing her eyes...before opening them to watch her patient. Her eyes flicked momentarily to the window - hmph. He was lucky she liked him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours...no change. At least for the worse. She sat, still in her gown, on the side of her bed, gently using a cool cloth to clear his face of the fever that was trying to finish off the poison in his body. The Egyptian nectar should be taking care of that well enough, but it would take time. Sighing, she watched his face...he really didn't need to do what he did. At least, not with these consequences. Her dark eyes studied his slowly relaxing features, wondering who really hid behind those eyes. They barely knew each other, and yet here they were again, in her bedroom....heh, people would start talking.
Actually, right now, they were probably discussing why she left her brother, not why she left the party. They should know the answer to that one.
Glancing down, the woman met the eyes of Ma'at, who had been waiting patiently at her side since she arrived. Smiling, she patted her on the head...turning to see Deste's griffin on the other side of the bed, vigilantly watching its master. "He'll be alright," she said quietly. "...I hope."
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:58 pm
He'd never been one to like dreams, and fevered dreaming was even worse. The images he saw shifted rapidly between perspectives of his childhood and some more recent memories, mostly scenes or snippets about his work or family, particularly his blasted older "brother" and...slightly more pleasant thoughts of the person who sired him, and then the dark eyes and gentle face of Deste's mother....a face that shifted suddenly to a younger, darker-toned face and fierce eyes.
The hell? His eyes snapped open at the thought, and at the feeling of something cool against his forehead. Faster than should have been possible for anyone who had just been a few hours recovered from poison - but certainly more sluggish than the thief was used to moving - he grabbed a hold of the wrist of the hand touching him behind the cloth. His deluded eyes maneuvered wildly about for a moment, then settled on the appearance of the person that had just haunted his dreams. This was getting very...strange, and in a way that he was beginning to both like and dislike. Like because he might have found an answer as to why, and dislike because now that he had an idea, he found that he wanted to know more. Damned...
He realized that he was still gripping her wrist, though Iris wasn't saying anything about that, or anything at all; merely watching his face with an intent expression. So he supposed that the hint of jasmine he had smelled, indicative that he was near her, meant that his blurring pre-fainting sights were true, that he had smashed through her bedroom window...Ugh. Now he was associating this place with safety. Rash and...-stupid-....but better than nothing. He'd done something redeeming tonight, perhaps, for the first time in years. There was a chance at being rewarded with a safe hideaway for a while.
The man slowly eased his clutch and dropped his hand as his other went up to pull away the cloth that was partially obstructing his view. Pulling it away, he began to sit up, ignoring the start of a protest from his caretaker, but unable to remain oblivious to the stern squawking from his noisy bird. Said avian had hopped his from legs up onto the bed when his guardian had finally showed signs of movement, watching hopefully for a hint of normalcy. But Kalei couldn't let him move just yet; the griffin knew that something was wrong with him, because he hadn't moved in a long while, like he was sleeping, but then he never mumbled while he slept, and he smelled odd. So, by the way the at-first two, then one, person had been overseeing him for the past long hours, the male knew that Deste was sick. But now he seemed better...callous as ever. But he shouldn't move yet, since he still smelled wrong. Gently, the griffin leaned forward and pressed the top of his head against his owner's bare shoulder.
Deste glared with less-than-normal-level vehemence at the..."mothering" that his charge was giving him, but allowed himself to be pushed back down. He was unprepared, however, when Kalei climbed fully up onto the bed top to lay his head and better part of his neck and chest across his master's torso to ensure that he wouldn't try getting up again. Luckily he wasn't sitting completely on top of the man, or else some bone would probably get crushed in beyond repair. The warmth of the feathers was a bit nice, but...this was rather....humiliating to be seen like this in front of two witnesses.
"Kalei...-move-."
No response but a fond chirp and look from the mottled male. Snorting and giving up on that fight and glancing back up to Iris, staring for a moment, before uttering something he hadn't said in a long while. "...Thank you."
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 8:59 pm
Iris smiled - both at Kalei's actions, and at Deste's gratitude - inclining her head a little. "You're welcome...though it is I who owe you thanks." Indeed, had he not saved her from death-by-knife, she wouldn't have been able to help him. None of which she felt like she needed thanks for...it wouldn't be right not to help him. Not with this odd fascination they seemed to have with each other.
She gave up trying to keep him comfortable with the cloth, since his initial reaction - which made her jump, admittedly - obviously said that he didn't want it. Of course, he also wanted to leave, apparently, but the griffin was preventing that much. Good, because he certainly was not ready to leave. The nectar hadn't yet had enough time to completely heal him...and she knew she would have a devil of a time getting him to stay on her own. Besides..if nothing else, he was safe here. He obviously knew that, because he broke through her window to get in. Oh...mental note, get new window. Good thing it wasn't too cold outside.
The woman didn't make any more moves to help him, but she didn't move from her spot on the side of the bed. They sat in silence for a moment...she pondered what to say. Honestly, she didn't want to ask and have him get all...something, but at the same time, she had to. Just as she had to keep him here, she had to know why he helped her.
So...
"Why did you save me, back there?" she asked quietly, watching his face for any sign of change.
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:00 pm
Deste watched Iris' face for a moment, watching that smoldering fire in her orbs curb in intensity even as he knew his own darkness was softening acutely. Why he always acted in such vulnerable manners around her, he didn't know. He could say now that there was a connection between the only two people he had ever considered even relatively important to him; his mother and this woman who had, without reason, brought him back from a most humiliating death. It was irritating...no. Even he knew there was a certain point where one would have to stop denying whatever comprehensions one had and just admit to a truth. So, that was what he responded with.
"Because I'm a selfish person."
The dark eyes mixing with his own blinked, and for the first time he noticed the tiny flecks of amber-gold in the irises - or was it just the light? Regardless, those seemed to be the source of the burning strength...bah. He owed her, owed her for saving his existence even if she felt she needed no payment. It had something to do with pride, something to do with honor, and something to do with that feeling that said if he felt that he owed her, he would be able to stay near her more often. Of all the most ridiculous...there went the denial again.
At the very least, he owed her an explanation though. Managing to push Kalei off just enough so that he could sit up and bring himself closer to her face, he began, "I did not...technically...save your life. If you must thank someone, thank my -heavy- bird." Pause, contemplation, resolution. "But...as to why....as said, I'm selfish, and do what I do because I want something."
His eyes flickered to her's again, "And against my better judgment, I've allowed myself to want a vulnerability. You....fascinate me, Iris."
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:01 pm
Iris...wasn't exactly sure what to say. She wasn't expecting to get an answer at all, much less that one. She stared back into those surprisingly candid eyes, and found herself clueless as to the next move.
The truth was, she was fascinated with him as well. It was that danger mixed with the honesty she was seeing now. Only three or four meetings, and he had her looking around at every shadow wondering where he was and when he would appear next. She didn't know what he was going to next, and it kept her intrigued. She was attracted to him..and apparently, he was attracted to her. It was odd, but it didn't feel that way. It should...it didn't...
She really didn't know what to do, so she just leaned forward, and hoped that would say enough.
And then, her bird decided to voice her opinion.
They both flew back at the sudden noise. Damn....Iris avoided his eyes, unsure of how he would react to that. It was just a simple kiss, but...mmph..
Gah. Just watch. He was gonna get all pissed and pull a knife on her - again - or something.
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:03 pm
That had been very....unexpected.
Suppressing any other words he could think of to described the experience of what had just transpired, the man sighed quietly and trailed his eyes away from his first caretaker and onto his much heavier one. Kalei almost seemed to be...-glaring- at Ma'at for squawking. With movement that expressed irritation, he stood and jumped down lightly from the bed, then trailed around to his tawny fellow, head cocked in a look that said, "Now what did you do that for?" Then, he nudged the female, who didn't budge at first...until the spotted avian somehow managed to head-butt her out the door. Now, Deste was appreciating the assertiveness his bird was showing, but...this was a little much. Yes...this night would be recorded as one of the strangest in his entire history. Rather, take the entire week and he'd done more uncharacteristic things than ever before.
He glanced back up to the girl, and found her not looking at him, and not paying mind to the griffins' behavior either. She seemed to be expecting something though...probably for his reaction. After a moment, he murmured, "Your Ma'at has the right idea....we shouldn't be...."
He trailed off only because he couldn't force himself to say exactly what had just occurred. But he felt that to be true; neither could afford to do...anything...with the other. For someone like himself, if word got out that he had attached himself to someone, and someone of such status, well...that might turn out nasty. Reversely, he had the potential to become that black mark on her relatively clean record. And then the thief had a trailing thought that he was allowing himself to think about what exactly this evening could lead to...feh. It was obvious now that she held the same kind of attraction for him as he for her....it would have been easier if she had just kept her distance. Because now that he knew she possibly wanted him, he wouldn't be able to keep from continually wanting her.
It was all very...annoyingly interesting. Hmph...now almost every aspect of her he was fascinated with.
"But you know," he stated dryly, raising his voice a bit that he thought might be the same tone as he used when he had bantered with her previously, "...even though we shouldn't be, I think I'll want to anyway."
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Posted: Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:04 pm
She nodded a bit. He was right - it was very dangerous, and very....not-something-they-should-do. Maybe she was a bit too rash. But then, he made the first move..what was she supposed to do? The deed was done, so it didn't much matter anymore...and then he spoke again. She looked up to him for his last comment, again a bit surprised..but she felt like having fun, not acting surprise. The actress in her came to life
"So...you don't want me, then?" she said, feigning disappointment and hurt...rather convincingly.
The look on his face as wonderful, but she looked down. "I just said-"
She stood, turning and getting so far as a step away from the bed. Suddenly, that lightning-fast arm reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back down to the bed. He sounded slightly amused, but apprehensive. She kept acting, avoiding his gaze..but she couldn't help but smirk once he spoke. "You're just playing with me now."
Iris' face burst out into a smile when she looked up "Yes. And it worked, didn't it?"
He didn't say anything, which only made her laugh. Well...they both knew it would be dangerous, but as long as they were intrigued with one another, it didn't matter - they were stuck. Smiling, she glanced down at the wound still trying to heal. Oh! He was still injured!
"You need to lie back down." she said, "The nectar isn't done with you yet."
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:14 pm
Deste gave a wry half-smile. "I've had worse...." He didn't bother motioning to the severity of some of the scars from wounds markings his bare chest and stomach. Most were old, though; he hadn't gotten tagged by anyone in years. And then tonight, trying to get rid of an enemy that threatened the source of his intrigue...heh. It was a night of firsts, it seemed.
He thought about telling her that she should rest from her taxing night, but thought that her nagging him would be enough "mothering" for one evening. He did shift his grasp from her wrist to encircle both arms around her waist, though. The thief had held her before, but those times, she had been a captive...sort of. Perhaps she was again now, because she was looking at him with an expression that said she was amused, but a playful fire in her eye. Good Lord in Heaven...this woman was making him soft. Bah.
"At least let me get out of this dress."
Snorting, he let her go without further word; he'd been joking...why, he didn't know. Damn poison and this "nectar" she kept talking of was making him delusional. Might as well settle down to rest then.
And yet he wasn't...displeased...when he felt her weight settle back onto the bed. He ignored it for the moment, but he couldn't ignore the feel of her hair on his shoulder. Snapping his eyes open, he lifted his head to gaze down at her with an expectant look....But she merely smiled at him. At least she was clothed, though. Sighing, he muttered, "Iris, I'll warn you now...one of these days, you'll startle me and end up with a knife at your throat again."
----------------
Two weeks, and no word of his...frequent visits to her home. Nothing ever really happened, and perhaps that was why he'd heard nothing of the girl "seeing" anyone. At most, people whispered how the assassination attempt had driven the entire Nefretiri family into a more reclusive nature, at least temporarily. That too, was attributed to the fact that the son was staying inside for "health reasons," though after a day or two the hiring of his entertainments had begun again. Iris was staying in during the nights for...not-so-obvious reasons to the public, for which both she and himself were rather grateful for. The father wasn't out as often because he was trying to get to the bottom of who had hired the assassin Deste had killed, and well...the mother had gone out for her twice-monthly chat on schedule as always.
The publics attention died after the mother was seen out and about as always, not fearing for her life. And soon enough Iris was able to get peace from well-wishers at her door. The thief, luckily, hadn't had to put up with anyone, as she often mentioned after irritably returning to her room. She'd had to drive off her brother more than once...and from the way he always checked her bedroom window when he left, Deste could tell that he was suspicious of something. Perhaps...he would be better off if he always had to stay inside for reasons of "health."
As for the bandit, he'd been up twenty-four hours after his initial poisoning, much to the Egyptian's ire. But, as said, he visited her frequently enough. They talked - when he felt like talking - but mainly just...sat in company. It was strange, but not. He was still unsure about all the reasons of his attachment to her, and as that binding four-letter "L" word never came up...don't ask, don't tell. And she had the sense not to ask what she knew he wasn't willing to divulge; anything about his past, his likes and dislikes, family...she never questioned him. He'd tell her eventually...if things held up, anyway.
Bah. But two weeks in, when he had fully recovered, he was hired to travel to another city and steal some heirloom from an old-blooded family. Something about hurt pride, politics...Deste didn't particularly care; he was getting paid well for this one. The night before he was set to leave, he dropped by his little "safe house" one more time. This time through a different, less-conspicuous window that Iris left unlocked for him. He somehow felt like he needed to have the courtesy to say good-bye...hmph. He wondered at her reaction to him taking a job that, as with all his others, gave him the possibility of getting killed. One of the many things they didn't talk about was his occupation....
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:15 pm
Iris heard him enter, smiling as she left her room to travel into the room next to it - where the 'better' window was. It wasn't as easily seen, so it was safer...not that they had much to worry about anyway. Not a word had yet leaked out. However, her brother had a feeling something was different, so...better secret than sorry.
She leaned on the doorway, dark eyes beneath half-open lids greeting him so her words didn't have to. The woman looked relaxed, comfortable...she was starting to get used to that feeling, since normally her night-time-engagements left her irritated and tired. Of course, now she didn't really have any - hence the change. she had him to thank for that. He visited quite frequently, whenever the sun went down - their days were free to do whatever they pleased, independent of each other, but she found herself in his company almost every night, at some point. It was a nice little set up...though something seemed different about him tonight.
Well, she'd find out later. Iris had something to show him first.
"Come, look at what I just came into possession of," she said quietly, giving him a small smile before turning to wander back into her room. Ma'at gave a small squawk, lifting herself from her spot next to a very special item in the room. It was an egg - a griffin egg, obviously - sitting in its own little 'nest' to the right of Iris' bed. "My father sent it as a gift, probably figuring I could use just a bit more protection.." she said, shrugging. In all honesty, she really didn't - she had Ma'at, she knew how to handle herself for the most part anyway...and at least some of the time, she had Deste. She really didn't know what to call their relationship, but she did know that he wouldn't let anything happen to her if he could help it. At least, that's what she told herself.
She took a seat on her bed, watching the egg as it shifted ever so slightly every few minutes. Her eyes shifted to watch Deste, still standing there. Hmm....well, saying something or not, he would take his own time in telling her what was up - since he was obviously a little off about something - so she just sat there, waiting.
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:16 pm
He appraised the egg with his eyes for several minutes, and though the silence hanging between the two people wanted to speak, he thought it was a comfortable enough atmosphere to remain in silence. He did, however, comment eventually. "So...your father managed to get a hold of one of those "rare" eggs that Nikki's been advertising." He'd gone to the auction for them, purely on business, though he'd had a question or two about Kalei for the breeder, such as if the avian should be flying yet. The answer was no; his wings were not yet strong enough to do anything past gentle gliding. Which Kalei was practicing anyway, it seemed, so the griffin was growing normally, he supposed....
"I was almost tempted to steal one of the eggs to...give to you." The thief stated after a moment. He left the end of his words hanging; he figured that an extra griffin might help protect Iris in the case that he wouldn't be around. Such as the case of the next few days. But he would let her know of that sometime during the rest of the evening. Clearing his throat slightly, he instead continued with, "But Nikki's Darkfeather seems to be able to sense my presence whenever I'm near. Couldn't get close enough."
Deste was a bit irritated at that fact, but, well....she'd gotten on anyway. Paid a good price for it, too, her father had....
He felt a gentle, feather-soft nudge beneath his hand, and glanced down to see his spotted male next to him. Hm...hadn't event noticed the appearance. The bird was getting good at sneaking around. An amused half-smile lifted his expression as he gave Kalei a pat...perhaps the bird could be useful on this next job.
"I'm going to be away on...business...for the next few days." he voiced after a moment, still looking down at his griffin. At the moment, he was already running through scenarios in his head on the pros and cons of having the young griff with him. Deste knew that Iris wouldn't mind him keeping Kalei here while he was gone, but so far, the griffin had been with him for all of the jobs he had done in this city. On the other hand, that was purely out of necessity; the bandit couldn't find a place to keep the young bird on his own for very long. Now he had an excuse...feh.
"So you'll have a few free nights from me." he suddenly spoke again, as if there had been no break from his earlier statement. He still wasn't meeting Iris' gaze, and there wasn't really a particular reason for it...other than he couldn't afford to get distracted the night he was set to leave. He was already shifting into the normal personality while on a job...which would explain Iris feeling that there was something "off"; he didn't act in what he considered a "normal manner" when he was around her, so when he acted as he was really used to....feh. This was too complicated....
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:18 pm
Iris smiled a bit. "So help me if you and my father think alike. I can barely deal with one, much less two," she teased, still looking at her egg. She almost said something else, but then he broke the silence again with his news. Heh, funny how he put that - business. As if he was talking to someone who didn't know what he was going to. She supposed he was trying to make it seem less than what it really was..appreciated, but not needed. The woman smiled, but only a little, since 'away' meant not anywhere near her. If it had been near, he wouldn't have said anything - anything that stayed inside of the city was just normal work. It was a little disconcerting...but it was his job, she couldn't really say anything.
"Free nights? What a treat." she said, though she had a feeling she wouldn't be given much of a response. He still hadn't looked at her - she supposed it was because he had to leave. Understandable. Well, it certainly didn't need to be one of those dramatic teary situations - looked as if neither of them were heading in that direction anyway. There was no point in getting all upset, not in this line of work. But then, how was she supposed to react? Banter was the outlet she was taking, but she didn't know if she should say anything more, or nothing at all...hmmph.
Ma'at let out a little chirp from her spot near the egg, looking back at it and then cocking her head in the direction of Kalei and Deste. It was almost as if she was expecting more of a reaction to her 'friend', wondering why everyone was acting weird and not paying attention to the main event. Iris chuckled, looking at Deste, even if he wouldn't look at her. "When are you leaving?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:20 pm
"Tonight." he answered shortly. Deste would probably leave within the hour...or now, considering there wasn't much left to say. He'd run down to the "Black Market" district, pick up a few more sets of throwing knives to accompany his normal daggers, and then set off to the north. The city was closer to the border between Chryseas and Albion than he was comfortable with, but he'd deal with it. He had this feeling though...something unpleasant was going to happen. Either he'd get injured again, or just...feh.
"I'll be gone for no more than seven days." he added as he turned around to leave her bedroom and return out the window. Kalei chirped with excitement at what he felt would be a new journey, and hopped down the stairs after a farewell squawk at Ma'at. Iris followed the man, though Deste still didn't look at her. He shouldn't....but paused anyway, hand on the windowsill, before turning to glance at her with eyes that were hardened to black onyx. "Stay safe while I'm gone." he murmured. He thought about it...but decided against doing anything other than gently brushing her cheek with one hand. And then he was gone.
---------
Alright. He'd broken his damn word to be gone no more than seven days. It'd been almost twice that long, but this was taking longer than expected. A sudden rainstorm had slowed him down considerably from even reaching the city of Rhyll, and then there was still the inspection of layout and planning that he'd had to do after he got there. Mph...at least Kalei wasn't being troublesome.
He made his move on the seventh day after leaving Xuan, and the thievery went smoothly; there were guards, but he'd gotten past them while they were changing shifts...which happened to be the time when his griffin provided a good distraction by shrieking loudly in a nearby alleyway. He'd gotten what he needed and slipped away without any notice. After recollecting Kalei, he'd begun to make his way towards the city gates...when that unpleasant feeling of something...-bad- happening hit him again.
It was four days after the completion of his job, and he was only halfway back to his "hometown." Here he was, lounging in a tree when he could have been walking. Nighttime, the best hours to travel for his kind. And yet...there was -her- again. God damned....He backtracked onto the conversation they'd had after she'd confronted him at the city gates, convincing him to wait just a little while longer to leave so that she could go with him. Fool woman.
"Deste...you can go back now, you know."
"I have no reason to."
"...But you will. She will die soon from the Wasting Sickness. Should that happen, you have to prepared to return and accept responsibility as-"
"Don't....tell me what I need to be held "responsible" for, Lenore..."
"...If I don't, the others will. He might marry her, you know, and you can't just ignore-"
He'd walked away after that, but here he was with an old face from his past, sitting in company with her as she slept. Lenore was another one of those strange women that Deste always seemed to be acquainted with...but she was different from Iris in the way that, while the object of his intrigue was a flame, Lenore was as cold and solid as ice. Suppressing a groan and willing himself not to just up and leave, the thief closed his eyes and attempted to let himself fall asleep. Beneath him, Kalei curled up to sleep beside a brown crested griffin.
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 7:21 pm
Iris sighed, walking casually down the aisles of the marketplace in the early evening. Ma'at trailed behind her, prancing as if she had just won a contest or something - no, just a new collar. This felt more normal than anything had in a long time - shopping, normal clothes, her favorite armband, which had been ignored for a while...except, the more normal it felt, the more uncomfortable it felt. He had been gone for a long time..longer than he said he would be. Putting a hand to her cheek, she was reminded that there was no way she could know if anything happened to him or not. Unless the assassination was very high in the food chain, news of it most likely would not reach her. If she tried to find him, he would either be discovered, or hurt...so she was stuck. Her eyes narrowed - he was in trouble whenever he got back...if, he got back.
She did more thinking than shopping while walking along. Soon enough, she found herself out of the shop district and into a more residential area. Hmph, Iris hadn't been here in a while. She didn't have much need to be here, really. But then, she didn't really need to be anywhere, so she just kept walking. Ma'at seemed to notice her 'odd' behavior, and trotted ahead, squawking happily. Iris just shook her head.
"No, we can't do anything yet."
Her head turned, naturally, at the sound of talk. Talk that she probably shouldn't be hearing. Heh, but that was just the aristocrat in her talking - any conversation not your own was one a candidate for eavesdropping. This was the residential area - middle-class, nothing of her concern.
"Well, the breeder's latest shipment never did come in...do you think he intercepted it?"
"Maybe."
She lifted a brow. One of those voices was familiar....but she couldn't pick out the name. Ma'at's attention had been caught, but she remained silent. Going with her gut, she quietly walked in the direction of the conversation - it was coming from the house across the street, in the backyard...she turned, motioning for Ma'at to hide. Turning back around, she crept up to the fence leading to the backyard, crouching low. It was dark enough outside and she was in dark enough clothing that she wouldn't be seen. Security was low - she would know, as she had to implement almost everything in the book to keep her home safe. Hanging around Deste had her searching every spot with her eyes before getting too close...but she was pretty confidant that there was no one else but her listening in. If there was, Ma'at would have alerted her.
"There's too much risk in this. It's making me nervous. Too much up to chance."
"What's the problem? The disappearances have been too sporadic for anyone to pick up on. Besides, one two more, and he'll have all he needs."
"There'll be an uproar."
"No one will know."
"An egg breaks and everyone knows, Johan. You should know that better than anyone."
Iris' eyes widened. Johan, right-hand-man to one of the most influential politicians in the whole country. Her father knew him...and everyone knew that Johan had lost entire clutches of eggs after one bad, stupid breeding. After that, he was a joke....until he redeemed himself in politics. Not that his intellect improved any. Hence why he and his friend were being so careless in their conversation...not that it was exactly normal for anyone of importance to walk by in this district. Still...
And why were they talking about Griffins? He was out of the business, completely. He had no chance. But then, he wasn't talking about himself....missed shipments. Missing clutches. He was right, she hadn't heard a thing about it...hmm...
She wanted to keep listening, but there was movement on the other side of the fence. She was careful - she hadn't been seen, but any longer and she might blow her cover. Carefully looking around, she spotted Ma'at, who was watching her intently from the other side of the street. Iris moved silent as a cat away from the scene, pausing on the other side of the street for several moments to see if there would be any odd movement, anything in her direction, anything from..anywhere, watching her. Seemed to be clear. A bit unnerved, Iris began walking back t'wards the marketplace, having had enough of the residential district for tonight. Apparently, she needed to do some investigating..and some thinking
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