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 Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:03 pm
Shrisin couldn't help feeling curious at her mother's summons. Her mother had attained the status of high priestess, though she made little of it, and so she had to know how vital Shri's studies were. To summon her daughter all the way to Llurth Dreir from Gallidurth, this had to be something of great importance. Typically, Shri couldn't help wondering if something had happened to her aunt, Matron Baen'duis, and if she would be called upon to ascend before she was prepared to do so. It was unlikely, of course, but what drow does not dream of ascension on a regular basis? She also hoped very hard that no evidence of her participation and contribution to her cousin's bout with insanity had been uncovered. That would give her cousin free reign to pursue a vendetta, and Shri didn't have time for that. Her studies were becoming all-encompassing.
She touched her right hand to her left wrist, where a thin scar marked her, almost like a white bracelet. It was an unconscious habit that she was utterly unaware she had. To any with the training and the inclination to notice, it was an indication that she was ill at ease, and feeling somewhat helpless. She had acquired the scar many years ago when acting as a servant in the temple where she now studied to be a priestess at the hands of a clumsy student who had once been a classmate, before Shri made it her business to destroy her, following the suggestions of a mage in her acquaintance and causing her to go mad with love for an uninterested third party. The girl ended her own life when she was rejected by the object of her affections, and Shri had not been particularly remorseful.
Her mother, Halynda, was late in arriving, which was very unlike the older drowess, who took care of most of the day-to-day running of House Baen'duis, and therefore made it a habit to be prompt, if not early, for any appointment she made. That being the case and an undisputed fact, Shri concluded that her mother was trying to set her ill at ease. She refused to be thus manipulated and so set herself to the task of recalling the eight eight Sacred Spells and how to cast them. She had only learned up to thirty seven, but she would just review those she knew until her mother put in an appearance.
_____
Halynda Baen'duis, older and favored sister of Matron Mother Umraevyll Baen'duis, waited by the main gate to House Baen'duis, the one used by official guests and family when there was no hurry. She wanted the young drowess she would be meeting to come into the manor this way on her first time, so that she could properly appreciate the grandeur she would be entering. Of course the younger female had spent much of her youth in Baen'duis, but those memories were probably tainted by the experience which had resulted in the termination of her stay and her fostering with the merchant band, whose leader was late in dropping her off.
The young velguk she would be meeting was the daughter of her younger sister's oldest daughter, Malree. By all accounts Malree was an utterly useless being, a religious fanatic who took entirely too much pleasure in the flagellatory practices which were Baen'duis' clame to notoriety in the southern city of Llurth Dreir. She was too caught up in her faith to even manage to achieve the status of high priestess, though she was old enough that she ought to have done so by this point in her life. She had a daughter about the same age as her little sister and Halynda's younger children, after all. But she was a useless creature. Halynda hoped that her daughter would not prove to be the same.
This velguk, Halynda's great niece, was a forbidden child. Matron Baen'duis had forbidden her youngest sister's line to procreate, and that included Malree and Trielnolu. For that matter, neither Ree nor Tri-no ought to exist, but their continued existence was permitted because they did no harm, in Ree's case, and because Tri-no seemed to show some promise as a mage. Halynda's hope was that Ilmxena, Ree's forgotten daughter, would be a little bit more useful than the rest of her line. At least to Halynda and her youngest daughter. There was no harm in having a pet assassin, as long as no one found out.
However, their first meeting in many years was off to an inauspicious start, as the leader of the merchants and his fosterling assassin were late.
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Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 1:32 pm
"I - am - fine!" Ilmxena repeated for what felt like the hundreth time. She squirmed upon the bench uncomfortably as Master Jelkin once again descended upon her with a comb and jar of some sort of thin jell. She raised her hands to ward off his attack, and found her wrists effectively caught by Thalzoz and helf firmly as Jelkin began to brush the long white length of her hair.
"Ahhhhhhh!" She howled and kicked up her legs. Much to the amusement of her tormentors. "Your pulling it! Stop it! Stop it already!"
"Well if you would stop tossing your head about we'd be done already!" Thal admonished her with his deep voice. The warrior guard for the caravan seemed to have little to no problems holding her wrists still.
"Just cut it all off then! I'd rather be bald then go through all this trouble! ow ow ough! Stop it! Jelkin!" She continued her fussing as the elder velguk applied a thin coating of the jell to the brush and slicked it through her hair.
"That's Master Jelkin, least for the next few minutes. Now hold still and listen to what your teacher has to say." He shook his head from side to side as he swept the brush more easily through her hair. "If you had been using that mushroom cream regularly like I told you then your hair wouldn't be so stiff."
"If you would stop trying to make me waste my time with all that un-neccessary hygine stuff---" Ilmxena began to shoot back, though she paused as the older drow fixed her with a stern red glare. Somberly she snapped her lips shut and allowed him to finish brushing her hair for her.
"I don't see what all the fuss is about, and I don't see why you have to leave me here. I still have more I could learn Master Jalkin." Now that she had stopped fighting the two males her voice had dropped. Thalzoz shook his head a little, and clapped a large palm onto her shoulder.
"Your going to one of the Houses Xee." He rather affectionatly answered. "You must be presentable, and this means making certain your hair isn't hanging all wild around you like a exploded egg sack."
"Meh. I'm clean. I don't smell. My cloths are in good order. What more do I really need?" Ilmxena could not let go of her grumbling, even as the wagon rolled on through the streets. Jalkin was strangely quiet though. The older male was usually quite talkative and Ilmxena found this to be disturbing. "Master?"
Jalkin shook his head and seemed to wipe at his cheek before he turned and flashed her a hollow smile. "This House is the one that gave you to us in the first place Xee. Your time with us is up though and it's time to return you. You've been a good little scamp, but mind your manners and that tongue of yours. Your going to be around nobles and you can't just go shooting off gutter speech when you get angry. I want you to promise me you'll watch yourself."
Jalkin knelt before her and placed a hand on her knee. Ilmxena's face twisted with a sickening twist of emotions. She was angry at being shuffled off again just as she had felt she'd found a place for her in the merchant caravan. She also felt sad about leaving behind the men she had come to admire. She also felt a sense of apprehension. This was the place where that drider had caught her...the place responsible for the worst nightmares she had ever experienced...and still experienced. It was also the place where Lesomph may still be, and the possibility of finally getting even with the male was the only good thing about all of this.
"I promise to watch out for myself master Jalkin." She somberly told the male. It was about then that the wagon came to a halt, and Thalzoz gave her a push towards the rear door.
"We're here Xee. Don't you dissappoint us now. Else I'll have to come and collect those five silver you owe me." He grinned as he spoke.
"It's only three silver, and you cheated at that hand." Ilmxena shot back as she opened the door and hopped out. Thalzoz and Jalkin remained within the wagon, leaving Ilmxena to walk by herself around to the front where the caravan master waited. His arms were folded before him and he had, as ususal, a unfriendly scowl on his face. He looked Ilmxena over, and grunted something that could have passed as approval after taking note of the smoothly brushed hair pinned back on her head.
Together the two walked towards what seemed to be a rather large house. Was it always this big? Ilmxena's memories were time faded and she could not quite recall ever coming in this way. Her eyes darted towards the caravan master, then to the female that stood apperantly waiting for them.
Ilmxena had not gained much height since she had left the house. Though her body was more full, she only barely came even with the caravan masters height. She felt that nervouseness twisting in her stomach as they stopped before the female. The caravan master bowed his head, and after a moment Ilmxena shakily copied his movements.
"Lady. Here she is. Been quite the bother lugging her around but..as promised she's alive and whole. Not as completely useless as when we first picked her up." The caravan master addressed Halynda with a touch more respect in his voice then his words seemed to relay.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:20 am
Halynda nodded to the caravan master. It was as much respect as the male would get from someone of her station. Unlike her youngest daughter, who had an unfortunate habit of being willing associate with anyone of any gender, race, or class and treat them as if they were worthy of her attention, Halynda knew her place in the hierarchy of Llurth Dreir and the Underdark. She was drow, and so she was superior, she was female, and so she was superior, she was a high priestess, and so she was superior. That she had even nodded to the caravan master was a gesture he ought to cherish.
Not that he would. She'd resigned herself to the fact that this male simply hadn't enough sense to properly word his speeches to nobility. It probably came from spending so much time traversing the wilds of the Underdark without civilized company. The thought was almost enough to send a shudder through her. The shudder was not so much at the idea of the untamed portions of the Underdark, into which she had no intention of ever venturing, but at the idea of what sort of manners Ilmxena might have acquired traveling with the caravan. It had occurred to her before, of course, whenever reports of the girl's progress came to her, but now, confronted with the reality of potentially having to train the girl to deal with polite company, it was impossible to ignore the possibility that Ilmxena would be irreverent, or worse: subservient. Obedience, of course, would be lovely.
"You were reimbursed for the bother," she reminded the caravan master without any sign of amusement. It wouldn't do, after all, for the male to think he had any right to familiarity or further recompense. "And had she been returned anything other than alive and whole, you would not have liked the results."
"You may go," she said to the caravan master, dismissing him from her presence and her thoughts, which were now totally focused on the girl he had brought to her.
For the first time she looked at Ilmxena. The girl did not seem to have changed much, which may or may not prove to be useful. If she was going to return to the servants' quarters, it would be problematic, because they would have known her and so questions would be asked. However, Halynda had no intention of returning her grand-niece to the life of a servant. As for recognition by members of her actual family...that was unlikely. Malree had probably forgotten about her daughter decades ago, and no one else in the family would have seen her at all, except maybe in the peripheries of their vision. They would not, then, be unaccustomed to seeing her, and so no questions would be asked.
She had already arranged for a suite of rooms in the family section of the manor to be aired out and made ready for Ilmxena's return. The rooms were not ideally located, as Ilmxena was neither closely related to Matron Baen'duis nor even acknowledged by said Matron, but they were nicely positioned for easy and inconspicuous entry and departure. They were also not particularly elegant, as Halynda had opted to allow Ilmxena to do her own decorating, but they would be more luxurious than anything the younger drow would have experienced personally. It was Halynda's hope that her grand-niece would be impressed and realize how fortunate she was that her great-aunt had decided to welcome her to the family. All that would have to be explained later, however.
"Come with me, Lady Ilmxena," she said, making a gesture which said basically the same thing. "There is much I must explain to you, and someone whom I would very much like you to meet."
Then she turned away and began to walk into the manor, using the imposing front gates, which were spelled to recognize members of House Baen'duis and permit them entry, and prevent all others from going further until someone with the authority to do so let them in. As she and her charge passed, footmen and doormen bowed deeply, their eyes downcast until the sound of their footfalls passed. She wanted Ilmxena to see the place she would occupy and the treatment she would receive from now on. Once more, she wanted her grand-niece to be grateful to her.
They walked slowly for two reasons: first, Halynda wanted to give her grand-niece sufficient time to be amazed by the grandeur of House Baen'duis, a House in the Spider Queen's good graces, and second, she had to explain some important matters to the young drowess.
"I'm sure this will come as a surprise to you, but you are a member of House Baen'duis' ruling family. Albeit, you are not in a position to inherit for a number of reasons, not the least of which being the illegitimacy of your birth, and the fact that your birth itself was forbidden. It is fortunate for all that Matron Baen'duis has never known of you." She had to be sure Ilmxena harbored no ideas of trying to be the next Matron. There were too many people with that thought already.
"Centuries ago, long before you were born, my older sister forbid my younger sister's line to bear any more children, since our House is given to birthing females, of which we already had a surfiet, and because she is not in our older sister's good graces. Regardless, my younger sister bore two daughters. The eldest, Malree, was careless in her youth and became pregnant. You are the result of that pregnancy.
"I arranged for you to be kept out of the Matron's way as a child, and then I sent you to be fostered and learn a trade when it became apparent that you were not safe here. I've called you back to join the family as a valued member of House Baen'duis. My daughter, who you will be meeting shortly, will be able to tell you more, once I've explained to her about the training you've received."
Just before they reached the chamber where Halynda had told Shrisin to meet her, she stopped and positioned herself in Ilmxena's path. "You are a member of House Baen'duis, and you must remember that, but you should also consider carefully where your loyalties lie within the House."
That said, she nodded to one of the doorman, who opened and held the door for her and Ilmxena as they walked into the comfortable salon, where an attractive young drowess waited, mentally reviewing pieces of dogma to amuse herself. Said drowess nodded to her mother, showing her due respect, and then looked past her mother at the other drow who accompanied her. There was something familiar about the other drow, and Shri's curiosity was piqued.
"Greetings, mother," she said in carefully modulated tones. "Will you introduce me to your companion?"
Halynda noted with approval her daughter's carriage and motioned for Ilmxena to step forward as she said, "This is Baen'duis Ilmxena. She has just returned, having completed her training as a velguk. I thought the two of you would be interested in meeting, and I will leave you to make your own introductions."
Shri watched her mother leave and then directed all of her attention on the new drowess, who was apparently a relative. Her mind was already working quickly, deciphering what her mother meant her to do with an assassin. It was obvious her mother meant for Ilmxena to be loyal to Shri. It would certainly have been a pleasant gift to receive, a pet assassin, but Ilmxena had been introduced as a member of the family, and that meant that she was not a servant to be commanded, but possibly an equal to be convinced. Ah well. Shri was good at convincing people, and usually she quite enjoyed the process.
"Greetings, cousin," she said, using the address for family of uncertain relation. "I am so pleased that you have returned. Please make yourself comfortable and tell me everything about yourself. I am dying of curiosity, and given very few opportunities to interview velguks. You are, in fact, the first I have met formally."
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:57 am
The brief exchange between the caravan master and the Lady did not particularly interest Ilmxena. Her thoughts wanted to wander as much as her eyes did, but after the various impromptu lessons of 'respectable behavior' by Jalkin and Thalzoz on the return trip to this House Ilmxena knew better. Seeming like she was ignoring a member of a noble House invited trouble. That is what Thalzoz had said. So Ilmxena stood with her hands thrust into her pockets to keep her from fidgeting them. Of course, she had a coin and a smooth piece of amethyst in each pocket for her fingers to wrap around and stroke unseen with her thumbs. So she supposed she was still fidgeting, just cleverly.
The caravan masters dismissal came quite quickly though. Ilmxena caught his gruff sound of acknowledgement in accordanct to her, then again he bowed. Which seemed odd for Ilmxena had never seen him bow more then once during a encounter. Her red eyes turned to watch his stiff stalk back to the caravan. Not even a goodbye for her. Not even a nod. The caravan master had always been quite brusque with her, so she was uncertain what he thought or felt about him. Unlike Thalzoz that had treated her with teaseing and mild affection. Or Jalkin that had been strangely protective and at times a little over obsessive about her care. They she at least had known where she had stood in their minds and hearts. It was a little dissappointing that she had never been able to figure out the caravan master in the least.
The summons by the Lady to follow turned Ilmxena's attention back to her. But not nearly as quickly as the title that she was addressed with. Ilmxena looked as if she had just had a priestess' snake whip placed before her and told to pick it up. Her features a comical mixture of disbelief and confusion. Lady? Her? Hardly! Still, she wasn't going to correct the lady. Jalkin warned her that correcting a noble was often a invintation for pain.
Actually just about everything they told her was a invintation for pain. Honestly, if she didn't know there was truth in those words she'd have suspected them of just trying to scare her.
She had more to focus on then them now though. As she followed, after a small hitch of hesitation, quickly on Halynda's heels through the gateway Ilmxena felt a unease growing inside her stomach. The guards made her skin crawl, and she knew the reason why. her fingers tightened upon the coin in her pocket. She disliked being the center of so much attention. So many eyes on her, so many people taking notice of her? The profession she'd been trained in focused on being un-noticed. There was...so much here though. So many things to consider. It was a good thing the Lady was walking slowly, because Ilmxena probably would have lagged behind.
The hall was definatly far more grand then she had been living with for the past handful of years. What was it now...eight? Nine years since she'd been here? All of this faded to secondary the next time the Lady spoke to her.
"Ssussun Vlos!" The curse slipped past her disbeliving lips before she'd even realized she was interrupting Halynda. Her red eyes were fixed on the female leading her, all else around her utterly forgotten. Her!? One of the family line? Imxena had a great many questions. Most importantly being who was her relation? Why hadn't she known? Why had she been left with the servants then? A part of her felt a minor flare of instant resentment. If she had been of a noble bloodline she felt cheated. Though at the same time she felt a bit of confusion. WHy had she been shucked away? Had there been something wrong with her?
Some of the answers she wanted were given right away, so Ilmxena had not needed to ask anything. All she had to do was follow quietly and try to keep from letting her face speak for her.
It was not answers she was confortable with. That being a child along a line that should not have any offspring. It meant she was just lucky enough to have gotten as far as she had in life before someone killed her. And still could if she got the feeling right. If she turned out to be a bother or a embaressment it was incredibly likely that they'd just get rid of her entierly. Honestly...Ilmxena was surprised they had even bothered to drag her out of the drider pit at all.
Ilmxena drew up short when Halynda turned about to face her. She worked consciously to keep her face passive as she looked at the imposing female. "Y-yes...Lady...." She slowly responded. Where her loyalties lie? In the House? A small nudge in the back of her head made her think the comment meant much. If there was unrest in the family somewhere... Obviously it would be between the sisters two families then? Ilmxena remembered the youngest sister had two daughters after all. So...if she was from the youngest sisters line, it would make sense that Halydna was attempting to ensure she knew that she owed her lift to this sister. Meaning....
Meaning she was probably being dumped into another form of drider pit. Ilmxena's stomach clentched.
Her attention was focused more inward then outward when they entered the room with Shri. Ilmxena already felt troubled enough as it was. Her shoulders had tightened and she walked in a slight slump behind the Lady. Until it was that Halydna gestured her forwards. Taking a pair of steps forwards she lifted her red eyes to look at the other drowess. SO who was this? What else was going to be thrown at her?
Ilmxena shifted her position so she could watch Halydna exit the room from the corner of her eye, then it was this other female she was left to speak with. This wasn't the sort of return she'd been picturing. By now she had figured she'd be in the servants quarters commendeering a room for herself. By now she should have been hunting down her males.
Her cousin was overly poliet and..wordy. She reminded her a little of the drow that took care of the more 'sensitive' customers for the caravan. But only a little in the fact they both seemed to know quite a lot of verbal etiquett.
With the obvious invintation to to make herself comfortable, Ilmxena's eyes raked the room over in a search for something to drink. Shifting on her feet she swallowed the urge to ask for a bottle of Deep Abyssal Ale. Asking for a drink immediatly was bound to have a negative im[act on her cousin's opinion of her. 'Oh look! It's the little unwanted daughter that was raised by slaves and merchants! Can't expect anything more out of her then you would them now!'
Her eyes shifted to the overly friendly drowess as she'd ask her to explain things about herself. "There isn't much to interview..." She slowly replied while worriedly trying to figure out just what it was she ought to be saying. House loyalties huh?
"People tell me who they want dead...I make them dead. It's a pretty easy job really. What about you?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 11:56 am
Shri smiled a little at her relation's blunt description of her job. She supposed it was what she ought to expect. She did wish that her mother had given her a little more warning, rather than thrusting some stranger upon her and expecting her to win her over with no information to go on. She hoped, however that the brusqueness was actually humor and nerves, as opposed to automatic antipathy. Very few things made Shri uncomfortable, but she was unaccustomed to people disliking her.
"I'm sure there's more to it than that, but it is unreasonable of me to ask you to divulge trade secrets. It would be like asking me to tell the secrets of high priestesses, if I knew them. I haven't yet been ordained as a high priestess." She sighed a little as she contemplated how long that could take, especially with continued interruptions like this, but her sigh was light and ended with a good-natured smile.
"Actually, though, I was more interested in learning about where you conducted your studies. My mother said that you had returned, from which I assume you were sent elsewhere to study. Personally, I'm studying at the main temple in Gallidurth, which my aunt swears is the only place to be properly educated in the ways of our Goddess." She rolled her eyes. It was, of course, a deliberate action meant to demonstrate that she was a normal young drowess, and not unapproachable.
"Perhaps you would like something to drink?" Shri asked. "Or to eat? I don't know how long you traveled before coming home, but if I know my mother she didn't bother to ask if you had any personal needs to attend to. It's not her way."
Without waiting for a response, Shri made a gesture in the silent language of handsigns taught to all members of House Baen'duis and those who served them, ordering that two serving of pfaughzee nevel. Almost instantaneously a diminutive male emerged from an alcove bearing a silver tray with two glasses of a bright orange drink which gave off pale blue smoke. It was a Baen'duis specialty, acquired at great expense and made from some sort of plant from Above which had a sharp, tangy scent and flavor. It was only permitted to close members of the Matron's family. Of course, Shri suspected that the servants stole sips of it when they thought their masters unaware of it, but she didn't particularly care. Honestly, she wasn't particularly fond of the drink itself. It was just something the family served to show off.
Shri waited for Ilmxena to take a glass and then took the remaining one and took a sip, the standard way of proving that whatever was being served was not poisoned. She couldn't help closing her eyes against the strange tingling which came from the fruit the drink was made of. She would have preferred a cheaper vintage, but she guessed she was supposed to afford her relation courtesy, and serving pfaughzee nevels was one way to do it.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 12:49 pm
Ilmxena bobbed her head slowly to Shri. She found herself in much the same position as her cousin. She knew very little about the other female, and as such felt uncertain in how to speak or deal with her. It didn't help matters any that she was struggling with the bitter knowledge of her bloodline. Who had her father been? Had he been relevant? Ilmxena felt distracted by this concern when she should have been focused on Shri.
The fact she was training to be a priestess was not too surpriseing. Most noble daughters choose that profession. It was a staple really and only those that had something lacking in them followed other paths. Lacking...Ilmxena squeezed the amethyst in her fist.
Shri's at personal seemed...suspect? That would be Jalkins choice of words. When you meet a drow for the first time they often hid things from you so that you would be lulled into a sense of underestimation. What would Thalzoz think? A image of the big warrior unabashaedly staring at Shri's chest flashed into her mind and Ilmxena found herself biting her bottom lip in an attempt not to laugh. Her seeming nature was too...approachable. Thalzoz would respond like a dog being shown a bone.
More questions about her came and Ilmxena rationalized that if she did not answer this meeting was bound to be quiet and boring. "I learned in the Wilds mostly. The creatures out there are far more sensitive to the approch of others. It's nearly impossible to catch them unaware most of the time, so it works well for training in stealth and pacience." There was no harm in relaying that. She was certain that if her cousin truely wished to know about her she could look into the caravan she'd been fostered by.
"Been to Gullidurth." She responded as she thought back to the comment made about the city. "It's...interesting. Cold though. I don't like the cold so much." As if a point in her case Ilmxena tugged at the purple cloak upon her shoulders and straitened it. The offer of a drink was...exceptionally welcome, and a faint smile ghosted her lips.
She found it a touch intimidating when she read the drink that was being ordered to be shared with her. Ah, Elaugh had stolen her a cup once in the past. With the requirement that she shared it with him in a small dark closet in one of the halls. It had been a good memory for Ilmxena. They had taken turns sipping the drink, then he had taken advantage of the close quarters to bump and brush her in questionable places. She had allowed him a little bit of his fun before putting a end to it. Still...the name of the drink brought her mind to the question of her males...
And it was the male himself that caught her interest more then the drink when it was brought in. Her eyes flickered to his face, searching for a flicker of recognition in his eyes, or perhaps for the features of one of her males. She was a bit dissappointed when it was not one of them...perhaps she could corner a servant later and find out what had happened to them...
Ilmxena pulled her hands from her pockets finally and wrapped them around the cup offered to her. She inhaled the scent first. While taste could betray a poison, so could scent. So that was what she checked first, before following suit and sipping the strange drink. "So... if your studying in Gul. Why are you here?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:26 pm
"I hadn't thought of it that way, but the Wilds would make an excellent training ground for someone interested in learning to be undetectable. Did you see anything interesting while you were training? I've heard stories of the monsters that live out there, but I am given to suspect most of them to be fabrication on the part of the speaker."
Shri considered how she would respond to her cousin's question about what she was doing here. She was still figuring that out, herself. Her mother would have been able to make certain that Ilmxena was appropriately loyal to the appropriate parties. Shri's presence was not absolutely necessary. Unless her mother wanted her to form a more personal relationship with Ilmxena than that of a future matriarch with the person who would likely become her master assassin. To be honest, Shri would have liked to make friends with Ilmxena, but she didn't think that was likely to happen in one awkward meeting. Not unless she could find something they had in common.
"Perhaps your time training in the Wilds made you better-suited to handling different climates. I tend find that I am uncomfortably chilled whenever I'm in Gallidurth. Everyone I'm studying with bares as much skin as they can without crossing into the realm of the truly obscene, and I am often wearing long sleeves." She glanced at her current attire, which was more revealing. "My personal preferences tend more toward what you see me in now."
"It's one of the joys of coming home, even when I'm unexpectedly summoned, as I was in this case. I'm able to wear comfortable clothing and warm up. I'm also afforded time to visit with family members I haven't seen recently."
She did not mention, though she wanted to, that she had not seen Ilmxena around the family's private wing of the manor. She was beginning to put together pieces of what she thought her cousin's true background might be, and she didn't want to voice them until she was certain, and even then she probably would keep it to herself. It was not forming a picture most would admit to readily. There was also something she had heard her mother complaining about many years ago involving the drider pit and someone being pushed in. She didn't know why her mind wanted to relate that incident to Ilmxena, but she wasn't going to dismiss it for the moment. Maybe more things would fall into place.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 1:45 pm
Ilmxena's head bobbed slightly once again. Thinking about the Wilds, she had a good many memories from those eight years. "Oh...it is." She corrected Shri as she sipped the drink before her again. "It is every bit of dangerouse as they say. I've seen men, stupid men, torn apart by fighting creatures. I got caught myself once by a hook horror. I thought I was getting the drop on it when all it was doing was waiting for me to come close enough to nab. I've got a scar from that."
Xee lightly tapped her left thigh where the material of her pants stretched tightly over the flesh. "Severed it right off with one snip. I surprised it though. I didn't flail about and scream like most ruzzo'iso shu would. I grabbed the leg and smacked it in the face to distract it until Thalzoz was able to skewer it to the wall...." Xee took a deeper swallow of the drink, then peered into the orange liquid. "Don't remember much after that. Next time I was awake we were in Menzo and the Master was docking me three months pay for nearly dieing on him."
Her drink was more then half gone by this point, but Xee felt pretty in control of her senses. Somehow she remembered the drink being stronger as a kid. Perhaps all the drinking she'd done with the caravan had lent her some tolerance? Her eyes flickered over Shri's clothing as she talked about dress and garb. "You consider a warming talisman? Slip one of those on and you feel as warm as the inside of a cocoon for the day. Maybe the others where you study have a ring or necklace that gives them that enchantment. It's moderatly priced in places where the demand is high, but I'll bet it would take your mind off the cold while you study, and allow you your preferred style of dress." The advice came easily enough, as it didn't seem to be anything overly secretive. It didn't cost Xee anything showing she had a bit of worldly knowledge right?
"Must be interesting then for you to come home and catch up..." Here Xee trailed off, her lips purseing as she brought the drink back to them. What about her catching up? Would she be able to find her males? She had a score to settle with Lesomph and she needed to decide how to deal with him after finding him. Plus she needed to figure out where she stood now with this whole family line thing thrown up in front of her. Was she supposed to keep studying? Was she going to have things expected of her? Gah! Why couldn't this have waited another year or two?
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 2:25 pm
As that was where her attention was being called, Shri directed her gaze to Ilmxena's left thigh, thinking to herself that whatever Ilmxena had been doing for training had been very good for her figure. Not that drow tended to be overweight - with the notable exception of Shri's cousin, Trielnolu - but there was no denying that some drow were more fit than others. Shri knew that she, herself, was slender and lissome, but not really what one could honestly call fit. If she ever managed to find the time, she would have to begin a training regimen to remedy that. She wouldn't mind being a little firmer in some places.
At the description Ilmxena launched into of her battle with the hook horror, Shri's eyes widened almost impossibly as she listened raptly. The gift Lloth had given her, to take pleasure in both giving and experiencing pain made her cousin's description far easier to listen to than many in her position would find it. Her active imagination could conjure up the simultaneous agony and thrill of a severed leg, the tangy, coppery scent of bloodshed and the hot, slick, and sticky feeling of that same blood. Her imagination had a more difficult time conjuring the appropriate level of terror, as she had never really been in a situation where she had to fear for her life. There had been very bad moments in her early tenure in Gallidurth, but there had never been cause for her to worry that she might not come out of some encounter alive.
"You are incredible," she breathed, pulling her mental senses away from carnal thoughts of barbarism and battle. "I suspect in the same situation I would have only managed to scream, or maybe faint, if I was being particularly practical."
She was not shocked by Ilmxena's coarse language. Her favorite places to frequent were dives in Gallidurth, and she heard worse. She had been called worse on rare occasions. Those who had done so were no longer in a position to repeat the epithets. She was certain that they regretted they had ever been born, in fact. The thought gave her a great deal of malicious glee. It was not degradation in which she took pleasure, but pain, and the difference between the two was marked, even if they frequently came as a pair.
"I wonder, and I hope you will excuse me for asking, but do you have Lloth's gift? That which makes pain more bearable for we of House Baen'duis than other Houses?" Not everyone in the family had been so blessed. She knew her cousin Tri-no was not, and neither were her older brothers, except maybe Val, but she doubted he took her kind of pleasure in pain.
"I had not given much thought to a warming talisman. I am not familiar with magical workings, and I prefer to have a thorough knowledge of anything magical I might decide to acquire. However, I may look into one when I return to Gallidurth. I know several mages there who can assist me in choosing something appropriate. I also know of a place where I can acquire some enchantable jewelry that is to my taste." As she said this, she was reminded of the magical contacts she had made while out to make her cousin's life abysmal and the brother of a warrior she'd met at Val's school. "I appreciate the advice."
She gestured for the servant to refill Ilmxena's glass, and then ordered that she be brought something less spectacular, a regular vintage of malt liquor. Shri's tastes ran toward cheap alcohol, though she was experienced enough to appreciate the good stuff. She just didn't tend to drink it for longer than she had to. It occurred to her also that Ilmxena would probably prefer a less remarkable sort of drink, but she did not wish to insult her cousin by asking or insinuating that.
"Very little changes in my absence. You're the first exciting thing that's happened on any of my visits home. How long has it been since you've been home? Is there anyone you particularly wanted to see? I can certainly arrange for that, if so."
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 5:28 pm
Xee had seen the widening ot her cousins eyes as she told her story. Her actions in the past had often made Master Jalkin ask her 'What is wrong with you!?'. Though she'd never been complimented before! Xee looked at Shri with a unreadable expression as she digested the compliment. "Thank you?" She responded after a moment more. She had not expected her story to be...accepted. In fact she had been anticipating some sort of disbelief. Smacking a Hook Horror with your own leg? Xee had not yet met a drow that could believe a young little thing like her was capable of such a disturbing action.
The next question from her cousin stirred her thoughts back to the topic proper. Shifting upon her chair she placed a fingertip along the mouth of her glass and began to trace the surface slowly. Lloths gift? She had not heard of this sort of gift before. In truth Xee believed her ability to react in a more calm minded manner when in such situations was due to the event she had survived so many years ago. Honestly, she knew she had been through something that should have left her traumatized...and it had in a way...though Xee was exceptionally careful to try and hide the side effects of her drider encounter. Still....if she had this sort of gift that her cousin was asking about...it might explain why it was she had been able to survive the drider encounter...maybe even explain why she had not gone mad herself...
"I don't know. Master Jalkin often commented on how I did not respond the way he expected during some of my encounters. At first he was worried I was something of a despondant drow, until he saw me around the fire with the guys on a payday night...." Her lips quirked slightly upwards into a wry little grin. "I don't... that is...certain things that you would expect to startle or freeze a inexperienced drow did not phase me. Like I said, I lost a leg to a hook horror." Xee's eyes glanced down at her body as she considered the other occurances she had faced. "I've been stabbed by a Cloaker tail. Bitten by a giant centipede. I even had my arm stuck in a Ooze for a fight and through it all I never really stopped to think about what was happening to me so much as I was thinking I had to kill it or I was going to die... Of course...with the ooze I was thinking how utterly nasty my arm was turning while it was melting.... I guess the pain didn't occur to me too much. Nothing I've ever endured even comes close to...well...something else I felt when I was a lot younger."
She was feeling incredibly chatty already wasn't she? Then again, she was only sharing stories that she'd have shared had they been back in the camp. It wasn't liks she was divulging personal secrets or uncomfortable thoughts to her cousin. She doubted anything she said was going to really make much of a difference in the next few days of her life.
When her cousin thanked her for the advice, Xee bobbed her head a little. In truth she was more distracted at that moment by the fact another drink had been ordered for her. She would not turn it down of course. Alcohol, even something as high class as this drink, was welcome in her hands. She waited patciently for the glass to be refilled, though she rather wished she had something at that moment to swallow. Shri, unknowingly had asked something that Xee both dearly wanted to answer...and worried about answering. Her red eyes flickered off in another direction, seeking some random object to suddenly study as she turned over the questions in her mind.
"It has been about...eight years since I've been back to the House." Xee stopped herself from continueing. She did not want to admitt to her cousin she had never considered this place to be her home, nor did she want to admitt that she might have trouble ever considering it such. Not after the warning her aunt had given her earlier.
"There were....some males that I once kept company with... I am sort of wondering where they ended up after I left... But it would probably be a waste of your time to look into it. They could be anywhere by now. I don't think they were content to follow in their parents footsteps."
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 12:15 pm
Shri tried to figure out from Ilmxena's response whether she had been given Lloth's gift and was simply unaware of what it entailed, or whether she simply had a high tolerance for pain. It was difficult to tell. All members of House Baen'duis had a high tolerance for pain. At least, they could all function with minimal distraction while in the kind of pain that would incapacitate members of other Houses. That didn't necessarily mean that Ilmxena had been blessed by Lloth as Shri, herself, had, for instance. Not everyone could take pleasure in their pain, or a pleasure in the pain of others beyond the usual violent and cruel tendencies which came with being members of the drow race. She guessed, however, that Ilmxena did not have the same gift she did, though it would be difficult to deny her relation if she possessed the Baen'duis tolerance, even, especially with her marked resemblance to certain cousins of Shri's.
"It seems that Lloth has marked you with at least some of the favor she shows to House Baen'duis," she mused. "There is no way you could suffer the hardships you have endured as you have unless you had some for of Lloth's gift. I don't think any amount of training could prepare a person well enough to function while their arm was melting." Some of it may have been adrenaline, of course. Shri knew that people managed near-impossible feats when in particularly perilous situations, but she didn't think that was it.
"Eight years is a long time, especially for someone so young. And yet, it is still such a short time in our lifespans, I can't imagine that any of your former acquaintances would have been placed elsewhere, even if they were the worst of malcontents." She was almost certain that Ilmxena was the girl she had heard of in the incident involving the drider pit at this point, though she still could not imagine why a member of the family would be anywhere near the drider pit, nor why such a one would associate with what she could only assume were the children of servants.
"I will, of course, do what I can to see that they are tracked down, even if they have been released from Baen'duis, but I believe they will still be here. What were their names?" She held one hand poised and ready to order a waiting servant to make the appropriate inquiries in her name.
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 2:23 pm
Her new drink had arrived by now and Xee gratefully wrapped her hands around the mug and lifted it to her lips. She took another long swallow of the liquid. All things considered so far... Xee rather wished she had some time alone. She had a lot to absorb. But..if she was alone she'd probably sulk... It wasn't like she could storm through the servants quarters now. Knowing what she did. And she had a reasn for not going so low in the House...she rather hoped where ever she was going to be kept had a room a little higher off the ground...
Shri's musings brought Xee's attention back around. Looking at her cousin she blinked...and had a curious reaction to her assumption she was blessed. For one, she almost immediatly cursed in the negative at Shri for thinking such a thing. Yet at the same time her throat closed up. Effectively choking out the curse, so instead she ended up making a choked gagging sound. Xee placed a hand at her throat and staggered up to her feet in an attempt to collect herself. Marked!? Marked!? If Lloth had marked her in such a way she'd personally throw a fit! Goddess blessing indeed! What sort of underhanded gift could enduring, no, Surviving that encounter possibly be!? Xee drew in a harsh breath and grabbed her drink up. Jerking her head back she threw the drink down her throat in a loud forced gurgle. Swallowing the alcohol helped ease the muscles of her throat and allowed her to breath more easily.
"Sorry. I just...swallowed a bug." She explained for her erratic reaction. Xee glanced at the now empty glass in her hand, and set it down gently. Eight years... Eight years was not nearly long enough in her mind. Not for what she had in mind right now..but....
Xee glanced at Shri's hand, her lips pressing into a thin and throughful expression. She supposed she could see no reason not to share the names. Providing her cousin did not intend on killing the males. She needed to find Lesomph so she could make him suffer for what he had done first...
"I suppose you are...right... Their names are Micarvyr, Elaugh, and Lesomph. If you find them I would rahter...appreciate... being allowed to have them... I was sort of fond of my males before I had to leave..."
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 7:01 pm
Shri tried very hard to pretend she hadn't noticed Ilmxena's unusual reaction. She would have thought that someone whose background was as questionable as her cousin's seemed to be would be grateful to have some sort of conclusive proof that she was related to the ruling family of House Baen'duis, as opposed to simply being some cousin of nobody too many times removed to count. Instead of showing her shock at Ilmxena's less-than-thrilled response, she evinced concern for her cousin's welfare.
"A bug?" she repeated. "By the Goddess. That was incredibly careless of the servant who poured this. Shall I have him punished, or would you prefer to punish him yourself?"
Well. The excuse was hardly plausible, and it was somewhat unfortunate that the servant would be punished for something he had not done, but he had probably done something worthy of punishment at some point. Besides, putting a whip into Ilmxena's hands would demonstrate how well she fit into Baen'duis. Everyone in the family could wield a lash as though born to it, even if she had never before touched the weapon. It just felt right in Baen'duis hands. Perhaps she could make a gift of the weapon, if it turned out to suit Ilmxena.
Shri quickly signed the order which would have the three males found, and another which would cause the person who had poured Ilmxena's drink to come forth and prostrate himself before her to await his punishment for poor service. The latter came more quickly than the former, as she had expected. This gave her time to speak some more to her cousin.
"If you had some claim to them before your departure, I will ensure that they will be returned to you. Every female should have a harem of adoring, obedient males, after all, and I'm sure you'll feel more the thing."
She smiled encouragingly at her cousin.
"I know it's a shock to come to the manor after time away, and I'm certain my mother took you the lengthiest route she could conceive of before bringing you here. Once this thing's punishment has been seen to -" she cast a disgusted glance at the hapless servant "- I will leave you to reacquaint yourself with your males. They should be assembled for you in short order."
Her hand strayed to the handle of her bullwhip. It was her personal preference, but she had a number of them. She could afford to make a gift of it. She unfastened the whip and held it out to her cousin, looking pointedly at the male awaiting his punishment.
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 8:19 pm
The encounter was teetering on the verge of becoming unpleasent. Or at the very least uncomfortable. Xee had no sense of her cousin yet and she wanted to skirt around certain things of her past. However, if she skirted around too obviously then her cousin would have to know there was something worth looking into. She'd be a poor drow if she didn't pick up on that and investigate it. More over, she'd be a damn foolish drow not to know everything about an assassin her own mother had introduced her to. The best way to keep on the good side of an assassin was to hold something over them, in Xee's opinion. As money would only get you so far. As far as the next better offer... House allegiance though... that last cryptic comment by her great aunt kept tickling the back of her mind.
So it was that she was grateful her cousin did not call her on her weak excuse. "Yes a bug." Xee repeated. The question of punishment gained no uncomfortable or remorseful response from Xee. She had seen the servant, and had not recognised him. he wasn't one of her mles, so why should she care if he got punished for her lie? To protest would have shown poor breeding...or bloodline perhaps. At this time Xee was uncertain if that could be a factor or not. Whom was her father after all?
"That would be fine. Though I've only daggers. That sort of punishment could get extremely messy and I don't feel in the mood to change my cloths all over a stupid servant." Actuallythe conversation was turning to something a bit more to her liking. Despite her previous uncertainty Xee was glad she had given over the names. If her males were gathered for her it would mean she wouldn't have to creep around looking for them herself... Her lips flickered into a small smile as Shri would mention the validity of claiming the males.
"Well, they were children of servants here, not slaves. So I would assume that I have the right to claim them for myself...and I agree. They are mine and I'd really prefer to have them given back to me. It's been a while since I've seen them though. I rather hope nothing has happened to any of them." Particularly Lesomph... that was her right. The encouraging smile from Shri settled the feeling within her into a pleasent warmth. Or...perhaps that was just the alcohol...
Xee's returning smile showed a bit more mirth as Shri would correctly guess about the enterance into the House she had been given. her eyes, up till now she had avoided looking at the male, now slipped down to him. "They are only males Cousin. They can wait. The longer they wait the more they will wonder and that suits me well." Particularly concerning Lesomph. Surely the presence of the other two would make him break out into a sweat...
Her pleasent thoughts turned to mild surprise as Shri would remove her own whip and hand it off towards her. Xee hesitated in accepting the whip, though not with a uncertain look. She felt no concern over being the one to punish the male but...
"I've never used a whip before Cousin." She would reaching forwards to take the handle expirementally into her own hand. She knew if she snapped it wrong that it would come back and probably lash her just as easily as it would the servant. Though her main concern was looking like a damn fool while trying to hit the servant kneeling there.
Xee rubbed her palm over the handle of the whip, her fingers feeling the handle up and down while she gauged the length. She supposed it could be akin to throwing a rope...only a bit more different. She shifted a pair of steps back from the postrated and waiting servant. If she was too close then she'd probably miss with her first strike, that would be just as embaressing as hitting herself. Xee swayed her arm back and forth, getting a feel for the weapon. It did seem odd to her that it seemed..easier then she expected. There was no awkwardness with it as she had felt with her first dagger...
Xee lifted and made her first strike, her head tilting to one side with a unexpected look as the lash landed crossways across the servants back. It wasn't a strong strike, so it hardly cut through the material of his clothing. Still, it had landed better then she had expected. Still..Xee thought it was a simple fluke really, till she struck again. A bit more force was placed into the strike. This too landed well. Of course striking at a unmoving target was easier, and the servant was not a small target either. Still... Xee's look was a little perplexed as she struck a third and fourth time. Each time she manaed to hit and it just..well... it was easy in compare to any other weapon she'd used before. It occured to her, as she landed a ninth blow, that perhaps she was getting a little..carried away. Whipping someone for 'bad service' was one thing, but whipping them just because she was caught up in the ease of it...or perhaps it was the surprise of continually hitting them... Xee shook her head just slightly and turned to hand the whip back to Shri.
"I suppose being trained to use ropes may have helped... I feel like something of a fool for being concerned now though..."
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Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:26 pm
Shri nodded her acceptance. Indeed, the males could wait. They had significance to her only because her cousin had an interest in them, and if her cousin felt they could wait, then she hardly cared. She didn't know what her cousin wanted with the males, but she had some suspicions. Part of her wanted a great deal to be there to witness what would occur between them, because she knew it would give her greater insight into this assassin her mother had brought her, but another part of her acknowledged that Ilmxena deserved to have this reunion alone - or as close to alone as she chose to be. Shri knew she would not receive an invitation to be present in that case, and told herself not to mind.
"Certainly they can wait. And unless they are any of them surpassingly stupid, the worst that will have happened to them is to have received a deserved beating. We don't tend to kill people often in this House, if you recall." Actually, Shri wasn't sure if she would recall. If she had made acquaintances with sons of servants, she might not have had much experience with how the family actually did things.
"And there's always fun to be had making people worry about what will come next." Unless you were the one waiting in ignorance, of course, but that went without saying. "As to the whip...don't concern yourself too much. Nothing in this room cannot be replaced or replicated except myself and yourself."
Just to be safe, though, Shri stood where she was almost positive an errant whip could not strike. She had no desire to be further marked by inexperienced people. One obvious, permanent scar was quite enough. She could at least hide the one on her wrist with jewelry if she so chose, which she usually did not. If she was marked elsewhere, accidentally or no, there was a chance it could be somewhere more difficult to conceal. Or it could actually prove seriously damaging. A person could take out another's eye with a whip, and it was far more likely to happen by accident than on purpose when dealing with someone untrained.
Shri's precaution, while not uncalled for, did prove to be unnecessary, and that was a relief. She enjoyed watching her cousin's expression shift as she found her task unnaturally easy. As she watched the well-trained servant accept what had to be an unpleasant beating she caught the tip of her tongue between her top and bottom canines and bit down slowly so that it hurt, but not quite hard enough to draw blood. She didn't wish to address her cousin with a bloodied smile. She just wanted to make this occasion a little more interesting for her. She liked the sharp pain she felt as she bit her tongue...it brought everything into focus.
Yes. Ilmxena belonged in Baen'duis. That much was clear. Now the problem facing Shri was how to bind her cousin to her. There was some risk involved in letting Ilmxena see that she belonged to the family - she might start getting ideas of her own superiority, after all. On the other hand, she would probably remember that it had been Shri and her mother who had gone to the trouble of returning her to any sort of status at all. Shri wondered briefly if she had taken the wrong tack, and ought to have, instead, made Ilmxena realize that her place was to do Shri's bidding. It wasn't Shri's preferred means of acquiring allies, even if it was the typical way of doing so.
"You seem to have a natural talent for it, cousin," Shri said. "Keep the whip. I'll see to having one made for your particular specifications, but until then, you must have some sort of lash to carry. How else will you be recognized as one of the gentry? I shall make it a 'welcome home' gift, if you don't mind that."
On the floor, Ilmxena's victim remained still, as he had for most of the beating. He was well-trained, that one, and it made Shri smile a little. He would not move until he was dismissed. She decided to let him suffer a little more, and allow him to feel his own blood tickling his back for another few minutes before she would dismiss him. He would have a devil of a time mending his top.
"Someday I will have to show you some of the finer techniques of using a lash, but that can wait for the time being."
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