"This won't take long, however it may startle others..."
___________________________________________________________________________ ___
With Asta following Seraph led her as far as a thick copse of trees before dismounting, ensuring the trees were between them and any watchful eyes. She ties up there horses and stands arms length from Asta. "First a truth, then a story. I lied, in a way, when I first spoke of this covenant. It was made once before out of brutal necessity..."
She sits down then, cross legged with her hands on her knees as she recounts the story. "The Thorpe was a poor place, no proper guards only militia and the ogre was far too fierce for them. So of course they'd turn to a wandering Pathfinder to aid them. I didn't go alone though, an old farmer, Oakheart they called him ignored all protest to accompany me..." She smiles remembering the old man, he was older then she was and was built like a oak tree. "... however the beast had taken some of his kin, what little he had left and he was inclined to get them back. So we made quite the pair, him in his battered mismatched mail and me with my horse Molly and my shiny Pathfinder clothing. Molly... she was good horse, strong runner..." Her voice cracks and she wies away the budding tears before her voice turns cold and angry, her tail whipping in agitation. "We were too ignorant to know the full evil we faced..."
"Finding its lair was easy, it made no attempt to hide and the cries for help made it all the easier. We stormed the lair, him on foot and I on horseback. However the beast wasn't there." She waves her hand dismissively, remembering how naive and foolish she had been, only becoming more angry as a result. Her tail whipped more in agitation then down right slapping the ground again and again. She paid no mind to it, long used to her bodies reactions to her mood. "So naturally we did what we had to do, started freeing people or at least we tried to. Oakheart found his granddaughter and was about to free her and I was just cutting some of the others free when they shrieked in fright. We turned and came to look upon true evil, ignorant rageful evil. It had trapped us there, so we attacked it." She closed her eyes then, recalling the memory grimly. "We lost... Bastard broke Molly's back, crushed me into the ground and Old Oakheart..." She shuddered remembering the aura the creature had, it had nearly overwhelmed her then...
By now her arms were swollen, her inhuman strength overwhelming her ability to hid what truly lay under her skin. Her arms were more like that of a beast then a human, her hands had grown as well making it obvious how she could hold such a large blade with ease. "We lingered there through most of the night, during that time the ogre brutally finished off Molly before coming after me. Thankfully. It stripped me and when it tired of its fun it finally fell asleep blocking the entrance. So quietly I made my way to Oakheart, he was terribly injured and would have died if we didn't escape..."
She smiled as she opened her eyes then, they glowed dimly in the low light caused by the trees and setting sun. "So a covenant was made, Save my granddaughter. A simple thing... from a brave man." She rose to her feet then her inhuman arms at her sides. "I broke free of the rotted ropes it had bound me with and, to my shock, I found I could heal myself so I ease Oakheart's suffering. As I healed my injuries though, my noise woke the ogre. I went for the closest weapon I could see..." The large sword shifted on her back and she smiled, darkly. "... before I knew it was coming at me again..."
She looked to her hands flexing them slowly before balling them into fists. "Then... I was kneeling on its corpse, covered in blood, bits of bone and looking down at what only could be the remnants of its skull. I'd won somehow. I was badly injured, it was dead... Everything is patchy... I remember pain and little else, besides what Oakheart told me. It was decided in two blows. The beast struck and you struck back but... He wouldn't finish and I don't blame him... He was the only one not afraid of me. So I buried Molly and left them behind..." Last she heard they were doing fine but she didn't plan on ever going back.
"I don't know what Elaina's blood carries... But mine is a broken and terrible thing. When I was young and orphaned, I delighted in the giving of pain or hurting others. That is until Mother found me and showed me the path of Arshea, it gave me an outlet to divert my energy in a more productive way. However the struggle is a grim constant and I have found it easier to deal with it but it will never be gone entirely."
She shakes off her anger, her arms remain swollen though, muscles ready for action her tail rigid and her horns forward and menacing in a way. "What I told you remains true, the covenant will be in your favor. My feelings will have nothing to do with it unless you try and task me with something I cannot do. My anger won't get the best of me now. So... The choice is yours Asta."
"Yours is a tragic tale. And yet, I salute your courage in managing to go on and not give in to the darkness of your underworld forebears, whatever they were. And whatever they were, they have no right to you. This I can see clearly; you have fought free of them. As your friend, I would see nothing and no one ever degrade you again."
A cool, soothing, spider-like touch to Seraph's forehead in the moonless night; there, then gone. The words continue to fall out of the night.
"In Irrisen, I was Jadwiga. If a noble and mighty knight came to a Jadwiga and offered a covenant like yours, most would gleefully snap them up and bind them to their service, then try to twist that covenant to bonds of slavery and taint the knight's heart -- the ones that would allow a noble knight to survive, that is."
A quiet rustling noise, then a creaking as a weight settles onto a thick, low-hanging branch nearby.
"I know, I understand, that we must be as strong as we can. I am honoured to my marrow by your offer, Seraph. Therefore, I will not accept your covenant as a Jadwiga. I shall accept it as Asta Blackheart, a Witch. This is the covenant I offer for a Witch's Knight: ."
The wind picks up, parting the clouds. Rays of moonlight cut through the darkness like blades of silver. They pick out Asta's clothes, discarded but a few feet away from Seraph. Looking up, she can see the Ulfen girl, casually naked and shining like the moon as she sits on that low-hanging branch, feet dangling a few inches above the ground. Fey, beautiful and weird, Asta is white as marble and snow from head to toe, her hair stirring in the breeze, her form beautiful like a statue sprung to life, rather than something born and grown. Her blue eyes burn at you.
"The Ulfen had such traditions once, before they started distrusting Witches like they do," Asta says. "Now hear me thrice:
I offer you my covenant: if one of us breaks our responsibilities to the land and to each other, if one of us falls to evil, the other shall be free of obligations to the other save one. To try to save and restore the other... or put them down if that becomes necessary.
If this covenant is acceptable to you, I shall place my mark upon you, and you shall place your mark on me. If this covenant is acceptable to you, please stand on your feet, my Knight, and disrobe."
The cool, soothing touch made Seraph shudder and before she knew it her arms began to turn back to normal. She listened intently, surprised at the exchange of covenants but deeply pleasing to. She couldn't figure out why though. Was it the strangeness of how easily Asta moved around this world, perhaps it was that she didn't feel alone now or maybe just how beautiful her companion was in the moonlight. It was hard to say, but the powerfully worded covenant was easy for her to accept...
She stood and moved at a smooth steady pace. She unbuckled the thick buckle that held the heavy blade in place, it was heavy and in the way. As countless times before she ran the sheath into the earth, where it remained steady and stable. She pulled off her armor, clothes and undergarments one by one until she was completely nude. They cold didn't do much to her and the feeling of being freed of her burdens was as exhilarating as the thought of aiding Asta.
So she stood there, bearing her scars, normally covered by her clothes and fully revealing the end of her story. They weren't ugly but they certainly weren't attractive either, they just fit her and with their faded color betrayed her age even more.
Asta hops off the branch and walks up to Seraph, walks clockwise around her, then stops and looks up at the powerful knight's face. Her expression is solemn.
"You are beautiful," Asta says, "not just in your body, but because your heart is good; all other beauty pales besides that, for the beauty of the flesh vanishes with time. You are strong and you will be stronger still. Not because of me, but because your heart is good, and you strive for improvement. I will not be your catalyst, I will not be your guide, but I will be your companion on the way.
Now remember this: what follows is not done for pleasure; what follows is not done for indoctrination. What follows is a ritual we share, our covenant made flesh and blood."
Asta walks around Seraph again, placing her hands on the tiefling's shoulder and standing on tiptoe. Seraph can feel the shorter woman press against her back -- and then feels her lips on the junction of neck and shoulder. Straight, sharp teeth take a fold of her skin and bite down. There is a moment of sharp pain, and then the Witch completes the circle, ending in front of Seraph. Blood stains her lips. Then her eyes burn crimson for a moment, and Seraph's wound is healed except for a small, crescent-shaped scar which gleams silver under the moon.
"I have partaken of you, and shared with you my healing power," Asta says. "I have marked you as my Knight."
She turns her back on Seraph and pulls her hair aside, exposing the junction of neck and shoulder.
"Partake and share in your turn, and mark me as your Witch," she says.
After spending most of the evening finding out what others thought of Kressle (or finding her if she's there,) Elaina debates in her mind about what to do. The normally wary ranger isn't paying much attention and runs smack into Marten, almost causing both of them to fall over, and only manages that because the man outmasses her by a good bit. She squeaks as she falls over and crashes to the ground.
"Oh hi! Sorry I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." She says from the ground with a laugh.
"You okay?" she asks as she picks herself up.
Despite her best efforts she found pleasure in the pain, however brief, with Asta standing exposed and vulnerable she found herself restraining baser impulses. Another instinct graced to her by her bloodline but easily held in check. She placed a hand gently on Asta's shoulder and leaned in, pressing against her back long enough bite down. As she pulled away she called on Arshea's healing power and what remained was a silver colored symbol of a sash. A mark of Arshea's blessing.
She paused in front of Asta and looked down into her face, she couldn't get enough of how Asta eyes burned into her own. It was a sensation she was unfamiliar with but surprisingly unafraid of....
She remained looking Asta in the eye as she swore to their binding covenant. "I here by swear to this covenant and mark you as my Witch. I will pay homage to you and swear to be ever a good knight and true, reverent and generous, to shield the weak, to be obedient to my Witch, foremost in battle, courteous at all times and a champion of the right and the good for as long as our covenant remains and thereafter so long as I do draw breath."
Then with little warning she leaned in and kissed Asta's forehead gently before withdrawing a step. Leaving the faintest mark of blood on Asta's pale forehead as she spoke. "An oath given, a covenant made. I shall not betray or punishment be paid." As she udder the last word the entire area became heavy with such a presence that all the light behind Seraph vanished, appearing momentarily like a yawning void into what could only be oblivion. Whispering voices could be heard then and Seraph's eyes were went wide with shock as she recognized some of them. Betraying her complete surprise before several things happened at once.
From that void appeared what could only be referred to as Neck Collar and chain, drifting on hands made entirely of shadow. The hands brought the collar over to Seraph and snapped it around her neck with unkind force. Blood ran but she didn't wince as a pin quickly slipped into place and burned brightly as it welded the color shut. She bared through it and once the collar was set the chain glided over to Asta, the shadow hands danced and writhed. Settling part of the chain wrapped around her wrist and solidifying it in a circular pattern like a wrist bracelet. The remaining part of the chain was draped across her hand momentarily, linked to Seraph's collar, before vanishing. The weight was there but it was as if the chain had faded to somewhere else until needed. Leaving only the chain bracelet and the neck collar with a few links of chain ending with a link split in half but not appearing to fall out as Seraph swayed.
The hands danced across her shoulders, touching her face. Cracking her skin as they traced away, but her skin reformed as quickly as they passed and for the first time in her long years she shuddered from the utter burning cold the touch brought to her. The voices whispered in her ears, but were too many to be heard clearly, but there tone was all she needed. So soft. So cold. So Lifeless. The hands then disappeared as quickly as they came and the void faded with them leaving Seraph standing there facing Asta. Beads of cold sweat threatened to run down Seraph's forehead as she had been honestly terrified. The connection was much worse then last time, a particularly powerful pact had been made and she honestly never felt such a brush with what cursed her until now...
She swallowed back the lump in her throat. She understood the warning they gave her. Her voice reflected it as being a tad shaky. "That was unexpected..."
Marten turned a corner and was surprised to find himself running into Elaine. He was almost able to stay upright, but almost does not count.
"Urgh,... hi, Elaina. No problem, I should have been more careful as well. I think my dignity is hurt more than my butt, and lets be honest, I am not that dignified." he smiles at the ranger and starts getting up.
"So, have you girls decided who shall enter the bandit encampement yet? I am ok with whatever decision you two reach. I am afraid of some people, but bandits are certainly not among them."
"Yes," Asta says as the shadows fade, "it was."
The Ulfen girl suddenly steps forward, staring straight into Seraph's eyes so all she sees is an ocean of arctic blue, swallowing the world.
"And so shall this be."
Asta wraps her legs around Seraph's and throws her full weight against her, knocking the Knight off-balance and riding her down to the ground. The tiefling finds herself on her back in the grass, the Witch looking down on her, outlined against the moon, the grasping branches of the canopy framing it all. Cool, white light fills the world, dispelling shadows.
"I do not know what just threatened you, my Knight," Asta says. "But shadows are rightfully the territory of My Lady, not whatever that was. I defy it. Would one born of the blood of Dear Grandmother, a Witch who embraced Winter in her very flesh, fear such threats? Perhaps. But shall she yield to them? Never. Twice and thrice do I defy it. And so must you. You shall defy it by surpassing it, by keeping your vows of your own will, not due to disgusting threats. And I shall defy it by this, my only command to you."
The Witch's voice rings out, a chime like the tinkle of falling icicles, a roar like cracking hoarfrost. It is a simple command, but terrible in its scope, terrifying like the onrush of storm clouds:
"."
For a moment, Seraph can see something in Asta's eyes. It seems like a barren landscape at first, all of nature cowering under the onslaught of Winter, the wind whipping snow ahead of itself fast enough to strip the bark from shivering trees, cold so intense that trees and boulders crack and explode. Wolves run howling, cresting through banks of snow as they run down elk and deer, trot freely through the sylvan shadows where the wind does not reach. A full moon rides a sky that seems perpetually dark while the ice creeps closer. And yet, there is freedom; the freedom of surviving despite cruel odds, the pulse of living blood and the blood of the dying, splattering the snow and bringing life to the victor. And there is more; little animals cuddled together under the snow, keeping each other safe and warm while they wait for spring. The irreverent, cheerful cries of crows and ravens wheeling through the dark sky, surviving where others fall, making mock of the whole cycle of life and death. Larger animals standing together, forming a living wall around their young. The wind howls, the wolves howl, the ravens caw, the elk low, the trees groan, the land itself growls -- it growls beneath Seraph, and for a moment she can understand the roaring chorus.
"."
The vision passes. Asta starts to talk again once the echoes of her command have died away: "Promises and covenants between equals are not chains, my Knight. They are a promise we make to one another and to ourselves. The only penalty we need is the one we agreed upon between ourselves. My Lady of shadows, reflections, mysteries and illusions be my witness, our bond is not a leash to bring one to heel, but a safety-line so we may pull each other to firm ground when we threaten to fall. I do not care what anyone or anything else thinks. You belong to yourself and your honour. I belong to myself and my honour. You are not my slave, I am not your master, we are allies. Friends. And as your friend and ally, I promised to protect you from undeserved harm by the Other Realms."
Asta grabs one of Seraph's hands and places it over her heart, putting her free hand over Seraph's own heart. The Witch's flesh is inhumanly cool, but the thud-thud, thud-thud of her heartbeat reverberates through the tiefling's palm, down her arm; a calm, steadying rhythm. "Oblivion is not here, my Knight," she says. "You are not enslaved, and neither am I."
Asta rises and walks over to her discarded clothing, all cool composure. "The ritual between us is concluded, my Knight. We should return to the trading post now," she says as she pulls on her dress and snaps the little buttons closed. "I do need to sleep before we leave tomorrow." She turns to look at Seraph, her face the usual cool, pleasant mask, but there is a spark of impish humour in her eyes. "Go on, put your clothes on. Warming people is not exactly part of a Winter Witch's skillset." She slips her feet into her slippers and whistles at the horses, bringing them trotting. "Unless you plan to sleep beside me tonight, that is," she adds as she swings herself into the saddle. And, looking down on Seraph with a little smile on her lips: "As a friend."
She hadn't expected this. Her heart skipped a beat when Asta approached her in such a forceful manner. Being put on her backside so easily made her react in strange ways, exhilaration and fear ran hand in hand. In all her long years she hadn't dealt with someone so versed in the art of witchcraft and she couldn't help but be completely enthralled by it.
She had no time to protest, nor the will to do so, she couldn't find the ability to move as Asta spoke. So Seraph watched and listened intently. Live free. Powerful words but would they be a match for the curse that followed her? She didn't have long to ponder as she saw what lay within the glacial depths of Asta's eyes and it sent her reeling. Her tail twitched and her body shuddered momentarily from the cold of a land she had never traveled until now. The feeling of such freedom was unknown to her, she had lived her life freely but not so unencumbered as this.
She was brought back to focus by Asta's oath and the steady beat of her heart against her palm. It was a calming sensation, a shared rhythm between two beings and the first time in many years that she had felt so calm. When Asta broke the contact their was a moment of disappointment before she regained her senses completely and rose to her feet. Needing no second bidding she started pulling on her clothes as she spoke, the many shocks of the night were evident in her voice but she wasn't fearful anymore more surprised. "I do not doubt your strength Asta or the gifts you've given me this night. My curse is a reminder that I shouldn't take my oaths lightly and I won't my witch." There wasn't much more to say in regards to that. Her head was still reeling as to what Asta had done and she shuddered again at the mere thought of that pleasant experience.
When she had her sword buckled on, she found her confidence was returning. Her tail twitched happily as she smiled back at Asta and answered her. "As a friend, my Witch." She swung into the saddle and quickly trotted up alongside Asta then as they returned to the fort.
Marten turned a corner and was surprised to find himself running into Elaine. He was almost able to stay upright, but almost does not count.
"Urgh,... hi, Elaina. No problem, I should have been more careful as well. I think my dignity is hurt more than my butt, and lets be honest, I am not that dignified." he smiles at the ranger and starts getting up.
"So, have you girls decided who shall enter the bandit encampement yet? I am ok with whatever decision you two reach. I am afraid of some people, but bandits are certainly not among them."
"That makes one of us at least." Elaina replies as the smile fades from her face.
"Torod's going. The man won't stand for it otherwise, beyond that, I don't thing we've decided anything."
"You do not strike me as a person afraid of bandits... I understand you have a certain history, but I cannot see one such as yourself being afraid of a band of wilderness thugs and cutthroats."
"As for Torod - he means well but I cannot really imagine him as a cover agent. And I do not trust his temper. He may not be able to control his feelings and behaviour. But I do not know him that well, so perhaps I am mistaken."
Oleg eventually comes down for dinner, as the sun is setting it is not likely he will get anymore work done. The seargant of the guard comes in with him, they are at the door smoking a pipe.
Svetlana gives him a sid-long glance. Though she does not mind the fire for cooking there is something about the pipe that seems to annoy her.
Oleg sits down and Svetlana places a large bolw of stew in front of him...
"So...any luck out there? Other than finding that temple and getting Jhod out of here?"
"No, I think you hit the nail on the head. I had to pretend for almost six years that I was a ruthless, icy archer, and I'd learned to control my temper before that. Torod... I don't think he's learned how to temper his feelings. I don't know Kressle, and I wish I could talk to her, but I get the feeling that Torod's feelings towards her are not as reasoned as he'd like to think."
Elaina shivers as she moves on in the conversation.
"As for being afraid of bandits, I guess I do a fair job of hiding it, but I am more than a little terrified about going into that rat's neat, alone or not. My heritage is not the only thing I've tried to hide."
"We did find a couple of pranksters. A fairy-sized dragon and a fey that had an elf woman's body from the waist up and a cricket's body from the waist down. I think Asta has it marked on her map. We might want to warn everyone going through there to have a good sense of humor." Elaina answers. She's grinning now, although she was worried with other things at the time.
"We have also come upon a resolution," Asta says, as she places her hands flat on the table. "It is time to put paid to the Staglord. From Kressel, we know the location of his base. Elaina and Torod have volunteered to infiltrate the place so they can open it to invasion.
We have a compact with the right honourable Sootscale Tribe" - Asta nods to Mikmek - "and another compact with the Mites. We may be able to have both support us in an attack on the miscreant. The general plan would be, as I said, for Elaina and Torod to go in and open the gates to an invading force."
Asta brings out the map. "If the fortress is, indeed, here," she says, stabbing the location, "then before we move in from here, I would ask the Kobolds and Mites - provided both will join us on this expedition - to turn the area to all other sides into a death trap of traps. If any bandits flee the battle, they should be incapacitated or even killed that way.
The Fey we encountered may be very helpful, provided Torod and Elaina can smuggle them in. The faerie dragon Perlavish's breath-weapon could turn a large number of bandits into giggling fools, easy to overwhelm or slay. His friend may have other tricks to do the same. Again, we will need to convince them to help us.
I am fairly certain that we can count on the faithful of Old Deadeye, who have settled here, in the temple we rediscovered for them. In an engagement, they should be kept in reserve as healer backup, maybe as archer support if it comes to that.
Now. I am no master strategist, so let's discuss; am I getting anything wrong?"
"Good!" Asta says, clapping Mikmek on the back -- but not too hard. "They can be our sappers, and establish an escape route for our infiltrators, should that become necessary. Besides, it plays to their strengths, which is all for the good. Perhaps we could also ask them to soften up the enemy by sending in waves of stinging insects; mosquitoes, hornets and the like. The only downside will be giving them ideas in case they are ever required to fight us by more powerful Fey."
The Witch smiles a bit at that last statement...
Seraph listens not having much to add, she wasn't a strategist. She was a go in headfirst and hope to come out on top. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it was folly. However she smiled at the talk about calling on their fey allies.
"If we can find a way to resist Pervalishes breath we could use that to our advantage if they surrounded us. There is also the hunters traps we obtained... I am sure they send out regular patrols, it would be a way to bring some of them down and the fighting outside the fort before the initial storm." She didn't like underhanded tactics but this Staglord sounded like a terrible man...
If they could dishearten, injure and remove some of his lesser subordinates they could take him down with minimal casualties...
"I thought we were going to keep Tyg and Perlavish out of this. Did that change?" Elaina asks.
"Originally yes, but I can see their ability to prank unseen being of great use. They'd also be a great help in keeping an eye out for you." She smiles at Croft as she says. "No offense to either of you. Hardest part will be convincing them."
"We bring in the mites, we should bring in the faeries. I also suggest we keep the details of our plan from Kressle as much as possible. I know all of you think she's reformed, but I still don't trust her. She was one of them. This is the prime opportunity for her to show her true face."
Her tail slapped a mug on the table nearly spilling its contents before she caught it with her hand. Besides being vexed she took a calming breath and spoke plainly. "Do not put words in my mouth, as I don't do to you. Its not becoming of Erastil." She felt like she had wasted her breath but he was treading on dangerous ground.
"If nothing else, Elaina," Asta says in a sober tone, "Perlavish's power alone might be invaluable in keeping down the butcher's bill. If he and his friend want to help, they could do some good for all our souls."
Her eyes turn to Torod and glitter coldly for a moment. "On the contrary; we should keep Kressel at hand. If she does have treachery in mind, I want her where I can put my hand on her at a moment's notice."
Torod shakes his head in dismay. "Your soft hearts will get us killed, but have it your way."
"Don't be a damned fool," Asta says, icy disdain in her voice. "If she tries to turn during battle, I want her close so that I may kill her myself. Kressel has been given a chance, but if she throws that away, her life is forfeit. This was always understood."
Torod puts his hands up in surrender.
Elaina stays silent through the whole thing. She merely thinks to herself that she will need to talk to Torod later.
"I think Mikmek has the right of it. We're too busy trying to find ways to account for everything, and the longer we spend planning, the longer they have to attack us where they choose." Elaina says.
"It might be better to leave the mites alone and just use Mikmek's tribe and whoever we can gather from here and the temple. The Sootscales can lay ambushes and traps along any escape routes we see while a few of us sneak in and learn what we can. After we make any adjustments we need to we attack. The outer team will come through the gate after we've unlocked it and taken care of the guards. Meanwhile, we'll be moving through camp killing anyone we can knife in the back."
Seraph, with a firm hold on her agitated tail, ignored Torod barbed comments before she left the discussion and focused on Elainas comment. She rubbed her face frustratedly before she spoke. "Slitting throats of the unwary is something I cannot do I'm afraid. Especially knowing that some do it only because they have to."
"However If we wish to speed things up then in morning I can ride for the Fey folk we met and see if I can sway them. I think Pervalish seemed friendly enough. She taps the well drawn map indicating her route of travel. "From there I can find the temple and speak to Jhod, if you wish, and catch up to you all near the Sootscale's home and save us from wasting a day or so."
Marten chuckles at Mikmek's words.
"I agree with Mikmek and Elaina. And we may incapacitate them if possible instead of slitting the throats. But we will see what the situation is when we are actually there."
"What?! You show such concern for those thieves and murderers. You would have us risk ourselves for their well-being. Asta, I can't be part of this if the lives of those who chose banditry over honest work is more important than the lives of good folk." Torod stands like he is ready to leave the table.
"Sit down Torod, I'll go." Her voice wasn't loud, it was firm. She bowed her head as her arms flared the muscles visibly growing before she forced them back to normal. She clenches her fist, her knuckles cracking as she felt like truly punching this arrogant Deadite in the face. Somehow though she doesn't and through clenched teeth she hisses angrily. "You know what, you remember this. You've twisted my words and mocked my honor in the same breath Deadite but not once have I mocked you. AND..." She points a finger at him as her voice rises much higher as the flood gate opens. Her anger was evident as she barely refrained from shouting at him. "... my concern was this you ! Is that we are not like them, we are not back stabbing throat slicers. Justice without mercy isn't justice at all and I will not stand here and watch E..." She stops as she suddenly realized the futility of speaking to the druid. She slowly retracts her pointed finger and drops her arms at her sides as the anger raged on in her mind. It coalesced into two simple words. F#&~ it.
As she spoke this time her voice was empty and defeated despite the anger that laced each word she spoke. "Forget it. I'll be outside." She then puts on her helm strapping it back down before turning and starting to make her way to the door.
"Torod, I would say you went a bit too far this time." Marten sighs.
He turns to Svetlana. "My lady, do you think you could find some dessert for us. I heard sweet things are good to calm ones nerves. If you do, please send someone with a serving after Seraph as well."
Torod stands there shocked. As Seraph walks away, he says in a low voice to no one in particular, "What did I say? I wasn't talking about what she said. I didn't mock her. I respect her position." He seems to be genuinely surprised and clueless.
"It certainly did not look that way, Torod. But just sit down now and relax. Maybe have a cold drink? I believe you did not want to insult her. Just as I believe you are not fit to enter the bandit stronghold undercover. We just heard the proof."
"She has a point." Elaina says softly.
"Not everyone chooses to be a bandit out of callousness. Some of us are forced to choose between death, or a fate worse than it, and acting like them, and hoping for a chance to escape." She continues, emphasizing the word "us" and letting an icy edge creep into her voice.
"Think about that next time you feel the need to berate her for trying to champion mercy."
With that she gets up, taking the desert if there is any, and follows Seraph out the door.
Elaina finds Seraph a minute later.
"Sorry, I should have watched my words back there. I'm only here because of mercy, and it'd be cruel to forget to extend that opportunity to others." she apologizes.
Seeing the anger and frustration in the other's eyes, she leans in a little closer and whispers, "Hey, are you alright? What's wrong?"
"If you are going to have that drink, go do it outside," Asta tells Torod in a cold, furious tone. "When we go to battle, you will not be infiltrating. You clearly lack proper control of your emotions and would likely cause a battle that would endanger Elaina. Go."
When Elaina goes to leave, Asta quietly calls after her: "Please bring Seraph back in."
"No! Wait! Mercy is a good thing. Just not at the cost of your life, Elaina, or of mine or of any of us here. No matter how they became a bandit, they made that choice knowing the possible outcome. Desperation is no excuse for stealing the efforts of others or doing worse to them." But Elaina is gone. He turns to Asta and sees that she is a wall of ice. Torod sits back down and resumes his meal. He fumes, but he fumes quietly.
Elaina nods to Asta's request before closing the door.
"Marten," Asta says, turning to the staff-wielding warrior. "Do you have confidence in your ability to deceive ruthless killers? I would prefer not to send Elaina in alone, but as we both agree, her previously selected partner is not suitable to the task."
"I am still the most suitable and I'm the only one that offered to go. My opinions are not the most popular but do not dismiss my loyalty, my ability, or my dependability."
"Yes, more or less. I am not a great liar, but this job does not require lies. With Elaina's help, I should be ok" Marten answers.
"Torod, you are wrong on both accounts."
"If anyone has a right to take what he says personal, it's probably us." she says, her sapphire eyes gazing up into the sky.
For a long moment, Elaina just sits there, letting Seraph's words mill about through her mind.
"Promises are meant to be kept, and friends should help you keep them, right?" she asks, finally breaking the silence. "Besides, I don't think anyone knows how I came to be here." Elaina's eyes fix on Seraph's face, watching her expression. There is sadness, and grief, in them, but it is shame that stands out the most. After an endless sliver of time, she looks away, and at her knees.
"I was left an orphanage when I was an infant." She begins.
"I guess it's a miracle I survived until I could look out for myself. The old matrons hated me. They made sure I knew it every day and night. They worked me harder and longer than anyone else. They beat me, made me go hungry, anything to make me suffer. They said that my own father and mother didn't want me. Soon, I started lashing out at the others. Some part of me took pleasure in hearing the other orphans in pain, or begging for something I took from them. I'd probably be as bad as Torod thinks Kressle is if it hadn't been for Darivin. He spent a few nights at the orphanage after a grueling journey."
Elaina smiles wistfully as she continues.
"He took me in, and I had every intention of robbing him blind that first night and running for anywhere I could. He did something I didn't expect, though. He loved me. He loved me as if I was his own daughter. He gave me a bath, bandaged the cuts from the last lashing the matrons gave me, and bought me a new dress and this." She says as she pulls out a silver Desnan holy symbol.
"Couldn't stop staring at it for two days. No one had even cared if I had clothing, much less given me anything before that. I followed him around like a little puppy. He made me feel special. He made me feel like he wanted me to be around and not like I was some pest to be put up with. We traveled the River Kingdoms together, he spreading hope and faith, and I his little helper." Elaina's chuckling sounds like tinkling starlight as she remembers what it was like, but then her eyes darken and her smile dies, a bleak look replacing bubbling happiness from earlier.
"It all ended six years later. I was barely fourteen years when a bunch of brigands waylaid our caravan. Darivin died protecting those he could and he was followed by many more that night. When it was over, I was the only one in the caravan still alive. They..." Elaina's voice cracks as she curls up into a tight ball, her voice muffled by her knees.
"They stripped of almost everything. I was certain they were going to... to..." She shudders as she takes in a deep breath. Her voice is dead, flattened by emotions held in the iron determination to tell, at least, this story.
"They didn't, though. I was too young for them, so they kept me alive, having me cook, clean and mend for almost a year. I grew more and more of the bandits began to look at me with lust in their eyes. It wasn't until one of them actually tried something that they learned that I wasn't as docile as they thought. I wasn't joking when I said the last bandit who tried anything with me was castrated rather painfully. Darivin was a wise man and he'd seen the day that I'd need to defend myself. I was decent with a bow and could wield a blade, and the bandits decided to use those skills."
Elaina stops, letting the silence linger.
"The bastards feel for a trap about five or six weeks ago." She says, grim satisfaction giving her voice a little life after recounting how she fell in with them. "I only lived because I hid in the tall grass. The Restov guardsmen dragged me out and I was given the choice of a rope or help clear the stolen lands. I think it's obvious what I chose."
"My hands are not clean Seraph. I've killed men so I could live. I was so scared of dying that I sent dozens to the Boneyard to stave it off a little while longer. And-- and when Torod talks like he does when we even suggest giving the bandits a chance to redeem themselves, I wonder what he would have done if he'd been the one to find me in the grass."
She turns to look at Seraph, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"Don't apologize for your vows, Seraph. For all I know, such a vow may be the only reason I wasn't killed and burnt with the rest of the bandits that night."
When we dwell on our own pain, we miss subtle cues that others may be hurting more. She puffs a wisp of hair out of her face as her mothers quote came to mind. She was like that to put others first, always.
Seraph listened quietly, surprised at what Elaina revealed to her and how much it resonated with her own story. What struck her more was that Elaina trusted her enough to tell her her story. So Seraph decided to forget about the plans for now and focused on her companion instead, to help alleviate of her troubles. When Elaina fell silent Seraph spoke, the anger she once had was nearly gone and her tone was more thoughtful then before. "I don't know why they spared you... But i'm very glad they did." Her words were genuine as she spoke, she set the dessert plate on a post and sat down next to Elaina. Sitting close to her and smiling at her. "Your story strikes my very core Eliana. I too was abandoned, a baby that no one wanted, a monster... I grew up believing that I was some grand cosmic mistake, wishing I died at birth. Cursed with terrible urges and delighting in the suffering of others while sharing my pain with the uncaring world and driving everyone away. Its still a daily struggle not to fall..." She pauses for a moment as she took a steadying breath.
"I guess what I am trying to say is that None of our hands are clean, so don't feel like your alone. You did what you had to to survive and I won't judge you for it. I left so much pain in my wake that I was clad in irons bef... Before Talmer'a, my true Mother, found me." Her owns tears welled up remembering the day her Mother stepped into her life and changed it forever. "She welcomed me with open arms and showed me a brighter world when she didn't have to at all. She also helped me to find ways to release my anger and helped me to join the Pathfinders. It led to loads of trouble, to scars that will never heal but it was the path that eventually led me here too and I have no regrets about that..."
She slips an arm around Elaina's shoulders and squeezed her gently, leaning her head against her shorter friend. Careful to not spook her too much. "Arsheans are not what many think of cults, I admit that I call you cute but its not my fault that it is true." She was being truthful, not trying to embarrass her friend as she continued.
"We believe in being champions for the repressed and weary, we believe in beauty and are not embarrassed to tell others that they are beautiful. We believe in inner strength and above all freedom in all senses of the word. Our temples are places of calm in this sea of chaos but its because of those beliefs that I know that anyone can change. I mean Look at us! We are living proof that anything is possible if you have hope, whether you find it yourself or someone shows you the way." She gives Elaina a tighter squeeze then in a reassuring manner. Seraph's oaths put her at odds sometimes with her own religion but she chose to honor Arshea whenever possible.
She smiles more broadly as she says quietly. "Thank you though... I know that had to have been hard for you to say. However i'm glad you did and you've got friends to lean on, even if Torod's an ass at times." She chuckles as she meant this somewhat jokingly. "... So remember your past but don't dwell on it okay?" She points to the Silver Symbol of Desna around her neck. "Darivin showed you a brighter path right? I'd love to hear more about him and your travels together. If... If you don't mind." She gave her a hesitant smile because she didn't want to bring any pain to Elaina. She had a great respect for Desnan's and their views, this Darivin struck her interest. She hoped that in talking about him Elaina would remember brighter days, maybe heal a wound on her heart.
The tears finally come when Seraph mentions Darivin, but Elaina was smiling.
"He would have loved for me to. IF he was here, he'd probably told you almost everything that'd happened twice over. He loved tales of all kinds."
She wipes away the tears, then something dawns on her.
"Ah, dang it! Asta wanted me to bring you back inside. I told her I would, but I don't think she was expecting a wait this long."