Dancing on Flower Petals

[Vahene]

The bundle of hops flowers, pretty and pink, looked exquisite on the nightstand table beside her bed at the Blue Boar. Ivae fiddled with a few of the flowers in front, and finally stopped, as a thought occured to her. Who in the hell was going to see them but her? Wasn't as if Azrael was going to hop in the window and make sure she kept them.

Pushing the window open slightly, she let the breeze enter in the room as she flipped out a trap kit and fiddled with her door. Morin bloody hated the fact that she trapped the door, and flat out just gave her the room for an undisclosed period of time. She just had to run a few extra errands here and there for the Innkeep.

Straightening, she slid behind a provided screen and shimmied out of her brown dress. Her cheeks flamed as she remembered the look on Az's face when he saw her in it. Then her heart fell as she was again reminded that all of her love for him could come crashing down in one fell swoop if his wife returned. They were together once, and Ivae was more than unconfident about her ability to keep Azrael interested.

God, she loved him. But she'd give him up in a second if it made his little girl happy, and more importantly, made him happy. Tears streamed down her face as she slid next to the open window. Why did things have to be so difficult?

[Kell]

God she been so pretty.. The way she standing there, saying all the thing he wannit to hear, she were dazzling like she were. An' he wannit to jus' hug her, thank her for being who she were. He wannit to lift her up into his arms, keep her there forever safe, but some were holding him back. His thoute kept twirling around the same focus, a fear that dinna leave his mind. She tol' him about the story that go around in the elven circle, about the elven type of love. And that once an elf find some, they find them for life, as if they found another half. And it would be for good, then. Then she told him that it were him she thoute to be that other half for her. And all he could think was; "I recognise that.. that what I felt too, when I first looked at Natalia.."

It startled him. After all the things Natalia did to him, all the things she also dinna do to him, heh, did he still love her? Why counna he let her go like that.. She'd left him when he needed her the most. So many things happened and so many times he'd just let it slide 'cause his love for her were simply too strong for him to let go of her. And now.. still after all this, even now, he still counna let her go.

He looked down at the lass standing before him, her auburn hair shining with a soft red glow. She were looking so pretty, like an angel sent from the heaven itself.. He wannit to give her this chance. Mya loved the lass. Could he too?

He wonder and thoute.. Nobody else could ever replace Natalia, but it jus' weren't sensible to spend the rest of his life waiting for a woman who'd caused him so much grief.. Almost had he drank himself to death, he knew it tho' he wounna admit it. But it were 'cause of her actions. And he simply counna do it no more now. He would love, live, but never forget nor forgive. And that wounna be the life that were wished, for neither of them..

So could he love this gall Ivy? He promise himself, if he'd tell her he love her, he were gonna give her the world an' give her his heart, mind, body and soul.

A few moments later it just slip over his lips. He dinna even notice he said it. What flows thru' the heart, flows over the lips..?

[Vahene]

...The ancient elven lore speaks about a fable between beings who were so pure, so full of love that they brought tears to the eyes of anyone who looked at them. They were rumored to be the origins of elves, the reason that so many elves died from loss after their mates fell from illness, or final death. Deemed to be too powerful, they were split into two, forever cursed to wander the world, seeking each other. Some elves believe that these beings were only elven, no other races allowed to taint the lines. But the feeling an elf gets when they look upon the other half of their soul is unmistakeable. One true love in a lifetime...

Ivae slammed the tome closed and threw it across the room. With a sigh, she looked at the book fondly. It was one of her few childhood possessions, a book her best friend gave her when they were learning in Rian over two hundred and fifty years ago, when she was still around Mya's age, or a bit older.

"I thought it was just a story," Ivy whispered, sliding out her window. Night had fallen and she didn't want to bother untrapping her door. She slid down the pipe outside the window, and gently hopped to the ground.

She slipped into the shadows effortlessly, though to some of her fellow 'professionals', she knew she'd be not only detected, but sensed instantly. It didn't matter really--she didn't mind if they saw her. It was the others she minded, at least right now. Walking over to the lake, she found a shady spot and sat in it, keeping herself as concealed as possible, looking over the water.

"If it's just a story, why does my heart feel as if it belongs wit his?" Ivy asked herself out loud.

-I.

[Vahene]

She had been surprised, honestly, by the help she gained--just in arguing against the 'Dark Templar's Knight', Quin. Lone, the helpful cleric, who finally introduced himself (even though he really didn't have to, she knew who he was from her inquiries) -- and even the angry farmer, both gave Quin a talking to, or offered at least. Lone took her to the Boar, away from Quin, and the conflict entirely, Ivae thought he was just anxious to avoid bloodshed, probably hers.

What alarmed her was this Quin's inquiries into her life and relationship with Az, and his questions about Mya. She had to find Az to tell him. And she knew he wasn't going to like it. Ivae had no idea why, as one of her oldest dwarven friends said 'She attracted trouble like a sieve'.

Drinking deeply of her ale, she sat back on her bench at the Blue Boar and waited.. pondering..

-I.

[Kell]

With two fingers Azraël wiped some of the earth from the small tombstone before him. The grass felt wet by morning dew, but he didn't care too much about it. He shifted lightly, pulled his left knee up to his chin and wrapped his arm around it. He reached up, traced the letters engraved in the stone with the index finger of his free hand. With some difficulties he could read the name on it; Loria. They hadn't known when her birth date was, so there was no date added. Neither a last name; she never was their real daughter. She just used to be Loria.

As Az tried to make his thoughts fall into place again a soft frown appeared. The last couple of days had gone by like a flash and he still wasn't too sure of what had exactly happened. Myriah had come into his life, Ivy had become his love, they were making plans to move to Dasar.. He'd written an application letter to become a scout for the Kingseekers and he had had long conversations with Syndir about the redboots. So much was going on right now that he was wondering how long he was going to be able to keep up with it. And if he wasn't doing way too much all at once.

Pondering on that question he pressed a kiss to his fingers, after which he softly touched the stone. He missed his old life, but he knew it would never come back again. Times would always change as long as he'd live and that was something difficult to digest. For all of his life, he'd been used to the human standards. Living a fast life, making the best of every day. Now his life was rapidly slowing down and he had no idea how to adjust to it just yet. Ivy was here now. And she would be for a long time, not for a mere fifty years or even shorter. He had a daughter now who would probably survive him. -Survive- him.

As he mused on, thoughts came to mind about the days back in Morell.. What happened that he had changed so much. Back then he was a scoundrel, just one of the boys. They would go out all night, stay out for days and sometimes even weeks in a row. And none of them ever considered having a family, a child, a job. They were never going to be traditionalists, conformists like their own parents, families were for old people.

He shook his head at that thought. They were all young back then and none of the guys had known what it actually was like to have someone to share a life with or how it was to see someone grow up. To have someone you would literally die for if you were given the choice. A sigh escaped his lips and he regretted again he hadn't been there to save Loria from dying.

He shifted again, threw a longing glance at the tombstone. So badly he would have wanted to play with her again. Or hear her giggling when being tucked into bed. She never wanted to sleep, just like Myriah..

A sad smile formed around his lips. He stood up and wiped his earth-covered hands.

[Vahene]

... white marble ... blood ... flames ... screaming ...

Ivae jerked awake, a Crusader hoovering over her, his concerned eyes peering out from his helmet. His hand was on her shoulder, and she was suddenly aware of the sweat pouring down her face, and that her hands were visibly, and physically shaking. Her entire body was.

"Are you all right miss?" The Crusader asked. Ivae looked around, confusion etching her features, and then sudden understanding as she remembered she was in Oraan's Crossing.. she decided to sleep outdoors, since she hadn't done so for so long. It had probably been ten or twenty years since she last was forced to.

Ivy forced herself to reply, "Yes, I'm fine." The lie was evident.

"Are you sure? I'm sure we can get you some water, you look pale."

"I think I'll just head to Daris--I'll be fine," Ivy insisted. The Crusader didn't look convinced, but went back about his duties as she slipped inside of the Snared Rabbit.

Leaning her head against the door, she looked around the room, seeing hardly anyone inside, glad it was late morning, and most were either asleep in drunken stupors or simply passed out. She ordered a tall ale, and downed it in two gulps, slamming the glass on the table.

Truth was, she wasn't fine. She told herself when she came to Daris she didn't ever wanna be that close to Varana again, and what did she do? She went to Solace for a third bloody time. Wasn't it enough the last time she was put in a prison there--fine, it was totally her fault that she was caught for stealing, but she wasn't ever gonna tell Azrael that she escaped before her sentence was carried out. Being a Dasarian, or even a Rian Elf in Varana, or Varanite held territory had a hell of a price.

She was never, ever, doing that again. Nothing was worth that much gold. Not even the bloody Queen of Dasaria.

-I.

[Vahene]

"Pardon you," Ivy muttered, watching as a black haired female ran down the road, further down disappearing completely via a spell. "Damn mages." She dangled her legs into the water just outside the Seaside Gate, and picked at a few blades of grass. An opened scroll lay beside her, a shimmering seal broken.

In fluent elven, the scroll read: "To the Youngest Daughter of the Loremasters, may this information find you well. You are hereby notified of your eldest brother (the name seems to be clawed out by long nails) has had twin children, both blessed with the gift of magic."

"Do you wish to return a message?" The scout asked in common.

Ivae raised an eyebrow and said with an angry tone, "I kin speak elvish just fine, and just tell 'em this.. tell 'em that I hope their hearts are as black now as they were two hundred years ago when I left Rian. Also, tell 'em to forget where I am--don't you dare tell 'em where you found me. I hope the Naithe doesn't rot with them there."

The elf in front of her looked startled but nodded and turned to walk away. Ivae sighed abruptly, and called out. "Wait. My twin. Tell him somethin' different. After ya do all o' that, pull him aside, without any o' the others watchin', an' be careful because they're all blasted mages. Tell my twin I love 'im and maybe someday he kin follow me here. He really needs ta get away from Rian."

The scout faintly smiled and nodded, disappearing into the trees.

Ivae took the parchment beside her and dipped it in the water, letting the ink blur until it was unreadable...