Post by Loendal on Sept 18, 2009 10:18:06 GMT -5
<< I wasn't sure how to post this up exactly, it was a back and forth me and Magdalina had on the old Haven board, if you can suggest a better way than this, I'll gladly edit 
>>
Magdalina
Magdalina pulled her cloak tighter around her face as she saw the first signs of humanoid life on the Hibernian border. She knew that she looked like a Celt, but she still could not shake the desire to hide her face. She could feel the glamour Korlin placed had placed on her. The magic rippled along her skin, making her want to scratch a phantom itch.
The problem was, Magdalina only had a name. Elamir. The name of the very elf that Kalaric himself had probably gone to seek when he disappeared. Magdalina had found it in a journal she had found among Kalaric’s things after he had been gone a month. The elf had saved Kalaric’s life once, for unknown reasons. In her heart, Magdalina knew this is where Kalaric had gone. Hibernia.
She had to find him. She had sworn an oath to Kalaric, and the guild needed him. Jieren was a brave and honorable man, but he was not one made to be a leader, led by too much by his own passions and not enough common sense. She could see him visibly bowing beneath the stress of his personal daemons and the added responsibility he did not want. Magdalina had resented Kalaric’s aloof and distant nature at first, but now she missed him terribly. So she had convinced Korlin to help her, and secured passage across the ocean.
But now that she was here, Magdalina hesitated. She did not know Hibernia well, only what she had heard in stories. Sucking up the courage from the pit of her stomach, where it had fled, Magdalina stood up straighter and began to approach the village. She tried not to stare in wonder at the Firbolgs who stood casually at their merchant booths and forges. She had never thought of them as doing regular things before, living regular lives. Cautiously she approached one.
“Excuse me…is there a place in town where I may spend the night.”
The Firbolg turned her steady gaze towards Magdlina. “Why yes, there’s an inn just to the north of town.”
Magdalina bowed politely and set off through the center of the villiage. Keeping her gaze straight ahead. Her right hand moved towards her hip for reassurance, but instead of the familiar whip, found the hilt of a sword. Mag swore under her breath, feeling naked without her favorite weapon. But the whip could not come on this journey as it would have surely given her away.
Shortly, she found the inn, and paid for a nights stay along with a meal. The innkeeper was a Celt, so she felt more comfortable. As she sat down with her bowl of gruel, she looked around the room. A elderly Lurikeen was watching her from beside the fireplace.
Magdalina nodded at him politely, thinking – no better time to start her search than the present. “Well met, stranger. Would you care to join me for a meal?”
The Lurikeen did not smile, but came to sit across from Magdalina as she ordered another bowl, and two pints of ale. “Thank you,” he said, and began to eat, all the while never taking his eyes off her.
Magdalina smiled in an effort to seem friendly. “Are you from around here?”
The Lurikeen blinked. “Nay, I am traveling on business, delivering a shipment of cloth armor to my sister who lives in town.”
“Ah,” said Magdalina. “So do you travel much?” Magdalina could see the innkeeper eavesdropping from the corner of her eye.
“I do,” said the Lurikeen between mouthfulls, “I have traveled throughout Hibernia, and have seen many things.”
Magda tried to keep her voice calm and even. “Have you ever by chance come across an elf named Elamir?”
At this the Lurikeen stopped eating, and put down his spoon. “Nay, lady. I have not. Why do you be asking?”
“I am seeking him,” Mag set down her spoon as well and peered into the Lurikeen’s eyes, trying to figure him out. “My … brother is missing, and I believe Elamir may know where he is.”
The Lurikeen sat back from the table. “What is your brother’s name, maybe I have seen him, if not the Elf.”
Magdalina took a deep breath, and said “Kalaric. But I doubt you have seen him, he is a hard man to find. That is why I seek the Elf, and not him.”
“Perhaps he does not wish to be found, this Kalaric.” The Lurikeen was gazing back at her with an odd expression.
“I must find him” Mag let a bit of her desperation slip into her voice. “His family needs him. He needs to come home.”
“And where might home be?” the Lurikeen asked.
Madga began to panic. She had not thought far enough ahead, or come up with a story for herself. She had wanted to stick with the truth as much as possible so as to pass with those who could detect lies. She stood up from the table abruptly, “Please good sir, if you should see either of them, tell them that Magdalina seeks them. I would be most appreciative. I will leave word with the barkeep as to my whereabouts.” Magdalina held out a few gold to the Lurikeen and the avarice she saw in his merchant’s eyes. Quickly he snatched the coins from her palm, and pocketed them out of sight. “There is more, if you can get me any information.”
The Lurikeen nodded, the first wisp of a smile on his lips, and Mag noted that it wasn’t a kind one. She hoped she had not revealed to much to the little one, but she had to take risks if she was going to find Kalaric.
Tossing a few more coins to the innkeeper, Mag went upstairs to rest for the night. As she lay down upon her pallet, she whispered a prayer. “Please Arawn, let me find Kalaric. You have promised me he is not dead and in your arms, now help me find him.”
=====
Loendal
A tall elf with silvery hair sits quietly brooding in a dark corner of the Inn when the celt arrives. He watches her quietly a hint of contempt on his features as he absently swirls the wine sitting undrank in his glass. His ears perk up at as she speaks,
“Well met, stranger. Would you care to join me for a meal?”
He glances up for a moment and is about to respond when he notices the invitation was not for him. Chuckling quietly, he takes a sip from his wine, watching the pair eat and make conversation. As the rain begins to fall outside, it creates a rattle on the roof overhead, obscuring parts of the conversation he absently tries to overhear.
“...ness, delivering a shipment of cloth ar... in town "
He sighs and shakes his head, rising to his feet and begins to sulk towards the doorway, anger flashing in his eyes for a moment.
"...f named Elamir?"
At this the elf froze midstep, his fist clenching up quickly to regain control. He turned quickly to the side and moved over as if to speak with someone aside the stairway. As soon as he was out of her sight, he quickly slipped into the shadows that form from under the stairs and crouched down, slipping forward quietly in an attempt to better hear.
“My … brother is missing, and I believe Elamir may know where he is.”
"'Toror... What have you done this time?" the elf said quietly to himself and continued to listen to the woman and her newly found Lurikeen friend.
The Lurikeen sat back from the table. “What is your brother’s name, maybe I have seen him, if not the Elf.”
Magdalina took a deep breath, and said “Kalaric. But I doubt you have seen him, he is a hard man to find. That is why I seek the Elf, and not him.”
“Perhaps he does not wish to be found, this Kalaric.”
“I must find him”
"Desparate to find someone and using Elamir to ferret them out?" the elf pondered to himself, scratching his chin thoughtfully
“His family needs him. He needs to come home.”
"Ahhhh... Family.. Now I understand." the elf sighed quietly and settled back to rest upon his heels and listen further.
“Please good sir, if you should see either of them, tell them that Magdalina seeks them. I would be most appreciative. I will leave word with the barkeep as to my whereabouts"
The elf was confused now, not only was she chasing Elamir, but she is bribing the populace to find him.
“There is more, if you can get me any information.”
The elf froze for a moment and slipped back a few paces under the stairway as the woman ascended. His foot scrapped across a loose bit of stone on the floor, but she seemed to take no notice of it as she hurried upstairs.
"If you have business with Elamir, Magdalina.. You have business with me..." the elf vowed quietly to himself and waited for the door above to close before going to speak with the barkeep and learning to which room she had been assigned, paying a few extra gold for specifics, he moved up the stairs and took up residence in the room opposite hers, leaving his door ever so slightly ajar. He caught a quick nap, so as to keep his vigil over her doorway for the next morning...
=====
Magdalina
Sunlight spread throughout the room, perforating Magdalina’s dreams and easing her into wakefulness. As she opened her eyes, the smells and sounds of Hibernia greeted her. She was still amazed out how fresh and green everything was here.
As she slowly gathered her things, she thought of what she would do the rest of this day. She would have to follow the road north after asking around the village a bit more. Maybe she could glean something of the local geography. It wouldn’t do her any good to know where the elf was if she didn’t know how to get there.
She had just opened the door when she remembered that Korlin had told her she would have to renew the glamour every morning. Swearing under her breath at her own foolishness, Magdalina went to her pack and pulled out a mirror. Sure enough, she saw her own face reflected back at her. Wide dark eyes, a gift from her Iconnu grandmother, sharp nose, and Britton forehead. Sighing, Mag pulled out the stone Korlin had gave her, softly chanting the words he had taught her so as to not awaken her neighbors. When the stone began to glow again, she brought up the mirror to make sure it had worked, and gasped in shock.
There in the mirror, was a Celt that very closely resemble Magdalina, but behind her, though the open doorway was an Elf, watching her. She had forgotten to shut the door! Slowly, Magdalina set the mirror down and turned to face the elf. Her mind was racing as she met his piercing gaze. Ah, but he was a beautiful creature, with long silvery hair that none in Albion could match.
Without knowing what else to do, Magdalina simply smiled and bowed deeply, hoping perhaps that he had not seen her before the spell had taken effect. “Good Morning, Stranger,” she said with an ease that she did not feel. Then she settled back on the heels of her feet, and waited for him to reply.
=====
Loendal
The elf only smiled slightly, nodding in her direction.
"Aya Suilad..."
He wandered over closer to her doorway, closing his own behind him. Pulling it open wider, so as to allow the woman to see him in full, the elf sets down a pack that clinks with glass upon glass from within.
"With your permission..." he said as he opened the door and stepped inside. The morning sun glinted off of a pair of daggers at his hip and a rapier that stood up over his shoulder. His words were not so much a request as a statement, his features were still unyielding to more then a half smile.
"I had seen you come up to rest for the eve, much to my distress. Having watched you go up the stairs forced my eyes into the brighter torchlight. It did little to ease my throbbing head. I really must speak with the bartender below about the quality of drink he serves. You celts make a horrid wine that does not sit well with me. I find it strange that you would be up so early. Have you pressing business somewhere, perhaps?" his eyes quickly darted to the mirror sitting on the bedstand
"Ah, perhaps I have interrupted your morning primping... I will wait over here..."
The elf walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back and stared out over the road outside, seeming quite taken with the scenery.
"What is this business to which you so eagerly rush off to this morning, hmm?" his words were flat, without emotion.
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina watched the elf enter and cross her room, languid and casual as a cat. Danger and violence rippled from him like an aura spell, she could almost see it. She felt like a child enamoured with a flame that would surely burn her if she touched it.
Shaking her head, half in answer – half to clear her thoughts, she said “No, I was just about to go downstairs for breakfast.”
But then again, she had never been one to show common sense when it came to dangerous situations. “Would you care to join me?”
=====
Loendal
The elf pondered for a moment, considering the situation.
"If the barkeep's drink is any indication of his food, I would do better to simply drink my own poisons. But I will go with you, perhaps we will have greater chance to speak over a bowl of stew or a bit of ham."
He turned slowly and nodded to the woman, moving back over to the doorway and gathering up his pack. He slung it over his shoulder with much continued clinking and clattering from within. A hand strayed to the dagger at his hip and rested atop the pommel casually as he opened up the door and stepped out into the hallway.
He waited there for a moment, unmoving and motioning down the stairwell.
"After you... Lady Celt" the last word hinted at a notion of arrogance in it's tone. "There are some other things I must gather from my room before I take my leave of it.. I will meet you there, order some of the keep's finest food, I will even treat you to the meal"
He stood waiting...
=====
Magdalina
Hmmm, A Nightshade Magdalina surmised, noting the clinking bottles and exposed blade, but she smiled disarmingly as if she had not.
“You are most kind, Sir,” she said, and casually backed out of the room. Magdalina was impetuous, but not a fool. She had been on the receiving end of a Nightshade’s dagger too many times to turn her back on this one. “I will await you downstairs.”
As soon as she was out of sight, she chanted a small prayer to Arawn, blessing herself as if preparing for battle. She did not think the elf would draw his weapon, but she had a feeling that this conversation might be just as dangerous. Either way, the blessing made her fell safer.
Once she got to the main room, she ordered two bowls of stew and sat down where she could watch the stairs.
When the elf appeared she stood and bowed, welcoming him to her table. “Thank you for joining me.” She said. “Please let me introduce myself. My name is Magdalina. May I know the name of my gracious host?”
=====
Loendal
Returning the bow with only a gracious nod, the elf moved to sit at the table across from the woman. Setting his pack down gently, he withdrew a small black pearl-sized gemstone that seemed to have what might be called an anti-glow, wherein the light around it seemed to fade or waver in close proximity to the stone. Propping his elbow up on the table top and reclining comfortably in his chair, he slowly rolled the bead gently between his index finger and his thumb. A subtle grin flashed across his lips before he spoke
"I am Faledir, Magdalina... And I already knew your name."
He rolled the bead a little faster between his fingers and looked across the table to his companion.
"Do you know what this is, Magdalina? Perhaps you would not, as they haven't much use for the void... over there..."
He nonchalantly looked around to the gathering of locals who milled about the inn's main floor, a few wearing the trappings of adventure and of the war. He gave particular notice to the armed Firbolg guardsman near the doorway before turning back to his companion.
"It is said that the void is the abscense of magic, which in and of itself is powerful. Should this stone shatter, the void that is trapped within will negate the surrounding magics, if only for a brief moment. Staves will cease to glow, blessings and magical enchantments will waver, and so on and so on...I belive I make my point quite clear, do I not?"
His eyes flashed dangerously for a brief moment and he locked his gaze with the woman across from him. He stopped rolling the pearl in his fingers and said very directly..
"Why don't you tell me what business you have with my brother, dear ~celtic~ friend.."
He squeezed the pearl tightly between his fingers and turned his eyes back towards the local countrymen, the guards and the general populace about the tavern only to bring their steady, penitrating gaze back to lock with the woman he knew to be a fraud.
"Or would you rather challenge an entire mob who hungers for Albion blood?"
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina stared back at Faledir coolly. At the first sign of threat,
she had entered her calm place, where she could feel Arawn’s power. She placed both hands on the table in a show of trust while schooling her thoughts. Then she leaned forward and spoke softly to the elf.
“You have no need to be alarmed by my presence,” she murmured. “I only seek information. I seek your brother, Elamir, because I think he may know where my brother is.” Magdalina tried to gauge the elf’s reaction, but his face did not move, so she continued. “I mean you and your people no harm. I only want to find my brother and take him home in peace.”
Again, no response.
“His name is Kalaric. Perhaps your brother has mentioned him? Perhaps you’ve seen him?” she implored. “Your brother saved his life once, and I believe Kalaric is here, either looking for Elamir, or with him.”
Magdalina looked around at the people in the room. “Please do not force me to harm any of these good folk. That would be as senseless as the wars that our leaders wage against each other.”
“Please, Master Elf, tell me what you know. I swear on the graves of my beloved parents, that I speak the truth.”
Having said her piece, she leaned back from the table, and waited for the elf to speak
=====
Loendal
The elf lessened his pinch upon the bead and began rolling it around inbetween his fingers again, angrily...
"No need to be alarmed? I have every reason to be alarmed, woman. An enemy of the realm sneaks her way into the heart of Hibernia. She is disguised under a cheap wizard's trick and then begins to bribe the locals to find the one person who I have spent more time hunting for then you, your brother and your parents have even lived... combined! No, woman, I have every reason to be alarmed..."
He clasped the bead in his palm, curling his fist around it and then leaned forward, speaking is harsh but quiet tones.
"Elamir knows nothing of who you are, he mentioned this 'Kaloric' only in passing. He mentioned he had saved his life once. At least you have the sense enough to speak the truth, your oath is sound. But know you this... This Kaloric does not travel with my brother and I. You show great courage and devotion to your brother, this I respect, and owing unto this, I will spare your life. In the same breath however, you show stupidity grander then any mindless trollish brute. Do you truly think this simple guise will hide you forever in these lands? Do you not know that the void is everywhere, and could expose you at any time? This simple bauble is only a fraction of the power released when the Eldritch uses his powers. What good will you do your brother if you are found as a spy, tortured for information and then executed?"
The elf folded his arms across his chest and regarded this woman carefully as he leaned back in his seat. There was indeed power there, an unholy power that had no place in the green fields of Hibernia. How had he not noticed that before?
"Leave now, and do not return. Do not follow us, if not by my warning by your own common sense. Wait as I waited for your brother to return."
He sighed sadly and turned away from the woman to look out the Inn's windows, watching a pair of young elven brothers at play.
=====
Magdalina
As Magdalina listened to the elf's harsh words, her own anger flared to the surface.
"You condescend to me for bribing the greedy lurikeen!?" she scoffed. "I would give myself to a bloody firbolg, and willingly, if it brought my brother home."
Magdalina could feel the energy rising within her, responding to all the pent up desperation, sorrow and rage. For a moment, she let the elf see her power, that seemed to move like restless shadows within her dark eyes. She stared at him for a moment without blinking, so he could see how in earnest she was, and the danger of her enmity.
She leaned forward. "I have looked Death in the face many times, elf," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I am not afraid of death."
"I have waited. I have waited too long already. Kalaric would have long since returned had he been able to. There is something wrong, something keeping him. He needs my help, I know it in my heart. Would you simply sit at home and wait if you knew your own brother needed you?!"
Struggling to keep her voice calm, she said. "I would like to call you friend one day. I do not believe in judging people by their race, but by their actions. I already hold your brother Elamir in great respect, and he has my gratitude for saving Kalaric's life. I hope he is not the only member of your family with honor."
Quickly, she looked around to make sure no others were taking note of their conversation.
"Perhaps I am a fool to come here. But I through waiting. If I die, so be it. Everything that I live for, our struggle for a better life and for peace between our peoples, is gone if Kalaric does not return soon. I am not leaving Hibernia until I find him."
"So you have two choices. Bring me to your brother, so I may hear his words myself...Or you can expose my identity thus causing my death here in this small village. But I warn you, should there be a battle, I am taking you down with me."
=====
Loendal
The elf is broken from his distraction by the woman's tone.
"You condescend to me for bribing the greedy lurikeen!?" she scoffed. "I would give myself to a bloody firbolg, and willingly, if it brought my brother home."
The elf turned and found the woman's eyes, and noted the power within. He was taken aback for a moment, a hand slipping to rest on his dagger almost on instinct alone. He locked his eyes to hers again, his own reflecting little more then a deep sadness to her boiling rage.
"You have no idea what I had to give up to find him, no clue as to the depth of what I have done. The ravaging a Firbolg would give you in that embrace, be you hidden as a celt or exposed as a B..", he paused for a brief moment, catching himself, "...or exposed is nothing compared to the pain I have endured to find Elamir. NOTHING!" his fist clenched for a moment, only to relax again as he regained control of his temper.
"I have waited. I have waited too long already. Kalaric would have long since returned had he been able to. There is something wrong, something keeping him. He needs my help, I know it in my heart. Would you simply sit at home and wait if you knew your own brother needed you?!"
"No, I would not sit home, just as you have not..." his words fell silent, the rest lost among the surrounding noise of the room.
Struggling to keep her voice calm, she said. "I would like to call you friend one day. I do not believe in judging people by their race, but by their actions. I already hold your brother Elamir in great respect, and he has my gratitude for saving Kalaric's life. I hope he is not the only member of your family with honor."
"Mind your tone, woman. The others are watching you. " he said quietly, casting a cautious gaze towards the few curious eyes falling in their direction.
Quickly, she looked around to make sure no others were taking note of their conversation.
"Perhaps I am a fool to come here. But I through waiting. If I die, so be it. Everything that I live for, our struggle for a better life and for peace between our peoples, is gone if Kalaric does not return soon. I am not leaving Hibernia until I find him."
"I was not commanding you to leave Hibernia; your short-lived minds take things to their ultimate conclusion so quickly; only to leave US alone. You will have to find Kaloric on your own. As you told me the truth, I have told you the same truth, Elamir has only mentioned Kaloric to me in a brief moment, nothing more. He has not seen Kaloric since his return to Hibernia. In circumstances that threaten my brother, I take no chances. You have told me what I wanted to hear, and that Elamir is safe from you. THAT is my only concern, nothing more."
"So you have two choices. Bring me to your brother, so I may hear his words myself...Or you can expose my identity thus causing my death here in this small village. But I warn you, should there be a battle, I am taking you down with me."
"Firstly... " he stated flatly as he rose to his feet, shouldering his pack "you will demand nothing from me, nothing.. Secondly, had I wanted you exposed, I would have done so moments ago..." He punctuated his statement by holding up the black, shimmering bead between his fingers. "Thirdly, I have no wish for you to die; else you would have felt twin daggers piercing through your throat before you took breath upstairs. I saw your magic, remember? Finally, and I say this with one last hope that you will listen to reason, I am telling you to leave only because your guise will NOT hold fast through Hibernia. The reasons I have already explained and will waste no further breath explaining again. I hope that you find your brother, but we cannot help you to do it. Go now and leave us be, before it is too late..."
He heaved his pack tightly over his shoulder and sighed sadly, beginning to make his way for the door.
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina blinked back the tears that threatened to fall down her flushed cheeks. The elf was leaving. He was not going to help her.
She tried to think of something to make him stop, to make him stay. But her mind realed as the last shreds of hope fled her mind.
Only after he had gone through the door, did she finally give in to the aguish she felt, turning her face to the wall.
Inside her, the power screamed with blind emotion. Lacking the focus of battle, it hit Magdalina's body like a wave of fire. But she was unable to release it for fear of hurting one of the innocent people around her. She squeezed her eyes shut in response to the pain, but soon the darkness was more than a lack of light, and she silently slid to the floor.
=====
Diernaen Cadori
As the woman fainted, and fell to the floor, many of the common room's occupants rushed to her aid. After a short time, one strong Celtic man with a red beard and curly hair gathered her into his arms and carried her to one of the bed chambers upstairs. Where the innkeeper's wife further attended to her the remains of the day, however, with little avail to waking her.
******
The sun lit the skyline brightly with shades of red and orange as it made its final appearance for the day. On a calm and peaceful hillside, in the beautiful valley of Bri Leith, Elamir Galdorin sat steadily in a trance, an ancient form of Elvish meditation for musing and detachment from the worlds. He was bare chested. His hair, long and emerald in color occassionly caught in the evening breeze of the valley, on his left arm there was an elegantly designed tattoo of a detailed flower. The Nightshade.
The Elf gasped in a breath of air and his yellow eyes slowly opened. For a long moment, he stared only directly ahead, at the horizon. The red sun had almost set completely, and stars began to form behind him. He stood slowly, and rubbed his forehead, brushing his long hair behind his pierced ears.
As he did so, a voice disturbed him from behind.
"Still experiencing the head pains?"
Elamir did not turn around, he recognized the voice well enough. Faledir, his only brother, stood leaning against a tree, his dark cloak floating in the breeze.
"Less then before." Elamir responded. He turned around and strode towards a tree where his equipment lay. He lifted his heavy leather belt from the ground that harbored his curved dagger and sword, and clasped it around his waist. The weapons now hung at the side of his hips. He continued to pull his loose fitting tunic over his head, as he spoke to Faledir.
"The woman you asked me of earlier, I assume you spoke to her in the morning, as you had planned?"
Faledir hesitated a short time, before replying.
=====
Loendal
Faledir nods slowly, his features grave.
"I did. She is Albion, to be sure, Briton. She is also very powerful, though she has kept herself restrained. She is no threat to us, this much I have assured. As I had mentioned, she is searching for this Kalaric, her brother. I... I 'persuaded' the information from her. She is not harmed, but she has been warned that her guise will not save her forever here in Hibernia. I told her not to try and follow us, as this Kalaric does not travel with us. I would advise you to steer clear of her, though, a Briton is still an enemy even if coming under a flag of peace. She has some nonsensical notion that there can be peace between Albion and Hibernia. I belive she will bother us no longer. And for that, I would be thankful. I cannot jepardize all that I have done and strived for thusfar... I will not"
Faledir hefted his brother's pack and nodded to him with a smile.
"We should get moving, Thidranki teems with life so I hear..."
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina woke to the sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping, for a moment she thought she was back home. But the smells of Hibernia came to her next, reminding her where she was.
Slowly, she tried to sit up in the dark room of the inn. Her head throbbed in time with her heart beat, pulsing waves of pain through her body. She could hear muffled voices and see light from under the door to the next hallway.
She tried hard to make words out of the sounds, but the conversation seemed to be calm. Then, like a falling tree, her memories of the day hit her consciousness. Quickly, she surveyed her surroundings, but what she saw suggested she was a patient, not a prisoner.
Magdalina closed her eyes and chanted a prayer to clear her head and manage the pain. Then she began to concentrate on what to do next. Quietly crossing to the window, she saw that the moon was low in the west and cursed under her breath.
Her ship would be at the arranged place tonight. If she did not catch it, she would have to wait two weeks before it returned again. The captain did not like being this close to Hibernian shores.
Softly, gathering her things, she noticed that her glamour stone was gone. The locals had probably noted it’s value and taken it to a spellcrafter to have it identified. She did not have much time.
Magdalina opened the window and poked her head out to gauge the distance to the ground, thanking Arawn that this wall faced away from town. A nearby ledge helped her scoot to the roof of the first floor, and then she hit the ground with a gentle thud, and ran into the forest by which she had come.
Judging by the position of the moon, she had about two hours before the boat came and went. Even in darkness, this place amazed her with it’s beauty.
After a while, she saw the beach up ahead, and Magdalina stepped out of the forest. Her black hair streamed behind her in the wind from the sea, and the moon reflected in her dark eyes. She would light a torch on the shore when she saw the vessel's bulking shadow slide into the lagoon. But the ship was not here yet. She had time for one last ritual.
Magdalina quickly found her second pack underneath the pile of rocks where she left it. Her Iconnu eyesight had always let her see well in the dark. She smiled as she pulled out the beautiful tunic Kalaric had once given her, remembering how he had said, “We may be a band of ruffians, but we don’t have to always look like it.” It was the most beautiful thing she had ever owned, and all she had left of him, except for the journal, but that she had to keep.
She lit a small fire, and removed all her gear. Again, she thanked Arawn for the summer wind blew warm against her exposed skin. Taking the tunic and a small dagger, she entered the fire's circle of light. She began to chant, and slowly raised the dagger as her graceful body swayed gently from side to side. Then she drew the blade across her left arm between the wrist and elbow and then again on her right. As the blood welled, her chanting grew louder and the fire crackled in proximity to such power.
“Heare me Arawn!” she cried, and let the blood drip from her fingers to sizzle in the flames. “Your daughter calls you! I have lost one that I hold dear, and I must let him go to your loving arms unfettered. I will not let my ties bind him to this unhappy world if he no longer lives.”
Then, with tears running down her pale cheeks, she threw the tunic into the fire and watched as the flames leapt to consume the fine silk.
“I release you Kalaric,” she whispered. “Your soul may fly where it wishes to now." She paused, searching for the right words, "But if you yet ...”
Her voice broke off as she saw the ship round the edge of the lagoon. Then she dashed to get her gear and pack, so she would be ready when it came.
>>Magdalina
Magdalina pulled her cloak tighter around her face as she saw the first signs of humanoid life on the Hibernian border. She knew that she looked like a Celt, but she still could not shake the desire to hide her face. She could feel the glamour Korlin placed had placed on her. The magic rippled along her skin, making her want to scratch a phantom itch.
The problem was, Magdalina only had a name. Elamir. The name of the very elf that Kalaric himself had probably gone to seek when he disappeared. Magdalina had found it in a journal she had found among Kalaric’s things after he had been gone a month. The elf had saved Kalaric’s life once, for unknown reasons. In her heart, Magdalina knew this is where Kalaric had gone. Hibernia.
She had to find him. She had sworn an oath to Kalaric, and the guild needed him. Jieren was a brave and honorable man, but he was not one made to be a leader, led by too much by his own passions and not enough common sense. She could see him visibly bowing beneath the stress of his personal daemons and the added responsibility he did not want. Magdalina had resented Kalaric’s aloof and distant nature at first, but now she missed him terribly. So she had convinced Korlin to help her, and secured passage across the ocean.
But now that she was here, Magdalina hesitated. She did not know Hibernia well, only what she had heard in stories. Sucking up the courage from the pit of her stomach, where it had fled, Magdalina stood up straighter and began to approach the village. She tried not to stare in wonder at the Firbolgs who stood casually at their merchant booths and forges. She had never thought of them as doing regular things before, living regular lives. Cautiously she approached one.
“Excuse me…is there a place in town where I may spend the night.”
The Firbolg turned her steady gaze towards Magdlina. “Why yes, there’s an inn just to the north of town.”
Magdalina bowed politely and set off through the center of the villiage. Keeping her gaze straight ahead. Her right hand moved towards her hip for reassurance, but instead of the familiar whip, found the hilt of a sword. Mag swore under her breath, feeling naked without her favorite weapon. But the whip could not come on this journey as it would have surely given her away.
Shortly, she found the inn, and paid for a nights stay along with a meal. The innkeeper was a Celt, so she felt more comfortable. As she sat down with her bowl of gruel, she looked around the room. A elderly Lurikeen was watching her from beside the fireplace.
Magdalina nodded at him politely, thinking – no better time to start her search than the present. “Well met, stranger. Would you care to join me for a meal?”
The Lurikeen did not smile, but came to sit across from Magdalina as she ordered another bowl, and two pints of ale. “Thank you,” he said, and began to eat, all the while never taking his eyes off her.
Magdalina smiled in an effort to seem friendly. “Are you from around here?”
The Lurikeen blinked. “Nay, I am traveling on business, delivering a shipment of cloth armor to my sister who lives in town.”
“Ah,” said Magdalina. “So do you travel much?” Magdalina could see the innkeeper eavesdropping from the corner of her eye.
“I do,” said the Lurikeen between mouthfulls, “I have traveled throughout Hibernia, and have seen many things.”
Magda tried to keep her voice calm and even. “Have you ever by chance come across an elf named Elamir?”
At this the Lurikeen stopped eating, and put down his spoon. “Nay, lady. I have not. Why do you be asking?”
“I am seeking him,” Mag set down her spoon as well and peered into the Lurikeen’s eyes, trying to figure him out. “My … brother is missing, and I believe Elamir may know where he is.”
The Lurikeen sat back from the table. “What is your brother’s name, maybe I have seen him, if not the Elf.”
Magdalina took a deep breath, and said “Kalaric. But I doubt you have seen him, he is a hard man to find. That is why I seek the Elf, and not him.”
“Perhaps he does not wish to be found, this Kalaric.” The Lurikeen was gazing back at her with an odd expression.
“I must find him” Mag let a bit of her desperation slip into her voice. “His family needs him. He needs to come home.”
“And where might home be?” the Lurikeen asked.
Madga began to panic. She had not thought far enough ahead, or come up with a story for herself. She had wanted to stick with the truth as much as possible so as to pass with those who could detect lies. She stood up from the table abruptly, “Please good sir, if you should see either of them, tell them that Magdalina seeks them. I would be most appreciative. I will leave word with the barkeep as to my whereabouts.” Magdalina held out a few gold to the Lurikeen and the avarice she saw in his merchant’s eyes. Quickly he snatched the coins from her palm, and pocketed them out of sight. “There is more, if you can get me any information.”
The Lurikeen nodded, the first wisp of a smile on his lips, and Mag noted that it wasn’t a kind one. She hoped she had not revealed to much to the little one, but she had to take risks if she was going to find Kalaric.
Tossing a few more coins to the innkeeper, Mag went upstairs to rest for the night. As she lay down upon her pallet, she whispered a prayer. “Please Arawn, let me find Kalaric. You have promised me he is not dead and in your arms, now help me find him.”
=====
Loendal
A tall elf with silvery hair sits quietly brooding in a dark corner of the Inn when the celt arrives. He watches her quietly a hint of contempt on his features as he absently swirls the wine sitting undrank in his glass. His ears perk up at as she speaks,
“Well met, stranger. Would you care to join me for a meal?”
He glances up for a moment and is about to respond when he notices the invitation was not for him. Chuckling quietly, he takes a sip from his wine, watching the pair eat and make conversation. As the rain begins to fall outside, it creates a rattle on the roof overhead, obscuring parts of the conversation he absently tries to overhear.
“...ness, delivering a shipment of cloth ar... in town "
He sighs and shakes his head, rising to his feet and begins to sulk towards the doorway, anger flashing in his eyes for a moment.
"...f named Elamir?"
At this the elf froze midstep, his fist clenching up quickly to regain control. He turned quickly to the side and moved over as if to speak with someone aside the stairway. As soon as he was out of her sight, he quickly slipped into the shadows that form from under the stairs and crouched down, slipping forward quietly in an attempt to better hear.
“My … brother is missing, and I believe Elamir may know where he is.”
"'Toror... What have you done this time?" the elf said quietly to himself and continued to listen to the woman and her newly found Lurikeen friend.
The Lurikeen sat back from the table. “What is your brother’s name, maybe I have seen him, if not the Elf.”
Magdalina took a deep breath, and said “Kalaric. But I doubt you have seen him, he is a hard man to find. That is why I seek the Elf, and not him.”
“Perhaps he does not wish to be found, this Kalaric.”
“I must find him”
"Desparate to find someone and using Elamir to ferret them out?" the elf pondered to himself, scratching his chin thoughtfully
“His family needs him. He needs to come home.”
"Ahhhh... Family.. Now I understand." the elf sighed quietly and settled back to rest upon his heels and listen further.
“Please good sir, if you should see either of them, tell them that Magdalina seeks them. I would be most appreciative. I will leave word with the barkeep as to my whereabouts"
The elf was confused now, not only was she chasing Elamir, but she is bribing the populace to find him.
“There is more, if you can get me any information.”
The elf froze for a moment and slipped back a few paces under the stairway as the woman ascended. His foot scrapped across a loose bit of stone on the floor, but she seemed to take no notice of it as she hurried upstairs.
"If you have business with Elamir, Magdalina.. You have business with me..." the elf vowed quietly to himself and waited for the door above to close before going to speak with the barkeep and learning to which room she had been assigned, paying a few extra gold for specifics, he moved up the stairs and took up residence in the room opposite hers, leaving his door ever so slightly ajar. He caught a quick nap, so as to keep his vigil over her doorway for the next morning...
=====
Magdalina
Sunlight spread throughout the room, perforating Magdalina’s dreams and easing her into wakefulness. As she opened her eyes, the smells and sounds of Hibernia greeted her. She was still amazed out how fresh and green everything was here.
As she slowly gathered her things, she thought of what she would do the rest of this day. She would have to follow the road north after asking around the village a bit more. Maybe she could glean something of the local geography. It wouldn’t do her any good to know where the elf was if she didn’t know how to get there.
She had just opened the door when she remembered that Korlin had told her she would have to renew the glamour every morning. Swearing under her breath at her own foolishness, Magdalina went to her pack and pulled out a mirror. Sure enough, she saw her own face reflected back at her. Wide dark eyes, a gift from her Iconnu grandmother, sharp nose, and Britton forehead. Sighing, Mag pulled out the stone Korlin had gave her, softly chanting the words he had taught her so as to not awaken her neighbors. When the stone began to glow again, she brought up the mirror to make sure it had worked, and gasped in shock.
There in the mirror, was a Celt that very closely resemble Magdalina, but behind her, though the open doorway was an Elf, watching her. She had forgotten to shut the door! Slowly, Magdalina set the mirror down and turned to face the elf. Her mind was racing as she met his piercing gaze. Ah, but he was a beautiful creature, with long silvery hair that none in Albion could match.
Without knowing what else to do, Magdalina simply smiled and bowed deeply, hoping perhaps that he had not seen her before the spell had taken effect. “Good Morning, Stranger,” she said with an ease that she did not feel. Then she settled back on the heels of her feet, and waited for him to reply.
=====
Loendal
The elf only smiled slightly, nodding in her direction.
"Aya Suilad..."
He wandered over closer to her doorway, closing his own behind him. Pulling it open wider, so as to allow the woman to see him in full, the elf sets down a pack that clinks with glass upon glass from within.
"With your permission..." he said as he opened the door and stepped inside. The morning sun glinted off of a pair of daggers at his hip and a rapier that stood up over his shoulder. His words were not so much a request as a statement, his features were still unyielding to more then a half smile.
"I had seen you come up to rest for the eve, much to my distress. Having watched you go up the stairs forced my eyes into the brighter torchlight. It did little to ease my throbbing head. I really must speak with the bartender below about the quality of drink he serves. You celts make a horrid wine that does not sit well with me. I find it strange that you would be up so early. Have you pressing business somewhere, perhaps?" his eyes quickly darted to the mirror sitting on the bedstand
"Ah, perhaps I have interrupted your morning primping... I will wait over here..."
The elf walked over to the window, his hands clasped behind his back and stared out over the road outside, seeming quite taken with the scenery.
"What is this business to which you so eagerly rush off to this morning, hmm?" his words were flat, without emotion.
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina watched the elf enter and cross her room, languid and casual as a cat. Danger and violence rippled from him like an aura spell, she could almost see it. She felt like a child enamoured with a flame that would surely burn her if she touched it.
Shaking her head, half in answer – half to clear her thoughts, she said “No, I was just about to go downstairs for breakfast.”
But then again, she had never been one to show common sense when it came to dangerous situations. “Would you care to join me?”
=====
Loendal
The elf pondered for a moment, considering the situation.
"If the barkeep's drink is any indication of his food, I would do better to simply drink my own poisons. But I will go with you, perhaps we will have greater chance to speak over a bowl of stew or a bit of ham."
He turned slowly and nodded to the woman, moving back over to the doorway and gathering up his pack. He slung it over his shoulder with much continued clinking and clattering from within. A hand strayed to the dagger at his hip and rested atop the pommel casually as he opened up the door and stepped out into the hallway.
He waited there for a moment, unmoving and motioning down the stairwell.
"After you... Lady Celt" the last word hinted at a notion of arrogance in it's tone. "There are some other things I must gather from my room before I take my leave of it.. I will meet you there, order some of the keep's finest food, I will even treat you to the meal"
He stood waiting...
=====
Magdalina
Hmmm, A Nightshade Magdalina surmised, noting the clinking bottles and exposed blade, but she smiled disarmingly as if she had not.
“You are most kind, Sir,” she said, and casually backed out of the room. Magdalina was impetuous, but not a fool. She had been on the receiving end of a Nightshade’s dagger too many times to turn her back on this one. “I will await you downstairs.”
As soon as she was out of sight, she chanted a small prayer to Arawn, blessing herself as if preparing for battle. She did not think the elf would draw his weapon, but she had a feeling that this conversation might be just as dangerous. Either way, the blessing made her fell safer.
Once she got to the main room, she ordered two bowls of stew and sat down where she could watch the stairs.
When the elf appeared she stood and bowed, welcoming him to her table. “Thank you for joining me.” She said. “Please let me introduce myself. My name is Magdalina. May I know the name of my gracious host?”
=====
Loendal
Returning the bow with only a gracious nod, the elf moved to sit at the table across from the woman. Setting his pack down gently, he withdrew a small black pearl-sized gemstone that seemed to have what might be called an anti-glow, wherein the light around it seemed to fade or waver in close proximity to the stone. Propping his elbow up on the table top and reclining comfortably in his chair, he slowly rolled the bead gently between his index finger and his thumb. A subtle grin flashed across his lips before he spoke
"I am Faledir, Magdalina... And I already knew your name."
He rolled the bead a little faster between his fingers and looked across the table to his companion.
"Do you know what this is, Magdalina? Perhaps you would not, as they haven't much use for the void... over there..."
He nonchalantly looked around to the gathering of locals who milled about the inn's main floor, a few wearing the trappings of adventure and of the war. He gave particular notice to the armed Firbolg guardsman near the doorway before turning back to his companion.
"It is said that the void is the abscense of magic, which in and of itself is powerful. Should this stone shatter, the void that is trapped within will negate the surrounding magics, if only for a brief moment. Staves will cease to glow, blessings and magical enchantments will waver, and so on and so on...I belive I make my point quite clear, do I not?"
His eyes flashed dangerously for a brief moment and he locked his gaze with the woman across from him. He stopped rolling the pearl in his fingers and said very directly..
"Why don't you tell me what business you have with my brother, dear ~celtic~ friend.."
He squeezed the pearl tightly between his fingers and turned his eyes back towards the local countrymen, the guards and the general populace about the tavern only to bring their steady, penitrating gaze back to lock with the woman he knew to be a fraud.
"Or would you rather challenge an entire mob who hungers for Albion blood?"
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina stared back at Faledir coolly. At the first sign of threat,
she had entered her calm place, where she could feel Arawn’s power. She placed both hands on the table in a show of trust while schooling her thoughts. Then she leaned forward and spoke softly to the elf.
“You have no need to be alarmed by my presence,” she murmured. “I only seek information. I seek your brother, Elamir, because I think he may know where my brother is.” Magdalina tried to gauge the elf’s reaction, but his face did not move, so she continued. “I mean you and your people no harm. I only want to find my brother and take him home in peace.”
Again, no response.
“His name is Kalaric. Perhaps your brother has mentioned him? Perhaps you’ve seen him?” she implored. “Your brother saved his life once, and I believe Kalaric is here, either looking for Elamir, or with him.”
Magdalina looked around at the people in the room. “Please do not force me to harm any of these good folk. That would be as senseless as the wars that our leaders wage against each other.”
“Please, Master Elf, tell me what you know. I swear on the graves of my beloved parents, that I speak the truth.”
Having said her piece, she leaned back from the table, and waited for the elf to speak
=====
Loendal
The elf lessened his pinch upon the bead and began rolling it around inbetween his fingers again, angrily...
"No need to be alarmed? I have every reason to be alarmed, woman. An enemy of the realm sneaks her way into the heart of Hibernia. She is disguised under a cheap wizard's trick and then begins to bribe the locals to find the one person who I have spent more time hunting for then you, your brother and your parents have even lived... combined! No, woman, I have every reason to be alarmed..."
He clasped the bead in his palm, curling his fist around it and then leaned forward, speaking is harsh but quiet tones.
"Elamir knows nothing of who you are, he mentioned this 'Kaloric' only in passing. He mentioned he had saved his life once. At least you have the sense enough to speak the truth, your oath is sound. But know you this... This Kaloric does not travel with my brother and I. You show great courage and devotion to your brother, this I respect, and owing unto this, I will spare your life. In the same breath however, you show stupidity grander then any mindless trollish brute. Do you truly think this simple guise will hide you forever in these lands? Do you not know that the void is everywhere, and could expose you at any time? This simple bauble is only a fraction of the power released when the Eldritch uses his powers. What good will you do your brother if you are found as a spy, tortured for information and then executed?"
The elf folded his arms across his chest and regarded this woman carefully as he leaned back in his seat. There was indeed power there, an unholy power that had no place in the green fields of Hibernia. How had he not noticed that before?
"Leave now, and do not return. Do not follow us, if not by my warning by your own common sense. Wait as I waited for your brother to return."
He sighed sadly and turned away from the woman to look out the Inn's windows, watching a pair of young elven brothers at play.
=====
Magdalina
As Magdalina listened to the elf's harsh words, her own anger flared to the surface.
"You condescend to me for bribing the greedy lurikeen!?" she scoffed. "I would give myself to a bloody firbolg, and willingly, if it brought my brother home."
Magdalina could feel the energy rising within her, responding to all the pent up desperation, sorrow and rage. For a moment, she let the elf see her power, that seemed to move like restless shadows within her dark eyes. She stared at him for a moment without blinking, so he could see how in earnest she was, and the danger of her enmity.
She leaned forward. "I have looked Death in the face many times, elf," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I am not afraid of death."
"I have waited. I have waited too long already. Kalaric would have long since returned had he been able to. There is something wrong, something keeping him. He needs my help, I know it in my heart. Would you simply sit at home and wait if you knew your own brother needed you?!"
Struggling to keep her voice calm, she said. "I would like to call you friend one day. I do not believe in judging people by their race, but by their actions. I already hold your brother Elamir in great respect, and he has my gratitude for saving Kalaric's life. I hope he is not the only member of your family with honor."
Quickly, she looked around to make sure no others were taking note of their conversation.
"Perhaps I am a fool to come here. But I through waiting. If I die, so be it. Everything that I live for, our struggle for a better life and for peace between our peoples, is gone if Kalaric does not return soon. I am not leaving Hibernia until I find him."
"So you have two choices. Bring me to your brother, so I may hear his words myself...Or you can expose my identity thus causing my death here in this small village. But I warn you, should there be a battle, I am taking you down with me."
=====
Loendal
The elf is broken from his distraction by the woman's tone.
"You condescend to me for bribing the greedy lurikeen!?" she scoffed. "I would give myself to a bloody firbolg, and willingly, if it brought my brother home."
The elf turned and found the woman's eyes, and noted the power within. He was taken aback for a moment, a hand slipping to rest on his dagger almost on instinct alone. He locked his eyes to hers again, his own reflecting little more then a deep sadness to her boiling rage.
"You have no idea what I had to give up to find him, no clue as to the depth of what I have done. The ravaging a Firbolg would give you in that embrace, be you hidden as a celt or exposed as a B..", he paused for a brief moment, catching himself, "...or exposed is nothing compared to the pain I have endured to find Elamir. NOTHING!" his fist clenched for a moment, only to relax again as he regained control of his temper.
"I have waited. I have waited too long already. Kalaric would have long since returned had he been able to. There is something wrong, something keeping him. He needs my help, I know it in my heart. Would you simply sit at home and wait if you knew your own brother needed you?!"
"No, I would not sit home, just as you have not..." his words fell silent, the rest lost among the surrounding noise of the room.
Struggling to keep her voice calm, she said. "I would like to call you friend one day. I do not believe in judging people by their race, but by their actions. I already hold your brother Elamir in great respect, and he has my gratitude for saving Kalaric's life. I hope he is not the only member of your family with honor."
"Mind your tone, woman. The others are watching you. " he said quietly, casting a cautious gaze towards the few curious eyes falling in their direction.
Quickly, she looked around to make sure no others were taking note of their conversation.
"Perhaps I am a fool to come here. But I through waiting. If I die, so be it. Everything that I live for, our struggle for a better life and for peace between our peoples, is gone if Kalaric does not return soon. I am not leaving Hibernia until I find him."
"I was not commanding you to leave Hibernia; your short-lived minds take things to their ultimate conclusion so quickly; only to leave US alone. You will have to find Kaloric on your own. As you told me the truth, I have told you the same truth, Elamir has only mentioned Kaloric to me in a brief moment, nothing more. He has not seen Kaloric since his return to Hibernia. In circumstances that threaten my brother, I take no chances. You have told me what I wanted to hear, and that Elamir is safe from you. THAT is my only concern, nothing more."
"So you have two choices. Bring me to your brother, so I may hear his words myself...Or you can expose my identity thus causing my death here in this small village. But I warn you, should there be a battle, I am taking you down with me."
"Firstly... " he stated flatly as he rose to his feet, shouldering his pack "you will demand nothing from me, nothing.. Secondly, had I wanted you exposed, I would have done so moments ago..." He punctuated his statement by holding up the black, shimmering bead between his fingers. "Thirdly, I have no wish for you to die; else you would have felt twin daggers piercing through your throat before you took breath upstairs. I saw your magic, remember? Finally, and I say this with one last hope that you will listen to reason, I am telling you to leave only because your guise will NOT hold fast through Hibernia. The reasons I have already explained and will waste no further breath explaining again. I hope that you find your brother, but we cannot help you to do it. Go now and leave us be, before it is too late..."
He heaved his pack tightly over his shoulder and sighed sadly, beginning to make his way for the door.
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina blinked back the tears that threatened to fall down her flushed cheeks. The elf was leaving. He was not going to help her.
She tried to think of something to make him stop, to make him stay. But her mind realed as the last shreds of hope fled her mind.
Only after he had gone through the door, did she finally give in to the aguish she felt, turning her face to the wall.
Inside her, the power screamed with blind emotion. Lacking the focus of battle, it hit Magdalina's body like a wave of fire. But she was unable to release it for fear of hurting one of the innocent people around her. She squeezed her eyes shut in response to the pain, but soon the darkness was more than a lack of light, and she silently slid to the floor.
=====
Diernaen Cadori
As the woman fainted, and fell to the floor, many of the common room's occupants rushed to her aid. After a short time, one strong Celtic man with a red beard and curly hair gathered her into his arms and carried her to one of the bed chambers upstairs. Where the innkeeper's wife further attended to her the remains of the day, however, with little avail to waking her.
******
The sun lit the skyline brightly with shades of red and orange as it made its final appearance for the day. On a calm and peaceful hillside, in the beautiful valley of Bri Leith, Elamir Galdorin sat steadily in a trance, an ancient form of Elvish meditation for musing and detachment from the worlds. He was bare chested. His hair, long and emerald in color occassionly caught in the evening breeze of the valley, on his left arm there was an elegantly designed tattoo of a detailed flower. The Nightshade.
The Elf gasped in a breath of air and his yellow eyes slowly opened. For a long moment, he stared only directly ahead, at the horizon. The red sun had almost set completely, and stars began to form behind him. He stood slowly, and rubbed his forehead, brushing his long hair behind his pierced ears.
As he did so, a voice disturbed him from behind.
"Still experiencing the head pains?"
Elamir did not turn around, he recognized the voice well enough. Faledir, his only brother, stood leaning against a tree, his dark cloak floating in the breeze.
"Less then before." Elamir responded. He turned around and strode towards a tree where his equipment lay. He lifted his heavy leather belt from the ground that harbored his curved dagger and sword, and clasped it around his waist. The weapons now hung at the side of his hips. He continued to pull his loose fitting tunic over his head, as he spoke to Faledir.
"The woman you asked me of earlier, I assume you spoke to her in the morning, as you had planned?"
Faledir hesitated a short time, before replying.
=====
Loendal
Faledir nods slowly, his features grave.
"I did. She is Albion, to be sure, Briton. She is also very powerful, though she has kept herself restrained. She is no threat to us, this much I have assured. As I had mentioned, she is searching for this Kalaric, her brother. I... I 'persuaded' the information from her. She is not harmed, but she has been warned that her guise will not save her forever here in Hibernia. I told her not to try and follow us, as this Kalaric does not travel with us. I would advise you to steer clear of her, though, a Briton is still an enemy even if coming under a flag of peace. She has some nonsensical notion that there can be peace between Albion and Hibernia. I belive she will bother us no longer. And for that, I would be thankful. I cannot jepardize all that I have done and strived for thusfar... I will not"
Faledir hefted his brother's pack and nodded to him with a smile.
"We should get moving, Thidranki teems with life so I hear..."
=====
Magdalina
Magdalina woke to the sound of frogs croaking and crickets chirping, for a moment she thought she was back home. But the smells of Hibernia came to her next, reminding her where she was.
Slowly, she tried to sit up in the dark room of the inn. Her head throbbed in time with her heart beat, pulsing waves of pain through her body. She could hear muffled voices and see light from under the door to the next hallway.
She tried hard to make words out of the sounds, but the conversation seemed to be calm. Then, like a falling tree, her memories of the day hit her consciousness. Quickly, she surveyed her surroundings, but what she saw suggested she was a patient, not a prisoner.
Magdalina closed her eyes and chanted a prayer to clear her head and manage the pain. Then she began to concentrate on what to do next. Quietly crossing to the window, she saw that the moon was low in the west and cursed under her breath.
Her ship would be at the arranged place tonight. If she did not catch it, she would have to wait two weeks before it returned again. The captain did not like being this close to Hibernian shores.
Softly, gathering her things, she noticed that her glamour stone was gone. The locals had probably noted it’s value and taken it to a spellcrafter to have it identified. She did not have much time.
Magdalina opened the window and poked her head out to gauge the distance to the ground, thanking Arawn that this wall faced away from town. A nearby ledge helped her scoot to the roof of the first floor, and then she hit the ground with a gentle thud, and ran into the forest by which she had come.
Judging by the position of the moon, she had about two hours before the boat came and went. Even in darkness, this place amazed her with it’s beauty.
After a while, she saw the beach up ahead, and Magdalina stepped out of the forest. Her black hair streamed behind her in the wind from the sea, and the moon reflected in her dark eyes. She would light a torch on the shore when she saw the vessel's bulking shadow slide into the lagoon. But the ship was not here yet. She had time for one last ritual.
Magdalina quickly found her second pack underneath the pile of rocks where she left it. Her Iconnu eyesight had always let her see well in the dark. She smiled as she pulled out the beautiful tunic Kalaric had once given her, remembering how he had said, “We may be a band of ruffians, but we don’t have to always look like it.” It was the most beautiful thing she had ever owned, and all she had left of him, except for the journal, but that she had to keep.
She lit a small fire, and removed all her gear. Again, she thanked Arawn for the summer wind blew warm against her exposed skin. Taking the tunic and a small dagger, she entered the fire's circle of light. She began to chant, and slowly raised the dagger as her graceful body swayed gently from side to side. Then she drew the blade across her left arm between the wrist and elbow and then again on her right. As the blood welled, her chanting grew louder and the fire crackled in proximity to such power.
“Heare me Arawn!” she cried, and let the blood drip from her fingers to sizzle in the flames. “Your daughter calls you! I have lost one that I hold dear, and I must let him go to your loving arms unfettered. I will not let my ties bind him to this unhappy world if he no longer lives.”
Then, with tears running down her pale cheeks, she threw the tunic into the fire and watched as the flames leapt to consume the fine silk.
“I release you Kalaric,” she whispered. “Your soul may fly where it wishes to now." She paused, searching for the right words, "But if you yet ...”
Her voice broke off as she saw the ship round the edge of the lagoon. Then she dashed to get her gear and pack, so she would be ready when it came.