Danae - 1999-5-10
driana sighed as she watched her maid lovingly fold up the last of the dresses she would be taking with her. "That's the last one dearie," said the nurse cheerfully. "How are you holding up?"
"I'll be just fine. It will be an adventure for me. And more importantly it will be better for my brother if I am gone so that he can concentrate on learning how to rule properly. Not that he can learn that from father... but still..." Adriana laid down on her white bed covers and shut her eyes, thinking of all the things her father had done. As always, she began to think of how he had been to her as a child, the closeness they had shared, and then the change in him as she grew up to look more and more strikingly different from him. Her eyes began to water slightly as she wondered for the millionth time what she could do to make her father love her again. She angrily rubbed her eyes and sat up, determined not to let him hurt her again, not when she was finally getting away from everyone and everything that could hurt her. She would be able to start over maybe, at least for a little while. Just at that moment there was a polite tap at the door and Adriana quickly checked herself in the wall mirror to be sure of her appearance. As the maid let the visitor into the room she was suddenly put at ease when she realized it was only Rody. Her best friend in the world, she was comfortable around him as she was around no one else...
As he waited patiently outside the door Rody's mind raced with all the details of the trip they were about to take. He hoped he would find Adriana in a good mood this morning for he had his hands full with so many things that he didn't have time to deal with any histrionics. Over all she was a level headed girl, incredibly intelligent, but also of the upper class and used to getting her own way. She was not spoiled by any stretch of the imagination, if anything she was a little neglected, but she was still nobility and she knew it. It was understandable though. After all, she had been forced to pull rank at an early age simply to keep herself from being stepped upon.
As the maid opened the door all of his reveries flew out the window at the sight of his beautiful lady. Before him he saw no wilting flower or weak child. He saw a self-possessed and self-assured young woman who was ready to face the world. It took his breath away for an instant, as it always did, and his heart almost burst with love for her.
As he looked closer at the child he had all but raised, he noticed that there was a slight mist on her long black eyelashes. Her hair was slightly dishevelled from the feverish pace of her morning packing session and he longed to be able to smooth it back the way he used to when she was just a child, although obviously for different reasons.
He got himself under control very quickly and walked into the room, eyeing her and the nurse's packing job and trying to judge whether it would have to be redone. Surprisingly she had packed very little, only the necessities, which gave her the upper hand... as usual...
As she watched him inspect her bags, Adriana smirked a little to herself. I did a good job and he knows it, she thought to herself, and he can't think of anything to criticize. He was expecting to have to come in here and tell me to cut down and make me repack.
"So," she interrupted his analysis of the baggage, "what shall we do for the next few hours until Lucian returns with my new guards, since I'm obviously all packed. I still don't understand why Lucian had to hire anyone else. You are all I need. He knows that..."
As Rody stared at her for a moment he was a little amused by her naivete. For all she thinks she knows everything people have been saying, it's a good thing some of the latest rumors haven't gotten back to her or she would understand just why I'm not enough to keep her safe anymore.
At this his mind turned back to racing in circles over the new guards as he gently asked her how she wished to spend her last few hours home for a little while. The more he dwelled on the new guards the more frustrated he became. He didn't know how to feel about them. He knew he should be glad that there was going to be more, better, higher-paid protection for his lady but he also couldn't help feeling jealous of their new position. After all, he had been enough to protect her for more than a decade, why should she need more than him? And he had heard that the male half of this fancy twin guard, Deran was it?, was rather good looking. Perhaps it was the feline side of him rising up but he couldn't help but feel the hair on the back of his neck rise at the mere thought of his unseen rival...
"Well, what do you think?" Adriana stood with her hands on her hips, well aware that Rody had not heard one word she said. "What are you so pensive about? We'll be on the road soon and away from here for awhile. So, do you want to go for a ride or not. Havens knows our riding trips are going to be the only thing I'll really miss about this place, beside Lucian of course."
Without waiting for a response from Rody, she walked out the door, knowing full well that he would follow her into a fire if she asked him to, and very content with that knowledge...
Yvonne - 1999-5-11
iana laughed merrily along with the Lord, her yellow eyes sparkling in the sunlight. She at least was having a good time. Deran, on the other hand, was bored again. The horse the Lord was riding was worked into a good lather, the Lord himself was uncomfortable, and the stupid animal was spooking at shadows now, making it too easy to scare the thing again. So he had given up that pass time and was now trudging gloomily along, thoughts on supper. The ground had been rising steadily for the past little while, and while Diana may have been too busy teasing and flirting with their employer to realise, Deran's feet were sore and his back ached from the pack.
"Ohh..." Diana stopped suddenly, Deran almost running into her. "What a beautiful ... house?"
Deran peered around her shoulder and couldn't help gawking. The 'house' was large enough to hold several Llowran wreshalals and stood fully as tall as the trees the neighbouring elves made their homes in. It was a mountain of stone and brick, covered in vines and shining glass windows. ~How many live in that thing?!~
"Yes, thank you, milady. It's been in our family for generations." the Lord said proudly as his horse pranced and shied, eager to be away from the two wolves.
"Can we see it?" Deran asked.
<<DERAN!!>> Diana signaled, obviously outraged at her brother's lack of tact.
<<What?!>>
The Lord, however, merely shrugged. "I don't see why not. Why don't we go down to the house and drop your packs and my horse off, and I give you a tour while your rooms are being prepared?"
"That would be wonderful." Diana said, smiling and stepping on Deran's foot. He shoved her aside.
"And then can we eat? I think Diana had a m-"
"Excuse Deran. He's had a long day." She glared at her twin who shrugged flippantly and gave her a charming smile. <<Idiot.>>
Deran again merely smiled and gestured for her to follow the Lord as he kneed his horse down the road. Perhaps Diana would be in a better mood once she laid the Lord. Deran smiled savagely. ~He'll get more then he bargained for, if he dares.~
Abby - 1999-6-15
eleos's hand closed over the girl's in a warm, secure grip. "Good enough," she said, flashing a quick grin. "Like I said, my name's Keleos. This," she jerked her chin towards the grey mare, "is Swift, and I'm going to leave her with you and your lad for a moment while I go get my packs. I'd appreciate it if none of the three of you wandered off while I'm gone. Hunting you down again will only make me annoyed." The warning was delivered in a careless tone, suggesting that she was only delivering it to make her desires known. Carefully she disengaged her hand, pointed a finger at Swift and gave the mare a dry command to stay in the Shenmiri tongue, then pivoted and ducked between two curious horses to make her way back to the inn.
(Well. This is interesting. I hope I'm not getting myself in over my head... I'm not exactly the person I'd choose to train wild magelings. But somebody's got to, and I don't think anyone else around here is up to it. At least I can defend myself against random manifestations.) She bound up her packs with swift efficiency, retrieved her swords and Swift's tack, then headed back downstairs, pausing to drop the room key on the bar before she headed back outside.
(Now I just hope she hasn't run off with my horse,) Keleos thought wryly, looking around.
Copyright (c) 1999-2000 Abigail Laughlin and the members of the Circle of Stone.