From: Jhez Salin (Jhez_at_wanadoo.dk)
Date: Thu Jan 29 2004 - 05:37:27 GMT
During the night...
"Mama.. Wake up mama." A soft voice accompanied a gentle nudge that
lulled Serena awake. Her eyes fluttered open, though slowly as if drugged.
Her room was swimming in haze. Her body felt weighted and numb. Struggling
to sit up she focused on the voice: a girl child dressed in white. No one
that she knew.
"Mama the babies need you. C'mon mama. Get up!" The girl tugged at her
hand, pulling her with her off the bed to stumble along down a
sensationless hallway. It was all so familiar, but Serena couldn't place
it. Couldn't make sense of her own jumbled thoughts. The girl led her to a
nursery filled with children's bed and delicate cribs and five little
children sitting on a rug in a circle. Their faces, too, were unfamiliar,
unhappy, accusing. Even the cooing toddler glared at her with hate filled
grey eyes.
Serena put her hands to her head, which was beginning to throb. "Where
am I? Who are you?"she moaned as the pain began to increase. Her heart, a
whispery mummer in her chest began to beat a little faster, matching the
tempo in her head.
"Don't be silly, mama. You know us. This is one of your games, isn't it?
One of your hiding games? Are you hiding from us?" The girl laughed,
sweeping reddish curls over her shoulder with a delicate hand. "We'll find
you mama."
"I'm not your mother! I'm nobody's mother!" Serena whimpered as she
rubbed at her temples.
"But you are! And we'll find you. You can't hide from us forever. We'll
find you and they'll know." The girl mocked, her hand yanking Serena's hand
away from her head with a suddenly body hand that was unnaturally strong.
The others chorused her words, taunting her. The room swam with their
voices.
"Look at us, mother. Look at us. Tell us you love us, mommy. Tell us
you'll take care of us. Tell us! Tell us!" The girl shouted, yanking her
arm as if to wrench it from it's socket. "Tell us you love us mommy! And
come take care of us! C'mon mother! C'mon."
One of the boys took her other arm and yanked her forward, dragging her
with the help of his sibling towards a large chair in the corner. They
shoved her into it's plush cushions. She was far too weak to struggle up
again on her own, even when they brough a cup and placed it to her mouth.
"Drink, mama. Drink. We need you, mama. We need you to be with us."
"We love you mother. Love us! Love us!"
"Drink it mama so you can be with us!"
"Just stop! No!" Siri yelled, feebly pushing against their steely little
arms as they pushed the lip of the cup into her mouth. The liquid within
burned as if it were acid, burning through her mouth and down her throat.
She screamed as best she could as the liquid burned through her, killing
her slowly from the inside out.
"Drink it all, mother. You've done it before! Mistletoe.. hemlock..
nightshade.. belladonna.. foxglove.. mint.. mugwort.. lily.."
"No," Serena screamed. "No! I do love you! I died for you! I did, I
died! I died with you, please!"
"Come back to us, mother. Come back-"
"Oh no you DON'T!" Large hands siezed her up from the chair, shaking her
like a doll before meeting her face to face. Grey eyes glaring into a
fading storm blue. "You are MINE!"
Siri bolted straight upright in bed. She was bathed in sweat, bile
inched into the back of her throat. Her heart thundered in her ears and
chest and ached as it always did after these dreams. The tiny woman wrapped
her arms around her chest with a sob, trying not to gag at the residual
prints the dreams left on her skin.
Illyana lightfooted and lighthearted dances up the stairs. Outside the
door to the room, she stops, listening. Siri is yelling "Just stop! No!",
her voice in pain. Someone is in there, torturing her!!! Illyana draws her
swords and throws herself at the door, assuming the worst. "Unhand her, you
scoundrel!" she cries, ready to face whatever enemy is within the chamber.
But all she sees is Siri, sitting upright in one of the beds. "Siri? Are
you alright?" She notices the sweatsoaked bedclothes and Siri's vulnerable
states. Scanning the room to ensure that no-one actually is in there, she
places her swords near the side of the bed and sits down, tentatively
reaching out to embrace the older girl. "Now... it was just a dream, you
hear... just a dream. He cannot reach you here."
Siri wraps her arms around the younger girl and sighed. "I know,
Illyana, I know. It's just old shadows coming back to haunt me, that's all.
Nothing terribly important." Just guilt, she thought. " What's-"
"Why are you glowing?" Siri took her by the shoulders and looked her
over closely. "What have you been doing, consuming mass quantities of raw
sugar?" She narrowed her eyes slightly, one eye brow arched almost comicly.
"Or should I just not ask?"
"Ehm... not if you don't want to hear the answer." Illyana smiles
broadly. "We... ehm... Astran and I was outside. He... he is.... Oh, I
can't tell you!" She blushes and hides her face in the covers for a few
seconds. "He is so stubborn!!!"
Siri ran her fingers through her curls, raking them out of her face.
"Men are stubborn, wild flower. It's how their species survives. If they
can't conk it on the head with a club and toss it over their shoulder they
dazzle you wit bullshit, roll you in sugary words and run off with you
before you come to your senses."
"Or for all fairness in Astran's case, clutch his chastity belt and sing
hymns to the Passions." She chuckled. "Tell me. Just skip any lurid scenes
please. I've got to make sure that this little wizard is right for you."
"He... I should not tell you this..." Illyanas eyes darken. "I really
should not. But then, in so many ways I should. He treated me like a real
gentleman. Every time I tried to get close, he held back. If it wasn't
because he has really good reasons, I would be ... well, I would be feeling
that I had been a terrible slut. And a part of me still feels that way. I
just wanted to... well, get naked and make love, I guess." She blushes. Big
time.
Siri blinks at Illyana. "Sweetheart.. You act like there's something
wrong with that. There isn't. You know that right?" She patted Illyana's
hand. "Being chaste and altruistic are virtues, yes. But you can't hold on
to them forever. Just make sure that you're with your heart's desire. And
that you feel ready and right. And have a good time."
"Half the population of Barsaive are popping out babies by your age and
most of them aren't married. Your mother may kill me for saying that, but
it's the truth. Use your common sense and your heart. And if they tell you
that ravaging a beardless wizard is not only what you want but who you want
and what is right then go to it."Siri sighed, tapping a finger to her
temple. "Know what you want, know it's worth then do it. You can always pay
the consequences. You can always find a way to cover the price if you
decide not to count the cost. It's trivial if it brings you joy."
"My mother is dead... she will not hurt anyone. Never did." Illyana
pauses for a few seconds, her voice strained a bit. Then she goes on.
"But.. well... he... he sort of seems to think of me as some kind of
porcelain figurine, much too fine to do anything but be admired!" She is
getting a bit upset. "I'm not going to break... but he is afraid, I think.
Afraid that he'll hurt me. But I'm not a little girl!" she protests, and
while protesting, looks exactly like a little girl, pouty lips and all.
"Maybe it's not you he's frightened of, maybe it's himself. if that's
the case be his muse. Inspire him to build you in the image you desire and
watch the art unfold in his hands." She curled back up under her blanket,
watching Illyana with dark eyes. "Either that or you'll just have to take
him, break him and make him say 'yes ma'am'." Siri burst out laughing at
that.
"It's not that... I think. It's...Well... he hears this voice. Has since
that spell he was casting raw. I feel so awful about it. It is my fault
that he... that he is horrortainted. And all I want to do is to hit
T'sunami whenever he tries to put Astran down for it, but he is right. At
least in a way." Illyana is close to tears. "And a part of me - a very
small part, usually - is afraid, too. Afraid of what is inside of him. That
he might... sort of not be him."
Siri was quiet for a moment, studying Illyana with an unflinching
stare.When she did speak it was very quietly. "Don't tell anyone else that
for his safety. Especially not the t'skrang. We'll find a way to fix him.
Which means we're probably going back into Parlainth to kill his
tormentor." She sighed.
"And be strong for him. If you love him you owe him your strength right
now. Be his sword and shield against his doubt and his support when he
needs it. Sex is probably not a good idea for either of you. Stick to proes
or holding hands. Your belief in him is worth more then a hundred beddings
at this point. There's time for that later any ways."
"I know... " Illyana pouts again. "I know..." She slips out of her
clothes, throwing them casually over her backpack. Then she slips under the
coverlet. "In the meantime.... you tell me about that dream of yours!" She
snuggles up to Siri, warm like a puppy and persistent like a bloodhound.
"I'll chase it away - but you better talk about it before we try to sleep.
Elsehow you'll end up waking Kestrel, Selwyn and Lyra. Though... Lyra seems
a sound sleeper. Selwyn is probably too tired to wake - so it is mainly
Kestrel. That is... if she isn't already awake..."
Siri shrugged off the oddity and uncomfortable notion of sharing her bed
by biting her lower lip. She wasn't quite comfortable with physical
closeness, never had been, never would be. Illyana was her friend and she
welcomed the idea of being comforted. But she was still taken aback and put
on edge by the motion.
Talking. Not that it'd make her feel any better, but at least she'd have
a reason to feel on edge. "I don't think you'd really like my dreams
Illyana. They're not exactly bed time stories, but I'll explain a bit if
you want. Because you.." She paused, staring at the wall at the far side of
the room as if it held the words she were looking for.
"You couldn't understand. I wouldn't. And I still have troubles
accepting some things. Like what people do when they love someone. And the
things they just can't manage to do because it's it hurt too much." Siri
picked at the edge of her blanket, unravelling a long thread as tears
welled up in her eyes.
"I loved a lot and I died for that love. I took it away before it was
hurt too. And sometimes I think it was such the wrong thing to do to betray
natural instincts. Lesser evils. Things like that." She grew silent for a
moment. "I think I'm done talking about this tonight Illyana. I'd rather
think of happier things."
Illyana strokes Siris hair silently. She honors Siris wish to be quiet
now and try to help her fall asleep again. The slight redhaired girl with
the tough attitude has not slept much last night, if at all. "So, now...
just go to sleep. I'm staying here. Sleep..." she whispers in a low,
caressing voice. And eventually the two girls fall asleep. Both exhausted,
but for much too different reasons to explain. A single tear drops from one
of Illyanas eyes just before she falls asleep. She would not be able to put
the reasons into words, but something about love and the heartache it
causes...
*** Yes, this happens before Dougs latest post, but we did not get it sent
out fast enough ***
On 29. januar 2004 06:18, Doug [SMTP:gryphon4101_at_comcast.net] wrote:
> After taking the time to relax and get things in order, you all finally
find your place to rest and get a good night's sleep. A few of you are a
little more restless than others, but still the night welcomes you and you
get the sleep you feel you have not had in ages.
>
> In the morning as you head into the common area, there is a finely
dressed pair of elves who seem to be awaiting your entrance to the common
area. They are well equipped with longbows and halberds, and wearing fine
chainmail armor and linens. One of them speaks out to you, "Ah.m'lords and
ladies. You must all be the group who had faired into the Twists just these
past couple days.
>
> "Gentle Name-givers. If you will, but for a moment, lend me your ears.
Lord Remiel, acting Head of the Circle Path Company, wants.nay, needs the
services of your stalwart band. Our lord is in this establishment now and
we can take you to him so you may hear his plea. What say you? Will you but
listen to his request?"
>
> With that, he gives a questioning look, waiting for an answer from
someone in the group.
>
> <Moves Please>
>
> <Sorry for the short and abrupt post. I will take care to try and do some
follow up posts to lead things along. I just wanted to get things going
since I've delayed everyone long enough already. Please be patient. Still
getting things settled. >
>
> << File: ATT00001.html >>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.7 : Thu Jan 29 2004 - 05:36:26 GMT