A boat pulls into the Trollsbane Harbor. As cargo is loaded and unloaded, a figure slips out from the lower deck and strides towards the mainland. He is tall and muscular, though his movements are still swift enough to be for a smaller man. He is dressed in dark trousers and a brown leather shirt with many straps. at his belt he has a single, small knife hardly big enough to even be called a blade, but his aura speaks of many, many uses he has found for it.
The man steps out and looks around.
Arriving
Moderator: Gamemasters
-
Devrah Liioness
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: Bitch exists between keyboard and chair.
- Contact:
Devrah makes her way from the Gray Rose Castle to the harbor, her eyes on the steadily falling sun overhead. Her customary twin blades are nowhere to be seen, but a strong, solid-looking bow and a leather quiver of deadly-looking arrows is strapped to her back. poking out of the top of her left boot there is one small silver dagger-handle, and as a rustle of noise approaches from her left, she ducks down swift as lightening and draws the little dagger out. A low growl follows the rustle, and a strong but hungry-looking wolf advances.
"Bastard. You're going to make me late," she growls in return, her own eyes and voice nearly as fierce as the wolf's as she lowers the dagger again and draws her bow.
"Bastard. You're going to make me late," she growls in return, her own eyes and voice nearly as fierce as the wolf's as she lowers the dagger again and draws her bow.
-
Diarmhid Liioness
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 11:57 pm
The man reflected on his meeting with Kamik Windslasher, self-proclaimed fiance to his own sister, Devrah. Diarmhid Liioness respected the man at first glance, taking in with satisfaction his armor, his fine weapon, and his strong frame, and deciding to himself that Devrah had chosen well. This man would be a strong fighter, would be able to survive, would be able to protect her; would be able to help her in her quest for vengeance. With an almost rueful flick of gaze, Diarmhid noticed Kamik's half-pointed ears.
"My father would have disowned Devrah had he known that she was to wed an elf," he commented darkly.
"Half-Elf," Kamik said, turning to look directly at Diarmhid.
"My father always despised the elven heritage my mother held." he continued.
"Your sister should be here by now," Kamik commented, pointedly.
Diarmhid only gave a small, sarcastic smile and continued, "Devrah thinks our father was a kind and loving man. Children can be so blind sometimes, don't you agree?"
Kamik was quiet for a minute, and then he said, "You are here now and Devrah is happy. Let her keep the image she has of her father."
Something sparked an impulsive anger inside Diarmhid, and he shot back, "Let me decide how to handle my own family."
"I care about Devrah as much as you do. And besides, you and I are family now."
"We'll see," he retorted, suddenly liking this man less.
"I know Devrah better than you do, Diarmhid. She is happier keeping this image."
A fierce anger welled up in Diarmhid's chest now. "You think you know her better? I made her what she is. When she was only a child, I taught her to fight. I taught her anger, I taught her hate. I taught her how to survive, I taught her all she would need to avenge her family some day, in the case that I was unable to finish that job myself."
"I taught her love," Kamik countered evenly.
Diarmhid laughed hollowly, his green eyes, so very like Devrah's own, now smoking with contempt.
"Love. You really believe in that?"
"It is a belief I share with your sister."
"Don't delude yourself," Diarmhid said softly, "More than likely Devrah chose you for your swordarm, as I would have taught her to do."
Irritatingly, the blue-haired man chuckled lightly.
"Devrah was always good at lying to men," Diarmhid said cunningly, "I taught her. I see she has retained the skill well in her dealings with you."
"Perhaps it is not me she lies to," Kamik commented mildly.
"If you hurt her, putting these weak and stupid ideas into her head, I will not hesitate in taking your life. She is *my* sister before she is anything of yours"
...
"My father would have disowned Devrah had he known that she was to wed an elf," he commented darkly.
"Half-Elf," Kamik said, turning to look directly at Diarmhid.
"My father always despised the elven heritage my mother held." he continued.
"Your sister should be here by now," Kamik commented, pointedly.
Diarmhid only gave a small, sarcastic smile and continued, "Devrah thinks our father was a kind and loving man. Children can be so blind sometimes, don't you agree?"
Kamik was quiet for a minute, and then he said, "You are here now and Devrah is happy. Let her keep the image she has of her father."
Something sparked an impulsive anger inside Diarmhid, and he shot back, "Let me decide how to handle my own family."
"I care about Devrah as much as you do. And besides, you and I are family now."
"We'll see," he retorted, suddenly liking this man less.
"I know Devrah better than you do, Diarmhid. She is happier keeping this image."
A fierce anger welled up in Diarmhid's chest now. "You think you know her better? I made her what she is. When she was only a child, I taught her to fight. I taught her anger, I taught her hate. I taught her how to survive, I taught her all she would need to avenge her family some day, in the case that I was unable to finish that job myself."
"I taught her love," Kamik countered evenly.
Diarmhid laughed hollowly, his green eyes, so very like Devrah's own, now smoking with contempt.
"Love. You really believe in that?"
"It is a belief I share with your sister."
"Don't delude yourself," Diarmhid said softly, "More than likely Devrah chose you for your swordarm, as I would have taught her to do."
Irritatingly, the blue-haired man chuckled lightly.
"Devrah was always good at lying to men," Diarmhid said cunningly, "I taught her. I see she has retained the skill well in her dealings with you."
"Perhaps it is not me she lies to," Kamik commented mildly.
"If you hurt her, putting these weak and stupid ideas into her head, I will not hesitate in taking your life. She is *my* sister before she is anything of yours"
...
-
Devrah Liioness
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: Bitch exists between keyboard and chair.
- Contact:
Devrah made her way through the forest, eyes peeled for a familiar dark-haired figure. Kamik's words echoed in her head..
"Tell him you love me."
In the distance, she heard rustling. Her ears pricked, and she put arrow to bowstring with great speed, prepared for another wolf.
Instead, a tall masculine shadow appeared in front of her.
"Impressive, my sister. I see you have indeed learned beyond what I could teach you. The question is, can you fire that arrow?"
His eyes, like a darker reflection of her own, gleamed back at her, and without a thought she loosed the arrow.
Faster than lightening, his arm reached up and Devrah blinked at the arrow grasped firmly in his fist, a good foot in front of his heart.
Diarmhis smiled darkly. "I knew you were going to fire the same as you knew it wasn't going to hit me. So you see, thirteen years hasn't made as strangers as much as one might think."
"Whatever." Devrah lowered the bow, slightly irritated.
"I met your...half-elf."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, I just found it interesting that you neglected to tell me anything about him."
"There wasn't time," Devrah said, irritation now evident in her voice, "As it was, you made me miss my wedding ceremony."
Diarmhid laughed "So you regret finding me alive?"
"I didn't say that," Devrah said, an obviously deliberate off-handedness in her voice.
"I never had a grave made for you. Somehow I thought you must have made it."
Devrah was quiet.
"Father was far too arrogant for his own good. He had time to gather us all and flee, but he didn't. Thought he could face the orcs himself."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
Responding to her question with only a sarcastic smile that was all the more irritating for its likeness to Devrah's own, Diarmhid continued.
"Mother was as submissive as they come. Father could have told her to stand in the doorway and serve the orcs tea, and she would have done it. As it was, he had her keep the three of us children in the kitchen, pretending like nothing was wrong."
"Stop it."
"Mother was as loving as they come, Devrah, but her one downfall was her willingness to please. In the end, she was more eager to please her self-assured husband than to save her own life."
"Shut up, Diarmhid," Devrah's tone was warning now,"It happened; it's over. Nothing you can say will change the fact that we're the only two left."
Diarmhid overrode her easily, something Devrah would not normally allow anyone to do.
"I was twelve. I had some training with daggers, no thanks to our ignorant father, who thought a club was a decent weapon." Diarmhid smirked, "I killed three of them before I decided to get the hell out of there. I saw them kill our father; I wasn't going to hang around and let them do me in too."
Devrah was silent, giving him only a glittering glare that anyone else would have backed down from.
"Then there were only the two of you left, Delilah and Devrah. I never got close to Delilah; she was very much our mother's child. You, though, you were like me. You weren't like either of our parents. You were smart, and you were tough, even at six. Delilah, I knew she was going to die. Believed too much in others' good will. Knowing her, she probably tried to reason with the orcs."
Devrah swallowed hard; that had been exactly what had happened.
"You, though. I knew you'd stay hidden until the very end. I knew you'd make it. And when I returned and found only three bodies, I knew which twin had gotten away."
"So you left us there," Devrah said at last, her voice tight, "You left your mother and your sisters to die."
"Mother and sister," he corrected lightly, "As I said, I knew you would survive."
"You could have helped them," Devrah said, her voice hoarse.
"Ah, so quick to judge. I left, yes. I ran away. What did you do, Devrah? Did you race out from under the table, take up a kitchen blade, and defend your mother? Did you pull your sister under there with you? Or did you keep your hiding place all to yourself, knowing you could only survive alone?"
Devrah was silent. Her eyes glittered.
"As I said, Devrah, you and I have always been more alike than you realize."
"Tell him you love me."
In the distance, she heard rustling. Her ears pricked, and she put arrow to bowstring with great speed, prepared for another wolf.
Instead, a tall masculine shadow appeared in front of her.
"Impressive, my sister. I see you have indeed learned beyond what I could teach you. The question is, can you fire that arrow?"
His eyes, like a darker reflection of her own, gleamed back at her, and without a thought she loosed the arrow.
Faster than lightening, his arm reached up and Devrah blinked at the arrow grasped firmly in his fist, a good foot in front of his heart.
Diarmhis smiled darkly. "I knew you were going to fire the same as you knew it wasn't going to hit me. So you see, thirteen years hasn't made as strangers as much as one might think."
"Whatever." Devrah lowered the bow, slightly irritated.
"I met your...half-elf."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, I just found it interesting that you neglected to tell me anything about him."
"There wasn't time," Devrah said, irritation now evident in her voice, "As it was, you made me miss my wedding ceremony."
Diarmhid laughed "So you regret finding me alive?"
"I didn't say that," Devrah said, an obviously deliberate off-handedness in her voice.
"I never had a grave made for you. Somehow I thought you must have made it."
Devrah was quiet.
"Father was far too arrogant for his own good. He had time to gather us all and flee, but he didn't. Thought he could face the orcs himself."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
Responding to her question with only a sarcastic smile that was all the more irritating for its likeness to Devrah's own, Diarmhid continued.
"Mother was as submissive as they come. Father could have told her to stand in the doorway and serve the orcs tea, and she would have done it. As it was, he had her keep the three of us children in the kitchen, pretending like nothing was wrong."
"Stop it."
"Mother was as loving as they come, Devrah, but her one downfall was her willingness to please. In the end, she was more eager to please her self-assured husband than to save her own life."
"Shut up, Diarmhid," Devrah's tone was warning now,"It happened; it's over. Nothing you can say will change the fact that we're the only two left."
Diarmhid overrode her easily, something Devrah would not normally allow anyone to do.
"I was twelve. I had some training with daggers, no thanks to our ignorant father, who thought a club was a decent weapon." Diarmhid smirked, "I killed three of them before I decided to get the hell out of there. I saw them kill our father; I wasn't going to hang around and let them do me in too."
Devrah was silent, giving him only a glittering glare that anyone else would have backed down from.
"Then there were only the two of you left, Delilah and Devrah. I never got close to Delilah; she was very much our mother's child. You, though, you were like me. You weren't like either of our parents. You were smart, and you were tough, even at six. Delilah, I knew she was going to die. Believed too much in others' good will. Knowing her, she probably tried to reason with the orcs."
Devrah swallowed hard; that had been exactly what had happened.
"You, though. I knew you'd stay hidden until the very end. I knew you'd make it. And when I returned and found only three bodies, I knew which twin had gotten away."
"So you left us there," Devrah said at last, her voice tight, "You left your mother and your sisters to die."
"Mother and sister," he corrected lightly, "As I said, I knew you would survive."
"You could have helped them," Devrah said, her voice hoarse.
"Ah, so quick to judge. I left, yes. I ran away. What did you do, Devrah? Did you race out from under the table, take up a kitchen blade, and defend your mother? Did you pull your sister under there with you? Or did you keep your hiding place all to yourself, knowing you could only survive alone?"
Devrah was silent. Her eyes glittered.
"As I said, Devrah, you and I have always been more alike than you realize."
-
Diarmhid Liioness
- Posts: 19
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 11:57 pm
Diarmhid let his words sink in a minute, taking in the angry look on Devrah's face with satisfacton.
"Anger is what kills men. Remember it's the most prized weapon you have. Now come on, let's see how much you've learned in theirteen years, dear sister."
In less than the blink of an eye, his sword was in his hand, the very one Kamik had given him hours ago.
"You're wrong," Devrah said through gritted teeth, "Anger isn't your weapon. Your it's weapon.". Even as she poke, though, her brother had pressed his form against her, so she had no room to raise the bow that was pinned between them and occupying both her hands.
Diarmhid raised the point of the blade casually to the base of her neck
"Does it really matter who's the weapon and who's the weilder, Devrah?"
He pressed the tip close enough so she could feel the cold metal, but not close enough to cut the flesh.
"Yes."
Devrah released both hands from the bow, reaching one up to the blade. the other disappeared from Diarmhid's sight. They stood now with his blade pressed to her throat, her hand along the flat of the blade, so that her fingertips met her neck at the same place the blade did.
"You see," Devrah said softly, "Anger is blinding. Because of your anger, you don't know where my other hand is."
"It doesn't matter where it is, Devrah. Anger would drive this sword through your neck if I wished."
"Believe me, Diarmhid, it does matter. Why don't you take a look?"
In answer, Diarmhid pressed the blade closer; one drop of blood fell onto the shining silver edge. His eyes bore into her own, seeing a deep glint there that he read at once as fear.
"Don't worry, dear sister. I won't kill you. I will only teach you."
He felt a sharp coldness near his hip that could only be the tip of a tiny, needle-sharp dagger.
"I'm not worried. But you should be. You see, the dagger that your anger has blinded you to is filled to the brim with enough poison to kill ten men."
"You wouldn't kill your own brother," he said carelessly, taking in with amusement the red hairs falling in her eyes, the way a lump in her throat bobbed up and down above the blade, "Don't think you worry me, sister. After all, you still are all that you are only because of me. I know every thought that passes through your mind, every twitch of every muscle in those arms, and every glint in those green eyes. I see all of that in the mirror every day, Devrah."
"Wrong on both counts," Devrah responsed in a whisper, "Firstly, you and I are two separate people. Secondly, there are circumstances under which I would kill you, and anger has nothing to do with anything."
The cold metal was pressed to his skin and he could tell that any additional pressure would cause the skin to break, releasing the poisons into him.
"Now, if you want me to lower my blade, you best lower yours first."
"Lower your blade, Devrah."
"No."
"Lower it now, Devrah." He lowered his voice and stared directly into her eyes.
"Not until you do."
The two pairs of deep green eyes levelled at each other for some moments, before slowly, Diarmhid let his blade drop. A moment, and then Devrah did the same.
"I'm going to find Kamik now. You're welcome to come along." Devrah turned her back and began walking away. Pausing a moment, she looked over her shoulder.
"Oh, and one more thing, Diarmhid."
"..." Diarmhid waited for the rest of her words, his eyes memorizing the curve of her face that was feminine and fierce at the same time, that was his mother's but his sister's at once. Her eyes blazed out of a white face at him, the same deep green that he knew his were.
"You're wrong. I do love Kamik."
She turned and continued walking.
An anger boiled up inside Diarmhid then. After all that the two had survived together, whether or not she knew it to be that way... After every lesson he had taught her, she had let weakness take her over.
"Then I have a lot to teach you still," he growled low in his throat, lunging forward and grabbing the long red braid that trailed behind her, pulling her back to him. "Tell me, what else did you lie to me about, Sister?"
"Let go of me," Devrah's voice was low. Again, Diarmhid sense fear.
"Did you kill the orc?"
"Let me go."
"Devrah. DID YOU KILL THE ORC?" His voice hummed with a quiet anger.
"Let go of me or I will kill you," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"DID YOU DO IT, DEVRAH?" he roared.
"Anger is what kills men. Remember it's the most prized weapon you have. Now come on, let's see how much you've learned in theirteen years, dear sister."
In less than the blink of an eye, his sword was in his hand, the very one Kamik had given him hours ago.
"You're wrong," Devrah said through gritted teeth, "Anger isn't your weapon. Your it's weapon.". Even as she poke, though, her brother had pressed his form against her, so she had no room to raise the bow that was pinned between them and occupying both her hands.
Diarmhid raised the point of the blade casually to the base of her neck
"Does it really matter who's the weapon and who's the weilder, Devrah?"
He pressed the tip close enough so she could feel the cold metal, but not close enough to cut the flesh.
"Yes."
Devrah released both hands from the bow, reaching one up to the blade. the other disappeared from Diarmhid's sight. They stood now with his blade pressed to her throat, her hand along the flat of the blade, so that her fingertips met her neck at the same place the blade did.
"You see," Devrah said softly, "Anger is blinding. Because of your anger, you don't know where my other hand is."
"It doesn't matter where it is, Devrah. Anger would drive this sword through your neck if I wished."
"Believe me, Diarmhid, it does matter. Why don't you take a look?"
In answer, Diarmhid pressed the blade closer; one drop of blood fell onto the shining silver edge. His eyes bore into her own, seeing a deep glint there that he read at once as fear.
"Don't worry, dear sister. I won't kill you. I will only teach you."
He felt a sharp coldness near his hip that could only be the tip of a tiny, needle-sharp dagger.
"I'm not worried. But you should be. You see, the dagger that your anger has blinded you to is filled to the brim with enough poison to kill ten men."
"You wouldn't kill your own brother," he said carelessly, taking in with amusement the red hairs falling in her eyes, the way a lump in her throat bobbed up and down above the blade, "Don't think you worry me, sister. After all, you still are all that you are only because of me. I know every thought that passes through your mind, every twitch of every muscle in those arms, and every glint in those green eyes. I see all of that in the mirror every day, Devrah."
"Wrong on both counts," Devrah responsed in a whisper, "Firstly, you and I are two separate people. Secondly, there are circumstances under which I would kill you, and anger has nothing to do with anything."
The cold metal was pressed to his skin and he could tell that any additional pressure would cause the skin to break, releasing the poisons into him.
"Now, if you want me to lower my blade, you best lower yours first."
"Lower your blade, Devrah."
"No."
"Lower it now, Devrah." He lowered his voice and stared directly into her eyes.
"Not until you do."
The two pairs of deep green eyes levelled at each other for some moments, before slowly, Diarmhid let his blade drop. A moment, and then Devrah did the same.
"I'm going to find Kamik now. You're welcome to come along." Devrah turned her back and began walking away. Pausing a moment, she looked over her shoulder.
"Oh, and one more thing, Diarmhid."
"..." Diarmhid waited for the rest of her words, his eyes memorizing the curve of her face that was feminine and fierce at the same time, that was his mother's but his sister's at once. Her eyes blazed out of a white face at him, the same deep green that he knew his were.
"You're wrong. I do love Kamik."
She turned and continued walking.
An anger boiled up inside Diarmhid then. After all that the two had survived together, whether or not she knew it to be that way... After every lesson he had taught her, she had let weakness take her over.
"Then I have a lot to teach you still," he growled low in his throat, lunging forward and grabbing the long red braid that trailed behind her, pulling her back to him. "Tell me, what else did you lie to me about, Sister?"
"Let go of me," Devrah's voice was low. Again, Diarmhid sense fear.
"Did you kill the orc?"
"Let me go."
"Devrah. DID YOU KILL THE ORC?" His voice hummed with a quiet anger.
"Let go of me or I will kill you," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly.
"DID YOU DO IT, DEVRAH?" he roared.
-
Devrah Liioness
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Tue May 17, 2005 10:00 am
- Location: Bitch exists between keyboard and chair.
- Contact:
Devrah could feel her heart pounding as her hair was gripped tightly behind her head. Behind her, she could feel her brother's muscles tensing as he shouted his question. She could feel the anger humming through his muscles, his blood. And she knew that his anger made him weaker than she.
"No, I didn't, Diarmhid. I broke the cycle. Perhaps--" She twisted around, fast, as best she could with his fist gripping her hair, so that her cheek was pressed against his and her tiny dagger was once again pointed to his stomach. "Perhaps that is something I should teach you how to do."
Their eyes locked again, and Devrah saw in his the very look her own had once possessed. Like a fierce animal. One that knows only the hunt. In that instant, she pitied him, for she knew what it felt like to be him, but then his eyes sparked and there was that look again of a bottomless, incurable hatred. The look that made her heart stop every time. Seconds turned into days, and Devrah froze inside just a moment that felt like a year. What was he going to do?
He released her hair and stepped back a pace, barely allowing time for Devrah to right herself.
"We'll talk again later, sister."
Diarmhid was gone.
Devrah set back towards Kamik, her thoughts racing.
"No, I didn't, Diarmhid. I broke the cycle. Perhaps--" She twisted around, fast, as best she could with his fist gripping her hair, so that her cheek was pressed against his and her tiny dagger was once again pointed to his stomach. "Perhaps that is something I should teach you how to do."
Their eyes locked again, and Devrah saw in his the very look her own had once possessed. Like a fierce animal. One that knows only the hunt. In that instant, she pitied him, for she knew what it felt like to be him, but then his eyes sparked and there was that look again of a bottomless, incurable hatred. The look that made her heart stop every time. Seconds turned into days, and Devrah froze inside just a moment that felt like a year. What was he going to do?
He released her hair and stepped back a pace, barely allowing time for Devrah to right herself.
"We'll talk again later, sister."
Diarmhid was gone.
Devrah set back towards Kamik, her thoughts racing.