AU- okay, ya got me. I've been ignoring Bea and Malcolm! Here's a little `peek' at what's going on for them, but not too much! I meant what I said when I told you they were getting their own side story!
***
Chapter Twelve: In Which We Learn a Nasty Little Secret
Theme Music: Rainmaker by Matchbox 20
***
Cain dangled his black and red pendant from lazy fingertips, he tried to reach through the control gem to Cristobal's mind.... nothing.
A flicker of what might have been annoyance flickered across his in the form of a slight tightening around his stormy eyes and a minute downwards flick of his elegantly winged eyebrows... whatever it was, it was smoothed out too quickly to be positively identified.
The last images conveyed to him had been as Cristobal had leapt out of the foliage at the woman, dagger drawn and at the ready... a second more and that slender white column of her throat would have been opened wide in a ragged red grin.
Cain returned the pendant to it's rightful place around his neck. For a few moments he sat in silence, drumming his slender fingers against the solid wood of the chair he occupied. The necklace should have continued to influence Cristobal's thoughts even after it had been removed. Some how, the spell binding the mercenary's mind to Cain's will had been shattered.
How had the little witch managed to know exactly where to shoot?
Better yet, how did she know the proper way to channel her will through those arrows and break the glamourie? Even Underground, that wasn't a commonly practiced skill.
As far as Cain knew, or anyone else in the Underground, the woman was from the Aboveground; the Null Zone, the Younglands yet unblessed by Danaa. There was no logical answer as to why she could know magic... unless...
Cain's eyes widened in disbelief. NO! It couldn't be, not another one!
***
"You saved both of us." Cristobal repeated. "it seems I owe you my life."
Sarah blinked in confusion at the strange man sitting across from her as she handed him her water flask. The man took it a took several slow, cautious sips... as if he hadn't had the chance to take a drink for a while and was afraid of making himself sick... then again, he probably hadn't.
At first glance, she'd taken him for a slightly older human man... but now that they were out of the shade of the dense canopy and into the clear twilight sun of the clearing Gawain had chosen for a campsite... she wasn't so sure.
He was young, that was obvious. His clear, pale white skin was stretched tightly over his strange features, which were an odd combination of sharpness here and blocky there. He was the impression of one who had long since acquired the wrinkles that went with venerable age, appearances seemed to be deceiving. His long, straight black hair was slicked back into a high ponytail that dangled down to his mid shoulder blades.
When Cristobal stood, he was about an inch and a half shorter than Sarah, who was by no means a tall woman. His build was slight, but powerful. Beneath the simple linen shirt he wore, Sarah saw powerful muscles ripple and move beneath his skin. If it hadn't been for those muscles, he might have had a willowy grace to him, but instead he seemed to have a quiet strength hidden within his supple body.
The only clues that he was something other than human was the streak of metallic silver in his hair that started at his roots and traveled cleanly to the end of his pony tail, as well as the strange... experienced quality to his eyes. The onyx orbs had a ancient quality about them, when Sarah looked into his eyes she could feel the weight of centuries pressing down on her. The last clue was his long pointed ears. Where Eittene had demure little points of the tips of his ears, plebeian enough that they might be mistaken for human ears, Cristobal's ears were grand proclamations of his heritage.
He dressed more sensibly than most of the people she'd met so far, with perhaps the exception of Eittene. He wore, as stated before, a simple linen shirt was laced halfway up the front with sleeves that reached to about his mid forearm. Twin short swords were sheathed on his back and held securely in place by the bandoleers that formed a leather X across his chest. His dark brown breeches seemed to have padding sewn across the front of his thighs, Sarah assumed it was a sort of armor, and were tucked into heavy black boots that also seemed to have the hidden armor over his toes and at the back of his heels. He wore a belt not unlike Sarah's, in that it was covered by a multitude of pouches and pockets, the only difference was the stout crossbow that hung from holster that alternately was strapped to his thigh.
"What do you mean, you owe me your life?" Sarah stammered, then out of the blue. "Are you a Drow?"
Cristobal blinked for a moment and then broke out into a low, rumbly chuckle. "Yes, m'lady. Half of me is, anyway. The other half is dwarf." He explained in an indulgent, almost paternal manner... well! If she hadn't been convinced of his superior age before now...
"What I meant, when I said I owed you my life," He continued in much the same tone. "is that I must return the favor some time... but for right now, I need to go kill someone." He made a small bow and set the borrowed canteen on the ground beside him before turning and making his way into the forest.
"Wait!"
Cristobal hesitated. "Yes?"
"Are you going after Cain?" Sarah pressed.
Cristobal nodded once, short, eloquent.
"Then stab him once for me." she told him with feeling. "For interrupting my bath!"
Cristobal guffawed. "I think you've already repaid him handsomely. Last time I saw hime, his nose was so swelled up he could barely talk properly." He assured her.
Sarah made a face. "That was for trying to kill me."
Cristobal chuckled again. "Of course. As you wish it, it doesn't begin to pay my debt but I shall... enjoy it."
The dwarven drow disappeared into the surrounding forest just as Gawain and Eittene appeared fresh from their impromptu bath. Or rather Gawain strode into the clearing with a squirming, curse spewing elf cast over his shoulder and an unholy grin on his ruggedly handsome face.
Sarah noted, with a.. maternal sentiment, that they were both soaked to the skin. She quickly drew some of the spare blankets out of the various packs and went about fussing over the two of them, attempting to get them dry.
Somewhere along the line she made the unconscious decision to keep the whole incident involving Cristobal to herself. Especially once she realized that she never had gotten a chance to complete her original quest.
Damn.
***
About a league or so away in Thornesbury a woman was leaned gracefully over an unnaturally calm pool of water. Before her, in the depths of the water the scene played out much like a movie.
She smiled indulgently as Sarah fussed over her traveling companions.
A man emerged from the general darkness cloaking the room from casual scrutiny, only the ethereal light from the scrying pool gave any illumination.
"Are things evolving properly, Rose?"
Rose nodded, her shiny blonde curls bounced with the motion. "Indeed they are, love." Rosebud's fingertips hovered just over the surface of the water, as if Rose was caressing Sarah's face.
"He'll make a fine match for him." The man said suddenly, startling Rosebud so that her fingers touched the surface of the water and the ripples erased the picture from the water.
If she was annoyed with this, she didn't show it. Instead she leaned back into his embrace. "Yes she will be." She agreed. "It will be a relief to share the job with another, finally. I do so look forward to being with our son again." She sighed, this time with a touch of bitterness. "all these years... now that the end is in sight, I'm only just now beginning to understand the hardships involved."
"That hard part has only just begun." The man cautioned her and gave her a bracing hug. "But you're right. The end is in sight. Let us hope for the best."
***
End Chapter Twelve
***
AU- do you hear that? That is the sound of a plot thickening!
***
Chapter Twelve: In Which We Learn a Nasty Little Secret
Theme Music: Rainmaker by Matchbox 20
***
Cain dangled his black and red pendant from lazy fingertips, he tried to reach through the control gem to Cristobal's mind.... nothing.
A flicker of what might have been annoyance flickered across his in the form of a slight tightening around his stormy eyes and a minute downwards flick of his elegantly winged eyebrows... whatever it was, it was smoothed out too quickly to be positively identified.
The last images conveyed to him had been as Cristobal had leapt out of the foliage at the woman, dagger drawn and at the ready... a second more and that slender white column of her throat would have been opened wide in a ragged red grin.
Cain returned the pendant to it's rightful place around his neck. For a few moments he sat in silence, drumming his slender fingers against the solid wood of the chair he occupied. The necklace should have continued to influence Cristobal's thoughts even after it had been removed. Some how, the spell binding the mercenary's mind to Cain's will had been shattered.
How had the little witch managed to know exactly where to shoot?
Better yet, how did she know the proper way to channel her will through those arrows and break the glamourie? Even Underground, that wasn't a commonly practiced skill.
As far as Cain knew, or anyone else in the Underground, the woman was from the Aboveground; the Null Zone, the Younglands yet unblessed by Danaa. There was no logical answer as to why she could know magic... unless...
Cain's eyes widened in disbelief. NO! It couldn't be, not another one!
***
"You saved both of us." Cristobal repeated. "it seems I owe you my life."
Sarah blinked in confusion at the strange man sitting across from her as she handed him her water flask. The man took it a took several slow, cautious sips... as if he hadn't had the chance to take a drink for a while and was afraid of making himself sick... then again, he probably hadn't.
At first glance, she'd taken him for a slightly older human man... but now that they were out of the shade of the dense canopy and into the clear twilight sun of the clearing Gawain had chosen for a campsite... she wasn't so sure.
He was young, that was obvious. His clear, pale white skin was stretched tightly over his strange features, which were an odd combination of sharpness here and blocky there. He was the impression of one who had long since acquired the wrinkles that went with venerable age, appearances seemed to be deceiving. His long, straight black hair was slicked back into a high ponytail that dangled down to his mid shoulder blades.
When Cristobal stood, he was about an inch and a half shorter than Sarah, who was by no means a tall woman. His build was slight, but powerful. Beneath the simple linen shirt he wore, Sarah saw powerful muscles ripple and move beneath his skin. If it hadn't been for those muscles, he might have had a willowy grace to him, but instead he seemed to have a quiet strength hidden within his supple body.
The only clues that he was something other than human was the streak of metallic silver in his hair that started at his roots and traveled cleanly to the end of his pony tail, as well as the strange... experienced quality to his eyes. The onyx orbs had a ancient quality about them, when Sarah looked into his eyes she could feel the weight of centuries pressing down on her. The last clue was his long pointed ears. Where Eittene had demure little points of the tips of his ears, plebeian enough that they might be mistaken for human ears, Cristobal's ears were grand proclamations of his heritage.
He dressed more sensibly than most of the people she'd met so far, with perhaps the exception of Eittene. He wore, as stated before, a simple linen shirt was laced halfway up the front with sleeves that reached to about his mid forearm. Twin short swords were sheathed on his back and held securely in place by the bandoleers that formed a leather X across his chest. His dark brown breeches seemed to have padding sewn across the front of his thighs, Sarah assumed it was a sort of armor, and were tucked into heavy black boots that also seemed to have the hidden armor over his toes and at the back of his heels. He wore a belt not unlike Sarah's, in that it was covered by a multitude of pouches and pockets, the only difference was the stout crossbow that hung from holster that alternately was strapped to his thigh.
"What do you mean, you owe me your life?" Sarah stammered, then out of the blue. "Are you a Drow?"
Cristobal blinked for a moment and then broke out into a low, rumbly chuckle. "Yes, m'lady. Half of me is, anyway. The other half is dwarf." He explained in an indulgent, almost paternal manner... well! If she hadn't been convinced of his superior age before now...
"What I meant, when I said I owed you my life," He continued in much the same tone. "is that I must return the favor some time... but for right now, I need to go kill someone." He made a small bow and set the borrowed canteen on the ground beside him before turning and making his way into the forest.
"Wait!"
Cristobal hesitated. "Yes?"
"Are you going after Cain?" Sarah pressed.
Cristobal nodded once, short, eloquent.
"Then stab him once for me." she told him with feeling. "For interrupting my bath!"
Cristobal guffawed. "I think you've already repaid him handsomely. Last time I saw hime, his nose was so swelled up he could barely talk properly." He assured her.
Sarah made a face. "That was for trying to kill me."
Cristobal chuckled again. "Of course. As you wish it, it doesn't begin to pay my debt but I shall... enjoy it."
The dwarven drow disappeared into the surrounding forest just as Gawain and Eittene appeared fresh from their impromptu bath. Or rather Gawain strode into the clearing with a squirming, curse spewing elf cast over his shoulder and an unholy grin on his ruggedly handsome face.
Sarah noted, with a.. maternal sentiment, that they were both soaked to the skin. She quickly drew some of the spare blankets out of the various packs and went about fussing over the two of them, attempting to get them dry.
Somewhere along the line she made the unconscious decision to keep the whole incident involving Cristobal to herself. Especially once she realized that she never had gotten a chance to complete her original quest.
Damn.
***
About a league or so away in Thornesbury a woman was leaned gracefully over an unnaturally calm pool of water. Before her, in the depths of the water the scene played out much like a movie.
She smiled indulgently as Sarah fussed over her traveling companions.
A man emerged from the general darkness cloaking the room from casual scrutiny, only the ethereal light from the scrying pool gave any illumination.
"Are things evolving properly, Rose?"
Rose nodded, her shiny blonde curls bounced with the motion. "Indeed they are, love." Rosebud's fingertips hovered just over the surface of the water, as if Rose was caressing Sarah's face.
"He'll make a fine match for him." The man said suddenly, startling Rosebud so that her fingers touched the surface of the water and the ripples erased the picture from the water.
If she was annoyed with this, she didn't show it. Instead she leaned back into his embrace. "Yes she will be." She agreed. "It will be a relief to share the job with another, finally. I do so look forward to being with our son again." She sighed, this time with a touch of bitterness. "all these years... now that the end is in sight, I'm only just now beginning to understand the hardships involved."
"That hard part has only just begun." The man cautioned her and gave her a bracing hug. "But you're right. The end is in sight. Let us hope for the best."
***
End Chapter Twelve
***
AU- do you hear that? That is the sound of a plot thickening!
