One
The cavern was completely silent that night. The lake was dimmed, though not completely darkened, illuminating the buildings and hewn stone walls veined with tunnels with a ghostly pallid light. Fresh air wafted down from the surface above with a breeze so slight, one had to stand perfectly still for several minutes to even notice it. Lamps flickered on in windows all across the vast subterranean city as the lake's light diminished all the more. One by one, they appeared, each a different colour than the last. Veovis took no note of them. He was too busy staring at the backs of his tense, pale hands as they gripped fiercely at the railing of one of K'Veer's balconies.
His pale hair shimmered in what little light there was, the light and shadow playing slightly as his body quaked with rage. His pale eyes were icy and as hard as well-processed nara, and his jaw was clenched tightly with his mouth in a firm line. The folds of his Guild cloak hung limply from his broad shoulders as he stared downward at his hands, watching as the knuckles became whiter and whiter as more strain was added to them.
Why had Aitrus done that? Why! He'd very nearly defiled the Korfah V'jah, Veovis' crowning moment, by bringing that heathen of an ahrotahn along with him! That one they call Ah-nah. The young lord could think of no greater insult in that moment than what Aitrus had done, whether he'd meant anything by it or not. It made little difference. Anna was not D'ni, nor would she ever be! Never in the history of D'ni had ahrotantee been allowed to journey to the other Ages quite so freely as what could have happened. Anna coming to the Great Cavern was one thing--she was at least of the same world. But, going to an Age such as Ader Jamat on a whim when she hadn't been invited..
No, Aitrus had brought her. She'd come willingly, though. He'd been confused about the invitation, he'd said. She'd come willingly.to go see the Age.
Veovis pushed himself forcibly away from the railing and began to pace incessantly, his hands behind his back as his cloak billowed heavily on the breeze he created. His boots clomped on the stones of the balcony yet did not echo as he glowered darkly at his feet. His thoughts were cluttered and troubled, and his anger was reaching dangerous levels. He had thought him and Aitrus to be friends. True, they had not always gotten along, but they'd worked at it these past several years, making amends for childish wrong-doings and turning apprentice rivalry into dear friendship. But, could he let this transgression slide? Had it been a misunderstanding? Certainly, nothing had happened to give Aitrus cause to insult him so!
The young lord paused, then, turning his head off to the side with a quizzical blinking. He was staring at the city, but he didn't see it. As a matter of fact, he was staring right in the general direction of Aitrus' home, but he wasn't even thinking of that. He was trying to work out Aitrus' reasonings for bringing Anna to the Korfah V'jah. The thoughts of insult became less and less viable the more he pondered over them. Anna may have been a heathen, but she was at least an intelligent heathen. She could speak D'ni relatively well.though, she had an intriguing accent to accompany it.
However, intelligence was a thing to be feared as well as praised. Anna had a head on her shoulders and apparently knew how to use it. The longer she stayed here in D'ni, the more she learned of the place, the people, the culture--everything they were. If that sort of knowledge were to somehow escape the safe haven of the cavern.. For the sake of safety, Anna could not be allowed to learn any more than she already had.
But how much did she already know?
She could speak. She could understand. And, if she knew how to read properly enough, the possibility of her being able to Write wasn't too far a cry. That wasn't everything, either. Aitrus trusted her. His entire family held a certain fondness for her, apparently, which only made things all the more complex. It was almost like she was an ahrotahn that was meant to be born D'ni and Yahvo had somehow overlooked the matter.if such a thing was feasible, that is.
A friend of a friend.and she was only one. Alone. Even if she did leave, who above would believe her? A woman! They would think her mad to speak of immense subterranean cities let alone an entire civilisation living there. The more he thought it over, the more he calmed.
Veovis looked from the city back to the stone beneath his feet and let out a slow, resolved sigh. Perhaps he was being too hasty with it all. Perhaps Anna wasn't as much of a threat as he'd made her out to be.as different from the rest of them as she was. The peoples of the other Ages could be allies, so why shouldn't someone from the same world be as well? After a long pause, he nodded a single time to himself and strode back into the island mansion.
In his heart still reigned such prejudices as any D'ni held for one not like them, but his mind, like that of his friend Aitrus, was slowly opening up to new ideas and welcoming that feared word: change.
The cavern was completely silent that night. The lake was dimmed, though not completely darkened, illuminating the buildings and hewn stone walls veined with tunnels with a ghostly pallid light. Fresh air wafted down from the surface above with a breeze so slight, one had to stand perfectly still for several minutes to even notice it. Lamps flickered on in windows all across the vast subterranean city as the lake's light diminished all the more. One by one, they appeared, each a different colour than the last. Veovis took no note of them. He was too busy staring at the backs of his tense, pale hands as they gripped fiercely at the railing of one of K'Veer's balconies.
His pale hair shimmered in what little light there was, the light and shadow playing slightly as his body quaked with rage. His pale eyes were icy and as hard as well-processed nara, and his jaw was clenched tightly with his mouth in a firm line. The folds of his Guild cloak hung limply from his broad shoulders as he stared downward at his hands, watching as the knuckles became whiter and whiter as more strain was added to them.
Why had Aitrus done that? Why! He'd very nearly defiled the Korfah V'jah, Veovis' crowning moment, by bringing that heathen of an ahrotahn along with him! That one they call Ah-nah. The young lord could think of no greater insult in that moment than what Aitrus had done, whether he'd meant anything by it or not. It made little difference. Anna was not D'ni, nor would she ever be! Never in the history of D'ni had ahrotantee been allowed to journey to the other Ages quite so freely as what could have happened. Anna coming to the Great Cavern was one thing--she was at least of the same world. But, going to an Age such as Ader Jamat on a whim when she hadn't been invited..
No, Aitrus had brought her. She'd come willingly, though. He'd been confused about the invitation, he'd said. She'd come willingly.to go see the Age.
Veovis pushed himself forcibly away from the railing and began to pace incessantly, his hands behind his back as his cloak billowed heavily on the breeze he created. His boots clomped on the stones of the balcony yet did not echo as he glowered darkly at his feet. His thoughts were cluttered and troubled, and his anger was reaching dangerous levels. He had thought him and Aitrus to be friends. True, they had not always gotten along, but they'd worked at it these past several years, making amends for childish wrong-doings and turning apprentice rivalry into dear friendship. But, could he let this transgression slide? Had it been a misunderstanding? Certainly, nothing had happened to give Aitrus cause to insult him so!
The young lord paused, then, turning his head off to the side with a quizzical blinking. He was staring at the city, but he didn't see it. As a matter of fact, he was staring right in the general direction of Aitrus' home, but he wasn't even thinking of that. He was trying to work out Aitrus' reasonings for bringing Anna to the Korfah V'jah. The thoughts of insult became less and less viable the more he pondered over them. Anna may have been a heathen, but she was at least an intelligent heathen. She could speak D'ni relatively well.though, she had an intriguing accent to accompany it.
However, intelligence was a thing to be feared as well as praised. Anna had a head on her shoulders and apparently knew how to use it. The longer she stayed here in D'ni, the more she learned of the place, the people, the culture--everything they were. If that sort of knowledge were to somehow escape the safe haven of the cavern.. For the sake of safety, Anna could not be allowed to learn any more than she already had.
But how much did she already know?
She could speak. She could understand. And, if she knew how to read properly enough, the possibility of her being able to Write wasn't too far a cry. That wasn't everything, either. Aitrus trusted her. His entire family held a certain fondness for her, apparently, which only made things all the more complex. It was almost like she was an ahrotahn that was meant to be born D'ni and Yahvo had somehow overlooked the matter.if such a thing was feasible, that is.
A friend of a friend.and she was only one. Alone. Even if she did leave, who above would believe her? A woman! They would think her mad to speak of immense subterranean cities let alone an entire civilisation living there. The more he thought it over, the more he calmed.
Veovis looked from the city back to the stone beneath his feet and let out a slow, resolved sigh. Perhaps he was being too hasty with it all. Perhaps Anna wasn't as much of a threat as he'd made her out to be.as different from the rest of them as she was. The peoples of the other Ages could be allies, so why shouldn't someone from the same world be as well? After a long pause, he nodded a single time to himself and strode back into the island mansion.
In his heart still reigned such prejudices as any D'ni held for one not like them, but his mind, like that of his friend Aitrus, was slowly opening up to new ideas and welcoming that feared word: change.