Disclaimer: *gasp* I am actually changing it! The old new one bored me so now I'm changing it again … essentially I own nothing (minus anything unfamiliar) that has to do with Valdemar… no suing I have no money!
A/N Right wow, yet another chap to start, but this time I'll start with Cye though.
Azori had to be the single most irritating person I knew. I was quite convinced of that. She goes and gets captured, but instead of being happy to be back or glad that she was rescued she assumes we all now hate her. As if Savannah would ever even mildly dislike her! I felt like throwing something.
Instead I went and got food for her. I returned slowly, trying the whole way to regain a hold of my temper. Yelling at Azi right now could only make things worse. It couldn't have been easy for her back with Malken. I didn't even want to consider what had happened to her there.
I had almost succeeded in cooling off when I saw Azori sitting there, exactly as I had left her. The only difference was that Savannah was there frantically trying to ascertain whether she was okay.
:Cye, she isn't responding to me,: Savannah appealed to me woefully.
:The way she responded to me indicates that you're lucky for it,: I replied nastily. I immediately felt sorry for the heartless comment but I was already at their side so I didn't rectify it.
"Here's the food you asked for Azi," I said as I handed it to her.
She studied it suspiciously for a minute, "This is for me?"
"Yes," I said feeling exasperated.
"Thank you," she said with feeling, "Thank you very much Cye."
"Haven't they been feeding you?" I asked rhetorically as she ate.
She didn't respond for a minute but then she sort of shook her head and answered, "When it was convenient sure, I mean I got enough to survive and all … let's talk about something else?"
"Why don't you just eat first Azi, and talk to Savannah some."
"I don't want to use mind-speech right now Cymon, if she wants to relay through you fine, but I …" she cut off in the middle of her sentence and placed her full attention on the food.
I let it slip. I could well imagine why she might want to be alone in her mind for a while.
:Will you do that Cymon?:
:For you Sav? Anything,: I said gallantly.
To my surprise my silly comment elicited an apology, :I'm sorry I hurt you Cymon, I'll make it right, I promise.:
:It's fine,: I responded quickly, I didn't care to think about my jealousy when the object of it was in such pitiful shape as she currently was.
When the plate was empty Azori stared at it for a long moment before setting it down.
"Remember how you said you couldn't get me to adept level?" Azori said thoughtfully.
"Yes," I replied with no small amount of trepidation.
"You don't have to worry about it anymore."
"What?"
"Malken took care of it, he's an adept and he made me become one too."
"Who is this Malken you keep talking about?"
"He is the son of the man who originally held that estate. He heads the alliance between the slavers and by some miracle he isn't a blood path mage."
"Oh," I said.
:There's something else there,: Savannah told me.
"Savannah wants to know if there's anything else?"
Azori hesitated a minute before responding, "When we were little he was nice to me, and his father wanted us to get married someday …" she trailed off and then blurted, "he wanted to honor his father's wishes."
"Okay, you don't have to tell me about this if you don't want to Azori, I can leave and you and Savannah can talk, whatever you want to do."
"Since when has that mattered to anyone?"
"What? Azori …"
"It doesn't matter what I want, as long as I'm useful."
"No that …"
"It is true. You only came after me because I was useful; he only kept me because I was useful. I don't mind, but it drives me crazy that you won't admit it. You don't have to pretend you like me, or care about me, but could you at least admit it?"
"Azori … are you okay?"
"I'm fine, stop pestering me … I'm," she burst into tears, "not fine."
I sat and stared blankly. I wasn't the least bit sure what to do.
:Go to her, please?: Savannah asked, :Comfort her.:
:If you're sure it will help…:
:I'm sure.:
Who was I to argue with a companion? I went over to her and hugged her. This inspired more tears, but instead of pulling away as I had thought she would she snuggled against me. I sat with her for a long time cooing nonsense and hoping she would stop crying. Savannah stood by convincing would-be watchers to move along.
When she had cried herself out Azori looked at me, "You are much nicer when you listen to Savannah," she said approvingly. I thought about putting her back on the ground but then decided not to spoil her good mood. She sat with me for a few minutes longer and then got up stiffly to rub her companion's neck.
"You're just dying to know what happened aren't you girly?" She asked teasingly. Then they reverted to mind speech apparently she was over not mind talking.
"I'll leave you two to catch up," I said idly, not expecting an answer.
"Bye Cye, should I report to you for the attack tomorrow morning?"
"You want to participate?"
"Yes, Malken and the rest are scum, I guess if I've got the ability to stop them I should use it, but don't send the mages at them from within their walls, there are spells that are older than the hills tied into the very rocks; only a mage of the correct bloodlines can work unhindered within."
"Thanks for the tip."
"No problem," she said happily turning back to her companion, "I'm sorry ignored you earlier," she said to Savannah, "Sometimes they liked to use full rapport as a punishment …"
I rushed out of ear shot before I heard anything else. The sudden change in Azori after something as simple as crying was weird. I chalked it up to the old standby, females were incomprehensible.
That settled I went in search of my own dinner.
A/N right now we are nearly to the cool part… he he he , and only I know whats gonna happen, for sure anyhow, isn't that frustrating? But hopefully that info will be available to you too after today!