Disclaimer: Drow not mine, no money made…
LadyJanelly: Quite manipulative my darling Toren isn't he:-) That's the way I like him best. How's your sequel coming along? I know of course that it'll take some more time, but it never hurts to ask:-)
Alhana: Never fear, I want them to be together as well. Hey they can come and have some cake! I wonder what kind they'd want…
EmeraldEyes924: I'm writing, I'm writing see! Scroll down and there it is, five pages of it! He did die a bit fast I admit, but I don't like long drawn out fighting scenes and this is my story so I feel free to do with it as I please:-)
C
Rat
C
We go straight to the kitchen, back through the door I opened so carefully only little more than an hour ago. Giciel immediately begins to busy himself by making tea after he has disposed of the corpse by locking it in a mysterious cupboard and does everything to avoid looking at either me or Andy, who has taken the opportunity to slip his arm around my waist and draw me onto his lap, placing his head on my shoulder. Ayren is staring blankly at nothing, but at least she has stopped crying. I'm beginning to wonder from where she got the courage to kill my Master. You'd never believe it possible if you looked at her now.
Even the most drawn out preparations for tea have to end at some point and when they do there is no way for Giciel to keep ignoring us any longer. He glares at Andy as he puts two mugs down in front of me with a little more force than strictly necessary, before sitting down on the other side of the table facing me directly and I can feel my friend tensing slightly. It does not show in his neutral expression though as he thanks the mage most politely, so politely in fact that it could nearly be considered an insult. Ah well the long silence was becoming a bit oppressive anyway.
"Cheer up!" I say to no one in particular, hoping to distract everybody from their personal grudges. When this doesn't work I add: "You should be happy. He's dead, we've got nothing to worry about any more."
Silence. None of them even bothers to look at me. Giciel is busy glaring over my shoulder, at Andy who does his best not to look in his direction, while his fingers are digging rather painfully in the flesh of my arm, effectively conveying his fear and Ayren seems simply mesmerized by the incredibly fascinating view of her tea filled, steaming mug. What am I supposed to do now? If I say something wrong they'll probably all blame me for their problems.
"What were you doing outside Toren?"
Ah yes the dreaded, unavoidable question. I shrug noncommittally.
"I thought I had seen something."
I'm so focused on Giciel that the hard slap from Ayren comes as a total surprise to me.
"You liar!" She shrieks, suddenly very much alert and agitated. "You were going to betray Giciel and now you won't even admit it after all that he's done for you. I saw you so don't even try to deny it! You are such a disgrace! How could you do that?"
Shit so she has seen enough. Suddenly I remember the stone rat, which is still residing in my pocket and thus a rather obvious proof of my intentions. I have to get rid of it. Damn, why didn't I just leave it in the forest? But in this moment I notice with considerable relief how Andy inconspicuously slips his own hand in my pocket, taking it out, presumably to hide it in some corner as soon as possible.
Giciel is looking hurt. So he believes her and for some reason that makes me angry once again. What has he done for me anyway? Removed the collar? Well in my opinion I have already done more than enough to settle that particular dept!
"I didn't do anything." I claim stubbornly and it's true in one sense. I didn't get the opportunity to do anything and as I see it the fact that I probably would have done it can safely be ignored in the light of the current development.
"But I saw him!" Ayren insists with a dangerously jealous glint in her eyes. "He sneaked outside like a thief to meet his Master and deliver you in the hands of that sadistic bastard! You can't trust him!"
To my amusement Giciel seems loathe to accept the simple truth of her observations and is unconsciously shaking his head ever so slightly.
"Who said that I trust him?" He asks defensively, which immediately irks me. Not that he has any reason to do so, but still, I can't let him be turned against me.
"You trusted me enough to sleep in my presence." I remark pointedly, throwing him an irritated look that leaves him biting his lip uncomfortably. He's still embarrassed then. Good! My words have the added advantage of infuriating the vindictive bitch who calls herself my cousin even further. If I manage to provoke her enough this will likely turn things to my advantage.
"Don't you dare to boast about that you slut! You should be ashamed of yourself." She is pale and positively howling with rage now.
"Well at least I don't pine for attention like some lovesick puppy, but am too scared to admit it when confronted." I tell her calmly examining my nails with distinctive disinterest. That does it. She raises her hand prepared to slap me again, but this time Giciel catches her wrist in mid swing.
"Stop that!" He snaps, which has her utter a despairing wail before she violently wrenches her hand away and runs from the kitchen, presumably to lock herself in her room for the second time this day. My and it's not even time for dinner yet. So much for the Ayren problem. Giciel sighs flopping down on his chair in exhaustion, rubbing his face tiredly.
"She does have a point you know." His voice sounds muffled from behind hid hands.
"I didn't do anything." I insist. "He found me when I went outside and I knelt, because I know better then to anger him. He would have come anyway sooner or later. It wasn't all that hard to figure out where I'd be."
"True. And your…friend" he says with a disdainful glance at Andy" did probably tell him where to look."
I smile. Trying to sow division is he? The attempt was quite clumsy though and deserves some kind of retribution. A slight, discreet nudge with my elbow alerts Andy to my sentiment.
"Of course he told him. I would have too had I been in his position."
Andy's has caught on, quick as always and his hand is stroking along my thigh, a reward as well as a deliberate provocation. I let my gaze flicker downwards for a split second as if surprised to make sure Giciel notices it too, but make no move to stop the caress, still smiling serenely. We play well together Andy and I, although he is still the more practiced one in our team.
"Do you think there will be another angry Drow mage on my doorstep soon?" Giciel asks, doing his best to mask a sudden flash of hunger and jealousy at the sight we so innocently present him with, half hidden by the table that separates us. And he might even have succeeded with someone else. We know what to look for though and can read the signs quite clearly. I shrug.
"No probably not. I doubt they'd know where to look, if they'd even want to."
I had half expected him to ask what we're going to do now that we're free, but he avoids that question proposing instead to prepare an early dinner which means of course that courtesy demands to offer our help. We must be a strange sight, a gold elf, a moon elf and a Drow together in a kitchen, cutting up vegetables painstakingly evading any opportunity of conversation. Quite ridiculous actually and boring as well.
I decide to tease Andy a bit and snatch his carrot from him licking it in a very obscene way, trying at the same time to dodge his laughing attempts to catch me and retrieve it. I simply cannot resist the temptation of using the chase as a convenient cover for deliberately bumping into the very sulky looking Giciel, who's probably feeling left out. To my delight I manage to brush against exactly the right points, which elicits a pretty blush and a half suppressed smile from our suddenly bashful mage.
Having achieved my goal of producing a lighter mood I finally surrender the carrot and we return to our preparations. I'm aware of course that Andy and Giciel will never come to like each other, which means we'll have to leave the tower soon, but I guess a night more won't hurt and the thought of sleeping in a warm bed instead of a campsite in the underbrush is so very tempting.
Once we're gone Ayren may even get through to the object of her desires. I don't envy Giciel, she can be dreadfully persistent once she sets her mind to it, but luckily that won't be my concern as I'm planning to far away by the time she starts her crusade for his heart.
Dinner passes mostly silent, except for the occasional request for salt and the like, with all of us trying to avoid any kind of conflict, at least for now. As soon as Giciel has gone with a heavily laden tray to bring Ayren the missed meal, Andy takes out the stone.
"We have to get rid of it!" He says. "What do you propose?"
"We could try to open the cupboard and put it in one of his pockets." I suggest uncertainly, but Andy shakes his head.
"That one is magically locked and has got an alarm spell on it. He'd know if we tried to open it."
Did I mention that Andy is fortunately much better with the magic stuff than I am? I'd never have known about the alarm.
"I guess it's best then you keep the rat and show him when he comes back or we could continue to hide the thing and sell it later."
At this a brilliant smile lights his features as he puts the stone away.
"So you'll come with me?"
"Of course." I say surprised. "What did you think I'd do, vanish in a cloud of smoke?"
"No." He bites his lip. "I just thought that… you know, that maybe you'd want to stay here. He seems quite interested in you after all and traveling with a Drow tends to cause some problems." A shrug.
Oh. To be honest that possibility has crossed my mind, but I've dismissed it long ago, not wanting to merely exchange one master for another. Even though Giciel would certainly be kinder and more considerate I would still remain inferior to him at least in my own mind.
"And you think I'd just let you go?" I therefore want to know with fake incredulity, a teasing smile on my lips, one foot brushing suggestively against his calf.
"You could try, but I don't think I'm tired of you yet darling." A dirty grin accompanies his statement as my foot slides higher. "There are still some very interesting things we have not covered in your education, but that can be remedied."
"What things are you referring to?" Is my careful question.
The last time he had this kind of look in his eyes I ended up covered with honey. Who would've thought that anything could be so incredibly sticky! The feeling of having it all licked off very slowly was quite nice though, I have to admit that much. Before he can elaborate we hear Giciel's approaching steps and I'm left with an enigmatic, but promising.
"I'll show you later sweetheart."
Despite his apparent morose mood after dealing with a sulking Ayren Giciel still notices the subtle shift in Andy's demeanor after one look, needless to say that this discovery doesn't do much to increase his happiness and it is no wonder that his next sentence comes out quite harshly.
"If you are finished eating I'll show you a room where you can sleep tonight, before you'll depart tomorrow."
He has only addressed Andy who smiles despite the rude and badly disguised order.
"Thank you so much we'll certainly spread word of your wonderful hospitality when we take to the road."
Giciel stares at me with something like despair at hearing the word we and I take care to look back in a way which tells nothing whatsoever about my view of this affair, even though I'm already starting to feel pity for him. Should I grant him one last night? I know Andy won't mind and he's really been quite generous. I ponder the thought while watching them leave, coming to the conclusion that if he asks me nicely I will sleep with him.