For mind link
{For thinking to ones self}
(Kindred thoughts)
[Arguing with ones self, or Alli arguing with Buffy]
Is for dreaming
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Alli sat in a chair farthest from the rest, hugging her knees to her chest. As everyone entered the room, they noticed her position and new what it meant. Kealas lay at her feet as Cole stood beside her chair.
Lucian sat one chair away from her with a mask on his face that showed no emotions. His eyes were empty chasms and his Jewel glowed with intensity, hidden only by his shirt.
Deamon stayed next to his father's desk and Lucian stood in the corner. Andulvar sat in a chair with a glass of brandy while Prothvar sat next to him. Jeanell sat by Khardeen while Chiosti sat with Meanial. Seatan took his seat at his desk and steepled his fingers. The rest that were in the hall drifted to their rooms.
Seatan turned his eyes to his granddaughter.
{She looks so young.}
She did look young. There were dark circles under her eyes, her finger were white as well as her face. The cloths she was wearing were barrowed from Deamon; they swallowed her small form up. Her light hair hung heavily on her head and shoulders, making her ears look like they didn't belong. Her eyes were what frightened him the most. They were a gray so deep and mournful, he felt tears coming to his eyes.
{What happened to the worrier that was in the hall? What happened to his young granddaughter that wouldn't let his get his sleep until she got a story? What happened to her that would make her into this?}
He knew the answer. But he didn't want to believe.
"Alli."
She gave him her undivided attention, and he had to fight with himself from bursting into tears and going into a jealous killing rage at the same time. She had so much pain in her, so many accusations aimed at him in one glance.
He had to look away. He took a little bit of time to compose himself, then turned back to her.
She wouldn't meet his gaze.
"Alli. Why do you not want to stay? We are your family. We care for you as we always have. Why do you treat us like nothing more than enemies?"
"Because you are."
She wouldn't look at anyone. She stared at her knees.
Seatan sat forward. "Why do you see us as enemies?"
"You know why."
He leaned back. "You blame us for everything you've been put through."
"No," she looked at him. "I blame you. I blame you Jeanell and Deamon. We were happy with the elves. If you hadn't told us to come, we wouldn't have been caught. If we stayed in the forest...we would never have been tortured the way we have been."
Seatan looked at Lucian. He still hadn't moved. Still hadn't shown a bit of emotion.
"I just want to go back to Thestralnal Forest. I don't want to be in a place where raping a girl is common. I don't want to stay in a place where people have to be enslaved to serve and kindred are hunted. I just want to go home."
Deamon stepped up and stood next to his daughter, drawing her into his arms. "You are home sweetie. We won't let you be hurt anymore Alli. I swear it. Just don't leave me again."
She hugged him back and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm scared, ada. I'm so scared."
He lifted her up and took her to her room. Lucian fallowed him. Jeanell stood to do the same, but he stopped her. "I'm sorry mother. But she needs to cope with one person at a time. She'll come to you in time."
She nodded, understanding what he meant. She had to do the same thing when she was young.
Kealas and Cole fallowed him, but Cole nudged Jeanell's hand before he left.
(The Lady loves you. But she fears that she may kill you. Please give her time. I rather like the hall. I don't like it when Elladan and Elrohir try to dump me in the river. This place is much nicer.)
He left with a flick of a tail to shut the door.
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There was silence in the study for a long time. Lucivar was the one who broke it. "I have no doubt in my mind that she could have killed us back there."
They all looked at him.
"She had a Black Jewel, and she had claws coming out of her hands. Even if she didn't have her Jewels, she probably would have broken our necks."
Everyone agreed with his logic.
Andulvar turned to his long time friend. "What are we going to do, Sadiablo? She seems to be afraid of strong males, and that's all we got. If pushed to hard, she'll probably kill the closest five."
Seatan took in a deep breath. A long time ago, he would have been banging his head against the desk whimpering at the dilemma. But he had gotten advise from a green eyed blond girl. "We will do what we had to do last time. Jeanell didn't want to be near us, but we played on her love of healing. We will do the same to Alli. We will play on her love for battle. We will show her the training fields and hand her a stick. She'll be fine for a while with that."
"But you herd Lucian. Our two strongest worriers are he and Meanial. Lucian was there when she trained, and he can only beat her one out of twenty times. I don't thing Meanial will fare the same. If we put anyone against her...I pity them."
"Then we will put more than one."
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Lucian stepped out of his sister's bedroom and headed for his own.
{We may still yet be able to convince her to stay.}
At the moment, she was asleep with her head on a pillow against her father's knee. He fell asleep sitting up. Cole was wrapped in her arms. Deamon held her, not wanting to let go of his only daughter.
Lucian smiled.
{They did the same thing in the libraries so many times when we were young. This must mean something.}
He hated to have to put a distance between mother and daughter though. It was true what he said, but that didn't mean he liked it. He had to be strong for Alli. He had to be strong for both of them.
He fell into an exhausted sleep.
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Now review.