Serene of Cyrodiil, chapter 6, Sidetracks and sorrow Options

[minque]

“There is sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief...and unspeakable love.”
Washington Irving


Chapter 6 Sidetracks and Sorrow

“You can’t run away from your destiny, Serene, you will have to face the fact that you now belong to a House, to a family, and with it the responsibility it takes!” Sinnamu Mirpal´s words dug deeply into my heart as we sat by the fireplace in the Inner Shrine of Ald Daedroth that rainy evening.

I had arrived at the ancient Shrine of Ald Daedroth earlier in the afternoon, because the Ahemmusa Tribe now was safely settled there instead of the harsh lands on north-eastern Vvardenfell. Trey of High Rock had done a thorough job, making the Shrine a safe place for the Tribe. The Wise Woman had her own private chambers in the Inner Shrine, and she had decorated the thick stone walls with beautifully woven fabric in various deep earth-colors, with thick carpets on the floor to keep the damp cold away and a huge fireplace built in the center.

I felt safe here amongst my friends, far away from the evil schemes of Bolvyn Venim, the intrigues and disagreements among the Redoran Councillors…and the struggle to both be deeply in love with Athyn Sarethi and yet try to be an honourable Redoran.

Panic brought me here, panic from being aware of the hatred of Bolvyn Venim; knowing he would probably try to kill me in the cruelest way, panic from the passion that tore me apart. Here I hoped to find peace, to rest my tormented soul and finally to find myself and be a whole woman again.

I hadn’t thought of Sedrane though….

When Anja Swift-Sailer put me ashore on the island of Ald Daedroth I was astonished at first; I didn’t think the Tribe had moved out there already, but they actually had.

The first one to greet me was Sallit; he was remarkably glad to see me and grabbed my hand and literally dragged me up to the Shrine yelling out loud I was here.

Sinnamu was waiting in her chambers as he brought me there. She said nothing, just put her hand on my cheek, smiling. I got an odd feeling she had somehow known I was coming.

After arranging night quarters for me and also giving me a chance to freshen up after the jour-ney she asked me to join her in her chambers. And therefore we now were sitting in front of the fireplace and she made the remark about my destiny.

I told her about the things that had happened, including my feelings for Athyn, about Domesea, and about the panic that struck me at the funeral. She listened without interrupting me, just nodded at some points.

“You will always have a home with the Ahemmusa, you know that, so go get some rest now. I’ll give you a potion that will help you through the night.” Sinnamu gave me a purple vial which I should down before going to bed.

It was good to be back with the Ahemmusa again. Life had improved a lot for them since they moved to Ald Daedroth. Here they were safe from blight storms, outlaw Ashlanders and other pirates. They had an entire island for themselves and had begun to grow saltrice, ash yam and even hackle-lo! They were proud of themselves and couldn’t wait to show me all the im-provements they had made.

My first weeks at the Shrine I just “was.” I didn’t really do anything, just strolled about, talking to my old friends, helping out with cooking and the Guars of course. It was balm for my soul, except for that itch deep in my heart.

I felt guilty….guilty for abandoning Athyn in his grief, guilty of not standing up for my family, for my house. I ran away like a coward, and I was ashamed of myself!

It was at this time Sedrane Mirpal entered my life again…

He was the first man who had held me in his arms with love, and his dark red eyes still showed affection. I didn’t know what to say; in fact I was unable to speak because of the lump in my throat. Seeing Sedrane brought up so many memories from a happy time in my life, an uncomplicated time, compared to life with the Redorans.

“Serene, my precious, it’s so good to see you!” Sedrane embraced me and I felt a flash of the old passion, it had been so long…so very long…

We went outside for a walk; it felt somewhat easier to talk to him away from the others; besides I didn’t want to show my chaotic feelings in public. I knew I had to tell him all, as I had told his mother, including my relations with Athyn. He didn’t show much emotion during my story; as an Ashkan he had been taught to not show too many feelings.

“Enough about me now,” I finally said, drying my cheeks from the inevitable but annoying tears that always seemed to run down my face. ”Tell me about how life’s been with you and your folks.”

“Trey really did a good job clearing this place from the cultists,” Sedrane smiled “Then he escorted us here, the whole Tribe, you know! That was a journey, I tell you!”

They had actually built a couple of nice boats to take them across the waters, Trey had super-vised the construction and the manufacturing, and then he also led the armada safely to Ald Daedroth. The tribe had cleaned the old shrine from all dirt and grime, and then they made it into a real home. Every family got their own “apartment” consisting of one or two chambers according to the size of the family. The women made beautifully woven fabric to cover walls and floors to make the chambers more comfortable and unique.

“We have also managed to develop greater cooperation between other Tribes.” Sedrane said, “There have actually been a couple of cross-marriages between members of different Tribes, you know.”

I understood the island of Ald Daedroth was a good land to live on. Secure from attack, with good weather and fertile land, which provided them with good crops and good pastures for the Guars. Also the well-built shrine gave additional security and provided a good defence to almost any kind of attack.

As we walked along the waterfront I saw a young woman with a bow up a hillside. I was about to ask Sedrane who she was when I noticed a weird look on his face, like guilt or bad conscience. Then the woman spotted us and came running towards us.

“Sedrane!” she shouted from a distance, “You’re home! Who is our visitor?” As she ap-proached I noticed she was a young beautiful girl in a leather shirt with embroideries different from the normal Ahemmusa style. Her long silken jet-black hair danced around her face and shoulders as she came running, and her long slender legs hardly allowed her feet to touch the ground. Her dark red eyes looked into Sedrane´s with an unmistakable air of love.

“Shara!” He exclaimed with a faint grimace, “Ahem….this is Serene Catraso, who used to live with the Ahemmusa. I’ve told you about her, remember?”

“Serene….this is Shara, hunter from the Urshilaku-Tribe, ehh …she is to be….my wife!” The last word came out sounding rather strangled.

I felt an immediate sting of jealousy; somehow I’d expected Sedrane to …sort of wait for me, but I smiled at the young Ashlander-girl and greeted her as heartily as I could.

Shara flung herself on Sedrane, embracing him hard, and the kiss she gave him was indeed passionate so that I had to turn away from them. It was really ridiculous, but I felt a sharp pain inside and I didn’t trust my face not to reveal it.

Has he told her about us? I asked myself…

Then I decided to return to the Shrine to look up some of the women to see if I could make myself somewhat useful; besides I needed to be alone for a moment….

As I stumbled away from Sedrane and his soon-to-be bride, I almost bumped into someone, my sight blurry and faded, and would have fallen if he hadn’t caught my arm at the last second

“Hey, Serene! What’s the matter, sweetie?” Mabarrabael embraced me, just like that, like I was still a member of the clan, like I had never left. “It’s Sedrane, right?” he sighed. “It was you who once told me not to shed tears over a lost love, remember? And what are you doing right now, huh?”

I couldn’t resist smiling. Mabarrabael used to confide in me when I lived with the Ahemmusa. Once he had a bad crush for Lanabi, the Ahemmusa trader who didn’t exactly return his hot feelings and I, of course, had to tell him not to be sad about that.

Mabarrabael´s company did me good; he made me laugh, as always…We sat down on a flat rock overlooking the sea and talked for a good hour before hunger drove us back to the Shrine.
That evening, as I sat by the campfire, sharing the evening-meal with the Ahemmusa I wondered what would come out of this. I had returned to the people I loved but the reason for it could be questioned, and I honestly didn’t know what would become of me….

[The Metal Mallet]

Wow, what a wonderful start to this chapter minque. It's good to see the Ahemmusa again. Honestly, to tell you the truth, I kinda forgot about Serene's relationship with Sedrane. Now I could certainly see how things could even become awkward around the Tribe. I don't even know right now if I should be happy or disappointed that he has moved on. Though it does seem quite logical for Sedrane to have moved on. I liked that you added it.

I would like to see what happens next please!

[Black Hand]

I'm a short commenter...so S.G.M.

[treydog]

This is a promising start to the new chapter. I, too, am glad to see Serene return to the Ahemmusa. The wise woman will likely have some good, if difficult to follow, advice.

[minque]

I woke up, drenched in cold sweat and totally disoriented. At first I had no idea where I was, or why my heart was beating so heavily. Then the dream came back to me and with it an unspeakable pain, as vivid as the dream. I remembered it clearly. In fact I still remember that dream, maybe because it triggered the events that formed my life- and the lives of others.

I stood in an open space, the ground covered with pale gravel that crunched under my feet. It was a circular space, surrounded by walls or buildings- I could not tell. I was tensed as if expecting an attack and had my katana unsheathed and in a guard position. As I scanned the misty distance, looking for the threat that I could feel but not see, I saw a dark spot forming in the fog opposite from where I waited. It came closer at a great speed and appeared to be some sort of black cloud, formlessly swirling. The sight of it caused my heart to beat faster, and I knew that this was the danger I had sensed.

As the cloud came near, it coalesced into a human figure, twelve feet tall and armed with a sword. Everything about the figure was black, except for the sword, which pulsed with the dull red of dried blood. The cloud seemed to swirl again, and the sword was raised high overhead, then plunged downward, straight toward my heart.

I jumped aside without conscious thought, simply letting instinct and reflex take over. The cloudy shape roared and swung a side cut at me, and I ducked beneath the blade. Still moving from training and instinct, I responded with a scything cut of my own. But when my katana struck the figure, there was nothing there- no resistance, no sensation of steel cleaving flesh, just a parting of the cloud. And a sudden flash of that dull red blade as it struck my chest. The pain was unspeakable, as if a fire had been kindled in my flesh. I sank to the ground, waiting for death or unconsciousness, but instead found myself bathed in a bluish light cast by a familiar figure which formed in front of me- Azura, Goddess of Dawn and Dusk. She reached out a hand that instantly quenched the fire in my chest and spoke, saying:

“Serene, follow your destiny, return to your heart…only then will you find peace.”
Then the pain struck again and I woke up…

With trembling hands I pulled back my hair and got up. The dream had been so real that I looked down to see if my chest bore a wound or a scar, but it was unmarked. My clothes were damp and I felt dirty, so I went down to the shore to take a bath, bringing a clean robe to wrap around me afterwards. There were nobody out at this hour; it was still night even though I could see the sun color the eastern sky. I undressed and let the chilly wind dry my naked body. With a deep breath I then jumped head-first into the sea, hoping that the Tribe had in fact cleared a part of the waters from all kind of beasts in order to provide a place for swimming and washing.

The cold water woke me up and refreshed me completely. I stayed in the water till my limbs were numb and I couldn’t sense my feet anymore. Up on the shore I stretched out, lifted my arms over my head and turned to the rising sun. The reddish-orange light painted my pale body and the water drops glistened….I looked into the calm dark waters and saw a thin, tall woman, painted in red, with black sleek hair and eyes that were too big for the face. I had obviously lost weight again, this time far too much. I looked skinny and weak and I didn’t like the sight of myself at all.

Suddenly I heard a noise, like someone stepping on a small branch of a tree. I held my breath listening, but no other sound came to me. It was probably just a scrib or something. The wind had become chillier and I put the soft woven robe around me and returned to the Shrine.

Inside I saw a flickering light from the corridor leading to the inner shrine and I headed towards it. It was Sinnamu, who was returning to her chambers, from where I didn’t know. She greeted me warmly, saying

“Serene! Have you been outside? Taking a swim? Well come my child, I think we have to talk.”

There was a nice log fire in Sinnamu´s chambers and I felt its warmth ooze right through me. She offered me some warm comberry wine and we sat silent for some time before she began to talk.

“I think you had a dream, Serene, and I would like you to tell me about it,” Sinnamu looked straight into my eyes. I wasn’t even astonished that she obviously already knew I had a dream; somehow deep inside I knew that she already knew about it. Nothing about Sinnamu Mirpal astonished me anymore, since I knew she was, and still is, my Guardian Angel amongst the living.

I told her in detail of my strange dream, also asking her why it had caused the incredible pain right in my chest.

“It’s a sign, a sign from the Divines, telling you what lies afore you,” Sinnamu stated calmly.

“You are a healer, my child, and you know that sometimes, when you perform a healing, you must cut away a diseased part so that the body as a whole can heal and become strong again. If the diseased limb or organ is not removed, the corruption will spread and kill the patient.”
She looked at me closely to see if I was following her. Seeing my frown of concentration, she continued,

“You will have to perform- a healing, an amputation…so that the body can become strong again.”

I looked at Sinnamu, not really understanding the true meaning of her words…at first. But then I started to see beyond them, to see what she actually meant for me to do, and it scared me to death. The body that must be healed was my House….and the diseased part, the corruption…was the Archmaster. I sat silent with my head down, and despite the warm fire I was shivering with cold, and maybe fear- fear for what I had to do and fear for how I felt about it. I, who loathed any form of killing, was actually looking forward to taking the life of a human being. For I could not deny that I hated the Archmaster and took a fierce pleasure in the idea of his death. I wasn’t aware of the tears running down my face until Sinnamu gently wiped them away, and then took my hand and made me rise to my feet.

“Serene, do not be afraid of your own feelings. You are stronger than you know and you are now the real ’Hope of the Redoran’…. I will give you the strength you will need and as a token of that, I will mark you with a sacred Ahemmusa-tattoo.”

She took off my robe and I felt the heat from the fire and the tension of the moment increased as she took out a small silver dagger and dipped it into a shallow bowl which was standing beside her on a red small boulder.

“Be absolutely still now, Serene,” she said, then she put the tip of the dagger onto my left breast and slowly cut an intricate pattern stretching over to the right breast, a pattern similar to the one that Sedrane had on his forehead. As she was doing that she chanted in a low voice, words I did not understand, but somehow the chant took away the pain. Dark red blood emerged from the cuts she made and ran down my body, but I felt like I was watching myself from above; I was completely relaxed, and it did absolutely not hurt. After the cutting of the pattern, she took the bowl and with a thin stick she put black dye into the cuts, and that did hurt quite a bit, but I didn’t move a muscle.

The whole procedure took about an hour, and after it was finished I was glad to sit down again. My legs were shivering and the tattoo was burning like fire. Sinnamu put her arm around my shoulders in a comforting embrace. She then took both my hands and put them directly onto the raw tattoo, and I felt a tingling sensation throughout my body.

“Now you will have the strength and courage of an Ahemmusa wise woman,” she said slowly,
“Use it well.”

She led me to a bedroll beside the fire and bade me to lie down on it. It was soft and warm and I felt a drowsy heat spread inside me, and so I drifted away…

When I woke up I felt refreshed and invigorated, strong and eager. It was a wonderful feeling and I knew that I had to return to Ald´Ruhn as soon as possible. I had an important task to fulfill and above all I longed to see Athyn again. When thinking of him my heart started beating and my entire body ached for him to hold me tight.

The tattoo did not hurt at all; it had healed during my sleep. Sinnamu was still sitting by the fire, reading an ancient book. She smiled at me, knowing how I felt without asking.

As I made to leave for my chambers to prepare for my return home, she made a sign for me to hold on for a moment. She searched in one of the chests standing at the wall and came out with a thin white vest, almost transparent and with some runes embroidered with white silk along the front.

“Wear this under your normal clothes; it will protect you…, my dear child.”

I slipped into the garment and immediately it made me feel even warmer than before…it had to have some magic woven into that soft fabric.

Later that afternoon I was almost ready to leave for Ald´Ruhn. After some pondering I decided to ask for an intervention-scroll to take me directly to the Temple. I didn’t like the mechanics of interventions, but it was by far the fastest way to get home.

But fate had something else in mind for me….

[The Metal Mallet]

Ahh, the cliffhanger, a writer's best friend! How I love to write them, but I do find it taxing when I have to wait for what happens next on the edge of a cliffhanger!

So it seems that Serene's goal has been decided on. She has to rid House Redoran of Venim. I could make a snake analogy but I wont

Excellent update as usual minque. I liked how the dream was used to discover Serene's task and the tribal tattoo part as well. I also look forward to what this cliffhanger is foreshadowing...

[treydog]

Now that official registration at the college is (mostly) over, I again have a chance to read and comment. This will likely be one of the greatest trials Serene has faced- not just because of Venim's combat ability. Serene will also have to overcome her desire to "do no harm."

I also liked the tribal tattoo and the continued strengthening of the bond with the Ashlanders. Hope to see more very soon.

[mplantinga]

I have particularly enjoyed revisiting the Ahemmusa with Serene. I find it to be an attractive idea to have the a great house and an ashlander tribe so clearly interwoven. Serene's tattoo is only the most obvious and physical sign of this connectedness. I look forward to Serene's return to Ald'Ruhn and her reunification with Athyn.

[Soulseeker3.0]

OH come on Minky, you know i despise cliffhangers j/k I loved the update, the dream was cool and I feel bad for her and Sedrane, to bad it can't work out for them.

At the moment? Do the fates say other wise? Will pigs fly? All this and more, later *shrug* i dunno

great story Minque, can't wait to see what the Divine's have in store for Serene

[minque]

I wanted to tell my friends I was leaving and say goodbye to them before I left. I didn’t think I’ll come back for quite some time, if ever, so it was the decent thing to do, even if I hated good-byes.

As I walked along the waterfront I enjoyed the warm afternoon sun, the calm of this place, the giant mushrooms and the blooming Willow Anther which filled the air with its fragrance. I picked a flower and put it behind my left ear; it made me feel a bit exotic…

He literally materialized in front of me- there he was- Sedrane, the first man I ever loved, looking into my eyes as he took my hand and kissed it. The time ceased to exist; I drowned in his dark red eyes and couldn’t say a word.

“So Serene, you are leaving me again?” His voice was low and utterly sad. He still held my hand and sighed deeply.

“I have to. You know we are not meant for each other, so please do not make this harder for me than it already is.”

I was shivering; my body remembered how it felt to be near him, to be in his arms, to feel him inside me, but I had to be strong. I just couldn’t surrender to him- it would be so wrong, and I knew I couldn’t live with it.

“Please Serene, I want to have you just one more time, one last time, I still love you, I’ve loved you ever since…” He stopped and unbuttoned my blouse. The thin vest underneath did not cover that much, and when he noticed my tattoo he smiled at me and then gave a rueful laugh.

“A wise woman! That is a wonderful honor, and one that you certainly deserve! But I could wish that you had received that honor from the Urshilaku, or Erabenimsun, or even the Za-inab."

He began to lace my shirt back up and continued,”You see, it is against all custom for a an Ashlander to make love with a wise woman from his own tribe.”

We looked at each other and I then knew that, even as some doors open, others close. Sedrane would always be my first love, but I was no longer the same girl I was when I first arrived in Vvardenfell. Life is a journey…

Yes, life is a journey, and travelling with an intervention-spell is also quite a journey, yet not a pleasant one, as I’ve told before.

“Damn it, woman, watch your step!” The dark, slightly annoyed voice that greeted me as I slumped down in front of the door of the Temple of Ald´Ruhn after my intervention from Ald Daedroth turned out to belong to no less than Salyn Sarethi, who I had pushed aside rather hard when I appeared. I didn’t really grasp who he was or even where I was the first ten sec-onds, and he obviously didn’t expect me to materialize almost on top of him while crossing the Temple courtyard, carrying some small bottles in a basket.

“Serene! What the….? Where did you come from?” He stared at me as if I was some weird creature from Akavir...
“I...I just came back,” I responded faintly, still dizzy from the travel, brushing off the dust from my robe, at least trying to look decent. Salyn stared at me with a peculiar look on his face, not exactly friendly, honestly speaking. I didn’t blame him; the last he saw of me was me sneaking out of his mother’s funeral…

“Do you realise what you’ve done to Father?” He sounded angry and my heart sank. “You almost killed him, you know, by running away like that. What did you THINK of woman???” Salyn was so angry, he grabbed my upper arms and shook me violently, and it seemed as if it was just a matter of time until he’d hit me. I was sure of that, and I was right, for he slapped my face, and slapped it hard. I didn’t move; my left cheek burned, and the pain went right up in my head, as tears of shame and repentance ran down my face, but I didn’t move…and I didn’t utter a word.

“Argh, damn it. I’m sorry Serene, I shouldn’t have hurt you, don’t cry for god’s sake!” He let go of me and turned around, feeling awkward.

“I’m so sorry…and I do not intend to try to explain to you why I did what I did, because I’m not sure of it myself,” I said quietly as I sank down on the ground again, starting to realise how selfish I’d been, that I should have stood by the Sarethi family in their time of despair. Instead I fled, because I couldn’t stand the evil looks of the man that caused their grief. How pathetic I was! Salyn had all the right in the world to slap my face; in fact he had the right to punish me even more if he chose to…

He didn’t …instead he sat down beside me, put his arm around my shoulders and wiped my face with a fairly clean handkerchief. Men feel awkward about women crying and Salyn Sare-thi was definitely no exception to that.

“There! No more tears now Serene, please, I am just so worried about Father…come, let’s go for a drink, you look like you’ll need it and I’ll tell you what has happened.”

I followed Salyn to the Rat-in-the-Pot, and this is what he told me;

We didn’t discover your absence until we began to embark on the ship back to Khuul. Sethyas and Varvur escorted Father, for he was very weak and could hardly walk. The funeral induced too much emotion in him, and he couldn’t handle it. On board he asked for you… Sethyas said you had probably gone somewhere to grieve in peace, then Father said we should wait for you, that he didn’t want to return to Ald´Ruhn unless you were with him. We waited for two days before we could persuade him to let us go home. When we left the Island, he retreated into himself. He just sat there, not talking to anyone, and it was the same until we came home. He locked himself in his chambers and stopped living…Not eating or drinking, not wanting to talk to anyone.

This catatonic state lasted for two whole weeks. We didn’t see him and he let no one into his chambers. At last we had to send for a mage from the guild. We feared he’d starve himself to death! Edwinna came by and Sethyas and I had to literally break into his room. What we saw in there was not….pleasant. Imagine a body that hasn’t had any food or drink at all for two weeks! He was more dead than alive…Edwinna did all she could- she had to force liquid into him with the help of a funnel, drip by drip. If she did it too fast, it came up again.

We fought for his life for almost a week before we could see any results from our efforts, until one day last week he opened his eyes and said one word…the only word he had said since the day of the funeral…´Serene´ he said…

Salyn stopped talking and took a deep breath. I could see how hard this was on him, and that did not ease my own pain. I hadn’t felt like this ever; the unspeakable pain in my heart was so overwhelming, I could hardly breathe. Tears were gushing down my face but Salyn didn’t seem to notice it- he just looked sadly at me and continued;

The bad thing is that Trey isn’t around, he’d have known what to do, and how to help Father, but he’s in Mournhold, god knows why! Sethyas immediately went to try to locate you, he was and, I gather still is, extremely angry with you. In fact he said he’d kill you with his bare hands for doing this to Father. That is, if he could find you of course!

At the moment there’s nothing changed from last week. He’s just sitting in his chambers, and I have no idea what he’s doing. He won’t let me in- it’s just Sethyas who occasionally is al-lowed to see him. He’s dissociated himself from his family, and I don’t know if he’s even ac-tually talking to Sethyas, but I think he maybe does, because he usually leaves the room swearing about you!

If I were you, Serene, I’d stay away from Seth…He will show you no mercy!

I pondered Salyn´s story. What I’d done was unforgivable: I had dishonoured my House, I had abandoned my family and, worst of all, and I had deeply hurt the only man that I really loved. Yes I knew that now, knew that I loved Athyn Sarethi, loved him more than my own life and I was prepared to give even that away at the hand of Sethyas Velas to restore the honor of Great House Redoran and the life of Athyn….

I slowly touched the Tattoo-of-the-Ahemmusa on my chest, felt its strength ooze through me, wiped my face and looked Salyn straight in the eyes and said;

“Take me home, Salyn…take me home!”

[jack cloudy]

Wow, old Athyn sure took it bad. Must've been the constant piling of bad events onto him. If he isn't stressed out by now, I want to know how he can fight the stress.

And it looks as if Serene has some real problems now. A master assassin who has sworn to kill her? Normally I would take it as some empty words spoken by an angry man but this is an assassin and more importantly, Sethyas. He is the type who tries to keep his word. Serene had better prepare a quick speech to explain when he finds her. The first few words could be vital.

[The Metal Mallet]

Indeed, it certainly does seem that Athyn has taken Serene's disappearance quite heavily. Hopefully with her return, Athyn can make a quick recovery. That is, if Sethyas doesn't get in Serene's way. I like how the relationship between Serene and Sethyas always seems to be rocky. Makes for some interesting scenarios.

Continue as soon as possible minque!

[Soulseeker3.0]

wow... i'd have to agree with Jack, Athyn sure did take it hard. and now Serene has Sethyas after her... all does not seem well for Serene. Well can't wait to see what happens. Please update soon Minque

[Lord Revan]

That is what you get for turning your back (at least by their stand-point) on someone who really needs you to help them in an emotional wreck right now. Great update Minque!

[Black Hand]

Conflict is always more interesting then cordiality.

Sethyas: Hello. How are you?

Serene: I am fine, thank you.

Somehow, i don't see five "Great Update!" Comments after that! Besides, Serene can read Sethyas' mind. Thats going to unnerve pretty much anyone.

But, Great Update! And don't keep us in the dark to long Minque!

[mplantinga]

An amazing, emotion-filled update. I was wondering when the consequences of Serene's absence were going to hit home. I do hope she can bring Athyn out of his state, and that Sethyas doesn't hurt her too badly.

[minque]

Ok....a short one, but anyway....here it is!
********************************************************************************


The city of Ald´ruhn was covered in a raging ash-storm as Salyn and I left The-Rat-in-the-Pot; maybe Azura wanted to punish me for my deceit, I didn’t know. The short distance to Under Skar felt twice as long as usual due to the terrible weather and we were both covered in the red ash when we entered. As usual Redoran Guards were patrolling the hanging gangplanks, but they nodded at me in a quite friendly way; at least they didn’t seem to judge me.

There was a scent of sadness in Sarethi Manor; I could feel it as soon as I entered together with Salyn. The lanterns were dimmed and nobody came to greet us. I heard voices coming from the room further down the hallway, but I couldn’t recognize them. There was a humming sound in my head, and I felt as if I was outside my body and watching myself slowly walking forwards.

“Now this is a surprise!” Brara Morvayn exclaimed as she suddenly turned up from somewhere in the shadows of the living room, arms outstretched to embrace me. “Or really not- I knew you’d turn up sooner or later, my child!, But by all means, you look terrible, come, come, let me take that filthy robe of yours.” I wasn’t really surprised to find Brara here, she was that kind of person, always eager to help out. Naturally she’d been here for Athyn….whilst I hadn’t!

I didn’t want her to let go of me; I felt secure and comfortable in her arms, but then she held me a bit away to be able to look at me properly. I got the feeling she actually didn’t like what she saw, for her face was stern and her eyes dark and sad. I felt bad; I could barely look her in the eyes, and my bad conscience made me feel physically ill.

“So, where have you been these last weeks?” she asked quietly. “I hope you have a good explanation for not being here, especially considering how it has affected Athyn.”

I shook my head- I couldn’t speak, and I did not trust my voice to keep from breaking. I swayed and the room started spinning around, faster and faster…

The next thing I remember was that I was lying on the couch, looking up into the almost black eyes of Sethyas Velas and with the tip of his famous dagger pressed directly on my throat. I could feel a warm trickle of blood emerging. I didn’t dare to swallow and I practically held my breath. He did not speak, just looked at me with those scary eyes. I gave up, and sank back on the coach closing my eyes…

Is this how it ends? It could have been worse; at least my life will be taken honourably…

Then…all of a sudden a voice filled my mind, a voice I recognised as Sethyas´, but when I opened my eyes I couldn’t see his lips move…

“I can’t do this, damn it! I can’t kill you, not like this, in cold blood, because of that dream or premonition he had! He said you’d come back and he was so happy about it, damn it…just damn it. For what you’ve done, you deserve nothing but death!”

I was stunned! Then it was possible…it was possible to read minds, and I had the ability to do it, because the voice in my head was the thought of Sethyas Velas, of that I was certain. I tried not to reveal anything, I just looked at him, and now I was able to look him in the eyes. He turned away from me and removed the dagger. I sat up, shivering from the strange experience, and noticed that there was quite a crowd standing by the coach. An audience for the murder of Serene Catraso, the event of the day!

As Sethyas turned away from me, the strain eased and Brara immediately went to my side, wiping off the blood that was running down my throat. She didn’t look at me, in fact nobody did, they just turned away and that hurt me the most. Had they all wanted to see me dead?

Then Sethyas turned to me again with a deep sigh, grabbed my arm and dragged me up on my feet.

“Argh, I’m sorry I hurt you, Serene, but you’ll soon find out why, so come on, let’s not drag this out any longer than necessary.” He sounded weary and tired as he led me towards Athyn´s chambers.

The room was warmer than the rest of the house and lit only by a few candles. A fire was burning in the fireplace and the flames cast eerie shadows on the wall. A tall, extremely thin figure rose from the narrow bed and headed towards us…

With his arms outstretched, he approached me, then took me in his arms and held me tight to his chest, whispering into my hair;

“Serene, my precious love, at last…I’ve been longing for you so much, but I knew you’d come home…I knew it.”

Then…I also knew I was home…for once in my life I was truly home and I knew I’d never ever leave him again.

[Lord Revan]

Minque, your definition of short is obviously different than mine! Great update, Athyn certainly sounds liek he's the worse for wear in Serene's absence. Hopefully everything will return to normal soon......... of course that would not be the normal definition!

This post has been edited by Lord Revan: Feb 3 2007, 01:07 AM

[mplantinga]

An excellent, emotion-filled update, as usual. I do hope that Athyn will be okay now that Serene has returned; it would be very sad if he was not able to recover.

I am especially intrigued the interplay between the stories here in the forums. Sometimes, I have trouble distinguishing between the stories because many of them have cameos of other stories' protagonists. Nonetheless, it has been really fun, but I'm sure it makes for extra work for the authors, trying to keep track of everything that other authors have said. Well, perhaps I'm just rambling. To all the authors here: just keep doing what you are doing.

[The Metal Mallet]

So Serene has discovered her mind reading capabilities... I guess it takes a near death experience to bring it about. At least good ole Sethyas made the right decision.

Excellent display of emotion Minque; you were always great at making your characters act very human-like. Keep it up!