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#Post#: 5368--------------------------------------------------
An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: guest74 Date: September 14, 2013, 1:39 pm
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[color=#5694eb]"Loske, you old hound!"
The bard turned and gave a great shout of a laugh in surprise to
find old tavern-fellows gracing – or should it be said griming –
the good King Alteon's halls. The lot of them had grown more
weathered and worn than he could have imagined in the last
decade and a half, though Luke was sure he fared little fairer,
if not blessed with a smidgen more youth left to linger in his
bones. He stepped over on nimble feet to receive the stoutest's
clap upon the shoulder, his young female counterpart trailing
curiously behind.
"Gettin' greyer t'an a wolf, I see," the scraggly-bearded Marvuk
exclaimed with a grin. His gaze fell to the breathtakingly
twirling Aurauris, child previously unaware of such lofty Halls
and royal splendors, lingering upon her plain, albiet
thin-fabricked attire with an eyebrow raised. "A wolf chasin'
aft' no less t'an th' finest prey, by Light's grasp."
Jaw tightening, Luke took a calm step forward to shield the girl
from leering gazes. "This is Aurauris, a young lady of
exceptional voice and heart who graces me in accompanying my
meager tunes. Not a tavern wench, not a pet, but a highly
respected partner. You would do well to show her manners,
gentlemen," his voice soft but firm.
Chagrin colored the faces of men realizing their true age. "Aye,
Loske, no 'arm meant.. W'ot business has the Loon wit' th' King?
If you're searchin' for a coin or two, th' celebration's jus'
down th' 'all, an' we'd be mor' t'an glad to speak a well word
of you to th' guards."
Luke bowed his thanks, delighted that Fate seemed pleased to
favor his endeavors in Swordhaven. A few echoing foodsteps on
stone and low murmurs to guards later, Loon and Dove alike found
themselves whisked into the frenzy of gaiety and feast.
#Post#: 5369--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: Faerdin Date: September 14, 2013, 1:42 pm
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A peculiar sensation stirred in Faerdin’s heart whilst he
examined the handiwork of the artisans. He had thought the garb
Valen had chosen for him was nice at a first glance. It was
nice, but certainly not extraordinary. Yet with a wave of his
hand, Valen said, “That matters little; the castle servants can
have this looking new in no time. Don’t you worry, it’ll look
fine on you.”
Now Faerdin examined the polished silver only to find an
entirely different person before him. This surely could not be
the inconsequential runt that the Rune Knights took pity upon.
Nay, for the man in the mirror stood majestically in sky blue
clothing only ever available to the wealthiest of nobles. His
azure locks, once uncombed and messy, were now neat and trimmed
to cover his pointed ears. No longer did they cover his eyes of
hewn sapphire, which glinted sharply in the light. They were
carved from the cunning and spirit of the wild but tempered by
the wisdom of scholars. This man was composed, self-assured...
powerful.
One of Gredal’s old lectures wound its way through his mind: It
is not how you mark and cover the exterior, but how you channel
from what is deep within. To your own self be true; only then
will you allow the will of the Avatars to flow through you. Then
a flurry of images blazed before his sight- that iron rod
searing before his sight while the other children cackled-
Faerdin dispelled the thought as Valen stepped into his chamber.
Though he wore a welcoming smile, his words seemed bittersweet,
like a man relinquishing a lost love. “Ah, I see the clothes fit
you well. What are you waiting for? The visitors are just
arrived. Get down there and mingle with the people!”
#Post#: 5370--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: guest74 Date: September 14, 2013, 1:44 pm
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[color=#5694eb]It was not until a flurry of feminine ruffles and
haughty glances directed at the plainly-dressed Aurauris swept
by that Luke recalled his purpose for seeking out the King’s
celebration.
The aging man paused in his stride, exuding a lostness as the
sole, still figure amongst the whirling crowd. A sudden rush of
agony wove thorns into his heart. He knew not whether to laugh
at the irony of his fatherhood, or to weep openly his grief at
having failed to save this child, and ultimately, having failed
to save Wen.
The young woman – nay, his daughter – rushed forward in worry at
his hesitation, piercing his heart further by her gentleness and
concern. She murmured soft words, words that his clouded mind
could not decipher and he mumbled a half-hearted reassurance,
grasping perhaps a bit too tightly to her outstretched hand.
Could fate truly be so cruel, as to afford him no means to
support his daughter, save abandoning her to the mercy and whim
of a house of nobles? They would tear her sweet spirit from limb
to limb and gorge themselves upon the innocence that came
spilling out, politics and lies and hatred, their claws—!
Realizing the panic he stirred within his own heart, the graying
man gave his head a light shake and glanced towards the girl’s
face. Aurauris – the one, true ember of warmth amongst the
gilded revelers. Curious, how she could seem so calm, as if they
were walking together along the wooded roads once more and not
amidst the chaos of court celebration. How could she know how he
stood there, deciding her fate?
#Post#: 5371--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: Faerdin Date: September 14, 2013, 1:45 pm
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PostSubject: Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin) Mon Apr 01,
2013 3:39 pm
That rhythmic pounding once again commanded Faerdin's senses.
But now venom coursed through his breast from the significance
of his situation, not from fear. The first Rune Knight to attend
a court gathering in centuries. Just what would be expected of
him? Just who did these nobles- lords and ladies who dined with
the most accomplished and extraordinary of Lore on a regular
basis- believe him to be? It was these thoughts that assailed
Faerdin as he walked the marbled corridors of Castle Swordhaven.
The walls searched and, pale as bleached bone with the authority
of monarchs past, weighed down the apprentice with their ancient
stare. It was all he could do to hold his head high and hold to
his heart the words of his master: To your own self be true.
I am a Rune Knight. I will not suffer the scrutiny of a king.
So Faerdin allowed himself a smile once he finally approached a
set of double-doors. The gilded handles were cool beneath his
fingers when he gripped them. Here goes nothing, he thought.
Bracing himself, Faerdin cast open the portal with a heave of
his shoulders.
Where there once had been a thrum of activity, Faerdin was met
only with silence.
He found himself at the top of a sprawling, lavish staircase.
Past the ivory steps and resting at their feet was his company-
the most esteemed men and women of Swordhaven and of lands
beyond- in clothing of every shade, every style. Some men and
women seemed obviously to have come from lands within the
jurisdiction of King Alteon, while others were draped in far
more extravagant and alien pieces. The locks of one woman
glittered with beads of gold that caught the eye nearly as well
as the snowy colors of her dress. A droplet of sweat tricked
down the face of a man wearing thick furs claimed from some
mighty beast.
But there was one girl who captivated him above all others.
Though the dress she wore was simple, her yellow hair was more
resplendent than any of the jewelry the royalty could find. Her
eyes, the warm blue-green of the ocean's depths, were more
magnificent than any jewel. Her smile, though certainly nervous,
caused warmth to blossom at the bottom of his heart and pervade
the entirety of his being.
It was at her that his smile widened as he began his descent of
the stairs, his polished boots clacking with every step.
#Post#: 5372--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: guest74 Date: September 14, 2013, 2:06 pm
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[color=#5694eb]The blonde girl's hand clutched in his own, Luke
stepped onward with creaking heart and aching bones. He allowed
his gaze to fall across the crowd as the pair made their way
towards the stage and for the first time, Luke noticed the
abundance of youthful faces.
Well, the Dove will have little to fear in way of competition,
the bard mused to himself, fatherly pride rising in his breast.
She easily outshines any daughter of noble blood here, even in
all their gaudy cloth and precious metals, and once they hear
her sing…
A frown fell upon Luke's lips as he realized the attention that
would soon fall upon Aurauris, an even greater fatherly
protectiveness infusing his thoughts. A passing reveler of
midnight cloak and booming laugh gazed a hair too intently upon
Aurauris' form for her father's liking, confirming his
suspicions.
Unfortunately not a single of these.. boys.. seem her match in
genuine compassion or beauty, Luke pondered, continuing to
glance between guests. A tall, unearthly thin man stooped by the
hearth – Spruce trees for grandchildren, I'd have!; the wild air
of a man possessing more hair entwined within his beard than
Luke was sure could cover a bear; the unnaturally deep blue eyes
and matching locks of a young noble descending the grand
staircase – A kind smile, but unlikely more than an empty-headed
puppet to his parents, poor boy.
The musician chuckled as his daughter tugged impatiently upon
his hand. Her lilting voice was the only balm to his weathered
soul. "Loske, we're going to miss our chance to sing! And you
promised we could perform—"
Aurauris' cheeks blossomed in hue as she slowed to a halt, her
eyes resting somewhere behind him. With a sudden tightening of
unease in the pit of his stomach, Luke turned his head to follow
her gaze.
[center][color=#5694eb]-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-[/center][color=#5694eb]
It was as if she hadn't taken a single breath since they stepped
foot within the castle walls, so quickly did Aurauris' heart
pound at the ancient fortress' splendor. The comments of leery
old men had done little to dent the young woman's excitement.
Her river-blue gaze darted throughout the hall as she walked at
Loske's side, alighting upon the exotic flair of a foreigner's
attire or the warm, gleaming oak of a minstrel's lute for only a
moment before eagerly seeking out the next breathtaking sight.
Sound, scent, whirls of colors assailed her senses, very nearly
robbing her of steady-headedness.
Yet it all vanished as Loske halted in her path, agony seeming
to ripple through his form.
Concern for her companion flooded Aurauris' heart, muting the
Hall's din as she stepped forward and reached out. "Loske, is
all well? There was a tavern back along the main road – I'm sure
we'd find plenty of business there, if you'd rather not linger
amongst this crowd," she trailed off, peering into his ruggedly
handsome face. Although his ever-gentle smile had returned, he
hadn't seemed to hear her. The bard's grasp upon her hand was
steady in gratitude as he continued towards the group of
musicians along the far wall, yet Aurauris couldn't be sure that
what flash of pain she had seen was merely a trick of the light.
As the raised platform bearing many a harp-strumming, warbling
minstrel drew near, the young woman drank in as much of the
scenery as she could before she would need focus solely upon
song. Soon Aurauris grew impatient with the slow stride of her
companion, gently pulling him forward and pleading
good-naturedly, "Loske, we're going to miss our chance to sing!
And you promised we could perform—"
Speech fled her tongue as a piercing blue gaze interrupted her
wandering line of sight. The tousled, midnight-haired young man
smiled inexplicably, as if greeting a long lost friend, yet she
was sure she had never met — nor would have ever dared approach
— a youth possessing the graceful, confident air that seemed to
radiate from his inner being. Shyness finally wrenched Aurauris'
eyes to the ground, unsure of why she found herself needlessly
smoothing the front of her soft green dress, even as she told
herself there was no chance it were truly she he had spotted and
sought from amongst the whirling crowd.
#Post#: 5373--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: Faerdin Date: September 14, 2013, 2:13 pm
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Clack. Clack. Clack.
Every footfall lead Faerdin inexorably closer to the
golden-haired girl. Her eyes- blue-green pools that swam with an
unearthly, almost elemental beauty- met his own and had since
begun to lure him. They lured him even as the stars beckoned in
the night sky. They lured him with such compassion, with such
intimacy that the resplendent garb and even the very flesh
draping his exterior seemed for a fleeting moment to be stripped
away. But he did not feel vulnerable; to the contrary, some
emotion- alien, but warm- bubbled up like a hot spring within
his heart and, through their locked eyes, trickled out and
connected them in the most bare and honest of ways.
What had once inspired an air of assurance now made Faerdin feel
worthy of a drunkard's ridicule. What deception is this? Wearing
this, being here... It is a mockery, Faerdin critically
reflected. Master Gredal was right. We have no place here. And
yet he continued to walk forward. The force that compelled his
limbs to move was unfathomable. It was not logic; it was not his
mind that was at work, but another part of him entirely.
By the time he finally reached his destination, he realized what
force had been at work. It was intuition. Unfortunately for
Faerdin, however, another realization came just as quickly. One
that defied his years of scholarship and all of the knowledge
his elders had bestowed upon him.
She was a woman.
Not that such a fact had been a problem in the past; there were
female Rune Knights. But it was different then. Never before had
he been so aware of it. With harsh abruptness, Faerdin
understood what Sir Valen had meant in his reasoning: "You are a
young man, and you should have at least one opportunity to talk
to people without armor cluttering them."
So there Faerdin stood, holding himself with all the confidence
of a noble and yet playing the part of fool as well, his cheeks
flushed and jaw working.
#Post#: 5374--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: guest74 Date: September 14, 2013, 2:37 pm
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[color=#5694eb]A loathing long-dormant unfurled in Luke's core
like the tattered fabric of an ancient, blood-stained war
standard. The same azure-haired young noble he had just
dismissed drew inexorably near, further clouding his daughter's
eyes with every step and exuding an entitlement so potent, so
familiar as to physically sicken.
Too similar were the boy's confident gait and dismissive stature
to footsteps that had fallen decades past upon the stone floor
of a weathered Grand Hall, or his gaze upon the face of a
beautiful woman not his for the claiming, as if she were naught
but a token of conquest and status.
Too similar to stomach, this haughty noble's son, to the man
that once ripped from Luke's grasp the very reason for his
heart's beating. Caeg might have taken from him Wen, but he'd be
damned to suffer the same loss of Aurauris.
Embroidered silk raiments drew to a trembling stop before the
pair of singers. Unconsciously the Loon rose to his full height,
an eagle in his fierce, yet bitter protectiveness. As the
pitiable boy stammered in silence, Luke struck with every drop
of venom swimming in his bloodstream.
"Come along, Aurauris. This boy is obviously of much purer and
esteemed blood than we, and seems to have mistaken you for
hailing from a house of nobles; 'twould be upmost shame for his
family, should someone discover him mingling with a woman who is
nothing but the pitiable child of an outcast. Shall we spare him
the further disgrace to his status and depart?" rang Luke's calm
hiss, the greying bard's eyes never leaving the lad's own as he
reached out to clasp his daughter's delicate hand and lead her
away.
At first her resistance did not register amidst Luke's livid
brooding. Only when the bard turned back to the young woman did
he find Aurauris' face crumpling and streaked by tears,
horrified panic instantly extinguishing his anger of moments
before. Struggle as he might, though, his voice to beg pardon
was as long lost as the azure-haired boy's before him.
#Post#: 5375--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: Faerdin Date: September 14, 2013, 2:44 pm
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A distraction materialized in the form of a man. Though
Faerdin's initial response had been to sigh with relief, it grew
quickly clear that there was no relief to be had while in this
stranger's presence. Among the virtues of his order- of which
he, it struck him more insistently at this moment, was a
representative- are fortitude in all aspects of life. His
fortitude waned like a candle's fire before ferocious gales. For
no amount of fortitude could aid Faerdin when intuition told him
that this poor girl needed a defender from a stranger's tirade.
And not only had the man assumed that Faerdin was a noble, but
he imposed his assumptions of nobles upon every man and woman
within the room. It was unforgivable, unbecoming for a
celebration of unity between all denizens of Lore.
The sigil upon the back of his hand shimmered like a miniature
sun through his glove, though he failed to take notice.
Neither had the Rune Knight noticed that the music had stopped.
The whirl of conversation had dissipated like capricious wisps
of wind. Whisked away in this stranger's outburst was the
frivolous spirit of the occasion, replaced now by an air of
attentiveness that the ball had not seen since its beginnings.
Everyone was listening, doting upon each word as though they
were diamonds.
He turned to search the distraught damsel's eyes. In those pools
of ocean blue and pine needle green, Faerdin found the truth
that sought to be told for all to hear. The iron truth with
which every center resonates. He murmured, his words without
malice or sympathy for the old man, "Pardon my lack of tact,
good sir, but perhaps you should consider what she wants."
#Post#: 6759--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: guest74 Date: May 14, 2014, 4:23 pm
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[color=#5694eb]Luke's gut spoke to him shame as the boy
countered with a modicum of respect for Aurauris' choice; be it
feigned or genuine, the acknowledgement brought a grudging ease
to the greying bard's defensive stature. But an unyielding
spirit prevailed, rekindled from dormancy to a more youthful
flare by the past few weeks of travel at the blossoming young
woman's side. Long days spent beneath open skies in jovial
companionship had returned vigor to his limbs; Aurauris'
selflessly shared heart, rung with such unwavering clarity
through her music, had blessed fire to his own.
He was a fool to entertain the thought of deserving her
fatherhood, unbeknownst as it were to any but him. Yet words
fell from Luke's lips before he realized he had even drawn
breath to retort, shame and defensiveness entwined.
"I always consider the wishes of my daughter."
The surrounding nobles did their theatrical part in drawing air
as one from the vaulted hall, and the Loon's heart throbbed in
the sickening familiarity of ignoring the nosy glances and
incredulous gasps that trail after half-hearted ripostes. He
didn't want to fight, he never had — not then, and certainly not
now after nigh three decades of recollection upon that shadowed
summer, nearly spoiling the sole sweet moments from such haunted
memories. Luke was worn, worn of sparring and shallow, ingenuine
contest; all he had ever ached for was to ensure that Wen, that
Aurauris never fell beneath anything but the lighted protection
of Day and Love.
Thus bard claimed next neither block nor thrust, but instead a
sheathed blade and simple command of truth. With faded, yet
fierce voice, Luke lingered a gaze upon his stricken daughter
before pushing his way through the many-bodied sea towards the
refuge of shadowy corridors beyond.
"You will take care of her."
[center][color=#5694eb]-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-[/center][color=#5694eb]
If there had been a swifter way for the light-hearted dance of
festivities to shatter, Aurauris couldn't imagine amidst this
seemingly endless moment such a scenario.
Within the space of only a few breaths had the hope brimming hot
within her heart dissolved beneath the pivot of highborn
attention to where she, Loske, and this vision of a man stood
amidst the gathered nobility. Not only had the Loon struck with
a staggeringly unexpected furor to cut across the handsome
stranger's approach — he who then defended me, so low beneath
the worth of his gaze! — but he had drawn that bitter fire down
upon the father she did not know and could not defend, drawn the
eyes of all like a beacon upon her flush and flustered face.
Beneath such analytical gazes, the well-bandaged wound that lay
hidden by the plain fabric of her dress seared along its
sprawling length from right collarbone to opposite hip, as if
reminded of similarly open stares and Caeg's enraged blade that
followed, his maddened bite, mere weeks before. Goosebumps
whipped along Aurauris' spine and limbs at the fresh memory and
phantom pain, even as she struggled to resist rubbing at the
sudden well of warmth that blurred her vision. How could this
the man she trusted, of genuine soul and so well-versed in the
Truth of music, who pulled her back from death and exile alike,
speak so vehemently against all the treasured secrets and
stories he had shared of her father along the road for a full
Moon's span? The betrayal stung like a throatful of coals.
Loske.. What on Lore is going on?..
She wanted to stamp her foot and demand the musician's
explanation, but she was no longer a mere, plump-cheeked baendta
of three years, tottering around Sefva's kitchen and spoiling
herself with spare rolls. Aurauris' cheeks colored all the more
hotly in realization that the audience of such a tantrum would
not only contain the prying nobles, but the wide, ocean gaze of
the tall youth at her side, who she had noticed — to add to the
irregularity of her pulse — had yet to back from his balanced
stance before Loske. Before the trembling woman could find any
measure of sound mind enough to speak aloud, however, her
father's lifelong friend ripped all remaining steadiness from
beneath her feet with his murmured retort to the noble boy.
"I always consider the wishes of my daughter. You will take care
of her."
All noise was lost beneath the surging ring of shock. What once
was a mouth of embers now coated her throat like the white-hot
liquid fire that heralded an irate, primal Dtls of which Niäpa's
wise-woman once told ghost stories. What wretched twist of a
blade to her heart was this, to claim to be the very man he had
just so spitefully cursed? Barely could Aurauris, still and
stunned, feel the gaze of Loske-now-stranger beneath the whirl
of bewildered fright flooding her senses. She did not watch him
go, but simply shivered in place, unawares of the gradual
dispersing of watchful faces and helpless now to stem the
slipping of hot tears along burning skin.
Why don't I know who I am?
#Post#: 7387--------------------------------------------------
Re: An Exodus Withstood (Faerdin and Aurauris)
By: Faerdin Date: August 8, 2014, 2:12 pm
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Take care of her?
The Rune Knight's visage trailed his combatant until he was
scarcely visible in the main hall, now allowing his gaze to fall
to the distraught maiden who lay petrified by his side. The
various musicians strummed their lutes and sang boisterously in
an effort to return some atmosphere as Faerdin recounted what
just occurred in his mind. I have offended a stranger and made a
spectacle of myself at a royal ball in Swordhaven, and now he
has left me his daughter, whom I am hardly capable of speaking
to? Oh merciful Lords, what would Gredal say?
A gentle voice whispered through his subconscious with a twinge
in his Sigil. You are a fool.
I did not mean that literally!
Once again he looked to the golden-haired girl. A warmth spread
from his core and out to the tips of his fingers as he reached
out to console her, but his confidence waned and caused him to
lower it without another word. Something within him wilted. You
have to do something, he told himself. You need to take her out
of here. You need to say something. Anything! What would Valen
probably say?
Clearing his throat, he caught the girl's eye and gave her as
convincing a smile as he could and said, "Parents can be mental
sometimes, can't they?"
Smooth. That is how people say it, right?
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