A Wind Upon the Candle-flame

Iwendari sat nervously, looking about the richly adorned pillars of the white marble pergola, the evening slightly young - though again surely in the golden deeps of the sun just before she set. All around her the streets were empty - still - the local humm of the marketplace gone from the thuroughfare, the air stirring with a new freshness now that the life of the city had dies noticably. Nu'jelm was beautiful this way - silent, elegant, cool. The young Silvanesti girl's sapphire eyes scanned the tiled roads, looking in suspended hope for a familiar face - gait, indeed, form - whatever might tell her of her expected visitor; her stomach felt slightly ill due to her anxiousness - it had been past a fortnight since she had heard any word of her father, and longer still since she had seen her father's strongman, Meridani.

The sun sat precariously upon the horizon, want to lean away from the world, slowly sliding beyond all sight - throwing shadow across the marble flags of the streets and buildings, edging away as shadow swallowed the land, the cool of the night air already felt despite the lingering twilight.

As the sun shead the last of its golden lights, Iwendari let her sapphire gaze fall to her feet - impatient - anxious - inly scared. Though she had longed to find the secret of returning to her home she had not found it - there - in her mind - no telling what might happen along the way. Perhaps Meridani was hurt? Perhaps he did not reach Sosaria at all? 'Perhaps...' Iwendari's thoughts were broken by a movement in the dark of the streets. For a few moments she simply sat where she was, watching it curiously, unsure of what to make of it. 'Twas a figure - human-like in nature - though exactly what was difficult to tell.

Stepping into the young moonlight black steel gleamed a fierce silver, the form tall and powerful, in one hand a night black halberd, about its shoulders a cloak whose very fiber seemed be the shadows themselves. In the moment of still in which they both saw the other, the black form moved deftly, despite the incredible armor it bore, from the dark of the streets into the courtyard, walking steadily towards her.

"Mae govannen, telella inya." The voice was deep for an elf - though graceful and deft. Iwendari's expression of doubt shifted to one of sudden joy.

"Meridani! Lle naa sinome!" With a swift bound Iwendari spead over to him, leaping at the Elf who chuckled softly, just taking his helmet off as he caught Iwendari in his other arm spinning her around a few times before setting her down upon the marble flagstones.

"You have been well I trust, Iwendari?" Meridani took her delicate hand in his, looking into her eyes with an intensity that spoke of his sincerity - though also of something darker. His golden slitted eyes captured the young girl before him, his gaze an abyss of subtlties and vigilance all in the same token. He allowed himself a slight smile as he watched her mannerisms, her joy, her naievity and innocence. Indeed, her showing this must mean she expected him to be mostly cold and purposeful as opposed to healthily frivilous like many Elves were. Such was the better - as well as the price for being born into the cursed realm of Ravenloft. He did not have any mirth to long for - nor any sympathy, per se. 'She has not the slightest notion of the tidings I bring.' With a distant air he listened patiently as he lead her over to the pergola, his eyes flashing about every so often, making sure he smiled when she suddenly giggled, or rose her voice. He sat through an entire hour of the young girl's rambling - though - it was duty nonetheless. It was a dificult duty, truthfully - difficult to try not to enjoy it, though with relative ease Meridani sat, silent, searching for the right time to tell her.

"I'd ne'er really thought I could, you know...I mean, when I left Krynn my skills with magicks were quite small - yet here..." Softly Iwendari looked around herself, her legs dangling from the stone bench upon which they sat - kicking back and forth lightly. "It is very much different."

Lightly Meridani nodded, smiling - ever so - though thinking keenly. 'Now.' With a slight nod, Meridani brushed his obsidion gauntlet across Iwendari's cheek gently, the razor sharp metal barbs thereon softly caressing her snowy satin skin, moving her hair behind her one and only ear. For a moment he felt a sort of lethal hunger for the dich-grovvling maggot whom had dared so much as touch the fair girl, much less harm her at swordpoint. Yet, he was not here for that - not now.

Softly she looked up at him, smiling brightly, though, the expression fading like a hollow wind through the desert. "What?"

Wordlessly Meridani handed her a scroll taken from his girdle, small - silver, boardered in white ivy. She looked at it oddly, opening the thing, the moment the wax seal broke a sweet smell lifting from the paper itself, a shower of dried rose petals falling from inside it to the ground before her. She smiled softly, giggling as the rose petals were carried softly about her feet by the wind - some lingering in the air before they settled to the cold white marble. Iwendari now looked at the white flowing elvish script, her head nodding lightly to each word read, his sapphire eyes torn between looking up to Meridani and reading the paper - she still smiling softly. After a few moments she resigned herself to reading the entire letter, and so began, her voice caught between a whisper and readig it aloud.

"Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and ability of Deleaduindill as our Messenger and Protector, in all matters as such there unto pertaining, The Holy Order of the Stars does write Iwendari Delonin upon the matter of the late Xathgarian Delonin, Father, who has passed from our midst..."

Quickly Meridani put his hand atop Iwendari's, covering the scroll as well as pushing it to her lap. For a moment his feral golden eyes sought hers, the two sapphire gems before him slightly confused, at both the letter and his sudden movement. He waited for it...not having to do so for long. After a few moments of pause her eyes swiftly looked to the letter once more, almost frantically trying to read the words thereon...

"Your father died this morning, Iwendari." The words were meant to be gentle, though even as he spoke them he could see Iwendari somber, deftly wiping her nose, though her delicate hand staying there, held over her mough softly as her deep blue eyes squinted, both of her hands beginnig to tremble as the first tears fell swiftly off of her snowy fair cheeks.

Deleaduindill sat, still, watching the slight girl begin to tremble softly, the letter fall to the floor amidst the dried rose-petals, all shilouetted by the cold white marble. She sobbed - so deeply that she nearly choked with each breath - not making much noise at all. With a slow though insistant motion she wrapped her arms around Deleaduindill's arm, leaning upon him softly, though he unable to feel her grasp through his armor. With the gentleness of a father, Deleaduindill lifted her into his lap, holding her softly, his golden eyes carried to and fro amidst the night, watchful, the soft though choked sobbs of an elven girl carrying far upon the stone streets of the city, the cool wind's mournful gale softly in the alleyways; the candle in the watchtower flickered violently before it was snuffed out, a spectral thread of smoke sailing upon the wind.

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> Iwendari sat nervously, looking about the richly adorned pillars of the white marble pergola, the evening slightly young - though again surely in the golden deeps of the sun just before she set. All around her the streets were empty - still - the local humm of the marketplace gone from the thuroughfare, the air stirring with a new freshness now that the life of the city had dies noticably. Nu'jelm was beautiful this way - silent, elegant, cool. The young Silvanesti girl's sapphire eyes scanned the tiled roads, looking in suspended hope for a familiar face - gait, indeed, form - whatever might tell her of her expected visitor; her stomach felt slightly ill due to her anxiousness - it had been past a fortnight since she had heard any word of her father, and longer still since she had seen her father's strongman, Meridani. > The sun sat precariously upon the horizon, want to lean away from the world, slowly sliding beyond all sight - throwing shadow across the marble flags of the streets and buildings, edging away as shadow swallowed the land, the cool of the night air already felt despite the lingering twilight. > As the sun shead the last of its golden lights, Iwendari let her sapphire gaze fall to her feet - impatient - anxious - inly scared. Though she had longed to find the secret of returning to her home she had not found it - there - in her mind - no telling what might happen along the way. Perhaps Meridani was hurt? Perhaps he did not reach Sosaria at all? <FONT COLOR="aqua"><I>'Perhaps...'</FONT></I> Iwendari's thoughts were broken by a movement in the dark of the streets. For a few moments she simply sat where she was, watching it curiously, unsure of what to make of it. 'Twas a figure - human-like in nature - though exactly what was difficult to tell. > Stepping into the young moonlight black steel gleamed a fierce silver, the form tall and powerful, in one hand a night black halberd, about its shoulders a cloak whose very fiber seemed be the shadows themselves. In the moment of still in which they both saw the other, the black form moved deftly, despite the incredible armor it bore, from the dark of the streets into the courtyard, walking steadily towards her. > <FONT COLOR="red">"Mae govannen, telella inya."</FONT> The voice was deep for an elf - though graceful and deft. Iwendari's expression of doubt shifted to one of sudden joy. > <FONT COLOR="aqua">"Meridani! Lle naa sinome!"</FONT> With a swift bound Iwendari spead over to him, leaping at the Elf who chuckled softly, just taking his helmet off as he caught Iwendari in his other arm spinning her around a few times before setting her down upon the marble flagstones. > <FONT COLOR="red">"You have been well I trust, Iwendari?"</FONT> Meridani took her delicate hand in his, looking into her eyes with an intensity that spoke of his sincerity - though also of something darker. His golden slitted eyes captured the young girl before him, his gaze an abyss of subtlties and vigilance all in the same token. He allowed himself a slight smile as he watched her mannerisms, her joy, her naievity and innocence. Indeed, her showing this must mean she expected him to be mostly cold and purposeful as opposed to healthily frivilous like many Elves were. Such was the better - as well as the price for being born into the cursed realm of Ravenloft. He did not have any mirth to long for - nor any sympathy, per se. <FONT COLOR="red"><I>'She has not the slightest notion of the tidings I bring.'</FONT></I> With a distant air he listened patiently as he lead her over to the pergola, his eyes flashing about every so often, making sure he smiled when she suddenly giggled, or rose her voice. He sat through an entire hour of the young girl's rambling - though - it was duty nonetheless. It was a dificult duty, truthfully - difficult to try not to enjoy it, though with relative ease Meridani sat, silent, searching for the right time to tell her. > <FONT COLOR="aqua">"I'd ne'er really thought I could, you know...I mean, when I left Krynn my skills with magicks were quite small - yet here..."</FONT> Softly Iwendari looked around herself, her legs dangling from the stone bench upon which they sat - kicking back and forth lightly. <FONT COLOR="aqua">"It is very much different."</FONT> > Lightly Meridani nodded, smiling - ever so - though thinking keenly. <FONT COLOR="red"><I>'Now.'</FONT></I> With a slight nod, Meridani brushed his obsidion gauntlet across Iwendari's cheek gently, the razor sharp metal barbs thereon softly caressing her snowy satin skin, moving her hair behind her one and only ear. For a moment he felt a sort of lethal hunger for the dich-grovvling maggot whom had dared so much as touch the fair girl, much less harm her at swordpoint. Yet, he was not here for that - not now. > Softly she looked up at him, smiling brightly, though, the expression fading like a hollow wind through the desert. <FONT COLOR="aqua">"What?"</FONT> > Wordlessly Meridani handed her a scroll taken from his girdle, small - silver, boardered in white ivy. She looked at it oddly, opening the thing, the moment the wax seal broke a sweet smell lifting from the paper itself, a shower of dried rose petals falling from inside it to the ground before her. She smiled softly, giggling as the rose petals were carried softly about her feet by the wind - some lingering in the air before they settled to the cold white marble. Iwendari now looked at the white flowing elvish script, her head nodding lightly to each word read, his sapphire eyes torn between looking up to Meridani and reading the paper - she still smiling softly. After a few moments she resigned herself to reading the entire letter, and so began, her voice caught between a whisper and readig it aloud. > <FONT COLOR="aqua">"Know ye, that reposing special trust and confidence in the fidelity and ability of Deleaduindill as our Messenger and Protector, in all matters as such there unto pertaining, The Holy Order of the Stars does write Iwendari Delonin upon the matter of the late Xathgarian Delonin, Father, who has passed from our midst..."</FONT> > Quickly Meridani put his hand atop Iwendari's, covering the scroll as well as pushing it to her lap. For a moment his feral golden eyes sought hers, the two sapphire gems before him slightly confused, at both the letter and his sudden movement. He waited for it...not having to do so for long. After a few moments of pause her eyes swiftly looked to the letter once more, almost frantically trying to read the words thereon... > <FONT COLOR="red">"Your father died this morning, Iwendari."</FONT> The words were meant to be gentle, though even as he spoke them he could see Iwendari somber, deftly wiping her nose, though her delicate hand staying there, held over her mough softly as her deep blue eyes squinted, both of her hands beginnig to tremble as the first tears fell swiftly off of her snowy fair cheeks. > Deleaduindill sat, still, watching the slight girl begin to tremble softly, the letter fall to the floor amidst the dried rose-petals, all shilouetted by the cold white marble. She sobbed - so deeply that she nearly choked with each breath - not making much noise at all. With a slow though insistant motion she wrapped her arms around Deleaduindill's arm, leaning upon him softly, though he unable to feel her grasp through his armor. With the gentleness of a father, Deleaduindill lifted her into his lap, holding her softly, his golden eyes carried to and fro amidst the night, watchful, the soft though choked sobbs of an elven girl carrying far upon the stone streets of the city, the cool wind's mournful gale softly in the alleyways; the candle in the watchtower flickered violently before it was snuffed out, a spectral thread of smoke sailing upon the wind.
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