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A Matter of Death and Life

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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Wed Jul 30, 2014 1:17 am

12th of Erastus 4713

It was a cool night, but the chill he felt had little to do with the weather. Though night, he had found himself missing the glow of dawn. It had been two days since he had seen it last, and these were the first dawns he'd missed in many years... Had he made the claim that only death would slow his duty... that statement would still hold true.

It was hard to believe, but it was true... He had died.

Thoughts and emotions distracted him this night. He had collected his worn copy of The Birth of Truth and Light and a writing quill before coming to the garden. After all, such an experience should be recorded... but he wasn't sure what to write.

"The dawn brings new light," he whispered softly toward the shrine. "Thank you for the second chance..."
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Post  Wynnsaren Wed Jul 30, 2014 12:05 pm

The Dawnflower was not the only god to hear the young king's simple but heartfelt invocation, nor was she the only one to watched over him. So, it should have come as no surprise that one of their representatives -- a familiar figure in a soft, dove grey gown, drifted down through the night sky to alight with silver-slippered foot upon the garden wall.

It had been little more than an hour since King Thaddeus had been revived. Awakened from death into the warm embrace of familiar companions. Wynnsaren had chosen to take her leave then in the company of Matsuro Shi, for she felt they needed their time of privacy. Hopefully these three would be permanent fixtures in his life, while she felt ever more keenly that her own time here would be drawing close. A bittersweet reality of her duty.

Seated upon the stone bench before the shrine, so engrossed was the king in his thoughts and the holy text that rested in his lap, that he did not immediately notice the form that glided down from the wall to stand beside the statue of Sarenrae.

"Your Majesty. . ." The oracle bowed low, muting her voice in such a way that it would be less likely to startle. "I earnestly pray that I am not interrupting your reflections." She rose and smiled warmly at her king and friend. "Might I comment that it is wonderful to see your healthsome color returned to you so thoroughly."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Thu Jul 31, 2014 1:14 am

The king's head snapped up at the familiar voice. He grimaced as he recognized Wynnsaren immediately. Frustration and disappointment clashed across his face as he closed his book and tried to rein the negative emotions in.

He breathed deep and placed a grin on his face as he looked up at his friend.

"All thanks to you, I believe," he couldn't help shaking his head. "Thank you again... and I apologize for any inconvenience this must have caused...

"The smell alone must have been... " His nose crinkled up as recalled the stench of decay that awaited him when he'd opened his eyes.
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Post  Wynnsaren Sat Aug 02, 2014 2:32 pm

Wynn frowned. After a moment's hesitation, she approached him then turned and sat by his side on the bench.

"Please do not do that, my king," she sighed sadly, staring off into the gardens now cloaked in the soft light of the moon. "Do not thank me for that which you know as well as I, was not my own power to wield. You will never owe me anything.

"But mostly, please do not slap on a smile for my sake. Not with me. . ." The plea in her voice was unmistakable she turned to regard him. "Our time is precious and brief. Let us not waste it on false fronts."

Tiny motes of starlight swirled about her head at this hour, casting their light in mesmerizing patterns upon the dark waves that spilled well past her shoulders. It was difficult for the aasimar to deduce whether he wished for company at this time, or wished for solitude. Certainly she would understand his desire for the latter, but a knowing had brought her here tonight and as such, she was not so easily dissuaded.
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 15, 2014 12:00 am

Thaddeus nodded in agreement and the previous concern washed back over his face like a veil.

"I apologize, my friend... I'm not sure how good of company I'll actually be tonight. My mind is still reeling from... everything.

"It felt... like a dream. Now, I know it wasn't. It... it's difficult to come to terms with the amount that I failed toda... two days ago.

"I failed you, I failed the kingdom, and I even failed to stop the cult... If you had been in Mivon or Pitax... It could have been disastrous."

He sighed and shrugged helplessly. "And yet, I'm not sure what else I could have done... Everything fell apart so fast, I'm not sure what went wrong..."
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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 15, 2014 9:06 pm

"You have failed no one," she smiled in warm reassurance. "You are here and you are whole, as is the rest of Matsuro Shi, but you have indeed been through a trauma. Are you sure you are ready to jump back into the fray so soon? Sir Paido informed me that you intend on leaving again just after dawn."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:10 pm

"I have to..." Thad said immediately. "Those girls... sold off to a barbarian horde, I can't just sit back and do nothing.

"We know where they are... and their forces are divided. It's now or never."

He sighed with frustration. "When I... woke, I told Sarala that to fail fighting evil... or fail to fight evil, are both failures...

"I can't... just stand aside. I just can't," the paladin growled in frustration.

"But how am I supposed to promise to be here for the oncoming shadow...

"Where is the balance??"
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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 15, 2014 11:37 pm

Wynnsaren listened calmly as the troubled rant washed over her.

"When the time comes to face down the menace for which I have been sent, I will know and then you will know. Allow me to bear that burden for you until then. Your shoulders are broad and strong," the aasimar smiled, "but no one can bear up alone under so much.

"As to current matters, Your Majesty, no one is asking you to stand aside in the face of this evil, especially such an evil that is a potential threat to your kingdom. But the world is large and filled with evil creatures and evil plots." She turned to consider the sculpture of the goddess before her. "Perhaps if you remained a solely a knight of Sarenrae, you would have the freedom to ride off to do good and right wrongs. However, your purpose is higher and more expansive that even that. You work to bring peace, safety and prosperity to this entire region and her people. They look to you for direction, so they too can be influences for good in their own lesser but ultimately important spheres.

"What you do now, you do for their best interest. You chose not to act after learning the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Lady Elanna Lebeda and while I know this was a terrible decision for you to make, this was not a failure on your part. It was the right decision. To involve your kingdom in the Brevoy conflict when we seem to be assailed by so many threats, could have been disastrous!

"That is the balance. You cannot accomplish the defeat of all evil, though I know such desire to be within your heart. Instead, you must choose. The strength and well-being of Novastasia must be placed as foremost of importance and clearly you believe this as well, for you continually work for her best interest, putting aside even your own desires."

Wynn turned once more to face the king by her side. A soft, confident smile turning up the corners of her full lips.

"You have chosen to finish what you started. You are the king and therefore that is precisely what will happen, but I am glad that you have this time at least to get a mental and emotional grasp on what happened to you over the last two days. Dawn may be your time for praise and thanksgiving to your goddess, but the night. . . this is the hour for reflection and reassessment."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:57 am

Thaddeus was silent as he soaked in the wisdom of the oracle. Reflecting and assessing was exactly what he was doing... and he wasn't entirely pleased with the results.

"The kingdom comes first... the people I have under my protection... I acknowledge that. It's what makes the situation so difficult sometimes...

"I know there is more evil out there then I can stop alone... more then I can even confront. It's a difficult truth, but one I am dealing with. But which ones are which?"

He sighed as he remembered the decisions he'd made recently. "Fort Draleve... Was not my responsibility. Sarala convinced me that we should strike. The Baron was from all reports a sadistic jerk... but I still felt a form of... kinship with him.

"Much like Magar Varn... he was given his land the same as I was. I had no more right to interfere there, then he would here... The barbarians, their goals, the sword they sought... everything about their potential 'threat' was rumor at best.

Sarala, Zaistrun and Dracean infiltrated the fort to see for themselves... and rescued the tortured Captain... They told me of the Hill Giants killing the citizens... and I acted.

"They were... a small fort with small towns... Even at his best Baron Draleve wasn't a threat to my land. I simply decided he wasn't fit to run his own." He frowned as he considered the ramifications.

"I told the council at the time, that if the Draleves were a threat, we would have to deal with them... but they were too far away to absorb into our own kingdom yet... I wanted to wait till we had expanded further... bring them in under our tent the way we did with Varnhold.

"The hill giants forced my hand... I couldn't sit by and wait the months knowing what atrocities were happening.  Now? We have banished the leadership of the small fort, and the people remaining are on the other side of the Slough.... I've made it known that we are claiming them and offered our protection... but we're stretching thin now...

"I'm not sure that decision was in the kingdom's best interests... It may have been good for the people of Fort Draleve in the short term... but there was a rashness there I'm not entirely proud of."
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Post  Wynnsaren Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:28 pm

With a regretful sigh, the aasimar leaned against the bench's intricately worked backrest and folded her hands inside her billowing sleeves.

"I wish I could give you an easy answer, Your Grace -- some kind of solution or formula to aid you in future decisions. The truth is simple and unsatisfactory. There are no easy answers. There are precious few simple decisions in the political realm and even rarer are those that have completely satisfactory resolutions. Even the right decision can have troublesome consequences. . ."

Wynn pressed her lips together in a hard line.

"Most especially the right decisions," she muttered. Then turning her face toward the young paladin king, she offered a sympathetic smile.

"Every choice will have both good and bad consequences and while there will always be things you will wish that you could go back and change, all that can be done is to press on and learn the lesson it provides.

"I do not envy you the task of rulership, King Thaddeus. From all I have witnessed, it is not an easy road for one such as you; a man of character and high moral fiber. Even so, I am confident that there is no one more suited to leading Novastasia into peace and prosperity," Wynn stressed in a smooth, soothing voice. "You will need to find this confidence in yourself as well, if that is something you have not yet attained."

The frustration in his eyes was plain and it tugged at her heart. How she wished he had someone to turn to. Someone he could trust to comfort him during these trying times. Wynn had wished that he might find such a treasure in a partner. A queen. But now that seemed little more than a faded dream.

Yes, she was convinced that Queen Feluanil was working in the king's best interest. . . to prepare him. For what however? That was yet unclear for the powerful fey would not, or perhaps could not explain her purpose.

Gods, he is so young, the oracle thought as she scanned his handsome profile. Was there no succor to be found for this man?
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:44 pm

Confidence... Much of a Paladin's power came from confidence. The ability to see right and wrong and smite down the wicked with impunity. The ability to shrug of fear and spells while fighting for what you knew was right... It was part of a god's blessing in their chosen champions.

"Confidence... came easier before dying in a questionable battle," he said with a sigh. "I'm not sure now how to enter a battle without worrying about the kingdom now... What happens with that shadow... So much seems to be riding on me to face it." He grimaced and then smirked at Wynn. "The burdens of the crown I guess.

"Worse still, I'm not really sure what I should take from that last loss... I didn't wander very far from the others... but somehow I suspect Paido and Sarala won't let me go anywhere without an honor guard from here on out...

"That ambush... closed perfectly. Seeing what I saw then... I'm not sure what I'd do differently." He scrunched up his face as if trying to remember something.

"I didn't feel this way when I was... well.. dead."
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Post  Wynnsaren Sun Aug 17, 2014 5:50 pm

Wynnsaren squelched the impulse to sit bolt upright in her seat. She had no intention of broaching that subject directly, in spite of her curiosity, for it seemed. . . Rude. However, since the king himself brought it up, she wasn't about to let the chance slip away.

"You were gone from this plane for two days," she began gently. "What did you feel during that time?"
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Post  Colin Marcus Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:00 am

"It didn't feel like two days... that's for sure!" he exclaimed with a laugh. He glanced down at his book with some frustration. He had notes, but it was difficult to find the words. Speaking aloud helped though...

"It was exciting.... and peaceful all at once. I believe I was in the great line... and I was surrounded by others also waiting. Some were terrified, some were mournful. I wasn't."

He found himself grinning at the fading memory. "It's like... whatever I had left behind, was out of my hands. I was, where I was... and there was nothing I could do to change that. If that was my fate... it was a good one. I went down fighting the battle against evil.

"I knew how I'd lived my life, and was excited to finally see my goddess and receive my reward. I had done the best I could... and there was no shame in that. The line was long... but the I looked forward to its end.

"Then I heard the call... your call. I knew then there was more still to do, and suddenly it was in my power to keep fighting or not. Either way, I had upheld my beliefs and the reward would be the same... I chose to come back. People still needed me, and I could still help...

"I'll always chose to come back..."
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Post  Wynnsaren Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:13 am

Go to the end of the longest line and await me there. . .

The whisper of what felt like a memory tickled across her consciousness, but it could not be placed. A few blinks later, Wynn set the thought aside.

"I know," the oracle smiled in response to her king's comment. She leaned over, playfully nudging him with her shoulder. "I know you will. I pray this will not need to be repeated however, for wrenching one's soul back from eternity is not so easy a process to endure. In spite of the magic that was cast upon you today, you are not yet as hale and whole as you should be, but given a bit more time and a bit more magic, you should return to your former strength.

"I only tell you these things so that you will be especially careful when you return to the front. You may feel fine now, but you will have lost a step, so I urge caution. It was by the grace of the gods that we did not lose all of Matsuro Shi that day."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:33 pm

"Really," he said with a surprised grin. It felt good to just sit and talk about an experience like this. He had never really considered the ramifications of being separated body and soul.

"I admit.. I feel, disoriented. Something is a bit off, but I can't put my finger on it. I had assumed it was just the loss of a couple days and the bitter sting of defeat... but apparently I was wrong.

"It was a bit of a whirlwind when I woke... You cast something else on me after I remember... Restoration? It was more powerful then the one I can cast." He mused over the events that seemed jumbled in his brain.

"I forgot to ask... I lost two days, did anything interesting happen?" He smirked and chuckled lightly as he recalled who he was talking too. "Two days probably doesn't seem like much when you lost weeks after the siege..."
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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:33 pm

At the mention of the siege, a torrent of unwelcome thoughts and memories of pain both physical and emotional, flickered across her normally serene features. These were not events she liked to relive and so, whether wise or not, the aasimar shoved them back down into her subconscious where she felt they belonged.

"Believe me," Wynn responded after collecting herself, "those two days felt like two months. Your sister was as close to broken as I have ever seen her. Zaistrun occasionally let down his guard and appeared troubled, and poor Sir Paido spent those two days alternating between shades of white and green. Even moreso when I told him of the cost of the components I would be needing for those spells!

"Mostly however, those two days were spent healing. When Matsuro Shi Teleported into my room that morning, it wasn't long before they were standing in a pool of their own blood. Zaistrun was close to bleeding out and joining you in line," she grimaced. "Sarala was not much better off. Sir Paido was more battered and bruised than I had ever seen him, but the look of despair in his eyes was more disturbing by far."

Wynnsaren's lips thinned into a hard line.

"Then of course there was you. . . Your corpse I should say." She sighed and raked her fingers through her hair. "That was not the most pleasant way to be woken, but I am glad that Lord Garess had the ability and foresight to get to me first. No one else in Akiros knows of your brief passing."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:35 pm

"That's good... I suppose." Thaddeus grimaced at the thought of the misery that last battle took on everyone.

"I suspected Sarala took it hard... Her reaction when I woke... it wasn't what I was expecting. More... volume for certain. It... threw me off a little."

Screaming and judgement he would have expected. Calling out his mistakes... he still expected in his future. The quiet fear in her voice... that he wasn't sure what to do with.

"It's good that the kingdom didn't fall into chaos in my absence... though I do regret the distress that it caused on everyone... and the treasury," he smirked trying to lighten the mood a bit. "I'm sure I'll hear something about that at the next meeting!'
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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:36 pm

Wynn managed a small smile.

"The only reason the kingdom didn't fall into chaos in your absence is precisely because your death was kept secret. As there is currently no line of succession to the throne, the people are left largely in a state of uncertainty should something tragic befall you. That I suspect, will be something more likely to be discussed at your next meeting."

The smile vanished as she watched the clouds roll in over the king's handsome features.

"Your Majesty," the oracle began carefully, "Matsuro Shi has informed me of your decision to perform the marriage ceremony in the spring and from what I have heard, there was some dissent. I do not refer to that decision. Your word is law and as such, should be the end of the discussion." With a downturned palm, Wynn drew a line in the air, accentuating her point with the gesture.

"I would only humbly suggest that a plan be put into place in the interim, until your heir is born, so that your people may feel more secure in their future here and the surrounding nations will not see your elimination as an easy means to dissolve your fledgling kingdom."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:37 pm

The king nodded through a tight grimace. "You're right... on both parts. I will undoubtedly hear about 'that' come the next meeting... It really was a favorite topic before... now that I've actually died?? Yes, I expect to get an earful..."

He found himself groaning in annoyance. "And they're probably right.... as are you. Something should be done... but it's not something I'm really comfortable with... I could pick someone fairly easy to take care of my horse... or put my sword to good use. Who do you chose to run your kingdom?!?

"I've tried to surround myself with like-minded people... but I'm still not comfortable leaving them my dream. I've made promises to the people... but I'm not certain Sarala or Zaistrun would honor them... One of them would be the expected choice...

"Perhaps Sir Paido... He has the humility to the job properly, I also think he would try to follow my wishes even from the grave... He still has self esteem issues...He may be pushed more by stronger personalities, but I would rather someone who realizes what a gift it is to run a kingdom... and doubts his ability to run so many lives... then to appoint a noble who simple sees it as his birthright...

"Maybe Paido...."

Thaddeus burst out with a laugh at the image of the Halfling sitting on his throne.... legs dangling freely. He could only imagine his knight's expression of horror if the idea was ever mentioned.... "Though... if that happens, I'm sure he'll PERSONALLY see to it that no harm every comes to me again.... Ever!"
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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:40 pm

"I have known scant few as selfless than Sir Paido," Wynnsaren grinned fondly. "While, as you insightfully say, he would be mortified by the assignation, I have confidence that he would find it within himself to rise to the challenge. As he always does."

A mental image of the poor halfling's haunted face over these last two days, sprang easily to mind. He had taken the fall of the king as hard as anyone. The guilt of failed responsibility hung like a millstone. Sure, he wasn't precisely family but the First Knight of the Realm, even before he had been dubbed thus, had taken on King Thaddeus as his charge and therefore his royal well being fell squarely upon Paido's small but sturdy shoulders. Wynn didn't believe that the knight would need the threat of ascension to the throne to ensure that no harm ever came to their king again!

"But these are simply administrative details in my own mind," she dismissed the concern. "I have complete faith that no such decree will ever need be acted upon. You will marry early next year and you are not one to shirk your duties to your new queen or your nation. Soon your quiver will be veritably replete with arrows, I have no doubt." Wynn chuckled at the thought of little black-haired moppets running about the castle. She hoped she would be allowed to remain long enough to see that next generation.

As concerned as everyone seemed to be about this marriage -- valid concerns though they may be, Wynnsaren couldn't help but think that if the stars didn't align in precisely the right way. . . If they were not ready when the time of darkness came, that there would be no need to worry about heirs.

There would be no kingdom at all.

Shaking off the negative thought, she turned to the king with a thin smile. "Your path -- Matsuro Shi's path, is hardly an easy one as you have clearly discovered. There will be other setbacks assuredly, but I know that working in concert with one another will allow you all to overcome truly staggering odds. This I have both seen and foreseen." The aasimar tilted her chin up toward the inky canopy. "All victory is possible. . . but it is not guaranteed."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:45 pm

Thaddeus smirked at the warning. "There's just something about what just happened being described as a 'setback'. I've heard death described in many ways... but you have a gift for putting things in perspective."

Thaddeus followed her gaze upwards. Since meeting Wynn and facing the quests she brought, he found the sky a different place. "How is it you are still so fond of the night sky Wynn," he asked simply. "Knowing what's up there... and the dangers that are coming, I admit... I find the night sky much more ominous then I did as a child.

"It used to just be pretty lights and mystery. Now it seems more like a great spanning shadow that an assassin is using to lurk behind. I'll admit an extra special joy now when the Dawn's light burns the shadows away."


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Post  Wynnsaren Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:49 pm

Wynnsaren lips turned up in a small, sad smile as she gazed, unseeing up at the stars.

"I am very sorry to hear that the evening hours do not enchant you as they once did, my king, but dangers do come from all around us as you well know. Sky, sea, land even distant planes. During the day and during the night. To live one's live in fear of every danger would be no life at all.

"The Song of the Stars is my solace. It has been the one constant in my span of seventy-five years, and in it I derive a necessary strength by the reminder that there is a greater purpose at work through me. That my life is more than merely being shunted about at the gods' whims. There is an order to the stars -- in their positions and in their song and I know I am part of that. One day I will understand the whole picture. One day I will join them. . .maybe becoming part of that song myself.

"It is not a mere fondness I harbor, but a longing. A belonging. I wish I could explain more fully. . . Make you understand somehow." She sighed and folded her hands in her lap, struggling for the words. "I imagine the feeling I experience to be like seeing your home after years at sea. Or a lover's embrace when you are weary and troubled."

The aasimar turned her shining eyes upon the young paladin.

"Maybe it is not so different for you at dawn," she considered aloud. "During the day I become who I need to be. Who I must be for whatever the mission demands. During the evening I am enveloped once more by the Song, and reminded of who I truly am."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Fri Aug 22, 2014 10:50 pm

"Maybe..." he said as he considered her words. "I try very hard to keep who I am, and who I need to be, the same person... but it's a struggle sometimes. I think some people would prefer I didn't sometimes. Yet, If I'm truly the best man for this 'mission', then I can't change too much. Then I wouldn't be me... it should have fallen to someone else.

"Dawn is... better in that regard. I suppose during the day, and especially at night, I do try to over think things. You're right that there are dangers all around... but only the night sky has been sending me threats, warnings, and supernatural aid to prepare for... It's difficult not to let it consume my thoughts. Though... I like to think of it more as a healthy respect of the situation then 'living in fear," he said with a light laugh.

Thaddeus shook his head and chuckled, "and yet it wasn't some tentacled horror from beyond that felled me... it was drug dealing cultist with a sword and shield..." He was quiet for a moment then with his mouth twisted up into a smirk added, "and some crossbowmen, and a will o wisp or two. I'm not really sure who amongst them claimed the credit.

"Still, I feel I should have been able to take the swordsman..."
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A Matter of Death and Life Empty Wynnsaren

Post  Wynnsaren Sat Aug 23, 2014 10:37 am

Wynn laughed lightly at the king's familiar self-effacing charm.

It felt good to laugh even when her heart wasn't in it completely. Like shrugging off a few flakes of the weight that dragged at her. She knew how her king felt. The Shadow loomed over her as much if not more than anyone in the Stolen Lands, for she could sense that presence at times within her visions and within her dreams. It called to her, trying to tempt her with power. Trying to twist the Song of the Stars in her mind and steal the comfort that it brought.

That, as much as anything else, was terrifying to her.

Over six months had passed since she'd last seen Rasven Winter. It had been intended as a sort of 'proof of life' visit to Silverhall after her loss of consciousness following the siege but also, in the spirit of honesty they strove for, Wynn needed to make him aware of this new threat. She'd confessed to him how she had been trapped within a vision that this power was manipulating and divulged her fears that it might change her somehow. As ever, the Merchant Prince made rational arguments to dissuade her worry and communicated the faith that he had in her to resist such temptations and manipulations. At the time she'd felt comforted. Emboldened even. Now? She just felt tired and increasingly isolated.

Clutching at the edge of her seat, Wynnsaren ran her thumb over the intricate carvings, in an absent-minded attempt to distract herself from the guilt she felt for not sharing such a thing with King Thaddeus. Would the information serve any purpose? Certainly no good would come from it, she considered, and it would only harm her purpose here. If it drove her mad then she would go mad. So be it, but giving Matsuro Shi reason to doubt her visions would not protect them from what was coming.

Maybe that was what the Thing Beyond was attempting to do. . . Wynn was insignificant in and of herself, but beyond just herself, she was a conduit that the gods spoke through to help these heroes thwart Its plans at every opportunity. Maybe this mysterious being was trying to create a rift between herself and the subjects of her mission. The oracle could not let that happen. She could only fight all the harder.

"I have no doubt that you have the ability to best that swordsman," she smiled again, brushing her own insecurities aside, "but you know as well as I how truly fragile our lives are. It does not matter who we are. How strong. How brave. . . One stray arrow. One well placed dagger, and we are dust. Best we can do is stack the deck." Wynn turned and gave him a playful wink. "And your deck is well stacked, Your Majesty," she patted his thigh, "which is why I try not to fret over you."
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Post  Thaddeus Medvyed Wed Aug 27, 2014 7:18 pm

Thaddeus glanced in surprise at the hand on his leg, but recovered quickly. As the king, it was rare indeed for something as simple as contact like that. Unless someone was casting a spell it seemed, everyone kept a respectful distance. Despite her ability to see him as a close friend, even Wynn only made contact while dancing at a random festival or feast.

It wasn't really something he thought about often, just something else he had gotten used to.

He smiled back and raised and eyebrow. "Really? Not even a little fretting? Yet you always seem to know exactly when I need to talk to someone..."
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