Tempest ate her breakfast, and, after saying goodbye to the dogs and letting them out into the back garden, where there was more than enough space for them, set off to her office. She always went on foot, the bus made her claustrophobic, and she'd never learned to drive or cycle.
She arrived at the office almost on time, and settled herself at her desk where she instantly got started on her work.
"Morning, Tempest!" Grinned Bobby, popping his freckled face round the corner of her door. "Thought I heard you coming in. How are you this morning?"
Tempest looked grudgingly up from her papers, forcing the slightest of smiles. "I'm fine, thank you Bobby." She didn't ask how he was, that would just draw her into conversation and she really didn't have time for that at present.
"Would you like a coffee?" Bobby asked. He was unrelentingly cheerful, and completely oblivious to her reluctance to converse. "I'm heading down to get a couple now."
"No thanks, Bobby." She said, trying hard to mask her irritation with politeness. In truth, she would have loved one, but that would have meant that Bobby would have to come into her office again to give it to her, and that would inevitably result in more conversation.
"Alright then. Suit yourself." He shrugged, and beaming infuriatingly, headed off on his way.
"Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise." -Maya Angelou
*um, can somebody bring me in? I'm in the forest at the moment, so if anybody is there*...
Athene-
Amanda wanted a poultice by tomorrow, but Athene decided she could wait. The pains wouldn't be coming for a long time yet, and she was a strong girl, she could wait.
Once under the rustling canopy, Athene unpinned her hair and shook it out. In the village, she was of marriageable age and mothers were throwing their sons at her, after all, a midwife and healer would bear good grandchildren. Athene wasn't interested, she pinned her hair up and kept her head down.
Seven years after leaving the coven, she did not regret it. The villagers still gave her a slightly wide berth at times, they knew that she was magical in some way, but they were a superstitious lot that wanted magic to be used for them. She had given up her element control over the years, concentrating on plant lore, but it was still at her fingertips if she ever needed to make a quick getaway.
Like tonight. There was something restless, she thought, plucking the tiny red berries and putting them into her bag.
As Mistress Fulham would say, there were witches abroad.
"Stella. You were in my dream the other night. And everyone called you Princess." -Lauren2010
I'm going to try to bring the characters together over the next few days but feel free to find and interact with each other while you wait...
Rydia
Caelin and Rydia stood outside the cottage, the latter staring into the distance, towards the faint glow of the town, and the former watching her, though every now and then his eyes darted around the forest, probing amongst the trees. Rydia turned and saw how uneasy he was. Caelin had changed, much more than she had expected.
"What troubles you?" Rydia asked. "The spirits?" Caelin blinked and turned more of his attention towards her.
"I've searched for you," he said. "The spirits are many." Rydia frowned at his response, the cryptic tongue was unfamiliar amongst her memories and she could find no trace of a smile. Has life been hard on you? Rydia wondered.
"Yes," she said, "and there are those who linger in the shadows, plotting... something. Would you wait here a moment and when Persephone returns, lead her directly West of here?"
"Can I ask why?" Rydia considered the question carefully. There had been a time when her orders and requests were never questioned but then she had been leader and now her position was still... questionable.
"My horse, Araen'all, is some distance away. I will collect him and then meet you West of here." Caelin hesitated, as if reluctant that they should be parted again so soon, but nodded and Rydia set off. She had her reasons for leaving alone. A quartz crystal in her hand vibrated and she thought multiple members of the coven appearing, together, might strtle the witch that it led to.
"You'll be back though, right?" Merick asked from where he was laying next to her in the bed.
"I don't know." She answered turning away from him. She didn't want to think about it. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her body close to his.
"I'll wait for you." He whispered unsure.
"Don't waste your life waiting for me." She stood and began to dress.
"I've got plenty of life to waste," he laughed pulling her back onto the bed when all she had managed to put on where her undergarments, "I won't ever grow old." He nuzzled his head into her neck.
"Yes, but I will."
"I thought you were working on that."
"I got rid of it." His face fell but he still kept his arms around her.
"I see." He laid back down and covered his face with his hands.
"I'm sorry." She said pulling her knees to her chest.
"No, no. It's okay, I'm sorry. I should never have even gotten involved with you, I knew it would only end bad." She rested her head on his chest and sighed.
"So this is it?"
"I wish it wasn't." She reached up and kissed his before dressing and leaving.
By the time she found Caelin in the forrest she had stopped crying and calmed down slightly, but she knew that her eyes were puffy and her temper was testy.
All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, and I promise you something great will come of it.
"What do you think you'll find?"
Moira had reacted badly to Keleria's desicion to pack up and move on, but Keleria thought she was doing the right thing, no one could stop her. As she moved around the house, collecting her stuff, Moira followed around, hastling her and trying to persuade her to stay.
"Freedom?"
Keleria shoved past her into her bedroom, grabbing spilt clothes as she went and shoving them into the knapsack hanging from her arm.
"Justice?"
She opened drawers and searched through them where is it? "Revenge?"
Finally she rounded on Moira, "I don't know. I just don't know. All I know is that i have a better chance of joining them if they think I've been doing something decent," then she turned back to her search.
"Like what?" Moira was starting to get desperate, trying to find something that would keep Keleria there, "What exactly are they supposed to think is decent? That you reject any contact with humans? That you think that the coven itself is unjust? What are they going to think of that? Hmmm? Tell me that."
But Keleria ignored her, continuing to look for the elusive object. Finally she found it, and placed it carefully at the top of the bag. but not before Moira saw what it was.
"You can't take that, Kely," Moira's voice was shocked, "You know you can't. You were never supposed to have that, I can't believe they even gave it to you."
"Moira, this map will help me find them, I don't care what you say, I need it."
"That's an illegal copy, it was never supposed to be made, let alone given to you!"
"I don't care!" Keleria was gtting tired of this, she needed to leave, "Goodbye, Moira. I don't know if I'll see you again."
And with that, she left, walking quickly away from the one erson that she considered a friend.
It is an established fact that, despite everything society can do, girls of seven are magnetically attracted to the colour pink.
- Terry Pratchett, "Monstrous Regiment"
When Persephone drew nearer, Caelin could see that she had she had been crying. Nor was it difficult to guess why.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"You attacked Merick, broke his wrist, and just now I've had to tell him I probably won't see him again. Of course I'm alright," she replied snappily. Caelin looked away, thinking of what to do. Maybe it was time to swallow his pride. Just this once.
"I'm sorry." Persephone looked slightly surprised.
"What?" she said.
"I'm sorry," repeated Caelin. "I shouldn't have been so blind as to attack the wrong person." Caelin realised he had called the vampyre a person.
If Persephone cries because she has to part with him, then suppose he is, he thought.
"Then I accept your apology," replied Persephone. She seemed almost smug. "Why were you after someone anyway?"
"Several days ago, two dark spirits came to the place I resided. There, they did something I will never forgive. One, I destroyed so that even a god could never gather its essence to remake it. The other escaped, and is still somewhere out there," answered Caelin.
"You're not going to tell me what they did, are you?" said Persephone.
"You don't need to know. It's my fight," he replied.
"You've changed Caelin, both in looks and behavior. First with that crazy talk, and now with this vengence stuff. And you must be how old, twenty-seven, twenty-eight? You look as if you're thirty-five. You have to let me sort you out."
"Well, you haven't changed a bit. You were always a strange twelve year old, and now you're a strange nineteen year old," parried Caelin with a smile. Persephone scowled.
So spirit, why have you run away? thought Caelin to himself as they waited for Rydia.
*If anyone has any objections to me writing in first person just let me know and I'll change to third. Also, sorry for my lack of posting. I was gone for the last week.*
Nicholas (Nick)-
After two hours of riding, there was still no sign of the town. I had stopped to look over the map I carried, but it always told that the town wasn't far from my last campsite.
The bitter cold of winter began to grow worse with the coming of night. I pulled the hood of my dark green cloak over my head, urging Donax faster. The horse snorted and moved from a quick trot to a canter, then finally to a gallop.
I gave up trying to find the town and directed Donax towards where I was sure the next one would be. I had visited there only once before, but that had been nearly five years ago. There had been nothing for me to do there so I had moved on quickly. Maybe this time would be different.
If I was where I thought I was, the town would be no more than two hours away at the pace I was going. The towns and cities in this area weren't spread apart as far as most others were. Since they were all so small, the closer together the more protected. From what, I had no idea.
Despite my attempt to keep the memories smothered and hidden, images of my time with the Coven came back to me. I shook my head roughly, watching as our leader, Rydia, and a few of the other members gathered around something I could not see and never had seen. I had been young at that time. Only eleven at most.
The thoughts and memories fled with a sharp whinny and Donax rearing up on his back legs. I grabbed the reins in my hands and shouted a sharp command to the animal. He settled down, turning to the side.
I looked to my left from under my hood to see a woman standing next to a tree. Sharp hazel eyes stared up at me, bright red hair pinned close to her head. She couldn't be more then a few years older than me, and she looked startlingly familiar.
Too familiar.
"Athene," I said, speaking a name that had not touched my lips in the last seven years.
Be the cartoon heart. Light a fire, light a spark. Light a fire, flame in my heart. We'll run wild, we'll be glowing in the dark.
I've no objection to first person at all and don't worry about the lack of activity, we haven't got too much further yet. I think I'll have Rydia find both Athene and Nick in a little while but it's probably best to let Stella write first so she can show Athene's reaction.
Shin was asleep on the bed, but there was only one bed (Not enough money for two). So as soon as Shiro changed. (In the bathroom of course!) He grabbed a pillow and a blanket and slept on the couch in the room.
Soon the early morning came and Shin woke up first. She looked over to see Shiro still asleep. She tiptoed to his side, and placed her hand on his cheek. His face was cold, but she didn't mind. Gently she placed her lips onto his, her warm lips seem to chill against his icy cold lips. After a few seconds she lifted her head.
Her face was blushing.
Last edited by Maki-Chan on Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:19 pm, edited 2 times in total.
