{Atana} Like knives of ice
Jun. 22nd, 2009 04:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wayfarers_lodgeAtana knelt by Lord Darius's chair, as she had done since she was a child, so glad to be home. Her old teacher didn't argue when she asked him to move closer to the fire, but looked at her curiously when he noticed the hurt, lost note in her voice, like the little girl who didn't want to be told by the other children that her father was a Dao anymore.
"She wasn't supposed to die." she murmured, almost relishing the pain. Carrying the first of the tears of Ulutiu had numbed the hurt, bringing with it a sense of hope (she hadn't dared listen to the whisper of despair of the God who had been betrayed by His Lover), but denying the feelings was not helpful- it was denying the importance of what happened.
"They never are." Lord Darius replied, stroking her hair gently, like a father that never had the practice of his own children. "It happens in spite of what is supposed to go forth or not."
"I should have protected her. I should have told her sooner."
"Told her what?"
"Everything. About the Winter Queen and Ulutiu, about the Qorrashi, about how I..." She stopped, throat closing.
"About how you loved her, and love her still?"
He didn't judge her- the tone in his voice was perfectly accepting. She nodded silently, eyes leaking at the memory of her ebon dark hair and earthy skintone, her eyes like rime-ice and the scent of lavender that mixed with the exciting spices of skin.
Lord Darius's arm fell across her shoulders, pulling her close to him in a bear hug, knowing her pain better than almost anyone else in the town.
"Atana, it isn't your fault. Never believe it is."
"I should have stayed with her." she sobbed angrily, hating herself, muddy tears drying on her cheeks. "I could have seen her through her faith breaking if she had have survived, given her something new to believe in. Now I can't reach her and she won't come back- I have failed her."
"You have done all that you can, little Stone Daughter, and you continue to do so."
"It wasn't enough when it mattered!"
"Atana. Attend me." His fingers reached under her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "It wasn't your fault. Just like it wasn't mine when Tessele was murdered. Can you accept this truth from me?"
She blinked at him, nodding slowly. Darius speaking the name of Lady Greycastle was like the invocation of a great god or the whisper of a forgotten piece of lore. Lord Darius smiled grimly, and reached for his glass.
"You should have a drink, then. It will help."
Atana hesitated, then poured herself a nip of golden spirits, sipping it gingerly.
"So now what do you intend to do, Stone Daughter?" asked Lord Darius, shooing her from his lap.
"I intend to dethrone the Bitch Queen of Winter, and restore Ulutiu to His place."
Lord Darius arched his eyebrows, silent for a few moments, considering his words carefully, as he always did.
"Ah, so that is your plan. Quite an undertaking you have there. Are you going to do it on your own?"
"Oh, my word no. Jobosh is going to help."
He chuckled dryly.
"Well, it has certainly doubled your chances of success to involve young Master Hyn."
"Will you help us?"
He shrugged.
"Perhaps. I am old, Atana, but we will see what the Gods will. Anything is possible."
"Indeed, especially when Balance is demanded. The Icy Betrayer holds place outside of the natural order, and the very earth cries out for the world to be restored.
"You believe so?"
Atana nodded.
"I know so. I feel it in my blood."
"And you have a place to start?"
She considered the crystal tear that lay in her pouches in her room.
"More than a place- we have a firm foothold, and somewhere to start the next. The Tears of Ulutiu will be difficult to find."
"Then I will do what research I can to help you." Lord Darius replied, rubbing his bearded chin. "And this will achieve what you desire?"
"I want to come back," Leyna said, her voice thin and reedy through the veil of the dead, "but I can't. You should go."
"I don't want to go." Atana whispered. "I love you."
The spirit smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."
The only thing Atana could think of stopping Leyna coming back to a righteous summoning was the will of the Goddess that had killed her. Once Auril was gone, Leyna would be free.
"Yes, Lord Darius." She replied after a pause. "It will do enough."
"She wasn't supposed to die." she murmured, almost relishing the pain. Carrying the first of the tears of Ulutiu had numbed the hurt, bringing with it a sense of hope (she hadn't dared listen to the whisper of despair of the God who had been betrayed by His Lover), but denying the feelings was not helpful- it was denying the importance of what happened.
"They never are." Lord Darius replied, stroking her hair gently, like a father that never had the practice of his own children. "It happens in spite of what is supposed to go forth or not."
"I should have protected her. I should have told her sooner."
"Told her what?"
"Everything. About the Winter Queen and Ulutiu, about the Qorrashi, about how I..." She stopped, throat closing.
"About how you loved her, and love her still?"
He didn't judge her- the tone in his voice was perfectly accepting. She nodded silently, eyes leaking at the memory of her ebon dark hair and earthy skintone, her eyes like rime-ice and the scent of lavender that mixed with the exciting spices of skin.
Lord Darius's arm fell across her shoulders, pulling her close to him in a bear hug, knowing her pain better than almost anyone else in the town.
"Atana, it isn't your fault. Never believe it is."
"I should have stayed with her." she sobbed angrily, hating herself, muddy tears drying on her cheeks. "I could have seen her through her faith breaking if she had have survived, given her something new to believe in. Now I can't reach her and she won't come back- I have failed her."
"You have done all that you can, little Stone Daughter, and you continue to do so."
"It wasn't enough when it mattered!"
"Atana. Attend me." His fingers reached under her chin, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "It wasn't your fault. Just like it wasn't mine when Tessele was murdered. Can you accept this truth from me?"
She blinked at him, nodding slowly. Darius speaking the name of Lady Greycastle was like the invocation of a great god or the whisper of a forgotten piece of lore. Lord Darius smiled grimly, and reached for his glass.
"You should have a drink, then. It will help."
Atana hesitated, then poured herself a nip of golden spirits, sipping it gingerly.
"So now what do you intend to do, Stone Daughter?" asked Lord Darius, shooing her from his lap.
"I intend to dethrone the Bitch Queen of Winter, and restore Ulutiu to His place."
Lord Darius arched his eyebrows, silent for a few moments, considering his words carefully, as he always did.
"Ah, so that is your plan. Quite an undertaking you have there. Are you going to do it on your own?"
"Oh, my word no. Jobosh is going to help."
He chuckled dryly.
"Well, it has certainly doubled your chances of success to involve young Master Hyn."
"Will you help us?"
He shrugged.
"Perhaps. I am old, Atana, but we will see what the Gods will. Anything is possible."
"Indeed, especially when Balance is demanded. The Icy Betrayer holds place outside of the natural order, and the very earth cries out for the world to be restored.
"You believe so?"
Atana nodded.
"I know so. I feel it in my blood."
"And you have a place to start?"
She considered the crystal tear that lay in her pouches in her room.
"More than a place- we have a firm foothold, and somewhere to start the next. The Tears of Ulutiu will be difficult to find."
"Then I will do what research I can to help you." Lord Darius replied, rubbing his bearded chin. "And this will achieve what you desire?"
"I want to come back," Leyna said, her voice thin and reedy through the veil of the dead, "but I can't. You should go."
"I don't want to go." Atana whispered. "I love you."
The spirit smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."
The only thing Atana could think of stopping Leyna coming back to a righteous summoning was the will of the Goddess that had killed her. Once Auril was gone, Leyna would be free.
"Yes, Lord Darius." She replied after a pause. "It will do enough."
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Date: 2009-06-22 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
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